Game Stories

[Hotfoot]

The Path of Shadows

The Journal of Prince Mortova

The date is 2422.0, and control is fading. The dreams keep coming night after night of ages long since past. Of lives that my ancestors lived, or perhaps even myself in another reality. The visions are frightening, disturbing, but I feel compelled to watch, and not just from a scientific standpoint. I feel some sort of...perverse joy in watching the dreams. The dreams of war, desctruction on a scale never before seen. I see Shaderni vessels annihilating planets from orbit, unleashing plagues on civilizations that are not worth the notice of a battlefleet, and the annihilation of worlds that simply offended the eye. I see populations crying out in terror as their skin melts from their body due to massive radiation poisoning, mothers and hive queens holding their lifeless young in their arms, tears in their eyes as planetary napalm ignites in the atmosphere....

...and sweet heavens forgive me, I love it.

Perhaps this is the revenge of the Sagella, somehow using their temporal technology to create a link to this most reprehensible of minds through the barriers of time and space. Could this be their Last blow to the Shaderni Empire as I try to end this senseless war as bloodlessly as I can? Or is it something deep within the past of the Shaderni that our psychoanalysts and historians have missed, that is coming to life now because of the my attempts to come to a reasonably bloodless resolution? The Master Computer commanding the Terror Frigate wasn't malfunctioning, it was acting under orders to the letter. It was only at the Last minute that I came to my senses and gave the order to spare the humans on Gergan I.

On the subject of the humans, their recent declaration of war comes as little surprise. We hoped that letting them become trusted allies would assuade them that we did not intend conquest of their systems, but I suppose our ship naming conventions did not amuse them. The utilitarian names of our ship classes is useful for when designing fleets, but the Terra Nova-class Dreadnoughts built specifically to counter a possible Terran military action was not a good ship design to let the humans see. Apparently they took it to mean that we had been planning a war of conquest with them. Now the orphan colonies of Earth have doomed themselves to an...no, we will destroy their military forces and use our Strange Mercies to wrest control of the the colonies from their insane government.

I desperately need to rest from all of this war. I eagerly await the day when the bloodshed ends and we as a species can continue exploring the marvels of the universe. Even in the fire and tumult of war, our motherships are conceiving a new child of the Shaderni, a Ringworld that is slated for construction in the currently barren triple star Quesstris around the smallest of the suns. With the coming annihilation of the Huju star in the neighboring system, the birth of this artificial world will be a welcome sight.


The date is 2422.1, and the dreams continue. I try to put them out of my mind, but it as if they are a part of me now. My advisors suggest that I shoud get my cybernetic implants evaluated, perhaps even replaced. I am hesitant to replace them, as hesitant as I would be to replace my natural flesh. I don't know why, but something inside of me tells me that the metal is not the problem...it may very well be the solution. The ways of the flesh are weak, there is fallicy in the judgement of flesh. There is pleasure in the destruction of the organic. So many ways to destroy flesh, so many different ways to cause blood to flow.

I will schedule an analysis of my cybernetics first thing in the morning.

The Skeleton Key is now capable of creating warp points that would let us insert new Stalkers deep into the Dark Side of the Galaxy. Once production of the Stalkers resume, we shall send more probes into the chaotic half of known space. Perhaps that will give us the insight we...I need to keep the entire galaxy from devolving into a state of total war. Must there be a totalitarian rule to keep war from breaking out? Cannot peaceful coexistance, like that between the Shaderni and the Praetorians, be achieved with the other races? Must they all be subjegated, conquered, destroyed, or annihilated? Flesh cannot listen to reason, to logic. The meat is mindless, they cannot understand for what we strive...

Perhaps Emperor Zarnak of the Praetorians can provide some insight into that which ails me. It has been too long since we Last talked. I must talk to him after I have my cybernetics examined, I would not want him to see me like this if I can help it.

