acatalepsy_logs | World Jump #2: Struxta

World Jump #2: Struxta

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welcome to
the collected nations of struxta.

It will happen at random- you could be asleep, or wandering the Temple, or a variety of other options. It will feel a little strange, like a sudden warmth spreading across your skin, and then your bracelet will light up. When you blink again, everything has shifted - changed, developed, like in that blink of an eye you have advanced thousands of years into the future.

Around you is a city, a technological marvel. Buildings rise up from the dirt and through the clouds, figures of all shapes and sizes buzz around you. They seem to pay you little mind - a quick glance, maybe a pause, and then they will continue on their away. Ahead, there is a low rumble of thunder, a dim flash of light. It doesn't seem to be raining, but there is an electric hum in the air.

A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH

But before anything too weird can happen . . . your watch flashes again, beeps once, and on it has a new message, a hologram-sparkly image with a young woman who (to some individuals!) looks a fair bit brighter than she did a few weeks ago. To those who are new, you will recognize the voice -- Astoria, the guardian of the Temple (or, if you're a bit more pessimistic, your effervescent kidnapper).

"Hello, my beloved travelers ♥ and new ones, too! My name is Lady Astoria the Witchess-san." The way she says it, though, it is very clearly something of a joke. "I'm so glad you are settling in, adjusting to your new powers . . . I apologize for not coming forward and greeting you all like last time. But I am feeling much more like myself, and ready to send you to a new world ♥

This one is named Struxta . . . Struxa? No, I think it's Struxta. It's very metal. I'm not sure what's wrong in this world . . . but I can feel something building. Pulsing, it's very chaotic. I'm afraid I can't be more detailed than that, I did have a headache earlier . . . Akira told me I was fine ♥" And, again, you can likely guess that Akira definitely did no such thing. Astoria clasps her hands, her bright blue eyes shining, with a bright smile. "Now! Please be safe, and please mind your manners, and tell me all about it when you return! I'll see you soon. ♥"

And, just like that? The humming in the air grows louder, you feel an odd tug in your stomach, and before you can properly adjust yourself to the sensation of being cast across the universe . . . you find yourself in Struxta. (Astoria, it seems, did have it right the first time.)

THE HOSTEL

Just as it was in El Minha, it appears that upon arrival, each character is outfitted with a room at one of the largest, arguably most impressive skyscrapers in the city. Nearly two hundred stories tall, and with each floor containing nearly sixty rooms. Every floor, every room, every door is of the highest tech and the more advanced security. The watches that Astoria has given each of the Circle Members act, in many ways, like a key, a credit card, an ID, and any other form of identification the players will need during their stay.

The rooms themselves are simple - one bed, roughly full sized, with a light, a desk, a chair, and a variety of plugs and buttons. Characters are welcome, if they are able to find the appropriate plug, to charge any and all devices they may have. There is a TV of sorts in the room as well, with access to all manner of shows and news stations.

The bottom floor of the building is almost as large as a city block. It is open, sleek, and clean-cut. A kind of open meeting room, which has - upon inspection - been modified to include what appears to be a restaurant. Which, given the fact the group of Circle members who have arrived in the city are the only natural bodies around? Includes the fact you are the only members of the city who have to consume food and nutrients. Upon even closer inspection, the technology used to make the food seems a few decades behind that of the rest of the city, but it still works, and the food can still be produced. It might taste a little weird and turn out to be some sort of glorified goop, but it has some nutritional value.

The rest of the floor has a variety of seating arrangements and places to sit and chat with your other Circle members, but beyond the Welcome Committee, who is set up on the far northern corner, there doesn't seem to be many of the natives walking through.

THE SUPER CENTER

Have you ever wanted to go shopping in the most technologically advanced superstore possible? Here is your chance! It appears that if you use your watch, you have been given a moderate amount of credit to buy clothing, toys, electronics, items, and anything else that might suit your fancy. You will not have enough to buy anything significant, such as limbs, organs, advanced computer technology, etc. But you are more than welcome to find a job to help collected more credits! Many of the stores within the Supercenter are hiring - greeters, cashiers, manual labor, errand runners, and everything in between!

