Some flower field! In space!
MC: pretty...
Mokdai: oh my god???
Sui: I think their minds blew up.
Ryekie: Mine's getting there!
Akashi: WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING
Grigory: Tee hee, back at my first time? Saaaame. So aaaanyways, this place is outside our universe and you can only get here when an Observer observes the way.
Huckle: So, a parallel world?
Grigory: Not reeeeally? Just outside ours.
MC: That Imaginary Point thing you said? / what / head empty~
(A) Grigory: Yuuuup, that's what we call it.
(B) Grigory: Cooool, huh?
(C) Melide: MC please focus
Grigory: Weeeell, I'M entertained~!
Grigory: Sooo like, it's like a parallel world that's way closer? TLDR, it's just outside our world.
Crowne: C-can we even go in? Not doubting you, just worried about what it means to visit some other world.
Crowne Alter flashback!
MC: oh, right / but think of the beers you could be chugging there
(C) Crowne: Aww, you know me so well. Hey Joker, wanna guess what's on my mind now?
MC: I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY / uh, next time?
Crowne: ...well it eased the tension at least. Thanks.
Grigory: Hmmm. Well, looky here? (gives MC and Crowne some band things)
MC: feels like really clunky wristwatches
Grigory: Port Lights, which are proof lights. They're markers, measurers, PA systems...that sorta thing. Whateves, wear them so you don't get lost inside, mkaaay? You get a Port Light, and you get a Port Light! (hands them out to everyone)
Akashi: Hey don't just walk on ahead of us! And thanks! (awkward walks to the space door)
MC: You okay? / That's right, hunch that back, Quasimodo! / wow still polite with your mind blown
(A) Akashi: What!? I-I'm not scared or anything!
(B) Akashi: How can you joke at a time like this!?
(C) Akashi: I can't help it, I'm used to it from baseball... wait, how can you joke at a time like this!?
Akashi: Shouldn't you be MORE concerned about going to some other world thing?
Huckle: I know how you feel, but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.
Seiichirou: Me too. Still, there's actually tech capable of allowing dimensional travel?
MC: oh right / what? / what are you on about now?
(A) Seiichirou: You think so too? The possibilities and abuses are endless. But maybe I don't even need to worry about something that might not be that producable.
Danzo: You two are worrywarts.
Seiichirou: You need to be more alert!
(B) Seiichirou: I'm worried about its uses and abuses. Hopefully it's all groundless.
Danzo: Aww, turn that frown upside down, Boss Worries-A-Lot!
Seiichirou: W-what!? Stop making that face at me!
(C) Seiichirou: W-what are you looking annoyed for!? I'm just thinking of the possibilities like I always do.
Danzo: Yeeeah, Boss can catastrophosize about anything. Must be his job's influence.
Exio: ...well, surprises always come out of nowhere.
Yoshiori: (surprised, then frowns)
Grigory: Okay everybody, special lab time! Let's gooo!
Huckle: We're going in!?
Grigory: Yuuup. Our meeting has to be done over there. It's coool, we put on all the safeties! I've been there before, coming back works oookay!
Huckle: What? But...
Exio: I think it'll be fine. Not too much danger to worry about. You feel it too, MC?
MC: Why do you think so? / uhhh / sorta...?
Melide: You should be able to tell. Try looking at it like when you observe heroes.
MC: Oh wait, like during those Path control lessons? Uhh, okay!
Bird's Eye Observer Vision activate!
MC: Umm...I guess it's okay? / seriously how is he judging that
Melide: Look closely. Is it warping weirdly? The view does that when ether flow is affected or unstable... right, Exio?
Exio: (frowning)
Exio: (smiles) Yes, that's right.
Grigory: ...so like, it's coool. If it suddenly DOES bug out on us, it'll tell us ahead of time.
Huckle: (stares)
Flashback!
Crowne: So, WHY are all of us going again? This isn't just a group decision, is it?
Huckle: If possible, as I said. But I've been feeling for some time that we need to learn, think, and come together as a group.
Hero Huckle's return! Crowne Alter! EX Ryekie! Akashi Alter!
Huckle: Weird things happen around us even compared to other hero agencies, but we don't know why.
Ryekie: Oh, so that's why we're going?
Crowne: ...right, all that bad shit.
Huckle: Also, Exio clearly knows something we don't.
Ryekie: Which he hasn't shared yet. Isn't that a problem?
Huckle: Right. The Alliance and Zero Trust also know things we don't, so now's a good chance to find out what. Learn whatever we can about stuff and hopefully continue working as an agency...
Ryekie: And for our own selves!
