Realistic or Modern // Ignite the Spark // open & accepting

[Ashmorne]

LIFE IN P A R A D I S E: file 320 of the PaxCor archives





Welcome to Tranquility, the giant city of beautiful conformity and the PaxCor's largest territory in the former United States. This oasis is the perfect safe haven from the Ruins. The millions of citizens of Tranquility live inside the walled city, the prized jewel of Commonwealth’s President Luna Pacecco. Tranquilians are humble and compliant...a truly peaceful and systematic people. Here in Tranquility, we bring the 3 Paxcor Pillars to life: Respect, Efficiency, and Compliance.


When everyone is the same, what's the need for change?

They are the true embodiment of what PaxCor and the Patch stand for...harmony and efficiency. Why, that’s we call the city Tranquility! President Luna Pacecco

​

You know that your Patch is a good thing. It keeps you a good citizen...it keeps you methodical, a competent member of society.


But...you’ve always felt a little bit different.


You’ve always been a little more...out there. You’re not quite sure how exactly to describe it. You notice the graffiti popping up on the walls more often than your friends do. They forget about it, chalking it up to anomalies...but it sticks with you. Why can’t you forget it? You hear the whispers around town, the word “Spark” coming up as casual dinner table talk. No one thinks anything of it. You find it popping up in your mind often. You know that President Pacecco says that there’s nothing beyond Tranquility, that it’s a wasteland past the city walls. Everyone believes her. Something inside you nags, wondering if you should. Investigating would be considered a crime, a Deviance. No one knows what happens to the Deviants of the city. Yet...you still wonder.


Maybe whoever is behind the graffiti can give you some answers about yourself, about your inability to focus on what truly matters- the Pillars of Paxor: Respect, Efficiency, and Compliance.


Is there something more to life than logic?


Are you a part of something...more? Is there something beyond those walls? Are there others like you in Tranquility?


Find the Pill, and maybe you’ll get some answers.

​

 

[Ashmorne]

I M P O R T A N T


I N F O R M A T I O N


READ BEFORE POSTING


no slide

Goals for Scene One

There is just one imperative for this scene.


If you are a Tranquility citizen, find Solara. She is delivering Pills in the city. In addition to this, she has important information.


There was graffiti around town that you’ve noticed. It’s said “Find the Pill.” There has been a symbol painted above it before it disappears. It looks like this:

Spoiler

Under the graffiti, there is a number. 23:30. Archaic military time for 11:30. You know that there only a few places in Tranquility that are obscured by cameras. Will this be the night be you finally decide to go to one of those places?


Find Solara.


Find the Pill.


Will you join the Spark?

Applications

Once your character application is accepted, feel free to join. Ashmorne may message you with extra information.

Scene One Information

The Diamond Sector is completely separate from the rest of Tranquility, completely segregated. Luna Pacecco says that the Patch is used to instill harmony and make a peaceable nation. However, there’s something being hidden from the citizens of Tranquility.


Those within the Diamond Sector do not have the Patch. They live in luxury and excess, completely Patchless. No one outside of the Diamond knows this. Solara, if you find her, will give you more background. The Pill will completely let your character experience a full range emotions for the first time in their life. Their senses will no longer be dull. Within a minute, all the emotions come rushing in.

Spoiler

no slide

I G N I T E the S P A R K


S C E N E || O N E

​

Solara Feivel




​

Nightfall. The twigs snapped underneath Sola’s boots, crunching softly as she moved farther and farther from Spark Territory. She had been traveling for about two hours, and she could see the towering walls of Tranquility looming over the horizon like a dark and hulking titan, about a hundred yards away. The city was truly gargantuan. She moved easily through the shadows, cutting through the dense thicket of forestry that circled PaxCor’s crown jewel. Her feet knew these steps by heart now. She’d be making this journey for nearly five years now. Though...this was the first time in a while that she was making the journey without Kais.


Typically, he would be with her as she left the Ruins, trodding alongside her until she they reached the forest. Then he would follow her from farther back, weapons hidden as he watched out for any enemies.They would chat as they traveled, words exchanged easily between them. Kais was her oldest friend. When he took the position as Strategist with her brother, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of betrayal. He no longer would be her partner. She would continue to make deliveries, with him staying back to plan instead. Thoughts of bitterness tinged her mind. Sola, being compulsive and restless, had taken off on a delivery without bothering to inform Shasta or Kais. Her frustration had caused her to take the switch delivery nights with another Scout, ignoring Shasta’s set rules. It was her little rebellion. With only a little regret, she moved forward and tried to forget that her friend was usually with her.





Damn it, Sola. It doesn’t matter. He couldn’t come. Why is this bothering you so much?


She forced the negative thoughts out of her thoughts, reminding herself that it was a good thing that he was in the Strategist position. He and Shasta made a great team. In a couple of minutes, she reached the wall. It stood several miles high, made of various metals. The daunting form stood monstrously in the night. The sight usually didn’t make her nervous, not for at least two years. Today, being here alone, a tingle of nerves ran through her. Sola leaned her hands against the worn metal, running her fingers over the familiar dips and divots. She stopped as she felt a series of deep cuts in the metal made by Scouts before her, shaped like a four petal flower. Moving five paces over, she crouched to the ground. There was a large square of woolly material, woven to look like grass. She pushed it away, revealing a flat metal panel several inches thick. Blending with the shadows, she moved the panel with the heel of her shoe. The metal slid against the grass, revealing a gaping tunnel almost two yards wide that moved under the wall.


This was her least favorite part. The utter darkness and nothingness of the tunnel always made her anxious. Sighing, she slid into it, holding on to the side. Pulling the panel and cloth over the area from within, she turned to be on her stomach. The tunnel was about two yards wide, one yard high. It curved downward, far underneath the wall. She slowly slid lower and began crawling on her hands and knees through the darkness. After about twelve feet, she felt the place where the tunnel curved upward towards the opening to Tranquility. Straightening, she leaned against the side and lifted her palm up. It hit cool metal. Placing her hands on the underside, she slowly lifted the metal plate. It was underneath a heavy shrub, shrouded by branches and bramble.


Peering out, she tried to squint her eyes to see in between the twigs. Past the shrubs were trees that circled a park within the Cloud District. Sola slowly moved the panel aside and crawled out of the tunnel, quietly replacing it behind her. She crouched in the thicket. There was no one around yet. There was no sound of footsteps, not even the tinny hum of the guard robots that patrolled the area. She lifted her head above the bush. Breathing a sigh of relief, she straightened and meandered out of the bush. Dusting off her clothes, she looked down at her appearance. A pair of jeans, sneakers, and a long sleeved black t-shirt. Very standard Tranquility clothing. She would blend right in, even if she was a little dusty. Her fake ID card sat in her back pocket, her blades bound against her side. In her front pocket, a small plastic packet contained several of the Pills. The one thing that made her stand out was the red brooch pinned near her neckline. The Spark emblem...what would cause the people who saw the graffiti to recognize her.


She dusted off her jeans and moved farther outward. Peace Park was one of the simplest in Tranquility. A large stone bridge curved over a pond. Sola moved towards the bridge, standing on the shore almost underneath it. The angle just blocked out the cameras that watched the area. One of the only places in Tranquility where the cameras just missed getting the whole shot. Now, she would look casual and wait. She leaned against the bridge, arms crossed.





Just blend in, this is fine.


