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The Mnemosyne Crew ([personal profile] mnemosynecrew) wrote in [community profile] thememesyne2024-10-27 02:16 am
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TDM 02


TDM 02


WAKING UP
WARNING
WARNING

cryo bay malfunction
cryo bed error

loading



emergency override accepted

It's nothing like it was in training, waking up from cryo sleep. The sterile, cold quiet you were conditioned to expect is shattered. Alarms blare violently, ricocheting off the walls of your pod as if they're trying to crawl into your skull. Red lights pulse like a failing heartbeat, and for a moment, your entire body refuses to obey you - can't breathe, can't move, can't think.

...and then, with an almost violent shudder, force rips through your diaphragm. A brutal jolt, like being kicked from the inside out. You cough, heaving for air as the cryo pod's systems drag you unwillingly out of torpor. There is no slow, gentle awakening - this is an emergency.

Your vision is blurred and swimming in the red strobes. Emergency. The word itself seems lodged in the air, floating around your fractured mind like some distorted mantra. Something's wrong. Very wrong.

When you stumble out of the pod, your muscles heavy with the dull ache of cryo-stasis. It takes more effort than it should to move; even in the low gravity of the massive cryo bay, it's like you're fighting against the weight of your own body. Your hands tremble as you grab the tether, using it to pull yourself forward, toward the revival room. Everything feels too slow. Every movement, every thought, is tangled in webs of lethargy and confusion. Your brain is... wrong. It feels like it's leaking memories - images flickering and fading, like you’re seeing through a sieve full of holes.

This is not the start of your 5-year shift. No, this is something far, far worse.

A voice comes through from a speaker, disturbingly calm, cutting through the chaos around you.

hello, [crew member]
there is an issue
please join your crewmates

L3TH3 sounds unbothered by the alarms that blare around you. The AI has likely been running diagnostics for hours, while your body and mind were frozen in time.

The doors to the revival room slide open with a soft hiss, revealing dim, sterile lighting and the harsh stench of disinfectant. What awaits you are not only crew members as confused and groggy as you are, but others also arrive at the room from outside, ready to greet you. Do you ask them what’s going on, if they feel the same gnawing wrongness clawing at their brains? Or do you just grab your gear and get ready to go, trusting the training that suddenly feels so irrelevant in the face of whatever's happening here?

One thing is clear - something's definitely off about this wakeup call.

A BIT OF TURBULENCE
Thanks to the combined efforts of the crew, the engine is back on! L3TH3 is quick to continue in the direction the navigators had planned - before they were sanitized. The Mnemosyne moves through space easily, barely a sound as the purple nebula and distant stars light up the unknown galaxy the ship has ended up in. It's eerie but beautiful, the cosmic canvas shifting and swirling with colors that seem almost alive.

The tranquility shatters on the day after the new crew wakes up - the ship enters an asteroid field. The shields power up with a pronounced whir as the hard-light protection activates, creating a shimmering barrier to block the floating space rocks. While it's strong enough to protect the hull from taking damage, there's now a lot of turbulence. Each collision of small asteroids against the shield sends vibrations rattling through the ship, making it feel as though the very bones of the Mnemosyne are protesting against the chaos outside.

Quickly, furniture is magnetized to not fly around and a notice flashes on the CL-10, urging everyone to secure any smaller loose objects. As the asteroid field closes in, the crew can see the rocks tumbling in the void, some as large as small moons, spinning through the dark with an unsettling grace. The ship lurches to the side, casting shadows that dance like specters against the walls.

Outside, the view is still breathtaking - asteroids whizzing by, some glittering with minerals, others shrouded in dust and shadow. In the midst of the chaos, the beauty of the galaxy remains.

FLOATING AWAY
As the Mnemosyne continues to brave the asteroid field, L3TH3 suggests that the crew move to the holodecks for their safety. The AI reasons that it'll minimize the risk of injury, and the gravity will be turned off in there to stop the turbulence from shaking people around. It will allow the crew to float weightlessly for a while, free from the jolts that have become their new unwelcome companions.

