nebulamemes | interest check & test drive #001.

interest check & test drive #001.


welcome to nebula station. At some point approximately three to four months ago in your recent past, you were approached by a recruiter for Galactic Exploration, offering a paid position aboard the Nebula Station for a one-year minimum term after successful completion of a short training program. For a reason known only to you, you accepted this offer. Perhaps you were short on cash. Perhaps you were manipulated into it — did the recruiter know about your seventeen unpaid parking tickets, or the interplanetary bounty on your head, or the fact that your ex-spouse is hounding you for alimony that you decidedly don't want to pay? Regardless of the reason, your acceptance of the offer, enrollment in training, and subsequent successful completion has led you here: to a transport shuttle, and to your new life. After a flight of unknown length, you wake to the sounds of people moving around you, the familiar rustling of hands against fabric as your fellow travelers begin to jostle their bags and straighten their clothes after a long flight. Even in space, the urge to be the first one off the plane is still alive and well, and many people are clearly anxious to get moving. As if on cue, a polite, almost cheerful three-tone chime can be heard through the speakers in the wall and above each passenger. "Welcome," the voice that follows intones, all warm vowels and the kind of enthusiasm that can only be paid for, "to Nebula Station. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to helping you get settled. Please take a moment to gather your personal belongings, and when the captain gives the all-clear, head out in an orderly fashion to the gangway, where a member of our senior staff will be glad to welcome you to your new home-away-from-home."
getting settled. Upon first entry to the Station, you'll be greeted by a small group of bright-eyed, wide smiling crew members. These are Circle members — veterans aboard the Nebula Station who've opted to continue on for longer than their initial one-year commitment. They can be easily identified by the faintly glowing purple circle pinned onto their uniforms. Circle members have one primary job today: to activate crew IDs and issue welcome materials, within which you'll find a wide range of pertinent information. Of course, being that the Station is in space and supplies are limited, these materials come in a decidedly modern flavor. First: your ID. Less issuing and more activating, the Circle member assisting you will ask for you to roll up your right sleeve. Why? Because there, in a small purple square on your forearm, is your ID code. Much like a modern-day QR code, the randomized pattern of squares and shading identifies you to any appliance, door, or other feature of the Nebula Station as an active crew member. It also identifies you as someone with (or without) clearance to enter certain areas, such as your own bunk, the captains' quarters, or the brig. The code is a semi-permanent tattoo, intended to last three months' time, after which point you'll be issued a new one by ship medical staff. Please don't try to wash it off. Your arrival guide — along with your housing assignment, working schedule, and any other noteworthy pieces of information — can be found in your Galactic Exploration-issued tablet. Approximately 20 cms by 13 cms of aluminum alloy and hologlass, the tablet is admittedly not the most exciting thing to hold. However, it is extremely useful — and extremely pricey to replace. So don't lose it! Or break it! ("Or spill coffee on it," one Circle member might guiltily add. Odds are good it's happened before.) Once you've received your tablet, you're free to roam the ship. There's a lot to see ... where will you go? ◆ The Housing Bay is a popular first-stop for many new arrivals. As many new faces come in alone and without any connections aboard, it's Nebula tradition for new arrivals to be assigned an empty bunk in one of the Quad Rooms aboard. Like the name suggests, these rooms feature two full-size bunk beds and a small closet space per person, offering adequate sleeping space for four people ... but not much else. You might want to introduce yourself to your new roommates, or at the very least, you might want to claim your bunk. Not feeling the shared spaces vibe? There are a limited number of single, double, and triple rooms available aboard the Nebula, and if you're particularly charming, you might be able to convince the Circle staff to help you change your assignment! ◆ Not in the mood to catch any more Z's? That's okay! The Mess Hall is available for you any time of day, with a wide variety of dining options on-hand to suit your needs. There aren't any chefs, and no one will be around to bus your table, but you'll probably find you don't need them... much. • For those that prefer an easy approach, consider the replicators on the eastern wall of the hall! These can recreate (to... mostly successful ends) any food or drink you can think of. It might not be exactly what you had in mind, but is McDonald's coffee really that different from some single origin Nicaraguan dark roast? Probably not... right? • For those that like to get their hands dirty, the western wall features a small number of system kitchens, where adventurous chefs or the very bored can whip up dishes to their hearts' content. Just like your own personal episode of Chopped, there are both fridges and pantry shelves available with staple ingredients, as well as some strange intergalactic flavors to experiment with, but anything specific might require you to try your luck with the replicators. Have fun! Try not to catch anything on fire! ◆ In the mood for something a little more adventurous? No problem. There's always the Holodeck. Here, you can try your hands at a variety of programmed entertainment. Need to brush up on your skills? Try VR combat training, with options to practice in your choice of atmosphere and gravitational pull, or a more traditional shooting range with an AI coach to provide feedback after each shot. Looking for escape, not effort? Consider a fully-immersive holo travel session, with destinations from Alcatraz to Zulu available to visit for as long as you'd like to stay. The smallest holodeck stations can be utilized by solo visitors, with larger conference room-style stations available for groups up to 10.
