ximiliugh | SPRING TDM.

Entry tags:

! test drive

SPRING TDM.

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GET IT IN WRITING • YOUR NEW NORMAL • CHANGE OF FACE • FYI

// PART I. get it in writing  

… 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, a teal glow pulses, slowly enveloping you. It is not a feeling of comfort that surrounds you, though — as a distorted voice whispers in your ear, you feel it: cold dread, and a sudden certainty that everything is about to be irrevocably changed.

It is to this daunting realization that you wake, and as 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 a few days 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. your new normal  

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.

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.

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.

With an illusion so authentic it may leave you longing for some hot chocolate, 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 As you wander back towards the common areas, you may notice a room off to the side. The room takes up a chunk of the common area, and on its unassuming door is a little plaque that reads, 'The Ximusic room'. Should you enter, you will find a sound-proofed practice room that contains — yes, you guessed it, band equipment that even the most musically inclined should be satisfied with. So pick up an instrument, saunter up to the microphone to belt out your favourite tunes, or take a seat at the side of the room and enjoy others' playing.

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

// VIVECA

Hello, everyone. I hope you've had time to rest, and those new here have got used to being here. Those who’ve been here for longer know the deal, but to the new arrivals: we've got a drop of new supplies. I hope all of you find useful things among them. Anything specifically requested will come with a name tag. We're working on locating the next orb, but in the meantime... I hope those who have just returned get some rest, and those who have just arrived read up on what is expected of you during missions.

As you make your way to the platform, you'll see there is nothing amiss in the neat piles of items 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. change of face  

(CW: POTENTIAL BODY MODIFICATION)

Whether you’re a quick study and you’ve become settled into life on the station, or you want to get the full lay of the land (in a manner of speaking) first, if you decide to explore the hall past the control room, you’ll eventually come across the simulation room.

Step past the threshold and the doors will slide shut with a quiet woosh. Nothing suspicious; nothing to worry about. But before you can really get a sense of your environment (a grey, large-ish empty room, no furniture, no discernable objects to provide markers), the room goes dark, and then … there’s really no other way to describe it: the room transforms.

You find yourself in a club. The music is upbeat, loud, but not too loud. Down a short flight of steps flanking the bar and seating is the open floor with more tables and booths bathed in a warm, dim glow of light, and at the very end of the room is a stage with its bright spotlight showcasing its performers — though, at the moment, the stage is empty.

9.0 When you take a step forward, you’ll feel a presence gently push at your chest or your shoulder — a tall and jovial man resembling a well-dressed bartender from the top up (the rest of him appears to move along wheels) approaches with a tall flute glass in hand. Its contents are sparkly and blue.

“Hello, there. Care for a drink? I’m afraid you won’t be allowed to continue until you do, and I assure you this is entirely safe. All effects you might experience remain only so long as you participate in this simulation.

Will you proceed? Please respond ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.”

There’s something a little strange about his voice, a cadence that doesn’t sound quite natural even when the simulation is so realistic otherwise. Once you’ve given your consent, the bartender continues.

“One thing you should know: there is an orb within this club. This drink will aid in your ultimate retrieval of the orb. To better blend in with our patrons, you may experience temporary changes within your body. Good luck.”

10.0 It seems the bartender wasn’t lying. Once you’ve allowed the drink (tasty, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, effervescent, with light notes of your fondest childhood memory) to settle in your stomach you might experience a myriad of effects on your body, ranging from a change in skin colour (pink? green? blue with spots?), an additional limb or two (or three), a tail or wings, or cybernetic parts such as lie-detecting eyes or a tongue that can uncover truths and lies in others. If you happen to find another Orber within the room and both of you have consumed the offered drink, you might find yourself experiencing a full bodyswap.

None of the changes are painful; if anything, they might not even be noticeable until you look into a mirror, look down at your limb-in-question, or your companion points it out.

11.0 The moment you approach the stage, a performer will appear as if out of thin air and begin to sing, her voice strong and smoky and melodic. Her enthralling performance could put you into a trance, but you have an orb to find and a personal task to accomplish, so it’s time to put your best foot forward and do a little investigating.

Talking to some of the patrons might prove fruitful as some of them are convinced that the stage has never sounded or looked so good, like there’s something giving performers that extra oomph that no one can explain. It might be wise to wait until that last performance before you sneak up there — or maybe you want to do a little snooping around now, you know, while everyone’s distracted. Strategize with your fellow Orbers and uncover the location of this hidden orb.

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N O T E: The effects of the drink and the level of changes your character experiences is entirely up to you. Patrons of this fine club won’t bat an eye if you look a little like them.

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 Say the opposite of what you mean during the simulation.

B Create a scene with an unsuspecting teammate.

C Get up on stage and put on a performance during the simulation.

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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 open February 19!
• Apps open February 24.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.

