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| Thread: Choose Your Own Adventure, HC Style! |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 · NEXT» |
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MacMasterMC
Known Hero
Resurrected Loreweaver
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posted May 09, 2011 12:54 AM |
bonus applied by Mytical on 21 May 2011. |
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Choose Your Own Adventure, HC Style! Continued on page 6!!!
This thread will develop a Choose Your Own Adventure story! But it will be one where the HC community will pick what happens next!!!
Even the beginning will be chosen! I will develop the choice that gets chosen, and offer another choice in each successive installment.
I will try to check this daily, and I will post when voting is closed for which of two choices will be next topic just before I continue the story. To keep it simple, simply post which of the two choices you want!
The Story Begins...
Beyond the farthest star lay a deep abyss, created by a black hole that hit such an extreme density at its core that it effectively became a flat, hard surface with infinite density. Anything that ventured into the depths plummeted at such a speed, that even otherwise solid objects like metal and diamond simply smeared across the surface.
It was to this finality that Burnett faced, two burly guards by his side with wickedly blunt blasters, holsters cut to show the exploding star insignia. It was the sign that meant for anyone within the whole system danger. Those who crossed the Supernova pirates, or merchants, as you had better call them to their face, knew they had a dire fate in store for them.
Insignia--> 
It was with a sort of grim stoicism that Thomas Burnett met his fate, wondering at the same time how it came to this. Who would have thought his choices would take him here...
{Flashback}
It all started with her. He had been minding his own business one day, finishing lunch on his break. Thomas worked as a courier, zipping between planets, space stations, and anything else that he could find a way to dock to and back. He was just laying back on the couch, enjoying this pause between jobs. On the vid screen in the lounge he had watched the story regarding his most recent job. It had seemed the consequences if he had not succeeded in his last mission would have meant war for the entire periphery. Thomas was just a simple courier then, having completed many trips between planets, even on an occasion or two taking a message directly to the High Officer of the League.
Ah, now that had been good pay. Shame he couldn't get to do that job regularly. He might even be able to afford a transport or two after a few of those gigs.
As Ingrid walked into the underground building that housed the trade association's dispatches, she was surprised at the spartan, almost medical look to everything. It was very professional. Not at all like labs the League often gave her to work in. More often than she was able to do her experiments she had to get rid of everything from rats and roaches to the not infrequent giant lizards that would get into her offices, their tongues able to turn a door handle and lift and maneuver every latch they had attempted to install. It was quite clear to her what they thought her work would amount to-nothing.
But one day, she thought to herself, they will know how important my work is!
She showed the pass she had purchased to the disinterested clerk at the counter, who explained how to swipe the card and hold her hand for identification (in the event she was asking a courier to do an illegal job, the organization could claim full deniability, as they always worked with the League to find any offenders in order to keep the League out of the business of the Spacelighters).
As she walked through the turnstile cage, she looked at the signs: left was the docking pad, and required a pilot's pass before you could go that way. Straight ahead was the mess hall, but she had only purchased an hour of time, hoping that that would be enough. As it was she had to budget a month out of her lab's funds to pay simply to get in. Hopefully she would be successful in hiring Burnett.
She glanced at the picture she had cut out of the magazine, praising his swift delivery of information that had prevented the space flu outbreak from spreading, and had saved the countless populations of other planets. It had been dangerous, but he had succeeded in bringing the information to the High Officer, and the swift action that was taken stopped the spread of the virus, as well as the war that nearly occurred to control the vaccine.
She hoped she could just convince him how much more important this was...
She finally spotted him off to one side of the pilot's lounge, laying back on an oddly out of place couch. It seemed quite comfortable, like a black fur, but against the nearly medical condition of the base's interior, it looked like a lost animal more than furniture.
"Uh-um, excuse me? Are you Mr. Burnett?" she asked, a little nervous to be so close to testing her theories.
"Yes, I am Thomas Burnett. Please tell me you are not with my fan club. I get so weary of them. I mean, I understand that I likely saved the entire periphery, but seven autographs a week is a bit much."
"Pardon me?" Ingrid asked in confusion.
"Oh? You are not from my fan club? Well, that is a relief." He sat up, slightly interested now that it seemed there was a different reason for this mousy woman to be talking to him.
"No, I am not a member of your fan club, though it is no surprise you have one...That is to say...what you did was very good, and we should all be grateful..." she stammered into silence, rather flustered from his initial response.
"Well then, why are you here?" he asked.
"No, I don't want an autograph. I came here to hire you."
"Then what was with all the stammering a moment ago? While I appreciate the offer, I have already made an official statement to my fanclub. I will NOT pilot a joyride for them. I have many jobs to run, and while the money they wish to pay me is nice, I am not in it for the money. If I was, i would be a space pirate. I work for the Starlighters."
He glanced at his watch.
"Great, a late start to a run with a deadline. Goodbye."
And with that, he went swiftly off in the other direction, heading for the pilot's quarters.
Ingrid stood there a moment, flustered by the response he had given her. She hadn't thought it would be anything like that at all.
What was he thinking anyway? I didn't want any silly autograph from him... Well if he won't listen, I will just have to follow him until he does!
Her resolve startled her. She realized that this theory was more important to her than many things she had done before in her life, and while it shocked her, she knew she had to succeed. The periphery depended on it!
How do I keep up with him... he has the fastest ship I have ever heard of...
Then it came to her. While the interior of the base had top notch security, perhaps where the ships were docked might be easier to get through.
She left the base, nodding slightly to the clerk at the desk, who stared for a moment and went back to what they had been doing. She hoped she could pull this off. She checked her credits-too few, she thought, and yet hoped they would be enough to perhaps bribe a guard.
As she walked away from the building, she looked to see if she had been followed, and seeing nobody in sight, made a beeline around the side of the base.
Don't all ships have to launch somehow? Where do they leave from?
As she rounded the large hill the base was tucked into, she found what she was looking for.
A rather large arch was formed by two massive bay doors. They were wide open at the moment, likely preparing for Burnett to launch his craft. There were fences all around, but amazingly not a single guard to be seen. Then she realized why-there was no door in the whole arc of fencing that gave a small area for the ships to lift off from. She realized that climbing the fence would be her only choice. She suddenly wished she had brought her handheld sonic wave generator, the one she usually used to make holes in the ground. She could have gotten under the fence if she had.
She sized up the fence, about six and a half feet high, she thought. At five foot eleven, she was a tall woman, but her hair was usually either in a ponytail or a bun, to keep it out of her face while she was working. She had worn a plain gray skirt to come hire Burnett, and a simple blue blouse, nothing frilly. She was grateful that she had still chosen to wear her sneakers, preferring those even to anything more presentable. At least they would help her scale the fence.
She heard the sounds of freight being moved, and knew she had to act fast. She climbed the fence, scraping her hands a little bit, and tearing her skirt. She shook her head disapprovingly at herself, and remembered she didn't have time to deal with it now.
Hopefully it can be mended.
