stDarNES1: Stars!
- Thread starter Darwin420
- Start date
Kivan deftly manouevered his fighter around tha hazy high atmosphere of Haven. He looked up to watch a formation of some twenty others, flying in formation towards the carrier.
He pulled off a little spin, then a voice came over the intercom.
"Talon Squadron, form up and set course for carrier Fallas, Hive Fleet. Direction 22-32, set distance 82.33 units."
"Coordinates confirmed."
Kivan's fighter swiveled slightly, and he accelerated. Quickly passing the upper vestiges of the atmosphere, he felt as resistance to his movement disappeared, and gravity loosed its hold. He grinned with exhilaration as the feeling of total feeling permeated him.
"Talon 3, signed in." came a voice in Kivan's ear.
"Talon 2 here." he responded.
"Talon 4 online."
"Talon 8."
"6 here."
"Talon 5 here."
"Talon 1 online, follow me in tight formation, things could get crowded here."
"Talon 7, entering formation."
The eight fighters merged around Talon 1, the fighter marked with the 3 red and silver claws of the Talon Squadron.
Kivan moved into a tight formation, his external engines nearly contacting his neighbour's. Talon squadron sped along through the quiet space, other vessels moving around them.
"There it is."
A holographic map was projected onto Kivan's front viewport. He could see the exact direction to the carrier from arrows on the screen. The ship appeared, translucent in the hologram. Statistics and other things scrolled past it.
"Follow my lead Talons, we've got landing clearance."
Talon 1 pulled out of the formation and spun 90 degrees, so he was facing the carrier's hangar bay precisely. He glided in and out of sight.
Kivan sped up, reached the point where Talon 1 had spun, and turned downwards. For kicks, he dipped his left side dangerously low, and pulled up just as he entered the hangar.
"Just giving the little control people a heart attack, no worry."
Chuckles returned to him from the rest of the squadron.
Kivan glided into the hangar and selected a space to park his ship. He glided in and spun perfectly, landing right on the tube. A hiss came from beneath his seat as air pressures equalized. A hatchway opened, and he floated down into it. As he came to a stop at the bottom, he saw 3 tall men. With weapons. Kivan groaned.
"We need a word with you. And it has nothing to do with your little stunt at the entrance."
to be continued...
He pulled off a little spin, then a voice came over the intercom.
"Talon Squadron, form up and set course for carrier Fallas, Hive Fleet. Direction 22-32, set distance 82.33 units."
"Coordinates confirmed."
Kivan's fighter swiveled slightly, and he accelerated. Quickly passing the upper vestiges of the atmosphere, he felt as resistance to his movement disappeared, and gravity loosed its hold. He grinned with exhilaration as the feeling of total feeling permeated him.
"Talon 3, signed in." came a voice in Kivan's ear.
"Talon 2 here." he responded.
"Talon 4 online."
"Talon 8."
"6 here."
"Talon 5 here."
"Talon 1 online, follow me in tight formation, things could get crowded here."
"Talon 7, entering formation."
The eight fighters merged around Talon 1, the fighter marked with the 3 red and silver claws of the Talon Squadron.
Kivan moved into a tight formation, his external engines nearly contacting his neighbour's. Talon squadron sped along through the quiet space, other vessels moving around them.
"There it is."
A holographic map was projected onto Kivan's front viewport. He could see the exact direction to the carrier from arrows on the screen. The ship appeared, translucent in the hologram. Statistics and other things scrolled past it.
"Follow my lead Talons, we've got landing clearance."
Talon 1 pulled out of the formation and spun 90 degrees, so he was facing the carrier's hangar bay precisely. He glided in and out of sight.
Kivan sped up, reached the point where Talon 1 had spun, and turned downwards. For kicks, he dipped his left side dangerously low, and pulled up just as he entered the hangar.
"Just giving the little control people a heart attack, no worry."
Chuckles returned to him from the rest of the squadron.
Kivan glided into the hangar and selected a space to park his ship. He glided in and spun perfectly, landing right on the tube. A hiss came from beneath his seat as air pressures equalized. A hatchway opened, and he floated down into it. As he came to a stop at the bottom, he saw 3 tall men. With weapons. Kivan groaned.
"We need a word with you. And it has nothing to do with your little stunt at the entrance."
to be continued...
stDarNES1: Stars! -- UPDATE 5
--------------------
GALACTIC NEWS ORGANIZATION (NDE 5)
And now for the most exciting portion of our trans-dimensionally broadcast new show... News From the Backwater Region!! Take it away Mr. Dee!!!
<crazzackle... sizz... pop>
Yup, still having transmission difficulties. Anyway, we're still working on that. So here's the update on what's been going on:
Astral Sojourners
Oncol has recalled all ships to the Home System. 30 new Transports are built at Oncol, added to the already large transport fleet. New ground soldiers are trained to replace the soldiers sent to Enemsi.
Sojourner scientists report breakthroughs in Ships Weapons technology, noting that the upgrades are simple and can be done over the course of the year. Also in Science News, on Sabro, researchers have been able to decipher parts of the Old Dominion Ruins, and have learned long-lost secrets of Robotics (+1 Robotics Tech Level)
With the stories returning to Oncol about the supreme victory at Enemsi, the Sojourner military has experienced a surge in recruits. (+800 Soldiers)
Harpellian Hegemony
The lone Harpellian scoutship enters the jumpgate to Lander System. The journey is estimated to take 3 years, in total. Hopes are high that the System contains many Old Dominion wonders.
Colonists settle in the Qomoc System and immediately set about to try to find anything useful in the Old Dominion Ruins.
Military Scientists on Harpell announce that they have finally figured out a workable design to carry fighters through the jumpgates to other Star Systems. In celebration, the Military builds more fighters. The Military is also continuing extensive training maneuvers for their fighter pilots, hoping to prevent another mishap.
