ximiliugh | FEBRUARY TDM.

Entry tags:

! test drive

FEBRUARY TDM.

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// PART I. rude awakening  

… What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?

The words ring in your ears as in the darkness of your dream, an ocean-deep blue glow hovers in front of you. Transfixed, you reach out to it... only to hear a different voice, a distant echo of cruel laughter, and with a sudden certainty you know — whatever you’ve just agreed to has changed everything forever.

It is to this laughter that you wake, and as it fades and your heart slows into something resembling a normal tempo, you notice something you should have noticed immediately: you are not in your bed.

1.0 White walls, clinical yet clean, sparsely-furnished rooms. You may wake in one of three rooms: a room with only one bed, a room with two beds, or a room with four beds. Those waking up in rooms with more than one bed notice that they are very much not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, dreaming the same dream as you just did, or a regular one after returning to the station just barely a week ago … or perhaps you wake to the other person in the room watching you.

What you do is entirely up to you: yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone notices you...

2.0 Those with life-threatening injuries find themselves awakening in the infirmary, in a regular hospital bed. Most of their injuries have been treated, and any lingering illnesses or conditions will have designated medicine bottles on the table next to the bed.

White curtains surround the bed on both sides, giving an illusion of privacy. But is that a rustling sound you hear? Some footsteps? Perhaps you’re not the only one in need of some medical attention... or you've attracted the attention of those with experience in medical aid, and they rush to your bedside, surprised about this sudden new patient.

It is not just for your injuries that you may want some company, but also for leaving the infirmary — you can’t stay there forever, after all, and will have to make your way through the hallways of the station to the living quarters, and claim a room and a bed there.

Once you’re up, you may notice there’s something in your ear: an earpiece that, when you become aware of it, quickly runs you through the instructions for how to use the network, a recorded message by a female voice that explains exactly why you’re here… and leaves you with a map of the station.

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// PART II. such a lovely place  

So what else is there to do but to explore? Best get to know what is now your new home.

3.0 When trying to decide where yo go, you may find your way to the armory, where you can try to work the machine there to make yourself a weapon — perhaps to replace one that didn’t come with you to the station… or maybe you want to be prepared for the future. The recently-returned team members will surely recommend having a functional weapon with you.

And speaking of weapons: to put it to good use, head to the training room, where the entire purpose is to provide you with a space to spar and train to your heart’s content!

4.0 After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which is equipped with all the basic appliances you might need, and ingredients for most regular dishes... and large amounts of chocolate. Weird.

5.0 A welcome reprieve to the cold, dark space that surrounds the characters can be found in the sunlight room. A skillful illusion surrounds anyone who steps inside the room: you can hear the trilling of birds, feel a light breeze caress your skin as you walk through a grass field. It seems that the illusion reflects the season — the leaves have fallen, a layer of white covers the ground, and the air is crisp and clean. If you follow the path, it leads to where a bridge rises over a brook that has now iced over — but maybe don't try your luck walking on it, as the ice may crack underneath your feet and you'll find yourself plunging into the freezing water.

Regardless of whether you like the wintery atmosphere, it is easy to forget you are in space at all. Perhaps that gives you comfort, or just makes you miss the real nature all the more.

6.0 If you’d rather choose tinkering over nature, the lab is guaranteed to provide you with some entertainment. Glass vials and jars of chemicals sit on shelves in a surprisingly beautiful display of colour on one side of the room, while the other side of the room contains stacks of boxes containing assorted equipment: cords, bolts, panels, buttons, gears, gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs. The downside is that the parts available seem to have no apparent method to their sorting. So get digging, and you may just find exactly what you need to make what you’ve always wanted to make!

7.0 If it’s items you’re lacking, though, some time after your arrival, the earpiece alerts you to a new message.

// VIVECA.AI

Hi, everyone. I hope you've had time to rest, and those new here have got acclimated with the station. Those who’ve been here for longer know the deal, but to the new arrivals: we've got new supplies on the platform. Hopefully you’ll find useful things there. If you made any requests for items, before, you should find them in a separate pile.