She crept along the open space, seeing Burnett's ship in the bay. More a streak of light than a ship, it was very streamlined. Both ends looked like the top of a drop of water, making it look like it might vanish any second one way or the other, leaving no trace. She hid behind a few crates, watching the loaders as they finished putting the freight in the hold. As they finished up, they were talking about their appetites, not paying any attention to the ship after it was empty. As they walked back into the building, she crept next to the ship, and slipped into the hold. She ducked behind a crate, and not a moment too soon it seemed. Thomas walked out from the base, asked the two if everything was loaded, and after they nodded, walked into the ship's open bay doors.
Ingrid moved silently around the far side of the crate she was using for cover, hoping he wouldn't look her way. He pressed a button and the hold's door lifted silently and swiftly up, shutting both of them inside the ship. He walked forward, through a door, and was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief, and stood up, only to hear a ripping sound. She looked down.
That is all I need now. How much of my skirt is ripped this time? She looked to see how much damage was done. It had sheared up to her knees, and had a flap of the fabric just hanging on the floor. She sighed, and pulled out her trusty little pen knife from her purse, the one she usually used to carefully extract samples, and cut around the skirt at about the same height as where the rip started. When she was done, she looked at her work.
Well, it could be worse. It looks a little ragged, but at least it's even.
She stuffed the fabric into her purse, and looked for a place to secure herself during the launch.
She found a seat with a wall protecting the passenger who would sit there in the event of turbulence, so they would be unharmed by the cargo. She looked around the seat, looking for a belt, and finally found one hanging beside the chair. She strapped herself in, and waited.
Thomas was irritated with himself for not leaving the lounge sooner. He had a job to do, and did not need to jeopardize its success wasting time talking to any members of his airheaded fan club. He set down a bag in the middle compartment of the ship, glanced around, and headed through the far door to the cockpit. As he strapped himself into the captain's chair, he began looking at the various controls, making sure that the ship's readings were correct before he took off.
All the readings were normal, so he pressed a button to open a channel to the base.
"This is Thomas Burnett in Silver Streak, preparing to take off. Is there any incoming craft?"
There was a reply from the controls in front of him. "Nothing coming in for a while, you are clear to leave."
"Thank you."
And with that, he flipped a switch, and the craft began to hum.
So THIS is what an anti-gravity ship sounds like, Ingrid thought to herself.
The ship sliced smoothly through the atmosphere, almost effortlessly gaining height, until it had cleared the planet's atmosphere. Thomas set the auto pilot, and went to take a nap.
Ingrid was getting a bit stiff in her seat.
How long does it take to get into space? she wondered. As she didn't know, she decided to wait a bit longer.
In the main cabin, an alarm went off that woke Thomas. He sat, up, looking groggily at his watch a few moments before he could see it clearly.
Had it been four hours already? I must still be exhausted from my last run.
He went into the cargo hold to check that everything had stayed secured.
Ingrid had fallen asleep, not used to all of her cloak and dagger behavior. She'd had a normally humdrum existence-aside from the giant lizards that was. Thomas opened the door, and started to glance at the cargo, making sure it looked secure from this side before he went to check the others.
Left side looks good, the right side... He jumped a little in spite of himself. In the seat meant for a passenger in the cargo bay he saw that woman who had denied she was in his fan club! He had had some difficulty before in getting the obsessive group to stop hounding him, but this was simply too much.
"What are you doing here?" Thomas spoke loudly to wake the stowaway up.
Ingrid jumped awake, causing pain in her stomach from pushing against the belt.
"Uhh..Oh! I am sorry to just hitch a ride on your ship, but-"
"As of this moment, you can tell my fan club that they will not get a single autograph from me from now on!"
"I am NOT IN your silly fan club!"
Thomas blinked, not quite believing her.
"Then explain why you are here."
"If you don't help me, the entire periphery will simply explode."
"You expect me to believe that? That all of a sudden, that everything will just poof-cease to exist? Are you one of those doomsday nuts?"
"No. I will explain."
"Well it will have to wait. I have a job to do, and if you get in the way, you can be sure that you will have to cover my losses. If you don't want to have to do that, then you had better keep out of my way. Got it?"
"Yes," Ingrid squeaked, hoping she wouldn't do exactly that.
"Good. Get in the main cabin. Find a place to sit, and strap yourself in. We land shortly. I expect you to stay there while I complete this delivery. Do NOT leave it for any reason until I get back. Understand?"
She nodded, and when he turned back to the freight to check that it was secured, she went into the next cabin. It was fairly plain, but rather homey feeling. It had a lived in feel that kept if from seeming unfriendly. She found a seat on a bench behind a table, and strapped herself in, wondering if she was going to be able to convince him she was not some kind of crazy woman.
Thomas finished his check of the cargo, and went through the main cabin, ignoring Ingrid entirely. He went straight into the cockpit, and slammed the door shut in annoyance.
"This is Burnett in the Silver Streak. Preparing delivery, do I have a clear path?"
The base on Whistan responded, "You need to wait about fifteen minutes. There is a craft taking off now."
"Alright. I will radio then."
Thoughts raced through his head while he waited.
The club has gone way too far. They are out of control. If they think that by sending a crazy lady to stowaway I would think it wasn't them, then they were mistaken. I will take her right back to them, and confront them. Maybe this will end their fanaticism. I can only hope.
He radioed back into the base.
"Whistan base, this is Burnett. Is the Silver Streak clear to land?"
"Yes Thomas, you are next to dock. Come in."
"Thank you." Even unknown bases on planets he had never been to knew who he was.
That settles it, I am taking a vacation as soon as I am finished with these assigned jobs I've got. Some time out of the public eye would be very nice.
He maneuvered his craft into the bay, much larger on Whistan than the one on his home planet, and turned off the engines. He walked out of the cockpit, and told her to stay there, reminding her not to leave unless she felt like paying for any of his losses. She simply sat there, a little frightened at the thought of how much that would cost, and started to worry that if this failed, her research would be doomed.
He went to the cargo hold, and hit the switch to open the door. The dock was empty, but that was to be expected. He went inside, and informed the desk that the delivery was here, and they told him they would have someone right out to empty it for him. He went back to his ship, and was surprised to see that the three workers who had materialized seemingly from nowhere had it almost empty.
Perhaps Rintok can learn something from these guys.
He waited until they had finished, and he went back in. As he shut the door, he ran down a mental check list.
First I have to head to the next planet, and take the ambassador to Spiltook. That should be the last job.
He glanced to the side as he entered the main cabin, grateful that the woman had not moved from her seat. He started to question if she really was from his fan club. Just about every one of them would not have stayed seated for more than a few moments, and yet she had stayed where he had told her to. Perhaps she was telling the truth...
He went to the cockpit and radioed the tower.
"This is the Silver Streak. Am I clear to leave?"
"Go ahead Mr. Burnett. You are free to leave."
"Thank you. Burnett out."
As the craft rose, he set in the coordinates for the auto pilot. After his craft had left the atmosphere, he engaged it and went back to the main cabin.