She missed knowing that Kais was a few yards away, able to help if there was trouble. Moving past her nerves, she thought about the times she saw people take the Pill. Small and red, it was always an intense sight to see someone swallow it. They would be so...lifeless at first. The citizens would come toward her, their stares blank. Sometimes they would glance at her pin, and look at her. They would say something along the lines of “I saw the paint...I’ve always wondered.” Sometimes they would tell her about the bare whispers of the Spark, of how they always felt as though they stuck out from the disinterest of their families. Their voices were always dull, monochromatic...but there was something underneath it, something waiting to be set free. Sometimes they would take the Pill, others wouldn’t.


But the ones that did…


It looked a little different from everyone. Within a minute, there was a gasp. People would cry, they would laugh wildly...some couldn’t even stay standing. The response was always so raw and intense. Emotions being felt for the first time...she couldn’t imagine. Almost always, they would never want to go back to that state of unfeeling. They would come with her, across the woods...miles away, into Spark territory. The sparse few that couldn’t handle it and didn’t want to come with her, the ones that wanted to revert back to their original Patch states...well, she wouldn’t think about that until she had to.


She occupied her thoughts as she waited to see if anyone would show up tonight. Would anyone find the pill, find her? Crossing her arms, she bided the time in the shadows.

Shasta Feivel




​

11:30 p.m.


This is the time where Shasta usually began winding down for the evening. He walked down the halls of Keys Tower. The interior of the building had been refinished, but still looked sort of old. Plaster walls, floors covered with rugs woven by other Sparks. Cracking his knuckles, he rounded the corner towards the flight of stairs and collided with someone.


“I’m so sorry-” Shasta began, but stopped. In front of him stood the Scout that should have been on delivery tonight. “Damien? Aren’t you supposed to be in Tranquility right now?”


The Scout, thin and tall with close cut blonde hair, looked at him quizzically.


“I switched shifts with Solara. She was going on her first solo mission tonight. She said you suggested it.” Damien responded, eyebrows raised,


A spike of energy went through Shasta.


Of course. This is so typical.


Remaining calm, he thanked Damien and moved quickly back towards the conference room. Though his demeanor remained cool, frustration rippled beneath the surface. He knew that it was too late to go after her. She would already be in the city by now. He looked around for Kais as he walked, wondering if his friend knew about Sola’s plan.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil


Spark Strategist

​

There was something about heights. Something... irresistible.

From atop the Keys Tower, he could see everything. With a sharp pair of eyes, patience, and a handful of sand he might have sniped half the members of the Spark from there. He wasn't likely to do so, but the fact that he could was what appealed to him. That was what it was. The allure of heights; the perfect place to sit in wait. The perfect place to strike from. The tower was the best spot in the ruins--the top of it was his usual haunt. From here, he could see Tranquility. With the right scope and nice conditions, he could even hit it. It wouldn't do much good, but it was fun to think about.


The top of Keys Tower also had the added benefit of being entirely devoid of other people. The only people who came up there were him... and people who were looking for him. And Bane, if Bane was people--sometimes Kais was fairly certain it was, but most didn't agree with him. More likely than not he was crazy. Tonight it was just him, with Scorpion and Viper. They wouldn't do much good at this distance--but, on the off chance that someone unscrupulous came looking for him, he wasn't going to be caught without his trusty brace of pistols. So far no one unscrupulous had ever come looking for him on top of the tower, but he held out hope anyway.


As a matter of fact, usually no one came looking for him at all. Perhaps, more recently, there had been more people. Since he'd taken Shasta's offer of becoming Strategist, it seemed more people needed him more often. It was a strange experience--and not a particularly welcome one. Over the years he had become accustomed to being ignored and overlooked; it was comfortable that way. But now his days were whittled away with Shasta, among others. There was always something new to discuss, something that needed to be run past him. Was this was Shasta felt like all the time? A little bit overrun? He thought of his friend and shook his head. Shasta was too composed; too in-charge to ever be overrun. Being at the center of things... that always seemed like his natural habitat. At least from where Kais was standing it looked right. It wasn't a job he ever wanted to hold.


In fact, he had been fairly content in his old job. He had done something that fit his skillset well--and something that he felt strongly about. Not bringing the pill to Tranquility. No. In fact, more often than not, he didn't care all that much about freeing the tranquil from the patch. What he was good at--what he had felt strongly about--was making sure Solara came back in once piece. She was one of two people who he could get through a conversation with and he'd be damned if he let her get caught in that hellhole. That's not to say he wouldn't have enjoyed the assignment if he'd been paired with someone else. That thrill of sneaking into Tranquility; the danger, the knowledge that some PaxCor slime might be on you at any time. That was living.


But instead, here he was. Strategist to the Sparks. Applying his skills in a decidedly less thrilling, but probably much more important way.


There was a crunch behind him--the unmistakable sound of someone opening the old rusty door to the roof. He turned, hand halfway to Scorpion out of reflex, to see who it was. He needn't have pothered with the gun; it was Emeryx--the girl was a looter in his age group, ruins-born also.


"Ah, you are up here! I'd half wondered if you'd gone after her, but I guess you hadn't."


Why did people talk in such a roundabout way?


"Who?" Simple question, simple answer. That was all he ever wanted.


"Sola, of course--didn't you hear? She took Damien's mission to Tranquility alone, tonight. Thought you'd go with her, seeing as you finished up with Shasta, but I guess not."


Kais' eyes narrowed, his voice even but dangerous. "She did what?"


Never mind that, actually. He knew the answer. Why had he asked? It was a stupid question. Emeryx opened her mouth to respond, but Kais was already pushing past her, through the still-open door.


"Said it was Shasta's idea!" She called after him.


Shasta's idea, was it? Why would he go and have a stupid idea like that? Kais' boots thundered down the narrow stair from the roof. Was Shasta still in the building? Kais was going to find out.


"SHASTA!"

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Blood Sector, Richard's Office - Emergency Sector, Hospital #4


The computer in front of him rung for a third time, finally waking him up. He yawned, adjusting his glasses to see the screen. Three new admissions at his sector. "Let's see." Tapping the screen a few times, he sorted the patients to the aisles. The movement of the stretchers outside assured him that the order was carried out.


He rose from the semi-comfortable chair that served as bed during last night. There were several problems during the night that prevented him from making the trip back home. He was used to do that, he lost count of how many times his work prevented him to go home. He lived for the work, so he didn't have any issues with that. Going to the bathroom, he washed his face and adjusted his lab coat, then came out to the hall, where his team was working. The patients were completely stabilized, and the nurses sorting out the patients files. "Greetings, Doctor Davenport. The patients are already on the asiles you marked. Is everything alright?" The nurse behind the terminal looked at Richard. "Yes, everything is fine. Do you have something requiring my attention?" The nurse looked around, then nodded negatively. "No, doctor. Everything is taken care of." He looked around, just to make sure, then nodded. "I'll head home, then. I need to take a shower and take care of some personal issues. I'll go back after lunch. If something arises, don't hesitate to call me." The nurse agreed and returned to duty, while Richard went home for a well deserved rest. The day was cloudy, and the streets of Tranquility as crowded as ever. The white everything was only obscured by some shades of blue in certain spots of the landscape, proof that PaxCor is doing their job well. But something caught Richard's eye. A few janitors brushing a wall clean. A bright red paint was in a star shape, with the words "FIND THE PILL - 23:30" on the bottom. Richard tried to ignore, but it still lingered in his mind. He saw those in other opportunities, ignored by all of the citizens but the janitors. Twenty-three and thirty. But where? What is that? He put his head down then returned home. The apartment was dark, as the shades were closed. He turned on the lights and took off the coat, placing it on a chair, then took a hot shower.


