RETURN JOURNEY

[There's a first time for everything: in this case, a conversational post by Theo.]

so do we age here?

like if for some god awful reason we spent like a decade here would we actually be aging?

i don't think birthdays should really count when you're already dead, but that doesn't mean they might not be happening. i'm just curious.

how long do you think someone could stay on here until they kicked you out, anyway?


[There's a minute or two between this message and the next.]

It is not my birthday, and i'm not telling you when it is.

[At precisely 7 A.M. on the Peregrine's standard time, both CommLink screens and wardens' cabin control panels flicker to life with a live video stream.

This morning, the Navarch is in front of a control panel. The lights on the dashboard turn on and off periodically, a thousand different indicators for a thousand different things. She is calm.

She speaks:]

Good morning, passengers. It is time for a rotation in the assignments. For the next thirty days, wardens will be the primary point of contact for their assigned inmate, and responsible for the inmate's moral development and well-being. Inmates are also permitted to live adjacent to their warden's quarters for the duration of the pairing, if the warden deems it appropriate.

We have new permanent pairings this month. These wardens will receive full files on their inmates and will be exempt from monthly temporary pairings, though they are still expected to assist others where needed or requested. These inmates will live adjacent to their permanent wardens as of today.

Warden Lucifer Morningstar, paired with Theodore Crawford.
Warden Aki Hayakawa, paired with Ellie Williams.

And as with the months before, we will also be testing the acquisition of limited files on temporary inmates. This month you will be learning of a formative incident in your inmate's life. Please investigate this information. Here are the temporary pairings for this month:

Warden Alina Starkov, paired with Timothy Lawrence and Alex Mercer
Warden Grace Gibson, paired with Mello and Jack
Warden Loki Odinson, paired with Rhys Strongfork
Warden Misty Day, paired with Carol Denning and Theon Greyjoy

As always, I will be available to wardens for questions and concerns by appointment.

[ He looks thoughtful, today, but otherwise unchanged. ]

I've discovered a class of people more annoying than lawyers: theologians.

[ Hopefully there aren't any lawyers or theologians on this boat. ]

Has any warden ever been kicked off? Or demoted?

[ Asking for a friend. ]

[ Guess who! It's your favorite guy, Rhys on the network!

He sits in front of his commlinks camera with a book in his hands, cover currently obscured by its angle before he clears his throat and begins to read.]

Alright guys, get a load of this.

Ahem.

[ He adjusts the timber of his voice, making it more showy, as if addressing an audience (isn't he)]


I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went.

pause for effect...

...Then it dawned on me!

aaand pause for applause.

Not bad, right? This book is full of these. Okay next one.

[ Another exaggerated throat clear.]

What did they use to drink with?

...

Cups! Dixie Cups okay I don't get this one.

I'm back. There were some matters that needed my attention at home.

[Those curls of hers are now shorter, and she reaches up to give them a ruffle. Her eyes flit to some spot beyond the camera before looking back to it.]

So as to not explain ten different times, yes, I've gotten a haircut.

[There's also a decently sized cut on her forehead and a scrape along her cheek. They're no longer bleeding, but fairly fresh. Still, her fingertips brush over the wound on her forehead and she looks down at her fingertips to make sure they're dry.]

As far as I can tell there's been no bloodied noses or dislocated shoulders in my time away. Good job. Proud of you all. But I'll be in the infirmary, seeing as... there's been some sort of commotion. Don't be shy.

[Someone's probably gotten themselves into some sort of trouble and yet to see it tended to.]

[Filtered to wardens:]

Attention, wardens.

My inventory has indicated that a recent shipment taken on-board from Bhujerba has been pilfered from the storage facility. These packages contained items for wardens, as well as items for wardens to give to inmates for good behaviour.

Please ensure that the inmates responsible are located.

does anyone want to play chess


i'll be in the observatory


[You can text him back, or you can go visit Theo there where he will indeed be sitting at a small table, tiny foam chess board set up. He mindlessly fiddles with one of the tiny pieces in one hand as he blankly watches the universe pass by the window. No thoughts, head empty, only the endless void.]

[At precisely 7 A.M. on the Peregrine's standard time, both CommLink screens and wardens' cabin control panels flicker to life with a live video stream.

