.o1 - New Arrival

[felis_fidelus]

[Hello, it's the newest arrival at 1250 Williams Road! He sounds very much not pleased, a bit irritated, and very, very confused.]

What on Gaia - this isn't Edge. It's too clean to be....

... I must be hallucinating. Shalua always said I'd overwork myself into nervous collapse. Never thought she'd be right. I have enough imagination to

Comments

[king_o_new_york]

It's, uh. It's a lon' story.

Best way I can explain it is you's in this strange town and ain't nobody's found a way to leave it yet.

[felis_fidelus]

... hello? Who is this? What do you mean, a 'strange town'?

Gaia, I can't even find my materia... who took my things? I don't negotiate with terrorists. I wish people would get that through their thick skulls.

[king_o_new_york]

Right, sorry, me name's Jack Kelly, and, uh, it's this town called Mayfield. Ain't nobody can get outta it. They take your thin's when you come here-- you ain't got your clothes either, right?

What's a terrorist?

[felis_fidelus]

May- what? There's no such town on Gaia.

No, I've got someone else's. I haven't worn brown in years. And for some reason, there are pictures of me... with some woman I've never seen before. Someone's playing games here. I've never been married.

... you're not serious, are you?

[king_o_new_york]

They-- the town likes to put ya into families. Keeps insistin' I'm somebody's son and that I got a sister.

And we ain't on-- on Gaia, or wherever it is ya come from. This is Earth. America.

And yeah, I'm serious. Why?

[felis_fidelus]

I find this insistence on my marital status insulting. Why would they- who are 'they', anyway?- rearrange familial groups? You're not with your parents?

... I've never heard of Earth. Or America.

Terrorists are- never mind. If you don't know, then- Gaia, you don't need to know. Nothing good.

[king_o_new_york]

I ain't been with me parents in years, but no, I ain't. And "they's" the people who run this place. I don't know who they is specifically, but they brought us here.

They's what?

[felis_fidelus]

... there are more? How many people have been stolen away like this?

How old are you- Jack, right?

[king_o_new_york]

A bunch. I don't know how many specifically-- maybe, uh, a hundred? Or more.

And I'm seventeen.

[felis_fidelus]

Dear Gaia. Not again....

I see. Old enough, then. You are aware of what war is, aren't you?

[king_o_new_york]

O' course I know what war is, I ain't stupid. And whaddya talkin' bout, not again?

[felis_fidelus]

I didn't mean to insinuate that you were.

... I just came from a situation where hundreds- well, thousands- were being kidnapped from their homes for mass--

[filtered]

Mass executions. How many people can hear this? Everyone? How reliable is this screening method?

[king_o_new_york]

Everyone, unless you make it specific. And I dunno how reliable it is, I'm new here too.

[pause]

And I'm sorry. People round here-- look, far as I've found out, they don't get executed or nothin', they just--

Go funny in the head, some of them.

[felis_fidelus]

'Go funny in the head'? Explain?

[king_o_new_york]

Like . . . [pause]

People call 'em drones. They's the people who live in your house, most times. Like the girl who calls herself me sister. They're . . . somethin' ain't right in their heads. They really think they belon' here, that nothin's wron', and that you oughta go alon' with it too.

[felis_fidelus]

... robots? Or real people?

Gaia, what a mess.