Test Dive #1

[subnauticmods]

≡U.R.S.U.L.A. NAVIGATION

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TEST DIVE MEME


For information about the animals and locations, be sure to check out the BIOME and BASE pages!

A1: Go Fish
You! Yes, you! Your friendly neighbourhood AI has a task she would like to encourage YOU to do! After all, you can’t forget the most important fact: you’re here to make the planet habitable. Which means cataloguing, capturing and studying potential threats to anyone’s life. That includes a swarm of Stalkers that have been hanging around the waters awfully near the base, which presents a perfect research opportunity! At least, URSULA seems to think so.

Don’t go in willy-nilly waving your knife around, though. URSULA doesn’t want you to bring in tonight’s Sashimi Surprise™, she wants you to bring in a Stalker that’s still kicking. Which means you have to capture a live one. So hold back your crazy power or trigger-happy instincts!

How will you take one in alive without ending up dead yourself? You could go in the brute-force way, slamming its jaws shut and bagging it, though it’s pretty strong itself… or you could be a bit more cunning, taming it with bait or giving it shiny metal salvage to play with before luring it into a tank to bring it into the base. You might want to get a helping hand with this task, since it’s not exactly an easy one-man job.

A2: Go With Fish
So, now you’ve got a live and very disgruntled Stalker on your hands! Hopefully, said hands don’t have to be amputated (it’s okay if they have to though, URSULA will fix it. Try not to watch the nanites go). What do you do with it? You could keep it as a pet and observe its growth! You could dissect it and study its anatomy! Or you could… eat it. (After going through all the effort to bring it in alive?!)

B: The Abysmal Sea
You’re stranded.

One of the planet’s troublesome signal-interfering pulses has just made your communication devices 100% nonfunctional. No matter how you try to call URSULA for help, she isn’t able to respond. The database strapped to your wrist is just a useless chunk of metal now, leaving you without a useful library of knowledge to survive off. If you were driving any underwater vehicle prior to this point, it’s broken down. And unless you’re a mechanic, it’ll be pretty hard to get it jumpstarted again.

Don’t fret! The communication systems always come online eventually, so if you stay put, it’ll boot back up and give you directions straight back to base so you can finally get home. But can you really afford to stay put? The sunlight’s slowly streaming out of the sky, leaving the waters darker and darker with each passing second. Soon, you won’t be able to see five feet in front of you, and the only warning you’ll get of any approaching threat is through sound, if they even make any.

You have a few choices: take a daring risk and try swimming back to base, but on the off-chance you don’t remember the directions correctly from before you were cut off, you’re going to get even more lost, in the darkness of the night no less. Or, you could huddle in, with any friends if they were unfortunate enough to be with you, and start focusing on getting warm. Because spending the night out here in the vast oceans with the entire world against you is becoming a very, very real possibility.

C: It’s dangerous to go alone. Take them!
URSULA’s technology is breathtaking. With enough materials, she could make practically anything: weapons, vehicles, all those human comforts and entertainments she forgot to build... or perhaps she could expand the base to give everyone even more leg room. But there’s a catch: you need to get those materials to her in the first place, and scavenging can be a monumental task.

The planet Iniidae has a plethora of materials to provide, but you’ve got to go find them first. Some are easy enough to get, by plucking off the ground or breaking a rock. But some are a bit more challenging, such as Crash Powder, seeing that the Crash defending it will literally explode in your face if you get too close. And then there’s materials such as Blood Oil, only harvestable within the Blood Kelp Caves several hundred meters underwater in the pitch-black darkness… remember, you have to gather resources with your two bare hands. No such thing as driving around and conveniently collecting them within the somewhat-relative safety of an armored vehicle.

Since it’s so dangerous to go alone, URSULA will encourage you all to leave the base in pairs or groups if you’re going to try collecting some of the more precarious materials to harvest. She has heard that most lifeforms find being reconstituted from nanites traumatic, so try not to die in front of each other!

D: Hide and Seek Help
URSULA knows that everyone needs downtime, and no one can go salvaging or gathering specimens all the time. So what do you do for fun on an alien ocean planet when the AI who made your base forgot to make any kind of entertainment room?

