Futuristic THE SEA (Lore based, Futuristic RP, OPEN & ACCEPTING)

[Wixed]

For those stopping in to take a peek, feel free to join. PM me for questions about lore and the like.


All plot info is located in the Overview section.
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DROPPED

Location: The Sea | Human | Will Solari

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IC rp will begin here once your application is accepted.


All information regarding lore and the like can be found in the Overview tab.


The intro posted here is familiar to those I've rp-ed this with prior. Characters do not have to start out in the same area. Just keep tabs on those you wish to interact with.


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The sky rippled like a velvet sheet. Seven streaks glittered down from the heavens and seven flickering tails of light swam down toward the Earth, doming like the bars of an illuminated birdcage--a whistling hum in the skies as they descended rapidly. The trees below shifted, restless. The evening was a cloudy one and a thin fog was slowly rolling in over the valley that split the towering forest in two, cut deep by a river which forked the valley into thirds.


The lights flitted out of view. One bright tear dropping into the darkness of the trees who consumed the object, just as the sky expelled a misty drizzle over the land. Within the canopy, the pod bounced against branches which snapped and crackled in the wake of its' momentum. It looked like an egg plummeting to the damp forest floor where it smacked the soil, a dull, crunching, thud--sending a wave of debris about it.


The pod rested in the uprooted thicket. All silent, save for the quiet hiss of smoke fuming from what might be the object's underside. A creature darted past the crash site, giving the air a quick sniff as it hurried by and away into the darkness.


Dawn broke. The machine thrummed in its dirt nest, the ground around it vibrating wildlife into motion. The smoke was settled and though its outer shell appeared unscathed, surely its interior was no more. The fall was too great. Too unthinkably treacherous for anything to survive.


The sun could not penetrate the foliage. Decades of growth, and the early morning light became that of an early evening twilight. The air was damp from the evening's rain, thick and muggy. Heavy on the lungs.


The pod rattled. A hatch burst open from its' side, icy breath spilling against the warmth awaiting and meeting with temporary fog. The sound of metal and beeping technology erupted with the expel.


The pod vomited. A boy, naked and plugged into its' innards, dripping with clear mucus.


If nothing else, the boy appeared dead. Limply hanging from the plugs and wires as marionette from her strings.


All at once his chest gave a great rise and fall, then another. The damp air set him gasping. New lungs unaccustomed to unfiltered oxygen. The boy's muscles spasmed as he choked and coughed out the musk he'd inhaled. The frailty of his form rattling thin, malnourished even.


A short eternity passed him by, hanging there. His breaths mere wheezes crackling up his throat. He quieted himself after a time, weakly tipping his head up toward the sky of whispering leaves. His eyes sat wide at the flora, red and bright. Burning and tearing, he closed them tight-- pulling free sticky, wired patches from slick skin. He rid his arms and chest of the patches and forced his eyes back open. Though they stung, he needed his sight to remove the needles and connectors.


Fear of infection set him to work gently, unplugging and disconnecting. A strap across his abdomen held him firm to his full-body seat. An indent remained in the soft material as he unbuckled, dropping about a foot to the forest floor, cold and naked. The soil was black tar against his milk skin, and he pressed his fingers into the supple earth, rubbing the rich grains between them.


He'd never seen such greenery and life. No one in his lifetime or many previous to his, could even imagine such an existence. That vegetation could be so abundant, so breathtaking.


He sat, knees in the dirt, gathering his senses which were more stimulated than they'd ever been save for his birth. Forgetting the many years of preparation, of training and planning that'd gone into his descent--he felt he could cry. No amount of training would do when faced with the real and true experience. He'd never known real gravity, his entire experience, life, up until this very moment was artificially provided. Artificial light, and food.


Abundance surrounded him. Everything alive and in motion. A beetle scurried across his hand and up his forearm and his eyes followed it eagerly. Amazed he was, standing himself upright and brushing moist soil from his thighs and knees, skin stained coal. He looked to his landing pod, how unbelonging it appeared to him surrounded by the dense nature. The vehicle door was face-planted in the dirt and he gave the interior a once over. It consisted of his bed-seat, which he'd been strapped to, many wires and curious lights, and one small compartment.


The boy reached for the storage hatch and tugged the handle. It popped open smoothly on metal rods, revealing a meager stash of supplies. Especially meager compared to the grandeur of his situation.


Truly, the forest stretched for miles upon miles. Vast and towering so high and lush, that he could not see the sky even if he were to climb 20 or even 50 feet up. He'd read many books, studied countless hours, yet nothing was familiar to him. Nothing of the old world existed here. The environment was alien.

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Click banner above to read intro post.

 

[Steviemac]

Wally sits at his desk in his office, going over the reports from the most recent harvest of the fruits and vegetable in the hydroponics bays on Pyxis. The yield has been steadily decreasing over the last few years and no one has been able to figure out why. He sighs in frustration. Why can't he figure this out? He is the most prominent mind on horticulture and botany in society after all. His eyes ache from looking at the reports and he's starting to get a headache. He runs his fingers through his snow white hair, messing it up even more.


The console at his desk chirps, notifying him of a new message. He opens the message and begins to read. It's from the Pyxan governing council. They believe that an expedition to the Sea to search out new types of plants may be the answer to fixing the yield problem. Being in charge of horticulture and botany, they have chosen him to go on this expedition. Suddenly, all signs of a headache have disappeared. A trip to the Sea? He has wondered what kinds of different and extraordinary plant life awaits discovery there. This is the highlight of his life!


