Futuristic 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕙𝕤 -- 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕕

[Jewel]

Into The Depths

Tags: sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, horror, underwater, dark, gritty, futuristic,
Ratings/Warnings: Mature | No Warnings Currently Apply

A Roleplay by mochi bun and Jewel

 

[Jewel]

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  22:15

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  In the earth year 2080 the NEREUS-II, a sophisticated research outpost located in the North Atlantic Ocean, was constructed as the partner project of Japanese conglomerate Tripartita and American conglomerate Argos Industries. While originally established as a thermal mining operation, the facility’s primary purpose shifted to space research and technology, which led to the creation and operation of a unique space gun nicknamed The Pilgrim; more precisely, an electromagnetic railgun designed to launch satellites and other small equipment into orbit without the costs or risks of traditional rockets.
  
  All of the operations and maintenance on NEREUS-II were managed through an artificial intelligence system called the Caretaker Unit (CAT-U). The crew aboard the NEREUS-II were largely successful in the proceedings and carrying out the operations of their facility, and being a scientist admitted to operate in such a facility was a prestigious honor. The whole project was considered a worldwide success. And with the second space boom of the 22nd century, Earth’s technologies skyrocketed.
  
  And then disaster struck. A comet incoming. And humans fled to the stars, abandoning their planet of origin. Others stayed, either believing the danger to be overexaggerated, or unwilling to forsake their planet of origin. And what fools they were. Annihilated. Wiped out. The surface so toxic with radiation that the planet turned neon, like a glowstick. And that was it.
  
  That was a decade ago.
  
  Kouno sat in the computer lab at Site Sigma of NEREUS-II, heavy-lidded eyes blearily crossed at a white monitor. The room was dark aside from the pale blue light emitted from the screen in front of him, and silent besides the creaking and groaning of the structure and the occasional clicking of his keyboard. Dazed and dreary, he glanced at the time. 2215Z. Good time for a break. He pushed his chair away from the computer, rising to his feet and reaching his arms to stretch them up over his head. He leaned back, a faint crack from his middle-back bringing him muzzy satisfaction. He leaned back forward, hovering over the computer to power it down by the manual switch behind it when something flashed on the screen.
  
  “MOVEMENT DETECTED [OUTPOST: EPSILON X:53.209003, Y:-55.424374] 2216Z DISPLAY Y/N”
  
  Kouno stared at it, groggy, fuzzy, sleep-deprived head making little sense of the words. His eyes ached. Did he want to see another beaked whale swim idly by? Another giant squid swishing through the inky blackness? His tired brain offered a strong case against turning the high beams on. Kouno turned to look at the flimsy bobble hula girl holding a guitar sitting to the left of his keyboard. She smiled at him, wide and sincere. She wanted him to turn the high beams on. Neglecting his duties… a slippery slope, she warned. One day he’d be ignoring red dots on the radar, next he’d be letting the generators break down into little pieces. And then where would they be? In total darkness. Forever.
  
  So, with a heavy sigh, he sat back down, and his fingers flitted over the keyboard, logging into the system’s command center to access the lights at Site Epsilon. VOOM. Let there be light.
  
  On the monitor to his right, a grainy image from Epsilon’s docking station showed the sights. There used to be a second exterior night vision camera, but Kouno was pretty sure it’d blown off in one of the more powerful currents which had passed through a while back. And seeing as there was really nothing going on inside the abandoned submarine research center 3,000 meters away, he felt no sense of urgency to fix it.
  
  From the live feed on the monitor he could see the bleary image of… some sinking hunk of crap. He zoomed in, believing for a few seconds that his eyes were deceiving him. Had one of the explorer pods powered up on its own? No—that vessel wasn’t anything of his. He leaned so far forward of his chair he nearly took a tumble. He slammed a palm against the desk to righten himself, returning to fall into his worn seat. After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, fingers resumed clacking against the keys. He was diverting power back to Epsilon, engaging with controls to a system he hadn’t touched in ages. Not since a monster squid had attached itself to the front of the docking bay and he’d had to use a remotely controlled Epsilon mecha to pry it off. He shoved off the desk, wheeling his chair over to the other console which he anxiously waited for to boot up. He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, feeling anxiety bubble up in his chest. It was an unpleasant accompaniment to the yucky weariness resting on his shoulders. What was that thing? Whatever it was, he'd find out soon.
  
