ROLE — MISSION CONTROL 🚀

[dropoffs]

MISSION CONTROL

welcome, RODION.

On MONDAY afternoon some hours after landing, then the new amenities to the ship, Rodion will hear a familiar notification ringing from her I.R.I.S. It takes one look, one gesture, and a gold message screen displays in a cascade.

... The message is sparse and carries a rigid aura.

You want answers, don't you? Come to the command room right now.

CALLISTO

Rodion has seen the command room before in passing. It's the room where the senior crew often check all sort of stuff from metrics, diagnostics, navigation, supply, inventory... You get the point. There are a number of terminals, all of them Rodion is aware she wouldn't have access clearance.

There waits Callisto with their arms crossed, staring intensely at the main supercomputer. How you want to interpret it is up to you, but they do lift their head when they sense her peek through the door. They proceed to say nothing.

Just come on in.

RULES

As the role responsible for mission control, Rodion is expected to follow a few rules:

1. For now, keep your new designation a secret. Should this designation be shared with anyone without prior authorization, consequences and termination of position are possible. This can be revisited at a later date.
2. If you distribute any information acquired, it must be done anonymously or without referencing the source. This can be revisited at a later date.
3. Rodion will be given the opportunity to uncover one file from one of three directories in a hacked console.

🚀 EUDORA, an uncovered bank of ship data audits and previous mission dossiers.
📓 JOURNALS, an isolated cloud of otherwise private I.R.I.S. files.
👥 CREW, files that contain historical personnel records.

4. Selection is due by WEDNESDAY and information will be dispensed as soon as possible, but ideally before the next week.

NAVIGATE
LOCATIONS STATUSES PROFILES AUDIENCES REPORTING PRIVATE CONVOS MURDER SUPPLY SHOP COMMS DOSSIER

Comments

[dropoffs]

[ They drum their fingers against the crook of their elbow, arms crossed. ]

What are you expecting to learn more about the waves?

[ They aren't disapproving, but inquiring. ]

... I haven't asked any of them, but the people in the documents may be familiar now. I don't know by how much. [ Stares at the terminal like it's offensive. ] They may not remember specifics, but we can attempt to discern which staff the more mysterious members are part of with how much they interact with others in the files.

Having more detail could help jog memories.

[inequals]

As far as I know, nobody's gotten an actual source on why people are suddenly going rogue and killing out of nowhere when we know people normally wouldn't.

You guys said it's not the nanites, right? Apparently, Nene got a letter saying Cici experienced sudden intense violent urges or thoughts, or something along those lines. The only thing we know about that might be a cause is more CEM waves.

Anyone from the past crew roster stand out to you? Personally I kinda wanna know more about the blond kid, but I don't know what his name is.

[dropoffs]

That's correct. Metis and Adrastea both scanned the nanites during lockdown last Thursday and delivered samples for Io to finally investigate themself. At the moment, we haven't found anything abnormal about them, but that's all we've done so far. There could be more comparisons we could make and we're open to proposals.

[ But it's not Callisto's job. ]

In this case you'd be looking into general research and articles about them?

No one I'd be inclined to choose so far... [ Think Thonk. ] He was with Europa and myself in the first terminal log, so likely he was in military or combat systems.

[inequals]

[ Sitting on top of... something. Some kind of box that doesn't look like she'll accidentally be pushing buttons with her butt if she sits on it. ]

How would I go about learning their "fates", do you think? Though if it just turns out they ended up going on the same weird killing spree like we are right now, then my time's probably better spent on finding the source after all.

[dropoffs]

... With the progression of the items you all have been picking up, I don't think we need to focus on learning their fates within our designation. It may be something we have to see, whether we want to or not. We can return to it if we find ourselves stuck.

[ At least Callisto thinks so. ]

Tying a name to a station at least could be helpful with memory issues in senior crew... But that is something you all can try deducing with the pieces you have or may find. [ So back to role specific. ] I'm reconsidering upgrading this terminal to handle a second search if you're having so much trouble with one.