Wally races home to inform Serena, his life mate, and get prepared. The message had stated that the expedition would leave in three days. There had been two such expeditions in the last 150 years, so he will need to get those reports and study them. This will at least give him a basic knowledge of a handful of species. He enters his living chambers and finds Serena just finishing cooking dinner. "Serena my beloved," he says with excitement. "What is it? Why all of the excitement?", she asks. "I've been chosen for an expedition to the Sea!" He exclaims. Her reaction to this statement is less than enthusiastic. She is a doctor after all. Who knows what kind of mutated viruses he could come into contact with? "I know this means a lot to you," she says to him. "But we jsut have no idea what the environment is like down there right now. I just want to make sure you take some precautions."


"Don't worry Serena, I'll get all of the inoculations. I'm sure I won't be alone. They plan on sending others as well. If we get into trouble, we'll come straight back." This seems to have put her mind at ease. They sit down together and enjoy their dinner.

 

[UlyssesTheSnowman]

Meanwhile on Seoul9, Caleb also sits at his desk and stares at his computer, trying to block out the sounds of a couple of his co-workers celebrating after being accepted in the first scientific collaboration with Pyxis: a voyage to The Sea.


He wanted to go. Of course he did. He wanted to gain fame and glory, to know what life is like in the world nobody comes back from, to see the designs of the ships he made on Pyxis come to life and be as proud as he always is when a simple sketch on scrap paper becomes a masterpiece of engineering...


But the albino hair obscuring his eyes and his slightly rusty left hand that he's trying to clear of a virus (the computer kind, thankfully) is a bitter reminder that he can never leave. It's too dangerous. If he was less notorious when he still lived on Pyxis then maybe it would work, but he was so beloved, so mourned by others when he 'died' that he'd be recognised and captured instantly.


He turns around to congratulate his colleagues but everybody knows how forced it is and everybody makes sure to only look in his right eye, not at his hands, and to ignore the hum and crackle of machinery and electricity from under his suit.


Ever since he arrived he has tried to make friends, to be nice, to be charismatic, to take advantage of Seoul9's fascination with mutations, but he'll never really fit in. He's an unwelcome reminder that mutations are not like a seasonal fashion cycle or a set of quirks: they can be deadly.


Caleb shuts his laptop and stares inscrutably out the window at the city he helps keep running and wishes he wasn't trapped in.


As much as he loves Seoul9 for the culture, the scientific progress and the lack of fear towards people like him, he still longs for the conformity and comfort of his life partner, of his old routine on Pyxis.


He wants to go home.

 

[VirtualUnity]

[Pyxis]


"As Nathan makes a small Base Camp in the Pyxis Storage Bay he scouts the main area, a Large City on the Largest Human Made ship is seen Nathan engaging his Invisibility to stay unidentified, Nathan walks through the main walkway of the Giant City scouting what they have done in the past near Millennium he enters a guarded Building hacking through the door a silent alarm is sent to the security force as they get to the building they report that it's was a technical malfunction they leave as Nathan enters the structure downloading the specs of the experimental technology under Untested as he finishes the download a Security Team enter the building noticing that there is an unauthorized download of specs they throw smoke and hear coughing they shoot in the room seeing as blood is dripping"Freeze Intruder"As Nathan turns Visible they aim at him lasers are pointed at his head he throws a stun grenade at the security team, stunning them he runs to the outside surrounded by more security guards as they see him they aim at him using a radio they order Nathan to stand down he uses another stun grenade, as they get stunned Nathan turns invisible and escapes barely from the Pyxis Security Team, three hours later there is a news broadcast saying to look out for a Man that can turn invisible and wears a full body of armor"





@Steviemac

 

[Steviemac]

Wally and Serena finish their dinner together. Serena cleans up and Wally goes to their personal console to do some more research. "Don't be up too late," Serena says to him, knowing that he will become consumed with his work and lose track of time. "I won't dear," he tells her, not taking his eyes off the screen. Sighing, she heads off to bed.


The reports Wally has accessed from the previous expedition to the Sea are fascinating. The team that was there centuries ago reported that the flora was mutating and evolving at an exponential rate. They cataloged hundreds of new species of plant life in the kilometer square area they were in and estimated that the Sea now contained millions of new species. "Remarkable!" Wally thinks to himself. He hasn't been this excited in many years. He is eager to get to the Sea and research what's happened for himself.


While he is going through the reports, an urgent message is broadcast over his console. The ship is being placed on alert. It seems there's been some sort of incident. Apparently a man in body armor who can become invisible has broken into a high security area. A hint of frustration can be seen on his face. "Well, I don't know what he's after, but this better not interfere with the expedition." He says to himself. The message ends and the report pops back up. Wally forgets about the intruder as he becomes consumed by his work once more.

 

[Anaxial]

In the vast ocean of trees, the darkness could conceal even a titan like Barumal. Crouch as low as his immense size would let him, only the glow of a small fire (by his standards at least) illuminated the giant, remaining perfectly still he could easily be mistaken for a statue of the old world, or a mythical colossus sent by Gods to reap the world. Instead it was the confused mind of a young man, married to technology and a servant to a self proclaimed Machine God he had recently abandoned his tribe. The first known Hominem Ultra to do so, he stared deeply into the fire his confused expression concealed by a burlap sack he wore to conceal his features, eye holes had been cut and a pair of large goggles placed into them to allow him to see out.


