GRAVEYARD.

[dropoffs]

GR͏∀VE̴Y͞A̵ЯD     13 DECOMMISSIONED

t̀h̡e u͝nḑerbe̸l͞l̵y ̸o͜f th̴è ̡şh̷i͠p.

 

Crushing pressure is the initial sensation you can recall upon awakening. The stench of fetid, hot steam fills your nose, motes of dust and dirt floating upwards to cling to your skin. Down you are pulled to the cold ground, and all at once you realize you have forgotten to breathe. As you gasp back to life, you are flung onto a pile of scraps and trash, as the enormous machine that spat you out grumbles a little, and then goes silent. You are whole somehow, alive... but at what cost?

Popping out of the grinder, you look yourself over and find that any injuries you may have incurred during your death will be healed. While the scars that remain from the process will serve as a stark reminder, you will be able to get up on your own two feet without issue.

Thin, tapering metal (?) claws unhook from overhead and lower themselves, proceeding to guide you around. Your clothing starts sticking uncomfortably to your skin in the humidity of this strange, new place. Overhead you can hear the tinny humming of flickering lights overhead, arranged in a singular, thin strip and snaking around the serpentine halls. Along exposed pipes, wires, and the walls, a rust-colored substance creeps in web-like patterns, climbing towards the ceiling lights.

The deep grinding and groaning of the ship begin to meld into one low, deep moan from all around. It dips and rises in pitch, and becomes sickening to listen to if you focus on it for too long. Maybe, it's the ship's way of saying Welcome, to the underbelly of the CSS Eudora, home of the decommissioned.

Some things to keep in mind, while amongst the dead:

💀 Mini-events will be posted on WEDNESDAY at 3 PM EST / 12 PM PST and 6 PM EST / 3 PM PST, and are due at the same time they are for the living. Any changes to the schedule will be announced in the graveyard channels.

💀 Weekly effects will still hit you here, in the belly of the ship. Mods will make sure to announce any special changes based on being the graveyard; otherwise, please assume everything is 1:1!

💀 While not perfect, there is a healing factor in place. It is extremely sluggish, uncomfortable, and does not negate the fact that you're injured and likely in pain. If the injury is too severe, you might wind up dying from it if left untreated. Again. If you have a pre-existing condition like an illness that has been exacerbated by factors beyond your control, you will find that for the time being these symptoms are at their most minor.

💀 That said, while double death is possible, you'll find yourself reviving after 4 hours fully healed, but feeling like complete garbage for the rest of the day. Message your mods if you find yourself getting killed while dead, though! There might be a special surprise involved.

💀 Your possessions, minus clothing besides what you're wearing now, can be found in the bunk pods and their storage. Yes, while it might not include clothes, it does include any Omegamart Promotional Items, Scrap purchases, home items, etc that you were in possession of. if you had a lot of things, the cubby might jam or have difficulty closing. Better organize. If you arrive on Saturday during trial, belongings will return at the end of trial.

💀 Communications, while you cannot text via I.R.I.S., you can still send messages through HER-MES. All other functions for I.R.I.S. are available along with direct data transfers. Dead can send private letters to the living! An inbox can be accessed from the family computer at the canteen. If you find it locked, it is because we are updating it.

💀 Living livestream is broadcasted on the TV screen in the canteen!
✔️ Upgraded Quality ✔️ Audio ✔️ Translit Captions that sometimes fuck up ✔️ Dramatic panning ❌ Color

💀 Planet locations are free to use! Upon the Eudora landing planetside, you will find that as you meander through the various parts of the Belly you may run into one of locations of the current planet instead of where you were meaning to go. These locations are indeed still populated, but the people are more like wisps and will not react much to any conversation. Though you can interact with stuff there you cannot take anything with you out of the location "rooms".

N͡AɅIGA̸T͘E
CHANGES GRAVEYARD LOCATIONS LIVING SIDE STATUSES PROFILES AUDIENCES REPORTING PRIVATE CONVOS COMMS DOSSIER

Comments

[dropoffs]

[ This one really is handsome and like... checking my notes, 6'1. Despite initially having a confused expression, his expression changes at the sound of a voice and seeing a face. ]

Hey.

[ Calmly, with a friendly smile. ]

[satisficing]

[What must it be like to be God's favorite, tall and handsome. He looks up.]

...Who are you?

[This is wild for him, a man who is all science.]

[dropoffs]

[ He brings a hand and strokes his chin, which is where Viktor can see this man has a tattoo on his left hand and also something of a stubble. ]

Hmmm... Usually, the one who greets first also introduces first, but I'll let it slide. [ Playful. ] Name's Gavin. I hope I'm not interrupting your...

[ Hand lowering, he takes a look around the fucking canteen. ]

Me...a...l?

[satisficing]

[Recognition blooms on his face after his eyes drop to the hand.]

You're... one of the ones in the photo...

[Gavin. Oh, right. He focuses again.]

...Viktor.

[He follows the look around them.]

No... I wasn't... I mean, it's fine. Have you been here this whole time?

[dropoffs]

Either it's a good sign or bad sign that you recognize me.

[ But Gavin doesn't seem bothered by it, though there's an apologetic smile. He's perceptive and knows something is up. Those thoughts are turned in his head, causing him to blip in and out before returning to form. ]

It's nice to meet you, Viktor. [ ... ] I don't know how long it has been.

Where are we?

[satisficing]

We're trying to figure out if it's good or bad.

[WHY DOES HE STARTLE IN THE SHOULDERS WHEN GAVIN BLIPS OUT. Listen. Jumpy.]

...The bottom of the ship, we're guessing. The belly. Someone said you and the others may have been caught in a storm. Do you remember that? Being on a ship, being caught in a kind of storm?

[dropoffs]

[ Sometimes you ghost fade in and out like the connection is bad. Gavin crosses his arms and hangs his head, thinking. ]

You have to be more specific. Galactic storms are common in space, but they're normally not difficult to navigate through or neutralize.

[satisficing]

[He will think back on this Friday probably. His brows furrow. He quickly tries to think over everything.]

This storm... was different. This one was different. What's the last thing you can remember?

[dropoffs]

[ why is friday so fucking long ago for me ]

I can confirm I'm part of the Eudora crew, or was. If there was a different storm, then must have happened after I kicked it.

[ And casually he blips in and out despite how he didn't seem to blank out or struggle. Gavin is better at hiding it... Unfortunately, he cannot control the blipping after compartmentalizing his death at mach 5 speed. ]

You said this is the "belly?" Or the orlop deck of the ship?

[satisficing]

[DON'T COMPARTMENTALIZE THAT, BATMAN. Give it back?!?! He can see you blipping.]

I... Yes, something like that. We think. Can you ever remember having to go there?

There's... [He glances in the direction of the entrance.] There's strange... organic sections down here. There's flowers, too. Lotus?

[dropoffs]

[ Gavin fortunately does not call himself Batman in his mine or his dreams or has a different persona with other people. ]

We normally store supplies there, but what do I know... It's usually junior crew that do inventory. I am pretty sure our mess hall is not at the lowest deck and it isn't... [ Looks around with a slight grimace. ] Fleshy.

... Fleshy and flowers is a weird combo.

[satisficing]

[Supplies... Thinking, thinking.]

Yes, it is. I think it might be a... after you... um, you know, [died] development.

[Maybe. Thinking.]

Do you remember your station?

[why did my finger type shrimp]

[dropoffs]

You can say it. It's all right... Thanks for being delicate about it, though. It's sweet.

[ Gavin is chill about it, even though he blips again. Just less than before. He does love seafood. ]

Yeah. Combat Systems Officer.

[satisficing]

[HE GETS EMBARRASSED AND A LITTLE FLUSTERED. Please. He isn't going to just call out the deadness. AS A DYING MAN?]

Callisto's team...? But... the former Callisto is here with us... Someone is impersonating them now... Unless... he was a junior crew who got promoted after you all...

Do you know Vash the Stampede? --Did the ship have a giant laser cannon when you were in that station?

[He realizes he's asking 2984928 questions at once, so he again gets a bit embarrassed.]

Sorry...

[dropoffs]

[ He laughs a bit and waves his hand. ]

No, no. Don't apologize. You have a lot of questions—I get that, I do. I mean, look at me. [ Arms out to show that he's a silhouette of soft light. ] I have them, too, but let's go down your list here.

