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apocalypsehowcomm2023-06-16 07:57 am
Event - The 25,000 Light Year View
The atmosphere in the lower level gym at ADI headquarters is… tense, to say the least. Nia, Neil, and Rae are present with the rest of those remaining at the organization (or willing to come when called by Neil and Rae for a final statement) seated in benches and chairs that have been dragged in. It's not the usual, orderly meetings that some might have gotten used to for mission briefings.
Neil speaks first. "Thank you, everyone, for coming in. Lot's been happening, but we've come to… an understanding about where we need to go. The artifacts that were in the Vault have all been accounted for or noted as destroyed in some manner with a few exceptions. We're still chasing- ADI is still chasing those down with help from anyone who might want to give it. Won't pretend this is going to be a kumbaya moment, so let's get down to brass tacks. There's an apocalypse on. Whatever this organizations stands for now, its original mission was to uncover and stop those. That's still my mission."
"Mine, too," Rae chimes in.
"It's one we all share," Nia adds.
Neil nods before continuing. "So, we stop this, and we go our separate ways. I'll be leaving ADI and starting my own organization. We've seen a large number of threats in the Appalachian region and a lot of folks heavily impacted by decisions ADI's made. I'll be taking my organization there. Already been in touch with our- with ADI's field agents in the region. Some will be joining me. Along with a certain newsperson who keeps sniffing around. We'll do what we can to do right by the people who've been hurt most. That's going to be our focus. Support and security. We're not feeding the Hunt anymore by running down threats."
Rae steps up next. "And I'll be going where I need to. Lot of threats out west. If you're looking to do some good that won't be working for the Hunt… maybe think about heading that way."
Nia is the last to speak. "And I'll be staying here in Gloucester. ADI will be staying. And I will be its final Warden. We're stopping Zyrian, then we're figuring out what the hell is going on with Dogtown to get all of you people from other worlds home. Or at least stop anyone else coming in. After that? I'm out. What happens after that is still in the works. But Neil's agreed to stay in touch to help with everything… once I'm gone." There's a flicker of emotion across Neil's stoic expression. Regret, frustration… grief. "But right now, we look to Wolf Trap. I-"
There's a pause, and Neil and Rae look to Nia in concern as she puts a hand to her temple. She recovers, though. "Huh… We look to Wolf Trap, Virginia. We'll have buses to get everyone down there. We'll be arriving just as Copernicus' launch of the New Horizon's project is underway. That's where Zyrian Steel's going to do his ritual. We need to find the server rooms at the event. Those are important."
Rae squints at Nia, "You sure?"
Nia nods. "Yeah. I'm real sure about that. It'll be dangerous, though, and that's not the- it's not the only threat that's gonna be there."
Neil's looking wary. "Nia?"
"There's something else. The Web? It's not just the Vast that's involved in this, I don't think. It would make sense, right?" She shakes her head. "We'll be facing multiple Entity threats down there, not just the Vast. And I'm sure Zyrian's gonna kick the ritual off on the last day, once he's had time for-for something… not sure what. But he's a dramatic bastard, if nothing else. And timing's everything."
Neil and Rae exchange uncertain looks before Neil speaks up again. "Coming is voluntary, like always, but we'll want boots on the ground to cover as much ground as possible. They'll be holding the biggest events and productions at the Filene Center stage. But we're expecting tech booths scattered all throughout the park. Be on your guard."
"And bring a gun," Rae advises.
(click the map for a larger version)
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It's so unexpected and so surprising that Rodney's eyes widen and he gives a muffled mmmmmphh?? while his arms windmill slightly.
Atlantis spins and screams all around them and he stares at him in the middle of the chaos, baffled.
"... Look, while I admit that do care a great deal about you and find that very attractive, is now really the time?!"
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“…yeah? Listen, that’s how this works in the movies?! This is where the big moment happens and the soundtrack gets all emotional and—look, I’m trying to focus on you rather than all that here!”
He gestures at the crumbling, creaking, whirling city around them. Which is starting to tilt even more as it begins sinking into the maelstrom.
…right.
“Let’s—uh. Let’s just get to the Gate.”
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Rodney blinks up at him, his mouth opening in astonishment.
"In the-- Did you just try and fight the Vast with the Power of Love?!"
His voice pitches indignantly... but there's a gleam in his eyes, the onset of a smile betraying that there's a spark of happiness at that idea, at I'm trying to focus on you rather than all that here.
He's about to say something else, something more, but then Atlantis shakes under the impact of giant waves and he's almost flung into John when it starts sinking.
"... Right! Right. The Gate."
Everything else has to wait. Holding on to John's arm Rodney pulls him forward and stumbles into the event horizon.
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He sounds somewhat embarrassed about it. But clearly it worked, a little, maybe?
But Atlantis was sinking into the ocean for real, again, so they probably ought to hurry. Water is pouring into the lower levels, waves crashing into the windows, breaking them as it sinks in the whirlpool, and despite it all and the pain of seeing it destroyed, John still misses it.
And then Rodney yanks him through the event horizon and—
—and he‘s stuck.
He’s trapped, in a wormhole, stuck in between, somewhere halfway into one place and the next—
—and in reality, John groans in the mess of wires. He can almost see it, feel it, but he’s just—stuck, the Vastness of space and the wormhole leading on through thousands, millions, maybe billions of light years—
—it’s too big, it’s too much, it’s too Vast, it doesn’t want to let him go—
no subject
The event horizon greets him and a the same time Rodney can feel the cables again that are holding him and he reaches up, pulling at them desperately.
