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

[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.