⇨ POLARIS 2.0

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Days 110 - 114
Where: Polaris
What: After a mysterious explosion shakes the station, the staff of Polaris struggle to maintain order while the test subjects fight for freedom with the aid of hidden allies. Productivity info is here.
Warnings: More graphic experimentation.

THEORY & CONCLUSION↴ At the midnight between Day 109 and Day 110, something happens. For most people, it won't be clear what - yet, they are shaken by it just the same. Violent tremors appear out of nowhere, rattling the entirety of the Polar station, violent enough to throw sleeping test subjects off their bunks. The source is unclear, but there is a sudden flurry of activity from staff as power flickers and is lost in various parts of the facility. Subjects, for the most part, will be left to their cells while they try to sort things out. The next morning, the staff are late picking people up. It's more like 6:30AM than the usual 6AM when they arrive to take people to the farm, which is a bit of tardiness that is entirely without precedent. Any questions about the incident the previous night will be waved off with the explanation of 'technical difficulties' that have been 'resolved.' ► DELTA: The three new Deltas will be left in their cells for even longer, waiting to be picked up, instructed that they would be escorted elsewhere instead of to the farm. Around 6:45AM some unfamiliar technicians will arrive and tell them that they are here to begin their processing into Delta. They are led into a previously untouched section of the station, where they are invited into a somewhat more intimate medical room to be asked some cursory questions and given a check up. Then, their suits will be removed, and they will be provided with their new uniforms, which they can apply like normal clothes. Delta life begins there. There will be a top level for the initial parts of their processing to be played out. Ultimately, however, they will end up being given a tour of the new Delta facilities, which amounts to a waterfront area that borders the new apartments they'll be staying in, as well a small supply shop where they can pick up an allotted amount of 'amenities' per day, based on their level of productivity and other achievements. This includes luxury items like food, pleasant smelling soaps, or other hygiene related tools. There are even small things like decorations or pictures of other places available, though they are fairly expensive. The first day will mostly involve the processing, a tour, and some basic training regarding the new tools they will be using, such as the mandatory visors and basic computer access. The next day, observation shifts in the farm will start, as will participation in trials. ► FARMING: The Farm will continue as normal, though it seems like there are fewer staff observing it at the moment. The ones that are there seem a little bit more tense than usual. Power is still down in some places, but the Farm is thankfully still active. Sometimes the productivity turn-in scanners might be a bit glitchy, so try not to panic if it measures fewer points than you're due. ► TRIALS: Trials are continuing as projected, though with the most broad of experiments already under way, they may be more selective. If you have an idea for a trial you can be sure to share it with the staff, and they will take it under advisement! Any information you want to provide is encouraged, they will say, especially if it involves notable traits about you or your fellow test subjects - or perhaps behavioral patterns you've noticed. You might even be rewarded!

Comments

[hippocarnival]

[Ah, well--Yuya will gently correct him with a proper image of the Summer Maiden. Just so he can recognize her if that time ever comes.

But using it to know where the Mother of Invention is and avoid her is clever, and that's why he asked Gongenzaka.

He nods outwardly, and then emphasizes Rita. He'll try and talk to her. Now that they're this much closer, there has to be something she can do.]

[betheman]

[Agreed, agreed!

Ah-

But then he realizes something. He brings up the image of Rita- and moves her slllloooooowwwwly closer to the idea of cameras and radios. Technicians are probably monitored too. Maybe even more-so. Sure feels like it at least.

The feeling of caution prevails- and the 'Shhh' image as well. Another image, of a jumble of nonsense words appears, before the idea of a hand carefully going over them to 'Pick and Choose' shows up.

Speak carefully. Choose what you say, Yuuya. A large 'X' appears over the tin can telephone, with Yuuya's image. He can't share info the same way they are right now- so watch those words!]

[hippocarnival]

[He'll be careful, he'll be careful! Yuya nudges Gongenzaka gently.]

I'm not going to jeopardize this. [He almost mumbles. Have a little more faith in him (Strange is an outlier because Yuya trusts Strange more than any reasonable person should).]

