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Location: H03 Kallin Tags: Military Building, Spaceship - Guard: Maxximus will see you now. - Maxximus: Welcome Henry, I have someone I want to introduce you to. This here is my guest from the Octan corporation, Stuart Smith. Hawk: It's Hawk actually, and it's nice to meet you Stuart. Stuart: It's a ple........ Captain: Great I will bring him to the brig for interrogation. I will have him singing his secrets like a bird in no tim...... - Guard: Get your hands off of him! Captain: What's going on here? Hawk: Echo team, stand down! - Maximus: Captain I like your teams spirit. That's why your teams one of the best in MANTIS. Like I said before, Stuart here is my guest. There is no need for an interrogation. Captain, Hank has a mission for you on the surface of Kaalin. I have a ship waiting for you so if you could take your team Captain, and prepare for your mission. Captain: Yes sir.... Stuart: Your troops certainly live up to their reputations. Hawk: My apologies, So what was it you wanted to tell me. Maxximus: You know how our profits have been down over the last few months. With the CEO missing now, the council of five is demanding a solution to get our revenues back up. I want to sell MANTIS's Military expertise. I call it MANTIS Security Solutions. We will do anything from offering advice on how to improve base defenses to providing full MANTIS Spec Ops protection in exchange for resources. Stuart here was the first one to take up my offer. So what do you think? Hawk: Um.... I don't know. What do you think the soldiers will think of....... Maxximus: Great I'm glad you like it. Now if you could, go with Stuart to the planning room. He will fill you in on what they need done. - Guard: Sir Maxximus: What is it? Guard: We just got an urgent message from Maxxene. They found him. Maxximus: Great ready my ship. - Hawk: So what is it you needed. Stuart: Well one of our drilling outposts stopped communicating with us last Oktobrinali. Any attempt to restore communications has failed. Our Satellites have not seen any damage to the base. With our fleet leaving the system our special forces are stretched to thin for any further investigation on our part, so that where you come in. Hawk: I will see what my team can do. Stuart: Great. I hope you guys can do the job because what you charge could be considered piracy.
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Location: F04 - Illustria Tags: Spaceship *Static* Fleet Command: Vorpal Leader come in, repeat vorpal leader. This is fleet command. Switch to secure transmitter. Vorpal Leader: Copy command. Fleet command: We are instigating scramble code Oscar-Foxtrot-Alpha, you need to get the entire squadron active and on duty. Any octan ship you encounter, you obliterate it or you capture it. Any pirates, you blow their gold plated grins to smithereens. Are we clear Commander? Vorpal Leader: Crystal. Fleet Command: Very well. Ending Transmission. Vorpal Leader: WE'RE MOVING OUT! TO THE VORTEXES! GO! GO! GO! There was supposed to be a render of multiple vortexes, but my rendering program is acting up. It's nice to be back to building for AG. C&C welcome!
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Location: F04 - Illustria. Tags: Civil, Building. Previous chapters can be accessed from the AG player list here. Chapter 17: The Forwarder. Yseult and Riddaeon walked down the expansive row of shipping containers in the corner of the yard. The air was filled with the heavy industrial sounds of a busy freight port. Cranes, walkers, ships and voices all working through the night to keep the cargo moving. Freight... No wonder Yseult looked so at home; this was her world. Eventually, in what appeared to be a small clearing between the stacks was a lone grey container with ‘IFA’ painted on the side; the acronym for the Independent Freight Association - a Galaxy-wide union for tramp freight operators that acted as a focal point for customs and contract negotiations with the various governments and corporations of Andromeda. Their influence had diminished somewhat in the past year as the ‘big three’ had favoured discounts offered by larger shipping lines or recruited small operators into their own fleet but in some form or other, the IFA was still here. It had taken a string of calls and deals to get here and Yseult had refused to tell Riddaeon who it was she was trying to arrange a meeting with. They were supposed to be acquiring a ship... This didn’t look like a starship sales office. Riddaeon knew there were all kinds of small underworld operations going on in the Galaxy but didn’t think Yseult would have been so involved or why they would be going here for a ship when they could requisition one from the MANTIS fleetyard. Yseult rapped on the container door, the sound reverberating through the metal, then she stood, arms folded and leaned against the door frame. She looked Riddaeon over. “Just remember.” She informed him. “Let me do the talking.”. Riddaeon might have objected to the demotion but the clunk of the locking mechanism on the door releasing prevented him. Yseult grabbed the lever, pulled the container door open and stepped in. The container was dim; pale blue lights along the floor and ceiling edges gave the interior an almost misty hue. Directly in front of Yseult was a low table with two chairs positioned opposite each other and stood next to the far chair, a man, stood poised with one arm behind his back. “Yseult Brenneaux!” The man asked in a voice thick with memory and nostalgia. “Brenneux.” She corrected him. The man’s face turned quizzical. “Are you sure?” He asked. Yseult ignored the question and proceeded to seat herself in the nearest chair. The man looked at Riddaeon, his eyes fixing on the agent. “And who would your MANTIS... associate be?” He asked, his tone changing to one of near disgust. Riddaeon was taken aback. He’d worn civilian clothing to keep his allegiance discreet but the man still knew. “We’re not here on official business”. Riddaeon replied. “Of course not.” The man said. “You wouldn’t have gotten half way here if you were.” “His name is Riddaeon.” Yseult interjected to break the tension and avoid the tedious posturing she could sense was rapidly approaching. The man broke into a pleasant, if noticeably fake smile. “Well then.” He said as he sat in the chair beside him and carefully slid the gun he’d been holding back into its clip on the underside of table. “Why don’t you tell me a little about your... Unofficial business and we’ll see if I can help.” “We need a ship.” Yseult said before anyone else tried to engage in small talk. “Fine.” The man replied. “What’s your destination?” “No, to buy.” Yseult responded. The man’s face changed again. More unexpected news. “What about...” He stopped himself from finishing the question. The look on Yseult’s face told him not to pry on this one. He thought for a moment, his eyes looking over both Yseult and Riddaeon - sizing them up, getting the measure of them. “You want a box runner I presume?” He asked rhetorically. “There’s a few around right now. What are you looking for?” Yseult was staring straight at him, hesitant to ask. The man let out a brief smirk. He knew what she was asking for. “I don’t have one of those.” He said, shaking his head. “No-one does these days.” “Something quick then.” Yseult replied. The man tapped a finger on his knee, pondering. He gestured Yseult off the chair. “Stand back”. He said. “I’ll have a look for you.” Yseult got up from the chair and stood aside. When she was clear, the man touched a control somewhere and the table tilted up into the wall of the container. As it did, equipment tilted down from its underside, configuring itself into a screen and control device. The man used the touch controls in front of him. “There’s not a lot this time of year.” He said from behind the screen. “There’s always more around Marzn when new models come out but I know a few people who’ve always got something to sell...” The screen tilted back flat allowing the man to look straight at Riddaeon. “... For the right price.” He added. “But that won’t be a problem for you I suppose.” Riddaeon hoped not but this project was off the books and with Big Sal on the run, access to funds wouldn’t be as easy as it usually was. The man looked over to Yseult. “Tee Four-Twenty? Might need some work but she’s in better condition than most.” “Speedy Owl?” Yseult responded. The man gave a single, confirming nod. Yseult considered the option for a moment. “Okay.” she continued. “We’ll take a look.” The man put the data on a small bio-chip and handed it to Yseult. He looked at her as she went to take it from his hand. “Wherever you’ve been.” He said quietly. “It’s good to have you back.” There was warmth in the words. Yseult’s fingers clasped the chip but the man’s hand held it firm. “There’s always work for a good box runner.” He added. Yseult stopped in her tracks. The man everyone called ‘The Forwarder’ had given her a lot of work in the past but there was a reason no-one knew his real name; some of the work had paid a lot more than the usual rate. But then sometimes, when consignments had been thin on the ground and she was on the verge of having to choose between food and fuel, she knew he’d paid her to run empty containers and put just enough in her account to keep her operating. She was grateful for that. “Thank you”. She said. The Forwarder released the chip and gave Yseult a small acknowledging nod as she took it. She nodded back and turned to leave as a loud metal creak came from Riddaeon already opening the door. Can’t wait to leave. The mechanical whirr of gears sounded, the console once again became a table as Yseult walked to the door. Turning back just before she left. She went to say something but it caught in her throat. She hesitated, changed her mind, turned and left. “Another time perhaps.” The Forwarder said quietly to himself, an air of calculation about him like a chess player considering the multitude of possibilities and implications of an unexpected move. Thank you for reading everyone. I hope you enjoyed it. All comments and questions welcome.
