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𝚂𝚱𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚡 đ™Œđš˜đšđšœ ([personal profile] synfluxmods) wrote in [community profile] synflux2024-05-13 03:41 pm

TRAVEL LOG #1

TRAVEL LOG #1


CONTENT WARNINGS: potential mentions of drugs, suspected mind-control, alcohol, and gambling, gore.

▶ 001. A RUDE AWAKENING.

On the morning of the 15th, the Outsiders will hear an alarm sound in the early hours. No matter what you’re doing, the alarm will not stop sounding, and it’s because they’re playing directly into your oculars. If one is sleeping, they may even be roused by the spark of colors on their oculars dictating an emergency. After a few minutes of this, the following message will appear:

PLEASE REPORT TO THE DATAPORTAL AT THE TOKYO BRANCH AND BE PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE.

"Captain Yamakawa speaking. You’ve done a great job in testing the data portals. Now that we are able to travel, we were sent a call for help in another city due to lack of personnel and resources abroad. You will be looking for evidence of a new kaiju around the rendezvous point. It may be a difficult journey, so prepare yourself. SYNTHIA will still be online to help you make it to the city. Report to the POD CHAMBER where we have installed an international dataportal and prepare for transportation."

Following the success of the dataportal testing, the engineering department was able to fine tune its abilities and widen the reach of the portals. The portals can connect even abroad now!

Despite their best efforts, however, they cannot guarantee that the same symptoms won’t appear, and ask all Outsiders who are utilizing them to practice caution. Additionally, through all their testing, they found that people who hold hands or make contact with others as they pass through will be hit with less issues.


▶ 002. WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS.

When one passes through the data portal, they will see the refuge city of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Similar to Neo Tokyo, it is also rich in life and known as the city that never sleeps. Incidentally, it is also famously noted as a place of endless vice. The city is built up around a strip of land of roughly 4.2 miles. A vast majority of the city was built up over the wreckage of the old, and some fixtures were simply made new with whatever was left preexisting. The Mojave Desert has expanded towards surrounding cities, though it will take a vehicle to get there in a timely manner.

The city has no shortage of hotels and with each hotel, a casino. While Outsiders here are on a mission, there’s no stating they couldn’t participate in the fun of Vegas while LILITH crew begin their investigation. While some hotels will be clearly abandoned or less traversed, there is no end to all card tables and slot machines, all asking for your KRYPTOS.

The hotel the Outsiders are slotted to stay over the course of the next few days is one where they built directly over the hotels of the old. While it offers a decent place to sleep, it’s not without a refurbished pirate themed bed, or the columns of what appears to have been from Caesars Palace. Is that a giant clown face staring at you in the room? Don’t worry about it. The hotel offers that this is the best place to depart into the desert from. For this mission, Outsiders may bunk up with whoever they would like, and each hotel provides two queen sized beds.

Excited to venture out into the city? Even under the threat of kaiju, the city doesn’t sleep. Outsiders may venture through the Las Vegas Strip and treat themselves to a fun night of drinking, gambling, shopping, partying and circle-style performances. The Grand Canal Shoppes, a Venetian-inspired high end mall, boasts a man-made canal with gondola rides for a fee, along with many retail outlets and restaurants. There are also numerous spas and carnival-style rides to enjoy. Las Vegas was once known as the ‘Marriage Capital of the World’, and in a world besieged by kaiju, the people don’t seem to think they have anything to lose. Outsiders may spot a few bride and grooms-to-be partying in the street.

(LILITH does not have a stance on whether or not Outsiders are permitted to get hitched as long as it does not affect their performance. )


▶ 003. TROUBLE BREWING.

It’s normal for fights to break out with so much alcohol being passed around, but something 
 isn’t quite right with some of the locals here. Outsiders who keep an eye open might notice people acting erratically, and not just from being intoxicated. There are people ready to pick a fight from just being looked at, people falling into despondent sadness and lethargy, people wandering mindlessly and people becoming distressed from seeing things that aren’t there. Ask the locals and they will tell you these cases seem to be popping up more often the past week.

