![[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}
AUGUST TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 3
… What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?
The words, when they die out, leave you in emptiness — despairing, all-consuming, the kind that invites only the worst thoughts. What have you done? What have you agreed to do?
But then, from the emptiness, a golden light shines, and as you reach for it —
you wake up.
1.0 Perhaps it was less the golden light in your dream and more the insistent feeling of something metallic poking your side repeatedly, making beeping noises… wait, beeping noises?
When you look down, you’ll see a small robot staring at you and looking less than happy (maybe it has something to do with your disheveled state, maybe it's still mad about having to clean up after a certain pizza-induced mess). When you get up, it unleashes a series of beeps — and then furiously starts to scrub the floor.
Yes, the floor — instead of waking up in a bed, you find yourself lying on a hallway, white walls and white floor surrounding you. You don’t have long to stare at the minimalistic look of everything around you before the little bot starts poking you again, the word MOVE blinking across its visor.
So better get out of its way! Perhaps you’re on the hallway on your own and leave on your own… or perhaps there’s someone else, sleeping near you. Maybe do them the courtesy of waking them up before this little angry bot does! Or perhaps you’re the poor soul still sleeping and needing a rescue before the beeps make it to you.
2.0 If you need a visit to the infirmary, the situation may be more dire — perhaps there’s blood on the wall that you wake up against, your clothes may be dirty or ragged… whatever it is that has happened to you before waking here and has left you injured, it sure doesn’t create a reassuring sight. Best get to the infirmary as soon as possible.... with some assistance, perhaps.
Once upright, 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 The most pressing question that you might ask yourself is: but where will I stay? The question is answered once you walk through the winding white corridors to the common area. Behind it, there are three types of rooms: those with one bed, two beds and four beds. The rooms are clinical yet clean, and sparsely-furnished — and most importantly, most are occupied. So be prepared to get some roomies!
4.0 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!
5.0 After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which… seems to be filled with a lot of leftovers: takeout boxes with an assorted collection of pizza slices, kung pao chicken, lamb curry... not to mention the entire tray of chocolate brownies. Feel free to eat your fill — or if takeout isn’t your cup of tea, open one of the large fridges to pick fresh ingredients and make your own lunch.
6.0 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. A new addition is a flower garden where there once was a meadow — now, roses, camellias, lilies and dozens of other flowers sway in the wind, all varieties in their own flower beds, with a winding path of stones leading through them. The path leads to where a bridge rises over a sparkling, babbling brook.
Here, 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.
7.0 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!
8.0 If it’s items you’re lacking, though, some time after your arrival, the earpiece alerts you to a new message.
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!
(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 If you’ve been given a particular body change that might aid you in this mission, do not use it to your advantage.
B Team up with a fellow Orber to uncover the hidden location.
C Get up on stage and put on a performance during the simulation. Your song choice will determine the outcome of success in your investigation.
F Y I
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are currently open!
• Apps open August 27.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a listen for some clues about the second mission.
(Hint: there are four clues in total.)
no subject
But first, he puts the pizza into the microwave. It's never as good re-heated, but beggars can't be choosers and he's hungry. And simultaneously too uninspired to put any effort into making something out of base ingredients.
"All these junk-food treasures are a gift. A 'mission well-done' reward" he turns to Kaidan, arms crossed. "They told us to not expect that every time"
no subject
"Quite the reward," Kaidan remarked with a little smile. He tried to imagine how the Normandy crew would react to something like this when they completed a mission. Spread like this might as well be a party. "Certainly motivating for those who can eat this kind of food."
no subject
"Seriously? One could think they'd fed better. Guess it ain't much different over here. But there's always somethin' in the fridge." Granted, Majima never had much experience with the military. Not really the crowd to visit the cabaret or patron a club. Though there were few names with history to run really far away from (or towards, if you're into living dangerous life) mentioned on the streets, in the underground. Soldiers know how to fight. Means Kaidan knows how to fight— train of thought interrupted by the sudden ping of the microwave. And there it is.
Majima took the pizza out but before taking the first bite he repeated Kaidan's words, mimicking his cadence without thinking.
"—those who can eat this kind of food" A beat. "Ya got allergies or somethin'?"
no subject
"No, not allergies." Gene therapy took care of that sort of thing-- except in cases like Specialist Traynor. "I mean like other species." Granted, he hadn't come across any other species on the station yet, but surely there were some here? "There can't just be humans living here," he went on, phrasing it almost like a question.
no subject
Maybe if he joined that sci-fi movie marathon that the rest of Sunshine peeps were organizing, he'd knew more proper wording to use. He got plenty up to speed with the space vocabulary, but it still was lacking in place.