This morning, the Navarch is in an arm-chair, recording herself selfie style. She is wearing embroidered Bhujerban clothing, which she pulls off immaculately for reasons I should not have to explain to you.

She speaks:]

Good morning, passengers. It is time for a rotation in the assignments. For the next thirty days, wardens will be the primary point of contact for their assigned inmate, and responsible for the inmate's moral development and well-being. Inmates are also permitted to live adjacent to their warden's quarters for the duration of the pairing, if the warden deems it appropriate.

We also have our first permanent pairings this month. These wardens will receive full files on their inmates and will be exempt from monthly temporary pairings, though they are still expected to assist others where needed or requested. These inmates will live adjacent to their permanent wardens as of today.

Warden William Temple, paired with Travis Touchdown.
Warden Claire Fraser, paired with Jason Todd.

And as with the months before, we will also be testing the acquisition of limited files on temporary inmates. This month you will be learning the name of a person your inmate has wronged. Please investigate this information. Here are the temporary pairings for this month:

Warden Aki Hayakawa, paired with Amanda Young.
Warden Alina Starkov, paired with Jack.
Warden Grace Gibson, paired with Timothy Lawrence.
Warden James Barnes, paired with Theodore Crawford.
Warden Loki Odinson, paired with Alex Mercer.
Warden Lucifer Morningstar, paired with Jerry Pascal.
Warden Luke Skywalker, paired with Theon Greyjoy.
Warden Misty Day, paired with Mello and Ellie Williams.
Warden Viktor, paired with Rhys Strongfork.

As always, I will be available to wardens for questions and concerns by appointment.

As a final note, we will soon be receiving missions from the Admiralty. These missions will be small undertakings off-ship by warden and inmate teams. More details to come; for now, please settle in with your pairings.

Hello.

I am pleased to inform you that we have been granted the opportunity to establish a permanent workshop and laboratory facility aboard the ship.

This facility will be used primarily for machine maintenance, engineering, and associated experimentation, with room for other endeavours - it should prove a versatile space.

To begin installation, >50% of wardens must approve; however, since the potential benefits are not so limited, I believe everyone should have the opportunity to weigh in.

Please indicate below whether or not you support this idea.

Should you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

I will send a message directly to the inbox of anyone who does not respond here. If you think you can get away with not weighing in at all, be advised that I am both prepared to be annoying and very good at it.

Thank you for your time.

[At precisely 7 A.M. on the Peregrine's standard time, both CommLink screens and wardens' cabin control panels flicker to life with a live video stream.

It's the Navarch at her desk again. She looks optimistic.]

Good morning, wardens and inmates.

If you look out of the Observatory deck today, you will see that we are approaching a planet. This is a planet that has not joined the space-faring peoples of the universe, so it is known to us as SE-FF12 — the local inhabitants have a variety of names for it depending on language and region. We occasionally visit these planets under cloaking to restock and allow our passengers to stretch their legs. Our identities are to be kept strictly confidential; passengers who choose to disembark are to safeguard the local peoples from knowledge about space-faring peoples.

We will be making port in the Sky-City of Bhujerba, which is a city-state known for its strict neutrality, extensive magicite mines, and cultural exchange. It is home to four species, and their primary form of transportation in the city is by airship. The rest of the continent, Ivalice, is embroiled in a war between its two largest nations, resulting in the annexation of several smaller kingdoms. Despite this, the sky-city is quite safe, but has extensive defences in order to maintain their neutrality.

A stock of local garb will be available in the Loading Bay upon docking.

Wardens, it is crucial that we depart on the established schedule. Anyone who has not boarded in time will be left behind. Do keep an eye on your inmates.

The video feed shows a young man with mousey brown(ish) hair, dressed in neat, but worn black clothing. His eyes are bright blue, and his smile is soft and genuine.

"Hello, I'm Luke Skywalker. I've been brought aboard as a Warden, and it's good to meet you. I'm not great at introductions, so you're welcome to ask me whatever you like, and I hope you'll forgive a trite question to break the ice."

Looking suitably contrite, he ducks his head, and scrubs a hand over the back of his neck.

"What's the best and/or worst advice you've been given?"

Hello.

Assuming I have used the filtering function correctly, if you are reading this, or otherwise interpreting this content by some alternative means, consider your opinion solicited in regards to the following:


1. The "Destroy-It! 4000" has been reassembled without incident, but remains necessarily out of service until its functionality can be tested safely.

Those of you who do not wish to risk experiencing uncontrolled decompression in the depths of space should agree it would be unwise to perform any such tests aboard ship. I would greatly appreciate any assistance in making arrangements for next landfall, if at all possible.

In the meantime, a factory-fresh unit should be arriving imminently. Please do not blow this one up without me.


2. Now that the "Destroy-It! 4000" project is nearly wrapped, I intend to move on to familiarizing myself with the ATVs, the process of which may be summarized as cracking one open and examining its insides. This part is not open to discussion: I am doing it.

The negotiable part: I would like Rhys to accompany me to these sessions.


3. I have been studying the autonomous cleaning machines and am now prepared to attempt repairs as needed. This will be an ongoing project; if any of you are interested in the process, feel free to inquire.

Should Rhys make it through ATV exploration without any regrettable incident, I will consider recruiting him to this task as well.

Also: I have salvaged enough components from various cleaning bots (as you like to call them) to attempt a full reconstruction. This will be a long-term project. I will be asking Ellie Williams to assist me. Opinions on this point are not required.


That is all for now.

[Loki doesn't look nervous, just cautious. But his expression does seem strangely serious when the video first begins, and it takes just a bit longer than usual for a charming smile to flash across his face.]

Hello, everyone. There's something I'd like to...share with you. Perhaps I should have said something sooner, but in truth, it's been a while since it's come up. A rough few years, you might say.

[Some of which he spent masquerading as someone specific so he hardly had the option. And then, recently, he'd thought he'd lost the option entirely for the time being. But it turned out there were exceptions to the limitations the Navarch had placed.]

Some of you might be aware of my talents, but if not, well. [Loki holds a hand out, face up, and a miniature fireworks display erupts from his palm.] My specialty is illusion. This...can mean a lot of things, honestly, but I bring it up because, well. You never know what might happen, on these ships. So I'd rather you all know what possibilities to expect.

[Two fingers go up.] Two possibilities, really. One is that I might be forced to take my Frost Giant form. That's my...natural appearance, but not the one I'm accustomed to. [He grimaces, uncomfortable.] Blue skin. Red eyes. Raised markings. I'd rather not show that off if I don't have to, truthfully.

[He drops one finger as he goes on.] But the second is more of a...choice. Sort of. [He's not getting into all that right now, it's hardly the point.] So I'd like you to know what that looks like.

[Finger still thrust in the air, a green-gold flash rolls over him. In an instant, he's shifted to his "female" form. Same dark hair and high cheekbones. Still tall and built out of lean muscle. But there's softness where there hadn't been before, even as a characteristically sharp grin crosses his face. When he speaks, his baritone has been replaced with something more like an alto, but it still clearly sounds like him.]

Ta-da? [The hand he's held up flourishes out as he gives a joking half-bow.] So. Now you all know there isn't some strange woman aboard, should you see me around. [He shrugs.] That's all, really. Didn't want to scare anyone. If anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

[Another smile-- slightly shy with how genuinely happy it is --and he leans in to end the feed.]

[WARDEN FILTER]

It appears that the limitations placed on my shapeshifting powers by the Navarch don't affect these two forms. From what I can tell, I'm unable to shift into others' forms, but I can turn into myself just fine. I hope this is honest enough, for now. I'm not sure how wise it is to reveal any more than that to the inmates, at this point. But you are all welcome to disagree.

(Maybe somebody is tired of having her case file tossed from warden to warden without her permission, so:)

Inmates: how would you rank the wardens? List from best to worst.

[At precisely 7 A.M. on the Peregrine's standard time, both CommLink screens and wardens' cabin control panels flicker to life with a live video stream.

This morning, the Navarch is on some sort of outer space balcony, nothing but stars behind her. She has a steaming mug of something in one hand.

She speaks:]

Good morning, passengers. It is time for a rotation in the assignments. For the next thirty days, wardens will be the primary point of contact for their assigned inmate, and responsible for the inmate's moral development and well-being. Inmates are also permitted to live adjacent to their warden's quarters for the duration of the pairing, if the warden deems it appropriate.