If the crew make their way to the holodecks, the air is different inside, tinged with the scent of fresh grass and ocean salt as holographic projections spring to life around them.

In one holodeck, the program flickers to life, revealing a stunning landscape of lush green meadows dotted with vibrant wildflowers. The sun hangs low in a blue sky, casting a warm glow across the scenery. Gentle breezes rustle through the tall grass, creating a soft, soothing sound that is a stark contrast to the metallic whir of the ship. When the gravity turns off, it's like flying over the beautiful summer setting.

In the adjacent holodeck, another program unfolds - a breathtaking underwater scene. The crew members can see themselves swimming through the crystal-clear water, surrounded by colorful coral reefs teeming with life. Schools of fish dart between the corals, their scales shimmering in shades of blue, orange, and yellow. The tranquility of the ocean envelops everything, each breath a reminder of the freedom you can have within this artificial paradise.

For a moment, the crew can forget the peril of the asteroid field and the unpredictability of space travel. Here, in this floaty sanctuary, everyone can find a bit of solace.

Welcome to our TDM! Please direct any questions about the game to our FAQ and check out our AU WORKSHOP. If you have questions about the prompts, you can ask below.

PLAYLIST

THIS TDM IS A GAME-CANON EVENT, SO CURRENT CREW CAN TOPLEVEL AS WELL.
ANY CHARACTERS THAT DO NOT END UP IN THE GAME HAVE GONE BACK TO CRYO SLEEP.

RESERVES OPEN THE 1ST.
APPLICATIONS OPEN THE 3RD.




overlies: (pic#16117673)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-05 10:57 am (UTC)(link)
For just a moment, thank you.

[ They can just pass by on the way to where the ai tells them to go. Makima keeps her hands behind her back as they walk, but keeping her golden eyes on the human as if he were the most magnificent specimen she's seen.

Or the cutest, grouchy little pup. ]


And who I have the pleasure?
itdoesntlikeyou: (this is stupid)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-05 03:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Under observation, Rin coils up tighter and tighter. Their shoulders don't start rising to their ears but being watched is obviously noticed, and the longer it goes on, the stiffer they get.]

Rin.

[In their mouth it sounds less like a name and more like something to be called. There's a pause after, in which Makima could introduce herself in return.]
overlies: (pic#16117630)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-09 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ that's a good human. rin. the elheen woman follows suit flawlessly, without leaving too little nor too late of a space between responses. ]

Makima EmërƔen. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm a likely candidate to give you ear. [ they're uncomfortable, she notices. her eyes shift away to their front to keep them secure in their own skin and space. ] I'm happy to be working side by side with humans again.
itdoesntlikeyou: (ugh)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-09 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
[If small talk can be torture, it must be really effective on Rin, the way they're wincing under the casual offering from Makima. They're certainly not doing a good job at holding up their end of it, because they leave just enough space for her to start talking to fill the silence before they reluctantly take on the task of continuing it.]

Doctor. Right. For Elheen? [Do they really care about the answer? ... ehhhh.]
overlies: (pic#16117628)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-09 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Elheen, humans, hybrids— [ she faces them for this, an emphasis in her interest, but its slick and quick so they don't feel too cornered. ] but my specialty lies in humans.

Stress is more than abundant up here. You can count on me to do my job efficiently.
itdoesntlikeyou: (headache)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-10 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
[They must catch the movement out of their peripheral, but they' don't turn to acknowledge it, keeping their attention on the hallway before them as they continue walking.]

Sure. Are you working right now?
overlies: (pic#16117625)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-11 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's just something about her smile.... ]

Yes. Does that bother you?
itdoesntlikeyou: (named murder)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-11 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
So we return to productively keeping the ship running as quickly as possible. Got it. Very effective.

[They hold up the arm with their status bracelet, showing green at the moment.]

overlies: (pic#16117755)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-13 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
Indeed. [ that's a good human. endeared, makima shows a soft flash of teeth. ] Pass by my office sometime. Not always does it look so green up there.