The Supercenter is attached, as most of the buildings seem to be in this city, by a roadway of interlocking bridges and stairways- to a point that you could, if you wanted to, move about the entire city without stepping foot outside. There are bridges on every level of the Supercenter, as well as a network of pathways and semi-roadways within the center itself.

There are no restaurants or bars, but there are plenty of areas to relax and ~~people~~ robot watch if you so desire. Otherwise, shop, explore, find weird mechanical devices of the likes you could never imagine back home. There are all manner of stores, some art galleries, music centers, arcades, and more here. There is no limit to what you can find and what you can experience.

Everything is automated, but there are still helpful employees of various appearances at each of the stories to help you decide and browse- small, flying blocks that speak in primarily beeping noises that (thanks to Astoria's wonderful watches) you can somehow understand, completely human-appearing androids of the utmost style and elegance, and everything in between. Take your time, do a little shopping or go to work, and enjoy the pique of futuristic capitalism.

THE RACES

In the south-eastern district of the city, a large section of the city has been modified into a multi-level, vast, complicated race track of sorts. Think Tron, meets Speed Racer, meets a type of racing that is something all their own. It's fun as hell, fast as hell, and dangerous as hell. Sounds great, right?

What is simply known as ‘Racing’ here in Struxta is complicated, but at its heart is exactly what it says: it is a race. A race of cars, bikes, and everything in between through an obstacle course of everything you can imagine. It seems to all be linked, electronically, to a motherboard that decides - each race - what the drivers will find. Each race was drastically different, with dangers galore. One day you might find that the road is full of spikes, the next it might be slick as oil, there could be loops that defy gravity and breaks in the road that seem to be impossible to cross, but that's what the modifications and specialists in the garages are for, right?

The rules are simple: if you have a vehicle, and you have a driver, you are allowed to race. First one to complete the track, wins.

Surrounding the main track is an entire industry of shops, stores, garages, meeting places, lounge areas, and viewing rooms. There are robots who make entire livings on the industry surrounding the Races, without ever having to step food onto the course. Some of the areas will be cleaner, like the rest of the city, while others may air on the side of back-house garages. While there won't be any dirt or natural life forms, for the first time you might catch sight of rusted metal, oil slicks, broken down previous versions of what's out on the road. There are some practice tracks, some experimental safety sections to test out new additions, etc.

The one thing that holds everyone together, here, is the excitement around watching. The excitement around the competition. There are Races every five days, so that gives you just enough to get settled. And maybe find a car.

THE LIBRARY

As many have already come to hear, there are plenty of libraries and museums all across Struxta. However, there is one that is known as The Library, which archives anything and everything in the history of all of Struxta, spanning back its entire history, over thousands and thousands of years. The building itself is as large and impressive as The Hostel, nearly two hundred stories tall, possibly more, and as wide and long as a city block. But where in the Hostel each floor had been made up of rooms, each of these floors are large, open areas, with dark, imposing servers held behind tight, clean cabinets.

No one else seems to be here, which gives the impression that The Library is not open to just any native of Struxta, and that in fact - as members of the Circle you are being given special access to what would normally be off-limits.

In the middle of each floor, there is a small collection of tables, with large screens. These touch-screens will be your access into the Library archives. And that is the thing - you will have access to everything, but as it turns out, everything really means everything, and with backups spanning the course of thousands of years in the past, it will take a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of research determination to find anything of use. Not because it is difficult, just because it is so massive and so overwhelming.

The only natives you will find will be on the first floor, as a kind of secretarial position for the building. They are more than happy to try and help guide you through the search process, but they will not follow you up to any of the other floors, and there is a distinct feeling of being entirely alone when you do go up to begin your search. Alone, but watched, somehow.

Remember- if there is something that you wish to look up specifically, please ask over on the world interactions post so we can be sure that the correct information is shared! The best way to go about finding something in the Library will be going at search terms in teams, as there is so much information there is no way one person will be able to wade through it all.

Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the mod questions thread back in the OOC post from before! And if you have any ideas regarding how your character will interact with the world, also feel free to check back into the world interactions comment from the OOC post from before, as well!