Why, play hide-and-seek, of course! There’s a lot of places to hide away from others, and it’s challenging to find anyone. (Sometimes, too challenging to find them… ever… but that’s not the point.) The area around the base and submarine is relatively safe, so anyone can hide away in a coral structure or a cave, and telepathy makes it easy to taunt your seekers without revealing where you are.

Of course, you may encounter a Bone Shark or even a stray Stalker, and you won’t have time to get away or even scream as it attacks you, but hey. What other way to make hide-and-seek more thrilling than to turn it into hide-and-hope-you-get-found-as-you-shout-for-help-to-anyone-who-can-hear-your-telepathy?

E: Toilet Humor
Really, it was bound to happen eventually. Someone's in the bathroom observatory, doing their 'business', and someone is trying very hard to catch a fish for dinner outside. Your eyes meet. Someone has literally been caught with their pants down.

And in that moment your telepathy goes a little wonky, because it's good to have open communication about this incident.

F: The Caverns of Dream
The ocean calls you. Of course, it's much easier to dismiss it as nightmares. You'll probably think that's all it is after you have them. Flashes of screaming sea creatures writhing in agony, pleading for help, but these creatures can't ask for help, can they? Something huge, beyond the scope of imagination, moves in the ocean of your dreams and calls out to you to go deeper into the darkness. It pleads and begs but not with a voice you can hear or words you can understand.

You wake up in a sweat with the unrelenting desire to take a swim, even though it's late and everyone is asleep. Or maybe someone else just had the same nightmare as you? Are you willing to take a swim and try to understand the dream?

BASED ON CODE BY TESSISAMESS AND SUPERSUITS

Comments

Arthur Curry | DC Comics (preboot)

[atlanteanson]

[ooc: Ignore that all my icons are nu52 right now.]

B: The Abysmal Sea
[The submarine vehicle broke down. Somehow, Arthur isn't surprised. The tech afforded here is good, but some things will never beat Atlantean workmanship. A Navy cruiser never would have broken down like this. He takes a look outside, at the sea going dark, which is hardly a concern to someone naturally adapted to the depths of the ocean where no light penetrates, but his companion might feel otherwise.]

We can either try to fix this hunk of junk, or swim back to base. I'll leave the decision to you, how far can you swim? [He turns assessing blue eyes to his partner on this little mission, as if he's trying to calculate their chances of not dying in an alien ocean at night. ...That's exactly what he's doing.]

C: It's Dangerous
[Several hundred meters underwater in pitch darkness? Yeah that's not really an issue for a half-Atlantean. Preparing to head out, he subjects himself to the wetsuit (for practicality purposes, his own clothes have no pockets, though he keeps the belt on), but leaves his breathing apparatus behind. Do you want an extra? He doesn't need it.

The tall blond man is strapping on a collection unit for this so-called Blood Oil when he looks over at the other person, archly raising an eyebrow.] Are you coming? You can pass, if you'd like. I can handle this. [Without goggles, or a breathing apparatus, or flippers, or really anything but what seems to be a tall three-pronged trident.]

F: Caverns of Dream
[It isn't often that Arthur Curry finds himself at a disadvantage around the water, even here, in a strange ocean that is not his own full of creatures that are not part of his kingdom. But old instincts die hard, and the man who has spoken to marine life all his life cannot dismiss them as simply nightmares. Pleading, begging. Something calls him, and he is a king, he cannot ignore it.

He walks the halls of the base, shirtless and disheveled from sleep, toward the exit, blue eyes a little glazed but his movements purposeful. He's going out there. The sea screams and he needs to help it.

Maybe someone should stop him and point out that that is not a good idea - he can lose focus at times like these.]

B

[yourotherleft]

A lot farther than you'd think.

[he's managed to swim unprotected below 5000 feet in the ocean before, and darkness is no concern of his. Zoro doesn't exactly have powers but he's no mere civilian. His only real problem is the fact that left to his own devices, he'll get lost.]

Swimming's fine by me, let's go.

