Listen, Captain Strange, what's our destination

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

WHO: Project Alke crew, observers, and rescuers!
WHERE: Cape Canaveral! And then SPACE! And then the Moon!
WHEN: August 15th
WHAT: Project Alke's test flight runs into some problems
WARNINGS: Some violence and astro-peril

A - PRE-LAUNCH BOARDING AND MINGLE

The gleaming red ship stands ready for launch on Cape Canaveral's immense launch gantry like the world's largest childhood toy. The perimeter is thick with spectators, including both reporters with cameras and amateur bloggers waving smartphones. This is a public spectacle, the launch of a controversial space mission that immense effort and risk have been devoted to, and YOU are either one of the VIPs getting prepared to ascend into the heavens or one of the spectators saying goodbye to a loved one before they leave the Earth (hopefully just for a few hours). The plan is public knowledge, and is laid out in a press conference your characters may attend: test the ship's engine, leave Earth's orbit, fly past the Moon while running flight tests, then turn back for a landing at the Moon base. Simple, but still risky. It is space, after all.

Your characters will be free to mingle and meet new faces among observers and crew before boarding, but they'll be busy too. There's last-second medical tests to undergo, and flight suits to be fitted and checked (the overalls aren't mandatory, but they are recommended). The requirements for going aboard the Alke aren't nearly as stringent as they are for regular astronauts, but NASA still doesn't want you flying if you're sick or obviously a safety hazard!


B - TAKE OFF AND INITIAL FLIGHT

10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Ignition. Lift-off, we have lift-off.

The PA system counts down the final seconds like the voice of God. There's no thunder or fire or billowing clouds of exhaust when the Alke lifts off- only the smooth, weightless acceleration of its high-tech Jet-Express engine, more efficient than any rocket could ever be. Passengers and crew will only feel a slight downward pressure as inertial dampers handle the worst of the acceleration pressure, and once the blue sky gives way to black, the artificial gravity will kick in so that you can walk, not float, around the cabin. It feels more like taking off in an ordinary airplane than leaving the planet behind.

Welcome to space, everyone. It's happening: the Alke is flying beyond Earth's atmosphere. ImPorts have built a spaceship.

Once the ship is in orbit, the 'seat belt' sign turns off and OBSERVERS are free to explore and look out the window, or ask questions of the CREW who are currently running tests, flying the ship, and monitoring the flight - just don't distract them too much! Snacks and drinks (no alcohol!) are available upon request, and there are simple beds to lie down on during the five-hour flight to the Moon if you need a rest. Just don't sleep through the view from the window though, it's unforgettable.


C - MALFUNCTION PAST THE MOON

Hours pass by. Reporters ask questions, scientists take readings, the crew flies the ship and run tests to make sure everything is working. The looming white-grey orb of the Moon gets bigger and bigger, while Earth gets smaller and smaller. until people looking out the windows can see the Moon base below with the naked eye.

Then they pass the Moon's orbit, and everything starts going wrong.

ImPorts will be able to feel it right away, an intangible threshold being crossed, a sickness spreading in their bodies. You do not feel right, as your nanites are suddenly misbehaving. Any powers or abilities you may have are suddenly not working correctly, or cause pain when you try to use them. Naturally, that's around the same time that the Alke's luck runs out. A tiny, almost imperceptible fault in one of the seals in the oxygen system causes a shorted fuse near flammable gases. An explosion of venting vapour jets out the side of the rocket, and the ship suddenly lurches into an uncontrolled barrel roll, tumbling end over end through the void.

On board, it's pandemonium. Native observers- activists, journalists, politicians, reporters and more- cry out in panic as smoke fills the air. Fire alarms sound, and the lights are replaced by the glow of red emergency lamps. Injury reports come in- a lobbyist having a panic attack, a reporter suffering from smoke inhalation, and did someone just throw up? Oh god it's everywhere! The monitors flash warning signals, warning of system failures and depleting air. And then the artificial gravity starts to flicker, sending some people floating weightlessly into the air only to crash back down when the system tries to stabilize, causing more bumps and bruises. Understandably, some people (including certain imPorts) are not going to handle this chaos well, and panic and dissension will only add to the peril the Alke finds itself in as it hurtles through space.

The situation is bad, but not beyond salvaging. Act fast to help your guests, your ship, and each other imPorts, or your space program is going to end right here and now.


D - RESCUE

"Moon Base, this is Alke. We've, uh, we've had a problem here."