Haven
Haven scientists are given the go-ahead to continue studying advanced construction techniques. They have succeeding in increasing the amount of cargo Transports can carry for optimal energy consumption. A new fighter wing has also been constructed at Xanthus Prime, to augment the considerable force already present in the system.
Hive Force loads fighters and jumps to Fetarra. The Sentinel continues on it's jump to Hr'Tor. Transport Fleet Beta jumps back to Xanthus Prime. The Blue Flame jumps back to Phellant. ByblosColonyFleet is renamed to Transport Fleet Alpha and loaded with 10k colonists, and makes the jump to Byblos.
The Silence jumps from Ramidi to Mu'Adib System (MDP: 3). Scans pick up large ships in the System, causing a red alert on the scoutship. However, a deep scan reveals that the ships are derelict - 3 derelict Old Dominion Battleships. Quite a prize.
Work continues on studying the colony worlds, and quite the beneficial relationship has grown with the Aquinna on Byblos, who have been learning from the colonists, as well. Who knows what might happen because of this relationship.
Miria
Mirian money is poured into more advanced construction research. A new Space Station is constructed in the Centaus System, provided a secondary location for ships to be built.
The Mirian Warfleet jumps to the Kalekka system and engages their enemy. It is a short but violent battle. The Kalekkan fighters are overwhelmed, but the SpaceStation is a hardier opponent. Despite their best attempts to capture the SpaceStation, the Mirian Captains are forced to destroy it completely in order to end the battle.
Miria: -18 fighters, -1 Cruiser
Kalekka: -100f, -1 Space Station
EF2 begins the jump to Arakis, accompanied by Cruisers and Transports.. EF1 jumps from Ramidi to Venever.
CF2 jumps from Venever to Ingram (MDP: 6), which is a nice system. Several cozy-looking planets orbit nicely around the sun.
An epidemic sweeps Hr'Tor, killing millions before Mirian scientists were able to find a vaccine. -2.3M people
Republic of ZIB
The leaders of the Republic are reported to be partying instead of ruling.
Skyjack Conclave
On Lambert's Ring, money has been funneled into startling initiatives to boost the Economy out of Recession. More contracts have been offered for corporations to begin competing for the colonization of other Star Systems. This has had a double-effect: the Skyjack Economy is no longer in Recession, and an economic surplus has been created from all the new business. (Economy Recession->Stable, +2 EP)
The Scorpleten Fleet is established, comprising of 40 Transports carrying 20k hopeful colonists. This Fleet makes the jump to Ceiti, where it establishes a colony. Work is begun immediately to make the colony fully self-sufficient, and to bring usable asteroids nearer to the colony, for production use.
Tumbleweed jumps to Holden, and makes contact with the Zentraedi. Standard frequency greetings are broadcast, awaiting a response.
Imperial Republic of Trinity
A SpaceStation is constructed in Quostellis, providing a new orbital construction facility to the Imperial Republic. Ships Weapons technology is advanced by Trinity Scientists. The fleets should be outfitted by year's end. The first of the new wave of SJACs are built in Trinity System; smaller (but still powerful) versions of Cruisers, limited to in-system use only (but can be carried on Carriers). More carriers are also constructed.
WAR!! has been declared against the Metrev Theocracy in Kalekka System. It was declared before new reached the Emperors that Mirian ships had destroyed the Kalekkan space fleet.
Yolin transport 500 Soldiers to Nolat, and is holding in orbit with colonists onboard. Shalin jumps to Hari, with all holds full of colonists. Sypher returns to the Home System. Obelisk jumps to Sakri'i, and meets up with a Zentraedi scoutship.
Ra jumps from Nellis to Imerik (MDP: 8). Contact is made with the Corporate State of Imerik. They are friendly, yet professional; businesslike, yet casual. They feed the crew of the Ra and put them up for the night, compliments of the house.
UCCT
A buzz of multi-layered advertising has been streaming steadily out of Totalus System. These people know how to advertise!
The UCCT has created three Fleets (Totalus Defense, Cassini, and Alphalian). New Ship construction is also occuring.
The Cassini Fleet of Scoutships makes the jump out of Totalus to Crisium (MDP: 6). A nice, stable sun, with 6 nice, stable planets. It will make a nice colony one day.
Zentraedi
The Zentraedi are concentrating on building up their economy, and investing heavily into construction research.
A Small colony fleet jumps to Sakri'i, but something goes awry. Two ships make the jump, but only one reaches Sakri'i. (-1 Transport, -500 colonists)
...And so it goes in the Backwater Region, Mr. Grey. Back to... <crazzipop....> damn!
STORY WINNERS
-Astral Sojourners: +800 Soldiers
-Skyjacks: +2 EP
NOTES:
SW - Are you still in? I know you are having computer issues, so you weren't penalized this round. BUT, let me know if you need to be NPC'd for the now.
ALL: PLEASE write stories. It makes the game so much more fleshed out and interesting.
ORDERS AND STORIES ARE DUE FRIDAY, FEB 3 AT 0900 (9AM) EST
--------------------
GALACTIC NEWS ORGANIZATION (NDE 5)
And now for the most exciting portion of our trans-dimensionally broadcast new show... News From the Backwater Region!! Take it away Mr. Dee!!!
<crazzackle... sizz... pop>
Yup, still having transmission difficulties. Anyway, we're still working on that. So here's the update on what's been going on:
Astral Sojourners
Oncol has recalled all ships to the Home System. 30 new Transports are built at Oncol, added to the already large transport fleet. New ground soldiers are trained to replace the soldiers sent to Enemsi.
