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Found 42 results

  1. Brickviller V2

    [MOC] Cargo shed

    Hi everyone, I present my latest MOC: this small cargo shed! It's packed with lots of details, which you can view below. Thanks for watching!
  2. Hey everyone, Did this one last month, finally got around to posting it... goes out to all the fans of late classic space and playability! This is a mid-sized Explorien ship made for intergalactic exploratory missions seeking planets with life or key resources. My goal was to fit in as much playability as possible in an aesthetically pleasing package. But first, I'd like to introduce the crew in front of its main play function, an actuated elevator cargo bay! Here is a list of features within the four main areas - livable conditions for all four crew members - 2 floor modular interior with 4x sleeping chambers on lower level - biomedical lab - 4 seat lounge - bathroom with shower - large cargo bay with surface exporation and assessment equipment - play function to open back and lower entire cargo bay as elevator via linear actuators - working airlock to enter cargo area from living space - Roll cage rover fits 3 minifigs and includes drilling /grabbing platform - tracked power suit with cutting torch and grabber - storage for 4x space suits and minifig equipment - communications and sensor arrays - Intergalactic comm dish - planetary sensors for life/resource assessment - intragalactic comm arrays for more detailed communication in local galaxy - 2x interior seats for comm/sensor operators - long and short range transportation equipment - 2x dual engines equipped made for long range warp and short range thrust - retractable landing gear - adjustable front and side landing/takeoff thrusters - front of ship equipped for navigator and pilot The main shape and inner technic structure came about from 4 integral pieces I wanted to include for the sake of the Explorien theme, the front canopy, 2 SNOT large transparent panels in midsection, 16x16 white plate for removable roof to house comms, but most of all a large elevator cargo bay. Also visible are the retractable landing gear. Upper level interior visible from outside, sides equipped with flight sensors and antennae as well as front thrusters White dish is intergalactic communication to relay their findings to home base, but due to the limited information it can send and energy usage, there are a number of local arrays they use for local galaxy communication and sensor instruments Upper level of interior includes front navigation/pilot area, comm/sensor stations, biomedical lab, lounge, suit storage, and bathroom Upper level removed to showcase the sleeping chambers for long range transport, the chambers are used for storage when not in use Rear cargo area includes rover, power suit, airlock, and engines. The actuator function for the cargo elevator is visible form here, but can be operated when the vehicle is closed. Note that the sliding door for the airlock doubles as the door for the bathroom, assuming the crew would not need to use both at the same time! Rear cargo bay open and lowered, rover and power suit rolling out to go exploring!
  3. Hello to the group. My daughter June complained about no trains in the Friends Series, so I tried to redesign the set 10219: Maersk Train (for me as a Noob in Trains one of the train sets I like the most) in LEGO Friends Style and Colors. The main structure of the objects remained the same, major changes were a) the interior of the locomotive cabine so that a friends figure fits in, b) the extension of 1 stud of the truck's cabine (a friends figure can also here sit in now), the front of the locomotive and the layout of the containers. All the parts exist in the corresponding colors, the light bluish grey train base plates are more or less the most "rare" parts. Maybe you like this mod of the 10219: Maersk Train. [MOC] June's Cargo Train by legolux1973, on Flickr Regards, legolux1973
