⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

Lambert looks up when Childermass retreats, but he can’t really comment on it as he’s shortly occupied by having to roll over, helping as he can. If nothing else, the shoulder he’s holding seems warm and human enough, but he’s — heavy, heavier than a man his size should be, even with Lambert actively helping him. Once he’s facing him it’s obvious there’s something wrong with the general area of his sternum, straight lines and bolts where they shouldn’t be, a glimpse of dark, smooth material peeking out of skin high on his neck where the bodysuit doesn’t cover.

But he’s up and that’s what matters.

“Yes,” he says, simply. That’s self-evident. “But that’s not important right now.”

He leans forward instead, bowing his head on the guise of slumping over, and murmurs, raspily. “You’re working with Syrlya now, aren’t you?”

[atouts]

Sorry, Lambert, it doesn't look as though Childermass is paying attention to the question right now. He's staring at the bolts rising up under his suit, the metal that's visible and catching what light there is where they are, how wrong it all is. He nearly draws away again, leaning back, but not taking the hand he's left on Lambert to help support him when he slumps over.

It takes a moment before he actually realizes Lambert said anything else and—

"I... I'm sorry, what?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert tracks where his gaze goes, and a sting of self-consciousness makes him raise his hand, cover what he can of the bolts.

“I know I’m really pretty,” he jokes, raspily, with a crooked grin, “But I need you to focus right now. I’m not sure how much time I have out here.”

There are other people he still needs to talk to.

[atouts]

At least the joking brings him back around to a more sobering look, brow furrowing slightly. Of all the times to laugh it up... but he's right.

"Fine. You were asking about Syrlya?" Childermass is pretty sure of it, even if he had been distracted. "We've spoken."

[whattaprick]

Speaking with Syrlya is one thing, being part of his plans is quite another. Lambert looks at Childermass, searching his face for any sign of understanding as he speaks.

“I saw the shadows. I think I might have something that could help you,” he says, then frowns. How can he word this in a way that doesn’t totally sound insane, while trying to figure out how much Childermass has been told. “Has he said anything about ... arrows?”

[atouts]

That has Childermass furrowing his brow the rest of the way. Arrows?

"No, but he did ask me to scout around with the shadow you saw before," he'll admit that much. The arrows, though. That has him slowly, uncertainly adding, "Are these arrows... golden arrows? With messages?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert frowns in confusion. If Syrlya didn’t tell him about the arrows, then how does he...

Realization dawns on his face, slowly.

“You’ve been getting them.” For how long? Was he ever planning on telling Lambert before he lost his memories?

[atouts]

"Only the one, that I can recall," Childermass answers, though not without a bit of a sigh. "So that was real... I couldn't remember who the arrows were from. When I asked, they didn't want to talk to me anymore."

[whattaprick]

Lambert feels his temple gently throb, and reaches up to press his fingers against it. Of course. Childermass would go and forget that, wouldn’t he? Only something really damn useful?

“Well, I can at least tell you one thing,” he grumbles. “The reason you cant remember anything is you did it to your own damn self.”

[atouts]

"Did I?" Childermass can't even sound surprised. He'd been suspecting as much when the technicians honestly seemed baffled. "But what did I do?"

[whattaprick]

“You...” Lambert doesn’t know how to describe it. You did the stupid kind of shit Strange would do is probably meaningless right now.

“You fed yourself to the flame,” is what he settles on, finally. “You must have. That’s what shook the station.”

[atouts]

Yeah, that leaves Childermass squinting some in confusion. That's what shook the station...

"The explosion?" He ventures a pretty easy guess there. "Strange mentioned it. He told me Ignatius did it. Did quite a bit of damage, at that, seeing how they had to move him."

[whattaprick]

“He killed a bunch of technicians too,” Lambert shrugs. “Now they’re scrambling to find people to take on Omicron duty.” The witcher glares at him balefully.

"All that and you’re marked, too. You didn’t tell me any of this shit, by the way. You really are—"

His tirade is interrupted by another shudder of pain, and he sucks in a breath, shutting his eyes until it passes.

[atouts]

Childermass brings up his other hand to place on Lambert's other shoulder as if that might somehow steady him better. It won't, not really, but there's something comforting about it nonetheless.

"I don't even know my reasons for not telling you before," he points out. "It's a bit pointless to argue about it until I do. What about the arrows? Other people have been getting that dream?"

[whattaprick]

"It's always pointless," Lambert mutters, but he collects himself, brows knitting together.

"They have," he confirms. "Besides you, three others." He could name them, but given the holes in Childermass's memory, he seriously doubts it would mean much. What's important to communicate, is--

"They're to give you power when you need it. To help us get out of here."

[atouts]

"It's not—" Oh, it doesn't even matter. He scowls but listens. "But what power? From who?"

[whattaprick]

"Someone who wants to save Ignatius, but who needs us to do it," Lambert explains. "And no, I don't know her name. Steven says we can call on her for fire and light, strength, or to find things."

[atouts]

"And how is any of that going to help me? I already know where Ignatius is," Childermass mutters, quiet as always, quieter still in vain hope of evading whatever monitoring is around the farm. "I've no fire or light spells..."

[whattaprick]

"You found him already?" Lambert startles slightly, derailed -- he hadn't known Childermass had gotten that far -- but he shakes his head, unwilling to be distracted.

"You can't have shadows without light. You've your magic -- maybe that's something you could use it for." Okay, it's a weak association and that's probably not how the magic works, but...

"Wouldn't hurt to ask."

[atouts]

"Or at least where they're meant to be moving him," Childermass admits. "I've not seen him directly..."

Although suggesting to ask earns a shake of his head.

"She won't talk to me."

[whattaprick]

Seriously, as if they needed another complication.

"Fine," Lambert grumbles. "Then I'll just have to ask her myself later."

[atouts]

"If you can... I'd very much appreciate it." He sounds pretty tired over the entire archer dream thing already, considering he hadn't been able to squeeze an answer out of her.

"I wonder if I knew how much damage helping Ignatius was going to cause. I wouldn't have done it if I knew I'd forget so much."

And yet he doesn't sound too certain of that. Could be Childermass would have done it anyway. He just can't remember why he would.

inbox ate this notif, yep

[whattaprick]

Lambert just looks, for a moment, impossibly weary.

"I can't answer that. Maybe Ignatius would know, if we ever see him again, but it doesn't really matter right now, does it? What's done is done."

He winces again, faintly, and glances away.

"I can't tell you why you did it, but I can try filling in some more of the blanks for you if you need to get caught up."