dualislogs | i've been bitten by the bug ...

i've been bitten by the bug ...

WHO: Open to all residents
WHAT: Inoculation Season, plus your regular monthly NAPs session
WHERE: Throughout the city, with NAPs held at The Ax Hole.
WHEN: Sept. 10-30 for plague shots and associated side effects; Sept. 10-14 for NAPs
WARNINGS: Please use if applicable!

So tell me, what do you prescribe for these symptoms?

Remember that awful plague that wiped out the city's entire original population? You know, the entire reason you've been brought here? Well, the medical science community of Dualis has been hard at work concocting a cure for as long as anyone can remember, with minimal results. But during the morning of the 10th, news of a breakthrough is announced is a special city-wide bulletin. All media channels are overtaken with this message, and alerts hit every citizen's phone. The best part? Science needs your help!

There's no formal approval process for new vaccines and medications, just a series of volunteer trials before it's determined whether what's being tested is effective. All residents are invited to participate in these trials, with a bonus of 200 extra duos as compensation for their time and possible suffering. Simply head down to your nearest MedDualis clinic and inform the MedDroids supervising that you're reporting for your civic duty. Participants will be given a quick, easy, and practically painless inoculation shot in the arm, and will walk out the door 200 duos richer. Neat, huh?

Participants will be warned that like all experimental drugs, there may be side effects. A non-comprehensive list of those possible side effects includes: minor appearance changes (hair/skin/eye color), enhancing or reducing senses (smell, taste, hearing, sight, etc.), sudden mild development of extranormal abilities (telepathy, super strength, super speed, etc.), the ability to share dreams (if you're not tired of that sorta thing after last month), and/or loss of control over abilities you already possess, or those abilities misfiring. Hey, at least death isn't included on this list!

Any intrepid Dualizen who comes down with a case of weirdness as a result of doing their civic duty will find that weirdness will wear off by the end of the month. The Head thanks you for your sacrifice!

Don't you feel the fever like I do?

Look at all of these bright, shining new faces! There’s even a few less bright, less shining faces - maybe even a few folks without faces - but hey, this city welcomes all types. Chances are, if you’ve just arrived, you're seeing some pretty crazy things, unless you're used to an eye-blinding amount of neon, robots, weird-ass technology, magic, and an omnipresent police force...and hey, if you are, congrats, you're gonna settle in juuuuust fine. But for the rest of you, the Head knows this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, right?

Well, since your quaint individual processing units are probably having a hard time, why not link up with another one? By which the Head means...

Hello, new citizens of Dualis,
and welcome to your monthly Network Adjacency Protocol~!

NAPs are a monthly community networking event similar to the Earth concept of speed dating! Two citizens (new arrivals and old hands alike) are placed at a table together with a handy cue card of queries to help break the proverbial ice. Ask queries and receive results, or ignore the card and yeet yourself straight into a brand new friendship! But don't be too shy, you've only got ten minutes together, and if you just sit in silence for the whole ten, the Network Admins are likely to come supervise and try to repair the uplink through a mild shock to the ol' central nervous system. You might find yourself saying all sorts of unintended facts about yourself if that happens...probably better to just make friends, right? Who doesn’t like friends?!

This month’s event is held at an exciting new establishment called The Ax Hole! The 'Hole is an indoor ax-throwing range plus bar plus mid-price grill-type restaurant, the first of its kind to find a home here in Dualis. You must be at least 18 to drink and/or throw axes, and if you are throwing axes, there is a limit of one drink per hour. The bartenders are very strict about enforcing this rule, and employees are available to give safety instructions on proper ax-throwing technique and supervise activities.

This is a family-friendly establishment, so anyone under 18 is welcome in the restaurant section and the viewing room between the restaurant and range to watch the ax-throwing action, but they are absolutely not allowed inside the range, even just to watch. In fact, anyone who wishes admittance to the range must sign a waiver stating that they understand the risks of participating and agree to hold the Ax Hole free of liability in the event of any accidents that cause injury or death.

