unknownseas | COMMENCE VOYAGE

Fun Fact: Did you know the Atlantic Ocean has a surface area of 41.1 million square miles? No reason.

...

There's something uneasy in the air as you come to.

Well, "come to" is an interesting word in this case. It implies waking up, which is not exactly what happens. None of you are in beds, nor are you really asleep in the traditional sense. One moment you're somewhere else, doing something else with your time, and the next? You're somewhere on board a massive cruise ship - maybe lounging on a deck chair by the pool, maybe getting some Gains in the exercise room, maybe enjoying the tasteful décor in the buffet - and you have no idea how you got here or how you might get back. This is not your beautiful house. If you have a beautiful wife, she isn't here.

What you do have, apart from 25 other unlucky souls, is a small smartphone-like device in your pocket with only a handful of things on it: a clock reading 11PM, a pdf of a ticket in your name on a special Atlantic Liners New Year's Eve Cruise, an app labeled Passenger Profiles with some basic information on your traveling companions, and a message:

Welcome aboard, passenger! Please feel free to partake of any of the facilities while you wait for the big event! Remember: when midnight comes, you better make your way to the theatre at the back of Level 1 for the main event! The Captain and the First Mate will be there to take care of you all personally, and to help you ring in the new year in style!

Well, that's a start. But what you do until then, it seems, is up to you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tele-phone...smart-phone?

[Her brow creases a little in confusion, and Flayn goes digging into her own pockets. While she does indeed pull out a phone, she holds it horizontally and narrows her eyes at the minimal design.]

This should be able to do something like that...? But it's just - it's metal and glass!

Well, it's powered by a battery, of course. [Adeline tilts her head to the side. The description is definitely confusing. Still, it's her duty to help a confused lady, so she steps a bit closer.] You turn it on like so. [She'll demonstrate which button to push for that.]

Oh!

[There's a wide-eyed elation at the change in the device, and Flayn double checks where the button is before she turns the phone off.

Then turns it on again.

Off again.

On again.]

That's - this is incredible! I have never seen anything like this before!

[Aw, cute, if confusing.] Really? You haven't even heard about them from other people before?

Not at all! There is nothing like this in the whole of Fodlan.

[It's not nearly as medieval cyberpunk as the stuff made by Those Who Slither In The Dark, so Flayn is not scared of it in the least.]

...But, if it cannot function as it should here, then what can it do?

...I've never heard of that region before. Though...this appears to have a clock app, as well as a single message... [She gestures at how to navigate the screen, which shouldn't be too tough here.] And also this list of apparently everyone who's on here. [She skims it, mostly.]

[She's going to find out how to use the ding-danged thing when she meets the dork in a mask and a cape later so for now she just stares at the device with quiet, palatable awe.]

So you are telling me this device has a clock in it, and a message, and a list?

It does. And they can usually store a lot more than that. Digital storage has been improving by leaps and bounds, after all.

[Digital storage

Sounds very fancy and strange and Flayn loves it]

Do you think...whomever made it possible for us to be here would allow us to bring these home with us? I would love to show my friends such a thing!

They certainly should, if only to compensate us for the inconvenience. I'm sure our friends are all quite worried about us right now.

Ah...most certainly.

[Seteth has probably popped a blood vessel already.]

Even if these could send messages to others like you explained, no one I know would be able to receive it. Unless the messages do not have to go to a similar device...?

[Can text messages transfer over to carrier pigeon or something]

You'd need another electronic device, at least. And it would have to be set up with the right frequency. [Although now Adeline's brain is already thrumming with ideas about that.]

[ladylookingatmath.gif]

...So, nothing from home would be able to get the message. Alright.

[Huh, how Amish are they? Still, would probably be rude to ask, so Adeline just nods.] How do you receive messages from other places, then?

You...you send a letter. Do you not send letters?

Oh, sometimes, but most of us use devices like these now. They're much faster, after all.

How much faster?

Pretty close to instantaneous, if there's access to the right signal. Well, probably not faster than light, but it's not like we have to worry about that part yet.

Faster than light? I was not aware light itself was particularly fast.

It's the fastest thing in the universe, as a matter of fact. Though it's also pretty complicated to measure.

[????????]

Then how are you certain it is the fastest?

There's plenty of experiments that other scientists have done about it. It's not really my area of research, but I think there've been some experiments about approaching the measured speed of light, all of which haven't managed to meet or exceed it yet.

Oh...

[A beat.]

I am going to have to take your word for it. All of this is going very much over my head.

[A nod.] Of course, it's mostly of academic interest anyways. [She extends a hand.] The name's Adeline Merrow. Dr. Merrow if you want to be formal, or just Adeline's fine too.

What about Doctor Adeline?

[She likes the name AND the title, if anyone earns a doctorate then they should require people to address them as such at all times.

Still, let's shake hands.]

My name is Flayn. I do not have a title so impressive as yours, sadly.

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