meadowlarklogs | EVENT #011.3 / ARRIVAL #028

EVENT #011.3 / ARRIVAL #028

WHO: Newcomers + a new NPC, plus people arriving back from the AU.
WHERE: The moon!!!! To start.
WHEN: As the AU is ongoing. Early August 2512, two weeks after the AU swept people away at the start.
WHAT: Arrivals, explanations, and more.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Mentions of drug use.

> EVENT #011.3 / ARRIVAL LOG #028

When you wake, you'll be disoriented. Even wakefulness is a challenge. You slip in and out. First, you find yourself drugged, looking out through clear walls of a laboratory, deep into the darkest part of the ocean. Then, when you wake up later, there's a logo, as well as words on the wall: PROJECT MEADOWLARK. The logo is a bird: yellow and gray with a black V-shaped crest on its chest. If you know birds, you'll know this bird as the meadowlark. Out you go again.

In comes a man swearing, muttering to himself. "Really not meant to do this alone. Fuck me." Alarm crosses his features when he sees your eyes open. "No, not you. I'm not—let me just up your dose." He steps closer, hitting a button. After a few beeps, you're out again.

When you finally wake, you'll find yourself in a pristine room, one lined with beds. The walls are painted a forest green. In the distance, you'll hear the chirping of birds. The air around you is cool, sterile. You'll notice two things: first, that your head has recently been shaved, all bits of hair cut down to nothing. The second thing is that you have a surgical scar on the back of your head. This, too, is a recent addition. The neural implant inside of you doesn't connect to the internet yet, but it's safe to assume that it will sooner or later.

(The sole exception to these things is Jason Todd: his head is still full of hair, but he's knocked out like the rest of you, as well as dressed in a hospital gown.)

As you begin to stir from where you're sitting, you'll be able to come to set your feet on the floor. Like the air, it's chilled, as if it's artificial in some way. If you've been in space with artificially applied gravity, you'll recognize it here. That's the only thing keeping you grounded and properly settled.

The bed you're on has drawers, and within it are several sets of clothing, all in your size. Whoever set you up here took care to make sure you were comfortable.

Once you're dressed—assuming that you do get dressed, you could always just walk around with your ass out—you can head out and explore where you are. It seems you have open access to it.

And what is it, exactly? A futuristic bachelor's pad, at least from the look of it. There are numerous projection screens throughout this place, this home, though you won't be able to see what's on them. (Jason Todd excepted: he'll see that there are various colony-led news reports about the missing people on Earth, all stolen away for unknown reasons.) In nearly every room, there are birds that fly freely and chirp happily. Some are settled on makeshift trees that sprout from the walls with long vines hanging from them. Others settle on the water of artificial indoor ponds. Either way, whoever owns this joint definitely has to have a means of keeping up with all the bird crap, because there is none anywhere.

At the heart of this unusual, forest-like abode is a pathway that leads to a wide open space. Here, too, is another artificial pond, as well as a number of branches sprouting from the wall. Near what looks like an open window looking out at a vast and barren crater-filled surface is a tall and slender man with a hint of facial hair. Upon your approach, he'll turn and offer a tired smile. "Ah, I see the drugs have worn off. Good. Would you like to take a seat? We have a lot to cover, and I'm not terribly used to the process." A beat. "Oh, sorry. I'm Jimmy. Would you believe that I'm why you're here? … Here, well. I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"

To continue this conversation, head over here.

For now, you'll know that you're stuck on what is very literally the moon. After all, going down to Earth could be a risky venture at this time.

> EXPLORING THE MOON / MOON CULTURE

After the conversation with Jimmy completes, the next day will be all about setting up the newcomers with their new IDs, as well as filling them in on what's going on. Everyone will know about the Earth being left empty, about the sudden shift in atmosphere as a result, as well as the difficult connotations about what's happening. Once everyone has identification, they're given access to come and go from Jimmy's place as they please. By then, they'll have the option of having a room of their own, as there seems to be a countless number of rooms in this odd moon mansion. If anything, it looks like Jimmy planned for guests—but those guests never came for whatever reason. Or perhaps they haven't been there for a while?

