( NPC LOG ) WORLD JUMP # 4: THE HOROLOGIUM.

[anessa]

V I O L E T

within a few days, every circle member will find that the small square panels hovering over their cots have been activated. they flicker green for a moment, and an interface gradually manifests before you. it looks a little like a computer terminal at first...

before the words slowly begin to form.

during your time on the horologium, this screen will change accordingly. your repairs and modifications to the ship will be logged for all to see. and by who, exactly?

well....

🠖 NETWORK

[ all of your watches come to a static halt. there's a crackle before a message begins to appear on the screen. ]

did it
work
u guys see this?
kk
i was the one who turned on your screens
should probs introduce myself
call me violet
bottom line is
i got no idea who the hell any of you are
but THAT'S working again
and this ship is hanging by a thread
damn it i shouldnt have sent all of you this at the same time
my watch is totes gonna blow up in 1..2...3

🠖 MESS HALL

[ violet is seated at a table — her hands are folded but her eyes are flitting from side to side as though she's taking in her surroundings. there's a notable scar that slashes across her face, and she's fitted in a jumpsuit much like your own. ]

Oh, hey. It's your favorite stranger: Violet.

[ there's a silence. ]

...I'm guessing you guys have got questions.

There's a 10 comment quota on each NPC thread, but you are welcome to ping this post for another if you find it necessary!

Comments

Mess hall

[elegant_and_proud]

A good guess.

[Ikaruga hasn't been around the Circle long enough to know all the faces and names of every member. Were it not for the message on her watch, she wouldn't have known that this woman wasn't a part of the Circle.

Still, it's an opportunity to ask some questions.]

We were sent here due to a distress signal. What was happening at the time?

[anessa]

At the time...

[ violet leans back into her seat, a hand moving to rub at her forehead. ]

We were attacked. That's the last thing I remember. I'm guessing...everyone either got to safety or...

[ a tired sigh escapes her. ]

You can guess. I don't know how long it's been since then. We used to have people who kept track of the time but—

Mm.

Mess hall

[spaceforged]

[He takes a seat at the table across from her. He'd come to bedding down in a corner of the room away from the capsule beds. But he'd seen the message.] We came in answer to your ship's distress call.

Call me Shiro.

[Shiro glances around then back at her.] If you need a moment between answers that's fine. ...Are you the only survivor?

[He'd weighed it and decided to go with that first. Asking it that way, she wouldn't have to recount the deaths of friends or family, if she is the last.]

[anessa]

You're the second to tell me that.

[ she folds her hands for a moment, eyes darting down at the table — and then back towards him. there's a sharp intake of breath. ]

Don't know. They could have made it to safety and just left me in that pod for my own sake. Or they could have...

[ her fingers drum along the table. ]

Both...seem possible right now. Things...weren't looking so great from what I remember.

text;

[loveedition]

[ That's working again. The ship's hanging by a thread... which, corroborates the idea that it sounds like they're what's standing between them and the ship out right being destroyed. Great. It's an endless cycle.

Except... it sounded like, from what she had found out, the last excursion ended really badly. As awful as it was to doom a single person, it'd be worse to do so to an entire world-- or, in this case, someone else's ship.

Well, she'd have to set that aside for the time being. ]

Hi Violet. This is Ryoko Asakura.
Are you safe?

Re: text;

[anessa]

ryoko
pretty name
i don't know yet
don't recognize any of you
but you don't seem hostile
how did you guys get here?

mess hall.

[rightfully]

If you don't mind.

[ Lucina takes a seat alongside, careful to keep some polite distance between.
She's looking, as inobtrusively as she can, for signs of incongruity in Violet's face: lines not of her age, or shadows under her eyes. Anything that would be worrying to see in a soldier. ]

You mentioned a watch. May I see it?

[ If it's the same as their own, then.

... what would that even mean? ]

[anessa]

[ wordlessly, violet motions her hand upward — it hovers over her face, fist clenched and wrist up, displaying her watch for lucina to see.

it's unlike the circle's for one; a high tech but clunky little thing. there's the distinct sheen of steel, and the screen on it resembles the ship catalogue panel in each and every member's room. ]

Every member of our crew had something to offer; some kind of skillset that made them worthy of being on this ship. Whatever you guys are...this watch sensed the energy spike that came with you.

