TEST DRIVE #002

[reveriemod]

TEST DRIVE #002

( 0 0 1 ) » WAKE UP

Were you asleep or were you unconscious? It doesn't matter: when you come to, there's an odd taste in your mouth and there's a low-level mechanical hum in the air. Your head hurts and you feel nauseous. You aren't anywhere you know: everything around you is metal, from the floor you lie on all the way to the ceiling. You are dressed in a jumpsuit you definitely weren't wearing before.

"We tried to save the world. I think— I think we did the opposite."

The message repeats on a loop. If you look for its source, you find a comms device on the floor next to you. The logo on its wallpaper says REVERIE TERMINAL. Upon closer inspection, you find the same logo on your jumpsuit.

Welcome to your new home. What choice do you have but to explore your surroundings?

( 0 0 1 . 1 ) » WAKE UP WHERE?

When you wake up, you find that you're not alone. But more importantly, you find that you're in a closet. An empty closet, bar you and your new companion. It's small, cramped, and there is no door that you can see. The ceiling is low, there is barely any lights, only some coming from the tiny flashlight clipped to your suit's shoulder. You cannot be sure that there is any air coming in to the room.

Are these grooves in the wall supposed to mean something?

( 0 0 2 ) » OBSERVATION DECK

There were no windows in the corridor you woke up in and no windows in any of the crew quarters you might have checked for occupants — but there are plenty of windows on the uppermost level of the station, deck 1. In fact, there are windows from floor to ceiling all along the circumference of the station's circular deck, and it's possible to walk along it all. What it shows is a strange solar system you've never seen before and a planet that might resemble one you know, but certainly isn't the same.

You're in space. You don't know where you are. Neither does anyone else.

( 0 0 3 ) » BAR

On deck 3, you find the bar. Tucked away from the crew quarters, it's dimly lit, there are bar stools thrown down on the floor and what looks like some very old drink spills, crusty and dark against the bar top. But there is alcohol here, or at least, what you think is alcohol, in bottles with faded labels, most of them indecipherable. Take a drink, get drunk, start a fight, or start a party? You're stuck on this station, might as well make the most of it, right?

( 0 0 4 ) » SPACEQUAKES

One second, you are is walking. Magnetic boots are on, the ground feels solid enough, for a metal deck in a space station. Everything is perfectly fine, or at least as fine as it can be, given that you still don't know where you are or how you came to be here.

The next moment, it's like everything explodes around you. You're thrown against the wall as sparks erupts from electrical panels, as the whole station rumbles and shakes around you. You fall to the deck, earning yourself scratches from the grating. When you look up, it's like nothing has happened. No wires hanging from open panels, no flickering lights, no more shaking. Like an earthquake in space.

( 0 0 5 ) » NETWORK

The comms device you found next to you when waking up connects to a station-wide network, REVERIE NET. You have the option to post video, voice or text messages.

What will you share?

( 0 0 6 ) » WILDCARD

The station features a variety of locations, from sleeping quarters free for the claiming to a dirty swimming pool and a bar that still holds alcohol (though some of the bottles seem to have been opened a while ago).

Go wild, but don't wreck the place. It's your home for the foreseeable future, after all.

Comments

[cheerleader]

There's always something to fight.

[And she says that like she really believes it, which is likely more precious than convincing. She doesn't really have much time to think on that, because a cold sense of dread settles in over her like he's just punched her in the stomach. ]

Are you sure we're out in space? I don't even know how I ended up here. The last thing I remember is being at homecoming with some guy cutting my head open, and now I'm in space?

[Maybe she finally died and this is her own personal version of hell.]

It sounds too crazy to be real.

[supersonic]

[ The Brotherhood-- and that's it? Nothing afterward. Just that, and gone. There's a pause, slight but the first on Pietro's end since this conversation began. (What if his life never amounts to anything else?)

He doesn't confirm anything, but he doesn't tell her she's got it wrong, either. ]

Which side are you?

