TDM #1
ARRIVAL TDM Exploration |
You're barely given any time to tell anyone about the lottery you've just won or say any goodbyes before it's 1800 hours and the transport pod is waiting there for you to take you to the SS Hygge. True to the message you received, once you enter the transport pod you start to feel very drowsy very rapidly, and you don't come to again until you feel the transport pod bump against one of many landing docks and hear it clip in. The transport pod opens once the airtight seal has molded itself around its door, and lights guide you down a corridor to what looks like a hotel lobby, complete with friendly receptionists waiting behind a counter to greet you. Upon giving your name you will be given a room key and informed that a bottle of champagne (soft drink/juice for minors) is waiting for you in your room. In your room you will find a communications device that you are to strap onto your wrist (or any other appropriate limb) and keep with you at all times. The Captain can communicate with you through the device, and it allows you to keep track of the ship time. While you are checking in, you will be asked to make an appointment with a tailor tonight, who will be by your room to take your measurements so that you can be suitably clothed for the welcome dinner tomorrow, and for any other adventures the ship goes on. When you get to your room, you'll find it's a fairly small cabin with an ensuite bathroom. There's a TV mounted on the wall at the foot of a double bed. On top of the bedside drawer is the smartwatch-resembling comms device that the receptionist was talking about. Its charger is in the drawer. While there are no windows, there is a screen that cycles through various scenery. The nature scenery might have occasional birdsong or quiet sounds of a distant waterfall. The galactic one is magnificent but silent. You can program what's displayed from your comms device. From your comms device you can also request for some white noise to help you sleep, or adjust the room's temperature. As soon as you put it on, you will feel a little prick in your wrist/appendage as it releases nanites into your body. This allows you to communicate with other passengers speaking different languages on board the ship, and it also allows the Captain to keep track of you in case you get lost. It remembers all your preferences, and it functions like a smartwatch, allowing you to contact other passengers as well as Reception, take photos, record videos and do video calls. There is a wardrobe next to the TV that currently only holds a bathrobe and some sleepwear that's of a slightly larger fit for you, to make it more comfortable to sleep in. Don't worry - there'll be more clothes to go into the wardrobe tomorrow when the tailor is ready. Though there is a map of the ship loaded into your comms device, you are left to explore its facilities on your own. Or why not make a friend with another solo arrival and explore together? You may not want to jump into the pool until the tailor has provided you with fitting swimming attire, but maybe a massage at the Golden Palm might interest you after that cramped ride in the transport pod? The Great Escape offers a great many virtual reality experiences that you can enjoy. And of course, if you're hungry, why not hit up some of the restaurants? All facilities are within walking distance of each other, on the main deck at the top floor. You don't have to go straight to your room if you're not tired. |
WELCOME DINNER TDM Mingle |
Hopefully you had a well-rested first night on board the Hygge. Maybe you didn't - maybe you were partying all night. Or maybe you've made a new friend and never quite managed to make it back to your own room. Either way, the tailor will come by your room in the early afternoon to drop off three boxes of clothes tailor-made to suit your body and style. The small box contains some plain underwear and activewear/swimwear for use in the ship's gym/pool respectively. There is also a hand towel with your name embroidered on it, for use at the gym or anywhere else where towels might get mixed up. The large box contains three everyday outfits for your character to wear. You only arrived with the clothes on your back after all - you'll need something to change into. Finally, the medium box contains formal attire for tonight's welcome dinner, held at Umami from 1900 hours ship time. You haven't forgotten about the welcome dinner that Reception mentioned yesterday, have you? It might be awkward to show up late. It is not expected that all the ship's passengers will be in one restaurant at the same time, so unfortunately there aren't enough tables for all solo guests to sit at their own table. If you arrive late you may need to join someone else who's already seated. Come on, it wouldn't kill you to make conversation with your dinner partner for the night, would it? If you're feeling ridiculous in your cocktail dress or stuffy three piece suit, who's to say your dinner partner can't commiserate? Maybe you're from the same place, or share a few same interests. The rest of the dinner will go a lot more smoothly if you happen to get along with your dinner companion(s). After the lavish twelve course dinner, there will be a song and dance performance by some of the ship's crew. The DJ will take over from 2200 hours ship time and play music that is suspiciously suitable to dance to. How about topping the night off with a few fancy moves or a slow dance on the floor? |
