video

[aspearation]

[ Undyne had said she wanted more guidance from ALASTAIR. Here she is, with more guidance, and she doesn’t know if she likes it. Looking more ragged than ever, she’s standing with Pearl, with the volcano Nalalona in the background. ]

Alright chumps, listen up, it’s time for some teamwork! ALASTAIR has some ideas about what we can do to get the volcano going again, so everyone can get their powers back. ...it’s going to involve a bomb.

[Pearl clears her throat, despite the fact her body is flickering in and out of view at some points during the video. The Gem stands tall as she gestures back to the volcano.]

This is correct. ALASTAIR has entrusted us with schematics of creating a bomb and a catapult. It’s up to us to gather the necessary supplies and assemble them.

They have observed a high level of tectonic plate activity here, near the Nalalona volcano. With enough force -- the bomb in this case -- we can possibly trigger an eruption and restore the natives’ Gifts, along with our own magical abilities. The volcano’s opening is large enough for us to hit our mark with the bomb. It’s up to us to put it all together.

We can’t afford to not try. Look around you, half our team relies on magic just to exist. This isn’t just about helping the natives use magic anymore, this about saving ourselves. If you don’t use magic, good for you, but if you have a heart, you’ll understand why this is important, and why if I catch anyone slacking off, they’ll be answering to my spear about why they don't think it's important. Got it?!

[Pearl glances to Undyne and offers her a weak smile. The situation they were all facing was quite dire. She faces the feed again.]

I know we have the ability to make this work. And we will, if we all work together on this. Every little bit helps!

[ OOC note: There will be a mod-posted mass log on the 16th for gathering/construction/etc. Pearl and Undyne will be around, and feel free to use this post to chat among each other as well! ]

[ OOC edit: The NPCs Crowley and Cherenkov speak! ]

Comments

un: apocalypseArisen

[timebender]

So then am I right in assuming that this is only a stop-gap measure to save some of our more magically-inclined team members?

audio;

[aspearation]

Yeah, I know you. And I know if something was wrong you wouldn't want me to worry so you wouldn't tell me.

[ She knows. Of course she knows, but she had to ask, too. ]

[beyourrock]

Who knows! Items here may act differently than the ones we're familiar with back on our own home planets.

I believe the higher ups in ALASTAIR might have an idea of how these materials all work together.

[aspearation]

I don't know...

[ She sees that, then slumps a little. It feels like more than just her magic is being drained. All her resolve, all her... determination. Something still feels wrong, but the fight is gone, and she conceded. ]

Yeah. You're probably right. And hey, maybe they'll actually try to find this stuff out at the start next time rather than waiting until we've been here for a few weeks.

[aspearation]

What? Who?!

[ Oh boy. She doesn't want to be the one to tell Papyrus... ]

[curepotion]

[ riku blankly stares for a moment, before shaking his head. ]

That's not what I said. If they gave us a plan for something, they should've thought it through enough to say 'if it doesn't work, this is some stuff you can do so everyone's safe'.

Even the best plans can go south. You're right, all we can do is try our best--but I don't think coming up with this idea without any safety net's a good idea. And if they didn't think one up, then we have to.

[beyourrock]

We'll have to if it comes to endangering the natives and ourselves.

I'm sorry if this is a lot to take in or if there aren't many answers in which I can give. ALASTAIR was pretty limited on what information they could supply us. But at least they are reaching out to us.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Detective Gumshoe. Sweet as a button. You'd have to ask him!

[aspearation]

...we don't have more time.

[ She doesn't have more time. ]

Sure, if you want to think something's going to go wrong, you can think that. But we need to start now.

[aspearation]

Yeah but. Who is he?? Your new...

...

...assistant?

[ex_mettacrusher33]

What? No, of course not! We ran a news segment together, is all. I could never replace the raw energy and passion of Papyrus.

[No matter how irritated he is with him right now.]

[aspearation]

If you go anywhere near that lava, I'm going to have to come after you.

[beyourrock]

Perhaps they will.

[Pearl reaches a hand out to place it on Undyne's shoulder, but it phases through her shoulder instead. She draws her hand back awkwardly as she tries to offer her a brighter smile, despite the dull circumstances.]

Some good will come out of this. I know it. ALASTAIR needs all the recruits it can get. If more than half of their recruits here are nearly fading out of existance... well they wouldn't let their assests go to waste like that.

[curepotion]

[ he closes his eyes, breathing in deeply before just saying: ]

I don't trust them, but... I'll trust you.

[ he fidgets where he sits, before just sighing again. ]

I don't think they should've talked through you, people're just gonna get up in arms with you instead of being upset at ALASTAIR for not giving you, or us, enough to go on. I know we don't have a lot of options, but I don't wanna be stuck like this forever. If that's our only option...

video

[aspearation]

Hmm... yeah, I could probably throw you. You're spear-shaped enough.

[dishearten]

As far as you can see. This is based on what, exactly? They keep our methods secret from us and expect trust that they have yet to earn. They ask us to do something dangerous and foolhardy instead of informing us that we will be weakened in a place without magic before we are dumped here, and providing means to the people that need it to exist in a world with limited magic.

( it never adds up with these people, and he's not ever going to be okay with throwing a bomb at a volcano because it might help. that's a ridiculous idea. )

I think instead of lobbing explosives into a live volcano, we should pursue other options. If ALISTAIR does not intend to lose half its workforce, one it claims to be too valuable to lose, they'll think of a way to help those that need it. Even if ALISTAIR refuses to aid the individuals weakened by their forced employment, we are choosing our lives over those of the natives here. We can't put all these people in danger for the sake of a few.

( well, they can. and probably will. but he's not going to let it happen without saying something about it. )

[aspearation]

That's not a plan, that's just you being lazy!!

[aspearation]

So... what?! Yeah we're a team and we're working for ALASTAIR, I knew that already!

[ All her exposure to human culture is dependent on what ends up in the garbage. She has no idea what he's on about. ]

[aspearation]

And some of us don't want to die because you want to be stubborn.

These natives freakin' love volcano eruptions, you think they don't know how to handle it already?

[dishearten]

( grumpy cat, we meet again... no doubt both would rather they hadn't. )

right. nobody has any ideas yet. so clearly we should throw an explosive in a live volcano. there's no possible way that could go wrong.
do you have any proof that reactivating the volcano would bring back magic, or is this just based on conjecture?

[aspearation]

Hey! If you say so!

[ She's just trying to be conscientious towards her fellow magical users. ]

Did Pearl send you the list yet?

[aspearation]

That volcano used to erupt all the time anyway. They're probably used to it by now, and if ALASTAIR says it's going to simulate that then the natives probably know how to deal with it better than us.

[ And if the bomb explodes before they can launch it... well, she's dust at this rate anyway. It's hard to see past that. ]

[aspearation]

This is actual science.

[ She doesn't sound so sure of that, but she just has to trust that it is. Pearl would have said something if it wasn't. ]

But if you have schematics or whatever for this backup, let's see them.

[curepotion]

Yeah, it used to erupt. It didn't get bombs thrown into it all the time. You can trust ALASTAIR if you want, but there's no way I'm not thinking twice about the trouble something like this could do.

What've you got against protecting people in case something goes wrong?

[heavyhitter]

Um, I'm pretty sure I could handle it way better than you, gills. Fish and fire don't do so good together unless we're talking dinner.