  4. Today, I am proud to present you my I-XTS (Intersystem eXtended Transport Ship). When I discovered the release of the 75293 Resistance I-TS Transport set, I immediately imagined to make a bigger version. When SHIPtember started (one month to build a ship of at least 100 studs) then I decided to actually build it. So the base concept was easy: increase the length of the standard I-TS set up to at least 100 studs knowing that the original is only 43 studs long. Because of the extended length, the ship name was easy to find. The base design concept In the SW universe, it is common to find extended versions or variants of a base design. Look at Star Destroyers, Calamarian cigars, Corellian corvettes, YT variants, all these nice ships we see in Dark Empire.... But ok, just increasing the length is easy. Still ensuring that the resulting design is attractive is another topic Instead of having a single cargo bay, I decided to go with 2 bays with a small central module to create texturing and shape variation. Globally, it works: With a widened and detailed cockpit, 2 large cargo bays, and an larger engine section, the ship is coherent. Please note as well as the ship backbone is 2 studs wider than the stock model. Technically, there was nothing too challenging in building the backbone based on the I-TS instructions. Just add technic bricks until you reach the desired length, and abuse of technic pins to make everything fitting together. In the end, it is robust. The result I-XTS profiles by Veynom, on Flickr I-XTS details by Veynom, on Flickr I-XTS inside by Veynom, on Flickr Anio pointait le manque d'espace dans la soute cargo .... moi, je peux facilement y loger un Bantha. Some reviewers complained about the tight cargo area ... well, I can put a Bantha in each of my cargo bay. Fine, taking decent picture of this long ship is more difficult than actually building it. If you're interested in the constructions steps, please see below. It took me around 30 hours spread over 10 days. Day 1: After the first hours, the backbone is ready. It measures already 96 studs and has the correct shape. The location of both cargo bay is already defined. The extra width (2 studs) is very noticeable. SHIPtember 2020 - day 1 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 2: The top of the ship is becoming wider to match the original shape. The side supporting structures are in place and the central section start showing how it will look like: a kind of mirrored of the front section (just behind the cockpit). Clones have been supplied as re-enfircement to speed up the construction process. SHIPtember 2020 - day 2 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 3 Time to play with the engines (port side). Size seems fine from the first try ... and the ship officially goes over the 100 studs threshold. Building the engines and the supporting pod was quite easy based on the original instructions. It was even fun. SHIPtember 2020 - day 3 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 4 After the engine, the bow. The cockpit is twice wider than the original I-TS and is the larger section of the ship. Initially, I wanted to put 2 minifigs inside but I failed due to some structure constraints as you will see below. From this day, the length is around 110 studs. SHIPtember 2020 - day 4 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 5 I wanted to detail the cockpit further and that consumed a lot of time. Finally, after too many build-unbuild-rebuild phases, here is the result. Detailed inside, slick outside. In the end, I liked how the modified plate with rail perfectly fits on top of the panel 1x2x1. Sadly, I had to drop my initial idea of putting 2 minifigs in the cockpit. SHIPtember 2020 - day 5 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 6 Now that both the bow and engine designs are complete,d it is time to work on the main body. The core section is taking shape and the same pattern as the original I-TS is mirrored to provide the final design of the transport ship. The large cargy bay doors and panels are being worked on. As of right now, 8 technic bricks are missing but these are on their way to my home. SHIPtember 2002 - day 6 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 7 Almost there. The bow is considered as completed and the design should not change anymore. I also reached a satisfying balance between greebling, texturing, and colors. Again, it required a few build-unbuild-rebuild phases (same player, try again) but ultimately, it is good looking. But it is about time as we are on the 24 of September with only 6 days to go before the deadline. And the cargo is large enough to hold a Bantha! Achievement! SHIPtember 2020 - day 7 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 8 This is copy/paste day. If it works in one location, then I copy it everywhere. As I received the technic bricks, I could complete the cargo bays. Then the 2nd engine pod. 5 days before the deadline and still the rear section is not over, without mentioning the core section. SHIPtember 2020 - day 8 by Veynom, on Flickr Day 10 Job done! Intersystem eXtended Transport Ship by Veynom, on Flickr A simple yet elegant transport ship, if you ask me. And now the question, could you spot where this part is used ? Minifig, cape plastic
  5. Louis of Nutwood

