VK-318

I wonder if Raven will ever start to enjoy anything?

The plot thickens! I like this build a lot. The only change I could suggest would be to use a tiled, opaque backdrop for the galaxy map. Right now it looks very irregular.

Sorry to necro post, but I stumbled across this and just had to give you my compliments... and I wish I'd known about this sort of thing when I started writing about Spyrius! Oh, well.

Oh, yes, completely random. But also true, of course. This one has both my political support - I love that somebody's bringing these guys to court instead of shooting-first-and-asking-questions-later. But all that aside, this is an absolutely incredible courtroom. I wish it was an official set.

Congratulations on the first successful run of this joint research facility. Congratulations also to Explorer Lu Caslaug-Hing on her return to the land of the living! It's a beautiful build, too. Well done!

Well, at least Octan didn't get to study it, right? Anyway, I assure you, in just a week, an upset CEO Raven will be the least of Viktor Kramer's worries. Due to some concerns expressed elsewhere over the use of Merchant Confederacy in this build, and the storyline to follow, I've changed the dialogue, and my plans, to make it feature another group. Will someone with the ability please remove the "merchant confederacy" tag from the post title? Thanks!

Location: G10 Onix Tags: Exploration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I think I've found it, boss!" "Looks like a Kawashita probe, alright. The sensor dome's still intact!" "Good. We'll need that." "Bot, crack the dome open." "Wouldn't it be simpler just to take the whole thing back with us, boss? I bet Octan would pay well for something like that." "Trust me, Jason, we don't want Octan to know we've been here. See that little green thing in there? It's this probe's onboard computer. That would tell us what ship launched this probe." "So what?" "Let me ask you something, Jason. Which would be better: finding a space probe that we can't use and can't safely sell, for fear of getting turned in for theft of proprietary technology? Remember, Octan and Kawashita aren't at war any more. Or, getting our hands on Viktor Kramer? And the navigational codes for the entire Kawashita Group quadrant?" "The second one, of course. But what's the connection, boss? I don't get it." "What do you think the odds are, eh? A red and black ship captures Dr. Gregorovich, a top Octan scientist, and his top-secret prototypes. Then, out of the middle of nowhere, a Kawashita probe shows up, in the very same system where Gregorovich got grabbed. Pretty interesting, no?" "How do you know it was Kramer?." "I saw the footage of the ship. Octan may not know what the ship is, but I do. It was the Variga - I'd stake my life on it. This little thing is what's finally going to let us get our hands on Kramer - and maybe a few nice secrets with it? Bots, push this dome into the lava. We don't want Octan to figure out we were here. Let's get back to the ship and see what this baby can tell us."

I love what you did with Star-Lord. That's perfect. I can't wait to see what the storyline is - it sounds thrilling.

This is one of those builds where I really just don't know where to start. Maybe someday I'll be able to build vehicles like that. Until then, I'm more or less speechless.

Beautiful! I'm positively green with envy.

Thanks! I'm kind of proud of how it looks, but it's not at all swooshable. I need to figure out how to give it a stronger "backbone," because it keeps bending, and the fins keep falling off.

From: Major Kartofski To: CEO Raven Subject: Status Report - Project Star-Lord ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have taken delivery of the package, and work has begun on Project Star-Lord. The work is proceeding quickly. We are currently using the standard Octan mounts for Dr. Gregorovich's propulsion designs - however, due to structural integrity issues caused by design conflicts between Octan and Kawashita conventions, especially when implemented in a dreadnaught-scale vessel, we are currently operating an ancillary project to develop new mount designs of greater practical value. The hull is currently unpainted. We anticipate that Dr. Gregorovich will remain with us for a further week - until that time, only Spyrius equipment and techs are present, as per your orders. Our initial assessment, supported by small-scale tests, indicate that Dr. Gregorovich's work on direct-conversion power sources will provide an immediate 7% increase in power supply capacity in allied vessels if properly implemented. Retrofitting of direct-conversion reactor plants could yield efficiency increases in excess of 45% for dreadnaught-scale vessels or land-based reactor facilities. Benefits will be smaller for smaller vessels, but are expected to remain significant at all output levels. My commendation to the crew and captain of the Variga. Dr. Gregorovich was delivered unharmed and in full health and, as nearly as we can make out, good spirits. How Octan Corporation's scientific community is able to flourish with such ... difficult individuals at its heart is a subject worthy of further study. The design prototypes the Variga delivered were also in sterling condition, and have proven invaluable to the rapid completion of Project Star-Lord. Approximately two weeks of construction remain. Much of the superstructure has been completed, and currently the pace of construction is limited primarily by available surface area for work. After completion of the vessel, approximately two further weeks for trials and testing will be required. You will be notified when the this period commences - we look forward to turning Project Star-Lord over to Kawashita for its shakedown cruise as quickly as possible. The designs you have provided for "flying hand" construction vehicles have been invaluable in this phase of the construction process. While the inclusion of a second thumb is an ... interesting choice, there can be little doubt that much is owed to the versatility of this design. Project Star-Lord is currently running 17.5 hours ahead of schedule, with no major obstructions anticipated. Go forward with honor.

