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meadowlarklogs2020-10-17 12:01 pm
MINI-EVENT #001
WHERE: New Beijing
WHEN: July 10-17 2512.
WHAT: Diagnostics, heists, and whatever else.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Medical procedures (and anxiety associated therein).
The trip between New Amsterdam and New Beijing takes about half a day by train. If someone has agreed to participate in Riverstone's experiment, they'll be given first class seating on the maglev train taking them to their destination. This includes meals, a bed to sleep in, as well as a ride away from the train station once they've arrived in New Beijing. Even if someone spoke out against Rey on the various network posts, they'll be given the same treatment. Riverstone doesn't care about any Displaced squabbles, after all. The same goes for anyone who may be tagging along on their own dime. If they show up on the train and take the ride, odds are they'll be spotted by Riverstone's representatives. After all, they practically run New Beijing themselves.
As the capital of the United Nations, New Beijing is a sight to behold. It's the closest in location to its original namesake, and one of the most preserved. The surface levels of New Beijing are pristine, meant for tourism and visits from other megacities, while the lower levels remain hidden from the rest of the world. This is where the impoverished people of New Beijing struggle to survive, cast aside and forgotten by the wealthy people near the surface of the city.
Recent troubles related to monster attacks have left the surface of New Beijing in a permanent state of rebuilding, but that simply matches the rest of the world. Even with that, it's difficult to miss how much of the past has been preserved in New Beijing itself. There is a dam on its eastern-most border that was built as soon as the sea level began to rise and slowly envelop the city of Tianjin. While Tianjin was lost to the sea, the Chinese government acted to protect Beijing from further damage. The dam has since made up the border wall around the city, remaining the sole stable fixture for New Beijing for years to come. Now, New Beijing's borders stretch inland for miles upon miles, and it's the largest megacity in the entire world. Those same walls show a lot of recent wear and tear, but they were the first to be repaired following the monster attacks.
As for the rest of New Beijing? Here are some updates since our last gamewide visit to the city:
> THE SURFACE LEVELS
Unsurprisingly, the monsters hit New Beijing pretty hard. Since there was little assistance from the Displaced beyond shutting off monster travel from time to time, most of the city was forced to fend for itself. The only good news is that newly discharged UN soldiers have amassed in New Beijing because it's where they were when they were discharged, and they were able to act to help the citizens there.
Most of New Beijing's initial reconstruction efforts were focused on its historic district, where citizens can find restored landmarks such as the Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven stand. Other landmarks, such as the Great Wall of Badaling. Even Riverstone set aside prioritizing its own landmarks to help bring New Beijing's historical landmarks back to their previous glory. Needless to say, they look great now.
Like many cities in 2512, New Beijing is both sprawling, as well as still built upward and downward, with the three uppermost levels of the city being the most appealing to the eye. Needless to say, after the historic district was completed, all reconstruction efforts moved to these upper three levels to help make them appealing to the eye once more. UN politicians claimed that it was because New Beijing needed to continue to promote its burgeoning tourist tradition, but groups like Morningstar have used social media and street graffiti to bring attention to the hypocrisy of New Beijing's upper class.
◉ On the upper levels of New Beijing, everything is shockingly pristine, with most ongoing construction concealed from the public eye. The city might be rebuilding, but there's no need to look ugly at the same time.
◉ Every building in the city is pristine, with clear glass windows that allow a large degree of transparency. It appears that far fewer people live in the upper levels of the city. If anyone looked into housing prices, they would notice that even with all of the recent damage, they appear to have doubled since the Displaced's last visit. There are some articles indicating that there is a boom for people moving from New Amsterdam and New Prague to New Beijing to start a new life.
◉ Numerous AR displays around the city announce codes of conduct. Littering leads to a fine of 1000 credits, having been raised since the recent monster attacks in an effort to bring the city back up to its previous condition. There is no curfew, but only public transport vehicles and licensed car-sharing providers are allowed to be in the sky after 9PM. Around 11PM, public transit only comes every half hour to an hour, making it difficult to get across the city in the late hours of the night. There are also rigid noise restrictions.
