TRAVEL LOG #5

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #5

CONTENT WARNINGS: death, nightmares, gun violence, survival scenario

▶ 001. EYES WIDE OPEN.

"Angels of Lilith, report for duty in the DISPATCH."

The day starts off with alarms blaring and oculars shining bright lights in the Outsiders' heads, waking them up early for an emergency dispatch. Although the current Rift at Mt. Fuji needs to be explored and examined, the Rifts continue to appear in different parts of the world, and this Rift is no different. Captain Yamakawa continues,

"We have received a distress call from EGYPT. Much of the region fell during the first kaiju crisis. Now it is a desolate land that survives with the help of a generator called an ESSENCE which is currently malfunctioning. We assume the cause is Rift energy—according to our radar, there is a heavy amount of Rift energy coming from that area. We will move out immediately. Pack all the things you may need, but each Outsider will be supplied with a care package of their own containing essentials."

Even though it is 4:00 AM Tokyo time, LILITH hopes you all have slept well. It could be the very last good sleep in awhile. While the dataportal to Egypt is operational on Japan's end, because of the malfunctioning generator, Outsiders are unable to come out on the other side. The old method of using the flying cruiser will be used once again.

There will not be assigned seating for this other than by teams. Everlights will sit with Everlights, Brimstones with Brimstones, and so on. The Outsiders will be encouraged to rest on the flight, and a few hours before landing, an in-flight meal will be provided. The meal is surprisingly delicious and consists of chicken or pork katsu cutlet, but with the warning that all Outsiders will know about: it contains high amount of cyber caffeine. This sort of newly innovative caffeine can keep Outsiders awake for several days, but sometimes it may cause restlessness or hyperactivity, causing characters to have a jittery amount of energy but razor sharp focus. Other times, it simply keeps characters awake and they feel no different. The cutlet will be served with KAIJU™ Energy Drink. Any Outsiders that require a different diet will be provided with what they need, and the cyber caffeine will be added to it if they would like.

Yamakawa gives instructions again:

"We have received more information about the kaiju. Civilians have died in their sleep from horrible nightmares, and we are encouraging Outsiders to sleep together in pairs or groups, or disregard sleeping at all until we obtain more information. We are still receiving facts about this monster, but this meal will help with keeping everyone awake as a safety measure."

Those who do not want to have the highly caffeinated meal can have everyone's favorite: a ration bar that isn't spiked with any energy, but it doesn't taste good at all. Outsiders may be more likely to fall asleep and be in danger by choosing this meal. The balance of a dystopian society.

▶ 002. ARRIVAL IN EGYPT.

When they finally arrive, the air is temperate and dry in Alexandria. The Outsiders might have to check their clocks once more to make sure everything is right; everyone is expected to land in the late afternoon and every clock says it should be close to evening, but the city is already growing dark with the sun setting quite early. Because of the ESSENCE disruption, Alexandria is running on back up energy, which makes for spotty lighting and loss of basic power.

LILITH will be greeted by a small group of researchers at the airport and they will help take the Outsiders to their base: the Alexandria Institute which was once the University of Alexandria. They will give the Outsiders a quick run down of the situation and some background.

1. LILITH does not have a strong defense branch in the region any more. Instead, the branch here seems more focused on research, especially on the origin of kaiju and rifts.
2. This region is extremely prone to spontaneous Rifts. Many of them are small and pass quickly but this most recent one is unprecedented.
3. One evening, in the final week of March, the Alexandria Institute received a corrupt file from their fellow researchers in Greece. It shut down much of their research facility (including their warp portal) and all they have been able to recover so far are the words, "Do Not Go To Sleep."
4. The next morning, they awoke to find the sun rising later and setting earlier. It feels like the days are getting significantly shorter.
5. Many locals developed a fear of the dark and going to sleep. They would then die in their sleep within the next few days.
6. The autopsy of these victims have shown no cause of death, puzzling coroners.

Progress has been slow because the corrupt file shut down many of their facilities. They have not been able to track the source of the Rift or identify the kaiju responsible for it. They believe the answers may be within the corrupt file and will be happy to receive any help they can get from the Outsiders.