[atlanteanson]

[He doesn't know this one's capabilities, despite them getting sent out on a mission together. Arthur tends to assume that humans can't handle themselves in the sea; most can't, where he's from.

It does save him some trouble, abandoning the vessel, though.]

I hope you can keep up, then.

[yourotherleft]

[The fun of missions: surprising one another with their abilities. This idiot has three swords strapped to his belt outside the wetsuit, but then again, he's bound to be surprised when he finds out Arthur doesn't need the air tanks.]

Won't be a problem. C'mon.

[He's already getting set to raise the hatch. Dear god don't let him go first, whatever you do!]

[atlanteanson]

[Three swords. That seems excessive (says the guy with a three-pronged trident as tall as he is strapped to his back). He's wondering if this is a case of overconfidence, but hey, if the guy says he can make it and can keep up, Arthur will at least let him try.

Before he can open the hatch, though, he lays a hand on it to stop him, quirking a brow.]

Check your breathing apparatus and gear first. [Arthur is not letting a surfacer die because of malfunctioning equipment, not while he's leading a mission.]

B

[fascists]

I knew this was a dumb idea!

[Ollie is all too ready to jump on the equipment failure, since being an archer on an ocean planet is pretty useless. He has enough problems with being the normal guy amid the collection of super-powered heroes at home. Never mind that he volunteered to go on the scouting mission and wanted to ride the submersible out to explore the area. Now that something has broken down, he's going right back to finger-pointing.]

Great. Well, what kind of tools did we bring?

[Squishing the two of them on the Seamoth was a little cramped, but Ollie had assumed that Arthur would ultimately end up doing more free-swimming anyway. He starts looking through his inventory, looking increasingly flat as he examines each item.]

I don't know what the hell any of this is. Can't you just call us up a tow fish?

[atlanteanson]

[Ollie you volunteered for this. You're lucky Arthur likes you. He's up in the craft for now, though he has been doing quite a bit of free-swimming - he's not a fan of floating fishbowls.]

I didn't pack the tools. I wasn't the one who needed the vessel. [He points out with a raised brow.]

I can try but there's no guarantee anything will listen. This isn't my ocean. [And he hasn't earned the widespread fame and respect he has amongst sea creatures back home.] If you can't fix it, I can tow you back to base myself.

[fascists]

[He did volunteer for it. But like usual Oliver Queen is a man of selective memory and pride. He doesn't want to admit the obvious misjudgment on his part. Like he doesn't want to rely on an easy rescue from Aquaman to get back to the base.]

I can figure it out! Just gotta work out which of these tools repairs the dumb thing.

[Ugh. When Arthur says it like that, it makes him feel like he's not useful. Which is true, but details aren't important! Ollie pulls his air supply on and huffs as he goes to exit the small sub.]

I'm gonna take a look at the damages. You can come along if you want.

[Even though Arthur could get them back without sea creatures to help, he'll feel better if he can contribute and get the Seamoth running again. How hard can it be?]

[atlanteanson]

[Oh Ollie. He missed your stubbornness and selective memory. He eyes the spread of tools skeptically, then watches Ollie strap on his breathing gear, following after him with brows raised. This should be entertaining.]

How kind of you to allow me to watch you try to figure this scrap-heap out. Have you done much work on submarine vessels before?

B.

[spidermouth]

How far can you swim?

[The question is parroted back to Arthur in a voice mimicking his own. It wasn't a genuine question, rather it was repeated out of habit on Ygno's part - although admittedly he is a bit curious if the (apparent) human could make the journey.

As for Ygnodentus's response, he mainly just smiles broadly and whips his tail around a bit. Admittedly his body was designed more for swimming in rivers than the bottom of an ocean, but he's still able to maneuver around in the water well enough. ]

I swim good, don't worry. What about you?

[atlanteanson]

[Surprisingly, chatting with weird... dinosaur-looking creatures through telepathy? Not unusual for him. He's not one to equate intelligence with appearance after all the creatures of the sea that he's met and befriended. The parroting doesn't seem to bother him either.