Sojourner scientists report breakthroughs in Ships Weapons technology, noting that the upgrades are simple and can be done over the course of the year. Also in Science News, on Sabro, researchers have been able to decipher parts of the Old Dominion Ruins, and have learned long-lost secrets of Robotics (+1 Robotics Tech Level)
With the stories returning to Oncol about the supreme victory at Enemsi, the Sojourner military has experienced a surge in recruits. (+800 Soldiers)
Harpellian Hegemony
The lone Harpellian scoutship enters the jumpgate to Lander System. The journey is estimated to take 3 years, in total. Hopes are high that the System contains many Old Dominion wonders.
Colonists settle in the Qomoc System and immediately set about to try to find anything useful in the Old Dominion Ruins.
Military Scientists on Harpell announce that they have finally figured out a workable design to carry fighters through the jumpgates to other Star Systems. In celebration, the Military builds more fighters. The Military is also continuing extensive training maneuvers for their fighter pilots, hoping to prevent another mishap.
Haven
Haven scientists are given the go-ahead to continue studying advanced construction techniques. They have succeeding in increasing the amount of cargo Transports can carry for optimal energy consumption. A new fighter wing has also been constructed at Xanthus Prime, to augment the considerable force already present in the system.
Hive Force loads fighters and jumps to Fetarra. The Sentinel continues on it's jump to Hr'Tor. Transport Fleet Beta jumps back to Xanthus Prime. The Blue Flame jumps back to Phellant. ByblosColonyFleet is renamed to Transport Fleet Alpha and loaded with 10k colonists, and makes the jump to Byblos.
The Silence jumps from Ramidi to Mu'Adib System (MDP: 3). Scans pick up large ships in the System, causing a red alert on the scoutship. However, a deep scan reveals that the ships are derelict - 3 derelict Old Dominion Battleships. Quite a prize.
Work continues on studying the colony worlds, and quite the beneficial relationship has grown with the Aquinna on Byblos, who have been learning from the colonists, as well. Who knows what might happen because of this relationship.
Miria
Mirian money is poured into more advanced construction research. A new Space Station is constructed in the Centaus System, provided a secondary location for ships to be built.
The Mirian Warfleet jumps to the Kalekka system and engages their enemy. It is a short but violent battle. The Kalekkan fighters are overwhelmed, but the SpaceStation is a hardier opponent. Despite their best attempts to capture the SpaceStation, the Mirian Captains are forced to destroy it completely in order to end the battle.
Miria: -18 fighters, -1 Cruiser
Kalekka: -100f, -1 Space Station
EF2 begins the jump to Arakis, accompanied by Cruisers and Transports.. EF1 jumps from Ramidi to Venever.
CF2 jumps from Venever to Ingram (MDP: 6), which is a nice system. Several cozy-looking planets orbit nicely around the sun.
An epidemic sweeps Hr'Tor, killing millions before Mirian scientists were able to find a vaccine. -2.3M people
Republic of ZIB
The leaders of the Republic are reported to be partying instead of ruling.
Skyjack Conclave
On Lambert's Ring, money has been funneled into startling initiatives to boost the Economy out of Recession. More contracts have been offered for corporations to begin competing for the colonization of other Star Systems. This has had a double-effect: the Skyjack Economy is no longer in Recession, and an economic surplus has been created from all the new business. (Economy Recession->Stable, +2 EP)
The Scorpleten Fleet is established, comprising of 40 Transports carrying 20k hopeful colonists. This Fleet makes the jump to Ceiti, where it establishes a colony. Work is begun immediately to make the colony fully self-sufficient, and to bring usable asteroids nearer to the colony, for production use.
Tumbleweed jumps to Holden, and makes contact with the Zentraedi. Standard frequency greetings are broadcast, awaiting a response.
Imperial Republic of Trinity
A SpaceStation is constructed in Quostellis, providing a new orbital construction facility to the Imperial Republic. Ships Weapons technology is advanced by Trinity Scientists. The fleets should be outfitted by year's end. The first of the new wave of SJACs are built in Trinity System; smaller (but still powerful) versions of Cruisers, limited to in-system use only (but can be carried on Carriers). More carriers are also constructed.
WAR!! has been declared against the Metrev Theocracy in Kalekka System. It was declared before new reached the Emperors that Mirian ships had destroyed the Kalekkan space fleet.
Yolin transport 500 Soldiers to Nolat, and is holding in orbit with colonists onboard. Shalin jumps to Hari, with all holds full of colonists. Sypher returns to the Home System. Obelisk jumps to Sakri'i, and meets up with a Zentraedi scoutship.
Ra jumps from Nellis to Imerik (MDP: 8). Contact is made with the Corporate State of Imerik. They are friendly, yet professional; businesslike, yet casual. They feed the crew of the Ra and put them up for the night, compliments of the house.
UCCT
A buzz of multi-layered advertising has been streaming steadily out of Totalus System. These people know how to advertise!
The UCCT has created three Fleets (Totalus Defense, Cassini, and Alphalian). New Ship construction is also occuring.
The Cassini Fleet of Scoutships makes the jump out of Totalus to Crisium (MDP: 6). A nice, stable sun, with 6 nice, stable planets. It will make a nice colony one day.
Zentraedi
The Zentraedi are concentrating on building up their economy, and investing heavily into construction research.
A Small colony fleet jumps to Sakri'i, but something goes awry. Two ships make the jump, but only one reaches Sakri'i. (-1 Transport, -500 colonists)
...And so it goes in the Backwater Region, Mr. Grey. Back to... <crazzipop....> damn!
STORY WINNERS
-Astral Sojourners: +800 Soldiers
-Skyjacks: +2 EP
NOTES:
SW - Are you still in? I know you are having computer issues, so you weren't penalized this round. BUT, let me know if you need to be NPC'd for the now.
