INTRO LOG - JUNE 2014

[rekindlemods]

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 18th June, late afternoon
Summary: The new arrivals, freshly pulled from their worlds or others, awaken in a strange place...
Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. NPC responses may be slow.

It's a shuddering breath, a sensation of being pulled to elsewhere and finding oneself pressed against something on the soft and some place cozy. However, before one can fully stir, there is and odd, warm stirring sensation that lifts you up from wherever you've been dropped, when you begin to drift off once more.

Yet the feeling passes quickly, and when you awaken, you begin to realize your surroundings. It's a small room with what some might recognize as a Far Eastern theme when it comes to decor, from the walls to the sofa (or bed) you find yourself on. Illumination is provided by carefully crafted lamps, and even a candle flickering on a nearby desk. The doors are made from paper and wood, with a thin frame; through them it's easy to hear other people stirring, talking, or coming to.

You are not alone...

Close at hand there's a note that reads:

WELCOME CENTER
Newcomers: Please come downstairs to the lobby for refreshments and your welcome packets!

Odd... This wasn't written in your own language, and yet you find it easily understandable. Soon enough, if you don't enter on your own, there's a gentle knocking on the door as someone comes from downstairs to usher you along.

"Welcome to Saeng Seong! I know you must be confused as to where you are and what's going on, but we promise to explain this to you once you've had a chance to stretch your legs!"

Whether you go downstairs immediately or linger a little longer, eventually you must come down and get out of the small space, and sooner rather than later would probably be better. You'll find yourself in a well-lit lobby, filled with comfortable-looking couches and chairs. Along one wall are refreshment tables, loaded with all sorts of cool and relieving food and drink, including some you probably aren't familiar with. It's just as well they're in good supply, as the windows outside show a city well heated from a summer sun.

On the wall opposite are a pair of desks, each with a sign, and one person at her station-

Rhea, General Assistance
Andi, Technological Assistance

The plaques have a shiny new look to them, as do the desks. The one with 'Andi' listed appears to be empty, though. Gathered around both desks and several tables are boxes as well, and...Empty jars? The woman minding her desk doesn't appear to give them a second thought.

However, before you can go over and give at least one of them a piece of your mind and ask questions, the same person who ushered you downstairs hands you a manilla envelope that contains your welcome packet, urging you to read this before asking the two figures questions that the packet likely answers.

Inside it, you will find: a ring with a key and apartment number on it, some kind of cash card, a map and informational guide to the city, and a letter folded neatly on the top -

Welcome to Saeng Seong!

You are among a new group of arrivals to our city, from many far-apart worlds.
We have gathered you here because our city is in a crisis, and we are at our last resorts. The energy of the city is in a slow downward spiral, and is dangerously close to expiring altogether.

That's where you come in - you and everyone else we've brought to the city. Unlike those of us here, you have the potential to generate the energy the city needs, but you'll need to work together to do it.

Why? Because the energy can only be generated when two people touch each other. Any touch will do, but it must be between two of you who are new to the city. If you don't keep in contact with someone, eventually your energy will begin to drain as well, making you dangerously ill.

A few other things:

The closed-off sections of the city are closed off for a reason; approaching them will cause your energy to drain very rapidly. We're working to open the rest of the city to you as soon as we can, but for now, please remain within the first five districts of the city.

You have been given a key to a one-bedroom apartment in a complex set aside for you and the other new arrivals, near the riverside in the 1st district. You're free to change your living quarters whenever you like, and we encourage you to move in with someone in one of the larger apartments. When you want to change, just come back to this building to exchange your key.

We've also included a cash card with a living stipend; if you're unfamiliar with this system, or the network established for new arrivals, you can talk to Devin in the lobby for help. It's what he's here for. If you need medical assistance, contact Mai, one of our nurses.

Again, welcome, and thank you for all your help.

Irene Rhea
Arrival Liaison

Outside, and through the translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street. The cheerful colors on it match well against a bright blue sky:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

Comments

[triggerhappycopter]

He slides his hand up Krok's arm to gently grasp at his wrist.

"What if they get you?"

[dadcepticon]

"They won't," is Krok's simple answer after he glances at the big hand wrapped around his wrist. They're nearly the same height now, the two of them, but Spinister still has hands that seem as big as Krok's head. Probably a trick of the eyes at this point. Krok looks up again, deadly serious. "They won't. Now." Tense but trying to find a better turn in the mood, Krok loosens his hold, free hand falling again to Spinister's shoulder. "Let's get you settled in," he suggests with a faint smile.

[triggerhappycopter]

Spinister takes a long moment to just peer at Krok's face before finally mumbling, "Okay. I won't shoot at things. Or Autobots." It's not... a promise exactly. But the helicopter will try.

"So I got my own room now?" he wonders.

[dadcepticon]

There's something in that simple question that makes Krok's spark ache. They've all been crowded in barracks, on troop ships, aboard the W.A.P. so much the idea of private space is a pipe dream.

"That's right!" he says to Spinister, and pats the copter's hand. "With more than enough space to stretch out."

