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

[solarcharged]

[ Processing that information is harder than he thought it would be. Apollo was ready, so ready, for the Authority to turn up, load up, and drop everyone off in their respective universes. It was their thing. It was what they did.

But Midnighter is here, alone and with no idea what's happening, which means he’s just as much a victim of this stupid space kidnapping as the rest of them. Apollo doesn’t have much time for sentimental moments of despair but the situation certainly feels pretty hopeless. People like him and Midnighter weren’t meant to be victims of things. It didn’t work like that. It shouldn’t work like that. And yet, here they are. Stuck on this stupid station.

At least now they’ll be stuck together. ]

We don’t know, [ He replies softly, his embrace slackening just enough to let Midnighter glance out the window. His arms drop, hands sliding down to rest familiarly around Midnighter’s waist. The jumpsuit is an interesting look on him. Different to the usual getup.]

There’s about a hundred of us on here. We’ve been here for weeks... [ Apollo pauses, tugging Midnighter gently to turn the other man’s gaze away from the window and back to him. Only when he has Midnighter’s eyes on him does he add heavily: ]

It’s been a month since I last saw you.

[weaponize]

[a month.

the words have barely sunk in before he's twisting his fingers into the front of apollo's shirt and tugging him close all over again. sure, he may have spent a lot longer than that away from the carrier already. but that had been by a choice. a necessity that'd kept him away from apollo and jenny. coming back to the carrier had meant a return home, to a place that he had no plans on leaving behind any time soon.

clearly it's a choice he ultimately has little say in though, given their current situation.]

I saw you. You were there when I came back.

[home. because that's what the carrier is to him. what apollo and jenny will always be. but that was all only a matter of hours ago. not days. weeks.

he takes a moment to make another mental check of himself. to try and push the computer that little bit closer towards giving him the answers he wants. the ones he needs right now. but, once again, he finds himself coming up short. it isn't working the way it should.]

Maybe it was a month ago. [because that could explain it.]

Whoever's behind this-- Something's wrong up there. [a tap to his temple.] Maybe I just don't remember.

[solarcharged]

[ A sad look of understanding breaks slowly across Apollo's face as he realises what's happened to his husband. It's the same thing that's happened to him. Like someone has washed away some of his powers, like cleaning off a slate. Lessened. Eroded. Apollo hates that feeling. Vulnerability isn't something he's very good at even with Midnigher, let alone on a space station in the ass end of the galaxy in some godforsaken alternate reality.

But Apollo's heart breaks for Midnighter because this is more than just not being able to punch through a wall, or not being able to set fire to something with your eyes. This is a part of something inside of him - inside Midnighter's brain. The fact that someone - something - has the power to do that to them both is worrying. But the fact that it's managed to get inside Midnighter's head is sickening.

He lifts a hand, running it briefly, fondly, through the hair at his husband's temple. Oh, he's missed this face. ]

No, I know what you mean. It happened to me too, when I first arrived...

[ His words are murmured, barely more than a whisper, as if saying them too loudly would alert the whole station to the fact that two of the universe's deadliest men have been reduced to... this. Vulnerable for once in their lives. ]

It's like something's not working. I can't get my reserves up, no matter what I do. I feel like I've been running on empty all the time...

[weaponize]

[that concerns him more. the idea that something is getting in the way of letting apollo fully charge. he's seen the other man on empty. has had to drag his almost lifeless body around before when he's pushed himself that little bit too far. so if apollo is having trouble recharging here, he knows they need to find a way around it before it's too late. before it finds a way to get any worse.]

That's not our sun. Maybe we need to find you another one.

[though he doesn't like the idea of apollo heading off alone to try and look for one. if he isn't at full power, what's to stop him draining completely when he's too far out to be recovered?]

For now, you need to show me where we're staying.

[because standing out in the open like this isn't entirely comfortable. he may have apollo there to watch his back, may trust him completely, but it isn't the same. it isn't that whirling mass of calculations he's come to rely on to keep himself safe.]

[solarcharged]

[ Where we're staying. That's enough to put a smile back on Apollo's solemn features. The only good thing about Midnighter being trapped on board with him now is that at least Apollo won't have to be so fucking lonely any more. Of course they've been separated for longer before, but not like this. Not across galaxies, universes, with no idea of how to return to each other.

