acatalepsy_logs | cavern explorations.

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cavern explorations.

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the depths below.

exploring the caverns.

All of you will have the same entrance into the caverns -- it will involve going underwater and traveling about one hundred feet through a tunnel which breaks into into a massive cavern, full of air. The breeze is mysteriously fresh, for being both underground and underwater, and before you are three massive dark tunnels. It's hard to decide which one to go toward, but inevitably, you are drawn toward a specific tunnel.

For your top level comments, include what group you are in your subject line. . You will be in the caverns for roughly one week's time in order to get to the information at hand. That doesn't mean you have to stay below that long, but be prepared to pack whatever you need in order to live down there for that long There will be fish to hunt in the waters and the water itself is fresh, but sleeping on the cold marble-like surface might suck, especially if you're wet. And . . . once you get into the meat of things, what are you going to find?

group a.

The tunnel by which group A travels down is narrow, to the point of claustrophobia. And along the way, you will run into several obstacles. You will have to travel through underwater tunnels that, again, are narrow and claustrophobic. Stalagmites and stalacites make navigating through the waters treachorous, and getting stuck is not an impossibility.

Additionally, as you move through the pathways (both water and not), you begin to notice little lights flickering in the water. At first, you think it may be crystals sparkling in the water . . . but upon closer inspection, you begin to realize that they are bioluminescent eels. How cool! However, about halfway into your journey, you begin to notice that theyre getting a bit . . . larger. And, should you allow yourself to be attacked by them, not only do they bite, they seem to suck out your energy. These eels feast on magical energy, and suffering a bite from one of these eels will completely eradicate your Astoria granted powers for five hours. Have fun with that.

Finally, at the end of your journey, you will reach what feels like a dead end . . . in that you come upon a small alcove type area, with no discernable exit. And, upon the far wall, you see what appear to be cave drawings. Intricately carved into the stone, with a language surrounding the pictographs that no one understands, are what appears to be two women. One has longer hair, to her shoulders, holding a white orb in her hand. The other, with cropped hair, appears to be holding a blackened orb in her hand. Their arms are intertwined, connected, but there is a large fracture in the rock, scorched across the woman drawn in white, as if someone (or something) has attempted to blast it to bits.

Eventually, upon some investigating, you come across words that you, somehow, do understand, scrawed in a messy text, carved into the stone. Those words?

group b.

The tunnels that Group B heads down are considerably wide, all things considered. Most of the journey in the tunnels for Group B is above-ground and doesn't involve going underwater . . . which may be a good thing, as the water pathways in this tunnel are deep. The water is still crystal clear, but you somehow still can't see the bottom of it. It looks as if it goes on forever . . . and ever . . . and ever . . .

Eventually, though, you come into a second massive cavern, with a huge underground lake. The lake is full of dark shapes that dart underneath the surface -- horses, with the tails of fish, as they pop up to the surface for a gulp or two of air. But when they notice the strangers on the shores of their territory, they circle ranks and edge themselves closer . . . and if you get too close to the shore, you may feel teeth sink into the edge of your coat and an abrupt tug to be pulled into the water.

To be clear -- the kelpies themselves are not particularly violent. However, they've never seen otherworlders like you before, and are definitely scared. Not fighting against them will ensure their slow trust, and they will generally leave you alone. But if you attack them? They'll fight back, and they will drag you down to the depths below without a second thought in order to protect their own.

Eventually, you come across a third massive cavern, with another underground lake. The water seems to sparkle with energy -- tiny lights dance across the water, skipping across the surface without a care in the world. Touching the water will result in temporary paralysis of whatever you use to touch it -- magic, so powerful that you cannot possibly comprehend it. The energy is too much to handle, and you, too, cannot see the bottom of this lake. However, scattered across the walls, are runes carved into the marble. It's a language you do not understand, but you do come across something that you manage to understand . . . tucked amongst the runic symbols:

group c.

Group C enters into a beautiful crystalized tunnel, with white crystals jutting out into the tunnel. It looks beautiful, but it makes for treacherous going -- the crystals are razor sharp, and sliding through them requires elegance and grace to avoid being turned into ribbons. Move slowly -- you need to in order to make it through this maze of crystals.

Eventually, you make it to a wider tunnel with various deep pools of water scattered along the floor. The pools seem to be endlessly deep, reaching to impossible depths that you cannot see. However, the pools seem to have an . . . alluring feel to them. You are drawn closer to them, curious, inquisitive . . . you want to get into them . . . and if you dip into the pools, watery arms of the sprites that live within these pools glide around you, and coax you into the depths below . . . but you feel calm, serene. Hopefully someone is looking out for you.

