The Final Challenge

[airlockedmods]

[Welcome back, Champions. You've found everything that there is to find (for good or for ill), and now there's just one door left: The sealed, electronic door at the top of the room you woke up in.

It's time to gather your evidence, screw your courage to the sticking place, and carve your own place in the stars.]

Comments

[imnotfat]

[Here's Togami, with the Temerity shirt over his shoulder, not wearing it]

Now that we're gathered here, there's something I have to make clear before we start:

Jane Crocker and I aren't involved romantically, nor have ever been. That's all.

[cyan_maid]

[Following right behind, wearing one of the Temerity shirts still and holding the box of them,] Oh, for heaven's sake, I doubt any of the others even considered that a thing.

[She sets the box down in front of her.] There were loads of creepy things in the office we looked at - merchandise, weird dog plushies, the internet...but I found these, and I'm rightly pissed off. Temerity's symbol shouldn't belong to EP or the sick, creepy following we've seemed to gain. It's Bolton's - it's ours, and we should take it back and turn it from a marketing ploy into a real, true rebellion. [She nudges the box with her foot.] There's bound to be one that'll fit you in here.

[imnotfat]

It needed to be said loud and clear, Jane, and you know it.

[Not that the fans will believe it]

It should be added that just like Jane said, our plight in this game is being done for the entertainment of a lot of people. The website destined to publicize this game has five hundred million followers, and not a single one cares about what we're going through beyond considering it entertainment.

Whether they realize we're real people dying or not, or they know it and they still like what they see, is still something I'm not sure about.

We should focus on those behind the show, though.

[stitch_in_time]

[He looks at the box.]

[Looks up at Togami's expression.]

...yeah, all right.

[Digging through the box a little.]

[stitch_in_time]

I'd hope not.

[...Nice shirt, Togami.]

Anyway, more important than that. All this is being broadcast as some kind of- reality TV show or something.

And the others, they might not be dead! Jimmy an' I found some kind of footage of every that was murdered or executed in some kind of secondary layer of simulation.

[cyan_maid]

W-what?!

[Jane's eyes widen. They might not be - they might - ]

But, where are they? They'd be in pods too, wouldn't they? There were only the ones we were inside of!

[imnotfat]

Any hints of there being a way to get them out of the simulation?

[kingshaming]

..thank the gods, that'd be awful.

[cyan_maid]

[DAD SHE HAS BETTER TASTE THAN THAT actually she...doesn't...]

Xander, you too! You put on a shirt! [DIGGING OUT THE BIGGEST ONE FOR BEEF DAD] We have to be a united front on this!

[airlockedmods]

[The screen on the console next to the electronic door lights up with a blue symbol, and a familiar electronic voice rings out.

It seems that, while the staff may have left, the ship was not completely abandoned.]

Welcome, Champions. Have you all stayed hydrated? Are you hungry? I hope that you have woken up feeling quite rested.

[imnotfat]

Cut the needless questions and go straight to the point. What's the purpose of this meeting?

[cyan_maid]

[...

fucking AIs ruin everything]

[stitch_in_time]

CECE! Wish I could say it was good to see you. Not the best accommodations I've had, but I'd guess you're about to make us an offer in regards to changing that, am I right?

[theoverseers]

CECE! [at least someone is a little happy to see her.]

[ratherdoweddings]

You shouldn't say that like you care! Even if your viewers might act like we're fictional or even if you've convinced them we are, you know what you did to us!

[curdle]

We were not here alone. I know not what else you found in the room of beds, but under one there was this.

[ She whips out what is, thank god, not another picture of Xander in a speedo. It's the EDIT schedule. She'll pass it around if anyone wants to get a better look at it. ]

Perchance thou wouldst see something I have missed. But it seems a ledger of chores.

[cyan_maid]

[Hey Thomasin take a t-shirt come on join the poppy rebellion]

[refusedtoleave]

It seems that whoever that was here, left in a hurry.

[Natsuhi just holds out the folded piece of paper she found. But for those that can't see, she'll also read it out.]

The Command Deck

[airlockedmods]

[When Xander answers CECE's final question, the electronic door slides open to reveal the room beyond. A large, curving wall of glass looks out upon a vast expanse of space. There are seven chairs scattered around - one aloft above the others with a large keyboard, four across the bay of computers along the front wall, and two on either side (and below) the Captain's chair.

...It looks a little bit Star Trek.]

[kingshaming]

... holy shit

What kind of ship is this?

[imnotfat]

...you can't be serious.

[They were in space but it actually was a virtual reality but then they were in space after all. That has to be a joke]

[cyan_maid]

Oh my God...

[Don't...don't tell her they're still in a simulation...]

Re: The Command Deck

[stitch_in_time]

...no.

[Nope. Nope. Very potentially useful, but nope.]

First person to call me Spock gets smacked.

[curdle]

[ Thomasin steps forward quietly to stare at the stars, just like she did when she first showed up. This time, however, there's not a window but an entire wall. She's so entranced she almost forgets what's just happened.

Almost. ]

What is this?

(frozen comment) To Be Continued...

[theoverseen]

That's right fans, it looks like your favorite Champions from Season 2 will be making an appearance in the Vegas Quadrant! So make sure to come say hi and show up to get your picture taken with the Starship Temerity!

Season 3's coming soon, but if you want to stay on top of the action remember to subscribe to InterGal7's online solar streaming service to access exclusive bonus content! And stay tuned, because I know you're going to love the Overseer for next season.

Thanks again everybody, and as always I will see you in the next episode! Bye-bye!