World Tree MUSH

    The interior of the patropolis of Ot is a curious mixture of industrial architecture and bright signage. The signage, which is almost never the complex pictographic written word of the Spiral of Galaxies, are all symbols. Narrow walkway, overhead workers, electrified conduits. Food parlor here, meeting hall there. And where there would have been teeming throngs of the population, where there are walkways and public transit systems intended for hundreds of thousands... there is a distinct lack of people. Instead of the overwhelming murmuring sound of people, there are the quiet thrums and pops of monumental hidden machinery echoing from catwalks and deck plates.
    The town hall meeting, for want of a better description, takes place in an amphitheater of curved metal slabs forming seats that are filled with the variety of citizenry. It hasn't quite started yet, as indicated by the large countdown clock above the podium and dais. Five minutes, give or take.

    It's been a hot minute since Rebecca left Night City. So as usual, she packed up her duffel bag of guns and decided to hit the Tree. Today finds her in Ot. How she got to Ot? Maybe people otta mind their business, that's how.
    But never the less, here she is and...
    "Huh..." Finding the food court and public transit system empty in a city this size is...
    Kind of weird.
    "Where'd errybody go? Bingo?" She mutters before finding her way to the town hall meeting.
    "Aite, looks interesting. I'll bite." She decides as she plops her butt into a seat to see what's going on.

    The time hits zero, one assumes. Some little shiny drone things swoop on out to the podium and crowd. The countdown timer is replaced with a camera shot of the crowd, clearly following the view point of one of the drones. Stepping up to the podium is somebody who is dressed like they are a Big Deal, but the crowd murmurs their discontent at whoever she is.
    "Good evening, members of the Populat. I am Serenity Dawns, junior Deliberative member and your representative appointed for administration of the Worldseed Expedition." The speaker is interrupted by boos, which she silences with a curt wave of her hand. "I understand that you are all eager to begin a new life in the wilds of... Home. However, we have neighbors, the unshaped monstrosities and the Raksha, who pose unknown dangers to all of-"
    "You're just making excuses! If Syd Fortis were here, he'd just turn them into rocks or something with his hammer!" A member of the crowd interjects.

    Oh man things start and the person on stage is alreasdy getting boos like she's the worst thing to happe to the stage.
    "Dang." Rebecca mutters to herself as she sits back in her seat and crosses her legs obnoxiously. But then. Someone says the magic words.
    "Oh huh." The solo murmurs before raising her voice, "Y'all talkin' about those fairies and stuff? Yeah, Syd would totally splatter 'em no sweat!"
    Rebecca is being a heckling nuisance for the sake of being a heckling nuisance.
    As one does.

    The big screen shows the people speaking out in the crowd, including Rebecca in her cybernetic glory.
    Serenity waits for the crowd to quiet down a bit before continuing.
    "When one weaves an entire world from chaos, as Master Fortis did, one may decide to take a well deserved break." The tone was icy and off-putting, and two co-centric circles form a subtle gleam on Serenity Dawn's forehead. "Now then, if each neighborhood would select and send a representative to the monthly meeting of the Sub-Committee on Homestead Applicati-"
    The young man next to Rebecca stands up and shouts "You're stalling!" The crowd follows this lead. Interestingly, he's wearing a headband over his forehead... unlike everybody else who isn't covering up the gemstone on their forehead. There's a brief smell of smoldering brass after his outburst as well, like somebody letting a machine gun fire until it emptied its magazine.

    Oh whoah, people are getting heated.
    And this leads Rebecca to a very pertinent thought.
    "... Where IS Syd anyway?" She asks tugging on the sleeve of the guy beside her for his attention in hopes he has an answer for her.
    Then she notices the headband.
    One eye squints at that.
    "Ayyo buddy there a reason you covering up your head dealie?"
    THe hot metal scent doesn't help matters.
    This is pretty sus.
    Rebecca is getting very suspicious about how sus this is.
    "Yo how about we call Syd in from his 'break'. Maybe he'll have something to say about alla this."

