Helpful (?) Advice | Video

[tough_love]

Who: Looma Red Wind
Broadcast: Video
Action: n/a
When: Now!

[Looma...hasn't exactly been feeling this new planet. Fresh food and supplies out in the open, with not a soul in sight to stop them? And they seem to be replenished every day, no matter how much is taken? Something smells foul.

Which is why she's bothering with this broadcast. Or, well, part of the reason. She's not entirely sure why she feels compelled to warn anyone, just that it's an annoying compulsion that just won't go away.]

I am well aware many of you have found what this planet has to offer. I would strongly advise against spending any more time on the surface than necessary. And I would especially caution against lowering your guard or consuming any food you may find here.

[There's an obviously uncomfortable glance away from the camera, before she brings herself to continue.]

Just know that if I wished to set a trap to draw my enemies into the open so that I might annihilate them all, this would be the easiest option. I have no intention of doing so, but that is hardly comforting.

This world feels like a trap. And I would advise you all to be cautious. Nothing of value is ever offered freely.

[There. She's warned the lot of you. She is still not completely certain why- some misguided sense of solidarity, maybe- only that she felt compelled to speak up. Whether or not anyone actually heeds that warning is outside of her control.]

Comments

[universal_charm]

I'm glad I'm not the only one giving this place a good side-eyeing.

[tough_love]

I wish more in the Fleet would. Personally, I have no intention of leaving the ship unless necessary.

[universal_charm]

Well, there we differ. I want to know what's causing this, though I don't trust it. It keeps seeming to... "reset", as it were. I wonder why.

[tough_love]

Our unseen foes replenishing the supplies, to ensure we keep returning for more? It would help in establishing our strength and any pattern that could be drawn from our behavior.

[Yeah, the magically reappearing food and supplies are the only things she's heard of so far. She hasn't set foot on the planet yet to find out about the repairs.]

A predictable foe you have taken the time to study is far easier to dispatch, after all.

[universal_charm]

That's the thing - I don't think it's replenishing. I think it's... resetting.

While I agree with you, we rarely have that kind of time when we come to these planets, or the luxury.

[tough_love]

That makes no sense. Things don't just reset. Someone has to be resupplying what we take.

I should also point out that I was referring to us. I would strongly advise against growing too comfortable taking advantage of what this planet has to offer.

[universal_charm]

It makes sense if you consider the possibility that entire town is stuck in a time loop. The repairs being done that quickly - like they never even happened. It doesn't even feel like repairing, it just feels like starting over when you see it.

Oh, I was never going to. I am not eating anything in that town.

[tough_love]

[That might be the one good thing she's heard about this planet so far. And boy does she look pleased to hear it.]

Really? Now that does bear investigating...

[Kirk. Kirk. What have you done]

[universal_charm]

_{[ There is a sudden chill down his spine. Oh dear. He... he just made a mistake didn't he? A very big mistake. ]}

To a degree. It's just a theory of mine, and I don't really have a lot of proof. It could be something else entirely, after all.

[tough_love]

[Yes. Yes he has.]

Well, all the more reason to get started! I am sure someone will figure it out sooner or later, if given enough data!

[Three guesses what sort of data she's talking about, Jim.]

[universal_charm]

Looma. Don't. I agree we need data, but let's go about this reasonably...

Suddenly Text

[tough_love]

[And just like that, video chat time with Looma is over. Instead, after a while he'll just get a text message...from one of the few in the fleet who never uses those.]

Oh, of course! I'll start small- just a few blocks!

[Well, this bodes well.]

Re: Suddenly Text

[universal_charm]

_{[ God damn it. ]}

Looma! No! Damn it the way to experiment is not to wantonly destroy things for your own pleasure!

[tough_love]

Oh it is hardly for my own pleasure! You are welcome to join, of course! It will be fun!

[Or at least cathartic. Probably.]

Perhaps with enough damage, we may delay the process of rebuilding long enough to see who is responsible!

[universal_charm]

_{[ God, what horrors has he wrought? ]}

Or, as an alternate, we could break something and cause a lot more damage and a fallout of some sort.

[tough_love]

Oooooh, that would be amusing!

[Kirk for god's sake man]

It could delay the repairs even longer!

[universal_charm]

At any point in your life have you thought “my destructive impulses aren’t the best solution here”?

[tough_love]

Once! At the last world I was trapped in.

I had considered laying waste to the entire city as punishment for abducting me, but decided it would make relations with the rest of the Otherworlders really complicated. I settled on trying to discover how to destroy the Arehtei instead!

[Improvement or an even worse decision? You be the judge.]

[universal_charm]

Let me rephrase my question - at any point, in your life, has violence NOT been your answer?

[video]

[the_tailor]

[He's in the middle of biting into an apple right now. Lance pauses. Chews. Swallows.]

Oh, come on, the food's safe! And tasty!

[video]

[tough_love]

I do not doubt it. It would be terrible bait if it killed those who consumed it.

[Not to mention a great way of putting everyone else on high alert]

But if it becomes habit, it would be easier to predict your movements. Or to poison once you've become confident it is safe.

[the_tailor]

I don't know... I mean, that could go for anywhere we go. I'm willing to risk it to get supplies that we really, totally could go for on the ships.

[tough_love]

I have yet to see another planet this suspicious, Lance. At least on the other worlds, any markets had someone we could recognize- and retaliate against in the event of foul play.

[She really, really, really isn't comfortable at the idea of provisions offered anonymously, okay.]

[video!]

[poisontippedcure]

As a general rule, I'm hesitant to eat any food I didn't prepare myself.

[Slip poison by be once shame on me, slip poison by me twice and I've learned my lesson about accepting food from strangers.]