[oorah]

[ he's done a lot of fighting himself and his friends here, but nothing tangible has come out to play. he decides to pass by it because that is indeed precious claire. and something else predictably catches his notice. ]

Cutting... your head open. [ y i k e s ]

1 | tw: seizures

[revvedup]

[ waking up in the jumpsuit had reminded her a little too much of manticore, both after being recaptured and after being set up to escape, but she doesn't remember feeling quite this sick after either time. the last time she remembers feeling like this was after the seizures, particularly when they were at their worst, but the one benefit of being recaptured had been that genetic flaw being fixed.

she'd gotten to her feet somewhat unsteadily, holding her hand out a few times as she'd started walking to make sure it wasn't shaking. it hasn't been, it still isn't, but her steps are still unsteady as she moves down the hall and she finds she needs to stop occasionally to lean against the wall for support.

it's at one of those moments she's paused, eyes shut as she tries to will her head to stop pounding and her guts to stop moving like the inside of a washing machine, that someone grabs at her ankle, and she's instantly alert and jerking away from the wall. ]

Jesus -

[ but she can hear someone. a young voice, anguished, trying to pull herself free. max is on her knees in an instant, reaching a hand out for the one that had grabbed her. ]

Hello?

[cheerleader]

He killed this other girl at school I hated so...

[Like that makes this any better. Clearly this child has some trauma she's not dealing with. At all. And will never actually be given the avenues to deal with properly, thanks Noah Bennet.]

I guess he's a serial killer or something?

[Focus on the important things here, buddy.]

How do you know we're in space?

[oorah]

Oh.

[ he's just going to... yeah. he points up. ]

I'll show you. [ he'll start walking towards uP. spinwise so hopefully she won't lose her cookies again. ]

[cheerleader]

[Yeah, okay. She follows along after him, staying close to his side. Whenever her legs feel too wobbly she reaches out to grab his arm.]

Is it your fault that I ended up here?

[It's probably a good idea to get this out of the way now, so she can decide if she wants to be angry at him or not.]

[oorah]

[ she looks nervous and he isn't sure if it's the dog or the spacequake or both so he motions to max for him to give her some space. ] Back up. [ he commands, but max is having trouble tearing himself away from her scent. something about it is familiar and he can't put his paw on it!!! but when frank gives him the dad look he backs off with a sad little look of his own, backing away from her a few paces. ]

Yeah, and it's gonna bruise. [ not like that looks new for him by any means. ] ...Did you just get here?

[oorah]

[ max would usually walk pressed to frank's side, but with claire occupying the side he usually flanks he walks alongside claire instead. he seems to do pretty good for a dog used to 1g of gravity. ]

Yeah, no. I'm not a space guy. [ he wrinkles his nose. even as he learns how to get by here, it only highlights the many ways in which he's actually useless and it sucks. ] There are nearly 100 people here, no one knows how we got here either. Just - woke up in fucking space. I've been here about three weeks now.

[revvedup]

[ it's a combination of everything, if she's honest. her feline dna makes her a little bit anxious around dogs at first, and this one seems calm enough but she's been on edge since arriving. the spacequake hasn't improved that state of mind. ]

Yeah. A couple days ago. [ she starts to get up at that point, bracing her hands against the wall and floor for support, but then something about his wording strikes her and she looks up at him with a puzzled frown. ] Did you not?

[nerded]

Cool. Good idea.

[ Yeah. Peter is good at this part, the helping out bit. He might not be able to lead a brigade of heroes yet (he's sixteen, he's got time) but helping the little guy? That's always been his M.O.

If someone could use a hand, he's ready for it. ]

You don't think someone did that, do you? [ He glances back in Gamora's direction, using it as an excuse to study her because staring otherwise is probably rude. ] Like, maybe the captain of this ship or whatever just like, wanted to mess around?

[cheerleader]

[Her nose wrinkles up as he keeps saying stuff she doesn't want to hear. Since he's the bearer of bad news she pulls her hand off of him and rests it on his dog's head instead. She's so tiny that it works out just fine. He seems nice and protective, and she's already formulating plans on how to get this dog to stay with her 24/7 so she feels safe.]

My dad isn't going to be happy if I don't come back home.

[Not with her, or anyone else. She's starting to think it's likely he might kill people if it means keeping her safe and with him.]

[nerded]

Uh. [ Peter whips around to the voice, expecting - actually, he isn't really sure what he was expecting. A place like this, he's braced himself for anything.

But the girl speaking to him looks to be around his age, and she's also super pretty? That's a little nerve-wracking for a nerdy sixteen year old teenage boy who does things like swing around in underoos and participates in science decathlons. ]

Yeah. I mean - no. [ He shakes his head. Tries again. ] I guess I should've expected there'd be a cafeteria but I just got here and kinda wandered in and - [ Babbling. He's babbling. ] - if they've got drinks here, they've gotta have water too, right?

[oorah]

[ he offers her a hand if she wants it, he can tell she went down hard and could probably use the help, but he won't force it. ]

I've been here three weeks. [ an uneasy little shrug as max finds his place at frank's side again, but he's still studying max quizzically. ]

[cheerleader]

[This is the most intense person Claire has ever met, and that includes her dad and the guy that tried cutting open her head during homecoming.]

