⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

"With pleasure," Strange answers.

And not even a second later, Strange poofs himself into smoke form and flies towards Yukio's face, as he straight up attempts to gas a teenager.

[npcarnival]

Yukio just keeps standing there as Strange attempts to gas him. If he's hoping for Yukio to pass out peacefully, he doesn't.

"Return the Summer Court to me and I will set you free," he says, seemingly unaffected. "Anyone who agrees and participates will reap the spoils."

[scientificist]

"I haven't seen 'spoils' so far from following any of your directions," says Herbert, who is still salty about the whole levelling up thing. Even if it would have meant he would probably be in Yukio's situation right now. At least he wouldn't have had to do more farming. "You haven't had us here long enough for that to work--what a stupid thing to try."

He pushes up to stand, eyes the outside, and sort of side-walks a little more towards the wall of the tuck shop, keeping an eye on Yukio.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's standing back and not engaging either of them, wringing his hands around his staff. But he's listening, from a distance, focus keen on what of the arguing he can pick up.

And that offer makes him bristle. "No way! You can't have him back!" He shouts from the back. Or anyone, honestly, but it seems like someone's the priority here.

He glances around, backing up to try and find Ignatius so he can shuffle closer to him, even if it takes him out of hearing distance.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita's not going to dignify that offer with an answer.

Instead she stares at Yukio, who is apparently just standing around, casually inhaling some knockout gas. "That... should have knocked him out," she says, looking completely dumbfounded at this result. "...Maybe it's because she isn't controlling his mind... She's just using his body like a puppet."

Then Yukio's still in there, unaltered but powerless to act...? Or maybe he is unconscious, even though his body's moving.

[kingsroads]

Neither Herbert nor Rita have actually answered the Mother of Invention's question. And considering that trying to knock out Yukio isn't exactly working right now (and Strange really doesn't want to accidentally murder someone since this form is kind of poisonous), he'll float back away from Yukio and turn back into his normal form, landing near Rita.

"Whatever she's doing, the enthrallment is part of this magitech something deep in his brain," he whispers, just audible enough for Rita to hear. She's a Delta, she'd know things. Strange starts speaking in full voice as he looks over at Yukio. "I believe I speak for those assembled when I say no, we won't return the Summer Fae to you and we refuse your offer."

[anti_nonsense]

"I know," Rita whispers back. "We..."

Explaining will take too long, so she reaches out and grabs Strange's arm, then uses her information transfer ability to fill him in on the rest.

She'll show him how, as part of initiation into Delta, all four of them had computer chips implanted in their heads. The chips allow them to interact with the visors, and are what Polaris's systems use to identify them. Rita and Tyki had their Delta chips swapped out for Beta chips, giving them access to more of the facility... which is probably why they aren't the ones being controlled right now. But now that the Mother knows Rita's new designation, that could change...

She'll leave it at that and let go of Strange, simply giving a firm nod to indicate her agreement with his declaration.

[flashover]

"Not no, but hell no!!" Rin yells at the Mother. "He's our friend now! He helped us when he didn't have to... And besides, why should we believe you? Your word is garbage!"

[scientificist]

Herbert reaches the wall, meanwhile, and starts edging along it, away from this altercation. It's still not out of the realm of people starting to throw really generally damaging spells at each other so he'd prefer to be as far from that theoretical radius as possible.

[exaomori]

Getting out of the area is probably a very wise choice. However, since Rin and Yukio are both involved, Shura isn't going to be far. She makes her way to Rin's side, jabbing his side with her thumb.

"Rin." Keep your feelings down for a second, you shounen protagonist. Shura casts a glance over to Rita and Strange, hoping they're trying to come up with some plan.

[npcarnival]

"I see," Yukio says, sounding impartial. "I was curious what you'd say. How unusual... a microcosm study in the potential of social bonding between mortals and fae."

Yukio looks at Rita.

"That said... Perhaps I can get his attention myself. Perhaps he would react better to speaking to his own spawn."

[anti_nonsense]

Rita shrinks back a step at that, suppressing a shudder at the thought. It's a credible threat, and one that genuinely scares her. But...

"It won't work," she declares, her body tensing as she tries to muster up some confidence in that statement. "First of all, because I won't let you. And secondly, because he's not stupid enough to think there's any point in negotiating with you."

At the very least, those are two things she really wants to believe right now.

[scientificist]

Herbert doesn't believe that Yukio "let" the Mother of Invention into his head either. It's all this brainwashing garbage like with the Prince all over again. (He doesn't even think the Mother's scientific methods are very good. She's obviously far too fixed on aesthetic. In retrospect, he's not interested.

Yes it took until now for the final coffin nail.)

Also he's fairly certain there's about to be a lot of fire, very soon--or at least some mind games--so he takes off running towards the back rooms. When in doubt, go for the biggest guns that you can feasibly trust.

[npcarnival]

The idea that Rita won't 'let' her is practically a joke. Rita already let her put that implant in her body. She fought to be raised to Delta. That's as much as an invitation.

Yukio will abruptly drop to the ground, his body smothered by Strange's poison, as the force keeping him aloft vacates. Instead, Rita will feel something activate within her brain implant - a feeling that travels through her nerves replaces her own will, like complex puppet strings. Robbed of her connection to her body, Rita's perception will go blank.

Now Rita moves with that unnatural gait, that change in disposition. She turns to look at the group, and then moves towards the shop.

"Ignatius!" she calls. "I've found you..."

