⇨ 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

[periphrasing]

Peridot laughs.

"Yes. I have numerous methods at my disposal for dealing with such obstacles," she says confidently. "Before we were kidnapped to this place, I was actually working on a new method of interfacing with machines that would allow me to alter or disable them. And even if I can't manage to tap into that power here, it won't matter much. There isn't a machine in existence that I couldn't master."

[chronosynthesis]

"Good. We'll need that expertise." Because Syrlya's solution was otherwise 'smash it'.

He shifts a little, but even under the weight of needing to sleep he feels himself invigorated. They almost have a plan--and that means they're almost ready to act.

"I'll find you, once Gongenzaka brings me what he learns from the Fae helping from the outside."

[periphrasing]

She nods. "Be careful spreading information on the Farm, when you do," Peridot adds. "I tried to use my powers to feel for cameras in there like I did in this cell, but there's an overwhelming number of devices present."

There's a brief pause, and then she speaks up again.

"Um... There is one more thing that I'm concerned about, that we should probably consider."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya nods. He kind of expected they were monitored everywhere, but so long as their hopes of escape were nothing more than vague estimates, it didn't seem like the Technicians felt the need to interfere. They probably hear it a dozen times.

Then she stalls and Syrlya raises a brow. "What is it?"

[periphrasing]

The expression on her face is deadly serious, because the more she thinks about this the more she is realizing that this could be a very big problem.

"This... suppression that the Mother of Invention has on our powers," she starts off carefully. "We have no way of knowing for sure if it will go away once we're free of this place. What if it doesn't? Fighting the Technicians is one thing, but we can't take on the Wyld Hunt or the Huntsman like this. We weren't even close to a match for them at full power!"

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya pauses. That's... something he hadn't considered, when Ignatius' contract was able to counteract it. He figured once they were free of her realm, they'd have the room to ease off the inhibition.

"Then... we do not immediately pursue the Hunt, and we find a way to regain our power and get more power to stand against them." He won't say that's assuming they even go to combat the Wyld Hunt. That's not guaranteed.

"You're right that even at our most powerful, we didn't stand a chance. And people will need time to recover--and from something that will only get worse the longer we stay. Regardless, we have to leave."

Basically, he thinks her focus is way too far in the future that's too uncertain to predict.

[periphrasing]

He's probably right about that. Her thoughts aren't entirely on the future, though. Some are still very much on the present. She calms a bit, considering his point.

"That's an entirely sensible solution, yes. There is one way we could be certain that her influence wouldn't follow us once we leave, though," Peridot growls, bitterness belying her intent.

[chronosynthesis]

"Kill her." He's been there, done that. "Which I'm not against... but I would rather not sacrifice anyone's life for a fight we may not win head on. We know the least about her, unless you have any ideas?"

[periphrasing]

"Well. For starters: If it hasn't been done already, one of the people in contact with our outside ally should ask them about the Mother's appearance, and her domain. Surely if anyone can provide more information about her, it would be another fae."

She shrugs with feigned indifference, trying to cover for how badly she wants to commit to Doing a Violence. "We know she has iron hidden somewhere in this facility. She's practically inviting her own demise keeping that stuff around, ergo, I think we should at least consider it when we are making our plans. It would save us the trouble of having to shake her influence later on, and more importantly? It would also be very, very satisfying."

[chronosynthesis]

"Gongenzaka did say that the boon could be used for finding things. Perhaps finding stashes of iron?"

He wishes he'd asked Gongenzaka to ask about MoI before, but well, hindsight. He has a feeling the presence of a True Fae is going to be notable, though.

[periphrasing]

Now there's a thought.

"Hmmm... It's iron, so I wouldn't be surprised if a fae's power of finding just didn't work, but. It's not like we lose anything by asking."

Unless their ally finds the idea of using such a material on another of their kind objectionable, but, Peridot's not really thinking about that right now.

"Even if we don't use it on our enemy, it may be beneficial to locate it, so we can take some with us for future use."

[chronosynthesis]

"Provided we do not risk poisoning ourselves with it." How many people could they actually trust with iron in the carnival?

"It isn't really a difficult substance to acquire, but... I suppose we do not know when we'll be out of Fae territory."

[periphrasing]

"Well there's at least one of our number that can lift it without actually touching it," Peridot points out. She's referring to herself, of course. "Anyway... You should ask Gongenzaka to ask our ally if they think the Mother's influence will be a problem once we leave here, because if it is, we may need to take that into consideration in our planning."