redmarsshit | redshift: tdm #4

redshift: tdm #4

Redshift: Welcome to the v͖͕̺̲̘̱̜͎o̴̦̣̠̦̘̹͞i̯̖d̛̪̬͈̱̦̝͍̕.

▶ Click here to read what characters will experience when arriving in Anchor.

▶ All TDM threads can be considered game canon, and current players are welcome to either top-level on the TDM so prospective players can tag them, or use the prompts for logs or network posts on the communities. All threads on the TDM can be used for Activity Check.

a. the red shit.

There are rumblings in the deepest, most overgrown part of the agricultural area, where until very recently there was a lingering pocket of red algae. The good news is, the red algae is gone! The bad news is, it all got eaten by a mutated bear-thing with giant antlers. The algae did a number on the poor thing, doping it up and confusing it to the point where everything is an enemy.

What’s worse? The algae has adapted, colonizing the creature’s entire body. The algae has mutated in the process, releasing a protective cloud of toxins that causes severe hallucinations, as well as some of the protective and euphoric qualities that the red algae originally possessed. Which means the mutated, antlered, bear-thing is accompanied by a small army of other creatures, from large to small, who are all very invested in its survival and also are being driven crazy by its presence.

Prepare yourselves for one hell of a hunt. These animals can pop up almost everywhere in the agricultural zones, and when they do show their paws it’s to go on a rampage.

b. fashionista.

It wouldn’t be Anchor if the bots weren’t fucking shit up.

This time, the spa bots have gone full stylist coach, chasing down residents and trying to do their hair, nails, makeup, or change their clothes. In some cases, they're literally sweeping people off their feet and carrying them to the hot springs, massage rooms, and spa areas to be pampered. Too bad most of their cosmetics are fifty years out of date and the closests they’ve raided either had another resident’s clothes or moth-eaten dust-covered rags.

Is that the jacket Idris Elba was wearing in the introductory video? It kinda looks like it.

But it’s not all bad! The bots actually give great massages and fantastic mani-pedis. They also have a small stash of fresh cosmetics and clean clothes that got left behind in the spas. They might not fit great, but they look pretty good!

If your character doesn’t practice proper self-care, well. They’d better watch out. These bots have a particular eye for the sad, the filthy, the tired, and they’re going to make sure you get some damn fine pampering.

c. whole foods: 2.0.

Remember that whole Whole Foods grocery store thing that happened? Well, the grocery store and the zombies are still there. Only now there are more zombies, and two giant supply trucks have shown up, one behind and one in front of the store.

The one at the rear of the store can be accessed fairly easily. It’s painted to look like a giant United States flag, with a dramatic crying eagle emblazoned across the back doors. Inside, there is beer. Lots and lots of beer, and a bunch of semiautomatic rifles. Also some skeletons. Seems like the guns and booze didn’t help them.

The one in front of the store is thickly surrounded, the creatures clawing at the plain white sides of the semi like there’s something precious inside.

If Anchorites can make it through, if they can fend off the monsters and keep from getting torn to pieces by a hoard of bloodthirsty beasts, they’ll find out what that precious truck contains.

It’s twinkies. A semi full of twinkies. We hope you’ve got a sweet tooth, Anchor.

Navigation.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He recoils just a bit because the general reaction to him is fear and revulsion, which he would understand now given these pants, but Peter seems like he might start making grabby hands at him.

"It is metal?" Honestly Peter, its a sword, it's steel. The one on his back is a little different, but if he unsheathes that very bad things are happening. Very dragony things.

"You tell me how you were on the ceiling and I'll give you a closer look."

"I mean yeah. Is it steel, is it vibranium, is it just really, really sharp? You cut through those dudes like- like uh. Like butter. Like robo-butter."

Add that to Peter's list of dumb shit he just blurts out.

"...Y'know, forget I said that. And I-- I guess that's fair. Long story short, I got bit by a radioactive spider and now I have spider powers, which include being able to stick to stuff. It's a weird mutation, I don't know how it works."

It's a good thing Peter can't see his face right now, "Please never say robo-butter again."

There's that head tilt once more, he's torn if this is endearing or annoying. At least he's not being attacked. "You are part spider? You do not look it. Can you see through walls?"

No one can hide from Peter's sight...

"It'll never happen again, promise." It might happen again.

See now it's Peter's turn for a head tilt. He's been asked a lot of weird questions about his powers, like can he lay eggs can he summon an army of spiders, but those were at least spider themed.

"It's mostly like, internal. And uh, no, I can't see through walls. Spiders aren't exactly known for having x-ray vision. I mean, not where I'm from?"

"Hm." Talkative fellow isn't he.

Well a deal is a deal, though bitten by spider and absorbed its power isn't what he was expecting at all. He unsheathes his wakizashi and holds it in front of him.

"It's steel." For the most part anyway, he isn't the one who forged it. "Why do you ask? Have you not seen a sword before?"

