revivalprojectooc | Winter Test Drive Meme

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Winter Test Drive Meme

WINTER TEST DRIVE MEME
Application FAQ | Taken Characters | Reserves | Application

Welcome to the Current Test Drive for The Revival Project!

This game is a spin-off from the closed The Drift Fleet game. For more information about the game, including more details on the setting, please check out the FAQ here or the premise here.

A thread on the TDM will be required for all applications. Please view the FAQ for information about how this works. Any questions about the game please direct to the comment section of the FAQ as well.

If you are a Drift Fleet alumni bringing your character from the game, please label your character as 'DFAU' on your top level. Also, keep in mind you have complete flexibility on how your character comes here. They could be taken before endgame, after endgame, two years after, one year before, etc. It's up to you! If you want to completely restart your character, they're not considered DFAU anymore and won't need the label.

So go! Explore Agra 10! And, as always, HAVE FUN!

Thread ideas:

Winter in Temba and Sh'Ka

Winter has arrived on Agra 10 and with it its cold temperatures, sharp winds and, you guessed it, snow. It starts slow and gentle in Temba, but even such gentle snowfall tends to build up and over the course of a few days of constant snowfall, the city has been covered with a white, roughly knee-deep blanket - Unless someone actually remembered to keep some of the paths clear.

And it still keeps snowing. The cold is also causing some of the Shadowpaws to be drawn to the inhabited buildings of Temba in search for shelter. The further away from the library one is, the more likely it gets that they may share one's living space and bless anyone else living there with nightmares. The area around the library remains free of the shadowpaws thanks to the mothcats residing there.

Over in Sh'Ka, a similar picture has been painted. But being situated within all these tall trees paints a somewhat different picture. A more icy one. All the by now leaf-free trees are covered in a thick layer of ice, as are Sh'Ka's stone-carved buildings. The wind here is harsher than it is in Temba, which has been comparably wind-free.

Please try not to slip and hurt yourself while marveling at either city.

Explore ~~the city~~ Temba!

Here's a map of Temba and a bit more description of some of the buildings here.

Most of the buildings are run down and have clearly been abandoned for years; fortunately, the water treatment center appears to be working, but power is intermittent and unreliable. What used to be stores or places to live in lies in ruins, but there may still be something to scavenge among the rubble. Do you want to risk a swim in the flooded area that has turned into a deep lake that has yet to be fully explored; or does it draw you to some of the more prominent and partially restored buildings, such as the hotel, the hospital or the amphitheater.

If you are lucky, you might even stumble over The Deep End, the bar located on one of the mid-levels of the tower residences in one of the residence towers. Unfortunately no bright neon signs can lead you there, but it does exist.

Visit the spaceships!

That's right, there are currently several small spaceships sitting in the hangar. Not all of them may be around when you check out the building, as one of the pilots may be using one of them to fly over to Sh'Ka. But there should still enough of them around for you to inspect and maybe wonder about. However, only one of them will open its doors for you. Do you dare to step inside? Check out the protein paste or maybe even meet one of your crew mates?

The two currently crewless ships are open for anyone to step inside and have a look around, maybe even use for a nap.

Try the network!

Upon arrival, your character will have on their person a small, handheld communications device. Maybe they know exactly how to use a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and immediately blast out a text or video trying to figure out what's going on. Or maybe they're not so tech-savvy after all, and everyone is about to get a lovely shot right up your character's left nostril.

There be storms...

These power-altering storms keep ravaging parts of the planet every once in a while. No one truly knows where they come from or what to do about them yet, but one of them appears to be approaching. You have the option to find shelter in one of the buildings to wait for it to pass. Unless, of course, you rather feel drawn to investigate.

Should you step inside the storm, or even get lost in it, it will show ghosts of people you know and those you don't. It drains you of any super-human abilities and tries its best to keep you from getting to its origin. Are you going to try anyways? Or are you going to chase the whispers of people from your past? Maybe you will simply find yourself calling for help or stumble across another lost soul in need of assistance.

More information can be found here.

Wildcard!

You're welcome to use any previous test drive scenarios or previous game events as a basis for a thread/situation, or simply make up your own! Keep in mind that you're currently stranded on a planet with only basic necessities, but there is enough food and fresh water. Creature comforts, however, seem to be distinctly lacking. Quite unlike a gathering of potentially dangerous creatures to encounter. The setting is yours to explore and have fun with!

✧ Premise ✧ FAQ ✧ Rules ✧ Test Drive ✧ Taken ✧ Reserves ✧ Application ✧
✧ Map ✧ Devices & Network ✧ Data Points ✧ Ships ✧ Flora ✧ Fauna ✧ Supply Requests ✧ Calendar ✧
✧ Activity Check ✧ Player Plot Suggestion ✧ Player Contacts ✧ Player Permission Code ✧ Hiatus ✧ Drop ✧
✧ Navigation ✧

code bases by tricklet

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That actually gets Dustin to chuff a laugh, though it's definitely not coming from a place of genuine amusement.

