completelycrazy | week 1 - hiro

[Whether it's due to Hiro being young or it's due to Hiro just used to...being...Hiro, he's not at all bothered by their hike across the island toward the volcano and seems to be in fairly high spirits. The thing about it is that Newt is one of the people he's already decided he likes enough to compare notes with and get to know. If that means heading up to check out an active volcano, then sure.]

All the more reason it's entirely possible that's where they would put a portal. That was the idea, remember? Somewhere we wouldn't have easy access to.

[Newt is an old nerd, Hiro. He is hype but boy is he not cut out for mountain climbing. But! He'll make due. They are in pursuit of science, after all, and that's important.]

Right. The lack of easy access thing sure checks out. [He's happy enough to be here, though. He likes Hiro right back; this kid is smart and smart people are ~~always~~usually in Newt's good graces. Smart by Newt's definition, anyway, and Hiro definitely ticks all those boxes.]

Even if we don't find the thing, we should be able to get a good view of the whole island from up there.

It's an added bonus. [There's even a genuine grin as he seems to practically bounce from edge to edge up along this hike to keep up with Newt's longer legs.] I was thinking of making a map for everybody if I could find a decent amount of paper. It'd be a good idea to know where we are and where we can go. Where people might be able to hide and stuff like that? I don't think any of us want to be caught off-guard in something like this. Plus it'll give us other places to check if the volcano doesn't have anything worth noting.

Oh, hey, that's a great idea. It'd be nice to have a visual reference, especially once we start exploring the jungle and that cave down by the beach. [Which Newt definitely plans to do, unfortunately for everyone.

And, hiding... Yeah...] You mean if someone, like, gets locked out on Thursday night, or something?

Exactly! It'll help us for looking for resources, too. [The downside is that it also means it makes it easier for people to maybe betray them, but he's not going to voice that. Kind of like he won't voice that it would make things easier for someone to hide and set a trap.]

But like that, too. Have you checked out the huts by the way? I can't figure out how they're going to lock us in or out if we're the ones with the keys.

Right. [Newt is firmly pushing all downsides into the back of his mind for the moment. There haven't been any murders yet, and they may as well solve the resource problem before they worry about something that isn't even an issue yet.

...yes okay it WILL be an issue very soon and getting ahead of the game might be smart but also murder is not something he wants to think about so he's going to dedicate his energy!! elsewhere!!!]

Hm. I haven't. I have a feeling this place might not play by the rules, though. Something about it feels like it's manufactured. Like, this island? It's too picturesque. Nothing I've found is even remotely indicative of an actual Earth location. It's close, but it's all too... Generic. [He shrugs.] The huts probably have more to 'em than meets the eye. Raven told me she tried to break into the Chief's hut, for example, but it was way too sturdy to make any headway. That's weird.

She did what? [Raven what the hell!! But of course that's something to note and he actually stops walking to look behind them down at the island, a thought slowly forming as he runs a hand through his hair.]

...I noticed that, too. If the Chief and his double are robots, maybe this is actually like a VR set-up? Tech has advanced really far in the last couple of years, it's totally possible that's why we can't identify anything about this place. It'd be hard to pinpoint where we are if this place isn't real.

[That... also stops Newt in his tracks.] VR, huh? You know, that might actually make some sense.

[This doesn't feel like VR, but Hiro's right. Newt's own thoughts have been trending toward a simulation of some kind, too. That's honestly way more likely than a portal that can bop between 40-some different dimensions. Or 40-some different portals.]

We have this thing back home called Drifting. It's not a simulation, not really, but I bet that tech could be used to set up an immersive experience like this. Essentially, it's a neurological phenomenon induced through something called a Pons system, which allows two brains to link up and exchange information directly.

[A beat.] Did I tell you about this? I'm losing track of who all I've told about this stuff. Anyway, PPDC has more or less monopolized the use of that technology because it's used for piloting Jaegers, so alternate uses for it haven't really been explored yet, but man... That could be what we're dealing with here.

