[M15] ENEMY: UNKNOWN - THE INTERVIEW

[voidmissions]

---

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

---

Comments

DAY 1

[voidmissions]

Jake Peralta

[voidmissions]

[monkeyinthewrench]

"All right, I'm in."

Jake's been on the other side of the table back in the precint's interrogation room enough times to know how this generally goes, and he's been a hostage enough times to know that stalling through cooperation is the best chance for survival. But in answering, he also needs to do everything he can to figure out their angle, to best protect the rest of the crew.

"Great entrance, loving the vibe, not loving the kidnapping, but out of the sincerest respect for your profession: I should warn you that I've only been on the ride for about 3 weeks."

He does his best to look confident, cooperative, and most importantly, harmless.

(Well, he is harmless. But don't tell him that.)

[voidtreckernpcs]

"Thank you for your cooperation." The feeling of dread in the room fades slightly, the air becoming less oppressive.

Both move closer, to conversational distance. He gets no response to his comments until the last. "Twenty two void days to be exact. You are Jacob Peralta and are 36 years old. Is all of that information correct?"

[monkeyinthewrench]

"Oh, right. This is the part where you go over my case file."

He thinks through his answer for just a fraction of a second. "Look, I know that's what the legal docs say, and that's technically correct, but call me Jake. Please. We can be pals here, right?"

Ansem

[voidmissions]

[darknessinzero]

Ansem closes his eyes and breathes.

For a short while, that is all he does; fear is not an unknown to him, not after delving in to Darkness willingly - even if it is not a situation he would care to repeat - but it is certainly unpleasant. He breathes to get his fear under control, his self under control, and by the time the doors open, he is able to open his own eyes and feel at least somewhat steeled for whatever this is, composed enough to meet what one assumes to be the gaze of whatever...whomever this is. From one to another, back, and then resting on the one who has spoken as he deliberates.

"...I consent. I also request some water."

His voice is firm, but not demanding. A subtle test of his position and their attitudes.

[voidtreckernpcs]

A silence meets his request before one of the figures nods. They do not speak though, there is further silence that stretches on for a few moments before the door opens and a third figure, identical to the first two, appears. The door snaps shut even as they cross the distance.

With three of them in here the room feels very small, the air oppressive and thick with dread. But the third figure has a tumbler of water, which they hand over silently before leaving the room.

More silence, giving him time to drink.

i'm too used to writing tumblr, weeps

[darknessinzero]

Some sort of aura, perhaps- his mind races even as his heart pounds. Is this how a caged beast feels? He has far more sympathy for them, now, even as he holds on to his composure and as blank a face as he can. Though he does tilt his head in thanks as he accepts the tumbler, taking a slow drink of it (poisoned, could be- they wouldn't waste this much effort) to wet his dry throat and give him further time to think.

Breathe.

He does so, fight-flight-freeze instincts still warring with each other. But when he is done with the water, he at least has his next test ready;

"Before we continue, would there be a copy of your inter dimensional law able to be provided so that I may understand the full rights granted to me under its jurisdiction?"

Lan Wangji

[voidmissions]

[eternalinquiry]

Lan Wangji deliberates a moment, but decides an interview is better than a week of this blank space.
"I consent to be interviewed." He replies, "Are you a judicial system that the train operates under, or are you investigating the train itself?"

He doesn't like the train but strange people in armour are never a great welcoming party.

[voidtreckernpcs]

"The voidcraft Voidtrecker Express does not operate under a contract with the Void of Ministry, or any of its department. It is a rogue vehicle; we are investigating reports we have received of unlawful tetherings, and events it and its passengers have been a part of."

One speaks, and then the other speaks up: "Did you consent to be on board the Voidtrecker Express?"

[eternalinquiry]

Wangji nods a little at the first statement. "Do you even have the means to halt it?"

He makes a frustrated little 'tch' at the second question. "I did not consent to board the train, I was not even aware of it before I arrived here."

