March Intro: Head First

[subnauticmods]

≡U.R.S.U.L.A. NAVIGATION

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Arrival!

It was supposed to be a routine mission. Maybe you think you’ve been here for a bit or maybe you just arrived. Either way, you know there was supposed to be a completely normal underwater mission, probably just gathering resources, unless you just arrived, in which case welcome!

Unfortunately, somehow you’ve been dumped somewhere you shouldn’t be. A woman’s voice can be heard, robotic in tone with hints of emotion. That emotion mostly seems to be mild surprise.

"Life signs detected. Life forms are non-native to this planet. They... oh. Oh dear, I wasn’t prepared after all. Please refrain from dying for a moment. Your things are incoming."

Your eyes open underwater. At least you're near the surface. But the moment you break through you'll notice one thing: the ocean, stretching out for miles around you in all directions with no end in sight and only a very distant gleaming metal structure in the far distance. You're not alone but this surely isn't what you expected. In fact, you really can't understand how you managed to get from where you were to underwater so fast.

None of your belongings are with you save the clothing on your body. And the depths below you offer no comfort, the light engulfed before it can reach wherever the sea bottom is.

Somewhere, you hear a sound shaking through the water, like something between a whale and a foghorn.

No turning back now.

Prompts!

A: WHALE OF A TALE
As it turns out, there is hope for those who can't swim or get help from someone who can. Something emerges from the depths, a massive bed of coral that makes that strange sound, allowing people to climb on top of it. Of course, that bed of coral is actually the back of a massive creature that moves how it pleases and occasionally dives back down underwater.

There is a pod of them around the area calling to each other. They're friendly, or at least they don't seem to mind any poking or hangers on. But one of their long tendrils may still give you a good whack on accident.

If you’re really lucky you can probably ride one all the way back to the base. Wouldn’t that be a fantastic entrance?

B: HELP ARRIVES
At least, some assistance arrives. Strange little robots on propellers arrive fifteen or so minutes later, rushing to the scene carrying a floating bin of some sort. They drop it into the ocean and buzz excitedly around it in the hopes of luring people over.

Inside the bin are goggles, breathing devices and knives enough for the new arrivals. The knives have a compass on the hilt that has a marker for the direction of the base. One robot will play a helpful recording from the robotic woman for those getting their gear:

"Please deposit any articles of clothing getting in the way of swimming in the bin. We will be sure they arrive safely at the base. Do not try to swim in anything that will bog you down."

A pause.

"Swimming nude is not recommended. There can be... unpleasant issues. For future reference, please consult me before going on missions like this."

C: UNDER THE SEA
Of course, there's no reason to rush right to the base. This place is certainly beautiful in its own right and has a few caves to explore - watch those stingers hanging from the ceilings - with an abundance of strange and wonderful fish eager to either play with you or dart away as fast as possible. Of course there's plenty of Reefbacks still calling to each other and a large amount of floating rocks with Floaters attached.

D: MATING SEASON
On second thought, maybe heading to the base is a good idea. Occasionally you might see plumes of dust near the ocean floor. Exploring these is a very bad idea. The moment you get close, a Sand Shark will explode out of the sand, ready to attack. They range from five to eight feet in length and will pursue you without mercy. At least they give up if you get near the surface or hide in the right caves.

Unfortunately, it's mating season. That means dozens of them can appear at any time trying to court a female with acts of aggression and skill. And you really don't want to be in the middle of that.

E: HOME SWEET HOME
You did it! You made it to the base. You are probably dead tired by now having swam quite a long distance—or somehow riding a Reefback all the way here—and the sun is beginning to set. Upon arrival, URSULA will welcome you and give you a quick rundown of the lockers (where your personal items can be found, as safe as if you stored them there yourself) and the base's layout if you’re new. She will also recommend that you put on your communication device and settling in. She will then just as quickly apologise by saying that she must finish preparing the base for the others.

"Please give me a few days to finish retooling the base. Oh, I'm so excited. We're going to make a great team, I promise. And don't go back to that biome yet until mating season is over. Sand Sharks are... troublesome."

F: WILDCARD
The ocean is yours to explore! Maybe your characters will find places to take breaks. Maybe they'll start gathering things. Maybe they'll murder fish! Or maybe they'll get lost in the dark and take a rather long time to find the base. Or just crash the kitchen for some of that delicious fish, more fish and seaweed! It's all up to you!

