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

[ Nero has wandered to the kitchen - god, this suit is disgusting. Nothing like he'd usually wear. But he notices the other, giving his own unimpressed gaze. ]

...These meals seem made for safety first. That is, if they're even food.

[ He felt a lot weaker without his Gunblade nor giant hammer. He had gotten okay at fighting unarmed with his hands back in the Void, but... ]

They seem to be dried for preservation and storage space. A quaint method of carrying food on long voyages, from before the era of UMN item transfers.

At least it should be evident if someone attempts to tamper with them.

...So, it is more advanced then the methods of my... planet. [He seems to use the term as if he's not needed to use it before. hello this smug asshole hasnt even left eorzea before. ] But it confirms one thing - if we do not seek escape, there's supplies for quite some time. More then long enough to explore.

[ Almost a pity. He'd love to see some people starve, the thought crossing his mind with a grin. ]

And that it shall be, Ser.

...Nero Tol Scaeva. My Champion title is irrelevant - more of a joke of our gracious hosts, if anything.

[ he is the champion of puns but he is also much more!!! ]

Of course, it would ruin their entertainment should we grow too weak to pose a threat to each other.

Commander Margulis. My Champion title is irrelevant as well, beyond the curiosity of how they knew that name in the first place.

Of course.

They took us - would they not know of matters of our homes? I'd be disappointed if they'd not spied on us.

[ and decided he was THE BETTER ONE TO TAKE

TAKE THAT CID

But now Nero is thinking. ]

...Spying without detection. What wonderful technology.

It goes beyond mere knowledge of our homes. To know that name, they'd have yo have infiltrated the organization itself. Either that, or they posses some method of stealth capable of completely hiding their presence for extended periods of time and of sneaking aboard one of our ships without arising suspicion.

Exactly! Such handy technology - a pity it's in the hands of our captors.

[ see he does pun ]

Imagine! So many disasters could be averted if it were in my hands! And now there's a chance.

[ He wouldn't be. Hunted down by the Garlean Empire. If he could have spied better. ]

Given the old fashioned nature of this ship, it seems unlikely they would employ anything too advanced. It's possible they have a Life Recycling Variant capable of either moving about unnoticed or perusing our memories.

[ ...Okay, Nero has to stop you. ]

This is... old fashioned?!

They're still using solid screens rather than solid projections, and the EVS works on holographic technology rather than a dive system. It's archaic even by the standards of a history enthusiast such as myself.

[ EVS - one of many terms Margulis has said that Nero is not familiar with. But, at the same time, he closes his eyes and leans more into the wall. ]

And to think, Garlemald would see these as advanced. Technology such as this has been lost to the eras, I'm quite afraid to say. Ancient, only brought on by Allag!

Lost technology? It almost sounds like something out of a book...I take it there was some manner of disaster?

[ Nero can nerd about this a lot. He actually got to see the Emperor. He loves his Allag. ]

That there was - trying to harness the power of an Eikon in a false moon. Ended an Era, and froze the Emperor in time.

A pity he simply wanted to fight when the moon fell and his resting place emerged.

That sounds similar to what happened to Lost Jerusalem with the Zohar. Although in that case, there's no record of lost technology.

...I'm unfamiliar with your... planet. Alas, Eorzea - and the entire planet - have no space travel.

[ except for dragons but nero did not do 3.x ]

But there is not just records... there are weapons. Ah, those dear weapons... still sitting there, ready to be found.

That's a strange concept. Then again, with the other impossibilities I've seen today, alternate dimensions are the only explanation. I suppose not all of them will be capable of space travel.

Such a pity. I would have liked to be aware if I was going to another dimension.
[ he seems so casual about alternate dimensions. ]
But that takes us back to our dear invitees. If they had the power to bring us from other universes... perhaps they simply observed from one.

Hmm...even U-TIC has no way of constantly observing Imaginary Space. If they can access that, observing us would become trivially simple.

She observed.

[ A beat. ]

The Cloud of Darkness, ruler of the Void in Eorzea. I'd not expect them to work with her, however. Much too dangerous.

You'd be surprised how many will work with dangerous individuals.

[Himself included.]

[ and him ]

True - but she is one who doesn't negotiate or desire anything but destruction.

And I take it this is far too petty for her interest?

the mock mingle

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