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Location: G05 Jen's Star Tags: Spying, Military building Previously... ...and back in those days you really knew everyone. I mean, you'd never get this situation here where I'm walking two people I've never seen before to the weapons tower. I mean, for all I know, you could be MANTIS spies. Err... Yeah, those were the days. Back when Octan really was the friendly corporation. I'm talking about before we came to this galaxy. What was wrong with the old galaxy, that's what I'd like to know. I don't hold with this GATE travel nonsense. Don't understand how it works. Don't want to know either. What was I talking about? Um... Oh yes, the old days. Yeah, it was much better back then. I'm talking about before we bought Explorien. Why are you wearing that shirt anyway, young lady? It's quite strange behaviour. Yes, it is strange. The sort of thing that attracts attention, as I keep telling her. And I told you that I'm not going to wear anything with an Octan logo on it. I'd rather stick a catcus up my- What's that? Speak up! That's the trouble with young people these days, always muttering and wearing 'retro' clothes. If you ask me, it was much better in the old days. Anyway, here we are. Oh boy, that is a big gun. Yes, that will do nicely. What's that? Of course, we didn't need all this weaponry back in my day. People respected each other back then. I'm talking about before all that business with Blacktron- Wait, how old are- Don't interrupt me, young man. That's the trouble with you young people, you're always in such a hurry. Well, now that you mention it, we are in a bit of a hurry, so if you could just give us the access codes and be on your way... Yes, yes, hold on. You know, those youngsters back at base treat me like some old relic, but whenever the navigation systems go down it's always me who has to go on the long walks to the outposts. Those whippersnappers couldn't find their ways out of a paper bag. It is odd how often the navigation systems go down though... I seem to end up spending a lot of time walking out here on my own. Yeah, I wonder why... I guess technology just isn't as reliable as it was in my day. I'm talking about before we left the solar system. Oh, come on! There's no way you're- Listen old man, are you going to give us those codes or what? Alright, alright. Now there's a droid on the roof you'll have to work with... Oh, don't worry, she's great with robots. Now I just have to find which pocket I put the codes in... I'm not supposed to write them down, but my memory isn't what it used to be. Back in the old days I had the best memory around. I'm talking about before we- Oh, that does it! I'm starting to think I should have taken my chances with S.P.I.D.E.R... Thanks for reading! C&C welcome! Photography was a bit rushed, but oh well. There's a close up of the roof in the spoiler.
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Location: G02 Freegate Tags: Land Vehicle, Spaceship, Military building - - Hawk: Nice to finally meet you. Our mutual friend tells me you found something that might be of interest to MANTIS. Gerik: You can call me Gerik. I am the leader of the Junk rats. Dax didn't tell me you were MANTIS. I suppose your credits are still good though. - Gerik: Well here she is. Captain: Is that what I think it is? Gerik: That there is a genuine Allied avenger. She's seen better days though. Captain: Hawk, if the Space Police ever found us with this they would put us in a four by four cell for sure. Your not really going to buy this are you? Hawk: Captain, have your men load it onto the trailer.
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Location: F04 - Illustria. Tags: Military Building. Previous chapters can be accessed from the AG player list here. Chapter 16: Upsilon. “It was dangerous…” the fuzzy holo-image of the hairy man said, his words only just discernable above the crackle and static of a signal that was being bounced and routed through countless locations and servers to avoid detection. “… Aiding the return of an Octan operative when you could have eliminated him… Treasonous, even.” It was a suggestion Riddaeon had contemplated himself ever since leaving Vyken Tyros at the spaceport with his false identities and his tickets back to Octan. But in that time, he had also reasoned his answer. “If you’re right…” He responded. “… And we cannot tackle this alone, MANTIS may not be enough, we need contacts in the other corporations and we need the measure of them.” “And what is the measure of this one?” The holo-image asked. Riddaeon thought for a moment, recalling the Octan agent he had picked up in the clearing on Donwarr. Tyros had been careful about what he had said in their conversation. Riddaeon had gleamed no secrets, but he hadn’t tried to. He wanted to know the man, not the corporation. “He’s loyal…” He answered. “… But principled. It will be where those two separate that we will have leverage…” Riddaeon paused for a moment, considering. “His time on Donwarr has affected him. He’s seen what The Quarrel did to the civilians. The kind of things employees don’t get told.” The holo-imaged crackled as the signal re-routed. It couldn’t stay connected the same way for too long. “Do you think he will be able to convince her?” the hairy visage asked. Riddaeon thought for a moment. That would be a feat. She was not easy to convince of anything. She was an idealist, a believer. But so was Tyros. “Maybe” he finally replied. “But he wouldn’t do it alone. He’d convince someone else first.” “Who?” The image asked. Riddaeon’s eyes gleamed with the knowing of a plan not yet fully formed. “Someone who trusts him.” He said. “His student… and her aide”. The hairy visage contemplated the revelation and the disapproval turned to near excitement. “Then we are ready?” it asked. Riddaeon nodded. “Good.” The image continued. “I will send you the information retrieved with the cypher Yseult acquired… She will find Upsilon for us. And then… So many questions will be answered.” An hour later, Yseult entered the small makeshift office that Riddaeon had made for himself somewhere deep within Sentinel, a surveillance outpost that had been built at the end of The Quarrel on the edge of MANTIS territory to observe and analyse Octan activity, of which there had been too much lately to ignore. She sat down in a seat at the end of his desk, a sheen glass black desk with a built-in keyboard and transparent 3D holoscreen display. “So.” Riddaeon opened with. “I hear you managed to crash another ship into yet another one and lose the new engine we built for it all in one mission.” He let it hang there for a moment. Yseult wasn’t sure if he was being humorous or if she should floor him for the criticism. She just sat in silence which she immediately realised probably made her come across as cold. I hate when people aren’t clear. She thought. I never know how to respond. Riddaeon sat back in his seat raising his hands to concede that his quip probably hadn’t been as successful as he had hoped. “You're a good pilot" he added to try and ease the unintentional tension. "You make it back when others wouldn't, and I think you’re ready for your real mission here.” That caught her attention. “Real mission?” She asked. “You probably figured out that you joining MANTIS wasn’t a coincidence… You were marked for recruitment, by me, to a specific task. A covert operation that no-one else, even in MANTIS knows about. Except for Big Sal, of course.” Yseult recalled her uneasy conversation with Riddaeon in the depths below Uplink the day she nearly rode away from it all. He tried to tease her with information then too. He wanted her to want to know. She had a feeling he was just as eager to tell her anyway. “Lucky for you I chose to stay this long.” She proposed. “Well… Quite.” Riddaeon conceded. “A number of Big Sal’s recent experiments have...” He looked for the right words. “... Not yielded the results we expected. When Big Sal reviewed the data, he found that the experiments didn’t fail, they were never, even on paper, going to achieve what he was trying to do.” “Why even do them?” Yseult asked. “When he re-did the equations, they all came out different, yet familiar. He believes he did them right the first time, but someone... or something was changing them”. “Sabotage?” Yseult proposed. “We thought so.” Riddaeon responded. “But that possibility has been eliminated. No, either Big Sal is actually the worst scientist in the Galxy, or some... thing has somehow been changing the equations and forcing his experiments to fail.” The revelation seemed lost on Yseult who’s face told him on which option should would put her money. Riddaeon knew why; from the outside, could you blame anyone for not taking Big Sal seriously? If he was to convince Yseult, he would have to let his guard down a little. “He may look like a crazy wild-eyed mad scientist from some comic book.” He said. “But I’ve been through more with Big Sal than anyone knows. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for him.” Riddaeon looked pensive. What he said next, he said with complete conviction, complete belief. “If Big Sal says the equations were altered... Then they were altered.” “I am just a pilot.” Yseult responded. “You’re unpredictable.” Riddaeon quickly interjected. “Big Sal ran new equations... traps. He believes that to bring whatever is doing this out into the open, we need something he called ‘Upsilon’. He doesn’t think the corporations can find it, they’re too organised... Too predictable. He believes that to find Upsilon, we need something...” “Unpredictable.” Yseult finished. Riddaeon opened his arms, palms out and gestured. And here we are. Yseult was considering the proposition. “What is this Usilon?” She asked. Riddaeon was hesitant in his admission. “We don’t know.” He replied. “We don’t know what it is or where it might be. Big Sal is working on a way of detecting it. He’s using the cypher you extracted to access Octan’s sensor network. If he picks anything up in MANTIS or Octan space, he’ll tell us where to go. That’s why we need you. Everyone else is too... Corporate.” Yseult considered the plan. It didn’t make much sense to her; it sounded full of things she wasn’t being told. “And if I walk?” she asked. Riddaeon grimaced. Any other employee would’ve saluted and been half way across the Galaxy by now. Why did she have to be so difficult? “Then we may not find out ‘who’, ‘what’ or most importantly ‘why’ until it’s too late.” Yseult recalled the dreams she had on Donwarr, the creature kneeling over her, speaking to her. You must find Upsilon. Coincidence? It didn’t seem likely. It felt like Riddaeon wasn’t the only one wanting her to do this. She looked Riddaeon in the eye, a confidence had appeared on her face, and was that even a small smile. “I need a ship.” She said. “No problem.” Riddaeon responded. “This is MANTIS. Take your pick”. Yseult was shaking her head and the smile had grown. She’s got a plan. He thought. “Not one of your ridiculous flying advertisements.” She said. “A real ship... A proper ship... A box-runner”. Her face changed. She’s remembered something. Riddaeon thought. Nostalgia. Something from her past. “And I know who we must see to get one” She said. Her personality had changed. There was something in her eyes that Riddaeon had not seen before. Life. He leaned forward. The tables had turned; now she was the one in the know. He was the curious one... And he had to know... “Who?” Thank you for reading. All comments welcome.