Suddenly, his quiet night is interrupted. His head cocked slightly and one could swear they heard his muscles snap to attention. A slight whistling could be heard in the distance, the Machine God had conjured more Ghost People for the Ne'Ok tribe. The hum of hydraulics and clanking of metal plates hitting one another sang off of the giant as he stood tall and turned his head to sky. Following the whistling was the roar of the Steel womb as he made contact with the Earth and spilled out a pale white child. He knew that others would be drawn to this spectacle and brought it upon himself to protect the newborn in this violent world. The Great Machine God surely had better reason for conjuring these Ghost people than the primal needs of the Ne'Ok.


With a giant metal foot, Barumal stomped on his fire and extinguished it with a magnificent glomp. Turning back to where the roar had came from, Barumal takes off in giant leaps and bounds crushing plant and knocking branch aside as his metal giant form moved much faster than anything his size had the right to do. From a distance he may have sounded like a herd of stampeding animals, a feat accomplished by the lone Hominem Ultra. Eventually he had reached the steel womb and exploded from the thick foliage as the mechanical suit screamed in agony as he skid across the moss covered earth and he came to a halt not far from the womb.


"Moah, moah! Ut' enta ar fa' Barumal?!" He cried out at the Ghost, paler than the moon he was almost difficult to look at and at the same time resembled a deity, so perfect and untouched by the ravages of the world below. "Ut' enta ar fa'... Koh?"

 

[Wixed]

Will stood naked. His bright white figure glowing in the dimness of The Sea. He scrounged through the storage box, emerging from a hunch , his fist full of a glistening black cube which he pressed to the center of his chest. The cube stuck like slime and undulated against his skin as it spread over his body like an oil slick, covering him from the base of his neck and descending upon his remaining person. The slime slithered its’ way down his torso and over sharp hip bones, wrapping about his thin legs and he lifted each foot as the strange gear completed its’ journey after engulfing his feet. He was suited entirely before scooping out a pack which he swung over his shoulder.


The earth rumbled below him and his eyes darted to the ground for a moment, the soil shifting there. He could make out the snapping of branches and the low hiss of leaves being swatted. Heavy footfalls grew nearer and nearer, and as he’d begun to back away from his pod, the trees split open before him, crunching accompanied by a whirring of machinery.





There was no time. No time to react. A mere moment had passed him from his realization that something was coming to its very arrival. The massive figure halted just feet away and Will was unable to keep himself from cowering as it wailed a language unknown to him. His jaw was slack and he gaped up at something so strange that he felt his heart cease. He shook his head, words failing him and feet slowly back pedaling. Surely he would die here. He was nothing in the wake of this giant.

 

[typhoon]

[seoul9]


Vi strode through the dimly lit streets, her boots making loud thuds on the ground. Her right arm sported a new bruise that was already a deep violet, and even her metal arm had a dent in it. Vi couldn't help getting into fights, and this one had been quite the thrill. She had been gambling in the underground part of the city, and men always get angry when they lose. Well, she won in the argument and now had some extra money. She should probably give it to Juiko, the mechanic who took her under his wing. It should make up for all the trouble she got into.


She heard the crunch of gravel behind her and whirled around only to see a skinny, dingy man around her age with a gun aimed right at her. His hair was blood red and he the same color matching tattoos on his arms in random patterns. His eyes were pure black; the mutations in this city were getting too outrageous. "You swindled boss outta 'is money you little wench. I'm here to get it back." He spat, his jaw tightening as his fingers twitched on the trigger. He obviously had never been in this situation. Killing wasn't exactly unpunishable in this city unless you were in a place of power or the victim was a nobody. In this particular situation, neither of their deaths would be a major disruption. Still, Vi stared at the man warily. "I won fairly, so I suggest you leave." Vi snapped, but the man cocked the gun, his gaze now threatening. Fine then. She held out her metal arm in front of her and approached him. His aim was terrible, and Vi could tell it would miss her by a longshot. His hands were shaking, so she walked towards him faster and as soon as she saw his trigger finger move she twisted right. It flew by her and in a millisecond following her foot connected with his jaw. He smashed into the pavement, unconscious, and Vi stood over him gloating. She removed the gun from him and took out the bullets. They looked usable, and probably were steel.


She dropped the gun except for a couple bullets and held them directly over the dent in her metal arm. They slowly reshaped until they filled the dent, and Vi admired her work with admiration. The doctors who examined her after she had fused metal onto her skin the first time were rather shocked, and Vi was still confused on how she did it. Well, it served its purpose quite well. She observed the surrounding buildings and saw a face peering out. It seemed to be a male, and he was in one of those building where the technical freaks went and smashed buttons while staring into their computer screens. Did he see what had taken place? Would he tell anyone? She was what people like him would think of as filth, the lowerclass. Compared to her, he had quite a job while all she did was roam the streets getting into trouble. He could report her easily; a female with extremely loud pink hair and a metal left arm. She'd be captured in hours. She could imagine the look on Juiko's face as they came to take her away, and it wasn't good. Her body seemed to freeze up as all these situations played in her head.


@UlyssesTheSnowman

 

[UlyssesTheSnowman]

Caleb stared from across the street in shock. Crime syndicates and muggings were unfortunately quite common in these parts (with so many casinos and billionaires with jealous streaks how wouldn't they be?) but that girl with the metal arm...she was new.


Was that a natural mutation? Or perhaps he had the same strain of the virus as him and dealt with it in the same way? But his repairs were clunky and old since he'd had to do most of them himself. Her metal was sleek and shiny and stitched to the fibres of her skin. The perfect mesh of human and machine.


What if...what if she can understand him?