ALL: PLEASE write stories. It makes the game so much more fleshed out and interesting.
ORDERS AND STORIES ARE DUE FRIDAY, FEB 3 AT 0900 (9AM) EST
Attachments
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
From Astral Sojourners
To Haven
We wish to trade Robotics 3 for Construction 3.
*goes to research robotics 4... mm, robot troops*
Nice update, Darwin420. But this can't be NDE 3, as the previous update was NDE 3.
Time to start moving lots more people to the colony worlds!
Also, I think I'll just merge most, if not all, of my fleets. Much easier to keep track of.
BTW, can I get some background info on the Dysonians?
To Haven
We wish to trade Robotics 3 for Construction 3.
*goes to research robotics 4... mm, robot troops*
Nice update, Darwin420. But this can't be NDE 3, as the previous update was NDE 3.
Time to start moving lots more people to the colony worlds!
Also, I think I'll just merge most, if not all, of my fleets. Much easier to keep track of.BTW, can I get some background info on the Dysonians?
Global Nexus
Terran Confederate
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 1,109
The public monitors all across the sector ceased playing the constant advertisements and a familiar jingle filled the air. The spinning circular logo flashed onto the screen, shrank into the corner revealing the news anchor.
“Greetings once again, Corporate Citizens, this is the SNN [System-wide News Network]…” The man grinned widely, displaying a shining, probably fake set of absolutely perfect teeth. “And I am Terrence Goodman, your host. Today’s top stories center around the Cassini Fleet’s operations in the nearby Crisium system!”
Ruth Harris sighed and turned away from the news station. How she absolutely hated visiting the corporate sectors! Advertisements, propoganda…it was everywhere! Even the so-called journalists constantly interjected ads for products and companies into their work. Absolutely insane!
“—ium has six relatively average planets, the most habitable of which is currently being surveyed. Once the data gets back, a colonization fleet sponsored by the TCA and MRG will be sent to set up the first outposts of civilization—”
There was one thing she had to admit, though. The corporate CEOs were very smart. They constantly fed little tidbits of information to the public, never giving up all their information. In this case, the colonization fleet was already being prepared – and was commanded jointly by the Free Republic Party and the TCA. The MRG was busy elsewhere and had simply invested a modest sum into the fleet. How’d she know that? She was one of the FRP colonists.
Amazing how cooperatives ever formed here what with all the corporate information control, she thought grimly. Speaking such aloud was a risk she wasn’t going to take. The TCA controlled this sector, and it was ruthless at quelling those that spoke badly of it in areas where they could easily ‘disappear', foreign or not.
“Greetings once again, Corporate Citizens, this is the SNN [System-wide News Network]…” The man grinned widely, displaying a shining, probably fake set of absolutely perfect teeth. “And I am Terrence Goodman, your host. Today’s top stories center around the Cassini Fleet’s operations in the nearby Crisium system!”
Ruth Harris sighed and turned away from the news station. How she absolutely hated visiting the corporate sectors! Advertisements, propoganda…it was everywhere! Even the so-called journalists constantly interjected ads for products and companies into their work. Absolutely insane!
“—ium has six relatively average planets, the most habitable of which is currently being surveyed. Once the data gets back, a colonization fleet sponsored by the TCA and MRG will be sent to set up the first outposts of civilization—”
There was one thing she had to admit, though. The corporate CEOs were very smart. They constantly fed little tidbits of information to the public, never giving up all their information. In this case, the colonization fleet was already being prepared – and was commanded jointly by the Free Republic Party and the TCA. The MRG was busy elsewhere and had simply invested a modest sum into the fleet. How’d she know that? She was one of the FRP colonists.
Amazing how cooperatives ever formed here what with all the corporate information control, she thought grimly. Speaking such aloud was a risk she wasn’t going to take. The TCA controlled this sector, and it was ruthless at quelling those that spoke badly of it in areas where they could easily ‘disappear', foreign or not.
Global Nexus
Terran Confederate
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 1,109
...er. Ignore the orders I sent. Bleh. Shows what happens when I try to do stuff when I'm half-asleep. I'll insert a story here later. ^^;
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
It seemed to him that he had stepped through [a window] that looked on a vanished world. -JRR Tolkien, The Lord Of The Rings.
Diary for Gareth Sali, excerpted
New January 8th/Local 128
Landed on Nox II. Met up with my contact. He was most polite and found me a cheap place to stay the night. I picked up an earback recorder for my trip to Amroth. Looking forward to it more than ever now.
Local 129
Ate breakfast at the hostel, then went to inqure for transportation. Nobody would take me, and Amroth turned out to have some sort of special diplomatic status. I ended up spending the day in negotiations and submitted to a background check.
-I suppose I shouldn't complain; the virch houses are excellent and include more variation than anything at home.
-It seems I've been approved. I've been given a highly unusual ID slip - it's green, ornate and fairly large. It looks to contain almost as much physical as encoded identification.
Local 130
-I was woken up in the dead of night (always wanted to say that) by the most modified and implanted woman I've ever seen. She has a nanonics circlet, four different graft rings, a ruby implant below her collarbone (with threads going around her neck), six thin fingers on each hand, turquoise eyes and stands at least twenty centims higher than me.
Her all-meta is of the subdermal sort, her hair is bleached white (and probably grows that way, too) and she probably has animated contacts, judging by her eyes. Must be a pain to see with.
Anyway, once I gave her the ID slip, she introduced herself as Mirianne, led me to a pair of hoverskiffs, holoed to look like a polar lani and a sled. I got into the sled, which turned out to be slaved to following the lani-skiff. We took off, and she offered me a thermos, which she said contained ambrosia. I refused it after my scanner said it contained trace amounts of fotein, which is addictive.
