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[complices]

Who: Mosley (complices), England (unionjackoff) and some surprise guests.
When: OOC: 1/6, IC: 5/3 at 10 PM
Where: The research tower, where nothing ever bad happens ever.
What: England's been hired by CERES as a Test Subject. They've finally come to collect.
Rating/Warning: Heavy gore and death. This log is the product of player and mod contact. Please feel free to contact the mods at any time if you would like to interact with the NPCs. We're always open!

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[ At night, the research tower is a beaming beacon of light in the middle of a rather dark district. The surrounding buildings power down and with the medical facility and the police department being just a bit too far away, it leaves the tower as one of the only open buildings during the evening within a wide span of city blocks. To some, this is a reassuring sight. To others, it is not.

As scheduled with England, Mosley will be one of the lone figures in the lobby of the research tower this evening with most of the staff having gone home hours before. Instead of standing and waiting by the elevators as is typical of him, he is sitting on top of the reception desk, legs crossed and swinging underneath him as he waits. The only sound in the lobby is the slight buzzing of the lights overhead and the steady thump of his feet hitting the back of the desk. He seems to be busy with his CereVice.

The other figure in that lobby tonight is a reception-bot, sitting behind Mosley at the desk and staring straight at the door. Once in a while, it glances towards Mosley but otherwise keeps staring at the door. They both seem to be waiting for something. ]

Comments

[complices]

[ Don't worry about it. ]

Natural laws. This is a natural occurrence, Mr. England. The moment your body is physical to the planet, you are given an element. Even those colonists, those who aren't CERES and aren't you, they have one. It's as natural for Tellus as... Nations to Earth.

[ He gives England a meaningful look then before looking back out in front of him. ]

We don't know why. It's just something that is. My personal guess is balance.

[unionjackoff]

[that look. England won't question it. if being assigned an element is simply part of Tellus' natural laws, then there's no need to argue with it. it would be like wondering why there is magic in some other person's world. and England's learned enough about different worlds and their properties to not argue.

still, he's curious now, about Tellus, and about the Elements. what other unwritten laws of the planet were there? like, why was a blood sacrifice necessary? couldn't CERES and the gods of the planet come up with a new agreement? ...but, then, that would be arguing about Tellus' properties again, right? it was just something that was done in this world.

he sighs then, not knowing how to respond yet. his mind is frantically thinking of things to ask, about what is going to happen. but he assumes he will find out soon enough. after a minute, he solemnly says] It sounds like you guys are doing a lot behind the scenes to make Cerealia habitable.

[complices]

[ Mosley's expression breaks into a grin, sharp and amused and yet fleeting as it disappears quickly into its blank state once again. ]

Oh, Mr. England, you don't know the half of it. I've always said I'm a busy man, it's all of you who choose not to believe me.

[unionjackoff]

I'm beginning to understand that. [England is a little conflicted now. he leans back in his seat] What I don't understand is, after you learned about all these extra things you had to deal with, why stay on Tellus? Couldn't the colonists have found another planet to develop, one without ghosts or temperamental gods?

[complices]

[ Mosley's silent for a moment, just continuing to drive them... wherever he's driving as he thinks how to answer England's question. And what a question it is! ]

A contract was made, Mr. England. CERES was hired to colonize Tellus, not anywhere --

[ And then he pauses, breaking suddenly in the golf cart and looking a little wide-eyed. ]

Oh.

[ He looks to England, frowning. ]

Let me rephrase that. I was wrong.

[ And then the cart will start up again and he continues driving, as if the past few moments never happened. ]

CERES has already spent too much money on this investment, to pull out now would count Cerealia as a loss of revenue. Surely you know something about profitable colonies, Mr. England.

[ It doesn't seem like Mosley's going to address his flub, if it even was one. ]

[unionjackoff]

[oh. uh. that sure was a stop. it's so abrupt, that England has to put his hand out in front of him to brace himself.

at first he is confused, staring at Mosley because of the suddenness of that stop. then, when he notices Mosley's eyes, and the way he backtracks, he comes to a different conclusion. someone is communicating with him. well, it's not like England doesn't know everything they say is being monitored. that's old news now.

but still, it's a bit... unsettling. he wants to know what Mosley was going to say first, but he knows he won't get an answer this way]

...Yes. [he says it slowly, letting the word linger for a moment. he knows all about colonies, thank you very much. and he will drop the subject, but not before tucking Mosley's first answer away for later analysis]

[complices]

[ Mosley will just give a nod at England's yes, satisfied with the agreement. They'll still keep puttering off into the darkness but after a while, a small opening of light will appear in the distance and Mosley turns towards it. It's still a while to go before they reach it, apparently. ]

Is there anything else? You can't be that wanting of conversation topics. I'm a fountain of information, after all.

[unionjackoff]

[oh, yes, there are many questions, but England has to choose his words carefully. so it's difficult]

I suppose you could tell me where we're going. It feels like we've been driving a long time.

[complices]

Have we? I hadn't noticed.

[ But Mosley seems to press harder on the gas pedal after that, heading straight for that bright light. As it grows closer and closer, it's pretty obvious it's a doorway. Where to? Well, you'll see! ]

I did say we were going underground. This last little tunnel will lead us to where we need to. Then you can get out and stretch your legs, alright?

[unionjackoff]

[ah, right. underground. for some reason, that little tidbit of information had gotten missed, or forgotten. quite possibly because England was focusing on the many other aspects of this meeting.

speaking of those] I wasn't complaining. Just curious. [England tries to respond lightheartedly, still masking his fear] With the remainder of our ride, then, why not tell me more about yourself?

