3082/Nemesis Sub-Terra: part 1

Nemesis Sub-Terra: part 1
Date of Scene:	23 September 2015
Location:	Lighter Forests
Synopsis:	Ren has awful luck when it comes to picking places to go and have fun. But this isn't something that can be resolved in one adventure...
Cast of Characters:	Staren, 165, 411, Tomoyo Daidouji

---

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUfxkQ2Bm3E
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9870631,-1.8835393,3a,75y,80.85h,78.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWtVwOQ84egzmhMj3xqkVog!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Welcome to Alton Towers!

    Located in Staffordshire, in England-1992, this theme park has always been at the cutting edge of british rollercoaster innovation and excitement. It's also a multiverse-friendly location, this particular iteration of the world not being all that much of a stranger to the fantastic and weird. Although in many respects it is a modern world in the year of 2014, there are many nonhuman species and advanced technologies here.

    Ren Tanaka wasn't ENTIRELY aware of all of the details- he just wanted to find a place where he could go for some excitement and a fun day out that was open to as many Unionites (to which he extended an open invitation) as possible.

    To that end, he's accompanying several other people to one of the park's two biggest areas for thrill-seekers- the ominously designed Forbidden Valley, which has the air of a scarred, charred former battleground festooned with rusty machinery and military elements.

    "The best rollercoaster in the park is right here! Definitely the place to go first to avoid the queues."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Even though last time, Tomoyo had swore to be the one who chooses the next location, here she is! It's an amusement park, what could go wrong? Ignoring the fact that she has gone to an amusement park before and it almost burned down, of course. Today, she's wearing a lilac pageboy cap, her hair tied back into a loose braid with a matching ribbon. Her jacket is tartan, incorporating a lot of purples with white bands to separate them. A knee-length white skirt is worn with black tights and brown knee-length fur-lined boots.

    As usual, she has her video camera out, panning it about the park, zooming in on other guests, getting in a shot of her companions, then their destination. "Goodness, they really captured the ominous air that goes with the words, 'Forbidden Valley...'" she mutters.

    The camera is lowered, offering a look at her eyes which look more than a little sleep-deprived. But, she offers everyone a smile and says, "The rollercoaster better live up to this atmosphere then~" She then begins to lead the way! Still filming, of course.

Staren has posed:
    Going to an amusement park worked out well last time for Staren, so he's up for it again when Ren offers to show one off from his homeworld! "This is an... interesting theme for an amusement park." Staren notes as they approach the... former battleground? "But then, I suppose the sense of danger might heighten the excitement? Perhaps that's the point... Although, if it's working, why would the shortest line be here?" Oh Staren, always analyzing things even on a day for fun! But maybe thinking about such things is fun for him.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight Sparkle hasn't gone out and about in a while. So when she heard about a theme park called the Forbidden Valley, she headed there with her boyfriend Staren in tow. She had considered using her human transformation, but when she learned that this area was multiverse-friendly, she decided to come in her natural form.

     "It has been a while since I have been on a roller coaster! This should be fun!" she says as she walks along with the others, her hooves clopping gently against the pavement. As Staren speaks up, Twilight giggles softly. "Perhaps it is simply a slow day." she says, though she does look around at the park. Is the rest of the park this quiet?

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Well, Ren figured that he couldn't go wrong with 'amusement park', right? There's absolutely no way that anything could go wrong at a tourist attraction full of overpriced drinks and big rollercoasters. Well, at least 'couldn't go wrong' in the way that most of their usual days out go wrong, right?

    Ren's rocking his usual browns and greens as usual, but he's got a casual tank top and jogging pants on because hey, you might get wet on some of these rides, don't wear lots of stuff.

    There are even weirdly organic-looking set pieces which look like bony, exoskeletal cast-offs at the entrance to this part of the park.

    "Well, apparently a lot of people have gone back to school after the summer. Less people than there would have been a couple months ago."
    Perhaps the best part about the park's atmosphere is that there's music piped into the whole place. So, as you make your way forwards, you will get to hear charming tunes such as these yourselves!

