Tag: #CyberAllianceSL

Roleplay: Hasty Departure

Ava wakes with a start in her bunk in the makeshift office. There’s no question of what’s woken her, it’s the roaring sound of thrusters loud and powerful enough the building is shaking.

She jumps down and runs to the doorway, it’s still night, but from the emergency lights on the surrounding buildings she can see what’s happening. Where the Helix soldiers camp had been is now bare earth except for a few empty crates and torn tents, the noise is a fleet of their transport ships taking off.

Time is going to be short, the civilian residents are going to panic when they realise what’s happened. Ducking back into her office she switches on her drone control terminal, it bleeps to indicate its running on battery power since the outposts generators had gone along with the soldiers. Logging into the system she brings up the list of nearby AMZ craft, now very glad she’d disguised the signature of the cargo ship as just another drone when she left it in orbit. The soldiers would only know if they actually saw it and right now it was fortunately on the other side of this miserable rock. Sending the command to wake up the droid pilot and initiate landing sequence as close as safely possible, she enters the data wipe command on her terminal and heads for the door.

Moving quickly she dashes from door to door of her friends that had also been woken and says to each of them “Get your shit together, we’re leaving. Clearing at the top of the hill in ten minutes if you want off this rock.”

Nine minutes, 37 seconds later…

Ava stands at the top of the loading ramp, one hand on the security forcefield control, the other holding a pistol. There’s only so many stasis pods on board and she’s being very selective who gets one.

She knew this day would come and had made provision, ordering more than just drones and office supplies from AMZ.

If they weren’t a resident of the community from the Hellas Crater, they weren’t getting onboard and there are already two bodies on the ground as testament to her resolve.

There were a fair few more would be freeloaders on the ground by the time the hatch was closed.

Once there are as many people as stasis pods she closes the ramp and presses an intercom panel on the wall to instruct the pilot. “Tinman, get us out of here, set course for Mars, the Southern end of the Hellas Crater”, she says before heading to the freighters minimal living space with the others.

Credits:

Roleplay: Potential First Customer

On her way to find the pilot mentioned by the Armoury proprietor Ava comes across a potential customer outside the Thor Mining Corp offices. 

[07:40:52]  Cyka looks over to the woman in front of her appearing obviously grouchy as she nods briefly. "Hi... You wouldn't happen to have some smokes on you by chance...?"

[07:43:27] Ava shakes her head "No sorry, never picked up that habit. I'm Ava, a courier for AMZ, they've sent me to try and set up shipping deals with whoever wants or neds them."

[07:44:18]  Cyka cocks her brow some and just sighs "Any chance you can procure cigs. or different kind of courier?" she asks obviously going through nicotine withdrawal if Ava had ever seen it before.

[07:47:34] Ava: I'm sure I would work something out, get some on a shipment this way, but obviously would have to be among other stuff. The Armoury chick wasn't too cooperative and not been able to make contact with anyone from Thor or EarthGov yet.


[07:48:41]  Cyka nods lightly "Thor mostly keeps to themselves.. and i would suggest not trusting the earth gov people are far as you could throw them" she states flatly. "but if you can get me a few cartons of cigs i will pay you cost and a half for them. "

[07:52:08] Ava laughs "Trust? No, any large organisation, corporate or government shouldn't be trusted. You just gotta use their language though, cash. I don't care if they're trustworthy, so long as they pay upfront"

[08:01:07] Ava: Well I shall keep you in mind your offer as I fish around for customers, a shipload just full of cigarettes might not be all that profitable..but we shall see.


[08:03:15]  Cyka shrugs "Im a street sam. working for the towns mayor. All i need are cigs and booze. and I'm offering a 50% over cost at base. more if in bulk.. so just keep that in mind.. its a comodity out here"

[08:05:00] Ava: I certainly will. Gotta go with market demand, if that's fags n booze, so be it.

[08:05:52]  Cyka chuckles "i dont know about market demand. but if nothing else. you will have a steady reavenue if you help me out.. and i can help deal with any one who might fuck with your routes. " she says with a chilling smirk

[08:07:22] Ava nods in completely understanding the womans' last comments "Definitely a consideration"

[08:09:36]  Cyka shrugs lightly before yawning "Any ways, names Cyka, i work dirrectly for Jadz as her security detail. if you need some help let me know. Will owe ya a favor if you manage to get those cigs. and.. some say a favor is as good as gold" she says lightly reaching to her pocket only to remember her pack of cigs has long since been filled with this horrid places dust just sighing in irritation

[08:11:00] Ava: Thanks Cyka, I look forward to working with you, I've gotta go head over and talk to a pilot that the armory chick told me about.