But as you move through the tunnel with the pools, you begin to notice signs of life. Not necessarily plant life, or animal life, but signs that people are here. There are footsteps from one pool to the next, wet markings that seem to be permanently wet no matter how much you wipe them away. There are watermarks along the walls, handprints against the marble. And as you begin to walk, begin to notice messages scrawled along the walls, carved deep into the marble.

Every single word is the same.

group d.

Unlike those below the surface, the lakeside shores of Lake Dona seem to be relatively peaceful. Nessie is lazily swimming around and offering rides to those that need it, and campfires are soon built up around this makeshift camp of those who are sitting around to wait. The network does work with those in the caverns, so keeping in contact is far easier than it was in Struxta!

However, in the last days of the investigation, as Group A, B, and C begin to discover the messages in the caverns, storm clouds begin to roll in. It begins to downpour, a frightening crack of lightning streaking across the side with alarming regularity. And, on the final day of the exploration, a voice seems to float through the deluge. And it isn't Astoria's. But it seems to be . . . odd. And suddenly, a message appears on your watches.

¿ɯǝ ɐǝɹɥ ʎon ɐɔu ˙nʎo ɥǝdl ʇo ǝuǝp ᴉ ˙ʎno ɥǝdl ʇo ɐʍʇu ᴉ ¿ɯǝ ǝɥɐɹ nʎo ɔuɐ

What in the hell could that be?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( you know, he's... never actually heard anyone actually talk like that outside of the rcpd's forensics and science division. he opens his mouth. closes it. cocks his head. he feels simultaneously completely out of his depth and right at home, which is an odd combination of feelings to muddle through for a guy used to outright ignoring them. )

Okay.

( he sort of draws the word out, maybe a bit awkwardly. he has plenty of impressions, really. he's been scribbling in his logbook since they got settled, but. )

Well... 'besides that'. I don't like what I'm hearing from the people in the other tunnels. Ours, by comparison, has been pretty sedate so far. Which either means the worst is yet to come, or we got lucky.

( 'lucky' is said a bit tersely. he doesn't actually think that being away from the heart of the action is any such thing, he's not used to sitting out on danger. )

I've had contact with those staying behind, but I've not gotten word from the other groups since we split.

[The circular LED on his head flickers a few times, spins once or twice. A flash of something that indicates processing, a taut frown spreading across his face.

Connor folds his hands in his lap, entwining his fingers together, trying to keep them from fidgeting slightly.]

What have you heard from them?

( mako shakes his head, and pulls out his logbook. it's written in shorthand chinese characters, completely unintelligible to anyone save himself. he's mostly been in touch with korra and bolin, but... )

The first tunnel is really close-quarters. Lots of swimming. People are getting cut on sharp crystals, and there are eels that can sap whatever ability Astoria granted you on arrival.

( a faint shrug. he tips the book closed. )

The third tunnel... the pools seem to be having some hypnotic effect on people. That's all I've gotten so far.

[He frowns, being unable to help it. The other groups having a rougher time of it just makes Connor feel useless in ways that he can't help them from here, though he knows that's illogical. That there's nothing he can do, as much as he would like to.

It still doesn't make him feel any less worried for the people he knows in those other groups, split up and dealing with dangerous crystals or aggressive eels.]

Then either we're lucky, or it's as you said -- our hurdle has yet to come.

["Hurdle" as a way to describe things that want to maim or kill them, maybe.]

As long as we remain vigilant, calm, and stick close together, I think we'll manage. This group came well-prepared, and there seems to be a variety of skill between us.

( mako doesn't have a term for 'uncanny valley' but if he did, boy, he'd be using it. 'android' doesn't occur to him, given that they don't exist. he does talk a little like desna and eska, though, and he has very few fond memories of them.

he flips over a shirt to dry the other side, and finds in doing so that his firebending's shorted out. there's a terse, frustrated sigh, and then he shakes his head. the shirt gets shaken out instead. )

What did you do back home?

[To use the term uncanny valley wouldn't be preferable to Connor, made to integrate with humans as seamlessly as possible. He does possess a glimmer of awkwardness about him, though, betraying he's not quite as 'seamless' as he always wishes to be.

Regardless, he blinks as the fire goes out. Offers-] We can see if any of the others can create a makeshift flame, if the campfire itself isn't preferable to you.

[And then answers the question, ever helpful.]

I work with local law enforcement. The Detroit Police Department, to be exact. [Chances are the name won't be recognized. It doesn't matter. He's detail-oriented.] I guess you could call me something of a detective, as that was the role I was designed for.

( he'll just fold it up and put it away. it's not like slightly damp clothing ever really killed anybody, at least at the temperature they're in. )

It's fine, but thanks.

