Intro Log: The Forgotten City

[atlasmods]

GOOD MORNING NEW ARRIVALS This time for real! WAKEY WAKEY. As the storm finally peters out and characters can once again move above ground it becomes abundantly clear that the landscape has changed. Where vast expanses of sand dunes once laid is now the half-buried remnants of what looks like some sort of...city? Full of structures. It stretches so far it's really hard to tell. But there is one thing characters will notice: There are more stasis pods. Revealed by the sandstorm, a whole new flurry of pods can be found scattered on the way to the city (curiously though, not in it. Hurry and wake those guys up! SPREAD THE LOVE. OR ACID. With the departure of the storm there's even more new arrivals to be found besides those fellow travelers of yours! The "Seedlings" and "Cactus" are now both available, the former blown in by the storm and the former uncovered. The Seedlings are generally pretty harmless. They like to burrow into the sand so only their "Leaves" plant-like leaves remain above ground, and they're quite happy to stay that way until surprised. Then they pop up and trip over themselves a little, before slowing down and wandering aimlessly. When they find a patch of sand that looks comfy they begin burrowing back down. Pull or yank on their leaves though and you'll find yourself with a face full of pollen that makes you want to just tell everyone how super-cool they are. It lasts a while, and then you get a fever and vomit for two hours. Good times. The Cacti are much less harmless and just...why would you eat them? Everything about this plant is poisonous, and cracking it open causes a corrosive acid-like substance to spill out. It'll eat through everything but...dirt, oddly. Metals and flesh are like hot oil on plastic. DON'T GET LOST And last but not least: The Forgotten City. Maybe you want to check out the Hull first for some loot, but maybe that's not such a cool idea anymore? Although it looks like the ship's definitely more powered after draining the suits of whoever went in, now it's started to spread and fill the sinkhole the ship's in. Suits can go from 100% to 0% in just ten minutes--not good! Lucky for everyone else, it looks like finally there's some sort of civilization up ahead. Go on and check it out! OR DO. THAT'S OKAY TOO. Go nuts, have fun, and enjoy! (This is the wildcard option) OOC The Flora, Fauna & Resources page has been updated with information on the seedlings, cacti, and crystals! These items are now all available for Discovery, and The Forgotten City will be available indefinitely from now on! Characters can take this time to settle & build up a foundation for themselves, explore the area, and of course, harass those poor little seedlings. We encourage players to make their own open posts for this setting--you don't need to stick to just this intro log! But make sure to make our newbies feel welcome!

Comments

[zhellan]

There is certainly that. At the same time, something for long range combat would most likely be ideal for those who lack combat experience.

[He files away that piece of information for future reference.] Miss Kara. I am Commander Spock of the USS Enterprise. Forgive me, but I am unfamiliar with the term "Kryptonian".

[highflights]

Someone told me there's firearms, you can ask around.

[ She almost says Kara is just fine, but his tone is even and professional. Maybe not the type for that. ]

It's nice to meet you Commander. Krypton orbited a red dwarf star that we called Rao. It's about 27 light-years from Earth.

[ It occurs to her that he might not know that. ]

Have you heard of Earth?

[zhellan]

[Firearms. Perhaps someone managed to clean the ship's remnants out after all.] I will certainly follow your suggestion, then. Thank you for informing me.

[Of course, power sources and ammunition are still likely scarce, but he'll address that once he sees what weapons are available.]

And likewise, Miss Kara. [Their numbers are few, and forming alliances is the most prudent course of action in this case.]

Indeed I have. Earth is the planet from which my mother hailed, in fact. If I may ask, are there significant physiological difference between Kryptonians and Humans?

[highflights]

Well, our bodies are denser and used to a harsher atmosphere, with stronger gravity. My body can absorb and use yellow sun radiation. Other than that, I couldn't tell you. There isn't a lot of literature on us.

What about you? Where did your father come from?

[zhellan]

In regards to the yellow sun radiation you mentioned, what sorts of uses do you mean?

[If Kara's description is to be believed, Kryptonians are far more resilient than most races Spock is familiar with. It's unfortunate that so little is known about them...and rather disconcerting, considering his own experiences with losing so much of his cultural heritage due to destruction on a scale of which he'd never witnessed before.]