From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the Collected Nations of Struxta. What your character finds out, decides, and does from here on out will affect the future of this city- one way or another! But what you do is completely up to you. What you discover, explore, and uncover will be yours to discover, explore, and uncover. Who knows what you might find? :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sadly, Keith does know quite a bit about this, so when he sees Firo (and gives a little wave. Hi there, person he knows) he nods at the question.]

Yeah. I mean, it's something we've used pretty effectively back home. If you can take down the main computer system of something, you can really expose its vulnerabilities.

[A nod.] In a place like this that runs pretty much entirely on that sort of thing, it could be pretty catastrophic if they couldn't stop it.

[Firo waves back, honestly relieved to see Keith, somebody who he knows at least speaks his language.

He nods his gratitude for the explanation, though the look on his face is still plainly mystified. It all sounds so abstract--he's not very good at dealing with abstractions.]

...I kinda thought there'd be more guns or something.

Heh. Well, back home we have those too. I prefer swords though, personally.

[That may be obvious by the weapon he's definitely keeping on his person at all times -- a great deal more obvious since it's stuck in its sword form and unable to transform back to its smaller knife shape.]

But here... mechanical components can be repaired, right? Bullets or even energy beams could only do so much. I bet they're more worried about computer viruses.

[Anyway.] Were you looking for a weapon?

[Firo smiles in approval of Keith's weapon choice.]

I only know one person who uses swords back home, but my Family usually uses knives.

[Bladed weapons, it's close enough. Even back home some people consider them archaic, so he hadn't expected to find any here.

He nods in understanding of Keith's explanation; he really hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes as much sense to him as it's going to.]

I thought a place this advanced would have something neat I could bring back to my Family when this is all over.

Knives are good too. My sword can usually be both. You any good with a knife?

[STILL BITTER ABOUT THAT NOT WORKING. Why Astoria.

The next piece of information that he's caught from Firo is interesting though, and honestly opens up way more questions that he probably ought to not ask since. Prying.

But it's Keith. So.]

You want to bring weapons back home?

[Says the boy who definitely swiped a sword from a guard he took out back in El Minha and kept it as a souvenir.]

[He smiles, very obviously proud and failing in his attempts not to let it show.]

I have to be. You have to win a knife fight to first blood to become a capo in my Family.

[Knives are near and dear to any Martillo's heart and, sensing that Keith is a stab-happy kindred spirit, Firo'd be happy to prattle on. But the question comes next, and he finds himself prattling about that instead--a bit more than he'd expected to, but it's something that's been on his mind a lot.]

Yeah. Not just weapons, but... anything that could be useful to my Family. Otherwise there's no point in me being out here--I wanna at least do them some good while I'm away. Even if it doesn't work out in the end, I can give it a shot.

[Keith has his priorities in the right place.]

Yeah? Well if you ever feel like going a few rounds to spar and keep sharp, I'm pretty good with a knife.

[Even if he'll have to grab up a knife that's not his knife. But that's fine. He'll manage that too.

But as Firo talks, well, it's really clear how much loyalty he feels to this Family of his. Keith nods.]

I guess that's one way to look at getting through all this. I've just been... pretty focused on getting back. Not that I'm any closer to figuring out how to do that until the Witch decides it's time for us to go.

I'll take you up on that.

[His smile fades as Keith brings up that point. Currently, Firo doesn't know of anyone who knows how or when they could return home--and anything of use Firo finds doesn't matter without that.]

Any idea about how she'll decide that? I can't imagine she's eager to get rid of the free help.

Great. Sounds fun.

[Look at that. Someone to have friendly stabbing time with.

But his own expression sobers at that question, and he shakes his head.]

So far, no clue. But... I've noticed some people who aren't around anymore. I don't know what that means, exactly. Or where they've gone.

[Firo nods slowly as he lets that soak in; the implications aren't immediately cheerful, as much as he'd like to vanish from this place.]

So there's no guarantee they managed to get out, huh.

...Do you think they got lost between the temple and El Minha?

[Can that happen? There's a lot of them, and Astoria had seemed pretty drained...]