◉ Even during the day, most people prefer to get around via public transit, bikes, or simply by foot.
◉ Most businesses close by 9PM, making it difficult for someone who might seek out a late night snack.
◉ There are no businesses on the upper levels that would be referred to as "dives" or "holes in the wall." While they were rare before, it now appears that Riverstone has a stake in nearly every single business in the top three levels of the city. In order to continue, they've all taken a loan from Riverstone, essentially giving the corporation part ownership. Even independent businesses that largely avoided partnering with Riverstone had no choice but to join up after the monster attacks.
◉ The surface is also where the United Nations government is housed, as well as the UNA Headquarters. The government is housed within the historic district, while the base is on the opposite end of the city, making up its western-most wall.
> SPACEPORT
At the northern end of New Beijing is the most heavily trafficked spaceport in the world. Most of the shipments for the colonies come through New Beijing, having been officially checked through customs and approved for transit before they're sent off. Thanks to the technology available in 2512, most of these shipments rarely have any impact on the city as a whole, making their liftoffs unnoticeable in a lot of ways (as they are silent and don't cause any other environmental problems).
◉ Between the uprisings on the Mars colony and the monster attacks, the spaceport is no longer as easy to access. A lot of this has to do with reporters traveling to New Beijing in hopes that they would be able to find some information about the status of the Mars colony, which has largely gone silent. All efforts for peace seem to be brushed aside after the worldwide crisis. No one even knows if they're still getting shipments out there.
> THE FORGOTTEN LEVELS
After all, beyond those three upper levels, New Beijing is in bad shape. The mole monsters that tore up the underground and built tunnels all throughout New Amsterdam destroyed countless homes throughout New Beijing. Many people are huddled together wherever they can, often offering whatever they can to their neighbors who no longer have somewhere to live.
◉ There are very few businesses running "as usual" in the lower levels of the city. Thanks to the lack of assistance from Riverstone and the UN, people are just trying to survive while using the resources they have available to them. That also means that a lot of businesses are also fronts for drug trafficking since crime currently runs rampant.
◉ The Red Light District and Morningstar's local chapters always worked in tandem to provide a better life for the people of New Beijing, but now they are able to work more openly and freely than ever before. All throughout the lower levels, there is a new language developing so that people know where they can get help and protection from Morningstar. The sex workers still act as information brokers, but they also do everything they can to keep the impoverished people around them from being forced into a life of crime.
◉ Why is this allowed? The New Beijing Police Department is also running on far less staff since the UN put out a call for new soldiers. The previous sketchy business of taking children out of their homes just to force them into "better situations" to meet a quota of "cleaning up the lower levels" has mostly come to a halt because there aren't enough officers to make it down there.
◉ The downside is this: gangs are now becoming a constant presence in the lower levels, and some believe they've contracted with businesses on the upper levels to traffic guns, weapons, and help enforce a rigid control down below. However, this isn't quite true. Some opportunistic gang leaders have tried to reach out to Riverstone, but they've been turned away. As a result, they find themselves both at odds with Riverstone and with Morningstar's efforts to help people out down below. But as long as they don't encroach on Riverstone's "territory," it seems that they'll be left alone to bully people who have been left in horrible conditions following the monster attacks.
Ah, the reason why everyone is in New Beijing this time around. If there were any doubts about Riverstone's significance in this world, they would be squashed by time someone stepped out into New Beijing this time around. Since the monster attacks, Riverstone has used the fallout to assert their dominance throughout the capital city, claiming up property and buying a stake in every single upper level city. Any and all money spent in New Beijing ends up in Riverstone's pocket in some way.
> OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY
Want to really grasp what Riverstone's done here? In many ways, they've built an entire megacity with their own money. They've been a part of Beijing's identity since the early 22nd century, having located their headquarters from Shanghai following the end of World War III. They're a large proponent of the historical district, and they were one of the first oligarchical superpowers in this world. Their CEO? Turns out it's still someone with the surname Ling. Currently, that's Meredith Ling, who is definitely related to Ricky Ling, the hero of the human/AI war at the end of the 21st century.
