TDM #11

[apocalypsehowmods]

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➥ Arrival

(cw: potential for severe disorientation/vertigo, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, body horror)

It happens in the blink of an eye. You may have been asleep. You may not have. You may have stepped through a door or turned a corner. You may have seen a flicker of something at the corner of your vision and turned to look. Or maybe you didn't.

It doesn't matter. What matters is that you find yourself somewhere entirely new and entirely unfamiliar. The arrival point is not always the same. (If you're lucky, it might be a canteen or an open office. If you're not, well... you aren't claustrophobic, are you? Or arachnophobic. These ducts do seem to be a bit cobwebby.) There is no one waiting for you but you don’t seem to be alone, either. Even in a janitor’s closet or the bathroom, you’ll find at least one person who seems to be just as out of place as you are.

If characters have arrived in a location devoid of NPCs, they may want to work together to figure out what is going on... or to avoid their 'kidnappers.' If you’ve arrived in the middle of the entry foyer or the gym, there may well be a few people who startle a bit at your arrival and try to approach (or discreetly leave the room... where are they going?). Will you cooperate or fight? Do you even understand what they're saying? You might need to find a translator, if you’re not immediately willing to follow a stranger.

After characters follow their new hosts (or are forcibly taken in) there will be a limited tour and the chance to settle in at the ADI-provided housing. (Do you enjoy living with strangers? Well. It's a new situation to navigate, anyway.)

➥ Rivertouched

(cw: supernaturally affected mood changes, supernatural compulsion, hallucination, potential for suicidal ideations and drowning)

Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. And the weird things have been getting worse. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals, but they're far more conscientious about it than early days. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, especially not with recent events that have transpired surrounding Dogtown and in Gloucester proper. An employee gives you a GPS device where you need only press a button to alert ADI there is severe danger and someone needs to come help you right away, and you've been left with another person at the trailhead. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.

This month, late April rain showers have swollen the streams in Dogtown, leading to slightly more treacherous conditions, particularly at low trail-crossings. Anyone who needs them has been issued some waterproof boots for their walk to help with that. Some pairs who go wandering may find themselves getting split up unexpectedly, though. A fork in a path leads off and each person may find themselves drawn to a different trail.

One path continues on as normal. The other is a bit more overgrown, wild with flowers spilling over the sides of the dirt path. It is quieter here, a little darker as the trees begin to close in overhead. The sound of birds begins to fade, even the swaying of grasses. Soon, it might be only the sound of your own breath and footsteps that carry you down the path. But there's nothing that appears to be dangerous, just strange. And then you come to the river.

There are no rivers in Dogtown. There are a few small creeks that run into Strangman Pond or the Babson Reservoir, but nothing like this. It is a wide, slow-moving thing with dark water. Anyone touching it will find that the water is actually warm, more like a pleasant bath than the freezing spring it should be. There's also an urge to step into the water, to lie down in it and just… float away. You're so tired and aching and this is a place of peace and quiet, no one around to bother you. You could stay and float along the river forever.

Or you could if it weren't for your companion finding you. Those who took the other path and return to try to find their wayward partner will not find a place of peace and quiet. They will, instead, find their companion near a mudpit. Potentially, said companion will be lowering themselves into it, turning over to be facedown, as the mud slowly embraces them.

➥ Well Read

(cw: gaslighting, supernatural compulsion)

Spring is in the air, and with the success of the recent flower festival, Gloucester's library system has decided to host a book fair to get people interested in reading. They've acquired a large number of new books with a particular bend toward the paranormal and local legends. This might have something to do with a recent, large donation from a mysterious local benefactor who wishes to remain nameless, but who can really say? Books!

Flyers advertising the fair go up around town and seem, somehow, especially enticing, even to people who might not be regular readers. Those to come will be offered the chance to sign up for a free library card that can be used at either of the two libraries in Gloucester and in the wider Cape Ann library network, which encompasses a further seven libraries. Strangely, members of ADI who try to sign up for a card will find that they are already in the library system. In fact, they've already checked out and returned several books. Don't they remember? They've been coming here for months now!

Reviewing their own lists, people will find that their checked out books seem to be filled with titles that they probably would have checked out, if given the opportunity. There's something more, though. Comparing lists with others, every single member of ADI from another world will find that they appear to have checked out Philip Dick's Eye in the Sky novel. That novel cannot be found in any library in the Gloucester or Cape Ann system, though. There's no record of its acquisition, nor is there a record of where it might have gone to. Anyone asking very confused librarians will be assured that they'll try to get it in again. It seems to be something of a rarity, though, and the system will have a bit of trouble acquiring a copy. They promise to have it within a month. Two at the very most! If you like existential sci-fi horror, though, can they interest you in these other titles?