The hand at Midnighter's hair is still there, gently stroking, as he quietly marvels at how ridiculously giddy he feels at having his husband in his arms once more. For so long, Apollo had refused to process the idea that Midnighter wouldn't find him. Being cut away from the other half of your heart was something that Apollo hadn't wanted to contemplate again, not after the last time. It was the kind of emotion that was too big, too painful, for him to even attempt to process. And so he'd told himself again and again, out loud and quietly within himself, that the Authority would come. That Midnighter would find him. And even now with Midnighter in his arms once more, he still doesn't have the words to be able to communicate how tiring that dogged optimism had been.

So instead he settles for communicating something much simpler. ]

Okay. I'll take you. But first -- [ He leans in, lips brushing against Midnighter's own in a heartfelt kiss. Brief, warm, gentle. Not a kiss of passion but of a gentle, familiar 'hello'. It's the kind of kiss they've shared thousands of times before, unremarkable in its familiarity but so painfully poignant in how much Apollo has missed it. After a heartbeat he pulls away again, only to murmur with an almost sheepish smile: ]

I missed you.

[weaponize]

[his own expression turns soft at apollo's smile. it's something he's missed during all the time he's spent away from the carrier. away pretending to be human. the few times that their paths had crossed over those months away had never been filled with anything worth smiling about. sure, he missed apollo more than he could ever really explain. but it hadn't been enough to keep him from leaving time and time again. if it wasn't something he knows he needed to do, he'd regret it.

of course, he does regret leaving his family behind. but there hadn't been any other option at the time.

it takes him a beat too long to realize that he's staring. it's only once he's being kissed that he snaps out of it. that he returns the kiss, fingers still twisted tightly in apollo's shirt. it's grounding, in a way. being so close to the other man. being able to feel that heat that he'll only ever associate with his husband. quite how he ever thought he'd be able to find happiness without apollo in his life, he doesn't know. but he's here now, they both are, and he isn't going to give that up again without a fight.]

I love you.

[words that will never be enough to describe just how strongly he feels about apollo. but it's something he'll spend the rest of his life proving, no matter the forms it takes.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo practically beams in response to those three small words. Communicating the huge wealth of and depth of emotion in his chest was never easy, not for the guy who would rather punch his problems through a wall than confront them with words. But after a whole year of blundering through reality after reality and witnessing all the various terrible ways in which an Apollo could be split up from his Midnighter, Apollo certainly thinks he's turned a little sentimental in his old age. He cradles Midnighter's cheek, remembering the curves and planes of the face he loves most of all, and drags a thumb gently over one cheekbone. ]

I know. Me too.

[ It's an understatement, for sure, but one Apollo can't resist. It makes him smile, at least. Satisfied now that he has his kiss, Apollo's hands slide down to catch both of Midnighter's up and lead him away towards the door. As much as he hates the fact that they're stuck on this station for the short term, he knows he can at least show Midnighter where they're going to call home. ]

So I guess I should show you around then...

[weaponize]

[there's no hesitation in following after apollo. even without that contact he'd only ever be a step or two behind him here. and it isn't just because he's the only note of familiarity in an otherwise foreign situation. he's missed this, more than he can say. missed being able to reach out and touch the other man whenever he wants. missed being close to his husband, to his literal better half.

his fingers slip between apollo's, hand tight around his as he gives in to a moment of weakness. it doesn't matter who is behind all this. doesn't matter if they're watching or not. as long as apollo is there with him, he can deal with whatever this situation is.

(of course, he wouldn't say no to having the rest of the team there too. but he can deal.)]

If this is going to be our home for now.

[and it certainly helps that apollo knows him well enough to know where his priorities will sit. there's a mystery to solve here, and he can't find answers in the middle of an empty room.]

[solarcharged]

For now.

[ That's the important bit. Apollo has no intention of making this place their home for any longer than it needs to be. They already have one weird and impenetrable space vessel to call their home, they really don't need another. ]

So, I guess the first thing you should know is that this place could really do with sprucing up, [ Apollo says, injecting a bit of forced conversational brightness in to his tone as he lets go of Midnighter's hand and taps at the door control panel. Beyond the observation deck door is a disgustingly grimy corridor that somehow manages to look just as grim and depressingly dirty as it did the first day he arrived. Undeterred (and now largely immune to it all) Apollo leads the way towards the elevators. ]

We've found a few weird clues about what might have happened but for the most part we have no idea where the original crew went. They must have left in a hurry, judging by the state of the place...