Once anyone leaves Jimmy's home, they'll be able to step out and explore the rest of the moon: which is truly a sight to behold. Satellite views don't do the Lunar colony any justice. UNC1 is the only fully livable space colony in this world, and it shows. Set up with artificial atmosphere and gravity, there are numerous machines outside that work around the clock to terraform the moon to make it livable for a future population.

On the inside of the colony, however, the moon is gorgeous—after all, it's largely set up and constructed to appeal to the wealthiest individuals in this world. There are numerous oversized homes like Jimmy's throughout, all connected through an intricate system of tunnels that quickly transport people via platforms from one area to another. There are numerous shopping centers, as well as parks with giant canopies of trees lending a sense of nature in an unlikely place. Ever visited an upper class mall and known that you weren't the clientele that they were trying to appeal to? That is definitely the aura that the moon gives off.

So, what is there to do on the moon?

> SPACE WALKS
Why would someone ever agree to live on the moon if they couldn't go out onto the surface? While the moon is still about 50 years out from having a breathable, livable surface, there is some charm over being able to walk on its surface. Space walks and tours go on all day and every day, allowing people access to various parts of the moon. These tours are controlled. Right now, the walks are fifty-percent off because of the lack of tourists from Earth. After all, if there's no one left down there, there's no one to visit. This enterprise has gotta get its credits from somewhere.

> THE CLUBBING SCENE
For the people who managed to get property on the moon, work is a bygone of a forgotten era. Everyone here is wealthy enough that they don't need to think about anything but play and more play. VR gaming centers are a big and loved commodity, but more than that is the clubbing scene.

Under-surface clubs run 24/7. Everything in these clubs is set up to help someone get away from monotony. There are sex-workers on site at all times, but with the same conditions and protections afforded to them on the planet below. In addition, alcohol is only the best of the best—priced to match the high-end tastes of everyone on the moon. The workers at these locales are paid very well to put up with a drunk group, but they're expected to also take all forms of abuse. Then again, a job here can set someone up for the next couple years, even if they just make it for six months.

> SHOPPING CENTERS
Just because it's the moon doesn't mean you're free from a capitalist hellscape. If anything, without a bustling economy built upon the backs of a visible working class, these shopping centers are necessary to give people things to do. As expected of goods that are imported from the Earth below, everything is decidedly costly. As a result, very little is imported that is cheaply made. At the same time, that means everything within these shopping centers is expensive. Need a nice pair of pants? It's going to cost you four times as much as it would down below.

But don't worry. Jimmy? Jimmy's given everyone permission to just put it all on his tab. If you need a new change of clothes, or want to set yourself up while you're stuck on the moon, Jimmy's got your back.

> ANTI-GRAVITY CHAMBERS
Gotten the idea that the moon is for hedonists who don't want to act like there's a real world elsewhere? Helping to feed into that notion are anti-gravity chambers throughout the moon colony to help someone enjoy themselves somewhere without gravity. In these chambers, you can go from gravity to zero gravity and figure out what you prefer the most. These chambers offer complete privacy, letting someone do whatever they might want without being … weighed down.

One thing that's not widely advertised is a unique, hallucinogenic drug that's recommended for the anti-gravity experience. Ominously named "SyFon," this is a psychotropic drug with all of the typical effects of drugs like that. Combined with the anti-gravity experience, it can really mess someone up. In good and bad ways, depending on how they react to it all. SyFon is, of course, illegal. But that doesn't mean that someone can't try it, right?

> CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES
Where does a drug like SyFon come from? Well, there is a burgeoning criminal enterprise on the moon. Rumor has it that the Petrov and Riverside mobs are vying for the credits of the rich, and have worked to set up centers on a variety of colony moons to help develop drugs, weapons, and other goods. How well this enterprise is working is up for debate, especially since SyFon is the only successful thing coming out of it. Needless to say, this enterprise is a work in progress.