The fair itself will feature a wide variety of books to suit any genre. There are also prizes on offer for anyone who wants to test their reading knowledge. Laptops have been set up in one area with quizzes to test your knowledge of a particular book. The questions begin in a benign and sensible way and stay that way for some. For others… the questions start getting to be more about opinion, then more about you. The questions are phrased as hypotheticals, but there's no way this thing could know to pose that specific hypothetical to you. It can't possibly know about that horrible thing you did or said. Why is it asking? Why can't you not answer? Why can't you leave? Those faced with these questions will be forced to answer them with error messages popping up if they try to lie. The only way to escape is to get through the full quiz or to have someone else rescue you. Of course, this might entail them reading over your shoulder and seeing just what sort of things you've done.

➥ Training Wheels Off

(cw: hallucinations, nyctophobia, claustrophobia, severe injuries to fingernails, severe burns, dead bodies, superstition)

The word comes down from Nia Lehrer, Warden of ADI, that they have a strong lead on a ritual attempt at this point. Between the information collected by native ADI agents and the visitors from other worlds, they know there's going to be an attempt involving the Dark avatar, Katie Dunn, and the Buried avatar Deepthi Anand. There's also something strange going on with FYRE, a mining company headquartered and operating in Appalachia. All hands are needed on the ground given the amount of area they need to cover and the potentially short timeframe to stop something from happening. ADI requests volunteers from the off-world visitors, including new arrivals, offering a substantial bonus for their involvement, and promising not everyone is going to be engaged in some pitched battle. An army marches on its stomach, after all, and moving, housing, and caring for so many people a state away is a major logistics undertaking, not to mention the need for PR experts who can help deal with the locals while ADI sorts out what needs doing.

A train is chartered, heading everyone toward Wolf Pen, West Virginia. It's a standard train, one that will ferry the entirety of ADI's personnel and equipment to Wolf Pen in just about 18 hours. It's a ride that takes them through some towns, but predominantly sticks to what remains of the wild parts of the eastern seaboard and Appalachia. There's a dining car, cars for luggage, some cars that are just seats, and some cars that have bunk beds in them. Bags are packed, people loaded in, and the journey begins. Of course, no journey with the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative would be complete without some oddities along the way.

Scratchmarks
The train isn't making any stops, just plowing onward, which means people who want to get a little exercise will be forced to roam between cars. The space between the two carriage doors shudders with the motion of the train. The walls are made of metal and thick, accordion-esque plastic that stretches and bends. Very occasionally, the doors between the carriages seem to simply lock up. Tugging on them does nothing and this is a very small, unstable place that only seems to grow smaller and hotter the longer you're in there. Less than a minute may feel like hours, but that's not all. Those who are trapped might begin to see scratchmarks, places where the walls have been gouged, maybe even partially ripped open. There are fingernails still embedded in some places. Seeing this prompts an overwhelming need to escape, to be out of this place because something terrible is coming. You might need to be let out by someone or you might get out yourself. Either way, inspecting the space between cars turns up… nothing. No scratchmarks, no tears, no locking doors. Maybe you should just sit down and stick to one car. It was only a few seconds, after all.

Fearful Tunnel Syndrome
As they move out of Massachusetts, the coastal wetlands and plains give way to thick forests and then mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains thrust their way toward the sky, carving a new horizon as the day fades to night and the sun disappears far earlier than it might usually do for this time of year. The Blue Ridge Mountains might not be so impressive as the Rockies, no peaks piercing the heavens. They're older than that, worn by more time than anything living on the earth now could comprehend. But they rise up, imposing in a landscape that has known only these mountains as their forebears.

The train slows as it starts chugging up passes, forcing its way deeper into the heart of these rocky monuments. It begins passing through tunnels. Mutters go through the carriage, old superstitions that you ought to hold your breath going through these tunnels. There might be a wish if you make it to the other end. Or there might just be safety from whatever specters might have died in those dark places beneath the earth.

But someone doesn't hold their breath.

It happens sometime around 9 PM. The train enters into one of the tunnels and very suddenly, every electronic light goes out in the carriages. No phones seem to be working, no flashlights, not even those for people who are made of technology. The world is plunged into blackness… and then something begins tapping along the windows. It will be impossible to see what it is, but for five minutes the tunnel stretches on and on and on, far longer than it should be. Longer than it could be. Nothing attacks, there is simply the dark and the tapping before light is restored and the conductor comes over the speaker to apologize for the issue. Just some internal malfunction that's been sorted out. Really, there's nothing to worry about.