[ Blip. ]

I know Vash. He's my subordinate that shadowed me. Went by Callisto because Ganymede came up with naming them after the Jupiter Moons, very cute. The ship does have a bunch of ion laser cannons equipped.

[ Raising his eyebrows, smiling, then wags an index finger. ]

That's for destroying asteroids.

[satisficing]

[His brows go up at the finger wag. WAIT!!! HELLO.]

No, it-- I-- That's not--! I wasn't asking for me. [DON'T ASSIGN HIM MANIAC (YET).] I told that idiot it was probably for defense.

[An indignant sigh.]

I was just... double checking. In case they were... new additions. [Why is he getting bullied.] What questions did you have...?

[dropoffs]

Aaand that would be right! I knew you looked like a little smarty! Not sure if there's a way to contact this idiot of yours to tell them not to play with the defense systems, but I'm going to hope they stick their nose elsewhere.

[ He would pat Viktor if he didn't get the sense that would fuck himself up more with how much he keeps fading in and out and having a pause when reforming himself and his thoughts. ]

Mm... Each of the staff had a team, Vash was in mine and I think when I died he would have taken over my position. [ ... Gavin's expression twists into concern and worry. ] You said someone's impersonating him?

[ Concern and worry just becomes sad now. ]

He's here?

[satisficing]

[He takes half a step forward when Gavin starts a more consistent blip, his hand rising as if he thinks he might be able to grab Gavin and staple him to this plane. The hand curls.]

Yes, someone took his place as Callisto. He doesn't remember what happened. Who is... "he"? You know him?

[dropoffs]

[ Oh, seeing Viktor react that way has Gavin catching himself. He must have blipped very badly... He will try to keep that in check. ]

... I meant Vash—if he's here, then that means... [ Dead with the rest of them. He clenches his jaw for a moment before trying to lighten things up. ] Hope he didn't die from a tummy ache. That would be embarrassing.

Sorry, I don't know who this new Callisto would be.

[satisficing]

Oh.

[Yes, stop fading in and out of unliving life because you're worried a certain someone will be a dumbass. Which will inevitably happen probably.]

Worse... I think he died in the garbage disposal.

[Sorry, Vash. Throws him immediately under the bus.]

That's... okay. We'll... We're trying to figure it out. Anything you can give us is a help really. If you were the Combat Officer, do you remember anything strange happening before? Um. Attacks? Security breaches?

[dropoffs]

[ LISTEN ]

Oof. [ OOF. ] That is so much worse. Wow. Unsurprising, somehow.

[ Gavin nods a couple of times. ]

Strange... Well. The storms had been getting worse where we needed to consider upgrading the ship—lights out, running bare necessities on backup power, stuff like that. Turbulence was wild, too. [ He starts blipping as he thinks some more. ] There were strange events we chalked up to being accidents.

And then what got me and Rhys thrown into the brig.

[satisficing]

[HELP DON'T JUST AGREE TAKE UP FOR VAAASH.]

Strange events?

[He frowns sympathetically, but looks curious all the same. This is just him and Jayce. Illegal magic, tossed in jail almost.]

What got the two of you put in holding?

[dropoffs]

... They seemed like accidents... Or just unfortunate events.

[ As Gavin thinks about it, he blips in and out, but when he reforms he shakes his head as he tries to collect his thoughts again. ]

Guess there's no use hiding it from you if it might be helpful. I wouldn't want you guys stuck here. Rhys and I killed a guy—or should I say I killed a guy and Rhys had to watch.

[ Groaning a little... ]

Not a great way to impress the apple of your eye, that's for sure. Dying in front of him isn't, either.

[satisficing]

...

[NOT THIS!!!!]

Did you kill them of your own volition, or did you... feel strangely when it happened? Angry? Aggressive?

[He will come back to the last part in a second.]

[dropoffs]

[ That makes Gavin give Viktor a curious look, but then... He thinks about it more. Expression grim, eyes closed, he starts blipping in and out before reforming. There is a pause, like every time a ghost reforms, but his demeanor stays.

He opens his eyes to meet Viktor's gaze. ]

... My own volition. [ Resolute and unyielding. ] He was a danger to the crew.