[periphrasing]

"We don't know how involved she is, and we don't know what she even looks like," Peridot adds. "All we know for sure is that she uses some kind of drone to speak with people from a distance."

[betheman]

[Oi oi, watch the physical tells-! Gon moves somewhat quickly to go for some other berries with that nudge, if at least to keep things natural.

And have a 'Shh', while Gon coughs aloud for the sake of covering that mumble. (Boy, does he trust too much indeed though-!) He then sighs-

A feeling of understanding, and faith is certainly there. But with it comes a trembling fox in Gon's colours- he's just. Nervous, okay?

A '1' shows. They have one shot, or at least he's pretty sure. After that....

He doesn't want to think about it.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya pauses, stopping his working and looking at Gon. His expression is pinched in concentration, and the feeling he tries to push out is one of hope and togetherness.

He knows he hasn't been the strongest or most faithful lately, but... now he knows they really have a chance, and they're going to make the most of it. They're all getting out of here.

No matter what happens in the short term.]

[betheman]

[....

The bush...is just about emptied.

There is another sigh- and Gongenzaka pauses to pull the other close for a brief, but no less crushing hug. Right. Right...]

...It seems we are finished here already. [In a few ways.] ...Yuuya... ...Regardless of what occurs, you will be alright, hmm? ...

...Even if you can cling to Eta... It will be better than falling further, alright? [Just one last reminder to do their best before they separate- and one last burst of comfort through the line, for the better message.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya squeaks as his lungs are crushed, waiting for Gongenzaka to loosen his hold before speaking.]

I'll get through it. [He assures that much, at least.] I saw Lambert yesterday. In the farm.

[You know, Theta man.]

[betheman]

...Aah? And what was he doing? [he asks, standing with a slight frown.

He doesn't have strong hopes for where they were for those few days after all.]

[periphrasing]

She's really hoping that by doing this under the bed, the Technicians might miss the damage inflicted to the hull if all they do is a quick visual check. She at least makes an attempt to see if she can seal the hole up after she's done, but unfortunately the vorpal sword is only good for wrecking shit, not fixing it.

She was kind of hoping that Stumpy might at least have been able to find some kind of bypass around the doors, like vents or holes or something, but mostly she's just glad that her Pokemon didn't get confiscated for experiments! She gives her lots of praise when she returns, and the promise of lots of rainbow beans to come whenever they manage to bust out of this joint. Then she takes the camera off and returns her to the safety of her pokeball.

While reviewing the footage, is there at any kind of audio at all? Any conversations behind closed doors that the camera might have picked up on?

[hippocarnival]

[As he reasonably shouldn't.] Well... he's not exactly farming with the rest of us anymore. And they did something, but--he's still here. He's alive.

[And there has to be some sort of relief in that, right? Relief that, if Yuya falls that far, he won't be gone completely.]

[betheman]

...But he isn't 'farming'.

[Gon, for his part, isn't getting relief.]

...Please, Yuuya. ...Just try, for now, [He pleads.] ...I, the man Gongenzaka, do not doubt that the 'Technicians' here had reason to warn against that rank.

[There is little more they can say that won't be arguing in circles. Gongenzaka gives Yuuya time to respond- but from there, with a curt nod, goes to find work to do.]

[hippocarnival]

I am trying! [He snaps just a little, digging his fingers deeper into the bush.] I'm not failing because I want to fail, but they're going to experiment on us and change things anyway, so it's not like we're really saving ourselves here!

[Maybe when they hit Delta, sure, but Yuya has no hopes in being able to manage that.

And he's not supposed to be thinking in the long term.]

[betheman]

[Suffice to say, Gongenzaka flinches back- and the connection has not broken yet. He can't help the pain, and grief, and fear bleeding over, and it takes a number of moments to even speak.]

...Y...Yuuya...

[It wasn't that he didn't think he was trying.

It was that he feared the way he spoke of Theta meant he was giving up on that end of matters. A rescue was in the works, certainly. But that didn't make the danger of dropping less real.]

