lostcarnival | ⇨ POLARIS 3.0

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⇨ POLARIS 3.0

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The iron dagger will do pretty good work at cutting away the suit, though it is uncomfortable to bring it that close to his body. It will feel bad all the way, though it will get the job done.

Meanwhile, Shimmer gets going on Tyki, using the machine to remove his Delta chip and insert the new Beta one. His visor will sync to the new chip once the implant is finished being closed up, accepting his new identity as 'Beta=34'.

"The rest of you may want to try to get those suits off, though I'm not sure we can spare the time," Shimmer says. "The alternative isn't great, however."

As soon as Lambert figures out the iron parts the suit material, he makes quick work of it, expression stony as he bears the discomfort. If anyone's actually watching him throughout it, they'll get a pretty clear view of the extent to which he's been experimented on, though most of it is under the surface except for fresh scars, hints of metal occasionally jutting out from under skin, and the studs whose sole purpose seems to be to keep his flesh bolted onto his bones. His tail is the worst of it, stripped of flesh and now of the same dark metal and soul color-etched circuitry construction as his horns. It's all incongruous with the patches of solid golden scale that still sweep up along his inner thighs and belly, nobody apparently having taken it into their heads to de-scale the witcher.

Not that anybody's going to get a chance to ogle for long, as Lambert's going to slip his ring back onto his finger and quite suddenly Ignatius is standing in that corner of the room, bright and tall and dressed in the armor he was wearing when Lambert and the rest captured him in the Athenaeum. 'Ignatius' turns his hand over to examine his fingers, iron knife now seemingly dwarfed in his hands, and snorts in a very un-Ignatius-like way.

"Nice." It may sound like Ignatius, but all likelihood, there has never been any time in his life Ignatius's voice has said 'nice' in that particular tone. A moment later and the illusion shifts into ... the Gamma he just slammed into the floor, magically bloody face-free and visor intact once more.

"I say get the suit off at least two people," Lambert says, gesturing with the knife. "Childermass because we can't afford going without his magic, and Papyrus because he has less to take off."

Edited 2018-11-05 04:13 (UTC)

It's not as uncomfortable as the first time mostly cause the drilling doesn't occur as much and he waits like a good boy for her to finish, his fingers slightly curling into his pants out of mild discomfort. He knows more than he did before so he's not as unsettled. Plus he somewhat trusts Shimmer given her past experience and how much Strange has told him.

When he's allowed to get up he'll lift his hand upwards towards the back of his head but he won't touch it. It's just odd watching everything flicker on his screen and when it synchronizes he'll remember the number.

He looks down at the unconscious former Beta on the floor then back to Shimmer, "I question whether I should try to fit into the clothes but I'm sure I also don't look the part either." Given the way they drastically change their bodies.

As soon as Childermass realizes just how much they cut up Lambert, he's turning to look elsewhere. It won't be until he's covered up in the illusion of Ignatius that he'll turn back again and even then it's only to protest.

"Unless someone has an extra pair of pants, I think not."

He's stoic about a lot of things. Like, a ton. However, he is also still from the 1900s and used to wearing like five hundred layers of unimaginatively black and white clothing. Anyway, whoever asked for healing potions is getting them. After that, he's shutting the dimension back down.

It's hard to make out anything in the Gamma's expression or tone of voice, but somehow, even under the illusion, Lambert still sounds extraordinarily Lambert-like when he points the knife at the knocked out technicians.

"I see four pants."

"So you do," Childermass says, glancing over at the unconscious techs. Well, he is the Acquisitioner. Looks like he's acquiring someone else's pants. Safe to say that's where he's heading now, back into the room they've dragged them. A quick glance has him judging which is the tallest Gamma and then he's kneeling down — stiffly, thanks to that asshole Beta electrocuting them — and working on stripping them.

Shimmer frowns at Tyki and then nods in agreement.

"It's true. All Gammas and Betas would have been uploaded into a new body long ago," she says, and then looks over at Lambert as he works with the knife.

"I see you already have iron, somehow. Maybe reaching the stash isn't so critical after all."

Edited 2018-11-05 04:40 (UTC)

Yuya turns around at that. "Body upload?" She can't mean--no.

