audio | 01

[tuskenlancer]

[She knows where she is, or at least where the aliens have claimed she is. It seems fantastic to think that they’re actually telling the truth, but then, why anyone would bother to make up such a story is equally inexplicable.

She’d taken a few days just to watch, to learn what she can, to get a feel for the place and the people in it. Most of what’s being posted on the network is crap. People whining about money, about food, whining just for the sake of whining.

There are a few interesting tidbits of information, though. The word resistance catches her eye, puts her on guard instantly, and though she quickly determines that it’s not the same resistance, that nothing is the same here, it’s still unnerving, just to hear the familiar word.

The curfew doesn’t sound promising, either.

It’s only when she digs a little deeper that she finally runs across a familiar face, and freezes. No. Here, of all places - here, wherever here is, and she still hadn’t gotten away from them all? She quickly searches for more, reading every last one of York’s public posts, but he never mentions her, never mentions looking for her, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else from the Project here, or anyone from the UNSC at all.

At least that’s something.

She’s not too big on the idea of giving herself away, though, and so when she does finally sit down at the console and speak to the network, it’s audio only, and her voice modifier is on. The voice is unrecognizable as her own, or as a woman's voice at all.]

So.

Has anyone managed to learn anything useful about what this place really is?

[It's as much to create a stir as anything, to see if anyone has any interesting theories or if they're all as blindly accepting of this as they seem.]

Comments

audio

[agentdork]

[ SO CHEERFUL, because this hasn't stopped being weird to him 8D ]

It's a turtle!

audio

[tuskenlancer]

[Goddammit.

Of course he'd be the very first one to answer.

There's a noticeable delay before she responds, and the tension and irritation are audible even through the voice modifier.]

I know that's what they say it is.

audio

[agentdork]

[ RELAX BRO seriously. ]

I dunno, it seems pretty likely? Don't know why they'd call it that it it wasn't.

...You okay, though? 'cause I mean it's really jarring at first, turtle or not turtle.

audio forever until she inevitably hangs up on him

[tuskenlancer]

[no.]

You think it's likely that we're all in a city on the back of a giant turtle?

[And too sharply,]

I'm fine.

yep

[agentdork]

Well, we got yanked here from whatever we were doing. Seems kinda likely that a weird option might be the right one.

audio

[shootingshields]

Strange as it is, this place is actually a turtle. There was an incident not very long ago regarding its flipper.

[That is the weirdest thing to say in a non-joking manner.]

audio

[tuskenlancer]

The...flipper?

[She sounds wary, still, and though the way she's side-eyeing the camera isn't visible, it hardly needs to be.]

So you've actually seen this turtle.

audio

[shootingshields]

Personally, no, but I know and trust the word of some people who have -- who were at the actual flipper. I'm well aware of how ridiculous it all sounds, and I was disinclined to believe at first myself.

audio

[tuskenlancer]

Maybe you know and trust them, but I don't even know you.

Sorry if I'm not exactly willing to just take your word for it.

audio

[shootingshields]

No, that's a fair point, and if the positions weren't reversed, I'm not sure I'd believe me either. You could venture there yourself and get your own confirmation.

But I doubt I'll be the only person to tell you this.

audio;

[trainwrecked]

Besides the physical - which you clearly got informed about - it's also apparently in danger, and we're called here to try and save it. The local population is of two minds about how successful we'll be at that.

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

Oh yeah? Have they considered the fact that maybe we don't want to come save the day? That maybe we have other things to do?

audio;

[trainwrecked]

It's been brought up a time or dozen. Apparently, time stops while you're here, so the other things can get done, anyway.

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

[She scoffs, not doing a thing to try to hide it.]

Time stops while we're here.

[yeah sure it does.]

audio;

[trainwrecked]

That's the word. Enough people come from later than others to vouch for nobody having been missing, I suppose, nobody's yet argued about that. That I've seen or heard, that is.

audio;

[tasteforpoison]

You mean besides a city built on the back of a giant turtle?

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

[argh why. Why does everyone just accept this. It's sarcasm time.]

Yes. That's right. The city on a giant turtle thing wasn't weird enough, so I'm just wondering if there are fountains of chocolate anywhere around here. Or maybe unicorns running around farting trails of rainbows behind them.

Have you seen anything like that?

audio;

[tasteforpoison]

Can't say that I have, but there are a couple other foreigners who can fly apparently, and they got a bird's eye view of the turtle.

[Yeeeup, ignoring that sarcasm.]

Haven't heard of anyone having proof that this really is an in-between place though. That one is still up in the air.

[And at least on that point, CT will hear doubt in Yelena's voice.]

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

[RISE TO THE BAIT, YELENA]

...People have ships here?

[Because otherwise how could they fly? She snorts at the last part, shaking her head even though Yelena can't see it.]

I'm not even touching that crap.

audio;

[tasteforpoison]

[MAKE HER.]

No they can...actually fly. I think. I haven't seen it so I don't know how but I heard somewhere.

[There's so much weird crap here she's just had to suspend her sense of disbelief.]

How would anyone fly with a ship? This isn't one of those crazy space things is it?

[She's already been confused by wormholes as explained by Megamind okay.]

video;

[storm_warning]

[Ororo comes online with her elbow rested on the edge of the console and her chin nested in her palm. All in all, she looks pretty blank.]

Yeah. I've learned it's no paradise.

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

[She's the first person who's actually responded with the video function. CT doesn't switch from audio herself, but she stares curiously, trying to get an idea of just what kinds of people are in this place.]

Was it the riots or the curfews that tipped you off?

[Her voice is dry, but not precisely mean. She's tried to do her homework.]

video;

[storm_warning]

[The lack of video back's a bit odd, but who's she to judge? White hair before twenty, and an ex-boyfriend with blue fur... plenty of reasons to avoid video.]

Nah. I'd say it was the executions that kicked that mess off that did it.

audio;

[tuskenlancer]

[CT snorts bitterly, the sound not quite a laugh. Yeah, that would do it.]

Do you know why they did it?

audio;

[storm_warning]

A couple of the locals were going to kill some of us Foreigners. [Ororo doesn't know a lot of the details, but that's the summation she got.] Robocop didn't like that and executed them in front of everyone like some sort of twisted message.