> THE WORKING CLASS
Who's manning this laidback lifestyle on the moon? As the first of the colonies, the moon was once primarily populated by people whose labor was used and whose efforts were largely taken advantage of in favor of setting up a new home for humanity. Several decades have passed since then, and now UNC1 is a tourist destination for everyone on the Earth. So, what does that mean for Lunar businesses? They need to be well-prepared to handle a wealthy clientele, as well as appeal to the rich folks who decided they wanted to live the rest of their lives on the moon.

These days, getting a job on the moon is a difficult task. You need references, as well as an assurance that you'll be able to manage the atmosphere up there. A doctor needs to sign off on whether you can live up there (and it's important to note that while this clearance should exist for the other colonies, the UN sure as hell isn't enforcing this kind of test). Many people who end up in retail and clubbing jobs start off in terraforming factories, and then look for openings so that they can move horizontally within the Lunar ecosystem.

> CATCH UP
If you aren't interested in the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Lunar Edition, you can focus on using your internet connection to catch up. Yes, the world below is empty. Yes, there was a monster attack a few months ago. Yes, memes are still a thing. Many of you will have a whole lot of history, or even an entire world's setup to catch up on, and future Google, whatever it may be called, is still there for you. Jimmy, of course, will be willing to fill you in on anything else.

> AN OTHERWORLDLY EXPERIENCE

Before too long, people begin to appear on the surface of the Earth once more. Bit by bit, people begin to return from the Aerie, forced to contend with two different sets of memories. While everyone will return as if they're waking from a dream, they'll know that they likely didn't just fall asleep. Whatever they left behind will be a world they knew full of people they loved. They accepted the veracity of that world, believing it to be real. Believing it to be the only one they knew.

And who are these people? Within the Aerie, they are the recently deceased.

Once people begin to appear on the Earth and access networks, both El and Cassius will know that they need to reach someone. With few choices available to them, Cassius will reach out to Jimmy, having noticed his little trip down to Earth to pick up his new batch of incoming folk. After all, he needed to get them ready. Cassius will fill Jimmy in on the returns, as well as ask him to send his new "friends" down to learn whatever they can.

> FOR THE RETURNING
If you're returning from the Aerie at this time, you died. Some deaths aren't remembered or experienced, not entirely, so it's possible that your death this time slipped by without notice. (Basically, we're not forcing someone to have their character experience the trauma of death if they'd rather not deal with it.) Either way, upon returning, you'll find yourself waking within your bed. Was that where you were before you left? Unlikely. But it's where you are upon your return. Even the people who weren't Displaced will return to the place they last considered home, waking up as if they're returning from a very bad dream.

Everyone who returns will still have their full memories of their time in the Aerie. If someone had a new power, however, it'll be replaced with the power they had before. However … well, things may change here, depending on how things go on the other side.

If you're returning, you may notice some changes. If you died, you may notice a scar from what killed you. If you had a tattoo in that world, it may still remain. Any and all changes are up to someone's subconscious identification of themselves.

While the majority of the Displaced will awaken in New Amsterdam, there are still countless people who can and will return. And unlike the Displaced, they aren't as accustomed to wacky antics like, oh, a new set of memories and the psychological ramifications that come with that. Maybe they could use some help?

> FOR THE NEWCOMERS (AND THE ONE LONE RETURN)
Upon receiving contact from Cassius, Jimmy will explain that there are people returning down below, and that Cassius has requested some help. If anyone wishes to speak to Cassius directly, they can. Of course, Cassius is a space exploration AI who's more than willing to help them navigate their time in this world, as well as the short space travel needed from the Lunar colony back to the Earth itself. There won't be a lot of explanation for how Jimmy and Cassius know each other, or even if they do—but someone can feel free to ask.

First off: want some sassy AI time? Cassius is here for all your needs. He'll even buff up your past resume if you'd like.

Secondly: ready to go Earthside? Jimmy will offer everyone his private transport back to Earth. (Yes, this dude is that rich.) This transport only goes between the Lunar colony and a remote base off the coast of New Tokyo, but there will be a boat ready to bring everyone to New Tokyo proper. From there, all of the Displaced can travel all over the world.

As for any other quick facts?