Both, maybe? I'm not sure. I'm still learning how it works.

[She backs her way right up against the glass, and presses herself against it like it'll deflect any intensity that's thrown her way.]

[cheerleader]

So I shouldn't tell you that we're lost and I have absolutely no idea where we're going?

[She barely manages to hold in a laugh.]

Okay, but don't be mad at me for lying to you.

[She spots something up ahead that looks like it might be an elevator, and she starts making a beeline straight for it. ]

[nerded]

I can't drink - [ is literally the first thing Peter blurts out as he accepts the glass with a grateful, if slightly bashful expression. Yeah. He's suddenly realized his silly blunder in the same instant that the words come out.

It's like being caught red-handed except you put a spotlight on yourself and called the cops. ]

- I mean. I'm good, water's good. [ It's the soft pressure of a dog's snout pressing against his leg that has him distracted from embarrassing himself further. His expression brightens. ] Oh. Hey, big guy.

[ He offers a hand to the dog for investigation purposes before making any move to pet him. ] I didn't know they had dogs in this place.

[cheerleader]

[Claire's so worked up that she almost pulls away and hits at the hand that's reaching for her. But she can hear a woman's voice, and her mind instantly associates women with safety. Her dad's always taught her that if she's lost or in trouble not to trust anyone, but to approach a woman rather than a man. So she just flinches a little and grabs the hand that's been offered, trying to wriggle free faster.]

I woke up stuck inside here. I just want to get out!

[Her voice elevates as that panic settles back in.]

Maybe you could try pulling or something?

[She feels like Winnie the Pooh stuck in Rabbit's house and that's pretty embarrassing.]

[cheerleader]

[He babbles and she smiles, resisting the urge to laugh. She's been known to babble a lot too.]

Admit it, you were wanting to drink.

[It's a playful accusation more than anything, one accompanied by her hiking herself up to sit on the bar itself. It really takes some work to get turned around so she's facing him, legs dangling over the edge, but she eventually manages. Her legs kick a little, and she takes the time to look him over. He's cute, but definitely a nerd. She can tell these things.]

This is clear. [She pushes an unmarked glass bottle his way.] It could be water.

[oorah]

[ max seems to understand this boy is of 0 threat to him instantly, shoving his head against peter's hand to demand pets even though he's doing the polite thing. screw that!!! love me!!!!! frank snorts, glad max is finally starting to get his bearings around humans that aren't him. mostly because he sucks. ]

Don't you know kidnapping etiquette? If you take a guy, you gotta take the guy's dog. That's just polite.

[ do you get that he's messing with you yet...? it's okay he can keep going if not ]

[mutants]

[ Right, because she's just a kid. Someone would usually remind Lorna of that in the Underground. Underground Lorna didn't take down a jetplane, though. If there are other people on this ship or in this illusion, they can pat her hair and tell her it's gonna be all right. ]

Show me. [ muttered as she turns on her heel to face her again, her hand raised in a come-hither motion that summons a screw out of the far wall with the speed of a projectile. It grazes Claire's shoulder, splitting her suit by a couple inches as well as the top few layers of skin, and Lorna watches patiently as it heals over, corroborating her story. Damn it.

She crosses her arms, holding the screwhead to her bottom lip thoughtfully, though all that's going on in her head is damn it damn it damn it. ]

[cheerleader]

Hey! [She sounds completely petulant and annoyed by the fact her jumpsuit has a split in it now, and ends up holding her hand in the air.]

Next time, aim for my hand!

[Of course, she'd really prefer if there wasn't a next time. Her pose copies Lorna's, arms crossed. Her face is fixed in something caught between agitation and acceptance. Whoever this lady is, she's intense and nothing's changing that. She might as well just go with it.]

What's your name? I'm Claire.

[magneticfields]

[ The anger radiates off of her in a way that is uncomfortably familiar. Like a memory he'd rather not think about. ]

You're sure of that?

[ He'd been here nearly a month and wasn't sure. But if she had some kind of information to confirm that, he wants to hear it. ]

They know me as Henryk Gurszky. But my name is Erik Lehsnherr. Or Magneto, depending on the circumstances. Who are you?

[warfares]

It'll pass.

[ again, said not unkindly. he's grateful to be past this particular point. as accustomed as he is to discomfort, it's been a long week. month.

lifetime. ]

Eating helps.

[warfares]

Sadly, our hosts neglected to include a welcome packet.