middleofsomewhere | Event: 12 of Beetroot

It's been a couple of weeks since they had evacuated Osiga. In that time, many of voidtreckers were busy with a project to try and solve some of the many mysteries that surround the train they travel on. By the eight day of Rabbit they've exhausted all avenues, and whilst they have learned quite a bit, there are still some clear gaps.

Just as that investigation comes to a natural end, passengers are woken up by an announcement.

"Attention voidtreckers and passengers of the voidtrecker express. We are travelling to system #2554098133741. I have sent word to the ministry who have arranged recuperation packs for you. You have had a difficult mission and you deserve a rest.

But it is not just for rest. Last time we visited the system voidtreckers shared memories. Though it is understood that many of you did not enjoy the experience it is notable that certain voidtreckers saw memories of this voidcraft. They were memories that this craft had not accessed. It led to more pathways opening up in the operation of this craft.

I have done some research on the system and I believe we can trigger the caves of memory. This voidcraft understands this might be difficult for the voidtreckers and passengers of the voidtrecker express and it is hoped that only those of you who consent to this experiment will take part.

Regardless this should be a time for relaxation also and the dressing room is open for your convenience. We will arrive in the morning.

The dressing carriage is indeed opened for those who go and look. It's filled with swimming costumes, beach ware, summery clothes and sun hats. There's even a cupboard of buckets, spades, rock pooling gear and picnic blankets.

There are also team coloured tents for those who want to go and sleep under the stars for a night or two, though the train is remaining on the island for those for who camping is their idea of hell.

12 OF BEETROOT

RABBIT 9-12 ~ MEMORY CAVES: BONDING ~ MEMORY MAZE: SEARCH FOR THE TRAIN'S MEMORIES
ASK QUESTIONS ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ MEMORY CAVES ~ MEMORY MASTER POST

JEMA'GRETHY ISLAND: RELAXATION

The next day the train announces their arrival and they burst out of the void. For those near a window their first view of the island will be of crystal blue sea and white sand. It really does look like a paradise. The train circles down before landing on a grassy ridge, overlooking a beautiful beach of white sand and the ocean beyond. It is warm, but not too hot, a cool ocean breeze cutting through the heat making it pleasant. Behind them is a grassy plain, changing to forest in the distance. There is the sound of birdsong in the purple sky. To the west the land is more craggy, the silhouette of a fortress in the distance.

In a word, it is idyllic. A sense of peace permeates the island.

The place has no people, but it is clearly maintained. The eastern beaches have racks of shallow boats, both canoes and one- or two-person sailing dinghies. There is also a small building in which scuba gear is stored, along with several waterproofed manuals and instructional literature.

There are no living quarters, but there are sheltered sections with basic toilet facilities marked as camping grounds in five different sections of the island - by the hot springs, within the ruined fortress, beside the harbour, on the eastern beaches, and on the northern face of the mountain.

The recuperation packs are found at the closest toilet facilities to where the train lands. They are simple things, small gift baskets with a couple of fragrant soaps, fancier hair products and skin cream infused with herbs to encourage rest and sleep.

There are some sweet fruit biscuits and a cheesy bread. The packs aren't named but there are some suitable for the younger passengers with tiny plush and colouring books. Quite a few designed for teens with a more engaging activity book and components for making a fancy mocktail with a cute stirrer. Adult packs have a small bottle of alcohol- there's a mixture between the packs and what looks like a stone. When placed next to the skin it will either warm up or cool down depending on what is needed.

Exploring, the passengers will find beautiful beaches, ragged cliffs to walk and caves to explore. Where it is more craggy the beaches are made of pebbles, perfect for rock pooling.

A little more worrying is the volcano-like structure in the north. But even a quick glance will show it is not a typical volcano. There is no smoke and the liquid slowly running down it in rivulets is pink and blue.

Ruins of ancient houses are scattered across the island, but the main settlement is built into a rocky section in the north-west that has been secured with ropes and stairways cut into the cliffs, perfect for scrambles and hikes.

To the west are the hot springs. They have both outdoor and indoor areas; the indoor areas being wooden loghouse saunas, changing rooms and storage sheds, whilst the outdoor areas are a tiered series of pools spilling down the side of the mountain and shaded by brightly flowering trees. The waters are hot, mineral-rich and soothing.