My father came from the planet Vulcan, a little over sixteen light years from Earth. As for myself, Vulcan is where I was born and raised.

[highflights]

[ you can be sad dead planet bros right after this commercial break ]

It's unusual that I haven't heard of your world. We'll talk about this in a moment — could you step back please so I can demonstrate?

[zhellan]

[The best of bros.]

Certainly. [He moves a couple of paces back.] Is this adequate?

[highflights]

[ Kara nods. She narrows her eyes, and blasts her heat vision in a straight line. Blinking, she walks over and picks up the rod of glass, holding it out for him. ]

[zhellan]

[Spock faintly raises his eyebrows at the sight, and he reaches to gently take the rod from her hands.] ...Fascinating.

[He then regards her with a slight tilt of his head.] When you said you are able to cauterize wounds in an emergency, was this the ability to which you were referring?

[highflights]

Yep.

​​[​​ The p pops at the end. Kara nods. ]

I can use it to sterilise equipment too if needed.

[zhellan]

One of my colleagues who recently awoke in one of the stasis chambers is a doctor. Would you be opposed to my informing him of these abilities?

[That information, after all, may be particularly relevant to Dr. McCoy. Since Kara has been rather open about these abilities, he assumes there's no problem in telling him. Even so, it is generally better to err on the side of caution in these cases, particularly when your survival may depend on loosely-organized individuals you barely know.]

[highflights]

Of course. Anything we can do to help.

​​[​​ She hasn't even considered what the lack of medical supplies mean out here — better hope none of them get badly hurt anytime soon. ]

[zhellan]

[That is privately Spock's hope as well, although statistically it's bound to happen.]

Is the cousin you mentioned before also here?

[highflights]

Yes. Over there.

[ She gestures in the distance, to where Kal is talking to someone else. ]

[zhellan]

Thank you for being so forthcoming about your abilities. Although it is certainly best to do everything we can to minimize accidents, I believe freely exchanging such information only increases our chances of survival under these conditions.

[That's why, in Spock's view, assessing your group's strengths and weaknesses so as to more effectively delegate tasks is the most logical course of action.]

[highflights]

I agree. What about you, is there anything you can do that a human can't?

[zhellan]

My strength is approximately three times that of a full-blooded Human, and I posses an acute sense of hearing. Additionally, where I come from, the Vulcan people are widely known to possess telepathic abilities. [...Or "hoodoo", as Dr. McCoy sometimes calls it.]

[highflights]

[ But he said he was only half, so Kara follows it curiously with, ]

Are you? Telepathic, I mean.

[zhellan]

Yes. [In fact, his talents in that area are considered above average even by Vulcan standards.] I have also received formal training so that, should the situation necessitate such a form of communication, I may use my abilities safely and effectively.

[highflights]

Cool.

[ J'onn might find more in common there; Kara's not sure if Spock's telepathy even works on her and not inclined to try in case it hurts him. ]

Is it difficult, around humans?

[zhellan]

[Spock arches an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth faintly quirks upward.]

The answer to your query most likely depends on how you would define "difficult" in this particular context.

[highflights]

Good point.

[ She'd had the assumption his life might have been a little like hers — not that Kara would call it exceptionally difficult. She had an easier time than most, and it still feels like something she has to put on. ]

Are humans okay with aliens? I mean, there's always going to be those that hate us, and some that like us regardless, but it's only recently in my world that there's been a lot of attention on us.

[zhellan]

[That was, admittedly, not the question Spock expected. Humans were, after all, among the chief founders of the United Federation of Planets, an interstellar government that strives for cooperation, equality, and a free exchange of ideas and knowledge.

Although citing that fact might have been sufficient under different circumstances, in this case Spock settles on the simplest, most obvious answer.]

My existence, I believe, serves as proof that Humans are capable of a peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence with those from other planets. In fact, based on my observations, Humans are generally more tolerant of individuals, such as myself, who are of mixed blood, particularly when compared to certain other species whom I have encountered during my lifetime.

[Mainly other Vulcans, but that bears no relevance to their discussion.]