He had to ask her, to find out more about her, but then what? They have never seen each other before and he didn't want to look like a stalker. Is that what he was doing? Stalking her?


He was about to head back into the building, pretend that he'd forgotten something, then leave and forget all about it. But she felt his gaze, turned around and saw him.

 

[typhoon]

Seeing inside the building was rather difficult, but she could make out a few key details, like the extremely pale skin and hair and something rather wrong with one of his arms. He was looking at her just as curiously as she looked at him. The more she looked at his arm the more she saw it resembled her arm, but a more crude form of it. What if he had the same ability as she did? She had so many questions, with little answers. Nobody knew anything it seemed, and maybe he could help her. He was obviously quite intellectually gifted. A smile grew on her lips and she raised her arm in a friendly manner until she remembered her position.


He would see her as a thug and due to her recent actions. The man was still on the ground a few feet away. She scowled and got to work, quickly trying to hide his unconscious body so she could get the hell away from the man in the window.


@UlyssesTheSnowman

 

[Anaxial]

As the Ghost fell to the forest floor, Barumal towered over the man and cocked his head in curious inquiry. They never understood the language of the Great Machine God if anything this only further proved that this being was a deity in disguise. The metal giant relaxed it's stance and allowed the hydraulics to release a great pressure, hissing out of the vents of his back as the arms and shoulders seemed to relax and a hand as large as the Ghost's head reached out to him. He gestured the pale child to take the hand and nodded inside his metal cage.


"Barumal ut' enta fa' Kosm." He said curling his fingers to show the Ghost he meant no harm.


Fear seemed to fill the Ghost's eyes as he spoke, perhaps these pale children are unaware of the world below and unaware of their own godhood. Barumal shuddered at the thought that his people had been misusing these beautiful deities for their own nefarious purposes when they were so much more.

 

[Wixed]

Will’s fingers curled into the soil. He’d back himself up against a tree and slid down the length of its’ trunk into a crouched position. The beast’s machinery clicked and hissed, the posture it once held became lax and though Will accepted this as a good sign in terms of survival, his terror had yet to alleviate. Words. He could make out that it was speaking and he blinked down at the hand before him, as if he were supposed to take it. He shook his head and stammered, not at the gesture, but at what was being said. “I...I can’t understand….” He felt himself frown and exhaled several heavy breaths, hoping to calm himself.


In an instant the strange being’s eyes glinted, and he could only share in the fear that was there. He lifted his hand and looked forward, observing the creature. It could kill him easily. If he took its’ hand it could easily toss him like a rag-doll. If he sat there like a statue, it could easily crush him. There were no logical moves to make. Checkmate. And he’d just landed. He’d just gotten free of Pyxis. All for naught. His entire existence would be winked out in a second--yet his hand rested into the giant's palm, and as they touched, he flinched at the contact.

 

[BloodyKharma]

Ellesmera was a blur as she flitted through the canopy of trees, her feet barely touching a single branch before she shot off into the air, sailing downwards until she landed on yet another. She loved the feeling of being bathed in sunlight each time she leapt upwards and broke through the canopies surface, normally she would close her eyes, reveling in the great suns warmth. But not today. Instead her gaze honed in on a thin wisp of smoke, trailing into the air from a couple of miles away, where an object had descended from the sky. THE SKY! I can't believe it! What possibly could it be!? Whatever it is, could it have started a fire! While she had never started a fire herself, never having the need to, she had seen many other races do so. So from her understanding, where this was smoke, a flame was always its source; and she had learned at an early age that fire was a deadly force to be reckoned with. So as she rapidly approached the area where that...thing had landed, only two thoughts passed through her head:


What was that THING that had fallen from the sky, and if it brought fire with it, how much damage had it done to the forest around it?





These thoughts raced through her mind as she came to a stop atop a massive branch, taking a moment to catch her breath. She looked up, touching the minds of a flock of birds passing by overhead. Their terror nearly consumed her, but it quickly abated as she emitted a wave of reassurance from her own mind, calming them down enough to allow her to pick through their memories. They had been minding their own business, when what appeared to be a giant metal ball crashed down from above, sending them into a frenzy which caused them to flee in fear. Ellesmera's eyes widened in surprised, as she released the fragile creatures, biting her lip nervously as she watched them go. The mental images were brief, but the birds had definitely witnessed some foreign object descend from the sky and come smashing into the earth. The crazy part was, the smoke and fire seemed to be coming from out of the back of the metal ball, this was something she had never seen nor heard of before.


As she stood there, contemplating her next move, memories of her parents warnings passed through her mind. Anything not of The Sea was to be considered dangerous, anything that did not originate from the forest was to be given a wide berth, and avoided entirely. She looked in the direction of the strange 'thing' hesitantly, the thought of turning and running passing through her mind for the briefest of moments. Ever since she was little she had been told not to ask too many questions, that certain things were not to be understood, but completely avoided. But now that such a thing was nearly within her sight, she found that she couldn't turn and flee, every fiber of her being wanted to continue forwards as curiosity overwhelmed her. She bent slightly at the knee, springing into the air a moment later. Defying the doctrines she had been taught since birth, as she decided to head towards the unknown.