◉ Wait, how can the Displaced travel? There are gates in all 104 megacities on Earth. These gates essentially give people fast travel. After hitting New Tokyo and accessing its Gate, all someone has to do is think of their next location, and they'll land there.

◉ So, what are the conditions on Earth? Barren. There are no people, no hover cars, nothing. Animals have begun to creep over the walls in all of the cities. After all, without the cars startling them, as well as the countless people crammed within the megacities themselves, they can begin to reclaim the world itself, bit by bit.

◉ New Amsterdam in particular looks even more like a forest. It's as if whatever happened during the AU has accelerated the growth in New Amsterdam itself. Apartments will be filled with vines. There will also be a lot of animals making their home in the city. For the unaware, New Amsterdam has been growing a lot of plant life since an unusual circumstance where all of the Displaced were pulled into another pocket world and then returned. Since then, plant life in New Amsterdam has grown at an accelerated rate, forcing the city to work around the clock to keep the city from being fully reclaimed by nature. Now, it looks like all of those efforts were for naught.

◉ Time has continued to seemingly flow normally. However, not everyone is back from the Aerie yet. It seems as if there may be more time for weirdness ahead.

> FINAL NOTES OOC

As a note, if you did not reply to us about starting in or outside of the AU, your character will be starting in this log.

With this log and its companion log, we're ending the first phase of Meadowlark's lifespan that primarily focused on the investigation into the world's lore. We'll be starting our second phase: characters choosing what to do next. We'll be detailing this more in our aftermath log/post, which will be due on JANUARY 16 2021. This aftermath log will double as an arrival log for whoever apps during our January application round.

Both logs for this phase of the event—11.2 and 11.3—are companion logs geared toward clearing up very large pieces of the Meadowlark mystery. While the AU acts as a reimagining of the game's metaplot, our NPC in the "real world" log will be divulging information. We've decided to go forward with making this clear because our playerbase has worked toward these mysteries for the last two years, and we'd like to help change the direction of the game from one based around a mystery of arrival and instead focus on what to do next. Of course, there will still be other mysteries to solve, as well as any true intentions, and figuring that out will depend on character choices and actions moving forward.

To make one thing clear, there won't be any radical changes to Meadowlark as a setting, nor is it anywhere near what might be called "end game." Instead, we're emphasizing a turn toward player-driven actions and plots because a lot of the mysteries related to the overall lore came to a head just prior to the AU starting. Think of this as having all of the lore pieces needed in order to begin to understand some of the remaining mysteries so that characters can decide what to do next.

All that said, we've also decided to use these logs to facilitate some future character plots, as well as help in releasing some characters from the AU! We also have one question that we'd like to pose for you.

(As a note: There is one link missing from below with regards to plot opportunities, as it's only relevant to characters in the AU.)

◉ Character deaths. We know that playing in an AU for two months can be exhausting, so if you'd like a get out of AU free card, this is the way out. If death may prove too traumatic, your character doesn't need to remember dying. All characters will wake up in the real world as if they're waking up from a dream. We'd just like a sign up so that other players can know who's vanishing from the AU via death! If you're having your character return in this log, please make sure to sign up at this link!

◉ What to do with the caged gods?. Unchaining the gods could have catastrophic effects on the Aerie, especially since they were the main key to sustaining it for all those years. Will they be unchained, or will they be allowed to flounder within the cages themselves? We're opening this choice up to the entirety of our playerbase. We will need all votes submitted by JANUARY 9, 2021 so that we can factor it into our aftermath.

◉ Any aftermath to consider? While this links back to the in-Aerie log, it'll cover all of our bases for the aftermath moving forward. If your character has contributed to helping the outside world since leaping from the AU, let us know!

◉ CRAU Relationships.: Finally, on our companion log, we have a unique NPC who's been through the jamjar ringer before. This is our NPC Jimmy Henries. If you'd like to sign up your character as someone that Jimmy knew before, head over there and fill out the form on the page!

If you have any other questions, please hit our questions thread(s) on the respective logs.

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do these implants have anything in common with the hardware some of ours were given?