◉ Prior to World War III, Riverstone was primarily known as an entertainment mogul. Throughout the early part of the 21st century, they snapped up a lot of media properties before turning their attention to technology corporations. Loosened antitrust laws meant that they could begin to devour numerous industries.
◉ Riverstone was very different from a lot of businesses in the early 21st century because of its vocal opposition to utilizing artificial intelligence to promote line production. They experimented a great deal in this field to find alternatives to the same problems that would not involve creating artificial life.
◉ To the 2512 world, Riverstone was the only corporation that was "right" about the problem with AIs. It's a big part of why they're so powerful several hundred years later.
◉ Riverstone owns the entirety of New Beijing's hotel chains, restaurants, and small businesses. While it was only a majority when the Displaced visited earlier in 2512, this has rapidly changed in the past month since the monster attacks. Businesses in New Beijing are Riverstone at this stage.
◉ Riverstone also runs and maintains New Beijing's public transit.
◉ Riverstone's Dream River is currently closed while Riverstone focuses on helping reconstruct and renovate other portions of the city's upper level. There are still gift shops open throughout the city where you can purchase a souvenir with Otto the Otter. Of course, people could try to break in while it's closed. Because why not?
> THE FACILITY
Located a ten minute walk from the UNA headquarters, Riverstone's primary research facility reaches over two-thousand feet into the sky. There are numerous bridges running between its various sections, and they appear to be full of Riverstone employees all day and night. This facility is the site of most of Riverstone's scientific accomplishments, and numerous employees on loan from Giles Bell, Pulsar, and other worldwide corporations end up visiting this exact facility to work on projects. Of course, that's only promising employees with these corporations that Riverstone likely plans to poach for themselves.
Getting into the facility does not guarantee entry into the entire building. The Displaced visiting will have exact directions sent to their neural implant, along with an AR-display map to ensure they don't run into any doors that they can't open for themselves.
◉ The Displaced's final destination for this trip is the Robert Ling Biological Progress Wing of the research facility. Named after Ricky Ling's first child, Robert was key in finding biological advancements for humanity that would help them set aside any designs on playing god via cloning. Of course, "key" means "he paid the best researchers and claimed credit," but that won't be actively available to anyone around.
◉ Most personnel have been cleared out for the Displaced's visit. Because of the security risk that the Displaced pose, there are few people working in the labs during this week. It seems everyone has a paid vacation.
◉ The Head of Security, Montague Finnley, has assigned his best officers around the building to keep an eye on the Displaced.
◉ All of the scientists present only know about the Displaced from social media and other various reports out of New Amsterdam. They are not aware of any of the answers that Riverstone has promised. They're not aware of anything else beyond that, and don't have inside knowledge about anything that the Displaced might not know, themselves.
◉ Elsewhere in the facility, work proceeds as normal. Those wings will be far more difficult to reach because of the lack of access granted.
◉ Remember all those monster carcasses? It's safe to say that if anyone hopes to do something with them, this building is one of the places where that work might start. That is, if anyone has the means to find out in the first place.
◉ What else is happening here? What else can be found? Well … first, the Displaced are going to have to figure out how to sneak away. Good luck with that.
For any and all questions for this mini-event, please refer to our questions thread on the OOC planning post.
Please make sure to sign up so we have a record of who went. You don't have to be signed up to enter Riverstone to participate in this log! We just want to know who went inside for later plotting purposes.
Our turn-ins for Riverstone's probing questionnaire will close on OCTOBER 31, 2020.
Finally, on OCTOBER 24, 2020, we'll be posting a poll of the various AU ideas we've come up with for our year-ending event. This will be a radio-button poll that will be open for one week!
Thanks everyone!
2 - testing
he hasn't bothered to wear a coat ㅡ and couldn't, even if he wanted to, as rey had reclaimed his old one somewhere between his arrival in new beijing and their arrival at the lab. he doesn't complain. it's always looked better on her, anyway.
there's enough space for him to reach out with his unoccupied hand, brushing his fingertips lightly against her own. the empathy bond blossoms, sending her his own calm and resolve. nobody is going to hurt her. not while he's alive. )
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[ she scowls at him. he didn't need to point it out, even if she's grateful for the brush of his hand and the way his own calm assures her.
