OOC: Thanks again, Oak!

IC:

(After a Difficult Flexibility Check, you failed by only 1, but a fail is a fail so you are still a Stage 1 Verser.)

After you lose consciousness from the vines, you awaken in a panic, eyes shooting open in pain while your lungs scream in your chest. You taste salt in your mouth and you feel soaked from head to toe. Faintly, through painful eyes, you see light somewhere up above you, and distancing itself as you sink in some body of water.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:42, Fri 24 Oct 2014.

As soon as I realize what has happened, I think Oh God! I'm back home and we must have been at the beach when I left! Then I orient myself toward the light and try to swim toward the it, resolutely holding my breath.

OOC: Did I put swimming on my sheet? I am a below average swimmer, maybe 1@3 or 1@4. I taught myself doggy paddle by leaping right in and hoping not to drown (with swimmer friends nearby), and took a semester of swimming later and learned breast stroke. I don't remember the rest of what the class taught.

Your body continues to strain and hurt as you claw your way to the surface of the water. As you reach the top, you hear someone shouting in some foreign language, and then you see a bit of wood approaching you quickly for its size. Eventually, you see a tanned man in a hawaiian shirt and sunglasses reach a thick, arm down into the water to grip yours and haul you hard into a boat.

Your eyesight fades, and you feel something wrap around your mouth, but you pass out. When you wake, you feel exhausted and your lips are dry. You have a headache, and you find yourself on a dinghy with a layer of water coating the bottom. None of your possessions are on board with you but those immediately on your physical person. There's a jacket thrown over your body, and you see a large man trying to huddle himself up against the cold night in his hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, snoring quietly.

Three waterproof cases rest on the floor, surrounded by the water.

I let out a groan. Then I look over at my apparent rescuer and thank him, smiling as genuinely as I am able while suffering this much. If he doesn't wake, then I ignore him for now and try to sit up and look around.

I ignore the cases, since they aren't mine. They must belong to this guy.

As for my possessions, all of them were on me except my backpack and laptop bag as I would have set those down a little out of the way before setting my fire.

The dinghy, you see, isn't made of wood but some sort of solid, synthetic plastic with layers on the bottom. There's a little under an inch of water on the bottom, which you think looks a little bit higher than it did a minute ago, but it is fairly dark... You see water in every direction, and now that you're calm and not drowning, you notice a faint pulling sensation. One goes directly down into the ocean, and you feel another, which is slightly different, toward the man on the boat with you.

The large man looks to be deeply tanned and maybe Simoan. He rouses when you sit up, and shakes his head when you thank him. "Every life is precious. Even for those like we, who are blessed with many."

I smile. "Indeed, life is precious. And it seems the more so when you are about to lose it!" I shake my head ruefully, then my smile wilts. "But what is this you say about being blessed with many lives? I'm getting pretty confused; I thought I was walking the Dreamworlds, but then it almost seems like I DIED there and now I am here and not back home." I am clearly confused and unhappy.

I keep an eye on the water level in the boat.

He stares at you for a moment, like he's waiting for the punchline. Then, he slaps his huge hand over his belly and bellows a huge laugh, the ocean the only audience. You see that he's crying a little bit while he's laughing, but eventually recovers enough to talk to you.

"My apologies, my friend. I meant no disrespect, but the only completely new verser I've met before was myself; it is strange to be on the other side of the table. First, let me introduce myself. You may call me Sam. We have a lot to discuss."

Once you introduce yourself, he leans toward you and says, "We are ilk now, you and me and a whole big family full of those you'll come to love, hate, look up to, learn from, and fear for the rest of your lives. Think back home to the last thing you remember. Were you exposed to any sort of electrical current from any new device of some sort? See, in many worlds, people have begun experimenting with a substance called scriff, which does make electronics run faster and smoother; however, these scientists know almost nothing else about the substance. For example, the side-effects of certain types of exposure." He gestures to the two of you. "Like versing. Worldwalking. You have not been walking the Dreamworlds my friend, but the real ones. You're a verser."

When he introduces himself, I automatically do the same back and note his name absently. "I'm Brock, nice to meet you. Not least because you save my life." I finish digesting his information dump, and have questions now. "What, you mean like the Multiverse? Some substance is making me cross dimensional barriers?" I pause and mull that over, and wonder if I can trust Sam. "How do you know that's the reason?"

Sam answers you, his voice ringing with truth. Either he's right or he at least believes he's right. "I've met some very smart versers in my own journeys, and some fools as well. But they all begin the same way-a bad shock from a scriff-enabled device from a world just starting to develop them. After that, yes, we walk the Multiverse. A new universe every time we die. Sometimes the scriff brings us together, but I don't think any of the versers have worked out how yet. How long has it been, since you've seen home?" His face plays with concern and empathy for you now, as he looks into your eyes.

