subnautica | SETTLING IN (OPEN MINGLE)

It's been an exciting time for everyone, hasn't it? Newer or older, Iniidae's expanded motley crew has variously made a whole lot of new friends and acquaintances all of a sudden, seen the sad remnants of the first crew, been chased around by monsters, brought back what loot they could gather, and perhaps cried over the deathsong of an alien squidwhale. IT'S BEEN A TRIP.

Everyone's made it to the base in (hopefully) one piece, though. So what comes next?

PROMPTS

I. changers and strangers
[The base's population sure has just about doubled! URSULA's gotten busy giving the newcomers their survival packs and wrist-worn databases, as well as their nanite shots, to give them the same telepathy and, ah, death safety nets as the older crew.

Whether you're getting used to the new company and the sudden crowding, or just getting used to everything, period . . . how are you settling in with each other in general? Are you just running around exploring and bumping into people? Checking up on the folks you got to know? Planning the next trip out to the Aurora and how to deal with the Reapers? Are you just trying to find somewhere private to have a nap, when privacy is suddenly at even more of a premium? Or using your new mindspeak abilities to turn your thoughts into a broadcast radio show for everyone around you?]

II. so much -- er, little -- room for activities
[Not only are there more people, there's more stuff! What did you bring back from the Aurora, and what do you plan to do with it? There are already filled experiment tanks, some kind of construction area for the vehicles and other similarly large projects set up, an impromptu food testing area in the kitchen, and some starts at farming and cultivation of the more useful flora/fauna, if you want to add on to existing projects or ask people about them!

There's also a wealth of new possibilities: free rooms to be furnished and made more livable, labs to be stocked with fresh equipment, said equipment to set up and experiment with . . . apple tree seeds to grow for delicious apple juice . . .? Follow your hearts.]

III. back in the deep blue sea
[Of course, with the base filled up, the wide, wide ocean might be more appealing to some people. Maybe you've gone out on a tutorial run with someone who can tell you about the vagaries of the various critters around here. Maybe you just want to explore at your own pace, or resume a planned gathering mission. Maybe you're heading back towards the Aurora biome to take on a Reaper head-on again already (oh dear). Maybe you've just hauled your butt up to the surface of the sea around the base, where you can take a rest on a sandbar, relish the space and sea and sky, and breathe in this strange planet's air.

. . . or you might just be standing in the locker room trying to work up the nerve to actually suit up and head out there again. I hear shipwrecks and horrifying sea monsters are not the most calming intro to the underwater lifestyle.]

IV. wildcard
[Anything else your character would think of to do in their first few days on base? Go for it! Don't forget to check out the OOC plotting and mission signups as well!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A'ight, that makes sense. [ he will have to Experiment but even if time shit fails, three months is not...several years? so dave can deal. ]

Reapers don't go south? Is the water, like, warmer or colder or why do we think they don't do that?

[ He's heard of floating islands, but only in wetland areas, where there's enough mud to mingle with aquatic plants to help form the island. Islands like those simply can't have floated all the way out here. ]

This Floater Island has potential if it's stable enough to support wildlife. Can't we build a base there too and use it as a way to expand our reach? How often does it come around?

Reapers seem to prefer the northern areas. I'm not sure why they don't travel south. If they weren't so... difficult, I would suggest tagging them.

As for the island, the old base should still be there in fact, though I'm not sure what condition it will be in. It's been a few years since I saw the island but we could attempt to keep it from drifting around. I believe that would be viable and allow for another centralized base area.

Please never suggest it to Dirk, he'd actually try.

[ PLEASE. NEVER SUGGEST TAGGING REAPERS TO DIRK. dave's expression goes from mildly amused to mildly concerned in no time flat. ]

Keep it from drifting around? Do you, like, have any ideas on how we'd do that?

[ Dirk does seem like the type to take the challenge head-on. He could just as easily get one of his drones to do it, though... ]

What allows the island to float? I'm concerned that if there are biological factors involved, stopping the island's drift might damage the ecosystem there.

[ Like if it's floating on a gigantic nest of Airsacks or something and it needs to move to find sufficient food? Who even knows how things work around here. ]

[URSULA may be guilty silent over the fact that she had, in fact, immediately thought to ask Dirk. He's such a helper. So there's only a small chirp in response.]

Oh, Floaters of course. That's why it's called Floater Island. [She is actually very proud of how she names everything.] Though magnets or something to change the current around the island might work.

To like, have it orbit our area instead? Would that harm the Floaters?

[ may as well search for a Nice solution, now that Loki's pointed out ecosystem damage being worrying. ]

[ He can't decide if he's impressed or not by URSULA's naming acumen...]

Magnets? Do we have the resources to do that on such a large scale?

[ He's pretty ignorant on the technological side of things. ]

It would be very difficult to harm the floaters supporting the island. They're very old and very large, larger than this base. As for magnets, they're a very old resource. Combined with what's left on the Aurora, it should be easy to create a stable magnetic field.

Dirk's really good at mechanical shit, so he can probably manage it - especially if URSULA has plans, which it sounds like she does?

[ dave makes a mental note to ask dirk to think about this later. ]

Speaking of plans, though - URSULA, for the underwater farming thing, is there any area you think would be best for it? And like, hurricane season bein' a thing and animals bein' a thing, what sort of protections do you recommend for it?

[ he's never so much as grown a potted plant THIS WILL BE FUN ]

[ ... Yeah ok he'll leave it to Dirk. Work hard, Dirk. Work hard.

And he'll just chill until Dave's asked all his farming questions. He can't believe the apple juice might actually happen someday... ]

I'm not sure what you can do against hurricanes here... I should add reinforcing the base to our list on that note. Though protection using the rocky landscape would be best. Consider choosing a site walled in on most sides if possible. As for animals, certainly ones that eat vegetation like Gasopods would be a threat.

[That's a good question. She guesses Dave wouldn't approve of killing any that do. So, non-lethal means...]

How did humanity in the past keep animals out? My records discuss fences and greenhouses... Perhaps you could build something over the top of the area.

Good suggestion. Loki, you wanna look for a good area for this shit later?

[ they can make a Mission of it. ]

As to the rest...I'll ask Dirk about it later. [ damnit dave come up with a different problem solving method

oh well it's not like dirk minds ]

Yeah, alright. I don't have anything better to do.

[ He's been living a laid back life. Might as well be productive every once in a while. ]

We can look for materials to build a suitable enclosure while we're at it. Thanks, URSULA.

[ Thanks for making this AJ dream one step closer to reality... ]

You're both welcome! Take care of yourselves. I hear farming is very relaxing!

[Somehow she sounds like a happy mom waving off her boys.]

[ it feels like what dave imagines getting sent off to the bus stop on the first day of school would feel like. if bro had been the maternal sort. ]

Yeah, thanks. We'll talk at ya later, URSULA.

[ he turns back to loki, grinning. ]

So, would you be free tomorrow, or like when? For the exploring part.

[ He finally lowers his wrist. His arm is tired, but it was Necessary. ]

Tomorrow is fine. For the record, I'm not getting in any submersibles.

[ i'm sorry for this problem child ]

A'ight, catch you on the flip side for that, then?

[ dave just shrugs at the refusal to go in a submersible. ]

I'm fine with swimming it. It's probably best we find something closer that we can swim to anyway, right?

SETTLING IN (OPEN MINGLE)

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