video; un: rita.farr — aka rescue mission proposal

[farr]

[ rita farr never really knows when too much is too much. for all that the group had insisted against this self-proclaimed status of being heroes, it hasn't fully detered her away from the idea that they could still try to be — not for titles or glory, but — for the sheer fact that there are people that may depend on them.

and when viveca announces their latest mission, with only twenty minutes to spare, the announcement that the planet's residents may very well be meeting their doom in ten days has her swiftly pulling up a set of binders to take with her hastily on their transport.

it's the next day, after they've spent the night amongst the hivawei's celebration that rita makes her appearance on the network again, this time without the giddy whimsical air of before, but rather a determined, motivated one as she's shown opening the binders in front of her, neatly organized mission notes, most that she hand scribbled on her own from her network readings, that she begins flipping the pages through as she speaks. ]

Okay, everyone, we've used up a night already and we only have nine days left. Which means putting on your thinking caps immediately if we want to save this community.

[ because, yes, she's still maintaining that sense of hope despite viveca's insistence of being "too late". they have to at least try, don't they? ]

Now, I've through all the mission notes from before, trying to see if there's something that we can use. Bear with me, I'm just throwing out ideas—

On Giva, when Sedorum was being destroyed, I read about how portals were used to transport the people there to safety. I know the range needs to be much longer than that, probably, but instead of transporting to, say, another planet that's too far, we can build some sort of craft for them to board. We have all kinds of inventors here to make something, right?

[ maybe? she presses her lips tight together, flipping some more pages. ]

I've also learned that when science fails, we can consider ... magic. Maybe a way of bringing people's powers together to craft some kind of shield or—

[ that one's especially a long shot. but her stops at a page, finger pointed to a name as she looks up again. ]

That wizard man — Remi. He gave us a letter on Xrisora and he told us to burn it if we ever needed his help. As long as we had that necklace or earring with us. Maybe this is a time as any to call in the favor.

[ she seems tense, curling her fingers tight against her palm, trying to keep herself from shaking. ]

Look, whatever it is we do, we should talk about ideas. We have nine days. Some of us can seek out the orb. The rest of us .... the rest of us should try to save these people. At least try.

Comments

video | un: iris

[inventure]

[ iris cannot put into words how hearing someone even so much as propose the possibility of an alternative ending to this mission fills him with such relief—

but first thing's first...

he eyes the multiple binders in front of rita, each one neatly labeled with that impeccable cursive. ]

Did you... write all that yourself?

[farr]

Hmm?

[ she blinks briefly before following his eyes, seeing their attention to the binders. ]

Oh! [ she gives a small laugh. ] Well, yes. You see, there's been so many missions, many of which occurred prior to my own arrival, that I figured it'd be wise to scribble down a few notes.

[ a few?? ]

Audio; un: 苣屋

[dispassioned]

Interesting. Do we always do the opposite of what we’re asked on these missions?

[You know, because he’s pretty sure they were told to focus on the orb and not treat it as a rescue mission. His tone is mild, though, and sounds genuinely curious, at least.]

not here

[naloxone]

[ i'm sorry i need to commemorate this with FLASHBACKS OF E-23B ]

audio; un: naruhodo

[locumstudentesquire]

I haven't been on many missions yet myself, but I'd say it's a universal truth that some orders are worth disobeying, if it means saving lives.

audio | un; mal

[tochnyy]

Pretty much every single time. [ said like he's exhausted but, hey, he's also offering help. ] But if we get a solid plan together and these people do want the help, it's worth a try.

audio; un: yennefer

[choicely]

It's certainly not a majority perspective.

[ because she is also, currently, on team prioritize the orb. ]

On more than one mission, we interfered when it would have been best to let events play out as they were intended to.

[farr]

As the others have pointed out, it ... happens from time to time. I wouldn't necessarily label it as a sense of rebellion, by any means. But I do think, since we're the ones on planet, sometimes it's up to us to make the call on what decisions seem most appropriate.

not here

[deaddrop]

[Natasha doesn't have much to add to a conversation like this not being a magic user and her powers of invention being limited to improvements to her weapons or suit, but you had better believe she's keeping an eye on it.]

also not here, except she is here but u get it

[farr]

[ we're trying our best, nat!! ]

voice; un: naruhodo

[locumstudentesquire]

I've been thinking the same, Miss Farr. There has to be something we can do, something we can at least try.

