[Video]

[rekindlenpcs]

[Irene appears on the terminal screen, looking a little bit tired. Her trademark smile is in place soon enough, though.]

Hello, everyone.

It's come to my attention that a number of you are concerned because of the disappearances that have been going on lately. I'm here today to reassure you - everyone who disappeared is safe. They're been sent back to their worlds for the time being.

The reason is that a number of people started showing signs of extremely fast energy drain - quick enough that they would have died within a couple of hours if left unattended. We returned them all for their own safety.

Right now, we're working on trying to figure out why only some people have been affected by this rapid drain. We hope to have more information for you soon.

Also, thank you all for your help in re-opening the Third District. For those of you that may have been wondering, opening the district was the cause of the power outages early in the month; for that reason, we're going to hold off on opening any other districts for the time being, until we're sure that the power levels are sufficient.

That's all for right now. Keep in good health, everyone.

Comments

[redcladidealist]

[After a few fumbling tries to get the terminal to work-]

Wait, so this means you can send people back when you want?

[rekindlenpcs]

Conceivably. But sending people back puts a much greater drain on the power than bringing them here, so it's only a last resort option for emergencies.

[redcladidealist]

What kind of emergencies? Just if someone's going to die?

[rekindlenpcs]

Yes.

[There's a pause - this is one of the new kids, right? Maybe he hadn't heard.]

When we return someone, no time at all has passed for their world. So anything that's happening there will be the same as when you left.

[redcladidealist]

Anything?

[Lloyd's attention catches on this, not so much because this is new (he had already been told about this) as because it reminds him of something he doesn't know the answer to.]

What about if you met someone here who's from the past? If they went back, and then you went back, would it be different for you if they changed something?

[rekindlenpcs]

We take people from parallel worlds - if someone went back and changed something, that would change their future, but that doesn't mean that you're from the same future that changes.

[redcladidealist]

Parallel worlds? Is that... different from worlds that are connected?

[This sounds like it might be reassuring if it wasn't so confusing.]

My world is connected to another world, but... I thought there was only one future, and they were both in it.

[rekindlenpcs]

No, it's a matter of timelines. Suppose you have a decision to make - no matter what you choose, there's a possibility that another you has chosen the other option. Your timelines would split at that point and become parallel.

[redcladidealist]

[That... Okay, Lloyd's honestly trying to wrap his mind around that, but it's quickly resulting in a headache.]

So there's two me's out there? No, wait, four- ten- a thousand- Wait, I've made more decisions than that! How can there be that many different worlds? There isn't that much space! Wouldn't they start touching and running into each other? Especially if we make more decisions?!

[rekindlenpcs]

[Don't forget all the worlds where you don't exist, Lloyd!]

It's... conceivable that they could meet, I suppose. But there's infinite amounts of "space," if you will, for those branches.

[redcladidealist]

[Shhh, let's not pile it on the poor boy. You'll make Lloyd's brain explode.]

But it could still happen. What happens if it does? Do both the worlds smash together and kill everything? Or do they just become one world with two of everyone?