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» TEST DRIVE #001

TEST DRIVE #001

( 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 3 . 1 ) » VIRTUAL
But the alcohol isn't even the most interesting part of your discovery (depending on who you are, of course). No, what catches your interest is a second, smaller room off from the main bar room, which looks to be some kind of arcade. There are a few VR sets lined up against one of the walls, and surely, they can't be working, right? Nothing is on this rust bucket. And yet, if you put it on, the display comes to life.

It's a pretty simple HUD, and when you move around in reality, you move around in the virtual world you've just entered. It's a luxurious world, full of brightly, saturated colors, making it just a little obvious that it isn't real. Ahead, there is a jungle, a temple, and a city. You can play around, slay some monsters, have some fun, but you can feel yourself growing hot, like the VR helmet is burning your forehead.

And when you try to take it off, you find that you can't. The HUD glitches, the sound cuts off to a blaring alarm, and an error message appears, in glowing, blinking red letters: FINISH THE MISSION. Will you, despite not knowing what the mission even is, or will you fight to get the helmet off?

( 0 0 4 ) » MALFUNCTIONS

(cw: body horror, bodily functions, gore, blood, death)

The fabricators function well enough, until they don't. One day, one moment, everything's all right — the food doesn't generally taste amazing and sometimes downright awful, but it's nourishing and filling no matter what your dietary needs — and the next, things go a little haywire.

In short, the fabricators are malfunctioning.

Oh, they're still producing food that looks and tastes much the same as before, but now there are some unexpected side effects.

NB: Characters may experience any of the following side effects: nausea ranging from slight to debilitating, the sensation of being happily and affectionately — but not overwhelmingly — drunk, bone-deep exhaustion and weariness that makes it hard to move, or repeated hallucinations of loved ones screaming for help, reaching out to characters and leading them down abandoned corridors or being killed by unseen forces.

The extent to which characters are affected is up to players, as is whether you'd prefer to play this more lightheartedly or tackling more serious themes. If the latter, please provide warnings in subject lines where necessary.

( 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 5 . 1 ) » NETWORK USERNAME
When you first turn on your communication device, it requests for you to pick a username to identify you on the network. It can be anything you want. However, as you try to input a username in your wristband to access the network, you get the following message, along with a small, but irritating, warming sound:

this username is already in use.

What does this mean? Is there other people around? Were there other people around?

( 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The smile she casts him is mildly amused, in a fond kind of way. There's a little nod of her head as she pulls away to look around. The space is small, but it's functional. That's all she can really ask for, given the circumstances.]

I thought that being away from most of the others would be safe for now.

[She isn't sure if he's asking if this is the room she's claimed because he's disapproving of her choice or just trying to make conversation. Either way, she offers him the explanation.]

You should stay close. Last I heard, there's sometimes safety in numbers you can trust.

[Frank isn't about to openly trust anyone else here, she's sure. But she knows she can trust him, and she's certain he knows he can trust her. So her tone is dryly amused, and her lips curl upward into a tired smile.]

[ he likes the idea of karen staying safe. away from harm. he starts to nod when she says that. and he can't completely conceal his reaction despite best efforts. ]

Not like I can get too far. [ but he'll still get as far as possible from her. she deserves to have a life, even on this rustbucket. she can never have that with him looming next door. even if she thinks it's what she wants. ] Don't have any more roses to give you. Not like you have a window anyway. [ maybe he'll teach her a marine code to send over the network... once he figures out the network. hopefully she won't notice that he straight up didn't answer her question?? like she's ever done that before. ]

[Oh, she sees that reaction. It makes her stomach twist and she's sure her face contorts in something close to annoyance. He's just said plenty without actually responding to her suggestion, which is Frank Castle's way of letting her know he's not going to dignify what she's said with a response.

That's fine, she can deal with that.]

You want your space. I get it.

[She softly retorts, trying not to smile because she's stupid and finds the fact that he needs space out in space to be hilarious.]

But I don't need a window or roses to be concerned about you in a place like this.

[They've been taken against their wills and are trapped somewhere with limited room to move. She's fairly certain that's not good for someone with ptsd, and definitely not someone who isn't a people person otherwise. She worries too much about him, she knows. He hasn't invited that worry and doesn't really want it, but he's her friend so he's stuck with it anyway. ]

[ that screws up his face into a grimace faster than anything else could. this isn't about him, but maybe... he won't correct her. she's better off without him, even here. ]

Karen. The last thing you need to be doing is worrying about me.

[ he worries his lip, having trouble keeping eye contact. instead, his gaze darts around in a familiar nervous pattern. ]

I'll make sure you can get in touch with me, that's all I meant. [ since she's likely to need rescue sooner or later... ]

So sticking together is out of the question?

[She sounds almost accusatory, but she's too tired for it to get all the way there. She can pick up on how anxious he is, how he can't even look her in the eye for longer than a couple seconds. This all is getting at him, and she isn't going to add to that. It's better to bend to his will now and let him think she's fine with it, and just do what she thinks is best regardless.]

We have a way to stay in touch.

