154 - Nara Shikamaru [TEXT]
This is directed to any new subjects that have entered the Facility. It will be updated when new information becomes apparent. Current subjects, please see that this write-up is handed out to new arrivals when needed to lessen confusion.
Last update: Week 140
To say you've been kidnapped is as simply as your current situation can be put. You're in a completely different place than wherever you were before. This is not your world, and the rules and laws of where you were before no longer apply. There may or may not be people you know here, but there will be things you'll probably want to deny. Don't bother.
This place is called "the Facility", and as hard as it is to believe, everything written here is truth. This is only a basic overview of what you need to know, and links to more detailed information are located at the bottom of the write-up. It's nearly impossible to explain all the necessary details in a coherent manner, so please be patient and read through all the information provided.
The Basics
The first thing you need to know is that you are trapped, kidnapped for experimentation purposes, and so far there is no guaranteed way out.
Your captors are known as the Consortium, a group of thirteen people that dictate the comings and goings of the Facility. They have the final say on what subjects are introduced, what tests are run, and nearly every other variable you can think of. The Facility itself was originally overseen by a smaller group of seven people operating under the guise of "the Doctor". Beneath the doctors there are scientists, engineers, and interns, about 300 people in total that keep the project up and running.
EDIT: As of week 106, control of the facility was handed over to a computer program named Val. She was previously charged with the experiment for week 78 (small groups were isolated in small chambers and presented with challenges/obstacles while being deprived of food and sleep). So far Val has proved to be more willing to communicate than the Doctors, but weekly experimentation has continued as before and the support staff remains, as far as we can tell, unchanged.
EDIT: As of week 130, Val replaced 108 of the biological staff members (primarily from the reset and maintenance teams) with robots. Approximately 200 biological staff remain.
The Facility we reside in is one of three spherical environments/domes (a description of each one follows below), all attached to a cylindrical space station called Alpha Omega. We do not currently have access to Alpha Omega and we cannot move between the domes without specific intervention on the part of the staff.
Usually contact with those outside the Facility is limited to the network (accessible by the communicator you received upon arrival), but we've managed face-to-face interactions with the doctors and staff on two separate occasions, once when interns were sent directly into the Facility, and once when we gained access to the outer station.
Every week, there is a new experiment or test. You may or may not be affected by the current one, but starting next Sunday, you will be. It used to be that new subjects were brought in every week, but as of late the numbers and timing have become inconsistent. The effects of the weekly experiments differ greatly, from physical and mental alterations to varying outside stimuli, all intended to push us to our limits and see exactly what we can endure. Most of these tests seem completely impossible to preform, but they're enacted every Sunday at midnight, almost without fail.
Also occurring on Sundays is "reset", a facility-wide restoration of all the rooms other than personal bedrooms. Walls, televisions, communicators, doors... everything is repaired or replaced. Clean clothes and towels are placed in closets and bathing materials are also replaced. This all occurs in the blink of an eye and the information currently available leads us to believe that the Consortium has the ability to freeze time in order to carry out the resets.
The Facility
As far as we've seen, there are three facilities.
Facility One: Most of our time is spent here. Everyone has their own room (though recently several subjects have been given roommates), the number of which is on their collar. The rooms are set up in suites of four, each with its own bathroom and common area. The number is the suite number and the letter refers to the specific room in that suite. There are two floors; both have a cafeteria. This is where the first-aid kits and food (in the form of water bottles and ration bars) can be found. On the first floor there is a recreational room with various books and games, and on the other side of the facility there are two doors leading to the Biodome. A general layout of Facility One is here, provided by Sora.
Facility Two: This place appears to be a nicer version of the first facility. The floors are carpeted, there is a pool and a hot tub in the recreational room and the food is of a better quality. This place has only been used on two or three occasions before.
Facility Three: This facility has appeared as twelve separate locations so far. We have been informed that they are in fact the same place, all enormous fake environments built within the same dome. The known locations so far are:
Hope's End (a desert town)
Manhattan (a large modern city)
Death City (Soul's home world)
Isla Nublar (an island inhabited by dinosaurs)
Victorian London (based on Allen Walker's home world)
Rapture (an underwater city)
Abyss (a slum, the lowest level of Neogenesis)
Venice (a city filled with waterways)
Whispering Rock (a summer camp from Sasha's home world)
Gotham (a dark, modern city)
Wonderland (a land of multiple levels and locations)
Haven (a desert town with some modern technology)
When we return from this place, any non-weapon objects on your person will usually be brought with you.