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Location: G02 - Freegate Tags: Vehicle, Spaceship. Chapter 15: Autofreight. Her breath had never felt so loud… Or so deep. Conserve your air she told herself. The adrenaline made it hard. She was sat still but her body was in survival mode… Panic. High above the bright white pearl of Freegate, in a quiet and lonely orbit, just far away enough to touch the blackness and silence of deep space, a solitary Quadstar drifted gently, the planet below and the debris-like specs that were the hive of orbiting Human and alien activity visible through to large dome-like cockpit windows… It was beautiful… The round concave window giving the lone occupant a deceptively wide view of open space and the sheer vastness of even this small section of the Galaxy… Yes, it was beautiful… And scary as Hell. Over the previous two hours, Yseult had run through all the options a MANTIS agent in a stolen armed Octan fighter had. There was MANTIS activity on Freegate and plenty of it, but with Octan recently taking control, how close could she get in a fighter? Her mission was covert, even MANTIS didn’t know she was there. She could go to Octan… She has the ship to get there, but what then? She’d heard that Octan didn’t keep prisoners; just took their belongings as a fine and turned them loose. Why pay to keep a criminal when you can profit from one? But that was non-corporates - the contractors and workers who broke the rules… True or not, those rules won’t apply to me.. She thought. I’m with MANTIS now. She thought of approaching an independent vessel but with talk of spiders and Dust Demons… Could she take the risk? Her thoughts turned to the GATE drive: If Octan found it will they know what it's for?.. Will they be looking for me? Presumably the missing Quadstar had been reported by now, the fight on Donwarr was so long ago. Her attention was caught as an ominous black outline drifted slowly into the bright light of the planet below. By its relative size and position, it eclipsed a significant portion of the illuminated planet. While it wasn't as big as the Jade Sun. the external containers' black clean finish made their size difficult to gauge but it was clearly an old AutoFreight unit of some kind: Harking from the pre-GATE era when trans-Galactic travel was a long and dangerous business, Unmanned freight avoided the risks associated with an occupying crew. The containers were massive to reduce trips and black to make them harder to detect for potential pirates. Only the colour-coded lines belied any information about them at all: Greens for biomass, blues for water and so on. Fitted with GATE drives, they were still used… A big box floating in space… No-one to look… No-one to notice. Yseult recalled her mission on Donwarr: the escort. How had he followed that small freighter through the anomaly?.. She suddenly realised. Of course! The large Autofreight unit was underpowered for its size, using multi-orbit slingshots to get up to speed efficiently. Before the anomalies were discovered, ships like that used slipstream to travel between the stars but while smaller types of vessel like the Speedy Owl or Shire class used raw power to reach slipstream velocity, larger bulk vessels took their time using the planet's pull to gain speed. The same is still true today in respect of reaching the anomaly, it's just easier and the freighter might do it in two orbits rather than five. Yseult's only hope was to intercept the freighter, unnoticed and latch on, riding it back to… Well, Lesser Drigo hopefully. If not… One crisis at a time, she thought. Even with her transponder off, there was no way to maneuver to the freighter without being noticed. She began running calculations through the Quadstars navigation software. Monitoring the freighter, she estimated its course… She was a long way off and… Two blips emerged from behind the freighter. She looked down to the planet, barely making out two black flies buzzing protectively around it… An escort… With MANTIS transponders. As the freighter needed slingshots to reach the anomaly, she hoped they were just there to safeguard it around Octan space: The two megacorps had taken up positions on opposite sides of the planet and tensions were rising. Perhaps when they neared the anomaly, the escorts would back off. That’s my chance. But it would be a high powered dash. She set the computer to monitor the freighter’s time to the anomaly compared to her own at full burn… If the first got smaller than the second, she wouldn't be able to reach the freighter before it entered the anomoly. Right now, with only life support active all she could do was sit in the pale glow of the planet’s light… and wait. The next time the Autofreighter passed it was much closer and well on course for the anomaly. Yseult wished for a moment she’d lowered her orbit; she could have latched on now with time to spare but then she glimpsed the two buzzing flies… still there. She wasn’t after a firefight, especially not against MANTIS. She calmed herself; there would come a moment when she would have to make a move or it would be too late. Not yet, not yet. Once the freighter was ahead of her, Yseult began to power up the Quadstar. One system at a time so as not to cause an energy spike for any listening ears. She tracked the freighter: it was ahead of her now. Not much time. She started the engines, as easy as she could and held the throttle. Her breath deepened, she tensed her arms to stop the adrenaline from shaking them. An alarm sounded: the timings had equalised… She looked at the two escorts – still there. Could she really fly towards them, a fighter at full speed? Was she afraid? She was losing time. You have to do it. You have to. The display in her Quadstar changed as two small blips peeled off. They’re backing off! Her right hand had already pushed the throttle lever to maximum and a bright trail of exhaust plasma streamed from behind the Quadstar’s engines as it powered forward. She gained on the freighter rapidly, angling the fighter slightly towards the planet to shorten the route. She would have to adjust for that later but she needed everything just to catch up. She monitored the freighter. Closer, closer and the escorts: Where were they? She widened the scope on her navigation screen… Both of them were pulling a hard turn back towards the freighter… no, back towards her. Yseult’s left had tensed on the flight-stick. Her index finger brushed the trigger as she tried to tell herself she was ready to use it. If she didn’t make it to the freighter, a fight would ensue. A voice came over the A-com. “Unidentified vessel, this is Watchdog nine; you are on our scope. You are in MANTIS controlled Freegate orbit without authorisation. Power your vessel down and prepare to be escorted to the surface. If you resist, you will be fired upon.” They’re too far away. She told herself, but the blips were coming round fast. She watched their arc – nowhere near as tight as a Quadstar could pull but they would be on her soon. The freighter loomed much closer but her time to GATE entry was still too high but not by much. “Unidentified vessel…” The voice repeated the earlier instruction. Yseult ignored it, a vocal blur on the periphery of what really mattered. The gentle dive had given her extra speed, now she had to get back up again. Normally she would just pull up but that would divert thrust from forward motion… She couldn’t afford that. The lift engines she realised. The antigravity repulsors worked the same as with her hoverbike, a small centrifuge of anti-plasma distorting space-time outwards. The amount needed to reverse the curvature caused by a planet at surface level was significant but up here. It should barely be anything. Activating the lift repulsors, Yseult applied power and the Quadstar began to move back into a higher orbit. The shortcut had given her speed and saved time but she wasn’t sure how much. The new manoeuvre confused the computer’s estimate. After a few seconds, a new figure appeared; desperately close to the freighter’s, its timer ticking down a mere fraction before Yseult’s. Alarms sounded as Yellowish-green streaks blasted past the Quadstar. The escorts. They were almost on her, closing from either side. The freighter, only seconds ahead. She was still gaining. Five seconds. She rolled the Quadstar 90 degrees. I won’t catch it she realised. But it was too late, she was going too fast and a tenth of a second after the freighter disappeared… so did she. Inside the anomaly, the gravitational eddies and currents buffeted the small fighter like a fly in a hurricane. Yseult wrestled the controls. Every anomaly was different inside; age, distance and the amount of space-time that had leaked in from outside all affected the length and difficulty of the journey. With no GATE drive, it was only a matter of time before her ship was torn apart. She was so close to the freighter, but close was no good. Trying to maneouver the Quadstar directly was useless. Inciting a barrel roll, Yseult sent the fighter out and round as tight as she could, knowing that there wouldn’t be enough room to complete the roll; there was a freighter in the way. But that was the point and Yseult accentuated the roll to make the Quadstar hit the side of the huge container floor first, the magnetic floor grappling on. Please hold. Please hold. Alarms and warnings were blaring from the impact… but it held. Thank you for reading. Any and all comments and criticisms are welcome.
