![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
SPRING TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 8
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.
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.
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!
(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.
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.
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.
● ● ●
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.
F Y I
• 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.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a clue about the upcoming mission—
no subject
and while her mother, certainly, could see right through the lie, lúthien remains as trusting as she ever has been — despite the troubles that it has led her to, time and time again. but it is not in her to doubt, and so she takes the name given with a nod and a smile.
(and thinks, quietly, that even the name is similar. only a few letters of a difference.) ]
Then I welcome you to be a part of this quest, Ben. It is not long since I was in your position... and I confess, the surroundings are still not wholly familiar to me. [ a tilt of her head, ] What sort of world do you come from?
no subject
A loaded question, my lady. [ Ben lets out a soft chuckle.
How does he even begin to describe the sort of galaxy he's from, and what it might look like now? And he'd traveled so much it's hard to call any one planet home enough to describe. Deserts, forest, the stars themselves ... ]
It is mostly dry sand and hot suns. But space travel isn't new to me either. I've been on stations not quite unlike this one, so I shouldn't bother anyone with too many foolish questions.
no subject
she listens to him attentively, though, a sheepish smile appearing when he speaks of space travel. ]
Then you are far better equipped to deal with life here, I believe, than what I can say... for my home has neither space travel nor stations. Not what those here call technology, either. I must confess, the first weeks were a fright, when a door would open in front of me on its own and I would shudder... [ she winces in memory. luckily, she is far more used to it all now. ] but not every mission is like what we have here. Our last one was much like the world I come from.
no subject
[ Ben glances back towards the doors he'd just come through, realizing that he'd been so used to automatic sliders it hadn't even occurred to him to think that they might be odd at all. Doors and buildings and ships without such mechanisms were seen as old-world construction, primitive mostly, or even broken.
For someone unused to it, these things must seem frightful. He reminds himself to keep a more open mind.
He shakes his head in reassurance. ]
Well, there's no need to apologize. You will still have far more insight to this place than I. But if I might trouble you to tell me a little more about your experiences here? And, perhaps, what your world was like too.
no subject
I've really been here for only one full mission — the one we so recently returned from. We were sent to a world much like my own, one inhabited by many races, from us elves to men to dwarves, orcs and others... each with their own spells to use. We gave up whatever special skills we may have had, and were given some spells in return.
[ she folds her hands in her lap, eyes glancing down. ] Through it all, we found that someone we were led to believe was a friend had taken the orb, and led us all into a trap... in the end, he turned into a dragon. We were fortunate that those among us were able to subdue him, and with the help of a local elven lady, and this station's Commander's mother, the one possessing the orb was turned to a more humanoid form and eventually released the orb to us.
[ she sighs. ] I have not been here for long, but I have been led to believe this is common. That the orbs bear a might that is far more terrible than one might imagine, and they corrupt those they come into contact with.
no subject
He listens to what might otherwise sound like some grandiose fairytale told by someone with a wide imagination, but he believes every word of it. He's here after all, and he's determined to keep an open mind. ]
Is it possible that the orbs might corrupt us in turn — especially with our exposure to them, given our directive. Are there precautions to ensure that they don't turn us to the dark side?
no subject
[ then, with some more strength to her voice: ] They can, indeed — it was not long after my arrival here that we all learned of someone in the former crew having been affected... along with this, hm, ei-ai they called her? By the name of Olivia. But the commander, the one whose home we just returned from, he requested the aid of those who possess what some might call "magic", and together they created a shield between us and the orbs. They reside in the North Wing — mayhap you can ask someone who was there to tell you what the shield does, now. But so far, it seems we are safe from their influence, here.
no subject
[ It’s a mild comment that doesn’t mean anything in particular, but he nods his head and files the information away as part of his building up the context of this place. He is no stranger to AIs and he’d already met the one here who recruited him, but it’s clear that this woman who has adapted quite impressively to concepts beyond her experience can only tell him so much.
Not wanting to push any further, he turns his attention to something she mentioned before. ]
You said you were an elf? I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar.
[ The pointed tips of her ears and the ethereal nature of her entire being must be a part of that, and it certainly doesn’t scare him, but he’s interested. His tone of voice conveys that much too. ]