As he saw the somewhat frightened look of this woman in his cabin, he realized she hadn't had a chance to eat in nearly 7 hours. She had to be hungry. But if she was part of his fan club, that would only encourage her...
"Now it's time for some answers. What could possibly be important enough that you would risk the cost of stowing away? Don't you know that I could have you thrown into a lockup at any base simply for boarding a vessel without the correct paperwork?"
"I did not know that..." she timidly replied.
"So why did you do it?"
"Because we will all die if something is not done about the nuclear waste." She said that with more confidence than she felt, but realized that she knew it to be true.
"Yeah, well it isn't exactly news. They have known that for the last hundred years. It was only in the last decade or so that anti-gravity was developed, but due to how volatile it is to work with the anti-matter, it is not feasible yet for power on any kind of scale. My ship is about as large as anything that can be powered, and even then there are risks to running with it."
"Risks? What kind of risks?"
"If by some freak occurrence the wrong kinds of particles end up in the engine, the ship could implod, detonate, or liquify itself and a significant space beyond its own hull. Which ones are unknown just yet, and those are only three of the things that have happened when other kinds of matter interacted with them. It is still a science in its beginnings. Why would you want to know that?"
"Because I am a scientist. My name is Ingrid Lovgren. I study various things, often plants, bugs, and sometimes animals. But I have discovered a bacteria that, according to my theory, will solve our problems!"
Thomas didn't know what to make of this statement. If what Ingrid told him were true, it would give the periphery a way to deal with all the nuclear byproducts until they had time to get anti-gravity stable as a large scale power supply.
The League had been buckling under the strain of millennia of leftovers and residue, and was swiftly running out of options. Everything from dissolving the matter (killed the lab assistants), and using a high anti-matter inducer, the favorite for defense against unknown life on planets (imploded the facility, and about 5 square miles in a radius from the facility as well), to even attempting to bury the waste-that was one of the worst decisions. As a result of that one, the material shifted and fission occurred-in the planet's core. You could still see the remains of the planet Actor. It had originally been triple the size of his home planet, but was now a permanent crescent moon about 1/10 the size of Rintok, which it now orbited after the subsequent detonation of the planet. No, they had tried everything.
"If what you tell me is true, then why didn't you just tell me that back on Rintok?" He gave her a puzzled expression.
"You never gave me any chance to tell you before."
"Are you referring to when you barely spoke? The first thing you chose to tell me after that was how important what I had done was. I hear that enough already, and I would honestly just like some peace and quiet."
"Well, I uh...ok, perhaps I didn't say what I meant to then. I am telling you now. It is why I have spent an entire month's lab funding, to just get into the base at Rintok to speak with you."
"You spent an entire month's funding just to come speak to me? Then it is truly impressive that you have made any progress in your research. That's hardly anything at all."
"Oh, well, thank you. But I didn't come here for praise. I have stumbled on a discovery that could very well save every planet out here."
"What is it?" Burnett asked, now genuinely interested.
"There is a small bacteria on the tourist world of Trindar. I would never have even known about it, except someone's abandoned pet lizard was saturated with it. We had to tranquilize it, as it was just making a mess. Apparently this microbe is quite fatal if ingested...though that still requires more research..."
Ingrid was lost for a moment in her thoughts.
"What does this bacteria do?"
"In living creatures? It simply digests all the minerals in the body and..."
"I thought you said it had something to do with the nuclear wastes...?" Thomas asked, a bit puzzled.
"Oh, yes, it turns out that these microbes not only ingest minerals, but also radioactive material. How they do it I have no idea, but they convert it into plain old iron. A much safer material, and fully clean of radiation. It seems the more they ingest, the greater the quantity of iron that they end up with."
"Well that will solve all the problems! I will gladly help. It seems lately that the courier business has been brisk, but rather unrealistic. Too many heads of state feel they need a famous chauffeur for their wives and girlfriends, and I end up babysitting, instead of really taking care of important missions. I will help you."
"Really? Um...is there a charge for this?" Ingrid asked nervously.
"No charge. I needed something like this." Thomas grinned. "This ought to be at least more eventful than the babysitting."
"Well let's hope my plan works. I have already spoken with one of the nuclear plant's managers, and have offered them a free usage of this method if it works. We simply have to go to the planet and harvest a larger sample of the bacteria. It seems you have to keep them supplied with food, or they die within a single day."
"That is an awfully short lifespan. Is there any way to extend that?"
"I don't think so, but I still have to do some research to test that. First I need the samples."
"Got it. Hey, it will be a while before we land on the next planet, so I will get us something to eat. Are you allergic to anything?" Thomas asked kindly.
"Other than hunger, no," Ingrid managed to say.
This is progressing so quickly! I hope we are this successful in proving this to be viable... , Ingrid thought to herself.
They ate till they had their fill. He didn't have a great selection of foods, but kept a good stock of bread, cheese, dried meats, and water. After they had eaten, she told him she needed to rest, as she hadn't planned to stowaway, much less risk her lab's funding for an entire year or more.
"That is probably a good idea. I will find out about the necessary procedures to go to Trindar, and make sure we are cleared for it. I have been needing some vacation time, this will be the perfect excuse. How long will it take you to figure out if these bugs will do the job?"
"Oh, I hadn't planned on doing the work there. I would have to take them back to my lab."
"Won't you have a hard time keeping them alive? You mentioned their short life before."
Ingrid considered Thomas' reminder.
"That is true... I just don't have a way to bring my whole lab to Trindar, and with some of the radioactive material sufficient to test my hypothesis."
"Well, what do instruments do you need? I can easily enough manage to get some waste, and in a decent quantity as well. Do you have any radiation suits?"
"Hrmm, no, I don't..." Ingrid lapsed into silence, realizing that she was not prepared for what she needed to do, and yet knowing how desperately they needed to succeed.
"I can get us a couple of those as well. Though I doubt they will fit you well, you are very slender. I will get one of the ones meant for the younger men. It should be the best fitting."
"Thank you so much for agreeing to help me."
"As I said, I am glad to. And I'm sorry for being so stand-offish. It's really quite a problem how much attention everyone gives me. I just want to do my job. You get some rest"
And with that, Thomas dimmed the lights in the main cabin and went to the cockpit.
She is one gutsy woman, he thought to himself. I wonder how she got the courage up to even speak to me, let alone sneak on my ship, as nervous as she always seems. Always so unsure of herself, and yet if she realized just how beautiful she was-
He caught himself mid-thought.
Beautiful? He laughed at himself for even thinking it, yet even as he chuckled, he realized that as good as the rather drab blouse and skirt looked on Ingrid, that she was quite lovely.
Perhaps I will get her some new clothes, if not attractive ones, then at least somewhat more functional ones. What was her size likely?
He decided he would guess, and resolved to get her some more suitable clothes. When she woke up he would let her know what they needed to do before they headed to Trindar. He took a look at his watch, and decided he would get some sleep too, as it would be about half a day to get to their next destination. He double checked the autopilot, went to lay down in a cot he had set off to one side of the cockpit (for when missions were too risky to really take a full night's rest) and went to sleep.
