FEBRUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to February's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DYSTOPIAN/OCEAN HORROR.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

PLEASE NOTE FOR CHARACTER ARRIVALS: This month, all players can choose to have their characters wake up in the town of Deerington or in Rapture. More information can be found in February's Prelude post.

CW: Centipede-like insect picture (linked), potential for bugs burrowing into skin, mind control, violence, potential for murder, potential for suicide, death by explosive device, genetic modification (Splicers by default)
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

A SLAVE OBEYS

Adjusting to Rapture may already be a challenge for most; the lack of sunlight, the constant worry about whether the glass and metal surrounding you is really going to hold, the lack of powers you might be used to... Especially when there seems to be something or someone looking for a fight around every corner. Maybe you were lucky and found an abandoned apartment to crash in or maybe you were unfortunate enough to have to find some gap between rubble piles to curl up in out of sight; no matter what, it's doubtful you're getting a restful nights sleep very easily.

Those few moments where you're left unaware still leave you vulnerable and there's one creature that will take advantage of your moment of rest: a strange bug that is looking for a host. If you're fortunate, it will latch on to the base of your neck without you being fully aware; once discovered, these bugs can be pulled off with the help of a friend with a strong grip. They may take a chunk of skin with them, but at least they'll be gone, right? The less fortunate are in for more of an ordeal. The bugs will bite the skin to numb it before burrowing itself inside, latching on directly to the muscle surrounding your spine. These bugs will have to be surgically removed — whether that's from an actual skilled doctor (of which there are few) or someone willing to cut into you with a (hopefully) clean knife all depends on how desperate you are.

Whether it's latched or burrowed, the effect is the same: anyone with this bug attached to them will be unable to refuse the commands of the people around them. It can be something as simple as standing still or something as significant as killing another person... or even yourself. If you're someone with a particularly strong will, you may be able to fight off these commands with an extreme amount of effort, but it will leave you with blurry vision, dizziness, a severe migraine, and muscle weakness when you try for too long. Let's hope you run into someone altruistic rather than someone vengeful. For your sake.

NOTE: Characters can be controlled by other characters or players are welcome to utilize NPCs who might make their character attack other characters.

AN INVITE TO THE FISHERIES

If you're the investigative type or if you really just want to look for answers to what the fuck is going on, you might get a few helpful Splicers who are going to direct you to one place: Fontaine Fisheries. They won't tell you anything about the place or who you might be looking for, but they will tell you knock twice and make sure you do what you're told if you're not looking for trouble.

If you follow this advice, you'll end up in front of a large steel door with a sliding door peephole built in. Knock twice and the sliding door will open, a pair of eyes glaring at you from the other side with suspicion. If you're alone, you'll be ordered to come back with someone who's willing to vouch for you, promising you aren't working for the enemy and who you're willing to vouch for in return. If you already brought a friend, you'll go through the process of these paranoid promises, before being told to deposit all of your weapons into the bin beside you. The door won't open until you've shown you're empty handed.

Once inside, you'll find yourself in an old fisherman's warehouse, covered in ice and fog. Going inside, you won't be able to see the man who opened the door for you, almost like he's run for cover. If you decide not to turn around and leave, venturing further inside will make you hear the paranoid shout of the man:

I CAN SMELL 'IM ON YA! YOU'RE FONTAINE'S DOG!
A second later and you'll hear the sound of something heavy skittering across the ice. If you're quick, you'll notice it's an explosive, and hopefully duck for cover. Once you know what he's tossing, you have just enough time to pick these explosives up and throw them back at their owner if you're hoping to kill him. For the more peaceful types, you can team up and use the fog and ice to your advantage to sneak up on your attacker and knock him out.

If one or both of you manages to neutralize the threat and survive the attack, you can move further into the warehouse to find a medium sized box filled with a small supply of small weapons (pistols, ammo, a wrench), EVE hypos, some canned food, some medical supplies, and a map of Rapture.

No answers, though. Seems like you were sent on a wild good chase by someone hoping you might not come back from it.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

NOTE: Characters can arrive in Deerington or in Rapture this month. More information can be found in February's Prelude post.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I am definitely not a spy. Like, I'm not gonna lie? I'd probably be a terrible spy.

[He's just saying.]

Well, dude said I gotta have someone vouch for me. We can vouch for each other, maybe that'll work?

[That... is so stupid that for a moment Luka honestly doesn't know what to say.]

He does not trust either of us.

[He throws his hand out, frustrated.]

Why would he let us vouch for each other?

I don't know, ask him?

[He don't make the rules here, bro.]

Come on, let's try it! I've talked my way into lots of places, you just gotta be real charming and smile a lot. I mean, don't they teach that in spy training?

Oh, for...

[You know what? You know what? Fine.

Luka marches up to the door, agitated, and pounds his fist against it.]

Hey! I found someone to vouch for me!

[The little sliding door opens up and the person on the other side barks the same paranoid promises, before instructing them to leave any weapons into a bin next to them. Peter frowns, and shrugs before dropping a blaster off into the bin.]

See? Look at that charm. Knew you could do it!

[Luka just stares at the open door, working his jaw, nostrils flaring.

There is some angry Croatian sputtering before he pushes past the bin. When barked at, he barks right back.]

I do not have a weapon!

[The steel door finally creaks open. Peter considers grabbing his blaster at the last second, but that probably wouldn't work. Or they'd get jumped or something. Not that he trusts them...]

That better be there when I get back!

[He points to the bin before strolling through the door.]

Told'ya so, man.

Let's just get this over with.

[Luka is glad they made it inside but he is also so incredibly done that it is hard to rejoice about their victory.]

Hello? We are here for information. They told us you might--

[He slows, a feeling of unease catching up with him when he can't see the man anywhere in the dark.]

Sir? Are you there?

[Peter smirks, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he strolls through the door. Yeah, that's right, he was actually correct--for once.

Except there's something really weird going on and that dude just...disappeared.

Peter holds a hand up.]

Man, something doesn't feel right.

I think you're...

[... right, he wants to say but he's interrupted by movement in the dark. There is a bright clicking sound and Luka freezes immediately.

He knows that sound. He doesn't have to see the grenade to recognize that sound.]

Get down!!

[He tackles Peter, dragging him behind some crates as they both tumble down before the explosion blinds and deafens him to the world.]

[Suddenly everything just happens. There's a sound of something skittering like it was thrown and Luka's knocking him to the ground, behind some crates, as something just explodes.

He can't do anything for a moment, can't even speak, he's flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him.

Debris rains down, peppering them with grit.]

Un...uncool...

Edited 2020-02-10 18:48 (UTC)

[Uncool isn't exactly the word Luka has in mind.

Then again, it's suddenly hard to think at all instead of react. His ears ring, his heart is hammering in his chest and everything suddenly becomes tunnel vision.]

We need to distract him. He can't throw again.