Trial 001 [Radio, audio only] [Public]

[portal_refugee]

I'll admit, you've got one interesting place here.

[The voice belongs to a young woman, and sounds to be in her early to mid-twenties. A bit tired perhaps, but whatever stress she feels is being carefully restrained as she begins her plea for information - with an introduction naturally.] As practiced as that orientation is at the Welcome Center, I take it everyone is rather used to newcomers. So, hi. Name's Abigail, and I'm from a city called San Fransokyo.

[There's a pause that follows, but the hesitation is shaken off as she proceeds to her point.]

Just walking into the city in the first place showed me a lot. And keeping an open mind, the whole Great Turtle is begging a lot of questions, but I have one thing I would like to confirm.

For lack of a better way to say it, did time really stop back where we came from? Has anyone been able to verify it somehow? I ask because I transitioned here at a really...inopportune moment.

Comments

[androit]

There's no rush. I think my job is pretty secure for the time being.

Oh, it's by ferry to get to shore, then you have to hoof the rest. Not too far, though, but it all depends on how well you deal with cold. Yeah, I'd say it's bigger. More... vertical.

[portal_refugee]

There is if I get a craving for melonpan. [Just talking about it makes her want some. Then again, she's hungry enough for just about anything.]

Is the temperature about equivalent of what Keeliai is experiencing? [She won't like it one bit, especially if the wind is more intense.]

Vertical? Does the city extend underground compared to the terrain surrounding the mountain?

[androit]

Oh, true, in that case. By all means.

Outside, it's colder. Inside the city proper, it's warmer thanks to—I think they're using geothermal heat? Pretty convenient.

It might somewhat? But more that it's a mountain so there's a lot of high space to work with anyway. Like citywide skybridges if you have those.

[portal_refugee]

[Warmer inside is a compelling incentive to endure the colder trip to reach it, but for the time being, a blanket would be a sufficient improvement.]

That sounds nice.

An elevated terrain formation doesn't have to be particularly great in height to be called a mountain, and if the city is bigger than Keeliai, that sets some minimum dimensions. [In a vague sense, it does help set some expectations for Abigail. Enough that she won't bother him with other questions about its layout.]

San Fransokyo has a few skybridges, but in a city prone to quakes, it's not usually wise to link too many structures together.

[androit]

There's a lot of, uh, people there, too. Like... not humans? Or human-shaped?

[ Which is weird. That's weird, right? He's allowed to talk about it??? ]

Yeah. Probably better to see it for yourself. It's definitely worth at least the one trip. [ It isn't that he's being bothered, it's that he has a complete inability to communicate well. Poor dear. ]

No, I hear you. That sounds like for the better. Doubt they get many of those here or the structure wouldn't be nearly as settled as it is.

[portal_refugee]

[Don't ask Abigail, she has no idea about what is socially acceptable to talk about or not around here.]

Friendly at least I hope.

[It is an area for improvement, but even if he could clearly communicate more details, Abigail is aware that she will gain a much more solid insight through personal experience.]

[androit]

Oh yeah. They're civilized, seem to understand our situation more than I do. Apparently they've caught some broadcasts and things all the way out here if I heard right.

[portal_refugee]

Does that include the radio broadcasts, or only those from the consoles?

[Please tell her she did not just advertise herself to an entire second city as well.]

[androit]

I... think just from the consoles? Sounded like the radios they hand out at the Welcome Center are supposed to be for us interlopers only.

[portal_refugee]

[Thank Guglielmo Marconi!] Hadn't seen an antennae tall enough for such a distant broadcast, not to mention the challenge of broadcasting into a mountain, but I am not in a position to assume anything today. Even if they did mention the radio is for people that weren't from here.

[Then she shares an amusing observation.] Science fiction as I know it rarely pictured aliens like this. Completely lost and confused.

[androit]

See, now you're bringing logic into it and I'm not sure how smart that actually is.

It'd make for a pretty refreshing movie, but it isn't so fun from the inside.