DEFYING GRAVITY TDM Event |
It's the fourth night you are spending on board the ship. The current ship time is 0517. Many guests are asleep. Some are still partying it up at Starlight, some are hunched over the jackpot machines. Some people are still convincing themselves they don't have a drinking problem, chins in their palms as they turn stirrers in lazy circles in their almost-empty tumblers. Some might be in the library cafe in the middle of a good book. It happens without warning. One moment you're doing whatever it is you're doing. The next, there's a barely noticeable rumble, and then you're floating. You and everyone else around you and everything else as far as your eyes can see that isn't bolted down to the ship. Sound travels slowly in space. The screaming and the sound of things breaking - they come moments after the weightlessness pushes you away from the ground. Or maybe that's just you, in the thick of the confusion, trying to figure out what's happening and trying to make sense of the chaos that's starting to unfold in front of your eyes. Staff that are clearly distressed attempt to swim-float around and tell passengers to remain calm. Some staff have big, clunky, magnetised boots that allow them to walk along the ship's floor, but they seem to be engineering personnel rushing off somewhere and they're not stopping for hospitality staff or guests. If you are loitering near the lobby where you had first arrived, Hygge staff may ask you to work as quickly as you can launching the transport pods you arrived in back off the ship. If you are in your room and try to make your way to the front door, you will find it is unlocked, and you will notice a lot of confused heads poking out into the corridor. Hopefully you weren't in the pool, because that's now a nebulous floating blob of water that is threatening to suffocate you. Nobody seems to have any accurate information about what the hell's going on and the flurry of activity continues for a good forty minutes, maybe more, before a crisp, clear voice can be heard booming throughout the ship. |
CAPTAIN'S BROADCAST June Event Sneak Preview |
“Good morning, esteemed guests. This is your Captain speaking. At this time I ask you all to please remain calm, hold on to a fixed part of the ship, and follow the instructions of all crew. At approximately 0442 hours ship time, a series of supernovae approximately 312,659 light years away occurred in rapid succession and triggered a cataclysmic chain reaction across the universe. We have lost communications with all nearby star systems. The devastating effects on individual galaxies is currently not known. As a direct result of this chain reaction, the ship was hit by large debris from a nearby implosion and the hull was breached. Several fuel cells have been irreversibly damaged in the breach and a fire has broken out on the lower deck due to leaking oxygen stores, rendering several cabins uninhabitable. In addition, the gravity drive has experienced a catastrophic failure. This resulted in water from the pool flooding the engine room, causing the engine to malfunction and compromising the navigational system. Finally, several critical components of the engine have been jettisoned due to conflicting emergency protocols and these have been scattered throughout time and space. The transport pods have been deployed on their previous command loop in an effort to locate any other survivors and bring them on board. However, there will be insufficient fuel and oxygen for the ship to wait here for the transport pods to return. We must restore the oxygen supply and repair the engine before we can bring additional passengers on board. Our first course of action is to retrieve the energy crystal which will restore full operational power back to the engine. We have traced its unique energy signature to the American frontier, in the year 1862. Our data suggests that the crystal is on board a locomotive transport. Despite the abrupt alteration in the timeline, word has already spread of a valuable jewel being transported across the country. We must board a moving train to retrieve the crystal and bring it back to the ship before it is hijacked by bandits. We have redirected all remaining backup power to the ship’s engine. In doing so we will have enough fuel to initiate one perfectly executed jump sequence to intercept the train. The gravity drive cannot be brought back online if we are to make this jump, so please, hold on tight. I will be initiating the jump sequence through hyperspace into the Wild West in 3… 2… 1.” |
Notes Final points |
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How the screen works, how she can use her device, and any other technology she's found herself struggling with. Two weeks is still a while, so it'll make her life on board much easier.
