Hyperion: Unlimited IC

[Ehndras]

Hyperion:Unlimited OOC Thread



I often wonder where it all went wrong. If I could go back to the beginning, back to where it all began... Would I have damned us all the same? I replay those years like an old film reel, sorting through memories not my own. It all seemed so different then...

Startled by the sting of cold metal against warm flesh, my wooden cane emits a resounding crash as it skips across the broad side of the only fixture in this quiet, lonely room. Two sickly hands grope blindly beneath the smooth metal table in search of my timeworn cane – the unassuming relic of an otherwise colored past. I steady myself atop desiccated legs grown weary from the crawl of countless years as crackling speakers shriek opposite my hunched and miserable form.

“Subject four-five-one, take your seat and continue as scheduled.”

I nod my head in agreement at the monotonous voice from above and sink into the uncomfortable metal chair without thought or question. The fissures that mar my face betray an age where mankind saw the world through different eyes… That time died long, long ago.

“We had dreams, you see – high-strung hopes and noble ambitions to call our own. We set out into the vast expanse of interstellar void with an innocence one can only describe as naïve. The first months were filled with exacting purpose as we felt the full weight of the empire at our backs. There were no questions to answer or enemies to repel, just a straightforward mission – to unite mankind beneath a single banner. It all seemed so simple, didn’t it.”

My eyes linger upon a faded photograph of my late wife clad in vibrant crimson – undoubtedly from our wedding night. Forsaken memories trickle back from time-choked depths as I reminisce upon the faint scent of lavender. There is no warming touch to soothe me, no trailing flesh to awaken my eager spirit. Deathless memories exist only to haunt me now as frail fingers reach out to embrace her fading silhouette.

I smile a pitiful smile as the acrid stench of seared flesh forces me to choke away my rising bile. I descend the ageless span of black infinity with every successive blink, the vital trickle of time worn deep into my very bones.

“They promised me you’d return! They swore it could be done! You promised me!”

I yell as the cold metal chair clatters away from my shrunken, shriveled form. What strength remains in my pitiful bones propels me toward the two-way glass where I reach out to lay a withered hand upon its smooth surface. My wife gazes at the tarnished silver ring that crowns my wrinkled hand with a vibrant smile, bleeding away decades of solitude with her passing glance. It is my son’s voice which brings me to tears.

“All those years ago and still you’re with me…”

I flash a black-toothed grimace as I realize I will waste away in this hellish prison. A torrent of infernal rage rises within me, bringing renewed strength to a mortal shell long past its mark. I beat that seeing-window until my fists become wet with blood, screaming hopelessly as my wife and child leave my sight forever. Centuries of dust dances in the fading light as my wrinkled hands summon the last of my power - enough to launch my metal chair at that daemon portal of forsaken memory which spawned the image of all I had lost. A heavy sigh escapes me, like the final gasp of a dying man, as the large dust-coated mirror crashes to the ground. Its fractured surface betrays an aged reflection of distorted horror: the damaged features of charred flesh, bearing the vacant sightless stare of a blind man relinquished from the bonds of sanity.

--- || --- || --- || ---

The assembled mass stares in bewildered silence as Dr. Brand blinks profusely, having forgotten his words in a moment of deep thought. The cryptic image of a pale blue dot within colored bands of light suddenly floods the auditorium's massive projector screen.



“Eighty three years ago this land was settled by those who came before us: artifacts of that bright blue world Humanity once called home. Allow me to reiterate the legendary discourse of none other than famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan, a fitting tribute in honor of our ancestors."

"From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity – in all this vastness – there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known, so far, to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment, the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

The quizical smile on Dr. Brand's face leaves little to the imagination for he is a man who often wears his heart on his sleeve.