Commander Jacob Taylor's voice sounds on the radio and over the Network at the same time, calm and collected despite the circumstances. A plan is quickly put into action, the enactment of a contingency that had been considred beforehand. Aboard the Alke, the crew and their passengers will do their best to point their damaged ship toward the Moon while tending to their injured, calming certain people down, and making what repairs they can. At the same time, a shuttle will be launched from the Moon Base with NASA experts and volunteer imPorts aboard, coming to rendezvous with the Alke and guide the damaged ship to a safe landing on the Moon. The two ships won't dock, but rescuers can space-walk over to the Alke if need be.

Throughout this daring rescue, characters can interact over the radio as they co-ordinate, or in-person depending on whether they are on the Moon, on the rescue shuttle, or on the Alke. Be sure to specify where your character is when playing with this prompt!


E - AFTERMATH - MOON BASE

Cheers rise among the Moon Base's staff and guests when the battered red ship comes in for a surprisingly smooth landing on the lunar surface. The celebrations are mirrored by the people of Earth, who have been watching the drama play out in real time on the news and over the Internet. Project Alke may have been looked at with suspicion, but there's nothing like a near-disaster in space and a daring team rescue to bring people together. Once the ship is close to the Moon and its Porter, imPorts feel their bodies and their powers return to normal, as the nanite sickness passes away and health returns.

Characters leaving the Alke or the rescue shuttle will immediately be set upon by chattering reporters, loudly demanding quotes and answers while flashing cameras in their faces. You'll be able to hear native passengers giving a couple lines as they disembark. For people who just survived possible death in space, they're mostly in high spirits- "The imPorts saved us all! They were amazing!" and "It's just hard to believe all this happened. Flying into space with superheroes, and then an explosion- I'm happy to be alive, and- and grateful to everyone who helped."

They will then be ushered off to the base's medical clinic to undergo a checkup and treatment for any injuries, and be offered a change of clothes. After they're cleared, they'll be ushered into a lounge where they'll be offered a chance to relax and talk about what just happened with coffee, snacks, a stiff drink, and some much-needed peace and quiet.

The test flight may be over, but the mission isn't. The Alke will fly again, and if your character wants to get right back into things, they can start repairs on the ship, or research on the nanite issue. One of the NASA scientists, a Dr. Chandra, already has an idea- "The nanites might need extra fuel for traveling beyond the Porter's range," he'll say, glasses glinting with interest. "A way to boost the Continuum in your bodies might be what we need!"

Otherwise, you can go to the Porter room for the teleportation jaunt back to the sunlight, safety, and natural gravity of Earth. No one would blame you for having had enough of space for a long time. Just remember- the main mission to Mars is still to come!

Comments

Commander Jacob Taylor | OTA

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

B

There's no real Captain's chair or even a bridge aboard the Alke, but Commander Taylor and his very official-looking flight jumpsuit can be found seated in front of a particularly important-looking console near the cockpit, monitoring the readouts as his first space mission in charge of a vessel gets under way. From time to time, he sneaks a glance to his side at the view out of the window, gazing down at the planet he hopes to protect. He's fully available for questions or chit-chat with crew and guests alike, and wants to be kept informed of any issue that reveals itself with this test flight, however small.

C

Speaking of issues, the ship is now on fire.

Jacob shakes his head, coughs smoke out of his lungs, and looks up at his console. The screen is cracked and filled with static. He stands up from his chair, only to find his feet leaving the deck as the artificial gravity begins to fritz. Willing himself to stay calm, he lifts his hand to his ear to contact the rest of the crew.

"This is Taylor. All hands, give me damage and casualty reports, now!"

Once he knows the extent of what has gone wrong, he can start co-ordinating a way to fix it.


E

A very tired Jacob holds a coffee in the lounge, resting on a futuristic beige couch, visibly grateful to be off the Alke and in the safety of the Moon Base. A data pad in front of him scrolls with information about the damage to the ship, the estimated repair times, commentators with scorching-hot takes on the near disaster. Sighing, he leans back and sips his coffee.

"Well, at least it could have gone worse," he remarks to no one in particular. "If we were going to have problems, it's better that we had them on the test flight than when we were halfway to Mars."

C

[loyal_soldier]

The blast knocked him off his feet. It's entirely reflex that he calls in his report, as soon as his breath is back, alarms blaring around him. "Fire and breach in Compartment C. Moving to--" He tried to push himself up, and kept going. Kark. He hadn't even noticed the gravity had gone out.

