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Shobuda entered the building slowly, brushing past the creepers and vines near the garden entrance. "Otousama," he called. "Otousama, are you at home?" "Yes," came the reply, "I am over here, tending to the anthynia. I found some kuwagata larvae destroying the roots, and I..." The older man broke off as he stood and saw the young officer before him. "Why, Shobu-kun, have you been promoted?" Shobuda beamed. "Yes, father. I am a captain now." The older man smiled as the young man continued, "and we are going back! At long last!" The older man's smile faded instantly. "Going back? But...why? W-w-when?" "Reports have come in saying the zone is safe. Our departure date has not been announced, but Octan is already preparing. Our forces have been commanded to be ready at a moment's notice. Your presence in Kawashita's science branch would mean much toward discovering new species and..." He trailed off, as the older man turned away wordlessly, squatting to perch himself at the edge of the small fountain in the center of the greenhouse. "Are you not proud?" Shobuda asked. "I am proud, but my pride is overshadowed by worry." "You need not worry! The Kawashita High Command has assured us..." "And that is my worry!" The younger man stood in surprised silence, interrupted only when the older man asked, "for what noble deed did they advance your rank, musuko? For bravery and honor in conflict and battle?" "...Yes," Shobuda started, beaming again despite himself. "What conflict? What battle?" Came the retort. His question answered by his son's resumed silence, the old man continued. "There has been no conflict since the Gates were locked, and armed competition has been outlawed in this solar system. Why reward you now when the conflict has been over for months?" Again, the younger man remained silent, his proud grin becoming replaced with an angry scowl. "I presume many of your compatriots have also been promoted?" Shobuda gave a sharp nod. "The danger is real my son. Not danger of war, of sabotage, or of any human creation, but of greed. I believe you worthy of your promotion, Shobu-kun, but I do not believe your superiors would grant it to you upon merit. I see that they would rather buy your allegiance, that they may use you to enrich themselves." Incensed, Shobuda stood unflinching. His father slowly turned to face him, and when their eyes met, Shobuda could take it no longer. "You are an old man, and know nothing!" he cried. "The world has changed much since your time! You will sit idly by and watch, with your old ways, while I will inherit a new future!" "My son, please reconsider..." "No. I am going. I will prove myself and you will see! You stay here and waste away, I have worlds and riches before me!" Cursing under his breath, Shobuda turned and stormed out through the arbor. The older man sat silently, sadly, for several minutes. When he came to himself, he stood up wearily and returned to his work, collecting the kuwagata grubs in a basket. He had a game of Go in the afternoon, against an old ex-marine friend from Mantis. He would be delighted at the gift. C&C always welcome. Here are a few fig-less shots:
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Location: F03 (Forring) Tags: Military Building (prison) As Jex was guided down to B Sector of the MSS Strata, she wondered what the claim ticket could be for? The claims agent said it wasn't what she expected. She couldn't puzzle this one out. Looking around, she guessed that B must be on the other side of the prison compound--she recognized the slavers Agent Blond had caught that she had read about. One of them tried to reach through the energy barrier and got himself shocked, while the other made rude gestures. Why would they build the ship so you had to go through the prison? It just didn't make sense. "Here we are," said the guard. "B Sector, cell 68. Ms. DuBois, meet prisoner #C04-k2." "Wait...what?" **************** I'll try to add links in to refer back to other stories, since this post ties together a lot of loose threads. More photos below, C&C welcome!
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Location: F03 (Forring) Tags: none Another week that's story-heavy despite being light on build. Enjoy! **************** After weeks of searching, Jex was no closer to finding Scorpio's sister than she had been at the funeral. She had to make sure that his remaining belongings reached his next of kin. It only amounted to a few books and journals, along with some claim tickets for some things still in MANTIS' possession, but in Jex's mind they weren't legally hers, and she sure as heck didn't want them, anyway. Because she was technically still on medical leave, Jex was able to go anywhere in Andromeda that was currently under MANTIS' control; her search had led her through several gate jumps to here, Forring. She was after the MSS Strata, a supply ship that was engaged in an operation in Forring's atmosphere. MANTIS supply ships were versatile, designed to reinforce a number of possible MANTIS operations in any circumstance, including mining, spying, piracy, troop and material transport, and war. Jex wasn't exactly sure what she would be finding here, but one of Scorpio's claim tickets stated that he had a possession that was currently held aboard the Strata. Maybe whatever it was would hold the clue to help her continue her search. After some asking around, she found the claims desk--or at least, the closest thing to it. "I am here to redeem this claim stub, and pick up whatever it is for. Says here the location is MSS Strata B68 #P-C04-k2." Minifig(s) on a Plate. by rodiziorobs, on Flickr "B68, you say?" "Yes, #P-C04-k2. Do you have it?" "Yeah, lady, but if it's down in B-block then it ain't what you seem to think it is. That ain't no normal claim stub you got there." "What do you mean?" "Come down with me and see for yourself. We'll have to call them to let them know we're coming..." (...to be continued...) **************** I should have done this earlier, but I got a new photo setup. Bought a Daylight LED and poster board at WalMart for less than $5. I always thought it would be so much more expensive, which is why I put it off The above photo hasn't been altered at all. C&C welcome.
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Presenting Lucha Verde, competitor for the Mech Wrestling event, representing MANTIS. AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Controlled by former two-time Robo-Force champion Anne Galloway, Lucha Verde is a middle-weight class mech, designed for quick, destructive punch-outs. Although not very quick on its feet, it has a very stable stance based on its large footprint and can turn about easily in one spot. AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Furthermore, it is equipped with medium-grade (as per regulations) gravitic dampeners at its heel to help dig in when on a rally against its opponents. AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Each arm is also equipped with rockets at the elbow to help accelerate its fists when delivering a crushing blow, and each armored arm also has a large shield at the back of the fist, for both defense and striking. AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr The frame encompasses a 20x20 square: AG Olympics - Cat A by rodiziorobs, on Flickr **************** This is the first mech I've actually ever built, so feedback is very appreciated!