That horrific thought is briefly disturbed as he sees Childermass dragging one of the unconscious gammas aside, while Lambert shape shifts after cutting himself free with iron.

He looks straight at Shimmer and then over her body slowly. It's what he feared for a short while and he had hoped he was rescued before he climbed that high. Then again, Tyki was willing to do whatever it took as long as he didn't lose his Noah. Letting that thing out into the world would've been disastrous.

"I had a suspicion that was the case," he speaks with a sympathetic tone, turning back towards the Beta and squatting down to start stripping it of the clothes. He's pulling them off piece by piece, watching how each piece is folded. Hopefully he is around the same size or it is going to be a tight fit.

As for Yuya, while Tyki himself starts dragging his own clothes off and getting dressed in the Beta's, "Yes, I started to notice how every technician looked the same and the higher tier while in my time of Delta seemed to loose more and more of their uniqueness." Of course he rarely saw an Alpha so he's never sure about the final outcomes.

...Welp, that's extra reason to be relieved none of them got promoted higher than Delta. A changed body is still closer to one's own body than being uploaded to some other species and looking the same as all your neighbors.

Though Shimmer's other comment adds a bit of... worry.

"We're, uh, maybe we should find that stash, so we have an... alibi for having the iron?" Please don't tell any other fae that they're war criminals on top of all the other things the courts are mad at them about.

Their surroundings are as clean as they're likely to get with the resources on hand, anyway, so Papyrus beelines to where Lambert's finishing up with that knife and explains what he's looking for. A foot-long opening, just above his tail, and Papyrus can handle the rest from there - leaving more time to help Childermass, and maybe start on freeing someone else. Lambert makes the cut quickly enough, likely from some reflexive skill at skinning that doesn't bear dwelling on in this time and place.

Once there's enough opening, Papyrus shoos him off and heads to the reception desk, then sets his skull on it to watch his work from behind. It's a bit of a process, pulling bones out and rearranging them on the counter, but he knows his own skeleton and can tell when they don't feel right together. It shouldn't take that long.

"Yes..." Shimmer agrees, lightly. "It's part of the 'uniform' as she puts it. Once a Delta is upgraded to Gamma, they undergo a complete body upgrade to match. It is loosely based on their original one, to ease the dysphoria, but not much..."

She shrugs her shoulders.

"On the bright side, we never grow old? Though I can't say it would have suited any of you. Especially the skeleton."

"That iron is for emergencies only," Childermass tells Shimmer flatly as he finishes stripping the Gamma of their clothes. It won't fit perfectly but it's better than nothing. It's only after he has that all on hand that he'll stand up and tolerate Lambert cutting him out of his suit same as he did for himself and Papyrus. He's quick about getting the leggings on once he's out of it, too, even if... these could really be better but he can't really be picky right now.

The rest of the clothes, he'll take his time with. He isn't terribly offended by showing off all of his feathers along his arms and back, although the bolts and alterations to his spine to stand out amongst them before he manages to pull a shirt on. As far as the Mother's little upgrades go, he hasn't fared as bad as others, but they did do something. Something he can't recall just yet and he isn't looking forward to when he finally does.

Edited 2018-11-05 05:21 (UTC)

"I was actually under the impression this was an emergency, Mr Childermass," she says, just as flatly.

Yuya turns back around to the door, feeling a little sick by the notion. And he thinks he saw Tyki undressing the Beta, too?

He rocks on his heels briefly. "What's the storage room going to be like?"

Full of people? Full of locks?

"Ms. Shimmer, our immediate emergency is getting our shit back and returning to the Delta section, which no longer requires iron at this time," Childermass disagrees, continuing the trend of flatness here. "If you wish to discuss rapidly upcoming emergencies, by all means, do, but do so while we get moving."

Edited 2018-11-05 05:29 (UTC)

It's hilarious to Tyki at the moment that normally he would agree with Childermass but right now he's aligning more with Shimmer. He wants that fae dead or at least for her to allow him to have his powers back. Fully dressed, he rises next to Shimmer and speaks again.

"While I agree that Eta-701, err Childermass is somewhat correct I do wish to take down the Mother of Invention. We were to return to Delta it would be in our best interests to do so with enough supplies to break free again otherwise we simply are asking for more reinforcements to surround us." Which is why he is more inclined for Shimmer's idea at the moment yet he understood charging into something blind without powers.