MEMORY CAVES: BONDING

Shortly before arriving they will receive some information on their SCA. It will explain how those who once lived on this island went about making life bonds. Both people would bathe in the hot springs and then dress simply, barefoot and walk to one of seven rocks on the island. Their maps will pin point these, which is good because there's no real indication of what makes these rocks different to any other on the island.

Here they must offer their wish to know the other deeper and share food and drink. They can then go about their day. Sometime in the hours after they will receive their first memory, seen through their partners eyes.

However it seems that in envoking the ritual they have woken something on the island. Even those who did not take part or chose to bond to someone find themselves seeing a glimpse of another life.

On the second day they see another memory, through the eyes of their pair. When they come out of it they find themselves in a cave with their partner, chosen or not. The same happens on the third day, except for this final memory both pairs see both memories, watching from the sidelines as it plays out. They find themselves in the cave once more and this time, for many there is only one exit, to leave through together.

Please go here to play out the bonding process!

MEMORY MAZE: TRAIN'S MEMORIES

On the third day the train sends another message to their SCA.

"Activating the caves that share memories has been successful. I know this is a lot to ask of the voidtreckers, but any who wish to assist in discovering what it is that I have forgotten, the path is open now.

Those who wish to may go to the sacred rocks. Please be warned, I do not know how voidtreckers will fare. Please only go of your own free will."

Their SCA's once again show the rocks on their maps and when they get there, this time they are faintly glowing. It doesn't take much. One touch and their minds are drawn away from their bodies, into a labyrinth of caves. For anyone who comes across these people on the island, they look like they are in a deep trance, breathing, safe but far away in their mind.

The labyrinth is made of cool, dark rock. The walls have a glow coming from crystals in-bedded in them, allowing everyone to see as they move through.

At first there's no more to this labyrinth, or so it seems. But then they turn a corner, and they are no longer in cavern as it just was. They may be in their childhood bedroom, or in the middle of a battle they once fought. Perhaps they are not in their own memory, but someone else's. Scenes move rapidly and often merge, one persons into another, mixing to make strange scenes.

These visions don't attempt to ensnare them like some illusions, and those with protection from illusions and such techniques, will be able to find their way forward through the cave, and away from this triggered scenario.

Time barely has meaning. Indeed, when they finally emerge from the caves only a few minutes will have passed. But in that time they will have seen much, and eventually they may stumble across a fragment of memory that belongs not to a voidtrecker, but to the Voidtrecker Express itself.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions
~ You can either write memories in your tags or if they are longer/require a lot of content warnings you might want to write them in this post and link to them. Just start a top level with your character name to keep things organised!

~ For those taking part in the memory share bonding the cave post is here. Characters arrive in the cave after the second and third memory but it is obviously up to you if you play out the conversations after each or both! For those who do decide that their characters will bond- the cave after the third memory will only have one exit for them to leave together.

~ For those who signed up for train memories you will receive the snippet that your character sees- use these in tags as you will. There will be a conclusion post on the 24th which will put all of those memories together!

Art Credits: Header: Tropical Jewel by Steven Power, Thumbnail image 3.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hera moves around to make sure she's in visual range before speaking. "At least we've been warned we might start seeing things this time."

It's been a while since they've had to face down illusions. Or memories. But they're ready in a sense this time.

A helpful thing, that - she nods, fingers rapping on the hilt of her sword. It's correct, but doesn't do much to bring her around to the concept.

She points downwards further into the caves, giving Hera a look, asking if she's ready to proceed.

Hera nods. If there's one thing she's learned about weird illusion stuff it's that the only option is to move through it. "If this is meant to be memory, we know how it turned out. Any damage is already done."

She's sure there will be memories they wished they could forget, but whatever it is is over.

Well there's that much, at least. The logic makes sense, and she nods after running it through her head for a second.

Glad one of us has been through this before, she signs, following behind Hera and relying on the SCA to provide the translation.

Not liking my odds of getting something I'd want to see, she added.

"Most other places it's been toying with our hopes and fears." SHe's not sure if memories are necessarily better, but at least there's less uncertainty. Having others see the past... won't necessarily be an improvement, but at least she doesn't have to face the awkwardness of illusions tempting her with things she didn't admit she wanted.

