You arrive without much fanfare; all that happens on the
exit part of hopping the gate, not on the arrival. Millie, acting second-in-command (well, acting leader if things are as bad as you've been told) is waiting for you at the coordinates, where Throwback is helping to set up this little mixed community that Nattie'd told you, not asked you, she was doing. Pissy little lass, isn't she? Unfortunately that's kinda attractive.
Most people call you Captain these days, but your name is
Isoldt Young, commanding officer of the Salt Bay City branch of Threshold Innovations' bold plan to salvage as much of the old world as possible. Thanks dad. Just had to fucking die at the home office and leave the world on your one remaining shoulder. Millie snaps a salute to you, which you return, and quickly leads you to a little impromptu war meeting; it's Millie, one of the eggheads from the Campus of Divinity (no, wait, you know this egghead - that's Professor "Chewing" Nails, used to teach your dad, girl is old as balls), and Orchid's ragtag 'officers', all of 'em lookin' concerned and tired. You stick your hand in your pocket, refuse the seat they're offering you, and wait.
And wait.
"God you're a cunt," Sasha says at last. "Look. It's getting worse."
"It being...?" you ask. "Use your words."
Sasha throws her hands up, but Professor Nails clears her throat. "Roughly two weeks ago, a strange light from the prison was reported by Ms. Nattie, Elector Orchid, and Ms. Marie. Initial medical checks came up clean, so we all ignored it, but they've been experiencing disorientation and signs of oneiromantic attack. Bleeding out the nose and eyes has begun recently, but they're also no longer able to verbally confirm that they saw the light or experienced any sensations."
"...Alright, I don't like that," you admit. "What kind of refraction could be doing this?"
The Professor shakes her head. "I chose my words quite carefully, Miss Young. Oneiromantic attack. They're being victimized by a manifestation of some kind, which means someone or something is actively doing this to them. I have some concerns about the stability of the attack itself and what could happen to their psyches if it's improperly sustained or improperly ended."
That gets a lot of concern around this little circle, and you have to admit, you don't like it either. You dig out a cigarette and light up the only way you can these days with one fucking arm: slowly and with great annoyance. Cheap menthol smoke trickles out of your nose. "Who do you have on this?"
Here this Jill person, the hottie, clears her throat. "The students under Professor Nails are attempting to divine what's going on. Attempt number five will be happening here shortly, we keep...well, finding Orchid and Nattie and Marie is easy because they're right here. Finding where else they are has been a bit of a whole affair."
Gods you could listen to that voice all day. Orchid better appreciate that you've decided not to shoot your shot. "I can help with that," you admit, past a cloud of smoke. "But I promise you, they're gonna be in that prison. Which means we're gonna need to go storm that prison. Which is gonna fucking suck. It'll suck a bit less than it could, especially since I've got blueprints - shut the fuck up I'm still talking - but invading an active manifestation isn't one of those things you do because your life is going
fucking well."
Everyone looks around at each other. Millie clears her throat. "Are you suggesting we leave 'em behind, Captain?"
"Go fuck yourself Millie, no I'm not. I'm bitching and moaning." You stub your cigarette out against your armor. "Find me when you know for sure they're in the fucking prison, I've got some shots to call. Bother me before then and you'll find out that I didn't lose the pimp hand when I slap the taste out'cher mouth."
Gods fucking take it. Pick 1
[ ] Existing forces with Throwback and Orchid's community will have to handle this. There's more problems than just them.
[ ] ...You could pull the nuclear power plant to half-strength and bring in the real heavies, ex-military...
[ ] You don't like it - they're civilians - but the priests and ministers you're sheltering could be useful in countering this manifestation
There will not be write-ins on this vote.
