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Who: Zelda and you
Broadcast: fleetwide video
Action: the Marsiva
When: now

[The video that appears on the network seems a bit shaky - a young woman can be seen peering at the screen, and talking to herself.]

...ah, I see, now it's showing me what I point it at. [At which point the picture swings around to zero in on the beds of the hospitality deck. Zelda keeps talking, a note of curiosity in her voice.] That does seem to be working. So it's like the Sheikah Slate, only if my guess is right, it should also capture more than just a still image.

Perhaps--

[Boop. The video ends there. About a minute later, the broadcast starts up again, and now the video is showing Zelda once more, delight all over her face.]

--Yes! It does send these images to other devices, just like the ones I found earlier. What a marvellous device. [She remembers then that others can see what she's doing, and restrains herself from theorising further about how much a device like this can do. She holds the communicator steady, and gives a more reserved smile.]

My apologies; I haven't yet introduced myself. My name is Zelda, and I have been aboard this ship for five days now. I have tried to learn whatever I could from this device, and the ... information being spoken here. [Some scepticism creeps into her tone. The Atroma's tinned welcome messages aren't reassuring.] But I would very much like to hear from anyone else who can tell me about this place, and what our circumstances are.

[She remains full of poise for now. It doesn't quiet the worry in her heart, and she only hopes more information can provide some answers.]

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[Oh man, her enthusiasm over the device was probably one of the greatest things to see from a newcomer. Clay gives a big grin in response; it reminds him of himself once he first discovered he was in space.]

Hi, welcome aboard! I'm Clay, and I'm the captain of one of the ships you'll be transferred to!

Anything specific you want to know? I've been here for a while, so I'll answer what I can!

[It's still a marvel that she can communicate with someone over such long distances using a device. There are other ways, of course... still. She greets Clay with a nod and a smile.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Clay. What is the name of your ship?

I admit that I wanted to hear more about our purpose here. Are we truly gathered to be watched by others?

Mine's the Vanquish! If you show up on my ship, just track me down and let me know! If not... let me know anyway! [It's nice, is all, keeping track of the newbies to see how they're doing.]

Ah... yeah, that's true. We don't see the others or even the cameras, but that's apparently how we get paid.

I'll be sure to do so, even if it takes me some time to work out the mechanics of it.

[It clearly won't be as easy as jumping ships in the ocean.]

Paid? I wasn't aware we were given any kind of payment.

I'm sure you'll get it! You already figured the communicator out; that's more than I can say for some new arrivals!

[Not meant as an insult, of course, but it's a fact. Some people don't get how it works, don't even notice it; he himself just didn't care for it in favor of staring at the space outside.]

Yup. We get a payment every week or so, and... I guess the more dramatic your circumstances are, the more you get paid? There's not really a criteria or anything, it just kind of... happens.

Is that the name of the device? It reminds me of something I've used at home... some of the functions are the same.

[Though others are very different. A crease forms between her brows as Clay describes how payments work.]

So we're rewarded on the basis of how interesting we are?

[He can't help but grin at her obvious excitement over the communicators. He would have been as well, if he hadn't been more worried about events on Azeroth.]

A pleasure, Zelda. My name is Khadgar, I'm assigned to the Twin Roses. I'm not sure much of what any of us tell you is going to be well received. We're all a part of a 'reality show' that Atroma puts on, they're the ones that brought us all here.

[She has her own concerns over being here, but there's little that can dampen her enthusiasm for technology she doesn't understand yet.]

I have heard a little about this... show. Someone mentioned it was for 'television'? But I'm afraid I still don't see what the purpose is.

[Or why she was chosen to take, for that matter.]

I'm afraid I can't help with that one, we don't have anything like 'television' on my world. We don't even have communication devices like this or ships that can sail anything but the sea.

[He wonders the same. Maybe they can work together to find out.]

I haven't heard of television, but there are ancient technologies like this device that we found in Hyrule. I believe the ancient Sheikahs could have made ships that sail in the sky-- [If Vah Medow was any indication.] --but I have only seen one such vessel.

There was certainly nothing that could travel into the stars.

That must have been amazing to see! [If he sounds a little in awe, he is. Sure, Dalaran floats in the sky but the archmages did that. It's not something anyone else could achieve on his world.]

You'll have quite a time when they shuffle you off the Marsiva then. Some of these ships have shuttles you can take to visit the others.

Oh yes, it truly was.

[When they had gotten Vah Medoh into the air the first time, there was no denying the thrill of achievement in what had seemed so impossible. To dig such a massive machine out of the ground and send it skywards!]

Is that so? I could see some smaller vessels through the windows of this ship... are those the ships you speak of?

[He can only imagine.]

That's them. Or, all of us, really. Each ship has captives assigned to it except the Iskaulit. There are different restaurants and such kept there, some of them run by people the Atroma brought.

[She purses her lips, reminded once again of the predicament she's found herself in. Being prisoner was not to her liking.]

And we captives are allowed to do such things?

[No more than it is to his or anyone elses. He really can't blame her.]

Travel between the ships? Oh yeah. Or running businesses? Because I haven't seen them stop anyone yet.

The businesses. I will have to familiarise myself with all the workings here.

You don't have to rush, of course. I doubt any of them are going anywhere. I haven't heard of any changes since I arrived.

[it's always a relief, in a way, to run into another person who isn't familiar with the devices in the same way she wasn't]

We have been kidnapped in order to act as entertainment for an unseen audience.

[. . . she doesn't mean to be blunt but]

[She takes a breath, lets it out. Of course that was the assumption she had come to, but to hear it put so boldly just confirms it.]

I see. And to what ends does this entertainment serve?

That I do not know. We are brought to different worlds - planets - for weeks at a time, and then we move to the next place. It is easy to forget that we are watched at all times.

I have seen out of the window of this ship... [She glances away from the camera at that, towards the starry expanse out of said windows.] To think we are among the stars, and far from the world.

[The idea of other worlds entirely is hard to wrap her mind around. Where could they have come from? There was only one world she knew of.]

It takes a bit of getting used to, I will admit. I, like you, am not familiar with any of this.

Would familiarity really help with a kidnapping?

[That's the main sticking point.]

I meant being in the stars, but - it does help some.

[With a huff, she puts her hands on her hips. There's only so far her reserve can stretch.]

I don't see how! I think I would be even more frustrated to have familiarity with a kidnapping, only to see it happen again.

[ha ha she got the formal little elf to drop her formalness]

Oh, I never said I wasn't angry - I was livid. But having gone through it before, I know of what to expect.

[You have no idea, Tempest.]

It's beyond acceptable. And as far as the documents I can find tell, there's no way to speak to these Atroma in person?

[that's a win for Tempest]

Of course not. They are too cowardly to show themselves, and when they do broadcast they rarely speak to us.

But they are capable of contact?

They are, yes. It is rare, but it happens.

[Which does mean they must at least have wills of their own, and thoughts. They aren't some voiceless malice. It's a cold comfort, but better than trying to negotiate with a force that can't be reasoned with.]

Then I hope one of these broadcasts happens soon. I would like to hear it for myself.

If I am correct in remembering, you can go back into the - archives? - and watch the older ones. Though I'm afraid I cannot explain how to do that.

[She brightens a bit, nodding to show her understanding.]

Yes, on these devices? I have found some of the recent recordings on this. There is another person on the Marsiva with me, and I was able to use the device to see his recording from a few days ago, though I missed it the first time.

It's incredible that you can find moving images and written text using such a small thing.

It is, yes? I prefer to send the written texts myself, since I do not like the - camera? - too much.

There is music and other things on the devices too - books and movies to watch. Ah - a movie is like a play, but recorded like the messages you have seen. Should you grow bored being on that blasted ship.

The camera is the part I'm more familiar with... there's some technology at home that allows you to capture an image, though I have never seen one that can show movement too.

I would be very interested in the books. And it's true there's little to do here. There are only a couple of other people on this ship, as far as I can tell.

Really? Hm. There is no technology like this where I am from; everything I know of I have seen in this world or another.

[a huff] It is a rather boring ship to be stuck on. I believe you can access them similarly to the way one can access the older broadcasts.

It isn't common, in Hyrule. In fact the only reason I know of it is that we unconvered ancient technology with these sorts of capabilities. [A slight smile.] And I will admit we still have much to learn about how they work. [Something she had known before the Calamity, but is all the more aware of now.]

Then I shall have a look for them.

It is . . . ancient technology? How strange, that is not something you yourself created. Ah - you as in your people, I mean.

Yes... from around ten thousand years ago. We have done-- did a lot of work in excavating artefacts from those times, yet learning how they work is quite challenging.

Goodness, your world is quite old.

[it slips out before she can stop it, but to be fair she's a bit surprised. She isn't sure her world even existed that long ago]

When you think about it... yes. It really is.

[And she's certain it's older still than that. There are legends that go back further. They've only managed to date the items they've found so far.]

Most of the knowledge of that time is long gone, though.

My world is not as old, but it's the same for us. All that is left is stories, passed down through families or villages.

Stories, and legends.

[It was much the same in Hyrule. Separating fact from fiction was a challenge, and Zelda had instead found that much of what seemed to be legends from a distant time were indeed true.]

But those are just as important as relics. Knowledge passed on through the ages has value.

Mmm, I do have to agree. Many of our stories do hold a bit of truth, even though time has warped the stories themselves to better serve the storyteller.

It can be hard to separate out what the true events were, yes. [They had spent many years doing just that, in an effort to learn more about Ganon before his inevitable return.] But surely, they wouldn't be told for so long if they weren't important in some way.

Oh, I completely agree. And there are a few left who were alive during that time to confirm some of the stories, but - many would prefer to twist things, it seems.

I have heard so many variations of one story that the truth of it all only seems to be that it happened at all.

[She smiles, a little sad. How easily that could be applied to the various tales of the Hero, the Princess, and Ganon.]

Even trees can grow crooked after many years.

[she quirks something of a similar smile]

Yes, sadly.

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