May: Huh, guess that, after a life like that, the boring stuff's probably pretty cool, huh? I hear ya on the drinks, anyway! And, since Nix's gone... *Closes eyes, holds out her hand, and a giant mug appears in it.* To alcohol!
Truman (raises glass, tosses back half, and lights cigar): And a fine cigar! So, what do you do just for amusement in your world?
May: Back on Yara I usually fought in the arena and drank. Some days, I'd get into a good old-fashioned tavern brawl; those were the best days. But, even before I met Gabriel and Nix and Doyle, it was all starting to get stale. Gabriel says I'm missin' something, but he won't tell me what. Cryptic jerk. Nix and Doyle've been showing me movies, cartoons, t.v. shows, and I guess they're okay. One time, they tried showin' me this thing called anime, which is cartoons for adults, I guess? Wasn't really interesting, considering none of the people in 'em were actually real. Same goes for the cartoons, but at least those weren't tryin' to be so serious all the time. I get enough serious daily anyways... Well, I used to. Gah! What does a girl hafta do to see some action around here?! *Takes a moment to collect herself* What about your world? What kind of things do your survivors do for fun? Well, I guess they aren't yours anymore. You know what I mean.
Truman: We had all manor of diversions by gen-3. The Leisure Zone was a wonder, traditional and virtual. It was our wages, to start. Once people figured out they didn't need all our bullshit to thrive, they became fantastically creative. The mag-moebas could be anything, so people became more physical in their virtual simulations - right to the edge of safety. We had harmful acts suppressed, but there were gladiator sports, human sling-shot, flying, cliff-ball, mile-high trampoline, wall of glue... Hey! Let's try something! *shouts to moeba-dolls* Alpha one through five! Muster for recreation! *doll-moebas abandon ball chase and line up before Truman, hopping anxiously* Yippee! *Alpha-ball stops at play, realizing it's being ignored* Eee-hee... awww. *its little arms flop* Truman: Hey guys! Let Alpha-pup play with Alpha-ball! *turns to hopping dolls* Alright guys, mission: human slingshot into wall-of-glue! *Alpha-dolls scurry to a clear spot. Two merge together and begin to sag as feet run toward wall. The blob turns to a gooey mass as it flies through the air, and hits the wall with a splatt. The wall puffs up and turns sticky-white, and the three remaining Alpha-dolls gather around Truman, then turn into a thick band that stretches. Truman leans back into it.* Truman: Ready... launch! *Alpha-band flings Truman at the wall. He tumbles in the air, and hits the puffy wall, to be caught like a fly in a web. He flails and kicks for a giddy moment, then oozes to the floor, laughing merrily* Haaaa Haa-Haa! I could do that all day! Give that a try, May! Haa-Haaaa!
May: Okay, sure... *Pushes the band while walking forward. After it's stretched pretty far, she hops and is launched, flailing, into the wall. She keeps squirming until she slides out on her face.* Umm... huh. Yeah, I appreciate it, but it's not really my thing. I don't think we'd see eye to eye on the whole amusement thing. At least we got booze, right? Gabriel: *Grabs the mug and dumps it on the ground* That's enough of that. I swear to God, May, if you get drunk again I'll send you down a waterfall. May: Gabriel! Fight me! Gabriel: No. May: *Whines* Gabriel: Hey, Truman, still kicking around, then? I've been wondering something. What is that Alpha-thing? Is it some kind of demon, or maybe a robot?
Truman: Yup! One long beautiful day in Paradise! Alpha is technically an automaton, but not in the whimsical sense. The Alpha-class was the most advanced prototype. It's way more than a robot. It is a formless semi-liquid that takes any form by electric signals. It is completely interactive! Handy for much more than entertainment, pretty much everything. You can even wear it like a second skin, and turn it into armor! Extra arms and legs, swords... everything within the laws of physics.
Gabriel: Really, a liquid machine? Interesting. And here I thought I've seen all of the weirdness in the multiverse. I'd consider getting one, if I actually needed it. Oh, I almost forgot. May, I need a favor from you. May: What? Do you need something beat up? Or maybe it's a high-stakes stealth mission?! I'd take anything! Gabriel: Niki and Doyle wanted to go shopping. I'm still kind of worried about Gem, so I need you to go along with them. Please? May: ... Fine. *Starts to leave* Gabriel: And stay out of trouble! May: *Whines and leaves* Gabriel: *Sighs* That girl. She'll drive me crazy, someday.
Gabriel: So, Truman, as a tyrant, what kind of subordinates did you have? Like, did you remake Congress or maybe set up a group of advisers?
Truman: Yes. A group of advisors, The Delegate Trustees, people of various backgrounds, capable of handling the stress of the situation, approved by Seeker. Though their qualifications were immediately obvious. Congress and political systems were abolished by The Dignity Law, our new Constitution; my life-sentence.
Ophelia: No political systems? That sounds chaotic. Henrietta: My father has a group of advisers also. They come from only the most reputable families, and all come with many words of praise from other trusted figures. They consider which matters our Parliament should debate. Henri's father is one of these advisors. Elsie: Why are you so upset about being in charge? You told everybody what to do! I'd kill for that. Sometimes I think about how gaudy it would be to be Prime Minister, but I can't do that, I'm a girl. I can't even vote. Cecilia: And of course I don't want whiskey, but do you think the bar has any lemonade? *A glass of traditional lemonade appears in her hand* Oh! Oh, that is jolly nice.