Burned Bridges
The morning sun rises late in this part of the country, shadows stretching out from the mountains and tall pines that surround the tracks. Still, those keeping vigil at the windows will see the occasional point of interest. Animals rushing by, small towns, even the odd campsite that's almost certainly illegal. But there's one thing in particular the eye:

The charred remains of a person have been positioned along the side of the tracks. This person cannot be seen by anyone except individuals, and no one will see the exact same person in the same spot. The bodies are stood with a tattered red flag on a pole. Those who have been involved with certain happenings or who have been reading the news might well recognize the insignia of the "Shadowcats." This is a cult made up by members of ADI in an effort to frame them for the murder of a Desolation avatar and his circus troupe. Someone or something seems to have taken notice. Maybe? It's hard to say, after all, when the bodies simply disappear from one blink to the next.

➥ Mod Notes

• ARRIVAL (Apr 1 - 31): Two people will always arrive in the same general location together. Arrivals occur throughout the early month, not all on the same day or in the same place. Arrivals are not naturally fluent in English/other languages immediately upon arrival. Characters may attempt to evade capture, but they will eventually be snagged before they can leave the building. PC's already in-game are more than welcome to interact with and try to guide new PC's to get them oriented. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
  
  
• RIVERTOUCHED (May 1 - 12): Please keep in mind that death is permanent in the game. If your character dies in this prompt during the TDM, they will be dead. A version of them who did not experience that event on the TDM can be apped in, instead. Characters who try to walk away from the quiet/river after reaching it will find that moving away is like trying to move through molasses. It becomes harder and harder until they reach whatever personal limit they have. Moving back toward the river will be much easier with no resistance. There is no way to collect the river water for later. Characters who attempt to do so will find they just have some mud that appears to be wholly mundane. Characters caught in the hallucination may be snapped out of it immediately by the return of their partner, or may not be able to perceive them for a time, at player discretion.
  
  
• WELL READ (May 1 - 12): Characters may be able to obtain their own copy of Eye in the Sky from somewhere like Ebay or similar, but it doesn't appear to be available through any existing publisher. Whatever copy they obtain will follow the summary provided in the Wikipedia link for the prompt. Characters will be issued a new library card if they attend the fair and wish to obtain one. The quiz questions are up to players to decide on the specifics, but they should become increasingly invasive about personal details regarding the character. Any PCs looking over their shoulders will be able to see the invasive questions, but regular, non-ADI natives will just see an ordinary book quiz question.
  
  
• TRAINING WHEELS OFF (May 13 - 14): Characters who note and report suspicious activity will be taken seriously and native ADI personnel aboard the train will investigate. They will not be able to replicate the effects that characters experience, though. Or see what the characters might have seen with the exception of the blackout. Everyone will have experienced that and ADI will be on high alert. They will ask for volunteer guards at either side of the train cars to make sure no one actually gets locked between sections after a few people experience the Scratchmarks sub-prompt. Characters will have assigned sleeping accommodations (up to four to a sleeping car room, but can wander the train, otherwise. Food and non-alcoholic beverages on the train will be free.
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Comments

[trestle]

Like it reports back to someone. Everyone I've talked to about computers always seems to worry about who is seeing their information and all.

[ And by talk it's eavesdropping but still the same idea in his mind. ]

I mostly don't get the gist? I never used a lot of computers before. Kind of a off the network kind of a life. No phone, no computer. Just toyed with a friend's sometime.

[ He frowns at that, just not liking the idea. It's way to close to home, but... ]

I hadn't thought to try that?

[ But now he does. Simply typing the one word and then hitting enter. ]

What pleasure is there to derive from scaring people?

[ His expression darkens, a dozen answers coming to him but none he would admit. Not to the computer and not with someone standing right there. ]

So it's basically broken? What's this got to do with knowledge about a book anyway. The one I picked ain't even a horror book.

[ He shakes his head. ]

I'm done with this. Ain't worth whatever they were promising anyway.

[jup1t3r]

[ There's a lot going on here and the pause is Rye being momentarily unsure what to react to first. Is this person honestly trying to explain cyber crime to him? Does it matter that there's no way the stranger could know he's a hacker posing as a cyber crime specialist? Most certainly not.

