Time for family movie night on the Windrose!

[pain_train]

Who: Crew of the Windrose
Broadcast: Nope
Action: On the Windrose, mingle time!
When: 11/25 and onward

[Wow, the ship's a little smaller, but lookit that view! Let's talk awkwardly about it and mingle!]

Comments

[thebestseller]

A library? Count me in. It's good that people are getting use out of it, though... considering the history behind it. It's like giving it a new life, a second chance.

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods.]

And to remind us all that things are rarely as they appear.

[thebestseller]

Especially when it comes to Atroma. They'll do ANYTHING for ratings, including involving us in a crisis involving another innocent species.

[unbearablynaive]

Indeed. If we had a better indicator of our audience, perhaps we could manufacture our own drama to their tastes - but that would defeat the point of a reality show, wouldn't it?

[thebestseller]

Yeah... the whole point is to make the audience think it's real, even if we know better behind the scenes. That is, if the audience actually does exist. Jury's still out on that for me.

[unbearablynaive]

Even though they've sent us letters?

[Yes, yes, they could easily be faked.]

The money in our accounts spends easily enough, at least.

[thebestseller]

Yeah... but some things just don't add up. There's fanmail and gifts, but how do we know actual fans are writing them? Atroma could make a lot of cash doing things like, say, setting up fan encounters where our fans could meet us or call us via space Skype or something, but nothing. It's like we're animals in the zoo, but we can't look back out of our cages at the people gawping at us, either.

[He sighed.]

You're right that they're paying us to do this, though, so they are making a profit somewhere.

[unbearablynaive]

Ah, but that would allow us to know what sort of audience they are. The letters have been very generic and--[he pauses, frowns]--frankly, the sponsor items I've seen have been low-quality at best. There's very little for us to go on.

[He supposes that enhances the "authenticity" of it all, but still.]

I suppose the alternative is a very rich person or persons who is funding this all themselves, but even so we must provide some kind of entertainment for them or they'd discontinue the show.

[thebestseller]

Yeah, people have said that about sponsor stuff. It's never anything useful, just... crap. You'd think sending better-quality products would give us a better incentive to use them.

[Castle nodded slowly.]

Mmmmhmmm. They're getting SOMETHING out of it, and I doubt it's just entertainment if this has been going on for years.

[unbearablynaive]

I'm sure they don't want to give us any kind of material advantage. There must be rules about what is and is not acceptable as a sponsor item.

Or it could be entertainment. Consider how long certain science fiction television shows had been running by 2015.

[thebestseller]

Good point. It's difficult to get much use out of cola bottles or coffee, after all. So they must carefully monitor what gets through to us. Big Brother is always watching.

[He nodded.]

This is true... even stuff that's been off the air for a while can have a following and merchandise and the whole shebang. With all the ways stuff can be preserved for future viewing- or rebooted twenty times- there's a lot you can wring out of a property if you squeeze hard enough.

[unbearablynaive]

Wasn't that one of the original reality shows? [Of course he knows the 1984 reference, but in this case, both apply.]

I'm afraid there already are action figures of my friends and coworkers, but I'd be quite interested to see a Windrose playset.

[thebestseller]

Mmhmm. And the whole premise was, well, a bit like this- go about your day to day lives while a camera crew films you. Except nobody gets voted off here by their or our choice.

[Castle raised an eyebrow.]

Funny you should say that- Wrath thinks I should have my own action figure, too.

[unbearablynaive]

It might be their choice, for all we know. We really still don't understand why people arrive or depart. [Or where they vanish to, if the "prize" is to go home.]

Oh? Well then, perhaps she's right.

[thebestseller]

True. And Atroma, as per their usual standards, dances around the question when you ask them. Cycles with a vague end date, ratings we can't monitor... all sorts of vagueness and misdirection. I'm going to start writing it all down. I want to figure things out.

[Castle winked.]

I'm definitely not cool enough for that. Cardboard cutouts are all I get.

[unbearablynaive]

And any real data hidden among it, no doubt. I'll contribute anything I hear.

One of those life-sized standups? [He looks impressed.]

[thebestseller]

I'd appreciate that. I do my best when I have a mystery to solve.

[He nodded.]

I get a new one for every book tour- been able to record a few commercials, too. I wouldn't want a bigger head than what those already give me.

[unbearablynaive]

Oh? [It's a questioning tone. The Vision hasn't pried too much into the home lives of his crewmates, but he is interested in anything they choose to share.]

Were they commercials for your own works, or sponsoring other products? Perhaps you could get us a shipment of some sponsor items of some type.

[thebestseller]

I help the police department solve cases back home. Long story. I got a foot in the door when there was a case where a killer was basing their murders on the ones I write in my books. Once I was cleared as a suspect, I solved the case and was allowed to be a special consultant for the NYPD.

They were for my own books. But hey, I wouldn't mind endorsing some products here- I have little shame.

[unbearablynaive]

[How very fascinating - the Vision's eyes widen appreciably.] And you were kept on because of your contributions, no doubt. I would imagine that provided a form of inspiration on its own, in a mutually beneficial arrangement?

I do hope the sponsors are listening.

[thebestseller]

Correctamundo. My specific inspiration was Kate... Detective Kate Beckett. I needed a new muse, and she became mine. Somewhere along the line, we fell in love.

Oh, I'm sure they're waiting with bated breath.

[unbearablynaive]

[He smiles.] A very good inspiration, then. And the cases themselves keep you on your toes?

[thebestseller]

She has been, yeah. And they do- it's a nice way to fill my day, I get to help people, and I get new ideas for my books every day.

[unbearablynaive]

Then if I see any mysteries here, I'll be certain to let you know.

[No murders, though. Hopefully.]

[thebestseller]

Oh, I'm sure we'll find plenty in due time.