Crowne: Oh, okay.
Huckle: Right. Also, Crowne...
Present
Exio: ...something on your mind, President?
Huckle: ...nothing. Everyone good to go?
MC: Understood / Let's go! / still worried
(A) Huckle: Good. Watch your feet, MC.
Danzo: I can carry you if you get tired!
(B) Ryekie: YEAAAH!
Melide: It's like a hiking trip.
Mokdai: Maybe we can picnic too!
Sui: Wow you actually brought lunch. That bagel sandwich looks nice.
(C) Crowne: ...got it. I guess it'll be fine.
Akashi: Stay near me, MC!
Seiichirou: We can't relax too much, but I guess something managed by Zero Trust should be legit. We have things to do anyway.
Monomasa: ...I need to know too. Melide says it should be fine.
Everyone goes inside the Imaginary Point.
Akashi: ...huh, those things in the sky are here too.
Grigory: The Satellite Bands? Yeaaah, just a simplified version compared to what's on Earth. We at Zero Trust made those, along with that building up ahead.
MC: That thing way over there?
Grigory: Yep, it's a transceiver. Okay it's experimental, but it can use Live@Hero too.
Crowne: ...so what is this world you sometimes see?
Grigory: Uhhhh, a closed world that isn't quite a parallel world.
MC: what
Monomasa: The technobabble is here. So what's the difference?
Grigory: Weeell, a parallel world has something you can clearly say is different. Environment, people, choices...anything you can tell is different from your home world.
Crowne Alter flashback!
Crowne: ...oh, I see.
Grigory: Here, we can't actually identify those differences. Maaaybe there's something? Who knows, which is why it's closed. It gets unobservable, and this place doesn't have much left observable either.
MC: So it's transient / wait, it's shrinking? / hold up what
Exio: It's fine, that's what the Satellite Bands are for. The lab's built, right?
Grigory: Wooow, sharp. But you got things backwards.
Akashi: MC are you getting any of this?
MC: Uh, difference in cognitions? / Foundation Fortification? / Nope!
---
(AB) Grigory: Mmmm, mostly!
---
Grigory: So, like, we just tripped over this place one day? We sent drones to take pictures, and then we noticed more of it was getting unobservable. We were, like, oh my goood is the place shrinking? We rushed to build a base, and welp! Suddenly the unobservable areas stopped spreading so fast.
Exio: Oh I see now.
Grigory: Yuuup! Okay so we have like a sample size of one with little experience, but I guess we sorta stuck a nail into Schrodinger's World? Now we gotta figure it out, but doing it all safely and aggressively? Eeeeh, maybe it'll be done in a hundred years.
Crowne: Holy crap, don't drown us in details about our safety or anything, genius!
Grigory: We're almost there, so I shorthanded it! Look, the lab!
Giant prefab building!
Yoshiori: WHAT? I thought you said it was a rush job!
Akashi: Oh my god don't just yell like that! I thought you were being weirdly quiet!
Yoshiori: I-I was just thinking! Also, you calling me loud!?
Akashi: Uh, yeah simp.
Yoshiori: Uppity little jock!
Akashi: OW GOD STOP
Ryekie: Awww, friendship!
Mokdai: I think Yoshiori is legit trying to break something.
MC: Stop! / Okay, calm down now.
Yoshiori: ...oh, sorry.
Akashi: ...uh, whatever? Are you--
Sui: Guys, hurry it up or you'll be left behind.
Akashi: O-oh, right!
Yoshiori: Tch, what's the point at getting pissed at a kid?
MC: You okay?
Yoshiori: ...stop looking like you know me. Go on, your friends are calling.
MC: ...alright / what about you?
---
(B) Yoshiori: I'll... catch up soon. Now get.
---
Yoshiori: ...man I'm losing my merc edge.
Exio: Yes, you've been much more expressive. That might be a good thing actually. So, what did you want to ask me?
Yoshiori: !!
It's just them two now.
Yoshiori: ...am I that easy to read?
Exio: ...sort of. But we've known each other long. You can probably tell when I'm different than usual.
Yoshiori: ...heh, I guess. (scratches head) ...Exio, are you--
Temp Lab Base!
Mokdai: Whoooa! ...huh?
Sui: It's so white
Grigory: Let's call it simplicity, mkaaay? The construction drones just popped it all out like that. Efficiency, rush job, budget issues, yeaaah.
Seiichirou: Is this literally 3D printed?
MC: aah, the default settings / fancy / pretty
(A) Sui: I guess? Industrial style?
(B) Grigory: Thaaanks! The low hanging feeling's nice.
(C) Ryekie: It's so clean! Not like our office!
