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

[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?

[ladiesss]

Well, I don't know for sure. I haven't tried it.

[she's got enough powers as it is...]

[misconceived]

[ Tell him about it. Still... giving what sounds like magic through technology is kind of worrying. ]

Know anyone who has?

[ladiesss]

No... Though I was thinking about asking.