Either you heard one of the robots mention it, or you noticed it while wandering about: something the size of a small building a few blocks away from the party, propped up by makeshift scaffolding at the end of a dragging trail of rubble deeply cut into the stone. It had seemingly been maneuvered to avoid destroying any buildings as it crash landed into Astraya.
The Earthlings present would be treated to the first real interstellar spacecraft they had ever seen. And they wouldn't need the more experienced eye of a Vanguardian, or that of a Deep Space Senshi from a spacefaring world, to tell that it was a sad, struggling heap of garbage.
It was the type of vehicle one might have seen at an extremely shady used-ship dealership where you couldn't be sure if it would even be able to keep the cabin pressurized the second it was more than 10 miles off the ground. (It's hard to not imagine the dealer with pointy teeth and horns.) The poor thing looked like it had been stripped for parts and reassembled and retrofitted and repainted half a dozen times, with layers of different colors revealing themselves through tears and scuff marks in the hull. Some of its guts were spilling out around the same side it needed to be propped up on.
All the same, there was something about this ship that might capture a Vanguardian's attention. Something about its silhouette invoked a nauseating pang of dread.
A ramp leading to the craft's interior from the underside was open, and waiting for visitors.
Quote:
Hi there! This thread is meant for up to a dozen characters, give or take, who can be from any faction. I will try to post updates / responses at least once a day. There will also be more opportunities to meet with the ship later in the event!
For your convenience, here is the post header code. Please use it in this thread.
MOOD: “that b***h in a slasher movie who goes in a room you know they shouldn’t” ACTION: Investigation.
General Rakovanite had suggested attending the party with everyone else, but soon enough, it seemed like people were dispersing off in different directions.
Just as well, Andesine thought. If more people wandered off, it might be easier for her to sneak around after someone, maybe drain some energy if she could.… Going for too much right now would be dangerous, with the creepy robots, all the White Moon Eternal senshi and similarly powered people from their team running around (Andesine had spotted a few of them, felt their auras burn like staring into a solar eclipse, but she had no idea how many of them there were), and the weird alien with the fondue, who looked like he’d walked into reality straight from George R.R. Martin’s most embarrassing, not-work-safe nightmares.… Still, if she could remain relatively concealed and take just a little bit from several people—not enough for them to notice, but a distinctly non-zero amount—then that could easily add up, especially if she managed to sneak after one of the White Moon lunatics with the glowing tattoos. All of them simply radiated power.……
On the other hand, she had no idea where any of them had gotten off to, in all the tumult of people moving around and leaving the party. And this hunk of junk spaceship, contrariwise, was right here. Eugh, just looking at it reminded her painfully of her older brother’s alleged car, the thing he’d been driving since high school and piecing back together with whatever was available, even though he could easily afford to put down money on a new one. About the only difference was that Andesine could trust The Beast to get from Point A to Point B, even if it looked like s**t while doing so. Right now, she didn’t think she could trust this spacecraft to move more than two inches on its own power.
Still……it was hanging wide open.… And General Rakovanite had had a very good point, when he’d said that they’d find more intel by participating than hanging back and waiting for their enemies to eat each other alive.… Couldn’t hurt, then, to just…saunter vaguely up the ramp and take a look inside, right?
MOOD: Even more cautious than before. ACTION: Nervously examining the exterior of the ship.
Vyn kept his weapon drawn.
With one vengeful Squire having already screeched her anger at the Vanguard, he wasn’t yet ready to drop his guard. The White Moon could not be trusted. Neither could the Negaverse. Even if the Commodore had some sort of loose alliance with the Queen (Vyn chose to think of it more as a temporary working relationship than a true alliance), that hadn’t stopped a few officers from going against orders before.
Here, wherever they were in the depths of space (whether it was Astraya or some place masquerading as it), without their Queen or any of their Sovereigns present, the Negaverse could not be depended upon to keep any such alliance in mind.
When the party no longer held his attention, Vyn drifted away and took his time exploring. It wasn’t long before he came upon the ship.
His stomach turned over. Vyn knew he should make a closer study of it, perhaps follow the Negaverse Lieutenant up the ramp and explore the interior for clues, but he found himself rooted to the spot. Something about the look of it set him on edge.
“Vyn,” Aliez hissed a whisper as he tried to keep up with him. He didn’t like the idea of splitting off from the group, but he liked the idea of Vyn exploring on his own even less. Not that Vyn couldn’t take care of himself.
But he came to a stop when he saw what Vyn had been drawn to. The massive heap of-- a spacecraft…? And an uneasiness that fell over him.