As the Silver Streak sliced through space, another craft followed, easily keeping pace. It tracked the larger craft out of range of the Streak's sensors. Its pilot glanced at the special equipment that had been placed on board specifically for this mission, double checking to be sure that their ship was not even close to the range detectable by the other vessel.
An evil grin spread across the pilot's face. This was almost too easy.
Thomas was woken early by the external sensors going off. The loud alarm sounded throughout the whole ship, and Ingrid jumped up, groggy and terrified. She ran to the door where Thomas had gone when she went to sleep, and attempted to open it, only to find it was locked.
Thomas heard the door's latch move, and quickly unlocked it to let Ingrid in.
"What is going on?" Ingrid asked, frightened from the alarms.
"I have to check the sensors-let me focus on what is happening. I can answer your questions once we are safe."
With that he sat in the pilot's chair, and looked at his instruments. Suddenly an asteroid hurtled across the front of the ship, narrowly missing the cockpit by inches.
Ingrid shrieked in fright.
I hope I don't get distracted at the wrong time, Thomas thought to himself.
As he was looking at the sensors and began maneuvering the ship out of the path of the various chunks of rock coming toward them, he asked her, "Please go back to the other cabin, I need to have no distractions."
"Okay."
She nervously went back to the main room, sat down, and buckled her belt, feeling more than a little terrified at this new circumstance.
He watched the panel of sensors and displays with a near fanaticism, having been through meteor showers before and survived, and knew he had to miss nothing. He extended his sensor sweep to determine the fastest way out of the storm, and noticed a strange blip far beyond the part of the volley they had just come through. He shrugged it off, and told himself to check it later.
It was a harrowing journey through the pack of projectiles, and finally, after about half an hour, the Silver Streak was again alone in space, amazingly unharmed.
Thomas set the auto pilot on their new course back toward the original destination. He went back to the main cabin to let Ingrid know what had happened. He walked in, and saw her buckled into a seat, but slumped forward, perhaps having passed out in fright. She was leaning forward, and the belt was clearly holding her in, but she was being bent in half while she was unconscious.
That could cause her injury, he thought to himself.
He gently leaned her back into the seat, and unbuckled her belt. He laid her down on the seat, and went to grab a blanket to cover her. After she was under the blanket, he went back to the cockpit, and remembered the blip he had seen on the sensors when the storm had just started.
What was that blip before? Just another passing ship? That seemed unlikely to him, and so he determined to check again what he could see.
He again set the sensors out to a farther range, and didn't see it, then set it to the maximum range that his custom sensors showed, and again the blip showed up.
Whoever or whatever it was was tracking us. Is there more to Ingrid than she told me? Why would someone be following us?... Well, I guess the cost for these long range sensors I had added just paid off. I am glad I didn't think it was just a silly feeling to install them. But who could want to come after us?
Realizing that they were not yet aware he knew they were following, he knew there was nothing to be done now. He determined to ask Ingrid for more explanations when she awoke. But at least he knew that while they could keep up, they were not engaging them now. Perhaps they didn't even know he could sense them, since his ship's model had no long range sensing capabilities at all, and most of those who purchased the model he had simply wanted something shiny and fast, and really wasted the ship's potential.
At least for now, they don't know we are aware that they are following us. That will be useful, he thought.
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The other ship's pilot laughed, surprised yet pleased that their prey had made it through the asteroids. While it would have made it easy to enter and scour a beaten and destroyed ship, without passengers to interfere, it would not have provided the same satisfaction as watching them die by their hands, the life slipping out of their bodies like water through a crack.
This may be more of a challenge than I had thought. Most jobs are too easy anymore. I will enjoy this one.
The small craft hurtled on behind the Streak, silently following through space.
========================================
I will have to see if they land with us or simply wait off planet for us to come back up. I can't take any chances though, because if they are smart enough to stay out of range of most sensors, and are able to keep up at this great of a distance, they are certainly not following for innocent reasons, Thomas thought to himself.
We will just have to be very careful from this point forward...
Ingrid stirred, and woke up, noticing that there was a blanket over her.
When did that happen? The last I remember was buckling myself into the seat, and then.... She shook her head, and could not recall anything more.
She walked to the far side of the cabin, and knocked.
He opened the door, and let her in.
"Well, I am glad we made it," she said in relief.
"Yeah, it was a bit tense there. We came a lot closer than I ever like to becoming a wreck in space. I should have checked that before." He shook his head at himself.
Mistaking his head shaking to be directed toward her, she apologized. "I am sorry for stowing away. I should have tried to contact you a different way. I just had to find a way to get to Trindar..."
Thomas gave a small smile, and told her, "No, I was shaking my head at myself. I am a professional, and I have no excuse for not handling myself and my ship like one. I am just glad we survived. However, there is another matter I have to ask you about."
Ingrid looked a bit startled. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not exactly sure, I was hoping you would tell me that. We are being followed."
"Followed?" she asked nervously.
"Yes. I noticed something at the beginning of the shower that was not part of the storm, and after we got through, I checked for it again. We are being followed. What is more, they are keeping up with one of the fastest ships the periphery has ever known. This is not someone joyriding or looking for my autograph. They are serious. Do you have any idea who might be interested in this discovery of yours?"
"Nobody that I can think of. I was laughed out in front of the other scientists who oversee the budget for our foundation. Everyone there thought I was just being silly. They refused to hear out my theory. That is why I had to find a way to prove it. If I cannot, then all of us won't last beyond the next decade or so."
He nodded, wondering something. "Do any of those scientists have connections to any of the nuclear plants? Or anyone connected to the waste management?"
"Well, yes. Half of the researchers in the foundation are connected in one way or another to the entire periphery's nuclear operations. I am not sure about the waste handling though." Ingrid's eyes got big. "You don't think..."
"Yeah. I do. You may have inadvertently told someone who either wanted to have control of this information, or who wanted nobody to have it. There is no way of telling at this point. We simply have to be alert for anything. Do not try to look out, simply just be aware of your surroundings. We don't want our tail back there to know we are aware of them."
Ingrid nodded, even more nervous than she had been before.
"Once we get to the next planet, I will have to deliver the cargo. I want you to stay on the ship. I will secure it against unauthorized entry. Nobody will be able to enter. You need to stay inside. Can you do that?"
"Yes, I can."
"Good. We will begin our descent to Irindia in about five hours. We will pick up the ambassador to Spiltook. I will ask you to remain in the cargo hold until we get there. We do not know who might be involved, so I don't want the ambassador to know you are here."
"Alright, I can do that."
"Well, I will get us something to eat. Do you need to rest again? It might not be a bad idea."
"Yeah, I will eat and probably get some rest."
Thomas got them both some food from his supplies, and they ate in silence, thinking about everything that had happened. After they ate, she laid down, and he headed into the cockpit to check on the presence of their unknown tracker.
As she laid down to sleep, she realized that she might have gotten way in over her head.