"For what it's worth, they get to order what they needed the most too. Banana-cream pie extraordinaire—" Time to bite into the pizza and not speak with a full mouth, he's civilized!
no subject
"That's good. We're all working together." He waited for his curry to heat up. Maybe he could tinker with that machine a little to help it heat food a little quicker. Probably should ask permission before doing something like that. "How long have you been on the station?" he asked.
no subject
"Over a week, total. Maybe closer to over two. Been longer on the ground, the mission lasted over a month" It's all borrowed time anyway, so Majima didn't really stick to counting time passage. "Day and night down there made for easier trackin' of time"
Well, time to shoot something in the dark.
"Ya seem quite used to these concepts, ya know?" Species. Space stations. He doesn't specify, keeping the question general. Or maybe it's just the calm trained into soldiers.
no subject
"I'm in the Alliance navy," he explained. "We've operated in space for decades. Humans are newer to galactic politics, but I've had the privilege of working with several different species in my career. The ship I currently serve on has four other species on-board, other than humans. Ah, maybe five?"
He wasn't exactly sure how to categorize EDI. She was the ship's AI but she had her own personality; she was sentient.
no subject
"The future sure is goin' to be excitin' for Earth— There's a guy named Newt who mentioned war with aliens as his current reality. Or rather just after that got solved. Good to know some of 'em can be buddies"
Kaidan must be further in the future than Newt tho, that nerd never said anything about being in space for decades and (especially) friendly cooperation. Still, it's probably good to know who might be closer to your times, than who's not, and that kind of information he can offer freely. Either way, they're all had their own baggage, and reason to be here. Buying another chance for services. May it work well this time.
Majima's expression darkened briefly, but he took that chance to inhale what was left of his pizza slice. He buttoned up the loose two upper buttons of his shirt and straightened the collar.
"Me, I was merely a cabaret manager back in 1988—" And that's where Majima's informal way of speech dropped, suddenly changing into a professional and suave cadence followed by an overly theatrical bow. "Name's Goro Majima. A pleasure to meet you sir"
And then— it's all gone, as he relaxes back to his previous stance.
no subject
"We're trying to cooperate," Kaidan amended. "Our crew is pretty unusual, to be honest." An extreme understatement, to be sure. "But we've all known each other for years and have been through a lot together. I think that helps."
When he heard the year Goro was from, both of Kaidan's eyebrows shot up. "That's two centuries ago," he gaped. Again, not as long ago as Javik, but even so. He cleared his throat. "Ah, right. Major Kaidan Alenko, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. Or just Kaidan is fine."
no subject
Still, two hundred years apart? That's huge. It's as if he met someone out of Edo period.
"That's plenty of history apart, right. Hah, this station is all eclectic bunch. Many not even from Earth."
Which Kaidan is probably having an easier time parsing than him. But he's getting there, adapting.
"A good team for years is a treasure— How does it work? Yer all under one banner, or is it more of an intercontinen— inter—planetary cooperation?"
no subject
"It's mostly because of our commanding officer," Kaidan explained with a little smile. "Shepard has a magnetic sort of personality that people are just drawn to, and he's earned our loyalty through his actions and heart. It'll be strange not having him around."
There was some regret in his tone. It was really starting to sink in just how far he was from everything and everyone he knew. Kaidan was professional enough to adjust to this station and whatever new crew he would meet, but there would be no one quite like Commander Shepard, he was sure.
no subject
no subject
"Now that I can agree with," Kaidan smiled. "I'm excited to see what sort of people I'll be working with here."
no subject
"The bunch here? Each is their own story, really. There's a designated brainiacs division, magic users who have problems with microwaves, a starship captain, a few normies— but on the mission, everyone is all hands on the deck."
That's probably the most impressive. There isn't one person who issues orders, and somehow they made it work.
"I think ya'll fit right in, and everyone will benefit with someone so experienced on board"
no subject
"I hope so," he said, swallowing the curry. "I'd like to do some good while I'm here."
no subject
no subject
"We'll have to see," he decided at last. "And if there's any mission they send us on that I don't agree with, I guess I'll handle it then."
no subject
no subject
Kaidan did come in with the hope that he could undo his regret, but he wasn't going to add any new regrets in the process.
no subject
Or cancel each other out, or something.
no subject
no subject
"Oh so yer a teacher too? A man of many talents, huh." Majima brightened and the lighter tone returned, along with the— some really sneaky movement as he skirted around until he found chopsticks.
"So Mr. Alenko, what kind of lectures can we expect?" he said it conversationally, a distraction seconds before a hand, armed with chopsticks darted in the direction of the curry.
no subject
no subject
And speaking of manners, Majima doesn't shed the playful attitude, even as he solemnly partakes in curry and states "However, I shall graciously accept the offer"
(no subject)
(no subject)