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

[newcycle]

So far... everyone I talked to has been kidnapped too.

[she raises her hands to yank at her wolftails and-- oh yeah.]

You're not alone at least.

[theundertaken]

I guess that's good? I don't know why anybody would kidnap me, but it wouldn't be for money, so that just leaves, uh. I dunno, fun?

[yeeeesh]

Lotta people to kidnap at once.

[newcycle]

Seriously.

Just-- give me someone to talk to-- or punch or-- gaaaah. I'll solve this, one way or another.

[ARGH, she looks so frustrated.]

[theundertaken]

It could be aliens. You gonna punch an alien? [He sounds more impressed than skeptical.]

[newcycle]

I don't know what an alien is, but I've punched some really tough dudes in my life.

[theundertaken]

Oh, yeah? Like who?

[newcycle]

How about a 50 foot tall giant spirit monster?

[theundertaken]

Well shit, man, you can't just say something like that and not tell the story!

[newcycle]

[she laughs and practically jumps at the chance to tell the story before remembering]

Well-- okay. He was my uncle, and it was a really bad situation. But I definitely punched him, using the spiritual energy of the universe.

All in a day's work for the Avatar.

[theundertaken]

Whaaaaaaaat is the Avatar?

[he is super here for this forget all this space station bullshit]

[newcycle]

I am. I'm a waterbender, a firebender, an airbender, and an earthbender.

My job is keeping balance in the world.

[ok, she still sounds a little proud, but this is so toned down from what seems like only a couple of months ago for her.]

[theundertaken]

...could we maybe start from the top? You lost me at waterbender.

[newcycle]

Oh-- I am not actually used to explaining that part. [said with a nervous laugh.]

I don't have any water on me, but I'll show you the other ones.

[first-- how about a small flame, coming from her hand?]

[theundertaken]

Holy shit -

[OKAY OKAY give him a second to observe that the fire is not harming her or causing the space station to explode]

How the fuck did you do that?

[newcycle]

It's bending!

[the fire disappears, but now? Now she's making a little whirly-ball of air between her hands.

And it's clear? She's delighting in his reaction.]

[theundertaken]

Holy shit, you're a wizard.

[theundertaken]

.........Harry.

[newcycle]

... Harry?

[oop, ball gone, confused face]

[theundertaken]

...he's a wizard. That was a stupid joke, don't worry about it. Do the - wait, can you do the earth one without any dirt?

[newcycle]

Uh...

[she glances around them and-- this one. Might? take a lot more effort?

She can feel the earth particles in the metal when she holds her hand out to the wall, but manipulating them is way harder than she expected.

in fact, she can only manage a minor dent]

That-- should be easy?

[theundertaken]

[MINOR PANIC AT DAMAGE TO SPACE STATION]

Okaaaaay wow, forget I said anything, and please never do that again!

[newcycle]

[she looks at him, looks at the space station

and... fixes her dent]

Sorry, I'm normally a pretty good metalbender.

[theundertaken]

It's fine! Just, uh, I'm pretty sure if we break through the walls even a little, then all the air and then all of us will get sucked out into the cold dark vacuum of space! I mean, that's how space works.

[newcycle]

It is?

Well, I could keep the air inside, if it came down to it... I think.

[theundertaken]

...you think so? It's a lot of air. And you'd probably have to sleep sometime, unless wizards don't sleep, but that sounds stupid now that I'm saying it out loud.