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Big Sal calls Scorpio for a meeting... I've got a bad feeling about this... Starstriker! Come in! Am I in trouble? My last spying mission went pretty good! I mean, I forgot to add the vehicle tag, but... No Scorpio, you're not in trouble. Well, you might be. You'd have to talk to one of MANTIS' accountants to find out how badly you've screwed stuff up. No, I called you in to give you a science mission. Oh. Not in trouble, then. Well that's good. It gets better. We even have a budget approved for it! Great! So what is it? We need you to research and build an Amplified Radar station. Oh, ok. I think I can do that. Well good, because I don't! I mean, I don't want to keep you any longer. Run along! Whew. I'll keep my fingers crossed on that one. Good thing we have double the budget needed, so we can fix everything after Starstriker screws it all up. Later.... Status report from Starstriker, S. Do you wish to download? YES NO Work completed, Amplified Radar achieved! Well, looks like Starstriker finished something! And in record time! View attached images? YES NO Wonderful! It looks like a very large building! ...and if you look here, one of the features of this radar station is... What the #%!? It's tiny! What kind of lazy idiot is he? CLAPPIE, reply to Starstriker that we need an Amplified Radar that will actually amplify! Even later... Status report from Starstriker, S. Do you wish to download? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES! #%*$*! CLAPPIE! YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO #$&%*! Computer, download the latest status report from Starstriker, and shut down CLAPPIE. No, actually, uninstall CLAPPIE. Rebooting CLAPPIE. #%*&$! Downloading images. Now that's more like it! He actually did something right! Amplified Radar achieved! Out of Character:
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Location: E03 (Ertauq) Tags: Spying After scouting for the secret Octan base on Jurin II, Scorpio made a rendezvous with the MANTIS fleet in the neighboring planet's sector, Ertauq. He was finally going to close the chapter on that mysterious prisoner from months before. **************** It's about time Starstriker. Come on, let's go. We'll use the secure interrogation room. Since she managed to completely disarm one of our own agents, we have classified her as dangerous. Dangerous? I thought it turned out that the operative she took down was actually a Kawashita spy, something none of our own agents had discovered! That is immaterial, Starstriker. She is a threat and we must treat her accordingly. If I recall, your report stated that you thought she seemed familiar to you. She did seem familiar, but in a very distant way. I am not sure I have ever actually seen her before. I have tried since then to figure out where I might know her from, but I don't know. Well, have you thought that maybe you are familiar to her as well? Perhaps she has a grudge against you, and only wanted you here to try and find a way to kill you! As happy as that would make me, we can't have that kind of situation on our hands. Ah, here we are. **************** Prisoner No. 108457, in exchange for your cooperation in this interrogation, we have complied with your request and brought your original captor, S. Starstriker, to be present here today. Finally. Let's get on with your stupid interrogation. Urm, uh, right then. We will begin. What was your position at Octan? I never worked for Octan. I was on a long-term assignment from Kawashita to infiltrate Octan. Kawashita? So that's how you recognized and apprehended the spy in our midst. What was the nature of your mission there at Octan? My job was to go undercover and try and learn the secrets of Octan's high security coffee machine production. I broke into the Octan facility on Ertauq... ...swiped a key card... ...stole an operative's identity... ...and attempted to get myself promoted to upper-level permissions. However, I wasn't able to gain sufficient clearance for the coffee machine project, so Kawashita assigned me to infiltrate the missile defense and WMD research programs instead. ... ... What? Uh nothing. We'll follow up on the specifics of your mission later. The Kawashita spy you exposed here at MANTIS? I assume you had to stop her before she killed you, Kawashita didn't want you divulging any secrets? Yeah, Agent Sega was afraid I was going to spill my guts. Glory and honor and all that nonsense. She and I had trained under Agent Raven. Sega always bought into that kind of crap more than I did. For her, Kawashita was a way of life. And you? For me it was a paycheck. I have seen enough dishonor that it's hard for me to believe in any of it any more. Your boy Scorpio could probably tell you more about that, though. Huh? You still can't tell who I am? Figures. You always were dumb like that. You must have got that from dad, he was a moron, too. What the..? Arsenica? **************** Arsenica is a character I had been meaning to properly introduce since way back before I even officially joined AG, but for one reason or another it just never happened until now. Sorry for the lack of balance between story and build this week--lots to read, less to see. Sometimes that's just how it goes.
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Location: E02 (Jurin II) Tags: Spying, Water Vehicle Previously, Supervising Accountant Laszlowe and Scorpio were interrogating a prisoner taken by MANTIS long ago, when Scorpio made a startling discovery. **************** Lots of story below, build at the very bottom **************** Onboard the MANTIS ship, still in Ertauq's atmosphere... Arsenica?! How...? Where...? I thought you were dead. Dead, huh? Would that have helped you sleep better at night? All those years I looked up to you, relied on you, and then... ...I'm going to, uh...get a bite to eat...yeah, some larvae. Anyone else? No. Great, I'll just uh...see myself out... You left. Of course I left! You know how I couldn't stand it at home, with the drunken rage and all that. The academy was the only chance I had to escape. Yet you left me there! Do you think I wanted to stay? I hated living with him as much as you did! Whatever. If he ever happened to be sober all he could do was go on and on about how perfect you were! I don't think he ever even hit you... Shut up! You have no idea how much hell I had to endure after you left! ... No idea... That scar...you never had that before. He did that, didn't he. Yeah. ... The academy may have been your ticket out, but you were supposed to be mine. You told me so! We made plans of getting out, of getting on without him looming over us! You would go off to school and take me with you. And then you left... Arsenica... look, I'm really... You know what, Scorpio, I don't even care any more. I don't even care. I don't need your apology. ... I'm not the same little girl you grew up with. I've had to grow up myself. In fact I don't blame you for not recognizing me sooner. The night he gave me this I ran away. Ran away and never looked back. I had to learn to take care of myself the best I could. To lie, cheat, and steal, I even joined a band of pirates for awhile, but you know what? When it comes right down to it I'm glad for it. I just wish you hadn't abandoned me. I suppose that's one thing I picked up from training with Kawashita: even though the glory and honor crap never meant much to me, Raven helped me learn the value of loyalty. Look Arsenica, I never... **************** Scorpio, you have an urgent message from CEO SpacerSteve. Leave this to me, I'll handle the interrogation from here. Right now? But I can't leave! You have to--apparently this is another one of those missions that just can't wait. Don't worry, she'll be locked safely behind these same bars when you get back. You're not going to let her out?! Of course not. She is a dangerous prisoner! She is my sister! And, must I remind you, a Kawa spy! But... No more protests! Just go do this stupid mission and try not to get yourself killed! **************** You are clever, I'll give you that. You almost had me convinced to set you free. ...what? how did you..? You don't think I would actually leave this whole interrogation up to that incompetent ninny, did you? I have been listening the whole time. Don't think I missed that bit about your loyalty! Raven invests a lot in her agents, and I highly doubt you would turn your back on her so easily! ... I know I am right. You think so, but you're wrong. Even though I have spent years hating him, we are still family. Besides, Kawashita tried to have me killed, remember? But he did leave you behind, so where does your loyalty lie? With him and M.A.N.T.I.S.? or with Raven and the Kawas? ... Tell me! ... Ha! You talk big about how much you don't believe in Honor, yet you can't bring yourself to speak even a word against your old master because of your loyalty. I give you credit for that. Guards, take her back to cellblock B! **************** You have an urgent mission for me, sir? Uh...what, no. Oh. Laszlowe said... Oh well, since you're already here I guess we could use you for phase one of the operation down on Jurin II. Ok. Just tell me what to do...and exactly how to do it. We need you to do something involving gathering information about another faction, hacking their computers, or sabotaging their equipment. Oh, and if you could use a land vehicle in a significant way that would be a huge plus. Can do. Oh, and Scorpio? Sir? Try not to get killed out there, okay? **************** Later, on Jurin II... So what are we supposed to do, again? Use this water vehicle to spy on Octan. They have a refueling station built on a platform out here in the ocean, and SpacerSteve has been tracking two Penetrator-class vessels, but they dropped out of orbit. We figure they are coming to refuel here, so we wait for them until they take off and then give him the signal. That should give him just enough time to intercept them as they break free of Jurin II's atmosphere. Coordinates up ahead, we should be getting close. There it is! So now we just wait here for these ships to show up? What if someone spots us and tries to attack us? This boat doesn't have much firepower... We'll be fine. In a few minutes the ships will show up, take off, and we'll be on our way back to base. What are you doing? Texting? I thought I'd write a message while we're waiting. Message? Message for what? A message for...oh wait! There they are! We have visual on the Penetrators, they should be docking soon. The ships are docked and refueling now. Only another couple of minutes... The Octan ships are away, and headed back up to orbit. They are all yours, SpacerSteve! **************** C&C Welcome, more photos below. 2016-01-31_02-57-16 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 32 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
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Location: E02 (Jurin II) Tags: Water vehicle Entries from the last two weeks: The End, Pt. II: Hunted The End, Pt. I: Spying **************** Made it, and in one piece! But...now where are we? Nav system is recalibrating...hmmm. That's odd... What? I'm picking up a lot signals on the scanner, but I don't see anything out here...not a ship in sight. They're not submarines, are they..?! No, the signals are too weak to be any kind of a ship...it must be... Oh no! Kill the engines! What's wrong? We're in the middle of a minefield. That's what all these signals are! AG week 34 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr That explains why Octan stopped chasing us. I'll try to raise HQ on the radio, see if they can redirect the rendezvous to airlift us directly from here. Sounds good. Meanwhile I'll take the controls and see if I can steer us around these things. No Scorpio don't touch that! AG week 34 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr **************** All builds this week are new, C&C welcome!