"Moving to shut down local power." He just has to get to the junction box. Once he gets back in contact with a solid surface. Power's got to be cut, or nothing but depressurization will put the fire out.

E

[namesaquestion]

"Hmph. Problems? It's more than that! Our powers don't work past the moon!" Nikolai's words are pure frustration and exhaustion. Not really directed at Jacob, but at the world at large. The broken arm, now bandaged with a splint and in a sling probably doesn't help his mood, but, at least he's not taking it out on anyone. "There was a fire! I wouldn't even bring out the one thing that could helped fight it!"

Or made things worse, because Water Gun and electronics = not good.

E

[governorkang]

"Very true," Kang snorts, sitting a few feet away with a freshly-stitched cut on his forehead. "I don't think anyone suspected the nanites malfunctioning, either."

C

[ghoulking]

[ kaneki absolutely does not know what he can do since space and spaceships are absolutely not his thing, not even in a million years. But even if he did know, he probably wouldn't be able to do much because right now kaneki is dying, kind of.

The nanites are actually the one thing keeping Kaneki alive, and with them malfunctioning, it means kaneki's body will malfunction as well. The first thing that happens, he starts bleeding black tears, coughing up gross black good, and starts feeling like he is about to rot from inside. Because he is.

At least Kaneki still manages to go to the bridge, hand covering his mouth and nose. ]

Jacob-san...!

[fource]

early stuff - before it all hits the fan

There's nothing unusual about Quatre's behavior during the initial meet and greet or takeoff; he's sunny, cheerful, and professional the entire time, calling out navigation specs and having a great time. In fact, in the moment when they leave Earth's atmosphere, the people around him might feel a momentary, inexplicable boost of good feeling, courtesy of your local Space Empath's happiness at heading home. This'll last.

nanite malfunction - the heart of space was always a crappy power anyway

Quatre freezes as soon as the ship passes out of the moon's range, stopping in the middle of some routine maintenance test of one of the ship's systems. His head snaps towards the nearest porthole like a gun dog going on point, absently frowning as he stares off into the distance. One hand presses against his chest, as if he's checking to see if his heart is still there. He slowly lays the other against the glass of the porthole, oblivious to anyone who may notice his behavior. He can't feel anything. He can hear the crew and observers going about the ship, but trying to feel them sends a sickening pain through his head and his heart. It's just him, alone-- not alone in space, but alone in nothing.

Anyone in the area can hear him say, not quite to himself, "This was a mistake." A second later the oxygen blows.

While the other crew members scramble towards the civilians, the malfunctioning systems, or the fires, when the emergency lights flood on Quatre breaks towards where the freeze rays are stored. He navigates the unstable gravity with ease, effortlessly propelling himself forward when weightless in a way that allows him to safely land and keep running once gravity is back. He moves with a single-mindedness that would seem heroic if he were racing to help. Instead, whenever he bursts in on a crowd of people, it's to deliver an urgent, breathless demand.

"Outer space is rejecting us. We need to turn around!"

His eventual destination is the cockpit, and he intends to go there freeze ray in hand in case the rest of the crew needs more convincing.

aftermath - gundam pilots have never had a good time on the moon and they're not going to start now

Back safely in the Porter's range, the manic energy is all gone. In fact, Quatre doesn't appear to have moved or said anything since the nanites started functioning again. He's sitting quietly off to the side, looking down at his hands clasped together in his lap. Look closely enough and you can see just how tightly he's holding them.

He doesn't look up at anyone who approaches him, and if that person is a reporter, he won't say anything either. Anyone else who stays in his vicinity for more than a few seconds will get a quiet "I'm sorry," directed more to his hands than anyone else.

Malfunction

[faithfulson]

Luke was a little preoccupied with trying to keep them all from getting killed, teeth grit tight as he fought to get the ship back under control. This was just like being hit in combat, he kept telling himself; it certainly wasn't the first time he had been in a ship that was spiraling out of control, and it certainly would not be the last. Hell, he had even deliberately destroyed his own ship once, spearing his X-wing through Vader's TIE fighter, and still managed to successfully crash land without any major damage to himself or Artoo. He could do this.

Unfortunately, there were several factors working against him. The big one being he couldn't just turn the Force off, even with the nanites malfunctioning, yet still keeping his powers active. That meant every single wave of fear he picked up from everyone else sent a wave of nausea through him, making his vision blur on more than one occasion as a result. He forced himself to blink through it, trying to tune the waves of emotion out as he fought desperately to keep himself focused.

