meadowlarklogs | OPEN PLAYER PLOT: OPERATION LOST BOYS

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OPEN PLAYER PLOT: OPERATION LOST BOYS

WHO: Anyone
WHERE: A research outpost not far from New Amsterdam proper
WHEN: November 28
WHAT: The Displaced arrive to save the captured Morningstar agents, including one of their own.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Violence, mentions of interrogation/torture, etc.

> DEPARTURE BY TRAIN
Early in the day on November 28th, Prompto and Poe will conspire to get an out-of-service train car onto the same tracks where the Displaced were guided by Cassius earlier this month. By all measures, the train car doesn't look operational. There are telling dents in the side, and it does not appear to be powered on. Yet those involved in the rescue operation already assembled are climbing on board like they know that this is their ride.

Inside, the train is fairly battered. Some of the seats on the far wall seem to have been damaged when the train collided with something during the EMP, and the rattling of the crash took out some of the internal handrails as well.

Once everyone is settled, though, the car begins to move. At the front of the car, Poe uses his power to move the train car on the tracks and out of the city. As they hit a checkpoint, the car doesn't slow down to be inspected; instead, it accelerates and blows right through the barrier, which makes for a pronounced jolt for all the passengers inside.

Once the train is rolling outside of the city limits, the Displaced can grab scrambler masks that have been provided by Morningstar for use in infiltrating the outpost when they arrive. It is imperative, El suggests, that they don't allow their identities to be compromised. They will also remind the Displaced to keep this project under wraps, lest Morningstar as a whole has its operations compromised.

This is a good time to solidify any plans about what to do when the outpost is reached. The train ride won't be especially long, but long enough for some tension to settle over the car.

> INFILTRATE THE OUTPOST
The outpost they arrive at is a less grimy version of what the Displaced saw earlier in November. The interior is almost identical to what was present there, with some wings repurposed as jailing sites. There are bright, fluorescent lights with white walls and a sterile smell throughout. Even cleaned up, these labs do not recognize any of those that the Displaced may have seen in their dreams.

The description below is borrowed from the arrival log for reference:

The building is six stories tall. The first floor has a lobby/waiting area, a cafeteria, and some office spaces. The second floor is the dormitory floor, which is where the employees would usually sleep if they chose to stay at the facility while working rather than returning to the city in between shifts. This is where the new arrivals woke up. Floors three through five are dedicated to lab spaces, which is where the actual research work is usually done. Most of these laboratories are going to be locked, but that won't stop Displaced from breaking into them if they want. Some of the lab rooms also have exam rooms. Displaced will be able to swipe lab equipment and medical supplies, such as syringes, vials/beakers, first aid supplies, scalpels, bandages, multi-lens microscopes, etc. The top floor is dedicated to offices for higher-ranked scientists, so think of it as the C suite. All floors also have bathrooms, of course, and the dormitory wing also has showers.

✦ Notably, this outpost is also empty of scientists. However, stoic soldiers stand guard at every door. These well-armed warriors are with the UNA, who has taken over the outpost. These soldiers are not an easy fight. In the fights with UNA soldiers, PCs might die and need to be revived in New Prague by Morningstar.
✧ DISTRACTION: Some of the PCs may choose to deal with the UNA by attempting to distract them using wit, charm, or apparent helplessness. PCs may search for a way to draw attention away from some of these doors to let others sneak past.

✧ INFILTRATION: Those who sneak past will find the jailing areas similarly guarded, and eventually, stealth and quiet infiltration is no longer an option. Rey and the other Morningstar agents are being held in well-secured cells, and UNA soldiers must be engaged in order to get past them.

✦ Inside the jailing sites, they find the missing agents in terrible shape. These Morningstar operatives have gone through extreme interrogation, and if they can get persuaded to talk sense--or talk at all--they might impart on their rescuers that the subject of that interrogation was most recently about the blue technology. However, most are catatonic, seemingly unaware of who they are or where they are, and some react negatively and violently toward anyone who displays the blue glow in front of them as the result of a conditioned response.
✧ Agents from the September raids will explain that Rey's arrival worsened the interrogation. Some of these agents may admit to confessing that Morningstar started helping a new group that emerged. It was clear in their interrogation that the UNA was not involved in the June firefight because they only then put together that the Displaced were involved in it. They're only aware because they were tasked with cleaning up after it.

