Fall 2015 Test Drive

[raisednpcs]

Hello, and welcome to the test drive for Fall, 2015! Similar to last time, one of our test drive prompts is the same as an event presently going on in the game! And that's not all; both players in the game and out of it can treat everything that happens with these prompts as canon to the game, and that they happened concurrently with what's going on on the main community. So, if you're looking to apply to Raise the Earth, here's a chance to get in on the ground floor of what's happening in-game!

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[A - Factor Industries Charity Event]

Even for Benjamin Factor, arranging this charity event had been something of a challenge. Just as he held great influence in Gateway City, Thunder Corp's influence in Locke was great as well. But with time and money, all things were indeed possible in this case, and the Memorial Dance Hall was playing host to the night's events. It was a glamorous affair: politicians, captains of business, dignitaries, and celebrities had been invited. For whatever controversy that existed, the world legitimately wanted to heal the wounds left by the invasion, and that meant there were a lot of people who wanted to use events like this to either advance that cause, or to make themselves look good.

But they weren't the only sorts of individuals who had received an invitation.

Benjamin Factor had also made it so the Numbered would be invited to his little party. Arrivals through the teleporter would be greeted by drivers at the community center, and the same courtesy was extended to anyone who might live in Locke. The only stipulation? Was that anyone who came make an effort to make themselves presentable. If that was a problem, or anyone arrived without knowing, they had clothes on hand for people to change into.

Indeed, it seemed that the Numbered would be well provided for tonight. That being said, their presence would get people to talk, given the presence of news crews making live coverage. Nevertheless... "getting people to talk" seemed to be exactly what Benjamin Factor wanted to happen.

[This prompt is the same as this current event. You can have your character start a general mingle thread, but we ask that your character not serve as an event speaker for the test drive, as that's a rule best suited to characters already in the game.]

[B - Pest Control]

Beta testing. "A trial of machinery, software, or other products, in the final stages of its development, carried out by a party unconnected with its development." A crucial, important step in ironing out the "kinks" in something, to ensure it's ready for whatever it has been designed to do.

In the last weeks of October, someone is beta testing. Just what are they testing, you might wonder? Diminutive little robots with powerful, fangy jaws. They appear to be designed for pest control, and their hardware includes tracking software. Indeed, they're apparently being deployed in secret, acting autonomously in Gateway City, Locke City, Woodend, Christchurch, Tokyo, and even Shepherd's Haven. No one would see who is setting them loose, beyond nondescript men and women who disappear as quickly as they first emerged.

The robots are autonomous. They seek out their prey with zeal, without being controlled by a central source. Alone, a single machine is far from a threat, but they have been loosed in sizable groups, making them fairly dangerous. And it seems there's a bug: all animals are targets for these things, and they're not all. It seems they're capable of identifying another, more unique target: Anyone who might be Numbered.

[C - Sudden Storm]

Rain wasn’t planned today. The forecast had called for sun and minimal clouds, and a warm breeze. Instead, the falling drops seem to sparkle in the sunlight peeking through the clouds. Out a window, strolling down the street, sitting at a bus stop, it’s hard not to feel the drops coming down. And should you stop to stare at the rain for a bit, something seems to shift. A hollow feeling, a certain vertigo, that passes in a moment.

As it clears, something changes. A new memory, from a life that isn’t familiar and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense; a tingling at your fingertips of some new energy; a certain knowledge of the world that shocks you with the new information it provides; something in your hands you weren’t holding before. Maybe you’ve already had an Echo somehow, and you recognize the feeling; maybe you haven’t, and it brings back memories of the people talking about “pulses” on TV, what seems like forever ago. If the latter’s true, the fading sense leaves behind a number, that seems to worm its way into your mind and not leave. Does this mean… you’re Numbered, now?

[D - Network]

The number stuck in your head refuses to go away, so to work it out of your system, you decide writing it down on something is a good idea. Maybe you punched it into your phone; perhaps it’s on a piece of paper, or a mirror, or almost anything else.

The thing it’s on comes alive, filling with text and images. None of it was there before, and you can interact with it. Hundreds, maybe thousands of posts, all tagged with a number that looks similar to your own. Tales of fighting, of betrayal, of loss and sacrifice; stories of heroism, of gain, of victory and the elation attached. Questions about life, about the network, about the future of the Numbered. Idle conversation, videos of stupid things. Three years of history, from the beginning to the original incident on April 1, 2013, through to today.