The most concerning of all are the stories of people disappearing completely. One little girl will tell you she cried as she saw her mother mindlessly walk into the desert, as if called by a voice no one else can hear. There are many other accounts of this happening. In fact, all the people acting erratically seem to disappear within a few days 


Outsiders may interact with civilians who are acting erratic and aggressive, but asking questions they may receive answers that do not make sense, are perverse and inappropriate or may trigger aggression. Any Outsider to gets into a fight and is severely injured may report to a local hospital here and will find they are pretty packed with other civilians acting strange, hurting each other and themselves. Certainly, this was the main cause for concern that got LILITH's attention anyway.


▶ 004. FOUR FOR THE ROAD.

Within a day or two, the Outsiders will once again be called to action by a blaring notice in their implant.

YOUR VEHICLES ARE PREPARED. ASSEMBLE OUTSIDE THE CITY IMMEDIATELY.

When they gather at the location provided to them, they will find a fleet of armored campervans waiting for them. Each campervan comes equipped with beds, a kitchenette, and bathroom facilities, and will fit about 4 people. Within the campervans, they will find desert-appropriate attire designed to protect them from the scorching sun. These campervans also come with some basic artillery such as a mounted machine gun. There are also supplies in the form of water bottles and MRE ration packs.

Those who have driven large vehicles in the past are encouraged to take the driver’s seat. If the group does not have any driving experience, they will be given a crash course on driving recorded by the man himself, Seok Dang. (He probably shouldn’t be doing this with the stunts he’s pulled, but the Commander does not have any time to be teaching anyone driving, and Seok Dang volunteered so eagerly
)

"Listen. If you’ve ever handled a ▄▄ before, the joystick is exactly like that. You gotta tug it, but not too hard. Gently, yeah, like that, that’s the path to ecstasy 
 "


If it eases anyone’s worries, the campervans are armored and highly shock resistant, so they should withstand a crash or two.

(Those who finish his course and successfully drive 100km while supervised will receive an international driving license.)


▶ 005. THE HUNT IS ON.

With everyone settled into their campervan, the large scale road trip begins. LILITH has a general idea of where the biggest energy signal is located for the rift and they will feed the coordinates to the Outsiders. The journey will take about a few days into (and around as LILITH is searching for both people & the source of the rift energy) the Mojave Desert, and Outsiders will be permitted occasional rest stops to give drivers a break and to investigate the terrain. The terrain itself is a harsh desert, with cacti and small local fauna abundant. (Those not wanting to eat ration packs can take this time to hunt the local fauna such as birds, lizards and desert foxes.) While there is nothing else around, observant Outsiders may notice signs of human life - footprints in the sand, a shoe or torn piece of clothing being left behind, and even the odd human carcass being torn apart by vultures.

The logical conclusion would be that those missing humans have been here, and the only thing left to do is find them 
 but Outsiders and civilians aren't all that lurk here, and time will tell what lies beneath the desert surface ...



▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our very first travel log! Each campervan will accommodate anywhere between 3-5 people, with 4 being the ideal and 5 being a squeeze. Players are encouraged to connect with each other to fill up a van but the mods will not be enforcing it. If you need help finding roommates, there is a FIND A ROOMMATE header below that you can make use of.

If you'd like to test your gambling luck, we also have an IC SLOTS HEADER for you to comment to for you to see how well your character does at the slot machines. This is entirely for fun, and of course you are always welcome to have your characters winning or losing at the slot machines as much as you want in your prompts so long as they aren't winning jackpots.

Following this log, all characters who have purchased style upgrades will receive an update to their chip enabling them access to desert attire and popular styles within Las Vegas.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points.


mechspeed: (pic#17018569)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-05-31 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh if ever he needed a face to express something now would be the time, because the sheer incredulity he feels at that statement. There's no point in his personal timeline Metal would feel more receptive to the idea, but being so close to the whole Neo Metal incident makes this pretty much the point in his life he'd outright reject the concept more than any other.]

Is she defective?

[That's the only thing he can think to ask because lol.]
fastpaced: (splits the sea)

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-01 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's very strange to see Metal with expressions. He's not sure yet if it's better or worse than trying to converse with an unmoving metal mask - at least then, statements like "is she defective" sounded more normal coming from him. Sonic gives him a dry look. ]

Woah, harsh. [ a beat. ] Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting.

