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memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
Entry tags:
MAY TDM
Things are a little stranger than usual at the gas station and garage. Namely that gravity just isn't working as it should. Objects float, pieces of the floor float... Even unlucky new arrivals can also find themselves floating! It's going to be a challenge to get around without any scrapes or scratches... Though at least there's what looks like a hospital nearby? Granted, it's an upside down hospital, but it's better than nothing.
01: SUMMONING CIRCLE
Drifters come to with an odd floating sensation hooked into their stomachs, and instead of laying on the concrete find themselves drifting a foot or two above the floor. An unfortunate few may be stuck on the ceiling. Whether they crash down hard into the floor (and the various vials, daggers, and broken glass scattered about) or remain floating in the air is a coin toss.
Still, it might be best to lend a hand with pulling them back to the ground, and hoping gravity will work as normal in another breath or two.
Once they make their way out, they can see a gas station and garage located in the midst of strange, floating rocks… And an upside down hospital close by, for those who had a rougher landing.
Still, it might be best to lend a hand with pulling them back to the ground, and hoping gravity will work as normal in another breath or two.
Once they make their way out, they can see a gas station and garage located in the midst of strange, floating rocks… And an upside down hospital close by, for those who had a rougher landing.
02: START UP
New arrivals will have a similar experience to before; a Convoy waiting for them, and a collection of vehicles, one of which feels like it belongs to them. The key to the vehicle may already be in the ignition, on the dashboard… It may have even been on their person, ever since they woke up in that garage. Either way, Drifters have the keys to the vehicle now.
…But there’s a few rough edges on these vehicles. Flat tires, cracked windows and mirrors, maybe some stuck doors and locks; all of them the sort of thing that requires two pairs of hands and supplies. The garage can take care of the (sometimes floating) supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.
And hopefully no one's vehicle has decided to float. But one can never be sure in a place like this.
…But there’s a few rough edges on these vehicles. Flat tires, cracked windows and mirrors, maybe some stuck doors and locks; all of them the sort of thing that requires two pairs of hands and supplies. The garage can take care of the (sometimes floating) supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.
And hopefully no one's vehicle has decided to float. But one can never be sure in a place like this.
03: HUSKS AND HAUNTS
The inverted hospital seems to have trouble deciding the exact formation of its hallways, whether the new arrivals should be walking on the ceiling, floors, or walls. But one thing that is certain: this place isn’t entirely deserted. Warnings of “Beware the Husks” have been spray painted on the walls. Metallic bodies line those same halls, some of them broken open. A wet trail leads from the broken Husks to the rafters… Where several odd monsters wait to drop down. Some look like they’ve merged with the hospital equipment, while others look like they’ve been cobbled together from different body parts. And all of them look ready to turn the newcomers into a corpse, or part of a specimen collection.
Strange, malformed chimeric creatures that are Unknown stalk the hallways. Unknowns come in three different colors, red aligned with fire, green with poison, and purple with lightning.
Adding to that are the various screens flickering on, and diagnose new arrivals as infected. The screens declare the infection seems to be contained, but requires further study… And if the monsters aren't enough to worry about, there’s also the restraint systems trying to activate and tie the new arrivals down.
Strange, malformed chimeric creatures that are Unknown stalk the hallways. Unknowns come in three different colors, red aligned with fire, green with poison, and purple with lightning.
Adding to that are the various screens flickering on, and diagnose new arrivals as infected. The screens declare the infection seems to be contained, but requires further study… And if the monsters aren't enough to worry about, there’s also the restraint systems trying to activate and tie the new arrivals down.
04: TESTING (CW: Needles)
The deeper someone plunges into the hospital, the more the building reacts to them. More defenses are deployed, treating them as thieves or intruders. Traps and monsters alike wait for them, with syringes melded into the forms of attackers, or lining places where someone might step or reach for. The syringes make a quick bite on skin… But it’s only a few minutes later where the effects become clear. Something in those syringes is now in the blood and forcing monster transformations. There might be an antidote amongst the supplies… Or the newcomers might need to rely on each other, in order to stay anchored.
The needles can also force temporary Swarm traits, along with:
+Group Mind: compelled to link thoughts with other Drifters, to share emotions, memories, and achieve cohesion.