Of course, when that panicked fear, mixed with crazed aggression, was suddenly in the cockpit with him? That was a little harder to ignore. Luke grit his teeth against a fresh wave of nausea at the sensation, not even bothering to look back. His senses could tell well enough that whomever was behind him was armed and prepared to fight.

"Whatever you're planning, now is not the time to do it!" he growled out, half wishing he had smuggled his lightsaber onto the ship with him.

Aftermath

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Suddenly Jacob is looming over Quatre, frowning down on him like a thundercloud. 'Sorry' isn't going to cut it with the Commander of this test flight that came so close to total disaster.

"You've got one chance to tell me what the hell you were thinking," he says sternly, anger roiling in his words. "And to tell me why you should get to come with us to Mars after what you just pulled."

aftermath

[ghoulking]

Kaneki was too busy rotting from inside when the nanites issue started, so he didn't have the chance to see exactly what was going on. He did hear about it, though, so he decided to go check on Quatre after everything was seemingly fixed.

He stares at the boy for a while, and eventually sits close to him when he hears the apology. "What happened?" he knows what happened, but he wants to hear it from Quatre.

Darth Jadus | OTA

[jadus]

A.
Jadus is both at home with public spectacle, and deeply despises it. He speaks as calmly as ever, giving an air of almost suspicious serenity: those who have interacted with him before will note that the oppressive aura he usually generates is conspicuously absent. "This mission is a melding of purpose. I offered my power to the Alke that I might seek answers, learn from the experience, and grow stronger. Earth may do the same by joining in this cause. All must share in the benefits of this work, for the people of this planet have potential to lift themselves up, were they only given the means to do so."

But by the time pre-flight medical checks have begun, he is far more dismissive of those around him, and his aura has returned. "Illness does not touch me unless I wish to experience frailty," he admonishes the attending medical officer. "My armor's systems will attest to this. No examination will be conducted."

B.
Through the flight's initial stages, Jadus doesn't move. He has taken a seat near his charge, remaining strapped in. The visible components of the life support system seem quite unremarkable, a metal containment unit connected directly to the air and water systems of the Alke. He explained its design to the essential members of the crew, and its installation was approved. But those unfamiliar with the building of the ship will notice several things: The observant will realize there are no controls or access panels anywhere on the device, and yet Jadus is here to control its function. And the fact that both air and water are being handled by the same system may seem odd.

Those with senses beyond the range of human may realize: within its metal shell, the life support system is alive.

C.
He expected this. Not its precise symptoms, but the event itself. For that reason, he remained in his seat for the entirety of the flight, meditating on the constructed life form in the ship, and their impending misfortune. When the nanites malfunction, he lets out a long, slow breath. Sith are accustomed to pain, but he is no devotee of it like some. He would turn it to his own ends instead, meld it with the terror he feels around him. And yet when he tries, it only fuels more pain. The meditative state he had achieved before is now a liability, his instincts turned against himself. Before he can correct his error, the pain drives him into unconsciousness.

Others may be a more obvious priority for medical attention, but anyone come to check on the function of the life support system will find him hanging limply in his seat, unresponsive but still breathing. His armor is very much in the way of making any diagnosis or administering medical aid.

E.
By the time the Alke lands, his senses have returned to him, and he leaves the ship under his own power. He has no more than a brief statement for the media: "Those aboard were fortunate to experience this. They will never forget." He then pushes past with an inexorability made possible both by his towering stature, and another flare of his aura. He does not have the mind for this at the moment. He will speak to those with productive thoughts on the matter, or no one at all.

And he is especially going to be seeking to contact Darth Marr.

B

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

After they've reached orbit and all systems have been confirmed as running smoothly, Jacob comes back to Life Support to check on things in person. He does so with a small, though suppressed, amount of trepidation. Jadus has always been an unsettling presence, and ever since the Shimmer... Jacob can't quite remember a lot of what happened in there, but he has felt more uneasy around Jadus since then.

The sight of his creation doesn't help those sentiments. All tests have confirmed that the life support system is functional- more than functional in fact, an excellent and efficient creation. One with no control panel, no console, no input of any kind that Jacob can recognize.

He stands at the entrance to the chamber, ducking his head a bit under a low doorway. "Everything good back here?" He asks, looking at the system and not at Jadus.

E

[ghoulking]

Because the nanites are what is keeping Kaneki alive, when they started malfunctioning, Kaneki's body started too. He started bleeding black blood, which got on his space suit naturally, and after landing, even if he had cleaned his face, his clothes were still covered in it.