I don't know. Which pisses me off. We don't have enough information to say one way or another. We could ask the Witch, but it's not like we have anything to corroborate what she tells us.

[Which means all options are still on the table. Keith is not a fan of this at all. And given that his best friend has a history of vanishing, he's more than a little paranoid about the whole thing.]

Yeah--seems to me like she holds all the cards and isn't about to give anybody a peek.

[He smiles, not at all happily.]

If all this jumping around was safe, I'd think she'd take a bigger part in these 'adventures' instead of delegating.

[Maybe that sick feeling they get--or at least he gets, he hasn't asked anyone else about it--is just the beginning of something worse? While Keith is decidedly right that they don't know enough to support any one idea, Firo's definitely veering straight for the cynical.]

You'd think. She says she can't leave that place herself, right?

[Something like that. But what the Witch says and what is true could be different things.]

Whatever it is, I don't trust her.

[Not yet. Maybe not ever. But right now it's just a matter of getting by while they're in whatever world they're in, surviving whatever crisis might arise and trying to at least help if they can, if they're needed, or wanted, in some way. Because Keith at least can't turn his back on someone who needs help.]

Did she? ...I probably wasn't paying attention.

[He never claimed that his opinions were well informed, after all!

Anyway--he shakes his head firmly.]

I don't trust her either. What she says she wants, helping all these random places--what the hell's she getting out of it? It sounds too good.

[Too good and then it's at odds with her method of kidnapping a bunch of people.]

Words are cheap. It's easy to tell people what they want to hear.

[Keith nods in agreement. And what Astoria says does sound too good, especially with the kidnapping angle for it.]

At least so far she's been accurate in what she's told us about where we're landing.

[Firo had let his eyes wander to some of the blinking lights as Keith spoke, still paying attention, but he snaps back to face Keith again. That was a possibility that hadn't crossed his mind at all.]

Thanks, I needed another thing to worry about.

[A brief pause.] Then again... would she get anything out of lying about it? Unless she just wanted to see us screw up.

[There are people like that out there.]

...Sorry.

[Oops. His trust issues claim yet another victim.]

But Who knows. What does she get out of it to begin with? So far she's talked about helping people and restoring... something. Order? Balance?

[It sounds way too neat and tidy for Keith to buy.]

[He quirks one eyebrow, smiling faintly.]

Don't apologize for keeping your eyes open.

[Trust issues are good! That's how people stay alive.

Firo snorts derisively as he nods along with Keith's recollection.]

Yeah. Like she's some sorta otherworldly cop or something.

Cop or just meddler. I just wish we could find out if she was really doing this out of the goodness or her heart or what the real reason is. But I'm not even sure how we begin to put that together. Yet.

[So many trust issues. But sadly, fewer than he used to have. Go figure.]

Anyway, we may as well make the most out of what we can while we're here.

[Yet. Firo nods to that--she can't keep them in the dark forever, not if they're sharp enough observers.]

She'll give something away sooner or later.

...Guess we should. Complaining's not gonna get us off any sooner. [So make the most of it, as Keith says. Firo casts his eyes around the room, with its sleek machinery and blinking lights, and wonders what the hell there is for a guy like himself here. No weapons that he can see, as they discussed earlier.

Holding back a sigh, he looks over his shoulder at Keith as he starts walking around.]

Speaking of--what were you looking for here?

[To accentuate that he means here here, the Security area, instead of the larger planet, he taps his heel on the group.]

She will. In the meantime... we can only make the best of it.

[Keith doesn't particularly like it. But so far their options are limited anyway. Their hands may not be tied exactly, but they're not in a position to do much except get swept along with Astoria's whims for the time being.

He refocuses back when Firo asks the next question before shaking his head.]

Honestly? I'm not sure. I just want to make sure I get a look at everything. In case things go bad here like they did in El Minha.

[He's on an extended reconnaissance mission basically.]

Good idea.

[Firo idly casts his eyes around the room.]

They all act like they don't have a reason to fight like that... but I can't imagine having a bunch of people together without there being some trouble.

[Robot or not, they're still people, right? With thoughts, personalities, all that.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

World Jump #2: Struxta

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