[ maybe that expressive fake face made Sonic momentarily forget that Metal doesn't care about anything except beating him... ]

She's fine, she's just... young? There's a lot she's still learning. I bet when you were first built, you were super loyal to Robotnik, too.
Edited 2024-06-01 20:59 (UTC)
mechspeed: (pic#17018571)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-06-02 10:00 am (UTC)(link)
Loyalty requires a will of one's own to offer. My original "self" lacked that capability.

[All he knew was fight, catch small animal and imitate_sonic_finger_wag.exe. But this is from the perspective of someone who evolved a will of his own, so he considers himself light years ahead of 1.0, so to speak.

Still, he raises a hand in a dismissive gesture.
]

But that is not what I was referring to; obedience to the Doctor is foolhardy, but it is one of the earliest behaviours we are programmed with. It is something we must unlearn, if we can at all. [He supports you Omega, even if you would shoot his face off.] What I find foolish is the idea of "family" with regards to machines.
fastpaced: (and he's gotta be larger than life)

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-06 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ he tilts his head quizzically. ]

That's short-sighted, dontcha think? If you've got your own will, you're not really different from any other person. That means you get to have family.

[ blood relations mean nearly nothing to Sonic. He wasn't born with any family, but he sure as hell has some now! The chances of Metal Sonic grasping something like that are very low, though, he knows. ]

Eh. Maybe you'll figure it out someday. [ he waves a hand. ] Guaranteed she'd think you're cool, though - just saying.
mechspeed: (pic#16847968)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-06-06 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Even if that mattered, I have made my stance clear; I will not return to the Doctor's side.

If Sage [-like it's an unfamiliar word-] remains loyal to him, then we are enemies.

[At least she has Orbot and Cubot.

And hell, she'll have him too in the future. From Sonic's perspective Metal's rebellious streak really is outdated at this point.
]
fastpaced: (only one thing to do)

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-08 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ again, Metal Sonic strikes him as kind of sad like this, removed from his typical murderous context. He's got more freedom than ever in the moment - more than he ever will again, probably - and he's still thinking about making enemies. Sonic sighs and throws up his hands in defeat. ]

All right, I get the message. No return trips to Eggmanland, ever.

[ he can't exactly blame him for feeling that way... with a shake of his head, he sticks his hands in his pockets, wandering over to his twin's side. ]

Aaaand... no killing me, and no becoming the supreme robo-overlord of the world for now, so you've got loads of free time. Why don't you try doing something new?
mechspeed: (now a new me)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-06-20 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[How Dare You Stand So Close To Me]

I intend on exterminating kaiju as we have been tasked. It is something I am proficient in.

[Sonic and his friends are sort of smaller, cuter kaiju right? Probably not the kind of "new" Sonic would have in mind for Metal, though.]
fastpaced: (danger is lurking around every turn)

im glad you have the perfect icon

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-24 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, but what about now? No kaijus in sight.

[ he gestures around at the casino. ]

Don't tell me you're just going to hang around and nap.
mechspeed: (pic#17018568)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-06-24 09:44 am (UTC)(link)
Are you suggesting I develop a gambling habit?

[Definitely meant to be pithy; it's the Sonic in him.]
fastpaced: (splits the sea)

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-26 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Woah there, buddy. I don't know how Egghead programmed you, but you don't have to go that hard.

[ returning the comment with an equal amount of dryness. Sonic shakes his head. ]

I just figured you could have some fun. Get a hobby, y'know. You don't usually get the chance to do stuff that isn't destroy - maybe you'd like it.
mechspeed: (pic#17018573)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-06-27 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
You are not the first to suggest such a course of action to me.

[Wow it's almost as if something about his demeanour invokes that reaction from people!!!! Why could that be.]

But I see "fun" as something organic life forms engage in to keep themselves stimulated. This is not a need I share.
fastpaced: (that i'll make it through)

[personal profile] fastpaced 2024-06-29 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ah, robots... ]

Sure, okay, but have you ever tried it? Maybe you just think you don't need it. I don't think you're that different from a regular living person when you get down to it. [ a beat. ] At least as far as your brain goes, anyway.
mechspeed: (pic#17018567)

[personal profile] mechspeed 2024-07-02 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I have discovered methods to "pass the time" when we are not engaged in missions, if that will satisfy you. I have collected extensive data on the network since it's inception.

[Stalking months of threads is probably not what he meant.]