⇨ POLARIS 3.0

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 115
Where: Polaris
What: On the morning of day 115, a couple hours before the technicians would come to pick up the test subjects, the escape plan will officially come into effect. If your character has been left out of the loop up till this point, feel free that someone hastily explains the plan during the initial phase! The meat of everything else will be played out via megathreads and any private toplevels people want to make.
Warnings: Probably violence.

PEER REVIEW↴ The plan starts with getting everyone out of their cells. Childermass is going to be using his Gilded Mark to enhance his shadow movement abilities, unabling him to teleport himself and other people out of containment. If your character has other ways of escaping they are free to pursue that, but on a base level, it can be assumed that everyone gets out thanks to Childermass. (Thanks Childermass!) Once everyone has been removed from their cells by some means or another, they will be forced to split into teams as swiftly as possible, as the moment people start breaking out, negative attention from the staff will start building. The area is poorly guarded at first, but as people become aware of the breakout, more will arrive. Gild, speaking on behalf of her inside plant, will say that those that 1) want to get their stuff back, 2) want to find Ignatius, should get the assistance of their allied Deltas to access sector A5. From there, they will have to access Polaris's storage in A3, a neighbouring sector, and find access to C2, the station where Ignatius is being held. They should expect to be met with armed resistance, but with any luck allies will be there to assist them. In general, characters will be most effective if they back one of these major objectives: ► TEAM LOOT: This team is trying to get back the items and pets that were confiscated when the group was brought into Polaris. Their objective, according to their allies on the inside, is to get to A5, and then make their way to A3. The important thing is being able to locate their stuff among a sea of other items, and to make it through security in order to reclaim it. Gild's plant has said that they will assist with this. After getting these items, Team Loot may wish to merge with Team Rescue. ► TEAM RESCUE: This team's primary focus is to get to A5 and then make their way to C2. If desired, they may wait for or join with Team Loot, or they may strike out ahead in order to take advantage of the element of surprise. The key factors are obtaining a way to access C2, as well as being prepared for armed conflict with the technicians guarding it, as well as possibly the Mother of Invention herself. Though, the ideal is that Gild will be distracting here at that time. ► TEAM DISTRACTION: This team can do their thing wherever they please, as their main intent is to sew general discord and distract the staff from the teams doing more important things. They should be prepared for armed resistance, but what tactics they pursue beyond that point are highly variable. ► TEAM FORTRESS: This team is attempting to set up a protective base of operations in the original sector in order to survive the conflict and protect their noncombatant comrades. How they accomplish this is also highly variable. Other objectives may exist, of course, and can be made with their own separate top levels. Chunks of these megathreads will have to be played out in summary form, so when characters are simply trying to get from place to place and specifics aren't necessary, feel free to stick to that format. Assume that everyone is already out of their cells for the purpose of the megathreads. Here is a shitty map of how the sectors connect, from a side view of the central Polaris hub.

Comments

[npcarnival]

"Possibly," she says. "Part of Polaris block easy communications, but Gild is able to be much... louder, now, without fearing our plans being revealed. We'll have to see. If we do this successfully, our plans should go without saying."

She waves a hand.

"A3 is simply an inventory of the many things the Mother of Invention has stolen. Above it are her most private test chambers, for highly dangerous or rare test subjects. Above that is the core... the power source of Polaris, and the thing keeping it aloft."

"At the very least we need to get to A3 and collect supplies, and rescue some of your animal companions. Beyond that... the Mother is likely in A1, dealing with Gild. We could take the chance to make it into A2 and see what we can find, but at a much higher risk."

[whattaprick]

"But potentially a much higher reward," Lambert finishes, crossing his arms. That's a compelling enough reason to go after it, but no sense in counting griffins before they've hatched and all that.

"I say we see if we can catch ourselves a Beta first and figure out the rest after," is what he settles on, finally. Any hopes of getting to higher levels ride on actually getting the first part of the plan done, after all. He looks around for somewhere to stand where he'll be in the blind spot of whoever enters the doors, available to assist in restraining or knocking out if necessary, having not much else to say for now.

[atouts]

On that note, Childermass breaks away from spying on the hallway long enough to usher everyone else into finding a spot to hide as well, be in behind the desk, in this room, or whatever other room (and not that same hallway) is attached. Once he's found a place himself, he'll resume watching through the shadow construct with Tyki.

[npcarnival]

It's a few minutes before anyone turns up - it's the time of the day where everyone is still waking up or distracted, and the major thing of concern is a wandering Delta, with far worse things happening in other sectors. Still, the general alarms being raised bring the attention of Beta-34, Gamma-378, and Gamma-90, who march down the hallway with an obvious sense of purpose. Both Gammas look like they are armed fur security, with something resembling laser pistols and stun wands.

