JELLY SHROOM CAVE BASE EXPLORATION | ACTION

[imsorey]

[In the early morning, just after breakfast is cleaned up, Sorey sends a telepathic broadcast to whoever is still currently hanging around the base:

Hey everyone! We found a strange cave way down deep in the tunnels a couple of weeks ago, and the fish down there told us there were humans living down there somehow! We’re going to check it out today. You’re welcome to come with, but bring some kind of shielding, all right? There’s a whole bunch of Tiger Plants on the route, and those spikes they shoot are no joke!

Mikleo chimes in: If you have swimming troubles, I should be able to take you around, though a couple of you might want to bring Seaglides as well. We mapped out a partial safe route, but keep in mind there’s some very large predators, and the water pressure’s going to be pretty intense if you move too far from us down there. Come prepared for that.

Should you as an intrepid explorer decide to venture down into the tunnels with them, there’s plenty to see. Glowing Jelly Shrooms are scattered across the caves, the only bit of light offered so far down in the dark. Sorey and Mikleo will lead the group in a careful circuit through them, not going too close. It’s easy to see why when a couple of Crabsnakes poke their heads out curiously.

The abandoned base the group will come across is small but has some useful items if you care to take a look. There’s also a dully glowing three-person Seamoth to be discovered not too far away, out of power, if any technologically-inclined people want to figure out how to get that back to base for use.

((OOC: Open mission post for Jelly Shroom Base Exploration! Sorey and Mikleo will tag whoever tags in, but feel free to jump other people as well and branch your explorations out separately if you’d like. There’s a lot to find!))

Comments

[splinten]

English. I need someone to divert power from everything auxiliary so we can get this running on minimal power.

[You are not so busy with either of those things that you can't do this for him.]

[potentite]

[He pushes away from Ripley and floats over the seamoth.]

Uh, where have you already blocked off? Did you check the inside specs?

[splinten]

Haven't blocked off anything yet. We should be able to divert power from life support at the least.

[Since they all have the breathing apparatuses they need. He is tracking Jake's movements out of the corner of his eye. Good English, go do something instead of feeling useless.]

[potentite]

Righty-o! Let me get in there.

[Jake swims under the seamoth and slips in quick through the hatch. He takes out the breathing apparatus for now and starts reading the panels, flipping off what he can. Most of it has to be manual, though, and he takes out a multitool.]

What do you want to stay lit?

[splinten]

Movement. Anything else can go.

[The point is just to get it up to base. Anything else should be fine. ...Unless they have to shoot a crabsnake but Dirk figures he can just wrestle it? That should be fine. It's not too much hugely gigantically way bigger than him.]

[potentite]

[Jake nods and takes off the panel, staring at it thoughtfully, running his fingers over different wires as he figures them out. It's kind of like a puzzle.]

Do you think it will make the trip? It's been around the block a few times.

[splinten]

If it can't, I hope you're ready to push.

[Telepathy doesn't make it any more clear if he's joking or not.]

[potentite]

[He rolls his eyes.]

Do I look rough and tumble as Gene Tunney? Man, I couldn't push this.

[splinten]

No, you don't look over a hundred years old. You just talk like it.

How are you doing with it?

[potentite]

Har har. Give me a second.

[It takes him a minute to make sure he's turning off the right things but a moment later he swims back out and gives two thumbs up.]

Got it all! Sorry for the wait. Never seen the inside of one of these.

[splinten]

[Dirk gives Jake a thumbs up in return.]

They're pretty cool. You can help me fix this one up when we get it back to base if you want.

[Dirk and Jake have been having a lot of success on working on projects together. And it's a nice feeling? Doing things together and not trying to orchestrate any masterplan. Just enjoying Jake's company.

He tries not to jump too much at the chance to do things with Jake, though. He wants to be careful about being overbearing.]

[potentite]

[Jake holds his hands in front of him, smiling. It's tempting to ask if Dirk is really sure, if he won't mind, to say he'll probably get in the way but...]

Sure thing, bro. Can you even drive it back though? Have you driven one? Is it fun?

[Oh. That might have been too comfortable but he's so curious.]

[splinten]

[He glances up from the engine to look at Jake. His eyebrows lift over his shades.]

You sound like you want to drive it back.

[potentite]

[Blushing this deep isn't actually so bad since the warmth is nice.]

Uh. No? I'm just curious.

[splinten]

[Dirk isn't sure he's seeing that right. It's super dark. He drifts closer to try to get a better look.]

If you say so, bro.

Then to answer your question, I haven't used ours at all. I prefer to navigate my own course.

[Because of course he does? Except Dirk is still watching Jake curiously. He is pretty sure Jake is blushing.

He does not brush his fingers against Jake's face. He does not make the offer that he so badly wants to make. Just like he didn't say any of the thoughts he had about what a perfect ruin this would be.]

I imagine it's enjoyable enough. I wouldn't mind riding alongside if you decided to pilot one sometime.

[potentite]

[Ah he's so obvious about everything isn't he? Dirk staring at him just makes his heart beat faster though and he stretches his foot down to poke Ripley in her shell, distracting himself when she tries to catch it.

It's not the smartest distraction but he has to focus on something other than Dirk for a few seconds.]

We could ride herd on for a jaunt once I understand how driving works. It always looked fun in movies.

[There has yet to be a Fast and the Furious movie underwater okay.]

[splinten]

[Dirk's eyes flicker down to follow the foot. Ripley is so aggressive. Jake is definitely trying to distract himself. Dirk should back off.

It takes him about ten seconds to convince himself to drift a little further away from Jake instead of leaning back against the hull and pulling Jake to him by the waist. He rubs at his mouth to kill the feeling.]

I'll get my toolkit on standby for the crash.

[They will totally crash. It will be glorious.]

[potentite]

[Jake watches Dirk move, how strangely graceful he always looks underwater, and Ripley almost catches his foot because of it. Damn it. He tears his eyes away to watch the snail instead.]

Huh? Wait, I won't washout! What makes you think I would?

[splinten]

[Ripley can't save them every time. Dirk grips the side of the seamouth. Ripley will save them this time though.]

Basic statistical analysis.

[potentite]

I've never crashed anything. Falling out of trees doesn't count.

[splinten]

Good job, Jake. You made a technically true statement that has the surface appearance of supporting your claim.

It's a shame I know your entire history with vehicles, which is to say, that you have none.

[potentite]

Oh my god. [He can't huff but it's there mentally.] That means I could be an excellent driver. We don't know either way. But the truth is that I haven't crashed yet.

[Yes he is using that faulty logic because he knows it's faulty but you can't prove it wrong.]

[splinten]

Fuckin' flawless argumentation. You should sell the idea to Hollywood: they're the only people who would buy it.

[This is the hill they will die on.]

[potentite]

[They've died on stupider hills and you know it.

Also he knows that's a major insult but he doesn't care. He actually likes Hollywood.]

Now that's a bad argument. It borders on ad hominem!

[splinten]

You're right. Let me make it clear.

The concept of the 'talented amateur' who has absolutely no experience with a subject but somehow is perfect at it is total bullshit. Ben Affleck of all fuckin' people knew that when he criticized Michael Bay for his poor conceptual thinking in Armageddon, and at least the drillers had some basic transferrable skills. You have never operated any kind of vehicle in your life. Neither have I. Without any training, supervision, or AI guidance, probability favours the pair of us slamming into a reef over any successful first expedition.