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Location: Jurin II Tags: Spying, Water vehicle (skimmer) Scorpio and Jex had just finished a mission on Jurin II when suddenly... Uh oh, Scorpio! Looks like we've been found! There is a signature locked on us and it's closing in fast! Rats! Get us out of here! Are they jamming our signals? CAM02024 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr No! Then I'll jam theirs. Just let me hack into their system... CAM02025 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Control, this is Skimmer One. I have a lock on the MANTIS boat, preparing to engage AG week 33 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Oh no! My controls are jammed! I can't fire any more, but I'll keep a close distance, see if I can't scare them away! AG week 33 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr That should do it! Looks like we lost them... Control, I am disengaging. Looks like I chased them into the minefield, they'll never survive in there... AG week 33 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Short story this week! C&C welcome! EDIT: I should clarify that the MANTIS boat is recycled from last week (with a few minor tweaks), just the Octan skimmer is new. The skimmer is loosely based off of set 6562. It started out a little closer in design than the final product might suggest...
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Location: F02 (Lesser Drigo) Tags: Spying, Land Vehicle I’ll be at my destination in about 3 minutes, Scroggins. How you comin’ up there? Easy, Anders, I just got my tether secured. You’ve got 3 minutes then, to get those updates installed so we can start the calibration. MANTIS isn’t going to give us all day, you know. Besides, I’m dying down here, it’s so hot! No problem, Anders, I’ve already got the new filters in, now I just have to wait for it to reboot. Who knew that the atmospheric conditions around Lesser Drigo would mess with the algorithms Starstriker built into the Amplified Radar? Once we get this calibrated to the planet’s conditions, we should be able to keep tabs on Octan’s every move. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I didn’t sign up for a science lecture, okay? I wanted to learn to be a spy, that’s why I signed up for the Spydar™ program. Instead they got me drivin’ around in the friggin’ desert listening to Mr. Wizard here. Didn’t they tell you the Spydar™ program was maintenance of the radar programs we’ve put up all over Andromeda? Besides, work for MANTIS long enough, and you’ll be a spy yet. Seems like everybody lately has been… Save it, Scroggins. Geesh. I’m here, just let me put up the dish and we can get this calibration over with. Gaaah, it’s so hot… Ready when you are. Okay, calibration starting…got infrared online, thermal coming on…Hang on. It says it’s waiting. Yeah, just push through all the prompts, it should resume. Got it. All righty, Scroggins, looks like we’re through here, I’ve got visuals on everything…Wow who knew Octan had so much going on down here. And why? It’s so friggin’ hot on this blasted planet. They better have a Maggot-rita© ready for me when I get back to base… Good work, Anders, good work. Hey did I tell you I met Starstriker once? I wonder what sort of daring mission he is up to now... Enough already about your hero Starstinker, Scroggins. Or whatever his name is. See you ship-side. ***************** C&C Welcome!
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Location: B08 Tags: Vehicle, Land Vehicle After Scorpio had successfully planted mines in the outer limits of M.A.N.T.I.S. controlled space, he was sent to Greater Direstan. He wasn't sure exactly what his mission was, but for some reason he had to drive a vehicle of some kind. Apparently this was of the greater good to M.A.N.T.I.S., and who was Scorpio to complain? His D.O.R.I.S. had malfunctioned in the previous week, causing him to not send in a report. As a result, he got to cruise around for part of this mission without it. He was driving M.A.N.T.I.S. Amphibious Terrain Navigation and Intelligence Speeder, or M.A.T.N.I.S. for short. Scorpio guessed that its designer had intended for the acronym to spell "M.A.N.T.I.S.", but was less than skilled at designing acronyms. Scorpio had been under impression that the corporation did a better job screening for these kinds of things, and decided that an accountant must have intervened at some point in the naming process. Week 19 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Week 19 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Despite its nomenclatural shortcomings, the vehicle itself was a pleasure to drive, with its twin pontoons and jet-powered propellors, it skimmed swiftly over the water, yet could easily move onto ground. If only the designer had taken things like trees into account... Week 19 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr More pics in the spoiler, C&C welcome!
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*Title should be [M - E11] Location: E11 Tags: Science, Vehicle (Land Vehicle) Once again, Scorpio was summoned to Supervising Accountant Laszlowe’s office. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. (*I have used this scenario before but hadn’t finished building it, so although Scorpio has been here before this is the first we are seeing of it*) “Please, come in Mr. Starstriker. I have some pleasant news for you…” “Yeah, right,” Scorpio thought. “First, we are willing to overlook your brief unauthorized science excursion a few weeks ago, given that it was at the request of CEO Sal. Also, because we took some small satisfaction in his comment about your work...” “Which was?” Scorpio inquired. “Disappointing. He added that he almost made you walk home, but was too busy with yet another mishap to worry much about it.” Scorpio sighed. “The good news is that it appears that you have worked away your debt to M.A.N.T.I.S. at an alarming rate. At this point you would be off probation and back on to your regular duties, including Science and Spying.” “But…what’s the catch?” asked Scorpio. An evil smirk came over Supervising Accountant Laszlowe’s face. “You managed to log hours in so fast that we at Accounting find it hard to believe.” “You think I have been stealing hours?” Suddenly Supervising Accountant Laszlowe was standing on his desk. “YES! And we’re going to catch you you sneaky little thief! You were not even stealthy with that Spying Outfit we bought you! How did you expect to get away with this??!!!!” “Ahem,” he continued. “To ensure the accuracy of all M.A.N.T.I.S. records we are assigning you a Drone Of Really Irritating Supervision.” “You’re giving me a D.O.R.I.S.? Are you kidding me?!” “This D.O.R.I.S. will accompany you at all times to ensure your integrity. If it can affirm that you are indeed working as you say you are, then it will dismissed. Speaking of dismissed, it is time for you to leave.” “But…” Scorpio began. “NOW!” ************** Well, at least (once again) Scorpio was allowed to resume Science-ing duties. For the time being, at least. M.A.N.T.I.S. had pushed to the outer limit of Kawashita territory, and was about to enter Octan gate-space. A memo had been sent out to all personnel to engage in border protection as they began to fortify the southern M.A.N.T.I.S-Octan line. Scorpio was assigned to the Fascini Cluster in sector E11, a tight nexus of asteroids which Octan would have to pass through in order to enter M.A.N.T.I.S.-occupied space. In his lab aboard the Sal-class Science vessel, Scorpio designed a kind of mine that would communicate with approaching vessels. If they did not return the communication, it would trigger the mine and detonate the ship. This meant that any ship not returning M.A.N.T.I.S. communications would be targeted. Since Scorpio knew Octan had a fear of scorpions, he designed it with that shape in mind. Just then, his pilot Jex came in. Scorpio had worked with her previously, during the initial threat from the alien fleets at the center of Andromeda. “Scorpio, you ready? I hear we’re headed down to work on some asteroids.” “Yes,” Scorpio responded. “I have just finished the last of the Scorpio bombs, and…” “Scorpio bombs? How egocentric are you?” Jex interrupted. “Well, I uh...you see, they are shaped like scorpions…” “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s just get them loaded up. Is that D.O.R.I.S. yours? Oh man, that’s too funny! We’ll take the Panther, if that’s okay.” “Doesn’t that only have room for one?” Scorpio asked. “Yup.” Scorpio sighed. ************** Planting the mines went off without a hitch…except that because there was only room for one, Scorpio had to be tethered to the Panther, with his D.O.R.I.S. in tow. The Panther had four omni-directional thrusters for maximum maneuverability, but even in zero-G they only supplied just enough power to hop from one asteroid to the next. In order to keep a close-but-not-too close proximity to the asteroid surface, it was equipped with the same adjustable-gravity technology Scorpio had used in spy training. “That’s the last of them, Jex, let’s head back home. Any chance I could ride in the cargo area?” But Jex had already positioned the thrusters to set a slow burn back to the science vessel. He wondered if having him towed home from an asteroid had been Sal’s idea… A few more pictures of the lab and ‘scorpio bombs’ under the spoiler. C&C welcome!
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(This first picture is for the polling image, but it is repeated as a part of the story below, where indicated.) Simian genocide by rodiziorobs, on Flickr The tale I am about to tell you is one of absolute horror, of completely unthinkable cruelty. "Is the trap set, Stevens?" "Aye, cap'n. 'Tis ready." "How long must we wait?" "Won' be long now, cap'n. 'N keep your voice down, don' want to scare the lit'l blighter off." "You are certain this is the last of them?" "Yes sir, quite certain. 'Been trackin' him for days. He's all that's left." Suddenly they saw the poor creature up ahead in the clearing. "Ok, keep quiet now, here he comes!" Stevens urged. The beast approached swiftly, yet with caution all the same; nothing was more suspicious than food left so easily in the open. At the same time, nothing was so readily accepted. He crept closer and closer still. Now the prize was almost within reach. "Shoot him, Stevens! Don't let him get away!" "Shhhh! Not yet!" The beast stopped. Had it heard something? Stevens wasn't sure, but he couldn't let this moment pass. He sprang from the underbrush, pistol in hand, the captain close behind. A single report rang out from the barrel, a single report to let him know he had hit his mark. (Same picture as polling image posted above) "Well done, Stevens." "Thank you, sir. It was my utmost pleasure." "Well now the real cruelty can begin. Gabby? Gabby!" Gabriel came up from behind, lugging a heavy cage through the tall grass. "Here, sir! I heard the shot and must say, I never thought me eyes would see this marvelously horrible day!" "Yes, that's enough now Gabby. The time has come!" "On yer word, sir." "Unleash the horrors!" "Aye, cap'n!" And with that, Gabby unlocked the cage and set free upon the world some of the most vile creatures imaginable, with the earth never more to see the sweet innocent race the captain had just wiped from its face. And that, children, is why you never get monkeys in your LEGO© sets anymore. ***************************************************** Both of these vignettes are part of my 16x16 entry, built together on the same plate: Simian genocide by rodiziorobs, on Flickr There is some overhang from the palm tree nearest the corner. Plenty more pictures on my Flickr album!
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Location: Jarin II (E02) Tags: spying It seemed like weeks--no, months--since Scorpio had last had a chance to do some real science. He was a scientist, after all, but M.A.N.T.I.S. and the Man Upstairs kept sending him on these spying missions. Even over Laszlowe's protests, here he was on Jarin II, conducting yet another spy job. He was sure all this spying would be the death of him. He was cruising low over Jarin's surface, skimming near some swampy islands. The Waterbug he was driving was not as fast as it looked, meaning he didn't stir up the water much as he went across it. This was good, because he was trying to listen hard for signs of a secret Octan base in the vicinity. Satellite imagery had caught traces of ships coming and going, but could not detect any signs on the ground. Suddenly he heard something over the scanner: "You want a cookie?" a man asked. "No way, man, I am so sick of cookies." another replied. "Suit youseff." came the response, through a mouthful of what was evidently cookie. Scorpio brought the engine down low and kept listening. "You know what else I am sick of? You sitting on your butt while I'm doing all the work here. Give me a hand with these lights, will ya? We were supposed to have them down 2 days ago" "Mmmf mm hmm hmm." The scanners had locked on to the direction of the conversation, and Scorpio began to move in slowly, coming over the edge of a grassy island until he could see the men in question. He secured the channel to the local M.A.N.T.I.S. HQ and called the incident in. "H.Q. this is Starstriker,I've found the location of our mystery base." "You can see the base? You have visual confirmation?" "Negative on the base; however I have visual on two Octan personnel with no transport in site. Looks like they must have walked here, and my scanners are picking up some indistinct signatures in the area. The base may be underground." "Excellent work, Starstriker. Have the Octans spotted you? What are they doing?" "Looks like they are taking down their Christmas decorations." "What? Ha! We put ours away two days ago! Ok, Starstriker, stay hidden and maintain surveillance. See if you can follow their moves back to their hidden base. We'll mark the location and put together a special ops team to infiltrate. Any thing else to add to the report for now?" "Just one thing, H.Q." "What's that?" "Happy New Year." AG New Year by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
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Location: C06, Hyreal Tags: Spying As he embarked upon what was to be his latest adventure, M. Scorpio Starstriker, esq. reflected on the completion of his most recent expedition. Which is to say, he reflected on that part which he knew about. Mme. DuBois--although she preferred the more colloquial appellation "JEX"--had recounted to him the strange creature they had encountered, and how the beast had resuscitated Scorpio after his fall. However, the beast's premonition about his impending demise was still unknown to Scorpio; Jex had not found the courage to tell him. Blissfully unaware, Scorpio marched across the field to where he was to rendezvous with Scroggins, the mechanic charged with preparing his flying machine. Blissfully, of course, until he heard behind him a familiar voice: the nasally squeaky voice of M. Laszlowe, Head of Supervisory Accountancy at MANTIS & Co. "M. Starstriker, I must protest this mission! You have yet to complete your papers for the last disaster you caused a fortnight ago! Not to mention the development we have had with the prisoner in cellblock B!" Scorpio ignored Laszlowe's outbursts until mention of the prisoner. He turned abruptly and asked, "What development?" "She has said she is willing to talk, but only to you. And but two days ago we caught her outside her cell, somehow armed and assaulting one of our own guards. She did not attack any other of our personnel, insisting that the guard in question was actually a Kawa operative." "Where is the prisoner now? And the guard?" "The guard is still under investigation. The prisoner has been transferred to maximum security." "Ah. Well then, M. Laszlowe, it can wait until after this mission." "No, It cannot, M. Starstr..." But Laszlowe was cut short as Scorpio began walking again toward his destination. "I was to arrive at five to noon, and you have already detained me too long," called Scorpio over his shoulder. "Get back here right now!" But Scorpio kept walking, with Laszlowe struggling to keep up. "Is she ready, Scroggins?" "Aye, M. Starstriker. Lit the igniter about two hours ago, and now the envelope is filled." "Right on time, Scroggins, as usual." Laszlowe chimed in again, "M. Starstriker, I am putting my foot down!" "Then go put it down somewhere else! I have my instructions straight from the CEO and Mr. Cor himself, that all spying operatives are to commence a mission at once on this globe." "And what is the nature of this mission, M. Starstriker?" This was said not by Laszlowe, who had stormed off, but by none other than Mme. DuBois--Jex. "I cannot say too much, my dear, but it would appear that one of the Kawa operatives that MANTIS has been tracking has suddenly gone missing, and they want airborne surveillance to try and track him. I am to do my best to spy him out from the heavens, but that is all I can say." "Oh, but do say you'll take me with you!" This time Scroggins had the answer: "I'm sorry, Miss, but the envelope is calibrated to only carry a certain amount of weight, otherwise the flying machine will never make it off the ground. Begging your pardon of course, Miss. You can certainly watch." "Hmpf. They won't let me near the tools, and they won't even let me go up in one! Do they think I don't know how to pilot this flying machine?!" "Well, Jex, you did crash the last contraption they gave you. Maybe it's something personal," chided Scorpio. "You tease. Fine. I will wait for you on the ground then." "Don't forget your MANTIS™ spyglass©, M. Starstriker, " reminded Scroggins. “Darling,”Jex began. “Are you quite sure you are feeling all right? Remember that just a day ago you were on the verge of death!” “Dearest I feel more alive than ever. My body is rejuvenated, my mind—why I can recall things I haven’t in ages! Why, that reminds me of something about the prisoner that I must tell that horrible M. Laszlowe when I return!” “What is it, Scorpio?” “Oh, it’s far too good to spoil here. Remind me to tell you later after I chat with our dear accountant. Ta ta!” And with that, he shut the gate on the basket and commenced lift-off of the flying machine. "Good luck, we'll see you at the end!" Jex called out. "Be careful!" She wanted desperately to tell him about his future that must shortly come to pass, but could not bear it. Surely it would not be today? No, he would be safe at least for this mission. "Why must you stand so far away, Miss? The flying machine is perfectly safe," Scroggins assured her. "It is not the machine I fear for, dear Scroggins, but the operator." **************** More pics below the spoiler: C&C Welcome!
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View the whole Flickr album It's the latest addition to the Winter Village series, the historic Winter Covered Bridge! Build the covered bridge and drive the truck through to cross the icy river (*river not included). There is something for everyone along the country road by the historic covered bridge. Help the two city workers get ready for the holidays as they decorate by hanging wreaths and strings of lights, and by changing the lampposts to festive colors! Join the kids in an epic snowball fight! Or spend time with the romantic couple as they share a walk through the trees and enjoy a box of tasty chocolates! Drive the vintage truck up and down through the covered bridge. Set includes 6 minifigures including two workers, two kids, and romantic couple. Set includes unique lamppost with different color bulbs, park bench, and two different brick-built pine trees. Accessories include a toolbox, box of chocolates, four wreaths, ladder, and a string of Christmas lights. See more by rodiziorobs on Flickr Thanks for looking, comments and criticism welcome! Good luck to all contest entrants!
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Location: B08 (Greater Direstan) Tags: N/A (Previously) Jex and Scorpio had driven their jeep over a cliff. Scorpio was knocked out cold, and Jex had no radio to call for help. Then she heard the sound of footsteps running toward her and, in horror, an eye staring straight at her through the grass… Then the creature emerged from the grass. He wasn’t frightening at all; if anything, he was kinda cute. “Hey there. Easy now, I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name, little fella? Huh? Easy, good boy…” Suddenly a giant hand grabbed Jex and lifted her off the ground! “Who are you!? a terrible voice boomed. Jex turned and saw herself face to face with a horrifying monster. Jex screamed in terror. “Don’t eat me!” she cried. “Ha! I am not going to eat you. I know what you are; I have had your kind before and it gave me terrible indigestion.” Although still panicked, Jex’ terror subsided slightly. She turned her head in his hand to see him more clearly. It continued speaking. “I sense that you are not afraid of me. That is good. Foolish, but good.” Pausing, he turned his head to the side and looked at her again. “You are much the same as the others like you. You”—and at this, he slid one of his long bony fingers along the side of her head—“are more interested in your own good. You neglect others for your own benefit. You…want your friend there to still be alive…not because you care for him, but because you fear what your superiors will say if he dies from your carelessness.” Jex’ mouth dropped open. Embarrassed, she found herself unable to say anything. Her terror began to grow again. “Of course, Jessica—yes, I know your name. I now know much about you. Even more so, perhaps, than you do.” At this, he set her down and leaned himself against a tree in the river bend. “Of course, as a healer, I am honor-bound to do what I can.” At this, Jex was surprised to hear her own voice again. “Who are you?” She asked. The shaggy brown monster sat up and replied, “I am Curupa, shaman of the great Tupiga. I am a practitioner of magical healing and the sworn protector of this land.” Standing up, he continued, “Your species has been a scourge upon me since your arrival here. Although brothers, you war with each other for the right to rob from me and this land. You are all the same, seeking only your own. It sickens me, and every night I hear the trees and the hills sighing the sighs of death that they feel closing in on them. Even at its most barren, the earth is not safe from your pestilence, and you swarm like earwigs upon it.” Jex was rooted to the spot. A part of her felt guilty, the guilt that she knew Curupa was right. Once again, she was embarrassed. “You, however, while much the same…I feel a slight difference. I do not care for your species, especially when you care not even for yourselves. But perhaps there is still hope. I feel this same sentiment in you now. But alas, here I am yammering on when there is a soul in the balance. Come, let us see what we can do for your friend.” “You mean, even though you hate us humans, you will help bring Scorpio back?” Jex asked, mystified, as Curupa scooped her and Scorpio up in his hands. “It is my duty,” he answered. “But, I will make a condition. I do not demand payment normally, but if I have a chance to save more life by doing so, I will. After I heal him, you must take your people and go. Leave this world forever, and never turn back. I have done my duty to protect this land so far, but if I see another of your kind they will know my wrath and my revenge. Do you understand?” “I do,” Jex replied. “Besides, I think most of my kind is already gone from here and has been for weeks.” He stood up to his full height, while the curious green monster from before continued to sniff at Scorpio. “Down, Ophel,” Curupa called. ********** They soon arrived at a small clearing that looked a little more beaten down and lived in than the rest of the forest. Soon Curupa had built a small fire—small even by Jex’ standards, which surprised her given the monster-healer’s enormous size—and was brewing an awful-smelling green potion. “It seems your friend is somewhat accident prone?” Curupa asked. “Yes, he has had a few other mishaps,” Jex replied. “I can tell. Yet there is something else…I have never known anything like it. It is almost as if his soul is fractured. Like there is a part of him that is not a part of him, or has broken off. Perhaps it is floating out there in the void, or perhaps it was stolen from him, but he seems incomplete. On top of that, I feel that although I will save his life now, there is an omen upon him; he will not live much longer anyway. Death has put its claim on him, and it will come soon. It is the same as with the life here before the arrival of your kind; death is not here yet, but it approaches. Ophel, come.” Jex shuddered at Curupa's last words. Could it be so? Curupa leaned Scorpio’s body up against the creature’s long green trunk. “Take this, and spoon a little into his mouth and hair. I will have Ophel carry you back to your people before you go. He will revive consciousness within the next day or so.” “Why his hair?” Jex asked. “Because you probably won’t be able to get enough inside of him to do the whole trick, but the smell should get to him eventually and wake him the rest of the way up.” ********* MEANWHILE… Somewhere in Kawashita space, Commander Konami sat at his console. Suddenly, a message flashed on his screen and he accepted it. “Code secure, Agent Sega. What has happened? You had orders for strict radio silence until your scheduled report. Is your cover blown?” “No sir, but I have urgent news that requires immediate attention. Target Atari may be compromised, sir. I have received confirmation from M.A.N.T.I.S. accountancy personnel that suggests this.” “What do you mean, compromised? Her identity as a Kawa agent surely has not been revealed? I understood M.A.N.T.I.S. was still under the assumption she was an Octan agent? Especially when our own troops did not recognize her?” “Her identity is secure, however, she has agreed to talk. Security clearance SCORPIO, by the sounds of it. At least, that must be the code name.” “After all this time, M.A.N.T.I.S. intelligence still manages to perplex us. Well, if she is going to talk, we don’t know what she might say.” “What are your orders, sir?” “I will send an extraction team immediately. Find a way to release her, and we will rendezvous with you both in 14 hours. Use any force necessary, but only as a last resort. “What if extraction of Atari is impossible sir?” “Then terminate her and we’ll get you out. Better dead than dishonored. Understood?” “Understood, sir.” ********** “Agent Atari, step aside. I’m going to get you out of there.” “What?” “Kawashita extraction team will be here in less than 30 minutes, and we’re going to be on it. You’ve spent enough time in this M.A.N.T.I.S. cell already, and Fleet control is anxious to hear your report of both Octan and M.A.N.T.I.S. intelligence operations. Your honorable resilience under pressure will bring you rewards of glory in the halls of Orinishi. Come.” “I can’t. I can’t tell you why, but I must stay here.” “I understand you feel duty-bound to complete your mission, but it is over now. Konami himself has authorized your extraction, and with my cover blown now the time to act is this minute.” Agent Sega blasted the glass, turned to leave, and beckoned for Agent Atari to follow. “I said, I can’t.” “Then I have been given orders to not allow you to dishonor yourself by revealing your secrets to the enemy.” Sega aimed her weapon to fire, but Atari was too fast. She spun through the air and wrestled Sega to the ground, wrenching the weapon from her. “Relax, Sega. I do not want to kill you, but if you think you are going to terminate me then you can rest easy knowing your death will come honorably at the hand of your enemy…” TO BE CONTINUED… Builder’s notes: Judges! The only new build this week (besides Commander Konami’s console) is the monster-healer Curupa; all other builds are recycled and should not be counted for this week’s score! More notes under the spoiler:
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Location: F04 (Terrial Minor Illustria) Tags: Spying Agent Blond's mission against the Zoid slavers had been a complete success. At least, right up until the point he got knocked out. Perhaps "MANTIS' best spy" was a bit of an exaggeration... He awoke and found himself strapped awkwardly to a table. He tried to regain his composure and assess his surroundings for escape, but at that moment one of the Zoids burst through the door. Then, to Blond's horror, the Zoid began taking off his head. Why, he wasn't a Zoid at all! "Good evening, Mr. Blond! I see you are finally awake!" "Who are you? Where am I? Blond inquired. "In our secret base on Illustria! But ah-ha! I already tell you too much. You should not be the one asking questions here, Mr. Blond! That's my job!" "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Blond, I expect you to die!" This was not spoken by the first man, but by a second as he entered the room. Blond could see he also wore a Zoid costume. "So much for our 'secret base' Gib," he added. "Sorry boss," the first fake Zoid replied. As he came in the second man grabbed a controller hanging from the girders above, and with a cruel chuckle pressed the button. Blond felt the room suddenly get noticeably hotter. He looked down towards his feet, and knew he had to act quickly... Although his hands were bound, he was able to reach out his MANTIS™ Death Ray Blaster© Pocket Edition™, and fire a beam at the laser. Nooo! The slavers cried. Blond then shot off his restraints, turned on his captors, and said, "Now, sirs, I believe it is you who will be doing the talking, and unless you cooperate, the dying as well." **************** This was a build I did a couple of weeks ago but missed the posting deadline. It's been on my Flickr for awhile, but never posted anywhere. Been itching to do a Bond reference for awhile C&C welcome! Edit: I got the planet name wrong. It is supposed to be F04, Illustria. That's what I get for using the dynamic map on mobile
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Here is my entry for Category B (Maze control system). MAZE joystick control by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Rather than relying on an etch-a-sketch style control system (in other words, rather than the forward/backward tilt movement and left/right tilt movement being controlled with separate knobs), all movement is controlled by a single joystick. MAZE joystick control by rodiziorobs, on Flickr The joystick is attached to a ball joint mounted pointing upwards, which gives it a wide range of motion. A similar ball joint attaches the maze platform to the base. The movement of the joystick is transferred to the column that supports the maze by two control arms within the housing: one arm controls the left to right movement, and the other controls the movement back and forth. Below is a video clip that explains and demonstrates the function of the control system (clicking the video will take you to Flickr to view it there). These features are also explained in the text below: Video by rodiziorobs, on Flickr MAZE joystick control by rodiziorobs, on Flickr These control arms have a reducing effect on the movement of the maze tilt platform, meaning that large movements of the joystick will only effect small movements on the column. This allows greater control over the tilt of the maze in any direction. The reduction effect works because the control arms are attached very close to the base of the joystick but very close to the top of the maze support column. Moving the joystick moves these control arms a proportionate amount in any horizontal direction. The arms move the same distance for the maze support arm, but because they are farther from the pivot center, the change in angle for the support column is smaller than for the joystick, resulting in a reduced tilt. The housing is decorated with an electric blue and black design with white accents. The knob on the joystick is also the storage for the marble/soccer ball. The maze board design is just the official design used in the LEGO Ideas set, based on the project submitted by Jason Allemann, but redesigned in a fiery lava color scheme (which contrasts nicely with the colors on the base). It is for demonstration purposes only, and not considered part of my entry. In fact, you might have seen it on Andromeda’s Gates recently. (Go MANTIS!) MAZE control box, detached cradle, and maze board by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Thanks for looking over my entry! And thanks to Bob for organizing the contest! Good luck to all participants. More at my Flickr page: rodiziorobs
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Challenge 4 (No Place Like Home) Location: C03 (Torresta) ****** Forgot to put Cat A in the topic title ****** Admitting his own guilt of his crimes against humanity at the MANTIS High Court, former Supervising Accountant Laszlowe had to stand and face his sentencing. Agent Raven of the Kawashita delegation offered several...unique...suggestions for the sentence, but the MANTIS judge insisted that the punishment fit the crime. The nature of Laszlowe's crimes had not been to inflict death, but suffering and enslavement. Therefore, he would not be sentenced to death, but rather a lifetime of hard labor. He was transferred to a remote outpost in the Torrestan deserts, and set to work in the Awesomnium mines with an armed guard around the clock. **************** "Hey down there, Laszy, heard some rumors you've been up to more criminal activity. They say you even sold a secret pain formula to some terrorists." "I have already been committed to my sentence, Private Rannen, and confessed all my guilt! Why do you..." "Eh, as for me I figure that's just giving you way too much credit. You ain't clever enough for anything like that." "..." **************** While MANTIS believes in uncompromised justice, it also believes in the supremacy of mercy; as such, Laszlowe's punishment was not merciless. Upon his arrival at the mines, Laszlowe was given a small syringe with a potent toxin specially formulated to his own DNA but inert to any other being. If he tires of the work, or of Private Rannen's particular brand of humor, Laszlowe holds his own life in his hands. Such an escape--a quick death--his victims would probably be grateful for if it were offered them. It was agreed that this sentence was fair and just, while still offering a measure of mercy, even if the guilty scum deserved none. 50% of the proceeds from the Awesomnium mined by Laszlowe will be donated to Andy's Orphans, a non-profit charity in Andromeda which assists in the rehabilitation of former slaves or the otherwise oppressed, and to defray the costs of relocation and counseling services of the same. Laszlowe's tiny cell is sparsely furnished, with only a bed and a sink inside. The sink is supplied by an external water tank. There also is space outside to hang his tools. The guard station towers over the small prison and surrounding dunes.
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Location: C03 (Torresta) Tags: N/A TL;DR blah blah blah character development blah blah blah Jex' rehabilitation was going quite well. Mentally, she was in keen shape, and physically, she had nearly recovered from her two years of wilderness survival. Emotionally, however, she still had occasional breakdowns, particularly under stressful situations. For that reason, her doctors had recommended she not resume combat missions yet. This was fine with her, as she acknowledged her need for further healing and stability, and felt a little rusty behind the controls. So, she willingly accepted the transfer to Torresta to help train New cadets. Intermediate trainees were sent out to a lava flow in the Torrestan highlands where there were some interesting rock formations. Pilots would race in and out of the towers, and down through the maze of valleys. Jex enjoyed the familiarity of the terrain, as she herself had trained here nearly three years earlier--a funny thought, she realized, since MANTIS had only arrived in Andromeda a little over a year ago. Recovering from a time displacement was definitely going to take some getting used to. She heard about the experiments that Moose and Big Sal's team were doing, trying to understand the GATE anomalies, and hoped they would shed some light on her own experience. Those scientists always seemed so smart, like Scorpio had been. Even though he was kinda dumb sometimes, he was always pretty good at what he did. The funeral was to be held back at the Core, Torresta's capital, in about a week. She had thought about not going, but Dr. Urie said it might give her a little closure to the whole ordeal. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice in her earpiece: "DuBois, you ready? You're all refueled and ready for another dozen tours out there." Jex shook off her thoughts. Time for that later."Yes, I'm ready." "All right. You'll be taking Gareth out this time and it's his first time around the cracks, K? so go easy on him. He's just getting strapped in right now." Jex smiled. Another greenie. Perfect. "You got it." *************** C&C welcome, a few more pics below: *************** My apologies for the low quality photos. It's late so I'm working in less than optimal lighting conditions, and on less than optimal sleep The ships and the race platform The maze layout--yes, a Torrestified 21305--that I will be using as part of my entry for Bob's MAZE contest, but only to demonstrate my Cat B, so don't worry--I didn't disqualify myself.
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I'll add story tomorrow, but at least the photos are here for now. UPDATE: Story below (a long one ), pics same as before. "Dearly Beloved, we gather today to mourn the passing of one among us, MANTIS scientist 1st Class Scorpio Starstriker. His life was [...]" AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Jex shrugged and tried to stay awake. She didn't want to be here, despite her doctor's insistence. "It'll help you find closure," he said, "to put the whole episode behind you." Hmmmph. While Scorpio's death was still fresh on the minds of everyone at MANTIS, it had been two years ago for her. She had already done her grieving. After the explosion and all the mysterious circumstances that followed it, Scorpio had been all she had. She had tended to his wounds as best as she could, but in the deep swamp of...wherever it was they had ended up on, she couldn't even remember...there was no helping him. She talked to him, and sometimes he talked back, and then he was gone and that was that. She was alone. But his death steeled her will to survive. She held out hope that MANTIS would somehow find them. She looked up again at the ceremony, trying to gauge how much longer it would go on. She didn't see a reason why she should be here, although she did think it nice that Scorpio was finally being laid to rest. AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr "And now while Brother Armando plays a hymn on the organ, Brother Jacobim will offer a solemn chant as we prepare to give our final respects. The doors you see behind me symbolize death, the portal that will take the deceased to the great beyond..." "Too late,' Jex smirked. 'He's already at the 'great beyond', or whatever it is you call it, Father. Two years ago." The music was soothing, though. Perhaps her doctor was right, and this would help her find a little more closure. She didn't share the beliefs of the priests of the order of San Corbin (having been a Davidite in her youth), so while she found their practices somewhat silly, yet she admired their dedication to them. She was aware that everyone was beginning to stand and approach the casket. She remained seated, allowing the others to leave before rising herself. AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr "Poor Scorpio. You really didn't have a chance. Perhaps, if there is another place you've gone to, it will treat you better than this world has." AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Jex was surprised by Brother Jacobim standing behind her. "Pardon my interruption, but are you Jessica DuBois?" "Yes, what do you need?" "Well, we have some documents we need you to sign. Next of kin sort of stuff." "I'm...not his next of kin." "I know that, but your corporation said since he had no next of kin that you would be the closest..." "I'm not. Before he died he told me he had a sister that was also at MANTIS." "A sister? Well our MANTIS rep made no mention of that. Well his belongings were entrusted to us after the funeral arrangements were made, but it seems then that we cannot transfer them to your custody as we were instructed." "How long can you hold them?" "Well there isn't much, but to be rid of it all sooner I'll say...a week? maybe two?" "Fine. That should give me time to find her and let you know where to forward them to." "Very well, thank you miss. My condolences." AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Jex turned and headed for the door. She was intrigued by what Scorpio might have left behind, and also wondering, if Scorpio's sister was also at MANTIS, why didn't she attend the funeral? **************** Last week was my 1 year mark, but I was unable to get anything built. Oh well, Scorpio was already dead then anyway. I thought of using this post to reminisce of some of my builds from the past year, but the story had too much going forward to take very long looking back. C&C welcome! Pics of the priests and organ below: AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG week 50 by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
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Dona Flor had heard the news and couldn't wait to tell everyone: the three biggest corporations in the galaxy were hosting a series of games, just for them! The Space Geriatric Games. Did I mention Dona Flor was a little hard of hearing? Anyway, it wasn't hard to put together a five-man rowing team from the local homesteaders, and Dona Flor herself would be the coxswain. When the team arrived to claim MANTIS sponsorship, the MANTIS agent was sure that rowing wasn't an actual event, but after checking the rules, it simply said "boat race" and had only a size requirement, not age. "Why not," he thought to himself. "At the very least, it'll give those NBC morons some more human interest crap for their broadcast," and he signed them up. Besides, he had learned not to ask too many questions. **************** "Did he say to put on our tuxedos?" "I want some taquitos!" "Look, ma! I'm on TV!" **************** Pictures to show size. The red buoys mark every 5 studs from the dock to the yellow buoys, exactly 20 studs, and there is a space of 10 studs between the rows. Boat Race by rodiziorobs, on Flickr Boat Race by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
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Location: F03 (Forring) Tags: Military Building Previously… Jex was shocked to discover that the mysterious claim ticket she held was for…a person? She turned to the guard, who had clearly been expecting the reaction. He pulled her aside and explained MANTIS’ policy on prisoners: agents who captured prisoners were entitled to a percentage of the bounty or negotiable benefit with other corporations, where applicable, and given a ticket to assert that claim. If after a year, no benefit was forthcoming, then the prisoner could be released at the capturing agent’s discretion. Jex then asked the guard how long the prisoner in question had been held. Checking the record, he replied, “since Septembrinali of last year* *The relevant story for the prisoner’s capture is in the TL;DR spoiler of the linked post (Ice Planet MANTIS). The guard noted that the record showed that nothing had come of her capture—Kawashita had tried a covert operation to recover her a few months after her capture, but that the prisoner herself had foiled the operation, revealing a Kawa mole in MANTIS in the process. Jex realized that the ticket in her hand was a get-out-of-jail-free card for the prisoner. She could use that to get the information she needed about Scorpio’s sister, if indeed the prisoner knew anything at all. She turned to address her: “My name is Jex. I am trying to find some information, and if you help me I can assure your freedom.” “Ha! I don’t believe that for a second. That fool Laszlowe tried to sweet-talk me with the same thing, and in the end, he turned out to be as low as the scum you put in the block with me!” Jex looked down to where the slavers were being held two cells down. “You know them?” “What, personally? Of course not. But I know who they are. I have seen them and I know what they have done. And if I ever get the chance…” Jex wondered what kind of past this prisoner had with the slavers, but her thoughts were interrupted as the prisoner continued: “what have I ever done that put me in here, getting the same treatment as those lowlifes?” And to that, Jex had no answer. Suddenly, the power fluctuated and surged. “Uh-oh,” the guard said. “that can’t be good.” And then the lights in the cells turned off—meaning that the restraints had as well. The prisoner stood for only a moment, until she saw the slavers racing down the corridor. “Speaking of…” she murmured, but then she was barreling out of the cell, knocking over Jex and the guard as she dashed after the fake Zoids. Alarms began sounding and lights flashing all around the compound. “Let’s go, we can’t let them escape!” Jex called as she helped the guard to his feet. She rounded the corner just in time to see that the prisoner had already caught up to the escaped slavers—-one of them at least. Somehow, both the woman and the remaining slaver had gotten hold of weapons. Needless to say, an epic sword battle ensued. ********************************************* Although the posing of the figs and some minor changes are new in the prison cell build, only the scene after the prison breakout is actually new and should be judged: Scene without ‘figs by rodiziorobs, on Flickr C&C welcome! Edit: like others, part of my build this week is a tribute to Gnewal Gwevus/Pvt. Gnarl Graves. Also, I hope I have done justice to what other AGers have written concerning the Zoids. While there have been some conflicting stories, MKJoshA managed to reconcile them pretty well here. I maintain that the villains in my stories have been impersonating Zoids all across Andromeda, causing troubles both for Kawashita and ALIEN (by besmirching their reputation) and for Octan (adding to the crisis northern Andromeda was facing by the real Zoid slavers), and for MANTIS (the PR scandal involving Laszlowe, etc).
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The Fusion Wave is part of the team representing M.A.N.T.I.S. in the GARC category of the Space Olympics. Piloted by Roskin Jargons, the Fusion Wave was a last-minute addition to the team, due to the simple matter of resolving the pilot's criminal record before he could be cleared to compete. Not that Jargons is a dangerous felon, but let's just say that he has always enjoyed fast racers...even if he didn't own them. AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr AG GARC entry by rodiziorobs, on Flickr