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Dhjsdjcjd Location: C02 (Hunston) Tags: n/a Previously... I've come to help you. Even after I took you hostage and held a sword to your throat, huh? No. I mean yes, I mean... I don't say this kind of thing often, but I appreciate it. That Seliman is a piece of work, if you hadn't intervened she might have killed me by torture a few minutes ago. Wait...she tortured you? Oh my gosh! What happened to your leg? That's her. She did that in just a few minutes. Look, I'm tough, and I've been around, but I've never seen a weapon like she had. Oh no, that means... Listen. Things aren't what they seem around here. There have been some rumors about a kind of underground crime ring here at MANTIS. I never believed them but suddenly a lot of things are making sense. Like why Seliman let a convicted slaver escape? Exactly. If the rumors are true, then she probably won't let you leave no matter what the general may have said. But I am pretty sure I can get you out. How? That's what I came to talk to you about when I first arrived on the Strata, but I've realized more about you now. It's about Scorpio? ************************** ************************** There, Farrs? Do you see? She kind of responded. In a trance like sort of way. I see it. Try again... ************************** ************************** Why yes, how did you... Scorpio? I knew it. You are his sister, aren't you? Yes, I am. Is he here? I thought I heard him. Scorpio I'm here! Where are you? Oh...dear. Sorry to break the news to you, but...Scorpio...he's dead. What?! ************************** ************************** Farrs, how can I figure out exactly where I am? I told you, you are Here. But...where is everything else? Everything...Else..? Yes, you can see the universe above but how do we get there? I need to find where my sister really is; this is kind of her, but more like a ghost of her. I have a feeling she isn't really here at all. I have heard of a Place far away toward the center of Nowhere but I have never been. Do you have a way we could try and get there? Yes. I will come with you. There is nothing really for me Here any more anyway. Perhaps Somewhere Else will bring me new purpose. ************************** ************************** Farrs' ship was unlike any Scorpio had ever seen. It looked like a sort of gondola, but Scorpio could see no way that it stayed aloft. He and Farrs loaded Arsenica's cot into it and then climbed on. Farrs guided the ship to where Scorpio directed. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to solve the mystery of what had happened. More pics and stuff below. ************************** ************************** I had wanted to build the scene between Jex and Arsenica but there wasn't time. I really liked the way the gondola turned out, but it was a remarkable pain to photograph. I had to counter the weight of the ship with a PAB cup in the back behind the cloud backdrop, which threw off my already poor photo space. AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 69 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr In the end, I knocked everything off my table to the ground, including the ship C&C always welcome!
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Location: G02 - Freegate Tags: Vehicle, Land vehicle, Spying. High above the bright white pearl known as Freegate, tension had been slowly mounting. Octan vessels moved freely while independent and alien presences were monitored, cross-referenced and where appropriate, directed to a boarding station for inspection. The name hung in the air like a stale fog – MANTIS. That knowing feeling… They’re there but always just out of the corner of your eye. It had been only six months since the quarrel had ended; on Donwarr in Aprilin - the execution of a famous Octan pilot, sending a shockwave across the Galaxy… But the dust had barely settled, the borders drawn, when Freegate was retaken. When you’re being too careful, it’s easy to miss little things. Like a small Octancorp pod-like vessel appearing from Freegate’s nearby anomaly, receiving the formal greeting from traffic control and being left to go about its business. It was easy to miss when it assumed a high orbit and detached the GATE drive it had used to get there. It was easy to miss when it relayed the position of all the local traffic back through the anomaly and barely worth noticing when the white, green and red Quadstar descended towards the planet and entered the atmosphere. How the previous owner had ever kept this damn thing level through atmo entry was a mystery to the red-haired pilot of the Quadstar as it was buffeted around by the thickening atmosphere. Quadstars were renowned for their manoeuvrability, clearly this came at a cost to stability. Eventually she was through and gliding towards the surface. Transmitting the traffic data to BigSal had been the easy part; if only that had been her only mission. She hadn’t been told much but that was intentional; at least they’d been honest and told her that her part was high risk. They were looking something thet Octan had, data, co-ordinates maybe but if it were restricted it would be protected by a high-level cypher, and that cypher would be held by R.E.D., Octancorp’s Regulations Enforcement Department. It turned out they had gotten lucky; a source had suggested that R.E.D. were relocating secure data servers to a new facility across Freegate’s icy deserts by heavy speeder. They were well shielded from remote hacking but not impervious… if you can get close enough. To stop anyone getting close enough, each heavy speeder was protected in relay by a fighter escort… a Quadstar. Yseult’s mission was to reach the speeder shortly before a handover, relieve the previous escort, hack the container, then allow the real relief fighter to take over and depart without anyone knowing she was there. It was a short window but that wasn’t all. Quadstars don’t have GATE drives and with the escorts being locally deployed, she’d had to leave the GATE unit that brought her here in orbit; it would be obvious she wasn’t local if she turned up with one. If it’s not there when I go back… I’m stuck here. Her sensors located the speeder… Right where they said it would be. She closed in and contacted the fighter escort, reading its callsign from the transponder telemetry on her screen. “Oscar X-ray One Six Seven, this is Bravo Bravo Four Four Zero. I am here to relieve you.” She waited tentatively… “Copy that Bravo Bravo. You’re earlier than expected.” Yseult relayed the answer that had already been prepared for just that question. “There is a strong tail-wind on the intercept leg. You should return to base at higher altitude or you may not have enough fuel to get back.” Silences of even a second felt like small eternities… “Copy that Bravo Bravo…” the voice finally came back. “I stand relieved”. Through her side-facing canopy, Yseult watched the previous escort begin to climb and bank away. Don’t have long… let’s get this done. She immediately contacted the heavy speeder. “Red box two, this is Bravo Bravo…” She announced. “… I am going to perform a visual inspection, please stand by for close proximity formation.” The speeder acknowledged but she was already closing in; she wasn’t asking for permission. She activated the equipment Ellie had installed on the Quadstar and it automatically went to work, giving Yseult’s HUD progress information. The Quadstar was directly along-side the speeder, as close as she dare get without spooking the drivers. Progress was slow… Painfully slow. She manoeuvred up over the top… Slightly better once the equipment had adjusted to the new position. Before long, the hack was in and was extracting the cypher. A blip appeared on her screen. The telemetry registered it: Charlie Alpha Nine Two Two… the real relief Quadstar. Yseult looked at the progress bar. The extraction was taking too long… too long. “Bravo Bravo…” a voice came over the comm. “… This is Charlie Alpha… Almost didn’t see you there, is everything alright?” Think, quick. The hack was nearly done… just a little longer. “Charlie Alpha, this is Bravo Bravo. I am performing a visual inspection after the driver reported a vibration.” She checked the scanner… closing fast; they’ll be visual soon. The previous pilot was unlikely to have looked at Yseult’s ship in any detail but if this new one were so inclined, it wouldn’t take much to spot Ellie’s modifications and start asking awkward questions. The other fighter was close now, approaching from the rear… I’m an easy target like this. She thought back to Donwarr and how she’d been shot down. She felt her heart beating, her breath shortened, sweat formed on her brow. A nervous twitch in her left index finger as it hovered over the trigger… “Bravo Bravo, this is Charlie Alpha, I’m in position… Don’t stay too long… There’s a strong tailwind on the intercept leg, you don’t want to run out of fuel on your return to base.” Panic set in… He knows, he knows. He must have seen the previous escort and contacted him… I tried to send him higher… hoped they would miss each other… What do I do? What do I… Yseult’s HUD beeped… ‘Package complete’. Get out of here. “Copy that Charlie Alpha.” She tried to say as calmly as she possibly could, cursing every nervous wobble in her voice. “I’ll try a higher altitude.” She cut the communication and didn’t wait around any longer, pulling back on the flight-stick and forward on the throttle, she climbed as fast as she could. Away, away. As she reached low orbit, she checked her scanner… she wasn’t followed. A deep nervous sigh of relief filled her helmet as she tried to convince herself to calm down. She looked about… it was busier. Something was going on but she couldn’t see what. Her Quadstar had automatically encrypted and transmitted the captured cypher to wherever Big Sal was expected to be by now… All she had to do was leave. I took around thirty minutes to inconspicuously manoeuvre the ship around into the high orbit she had left the GATE drive in, now all she had to do w… GONE! It was gone. Yseult frantically checked her scanner. It must be here, it must. She checked and checked and checked again, there was still no sign of it… What do I do? What do I do?