But he couldn't forget. The graffiti that he saw so many times, and that nobody talked about it. Wearing a set of clean clothes and grabbing a clean lab coat, he looked to the window. The janitors were almost finished, the last of the graffiti being washed clean. Find the Pill, twenty-three and thirty. He decided. He had to go and check, and if his presumption is correct, it would be on the blind spots of the town. He didn't care about the punishment, he had to see what is that. A cure for something? Was he sick and he didn't know it? The only way to find out was to go and Find the Pill.

 

[Ashmorne]

S H A S T A || F E I V E L


SPARK ALPHA


Location: Keys Tower





"SHASTA!"


Kais's voice could be heard from where he was standing. He had made it up almost to the roof, just a floor down. Thundering footsteps could be heard as he listened to his friend charging down the staircase. Shasta folded his arms, his jaw clenched.


He better not have had anything to do with this.





Sighing, he waited for Kais to burst through the doors. By the clamor of his heavy footsteps, it sounded as though Kais might have been caught just as off guard. Shasta still felt a prick of irritation, however. Not only at Kais, who may or may not have been involved, but at Solara. His little sister always was a flighty one. While he loved her, he often wondered how they ended up so different. What was she thinking, going out on a delivery without a partner? Solo Pill deliveries happened, but not when his sister was involved. She needed a partner to watch her back.


Shasta began to pace back and forth across the corridor, hands clasped behind his behind back. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was be calm. But even that was difficult when his family was involved. Straightening, he prepared himself for Kais to find him.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais reached the bottom of the winding stair from the roof. It oughtn't even have been called a stair--it was very nearly a ladder. In any case, Kais had made the trip so often that he no longer even thought about it. His footing was sure, in spite of being distracted at the time. He paused, hand on the door handle. Would Shasta really have sent Sola to Tranquility on her own? It seemed unbelievable. Shasta was just as insistent as himself that she have someone to watch her back--he was her brother, after all, and a real one at that. Not like Kais--an outsider in spite of his efforts to fit in. Less unbelievable was the possibility that Sola has gone on her own without telling anyone. Or--well--obviously she had told someone, since Emeryx had known and now he knew. But the strangeness of it all made him question.


He pushed the door open.


Shasta was inside, apparently waiting for him. Kais stopped short, considering his friend for a moment. He had a sharp gaze--most people tried to pretend they weren't studying you when they looked at you, but Kais simply didn't care. He didn't care if it made them uncomfortable, either. But Shasta knew this--and he knew Kais too well to expect anything different from him.


Outside the door he had doubted. And now, seeing Shasta with his hands clasped behind the back and well-veiled irritation on his face, he knew that his doubts were well-founded. At least Kais had had the good sense to keep from bursting angrily through the door and demanding answers from his friend--that would not have befitted him.


"It's true, then?" Kais said without preamble. Greetings and lead-ins were simply not his thing. "Sola went by herself? She didn't tell you, either, did she?"

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout


Location: blind spot near Peace Park bridge





Leaning her back against the cool stone of the bridge, Sola looked across the park. The pond, shaped like an oval, glistened darkly under the moonlight. Street lamps blinked farther out towards the path. The light barely reached to the shadowy corner of the bridge where she stood. As she folded her arms, she felt the metal of the blades bound beneath her shirt. If anything out of the blue happened, they would be in her hands within an instant. She wouldn’t hurt anyone if she didn’t have to, and would be out of that area in a matter of seconds. In her time as a Scout, though, she had never been noticed.


That was a fact that seemed less important tonight. She didn’t want to think about how there was no one ready to jump to her aid. Her mind drifted back to the moments before she left for the delivery tonight. While had been assigned a new partner, a friend of her’s. They had yet to make a trip together.


Sola knew that wherever she went in the Ruins, she would be watched. When your brother is the leader of the Spark, there’s very little privacy. She felt as though everything she did would be reported back to Shasta. Typically, she would have sought some peace in the Forest that bordered the Ruins. This time, she needed more than that. This delivery was the only thing that would remedy her restlessness...a restlessness that she didn't even understand. What did it matter if she had a new partner, that it wasn't Kais?


She would deal with him and Shasta when she got back. For now, she would continue waiting to see if anyone would be going back with her.





S H A S T A || F E I V E L


SPARK ALPHA


Location: Keys Tower





Shasta glanced up at the sound of Kais’s voice. The man had little care for easing into conversation. For as long as Shasta had known him, Kais was the type of person to cut right to the heart of the issue without the cushion of small talk. It was something that Shasta typically appreciated.


Sighing, he nodded. Kais’s words confirmed what Shasta had prior speculated. Sola had gone off without telling either of them. He had no doubt that it was a very purposeful nondisclosure of information on Sola’s part. Feeling his irritation towards Kais calm and his frustration towards his sister grow larger, he nodded.


“She’s probably already in Tranquility by now,” Shasta responded calmly, his voice hiding the anger that was simmering deep beneath the surface. Kais was one of the only people that Shasta confided in. When he became the Alpha, Shasta took on a veil of strength and unfazedness. Kais and Sola were two of the people that saw beyond that layer. The last bit of family that he had left. “I don’t know how she could be so irresponsible. She’s always been so stubborn and set in her ways, but I’ve never seen her irrationality grow this big. Why would she go to Tranquility on her own? She should know better. I’ll never understand that girl. It’s as though she’s acting purely on her own compulsions, she clearly didn’t think this through,”


Shasta took a breath at the end of his rant. He knew he was being harsh on her, but she was the one who had acted so foolishly. He didn’t want to look at things from her viewpoint yet. Even if he did, he sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to understand the driving force behind his sister’s actions.

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Tranquility Streets - 23:40


Richard left his house, wearing the only set of "casual" clothes he had, a clean lab coat on top of everything. It was rare for the doctor to do that, he usually wore his default clothes with a lab coat, but he felt that it was best. He looked at the street clock. 23:40. Late. He walked along the wall that had the graffiti, now clean as a whistle. Stopping, he looked at the wall, then at the street, trying to remember the symbol. A red star. Was this part of something bigger? Placing his hands at the coat's pockets, he walked to the only blind spot he knew in the Cloud District.


After he started working, Richard never had the chance to go back to the park. The verdant patch suffocated by the imposing white of its surroundings was full of people in the day, but now it looked as peaceful as the streets around the park. He strolled around, remembering the few times he went here as a child. His father were never present, always at the hospital. He came to realize that he became just like his father, in almost every aspect. Except having a family. He preferred his way, less distractions from work. Careful not to draw attention of the cameras or anyone else, he came to the blind spot of the park. It was dark, but he was sure it was a girl. The defining trait of her was the red star she wore. He was still on time. He approached her. "Excuse me, are you the one from the graffiti? I'd like to know about this Pill."

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais listened, watching Shasta. He was better at listening and watching than actually interacting. Supposedly listening was half the battle, but it was definitely the downhill half, as far as Kais was concerned. He heard the anger that wasn't there, saw his annoyance with Solara, and underneath he knew was hiding the same emotion that churned his own stomach: fear. What if something were to happen to her? If she got caught in Tranquility alone... there was scant chance of her getting out in one piece. She was a right hand in close quarters, sure enough, but there were too many risks, too many dangers. If anything went wrong there would be no Plan B. He knew Shasta was thinking the same, for all his calm outer demeanor and his irritated words. Kais said nothing for a while, instead considering with brows knit.

