Where Walls Wither - a Space Horror RP

[Red Thunder]

IC

To: Reach Out Freights, Team 382
From: Kenneth Marson, Supervisor, Reach Out Freights
Subj: FWD: VOLUNTEER OR BE VOLUNTOLD
they need a crew. last minute thing. i dont really care who signs up. just fill the godam spots or im going to.

dbl overtime, if it means anything to you fuckers


Original message:
To: Kenneth Marson, Supervisor, Reach Out Freights
From: Whitney Jones, Secretarial Associate, Foresight Industries
Subj: Expediant Delivery
Mr. Marson,

Please accept my apology for the panicked nature of this message. I know you're not due to carry another shipment until April. But something has come up, and six months is too long to wait. Station B-698 needs equipment and other supplies, and obviously our people out there aren't going to find what they need on Pluto's surface. The supplies will need to be underway in two weeks time to get there in a timely manner. Money is no object to our creditor. And speaking of, he is insistent that a personal representative of his accompany the ship to the station. He says to assure you that his representative will not get in the way.

Thank you, and again I apologize for the suddenness of this request, as well as the inconvenience.

Yours,
Whitney Jones, Secretarial Associate, Foresight Industries

~

Where Walls Wither is a detailed horror RP. Think a mixture of Firefly and Event Horizon, with a bit of Lovecraft for flavor. It will delve into the nature of fear and terror, exploring themes of isolation, powerlessness, and other such themes.

You are an employee of Reach Out Frieghts. There is something about this email that catches your eye: maybe it's the double overtime, covering terrible debt you've accrued; maybe it's the sense of adventure, drawn as you are to the deep dark emptiness of space; or maybe you're just damn curious. Whatever your reason, you agree to assist on this transport. Past reports have plotted trips to Station B-698 as taking a total of four months one way, and employees who have made one of the three supply runs before (perhaps you are one) have stated that the trip was boring but lucrative. By all accounts, it should be a simple if tedious trip out and back.

It should be.

~

Rules:

1) All Iwaku rules apply.

2) At the end of the day, my word is law. I'm more than happy to listen to a reason for an action, and it's certainly something I'll take into consideration should I have to make a judgement call. But I still reserve the right to make the call I think necessary.

3) I expect friendly demeanors in OOC. IC, characters bicker, argue, fight. It makes for good drama. But let's not let it bleed into the OOC. If anyone has an issue with another and they can't rectify it between themselves, PM me. I don't wanna have to address things of my own volition.

4) This is a horror RP. While I'm not going to be relying much on gore or such similar scenes, there will be scary and frightening subject matter. So don't get offended later when it happens: you were warned. It is a mature scenario; NOT sexual, but nothing I'd want children partaking in.

5) There will be NOTHING sexual in this RP. If you wanna have characters get hot and heavy, fade to black. Otherwise you'll be hearing from me. And it won't be nice.

6) I'll never outright kill your character without your permission. But this is a horror role play: expect hits to sanity and likely injury to your character. As I like to say, "All things for the good of the narrative."

7) Real life is always first. However, where possible, I still expect at least one post every two weeks at the very least. Where not possible, let me know and we will adjust.

8) Being a detailed RP, I expect 2-3 paragraphs of length, mostly free of grammatical errors.

9) Have fun.

Feel free to ask questions and post CSs below!

CS info to include:
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Height / Weight:
Description/Picture (realistic art or FC):
Years with Reach Out:
Job within the company:
Motivation for taking the job:
3 Fears:
3 Character Strengths/Weaknesses:
Familial/Friend relationships:
Mental Fortitude: (on a scale of 1-20, with 10 being average, 20 being phenomenally excellent fortitude. This is an estimation of how mentally 'together' your character is. At certain instances there'll be a dice roll, and we'll add it to your Fortitude score. And then fun things happen.)
Writing Sample: 3-5 paragraphs (if I've RPed with you extensively before hand, you have a pass on this)

When I rate your CS a "Bucket of Rainbows", you've been accepted.