  “Welcome : )” the computer greeted him with a pixelated smile before the login screen appeared. Clickity clackity, Kouno quickly navigated to the operations control panel, clicking digital switches to diverge power from less pertinent locations to powering Epsilon’s systems. He could imagine the rickety sounds of machinery grinding to life in the hull of Site Epsilon, those heavy metal doors opening to let the hanger fill with water, and those motors whirling to life as remotely operated bots locked in on their target. Kouno watched with bated breath as metallic claws attached themselves to the sinking mass, reeling it in. The large hanger doors creaked closed, encasing all the machinery inside. He pushed back to his other monitor, switching cameras to the one inside the hanger. He got only fuzz. With an exasperated sigh, Kouno pushed back to the second computer again, typing in commands which would drain the docking station, re-pressurizing the compartment.
  
  Kouno wasn’t quite sure what the status of Epsilon’s facilities were. Many of the remotely operated systems were sealed up or locked down, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be manually overridden over at the site itself. He had no visual of the inside of the submarine hanger, but he imagined the huge hunk of unidentifiable metal was sitting in there, empty and begging him for attention. Kouno glanced at the bobble head hula girl. She wanted him to go. Who was he to tell her she was wrong?
  
  The shuttle. The shuttle between Epsilon and Sigma was offline. Kouno used his leg to spin his chair in a circle, gnawing on his lower lip. If he were at Epsilon, he could override it with a manual switch. As long as there was enough power diverted to the shuttle. Kouno scooted up to the monitor so that he could rest his forehead again the desk. Think… think... think... he turned his head and looked to bobble head girl. She had nothing. He sighed.
  
  There was little he could do now. He could go look for a diving suit and walk to the neighbor facility. But that would require venturing into less desirable sanctions of Sigma Base. But, looking around his little dwelling area, he figured he had nothing to gain by staying here until he died. Might as well go see something cool before he kicked it. With immense reluctancy, Kouno began to hatch a plan.
  
  ________________________________________
  
  Epsilon A, a thermal and manufacturing plant at a depth of 99 meters, was manned by a staff of eight people. Without a single one remaining, the place had verily deteriorated. Still, many of the functions were operational, and most of the interior was intact. Engrossed in withering blueprint depicting Sigma Base's floor-plan, Kouno's subconscious thoughts revolved around the shuttle and how to power it. Never did he consider that there may be life on that ship. Nor did he think that his re-powering of Site Epsilon may cause disastrous technological consequences.
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

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  text text

Mood

tired!!

location

Sigma Base

interactions

n/a

current health

100%

tags

yeah yeah

kouno kai

nine lives

 

[mochi bun]

hauen k. volkov.

If one were to ask Hauen Volkov where his day went wrong, he wouldn't have had an answer.

Perhaps it began when he woke up with a sore back, his vision blurry as he tried to wake himself up from where he had slumped over in his pilot's seat. Perhaps it had started when he checked his comms, the same age-old disappointment filling his chest to see there were no new messages from his cousin. Perhaps it had even been when he had spilled his lunch on the floor and had proceeded to stare for an insurable amount of minutes in frustrated contemplation.

But, besides all that, he could confirm his day was made worse when he glanced up at the sound of the alarm blaring, mentioning total system failure in one of the engines. The next ten minutes was a blur of frantic typing, checking other systems and then strapping himself down before his ship could impact with the vast expanse of blue.

The shudder that ripped its way through the hull made his teeth clack together as he tensed, curling into himself a little before he was glancing towards the front on his ship.

Hauen moved forward, eyes flitting about as he meticulously checked every system once more.

Engines? Offline.
Communications? Offline.
Life Support? Offline.
Emergency Procedures? Online.

Breathing out a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose before getting to his feet. There was an underlying urgency there; but, as his ship shuddered as it began to sink further, he wavered. He glanced towards the screen, fair brows raised high on his forehead; and just pressed his face against the cold metal, eyes falling shut.

What a shit show. Of course this would be how his day would pan out -- sinking into an unknown body of water on a planet that resembled a fluorescent hellscape.

The shuddering of his ship had him snapping to attention, turning to stare out the front with wide eyes.

The claws that emerged from the passing machinery had him wavering before he was walking forward, brows furrowed with a tight frown spreading across his lips. Fingers spanned over the back of his chair, tense and silent, as he the crumbled metal was slowly brought into a hanger and deposited in the hull.

