Calibration Post 1, "Daytime"

[thespaceopera]

[ Not long after the shuffle, there's a ripple of static over the network - loud, sudden, and seemingly with no origin. It's puzzling, but there's no indication that it's going to happen again...

Until a minute later. Another surge of static comes in over the speakers, and then a voice - one some may find familiar, though not necessarily welcome, after all of this time... It's Diamond. Long time no speak, hmm?

Clearly, not all is well. She sounds very far away, for one. For another, she sounds... skeptical, almost alarmed. There may actually be real concern in her voice. ]

Again? Twice in one c--

[ Her sentence is cut short with a strangled gasp, followed by a moment of silence. What follows may be the sound of metal dragged across metal, but it's hard to place. When she speaks again, it's uncharacteristically monotonous. ]

... Bring them in.

[ A blip of lost time passes right after those words, before every passenger mysteriously wakes alone in their own unfamiliar room. The style of decor resembles that of the Marsiva's Hospitality Deck, if any passengers should remember what that's like. It sounds and smells the same as the host ship as well, all clean and chrome, but this set of rooms has only been used once, and for the very same purpose that befalls the fleet contestants now.

As for their hosts, there is no immediate sign of them, though some may recall a series of hideous, half-electronic screams before their memories begin to blur upon arrival...

Welcome back to the Marsiva, dear passengers. It's time for round two of calibrations. ]

[ This mingle will cover all non-calibration room interactions. Please continue to come back to it for the duration of the plot! You are, of course, free to post any other mingles/posts/etc. that you'd like. ]

Comments

[darksmokerising]

Two years? I'd say that was a hell of a vacation but throw in a giant squid and someone who can talk to squids... [Merlan let out a bright laugh.] Wow. Sounds like you've seen some pretty crazy things.

[She blows at her tea and takes a tentative sip. Yeah, not bad at all.]

I can't tell if a giant squid liking your voice is a good thing or not, though. Seems a little too 'join me in the briny deep' to me.

[iattractmushi]

Bernard hugged anyone who got too close to the lake.

[Which yes, absolutely means she was dragging them underwater for those hugs. There really should have been a sign.]

She let them go again before any damage was done, though. And yeah, there have been some... interesting things.

[darksmokerising]

Thank goodness. Mighty dangerous hugs. [Merlan shakes her head at the thought. Sounds like my bunyips when they get a little over affectionate. Near as I can tell, I don't think many people like them half as much as I do. Guess it's mutual.

[iattractmushi]

[His visible eyebrow goes up at that.]

...what's a bunyip?

[darksmokerising]

It's a supernatural water creature from Australia where I live. Lore would tell you they're hairy and aggressive and eat people and animals, particularly feasting on women and children. [She waves that off and rolls her eyes]

That's a buncha shite. They only tangle with people who mess with their food supply. It's why I do special rotations along the waterways, swamps, and billabongs in my land. I've found more than my share of special hunter traps with caught young. The mum'll go wild if that happens, not good for anyone, then.

[iattractmushi]

[It sounds a little bit like a kappa, though as far as he knows those don't exist in his world. Interesting.]

That sounds more like a bear than something 'supernatural'. [Though bears can be scary, of course.] Sounds like you do good work.

[darksmokerising]

I suppose it does sound like one. [Merlan smiles a little.] I do my best in that direction. It can be difficult to keep the balance but it something that must be done as much as possible. Especially since the land I'm in has its own spirits and those that I usually deal with are from my culture rather than the native people's.

[iattractmushi]

Balance is important. It's nice to meet someone who understands that.

I'd love to hear more about your world, if you don't mind. It sounds... incredible.

[He's of course willing to tell her about his world too, but he'll wait for her to ask before he suggests it.]