[complices]

[ There are a lot of aspects, true. But Mosley does look a little surprised at the question, glancing to England before back in front of him. ]

Me? There isn't much to say. You'll have to be more specific.

[unionjackoff]

[England leans back in his seat, staring out ahead at the light that is becoming bigger and brighter the closer they get]

Well, you certainly know a lot about me. Since that's part of your job. But all I know about you is that you work for CERES. Did you work anyplace else before that?

[complices]

I wasn't employed, no. Honestly, there really isn't anything about my life before CERES to tell. It's unimportant.

[ As they get closer, it'll become even more obvious that the doorway is wide enough for the golf cart. Mosley quickly drives right into it as they get there before making a sharp turn and suddenly the two of them are driving through... the dirt? The hall is square in shape with rows of lamps hanging overhead, the structure around them all dug out of the walls -- similar to that of a mine shaft. Actually, exactly like that of a mine shaft.

As Mosley turns it becomes even more obvious that they're going down and at an angle. Just a slow spiral downwards to... wherever they're going, it seems. ]

[unionjackoff]

[these sharp turns are incredibly jarring. England vaguely wonders if Mosley is doing it on purpose, to disorient him. not a bad tactic. or, it could just be that Mosley only knows how to do things sharp]

I wouldn't consider life before CERES unimportant. [he braces himself again once they start going down] But if you don't want to talk about that, then what about hobbies? What do you do for fun, or to relax?

[complices]

[ Definitely that last one. ]

I build model sailboats. [ He pauses for a moment, considering. ] I think I would like to build a real sailboat one day but we'll see.

[ And then a loud clanking noise again as he... laughs. ]

Statistically, I will most likely die first. Hah! Haha.

[unionjackoff]

[oh. okay then. he shifts uncomfortably at the laugh, even though he finds the idea of Mosley building model sailboats fascinating.

if Mosley wanted to stop England from asking anymore questions about him, though, he's succeeded. because... how do you follow that? England's not going to argue with him, at first, because death is highly likely in Cerealia, and Mosley has already said that the beings here that weren't code couldn't be brought back to life.

...but Mosley isn't human. he's some sort of machine, an android maybe? so even if this body... passed on, couldn't they upload his hard drive or memory stick or whatever into another body?] ...Are you capable of death?

[......well, after saying it, England thinks it sounds rude. he doesn't have a problem with being rude to people he dislikes, but he is trying to get on Mosley's good side! the last thing he wants to do is offend him]

[complices]

[ At his question, Mosley looks over at England, expression blank and unreadable before he looks back to the road. His fingers tap against the steering wheel a few times as he lets that question sink in. ]

Why wouldn't I be capable of death, Mr. England?

[unionjackoff]

[dammit. he should have kept his mouth shut. might as well come clean with what he knows. he sighs, his stomach doing flip-flops]

Because. Back when you were going to give my group a tour of the CERES building, you suddenly became ill. You vomited up motor oil.

[complices]

[ For a moment, Mosley slows the cart and closes his eyes. His expression stays blank but it's obvious something about England's tone has upset him. In the next moment, his eyes open again and he speeds up, focusing on the road in front of them. ]

Because being sick is the same thing as dying. Wonderful to know. Are you going to fault me for being fallible, Mr. England? I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm not all knowing, all seeing, and immortal. There are things that I deal with and that scare me too but you know what I do? I deal with it and I make the best out of a bad situation. Maybe the rest of you should learn to do that too.

[ Seems like he's not just talking about vomiting motor oil anymore. ]

[unionjackoff]

[that... was not the answer England was expecting. he was thinking that Mosley might argue with him about not being human. but. he didn't say anything like that at all.

and suddenly England wonders if he's made a mistake. no, no. Mosley couldn't be human. but... perhaps he is not entirely machine either. England's not the brightest when it comes to technology, and being in Cerealia has opened up the possibilities of there being other creatures in the universe, like aliens, and monsters, and androids.

...if Mosley can get sick then surely he could die. right? augh! England is now more confused than ever. all the things he's seen and heard of in the past six months, one would think that he'd know better before jumping to conclusions]

My apologies. [he finally says, keeping his eyes forward. and he means it. he hadn't been questioning Mosley's character. all he'd wanted to know was what Mosley was, but now is not the right time to ask]

[complices]

[ Mosley doesn't say anything in reply, instead he just keeps driving them along. Deeper and deeper they go!

This is kind of awkward, isn't it? ]

[unionjackoff]

[very awkward. England realizes that he's blown it now. trying to get Mosley on his side was an unmistakable failure.

and the thing is... England feels bad about it. he barely knows Mosley, and has only really dealt with him on a business level. to find out he's sick and dying when England thought he was a robot... well, it's sad. and England doesn't know how to fix what little of a relationship they had. he's not the type to beg for forgiveness, and even if he was, he's certain that would not work.

so he'll continue to keep his mouth shut and instead focus on what is possibly going to happen to him next]

[complices]

[ Sick and dying is a bit of a leap, England, but Mosley can't explain if you don't ask! Instead, driving! He keeps driving and brings them deeper and deeper.

After a moment, he checks his watch, stills, and then speeds up the golf cart. They have to pick up the pace. ]

[unionjackoff]

[England jumps to all of the conclusions ALL AT ONCE.

and oh, they've sped up. it's just as well, probably should get this awkward ride over with]

I wonder what sorts of animals live down here. [he's mostly musing to himself aloud, seeing if Mosley will talk to him again]

[complices]

[ And he does! Back to the usual state of things, of course. ]

Rats. Worms. Parasites. Try not to let anything bite you, we haven't created enough vaccines yet.

[ Drive, drive, drive! ]