@Effervescent @Doctor Jax @rissa @CloudyBlueDay
Tagging for official invite, though I know y'all already have seen it. :D

 

[Red Thunder]

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
NOT PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED
​

Question 1: Can you give a lil more detail on Reach Out Frieghts? What do they do? What kind of employees do they hire? What are the ic requirements for employees? (Like what does my character have to know/do to be apart of this company)
Answer 1: ROF is strictly what it's name suggests: a freight company. They haul anything and everything to anywhere; think FedEx in space. Or hell, think Planet Express from Futurama; that's basically what it is. As to employees, they hire relevant people for relevant jobs: dumb, strong, and obedient for haulers; dexterous quick thinkers for mechanics; intellectual, well educated types for accounting of finances, properties, and general quality control; and smart, often ex-military pilots to fly the freighters. There few IC requirements: they might sometimes have to be gone for long periods, like the current job, but not always. Depends on location of transport.

Question 2: What kinda tech are you thinkin? Firefly-ish?
Answer 2: Absolutely. Going for utilitarian: if it would fit in Firefly or Alien or any such similar style settings, it fits here.

 

[rissa]

INTERESTED

 

[Red Thunder]

INTERESTED

Then post a CS, ya nut. XD

 

[rissa]

Then post a CS, ya nut. XD

i totally forgot you posted CS' and i'm like "when the fck is red gunna let me make a chara" LOL

 

[Doctor Jax]

I'LL MAKE A CS LATER

BUT WAAAANT

 

[Doctor Jax]

HARRY ALVESSON

____________________
Gender: Male
Age: 43
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 158 lbs.
____________________


WORK HISTORY
Harry is a 3 year veteran of the company, mostly working as the inventory manager. His job responsibilities include organizing cargo in the most space-efficient way possible, taking stock of all items that have been loaded on board, on-loading and off-loading the cargo, and ensuring that no cargo is damaged in transit. His reported motivations for taking on the role of inventory manager is that "it's a job and puts food on my table and my parole officer off my back."

PSYCH EVAL
Phobias/Fears/Anxieties:
For the purposes of the psych eval, Harry revealed he fears prison. He spent a purported twenty years in prison, and he has no desire to return to prison. He has a rational fear of drug dependence, and a great fear of becoming a failure to himself or others. He has an irrational fear of slugs.

Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:
Harry possesses a strict code of ethics which he will not break. This code of ethics extends mostly to children and those who cannot defend themselves. He is largely cheerful despite his appearance, and he is humorous, energetic and a captivating speaker.

However, his temper can be mercurial. He has been written up before for slamming things into walls or tables when sufficiently angered, though no employees have said they felt they were in danger while in his presence. He expects to be respected, perhaps beyond what is normal. He has an inflated ego and feels that he is rarely wrong. He does not apologize unless he feels a grievous mistake has been made, a fact that has had him transferred from ship to ship before.

Mental Fortitude and Ability To Handle DIsturbances:
On the Glier scale, he ranks a 11 out of 20 in mental fortitude. While he is able to withstand a lot of mental punishment and stress, he snaps quite violently, putting him at just above average. Under stress tests, he becomes confrontational and sometimes violent.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Contact: Joey J. Ramone
Number: 10-1-580-977-6589
Relationship: Close Friend
Likeliness to Respond: Very likely, typically answers between hours 2 AM - 9 PM

Contact: Ulrich Hapstadt
Number: 10-2-342-405-6633
Relationship: Parole Officer
Likeliness to Respond: Very likely, typically answers between hours 8 AM - 9 PM

Contact: Maria Gail nee Alvesson
Number: 11-3-222-983-9965
Relationship: Daughter
Likeliness to Respond: Not likely, typically answers 5 PM - 10 PM

 

[Red Thunder]

NPC​

Kenneth Marson

[Float]

[/Float]____________________
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs.
____________________