 

[VirtualUnity]

[Nathan Secret Camp]


"As Nathan goes through the Specs of the Untested Technology something catches his attention a type of armor enhancement that can allow the user to send a holographic decoy, As Nathan reads the full file he sees it is located in a storage facility in the upper deck that is protected by Enforcers, Not caring the risk of this operation he heads to the upper deck to it's location but as he sees the entrance it is guarded by an Exo-Suit Enforcer using a Light Machine Gun as he Prepares his Gun two Scientist request entrance to the Storage Facility he takes the chance and as The Enforcer allows them entrance he enters the room following the two scientists he sees a multitude of experimental tech he checks the file again looking for the exact location, He goes to the farther end and finds the experimental enhancement and adds it to his armor alarming the Guards of the missing enhancement the Enhancement still installing in his armor he gets Dog-Piled by 10 guards later being Tranquilized, Waking up he is chained to a table with a Interrogator looking at him"What are you doing here?"Nathan just staying quiet activates his Helmets Mag Lock not taking the chance that they will remove his Helmet"Hey Punk didn't you hear me"Nathan continues to be silent as The Interrogator pulls out a Revolver Aiming it at his chest"This is your last chance before I kill you... Nothing Ok"The Interrogator shoots Nathan in the chest causing him to bleed, The interrogator calls in a clean up crew to throw Nathan out in space but Nathan starts to regenerate, becoming more aggressive he breaks out of the chains and turns invisible trying to find a way out, Another broadcast is sent to the ship"Warning!!! Fugitive is on the run requesting all units to find the Intruder"





@Steviemac

 

[Steviemac]

Three hours later, Wally finally realizes that he should have turned in a couple of hours ago. He shuts off his console and goes to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, he pours himself a glass of water from the filtered tap. Just as he puts the glass to his lips, the door chimes. "Now who could that be at this late hour?", he says to himself.


He crosses back into the living room, walking toward the door. Before he can get there, the door chimes again. "I'm coming!", he yells at the door, becoming irritated with whomever is rude enough to disturb him at this late hour. He activates the sensor and the door slides open with just barely an audible hiss of pneumatic gyros. He's surprised to see the head of security standing there in full uniform.


"What is it I can do for you at this late hour?", he asks the man. The head of security stands 5'9" tall and is well built. He is a few years older than Wally but they have known each other for years. As a matter of fact, he was present at both Wally and Serena's joining as well as the birth of Lawrence.


"I don't like disturbing you this late Wally, but we have an intruder on board. Did you see the alert?"


Wally thinks for a moment, having already put the alert out of his thoughts. "Well, yes. I was doing some research for the expedition when it cut across one of the reports that I was going over. But, what has this got to do with me and Serena?", he asks puzzled.


"Well," the head of security explains, "it seems that this intruder escaped from custody. Unfortunately, we've lost track of him. For everyone's safety, I've ordered a mandatory search of all residences." Wally opens his mouth to say something, but the man stops him with a raised hand. "I know this is inconvenient, that's why I'm doing yours personally. This won't take but a moment." He enters the dwelling and begins searching for the intruder. The residence is small, comprised of the living room/dining area, kitchen, one bedroom, and a tiny bathroom. The head of security starts with the living room, moves to the kitchen, checks the bathroom, and, very quietly so as not to disturb Serena, checks under the bed. Satisfied that the intruder isn't hiding here, he rejoins Wally in the living room. "All clear." He says.


He crosses over to the door to leave, then stops just shy of triggering the sensor. "I've also been informed that the expedition to the Sea has been postponed."


"What!?", Wally yells. Thankfully, Serena is a very deep sleeper, or she would have awoken in a fright at the outburst. "You can't do this to me!", he yells at his friend.


"Calm down Wally. It's not my doing. The Cardinal has decided that until we either capture this individual, or figure out exactly what he's up to, that it's too dangerous to try to leave the ship. For all we know, he may be trying to sabotage the expedition."


"That's preposterous!" Wally says, his level of irritation still high regardless of his friends explanation. "Who would want to sabotage a scientific expedition?" He asks incredulously.


"We don't know Wally. And that's what scares the cardinal. I have to get back to my duties. Keep your door locked and if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, contact me immediately. Good night." He turns and exits the home.


Despite his frustration, Wally is exhausted and needs to get some sleep. He joins his wife in their bed and quickly dozes off, dreaming of all of the interesting plants awaiting him to discover them in the Sea.

 

[Anaxial]

Will’s fingers curled into the soil. He’d back himself up against a tree and slid down the length of its’ trunk into a crouched position. The beast’s machinery clicked and hissed, the posture it once held became lax and though Will accepted this as a good sign in terms of survival, his terror had yet to alleviate. Words. He could make out that it was speaking and he blinked down at the hand before him, as if he were supposed to take it. He shook his head and stammered, not at the gesture, but at what was being said. “I...I can’t understand….” He felt himself frown and exhaled several heavy breaths, hoping to calm himself.
In an instant the strange being’s eyes glinted, and he could only share in the fear that was there. He lifted his hand and looked forward, observing the creature. It could kill him easily. If he took its’ hand it could easily toss him like a rag-doll. If he sat there like a statue, it could easily crush him. There were no logical moves to make. Checkmate. And he’d just landed. He’d just gotten free of Pyxis. All for naught. His entire existence would be winked out in a second--yet his hand rested into the giant's palm, and as they touched, he flinched at the contact.

A toothed grin stretched ear to ear across Barumal's face, his appearance was akin to a human who's skin was pulled tightly across their bones, eyes bulging, a nose that was little more than a small bump with nostrils, and sharp teeth clearly meant for meat interlocked in his twisted smile. When the Ghost child put his hand in the large gauntlet of Barumal, he trusted the Iron Giant with his care. Curling a single finger in to cover the Ghost's hand, Barumal showed he meant no harm.


