(anonymous user) don't give theater kids cameras

[endcaller]

[In early July, before the glitches become more frequent and noticeable, a newcomer greets the network. He's hiding his ID, despite appearing in the center frame on camera. Light pouring in from the window casts his face in the shadow of his deep hood.

If it feels a bit like he's staged this shot, it's because he has.

The hooded man waves.]

Greetings, my fellow Chosen.

Pray allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Fandaniel.

[He twirls a hand before himself and bends forward in an elegant bow.]

That is, I am the man sitting the Seat of Fandaniel on the Convocation of Fourteen.

[Slowly, he rises again, lips pressed into a grin. He speaks of his title with pride, mustering all of his thespian experience to make the pride seem genuine.

It isn't. He doesn't feel any real attachment to his Seat. Now, as always, it's a means to an end.]

I do not expect those words to mean aught to any of you. Know only this: My title is that of the Assayer of Extant Phenomena and Overseer of Life. I am the Observer, a task I take to quite well, I must say! Why, I studied life before I ever inherited my position.

[The smirk fades slightly as he taps his chin and starts pacing.]

Consider me the one who watches. Now and always. Do not be alarmed, 'tis all in the pursuit of knowledge. To that end, you will find a survey attached to this message. Please do fill it out at your earliest convenience and be honest in your answers. Remember, this is for science. If you decide to toy with me in your responses that would break my poor heart. And why would you ever wish to do something so cruel?

[The pacing stops and his smile returns.]

I shall be eagerly awaiting your replies. Ta!

[He claps his hands and the feed ends. Attached to the video is a small file...]

<b>WHAT IS YOUR NAME?</b>: I trust I need not explain this. <b>WHAT IS YOUR HOME WORLD</b>: Tell me about the world you hail from, its politics, its geography, its people... Consider me curious about anything you wish to share. <b>WHAT IS YOUR CRIME?</b>: If you would rather not say, I cannot force you. But I hope you will choose to be open with me. <b>WHAT SPECIES DO YOU IDENTIFY AS?</b>: What are you? I hope this is self-explanatory as well. <b>WHAT GIVES YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?</b>: ___

Comments

text; un: goo

[mightymorphin]

you watch people to 'study life', huh?

I honestly don't know who would be cool with THAT. don't watch me. or my friends. or else we're going to have problems, Dan.

voice;

[endcaller]

People get so concerned about the very concept of being monitored.

Worry not, it is patterns I watch for, not individuals. What forms a culture? Why do empires fall? What you do moment to moment is of no concern to me.

Hah! Imagine having the wherewithal to watch every individual in an entire population! Oh, the drudgery...

[mightymorphin]

oh. if you're an anthropologist or something you coulda just said so instead of making it sound so creepy.

still not filling out the survey though. I already got spoilers about what happens to people like me from a couple of time travelers and none of it was good news!

voice;

[endcaller]

Will you at least deign to tell me who the "people like you" are? Hm?

[mightymorphin]

human mutants. Homo superior. depending on who you ask, we're either the next stage of human evolution or a weird blip that's destined to die out.

voice;

[endcaller]

Whether you are the next stage of evolution or not, you are a "weird blip" and destined to die out regardless. That is how this whole thing goes, given a long enough timeline.

[He could end his thought there but he continues.]

Given your concerns about the fate of your people, however, I am guessing you face a more immediate threat. Being hunted, are we?

[mightymorphin]

[Damn, Dan is good.]

trust me, I'm the last person you need to remind about their mortality.

and that depends on the day honestly. the last guy that had a grand plan for mutants got blasted into atoms. so, y'know, we live to fight another day.

[endcaller]

That sounds rather harsh, unless this "grand plan" was warmongering. I find few people enjoy those sorts.

[A breath, then...]

Tell me, what unique traits do you "mutants" possess that concern others so?

[mightymorphin]

wellll he turned a bunch of regular people into cyborgs who were trying to kill us, so I think that falls under 'warmongering'.

we have something extra in our genetics that means we develop special abilities, what you'd call a superpower. not every mutant gets a useful power, but a lot of us do. what we develop tends to be pretty random.

[endcaller]

A spontaneous mutation that manifests in equally spontaneous ways? Fascinating.

What sort of "special ability" has yours provided you?

[mightymorphin]

oh, I'm a shapeshifter. I can become a duplicate of pretty much anyone. it makes my natural form pretty squishy, too.

[endcaller]

A shapeshifter you say?

I would love to study you if you would not mind it. Opportunities to properly study a shapeshifting organism are few and far between where I hail from.

[mightymorphin]

yeahhhh that's not happening. sorry Dan, I don't mind talking about where I'm from, but I'm no one's science experiment.

[endcaller]

I was hoping you could help me divine a way to make a transmutation elixir too.

Bah. Willing test subjects are always so woefully hard to find!

But I shan't force you.

If you change your mind, however, come find me. I promise I won't be invasive in my methods.

[mightymorphin]

yeah, most people aren't fond of being poked and prodded at. I'm sure you can muddle through making your elixirs or whatever on your own.

[endcaller]

Oh, I will manage.

As for you, I hope, at least, that you and yours are not hunted here.

Your ability to alter your own biology must pale in comparison to the sheer absurdity that is Expiation itself.

[mightymorphin]

well thanks. I was told things aren't as bad here as it is back home, but I'll have to see for myself.

it is really weird that this place is so nice for being a glorified prison. there was a festival happening when I showed up! I don't mind taking a vacation but they coulda asked first.

[endcaller]

You mean the festival that heralded the arrival of summer?

I saw it as well. A curious event, truly. It was noisome and energetic and held no regard for the sentencing that awaits we Chosen like a suspended blade.

[An audible sigh.]

Were I a charitable soul I might say they are trying to teach us to find pockets of joy in a tumultuous time. Alas, I am not.

What I fear we are seeing is a clever form of control. No need to keep the prisoners in line when they are barely aware they are prisoners.

Do try not to grow too complacent with the luxuries of this world, hm? A gilded cage is still a cage.

[mightymorphin]

that's the one!

yeah, good point. I want to get home ASAP though so a beach party isn't going to distract me from finding a way outta here.

[endcaller]

Good man.

Or, well... whatever you may be. I don't know. Communication via text is so impersonal.

Ahem. That aside, we are of one mind regarding escape. I, too, need to return to my star.

The better we understand this world, and each other, the better our odds. Hence my questions.

[mightymorphin]

I'm not really a man or a woman tbh! just call me Morph, everyone does.

and I'm all for putting our heads together if it means getting out of here. can't say I'm much of an egghead but I don't mind sharing stuff about my world.

[endcaller]

Tell me what you can, then, about your world.

And if you can tell me what you were doing before you were brought here, that may help as well.

[mightymorphin]

I'm from a planet called Earth, year 1997... aside from the mutant thing I'm part of a group called the X-Men, but we're not the only superhero team bouncing around. in fact there's quite a few superheroes out there, though I'm pretty sure most of them aren't mutants.

and before I got here I was on an asteroid that was plummeting towards the planet. I'm pretty sure the disaster was averted right before I passed out. my powers aren't very good for slowing down asteroids so I was benched for that one.

[endcaller]

You were on an asteroid that was set on a collision course with your star?

My, my, my that is quite the tale.

Is it true?

[mightymorphin]

c'mon Dan, it's not like lying would do me any good.

it's probably not like you're thinking - it was less a comet type situation and more a villain lair that was orbiting the planet. lesson being though, don't put villain lairs on asteroids! it just causes problems!