∞ 03 24 ∞

[cruciblemods]

[the commander hasn't moved since he was last seen, still seated behind a console on the darkened bridge. the only difference now is that he has slumped forward, head on his arms, breathing slowed and shaky.

he's not asleep, however. he mumbles tiredly, shoulders shaking, talking to himself]

It's still seven days until the ship hits that thing...if I could get the engines back online, fix whatever it is that he did to them, maybe I could--[he tenses up, fingers digging into his suit where they grip at his arms] But what's the point?! There isn't anyone left...

[he slumps again, the fight going out of him] Why does it have to end like this every time?

We'll never escape this...it's impossible...

[his Sphere cuts out, but his words echo across the ship. in the depths of the rotted sections, the very fabric of reality seems to ripple and distort.

something starts to move down there, creeping through the darkened corridors.]


Details

It looks like Commander Orion's defeatist attitude is having a negative influence on the ship at large. Of course, this doesn't bode well for the passengers.

Characters will now be able to sleep, though it will be slow to come, passengers gradually dozing off or passing out in fits and starts. They might hear things skittering in the shadows as they do so, or see shapes that aren't really there. But eventually, they will be able to rest at last. Unfortunately, their sleep will be plagued by nightmares, both violent and gruesome and exactly three hours, three minutes, and three seconds after they fell asleep, they will jerk abruptly awake again, back in their rooms on either the Economy, Kepler, or Suite levels. One second they will be sleeping and in the next they will be gone, taken away by some unseen force to their original housing locations. Nothing can stop this once a character has fallen asleep; they won't wake up again until the three hours are up and no type of restraint, barrier, or other means of keeping them there will stop them from being moved.

Once there, all characters will be experience what they fear the most. And not just any fear, as in afraid of snakes or heights fear. No, this is their fear of the end, of the worst possible outcome for the missions, their hopes, their dreams, and their very lives. Is your character part of a team of heroes fighting an ancient evil? When they wake up in their room they might see corpses of their comrades on the floor, and their enemy there to taunt them. These visions are indistinguishable from reality; the corpses would be cold and clammy, bloated with puss and rot. The enemy would be real enough to touch, capable of injuring and yes, even capable of killing the character. Unfortunately for anyone who is killed by these visions, they will respawn in their room mere minutes later, completely healthy and available for their enemy to kill all over again. Sadly, attacks on the apparitions have little to no effect, no matter what they are.

The only way for passengers to banish these fears is to overcome them in their minds and in their hearts. Can it be done? Only you, the player, can decide that. If a character can't overcome them, then they won't be able to escape them until the state of the ship changes. Luckily for them, the visions can't move beyond their room, so if a character can make it out the door they will be safe. At least until they fall asleep again, in which case they will be right back in that nightmare.

Oh, but on that note: sleeping will miraculously heal the burns on a passenger's hand, if they have them, but the barcodes are still gone. Which means that without someone to open or bust down their door, they might not be able to leave their rooms at all.

To go over the details in a bit briefer format:


• Characters may sleep, but will wake up roughly three hours later in their room.
• When they do, their "Bad End" will be there for them to see. Players may choose what this end is and manipulate any individuals involved (enemies, friends, monsters, etc.) as NPCs.
• These visions are for all intents and purposes real and can cause real harm to any and all characters, whereas no character can harm the vision.
• Overcoming this fear mentally and emotionally is the only way to banish the vision. If and how this is done is left up to you, the player. If they are overcome, they will simply disappear and the character in question will finally be able to sleep easy.
• Other passengers can see these visions as well! Either in person, or over the network. If they go into the room in question, they can also be hurt by them as well, so remember to keep this in mind!
• In the case of one character's visions hurting another, communication between players is encouraged to plan these events out.

Player choice is encouraged for this event: this is your chance to work out some deep-rooted issues with your characters, so manipulate the space within their room as you will! It can be as complex or simple as you'd like, as long as it follows the "Bad End" theme of this plot. And if your character has absolutely no fears whatsoever, then I suggest using a fear of what will happen to them on this ship, or of what's going to happen to them if they're trapped on the ship forever. But otherwise, it's up to you!

As an additional note, ship items brought to the rotted levels (i.e. a flashlight you grabbed at the shops) will NOT rot. To make things a little easier for the poor beleaguered passengers. ;D

On the official business side of things, now that we're approaching the LAST reset of the game, some things you'll want to keep in mind:


• What do you intend to have your characters remember next cycle?
• This is the last opportunity for canon updates, so if you want to do so, do it now! All you need to do is send an email to the mod mail at cptganymede@gmail.com containing what is being updated (the history, the personality, etc.). It would be best to try and do this before the reset itself! All I need is the mail; I will respond only if there is some problem with the information therein.

I do believe that's everything (I hope!), so if you have any questions, please ask them here!