They approached Irindia, and Thomas confirmed with the large base there his landing. He settled the ship in gently, and once it was powered off he went to the main cabin.
He was struck again by Ingrid's beauty, even beneath her drabby clothing. He shook his head. He had a job to do, and he didn't have time for such thoughts. He woke her up, and she went to sit in the cargo bay again, this time not attempting to stowaway, but instead stay out of sight of his next passenger. He bolted the door from the cargo side, and told her not to open it, even if he himself asked her to.
She nodded her agreement.
He left through the cargo bay doors, closed them, and activated the ship's hull protection. He just hoped nobody bumped into it, as it was designed for disintegrating rocks and other materials that might hit the ship even slightly larger than the size of a human body. Hopefully nobody would think to bother it. It was illegal to activate those shields planetside after all...
He walked into the base, not having much time to accomplish what he needed to.
========================================
Just beyond Irindia's moon, the other ship sat, its pilot considering how best to go about their task.
Now to land and get the rest of my pay.
The rather strange, short figure set the autopilot to land about half a mile away from the base, and went to grab some wicked looking weapons that were hanging by the door. The assassin looked almost like a child, unless you were close enough to see the gills on the lower neck. You could always tell that they were not truly human once you got close enough.
Cloning had been banned from its infancy for humans due to side effects and even often death. It seemed that having an extra leg or heart in an animal actually helped make it provide more food, but that humans had yet to be successfully cloned. Between that and the fact that the periphery had a hard enough time handling the population it already strained under, meant it was left as strictly a black market operation. But those who did clone them usually only did it for things like training them as assassins or spies.
How often would anyone think a child was attempting to kill them or get vital information from them? They were in that regard the perfect assassins, and better spies. This one was more dangerous than most. It was a veteran assassin, having nearly started several wars due to killings it had committed. It enjoyed its work for while it was alive, it always felt cheated, and enjoyed taking the lives of those who didn't have a false existence.
Bitterness was common in the mutated clones.
It closed up its craft and engaged the cloaking to hide it, planning to be finished with this job shortly. It crept toward the base, and saw many ships under the hangar's roof. It spotted the one that stood out amongst all of the rest, the Silver Streak. It slinked up to the ship, and looked around.
Yeah, this job is too easy. I will have to ask for more challenging assignments. It located the cargo bay controls, and grabbed the panel to access them. That was all it took.
With a loud bang, the assassin disintegrated into dust. The weapons the assassin carried and the bullets that were loaded exploded as they turned into ash, and left a charred smell in the air. Immediately alarms were going off, and instantly the hangar was flooded with figures, some there to make sure their ships were alright, others to make sure that they apprehended whomever was responsible.
They all smelled the charred smell, but before they approached the Streak, the wind picked up and blew away the remains of the assassin's ashes.
Thomas rushed into the hangar, knowing instantly what happened. As he ran outside, he knew he had to act fast. As soon as he saw his ship he deactivated the shield, and asked what had happened.
A guard answered him, "Mr. Burnett, it seems someone here has activated a shield illegally."
"Do you know who yet?"
"No, we got here moments before you did. Though it seems to be coming from near your ship. The smell around it is like something was burned."
"Was my ship damaged in any way?"
"Not as far as we can tell. We want to run sensor scans of all the ships, to be sure nobody's property was damaged."
I would hope nothing was, Thomas thought to himself.
"Well, I can understand the need to determine what happened. I cannot be detained if you need to scan my vessel, however. I must get the ambassador to Spiltook, to sign a treaty so that war doesn't break out between you two."
"Oh! Yes sir, we must not delay you at all! I will go check to see where the ambassador is."
"Very good. We must have no delays."
"Of course not, sir." With that, the guard nearly ran back into the building.
That was a bit too close for comfort, he thought to himself.
Inside the ship, Ingrid heard a sharp hiss, and then a loud explosion outside the ship.
What was that!? She began to panic, and hoped Thomas would be back soon, so they could get away from wherever they were that had such loud noises on the planet.
Thomas checked his watch. The delivery had not yet gotten here, and the ambassador was to show up in less than ten minutes. He would not be able to wait a moment longer than he needed to, whether or not it came.
Two minutes before the ambassador arrived, a messenger came outside into the hangar, and came toward him.
"A package for a Mr. Burnett?"
"Yes."
"Sign here please."
He signed and thanked them, then opened the cargo doors, where Ingrid was still invisible to the hangar behind the partition. He shut the bay door, and said to her quickly, "The ambassador will be here any moment. I can't explain what happened now, but you were safe the whole time. Once we drop him off, I can explain further. Are you alright?"
"Yes, just very shaken from the explosion."
"Well, it is better that than the alternative. I will explain more later."
He left the cargo bay, and had no sooner started closing its doors than the Irindian ambassador came through the base's doors with a pair of bodyguards.
"Ah, you must be the legendary Thomas Burnett. It would suit my stature to be conveyed by the fastest pilot in the periphery. Wouldn't you two agree?"
He asked it not of Thomas, but it seemed he expected no answer, as if he already knew that he was the most important person there at that moment.
"Are we prepared to leave? We must get there as quick as we can."
"Yes, let's head into the main cabin, and we will be able to get going to Spiltook."
"Very good."
The ambassador was quite tall, clearly above six feet, likely about six and a half feet tall, but spoke like he was ten feet taller than that, and whomever he spoke to that was not his superior knew it. He barely acknowledged the presence of those below his station, and as a result, was quite thoroughly disliked by everyone.
"This way. You will need to wear a belt as we lift off, in case of anything like a meteor shower when we lift off."
"Such silly things, belts. They are only good for one thing, and that is to wrinkle perfectly good clothing."
"We wear belts. I will not have you dead because your body was thrown around the cabin. Do you two agree with me?" He asked the guards directly.
They nodded yes apprehensively, knowing that their fate was only as safe as the ambassador's. Irindia was well known for its arrogance and cruelty.
"Good. Make sure you two are also strapped in. We don't want anyone else getting knocked about either."
"Yes sir!" they answered.
They all went into the main cabin, and Thomas decided he needed to say one more thing.
"While I am in the cockpit, I will not be disturbed. I lock the door so that I can respond to any potential emergencies. I can activate the intercom when necessary. Is there anything else you have questions about? If you do tell me now. Once we are in flight, I will turn off the intercom, and only check in every so often."
The ambassador said aloofly, "No, that will be all."
Thomas turned without anything further, and went and locked the cockpit door behind him, grateful he had added the locks for his babysitting, or rather, carrying people instead of cargo.
Though it is times like this that actually babysitting would be preferable, he thought to himself.
He strapped himself in, and asked them if they were all seated and secured. When the guards told him they and the ambassador were all ready, he told them the intercom would be turned off, and did just that.
Ah, silence. He checked the security feed, and since he had no time to check it now, he copied the feed from the last twenty four hours to another location, planning to look over it later. He confirmed his launch with the base, and after they told him he was clear, he took the Silver Streak back into space.