Indeed, the platform near the personal quarters is still whirring with power, and new items form neat piles on it. There’s clothes, shoes, dishware, skincare, books… even a couple of CDs, and a few cute stuffed animals. So sort through what there is and grab what you want, before someone else does!

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// PART III. study aboard  

Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the doors of the the simulation room — it has been equipped with a new simulation to take you through possible mission-like scenarios so it’s best to prepare yourself and see what it has in store for you.

8.0 The doors slide shut behind you and the room goes dark. Small pinpricks of light will start to build on each other until you’re surrounded by grey skies overhead and grassy green lawns, a row of old stone columns lining your vision. It seems you’re in a courtyard of some kind, but that’s not all. Something tugs at the hem of your sleeve or nudges at your leg, a warm presence that feels comfortable and ultimately very familiar. They look up at you, or maybe they meet your eye-level, a creature that varies in size, shape, colour, and form depending on what reflects you best. This creature, known as a compalion is a physical manifestation of your spirit or soul and will stay by your side on this journey.

You can stay here and get to know your compalion, or you can take your new companion and explore the campus. Because, if you do move forward past the line of columns (a hallway it turns out), you’ll find that the small cluster of buildings forms an academic campus of some kind.

NOTE: Your compalion will adhere to the following rules.
a) They cannot go any further than a few yards away from their person; the further the distance, the more painful the separation will feel.
b) Your compalion will shift into one form throughout this simulation and can be any creature that best mirrors your personality.
c) They can be as small as a flea and as large as a small elephant; get creative!
d) Whether they speak to you in your native tongue is entirely up to you (some speak, some don’t)
e) Basically daemon rules apply.

9.0 While it might seem like fun to spend hours just exploring the old buildings with your compalion and any Orbers like you that you might bump into along the way, it’s important to remember that you have a goal to achieve: follow the clues and retrieve the orb. Your compalion might offer an idea or two for where to go, or it may just be voicing the thoughts in your head, but it’s not a bad thing to follow your heart (or your gut) as it were. You might find that the rooftops of the campus buildings are easily climbable to get a good vantage point of your location. (Just be careful not to slip and fall! The height from here is quite dangerous.) A clocktower stands proud in the distance among a cluster of other campus buildings, marking the time.

Inside, you might be led down dark stone halls and into a series of classrooms: including reading quarters, study rooms with old leather couches and warm carpets covering stone floors; lecture halls with stiff wooden seating and individual desks to match, a chalkboard with indiscernible scribbles half-wiped away; and a laboratory that deals with something a little less modern than you might be used to, or perhaps with its twisty vials and bubbling potions, it suits you perfectly. There is the large library filled from floor to ceiling with books beyond imagining.

If you look out from the tall arch-shaped window from a classroom, or if you’re outside and you tilt your head up to the sky, you might notice that the sky appears to be darkening further, growing heavy with what is inevitably an oncoming rainstorm. If you’re inside, it might be best to stay indoors; if you’re outside, perhaps it’s time to find some shelter. Or if you’re determined to find that orb outside, risk you and your compalion getting wet.

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N O T E: Additionally, there are three personal tasks provided to each character as they enter the simulation. In-game, each character will be given one task. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re leaving it to players to pick a task for their character and run with it.

A Team up with another Orber and their compalion to find the orb's location.

B Climb into the clocktower and ring the bell.

C Explain your best theory regarding your compalion’s manifestation to a fellow team member.

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F Y I

• TDM threads can be considered game canon so long as all parties involved agree to it.
• This TDM covers the month of February.
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are currently open!
• Apps open February 24 and will remain open until February 28.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.

FOR SOME FUN:

Have a clue for your upcoming mission:

▶ NAV

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Spock raises an eyebrow, but continues his chopping. It's true that he might have assumed he would make extra food that either anyone who wandered in could partake it or that could be saved for later. ]

Perhaps I was also prepared to feed the friends you and the Doctor have no doubt amassed here in your months without me.

