New Eden - City of Tomorrow!

What's going on? I heard somebody say people were stuck up on the surface, and it's pretty clear the monorail isn't working. Where are you guys?

Where are you? Tell me you came home early, you're at home, and I have nothing to worry about.

TO: Kyle, Adam, Clementine, Chase, Zeke
CC: Christian, Ethan, Tris, Sion

If you're stuck up top, a few of us have set up camp in the little restaurant next to the funhouse. We've got food, water, bathrooms, a first aid kit, and some souvenir blankets from the gift shop. Is everyone okay?

Something's wrong with the robots. They've all stopped working. I think maybe they've been hacked, or got a bug in the system, or something. It's a little beyond me. But the monorail's stopped working and we're stuck up here. Going to send out a group communication, but I wanted to fill you in first. Be safe.

Who: Riven and Kyle (and Riley)
Where: The Amusement Park Carousel

Riley was super excited. Beyond super excited - the kid had been practically vibrating with excitement ever since they'd got on the monorail with Riven to head for the surface, clinging onto Kyle's hand and talking ten to the dozen about what he wanted to do and see and all the fun they were going to have.

Kyle was thankful for a break when they finally got Riley onto the kid's carousel, standing back as the music started and the whole thing began to rotate. Looking over at Riven, he said, "I hope he's not too much..."

( and don't let go )

**EMERGENCY**

CHRIS AND ETHAN ARE ON THE SURFACE, SOME SHIT'S GOING DOWN WITH THE ROBOTS AND THE MONORAIL ISN'T WORKING. MEET ME AT THE MONORAIL STATION ASAP. BRING WHATEVER HELP YOUR FIREMAN ASS CAN MUSTER.

Check in.

Don't come up here. The robots all shut down, the rides wouldn't stop. I'm with Cillian and we helped, but...yeah it's a mess.

Who: Cillian and Christian
Setting: The amusement park

( it's not all fun and games )

Who: Ethan and OPEN
Setting: The amusement park, just as the robots stop working

Ethan was a little upset that both Tris and Blake hadn't been able to come up with him, but he was entertaining himself. He'd had a beer, living on the edge with that, then rode a ride or two. He was watching the crowd just as the murmurs started. He frowned, looking more then back at the games nearby. Something was totally wrong. He chewed on the edge of his thumb, a family leaning over the counter of the game by them, with nothing happening. The rides were still going, but something seemed off. They were going, but were they stopping? What the hell?

Hey, Tris has to work so he's going to meet me there later, but do you want to head up to the amusement park together?

Who's going to the amusement park with me!? !

Hi - I was going to take Riley to the theme park today. Did you want to come with? Adam's working and I don't think I'm ready to single parent. Well - you know what I mean.

The adverts have been around for a while. Nothing big and showy, just cropping up here and there around town. Everyone resident in New Eden knows that the surface contains a theme park, of course, underneath the surface dome, but normally it was only functioning when people visited.

The posters and adverts had, however, been proclaiming that today the theme park would be fully functioning. All day and well into the night it would be fully staffed by robots. Come and see all the fun of the fair. Win prizes for your sweetheart! Ride the carousel and the ferris wheel! Dare to brave the haunted house! Scream with delight on the big dipper! Eat your fill of cotton candy, popcorn and candied apples!

More people then normal head for the surface, the crowds thronging round as the lights flash and music plays. Enough people remained below - the adverts hadn't attracted everyone.

As dusk falls, abruptly all the robots stop. Just freeze in place. The rides still work, the sounds and lights still function. Below, in New Eden itself, the same occurs. All robots cease to function. The only robots - above or below ground - that don't shut down are the Connies, who will remain unaffected.

It isn't immediately clear to those above what has happened - or that there is a problem to those below. Then there are no robots to control the rides. No robots to check the safeties. Accidents can happen. People may get hurt.

There are no robots to operate the train that takes people from the surface to the city below. No way for those on the surface to get home again. They are trapped.

Communication devices still work - voice and text - but the usual routes from the surface to New Eden are cut off.

[Note: this event will last over the in-game course of at least several days.]

Who: Blake and Ethan
Setting: their pod

Ethan was fully aware he was a horrible roommate, but he was also pretty content ignoring the mess on the floor of his and Blake’s now shared bedroom for the comfort of lounging in one of his boyfriend’s t-shirts and his own underwear, reading a trashy romance novel he’d found at the library. Trashy romance wasn’t usually his speed, not one for love or all that muck, but there was something gratifying about happy endings that came with amazing sex.

Blake, on the other hand, was not someone to ignore the messes. He was a more organized type of person and if something were on the floor he picked it up. Which is precisely what he started doing when he entered the room. “What,” he paused as he bent over to pick up some clothing and toss into a hamper. “Are you reading?” He asked, eyebrow raised as he picked something else from the floor.

( it's only goof if it's a bit trashy )

Who: Zeke and Chase
Where: Zeke's pod
Warnings: NSFW

It had been a strangely quiet walk back to Zeke’s place, and some of that was because Zeke didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t seem to get past his worrying about why Chase had gone weird on him earlier. This was hard, and it made his stomach hurt; absently, he placed one hand beneath the front of his t-shirt as if to soothe it. Sometimes, in the deepest reaches of his mind, he wondered if he was some kind of alien, or maybe that his brain was because he didn’t seem to understand some things the way others did. It was bound to be his upbringing, all the things that had happened to him growing up, and he did his best not to let himself think about it. What good did it do?

They made the turn into his neighborhood, and he took a deep, silent breath and then exhaled it just as silently.

( everyone should want you like this )

Who: Kyle and Adam
Setting: The spa, just before the party

Adam had done as instructed, at least after the gym. He’d followed Cillian to the sauna, but didn’t quite get the idea of being hot for no reason and eventually ducked off to get the massage he’d been signed up for. That, he got the appeal of and sunk into a very relaxed state by the time it was over. He was still in the cut off t-shirt, but yanking on a hoodie to cover the tattoo on the inside of his arm as he arrived at the daycare type thing they’d had set up for kids. There was a pool party after and Adam didn’t want Riley to miss it, sure he’d enjoy splashing around in the water.

Kyle had been waiting for Adam, wanting to catch him before he collected Riley. He didn’t want to do this in front of the kid. It just wasn’t an appropriate conversation. “Hey,” he said as he saw Adam approach. He smiled a little, catching his lower lip between his teeth, nervously. “Any chance you could put off…” he gestured toward the daycare. “Just for a little while. We kinda… we need to talk.” Which was never a good way of putting things, but there really was no good way of saying that. Even when it wasn’t intended to be something bad.

( Can we try? )

Who: Chase and Mazie
Where: The Spa

Mazie wasn’t really a spa person. Even after all that Anja and Chase had said about it, she wasn’t really looking forward to going. She was standing outside the spa, hands tucked into the oversized, drawstring harem pants she wore and long, grungy blonde hair hanging down around her shoulders.

She had no idea who this Chase guy was but he’d better show up soon or she was going in without him. She had a reputation to uphold and standing outside of a spa wasn’t really in her vocabulary.

( Why do they have to wash my hair? )

Who: Clementine, Nico, Sion, and Julian
Where: Outside the Spa

Dressed in a long, flowing white cotton maxi dress, Clementine had arrived at the spa earlier than the time she'd indicated to hand out tickets. She wanted to make sure she didn't miss anyone on their journey to get pampered and center themselves again. While she waited she decided to braid her hair, mostly for something to do with her hands but also to keep her braiding skills sharp. All the while she kept her eyes out for anyone who looked like they might also be looking for someone as they came up toward the spa.

Who: Cillian and Adam
Setting: Spa, gym

Adam had given Kyle a lot of looks on the way to the spa, but somehow he was still there. Nonetheless, he managed to get away a little bit, heading down to the gym. That was more his style at least. He finished off another set, not a huge weight, but enough to show off the muscles he was actually exposing for the first time. Normally he’d be in huge shirts, but today he was in just a cut of t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

Cillian wasn’t sure what he was to do with himself at a spa, but a gym was familiar grounds to him. He figured he’d start there and then see what else there was. When he spotted Adam, he smiled and started over towards him, making an attempt not to check him out for once. Which was hard, considering. He looked good. And really should wear clothes that fit him. But Cillian wasn’t about to bring that up. “Hey,” he smiled. “How’s it going?”

( why are people so complicated )