the veil is thin . . .

[thespaceopera]

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

Comments

Nami | OTA

[namisan]

[A - Evacuation]

[Nami coordinates with the station, ferrying both people and supplies up to the station as she can. Having a strident voice and the ability to intimidate a crowd of dozens and a weather-boom-stick come in real handy in situations like this--]

The sooner you stop shoving each other the faster this will be! I'm coming back, we all are! Kids first, come on--

[She's not above making it rain on your heads, guys, freezing cold voice of reason, okay? And her smile is confident, even if her eyes are red, because you always fucking smile. It helps.

Well, so does the rain. And the fact she will kick the ass of anyone who starts shit, just sayin.]

[B - Quiet Moments at the Bar]

[She works hard but she doesn't work stupidly, because a dizzy and exhausted navigator/pilot/whatever will kill her passengers, and so she fetches up at the Space Bar to get some lunch (even if she has to make it herself, with all hands on deck with the evacuation) and a glass of the hardest of hard liquors. She does this most days, eating woodenly before leaving again.

On the third day, she vanishes into the bathroom and throws it all back up again, curled against the wall and shaking. An entire planet is dying, what the fucking fuckity fuck hell this is so far above her paygrade and she's trying not to think about it but

--she just needs a minute. See, Nami, this is why you keep busy.]

[C - Last Minute Goddammit Where Are you]

[She used the Bloodsport before this. As time cuts fine she switches to shuttle, broadcasting to crew and close friends to confirm whereabouts and safety:] Sound off. Let me know where you are and if you need help.

[If any of her crew are dawdling down on the surface, you bet she's gonna come peel your ass off the surface by force if she has to. :|]

[D - Resupply]

[The space station has enough water supply to be reassuring but the officials there would gladly accept more of it. Nami makes the offer-- if anyone brings her containers she'll fill them. She can refill the station's vast vats if they start to fall below what recycling provides. This is where you'll find her in the aftermath, in a hallway talking to families or one of the huge supply areas with rain clouds indoors, a controlled fill, up until either the Marsiva pulls away or something else goes wrong.

Now she's on automatic, calm and blank-faced, dark circles under her eyes. Keeping busy is definitely good. But she should probably sleep in there somewhere, huh?]

C. you know it

[collegedropout]

Sam here. I'm working on the passenger station.

[Time's getting cut pretty close, but... how can he just run off when there's potentially more people to get out of there? Not to mention, it's his job, right? He's always in the thick of things. With a 90% chance of getting out of it alive. As much as he dies, he also has an impeccable knack for cockroach powers.]

I don't know the first thing about engineering, but I've been able to at least translate the coding in the station's programming... People are getting pretty panicked, though.

C. GODDAMMIT SAM

[namisan]

[Oh, is that all. It's a fine and great job, you're doing, Sam, even if she has very little knowledge of programming either so she's not quite sure what he's doing. But they've got an ETA of Not Very Damn Long now--]

How long before you're out of there?

C. oops

[collegedropout]

[He clears his throat, knowing he's on the cusp of a Nami lecture aaaany minute.]

Until, um... the engines work again, I'm thinking.

...

Give or take.

[namisan]

[That small ball of dread in her gut has just bloomed into something a lot closer to an angry kind of panic because she knows you.]

And if they're not working in time? [TECHNICALLY THIS IS A RHETORICAL QUESTION BUT--]

[collegedropout]

[Boy, he should have known to plan a decent response to a worried Nami.]

......... I was going to worry about that when I got closer to it, honestly.

[namisan]

[Luckily for Sam her stream of swearing and cursing and generally him names is not broadcast, because she's flipping through communication channels trying to get a better read of what's going on. And he's not the only one stuck on the ground, either, which ratchets her temper up some more.

Flicking back on:]

You've got until I get Ginko off the ground, then I'm coming for your ass. Work fast.

[Do the impossible. Do it now. >:|]

[collegedropout]

Got it, I'll put that Barry kid to shame.

[:^) You love me. So he says, trying to ease her temper and concern:]

I'm glad you like my ass enough to save it from doom, but what about the rest of me?

[namisan]

[There's a small cut off snort of laughter, but don't think she isn't unreasonably mad at you--!!]

I'll save your shins too so I can kick them. [HAH.] Be in touch!

[Seriously, get to work, you've got like thirty minutes max.]

[collegedropout]

I'll make sure to do that, promise.

[And true to his word, every... like... five minutes, he just shoots her a winking smile emoticon. Quick but efficient in keeping his captain aware of him. It's kind of hard to do when you're re-directing scared civilians and snatching up fleeing orphans, but he does his best.]

[namisan]

[Hilariously Nami meant that she'd be back in touch, but she can't deny random emoticons at least reassure her he's still going. And has to be aware that she's about to descend on him like a bat out of hell.

Speaking of which, by the time she does ping in the atmosphere down there is probably a creepy howling wind stage of incoming doom. But here she is--]

Five minutes. [SHE'S COMING FOR YOUUUU.]

[collegedropout]

Seven minutes!

[Sam shoots her a GPS location, and it's clear he's too far from the other shuttles to have escaped in proper time. He had put his full faith in Nami and her ability to hunt down her annoying friends. And the reason for his running off further from the ships? It's a kicking and biting and writhing eight year old orphan in his arms, wanting anything but to go with the strangers. The kid's a bit delayed, he's pretty sure -- or at least socially lacking in some respects, and Sam hopes the girl wasn't abandoned out of lack of care for her because of that. He's hoping she just ran off and couldn't be caught.