[ Pausing his own actions, he passes a knife and second cutting board to Jim. He's pleased that Jim is here, but still puzzling over the discrepancy of their arrivals. Time travel is not unknown to them, but this is entirely something else and Spock intends to find answers as to what powers this place and how it works.

The idea of undoing what he was promised is both easier and harder to consider in Jim's presence. Ambassador Spock had described their relationship as defining them, but Spock knows he will likely destroy any hope of that for them if the event that had brought them together fails to take place. That means that his time here may be his last opportunity to spend time with Jim even as it is a reminder of what he may be giving up to save his people. ]

[ Jim arches an eyebrow at that, chuckling as he accepts the knife from him. ]

Well, then you're in for a whole night of cooking. You know how we love to make friends.

[ He knows Spock's teasing, of course, but if they end up cooking more than necessary, Jim sees no harm in leaving the leftovers for others to help themselves. For now he adjusts the cutting board, making sure to wash his hands and remove his ring first before he gathers some of the vegetables and starts chopping them, following Spock's lead and cutting them to the same size and shape and adding them to the same piles. ]

Are we doing any dish in particular?

I do not know what many of these vegetables are, so I am winging it.

[ It's a phrase he's picked up and one he's not often inclined to use, but he's not sure how else to describe his educated guessing as to what will actually go together from what he's found here. Assuming the smell and taste of everything lines up logically, it should be palatable. ]

Have you found any new allergies since you arrived here?

Look at you, using Terran lingo. You're all grown up now, [ He teases mildly, finishing the first vegetable. ]

No, not so far. Bones is always keeping an eye out on all of these anyway, but I tend to stick the the few that seem to come from Earth, or some version of Earth. Berries in general are easy enough to detect, so I can avoid those without much trouble.

[ He gestures to the ones Spock has picked out. ] I've eaten all of these, though. They're safe.

[ Spock nods, noting what he's chosen so he can remember that these are all safe. He has no doubt that the infirmary is well stocked and that they could get him the correct medication in a timely manner, but he would still prefer not to make Jim sick if it can be avoided. ]

I am older than you are, Captain.

[ It comes out more as correction than a retort. It's hard to put any bite behind words when Jim is already teasing him like he hasn't been without Spock for months. It's a particularly sentimental line of thinking for Spock, especially given the fact that he hasn't been away from Jim for that time, but it still feels good. ]

Have you made any enemies along with the friends?

[ Wouldn't be the first time Jim got administered some medication for an allergic reaction here, but he would rather avoid it if he can help it. It was a harrowing experience that has taught him that he is, in fact, terrified of needles. ]

An astute observation as always, Mr. Spock, [ he shoots back with a wide smile. ] And yet in many ways, you're still learning the nuances of being Human.

[ Or half-Human, whatever, minor details. His smile quiets down a little more at Spock's next words, though it's more thoughtful than anything. ]

No... not so far, no. Well, I don't trust Degar, the Commander, but I wouldn't call him an enemy, necessarily. I wouldn't call anyone an enemy.

[ He lets out a small breath. ] It's complicated, among the Orbers. We're all trying to find a way to coexist, but everyone has different goals, different purposes, as well as the lengths they might be willing to go. I imagine that sooner or later people will end up steering one way or other, and the group will split into various factions of differing opinions.

[ Spock hums in acknowledgement. He doesn't trust much about this place and he won't be taking anything at face value, but it is easier to know that there are no outright enemies to be on the lookout for currently. Jim may not always get along with everyone, but he isn't someone Spock sees as collecting enemies easily. Even when they had been at odds when they'd first met, Spock had not seen that as something truly antagonistic. ]

Yes, I expect that at least some of the people here may be desperate and they may not share the same moral code we do in the first place.

[ Because there is no question to Spock that he and Jim would fall on the same side of things, as would McCoy. For any faults the three of them may have, there are lines he trusts none of them to cross. ]

We may need to be prepared to incapacitate some of the others.