"Kosm." He said tapping the Ghost's hand with his finger. "Kosm ut' enta fa', Barumal. Barumal ut' enta fa' Kosm." with a surprising amount of care and gentleness, the metal man lifted the Ghost child to his feet and released his hand. Once the Ghost child was able tot stand on his own, Barumal put his elbow into the dirt and patted his metal shoulder with his adjacent hand.


"Kosm fa' rah'd mii ho'loder." he gestured to the shoulder and nodded, wide eyed and hopeful. However, something stirred above them and in a moment Barumal shot up to his feet and his head cocked up towards the trees. His metal body hissing as it pressurized and he drew a sword from behind his rumbling pack that appeared to be made out of a large piece of metal- aside from it's handles, it was jagged and rusted as it was it would likely be grievous to be hit by the weapon regardless.


"Sa' ha toa Moah! Moah!" he shouted to the trees, sword ready in his hands. Could his kind be upon them already? He doubted they would hide themselves in the tree, but the hunters were keen and they would not like it that Barumal had shown this Ghost a kindness. The others believed the God would demand harm upon the child of the steel womb, Barumal knew better.

 

[Wixed]

“Oh… oh wow…” Will’s face twisted into a tight scrunch, his eyes narrowed at the grin. And it was a grin, he was sure of it. Though it was nothing shy of disturbing, he could not keep the curiosity from his features. He stared intently down at the machine man’s great hand, a single finger gently curling against his wan knuckles. He was frail in this creature’s wake, yet he found himself inclining, gaze set on its’ mouth to make out speech. “Barumal…” He repeated, voice low, copying the pronunciation. He could not make his mouth into the rest. And as this word was repeated, he took it to mean some importance to the stranger. He gave a grunt of frustration, forgetting he was looking upon something terrifying, in lieu of his endless need to learn.


His body went rigid and he was lifted effortlessly to his feet, wobbling for a moment as the beast tapped its’ shoulder. He had no time to be confused by the gesture. It seemed time was not in his favor. Not much favored him these days. The earth shuddered as the hybrid-man shot upright, all clicks and whining gear. Will’s heart failed him yet again, and he clutched his chest to steady it, though he couldn’t keep himself from cringing away. He’d been cowering since his arrival.


A weapon grinded free from the beast’s backside, it’s rusted blade scratching with the withdraw and Will followed the sword’s glinting tip, up at the trees. the creature bellowed into the canopy, its’ voice rattling him from the inside out. Something was watching. Will could make out nothing in the darkness, save for a dim blue glow that started from his wrist. The odd implant he’d been given set his arm alight, veins like road map against the strange incandescence undulating from the gem. He clutched his forearm and tucked it against his side to keep from making himself more obvious to whatever was lurking above, sidling a bit closer the the giant, fear settling in the pit of his stomach.

 

[BloodyKharma]

She had arrived just in time to see the strange exchange between man and machine, although she barely had time to take in her surroundings, as the hulking brute drew what appeared to be a massive weapon of some sort. It would be difficult to spot Ellesmera from her perch, nestled a couple hundred feet off the ground, within the canopy of the trees. She dropped to a low crouch to making things even more difficult, as the leaves and branches seemed to meld around her of their own accord, adding another layer of camouflage. She was now all but invisible to the naked eye. Sunlight poured down from the hole, the otherworldly contraption had torn through the forest, when it made its descent; illuminating the forest floor where the two figures stood and everything else around them.


Ellesmera remained deathly still, watching to see what the two creatures would do next, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked over at the metal pod she could only assume the smaller of the two had emerged from. She was quite aware of what the bigger creature was, her people tended to steer clear of his kind, the reason being that they worshipped what her people feared. They even went so far as to merge their very bodies with the accursed technology that brought the old world to ruin. She was taught that they were nothing but barbarians, who slaughtered all in their path simply for pleasure. I should be safe as long as I remain amongst the trees. She assured herself, a feeling of unease creeping over her, although she didn't regret her decision to come this far. In fact, it was the exact opposite, her brimming curiosity overshadowed and kept any of her other feelings at bay. Which is something she was always scolded for growing up.


She gasped as the smaller creatures wrist lit up, a strange light emitting from it, causing her whole body to recoil as the blue light seemed to be shined her way. It was gone as quickly as it had come though, but she remained tense, her movements had caused the branch to sway slightly and a large amount of leaves to cascade down towards the forest floor. She could only remain as still as ever, hoping that this did not give away her current position.

 

[Lenchan]

Though abandoned, barren was far from the word to describe the city; it was filled to the brim, bursting at the seams, coming undone with the thickness of deep roots that had long broken through the surface of the earth and barged their way through the concrete slabs and steel skeleton of the quaint downtown remnants. Flowers of all colors and sorts were in full bloom on rooftops, weeds and vines ran amuck amongst the rumble, pools of standing water gathered around the bases of beams that were once skyscrapers. The foliage hung from reaches so high, they looked as if they were born of the heavens. Glints of the moon slipped through the canopy of overhead trees and cast a surreal glow on these quiet residents. Caws, creeks, hisses, swishing – sounds of local fauna exploring the surroundings – broke sharply through the silence, creating a peaceful, dissonant tune.


The young woman continued her slow stroll across the stone slabs next to a body of water the size of a large pond, though it was hard to say how deep. Water gushed out from the darkness of a building above and flowed down in a beautiful fall, sending spray to settle on the leaves of trees that surrounded the pond. Her eyes caught glimpse of a squirrel-like creature scurrying along the ledge of the building as it disappeared under the fall. It emerged on the other side and made a great leap to a branch of a nearby tree, whose branch snapped audibly and sent the creature down into the pond. The woman watched as the ripples on the surface grew and settled, then jerked slightly in alarm as a splash erupted from the spot the squirrel-beast disappeared beneath; it was struggling to survive drowning.