    [MOC] A sailor's solitude

    A sailor's solitude For days, months, years it has been just you and me, and no one in between. We watched the sun rise as it warmed your soft skin. We dined under the moonlight, reflecting on your hair. We danced under the rain and rambled through grey skies. I gave you my heart and I gave you my soul. But now I fear you might claim far more than I can give. For the only thing left for you to take, is my life. So, open your arms and embrace me, as I dive into your eternal blue. Swallow my fears and doubts, as I breathe in your serene tide. Walk me through your never-ending garden until we turn into one... when the time comes. But only when the time comes. Louis of Nutwood ________ Hope you all like it. Cheers!
  6. This set recently appeared in my Twitter feed and I wondered if anyone here could shed any light on it. I've searched for many words to describe this, including "cargo bike", "bakfiets" (a Dutch cargo bike, which it has a great resemblence to), "life of Budapest Lego" etc and nothing has come up. I've also tried searching for the set number on Google, Brickset, Peeron and Ebay, and it just comes up with part number 2620 and Duplo set 2620, which is a sports car released in 1980. Could this be a promotional set only given out at a convention or something similar? Any info would be great, as a big fan of cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands and of Bakfietsen, I'm very intrigued by this.
  7. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, BEHOLD: The Mighty MAZ 7310 Uragan Cargo Truck, in LEGO! This massive set, which I have designed over the course of two years, stands almost ten inches tall, two feet long, and is comprised of almost 7,000 pieces. I sat at my computer for hours a day, sometimes, surfing the web, looking at blueprints, building, deleting, building some more, etc. And now, finally, I can reveal my masterpiece to the world! Bwa-ha-ha! Okay, anyway, I have designed my set for maximum playability, stuffing it full of all sorts of awesome goodies, like opening hood, doors, tailgate, and utility boxes. A removable roof, folding rear seats, free-spinning wheels (including the steering wheel), two Diesel engine options, a generator, compressor, radiator, Master Mechanic's Toolkit, fuel and water drums, 12v batteries, large cargo container, winch, wide-load flags, roof racks, warning beacon, fog lights, two sets of mirrors, lightbars, and more! (Whew! I'm out of breath!) Now, for the real machine: The MAZ 7310 (Minsk Automobile Plant, in Russian), was a large 8-wheeled Missile Transport truck built in the 1950s and 60s. Soon after, people started using them as cargo trucks, tankers, tow trucks, and airport fire trucks. Alright, that's it! Thank you all for looking at my LEGO creation! If you have any questions, comment, I'll do my best to respond ASAP. Happy building and have a great day! Update: Also, some of you may have noticed that the cab of the real vehicle is slightly longer. This is true, I had to shorten the LEGO version out of necessity, as the extra length could’ve affected my MOC’s stability and structural integrity. I suppose I could probably figure it out eventually, but I like it how it is. Thanks for understanding!