“What is this,” he said breathlessly. He had nothing to arm himself with other than his vambrace and the white arm badge with its red cross indicating that he was a medic, but even as his heart raced, he couldn’t help but want to look closer.
“Vyn,” he said again, snapping himself out of the momentary daze, his attention briefly on the Negaverse Lieutenant nearby. “You’re not going inside, are you?” That seemed… very dangerous. But… maybe there would be something that could help them.
MOOD:Slashers prefer blonds. ACTION: Taking a pager from his favorite himbo, doing an explore.
Androids, aliens, and places that sounded like the nearest astral plane in a sci-fy fantasy show. Astraya. Syrus expected a title sequence that ran the length of a Star Wars fic to have rolled on out after the vibrant opening and party flair. What he was dubbing the 'host robot', had spoken very briefly about it all, before tossing up the invite to see more. Their place, the ship, a camera array. Syrus was most interested in that, deep down, traded out his caution and sneer for curiosity as a means to getting home.
And if he got some decent intel about it? Oh, how he was wondering if the greatest threats to 'them' as a species, had very little to do with Senshi born of Earth with a dual citizenship to their own sphere, and very much to do with all these intergalactic hitchhikers yanking them willy-nilly as they damned well pleased.
Not so much as a party favor or apology for doing so either. Barely even an explanation!
A pair of tall pastels in body suits, a lieutenant further up ahead -- ah, but the pair seemed stalled out? That wouldn't do.
"Won't know what it is unless you go inside, will you?" icy snap of blues lingered over their forms, more analyzing than an actual threat. Cryolite made a show of admiring his nails after, before aiming a shooing motion their way. It seemed to speak volumes; either they should step up or move out, but they weren't doing anyone favors by standing there like deer waiting for the nearest passing car with blinding high-beams to take them. Certainly weren't learning anything.
"Don't worry darlings, even if it is a trap? They can't possibly kill us all...might get some nasty tetanus, but?" and he smoothed the barely hidden grimace for having to take the ramp at all beneath nonchalance and a shrug. Hissing an ever so quiet sigh of relief when it held his weight from ground to gaping hull, when the entire body of the craft didn't give out on whatever was holding it up and crush him beneath it. Gods only knew how utterly rusted out the entire thing was.
Or why the robot had been so boisterous about inviting them to see it. Going on like the thing was alive...like it'd been waiting...
MOOD: Uncomfortable/Anxious ACTION: Chasing after Vyn and Aliez/quietly listening in
Wherever this place was, whatever it was–really was–Andreiya was reluctant to be alone. He didn’t want to separate from the majority of the Vanguard. After everything he’d seen on Earth he was hesitant to trust anything–especially that this was some mythological place.
It didn’t matter if he believed most legends were rooted in some fact, he wasn’t going to trust easily.
Vyn and Aliez were safe. He trusted them. He’d stuck close to them before and gotten out safe, and he fully intended to take advantage of that again. And they were Corporals! If anyone was going to investigate this strange ship, shouldn’t it have been them? Especially if Fae-Fae was still–he shuddered–kissing. He didn’t know, he’d been afraid to look at her.
Although, her public displays of affection were more comfortable than–well, this.
It was big. It was scary. It made his blood run cold.
He thought about turning around, but now that he’d seen this thing up close he didn’t know if he was going to be able to shake the feeling. Especially because he didn’t understand why he was feeling it.
Or why there were so many Negaverse agents showing up, too. He didn’t like that someone else had approached the other two Corporals, but more than that he didn’t know if they knew him.
So, he didn’t try to shoo him off to go be with the other Negaverse Agent. Instead, he slowed his approach and looked at the two Corporals who were already there. His expression spoke of caution and reluctance, like he didn’t want to go in either, but he didn’t want them to leave him behind.
…He also didn’t want them to be jumped by any Negaverse Agents–or whatever was inside.
It had been Vyn’s idea to stick together, hadn’t it? If it was dangerous, they should go in together. It didn’t seem like anyone was picking fights, so everyone else seemed safe–for now, at least.
He cast a guarded look at each of the two agents, but still shuffled closer to the other Vanguardians. He didn’t speak, not in front of company he didn’t know. Not when he didn’t know what he was walking in on.
MOOD: Trying to take charge ACTION: Talking to the Negas already there, stepping inside Chrysocolla didn't really think she had too many choices if she wanted to find out what was going on: the robots weren't very helpful, and they kind of got on her nerves, so instead she'd gone off and headed towards the ship.
That was transport, right? And nobody had any transport out of here. So the robots must have used it to get here. It looked like a mess, but... robots didn't need to breathe, so maybe they didn't need spaceships to be as good. Not that she'd know. She'd never seen a real spaceship before, but, Chrysocolla decided, she wasn't impressed.
