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Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )


Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

The water is crisp and clean and sleep comes easy... And then the fucking world around her explodes again as she wakes up in her pod... Secret pod, strange pod.

The door hisses open slowly and Christine finds herself disoriented and this time, Not completely alone, there's a tech there waiting for her, a woman with bright green hair chewing a piece of gum and watching a feed from the pod, judging from the cables, through her laptop.

New Tester huh, Guess Archy couldn't stomach it. she said dryly, kicking back in her chair to wheel towards a small table that folded into the wall which held a folder.

Welcome package, rules, and well. Eh, it's important, couldn't pay me to climb into that thing. Though They're paying you, double salary. You fuckers are crazy. she continued, kicking over to hand it to Christine.

Vitals are all fine, no problems on here, you can head through the far door there for your living quarters. This is a live in testing. she said simply, going back to the laptop and the pod and leaving Christine with her folder and a door at the back of the room.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

"Thanks." Christine replies, taking the folder and heading to her new living quarters.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Her room was actually... Rather nice, in all fairness. T.V. Fridge, couch, bed, cd player, a massive dvd and cd library, and a separate room that was it's entire gym. The only real drawbacks were no phone, no internet, but there was a computer, and no other doors.

The 3 windows looked out, one way judging by the discoloration, into the complexes central garden, a sprawling ridiculous affair that was more bamboo forest then actual garden. Nor was anything a sterile hospital like white, most things seemed to be upholstered In a shade of crimson or green tastefully done, but she still had her folder...

Opening it revealed a cover letter.

Thank you Christine for your Interest in becoming a tester for Pod 19! We do regret to inform you that you will be living in this facility until your testing cycle is complete, and that you will not be following a simple 3-5 hour testing period. As you may have gathered from your first session, your periods here will be when your avatar is sleeping, and your testing sessions will be the 10-16 hours that your avatar would normally be awake.

Further, your Avatar as you noticed is outside your control, as are the testing parameters, setting, and standard controls. States that cause your avatar to lose consciousness will likewise trigger an immediate release from Pod 19, and by your own written agreement and consent, anything that occurs whilst testing is of course under gag order.

While this experience itself may seem incredibly immersive and jarring, we must repeatedly remind you that this is a Virtual Simulation but you will not be taking the normal breaks to avoid mental damage. On the contrary, regular ejection from Pod 19 actually causes mental issues, so the full 10-16 hour standard is far safer.

As agreed, during this testing, you will be receiving double salaried pay, along with a 150,000$ bonus upon completion, However this will also result in your termination of contracted employment with full and beneficial reviews and references, as well as our full support in your job placement, and the standard 6 month unemployment package. If you have any further questions you may consult your technician, or any technician with clearance for this area. We thank you deeply for your participation in this groundbreaking project and wish you the best of luck. God Speed Christine.

Head of Research and Development
- Ginny

Inside the folder were several more documents, mostly copies of what she had signed confirming in the fine print that she had agreed to all of this, as well as a key card to allow her access back into Pod 19's testing room, and a picture of her green haired technician along with her name which was Tessa Cartright.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Christine quickly checks the associated papers and then heads for the fridge, grabbing a quick snack before hitting the sack, promising herself that she'd have a workout in the morning before going back to the pod.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

The papers are all written in finely worded loophole free airtight legalise and the fridge was stocked with all her favorites. Her snack was delicious, and her bed was soft and comfy and sleep came easy...

But it didn't stay easy. She kept dreaming of the altar she'd seen in the pod, like she was standing back in that cavern staring up at the eagle as it stared down back at her, only now it wasn't simple stone, the eyes were a piercing green, luminescent in the darkness and it's feathered surface ruffled slightly with each movement as it turned it's head to better regard her, talons clenching and unclenching against the stone...

What do you seek? it asked in a voice that was as much predatory shriek as it was words... and then she was awake.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Waking up with a yelp, Christine sits up on her bed, her heartbeat sped up. Was she Christine dreaming of being a kitsune, or kitsune dreaming of being a Christine? Pondering this she lays back down, trying to make sense of the nightmare without much success until falling back asleep.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Falling asleep again after an hour, Christine wasn't disturbed again until a small, gentle sounding chime sounded through her room. Christine~! Up and at em, breakfast, shower, all that, Then I can take your vitals and we can get started again! Tessa called through the intercom at the door.

