I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

[singmod]

MARCH 2024 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — EXIT STRATEGY: With the way via the main road a no-go, Methuselah finds a potential and very dangerous way out of the Milton area: the Milton Mines. During the Aurora, the Interlopers must find a way to safely navigate the mines and find a way through.

PROMPT TWO — BRAVE NEW WORLD: Interlopers make their way into the Lakeside area, and are free to explore the more of the Northern Territories: a place of both industry and leisure.

PROMPT THREE — THE ECHO: On Aurora nights, the aftermath of the Darkwalker's attack on the Interlopers continues to ripple through the community — with a painful affliction.

EXIT STRATEGY

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton Mines.
CONTENT WARNINGS: claustrophobic situations; potential injury/maiming; potential electrocution/electrocution injuries; potential burn injuries; hyperthermic situations; exploration horror;


Unusually, Methuselah returns to the town around the middle of the month. He is looking pleased and will ask that the Interlopers gather in the Community Hall. Once gathered, he climbs onto the small stage at one end of the Hall and explains that following last month’s Feast, he set out to try to find a way out of Milton, and he believes he may have found a way out.

He goes on to explain that although the Milton Mine has been closed for many years, there may still be access through the mine. The mine had two entrances through either sides of the stone, one on the Milton side since many of the residents worked the mine back in the day, but there was also an additional entrance on the opposite side, which led to a railway track that allowed easier export of coal and precious materials towards the coast. Having gained access, he believes the mine seems to mostly remain intact, but not easy to get through. However, he discovered that during the Aurora, the old mine and its electronics came to life — meaning a way through is certainly possible during those times with the added electronics in play.

It is not much, and it is certainly incredibly dangerous, but it is something. There is certainly no way out towards the south; towards the north might be the Interlopers’ best chance of finding a way out of Milton.

Methuselah will ask for any volunteers to join him in trying to find a way out via the mines, taking them up north and then waiting for an Aurora to happen before they can then make their way through and explore the mine system. Anyone is free to sign up, and he suggests someone drawing up a sign up sheet so that Interlopers have an idea of who is leaving the town on the journey.

The hike towards the mines is a long one, taking a few hours on an incline to reach the northern mountains. Waiting on the Aurora may take time, so setting up camp is the next step — waiting for night and hoping the skies fill with night soon. Interlopers are free to explore the mine beforehand, but will find a lot of it locked up tight. With areas unreachable without power and the darkness suffocating, they won’t get very far.

When the Aurora does finally come, the mine will come to life: the system’s lighting will come on throughout, albeit flickering and a little unreliable. Machinery and track systems whir and groan as the mine slowly cranks itself into functioning once more. While there are maps of the system to help Interlopers navigate the system — showing a second entrance labelled as ‘Lakeside Entrance’ — the true difficulty in getting through lies in wait.

Interlopers will find that parts of the system have been partially flooded: with the frigid water in places mostly ankle deep and others reaching no higher than knee-high on an average-height man. What’s worse, is the half-destroyed electrics ravaged by both time and the Aurora mean plenty of loose wires hanging here and there. It’s possible to accidentally catch yourself on them, meaning burn injuries and mild electric shocks — but care should be taken in checking if these wires may have fallen into these flooded parts. Stepping into these live waters will be far more deadly. They will also find that the electronically-powered gates that open through into areas may not function, with the fuses having been blown.

Gaining access through the mine is not impossible, however. It will simply require a little bit of legwork. One of the larger caverns of the mines houses a fuse board. Characters can switch off sections of the mines in order to traverse them safely, find new fuses in toolboxes scattered through the mines in order to open the gates and make their way through to gain access to the elevator of the mine — which will also require new fuses, in order to power the electrics to get it to function.

It is perhaps, most frustrating, that once Interlopers get the elevator working and head downwards into the final section of the mine, that they will come across hand-cranks — allowing them to use the elevator without the need for electricity. But at least the hard part is over, and the Interlopers now have a way through from Milton that doesn’t require relying on the Aurora to power the mine’s electrics.

On the lower section of the mine, there will be a handful of more gated rooms to get through before reaching the Lakeside Entrance, and more wires and flooded areas to traverse. But you can taste it: something on the air. You’re close.

