TEST DRIVE MEME ( 019 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #19

Hello, and welcome to LifeAftr! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.

Remember that Reserves will open on January 17th, and Applications on January 24th!

Two important notes:

1. LifeAftr's test drives take place on the island of Mu, which exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?

2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences, largely in the form of test drive reward items.

Let's Be Heroes
Back in December on the recent island of Maati, the Trial of the Brave was intended to challenge those who approached life with hesitation; the timid, the uncertain, and those who trend too easily toward inaction. Mu, of course, has a habit of neglecting the finer details. And thus...here you are, whether you need the intended lesson or not.

Armed with nothing more than a torch, a short sword, and the clothes on your back, you're sure to enjoy the scenic view of labyrinthine stone walls, low-hanging ceilings, sharp corners hiding all sorts of secrets, and a thick, foreboding darkness. Your light, and the torches of others making their way through the dark, are the only breaks in the seemingly uniform dark.

Those and the lights of the eyes of the other things down here with you, of course. Hidden throughout the maze are scattered innumerable creatures, all of them happy to take advantage of those wandering about on their own. Nighthooks are fiendish, shadowy monsters that appear in the shape of a long-fingered hand. While they cannot physically hurt anything, they specialize in slinking out of the darkness to snuff out any light source they can find...like your torch, for example. Also abundand are the grimlings, hulking, dog-like creatures composed of a seaweed-like blackness and glowing coals for eyes. Should you come across one, several more are bound to be nearby, as they travel in packs. And they are always hungry.

For those lucky enough not to stumble across these creatures? Enjoy your stumble through the dark. There's an exit around here somewhere, if you look hard enough. Probably.

The Waiting Game
The second trial Mu has appropriated is the Trial of the Patient. This test was named for those who exhibit the very antithesis of patience, initially intended to draw in the brash, the reckless, those easily incited into action, and so on. Instead of a dark and lengthy maze, Mu has instead concocted a brightly lit room to test your patience, and lack thereof.

So you should have no trouble at all seeing the entirety of the expansive, gaping void that stretches between you and the only way out.

Stranded on a singular ledge, the space in which you wake is white and seemingly infinite. No ceilings or walls are visible, and peering over the edge of the small platform reveals no flooring below to catch you. The only distinct characteristics to this room are the door opposite you, positioned some couple hundred feet away. There's nothing for you to grab or cling to in order to make your way over there faster. In fact, nothing else seems to help, either. Flight, teleportation, gadgets, you name it - each attempt will inevitably fail, and give you just enough time to contemplate all the ways you went wrong as you go plummeting down (or is it up?) into that endless void. What a shame. Luckily for you, this dream is happy to give you a second chance! And a third, and a fourth...and however many it takes, really. Those who fall will, just as the initial adrenaline shock starts to run out, abruptly find themselves standing right back on the platform where they started. Once again, they'll find themselves staring at that infuriating, impossible-to-reach door. Seems like you may be stuck where you are, for the time being.

We say "for the time being," because the other distinct attribute of this loosely defined room is a second platform, drifting steadily from the doorway to your position. Once it reaches you, you'll be able to climb aboard, and be safely ferried across the room to the exit you so greatly desire. Once it reaches you. Once it...well, it seems to be taking some time. A few minutes. An hour. Something in that ballpark, maybe. Got a good book on you? No? Guess you'll have to find some other way to wile away the time.

You, and whoever else you happen to be stuck with.

Water Rising
The island of Ensō is a relatively flat island, aside from a lone, steep mountain to the north. Mu is less so. It tends to mold itself to whatever shape best suits it, and in this case? It has chosen Ensō. And so that is where you find yourself - positioned at the base of its mountain, no less, only several feet up the beginnings of its slope. Unfortunately, there's not much time to take in the new scenery. Stretched out along the island's coast is a beach of glittering white sand. Further inland, the green sprawl of a jungle blots the horizon. But there's also plenty of ocean. And therein lies the problem.

Creeping through the treelines and rapidly pooling about the mountain's base, said ocean levels are rising quickly. Very quickly. Those who wish to stay and enjoy the view of an island underwater are welcome to it. For everyone else, the only other option is the obvious one: to climb.

To climb very, very quickly. As luck would have it, the rising waters aren't the only danger present. Those too slow to escape its wrath will surely drown, but the higher up you go, the thinner the air becomes, and the more searing the heat. To the west, a crop of dangerous creatures known as lungblossoms claim the wooded thickets that offer reprieve from the intense and unrelenting rays of dream-sun. A confrontation with these living plants may expose you to hallucinogenic spores fit to fill your senses with horrific, nightmarish visions, so tread lightly...but not slowly.

At the mountain's very peak, an empty temple awaits those who can make it to the end of this terrible and impromptu gauntlet. It will provide shade and a space for the exhausted survivors to congregate. Tend to yourself and others, if you like- or head back out to locate those who haven't had such luck in reaching this haven.

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

horatio nullbuilt | primordia

[exdeus]

01. let's be heroes

[He puts the sword aside immediately. He's had enough violence to last him the rest of the who-knows-how-many years he has left on this Man-forsaken planet, and if he needs it to cut anything he'll know where to find it.

The torch he keeps. None of his progenitors had thought to equip him with any way to generate light on his own, which is why he'd always...

Never mind. He trudges onward, torch in hand, resolute, until he sees the eyes. He takes a step back. He's defenselss, but it wouldn't matter if he wasn't. He's never encountered anything that couldn't be communicated with.

Except for shells.]

Hello?

[They must be other robots, trapped down here with him in the dark. What else could they be?]

02. let's be... patient?

[Despite living large swathes of his life by himself in the desert, patience has never been Horatio's strong suit.

Isolation, yes. While he isn't immune to loneliness, isolation is something he can endure. But having absolutely nothing to do?

After the third time he unceremoniously not-falls on his face, he makes a noise like a tinny growl and resorts to rapping his metallic knuckles along the platform he's standing on, as if he can maybe find something he can mess with--a groove to pry into, a hidden panel for a circuit board, anything. He has no tools at his disposal, but that's not going to stop him.]

There has to be some way to make this b'sodding thing go faster.

03. wildcard

[Hit me with whatever or contact me on plurk at cerebrah if there's something you'd like to hash out! Horatio is a robot from the rusty post-apocalypse who has literally never seen any form of organic life before, let alone a human being, so any initial encounter is probably going to be very weird, but that's what I'm here for.]

1. :>

[counterblows]

[It's dark.]

[Dark and contained and there's definitely something moving in here. He's just going to have to figure out what it is and whether its intentions toward him are hostile, assuming it has any. The torch is - he doesn't want to use the word uncivilized, but it's not a light mounted on the scope of his rifle, so it feels wrong to have to carry it in hand.]

[A sword in one hand and a torch in the other. No armor. No weapons save for a sword, of all things. Not exactly advanced military tactics over here. It's a step down from the norm, but Wash breathes it in, and...okay. Okay.]

[A word slaps out into the dark, a wary greeting that draws his attention.]

[Wash tamps down the urge to douse his light and make use of the shadows.]

[Most things that want to hurt people don't take the time to offer a greeting beforehand.]

[He holds the torch further aloft, trying to pick out a silhouette in the heavy dark.]

Someone else there?

wheezes

[exdeus]

[Horatio turns with a calm that is maybe inappropriate for the situation, though it's really just what happens when you don't have anything like adrenaline. He's surprised to see it's another android. It's not a common design choice, in his experience.

And Wash doesn't resemble any design he's encountered before, though he hasn't encountered that many, and it's difficult to make out anything more specific in the dim light. Immediately Horatio wishes he could see more clearly, take a closer look at the way Wash fits together, and then has to remind himself that it's hardly important right now. In the back of his mind he can hear Crispin whining about staying on track and takes that as further reason not to dwell.]

Yes. Someone else here.

[It comes out dry. He'd already said something, hadn't he? Now he just thinks you're slow on the uptake, Wash.

