Chapter Two [video]

[thebestseller]

Who: (a glitchy) Richard Castle and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva hallways
When: All week

Action

[Castle hadn't noticed it before, but all of a sudden he'd become very, very aware of a mechanical hum inside the walls. He figured every ship had its own unique background noise, but this was something different. Oh, finally, something for him to investigate! He wasn't sure it would get him very far, but it was something.

All throughout the week, people could find Castle pacing the hallways like a restless tiger, trying to locate the source of the noise.

Or, perhaps, fellow engineers or maintenance folks could find him attempting to remove a wall panel, or tinkering with what was inside, or else carefully transcribing what he was finding onto his device.

Anybody else with an augment that didn't fit? Well, that's up to you.]


Broadcast

I think my memory's starting to go, folks. I'm getting a serious sense of deja vu when I walk the hallways every day, but damned if I know what's setting it off. Like I know something should be there, but there's a big blank. Just me?

Comments

[thebestseller]

[Castle sighed.]

I'm glad to know you understand, though. Part of me wants Alexis to show up, even though I know she's a lot safer back where she belongs.

[dancingmd]

[She nods.] When I first came, I thought maybe Wesley would find me somehow - he has certain... gifts, so it wasn't entirely an unfounded hope - but now... Especially after what they have done to us in the calibrations, I am glad he didn't.

[thebestseller]

Yeah. I wouldn't want to put her through something like that. I know I can't protect her from everything, but there's a difference between normal things and knowing she could be having her mind meddled with here.

[dancingmd]

[She shudders, thinking about if Wesley had been forced to relive Jack's death or the Nova Squadron incident over again. Her voice goes quiet when she next speaks.]

The worst part is... there are so many children here, that Atroma has done that to and has taken away from their parents. It makes me sick to think about.

[thebestseller]

Me, too. Most of them seem to be okay taking care of themselves, but some of them are so young... it's awful that any of us are here, but to bring kids just to be a show contestant? That's all sorts of levels of depraved.

[dancingmd]

It makes me wonder just what the hell kind of audience wants to see that.

[thebestseller]

IF there is an audience. I'm not sure what to believe about that at this point.

[dancingmd]

Oh somebody is watching us, of that I am sure, whether or not we are actually on a television show.

[thebestseller]

I can definitely agree with that. It makes my skin crawl.

[dancingmd]

Mine too, when I let myself think about it.

[Anyway... she tucks her tricorder back in her pocket.]

You said the deja vu shows up when you walk the hallways, right? Perhaps we ought to take a little trip.

[thebestseller]

[Castle nodded and stretched, moving to leave the room.]

Investigation- that's what I'm best at.

[dancingmd]

Good. The last time I did this I nearly got myself fired.

[Beat.]

Of course I suppose that's not really a problem here, is it?

[thebestseller]

[Castle laughed.]

Honestly, I think if we were gonna get fired or kicked off, it would've happened by now. And either way, we've got nothing to lose.

[dancingmd]

[Maybe not nothing... There are her friends and her crew to consider but his point is taken.]

And hopefully it will lead us to some clues about what is really going on in this place.

[thebestseller]

At this point I'd settle for just knowing if the audience is actually there or not.

[dancingmd]

[Beverly opens the door and starts out into the hallway.]

Any real information at all, really, I'd be satisfied with. I've been her for over six months now and this is the first time we've even had Diamond or Beau respond to us.

[thebestseller]

Six months? Really? Man, they're doggedly determined to keep us as in the dark as possible, aren't they?

[dancingmd]

Which tells me that they are worried we actually might be able to do something about the situation. If we were truly powerless against them, they wouldn't be so careful about hiding things from us.

[thebestseller]

Exactly. And that could be why their narrative has, thus far, always been "you're all so happy to be our guests!" even when everything people tell them should show them otherwise. Like if they keep repeating it enough, we'll be pacified.

[dancingmd]

If they think I'll ever be pacified about this, they're severely misguided.

[She's never going to forgive Atroma for taking her from Wesley, and she rather suspects Castle feels the same about Alexis.]

[thebestseller]

Me, too. I got a wedding to plan back home. They can go ahead and vote me off any time they want.

[dancingmd]

[It must be particularly difficult for him, having a fiance to get back to. At least Beverly doesn't have to worry about anything like that. So she gives him a sympathetic smile before getting down to business.]

Is there a specific section of the hallway giving you the deja vu?

[thebestseller]

Not yet, it's...

[He paused. There it was- the humming that was different from the normal noise of the ship.]

That humming again. Mechanical noises in the walls. That's what starts it for me.

[dancingmd]

[Beverly stops and frowns, straining to hear.]

I don't hear anything unusual.

[Nevertheless, she flips open her tricorder and starts scanning.]

Can you tell which direction it's coming from?

[thebestseller]

Is "everywhere" an appropriate response? Because I can't really pinpoint one source... it's like I can suddenly hear the ship's innards.