But I think you are correct about this planet. Things here have been too quiet lately; I have no doubt this is the calm before the storm. It's nice to see someone in the Fleet that has such a good head on their shoulders.

[video forever!]

[tough_love]

[Flattery will get her everywhere, but for the moment it just gets her a smile from Looma]

Oh I certainly hope so. For someone used to constant battle, life in this Fleet can be dreadfully boring!

[Granted, it might be a bit of a social faux pas to openly hope they're walking into an ambush, but Looma's gonna Looma.]

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose frowns. She doesn't like fighting, and she doesn't like traps. This planet feels like it's going to be a good helping of both.]

As someone who has been in a good many battles, I would prefer boring. Unfortunately, I also don't have any say in the matter. I'd say it's likely you get your wish.

[tough_love]

No accounting for taste I suppose- but if you wish to avoid dealing with any battles that do result from this, I would be more than willing to offer my assistance!

[And drag her whole crew into it with her, more likely than not. But at this point, most of them probably expected it.]

You would not even have to offer much in trade!

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose should get angry at that comment but at this point she's just glad that Looma's not fusing with a dragon god or coming at her with a katana.]

I will gladly take you up on that offer. I've been dragged into one too many battles for my liking; it will be a welcome change to see somebody else do the fighting.

[Who's bitter about always being the fighter but never being asked? Certainly not Rose.]

Video

[alwayscomeback]

Oh yeah, this is absolutely a big 'ol trap. Buuut I really want to understand what's going on in this place. I think there's a mystery here that could help us with the overall Atroma deal.

Video

[tough_love]

[...you know what Sokka, she'll humor you.]

What makes you think so? I do not understand what mysteriously reappearing foodstuffs have to do with the Atroma.

Video

[alwayscomeback]

Well, think about it. This is a planet without any people on it- but here's a bunch of stuff- buildings, homes, a fair - all of it built for people. People who aren't here.

Given we know Atroma have more power than they let on, added to the fact I'm starting to wonder if this has anything to do with the teraformers...I don't know. It seems suspect that we've been brought here if they have nothing to do with it.

Video

[ultima_mortis]

[Have a skeleton in a robe, Looma.]

IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE A MOMENT OF TIME BROKEN OFF FROM REALITY. NOT A TRUE POCKET OF TIME, BUT SOMETHING THAT MIMICS THE APPEARANCE OF ONE.

video

[tough_love]

[Honestly it says a lot about her home universe that it's not even weird to her.]

...and that means what, exactly?

[CAN SHE FIX IT BY PUNCHING IT? Y/N ]

video

[ultima_mortis]

[Death is starting to wonder about the collection of people he's surrounded by. Normally, people are at least a little frightened. Thus far, he's felt almost normal.]

THERE ARE PHENOMENA WHERE I COME FROM IN WHICH TIME CAN BE BROKEN OFF INTO A KIND OF POCKET WHERE THINGS MOVE NEITHER FORWARD NOR BACKWARDS. THIS TOWN RESEMBLES WHAT SUCH A PHENOMENA MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

[ABSOLUTELY NOT, TALL RED WOMAN.]

[tough_love]

[Frankly if he was expecting that to move the conversation forward at all, the deadpan that follows is gonna be a real disappointment.]

That explains remarkably little.

[Does she look like a Chronosapien to you? In laymen's terms, bone man!]

[ultima_mortis]

[Death can meet her deadpan without moving at all. The joys of having a skull for a face.

He does sigh. It's a bit like the last breath of a whole planet.]

IF A LOCATION IS SUFFICIENTLY DISRUPTED BY MAGIC OR ANOTHER FORCE THAT AFFECTS THE FLOW OF TIME, IT CAN BE REMOVED ENTIRELY FROM THE NORMAL FLOW OF TIME. SUCH DISRUPTIONS PREVENT CHANGES LIKE SEASONS PASSING AND AGING, BUT ALSO MEAN THAT ONE CANNOT RETURN TO A MOMENT BEFORE THE DISRUPTION OCCURRED. THUS, A POCKET OF TIME THAT DOES NOT MOVE.

[It's basic Discworld physics, Looma. Hardly rocket science.]

[tough_love]

Fine. How do we stop it?

[Because honestly, the prevention of aging sounds remarkably similar to something they're dealing with all the time in the fleet as it is. Any solution might be something that could be applied to the fleet at large, not just the city.]

[ultima_mortis]

UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT KNOW. IN ORDER TO FIX A TIME LOOP, ONE MUST FIRST IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER NORMAL MEANS MIGHT NOT APPLY TO MOST WORLDS.

[video]

[ecclesiophobic]

Could be a trap.

Could be like in my world; entire towns could be found standing like that, where the humans had enough warning to grab what they could carry and run. Usually the towns were razed, but sometimes they were just left standing.

[tough_love]

Unless the humans of your world returned to replenish the supplies they left behind every day, I am inclined to believe the former.

[She knows they can be dumb, but she's giving them the benefit of the doubt that they aren't that dumb and impractical.]

Have you discovered anything else, or do you remain as clueless as the rest of us?

[ecclesiophobic]

[This is news to Kurt, if the way he blinks after she mentions that little tidbit is any indication.]

Hm. A trap is most likely, however.. If someone with temporal or reality altering powers died in this town, the trauma of their death could have caught the entire place in a--a loop, of sorts. Preserved the place as it was at the time of their death, or, less likely, as it was during a significant moment to them.

Has anyone seen the supplies being replenished?

Video

[crowkiller]

[Hello, captain.]

It seems we are in like mind.

Have you seen what happens before sunrise?

[tough_love]

I have not. I would prefer to keep my distance from such an obvious trap, though that may change soon enough.

[For all the terrible reasons, really.]

Do you refer to what- or who- is responsible for replenishing everything taken from the surface?