[The radios will light up about an hour after the Ringmaster has pulled everyone off of the space station, signalling one of her broadcasts. She sounds hesitant to speak, in a way she usually doesn’t. After the button is pressed, it takes her a moment to get going, though she makes her voice efficiently authoritative when she does.]

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and... I have a very important announcement to make.

In the past, I’ve made a practice of punishing those that have cheated or damaged the carnival with a year of service. In better times, many recruited by that method came to like it here, and became faithful members of the carnival family. Right now, though... things are different. They have been for a while.

So it is clear, I am no longer interested in demanding extended service for minor violations during performance weeks. Given the level of danger that has become customary, I can no longer consider those contracts balanced. So, I will be finding more mild ways of punishing infractions instead, that won’t result in any additional contracts.

I know what you may be thinking – but if you already have a contract with me, I cannot break it retroactively. I know that, from time to time, it seems that people leave the carnival without warning, without finishing their contracts, but... that business is out of my control and always has been. All current contracts stand, and I can’t afford to change that.

However... if you feel that your recruitment was particularly unfair, or that you were tricked as opposed to being genuinely caught in a crime against the carnival... speak to me, and I will consider offering you something to make up for it.

...That said, don’t take this as an invitation to try my patience.