let's make a plan of attack

[airlockedmods]

[The Spitter account has been quiet for a few weeks, after the cameras were removed from the Temerity. The password was changed so that the crew of the Temerity couldn't get into the official account, but there was nothing stopping them from making their own.

Whether they have their own account or just scroll through it in their free time, however, #Airlocked! has been trending all week on social media and it all comes from the Airtalked spitter account which has been spitting vague words all week.

Today, there's a new spit on the account, along with a respit of a thread from what looks like a highly popular fan spitter:]

Got the clues? Join me this weekend for Airlocked! fun and games, and a chance to get YOUR message featured in the SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT!

[The image attached to the first spit in the thread is some kind of map with a variety of planet-sized buildings all with space-themed names like the Tropicancer, Halley's, the Monte Starlo, Treasure Planet, and the Milkyway Bay hotel.]

As if that wasn't enough, participating will also enter you to win a prize of 50,000 credits!! #VQCC

So get your clue-finding hats on and get ready for a mystery that YOU get to solve, and get excited for Season 3 coming soon! WOO!

And a BIG shout out to @Airtalked for giving me the honor of letting me run this event!! THANK YOU GUYS

[You have a fist full of spitter, a tank full of fuel, and a map full of stupid space puns. What's the plan, Temerity?]

Comments

[cyan_maid]

[The random one-word messages had been weird, to say the least. Hurricane, eight, maroon, and sail...they pestered Jane whenever she saw them respat, though all she dared do was linger on the Airtalked page, not trusting herself to make an account and respond. But today? With this? This is insane. The words are clues? Solving the mystery gets you a cash reward...AND a message to be sent to their friends? Money they could get anywhere for most any kind of thing, but a message to everyone in that frightening Floridian horror show...something to let them know they're not forgotten, that there's hope, that they're coming somehow, and the potential to learn something more about this wretched show...perhaps even something to toss into the gears of a season three, sweet Jesus, would it ever end...

The spaceship isn't huge, so it doesn't take much time for Jane to make the rounds to find the others.]

Hey - there's something going on with the Spitter account. Some kind of contest...mystery thing? And - and I think...I think we ought to try it. We've really got to! Go, go look on the computer!

[If you don't choose to come, she won't hold you against it, but if you do, she'll be waiting in the office, another tab open to scroll through the steady stream of respits from fans, the strange code words written out on the back of some scrap of fanart or another. Come on, she can't do this alone!]

[curdle]

What say you--

[ Annnnnd there Jane goes to alert the next person.

Since she knows she'll take significantly longer than anyone else to actually read it, Thomasin hurries over but makes sure to stand away from the screen, determinedly peering at it from the sidelines. The words season 3 chill her to the bone, but everything else... ]

Can they really mean it?

[ Her voice is small. ]

I dare not trust this.

[cyan_maid]

[It's okay, she's back here at the office when you show up Thomasin.]

I don't know. I...they're certainly hyping an event very well, stirring up confusion and curiosity, offering enticing rewards...and I wouldn't trust anyone directly involved in this thing further than I could throw them, but if it's a real offer...

[How could they turn their back on sending their friends a message, letting them know something?]

[kingshaming]

Hmm... are these types of events common with shows? I would not put it past them to do something to lure us out, but this is clearly meant for the fans as a whole...

And I hate to admit it, but we are lacking in both funds and heading as of right now.

[cyan_maid]

Oh golly, yes - for promotional reasons, to get more people to watch and engage in what you're offering. [And more people to spectate innocent people slaughtering each other.] And the money will be nice, sure, but...if that promise of a message is true, then it would be a mistake not to try.

[refusedtoleave]

This is that social media thing, where they were talking about us?

[She's too old for this.]

[kingshaming]

[Xander isn't great at puzzles, so after reading up on all the planets he goes back to the spit.

... sure, let's follow that VQCC hashtag and see what other things are tagged with it]

[cyan_maid]

[Look at Xander using the hashtags we'll make a millenial out of you yet]

[airlockedmods]

[It looks like there's a lot of excitement surrounding peoples' travel plans to the Vegas Quadrant. Some people are planning what panels to go to, artists are sharing the locations of their tables, and a lot of folks are posting pictures of their completed cosplays. Airlocked! characters are very well-represented, though they're not the only fandom bringing their A-game.

Everyone seems really hyped. This is gonna be the best Culture-Con ever!]

[kingshaming]

Well, since we have a heading, I suggest we divide into teams to try and find the next clues. Two should be enough, I think?

[stitch_in_time]

Splitting up more than that could be a risk, yeah. We should have at least one person familiar with tech and modern culture on each team, as well.

[cyan_maid]

Two teams...yes, that should be good. If worse comes to worse, we could have one team go to that, erm, weird convention thingie and see if there might be any clues there, while the other scouts out locations.

[But how will they keep in contact...]

[unhappylittletrees]

I'll take team clue-hunting I guess.

[He's not entirely happy about being on a team with Xander but the alternative sounds like it has potential to be a lot worse for his mental health. And they have Jane on their team, Jane is the best buffer he could ask for.]