What Shasta said was true--she was probably already in Tranquility. It meant there wasn't enough time to go after her. The damage, as they say, had been done. Though he hoped not in a literal sense. If she got herself killed because he wasn't there to watch his back... he'd never forgive himself. He tried to think, tried to reason--before he noticed he was pacing the length of the room. He had height on her, and speed. Maybe he could catch her up before anything happened. But if she was in the city he wouldn't be able to find her. There were a few blind spots and it was impractical to check them all--he wouldn't know which one she was at before looking. He ground his teeth together, frustrated, feeling helpless. His fists clenched.


"Damn it!" He drove one fist into the plaster wall. It crunched beneath his knuckles, sending dust everywhere, but mostly it just hurt like hell. He wasn't angry with Sola--not really. Confused, certainly, but not really angry. He was more frustrated with himself for not being able to help. If anything happened....


"Isn't there anything we can do?"

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout


Location: blind spot in Peace Park





Sola straightened as she heard the footsteps of an approaching person. This was the part that caused her adrenaline to spike, sending a tingle down her spine. She squared her shoulders, pressing one hand on her abdomen to prepare to grab a blade if necessary. Soon, a man appeared out of the darkness. He stood tall, wearing both a lab coat and a curious expression. Sola could feel her shoulders relax a bit as he asked about the Pill. She could tell by the tilt of his eyebrows, the tone of speech, the way he stood...he was a Deviant. There was a glimmer of light in his eyes, the kind that was waiting to ignite. The kind of spark that the Deviants had lurking behind their irises.


Sola felt a smile creeping on her face. She always had so much hope for the Tranquil, for their first taste of emotion to be a good one. She herself had never been under the influence of the Patch being born out in the Ruins, but she couldn't even imagine a life where she didn't have the storm of emotions constantly going on inside of her. That storm, no matter how frustrating at times, was what made her her.


Looking at the man, she reached into her front pocket and pulled out the clear packet of Pills. Taking out one, she held it up. Small, circular, crimson red.


"If you've ever felt slightly out of place, if you ever felt like a nagging feeling telling you that there was something...more. Take this Pill. You will see life like never before. PaxCor has lied to you. You'll only truly understand what I mean if you take it,"


Sola's words came out calmly, easily. She nodded her head towards the Pill in order to build trust. She'd only ever had a handful of people refuse the Pill. Typically Deviants have been waiting for something, anything, that would explain why they've always felt...different. Sola held the Pill out, waiting to see if the man would take it. Her body leaned closer to the wall, ready to leave if necessary.





S H A S T A || F E I V E L


SPARK ALPHA


Location: Keys Tower


Shasta could see the frustration and concentration hovering underneath Kais's surface. He watched as his brows furrowed. Kais tended to be more quiet and reflective, less rant-inclined than himself. Shasta looked on, arms folded, letting his friend think. Kais began to pace back and forth, wheels turning. Shasta knew that he must be trying figure something out, create some logical answer. Kais's jaw tensed, his arm shooting out as he drove his fist into the wall. Dust exploded outward, the crisp thud of old plaster caving filling the hall.


"Isn't there anything we can do?"


Shasta felt his stomach churn. The fear he was trying to avoid was uncurling. Sola was alone in the city. The only Scouts that made solo deliveries had at least five years of training under their belts. Even if Sola had that necessary training, Shasta still would've been reluctant to let her go out alone. If he was being honest with himself, he knew he probably would have forbade it. It wasn't about whether or not she could handle herself. Sola was well-versed with hand to hand combat and she knew how to move with stealth. It was more about the heightened chance that his little sister would be in danger. He wasn't about to let yet another of his family members disappear out of his life.





"I don't know what we could do. We could try and go after her, but that would end up doing no good. She's already within the walls. Whatever is going to happen is probably already happening. It would take us at least two hours to make it all the way to Tranquility. Plus, we both know that too many people in that area may attract unwanted attention. All we can do is wait,"


Shasta hated the words as they came out of his mouth. He wanted to make a hole in the wall with his fist too, but forced himself not to. Instead, he crossed and uncrossed his arms, then ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't figure out why she thought that going off on her own would be a good way to cope with her frustration. Solo deliveries were only made in tense circumstances, in situations where they felt as though two people wouldn't have gone unnoticed. They were a rare thing. Everyone within the Spark knew the value of having a partner, someone to watch your back. In the back of Shasta's mind, he wondered about the sense of abandonment Sola might have been dealing with. A flush of sadness ran through him as he remembered his parents. Shaking his head, Shasta tried to refocus. Regardless of what she was feeling, it was idiotic to go out alone. Life wasn't about doing things alone.


"I honestly don't know why I'm surprised. We should've known she'd strike off on her own or do something stupid when she found out you wouldn't be her partner anymore. She's always been that way. Compulsive. Doing things without thinking, saying things without thinking," Shasta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he glanced back at Kais. "I should've kept a closer eye on her."

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Peace Park - 23:40


The Doctor looked at the girl, then the pill on her hand. Something... more? Is this really the key? He backtracked to his childhood, the times where he felt something, a glint of... feelings, inside his mind. He tried to talk to the others, but they wouldn't comprehend, or ignore, unaware of the world surrounding them. He eventually stopped talking about it. From dawn till dust, every day of his life was hiding these emotions. The only time he voiced them, on his career choice, he was almost arrested. Now a girl is in front of him, eyes fixated, her hand extended, with something that could give him the answers he sought all his life.


To his credit, he hesitated a little, before slowly taking the pill. Playing with it on his hand, he mulled over it, looking at the girl then back at the pill on his hand. Taking a deep breath, he threw the pill on his mouth and swallowed it in one go. "So, what will happ-" Without warning, a sharp pain on the back of his head threw him off balance, making him hold his neck while propping himself against the wall. His vision shifted and blurred, while a surge of something started growing at the back of his mind.Emotions.


"What... what's happening..." He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, while the pain subsided and gave way to something else. A mixture of emotions washed over him as he tried to understand what was going on inside of his mind. Hatred and love, sadness and happiness. Contempt, desperation, disgust, the emotions came, one after another while he kept his eyes closed. When the rush ended, his face had several streaks of tears on his face, and more started to roll in. Panting, as if he just ran a marathon, he looked at the girl, the gave a tired smile. He felt... normal. He looked around, surveying his environment, like a child on the first day at the park. The cool air was... pleasant. The night sky... He felt small, yet amazed. The fabric of the cloth on his skin was comfortable. He couldn't describe it anymore, so he gave up after a while. "Is this how you live? It's... amazing... Tell me more, please." He couldn't place what he was feeling, but the few readings he had on medical school showed a name. Excitement. He was excited to know more, and excited to the whole new world that he was experiencing.

 

[RZA]

Veda Creed


23:47 | Location: Peace Park


A soft breeze whispered through the large grove of trees that surrounded Peace Park and it’s tranquil oval shaped lake. She stood a few feet past the treeline, just out of sight. Veda looked at the bridge, remembering the feel of cool water on hot summer days. It seemed to settle her unusual heart rate. There were three places, including Peace Park Bridge, that she knew were obscured by cameras. There were probably others, but she was only certain of those.