As with last month, we will also be testing the acquisition of limited files on inmates. Through their communicators, wardens will have access to basic statistics on their paired inmate, including simplified details of their crimes. This month it contains an example incident that has earned the inmate passage on this voyage. Please use this information wisely.

Without further ado, here are the pairings for this month.

Warden Aki Hayakawa, paired with Mello
Warden Alina Starkov, paired with Travis Touchdown
Warden Blue Sargent, paired with Rhys Strongfork
Warden Claire Fraser, paired with Jack
Warden Grace Gibson, paired with Ellie Williams
Warden James Barnes, paired with Alex Mercer
Warden Loki Odinson, paired with Theodore Crawford
Warden Lucifer Morningstar, paired with Jason Todd
Warden Misty Day, paired with Jerry Pascal and Timothy Lawrence
Warden Viktor, paired with Amanda Young
Warden William Temple, paired with Theon Greyjoy

As always, I will be available to wardens for questions and concerns by appointment.

[ Hey look, it's Lucifer on ~video~ today. He's looking and sounding as earnest as anything - there's no way to misconstrue what he's doing here as anything other than completely in good faith. It's not a joke, not a troll, not snide or cynical. ]

I know from long experience that ignoring and bottling up the painful things that happen isn't good for anyone. I'm available to talk to, if anyone needs it. If not me, then I hope you'll talk to someone.

I'm not just talking about inmates, either.

[ He says all this, knowing the kinds of responses (or lack of responses) he's likely to get. He thinks it's important to make the offer, regardless. ]

[ This audio stream starts off very quietly but crescendos into the scuffling and faint mutterings that can only come from someone fiddling with an unfamiliar piece of technology. ]

—oddamn device always juuuust a little bit different, proprietary pieces of sh—oh, and how 'bout that, it's recording. Uhhhh, welp, okay, let's see, um.

[ All at once the video flicks on, revealing a masked face that is way too close to the camera. He lurches away as if he's seen a monster, shoots the commlink an irritated glare, and it goes dark once more. ]

Frickin'—heeeeelllllllllooo... uh, people. This is, heh, 's not really the entrance I was planning to make, but when life hands you skin, you make a pizza, amirite? That's. Never mind. Real quick question, is there any way to change the ID on this thing.

Hey know what, matter of fact, while I've got you, does anyone around here have experience reversing experimental and extremely invasive surgeries?

[ Soon as the question's out of his mouth, he's sounding progressively more defeated. ]

Could–could really do with a change.

[ It's been a rough month, between March, losing a friend (maybe the only one he's had here) and the simulation.

It's not like Rhys is new to hitting rock bottom, hell, this is far from the lowest he's ever been. It's never a fun process, but of all wisdom Jack imparted on him one remains true: You've gotta break things down to build them back up again. When you're at a low point, after marathoning all 10 seasons of How I Met Your Second Uncle Twice Removed and ice cream binging, you pick yourself up, put your nose to the grindstone and rebrand.

THAT'S RIGHT BABY Rhys is New Coke-ing himself. Let's not worry about the fact that everyone hated new coke.

Rhys sits in front of the camera, his expressions are practiced, corporate. Earnesty without any of the earnestness, but it still reads somewhat genuine. ]


Hey gang, Rhys here. Just wanted to put a little something out there, for all of you to hear, know where I'm at.

We've all made mistakes in our past. Some of us more than most. Even me.


That's why I'm coming to you all with a pitch: New day, new Rhys. What can I do for you? C'mon people lets see those requests!

[Hello, good morning. Theo has Some Opinions to share about what occurred this week and he's loudly going to tell you about them. Once the dizziness and nausea wear off, anyway.

While the more minute details now escape him, a few key events stand out in his mind, that particularly of his death in Area X. He's probably one of the first ones to return from the sim as well, not very well equipped either in his real life nor in the sim for wilderness survival in such a hostile environment.]

Hey, Navarch? What the fuck was that?! How fucking dare you pull something like this with little warning and no choice! Did you people think this was going to be done kinda cute trip through the woods or something? What was the point to any of it?! Just to mentally torture us?

I hope you fucking choke. And same goes to any wardens who thought this was a good idea and went along with it. Fuck all of you.