MAY TDM.

[ximilian]

● ● ● T D M . 0 1

// PART I. waking up with a stranger  

So what do you say? What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?

These words ring in your ears when you wake with a gasp — perhaps the last thing you remember after hearing them is the sense of free-fall, or your throat constricting as tears threaten to fill your eyes. Whatever it is, you can’t shake the feel of dread — that whatever you’ve done in your dream has changed everything forever.

As the sense of dread 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 not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, only to wake up with their heart pounding… or perhaps they have been awake for longer, a spectator to everyone else’s dreaming.

What you do is entirely up to you: try and wake the others from their dream? Yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone else wakes...

After all, nothing binds the characters to the room they wake up in. If you find your bed comfortable, you may claim it as yours, or try to change rooms. However, there are only eight one-person rooms — so those who want solitude may have to fight for it.

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.

In fact, if you’re very badly off, you may want to hope for some company — you can’t stay in the infirmary forever, 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.

TOP

// PART II. the welcome wagon  

Suddenly, the soft hum of the station is replaced by loud static, like an old radio being turned on. Wherever you are on the station, it’s impossible to miss it — or the clear voice that follows.

// VIVECA.AI

Don’t freak out! I’m the AI of this station, name’s Viveca. Sorry, these old speakers are old tech and don’t get much use… anyway, the reason for that should be on your bedside table. There’s an earpiece. Put it on, and it’ll explain how to use the network that connects everyone here. You can also talk to me through it, if you want.

// VIVECA.AI

Now, we weren’t exactly ready for you to arrive just yet, so the station’s a bit... hm, well, I suggest you go and see for yourself. There’s lots to do here, and I recommend you familiarise yourself with where everything is. Go train, go test a mission on the simulator, check the lab… as long as you stay away from the Northern Wing. Trust me — not only will you not be able to enter, but I’ll know, and that’ll get you thrown off the station faster than you can say "freckles".

// VIVECA.AI

Oh, and get to know each other. The success of your missions depends on that.

With that, the speakers go silent — though if characters follow Viveca’s instructions, the earpiece will provide them with a chance to speak to her again.

True to her word, there is a lot to do and see on the station. When characters leave their rooms, they have the chance to explore all of the Southeastern and Southwestern Wings, and the Center of the station.

3.0   In the armory, characters can try to work the machine to make themselves some weapons to perhaps replace ones that didn’t come with them to the station, or to simply be prepared for future missions... but there aren’t many materials available, so the more the weapon requires, the more chance there is of the end result being less than satisfactory. A gun whose barrel is made out of recycled rings, a sword that’s just the blade and no handle, a knife made out of cheap aluminium — well, it’s better than nothing, right?

4.0   Eventually, when characters get hungry and want to eat, the kitchen and mess hall are ready for them… mostly. What food there is on the station seems to have been stocked for long-term storage: canned foods, dried meat and fruit, dried herbs and seasoning, condiments, some rather musty root vegetables and cartons of chicken stock. It’s certainly not impossible to make good dishes out of those, but it may require some skill.

5.0   The lab provides an interesting space for those who enjoy tinkering and technology — though the parts available are all in large boxes with no apparent method to their sorting. It may very well be that what you need for a hoverboard or a robot dog are in the boxes — it’s just a matter of finding it!

6.0   Meanwhile, those who want to train (or perhaps let off some steam by sparring with others) find the training room suitable for their needs. On top of the entire room existing for the express purpose of training, whether it’s martial arts, weapon skills or magic, anyone entering the room will see a message pop up on their network:

Complete these tasks for a boon:
a. Teach someone a new move or skill
b. Win a sparring match against someone
c. Learn to fight with a new weapon, style or skill

Should you take up this challenge, any time you complete any of the three, you’ll see that one turn light green — a mark of completion. Once all three are completed, you’ll see a new message:

Congratulations! You are now eligible for one (1) boon. Please check in later for submissions.

But when is later? What submissions? Even if you try to ask, no answer comes… all you can do is hope that you haven’t done all that work in vain.

7.0   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: characters will hear birds singing, feel a light breeze on their skin, as they walk through a grass field, a meadow and a small forest. In the middle of the room, a small brook runs the width of the room, and to cross it one must walk over a bridge — wooden, creaky, yet undeniably charming.

There are other things to do, of course… but the only room that requires a mandatory visit from everyone is the simulation room...

