( 002 » ENSEMBLE ) gravitational.

[reveriemod]

» WHO? EVERYONE
» WHEN? JUNE 1 onward
» WHERE? ALL OVER THE STATION (literally)
» WHAT? Gravity is always on, until it isn't.
» WARNINGS? zero g, paralysis, the vacuum of space, possible asphyxiation, possible character death

0 0 1 » LOSS OF GRAVITY

The outer rings of Reverie Station rotate around the shaft of the station, using inertial forces to simulate gravity. One moment, this works fine — people are walking along corridors, sleeping in their beds, eating in the mess hall or having a drink at the bar. The next moment? In some parts of the station, a crunching sound can be heard, like metal against metal, and shortly thereafter, the rings cease to spin, causing a jolt to go through all rings.

And then what passed for gravity just stops.

Your food, drink or blanket might have floated off after the jolt. Remember to engage your mag boots, if you're wearing them, lest you follow suit. Good luck getting around in zero g.

( ♪ )

0 0 1 . 1 » UPSIDE DOWN AND FLOATING

The lack of gravity may be disorienting at first for those not used to operating in zero g environments. Fortunately, mag boots mean you can continue walking along corridors — though the boots will engage with what used to be the ceiling of the corridors as much as what used to be the floor. No matter which part of the corridor you're attached to, if any, better make sure to collect anything that may be floating around, lest it becomes a dangerous projectile whenever gravity turns back on.

The mess hall and the gym area in particular are in a significant state of disarray. In the mess hall, some cutlery (of the grey, hard plastic variant) has been left unsecured and is floating harmlessly through the air. The same holds true for a large amount of protein powder. In the gym area, meanwhile, the entirety of the dirty water from the pool is no longer in the pool.

( ☺︎ )

0 0 1 . 2 » PARALYSIS INDOORS

One moment, you’re walking — or maybe you’re floating, mag boots disengaged. Either way, from one moment to the next, you become unable to move. Your arms, your legs, even wiggling a toe becomes a thing of impossibility. There’s a heavy weight on your chest, despite the fact that gravity is still not back on. Taking a breath is an ordeal. You can’t call for help, you can’t signal to anyone, you can only stay still.

( ♪ )

OOC: The length of paralysis is up to players.

0 0 2 » TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

It isn't clear why the rotation of the rings has stopped and gravity ceased, but one thing is certain: life on the station is a lot more difficult without gravity, especially for those not used to living and working in a zero g environment. The sensible thing would be to fix whatever is wrong, but in order to do that, you have to figure out what's wrong first.

One way to get an idea might be to put on a suit (if required) and go out an airlock to have a close look at the upper ring, where the crunching noise could be heard the loudest. The objective is to identify the problem and, if possible, fix it — but unless you have the power of flight and can breathe in the vacuum of space, the walk from the airlock to surveying the ring will be taxing in and of itself.

Better not lose hold of the station or each other and whatever you do, do not disengage those mag boots. Hopefully, no debris will come flying at you. The station may be built to withstand it, but you aren't.

( ♪ )

OOC: There are some 20 vac suits with oxygen packs and small thrusters for (weak) propulsion available in the spaces currently accessible to characters; these can be found in various airlocks.

0 0 2 . 1 » FLOATING AROUND

The station may be built to withstand debris, but you aren't — which makes it all the more unfortunate that some debris does catch you. In the side, in the face or in the legs, it doesn't matter: what matters is that the impact is strong enough to disengage the mag boots, which means you are now floating in space.

Did your suit take damage? Do its thrusters still work, or not? Is your oxygen pack still connected properly? If your connection to the station network is still intact, now would be a good time to call for help and hope that someone's close enough to get to you in time before you float too far from the station to still be reached, before your oxygen runs out, before any possible injuries you may have sustained take their toll.

( ♪ )

OOC: With this prompt, the extent of possible injuries, the time before rescue and factors such as oxygen or damage to the suit are all up to players. Please keep in mind that character death is very much a possibility — but that death means relatively little. Should a character die from their injuries or lack of oxygen, they will awaken again. As per the death mechanism outlined in the FAQ, characters are brought back to life (possibly repeatedly, if rescue takes a while), but they lose something. What they lose is up to players as well (a limb, memories, senses, social skills, ...) and the duration of the loss can range from a few days to permanent loss.

0 0 2 . 2 » PARALYSIS OUTDOORS

One moment, you are walking along the hull of the station. The next, you're frozen. Your arms and legs no longer move and there's pressure on your chest. Even taking a breath becomes an ordeal. You cannot move forward. You cannot move back. You can't even signal or call for help.

