driftfleet | one ○ video / action

Who: Caesar Zeppeli and your face
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Friday and Saturday before the shuffle!

[All things told, Caesar does not spend a lot of time on introspection when he arrives on the Marsiva. He takes a few moments to look at the stars - astonishingly bright and close, almost frighteningly so, when you're used to cities, or being too busy to look up and see the space that God made - and then looks away. For fear of being overwhelmed, maybe, or because he has other things to do.]

[Though he can't begin to imagine what they are. What do you do after you've died?]

[When he figures out how to access the network, he doesn't hesitate at all. Hesitating means thinking, and if he thinks too much about this his voice will come out weak, lost, confused. He is a Zeppeli; that would be unforgivable.]

[So it comes out strong, full, his syllables well-rounded and imbued with good humor.]

Buongiorno, all, I - seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere around Mars. I don't suppose anyone has a map?

[He chuckles briefly, then sombers. There's information in his head that he doesn't know the source of, but he can guess.]

There are many people trapped here. I know that much already. I know what is happening. What I don't understand is why.

[Or what is to be done about it. (Although where would he go, if he wasn't here?)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The last place I was kidnapped to drafted us into a war. It would not surprise me if Atroma had a similar, ulterior motive.

[He gives a shrug. ]

Or perhaps they simply delight in torturing people from other worlds. It may, indeed, just be for entertainment.

The last place you were kidnapped.

[There are serial kidnap victims here?]

Hm. It was called Exsilium. There are several of us here from that place. There are others from different worlds, where they similarly were kidnapped from their home worlds.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's my first time.

Sometimes, it comes as a boon. It makes settling into a situation like this easier. But you are right, for the most part, it is just a continuation of being torn from home.

Has anyone ever gotten away? Here or there.

People have vanished, in both places. It is presumed they went home, but there is no real proof of the matter.

[He's quiet for a moment. Home isn't a possibility anymore.]

No proof of anything either way, mm.

Unfortunately not. It would be too much like giving us hope if it was any other way. They'd much rather toy with us.

I can't imagine a fleet full of people without hope are very interesting, in the long run.

You would be surprised. Misery sells.

What dismal aliens we must be amusement for.

Whatever they are, there are a lot of them.

How can you be sure of numbers?

...Honestly? We cannot. Perhaps Atroma is lying to us about the number of viewers we have. We are often sent items from people they claim as our sponsors...but that may just be Atroma also.

Or, they could indeed be real. It is impossible to tell. We can only go by what they tell us.

Mm. What do they claim? And what kind of items do you receive?

That we are being watched by worlds. As for the items, they can vary. They are consistently useless, regardless.

Oh good.

[Caesar loves useless crap. He hopes it's at least heavy so he can hit somebody with it.]

Do you believe it? That there are that many viewers.