[weaponize]

[while he does trail after apollo, his pace slows a little once they reach the next corridor. he'd been through it earlier, of course. had made his way through a number of levels on his path to the observation deck. but he hadn't been entirely aware of his surroundings at the time. (a fact he has no plans on ever admitting. even to apollo.) making his way through it this time though, midnighter takes the take to try and get a closer look. to note just how...run down everything looks. whoever's behind all this could have at least made sure their prison was habitable first.]

You said there's about a hundred of us. None of them know a thing?

[beyond knowing that the entire population of the station are in the same position as the two of them, he really doesn't have much to go on yet. he knows what's happened to him so far. knows that, somehow, they managed to capture apollo too. that they've cut off all contact with the carrier, despite the two of them still being able to communicate with each other.

(he has to keep himself from trying to reach back out for the carrier again. trying to make contact, as pointless as the attempt may be.)

instead, he slips back to apollo's side again, giving the man a careful once over. he's been here for less than an hour so far, and already he's had enough of this place. for apollo to have been here for a whole month...]

How have you been?

[anyone else and it could be seen as a mundane question. one of the usual conversation fillers that regular people use on a daily basis. but they aren't normal, and he's looking for a lot more than a simple "fine". if their roles were reversed, he knows he'd be clawing at the walls by now. apollo may be more patient than him sometimes, but only just.]

[solarcharged]

Yeah. [ Apollo smiles ruefully. ] A hundred clueless idiots on a tin can, floating around a galaxy in the ass-end of nowhere...

[ He leads the way along the corridor, taking Midnighter past door after door. These ones are all locked. Apollo knows this because he's tried to open every single door on the observation deck to no avail. They're all just as firmly, stubbornly locked as the rest of the station.

And he doesn't react to Midnighter's question, not immediately. The question doesn't surprise him - wouldn't he ask the same, if he were in Midnighter's shoes? - but it definitely leaves him surprised as to how he doesn't know how to answer. In all of his time on the station he's spent so little time dwelling on himself. All of his thoughts have been so fiercely focused on those around him (and those who very pointedly aren't) that he hasn't spent much time thinking about himself. On purpose, perhaps. It's as good a coping mechanism as any, isn't it? ]

It's been pretty frustrating, [ He says eventually, words low and quiet as he keeps his gaze trained on elevator doors at the end of the corridor. Their eventual destination. ] But I kept thinking to myself, 'what would Midnighter do if he were here'? [ Apollo gives him a sidelong smile. ] And now you are. I must have jinxed it. Sorry.

[weaponize]

[meaning that they don't know where they are. when they are. whether this is their reality or something completely different. it leaves him at a loss of where to even start on trying to find their way home. sure, he knows what he should be doing first. knows that getting the full lay of the land, gathering all the details he can, should be his first step. but with the computer all but silenced right now, and the knowledge that apollo has been trapped her for a full month with no escape, his priorities are a little...skewed.]

If you did, I'm not going to complain.

[because it's better that he's the one who got pulled in than any of the rest of the team. of course, the engineer may have a little more luck at getting to the bottom of what's going on with this station than either of them will. but knowing that apollo is here, midnighter can't deny that he's glad that he's been pulled in second. (it's a toss up between him or jenny. and he'd prefer that their daughter wasn't dragged in to this mess too, spirit of the 21st century or not.)]

Besides, someone had to come join in all the fun. [sure, fun usually involves a lot more blood and violence than this. but that isn't the point. a moment of levity in an otherwise worrying situation.] And maybe help tear this place apart a little more. [not that it looks like it'll take much effort in that regard. the station seems to be falling apart already.]

[solarcharged]

[ And maybe help tear this place apart a little more. Apollo can't help but smile at that and the memory it brings of him saying pretty much exactly that to Kara. God, he'd missed Midnighter so much then but the idea of bringing him in to this strange prison was horrifying. It still is, for all of Midnighter's insistence that he wasn't about to complain. Bringing Midnighter here was the last thing Apollo wanted to do, no matter how much he missed him. ]

Funnily enough, I said exactly that to a friend of mine, [ He admits with a rueful smile. ] You, tearing the place apart. Trying to find answers...

[ Apollo trails off. Kara has gone now. And he still has no idea where, how, or why. ]

I wish you could have met her.

[weaponize]

[the use of the past tense doesn't go by unnoticed. but not knowing the reasons behind it, there are far too many possibilities for him to narrow it down without more questions. questions that he knows will come with answers that apollo won't be happy to give. he doesn't need the computer to tell him that. all these years together is enough for him to pick up on those signs of discomfort. of sadness.

it's why, with the next step, midnighter shifts that little bit closer to apollo. why their arms brush. why, despite not being the best at offering comfort, he still makes the attempt.]