[Suicide Junkie]

Syndicate Monthly
-----------------------------

Open War in Ishantrissti
ER - Our warriors from Alpha squadron counterattacked an enemy force in the Ishantrissti system this week. The valiant defenders were only ranked as Class III scouts, and found themselves fighting enemies three times thier size. Fifteen lightly armored soldiers overran the invaders, capturing six undamaged light cruisers, but taking over 50% casualties. Of the 8 wounded warriors, only two require long term care; the others will be back on duty in less than a month.
The ships captured by Alpha squadron are expected to yield at least fifteen tech levels in propulsion, shields, point defense, energy weapons, combat support and ship construction.

Military buildup in Organtrix: wargames or coverup?
SR - Military sources have indicated that the fifteen warriors gathering in Organtrix are merely undergoing training through wargames. Civilian observers are crying coverup, and point to the unusual activity and transient mineral signatures of the southern warp point shortly before the military was deployed.
Our forces are already fighting a war on the eastern front, and citizens across the empire are unhappy with the situation.
Coverup or innocent training manouevers? Only time will tell.

------------------
The latest info on Pirates & Nomads (forum thread).
-<Download V2.2b>- (Now with EZ-Install, just extract to your SE4 folder)
-<Download P&N Classic>- (The final release of P&N v1.x, with EZ-Install, just extract to your SE4 folder)
-<Download compatible EMPs for P&N v1.2 through v1.7>-
-<Download SJs latest AI Patcher>-
Visit My Homepage

Other Links:
-<Play By Web>-
-<Schlock Mercenary>- (great space-based webcartoon) -<First Strip>-
-<8-bit Theater>- (fun comic with the pixellated FF1 characters)

[Suicide Junkie]

Cross-Linking some threads for you:

Beyond the Horizon (by Dracus)
A New Age (by Atrocities)

[mac5732]

SJ, tks for finding it, these stories are excellent reading and I know everyone will enjoy them as much as I do. tks again .....

just some ideas mac

[Suicide Junkie]

<Photo-album style Flashback sequence>
-A shadowy figure on vidscreens across the tri-system, warning the populace of war.

-Grainy images of a large arrowhead-shaped ship emerging from a wormhole on news channels.

-Busy workers rushing to pour armor molds around a bunker and missile pit.

-Orange streamers flowing behind two great destroyers as they leave orbit of the homeworld.

-A warppoint opens, the electronically distorted voice of a Phantom Captain rumbling through space.

-The intruding ship turning and fleeing back through the warppoint, the destroyers in pursuit.

-Two dark ships sailing insystem, crossing the orbit of a planet.

-Two flashes of light from the dark side of the planet as the dark destroyers sail silently past.

-A battle: Two torpedoes silently slide towards the trailing destroyer.

-A fireball smearing itself around an invisible barrier, a half-second before another erupted on the surface of the ship.

-Turrets swivelling, and a rain of green teardrops flowing from the destroyers to splash against the shield of the enemy ship.

-Torpedoes slipping in, two fireballs erupting on the wings of the damaged destroyer, and the battered hulk tumbling away, sparkling drops of fiery liquid metal spewing into space.

-The remaining destroyer closing in, small puffs of plasma beginning to appear on the Arrowhead's hull.

-Through the silent storm, two more sleek metal tubes. The destroyer shuddering from a direct hit through the shields, but continuing to fire.

-Hull breaches glowing a dull orange polka dot pattern across the hull of the enemy vessel; it is beginning to lose attitude control, but holds together.

-Running out of time, the destroyer's drives glow on overload, as it makes one Last burst of speed towards the enemy.

-Firing at it dives, the destroyer has rolled over.

-The destroyer's port wingtip vanishing in a flash of light.

-The enemy vessel spinning itself into a glowing mass of shrapnel, while the starboard half of the destroyer drifts away, spinning.

-Darkness

-In the light from burning equipment, an old officer returns to consciousness, pinned against a wall, while another struggles to stand from the ceiling in order to reach down to the navigation console. Bodies surround them, pasted against the bulkheads by centrifugal force.
...
</flashback>

The old officer stands at a podium, with the younger officer from the ship to his right, and two others behind him. They are being viewed on an enourmous screen by a thousand soldiers.