When they arrive at the Institute, Outsiders will be set up in the old student dormitories. Each room has 2-4 beds depending on the room, with a common shared area on each floor. Given the current threat, there is also a supply of energy drinks and bars boosted with cyber caffeine. Outsiders have two options:

1. OPTION ONE: Stay in Alexandria and help the researchers with the generators, while keeping themselves and teammates awake during the night by playing games.
2. OPTION TWO: Go out into the Egyptian desert on camel-back, spending time getting to know their camel before heading out.

OOC NOTE: While players may write prompts for both options, we ask that you submit for a clue only once per player (not per character, as we have a lot of characters in game now!)

▶ 003. LEARN & EXPLORE. (ALEXANDRIA RESEARCH.)

Times are hard in Alexandria right now with their generators malfunctioning and efforts being split. The researchers are trying to get the generators back up and uncorrupt the data they received from Greece. LILITH will instruct the Outsiders to help with the research but also warn that they cannot afford to just sit around and wait to crack codes. The researchers also agree. Sometimes the best way to get research data is to go out into the field, but they haven't been able to do it due to not having much protection. The desert is vast, and there have been sightings of other small kaiju lurking beneath the sand and in some smaller cities.

Outsiders can decide to stay in the city of Alexandria to help crack the codes, or they can opt to go out into the field. For the latter, they can choose to stay close to home and investigate within Alexandria.

Those who wish to help with the ESSENCE generators and researchers will stay in Alexandria, using any downtime when not investigating to try and stay awake, slumber-party style. Two Truths and a Lie? Maybe Spin The Bottle? Perhaps some games can keep Outsiders enticed so they don't doze off.

▶ 004. FEELING SANDY (DESERT EXPLORATION.)

For those who wish to explore the desert and smaller cities, Alexandria Institute will supply what they need, such as water, food, essential tools for digging, sleeping bags (no sleeping, but maybe for resting!) and anything else. To conserve energy, the researchers supply camels for the Outsiders to use. The camels are mostly tame, but have their own distinct personalities, so they may need a little more handling and can be coaxed to behave with treats like artificial carrots and bananas. Outsiders can spend time getting to know their camel if they are going to explore the desert or cities. A camel can seat two people on its back comfortably, but also carry any essentials that travelers need to bring along.

In the distant small cities and across the desert, Outsiders will come across Sand Crocodiles, one of the smaller kaiju that have been inhabiting the desert. These monsters are basically crocodiles but with a twist: they can spit fire if angered and they can camouflage in the sand. They hide strategically, and one wrong step will cause them to push their jaws out of the ground, harming a person or camel. The stubby quills along their backs or rounds of their horns aren't entirely covered while hiding, so watch carefully. Fortunately, Outsiders will be supplied with a shotgun. Aiming between the eyes or in the mouth will kill it, but also beating it with the back of the shotgun will also do the trick. And yes, they also taste like crocodile too, if anyone is hungry.

After exploring, Outsiders are requested to report their findings back in Alexandria.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our fourth travel log!

Welcome to the new and improved Travel Log! Below, you will see the link to the MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET post that has information about the kaiju below along with RIFT EFFECTS. Fill out the form for RNG Attacks and whether you would like to receive a RIFT EFFECT. This should give characters some ideas for the status of their character in the next log, which will have more action and monsters in it. Outsiders may use the CHAT to report and discuss any findings.

We thank you in advance for your patience as we try out this new format!

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

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. EYES WIDE OPEN: Outsiders travel to Egypt after receiving reports of their power generator, ESSENCE, being unstable and malfunctioning, leaving citizens in peril. They are instructed to "stay awake." They are supplied cyberpunk caffeine and told to try not to sleep or stay in pairs to be watchful of any danger.

2. ARRIVING IN EGYPT: Arriving in Alexandria, the Outsiders are confirmed that citizens have been dying in their sleep, with coroners unable to determine the cause. The days are mysteriously getting shorter and people are unable to stay awake.

3. LEARN & EXPLORE: Outsiders are given options to stay in Alexandria to help with the generator or find clues to assist the research team. Between researching, they are asked to continue to stay awake by any means possible. Those who will be exploring the desert and smaller cities for clues are given a camel for transportation. Outsiders are encouraged to get to know their camel before traveling.