You could add something. Clearly, it need not be profound, and if you don’t put a name, a face, or a voice to your number, nobody would ever know it’s you. It’s there, at your fingertips. What would you say…?


[E - Wild Card]

Don’t feel pressured to stick to our prompts - you’re welcome to do whatever strikes you. Lighthearted, serious, dangerous, mundane, spectacular… Raise the Earth is a game designed around everyday life getting a lot more interesting in a hurry. Play around with things!

Comments

[enflammen]

[He knows that. In a lot of places, being Numbered means being feared and mistrusted. It's a lifestyle Micah now has the displeasure of looking forward to, and he's decidedly not thrilled about it.]

Not even among yourselves? Surely you at least have a secret handshake.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Even without being publicly known, Nathan gets assumptions sometimes. Numbered can have a varying range of odd appearances. Unlike many others, though, Nathan's distinctive appearance is entirely natural.]

I suppose the idea was never a priority. [He almost feels like he should apologize for this somehow.]

[enflammen]

Really? Isn't that rule one of secret societies? Step one - create secret handshake. Step two -

[He shrugs.]

Whatever.

[solvethepuzzle]

Yes, well . . . [No, he . . . really doesn't have anything. He is normally a bit better with new people. But here, there is much more for Nathan to worry about. It doesn't help him at all.]

Is there anything you wanted to know? [There, that might be vaguely helpful.]

[enflammen]

[Micah sucks on his front teeth, thinking for a long moment. Then, seriously, intently:]

What can you tell me about time travel?

[solvethepuzzle]

[It's an odd thing, how flippant that question should sound, but everything surrounding it suggests something more serious. Unseen of course, but Nathan tilts his head, furrows his brow marginally.]

That is a very broad question. I would need something more specific to give a useful answer.

[enflammen]

Well, I'd like to go back in time about a day or so and stop myself from being an idiot and punching in these numbers on my phone. That's all.

[Micah holds a serious face as he says this, and for a second after - then he cracks half a grin and laughs.]

Relax. It's a joke. You've heard of those, right?

[solvethepuzzle]

[He feels vaguely silly, even if he wonders if there still might have been something behind it all.]

I'm not very good with them. And anymore, one has to entertain possibilities that would have seemed ridiculous a few years ago. [There had been no supernatural powers, no alien invasion threats back then.]

... How much have you gotten back? [Part of him is afraid to ask, but if he's joking with him, it might mean that there isn't any true antagonism toward him at this point. Of course, he hasn't seen his face, either. Will this all change, when he eventually does?]

[enflammen]

[Micah sighs, giving a light shake of his head. Back to business.]

Not a whole lot. Just the two memories, I think. The first one was when I was a kid, heading out on my own. [He purses his lips, gaze going distant with remembering.] Seems like the other guy did the same thing. I didn't think too much of it at the time - stress, I thought, or I would've, if I'd had my head on straight. [He shrugs.] The other one was a few months ago. I was on a job, and I got a memory of this guy setting off a detonator and blowing himself up. [Micah turns his head so the left side of his face is more prominent toward the camera.] Woke up in the hospital with a nice patch of burns and a stack of paperwork to fill out.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Nathan does have a sense of humour, but it mostly gets caught up in wordplay. That, and he hadn't quite expected jokes coming from the reincarnation of someone who'd hated his Other so much.

[... Blowing himself up? That would explain the burn scar, certainly. But . . . why?]

... Oh. I'm sorry. [What exactly he's apologizing for, he isn't sure. But it feels like the thing to say.]

[enflammen]

Yeah, well. I wasn't really looking for sympathy.

[He's terse - even a little prickly - but not hostile. In fact, in the next moment, Micah shrugs it off.]

Shit happens, right? And anyway, I survived it.

[And that's the more important thing, in his mind.]

So ... [Micah lightly clears his throat.] You got a name? I'm a little out of practice with telling anonymous strangers my life story.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Well, Nathan does understand the whole concept of not seeking out sympathy for what's happened to them in the past. There is a reason so few people know about his childhood. Why burden them?]

Things happen. [That much, he can agree on.]

Ah, right. I'm sorry. [Apology number two in as many minutes or less.] I am Nathan.

