The presenter's eyes danced across the somewhat dwindled crowd, jaws still littering the floor even a minute after the clip had ended. After two, a few had been recovered and now rested uncomfortably on the faces of their bearers.

    As the presenter surveyed the scene, his neck twisting slowly to and fro, like an owl, his face hardened. The grin, once painted almost haphazardly across his face, bunched together, his thin lips pulling themselves into a tight frown.

    "What the hell indeed," he pronounced again. A pause, as more mouths clamped shut. "For some of you, this will be life changing. A new beginning. A purpose." The last word he said almost sternly, his tongue sliding past the backs of his teeth as the S escaped his mouth. "And for others -" the cheshire grin weaved its way back up his cheek "-it all ends now."

    Silence fell heavy on the room. Breath was drawn in, some fearing it would be their last. Seconds passed. Nothing happened. Moments crept by. Still, nothing. It seemed like eons before the speaker turned, his back now to his audience.

    His shoulders rose, then fell.

    "Out." The one word was intoned angrily, under his breath. No-one acted upon it.

    "Out," he repeated. more force behind the single syllable, if that were at all possible. His albeit small crowd remained seated, resolute. Minutes passed once again in silence, as even breath was kept subdued as to not echo past the nostrils.

    Turning slowly, the presenter once again made his voice heard; "Well, looks as if I won't be shaking any more of you off this project." The grin was still plastered over his face. "Welcome aboard."

    At this he depressed a button on his remote, and the projector came to life again, its monotone whir the backdrop of the forthcoming presentation. He gives a quick flourish of his arm, with fluidity even Vana would applaud, to direct attention at the slowly brightening screen.

    "And so we begin."

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