"It's likely to be a lot of war." Her memories don't really offer much else to choose from.

She sighed, silently, at that.

Sounds about right, she signed. She certainly knew where many of her strongest memories lay.

She did wince, though, a little, for Hera's sake?

A spouse? Family? Some chance for good things? she asked, her look sympathetic.

She smiles. It's true, it isn't all bad. "A crew, but a family, really. A partner, two great kids, a few others. We've gotten through it all together."

What more can anyone ask for? Other than a government that commits fewer atrocities.

She nods in reply to that. She's honestly a bit curious about the sort of being who'd attract a partner like Hera. Hera is, not to put too fine a point on it, absolutely Amaya's type. Bold, skilled, strong belief in what's right. And frankly rather gorgeous.

Well, she signs, someone in another universe is very, very lucky. And the others are blessed to have you protecting them. Let's hope you get one of those memories. Let's hope we both do.

And with that, do find themselves somewhere else. As promised, it's war, but there are worse places to be in war than the cockpit of the Ghost. Calling this a good memory is probably pushing it, but as combat scenarios go, well...

The controls still feel as right as ever in her hands, but her heart is pounding with the TIEs in close pursuit. She's staying ahead of them, but they're outnumbered.

"These aren't the regular TIEs, they're the nasty ones," Zeb's voice comes over the comm.

"They may have the better fighters, but we still have the better pilot."

"Want a chance to prove it?" the man in the copilot's seat says. "Go down into the fog."

The fog outside the viewport is thick. Impossible to see more than half a meter, with large stone pillars jutting out at irregular intervals.

"How's she supposed to see in that fog?"

"She won't. I will." An absurd statement given the mask covering Kanan's eyes. Yet said with utter confidence.

"I must really trust you." But no hesitation, already starting to enact the plan.

"I know you do."

The rest of the memory neatly demonstrates why. Kanan stating an instruction that he knows despite all sense saying he shouldn't. Hera acting on it as if the input was coming from her own senses.

Every move potentially deadly, as becomes apparent from the craft that just can't keep up with them and slam into the rocks. One less TIE to worry about. And their unseen gunner, not quite as in sync as the pair in the cockpit, finishes the job off.

"Let's go pick up the kids."

She can't...she can't parse any of this. Every bit of this memory is confusing, jarring, foreign. Every bit of it fills her with dread, since she can't comprehend large portions of it.

Is...how are they out in the night sky? How are they moving through it? Are there other star-craft pursuing them? These...TIEs?

A hand goes to her chest, involuntarily, her heart pounding. There is partnership, there, yes, and that...that gives her something to hold onto.

And so she focuses on that. As hard as she can. And maybe the rest will make sense.

"That was..." not the worst thing the war could have shown. But it was an intense moment. There's no telling when they'll get swept into more.

"You must have questions."

And maybe answering them will distract her from missing Kanan.

Yes, she signed, a bit urgently, starting with 'what the hell was any of that?

She shook her head.

A sky-ship?,

"In my universe we've been travelling among the stars for a long time. The Ghost has been my home for over ten years." She says it with utter affection, she wouldn't want it any other way.

"Most people wouldn't have been able to pull off what we did there." That part might have been obvious from how she and Zeb both questioned it even when Kanan was sure.

The only part that wasn't odd to her was Zeb, really - multiple species sharing a space is, weirdly, quite familiar.

She does wonder about Kanan, however.

He could sense what to do, she signed, amazed.

"He can do incredible things. It's dangerous to have those abilities, but he uses them to help people, even knowing that." She cant' help smiling when she talks about Kanan. "I can always count on him, but we'd never tried anything quite like that before."

Sounds like her nephews, quite frankly. Which is a good comparison for her brain to make.

She does manage a smirk.

Alright, so married to more than just the job. Lucky.

"The legal status is... complicated." SHe's never really considered their relationship complicated. And never really thought about the labels until she had to start explaining it to other people and had all this downtime to really think about it.

"I told myself there was no time for a relationship in a war, but somewhere over the past decade it happened anyway. I didn't realize that having a partner like Kanan was really possible." It's not the fire of new love, but the steadiness of having been through that much together and still being in love.

Event: 12 of Beetroot

Re: Memory Details

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Wanna dive in from here?

Sure

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