[plot] Invasion: Day 1

[theearth]

Who: EVERYONE + Returnees
What: Day 1 of the Invasion!
Where: EVERYWHERE
When: ICLy: The 29th! OOCly: April 29th to May 4th
Warnings: Please warn in your subject line if anything that deserves a warning occurs; this includes R-rated things as well as things worthy of a content warning/trigger warning.

The Central info post



Description: A minute after midnight EST, some people around the world who used to be numbered yet have lost their echoes since suddenly have all their pulses returned to them.

At 4pm EST, a child's laughing voice resounds in the air all around the world, remaining for over a minute and staying longer where it gets caught in the echo between buildings, mountains, or other echoing surfaces. Not long after, people in areas where the moon is visible (like those in Europe) will see pink lights on the moon, like a pink aurora borealis from above going all the way around the moon, and then the whole moon changes shape. Literally. It unfolds into a giant serpent that soon can be seen from everywhere around the world as it moves to wrap around the world, tossing and turning head and tail as if trying to hit and bite nasty flies. ...And if someone gets out a telescope, they'll realize that the serpent is doing exactly that: There are tiny spaceships attacking it and trying to pass by it, but for now it is holding up. ....You might maybe rather get to safety than get your telescope out though, because the serpent sometimes smashes down into the earth in its tossing and turning, and while it doesn't hit inhabited areas that still causes tsunamis and earthquakes. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and Erich von Däniken will announce that it's totally aliens!!! SEE THEY CALLED IT. Ancient astronauts that gave the earth culture are coming back to us!

What this day is for: This day is mostly for reconnecting with returnees and dealing with the last wave of plot echoes. It is also for catastrophe relief efforts for areas that are hit by tsunamis or earthquakes. The only echo boundary that will be devastated in this way are the Galapagos Islands. Characters that can fly or have special swimming abilities are especially invited to help with rescuing people and delivering first aid. (Icly, the talks with the first wave aliens also happen here and they will be wrapped up or dropped after the 4th of May. You are still welcome to jump in and talk to an alien!)

How this works:

- Day 1 does not have any alien encounters past those in this log.
- There will be no toplevels on this post. Please start your own threads freely! Please format the subject line like this: "Location(s)/Network | ota/closed/etc". Please keep in mind that each character may change location twice per day (=a maximum of three different locations) and that the moon/space location is still off limits on the 1st Day.
- This post can be used for both network and action threads.
- Keep in mind that returnee characters must have checked in and must request their echoes if they get any.
- Please direct all questions to this thread on the General Invasion Guide
- For the returnee registration, please go here.

Comments

D | Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[He doesn't know what to do. He really, really doesn't. Nathan isn't like many of the other Numbered; he's not equipped to handle things on this scale. For all his Echoes, he's still a normal human being and always will be. But this is . . .

[There's a quaver in his voice, though to his credit, it's only slight.] I . . . I can't fight. I'm not suited for it. Battle tactics aren't something I know . . . [He feels so useless here, like he's wasting her time. All the same, this is happening whether he does something or not. He can't run from this danger, can't avoid it like he's learned to do all his life. It's going to be everywhere. Could he live with himself if he just tried to hide away without even offering to help?] But if there is anything I might be able to help with, I will try.

[peacefulwinter]

[She's not the only one panicking, huh...? She'd felt almost useless, a year and a half ago, when things went to hell in more minor ways. Now, she was more or less ready to lead the charge. It's time for Winter to pass the torch on, and give someone else a chance to step up and find her - his - place.]

It's fine. Not everyone's place is in the thick of things. But... I think I have something you can help me with. Are you any good with computers? I have a... somewhat specific need.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Nathan has been through a lot lately, gotten through things he wouldn't have expected himself capable of managing. He's actually better than he used to be, but at his core is still a deeply anxious person. And this is an alien invasion, where he is no more capable of protecting himself than any average human. He's always been small and weak; the situation only magnifies his feelings.]

I am quite good with them, yes. What is it you need?

[peacefulwinter]

I need someone that can help run overwatch and control. I've been trying to coordinate as many people as I can, but I just don't have the capacity for it. I have a laptop, a phone, a Kindle, a TV, and a whiteboard. Between the lot of it, I can keep track of maybe ten people. And I won't be able to do any of that once I'm out there myself.

If we're going to get anything meaningful done, we have to be able to coordinate where everyone is, what we're doing. Someone that can keep track of everyone on the network, that can figure out where people are by TV and such... that's going to be important to our success. Could you help with that at all?

[solvethepuzzle]

[He listens patiently, always patiently, absorbing the information.]

I should be able to set up Willow Ridge's systems for that. [He knows exactly what that system is capable of; he's personally written so much code for it by now.] And mine will not be the only set of eyes on it.

[peacefulwinter]

Outstanding. I was worried we'd have to stop and actively keep track of each other once things got started, but with some help, I think we can move a little more coherently. It takes some pressure off me, too... if I don't have to keep track of everyone so closely, I can focus on getting these damned aliens off our planet.

Who else would you be working with?

[solvethepuzzle]

[If there's anything Nathan is good at, it's observation. He . . . has a lot of trouble dealing with violence, but as long as he keeps seeing any of it to a minimum, he should still be able to function.]

Lazarus will no doubt be working alongside me for this.

[peacefulwinter]

Perfect. That's going to be a lot of power in a single place... I'm confident that's going to make a difference in how the battle goes. Even just assisting our communication will be big, but being able to keep track of everyone will be irreplaceable.

Thank you. You're going to be a huge help. I'm sure of it.

[solvethepuzzle]

I am glad for the opportunity to be able to do something. [It's so much better than feeling helpless. He . . . honestly still does, to a fair extent. But less so than before.]

[peacefulwinter]

Everyone can do something. Even if it's only little things, there's going to be a place for everyone in our plan. Some of us are going to be on the front lines, and others will be support from a safe place.

What matters is that you want to help. That's the most important thing, right now. Everything else follows from that.