"Ambitious," he mutters. "I would put our odds at actually cracking the secrets to interuniversal travel at slightly below those of figuring out how to revert a planet-wide ecological disaster. Actually implementing a fix is more reasonable for the latter. The Agrii definitely have the resources available--"

Dustin waves his hand at the sky in a vague gesture at the Agrii ship that he knows is up there.

"--But they would likely only be convinced to provide them if they adhere to their personal goals. They wouldn't lift a finger for anything else."

Donatello snorts lightly. "Well even I'll admit that it's probably not going to be simple but it's already proven to have been done. Replicating it is the problem, especially if it involves sensitive materials or circumstances."

He cranes a look skyward despite knowing there's likely nothing he can glimpse. "Well...wouldn't it? I mean, if the information from that data point is valid, then helping us procure the means to solve their storm problem seems the most sensible thing when it comes to achieving their personal goals. What do we know about the storms anyway? I can only assume that they aren't your run-of-the-mill wild weather kind of storms."

"Sure," Dustin shrugs. "Once we give them a detailed rundown of the equipment that we need and are confident that it'll work, because they sure as fuck don't understand the scope of the technology that they have available and what it does."

He sighs, coming to a stop in front of the Agriculture center. The doors are, like all the other ones, absolutely massive, which is always a bit of a pain in the ass. Dustin squares himself off and gives this one a hefty shove to try and (slowly) push it open.

"Regular weather would be...easy..." he grunts. "Unpredictable, supernatural phenomena that affect different people in different ways. Apparitions of people you know, or things from stories. The moon screams."

That they don't open automatically is a bit of a disappointment, but Donatello supposes it's something to expect if the city's been abandoned for so long. He retracts his tech-bo and tucks it into a coat pocket before moving to help Dustin with getting the doors open.

Mention of supernatural phenomena prompts the turtle to make a face, suggestion of ghosts- and of people he knows, well that's a bit concerning. Stories? He has so many questions but they all come to a near audible record screech at the last one.

"Hold on rewind. The moon what now."

That's a familiar reaction.

"You heard me," Dustin says, but he waits to elaborate until he and Donatello have the door open enough to slip inside. The turtle likely already noticed that the walls of this huge building are made of glass, but given the difference in temperature frosting the panels, he probably hasn't had a chance to see what's inside. A gust of warm air pushes back on the door, along with the smell of loamy dirt and sporadically-blooming flowers, old fruit and grass. Dustin himself hasn't had a chance to explore in here very much, but he has to admit that the passive warmth and calm, earthy atmosphere is much better than where they just came from.

After a moment of brushing the snow off of his outer sweater and ripping off his beanie to shake out his hair, Dustin continues. "It has a face, and it screams. I'm not sure how to explain it more concisely than that. Only appears during the storms, though - investigating why. Trying to make a better way to observe it both during and outside of those events."

The difference is an immediate one, and Donatello is all too happy to let those doors close behind them as he takes a deep breath of agricultural air. Hopefully Dustin won't be in too much of a hurry to get his coat back as the turtle adjusts to the temperature, rubbing his hands together while he waits for his feet to thaw out.

"A moon with a face that screams." He makes his own face at just repeating such a phrase. "Not that I am doubting you but I do have questions as to whoever thought it was a great idea to inflict such a ridiculous thing on people." Dustin does not seem like the sort to make up such things, which only makes the fact worse, really.

"So it's not the same moon that's out here, however night works- is there more than one moon to this planet? Kind of weird for a heavenly body to be dependent upon a weather-adjacent event in order to show, but then if it's got a face and screams then I highly doubt we are dealing with any natural phenomenon. Observation does seem the best course of action. How equipped are we for that kind of study?"

"I think we all do," Dustin mutters, aggressively rubbing some of the surrounding warmth into his arms. A longing glance is cast at his coat, but...well, the turtle definitely still needs it more than him, since if he took it back now then he'd just be stranded here until someone came back with more clothes.

I guess I can fix that. Dustin frowns and rips his gaze away towards one of the far walls. Not like I could be working on anything else more productive than fetching clothes for new people. Annoying. This is what I get for being helpful.

At least his pouting doesn't keep him from continuing to answer questions. "Not very," Dustin replies in a huff. "Working on it. Progress is...slow. Fucking snow bullshit."

The turtle catches that look out of the corner of his eye, maybe feeling a little guilty about hogging the coat. He gives himself one last huddle before slipping it off. Compared to outside it is much more comfortable in here. Maybe he'll just...live in here until winter stops being freezing.