She says we'll be airborne a few hours, so I'm settling in to catch up on some sleep. I've set the recorder to capture the voyage.
-I'm currently in a state of shock. When I woke up, I would have said I was in a virch house, but it was nothing of the sort. I'm in Amroth, and it's a completely different world. Every last person looks just like Mirianne, with graft rings, collarbone implants and miracle eyes. Amroth is either underground, or has a heck of a holoproj, because there's a roof above me. Mirianne called it a view of the firmament, a word meaning "living sky" or "moving sky". It's like seeing the sky from an asteroid, with virtually-infinite resolution. Wherever I look, I see fainter and fainter stars in the background.
While I was inconscious, I was apparently grafted a ring which is necessary for my stay here, and given an earpiece. When I went to check my recorder, it turned out to contain nothing but static. Amroth keeps giving me the impression that a rebellion will start here, because they're ridiculously sequestered from the rest of our dictatorship.
-I've had free reign here for a few hours now. Amroth is miles wide, loosely forested and houses a few hundred individuals. Everyone, down to the children, is grafted. The land itself is the most shocking bit: Industrial-strength modifications have been performed on every part of it. When I look closely, I can see the grass flattening under my feet. The trees always have ripe fruit available (although all of it contains fotein, so I ate my packed lunch instead) and the wildlife stays half hidden at all times. I've identified three different species by eye. My earback recorder is working again, and I spotted another four with it. But I've had a hundred glimpses of things from the corner of my eye, and all of them have disappeared.
A raging river flows clockwise around Amroth. It's a hundred meters wide, frothing with current and icy cold. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's guaranteed to capsize anything that attempts to traverse it.
-I met Halbrand. He's one of the Amrothians most like me, or so I think. (Only two ring grafts, a circlet, an amulet and contacts.) He swam (!) over to me while I was walking along the river, and we struck up a friendly chat.
He says that the reason everyone in Amroth can wear contacts is that they're legally blind. They have their optic nerves disabled. But he refused to tell me how they see instead.
He also told me that Amroth is merely an application of the Clarcslaw Principle, which says that one cannot truly separate the supernatural from the scientific without being the master of either, but unfortunately, many of their interfaces to the Astral Dictatorship are still clunky and very obviously scientific. When I asked for an example, he used his collarbone implant. "If it were a real amulet, I could remove it. But we haven't come far enough yet to make it socketable."
When I pressed him on the matter of fotein, he became suddenly hostile. He picked a fruit and gave it to me, saying that I had the option of eating it right now or leaving, and that I wasn't to take their hospitality for granted. I have no idea what kind of trick he used, but the whole atmosphere was suddenly oppressive for a moment. I ate it, because otherwise I would probably have been knocked unconscious and transported out, and I wanted to see more of this self-contained little world.
He was all sweetness and light after that, but I didn't trust him for a second. He invited me to come with him into the caves that extended under the river, and I refused. Instead, I asked him if there was any sort of central administration here. So he told me about the monarchs (a word meaning "little dictator") in the center of Amroth. I think I'll go see them, now that he's left.
-Trouble - the monarchs turned out to live in a cave, which I wouldn't enter, and worse, the air there had semitoxic components. It's late, so I think I'll go to bed and explore some more tomorrow.
Local 131
Was I dreaming? I'm in the hostel where I was two days ago, feeling vaguely ill; I woke up to find a message for me saying that my petition to visit Amroth was denied. I'm considering the three following alternatives:
1) I have virch sickness. If that's the case, I've lost a day somewhere, because the virch houses were two days ago by my count, and I could only have had their dreams if they were yesterday.
2) I went to Amroth, and then was taken back here secretly. If this is the case, they have good surgeons, because the ring they grafted onto me is gone without trace.
3) The hostel's owner gave me a squirt of dreamjuice, and I dreamt the whole thing. Seeing how illegal, immoral and unlikely that is, I'm minded to discount it.
-I've now been to a nanodoc center. They say there are trace quantities of fotein in my system, but the findings are inconclusive. Normal blood levels of fotein are under 0.4 ppb. Their measuring error for this sort of quick test is 0.13 ppb, standard deviations in fotein levels for blood abnormalities are 0.14 ppb, and they generally add an error margin of 0.05 ppb for anyone who has been on another planet recenty, which I have. So their maximum expected value is 0.72 ppb, and guess what I turned out to have? 0.7 parts per billion, and a longing to go back to Amroth.
But I'll be damned if I do, and I mean that in both senses. I'm returning to Oncol as soon as I can. I've found a word in a really old book that describes Amroth perfectly - fey - and it's convinced me to stay far away from that place.
Diary for Gareth Sali, excerpted
New January 8th/Local 128
Landed on Nox II. Met up with my contact. He was most polite and found me a cheap place to stay the night. I picked up an earback recorder for my trip to Amroth. Looking forward to it more than ever now.
Local 129
Ate breakfast at the hostel, then went to inqure for transportation. Nobody would take me, and Amroth turned out to have some sort of special diplomatic status. I ended up spending the day in negotiations and submitted to a background check.
-I suppose I shouldn't complain; the virch houses are excellent and include more variation than anything at home.
-It seems I've been approved. I've been given a highly unusual ID slip - it's green, ornate and fairly large. It looks to contain almost as much physical as encoded identification.
Local 130
-I was woken up in the dead of night (always wanted to say that) by the most modified and implanted woman I've ever seen. She has a nanonics circlet, four different graft rings, a ruby implant below her collarbone (with threads going around her neck), six thin fingers on each hand, turquoise eyes and stands at least twenty centims higher than me.
Her all-meta is of the subdermal sort, her hair is bleached white (and probably grows that way, too) and she probably has animated contacts, judging by her eyes. Must be a pain to see with.