See the Biomes page for the currently accessible areas or details on current wildlife and the Base page for all your base needs. Direct any questions and plotting to the OOC post and have fun!

BASED ON CODE BY TESSISAMESS AND SUPERSUITS

Comments

[bluespearmanofthewind]

[That startles Lancer even more. He seriously doesn't expect this boy to take it that way.]

Hmph, don't misunderstand me kid. I just don't want to see this place got into chaos just because of one naive person.

[Obviously since he has seen this before. and he is not really fond of compliment, especially from a guy.]

[upturning]

I think they'll still want to know why the only thing you want from them is a picture. Not even a hello?

[She turns to face him square on, hands sliding into her pockets. It's casual, but dismissive. His playing dumb about it (in her eyes) doesn't make her feel inclined to be understanding. He's probably not a real artist, she thinks, the patron saint of jumping to conclusions about people based on a cursory and sometimes alarmingly accurate read.

Haruka scowls for a moment, then rolls her shoulders in a muted shrug.]

So you're interested in art, huh? I wonder how you got involved in a situation like this.

[imsorey]

[There was a moment when he might have just fallen asleep, but as soon as Mikleo asks him about his day his eyes snap open and he's ready to talk.]

There was a gigantic fish that I rode on! I thought it was a landmass before I realized it was actually moving. I'd love to take a closer look tomorrow; they seemed pretty docile.

[civilserpent]

[Ah, someone who uses honorifics! Sasasul can 'bow' much more clearly in that position, since her neck is so long and flexible.]

Thank you, Mai-san. If it would be easier, you may call me Suu-san.

[oneandmikleonly]

[...oops...oh well.]

So you got brought in on one of those things too, huh? Did you meet anybody else on the way? Did they remember how they got there?

[logdate]

[ Oops. She's gotten him started on something. She does listen, although it's unclear how much actual interest she has in his pupils. She pinches the bridge of her nose after a few moments. And then her demeanor changes as he mentions something that actually sounds interesting. ]

An autonomous artificial intelligence? Where did it come from?

[ She's calling her an "it", but Peridot is not the politest person. ]

[churning]

[ ...

She laughs, without much sound, her hand pressed to her mouth. ]

Well, thank you. And so do you, miss...? [ She uptalks the end of the sentence in a clearly leading way. ]

[churning]

"Why, of course I'm returning," she answers, with an air very much like the answer is obvious.

"The ocean always has a certain danger, but not knowing the area in the likely event rescue is some ways off seems even more dangerous. After all, unless the Aurora's distress beacon was activated properly, they likely won't realize we're missing until we fail to pull into port..."

Michiru's memories tell her she was aboard the Aurora before the crash. Her cover has her pretending to be a vacationer, and the guileless smile she offers now is very much a vacationer's smile.

"Besides, it's beautiful outside. It seems like a shame to miss it."

[churning]

[ Michiru's fingers find enough purchase to squeeze Haruka's hand fleetingly, and she shifts to look Haruka in the eye, stepping closer, until her would brush Haruka's shin, if she bent it.

Her eyes say what her mouth cannot. Will not.

And then she straightens up, trailing her hands free to wring her hat out some more. ]

Let me put this away.

[ But she doesn't disagree. The sooner she can be sure - really sure - that her partner is working at full strength, swimming fatigue aside - the better. ]

sorry i'm late!

[churning]

[ Michiru's eyebrows rise. Someone who's never used a computer? Certainly, they're not as common as they could be, but she seems young enough she should know... ]

Computers process information, like a human brain. With so many new arrivals, and the base to attend to, she must be spread thin.

[ She tucks some wet hair behind her ear. ]

Have you never used one?

no problem! <3

[retconciled]

[She's picturing a single spirit trying to run all of this. That does sound really tiring. Poor thing.]

Not really. I get that people without a connection to spirits need to use things like that but I've always destroyed them or avoided using them when I could. I've only used those... weird stovetops that light the fires for you? Oh and ovens! They're convenient, I'll give them that.