The "Subjects"
Everyone in the Facility is a subject. Therefore, it's in everyone's best interest to attempt a peaceful coexistence rather than cause damage to each other or the things around you. As stated earlier, there may be people you know here, but they might be younger or older than you're used to. Much younger or older. This has been the case multiple times.
Time doesn't flow here in the usual way. Whenever or wherever you were taken from, no time will pass in your world while you're here. No one from your home will realize that you're gone, and when you're returned it will be to the exact moment you were taken. Those returned to their own worlds have no memories of the Facility at all unless they're pulled back here. For better or worse, nothing you do here will affect what happens in your world.
The head medic is a Konoha Shinobi by the name of Tsunade, and I (Shikamaru) can provide medical help as well. More assistance can be provided by Sora, Roxas, Axel, Yukina, and Ishtar. If you need help caring for a minor wound, ask around and someone will come help you.
Harry Dresden and Raven can also provide healing and other various services via magical enchantments. Komui Lee and Eddie Riggs can provide mechanical repair.
There are many within the facility that are willing to teach basic self-defense for those who need it, including Suki, Ty Lee, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Alex Shepard.
For psychological help, contact Sasha or Milla.
Anyone with what could be deemed as purification abilities, please contact Maka Albarn.
There is also a mail service operating within the facility, headed by Peregrine Mendicant. Regulations can be found posted in the recreational area and the cafeteria. [ooc: Postal Service Instructions]
Please try to avoid brawling in the biodome whenever possible as it serves as a home to many animals, as well as valuable herbs that we have no other way of accessing.
To those without what would be considered supernatural abilities: Despite what may or may not be possible in your home world, we have everything here from shinobi (or ninja) to demons to those who claim to be gods. Be careful about making these people mad, as some have no qualms about killing. A general sense of caution is always well-advised no matter who you come into contact with. Play it smart.
To those with what would be considered supernatural abilities: Your powers have been dulled, toned-down or possibly eradicated. The usual amount taken away is about half of what would be considered your normal level of ability. The collars hold back our powers - in the past, they were bracelets, but some people found a way to remove theirs and so the Consortium changed it to collars.
All sorts of people have been taken from their worlds, including children as young as seven years old.
If you think to harm them or abuse them in any way, think again.
The Collars/Barcodes
Every subject within the Facility is has a collar with their assigned room number on it. Aside from that designation, the collars also control how much of our powers/abilities we are able to use. It is possible that the power these drain from us is what keeps the Facility running. They are color coded as follows:
Black - The collar is de-activated, all powers and abilities are available. This is usually the collar we are subjected to in Facility Three.
Silver - Approximately 50% of powers and abilities are available, though there is some variation between subjects. This is the normal color, and is usually what we are subjected to in Facilities One and Two.
Blue - Approximately 25% of powers and abilities are available. So far, only two subjects have received this collar.
Gold - Full lock on powers and abilities, none are available.
Attempting to tamper too much with the collars usually results in a shock that renders the wearer unconscious.
During week 75, most subjects discovered barcodes somewhere on their bodies. They're very small, often placed in unlikely locations, and translate to some sort of physical identification number. They don't seem to have any effect on powers/abilities.
The Experiments
Occasionally, an experiment will require us to fight. If that is necessary, all we have for weaponry is what we can make. If you can make your own weapon, it is highly suggested that you do so. If not, we can equip you with various weapons. On two separate occasions in the past the doctors have presented subjects with the chance to earn items from home (including weaponry) through challenges linked to the current experiment.
If you are unable to properly defend yourself, try to avoid getting involved in fights at all. You don't have to (and it's preferable that you do not) get yourself involved in violent situations to be of help. Talk to Tsunade if you're medically inclined and would like to offer your services, or just ask around to find out how you can assist. Someone will find a job for you.
A full list of the experiments, including the current one, can be found here. Expect anything with experiments. Nothing is impossible here.
Along with reset and new experiments come the "observations". It is my suggestion that you ignore them, as most of them are completely false, biased and unfounded. The observations are also usually accompanied by a list of terminated subjects. More information on termination can be found below.
Death, Termination, and "Comatose" Subjects
Occasionally subjects simply disappear, seemingly at random, and cannot be found within the facility at all. If a subject is taken but their belongings and room remain undisturbed, it's highly likely that they've fallen "comatose". Subjects have been known to remain comatose for varying lengths of time, sometimes only for a few days, sometimes for longer than a month. In the past the Doctors claimed the reasons for this to be necessary isolation due to negative side effects to experiments/treatments, but sometimes subjects are categorized as comatose when they are returned to their own worlds, before they're pulled back. Sometimes subjects return with no memory of the time they were missing, and sometimes they're returned with new memories of their own worlds.
