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

[theundertaken]

Yeah, whoever put those together has it in for some of us. Mine seems mostly okay, except I don't really have a job right now.

[What...does he do with these eggs...

...get cheese, obviously]

They gave you a shitty championship.

[andjerry]

Cariacatures- like at amusement parks? [But he flinches when he hears Max's last words and while someone was going to ask eventually, he still doesn't know what to say. He hides his face in the instructions for turning this neon orange powder into something edible, but it obviously worries him.]

It's not a good choice of words, is it? I think it means I help out when I'm needed. I'm an assistant to the real officers back home, and my sister... she owns a bar, but she can't be everywhere at once.

[theundertaken]

I guess? I was living in Orlando until super recently, but I didn't work at Disney or anything. Doubt I'll find a job that good where I am, either...or, where I was?

[Huh. Well, anyway - he waves a hand dismissively.]

It's fine, dude, I'm not gonna pre-judge you based on some whackjob's weird naming skills. I mean, they stuck that one poor kid with "Champion Mother" and she's literally fourteen. Though, uh, I get helping out family and all, but you oughta get some kickback if the bar's doing well. Bartender's an important part of that.

[andjerry]

[Thank you for dropping it, Max, thank you so much, and the relief almost vibrates off him as he brightens.] It's not a problem. It lets me try new things people wouldn't want to eat at work. What your audience wants and what you want to do are really different a lot of the time, aren't they? [He stirs in the cheese powder, confident hands but a cautious, skeptical eye.]

[theundertaken]

Welllll...yeah. That’s true.

[Still seems shady, but that’s not something he’s gonna press with a guy he just met.]

So you do, like, admin stuff?

[andjerry]

I take care of records. Sometimes I monitor the holding cells. I prepare meals every day. I didn't ever think I would be a peace officer, but it's a quiet town.

[please let's stop talking about me Max]

If it isn't too personal, I thought an artist could always have a job.

[theundertaken]

Meals for...the holding cell people?

[It's not a jail, right, they don't stay there that long?]

Yeah, sure, maybe. I just moved to a different town like, two days ago, I haven't gone and looked for something new yet.

[andjerry]

Everyone at the station. It might be why they still let me work there. [and there's a laugh, self-deprecating but maybe still a little proud, as he gestures towards a bowl like he could get it or Max]

Were you looking forward to it? Your new town?

[theundertaken]

Ever thought of just going into cooking?

[He reaches over to get the bowl, handing it to Thomas.]

Eh. I dunno, it wasn't really like that. I went there for family stuff.

[andjerry]

[and somewhere in the future there's an echo of francis york morgan. He shakes his head as he lays the bowl down and plans his next move.]

They need me there. It's the same as it is with my sister. Your family needed you, so you picked up everything and left.

[theundertaken]

Mmmmm. I've never had coworkers who were like family. Sounds nice.

[He looks down at the bowl as well.]

We could get coffee from Coffee Guy, set up a whole breakfast bar. But I dunno what this meeting's gonna be like, maybe people won't want it right then.

[andjerry]

["We" so quickly: he doesn't know what to think of that, so accepts it without commenting.] I hadn't thought of that. We can get it ready, and if we get bad news, I can warm everything back up later.

[theundertaken]

[Well why not, they’re literally collaborating on space breakfast. Max doesn’t seem to think anything of it.]

Yeah, sounds good. [He starts looking around for something to put over the bowl.] What do you think they want to meet with us for?

[andjerry]

[that's because Max has self-esteem and Thomas isn't used to people wanting to join him, even in something small like putting away a half-finished meal; he nods, back at work in a moment, and that work is the most familiar anything's felt since he's been here]

There's so much that doesn't make sense. Maybe it's a chance to ask questions.

[theundertaken]

[It's okay, he'll understand that a lot better later.]

What kind of mass kidnappers hold Q&A sessions?

[andjerry]

[]

It doesn't feel like kidnapping. It is, but- [he shakes his head, flustered momentarily as he tries to grab his meaning]

-kidnappers don't normally give people everything we've seen.

[theundertaken]

...yeah, it's weird. But I dunno what they could tell us that would make it not seem like kidnapping. I mean, half of us are actual kids.

[andjerry]

Some of them still sound like children. They shouldn't need to get mixed up in this, they should be finishing high school or out having fun.

[theundertaken]

Not that I disagree, but half of them sound like wizards or something. They’ve got shit on their plate back home that they shouldn’t have to deal with either. Whole thing’s screwed up.

[andjerry]

...that's true. But I think that makes it worse. There's a young woman here, Korra. She's convinced she has to go back home and save the world, and she looks like my sister who can't even drink yet.

[theundertaken]

Yeah. Wish I could say I’m glad they’re outta there, but this doesn’t look any better. You see the rules?

[andjerry]

I did, but- [he can't really wrap his head around them]

Do you think they really mean killing? This monitor on me shocked me when I tried to take it off, maybe they only want to see how far we go and then... they stop it.

[theundertaken]

Shit, dude, why’s everyone else fucking with those? Are you okay?

[He doesn’t exactly grab for Thomas, but there’s a motion like he wants to see his PIP arm.]

[andjerry]

[and he rolls up his sleeve where there shouldn't be any burns or anything strange, offering his arm to Max and looking away like he doesn't want sympathy.]

I'm all right, really! Someone had to find it out.

[theundertaken]

[He looks at it, and yeah, it looks fine. Not like he has any real idea what he would've done if it wasn't.]

Nooooooo, not really. You could've electrocuted yourself.