Which is fine. He's encountered quite a few slow robots in his time.]

HELLO.........

[counterblows]

[God, this would be easier if he had his helmet. The H.U.D. was fried on arrival, but at least he might be able to fucking see more than two feet in front of him.]

[The voice doesn't sound familiar. That's also a good sign. The uniform dark is bad enough without hallucinations being tossed into the mix, and he's had more than enough of those things in his lifetime, thanks.]

[Deep breath. Keep moving. His tone is level.]

All right, well, keep talking so I can find you. I can't see shit down here. [ - oh, wait, no. There's the light of another torch.] Actually, never mind. I'll come to you.

[exdeus]

Fine. [Unsaid: if you insist. Grouping up is something other people care about.

Unasked: can't see what?

As Wash approaches, the light from both their torches slowly illuminates them more clearly. Horatio had been right to think Wash was unique for an android, as his strange appearance only becomes stranger the more details he can perceive.

The movement, for one, is much smoother than he's ever seen. The strange material covering the endoskeleton is another. Perhaps some kind of leather? The function of it escapes him, considering metal is much more hardy.

But these are questions for another time. Now they're in close proximity, like Wash wanted, for some reason.]

What now?

[counterblows]

[Definitely doesn't recognize this one. Can't tell if this is some sort of automaton, or if it's a mask, or...well, it's not important. Wash's gaze is short and assessing, and then he looks away. Probably best not to stare.]

I don't think we're alone down here. [The words are low, and paired with a glance over his shoulder into the surrounding murk.] Safety in numbers.

[Particularly since he has none of his equipment. Loves that bit of this dream. Fucking, thanks.]

[exdeus]

Maybe.

[Not that he plans to be fighting anything. Instead, he looks pointedly at the torch.]

Whatever they are, it seems like they might be attracted to the light.

2

[forwearemany]

(Time flows differently, from Legion's perspective.

Capable of thinking at the speed of light, but with a body that moves at the speed of organics, patience is something they practice as a part of existing in their platform.)

(At the sound of the other, they chatter.)

Uncertain.

[exdeus]

[Horatio doesn't even react to Legion's odd appearance; he's seen stranger robots. If anything, Legion is familiar territory.

His contribution to the conversation is less useful. Horatio grunts in frustration, but at least stops his prodding. He wishes he had any kind of tools on him instead.

But he doesn't, and that's that.]

It has to be propelled in some way. I just need to find it.

[And make it work better. That's what he does.]

[forwearemany]

There is a high likeliness that propulsion systems are linked to levitation function. Attempting to alter it may carry risk.

(As in, the slow moving platform may just tumble into the fucking abyss.

This isn't to say that Legion hasn't considered the option of tweaking any machinery there might be, if there even is any machinery and this thing doesn't run on some form of "magic", but they have no tools and trying to figure out how anything operates has been futile.)

(It is likely magic.)

[exdeus]

[Magic whomst. There is so much about this place that doesn't make sense to him.

Horatio makes a noise of frustration before turning away from the platform entirely. It still looms in the distance, taunting him.]

I refuse to just sit here and wait for something to happen.

[forwearemany]

We will not attempt to stop you should you still wish to try. It is a warning.

(This is, after all, a dream. Legion has no great stake in what occurs.)

However, it is unlikely you will find success. Perhaps instead you would interact with us?

(The island of Enso is mostly populated with organics, and the other synthetics dwelling there are non mechanical in nature. They haven't interacted with another robot in months.)

[exdeus]

[Horatio doesn't, typically, dream, so the logic of this strange plane is still something he's getting used to. But the nature of dreams doesn't invite one to think about them too much, either, and it's surprisingly easy to just surrender to the flow.

All that to say: Horatio finds himself forgetting about the platform quite easily, and attending to this new topic instead.]

Interact?

[Well, okay. It's not like he has anything better to do. And it is relieving, for reasons he doesn't want to dwell on, to be around someone so obviously robotic.]

Did you have questions about something?