+An increasing reliance on telepathy/empathy/etc in place of speech.
+Increasing collectivist mindset. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few; this becomes more evident during high stress situations.
+Compelled to hunt and share their prey with others.
+Gravity Affinity: If possessing wings or the ability to wall climb, may freely hunt/traverse corrupted gravity areas.
The needles can also force temporary Swarm traits, along with:
+Group Mind: compelled to link thoughts with other Drifters, to share emotions, memories, and achieve cohesion.
+An increasing reliance on telepathy/empathy/etc in place of speech.
+Increasing collectivist mindset. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few; this becomes more evident during high stress situations.
+Compelled to hunt and share their prey with others.
+Gravity Affinity: If possessing wings or the ability to wall climb, may freely hunt/traverse corrupted gravity areas.
05: LONG WAY DOWN
A portion of the gas station breaks away with groan and a rumble. And it is slowly pulled up and up, taking a portion of new comers with it! They (and anyone watching) will need to act fast, as gravity starts to go weird the further they rise. They’ll need to find a way back down, taking any supplies from the now-floating garage that they can grab.
What’s more, they are drifting closer to the broken moon, and that seems to be having a strange effect on those stranded on the new floating ruin. They may start to feel their control fray, and their forms shift, the higher they rise.
In terms of getting back down, there’s a handful of tow lines in the ruin that might work as ropes. There’s also a few pieces of rock that are floating up more slowly, and could work as stairs back down… Or there’s just jumping and falling fifty feet and hoping for the best.
What’s more, they are drifting closer to the broken moon, and that seems to be having a strange effect on those stranded on the new floating ruin. They may start to feel their control fray, and their forms shift, the higher they rise.
In terms of getting back down, there’s a handful of tow lines in the ruin that might work as ropes. There’s also a few pieces of rock that are floating up more slowly, and could work as stairs back down… Or there’s just jumping and falling fifty feet and hoping for the best.
06: PSYCHIC ECHOES
There's one last quirk to this area; a few scattered bits of odd plantlife, and the odd dead brain monster. While these things aren't a threat on their own (beyond being unnerving) they still pack a psychic punch; mainly in the form of temporary psychic abilities.
It's possible that after coming in contact with either plants or corpses, newcomers will find themselves gifted with either empathy (projecting or receiving emotions) telepathy, OR the ability to share their dreams with others, and having their dreams influenced by others in turn. This effect fades in just a day or so, but is still capable of causing mishaps.
It's possible that after coming in contact with either plants or corpses, newcomers will find themselves gifted with either empathy (projecting or receiving emotions) telepathy, OR the ability to share their dreams with others, and having their dreams influenced by others in turn. This effect fades in just a day or so, but is still capable of causing mishaps.
MICRO ENCOUNTERS:
PLEASE NOTE! These are small bits of set dressing for players to include in threads if they wish, rather than full fledged prompts or events. You may handwave your exploration of these areas, or thread them out.
Broadcast: The garage contains a few burnt out monitors. But a handful of them are playing a message over and over again on loop, filled with static. It’s a recording of important looking people in lab coats advising people to remain indoors and avoiding all objects falling from the sky. Especially “moon shards.” They insist that they are working to contain and cure the infection, but the safest action is to remain inside.
Warped Air: As seen in Long Way Down, the air overhead has strange warped pockets in it. There seem to be slightly different shards hanging suspended in the air, looking more silvery than the surrounding rocks. Almost like it could have fallen from the broken moon overhead.
Medical supplies: Most of the medical supplies found in the hospital seem to consist of healing salves and potions, a handful of healing herbs, and a few antidotes for poison or sickness. As for reverting transformations… It’s advised that new comers be careful of taking any experimental medicine. It may revert a change. It may also leave them hallucinating nightmares and fears, and they’ll be wanting someone close by to help administer the drug.
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Donnie shrugs, not seeming too bothered about that, but such as has been life, and they've gotten by fine, otherwise, much as he's lamented not being able to formally attend any school.
"Well, for starters, I am an apalone spinifera mutated with human DNA so baseline would be about what you'd expect of normal Earth turtles and I guess humans." He sighs, trying and failing to hide a wince at the question of reversing things.
