The Mark of the Atlas

[atlasmods]

THE MARK OF THE ATLAS Into the heart of the city you go. Down below the lowest levels of the city, somewhere beyond the twisty maze of passages, several of the paths converge in a huge underground cavern. Here the air is blissfully cool compared to the desert above. A single shaft of light shines down from somewhere on the surface; motes of sand drift lazily as if suspended in the light. Elsewhere, the cave is lit by small clusters of glowing fungus that live off the moisture collected down here. Dim but navigable for most. But perhaps the most striking items in the area are the monoliths. Great fragments of stone over three meters long, too smooth to be natural but too jagged to be whole either. Several of them glow from the pulse of energy running through them. Others, while dark, have recessed notches large enough for a person’s hand. And still another group seems nearly shattered, a larger fragment surrounded by smaller ones. All of them react when the interlopers draw close enough... LIGHT Upon closer inspection, the lit monoliths have a curious pattern worked into the tone. The symbols are rather arcane, but perhaps they make sense if one tilts one’s head and squints. This one has strokes that resemble tongues of flame. That one is covered in cascading, fluid lines. Another … well, that look more like a warning sign than anything else. Interacting with these monoliths results in a warning crackle and the scent of ozone before the monolith opens. Something comes pouring out of it in response. Gushing water is the most common, matching up with the cascade monoliths; others open to flame or greenery or other odd things. And one definitely opens up into a vacuum. Careful with that unless you want to have something sucked out into space. Whatever connection they make is brief and non-traversable, but whatever comes through stays on this side. DARK The unlit monoliths aren’t nearly as flashy as their glowing brethren, but they have their own stories to tell. With the help of a little light (and the suit), the interlopers will find that these monoliths are covered from top to bottom in alien script. Most have at least one solid crack or chunk in them - at the juiciest parts! - but there may be enough left to be intelligible, given a little luck. VISION The last set hum with an ominous energy that belies their dilapidated appearance. Interlopers who approach these monoliths trigger strange images that float in the air. No two visions are alike, though they all share common themes. Silhouettes descending to the surface of the planet and spreading out across it. Exploring and interacting with an alien environment. There’s something deeply familiar about these shadows despite the variety of body types represented by them. The shape of their clothing is reminiscent of your own suit... Other snippets are set in space. Here the silhouettes are a darker patch of black against the darkness of space. The mood in these images is strangely pensive, somewhat tense. These figures are searching very desperately for something. There is one, though, that’s different from all the others. No silhouettes, no searching, no space. Only a shaft of light starting from a point beyond this planet’s moon. At first it’s a too-bright star; then, a solid beam stretching down to the planet itself. The light increases in intensity and breadth exponentially until it impacts physically with the surface of the planet itself. The eruption kicks up huge clouds of dust that race towards the city with all the heat and speed of a pyroclastic explosion. It rises up like a wave...and then crashes down, burying the city. Eventually, each of the images go dark once again. BROKEN Amidst the myriad of strange monoliths and now-flowing water? Is some sort of chassis. The ruined frame of an old robot of some kind, easily as large as a cement mixer's chamber and just as tall. Most of it lies buried beneath the sand, stuck near the far end of one particularly large chamber within the caves' network. It takes a bit of walking to get there, but there's a reward to be had for those who find it: The room is not empty. Standing in the exact middle is a strange, hulking figure. It stands at eight feet at least, a massive frame encased in black. Whether it's carapace or suit is impossible to tell, and whether or not it's alive is another story altogether. It stands perfectly motionless, skull-like face staring ahead at the robot's husk as water pools in through cracks and recesses, giving the ground a glass-like appearance through which tiny grass-like eels can be seen rising from tiny holes in the sand. For all intents and purposes the figure seems nothing more than a statue. Eerie. OOC There will be an 24-hour event encounter which runs from Nov 26th at 8:00am EST to Nov 27th at 8:00am EST. Feel free to let characters toy around & thread in the innermost areas of the city before the main event! Sections will go up in this entry and will be linked here when they are ready.

