COMMENCE VOYAGE

[bathymetric]

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!

Comments

Party Zone

[calx]

[ ...this is the second time this has happened to him today, which makes you wonder why he went to revisit the party zone, but perhaps he wanted to see if anything changed. The culprit may have, but the party popper ambush is still the same.

Granted he's somewhat prepared for it this time, so he manages to half catch/half bat it in his hand, though he still gets confetti all over his person. ]

Hmm, my reaction speed was several milliseconds faster this time.

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ She pouts when he manages to bat the streamers away. ]

Aw, darn. It's not as fun when you're able to dodge it.

[ At least the confetti is unavoidable! ]

[calx]

I've heard that before, though explosives are a considerably different projectile than party gadgets. There is some overlap, though. [ Idle musing as he attempts to brush the confetti off. ]

[conceivesfrenzy]

I'd say it's a pretty significant overlap, actually! Though there's definitely a significantly less amount of confetti.

[ She tried blowing up a town once, so she would know! ]

[calx]

Oh? You sound well versed in the subject.

[ This is apparently something that piques his interest. ]

[conceivesfrenzy]

I mean, I have some experience with pyrotechnics, to an extent. It's disappointing when the people you're trying to catch somehow manage to escape the blast. So it's basically the same thing~!

[ I-Is it? ]

[calx]

[ He closes his eyes briefly. ]

That also sounds familiar. [ A beat. ] And your reasons for catching them were?

[conceivesfrenzy]

Because the people in question had some items we were looking for. What better way to get what you want than to barter with other people’s lives, right?

[ She giggles. ]

[calx]

I wonder if "looking" is the best verb to use in this scenario. [ ... ] People tend to value their lives, yes. But I wouldn't call it the most effective method.