first mission. Getting settled — and getting acquainted — is only the beginning. By the beginning of your second week aboard the Nebula, you'll begin to notice the atmosphere (figuratively speaking; the air's still perfectly breathable) begin to shift. No longer in welcome mode, the staff is instead resuming preparations for the next Station Mission. As a neutral party in galactic politics, the Exploration's various ships and manned stations can be hired for a wide variety of purposes. Some are admittedly fairly monotonous or even boring — requests from distant ruling bodies to collect materials and supplies from their satellite planets or to deliver goods to colonies on the far end of an asteroid belt, for example. Others are exciting, but unfortunately poorly paying — such as a request from a well-known galactic events planner for warm bodies to fill up their next big outdoor festival, where having fun is part of the job but a paycheck might not be. And then there are the morally grey jobs, the ones that seem almost too straightforward upon first glance. The one coming up is a perfect example: a request from a small, but fairly well-off planet to provide hired security for a local mining organization. While not all aboard the Nebula are required to participate in a Station Mission, the main station will be docked in orbit above planet for as long as it takes to complete (or completely fail) the job. Those that volunteer to take part are promised to be paid handsomely for their time and attention. Mission Debrief: ◆ According to the ruling body, a band of guerrilla fighters from a recently independent former colony has arrived within the last few weeks, and their presence has created conflict that makes many of the workers feel unsafe traveling to their posts. While the local police force and government representatives have tried to resolve the situation, it has only led to increasing violence and bloodshed against the planet's own citizens. It's an unfortunate reality that the guerrilla fighters will need to be escorted off-planet — and while the ruling body certainly hopes this can be done without bloodshed, they've offered full immunity for any unfortunate fallout. ◆ But is it that straightforward? Can it be? It won't take any prospective attendees long to research the political atmosphere of the planet — or to discover that the mining organization and its employees are often rumored to be a polite front for a history of enslavement, with everyone from political prisoners to captured enemy forces and even debtors and petty criminals put to work in dangerous conditions. The recent independence of the local colony can be researched too, and those that choose to look into it will find evidence of a battle-weary but determined group that fought tooth and nail to evict unjust slaveowners from their homes. ◆ Those that opt to head down to the surface will have a few choices. Do you obey the request of your employer, the local government, despite the rumors and evidence that might paint them in an unjust light? Do you disobey it entirely, choosing to lend your body and mind to the guerilla forces fighting back against enslavement and cruelty? Or do you opt for something else altogether, a truly neutral third party simply taking advantage of the conflict for your own personal gain? Officially speaking, the Exploration only recognizes actions taken as authorized by the mission brief, but so long as you can find your way back to the shuttle at the end of it all, no one's likely to be any the wiser...
nebula network. Is there Facebook in space? Tinder? Instagram? Likely not, given the wide variety of species and cultures to be found amidst the stars, but where there is man (or humanoid creatures), there's communication. Aboard the Nebula, that communication can be found via the shipnet, or the local network. You'll have the opportunity to select a username of your choice — anything from @apple to @zenon.the.zequel is welcome. Just keep in mind you won't be able to change it without approval from a Station Master, so try to pick something at least somewhat understandable! As for content? The starry sky's the limit! Text, still picture, video, and audio are all supported.
notes & information Zetus Lapetus, y'all! Welcome to our interest check and tentative first test drive. As you'll probably notice if you opt to navigate your way around this comm or the posting journal, this is very much a work in progress. As such, everything is very much in a state of flux — so we're open to your questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, generalized thoughts, and everything else you might want to share with us! We've got a top level below for questions, and we absolutely look forward to answering them for you. If the answer we give doesn't jive with you, let's talk about it! Come back with alternatives, and who knows, we might take you up on them.