Truman: In my time, I was chosen because I got the job done, even though I was never elected. Thus I can only regard myself as a tyrant. The job, in the early times, was deciding who lived and who died. Many were the choice between saving fifty thousand lives, and saving seventy thousand lives, or watching a hundred twenty all perish for failure to decide. It was my responsibility. Thank Gohd no one else had to bear that burden. Well, it was only as punishment, for violating The Dignity Law, that a person would be made King For A Day. Selfish attitudes and action produced an immediate, and measurable, effect on the lives of many people, and were addressed shortly. Violations of The Dignity Law quickly became infrequent. The entire 20th century penal system was abolished as a violation of The Dignity Law. Any mind-wiping or lethal Administrative action was a mercy, on request, under the Right To Die article. That request was often denied, especially my request. It was really only an issue in the first generation after The Strike. In later generations, the voice of the people was continuously considered in administrative policy. Truman: Hello yourself! Pull up a chair and tell us about your story.
Basil: I have been through a lot in my lifetime and I am only 28. I run a bookstore called the Attic and I have maintained it for the past couple of years. Would you like a physical description? Tell me about yourself, Truman.
Truman: Whoa! The lottery just dumped an earful on your plate! I'd say you're better off going way, way back in all these posts to familiarize yourself with the crazyness that is this place. Short story long, I'm dead. Well, except in this place. It's kinda my retirement. Those translucent minions playing over there are Alpha subunits.
Vanna: Hello, Basil. It's nice to meet you. I'd echo Truman's suggestion, we all introduce ourselves quite frequently and to tell you the truth, it's getting a little bit tiring. What sorts of things have you been through? Of course, I'm not going to demand full disclosure if you don't want to talk about it, but I was just wondering if you were talking about relationship difficulties or fighting a dragon.
Yaroslav: *holding a root beer* Hello there! Have a drink and enjoy the time around! We do it for now, before school time comes! Oleg: Hello, Basil, be welcome. *sips some of Yaroslav's beer* Give us your description. Yaroslav and me are the pale, black haired twins of twelve, in case you haven't noticed. Jan: Yeah, I second Vanna too on that, but I would like to know about mister Truman's past. I mean, I don't think he was President all of his life! Also, it's kinda cool to meet people, even if my first reaction is always to run away. *notices Yaroslav's beer* Slava, where did you get that? Yaroslav: Just wish it and... will come up! I was thirsty anyway, and this one is near non-alcoholic, so have one! Jan: *raises an eyebrow* What's the fun about it, then? *a pint of stout beer appears at Jan's hand* That's better! Cheers! *Jan gulps some of beer* Yaroslav: Jan, maybe you shouldn't drink that now. Jan: *little belch* Why? We've chugged way more spirited stuff than this one. And mister Truman said we could drink whatever we want. Oleg: Not in front of strangers or into a strange place. Also, what if your mom comes from sudden? Jan: *gets bothered* Mom? Is not that she's our Queen or something like that! *to Henrietta* Well, excusing the present royalty. And anyway, it's my life, and I do what I want with it. And if I want to get drunk on beer, I'll make it happen! I am a free man-! Yaroslav: *interrupts Jan* Ten year old kid! Jan: Whatever. I drank rakija at my grandpa's house, anyway. Well, grandma slapped my butt for having done it, but grandpa just laughed at me while she washed my face... I got woozy after a while, and got sent to bed *nostalgic sight*. Anyway, I remember that the Alpha-pup can heal us from alcohol, so I don't worry about it. Yaroslav: Ha! Some years ago, Oleg and I stole a wine bottle from a church. We wanted to sell it, but we tried some sips, since it was open. It was very sweet, so we liked it and we ended drinking all of the bottle. We arrived to our place late and very dizzy, and we tried to go to bed sneaky, but Papa noticed after I stumbled with a chair that came up from nowhere! He sent us to bed without saying anything else. Oleg: The next morning, with full hangover, Papa made us to run around twenty kilometers around town, all the morning. We promised him to not get drunk in wine again. Jan: Hahaha, and you haven't kept your promise! I'm witness of that! Yaroslav: What are you talking about! Now we get drunk on beer, but never on wine! *sips Jan's beer*
Truman: *to Jan et al* Remember boys, Alpha has a moral code. It would not encourage you to abuse yourself with alcohol. The Dignity Law was for how people treat themselves, too. *leans to adults and whispers* I forgot to mention this room would prevent hangovers, but let's keep that to ourselves. Hey! The ball wants to play with Alpha-pup! Why don't you guys try the slingshot wall? Or, you could tell the whole thing to be something else fun! Alpha-ball: *runs to boys, hops and waves* Eee-hee! Truman: I get another turn! *runs to the band and backs up a step, then stops* Hey, wait a sec! Alpha-band - Catapult! *band reforms into spatula shape as he sits. He raises his arm...* Launch! *catapult flings him through the air* Waaaaaah! Ooff! *hits puffy wall face-in* Mmph! *struggles to free himself from sticky-wall* Hey! Lemme go! *wall lets go all at once, and he falls on his ass* Aah! Forgot this thing has a sense of humor! Heh heh.
Truman: *rubbing his backside before sitting down* Ooh, heh heh. Well now, what kind of story are you folks from?
Vanna: I'm not sure if fanfiction characters are allowed here. They aren't yours, so I'm not sure they qualify. Hello, Janice and Jim. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Vanna, and I'm fifteen years old. Elsie: If we have to introduce ourselves once more, I'm going to hit someone. Cecilia: Alright, Elsie, you don't need to get so upset. Don't mind her, she can just get a bit snappy sometimes. Don't let her scare you off, it is nice to meet you. Henrietta: Homer? Like the poet? You must be quite the intellectual.
Sparsuna: [looking around] Well, well, well. What do we have here? A very, er, strange place, this. Allow me to introduce myself. Sparsuna Aracumas, at your service. Please, call me Sparsuna. All of my friends do. And I have many, many friends, let me tell you. Some of them even lack the desire to kill me! Ah, I like my friends.