He wished he hadn't had to secure Ingrid in the cargo bay, but he knew that at the very least, someone had been tailing them. In order to keep her safe, for now he would have no other company than the petrified guards and their silly ambassador. He shook his head.
Well, at least it is only ten hours from here.
He turned on the intercom.
"I am preparing to go to sleep, and will not have the intercom on until I wake up. Is there anything you will need before I do? We will be at Spiltook within ten hours. If you are hungry let me know, otherwise I will get some rest."
"Ah, yes, my good man, you can fetch me some wine, and perhaps some-"
Thomas cut him off mid sentence.
"There is no wine on board. I have a few breads, several kinds of cheeses and dried meats, and water. If you would like some you may have some."
"Ugh, no, you can keep that."
"How about the rest of you?" He addressed the guards directly.
"Um, yes. We have not eaten in half a day."
"Alright. I will get you something."
He went into the main cabin, grabbed half a loaf of bread, a few hunks of cheese, a bit of the meats, and told the guards where the dispenser for water was. They thanked him for his kindness, and he nodded. Then he went back to the cockpit, locked the door, and went to sleep.
Ingrid could hear everything said over the intercom, but knew she couldn't say anything. They didn't know who to trust, but she trusted Thomas now. He'd had plenty of opportunity to be less than gentlemanly, and he had not only not harmed her, but he had been kind to her and taken care of her. She thought of asking him why he had been a courier most of his life. Everyone knew a general biography of him at this point, as publicized as he had been for his last few missions.
He has actually been quite sweet, when he wasn't treating me like his fan club. Maybe they really are that bad... she considered. She knew it would be a long flight, and so laid back and went to sleep.
The ambassador was quite pleased with himself. While negotiating peace with Spiltook was his first priority, when the Chancellor of Irindia had been able to procure Burnett's services, he made it quite plain to the ambassador what he was to do on the journey.
"Take pictures of everything. If you can discover any secrets that we can use against him, then we can make him our personal courier. Then nobody in the entire periphery could stop us!"
Irindia had long been known for its generally warlike nature. Its general lack of intelligence was constantly in a battle to be the most dominant trait, however.
The ambassador took out a tiny device from his robes and began to take pictures of the entire cabin. The guards sat there mutely, knowing they faced punishment later if they spoke. After he had taken pictures of everything in the cabin, he realized that there was almost nothing there. He sat back down, and rather disgusted with what he found, fastened his belt, and promptly dozed off, snoring like an ox.
Their journey to Spiltook went much more smoothly this time, arriving there safely. After seeing the ambassador out, he checked his ship's hull for damage, wondering if there had been any from the incident back on Irindia. Seeing no damage, he went back into the ship through the cargo hold, and secured its doors.
"Are you alright Ingrid?"
"Yeah, just a bit stiff."
"Come into the main cabin. We can take a look at the security video to see what had happened while we were docked at Irindia."
Suddenly the hangar erupted in alarms and bells, and Thomas went to the cockpit, Ingrid following.
"Base, this is Silver Streak, what just happened?"
'........" There was no response...
'Base, this is Silver Streak. Come in. Is anyone there?"
Nothing but silence answered him.
"Strap in. We are leaving. NOW."
Ingrid nodded silently, taking a seat and buckling in, and Thomas flew into the cockpit. He started the engines and they lifted off in less than a minute, and not too soon, for out of the base swarmed figures bristling with guns.
Thomas flew quickly back behind the base, shooting out of the atmosphere, before plotting a course. He listened to the radio from the planet's surface, and it seemed there was an attack on the ambassador, and-they were accusing Thomas!
Sometimes these petty squabbles are more trouble than they are worth. No more babysitting trips for me.
He archived the footage and made a backup of the ambassador leaving his ship, knowing he would need it in case of any difficulties. The Spacelighters should be able to resolve the matter without him, but it would be good to be out of the public eye for now. He shook his head, wondering how many insults the ambassador must have spoken before he was assassinated.
He went back to the main cabin.
"We are alright, it seems that someone decided to assassinate the ambassador right after he went inside the base. I have it recorded, up until he is inside the base if we need, but my agency should handle the matter. This works out well, since it would be good for me to be absent for a while. Are you doing alright?"
"Alright?... Alright?"
"Just a bit shaken. At first I thought we were under attack! Is this what it is like to be a courier?"
"I would say not normally, but it seems that since we have met things have been abnormal. I hope they are not going to stay that way. Our passenger the ambassador had quite the knack for upsetting people. He was murdered after going into the base. It seems that the base is also in a bit of a bind as well. Most everyone there was murdered too. If the assassins were really after you, the attack would be a clever way to disguise it. Of course, these are two worlds at war. It could have simply been a spillover from the hostilities. Hopefully they are not trying that hard to take us out."
As Thomas spoke to her, her face paled visibly until she was almost as white as a sheet. "How are we going to get my tools? Won't we be arrested and tried before we can land and take off again?"
"I can take care of those as well. We just need to get some waste and hazard suits. Oh, and take this," He told Ingrid, grabbing the package that was delivered before the ambassador had boarded and tossing it to her.
"I had to guess at sizes. I hope it fits you well."
"What is this?" she asked, slightly confused. "I thought all the suits were only made in two sizes?"
"Yeah, the suits come in two sizes. That is not a suit. Though you might want to see what is inside first," he responded nonchalantly, all the while hoping she liked his choices.
Ingrid opened the box, and pulled several pieces of clothing out. They were clearly well made, and not coarse but very soft. She realized at once that the clothes had to cost a great deal of money, and was wondering why he spent so much on her.
Thomas saw her confusion, and asked, "Did I choose wrong? Let me guess, they won't fit you?"
"No, it's just that...I mean...nobody has ever bought me nice clothing before. Pretty much all I have worn my whole life was similar to what I am wearing now, except that I usually wear longer dresses, and never skirts. "
"Well I am glad you like them. If you wish to try them on, there is enough room in the restroom to do so."
"Alright, I will do that."
"While you are changing, I will plot a course to our next destination"
He walked into the cockpit and considered which planet would be better to obtain what they needed.
The trading world of Plintok housed the headquarters for the Spacelighters. That was where he would go now, for while he was likely a fugitive, he knew he could speak to them and safely leave again without any trouble. There they would easily find the supplies which they'd need, and Thomas could get what information he was able to about who might be after them.
He flipped on the intercom.
"We will head to Plintok to get supplies, and I will ask around there to see if anybody knows anything about who was following us."
"Will that be safe? Won't we be arrested on sight?"
"There is a secret hangar for the couriers who have to do dangerous or covert runs there. That is where we will go. Once inside the base, we will be safer there than any other place I can think of."
"Ok, that will be good."
I just wish we knew who was after us... Thomas thought to himself.
When they got to Plintok, Jintor Calith, the head of the Spacelighters, sent a message that he wanted to speak to both of them.
"What would he want to speak to us about?" Ingrid asked.