What happened?

[is she alive? did she leave? why isn't she here anymore? one question that's asking for a lot more detail than he airs. but he'll take whatever he can get. will push for details later, when their reunion isn't so fresh. sure, he knows he should be digging in to the mystery that is this space station. but for the time being, he has other priorities. he can go off exploring further once he's had the basics given to him.]

[solarcharged]

[ It's difficult, admitting that he doesn't know. For all his strength and power, Apollo feels horribly, terribly useless. Once upon a time he was the guy who cauterised the entire fucking moon and yet now he can't find out what happened to his friend - his first friend.

(And of course there's everything that goes with it too - the other reason why Kara was so important. That strange, unspoken link - too fragile for either of them to address directly - that gave Apollo the possibility of home. Apollo had never, ever allowed himself to be upset about his missing childhood and the life that he might have had before Bendix had christened him Apollo and set him on his mission to make the world a finer place. Until he'd met Kara and learned about Krypton.)

He feels the brush of Midnighter's arm against his own - a welcome touch, despite the layer of fabric between them. He slows down, rolling to a stop in the middle of the grim, gloomy corridor. ]

One day she was here, the next... gone. Her room is empty, nobody's seen her... [ Apollo's expression is distant and uncomfortable, even as he admits the very thing he hates most: ] I don't know what happened. There's no sign of her. I have no fucking idea if she's even alive...

[ His fists clench, an involuntary reaction to just how fucking frustrating it all is. This - this is why he didn't want Midnighter on board. ]

[weaponize]

[in some ways it's worse that he doesn't know. if she'd found a way out of there, then surely she would have taken others with her. if her disappearance was the result of something more sinister, there should be a body. signs of a struggle, at the very least. things that apollo would have noticed, given her title of friend. whatever's going on here, they need to get to the root of it all quickly.]

We'll see. Before we head home, we'll find out what happened to her.

[for apollo's sake more than any personal need to know. sure, the answer could provide them much needed information about how to make their escape. but seeing apollo like this-- his interest sit firmer in finding the answers his husband needs to know instead. in giving him the semblance of closure while they can.]

Have there been any others?

[who have gone missing, for known reasons or not. there could be a pattern. could be a reason that specific people have been targeted, both for being brought to the station and being removed from it.]

[solarcharged]

[ He's mollified by Midnighter's promise but only just. His fingers still curl up in to fists, itching to punch their way through wall after wall after wall until they find the command deck and get the fuck out of there. But it's taken Apollo a long, long time to get used to the fact that that's not an option. And he's never felt so useless. It's a new feeling. He doesn't like it very much. ]

Yeah. [ He nods faintly, remembering what Jasnah had told him. ] Another girl, apparently. I never met her, but she disappeared too...

[ A pause, and then Apollo laughs suddenly, mirthlessly. There's no humour in it, just a flippant bitterness. ]

And the entire original crew, I guess. They vanished as well. Can't forget them...

[ He turns, leading the way again towards the elevator at the far end of the corridor. The sooner he can show Midnighter, the more sense it will make. ]

I think they must have left in a hurry. We keep finding things they left behind -- random things. A book, a single sock, stuff like that... Completely useless, mostly.

[weaponize]

[so she wasn't the first. but if that's two people now, who's to say that there won't be a third? that it won't be one of them. arriving here, only to lose apollo straight after isn't something he thinks he'll be able to deal with. not after all those months he's already spent away from his husband.

if he's completely honest though, he knows that he's taking this all a little more calmly than he would back home. he's been trapped before, has been toyed with, both physically and mentally. but knowing that apollo has already been here for a month, he's doing his best to keep his anger at bay. it's something cold and dark inside him that he's not ready to visit until long after he and apollo have finished talking. finished touring the station. something he'll unleash when he's alone again and able to take those frustrations out without having to concern himself with hurting somebody in the process.

so instead, it's calm silence as he follows on to the elevator, continuing his slow perusal of the walls. the doors. as he lets his fingers occasionally drift close enough to metal to scrape along its rough edges.]

Marie Celeste. [another crew abandoning ship for no apparent reason. except this time that isn't the end of the story.] Guess they're looking for a new crew. Though it probably would've helped if they'd just asked first. [a beat and--]

Can we get to the control room? Take a look and see where we are.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo shakes his head at that question but he can't help the smile that it brings. Getting to the control room has been his plan since arriving on this damn station. It's taken them this long to even be able to think that they're remotely close to finding it. ]

Sadly not. The control room is something of a work in progress...