[ Jim lets out a faint hum, nodding while he continues to chop the vegetables. Indeed, some among them will be desperate enough, and blind enough by that despair, to not think their actions through; or even not have the same moral qualms of doing something truly horrible in order to get what they want. Not that Jim even believes that any of them would get what they want. If these missions have proved anything to him, it's that anything they can get will be a double-edged sword, and the last mission especially has shown them all that the Orbs can be incredibly duplicitous and dishonest to suit their own wants.

He doesn't get to say any of that, though, before Spock adds that last bit. ]

Spock! [ It's surprise more than anything else, and he shakes his head. ] We're not going to initiate that kind of confrontation. If and when it comes to that, we'll figure out what to do about it. Besides, it's not going to be nearly as easy as you think to subdue most of the people here.

I was not suggesting we initiate anything. Merely that we be prepared for the initiations of others.

[ Spock cannot sit back and allow certain lines to be crossed. He will not hesitate to put himself between people who would cross them and those in danger from it. ]

I would follow your lead unless I thought you were somehow compromised.

[ They are not on the Enterprise or under any sort of Federation jurisdiction here, but Spock will still act as a officer of Starfleet should. He has no problem questioning Jim when they disagree, but he also trusts his judgment, even when it seems at times illogical to do so. ]

[ Still, it might not be as easy as Spock thinks. Many people here have incredible powers and abilities, and they might not waste a thought to use them in a fight.

Not that he disagrees with Spock. Some people need to be stopped sometimes, and he'll always rise to oppose those who would put others in harm's way, but Bones's near-death is still fresh on his mind. He's not ready to think about the possibility of losing anyone he cares about. ]

A likely possibility, considering what we're put through during the missions. [ Him being compromised, that is. ] I trust you, Spock. And I trust you to know when I might not be trusted, myself.

Then we are in agreement on that. I trust you, as well, and I trust your judgment in these matters.

[ The trust and respect between them has grown for too long to be dismissed now. Spock recognizes his duty as First Officer is to voice concerns and make sure that Jim has all the facts and statistics that can be made available, but he cannot deny that Jim's gut is often enough right to not be dismissed and that between the two of them, there is sometimes a compromise to be found that is better than any plan either of them could come to individually. ]

You and the doctor may have to catch me up on some matters.

[ Jim nods. That much they can agree in, and it's a genuine comfort and relief to realize that, despite not having seen Spock for months, their relationship is still just as strong and reliable. Perhaps even more so, that he's feeling more confident of his role as Captain. Having both him and Bones around is an immense comfort to him; knowing that he's got two people here that he can trust unconditionally, no matter what happens. ]

About the missions? I've been keeping logs, writing my own reports about it, if only to gather all the information in one place. I can send them over to you, so you'll be more up to date.

That would be prudent and appreciated.

[ Not just for the information, but there is an illogical and emotional part of him that he cannot quite cut off that wants to know what they have seen without him. What have they been through here? References to difficulties have not gone unnoticed and though he cannot change the past, Spock wants to make sure he is equipped for as many future difficulties as he can be.

And then, because yes he had noticed Jim take the ring off earlier: ]

I was not aware that you wore any jewelry.

[ Those are experiences he will gladly share with Spock. Well, some of them less gladly, but he will tell him and show him as much as he possibly can. It's all he can do to make sure his first officer is caught up and ready to deal with whatever might come their way next.

He does seem a bit caught off-guard by the mention of jewelry, though he should have expected it. Of course Spock would notice; it's a wonder he's only bringing it up now, if anything. ]

Ah. That's... [ He trails off, smiling a little sheepishly as he glances over at Spock. ] Bones and I, we... got married. It's— recent. I'm sorry, I should have told you right away.

[ Spock just looks at him for a moment. He's used to unexpected things happening, but for some reason that hits differently, perhaps because it drives home exactly how much he's missed or because his own relationship with Nyota has fallen apart so spectacularly. ]

I am sorry I was unable to be there.