'oh, actually,' the technician is fortunately distracted by ben's shirt. 'sorry, someone should have mentioned to avoid wearing long sleeves. rolled sleeves can affect your blood pressure.' they wave their hand, as if the explanations of statistical significance were boring. 'would you mind taking your shirt off instead?'
rey snorts and pulls her hand back. ]
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Well, I'd hate to muddle your results. Though I should warn you, I run hot.
( literally. )
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[ rey says, disapproving. the technician looks faintly defensive, but at the very least, bossing ben around has improved some of rey's uneasiness. he'd achieved that. they slide up to rey in a rolling chair and say, 'we'll start with you.' ]
Kriff. [ she'd gotten herself into that one, hadn't she? she holds out her arm, wincing preemptively. her life hasn't involved an over familiarity with needles. most of her experience was through the una.
'we need a baseline before the glow, and then we'll take some more from both of you after it's done.' the technician talks while they insert the needle into her arm, and it distracts her at least a little. 'but if you're not feeling up to it, you can take a break in between. we have some snacks.' ]
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I'm sure they've read the paperwork.
( where he'd disclosed the nature of his power, if not the precise extent of it. besides, his skin bleeds heat the way a space-heater would. noticeably higher than the average human. though not so hot as to be a danger — yet.
the shirt is then offered to the technician in charge of his blood work. )
If you don't mind. ( nodding graciously, he even musters a smile.
'of course not, mr. ren.' the shirt is folded neatly over a slim arm. the lab is large, if sparsely furnished, and she eventually settles for drapping it over the back of one of the few remaining chairs. the splash of red flannel looks entirely at odds with the otherwise pristine surroundings. )
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[ rey rolls her eyes at it. it makes him sound respectable. complaining about this gives her something that isn't her blood draw to focus on, even if she can feel her arm getting colder, can feel the needle under her skin. she swallows.
but it's over quickly. she's surprised when the needle slips out and she sees a tube of her own blood already full. she exhales deeply.
'that wasn't so bad, was it?' the tech asks with a smile. rey's relief drains out of her, and her expression narrows. she's not here to be patronized. ]
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now that rey's blood has been drawn it's his turn. he settles back into his seat, clenches his fist when instructed and exhales through the bite of the needle. ) Though we haven't found the time to make it official yet.
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[ rey doesn't hide her feelings well on a good day, and this is not a good day — yet. the bewilderment cuts right through her brow.
but she asks it at the same time the technician says, 'congratulations.' not everyone changes their names these days, but they do have rey's charts in front of them on their implants. ]
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( that's what you're meant to say in a situation like this, right? he's considered being in this situation, before. not really. even his idle daydreams stopped shy of this exact moment.
which is a shame because rey's look of bemusement alone is worth it. )
I don't know where I'd be without her.
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[ heLLO
the tech looks a little awkward for that, glancing between them. they clear their throat. rey does not share their propriety. ]
When did you decide this? [ by yourself goes without saying. ]
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( because the supremacy still counts.
his shoulder lifts, then drops. so perhaps he's getting a little ahead of himself. he has been known to do that. )
I thought I'd try a less catastrophic approach this time.
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You asked then.
[ this isn't asking, even. this time, he's taking it for granted with this. her answer had been a firm, 'knock unconscious and flee' no that time. he certainly didn't have a leg to stand on with guessing what her answer would be this time.