  8. Hi again everyone This time I present one more model from Rogue One – the Eta-Class Supply Barge. This “super tanker” can be seen entering Scarif through the shield gate. It is the big brother/sister of the Zeta-Class Cargo shuttle: I also cannot recall seeing any other MOC’s of this monster. This was quite a simple build – it is mostly a flat-bed after all – but the pieces that inspired me was the new 1x2 wedges for the prongs at the front. The only other “tricky” part was making the 8 wings so that they were sloped but not too sloped. I eventually settled on door rail plates at the bottom of each wing to give an illusion of a slope. It is a bit bigger than I would normally like to build but with the front having to be 4 studs wide (difficult to make it 3) it dictated the overall length of the model. My photography is not very good but the orange containers contrasted against the dark-bluish gray is quite striking. Let me know what you think and there will be more MINI madness soon Jon
  9. Hi, I wondered if any of you had seen this article from 21st February 2019 over on the Mirror website: "Lego washes up on UK beach 20 years after 5million pieces spill from cargo ship" Apparently, Tracey Williams, who regularly collects the Lego, has a Facebook Group on the subject, called Lego Lost at Sea. Also, here's their Twitter account. I thought it was an interesting article and made me want to go down to Cornwall to hunt for lost Lego Castle parts. They must be saved!
  10. I started working on this model many weeks ago in Lego Digital Designer first. The whole concept started with the quarter circles from BWE, which are able to perfectly accomodate the small rotors. I was heavily inspired by the (movie) Avatar's rendition of helicopters. After a lot of tinkering in LDD, it was time to start building in real life: It was here I discovered I made a big mistake. The control stick located in the cab used to tilt the rotors was reversed! I had to go back to the drawing board and correct the control mechanism. Few days, fixes and improvements later, this is what the final model looks like: I wanted the colors to randomly switch from yellow to make it look more eye-striking. Where possible I used black 2L pins instead of the blue ones. As stated in the topic name, this is a motorized model, powered by the small LiPo battery box which is hidden in the tail, next to a single M motor: The single M motor powers a total of 3 functions: - Drive rotors (always engaged, spinning in one direction only) - Opening cargo doors and rear ramp (powered by a gearbox) - Working winch (powered by a gearbox) You can see the driveline of all the motorized functions here: The red mechanism at closest to the M motor makes sure rotors are spinning in one direction only, irrelevant of which direction M motor spins. This way changing direction of the gearbox does not change in which direction rotors spin. Gearboy in front switches between openining doors+ramp and a winch. The doors and ramp are actuated by a single actuator located right behind the cockpit: The rear of the cargo doors is connected to the ramp via bewel gears, so both open at once: I also bult a small container which can be easily lifted by the motorized winch: The container can easily fit inside the cargo bay area: You can see the finished model's video below:
  11. CommanderJonny1

    [MOC] Imperial Cargo Speeder

    The catalyst behind me making this was simple- I had a pair of Imperial Hovertanks that I wanted to use in a more combat-oriented context. Therefore, I needed to make something that was a low level hauler (i.e. something like a flatbed truck, at most a few studs off the ground) capable of holding two of Lego's Kyber crystal containers. I remembered from some older books that in the EU, they had 'floats'- basically small speeders capable of even going inside buildings. This inspired me to make a small cab attached to a low flat bed, going back to the 'truck' mentioned above. While the bed is exposed except for the side railings and the rear ramp, I wanted the bed to have at least nominal protection, hence putting heavy doors when doors aren't particularly needed. I also forwent a wide open windscreen for a smaller enclosed one for similar reasons. The idea behind this is that A) the pilot/driver would be protected from rocks and debris, and perhaps even shrapnel (protection from small arms is up in the air); and B) the cab area can be separated from the rest of the speeder (specifically the bed) and be used on other vehicles. SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #1 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #3 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #5 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #2 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #4 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr Another function is as a small squad transport (Filing Out at Bay 10). Other uses could be placing a crane or some kind of weapon in the back. I'm not sure if a communications center would be a good fit or not. Also, with other things besides cargo or troops in the back, the rear ramp can be removed. I'm sure the bed can also be extended without it be overly long as well. SW Imperial Cargo Speeder #6 by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr A rough picture of the ICS being ambushed by the Scorpius MRV (coming soon). SW Rebel Scorpius MRV (Multi-Role Vehicle) #3(R) by Jonathan Wallace, on Flickr Any feedback/comments would be appreciated.
  12. This ship is called the Emerald Bulldog, and was built as a armed cargo freighter. The ship is named as such because it is painted dark green, and fights like a bulldog: once it gets going it just won't stop. The vessel has rotating engine pods, which fold down for landing and up for flying. It also has five opening doors to allow for cargo and crew to be placed inside. The ship is protected by four forward-facing laser canons, thus giving it the 'armed' designation. In reality, this ship is a MOD of set 7930 (Bounty Hunter assault Gunship). I added a cargo compartment and revised the color-scheme in some places. The mini-figures are a mash-up of parts from several themes, including Star Wars, Scooby-Doo, the LEGO Movie, Jurassic World, and DC Comics. Here we see the ship with the engine pods in 'flight' formation. The very top the ship features a sliding portion to allow for the engine to rotate in unison for either flight or landing. The rear of the ship. The cockpit canopy, left and right crew sections, both sides of the cargo area, and the rear access hatch all open up for placing of figures and cargo. The name of the pilot / owner of the Emerald Bulldog is Sam Rift. His main helper is the android D0-C (or 'Doc', as he is sometimes called) These two are almost inseparable, and if you see one the other isn't too far behind. As usual, comments, questions, complaints, and suggestions are always welcome!
  13. I built this 103-stud long 1920's Adventurers tramp steam ship from two Adventurers sets: I used the boat from set 5975 (T-Rex Transport) and modified slightly to resemble set 5976 (River Expedition). The ship features a lifeboat, steering wheel, and a smoke-stack plus I have the bridge with removable roof for the top deck of the ship, and captain's quarters for the lower floor. I also have signs on the front of the ship spelling out the name of the vessel: the Eastern Star. Built in 1915 for the Octan Petroleum Corporation as an ocean going tramp steam ship (made for hauling huge pumping gear out to remote oil fields in the Middle-East), the Eastern Star ran aground off the coast of southern Italy in mid-1916 while heading to England. Captain Karloff (who now owns the ship after buying the wrecked hulk), with help from mechanical genius Mac McCloud, rebuilt the vessel to be sea worthy once more. This ship has been an great help in getting huge treasures, such as the lost golden dragon of Marco Polo, back to western civilization and into museums where they belong. The ladders hanging on the side of the lower deck lead the way to the ship's bridge on the upper level. The life boat is also back here, just in case of emergencies! Here you can see inside the ship's bridge (upper deck) and captain's quarters. (lower level) Some of the recent cargo of the Eastern Star includes: - a gyro-copter (set 70913 MOD) - silver ingots and coins - silver and gold nuggets - Dynamite (the accompanying plunger is in the Captain's Quarters / map room) - Ancient spears - the Maltese Falcon - the Burma Chicken (long-lost cousin to the Falcon) - two halves of a long-lost pirate's treasure map - Money - large rough-cut ruby - poison bottles - antidote bottles Here is a closer look at the gyro-copter model which was heavily modified from set 70913 (Scarecrow Fearful Face-off) from the LEGO Batman Movie line. I added the classic two seat Adventurers cockpit piece which is usually used on land vehicles, plus a new set of vintage 2003 landing skids. This model also comes with red and green navigation lights and two independent propeller blades. The gyro-copter is usually used in tandem with the Eastern Star steamship, scouting ahead for signs of villainy and danger and reporting back to the Eastern Star and / or home base at the supply depot. The copter is nicknamed the Lightning Rod, for it was Charles "Lightning" Kilroy who designed it. When not in use, the copter is stored on the cargo deck of the tramp steamer. As usual, comments, questions, suggestions, and complaints are always welcome!
  14. mandaci-customs

    [MOC] Army Cargo Truck Version 2

    Hi Everybody, I want to show you my LEGO Army Cargo Logistic Truck Version 2:
  15. mandaci-customs