TOP

FOR SOME FUN:
Have a clue about the upcoming mission—

▶ NAV

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He laughs a little, just a breathless chuckle before he's getting his arms beneath himself and trying to sit up. ]

I'm okay. Wouldn't like being the kind of person that didn't have to do that, anyway.

[ So, y'know, all worth it. Sort of. Either way, he's smiling just a little and finally sitting up when he looks down to Cal. ]

Are you all right?

[ well at that, despite the someone dubious and amused expression he's waring, cal can agree on. ] You're a good guy, then.

[ cal's still learning, after all of those years in hiding and trying to turn his back on doing anything but surviving. ] I'm alright. Just not good with ice.

[ he pushes himself up so he's resting on his forearms, propping himself up slowly. ] I'm Cal. I'm new here.

I don't know if I'd go that far.

[ He tries to be a good guy, feels like he misses that mark too often here, though. Still, it's probably unclear if he's joking or not. ]

Finn. I just got back, actually.

[ It's a little wobbly at first, but he finds his footing and holds a hand out to Cal. ]

Good to meet you.

Anyone willing to help, no questions asked is pretty good person. [ at least in his book, finn, so take it.

he takes finn's hand when it's offered, pushes himself up so that he can brush off the snow from his clothing but then his brows furrow. ] You're back? You mean you were here before?

[ he's not sure how this whole thing works, only a few hours in. ]

[ Ultimately, Finn decides that's something best not to debate. So, he moves on. ]

That's right. I was here for almost a year when I left. I think I've been gone a few months, but it's hard to tell.

When did you get here?

Why's it hard to tell? [ he tilts his head, trying to figure out how it fits together. forgive him, he's nosy.

and then he offers a smile, rubs the back of his neck. ] A few hours ago? I woke up here instead of on the Mantis.

[ Shrug. ] Time's a little hard to tell here, for one, and they don't really go by a calendar I'm familiar with, anyway. But mostly, I just haven't asked anyone yet.

[ Feels weird to check, honestly. Like it makes this real. ]

The Mantis? Is that a ship?

[ a fair answer, cal nods. he looks around, trying to make sense of it. the question is welcome, easier to focus on. ] The Mantis is... Well, Greez's ship but I guess it's mine now too. I'm part of the crew.

It's smaller than this one. This is some ship for them to have snow around here. [ though it doesn't feel real at all-- ] Unless this is some simulation?

It is. There's another room here where you can create your own simulations... No idea how it all works, though.

[ And while he spends a lot of time here, Finn doesn't care much for the sim room. It feels even more fake, for some reason. ]

I'm guessing this isn't your first time off-planet. It is for a lot of others here.

Sounds like something we might have used in training... [ cal says it offhandedly, not really thinking about it before he tucks that piece of information away. maybe he can make a closed off training room for himself, somewhere he won't be caught if he's using his lightsaber or the force. ] Yeah, I've been off-planet for a while.

Before that it was Bracca... [ not that he expects finn to know about that junkyard of all places. cal rolls his shoulders. ] I heard people arrive from all sorts of planets. Some without space travel yet.

[ He's nodding before he can really think of it, because simulations like this are just like what the First Order used to train them, too. But the First Order made up in wealth what they lacked in knowledge. Training sims isn't that much of a coincidence.

But Bracca is. ]

Yeah, there are. A lot of them are from a planet called Earth, but I hadn't heard of it before here.

Bracca, is that... Mid Rim?

[ as interesting as earth is, cal's not expecting someone to know anything about bracca here. so he tenses. ] Yeah.

It's-- Where the Scrapper's Guild set up. [ after the empire dug it's claws into the place. he swallows. ] You know it?

[ Despite the clear tension in Cal, Finn smiles a little. Bracca is a pretty hot place, so to speak, and this guy could be for either side (or neither), but it's always weirdly nice to see someone from home again. So far.

Still, he nods and goes for the truth. Mostly the truth. ]

Friends of mine infiltrated the guild once, stole some starfighters... A few of us from our galaxy show up every now and then. A few droids, even a couple of Jedi. I don't know who all's left now.

[ But Rey's gone. That much, he knows. ]

Time works strangely out here, by the way. I met a man once who was from my past by nearly twenty years.

[ Luke McFreakin' Skywalker was his name. ]

What did they need the Starfighters for? [ cal asks, trying to gauge what that means. stealing them from under the empire's nose seems like a bold move but there's easier places to do that than bracca.

but then--- ] Even Jedi?

[ he gives himself with the desperation in the question, the pressing tone. if any survived and found their way here, anyone except master kenobi, there's a chance that cal knows. but he's not sure he can ask, not sure he can trust the other. ]

[ He shrugs, thinks it through for a second, and aims for the truth. If Cal lies to him in turn, Finn's confident he could catch it. Maybe. If he were still using the Force properly, that is. ]

The war. The Resistance. [ Another shrug. ] The war of my time, anyway.

But yeah, there were two that I know of. A friend of mine named Rey and Luke Skywalker.