Lambert is quick and methodical with both of his charges, keeping his movements brisk and economical. He can't quite keep the tremble out of his fingers -- their bones were recently replaced not that long ago -- but he'll avoid cutting them, amazing.

"I agree with Shimmer and Tyki," he says quietly. Nevertheless, he'll hold out the knife for Childermass to take back. He took it once without permission, and he won't do it again, as much as he desperately wants to.

"But I also agree that we need to start moving. The rest are counting on it." His gaze sweeps around the room. "Can we agree on that much?"

"Then finish up and get back to the teleporter," Shimmer says, crossing her arms. "Set it to A3. We should have access, for now. That's where she keeps an inventory of everything she takes... and whether or not we will face much opposition depends on how well informed the enemy is."

"We won't know until we're there."

Childermass takes the knife back, returning it to the buckle of the belt that doubles as its sheath. Since that's all been decided, for now, he'll nod towards Tyki.

"Mr. Mikk, if you'll lead the way."

He's learning a lot from his short time here and in favor of ignoring everyone else for just a small moment, he looks over what new tasks, schedules, and alerts he's been given. He's poking around, glancing up at the tasing option again, and then down towards the maps to see various layouts and the most effective route along with any notes Beta-34 might've stored.

Naturally, he'll follow instructions and Shimmer's lead, nodding as he steps outwards and probes at what new access he has. He nods towards Childermass at his prompt an then cranes and ear back towards Shimmer, "Yes, ma'am."

He's also looking for any reports filed and considering shutting them down but then that might also be suspicious. It's like a new toy he's rediscovering all over again and he heads right towards that teleporter, already making quick work of adjusting it to A3 with some excitement.

Edited (wording) 2018-11-05 06:41 (UTC)

Lambert transfers his sword from his hand to his now-invisible tail, testing if the illusion will work to conceal it as well or if it just awkwardly looks like he’s got a floating sword he’ll need to hide behind his back. He’ll also take one of the fallen Gamma’s weapons from earlier so he can look more the part, checking it over to see how it works and figure out if it will respond to him even without Gamma access. If it does, he’ll suggest anyone so inclined should take one.

While Tyki is occupied with his visor display, Lambert will request that people be ready to deal with anything as they step through — particularly those still in suits, or conceal themselves if possible. He’s not sure if it’s worth acting like they may have captured the ones still in suits, given Papyrus is so obviously out of his, but perhaps it’ll cause enough hesitation that they can take advantage.

Regardless of what’s decided, he’ll step through once Tyki and Shimmer give the word.

Edited 2018-11-05 14:05 (UTC)

There is a general alert in Tyki's visor about how there is an emergency in B7 and a general containment breach. There is, unfortunately, no history of alerts this Beta may have sent out, and no way to cancel them. It'd probably be easier for someone who was more tech-savvy than Tyki, but alas, he is not.

He'll get a detailed map of A3, as well as a listing of who is ostensibly on schedule to be there at the moment. Looks like about six people, but that may have changed in accordance with the alters. He's seeing what was scheduled, not the practical reality. It seems that there are a great many sections to A3, with it functioning as a high tech warehouse. Conveniently, he can look up where Test Group 700's stuff is and lead in that direction.

Of course, when they get out of the airlock there are immediately a security team there waiting for them, and it looks like they have some kind of shield barriers, as well as other weapons. They are mostly Gammas, with one Beta.

If they have a wallhack potion in use they'll be able to see the security team waiting in advance.

(The illusion doesn't conceal Lambert's sword, so it will be just be floating.)

Once Tyki's relayed what he's seen to the rest, Lambert will ask a few quick questions quietly.

To Shimmer: Can the Security team actually see what's happening in the teleporter area right now, or do they have some element of surprise? And would she be willing to come with them to try and catch the team off guard?

To Childermass: Can he take Lambert and someone else who isn't at risk of electrocution over to ambush the team, and take some of the technicians out via shadows?

As far as Shimmer knows they can't see inside of the teleporter area, so it will be a surprise.

Childermass can do that, however taking out technicians means needing to put them somewhere. Since he doesn't have anywhere secure in this sector, his only real option is outside. He doesn't really know what's out there, though.

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