Though her thoughts considered offering reprieve for the unfortunate creature, the woman made no move to help. Her eyes gazed upon the creature’s terrifying death for several lengthy moments before she moved closer and dipped her foot into the water. The sensation was electrifying – vibrations rippled up her leg and through her nervous system relaying the many noises beneath the typically calm surface. The creature’s fearful eyes looked over to her and she wondered what it felt like to face death. It always seemed so unpleasant and painful, and the struggle for survival was always so valiant, but the face of a dead thing always seemed so peaceful... As if dying weren’t as bad as initially thought.


Lowering her body into the water, she discovered it was about thigh deep, and waded over to the waning beast. When she reached out her hand to grasp the creature and relinquish it from the hands of death, a large tremor erupted and sent her stumbling forward slightly. Birds erupted from the trees, screeching as they fled the disturbed canopy. Her eyes darted towards the tree line, though she could tell the shockwave of the distant craft’s impact was just that: distant. It was followed by some low roll of earth, which was too syncopated to be a herd, but too far to warrant alarm. She tracked the blur of some ground creatures darting away in fright as well, remaining still as a stone, and waited for quiet to return. And when it did, her eyes lit up in memory, gazing back down at the surface of the pond and of the drowning creature she’d meant to save.


The only signs of disturbance were the ripples in the water growing out from her legs.

 

[Anaxial]

The strain of leather ached from Barumal's knuckles as they tightened around the rugged hilt of the enormous sword. He was still, so still that it was as though life had left him, a shadowed colossus guarding the Ghost that stood below him. His bulging eyes stared forward with an eerie animalistic rage behind them, softened when the Ghost's arm began to glow- testament to the truth of this creature's identity as a deity. Slowly his eyes turned to the Ghost, his head followed suit.


Though it didn't seem possible, his bulging eyes grew wider at the sight of the Ghost's ability. Plunging the sword into the soft earth, the rusted blade easily cut it's way through and sank deep into the ground as Barumal lowered his head and fell to his knees in prostration as the earth rattled beneath him, he bowed before what he truly believed to be a new God. Holding his arms out infront of him, he aimlessly wiggled his fingers as though he were typing on an invisible keyboard all the while keeping his eyes to the ground before the Ghost.


"So, Kosm ut enta fa' Barumal." He repeated, laying his hands on the ground, taking on the appearance of a child imitating a dog. "Kosm fa ra'h... Moah falaraga. Moah falaraga!" as he spoke, a giant metal hand pointing to the trees. His head cocked slightly to allow his ears to face towards the trees, keen hearing locked in on their canopy intruder.

 

[Integra]

It was Ailwyn's self-appointed schedule to sleep the morning away, sell what he gathered the previous night at his stall in the market in the afternoon, and return to his natural place in the forest to hunt at night. His village was nicely placed within the forest, in the midst of a large clearing that, by the work of some god, seemed to spring a perfectly functional society. Where he was born and raised was simple enough; buildings big and small were built from the trustworthy lumber harvested from the massive trees that surrounded them. In the center of it all was the market, wooden stalls hastily set up for whoever thought to make some coin off their talents. Ailwyn had been told that there were bigger villages elsewhere, but he'd never mustered up the courage or the supplies to go searching for these villages himself. He was just biding his time, he would say to nobody in particular. Waiting for the right conditions, more than anything.


This morning, though, his routine rest was interrupted by a hammering on his door, waking him up. He rolled off the stack of hay that he used to sleep on, stepping towards the door with his bow and quiver of arrows in hand. In a self-conscious motion, he brushed his finger over his left eye to find a leather patch in its rightful place. After determining all was well, he opened the door, curious and somewhat upset. Without a word of explanation, Ailwyn's older sister took him by the hand and dragged him to the center of the village, where he recognized most of the inhabitants of the town as being present.


The morning sun painted the gathered people in light pastel colors, a type of light different than that which the midday sun offered to them in their place within the trees. Ailwyn could see dust particles floating, docile, in the air, lazily drifting along. Looking at this, he wondered why something could be so calm, where there was an anxious buzz irritating the townspeople. Turning back to his sister, he saw that she had already flitted off, most likely to gossip with some of her friends. Instead, Ailwyn was forced to determine why it was so urgent that he get out of bed at such an indecent hour on his own. But, looking towards the bordering forest, his questions were answered.


It must have happened shortly after Ailwyn came back from hunting during the previous night, whatever 'it' was. A wisp of smoke was rising through the air above the trees, hardly noticeable if not for the completely clear blue sky above for contrast. Some strange motivation drove him to take a step towards the trees, and then another, and before he knew it he was shrouded in darkness, his old friend.


Carefully making his way through the forest, his footsteps completely muffled on the soft forest floor, Ailwyn thought it would take longer to find the source of the smoke. But, when he came across an odd sight, he was positive he found what he was looking for.


There were two individuals, but that was all he could see from afar. He crouched down, eyes narrowed as he crept towards the scene. One individual was massive, a creature Ailwyn had never seen before. The other was tiny, but perhaps that was simply in comparison to the hulking creature before him. It looked more humanoid, but somehow didn't set his suspicions at ease. They both seemed distracted with something in the trees, their backs turned to Ailwyn.