[ He gestures at the doors as they pass, each one solidly locked against the world. Apollo has personally tried to open every single one of them, to no avail. ]

See these doors? They're a bitch to open. [ He pauses near one, a random door that looks just as innocently normal as the rest. ] Go on, try it for yourself.

[weaponize]

[his expression turns curious as he looks between apollo and the door they're stopped by, and it takes him an extra few moments before he actually makes any kind of move. he knows that apollo isn't lying to him. that, if he says they don't open easily, he means it. but that doesn't keep him from turning to face the door. a single tap on the controls and then he's digging his fingers into the closing of the door to try and pull one of the sides open. it'd likely be a lot simpler if he had a crowbar, but this'll have to do.

or not, as the case may be.]

They're all locked?

[yeah, they could probably do with having angie here. if she could just hack the system, maybe they'd get an answer or two.]

[solarcharged]

And then some.

[ Apollo watches a moment longer while Midnighter struggles with the door. It had been the same for him, and has been ever since he arrived. He reaches out to touch Midnighter's elbow, guiding him gently aside so that Apollo can take over. ]

Watch...

[ He steels himself, then slams a fist in to the door with a resounding crash of metal. The noise reverberates, echoing down the dingy corridor, but when Apollo draws his hand away again it's clear that he's only managed to faintly dimple the metal beneath it. And then the familiar sense of weakness begins to seep in, and he leans heavily on one fist against the wall. He's used to it now, this feel of bone-deep exhaustion that comes with every attempt to wrestle open the doors. ]

As soon as you start to try to force the doors, you feel weak. It's some kind of defence mechanism. [ He gives Midnighter a weak smile. ] It's pretty effective...

[weaponize]

[there's a momentary jolt to his system as the computer blares to life, throwing out warnings as apollo prepares to strike. (the door. not him.) but it's gone almost instantly, and midnighter is stuck with the sight of apollo seemingly draining in front of his eyes.]

You dumbass. [it's affectionate, despite the words.] You could've just told me what happens.

[especially when he's already stuck running with low batteries as it is. there's no point draining them any further than he has to. especially when they don't know what's coming next here. what problems they might be stuck facing next.

stepping to apollo's side, midnighter wraps an arm around his waist. support, whether he needs it or not. he may not be able to do much about the whole situation right now, but he can at least offer a little help for now.]

[solarcharged]

It's fine, don't worry. [ Apollo flashes Midnighter as bright a smile as he can summon (not very, given how low his reserves generally are on board the station). And despite his words, he still gratefully leans in to that warm body of support. God, it was so much better to have Midnighter to lean on - it made Apollo realise all over again just how empty the past four weeks have been without anyone to literally and figuratively lean upon like this. ]

Honestly, I'm fine. This is what passes for entertainment around here...

[ He says this with that same familiar world-weary, bleak amusement that characterises 99% of their entire relationship - the idea that no danger is ever taken that seriously, not unless it begins with B and ends in Endix. ]

[weaponize]

Guess that means I'm going to have my work cut out trying to entertain you instead.

[and if his expression turns a little dirtier at that, it's only because it's to be expected. their team may not be around to mess with, but that doesn't mean he's going pass up and opportunity to lighten the mood a little more.

of course, that attempt doesn't last long, and midnighter turns his attention back to the door again. to the faint dent apollo managed to make in the metal. a literal sun god, capable of decimating mountains and smashing buildings to pieces. and yet somehow, it's a sheet of metal that holds him back. whatever's going on here, they need to get to the bottom of it. they need to find out what is being so carefully hidden.]

So most of the doors are like this? Have you managed to get through any of them yet?

[solarcharged]

You have no idea how much I've missed how entertaining you are.

[ Apollo delivers manages to deliver his reply so very somberly, even with the faint hint of the exhausted smile at the edge of his lips. It's been a long four weeks.

But he pulls himself together somewhat, steadying himself against Midnighter for only a moment longer before pushing himself to stand properly on his own two feet. He can't rely on Midnighter too much here - mostly because it just doesn't feel right. Apollo hates feeling this painfully vulnerable, even with Midnighter.

Nodding sagely as Midnighter inspects the dent, Apollo leads him on towards the elevator once more. ]

And as for the doors... We can move between a few of the decks and get in and out of a few recreational rooms, no problem. The cabin doors are fine too. But everything else is locked down.

[ He gives Midnighter a knowing look. ]

Locking us in or locking something else out... that's the question we're all dying to know.