I'll send an SOS to the world

[astrogator]

Who: Everyone who wants to!
What: Messages for the outside, NOVEMBER PLOT
When: Mid-October onwards
Where: By Phil's signpost, the lounge, Ari's cabin
Warnings: None yet, will update as needed
Notes: Credit to Batya for the first prompt!



1. Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore

A day or two after the signpost goes up, a small table shows up next to it, with a large blank notebook from Sundries. It has been labeled on the front, in careful printing: MAIL CALL.

A nearby note, in the same printing, reads:

If you could send a message back home, or onward to the next place you want to go, what would it say? Write it here for posterity.

Pens and markers are available, in a tall cup scavenged from the buffet table.

2. Only hope can keep me together

In the second half of October, Ari will be in the lounge and other communal areas with her laptop. Anyone who passes by, whether she knows them well or not, will be asked to help her with a project. She doesn't want anyone to be forgotten, she says. She wants a record, because existence is so uncertain. Her injury made her value the people here on the ship more, she'll say, - and the bandage still around her head might speak to that. She encourages people to let her make a recording of them, talking about themselves.

'We can do it however you like,' she'll say. 'Flatvid, looking direct into the camera, or I can activate the holorecorders, give you your own holovid. If you don't know what to say, I'll ask questions. Please?' Are you really going to turn down the earnest young Tradeliner?

3. Sendin' out an SOS

Late in October, Ari calls a meeting of her co-conspirators. She gives them each a different time to arrive at her cabin, so the first arrivals will get to spend time helping with video editing or rocket construction while they await the others. There's time for private chat - but when everyone who decided to come along should be there, discussion begins in earnest.

[ooc: prompts divided up below for organisational purposes; contact me or Batya if you'd like to do something different!]

Comments

[ss_buttcrack]

Crichton is looking over both their shoulders at the notes so far, and comprehending less of it than he would like. But they have time to get each other on the same page. That's what they are here for.

"I'm well-versed in running test simulations. It won't be as easy without the pre-made models but I'm the numbers guy. We only got one shot at this and I don't want to send it up without running as many trials as we can. We need to be as precise as possible. That means we run them on paper (well, on your computer, Lieutenant) first before we get to the physical tests. That won't attract as much attention."

[astrogator]

She nods to Crichton. 'I have software capable of handling that. I'll show you how it works, and we can both run simulations separately and see if the results match up,' she tells him.

Then Ari turns back to Rita. 'Start smaller,' she suggests. She gestures with her hands, indicating the size of Sparkles' toy starship. 'For proof that it works. Anything large enough to fly a person is going to attract a lot of attention. Even positive attention is something we need to minimise right up until launch day.'

[abhorrently]

"Say you're researching storm applications."

The voice chimes in after Ari, and Fever comes to nosily look over Rita's shoulder at the notebook.

"I'm willing to provide a physical test subject with myself. My spells already offer a bit of flight when pushed - we're learning from each other, furthering our crafts. If positive attention needs to be minimized, do it at night, when most of the ship is asleep, and anyone stumbling by gets treated to a sorrowful tale of my insomnia and how you're so kindly helping me burn off excess energy. No overexplaining, just a logical thing for friends to be doing."

[not_the_last]

Cassandra doesn't know Fever yet, but they've been introduced, and that suggestion gets a firm approving nod. "Insomnia's common enough on this ship. It's a solid explanation."

[abhorrently]

"And I deal with that enough nights that it's not out of the ordinary for me to be awake for a while in the dark hours."

She shrugs. Keeping to already established patterns will lessen scrutiny.

[myagic]

Rita glances at each of them in turn, first nodding to Crichton and Ari. "I'll leave the simulations to you guys, then. All I need to know are the results and what changes to make." And she knows that Crichton's gone to space since they've spoken about it before, so she's invested in his input. She'll explain the way her magic equations work so they'll be on the same page.

To Fever, she nods again--for a brief moment, her thoughts are distant, but she quickly pulls her focus back to the present. "It wouldn't be the first time I've collaborated on magic with someone on this ship, either," she says, trying not to think too much about Jade's absence and failing. "It used to be pretty frequent...so...yeah, that...would work."

[not_the_last]

"On the subject of collaborating on magic," Cassandra says.

(Makes herself say. Holding in her mind the awareness that Crichton is giving up pieces of his ship to make this work. Pieces of his home.)

"As I've said, I've no personal experience working with the arcane. But I have in my possession a quantity of refined residuum, which people in my world are able to use to enhance and power magical works. If you think it could be of any use to you in powering the launch ..."

[myagic]

"Residuum?" she repeats, clearly unfamiliar with the term. "I don't know... How much do you know about it? Its properties, and the methods for enhancing magic."

[not_the_last]

"I don't know much about its physical properties, only what can be directly observed. And that it's refined out of whitestone ore, from my home, using some kind of acid. As to the methods ... most magic in my world is done using specific components, some of them material objects. Residuum can be used in place of any material component for spells, and if used in addition instead, it can increase the power or the speed of the spell."

A pause. "I'm afraid it's all very general knowledge. I'm not an arcanist. If it would help, I can give you a piece of it to study."

[abhorrently]

"It'd be appreciated. Ultimately, we just need enough power behind it to get outside of the demiplane's barrier, yeah? If we're lacking, it could give us the extra punch needed."

She pauses, because Cassandra didn't volunteer this earlier. Might not truly wish it, with her saying it was from her home.

"I'll bow to Rita's choice, since her work's more structured than mine ever is, but for what it's worth, if we can get it up there without needing the extra force, probably for the best. You don't want to put excess strain on the vessel itself."

[not_the_last]

She nods, to Fever and then more directly to Rita. "I'll yield to your expertise, of course. But if it can be of use, I will put it at your disposal."

[myagic]

Rita considers while Fever responds. As much as she'd like to know more, there's no helping it.

"Alright," she says at last. "If we need the extra boost, it might come in handy...assuming it's compatible with my magic. I'll try some tests with that piece, then."