"There...seem to be occasional instances where there's a chance that such transformations can be reversed. But more commonly, things just get worse. Wish I had answers as to the why's and how's but there's a lot we're still trying to figure out, and no easily available answers."
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The Professor sighs. "I wonder...could the moon perhaps be giving off some sort of radiation that might lend itself to these transformations?" Given the life he's led, it seems like a sound hypothesis. Hope is important. Also he thinks he'll lose his mind if it's magic like the mess with the were hyenas. Best to couch that hope in science. "If only I had some lab equipment! That might at least allow us to find some direction in which to find answers."
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"That's an interesting theory. There must be some kind of energy it gives off, because otherwise I have no idea how else it can trigger such things. But...even then, it doesn't make sense..."
He hates having to admit that something more mystical is at play, but he can't ignore it either, especially since he employs mystic abilities himself. Still, he's always one to default to science whenever he can.
"Yeah, we're extremely lacking in a lot of equipment. Although the radiation angle is definitely something I need to remember to look into. I can scan for energy readings with my goggles. Unfortunately I was very preoccupied when experiencing a Moon Warp for the first time."
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"The aforementioned event in which shards of the moon fall inexplicably from the sky and trigger monster transformations," he explains. "I think the one I went through was even responsible for changing the terrain, the scenery. It went from extremes like dense jungles turned into deserts or frigid tundras without warning."
And unfortunately he can't think of any valid scientific explanation for that.
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"Oh." Nope, he's sure not liking this. "That...probably begs for more research, if it could be done, er, safely. I suppose it's difficult to find decent shelter with. With moon fragments falling from the sky."
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"...speaking of, we should probably get you to more level ground," he suggests, turning to plot out the best course through things. "And you'll probably find keys in your pocket- conveniently for a vehicle so you can join our 'merry' entourage."
sorry, lost the tag!
's cool!
Donnie glances at the keys. "Please tell me you know how to drive, I've already come across several people who don't." He will go through with setting up driving lessons at this rate!
"Weelllll...let's see." He hops onto a floating rock, squinting past the other gravity-defying debris. "There's a garage out there, and a gas station, and if it's anything like when I first arrived, there should be some cars nearby, if not by the Convoy itself. Just gotta navigate past this terrestrial asteroid field. Hm."
He strokes his chin, looking at Martin. "Don't suppose you've ever used a jetpack before, have you?"
Re: 's cool!
The conversation's proceeding normally enough, until..."A jetpack?" It is clear from his tone of voice that no, he has not. He's not even counting flying with Firestorm's power there, because he's just been a passenger then. "That's not within my realm of experience, I'm afraid."
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Donnie only nods at the professor's response then. He supposes it's to be expected, after all. "Hm, definitely more of an advanced skill to go solo on. Well, we'll do a rendition of my flight shell then."
He moves back over to Martin, circling him as he considers. "Don't freak out," he says, almost belatedly as he holds his hands out in front of him. A bright neon purple glow appears, forming lines that in turn take shape as what appear to be parts, inner workings of some sort of machine, and though it appears to be formed of energy each part when complete takes on a translucent solidness before becoming encased in each subsequent layer that makes up, in the end, what appears to be some sort of backpack with a pair of rotors attached.
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And in contrast, there is suddenly a purple light show he would have found far stranger if Firestorm hadn't known Green Lantern. But it's not like Hal Jordan was ever known for his attention to detail, and frankly, the Professor hadn't expected the young turtle to whip out a trick like this. "Oh! My word!" There is no panic, just surprise.
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"So, if you wear this, I can just pull you along or nudge you so you don't run into anything," he explains, holding it up. If Martin tries touching it, he'll find it still feels weirdly solid and faintly warm.
"-I know it doesn't look very durable but I've flown many times with such, and you won't need it for long."
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The shell fits with little fanfare, Donnie manifesting a few straps for better security before he gives the back a tap. The rotors spin to life and begin to lift Martin off his feet.
"All good?"
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"Cool, let's do this then!"
Donnie flaps his wings to get into the air himself."Angle yourself forward in the direction you want to move," he says, flying back to give Martin some space.