[forsage]

[ there's safety in numbers and you know what the say - when in rome, do what the romans do.

though the romans' activities didn't involve underwater exploration while trying to avoid a plague of cuddling sea creatures. that's beside the point. he thinks. in any case- roderic follows his new swimming partner, making sure he doesn't get left behind. the last thing he wants is to be left alone with this annoying school of fishes(?) again.

along the path of the cave as they swim further down, there seems to be glimmering stones and minerals embedded in the cavern walls. judging by some of the strange algae and moss(?) that grows on them, they seem to be organic and from the seas.

and natural things the creatures are attracted to. the moment roderic tries to flag down the person's attention to point the stones out, the creatures have noticed them themselves and- just straight to them in excitement. judging by their wiggling and their strange little sounds, they're interested in it too. if not more compared to roderic but then again almost everything/everyone is more excited than the young man. ]

[forsage]

[ there's a noticeable pause at the question, roderic's frown deepening to a… er, deeper frown. ]

Depends. I think.

[ he pulls the hand he was using to sketch sasasul out, rubbing the back of his neck with more force than needed. he could always lie. say he's human and plain as day, honest to god.

but why would he need to lie? here of all places? with all the things that are going on, with all the beings he's gotten to meet so far, he knows he doesn't stand out. not by a long shot.

all the same he looks mighty uncomfortable while answering the question, ] I know the term would depend on where a person is from back where I'm from. Someone could call me a homo superior or while another would call me a homo deficio at the same time.

In polite layman's terms, I guess I would be known as a metahuman.

[upcard]

Right... we're all in this together now, right?

[That much is something that has gotten through to her.]

So...we have to do our best to get along and work together.

[upcard]

Suu-san... that is easier. Thank you very much.

[It's also nice to meet someone...familiar-ish? At least, as familiar as a giant snake can be.]

Um... if it's okay that I ask... where are you from, Suu-san?

[octoroom]

[Hey now. There're even more fishy people than him. Literally. Fish people.]

I'm fine. I can live above the water.

[Though, naturally, Fukami prefers it in the water.]

[octoroom]

[Fukami nods.]

Different creatures. The underwater landscape is different. My home was in a town underwater, where there were houses and also a castle in which our princess lived.

[Of course, there was the cast pearl as well, but that's a whole long story he won't get into.] ...There were also islands around.

[octoroom]

[Luckily, Fukami is chill... Or recognises when he's probably not going to get a straight answer.]

...No.

Deepsea Town [appropriately and obviously named but this is an octopus whose name basically means 'depth/deep place'] is where I live. Our princess lives in a castle there.

[octoroom]

[Oh, she's polite. That's always nice. He's spent too long with Memoca, to whom manners may as well be a foreign language.

Fukami nods.]

You're welcome. [...] What is your name?

[upcard]

Oh...! [Oops.] I'm sorry, I've been rude... My name is Mai. Um, again, it's really nice to meet you.

[Even if you...are an octopus!! Even so!!]

[logdate]

[ OK, Peridot had liked those shorts she'd found. And the limb enhancers. She can't really bring herself to be too dismissive of clothing, even if she's just meeting someone new. She makes a little 'hmmph' sound and then allows that she might be lightening up just a tiny bit. ]

Well, they can be visually pleasing, depending on what it is you've chosen. Even if it does sacrifice overall efficiency.

[imsorey]

[He's concerned about the humans she interacted with before if this is her reaction to talking about humans. What was their typical behavior and why was it such a big deal if they could fly or not?]

Flight capability? Is that really a big deal? I feel like there's more interesting things to learn about people. Though, don't get me wrong, it would be really cool to learn how to fly.

[ruffledup]

Korosensei. [She repeats the name carefully, doing her best to pronounce it as he did. She's almost successful. Probably.] Very well. It is a pleasure to meet you as well.

[She arches an eyebrow at that last comment, but says nothing about it. For the moment.]

I suppose I... [She shakes her head.] I am grateful for the opportunity to meet so many new people as well.

[oneandmikleonly]

[...haaaah.]

There's enough serious work to be done here, apparently. So, it makes sense not to waste too much time not...having a grip on myself.

[imsorey]

[He has energy to spare it's fine!!]

I met a few people, but none of them knew how they got here and a few of them couldn't even swim. It seemed like they were in the same boat at us.