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Location: C02 (Hunston) Tags: Military Building Recap: Previously, Jex had gone to the MSS Strata to find more information about Scorpio's missing sister so that she could receive his final belongings after his funeral, including several weeks' worth of back pay. While there, she discovered that Scorpio had caught a prisoner, which, according to MANTIS' prisoner regulations, made him ultimately responsible for the prisoner's fate. Before Jex was able to interrogate the prisoner, there was a breakout in which two slavers--who had hidden their acts by disguising themselves as Zoids--tried to escape. Scorpio's prisoner had also escaped her cell and, in an apparent act of revenge against the slavers, killed one while the other managed to get away in the ensuing chaos. To bargain for her own freedom, the prisoner had then taken Jex hostage until General Teague had shown up and settled the scene. In the hours that ensued, mysterious forces set themselves to discover who this prisoner was, and how she might present a threat to their unsavory operations. Meanwhile, Scorpio has awoken, but is not sure where or when, or most perplexing, how. **************** The prisoner was muscled into a small room and cuffed to a chair. A woman entered the room, whom she recognized to be Seliman, the commander who had halted the prison break."You cannot keep me here!" she shouted. "Your general himself granted me clemency when I swore to hurt no MANTIS personnel, and that my only wish was to catch that scumbag slaver you let escape!" "Yes, but the general isn't here now, and I need information you might have..." Seliman responded, brandishing a glowing red prod. The prisoner noticed that it looked nothing like any MANTIS technology she had ever seen. "Tell me who you were working for when you were taken prisoner." "I answer to no one," came the terse reply. "Not anymore." "Then why are you listed in our records as being a Kawa prisoner, yet were initially apprehended in an Octan uniform?" The prisoner said nothing. "Tell me!" Seliman roared as she jammed the prod into the prisoner's leg. She screamed as the rod burned her flesh. ********** "Do you see?" Farrs Farkas inquired. "Come closer! She is more restless than ever!" Scorpio looked on helplessly. "Should we wake her?" he asked. "I don't know if it would kill her," Farrs replied. "I knew it was safe to awaken you because your color had returned." ********** Seliman waited a few moments, then stabbed the prisoner with the rod again, in the same spot. "Tell me who you are connected with in Andromeda," she asked simply. "As you have been in this prison for over a year, I am guessing that no one will come even notice if you never turned up again. But I am curious, and the people I work for even more so, so I am going to give you one more chance." The prisoner managed to see through the blinding pain and looked up at her captor. And remained speechless. "Fine then, the hard way it is." Seliman raised the rod, almost bringing it down on the prisoner's chest, when a voice interrupted through the intercom. /\/\/"Seliman, we have an urgent order from General Teague. The prisoner has a guest--a Ms. Jessica DuBois--who has requested an immediate visit. General said to comply ASAP."/\/\/ "Don't you think we're through here..." Seliman groaned as she walked out. To the guards she said,"take the cuffs off and put her in visiting room C." ********** "She stopped. She is peaceful once more...what does that mean?" Scorpio wondered aloud. AG week 68 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr "Perhaps her bad dream is over," Farrs mused. Scorpio thought to himself. The last time he had seen his sister she was a prisoner at MANTIS. He hadn't had a chance to negotiate her release before Laszlowe had sent him on that fool's errand. What had happened there? He had been spying on Octan with Jex, when they had escaped on their boat and ... Oh no. He remembered suddenly. The crushing pain, the suffocating vertigo, the slow agony and tears and then... ...and then nothing. That was it then. He was dead. Except he wasn't. Obviously, he was still here. Or, he was Here, as Farrs had said. And if he had died, Jex would probably be Here, too. Unless of course she had survived. But then why was his sister Here? "I'm going to try and wake her," he said, over Farrs Farkas' protestations. **************** Even though the vignette is small, C&C is always welcome!
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Location: B06 Sorn Tags: Military vehicle, spaceship, spying MANTIS amplified radar stations on Sorn had detected an unidentified craft in the airspace of MANTIS territory on Sorn. The ship was tracked to a small island. Echo team was dispatched to investigate the landing site. - - Sir it looks like it's a Kawashita ship. Whats it doing here? - Take your team and scout the area, and retrieve the shuttles memory core. It might help us figure out what happened. - Yes sir - - The perimeter is clear captain but something isn't right here captain. All the cargo looks like it has been picked though. Our amplified radar never detected another ship in the area. - We should probably finish this up quick then before Kawashita or whoever did this comes back. Seven do you have the memory core yet? - Yes sir. - - Great. Echo team requesting extraction. More pictures under the spoiler tag.
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Location: C02 Hunston Tags: n/a "Wake up, Virginia," a voice called, from the other side of a dream. "You must wake up." One by one, conscious thoughts came drifting into focus, the drowsy fog lifting and chasing sleep from his eyes. He heard a different voice mumbling, a voice that was familiar and yet that he had not heard for what seemed like ages. After a few moments, he realized the mumbles were his own, and managed to twist them into a single word: "Wut?" Followed by a more distinct "Who?" The first voice, clearer now, gave the reply: "Ha ha, why it is you, Virginia! You are finally coming to. Good." He understood the words spoken, but had no idea what they were supposed to mean. He opened his eyes, but the misty sunlight made him close them again. As his brain struggled to decode the sudden flood of information from his long-dormant senses, he sat up from where he had been lying, pushing off the sort of gauzy blanket that had covered him. Eyes still closed, he turned to where the voice had come from. "But I'm not...I'm not...my name is not Virginia," he stuttered. "My name is...my name is..." As he cast his mind around for this once-known fact, he opened his eyes and looked up at the being who had woken him. If he hadn't been so disoriented he might have been startled at the sight of the four-armed man before him. Instead, he simply kept staring, and said, "Scorpio. My name is Scorpio." "Scorpio, not Virginia? A pity, I liked Virginia better. Although the others suggested even more unusual names, I suppose it makes sense that your real name be the most unusual of all." Scorpio was thoroughly confused, and wasn't altogether sure he wasn't still dreaming. The four-armed man continued. "My name is Farrs Farrkas. I was once a chieftain of my people, and I have been looking over you since your arrival." "My arrival...? How long have I been here? And where is here? Scorpio inquired. "You are simply here. Where all Things are. Although we have rarely seen anything such as you here. You have been here for several months by our reckoning. "Several months...?" Scorpio's mind was going wild, searching for anything to connect to, when he was interrupted by Farrs: "Your companion arrived at the same time, but she has not shown any inclination to awakening yet." Companion? Scorpio looked over to the other side of his cot. There, also lying prone, was his sister. His sister, Arsenica, whom he had not seen in years. What has happening? Then he noticed the scar on her face and it all came rushing back: his captivity in Octan, the transfer through the Gate system. The swirling green vortex was the last thing he remembered seeing, usually the Gates weren't green, were they? What had happened? The woman who had captured him had been his sister all along? How had he not recognized her? He turned back to Farrs. "Where did you say I was?" "Where all Things are. We have never given it a name because it is where we have always been. Except that...after you arrived, my people were broken. Conflict, which had never been known before. They all left in an exodus and are no longer Here." "Your people all left you? Why? Where did they go?" "Come sit with me in the bowery. Eat. Drink. I will tell you." "We have been observing your activities--your people's, I mean--and many of my people saw your arrival as an omen. They saw their own doom as your people transversed the realm you had overrun to arrive in ours. They said they were leaving Here to establish a New Here. I suppose they are now Someplace Else." As he spoke, Farrs gestured to the sky, where Scorpio could see faintly in the clouds several small spheres with invisible lines connecting them. It took him a moment before he recognized what it was he was looking at. He recognized Torresta, and saw that he was probably on a world correspondingly close to that. Or something. Scorpio looked at the heavens, then back to the motionless form of his sister, and then back to Farrs. "So, what do we do?" "I was going to ask you the same question, Virginia." "I told you, my name is not Virginia, please don't call me that. It's Scorpio, okay?" "Sorry. That is what my people elected to call you when they were still here. I will try and remember. Scorpio." "Thanks." Scorpio felt an unexplained trust for Farrs. Surely the fact that he had been watching over him for so long was part of it, yet it felt deeper than that. "Aha, do you see? This is why I wanted you to awaken." Scorpio looked and saw his sister's face contorted in pain, then relax again. "She does this sometimes. You did it too, even to the point of screaming, but then were still and color returned to you. And now you are awake." Perplexed, Scorpio looked at his hands and began screaming. "What happened to me? I used to be...normal! Now I'm...I'm..." He looked and noticed that Farrs was also a lighter pale color, almost white or sand yellow. His sister, however, was still a healthy bright yellow. What was going on...? **************** If you remember much of Scorpio's story (and even if you don't), this entry probably raises a lot of questions (like: 'wait, isn't Scorpio dead?' short answer: yes) while hopefully not being too undiscernible. I had planned for this story to come later, but with AG1 potentially wrapping up in the foreseeable future, I figured I had better start on it if I wanted to get anywhere with it. More answers will come later, but for now know that everything that will happen relies on story threads that were either laid down by me myself or piggybacking off of hints made by @LucasLaughing or @woofmcmoose in entries of theirs from way back. *JUDGES: the building seen is an official set (Starlight Inn) with very few modifications, and should not be judged. The landscape and tree and such is all original work, and although the crystal part at the base of the tree resembles the Elves Crystal Cave, it differs significantly enough that I consider it my own. The tree: AG week 67 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr The Bowery, Bizarro Scorpio, and Farrs Farkas AG week 67 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
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Obstacle courses in the Andromeda Olympics are a lot more challenging than ones one earth. For one thing, these races have very low gravity. For another it's in an asteroid field. Imagine running through a sand storm, but instead of sand, it's boulders and small mountains. And there's no solid ground to be found anywhere. All existing pieces. C&C welcome!