The question that actually is a question makes the corners of his mouth turn up in a little smile.] I swim good, as well. Shall we just head back, then? I don't think there's any saving this pile of scrap.

[spidermouth]

[ Arthur's chill around him is a breath of fresh air, as far as Ygno is concerned. Humanoids have been a mixed bag for him in his life, it's nice to interact with one that doesn't bat an eye at the thought of conversing with strange eel dinosaurs. ]

...any saving this pile of scrap.

[He repeats, once again imitating Arthur's voice back at him. Ygnodentus smiles widely at the proposition, although before he confirms the plan he needs to ask one thing:]

...You know how to get back? My eyes... not great. Don't want to get lost.

[As he says so, hey blinks his six grey eyes. Just looking at them shows he's telling the truth - they're all slightly glassy and glazed over. He isn't able to see more than a few dozen feet ahead of him, and even less in dark water.]

[atlanteanson]

[It's really no weirder than talking to giant squids, or dolphins, or fish. It's actually even a breath of fresh air, so to speak, from humans.]

I can see fine in the dark. I'll lead, you can stay close to me. [Atlanteans, after all, are adapted to live on the seafloor, and to function in waters where the light can't penetrate. And he's been keeping track of the route they've taken so far, not entirely trusting the pile of metal they call a sea-craft.]

f;

[dreamtheatre]

[ a soft voice speaks behind him. ]

You should not go.

[ should he look behind him, he'll see a little girl--barely ten, dressed in a nightgown with her hair all ruffled and askew, sitting on a bench but nearly out of sight. maybe he's not the only one who was awakened during the night. ]

[atlanteanson]

[The voice of a child, one of the few things that can really snap him out of this determined move toward the exit. It's unusual enough to stop him, and he turns to look at her curiously. Arthur didn't know that children would be allowed here on base, and he finds himself frowning slightly.]

Did you hear them, too? [The screaming, the begging, the pleading.] It's late, shouldn't you be in bed? [It's a quiet chiding, the same voice he used to use when his Garth was that age.]

[dreamtheatre]

Ser, should you not be in bed as well?

[ she adopts the same time, pushing off the bench to walk up to him, pitter patter of little feet audible in the near-silent base. ]

I hear them. They scream for mercy and sanctuary. Yet, underwater everything is not as it seems, do you not agree? Water has a way of warping what we see. I do not think it is safe.

c!

[exitiosus]

( Damian looked up knowingly as the man glanced over, arching a brow in return. He looks distinctly unimpressed with the man's lack of gear or how quickly he seemed to be ready. He pushes his foot irritably into his flipper as he answers. )

Why else would I be wasting my time with any of this? ( A sharp motion of one small hand to the flippers and then the goggles, perched on his forehead and ready to use. He doesn't draw attention to the golden belt fastened around his waist or the gloves (and brass knuckles) that he'd taken the time to put on before he'd even bothered with the items from his survival pack.

Holding his breathing apparatus in one hand, he rolls soundlessly onto his feet, staring up at the tall blond. Or rather, at the trident in his hands. There's a small hint of curiosity there, but mostly envy. A small hint of frustration and, perhaps, childish anger. He wishes he had access to more of his weapons - especially about to go out for something like this. He doesn't think he'll necessarily need them, but there's a brief thought that they could be useful down the line. )

Let's go. ( Damian doesn't wait. He's already moving for the exit. )

[atlanteanson]

[Woah, wait, what? Arthur did not sign on to go take this mission with a child. He wouldn't have probably let his own son come along at that age, and he isn't sure he wants to be responsible for someone else's kid. He glances back over his shoulder toward the person he thought he was talking to, who seems to be gone, and then back to the kid that answered.]

I'm not sure you're old enough to do something like this. I'm sure you're very talented to be here in the first place, but you won't be able to keep up with me. [He says it matter-of-factly, non-judgmentally. No one, save maybe a Flash or Superman (or another Atlantean), could keep up with him in the water.] Especially in the dark.

[exitiosus]

( Damian pauses, turns to look sharply at the blond with his words. They're familiar, something he's more than tired of hearing at this point.