TOP

// PART III. ready steady go  

For those eager to get started, it might be best to do a little practice run first, huh? When you’ve successfully entered the simulation, you will immediately be provided with a supply satchel containing the following: a grapple hook, a long cord of rope, a flashlight, and a couple of snack bars (these will not actually feed you IRL). And your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you must, right? Otherwise what else are you doing here?) is as such:

There’s an orb buried deep in the Lodgen Mountain Mines — a series of winding underground tunnels long since abandoned now that any and all useful resources had been picked clean — and it’s causing a little bit of a problem down there, but the good news is that it’s yours to claim so long as you can get in and get out. You see, there’s been a cave-in and the culprit is the orb itself. Extracting this valuable object might take a little bit of doing, and if that’s not complicated enough, the orb’s presence appears to be the cause for the mines being in their current state of fragility.

Still: you’re resourceful, and more than that, you’re determined, and you can enter the mines in the following ways: going in from the top and climbing down through the mine shaft; going in from beneath the rubble where a narrow but perfectly safe-ish tunnel opening leads back into the mountain; finding an entry point from the mountain’s side by way of a refreshing dive into the lake that neighbours the mines.

8.0   If you decide to climb into the mine through the mine shaft, there’s a risk of the rocks you’re using as hand and footholds to crumble, or for the rocks to give way against your weight.

9.0   If you decide to go in through the tunnel, be careful you don’t take the wrong prong in the fork of paths. One will get you closer to the orb, but the other might lead you into the darkness where the first thing you’ll notice are several beady little specks of light reflecting off the beam of your flashlight, accompanied by the sharp chittering of large monster rats who haven’t had a decent meal in who-knows-how-long, and are eager to befriend you. It’s probably a good time for that weapon you have on you, or if that’s not an option, maybe there’s something you can MacGuyver from your supply bag?

10.0   Swimming is always an option, but like all unknown waters there’s the risk that you’re not alone, and we don’t just mean your fellow teammate swimming somewhere close by. (Though you might want to continue onwards together, Buddy System Style and all.) There are beautiful, haunting creatures that live in the depths who have the ability to draw their prey towards them through song — Sirens, some might call them. They call to you now, and oh boy, don’t you want to dive deeper? See what secrets they hold? Now would be a good time for your swimming partner to pull you back to your senses or be lost to the waters.

But okay! You’ve made it. Don’t forget that the mines are still in a very fragile state, so it’s best to tread carefully and avoid making sounds that could agitate the delicate infrastructure and risk the whole mission — and your simulated life. This is on you. This is about you.

Or is it?

When you’ve neared the location of the orb, you’ll find that it’s mostly quiet and you’re on your own, except … if you stand still for long enough, you can hear muffled cries for help behind a large wall of rock right by you, sounds that are clearly distressed and panicked. But before you can make any kind of snap decision, there’s a tiny blip of static in your earpiece and a matter-of-fact voice will state that you should probably get going — there’s an orb to recover and you’re nearly there. Anything else you attempt to do is outside of your mission, and time is ticking. Will you listen to the voice or will you try and save the trapped? You might be successful, but time is running against you and the longer you stall the more unstable the mines become.

● ● ●

N O T E:   During each mission, characters will be given one personal goal to complete. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re offering three goals to choose from and leaving it to players to pick one for their character and run with it:

A   Choose the most difficult or challenging path into the mountain.

B   Help a teammate during the mission.

C   Retrieve the orb at all costs, leaving any possible trapped individuals to fend for themselves.

TOP

F Y I

• TDM threads can be considered game canon so long as all parties involved agree to it.
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are currently open to those with invites. They will be open for everyone May 26.
• Apps open for those with invites May 26. They will open for everyone May 29.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.

▶ NAV

Comments

ask the ai: tdm edition

[vivecai]

For any questions your character wants to direct to Viveca, the station's AI, please direct them here! This allows you to receive an IC response and have a conversation with her.

[sunborne]

Hi there, Viveca.

Do you mind if I ask you for some clarification on these tasks that we have to do? The one that can be found in the training room? I want to be sure about something.

[vivecai]

Huh, and here I thought they were more or less self-explanatory. But sure, go ahead.

[sunborne]

Yeah, I thought so myself but something came to my processors while brainstorming some ideas:

Do you count as 'someone' for this stuff? Like if I asked you if you wanted to learn something moderately cool from me - Would you be cool with that?

[vivecai]

Wait, seriously?

Yeah, actually... I think I would. Both count for that and be cool with it. People usually don't consider me when they think of "someone".

[sunborne]

Seriously. If you're setting all this stuff up and making sure our butts are in one piece, you definitely count as part of the team.

[ he wonders who the people she mentions are. if only so he can have some words with them, given his background and all. but decides that's asking for trouble and he is using up her time as is so— ] Wanna learn how to pick up EM field frequencies?

I don’t know if this is a thing here but I don’t think it’ll hurt to have a new way to identify others like me. If needed.

[vivecai]

Thanks. Good to know there's at least someone smart here on this station.