Find the Pill, the graffiti instructed. Too many hours laying awake at night, contemplating things out of her grasp led her out on this mission. Veda’s curiousity was insatiable - she had to know. She checked her watch, she was already a few minutes late and she had to walk the treeline to get to the other side. That way the angle would be right, and she would be unseen when she left the trees.


Her tardiness was due to the fact that she had checked the obscured spot nearest her apartment first. When no one was there she took her shortcut to Peace Park, her favorite place since childhood. She wasn’t doing anything wrong per say, but something made her check for Guardbot’s that might be making their nightly rounds.


Veda stalked through the underbrush, pretending it was just another childhood game she and her sister Vera were playing. But the darkness was a stark difference between the daytime games they used to play. The top of the lake stirred lightly in the night wind, and she couldn’t tell if anyone was on the other side. She kept walking, as silently as she could.


Even in the moonlight she wasn’t sure if what she was seeing was real. There was a woman, probably no older than herself who held the answer to all her wandering questions. Or so the graffiti had inferred. There was a tall man with his back to Veda, leaning against the bridge. He seemed to be out of breath and for a split second she considered turning around and going back to her apartment. But what good what that do? Veda would still be lying sleepless in her bed, questioning her life and everything she knew.


So she stepped out of the treeline as confidently as could; knowing her angle calculations were correct and hoping to get a better understanding of what this Pill was, and what it could do.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Shasta spoke sense, though Kais rather wished he hadn't. It was the truth and he knew it, in spite of what he had tried to let himself believe. There was nothing they could do. If something unfavorable was going to happen then it was going to happen before they could prevent it. Or perhaps it had already happened. Kais tried not to think that; the throbbing pain in his hand helped a little. He looked down, flexing his hand, and saw blood welling from his knuckles. He brushed it away distractedly and sighed in resignation. Shasta was right, however much they both wished he was wrong. Kais put his back against the wall near the spot that now had a fist-shaped hole, and slid down to sit on the ground. He sat with his knees up, his arms stretched out and rested across them; he let his head fall back against the wall with a dull thud as he looked back up at Shasta when his friend spoke again.

Kais hadn't really considered Sola's motivations for going alone until that point. He hadn't considered that it might have had something to do with him. Guilt twisted his stomach. Was this her way of getting back at him? Did she think he had chosen Shasta over her? The three of them had been as thick as thieves growing up and, or so he thought, nothing had changed. He had taken the Strategist position because Shasta needed someone at his right hand--someone he could trust to get the job done. Kais may have been extraordinarily bad at expressing himself, but one thing he could do well was get a good measure off a person. He had been the best person for the job; he knew this without any sort of arrogance or pride attached. It was fact; he was close to Shasta, and he was very good at going what needed to be done. It had been a decision of practicality, not of choosing Shasta over Sola.


And yet... And yet what Shasta said made sense. Sola had been distant, bordering on cold, ever since she had found out he wouldn't be able to go with her to Tranquility anymore. Had he caused her to run off? He could only hope she made it back to tell him.


"Someone ought to have kept a closer eye on her," Kais agreed. Whether that someone was Shasta--that probably wasn't practical. He tended to be busy more frequently than not. It did not occur to Kais that most people would have contradicted this statement--or offered something to suggest that this wasn't Shasta's fault. Kais did neither of these things; in fact, he didn't even think about it. Was it Shasta's fault? Perhaps. Perhaps it was his own. Perhaps it was both.


Kais hung his head forward, silent for a long moment.... "Then we wait."


It seemed there was nothing else they could do.

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout


Location: Blind Spot at Peace Park





The man in front of her took the Pill with only a little hesitation. Pain fanned across his face as he grasped his neck, losing balance and leaning against the side of the bridge. Sola gave it a moment, she was never sure what strong emotion was going to surface first when Patches were first neutralized. The man gasped, tears in his eyes, a parade of long-suppressed emotions dancing across his face. Finally, he looked up...and smiled. His eyes were full of light...his spark had been ignited and burst into flame.


Sola felt her lips curve up in a smile. Nodding her head, she responded.


"This is how all human beings outside of PaxCor live," she said softly. "This is how all human beings are supposed to live."


Sola was about to continue when something stirred in the shadows. She was instantly alert. It was a woman, someone searching. Sola watched her with a sharp gaze. She knew that the new woman had probably seen part of this man's neutralization. The newcomer was searching as well. Sola reached out a hand to beckon her over. She lifted a Pill. She knew she was being brazen, but there was electricity in the air tonight. Too bold, probably...but she couldn't help it. She saw the best in all of them. She hoped she would have two people coming back to the Ruins with her.


"If you want answers too, like him...you've found the Pill."


S H A S T A || F E I V E L


SPARK SCOUT


Location: Keys Tower





At some point during Shasta's rant, Kais had slid down the wall and rested on the floor. Shasta could see the way his inner monologue moved down his face. Kais's head hung, guilt tinging his voice as he spoke.


Shasta let Kais's words soak in. He wasn't a man of many words, but the ones that he did speak were usually impactful. Well, it was either potent words or dry jokes with Kais. Their friendship involved little fluff, and was grounded in the firm foundation of brutal honesty. That was maybe the one thing he did have in common with his sister...though she often didn't have the sense to put a filter on her honesty. He considered what he had said about Sola's disappearance. Was it either of their faults? Shasta wondered why she couldn't have just spoken with her unbridled words, instead of going off into the most dangerous area she could find.


Sighing, Shasta moved and sat across from Kais. Crossing his legs, he rested a hand on both knee. He tilted his head to one side, eyes scrutinizing the patterns in the old plaster. Wheels were turning in his head as he tried to think about anything outside of the fear that lurked around in his chest. Closing his eyes, he muttered under his breath...


"Stupid,"


He wasn't sure if he was talking about himself or Solara. Eyes still closed, he spoke again.


"Maybe we have a little bit of room to be surprised. Honestly, I knew she would be frustrated but I thought she would have gotten along with any partner she had. She's easy to get along with, probably too much so. I thought she would've gone off into the woods to think on her own, not into Tranquility." Shasta opened his eyes slowly as he continued to speak. "If she gets back, I don't even know what I'm going to say to her. She's all action and no strategy."


Shasta cracked his knuckles one by one, glancing over at Kais. "Am I crazy to think that it's possible to get a good night's sleep some day?"

 

[RZA]

Veda Creed


23:50 | Peace Park Bridge


Veda looked at the woman in front of her, stared into her eyes as she picked up the crimson colored pill she offered. She swallowed it dry without a lick of hesitation.


She expected some immediate reaction, some instant answer to all her questions and Veda looked at the pill dispenser with skepticism. She was about to call her out when an overwhelming sensation shot through her, causing her to land on her ass with no explanation. What’s happening? Veda thought frantically.


Her hands shook as they never had before, and her heart raced so fast she thought it might just stop from overuse.


Breathe.


She tried, but her mind was being uncooperative. A flood of internal stimuli spilled into her, and all she could manage were small gasps of air. Thunder roared between her ears, and it took everything she had not to pass out. True, there were black spots in her vision and her breathing still wasn’t under control, but an instinctive realization was coming to her.


A cacophony of emotions she had never felt before were rushing through her. Tears sprung to her eyes on their own accord and she glanced up at the woman in front of her.