You’ve made it, Interloper.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards.
WHERE: Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance); The Ravine; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of exploration/survival; themes of peril; acrophobia; potential character/npc death from falls; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk;

Coming out of the mines, you will be greeted by a small mining camp and railway track enclosed by mountains on both sides. It’s incredibly sheltered here, with little wind chill and not as much snow on the ground compared to some of the more open areas of Milton. It may be best to rest here for the rest of the night. There are several portacabins that were used to house some of the former miners, along with additional cabins with one being some kind of foreman’s office, one that served as a kind of mess hall and one for bathing/toilet needs.

While there is little in terms of supplies left in there, some scraps may be found here and there — plus the cabins will provide decent shelter from the cold, which may be the last Interlopers will get ahead of the long walk down through the mountain track and into Lakeside. There is also plenty of coal left lying around, too — allowing for Interlopers to craft fires to keep warm. Even with it being sheltered, it’s still cold out.

In terms of where to go from here, the only way seems to be to follow the track. It’s a long walk, but rather straightforward if you keep to the tracks. A good few hours of it, but it’s quiet — and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of wildlife or windchill here. It almost seems too easy, or as easy as it could be in regards to a long walk through thick snow.

Until you come face to face with the ravine.

The world opens up to you, with the tracks stretching over a huge valley via a… mostly sturdy-looking wooden and steel bridge. There doesn’t seem to be any way around it, no alternative route of getting over to the other side. Crossing the bridge is the only option. Care should be taken, with Interlopers now being vulnerable to the wind and the snow-laden tracks. As sturdy as the bridge looks, it seems to creak and groan under the weight of a single footstep. There even appears to be the remains of fall train-carts in the depths, from some unfortunate incident years ago. It’s probably fine.

Crossing the bridge and continuing down the tracks will eventually have the world opening up even more — you’ve finally reached Lakeside. Thick boreal forests crowd around the tracks, and in places, Interlopers will note that the tracks have buckled and become badly damaged. When they find roads, they will also find them in similar states of disrepair from beneath the snow. Following them for another hour or so will eventually lead to Lakeside’s Maintenance Yard. From here, there is a road, with directions: signs pointing towards Milton, the Coast, Lakeside Resort and the Carter Hydrodam.

For those interested in searching the Maintenance Yard, they will be greeted by a large, fenced in building. Fortunately, a great deal of the fencing has been damaged with the bad weather and it is easy enough to gain access. The place is a bit of a mess: scrap metal, wood, and dissued trucks and cars litter the yard, along with wood that can be used for kindling and firewood. Inside the Maintenance Yard, it is a little bit of a mechanic’s dream. There’s plenty of tools in this place, and even a forge which could be used for crafting if someone has the patience to fire it up and keep it hot for long enough. There’s plenty of stores of coal, at least. But in terms of a living space, there’s not much else other than a small break room with some comfy chairs to catch some quick shut-eye. Searching the Yard for any letters or such will reveal a similar theme to that of Milton: difficulty in reaching the Mainland with postage and correspondences, the lack of staffing, and the problems with wildlife. There are also complaints and concerns over growing dangers of small quakes causing damage to the roads and rail system.

Following the road towards the Lakeside Resort is a mostly quiet and pleasant enough trek, as long as one keeps close to or on the road there as much as possible. The Resort is largely secluded, even if it is around the actual lake itself, and it’s easy to see just why this place would have been a popular vacation place.

The resort is a collection of a dozen luxury cabins dotted around the edge of the lake, each of them with a decent amount of space between them for privacy. The cabins themselves are sturdy and well built, but look far more modern and almost designer in terms of style - with huge almost floor to ceiling windows and spacious porches for that perfect lakeside view, and open plan rooms and balconies. Each of the cabins contain multiple bedrooms, suitable for vacationing families and mix both modern technology and more rustic means of heating homes — making them ideal for all weathers.

A couple of the cabins are not completed, appearing to be a kind of expansion of the resort that was not finished. Build materials still remain here. Some of the cabins on the furthest side appear to have become victims of vandalism, having been broken into and completely trashed with windows smashed, furniture missing and broken, and any goods completely ransacked from the place. There are perhaps five cabins out of the twelve that remain fully intact and may contain useful items such as food, basic medical supplies and tools, and will certainly be excellent shelters for those looking for somewhere to stay.