"Lieutenant," she said, mildly (and with that hint of steel under, because she knew how to do that, she was good at it, she'd trained in that), "if you go alone, you could die. There's too many unknowns around here." (Not that Chrysocolla really thought the ship was actively going to try to kill anyone, it looked too beaten-up for that - and she didn't read or watch enough sci-fi to even really process it as an option - but if anyone got any funny ideas, Lieutenants were the weak link. Easy to kill.) "I'm Chrysocolla. Don't go too far from me."
That said, she turned to look at the blonde Negaverse Senshi, making eye contact. She half-remembered him and his skimpy fuku from a month ago, and if nothing else, he'd followed directions then."You too, Senshi. Stay close, don't wander. We don't know this is safe." Even if the ship was "safe", it still looked like it was going to give someone tetanus.
The Velencians? They were sticking by each other, and, honestly, Chrysocolla didn't really care what happened to them. If they died or got hurt, that was their problem; she didn't think they were too likely to complain to the Negaverse that she'd ignored them and left them to rot. She didn't know who they were, so they didn't mean anything, in her mind.
amorremanet
talking @ andesine!
Shinigamisgirl
talking @ cryolite!
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:41 pm
Delta-T Protector of the future (NPC)
MOOD: Gracious ACTION: Greeting visitors; reassuring the Vanguardians
A robot appeared a couple feet away from the ramp, in a manner as simple and subtle as blinking. "Please, do go in! Don't be shy," he encouraged Andesite as the agent approached the ramp, gesturing in a creaky but fluid motion to Cryolite and Chrysocolla at the same time. To the nervous Vanguardians, he regarded with his expressionless face before asking, "What's wrong?"
He rested his chin daintily on his clockwork index finger before realization seemed to dawn on him.
"Oh, dear. Have you... never been inside a ship before?" he asked, cautiously and awkwardly, the volume of his voice lowering so only Vyn,Aliez and Andreiya could hear him. With his hands clasped together, he continued, gently, "Don't worry, there's no need to be embarrassed. It's perfectly natural. That said, you can come back later if you're not ready. I won't judge you."
MOOD: Curious, suspicious of any Negaverse Agents and the robot ACTION: Looking around the ship
Kami had definitely noticed the ship when he had been wandering around. While this... trip had provided him with plenty of White Moon Senshi and Knights that he did not recognize, there was something about this place that intrigued him. It made him think of his own Homerworld. More technological due to it's purpose but more decayed and abandoned. Perhaps with a bit less dust than here.
What he also noticed was the amount of Vanguardians and Negaverse Agents that also decided to check it out. Since the Vanguardians had, though unexpectedly by some of their own members accounts, sided with the Negaverse, he wanted to keep an eye on them in case anything... suspicious went on.
He didn't want a confrontation though. Who knew how long they would be here and while he didn't trust the Negaverse one bit, it would be a waste of energy to fight them just because they went near a ship.
From where he stood, it appeared that the one Eternal with the group was talking to the others about safety. Not something he was interested in.
He was looking at the ship a bit more, attempting to see if anything looked like it had on his Homeworld when another robot popped out, encouraging everyone to go in. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. If there was one thing he learned in his, admittedly short compare to others, time as a Senshi, sometimes things seemed to be too good. These robots were much too friendly and accommodating.
He hoped that he would be wrong. He allowed some space in-between him and the others who were around as they went into the ship and he inspected it further.
MOOD: Constant vigilance. ACTION: Staying close to Aliez and Andreiya, sharing uncertain glances. Responding to Cryolite and Delta-T.
Vyn glanced at Aliez, then Andreiya, uncertain if he wanted to go in. He didn’t like the look of the ship. He didn’t like the sense of disquiet it roused in him. By their expressions, he assumed Aliez and Andreiya felt much the same, but it did not seem prudent to discuss it around others.
The Corrupt Senshi that spoke to them (Cryolite) earned a flat stare.
“What is the expression on Earth?” Vyn wondered aloud. “Famous last words, isn’t it? You seem quite confident in our survival despite having no knowledge of this place. I do hope that confidence does not prove to be your downfall.”
Vyn kept his tone neutral, not quite friendly, but not hostile either. Conversational. He didn’t like the Negaverse any more than he liked the White Moon, but it was important not to make too many enemies here, especially when they already had a Squire attacking them.
He glanced toward the artificial lifeform (Delta-T). That it was encouraging them inside did not sit well with him. Vyn could not guess at its motives. He was not prepared to deem it an ally any more than he could currently consider it an enemy.