Got about a half hour!
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Half-asleep, Christine drags herself up the bed and into making breakfast. Still thinking about her nightmare, she quickly eats, showers and dresses before making her way into the pod room.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Now that she's not tearing into the pod in an effort to get over her jitters after a decent breakfast and such, Christine can see the pod for what it is, something out of a sci fi horror movie.

Matte black with the company logo stenciled onto the side, the pod itself isn't the smooth egg shaped dome-lidded escape pod she's used to sending in others to use, but a mass of triangular plates carefully welded into position in a tessellating pattern, each showing a webwork of copper and gold wiring between, and feeding into a covered mass of cables feeding into the wall.

Tessa is already sitting down with her laptop open, as well as a heart monitor, a syringe, and a blood pressure gauge.

Cmon, let's get it over with and you in. Blood tests are only once a week. she said, lightly pushing another rolling chair her way.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Christine flops into the chair, now fully awake from the shower, and offers her arm to Tessa. "So the brain scan isn't enough, huh?"
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

I wish. It'd make the job easier, though good job security. Not many coders used to be nurses. Diverse skillset. she answered, viciously stabbing Christine with the needle to get at her blood. But it was over soon enough and she had her sample before taking her blood pressure and heart rate, before gesturing at the pod.

Done and Done. Enter... the Pod of Many Places! she said dramatically, turning to her laptop.

I can take the neural scans from inside the pod, gotta love the new design, very very efficient in a lot of ways. she commented off-handedly.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

That's probably why it looks so cobbled together. I hope the production model is sleeker." Christine comments before getting back into the pod.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Tessa snorted in appreciation of the comment before starting everything up. Again the pod lid slid down, and again a weightless feeling settled in her stomach, before she blacked out, and opened her eyes.

She was on the cave floor, feeling groggy but otherwise better then she had the day before, apart from a little thirsty, and still covered in blood from her last meal.

The stone arch was waiting for her as well, along with it's eagle stonework and it's black altar.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Waking up with a yawn, the kitsune stretches herself as she gets up. She then takes a quick drink from the pool and, after some consideration, goes out to do her washing at some other non-holy water source.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Much to her surprise and possible consternation, the entrance she came through is no longer there, indeed, it seems as if the stone itself has molded into a solid wall. For all intents and purposes, Christine is trapped in the room.

As she inspects the wall, a flash of green catches her attention from behind and the eagles eyes are the source, shining brightly.

A fox in my den... A groundling at the sky altars base... a voice says softly, but despite the soft tenor and lilting of the words, the sound reverberates around the stone, echoing repeatedly, making the water in the pool ripple.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Christine quickly turns to face the eagle, studying the source of the voice with curiousity. Swallowing a sarcastic reply, she instead opts to curtsy deeply. "Greetings, O mighty one. I am called Christine."
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

The eagle sighs and the stone returns to normal. Mighty one? I'm old, I'm bored, and I'm dying. it said dryly, leaning it's stone head to the side. My last follower hasn't returned in some time, probably caught like all the others. Dead like all the others. It's just whispers of us anymore child. Whispers and stories and old tales. The old gods are dying and this new one rises to take it's place, human filth. But here you are, not bleeding away like the rest of us. Why. it asked, dropping down from it's perch to land on the ground far more lightly then should have been possible for such a large bird made of stone.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

"I might ask the same questions myself. Why do the people not follow the old gods any longer? I know precious little about this place, or even of my own powers." Christine replies, sitting cross-legged across from the bird.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

Ha! You're as young as I am old! the eagle croaked, seeming to laugh at her from his jeweled eyes before he hopped to the water and sank into it, re-emerging as an old woman who lounged against the wall of the pool.

Why child? That's easy enough, it is because we ask for more then obedience. We ask for respect of the areas we protect, of the wilding and it's nature... Humans wish to ever expand and grow. They don't see the wisdom in going the slow route. Of being true to themselves and what nature intended. They have outgrown us in a sense. A cancer's sense but it is there. But I suspect... No, it's too early to tell. she said, the lines on her face crinkled in an amused smile.

She paused and smiled even wider Tell me young one. Have you ever seen the wilding? she asked, eyes sparkling.
 
Re: Christine ( \oO.Oo/ )

"Too many of them, probably. Any critter that breeds too much causes destruction eventually." Christine comments, thinking back to her own world and the incalculable destruction caused there... "No, I haven't. What's the wilding?
 
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