If that hasn't scared you off yet, come on down and meet your new neighbors! Oh, and do try to exit with at least as many fingers and limbs as when you entered, OK?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, from my understanding, they had a lot of sex. Noisy at that.

[He knows their favorite positions. He'd rather not think about it.]

In my world, they aren't too different in age. But our worlds are clearly very different. Hell, I might not exist in your world, or if I did, might not yet.

"I've just been wondering where the Head actually is. I've been taking a wild guess that people are being limited in how far they can travel 'cause there's something that we shouldn't be getting to. Either the Head's main facility or the place where they bring people back from the fuckin' dead."

He takes a drink of beer, squinting hard. Because bringing people back from the dead is always something odd to think about.

"I may be a cop but I hate being jerked around as much as the next guy." He likes his job because it puts him in a good position to build clout and help people. He doesn't like how this whole system is ran, though.

"I will not disagree on that point." There are over one hundred things that are just downright terrible ideas in this place, Thane will admit. But that's partially why he must keep order where he can. Also because it's his job and he takes that responsibility seriously. A guy's gotta earn a living.

Luckily he is not unused to dealing with stubborn young people. That doesn't make it any less unpleasant, however. He doesn't seem to flinch or make any move when the axe is pointed at himself.

"I have no doubt that you don't intend to hand it over." This kid seems stubborn enough that there will be no reasoning with him. "I also have no doubt that you did not entirely think this through. Is your brandishing of the axe a threat? Are you trying to prove something?" He finally moves, only to hold out the waiver towards Squall. "Last chance."

There's only a brief pause, long enough to be obvious that he's thinking about his reply but quick enough to show that the thought passes through his mind in a flash.

"I will keep an eye out," he says with a small nod. So far he trusts Hank enough that he feels comfortable agreeing to such a thing.

Thane follows him to one of the lanes as he's supposed to do, noting the confidence he seems to have.

"I would bet either you're overconfident," he says, gesturing towards where the axes are held — different sizes and types that depends on the person throwing them. "Or you have some sort of trick up your sleeve to make such a bet with your inexperience in throwing weapons." Which he mentioned before when Thane noted the huge leap in logic between 'good by one session' and 'tons of practice'.

Thane shifts his gaze towards the entrance of the lobby, as if staring past the doors and out into the city.

"I would think so. If they control the pathing of the streets they could easily redirect us away from areas they want unexplored. That would make the most sense."

Pleased, Thane accepts the contract and places it off to the side among some others for the time being. While he certainly doesn't match Connor's grin there is the faintest hint of a smile, albeit brief.

"With a good enough throw even a dull blade can penetrate the target." He actually thinks it's a mistake to keep so many sharpened to a point objects around in a bar of all places. Dulling the blades more would make it at least a little safer, but this place seems insistent on having as many security flaws and hazards as possible.

He watches Connor swing the axe, keeping his distance. Perhaps he trusts a synthetic to be more careful than an organic, hence why he doesn't stop him.

"A very important step. I'm surprised to see the amount of people who have skipped it."

"The hanar. They helped us escape and gave us shelter on their homeworld, Kahje."

He crosses hid hands and holds them to his chin as he explains, a reverence to his tone.

"The drell have been indebted to them ever since. While the hanar move beautifully underwater they are much slower on land. We help them with tasks they cannot do themselves. It is considered an honor among the drell to be able to serve them."

[It's something Thane can appreciate, at least.]

My odds are notoriously poor. Though I suppose we'll just have to wait and see which one of us begins talking about seeing sounds and hearing colors.

"Probably both. I don't like it. I was just figuring out how far I could go and how many people I could take too." It's a disappointing thing to have found out and her shoulders droop with the admission. "What's a GF?"

Ah, then it is indeed safe to assume she's from Earth, considering she didn't comment on it. He'll file that bit away, just because it's a useful tidbit.

"Tannor Nuara," he offers with a polite bow of his head. "It is good to meet you, Jane. Despite the circumstances, that is."