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[At a glance, someones with a less... zoologically-slanted mind might have mistaken the sight for a bizarre infestation. But it wasn't any sort of food safety concern that had the doctor nearly drop her tablet as she glanced through the kitchen doors.

Spiders. Throughout the entire kitchen. But the truly strange thing was that they were... coordinated. Like an ant colony. And these were hardly simple tasks, either--!

Her steps hastened to a restrained sprint as she crossed the kitchen- being particularly mindful of her footfalls across the spider-strewn floor- until she was at the large, well-dressed one who seemed to act as ringleader. She wasted no time in bringing pen to pad, and her voice was almost indignant with excitement.]

How? How are you doing it?

[Cut and bob and knead and sift and whisk and bake! All of the spiders don't seem to mind, but they do go out of their way to avoid the strange... shark... lady...? "The Big One" however, was a bit more incredulous, her eyes glancing over with a bit more indignation.]

Dearie, this is a kitchen not a TV set! You're going to get in the way of my cooking!

[And if the reporter is going to get words out of her for free, she can think again!!]

If you wanted to go another route, something could be achieved pretty easily with a powerful enough abjuration spell. After that, air, food, and water can be solved by judicious use of a bag of holding and/or conjration.

Only limiting factor is finding the magical energy to power it all.

[ let them stare. together they've been through a lot, okay. quietly moved by this, she hides her smile against his neck. ]

Your secret is safe with me, [ she murmurs, lifting her head so she can trace an x over the center of janus's chest. it hasn't even been all that long since they have truly seen each other, but having been separated from the rest of the crew for maybe a week or so, she finds herself growing more and more sentimental. ]

Show me around, will you?

[TMI is how she rolls.]

Oh, it's fine. I'll see about getting one later but I'm just making a few extra bullets now.

[Safety precautions? Sounds fake. Can you eat it?]

But I'll put it away if it makes you feel better.

[Velo extends her hand, and the bag in question floats over to her, qhich she promptly... stuffs down the front of her low-cut shirt. And yet there's no trace of it being there.]

[Nah, nothing weird here. Izzy has a partymate that also utilizes Victoria's Secret Compartment.] Firearms and magic? You're a whole damn package, huh.

[And she's cute, to boot. But that part isn't getting said out loud.] Honestly, I just prefer to leave explosion risks outside of wherever the hell I'm sleeping. That's all I ask.

Sounds like a good idea to me. There's so many of them I doubt there's any other way I could find some of them. I tried scrolling through all the scenarios and I'm pretty sure I'd still be there if I hadn't quit.

Yeah, same probably. The terminal by the door where you can scroll, there's a little box in the upper right hand corner. If you touch it you can put in a six digit code. I've been putting in random numbers and then trying to remember it, in case I like the program. If I don't like it I can just forget it once I'm done.

[It is a very useful compartment.]

Sometimes you need a bullet, other times you need to electrocute absolutely everyone in the room. I like to keep my options open.

[It's at this point that she realizes that she never actually introduced herself. It's a real bad habit of hers. Her and her entire party, really.]

I'm Velofnir, by the way. Nice to meet you.

You found any you really like then? There was one that was pretty film noir detective. Kind of old fashioned but it was enjoyable.

I like the way you think. Gotta have tools for every situation. Though mostly that involved having the rest of my party around... [Only so many alchemical concoctions that can substitute for holy magic or brute strength or whatever.]

Pleasure to meet you, Velofnir. I'm Izzy d'Oro.

[It's refreshing when the other person can be sarcastic about things too. Then again the only other people she's ever sparred with would be Sam, Chaol and Rowan. And none of those were exactly friendly sparring most of the time, particularly not the last two.

He's right about her handling pressure. Actually it sort of seems to bring her a great deal of enjoyment, if bearing one's teeth like some sort of savage can be called 'enjoyment'. It's a grin but it's almost bordering a feral one, not quite there but it's befitting of the longer canines she bears. Between that, the ears and the way what nicks and scratches he's bestowed upon her in kind heal in little time, there's the impression of the blonde being less than completely human.]

What a shame, here I thought there might be a chance for some honesty. Or at least show and tell!

[There's an amused edge to the overt flirtatiousness of her tone that speaks of her not being serious about the show and tell or the flirtation. Maybe she just enjoys trying to get a rise out of people?]

...First and foremost: Never utter that sequence of words, ever again.

[Her face wasn't particularly expressive, but... it looked particularly deadpan at that moment.

But... deep frying did have a way of masking the sins of subprime food. She gave a thoughtful stare to the replicator.]

...Sweet potato wedges, deep fried. [Maybe a little more certainty...] ...with curried mayonnaise.

[Ping. A little funnel of wedges formed from the light of the replicator, complete with a cup of off-color dipping sauce. She gestured over towards the replicator with a nod of her head.]

