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

[ignobel]

[I can't believe the first trial is going to be Yeager in the Party Zone with the glitter.

Though apart from huffing and puffing a bit and trying to throw the confetti back at him, because two can play at that game, Allenby seems currently none the worse for the wear. Maybe that'll change one of these days, there are an awful lot of party poppers populating the place and entirely too many trolls.

Anyways: she doesn't lower her hand, because believe you me Germany is important in the middle of the ocean and when you're in the middle of a world proxy war(??).]

Are all of you playing some kinda prank? Neo Germany, if you wanna get specific, but their guy -- their guys've always been kind of shifty, if you ask me. And somehow they know like, everything.

[SQUINT]

Don’t tell me you’re behind this...?

[scythegun]

[Allenby no, the more you struggle the more fun it is!! Anyway, Yeager doesn't bother dodging the confetti she throws back at him, but he does incline his head a bit at her words.]

Honestly, liebchen, I have no idea what you're talking about.

[ignobel]

That! Now that's just what a mastermind would say.

And that, I'm pretty sure that's a German word, the lieben thing. It's not like I don't know the language, you know, even if I haven't been there!

[She totally has her hands on her hips?? What are you playing at, surely there's no such thing as complete bullshit fantasy pseudo-German out there. That would be almost as absurd as going from Hong Kong to a cruise in the middle of nowhere, maybe Florida, but who has time to check right now.

There's a whole ship full of more immediate mysteries and problems. She appears to be contemplating both the walking one in front of her and the party poppers close at hand...]

Seriously, though, you're pretty relaxed, aren't you?

[scythegun]

[What.... What is a Germany...... Okay you know what, he's just going to let that go, though it's weird someone actually recognizes the language?? Wild.]

I see no reason to start panicking. What good will that do any of us, hmm?

[ignobel]

Suspicious... Still won't answer my question, huh? I am going to find out one of these days, you know.

[She picks up a party popper and brandishes it menacingly, or maybe she just wants to make sure they both have party poppers in case he gets it into his head to turn this into a real battle.

In the meantime she'll just keep staring suspiciously!! Why are you so obvious and yet not??]

I'm not saying we've gotta be panicking, but looks to me like you're playing around.

I'm looking for information.

[Shaking her head slightly but saying it with aplomb. What else is she going to do? She's a woman of action. And certain people are less than forthcoming, and all.]

[scythegun]

[At least we're both armed in case of a party popper battle to the death???]

That's fair, certainly! Unfortunately, I truly don't know anything more than you do. I found myself here so suddenly - much like you did, I imagine?

[ignobel]

[It wouldn't be a party otherwise. Intentionally or not, everyone here is violently festive. It's great.]

Hmm. I mean, I was asleep. So nobody who's walking around right now knows -- or says they know -- and most of us just sorta wound up here? What's the point of making a whole big deal out of inviting us here and setting all this up then?

Some kind of test?