[ Erik grimaces. He knows a few of Emma's favorites as well. But Scott can barely shave.* ]

Sometimes I wonder if there isn't some aphrodisiac agent in the groundwater in Westchester.

[ He knows first-hand. ]

It was 1992 when I left. What year was it in your world?

[*Editor's note: Scott is close to 30 but if you ask Erik he'd say he's "Twelve or something". ]

"Hanar is a fun name." Interesting to say. She likes it. If she really saw one she would definitely like it a lot more.

"Do you get paid for helping them?" There's no judgement in her voice, just curiosity. "Or is it just your price for being saved?"

Did they? Maybe most people did. God, this girl was as wholesome as a puppy watching the Care Bears. Which at least meant she hadn't poked into Jane's mind, or she wouldn't be acting so pleasant. That was a slight relief, but it didn't make Jane feel much better.

"Yeah. Look, Arkady, you don't seem like an asshole so you get a heads-up. I'm not so great at the friend thing, got it? So maybe you should find someone who's going to believe you really are as nice as you act."

I really don't want to know if there is. The place was already a bit... active by throwing teens together.

[He sighs. That's... really young. Hell, David wasn't even BORN in '92]

For me? Twenty-fourteen.

He lifts and ax, checking ht balance of it. He flips it over and over in his hand, catching the haft repeatedly. In the exact same spot. Every single time. At least he's got the balance of the tool.

"I don't have the trick anymore. I was born as something called a mutant. My brain reached out to other people's minds, copying their knowledge and skills. Throwing weapons is a skill. I just don't know if I have it. I can catalog my knowledge better than the muscle memory things."

"It was certainly...freeing." He got himself and his brother into quite a bit of trouble at the very least. "Well, it seems you have ample opportunity. The city never stays the same."

[He stares intently at the other man, trying to figure him out. His immediate response to… What, figuring out Connor’s an android?...was to threaten and interrogate him, but also the idea of rounding them up doesn’t sit well with him either. So he hates androids...but not that much.]

I don’t disagree.

[And he’s still going to give out advice? He feels like he’s getting whiplash]

I’ve used violence before when I had to, to survive. But I don’t want to unless it’s really necessary - and Markus didn’t either.

[And now he has to ask - the confusion is killing him.]

Why did you do that? [He nods at Lehnsherr’s hand.] You decided I was a threat and I don’t understand why.

[He’s not going to ask how - asking ‘how’ often doesn’t get him an easily-defined answer. But why - that matters.]

[Squall shakes his head after a moment.]

I'm not 'gifted'. Try someone else.

Squall tilts his head curiously, looking at how he's holding the axe then at Thane again. The other is suddenly (to his slower mind) closer and he takes a step back, holding the axe a bit more defensively.

"No." A more judgemental look. "Back off."

He definitely didn't quite think it through, not like he would usually. Hell, he would have given up on even trying the game by now.

He blinks, suddenly interested.

"You can bring people with you?"

But oh, he should answer the question. "Guardian Force. It's a type of summon. Powerful creatures who live in my head and help me in battle when junctioned."

[He shrugs a shoulder, grinning.] I'm not afraid of heights, and my brother is an acrobat. I won't do a skyscraper without equipment, but if I'm prepared, the sky's the limit.

[Literally. As he has friends who fly, and he's not too proud to hitch a ride with Superboy.]

What's your top speed?

Edited 2019-10-10 20:11 (UTC)

He actually chuckles at that, shaking his head. "Humans amaze me with their ability to believe themselves to be the most powerful beings on Earth."

"Tends to be inaccurate in most of the ways imaginable. But..."

There's a noise. The ringing of a bell. Lovely.

"Seems like our time is up. We'll have to talk more later."

Even knowing what he knew, even have been apparently brought back by that same mysterious process to which Hank referred, it seemed unbelievable. The gods were capable of powerful events, it was true, but resurrection? True resurrection? That was beyond all of them.

"Well, it must be a comfort to know you're at least being jerked around with the rest of us."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 23 of 29

i've been bitten by the bug ...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject