Twelfth Cycle - Season Premier!

[thespaceopera]

[Everything is quite dark as the passengers regain consciousness, with little lights and panels on the walls just now beginning to wink to life. It seems as though everyone and their new homes are rising from slumber together. Even the air is sleepy, and it tastes stale--it must have been a long time since it's been anywhere other than recycled endlessly through this space.

And for a few minutes, the only sounds that aren't coming from the passengers themselves is the omnipresent hum of electrical and mechanical parts surrounding them on every side, and the occasional scratch of vermin-feet in the walls. Then, regardless of where each passenger wakes in their ship, a short musical tune and an exuberant female voice crackles to life over speaker panels in every room.]

--Good morning, honored passengers! My name is Diamond, and on behalf of Atroma and our entire audience, congratulations on being selected to participate in the twelfth cycle of Drift Fleet! We are all eager to get to know you, and I just know you must all be eager to get started, so let's get right to it!

[And with that, whoever happens to be on the bridge of their ship at the time will be treated to watching the solid panels slide away from the windows, revealing infinite black and uncountable stars... and whether or not they've ever been capable of comprehending the concept before, they immediately recognize outer space.]

In a few minutes, the HS Marsiva will come into view through the windows to my left. Please familiarize yourself with her presence.

For more information on your new roles, and of the Drift Fleet itself, please refer to the helpful information files already uploaded to the network. And from here on out, it shall be up to you to refer new cremates to these information files and to make sure that their stays on your crews are pleasant and rewarding!

...Also--speaking of your new responsibilities as crewmembers--I expect captain forms to be filled out and submitted by the end of the week.

[The smile practically drips from her voice at that last point, and there's a little pause before she continues]

And finally-- we won't be approaching our first system for a few days yet, so you are all encouraged to get to know each other and enjoy the ride in the meantime.

Welcome to Drift Fleet, and remember... the worlds are watching!

[and the voice cuts out, but the lines are still open. the network is live and listening.]



((ooc: the Fleet is now live! dive in and tag around! it's a good idea to put whether or not your thread is open to the network, and what ship you're on, in the subject of your reply. to see who is on which crew, please refer to this sheet! have fun!))

Comments

[aberrant_type]

Think of it as a learning opportunity!

[amarant]

-- yes, that's true.

It is terribly easy to forget that there's always more to learn.

[aberrant_type]

Well, there you go! You'll have to make your own rewards... or find them.

[amarant]

The easy part is thinking of those rewards. The hard part...well...gaining them, of course.

[aberrant_type]

Oh, well, if it was easy, everybody would be doing it! Hopefully we have a few strong leaders here who can show the way for others to improve their lots, hm?

[amarant]

...mm. And what kind of rewards are you looking for?

[aberrant_type]

Me? Oh, well, I have some business to finish at home... so getting to return to my home would be a fine reward for me. And perhaps some weaponry to take along with. How about you?

[amarant]

A disease. It needs to be eradicated.

[ Which would probably sound slightly less...strange if it wasn't coming from a young girl who sounds half-asleep right about now.

Oh well, probably just motion sickness or something. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Well, she's a curious person, and some young people in her world are responsible for very, very big things. She rolls with it.]

Oh, you'd have them heal that? Very altruistic of you.

[amarant]

[ Bless your heart. ]

It's what anyone else would want done.

[aberrant_type]

I imagine so! [and she really does] What's your name?

[amarant]

Emblica.

Who are you?

[ Not "what's your name" or anything. Nice. ]

[aberrant_type]

[she's pretty used to rude people, so it doesn't even turn a hair for her. She just carries on.]

Zoe Hange. Have you been to space before, Emblica?

[amarant]

No, never. I've never even thought it possible.

By the way, is that your preferred name or your full name?

[aberrant_type]

You can call me Hange, that's fine! That's what most people call me. What a thoughtful question.

[amarant]

Hange. I'll remember it.

I only have one name, but I know others have more than that. I'd rather ask than guess incorrectly.

[aberrant_type]

Very thoughtful. What did you do before you arrived here, if you don't mind my asking?

[amarant]

I made medicines. My father taught me how.

[aberrant_type]

... How old are you?

[amarant]

Fourteen. We started when I was much younger.

[aberrant_type]

Impressive! You must be very precocious. I can see why you'd want that disease eradicated... although it might put you out of a job!

[amarant]

It might, if it were possible.

I wouldn't mind not having a job in that case.

[aberrant_type]

Very good. I'd be interested to see you at work one of these days!

[amarant]

I'll try...but the medicines here aren't what I'm used to. It won't be the same.

[aberrant_type]

I'm sure you'll try to pick it up anyway, right?