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And not just because she enjoys having handsome men in her room - she really does need help figuring out how to use this stuff. It's very generous of Jim to offer.
"Perhaps we'll go after we determine the appropriate amount of time that is meant to be spent at this function." She's not quite sure. It appears that they're setting up for some kind of performance.
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She might not want to go two weeks without a hot shower, a warm meal or some entertainment. Plus, all these things will make the trip far more enjoyable for her.
He glances around the room, then shrugs. "I don't think anyone will care if people come and go. We can stick around for... whatever it is they're doing, if you want. Or we can leave."
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Yes. To look at the technology. That's all. No, really, it is. Jim may be handsome, but they've just met. She doesn't make it a habit to jump into bed with men she's just met. The last time she did, it was disastrous.
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He shakes his head, though, waving a hand at her. "Don't worry, I know what you meant. And yes, we can go now. Come on."
He gets to his feet, waiting for her so they can head back to the accommodation deck.
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"Thank you," she says. "I do appreciate your help. This ship is so futuristic that I'm afraid I won't be able to do something simple, like figure out how to turn on a light."
Perhaps she ought not be going off with a man she hardly knows, particularly while everyone is in the dining hall and her bedroom is so far away. She hopes that her initial impression of Jim is the correct one.
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She can simply ask the ship's computer to dim the lights in her room, or to turn them off completely, to adjust temperature settings, or even change the images on the view screen. Other things she does need a little more knowledge in terms of technology, but that much she should be able to manage on her own.
"Has anyone explained to you how to use the communication devices? Those are useful too."
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She motions to the screen attached to the wall on the other side of the room. "It's like the cinema only smaller... and appears to be made of glass." Mary imagines that something can be projected on it, but she's not sure how.
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He steps closer to the screen and turns it on with a simple swipe of his finger, then looks around the room. "There should be a remote... ah," he picks it up from her nightstand, making his way to her. "Here. You can select different channels and programs from the menu, if you click there..."
It's all fairly intuitive, once Mary knows where to click. There are several movies and shows for her to choose from, as well as music if she just wants to listen to something. Jim shows her how to go back and forth between programs, how to rewind, pause and fast-forward, as well as toggle the volume and brightness of the screen.
"Not so hard, is it?"
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"This is quite incredible," Mary says. "You mean to say that this screen will not only play films, but it is a gramophone as well?" Her gaze turns from the wall to Jim, both amazed and confused.
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He can't really remember his years correctly, but he's pretty sure they had a few radio stations already by the second decade of the 20th century. He just doesn't know if she'd know about them.
He hands her the remote. "Here, give it a try yourself. You're not gonna break it, don't worry."
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Quickly he presses the search button and teaches her how to type into the search box.
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"This is extraordinary. To you it must be entirely old hat though."
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"Are you kidding? I love Louis Armstrong, it's great," he says, swaying his hips a little to the sound of the music. "But you're right, most people in my time might not even know who he is."
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Usually the woman isn't the one asking in her time, but she's suddenly struck with the desire to dance, and she figures Jim wouldn't ask her otherwise.
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He turns to her, an eyebrow raised. "Passing knowledge and skill, but good reflexes. I can make do. Do you want to?"
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"We don't have to," she says. "Not if you don't want to. I don't wish to put you on the spot."
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He turns slightly and offers her a hand, beckoning her closer. "Promise I won't step on your toes."
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"You aren't bad," she says with a smile. "Do they still dance like this in your time?"
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"Some people, sure," he nods. "It varies from planet to planet, too. The concept of dancing can change from one species to the other, but we learn to adapt to each of them."
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She's been to a few other countries, but that's nothing compared to what Jim has experienced. He seems incredibly cultured and sophisticated - a man of the future. Mary is amazed that he has time for an antique like her.
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Mary likes dancing with him, likes the way that he pulls her close. He's incredibly handsome, but everything in her is telling her that she shouldn't do anything rash.
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If anything, in a place like this she's the one who's unique and who stands out the most. In any case, Jim doesn't think it's fair to make a comparison, what with them being from such different times altogether.
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