Anyway, once I gave her the ID slip, she introduced herself as Mirianne, led me to a pair of hoverskiffs, holoed to look like a polar lani and a sled. I got into the sled, which turned out to be slaved to following the lani-skiff. We took off, and she offered me a thermos, which she said contained ambrosia. I refused it after my scanner said it contained trace amounts of fotein, which is addictive.
She says we'll be airborne a few hours, so I'm settling in to catch up on some sleep. I've set the recorder to capture the voyage.
-I'm currently in a state of shock. When I woke up, I would have said I was in a virch house, but it was nothing of the sort. I'm in Amroth, and it's a completely different world. Every last person looks just like Mirianne, with graft rings, collarbone implants and miracle eyes. Amroth is either underground, or has a heck of a holoproj, because there's a roof above me. Mirianne called it a view of the firmament, a word meaning "living sky" or "moving sky". It's like seeing the sky from an asteroid, with virtually-infinite resolution. Wherever I look, I see fainter and fainter stars in the background.
While I was inconscious, I was apparently grafted a ring which is necessary for my stay here, and given an earpiece. When I went to check my recorder, it turned out to contain nothing but static. Amroth keeps giving me the impression that a rebellion will start here, because they're ridiculously sequestered from the rest of our dictatorship.
-I've had free reign here for a few hours now. Amroth is miles wide, loosely forested and houses a few hundred individuals. Everyone, down to the children, is grafted. The land itself is the most shocking bit: Industrial-strength modifications have been performed on every part of it. When I look closely, I can see the grass flattening under my feet. The trees always have ripe fruit available (although all of it contains fotein, so I ate my packed lunch instead) and the wildlife stays half hidden at all times. I've identified three different species by eye. My earback recorder is working again, and I spotted another four with it. But I've had a hundred glimpses of things from the corner of my eye, and all of them have disappeared.
A raging river flows clockwise around Amroth. It's a hundred meters wide, frothing with current and icy cold. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's guaranteed to capsize anything that attempts to traverse it.
-I met Halbrand. He's one of the Amrothians most like me, or so I think. (Only two ring grafts, a circlet, an amulet and contacts.) He swam (!) over to me while I was walking along the river, and we struck up a friendly chat.
He says that the reason everyone in Amroth can wear contacts is that they're legally blind. They have their optic nerves disabled. But he refused to tell me how they see instead.
He also told me that Amroth is merely an application of the Clarcslaw Principle, which says that one cannot truly separate the supernatural from the scientific without being the master of either, but unfortunately, many of their interfaces to the Astral Dictatorship are still clunky and very obviously scientific. When I asked for an example, he used his collarbone implant. "If it were a real amulet, I could remove it. But we haven't come far enough yet to make it socketable."
When I pressed him on the matter of fotein, he became suddenly hostile. He picked a fruit and gave it to me, saying that I had the option of eating it right now or leaving, and that I wasn't to take their hospitality for granted. I have no idea what kind of trick he used, but the whole atmosphere was suddenly oppressive for a moment. I ate it, because otherwise I would probably have been knocked unconscious and transported out, and I wanted to see more of this self-contained little world.
He was all sweetness and light after that, but I didn't trust him for a second. He invited me to come with him into the caves that extended under the river, and I refused. Instead, I asked him if there was any sort of central administration here. So he told me about the monarchs (a word meaning "little dictator") in the center of Amroth. I think I'll go see them, now that he's left.
-Trouble - the monarchs turned out to live in a cave, which I wouldn't enter, and worse, the air there had semitoxic components. It's late, so I think I'll go to bed and explore some more tomorrow.
Local 131
Was I dreaming? I'm in the hostel where I was two days ago, feeling vaguely ill; I woke up to find a message for me saying that my petition to visit Amroth was denied. I'm considering the three following alternatives:
1) I have virch sickness. If that's the case, I've lost a day somewhere, because the virch houses were two days ago by my count, and I could only have had their dreams if they were yesterday.
2) I went to Amroth, and then was taken back here secretly. If this is the case, they have good surgeons, because the ring they grafted onto me is gone without trace.
3) The hostel's owner gave me a squirt of dreamjuice, and I dreamt the whole thing. Seeing how illegal, immoral and unlikely that is, I'm minded to discount it.
-I've now been to a nanodoc center. They say there are trace quantities of fotein in my system, but the findings are inconclusive. Normal blood levels of fotein are under 0.4 ppb. Their measuring error for this sort of quick test is 0.13 ppb, standard deviations in fotein levels for blood abnormalities are 0.14 ppb, and they generally add an error margin of 0.05 ppb for anyone who has been on another planet recenty, which I have. So their maximum expected value is 0.72 ppb, and guess what I turned out to have? 0.7 parts per billion, and a longing to go back to Amroth.
But I'll be damned if I do, and I mean that in both senses. I'm returning to Oncol as soon as I can. I've found a word in a really old book that describes Amroth perfectly - fey - and it's convinced me to stay far away from that place.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Orders sent.
OOC Notes to those wondering on the story:
Amroth exists.
A dash (-) in the diary denotes a new entry, a period of time after the previous.
Amroth is a cross between a conspiracy and a government testing ground.
The inhabitants are cyborgs with most nerves removed in favor of implants (which can be turned off, making them immune to sonic/optic/general discomfort weapons), the vegetation is wholly man-made (most of it grown in tanks) and the animals are cloned in neural research labs where their behavior is partially programmed and partially remote-controlled.
The river is fed by sluices on the outside and drains on the inner side, causing the current to push inwards at every point.
It's a self-contained world because of the intense biomods/geneering performed on the vegetation.
Its location? Ten kilometers below the capital city of Nox II.