[triggerhappycopter]

"Really?" That actually does make Spinister perk, eyes lighting up with curious wonder. Then it narrows again in suspicion. "And we're paying for this stuff making their electricity with touches? Weird."

[dadcepticon]

"A small price, I suppose," Krok murmurs. "At least for this sort of comfort and safety." He's never had anything of the sort, himself, and he's willing to trade off some personal space and comfort by touching organics in exchange. And he has his crew, now, too. At least he isn't alone among the Autobots any longer.

He sighs and lowers his voice.

"If it does prove untenable, we can always find a way out," he says. They're scavengers; they find their own way.

[triggerhappycopter]

"Yeah, we will," Spinister nods confidently with a gentle squeeze to Krok's forearm. This was hardly the worst any of them had been through and he has the utmost faith that Krok will know what to do. Or at least, if Krok was going to be knocked out again, then Misfire will come up with some zany plan for them to follow through with.

Speaking of... "Where's the rest of us?"

[dadcepticon]

At that question, Krok frowns thoughtfully, gaze turning unfocused at the middle distance. He doesn't really understand the mechanics of who gets here and how.

"I'm not sure," he says. "There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to who arrives, and they don't even all come from the same point in time. There's an Autobot here who comes from before the war." Well, Prowl isn't wearing his badge, but Prowl and Autobot are as synonymous in Krok's mind as war and hell. "They might show up, and they might not. I've been here almost half a year and I'm only now seeing any other Decepticons." He doesn't say it, but it's there in his tone: he's glad he has friends appearing and not, say, Tarn.

[triggerhappycopter]

It sloooowly clicks in Spin's head. He narrows his optics as his processors catch up with the information. Krok... was here before them? People could be pulled from different times?

"... That's a long time 'round Autobots."

[dadcepticon]

"Not that long, really," Krok says and waves off the matter. "I had a couple months to myself before I saw any of them." A couple of awkward but ultimately pleasant months.

If only his crew had arrived before them.

Ah, but that's in the past. He dismisses his thoughts on that line before they can turn dark and cocks his head at Spinister, smiling.

"Well? Come on, then, and we'll get a look at your quarters." He's fairly sure it'll be a long while before Spinister is satisfied with the light fixtures alone.

[triggerhappycopter]

"Sounds way too long still," Spinister huffs but he drops the matter easily enough. The mention of those living quarters distracts the heli well enough anyways!

"Is it far from here?" Those lighting fixtures might not see a tomorrow if they so much as flicker at him wrong. Some supervision is possibly needed.

[dadcepticon]

The apartment towers are within sight over some of the lower-topped buildings, at least, but it's quite a few more blocks of walking before they get there. Krok simply starts walking, relatively sure Spinister will follow.

"Not very," he says, because it really isn't compared to some of the distances they've covered in the war. What's the span of a few city blocks compared to a planetwide campaign?

Krok keeps up a slightly awkward but sincere commentary as they go, mostly to keep Spinister focused on him, only stopping once they've reached the apartments and he's opening the doors to their tower.

[triggerhappycopter]

Walking around a place that wasn't entirely ruins or corpse piles or both was a nice change!

Spinister tries to keep up with Krok's commentary but he's rather distracted by the sights. Unarmed people! Nice buildings! So many unarmed people! There are occasions when he stops altogether until his leader gently guides him back on track. There are also occasions when his trigger finger itches like the blue blazes but he manages not to pull his gun out again for the time being.

When they finally arrive, the only word the heli has to say is an amazed, "Whooooaaa."

[dadcepticon]

"And this is only the first floor," Krok says, amused. "A public area, so you'll see others come and go even if they don't live in this building. Please try to not shoot them." It can't hurt to reinforce the rule, he thinks, and starts for the stairs. "Living quarters start on the next floor, but we're both assigned to the third."

The living floors are virtually identical, so Krok doesn't bother stopping at the second. Of course, if Spinister does, he'll double back for the copter.

[triggerhappycopter]

"That's a lot of not shooting," Spinister grumbles. Fortunately for Krok, he doesn't stray outside of a curious look as they pass the second floor. Honestly, he is kind of tempted to go kick the doors down and see what was behind them. Scavenger instincts and whatnot. Something for a bit later though.

[dadcepticon]

"There are a lot of non-targets," Krok gently reminds Spinister. "And no war here. Or at least I don't want the Autobots to be able to say we started anything." He stops in front of the door that is Spinister's by assignment and smiles, optics bright, hands folded expectantly at his back.

It amazes him sometimes, what he finds pleasure in any more.

"Here we are," he says. "Go on… take a look."

[triggerhappycopter]

"They started everything though," Spinister huffs somewhat resentfully, although his mood immediately lightens into curiosity the moment they reach the apartment door.

Being Spinister of course meant that nothing about this is about to go as planned. For one, he doesn't really understand that the keycard was meant to open the door. Secondly, he's only had to ever deal with automatic sliding doors or broken automatic sliding doors.

As such, the first thing he tries to do is use the door handle to slide the door open- resulting in said handle coming clean off the door.