So naturally, the ghoul tries to avoid any journalists, doesn't say a word, and takes the change that Jadus is passing by to hide behind him while he walks away. Jadus will certainly notice a short guy, lowering his head, trying his best to go unnoticed by the media.

Sorry, but this is Kaneki's grand retreat.

Luke Skywalker | OTA

[faithfulson]

A.)
Luke still hates how ugly the ship looks. It looked like something out of the history books, back before the Great Hyperspace War and the evolution of ships to what they were today in his galaxy. He wasn't about to voice as much, though; Jacob seemed really happy about it, so did some of the others, so it was best if he kept his thoughts on how ugly it was to himself. Him and Han could have a laugh over it later.

He sits through all the interviews, the medical tests, and puts on a small smile for the spectators, but it's easy to tell he's just going through the motions. Luke should be excited, he knows that, but it's hard for him to get to that point. He shouldn't be alone going into this; he knows the others are there, but... it's just not the same.

When he's not in the lime light, he's keeping to himself, occasionally peering at his communicator. At least he's not worried about the mission itself, just everything else.

B.)
Luke was happy to retreat to the cockpit as soon as he was on board, strapping in, going over the pre-flight check and waiting for the count off. He let out a deep breath as it started; moment of truth time, time to see if all his hard work had been worth it. Of course, when the ship lifts off, nice and smooth, he couldn't help but feel elated, a genuine smile working its way onto his face. They did it, they all did it.

He reclined back in his seat, a familiar comfortable feeling settling over him the farther up into atmosphere they got. It may have been a big, ugly ship, but it was probably going to be the closest he would get to flying his X-wing for awhile. His hand absently held the control yolk a little tighter, an absent thought coming to mind: he wondered just what maneuvers this thing could really handle...

...not that he would surprise any of the crew by trying to do a barrel roll or anything.

While everyone's busy looking back at earth the farther up they get, Luke's gaze is only for what's up ahead, the endless void of stars stretched out before him. He smiled softly, a sad look coming to his face.

"...we made it, father."

C.)
Things were going fine, to the point that Luke had settled back comfortably into the pilot's seat, flying the ship like it was just another mission. It was helping him feel a little better, to the point that he even offered the moon base a little salute as they flew by.

Of course, things had to go pear shaped after that.

After dealing with Quatre, the ship was still rolling uncontrollably, though much slower than after the initial explosion. There were people panicking all over the ship, and there was only so much even the cooler heads could do, especially in the face of people escalating as Quatre had. Which... meant he had to do something; something that was probably incredibly stupid considering that he only had a month to practice it and was currently dealing with his powers near-constantly making him ill. But he knew he could do this; he had to do this.

He settled back into the pilot's seat, strapping himself in as the gravity fluctuations tried to keep him from doing so, and gripped the controls once more. He allowed the motions of piloting -- even in such a dangerous situation -- to lull him into a meditative state before trying to deliberately reach for the Force. Almost immediately a wave of nausea hit him hard enough to nearly knock him out of it, but he stubbornly persisted, gripping the controls of the ship and surrendering his consciousness, reaching out to each and every person on board. He lent them his own sense of calm, trying to soothe their frantic minds, give them the chance to collect themselves enough to be able to help each other and Jacob and the others.

At least by that point he was sunk so deeply into the Force he didn't notice the blood trickling from his nose.

E.)
The quiet of the lounge felt nice after everything that happened, and Luke was happy to allow himself to relax, still clinging to the bloody rag he had been using to stave off the bleeding. He still felt a little woozy, and the medical staff had held him the longest, making sure he wouldn't suffer any long term effects from his (admittedly stupid) stunt. But he knew he would be fine even before they did, and now reclining back and watching the stars as the moon slowly drifted in orbit helped to ease the ill feeling that lingered.

That could have gone better, but he actually did... something; it wasn't quite the battle meditation he had been trying to learn, but it had helped, if only a little. He was certain if his powers had been working properly, he would have been much more successful. He had... really come far since arriving in this place, he just wished it hadn't taken something like this for that to occur to him. But far in what way... he still wasn't sure.

He chased away the thoughts of his powers before he could allow himself to sink into what ifs and other worries. Instead, he thought of the flight, how piloting again had made him feel, even if things had gone south. A smile worked its way onto his face after a moment, a funny thought coming to mind.

"...I should tell Han piloting through that malfunction was like flying the Falcon on a good day," he muttered, not really expecting anyone to hear him.

surprise, E

[carbonfrozen]

Unfortunately, someone does hear him.