My distrust eases, as he seems sincere and I trust my own ability to read people. "I spent two and a half days in a world where elemental magic was a reality and a magician in a Tower had enslaved a nation and made them happy and safe while he drained pieces of their life force for himself. Before that, I was home. How long has it been for you?

"Is there any way to go home, even to just visit?"

"That sounds awful. A poor introduction to the verse. My first world was on the back of an enormous horse, believe it or not. I lived like a gnat in an ecosystem with tall stalks that I discovered were hair after months of exploring."

"Home...try to hold on to that, because I have some bad news for you. I won't lie to you. Truth is that I'm not sure whether any versers have made it back home before, but I never have. I've been to thirty different worlds over more than as many years, and I've never met another verser who has found his way back home yet. Even to visit." He tears up slightly, but they dry quickly before falling to his big cheeks.

"But that's not to say that it has to be that way. In my travels, I've had many homes. I've shared my heart and soul and put both on the line many times, with much happiness. Joy more than worth the heartbreak each time I died and moved on. You can touch many lives with your immortality, which can be very satisfying." He offers you a wide grin, showing you big white teeth that contrast with his skin that's dark under the starlight.

"It was awful, in its own way. The people were happy and appeared healthy. I am mostly sad that I failed in my task, and left them still under his control." I look pensively out over the water, chewing my lip. Then I blink and look back at him. "But seriously, living on the back of a horse? How did you ever even found out that was what was going on?"

"But...if I can't get home, how will my family and my girlfriend ever find what happened to me?" I am worrying to the point of a bellyache at this.

"I...suppose that is true. But how can one handle forming bonds and losing them over and over? I foresee that kind of loss leading to serious problems if it keeps happening too quickly." I am very worried at this point.

Sam smiles at your first question. "Well...I fell off, and got a pretty good view of it on my way down." He laughs lightly. "I can laugh about it now, but there was nothing funny about finally hitting the bottom of the universe at the time."

He puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder. It's warm, and he gives you another smile. "Do not fear for them, Brock, for you'll never really lose the ones you've touched, as they'll never lose you." He says it in response to your concerns about home and forming bonds and losing them. "The bonds remain, as long as you don't forget them."

He removes his arm, and slaps you on the shoulder gently. "And do not fear for you, either. You will be okay, too."

OOC: Sorry for another delay in the posting.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:55, Sun 02 Nov 2014.

I wince as he describes falling to the bottom of his universe. "God, no, that would not be funny at all."

I give him a small wry smile as he tries to comfort me. "Small comfort for them, since they don't see me around any more." I sigh, then square my shoulders. :Be that as it may, I thin it is time to get busy with survival. Have you learned anything about where we are, Sam?"

He shakes his head when you turn to survival now. "Sadly, no. I versed here about an hour before I heard you splash into the water." He pats the black case in the boat, "I have a drone in here that I'm planning to test out and use to scout for information, but it's solar powered, and I want to save its battery power in case I need it, so it must wait until morning. Nothing I can do now but wait until morning and try to get enough rest tonight for any trials that will greet us tomorrow."

Then, he pulls his foot out of the water at the bottom of the boat, where it was sitting. "Unless you know anything about repairing boats? I can't even find the leak."

OOC: Is the water rising?

"Ehh...not specifically, but I have done some basic carpentry and plumbing with my uncle. I can take a look at it, but I'd need to see clearly. do we have something to get the water out?"

OOC: Not visibly, but according to Sam, yes.

IC:

"I don't have any lights. All of that got dropped into the ocean; all I recovered was one of my drone cases before the rest sank. So far, I've just been using my hands to splash the water out. It takes a long time, but I've been able to keep it this low so far."

Sam shows you how he cups his hands in the boat water, and splashes it out of the boat a few times. You see no noticeable difference from the few splashes that he makes to get the water out.

OOC: What equipment did I have on me? Did we discuss that? Anything in the bags wasn't on me ><

"Is the drone particularly water sensitive, Sam? And what does it mass?"

OOC: I'm sorry, as the GM I don't know how he'd answer your second question. Are you asking how heavy/large it is or using some terminology someone familiar with drones would recognize?

Also, you have everything you had on your person upon versing. I think you said you had your backpack on as well, so everything in your backpack, on your person, and in your wallet.