Mokdai: I know! We barely moved and already there's trash everywhere!
Huckle: Funny words from the two responsible for at least half that mess.
Ryekie and Mokdai: !!
Grigory: Oh wait, it's night time already? Bummer. Let's do the meeting tomorrow, mkaaay? We got some food here.
Grigory's drones fly everywhere and bring drinks to everyone while Grigory apparently just sits there.
Melide: Handy carrier drones.
Crowne: Wow, are they autopiloting?
Grigory: Sooorta. It's a combo of existing tech, not commercially sold yet, shhhh.
Huckle: So really good programming then. We should think of buying some when they go on sale.
Grigory: Yaaay, thanks! Drone work is turning into my main job even though I work at Zero Trust.
Mokdai: The drones we use? ...wait omg Grigory were you with Woden Industrial!?
Grigory: oh did I not say so? Yeeep!
Mokdai: OMG thanks for all your work!
MC: WHAT / hey senpai loop me in / O-oh, awesome!
(C) Monomasa: It's okay MC, you don't have to fake that you knew.
Mokdai: The drones we use are high end stuff, super popular. Made by Woden Industrial, Grigory specifically. I heard he transferred out, but I didn't know it was to Zero Trust.
Grigory: Temp thing, joint tech stuff with me popping in and out. Looots of consulting, mostly.
Monomasa: ...as big as this place is, I don't sense anyone else.
MC: It's just you and us in this huge place?
Grigory: Sooo like, this is an info meeting and all, but getting people here is haaaard. There's the people who know about this place, the coordinate calculations, and then we need an Observer. Sooo yeah it's probably just us this time.
MC: wait we need to know that much? / what?
(A) Grigory: Yup. Sooo many conditions and junk.
Grigory: Well tldr, it's all reserved for us. Alll those other buildings outside? Dorms or whatever. There's enough for everyone so take whichever one you liiiike after dinner. Speaking of, let's open up the gooood stuff! (clicks on nearby panel)
Danzo: ...did I just see you just order a ton of food?
Grigory: It's coool, we can eat it all.
MC: is that what he's like when not working on tech?
Seiichirou: This is a concerning amount of food the drones are bringing.
Grigory: They'll be bringing seconds! Make yourselves at hooome.
It's like a buffet now.
Akashi: HOW MUCH FOOD DID YOU ORDER?
Mokdai: That variety... I figured you'd be giving us space MREs or something.
Ryekie: Oh my god, you guys! FOUR kinds of curry!
Huckle: Curry's mostly your thing. But are you sure it's okay for us to have this?
Grigory: Yuuup! What kind of host would I be otherwise? Like, yeeeah it's mostly instant stuff but it's the goood stuff.
Sui: ...can we actually finish it all?
Crowne: It does feel wrong to waste any of it...
Melide: ...thank you for the food.
Monomasa: Don't force yourself to eat, okay Melide?
The party is taken aback but slowly loosens up.
Yoshiori: (stares)
Later
MC: oof
Yeah it was too much food. Grigory suggested everyone go to bed, but...
MC: yeah I won't be sleeping soon like this... hm?
Someone's outside.
Yoshiori: ...oh, MC. After-dinner walk?
MC: you too? / you feel a breeze? / going on patrol?
---
(AB) Yoshiori: ...sorta. Way too much food there earlier.
(C) Yoshiori: ...kinda. Gotta digest a bit.
---
MC: ...you didn't eat as much as usual.
Yoshiori: Pffft, invasion of privacy much? Whatever, it seems okay enough here, so go to bed after your walk.
Hmm, he seems quick to shut conversation down before he'd say something. MC blurts stuff out as Yoshiori starts to leave.
MC: Wait, is something bugging you? You've been weird since we got here.
Yoshiori: Piss off.
He mad.
Yoshiori: What are you, my keeper or something? What are you gonna do about it?
Something is definitely bugging him.
MC: ...what I do is watch and observe heroes.
Yoshiori: ...so?
MC: So I worry when you act weird. If you're mad, I want to know why. If nothing else, I want to be with you.
Yoshiori: (stares)
MC: It's all I can do, so I decided I'll put everything into it.
Yoshiori: ...so it's all work to you? Snoop.
Yoshiori sighs big. Bit of tension goes.
Yoshiori: I know this ain't a damn thing about work...but I guess you do the only things you can do just like everyone else, huh? (turns to some breeze)
Yoshiori: Fine, I guess I can tell you and ask your opinion while I'm at it... what would you do if you HAVE to play dirty to save someone you want to help?
End of Episode
No comments:
Post a Comment