4. FEELING SANDY: While looking for any clues out in the desert, Outsiders encounter smaller kaiju known as Sand Crocodiles. They hide in the sand and attack at the opportune time, snapping jaws and spitting fire. Shooting them between the eyes or in the mouth will K.O. them.

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Comments

[byoukyu]

(The computer is dark and there doesn't seem to be a mouse but he'll know to touch the screen. As soon as his finger tips touch it, the screen lights up. A series of dots arranged in a grid pattern appears and Jinwoo will be struck with a series of short, quick memories as "he" recalls how to enter the computer.

— Jinwoo gasps, his breaths short as he struggles to breathe in bed. A man with a yellow headband tends to him, placing a breathing mask over Jinwoo's face. "Take it easy," He advises, eyes filled with concern, "Slow breaths." Behind him, a woman in a lab coat frowns at the screen and taps at the desk, irritated. "This won't do," She mutters, her voice detached and pointed, "We still need more results. Increase the tests."

— A woman in a lab coat taps at the screen, a series of numbers and graphs scrolling quickly as she searches for a certain result. "Everything is looking great so far. Aren't you happy?" Despite her pleased tone, she doesn't look back at him. Instead, her eyes are fixed on the screen, a wide smile on her face as she continues to study the results. He may get the feeling she cares more about the data than the patient. "We'll continue your treatment tomorrow, o~kay~?" Something about that question makes Jinwoo very aware of a sharp pain in the back of his neck.

Each time, the woman traces a pattern on the screen that Jinwoo has committed to his memory so he knows to trace a complicated pattern across the screen. The screen lights up and reveals a treatment plan and checklist.)

Patient: Asaba Harumasa
Birthdate: 19 July
Age: 7
Diagnosis: Ether Aptitude Regression Syndrome
Stage: 1

(The rest of the data is difficult to parse. White blood cell counts, vitamins, platelets, numbers going up and down, with the most recent series of numbers being mostly in red save for a few results in green.)

Harumasa? What are you doing?

(Without Jinwoo realizing it, a man with a yellow headband entered the room. The man looks at "Jinwoo" and then at the screen. His brow furrow and he frowns, his voice filled with concern,)

Did a nurse leave the computer on?

[cosmarchy]

[ The memories are glimpses to a past he's never lived through, and yet— the anxiety that settles deep in his bones can't be mistaken. He's already reached for that spot behind his neck, as if the sharp pain hasn't truly faded. This doesn't feel right, but why does it feel so real?

That gnawing feeling grows worse when he happens upon the information that's hidden in the computer, but just before he can process the rest of it, someone calls out to him. He stiffens the moment that voice cuts through the silence, the familiarity of it causing an ache in his chest before he turns around. Harumasa. There it is again, that name. It's not his, because he knows who Harumasa is, but his body reacts to it anyway. Like a scar hidden beneath his skin.

He glances over his shoulder, expecting to see anger in the man's face. But that's not what he sees. The man looks gentler than he thought, and the yellow headband makes his heart ache once again, in ways he doesn't feel like he'll ever truly understand. ]

I— [ He falters. He can't exactly say that he figured out how to unlock the computer, so he focuses on something else. ] ... Harumasa.

[ His voice remains uncertain, and when he looks at the screen and sees the same name, none of it makes any sense. ]

Is that me?

[byoukyu]

(The man raises a brow, unsure of what to make of his reaction. Something isn't right but this isn't an event that can be changed. What is happening has already happened and in the end, he simply crouches down to his level and places a hand to his forehead as if checking for a fever. Sensing nothing amiss, he takes his hand back and laughs dryly,)

Haha, very funny.

(And he stands upright again, shepherding Jinwoo-Actually-Harumasa back towards the bed as he goes to check on the computer. He taps at the screen, pulling up some additional graphs and reports. He compares numbers and other data that all look like foreign characters to a child. His finger taps at the corner of his desk, whether it be thoughtfulness or something else.)

Alright, let's do your check up. I assume you're feeling better if you're on your feet, but how are you feeling?

("Better." Even if Jinwoo doesn't really know what exact moment he's comparing his current self to, he knows he feels better, even with the stinging pain in the back of his neck. Something like that doesn't matter when he just knows he feels better and that makes his chest feel warm, happy, excited, and hopeful because if he's better then he can ask him one thing:

① "Can I have a real snack?" He hasn't had a real meal in what feels like days.
② "Can we go outside?" He's tired of staying inside all day.

Which one will he ask?)

[cosmarchy]

[ This is how Jinwoo realizes just how small he is, when the man crouches down to his level. He blinks wildly as a hand is pressed to his forehead, wanting to back away out of instinct, but his body doesn't listen to him at all. If anything, it relaxes at the gesture, as if it knows that this man is safe. No harm will come, not today.

He follows after the other obediently, peering at the chart as if it'd make any sense to him. It doesn't, of course, but that's not so surprising.

He peers up at the other once the question is asked. ]

Mm. I'm feeling much better. [ And then, he adds quietly: ] Can we go outside?

[ He doesn't feel like staying in this room for much longer. ]

[byoukyu]

(At first, almost seems like the man doesn't hear him. Instead, he types some comments on the screen and scrolls through a few more numbers. A heavy feeling starts to befall on Jinwoo; disappointment. The doctor may be kind and the doctor may be a safe person to confide to, but he still follows the rules of this clinic. He listens to the "higher ups" and is always mindful of what they say and think but then finally,)

... I don't see why not.

(And instantly, the feeling dissipates. The doctor pulls up a rolling stool to his bedside and smiles warmly, his back to the door.)

It's too late today but maybe tomorrow. Your gift should be ready by then. I was hoping it would arrive today but that's the New Eridu Courier Service for you...

(What should sound like good and exciting news... just makes him feel confused. A gift? What for? And the man laughs lightly in disbelief,)

You didn't forget, did you?

(The computer screen behind the man glows brightly, the text too small to make out from their current position but he should remember the text he read at first. Patient name, birthdate, age... The realization will start to hit Jinwoo as the man reaches for a plain, white gift bag he'd kept hidden in his lab coat,)

Hopefully this will do for now. Happy birthday, Harumasa.

(Jinwoo's hands will reach for the bag, small, eager, curious to see what is inside. He has no idea what to expect because another realization will strike him: "I've never celebrated my birthday before." It's exciting, it's wonderful; it feels good... So this is what the big deal is. Surviving another year, having someone who is happy you're still alive, and looking forward to more days ahead.

Features begin to blur, shadows grow, lights grow brighter, sounds become a little more muffled, and two worlds are begin to merge: A world from a distant memory and something that seems a little more familiar as the memory fades. Jinwoo will no longer find himself small, weak, and in a hospital room but back in the present.)

[cosmarchy]

[ It's hard to say whether or not this is a happy memory. Perhaps it is, at its simplest form, because all the feelings that he experiences are bright compared to the suffocating nature of the hospital room. However, many things paint a darker picture too: the files on the computer screen, the quick glimpses at previous tests, the sharp pain on his neck.

Not that he can deny the happiness that bubbled up within him at the sight of the white bag, at the promise of another gift when tomorrow comes. But it still makes him sad, just a tiny bit. To know that someone has lived a life like this.

(Bittersweet, he thinks, suits this feeling.)

When he blinks again, he finds himself in the middle of a corridor back at the research facility in Alexandria. The weariness comes next, but he seeks out the one this memory belongs to. It doesn't take him long to find him, and he's careful to approach. ]

... You okay?

[ Was he caught up in the memory too? ]

[byoukyu]

( Even if the memory has darkened with age, it's a happy memory simply because it was.

Jinwoo won't have to look far. He'll find Harumasa in one of the lobbies at the research facility. Having been treated already by some student medics and LILITH personnel, he fully took their advice to rest and recover to heart. He stretches on one of the worn out lounge chairs and is covering a yawn when Jinwoo finds him. )

Aaaa-ah?

(He blinks. He isn't sure what it is but something about Jinwoo feels weighted. The timing and everything feels like there's a purpose.)

All good~ I was just dreaming...

(Voice trailing. He's no stranger to vivid and lasting dreams but this one... felt different. It was too clear. It made too much sense. It felt like watching a movie while also being a part of it. He felt like himself but not. Hm.)

How about you? Do you... need me for something?