What choice do you have but to wait out this paralysis and hope that it loses its hold on you before your oxygen runs out? Better not panic, lest you use up more of it.

( ♪ )

OOC: The length of paralysis is up to players.

0 0 3 » WORK IT

For those who've successfully made the walk across the hull of the station to find the problem, it will soon become obvious what has happened: debris crashed into the station and got lodged between the uppermost ring and the shaft of the station, where it is stuck, preventing the spinning of the ring.

You will need to work together to cut through the debris or dislodge it. It's heavy, and you have little leverage in the absence of gravity.

Keep in mind also that if you successfully dislodge the debris, the outer ring will start moving again. Be prepared, especially if you're still connected to the ring by your mag boots. Inertial forces can be quite strong, so you will need to brace yourself or risk being dislodged yourself.

( ♪ )

Comments

Amos

[tumang]

0 0 2. S U I T U P

[ This is habit, for Amos. He stands inside Airlock 2, the door open, the panel a comforting green; everything good and ready to go. He pulls on the tag attached to the zipper at the back of his suit, closing it all the way to his neck, tucking the tab under and securing the fastening over, making sure it's secure. The pants are already secured to his boots, and next to him, his helmet floats aimlessly.

If you've not seen him in a few weeks, he's now sporting a fully grown beard, but still the same amiable look on his face, moving around with the same comfort as usual despite the circumstances. ]

Need some help? These can be a pain in the ass to secure.

0 0 2. 1 S P O T O F T R O U B L E

[ This isn't the first time this happens. He's been outside while Alx was flipping the Roci and going through all sorts of fancy high-g maneuvers, and he's been hanging for his life before. But he's never been hit by a piece of debris before, one that not only knocks him sideways, but also pierces his suit, in a long, thin stripe along his pectoral. ]

Shit. Shit shit!

[ Only years of habit and quick reflexes keep him from being thrown hurtling into deep space without a tether. He hangs on to a latch by the ends of his fingertips on one hand while his other arm covers the cut, creating a weak seal. Fuck. He needs help. Opening his communication channel, he sends out a signal to everyone, his voice coming through gritted teeth when he speaks. ]

Anyone around the lower ring? I'm leaking oxygen. Need a hand!

0 0 3. W O R K I T O U T

[ After getting some help and someone to slap a sealing patch over his leak, Amos will get moving again, towards the ring. The thrusters on the suit are for shit, but they're enough to guide him to the debris field and have a view of the damage that's causing the issue. He can't see the extent of the damage due to the curvature of the ring, but it looks like debris just accumulated in the middle groove of the ring, grinding it to a halt. There are moment where it jolts, like it's trying to move despite the damage.

A few people are there already, and Amos thrusts to them, until he's clamped both feet on the metal, able to walk closer, slowly in the vacuum of space. He gestures at the others, and opens his channel. ]

How far around does it go?

0 0 4. W I L D C A R D

[ hmu with anything! ]

2!

[setpoint]

[This is incredibly weird for Mako, but she's clearly fascinated by everything, from the exact way everything floats to the way the mag boots click and hiss as she moves. She watches carefully as Amos zips up his suit, trying to memorize exactly how he does it. When he offers to help, she hesitates for just a second.]

Please. I've never done anything like this before.

[Maybe the drivesuit counts, considering it seals airtight too, but there's a crew to help with those.]

[tumang]

[ Amos nods, gesturing for Mako to walk closer. He motions at a suit that seems to be on the smaller side. ]

You patched me up, least I can do is make sure you stay alive.

[ He owes her, after all. ]

Start with the pants. There are latches you hook on to your boots on the inside. It'll seal it up there, but it's better to do it first, it's harder to move with the whole thing on.

004 »

[contorta]

( it hasn't been long since gravity stopped existing. it isn't the first time prax has been in zero g, thanks to the rocinante and her crew. he knows the importance now of keeping his mag boots engaged at all times, of not leaving anything to float around untethered lest it become a projectile when gravity kicks back in, when there's movement one way or another. he doesn't think he'll struggle too much at least with this.

it isn't the lack of gravity that he ends up struggling with. it's —

it's that he can't move. can barely even breathe. his mag boots are engaged, both of his feet are firmly on the floor and there's an aloe vera plant in one of his hands and he can't move. there's no discernible reason for it. he hasn't been feeling sick. he hasn't eaten anything strange, or anything stranger than usual. no one has hit him with anything.

is it his brain? it's got to be his brain. or his spine. maybe something's happened to his spine and his nerves. probably the brain. lock-down syndrome? he's heard of it, but doesn't that usually start slower?

how is he ever going to get to mei if he can't move? what if he dies here? what if this is how he dies and he never sees mei again and she dies or turns into a monster, never knowing that he was looking for her? he can't — that can't happen. he can't let that happen. but he also can't move. can't even shout for help. )

[tumang]

[ Amos, since the gravity rings started failing, has been running around the station. Pulling people back to their feet and engaging their boots, giving some of them a push as they floated through the air, checking out potential damages. He planned on going out once he was done checking the inside of the station, and the mess hall and its adjoining new little garden were the last stops for him before he reaches the airlock he opened for Apollo.