[enflammen]

I'm Micah. Micah Kelly.

[So there's an introduction out of the way, at least.]

Have you been at this a while, Nathan? The Numbered thing.

[solvethepuzzle]

[It all seems to be going rather well so far, which is a relief. Though there is still that lingering worry in the back of his mind that when Micah sees his face, he may recognize him as Near, and that revelation could make things go downhill.]

It's been approximately two years.

[enflammen]

So that's a yes.

[Weird, that he couldn't just say so. But whatever.]

You got any tips for the new kid?

[solvethepuzzle]

[Isn't that the same as saying so? Nathan doesn't see how this is weird at all.]

The most immediate thing concerning your safety is to be especially wary of Thundercorp. [Way to not sound ominous.]

The Echoes . . . will come as a result of either encountering things outside the norm, or by experiencing something parallel to what happened in your old life. Even discussions could bring them about, especially ones with others that had been a part of that life.

[He pauses, debates saying this. But . . . really, Micah will inevitably find out. Perhaps it's best to be more up front about it, despite his fears and reservations.] Like you and I.

[enflammen]

[Micah listens closely to what Nathan says, careful not to interrupt, even though he wants to ask what the deal is with Thundercorp -

- and then there's that last bit. You and I. And he has to laugh. It's absurd, isn't it?]

Boy, you really weren't kidding about being bad with jokes.

[He sucks on his front teeth for a moment, lips pursed, mulling it over. Is it really so hard to believe? If Nathan knew him in this other life, it would make sense that he'd respond right away to Micah's first appearance on this network.]

So what do you know about me? Or - the other guy, I guess I should say.

[Because they're not the same. Are they?]

[solvethepuzzle]

[No, they're not the same. And Nathan hopes so much that they never will be. Just as he hope that . . . none of them from that life become the same, really. Did a single good person exist there?]

I recognized what you look like from Echoes. [Just a brief acknowledgment of why he is so sure.] The place you are talking about with Lazarus . . . my Other grew up there as well, at the same time yours did.

[It's sparse information, but there is so much Nathan wishes not to get into, especially on a first meeting. Rivals competing for the same thing, yours thought mine was the favourite, hated him so much he nearly killed him . . .]

[enflammen]

So we look the same?

[It's not like either of Micah's Echoes involved him looking in a mirror.]

Is that pretty common?

[He is, of course, oblivious to Nathan's anxieties. How could he know? He's all but still in the dark.]

[solvethepuzzle]

Among those that were human in their old life, it is common, though not universal.

[It will be impossible for Micah to be in the dark forever. Nathan simply isn't sure how much he wants to shine a flashlight around just yet.]

[enflammen]

[Unfortunately for Nathan, Micah's not about to drop the subject just yet.]

What about you? Do you look the same? Do you know?

[solvethepuzzle]

Presumably.

[He may not be comfortable, but at the same time, he isn't going to lie. His memories had hardly involved looking into a mirror either, but his Echoed back clothing -- including that riot gear Near had apparently had on hand for whatever reason -- fits him perfectly, and his voice sounds the same in his head. Why wouldn't he look the same? His colouration is unusual, but not impossible to have normally.]

[enflammen]

Nobody's ever recognized you? What about Lazarus? He's from the same place, right?

[Something ... yeah, that's definitely a thought brewing. Micah frowns.]

Do you always hide from people?

[solvethepuzzle]

He is, but I'm not sure his Other and mine ever met in person.

[Still unseen, one finger curls into his hair when he sees that frown.] I'm sorry. I get uncomfortable when a lot of people could be watching me.

[So that's a yes. Only in the very rarest of circumstances has he ever used video on the network, and it certainly has not been recently. It's perhaps a strange hangup, and he is not avoiding it out of fear of his identity being revealed. It's just . . . easier to talk in a public forum when he knows there are no eyes on him. Like he is not . . . 'on' as much.]

[enflammen]

[Micah nods. People are shy; this is a thing. It's not so weird, he guesses, that some people wouldn't want to be seen.

He, of course, isn't one of them.]

Good to know it's not just me you're hiding from, then. For a second there, I thought maybe you just didn't want me to see you 'cause I might get some Echo of you being a serial killer or something.

[He laughs at his own joke. It's funny, right? Anyone could have been anything. Anyone can be anything.]