Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

[bastionpc]

Who: Everyone in the Bastion
Open: Open
When: 346-352
Where: The Bastion in general
What: This is the calm before the storm. Any last conversations with NPCs? Any last things to take care of? Do them here.
Format: action
Warnings: none so far


When you make a thread in this post, please put the names of the NPCs you want to respond in the header of the first comment.

As a note, this is also your last chance to make any changes that will affect how endgame begins. All things that help or hurt the Bastion residents will be tallied up on September 18th, and the final post will go up shortly after that. So if you want to catch the thief, form any alliances with other NPC groups, or anything else, now is the time to do it.

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin smiles at him and moves to grab a spot of floor near him.]

You've been working yourself to the bone, Nathan.

Have you taken a few hours for yourself at ALL since the power scare?

[bastionpc]

I do sleep, you know. And eat.

[Translation: no.]

[freedom_engineer]

So the answer is "No", then.

What are you working on right this minute? What can I take off your plate?

[He gives Nathan a concerned look.]

I'm asking because you're looking visibly frayed. If you don't get some rest and cool off that brain of yours, I'm worried that you're going to give yourself an aneurism. Or an ulcer.

[bastionpc]

[You say that like he isn't already nursing what is probably developing into an ulcer.]

There's not much time for rest. We'll probably find those last two cores within a month, so all of this needs to be ready by then.

[He realizes that is a non-answer, though, and that Colin wouldn't accept that.]

I know you normally work with more high-tech stuff, but do you know about functions and usability for stuff like this?

[He indicates to the Monument itself.]

Having a second set of eyes to check my work would be nice.

[freedom_engineer]

[He can give you a good medicine of that. Starfury disorder is a medically recognized ulcer issue in his universe...]

Unless something's on fire, there's always time for rest. If you don't let a system rest, it will break down.

[He smirks slightly.]

As for this, I've done enough poking around and theorycrafting to be able to check things out. I think I can check it out for you.

What else? What's worrying you? Where are our systems in need of TLC?

[bastionpc]

Honestly, if we were going to be here for the long-term, the system would need an entire overhaul. Just by looking at it, I don't think this place was ever meant to permanently house people.

[freedom_engineer]

Emergency shelters are rarely supposed to house people long-term. It's been what, almost a year for you?

But anyway.... unless something's going to break right this moment, you need some R&R, even if it's brief.

[bastionpc]

Just about, yeah...we're maybe two weeks short of a full year, if that.

[He sighs.]

I guess you're right. Even if I finish the program today, there's not much we can do until we get those last two cores. No sense in working myself into a stupor.

[freedom_engineer]

And this is that planetoid construction project you were asking about, right? If you shoot me your notes, I can offer a little more input than what I've already given you.

[He smiles.]

As for everything else... I don't think you realize how much people here are looking up to you.

[bastionpc]

Yeah, well, they sure do have a funny way of showing it.

[Bitter bitter bitter]

But it won't matter much soon anyway. Give it another month, and we'll either be going back in time, or we'll have a whole planet to rebuild our homes on. Then my work will be done.

[freedom_engineer]

They never thank the guys who keep 'em in the sky. They never even think of it.

[He shakes his head.]

We don't do this job for the thanks. It's nice to get 'em, sure... but we... But I do it to keep things running, to keep the universe going.

... So, hey. Nathan? Good work you've been doing. Hell of a job. If my crews had your work ethic, we'd be pretty damn well capable of fixing time itself.

[Sure, he's got more to say, but he'll give Nathan a moment to soak that in first.]

[bastionpc]

[What's this? Genuine praise?

Well now Nathaniel feels embarrassed.]

Geez, what's with the sap all of a sudden?

[He's not actually bothered by it, but it's not easy for him to take a compliment.]

[freedom_engineer]

The sap is the head engineer of a ship realizing that the head engineer of another place is getting shat on by the people who're counting on him.

You deserve more than your fair share of praise for keeping everything working here. You've saved a lot of lives.

[He gives a genuinely proud grin.]

Of course, if you prefer, I could just act like everyone else and take complete advantage of you?

[bastionpc]

Let's skip that part.

[He would rather not have his fellow tech-guy be a dick to him too.

But after a moment, he frowns.]

...Colin, can you promise me something?

[freedom_engineer]

I can hear you out, certainly.

What's on your mind?

[He's smiling, waiting patiently for whatever's on Nathan's mind.]

[bastionpc]

We're going to be done here soon. Two more cores, and we either go back, or go forward.

You've got all the space-tech. If we end up going back, will you come to my world and try to stop the Calamity?

[Nathaniel's not an idiot. Out of everyone from other worlds, Colin has the best chance of actually getting to the right world in the right amount of time.]

[freedom_engineer]

I don't think you have any worries about that. If we go back, my people are going to be hearing about this.

[He said that way too quickly... he's been planning just that, if things go the "Restore" route.]

[bastionpc]

[Hey, it means they're on the same page, right?]

I was thinking, I could head right for the Bastion, if we go back. You know the energy readings for it, if I turn it on you should be able to find it, right?

[freedom_engineer]

It's a little more complex than that, but I can make some notes...

An impending temporal accident coupled with a weakened space time region and a unique matter-energy conversion system? That'll stick out like a sore thumb.

...

The question is, will turning the Bastion on before the calamity pose a risk when the calamity goes off? I am absolutely going to try to stop things... but I can't promise success. Time is difficult, to say the least.