Death is a possibility and a reality here. Even if you are immortal in your own world, chances are you can still die here. However, death is far from permanent in most cases. While a few people have been killed and not returned, they usually reappear in a few day's time, though it's been known to sometimes take as long as two weeks. When someone is returned after dying, they rarely have more than minimal healing done and usually need a medic. Recently, people who have died have come back with gold collars for a week. Please keep this in mind.
It's written that subjects usually reappear because sometimes they don't. When a subject is removed from the facility entirely, their number is listed at the bottom of the weekly observations as "terminated".
Sometimes subjects are terminated only to be brought back into the Facility at a later date with no memory of their previous time here. They will often be pulled from a different time than their predecessor, or they may act completely differently. Please keep this in mind and handle returning subjects with care.
With such a large population and unpredictable operating procedures on the Consortium's part, it often becomes difficult to keep track of exactly who ends up where. The only way to be completely sure that a subject has been terminated is to look for their assigned number at the end of the weekly observations. If a subject cannot be found but their number isn't listed as terminated in the observations, then they're likely to return within a few days' time.
Escape
Many different escape plans have been considered and tested in the past, but as of yet none have succeeded. Beyond every wall is a metal that no one here has been able to break or manipulate, and the only things known beyond those walls are Alpha Omega and the vacuum of space. Cameras and listening devices are everywhere within the Facility and very difficult to get around. Nothing is secret from the Consortium, save for what you keep in your own mind. And sometimes not even that.
If you have a new idea or plan for escape, please share it. Fresh minds make for fresh ideas, and those of us who have been here the longest can easily tell you what will not work before you have to waste resources to find out.
This is a lot of information for anyone to take in at once, and I don't suggest attempting to process everything in one shot. If you have any questions, you can reply here or you ask your fellow subjects.
As previously mentioned, we have managed direct contact with doctors and members of the staff in the past. Once you have a handle on the basics of your situation, more detailed information about the specific workings of the Facility can be found here and here.
All subjects with information to add to this write-up can reply here and I'll see that it's included.
[ooc: We now have a new IC info post! Feel free to bookmark this post for easy locating later, and if you think something needs adding, shoot me an IM/email/PM/whatever. PLEASE let me know if it needs fixing. It was a lot of information to work through and try to condense. x_x If you'd like your character added in as someone willing to help new arrivals (or if they're already listed and you'd like them removed), comment here IC or OOC and I'll hop to it.]
Last update: Week 140
To say you've been kidnapped is as simply as your current situation can be put. You're in a completely different place than wherever you were before. This is not your world, and the rules and laws of where you were before no longer apply. There may or may not be people you know here, but there will be things you'll probably want to deny. Don't bother.
This place is called "the Facility", and as hard as it is to believe, everything written here is truth. This is only a basic overview of what you need to know, and links to more detailed information are located at the bottom of the write-up. It's nearly impossible to explain all the necessary details in a coherent manner, so please be patient and read through all the information provided.
The Basics
The first thing you need to know is that you are trapped, kidnapped for experimentation purposes, and so far there is no guaranteed way out.
Your captors are known as the Consortium, a group of thirteen people that dictate the comings and goings of the Facility. They have the final say on what subjects are introduced, what tests are run, and nearly every other variable you can think of. The Facility itself was originally overseen by a smaller group of seven people operating under the guise of "the Doctor". Beneath the doctors there are scientists, engineers, and interns, about 300 people in total that keep the project up and running.
EDIT: As of week 106, control of the facility was handed over to a computer program named Val. She was previously charged with the experiment for week 78 (small groups were isolated in small chambers and presented with challenges/obstacles while being deprived of food and sleep). So far Val has proved to be more willing to communicate than the Doctors, but weekly experimentation has continued as before and the support staff remains, as far as we can tell, unchanged.
EDIT: As of week 130, Val replaced 108 of the biological staff members (primarily from the reset and maintenance teams) with robots. Approximately 200 biological staff remain.
The Facility we reside in is one of three spherical environments/domes (a description of each one follows below), all attached to a cylindrical space station called Alpha Omega. We do not currently have access to Alpha Omega and we cannot move between the domes without specific intervention on the part of the staff.
Usually contact with those outside the Facility is limited to the network (accessible by the communicator you received upon arrival), but we've managed face-to-face interactions with the doctors and staff on two separate occasions, once when interns were sent directly into the Facility, and once when we gained access to the outer station.