He's in two places at once, out here, struggling against the machine and feeling a new metaphor build around him at the end of the swirling tunnel. It's awful, like trying to come out of deep sleep with your mind refusing to fully come to and threatening to go back under.
Another pull and the cables finally come loose. Rodney falls down to the ground with a gasp, reality rushing back in. He falls back into his own body, so terribly small compared to the experiences he just had. It sends him reeling once again and for a moment he can't move, he just crouches there, doubled over. He's out here, but what now? He can't hope to defeat Steele, he doesn't even have a weapon, and what is even the point?
John.
John is the point. John isn't with him.
His head snaps up and he looks around, panicked, because they stepped through the Gate together but then he lost him--
Rodney struggles to get to his feet and runs down the rows of working servers until he hears someone groaning softly nearby. Rounding one of the corners he finds him, still entangled in the mess of cables and he rushes up to him, pulling at them with all of his strength.
no subject
He has to focus on Rodney, as the wormhole and the universe stretches out before him, threatening him with its Vastness, a last-ditch effort to drag him back into the machine, the metaphors—
—Rodney and his laugh when they watch movies and his indignant voice when he lost at chess and and his rapid explanations and his wide blue eyes and the way he gestures when he talks and the way he looks at him and gets all flustered and the way he saves him no matter what—
There’s a strange pulling sensation and suddenly he’s in two places at once. Caught between endless space, and caught between reality, the ghostly images of a server farm and cables and Rodney in view—
Rodney?!
It feels like he’s clawing through molasses, like he’s in a dream where a monster is coming up the stairs and he’s going in slow motion and he can’t scream, but he tries to focus, tries to cling to the fact that he can see Rodney now—
And the cables come loose and John gasps and rolls onto the ground, suddenly freed from the machine.
It’s so confusing. He doesn’t move at first, eyes staring at nothing at all, his mind, his body, all of him feels strange, like he’s been stuffed back into something too small, too tight, the awareness that he’s just been through struggling to be contained by his brain.
no subject
There's a jolt of fear when John doesn't move, when he just stares ahead, all catatonic. Rodney's heart starts racing with sudden panic, what if he's too late, is he too late?
"No, no, no, no, no, come on..."
He props him up, putting one hand under his shoulders and pulling him back up to his feet. He doesn't want to jostle him too much but he needs to get him out of here, he needs to move when those snakes came for them (which are still stupid, it still makes him mad).
"Come on, look at me. Can you hear me?"
no subject
He’s breathing, there’s just nothing in his eyes, no recognition, just blankness.
And then there’s something. He stirs, eyes slowly focusing, blinking, as his mind starts to recover from being stretched behind its limit.
He heard Rodney’s voice.
“…Rodney?”
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And then he finally stirs, finally there's a reaction, some recognition.
"Yeah! Yeah, hi. Hey. Hi."
Rodney gently - okay, maybe a little clumsily - pats his face, that's what you do in these situations, right? That helps? Is this helping?
"I'm right here."
no subject
Patting his face.
As one does.
John frowns and squints, his mind still feeling out of sorts, too small and stuffed and cramped, but at least he’s starting to become aware of where he is, what’s happening…and Rodney patting his face.
Rodney, who came into his dreamscape, again.
To save him, again.
Who did save him.
John suddenly wraps his arms around him, tentatively, and buries his head against his neck.
“Thanks.”
no subject
Pat, pat, pat.
John seems to come to but he's not saying anything, it looks like he's struggling to wake up, so more patting it is.
And then suddenly he has an armful of John pressed up against him and oh. It's so strange, he still isn't used to that at all.
"I, yeah, sure."
His voice fizzles out into a soft mutter. He feels awkward and clumsy, their fight over the Mirror from earlier still so present but somehow also very far away.
"Are, are you okay?"
no subject
So much patting.
It’s the thought that counts.
He still clings to him, not used to doing this, either, and certainly not used to being the one to initiate, but he can’t help it, can’t be anywhere else but here, pressed against him, clinging, holding onto him. The memory of their argument at the mirror still burns fresh in his mind.
“I’ve been better,” he finally says, still mumbling into his neck. When he finally lets go, he drops his arms at his sides, moving awkwardly, stiffly. “My head feels weird. You?”
no subject
Well.
"That was pretty messed up."
He holds on to him, slowly letting go when he pulls back, feeling strangely affectionate and awkward about it. He reaches out and pats the back of his hand, too.
"Not that your... romantic strategy wasn't appreciated."
no subject
The pat of his hand is endearing, though.
“Well, I figured that maybe the power of love could do something against the Entities, I mean, isn’t that how it works in the movies…”
Except now it’s awkward all over again and the memory of the mirror presses forth.
“You saved me back there.”
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It's a little corny and a little embarrassing but he ducks his head.
So awkward.
"You were pretty, uh, cinematic. Not that I didn't save you because I absolutely did but. But you probably did your part."
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“It’s nice to know my contributions were appreciated.”
A roguish grin.
Maybe they’ve made up, sort of? The mirror argument seems so far away now after all this.
“Inspiring, even?”