He's Robin, the best one yet, and the son of Batman. He was trained by the League of Assassin's and has lead and killed countless men on behalf of the al Ghul name. Those words are on his tongue and the look he gives the man says he wants to argue. But he doesn't. At least, not right away.

This man isn't his father or Grayson. He's not Pennyworth or any of the others who know the identity of Batman and any of his allies. This isn't a place to argue some of those details. )

I can take care of myself. ( He begins instead, turning fully to face the man and narrowing his eyes up at the other. ) I've been trained to do much more dangerous things than swim in the dark. ( His hands curl into fists, a gesture that reflects the familiar burn of anger under his skin. If he were older, taller and more prominent in his presence like his father, the gesture might have come off as threatening. After a moment, he forces his fingers to uncurl, grips tightly at the golden belt around his waist instead. )

I'm going, whether you go with me or not. ( The sharpness in his tone clearly says the I don't need you that's on his tongue. )

F

[livingsymbol]

[He's not exactly a stranger to prophetic dreams, but oceanic nightmares seem like a bit of a stretch for Steve. He's not often called to save fish like Arthur is. The dreams are still disturbing, though, and Steve is up. He handles restless nights as well as anyone... not very. He's not expecting to run into a fellow visitor, though, and seeing Arthur wandering the base, clearly going toward the exit, wakes him up.]

I don't know if I'd go out like that. There are bound to be more big predators around at this hour.

[Just saying, friend.]

[atlanteanson]

[Arthur is stopped by a voice, shakes him out of whatever mood he's fallen into, that determined move toward the exit. The sea calls and it's hard not to heed her, even though this is not his own ocean. He still has a duty, but... Arthur pauses, glancing back toward the stranger, eyes tired but awake.]

That's what I fear. Something was calling, in danger. [He glances out the nearest window at the dark ocean, stars bright overhead.] If you mean the stalkers, though, they don't bother me. I bring them food and they let me pass.

[livingsymbol]

[Steve looks toward the same window as if he might see whatever Arthur is looking for, but all he sees outside is dark ocean.]

Are you sure about that? No one else is up. If someone was calling for help, more people should have heard it. Could be a trap.

[All the same, he's up. He's still dressed and ready, pacing the halls at night as if he were expecting to find something too. Arthur isn't the only one who feels like he has to stop some ambiguous danger.]

Those and whatever else hunts at night. I'm sure there are ways around them, but you shouldn't go out there alone. I'll come with you.

B

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie's been working on the whole swimming thing, so he's better at it than he used to be, but considering he couldn't swim at all before, that's not saying much. He doesn't know if he can make it back to base, but what if he admits as much and Arthur leaves him behind to fend for himself all night? He really will be a goner then. Ergo, Arthur gets a kind of deer-in-headlights stare for a moment before Jamie manages to snap himself out of it and respond.]

Um - I think maybe I can make it back. Y'know, once we figure out where we are in relation to the base. But maybe we should try fixing the sub first? I'm pretty good with machines, I might be able to figure it out.

[He offers this last part hopefully, because he'd really rather have the protection of a vehicle to travel through the water at night if at all possible.]

[atlanteanson]

[That was very much the stare of someone who is not comfortable swimming back to base. Arthur is a perceptive man, he can tell that much, at least, and while he wouldn't leave someone behind, someone giving off fear or anxiety could agitate the sealife that otherwise might not even notice their presence.]

I can worry about the navigation. If you can fix the vessel, feel free, otherwise I can tow it back if you aren't up to the swim. [It's not that big, he can probably manage. Atlanteans are fairly strong.]

[mildwildchild]

You could really tow this thing back all by yourself? [Jamie looks and sounds just a mite incredulous at this claim. It's possible, he guesses, even if it's not something anyone could do where he's from.]

Hey, d'you know if there's like an owner's manual or an electrical schematic on board here anywhere? [He's fishing a small flashlight out of one of the pouches on his harness as he starts maneuvering himself underneath the control panel to check out the wiring. He's fairly small for his age, so it's not too difficult for him to do so.]