Location: B06 Sorn Tags: Civil, Building, Water Vehicle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The nice thing about a water world like Sorn is that it has far more usable surface area than a dryer world like Onix. In addition to the planetary surface, many facilities are build submerged in the water or on the seafloor. Many of these are hydroponic farms, but some are research labs. Differences in pressure, buoyancy of materials and staff, and relative safety from espionage satellites and spacecraft are just a few of the reasons for building dry or flooded laboratories in the seas of Sorn. "Is that were you're taking me, then?" "Yes. Spyrius has arranged for you to be delivered here. Once you have completed your work with them, you will be provided compensation, as well as funds sufficient to buy you passage anywhere you want to go." "Spyrius?" "Yes, Spyrius. They're an old company - been around almost as long as Exploriens. They did robotics and stealth technology. They were not, however, a very large business, and a nasty sequence of media disasters more or less finished them. They still have plenty of facilities in the Milky Way, and even a few out here, but they've never really been able to compete. This operation is their bid for a comeback." "How long will this take?" "Not very, I shouldn't think. I'm told that most of what they need is contained in that cargo we took from your courier ship, and the rest shouldn't take long. They don't need to you build anything for them - all they want is your theories." "As if they would tell you," Gregorovich muttered. "I don't take a job until I know all the details," I said. "You will be treated well, and you will be on your way home as soon as possible." "I'll believe that when it happens." I shrugged. "Again, it's your choice. The more you cooperate, the quicker this whole process will be, but I assure you that no one is sending you home until Spyrius has all the information they need from you." "Spyrius?" Silvia asked, after Dr. Gregorovich and his cargo had been left with Spyrius agents. "Yes, didn't I tell you? I was sure I did." "No, sweetheart, you forgot again." "Oh, bother. Sorry. Yes, Spyrius really is a corporation - or was. The Kawashita family bought them up quietly a long time ago - they're a puppet company, but the ownership, I'm told, is buried in seventeen layers of trust funds and holding companies. They still conduct research - things like spaceship design, stealth technologies, alternative propulsion, and the like." "Okay, I get that, but why bother?" "Generally speaking, I would say that it's helpful to have alternate companies to conduct any research you'd rather not be caught doing. In this specific case, the only people Dr. Gregorovich will see, speak to, or hear about will be employees of Spyrius - and ourselves, and he thinks we're mercenaries. Octan doesn't have a file on us and our crew yet, and it could be quite some time before they do. By the time they figure out what was stolen from them and by whom, it'll be to late for reprisals." "Clever." "I know, isn't it? We have no new orders for the time being, and that last mission gave us a splendid little bonus. Set a course, won't you?" "Where to?" "I'm not particular. Somewhere you'd like to go." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Didn't have as much time to work on this as I hoped. The water is not something I'm very proud of. Please note that the Variga is from a previous build and not to be judged.