Hoping.

.........

She's getting tired, though, so he's hoping she's not gonna kick and scream after they actually board.]

[namisan]

Sam, this is not negotiable!

[DO YOU REALISE HOW LITTLE TIME WE HAVE LEFT
DO YOU

Nevertheless it's still gonna take a little over five to get to him once she corrects for the GPS, so call it five and a half, don't lose your feral child until then. Or ever, if you can manage it--

Here she comes, banking in low. And possibly swearing to herself once she sees him because what is it with her crew and wayward children? Honestly just leave them behind, god.

(She'd never.)]

C.

[iattractmushi]

[So, he'd been intending to get on one of the shuttles about an hour ago, but some of the people had started screaming about a missing child... so here he was, frantically searching one of the alleyways near the landing pad area and just praying that he's headed in the right direction.

Of course, that's when Nami calls. His voice probably sounds a little too casual for someone on the surface of something that will soon resemble a charcoal briquette, but he's a little busy right at the moment.]

I'm still down here, yeah. I've got that... GPS thingy, I think it's turned on.

Come on, kid, where are you...

[namisan]

[...goddammit, two people. And she's hardly going to yell when he's obviously looking for a child.]

You're running out of time, Ginko. [Stating the obvious, but she's pressing buttons, finding his GPS, and veering the shuttle in that general direction. Her tone strives for casual but it's tense as hell.] You know anything about this kid you're trying to find?

[iattractmushi]

I know how close I'm cutting this, it's not like I want to be here... and I think he's orange.

[That's all the info he feels is relevant. They might have said something about him running off after an escaping pet, but he's not looking for whatever animal the kid lost, just the kid.

He also knows the kid's name, and he's calling it out now, along with some reassurances that he's just here to help and the fact that they really really need to go now.]

[namisan]

...orange.

[Well, at least he'll stand out.]

I'll be there in a second, help you look. [Up to the point continuing to look will just get them both killed, anyway.]

[iattractmushi]

[He really doesn't want to get his captain killed, but then again he doesn't want to die either and he's not willing to give up his search until he has to, so he'll just say,]

Great, see you down here. I'm going to keep looking for now.

[namisan]

[A pragmatic man. Some could stand to learn from you, Ginko.

In the meantime, she comes screaming in a little fast in the shuttle, though she banks and settles into landing without issue. She hopes he's actually found the kid in the ensuing minutes, but when has she ever been that lucky? The hatch is flung open and she jumps down, hair whipping in the wind. That'll be... because of atmospheric disturbance. Everything feels wrong. It's close.]

Any luck?

[iattractmushi]

[Yeah, it's getting really bad and he really wants to go, but... the kid.

He turns toward her, one hand up to shield his face from the wind as best he can. He raises his voice a little so he can be heard above the sound of it.]

No! He might have gone to ground, hidden away somewhere!

[In which case, they'll never find him.]

I want to try one more place, and then if we don't find him...

[He gestures in the direction he wants to go; it's another alleyway, the last one near the landing pad area that he hasn't searched yet.]

[namisan]

[She hates the idea of leaving a kid behind. But if he can't be found in time, he's going to die either way. Something turns over in her chest, nausea rises-- but it's not too late just yet. Nami nods sharply, already heading that way, likely just keeping pace.]

I'll help. [Hell, maybe he'll come out if a girl is involved. Less intimidating. She can hope.]

[iattractmushi]

[Who knows, weirder things have happened.

He nods, saving his breath for calling out the kid's name as he moves quickly down the alleyway. Whatever side she picks, he'll start searching the other side, investigating any possible hiding spots as quickly as he can... until, after a few minutes of increasingly frantic searching, he spots something orange behind a pile of boxes.]

Nami! I think I found--damn!

[Apparently spooked by his sudden shout, the boy takes off running. Ginko makes a wild grab for the kid, but all he manages to do is rip a scrap of fabric off the kid's shirt.]

H-hey! Don't run off, we're trying to help you!

[namisan]

[Nami could try her soothing voice, but honestly she doesn't think there's enough time. Alerted by Ginko's yell and the sudden blur of orange, she turns in time to see the kid trying to veer around her presence and all but tackles him, which doesn't help his panic. Her arms wrap around him in a hug as he starts to struggle, voice by his ear.]

Hey! It's okay, it's okay-- [Sorry, kid, but she's not letting you go, please calm down.]

[iattractmushi]

[The boy struggles briefly in her grip, but he stops quickly enough--whether it's because he's realized they're trying to help, or he's in some kind of shock Ginko really doesn't care. If it means they can get the heck out, he's happy.

He jogs over to the two of them, shooting anxious glances at the sky.]

Look kid, I'm sorry we had to do that, but we have to go. I promise your parents are safe, and we're going to take you to them now, okay?

[He will pick up the boy and carry him if he has to. Hell, at this point he'll pick up Nami too if it means they can get out faster.]

[namisan]

[No fear there. Nami happily surrenders the boy into Ginko's care and sprints back for the shuttle, flinging the hatches open and vaulting into the pilot's seat. By the time Ginko climbs in, the systems are climbing in volume to match the wind-- she's really not wasting any time. She's not sure if they can, and she still has to get Sam after this.]

You all set?