Darkness flooded the cabin, the only light source coming from the dashboard.

It took a second for the compartment to flood with light -- alongside for the sound of water draining echoing from outside. The slow whirling noise filled the air for several minutes, leaving him with little choice but to stay within his ship.

While Hauen waited for the water to drain, he looked up his coordinates. He knew he was on Earth -- had heard tales from his father and grandparents about the distant association they had once had with it. He had been dumb enough to enter the atmosphere, curiosity overtaking his normally-cautious sense of preservation.

Sighing quietly, he pondered his life choices before the whirling noise faded from outside.

With bated breath, he awaited a sign of life.

And waited.

And then waited some more, leaning his head back against his seat with a pout. When a sufficient half-hour had passed, he threw up his hands with a huff before clambering to his feet, turning on his heel to seek out his gear.

If no one was gonna come looking for him -- he reasoned as he began to strap his supplies down along his forearms and along his back -- it seemed he would have to be the one to seek out whoever had assisted him.

mood: kinda freaking out.
location: his sinking ship. interactions: none yet. health meter: 100%

space explorer.

© PASTA​

 

[Jewel]

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  22:20

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  His head whipped around to the door, blueprints flapping out of his hands as he kicked his feet off the desk, falling back into a sitting position, eyes flying to the bright bulb above the doorway. He stared at it. The red gleam of the lockdown indicated stared back at him like one burning cyclopean eye. The door was still closed. Still on lockdown. Nerves somewhat calmed, Kouno turned his attention back to the two functioning monitors which illuminated the shabby room He peered at the computer, tourmaline-blue eyes blinking to bring the bright screens into focus. Focus.
  
  He let his thoughts settle, and then slowly regather. The shuttle. The shuttle ran through a tube which stretched all the way from Epsilon, the westernmost site, to Site Zeta, the main Space Gun manufacturing site. Beyond Delta lay a large abyss, a drop-off into oblivion, where miles deeper into the ocean sites Iota and Rho could be found. There were interconnected railways from Epsilon to Sigma, Sigma to Zeta, Zeta to Delta, Sigma to Delta, and so on, but most were nonoperational or cluttered with debris. He wanted to go to Epsilon so that he could check out a cool hunk of metal he’d found. It should’ve been just as easy as hopping abord and hitting send, right? You’d think, but no.
  
  The Sigma Site possessed the transportation hub for the shuttle system, so putting a shuttle onto the track and launching it from here was no problem. The problem was—there were a lot of problems, actually.
  
  Following the impact event on the surface of the earth, the crew of Site Epsilon were told to evacuate and relocate to Site Zeta. Technical engineers Stone and Davis were tasked with automizing Epsilon in such a way to maintain its thermal plant and secure power production for the entire NEREUS-II complex. They were successful, but became stranded when the Care-Taker Unit, following its procedure of rerouting power in order to supply functions it deemed essential to fulfilling its role, directed power which should have been used to power the shuttle to rebooting the station’s HBs (Helping Bots). And then the HBs killed Stone and Davis.
  
  
  
  In March of the following year, Theta Mechatronics Engineer Allison Tate traveled to Epsilon on her own AWOL accord to shut down the entire station in an attempt to disable the Care-Taker Unit, which she believed to have been corrupted. An action which would’ve taken the entire facility down with her. While she was largely successful in severing tethers between Epsilon and the rest of NEREUS-II, the Care-Taker bot remained operational through backup generators in Site Alpha and Site Sigma. With a crippled power supply, the CAT-U focused all energies on preserving ‘essential functions’ and keeping them online. Ventilation turbines, lighting, motion sensors, the greenhouses, heating, etc.
  
  Kouno could command the shutdown of some of these facilities in order to divert power to the track, as he had done to boot up Epsilon’s systems. But in the resurgence of mechanical operations at Epsilon, he hadn’t anticipated that the CAT Unit would immediately begin distributing ‘excess’ power to the HBs almost immediately. And he didn’t anticipate it would begin consuming so much.
  
  His second issue, laughably more problematic than the first, was that Kouno didn’t have a Tripartita Ductile Suit™. Four suits had been assigned to the station Sigma, and of the four zero remained on the charging pods. Three of them were dressed on corpses up at Epsilon, and the fourth had been taken by another engineer some weeks later in an investigative mission to assess the exterior damages of the site. And then she’d walked to Zeta instead of returning to Sigma, which she believed to be a death trap. And was she wrong?
  