Well, give it a try.

What's stopping me is the fact that everything I've managed to make from the replicators has tasted like the gustatory equivalent of the color beige.

But the fact that we have a chance for actual, real, and above all else flavorful food is going to do more good than some closet full of illusions.

[A short pause.]

But there must be something more to it than just illusions if the stations insistently maintains it noneteheless.

[...what on earth is a 'TV set'? But she'll begrudgingly oblige, nudging herself back to some alcove or another between storage racks and appliances.

Not that it would deter her insistent line of questioning, of course.]

Is this just a matter of behavioral training? Is there some sort of... I don't know, pheromonal communication between you and the rest of them? A hive-mind?

[Before Muffet could even answer, the good doctor was already jotting down notes about the witnessed use of tiny, silk-woven oven mitts.]

Which would serve a spellcaster well enough, certainly, but what about the others here who can't cast magic?

Whatever solution we find should be applicable to everyone on this station. Or at least everyone willing to undergo the necessary treatment.

[Her irritation levels was already starting to rise.]

What do you think this is? Some sort of nature docu-series...?

[Wait. Wait wait. The long snout. The pointed ears. The complete lack of social skills and interest in taking down lots and lots and lots of notes...]

[Oh.]

[My.]

[God.]

You're a NERD!!

[All at once the spiders stop what they are doing, turn to Dr. Roussette and start laughing in a hundred voices of mad guffaws and giggles.]

[They still have work to do however and quickly go back to it. The big one apparently was so amused that she continued to chortle well past her entire staff returning to their duties.]

if you want to go charging in there to find out, be my guest. i'll have a victory lap meal waiting for you at the end, i guess.

or maybe the crew can be asked.

[ Oh, whoa--

Is a reaction Matt tries to stifle as soon as he realizes he's having it. Way to be provincial, Jamison. He turns his gaze to the midpoint of all the eyes--the center of his new acquaintance's face--and focuses on her question. ]

Uh. It is pretty fascinating. [ He smiles ruefully. ] But it's definitely not what I intended. Vanishingly few drinks where I'm from have that specific color.

Have you tried this thing yet? I think I could use some tips and tricks.

[Sweet potatoes! How long had it been since he'd had those? But he never cooked them in fat before. What's a curried mayonnaise? What's mayonnaise?

She bid him try, and he was too curious to refuse. He took the funnel and the sauce, but first he dipped his tongue in the latter. Sour! Sour and... something else, ooh. Flavorful, spiced.

...

Let's have another lick and forget the fries a minute.]

[She barely attempted to veil her contempt for the thing.] Heaven's no!

Frankly I don't see the point. Why rely on some empty husk of a machine to manufacture something? That strikes me as very bad economy. Furthermore, I cannot imagine that device would be capable of creating anything with any sort of finesse.

Incidentally, dearie, I do happen to start a little company that provides real food at affordable prices. Now now, I know you're thinking 'why pay when fabricated food is free,' but I can assure you that it is well worth the extra cost!

Somehow, I don't think that anything labelled as "Treatment" is going to find many willing people. Not when space suits are a thing that exist and are readily available to pretty much everyone.

I'm all for unorthodox solutions, but there's "unorthodox" and then there's "impractical".

Oh, yeah, same for me, as well. Hard to do everything yourself, and I always prefer having other people taking hits instead of me.

[Despite her height, she has all the constitution of a wet noodle.]

And just Velo, is fine. Props for pronouncing it correctly, though.

[Most skinned races either butcher it to shreds or stop trying halfway through.]

I've gotta ask now- are you more of a medical sort of alchemist, or the 'dangerous substances' sort? I should probably know in case one of those bottles gets broken in here.

[Doesn't look like his past is something he'll ever escape. Especially with it being his very immediate past, as in minutes before being transported to this ship with the promise of being free from it all. Unfortunately not everything can work out as planned, it seems.]

Hm, "you bastards" is hardly accurate anymore. There's no Shinra here, and no Shinra means no Turks. Correct?

[While he tries to talk sense into the SOLDIER, he pivots to keep his eyes on Angeal as he circles. He knows what they're capable of and arguably doesn't stand a chance head on, so letting the guy get the jump on him wouldn't help his situation at all. Hopefully he'll see that Rude isn't truly a threat despite looking like one.]

Don't think we've formally met. Rude, and you are?

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Page 8 of 11

interest check & test drive #001.

welcome to nebula station.

getting settled.

first mission.

Mission Debrief:

nebula network.

notes & information

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