Because just a half-second after the words leave Luke's mouth, Han pops into existence beside him, a half-eaten burger in hand, and a very shocked look on his face like he honestly did not expect to be on the damn moon today. If he had been, he wouldn't be wearing jeans and an old, coffee-stained shirt.

A tomato drops onto the floor as Han turns to Luke, one hand resting on his hip. "Really," he says, annoyance dripping from his voice and his posture.

C

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

The good news is that the meditation is working. With Quatre subdued, help on the way from the Moon Base, and the worst of the fire and injuries being tended to, Jacob can allow himself to be lulled by Luke's influence, the jagged edges being soothed out of his nerves as he allows himself to believe the worst is over.

The bad news is that calm goes out the window when he comes up to check on things in the cockpit and sees their pilot bleeding. His first thought is that the helmsman was injured during Quatre's mini-mutiny, which isn't a great possibility when the ship is still rolling about the void. He immediately moves forward and grips Luke's shoulder.

"Luke? Luke, you okay?"

A

[ghoulking]

Kaneki has no plans on being in the spotlight for this since he is very aware he does not know anything about space and spaceships or anything of the sort - he doesn't want the media to make their tabloids about how incompetent the crew from Alke might be.

When no one is around him and he spots Luke, Kaneki approaches with a small smile. "Nervous?"

TK-622 | OTA

[loyal_soldier]

A.
He's been talked into leaving his rifle and thermal det behind. His armor, though, that's staying. It makes him stand out, and people are asking questions. Is he wearing that on the Alke? "Every moment I'm on board, sir." Why? "Corps regulation calls for it, and for good reason. Space is dangerous and must be treated as such, to maintain the safety of a ship's crew and passengers."

And he's not putting on one of those flimsy flight suits.

B.
The takeoff is similar to a troop transport, and on a good flying day too. Nothing dramatic, no big maneuvers, just headed up and out. Nothing worth feeling much about.

At least for a while. He fell quiet when he saw the moon on approach, staring out the viewports, utterly still.

C.
He faltered mid-stride as the pain hit him. Felt almost like sudden decompression. He sealed up his armor reflexively, clearing the air from his lungs and waiting for a count of five for his internal air supply to bring him back up to normal pressure. But the pain stayed, and he couldn't feel anything but that. No boiling on his eyes or tongue. And only the imPorts around him were staggering. He switches on his helmet radio. "This is 622, reporting an anomaly detected," he manages, mouth on autopilot. "Crew still walking but operational capacity is compromised by unknown means, please advise."

Once it's clear the air's fine, he unseals his armor, taking up a position to guard the ship's vitals. Unfortunately, this means he's standing close to the tanks when they go, blowing him off his feet and onto the deck. As soon as his breath is back, he makes another clipped report, picking himself up. "Fire and hull breach in compartment C," he gasps, tasting the sting of smoke. His helmet's filtering most of it, but it's still there. Sealing up again.

Follow procedure. Ship-board fires are almost always problems with powered components. "Moving to disable local power." That'll mean no lights, but it'll mean the fire can be brought under control.

At least that's the plan, until gravity goes out, and his boots leave contact with the deck. Kark. He should have anticipated that. But the pain in his head and the--he's been burned through his bodyglove. That explains why everything hurts more now.

Not his main problem. Getting to shut off the power's his only goal. Either someone gets there first, or he's got a grappling hook that'll get him the rest of the way.

D.
"Shuttle, this is TK-622," he calls over. "I've got thirty minutes of air in my armor, certified for combat and emergency EVA, and the nanites are coming back online." His head's still pounding and he can feel the burn tugging painfully at his skin, but that's good enough.

"I'm no engineer, but if you need assistance outside, I can be there."

E.
He doesn't take his helmet off when they land. He's not coming out removing any of his armor, not even to treat the burns. They'll be fine until he can get somewhere with a real atmosphere. Until then, he's still on alert, still waiting for something else to go wrong. In his experience, if it can, it will.

e - we'll come back to d when i know what's happening with it!!

[flightforfreedom]

622 was the first person that Poe beelined to, as soon as he could get out from the crowd of reporters, and finds him in the med bay, still wearing his armour.

He immediately steps over, looking concerned, and places a hand on 622's arm just above the elbow, squeezing the armour gently, fully aware that the clone wouldn't be able to feel it anyway.

"Hey - you okay?"

Nikolai | OTA

[namesaquestion]

B
Ha! This is the coolest thing ever! [He's going to be saying some variation of that for the foreseeable future.