( he's taking a huge leap here and assuming that jimmy is familiar with what went down but. even if he isn't, his reaction will be telling enough. )

Hardware? You mean the ones I give you at the start? Those are standard.

[Nope, not a damn clue. It's written all over his face.]

Unless you meant to use the word "software"? Would you believe that people still mix that up? I don't install any software anymore. Early on, it was just diagnostic software. Before. [Before the experiments ended.]

( a dead end, but that's fine. honestly he should have gone with wetware but that sounds gross. )

What were you able to find out, during your experiments?

That you're all connected. That what's in you isn't coming out. I'd be willing to bet that all of you have some untapped power.

[Oh, and one more thing.]

The god isn't—compatible with technology. A lot of efforts to sequence or interact with what's within you all went ... poorly.

We've got tapped into power, also.

( this is a two way street. jimmy was perfectly capable of leaving them under. of not bothering with them. he's a piece of shit, but jason asked for info under the guise of also providing it, so. )

How'd you find the god?

[Tapped into power. Insert a set of raised eyebrows here, but he knows not to press. Not yet.]

Partly some drawings on a monastery from the 21st century. It's gone now. [The monastery.] There were drawings in a manuscript of a bright blue, multi-shaped entity that fell into the ocean.

[His hands move to cradle the nervous bird, drawing it close to him. It nestles into his chest happily.]

After that—[His voice softens, as if he's speaking more to the bird than to Jason.]—it was physics. Quantum physics. How much do you know about that? It's all theoretical, except that we made theory a reality. [He doesn't look up with this final question, seeming to find some peace holding his bird friend.]

I'm not book smart. If you want to dig real deep into shit, there's a guy down on the surface who I'm sure would love to have a nice sciencey conversation with you.

( a giant blue god. explains the blue glow. eh. )

Quantum physics is how crap works down to the atomic level. You'll have to draw the lines for me and explain how it relates.

While resting, the god was hidden. We needed to figure out how to seek it out on that level, using what knowledge we had discerned. Scanning the ocean took a long time, and we still weren't certain we had the right place. But the Mariana Trench is the Mariana Trench, right?

[He pants a laugh.]

We needed to learn how to scan for something beyond human perception. Sometimes I think that those scans helped it build up immunity. Some kind of rejection of technology. Not sure.

Alright.

( not his field, not really shit jason is particularly interested in either. so he--swaps for something a little more relevant. figures one of the science nerds will get at jimmy some time. )

Before, two of ours were--synthetic. Androids, machines before they arrived here. When they woke up, all their bits had turned fleshy. We've got several others who aren't human but are significantly more human now.

( no names, no targets. just basic information. )

You got any ideas how that happened?

Androids turned human? [That's definitely new information for him—it's not like drugged up people are going to provide a lot of information about who they were before. Part of getting through was anonymity.]

It may be that they were incompatible with the god in their previous form. That makes me think that the god is more opposed to technology than I believed.

[So, that's his best guess. When in doubt: a god did it.]

What about the not-humans? Can you tell me more? Though ... [He looks up at Jason again, a bit sheepish.] Well. It might come down to the same answer. With this business, it usually does.

There were a few aliens. Gods, too. People with individual abilities back home that were stripped from 'em the moment they landed here.

( jimmy doesn't sound like he knows jack shit about any of that, though. thanks jimmy, for being useless. )

Would you be willing to open a line of contact with us? Not my request, someone else's.

For what? Is it because they'd like to get to know me?

[Pointedly: he's asking because he doubts that is the case, but that is what it would amount to.]

No, and I wouldn't recommend doing it now anyway. They're all pissed. You're an easy target.

( at least the only target that's shown itself and made itself available. )

Hell, I don't recommend doing it at all. If I were you, I wouldn't talk to fucking any of us like this. But you already made your choice, your name's known now, so's your face, so wherever the hell you're going from here's up to you an' me.

( not that he could really stop someone who body hops but you know. )

I'll hold off. It's beginning to seem more and more like they won't like what I have to say.

[Because as much as Jimmy feels bad and is willing to be this immediate punching bag, he doesn't know if he can do it into perpetuity. He would love to get to know them, see how many of them he knew Before.