What he doesn't expect to see is Prax, in the middle of the corridor, looking like he was on his way to the garden himself, fingers gripped around a plant pot. Frozen in place. Amos takes off into a run, rushing to his side. ]

Doc. Hey, Doc, you okay? Can you hear me?

2.1

[a2brutus]

[Of course someone is idiotic enough to get caught up in the sheer danger that is space. Why wouldn't they? None the less, A2 is on it as son as she hears the emergency broadcast.]

I'm on my way. I'll be there in less than a minute.

[So how fortuitous is it, that she's actually on the lower ring, near the air lock to begin with? Not particularly. She was sort of waiting for some kind of disaster to happen, and being close enough to help when shit hit the fan is important.

Magboots are unnecessary when you're an android that can swing a sword simply by using strong magnetic fields to begin with. A2 wordlessly slams the button to open the lock, and reaches out to grab Amos arm to pull him back inside to safety.]

[tumang]

[ Excuse you, he is one of the most competent people on this station when it comes to being in space. But space is, yeah. Dangerous. Unpredictable.

The rescue actually takes a lot less time than Amos thought it would. For a moment, he thought he'd have to manage to put his feet back on the side of the station to get some sealant on the cut himself, which would definitely leave him mildly exhausted, but.

One second, he's hanging on by the skin of his teeth, and the next, he's back inside the airlock, floating in the space as the door closes and the air pressure switches. He immediately feels the difference by how the pain on his side changes, and he lets out a loud breath in his helmet. ]

Thanks.

[ Pushing against the ceiling, he shifts and gets his feet back on solid metal, boots engaging as his hands already go to the outside pocket that contains the sealing patches, and applies one to the cut. Let's hope he doesn't bleed out inside his suit, because he really doesn't want to take it off and put it back on again, right now. ]

Oh, hey, you got your arm back, I see.

002

[reposing]

[The friendly mannerism is curious. But then, Amos would have no reason to know what he looks like, only what he sounds like.

It's inevitable, he supposes. Alucard keeps his eyes on the man calmly and says:]

I'm well acclimated thanks to Alex.

Amos, isn't it. [It's not a question.]

[tumang]

[ Amos immediately tenses, his body switching from the relaxed stance he was in to getting ready for a fight. It doesn't matter if the desire isn't mutual, it doesn't matter one bit. He recognizes the voice, and the words are just what was needed to make Amos's blood boil.

The guy knows what he's done. ]

Gotta admit that you've got a pair on you to come to me and talk about Alex. [ Amos's fingers twitch, his whole demeanor calm and composed. ]

I'm not helping you.

[morethan084]

[Daisy has never put on a space suit before and she's struggling to get it to fit properly. She really doesn't want to go out there and have something ill fitted to the point that her oxygen is leaking out. When someone offers to help her she readily accepts it.]

Thanks. Is it obvious I've never done this before?

[tumang]

Yes.

[ He's not going to sugarcoat it for anyone. Nobody seems to know how to latch the suits on properly, where the zips and tabs are. But it's what Amos expected, it's why Alex made this video on the network, why he's here and putting people in their suits.

He crouches by Daisy's feet, fingers reaching on the inside of the elasticated protective layer of the vac suit, latching it to her magboots. ]

Here. It connects to the boots, keeps everything sealed up. [ He tugs on the bottom a little, just to make sure, and then stands back up, tapping the small front pocket at her right breast. ] If you get a leak when you're outside, you got sealing patches in here. Don't forget.

wildcard bitches!!!!!!

[pampa]

[ amos is the one person he can trust to drink with him in silence so it's become a more frequent occurrence of late. they had been enjoying their customary antisocial social trend when the gravity goes out. he thinks he hears a curse from his left side, but miller just lets it happen, drifting up to the ceiling as he snatches his hat out of the air and closes his other hand around julie's necklace before it can escape his pocket. his mag-boots engage neatly one at a time on the ceiling and he waits for amos to catch up. ]

Guess it's your time to shine, kid.