Comments

CLARK KENT | OTA

[anewhope]

[ a: and then there was . . . light. And water. ]

[ Once the water starts pouring out, Clark immediately looks around. Once he finds a suitable large rock, he digs his fingers into it, hollowing it out until it looks like a bowl. Then he brings it back to the water and fires up his heat vision, boiling it.

If anyone needs a drink, he'll be at the monolith, boiling water and making sure it's safe to drink. ]

[ b: the end of the world as they know it. ]

[ Clark's breath catches. It reminded him too closely of the World Engine and the horror it wreaked among the people. Except this one was successful. Swiping his eyes, he swallows, trying to look back at it closely. Any clue they could find could prevent further tragedy. After it dims, he steps away, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze.

It was too much to bear. ]

[ c: wildcard! if you have an idea, it's fine to tag Clark with it. ]

a.

[justice_of_toren]

[Laser eyes. Ok, thats's new.]

That's useful.

....how does it work?

[Not technology, she doesn't think. She's quite aware her implanted shielding device doesn't work, which should never happen until she's dead. Although maybe they've been hobbled in different ways. Not a pleasant thought.]

[anewhope]

[ Clark shakes his head before handing the bowl to her. He should make more, he reasoned, glancing back at the monolith. ]

I wouldn't know.

[ His abilities are still a mystery to him. Buried instincts that come to the surface. ]

[justice_of_toren]

[Taking the bowl, giving him a small smile-] Thank you.

You are Clark, correct? Kara pointed you out to me.

[anewhope]

[ At Kara's name, he softens a little. There's still something miraculous about meeting a family member here of all places and the shine of it hasn't left Clark's eyes. ]

You're welcome.

Kara seems to make an impression.

[ Clark does too, but he's less open and forthcoming. He prefers to help blithely and remove himself from the equation. ]

c

[lefthandfree]

[He'd listened to the transmissions a few times since, but when it became obvious that he couldn't do much with it on his own, he’d left any further thoughts on it behind. There was enough to worry about in a place like this, and not enough familiarity for him to waste energy on something out of his hands. It’s only to his luck he manages to overhear chatter about Clark having a translating device. He feels a bit foolish not having raised it before, considering how he’d more or less encountered Clark when he had actually received them in the first place, but hindsight is 20/20.

When he next spots Clark about, he approaches with clear intent, mild smile on his face.]

Hey. How you been, fly-guy? [Wow. Definitely not one of your best, Barnes.]

[anewhope]

[ Clark blinks, a little taken aback by the enthusiasm before his expression smooths over, eyes crinkling. He's still not completely used to people greeting him so openly, but he's getting there. ]

I'm doing well. [ And it surprises him to mean it. ]

Do you need help with something?

[lefthandfree]

[He nods. Well is good. Can’t ask for much more in a place like this.] Good to hear.

And, actually, yeah. I heard you might have something useful. [He cocks his head to the side inquisitively.] You remember when those bugs went a bit crazy on us?

[anewhope]

[ Clark is the picture of patience as he replies. ]

That experience would be hard to forget.

[ He pauses, assessing Bucky. ]

Are you talking about the fact that I can translate parts of the language? We haven't made much headway so far.

b.

[ceruleo]

[ The monoliths are.....a shock. Like small wormholes unto themselves. An extra water source is great, sure, but he can't deny the idea kind of creeps him out. He's standing by Clark when the taller man turns away from the dimming glow, catching the edge of light on Clark's expression. Lance's brows knit together. ]

Hey, Clark. [ His voice is soft, fretful at Clark's turned back. ] You okay...?

[anewhope]

[ His voice is rough and he feels distinctly lost. He hopes Kara doesn't see this. Krypton, Earth and now . . . this. It would be too much for anyone. Clark hunches his shoulders as he attempts to regain his calm. ]

I'm all right. I simply — I wasn't expecting that.

[ceruleo]

[ He isn't sure what caused the reaction, only that he's relieve that Clark's upset seems to have passed. It's an involuntary selfishness, but he's come to count on the older man as his own stabilizer, so seeing Clark out of sorts sends a spark of anxiety in his belly. ]

Pretty freaky, right?! I mean, who even put these here?