But since he can't help, it'll be aimless. Endless. Hopeless.]

Why is it up to you? Aren't you going to leave?

'cause people know I've been around a while, before this. They know I know shit, much as I hate it. And it's either they're assholes to the rest of the fresh faces or they're assholes to me.

( an easy admittance: jason would rather be the one everyone's pissed at for not doing crap, than have them paint targets on their new crew. )

I'm leaving, but I'm face to face with you now. I have direct access to you. Theoretically, I could throw you onto the next shuttle down and leave you to 'em. I could pull out your implant, figure out how the hell it's different than ours. Search around your shitty place, dig through whatever crap you've got lying around, and be an asshole about it.

( instead he's sitting himself upright on the couch, eyeing jimmy and his stupid bird. )

It'd be easier that way. But you're the one who's sitting pretty up here, answering crap and sharing. Which means none of that is gonna do us any good. And this is the part I usually leave up to everyone else, which just pisses me off more, so thanks for that.

Thank you for not doing that. [This is probably the most human-sounding he's seemed this entire time. There are some connective things for Jimmy that don't work anymore. Fully grasping the depth of what he's done. Truly understanding empathy after so long. If anything, it's like he has a hard time remembering how he got here. He does remember. It's just that the years have really broken down all of the humanity of it all, making it a goal, an obsession, that he had to reach.

And little more.]

The implant is a personal design, with some upgrades by engineers at Giles Bell. It's not so different from the ones the UNA used, since we make those, too, but taking it apart won't tell you how I live. That's all on a cloud.

[A beat.]

I don't think I can shut that down. If I go somewhere, Project Meadowlark would be in danger. [While he doesn't have tabs on Jimmy, Cassius' ability to reach out to him tells him that Johann would slip right in there if he could. Hell, he's surprised he hasn't yet.]

You're not welcome.

( why can't he just be jason todd, expert life ruiner, destroyer of all things. why are you ruining this for him, jimmy. )

Tell me more about Project Meadowlark.

Well ... I did already. [The nervous bird in his hands finally flies away, settling nearby on an extended artificial branch. He brushes his hands off, letting the loose bird seeds fall to the floor. There will be a roomba through soon to clean it up (one of many, in fact).]

That's the experiment. The processing place. Where you are before you go to New Amsterdam. I think I've told you everything about it. But I do know that I wouldn't want you in Johann's hands. I don't trust that to go very well.

( time to add the roombas to his 'to-steal' list. )

So the whole goddamn project is just "hey, let's pick up some floating bodies, make 'em better, and send 'em on their way since we're done trying to fuck 'em over"? Who else knows about it?

Turned into, [he says, correcting him. There was a transition period, see. Of course, Jimmy isn't a "well, actually" corrector. It's more like, "ah, well, it's this" type of correction. Mild mannered, a bit dopey.

Jimmy.]

It was meant to be the project where I got a piece of god and traveled to find the love of my life. We had to change it.

Right, right.

( sorry about your love life. thanks for jason's own love life except also fuck you he's never saying shit. )

How do you think it'd go if we were in Johann's hands?

You know about the monsters, right? I don't think the ones that hit a couple months back were his. They weren't his style. But I know about a facility that some of the—the crashed ones ended up in. That has his fingerprints all over it.

What do you think he'd do if he had a hold of you from day one? Nothing good. What do you think he'd do now? Tell you a story that's most convenient to him.

What do you know about the monsters?

( now that he's thinking about it-- )

You ever see Johann glow gold? Or his beasties?

That most of them started up after your group first got released, and that can't be a coincidence. I think by gaining full consciousness, something was drawn to you. Reason states that they're agents of a god, possibly the gold one.

[So, that.]

I know about Johann's own monsters. I had investigators hit his lab a few months back—they found what he created, or the corpses of what still existed. [There were definitely corpses.] But otherwise, no gold glowing. I doubt he could be anything like you. You would know if he had destroyed another god.

How do you suspect we'd know, considering we didn't even know about yours?

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