✧ Some of the agents taken during the raids will still be resentful of the Displaced, and this will help convince the UNA that the Displaced are separate from Morningstar.

Once the agents are freed, the Displaced can make their way back to the exit of the outpost, where Poe Dameron waits in an armored truck liberated from the UNA. This flying truck is meant to transfer large numbers of UNA soldiers for load-outs, so despite the Displaced and rescued agents' numbers, it will be sufficiently spacious to fit them all. Though it flies, it's smarter to stay low in the interest of staying off trackers on their way to New Prague, where they can hopefully wait out the heat of pursuit by the UNA.

> NEW PRAGUE
When they arrived in New Prague, El contacts local Morningstar agents to escort them to a safehouse. Notably, El will warn the Displaced that no other parts of Morningstar know about zeir identity as an AI. El is hoping that the Displaced will keep their secret, but is more concerned with helping than with keeping them separate from the New Prague Morningstar chapter.

These Morningstar agents will bring the Displaced to an abandoned chain convenience store at the edge of town, Zesco. The convenience store is located near the edge of the city, and it's meant to be a temporary stop. The upper part of the store is just an empty space, though there is a wall where it's clear that there were once icee machines. All of the Morningstar agents will be held under an abandoned convenience store.

✦ The inside of the safehouse is like most safehouses, but since it's meant to be temporary, there aren't any clothes or food in place to help someone out. There will be Morningstar agents who come in to supply these things throughout the stay, showing up about an hour in to help out.
✧ It will be apparent that this safehouse is not one of the ones that's typically used in New Prague, but instead one of the miscellaneous ones that they've had around. Unlike New Amsterdam, most of the safehouses in New Prague weren't compromised. Of course, there is a high likelihood that this safehouse will be decommissioned after all of this.

✧ Notably, the New Prague agents are all quite impressed that the missing New Amsterdam agents were able to be saved at all—previously, NPC Morningstar cells had believed rescue to be impossible.

✧ Anyone who kept their scrambler mask on during the infiltration of the outpost is allowed to leave the safehouse and explore New Prague. Anyone else … can do that if they want, but it's not a good idea! The safehouse won't be fun, but jail will be worse. Please reach out to the mods if you do this.
✦ Beyond the safehouse, New Prague is a large, beautiful city housing around 30 million people. Unlike many of its brethren, it pays homage to the "Old" Prague in a number of ways: there are impractical cobblestone streets, and the architecture adheres to an older, gothic style throughout the city. In fact, there are ordinances that demand the city continues to look as if it harkens to an older past and time. Above all else, New Prague is very green: there are trees everywhere.

Throughout the city, there is a large, man-made river that cuts through to the underground, causing there to be beautiful falls underneath the main city itself. This river is called the New Vitava River, once again paying homage to the Prague of Old. The New Vitava River is maintained to the degree that there is no littering in it, and there are strict local rules about doing anything lewd in it. (That includes using it as a toilet. Don't do that!) There are bridges all over the city to easily cross from one side to another, and all public transit has been constructed to adhere to the river and also offer its citizens views of it on the regular.
✧ The weather here is just as extreme as it is in New Amsterdam, so anyone who's not been checking the news will find that the world really was screwed over by Cassius.

✧ Food throughout the city is just as eclectic as it is anywhere else. Visually, it looks like they want to remember Prague, but culturally, it's just as varied. This isn't an Eastern European city in anything but aesthetic.

> THE RETURN
The train ride back to New Amsterdam will resemble the ride to and from New Tokyo, but it is a considerably shorter trip. There is no stop for the train at New Amsterdam, so they will need to devise a way to get off the train without dying in the process - this will be difficult, but not impossible. This should not be too much of a surprise, as some of the New Prague Morningstar agents will join them on this train ride, and will explain the situation.

