⇨ 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

[amphibiopathic]

It still takes Strange speaking up for Eruka to actually register him being there, and she jerks back in alarm as the corn bounces off, arm still halfway through the motion of throwing and unable to stop. Meaning corn might be getting in Strange's mouth, too. She looks at him with surprise at first, then wariness when he asks for her help.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" She asks shrilly, waving around her.

[kingsroads]

Yep, that corn does get in Strange's mouth. There's a moment where he splutters and spits some out before he reaches over to grab Eruka's wrist.

"Follow me. I've got something more important for you to work on."

At least, it's something more important in his mind than in hers. One thing's for certain, though, Strange needs to at least show Eruka the vents.

[amphibiopathic]

Congratulations, Strange, you've found one of the only people in the Carnival with a strength modifier lower than yours. Eruka tries to dig her heels in and yank away from him, but it's futile, and her own natural cowardice prevents her from making a serious effort at it. It's not as if he should be able to threaten her here, but somehow she doesn't feel like calling for a technician is how she wants to do this either.

All in all, it means the magician won't have any trouble yanking her where he needs her to go, even if she hisses protest and squirms unhappily.

"Let... me... go!"

[kingsroads]

Strange continues to forcibly yank Eruka towards a ventilation shaft. When he gets there, he's still holding onto her wrist with one hand but, with the other hand, points downward at the open vent.

"I'm going to try and turn into smoke and explore that. I want you to turn into that liquid form of yours and join me."

It's said in a very blunt tone of voice: of course Eruka is going to join him, of course they're going to explore this thing together. Strange can't think otherwise.

[amphibiopathic]

"Wh-what are you talking about?! Are you crazy?" Strange is definitely crazy. Eruka just barely has the presence of mine to hiss the words rather than screeching about it, but it's a near thing and her wide eyes and terrified expression say plenty. Not only am I forced to work my hands to the bone trying to live up to this place's crazy standards, now I have to deal with my coworker going insane too?! What the hell!

"Besides," she adds, "I already tried that before! The suit just sticks to you--!" Look, you moron, she's going to show you exactly how wrong you are (and also, get herself away from you!) And thus, Eruka turns into her water form -- now, notably, filled with unpleasant-looking globules, and tries to flow out of Strange's grip.

She also, as it happens, flows right on out of the suit. The shock of it has her bursting into a cloud of cold mist just kind of ... floating in the air, unable to communicate. She also can't really move herself like this. Also, Strange is now holding the wrist of a limp, flat bodysuit.

[kingsroads]

It's impossible to show just how intensely fuckin smug Strange looks in the moment. He honestly had no idea if Eruka was able to turn to water or not: he's been experimenting with his magic and some of it now works but some of it doesn't. But he's totally going to act like he knew ahead of time that Eruka could turn into water as he continues to bully her.

"Out of curiosity," Strange whispers to the mist, "did you make a contract with Ignatius? That might be how you're doing this."

Since Strange can talk a little in his smoke form, he just naturally assumes that Eruka can talk in her mist form as well.

[amphibiopathic]

It's hard to shriek at any volume when most of your being is currently particulates of mist flowing around. That turns out to be fortunate, actually, because Eruka would be screaming if she could. As it is, her voice comes out like a hiss of steam, the cloud vibrating with upset energy. She can't control it much more than that, so Strange unfortunately isn't going to get an answer until she calms down some.

[kingsroads]

She's...not solidifying. Damn. This is a little inconvenient. Strange waits about a minute before looking over at Eruka with a frown.

"Miss Frog, I really need you to become solid again."

Is this her first time doing this or something? Why the heck is this taking so long?

[amphibiopathic]

It takes a couple more seconds of concentrated effort before Eruka congeals back into her slime form. Strange may or may not remember how she looked before, but she doesn't look like that now -- there are globules of some unidentifiable material making up her body, and she's now ... a naked slime girl in front of him! Thankfully, her form's too translucent and runny to be properly scandalous, though she's also hugging herself with her arms.

"W-what does the contract with Ignatius have to do with this?" Her eyes dart to the emptied suit, then back to Strange, panic still evident even in watery, transparent eyes.