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Location: E01 - Donwarr. Tags: Vehicle, Land vehicle, Spying. Previous chapters can be read on my website here. Chapter 13: Rendezvous. It had taken 3 days of walking to reach the rendezvous point. Emily’s plan to send a transport to extract Vyken had hit a complication. Since Octan took Freegate, MANTIS had tightened its operations on Donwarr; it was getting nervous and the locals Vyken had been around last few weeks were getting twitchy and nervous. After a long and drawn-out conflict, MANTIS had ‘won’ the quarrel and controlled everything from Jurin II to Freegate, but Octan were on the move again and the residents were worried about the potential turmoil. Vyken wasn’t sure why… Why wouldn’t they want Octancorp to retake the quarrel and bring its people the peace, prosperity and opportunity that Octan stood for. Instead, they lived with the uncertainty of MANTIS… An organisation that probably stole from itself so that it can sell its own goods on the black market at a higher price… He wished the people he had met could see how Farmolis had developed under the guidance of one corporation’s singular vision. Without thinking, his hand reached to his left breast where, in one of his suits inner pockets, he kept his copy of the Corporate Handbook. A ceremonial gift from his Mother when he formally became an employee. It was a paper copy, sentimental more than it was practical but he kept it with him at all times. Over the last few weeks, he’d needed everything of value he could find or earn for food and shelter and eventually, access to the off-world Galnet. Only then had he been able to contact Emily, his protégé, and start the process of getting off this rock, so in the long nights, he had read his handbook… Speeches: 2:14. Without it’s employees, a corporation is but an empty shell. The rendezvous point was a clearing at the foot of the Viirven mountains where the trees thinned as the hard ground turned the lush deciduous forest into a region of flat, shrubby tundra, mixed with patches of damp boggy marsh-land stretching North until the soil changed again and hardy pines signified the next range of mountains. Vyken stood, waiting and inspected his sword to pass the time; a good swordsman knows every knick and scratch on his blade… His fight with Graves had added several more. Eventually, the rustle of leaves and tweeting of the local birds was joined by a low hum and soon, emerging from behind a clutch of trees, a vessel appeared. It approached in a wide arc, the driver clearly gauging the situation before coming too close. Vyken was equally wary and instinctively held his sword behind him, obscured, but ready to used if needed. The vessel was a speeder, a hover-van. Vyken recognised the type immediately – a small 46-B local courier vessel. He had wondered if Emily was serious when he first saw her plan, having informed her of the tightening MANTIS security, she made arrangements for Vyken’s extraction via ‘alterative routes’. Turning up at Donwarr in an official Octan transport was going to get noticed, quickly, so she had used Octan contacts on Donwarr to get Vyken to a spaceport with false documents, a shuttle to orbit and passage on a freighter to Kaalin. There was a lot that could go wrong but he trusted her. After all, it was him that had shown that fresh-faced girl out of the academy how all that theory worked in the real world. If it could be done… She could do it. As the hover-van landed, Vyken noticed the discoloured paintwork – this one had seen better days, probably abandoned after the push to take control of Donwarr earlier in the year has come to a halt. When Octan had decided to move its focus elsewhere, most of the resources it had ploughed into this planet were withdrawn but MANTIS’ reaction had been swift, and vicious, and anything broken or under repair had been left. The local population had been swift to scavenge and repair what they could and transports like these were known as ‘Oc-vans’. In the weeks that he’d been stuck here, he’d learnt that the basic design and cheap parts made them popular and they were now not uncommon. The rear door opened and a man in a white flight-suit emerged. Emily had arranged a pass-phrase; a pre-determined conversation that informed Vyken he was talking to his driver and not a random passer-by by accident… or worse. He couldn’t help but smile when he read the phrase; Emily has nailed her wry sense of humour to it. The man stepped down, his hands visible. The moment before he spoke hung in the air like a fog. “Did you leave something behind?” He asked. The right phrase. “Yes…” Replied Vyken, as he’d been told. “… How to use a sword… apparently.” The man’s face showed a brief moment of surprise. I wasn’t supposed to say apparently. “You should take up fencing”. The man replied after a brief moment of consideration. It was the response Vyken had been waiting for. He stepped towards the man, holding his sword at ease. “I suppose DuPont sent you?” he asked. The man gave a nod. “Doctor Long’s orders. Emily’s plan… I’ll brief you on the way…” He said, climbing back into the van. “… You have a shuttle to catch.” The first spoiler contains additional images. The second spoiler explains the spying tag but also reveals a plot-twist if you haven't noticed it in the images. For clarity. I've realised after posting that I've picked costumes that have similarities to Jebediah O'Reilly's and John Hannibal's: It's a coincidence, it's not them. Thank you for looking, and especially for reading. All comments, feedback and criticism welcome. Luc.
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Location: G07 Hennigan II Tags: Land vehicle, spying Previously... Just admit it, you're lost. I'm not lost! I'm just not exactly sure where we are, or where the Octan outpost is. But the woods seem to end over there, so let's head that way. Ah hah! Told you! That's a guy in a mech, not an outpost. Yeah, but I'm the master of natural charm and quick wits. I bet I can smooth talk him into telling us where the outpost is. And then we can download those maps we need. Follow my lead... Greetings fellow employee! Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhh! Can't you see I'm catching butterflies?! Oh... yeah... obviously. Errr.... why? I'm after the rare black-bodied orange-wing! It only emerges from deep in the woods for a few days each autumn! That doesn't really answer my question... But anyway, we're just a couple of Octan workers who have lost our way - could you point us in the direction of the top-secret outpost? What am I, stupid? You're quite obviously M.A.N.T.I.S. spies! Every Octan employee on Hennigan II knows how important catching the rare black-bodied orange-wing is! Listen you- Uh, Long? There's something on your head... Oh wow! It's the rare body orange... black... thing! That you were talking about! Don't be an idiot. If a real rare black-bodied orange-wing was on your head, you'd know about it. Trust me. No, I think this really is one! Maybe it's like a baby or whatever! Ugh, fine, I'll have a look, just to shut you up. Now Long! Get him! What the- So much for smooth talk. Hey, it worked didn't it? And now we have an Octan disguise AND a mech. And sorry guy, but unless you want a real beating from Long here, you'd better tell us where the outpost is. sniff... fine, it's due north, about ten minutes in the mech. You M.A.N.T.I.S. folk really are mean and nasty. Yeah, yeah. Say, what's that noise? Butterflies! We need to run! Ooh no, I'm sooo scared of some butterflies! Er, Sal? I think he might be right... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! A rare black-bodied orange-wing! I'm starting to think I should have taken my chances with S.P.I.D.E.R... Thanks for reading! C&C welcome! Those with long memories may recognise this as an homage to shmails' awesome build from week 2, where he came up with the great design for the giant butterflies. More pics in the spoiler.