Fotein is a fictional substance and is pronounced foe-tey-een. It's mildly addictive in that it evokes in the user a desire for the circumstances where he previously used it, and it has no side effects.
How it (Amroth) arose? A transhuman movement came to the attention of the dictator, who was already running a lab to investigate the long-term effects of bionic implants and to what extent the brain could handle mechanical interfaces.
As to its success - already proven. The brain has been demonstrated to grow new cortex regions in response to grafts that provide a steady stream of input. You can experience this effect for yourself by playing any game with a HUD or a minimap for six months straight. Turn the minimap off while playing, and you'll feel somewhat blinded. I had it happen to me when playing Diablo II.
So while Amroth may be fictional, everything it relies on is not.
OOC Notes to those wondering on the story:
Amroth exists.
A dash (-) in the diary denotes a new entry, a period of time after the previous.
Amroth is a cross between a conspiracy and a government testing ground.
The inhabitants are cyborgs with most nerves removed in favor of implants (which can be turned off, making them immune to sonic/optic/general discomfort weapons), the vegetation is wholly man-made (most of it grown in tanks) and the animals are cloned in neural research labs where their behavior is partially programmed and partially remote-controlled.
The river is fed by sluices on the outside and drains on the inner side, causing the current to push inwards at every point.
It's a self-contained world because of the intense biomods/geneering performed on the vegetation.
Its location? Ten kilometers below the capital city of Nox II.
Fotein is a fictional substance and is pronounced foe-tey-een. It's mildly addictive in that it evokes in the user a desire for the circumstances where he previously used it, and it has no side effects.
How it (Amroth) arose? A transhuman movement came to the attention of the dictator, who was already running a lab to investigate the long-term effects of bionic implants and to what extent the brain could handle mechanical interfaces.
As to its success - already proven. The brain has been demonstrated to grow new cortex regions in response to grafts that provide a steady stream of input. You can experience this effect for yourself by playing any game with a HUD or a minimap for six months straight. Turn the minimap off while playing, and you'll feel somewhat blinded. I had it happen to me when playing Diablo II.
So while Amroth may be fictional, everything it relies on is not.
soul_warrior
Termite!
sorry to do this, but RL forbids my CIVing any in the next 5 weeks or so.
ill be out till the end of february-start of march.
i will be following this closely though.
Darwin, could you take on the draedhead r3epublic as NPCs till then?
if not, ill re-enter with a new faction later on.
ill be out till the end of february-start of march.
i will be following this closely though.
Darwin, could you take on the draedhead r3epublic as NPCs till then?
if not, ill re-enter with a new faction later on.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Thank you. It has its origin in this picture.Darwin420 said:
If that just made you more confused than ever, I should probably stop explaining. It gets worse before it gets better.
Spoiler :
Anyway, can you give some comments on what technological level we're at, so that I know what I can and can't include in my stories? What sort of devices do you expect to see?
Oh, and I'd also like a response to what I asked ten posts ago. More info on the Dysonians, please?
EDIT: PPS: When is the update?
@SW: NPC'd your faction is.
@Erik: Update five is about 5 posts up from this.. next update isn't until this coming friday (well, unless I get EVERYONE to send in stories and orders early).
I think I'm still a little confoozled about your story, but not so much now. I have something of an idea of the maniacal craziness you were talking about.
As far as technology goes... that's tough, since as mod, I'm trying to keep it generic in my head (as a relative positioning). However, this is many hundreds of years into the future (From now), with the rise and subsequent fall of a human empire spanning a large region of space. I suppose the answer as to what you can and can't include is mostly up to you... take a look at what the tech levels provide, and gauge it on that. For example: Genetically Engineered Soldiers are available until Biotech 3 (or is it 4?).. so, any _extensive_ bio-engineering would not be proper to mention until you reach that tech level. Example 2: Battleships are available at a late-construction tech, so your buildings, space stations, et al, will be smaller and not quite as marvelous until your reach that point.
Things like nanotech, biotech, and robotics all exist and are used, but not quite as advanced until you research appropriately into the tech tree.
As far as the Dysonians are concerned:
The Dysonians are a reclusive faction of humanity. They are friendly, but are only concerned with building their "Utopia." Their society is highly obedient to a pecking order only they seem to understand, and their fascination with technology shows no bounds.
@Erik: Update five is about 5 posts up from this.. next update isn't until this coming friday (well, unless I get EVERYONE to send in stories and orders early).
I think I'm still a little confoozled about your story, but not so much now. I have something of an idea of the maniacal craziness you were talking about.
As far as technology goes... that's tough, since as mod, I'm trying to keep it generic in my head (as a relative positioning). However, this is many hundreds of years into the future (From now), with the rise and subsequent fall of a human empire spanning a large region of space. I suppose the answer as to what you can and can't include is mostly up to you... take a look at what the tech levels provide, and gauge it on that. For example: Genetically Engineered Soldiers are available until Biotech 3 (or is it 4?).. so, any _extensive_ bio-engineering would not be proper to mention until you reach that tech level. Example 2: Battleships are available at a late-construction tech, so your buildings, space stations, et al, will be smaller and not quite as marvelous until your reach that point.
Things like nanotech, biotech, and robotics all exist and are used, but not quite as advanced until you research appropriately into the tech tree.
As far as the Dysonians are concerned:
The Dysonians are a reclusive faction of humanity. They are friendly, but are only concerned with building their "Utopia." Their society is highly obedient to a pecking order only they seem to understand, and their fascination with technology shows no bounds.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Well, I'm bored, and Silver has physically assaulted me repeatedly in his demand for an update, which is certainly the wrong way to get an update. So I think I'll write another story. This one's from a slightly different perspective.
Click, hum. Click, whirr. Click, hum.