Inigo

[voidmissions]

[flatteries]

Today has been a lot. The weird mission filled with an odd tension first, and now this suddenly transition from dark to light, from a weird space station to an empty room, where he's suddenly all alone.

And then there's the feeling, of course. The awful dread that Inigo can't seem to push down. His only salvation here being the fact that this is the sort of dread he can work with, unlike the usual social anxiety. This dread is something that instead shifts him into fight or flight mode, despite being unable to take his sword out. It tenses up his body, ready to work for his survival.

.. even though that leaves him totally unprepared for what happens next. When the figures appear, and when they start speaking up with that, it leaves him totally confused for a moment. Just because he wasn't anticipating anything like this.

But even so-- Void Ministry. Investigation.

Inigo's throat feels dry. Is this things getting worse? Or is this finally a chance? It's just the mental shift he has to pull off here to adjust to the current situation that leaves him pausing for a moment, otherwise no hesitance present as he answers, "yes."

His shoulders still are a little tense though.

[voidtreckernpcs]

The pair step forward in unison to Inigo's response, their figures no less intimidating, and yet. A calm eases its way into the room, or so Inigo will feel. Keeping even as one of the two speak, their voices as deep as their breathing.

"Thank you. Confirm, you go by the name Inigo, are around seventeen years of age as by the calendar of your world. State with this your length of time in the void to its closest estimate."

There is nothing harmful to their voice, the way they speak, despite the way their suits make it heavier.

[flatteries]

It's odd - that sudden switch from dread to calm. But then again, Inigo did very much figure that dread was a natural thing, considering the situation he was in just before and the one he's finding himself in now.

The calm is a little less natural, but he feels it coming over him all the same, slowing his rapidly beating heart a little. Even though he's facing these incredibly oddly dressed guys. That would be considered weird armour even by his world's standards.

"Yes, that's me," he slowly says, swallowing. There's a lot he could say here, he feels, but maybe he needs to hold back for a moment first. See where things are going. "And I've been in the void for.. almost a year now. Eleven months and some days."

Danny Fenton

[voidmissions]

[schrodingersghost]

Danny rolls his eyes.

"Like you're actually giving us much of a choice. Fine, ask your questions."

[voidtreckernpcs]

They wait only a second. "You are Daniel Fenton, around seventeen years of age, and are of human and spectral biology. Is this information correct?"

[schrodingersghost]

"I prefer Danny. But yes, that's right."

The way these guys talked to him was reminding him way too much of the Guys in White, and it was making him twitch a little.

Kitty Pryde

[voidmissions]

[goingthroughaphase]

Kitty has to take a few breaths to keep calm, her heart racing as she stares down the figures in front of her, though there isn't much of them to see under the masks and armor. Taking in a deeper breath, she nods.

"Fine," she finally manages, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. "But for the record, if you didn't want us to be alarmed, you might wanna reconsider the kidnapping and..." She vaguely gestures a hand towards them. "All that."

[voidtreckernpcs]

"The simulated exercise was necessary to bring the vehicle known as the Voidtrecker Express to this station," they explain. "We apologise for any mental disturbance suffered. You and others from the voidcraft will not be harmed during your time here. Our objective is to learn more on reports we have received on the craft, as well as events that those on board have been present for."

The oppressive air in the room eases, a calmer sort resting over them.

"We have received reports that many of those on board the voidcraft did not consent to their tethering to the Void."

[goingthroughaphase]

"Sure." She doesn't necessarily believe them, but she didn't have much choice except to do as they say for now. She could only hope they did mean that no one would be harmed to the other Voidtreckers.

And it does get a bit easier to breathe then, so she'll take that as...well, an okay sign, anyway.

That first comment does have her hesitating, though. Eventually though, she can't help but nod. "Y-Yeah...at least when I boarded the train, I just kind of...woke up on a platform. I wasn't really sure how I got there."