Because let's face it: he's both incredibly smug about getting to go into space and genuinely excited to be in space. Also, he has one of the overalls on. Look, if he's going to space, he's gonna try and look the part. Ignore the pokeballs with him.

One can find him either watching the view as the earth recedes into the distance, taking multiple selfies of said view (including with his pokemon and one of them as a team with Earth as a backdrop). He'll also be trying all the space food he can get his hands on. Some of it does get dubious looks, but he's keen to try as much as it as possible.]

Hmph. Decent enough.

C
What the- [Even the sharp stabbing pain of a headache, or the faint panic in his voice at the thought of this turning into something other than the Safe Spaceflight that was Promised, won't stop his first reaction to the smoke: sending out his golbat. Well. Attempting to, as his pokeballs are very much not working and there will be no bat, or any of his other pokemon, comming forth.] What gives?!

[Not that matters, because once that barrel roll comes, he's got a lot more to worry about. Like trying not to end up injured, or throwing up his food, or well-] FUCK-

[About that injury avoidance? Not happening. One bad landing later and he's both on the verge of a panic attack -(he can't run away this time; he's trapped and it was like his first swear in when he was caught up in that inferno-) and nursing a broken arm in addition to bruises and bumps. Also trying not to scream or cry in pain.

He is crying. A broken arm hurts.]


E
[Nikolai's seen better days that for sure, and once he's hand what treatment he's willing to tolerate, he's sulking in the relaxation area with a hot chocolate next to him and a white-knuckled around a pokeball?

Yep. Not being able to use his pokemon at will has very much left him rattled, and it shows. Technically, he'd have headed for Earth by now to avoid Everyone Ever, but at the same time... he really, really doesn't need reporters pouncing on him with questions.] Tch! This is stupid!

B

[fource]

[Quatre gives Niko an encouraging grin as he passes by. He's legitimately thrilled that people from Earth are so excited to be in space, like a host beaming whenever tourists appreciate his home. He offers his hand out to Niko, eyes flickering to the pokeballs and then to the view of the Earth retreating behind him.]

I can take a picture of all of you if you want.

E

[ghoulking]

[ kaneki was almost dying when the nanities started malfunctioning, so he had no chance to go check on others when it was happening but when they come back around and his nanites started working again (and thus, healed him), Kaneki goes around to see if everyone is alright. Niko being one of those people, of course. ]

Niko... how is your arm?

Jonathan Walsh | OTA

[drivesadesk]

A - PRE-LAUNCH BOARDING AND MINGLE

Jonathan's own pre-flight examination goes by very quickly. There isn't a point in checking his vitals when no one knew what his vitals are supposed to be, so they just make sure he looks and acts healthy, give him a quick eye test, and send him on his way. Then, when he goes off to check out the new ship, he squeals with glee. He knew the plans, of course, but seeing it up there is so exciting. Plus he hadn't known it would be so bright.

"I've never seen a ship that red before! It's great! I love it!"

He'd been nervous going as his natural self for this, but he'd been trying to show his real face more, and this was an event where everyone would be expecting to see imPorts. Once he's there and sees the enthused crowds, as well as the fact that Kang's there which means he's not the only reptile present, those nerves begin to ease away and he gets caught up in the excitement. He is, of course, wearing his flight suit and he rather enjoys the uniform, posing in it for the cameras. It was amazing, he thought, how enthused people were for this flight after so many people protested it not long before. Humans truly were unpredictable.

B - TAKE OFF AND INITIAL FLIGHT

Jonathan's mostly keeping himself busy through this part, running tests and monitoring data on the ship's computers. He's still excited to be doing this, but now that outward enthusiasm had been tamped down by his need to focus on the task at hand. He has a job to do, but that doesn't mean he won't stop and talk with anyone who asks him questions.

C - MALFUNCTION PAST THE MOON

Suddenly, he feels sick. A pounding in his head, and something is just horribly wrong throughout his entire body, pumping through his veins. He opens his mouth to tell the others, but noticing they were affected as well, he realizes there was more to this than just some personal malady.

And then everything falls apart.

The place is on fire, people are panicking, the gravity is on, then, off, then on again. It's total pandemonium. Jonathan feels like crap, but he jumps into action anyway, rushing to drag people away from the fire (and not taking long to notice that he's weaker than he should be) and grabbing a space suit before helping a reporter into it that had breathed in too much of the smoke once she was a safe distance away from the flames.

