⇨ 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]

Yuya starts to say something in response, but that's when their hour is up and in an instant the lights within the cell shut off. Yuya's spots continue to glow, and unfortunately he can't turn those off. But with the magic mental encouragement... it shouldn't disrupt them too much anyway.

He shifts a little closer and rests his head against Gongenzaka's collarbone, absently considering how this has changed between them. Gongenzaka's suffocating, overly enthusiastic hugs feel more distant as the natural space between them has closed up (at least, until Gon delivers another one and Yuya has to fear for his spine). There's probably more, that was so gradual Yuya didn't even notice it was happening. He doesn't really want this to be how it ends.

Everyone else probably feels the same way, so Yuya holds onto that thought for what resolve he needs to push forward. He's not really looking forward to what's going to haunt him in his sleep, but there's something important he needs to do. He needs to remember it.

"Good night, Gongenzaka," he mumbles, closing his eyes.

[ringleaders]

The most notable thing they'll come upon is probably the Delta/staff area that's describe in the log post above. Gammas and Betas mill about in there, looking at computers and sometimes talking to each other, but a lot of it is about technical stuff they won't understand. A couple seem to be having discussions that are light small talk, but only very briefly.

One Beta is saying that some Gamma from 'the core' are being reassigned to lighter work while recovering from their injuries, and is trying to figure out where to place them in this department.

[ringleaders]

They ignore him. Stop ruining their quiet time. They get back to looking over schematics, though Gamma-238's voice is a bit clipped, like they are trying to conceal being annoyed.

[ringleaders]

It stays about the same, though maybe a little easier to manage. Ignatius himself is totally unresponsive.

[anti_nonsense]

After changing, there's a red glow that emanates from the open space in the front of Rita's uniform. Having had a few days to grow used to her new heart, she's finally starting to look less sick and uncomfortable. That is, until she sees the machinery that appears to be intended for them, and some of the color drains from her face.

Cranial implants... They're going to put something in their heads?

Rita hesitates, looking to the other new Deltas, her stare lingering on Sans for a few seconds as if trying to determine whether he's okay after whatever they've done. In the end, she doesn't get her answer, but she can't just stand there. She worked hard to get to this point, and she's going to need to hold on to that resolve.

She steps forward and sits where indicated. She's tense, but for now, she's complying.

AMETHYST, CHILDERMASS, GONGENZAKA, YUYA (NIGHT 111-112)

[ringleaders]

Some arrows are coming your way during the night of 111-112. What are you dreaming about? The arrows, this time, will be more bright and pointed in their approach than before, trying very hard to avoid being ignored.

[hippocarnival]

Now Yuya has magically induced nightmares on top of trauma nightmares. This time it's pointedly in Polaris, with Yuya trapped under a glass in the floor that he can only bang helplessly against while his friends--Rita, Strange, Gongenzaka among them--mill about dressed like the Technicians, seemingly unable to hear him. That's what happens when your Theta in this dream.

Which makes it a little disorienting about whether this is real or not, but in either case he remembers the importance of the gold arrows,so he'll scramble for one the minute he sees it.

[ringleaders]

The arrow actually punctures the glass floor above him, the part with the note sticking through for him to read. It narrowly avoids hitting him in the face.

The note reads:

'WE HAVE SOMEONE ON THE INSIDE
AND A LOCATION!'

[hippocarnival]

There is a brief scare where he's almost murdered, and then he pulls the arrows through and reads the note.

It takes him longer to warp the dream enough to get a bow, but he at least remembers that part. Once he has the note ready to go back, he shoots it back up through the floor, somehow defying physics because all his will in this arrow getting to where it needs to be.

Who?

Think he tried to escape. Feel something from him now, Mr. Strange has his magic again. He's helping! Rita, too.

[atouts]

The dream this time isn't very distinct. It's a place, that's about it, and even Childermass isn't really sure what it is besides dark. The arrow arriving doesn't even get noticed right away, not until he realizes there's something brighter suddenly there with him.

He does inevitably walk over to pull it out of the ground and take a look, unsure what an arrow could even be doing here in the first place. It almost feels like this has happened before...

[ringleaders]

Another arrow comes down:

'HE DID, BUT SHE GOT HIM AGAIN.

WE ENTERED THE CORE DURING CHAOS BUT WERE TOO LATE.

INSIDE PERSON IS UNDER HIGH RISK.'

[ringleaders]

It has a note on it, just like all the previous times that he doesn't remember. Back to square one.

'WE KNOW WHERE THEY MOVED IGNATIUS.

WE HAVE A PLANT ON THE INSIDE.'

[hippocarnival]

Core?

Mr. Strange went through the vents to look for him. Rita is in Delta. Can you give them power?

And then the arrow's back up. Yuya figures they're already in a better position than him to do anything.

[atouts]

Ignatius. That's the fire faerie. At least, that's what he's been told and he does recall a Summer Court fae, even if names and faces are a bit jumbled. What arrows have to do with him, however—

"Who has a plant on the inside?" He asks out loud, looking around like a dumbass since there's nothing else around him right now and certainly not whoever shot the arrow.

[betheman]

What with thinking about dream time pretty regularly, Gongenzaka's dream is relatively chill. He seems to be meditating on top of a lake, right now, surrounded by fireflies.

A vine extends for the first arrow he sees here, as he stands. Okay arrow friend, whatcha got?

[ringleaders]

'ONLY IF YOU TRANSFER THE MARK TO THEM.'

A second note follows without explanation, which is a drawing instead of a letter. It looks like it might be a map.

[hippocarnival]

Map, map, he's committing that to memory.

How?

How do I use the Mark?

[kingsroads]

As they go on, Eruka is getting even more on edge and is ready to bolt if they hit trouble. Strange bluntly tells her to nut up, they're keeping on going, he's got a feeling Ignatius is in the core.

Eruka is still lagging behind. Strange is also taking this opportunity to shift to his fire elemental form (which due to that 30% rule is about the size of a tennis ball now and is super friggen cute) in the hopes that since the flames feel like Ignatius's, maybe he'd have a better bead on where Ignatius is. If that doesn't work, then they're heading to where Strange hopes the core is: as downward and inward as possible.

As a note, since they've been without their suits for a while, will they start to feel hungry? Or is the lack of hunger due to the Mother of Invention fucking with them and not the suits themselves fucking with them?

[ringleaders]

A while later another arrow will come down:

'PLEASE RESPOND.'

Lambert

[whattaprick]

[ringleaders]

'WILL IT INTO THEM.

THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT IT LIKE YOU DID.'

[ringleaders]

'WE'VE GOT SOMEONE WORKING ON THE INSIDE.

WE KNOW WHERE IGNATIUS IS.'

[hippocarnival]

Got it.

What kind of power can you give with it? How do we use it?

[ringleaders]

'FIRE, LIGHT, PHYSICAL/MENTAL ENHANCEMENTS, FINDING THINGS

CALL OUT TO ME I'LL HEAR IT.

NOT OUT LOUD.'

[betheman]

GOOD!

Friend lost contact-

Magic back, but limited; we think related

Status on InsideHelp??

Hopefully they're not in too much shit, but he's not too hopeful on that.