It's inconceivable to me that, with all this technology and magic at our fingertips, our only option is to sit back and just let this happen.

[farr]

[ she exhales a relieved breath to know that other people have been having the same train of thought, that not everyone is willing to immediately throw in the towel. ]

Exactly. I think that there's plenty of options at our disposal, some that might work better than others, but — there's so many heads here, all with different backgrounds and experiences. It only makes sense to try to stitch it all together to come up with something.

text | un; mal

[tochnyy]

i bring the letter with me on each mission. [ it's always in his military coat pocket so he doesn't forget! ]

[farr]

Oh, thank God.

[ she isn't even sure if the letter will help necessarily but at the very least this means that they have it as an option. if it'd still been on the station, it'd be meaningless. ]

Do you know who has the necklace or earring?

voice; un: jtd

[doooooog]

[ Nature was a force that existed outside of good and bad. Just a force, that enacted itself on objects in space and pushed the pieces around. There wasn't any reason to why the rocks were thrown into the pond when or where they were, but the ripples they made could be as beautiful as they were fleeting. Sometimes that meant pushing a group of unlikely strangers together onto a ship, sometimes that meant pushing a comet into a small village of adorable mushrooms and their families. It's a crapshoot, and one that Jake was philosophically disinclined from gambling on.

Still. Maybe it's the impassioned plea in Rita's voice, all that actress training, or maybe it's the concrete ideas she's bringing forward. Whatever it is, Jake can't quite help feeling stirred by it. He was always susceptible to peer pressure. ]

Do you really think this is the best way to spend these nine days, Reetz?

[ It's not a doubting question in the slightest; he's being genuine. ]

[farr]

[ rita's expecting there to be plenty of people who'd have doubts. because, in reality, all of this is a long shot. even viveca herself said it was too late.

but she speaks with conviction as she replies to jake. ]

I do.

[ when it comes to her powers, to her purposes, to how to prove herself, she has all the self-doubt in the world. but there's some things she can be certain of. ]

Any time spent trying to save people's lives is worth every second. I think. And it's not like we're lacking in numbers. There's plenty of us that can stick to looking for the orb. But we can spare some heads for a good cause. That's nine days to try saving a whole thriving, loving species from extinction. We can spare it.

audio: Gutterson.T

[walkingtrigger]

[ This is, in fact, his first rodeo with this team so he's doing a lot of listening and reading. He doesn't know this woman but he can't say that her impassioned plea doesn't strike a cord.

But the harsh reality of the situation is there is nothing he could do, or offer in terms of technological advance or magic to help here. He also only has the write up notes of the missions she's referencing to go by, rather than on hand knowledge of the individuals involved.

Which is all to say, he's going to keep an eye on these discussions, but otherwise stick to his lane. ]

I don't have any technological wizardry or actual wizardry on hand to offer and I wasn't here when these deals were made with this Remi person so not going to speak to our relationship with him.

What I can do is say I'll keep my focus on trying to locate the orb here, if that helps free up someone else to support your efforts.

[farr]

[ she knows what it's like to not always be equipped for a particular task. and if she really thinks hard on it, she would say there's plenty about this that she isn't prepared for. she can throw out ideas, but she doesn't know science, she doesn't know magic, so that might be the most she can do.

but she's moved by his offer, feeling like it's just as important to hear as anything else that's been said here. ]

Finding the orb is just as much of a priority, so we do need to make sure there's plenty of people still trying to track it down. Your efforts are incredibly helpful to the cause, so thank you.

audio (un: major.yzak.jule)

[coordination]

I don't think searching for a way to help will necessarily impede our search for the orb, since both tend to intertwine during these missions anyway.

There is the matter of how to help if it's possible as you've said, and whether or not we should tell them about it. If they're told, it will be their choice how to proceed from there, and it might not be a bad idea to have more hands on deck where seeking out the orb or any odd happenings that point to its influence is concerned.

audio | un: lion cub

[heyciri]

I don't understand why we wouldn't at least tell the leaders what's happening. Ask if they even want us to try and help, not make promises that we can do it.

( more than anything, over here trying not to get Frustrated with this whole situation. may have been out running this morning just to take that edge off. (it didn't help.) )

audio ; un: mccoy

[homeostatic]

I admire where your heart is, Farr, but unless someone can produce the raw materials, a stable power source, and has a team of engineers in their back pocket, building that kind of ark isn't an option.

It can't just hold evacuees, it's gotta have enough kick to achieve escape velocity from the surface and get them to the nearest planet without us. A hull that can withstand the extremes of space; life support systems, sanitation and food stores for at least three weeks or more.

( he's not unkind when he says this, taking no joy in extinguishing any avenue they could use to help the inhabitants. angry at the situation, for sure. )

All of us need to look for the orb. It sounds like contactin' Remi won't take much, but even if he comes through, we need to ensure we have the blasted thing.

( after a long pause he adds, because oof this one sucks: )

And folks still gotta square with the fact that some of the inhabitants might refuse to leave, even knowin' they face annihilation.

video | un: iris

[inventure]

[ maybe it doesn't help to hear this from a face as youthful as iris'... and maybe making any promises is premature... but it seems more unwise not to mention anything at all, especially when rita has worked so hard to even grant them this little bit of hope. ]

...I wouldn't need materials. If someone can help me draw up schematics, make sure I don't miss any details, then I can take care of the rest.

audio; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

I think summoning Remi is a good idea. But if we cannot do that, for whatever reason...

I have his notes on travel between worlds. I haven't been able to open any portals, but if multiple magic users combine our abilities, we might be able to do something. But we should start trying now. Ten days is less than it seems.

The last possibility is to try forifying Seriw with shielding magic, and getting as many people and supplies inside the shields as possible.

[But they won't be able to save anyone, and would they be able to get enough supplies stored to feed everyone until they're able to grow more food?]

[farr]

Oh! That sounds ... well, exactly like what we'd need.

[ traveling between worlds? if natural travel would take too much time, then that's the best alternative. like she'd said — magic when science fails. though, unfortunately, it's nothing of what she'd be able to do. ]

Do you think you can coordinate those with magic into trying it? We could try to rally as many as we can to help you if you lead the front. I know time is limited, but ... it could be our best effort. In the meanwhile, perhaps Mal and I can see about trying to contact Remi himself.

text ↪ un: うちは

[blackfire]

（ whatever his opinion is on the fate of the planet goes unsaid. all he offers is — ）

One of our missteps on E-23B was that we did not speak to the population to ascertain their opinion on our assistance before proceeding.

Perhaps we would benefit from such a thing here should that be our collective decision.

I am not saying we should not attempt to find solutions — but they may have perspectives, or ideas beyond what we can manage on our own. Or, as Doctor McCoy opined, they may not wish to be saved.

text | un; 20/20

[hindsights]

You didn't speak to the locals then? Why? [ uh. who thought that was a good idea? ]

It might be good to come up with options we can present to them. At least to show we can provide help. They can add to them or if they choose to do nothing, it's still their choice... we have to respect it. [ but no one says anything about liking it. ]

audio; un: harrington

[spikedbats]

[ When Steve speaks, he sounds tired, but there is a note of hope to it, for as much as he tries to keep that guarded. Hope just hasn't gotten him very far lately. ]

I don't know how much help I'll be but. Whatever I can do to help, I'll do it. Whatever the plan we end up going with. I just --

[ He cuts himself off for a moment, wills himself to calm down before his emotions become too obvious. ]

I can't sit around and not do anything about it, knowing what's gonna happen. I'd like to do something.

[farr]

I know.

[ because she feels exactly as he is, the anxiousness of trying to get away from that hopeless feeling, the itch to act despite knowing how likely things are to go wrong. ]

I think people are considering options for engineering or using magic. I don't know yet what might work, but minds are at least ticking to try something.

But there isn't a shortage of things to do. We still need to track the orb because everyone, including us, is in danger as long as it's loose. And if we can find a way to evacuate, we'll need all hands on deck to guide people out. We'll all play our part.

text — un: kestrel

[realists]

It would be cruel to tell them

[ which rita didn't say, but enough to the replies mention people not wanting to leave or getting their input so jyn says it anyway. ]

un: lion cub

[heyciri]

Even the leaders?

voice; un: newt

[groupiedrifter]

... I'm kind of worried they're gonna turn down the help, but... Remi's worth a shot. You might not know him, but the guy, he seems like he really knows his stuff. [He bites his lip, considering the population nearby who seem so completely carefree and content.] Some people here have a point, though. They might, uh.

