TRAVEL LOG #2

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #2

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disaster, acid rain, vehicle crash.

▶ 001. WINGING IT.

In the early morning hours of the 1st, Outsiders will receive a rude awakening blaring through their implants. No matter what they do, the alarm will not stop sounding until they are forced to get up. A message will flash through their vision:

ALL OUTSIDERS ARE TO REPORT TO THE HANGAR IMMEDIATELY FOR DEPARTURE

Get up, get dressed in your plugsuit, and it’s time to go! Once they report at the hangar, they will be met with a huge spacecraft, large enough to fit at least 80 people. This will be their mode of transport to their next location.

"My Angels of Lilith. You are needed once again. We have received distress signals from the neighbouring country of South Korea. Unfortunately, since we have not established data portals in that country, we require you to embark via air. Your aircraft is ready for you and your seats have been assigned. I bid you a safe journey."

True enough, there are more than enough seats on the LILITH SKY CRUISER to accommodate every Outsider, and to get everyone organized quickly for departure, all Outsiders will receive a seat number. Like any plane, seats are rather cramped and there isn’t much leg room. Once the seatbelt sign is off, Outsiders are free to stand up and move around the cruiser, but they might have to climb over other people or make the whole row stand up to give them room. The aircraft is serviced by robotic stewards serving light snacks of nuts and crackers, and coconut crab kimbap and seaweed soup at meal time. Any characters who use a cloaking device will be instructed to use it during the flight to accommodate the aircraft. Also, any characters who rely on a weapon or anything else (such as a Gundam), it will be loaded onto the cargo of the aircraft.

The flight will take about 2-3 hours. Outsiders may take a nap, chat or try the inflight entertainment available. This inflight entertainment is delivered through a virtual reality headset. Outsiders may pick a selection of AI movies of questionable quality, along with several virtual reality games. There are single player or multiplayer options available for every game.

Available games include:

• The Sims 30: One player gets to become the ‘god’ of a world and build houses or dictate the lives of other players and NPCs within the game as they see fit.
  
• Farm Crossing: A farming simulator game where players get to build and manage their own farms. Harvest your crops and tend to your animals! Impress the friendly villagers in the town with your beautiful ranch!
  
• Tales of Heroes: A fantasy game where players are reborn into a world of monsters and magic and have to level up by fighting monsters and slaying demons.
  
• And many more … (Feel free to design your own VR games.)

Eventually, the sky cruiser will touch down on Incheon Airport. There’s no need to be stuck waiting in line at immigration... it appears as if the Incheon Airport has not been used in decades and seems completely abandoned with the exception of the Outsiders. The old scanning machines and luggage belts are simply collecting dust. Outsiders will be ushered immediately to the nearest train station, where they will continue their journey by train.

▶ 002. WELCOME TO SEOUL.

Once descended from the train ride, they will have arrived in the city of Seoul, South Korea. Similar to Neo Tokyo, a lot of the people on the outskirts moved to this area in order to receive shelter and the benefits of being amongst civilization, rather than fending for themselves. As such, there is a certain hustle and bustle, but considering the state of their dilapidated airports and most of the other cities falling to ruin, there definitely is a more somber vibe to the city. Despite that, the residents carry on and there is no shortage of shopping, food stalls (mostly with foods that are not easy to perish), cafes, pojangmacha to have a late night food or drink at, and many more smaller businesses. The people are resilient and have every single desire to continue making a living. As such the prices here are competitive and Outsiders will find if they look hard enough, there are some fairly good deals to be made. Currency exchange is no issue, as KRYPTOS is the universal currency.

Since a lot of efforts were made to keep Seoul intact, there are still some important sights that were kept up and can be visited if desired. While LILITH urges people to keep their eyes peeled out for any clues to the next kaiju’s whereabouts, Seok Dang may or may not have sent each Outsider a map of the best sightseeing amongst many other not-so-innocent suggestions. He calls it the difference of experiences and “doesn’t want anyone missing out!” If people check back on the message a day later, they will find it was almost as if it didn’t exist at all. On the list, however, includes sights like the Gyeongbokgung Palace, COEX mall and aquarium, Seoul Sky, and many others. However, some of them may or may not exist anymore. How long was he out of the country for? For an extra “freebie” he throws in, Outsiders will find an odd message on their style upgrade saying there is a new outfit available, when opened, it will download a hanbok that they can wear at any time.

"Well, well. Unfortunately, whatever fun could have been planned will need to be halted just a mere two and a half days to get settled. Once again, a message will be produced on everyone’s oculars suggesting an emergency is on the horizon. Guess we better get to that instead of showing you my home country!"

And Seok Dang wonders why he is the Commander's least favorite.