WORK HISTORY
Ken has been with Reach Out Freights for his entire working career, totaling nearly two decades. During his tenure, he displayed a willingness to work as well as dedication to the job. He might have been promoted sooner, but his supervisors at the time did not believe him capable of handling the stress that came with supervision. Nevertheless, he promoted to Supervisor and has held that position for 5 years now.
As Supervisor, Ken's job is almost entirely managerial. Ken is responsible for the management of funds, the allocation of resources, the schedule of employees in his sector, and given ultimate responsibility for the delivery of cargo.
As a boss, Ken says that he remembers his days working the floor and how oppressive some of his managers could be, and so tries to remain as hands off as he can. "Do your job, and you won't hear from me," he remarked. When he has felt the need to intervene, his temper can get the best of him, and he has received several written and verbal counciling assessments as Supervisor.

PSYCH EVAL
Phobias/Fears/Anxieties:
Kenneth has been assessed annually per company policy. The following is the latest report:
1: Acute home sickness
2: Minor agoraphobia
3: Fear of acting outside established authority

Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:
•Reported strengths of character
1: Dedication - Kenneth has displayed single-minded dedication to his work.
2: Job Knowledge - Though it took him longer than average to achieve his position, Kenneth has displayed a solid working knowledge of his job and the jobs of those he oversees.
3: Obedient - Kenneth will do, usually without question, any task given him by those he deems in a position to do so.
•Reported weaknesses of character
1: Arrogant - Kenneth considers his own opinion to be the most important, and the only one truly worth considering.
2: Traditionalist - Kenneth displays devotion to established methods simply because they are proven to work, and will often refuse to even consider options.
3: No Social Grace - Kenneth will say exactly whatever is on his mind at the moment it occurs to him without considered the consequences.

Mental Fortitude and Ability To Handle DIsturbances:
On the Glier scale, Kenneth ranks an 8 out of 20 in mental fortitude. Though capable of withstanding the pressures of his job with little difficulty, he has nevertheless buckled under unusual or unexpected constraints or demands of him.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Contact: Peter Johnson
Number: 10-4-834-100-6672
Relationship: Regional Coordinator
Likeliness to Respond: Occasional. Mr. Johnson is often tied up in meetings; he is most easily reached between 8 AM and 9 AM.

No other contacts recorded.

 

[Red Thunder]

NPC
​

Samantha Ward

[Float]

[/Float]____________________
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs.
____________________


WORK HISTORY
As per Reach Out Freights policy, a report is being filled out concerning Ms. Ward. However, it is to be noted that she is not an employee of ROF, but rather of Foresight Industries. There is therefore little to no information to include in this portion, beyond the fact that she reports her position within the company is that of "Overseer".

The following is marked
•CONFIDENTIAL•
and for Supervisor's eyes only. ​

[spoili]
PSYCH EVAL
Phobias/Fears/Anxieties:
Ms. Ward has been assessed prior to her admittance onboard the Howard Phillips. The following is the report:
1: Minor Sociopathy - I feel the need to include that I fear no harm from her to the crew.

Further assessment is impossible, I'm afraid, due to the above noted minor sociopathy. I must further note concerning this subject. Ms. Ward seems incredibly detached, uncaring about any and everything. Such is her lack of empathy that I feel distinctly uneasy, though I cannot explain why. I have no doubt, however, that she will remain distant from the rest of the crew, thanks in no small part to that same sociopathy that I noted.

Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:
Due to her minimal and indeed temporary position among our employees, no assessment has been made concerning her actual personality. Indeed, there is no data to establish trends anyhow.

Mental Fortitude and Ability To Handle DIsturbances:
On the Glier scale, Ms. Ward ranks an 18 out of 20 in mental fortitude. She is distinctly unfazed by any of the scenarios we placed her in during the assessment, and showed a calm head in reacting to them. In fact, the only reason she did not receive a full 20 is that such a feat is not possible by the human mind.[/spoili]

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

No contacts recorded.