( 'designed' is a weird choice of words, but then. he's already determined this guy's a bit strange. takes all sorts, he supposes. and law enforcement kind of needs that. different viewpoints, different origins, everyone pitching their shoulder to the wheel for one singular purpose — justice. though the longer he's been a cop the more he realizes that not everyone's idea of justice is the same. to some people, it looks like nothing more than a stack of triad yuans in their bank account.

he shifts until he's cross-legged, rests one palm on his knee. connor gets a curious look. )

Yeah, me too. Republic City PD. I've been a detective for a few years. Name's Mako, by the way.

( does connor shake hands, or is he liable to just give him a weird look and a lecture about germs like han down in forensics? well, he's going to find out. he just holds out his right. )

What do you mean 'designed for'? Some fancy school, or...?

[The way Connor perks up with interest is hard to miss, his look seeming to reassess Mako as he speaks. An interest that grows by discernible measurements.

Another cop. Another detective.

Connor straightens, aligning his shoulders somewhat, and offers a polite smile. Introduction time, and he won't miss that handshake. The gesture is quick and concise, but friendly.]

It's nice to meet you, Mako. My name is Connor.

[He releases his hand, and just as efficiently answers the question.]

I'm an android. When I say 'designed for', I mean it literally. Are you... aware of what an android is?

( 'android'. the word doesn't ring any bells expressly, but the context tells him a lot. someone (some... thing?) designed to be a detective. not taught or learned but. built? his expression is fairly set, but if connor's paying attention there are tiny tells as he works it out in his head — a tick to his jaw, a breath that's released a little too slowly.

he read his share of copper novels growing up. dug out of garbage cans or fished out of gutters. usually ripped or missing pages, but it's not like science fiction didn't exist, just that it tended towards a more spiritual bent given the state of their world. artificial humans aren't an uncommon thread of fictional storytelling, there've been a few already programmed to play pai sho or do simple repetitive tasks. 'do automatons dream of electric sheepmonkeys'. it's not a stretch to grasp at what that technology might look like in another century. people like allura and lance are in space. there are ships and worlds wars that exist out there beyond his wildest imaginings, and places that have never even heard of the avatar.

his horizons are a little broader than they were two months ago. all in all, he's a pretty open-minded guy. science is easier to accept than magic, and humans building something in their image to assist them isn't exactly hard to swallow. so there's no real tension to him as he arrives at the conclusion, just an absent cant of his head. )

I can hazard a guess. We're just getting into the industrial age in my world, though, so we don't have anything. ( is that offensive? he corrects, ) Anyone? Like that.

( it's weird to consider, but. mako's very rarely a jackass by choice. more likely than not it's incidental to his tendencies towards avoidance and placation. )

[Microchanges in expression, the way muscles change and twitch under the surface of skin, is a basic part of what he was designed to notice. Even when he’s not actively trying, they rarely escape his notice, so ingrained that it’s simply a part of his personality to label Connor as exceedingly observant.

So yes, he notices the way it looks like the other is trying to parse this information. But this reaction is subdued compared to a few that he’s received so far; wrapped up in utter confusion, not bothering to hide it on their faces.

He doesn’t seem offended by Mako’s uncertainty to call him anything versus anyone. But Connor is notoriously hard to offend, and is probably the last android that one wants to debate personhood with.]

You wouldn’t be the only one. I’ve met several here who can’t hope to know what an android is, or can’t wrap their minds around the idea of a synthetic, mechanical being. It’s fine, of course; everyone’s world comes with its own set of expectations and rules. In some, AI simply doesn’t exist.

Regardless, that doesn’t change what I’ve told you, and I have to admit it’s nice to meet another officer of the law.

( honestly, just bless him for being so rational about it all. it's the sort of thing mako is unselfconsciously drawn towards — more than anything he tends to logic and sometimes the hard choices that follow it, so anyone who speaks a linear sort of sense is fine in his book. now that connor's odd precision of words and actions has a reason beyond simple awkward human mannerisms, he visibly relaxes, shoulders sloping down. )

Likewise. I know there are a few people here in the military, but I didn't know there were other cops. I guess jurisdictions don't matter so much when we're on a whole other planet, huh?

They don't, which is unfortunate. But that doesn't mean we can't remain diligent in what we used to do. Staying keenly observant and analytical will go a long way -- our current situation is a good example of that.

[Taking in any clues to be garnered in these creepy caves, putting connections together if there are any to be made. None so far, but a mind skewed to solve mysteries is all the better for it.]

My partner -- a Lieutenant on the force -- is also present. Not part of the trek to explore these caverns, but he's currently topside. If you're interested in making acquaintances with other officers, I can introduce you sometime.

( connor, you are preaching to the choir, babe. it's nothing he hasn't already been doing, but in a way it's... nice, to get the affirmation from an outside source. he's always been perfectly capable of going it alone, doing his own thing, but. he does miss the camaraderie of the force, a little. he didn't even get along with most other officers except beifong herself, but it was still a community to which he belonged.

he nods when connor mentions his partner. )

Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks.