It is 2070 afterall, there aren't a lot of people still using them.

Peter's going to be polite and not just assume he can touch it but boy howdy does he ever want to.

"I've seen plenty of swords, just in like, museums. I just figured, you've got this high tech looking armor thing going on, right? It wouldn't be too far fetched to think the sword might be all high tech too."

He can't exactly see this guy's whole like, situation thanks to the rad rad clothes the robots had stuffed him into, but that helmet for sure looks high tech as fuck ok.

"How high tech can a sword be? Should it shoot lasers?"

Wait. Wait wait. He tilts his sword and looks at the light reflecting off the blade. "If each slice shot a bolt of energy out..."

Okay maybe his sword should shoot lasers. He backs off a bit doing a few fancy ninja sword slice motions followed by a totally necessary backflip.

"Perhaps you have a point."

Backflips are ALWAYS NECESSARY. Peter knows this first hand, he is a professional backflip boy. He is not, however, a professional ninja boy, so he is very easily impressed by the fancy ninja sword slices. It's so cool okay.

"Just sayin', if you want a sword that shoots lasers, I can one hundred percent make that happen for you. Just say the word."

A kindred backflip spirit.

"You can do that?" He is honestly considering this as he sheathes his sword. It's probably dishonorable to mess with his sword like that... But it's not exactly an ancestral blade or anything. And if it was all the more reason to desecrate it.

"No, I don't want to stay here for the time it would take. I must leave."

Peter nods enthusiastically like yes YES please let me laser up your sword OH MY GOD IT WOULD BE SO COOL. Buuut it seems like this guy doesn't know about the whole being stuck here forever thing, and not this conversation is about to get a lot less exciting. Aw beans.

"Oh, um. About that. See, the portal can bring people in? But we haven't been able to figure out how to reverse it yet. Which is um, not ideal, I know."

Stare.

Okay yes, you can't see his face but the stare can likely be felt thru the soft green glow of the visor.

"You can make a sword that shoots lasers but cannot fix a simple teleporter?" Because this is clearly Peter's fault. Why would you do this to him?

Shaking his head he looks around for where this teleporter might be. He hasn't seen it on this level so maybe upstairs. Instead of finding a staircase like a normal person he double jumps up to grab the railing and pull himself up over it to the next floor.

Goodbye Peter.

Well, not entirely, because now looking around, this place is way bigger then he realized. So back to the railing he goes to call down to him, "Where is it?"

You come to MY HOUSE

Insult MY SKILLS

Peter is probably literally incapable of flipping anyone the bird, but if he could, he would have been doing so while Genji was hopping his ass up to the next floor. How very dare you, sir.

His inability to be a dick is also what keeps him from just ignoring Genji when he calls back down to him. He sure does roll his eyes though, just before he hops off the walkway and webs himself up to the level Genji's on, perching on the railing like some kinda. I dunno. Spider-vulture.

"That simple teleporter is back in the same room you arrived in. Y'know, the one with the sat-phones and the monitor that plays a video. Y'know, maybe we should go together. You can help me troubleshoot what's wrong with our simple teleporter. Unfortunately we can't just shut it down to make repairs, because anyone else being teleported to this planet would end up appearing on the surface and either dying form radiation exposure or mutating into a horrible Eldritch abomination. But you totally watched the intro video, right? So you already know that."

Okay so maybe he is capable of being a dick. Dawww, he's growing up.

Genji is very tempted to knock the spider-vulture off the railing just to be a jerk, but he refrains because: harmony, tranquility, and not wanting to actually see the guy splatter.

Wow. WOW. Okay then Peter, he and his sweet ninja skills and fancy dragon pants don't have to take that.

Except he 100% did not watch that video, or pay attention to anything in there because he wanted to leave and then got forced into a makeover and distracted by rescuing this half-spider guy who can't fix teleporters. Deep breath. He needs to center himself. Focus on the task ahead.

"I see," He says in a tone that implies he absolutely doesn't see. How could a teleporter malfunction so badly? "Destroying one end should incapacitate the other. They work in tandem."

But admittedly he didn't watch the video so he doesn't know that for sure, he's basing it off every teleporter he's ever used before.

"Come with me then, if you are so determined."

The ground would be in more danger of splattering than Peter would, but that's fine. No splattering today.

"In theory that makes sense, yes, but this particular teleporter is capable of grabbing people from any location in multiple universes, regardless of whether or not that person had another similar device on the other side."

Peter is so determined right now. He hops off the railing onto the floor and starts off in the direction of the Idris Elba room.

"You know everything about it except how to make it work properly?"

What kind of child prodigy are you? Efi would have had this all fixed by now. He continues on in silence for a moment before realizing how rude he's being. He... sort of cares. This guy did offer to make him a laser sword, which is nice of him. And didn't run away after being rescued which is also nice.

Sigh.

"I am Genji."

Well it's a start.