The mass of an object is its size and density. If you already know the difference between mass and pounds, ignore the rest of this paragraph. On Earth, since our gravity is relatively constant, there is a direct conversion between mass and weight. However, in different G-forces they become different. Mass is measured in grams. A rough conversion is 1 kilogram (1000 grams) of mass to about 2.2 pounds.

I habitually use metric. The system makes more sense to me than the old Imperial measurement system. Sometimes I forget when talking to people to convert to what they use.

Anyway, the idea here is take out the drone from its case, set it aside, and use the case to scoop out the water. It is, after all, a container that could hold water. If the drone is water sensitive or especially large, that would not work. Hands are not a very good option.

As for my stuff, I wouldn't wear both the backpack and the laptop bag while setting a fire on a magic tree that I suspect will attack me. I am not physically able to leap and dodge with 40 pounds of gear on me like that. I would have had to set at least the backpack down; the laptop bag is more possible. I wish I had thought of that at the time, I would have listed what I would put in the lighter bag that was essential gear. I am referencing my sheet so I have this straight and listing what I see here.

Stuff I gained but did not sort at the time:
Fire starter kit (would have been in my hands as I booked; probably dropped it as I swam up out of the water, but may have still had it)
rations I vaguely recall being given (probably in backpack)
empty container that held fire oil (what happened to it in that chaos at the end? If it was small enough, I would have pocketed it at the end, and if not, it'd probably have been with me and the fire kit)

On Person:
size 44 blue jeans (too large, need belt)
blue joe boxer underwear
Black Safelink Cell phone (246 minutes, unlimited texts)
Wallet (new, thin, green)
-state ID card issued 2009
-Pierce College student ID (horrible photo)
-2 ORCA bus cards ($9.00 balance and $0 balance)
-Chase Bank Mastercard (balance $0.94)
-Subway card ($3.64)
-Food stamp card ($48.96)
-Grifols Biomat Plasma Bank Donor Visa Card (no money)
-quarter
-nickel
-2 pennies
-2 Regal Cinema Premium movie tickets (no expiration date)
-family photo of aunt with her daughters

I would not have had this on me; it would have been nearby, so it is probably underwater right now:
Backpack (60 liter, two main section and small frontal section)
-1 Grey T-shirt with black outline, heavy for Winter
-1 size 40 blue jeans
-movie Captain Ron, DVD
-A folder containing a large number of notes on the roleplaying game
called Witchcraft
-photo of girlfriend out at a restaurant smiling
-bag of dice (7d20, 4d10, 3d100, 3d8, 39d6, 2d4)
-Parchment
-Charcoal chalk (for parchment)
-Bread Rations (x4 days)
-Flint

These are in the laptop bag, which I may had had on me. Of course, that means they got dunked.
Personal Laptop
-internet access, speakers don't function, 45 sec battery life,
non-functioning built-in microphone, built in webcam
-old computer mouse
-blue stress ball
-laptop cooling pad and its cord
-deodorant and antiperspirant (1/2 used)
-spare USB to mini-USB cord
-Washington state driver's guide
-blue headphones that wrap around

I did a general effects roll for your equipment. The laptop bag was not on you at the time, but you do have the firestarter kit and fire oil as well as everything you have listed here as on your person at the time.

You aren't sure where your backpack and laptop bag are at the moment.

Thank you for the clarification that you did indeed mean mass of an object, which I wouldn't know but Sam would. He supplies you with the answer, which is buoyant and water-resistant. "I just have to make sure I don't completely submerge it or it won't function until totally dried."

He likes your idea of using the case instead to shovel the water out of the boat for the time being, as long as you take turns holding his drone. Even though it should be fine sitting on the bottom of the boat with this amount of water, he still doesn't seem to like the idea of getting it wet at all.

I smile. "That's understandable. Who wants to get their electronics wet? Well then, shall we take it in shifts?" And with that, the business of survival can get on. We will get the water out of the boat as best we can with our tool.

Did I use all of the fire oil? If I did, the empty bottle can be used for the harder to get the harder to get water.

Once we have the water level down, I will try to find the leak. I am not familiar with boats, but I have done a little at home plumbing and carpentry - I think I could find a leak. ;)

Sam takes the first shift and keeps going at it, until the water level is too low to continue.

You examine your fire oil, and determine that while some water got in, the seal at the top was effective in keeping the oil from escaping.

After a thorough assessment of the boat, with the water level lowered, you think that you finally find the section of the boat where water is sneaking through the worn wood on the bottom. You aren't sure exactly where, but it seeps through you believe a square foot area of the boat, bent from the bottom right of the boat up the side just below the outside water level.

You see no indication of the leak from the outside that you can identify from your position inside the dinghy.