[ He isn't sure he wants the answer to that question. He divers his attention back to the monolith in front of Clark. ] At least they, uh, color-coded? Sort of...

[ That, in retrospect, was certainly a hazard sign. ]

[anewhope]

Probably whoever was here first.

[ There's no way the others like them had time to prop and develop large monoliths. It seems like a remnant of whatever life was on this planet - perhaps, before ATLAS came and re-purposed it. He feels the faint flickers of anger in him. ]

Want to take a closer look?

a

[ex_broach530]

[ Haha what the fuck.

Okay, he already knew Clark wasn't human, and he's got plenty of experience with elemental magic, but shooting the fire from your eyes is just weird. And kind of hot. Mostly weird. ]

Now I really wanna see you fight a dragon.

[ Ah, 😍 dragons.

Also his science/bacteria/general health knowledge isn't all that strong but he's a survivalist, he gets that boiling water cleans it somehow. ]

Might be a little hot to drink. If you can pry Dorian away from touching everything he might be able to cool it down.

[anewhope]

[ Clark nods. He didn't expect anyone to drink it straight away. ]

Dorian?

[ex_broach530]

[ Bull is as heart-eyes about Dorian as he is about dragons quite honestly, though he doesn't immediately drag the husband over to show off his magic. ]

Yeah, he's this mage I know. Got the freezing touch.

[ A finger wiggle. ]

Doing it from the eyes though... way cooler.

[anewhope]

[ Clark answers absently as he blows over the bowl. ]

It's not magic. I don't think I've ever seen that.

[ He hands it over to Iron Bull. ] It should be fine now.

a

[boldlyemoting]

[McCoy's version of catching the water is much less effective than breaking a rock into an effective stone bowl -- he's trying to catch some water in cupped hands. Not attempting to drink it, though. Just peering closely at it as it dribbles between fingers, looking for any visible particles, doing his best without proper instrumentation to determine if it is safe.

Laser eyes boiling water will get his attention, though, and he's trying not to look sheepish watching him.]

Lacking iodine tablets, I suppose that'll do.

[anewhope]

[ Clark's expression is gracious as he hands the bowl over to McCoy. ]

I hope it's enough. I've never put it to such practical use.

[ He spent so much of his life ignoring his powers or repressing them. Only recently has he allowed them to breathe under the guise of Superman. ]

[boldlyemoting]

[He does let the rest of the water fall from his hands, but he's hesitant about reaching for the bowl. McCoy's not about to turn the offer down, but this man was just heating the water in it with eye lasers, and he wants to make sure accepting it isn't going to burn his hands, first.]

I'd say practical is a pretty relative term. Might need to keep a man like you around to warm up rocks on cold nights.

[anewhope]

[ Bemused, Clark waits, keeping the bowl out to him. ]

That seems easy enough.

a

[ex_bossily211]

[She's kept her distance for a while after their last talk, but in her eagerness to try and make herself useful she decides to approach him while he's showing off his impressive skills at making a bowl with his bare hands. Suitably impressed, she watches him set the water to a boil and smiles with a sort of exasperated fondness that has her moving in closer to him.]

Leave some work for the rest of us, would you?

[anewhope]

[ If he's uncomfortable, he doesn't show it. Clark has been in worse positions than a fumbling kiss caught in the moment of grief. He's not going to hold it against her.

Without a word, he hands the bowl to her (after making sure it has cooled enough), he answers. ]

This isn't much. Everyone else is solving mysteries.

[ex_bossily211]

I should be. But I think I'll be more useful here. Least for now.

[But indecisiveness is holding her back. It's become a real problem as of late. She tells herself that she's more useful here with the water, making sure it's allocated so everyone gets some.

First though, she needs to play test subject. Once she's sure that the water's cool enough she takes a drink. Which quickly turns to her gulping down her fill.]

[anewhope]

You'll find something.

[ He watches, making sure it seems to be fine before going to make another bowl for people to use. He works casually, unconcerned of who might be watching. It almost feels like another day on the farm, helping his parents with the chores. It's easy and methodical. ]

I'll make sure there's plenty.