    "Master Fortis is enjoying the hospitality of the Raksha, attempting to negotiate better relations between ourselves and them." Clearly Serenity Dawn has no idea where the hell Syd is, given the performative and almost automatic nature of her response. Shifting political answers, evasiveness. The people aren't having it and throw trash at the rather dignified speaker at the podium.
    The young man gives Rebecca a devilish grin. "Don't want anyone knowing what caste I am." There *does* seem to be a pattern to the shape and color of the gemstones, but... Rebecca's enhanced eyes sees the barest glimmers of baleful green light underneath that headband.
    "CALM DOWN." The command comes loudly and clearly from Serenity Dawn, whose forehead very clearly shows the golden glow of two circles, one inside the other. Amazingly, the crowd begins settling down to a low muttering. They seem even less happy, complaining of witchery.
    The young man settles back onto his seat. "See, they're hiding the truth. They killed Syd because he's a big damn hero. Political liability; what do you do with a guy who made the first planet we can call home in... forever? He's a Solar, you're not allowed to mind control him without breaking *some* kind of law, yanno."

    Green? Doesn't want people to know what caste he is?
    Rebecca blinks owlishly.
    Now, she doesn't know much about Exalts. Syd is the only one she really knows, in fact, and slowly she's going through hoops in her head to piece things together here.
    Then Serenity Dawn demands people calm.
    Rebecca isn't calm. She's getting more agitated by the second, one foot tapping repeatedly, leg bouncing with anxious energy.
    "... You think they killed Syd?" She mutters now much quieter.
    " 'Cause yo, if they did I'mma get down to the bottom of this and then tear some people new assholes if I gotta."

    The best trick the devil played was convincing the world he didn't exist.
    This is a trick close to that. The young man shrugs broadly and says to Rebecca: "Well yeah, he hasn't been seen in like... two years?" Genuine confusion, as everybody in Ot is trying to get used to a calendar that doesn't quite synch up with the one they've known all their lives.
    Serenity drones on about the qualifications required to become a homesteader, taking questions from the much calmer audience. She seems relieved that she hasn't had to use further (and more extreme) examples of her social charms.

    TWO YEARS?
    Now Rebecca is staring again.
    "Shiiiiiiiiiit it's been that long?" She mutters doing some intense mental calculations all over again AND does some counting on her fingers to boot. "I need to get out more." She eventually says with a sigh.
    But it's as Serenity goes on about those qualifications, Rebecca just... Isn't paying the woman attention anymore. "Last I saw him was dealing with the fairies and junk and... Yeah I guess that was about two years ago. Shit."
    "Yo what if I like. Go back into the fairylands and drag him out?"

    The young man crosses his arms and regardles Rebecca with a deeply skeptical look. "Yeah? You think you're bad enough to wander out into Dreamland and find Syd?" He nods towards Serenity. "The ship's council is definitely hiding something. His wife came back, he didn't. Buuuut... it's not like I'm gonna stop you from getting your soul eaten by Raksha. Might wanna demand to see Syd's wife though. Lady Beatrix, Chosen of Luna and a scary one at that."
    With a dawning horror, the young man now realizes that the camera is staring at him and Rebecca in what he considers a deeply unfair move. Turning bright red and looking sheepish, he timidly waves at the camera drone.
    Serenity has her arms crossed, looking in Rebecca and the young man's direction. "I didn't know we were being graced by an Alchemical Exalt tonight. Would you care to step up to the podium and speak your mind, Chosen?" Clearly Serenity is mistaking Rebecca for another type of Exalt, solely based on what visibile cybernetics there are.

    Annnnnd the camera drone is staring. Rebecca looks up just in time to see that and makes a face. But the damage is done. She's been SUPER NOTICED.
    And she has a load of visible cybernetics.
    "Aite, aite..." She mutters as she stands from her seat. "Watch this." She says to the young man and makes her way to to the podium.
    "Ahem... I'm..."
    Shit, think fast Rebecca, what's a super pretentious sounding Exalted kind of name?
    "My name's Resplendantly Glorious Assbeater. Hero of Night City."
    She waits for that to sink in as she clears her throat.
    "And I got some questions." She says. "I was with Syd Fortis when he went into the Wyld, yo. He built Home with his blood, sweat, tears, and on the backs of a lot of dead fair-peeps. I wanna know-- you're telling me he's still stuck out there in the Wyld enjoying 'hospitality' of some of the weirdest shit I have ever seen? I'm talking real alien minds here, peeps. Nonsensical, alien, unfettered by morality..." Explained as she wobbles a big mechanical hand.
    "I ain't buyin' it. Lesse Syd's wife, see what she has to say, huh? Where's Lady Beatrix?"