Click click click scrabble clank buzz whirr whirr click clank ding dong hum.
It was the dead of night, and Broder RepYard 2 was a hive of activity. The additional degree of cooling allowed the robots to work at a higher efficiency.
The main working model was affectionately called "Tenty" - a six-legged robot with a ovoid body, a claw extending from either side for cutting, three tentacular protrusions mounted on the top of the shell for manipulating and holding objects, a visual sensor, and an auditory sensor. Two hundred of these, watched only by a dozen human supervisors, cut through the scrapyard, breaking down strips of metal into their separate compounds and returning them to the forges.
The forges were fully automated. Each one checked that it was receiving the right grade of metal and spat out whatever didn't match. Then it heated the contents to melting point and output them in a chute that fed onto a conveyor belt, resulting in a line of metal that was continually being replenished at one end, while the other end was continually being chopped into chunks by another model of robot that delivered metre-long bars of the metal in question to the nearby ConYard.
The supervisors were rotated fairly often in accordance with the new travel project. Volunteers on Oncol would invest their way onto a mining ship; the ship would be launched into the asteroid belts and collect its own weight in metals and minerals, sending them back to Oncol in the most efficient way possible (crash landings in the Serran Desert, which there was finally a use for). Then the ship would travel to whatever colony world it was bound for and be stripped down at the RepYards with the passengers as supervisors. Whoever bought the materials would pay the passengers directly. The net result was a transfer of materials from the asteroids of the Oncol system to the colony planets, which were growing steadily more mechanized as the industry built up far faster than the population.
This one's from a slightly different perspective.Click, hum. Click, whirr. Click, hum.
Click click click scrabble clank buzz whirr whirr click clank ding dong hum.
It was the dead of night, and Broder RepYard 2 was a hive of activity. The additional degree of cooling allowed the robots to work at a higher efficiency.
The main working model was affectionately called "Tenty" - a six-legged robot with a ovoid body, a claw extending from either side for cutting, three tentacular protrusions mounted on the top of the shell for manipulating and holding objects, a visual sensor, and an auditory sensor. Two hundred of these, watched only by a dozen human supervisors, cut through the scrapyard, breaking down strips of metal into their separate compounds and returning them to the forges.
The forges were fully automated. Each one checked that it was receiving the right grade of metal and spat out whatever didn't match. Then it heated the contents to melting point and output them in a chute that fed onto a conveyor belt, resulting in a line of metal that was continually being replenished at one end, while the other end was continually being chopped into chunks by another model of robot that delivered metre-long bars of the metal in question to the nearby ConYard.
The supervisors were rotated fairly often in accordance with the new travel project. Volunteers on Oncol would invest their way onto a mining ship; the ship would be launched into the asteroid belts and collect its own weight in metals and minerals, sending them back to Oncol in the most efficient way possible (crash landings in the Serran Desert, which there was finally a use for). Then the ship would travel to whatever colony world it was bound for and be stripped down at the RepYards with the passengers as supervisors. Whoever bought the materials would pay the passengers directly. The net result was a transfer of materials from the asteroids of the Oncol system to the colony planets, which were growing steadily more mechanized as the industry built up far faster than the population.
Code:
Infodump: Broder (system)
F-class star
2 mercurials
1 habitable planet (Broder III)
2 gas giants
1 iceball
...
Infodump: Broder III
Colonized
2812 inhabitants
934 planetary-permanent, 466 non-permanent, 1212 outpost-permanent
Primary industry: Robots and construction
See also: DysoniansWhispers in the Dark
Silence was how they operated. They had no name, or need of one. Still, they lurked in the deep, dark of Space. They watched. And They waited.
Many had come upon them before, but none survived to tell the tale. Silence. That was The Rule.
Silently They waited. In many places across the reaches of Space, echoes of Their existance reverberated across countless civilizations. Yet none knew what they were hearing.
Whispers in the Dark.
For now, that is how They preferred it.
For now, They watched.
For now, They waited.
Silence was how they operated. They had no name, or need of one. Still, they lurked in the deep, dark of Space. They watched. And They waited.
Many had come upon them before, but none survived to tell the tale. Silence. That was The Rule.
Silently They waited. In many places across the reaches of Space, echoes of Their existance reverberated across countless civilizations. Yet none knew what they were hearing.
Whispers in the Dark.
For now, that is how They preferred it.
For now, They watched.
For now, They waited.
TerrisH
Mischief?
TO the Skyjack Conclave: Again, we wish to pention to you the Trade of your Biotech for Our Construction. it is a fair and even trade that will benifit both our people.
To the Corporate State of Imerik. Welcome back into the fold of galactic civilization. already, your apitude for technoloagy, proceeds you. would you like to join the great nation of Trinity? if not, so be it, we will not press the choice upon you, and hope for many years of peace and trade between us. would you care to trade our research in construction for yours in Energy? we will even accept robotics.
To Zentradi: er would be willing to sell you one lvle of energy teck for a singele EP. woudl you agree with this?
To whoever destroyed the Kalekka fleet Via courrier drone: Greeting, I see we wern't the only ones offended by the Kalekka's atatude. please Identify your selves, and state you intentions.
To the Corporate State of Imerik. Welcome back into the fold of galactic civilization. already, your apitude for technoloagy, proceeds you. would you like to join the great nation of Trinity? if not, so be it, we will not press the choice upon you, and hope for many years of peace and trade between us. would you care to trade our research in construction for yours in Energy? we will even accept robotics.
To Zentradi: er would be willing to sell you one lvle of energy teck for a singele EP. woudl you agree with this?
To whoever destroyed the Kalekka fleet Via courrier drone: Greeting, I see we wern't the only ones offended by the Kalekka's atatude. please Identify your selves, and state you intentions.
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