one . video

[misconceived]

WHO Chris Halliwell
BROADCAST Network unfiltered video.
ACTION The SS Huntress.
WHEN Shortly after the Shuffle.

Again?

[ This is a young man circling around as he's transported to his new ship, the SS Huntress. He's mostly talking to his new crewmates but there's that unknowing broadcast going out, too. ]

Moved around twice in twenty-four hours, and this one is not nearly as nice as the first one. We're supposed to stay here while we play this stupid game? [ Psht. ] Which, by the way, I didn't sign up for. Did anyone? Because I was in the middle of something, you know, important.

Comments

[misconceived]

No way. Where are they from, then?

[ YES. AMERICANS UNITE. ]

Ah, right. Chris. Pretty rainy up there, isn't it?

[ladiesss]

[WEST COAST, WHAT UP]

Uh... Places I've never heard of. Other worlds and planets and stuff... Or, if they're from Earth, they're from ancient Japan, or it's been invaded by aliens or something.

But yeah. Pretty rainy. The rumors are true.

[misconceived]

[ WEST COAST SUPREMACY. ]

You know, I'd laugh, but considering our current situation... [ Aliens don't sound so far-fetched. ] Ancient Japan, though. So, what? Like, time travel?

[ladiesss]

Yeah... Kind of. Here, uh, here's my current theory.

[she looks ready to start gesturing and gathering a big thought together, when--]

Wait, hold up. You probably know the basic idea of like, sci-fi alternate realities, right?

[misconceived]

Uh, sort of. That's when one reality isn't the same as another one, right? Something big is different between them.

[ Kind of like alternate timelines but not stuff you could actually change. ]

[ladiesss]

Yeah, okay, this is gonna be easy.

[despite her... excited tone, her voice still hasn't gone anywhere. it's safe to assume she'll be whispering forever. she kind of has a fairy curse, alas...]

So, I can't prove anything, and I'm really not an expert on interdimensional-whosimawhatsits or whatever, but... I've been in a couple of different places like this, and I think they've got access to all possible things that might exist. People from different planets, galaxies, universes, alternate universes, maybe even people who are just figments of imagination, I don't know. But these places can pluck people out from any of these places.

I guess, to put it simply... Aliens might have gone around and kidnapped a couple people from all possible versions of sentient existence.

[misconceived]

[ Yep, Chris stands and stares for a long moment. It isn't outside his understanding but it's definitely outside of his experience. ]

And... they just use this for a TV show?

[ladiesss]

...A space-themed reality program, yeah. That's what they keep saying.

[boy she sounds so thrilled.]

[misconceived]

[ He can totally hear it. ]

There's something seriously wrong with that.

[ladiesss]

Yeah... Yeah there is. And the food's not great either.

[so really the whole thing is terrible.]

[misconceived]

What a bunch of monsters. They could at least give us something edible if they're gonna force us on their show.

[ Beat. ] So is the volume broken on your end, or...?

[ladiesss]

I know, right?

[she... looks confused for a second, until...]

Oh! No, sorry, I've got a, uh... [she clears her throat, ineffectually.] Throat thing.

[misconceived]

Just shameful. Let me guess. It's more of... this stuff? [ And he moves aside to show off the pudding whatever-it-is. ]

Throat thing. Right. Sounds lame.

[ladiesss]

Yeah... Rumor has it that it gets better if you upgrade your kitchen, but I only just started figuring out how all that stuff works...

And yeah. Mad-lame. Just remember to turn the volume back down when I leave, so the next person doesn't, uh, blast your ear off...

[misconceived]

Upgrade your kitchen? Don't tell me this is some kind of Extreme Makeover thing.

Yeah, good point. Noted. Thanks for the tip.

[ladiesss]

Actually, I think you just buy it. Like... You're not going to be picking out matching curtains or anything, I think you just pay to not have such a shitty ship.

Which is okay, but also like, a huge pain?

[misconceived]

Ship renovations. They do that? Why? Like... if we just buy them, what's the catch?

[ladiesss]

...Just money, I think. If it's secretly sucking out bits of our souls, no one's noticed yet.

[misconceived]

I wouldn't rule it out with something like this. [ Is he being serious? Well, yes, but it's hard to tell. ]

[ladiesss]

I... wouldn't either, but a good kitchen is a good kitchen. Maybe I can sell a little soul.

[is she joking? it is also hard to tell. :|]

[misconceived]

For a kitchen?

[ You know not what you ask, Chris. ]

[ladiesss]

...I like food.

[she shrugs.]

[misconceived]

If we can even call that stuff food.

What else can we upgrade?

[ladiesss]

Lots of stuff. There's an order form on the Network, somewhere...

Oh, and we can update our weird augments, too, and I guess, like, get superpowers? It seemed kind of vague, though.

[misconceived]

Super powers? They can do that with... [ He pauses, puts a hand behind his ear. ] Just like that?