    Serenity takes a deep breath, and sighs. Then looks at the crowd. "We will reconvene to continue this discussion in a fortnight. Please ask your local syndic for details if you have questions. Thank you all for attending."
    Then, she quietly says to Rebecca, finally regarding the woman with something approaching scrutiny. "... You're not an Alchemical Exalt, are you?" She also gestures for Rebecca to follow her. "I'm sure Lady Beatrix will be happy to meet you, young lady."

    When Serenity Dawn realizes that Rebecca isn't actually an Alchemical Exalt...
    Oh boy does Rebecca give her the BIGGEST GRIN.
    Like the complete and total gremlin that she is, she stuffs her hands in the pockets of her jacket- the very same Behemoth hide jacket she had gotten while out in the Wyld with Syd, in fact.
    BUT she starts to follow.
    "Aite, bet. Lessgo talk to her, then." She says. "Lead the way~."
    

    The areas that Serenity leads Rebecca through gradually become less industrial architecture and closer to what posh hotels look like. But the strange part is that despite the vast difference in purpose (industrial utility compared to spartan comfort), it appears as though a single mind was responsible for every detail in the architecture. Little recurring motifs squirreled away here and there.
    The lift going upwards to the command section reveals the broad sweep of Ot's interior, the lights covering the city organized meticulously into a six-fold pattern. The great starstriding engines loom at the outer edges of the metroscape. 
    "So you... went with Syd into the Wyld? Which time? To get the panoply for the Midnight Sun or when the dream city judged and attacked him?" Serenity asks.

    Rebecca follows, and soon enough she's glancing around at the shift in decor. But she folds her hands behind her head as she walks.
    "So like we went in to get the panoply stuff. ... I think I missed the dream city thing." Rebecca says. Which is true, she did miss that incident as she looks over the city.
    "Helping him out actually netted me this jacket." She points out. "But that's not the big deal here. ... What IS the big deal is I don't think a bunch of fairies could hold Syd for long, he's kind of a badass."

    Serenity frowns a bit. "He and his wife got separated in the Chaos Outside. It is" Here, the Exalt pauses, trying to determine a relatable comparison. And fails. "... trackless if you don't have the right knowledge. Like being lost in a vapor cloud. Dangerous, volatile, easy to lose your sense of direction. So he's probably lost. We've had other issues to deal with instead of looking for a lost Solar."

    Ah hah, so that's the truth, then. Syd is lost and no one's been sent to look for him.
    "Huh. Sounds like the back alleys of Kabuki on a bender." Rebecca murmurs. "Other issues?" She presses mildly.
    "Tell you what, what if I round up a posse and we help out. Either with those other 'issues' so you can get to rescuing Syd faster, or so we can go get him for you. Either way's a win, right? Right?"
    Of course Rebecca thinks it's as easy as rounding up a posse.

    Serenity steps off the elevator. "There's always something going on to divert resources from a search. Crop blight. Reactor malfunctioning. Sodality strikes. Angry spirits." 
    The command compartments are very sleekly decorated, though still functional. There's basically billboards that run animated displays of Ot's history, ending with a scene of threads being turned into landscapes before repeating. Serenity presses an intercom button and informs somebody on the other end that she has a guest who wants to talk to Lady Beatrix. Then there's going to be some waiting, apparently.
    Serenity sizes up Rebecca. "Where are my manners. I am Serenity Dawn, and I forgot to ask your name."

    Off the elevator then, and Rebecca folds her big cybernetic hands behind her head. "Dang, sounds like a pain, alla that." But while Serenity deals with the intercome Rebecca displays a surprising level of patience.
    "Oh yeah." Introductions. Those are important.
    "The name's Rebecca. Rebecca Sunrise." That's her introduction as she waits for the person on the other end of the door.