[08:13:02] Ava raises her hand in a farewell wave and heads off
Outfit Credits:

AMZ Roleplay Character Refresh and Update

Since my return to the Hellas Mars crater Sci-Fi roleplay coincided with the opening of the CyberFair event this month I thought it was time I gave Ava’s AMZ characters appearance a bit of an overhaul, along with some embellishments and extra details to her story.

The Story so far:

Ava is a courier for AMZ (All Mars Zone) that ship pretty much anything anywhere. She was sent to Mars originally to deliver a particular dangerous package (given that she was sent with a personal bomb shelter capsule), to the Martian city of Helix. The delivery wasn’t originally made because the city was evacuated. Later she met the local courier that she was supposed to give it to on Mars, but not the final recipient, so she was stuck on Mars with a useless dangerous crate and a portable bomb shelter.

After some time spent with the refugees of Helix she was recalled to Earth by the company. When she explained the situation on Mars and the surprising growth of the crater community to her employers, they sent her back. Her instructions were to establish an office there and negotiate shipping contracts with whoever or whatever organisations or entities required them.

The resulting “Office” being a very loose term for a storage crate painted in company colours and signage placed under the shuttle landing pad.

AMZ are now using unmanned drone ships for the long haul to Mars, controlled by an AMZ employee for take-off and landing, or if the there is problem such as the pod deviating from its set course. The company’s focus is customer privacy, confidentiality and shipment security. To this end the drones cargo compartment can only be opened by AMZ employees with biometric authentication. Additionally customers can ship goods in AMZ crates with similar protections, so only the intended final recipient can open it.

More roleplay stories coming soon!

Outfit Credits

Hellas Planitia Rebuild – a Sneaky visit

I’ve been meaning to do this piece for quite a while, but the folks kept adding,expanding or moving things, now apparently it’s complete.

Because I like to write about places from perspective of a newcomer and I’m a member of the community here I decided to go in disguise,using an Alt avatar. I’m sure they’ll forgive my little deception eventually, but it did help get a fresh perspective on the place.

The arrival point is on a landing pad next to a rather battered old spaceship and provides a good view of the surrounding area, which is mainly shipping crates I thought at first, til at the back I saw a vehicle, I thought it would be best if I didn’t try to drive it off. You’ll also find a teleporter here that takes you to the Deep Space Hub located at Moonbase 3.

Heading on towards the entrance I was greeted warmly by Jadzia, who told me a whole bunch of useful stuff and answered my questions. Quite a lot of it I didn’t actually know, because the place has changed a lot and there are lots of new storyline elements I wasn’t aware of. (So it wasn’t a waste of your time and breath, Jadzia.)

I continued left into town and followed the main street to do a circuit of the place. There’s lots of places to see and explore here, providing lots of opportunities and locations for roleplay.

There’s a few other places that you reach by Teleport doors, but I’ll let you find those for yourself, wouldn’t want to spoil everything.

What’s different I find about Hellas is the community effort and storyline that’s genuine. They did live in a city called Helix which had to be evacuated (the region closed) and they did find themselves homeless, so they settled in a dusty crater and built lives for themselves.

Some of the regulars

This story and the environment it creates, very much gives you the feeling of an old Western frontier town or mining colony. Like the old West, it has attracted some not very nice characters(story wise), doing things that would make them criminals on Earth. As a result the authorities on Earth are taking an interest and trying to assert themselves on the populous. Alongside this you have a not-so-reputable mining company that are trying to do the same, as they restart mining operations in the crater. Hence some newer less derelict-looking buildings about the place.

There are lots of post-apocalyptic, dystopian and shiny space station locations in SecondLife which I’ve seen lots lately. Hellas is different in that Earth is still happily ticking over, life going on as normal. The citizens ignorant of or uncaring for those that have chosen this remote life.

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kind/243/223/3012

Outfit Credits:

  • Skin:[Stargazer] Variety Skin Set BOM – Apex Teal -Mainframe July 21
  • Bodysuit: G509 Tempest from Graves
  • Boots: G613 Alliance Ankle Boots from Graves
  • Sword: [.fn] Plasma Arsenal – Blade -MainFrame July 21
  • Hair: Azren Hair [Fatpack] by Raven Bell
  • Body: Maitreya 5.1
  • Head: Genus Project– Strong Face

MoonBase 3

MoonBase 3 (MB3) is another member of the Cyber Alliance, it celebrated it’s first anniversary in March 2021. This makes it fairly mature in terms of SecondLife Roleplay locations that can come and go overnight. A glance at their website before my visit showed they have done quite a bit of exploration, but as I like to go into places as a new visitor, I stopped reading after the first couple of posts relating to those topics.

The landing point is large and has stuff everywhere, it was at this point looking at the boards that I realised this place isn’t just a single destination. It’s kind of a hub with info and connections to lots of other RP places.

However where I’m going today is in the other direction, a ramp leading up a couple of rather cool teleporters.

