Introductions are in order...

[bathymetric]

When the hour has passed, and everyone is gathered into the Meeting Room, the door shuts and locks with an unassuming soft click. The overhead lights darken, though there's still some light in the room - complete darkness is hard to get with the windows there, even if the ones in here are a little more tinted than the ones in the rest of the facility.

The video screen taking up the wall in the back also turns on, displaying a fairly simplistic design, static and unmoving. A voice, male, clears its throat over the speakers.

"Greetings to you all, and welcome."

His voice is methodical and even, and even through the slight distortion filter it's been put through, those of you with a Europe can recognize his accent as some kind of European. German, maybe?

"You may call me The Professor, and I will be overseeing this experiment. Do not be mistaken - you are not currently my students, you are my test subjects. Lab rats."

Well, that answers that, at least.

"In order to reduce contact, I will personally be monitoring you from a secondary facility. Do not worry, there are members of staff on-site to take care of any immediate needs or wants you may have."

Not that you've seen any, of course, but...

"By now I imagine you're familiar with your situation, at least somewhat. If you have not yet, please read the rules, and... well, I will go ahead and open the floor to questions. I'd ask for you to be orderly about it, but... having observed some of you, that seems like a foolish hope."

Comments

[hardnosed]

Tell me — what do I have to do to get you to crawl out of your little hideaway and face me?

[bathymetric]

I will face you down in whatever capacity you like after the experiment ends.

[hardnosed]

If you really meant that, you'd be giving me something to aim for.

[bathymetric]

Would "the stars" be an appropriate answer here?

[thieviusraccoonus]

Is now the time to be inspirational?

[bathymetric]

I am an educator. I like to think it is my job to inspire.

[ladygeryon]

[Nira scowls and points her walking stick at the speaker like a sword.]

And those rules won't apply, then?

[bathymetric]

Only insofar as I can personally enforce them.

[ladygeryon]

...I hope you're ready to face a reckoning when the time comes, then. [Nira's voice gets sterner and harsher when she says that, though it's missing the full force of intimidation it usually carries.]

[bathymetric]

I am prepared to reckon with whatever I must.

[ladygeryon]

[She just points at her eyes, then at the speaker.] I can't wait, then.