theairlock | the mock mingle

[An hour ago you woke up in a bed that wasn't yours, awakened by a chirpy, feminine voice coming from the device on your non-dominant arm. The voice cheerfully requests that you exit your sleeping quarters and to please make your way to the the main deck of the ship for a debriefing on your circumstances.

It was around this time you might have noticed the clothes you last remember wearing are gone and replaced with this little number. If you take a moment to check out the Personal Identification Program on your arm, you'll find a touch screen with a few icons that lead to a series of 21 profiles and a series of apps that lead to note-taking functions and a number of customization appearance screens. The profiles all contain a photo of each Champion, their name and title, their age, species and world of origin.

As you stumbled out of your chrome-y quarters (into an equally chrome-y hallway), with every step the floor lights up under your feet, illuminating the dark ship a little at a time. On one side of the hallway are a series of mechanical doors with screen pads embedded on the walls next to them. A quick flash of your PIP will open them for you without hassle. On the opposite side of the hallway are a long string of windows showing nothing but vast amounts of stars and the deep, dark blackness of deep space. Once you reach the end of the hallway you'll find a large central living space with 20 other people, the same people from the profiles, either there already or filing in along with you. Floating well above everyone's heads in the middle of the room is a large computer screen. Once everyone piled in, the screen blinked to life and the same voice from your PIPs greeted you in the same peppy tone from before.

The voice introduced herself as the Champion Excellence Control Environment or C.E.C.E. before welcoming you to the Deep Space Champion Excellence Program, explaining that you were selected for this program based on being the best in your particular field in your particular world, hence the title of "Champion". In this program you will be expected to live communally together here on the ship for as long as possible. The ship is fully-functional and fully-stocked for an extended stay.

Oh? You don't want to stay and participate in the program? That's alright, there's an easy fix to that! All you have to do is kill one of your fellow Champions and not get caught. That is easy enough, right? Right.

When the debriefing is complete, the screen dims but doesn't turn off completely. If need be C.E.C.E. is available to answer any more questions you have throughout the week. For now, you're free to explore the ship as you like. There's the communal dining hall, a zero gravity room, a kitchen, a holo deck, the central living area and the personal quarters everyone woke up in.

Go make some friends, dears, you may be here a while.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...oh.]

Using a combination of various technologies, my body's functions were slowed down to almost nothing, and I essentially went to sleep for a thousand years.

[Oh, that explains things.] Were you...the only one among the people of that time who did this? [Why else would she be the "Champion" of it.]

There was supposed to be one more, but he was in another part of the world entirely. I don't know what happened to him.

Was it difficult, to wake up many years later with no one you knew around you? [A pause] Is that why you've taken to this new situation so well and so swiftly?

It was a little more complicated than that. When I woke up, my memory had deteriorated, and by the time I really remembered what I'd left behind I was already getting used to the new world.

[Though she doesn't make any eye contact during that explanation...]

I guess it is a little easier this time, since at least I know what's going on.

That would make the change easier, I suppose. [He pauses.] When you finish your map, we should hold a meeting so that you can share it with all of us. [Watch that not happen until the trial.]

[Well, some people are getting an early peek, but... yeah.]

Right. It should be possible to copy it to everyone's PIPs. Maybe even share it between them, so we can update it if we find anything new.

Really? Those devices can accomplish that as well? How useful.

Well, maybe. There are devices like these that can do that.

Even if it cannot, there is probably a wall we can attach it to. [Just stick it on the fridge]

[It's a really good map and everyone is very proud of her?]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a projection system somewhere.

Projection? I assume you are not speaking of the translation of the surface of the world from a sphere to a flat surface.

[Blinkblink. Oh right, the word "projection" means that, too, doesn't it?]

I'm thinking of a device that uses a pattern of light to produce images. [Hm...] Like shadow puppets, but more complex.

I see. So it could replicate the detail of your map?

If it exists.

It sounds simple enough. Could one be assembled from what we have here?

If there isn't an electronic one, we can't really build one of those, so we'd need to go more low-tech. That means we'd need transparent material to redraw the map on. That might not be available.

[...or you guys could use the holodeck. Just saying.]

[I'm gonna say he hasn't checked out the holodeck yet.]

How transparent would it need to be? [Another pause] How waterproof is your ink? Wetting paper can make it more transparent.

[Neither has she, I decided. She's gonna feel dumb later.]

More than that, I'm afraid. For it to really work it would need to be transparent like the windows.

I see. [A pause] Perhaps there is spare glass somewhere.

Don't worry about it. I can just make paper copies if I need to.

That would work as well, I suppose. You are very diligent.

Well, in the Labyrinth, you have to be.

[Etrian Odyssey, the series where taking a moment to relax in a meadow can get you killed. By butterflies.]

I can see that. Perhaps I should have suggested that instead of school for those more troublesome students.

Only if you wanted them to die.

(no subject)

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