"Likely he wants to know what happened on Spiltook. Possibly he thinks there is more information he needs to know. Beyond that I wouldn't know. Let's go"
They left the ship and got into a small ground car, and their driver said they would arrive in a quarter of an hour. That was just long enough for Ingrid to think of all kinds of possibly unpleasant receptions that they might get from Calith.
When they were finally shown to the room where the leader of the Spacelighters was waiting, he waved away the driver, and had them close the doors.
When the three of them were alone, he faced them and asked a question.
"What did you think you were doing bringing this woman here Thomas? You know she doesn't have the clearance needed to meet me." Envoy Calith was clearly agitated at Burnett's lack of concern for security.
"When you hear what has been happening you will understand why she wouldn't be safe if she wasn't with us."
"Well then let's hear it."
Thomas introduced Ingrid and then related what had occurred, specifically mentioning the video he had seen and what kind of individual their assassin had been. When Jintor heard that it was a waterneck, he was visibly disturbed. After he heard about the murder of the ambassador, he frowned.
"That was a very important mission. Spiltook is a peaceful, but very strong planet. Irindia has many allies, and while none of them like how aggressive Irindia is, they don't wish to fight them. Without the treaty, Irindia will attack Spiltook, which will decimate their entire planet. And then Spiltook's allies will be required to jump in, and next thing you know, the entire periphery will be at war."
"Yes, I remember the information you gave me before I took the job."
"Oh, and you will be pleased to know that Irindia is attempting to blame you and the Spacelighters for the ambassador's untimely demise. Though I am surprised he was not killed before he left his home planet."
"Yes, he was as personable as his profile claimed and then some. I just felt sorry for his guards."
"You mentioned a blip during the meteor shower. As your ship was then attacked at the base on Irindia, I would guess that it belonged to your attacker. Did you locate the ship?"
Thomas looked a bit askance for a moment, then realized his error.
"No! I need to find that ship!"
"Not right now you can't. Thanks to our late friend the ambassador you can't go anywhere they think you would. Especially your home planet."
"Yeah, that is a pretty big problem. We still need supplies for the experiments Ingrid has to conduct."
"I can arrange for those things. You just go stay on your ship. I will keep the hangar empty until you are off planet. Just let me know what you need and I will arrange for it."
The Envoy looked at Ingrid now, gently smiling.
"How long do you think it might take to determine if your theory is true?"
Ingrid was a little nervous after being the subject of conversation, and glanced at Thomas. He nodded, and she answered.
"It depends on how easily we can locate the bacteria. Once we do, I will set up a ..."
As Ingrid explained what she was going to do to discover if her theory was true, Thomas found himself looking at her, and caught himself drinking in her face, slightly marveling at her beauty.
"...and once I do that, I will know if they can be modified for the larger scale production neccessary to be used like I hope they can."
He snapped back to the conversation, realizing he had missed most of the explanation.
I will have to ask her how she developed her theory some time.
He regretted not having heard her explanation.
Jintor asked Ingrid, "How long have you been stuck in that horrid lab back on Rintok?"
"At the League's labs? Hrmm, I think it has been about seven and a half years. I'm not really getting to do as much as I would like, simply because of the pest problem in the labs. At least, the rooms they gave me."
"After you complete these experiments, would you like to have use of a good lab to conduct your research in?"
"Well, of course I would, though I doubt I will get that. The League is one giant club, and if you aren't a friend of theirs, you don't really get to accomplish much."
"I am not talking about the League's labs. I am offering you a position with ours."
Ingrid's expression changed into disbelief as she tried to find words to answer with.
"Y-yes! Definitely yes! I don't understand though. I am not refusing, I am just a little confused. I look forward to working at the Borealis. Just...um...why do you want to hire me?"
The Envoy looked pleased at himself, as if he just discovered something nobody else knew.
"Your theory is why. I have some of the best science minds in the sector, but not one of them offered either a solution to this dilemma, or an awareness of the consequences. I want your mind to help with serious matters, not fighting pests in obscurity. I am glad you accept. First things first though. We need you to head to Trindar, but certainly also need you not to get killed. You will go as a couple on a vacation. As far as any of the reports are concerned, Thomas is alone. It seems it was a good thing that you snuck on board his ship, as nobody knows you are with him. It will make it easier to disguise the purpose of this trip, at least to most people. "
"That is a good idea. Then we will be able to have some privacy. That will allow you to work on your experiments free from interruption," Thomas said to Ingrid.
She nodded, excitement building up inside as she realized she was actually going to have the chance to prove her theory.
And to work at the Aurora Borealis... It is a dream come true! They have the best scientists in the galaxy!
Calith looked at both of them seriously. "We will locate the assassin's ship, and I will send you the energy signature so you can verify if it matches the blip you saw. You recorded it right?"
"Yes I did."
"I think I may also have an idea of who is behind all of the trouble you have been through. Ingrid, you mentioned you spoke with a plant manager on Rintok about using your process once you got the kinks worked out. Do you remember their name?"
"Yeah, I do-"
"Please tell me it is not Acanth Sporist."
"Um, actually, that is exactly right. How did you know it was him? Is something wrong?"
"I didn't know it was her until you told me, but I was worried it might be. Acanth happens to work for the Supernova. We only recently learned of her connection to them, and they were trying pretty hard to make sure nobody did. They have something planned, and I suspect that your ideas, Ingrid, are pretty important, considering the lengths they are going to. For now, we keep you two out of sight, and we will try to find out what we can about their plans. Just know this-they were behind that virus you told the High Officer about, Thomas. I will find out more about their plans. You two just stay out of the way. Figure out all the supplies you need, and I will get them to you Thomas. Ingrid, you will need to stay on board his ship until we get the one you will head to Trindar on. I have to go make some arrangements, Thomas, you have a direct frequency to communicate with me. When you have the list, let me know immediately. We may be playing catch up, if they are already trying to eliminate you two. I will be waiting for your list."
With that, Jintor left the room, calling a messenger to him as he left. Another courier entered, and told them he would escort them to their ship.
Story Resumed! Let's find out what happened after the courier left!
We continue...
As the two of them entered the ship, Thomas was lost in thought, trying to figure out everything they would need to obtain to accomplish their mission. They walked into the main cabin of the Streak, Ingrid letting out a sigh of relief as she sat down, trying to catch up with everything that had just occurred.
Thomas was murmuring to himself as he wrote a list of the various items they would need to bring.
"Let's see, suits, a large quantity of waste, proper shielding for the ship to transort that material..."
He continued his list, and then looked at Ingrid.
"What do you need to do your experiment besides the radioactive waste? We will get two suits each, so we have a spare if neccessary, as well as something to hold it in my cargo bay without contaminating the entire hold. What tools will you need?"
"Well, I will need a microscope, slides..."
A while later, after they had put everything they thought they would need on the list, Thomas contacted the Envoy.
"Is that everything then?", Jintor pressed him after he finished.
"Yes, those are all the tools she said she would need. Why do you ask?"
"We have uncovered some strange information. It seems the Supernova are preparing a team with everything you have listed as well."
"What!?!", Burnett exclaimed.
Ingrid paled at the news.
"Are they already there?", she asked in a frightened voice.
Even she knew who the Supernova were, cooped up in her pidgeonholed lab back on Rintok. Most planets feared them, and at best had an unofficial agreement not to start agression; those planets which were not strong enough to attempt to resist them either were taken over, or payed a tribute to keep the pirates from destroying them. While they were known for their dishonesty and cunning, it was their raw mercilessness which everyone thought of when their name was mentioned. The outer periphery planet Zotun learned that lesson firsthand. When they were approached by the lawless Supernova, they boldly defied them, as they had a shield which would neutralize even the strongest blasts, and even physical shells and rounds couldn't penetrate their defense. The pirates were so enraged by this that they got together an enormous force, enough to look like a net had been placed over the entire planet made up of the ships they brought. At first it had seemed that they were only trying in desperation to get something through the shield. Until they shot the missiles. One by one, radioactive tipped warheads exploded upon the shield, and while at first it seemed that they had no effect upon the planet, the people below began to realize what the pirates had planned, as their shield began to be covered in waste. While they had successfully refused to pay the pirates, their planet was destroyed, and nobody had heard from anyone since. Zotun was visible even on the opposite end of the periphery because of the glow, even still.
"No, they have yet to leave. Strangely enough, they don't know where to go. We have the advantage for the moment. We need to keep it. Though I must ask you, Ingrid, just what did you tell Acanth?"
"I had told her that I found a solution for the waste, and...oh no!" She gasped.
"I had mentioned I would come to see Thomas, and that I wouldn't take no for an answer!"
"Well that explains a lot." Thomas was not pleased.
"Now we know why they hired that waterneck. They never come out in the open unless they assume you are already dead. It's just a good thing my ship had some special 'modifications'. Looks like we need to be more undercover than even before."
"Now that is easily covered Thomas. Let me get ahold of someone..."
The Envoy went to the wall and accessed a screen that required a retinal scan, and then a fuzzy haired, short little man with a bristling mustache came on the screen
"Well now, Calith, I was wondering when I would hear from you. Waternecks on Irindia? Awful bold 'o those idiot pirates."
The man speaking looked like a ghost to Ingrid.
"H-how...", she stammered.
Thomas looked confused, and whispered, "What are you talking about Ingrid? Do you know him?"
"No, at least, not personally. But the man you see on the screen should be dead! Do you remember the shield Zotun used to stop the pirates?"
"Yeah, so?"
"You are looking at the man who invented it!"
"That is impossible!!!"
To continue the story, TURN TO PAGE 6!
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...a shimmer in the woods, with
an expectant feel to the air...
...a figure takes shape...
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted May 09, 2011 01:02 AM |
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Part 2:
I vote for option A!
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Jabanoss
Promising
Legendary Hero
Property of Nightterror™
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posted May 09, 2011 01:04 AM |
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Hmm could be cool...
B
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"You turn me on Jaba"
- Meroe
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MacMasterMC
Known Hero
Resurrected Loreweaver
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posted May 09, 2011 01:12 AM |
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Voters are simply picking choices, if it helps, think of the story like a story being read in a classroom of your favorite grade between 1st and 5th grades, but you choose which you want. Also, I will present a fairly clear decision point, but like a true choose your own adventure, sometimes the choice you make may take you someplace unexpected! Have fun voting!
P.S. I do not know what the limit is in any given post, but to facilitate ease of reading the story, I will use the first post through edits as long as I can, then continue in a new post, same thing, edit till its full. Then it won't simply span five or ten pages without getting but a few paras. 
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...a shimmer in the woods, with
an expectant feel to the air...
...a figure takes shape...
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted May 09, 2011 01:16 AM |
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Sounds good, looking forward to the next installment! I'll stop my off topic postings now then.
Quote:
think of the story like a story being read in a classroom of your favorite grade between 1st and 5th grades
That's a bit too high level for me! My mental age is ~2 years below a first grader, as far as I know.
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meroe
Supreme Hero
Basically Smurfette
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posted May 09, 2011 01:20 AM |
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I like both options, but being a sci fi nut, I guess I will go for B.
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Meroe is definetely out, sweet
as she sounds sometimes, she'd
definetely castrate you with a
rusted razror and forcefeed
your genitals to you in a
blink of an eye - Kipshasz
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william
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
LummoxLewis
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posted May 09, 2011 02:15 AM |
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This is actually a pretty cool idea. I pick Option B.
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~Ticking away the moments that
make up a dull day, Fritter and
waste the hours in an off-hand
way~
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gnomes2169
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Duke of the Glade
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posted May 09, 2011 04:50 AM |
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Great thread idea.
Giving into peer pressure, B.
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Yeah in the 18th century, two inventions suggested a method of measurement. One won and the other stayed in America.
-Ghost destroying Fred
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Warlord
Famous Hero
Lord of Image Spam
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posted May 09, 2011 04:59 AM |
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A for the win!
____________
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MacMasterMC
Known Hero
Resurrected Loreweaver
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posted May 09, 2011 05:41 AM |
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Come on everyone! I KNOW more ppl are looking at this thread than have voted! Vote for which path you want!!!
____________
...a shimmer in the woods, with
an expectant feel to the air...
...a figure takes shape...
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Trogdor
Legendary Hero
Words in a custom title
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posted May 09, 2011 09:41 AM |
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My vote goes towards B.
____________
"Through the power of the dollar you can communicate with the dead." - Artu
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MacMasterMC
Known Hero
Resurrected Loreweaver
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posted May 10, 2011 03:56 AM |
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Voting Closed!
It looks like we begin in space!
A has one vote to B's 6 votes! Original post to be updated with story and next decision point!
Edit: Went to watch Rio, hope it's good! I'll hopefully be updating after that!
Edit 2: Story updated! It has begun!]
Edit 3: Vote for the next choice! Hope you enjoy the story so far!
____________
...a shimmer in the woods, with
an expectant feel to the air...
...a figure takes shape...
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted May 10, 2011 09:57 AM |
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Part 2:
I vote for option A!
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william
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
LummoxLewis
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posted May 10, 2011 09:59 AM |
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Option B.
____________
~Ticking away the moments that
make up a dull day, Fritter and
waste the hours in an off-hand
way~
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted May 10, 2011 10:01 AM |
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You romantic "fool"!
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baklava
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Mostly harmless
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posted May 10, 2011 01:02 PM |
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A for film noir cyberpunk coolness with style.
____________
"Let me tell you what the blues
is. When you ain't got no
money,
you got the blues."
Howlin Wolf
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted May 10, 2011 01:06 PM |
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A for New-Romantic movements in fantastic settings!
____________
If you have any more questions, go to Dagoth Cares.
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted May 10, 2011 01:13 PM |
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Jabanoss
Promising
Legendary Hero
Property of Nightterror™
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posted May 10, 2011 02:26 PM |
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A
____________
"You turn me on Jaba"
- Meroe
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 10, 2011 04:01 PM |
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