Radia, for all her appearances and behavior as a wealthy party girl, is a person of above-average intelligence, and can thus deduct some things from those first few lines. “Programming”. Brainwashed then, to forget things. But whoever did it need these people to have their powers and know how to use them, for some reason, and seemingly they need the person intact too or they’d just make them into the mental equivalent of sheep. He’s done this before: this isn’t the first time people have woken up. Not even the first time she herself has, and she seems to have lost before, at least twice. Actually that explains why she can’t quite remember how long she’s been here, wherever here is. She thought of all this as he was speaking.
She really should be leaving instead of picking his brain. The others are probably looking for an alternate entrance as they spoke. That question though… that was unexpected. But, may as well answer; if she fails this time too, it might matter in the future.
"Well... it's hard to say actually. I could just be bored. That seems like it'd make sense. I'm not content with being content. Or it could be because I hate pretending that the world doesn't matter to me, here in this little bubble. I can't really remember everything- I've got your boss to thank for that, don't I?- but it just seems wrong. This town isn't the whole world. Why pretend it is?"[/b]
As she says this, she *is* prepared to bolt at a moment's notice.
"That does describe the paradox...
You want to be a part of the world...but, what if I told you the world didn't want you anymore? Could you understand how you would end up here? How you might even choose to be here?" He says, almost sounding regretful for you.
...
Far in the distance, Radia makes out the sounds of an approaching car (or two). More garbagemen?
"We shall." But, as he walked: "Is there any indication that your other students are disappearing, too...?"
"No, not entirely.....but I'd rather be safe. Radia is a favourite pupil of mine, I must confess."
Before the pair can leave, or indeed continue their conversation, Miss Fleich bursts back into the shop, looking very distressed.
"Some villain is stealing my car!"Star's gaze lingers on the cart-o-mobile, shifts briefly to the van-o-trucker, and comes back to the shiny fast vehicle. The more glorious option makes her feel just terrible about stealing it, but she really does need the speed if she's going to catch up to them.
She hops in and starts trying to remember how to start it. If it needs a key- meaning a chunk of oddly shaped metal, not... whatever keys normally are- she can probably... "mug" really isn't the right word. "Rifle through her purse whilst apologizing profusely and insisting that it really is important" is closer to what she can do to the lady in Wymond's shop.
It really is important! Even if actually catching up to the garbagemans probably has a good 40% chance of getting herself remindwiped.
Stealing the car is as easy as snatching an
[alien cultural reference detected] from a
[alien cultural reference detected]. You know people don't bother to lock their doors in Farfield. And they leave their keys in the ignition because...nothing like that ever happens here...
Star feels perhaps mild guilt (or maybe none at all) as she begins rifling the dashboard, looking to start the ignition. A nearby woman (presumably the owner) runs back into the antique shop she just came from-screaming, probably to call the police.
Which as far as you know, Farfield has none.
Jack stood there for a while, at a loss to what he could do. There was no way he could actually go after her, these were dangerous people. He stifled another coughing fit before turning towards the expensive houses. It was dangerous, but in the end he couldn't just leave her. With a fair amount of hesitation he took the first step forwards, quickly he began to build up speed until he was almost running. He had to at least try.
Lungs burning, heart pumping. It's great to be alive! Not that you could exactly relate.
...
Jack hears a fast approaching car coming up behind him, down the street toward the beach houses-noting with some interest that it's his friend, the mayor Green Star in the drivers seat. And, maybe some people in the backseat. She seems to be hurrying in the same direction you are. Perhaps you should hail her?
"No Elysia is going to be eaten!" Eins raised her voice over the rabble. "Most of us are smart! We're brainy and we're strong. I know we are, because you're we and we're me and you!"
She slid down the tree, landing firmly on the ground. She took a few steps back and began pointing at Elysias. "We have the necessities!"
Fire Elysia. "Heat and light!"
Cat Elysia. "Pets!"
British Elysia. "Hunters, to find us food!"
Nerd Elysia. "Mighty brains to work out a way home!"
She struck a noble and dramatic pose.
"We'll all get back, uneaten and unkilled! Probably! But it's likely, since I'm here!"
The Elysia's are still arguing over who should be the leader (All trying their own versions of noble and dramatic poses) when hundreds of airships begin dropping out of the clear blue sky. Unsurprisingly, each one seems to correspond to one of the stranded Elysias-the Fireysia's ship is a giant comet, the Brtiysia's ship resembles an old time sailing vessel, the nerdysia's ship is a high tech silvery dart, etc, etc. It seems the rescue squad is here!
All of them.
...
Our Elysia notices the ship she immediately recognizes as her 'own'-it's a fat steam blimp, with huge propellers, putting giant white clouds in a trail behind it. With it come memories...she knows on instinct,
her mother has come to save her.She notes a billboard on the side of the blimp, easily as large as her former house. In fact, she can
see her former house, affixed to the bottom of the blimp,
WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME? YOU'RE RUINING THE PLOT!
PLEASE DO COME UP, KID! WE NEED TO TALK
Funny how she had time for all that...oh, yeah...
...
There is a rain of lines, ladders, slides, strings, poles, and teleportation beams down upon the ground from the ships, around what is probably the most unfortunate tree in the multiverse-the poor thing lost nearly all it's branches, and its half burned. Most of the Elysia's seem happy to depart their own stubborn second (third? fourth) halves.
The ladder beckons our own Elysia, though she may have words for the departing ones...
Johnathan reads the note, his eyes brows raised in surprise. "They left a note? Confirmation it seems." He says as he reads it over. "Something's happening in a week?... We can't let them do... Whatever they want to do. We need a way to draw them out..." Johanthan steps up to William, uncomfortably close, and says in a low voice. "Maybe we should fight. Or at least pretend to. If we look like we hurt each other, that might draw whatever observers there are out to finish off the remaining one. Then we can ambush them together."
"I'll be honest, sir...we could start pretending, but how long could we keep it up? When we really want to..?
Not that it's a bad idea entirely..." He says, his own body tensing.
It won't cause much for your plan to work out now! Assuming this was your plan...