    "I've heard that this is the crown jewel of the park. If you're going to this park, or so I have been told, you've got to see--

    And then Ren moves past one rusty sculpture tied up in weeds, and his jaw drops.

    "Neee....me... sis."

    https://gyazo.com/d715a70da98f6021f282679b1e97d387

    This is a living creature placed before you. Amidst the huge pits and ravines in Forbidden Valley, pinned down by the mechanized steel rollercoaster spiralling around it, THIS is NEMESIS. It is a colossal living creature- covered in a bony exoskeleton, its body discharges energy which crackles into ride tracks and lightning rods. Its beady eyes watch the crowds moving through past it, dozens of people utterly unfazed by the colossal creature.

    And that is when Ren realizes exactly the reason why this part of the park looked like a scarred, charred former battleground.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Well, Ren figured that he couldn't go wrong with 'amusement park', right? There's absolutely no way that anything could go wrong at a tourist attraction full of overpriced drinks and big rollercoasters. Well, at least 'couldn't go wrong' in the way that most of their usual days out go wrong, right?

    Ren's rocking his usual browns and greens as usual, but he's got a casual tank top and jogging pants on because hey, you might get wet on some of these rides, don't wear lots of stuff.

    There are even weirdly organic-looking set pieces which look like bony, exoskeletal cast-offs at the entrance to this part of the park.

    "Well, apparently a lot of people have gone back to school after the summer. Less people than there would have been a couple months ago."
    Perhaps the best part about the park's atmosphere is that there's music piped into the whole place. So, as you make your way forwards, you will get to hear charming tunes such as these yourselves!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYyYAbmjlDQ

    "I've heard that this is the crown jewel of the park. If you're going to this park, or so I have been told, you've got to see--"

    And then Ren moves past one rusty sculpture tied up in weeds, and his jaw drops.

    "Neee....me... sis."

    https://gyazo.com/d715a70da98f6021f282679b1e97d387

    This is a living creature placed before you. Amidst the huge pits and ravines in Forbidden Valley, pinned down by the mechanized steel rollercoaster spiralling around it, THIS is NEMESIS. It is a colossal living creature- covered in a bony exoskeleton, its body discharges energy which crackles into ride tracks and lightning rods. Its beady eyes watch the crowds moving through past it, dozens of people utterly unfazed by the colossal creature.

    And that is when Ren realizes exactly the reason why this part of the park looked like a scarred, charred former battleground.

Staren has posed:
    Staren leans over to give Twilight a quick half-hug before continuing walking along. "Ah. School. Well, I guess that's an advantage of being grown-ups. We can go to the amusement park whenever! ...is that background music?" He stops to read one of the signs. "The most intense ride in the world, huh? That's a lot to live up to..." He'd considered swapping his labcoat out for a more normal jacket, but this place is Multiverse-friendly, and besides he has cat ears and a tail and is walking with a pastel purple pony.

    Staren stops shortly after Ren does. "What? Ooh, nice electrical effects. and the eyes move too, nice touch!" he makes a slightly disgusted expression. "...Kinda creepy-lookin', though." Staren frowns slightly, thinking. "Wait, this is supposed to be a /former/ battlefield. Like, everything's old and rusted. A bioweapon corpse makes sense, I guess, but doesn't making it look still alive not fit? Shouldn't it just be a skeleton by now? ...I'm probably the only person who'd even question, it, huh."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    "Grown-ups? Speak for yourself, I'm only 16~" Tomoyo says jokingly as she makes sure to capture that little hug on film. Ah, young love~ She kind of ignores the background music. She has that kind of thing playing in her own store, you get numb to it after a while.

    When the ride comes into view, her jaw drops a little as she zooms in, recording the sparking electricity, the swivelling eyes... "Those are some amazing special effects..." she murmurs to herself, quietly hoping that that is all it is. Because if not... that's utterly morbid. Disgusting.

    Getting into line, she fishes out a wallet from her pocket, getting her money for a ticket ready in advance. "Everyone here must be serial visitors," she comments, noticing that people aren't giving the Nemesis a second glance. How can they not, unless they're used to it?

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight lifts a foreleg and hugs Staren happily as they near the coaster. But, when she sees the...creature she stops in her tracks. She is sure she is looking at a real creature, and though it looks...less than aesthetically pleasing, she still immediately things 'How can they do this?!'

     Then, Staren says that it seems like a very real-looking fake. Twilight blinks, then looks at the thing again. "...are you sure it is -not- real?" she asks, making her way forward slowly. Her eyes stay on the creature, as if expecting it to break out any moment. Usually, restraining a large creature in such a way is not a good idea.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    "...It better just be background music. I don't think I could take it whatever we're stood in front of brought its own theme song." That's something Scions get to do, not giant crab monsters.

    Nemesis looks right at the four of them for a moment.
    Right at them.
    It is looking directly at you.

It is real and alive and looking at you.

    Ren feels the chill, the exact kind of feeling you would get when a living, breathing, cthonic monstrosity is within a hundred feet of you, in open air, surrounded by people who think nothing is wrong.

    He rubs his forehead.

    "So, it seems that once again, despite my intentions to go somewhere begnin and do something normal and fun, we've once again found ourselves..."

    He does the only thing he can, which is whip his hand out as soon as they reach a ticket office and find... a pamphlet.

    'NEMESIS SUB-TERRA:

The military division PHALANX invites you to tour its recently declassified facility to explore the history of the mysterious ancient creature we call NEMESIS! View our mini-museum, discover the history of NEMESIS stretching back to druidic times, find out why this enormous monster is kept safe under LOCK, KEY AND ROLLERCOASTER RAIL in the centre of Alton Towers and explore newly discovered caves under Forbidden Valley!"



    "Never mind the rollercoasters, friends. I think we need to go in here and ask a few tourist questions, what-do-you-say."

    He looks so /furious/.

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks at Twilight. "I, er... I guess I don't /know/, but why would they keep a live creature here..." Still, as he turns back towards the creature he sounds unsure and wary, and pushes back one side of his coat so that he has access to his laser pistol.

    Nemesis looks at him and his tail bristles. "...why would it just be sitting there..." He keeps his eye on Nemesis as he follows Ren. It's a moment before he looks away and sees the pamphlet. "...What." He looks from Nemesis to the others here, to the pamphlet, to the people acting like nothing's wrong. "Yeah, I think we'd better."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight looks over the coaster again as she follows after Ren. Then, the creature looks right at them and Twilight freezes like a deer in headlights. She just stares back at it, eyes wide. She stays that way until Staren speaks to her, which causes her to jump a foot or so into the air. "Wh-what? Um...well..." She looks at it again, then at Staren. "It seems like they are using it to generate energy?"

     She doesn't sound sure, but those electrical arcs are hard to miss. As they start toward the de-classified area, she looks toward Tomoyo. "Your recording might be important later. We may need it if the authorities here are doing something terrible and try to escape charges."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo's eyes were downcast to avoid looking at the Nemesis. So when she looks back up, and catches it staring /right at them,/ she flinches back in surprise. "It's too lifelike..." she murmurs, lowering the camera. It suddenly feels disrespectful, somehow.

    When Ren takes a pamphlet, she takes one for herself, slowly making her way through the English-printed information on the creature and the ride. "... they sealed it by turning it into a ride? That's..." Unlike Ren, she doesn't look angry. Her face just goes curiously blank.

    Looking to Staren and Twilight, she smiles sweetly. "This is probably not your ideal date~ Sorry to stick you with our bad luck." She nods to Twilight, and raises the camera once more!

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    "None of this makes an awful lot of sense, does it?" Ren replies to Staren, although there's weeping bitterness in his words. "I mean... I suppose technically it's... /generating/ something, some sort of... we saw some energy, there, yes," concurring with Twilight, pointing outside as he stomps towards the corrugated metal boxes that have been jointed together into a 'museum', apparently.

    "I'm angry, yes, there's certain violations of ... of rights here, which make me angry and which we should definitely record and do something about given who we are," sotto voice, "But really, why must I live in interesting times?"


    Inside the museum...

    "NEMESIS!" shouts a Phalanx agent-slash-staff member, giving what seems to be a prerehearsed speech to people in the museum. "Discovered during maintainance and excavation work in Forbidden Valley. A group of workmen complained of dizzy spells, of an uncontrollable force drawing them towards a place where the shadows of two giant oak trees met... The force was overpowering! They were compelled to dig, to seek the source!

    They disturbed NEMESIS, which thrashed crazily in the earth! It unleashed its anger at being discovered, and amidst a security silence, archeologists and historians investigated their worst fears...

    NEMESIS-" he always pronounces this the exact same way, it's weird- "Had to be controlled, held down by two hundred and fifty tons of steel laid by two hundred men... NOT ordinary steel, NOT ordinary men! Pinned down by this massive structure, it tries to escape, steaming anger- the force of its strange power creating a thrillseeking experience like no other!"

    "This is the legend... but dont try to understand... dont come to terms with it... dont even try to think about it!!"

Ren is just sat there with his head in his hands.

    "In some other world, this is probably some fancy fiction. We just ended up going to the one theme park in the whole multiverse! Where it's real. Where people really would pin down a colossal alien monster for-" he flips his pamphlet over. "Twenty years! This ride opened twenty years ago! For twenty years because it makes for a /really exciting/ rollercoaster."

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    "Alright, thrillseekers," he says, scowling over his pamphlet. "We /are/ the authorities. What are we going to do about this?"

Staren has posed:
    Staren takes all this in. "...So, it generates some kind of emotional effect and they're using it for a roller coaster? Well, I guess the question here is... well, there's lots of questions. Is it intelligent? If it isn't, is it content? There could be a weird symbiosis thing going on where it feeds on people's emotions as they ride the coaster and everyone wins. We may need to communicate with it. The issue here is that we need to determine if this arrangement is putting people, or 'Nemesis'" he carefully tries /not/ to echo the way the announcer said it, "in danger. ...If the ride's been going 20 years, people are probably pretty safe, but we should probably get records to be sure..." Staren starts... doing his thing, pacing around and gesturing and stroking his chin.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo says nothing on the way to the museum, instead just making sure the camera is running properly. As they listen to the tour guide, she keeps the camera firmly pointed, trying to make sense of it all. "So they had all these issues, but didn't just... move the construction site?"

    She listens as Staren starts pacing and mumbling. This kind of thing is clearly more his ball park. "We can't just free it either; it might go on a rampage. Not that it wouldn't be justified..." She sighs softly, the tone carrying an edge of exhaustion.

    "I don't know Ren..."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight Sparkle blinks as she listens to the others, then shakes her head. "The tour guide just said it is angry. It is wrong to hold a creature like this, but if we released it now it would surely cause harm to others. We need to find out more first."

     She sighs softly and smiles gently to Tomoyo as she apologizes. "It is alright. This is the sort of thing we stumble onto all the time." She looks to Ren, then shrugs lightly. "I suppose we must research, then try to talk to the creature. If it is reasonable, we may be able to salvage the situation. But, the people of this world may not be open to the idea of freeing it even if it is not hostile."

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    help me

    And then, as if by magic, it seems as if the situation gets a bit different. Well, you all know about how very often you get all of those stories of cthonic monsters that have the ability to whisper in peoples' minds with strange emotions and words and visions that tend to cause insanity and stuff?

    Well, this doesn't necessarily seem to be the 'creeping insanity' sort, but in fact several of the normal parkgoers seem to make excited small talk among one another as 'something' passes through them.

    "As you may have seen from that jolting energy, NEMESIS continues its strange behavior to this day! We don't know what it's doing-"

    save me

    "But the fearsome energy it puts out can't be denied!"

    To most people, it seems to just be a crackle of emotional energy. Even Ren seems to be kind of confused, his eyebrows making weird independant movements, and he says "...did any of you... hear something? I don't think... anyone else did, but I can... see something..."

    A momentary hallucination.

    For Twilight...

    The knowledge that Nemesis comes from another place.
    Its tragedy is that it has no home... it has suffered rejection throughout the solar system. It could not communicate or make itself understood... no civilisation anywhere in any galaxy would come to terms with its awesome power.

    For Staren...

    The constant disappointment of having no peer... no mind it could communicate on the same level with... its bewilderment and fear. Mentally tortured by having no knowledge of its origins, Nemesis sees people turn against it, fighting it, using everything against it. Fearless, it moves on again and again in search of sanctuary...

    For Tomoyo...

    Unwanted, Nemesis is jettisoned towards Earth two million years ago... buried in the ground, drawing energy from the world's core, its resting place becomes a mystical place of worship. Pilgrims pay homage to its power, bring it gifts... but are inevitably unable to lead normal lives, disturbed by the gravity of what they have felt...


Ren tries to clear some sparks out its eyes. "...it's communicating with us."

    soon you will be able to set me free

Staren has posed:
    Staren shrugs a bit at Tomoe's comment... then claps his hands over his ears. "Get out of my head!" After what happened with the Filth, Staren doesn't trust anything getting into his head. He's just mentally going NOPE NOPE NOPE through the whole thing until it stops, rather put off by the intrusion...Once it's over, he resumes pacing, more agitated. "We don't know. We have only its word and theirs. It could be lying. And what's in the pamphlet might not be the whole story on the human side, either. We need to talk to it with proper safeties in place, with someone present skilled at detecting lies, and to whoever's in charge here and whoever originally fought it and captured it.. We just... there's so much we need to know, and so little information we really have. We just have hearsay on both sides right now. We need to find out what's going on, for certain."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight Sparkle blinks as she hears that voice, then sees those images in her head. Unlike Staren, she is intrigued. And the story immediately gains her sympathy. She looks around at the others as they discuss things, then nods in agreement. "I suppose we do need to know more. I know nothing about the creature. It could have been subdued because it was dangerous."

     She steps up and pats Ren on the shoulder with a forehoof. "We will come back, and if possible we will set this creature free."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo looks about rapidly, her braid tossing as she seeks the source of the cry for help. "You all heard that too, right?..."

    And then the vision hits, Tomoyo struck with the enormity of that length of time Nemesis has lingered, buried and alone. She staggers on the spot, falling backwards to land on her rear. Her eyes are staring at something far off, and she's somehow become even more pale.

    Wiping a cold sweat from her face, she gets back to her feet. "Yeah... we need more than the four of us to deal with this," she murmurs, breaths coming fast and shallow.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    Ren... looks around at the others. Helps Tomoyo up onto the bench he's sat on, tries to get Staren to stop and sit down, sits closer to Twilight. At least, he supposes, he's not going to be alone to deal with his frustrations here. That's another advantage to the way his life's changed for the better.

    "Do you all... do you, ugh, I don't know? Want to take the off chance another part of the park doesn't have some huge problem to solve? A chance to have some actual fun on this day out? It feels kind of all spoiled now..."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight assists with the others, concern in her expression. "Are you two alright?" she asks Staren and Tomoyo, then smiles sympathetically to Ren. "I'm sorry...I don't think I could enjoy myself in such a park. But, perhaps we could head to another amusement park. It does seem ashame to let an otherwise lovely day go to waste."

     The little pony smiles again, then nuzzles at Staren and smiles happily. "Research project!"

Staren has posed:
    Staren looks at Ren. Then to Twilight, and nods. "Yeah. Not just because there might be other secrets, but... being here, we'll be constantly reminded. I guess we could try another park, but this might be on my mind all day." He smiles at the nuzzle and puts an arm around her, "Finding the truth is certainly engaging, if not most peoples' idea of fun... We could start by searching this world's public records, and checking with the Union if they're allied or not and can get us an in with these Phalanx folks."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo smiles gratefully at Ren as he helps her onto a bench, nodding to Twilight's question. "I'm okay... just not used to that kind of thing." After a long, slow breath through the nose, she stands back up. "See? Just fine~"

    Looking around at the three, she shakes her head. "Sorry... I think I would be gloomy company for the rest of today. I might just head home and get some work done... or take a nap." Taking her camera, she pulls out the memory card and offers it to the two researchers. "Just in case you need footage or something..." And with that, she takes her leave.