voidmissions | [M15] ENEMY: UNKNOWN

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[M15] ENEMY: UNKNOWN - THE INTERVIEW

On opening their eyes, Voidtreckers will feel a sense of disorientation, a dizziness to their vision and inside their head. Both clear quickly, letting them remember where they came from: in the midst of a mission, some unknown entity jumping them, and then —

They're here. Wherever here is.
They stand in an empty room. The lighting of the room stings their eyes after how dark the rest of the station has been. The walls, ceiling and floor are all bright white, tiles. There is no visible door, no windows.

After the disorientation comes fear. The hairs on the back of their neck stand up. For those with danger sense, these senses are going haywire, even though any other abilities are still not working. The feeling can be pushed down, it is similar to the air of expectation at the start of a horror film, the anticipation of fear rather than being in a truly dangerous situation. It might be that they have been on the train long enough to have felt it before.

Heavy footsteps sound, it is almost impossible to tell where they are coming from as the echo through the empty space. The feeling of dread grows until part of the far wall slides open with a mechanical hiss.

Filling the doorway are two huge figures, around seven foot tall and bulky. They are in large metal suits, almost like power armour, black with highlights of gold. They wear a mask that covers their whole face. It is impossible to see the figure inside at all. Their breathing comes through heavy and raspy and when they walk their footsteps are heavy. The door closes behind them and their presence makes the room feel smaller. One of them scans a green light over the voidtrecker.

"Do not be alarmed. Under sections ninety six of Inter-dimensional law and on behalf of the Void Ministry we have intercepted Voidcraft designation Voidtrecker Express as part of ongoing investigations. You have been taking part in a simulated excercise to gauge your skill and strength. No harm shall come to you or your crew, you are protected by inter dimensional law. You have been chosen for questioning and we ask that you comply. You have the right to refuse our interview but we have the right to hold you until our investigation is complete or one week in standard void time has passed, whichever is longest. Complying with us will ensure our investigation is more efficient."

The inspector talking pauses here, as if giving the voidtrecker time to take in that information.

"Do you accept our interview?"

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

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At least it's a start. If they find that Yuki is safe at home, then the same probably goes for everyone else, right? And Inigo seriously can't think of anyone else he can send them to look for - not even his own mother or Gerome, considering it's not like he knows his own world's system number.

Instead he turns his mind towards thinking about a different problem.

"How.. do you usually communicate?" Behold: Inigo asking a question he knows he's probably going to get an answer he doesn't comprehend to. He is the worst possible choice to interview about technology. But he's here, and he has no idea if he's the only one or not, so he's got to try. "There's a radio on the train that can receive transmissions from across the void. Though it's our-- my friend's. Not the train's."

.. He thinks that's how it works, anyway? Where are Roland and Tidus when you need them, p-please..

There's a pause before either of the Inspectors answer, one looking at the other before they both regard Inigo again.

"Voidcrafts have built in systems to receive and answer communications, in a similar fashion to how your SCAs work. A craft can choose to answer or ignore incoming transmissions. The Voidtrecker Express has so far ignored all transmissions."

"Is your friend present on the station?" asks the other. "And would they have the radio?"

It's no surprise to hear that the train has been actively ignoring the transmissions coming from the Void Ministry, considering how scared it seems of them. And while Inigo technically can't blame it for that, given that of course it has so much reason to be worried about being found out considering what it's doing, it's also wildly unfair on their part, isn't it? The Void Ministry could've helped them out so much earlier, if only the train hadn't kept away from them.

Sure, maybe they can't be certain if these guys can be trusted, but this is the first time Inigo is getting close to fully being heard in such a long time.

"Yes!" Inigo quickly nods. "At least.. I'm fairly sure, anyway, I didn't ask him. But I can't imagine he would've left it behind." At worst he might have left it with someone else - maybe Roland? Or Senku?

"His name is Tidus. Around the same age as me, blonde hair but darker on top.. If he doesn't have it, he should know who does have it at the moment."

"Noted. We will inquire about a radio to Tidus if he is brought for an interview."

There is a pause to let reassurance settle with the response, before the next Inspector speaks.

"For now, we have a particular mission we are interested in, if you were present. An unknown entity created a false system and brought in individuals from across many systems, and also dragged in passengers of passing voidcrafts. False lives were implanted in those who found themselves in this reality. Does this sound familiar to you?"

If he is brought for an interview, huh.. Inigo can only imagine the other guy's reaction if he wasn't picked to be able to ~~yell at like a ferocious cat~~ talk with these people while others were. But Inigo hopes that he'll get to talk to them too. Not just because he knows Tidus would want to, but also because he's really hoping that radio might help them here.

As for the question, Inigo seems to nod with very little time necessary to think about it.

"Yes. I was part of that mission." It wasn't even that long ago, after all.

Edited 2021-10-17 10:02 (UTC)

"Can you share with us your experience, your understanding of events, and anything you came to know about the unknown entity surrounding this incident."

When one gives the request, the other speaks up, assuring: "Please take your time. Any and all information that can be provided will be appreciated."

