| Author |
Conspicuous Consumption: Part 2 |
Juxtapose
Grand Admiral
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 1308
From: Give me your bullets!
|  Posted: 2003-09-19 12:36
The following story chronicles the events that take place just after the ICC's initial and violent contact with the aliens later known as the K'luth see Conspicuous Consumption and continues the story upto the Battle of the Capella Rift
“I have to admit, when I first heard of this report, I thought you had finally snapped.” Grand Admiral Yelstin said.
“You haven’t spoken with the Ship’s Counselor then, I take it?”
“We have his report as well.” The other man said.
Juxtapose mouthed “ohh...”
“This,” The first man held up a thumb thick binder, “was quite well done. Excellent research, Admiral.”
“Being adrift for a week gave me and the men a lot of free time.”
“Yes” The second man coughed into his hand, “Had we been able to verify your initial report, we would have…reprioritized the available Supply ships.”
“And not confined you and your men to quarters until their return to dock” The Grand Admiral chuckled.
“Grand Admiral, I don’t mean to be abrupt, but could we get to the meat of this inquiry?” Juxtapose asked the heavy-set, grey haired man sitting across from him. “This is my fourth meeting in the past two days since I’ve been back. All there is to know about what happened is in that report. I trust everyone has been interviewed and the downloads have been studyied” He asked
The men nodded.
“Then can we discuss my command and my ship? The Conspic-“
The second man, Fleet Admiral Ulan Ubo interrupted, “We realize your concern Admiral, but you have to realize that the issue is a bit more complicated than you suppose.”
“Complicated?” Juxtapose questioned, his voice becoming shrill. “All I want to know is if I get my ship back. No one is telling me anything.” Juxtapose asked, “Is that such a hard question to answer?”
“No.” The Grand Admiral said.
“No? No, it isn’t a hard question or no I don’t get my ship?” Juxtapose asked.
“No. You won’t be getting your command back. The Command Dreadnaught Conspicuous Consumption has been deemed unsalvageable. It is has been decommissioned and is slated to be stripped at the end of the week.” The Fleet Admiral said. “Sorry.” He added as an after thought.
"What!?" Juxtapose cupped his head in his hands and shook his head. He had already lost most of what he valued. The near total loss of the Navy’s Battle Group Tiger while under his command; the presumed death or capture of the Army’s elite 4th Planetary Assault Battalion; half of his friends and companions who he had fought with, who had helped him to achieve so many victories including the victory in the Battle of Caranie...and now the last humiliation, his ship was being taken away.
“We have something else for you. Something big.” The Grand Admiral said.
Juxtapose looked up. He recognized that look and shook his head. “No, Admiral. I know what you are going to ask and, I’m sorry. But no.”
The Grand Admiral waved away Juxtapose’s protests and continued, “You are the only one we have who has had contact with them. Do you understand? We need you to go back out there."
“Contact?! Are you serious?" Juxtapose asked in disbelief. "Send someone else."
“We are sending you.”
“And you claim to have read my psyche evaluation?” The Admiral snorted. "I am going no where near those things!"
“You will go.” The Grand Admiral repeated, calmly. "We are going to offer you command of an expedition...and you will accept."
Juxtapose shook his head again, “You can’t just wave you hands and expect me to obey. You may be a Grand Admiral, but those Jedi mind tricks don’t work in real life”
Grand Admiral Yeltsin smiled and nodded. He placed a folder on the desk between them and pushed it across the glossy dark wood desktop “Perhaps I can change your mind…”
---
“25gu per second?” Juxtapose asked in disbelief.
“You could probably get her to 27gu” Ulan Ubo replied.
“Semi-cohesive active particle shielding?”
“Nearly twice the strength of the standard reactive shields. Bit of an energy drain, which is why we compensated with the addition of a Fusion 1500 reactor”
Juxtapose shook his head in awe. The second generation of the stalwart M-242-A Assault Cruiser: the M-245-X. It came equipped with 6 turret mounted Fusion torpedo launchers, the M-242-A only had 4 and those weren't turrent mounted. In addition, where the old AC had only a couple standard issue CL300 batteries, the M-245-X had a 2000k Capital Ship battery, a pair of ship-to-ship pulse batteries, a focused Energy Signal Enhancement emitter, or simply ECCM, and it could fly rings around any current ICC cruiser
“If this thing gets built…” He shook his head again…It would be a match for any UGTO Dreadnaught!”
“That is the plan.” The Grand Admiral said as he pushed himself away from the desk where he was sitting. He walked across the thick carpeted floor to the heavy crimson curtains that hung against the side wall and pulled them aside.
“If I take this...If I accept this mission, I get command of the prototype when it is completed?”
“No…” He said, motioning Juxtapose to the windows.
The office of Grand Admiral Yeltsin of the ICC Admiralty, was Botany Shipyards, located in deep space about mid-way between the systems of CD*36 and Cygnus. The shipyard’s main structure was shaped like an H, the horizontal being the H with vertical struts ands docks descending from the four tips and central corners. His office protruded from the cross piece of the H, providing the Grand Admiral with a splendid view of half the Yard below. Below his window this morning, docked in the available berths, were six, M-245-X Assault Cruisers.
“If you take this mission, you will be commanding a whole wing.”
-- --
Captain Lawrence Colby, newly promoted from a successful Vice-Captainship aboard the Command Dreadnaught Conspicuous Consumption after receiving a glowing recommendation from his previous commander, Admiral Juxtapose, was laying restrained and unconscious in the Neural wing of the ICC Naval Hospital. As a newly minted Captain, he had just undergone a successful neural link implant. Now, if his brain didn’t reject the new machinery and drive him insane, he would have the ability to access the omnipresent ICC Battle Net, remote interface with combat computers; but most importantly, Captain a starship.
