And with the sweat of your brow...

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know that if the multiverse is real, there could be an almost infinite square mileage of completely unexplored ocean out there?

No reason.

...

You wake in one of 25 rooms with a sense of unease that doesn't quite track with how nice the accommodations are. Maybe it has something to do with the giant window leading out to the sea. The temperature is low, which might make you wish you had woken up under the luxurious covers instead of atop them. The lights, too, are low. But next to your bed is a small personal radio, and it's playing a song for you. There's also a small note printed on folded cardstock next to it.

Dear Prospective Citizen,

Welcome to the Helios Suites at New Rapture. The time should currently be 12:00 PM. Please take a moment to get your bearings and become acquainted with your new environment, then meet in the hotel lobby at 1:30 PM sharp for an orientation with Mayor Fontaine.

With only that for guidance, there's only the one thing to do: get out there and start exploring... well, it's hardly a full city, but it's something! And in the halls (or on the wall of your suite or the lobby), you very well may find up to 24 other captives.

What you do until your meeting with Mayor Fontaine, well... that's up to you. Every room certainly gives you something to talk about.

Comments

[inaclearing]

No, no - I was part of a search party about a year ago, when some friends of mine went missing in the woods.

[An extremely generous definition of "went missing", but Brett doesn't feel like explaining the entire Final situation!]

But I didn't do much, other than to be there. The kids were the ones with the real survival training. If anything were to happen again, I'd call them, not the other way around.

[asymptotes]

Teenagers can be pretty resourceful. I should know with how many I deal with. Good that you found them, though.

[inaclearing]

...yeah. Yeah, they knew what they were doing, but everyone needs a little help sometimes.

[Even Howl did, maybe. Who can say?]

[asymptotes]

It's true. Would take an awful lot to never need help.

[ He Said, Just Off The Back Of Trying To Kill And Replace God, ]

[inaclearing]

It's a good thing there's a lot of us here, then.

[Brett winces a little, though, looking over the profiles again.]

There's an awful lot of kids.

[asymptotes]

Yeah.

[ He frowns and, as he does, he thinks of Zordon of Eltar. His crusade, using honor students and high school athletes to fight the forces of evil. The other teams he's fought, who followed his example.

The hypocrisy he saw in that floating head in a tube, twenty-five years ago. His failures. The misguided children he left behind, unable to understand Drakkon's vision. How much better things could be if Zordon came to his senses, lost his power. ]

Kids can handle themselves, sometimes, but... still. They shouldn't be involved with something like this.

[inaclearing]

They can handle themselves, but they shouldn't have to. Not when people can help it - and yeah, definitely not in something like this.

[Brett folds his arms. He has, in the past, had occasion to question exactly how much teenagers should be allowed to handle on their own - how far they should be allowed to push themselves. Because they're right, aren't they? That sometimes you're left on your own?

But there's a vast difference between all of that and an actual murder dungeon.]

I'm not saying I'm any more equipped. But...geez, at least I'm grown. I'm glad it's me who's here, and not one of the kids I know...if any of us had to be here at all.

[asymptotes]

I'm just glad Connor and Kira aren't here.

[ For several reasons. ]

Guess we'll just have to stick together and look out for them where we can.

[inaclearing]

[Brett chuckles wryly.]

Well, I'll do my best.

[He will! Just, you know. He's just a dude.]

[asymptotes]

That's all we can ask of ourselves, right?

[inaclearing]

[He smiles, though it's still not exactly cheerful.]

Yeah, of course. You're right.