Every week, there is a new experiment or test. You may or may not be affected by the current one, but starting next Sunday, you will be. It used to be that new subjects were brought in every week, but as of late the numbers and timing have become inconsistent. The effects of the weekly experiments differ greatly, from physical and mental alterations to varying outside stimuli, all intended to push us to our limits and see exactly what we can endure. Most of these tests seem completely impossible to preform, but they're enacted every Sunday at midnight, almost without fail.
Also occurring on Sundays is "reset", a facility-wide restoration of all the rooms other than personal bedrooms. Walls, televisions, communicators, doors... everything is repaired or replaced. Clean clothes and towels are placed in closets and bathing materials are also replaced. This all occurs in the blink of an eye and the information currently available leads us to believe that the Consortium has the ability to freeze time in order to carry out the resets.
The Facility
As far as we've seen, there are three facilities.
Facility One: Most of our time is spent here. Everyone has their own room (though recently several subjects have been given roommates), the number of which is on their collar. The rooms are set up in suites of four, each with its own bathroom and common area. The number is the suite number and the letter refers to the specific room in that suite. There are two floors; both have a cafeteria. This is where the first-aid kits and food (in the form of water bottles and ration bars) can be found. On the first floor there is a recreational room with various books and games, and on the other side of the facility there are two doors leading to the Biodome. A general layout of Facility One is here, provided by Sora.
Facility Two: This place appears to be a nicer version of the first facility. The floors are carpeted, there is a pool and a hot tub in the recreational room and the food is of a better quality. This place has only been used on two or three occasions before.
Facility Three: This facility has appeared as twelve separate locations so far. We have been informed that they are in fact the same place, all enormous fake environments built within the same dome. The known locations so far are:
Hope's End (a desert town)
Manhattan (a large modern city)
Death City (Soul's home world)
Isla Nublar (an island inhabited by dinosaurs)
Victorian London (based on Allen Walker's home world)
Rapture (an underwater city)
Abyss (a slum, the lowest level of Neogenesis)
Venice (a city filled with waterways)
Whispering Rock (a summer camp from Sasha's home world)
Gotham (a dark, modern city)
Wonderland (a land of multiple levels and locations)
Haven (a desert town with some modern technology)
When we return from this place, any non-weapon objects on your person will usually be brought with you.
The "Subjects"
Everyone in the Facility is a subject. Therefore, it's in everyone's best interest to attempt a peaceful coexistence rather than cause damage to each other or the things around you. As stated earlier, there may be people you know here, but they might be younger or older than you're used to. Much younger or older. This has been the case multiple times.
Time doesn't flow here in the usual way. Whenever or wherever you were taken from, no time will pass in your world while you're here. No one from your home will realize that you're gone, and when you're returned it will be to the exact moment you were taken. Those returned to their own worlds have no memories of the Facility at all unless they're pulled back here. For better or worse, nothing you do here will affect what happens in your world.
The head medic is a Konoha Shinobi by the name of Tsunade, and I (Shikamaru) can provide medical help as well. More assistance can be provided by Sora, Roxas, Axel, Yukina, and Ishtar. If you need help caring for a minor wound, ask around and someone will come help you.
Harry Dresden and Raven can also provide healing and other various services via magical enchantments. Komui Lee and Eddie Riggs can provide mechanical repair.
There are many within the facility that are willing to teach basic self-defense for those who need it, including Suki, Ty Lee, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Alex Shepard.
For psychological help, contact Sasha or Milla.
Anyone with what could be deemed as purification abilities, please contact Maka Albarn.
There is also a mail service operating within the facility, headed by Peregrine Mendicant. Regulations can be found posted in the recreational area and the cafeteria. [ooc: Postal Service Instructions]
Please try to avoid brawling in the biodome whenever possible as it serves as a home to many animals, as well as valuable herbs that we have no other way of accessing.
To those without what would be considered supernatural abilities: Despite what may or may not be possible in your home world, we have everything here from shinobi (or ninja) to demons to those who claim to be gods. Be careful about making these people mad, as some have no qualms about killing. A general sense of caution is always well-advised no matter who you come into contact with. Play it smart.
To those with what would be considered supernatural abilities: Your powers have been dulled, toned-down or possibly eradicated. The usual amount taken away is about half of what would be considered your normal level of ability. The collars hold back our powers - in the past, they were bracelets, but some people found a way to remove theirs and so the Consortium changed it to collars.
All sorts of people have been taken from their worlds, including children as young as seven years old.
If you think to harm them or abuse them in any way, think again.
The Collars/Barcodes
Every subject within the Facility is has a collar with their assigned room number on it. Aside from that designation, the collars also control how much of our powers/abilities we are able to use. It is possible that the power these drain from us is what keeps the Facility running. They are color coded as follows:
Black - The collar is de-activated, all powers and abilities are available. This is usually the collar we are subjected to in Facility Three.