Beep! An alert pops up on the Outsiders' ocular devices. According to the information LILITH just received, there is not just one large kaiju occupying this region, but two. In order to chase both of these leads, Outsiders are split into two groups in order to chase these two kaiju. They have described these kaiju as being very agile and fast, but resembling a serpent from the few sightings that have been spotted. As for the rift that it originated from, there is no sign of a rift in South Korea. Did it migrate here from somewhere else? More details will pour into the Outsider's devices as soon as possible, but for now, Outsiders are called to pursue the hunt.

▶ 003. TEAM SEOUL.
_{EVERLIGHT & REDEMPTION}

Within the next hour, rain will begin to fall upon the city, but this is far from the average summer shower. The precipitation doesn’t seem weather-related as much as it does seem to be a proponent of the kaiju’s abilities. They find this when studying the rain itself, which is acidic to the touch. While the buildings and other structures will remain sound, the people will need to evacuate quickly in order to avoid any lingering effects to the skin. Skin contact with the acid rain will cause both minor and severe burning, depending on how quickly it is rinsed off with normal water. At the first discovery of the acid rain's danger, Outsiders will be commanded to press a button on their plugsuit on the left shoulder, activating an invisible helmet to keep their heads and faces safe.

The Outsiders’ plug suits prevent them from receiving any damages from the rain, but that’s certainly not the case for everyone else. The first team, made up of the members of Everlight and Redemption are to prioritize the initial evacuation of the people, especially those who live slightly outside of the city limits of Seoul. They are the most vulnerable during crises like these and will need to be pulled from their homes, and those who live in the basement shelters will need to be pulled to one higher ground in case of potential flooding with the acid rain. Individuals who have skills in healing will also be called forth in order to tend to the injuries of those who are saved.

Between evacuation, there will also be tidbits of information provided to those on the team that remains in Seoul to check out specific locations in order to figure out more about this kaiju. The first location listed is Gyeongbokgung Palace. Outsiders that remain in Seoul will be utilizing that as their base. They are set to look at any remains the kaiju may have left behind. Any findings are commanded to be surrendered to LILITH. Emergency response of South Korea will use this palace as a safe haven, providing cots for sleeping overnight and other emergency supplies.

▶ 004. TEAM BUSAN.
_{BRIMSTONE & REVELATION}

The second team will depart via train on a journey to the city of Busan. The journey is expected to take 2 hours, and while there are comfortable seats available on the train, any luxuries beyond that are minimal. At least LILITH has brought along a few VR headsets for whoever wants to kill time with games or bad movies? Anyone can sit where they'd like for this ride.

An hour into the trip, a loud crash is suddenly heard, with the entire train rocking and falling to its side. This causes a complete blackout throughout the train and it stops functioning completely, leaving Outsiders stranded within the pitch black tunnel. The train system is completely inoperable in this condition. Outsiders will need to make their own journey to the city, following the rails by foot and helping any Outsiders who happened to be injured in the crash. It’ll be dark within the tunnel, but light will soon emerge once they exit it, and they will find themselves at the foot of Mount Geumjeong.

From then on, they’ll need to put their trekking skills to the test and cross the mountainous, forested region, where they will encounter various local fauna such as snakes, deer and black bears. They will also spot many destroyed villages and temples on their way to Busan. However, evidence of the Kaiju can be found in both the subway tunnel and throughout the mountain trek, suggesting that the kaiju has moved through here. This encourages LILITH to keep Outsiders in this area. The Outsiders will need to make a campsite in one of the destroyed villages, though emergency response will also pay them a visit several days later with sleeping cots and emergency supplies. In the meantime, hopefully they brought enough food with them or know how to forage and hunt for food in the wilderness. Some of those berries out there are poisonous....

The team here will be encouraged to explore the area to find further traces of the kaiju and help any villagers who are still alive.

▶ 005. STATUS REPORT.

Promptly, at the same time, all Outsiders will receive a text message and be put in an encrypted chat-room: OPERATION: RED/BLUE
CODENAME:
LOCATION:
STATUS:
FINDINGS:
Outsiders are instructed to fill out this information and send it into the chat to communicate with one another.

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our second travel log!

Characters do have ASSIGNED SEATS for the duration of their flight to Incheon airport, though there are just enough empty seats that some characters can move around if they really don't like their seat buddies. Teams BRIMSTONE and REVELATION will be traveling to Busan, while teams EVERLIGHT and REDEMPTION will be staying in Seoul.

RNG below to discover what your character will find in both Seoul and Busan respectively. For the STATUS REPORT Prompt, treat it as an open chat room for all Outsiders and respond to the HEADER COMMENT. Feel free to threadjack and discuss among yourselves. You may also include this as a text prompt in your top level if you would like for people just to reply to you instead of using the header comment.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards August AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. WINGING IT: Characters are told to head to the hangar for DISPATCH to SOUTH KOREA where reports of a kaiju have been seen. Characters sit in their assigned seats for a short air travel ride.

