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

[looking_sharp]

"Chocobos are quite intelligent," Rude counters. Just because he's using a chicken as a visual comparison doesn't mean they are at all the same species of creatures.

[desmodusdraculae]

Except that Kirk has no other frame of reference other than chicken.

"Somehow 'smart chicken' is more terrifying."

[looking_sharp]

"Hardly. They can be trained to dance, to race, and of course raised just for meat."

They are practical on his world.

[desmodusdraculae]

"...Dance?"

Kirk never wants to visit your world with your giant terrifying chickens.

[looking_sharp]

Rude chuckles and nods. That reaction is perfect.

"Move their heads and necks in certain motions, stop together, flap their wings. That's how they dance."

And it's strange to people who haven't seen it. Which works in his books.

[desmodusdraculae]

He's trying to picture this, he really is. But he's now just picturing zombie chickens after realizing that the "dance moves" described just sounded like the Thriller dance.

"I've never regretted starting a conversation so much in my life."

[looking_sharp]

“You do have the option to walk away from it,” Rude reminds him. Come on, man, you be strong. Strong and confident enough to walk away. Otherwise he’s going to keep talking about chocobos. It’s a safe topic.

[desmodusdraculae]

Kirk shrugs, knowing damn well the other man is right.

"Are you telling me it's my fault that my monthly attempt to talk to another human being has failed miserably?"

[looking_sharp]

Monthly attempt? Rude has to be half amused at that. But really, then he’s smiling.

“Perhaps it’s because you spoke to me. I’ve used up my monthly allotment of amusement.”

[desmodusdraculae]

"Who'd have thought choosing to live in a village in the middle of nowhere would attract so many antisocial people."

But consider him successfully distracted by giant chickens, Rude. He can be suspicious if he thinks people mean harm, but he never got that sort of vibe, so he didn't look all that hard into things.

[looking_sharp]

Rude chuckles at that. But hey, he's gotten some nice context here.

"You're social enough."

[desmodusdraculae]

"I told you, this was my monthly attempt at socialization. You clearly just caught me on a good day."

He much preferred the darkness of his home with his test tubes.

[looking_sharp]

“Perhaps I should give you credit for what you did attempt and let you move along. Or take another attempt.”

He needs information, and this one knows him too well for Rude to be comfortable seeking it from him.

[desmodusdraculae]

Ouch. I know a dismissal when I hear one.

[He pauses.]

Let me know if you need anything from me this month. I've still got some availability and supplies.

[looking_sharp]

[Less dismissal and more... Lost. So beyond lost.]

Thank you. I will. But that's for another time.

[desmodusdraculae]

You know where to find me.

[Or rather, he assumes you do.]

[looking_sharp]

[Of course he does. Rude almost wants to sigh because the guy can't even say anything useful like 'swing by the store if you need me'? Why are people here just bad at communication!?]

Of course I do.

[Okay, clearly he's not helping it very much himself.]

[desmodusdraculae]

[Because he works out of his house, and it feels weird to just invite someone to his poorly lit, disaster of a home.]

Well... uh, feel better.

[Because you do seem a little off today, Rudolfo.]

[looking_sharp]

I shall do my best.

[He’s do insanely past feeling better. It’s not going to improve.]