[kingshaming]

[So once they have a plan of attack, it's time to head to the planet.

...finding a parking spot during a convention probably is a bitch, but whatever. Teams are divided into the Convention Team and a Scavenger Hunt team!]

Well, we shall meet up here by ... evening then? Any objections?

[stitch_in_time]

None here.

[The Doctor, in deference to their efforts to go undetected, has scavenged a pair of false glasses from the remains of the Temerity's hold, and changed precisely nothing else about his appearance.]

Just remember, everyone stick together and be careful. Even if this isn't a trap per se, the studio's got to know we'll be coming here. And try not to punch any of the fans unless they get grabby, they're our best source of information at the moment.

[airlockedmods]

[As probably expected, the entire strip is congested as fuck with shuttles local, galaxy, and intergalactic, and even a few similar ships to the Temerity - though those are more clearly styled like "barely-legal adults borrowing mom and dad's camper to go to Vegas for the weekend with like 9 friends" than the Temerity is.

The parking fee for the weekend is 1000 credits, or free parking if you book a room at the hotel.

There are plenty of excited aliens of all shapes (though roughly the same size, and several are wearing belts or necklaces or sneakers or wrist watches that all have the same shiny light-up plate) unloading their several items of luggage. There's a fake Siegfried sticking out of one suitcase, while another alien is wearing a pair of cat ears that look suspiciously like the ones that came with Lightning's outfit. It's kind of a crazy gongshow, with fandom friends meeting for the first time and lots of hugging and squealing in so many languages that it takes a minute for the translator to catch up.

Will you get a room?]

Current total: 1820 credits

[airlockedmods]

[The badges are 60 credits each for a full weekend, and each one is programmed with the name that each person chose to give (no matter what that name was, the con staff putting it in seemed completely disinterested, because they've been doing this shit all day tbh and there's only so many times you can program someone's Badge to read "FartsmellerXOXO" or "HumanToes" before you lose any ability to give a single flying fuck.

So. Badges in hand, the intrepid crew goes to their suite for the night. It's pretty nice, with warm sconced lighting and a decently-sized living area with two half-circular couches around a coffee table, a minibar, an executive desk, etc etc. The bathroom has a tub big enough for three people and a shower with jets lining all four walls and the ceiling. A big mirror takes up the far wall, perfect for selfies, and the toilet is a bench with a hole in it that can also sink into the floor (you know, for species that can't sit). It has a water jet that'll skoosh your pooper squeaky clean.

There are two double beds to each bedroom, with a nightstand between them and a remote control. Each bedroom has a wardrobe with a safe in it.

Welcome to your ritzy accommodations. Now what?]

[stitch_in_time]

[The Doctor -registered on his badge as Doctor, The- is looking over the map and schedule in his pass, looking for anything likely to have information about the 'Bonus Content' or this planned third season.]

I'd stay away from the minifridge, place like this probably charges an arm an' a leg for anything that comes out of there. Metaphorically, if you're lucky.

[imnotfat]

Hm...not bad.

[It's so nice to be at a relatively luxurious place. Togami sits on one of the couches, staring at his badge]

Do any of you know how these...conventions are supposed to be like? I admit I'm not entirely familiar with them.

[curdle]

[ Well, this is literally the most luxurious set of sleeping quarters she's ever seen! Thomasin, whose badge reads Mercy because she could think of literally nothing else on the spot, hangs up her hat, coif, and apron in the wardrobe before scouting out the sideroom and finding the tub. Also, she stares into the depths of the toilet and audibly leaps back when she accidentally sets off the bidet jet, beating a hasty retreat back to the main room. ]

If need be, one of us might sleep in the basin. [ ... ] Is it time?

[refusedtoleave]

[Honestly? She was expecting a tiny motel type room.

So she's presently surprised, they even have enough beds. Though she's never actually shared a bed before... But it should be fine.]

Right, now that we're here, where do we start?

[kingshaming]

[After making sure everyone is settled Xander gives the bathroom a long look, spots the terrycloth robes... and makes an executive decision.]

If anyone needs to relieve themselves, do so now.

[Cuz he's taking one if those robes in with him and he's taking a two hour long bath and no one is stopping him]

[ratherdoweddings]

[FLOPS ONTO THE BED

but then sits up and starts drawing up a battle plan on the desk. The only panels on tomorrow for Airlocked! aren't saying anything official, sure, but InterGal 7's advertising so much that they must be doing something outside of selling merch. Any sponsorships, screening rooms, Vegas Quadrant Culture-Con MasterCard?]

[cyan_maid]

[Now is the time for thinking up some goshdarned plans. Is there anything in the suite that might have basic information on attractions and hotels in the Vegas Quadrant? She wants to scope out info on Treasure Planet and any other place that might connect to the code words.]

[unhappylittletrees]

[Oh god, a bed wider than he is. He knows he should help with the game plan for tomorrow, deciding where to go and back-up plans and all that...but instead he's going to go straight to the bed and flop face down on it. He's just gonna just lay here for a few minutes, don't mind him.]