[cakewitch]

Oh my! We haven't found anyone else, you must have had quite a terrible time. Are you alright Violet?

[anessa]

you could say that
hell i'm alive that counts for something
you're nicer than a lot of the others tho
can you tell me when you guys got here?

( text )

[unpatriarchal]

[ . . . isn't this an interesting development. ]

You sound as if you have a story.
What were you doing before you decided to take a trip on the Horologium?
What is your purpose, on this ship?

[anessa]

a story's one word for it
if you want me to type all of this out ycant blame me for the textwall
purpose. funny word.

every planet can only offer so much
you start running out of water. plants. ore. air. space.
the same goes for ours just like any other's
we were trying to fix that

[silveren]

Dear Violet. Apologies for arriving unannounced.
We're here to assist you.
And any others stranded.
What can we do to help?
Thank you,
Lucius

[anessa]

that's
useful
i don't think there are any others here
walking through this hallway
everyone's gone
mind telling me where you are?

mess hall

[flimsylies]

[ The big creepy clown guy is standing to the side, away from everyone else, his arms crossed over his chest, ]

Yes. How did you get onto our network to send your message.

[ His suspicion in this regard is obvious and cold. ]

[anessa]

I got this neat little gadget that helps me interfere with electromagnetic networks. That was my field of expertise back in the day — or, yeah, one of them.

They didn't let just anyone on this ship.

[ she runs her fingers through her hair. ]

But it looks like that didn't count for much. Can't say there's any telling if your network's an electromagnetic one anywho but it's not like I can think of any other explanation for the bizzaro spike of energy that's been pinging me.

Network

[lighthousekeeper]

Hi Violet. I'm Ionasal. I have many questions for you but take your time answering them:
What is the purpose of this spaceship? Is it migratory? Is it going anywhere?
There's a sound coming from deep inside. Do you know anything about it?
Have you or other people that were here before noticed anything supernatural-like?

[anessa]

cool name
never heard anything like it before
migratory's one word for it
we were looking to exacavate a planet
bring some resources back home. or maybe find a new one
we were a big crew. it was something like an expedition
supernatural?
i couldn't tell you
i never believed in things like that
but what we saw that day
the day we were attacked
it was unlike anything we ever encountered
or knew existed

— mess hall.

[decisions]

Favorite stranger of the hour, indeed. Hello, Violet.

[ percy chimes in as he has a seat at her table, hands folded neatly before him. he tips his head just a little bit, as if to study her for a brief moment. he has a slew of questions, but if previous experience serves him right, he's got to go about asking the right ones. no one likes an interrogation. ]

Out of curiosity, is this your ship?

[anessa]

[ right he is. she can appreciate that, and in turn cants her head the slightest bit. ]

I used to wish it was. [ it's said with something of a grimace. ] But y'could say things have changed.

[ violet blows a strand of hair out of her face. ]

The captain's gone.

...From what I can tell, most everyone is. But it wasn't like her to abandon her own ship. She would have come back for it at some point or another. Had too much pride not to.

network

[fairysong]

[After being alerted to this post thanks to her own post:]

So, where did everyone else go?
Why'd the ship stop?

Since everyone else has gotten the other questions out of the way, made sure you're (reasonably) safe, etc.

[anessa]

that's what i'm trying to figure out. sounds like i'm the only left
the ship stopped because something beat the life out of it
or at least that's what i'm assuming

thanks you're a pal
you find anything useful?

network.

[ketterdamned]

Usually introductions include more than just a name.
Where did you come from? How did you end up here?
What do you know about what happened?

[anessa]

sorry i'll include my family name and history next time
as far as i'm concerned i came from here. i've been on this ship the entire time
last i remember we were attacked
the situation was dire so a group of us got put into stasis to save our hides
but i haven't been able to locate the others yet

network

[vytal]

Hey Violet, I'm Yang.
Obviously we've all got questions for you, but first of all, are you okay?

[anessa]

yang huh
i've had better days but i'm one piece
sweet of you to be concerned
i figured you'd have questions so shoot n fire when you're ready