There is also a Camp Office, situated at the east side of the lake. Used as a kind of main office of maintenance for the cabins, along with an office or tourist centre of sorts. It has a decent stock of hiking and outdoor essentials. The Camp Office does also have a small living space upstairs — presumably used by Lake staff or rangers, with a wood stove and kitchenette, along with a bathroom and several bunk-beds. It appears that the Camp Office wasn't abandoned until a short while ago — no more than a couple of months.

Following the road to the Hydrodam is a trickier one than the one to the Resort. There is a higher volume of predator wildlife here, with wolf howls closer and more frequent. With the current state of wildlife’s behaviours, it is likely to face attacks from wolves on the way there. The Carter Hydrodam has clearly seen better days. It seems to have fallen into disrepair and may have only been run by a small skeleton crew. While the Hydrodam is gated and locked up tight, it’s possible to break in through the gate and gain access.

While the lower dam is currently out of bounds, Interlopers will be able to get into the upper levels of the main building of the Hydrodam, which consists mostly of offices, maintenance rooms, a medical bay, and rooms banked with control panels, plus staff areas. The med bay is relatively well stocked, but might need a little forced entry with certain medical lockers and cabinets. Tools and other useful items can also be found here, along with bunk rooms, a small canteen and bathrooms/showers. It might be possible with some work to get access to hot water here — the showering systems run on a back-up furnace system, and while some of the pipes are broken, it might be possible to fix them to get the hot water system up and running again.

Following the road to the Coast will find a dead end. The bridge that heads over towards that direction has been damaged beyond repair, and there looks to be no way of getting around it. Perhaps, much like with getting out of Milton, there may be an alternate way of getting further south, but time will tell.

But for now, here is an entirely new region, ripe for the picking. While it appears some places have already seen minor scavenging (with the exception to the vandalism and looting of some of the resort cabins), Lakeside is largely untouched. It is full of game to hunt, an expansive lake to take up ice-fishing in, and indoor locations to search through for supplies. Some Interlopers may decide to stay here permanently now that it’s easier to travel between Lakeside and Milton.

THE ECHO

WHEN: Aurora Nights, the month of March.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/otherworldly afflictions; themes of grief; themes of loss

There are roughly no more than ten Aurora nights during the month of March, and everything occurs as usual: the insanely bright colours swirling in the skies before you, the crackles and pops of static in the air providing percussion to the strange, ethereal chorus of almost-electrical sounds. The electrics of the world around coming alive with its usual sputtering and falters. There is much mystery to these strange, almost supernatural phenomena — but they almost feel like a kind of staple in the Northern Territories.

But on these nights something different happens.

If you listen closely, the sound of weeping can be heard on the air. Those with the Aurora Call Feat will be particularly drawn to the sound, and will hear it more clearly compared to their fellow Interlopers. It is the sound of a woman, and those paying attention might be able to recognise the voice it belongs to: it is the same woman heard over the static of radios and televisions in December and early January. The same woman that spoke to Interlopers, telling them to sleep, with the promise of help — thus granting some of them powers. It is the same voice that screamed out the night La’an Noonien-Singh died, and the night of those recently killed in the church.

She is… grief-stricken. Her weeping is a raw and anguished thing, and the more you listen, the more it seems to grip at you. You feel her pain, maybe it echoes within your own. Those you have lost, those you have failed or hurt — a reverb that grows stronger as the night continues. It is an all-consuming pain, its depths endless. It brings tears to your eyes.

You carry this pain, as she does.

You feel it in your very bones, in your flesh and sinew. It’s an exhaustive pain, and as the night progresses, you find yourself incredibly weary. In a strange state of fatigue that won’t even allow you to sleep.

You may find yourself going in search of comfort amongst friends, or loved ones. To hold a hand, to embrace them — to not be alone in this pain you feel.

But it is a pain that is too great.

On these nights, you will find yourselves alone, without the comfort you would otherwise lean on. You will not be soothed by that comfort of others. For as long as the Aurora lasts, reaching out and touching others will bring real physical pain to you. It will hurt to touch others, and physical contact will produce a sharp biting pain, even for those who may not feel pain otherwise. Too much. It’s… too much.

Some of you were told once, in a dream: “Don’t you understand it now? We are all connected. The Aurora connects us.”

Once the lights in the sky fade, that pain will finally ease and the woman’s sobs will go quiet — but it will return once more, when the next Aurora comes.

FAQs

EXIT STRATEGY

1. It is entirely possible for NPC Interlopers to die in the mines due to electrocution, and players are free to use NPCs — we ask that players give mods a heads up so that the masterlist can be updated accordingly.


BRAVE NEW WORLD

1. The lower dam is currently completely physically impossible to access. The door that leads there is jammed shut. Characters will notice half-frozen water leaking on the floor around the door.

2. It is possible to find bodies in Lakeside, however there is a... suspiciously low amount of them, and the rare ones found by characters will have been there for some time. They will have appeared to have died of exposure.

3. Wolves can be found in Lakeside, and their tracks are incredibly common. Interactions with wolves can happen in the exploration of this region, and they will behave much like they did during the September event and be incredibly hostile to players.

4. Bears are also common in Lakeside, and their tracks can also be found. They technically should be still hibernating, and much like wolves — they will be aggressive towards Interlopers. Keep your distance!

5. Lakeside unlocking comes with a Companion Event of an Interation with a new NPC!

THE ECHO

1. Essentially: physical touch with others will bring Interlopers physical pain. Sorry about that.

2. It is possible for Interlopers with Aurora Call to attempt to reach out to the woman. Those interested can inquire into what that interaction may be like! They can find out what that entails here.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

milton —

[chuju]

[ It feels like half the town left with Methuselah, the streets feeling even emptier than usual in the (apparently sometimes literal) ghost town. The cold is more bitter and the darkness heavier as those left behind wait to hear what was found on the other side of the mines, and whether anyone made it through alive.

So, needless to say, it's one hell of a relief when people start returning. There are a few more familiar faces around the Community Hall, and others she passes occasionally in the streets, but there's one in particular Daisy's especially glad to see: the first person she'd met in this frozen prison.

She spots him down the street, coming out of one of the empty houses that's an absolute wreck inside. Quickening her steps, one hand grips the worn purple backpack strap on her shoulder while the other raises to get his attention, her boots crunching down the crisp snow. ]

Jim!

[itio]

[ Finding a place to occupy isn't exactly frustrating, but it's a time consumming task. Jim doesn't just want to take the first place he sees, he wants to know what options he has, especially in a setting like this. Every small advantage could prove vital.

Alas, this house is definitely no the one. Too much damage to the interior, and a piece of the ceiling missing, Jim doesn't look particularly happy as he steps back outside. Still, when someone calls his name and he looks up to see who it is, he's quick on a smile, waving back as he walks his way down the path to meet her halfway. ]

Hi, Daisy. Been a while. [ Well, he's seen her around in passing, but they didn't get much time to catch up before the trek to Lakeside. ] How've you been doing?

[chuju]

[ It's weird to see someone smiling here. Weird, but good. Sure, they're all struggling to survive in this hellish world none of them asked to come to, and yeah there's a giant monster out there just waiting to pick them off... but seeing that smile feels a bit like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. She hadn't realized she needed something like that. ]

Oh, you know. Successfully managing not to get frostbite or burn my house down, so I consider it a successful few weeks. [ There's been a hell of lot more to occupy her time since they last saw each other, but it feels natural to keep things light right now. Casual — as casual as they can be given the circumstances. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her slightly hideous oversized plaid coat and matches his smile. ] How about you? I see you've returned from the big exploration with all your limbs intact.

[itio]

[ It's true, there's little reason to smile here, but Jim likes to remain optimistic. He's more or less managed to find his footing here, and the trip to Lakeside has, if nothing else, given him some experience with handling the weather conditions, and he's come back to Milton feeling a little surer of his survival skills, and what little he's learned to get by here.

Plus, it's always good to see a friendly familiar face. He considers himself lucky (weirdly enough) that he's met plenty of friendly and helpful people here. ]

Considering our situation, that's definitely something worth celebrating, [ he jokes gently, while gesturing down at himself. ] Ah, not a scratch. I'll say that's a definite win.

[ Well, maybe a scratch or two. But he didn't break any bones and he didn't die. Feels like a victory. ]

Wish I could say I've been as lucky with finding a place. You've managed to claim a house?

[chuju]

[ Not dying is absolutely a victory in her book. Not breaking any bones is usually a pretty tough thing for her to personally manage, but she's had to be a lot more careful here. They all have, really, with such limited medical resources. ]

Yeah, a few blocks over. I think someone who disappeared was living there before since it was pretty cleaned up when I found it, but it doesn't seem like anyone's kept a very good census of that sort of thing. [ Which is frustrating, to put it mildly. If they're going to find any answers to their questions, they need information, hard data to analyze for patterns.

Her expression has turned serious, that easy joking difficult to manage for very long. ] You're looking for somewhere to stay?

[itio]

[ Oh, Jim's fine on that front. He's never broken a bone in his body, he doesn't plan on starting now. Totally fine, there. ]

Hm. Maybe someone should. [ It definitely looks like he's already thinking about doing it. It might prove useful, or it might not, but at least it's a start. If nothing else, it's a means to keep track of who comes and goes, how long they've been here, and the manner of their disappearance.

He's pulled from the ideas forming in his head by her question, and he nods. ] Yeah. That's why I was looking through this house, but I think a huge hole on the ceiling is a deal breaker for me.

[ He can try to fix minor damage, but he can't mend something like that. ]

[chuju]

[ Shifting her gloved hands in her pockets, she looks at the house he'd just exited like she could see through the walls to the hole he's speaking of. She remembers seeing it, at least, and thinking how unfortunate it is that they have one less usable shelter when there are so few already.

Which settles the next thought for her quite easily. Turning her attention back to him, she nods toward Mackenzie Street. ]

I've got a spare room if you want it. [ No more than a second passes before she clarifies: ] It doesn't have to be permanent, but most of the houses need some sort of work on them, and mine at least has a solid ceiling and a working fireplace. There's even a woodstove if you know how to cook. [ She... does not. But she has managed to successfully heat up cans of things, so she's counting it. ]

[itio]

[ The thought's occurred to him. Not that there are a lot of them here, not for the time being, but it could prove an issue if the buildings continue to deteriorate and they lack the means necessary to fix issues as they come up.

Still, her offer's a little surprising, even if sharing living spaces seems like the best logical option. He's not inclined to reject it, rather the opposite, but there's a pause while he tries to figure out if she's only offering for the sake of it. Even if it is temporary, the last thing he wants is to make her feel uncomfortable. ]

I know how to cook. A few things, like stew, and... well, mostly soup. But it's damn good soup. [ He shrugs, like that's apparently enough to repay her for the offer. ] That's great, actually. If you really don't mind, I'll take you up on it.

[chuju]

[ That pause makes her think he's trying to think of a polite way to reject the offer, which she wouldn't blame him for. They might have formed some sort of connection from meeting when they did, not to mention all the things they weirdly have in common, but it's not like they really know each other. So it's a bit surprising when he does accept, relief flitting across her expression as she offers him a small smile. ]

I don't mind. I'm used to living with my team, so being alone has been... [ Hard. Really hard. Her shoulders lift in a shrug that doesn't finish, her stance signaling discomfort that she steadfastly ignores. ] I stayed in the Community Hall for a while, but I feel safer in a house.

[ And, for the record, damn good soup is more than enough to repay her. Not that she would have asked for him to, of course. They need to help each other if they're going to survive this place. Period. ]

[itio]

[ It's the opposite, really; the offer comes as an immense relief to him, when he's still feeling very much unsure about his survival in this place. There's virtually nothing here he's familiar with, so relying on others is a necessity, whether he likes it or not.

And, well, it helps that he's hit it off with Daisy. He doesn't expect there to be any stress to arise from sharing a living space, temporary or otherwise. ]

I know what you mean, [ He smiles. ] I shared a ship with a crew of about four hundred people. Being on my own is kind of weird.

[ And potentially dangerous, under the circumstances. ]

Well, this takes a load off. Guess I don't have to keep looking for now.

[chuju]

Guess not. [ It's a relief for her, too. A big one. Tensions visibly drains out of her and her smile is bigger this time, brighter and more herself. ]

Come on, I'll show you the new digs. [ She turns to head back the way she'd come, gesturing with an elbow for him to join her. ] And maybe you can tell me what it's like sharing a ship with four hundred people. A lot different than sharing with three, I'm guessing.

[itio]

[ Jim follows promptly, catching up to her with a couple of quick strides. He's finding it easier to walk in the snow after the hike to Lakeside, especially with the gear he managed to bring back with him. ]

Well, for starters, it's probably a much larger ship. [ Even the ships that operate on a skeleton crew back in his reality wouldn't work with just a four-person crew. Unless they're talking shuttle-sized vessels. Definitely not a starship. ] There are a lot of comforts, honestly. Terrans have been a spacefaring species for a while where I'm from, about— two hundred or so years. We had to leave Earth and settle on a Lunar colony, and have expanded beyond there since. So our starships have several different areas, ranging from operation-related departments to leisure activities.

[chuju]

[ Daisy listens with rapt attention, extremely interested in both the world he comes from and the life he'd led there. Living on a ship that size is a bit beyond her imagination (she hasn't even been a helicarrier yet), but she can picture humanity expanding out into the solar system. There's something in his words that's a little unsettling though, and she has to ask about it. ]

You had to leave Earth? What happened?

[ She's stopped wondering if she's from the same world as anyone else here. The answer is always invariably no, so why bother? But if something happened to the planet... It's better to be prepared for every possibility so they might have a chance of stopping the worst from happening. ]

[itio]

[ Under different circumstances, Jim might have been more reserved about sharing this information. But there seems little point to it now, and not just because no one here seems to come from the same world as his own.

The point is that his world doesn't even exist anymore. No one here is ever going to be from the same place he is. ]

It was devastated by wars and massive pollution and climate change. The only option was to leave, for the sake of survival.

[ He glances at her, smile waning, sadder. ] Lucky that we at least had achieved space travel by then. Otherwise we would have probably gone extinct.

[chuju]

Shit. [ There's no stopping that utterance, her mind reeling with the implications of everything he's just laid out before her. Wars, pollution, climate change... That means the planet was completely unlivable.

How close was her Earth to a fate like that? SHIELD can protect the planet from alien invasion and supervillains intent on controlling the population, but if humans continue fighting amongst themselves and poisoning the planet, then it might not matter what she and the other agents try to do.

Sad sympathy fills her expression and she has to hold back from touching his arm in an offer of comfort. ] I'm sorry. I've seen a future with humanity driven to the brink of extinction, but it wasn't anything like that.

[itio]

[ Sometimes you're just so focused on external threats you don't pay enough attention to the dangers coming from within. That may just be the case with her world, though not really what happened with his. Too many things just escalated at once, and when they wanted to make it right, it was just too late. ]

Oh, it's alright. [ He shrugs, despite being aware it's a terrible history. ] I mean, it's not alright, but it's not like I felt the loss personally. I was born a long time after that. On a ship, actually. I am literally from space.

[chuju]

Wow. I really can't imagine. [ Just like he probably can't imagine growing up in a massive city like NYC. They're both figuratively and literally from completely different worlds.

She takes a deep breath, the freezing air filling her lungs, and shakes her head in wonder. ] I know there's a space station being developed, but we don't have ships like yours yet. Hell, as far as the public knows, we're still struggling to get to Mars.

[ That's something she's grappled with, personally. Keeping information like that from the general population seems so wrong to the person she used to be, but the person she is now knows humanity isn't ready for something like that. ]

[itio]

Well, I can't imagine half the worlds I've heard of since getting here. [ Hers at least carries some familiarity, even if distanced from his own by time, if nothing else. But he's yet to meet anyone who hasn't spent most of their lives, if not all, on a planet.

There's a pause at her words, a curious look that he gives her at her choice of words. There's a little eyebrow raise when he asks, lips quirking. ] As far as the public knows?

[ That definitely sounds like that's not all there is to it. ]

[chuju]

[ She can't help it, she enjoys getting that sort of reaction out of people when she talks about her work. Perhaps it's Coulson's influence, her mentor always taking every opportunity he could to enjoy messing with people in harmless ways. So when she glances over at Jim, there's a smile tugging at her lips. ]

I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. SHIELD. We work outside but sometimes with world governments to help handle the things the general population can't. Things like alien invasions, time travel, superpowers... [ You know, totally normal Tuesday things. ] And we have a lot of tech that isn't publicly available yet, either because resources are scarce or because we don't think humanity is ready for it yet.

[itio]

[ Her words alone were enough for Jim to figure there was more to her world than what he may have expected. That, coupled with all that he's learned of alternate realities, and even ones parallel to his own, means that he doesn't look especially surprised while she elaborates. Intrigued, undeniably curious, but not all that shocked.

Well. Maybe a little surprised at the bit about superpowers, but he'll circle back to that another time.

He lets the information sink in, eyebrows knitting together in thought. ]

How do you decide something like that? What humanity's ready for?

[ There's genuine curiosity in the question, not the least bit an attempt at arguing. He of all people understands the need for secrecy at times. He's more curious about the chain of command— who reports to who, who makes those kinds of decisions in the end. ]

[chuju]

[ He poses a good question, one that everyone in SHIELD leadership has struggled with. The this is how it's always been done approach doesn't really cut it when the agency used to be run by what is possibly the most evil organization in human history, but they also couldn't just withhold things for no reason. When Romanoff released old SHIELD's files into the world, the governments of the world had gotten a taste for what they had in their stores, so some sort of explanation had to be given. ]

It's not easy. [ A gross understatement made with all seriousness. ] A lot of it depends on what it is and how we acquired it. If it's SHIELD-developed, we have to weigh if introducing it into the population will do more harm than good. Will some rich assholes try to keep it just for the rich and privileged? Will governments weaponize it to use in whatever war comes next?

[ Her boot sinks into a loose patch of snow and she tilts to the side before righting herself with an irritated grunt. She wasn't built for this weather. ]

But if it's something we've taken from people already abusing the technology, that's a lot easier to deal with. We dispose of what we can, and other things are kept locked up in case a rainy day occasion calls for it.

[itio]

[ He listens with interest, nodding at one point to show his understanding, and in part, his agreement. He's sure that the UE would approach the issue in a different way, but he's in no position to say which would be the best. Plus, it'd be so easy to say what he would do in that position, when in fact he wouldn't know what he would do until he actually was in that position. ]

Ah. The aches of capitalism. I don't envy your position.

[ A broad 'your' here, meaning not her in specific, but more the organization she's a part of. But she does sound reasonable, at least. Makes him hope that this SHIELD isn't nefarious, though he knows better than to be too naive. One never knows, really. ]

That makes sense. [ Satisfied with her explanation, and her willingness to satisfy his curiosity, he moves on. ] So, what was that about superpowers?

[chuju]

[ Her smile returns, easy and open. Of course, he would lock on to that bit. If his universe's version of humanity hasn't experienced anything like it, then she certainly doesn't blame him. It had rocked her Earth almost as much as the Battle of New York and the revelation that aliens were real. ]

They're a thing on my Earth. Some are the result of experiments or exposure to a combination of elements or materials, but some are genetic, like mine.

[ Yes, she leaves is at that, the possibilities dangling enticingly. She can't help it, okay? This place is awful, so she has to find joy where she can. ]

[itio]

[ Well, everything else she's mentioned is not new to him. Aliens, time travel— been there, done that. More familiar with the former than the latter, naturally, but superpowers? That's completely new to him. ]

We don't have anything like that. I mean, some species have unique abilities that are inherent to their biology, but I wouldn't call them superpowers.

[ And no, he did not miss that. Since she seems fairly at ease talking about it, why not ask? ]

What can you do?

[chuju]

[ Aside from the first few weeks after her transition, Daisy's never hidden what she is. Even here, she's been open about being one of the people whose powers have somehow been stripped from them, even if she's kept some more specific aspects of her abilities secret. It's part of who she is, and she's always been vocal in her pursuit of making her world a safe place for others like herself. ]

Vibration manipulation. [ She answers with the ease of someone who's given this explanation a hundred times before. ] Everything in the universe vibrates at a unique frequency, and I can tap into those frequencies.

[ There's a cabin up ahead with a porch (angrily) half-cleared of snow. She removes a hand from her coat pocket to gesture to it. ] That's us.