“W-who are y-y-you?” Veda asked, barely able to keep her voice steady.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais waited, head still hanging forward practically between his knees, motionless. He heard every word that Shasta spoke, but did not immediately respond. Instead he turned them over in his mind, wondering--truly

considering--what might have caused her to go off on her own. From where they were sitting it seemed an overreaction. Did she, as he guessed, believe that Kais had abandoned her? Did she think he had chosen her brother? It seemed absurd, but the thought nagged at him nonetheless. If not that then what? Why else would her behavior towards him have changed so drastically since he'd become Strategist? He shook his head, bending his arms up at the elbow and propping his head in his hands. Speculation was meaningless; he would simply have to ask her when she returned. If she returned. His stomach twisted at the thought.


He could think of nothing to say to Shasta, and so he said nothing. What would he tell him? That Shasta should scold her on her return? That they should ask her what the hell she had been thinking? He didn't have those answers, either; he knew no better than his friend what to say to Sola. If this wasn't her idea of payback, he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was payback. Perhaps it was punishment to the two of them--Shasta for offering Kais the position, and Kais for taking it.


Or she had just not even considered what would be happening to them while she was out in Tranquility all by herself. That was a distinct possibility as well. Kais shook his head again. He had to stop this--chasing himself around in circles in his mind. It wasn't doing anyone any good at all.


Shasta spoke again--this time is was very nearly wry. The semblance of a smile ghosted across Kais' face, never reaching his eyes. A full night's sleep seemed like a myth, these days--though Kais had always been more of a night person. Visibility was worse, sure, but that just made it easier to hide. Can't kill what you can't see. It was a double-bladed knife, but Kais had excellent low-light vision.


Kais stood up suddenly, in one motion. It was like watching a video of him sliding to the ground, reversed.


"I need to shoot something," he said without preamble. Anyone else might have started that sentence with: 'I can't stand this...' or 'I need to do something to take my mind of things...'. Kais didn't bother.

 

[Bhlow]

Rosemarie Hayward

The young woman shrugged off her lab coat in the evening, giving up on the experiment for the moment - she has been working on a formula to create fake stimuli for crops for weeks but at every point it seemed to not correspond with at least one crop type. The experiment was slowly turning into a disaster she couldn't solve.


With the streets dark outside, Rosemarie walked the alleyways, her heels clicking in the silent air. Every now and then a person would walk past - someone who was as devoted to their work as her, and was only now relieving themselves.


Once home she wandered around, munching on an apple as she gathered her thoughts. Staring out of her window, into the night lights she wondered where she was going wrong with her formula, until she became distracted by the mechanical scrubbing from some of the workers, but the message was yet visible "23:30 - Find the pill". The woman turned away from the window, as to not be caught staring as thoughts ran through her mind again. She had a burning curiosity to know of the pill, how it worked - and her mind justified it as something that could maybe help her in her work. If she could see what it was, how it worked, she would finally be satisfied - the curiosity would ebb, and so she has gone out searching for the pill in the past, but she could never find it.


Sighing, she dropped her half eaten apple onto the counter, deciding to finish it once she came back, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get anything done with the pill on her mind. Instead she picked up an electronic neurotransmitter, stuck the plaster to right above her heart and slipped on a coat. If she couldn't get any answers on the formula, then at least she deserved to understand the pill.


And so, the petite woman walked briskly through the chilly night, glancing around her every so often as she walked towards the only area she hasn't explored in her past outings yet - the park

 

[ambiguities]

Ryder Lawson




"Sola went to Tranquility!" Ryder's eye steadily glided over to the voice that had made itself present. He stared at the little girl, shutting the book that he was less than engrossed in. He read it as time-killer, something that'd bore him enough to go to sleep. He maneuvered himself so he could sit on the edge of the bed, planting his sock-clad feet on the harsh cold tiled floor. "What are you talking about, Ophelia?" She moved inside the small room, shutting the chestnut colored door behind her. Her breaths were slightly labored and her dirty blonde hair matted to the sides of her face. He assumed that she ran up here, given that their room was on the top floor towards the end of the hallway. "She went to Tranquility alone and-" He cut her off, his eyes narrowing.


"How do you know?"


"I heard Mia talking about it with Damien." She went into the corner of the room, sitting on the mattress that had been crammed in here, due to her personal request. Ophelia had made it very clear that she didn't like the idea of sleeping by herself, or really anywhere that Ryder wasn't. Countless nights of sneaking into his room was proof of just that.


Ryder sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. He understood that under her kind persona, was a girl who was didn't like the idea of being subjected into change. When they were assigned partners, Ryder was a bit reluctant, but agreed nonetheless. He had nothing against working with her, in fact, he considered them friends. But he knew that her long-term partner, Kais, who had been offered a position that fit his criteria, was going to be hard for her to adjust to. He didn't know that'd she pull a stunt like this, though. And the fact that she had traveled alone was what made Ryder's nerves amplify.


He stood up, locating his shoes from under the bed and slipping into them. "Are you going after her Ry?" He glanced at the soft voice behind him. "I don't know." He thought if they just heard about it, she must have made it inside Tranquility already. But still, the lack of safety she had put herself in and is probably still enduring was gnawing at the back of his mind. "I don't know." He replied, walking over to the door. "Can I come with you?" He almost chuckled. The question was something that she felt the need to ask, even when knowing the answer. He turned around, bending so he was somewhat within eye-level with her. "No," he paused. "But I'll be back soon." He kissed her temple as she nodded, her crisp blue eyes clouding with disappointment. He left the room, before he felt anymore of his resolve wavering.


Just as Ryder was going down the last flight of steps, he bumped into Mia. "Can you watch Lia for me? Make sure she doesn't try anything." She nodded wordlessly, a faint smile gracing her lips.


Ryder's strides into the Key's tower and up to the conference room were quick and unyielding. He assumed that Shasta had a plan to some extent, considering that it was his sister. And Kais, his troubled conscience might have urged him to do something as well. Ryder's hand gripped the doorknob, twisting it and opening it. In any normal case, he would have opted for knocking, but this wasn't any case. Surely the two were in there, Shasta sitting down, and Kais standing.


He stared at the two, glancing back an forth. "What's the plan?"

 

[whitefoxkiller]

Ava Sebastian

​

Ava burst into her apartment with a weariness that only came from an especially frustrating breed of party. One where she gained nothing and she really had something better to be doing. She threw her gloves down on the coffee table by the door and sat down in her extravagant living room couch, slouching. Her dress constricted her movement and standing up straight, like she had been at the party, hurt after a while. She removed several pins from her hair and took off her headpeice and let her hair loose. She sighed as she shook her locks loose and tossed the "hat" away.

Spoiler

(they'll be more extravagant and fun in the future)


“Lilai!” She called into her apartment. Out of the general direction of the study came Ava’s personal assistant and servant, Lilai. Lilai was a tall blonde woman who basically did all the things Ava wasn’t supposed to do herself. If Ava fixed all her own drinks when she had guests over and made all of her own appointments as the Minister of Propaganda, people would definitely look at her funny. She also needed someone to discreetly carry out some not strictly legal functions, someone whose face wasn’t as recognizable as Ava’s. Everyone in the Diamond Sector had servants. Ava was kind to her and paid her extremely well though, so she didn’t really think twice about subscribing to that little piece of Diamond Sector culture.


“Yes, Ms. Sebastian?” Lilai promptly responded.


“Is my courier in position?” Ava asked quietly.


“Yes ma'am”


“Has he made contact with the target yet?”


“No ma’am”


“Lilai would you mind working in here so I know precisely when he does?”