( he's a lowly sergeant, so on the matter of rank he'd be out of his weight class, but. he'll take it. )

What're your thoughts so far? On all of this. Astoria, I mean. Being here.

( the tunnels are incidental. they'll need more information to proceed, but he can at least pick connor's brain about other things. )

[Mako might be surprised when he meets Hank, whenever that might be — he isn’t often the picture of what one might expect from a police lieutenant, but... well. Connor is glad to have him make that connection anyway.

Regardless, the question is a loaded one. Connor eases back from where he sits, the LED at his forehead circling with consideration, casting a faint blue light against the side of his features.]

It’s hard to know what to make of it, beyond what we were told. From a logistical standpoint, we’ve been forcefully enlisted into being active members of the Circle to fight back some nebulous darkness. But I’m sure this doesn’t need reiterating.

[A faint frown tugs at his features.]

At this point, it’s all a matter of trust. I believe Astoria to be telling the truth, but I get the feeling there’s more to the story than what we can currently see. And that bothers me.

( the curious blue cast of the light draws his attention a second time. is it a power source? something like what the mechs have back home? seems a funny place to put it if so, it's a glaring vulnerability. it seems impolite to ask, although connor hardly seems the sort to be offended. )

Did you feel the compulsion to enter the cave?

( he surely did. and he doesn't appreciate how strong it was, as if something had pulled him here wholly against his will. mako's never been a weak-minded person, he'd wanted to go with korra. and yet here he is. )

[Connor notices the draw his LED garners; nothing new there. He’d happily explain and take no such offense, as Mako rightfully guesses.

But for now, the question gives him thought, cinching his brow.]

In a way, yes. Admittedly it would be difficult to separate outside influence versus my simple ingrained inclination to investigate things unknown.

[Or so he says.]

( or so he says indeed. mako crosses his arms, and twists his heel against the ground, leaning back into a jutting slab of rock that he — for all intents and purposes — just summoned up out of the earth. even though he's a firebender by nature, bending in general is so natural to him that he doesn't even think before he uses it in most cases. )

There was definitely something messing with my mind. I wanted to go with Korra — she's a friend from back home — but I couldn't walk any way but here. I've broken compulsions before, so this one was. Pretty intense.

[Well, consider that another question queued up in Connor's mind: regarding the rock rising up from the earth, jutting forward to act as a resting point. Being a member of the Circle has forced him to suspend much of his disbelief (after all, he's seen stranger, has spoken with odd and impossible individuals) and so he doesn't say anything on the matter. But Mako would notice the way he eyes skate over the rock, his LED flickering in what might be vague surprise.

To the credit of Connor's ingrained focus, though, he keeps on track with the conversation at hand.]

That's... worrying, admittedly. That an outside force would be able to exert this kind of control over any one of us, and our inability to do anything about it. [If there's irony in that statement coming from Connor, he doesn't seem to realize it. Or chooses not to.]

When you say you've broken compulsions before, are you referring to your experiences at home?

( he looks down at his hands. studying his knuckles. amon is a distant memory, but a bad one. he and korra have faced down plenty since then, but even unalaq, even zaheer wasn't as terrifying as what amon could do. what he did do, to so many people, to korra. he doesn't want to think about how he'd live without his bending either, and how close he came to it. )

Yeah. There's something called bloodbending where I'm from. It's when an enemy bender takes control of the liquid in your body and can physically control you. It's hard to explain. It doesn't affect your mental capacity, but it takes a lot of will to break out of it. I only did it once. Different circumstances, but it's the closest comparison I have.

[That sounds... disturbing admittedly. Losing control of your own body, which is probably an ironic thing for an android like Connor to think about. Especially an android like Connor.]

I understand what you mean in a cursory kind of way, but... sorry, 'bender'? Can you explain further?

( easier to demonstrate, and probably more useful for a cop of any color. even an android. mako collects a few rocks from the cavern floor and demonstrates earthbending on them, flattening them out into discs, then amorphous blobs, then rocks again. )

It's the manipulation of an element by focusing internal energies along natural pathways in the body. Back home, I'm a firebender. The ability Astoria gave me is earthbending. There's also water and air.

[He's right, because when he does demonstrate, Connor looks at it quite intently. Committing detail to memory, as he does with every strange notion stumbled across in this place -- odd abilities of others included.]

"Internal energies along natural pathways". So you don't qualify it as "magic", like some would.

No.

( he's perhaps a bit stubborn about it. to him, it isn't magic, it's just a functioning natural law of his world. it's not the same as some of what he's seen here, the things astoria can do. )

But other people I've explained it to feel that way.

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cavern explorations.

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