2. WELCOME TO SEOUL: We arrive in Seoul and are given orders to split into two teams: Everlight & Redemption in Seoul, Brimstone & Revelation in Busan. Seok Dang has tried to sneak in some sight seeing in between mission briefs, but it looks like there won't be much time for that, as two kaiju have been found in South Korea.

3. TEAM SEOUL: Everlight & Redemption deal with acid rain in Seoul, ushering civilians to refuge, tending to acidic burns and using Gyeongbokgung Palace as a makeshift base. Investigation hints at the kaiju being somewhere in this area as Outsiders find claws, teeth, droppings and other things that belong to a dragon-like creature.

4. TEAM BUSAN: Brimstone & Revelation board a train to Busan which has an outage, trapping them to travel along the tunnel in the dark. They arrive at the end of the tunnel at the foot of Mount Geumjeong and create a makeshift base in the village there. Investigation hints at the kaiju being somewhere in this area as Outsiders find claws, teeth, droppings and other things that belong to a dragon-like creature.

5. STATUS REPORT: Outsiders are encouraged to share their findings and speculations on the kaiju in an encrypted chat room.

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Comments

[30storieshigh]

Indeed. Though I suggest against drinking the whole container directly. It is frowned upon, to my understanding.

[ There's already a pot on the table, it's half full. Is that the second one and he chugged down an entire fresh pot of coffee? Of course not, that's his third pot today. ]

You are welcome to as much as you wish of course, there is plenty.

[grade4]

Yeah, it is frowned upon.

[ definitely a weirdo! oh well, she knows a lot of them. some might say she's one of them (she's not, she's normal for sure.) but she'll take a cup from the table and pour it from the pot. ]

Do you normally not drink coffee?

[30storieshigh]

Indeed. Not normally at all.

[ Excuse you he's perfectly normal. See how normally he gives a thumbs up? See how normal he smiles while making sure to show every. Single. One of his teeth. This is perfectly normal human behavior. ]

I have only just encountered it. Very amazing, the energy, the flavor, it may very well be one of the greatest works of human kind.

[ That's not even remotely a joke. He thinks coffee is better than technology. ]

[grade4]

...

You're like an alien who looks like a human, aren't you?

[30storieshigh]

Alien. Non-terrestrial. Invader.

[ And there's his smile gone and him actually growling. He needs a minute, closes his eyes, takes a deep breathe, expels it in more a huff than a sigh, then sips at his coffee as if nothing happened. ]

I believe you did not mean to insult, I shall forgive this. [ How kind and extremely presumptuous of him. ] You are somewhat on the right trail, I am not human, I am Godzilla. I am from Earth, I destroy invaders.

[grade4]

[ loooong sip of her coffee ]


I changed my mind. You're just a crazy man.

[30storieshigh]

I am unfamiliar with this term.

[ Bless him he's so oddly innocent in the weirdest ways. ]

Is it a negative or positive expression for your kind? Or both? I know your kind often like to make one term mean many things.

[grade4]

It means I don't believe you, and think you might be delusional. [ another sip, this time shorter. ] Why would Godzilla be in front of me as a human man?

[30storieshigh]

Ah, you know of me? This is good, I have been told some come from worlds that know me as legend.

[ An enthusiastic nod, a thumbs up. ]

There is no great mystery to this. I can not move amongst the civil denizens in my true form, it would cause panic. So LILITH requires I make use of the shape-changing technology to blend in. I am a canine in bleating wool, as your kind says.

[grade4]

[ hmmm... he does bring up a good point with what LILITH is capable of. ]

But why would LILITH want Godzilla to help fight Kaiju? He's one of them.

[30storieshigh]

You have seen the same media as Spiked-Fur, I assume. From what he has told me this should already answer the question, should they not?

[ He sighs and waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. ]

Bah, I shall indulge you. I have defended my own world countless times, killed many enemies of the same scale as myself, as these Kaiju. Thus it is only sensible LILITH would seek my assistance to defend this territory. Defeat the flame with another blaze, as they say.

[ Fight fire with fire. ]

[grade4]

[ "spiked fur" he says it like she would just know who that is (sonic??) ]

I guess that's sound logic. [ hm, it's starting to get harder to just dismiss this guy as insane. though maki may be better equipped to handle this than a lot of others considering one of her best friends is a talking panda. she drums her fingers on the table, processing. ] Hm. I don't think I have any reason to doubt you, even if I'm dubious.

...How does being in a human body feel like for you?