[kingsroads]

"He gave me my magic back," Strange explains, looking down at Eruka. "Possibly he gave yours back as well."

Though, that begs so many questions. Why her? Did Ignatius even tell her the way he told Strange? And, most importantly, why does she seem to have a terrible grip on her abilities?

"Though considering how your magic seems to be faulty, perhaps something else is the cause of that." It's said as Strange vaguely waves towards Eruka's watery slime body. "Anyway, you're going to come with me to explore the vents."

[amphibiopathic]

"They did something to me in a trial," Eruka snaps, apparently sufficiently stung to find a bit of spine. "And I'm not going with you anywhere! Who knows what they'll do if they catch us? I don't want to be boiled and pressed and frozen again!"

She takes a breath. She thought she'd felt something, but...

"He was caught like the rest of us. I don't even know where he is," she swallows. "How could he help us with a contract...?"

[kingsroads]

Strange sighs, like this is something completely obvious and that Eruka's a complete idiot for not putting together what he literally put together earlier this morning.

"Faerie contracts aren't like a contract of labor. It's a contract of ownership. If he wanted, Ignatius could alter our very beings in a way that another fae couldn't." Strange pauses for a moment. When he speaks again, he's obviously trying to steel his voice and keep it calm.

"He passed his power to me. Of course, my circumstances are different than the rest of the carnival, but it's feasible that he could use the contract to pass power to others as well. It's only right that we use what he gave us to try and find him."

And then give it right back to him. Strange honestly has no idea if Ignatius is still alive. But if he is, he certainly needs all the help he can get.

[amphibiopathic]

Blissfully oblivious as to how or why pyromanic magician believes Eruka stares at Strange, then swallows, holding out a hand over the ground.

"If he gave me back my magic, then I should be able to..."

She doesn't really think about it, or the cameras that could be watching them right now -- partly because it's that instinctive partly, because she doesn't actually expect it to work. But there's a push of magic, and under her fingers, an inky blot begins to form ... and a miniature Tadpole Jackson forms, looking profoundly confused at where they are. And also a fraction of his normal size!

[kingsroads]

Well that is absolutely adorable. Strange looks down at Tadpole Jackson and gives it an approving little nod. It's super cute...but how the heck could it help in the exploring the vents mission? Even while small, Tadpole Jackson's too big to fit through the vents!

"Good job," Strange says, mostly because he has no idea what to say otherwise. "Now come on: you're still exploring the vents with me."

[amphibiopathic]

"W-wait!" The lady still doth have protests, Jonathan Strange, and plenty more where that came from. This time, hopefully, he'll see her point, as she gesticulates at her suit.

"Don't the technicians track us through those? They'll notice we're gone!"

[kingsroads]

He does see her point. However, that's not going to stop Strange. "Shove it in a bush or something," he explains, with a little shrug. In Strange's mind, the Mother of Invention or one of her underlings is probably scrying on them already. The likelihood that someone will know what they're doing is super high, so might as well do it anyway because fuck it.

"Besides, if we can find and free Ignatius, it won't matter if they'll notice we're gone."

[amphibiopathic]

Shove it in a bush? Won't they just be more likely to come looking for her if they realize she hasn't moved in a while? Eruka's less cavalier about all this than Strange is, but she does have an idea.

"J-Jackson, take the suit over there and ... and keep it moving around as a distraction!" The floating tadpole perks up and complies, though it evidently takes him great effort to do so. Sorry, Jackson.

She looks to him uncertainly, frowning.

"Are you sure we can free him?"

[kingsroads]

...well that's a plan. Strange doesn't criticize Eruka's idea of 'move the suit as a distraction,' though he will boss around Jackson a little himself.

"And Jackson, shove my suit in a bush or up a tree or somewhere hidden like that." This poor tadpole.

Strange turns towards the grate, ready to start exploring, before Eruka hits him with one last question. He looks a little annoyed but, to his credit, answers it.

"Of course we can free him. They're hurting him and I refuse to let this go on any longer. Now come on. The longer we sit around and talk, the higher chance we have of getting caught."