[ they're just being a bitch but it's an ic perk preview ]

[inequals]

Well! We've got what, three, four weeks left to figure it out?

[ Surely once they reach home base it'll be fine, but the sooner she can figure out stuff and make it so that there's less people dying, the nicer it'll probably be. Less depression! ]

There's what, two or three other results we end up finding weekly anyway, right... I'm also kinda banking on everyone brainblasting the HER-MES to help me narrow down some ideas too, since I don't always get to see them right away.

[dropoffs]

Yes... Hopefully, by the end, the bigger picture pans out where we can figure out a third of it and we can just leave the rest to Nut & Bolt if they really are at the end of the tour.

[ They aren't going to be entirely optimistic about it. ]

I won't be extending days for you to crowdsource, but that plan shows promise if people don't use HER-MES for self-indulgence. [ They are thinking though. ] We are still leaning more towards CEM wave information.

[ To make sure. ]

[inequals]

Yeah, I think so. Are you still planning expeditions to go fix it?

The other ones that you guys aren't in charge of... like the one I went on, or the guys that went to the City. Are those also caused by CEM distortions or whatever?

[dropoffs]

If there is a brewing storm nearby, we do plan to clear it.

[ So yeah. ]

We do not entirely know, but it seems likely since they're similar to the planned expeditions in terms of simulated scenarios. I haven't been told much about what goes on during the times some of the junior crew are whisked away, but senior crew theory is waves causing dimensional tears.

[inequals]

I can only tell you my experience, but we ended up in Harley's world from the sounds of it. And it wasn't like, we just landed there temporarily, but it's kind of like I gained an ID where I'm from that place -- lived a whole life there and had full memories and everything. We went on some crazy mission to assassinate a billionaire who was causing a zombie epidemic in the city.

[ Never forget Jorker. ]

[dropoffs]

[ you guys... are jorking it? you are lucky gregor has talked about IDs and EGO lightly to them, so they understand this. ]

It does sound similar to a storm.

[inequals]

[ Let's just say... when we're done jorking it... horses won't be called horses anymore... ]

Greaaat.

Any ideas whether the whole kill virus thing might also be a storm thing?

Just wanna get some theories.

[dropoffs]

I've seen the emotional effects and mental effects. It doesn't seem like a far cry that storms could be involved, or the CEM waves themselves.

I wonder if there are historical references to them.

[inequals]

Well... the last file we grabbed was about previous storms that had the waves, right?

Tell me a bit more about what you mean by historical references.

[ History lessons don't exist in the City (sort of). ]

[dropoffs]

Yes, specifically for the ship.

I am curious to know if there are any references from other planets because as far as I know CEM waves have always existed.

[inequals]

So kinda what I mentioned last week right? About any major incidents of it.

Are there any like... interstellar organisations that keep track of this stuff?

[ Forces like the Head like to keep an eye on any unusual things, including any particularly suspicious Singularities being made. Maybe there's an intergalactic force for it. ]

[dropoffs]

There are intergalactic research facilities, from what I've heard.

[ they are not a researcher/scientist ]

[inequals]

I'll give it a little, but I'm thinking I'll go for another hit on those then.

[dropoffs]

Give it a thought, though I have my own interests in the case you don't submit anything.

[inequals]

What would you submit for?

[dropoffs]

... I'm here only because I'm looking for someone.

[ This again. ]

[inequals]

Right, you said that.

...

Is it maybe someone in the old crew?

[dropoffs]

[ ... ]

I don't know why, but I am considering that it may be.

[inequals]

You know, you can always ask for help. I'm doing this for everyone, sure, but that everyone can also be you.

[dropoffs]

I have nothing to offer to you and we already both benefit from using this terminal.

[ Paranoid as ever and an exchange is the only thing that makes them feel comfortable. However, they've been on edge lately. Their fists clench tighter, shoulders broad and tense. ]

I know the answer is somewhere here. It'll tell me where he is—then I can take him home... To the paradise I made for us.