Once they're outside the city, these agents will get them back into the city, as they've done this rodeo before. They can sneak in easily through the opening made by Cassius earlier in the month, which if it has been found, has not yet been addressed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The World Order. That's the first thing he thinks of, and it's been a while since he's tried to hold to it. Yes, among the people of this world, Riku does a far better job. But when it comes to the Displaced, there's really no point in keeping that information a secret.

His expression is curious, having just faded into neutrality.]

How much do they know? [He doesn't sound accusatory or worried. But then, it's Riku. His tone is almost always more even. Calmer. That's his default these days.] What do you think it means that they know?

They wanted me to tell them about the blue light, what that tech could do. They kept running tests on it. [ Her hand settles over her chest, still sore from all the probing and needling. At least she replaced her damaged shirt. ] From what I heard them talk about, nothing came up, but ...

[ Rey worries at her lip. ]

They saw me use my power. I was trying to free myself.

[ She exaggerates it to sound like she had much more control over how it happened than she did. The incident, the way everything in the exam room floated, the way the soldiers attending her stopped breathing. It all happened without her reaching for it. Something inside of her had simply ... resisted.

And now they knew. ]

They were gonna have to see it eventually. [That's assuming they haven't already. But their power is their strength. And though they've been disconnected from their true abilities—they've had that suppressed, after all—it's something they have now. Riku was in a facility not unlike this alongside Nill, trying to do all that he could to help her. Without her power—without his power—what could they really do?]

It just tells us that they don't understand it. They don't have answers. That means we have an upper hand.

You're right, but ...

[ Hm. They understand it better now than they did before, having seen what she did. It might be useful in confirming that they didn't know anything, that the UNA had no part in their creation, but ... ]

They still hold a lot of the cards. [ Rey chews at the inside of her cheek. ] We're going to need to be more careful than before.

They always held a lot of cards. [It's not that Riku thinks her worries are unfounded. They make a lot of sense. But he doesn't want her to feel bad for this. That matters more than anything to him: trying to ensure that she doesn't think she's destroyed something here.]

They're an arm of this world's governing power. If we're gonna really take time to figure out what's wrong here, we're gonna have to deal with them one way or another. [A beat.] I just don't know what the problem is here yet, and if they have any ties to it.

I don't know which would be better. The more I see of what the UNA is capable of, the more I hope they don't have anything to do with what happened to us. [ They're hard to fight because of all their resources. ] But then I think ... at least we know who they are.

[ And Cassius won't tell what he knows. She sighs a little. ]

I guess we just have to be patient and keep trying.

There was a time when I thought the worst bad guy in my world was this woman named Maleficent. I let her trick me, but it turns out that she had someone else pulling her strings. [Riku's referred to that time of his life before, but never to this extent. He says it in the most straightforward manner.]

It's funny now. Ever since then, she's more like a nuisance. Her and this guy named Pete. They're annoying, but they haven't caused as much trouble as they could be. And they aren't the ones trying to make things worse.

[He thinks about this.]

I don't know if that's what the UNA are, but that could be it. And that doesn't mean Maleficent or the UNA aren't powerful, but I think if we avoid a confrontation head on, it might work out for us. They just make it hard, because our allies are their enemies. [And no good hero would just leave their friends stranded. That's why they went to that facility in the first place.

(Both facility-like places, actually.)]

You mean like let Morningstar handle UNA problems unless El asks for our help?

[ Staying in their own lane would certainly help advance the Displaced's goals. But the Displaced can't agree on which goals to prioritize. That's also part of the problem. Morningstar, at least, has a unified purpose. And maybe that shows that Rey's decision to help them is as much personal as it is moral. She needs the incremental feeling that she's making progress, that she's doing something.

That keeps her patient. It kept her patient on Jakku, too. She rubs at her chest, which is still sensitive from all the prodding and probing and needling. ]

Maybe.

Something like that, but I don't think that's it either. You're Morningstar, right? [It's not as if Riku would ever ask her to be anything else. If Rey's joined, it's for a reason. And—again—he's pretty sure he'd be right there with her if he hadn't had a bad first (in person) impression with one of the figureheads.]

Maybe we should figure out what makes them act, and try to prevent those things when we come up with plans. Make it UNA proof. I think we can do that.

That makes sense.