“This is your ship, you said?” he asked, recalling the introduction as the party was sprung upon them. “May I ask how it was damaged, and how long it has been here?”
As for whether he would enter or not…
He was not quite ready to make that decision yet, throwing the ship a few more apprehensive glances.
MOOD: Curious but cautious ACTION: Staying with Vyn and Andreiya. Asking Delta-T some questions.
Andreiya was there too. Aliez let out a breath of relief when he saw him, but made sure he stayed close to Vyn as well. He reached out to gently tug on Andreiya’s sleeve, making sure he took an extra step closer to them, just to be safe.
He didn’t like how the Corrupted Senshi (Cryolite) spoke to them, but he didn’t know what else to say other than to get out of the way. He would stay with the other Vanguard, and once Vyn and Andreiya were ready to go inside the spacecraft, then he would too.
The artificial lifeform (Delta-T)speaking to them had Aliez staring at it in confusion for a moment, before politely shaking his head.
“Spacecrafts like this are not unfamiliar to us,” Aliez confirmed, although he couldn’t help but look back up at the mangled heap. His heart was still racing, but he didn’t understand why. Maybe he was just making things up in his head.
He was glad that one of the other Corrupted Senshi was calling the other Negaverse to go together. It meant he, Vyn, Andreiya, and if anyone else of the Vanguard showed up, would be able to watch each other’s backs.
“Were there any… organic lifeforms with you, originally? Or have you always been here by yourself? Well, with the others,” he corrected, because there were others.
MOOD: Begrudgingly falling in line. ACTION: Boldly going— Following Chrys.
As the Eternal stormed in to take charge, seemingly offering herself as the proverbial ‘it’s dangerous to go alone, take this!’ meme. Cryolite would be lying to say he wasn’t grateful for some backup, and? A proper name. Chrysocolla. Swaths of green, bewingged in blacks, those kaleidoscope eyes…
“I do have a name, it’s Cryolite — and I don’t think we’ve met the good Lieutenant properly.” spoken over the creak of ramp as he followed, only glancing back occasionally as new bodies appeared behind; more vanguard, a white moon (judging by the bodice).
Did he linger to listen in? No. Whatever furtive little exchange seemed to be happening between Delta and the Vanguard didn’t sound as if it were meant for him. In fact? The way the robot was ushering them, it almost seemed like he expected them to be familiar with such a thing — them being Senshi.
Could’ve been that it was all in his head and Deltas easy ushering with his creaky limbs was that of a host aiming to please than one who believed in their knowledge of things like ships, space, and impressive AI models.
Of course thr vanguardians words echoed nonetheless — if his confidence and pride would get the better of him here. If he’d die doing who knew what at the hands of some long decayed mass of ship. Or maybe space-asbestos? Hell, even space anthrax? Were those even things?
Whatever. He’d simply tag space on for the sake of context.
Cryolite left the aliens behind to pool together as if magnetized, while he grouped up with those of his own. He hoped his magic worked here. He really, truly did….
“Though, hopefully? We won’t be stuck here long enough to become more than acquaintances—-“ the fact that he worried they might not survive long enough to become more than that. Tucked it under his tongue and held the thought till it quieted, Cryolite was careful of what he touched; eventually pulling out his tablet to— if not send and receive messages, then to at least snap a picture or two in the dimness of the place. The unfamiliar stars beyond, the propped hull, the long dead city it'd just barely missed during its landing, all very documentable “,this thing is so old. It’s a wonder any of the robots survived landing here. Mmh, though I do also wonder if they precede the ships arrival?” it was a wandering thought tossed into a one shouldered shrug.
MOOD: Cautious, but curious ACTION: Running point, and going into the ship
The ship wasn't hard to find. It was a... a heap of space garbage, if Neryn was completely honest. It looked as though it could maybe get off the ground for half a second, then explode if touched too hard. It also was incredibly foreboding. Something about it made their skin crawl. It wasn't like being near the members of the Negaverse; no this was like something had crawled out of Astraya and died among the ruins, then ate the ghost ate the ship.
Vyn, Aliez, and Andreiya were already talking to one of the robots and sticking together. They supposed they should go over and wait as well but... Neryn sighed softly to themself. If they were being honest, they didn't really feel like they fit in with some of the other Vanguard. They'd sided with Caedus over Lyndin, after all. They'd sided with staying on Earth and fixing the disaster they'd created for Earth.
Neryn felt rather outcast, based on that decision. They'd never really dealt with the fact they'd disobeyed orders or the guilt that had followed. No, Neryn had just shoved that to the side in the pursuit of learning Earth's science and history instead. It was like they'd completely just given up on ever going home.