Yeah. [There's a firm nod but after that he continues walking again. Volcano, onward!] It's one of the possibilities I've wondered about since that would explain why we don't remember either. If it's a VR set-up, we're not going to remember anything like getting on a boat or going through a portal or anything. A portal's still an option that I want to look into, but at the same time I'm not entirely sure we can rule out something else either.

I want to look into everything. Ruling stuff out is way easier than coming up with other explanations.

[He shuts up though and listens because that's. Something a little different and yet curious.] First time I'm hearing about it. So when the two brains are linked up they're working co-dependently. You could say they're like partners. [See where he's going with this, Newt?] And if one connection goes offline, there goes the other. Right?

I don't know what a Jaeger is but it sounds a little similar to my microbots. Using your brain to control the movement of inanimate objects. But the neurotransmitter only has to be worn by one person to work in that case.

I'm with you. Throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall is better than having nothing to work with. Besides, the theories aren't mutually exclusive. If it is VR, that doesn't change the fact that we're all from different worlds. If I were going to orchestrate something like this, pulling everyone to one central location and then popping them into a manufactured reality would be the best way to stay in control of the whole process.

[If he's right, that's simultaneously good news and bad news. Good news is that dying might not be literally dying. Bad news is that they have yet another layer of intense mystery to puzzle through, perhaps dramatically decreasing their chances of getting out of here without having to play it through.

He's going to focus on the good news! Up the mountain they go.]

Hm. Sort of. [Reasonable assumptions, though. As always, Hiro is one step ahead of the curve, even if the step isn't exactly right.] It's more symbiotic than co-dependent. The two brains can function independently, but they're stronger when working in tandem. Jaegers are these massive robots designed to fight the Kaiju, and the pilots drive them by functioning as the Jaeger's brain, essentially. The Jaeger taps into their mental functions, so when they move in the cockpit, the Jaeger moves with them. Problem is, that's too much strain for one human mind to handle. The two pilots share the load.

[...] So, yeah, sounds like the microbots you're describing. Anyway, point is, if one pilot's connection goes down, the other will still function, but the intensity of the connection with the Jaeger is usually too much for the other pilot to be of any real use. Most of the time, anyway.

[which FINALLY brings him to the important part.] And if that's the case... Shutting down one or both of the chiefs might disrupt the simulation.

A control room would make sense before dumping us on the island. And once we "die", in theory, we're just pulled somewhere else until we can leave the simulation. It almost sounds too easy but maybe it really is that simple.

[Not-permanent death is much more preferable to real death, so there is that. Still. His eyes light up because like...he's still 14. He's still fascinated by giant robots so the idea of a giant fighter bot fighting real kaiju is pretty much everything he could dream of. That may not be what he's supposed to take from this, but oops.]

That makes a lot of sense. The Jaeger is just a catalyst for the pilot's brains so they can fight. For something that big it would need more than one person. And if one goes down and the other is left to man the Jaeger they could be overpowered. And in our case that would mean we could all get stuck here instead.

...do you really think they could borrow our kind of technology for a place like this?

Yeah, that's a distinct possibility. I was thinking that, too. It makes the weekly murdering and executing a little easier to stomach, if nothing else. [So that's definitely the theory he's sticking with then. Great! Also follow your heart, Hiro. This Jaeger vs. Kaiju thing is indeed super cool.

He nods through Hiro's explanation. Yes, good, they continue to be in sync.]

I don't see why they couldn't. I'm not sure how we were chosen for this, but it couldn't have been random. Not entirely, anyway. I don't think the Chiefs would pull in test subjects without doing their research on us first.

[Which... is troubling in its own right.]

The only thing is that having that knowledge in the wrong hands could be bad, too. Especially if it gives people the idea that it's okay to kill everybody else since it's "not real." [Air quotes and everything. It helps that he and Newt are on the same page because it allows him to keep talking and spout off most of his ideas. He assumes if he ever goes too far off-base, at least Newt will tell him so.]

With everything they have on us...our clothes, those profiles, yeah, they did research. [He gestures down to the hooded sweater he's still wearing despite the heat.] This is my favorite sweater. So...that's a little weird still. But if that's true, then maybe they pulled technology from your version of Earth. The other problem is then we could also be dealing with literal magic. Have you spoken to half the people on the island? It's kinda crazy.

[At this point they're probably near the base of the volcano, at least.]

[ah yes that's right they're scaling a literal mountain. newt forgot about that in favor of theorizing.]

Hm. True. I mean, real or not, there have got to be some consequences for what we do and what happens to us. If the Chief wanted a free-for-all bloodbath, he would've said so. We have to appease him to get out of here, apparently, so that's our leverage in case anyone gets it in their head that killing doesn't mean anything.

[Newt admires your commitment to Sparkle Motion re: that hoodie, dude. He gave up on his leather jacket a long time ago.]

Magic... That's a whole separate can of worms. There has to be some sort of scientific explanation for how those things are possible, though. Like, Katara? She said she can control water back home, but pressure points on the body can affect her ability to use that, uh, magic. So it's gotta be a physiological thing somehow, even if it's not something that makes sense in our worlds.

[everything is science hiro!!!]

Like, hell, we didn't think aliens and interdimensional travel was possible, but then it was. [He shrugs.]

You think maybe there's something else they want besides death? Another way to appease them, I mean. [He might suffer from heat stroke but he's going to keep wearing his hoodie thank you. And the long sleeved shirt under that. Hiro's fine.]

Anyway...how could we even get a read on people's physiology around here without the right tools? I didn't know about Katara but everybody else...some people were talking about witches and some other stuff. It doesn't make sense, but they're all very real people. So what gives? Why also bring people from a normal earth?

[oh my god hiro newt is going to aggressively dad you into making sure you're staying cool. drink plenty of water, bud!!!]

Well, they said the point of doing this was just entertainment. It's a crappy reason, but I don't think they're just in it for the violence. What's the point of having us try to solve the murders if that was the case? This feels more like some social experiment to me. Throw 40 people on an island, watch them systematically kill each other, and see how that affects the community over time.

[Admittedly, it does sound interesting... Just not when there's real lives at stake.]

That part, I'm not sure. I guess just to add to the interest factor? Most of us are from totally different places, so it could either be another layer of intrigue in watching us cope with those differences, or it could be intended to confuse us. If anything's possible, we have no way of ruling out most theories. A wormhole could've brought us here, or a shared consciousness in a virtual simulation, or just straight up magic...

[He shakes his head. It's overwhelming, to put it lightly.]

[There's a reason his profile says "poor self-care", Newt!! But it's not even in his frame of reference at the moment as he continues almost jumping up the side of the volcano's base.]

I don't know if the other robot's that into it. Hal is, definitely, but…whose entertainment are they really doing it for? A social experiment though. You read Lord of the Flies, didn't you? It's the same thing.

[And that's horrifying, too.]

Straight up magic would make sense in the way of not making sense, but one of the other things I want to know is where the Chiefs came from. Has anybody asked them?

True. To be honest, Hal's a jerk, sure, but I think I trust the other one less. At least Hal has the decency to act like the type to drag us here and make us kill each other. I'm not sure what to make of Pal yet.

[Newt follows Hiro up the mountain, taking a moment to focus on the climb while he thinks. Good question.]

I don't think so. Not that I know of, anyway. You think they'd actually answer something like that?

Pal could be the one programmed to lie. Especially since we know, supposedly, that Hal created him himself. [This is so uncool.] Hal...I think might be worth listening to, but Pal might be good to see if he can keep his stories straight.

And maybe. I don't see why that's a question that needs to be a secretive thing.