[ And he watches for whatever reaction that might bring. ]

The Resistance? Against the Empire? [ none of that's helping cal really get a sense of time, so context clues are what he's going for.

sadly for finn, or for cal, only one of those names really makes the younger man pause. he knows a skywalker but like the rest of the jedi order, that man is long dead. perhaps he had relatives and in the future, there's another skywalker who walks the path his predecessor once did.

cal frowns. ] I don't know any Jedi by those names from my time... The only Skywalker I know of died the same day as many others.

[ For Finn, that's more than enough context already. ]

You mean during the Clone Wars? That was- [ Oh. Oof. History. Math. Uhh- ] That was about fifty years ago. And if you knew a Skywalker back then, it must have been-

[ ... Oh... Ohhhh. ] ... Anakin. [ Who... did not die with the Jedi... So surely it's a more common name than Finn thought... ]

It's been five years since the end of the Clone Wars. [ since the clone wars, since the start of the purge and every terrible memory that came after it.

to know that there is still a need for a resistence fifty years in the future, well, that's--- cal lets out a deep breath. it's good that they're still fighting; terrible that there's a need to fight. ] Yeah, General Skywalker... We never heard anything after the Clones turned on us.

[ general skywalker had been a hero to cal, a hero to many. cal's not sure how anakin skywalker was amongst those lost to the force when the emperor gave his order and turned the galaxy against the jedi, while cal survived. ] What are you still fighting, fifty years from--- from my time?

[ and isn't that mind boggling. cal wavers a little, suddenly wishing he was sitting or back on that snowy ground. ]

[ General Skywalker has an interesting ring to it. As does the 'us.' But Finn licks his bottom lip and tries to decide and he should and shouldn't say for now. ]

Well... the Empire fell about twenty years after it was formed. A Rebellion cropped up around the planets it tried to keep oppressed. But when it fell, some loyalists and the Emperor survived and tried to reform it with the First Order. They fell to the Resistance shortly before I got here.

So, with any luck, I'm not fighting anyone anymore.

But that's- I'm sorry. It must be a lot to take in.

[ No one has come here as far into the past as Cal before, not to Finn's knowledge. He can't imagine what kind of shock it must be. ]

Yeah. Yeah, that's--- [ and yeah, okay, with all that knowledge cal really does wish he was sitting on the ground. the icy floor is looking a little bit better by the moment.

he takes a deep breath, trying to call to the familiar threads of the force to ground him. it'll take more than deep breathing but it's a start. one breath, two. when he speaks, it's with a forced smile that holds sadness. ] At least they finally fell.

[ with fifty years of terror behind them if it continued to be anything like what he's seen in the last five years. ] I hope we're all that lucky.

[ it's his universe after all, what cal wants for it is peace. he has plenty of questions to ask, needs to know but -- it's already been so much. ]

[ Finn just nods and remains quiet for a moment, wanting to let the other process and certainly not willing to dump more information on him, like the real fate of Anakin Skywalker.

But there's one thing he's very curious about, despite not being sure he wants to share those same details about his own situation. After all, he could just reach out and know without a word being spoken and he's hesitant to do even that. ]

How... did you know Skywalker? If you don't mind me asking.

I never really knew him. Not personally or anything like that. [ his voice slips from steady into something quieter, sadder. he may not have known anakin skywalker but like the rest of the council, the masters and the knights across the galaxy -- he'd felt the loss. ] But he was a hero during the Clone Wars, you know? Someone that anyone who wanted peace back then looked up to.

[ any of the padawans looked up to, at least. ] I'd seen him once but I had barely started my training then.

[ Well, with an answer like that, Finn's even more hesitant to tell Cal the truth. But the longer he waits, the worse the truth will be. He tells himself that maybe he should earn more of Cal's trust before he starts trying to rip into a war hero.

Besides- ] You're a Jedi?

[ months ago, cal would have stepped back and flinched at that. it's been five years since being a jedi has been a good thing but finn even said he was friends with one before.

so instead he nods, looking over finn carefully. ] Yeah. In the flesh.

[ he holds his hands out, as if to show he's not reaching for the lightsaber at his back but he's not sure finn even saw that. ] Back then I was just a Padawan.

[ It had to be hell being a Jedi- being a Padawan during those years, but Finn tries his best not to acknowledge it. Instead, his lips twitch into a tiny smile. ]

Rey's my best friend back home. She only figured out what she had after I met her, but she's a full Jedi now.

[ He should probably rethink disclosing more information a little given how much he's distanced himself from the Force over the last few months, but one big secret feels like one too many, even with a virtual stranger. ]

I'm not, but I was learning how to control it for a little while. And- [ He unclips the silver lightsaber from his back at the belt and wiggles it in the air like it's an overly fancy stick. ] Still made this. I know I wasn't supposed to, but... desperate times. [ Shrug. ]

SPRING TDM.

● ● ● T D M . 0 8

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🎀? or on your next one?