"I offer my heartfelt congratulations to each of you on being chosen to accompany our people's first and foremost space exploration program aboard the illustrious starship Hyperion. I am sure you’ve made good use of the briefing material distributed by commander Aurea - a fine and fiery lass, that one! Please bear in mind that all research personnel are to report to Dr. Magnus’ office at your leisure - second door on the left! Security personnel should be suited up and ready for pre-launch inspection by oh-eight hundred hours. All other personnel please report to the launch bay by oh-nine hundred hours with personal equipment on hand. I will not be faulted for trinkets left behind on so grand a journey! Now then, shall we leave these white-washed walls and have a bite to eat? We can't be expected to rewrite history on an empty stomach now can we!”

The crowd rumbles with excited chatter as hundreds file out of the grand auditorium, the sleek circumpunct emblem of Project Hyperion stamped upon each sleeve. The yawning maw of Altaraxian architecture looms up over the crest of Halcyon Industries as a chemical-laced smog settles over the plateau upon which Altarax lies. The Eastern snowcapped mountains of Leng rise like an ancient pagan offering bearing stark contrast to the rough-hewn cityscape of concrete and steel. Eighty-three years of harsh living have chiseled an artificial haven from living rock, entire sections of the capitol city laid bare from the constant stream of earthquakes we've long grown accustomed to.

[PyroDesu]

Dr. Dominic Stählen would've looked as though he was asleep for the duration of the presentation, were it not for the known fact that he was completely blind, relying on a visorlike semi-implant to see. Even still, he didn't make a sound during the presentation, nor give much notice to Dr. Brand's moment of... contemplation? It didn't matter much to him, people in general weren't quite his thing. He was paying rapt attention, though, as he was one of the chosen to go on such an illustrious journey. Of course he would be, though, he'd designed the main propulsion systems of the Hyperion - and lost his sight doing so. When Dr. Brand dismissed the audience, he headed straight to Dr. Magnus' office, without delay, and rapped politely on the door.

[ccdhammer]

Thane was a soldier. That much he knew, and that was all that tethered his consciousness to what he perceived as reality. After losing so much in his short life, the thought that it was all, in the end, meaningless helped him hang on to the real world. The majority of the speech sailed right over Thane's head, so he didn't pay much attention. It wasn't that he was poorly educated or ignorant, it was just that Thane cared very little about the grand purpose of this mission. He was a person who didn't want anything to do with this god-forsaken rock, and this was his ticket out of here. Slowly standing up, Thane shoved his way past the numerous scientists and security guards to the armory to suit up. Just another day in the Corps, he laughed to himself.

[Parisbre56]

Xan looked left and right at the people leaving the auditorium. There were so many of them... He knew from the moment he heard of the project that it would involve several hundreds of people, but actually seeing them all together was something else. As he waited for the crowd to dissipate (he didn't want to get squeezed and shoved around by it and he was already feeling uncomfortable being amongst so many people) his eyes turned once again to the screen and the pale blue dot in it. Our past. And perhaps a glimpse of our future. he thought, nostalgia in his voice. A good presentation, even though it was somewhat lacking in information about our mission. But I guess it's good for what it was meant. Raise morale. Create cohesion in the group. And it looks like it worked, for he couldn't help but nod in agreement from time to time during the presentation. This doctor Brand surely knows a bit about handling people. I can see why they chose him to lead this mission. If he truly believes what he is saying then he will be a great leader. And he is right. This mission will rewrite history and have tremendous impact to the future. He looked around again. The room was now emptier and the shouting had thankfully subsided somewhat. It was time for him to move out. But perhaps not in the way he thinks. he thought as he got up, a smile briefly appearing on his face.

Having nothing better to do, Xan made his way to Doctor Magnus' office. He said second door to the left, right? As he reached the door he noticed there was someone else waiting outside. Not being one for small talk, he made a small nod to him as he passed him by (hopefully the man's implants could see it) to acknowledge his presence and then leaned with his back against a nearby wall, resting his backpack on his shoes, waiting for the door to open, so that he could report to his "superior".

