ONBOARDING.

[peregrinatus]

[Upon arrival, all passengers will wake in their assigned cabins, and upon regaining consciousness, will be greeted by a voice in their heads. It's a warm voice, kind and gentle, mellifluous, impossible to distinguish gender from the sound of it.]

Welcome aboard, passenger. Please don't be alarmed - I am the Navigator, and I'm here to assist you. I'm afraid you're probably a long way from your home - all of those currently on board aren't where they're supposed to be, and I'm not entirely sure as to how you all came to be on board. But I'm doing what I can to locate the home planets of my current passengers, and I'd like to ask for your help, too.

What will aid me the most in finding the way to your home planets is if you'll work together with the other passengers. My people thrive on the emotional bonds created between ourselves and our passengers, and between the passengers themselves. The emotional bonds forged through partnership are the strongest and most beneficial - harmony, compassion, trust. It's not a requirement, of course, but it's to everyone's benefit to work together, both with me and with each other.

I imagine you'll have questions. I'll do my best to answer them, if I can.

[New passengers will note a glyph symbol marked on the back of their dominant hand, and they have been implanted with a universal speech translation modification, which is impossible to locate and cannot be removed.

Newly accepted characters can use this post to ask the standard introductory questions of the Navigator, but comments in this post will not be counted for activity purposes.]

Comments

[peregrinatus]

Navigators are given a name by our passengers. Most of those on board refer to me as Navi, but you may call me whatever you like. I am located on the bottom floor of the ship, at the end of the hall.

[Navi’s speed of “speaking” doesn’t change, however.]

Does your kind not typically communicate through words? I could try to send you visual impressions instead. That might convey this information a little faster.

[speediest]

Right, bottom floor.

( legs swing off of the bed moments before he's pushing himself up to his feet and running down from his room across the ship, through the halls, down the stairs--until he finds the room with the weird stuff on the wall next to it.

looks fishy, so it's probably correct. )

I use words. You're just slow. It's okay I guess. I'm used to snails.

[peregrinatus]

I’m not a snail - I’m a Navigator.

[Navi looks up from the display screens when Tommy enters, blinking slowly but giving him their full attention.]

What is the typical speed your kind uses to communicate?

[speediest]

You're all snails to me.

( considering navi's. voice whatever's definitely talking at close to the same pace as most people, he's just going to take it as that's also navi's usual speed. but. since they asked--he speeds up his own voice tenfold. )

Mykindallspeaklikesnailsexceptforliketwoofusit'sreallyannoying--

[peregrinatus]

Then why do you speak so fast? Do you not wish to be understood?

[speediest]

'cause talking like this is like purposely putting on the breaks constantly, dude.

[peregrinatus]

What I meant was to ask why you’re so different from everyone else. You said there’s only one other like you?

[speediest]

I'm a mutant. Mutated human. Homo superior--I'm different and cooler than everyone else.

[peregrinatus]

[tommy pls]

I see. You’re the first of your species that I’ve encountered. Are there many of you?

[speediest]

There's a decent amount of mutants running around, yeah. Why?

[peregrinatus]

We have no records of encountering your kind before.

[speediest]

Oh man, really?

( first mutant is new. )

Well then I'll be the first to tell you--we have a looot of special needs.

[peregrinatus]

What sort of special needs do you require?

[speediest]

Red bull and an endless supply of protein bars.

[peregrinatus]

I don't know what red bull is - I've never heard of such a thing before.

[speediest]

It's an energy drink. Full of caffeine and sugar.

[peregrinatus]

And caffeine and sugar are vital to your kind's survival?

[speediest]

I will literally die without caffeine and sugar.

[peregrinatus]

Then I'll do what I can to accommodate. I certainly don't want you to die. I don't have this red bull you mentioned, but I believe some of the other passengers have stored coffee in the kitchen. I understand it has a great quantity of caffeine.

[speediest]

Got any sugar for that coffee?

[peregrinatus]

Yes ... there should also be sugar, unless it's all been used.

[speediest]

What if it has all been used?

[peregrinatus]

We'll acquire more as soon as possible.