Welcome to the Program

[airlockedmods]

Good Morning, Champions. In the interest of maintaining healthy sleep patterns, a day/night cycle is in effect. Your presence is expected in the cafeteria in exactly one hour.

[The voice comes through not a large speaker, but through the device that's attached to each Champion's arm. Further investigation of the features of the device will reveal a list of profiles, a mini-map, and a list of rules. The hallways are shiny white and silver, with running lights along the floor and lights on the ceiling, and at the junction of the hallways is a sign with a knife and fork icon and an arrow pointing down the hall.

Welcome to the Excellence Program, Champions. Time to get to know your teammates.]

Comments

[ratherdoweddings]

I was going to say! If you were, it must be one of those mysterious time travel things, and I don't understand any of that at all.

[bylight]

[Time travel?]

Time travel doesn't exist. At least not where I'm from.

[ratherdoweddings]

I thought that too, but my crew and I just made an eight-month jump when we went through that Chulip! Maybe it just hasn't made the news yet. [Yurika taps her chin. The mark on her hand goes a dull grey.] But I still have no idea how any of it worked.

[bylight]

[She has no idea what you just said.] An eight month jump... I take it you're not from my world. [Because really, what are you talking about? And what's with the mark?]

[ratherdoweddings]

Oh, I'm originally from Mars, but I moved back to Earth when I was just a kid! But what does that have to do with anything?

[bylight]

[.... Yeah.] Never heard of either of those places.

[ratherdoweddings]

What? Then you're not from Mars, Earth, or the Moon?

[bylight]

No. The place I'm from is called Cocoon. I don't even think the moon back home is real enough for people to set foot on.

[It's more like a ceiling light.]

[ratherdoweddings]

A moon that's not real? How does that even work?

[bylight]

[Very easily.] It's something that the Fal'Cie control.

[ratherdoweddings]

You mean it's a space station? But wouldn't people still be able to walk on those?

[bylight]

[........................................ okay this is getting to be ridiculous.]

We're not in space. We're above a world called Pulse. It's not a station. It's its own little contained world. [Her tone is now clipping. Not everything is out in space, lady.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Okay, so it's a moon controlled by a "fal-see," but it's still like an actual moon. You don't have to be so mean about it.

[bylight]

You're the one assuming everything is like where you came from. [Not everything is perfectly explainable in space lady lingo.]

[ratherdoweddings]

You said it wasn't real and people couldn't walk on it. I still don't get it completely.

[bylight]

...... It's like a lamp.

[ratherdoweddings]

Something like an artificial sun...

[bylight]

[NOW SHE GETS IT] Exactly like that.

[ratherdoweddings]

Is there an issue with your real sun? Or is it one of those structures with the people on the inside and space on the outside?

[bylight]

[These questions are never going to end.]

We're not in space. Cocoon is hovering above Pulse, in the same gravitational field from what I understand. They have a real sun, we don't. We like in a literal Cocoon.

[ratherdoweddings]

So it is basically like one of those. Sorry, you must hate questions, huh?

[bylight]

[Ya think?]

I've never been asked questions like this.

[ratherdoweddings]

I would think most people wouldn't, since everyone's home is different!

[bylight]

[At least they were only about her home.]

From the sounds of it, mine isn't anything like yours in any way. Other than humans.

[ratherdoweddings]

I wonder what it all means? We must have something in common.