[Her arm is held out so he can see the device there. She glances at his arm to see if he has the same, or if he's ditched his out of paranoia.]

You want to stick together? [ he manages, already knowing it's a mistake. that she'll latch onto it when she should be letting him go. the communication device is a welcome distraction, and he pulls his out of where it's still resting at the bottom of his pocket, the screen still up with the prompting for a username. ]

There's no way to know if it's secure. [ he slowly meets those too-blue eyes and blows out a breath. he types in 'raven' and the program finally lets him in. ] But as long as we're doing a stint on this cruise... I won't be far. [ it's just better if she doesn't know exactly where 'not far' is. ]

[The fact that he has to ask if she wants to stick together puts an indignant look on her face. Why does he have to ask that? Shouldn't it just be a given?]

That's good to know, Frank.

[Of course, it's easy to act like she's offended because he doesn't want to stick together. It's easier to do than to show and admit she's terrified. Frank is strong. He needs her to be too.]

I'll be sure not to bother you unless it's emergencies only.

[But maybe her voice trembles a little there.]

[ he's well aware of the fact that he should just leave. but karen doesn't have matt and foggy -- she doesn't have anyone yet but him. frank takes a halting step back into her orbit and shakes his head. ]

Karen, come on. You're not bothering me. That's not what I said.

[ the tremble in her voice gets a deep frown out of him, and he reaches out with his free hand, setting a heavy palm on her upper arm. he's here. and he's not going anywhere until he's sure it's safe to leave her. ]

You okay?

[There's a moment when she wants to say something sharp and biting, something that might hurt him. But the feeling passes as quickly as it comes on, and she drops the tough act and lets him see the vulnerability there. The fear and paranoia.]

The only way that I'll feel safe is knowing that I'm not alone here.

[It boils down the fact that while she's a big girl that can take care of herself, she just doesn't want to feel alone. Or like she's in the way of the one person here that she knows. She's fortunate to have Frank here, have that familiarity. Many people here won't even have that. ]

[ the sharpest, most biting comment couldn't hurt as much as her earnestness now. his grip tightens on her arm and he looks down at the screen, a cursor blinking in a blank text field. ]

You're not alone. [ well. it's debatable whether having frank castle is any better than being alone, but he's a body. someone who recognizes her; someone who cares. he does know that that's all karen cares about at her core. he looks up into her eyes suddenly, dark brown eyes steady and serious. ] We'll stick together, yeah? It's gonna be fine.

[Any other time, his bending to her will might make her feel a sense of satisfaction. It might get her to smile or relax. But now, it feels like a hollow victory because she's upset that they're both caught up in this. He deserves a chance to rest.

He promises that things will be fine, and she wants to believe him. Her face is fixed in a well trained look of blank staring, but there's a twitching at the corner of her mouth and a glassy look to her eyes that says it's about to crumple away any second. In order to distract from that, she closes the distance between them, edging in close. Her hand touches at his arm and she just takes comfort in his proximity.]

Yeah. [She finally agrees, licking at her lips before nodding.] Things will be fine. We just have to stay out of trouble.

[Ha. Good luck with that one.]

[ he tenses when she moves closer, but doesn't move away. instead, he just drops his device back into his pocket. ]

Have you met us? [ they're not good at the staying out of trouble thing. his eyes are doing their nervous dance again, but he leans a fraction of an inch closer himself, unsure what he's looking for. some concrete evidence that she's okay, maybe. ] You sure I won't cramp your style?

[ at home, he goes to great lengths to make sure karen isn't associated with him. but she always screws that up by defending him publicly anyway. here no one knows who frank castle is but her. maybe it really doesn't matter. frank shuts his eyes, muscles slowly releasing under her light touch, and he moves in until his temple rests against hers. ]

[She barely manages a dry laugh after his questions. It's hard to find humor in the fact that they're both danger magnets, particularly given that there's so many uncertain things here. But she manages a smile and gives the tiniest shake of her head, which presses their temples together a little more firmly.

Her eyes slide closed as she gathers her strength from him. As much as she screams at Matt and Foggy that she's independent and can take care of herself, she desperately needs people she can trust around her.]

You can't cramp the style of someone that doesn't have any.

[Which means: yes, she's sure.]

[ he pulls back just enough to go cross-eyed when she says that, his expression spelling disbelief. shit magnets or not, he guesses she is right in that they're stuck here together. if she needs him... nearby, then he might have to reevaluate his plans. ]

You always get your story, right, Page? [ it's soft, he isn't making fun of her for a change. he's just trying to remind her of who she is. that she's never really needed him at all. at least, not until it was down to the wire. ] That's gonna be the key to getting out of here. Relentlessness. [ something she has in abundance. ]

Then it's a good thing I'm relentless enough to make sure everyone here gets sent back to where they came from.

[Because of course she also has to be a bleeding heart that saves everyone else. She knows that she doesn't need him to get shit done, but knowing that he'll be around in close helps ease her fear of being here all alone. It's enough to make her hold her head high, and smile with confidence.]

After I find out the who, how, and why of why we were all pulled here.