"Fortunately, we were drifting towards the wormhole at that point, and it only took a month for the repair ship to reach us. After sealing the smaller hull breaches and restoring atmosphere to most of the remains of the ship, the repair crews proceeded to check for survivors on our sister ship. We were about to pass through the wormhole when they arrived, but remained long enough to hear what happened next: the rescue ship found one of the survivors firing shots into space...
... the instant the repair ship tried to dock, they were jumped by a pair of Arrowheads...
... he was trying to warn them, not be rescued..."

The old officer steps back, shaken by the memory, and motions the younger officer to continue for him.

"The destroyer escorting the repair ship was burning badly after the initial volley of torpedoes... they only got off a handful of shots before they were incinerated. The repair ship was about to ram one of the Arrowheads when we lost contact...
Me and Admiral Dey were far enough ahead to escape back to the shipyards at Avior. As reported by the local news, only one Arrowhead followed us through the wormhole before being turned back by the planetary defenses on Scutum IX."

Admiral Dey steps forward again, and the young officer returns to his assigned position.

"Our forces were decimated in the Last attack, but we have learned much since then. Great warships have been constructed, and soldiers have been trained. You are them. The best of the best, the elite Soldiers of the Phantom. You naturally fear nothing, but make no mistake; the road to victory is long and treacherous.

I present to you your guides on that journey: Myself, commanding the Amberjack"
"Captain Holt, commanding the Heron"

Captain Holt steps forward again and nods before returning.

"Captain Ainsworth, commanding the Pomeroy"
"And finally, Commander Myers, commanding my old ship, the rebuilt Baku, which will serve as our repair tender."

The two other officers take a step towards the camera in turn.

"The fleet departs in one hour. Send any personal Messages now, radio silence will be in effect as soon as we leave orbit."

[ 03 February 2002: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]

[spacefan]

Author's Note:
This is based on a game set up according to the Topic Game Story: GalacticCorp. Its somewhat of a cross between Ferengi and current multinational corporations. A corporate perspective on space exploitation. Finite Resources are enabled for this game. Large Spiral Arm galaxy.

GalacticCorp

CEO Edward Mason straightened his tie, watching a large assembly from his balcony three floors above the conference meeting room. His secretary told him that 3000 senior executives were expected from all branches of GalacticCorp(gc), and they had flown in to meet him at Corporate Headquarters. Of course, no one called it that, it was called the "Imperial Palace". People laughed at that name, but they always agreed with it.

On the floor below, a flustered director was trying to create order, placing various executives according to a seating chart, in preparation for the broadcast, which would be sent around the world to all GC employees.

Clearing his throat, Mason motioned to the director, and began his speech.

"Good Morning. I am speaking to you today to discuss the recent merger which has created the largest corporation in history, GalacticCorp. We have spent months, even years, ensuring the transition would go smoothly, and now that it is here, I would like to share my plans for the coming years.

But first, I would like to thank the many managers and shareholders who have flown across the world to come here..."

A lot of people were listening to this speech, but among those who were not, Andrew Bates was the most interesting. He operated a one-man federal government, which had no power. All he did was give approval to corporate mergers, and he had no power to say no, anyway. He remembered a time when the government had power. He sighed and looked up at the sky. "Thats where they will go next," he said to himself.

"...Now, our immediate plan is to franchise and commence mining and relocation to other worlds in our system. We plan to put our ship construction to the test. If we can bring workers to the moons and planets of this system quickly, then we can easily double our output of minerals, organics and radioactives. Any period of growth causes stress of course, but we will compensate you, so just hang in there. We also plan to launch satellites to mine any valuable asteroids we find..."

In a later meeting of the board of directors of GalacticCorp, the CEO spoke rather differently, of profits and risk factors. The directors approved his plan for harnessing the resources of their system, and concluded the plan of asteroid mining may not be suitably profitable, but asked him to organize a test case.

[Suicide Junkie]

Addendum to Author's note below:
The thread referenced below, can be found here: Game Story: GalacticCorp.