001. Video

[cephalothorax]

[He hasn't been here for long. A mere handful of days. Even so, Chrollo has already spent a significant amount of time pondering his appearance here - or should he say, his reappearance. Truth be told, that's the strangest part of it: watching videos of himself saying words he doesn't remember saying, greeting people he doesn't remember knowing. It's as though someone has sealed away a part of his mind and that's far more disturbing than sealed nen. More disturbing, even, than appearing in a foreign world inhabited by people from worlds yet more foreign still.]

[But.]

[There is a benefit to it, as well, and that is... data. Information to mine - who knew what about him (almost no one, and almost nothing, it seems - that's good), and what sort of approach works best when dealing with which person.]

[And it gives him something to say, too, on this, his "inaugural" appearance on the Network. So here he is, all kind eyes and gently failing hair, forehead covered by a bandage, looking sheepish at best. And here he is, putting on his best gentle, warm tone, when he says...]

Ah, this may be a little awkward, but... my name is Chrollo Lucilfer, and I've been told some of you may know me from a few months ago... or weeks ago? I'm not really sure, I'm sorry.

[Weeks. He's counted them, too.]

Unfortunately, I really don't remember anything about it. So if anyone would like to reintroduce themselves -- or introduce themselves for the first time -- I'd be most grateful. And most pleased to meet you, as well. It's a little troubling to know I may have lost friends due to my disappearance and lost memories.

Thank you very much! I appreciate your time.

Comments

[isaytheeneigh]

You aren't going to find patterns looking that way. [Though Jean has seen some people turn up on these communicators only to never be spotted again. So, while there could be a pattern to that, it might be just that some people aren't as stabilized after they show up compared to others.

He's not sure.]

But she was eccentric and inquisitive. A scientist and a soldier. She was working on some of the things we're fighting back home. Of course, that research got stopped here. That's the way it goes.

[cephalothorax]

Hmm. Well, I suppose if that's all there is to it, then that's all there is to it.

[Which really just means he'll look into it another time. Best not to look too inquisitive on the network.]

How long have you been here, then?

[isaytheeneigh]

Since May. [And just in case, he hits a preemptive question that he'd think to ask.] It was around four months later that I went home for about two days.

[cephalothorax]

Aha, thanks for the information. How has this place treated you? Well, so far?

[isaytheeneigh]

Aside from a stupid paintball game—[which he now assumes is what all paintball is like]—I haven't run into too many surprises.

But that's actually one of the strange parts of being here.

I don't trust the peace, not when they claim to be at war.

[cephalothorax]

A... paintball game?

[Blank stare. He blinks.]

I might need you to explain that. But you know, I agree. It is terribly quiet for a world at war.

[isaytheeneigh]

Last June, they invited us to a paintball game. It was in a ... virtual reality. [The word is said as slowly as possible, because he doesn't know how to put it to words. What even is a virtual reality anyway? Aside from what he experienced, that is.] They had us fight each other, and each bullet caused actual pain.

There have been other incidents since that were unpleasant. Like the time we were all put into a survival game to see who would make it out. But the paintball was actually caused by this nation's government.

[cephalothorax]

[Well gee, honestly, he's sort of sorry to have missed that. It sounds fun.]

[But he's not going to say that, it sounds psycho.]

That's... unnerving. Why would a government do that to its own people? I realize we're not quite... "its people," but we do need to live here.

[isaytheeneigh]

It reminded me of a military exercise, but not everyone who showed up was aware of that.

[cephalothorax]

Actually, I guess it does sound a lot like a military exercise. But if that was the intention, there really should have been information debriefings and maybe some consent forms.

[Or whatever. He frowns, shakes his head.]

What about the survival game? That wasn't connected to the government in any way?

[isaytheeneigh]

From the sounds of it, no, and they even helped the imPorts left out find us. That'd be strange to do if they wanted us involved, right? Guess they wanted to protect us. The exercise itself was to see how we'd handle the varied conditions. You could guess some of it ... but not all of it, and they used various ... [What's the right way to put it? He'll use a simpler word:] ... drugs to try to convince us to do things. Or alter our personalities, however temporarily.

[cephalothorax]

Really? That's... [Actually fascinating. He frowns a little.] ...I don't want to say "interesting," because that makes it sound like I approve.

I'm not sure what else to say though. Do you think it had to do with... err. What's that terrorist group? I'm sorry, I can't keep all the terms straight yet.

[isaytheeneigh]

Nah ... from the sounds of it, they wouldn't just play with us. They'd probably just kill us.

[From what he's seen, anyway.]

[cephalothorax]

Ah... do you know who did do it, then? Or is that a continuing mystery?

[isaytheeneigh]

Someone called the Go-Fers.

But your guess is as good as mine if that means anything. I think they just wanted to sell weapons that they tested on us.

[cephalothorax]

...Gophers?

Wow.

[Really. wow what a name.]

[isaytheeneigh]

Yeah, well, we're in a world where the terrorists call themselves the Hornets.

Maybe it's a theme.

[cephalothorax]

All right! Making a note to avoid groups named after animals.

[isaytheeneigh]

Yeah, that might not be a bad idea. Though you think they'd try something else if there's a running theme.

[cephalothorax]

I'm a little torn. I'd like to think people have more creativity than just repeating the same theme, but on the other hand, it does make it easier to know who to avoid.

[isaytheeneigh]

And at least they're dumb enough to keep using that. That means they can't be that hard to handle.

[cephalothorax]

That could be true! I suppose they may also be so difficult to handle that they don't care about advertising their intent.

[....]

Or they haven't noticed, in which case they really are stupid.

[isaytheeneigh]

Could be that we have the fortune of being outsiders to all of this. It might just stand out to us more.

[cephalothorax]

That's probably it, really. But it's interesting to speculate.

[isaytheeneigh]

Yeah, and if it's an angle we need to think about, we might as well.