E.S. Berkhard---1st Mission. "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...."

[proxy_explorers]

Each crewmate had woken up in a cabin assigned to them, with their name and role on the door outside. It was a pretty nice little cabin, private and with a private bathroom. Like a basic hotel room honestly, in shades of deep blue and rich brown wood and steel. Clean sheets on the bed, clean linens on the desk waiting for use, and a closet full of uniforms for their use. (Each consisting of dark blue BDU pants and jacket with rank and name, a black undershirt, and black boots. These uniforms are modified for non-humanoid wear as needed.)

A small note was on the desk, on top of the linens. "Welcome Explorer! For your first mission, you are to proceed to the Waystation's VR deck. There is a map accessible on your Omniband, which will also be used to lock and unlock your cabin. Each Omniband is individually designated. It is recommended Omnibands be worn at all times." Indeed, there is a small blue, silver, or grey band that looks like a circular smart-watch on the desk. The 'band' itself will expand to fit over any width, or can be unlocked and flipped to form an 'S' type shape with the screen, to act like a traditional phone.

Explorers can explore their ship if they want. Although they won't be able to undock or leave the Waystation. Heading out further into the Waystation, they're free to explore there as well. They will be prompted by their Omniband though, to gather in the VR Holodeck. The longer one takes to get to the VR Holodeck, the more insistent the prompts will get--starting with a beeping, that will only get worse the longer it takes. There is no way, short of hacking the Omniband, to disable this beeping. This is the first 'mission' after all!

Once there, the sliding doors will open to reveal what almost looks like any good 2010's employee conference room, although the table has been moved to the side and laid out with snacks and drinks. Stepping in will prompt a "My name is ____" badge to appear with the person's chosen name on their clothes in an appropriate place. Also on the table are various ideas for Ice-Breakers! A big banner spans the room and says "Welcome Explorers!"

It appears your first mission is for everyone to get to know each other!

OUT OF CHARACTER
This is for your chars to get to know each other, since you'll all be working as a crew. The MDSOBs have tried to make it welcoming and easy and encouraging. Below there will be a thread for some different Ice Breaker Activities. Please respond there for threads.

Comments

[fourglasswalls]

"Ahh, okay, I get it," Glass says, clearly making a great number of further assumptions as he nods. "I'm gonna warn you, then... standing in the corner looking mysterious and distant is like the number one way to attract attention!"

[pilot05]

Wufei is very used to assumptions being made about him, so it doesn't bother him as much as it probably should that he's almost certainly giving this weird guy the wrong impression. The 'advice' is greeted with a lifted brow.

"Or perhaps you're simply bad at reading social cues," he replies dryly, picking an imaginary bit of lint off his arm.

[fourglasswalls]

"That's possible!" Glass said, with such enthusiasm and good cheer that it actually seemed possible. "But one of us is greeting people at this obvious welcome party, and one of us is brooding in the corner, so I'm feeling pretty good about how I've read the room, honestly."

[pilot05]

"I see," Wufei's mouth tightens into a frown. "You simply lack self-preservation instincts."

[fourglasswalls]

"My dude. If that's really something you're gonna get all fighty about, you really need to think about your life choices." Glass didn't sound angry, or condescending, or snarky -- he legit seemed concerned. "I mean, come on! Welcome party. Guy says hi. You threaten violence? That's -- that's messed up, man."

[pilot05]

He snorts, the frown easing up a little, like Glass had told a joke or something. "So you think it prudent, then, for me to put you in an even more dangerous position?" he asks blandly. "You would prefer that I pretend to be even-tempered only to send you to medical when you behave in a manner I did not anticipate?" It was more a warning than a threat, is what he's trying to say.

[fourglasswalls]

"You couldn't," Glass said, utterly guileless and as if that's just a fact, "but it's the whole sending-to-Medical thing in the first place that's not cool. Why is that even an option? I mean, if I came over and said, 'you're standing in the corner, I'ma beat you up', wouldn't you start wondering what the heck was wrong with me?"

[pilot05]

He lifted a brow at that. The confidence was... interesting. "If we were on my world, I would assume I killed someone you cared deeply for," as if that were a perfectly normal thing which it is, for him.

[fourglasswalls]

"Okay, but no, I said it was because you're standing in the corner. And for sake of argument, that standing in the corner was not somehow responsible for death and destruction!"

What, was that supposed to faze Glass? NOTHING fazed Glass! When punches come your way, bite your tail like a hoopsnake and roll with them!