[tumang]

[ He'd been minding his own business - aka drinking with Miller, which is something they do, these days, especially considering Holden isn't here to make noises about it. And he's been doing just that, drinking mostly in companionable, comfortable silence, when there's a sudden shudder throughout the room, a loud click and whir and hiss that Amos has heard before.

And then, gravity goes. ]

Damnit.

[ There's no emotion in it as Amos grips the bar top and puts his feet on the floor, engaging his boots. He opens his mouth to suck in the remaining few drops of gin that were in his glass before he pulls back. ]

Wanna bet everyone forgot about the video I sent around?

002

[catastrophics]

[ wanda's never done this before, but that hasn't stopped other novices from venturing out to help, and she can do things to help that others can't. so once she's found an available suit, she's studying the others in the room who are strapping themselves in and attempting to copy their actions. before she actually does go out there, she wants to be sure nothing's too loose or has any holes and is properly fastened - she's still learning about space, but she knows there's a lot of things that can go wrong.

amos's voice comes from behind her and she turns, looking about halfway proper - her suit's still half-unzipped and her helmet is off, but her boots and gloves are properly latched and her hair's tied neatly back so it won't obscure her vision. ]

I'd appreciate that. Thank you.

[tumang]

[ Amos nods, stepping closer and not wasting a moment to help Wanda get into the suit, pulling the fabric at her shoulders, checking with a width of his fingers if it'll be too tight, or too loose. ]

Seems it fits.

[ He pulls the zip up at the back, tucking the tab into the neck before he closes it firmly around her neck. ]

How you been doing in 0G?

2

[lightduties]

[Rhea'li heard the video post, he wants to help. He has zero familiarity with space nonsense but that's never stopped him in the past. The mag boots are... annoying, but if it's what he has to use in order to walk -- clunkily, like he's stepped in extremely adhesive glue with every step -- then he'll put up with it; hanging onto his summoned creature for locomotion is not ideal.

So when he approaches Amos, he will find herself face to face with a man with cat-like ears -- a loop of brass piercing each one -- and a long fluffy tail, an earthen creature the size of two housecats floating at shoulder height.

Rhea'li nods; he absolutely hasn't done this before.]

Your advice would be much appreciated.

[tumang]

Well, fuck.

[ It's a fairly neutral exclamation, barely surprise, at this point. Because after green women, trolls, and a slew of superpowered people, a guy with cat ears and a tail is just a little eccentric, to Amos. ]

I knew about furries, but you're taking it one step further.

[ Which doesn't matter. He motions to the animal. ]

That's not going to be able to come with you.

2.

[oddbod]

I think I've got it.

[And she almost does, making quick work of her boots; she may or may not have studied the provided instructions in detail, not wanting to mess up or have to ask for help. She's a goddamn space traveler, she can't look like this is only her second time putting on a space suit.]

Not that it matters much, [ she adds, smiling as though it's a private joke with herself.] Loving the beard, by the way.

[tumang]

Why wouldn't it matter?

[ Clara might have got it, but Amos still steps forward, boots clicking loudly as he checks the zip at the back of her suit, the protection around her neck, the connection from oxygen tank to the helmet floating by her side.

He smirks at her next words. He wouldn't necessarily have it under other circumstances, but as far as trying something new with his face, he doesn't mind it. Not that he's spent much time thinking about it. ]

Broke my razor on day 2.

2.1

[unshielding]

On my way.

[ Steve doesn't have to look at who it is. It doesn't matter, because someone needs help and Steve's already out here, himself. He's seen the debris and narrowly missed getting knocked off the station himself, so he's well aware of the dangers they're facing out here.

He's not far away and makes a beeline for Amos as soon as he spots him, reaching out with his space suit-covered fingers to get a grip on Amos' suit by the wrist and pull him closer so he can get his boots re-engaged. As he's doing it, another piece of debris flies by, missing Steve's head by only a few inches. ]

[tumang]

[ As soon as there's a hand around his own, tugging, Amos is moving along, bending his knees and engaging his core muscles to fight against the complete lack of - everything around them. It's not like he's never been in this position before, but usually not with a pretty substantial leak in his suit. He still clutches his side as best as he can as his boots finally hit the hull again, the feeling of being anchored feeling like relief.

He nods at Steve, before ducking when more debris flies past them. ]

Thanks. Can you help patch me up?