[Snackpacman]

Christoph shifted uncomfortably in his seat while listening to the presentation. It had been a day or two since he got some sleep, thanks to the lengthy process of reassignment. The presentation was of little importance to Christoph but he was required to be in attendance and it wouldn't hurt to at least see the people he would spend the rest of the year with. The prospect of finding some far off land or some exotic alien race intrigued Christoph but not enough to take action. There were too many problems to fix here and he would be leaving them most of them undone.

Christoph remained in his seat as Dr.Brand dismissed the audience, waiting for the rest of the audience to file out before making his was toward the launch bay. In truth Christoph hated space travel and the prospect of spending a long amount of time aboard this ship made him even more anxious. The strap of his sea bag cut into his shoulder as he walked toward the launch bay, the thin material of his duty uniform doing little to prevent the wear on his shoulder. Christoph wore no rank or insignia, to any other member on the ship he simply looked like a GI another man with short hair and boots, just another soldier. He liked the anonymous touch, and it helped when around the general population of the ship. Altraxian Intelligence doesn't have the best reputation and is usually associated with ruthless and cruel forms of espionage. Being able to walk the ship without that stigma is a great burden off his shoulders.

Before long Christoph found himself in the armory, unsure of what he was supposed to do. " how suited up does she want us to get" he said quietly to himself, slowing pulling out a holster with an accompanying pistol from his sea bag. He clipped the holster into his belt and fastened the straps around his thigh, pulling the apparatus tight to his body. Christoph slowly pulled the pistol from its holster and brought it out in front of him, clicking the magazine release with his thumb. " Loaded" he said with a slight chuckle, seeing the 15 rounds stacked in the magazine. Happy with the appearance of his gear Christoph quickly holstered the firearm and stood up, quietly walking out of the door towards the launch bay.

[Kisame12794]

Cog snores quietly against the wall, oblivous to the speech. Only when people start leaving does he wake. "Hrmm? Wassat? Oh. I missed the speech. Bah, probably nothing important. Some science mumbo jumbo most likely. Now, where to?" He joins the flow of people out of the room, noting which way the security types went. "Always good to know which way the guns are." he mumbles to himself, "Never know when ya might need 'em."

[ashton]

Abraham stared vacantly, Altarax is no pale blue dot. Not everyone I've loved was born on the charred surface – they had however, died upon it. That titile is exclusive to the remnants of a world that will never be seen. Altarax's history is non-existent for until it's first generation expires living memory encompasses all: there is no need to record what is already known so there are no stories on Altarax. Legends are secondary to reality. Without a past there cannot be a future thus Altarax is obscured by chaotic smog: politics that have no purpose and stupid games; Hyperion is another game: a mouse pretending to be god. Perhaps then that pale blue dot, a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam is the vital catalyst to progress we need. But then, if one considers the ship of Theseus:

Back on Earth water collected in large basins forming open flat planes of liquid. Vessels could float across them and through careful manipulation of atmospheric pressure control their heading and speed. Some were used for warfare and became damaged as a result, the ship of Theseus had it's damaged parts replaced one by one until none of the original components remained. The question then posed was: “is it still the same ship?”. Then if one considers the universe to be a perfectly parallel computer, or in fact any computer, time exists as discrete packages in local space and so the universe is replaced every instant posing the questions: "is it still the same universe that existed then as now? Am I the same person I was now as a second ago?" Thus incorporeal pattern dictates identity rather than...

A tap on the shoulder interrupted Abraham's thoughts, without acknowledgement he stood up and headed to the door, a backwards glance revealed a room devoid of furnishings or people, odd. The auditorium was sparsely populated but buzzed with excitement nevertheless: a throng of people appeared to have converged on an unassuming corridor. A flash of anger lit Abraham's eyes as he envisioned himself disembowelling each loitering individual but the thought subsided before it could fully form; the only betrayal of murderous intent being an involuntary flinch. Abraham turned away and continued walking - then lost himself in thought once more.