[30storieshigh]

[ Bakugo. A being so loud and... Bakugo that Godzilla just assumes everyone can recognize him by that description. Why bother with names there? ]

It is a assorted sack of seeds, as they say. [ Mixed bag of nuts. ] There is much I find vexing. The lack of my tail, the feel of the ground beneath my feet... this absurdly excessive fifth claw.

[ He wiggles one of his pinkies to illustrate, huffing out more of a snort than a sigh. ]

Yet it is not all an unpleasant thing. I can partake in your kind's food, your customs, see how you go about your lives, read your poetry. These are all things of value.

[ He takes another moment, sipping his coffee while gesturing to the window with his free hand. ]

I ill-like not being my proper size, of course, the world looks far more right from up here. Now however I have coffee, this alone is worth the change.

[grade4]

[ poetry? that's unexpected. she can't imagine godzilla reading haikus and judging the flow and use of seasonal words. maki takes another sip and then sets her cup down to pour some more coffee in. ]

You probably just like caffeine. Have you tried caffeinated teas or energy drinks?

[30storieshigh]

Hmm, caffeine? Is this the term for the pleasantly strong flavor?

[ Is it even surprising that Godzilla hasn't bothered to look into what's actually in the things he's consuming. If it wasn't all wholesome natural things people wouldn't eat them, right? ]

Water has been all I drank till now, I shall have to remedy this. Tell me about these drinks of energy and this tea, they hold similar properties?

[grade4]

The tea isn't that complicated. There are teas with stronger caffeinated properties and you just need to use hot enough water to extract it. It's the same concept with coffee beans in a coffee maker. Green tea and Black tea have the most.

As for energy drinks, you just buy them at any corner store. Mix of natural and artificial ingredients including caffeine. [ a shrug. ] I'm not a nutritionist but people aren't supposed to drink them a lot because it's addicting. For you it'll be ok though.

[ maybe. godzilla drinking monster energy might be either really funny or really dangerous. ]

[30storieshigh]

[ He's not entirely sure how he feels about these drinks of energy, "artificial" ingredients? Still, the way she worded it... yeah that's tickling right at the ol' ego. Even has him snorting a little in amusement. ]

Certainly I would be able to handle more than a human can. Your species is resourceful and intelligent in their own ways, but you are all so very squishy. Soft. There is much I can weather that would be ill-effecting for them.

[ Whoops there he goes again, assuming things. ]

Ah. Assuming you are a human. I mean no offense if you are otherwise. It is often very hard to tell.

[grade4]

I am human.

[ and really, no offense taken. maki made the same mistake with godzilla just a few minutes ago. ...man, she really is just accepting this a little too quickly. being with LILITH might be screwing with her perception of things. it'd be easier to accept this if she saw him as a giant kaiju versus being in human form. ]

If you want, we can check out some energy drinks for you to try another day. It's probably not good for you to drink coffee and then down one right after.

[30storieshigh]

This is an offer I will gladly lift up from you. [ Take you up on. ]

Enough about myself, it is unbecoming to mono police a conversation. [ ... Monopolize??? ] Tell me of yourself if you are willing, packmate. What you are confident in sharing that is. I understand some do not appreciate divulging certain things, I will not insist for such topics.

[grade4]

[ her lips flutter a little into a smirk, holding back a laugh as he fumbles through colloquialisms. she's getting more convinced about his story. ]

There's not much about me compared to Godzilla. I fight cursed spirits back home, a type of monster in its own right. I don't have any special techniques, but my body is super human so I use my fists and sword.

[30storieshigh]

[ Cursed Spirits are monsters, got it, that's good enough for him. It's the other part that really has him interested. ]

Ah! You are a blade wielder. I have been learning some of this from another packmate. I find myself fond of the weapon, it is very straight forward, to the point one could say.

[ Look at that! Godzilla just made an intentional joke. ]

You have been a fighter a long time?

[grade4]

[ what a corny joke. the kind a really old man too proud of himself would make. ]

All of my life. My family didn't want me to be, so I decided to become one to spite them. [ well, more than just that. it was a big part of it though. ] I became one of the best in my clan, and they tried to hold me back because they were mad at me about it.

[30storieshigh]

Hateful individuals are predisposed to continue spreading their hate, as they say. [ Godzilla really said "haters gonna hate". ]

There are few motivations greater than proving such individuals wrong. You must be a force worth reckoning with by your kind's standards.

[grade4]

[ she breathes out a laugh, a smile crawling to her face. ]

Never expected Godzilla to be so encouraging. Thanks.

[30storieshigh]

[ Hey a smile! That has him smiling too, with so, so many teeth... ]

You are to be welcomed. I would be glad for a demonstration of it one day, if you are willing to train with one another. I can take what ever form best suits you for friendly combat.

[ Translation: I am such a nice guy I'm willing to take a human-shaped handicap. ]