[npcarnival]

Ignatius sits up in the back room where he has been resting, his eyes widening. He hears that voice, and he knows it doesn't fit - through his connection to Rita, he can immediately sense that something is wrong. It sends an unnatural chill through him.

To anyone with him, he's obviously terrified - a reflexive reaction that no amount of honor or pride can hold back. Still, he starts trying to get up, like he's going to do something, even if he doesn't know what.

"No..." he murmurs plaintively.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's attention snaps up as well, his eyes widening as he recognizes the voice. A deeper chill runs down his spine as it sinks in, the way she's walking them around, and now it's Rita...

It takes Ignatius moving to shake him, and then he's stumbling to his feet as well. There's a moment where he thinks, maybe it's better to try and hide in here--but there's no where to hide, and nothing stopping her (Rita? The Mother of Invention?) from just walking in.

"Wait--" He bolts, suddenly, swinging around the doorway so that he can get the first look.

[scientificist]

Already, Herbert was hesitating when he heard Rita, or rather, the Mother coming in after him. It's not exactly good PR to betray Ignatius' hiding spot, and he can't afford a negative reputation in the middle of mind games. But then, thankfully, Yuya pops out, and he can speed up again, pushing past Yuya and into the room. It might not be the best place, with the Mother's attention fixated on Ignatius, but it's better than standing between them, or off to one side.

He could really do with the vorpal sword right now, to cut an escape hole out the back of the room. He's hardly going to make it out with a scalpel. Inevitably, he ends standing wide-eyed in the centre of the room, looking between Ignatius and Yuya at the door.

"Don't go with her!" he hisses. "Rita has an egg. You don't."

[kingsroads]

Well. Thanks to the info dump that Rita gave him, Strange knows what he has to do now. Seeing the Mother puppet Rita like this makes him feel a little sick...and the fact that he might have to hurt Rita makes him feel even sicker.

Them's the breaks, he supposes. You do a lot of things you don't want to in war.

"Restrain Yukio!" he calls out, hoping Rin or Shura hear him. "She can go back into him!" As he does so, Strange thrusts out a hand pointed in Rita's direction. A gust of wind shoots out from his hand, aiming at the back of Rita's knees. If that doesn't knock her over, it's at least powerful enough to be noticeable.

[npcarnival]

Rita will go down to her knees, the wind ostensibly catching her by surprise. She doesn't really seem to be in a mad rush to get up, either. Instead, she stays focused on the shop, and the fae she knows is hiding inside.

"Just let me look at you!" Rita calls, down into the shop. "I only wish to observe."

Though, while she says that, the water from the pool nearby will rise up and do it very best to drag Strange into it.

"You were giving them power all along... were't you?"

[hippocarnival]

At first, Yuya's staring stiff with panic. It is the same thing, but this time it's a lot more personal to see Rita talk, walk like something else against her will. It makes his whole chest hot, then cold as anger cycles out into fear as he remembers that same sensation.

And then the water behind rises and Yuya's shaken back out of his thoughts enough to remember what he's doing here.

"No!" He holds his hands up and focuses on projecting his shield dome, hoping to fill up the hallway and block her pursuit. "Get out of her!"

[whattaprick]

The scuffle, if it can be called that much, has drawn attention even from those not directly involved in it. There isn't much time to make a decision, and Lambert literally has no idea what's going on except 'sure are a lot of people yelling over there,' but a murmur into the texting ring is all it takes.

While Yuya's trying to barricade the doorway, the shadows in the room stir.

Ignatius may or may not be thrilled to find a second, much healthier-looking Ignatius stepping out of them, grabbing his shoulder with a hand that doesn't quite match up to the illusory form, his own voice speaking quick and low.

"Time to go." With that, Lambert ungently attempt to shoves Ignatius back towards the shadows, and Childermass. It doesn't matter where they go, just that he's somewhere else other than trapped inside here, in this room. He really fucking hopes a fae can be pulled through shadows, or at least can get himself into a form that's a bit more portable, but honestly, who knows?

[npcarnival]

You can probably transport him, but it'd have to be willingly at this point. As it is, Ignatius seems conflicted. He gets shoved back, looking initially baffled - but he's smart enough to recognize an illusion of himself when he sees one. Mostly because he obviously knows that's not him.

The Mother is obviously trying to get his attention, and he's not so sure he wants to hand it over to these two with no input.

"Stop it," he growls, looking at Lambert. "I can help her..."

[whattaprick]

"Can you even help yourself?" This is like, when that nasty little voice of self-doubt starts trying to tear-down your self-esteem, except it's in front of you, wearing your face and looking incredibly unimpressed.

Nonetheless, if he can't be budged, Lambert's going to give him the benefit of the doubt this once.

"What's your plan?"

[scientificist]

What is HAPPENING? Who is this? Is this a plan by the Mother? Probably not, Ignatius seems fine with them. Is this Mark?! Herbert stops looking between Ignatius and the door and just looks at the Ignatii.

"Help with what?!" he demands quietly. "What the hell is going on?!"

[kingsroads]

Thankfully for everyone, Jonathan 'still has that blood contract where he's going to try and kill Lambert at some point' Strange has absolutely no idea of what's going on inside the room with Lambert, Ignatius, & the rest. He's trying really hard not to drown right now instead.

He's focusing his magic on the water, murmuring a constant stream of incantations to try and counteract what he's fairly certain is the Mother of Invention hijacking Rita's magic and take control of the water himself. Some of the water is still trying to drag Strange in, as a tendril of water starts to wrap around his ankle. However, a different tendril shoots over towards Rita, as he attempts to have it drag her in as well.