"Here, 's not my color anyway," he mumbles along with an almost incoherent thanks as he holds the coat in Dustin's direction.

He'll start to look around at the nearby plants once the coat's been taken off his hands. "Component gathering?" Not that he's going to refute that weather can be a very annoying factor in slowing down production of things, although he's used to not having to worry too much about that given the sheer amount of space and resources he usually had to work with.

Was he that transparent? Dustin briefly gives his own coat a suspicious glance over before he internally chides himself for being too paranoid, then snatches it away.

"Kind of," he explains, shaking out his coat before shrugging it over his shoulders. His sharp eyes follow the back of Donatello's head as he starts to wander around the space. "Replicator gets around that, for the most part. Travel, mostly. Site for the observatory is outdoors. Need to wait for some of the snow to melt before I can sled out the motor."

To some degree Donnie figures he'd act the same way if he deigned to lend anything to anyone. At least he can function much better in here, and he can't help but be a little eager to explore the alien plant-life.

"Replicator?" He glances over his shoulder at that, brow arched, curiosity piqued. "Like it says on the label? Where do I get access to that?" Because clearly something called a 'replicator' needs to be tested. For Science.

"I didn't really get a good chance to look around but given all I saw was snow I can see your point. A motor!" The turtle rubs his hands together. "How long did that take to get together?"

Dustin nods, looking surprisingly unimpressed given the subject matter. "'Welcome Center.' Third building--" He turns to face the door and points to his left. "--Clockwise from the exit, around the Fountain."

And that's all the detail he'll give for the moment; Donatello seems like a smart guy who can probably figure out everything else once he finds it. The Replicator is old news. Talking about his projects is much more interesting.

"Not very long," Dustin says with a too-casual shrug of his shoulders, but the way the corners of his mouth tug into a smirk betrays his pride. "A month, plus-or-minus a few days, plus the tuning up and maintenance testing I've been doing while it's stuck in the shop. Most of the parts were already in the stadium light ensemble I took it from. Just needed to get it working again, add a few attachments for telescope extension and retraction, dial the motion sensitivity way up to adjust the lenses. Target tracking tied to an object database is still a work in progress."

He'd probably be able to tell that Donnie's committing that tidbit of info to memory, face screwing up just slightly as he tries to figure out words to set it into rhyme. Eh well. The directions are simple enough that he probably doesn't need to memorize them in song form.

A faint, knowing smile pulls at his own mouth as Dustin goes into details concerning his telescope project, making more mental notes regarding the stadium. Sounds like a potential scavenge site.

"Fascinating. I'd love to see it." It's not very often- oh, who's he kidding, he never gets the chance to look at other people's projects or gush about such things outside of helping April with her schoolwork and that's not at all the same deal.

"Sure you would," Dustin says, preening. "It's--"

Then his paranoia rears its head like a snake about to strike him in the face. You're just gonna tell him where you fucking live?! Dustin's eyes widen for a moment, then narrow dangerously at Donatello, accompanied by an accusatory scowl. Can't believe he tried to play me like that. Can't believe I almost fell for it! Fuck!!

"--Why do you want to know?" he snaps instead, visibly bristling. It could just be genuine interest, but - no, fuck, too good to be true. Must be a trick.

The abrupt shift from the other teenager is so sudden and unexpected that Donatello stares, stunned as though Dustin's gone Mister Hyde on him. He is completely unused to this sort of thing, connecting with a fellow science enthusiast only to have that cordiality suddenly ripped away like a rug pulled from under him.

"Wha..?" He tries to kickstart himself out of the stall of a shock, taking a step back like he expects the next thing Dustin might do would be to attack for no reason. The guy certainly looks agitated enough.

"-too soon? I know, new kid on the block, first time on an alien planet and the first thing I jump on is tech-talk. Guess I kinda got over-eager there, I've never got to talk with other people about tech like this before. Usually it's more of a...me thing," he admits, almost looking disappointed. He's not too sure where to go with this.

The Jekyll-and-Hyde comparison is more apt than Donatello probably realizes. There are two sides of Dustin currently warring in him right now: The part of him that realized his intelligence and the powers it came from were being used to further someone else's career without his consent, and therefore absolutely cannot trust anyone that feels like they're trying to understand his work or delve into his personal shit; and the part of him that has craved the recognition and company of someone with a similar intellect to his own, especially someone close to his age, and desperately wants to show them his accomplishments and just fucking talk shop like a normal engineer. He recognizes this dichotomy, even. The conflict is written plain on his face, growing increasingly pained the more Donatello rambles. Dustin wants to believe him, so badly. But he can't be sure that's a safe thing to do.