Decline and, y'know... accept their fate.

... Which would be pretty ballsy of them, huh?

voice;

[bindsthedead]

I think we should ask them, as soon as possible. Or at least tell Yerek, who seems to be the overall leader.

voice; un: garma.zabi

[gawstruck]

I have to preface this with saying that I am opposed to diverting too much time into an uncertain rescue mission. We have our own goal to cover and not a lot to go off of yet.

However, I feel like the certainty of any proposed rescue mission is related to a key factor I have yet to see mentioned:

How big is this planet?

Any teleportation technology and the like that the mentioned outside contact could bring will surely work quite differently depending on the mass of what is being transported. So with that in mind... have we been shrunk or are we located on a planet of megafauna?

voice, un: strange

[rehandle]

[ It's a slight detour from the point being made here, but - ]

If it's the latter, the natives here are small. If we can work out how small, depending on that calculation, the overall population and how many of them prove interested in rescue, we may not need to build them their own craft.

Is there any potential for housing refugees on the station as a temporary measure until we're able to find a suitable place to resettle them?

[ Asked in earnest. He's new here, doesn't know the ins and outs and rules to life on the Ximilia. Have they taken on non-orber passengers in the past? Is there some obstacle here that prevents further speculation?

All he knows is that getting the Hivawei back to a specific and familiar location would be a lot easier than evacuation to destinations unknown. It buys them time. ]

private video;

[softshoes]

[Yujin's reading all of this, but trying to keep to himself about it. The very idea of a whole planet's worth of lives teetering in the balance of their actions is... impossibly vast. He hardly knows where to start, which means it's probably a good time to try and stay diplomatic. Instead of replying to the whole group, he drops Rita herself a line.]

Miss Farr. Thank you for your work, and for your ideas. I am with you in doing whatever we can to protect the Hivawei.

[He pauses, brows knitting together: Yujin's trying to assemble his next sentence as kindly as possible. (Maybe the answer is that there's no real kind way to say it.)]

But an incredible task is ahead of us. if no options are truly viable... [What then? Will Rita and all the rest know when to accept defeat, painful as it is? There is still an orb to find, isn't there?] We must be prepared for failure.

private video;

[farr]

[ rita knows what to expect, and maybe she'd even anticipated the possibility that some people might even aggressively protest trying to take on such a hopeless task. though yujin isn't such a voice, he does steer the topic with a more somber approach, something she had tried to prepare herself for. ]

I know that.

[ she answers quietly, eyes turned away for a moment. ]

I've failed to protect people I promised to save before. I've seen what happens in situations like this where things don't work out the way you want them to. [ she thinks of elliot of their pseudo doomsday. of seeing him turn to ash right in front of her and never seeing him again.

she turns her head up again, eyes with conviction. ]

But coming for the orb can't be the only reason we come to places like this. If people are in trouble and we have the means to help them and we don't even try, then who are we to deserve having any of our regrets corrected? I know we can fail. We may not be able to help them in the end, but what kind of people would we be if we simply take the orb and leave here without even attempting to?

audio, un: kokonose

[asymbiotic]

We have to. I don't have any good ideas for how to fix things but we have to try.

If we can use magic what if we... can we move the asteroid? If we can just bump it so it doesn't hit them that might work.

[farr]

[ honestly, this is the line of thinking she's used to hearing. no doubt if cliff were here, he'd be all too eager to robot kick the asteroid away. ]

As preferable as it would be to stop the collision altogether, I don't know that any of us have quite the power for moving a giant rock coming at us at who-knows-what- speed. The kind of magic you're suggesting would have to be — and mind my word choice — astronomical.

voice; un: clarke

[romancekiller]

I think it's a good idea— if reaching Remi is possible. It doesn't feel right to just ignore what's about to happen to these people. [because wow this sure is hitting close to home for her]

[farr]

That's the idea. [ the rita farr of old might have been a little more quick to give in to hopelessness, but — well, she's tried to put that pessimistic attitude behind her. ] I can't guarantee that anything we come up with will work. But, considering what many of our group is capable of, we do have to at least consider our options here. Even if it's ... just a little bit of hope.