Abraham eventually came to a locked bathroom and flicked it open, then entered, and sealed the door shut again. If design, purpose and intention remain immutable then something that's destroyed and then re-created remains unchanged by the process. A heavy cover concealed one of the sinks; Abraham moved it asside revealing a bath of bubbling acid. The method used doesn't matter either, any accurate model that can simulate a process is identical to that process. Abraham lowered his left hand into the acid and within a minute the synthetic skin that covered his hand dissolved. The acid then started to gnaw at the metal carapace underneath. With his right hand Abraham pulled a vial from his jacket and placed it on the counter; with his left he pulled the plug. The burn pattern was intricate though temporary, as the vial's blue-tinted liquid was applied new synthetic skin began to regrow. Millions of tiny nanobots suspended in iron sulphate knitted together new flesh until only a small scar remained. Abraham's curiosity was only partially sated by the demonstration - but regardless he placed the now empty vial in its original location. Then decided to investigate the commotion he'd seen earlier in the auditorium.

[Lydyn]

Katie Wallows, twenty-six years old, sat at one of many desks with her chin resting in her hands as she almost stared into space as the man went on about his speech. She was sure it was just some sort of prep talk and she didn't really need it or particularly want it. The woman already knew she was extremely self-motivated and when she set her mind to something, it was nigh impossible to stop her lest she change her mind. Still, she was required to set their the lecture, which to her surprise wasn't very long at all and had honestly expected at least a fifteen minute speech. Not that she was complaining mind you, she was just surprised. It wasn't hard for her to shrug it off though and file through the door with most of the people, glancing back to see a few still wanting to stay until the crowd dispersed - she used to be like that.

Eventually she found her way to Dr. Magnus’ office. She had gotten turned around a few times and without visually knowing the layout of the facility, it took her a few to finally come to the office. Apparently two other people had the same idea, to see the man as soon as possible and get it out of the way. She, at least, figured if she needed to know anyone on this entire trip it'd be her commanding officer. So Katie politely smiled to the other to and leaned against the wall with her hands folded in front of her, already wearing her science-like lab coat with the Hyperion sign right on the front. She did have to admit that the title was odd for her, seeing as she was a research student and not some military personnel, even if her uncle had been a part of the UNCF (United Nations Central Forces). She had originally thought this was a research and explore mission, but the titles and ranks all seemed very military-based. Perhaps it was the government taking after the military's strict chain of command and seeing the efficiency of it. Of course, the issue was that none of them really went through courses to instill discipline, so there was no telling what sort of politics would rear their ugly heads in all of this.

People were people, after all.

[Ehndras]

*snip*

[5D HORSE]

People in the back row would look back to see where the mechanical wheezing came from and whisper between themselves as they saw Declan standing at ease with his hands around his back near the auditorium doors. The blank stare of his goggles was directed at the professor while the sensors of his cybernetic eye would filmmer now and then, making low buzzing sounds as they collected information on the people in the room. He did not care for the crew's judgemental looks as he was lost in his own thoughts. He was going to be stationed in space and he didn't like it one bit.

The origins of his fear for the vast emptiness of space was unknownst to him. Anxiety filled him as he continued the train of thought but he would soon snap out of it as the crowd would make their way to the door. As people made their way out he felt the stinging pain in his throat. "Damned breather.." He thought to himself, then proceeded to release the valve positioned on the chinguard, venting out the excess steam that would sometimes gather up his lungs. A junior crewmember halted as he saw Declan fiddling with his breather and stared at him with disgust as he felt the disgusting smell of the vented steam. Declan looked at him and placed a hand on his baton hanging from his belt. "Don't hold up the line." Declan said with a rustling voice - speaking with the valve open would make his voice sound like he was talking through a fan. The crewmember then hurried out the door.

He closed the valve and as the auditorium emptied out he spoke into his radio. "Auditorium's cleared out, ma'am. Awaiting further orders."

(This is my first attempt att forum rp'ing so please correct me on any error's i've done.)