'do you two need a moment?' the tech has grown increasingly unsettled by being here for this. ]
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( leaving aside the fact that it's much too soon, that this is at least partly meant to distract her from her nerves, and that he's still struggling with figuring out just what precisely he's doing with himself now that he's decided to step off the path of darkness and try to make a go of things in the good guy camp. )
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[ that's new. he's missing the point on purpose, she thinks, that her bafflement is at least halfway because he'd dropped it on her now of all times. but he's right. it has adequately distracted her.
it's just also interfering with the techs' ability to draw blood.
more insistently, they say, 'we need you to initiate the, err, connection you described in order for us to draw more samples while the light is active ...' this is a waste of their shift. they didn't sign up acting as witness to this. ]
Just wait a minute, would you? [ rey snaps at them, and they take a whole step back off their stool like they're worried she might activate that light with her powers instead of the empathy bond. ]
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still, he shifts onto his side so that he can look at her directly as he answers. )
Humour me. Pretend we're somewhere else, ( this said with an idle wave of his hand, as if to dismiss their surroundings. )
Pretend I took you down to the river, that I brought you one of those ridiculous cakes you like.
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that's the thought that sours her again.
rey's expression turns haggard and hard, her jaw tight. she can see herself still, clear as day, on the sith throne, kylo ren at her side. it is impossible not to see it as the natural ending of any relationship that she has with him. even if she needs it right now because she is lonely and afraid and so in love with him, she still shies away from the formality of it. committing to him feels like committing to that future. ]
I don't want to talk about this right now.
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a long exhale, then: ) Okay.
We'll talk about it later. ( but they will be talking about it, later. not the rejection ㅡ well, not just the rejection. evidently, there's a lot of ground that's left to cover. things that need to be said.
and that's fine, actually. he's waited this long. a little longer probably won't kill him.
probably. )
Do you want me to clear my head? Think happy thoughts?
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[ she says, at the same time the tech says, 'whatever's necessary to initiate the connection.' oh. obviously, it makes more sense that he'd have asked that of the tech, and not her. looking a little put out, rey sits up straighter and faces kylo directly.
she extends her hand to take his opposite one. for a bomb, it looks awfully innocuous. but beneath the skin simmers a heady cocktail of guilt and fear. guilt that he had come out here to new beijing to see her, come to riverstone not because he would have done it on his own but to support her, all with the apparent intention of soliciting some formalization of their connection, and she'd snapped. fear because she knows what had caused her to snap, what lay on the horizon of that snap, fear because she can't help but feel it's drawing ever closer. ]
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( the empathy bond blossoms at the contact, and his mouth parts as the fear and the guilt washes over him. fear tastes briny, he's coming to realize, like unshed tears. the guilt gives it an acidic bite: more chemical than citrus.
he rolls it around on his tongue, decides he doesn't care for it. certainly not on her.
for his part, he gives back confusion. affection tempered by the fear that he's overstepped, that he's somehow made himself unwelcome. but, most of all there's love and concern. he squeezes her fingers as if to emphasize this point.
no matter what: they're in this together. )
Tell me, what are you thinking of for dinner?
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[ she searches him — not just because of what he's said, but because of what he's feeling. the nervous sheepishness barely tints the concern and affection pouring over. rey almost flinches, ready to pull her hand back because it's hard to accept it, feeling as she does like she doesn't deserve it, like she's destined to pull him back down into the dark with her.
but she doesn't pull back.
beside them, the tech has started a timer. 'you'll want to keep it up for about five minutes before we draw, just in case it needs time to work its way through the bloodstream. then we'll try again after a half hour.'
rey glances over, nods, then regards ben again. ]
Uh ... I hadn't thought about it. Nanxiang is close, and they have those barbecue jackfruit steam buns.
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which had been the intention, naturally.
his emotions brush up against hers, smoothing over the roughest edges; the fear she feels acknowledged before being gently dismissed. )
I'm starting to think you're afraid of anything good happening to you, Ms. Solo.
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[ which only serves to prove his point, in a way. rey likes the sound of 'ms. solo' too much, and it threatens her nerve in grappling with her answer. therefore, it must be deliberate on his part. never mind how reasonable or logical that sounds. ]
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he squeezes her fingers again, lightly. a reassurance. he's not going to leave her, regardless. is not going to judge her for her fear. but he isn't going to allow her to retreat into it, either. )
When we're done here, I want you to show me the city properly.
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[ because he's not gonna get away with doing that again.
the techs approach, announcing that it's about time to start the additional samples. ]
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That suggests you've thought about it.
( he's teasing her, now. but gently. )
I'd planned to do it by the river, before.
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