Location: G10 Onix Tags: Spaceship, Building, Exploration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Onix. A harsh, inhospitable world - alas, such worlds are common in this foreign galaxy. What little of its surface is not tortured by volcanism is stalked by the strange and hideous wildlife of this hellish globe. "Where are you taking me?" Doctor Gregorovich was proving to be a rather annoying passenger. I suppose it made sense that, with such an inquisitive nature, that he would be such a great scientist, but that, combined with his arrogance, was not endearing him to any of us. Even the robots disliked him. "Nowhere yet. With Kawashita still so close by, your people will have all the Gates closely watched." "Why are we flying over a lava plain?" "We're not. Sending the signal now." "What is this place? Octan didn't build it. Who did? "Rum smugglers." "They build it a few years ago - killed this volcano by drilling it a new vent ten miles from here, cleared away the ash and basalt, and put in a little base with stealth and heat shields." "Where are the smugglers now? This ship doesn't seem like a smuggler." "With the little flash-in-the-pan of a war a few weeks ago, the smugglers decided they needed to clear out. They left the base, though, in case they got a chance to come back after things cool down a bit. I made a deal with the smugglers - got the access codes to turn the stealth on and off. Everything still works." "So you're just parking the ship here? Next to a volcano?" "You don't park a ship, you berth her. And yes. We should be quite safe here, until it's time to leave. I'm being well payed to see you delivered unharmed, and I don't intend to risk you or my ship, let alone my wife, in a structure I don't trust completely. You're safer here than aboard one of your own starships." "So it seems." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, I really did build two nearly-identical micro volcanoes. The title's a Pirates of the Caribbean reference, if you were wondering. If any of what I built is too small for a tag, that's okay. I'm in this for the storytelling and the building, not the points.

Please transfer my 146 credits to EpisilonEta. Thanks!

One thing I took away from SoNE is that a story, even one as driven by circumstance and parts selection as this, is better if you focus on the people, not the pieces. It's a dangerous galaxy out there, but the worst dangers tend to come from other people. Also, I've been motivated by a certain snafu regarding name-calling and impugning other corporations' image, as well as recent revelations that the Zoids are actually, by and large, notorious slavers, to try and establish a few facts before anybody else inadvertently establishes them for me.

Location: G10 Onix Tags: Building (Spaceship interior), Piracy Note that both micro spaceships have appeared in previous builds and are therefore not to be judged. They are presented here for narrative purposes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When our probe reported the detection of the Octan courier, we moved in. We accelerated to a high speed, then cut engines as we approached thermal imaging range of the target. We would have to be very close before they could pick us up if our thrusters were not burning, and by that time it was too late. I fired the harpoons and made our ship fast to theirs, and, after a few moments of chaos as the two ships, moving in very different directions, adjusted to a single trajectory, we began the docking procedure. Naturally, the Octan ship did not open its airlock for us, but any good pirate ship is equipped with special mating collars on its airlocks that can make an airtight seal against the hull of another ship while the airlock itself is forced. While our two new crewmates and RT3-KU boarded and subdued the small enemy crew, Silvia and I waited at the controls, in case we had to make a hasty exit. No one has ever credibly accused Octan employees of cowardice, but the skeleton crew aboard this courier were far outmatched. It was only a few minutes before the crew was rounded up and disarmed. Silvia and I boarded at once. "Captain, we've captured the captain, the pilot, and a security guard," Zakec, the Red Zoid told me. " 'Er Ladyship is looking for the scientist." "Check the main hold for a cargo crate marked CTK401," I told him. "Get it aboard the Variga." "Aye, aye, Captain." "How did you know we had a scientist aboard? And why do you want him," the pilot demanded. "Are you slavers?" The ship's captain stared straight ahead, the very picture of discipline. I hoped that this incident wouldn't hurt his career too badly -- he seemed a decent man. So too for the young, red-haired pilot, who was trembling with what was probably equal parts fear and rage. I hoped Zakec had not been too rough with her. He did have a reputation. "No." I shook my head sternly. "I've killed more of those scum than you'll ever meet, unless you're very unlucky. Dr. Gregorovich will be returned to his family alive and unharmed as soon as possible." The soldier on her left wasn't buying it. His scowl was probably intended to be unsettling, but it just came off as annoying. "I've found our scientist," Silenia, the alien mystic, said. "NO!" It was the soldier. "You're not getting away with this!" *ZOW!* *thud* "Is he all right?" Silvia asked. "He's still alive, but bleeding badly," the pilot gasped. She was in shock. The captain remained where he stood, his expression unchanged, but his face had paled a little. I nodded. "He'll make it. As soon as we're off your ship, activate your emergency distress beacon. I expect rescue vessels are on high alert, with the Kawashita fleet so close by. The stimpacks in his armor should keep him all right until them. Keep him warm and comfortable until a doctor arrives." "What is the meaning of this?" Dr. Gregorovich had found his voice at last. "Is this some sort of abduction?" I looked him dead in the eye. "Depends on how hard you make it, Doctor. If you come quietly, you can remain conscious. Otherwise, we can knock you out and drag you with us. You will not be asked to take up arms against Octan, or against anyone for that matter. We want some information, and you can provide us with it. In return, you will be well compensated, as will your wife and children in your absence. I didn't want the first casualty, and I don't want any more." "This will be much easier and more painless if you cooperate with us rather than fight us." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, yeah, the title. That's what comes of staying up until 2 a.m. to get a build posted, I guess.

