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Showing results for tags 'OctanCorp'.
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Tags: Land Vehicle, Civil Structure, Science Planet: H06, Farmolis "I feel a malaise has grown within myself. This static life does not suit me in the least. It's not enough. I need... more. I want... more...." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "I despise standing still in the fast lane. I've been on sabbatical since I was retrieved from my imprisonment on F03's Forring... obviously this was not optional. A slew of tests were conducted upon me... to determine the cause of my memory loss... to determine whether I'd been implanted with any spyware, biological or technologically based. All tests showed negative. I had been drugged nightly with an amnesia inducing compound, and my drone had been hacked. End of story. The remainder of the investigation must take place outside a lab, if my captors are to be brought to justice. And to those ends I have enlisted the assistance of one of my most trusted, and loyal colleagues. I hope he can find those responsible... and ... perhaps even... dare I mention... the object I've seen... only in dreams of that place... the enclosed place... the hexagonal walls... the map. The key... no... I refuse to deal in fantasies and illusions. There are concretes. I was detained. There is someone responsible for that. I await Dr. Edris's message." "Waiting. It sickens me. Like stagnant water, it breeds pestilence of the mind. I've written and published two books over the course of my stay (one, "a Guide to Andromeda's Xenobiology; When, Where, and How to Apply Xenobiological Principles," and an informal discussion on the implications of human science in the Andromeda Galaxy, "The Modern Darwins"). and, I've taken a course on Kawashita technological advances... but it's not enough. I yearn to be surrounded by activity and scientific discovery... but I have not been able to leave Farmolis, or attend to my duties upon the Axle--Doctors orders." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "And so every morning at exactly 7:00 am, I get my exercise in--Doctor's orders. I ride my bike on the maintenance access road of the South Grid Pipeline. It runs from Farmolis City (also known as Farmolis Headquarters City) to Texicana Station. In the early days, Farmolis Headquarters City performed all aspects of Awesomnium production: Extraction, Purification, and Shipping... but now Farmolis city has taken on a more Administrative role, and serves as the planet's port city, and center of Octan colonization in Andromeda. Texicana Station is the primary purification site, and so, this pipe channels a constant stream of pure, fuel-grade Awesomnium to Farmolis Headquarters' Shipping district. These access roads run the whole length, as does the canal of naturally occurring liquid Awesomnium... but I'm not riding nearly that far. Just as far as Kilometer Marker 17. At approximately 7:45 am, I arrive at this point and begin riding back... but not before I indulge my intellect a little." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "Kilometer marker 17 is placed in the thick of Farmolis' s famous farming district. The densest packed, most nutritious, strongest, GM EthiCORN ™ is grown here. The fields stretch to the horizon, and are almost entirely regulated by machines, who conduct all the hydration, pesticide dispersal, harvesting, etc... it's deliciously efficient.... however, on my daily rides, I've noticed a local specimen of Xenobotanical nature that seems to have developed an immunity to Octan's pesticides... it is an interesting find; a novel xenobotanical specimen on the planet longest occupied by our force. Life finds a way, as they say." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "I've been recording it's growth patterns. It grows swiftly, and seems to seek increased hight, as it has begun to wrap around the power pole beside the canal. I lack a Logbook, so I've devoted this data to a simple recording device I purchased in the interim. When I escape this sisyphean sabbatical, I will add this specimen to the Axle's databank. Then, perhaps we can devise a pesticide capable of exterminating it." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "Soon. Soon I will be aboard my beloved Axle, and all these planets to which we've gained access will yield their rewards. Within our grasp, these worlds will be investigated and examined. We will catalog the soil components. Capture and tag the wildlife. Extract and analyze the flora. All will be perfectly understood, and by understanding, we will control, and exert our will upon the natural world in perfect efficiency. For profit." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr "There is science to be done. And I will be back to it... very soon now, I think." Pipe Dreams by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr (Sorry for the short novel. Hopefully it provides a little insight into Dr. Long's motivation. Also, I have more pictures. I just haven't edited them yet. They'll be up before the deadline. Pics up!) ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Tags: Land Vehicle, Air Vehicle (2 land vehicles ), Civil Structure, Science Planet: F03, Forring Translated from a Language of clicks and purrs Green helmed Alien: "The hour is late. The diggers are upon us. The eight carbon chain hive of humans has not abandoned their search as we had hoped." Bright Green helmed Alien: "I assume this was the work of that one scientist?" Green helmed Alien: "It would appear as such. Have our people been evacuated?" Bright Green helmed Alien: "All lives have been saved. Cocoon has been loaded." Green helmed Alien: "And the databanks?" Bright Green helmed Alien: "Clear" Green helmed Alien: "And the map?" *Crash* *boom* *VRRRRRRRRRRRRR* Bright Green helmed Alien: "..." Green helmed Alien: "We must flee." Bright Green helmed Alien: "But the map..." Green helmed Alien: "There is no time." _____________________ Several Hours Later Doctor