THE FRACTURED WORLD: ARRIVAL

[modormenace]

 

A

rrival for some goes all but unnoticed. It's a sudden shiver, the sensation of being watched... and then nothing at all. Life continues serenely as it always has. The only indication of any change comes with sleep, wrapped in dreams: vague and distant echo imagery of another life, melting away in the morning.

 

F

or others, arrival is a sharp jolt. In the space of a single blink, they find themselves in an unfamiliar world, surrounded by the trappings of a life they have not lived. They are replacements, spirits taking possession of bodies belonging to people very much like themselves...

 

A

nd for the rest, arrival is a procedure. Routine. Those ported in to the Fractured World wake hazily in the comfortably dim light of the Porter room, laid out on an exam table. Their wounds, if they remember having any, have been healed— and even those who remember their own deaths find themselves miraculously restored. As they regain consciousness, an automatic audio-visual presentation is triggered. Regardless of their backgrounds or physiology, all imPorts 'see' and 'hear' this message as if in their own language:

"Greetings, imPort."

The voice is calm and gently authoritative, almost certainly selected by committee.

"On behalf of the Synod and all imPorts it represents, we welcome you to the planet Earth."

A decidedly non-humanoid robotic arm holds out a palm-sized device and rather insistently demands the new arrival take it. This is the imPort's comm, used for accessing the Porter's database of information, as well as the communications Network— though it won't receive communications from outside the Porter building until carried through one of the many Gates set up in a long, crescent-shaped array on the far side of the room.

As each Gate is approached, information about the faction it leads to flashes up on the comm device's screen. Which will you choose?

THE WHITE TOWER SANCTUM AURORAE KRAKOA HOUSE OF M EMPIRE OF LIGHT EQUALITY BEFORE LAW THE TWIN CITIES OLIN VALE EDEN SEEKERS OF THE NEW DAWN NORTHWESTERN IMPERIUM GREEN PIECE MAD BURNISH LUMINARY

Comments

[bifroster]

[Jane lights up as well, thankful that one thing was the same in this world, and steps up right next to him.]

I'm going to talk to Tony about something, but if there's a commotion, can you make sure to find this?

[She lifts her duffel bag a little.]

I'd trust no one else with it.

[ifhebeworthy]

[ thor looks at the bag attentively, feeling a soft thrumming coming from it. ]

Is that...?

[bifroster]

[She nods.]

Yeah. It's a long story.

[But she hasn't seen him in over a year.]

You wanna catch up?

[ifhebeworthy]

Of course.

[ he smiles softly, but it fades just as fast. ]

But know first... that I cannot aid you in this task. I am... unable to wield Mjölnir.

[bifroster]

[This causes Jane to frown as well, because while she knew he was unable to when she first met him, he earned that right back. He proved himself to be worthy.]

Perhaps Mjolnir will understand. I mean, you don’t have to wield it or use its power.

[That was a workable loophole, right?]

But if you really can’t, it’s alright. I won’t think any less of you.