[pilot05]

Wufei shrugs, as if the argument is irrelevant. "Not today," he concedes that particular point. "But it is actively preventing harm." He's being a surly jerk for your protection, apparently.

Why is there always someone like this in every group? He sighs, and tightens that frown back up.

[fourglasswalls]

"Oh, I get it. You only know how to relate to the world through violence." Glass nodded, sagely. Normally this was a problem you'd expect to see in a suchid-breed, or more likely, a lupus-breed werewolf! But humans were wacky like that. "But you know what, that sucks. You can live a happy and healthy life instead!"

[pilot05]

Well, that was hitting the nail on the head a bit more firmly than Wufei was comfortable with, but it wasn't wrong.

But the idea that he could live a happy and healthy life takes him so much by surprise that he actually lets out a huff of laughter. "That's the stupidest thing anyone has ever said to me." Color him impressed.

[fourglasswalls]

"You just stick with me and we'll defeat that record in no time." Glass nodded firmly, then stuck up a finger to make a point. "Besides, that's self-reinforcing! If it's truly stupid you'd prove it without the attitude!"

[pilot05]

"No thank you," he replies quickly, and gives his head a shake. "I'm here to do a job, nothing more. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours, that's the closest you'll find I ever get to 'nice'."

[fourglasswalls]

"Time-out." Glass quickly popped his hands into a T-shape, as was appropriate. "Are you here to do a job or are you here to avoid people? They're mutually exclusive! At least if you want to do the job well."

[pilot05]

"You're underestimating me," he replied, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I primarily work alone, and I am highly effective." Never mind that he wasn't the only person assigned to engineering. If he was lucky he would be the smallest and could just wedge himself into an inaccessible location if he really got tired of people.

It seemed extremely likely.

[fourglasswalls]

Wait till he saw how small Glass could get if need be. "Whether or not you're literally working alone, you're part of a team! No matter how effective you are it doesn't matter if we don't know what's going on or can't approach you. Right now you're just like, 'leave me alone, I want nothing to do with anyone' and that means people will end up working around you instead of relying on you!"

[pilot05]

It was going to blow his mind entirely. The man's word actually get a smirk out of Wufei, but it's not a very friendly one. "Good," he replied lightly. "Then they won't be completely incapable of handling things when I die." He really thinks he's just won the argument.

[fourglasswalls]

Glass blinked. Then blinked again.

"...okay, dude, planning on dying is like the ultimate form of doing your job poorly. I mean, come on, imagine how that's gonna go. 'Hey man, breakfast is gonna be five minutes late--' 'CHOKE ON THIS LOSERS!'"

Glass mimed stabbing himself in the stomach, then teetered backwards, letting his tongue loll out as he flipped double birds to the world. "Do my job... for meeeee...."

[pilot05]

Wufei lifted a brow, taking in the antics and snorting softly. "If there's anything significant enough to actually kill me, you won't feel that way," he replied dryly. "Death is an occupational hazard that I became comfortable with long ago. I'm not going to commit ritual suicide over breakfast," and he rolled his eyes.

[fourglasswalls]

"If it's HARD for you to die, you probably shouldn't PLAN for it. Because whatever happens is going to mess things up so badly your plans won't matter afterwards. So maybe focus a little more on LIVING? Just a bit?"

Call him crazy?

[pilot05]

Yeah, that... that was where a lot of his plans had fallen apart, actually. But he's not going to just say that. It's enough to get Glass a real glare, though. "For what exactly?"

[fourglasswalls]

Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhh. It's like that.

"Because whatever your goal or goals are, you can't keep going for it if you're dead. Also, if you're dead inside they already won, because they took your life away even if your heart's still beating!"

[pilot05]

It was like flipping a switch. He went from relatively relaxed to tense, straightening up a little as his hands curled into fists. He'd been annoyed before, but now he was angry. "If you'd like a demonstration on just how dead I am already, I'll be happy to show you," he replied. His voice was soft, perfectly level, and completely at odds with the fury in his eyes.

[fourglasswalls]

Sheesh, touchy! Glass registered this not as a threat, but as an attempt to be threatening. (Which was good, considering what might happen when his actual Rage began to manifest. It had a capital letter for a reason.)

"Okay, seriously, are you really cool with living a life where a couple sentences can set you off that bad?" Glass said, trying his best to convey how baffled he was. "'Cuz that's like getting punched right through your guard. Form needs work. You should wax off more, as I understand it."