Edris (seated figure): "Good news?" Masked Mook 1: "Fortune and glory, Dr. Edris, fortune and glory!" Dr. Edris: "That's what I like to hear!" Hatted figure: (Whispered) "Hail... MANTIS...." Octan Employee (Shorty): "Why did you get to have the chair? Is it due to your rank?" Dr. Edris: "I brought this chair. You'd have one too if you'd brought one. let this be a learning experience." Dr. Edris: "Excellent! Shorty, open a line of communication with the Axle. Get me Odus on the line." *Pew pew* * * Dr. Edris: "Roachbot! What have you done?" Roachbot: "I work for MANTIS now. They've offered me the one thing you all never could: Respect." Masked Mook 2: "Who the megablock programs our robots?!" Hatted turncoat: "Kill him, Roachbot. Take Shorty hostage and leave Doctor Edris to me." Shorty: "Why'd it have to be a Spec-ops Robot!?" Roachbot: "My armour is resistant to most forms of plasma-based weaponry. Please comply." Several Minutes Later: *Vrooooooom* "Hello. I'm Dave, from accounting. I've been informed by my corporate espionage agent that you've uncovered some very valuable objects from these ancient ruins. As you should be aware, this territory belongs to MANTIS, and thereby all artifacts found therein are forfeit to acquisition by MANTIS personnel." Dr. Edris: "You're an accountant?" Dave, from Accounting, "I never said that. Now, hand over the Artifact. All your digsite are belong to MANTIS." Dr. Edris: "MANTIS. I hate those guys." Dave, from Accounting: "What!? But! How!? I thought you were a scientist! What kind of scientist can take down a trained soldier?!" Dr. Edris: "I'm an Archaeologist." *bashes Dave with hilt of sword.* *shing* Dr. Edris: "Hello, Odus? Yes, I know she's on sabbatical. I need you to contact her. Tell Dr. Long that it's real, and we've found it. The item from her dreams. We've found it." ___________________________________ Sans People by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr Pictures of the vehicles: Drill rig by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr Drill Rig by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr Mantis Speeder by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr Mantis Speeder by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr Mantis Speeder by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr I love that little speeder so much, I think I'll keep it around for a while! I'm back for the summer! ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Location: Donwarr, E01 Tags: Spaceship, Land Vehicle, Civil Building "Sir, he should be awake now." "Don't do this Cantillon, We both know John would have never approved this." "It's our one chance Barbara. We also both know that you can't stop me." "Johhn Hhhannibal... Octan pilot... warlord... war Criminal... desecrator of corpses... slanderer... fiend. I can't tell you how much it pleases the Council to have you here... Tell us what you know about Octan's latest offensive." "I haven't been with the fleet in weeks, Steve, you know I don't know it's route. And, we're obviously not in the interrogation room, so let's just get to it so you can get back to picking out accessories." "Commander Cantillon! We're tracking a massive formation of M.A.N.T.I.S. fighters moving to intercept. How close are you to target?" "I'm within the gravity well, but I've lost my starboard engine. Diving now." "Dammit Cantillon! You'll never make atmosphere. Get out of there!" "You're right, we don't bring scum like you here to interrogate. Our technicians have already mapped out and downloaded your temporal lobe, so asking questions won't be necessary. Goodbye John. How fitting it is that you will die on the very welcome mat you laid out for our invasion." "Commander Cantillon... Can you hear me Cantillon... Can you hear me Cantillon..................... (hopefully this post isn't too late, I got up this morning and realized I forgot to actually click "post")
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Location: Arium Minor - F09 Tags: none "Where are we, Dora?" "Arium Minor, or at least what I have filed from our last visit. I would have picked a nicer place but most of my data had to be dumped when they took us." "I understand. You captured it well. Where are we really?" "In transit between Donwarr and Jurin II, I believe. Without my data I'm having trouble cross referencing the duration of our jumps with the available maps." "There is something beautiful to the nothingness, John." "Yes, Dora." "Because 'nothingness' doesn't really exist. We just have to turn on the light and look in the right direction, and a whole new world is waiting on us." "I believe you're right, Dora." "I love you, John. You're going to make it through this." "One way or another, sweet girl."
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Location: Donwarr - E01 Tags: Civil Building (weather station), Spaceship (MANTIS ship cross-section), Land vehicle (Octan speeder bike) "John... John..." "What, Dora?" "We need to get up." "But it's dangerous up there, lets just stay close to the reef." "No John. We have to get up. He's coming." "He can't get us down here, Dora." "Yes, he can John, get up now!" "Ok..." "Dammit... Dora, is the Mercy Brandy overhead?" "No signal, John, they appear to be jamming my comms." "Detach the beacon. Can you talk to the bike?" Weather Station by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "No, John." Weather Station by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "How am I looking?" "Not so good, wound is through and through, in between you liver and spine, but I can't stop the bleeding. You're going to black out again." "Yeah... You'd better erase anything you don't need and stay quiet for now." "Yes, John." "See you on the other side sweet girl..." Weather Station by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr Aboard the MCF Scythe... "The target is incapacitated but the droid is MIA, sir, do you want me to finish the job?" "No. We'll have to find out what he knows first. Deliver him to Jurin II and await further orders."
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Location: F09 - Arium Minor Tags: Civil Building 20 Marzn 3816 Deep below the mountainous surface of Arium Minor... ... named in honor of the man who first brought our two groups together, the “John Hannibal Center for High Energy Research” is the first facility to be jointly owned and operated by Octan and the Merchant Confederacy. The experiments conducted here will help us gain a deeper understanding of the GATES, and the gravitational anomalies which power them. Today, we'll be starting up the reactor for its first official test run. Control room, please confirm your status. Control room is a 'Go.' Emergency response team, please confirm your status. ERT is a 'Go.' Very good. Power to stage 1 emitters in 3,2,1. I'm seeing predictable phase arrays. Stage 2 emitters activating...now. Overhead capacitors to one oh five percent. Uh, it's probably not a problem, probably, but I'm showing a small discrepancy in... well, no, it's well within acceptable bounds again. Sustaining sequence. Oh dear! Shutting down - no, attempting to shut down. It's not - it's not shutting down! Aaaaah! ERT to control room - what the hell is going on!?! Don't worry, it's okay - look- ...the field has stabilized. It's ... beautiful. Something - something is emerging from the field... Oh my gods... Gordon - open the door to the chamber! Jimmy, get the medical team down here. But, the Rhumkopf-Brickowski field- It's okay the field is dissipating. Now, open the door. Roger, opening door to the containment chamber and - holy sh*t. What the hell are you staring at? Don't test me buddy, I've had a long, long day... Explorer Caslaug-Hing ... welcome back.
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Location: E01 - Donwarr Tags: Spaceship, Land Vehicle Lu's Log - 31 Janurali 3816 I'm not sure anyone will ever find this log. I'm not sure where I am. The last thing I remember … the ship. We found my parent's ship... Earlier – on Jurin II: Gods CLAPPIE – there it is. The Pioneer. The last Explorien ship launched before the company was acquired by the Octan Corporation. Assumed lost, along with its crew of 40, when it disappeared during the G.A.T.E. transit to Andromeda. Where's the gravitational anomaly? How close can we get? Lu, I'm no longer picking up the anomaly – it appears to have dissipated. CLAPPIE, something's wrong. I'm reading the ship's beacon loud and clear, but the ship itself isn't showing up on the scanners. You're right. Perhaps you should stop accelerating toward the ship. I'm not accelerating - Interesting. It looks like the gravitational anomaly has returned. Hang on CLAPPIE, this could get rough! CLAPPIE, what just happened? Where are we? I … I don't know. Lu – I can't access any of my peripherals! I – I'm only getting data from your suit sensors... this must be an error – restarting! Goodbye! Greetings! I'm your Corporate Law and Planetary Politics Incident Evaluator - oh no - I'm still cut off! Lu – is this … is this what it's like to be human? I'm so sorry … I had no idea... Human, tell your master to be calm. The <situation> is temporary. Gaaah! Who are you?!? Where am I?!? You are safe, although I fear your vehicle fell back into <4-dimensional space-time> when we intervened. You are in a <between place>. Is your master well? We are unable to <communicate> with its mind, the way we can with yours. My master? You mean CLAPPIE? Yes, you serve the <digital super-intelligence>, do you not? No … CLAPPIE is an Artificial Intelligence – created by humans. They serve us. … Of course. What an <interesting> perspective. Who are you? We ... are the keepers of the G.A.T.E.S. ------------------------- More pictures of the Pioneer:
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"...in the hot rolling mill, metal is stretched and compressed into different shapes and sizes. A train carries molten slag from the blast furnace to the slag pit. Once it cools, it will be repurposed into everything from construction filler to diet pills. Workers in heat resistant suits help to oversee the process." "Next week on How It's Made: apples, earthquakes and babies!"
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Planet: E01, in orbit Tags: Civil, building, Science "Internal Monolog Date, 14, This... this is Dr. Danielle Long. Me. Myself. They're about to run the tests on me. Maybe... maybe I will be able to use this data to determine what has happened to me... why I cannot remember the past months. A virus was identified on my drone. It was neutralized, but all data of the events has been lost. My log book is likewise compromised. The only log databank unaffected my hacking is the one within my skull... and I cannot remember anything. But... lying on this Gurneybot, I feel... feel something... familiar. My body seems to recognize this position... the cold. The feeling of being observed as a specimen... this feeling... cannot be erased. I will find out what has been done to me... and when I regain my memory... I will have my compensation." ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Location: Donwarr - E01 Tags: Spaceship, Land Vehicle, Civil Building Their meeting at Freegate concluded, Octan Pilot John Hannibal and Merchant Confederacy Trustee / Admiral of the Merchant Fleet Bridge Callahan depart for Donwarr to investigate the debris fields left by the runaway Zoid slave ship. "Have you been to Donwarr since MANTIS threw out our treaties?" "A few times, John. Since Donwarr was taken by license before the war, the transition has been much smoother there. Our members are still operating their business... or creating new ones to adjust to the market." "That's good to hear. We've seen a lot of needless suffering on Jurin II. It's too bad that exchange couldn't have been more civil." "That's just the difference between a sale and a theft. In the former, both parties leave happy, in the latter, both are worse off. That economy still hasn't recovered since nobody knows if their business is going to be confiscated again. There's really no good way to deal with people that think they can just take whatever they want." "My scan is complete, John. No tracking devices, bombs, or signs of sabotage." "Thank you, Dora. Callahan, Where to first?" "A strip bar in the lower districts where we'll find our driver. We'll get there early enough to miss the patrons, but you should ditch the Octan colors, regardless. No need to stir up any hotheads." "Fair enough. This driver, proprietor, stripper, or patron?" AG Merchant Confederacy febRoverary by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "Patron, a bit of a drunk, but he sobers quickly. Besides, he's the only one with the equipment we need... a H-Class beach rover with the towing capability to move heavy scrap. Anything nautical will be risky considering the lack of cover and jumpiness we've seen from MANTIS lately." "Time to move, our satellites got a hit on a heavier section of the ship and signs of life nearby." "Looks liak a bust to me C'mander, whate'er signs of life y'all pic'tup wit dem sateelites curnt've com from dis 'er rekage, dam t'ing a'redy burnt'up on reentry." "There must be something down here. Keep her running while I get a closer look." "Huh, must be one of Pombe's crew. Hey pal, you out here investigating the wreckage? Looks like you beat us to it." "Not exactly. You got an extra pair of pants? Mine didn't survive the fire." To be continued...
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Planet: F03, Forring Tags: Science, Civil (the structures are not militant) "Log Date 008. This is Dr. Danielle Long. Log Dates 005, and 006 are missing from my personal Log. I worry that this data corruption may be due to the new chip I have been using since the temporal fluctuation incident. I will be sure to have this fixed upon my return to the Axle, which is scheduled for tomorrow: Desembrinali 23. Furthermore, I suspect there has been some forms of sabotage to my personal Octancorp temporary habitation pod. I noticed this morning that 2 months worth of rations had gone missing, along with several other inexplicable differences to the pod that make me believe someone had been inside it... either that or I've been sleepwalking, a noted side-effect of the BonNuit ™ sleeping pill... but that doesn't explain the missing rations... nor, more importantly, does that explain the lack of communication I have with the Axle. I've never gone even a day without coordinating with the Axle... and now I find that my communications device is unable to reach them. Surely this will be straightened out when I return to the Axle tomorrow. This bizarre morning has only continued to become more and more disconcerting. The Unidentified Artifact I was deployed to investigate deems to have... already been somewhat escavated. There are clear signs of very recent work on the Alien structure. All these signs lead me to believe I am not the only one down here interested in this artifact. Perhaps Mantis?... but they have no presence on this planet. I, a woman of science, must admit, I find these turns of event somewhat... Eerie. But I must not let sentiment get in the way of my work. I will have my drone, who's memory banks seem to have been wiped clean last night, investigate the recent cave in that appears to be blocking further access to the tunnels that comprise this structure. When originally reported, just over a week ago, it was mentioned that these tunnels seemed to lead far far underground. I wonder what could have caused the tunnel's collapse... and what is causing the dull throbbing pain on the back of my head. Dr. Long out." Better pictures are up. I should be getting a better camera soonish. ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Location: Donwarr - E01 Tags: Spaceship, Land vehicle, Civil Building "So you tracked the Zoid ship to E01?" "Yeah, this one got through our fleet and must have jumped F02 just before MANTIS arrived." "Anything to salvage?" "Not sure yet, but there must be something left, because a speeder made it's way out and gave us quite the chase." [O - E01] Target Sighted- 1 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "Really? I haven't known Zoids to be especially fast." "Well that's the thing, this one wasn't totally Zoid. One low-level enforcer was driving, but it had some passengers." "Go on..." [O - E01] Target Sighted- 2 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "Two MANTIS civilians, no surprise there, the Zoids may have been raiding those settlements for some time now. The weird one was a Kawashita special operative." "Hmm... we've known they've been courting ALIEN, but to specifically team up with the Zoids seems low, even for them. So what'd you do with them?" [O - E01] Target Sighted- 3 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "They were going fast enough that we couldn't safely disable the speeder, and since it was MANTIS personnel on board, we decided to just use their rules of engagement." "Assume everybody in the vicinity is a hostile?" "That's the one. "So we came in low and left an oily wake in the ocean. We've got teams investigating the crash sites but I was happy to get out of that bucket you sent us." "What was wrong with the O.B.S. Maximum Effort?" [O - E01] Target Sighted- O.B.S. Maximum Effort by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "Mostly it's just ugly, but it's still just a commercial freighter that's been converted over to a warship." "Well your specifications came in late so you got what you got. We're working on some warships. It's hard converting defensive patrols into offensive squadrons, but we'll get there. We may not keep standing armies, but once we get on the warpath, there's nothing that can stop us." "I have no doubt." C&C appreciated.
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Location: Donwarr - E01 Tags: Land vehicle, exploration On board the OCS Treaty Enforcer, orbiting Donwarr, the first mate brings an urgent message to the captain. Captain, one of our combat scouts just sent in a report, and I'm not sure what to make of it. His sensors pinged something metal in an area that was supposed to be empty... Great Scott! Was it Mounties?!? Sir, do you mean MANTIES? Dammit, Janet - we've talked about you correcting me in front of the crew. Yes. Yes we have. Anyway, it's not M.A.N.T.I.S. - it's ... one of ours. It's definitely an Ophelia class submarine, and the serial numbers on all the parts he's checked so far match the sub that disappearedon Jurin II. But that doesn't make any sense - how could a submarine travel between planets? I don't know, but our CLAPPIE double checked all his data and the numbers are definitely a match. There's something else ... . His CLAPPIE unit analyzed the plant growth and sediment deposits around the sub, and it says the submarine has been there for at least a year. How time flies. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago that explorer Caslaugh-Sing disappeared. Sir, it was only a few weeks ago that she disappeared. None of it makes sense. He's doing a full site survey now, and our CLAPPIE is double checking all his data. If we learn anything, I'll let you know. --------------------
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Location: Forring - F03 Tags: Spaceship (Zoid Slaver), Land vehicle (Mech), Civil Building (Zoid Slaver Interior) "We got through but we need back up NOW!" "Mech and Emboian escort dropping in 5... 4... 3... 2... "1... He's down. Once those exterior guards are taken care of we'll get pressure back to the ship." "Better be quick, Callahan! We've yet to find those prisoners and they're letting the whole ship go to vacuum. DORA! Punch through as fast as you can and find them!" "On it, John!" ...later "Commander Hannibal... official count is up to 2,141 survivors... we lost a lot of brave Emboians, but John... this fleet is ours. Lots of repairs to do but it's ours..." "Thank you Admiral." "One more thing, Commander. You need to see what we found out about the Zoids' involvement with Kawashita..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Octan Hull Splicing Mech. Typically used for hull repairs to capital ships around asteroid fields, but deployed against the Zoid fleet on F03 to secure safe passage for humanoid prisoners on board. Because Zoids can survive the vacuum of space, they are known to kill prisoners by exposure when attacked. [O - F03] Zoid Slaver Over Forring - Mech by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr C&C appreciated
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Location: F03 - Forring Tags: civil, building, land vehicle Terrain: Grass Plains Start of transmission #14. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- There is an old science and navigation beacon found on Forring, put there during the first wave of colonization, which Octan now could re-program and use in the upcoming conflict. But the technology is outdated, and an engineer with some specific knowledge is needed to update the software and re-purpose some machinery within...
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Location: Jurin II - E02 Tags: Spaceship, Land vehicle, Civil Building The Jin Homestead Octan is at War The Empty Homesteads on Jurin II Deep into the trees of Jurin II, Mabel leads Octan Pilot John Hannibal to the Jurinians' secret holdout against the brutal M.A.N.T.I.S. invasion. The path winds between the trees, up and down through breaks in the canopy, and silently watched by alien sentries. Finally, they arrive. The canopy opens so wide and deep that John, a spaceman, feels agoraphobic for a short moment. Small huts cling to the sides of large trunks with yards made of densely compacted leaves. The sounds of children playing nearly bring john to tears as they approach the town center. "My God, Mabel..." "Yes, John... I know." Ma Jin was waiting for them in front of the town pavilion. The colonists were listening to reports from the front transmitted ahead of their arrival by Mabel. It was a grim account: The underhanded scheming from the Council of Five (1)(2); malevolent and secretive collusion with supposed peaceful corporations (1); rampant terrorist attacks (1)(2)(3); senseless murder and destruction of property (1)(2)(3)(4)(5); the recent deaths of thousands of Octan sailors (1)(2)(3). The mood was somber, fearful, resilient, and MAD. [O - E02] Holdout - 4 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr John dismounted the re-purposed M.A.N.T.I.S. speeder and walked to Ma. Her belly had a very distinctive bump and his heart sunk... "I... I'm so sorry about George..." "Oh John, thank you... he was a good man, and he will be missed..." "It's all my fault, Ma. I'm the Neville Chamberlain of our time. I let the wolves in and put you all in grave, grave danger." "John, we are on the frontier of space. Everybody here knew what they were getting into, including me and George. I don't want to hear any regret from you. I want to know what we're going to do about it." "I just don't know, Ma. Everything has turned upside down so quickly. Only a few weeks ago I was picking out the fields for my homestead. Before that I had already flown through more space than I knew was possible. I'm tired, Ma, and I don't know how much fight I have left in me." "Is your family safe?" "Yes, thankfully, the fighting broke out before they shipped over. But, I'm afraid I'll never see them now." "I'm sorry John." "John... this baby needs a father." "What does that mean, Ma?" "Stay here with us, be my husband and this baby's father, don't go back to that war." "Is that what George would do?" "I know George, Ma. He wouldn't rest until the skies were clear above this child's head. And neither will you or I." "There's a ship I'll have pulled up. It's no use to us here because it's too fast for our routes. Take it. And come back to us when that horrible menace is gone." "You're a good woman, Ma." As night falls and he finishes the last of his meetings with the Jurinian colonists, John embraces Ma for one last time before turning to the starfighter. The route back seems longer than before, but soon enough John opens up the engines and back into the sky. O.S.F. Green Scrambler by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr C&C appreciated
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Location: E02 – Jurin II Tags: Octan, Land vehicle Note: this build takes place shortly after Oceanographer's Choice. 01 Febrarali 3816 Octan Mobile Command Center “This is Dragonfly 4, calling Octan Command.” “Go ahead for Octan Command.” “Our Guppy has reached the site of the crashed M.A.N.T.I.S. ship. The datacore has been removed from the ship, but there's no sign of the Ophelia, or of explorer Caslaugh-Sing. The M.A.N.T.I.S ship crashed in the middle of a hydrothermal vent field, so it's possible the Ophelia was damaged by one of the plumes, but I'm not picking anything up on our sensors.” “Roger that, Dragonfly. Stand by. Octan Command to Engineering Team.” “Go for Engineering Team.” “Have you determined the maximum dive time for the Ophelia?” “That's affirmative, command, we just finished our calculations. Ignoring all safety parameters, Ophelia can stay submerged for up to 18 hours. After that time, there will not be sufficient oxygen to support life.” “How long has she been down there?” “Sir, she started her dive 26 hours ago.” “Copy that. Octan Command to all units, I'm suspending the surface search for Explorer Caslaugh-Sing. All Dragonfly Boats, retrieve your submersibles and return to base. Air units, continue to fly grid pattern 3-delta – there's still a chance that she surfaced somewhere off course, and has been unable to communicate. CLAPPIE, any luck locating Lu's CLAPPIE unit?” “Sorry boss, Lu's CLAPPIE is missing from the network. It would appear that the Ophelia has been lost." "Alright. Damn. ... Let's get packed up - we still have a war to fight." -------------------
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Location: E02 - Jurin II Tags: Exploration, Spaceship Lu's Log - 31 Janurali 3816 Back on Jurin II. Damn. The first time I was here, I found something horrific. The second time I was here, I almost died. Hopefully the third time will be the charm. One of our colonists shot down a M.A.N.T.I.S scout craft which had been threatening them. The report HQ passed along said that the ship was mostly intact when it crashed into the ocean, but it sank into deep water. They want me to take the Ophelia and see if I can recover the ship's data core and NavComputer. The descent will take a few hours, so I have time to ask CLAPPIE about a conversation I had last week that's been bugging me. Lu, we've reached 3500 meters and are approaching the M.A.N.T.I.S. craft. Alright, prepping the plasma cutter. Cut complete. Retracting cutter, and deploying the manipulator arms. Easy... easy ... got it! Stowing cargo and locking the arms. CLAPPIE, let's go home. Lu, wait. I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't want to distract you, but our sensors are picking up a powerful gravitational anomaly - one that wasn't detected from the surface. And Lu, there's something else. I'm picking up a faint signal which seems to match that of the Explorien ship Pioneer. My parents' ship?!? It seems extremely unlikely, I know. But, that's what the sensors are reading. The signal is coming from a point 5 kilometers to our east, and 1500 meters deeper. Can we make it there and still get back to the surface? Yes, but we will have no margin for error. If anything delays us at the site, we will die. Set a new course, CLAPPIE. I ... I know we wont find them alive, but I need to know what happened. Aye aye, Captain. ---------
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Location: Jurin II - E02 Tags: Spaceship, Land vehicle, Civil Building Space over Jurin II is clear, for now, and open for Octan Pilot John Hannibal to search for his Jurin colonists. When reports of the hostile invasion came in, Hannibal feared the worst for all of the families the had recruited to Jurin II. He knew they were a hardy bunch, but the wretched outlaws of M.A.N.T.I.S. were equally horrid and violent. What they would do to a family of colonists kept Hannibal from sleeping for the last two weeks. As soon as Octan's fleet got to Donwarr, Hannibal got his cargo ship out of the system before any orbital skirmishes could close off his route. His ship was loaded with supplies, but the main objective was to pull as many women and children out of E02 before M.A.N.T.I.S. came back for more rape and pillage. "John, I'm picking up a heat signature inside, but it appears to be from the fireplace. Nothing human, that is alive at least. I'm sorry John." "What's the count up to, 14?" "15 empty homesteads John." "Well this one at least has a hot fireplace, maybe they left recently. I'm going to go check it out." "John, there's something else. Two cold-blooded life forms are in the trees. They look like octopuses." "The Jin's mentioned these before. I think they're suppose to be friendly, but I wasn't expecting them in this area. We relocated the Jins to the RTMP sector for that very reason. "Just watch my back, I'm going to see what's going on inside." "JOHN!!! STOP!!!" "Mabel?!? We've been looking for you and the colonists. Where've y'all been sweet girl?" "Oh lovely John, don't take another step, the house is a trap. Ma Jin set it when George was killed by those nasty M.A.N.T.I.S. thugs." "George is... poor Ma. Um, thanks Mabel. What kind of trap? Anything to do with the octopuses in the trees?" "Kind of, it's a really nasty trap, but their just here to clean up so we can catch more Manties. You remember those flesh eating plants on the jungle floor? Well, the Juries, those octopus guys up there, helped Ma bring some up to trap any marauders that wander up here. Between the rumors of the Jin's moonshine and the heat signature from the fireplace, I bet we've taken out more than 20 of those jerks. It's hard to tell sometimes with the way we find them." "Okay, slow down Mabel. Why don't we go sync you up with Dora and we can go find Ma." "What are you carrying back there anyway?" "Oh this? I'm in charge of moving supplies since I can lead any Manties into those plant traps. I've got mostly weapons on this trip. Just got done helping the Tysons shoot down a scout ship that had been trying to find a way to their home. A lot of the homes are further down in the canopy and hard to navigate to, not like this one, Ma wanted this spot up high so customers could find their way in." C&C appreciated. I hope you M.A.N.T.I.S. bums like the new nickname.
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Location: Donwarr - E01 Tags: Spaceship, Land vehicle, Exploration, Spying, Military In a sparsely populated corner of Octan space, Octan Pilot John Hannibal has just exited his landing pod, rocketed from the fleets position on H03 days ago. Before he made orbit, he already knew that his homesteading plans were ruined by the sudden turmoil in the galaxy. "Dora. My transmission cutout when I hit atmosphere. What's the status on our 01-03 and 09-11 fronts?" "I'm sorry to report that negotiations have failed with M.A.N.T.I.S. and Kawashita have also chosen to dishonor their treaties. C.E.O. Pombe has sent out a message to the troops and hopes to recruit more commanders to the fight. Our ranks are swelling and a Commander O'Reilly has just wrapped up a very successful bombing run on D02. What are your orders?" "Send the Mercy Brandy to the WickNole Peaks just east of here with the sky hook ready. Then get me Commander Hombre. His mission will have to wait. Octan is at war," "Don't forget to lock the doors, sir." "Beep, beep" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plunging into the oceans of Donwarr... "Commander Hombre. This is Hannibal. Do you copy?" DSCN5495 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr "I'm sorry to inform you that we'll have to delay your mission to root out the assassins guild targeting Octan command. M.A.N.T.I.S. and Kawashita forces have violated their treaties and I need you back under CEO Pombe's direct command." "..." "Perfect, I'll inform him to expect you shortly, but please be careful, your operation is now behind enemy lines and we don't know what the M.A.N.T.I.S. response will be if they find you, so be sure to dispose of any intel you might be carrying." "..." "I have no doubt of that. And, I agree, I left Earth for the same reason, entitled egalitarians and their wars... Thank you Commander Hombre. It has been an honor working with you. Hannibal out." [ C&C appreciated.
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Location: H03 - Kaalin Tags: Land Vehicle Lu's Log - 18 Janurali 3816 I'd been to Kaalin once before, on a very different mission. Back before the crash, when I was still able to pilot. Technically, this is supposed to be my week off - after a month of 12 hour days, trying to get the Ophelia ready to dive, I was ready for a break. After a few days on the Axle, though, I got a bit stir crazy so I volunteered for the first ground mission that came up. We're checking up on some Awesomenium probes - a group of them just went offline, despite a recent inspection by a specialist, and HQ suspects foul play. Foul enough that they've sent me out in an armed truck, and given me a partner. Zack's trying to act tough, but I think this might be his first mission on an unsecured planet and he seems jumpy. It's kind of cute. Well, we've left the Octan base's defensive net - shall I, uh, man the gun in back? Nah, CLAPPIE will take care of it. He really likes miniguns. Wait what?!? Your CLAPPIE unit operates vehicle weapons? Sure, doesn't yours? No! The one time we tried to get our CLAPPIE to handle the ship's defensive guns, we got a 30 minute lecture about the Three Laws of Robotics. Huh. I asked CLAPPIE about the three laws once. ... He giggled. Has your CLAPPIE ever shot anything? ... Not anything human. Anyway, I need you to navigate. Which way to the first extractor?
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Location: H03 - Kaalin Tags: Spaceship, Land Vehicle Hombre, I asked you here today because you're about to take your first steps into a new world... Sorry, this is just a very emotional moment for me... ... ...No! please... shhhhh... don't say anything. There are just a few things you need to know about leadership before you go. Let's get the dogs some exercise while we talk. Come Fluffer! First, we need to discuss debriefing sessions... One. Be sure to always wear quick drying underwear. When things get messy, as debriefing sessions tend to, it's nice to know that you can carry on afterwards with a quick hand wash and line dry. Use the hair dryer for faster results. Two. Adequate hydration is essential. Especially if you plan on a marathon debriefing session with the Kawashita sales and marketing team. Their presentations can go on and on and on. Three. Always keep lotion handy. It prevents chafing which can cause prolonged debriefing sessions to become painful. I carry a tube in my underwear at all times, since one never knows when a spontaneous debriefing session may occur. Four. Sometimes you'll find yourself losing stamina during a long debriefing session and you'll start to become unable to keep up with the presentations. Our Octan PharmaTech division has pills to help you stay alert and maintain your attention. I also keep a stash of these in my underwear at all times. Five. Pay attention to where our customers eyes to tend be drawn to. We have had remarkable success with focus groups remembering our brand when we place our logo on underwear, for instance. Six. Same applies to audio branding when our customers hear our name when they are focus and stimulated. We are working on olfactory, gustational, and tactile branding where customers can smell, taste, and feel our logo. Seven... Wait a second... How the hell did we get on top of this A-hole? By the way, have you been using my shoe polish? Later... Commander Hombre, this is your pilot speaking... we will be arriving shortly and I'm being told your team is assembled and waiting. Also, if you look out the left side of the aircraft you'll notice a flock of migrating space whales moving north for the winter. ...and gentlemen it looks like your commander has arrived. I will sign off now and let him take it from here. Commander Hombre, let me introduce you to The Shareholders, Octan's special task force for dealing with the recent assassination attempts. Our point man and Emboian, Maður; veterans from the Mars Mission and specialist in this terror group Colonel Mees and Captain Vīrietis; survival expert Hernan Alvaro; on loan from the Mercy Brandy, my associate Cantillon; you've met our pilot Djevojka; and that blue guy is just around to unload the cargo. Good luck gentlemen, we have full faith in you. ...to be continued. C&C appreciated
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Location: Wastyria - H09 Tags: Octan, Exploration Note: my contest entry is a rebuild of the amazing Aquatic Exploration scene by "Soccerkid6," which you should definitely go check out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Isaac Redsyn Mission Log: Another water mission this week, but I got to drive a boat for the first time. And not any standard boat at that, the "Dragonfly" is a pretty nifty piece of machinery, or maybe I should say pieces of machinery, as it's really two vehicles in one. The Dragonfly is designed to transport, launch and recover the "Guppy," an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle which can dive as deep as 10,000 meters! There's room on the boat for a second crew member and space to store a full diving suit. The second crew member can also remotely pilot the "Guppy" from their pod. The "Guppy" is primarily used for fast reconnaissance and mapping; once it finds an area of interest we can send in one of the larger subs for sampling and in-depth exploration. Speaking of larger subs, I've also gotten to watch the final certification dives for the Deep Exploration Submersible "Ophelia." The sub had a different name, but was unofficially christened "Ophelia" after the first test vehicle sank to the bottom and imploded during a remote controlled test dive. All in all, it's a nice day to be on the water (and not under it). Isaac, out. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall views: Minisub recovery: Minisub loaded and secured: The "Ophelia" Behind the scenes: You can see full-sized pics on my flickr. Thanks for viewing!
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Garden Path Farmolis 3186 Dr. Markham blissfully walks through the Andromeda Arboretum of Farmolis's capital city without a care in the world. His job was just too good. Great paycheck... and the retirement package? Wow! Koro sensed the doctor's presence but kept focused on his meditation. He picked a spot where he knew the good doctor would see him on the way to the lab and waited for confirmation from his secretary confirming his Friday schedule. The secretary confirms, and Koro comes out of his trance. He drops down from the Torii to say hello while Dr. Markham is trying to decide what upholstery to use in his new orbital yacht. "Dr. Markham, we were just now able to schedule another spin class for Friday. Can I sign you up for the 10 am slot?" Alternate Shot: [Challenge 3][Cat. A][H06] Swift Reprisal - 2 by Ryan McBryde, on Flickr Based on mccoyed's Swift Reprisal
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Location: Yetornius - I06 Tags: Christmas Finally... the beacon... 100 miles north of the Jacques LaRose Training Facility on the south pole of Yetornius, pilot John Hannibal reaches the final marker of the Octan explorer training course. As he activates the beacon to coordinate his pick up, alone, Hannibal has time to think about the past two months of rehabilitation, training, and the loss of his command. It wouldn't be long before he was again demoted and his ability to find answers to the assassination attempt would be lost. And, he knew he couldn't bring his family to Andromeda without first knowing that the would be safe. Hannibal knew just the man to put on the job... as long as he could take some time away from the important work he was doing for CEO Pombe... Damn, it's quite out here. Tomorrow will be 60 days since the attack... Christmas day... and here I am where the love light gleams... I'll be home for Christmas, darling...