[ She'd have to think about specifics. Brainstorm with others, more like. But she can imagine Cassian having good ideas for that, and it does help her think of something else: ] Or collaborate. If Morningstar runs an operation at the same time as us, it could provide a good distraction.

[ And vice versa. Keep eyes off of what they're really trying to achieve, at least. ]

That's a good idea. They're still rebuilding here, right? Uh—you know. In New Amsterdam. [Riku hadn't been around for what had come before, but it sounds like everyone had a good reason for being scared of the UNA. What they did to Morningstar was pretty big.

Bad, too. Very bad. No wonder she's a touch on edge.]

Tackling it that way should help, especially with recruitment. We're gonna need their help anyway, so ...

[ Rey nods, firm. ]

It's good thinking.

[ Just to be clear and direct on that note. Riku's approach might be the most sensible and moderate that has worked for her to date. It doesn't always occur to Rey that she generally operates in extremes, since they're often quiet extremes with consequences that are solely personal. ]

I think it's going to take a while to get anything moving. Morningstar aren't the only ones rebuilding. [ The whole city is a fucking wreck. Now is not the best time to yeet forward on anything. Even Rey knows that. ]

Right ... It almost feels like something is working against New Amsterdam pulling it together. I'd say we should move in case it's us, but where would we even go? [They might just make another city worse. Riku does think there might be something to the part where it's their presence, but the rest of it? What would they even do?]

I'd say we can focus on prevention, but I haven't seen any patterns yet.

"Something"? [ Rey snorts. ] Someone. Cassius set off that EMP. It didn't just happen.

[ She's not going to take responsibility for his crimes, either. ]

He's not the only one, though. Unless you think he sent those monsters, too? He didn't seem like he was keen to accept responsibility.

[Riku did notice that Daenerys had asked, which was important.]

I guess you're right. A ruined atmosphere doesn't make monsters.

[ Rey admits this almost dourly. And the UNA definitely isn't doing it either, at this point. The issue is multifaceted, complex, in ways they can't yet begin to understand. ]

It feels sort of like everything's setting on fire at once, doesn't it? [ A sign from the Force, maybe. Death is a part of life, even death of planets. Maybe holding onto it is a fool's errand. Maybe the colonies are the right idea. ]

[Riku has a single goal in all of his time in this world: find out what's bothering it and what's stopping it. With Cassius, it was easy to be a jerk to someone who was causing problems. He knew the problem there, even if he lacked the means of stopping it. By time he was snipping at Cassius over the network, he was sore, covered in bruises. His lungs hurt from being outside so much, and he was afraid he'd never feel anything less than dehydrated.

But Rey's words give him new clarity.]

There has to be a place where this all started. And it had to happen before any of us. Right?

Hm?

[ For a moment, she's puzzled. But then she works through it. A singular origin makes a kind of sense. She acknowledges after a second, ] Every viewscreen cracks from a single spot.

[ There's the initial hit, and then the spiderwebs that branch out from it. Aftershocks. Rey nods. ]

Yeah.

That's how it worked back home, anyway. One guy caused everything else to happen. He had some help, but he pulled most of it off thanks to his own efforts. [Riku doesn't sound impressed by "this guy," not in the least. But he's still aware that everything went back to Xehanort. He time traveled. He sent his heart forward. He's the one who coaxed Riku into making that mistake, though Riku was desperate enough to do it.]

Maybe we've been spending too much time looking at after we showed up, and instead we should be looking before.

All of the history we've been studying is centuries ago. I guess it's time to start thinking more recent.

[ Rey's in agreement. There's really nothing for it right this moment, but she wants to make it clear that she sees Riku's logic and is committing to doing some homework on that point. ]

Some of us might've started already. Let's ask around and see if they've turned up anything that might stand out. That's part of why I wanted to see if there was a lab accident.

[But it turned out to be more complicated than he bargained for. That doesn't mean he's given up, however.]

We could ask on the Morningstar network.

[ She grimaces. Modifies. ]

You could ask. [ Oof. ] I have to wait for a new ID.

I can do that, yeah. [Only life happens, so it might be more limited in getting done.]

I'll ask around, too, see if there's anything worth looking into, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN PLAYER PLOT: OPERATION LOST BOYS

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