It’s a little detail but a fun one. Usually you have to sit on a teleporter if the region isn’t using an Experience script, these ones you click the little control panel and just walk into the light that appears. I chose first to visit the Security checkpoint area.

As you can see there’s plenty to explore here. I did have to cheat a little by teleporting through the security barrier into the Restricted Area, because my Visitor ID bracelt wouldn’t let me through. There are a few more spots here, including a Recreation area, consisting of a Court that seems to be for a mix of volleyball and basketball and a running track.

Next was the Research area, which I only had a brief look around, but it looks like it could be good fun. For some reason my visitor ID wouldn’t open the Public Labs, but I felt I’d cheated enough already, so didn’t try teleporting through.

There’s plenty more to be explored that I haven’t shown here, so do go check it out.

Outfit Credits:

 

Landing Point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Malyshkin/194/171/3566

Website: https://moonbase3.net/

 

Vortex of Lust – Part 2

In Part 1 of this post I covered the Central Market and brief snaps of The Surface and the Aurora ship. Now I’m going to expand on those, first the Aurora. When you arrive on the scaffold it feels very dark, but I didn’t realise why straightaway. I headed down the steps towards the lights of a tent. The place is surrounded by hydroponics capsules for growing food and wind turbines for generating power. Inside the tent loks like field equipent, like they just arrived.

If you look upwards you can see why the place is so dark, the massive looming form of The Aurora above you. You can see here the sheer scale of it is pretty impressive! Taking the lift at ground level takes you up into the ship and the entrance to a massive complex maze of corridors.

I’m not going to do a step-by-step tour here, the place is just too big. Here’s a few of the highights.

Now to head back down to the Market and from there, the Surface. The lift drops you above a wooden palisade wall which made me think of a Gorean panther girl camp, but don’t worry it’s not. Just old RP memories on my part, the metal staircase dispels that thought rightaway. Down the wooden ramp and out the gate is a path through partly cleared forest. Not so unusual until we take a look around whats on either side.

Heading first to the steam vents I can see the extend quite some way, but it’s what’s causing the steam that’s more worrying.

Next I enterthe woods and investigate the stone ruins, the tower proves quite interesting..

Having seen that beautiful building in the distance I just had to have a closer peek, which involves going through a swamp though.

I’ll leave you to explore the inside. While I was exploring, one of the community asked if I’d found the ice cave yet. I hadn’t so they showed me. It’s down underwater so you’d have to know it was there to find it I suspect. There’s an NPC down there too.

I had to find my respirator for down here

As you can see this place is huge with lots of locations to roleplay. One thing though had me and possibly you wondering..where’s the Lust? There’s quite a few kinky toys about the place, but not really Lusty as such. However it doesn’t take too much imagination to think that maybe the portal pictured below (that can be found near the ship Aurora) is perhaps said Vortex of Lust.. Even less imagination required from the other side, which has a beautiful fantasy landscape you should defiitely come and explore.

The Vortex the place is named after perhaps?
A Fantastical landscape awaits on hte other side, so go check thi out too!

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vortex%20of%20Lust/59/124/3017

Website: https://www.vortex-of-lust.com/

Discord: https://discord.gg/6n7VmeRKtB

Outfit Credits:

Vortex of Lust – Part 1

I came across Vortex of Lust through a post in the Cyber Alliance discord server,which included the description below.

The refugium known as the Vortex has a wide variety of geographic features, from the familiar to the fantastic.

The centre of it all, both proverbially and literally, is the Free Market, which rests on a floating platform anchored to a derelict mass of rock that floats above the surface.
Above the Free Market the Battleship Aurora rests collided with another splinter of levitating rock, hosting a portal to the Floating Islands, a place of beauty and mystery high above the Vortex.
The surface is a wild and dangerous place with frozen seas, endless mazes of tunnels, treacherous swamps and far more treacherous inhabitants. Travelers to the surface should be well prepared.

This description had me very intrigued and the images more so. The locations appear to range from steampunk through urban and into cyberpunk, dressing for this place could be a challenge!

Given the mention of battleships and ice lakes I thought a full body protective suit seemed the best option, along with a few survival accessories.

First view on arrival

I like a clear uncluttered landing point with clear signage and as little surplus stuff as possible. The Vortex has this, however it also has a lot of information to be shared prior to entering the RP area. Most of this relates to the HUD used here, which auto-attaches as soon as you accept the regions Experience permissions. There is a new players area that talks you through it all. Once you go through there you are guided to an are that tells you about the multiple locations here.

The New Player Area

The different locations

You leave this are via the Vortex at the centre.

You emerge through the Vortex into a new area that feels quite steampunkish at first glance.

A rather impressive portal
You arrive here through the Vortex

This is the area known as  Central Market. Despite modern aspects like the grage door and submarine, inside things are quite antique or industrial.