Location: G10 (Onix) Tags: Spaceship ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the pros of working for a big organization like Kawashita instead of freelancing is all the extra equipment. Take these search drones. Only about six feet long, fully automated to search a star system for a given target. They are equipped with a small onboard reactor, making them capable of independent flight, but, as you might imagine, a hull so small does not permit including a Gate drive. Still, they remain much, much faster than manually scanning an entire star system from your own ship. One of the cons of working for a big organization like Kawashita instead of freelancing is that, while a freelancer doesn't much care who he raids, so long as they're lightly armed and carry valuable cargo, Kawashita occasionally sends along orders to raid a specific vessel. In this case, we're looking for a courier, which Fleet Intel assures us is bound out of the Onix system any day now. Thing is, Octan is getting jittery, what with our fleet hanging so close on their borders, and especially so in the Onix system. Any sight of an unfamiliar vessel and the courier would run straight back home, carrying its priceless cargo with it. So, we're hanging just past 30 AU, with drones (too small to read on radar or thermal imaging from the planet's surface) keeping watch for the target. Guess Fleet Intel was right after all. For the moment, they're doing dead slow - probably they suspect some sort of ambush, and are trying to keep thermal emissions down. Too late for that. We're on their tail, between them and the Gate. Octan, here we come ...

Impressive! And I think I've picked up this week's M.A.N.T.I.S. theme.

Please transfer 43 credits to EpsilonEta. Thanks!

Location: Arium Minor (F09) Tags: Building, Piracy, Civil -------------- Have you ever tried to walk silently with a peg leg? It's not easy, especially on metal flooring. But, in my business, you take whatever chance offers itself, whether easy or not. The Kawashita fleet had rendezvoused with an alien fleet, ostensibly for diplomatic purposes. Honestly, I didn't know much about why they were really meeting, nor did I care. All that mattered to me was the opportunity it presented. If we were planning on engaging in serious piracy, we needed a bigger crew - and I had a couple of people in mind. All I had to do was break them out of prison. "What've you got there?" "Prisoner transfer from the fleet," the arriving guard said. "Orders said the place is gettin' crowded, so these two'll be sharing a cell." "Hear that, lady?" the insectoid guard said. "An old friend's here to visit." "Well, well. Finally caught you, did they?" This was taking a long time. I needed one of the guards to come a little closer to me. "Step away from the door, witch!" the insectoid said. I heard his footsteps on the floot. Now. I choked up my grip on my staff and, as I stepped out, I swung it as hard as I could. My aim was good. The insectoid fell without a sound - dead or unconscious, I didn't know, nor did it matter. The prisoner dropped forward, out of the line of fire. The green-skinned female was rattled. Her one shot went wild - then I drilled her. She fell with a hiss. Definitely dead. I helped the bug out of his handcuffs, and we quickly moved the bodies out of the way. "Viktor Kramer! Can't say I expected to see you here," he growled. "Why did you come all the way out here? I doubt it was just for fun," the woman in the cell purred. "I've got a little proposition for you," I said. "Open this door, and let's discuss it." "I want you two to join my crew." "Piracy?" the bug said, twitching his mouthparts into what I guessed was a grin. "Privateering. We're working for the Kawashita Group, and I could use a few hands for the Variga." The woman shrugged. "What are we waiting for?" -------------- P.S. Not completely sure about the Piracy tag. Do rescued prisoners count as being "stolen"?

Thanks all! Microships have always been my favorite thing to build. To be honest, that's part of why I stopped playing SoNE and came here - not very much room for cool microships there, but AG is full of ideas for ships. As far as the story goes, I always try to make the story interesting in its own right - I enjoy reading a good narrative almost as much as I enjoy seeing a cool build.

My first reaction? Boy am I glad that that sub was from a previous build, because otherwise, I think this would be an easy 7. Seriously, this is incredible. Well done!

Oops. Shows what I get for not doing my research properly. Let's just say that Octan put an additive in the water, so they wouldn't have to heat the huge tank, and that's why it froze instead of boiling.