 

[Red Thunder]

Still open for more players!

 

[Whimsykiller]

You best believe when I get to a computer (I'm on my phone ATM) I'll be making a CS. :3

 

[Thomas McTavish]

Still accepting applications, I assume?

 

[rissa]

Still accepting applications, I assume?

yup!!

 

[Red Thunder]

Still accepting applications, I assume?

yup!!

XD Welp. I guess so.

Yeah, I most certainly am. I'll mark the thread as closed and annotate it in a post when it does close. And of course will provide a heads up before it happens. :)

 

[Thomas McTavish]

ARDAS VERIN

General Appearance:

Open File

____________________
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Height: 5'7" (1.73m)
Weight: 148 lbs. (67.1kg)
____________________


WORK HISTORY
Mr. Verin is a 7 year veteran pilot of Reach Out Freights, having worked for the company as his third job and quickly proven his value as an asset by continuously being creative, timely, efficient, and friendly. When he applied, he cited his experience as a local delivery pilot and scores on both his piloting test and recreational piloting simulations.
His job entails the piloting of cargo freighters to and from assigned locations on schedule, informing the appropriate individuals should delays occur.

PSYCH EVAL
Phobias/Fears/Anxieties:
For the purposes of the psychological evaluation, Mr. Verin noted that his fears and anxieties include substantially extended physical pain, being a burden to those around him, or perceived as useless, and an irrational fear of wind chimes and creaking metal, citing how in both media and in his past, the sound of either acted as an "omen of some god-tier bullshit."

He mentioned also that he has had recurring nightmares of being sent into the vacuum of space to die by an aloof person who watches everything with disinterest, and so becomes nervous and agitated when his co-workers bear a neutral, detached expression. This has not yet interfered with his work, but we ask employees who work closely with him to openly display some sort of emotional expression when near him, just to be sure he does not become distracted and fail to perform his duties adequately.

Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:
Ardas is a person one can easily describe as "laid-back," and most of his co-workers have noted that they feel very at ease in his presence, particularly during lunch or in the off hours. He is a fun-loving individual, rarely taking offense to anything short of directed and scathing insult. He is quick to forgive his more temperamental associates, and often offers to listen to whatever problem seems to be the cause of their frustration, and give advice if desired.

However, it is believed there is more behind his smile than he lets on, as he noted in his emergency medical records that he is taking an anti-depressant medication, and his co-workers have mentioned that when alone, Ardas becomes quiet and pensive, with heavy eyes that seem to carry a lot of weight on his mind. He has also been known to quietly act out fantastical situations in his spare time when he believes there are no witnesses. He can clearly tell the difference between what is his reality and what is his fantasy, so this leads us to the conclusion of maladaptive daydreaming, rather than psychopathy or schizophrenia. It has not interfered with his work.

Mental Fortitude and Ability To Handle DIsturbances:
On the Glier scale, he ranks a 13 out of 20. He is very capable of dealing with the daily pressures of his job, and most abnormal circumstances. Under even extreme situations, he tends to keep a level head. His breaking point seems to be when he is confronted with the fear of pain, or exposure to the sound of wind chimes in windless areas or creaking metal without immediate explanation to reassure him that it is normal. Under these circumstances, he enters a state of fight-or-flight, attempting to flee first, or assault the danger head on without regard to personal safety if necessary. This has not yet interfered with his work.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Contact: Susan B. Verin
Number: 218-336-5547
Relationship: Mother
Likeliness to Respond: Very likely, typically answers between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Contact: Jon Antoire
Number: 565-882-7252
Relationship: Close Friend
Likeness to Respond: Likely, typically answers between 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM.

No other contacts recorded.

Example Text

A sharp gasp broke the silence of the darkness. He could breathe. Good. That meant it wasn't real. It was that damned dream again. Ardas rose with difficulty, sitting in his bed as his heart beat in his ears. He could feel the adrenaline creep back out of his veins. It was the same dream he'd had for months. A person watching disinterestedly as he drifted out of a freighter's air lock, into the cold, crushing vacuum of space, unable to draw breath as his lungs collapsed and his blood froze in his veins.

The most terrifying thing was that it was never the same face. Sometimes it was co-workers, who crewed the ship he piloted. Sometimes, random strangers on the street. Once, it was his mother. The message he pulled was clear. Anyone could end him, toss him aside like a bored child tosses an unwanted toy. As long as he remained useful and kept everyone interested in him, he could stay. Or, maybe it was just a weird dream about a subconscious fear of the void that is separated from him only by a few inches of Blastglass. He wasn't sure.

Regardless, he needed to be up in about a half-hour anyway, so he decided to check his email, see if the company had given him any memos for the day. Likely not, as they weren't expecting cargo until next April, but never any harm in looking. There was one, addressed to the entire team. Double overtime? Must be one hell of a shipment. That just meant more money for him. If the order was for Pluto, he could probably pay rent for the next eight months on that. Not counting the time it took to get there and back. Not a chance in the cosmos he was going to pass that up.

 

[RiddL]

-WIP-

Name: Johnny Walker

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Height / Weight: 5'11"/ 83 Kg (about 190 lbs)

Description/Picture (realistic art or FC):

Spoiler

Years with Reach Out: 8

Job within the company: Security

Motivation for taking the job: Saw an opportunity for extra pay and decided to take it. Also due to how rushed this job was, he wanted to provide extra security for the crew.

3 Fears:

1. Kakorrhaphiophobia - The fear of failure. (Pretty self explanatory)
2. Teratophobia. The fear of the deformed. While not completely terrified of them. Johnny avoids them where he can and when he can't he either turns around to go in a different direction or rushes past them.
3. Asthenophobia - The fear of appearing weak. (Also pretty self explanatory)

3 Character Strengths/Weaknesses:

Strengths

1. Cool under pressure. He generally doesn't panic in intense situations, analyzing a problem and coming up with the correct solution.
2. Physically fit. Can run down corridors and lift up heavier objects than people who may otherwise be unable to.
3. Experienced. Being part of the security personnel of a shipping company, Johnny has seen alot of action and learned from past mistakes. Helping him make future decisions in other situations.

Weaknesses

1. Narrow minded. He fails to see he bigger picture when he makes some of his decisions. Causing some negative consequences in later events.
2. Not entirely serious. When in difficult or mentally harrowing situations, Johnny tends to make light of the situation and Joke around, generally causing mental stress in those that believe he isn't taking his job seriously.
3. Risk taker. He believes that taking the risk in most situations can lead to success, even if in doing so he could cause harm to others and himself.

Familial/Friend relationships: At this time all relationships tying to Mr Walker are either deceased or unknown.

Mental Fortitude: Being in a high stress job as he has for multiple years and dealing with multiple cases involving hostile environments and injuries. He tends to cope very easily when in high stress situations, generally volunteering for the more dangerous jobs. With this in mind however, he still has small moments of panic when a situation is totally out of his control. With all this in mind he ranks a 17 on the Glier scale.

Writing Sample:
Johnny moved from corridor to corridor, his footsteps echoing eerily as he made his way to the ships cargo docks, the soft hum of the engines sounding faintly in his ears as the ship prepared for docking procedures. As Johnny passed by the crews quarters he popped his head through the door to make sure everyone was strapped to one of the chairs, as the inertia that came with docking to mining stations could be enough to make people pass out.

Content that all of the crew were safely strapped and ready, he made his way to the Cargo hold and checked all the straps and gravity dampeners, making sure none of it could slide around. With this done he grabbed his own radio and reported to the Captain.

"Walker here, all crew and cargo are secure, say again, all crew and cargo are secure. We have a green light for docking." He said as he strapped himself down into the chair that was reserved for security personnel. He pulled a lever attached to the chair and felt a metal bar slide across his legs, bracing him. He could feel the gravity of the planet pull him down as the ship docked, a heavy metallic clang sounding as the ship docked.