E - AFTERMATH - MOON BASE

When all is said and done, Jonathan is exhausted. He ended up breathing in quite a bit of smoke himself, and seems to have suffered a few minor burns, but he's alive and relatively okay. When he's questioned the second he gets off the ship, he mostly seems tired in his responses, but then he hears the other passengers giving them praises, and his spirits seem to raise a little and his answers start to have a little more pep. He still feels like crap (though better than when the nanites weren't working) but it's nice to be appreciated.

Once that's done, he heads to the medical clinic for treatment, and they do their best, although they have to ask him numerous questions about his physiology to make sure the drugs and treatments they attempted wouldn't do more harm than good.

Once that's done, he gladly takes the coffee, and relaxes with the other, ready to see what their assessment of the situation is and to try and assess how much of a setback this will be.

Ashley Williams | OTA

[cannotrest]

A
No matter how temporary death is for imPorts, Ashley still doesn't want all of the Project's people with space experience on the test flight. That's why she's not in a flight suit (yet): She's Porting to the moon base after take off, ready to lead the imPort contingency team if, God forbid, anything goes wrong. Alke is carrying locals, who won't be revived by nanites if any of them die, and the Project doesn't need more bad press. The prophecy lingers in her mind too, as does any potential response from OTO, with Alke's lack of weaponry in the media.

For now, she's not letting her worries show on her face, nor her thoughts on how silly the design of the ship looks. She mingles with a confident smile, and as her medical observations are taken, she says, "I probably won't need to head up there, anyway; the team's done some great work."

D: Moon Base
Famous last words. Ashley's suited up by now, and has been enjoying the relative quiet of the moon having fewer networked devices than Earth, but her head snaps up from the gun magazine she's been glancing through as the call comes in, the green in her eyes brightening as she replies, "Moon Base to Alke: Gimme a sitrep."

The magazine gets put aside as she stands without thinking about it, already striding towards the shuttle launch site.

D: Shuttle/Radio
There's a tiny part of Ashley that's guiltily thrilled about this, the closest she's come to her work in the Alliance since she arrived in this world, but she does not want to give this emotion any air time. Instead, she calmly suits up in a NASA-loaned spacesuit (she misses her armor) as they go to rendezvous, keeping an eye out the windows for the growing red dot that is Alke.

"This is Williams on the shuttle: We're on our way to you now, Alke. I'm preparing for EVA in case you need to evac anyone to the shuttle."

D

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Jacob's voice comes back over the radio, sounding wry and tired.

"Alke to shuttle, copy your last. You're missing a party over here, Williams. Fireworks and everything."

There's a burst of static, and Jacob cuts out for a moment before coming through again-

"-ldn't need to evac anyone right now. Our injured are stable at the moment. Let's focus on getting this bird back on the ground, over."

Kang | OTA

[governorkang]

A

Unfortunately for Kang, there are no flight suits designed for people with wings and tails, so he'll have to go on this trip in human form. Even then, it takes a moment for them to find one that'll fit a 6'4 man, but they do, and he clears all of his medical tests with ease.

He handles the reporters with ease, clearly excited to go up into space. "No one on Krynn has ever dreamed something like this to be possible, to be able to travel between worlds without the help of godly magic. I'm looking forward to what is hopefully a smooth and successful flight so that we can move on to the next phase and further our alliance with the brilliant minds of NASA."

B

"It's amazing," he breathes, staring out of the window. "Pictures don't do it justice."

He probably spends at least an hour just looking down at the planet before he gets a snack and explores the ship, careful to stay out of the crew's way as much as possible and only ask questions when it won't be a distraction.

C

He notices immediately when his nanites go on the fritz, with his senses dropping to a human level. That's not a good sign, and neither is suddenly being flung into the wall. He manages to keep control of himself, though, and tries to talk down anyone he finds panicking before they hurt themselves, or others, even more.

"We're going to be fine. All we've got to do is breathe and do what we can to help fix the situation. It's probably not as bad as it seems."

D

Kang quickly volunteers his assistance with repairs on the ship itself. He doesn't really have any experience with spacecraft, but he's a very quick learner and follows directions easily.

E

He's mostly got bumps and bruises, but there's a nasty cut on his forehead that definitely needs stitches in the medical clinic. Some coffee with a dash of alcohol also helps to calm his nerves.

After getting that taken care of, he spends a few minutes dealing with the reporters before checking to see if they need another hand on repairs. Once he's sure that he's done all he can, he takes the Porter back down to the planet.