WEEK 2

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 2

[It is again early morning when the train docks next. This time, however, the dock is not as busy. There are few trains to be seen, and even fewer people. Only a man stands at the dock, teeth sharp in his smile, scelera a deep gold as he stares beneath his fedora.

"Unexpected," he said with a smile. A two-dimensional dog with the head of a scribbled black cloud hops by, ignoring him. "But not unwanted. Do make yourselves comfortable."

This new place is known as Victoria's Chasm, named after an Empress. No, not that one. Her Thrice-Renewed Majesty is quite comfortable on her Throne, and rulled for much longer than 99 days, thank you very much.

In the distance, black begins to erupt like tendrils. Lightning flashes through the clouds. This is the land of monsters; tread carefully. And do not despair, whatever you do.


There are fifteen strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[biddentodance]

[Huh! Interesting, he'll grab a book and see if the text inside is the same.

Caleb has a German accent, right? He's pretty sure he can go find him to help, if need be.]

[strangerpeople]

[It is.

He will also notice a copyright year, alongside a lack of censorship: 1902.]

[biddentodance]

[Hm. Alright. ....So what sort of book did he grab?]

[strangerpeople]

[An ornithological book that focuses on Northern Germany.]

[biddentodance]

[Doesn't seem terribly useful. He puts it back.

...any books about trains, by any chance?]

[strangerpeople]

[No.

As he goes through the books, though, Minato may notice something.]

[biddentodance]

[Well poo.

What's here to see?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[The books are all from Berlin and London (sometimes called Fallen London, for some reason), and all of the books come from 1904 and before.]

[biddentodance]

[Curious.... Okay, can he find any history books? Geography?]

[strangerpeople]

[There are history and geography books.

The most recent geography book he will find will show that there is no British Empire on Earth, at least as of 1900. Instead, France, Russia, Austria, and Germany seem to be jockeying for the land that would have been Britain's in another universe.]

[biddentodance]

[Well that's alarming. Just where is the empire, then?

....do the history books have anything about space travel?]

[strangerpeople]

[Only scant information. Basically, what Minato can find is that the Traitor Empress-Her Renewed Majesty-and her government found the means to travel through space.]

[biddentodance]

[hmmmmm traitor empress, don't like that.

Okay. Does anything else stick out?]

[strangerpeople]

[Nothing else, no.

Well, nothing Charlotte didn't find, but aside from that...]