  There could be other suits in Sigma. Kouno wasn’t sure. And he wasn’t keen on poking around looking for one. Not with the possibility of running into Jason. Jason, the clunking, clattering, hulking, stomping mass of resin and scrap metal moaning and groaning as he scraped along the abandoned halls of Site Sigma. Some re-animated mess of wires and the farthest, most fragmented remnants of human consciousness. No sir, Kouno was not feeling so eager to run into Jason.
  
  But he wasn’t keen on riding the shuttle unless he had a suit. He couldn’t survey the status of the tunnels- and for all he knew, they were completely caved in. If the shuttle crashed, he would either be slowly suffocated or quickly crushed by the ocean’s weight. And if he wanted a suit, there was a pretty good chance that he’d have to pry it off of a dead body. But it wasn’t like anything would change if he wasn’t the one instigating the change. He could sit here until the generators died in—he glanced at the notepad near the keyboard where he’d scrawled out his calculations—204 days. Until the whole station went dark. And then he’d die. And that would be the end of NEREUS-II.
  
  Or he could stop being such a wuss, find a suit, ride the shuttle to Epsilon, restore power to the station, and continue carrying out maintenance tasks forever. Was that better than death? Kouno looked to the bobble head hula girl. She wanted him to live. Neglecting tasks, it was a slippery slope, she reminded. First, he’d be ignoring red dots on the radar, next—yeah, we’ve heard it. He gave the hula girl‘s wobbly head a flick. She jiggled, joyously.
  
  Something on the monitor caught his eye. He eased into his chair, pulling the frame into full view so that he could narrow his eyes at the grainy image. He could see that the interior of Epsilon was trashed. He could see wires strewn about, puddles of resin and oil between cracked tiles, and machine grease dripping down the walls. Red lights glowed faintly above the locked doors and green above the unlocked. He leaned forward, closer to his screen, and his elbow hit the spacebar on his keyboard. CLugngng, he could imagine the heavy bay doors at Epsilon made a clankity sound as they whirred open. That’d been an accident. As if a warning, the lights in the computer laboratory above him flickered. Fear gripped him. Instinctively he looked over his shoulder to the red hue cast over the sealed door directly behind him. If Sigma lost power, he wouldn’t be able to keep Jason out. And that would be just the worst.
  
  He turned his eyes back to the monitor. He could see movement at the door which he had just unlocked, but the camera was positioned in such a way that he couldn’t really tell what it was. And there was something else- other movement in the workshop. This time he could see quite clearly that it was a defunct robot. It was one of the welding bots which traveled by rail attached to the ceiling. He watched in horror as the thing rattled and jumped around, trying to dislodge itself before launching itself through a wall and disappearing down an unlit corridor.
  
  Kouno lost track of it in areas where he had no visual. Feeling unnerved, he switched back to the image of the changing room connected to the pump room. And it was then and there that he would catch his first glimpse of the figure. Dimly silhouetted by the crappy night vision camera, the distinct outline of a person was visible on Kouno’s screen. He brought his face so close to the image his nose almost touched the monitor. What the shit?
  
  He felt suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety. How could there be a person here? How had he come here? Dumb luck? Or had he been sent here? Was this the CAT’s doing? So many questions. Kouno stood, pushing his chair behind him. He had to speak with this person before the HBs got to him first. If he could lure the intruder to Control Station B he’d be able to communicate with them via SMS on one of the computers, and then direct them to the communications room upstairs. Think, think… turning on the lights would surely summon CAT’s attention- or worse, the defunct robots shambling around in the assembly rooms. Kouno gnawed on his lower lip, fidgeting and pacing as he watched the figure on the screen. On his computer nearby, he pulled up a digital map of Epsilon.
  
  By taking power from the hanger that the stranger’s ship was in, thereby eliminating all light and function, Kouno was able to power the emergency lights in the hallway, low-light red hues near to the floor which would light the path between the hanger to the control station. And then he waited.
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  

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  text text

Mood

perturbed

location

Sigma Base

interactions

n/a

current health

100%

tags

yeah yeah

kouno kai

nine lives

 

[Jewel]

* Map of Site Epsilon