⇨ POLARIS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Days 102 - 109
Where: Polaris
What: With the Ringmaster kidnapped and the rest of the carnival imprisoned, characters find themselves at the mercy of a Winter Fae called the Mother of Invention.
Warnings: Graphic experimentation in places.

TRIALS & TRIBULATION↴ After a day of cleansing and processing, where all the belongings and attire of their old lives are stripped away and replaced with something newer and more form fitting, the former members of the carnival will find themselves let loose into the Farm for the first time. A sizable green area, filled with orchards growing inorganic looking fruits and field ready for tending, the Farm is where they will be spending their days for the forseeable future. Food and drink are no longer needed, and so every day is an endless cycle of work. Technicians are seen only when necessary, and when being taken from your place of work to your lonesome cells at night. Every day, there are new postings on the "Production Board", where various dire sound scientific trials ask for subjects. The majority won't be forced, at least not yet, but the system is at work to push its participants to the brink and force their hand. After all, volunteers make the best subjects. ► PRODUCTIVITY: As explained elsewhere, characters will be forced to compete to attain enough Productivity Point to be considered Satisfactory. There are literally not enough points to go around for everyone to attain this, which means that at least some people will be deemed "Below Expectations" by the end of the first four-day cycle. What this means has yet to be discovered, but the Technicians have grimly warned against it. Productivity involves many tasks, including orchard picking, tilling, planting, harvesting, watering, maintenance, and more. Any task you can think of that would take place on a plantation is applicable here. Beyond that, the Production Board awaits you, offering precious Productivity Points in exchange for your cooperation. How you become Satisfactory is up to you, but it's every person for themselves. Only one person can turn in the credit for harvesting or preparing fields, and while you can certainly try to help others by letting them take credit for your work, it's a sure fire way to fall behind the herd, especially if you are already in a low Classification. Fruits and fields will miraculously grow overnight, and will be ready for a new day when you are. You've been told not to eat anything you harvest, but right now you aren't hungry anyway. ► POLARIS BY NIGHT: During the night, you are left alone to your thoughts and maybe an annoying roommate. Solo or in pairs, the entire night will be spent in small sleep pods, as shown on the locations post. Is it possible to sneak out? It doesn't seem like it is, but who is to say? The real question is if you want to dare to try. There is one hour of rest before and after seven hours of darkness. Even if you don't usually have to sleep, you'll find yourself oddly weary and inclined to rest. Supernaturally, almost. ► PARTICIPATION: Sometimes participation in experimental trials is manditory, sometimes it isn't. You are free to handwave your character having been pulled aside for minor examinations, such as blood tests or aura scans. Each time, you will be pulled into a separate part of the station and analyzed by a Technician and heavily automated machinery. Anymore more complex than basic check-up level tests will be posted about in a section called "TRIALS" in the body of the post below.

Comments

[kingsroads]

As Herbert thumps Strange with his tail, Strange looks over at the other man with a look of pure annoyance. He's done just as well with the farming as Herbert has. How the hell has he done better than him?! The fact that Herbert looks like death only serves to make Strange even more pissed off about all of this.

"It's ridiculous, that's what it is."

[scientificist]

"Noooo there's clear correlation!" Herbert insists. "The farming is. Nothing--I felt it might be, that seeeemed correct." He stares meaningfully at Strange for a moment before closing his eyes and grunting, grabbing at his head. The next bit is pushed out, looking up beyond his hand.

"They want us to...want. Experimentation."

[kingsroads]

Having experience taking a wide variety of poisons and tinctures to try and induce madness (before finding the actual solution of crazy dead mouse juice), Herbert's behavior isn't exactly foreign to Strange. He doesn't peg that it's specifically withdrawal, but he remembers feeling and acting the same way when coming down off of one of his madness attempts.

Something odd's going on here. And, to his credit, Strange's utter fury softens a tick.

"Then I should be top of that list," he mutters, more to himself than to Herbert. After all, he practically gave them his consent in a metaphorically gift-wrapped box. "There's got to be something more than that."

[scientificist]

"What?" Herbert looks up, letting his hand down and looking between Strange and the board. "No, you haven't been in, a trial yet, they have no data." Bracing himself along the wall with one arm and a wing, he points individually at everyone who was in his particular trial, sloppily with a flailing arm. "As long as, you aren't an Eta, one trial is sufficient. Effort is meaningless."

[kingsroads]

Strange looks at the productivity board...then looks back at Herbert...then looks at the productivity board again.

Fuck. Herbert's probably right. West looks like a sweaty, drugged out, absolutely useless mess, there's no way he could have gotten that high up unless he did something truly exemplary.

"Have you signed up for one of those trials?" Strange casually asks.

[scientificist]

Herbert squints at Strange and then squints at the board.

"Well. Nothing applied." Because today was Ignatius day and Herbert is having trouble parsing meaning and intent properly right now. He peers at the board a bit longer before swinging back towards Strange.

"Uuunless you mean, generally? Then, the first trial--it was delayed but. I signed up right away, I wanted to know their procedure and it seemed generally harmless by the description, theeey could only plausibly kill me."

[kingsroads]

"Well. That tells me everything I need to know."

While Strange's expression is a very measured calm, there's a tenseness to his voice that he can't hide. Fuck, hell, shit, damn the Mother of Invention and damn this set-up. He practically wasted the past three days and for what? Nothing!

"Best of luck dealing with this." And, fists clenched at his side, Strange turns around to leave Herbert and the productivity board area.

[scientificist]

"Yes," Herbert agrees, and doesn't bother stopping Strange from leaving, although he does respond to his retreat with, "best of luck, reaching Delta!"