“Of course not ma’am” She went into the office to grab a datapad she brought into the living room and began furiously tapping away at. Ava took her shoes off and began to pace, then went over to her bar and started to pour a drink.


“Do you want anything Lilai?” Ava asked. Lilai shook her head. Ava took a large sip of whatever she just poured and tried for a moment to be still and calm. It failed. “I’m going to change, yell if you get any news Lilai.” Lilai made a noise of acknowledgement as Ava moved into her room to change into a robe.


***


Ava’s messenger stood by the tunnel exit he’d been instructed to wait at. He knew he was looking for a relatively normal-looking person with a red pin who was going through the tunnel. He was to give her a datapad. He was not to open or read the datapad. If he did, the datapad would automatically transmit an alert to his employer, and the alert was only to be sent once his target read the datapad.


Ava had taken great pains to get all the info on the messengers that came into the city. She knew where the normal meeting spot for the spark was, that info, at least, was easy to find. But Ava didn’t want to give the messenger her message with everyone else around, And she certainly couldn’t go herself. The message indicated a meeting in the forest outside the city tomorrow night and read:

You have powerful friends in the Diamond Sector. Tomorrow. 24:00 41.721554, -88.100739.

​

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Time Unknown - Peace Park


Richard looked at the girl who just arrived. Wiping the tears off his face, he chuckled. He looked back at his... liberator. "I'll, I'll be right back. I want to see it with my own eyes, but I must be prepared. Wait for me!" Supressing an urge to run, skip, feel the newfound sensations, he walked back as fast as he could, trying to mimic the same walk he gave when coming to the park. He only looked back to see the other girl falling to the floor. He wanted to go back and help her, but he thought that she should experience it herself. Without knowing, he was beaming when he crossed the gates of the park.


He took the quick path, making sure not to draw attention of the security cameras or other people. Keeping his head down, he walked to the Hospital, passing right through the nurse trying to get his attention. Going to his office, he turned on the lights, grabbed a backpack, and filled it with everything that could be of use on a field. Books, bandages, medicine on a shelf. He gave a last look on the office, giving a whispered "Farewell, my friend."


Richard quietly left the office, then went for a surgery room. Grabbing a black bag, he filled it with surgery equipment. Forceps, Cast cutters, Chisels, everything that could help him on a field. He didn't thought about stealing, he just had to take it, he just had to see the Spark for himself. Richard knew that once he set foot outside of Tranquility, he would never come back. Rushing back to the park, he stopped at the front desk again. "Doctor Davenport, what's happ-"


"Nancy, I just want to say, you're one of the best nurses I ever had the pleasure to work with. You're dedicated and smart, and helped me with everything I had trouble. Thank you for everything." He gave a hearty smile and left, probably for the last time, leaving a very confused nurse behind. He returned to the park, now carrying a load of supplies. Panting, he hidden himself again near the girl. "I... I returned. I'll go with you."

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout


Location: Blind Spot at Peace Park





Sola instinctively moved towards the man who had run away as soon as the Pill's initial shocked had ebbed. This was the first time someone had simply just run away. She hadn't even gotten to the point of explaining who she was or what cause she supported. These citizens of Tranquility were so ready for liberation. She supported freedom, but someone running off back into Tranquility after taking a Pill caused stress to spring up in her. Sola was about to grab the man's arm, tell him to wait...but the woman in front of her took the Pill quickly, as if she had been waiting for it for a long while.


Sola looked at her face as she swallowed the Pill, watching for those telltale signs of Patch neutralization. Sure enough, a look flitted across the woman's face and she collapsed...undoubtedly overcome by that first fresh taste of emotion. Sola looked at the fallen woman, glancing up to see the man disappear out of Peace Park. She couldn't call out to him for risk of getting caught. An overwhelmed feeling came over Sola as she felt completely helpless. If Kais, or even her new partner Ryder, were here...she wouldn't have been so torn.


Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.


In a brief moment of self-awareness, Sola chastised herself for coming out here alone. What was she doing? What was she trying to prove? Was this about Kais, or was this about herself? She thought about how she felt when she first caught wind that Kais would be the new Strategist. She was happy for him, of course. He was one of her favorite people in the world, dry jokes and all. But then came the pangs of...something. Maybe it was loneliness, maybe it felt like rejection. She knew that he had to take the position. He was the best one for the job; she wanted him to hold onto that opportunity.


What caused her to react so strongly? Why did she always act so quickly on her impulses? When she saw Damien sauntering around near the dorms, she overheard him talk about how tired he was. She saw the chance to get out, and took it. She knew that Damien wouldn't question her. Mostly because he simply didn't care, but also because she was Shasta's sister. Everything she did got back to him. Gossip got around in the Ruins, and she knew people would be talking. She wouldn't be surprised if Shasta and Kais already knew. And yet...she still acted on her impulse and came here without a second thought. In a second moment of clarity, she realized. She needed to prove that she could handle herself alone. But now, here she was, caught between a man running away from her and a woman who had just toppled to the ground.


If Kais was here, this would be less of a predicament, Sola thought blandly. He would've been after the man in no time. Shaking from her fast moving thoughts, she crouched next to the woman and reached out her arm to help steady her. In the back of her mind, she tried to work something out for the man who ran away.





One thing at a time.


Directing her attention to the remaining person, she listened.The woman's breathing was sharp, little gasps punctuating what Sola imagined to be the most liberating and intense feeling. Looking up at her, the woman had one thing to say.


“W-who are y-y-you?”


Her words were tripping over themselves. Sola gave the woman a warm smile, touching her arm.


"My name is Solara. I'm with a group called The Spark. I'm on your side," Before she could finish, the shadows stirred.


Sola tensed, but relaxed when she saw the man return, his arms laden with presumed supplies. Maybe she could handle this. Nodding at them both, she prepared herself to tell them the truth. They needed to know all of it before they came back to The Ruins with her. Everyone reacted to the truth differently. She took a deep breath, and did her best to give a reassuring smile as she squared her shoulders. Still crouching next to the woman, she alternated her gaze between the two.





"Maybe I should explain my cause a bit more. I'm Solara. I'm one of the members of The Spark. We're the ones behind the graffiti. I'm going to be giving you a lot of information, so be ready. You can decide for certain if you want to come with me after that," she took a breath, looking up before continuing. "PaxCor has lied to you this entire time. Luna Pacecco told you that the Rust Sector made goods for global trade. That's not true. All of those goods go directly into the Diamond Sector. Within the Diamond...no one has a Patch. They live freely, openly. Everyone outside of Diamond...all of the factory workers, and you by extension, are all just slaves to the empire of PaxCor. The Patch wasn't designed to keep you peaceful. It was to keep you from asking questions. The Spark wants liberation, for all of you. By coming with me, you'll join our base. There are many of us, and we're on the brink of something big. I know you have a lot of questions. If you come with me, outside of the walls of Tranquility...I promise you that you will get so many answers, and play a vital part in the freedom of you people."





Sola raised her eyebrows as she finished her speech, looking up expectantly at the two of them. This talk was something she had down to the word. It was a variation of the same history she told everyone as soon as they took the Pill. It was hard to get that much information out in such a short time, but it usually did the trick. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she would be running into anyone else tonight. Focusing back on the moment, she waited calmly for the Tranquilians' responses.