"Another day, another dollar" he muttered as he prepared for the unloading.

 

[rissa]

ESRA S. MORNE

---

Age: 26
Gender: Female
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 142 lbs
Number: 07-3-020-182-8008

---

WORK HISTORY

---

Esra has been employed with Reach Out Freights for exactly seven and a half months. Applying to the company a week after her honorable discharge from the Federation's Special Forces, she was hired on the spot and has quickly risen through the ranks. Her responsibilities are mainly mechanical/engineerical, though has been asked on many occasions to provide extra security during sensitive missions. During her short period of time as a ROF employee, she's been witnessed to be extremely loyal, hardworking, and expertly trained. Motivation for her position has been noted simply as "necessity."

---

PSYCH EVAL

---

Phobias/Fears/Anxieties:
Esra has revealed, for the purpose of this evaluation, that her greatest fear is the inability to take care of her family. The eldest of four, Esra has taken this job, among many others, to provide for her family. She's also noted that while not necessarily afraid of them, loud, unexpected noises bother her. Along with that, she stated to be afraid of locations where exits are seemingly nonexistent. Though not revealed by Esra, we've taken a look at her military records and have deduced that after her honorable discharge, she was diagnosed with PTSD. When asked, Esra refused to comment.

Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:
Esra is an outgoing, laid-back, and generally humorous person. Since her employment she's been noted to befriend many employees of ranks both high and low, and despite the fact that she's usurped many a positions from other employees, none seem to have any ill will against her. She seems to be loyal to a fault, though it is to be noted that her loyalty must be earned.

On rare occasions, she's been seen to have a fierce, almost uncontrollable anger when pushed to, as she describes it, her "breaking point." She's known to be emotionally reserved, refusing to talk about matters of her past and steering conversations away from those which are emotionally driven. Not many are aware of her paranoid tendencies, but those closest to her have stated that they've popped up since her time within the Special Forces.

Mental Fortitude and Ability To Handle Disturbances:
During the assessment Miss Morne was noted to be unusually unperturbed by many of the scenarios she was placed in, handling herself with a calm, focused, and determined mind. Despite this, she was reported to have some form of mental breakdown/anxiety attack once she was free of the testing. Due to this, we've given her a ranking of 14 out of 20 on the Glier Scale.

---

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

---

Contact: Esther Morne
Number: 02-9-050-472-0110
Relationship: Mother
Likeliness to Respond: Very likely, typically answers between 8AM and 8PM.

Contact: Erin Morne
Number: 01-7-058-583-3003
Relationship: Sister
Likeliness to Respond: Occasionally, is typically tied up with school and homework; typically answers between 4PM and 10PM.

Contact: Evelyn Morne
Number: 08-1-230-961-0090
Relationship: Sister
Likeliness to Respond: Very likely, typically answers between 9AM and 11PM.

Contact: Evan Morne
Number: 06-4-379-402-0141
Relationship: Brother
Likeliness to Respond: Unlikely, will typically answer between 7PM and 2AM.

Contact: Gale Howarth
Number: 27-0-902-453-7800
Relationship: Best friend
Likeliness to Respond: Likely, typically answers between 1PM and 10PM.

 

[Red Thunder]

Alrighty, people! We've got some great CSs! We've gonna give it until January 9th, in the event anyone else wants on board. Then we'll get started!

 

[Red Thunder]

Alrighty! @Doctor Jax, @Thomas McTavish, @rissa, feel free to post away in the IC! The link is at the very top of the first post on this thread.

@RiddL and anyone else who might still like to get in on this, I'm leaving this thread open until January 14th. I'd love to see more characters involved, so if anyone can post a good CS that gets approved by me in this thread by that date, we'll get you in the mix, also.

 

[RiddL]

@Red Thunder

Let me know if I need to add more detail, other than that I'm el done-o