exsilium | [ 1 ] video + action option, mouseover translation;

[Oh hey, another video recording by some hapless new(-ish) Transport. The picture focuses quickly on the chin, neck, and upper chest of a man. That the shot lingers there, with only the stranger's breathing and the light patter of nearby rain for audio, is almost certainly evidence that he's not only hapless, he's technologically clueless.

After a few long moments, the silence is broken.]

Eedeh- Veedehoh. [He's determined to sort out this word. He goes on mumble to himself in a not-especially-common language:] Oh nahò:ten kén:ton?

[The tablet is finally held out away from him and there's the rest of the guy, clad in white and blue robes. His outfit is complete with a pointed hood that would easily cover half his face were his head not tilted back. Connor continues to size up the tablet, his eyebrows fixed low over his eyes - a hint of anger, or perhaps it's just suspicion, in an expression otherwise shaped by uncertainty and confusion.

The instructions on how to use this device have only been so much help. Much like the rest of the information given since his arrival, he finds himself forced to try and piece together understanding around too many words he's not once heard in his life. But he does get that this thing is meant for communication, supposedly with the other "Transports". With the other prisoners.

His frown firmly in place, he finally addresses the tablet - in English:]

Hello. Does anyone hear me? [When waiting expectantly doesn't yield a reply, his lip curls. Is he supposed to say more?]

I should not be here. I cannot help with this war. A man of great importance is in danger where I am from. I must get back. Should he be slain in my absence, the consequences will be unthinkable.

[Not the first time he's said this... and probably not the last, either. It's aggravating to have to repeat himself again and again, to be met with so many blank stares, answers of "there's no way out", and now a flexible window pane machine that seem to be ignoring him, but he feels it's necessary to continue repeating this particular message. It may only take one person who understands and knows of some well-guarded secret to help him escape this place. But that thought gives him pause.]

If there is a man named Thomas Hickey here, I would know where I might find him. [Hm.] Or a man who calls himself Charles Lee. I am interested in his whereabouts, as well.

[Is this machine even working? He's probably spent the last few minutes talking to himself. What a waste of time this is proving to be. But what's this button here do-]

[Action Option - City]
[Should anyone be wandering the rooftops, they just might run into the man wearing those distinct white and blue robes... and no small number of weapons. The robes and weapons practically cover him in equal parts.

From a distance, his hooded figure might even look vaguely similar to another white-robed, weapon-collecting, rooftop-frequenting Transport. You'd think they had some kind of club thing going on.

Fair warning, though: Connor's time in Exsilium thus far has been dedicated to searching for a way out, gathering information, and (begrudgingly) getting to know the lay of the city and some of the land around it. As such, he has yet to visit his assigned apartment... and he's yet to see a bar of soap here. At least there's all the rain he's been skulking around in?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm sorry, but right now there's no way back home. It just seems to happen randomly.

[Poor Minato got the brunt of his technological fumbling so Kate is at least spared some awkwardness.

Connor sticks with the video option, however curious he is about this reply made up only of a stranger's voice.]

Randomly? They choose people to send back at random?

[ Congrats Connor! You are the first in Exsilium for Kate to turn on the video for. She's in the apartment provided by the Initiative. She figures having it on might bring him some comfort so he isn't talking to a "disembodied" voice. ]

They don't; it just happens on its own. [ Or perhaps they do, but there's no way to tell. ]

I know it might not be a great comfort, however whenever you're sent back you'll be put back exactly where you were before arriving here.

[He actually looked around after he sent that last reply, half-expecting someone to appear nearby or maybe materialize out of thin air... But lo, when the next message comes, there's the face the voice belongs to right in the machine. His surprise and interest are plainly apparent.]

So they are able to bring us here... but have no control over if or when we leave? [Is he getting this right? Things are making less sense with each passing minute, but he figures if he takes it all in now, he can sort it out later.] Others have spoken the same of being returned to the time from which we were taken. [His tone suggests what he doesn't openly say: he's not so sure about that last part being true.]

Right, and they don't have control of who they bring in either. [ It's a mess, indeed. ]

There was a-- [ panda... ] someone returned recently and told me they had gone back home, but they could remember it was the same time and place they had been taken from. Nobody remembered him being missing because time hadn't passed.

Or so they would have us believe. [Conspiracies.]

Who was this someone?

A talking animal. A panda, to be exact.

[ Said with complete seriousness. ]

[And received with complete seriousness. A talking animal. A talking...]

... What is a panda?

It's a bear found in China.

Oh.

[Bear. China. Got it.

... Give him a minute.]

Would you say this talking bear is trustworthy?

[He never thought he'd be putting those words in that order.]

[ The odd part about all of this is pandas are infamously dumb animals. Yet here this one is capable of human speech and probably movement. Not that she's never seen talking animals/hybrids before, just not a panda... ]

He seems friendly enough.

[Talking animals seems a relatively tame new concept to come to terms with compared to some of the things he's been told as of late. It helps that his people's stories often included talking animals... and that he's only discussing one as opposed to being in the presence of one.]

A friendly bear.

[Will wonders never cease?]

A bear probably would not have any reason to lie for the Initiative.

[He sounds so very thoughtful about this.]

He did mention another thing-- that he had no memory of this place while he was back home.

He forgot he had ever been here?

He did.

Seems his memory is fine now, but that might mean this place has a way of tampering with our heads. [ Which deep down, frightens her. ]

... But he is a bear.

You'll find lots of non-humans here. We've got elves, aliens, and other kinds of people who may not be from Earth.

[His face is perfectly blank for a minute. Elves and aliens.]

But do you believe these... other kinds of people would be similarly affected by this place... as a person from... Earth... would be?

[That was his concern about the bear being a bear. Just because a bear lost memories doesn't necessarily mean a man would, right? Honestly, he has no idea about anything anymore. Talking bear from China, other kinds of people, other worlds, spirit in his tomahawk... He thinks he feels the start of a headache coming on.]

[ She looks a touch more thoughtful now. ]

I do. It's not our home and for many of us not something we're familiar with, no matter how strange our homes may be.

And being told your this world's only hope to end a war so many are uncertain of... [ It's a recipe for disaster, maybe. ]

I suppose.

[He frowns and looks away from the tablet.]

It is a lot to take in.

It is. [ There's sympathy laced in her tone. ]

You said you were looking for someone named Charles Lee? [ Did she hear that right? ]

[His full attention is right back on the screen.]

Yes, I am. Have you met a man with that name here?

[ There's a mixture of confusion and surprise on her face. ]

No. [ He doesn't mean... ] Are you talking about the General Charles Lee?

[Blink.]

If there is another Charles Lee, I am not aware of him.

Might be just a name confusion? Charles and Lee are common names.

[ Why does she doubt that, though? ]

video

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