S H A S T A || F E I V E L


SPARK ALPHA


Location: Keys Tower





Shasta jerked his head up as yet another person burst into the corridor. It caused him to stir slightly, sharply turning his head to see who had arrived. It was another Scout who definitely seemed eager to spring into action.





"What's the plan?"


By the look on Ryder's face, Shasta was guessing that he had heard about Sola's little vanishing act. Blinking, he wondered how exactly news managed to travel so quickly across The Ruins. After a moment, Shasta rose to his feet. Ryder was Sola's new partner. Part of him was holding out hope that maybe Sola had the sense to take Ryder with her. Seeing the Scout now, that hope was abandoned.


Shasta didn't know Ryder exceptionally well. He had seen the Scout around the Ruins, often with a young child by his side. He wasn't sure how close he was to Sola, or if they were even close at all. Knowing his sister, Shasta guessed that they were probably already friends. Sola knew how to be friendly; she was a likable one. Likable and incredibly irritating with her split-second decisions.


Shasta sighed and crossed his arms.


"Hello, Ryder. I take it you heard the news. I see my sister didn't take you with her," he said. "There's nothing we really can do. She's already in Tranquility by now. If we send more Scouts out tonight, it would just cause too big of a disturbance. We've got to wait. Send someone out tomorrow if she's not back yet,"


Shasta's words tasted bitter. He wished he hadn't said them. Though his demeanor and expression were the epitome of calm, maybe even cold, his insides were twisting up. He didn't want to think about the "if she's not back yet" part. Focusing on the moment, he locked out those possibilities from his mind. Being worried didn't help anyone in this moment.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais was halfway to the door when it opened. He turned with a start, half expecting to see Sola there. He realized belatedly that it was a stupid expectation; she would have reached Tranquility surely no more than fifteen minutes ago. Not enough time had passed for her to be back.

It was Ryder. Demanding to know what the plan was. Kais scrutinized him with unveiled dislike. At that moment, he was overflowing with dislike. Not quite hatred--he reserved that for people he intended to kill. Something told him Shasta wouldn't approve of Sparks killing Sparks, so he tried not to hate anyone within the Ruins. It was a good rule. But it didn't mean he had to get along with them.


There was no plan. There was nothing that could be done--and if there had been, he would have already done it. Kais decided to leave the talking to Shasta; he brushed past Ryder, not minding that his shoulder grazed the other a little harder than was polite, and left the room. He could hear Shasta explaining the situation with amazing calm. He was out of earshot before he had to hear about Shasta's contingency plan.


Down the stairs, out of the tower and into the forest; Kais picked up Bane on his way. Some things simply called for a better gun. He headed in the direction of Tranquility. He had half a mind to go all the way there, see if he couldn't meet Sola coming back. But it just seemed silly. Either he would meet her and everything would be fine, in which case why did he go in the first place, or he would not meet her and there would be nothing he could do to change the fact. Instead he found a nice tree, far enough away from the Ruins for seclusion, but close enough that he could be found if they needed him.


Climbing with a rifle strapped to his back was no small feat. But it had the favorable side effect of requiring all his attention. For a few minutes his mind was distracted from all the horrible things that could be happening at that very moment. All the things that he didn't have the ability to prevent. For a moment there was nothing but him and the branches, the comforting weight of Bane hanging from its strap on his back. He chose his route up to the crown of the tree with care, testing branch by branch and climbing steadily and nimbly. When he was high enough he chose a branch with a good view. It wasn't as stable as he would have liked; shooting sitting up really was not ideal. Still, it was a right sight better than shooting from the ground, and so he took it.


Kais unstrapped Bane, steadying the sniper rifle with both hands and propping one elbow on his knees. He felt the stock connect with his shoulder and his arm was whole again. Now all that remained was to wait....

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Time Unknown - Peace Park


Richard dropped his head down. "Really?" He gave a chuckle. "I was on the guard for a while. Combat Doctor, they said. I wondered what were we fighting, if we were alone? Somehow I knew that we weren't the only ones. That there were more beyond the pristine walls of this city." He placed the backpack on the soft grass, opening and showing the contents. Something made me go back and grab these. What was the name...? Instinct? I can't name all of the feelings yet. All I could think is that there were people outside of these walls. On the wastes outside. And that I needed to help them. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Solara, is it?" He looked to the girl, seeking validation for his words, his feelings. "I'm Doctor Richard Davenport." He started again, sighing. "I'm a single son, and I don't have any family. My father was also a doctor. He was never at home. I refused to be placed in the Matching System to focus myself entirely on my work, not let anything get in the way of my job. That's what I talked to myself. Now I realize that i did it because I didn't want to be another absent father, an absent husband. I dedicated myself to my work, distancing from friends, dismissing anytiing about what passes for love in this town, because I wanted to forget about everything else, fill an empty on my heart. And now that this... pill brought to me what was locked inside of my mind, I can place what's this emptiness. Loneliness. I'm lonely. I have no one to go to, not a single soul who'll miss me. I have nowhere else to go, and I can't return to my life, now that I know this. Will you show me the way?" His face was hardened of all the years dulled, but tears were already forming at his eyes. He didn't know why was he talking with a stranger about this, but he couldn't hold it in any longer.

 

[Bhlow]

Rosemarie Hayward

Rosemarie looked down at the clock on her wrist, frowning at the time. If she was hoping to catch them then she would need to hurry up as the time was 23:50. She rounded the final corner, walking as fast as she could without running, and came into the empty space of the park. But unlike the usual sight of the park, the park itself was not empty, in the corner there were people, some crouched on the ground, others standing upright giving speeches. She licked her lips in anticipation to relieving herself of the curiosity that had ebbed at her for the past months.


Rosemarie walked past the figures, giving them a quick calculating glances as she walked nearer a young woman, with a red broach on her chest. Only then did she stop walking with such determination, and approached the woman more tentatively, glad she had managed to finally find them. Staying silent, looking at her analytically, she played with the neurotransmitter in her pocket, concious of the sounds, gasps and reactions of the other people around her, to what she could guess was the pill.

 

[RZA]

Veda Creed


23:53 | Peace Park Bridge


It was too much. Everything Solara had said rushed through her, igniting a sensation she had never felt before. It was hot and it was red, and it ran through her veins like electricity. How could they enslave so many people? How could they strip a society of their free will? How dare they live with their freedom while we live in a dull existence?


With the tall man running away and returning ladened with supplies, a woman turning up shortly thereafter, and the red hot surging through her, Veda was sure she was going to pass out. There was just too much to process, too much to filter through.


She tried to stand up, but the world shifted and she opted to kneel instead. While the world around her relaxed, Veda turned over what the man had said before the woman arrived, an unsteady knot growing in her belly. What am I feeling? She wondered. Then another realization hit her and sent the world spinning again: What would happen to her family when she left? There was no point pretending, no point running off like the man had, there was nothing of importance for her to grab. Except her family, and Veda wasn’t sure if they were ready for the truth.


It was a liberating, being able to feel so deeply that it hurt. She looked up at Solara, wondering how she managed to live her entire life with so many feelings trapped inside her. Liberating though it was, Veda wasn’t sure how to process them. Her hands still shook, but at least she could breathe.


Veda shook her head, trying to focus. She looked around, an uneasy feeling crawling it’s way to the forefront of her mind. Her breath hitched in her throat, that shallow breathing returning with a vengeance.


She looked to Solara, “I will leave with you as long as we leave soon. I have a thousand questions, but they can wait. I need to leave this place. I need to be somewhere I can breathe.