002.1

[wentnuclear]

[ Raleigh has no idea what he's doing with any of this. In theory, it shouldn't be more frightening than things he's done already -- from what he knows of it the bottom of the ocean will kill you far more aggressively than the vacuum of space -- but the idea of floating off into the void helplessly is. Uh. Fucking terrifying, thanks. Still, he's not letting Mako go out there alone, and if he can make himself useful in any way it's worth facing the unknown. He's not one to buckle to fear anyway.

Amos is actually the one who helps him seal up his suit, and Raleigh listens carefully to the crew's tips on how to handle himself out there. Eyes down, make sure your boots lock, save your air... it's all pretty intuitive, actually. As for whatever repairs are necessary he's just going to follow the engineers' lead and take instructions, keeping a close eye on Mako until he's needed. They're making their way carefully up towards where the trouble reportedly is when Amos' transmission comes through his helmet.

Shit.

He's pretty close -- when he glances back he can see the other man hanging on by his fingertips, and as usual Raleigh doesn't think very hard about whether or not to help. He gestures to Mako to get low to the hull so she's not hit too, and hustles back to Amos as fast as he can while still ensuring his boots lock with each step. No use creating a situation where multiple people need rescuing. When he gets there he reaches up with both hands and pulls Amos back towards the station, then down further into a huddle to avoid more debris. His eyes are a little wide as he spots the tear but he sounds calm enough over the comms. It's not like he's a stranger to crisis situations. ]

You said there are patches, right?

[ Which pocket would those be in? He should've asked more questions before wandering out into space. ]

[tumang]

[ Amos keeps his arm as close to himself as he can to keep the leak as minimal as possible when Raleigh runs back to him, helping him get back towards the hull. He locks one boot down and lets out a sigh of relief, making it long and slow before he holds his breath again, preserving his oxygen as much as possible. There, in a huddle with Raleigh and still getting himself back to a position where he can do something, he nods, faintly pointing at Raleigh's chest. ]

Pocket at the front. Left side. Might need two.

[ Breathing is going to start hurting in a moment. No time to waste. ]

004. amos' quarters

[tekimetexeng]

[ This entire scenario has been intensely unsatisfying for Naomi. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up in the first place that whatever was wrong was something she could fix and doing so had basically guaranteed that it was not. There was no mechanical failure or broken part in need of repair, just massive debris lodged in the upper ring's path that she didn't have the proper tools to cut apart. Acknowledging her relative uselessness, she'd headed back inside intending to give her vac suit to someone brawnier. But she hadn't even succeeded at that -- instead she'd been caught off guard by another bit of debris, hitting her in the side with enough force to knock her breath from her lungs and her boots from the station hull. She'd been very lucky that another woman had been in range, and that her reflexes were fast enough to snag Naomi's boot before she'd floated off. Injured in both body and pride, she'd thanked her savior and limped back in, traded her suit off and spent the rest of the working period making sure volunteers were sealed up properly, just as she'd initially promised. She needed to still be useful somehow.

Eventually, the job was done. Little thanks to her, but whatever. The volunteers had done good work. Gravity was back on and despite a few hiccups and minor injuries, everyone was fine. She made her way back to her room to indulge a little in her own bitterness, how frustrated and worthless this entire scenario had her feeling. Just for a little while, so she could put a brave face on again for the others tomorrow. Alex in particular seemed to be struggling. But the longer she stayed still with nothing else to focus on, the more insistent the pain in her ribs became. She unzipped her jumpsuit warily, and sure enough dark bruises were blossoming over her side. It was probably nothing. Fragile Belter bones, given a bit too hard of a whack. Cracked at the worst, but still... breathing hurt. And it wasn't like they had a med bay here to double check, or anyone on staff to wrap them for her.

So as much as she hates to bother him this late after a long day, Naomi finds herself in front of Amos' door, knocking gently. Maybe he's asleep? Her free arm hugs her ribs, breath shallow and uncomfortable. ]

[tumang]

[ Of course Amos isn't asleep. He's replaying the events of the day in his head, the different encounters he's had, the people he's helped, the ones he spat at - well, the one, really. He should consider it a win that there is only one person on the station so far he actually, actively dislikes. His mind works through his own accident, almost getting sent into deep space, the help he got. These people - strangers, really, willing to help him. To keep him alive, even though they had nothing to gain from it.

It was a weird feeling in his chest, to think of. So no, he's not sleeping. He's sitting in bed, in his jumpsuit, the top half wrapped around his waist as usual, his shirt off and by his side as he looks over both sides of his body, now showing parallel healing wounds.

The knock doesn't startle him, but he takes a moment before answering, opening the door and stepping back to let Naomi in without a word, door sliding shut behind her. ]

Hey. [ He only need to take one look at her. ]

You're injured? Show me.