"We were told by the train that there were people in danger there. But when we arrived, pretty much all of us were caught up in those fake memories that being created for us. It was really elaborate too-- I was suddenly used to technology I had never dealt with before, and I believed that one of the other passengers on the train was my brother, even though we aren't biologically related, nor even really look alike."

As he's speaking, Inigo can't help but wonder why these people are so curious about this mission in particular - maybe because they want to take in the being behind it? Inigo sure wouldn't be opposed to that, after everything it put them and other people through..

"I managed to snap out of it after several days thanks to the help of said other passenger. Most of us slowly snapped out of the memories around the same time." Inigo pauses, slowly shaking his head. He knows he doesn't know quite as much about the entity as other people do, so he doubts he's really useful here, but.. "That being who did it all to us seemed really angry at us. But I know we didn't destroy it or anything like that, we just.. sealed it away there. I think. But I wouldn't trust it to not hurt even more people."

There is a nod from the Inspectors. "There is reason to believe the entity will react erratically if engaged with. How much of the entity did you see? We are aware it was also present in other systems."

"Do crew of the Voidtrecker Express have previous experience with this entity?" Adds on one of the Inspectors.

He frowns, thinking, but.. "It seemed just like it consisted of light to me. But other people got closer to it." So they might know more. He didn't go to fight the entity in the end, after all, instead opting to try and save the other people still present in the city.

But erratic? Yeah, that sounds about right for that guy. He won't correct them on that, these guys have entirely the right idea about that thing.

"That.. uh, entity did mess with us during a few missions before it though. I think twice." Really obviously back on Kamakan, and then slightly less obviously in that.. that really odd other place.. "He really seemed to be carrying some sort of grudge against us. I'm honestly really hoping we never run into that thing again."

"We are hoping to keep the situation contained in regards to the entity," an Inspector says, in some form of agreement to never running into again.

"Was this grudge against you directed towards the Voidtrecker Express? A grudge from a time before the current situation with its crew?"

You know, that's a good question.

Good enough that it seems to catch Inigo by surprise, making him look at the two like he isn't quite sure either, and has to think about it for a moment.

"I.. think it was against us. Because we kept driving him out of places, since he was messing everything up in those worlds." And endangering so many people. "I can't say I'm fully sure though, since he was constantly yelling about so many things. It could have been that he already met the train at some point before any of us were on it."

Though, honestly, what Inigo is getting from what these figures here are saying is that it's no longer the problem of the people on the train, which he will gladly hope for.

"We will ask your other crew members to confirm," one of the Inspectors nod.

"Since meeting the entity, have you experienced any side-effects? Have you or your fellow crew members also experienced any of the following during your time in the Void: unexplained illnesses, dizziness, hallucinations or mood shifts that do not seem to have a clear cause?"

Briefly Inigo wonders if reliving the stabbing in his dreams could be considered a side-effect, but he's pretty sure it's not what these people are looking for. In fact, he's pretty sure he recognizes those symptoms - weren't they the ones of void sickness? Sheesh, it's been so long since they heard about that..

"Not as far as I know," he simply answers. "I've been feeling the same as ever."

Unexplained mood shifts included.

One of the Inspectors nod in acknowledgement to the answer, then the other asks, a moment after that gesture: "How many individuals in the void have passengers been in contact with, from the void?"

"Is there anyone that is in contact with the voidcraft itself that you know of?"

.. now this is a more difficult topic. Inigo will gladly offer up information about himself, and the information he did give about the other passengers felt harmless.. (And, well, he sure doesn't mind voicing his complaints about the train, considering those just feel deserved at this point.)

But his mind immediately goes to Anan. And he's not sure if it feels right for him to mention her, not even though he wants to trust these people.

"As far as I know, no one is in contact with the train." That much he can say for sure. Even Anan seemed to have a hard time reaching them. "I don't think it really listens to anyone, other than the distress signals it receives."

He says that part first, to give his brain a bit more time to think about what to answer to the other question. Still hesitating, even now, before he decides to go with something a little more avoidant until he's sure of these waters.

"And.. um, I mean.. we meet a lot of people on missions. Some of our group have probably talked with them about the void."

The pair stand in silence as Inigo answers, never shifting more than in miniscule ways, closer to statues in their posture. Facing him, difficult to read.

"Does this include places that are unaware of the void?"

But the last of what Inigo says seems to take their interest, in that same monotone way.

"I'm not sure," he says, which is the truth.

"Maybe?"

That's a bit less of the truth, since Inigo's true hunch lies closer to probably, if not definitely. But Inigo is a team player, and he's not here to throw anyone under the bus. Even when he thinks they might have done something really dumb.

Which is why he immediately shoots into something more defensive. It's not really emotionally defensive, the air still keeping him reasonably calm, but the words are definitely defensive in context.

"If it happened, it's since no one taught us anything. Everything we learned during our journey, we had to find out ourselves. The train threw us into all of this without preparing us, without teaching us anything about travel through the void. Even though it's a completely foreign concept to every single one of us."

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[M15] ENEMY: UNKNOWN - THE INTERVIEW

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