[ it gets a soft smile even as he slowly disengages from her, pulling back fractions of an inch at a time as though it's a physical difficulty to stand on his own. when he's up to his full height his hand lets go of her the same way, finger by finger until his arm drops ineffectually to his side. ]

That's the pain in the ass Karen Page I know. [ it's soft and gruff, but almost affectionate. ]

[A sad, lonely part of her wants to reach out and keep him from pulling away. But that part of her is pushed aside as the way he manages to smile at her makes her soft in return. Her arms cross over her chest, but she manages to do it in a way that looks like she's keeping herself warm rather than closing herself off from him.]

I didn't know you liked my being a pain in the ass that much, Frank.

[She's amused, incredibly so. There's a warmth in her eyes as she keeps eye contact, only looking away when she's pretty sure it's well past the point where he's comfortable.]

You should meet me for breakfast tomorrow. There's a chance we could find some coffee in the mess hall.

[ he notices the way she looks at him like she's about to fall into his arms all over again. it does make him nervous, especially coupled with the eye contact she knows he can't sustain, his own gaze dancing around even before she looks away. ]

It's who you are. [ his voice is full of admiration, even though it's framed within a tease. he bites his lips against a smile and shakes his head, looking down at his magboots rather than at any part of her now. ]

Breakfast. [ he repeats like he's trying to remember the word. in reality he's trying to remember what having a social meal is even like. he's certainly never had one with karen. ] You sure about that, Karen?

It's not like I'm asking you to stay the night.

[She's not really prepared to put up a fight to try and get him to meet her for a simple meal, so she's prepared to just drop it there. But she can see that maybe he's still trying to figure out the boundaries and make sure that she knows what she wants.

That joke she's just made probably is making him incredibly uncomfortable, so she softens the blow as best as she can.]

It's only breakfast. An easy, no strings attached meal. I can tell you everything I've found out so far, and you can tell me all about the people you don't think I should trust.

[ stay the night. predictably, his head snaps up, eyes wide and wild and even fearful. he would do anything she needed, on some level he thinks they both know that. but he can't do that. it would break him. he feels stupid the instant she goes on, realizing she wasn't serious, but his heart is still pounding against his ribcage like the insistent beating of a drum. frank pushes a thready breath out his nose and tries to focus on what she's saying. where usually he finds it easy to remember conversations verbatim, here he's struggling to even pluck the meaning out of her words in real time. ]

Nothing between us is ever easy, alright. [ a bit of that haunted expression he'd worn when she first met him slides across his eyes briefly then, but he brings a hand up to scrub over his face, trying to get a grip on himself. this isn't that serious, she's right. they're stuck here whether they drink coffee together or not. slowly, he manages a nod, even cracking a lopsided albeit shortlived smile at her suggestion. ] Yeah, should I start making a list? Seems like a waste of time, when I know you'll never listen.

[Nothing between us is every easy...

His words echo in Karen's head, and she has to look away in a pathetic attempt to hide her frown. Nothing between them has ever been easy, and she isn't sure if it ever will be. It's painful in a way, to care about someone that isn't ready to feel anything. Numbness is a gift to men like Frank, men who have seen and been through so much trauma. She can see hints of the man he's capable of becoming in time, but she isn't going to press him to get there before he's ready.]

I'll have you know I've been told my not listening can be a gift.

[Except for the time when it got Ben killed, but she doesn't think about that anymore because she has his job and it would be inconvenient to be sad about that.]

Yeah, I'm sure you have.

[ he sounds tired suddenly, shaking his head when she looks away. ]

Okay. [ breakfast. he waits for her to meet his gaze this time, his expression clear for the first time tonight. ]

Okay.

[She repeats, voice a little resigned. Then it dawns on her that he's actually agreeing, and she looks pleasantly surprised.]

Okay? You're...

[There's little resistance to the smile that breaks out across her face, just as bright as her ridiculous sunshine hair. Her hand reaches up to push golden strands back behind her ear, and she gives a little nod of her head. She didn't mean to seem so surprised, really.]

Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. [She's giving him an open invitation to leave, if he wants to take it.] Better get that list ready.

[ he gives her a look until she comes around, then nods belatedly. okay, okay okay. ] Okay. [ frank repeats, and maybe it's just to be pedantic. or maybe he doesn't even notice. ]

Save me a seat. [ frank starts to back out of the room, reluctant to leave her already, but then he stops dead in his tracks as he remembers something. pulling out his comms device, he frowns at the blank display still staring up at him. ] What's your name on this thing?

[He gets so close to escaping, but then he reels her back in with another question. It brings up something that she was paranoid about earlier, and her smile abruptly fades as she glances down to the device worn around her wrist. ]

I had to take the username page.

[She hopes that's easy enough to remember. But she's not interested in talking about what she chose. She strides in close to him once again, so they can talk in hushed whispers like there's a big conspiracy going on. Which there probably is since they and a whole bunch of other people were kidnapped and put in space.]

I would have used my whole name, but when I tried it told me that it was already taken.

[And clearly that must mean something!!]

» TEST DRIVE #001

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