    Army Cargo Truck

    Hi Everybody, I want to show you my LEGO Army Cargo Truck:
  16. de-marco

    [MOC] Delivery Truck

    Delivery truck building instructions
  17. NOTE to the MOD: First off, I am sorry if this is in the wrong place. I wasn't sure where to place it, as it is a model using both System and Technic parts / techniques. Please move this as you see fit, if you need to move it at all. I just finished turning an elongated and enlarged version of set 42064 (Ocean Explorer) into a Adventurers style tramp steamship I call the Great West. The lift-away roof and bridge sections come off easily for access to the inside, and all the cargo is removable / interchangeable. Here is the original model, set number 42064, Ocean Explorer. I stripped the deck clean of all play features and attached models to give me a good foundation for my modifications. I also got rid of the helicopter and submarine. This ship is missing a few parts such as one of this for the bow in red, and two of each of these parts for the ships name, the Great West. The ship's name plates are located on the front of the bridge and the rear of the ship. I made the ship a whole section taller and longer to make it more proportional at mini-figure scale. The ship also feature wheels on the bottom for rolling along the floor / table / whatever. The two inside sections are mostly empty, but the captain's quarters goes on the lower deck, and the command bridge on the higher level. I'm not sure what to put in the lower section, but the upper section is mostly done except for the missing chart table. Any thoughts? Technic-heads, Ship-builders and Adventuresome fellows please chime in, as I am seeking feedback on this model. The LDD file is available here. Comments, Questions & Complaints are always welcome!
  18. This model was heavily inspired by set 4555 (Cargo Station) from 1995 and by set 60052 (Cargo Train) from 2014. I smashed both models together and added some of my inspiration in places. (This model is also supposed to be compatible with set 60169 (Cargo Terminal) from this years summer CITY lineup.) As a side note, the sign on top of the lower floor is supposed to say CARGO TERMINAL in printed 1 x 1 tiles. The original set 4555 is one of the sets my father bought back in 1995 when 9v was King and I was just a little baby. Growing up I remember playing fondly with this set.... actually, I loved tearing it apart and making it better, which drove my Dad nuts. I think I tore his collection apart so much he decided to give me my own trains to pull apart, which are actually still together today. The rear of the model. I added new 1x6x5 panels to add a bit of texture to the otherwise smooth area. The model features expanded interior details such as the staircase to access the top floor where the conference / break room is from the lower floor secretary's desk area. It also features a swing open rear section containing a office under the stairs, with a Technic pin to lock it closed. NOTE: The rear half can only open up to 90 degrees, as the base of the model prevents it from opening any further. The gantry and the crane itself slide back and forth to provide for truck to train (or train to truck) movement of shipping containers or raw materials by themselves. The gantry can move left to right (red arrow), while the actual crane can move forward and back. (yellow arrow) Unfortunately, the LDD program doesn't allow for it to move, but it will in real life! This model is missing one crucial part: the cable for the crane. (That's this part: http://www.bricklink...e?P=x77ac50#T=C ) With the new enlarged road section, the model now lines up with the modern printed road base-plates. Here is the LDD file for my model: LDD link All comments, be they complaints, questions or compliments are welcome! EDIT 6/15/17: The model has been updated with wider two-way road section and longer crane. (the brick-built roadway now lines up with modern road base-plates) LDD file and pictures have been updated as well.
  19. A quick unboxing and review of an unsealed 2008 LEGO City "Mail Van" - set #7731. The set comes with a postal van, mail box, and one minifigure.
  20. Kit Bricksto

    [MOC] Fighting for Scraps

    Hi everyone! This is my entry to the third round of the MOC-Olympics over at IDS. The task was to show the Empire and the Rebels fight over the orange cargo boxes from Rogue One and explain what they contain. After the A-Wing fighters of 'Phoenix-Squadron' had destroyed the Imperial escort and disabled the transport shuttle, Captain Syndulla's freighter 'The Ghost' took over the main mission. The Imperial shuttle was loaded with food supplies for the garrison on Ryloth. The special forces team on board the 'Ghost' was tasked with the retrieval of the cargo containers before they got lost in the infinity of space. But as they disembarked from the cargo hold and started retrieving the containers, stormtroopers with oxygen tanks on their backs rose from the wreckage. Was this all a trap? It was important for the rebels not to panic, the mission was their top priority. The people of Ryloth would starve if they abandoned their mission at the first sign of trouble.. I hope you like the build. Let me know what you think in the comments!
  21. JoBricks

    Lego 2017 summer sets

    ayy mates what do you guys think about the new summer 2017 city lego sets like whats your favorite theme from this wave and whats your favorite set and what do you think in general?
  22. LucByard

    [M - F04] The Forwarder

    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.
  23. LucByard

    [M - G02] Autofreight

    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.
  24. Ulrik Hansen

    MOC: Tiny Cargo Ship

    Hello. Quite some time ago I posted a MOC called Tiny Ocean Liner. Now I have completed another vessel that I call Tiny Cargo Ship.