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Location: B06 Sorn Tags: Military, Spaceship Hawk taking a MANTIS Sky Sabre fighter out for a spin in the sky above Sorn. - - - -
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Location: G02 Freegate Tags: Land vehicle, spying Note to judges: The spaceship is from a previous build and shouldn't be judged Previously... Somewhere in M.A.N.T.I.S. deep space: ... a bounty on the both of them. 20 credits alive and 50 credits dead. The spy will insist that he is the real Big Sal. Don't believe him no matter how convincing he is. Remember shoot first and don't ask questions! Goodnight..... Only 50 credits?! That's just insulting. Nevertheless, we can't stay in M.A.N.T.I.S. space. Someone will catch us eventually. Yeah... I have some... contacts... in Octan. Maybe we should hide out in their territory until we figure something out. Ok, but I need to be able to contact my people in M.A.N.T.I.S., assuming they're still loyal. I know of a remote Octan radar station on Freegate. If we can hack it, we should be able to bounce our comms through it and stay in contact with MANTIS space wherever we are in Octan space. That would be a good idea... if the M.A.N.T.I.S. fleet weren't currently in orbit around Freegate. Relax Long! I told you, this ship is theoretically completely undetectable! We'll fly right past them! I can't believe that worked. I told you! Completely undetectable! If that's true, why didn't we land next to the radar instead of at the bottom of the mountain? Err... never hurts to be careful... So you decided it was safer for us to freeze to death riding the world's slowest lift to the top instead? Much safer! There's far less chance of anyone detecting us this way. I mean, it's not as if this dumb robot is going to tell anyone about us, right? ... ... ... I feel like that was unnecessary... Finally! That took forever. It's getting dark already. Well, how was I supposed to know it had legs?! I thought it would just be at the top of the lift! There, I've attached our comms device and hacked it into their systems. At last. I hope you know how to make the lift work without that robot... Thanks for reading! C&C welcome! More pics in the spoiler.
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Location: E01 - Donwarr. Tags: Military, Building, Spaceship. Previous chapters can be read on my website here. Chapter 12: The Engineer. First engineer Elliana Seyka had a buzz about her this morning. She was generally regarded as being spritely but this morning she was particularly excited. While Darksight was undergoing repairs, an opportunity had arisen. The game was afoot and whatever move they were making needed a Quadstar… An Octan Quadstar and by virtue of the unexpected outcome of Yseult's mission in Darksight, they had one. What they didn't have was a means of getting it where it needed to be. The Quadstar was a short-range superiority starfighter; very fast, very maneuverable but at a cost. The fuel tanks were small and they had no GATE drive so they relied on a carrier for trans-anomaly deployment, and an Octan carrier… Well, they're harder to come by. That's where Ellie came in. She had a reputation for her design and engineering skills; Big Sal had identified her potential early on and brought her into MANTIS. She shared his enthusiasm for science, if not quite his approach to it but from the very beginning, she felt that he understood her, her dreams, her ideas, her passion; and she hadn't regretted accepting his invitation. She had risen through MANTIS quickly and now commanded a substantial engineering research and development effort, of which Darksight had been the latest product. What they needed now was different, and she didn't have long to come up with a solution. In the end, she had decided that delivery by carrier was impossible, carriers were as incognito as a slap in the face, no, something else was required… And she had delivered. There was risk involved though. This is MANTIS… She thought to herself as she entered the engineering bay… We eat 'risk' for breakfast! To keep operation details on a need to know basis. Ellie’s brief was very specific and almost impossible… She liked ‘almost impossible’. There was no way to fit a GATE drive and the extra fuel capacity needed into the tight design of a Quadstar, not without modifying it beyond recognition and that wouldn’t do; it had to look legitimate or the plan wouldn’t work. Instead, she put them outside the Quastar in a bolt-on booster… A Jump drive. The unit contained all of the components needed for trans-anomaly flight; simulations had suggested that the Quadstar’s compact design would be very sensitive to the gravitational turbulence that caused so many pre-G.A.T.E. explorers to get lost. To combat this, the drive needed large gravitational stabilisers; they were a little cumbersome and prevented the Quadstar from landing with the drive attached but they did look awesome, she thought. Riddaeon was stood waiting for her, admiring her work while he did. The unit rested on its back, the four protruding stabilisers acting like legs. “I assume the fighter attaches up there.” He stated upon hearing Ellie approach, gesturing upwards. “That will make it a little awkward for the pilot won’t it?” he asked, turning his gaze to Ellie. There goes my carefully planned introduction. She thought. “The unit remains in orbit. The fighter attaches for trans-anomaly and detaches at the other side”. Riddaeon stepped back, taking in a wider view of the jump drive. “What if it’s captured?” He asked. “That’s the risk.” Ellie responded, a hint of stern-ness in her tone. She wasn’t about to let this… administrator tell her she should have done a better job in the ridiculously short time she had to conceive, design and build this thing. “If you want a unit that’s more compact, more secure… Fine, give me six months. If you want a unit now… This is what you get”. Riddaeon thought for a moment. “Any restricted tech?” He asked calmly. “No.” Ellie replied, a flash of confidence in her voice. He’s conceded the point. She realised. Now he’s just making sure he’s I’ve covered the bases. “Fine...” Riddaeon finally said, turning to her. “Walk me through it.” They walked over to the engineering console and Ellie tapped the controls to bring up the file she'd originally prepared for what was left of her introduction. "Quadstar fighters..." She began. "... Are heavily modified versions of an old Space Utility Vessel from the pre-G.A.T.E. era. Basically a multi purpose tug and docking unit, They'd fly out to unmanned cargo carriers, dock with them and take control to pilot them in. That connectivity is still there in every Quadstar so I designed a unit the fighter can dock with." The display showed a simulation of the Octan vessel with the jump drive attached. "What if someone finds it?" Riddaeon asked. "The on-board flight system will try to keep out of sight and avoid proximity to other craft..." Ellie answered. "... But in the event that a vessel other than this Quadstar gets too close, it automatically self-destructs." There was a moment of silence. The reason for this measure was obvious but so were the consequences. "And the pilot?" He finally asked. Ellie knew the answer would be harsh but it had to be said. "They'd be stranded... They'd need to ditch the ship and find another way back". Riddaeon stared at the screen; he knew which pilot he was about to put at risk., and that he'd have to be the one to tell her. "Alright..." He said. "...Test-flight it and let me know when it's ready to deploy." Ellie nodded and Riddaeon proceeded to the exit. "Erm..." Ellie tried to say something but didn't quite know how to start it. Riddaeon stopped and gave her a moment to decide. He soon realised what she wanted to ask. "I saw the transmission too..." He said. His tone had softened, they had both been close to BigSal. "He was a friend. We must remember that... But he is also an enemy of the corporation now... We must remember that too." Thank you for reading. All comments and feedback welcome.
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Ok, I'm going to cut the chase: I have no idea what the hell this thing is, or what it's supposed to be! And I helped build it! And the name isn't anything useful either, EFW just stand for Engine, Frame, Wheels. Size Proof: This thing turned out Bizarre! C&C welcome!
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The MANTIS Hornet MK. 3 is a specially modified special ops recon speeder. With it's stealth and weapons systems removed, extra room is made for an oversized drive core and additional maneuvering thrusters to make it one of the best racing speeder in andromeda. Thanks for looking. C&C welcomed.