    The door opens and a person sticks her head out, revealing very long white hair, a freckled face, random patches of albino skin over pale skin, as well as a great many of whorling silver tattoos that seem to be abstract forms of... things. "What." she hisses at Serenity. Does anyone like Serenity Dawn? Hard to say, apparently.
    Serenity gestures politely at Rebecca. "Madam Rebecca Sunrise wishes to assemble a search party to find your husband."
    Beatrix turns her head to stare owlishly at Rebecca, a little too literally as her eyes subtlely change to actually resemble the eyes of an owl. "Oh...?" Then snaps back to glare at Serenity. "Well it's about time somebody steps up and supports me in finding my husband. The Wyld is no place for lone wolves. Syd proving the point." Then back to Rebecca. "Come in. Would you like some tea or anything else to drink?" A hand dismissively shoos Serenity away.

    Wow it's like no one likes Serenity Dawn.
    But that's not Rebecca's problem and that's not why she's here.
    And no sooner than Serenity inidicates Rebecca's existence and her desire to fine Syd, she flashes the BIGGEST grin.
    Then comes the creepy owl stare.
    To her credit, Rebecca doesn't act as creeped out as that is as she follows Beatrix inside.
    "Later, Ess Dee." She says to Serenity Dawn when Beatrix waves her off.
    "Tea sounds nice though. But yeah dang I didn't realize Syd was gone for like two dang years, otherwise I'da stepped up sooner."

    The space is... decorated. Not just with patterns, but with what look like alien archaeological artifacts and remnants of non-spacefaring civilizations. Little plaques describe the origins of the various objects in something close enough to English to get an idea of just how many places they came from.
    Beatrix pours a cup of steaming tea, which she politely passes to Rebecca. It smells strong and herbal, and there's another cup like it near the tea pot.
    "Well... the ship council thinks that he's just off doing things, and that two years is nothing to be worried about when talking about a thousand year life span. A lost weekend in mortal terms." Beatrix is in her comfortable clothes, which is little more than shells and beads. The silver tattoos are everywhere on her skin. "But I know my husband, and it isn't like him to wander off from his people like this. Not that the council listens to the 'hysterical' wife." She invites Rebecca to the table with the tea set on it, comfy looking cushions providing seating.

    First and foremost, for the sake of politeness-- which is WILD coming from Rebecca; she takes her shoes off at the door to not track dirt anywhere.
    Cybernetic eyes dart from object to object, artifact to artifact, scanning them in detail before her eyes return to Beatrix. "Oh thanks."
    She takes the teacup very delicately in her Gorilla Arms and settles down on a cushion.
    "You know, I kinda forgot the whole 'lives for-like ever' thing with you exalted types." She murmurs. "But still in Night City when someone goes missing for like a DAY, you can file a missing person's report." She points out.
    "Yeah that doesn't sound much like Syd does it?" She considers and takes a sip of her tea.
    "Dang, that's pretty good." She murmurs. It's better than the toxic energy drinks in Night City by a long shot. "So like I wouldn't call you hysterical in this case."

    Beatrix smiles. "Why thank you. And I think it's just politics. I'm among the oldest Exalts in Ot, not counting Ot himself, and the only person more junior than Syd on the ship council is Serenity Dawn. Who you've met. Not very likeable, and I don't get the sense she wants to be liked." There seems to be a look on Beatrix's face implying that problem will solve itself at some point. "So I think they're just trying to minimize how much influence I have."
    "THAT SAID: do you have anyone in mind for a rescue party?"

    Rebecca's eyes cross. It's hard to tell how old people are when they can be... Kind of ageless.
    "Wait Ot-- the city?"
    Wait until she finds out that Alchemicals eventually become cities, that'll drive her loopy.
    But back on topic, she sips her tea.
    "Yeahhhhhhhh I don't think anyone likes her." She says about Serenity Dawn, but then purses her lips thoughtfully.
    "I can think of some peeps. I've met a load of people in my trip around the Tree, could probably make a few phone calls."