[ she tps her temple to gesture. ]

Especially while traveling across the galaxy.
itdoesntlikeyou: (media time)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-13 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Rin makes an expression which can properly be translated to 'I am going to do my level best not to. Despite the fact that they've offered to walk her there already. It's different, okay. They're managing just fine, they've got healthy coping mechanisms and everything.

... But that does bring up a point.]


Was there anything this fucked during the Elheen exodus?

[Maybe not going to admit just yet that most of their knowledge of it is from sensationalized dramas about the first contact.]
overlies: (pic#16814286)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-13 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh, yes. she was alive for that. the solar flare is what took her beloved, what left her alone in the universe with a child to bear and raise. she's had decades to care for herself, grieve properly and move on. keep living. she had plenty to live for.

but there isn't a moment where she finds herself thinking of her other half who got too close to their sun. she is whistful when she speaks, like recalling bittersweet nostalgia. ]


Much more. [ melting skin. carbonized burns and so many screams. too much heat makes her heart race, where she must recall all she's learned to this day to stay firm. she's okay, now. ] —But then again, that is my personal opinion interfering with reality. It's hard to say what is "worse" when tragedy strikes. It's all quite horrible when we live it.
itdoesntlikeyou: (ugh)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-14 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
[It's not that they forgot that there are Elheen alive who lived through it - they're just shit at telling ages in humans, let alone a race which ages so much more slowly and gracefully than humans. Not to mention it seems highly unlikely that anyone who went through an exodus like that would willingly volunteer to come on a mission like this.

But what the hell do they know? Aside from just enough to tell that maybe that was a mistake, as a diversionary topic. The silence stretches on a few seconds too long.]


... Sorry.
overlies: (pic#16814287)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-15 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
—You're alright, Rin.

[ she closes the gap of that silence, and soon enough she's offering him a smile once more. ]

Your kind's curiosity always fascinates me. There's never a dull day.
itdoesntlikeyou: (side eye)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-16 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Wow does it feel uncomfortable being addressed like that. Something about it makes their skin crawl. Is it the kindness? Is it their name? Is it that 'your kind?' They don't know so they're moving right the fuck along past that, too.]

Elheen have curiosity too. [They're pretty sure it's a base emotion most people are supposed to have. Instead of just apathy. Or does the long lifespan of most elheen just make them too depressed for that? That's... shitty.]
overlies: (pic#16117625)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-16 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
We do, [ she starts; but it's close to what they already imagine. ] but time dulls our experience. Novelties become conventional.

Now, you, [ just like a pup getting to know the world for the very first time. just like a loving owner that may go through how many dogs in their lifetimes? ] you always surprise me.
Edited 2024-11-17 04:31 (UTC)
itdoesntlikeyou: (network)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-17 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
[For a little while things trail off into silence, as Rin focuses on the corridors leading towards the medical bay.]

If it was just about humans you'd still be on the planet covered with them.
overlies: (pic#16117729)

[personal profile] overlies 2024-11-18 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
On a dying planet?

[ hm . . . ]

There's so much more we could do for those who'll come after us. [ she'd be doing her beloved so very dirty if she just . . . kind of gave up and didn't contribute. and for everything he did? no. ] I did not procreate to get complacent.
itdoesntlikeyou: (named murder)

[personal profile] itdoesntlikeyou 2024-11-18 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh wow it's like they're trying to piss her off. They're not - the growing hunch to their shoulders probably signals that much - but they're doing great on this being an asshole thing, aren't they.

Do all elheen talk about kids so clinically?]


It's not dying yet, it's still possible that the non-viable regions will be restored for ecological health even if they're not habitable in - a while. [Rin doesn't mean to sound as emphatic about it as they do, but they're thinking about all the people they've worked with at the edges of the non-viable zones. A lot of them were petty, and mean, and weren't doing it because they wanted to. But some of them were like Preservation, trying to save their home for generations to come.

Fuck, most of the projections said, what, a hundred years minimum? They're sixty years into it now. What's even been happening on Tellus?]