Behind the garage door is a study type room with old book cases and antique desk, but with a full tech suite upstairs.

Heading over to the submarine it only seems to serve one purpose, the local jail.

Around the corner I find signposted The Jolly Harbor Tavern and The Surface, I take the Tavern first. I reminds me of Drune Diesel in atmosphere for some reason, maybe that’s due to the piano in the corner, but looks like an interesting place to roleplay.

Now to explore in the other direction towards “The Surface”, following the signs direction I see a crashed plane and crane above some kind of gantry.

There’s also a buildy to the left that I thought I’d check out first, I’m not entirely sure what the purpose of the machinery is, but the other peice of hardware in the room hints at some not-so-innocent activities.

Carrying on my journey I head towards the gantry to see what awaits, a lift that descent to the surface.

At the bottom is an interesting place that looks like it’ll be fun to explore, you can see in the first snap that the place extends quite some distance before the view is obstructed by trees, which instantly makes it feel more mysterios.

Since the Central Market is essentially in the middle of the region, in terms of elevation, there’s also the airship Aurora to be explored above. There is a similar lift next to the submarine that takes you there.

I’ll show you some more of the Surface and Aurora roleplay areas in Part 2.

Click Here for Part 2!

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vortex%20of%20Lust/59/124/3017

Website: https://www.vortex-of-lust.com/

Discord: https://discord.gg/6n7VmeRKtB

Outfit Credits:

This post was featured on the SecondLife Community Blog on 6th August 2021.

The Cyber Alliance

The Cyber Alliance (in SecondLife, not related to the RL ones involved with cyber security) is a growing group of individuals and communities wanting to promote and create roleplay between different Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk themed groups and locations scattered throughout SecondLife. It started with a Discord server and Inworld SecondLife group started by Jadzia (Boont Baphomet) in April 2021. Jadzia is one of the founder members of Hellas Platina that I have mentioned before, born out of the closure of Helix City.
Jadzia describes the goals of the Alliance as folows:
[10:19:53] Jadzia (Boont Baphomet): 1. To encourage RP and help RP'ers find eachother in the cyberpunk/sci-fi genres. The group is a place to seek out RP situations with other players
[10:20:30] Jadzia (Boont Baphomet): 2. A place for small sims and builders/creators to advertise their spaces and events so that RP'ers can learn about things going on in these specific realms
[10:21:38] Jadzia (Boont Baphomet): 3. Lastly, and most ambitiously, a long term plan for creating a cross-sim 'world' that we can all engage in; finding ways to connect our lore, do missions and quests between places.
[10:22:05] Jadzia (Boont Baphomet): Really it's all about sims helping sims and encouraging RP
Anyone from other Sci-fi and Cyberpunk roleplays groups are invited and welcome to join the server or inworld group and get involved. Now it has grown to have it’s own Website,Flickr gallery and an inworld location is also in the works I’m told.

So far the Alliance includes roleplayers from the following communities:

(Based on list of Worlds on the CyberAlliance website and subject to change.)

Insilico – Buddha Bowl & Beyond

The arrival point looked a little confusing at first, just loads of hovering stuff everywhere. After accidentally clicking on one and ending up I don’t know where, I came back and took a proper look. It’s a rather cool map and with the place covering 4 Regions I think it’ll come in handy!

I clicked on the closest map point labelled “07 Buddah Bowl” and sure enough that’s where I arrived and found it’s a rather cool looking bar.

Buddah Bowl

This area is rather huge and empty feeling, so was good to have some compay on this exploration.

On this particular visit I’m accompanied by my dear friend Joyouous Destiny.

Not knowing where to go next, it seemed sensible to take the only direction sign in sight, which got us nowhere. However  I think this because it lead to a rental. There’s a number of these doors dotted about the place and some of them clearly residences.

We saw a couple of shops as we walked, but they weren’t interactive, just scenery.

Then we came to somewhere that did sound much more iteresting, a place called “Cyber Doc”.

In here was all kinds of intersting but rather creepy equipment.

Coming out the “Doctors” there’s a few intruiging places I will have to come back to explore, since Joy was tempted by a lift.

This brought us up onto an extensive network of suspended gangways to explore, that reminded me very much of those found in the Cyberpunk varieties of Drune.

From up here you can see a lot of the city and other spots to visit, as well as some unusual artwork.

Below one of the walkways is a small oasis of greenery among all the steel and glass. I just had to go down and explore.

At the bottom of another set of stairs I found a bar, with a very cool looking animated android serving the drinks.

This is just one small peek at Insilico, there’s lots more city to explore down below, I’ll have to go back and do that soon. Definitely a place any sci-fi fan should take a trip to visit.

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/INSILICO/33/182/522

Website: https://www.insilico.online/

Credits: