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

[stillstands]

... They do when they're filmed.

[She's... she's not in any position to be explaining the concept of film to someone who doesn't know it.]

It's a huge industry back home - people film them, like... moving photographs and use them to tell stories on a giant screen. Television is the same thing, but much smaller.

[Acccck.]

[challengesfate]

[. . .]

...I...I'm sorry. I still don't understand, but...perhaps this is a discussion for another time. We are still in an unfamiliar place under unfamiliar circumstances.

[But once this is all straightened out, which surely it will be, she'd love to hear about the tele-visions and the moving pictures.]

[stillstands]

[Right, priorities.]

You're right, there's a lot going on now.

[And maybe explaining cinema to the fantasy!princess should wait until later on.]

Have you had a chance to look around this--wherever we are?

[challengesfate]

Not...by much, no. But this is already a considerable amount to take in.

[why is everything chrome in the future]

[stillstands]

[Right... if she doesn't understand television, this must be kinda overwhelming for her.]

Is there anything I can help explain? If you don't know television, then a lot of this must be confusing for you.

[challengesfate]

...Perhaps...the metal? Everything looks metallic, for the most part. Why is that?

[stillstands]

... [Good question. Aesthetic, maybe?]

Metal is pretty durable, so that might have something to do with the amount of it here. But where I'm from it's not a hugely common building material either.

[challengesfate]

Oh, so it's...not normal everywhere. That's good.

[Because it sure as heck isn't normal where Lucina's from.]

I mean...it's a relief. But then, why would we need to be someplace that must be durable enough to need so much metal?

[stillstands]

Not like this. Buildings made complete of metal are uncommon. They might have parts of them built with metal, or supported by a metal frame though.

[Hmm. Isn't that the big question.]

That's why I mentioned sci-fi. It looks like futuristic stations you see on those. Ones that are drifting in... [Ah.

Ahhhhhhhhh. Hold up she's running to one of the windows to actually take a look outside.

Ah]

... space...

[challengesfate]

...Space...?

[I mean. There is...awareness of space as a concept. Personal space, open space, cramped spaces...but when you're just using the word "space", you get a young woman looking at this teenage girl in a sort of blank confusion.]

Isn't that...just the sky at night?

[stillstands]

[Don't logic loop her, you're technically right...!]

Well... yes, but it looks like we're in it. There's no horizon or landmarks, just...

[She really didn't expect this. Kidnapping? That was weird enough. Worrying enough. But this is...]

Space. Outer space.

[challengesfate]

[No horizon, no landmarks? Hold on, we're going to look at this and then probably block out how impossible it is when Chloe comes over and tells her not to look out the window.]

That's...no, that can't be right. Surely there's some ground somewhere - unless this building is...strangely positioned.

[stillstands]

[Boy, this sure is. Unnerving.

After a moment and a real nervous swallow, Miki grabs the edge of the window and pushes herself up against it, trying to get a higher point of perspective before she presses her face to the glass to try and see if there's... something under the building? Station?? Wherever they are.

When she drops back down again, she looks a little... pale.]

I-I can't see any. There's just... more nothing.

[challengesfate]

[-Ah, she's trying to get to a better angle. Lucina tries it herself, standing on her tip-toes, but...]

...Perhaps...what's holding us up is thinner than this building?

[When in doubt, denyyyyyy]

[stillstands]

[C'mon Lucina, you're taller than her!! Use that height to your advantage!]

Wouldn't we be wobbling if that were the case...? It wouldn't feel so balanced.

[Srry 2 say.]

[challengesfate]

You could use support beams to keep things balanced. Buttresses and the like.

[Yes Lucina, there are flying metal buttresses underneath the space station. Of course.]

[stillstands]

That still doesn't explain the... [God, just look at it.] nothing out the window. There should be skylines, buildings, something.

[challengesfate]

It...could be a very isolated area? And we could be incredibly high up.

[stillstands]

Darkness wouldn't go that far down. There's... an end to it. Surely you'd be able to see something...

[challengesfate]

...You would be surprised how dark a night can become, under the right circumstances.

[But...Grima can't be responsible for this. It can't. What evil dragon makes metal prisons in the sky?]

[stillstands]

... ...

[She. Really wants to believe that's true, but.]

I... guess we'll find out in the cafeteria, when he time comes....?

[challengesfate]

...I suppose we will.

[Miki don't make her take you into future!Ylisse.]

[stillstands]

Yeah.

[... She sighs.] And whatever else they want to tell us.

[challengesfate]

...What else could there be?

[Hi guess who hasn't learned about touch screens yet]

[stillstands]

... Have you not checked what's on the computer yet?

[well, luckily someone here can help her out. And make things 100% worse when she gets to read what's on there.]