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]

What instructions?

[Guess who hasn't really looked through the P.I.P. yet because she had other things on her mind?

Also WOW ANOTHER TALKING NONHUMAN but Shadow actually looks like he'd be able to talk so that's not as weird.]

[damnfourthemerald]

[Yay bipedal furries with mouths that work like humanized mouths! Shadow tilts his head slightly at her, then brings up his PIP.] It's on this. A set of rules.

[He's trying to recall which Champion she is without looking. Suspended animation, wasn't it...? Interesting.]

[voltrounds]

[At least, bipedal furries who don't just look like normal animals such as penguins.]

Oh.

[She brings it up, having no trouble figuring out the controls, and starts in on the rules. It doesn't take long for her to find something she objects to.]

What do they mean, "no time limit?"

[damnfourthemerald]

I believe it means that there's no set end date for...whatever this is.

[voltrounds]

That's not good. I have things that need doing.

[Doo doo doo, going right down those rules. Night, sleep, investigating...]

[damnfourthemerald]

[Just waiting for the whole 'murder' thing, nbd.]

It reads like some kind of social experiment. But why us? And how?

[voltrounds]

Maybe they just chose us randomly--

[Oh. That's an expression. Ricky seems to have reached rule number seven.]

[damnfourthemerald]

[Bingo!]

We're given titles. They seem to think we're the best at...something or another. The assortment of people seems random, but they haven't chosen merely anyone.

I have to wonder if they chose people for their propensity toward lucky number seven.

[voltrounds]

[Sadly most of that went in one ear and out the other.]

Number seven...

They can't be serious.

[damnfourthemerald]

That depends on how seriously anyone here takes it.

[voltrounds]

It's ridiculous. They can't expect us to just decide to--kill someone.

[damnfourthemerald]

Not at first, maybe. With time, unlimited time, knowing what we might be missing? [Some people have things to do, right?] We don't know what kind of people we're dealing with, profiles aside.

[voltrounds]

[Yeah. Some people do. CERTAINLY NOT PRESENT COMPANY RIGHT?]

We'll have to look out for each other.

[damnfourthemerald]

[To protect each other, or to warn others if someone shows signs of murder-itis?]

A united front against those who might want to see if they can get away with murder could be a deterrent.

[He doesn't sound super optimistic about that, but, there it is.]

[voltrounds]

[bothisgood.gif]

It's better than just hoping nothing happens.

[damnfourthemerald]

If we can find a way to other areas--restricted, probably, areas--then we might be able to find a communications system. Call for help. There are always better options than to just turn straight to killing. I'm not about to suggest I trust complete strangers to see it that way, of course.

[I mean unless your memories were manipulated in a way that made you decide the only thing in life you needed to do was destroy the planet to enact the revenge scheme of your creator but that's different.]

[voltrounds]

[Why, that sounds even worse than if you woke up with most of your memory missing and it took you 40% of the game to find out what you were even supposed to be doing.]

We might even be able to find our own way out. They must have gotten us here somehow. Maybe we can be put back the same way.

[So, murder has been lowered to Plan C now.]

[damnfourthemerald]

They seem to know a lot about us. They've been watching. It suggests they have a good idea about our individual strengths and may have tried to prepare accordingly.

[voltrounds]

That doesn't mean they know how we'll work together. They won't know how we interact until it happens.