1

[lightlessfuture]

[ The glint the light catches aren't quite eyes, but that's just a minor detail. The Knight holds their torch aloft (which isn't very far up, because they're like two feet tall) and glances at the source of the voice.

...they ponder how to respond, and then hop up and down, attempting to wave. Turns out charades doesn't get you very far in the dark, and they don't want to snuff out their only source of light, so it's an awkward sort of hop-and-wave, but.

Hello!! They're trying! ]

oh no

[exdeus]

[Oh! Look at that. It's a tiny robot, trying to get his attention. It's... cute, as much as Horatio really has a concept of "cute." He feels a surge of protectiveness toward it regardless.]

Hello.

[And he waits for further reaction. Is it trying to show him something?]

[lightlessfuture]

[ Well, this person seems friendly enough. By the way the light bounces off parts of them, it seems like they're either armored or they might be like their friend Legion - completely made of metal.

So, torch held as high as possible, they approach, clearly bolstered by the positive response to their greeting.

Then, they stop at a polite distance and stick out a hand, because their options for communication are limited with one hand tightly holding a light source (their granted sword is mercifully about the same size as their nail would be, so it's at least not dragging along behind them), but it definitely appears to be

some kind of offer for a handshake. ]

[exdeus]

[Horatio just looks at it, as it holds out one of its little appendages.

What is this tiny robot doing? Is it trying to show him something? Horatio moves to kneel so that they're closer to eye level, but that doesn't make it any more clear what it supposed to be in the little robot's hand.

So... he silently holds out his own. Is that what it wants?]

[lightlessfuture]

[ They'd thought a handshake was pretty universal, but maybe assuming that was slightly a mistake. Oh well, they can make do.

Horatio holds out a hand, and they grasp his as well as they can, giving his hand a little shake before they withdraw it. Nice to meet you, they're trying to say.

They...they really hope this gets across. ]

i'm going to cry

[exdeus]

[That... was... odd.

As far as he can tell, nothing was placed in his own hand. Is it malfunctioning? Is that why it's not talking, not even in beeps? Horatio looks at his palm briefly (just in case) before standing back up.

Direct approach can't hurt.]

Are you trying to show me something?

[He wishes he still had the transmitter.]

2!

[stormblooded]

[Well, at least this guy's attempts to jump that jump have successfully convinced Lyse that she probably can't jump that jump. Thanks for taking one for the team, Horatio. For now she'll just sort of lean over his shoulder.]

Good idea. I didn't think it could come open. Do you want a hand?

[exdeus]

[Another of these strange, soft robots. Horatio hesitates very briefly, before resuming what he was doing. Are these truly what humans were like? He can only too easily imagine how they could have destroyed themselves, as fragile as they are.

Anyway. He stops his tapping.]

Do you have any kind of soldering attachment? [Because he doesn't, and that's the only kind of tool he can see being useful at the moment. B'sod, he misses his plasma torch.]

[stormblooded]

[Lyse pauses, trying to recall if she's even heard of that. She doesn't think so? But then, technical jargon has always sailed right over her head, so maybe she just didn't process it.]

Uh... no, sorry. I don't really carry tools.

[exdeus]

[He sighs.

Part of him wants to demand why she wouldn't carry tools on her, but considering he doesn't have any himself, it would be a hypocritical question. Really, he's just frustrated, and it's obvious in the way he rocks backward and heaves himself to his feet.

No, never mind, he can't stop himself from being at least a little snide.]

If you don't have tools, do you at least have any ideas?

[stormblooded]

[Lyse can't really be upset about his tone; he sounds as frustrated as she feels. There's little she hates more than having to stand around and do nothing. But what can she actually do? She puts a hand to her chin, thinking.]

Well, we know it's too far to jump. And it sounds like a technical solution is out, so...

[She looks back up at him. (His mask is a little odd, now that she really sees it, but she doesn't think she'd be the right person to point that out.)]

What if I try and throw you? I mean, worst case, you'd just end up back here, right?

[exdeus]

[He can't help but stare at her. Is this what humans were like? No wonder they all killed themselves.]

That would break me to pieces.

[Wouldn't it?]