"...Look," he eventually manages, but stops short. Puts his face in his hands and holds them there for a couple seconds. When Dustin glances up again, he looks very tired. "I...get it. I am willing to show you what I've got. But--" He holds up his hand, eyes sharpening like knives. "--If you fucking blab about what I'm working on or where my shop is I will fucking find you. There's only so many places to hide and I know where all of them are. You get me?"

This is mostly an empty threat, although with how seriously Dustin delivers it, Donatello might not take it the same way.

The longer the lack of response the more antsy Donatello can't help but feel. Why are humans so complicated? Why can't they all be like April? Crazy and completely casual when things get weird?

He carefully lets out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Dustin starts to speak again, chewing on his lower lip when the other falls silent again, looking like he's going through some kind of internal conflict. Maybe this is more than Donnie's bargained for. Go figure, you're getting excited about tech things and then the guy goes insane.

Which is why he's hesitant to let himself be relieved or excited when Dustin gets around to extending an olive branch. Yep, called it. This time when the guy threatens him, Donatello's more prepared. Kind of. He frowns at Dustin, brows coming down hard as he doesn't take threats very kindly. He's the one with the weapon, after all. He highly doubts that Dustin would be able to find him if he really wanted to hide. Of course it seems pointless to outline all this, and the turtle manages to head himself off before he digs a deeper hole than the one he's unwittingly found himself in.

"All right, all right. Really, I don't know what you're worried about- I just got there," he does feel he has to point out. "Who am I going to tell? Anyway, it's not hard to keep things a secret if no one bothers to ask about it, and unless you've got people specifically trying to dig into your business, I doubt anyone's gonna track me down and demand I spill everything we've talked about."

Edited 2023-02-26 07:05 (UTC)

"I know," Dustin says, deadpan. A rogue element, that's what being new makes him. Donatello could tell someone like Wilson where he sleeps, not knowing any better, and that would be the end. "I don't care about the statistics. I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone."

Donatello sighs with all the exaggeration of a teenager who's clearly untrusted to come back home by curfew, complete with an eyeroll.

"Fine," he says before pressing his hands together in front of him as he takes in a deep breath. "I promise I won't tell anyone about your projects or where they might be located, okay?"

Sadly, Dustin misses the irony of how many times he's given this exact same kind of snide response to people. Like looking in a mirror and not recognizing his own reflection.

"Good," he sniffs, folding his arms. "It's--"

There's another beat and, for a moment, it might seem like Dustin's about to have second thoughts again - but really he's doing a quick scan around the Agriculture building's main floor, eyes darting around, checking for prying ears. Dustin only continues once he's satisfied that there aren't any.

"--The old strip mall, just south of city center, furthest building to the east," he says in a subdued voice. "Side door. Knock once, wait three seconds, then knock twice so I know it's you. If I don't answer then try again in an hour, but don't...hover. People might see you."

For a moment the turtle looks mildly annoyed that Dustin's changed his mind, but he recognizes the look of a paranoid man and can't help but have a glance around as he wonders if there's actually anyone who might be listening in. He has to wonder what Dustin's been through from wherever he is. Even as a five-foot-three mutant turtle Donnie and his brothers have never been so paranoid about being out in public.

When the other begins to speak up again, Donnie gives him his full attention as he soaks in that information. "Knock once, wait three seconds, knock again- two times for identification purposes, leave if no answer to follow, try again in hourly intervals if I am so inclined, don't be seen, got it," he says, nodding before waving a hand. Relax, it's not like I can stroll around New York looking like this. I know how to sneak around and blend in with the scenery."

Dustin nods once, looking (mostly) satisfied with Donatello's answer.

"That remains to be seen," he shrugs. Not a criticism - simply a matter of observation. Then, just as bluntly, Dustin turns for the door.

"I'm going to get you some better clothes so you don't freeze to death," he says. "It'll be a few hours. Dropping them off at the door. Don't wander off."

That's unexpected, but Donatello's not going to object to it. Not freezing is something he can agree with.

He can't help but give Dustin a brief look and gesture towards the frozen landscape outside the windows in a 'where'm I going to go?' manner before he turns to look back at the rest of the greenhouse. "A few hours," he acknowledges, deciding it's probably best not to antagonize the guy doing you a favor, at least not too much. He reaches towards his left forearm as though to tap at something before pausing and scowling at the lack of his computer there. Squinting towards the foggy glass, he tries to make out where the sun is before shrugging, he'll just...wing it. Uck.

Oh. Maybe he should...

"...thanks," he adds, sliding a look back towards Dustin.

Dustin doesn't even look back on his way out. Donatello's thanks gets a vague, dismissive wave thrown over his shoulder, then another shove of the oversized door as he trudges back out into the snow, letting it clatter closed behind him.

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Winter Test Drive Meme

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