UUUGH being nice to everyone is so exhausting sometimes. HE'S DONE, FUCK THIS. He doesn't dignify that question with an answer, he just huffs and stuffs his hands in his pockets while he makes his way up the walkway all cranky-like. Congratulations Genji, you have successfully hurt Peter's feelings. You absolute monster.

He's tempted to ignore Genji giving him his name because FUCK THIS CLOWN, but Peter isn't capable of being a douchebag for long. He sighs and kind of slouches a bit, but eventually he does speak up again.

"Peter." Moody teenager time, Genji. Can you handle it?

This is like talking to himself of twenty years ago. But at least Peter is still walking with him and hasn't left to do... Whatever it is he was doing when robots tried to take him in for some pampering.

He is a pro at being silent, but having the silent treatment returned back at him is new and a bit frustrating. Moody. Silent. Cranky. Insisting that he knows everything.

It's like talking to teenage Hanzo.

"I apologize for my rudeness." More silence. Even more silence.

Silence part 2: the return of the silence.

"I have only just arrived and am eager to return to where I was."

Not return home because he doesn't have one of those anymore, but to someplace more familiar than this.

Honestly, he'd probably been trying to figure out how to repair the robots. That's how he do.

Aaand Genji's talking again. Peter listens, and he get's it. Genji's just frustrated with all this bullshit, he wants to go home. They all do. Peter wishes he could help them get there, he feels awful that he can't, and maybe that little reminder that he doesn't have any idea what he's doing in the long run is bumming him out a little. Just a little.

He should probably stop being a little asshole. He sighs, stops in his tracks, and turns to face Genji.

"I understand that. I do. We've all been there, we all wanna go home. Let's go look at this teleporter, if there's anything new you can tell me about it, that'll put us one step close to figuring out how to get everyone out of here. Okay?"

"Hai. If I can help I will." Not that he's an expert on teleporters, but he has a rudimentary knowledge of how they're supposed to work and be set up. It's better than nothing.

"How long have you been working on it?" Because that's starting to sound like there's a lot of them and they've been here some time. Maybe he should have watched that video. Could have saved them both some awkwardness.

"Thanks." And he means it. He's coming down from his annoyed teenager mood swing from a minute ago and getting right back into business mode. Ignoring your feelings is the best way to deal with them, he's learning this quickly.

"Those of us who have been here the longest have been here... three, maybe four months. That's how long I've been working on it, but there were also more uh, let's say pressing matters to deal with. Like making sure we don't starve to death, making sure the force field holds so we don't all get irradiated to death, replacing all the air and water filters, dealing with a severe nanomachine malfunction. Basic survival stuff. This place was abandoned for a really long time before we showed up, so a lot of the equipment was in bad shape."

That's the key to being an adult.

All of that makes sense survival first and then deal with the... Wait... "Nanomachine malfunction?"

He actually stops to look over at Peter because that's bad. That's very very bad. "What kind of malfunction?"

He has already solved the adult puzzle.

"Oh, the uh, radiation had corrupted some of their programming, so they were going a little nuts. They were hovering around the station in these cloud-like formations and attacking anyone who got too close. Once we figured out what the problem was, I ran 'em through a decontamination process and we haven't had any more problems since then. I've been running regular maintenance checks on them, so if any other problems come up I can stop them before they get out of hand."

See he's totally got this. Like a professional or something.

Got life all figured out while still in high school, that's talent.

"A cloud of them? Reaper? Talon is here?" That doesn't seem likely, because if a fully grown man in a cloak wearing a skull mask manifested out of the shadows Peter would probably say that instead of there being 'clouds'. Still that absolutely sounds like the tech used to make him. Maybe some of it had escaped? Or there were failed experiments? How did that stuff even work?

"You were able to trap it and contain it? Without it infecting you?" He doesn't look like all his cells are dying and reforming constantly. But boy is he ever confused. "You are a scientist then? Nanobiologist?"

Not because he wanted to, but it still counts.

He gives Genji kind of a quizzical look and a shrug, considering he has no goddamn idea what a Reaper or a Talon are. Not ringing any bells, bro, sorry.

"Officially? No. I don't have any formal training. I just do a lot of research on my own for fun. I'm kind of a... really good at figuring this kinda stuff out."

Genius, he means that he's a genius.

"Fun."

Nothing says teenage good times like nanobiology. To each their own he supposes. He spent his teenage years as the Japanese equivalent of a frat boy partying all the time and having actual fun. But if Peter had actually done what he said then thats pretty impressive so Genji isn't going to make fun of him for being a science nerd. Yet.

"Are the spider thing and the nanite thing related?" Seems odd to have a bunch of science tech knowledge but have powers based off an animal mutation. But what did he know, Moira would have infused them all with every single organism in the animal kingdom if she thought it would have improved things.

"What else do you do besides stick to walls?"

Edited 2019-09-28 14:12 (UTC)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject