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Location: G10 Onix Tags: Civil Building Note: All parts of this build except the parts shown in the spoiler are re-used - that is, the main room, torture rack and restraints (but not the larger frame around it), and the two small implement-holders are all re-used, and therefore should not be judged. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "AAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" "AAAAAAAAGHNOOOOOOO!" Clunk. "What was that?" "What the ..." Crack! Thud. Crack! Crash. "Silvia!" "That's far enough, Viktor." "Girault. You're going to pay for this." "I don't think so." "I don't know how you managed to get this far into my base without raising any alarms. For that matter, I don't know how you even managed to enter the system. But I really don't care. Torture is so much more effective when you it's somebody else suffering, and your wife has been most uncooperative." "No.. Please, no ..." "It's under control, Silvia." I fixed Girault with an icy gaze. "It won't take but a minute. In fact ..." If you want to break a standoff, do it in the middle of a sentence. In fact, do it in the middle of a conversation, if you have the option. It delays your opponent's reaction time by a critical fraction of a second. I snatched a hammer from the wall and threw it as hard as I could. He fired, of course, but his aim was off and I was already out of the way. Then the hammer struck him in the head and he collapsed limply. Not dead - just out cold. "... It's already taken care of," I finished. "Let me get you out of that thing, Silvia." "I can't move," she said weakly. "He's stuffed me full of drugs." "I know," I said. "T1-N1 had a chat with their computers while I was on my way. I'm so sorry, dearest. I came as fast as I could." "I'm just glad you made it," she said, sighing with relief as I loosed the restraints. I wrapped her in a cloak and cradled her in my arms. "Just one more thing to do, and then we can be going." With one arm already full, it was not easy to remove Girault's shirt, or to drag him up onto the torture rack, but I did it. He had loaded Silvia with stims to keep her conscious through the torture session, and the syringe he had been using was almost empty. I injected what was left of them into him, then waited for him to wake up. It only took a few seconds. "I'm sorry I don't have the time to properly thank you for everything you've done for my wife," I said, "but I hope you'll accept this parting gift. As soon as I'm gone, the Variga will destroy this base, and I don't plan on waiting around, so you probably won't have time to pass out from the pain, but you should be well entertained until you die. Goodbye, Girault." I pulled the lever, and the machine came to life. With Girault's screams echoing off the metal walls, I carried Silvia out and down the corridor. "Are there any more pirates here?" she asked. "I don't think so. T1-N1 sealed off most of the base, and I've lost count of how many people I've killed. My bolter's power clip must be about drained." She sighed. "I'm so tired. Can I rest now?" "Yes, dearest." I smiled. "Once we get back to the Variga, we're going to rendezvous with the fleet. They'll patch you up. You're safe now. You can rest all you like." "Thank you, love. I think I will." And she did. This week, I did two new builds that expand on something I did previously. I had more story to tell in this particular location than I could tell in one week, so I came up with some expansions that can stand as a build in their own right. They're in the spoiler. C&C welcome!
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Location: G10 Onix Tags: Civil Building ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boss? She's here." "You sure took long enough. Bring her in." "Silvia Kramer. Allow me to welcome you to my home, or at least, one small part of it. I hope you will enjoy your stay." "Save the pleasantries, Girault. You know my husband will be coming for you." "We'd better get down to business, then. Jason, would you do the honors?" "With pleasure, boss." "Now, now, Silvia. You shouldn't struggle like that - you've gone and gotten yourself a nasty bruise. This way, please." "Please make yourself comfortable, ma'am. We've got a lot to discuss." "Girault, you know Viktor. He's not going to let you get away with this." "I'm afraid he'll have no choice. Just this last week, we completed the installation of a new sensor relay station. If any ship comes out of the Gate, I'll know right away. Besides, no luxury cutter has the firepower to breach our defenses. "Humans have been in the business of inflicting pain on each other for such a very long time, but when the victim struggles, it can make a torturer's work so much harder. Awesomnium has provided us with an invaluable aid to this process. "This syringe contains an awesomnium-based solution that I think you'll find most interesting. We bought the original from a fellow called Laszlowe, from M.A.N.T.I.S. It was supposed to serve as a long-lasting sedative, a hibernation drug. But it didn't work quite as planned." "I - I - I can't move. I can't move!" "But you can still feel, can't you? That's the beauty of it. Your sensory receptors are still firing, but your brain can't send anything back but critical body functions. It's the perfect torturer's tool." "Don't do this, Girault." "I'm afraid I don't have much choice. I need the passcodes for the Kawashita Group's private Gates, and I don't have time to convince you to give it to me. This is quicker. "Also much more entertaining." "No - no, please - no - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Kramer to Variga, good work. I'm through the breach." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yep, we're still pretty dark over here. I promise I'll lighten up in a few more builds. The name is a reference to The Princess Bride.
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AG_Rosenhaus_01 Located in a clearing in the Orinshi jungles, few people know of the existence of this building. AG_Rosenhaus_02 Built in the shape of a cross or a T, the owner of the property is listed in documents only as, "K." AG_Rosenhaus_03 It is large enough to house an entire military base, but appears from the outside to be a civilian residence - a mansion of tremendous size. AG_Rosenhaus_04 The architects were sourced from the Milky Way, as Kawashita architects have little experience with rotundas and other such distinctly Western architectural styles. AG_Rosenhaus_05 There is, in fact, a front door, a very large one indeed on the ground level of the rotunda. However, at present it merely leads out onto grass - there is not another building or a road for hundreds of miles in any direction. AG_Rosenhaus_06 The building, listed in legal documents as "Rosenhaus," appears to be undefended - there are even trees and a fountain under the crystal dome that tops off the rotunda. The two layers of the rotunda below are composed mostly of balconies, including an open-air dining room and a running track that circles the rotunda on the third level. AG_Rosenhaus_07 Orbital imagery suggests that there may be military hardware concealed under the irregular surface of the larger dome. AG_Rosenhaus_08 The east wing of the mansion has a roof garden, which is in fact more like a grove of trees, around a square with a fountain. AG_Rosenhaus_09 On the other side, the west wing of the Rosenhaus boasts an outdoor pool. AG_Rosenhaus_10 The north wing is more mysterious. It is by far the largest portion of Rosenhaus, but is fitted with only one row of large windows. Orbital analysis indicates that the northern wall conceals a massive door, but it has never been seen to open. Whether some weapon or vehicle is contained within, or whether this is merely some sort of gigantic warehouse, is unknown. AG_Rosenhaus_11 The roof is used as a landing pad for ship identified as the Variga, suggesting that "K" stands for Kramer. A large elevator provides passage from the roof directly into the north wing, or there is a main entrance on the north side of the rotunda. AG_Rosenhaus_12 Efforts have been made by multiple parties to infiltrate or break into the Rosenhaus, so far without success. The difficulties involved are compounded by the use of a highly automated staff, making the use of a mole essentially impossible.
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Location: G10 Onix Tags: Civil Building (Spaceship Interior) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Silenia, Zakec and I were waiting in the hold. The young man from the restaurant had been brought aboard, along with the remaining speeder. "Ugh," he groaned. "Where am I?" "You are aboard the ship Variga, and I am Captain Viktor Kramer," I said coldly. "You're just in time for your trial. Get up." "Trial? What? But - you're not a judge!" "This vessel is in the employ of the Kawashita Group, or did you not know that when you attacked me earlier? As the commanding officer of a military vessel, I am authorized to conduct rials and deliver sentences in a military tribunal." "The charges are assault and kidnapping. As the evidence is overwhelming, the verdict is, guilty. You are hereby sentenced to death by beheading." "But - but - death? I thought that was outlawed!" I whirled around. "You think that I care? You kidnapped my wife, you son of a Kre-O brick! And I'll do the same to every one of your filthy friends. Silenia here is a hypnotist - we already know everything you could tell us. I could lay a hundred more charges as bad as those two if I chose, but I don't really care. You're done. On your knees." "Zakec, clean that up." "Aye, aye, cap'n. Any preference what I do with it?" "Space it if you like." "You can eat it, for all I care, so long as I never see it again." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We were making a long, and fairly complex, series of GATE jumps, and taking the slow way in on our target to avoid detection. The ship was on auto-pilot, with the robots watching and ready to wake us if anything went wrong. We would need to be well rested if we were to have a chance at surviving our next mission. I, however, was not in a mood for sleep. I was standing at the bay window to the master bedroom, on the port bow of the Variga, when RT3-KU entered. "Sir, I have an urgent message from Kawashita HQ." "Who is it?" "Executive Ender's office, sir." I sighed. "Bring it up." "Greetings, Captain Kramer." It was the Executive himself, I noted with surprise. I wondered what could be so important. "Greetings, Executive. You must excuse my appearance - I was on my way to bed." I took the holocom from RT3 and signed for him to return to his post. "What can I do for you, sir?" "I have an assignment for you, but your ship has not reported back from leave." "Apologies, sir. I'm afraid the Variga is otherwise occupied." "Otherwise occupied?" "Have you received my report of the recent incident on Greater Direstan?" "It's been a busy day. Something involving an assault?" "Assault and kidnapping, sir." "..." "The victim was my wife, Executive." "I see." "We have interrogated the captured assailant, and determined that the location to which she is being taken is on Onix. That is where the Variga is headed at this moment." "I assume you know that this is tantamount to desertion? You swore an oath -" "Sir, before I accepted the deal Kawashita offered, I swore another oath. 'To love and protect?' With all due respect, I know exactly what I'm doing." There was a moment's silence. "We have intel on a pirate base on Onix," Ender said. "You and your crew don't have a chance." "Sir, as long as my wife is in the hands of those pirates and I have the means to rescue her, my duty is clear, 'as long as we both shall live.' I will report back as soon as my mission is complete. You may then, of course, take whatever disciplinary measures you see fit to impose. Should you not hear from me within the next two months, you may conclude that I live no longer, and can offer no further services to the Kawashita Group." "Understood. The decision, and consequences, are yours. But I wish you good luck. Good night, Captain Kramer." "Good night, Executive." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Going pretty dark again. Getting to see the other side of Viktor's personality. Two scenes for this one - I just had too much story to tell this week for one build to work. I hope that my use of Ender is accurate to his character - I did my best. All those tools are Lego original - they come from the same set as the Octan blazer in "Package Retrieved." I located this build on Onix because they are in the GATE system for the duration, and so not really "on" any world - Onix is their destination. If this is not acceptable, I will select A08 Crentium as the location. Comments and criticisms welcome, of course. Apologies for the image-heavy post - so much story to tell!
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Location: B08 Greater Direstan Tags: Land Vehicle, Civil Building ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Although the Kawashita Group, and, to a lesser extent, M.A.N.T.I.S., has a strong presence on Greater Direstan, much of the colonization effort here has not been overtly affiliated with one megacorp or another. The Golden Rocket is an excellent example of this. Built a only a few short years ago, this establishment offers drinks, music, and relaxed dining, offering fresh-backed New York Style pizza - a delicacy among spacefarers, since the ingredients are too bulky to carry aboard warships, even ones such as the Variga, during extended cruises. Silvia and I were here for dinner. It was the last evening of our three weeks' leave, a special thank-you gift from branch executive Ender for the letter-perfect execution of our part in Operation Star-Lord. The details of what it entailed were above the pay grade of a crew of freelancers such as ourselves, but we must have pleased somebody back in the fleet, because leave time can be hard to find for special forces. It had been quite some time since Silvia and I had had a chance to sit down together for dinner. With the crew of the Variga being so small, we often had to cover different watches. That routine can take a toll on relationships, and I was glad of a chance to enjoy my beautiful wife's company and have a good time. Perhaps I was enjoying myself too much. I never heard the door open, and before I knew what was happening, I heard the low throb of a stun ray, and Silvia fell forward onto the table. My combat-trained reflexes kicked in, and I just avoided the second shot. There were four of them - two men, and two things that appeared to be robots. Even when on vacation, I am always armed. I rolled out of the booth and whipped out my concealed pistol. My first shot caught the younger man in the thigh, and he went down with a high-pitched cry. The two robots went down with a shot each, and I turned my attention to the remaining man. To my horror, he had dropped his own weapon and hauled Silvia out of the seat. He was on his way out the door, dragging her behind him. I struggled past the robots and the moaning form of the young man and burst out the door - just in time to see my dearest's unconscious form stuffed unceremoniously into the front of one of a pair of brightly-colored speeders, followed a moment later by the mustachioed man. The engines were already running, and before I could stumble down the steps and catch hold of the speeder, it was gone. I fired after it, but in vain. My small pistol had no accuracy at range, and the speeder was gone in seconds. I touched the communicator at my belt. "Variga, two and a speeder to pick up at these coordinates. This is a code red." "As of this moment, we are at war." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My biggest minifig-scale build yet - also my biggest and most detailed interior yet. I planned on building a flower garden between the foundation and the pavement, but I ran out of time and energy. The speeders are my first minifig-scale vehicle in years. I build the micro version (kinda blurry, will have to get a decent picture of it up tomorrow), and then decided I would need minifig-scale version or two. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, considering that's not exactly my area of expertise. There have been so many great versions of Viktor Kramer's face over time - I'm really enjoying being able to tinker with his expressions now. "Season Unending" is a reference to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
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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"?
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This post is intended to introduce my character in "Andromeda's Gates," and also to briefly introduce his companions. It is not intended to be counted or scored for the contest itself! AG_Intro_crew_01 by David Hansen, on Flickr At age 25, Viktor Kramer has had a rather full life. When he was sixteen, he was pressed into service in a pirate crew. He took to it well, and rose from a lowly technician to being the crew's quartermaster in five short years. At age twenty-one, he lost his leg in a boarding action, and had it replaced with a peg. It is made of a titanium alloy, covered in a hard, matte synth-wood coating to make it quieter and less reflective. A year later, he retired from pirating with a pardon, and used his share of the bountiful plunder to have a ship of his own constructed: the Variga. It was completed just months ago - the same day that an old friend from his pirating days got in touch with him. Now an agent of the Kawashita Group, his friend offered him a bargain. In these days of thinly-veiled war between the great corporations, privateering can be a profitable enterprise indeed, and with his newly-wedded wife Silvia, Kramer prowls the Andromeda Galaxy, wielding his customized F-11D plasma bolter in search of plunder once again. AG_Intro_crew_02 by David Hansen, on Flickr Far from being just another pretty face, Silvia Kramer has been flying since she was tall enough to reach the controls of a hovercar. Thanks to the advanced automation provided by Kawashita Group, the Variga needs only two human crewmen, and while Viktor operates the guns, Silvia pilots the ship with an expert hand and a pirate's flair. She, too, was once a pirate - she was pilot for a year aboard Viktor's ship, while Viktor was an engineer. When they retired from piracy, she invested with him to make the Variga a possibility. Now twenty-four years old, she wields her pistol with lethal accuracy in the service of Kawashita Group. AG_Intro_crew_03 by David Hansen, on Flickr A venerable but efficient product of the Kawashita Group, RT3-KU is a factotum robot, designed with a human-like shape so as to easily perform tasks originally intended for humans. Not everything can be retro-fitted with automation, so factotums like RT3-KU are used to fill in the gaps. With strength greater than that of most humans, he wields a massive laser rifle in combat to aid Kawashita Group in achieving its goals. AG_Intro_crew_04 by David Hansen, on Flickr T1-N1 is a robot technician so old that, although its logic systems remained functional, its body was entirely obsolete when Viktor joined his first pirate crew. The enterprising technician found ways to improve the old chassis, and now it follows him everywhere. Within its oddly-shaped body are a myriad tools, from cutting torches and welding gear to basic medical gear and even an AED. It serves its master dutifully in the struggle against M.A.N.T.I.S. and the Octan Corporation. AG_Intro_variga_01 by David Hansen, on Flickr The Variga. Originally to be painted all black, she now wears the colors of the Kawashita Group. AG_Intro_variga_06 by David Hansen, on Flickr Originally designed to transport a few wealthy passengers in luxury, the Variga is somewhat larger than many vessels of her type, but this is of little concern to her captain. She is approximately to scale with the microfigure in this picture. Within her armored hull, however, she holds luxurious cabins, a well-appointed kitchen, a small library, and even a swimming pool. But she is also equipped with an advanced sickbay and a small garden and poultry farm tended by robots, allowing her to remain comfortably in space for weeks or months at a time if need be. AG_Intro_variga_04 by David Hansen, on Flickr She is well armed, too, carrying two plasma turrets and a forward missile turret, granting her firepower not often found on ships of this size - a reflection of the piratical origins of her owners. AG_Intro_variga_03 by David Hansen, on Flickr Only a fool operates in hostile territory without shields, and the shield generators on the Variga are the finest generally available. She is also equipped with several different types of communications antennas - it's a lot easier to find your next target if you can pick up its transmissions. AG_Intro_variga_05 by David Hansen, on Flickr The Variga's three massive thruster pods were some of the most expensive components included in her design. Although she certainly can't compete with cutters or small fighters and bombers, the Variga can generally show her heels to anything she can't take head-on. P.S. The Variga's design is derived from that of Eurobricks member Anio's UCS Republic Cruiser model. If you're interested, it's well worth checking out the album on Flickr: https://www.flickr.c...157628682301835. He has made instructions available for a very moderate price. P.S.S. I am returning to Eurobricks after a long absence due to college and other real-life responsibilities. I am trying to adhere to the rules of Andromeda's Gates, but it is quite possible that I have overlooked something. If so, please let me know and I will correct it at my first opportunity. Thanks!
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Location: G10 Onix Tags: None ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Captain's Log Prisoners still in custody - dispatched to Onix in response to reports of pirate activity. Fleet intelligence advises suspected connection to band eliminated prior to formal hiring. Jump made in good time - traffic at Onix GATE continues to be low. Fleet intelligence indicates only known Octan traffic composed of weekly mail courier, one science ship departing, and some activity in low orbit en route to former pirate base. Assess as likely transit lockdown following earlier Kawashita activity in this sector - Octan fleet is far away and unable to provide significant support or escort, and most armed ships likely drawn to provide logistics for Octan-M.A.N.T.I.S. conflict elsewhere. Captain's Log, Supplemental I strongly doubt that FI is correct. Some visual footage of suspected pirate ships was provided, and the hull configuration does not match that of any vessels we encountered previously in the Onix sector. Of more interest is why pirates are raiding Kawashita shipping in Onix. There are several other sectors that are equally vulnerable, given the current disposition of the fleet, and almost none with less traffic than Onix. Certainly they would be more likely to be detected in other systems, but as a rule, in the sweet trade the important part is to get away, and being spotted in the process is unimportant. I do not care to speculate, therefore, concerning what might be these presumed pirates' motive for raiding in Onix. Diary of Silvia Kramer Viktor is worried about the word from the fleet. He's sure the fleet is wrong. I told him I was sure he had finished with the pirates before, and the fleet must be wrong. But he said he hoped it would turn out to be the same pirates. I wasn't sure what he meant, but I didn't get a chance to ask. The corporal came in with some questions for Viktor, and I had to let it go. I've been thinking, though, and I think I get it. Pirates from the base we visited would still be operating there while they try to recover and get re-organized. But new pirates in that system aren't looking for loot - they're looking for ships. That's why they haven't stopped the Octan mail courier - they want a Kawashita hull, and a merchant one, too. But why? The freighters that run those routes are tubs that only mount one turret! Captain's Log Encountered hostile activity in Onix system. Weapons fire was spotted over Onix's moon, concealed from the planet surface by the moon. Upon approach, conflict was identified as a battle between a Kawashita freighter and an unknown hostile craft. An attempt was made to hail both craft. Neither responded. We moved to approach, but before we arrived, contact with the freighter was lost. Thermal contact dropped off, followed a fraction of a second later by loss of radar and visual contact. Fate of freighter unknown at this time - fluctuations in local gravity commonly associated with GATE anomaly/drive failure not detected. Boarding party sent aboard hostile craft. Assessed as non-Human design and construction. No life signs detected during approach, and none found during thorough search. Assessment is difficult. Lacking evidence for clear-cut evaluation, hostile craft has been flagged as category-red quarantine zone. Transponder attached - reporting directly to Variga. Will inform fleet once more complete assessment of situation and threat posed by unknown craft are more complete. Have issued security ID cards to crew, and instituted automated checkpoints throughout vessel until further notice. Corporal Nodachi concurring. Captain's Log, Supplemental The corporal may not be useless. He agrees with my assessment. Someone or something far more advanced than ourselves has taken control of one of our freighters, and intends to use it for unknown purposes. Diary of Silvia Kramer I'm afraid, and so is Viktor. We're pirates, not soldiers, and this isn't our kind of mission. But I don't think we should tell the fleet. Then we might loose a line cruiser, or even a dreadnought. This way, if something does go really, horribly wrong, the Kawashita Group is only down one corvette, five people, and a couple of robots. Andromeda isn't quite our galaxy yet, and we don't know who or what is really out there, in the hundreds of systems not connected to the GATE network. May God help us all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, I bought a game called "Stellaris" a week or so ago. It's a sci-fi, 4X, grand strategy game that is devouring my life. This doesn't have anything to do with my build, or the plot arc I'm starting, except that I spent so much time playing that I never got around to building anything new for this week. So, I dug through my drawers of Legos and found some old ships that I build a few years ago and never shared here before. The green one is inspired by the Dragon Pod, from the X-Pod series of a decade or so back, and the Kawashita freighter is inspired by a Highlighter market and by General Grievous' flagship in Revenge of the Sith. C&C welcome.
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Tags: Civil Structure, Science (finally, amiright?) Planet: deep within the bowels of Crofter's Ridge "Emily, I've been thinking." "Late at night, I know." "I just wanted to let you know that I think I've thought it over, and concluded that I did what had to be done, and that the results, while not ideal, yielded more good than bad, in the long run." "Glad to hear it." "What I mean to say is... I've washed my hands of this senseless self-pity. I do what I do, not for my own sake, but for the greater good of our company. I blaze a trail through the mud so that others may walk on pavement. I do what needs to be done. I did my duty." "Couldn't have said it better myself. So, what are we doing in this cavernous mega-lab hidden miles beneath the ground?" "We're lighting a torch in the darkness." "This lab structure is the kindergarten of Suburban Station... and this, is project 'Suburban Soccer Mom.' I initiated this program to investigate 'psychic' phenomena. Long the subject of speculation and fiction, I've come to discover that psychic powers can be very real... however we do not yet fully understand them. Most notably, it is suspected that our very own CEO may have reality warping powers of this nature. I've been tasked with investigating this and coming up with a way to test for this, and harness it. I personally believe that reality warping powers may be the secret to unlocking true permanent gravity anomaly generation... and once we can prove this to be true, and investigate the mode of action.... we can mechanize it. "Cool." "Yes. Very cool. It is my personal ambition to ensure that Octan remains at the for-front of gate travel technology.. and the way I see it... The corporation best capable of manipulating the fabrics of time and space, will be the corporation that dominates them all. I see before us, Emily, a future of peace.... Because when Octan develops the power to generate and manipulate Gates at will, to travel to any corner of the universe in an instant.... There will be no war." "That sounds like a beautiful dream." "Dr. Bernier. I've heard great things..." "Ms. Long..." "My mother's name was Ms. Long. Please, call me Dr. Long." "Oh, of course." "Lets get started, shall we? I've read your reports on your child, Subject Eleven. You've done wonderful work with her. You've made me a believer that such things are even possible... And that's saying a lot. I am a stickler on proper procedure and scientific methodology. As such my visit here today will not be more than a demonstration. I want to observe what this child can do firsthand, and assess the needs of this project. have you prepared the equipment?" "yes. It's all ready..." "Then let us begin." "So.... How's life?" Background Officer: "Well I still ain't got my hand back. Other than that, can't complain." "Eleven, darling... I'm here." "Mama!" "I want to introduce you to someone...." "This is Dr. Danielle Long. She's your mommy's boss." "Hello, child." "I've seen you in my dreams!" "Fascinating. So, today we'll be performing a series of tests... to look into... your 'special gifts.'" "Do you know what this is?" "No." "Can you activate it?" "Yes." "By the stars. It is true. Now deactivate it please." "Ok." "Bring in the projector." "Ok, Eleven. This next task will consist of several parts. I will think of a word in my head, and associate the word with an image or two. I want you to tell us what word I'm thinking of, and use this machine before me to project the images from my head. Can you do this?" "I think." "First word." "Beauty" "Correct. Second word." "Mystery" "perfect. Now we will conduct the final test. Guard, bring in... The device..." "No... you said you wouldn't..." "I want you to concentrate, eleven. Channel your power into this device... I want you to create a fissure in time and space." "Ok." "I can't." "That's because the machine does not work. This was only a test... but despite that, you got very far. Admirable attempt. Thank you for showing me this. I'm very pleased with your progress, Eleven." "Please you've got to kill her. You promised you'd help." "And we will help, but we will not be killing her. She is very useful to us." "You said you'd help. We had a family... She had a father... but she removed him from existence in a temper tantrum! No one remembers him but me! ..." "In your contract it explicitly states that if she dies, you are out of a job. And need I remind you who is paying to operate on your numerous brain tumours?" "But it's abominable. It's strange." "I've seen stranger things." "It's unnatural. It's not right." "We will be the judge of what is right and what is wrong." "I can't keep living like this. I I can't. I cant." "Oh, I assure you, Octan can keep you alive for a very long time." "It's time for Dr. Brennier to get some rest. Guards, make sure she takes her pills and eats her dinner. I won't have another food-strike interrupting her work." "You have no idea what you're tampering with!" "Excellent. Everything is going according to plan. Now, I hear that Pombe's aid, Eschey has been acting strangely. I think it's time for her to have another psych evaluation. Inform her she has an appointment... with the Doctor." Cue the music! ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Why hello there, Fellow AG players, and random strangers who will likely view this topic at some point. I've had some freetime (sans-Lego) and did a few sketches of Dr. Long. Bob (or other moderator), I'm not sure this belongs in this subforum, since It's not a Lego creation. It's audience is here, but it may be better placed somewhere else? Not sure. I'll let you be the judge. Anyways, here's a few drawings I made of Dr. Long. May make more if I have more freetime/the impetus strikes me. I decided on a silhouette format, since I'm not an amazing artist by any stretch of imagination, and up until recently hadn't really connected Dr. Long's face to an actual person's making it difficult to draw. Dr. Long Silhouettes by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr These scenes are all (at least loosely) based on scenes from builds I've made... save for one, which is from a build I will make a long time from now, but will be forshadowed within my next few builds, so I don't feel like it's a spoiler... One more: Dr. Long silhouette by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr And a rather mediocre picture of what I imagine she'd actually look like in human form. Not the most flattering image, due to my lack of talent, and lack of a model that looks like her. As Goatman pointed out on Flickr, she does look older than I envision her. Dr. Long humanized by Danny-Longlegs, on Flickr That's it for now, but I may draw more eventually, updating this thread as I do. ~Insectoid Aristocrat
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Location: F09 Arium Minor Tags: Military, Spaceship ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Agent Maeda To: Internal Affairs c/o Task Force Greengrocer Subject: Streitkeule - suspicious activities lead? ------------------------- Honorable Overseers: I have followed up the first shipyard contract, located within the Andromeda Galaxy. Results are likely positive. The shipyard in question has recently begun deliveries of a new model of starfighter. Full schematics are attached; a summary is here provided. The fighter design, named "Streitkeule," is a one-man heavy fighter. Its design is not Kawashita standard: aside from a few superficial similarities to existing designs, namely the two sets of four pylons, which seem to exist purely due to engineering necessities, it carries little of the Kawashita design philosophy. According to my research, the design name means "mace" in an archaik language called "German," and refers to the heavy, blunt, unbalanced weapon designed to penetrate armor. Whether the name is based upon some aesthetic similarity or a harmony of purpose is unclear. The cockpit is located at the extreme nose of the fighter. The ship is intended to dock in a position vertically aligned with the local gravitational field, meaning that any force not absorbed by the ship's acceleration dampeners will be in a direction that will least disorient the pilot. Control is via helmet-linked HUD - controls are projected onto the helmet's eyepiece lenses, and the movement of the pilot's hands to interact with their perceived location is tracked by the helmet and relayed to the ship's computer. In this way, all controls can be encrypted so that, should a vessel fall into the hands of hostile forces, interface with the computer will be difficult at best. Each Streitkeule is heavily armed. The four center pylons each bear a standardized weapon hardpoint, allowing a customizable loadout for different missions or task forces. The standard design shown here is equipped with two plasma cannons on the lower hardpoints, a missile launcher on the viewer's upper right, and a smaller-caliber rotary plasma cannon on the viewer's upper left. The nose of the fighter mounts an additional weapon: a small point-defense plasma turret with limited utility against enemy craft. The Streitkeule uses a tachyon thruster as its propulsion system - the four fin-like pylons surrounding the thruster mouth contain the electromagnets necessary to control the tachyon stream. This propulsion system was developed by multiple entities some time ago because of its usefulness as a FTL warp-style drive system, but was abandoned upon discovery of the GATE network as obsolete, being considerably slower at FTL than a GATE jump, and prone to catastrophic explosion should its drive system experience certain categories of malfunction. Note that standard combat damage almost never triggers this category of malfunction. Technical details can be provided if necessary. Twenty fighters have been delivered at the time of writing, and production is expected to accelerate. The full order is for two hundred. The source of funding for a project of this magnitude has been difficult to find. In addition to standard confidentiality regulations which had to be bypassed, the payments were made by a dummy holding which I have so far been unable to trace. The fighters are being delivered by employees of the purchaser. Upon the completion of a batch of ships, a group of trained pilots arrive and take custody of the ships for deliver. Each pilot appears to be of early middle age, and though they are equipped with what appears to be Kawashita-type flight suits, I suspect that they are not Kawashita-trained. They were not forthcoming with the location to which the fighters were to be delivered; however, a check of local flight plan registration showed their listed destination as "Rosenhaus." Pending further orders, I will continue my investigation with the next shipyard lead. With respect, Agent Maeda
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Previously: Introducing Viktor Kramer Back in Business An Opportune Moment Special Orders Package Retrieved We Pillage, We Plunder, We Rifle and Loot ... Package Delivered An Unfortunate Oversight Season Unending To Love and Protect To the Pain Electrified Rosenhaus Assimilated Stardate 3816.5.6 Stardate 3816.12.6 Streitkeule Location: A06 Guinevere Tags: Civil Spaceship, Piracy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Captain's Log, Stardate 3816.14.8 Approaching Guinevere, picked up an drifting ship by passive infrared scans. In answer to hails, the captain claimed to be awaiting landing clearance. Story not confirmed by port authorities. Ship did not answer further hails, so we moved to board. Some damage was sustained in the course of disabling the target ship's defenses. The #2 port shield generator suffered catastrophic damage, and two hull breaches formed - one in the port shield generator compartment, and one in the engine room. Additional damage was sustained by the starboard radiator plane. Aft hull breach and radiator damage will be repaired by the local company yards, while replacement of the shield generator will be managed at next fleet rendezvous - hull breach in that compartment will be allowed to remain until that time to facilitate generator replacement. Ship was found to contain a cargo of control chips for cybernetic slave collars, along with the associated signal processing hardware and control computers. In accordance with fleet policy, cargo was documented and re-sealed, and the hull was flagged for pick-up by a company shuttle. Crew will be delivered to port authorities for prosecution. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Captain, I have an incoming message." "Who is it?" "Caller identifies as Solomon Greene, sir." "I'll take the call." "Viktor! It's been a long time! How are you doing?" "Good to see you, Solomon. I'm doing well, thank you. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Heard you signed up with the Kawashita Group?" "I have. I presume you're looking for a berth?" "Right you are. Got room for a former crewmate?" "Get passage to Orinshi and I'll stop by next chance I get. There's some hoops involved, but there should be no trouble. Say, what do you think of the uniform?" "Not bad, not bad! Looks a bit formal for you, though." "Notice anything different?" "No - wait, is that - what happened to your leg? You don't have a peg anymore!" "Bingo!" "Why'd you replace it?" "Two reasons. One, Kawashita paid for it, so that helps. And I'm going to be competing in the Andromeda Olympic Games, so I need a regular leg. It's within 5% capability of my other leg, so it's legal." "What will you be competing in?" "A few things. As far as the uniform goes, it's a dress uniform. Silvia and I are attending a ball celebrating the event. We've got a little work to do there." "Where's Silvia?" "Getting ready. Ah, here she is." "Good to see ya, Silvia!" "Solomon? How've you been?" "Not as well as you, seemingly!" "Well! Thank you, Solomon." "I hear you two have somewhere to be, so I'll be going. Best of luck, see you soon." "See you soon." The holoprojector was put down on the desk, and RT3-KU went about his business again. "Are you ready for this, my love?" The walking stick's tapping echoed on the tiles. "I think so. How do I look?" "Never better. Shall we be on our way?" "Why not?"
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Location: A08 Crentium Tags: Civil Building ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "According to the doctors, the wound healing went well. Your wife should be scar-free, in spite of her recent encounter with advanced torture methods." "Agent Raven." With difficulty, I tore myself away from the ledge. "It's an unexpected honor. What bring you here?" "Fifty-eight pirates killed and goods recovered valued into seven figures." "Is that how many I shot? I lost count." "You lost count." Her icicle expression didn't change - it never did. But I thought I heard a touch of surprise. "In any case," she continued, "this mission was not authorized. Indeed, your vessel was found absent from the battle line during an engagement with an enemy fleet. Upon inquiry, I discovered that you had deliberately gone AWOL to pursue your unauthorized rescue mission. This is grounds for dismissal, and charges of desertion." "I'm afraid you're wrong, Agent," I said politely. "Only employees can be charged with desertion, and if you will examine our contract, Silvia and I, along with the Variga, are independent contractors, and not subject to most disciplinary actions." "Correct." Ragen lapsed into silence. I watched. She had plainly known that we were not punishable before she came, else she would have argued the point - and backed up her argument with troops. So why was the CEO of all of the Kawashita Group's Andromeda activities here, aboard a hospital ship in orbit over a no-account world on the galactic fringe? "The toxin the torturer used," Raven said, interrupting my musings. "It's a very new design. M.A.N.T.I.S. only developed it a few months ago, a by-product of something else. They still haven't properly finished testing it, and obviously that filthy traitor Laszlowe didn't bother giving the pirates the safety information anyway. According to the doctors, the toxin appears to interact heavily with many varieties of stimulants." "Which means?" I had heard the mock casual tone Raven was using many times before, from all manner of people. It was the voice of someone who was carrying bad news, and liked it. "The stimulant used in the torture process appears have to interacted with the torture-enhancing toxin, leading to permanent neural scarring. In short, the effect is permanent." "I beg your pardon? Does the Kawashita Group not have the technology to repair neural damage? Is it not, in fact, the selfsame device in which my wife is currently being recuperated?" My voice was tightly controlled, and I spoke through almost-clenched teeth. "So it does, so it does. But that level of therapy is reserved for employees only." I boiled over. "What?!" I reached for a gun, then remembered that I had been disarmed before being admitted. "You know exactly what I've already done to bring Silvia this far. And now you tell me that nothing will be done to help her? Do you really think that's wise?" I hissed. Agent Raven fixed me with an icy glare. "Don't threaten me, ever, pirate. This once, I'll overlook it." She stepped away from the window. "As a matter of fact, something can be done." "The other corporations no longer pose an existential threat to the Kawashita Group," Raven said briskly. "Octan and M.A.N.T.I.S. are too involved in their own troubles to hinder us; we have all grown to the point where the damage of war would take another year to repair. The battlefield has changed. "We must now confront the forces of organized crime. Slavery, that most vile of all crimes, plagues our neighbors, and it is only a matter of time until its creeping touch is felt on our own worlds. Piracy leeches at the trade routes so newly established, and cuts our profits nearly by half in some systems. Corruption threatens to topple corporations from within, and gang violence is already acting to destabilize the civilian populations so newly planted in this galaxy." "A grand speech," I said acidly. "What do you suggest I do about it?" "The fleet of this company is strongly oriented toward conventional action - occupation, invasion, and large-scale interfleet engagement. Our commanders are trained for this, and our warships are designed with this mission in mind. We lack an effective pirate-hunting force. "For this, a unique skillset is needed. One must have personal experience with organized crime - preferably from the inside, the better to root it out. One must command a team experienced in shipboard and close-quarters fighting, in order to detain and recapture as much as possible and effectively rescue prisoners. And one must have access to a small vessel, capable of intercepting enemy craft, disabling fight-or-flight mechanisms, and moving to board." "What does this have to do with Silvia?" I asked tightly. "I want to you lead an anti-piracy task force. It's mission will be to eliminate and discourage acts of organized crime, acting either in support of the fleet or alone as needed." "But..." There was going to be a catch. "You will sign a revised contract. From now on, your are an employee, assigned to the first branch of the Andromeda Division of the Kawashita Group. You will take orders from the First Branch Executive and myself, and you have a zanpolit aboard to ensure that you do. In exchange, I will personally authorized full neural recovery treatment for Silvia Kramer." I pondered for a moment. Piracy must truly be eating at the company's bottom line if the most famous pirate hunter in the Kawashita Group, known even back in the Milky Way for her infiltration and elimination of the Dust Demons less than a year ago, was coming to me to solve the problem. As far as the contract was concerned, there was no question. I would have sold my sold my soul to Lord Business himself if that was what it took to help Silvia. "Done." I signed the contract and handed it back. Raven left without a word. So, we were employees now. It was worth it, I knew, but what had we given up? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, yeah. I probably should have checked a couple of weeks ago to see if I had any of the parts required to build Agent Raven. Nope. I hope this simple imitation will suffice. Finally back from finals! Hooray!
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Tags: Exploration, Land Vehicle, Science Jedadiah Douglass, signing in from the planet of Greater Drigo... Hmph. I will never understand what those headquaters were thinking when they decided to drop me off on Great DRigo with a boat! Water planet! Ha! Very funny... Oh well, I happen to be an explorer, so let's see what we can find here abouts. Hey look! So maybe there is a tiny bit of water on this planet! I should take a picture of this just to show them how much water is here. Pff. Oppsy. Well, I hope Guy's camera was water-proof... Uh-oh, what's that noise? Ya!! Ok, maybe that's what the boat's for. They could have warned me, ha! Well, well, look there! It's Guy's camera again! And look, a duck! I mean, what, a duck?! Here? Doesn't this boat go a little faster?! Oh no, the camera! Sorry Guy!... The boat by itself: Ha, ha! This build was quite a bit of fun! Credit goes to Kai for taking the video and some of the pics for me - unfortunately I don't have four arms like my name's sake! Ha, ha! Thanks for viewing, C&C are welcome!
