💣 006 | audio

[devoutish]

Hello, imPorts.

[It's quiet in the background - only the low murmur of a television news broadcast can be heard.]

That was a mess, wasn't it. A fucking mess. I wouldn't be surprised if the aftermath of all this impacted the imPort cities for months, especially with those criminals running loose.

[He clicks his tongue, tsk tsk.]

But did you know, my synagogue has already organized a fundraiser for the hospital here in Maurtia Falls? Yeah, can you believe it? They had the operation all set up and running not twelve hours after the power came back on, and from what I hear, they weren't alone. It's almost as if they're used to this sort of disastrous thing happening. But, well, what would I know, right; I've only been here a few months.

[This is bullshit; he's done extensive backreading, and knows how common imPort-related crises - either those caused by imPorts, or those done in reaction to imPorts - are.]

And now it's over and done with, and I suspect that no one's gonna dwell. But I have to wonder - did anyone look to the stars?

[Seriously, what had that message been about? It was weird.]

Comments

video;

[fayzedandconfused]

What do stars have to do with any of this?

video;

[devoutish]

Did you pick up your communicator while the network was down? There was a message for us.

[fayzedandconfused]

No. I was out patrolling!

[devoutish]

Patrolling?

[So many little kids being allowed to do dangerous superheroing! He disapproves.]

Right - yeah. There was a message. We've got too much power, and if we can't see in the dark, we should look to the stars. That was the gist of it.

video;

[hunksmash]

Yeah. A little bit. Somebody else is talking about metaphors now, so maybe that's it. There didn't seem to be any notable astrological anomalies going on.

video;

[devoutish]

Stars could mean imPort celebrities. The high-profile among us.

video;

[hunksmash]

Yeah. That seems like the next most obvious thing.

Would that be, like... The Ambassadors? Or people on TV and stuff?

Video

[bindsthedead]

Well, they were easier to see without all the electric lights getting in the way. Aside from that, they seemed like the same ones that are always in this world.

Video

[devoutish]

Yes, but those stars didn't do much to illuminate things, did they.

Re: Video

[bindsthedead]

No. I suppose it could have been a metaphor, or simply a quote from some writer that those responsible liked.

What do you think it meant?

voice;

[shifting]

That's one hell of a response time. [honestly impressed.]

Never been much for church myself, but they've really got an ability to get people out an helpin' when they put their mind to it.

voice;

[devoutish]

That they do, yeah. Of course, it's not only the religious groups I'm thinking of here.

voice;

[shifting]

Probably there should be an overachin' fund imPorts can donate to, somethin' with our name on it, so we can make direct, collective donations when shit like this happens to the natives.

[quemar]

Think anyone is going to release the number of unaccounted for convicts?

[Some were recaptured. Some were (ahem) dealt with in other ways, so logically if some official somewhere subtracts those numbers from the escapee total, Robbie will have a solid goal to strive for. Alfie was clearly interested in the crime presentations, so obviously he'll also be looking for those statistics—that's Robbie's thinking, anyway.]

[devoutish]

That would be useful, wouldn't it. But my guess is if they haven't already, then they won't in the future.

[quemar]

Maybe they don't have the information yet... [He, for one, didn't leave a whole lot to identify convicts bodies by without forensics.] But I get your point.

audio

[tacticianing]

You think they meant that literally?

[He sounds very neutral asking that. A bit curious.]

audio

[devoutish]

I think they were trying to be poetic, at the very least.

audio

[tacticianing]

Poetic, or cryptic. There's got to be more to this.

[ Video ]

[ghoulking]

Actually, things like this get solved pretty fast. [ he remembers the Russia attack in January and February, and in March everything was pretty much back to normal. ]

Things like this do happen, it's not the first time.

[ Video ]

[devoutish]

"Things like this". Things like the prison break?

[ Video ]

[ghoulking]

Attacks, sudden panic and such.

[mischiefsmith]

I did look at the stars! But alas, I saw no great kings of the past looking down on me from those stars.

All for the best, really, it would be terribly voyeuristic and who wants a bunch of dead kings leering at you?

[This is where they were going right?]

someone make Alfie watch The Lion King tbh

[devoutish]

Mm. What's that, then, your world's interpretation of constellations?

The should watch it together lol it'll be great

[mischiefsmith]

Well royalty in the stars would be much too limiting for my world. They pop up in the shower, on the television, and in the punch bowl as well.

[Yes Loki, let's further confuse the situation.]

Where I come from stars are just stars, I suppose there are goddesses of stars.