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

[voltrounds]

I'm sorry.

[Not much she can do in that case. If it was more recent, she might be able to do something about it once she finds her supplies. Speaking of which:]

Do you have any idea where our things are?

[tasteslikesurvival]

It happens.

[Yeah. Let's not dwell on it.]

I really haven't looked but my room was clear.

[voltrounds]

[That sounds like a good plan. Surely this won't... come back to bite them.]

Mine, too. I hope it's because whoever brought us here thought we'd do something bad with them, but...

[tasteslikesurvival]

[She won't bite anyone, thank you.]

Yeah. I don't even know where my shovel is.

[voltrounds]

Your shovel?

[Is she part of a work crew? Or a farmer?]

[tasteslikesurvival]

[Her hand grips just slightly, as if she was searching for something.]

Yeah. It's...been with me for a while.

[voltrounds]

Oh. [So obviously it's just a possession she's attached to. And/or her love interest.]

I'm sure it'll turn up.

[tasteslikesurvival]

I hope so. Especially if there's any of them around.

[voltrounds]

I don't know if there's a reason they'd be keeping other shovels here, but you never know.

[That's obviously what she meant by "them," right?]

[tasteslikesurvival]

What?

[Definitely not.]

[voltrounds]

Because we're in space. There's no ground to dig in here.

[THIS CONVERSATION MAKES PERFECT SENSE]

[tasteslikesurvival]

I didn't mean shovels I meant them.

[You know. Zombies.]

[voltrounds]

...the people who brought us here?

[God, Kurumi, not everyone is keeping up with the latest zombie news.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

The zombies.

[C'mon, Ricky.]

[voltrounds]

What?!

[SINCE WHEN ARE ZOMBIES A THING WHY WAS SHE NOT INFORMED]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Don't tell me you don't know!

[What the hell?!]

[voltrounds]

They told me Yggdrasil would produce unusual creatures, but zombies?

[THAT'S EVEN WORSE THAN MURDER DEER]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Yggdrasil? Did they make the virus or whatever? I mean. They just showed up one day.

[IT'S HORRIBLE.]

[voltrounds]

Yggdrasil just causes organisms living inside to mutate. I don't really know how it works, but it isn't a virus.

[Because if it was, all the explorers would become monsters. AND THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Huh? That can't be right. I mean... if it was probably dropped in the air then things can't live in it.

[CLEARLY NOT.]

[voltrounds]

What? Lots of things live in Yggdrasil. It's huge.

[But what's the name of the second baseman?]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Never heard of it.

[voltrounds]

We must have been from pretty far apart, then. [Well technically!] Etria's whole economy is centered around Yggdrasil.

[tasteslikesurvival]

That sounds like a name out of a story.

[voltrounds]

Maybe it is. I know "Yggdrasil" is.