[video]

[notjohnsmith]

I knew it!!! Ha!

[There's some unintentional shakycam footage - deliberate video, but not deliberate shakycam - of an excited kid, thirteen or fourteen years of age, with one fist clenched in triumph. He's literally vibrating in excitement.]

The videophones are advanced technology, so unless this is a comics-style adventure or something video-game inspired there won't be magic too. It's too early to say if aliens or time travelers are involved, but that's not important. The real question is, why us?

It might just be a random sample, but it could be there's something special, too, and that's why we were taken. Quick, if you're getting this message, tell me everything that's unusual about you. Why would you be important to extraterrestrials?

Of course, if this is just the future it might be that something you haven't done yet is important. And if this is an alternate universe than maybe your cross-dimensional doppleganger is really the important one.

But... this really happened to all of us, right? So there's definitely a chance we can find out!

Comments

[upstartcrow]

Why should I be important to the extraterrestrials
Well kid Id guess it might be something about the systematic and rudenasty undermining of their conquest of my planet
But I wont throw out the theory they may just want my autograph
If youre asking about right this second though I think youll find the aliens are just as lost about this place as we are

[notjohnsmith]

So then, it's definitely either time travelers or dimensional sliders.

Are you recruiting for your rebellion?

[upstartcrow]

No
Ive got all the team I need
And youre a little young
Do you even lift

[notjohnsmith]

Weights?

I was old enough to be kidnapped by time travelers for unknown purposes, doesn't that mean something in this context?

[upstartcrow]

Not really
Im seeing a decent stock of preschoolers right now

[notjohnsmith]

I can still help! I have an encyclopedic store of genre knowledge!

[upstartcrow]

Yeah so do I
Im a movie director
Impress me

[everythingspandex]

Holy cow. You were actually excited about life at one point.
...That's kind of really depressing to think hard on.

[notjohnsmith]

You're a time traveler!! What's your home year? How do we know one another? I'm probably just cool and collected in the future; I wouldn't worry about it, the rookie often becomes the jaded expert by later seasons.

[everythingspandex]

Oh my god.

[notjohnsmith]

I don't think that's very likely. Wait, it's just an English idiom, right? I'm not really any kind of divine being, am I?

[everythingspandex]

Pretty sure you're not, man.

[notjohnsmith]

To tell the truth, that's kind of a relief.

In any case, let's start with the basics: how far have I been displaced in time?

[Video]

[dontmindmepleasecontinue]

I don't really think I'm special or anything that way. [A boy of about looks seriously at him through the camera, before he gives a small, shy smile, suddenly more excited.] I did meet a girl who knows about different worlds, though, and she says she has magic powers!

Is there anything special about you?

Re: [Video]

[notjohnsmith]

I might be a hacker in the future!

[themelancholyof]

You sound like you've figured out a lot!! Are you sure YOU aren't a time traveler or something!

[themelancholyof]

When I got here I was in a super weird room! It was like an alien was living in there and trying to figure out how to impersonate a teenage girl! But like seriously, who would need this many different school uniforms?!

[themelancholyof]

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME!!!

[notjohnsmith]

I think... this might be my room in the future. It's got my name on things. And one of the future people here recognizes me. So I'm not a time traveler, but I grow up to be someone pretty cool, which is good enough. What about you? Look for anything out of the ordinary!

[themelancholyof]

Does a super inappropriate bunny girl outfit count?

[notjohnsmith]

If you're in the home of some kind of cosplay pervert, you should get out before they arrive home.

[themelancholyof]

Whoa now that you mention it, my name is all over stuff in here as well!!

[notjohnsmith]

... forget I said that last bit.

[worldsonly]

[ with all the worldly airs of knowing better: ] What about time travelling aliens?

[notjohnsmith]

Isn't that a little too implausible as a starting assumption?