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Originally designed for assault and infantry support, the M2-A Quarab is a maglev powered 2-wheel-drive cycle with optional weapon and supply mounts. Already built for a high power-to-weight ratio when unloaded, it was an obvious choice for conversion to a racing machine. Oh, the poster.... Couldn't resist, though it would have been better if I'd bothered to check the real one first. A Quarab is a breed of horse that is a cross breed of certain other types. With strong influences from Tron and Akira, this design is also a cross-breed of design ideas with my own personal touches mixed in. Handlebars and foot pedals. The front forks turn on an axle connected to the handlebars. Compliance photo: Thanks for looking. C&C welcome.
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Austina Anteca thought of herself as a pretty funny person. The life of the party, in her mind. So when it was time to name her vehicle for the race, she decided to name it after a famously slow creature from Earth. She thought that was hilarious. Thanks for reading! C&C welcome! Turns out that what looks like a clip at the front of the spiders holding the entire thing together is not actually a clip, so this has a nasty habit of randomly springing apart. That's why I got sick of fiddling with it and posted early
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Location: B06 Sorn Tags: Military Building Note to Judges: Black Ivan is reused from my challenge build and should not be judged. After their mission on Freegate, Echo team has received an top secret order to redeploy to Sorn. -Sir, the team has arrived. -Very good, send them in. - - -I wonder what the mission is this time? It's very odd to be left in the dark like this. -Do you think it has something to do with all the missing branch executives? First Dave Daring goes missing on Gwenavere, then Hawk on Forring, and now there is an imposter Big Sal running around. I would sure like to hunt down the Big Sal. - Whoa, Is that Black Ivan? - It better not be. That bot owes me 1000 credits. That looser obviously threw the fight! - - Welcome Echo team. I have heard a lot about you and am eager to see what you can do. - Thanks, but I haven't heard anything about you. Do you mind telling me whats going on. Why did the suits on Torresta send us here. - Yeah I will fill you in on everything. Please follow me.
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Location: E01 - Donwarr. Tags: Civil, Spaceship. Previous chapters can be read on my website here. Chapter 11: Charter Flight. The M.P.T. Vigo is a Linopeia class passenger transport… it is slow, sluggish and ugly. Yseult thought as she skimmed the specs. She was nearly offended when, following her first mission in which she crash-landed one of the most advanced espionage prototypes MANTIS had, they asked her to run a passenger flight from Freegate in a ferry for her second. In truth though, she was a civilian pilot, used to civilian flying and while the ship was cow, everything else was her domain… And they needed someone at short notice. The Vigo normally ran passenger services between Torresta and Jurin II, a routine short-haul service but Octancorp had recently taken control of Freegate and MANTIS had decided to withdraw a number of civilian personnel from operations that it was deemed were too sensitive to try and continue under the encroaching gaze of its rival. While Octan had taken control, this ‘fact’ was apparently just derived from some economic algorithm that measured corporate activity. Riddaeon had explained it to her in more detail one day while she was recovering but she lost interest incredibly quickly. In reality, Freegate was still a border territory and was still within the operational arm of both Corporations but MANTIS was going to have to decide whether to invest heavily in Freegate and take it back or hope that Octan didn’t use it to move on Lesser Drigo and try to cut MANTIS off from the precious mythril. Either way, it wouldn’t want valuable personnel hanging around on Freegate and someone, somewhere had decided to extract them. It should be a simple run. It had better be. She thought. With the MANTIS fleet there. The fleet had moved to Freegate as a reaction to the political shift; it all but guaranteed a boring trip. Maybe boring will be good. She pondered after considering her last mission. She shifted in the pilot’s chair and it gave out a disapproving creak. It was uncomfortable but more like her old chair than she’d sat in for a long time. The thought took her back to her ship, the tanned hide couchette that was her seat had moulded and settled itself sweetly against her form after thousands of hours of flying. Every control, every dial, every readout… she could see them in her head, the throttle quadrant on her right; her hand would glance over it to check the lever positions without her even needing to look. For all the bad memories, she could never forsake her girl. Where are you now? She wondered. It hurt to think she was out there, someone else in the pilot seat. It hurt even more at the though of who it might be. You don’t deserve her… After what you did to me… “Vigo, this is Ground team”. A voice crackling over the A-Com brought her back. “Loading is complete, we’re ready to disconnect”. The voice continued. Yseult sat up and began the pre-start sequence, taking that bit longer to find each switch and button. “Ground team, this is Vigo…” She replied. “We have internal power and fuel reading. You are clear for disconnect”. “Copy that Vigo”. The voice replied. A few minutes later, the fuel and power lines that kept the unsightly transport alive on the apron were clear and the ground crew had evacuated the immediate area. Yseult looked over the engine start checklist and got to work. When she was ready, she contacted the control tower and requested clearance for lift-off. Once granted, she notified the crew and gently eased the power forwards on the control for the antimatter lift engines. The ship began to rise. It would be a slow and dull ascent in an uncomfortable seat. I’ll find you. She promised herself… Somehow… I’ll find you.
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Location: C04 Aeristus Tags: Civil building, spaceship Urgh… wha…? Sal? You’re awake? Wha…? Long? Where… what…? What happened? You caught Marphacian Swamp Fever and nearly died. We’re in a Kawashita hospital on Aeristus – they were the only ones with the expertise to save you. Ugh… I feel terrible. Last thing I remember was taking my experimental GATE-cloak ship for a test flight. Yes, you passed out during the flight. We tried to treat you, but the fever was too advanced. You’ve racked up a considerable medical bill over the time you’ve been here. How long has it been? A week or so? Almost exactly four months. WHAT?! Your executive health insurance covers you for the first three days, of course, but… FOUR MONTHS?! That’s not possible! Wait… I’ve been here for four months? And I’ve been here the whole time? I haven’t been seen anywhere else? What? Of course not, how could you- Four months would make it Oktobrinali… they must have already started… but if I haven’t been seen, then… they must have found him… but then… Long, quickly, who knows I’m here? What are you talking about? WHO KNOWS I’M HERE??? Just me and the Council. Maxximus believed it would be embarrassing if it became known that we had to rely on Kawashita to save you. Well, that’s something. I suppose if they knew where I was I’d already be dead. If who knew? …SPIDER? Ye-, I mean… who? Damn it Sal, don’t play dumb with me. I know you know about SPIDER. Tell me what it is. What do you know? Nothing. All I can come across is cryptic references to webs all over the place. Ever since SpacerSteve and Hawk went missing, the Council doesn’t trust anyone – they won’t tell me anything. If they’re missing then they’ve put the plans into motion… and if they found him then they have everything they need… Long, you’re sure I haven’t been seen anywhere since I fell ill? No. How could you possibly... wait... You can’t have… it's impossible, not to mention completely unethical... but it would explain the doubled productivity… What? Sal… did you… did you clone yourself?? What?! How did you know that?! Of course! Ever since your productivity suddenly doubled I’ve been wondering how you did it. It all makes sense now. But… how? And why? Project Lambda. The employee weaponisation project? No, that was just the part of it the Council knew about. The real aim of Project Lambda was to create an army of enhanced, obedient clones for SPIDER. What?! That’s what all my research has really been about. Awesomnium extract for growth acceleration, the persuadomatic for brainwashing, the employee weaponisation, the advanced weaponry. But when I finally almost perfected the process and created the first clone, I realised that I’d become expendable. After all, if SPIDER had an almost perfect and completely obedient clone of me, why would they need actual me? So I kept my success secret from them, and have been stalling them ever since. But when I got ill, my clone should have covered for me. If he didn’t, it means SPIDER must have found him. And if they found him, they’re finally ready. This is insane… we need to tell SpacerSteve about this when he gets here. WHAT?! I thought you said he was missing?! No, he reappeared a while back. I sent him a message as soon as you woke up and- We need to leave. Now! What? Come on! Do you have a ship here? No, but your stealth ship was brought here with you. But Sal- Even better! Let's go! Sal- Come on, there’s no time! Sal- What?! Maybe you should put some clothes on first. ---- Later: This ship is hideous. Hey, I never got to finish it! And it may not be much to look at, but with the GATE-cloak it's completely undetectable... in theory... Sal... What did you mean when you said your clone is almost perfect? Ah, yeah. The awesomnium serum worked perfectly for temporary growth acceleration, except for the hair. For some reason, his hair growth seems to be permanently accelerated... Damn it. ---- Thanks for reading! C&C welcome! Finally, all is revealed! As you may be able to tell, I've been working on this story for a loooong time (although SPIDER was not my idea, and was worked into it later). A pic of the whole build and the ship in the spoiler.
