TESTING AND SHOPPING AROUND

[fastandfearious]

Man, I am having some serious second thoughts about this. And third thoughts. And like, seventh thoughts.

You're sure it's me you wanna send to a game? Absolutely, one hundred percent, no doubt in your mind? 'Cause there's like, a whoooole bunch of people who would be way better for this. People who like getting sent to new dimensions, even!

I am not getting ahead of myself! You even start thinking about a proper game, and before I know it I'll be in space or something!

Comments

[passengerseatdriver]

[Oh, wow, this is awkward.]

Muns don't generally listen to that kind of thing, uh, other me. I mean, I told mine that it wasn't a good idea and she put me in two games.

[fastandfearious]

[A SQUEAKING NOISE what the hell where did you come from]

Uh. Are any of them in space?

[passengerseatdriver]

[Well, his parents loved each other very much...]

[He shakes his head.]

One of them is a dream world and the other is some kind of crazy "higher plane of existence" kinda thing.

[fastandfearious]

[not that it's visible, but he's squinting] Higher plane of existence? What is that code for? "Limbo"? You're not dead, are you? [he trails off into a bit of a whimper. please do not be the ghost of burners past.]

[passengerseatdriver]

What? No! I'm still alive!

It's just...it's some kinda weird freaky world where we learn to make stuff appear out of nowhere and stuff.

[fastandfearious]

... That kinda just sounds like dream world, take two.

[passengerseatdriver]

Yeah, tell me about it. Except you basically become a god.

[fastandfearious]

Become a--

What, do you have to take an exam, or something?

[passengerseatdriver]

It's kinda complicated. Y'know that whole "making stuff appear from thin air" thing? It's more like bending reality to do what you want it to do. Everybody there can do it but the better you get, the more powerful you are.

I mean, the city itself where we all live is just one really powerful guy.

[stickshiftittotheman]

What, you're telling me you'd rather stick to alternate universe museboxes forever?

How bad could a game possibly be? I'm feeling pretty ready to get a move on. [And where Mike goes...]

[fastandfearious]

At least with museboxes, the suffering is intermittent! I need breaks, Mikey.

Oooooof course you are. I bet you just can't wait dive right in, huh? And do a triple spin while you're at it.

[stickshiftittotheman]

I'll keep it down to a double just for you, bud.

Besides, if this goes how it looks like it's going, I think we'll fit in fine. I think we have some experience under our belt in dystopian future, underground rebellion stuff by now. We'll be naturals.

[fastandfearious]

Exactly! Why can't we go somewhere nice, for a change? Like a vacation!

[stickshiftittotheman]

... I don't think there are games like that, Chuck. Unless "space fantasy horror" is your idea of a vacation.

[fastandfearious]

No. No, definitely not. How about we don't go anywhere with the words horror, terror, danger, hazard, or peril in the name? Can we just make that a rule, or something?

[stickshiftittotheman]

Come on, not even danger? You gotta let me have some fun, here.

[fastandfearious]

Except that your idea of fun is most people's idea of crazy, Mike. It's bad enough back home, but--

[a sigh] Look, I guess I'd just rather deal with the devil we know than the one we don't, if you're gonna be like that.

[stickshiftittotheman]

Crazy fun. [FINGER GUNS]

And you know if I had a choice in this we'd stay home with our friends. Somehow I don't think that's how this works.

[fastandfearious]

Right. [grunt] Alright, well if home isn't an option, I guess... What's our second choice, again?

[gunchuks]

HEY, CHUCK! What's this Texas hears about you wantin' to blast off into space? Because that would be super awesome, y'know. Especially if you get to fight some evil blood-suckin' aliens while you're out there or fall into a wormhole, or maybe a black hole!

[TEXAS ALWAYS KNOWS JUST WHAT TO SAY TO MAKE HIS FRIENDS FEEL BETTER.]

Dude, what would happen if two black holes ran into each other? Have you ever just thought about stuff like that and then the next thing you know, it's three hours later and you're mysteriously lying on the floor for some reason?

[fastandfearious]

[he seems to almost forget to be scared for a moment] Actually, the chances of alien lifeforms--

Oh. Oh god. Well that's definitely not supposed to happen, like, ever. But with the whole implied interdimensional travel thing going on, I dunno if there are any games out there with a lobby inside a collapsed star. Sounds kinda extreme, to me.

[gunchuks]

What if the whole reason interdimensional travel is even possible is because two black holes decided to duke it out? What if we're in another dimension right now and we just don't know it!

[Cue Texas' rendition of the Twilight Zone theme. Because who's the buffest tv and film buff ever? This guy!]

So what's your ideal game then, huh?

[fastandfearious]

That doesn't sound particularly likely, given what we know about... Y'know. Science.

[a sheepish look] Um. Snakes and ladders?