"You there!" he called out to get their attention, nocking an arrow more for his own protection than to seem threatening. "State your business!" There were a good few yards between them, but Ailwyn was worried the machine-like creature could cross this distance in a heartbeat and end his life there. Perhaps calling out to them was a bad idea.

 

[VirtualUnity]

[Nathan's Camp]


"As Nathan got back to the Storage Camp he continued through the files he downloaded until he sees a File named Re-Population, What Nathan sees in the files was an Earth like planet being investigated by the Pyxan's there were a few who were sent to the planet and another person to be sent there Named Wally Scranton, Nathan decides to visit Wally as he got to his door two guards are stationed to protect him, Nathan Uses his Nerve Grenade to knock the guards out he knocks on the door until it opened"Wally is it, I need you to give me all current information on The Sea"





@Steviemac

 

[Wixed]

@Anaxial @BloodyKharma @Integra


Will had become unresponsive. Really, it was the only method he’d equipped himself with to handle the barrage of things unknown. Why was his wrist glowing? And what the hell was up there? Why was his strange protector bowing before him? His brain clicked like Barumal’s gears and his gaze sat downcast for a moment as he took in a long ragged breath--eyes mewling over the sword protruding from the damp soil and then back up at the massive fingers curling and uncurling at his person. He wanted to understand, he truly did. All he could surmise from the machine-man’s actions was that it seemed as though he were being worshipped? His lips turned down at the thought, his frown immense as he shook his head at the words, at the gestures, at the entirety of his situation.


“No, no, noooo….” He whined these, hands dragging down his face as he did so. The blue orb in his wrist blinked a slow blue against his features and he appeared more sickly in this lighting than he knew. The giant’s hands settled into the earth before he called out yet again and thrust a pointing arm toward the canopy. The light from his wrist grew ever brighter with the motion and he groaned, clutching his own arm tightly, fingers molding against the small gel-like orb there. Pain seared through him, a deep stabbing singe he’d never imagined he could feel, and he fell to his knees, all gritting teeth and darkness. And as he dropped a flicker of an image passed over his vision. Like two blips on a radar.


In an instant he knew two others were within the area. And he looked up, pain-stricken, at the leaves, his eyes seeming to meet the stranger’s there, yet he could see nothing. He stared for a long moment, knowing just where the watcher sat. He knew. How did he know? Again, time would not appease him and a voice called out from where he recollected the other was positioned. Yet, this voice spoke in his tongue and a glimmer of hope that it was one of his people crossed his face before his instincts, or some other force, thought better of hope.


“Who’s there?” His voice hitched, scratchy and dry in his throat, and he dropped his speculating glare toward the male who’d just inquired of them. He was quite near, yet Will hadn’t heard a single movement, and he looked to his large friend for some semblance of an answer to the happenings. He sat on the ground like a small child as the pain subsided from his arm. What had he been cursed with? Everything on Pyxis was a secret or a curse, and somehow he missed it.

 

[Steviemac]

It's early morning on Pyxis. Serena has already arisen form her sleep and left for the medical ward, where she was on duty today. Wally lay sleeping in their bed, having only lain down a short few hours ago. His dreams of the Sea have ended and he is startled awake by a knocking on the domicile door. Slowly, he opens his eyes, memories of his visitor from last night flooding back to him. He stands and takes two small steps over to the dresser. Opening the second drawer, he retrieves a robe and wraps it around himself, tying the sash to one side.


As the knocking continues, he slowly makes his way into the living room, still half asleep. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he mumbles under his breath. He gets to the door and activates the sensor. Upon opening, a man whom Wally doesn't recognize quickly enters, closing the door behind him. Wally doesn't see the unconscious security detachment lying in the corridor.

"Wally is it, I need you to give me all current information on The Sea"

He looks at the man, still trying to clear his sluggish brain. He's certain he hasn't seen him before, but the man seems to know Wally. Is this perhaps one of the others who have been chosen for the expedition? Wally is starting to think a little more clearly. He takes in the mans appearance. Wally can't see the mans face, as he is wearing a full suit of body armor. He doesn't recognize the design, maybe it's something new for the expedition. Clearly, it's of military design. This must be one of the guards assigned to protect him on the expedition. They must have found that intruder and have decided the expedition is a go after all.


Wally walks over to his console, pulling up the reports he was looking at last night. "I have to tell you," he says, typing a few commands on the keyboard, "I don't know how useful these reports will be to you from a security aspect. They're a couple of centuries old and deal primarily with the plant species that were cataloged at that time. I'm quite certain things have changed drastically since then." He turns the console towards the man. "You're more than welcome to look at them if you think they'll help." He stands up and heads to the kitchen. "I'm afraid that you woke me. I'm going to make myself a morning meal, would you care for anything?" The offer seems to be genuine as his tone reflects only generous hospitality. He takes a pan from the cupboard then crosses to the cooler unit, removing several items. He then goes about the business of preparing his meal.

 

[VirtualUnity]

"As Wally went to the kitchen Nathan plugged in his Flash Drive downloading all the Files about The Sea As Nathan finishes the download he places the Flash Drive in his armor pocket he exits the small apartment like room, he says"Hey Wally I'm not apart of the Security I'm the man their hunting down"As He gave a short chuckle before turning invisible heading back to his Small Base Camp in the Storage area of the Pyxis, Nathan reviews the files about the planet and decides to hitch a ride their, an hour later he makes it to the docking bay of the ship scouting for a usable ship to use to venture to the Sea"





@Steviemac