[moonfang]

He climbs down and goes back to walking the perimeter. This time he'll focus on souls, doing a headcount. How many technicians/guards are in the general vicinity?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya looks at Gongenzaka with mild offense as those feelings wash over him, but he's frozen in place by his own frustration. With this place, with himself.

It's a moment before he doesn't breath quite so angrily, his shoulders drop and his expression crumples a little.

Slowly, he reaches for Gongenzaka's hand with his.] Gongenzaka...

[He's afraid, too, of a future here. That's why he wants to try so hard to make this rescue a reality.]

[betheman]

[Deep breaths, and focus. Gongenzaka goes from taking Yuuya's hand, to giving him another close hug, whispering-]

...Not 'try', then, but rather, 'continue'. Continue to hold on, Yuuya, [he says quietly, before the hug ends. They'll do this. They'll succeed.

That optimism keeps shining through the connection, until they separate and walk out of the other's range.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya lets Gon hold Yuya as close as he needs, offering tenuous reassurance to bolster Gon's optimism.

He won't go anywhere. Not forever, if Gongenzaka won't. And they'll get out of this together.]

[npcarnival]

It's pretty secure, generally speaking. Vents are cut straight into the wall, and are too thin for anything but gas and liquid to get through. It's not as if doors are going to have convenient gaps beneath them.

There is audio, but it's kind of dulled by the fact that its on the floor in a big hallway. The sound quality isn't really good enough to pick up things behind doors, as it was meant to observe a single, tiny room.

[npcarnival]

Probably about five in the Farm area, which is as far as he can sense from within it.

[chronosynthesis]

Truthfully, Syrlya is just as much making rounds to assess the current state of other members of the carnival. The more people start to falter, the less time they have to act. And this is a difficult experience.

"About the same," he nods. "You--"

Syrlya doesn't actually know much about Gongenzaka's soul abilities. General awareness from their use in Eden, sure, but he didn't experience it so there suddenly being feelings besides his own throws him for a loop, and he stops and completely loses his train of thought. This isn't someone he expects a sudden, very pointed empathy connection to.

"What?"

[betheman]

There is the image of a leaf, with the word 'SHH' on it. Gongenzaka, for his part, is apparently much better at covering at the moment.

Perhaps because he's the one doing the magic. "Auh- I, the man Gongenzaka, believe the...'corn-like' things will do for now," He casually carries on, already slowly walking in that direction.

More insistently, the feeling repeats. Let's GO, Syrlya, they need to plan! ...In a place where 'Cameras' and 'Radios' won't see their faces whenever something surprising comes up.

[whattaprick]

"They're ... something." Yeah, sorry Childermass, that's the best Lambert's got. "They post 'em up there, say the kind of people they're looking for, and they bring 'em in for experiments."

His tail curls behind himself, self-consciously, and he purses his lips. Now that Childermass's back is facing him, though ... Lambert stiffens when he catches sight of the studs lining Childermass's back. It's subtle, but with as close as the suit hugs, they're prominent. His throat tightens.

"You've been through a couple. That's how you haven't dropped down to Theta yet."

[soft_focus]

"Oh- ...I guess Lambert would know..." Sort of? Maybe?

Reira tilts her head, as if trying to determine something. "...What kind of 'not feeling good'? Sometimes if you work hard without doing the right things first, you'll feel sick...or if you work too hard without taking a break, or work too hard too fast..."

Her list trails off, partly because she realizes she's going on a bit of a tangent instead of waiting for an answer.

[osteothropy]

"Food, soap, decorative wall hangings, that kind of stuff," Sans answers Tyki first. "And I think you get them for your daily assignments, kind of like a salary. I have a few stocked up from yesterday. I think you can get competitive about it just by doing your job well and getting more assignments as a result. Maybe coming up with ideas?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"Ya still don't need to eat, though - any of the foodstuffs are just for fun. In the apartments they even have a shower you can use instead of the spray. Funny thing is I never used to be a big fan of showers until the day they tried to make 'em obsolete."