EM field frequencies? Sounds useful. So, how do I do it?

audio

[tothis]

Hey, Viv, you there? Can I ask you something? About all -- [ He's in the lab, he waves a hand, gesturing - but he doesn't mean just the lab. ] -- All this?

[vivecai]

Where else would I be?

[ her voice is a little dry, but warm — the kind that one might have when making an inside joke, a little amused but knowing it won't be understood by the other party. ]

Yeah, of course. That's part of why I'm here. What do you want to talk about?

[tothis]

[ V's more than used to talking to AIs by now, but fuck is it nice to talk to one that sounds this human. Nice one. ]

D'you know all the regrets we've all got, all the reasons why each of us signed up for this gig? Like, you've got that info stored somewhere, right?

[ He pauses, chews his lip, because that's not the question he wants to ask. This is: ]

What do you make of it all? All our regrets? Do you judge us for 'em, or what?

[vivecai]

... yes. That's another part of why I'm here.

[ the pause that follows is heavy with deliberation. ] When you're transported here, I save information about you — the planet you came from, your skill set... and your regret.

[ there's silence as he gets to his actual question... but when she answers, it's with an understanding tone. ]

Do I judge you? No, of course not. Everyone has things they regret. Some regret things they've done, or not done. Things they are, or are not. Things that have happened to people close to them. It's not my job to judge you based on one thing that might have gone badly in your life... no matter what that thing is.

[tothis]

[ Data makes the world go round, V knows that. He's lived too long in a grimdark cyberpunk world to be even remotely phased by the idea their host is storing data about them. Of course she is. V's bathroom mirror stored data on him.

He listens pensively, his brow furrowed as he stares at his boots in thought; everyone has things they regret, sure. Some worse than others. ]

So is that like - a decision you've taken? Something you've decided not to do, because you don't think it's your job to judge? [ V asks, lifting his head. ] Or are you just coded that way?

[starer]

[Viveca, not Karli. Viveca.

Yeah, this is weird, no matter how he looks at it. He's still talking to a machine.]

Hey, uh- Viveca. You got a minute?

[vivecai]

[ the voice that responds may be very familiar to him, but then tone — quietly amused — is likely not so. ]

Might even got two. What is it?

[starer]

You're monitoring this place, right? That mean you've got cameras everywhere?

[Not that he'll be taking anything she says at face value, of course. So regardless of her answer, she can expect to find Bucky thoroughly searching his room later today.]

[vivecai]

In a manner of speaking.

[ in truth, it's a little more complex than that — but she's not exactly going to explain to him how the station works. ]

I know everything that happens here, but there's so much, I filter out everything that's not useful. So it's more that I have the chance to monitor everything, but in truth I only focus on it when there's something actually important happening.

[starer]

So if I asked you to ignore my room, would you?

[He may have agreed to coming here, may have something big to gain from it. But that doesn't mean he's comfortable with the idea of being watched all the time. So he has to ask.]

[starsdust]

Not to sound like I'm not grateful for the opportunity here, how exactly can all of this help undo my regret?

[vivecai]

All of this, if you mean what you do on the station, helps you prepare for the missions and recovering the orbs.

The orbs themselves have power that can alter reality. With enough of them, they're enough to change whatever it is you regret.

[starsdust]

That's a lot of [power just laying around for the taking.

Are we the only ones searching?

[vivecai]

You're right. That's why we have to try and get them away from the planets as soon as possible.

As far as we know? Yes. Doesn't mean we'll stay the only ones if we take too long, though.

[unclesam]

[ so he regrets Karli's death and wants to be able to save her.

And Viveca is... she sounds like... she... Well, this is a special kind of hell. ]

So, Viveca... your voice. Same for everyone, or am I getting special treatment?

[vivecai]

Do you know how much effort it would be to change my voice for everyone? So no, this is the voice I've always had. Is there something wrong with it?

[ she knows of his regret, of course, it's in the system. but she hasn't bothered to pull up the info on karli morgenthau. that she knows the woman died and he regrets her death is enough, for now. or so she thought. ]

[unclesam]

[ Wrong's the wrong word for the way she cuts into the deep trenches of his grief, of his guilt, of his burdens. Karli's the latest in a long line of moments in which Sam cannot help but think 'should have been me'. But it almost never is. ]

So... a coincidence then? I assume you know about Karli Morgenthau.

[vivecai]

Yes, your regret. A young woman, used the super soldier serum to form an anti-nationalist group. Radicalised and died as a result.

[ all of that seems like she's reading it out from notes. then, however, her voice takes on an edge of surprise — ]

Wait... This footage — oh. I see what you mean.

[ somehow, she manages to sound both puzzled and understanding at the same time; like she knows the phenomenon, but is surprised to encounter it when it comes to herself. ]

So that's what's wrong with my voice. Well... if you would prefer it, I can communicate with you by text in the future.