a_gentle_boy | First PSI

Ah. Um. H-Hello? This is a telephone, right? . . . You talk into it and other people talk back? Excuse me! Is anyone there? . . . I'm not sure if it's working . . . Well, if anyone's listening, I need to know. What happened after the Dark Dragon came? The world was destroyed, but . . . I didn't think it'd be reborn so quickly. A-Actually, this doesn't look anything like what I thought the new world would be . . . It's not like Tazmily Village at all. I thought . . . I thought after I pulled the Seventh Needle, everything would just, well . . . go back to the way it was before. . . . I guess I was wrong.

Oh, I'm sorry. You probably don't know who's talking. My name is Lucas. You've probably heard of me; I'm the one Porky called out to fight. I hope you've all realized the truth by now. I don't blame anyone except Porky for what happened, but . . . Well, that isn't important. Does anyone know where my dad is? Flint? Or Kumatora, Boney and Duster? I ca -- . . . Huh? What is . . . AH!

No way! Wh -- What's a Happy Box doing here?! After everything we went through . . . Haven't you all learned from your mistakes by now?! This isn't right. I've got to take care of this.

[Moments later at 846 Goldberg Street, a television falls out a second story window and smashes to the ground. This is followed by several wads of dollar bills, a smattering of coins, and a radio.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... Happy Box?

And yes, this is a telephone... Albeit one that's very odd, by my standards.

Welcome to Mayfield. Sounds like you came out of one nightmare right into another, sadly.

M-Mayfield . . . Please tell me more! Someone told me that my PSI is gone. And Dad . . . and all of my friends.

This can't be real.

Trust me, I don't want to believe this place is real either.

From what I can tell, people are getting randomly yanked here from world after world... All of us against our wills. Everything that separates us from normal humanity - technological, magical, or racial in origin - gets removed, and then we're put here, and ordered, on pain of our personalities getting erased, to go live 'ordinary' lives by strict community standards.

No one seems to know who is behind all this, or why... Only that they've got to be incredibly powerful.

I only arrived here just days ago, but that's the important bits...

[Lucas listens with increasing trepidation as Incardine speaks. He can't believe it. It's impossible. The words that he's hearing . . . It's surely all just a dream, right? The boy takes a deep breath before he responds. He sounds surprisingly calm.]

. . . I -- I see. I think. Porky may have been partially responsible, but even he's not strong enough to do something like this.

How many people are trapped here?

Wish I could tell you for sure, but they're from a lot of worlds, that much is certain... Leaving it unlikely that anyone you knew is the cause. Or anyone from my world, as much as I hate to admit that.

. . . Either way, this world needs saving, too, doesn't it? No matter what I've ended up in, I . . . I won't be afraid.

Thanks for letting me know.

I wouldn't call it in need of saving, so much as in need of an exit....

Further, you need to look out... Anyone caught stepping out of line in this city is at risk of getting turned into a mindless drone.

If we were brought here against our will, it would make more sense to focus on fixing the problem first. Or else we'd be brought back just as easily, right?

A mindless drone? What do you mean?

... See all the people who are here and look perfectly happy with it? From what I've been told, most of them are basically victims of the city, their very personalities erased and replaced with a blind love for it. Friends of people I've encountered have become part of all this...

W-What? They can do something like that? That's even worse than brainwashing . . . But it's alright. We'll help, too, once we've figured things out.

I'm sorry, did I ever introduce myself? My name is Lucas.

Torian Batries. Physical Education instructor... Both before and after my arrival here.

Right now, I am afraid we can do little but bide our time... Hopefully, that will turn out, eventually.

It's nice to meet you, Mr. Bates. If that's really all we can do now . . . I guess I'll have to get used to this place in the meantime, then.

... I'm really, really hoping it isn't, it just seems that way so far...

Ah . . . Don't ever give up hope, Mr. Bates. That's the most important thing I've ever learned.

First PSI

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