My money's on Pal as the liar, yeah. Hal's the one that gives us most of our info, so him being the liar wouldn't make much sense. It'd mean that all of the rules and information about the game that he's given us is effectively useless.

[Which, yeah, maybe that's just another fun island twist, but he'll table that migraine for another day.]

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the answer. If it'd be useful for us to know, I doubt they'd fill us in, so either way, I'm not sure it'll do us much good. [...] Still worth asking, though. Even if it's not useful, I'm curious.

So far, we don't know if that's the case either. But you're right about that part. Why put us in a game to play and give us a whole bunch of false rules if we're doing this for them?

[Stupid game.]

I'm mostly just curious, but it's hard to get close to them just to ask. I think they might just be used to a lot of us yelling at them by now. If I ever get the chance though I'll definitely ask.

[Finally up at the volcano, he looks.] ...if there is a portal here, it's definitely not obvious.

[THEY DID IT. Good job, boys. You are explorers.]

Right. It doesn't make sense. Neither of the Chiefs seems like the chessmaster type either, so I can't see a litany of false rules falling under "entertainment" for them. It's gotta be simpler than that. Keep me updated on the origin story, too.

[And, again, Hiro's right. No portal, but being on top of an APPARENTLY ACTIVE volcano is still super cool.]

Hm... Yeah, that VR theory is looking more and more likely. The Breach back home is pretty noticeable. It's big enough for Kaiju to pass through, and it's lit up somehow. If there was something like that here, we'd see it right away.

So who's pulling their strings? That's the biggest question I have now that, surprise surprise, we aren't getting an answer to.

[But okay. He's...going to carefully peer at the volcano. How the hell did they get up there? WHY ARE THEY STILL THERE. This is not how science works probably but whatever.] I've never seen lava up close, but this looks pretty normal to me. So. If there's a portal on this island it's not here. I guess maybe the heat would really melt it down anyway so...[He scratches the back of his head.] Back to square one.

Same here, dude, and I have a feeling we're not going to get an answer anytime soon. Even confirming that someone on the outside is pulling the strings would give us way too much information about the world we're working with here.

[Newt will join Hiro at the volcano's edge and PUSH HIM IN HAH HE WAS THE MAFIA THIS WHOLE TIME jk but he sure is checking out that lava down in there. Neat!]

The Breach isn't so much a physical construction as it is, like, a bridge between two dimensions. I don't think a volcano would melt it down. That said, a volcano definitely would melt down some robots, so... Yeah, looks like we struck out. Bummer.

You really think so? Maybe they wouldn't care about letting that slip since we can't do anything with it.

[And this is how Hiro Hamada died.] I wouldn't look at this as striking out, dude. We still learned something and who knows? Maybe volcanic knowledge is actually gonna help us at some point. You know. Assuming they didn't go with the Breach idea from your world.

[Newt just nods along, staring down at the lava. Okay, yeah, this isn't striking out.]

It's gotta mean something that they plopped us on an island with an active volcano, too. Especially if it's a simulation. This has gotta be a Chekhov's gun situation.

[Which he should maybe sound more worried about???]

You'd think so. They don't seem like the type of people just to do it for appearances. But then again, we all showed up in swimsuits so maybe we're off on that, too.

...maybe that's why we'll only be here for two months. If we don't kill each other first, the volcano will do it for us.

[...Oh shit.]

You might be onto something there. That's, uh, unsettling. [...] Doesn't look like there's much else to see up here, though. We should probably head back before it gets dark.

Yeah...we should. [There's a beat as he bounces on the balls of his feet for a bit, a little more nervous at the idea that that's how they're going to go.] Race you to the bottom? [And he's already off. Come on, Newt. Keep up.]

[NEWT TRIES TO KEEP UP AND SLIPS ON A ROCK BECAUSE OF HIS OLD MAN KNEES AND FALLS AND DIES OH GOD HE'S DEAD.]

week 1 - hiro - tuesday afternoon

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science infodump oh boy

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