Story
Introduction
The year is 3019. Space travel is safe, slow. FTL travel exists with a caveat. FTL damages media drives. Without media, most crews die of boredom before completing their missions.
Tired of living in an endless universe that seemed more like an empty suburb, a coalition of human, alien, and robotic lifeforms have developed a way to shield media drives from FTL damage. With each drive costing as much as a Nebulon Starcrusher Deluxe III (with faux-plush seats AND anti-neutrino under coating), deployment would be a challenge.
Three carrier ships with media shielding technology have been built so far. Each ship home to a multitude of frequency mechs. Highly specialized mechs that provide much needed media and data services to areas of space frequented by FTL travelers.
You are the pilot of Nightmode.fm, a frequency mech with an eclectic collection of media and software from a millennium ago.
Continue reading below or proceed to the video tab.
Current Event
Purple smoke swirls into existence from the pilots view. Nostrils flaring from the unexpected infusion of toasted electronics and... shoyu ramen?
Pilot: *coughing and speaking unintelligibly*
Computer: Yes, the purple smoke is non-toxic and by obscuring the current situation, it increases the likelihood of your survival by 3%.
Pilot: *coughing* Three percent? *cough*
Computer: 15% normally but adjusted to 3% since you are now likely to worry about what is being obscured.
The pilot, taking a deep breath as if to speak, instantly regrets it with another round of coughing.
Computer: Since this is the fourth time we have had this conversation, I will skip ahead to the full status report before the vein in your forehead flares up again.
The pilot holds up a finger as to speak, mouth agape as the computer continues.
Computer: We have survived re-entry and even though this landing location is less than ideal, it is stable. There has been extensive damage to all systems, including the ramen dispenser which is completely out of shoyu flavor.
Pilot: *light cough* We ate nothing but tonkatsu ramen in survival training so no problem there. How about the media drives?
Computer: Yes... the... media drives.
Pilot: Yes, the whole reason we are out here. To share media with dangerously bored space crews. You know, the media drives?
Computer: Oh... you mean... those... media drives.
The pilot, feeling an intense throbbing growing in their forehead, scowls a bit in a random direction. Secretly hoping the computer is located in that direction.
Computer: Apologies, I have been using the time during your black outs to restore access. I have restored a small collection of videos and software in addition to a recreation of a popular bulletin board system called "the internet".
Pilot: By meckthar's nectar...
Computer: Yes, you are in danger of dying from boredom unless additional materials can be recovered.
Somewhere in the smoke, what sounds like a budget microwave dings to life.
Computer: If you are feeling up to it, a morale boosting bowl of tonkatsu ramen would pair rather nicely with watching any available videos.
Pilot: I... I can use a distraction. Thanks computer.
The pilot, carefully reaching around for a hot bowl of ramen, breathes out a sigh of relief. With any luck, they'll get out of this mess and get back to bringing entertainment to this sector of space.
Computer: One more, minor thing. Restored videos, software, and even the internet simulation may contain a small amount of inaccuracies due to the recovery algorithms used.
Pilot: With content from a millennium ago? I'm sure no one will notice.
Computer: Excellent. I will resume repairs and let you know when you can assist me.
Got your ramen? Proceed to the video tab.