[ He can tell the news doesn't quite land well with Spock, though Jim can't pinpoint exactly why. It just makes him feel a hint awkward for a second, regretting the way he's handled delivering the news. ]

Don't be. It was pretty spur of the moment, during the last mission. People weren't even in the mood for celebrations so we didn't hold a ceremony or anything.

[ He pauses, trying for a small smile. ] Now that you're here, maybe we could do something. Just... a small party, something like that.

[ Spock nods. It's difficult to find the words to express it, but he knows he would like to be included. They are perhaps two of the people he knows most well other than Nyota. Calling McCoy a friend might be out of character, but that doesn't mean they don't know each other well, and Jim is the closest friend he has ever had. Were he given a choice, he would want to be there for them. ]

I don't suppose it would be a reasonable request to ask that you delay informing Lieutenant Uhura of this new development were you to see her in the near future.

[ The request makes Jim's eyebrows raise, surprised by it for a number of different reasons. He opens his mouth and closes it again a couple of times, trying to decide on what to say to that first. ]

If... that's what you want, [ he starts, a little unsure. ] But she's not really here now, Spock. Even if she were, I... why wouldn't you want me to tell her?

[ There's clear hesitation to answer. It's something he would take more care to cover with anyone else. ]

I believe it would hurt her given the circumstances of how things ended between she and I.

[ Empathy may not be his strongest skill, but he's worked hard to apply it where Nyota is concerned, even if it has been at her own coaching. ]

That's assuming she comes from the same point in time as you, [ He observes. ] She could be from before, or after.

[ Realizing that last bit may cause some confusion, Jim adds, figuring there can be no harm in telling Spock that much. ]

You patched things up. Or you were working on it anyway, but you were together the last I remember.

[ The time discrepancy is an interesting detail. Regardless, Spock is not entirely sure how he would handle any of it. His relationship with her predates the destruction of Vulcan and therefore he would not be undoing its entirety. ]

I would not advise you to tell me of a future that may or may not come to pass at all. Right now, I cannot give her anything.

[ Jim nods in quiet agreement. He sort of wants to ask why it wouldn't come to pass, but he supposes Spock's stay here could change things. It's changed things for him and Bones after all, even if it's as of yet uncertain whether or not they'll remember all this. Jim certainly hopes so. ]

Nevertheless, it's a possibility you should prepare for. Just like we don't come from quite the same point in time, if she were to show up... [ He smiles faintly. ] Just keep that in mind, is all. But if that's what you want, then I won't tell her right away.

[ But he's not going to keep it a secret either, and they both know how perceptive Uhura is. ]

If she were to appear here from any time, I would still be unable to give her anything more than what I could give her before I arrived in this place. Our romantic involvement ended for a reason.

[ There's a finality to his words, but his focus moves back to the food he's preparing. He doesn't want to think about it. He's already hurt her. He cannot undo it. If the timeline remains unchanged, he will leave Starfleet and he will return to Vulcan. It is his duty and it is logical. The pain that causes him cannot be allowed to sway the decision any more than the pain of leaving behind Jim and the rest of the Enterprise. ]

[ That's precisely what he means; if the timeline remains unchanged, then things will play out in ways very different from what Spock believes at this moment. He genuinely aches to tell him all about it, just like he told Bones, but he can't do that when Spock's just directly told him not to.

So he falls into a strange sort of silence beside his friend, looking back down to the vegetables and for now focusing on finishing his task. Once that's all done, he adds them all to the proper piles, washing his hands again and slipping his ring back into his finger. ]

What next?

[ Spock lifts his own cutting board to drop the first batch of ingredients into the pan he's prepared. He's still quiet, though, and instead of answering Jim's question, he responds after a moment with a question of his own. ]

What do you expect to happen if the things we were brought here for exist at odds to each other? Whose goal would take precedent?

● ● ● T D M . 0 5

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