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

[sivard]

Yeah, that's right. Eizen's mentioned compasses and wind direction. I'm an expert at knowing the direction of the wind. Though it doesn't actually do us much good here.

This ship doesn't have sails.

[guffawsungraciously]

It does not, no. I presume there is some other explanation for how this ship even moves that I am presently unaware of, though I presume some sort of magic must be involved.

[sivard]

That's the only thing I can think of that could cause a ship this large to move without sails!

This is baffling.

[guffawsungraciously]

It is possible someone else here may know the explanation, given that I am not even sure we are in the same actual reality that we used to be.

[...that's the only thing he can think of, even if it sounds insane.]

[sivard]

We're definitely not. My artes aren't working, and that's kind of frightening to be honest, because they're not something one can block.

[guffawsungraciously]

I am not familiar with artes, though I have not been able to use magic, either. There are admittedly ways to seal that off, but it is concerning that it is even happening to people who do not have that limitation...

[sivard]

It's worrisome. Whoever's brought us here has some serious power behind them...

I can't even be seen by normal humans! There's only one way I know of to make something like this happen, but it doesn't seem like anything like that is happening here.

[guffawsungraciously]

Is that so? Well, I would be interested in hearing what those circumstances are regardless, along with why you cannot be seen by normal humans.

[sivard]

I'm not human. Where I'm from, people could immediately recognize that; it's pretty weird that no one around here can't tell. I'm a malak; means that I'm an earth spirit.

[...]

As for how things could allow all humans to see my mind, that would be the Empyrean Innominat. [The way Zaveid says it makes it sound more like he's talking about a god than anything else.] But he was sealed away, and his only interest is order. He wouldn't bother to grab a whole bunch of people and put them on an impossible ship!

[guffawsungraciously]

...hm, how curious. Admittedly, you do look human to my eyes, but I presume I would feel differently if I and a scant few others could see you and no one else could.

[...if only he could see him he'd probably feel like he was going mad.]

There are individuals in my own world who can access other realms fairly loosely connected to our own, but I doubt they could access a place like this.

[sivard]

Yeah, maybe. It's pretty special, a human being able to clearly see malakhim. A person's either born with the ability or not; there's no training for it.

[But as for their current situation...]

This place is pretty unbelievable. I know for a fact my buddy won't believe any of this.

[guffawsungraciously]

...I see. That would explain why it would be so unbelievable, then.

[...

He's not going to ask about "buddies" here because mgrgrgr.]

But yes, I do wonder how I would... explain any potential absence.

[...

To whom would he even explain it? Is there any returning home here...?]

[sivard]

[......]

Ah, yeah, that's right. You humans tend to care a lot more about absences than my kind do.

I'm not sure how to explain it myself, given we were in the middle of the ocean.

[guffawsungraciously]

...so you can just disappear whenever you wish for however long, but your fellows will only consider it an issue if it happens in the middle of nowhere...?

...

That sounds rather pleasant, actually...

[sivard]

It was nice, with Theodora. I could pop in whenever I wanted to chat with her, even if months or years had passed. That's the advantage of living for millennia.

[....]

It's very different when you only live around a century, I'm sure.

[guffawsungraciously]

Oh, it is. People tend to think you do not believe them important if you tend to make a habit out of that sort of thing.

[sivard]

That's a shame.

Some people are loners; that doesn't mean they don't care for others. Maybe that's something people that don't live so long would disagree on.

[guffawsungraciously]

I suppose it is fine if you are actually properly communicative with whoever it is.

[UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.]