Silver - Approximately 50% of powers and abilities are available, though there is some variation between subjects. This is the normal color, and is usually what we are subjected to in Facilities One and Two.
Blue - Approximately 25% of powers and abilities are available. So far, only two subjects have received this collar.
Gold - Full lock on powers and abilities, none are available.
Attempting to tamper too much with the collars usually results in a shock that renders the wearer unconscious.
During week 75, most subjects discovered barcodes somewhere on their bodies. They're very small, often placed in unlikely locations, and translate to some sort of physical identification number. They don't seem to have any effect on powers/abilities.
The Experiments
Occasionally, an experiment will require us to fight. If that is necessary, all we have for weaponry is what we can make. If you can make your own weapon, it is highly suggested that you do so. If not, we can equip you with various weapons. On two separate occasions in the past the doctors have presented subjects with the chance to earn items from home (including weaponry) through challenges linked to the current experiment.
If you are unable to properly defend yourself, try to avoid getting involved in fights at all. You don't have to (and it's preferable that you do not) get yourself involved in violent situations to be of help. Talk to Tsunade if you're medically inclined and would like to offer your services, or just ask around to find out how you can assist. Someone will find a job for you.
A full list of the experiments, including the current one, can be found here. Expect anything with experiments. Nothing is impossible here.
Along with reset and new experiments come the "observations". It is my suggestion that you ignore them, as most of them are completely false, biased and unfounded. The observations are also usually accompanied by a list of terminated subjects. More information on termination can be found below.
Death, Termination, and "Comatose" Subjects
Occasionally subjects simply disappear, seemingly at random, and cannot be found within the facility at all. If a subject is taken but their belongings and room remain undisturbed, it's highly likely that they've fallen "comatose". Subjects have been known to remain comatose for varying lengths of time, sometimes only for a few days, sometimes for longer than a month. In the past the Doctors claimed the reasons for this to be necessary isolation due to negative side effects to experiments/treatments, but sometimes subjects are categorized as comatose when they are returned to their own worlds, before they're pulled back. Sometimes subjects return with no memory of the time they were missing, and sometimes they're returned with new memories of their own worlds.
Death is a possibility and a reality here. Even if you are immortal in your own world, chances are you can still die here. However, death is far from permanent in most cases. While a few people have been killed and not returned, they usually reappear in a few day's time, though it's been known to sometimes take as long as two weeks. When someone is returned after dying, they rarely have more than minimal healing done and usually need a medic. Recently, people who have died have come back with gold collars for a week. Please keep this in mind.
It's written that subjects usually reappear because sometimes they don't. When a subject is removed from the facility entirely, their number is listed at the bottom of the weekly observations as "terminated".
Sometimes subjects are terminated only to be brought back into the Facility at a later date with no memory of their previous time here. They will often be pulled from a different time than their predecessor, or they may act completely differently. Please keep this in mind and handle returning subjects with care.
With such a large population and unpredictable operating procedures on the Consortium's part, it often becomes difficult to keep track of exactly who ends up where. The only way to be completely sure that a subject has been terminated is to look for their assigned number at the end of the weekly observations. If a subject cannot be found but their number isn't listed as terminated in the observations, then they're likely to return within a few days' time.
Escape
Many different escape plans have been considered and tested in the past, but as of yet none have succeeded. Beyond every wall is a metal that no one here has been able to break or manipulate, and the only things known beyond those walls are Alpha Omega and the vacuum of space. Cameras and listening devices are everywhere within the Facility and very difficult to get around. Nothing is secret from the Consortium, save for what you keep in your own mind. And sometimes not even that.
If you have a new idea or plan for escape, please share it. Fresh minds make for fresh ideas, and those of us who have been here the longest can easily tell you what will not work before you have to waste resources to find out.
This is a lot of information for anyone to take in at once, and I don't suggest attempting to process everything in one shot. If you have any questions, you can reply here or you ask your fellow subjects.
As previously mentioned, we have managed direct contact with doctors and members of the staff in the past. Once you have a handle on the basics of your situation, more detailed information about the specific workings of the Facility can be found here and here.
All subjects with information to add to this write-up can reply here and I'll see that it's included.
[ooc: We now have a new IC info post! Feel free to bookmark this post for easy locating later, and if you think something needs adding, shoot me an IM/email/PM/whatever. PLEASE let me know if it needs fixing. It was a lot of information to work through and try to condense. x_x If you'd like your character added in as someone willing to help new arrivals (or if they're already listed and you'd like them removed), comment here IC or OOC and I'll hop to it.]