They approach Tyki as the others huddle back into the repairs room and Shimmer shuts the doors. They'll ask him what the problem is, as there is trouble happening in other sectors, and if it is nothing urgent they are advised to wait in A5, as it seems that something is going on in their sector of residence, B7. As a trainee, Tyki is not considered equipped to deal with it.

[atouts]

Back in the repairs room, Childermass will quietly inform the others that three people showed up for Tyki's request, not just one. He can't really tell one technician apart from another so he can't confirm if there's a Beta or not.

[prazerbutterfly]

With his hands folded against the small of his back in attention like a soldier waiting for instructions, he'll scan the incoming technicians and identify their status. His fingers flash 2-7-7, trying to convey letters of the alphabet, three times but no more than that, trying to pass on what/who he received.

He looks away from the technicians with mild concern on his face, stating he got here earlier, as he was seeking repairs with his visor, and when he noticed the reception desk was quiet he looked behind it and found two passed out technicians tied up. He went a little further to try to find someone else around but when he found no one else he called for his supervisor.

[whattaprick]

Hey, the more, the merrier Lambert will ask Childermass if it's possible for him to pull some people through the shadows to grab the two armed technicians and slam them unconscious. He's reasonably confident in Tyki's combat ability to handle himself in combat as long as he's given a window of opportunity, so if that's not possible, he'll ask Childermass to get ready to provide some sort of shadow distraction to split their attention if they're starting to look suspicious.

[atouts]

Childermass balks a little at the numbers Tyki tries to get across to him, not sure what that's meant to mean. He'll relay them anyhow, mentioning he's trying to tell them something with 2-7-7. He'll also mention two look more like security, so maybe an escort for the supervisor.

He can confirm he could take someone over there to help but he would have to go with them, which means the rest back here won't know what's happening until it happens, whatever it might end up being.

[npcarnival]

The Beta will look at Tyki silently, and in the next moment, he will feel a sharp blast of pain as electricity jolts through his implant and down his spine. It will paralyze him for the moment, causing him to drop down onto his knees.

The Gamma will approach with their support, and command:

"Tell us what you know of the rioting in B7. I would advise against lying, if you plan on maintaining your position within Delta."

[prazerbutterfly]

Silence can mean a lot of things but he doesn't have to wait for long. The pain drops him to his knees, enough to make his spine arch. Oh, he was to retaliate but instead of he grins through the pain with a grit of teeth. It's only when his ass drops to his heels and he raises his head with a huff of air does he speak again.

"Ah, haven't I been good? You could've just asked me, Sir," his voice laced with compliance and yet every bit of vile intention as if the other was going to regret it if he's able to get to his feet, which he doesn't try just yet, "The carnival I came from has always been quite rebellious. They strive to do what they must in order to escape by any means possible. It's why they are likely trying to escape now..." He talks because people listen and he really wants to beat the shit out of the one who zapped him.

[atouts]

"Tyki's down. They're trying to get answers out of him," Childermass says immediately on seeing that happen, back in the repair room. "If we're doing anything, we need to do it now."

[alphudo]

"If I can get close enough to them, I might be able to pin them down before they have a chance to tase me," Yuusei speaks lowly. "Electrocution means nothing if I'm sitting on them."

[whattaprick]

Well, if Childermass can only bring so many of them and Yuusei readily volunteering, Lambert's not going to say know to bringing the fucking huge centaur guy. He doesn't know if Shimmer will be able to tell if the others send up an alert (and hopefully, it'll just get lost along with all the other noise happening right now) but it doesn't feel like there's time to really ask.

"With me. Shadows, now," Lambert snaps, pointing at Yuusei, then Childermass. "Get their visors first if you can." He's not sure if that's how it works, but that's probably how it works? Anyway, he's already stepping over to Childermass and bracing himself to attack once they're through.

[atouts]

That's all he needs to hear. Childermass drops the shadow construct, form and contact and all, and grabs Lambert and Yuusei. He'll step forward into the next closest shadow and plunge all three of them into darkness for one second, two seconds, and then they're arriving straight through another shadow from behind the three technicians.

[whattaprick]

And as soon as Lambert's out of the shadows, he's already in motion, lunging forward to attempt to grab the back of the nearest armed technician's head with one hand, and wrench up one of their arms behind their back with the other, hoping to force them to drop whatever they might be holding or at least get a better grip. Regardless of his success in that endeavor, his momentum will still carry his not-inconsiderable weight forward, aiming to slam them from behind and plow them face-first into the ground.

If he manages to actually get them pinned down, he'll probably slam their face a couple more times just for good measure. It's been that sort of week.

[alphudo]

The majority of Yuusei's strategy when he had to go non-lethal back in Shabon was to rear up on his hind legs and bring his foreclaws - along with the force of his body weight - down on his opponent to pin them and let whatever needed to happen next happen. It's this that he attempts when he emerges from the shadows, allowing the force of his initial forward movement to keep him going as he tries to shove his foreclaws into the remaining two technicians' backs and knock them to the floor.

Should he succeed here, he'll plant his foreclaws onto the two and outright lower himself onto them to keep them from escaping - and, more importantly, to get their visors within arms-reach to pluck them off.

[npcarnival]

Yuusei won't get both of them. Lambert and Yuusei may catch either Gamma by surprise, but the Beta is anticipating trickery. They turn towards the sounds of their teammates going down, stepping backwards towards Tyki and triggering paralyzing shocks into everyone surrounding them.

Childermass, Yuusei, Tyki, and Lambert will all receive powerful and stunning jolts through their bodies, rendering them momentarily unable to move. Tyki is getting a second jolt just to make sure he doesn't recover.

[prazerbutterfly]

At this point Tyki could claim he was being used as a hostage but he never gets to that point. He's just watching a bit too casually as his comrades emerge from the shadows behind them and take down the two Gamma just in case something goes wrong. He doesn't even try to help take off their visors.

But again, he doesn't even get a real chance. That Beta is rather fast and he has to give him some props for being so efficient. Everywhere here was useless most of the time except for the exceptional ones that stood out. If it wasn't for the sudden shock again that tears through his body and somewhat floors him by the Beta's feet like some trained pet, he might actually praise him.

He hates everyone in this room right now.

[whattaprick]

"MOTHERFUCKER--!

Lambert might be going down, but he certainly isn't going down quietly, bellowing the expletive as he squashes the unfortunate Gamma beneath him. Dealing with extended surgery and the immediate recovery is one thing; discovering what it feels like to get zapped when most of your skeleton has metal components?

Yeah, that was a discovery he'd have been happier to live without.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya, from hiding behind boxes in the room (far away from the unconscious beta) looks up when he hears... screaming? That definitely sounds like screaming.

"Did they get them?" He pokes his head around the boxes like he's going to get a look at the others in the room.

[bananaspeedrider]

Peeking out as well from behind some other stack of tech equipment, Yugo frowns and yet still stays put where he is for the moment.

"That's a lot of noise coming from what should be taking these guys down fast."

Doesn't sound good.

[spaghettimonster]

Papyrus listens carefully from some completely handwaved location out-of-sight, and nods slowly.

"Four on three is never great odds... Someone might be injured?"

That, or considerably worse. Four on three when the four have their magic is perfectly good odds. But they're all working at considerably less than full power.

[prazerbutterfly]

"Tease," he says outloud, a two way meaning for both the technician and the Tease within him, seeing how many he can rouse to eat their way out if he has to.

"I told you I don't know about any riot in B7," he husks, that being the honest truth, "If you're going to tase me for just in case or your own sick reasons at least apologize. It's laughable you think I'd align myself with a bunch of idiots that haven't even tried to remove their suits because I'm sure they could have. I had to live with them for a while."

[npcarnival]

"This is taking too long," Shimmer says. "Stay here."

Shimmer smoothes back her hair, and then opens the doorway, slipping outside. In the moments before it closes again, those inside will see her put on the atmosphere of clueless shock.

She runs down the hall towards where the Beta is standing, surrounded by stunned people, and two Gammas with carnival members on top of them. It's pretty obvious what just happened.

"My Beta," Shimmer says, giving a pretty good impression of being shocked. "What happened here?"

"Test Group 700 is rebelling," the Beta says, ignoring Tyki. "I'm requesting reinforcements now."

"I'll look for the others," Shimmer says, and runs past the Beta towards Tyki - only to swing around with a fist full of compacted steam, swatting off the visor and then blasting the Beta down the hall. The Beta will hit the floor, struggling to recover and get up.

"W-What... is this?" they demand.

[whattaprick]

Lambert can't even particularly react much except to feel a vicious satisfaction as the Beta goes flying. He tries forces trembling limbs to steady without much success and casts Tyki a wry look -- 'bunch of idiots' sounds about right, though -- before he glances down to make sure the Gamma under him is thoroughly unconscious.

He could try to help with the attack, but right now it would roughly be as effective as smacking the Beta with the pool noodle without its powers, so. He doesn't have much of a choice except to hope that Shimmer or someone else has this in hand.