Outing himself as a hacker is a bit over the top even for his ego, but given the circumstances (and he's still in a grumpy mood, too), he can't help himself. ]

Yes of course there's somebody looking. Why do you think devices are connected to a network if not for nefarious individuals waiting to steal somebody's entire identity from a quiz about a book?

[ Despite first impressions and a lot of sharp and pointy - in both his choice of words and his tone - Rye's actually a smidgen endeared at the idea of anybody living off grid... and a lot terrified by it.

It's the same kind of feeling as looking over edge of a cliff at a sheer drop. The idea isn't as far-fetched as maybe he'd have thought a handful of months ago, but it's certainly stirred something worthy of a weirdly wistful look. Eventually he comes back to himself and refocuses on the new question. ]

Well, isn't this so edgy.

[ He rolls his eyes as though he absolutely understands what's going on here. He doesn't, but he certainly thinks he does. ]

There's plenty of pleasure derived from scaring people. Where should we start? Righteous vindication? Slow and patient revenge? Perhaps because power feels good? I bet this tosser hasn't allowed enough in the character limit for us to put all of those in.

[trestle]

[ Pope stares at him for a long time at that, about him talking about nefarious purposes and all. As if there's a reason to fear someone through a computer when they're not even there in person to commit a crime.]

For the same reason we apparently have library cards in a town we've never been and checked out a book I ain't never heard of. To fuck with our heads. Besides, seems from that they already got our identity.

[ He's just now wondering how much of his actual identity they have. ]

They seem to be doing a good enough job with me but don't think they're getting any of that from me.

[jup1t3r]

[ Close to asking if he's sprouted an extra head, eventually the other man says something rather than just staring and Rye's opening for a sarcastic interjection disappears. It's probably for the best, and he's more curious about the kind of place this stranger has originated from where people still comment on how much information the Powers That Be might have on them. A place where living off grid doesn't seem to be in protest of anything.

Where he's from it's most certainly a given the government know all about their 'constituents', to the point where the general population has just given up, stopped protesting it. Not Rye, though. He does his part to stick it to the man, as they say. ]

You do have a point.

[ Nice of him to agree, obviously, he's not a complete bellend. He doesn't always have to be a contrary nightmare. ]

The question isn't how much they have - they likely have it all. The question is where are they storing it? Behind what kind of security? Wouldn't you like to see all the information they have on you, Mr Charmingly Luddite-esque?

Of course, I can let you know every sordid detail they have on you when [ not if ] I find it.

[ So much for not being a dickhead. ]

[trestle]

[ All of this place is such a learning curve for Pope. A combination of his true nature and his early beginnings and he finds so much of this place confusing. He just doesn't understand so much of it in a way that makes sense to him, and adding on the madness of this place makes it even harder for him. ]

What makes you think they have all that on any of us? I mean, I'd make people think I know more than I do.

[ He does it often enough with very little.

He snorts at that, shrugging even as he folds his arms over his chest. ]

Feel free. Not a whole lot to share, I'm betting. Even if they know it all.

[ So many lies. SO MANY. He plans to hide the truth as long as he can. If nothing else, this place is interesting and he's got a chance to learn about other places. ]

Besides, what makes you so sure you'll find it out? I mean, in ways beyond asking nicely?

Speaking of, the name's Pope. That one's free.

[jup1t3r]

I suppose that's your mistake.

[ Rye sniffs as though he'd never get caught making such a brash move like that. Realistically, though, he doesn't know anything for sure, which means all of this is just talk.

Regardless of his assessment, he gives the stranger - Pope, is it? - another once over and there's the smallest hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Oh but the urge to tell Pope there's really no need for freebies; rooting around in data he shouldn't be is his reason to get up in the morning. Or whatever time of day he eventually emerges.

He struggles with that urge for a few moments, ego battling his good sense to not out himself immediately no matter how much he seems to want to impress this new acquaintance of his.

All the things I've uncovered before, he thinks to himself, the red hot intensity of his passion for toppling corrupt governments from the inside simmering right under his skin. Slowly he comes back to himself, and refusing to be outdone: ]

For the record, I don't need free, Pope.

[ His smile broadens as he very purposely doesn't mention his name in return. Maybe, at some point, Rye should check himself, dig a little into why he's so hellbent on playing games of cat and mouse with people when they snag his interest. Or maybe he'll just keep on ignoring these problematic parts of himself and continue full steam ahead.

And he'll be damned if everybody doesn't have something to hide. ]

If I had all the data I wanted on a mark I'd say absolutely nothing at all. I'd use it in ways that they weren't aware of. Why remove the element surprise when slowly eroding somebody's reputation by tipping them off to the fact you're doing it?