What a worthless Cadet they were.
Neryn spotted the ramp, and forcing the doom pooling in their stomach, quickly made their way up the ramp.
MOOD: “Well, things sure are occurring.” ACTION: Introductions! Inspecting! Really trying to respect a superior officer but still look for ways to prove herself!
The tall, pastel aliens could wait around and fret all they wanted, Andesine thought—and soon after she entered the ship, it seemed that others from her own faction had decided to agree with her. (Or if not that idea exactly, they’d decided to show up in her vicinity and reach out instead of leaving her hanging.)
Neither of the senshi were any she recognized, but……that probably made an unfortunate amount of sense. Yes, Monoceros was a senshi and had been the first Negaverse operative whom Andesine had met, but she’d had little time to meet too many of her comrades from General Ashanite’s team, much less too many people from different teams. Still, she nodded when the Eternal with the cracks in her chest and forehead—Chrysocolla, Andesine repeated in her head, committing the name to memory—shepherded Andesine and the other Negaverse senshi into joining her.
(Cryolite, Andesine affirmed for herself, when he insisted upon his name. His name was Cryolite, and she would remember. Partly, she wanted to ask Monoceros why he hadn’t received a gemstone name, next time she saw him, but far more importantly, it wouldn’t do well for anyone to go forgetting fellow operatives’ names like that.… Plus, strength in numbers, and if she wanted a chance to learn from Chrysocolla, and work together with her and Cryolite, the least she could do was remember their names.)
“We haven’t met, no,” Andesine confirmed, her tone neutral, casting neither blame nor judgment, since……truly, there wasn’t any to go around. “I’m fairly new, still, and I got……swept up, I guess? Into some interdimensional rift? Shortly after I got brought in, of course.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes, because it did still rankle and she remained annoyed about it happening, but she tamped down most of her feelings on the matter. They weren’t the point of anything, right now, only relevant in how she moved forward from them, how she let them inspire her to work harder and do better.
“Still, it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she said. “Lieutenant Andesine, under General Ashanite.… I’d hoped to find some intel in here, but the inside’s even more a hunk of junk than the outside, isn’t is.”
Still, far from a total waste.… Nothing looked like it worked, and examining it all too closely risked missing something else……and conveniently, two Somethings Else decided to waltz right into the ship as well. One of them, seemingly themed with a mix of emeralds and minty tones on a jacket that looked like a doctor’s lab-coat, had the bleach stain outfit and aura of the White Moon senshi; the other, tall and indigo-skinned, with turquoise hair, pointy ears, and the same faintly pinkish-purple uniforms as so many of the other aliens.
Keeping an eye on the two of them had to be worth more than anything this space-wreck had to offer. Even if Andesine likely couldn’t take them in a fight (the jingle-bells briefly felt heavy on her wrist, as if reminding her exactly how useful they weren’t), maybe one of them would slip up somehow.… Maybe she’d spot something that could become useful in handling them later, whatever form that “handling” could take.
MOOD: Uncomfortable/Anxious ACTION: Standing with Vyn and Aliez/talking to Delta-T
Andreiya instinctively huffed, albeit as quietly as one could manage, at the implication that they hadn’t been inside a ship before, or that they were embarrassed. He wasn’t not ready to explore, all of this just seemed off.
He was cautious by nature, but afraid of embarrassing himself. He didn’t want to do anything that could bring the Vanguard shame.
Thankfully, Vyn and Aliez had already started questions and–why had Neryn run in without them? He blinked quizzically at the disappearing Vanguardian, and a brief panic flooded through him because he couldn’t figure why they were in such a hurry. Did they know something the other didn’t? Or were they just so eager to be away from them?
He didn’t think anything had happened earlier, but Andreiya sucked in a breath to steel himself. At least the Negaverse Agents had gone to form their own party. It was one thing to worry about, even if only just slightly less.
He wouldn’t say that he was relieved to have Aliez tug him a little closer but he was. He was relieved to have clever friends, too, because they asked very good questions. And, if he was going to be standing outside a very uncomfortable ship, he was glad he was with them. Neither of them seemed any less apprehensive than he felt, so maybe it wasn’t just him.
Now that Neryn was in the ship, he was only a bit more worried about what was inside–or what might happen to them. He shifted on his feet and glanced at the other two Corporals, and then at where Neryn had just disappeared to.
He was going to stay with them, but of course he was going to worry about what might happen inside.
He didn’t want to interrupt before Delta-T had a chance to answer the others but he couldn’t help but worry about what was going on inside. So, he didn’t sugarcoat it when he asked, “Why should we go inside? What’s in there that we need to be ready for?”