Slowly and gently, the neural net permeated the Captain’s sub-consciousness, nudging the sleeping man from his sleep. His mind became conscious as his body slept, recovering from the operation. It was a unique experience on the best of days; deeply disorientating the first time around.
Like being in a combat chair except from the comfort of bed, he thought after brief struggle coming to terms with being disembodied. He began to take stock of the neural paths he had access. The doctors had told the Captain what to expect and had recommended he take the first day or so connected with the net. He would have complete access to all the work that he needed to accomplish, could hold Net meetings with family or friends, if he hadn’t been quarantined, that is; all the while having his body looked after by the medical staff.
While spending his afternoon exploring terra-feeds from recently discovered planets, something caught his attention. It was on a newly mapped inferno planet from the Mirfak System, in the constellation of Perseus. From out behind a blood-red, sulfur spewing volcano strode a white tiger.
What the hell is this! He thought. Some sort of connection problem or bug? The volcano was at least 15 kilometers away and several thousand meters tall, yet the white tiger was only slightly smaller. What was more disturbing was that it was looking right at him. All of which was impossible as there was no ‘him’ to see.
Crap, he thought, beginning to panic, my brain must be rejecting the implant! Insanity was the only explanation.
The white tiger flowed across the shattered landscape directly towards him. Whatever it was, real or a creation of his bruised mind, he was not planning to stick around to find out. He quickly shut down the connection to the feed and ordered up the main access menus.
Nothing happened. The tiger’s face unfocused and transformed as it leapt the remaining distance towards Colby.
The Captain screamed as the now familiar, human-faced tiger opened its jaws wide to swallow him whole.
-- --
Colby woke with a cry, twisting in his restraints as he fought against the fading nightmare. After a moment, he remembered where he was and relaxed, all the while cursing under his breath for panicing.
“Morning, Captain!” Admiral Juxtapose said with a smile as he leaned over Colby’s bed.
The Captain gave a startled cry. “Sweet Lord!" He shouted. "God! I thought this nightmare had ended!” he said.
The Admiral chuckled. “No such luck, Captain. Congratulations on your promotion. How are you enjoying the net?”
“You bastard!" He spat. "How the hell did you do that!”
The Admiral simply smiled. “Comes with years of practice.”
Colby groaned in pain. No wonder the doctor had recommended a day or so in the net, his head was throbbing. “Gah…how long since the operation?”
The Admiral was examining the I.V. attached to the Captain. Reaching into his breast pocket he pulled out a small syringe. “Only about half a day. I would have waited longer but time necessitated I wake you earlier. Sorry. I imagine your head probably doesn't feel very intact at the moment."
"Like someone hit it with a bat, actually"
Juxtapose nodded in sympathy. He stabbed a small vile he had removed from another pocket and filled the syringe with a clear fluid.
Colby tested his restraints and looked nervously at the Admiral and the syringe. “Um, Admiral? Don't suppose you'd loosen these abit?"
Juxtapose smiled as he flicked the tip of the needle with his finger. Satisfied, he took the IV line in his hand.
"I don’t know anything, I swear!” he said, half jokingly, the slightest bit of doubt entering his voice.
The Admiral’s smile faded as he stabbed the line with the syringe and pushed the plunger. “I’m sorry Captain, but I can't take any chances…”
-- -- --
“What the hell is going on in here?” The Doctor shouted as he burst into the room flanked by two armed security guards.
“Hello, Major.” Juxtapose said to the doctor as he helped Captain Colby finished pulling on the dress uniform the Admiral had brought along for him. “Captain Colby’s presence has been requested by the Admiralty.” He handed the doctor a letter, “He’ll be coming with me.”
At the conclusion of the meeting with Grand Admiral Yeltsin, Juxtapose was given a stack of dossiers of the officers who would be attending the expedition’s briefing on Exathra in two days time. He was pleased to note that many of those attending had served alongside him before, some even aboard the Conspicuous Consumption. The stack included his former First Mate, Captain Colby.
The Grand Admiral then gave Juxtapose the necessary documents to get the Captain and several other officers released from the hospital and quarantine. The crews of the surviving Battle Group Tiger’s ships had been immediately interned upon their arrival back in ICC space. No contact was possible with the outside world under strict orders from the Admiralty. Until further research was made on data from the ships and contacts within the UGTO sphere conferred with, the whole incident had never happened.
“They seemed upset” noted the Captain.
“I guess the pain-killer I injected into your IV set off some alarms.” Juxtapose whispered as he returned the salutes of the Marines flanking the entrance to the Admiralty’s briefing room.
“Do you have any idea where we will be headed?” The Captain whispered as they took their seats at the head table.
“Back towards Sirius, no doubt. Other than that, you know as much as I do.” Juxtapose replied.
“Ten-hut!” The Marine guards shouted. Juxtapose, Colby and forty officers stood to their feet as one and saluted. When the short, bald man bearing the rank of Grand Admiral of the Interior entered the room, Juxtapose closed his eyes and groaned.
Of all people, he thought, why him?
_________________
[ This Message was edited by: Juxtapose likes ponies on 2003-09-20 17:11 ]
_________________
I type with the tongues of my enemies, ascend from the backs of my friends, ignore the plight of innocents, and dance on the graves of my gods
|
Juxtapose
Grand Admiral
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 1308
From: Give me your bullets!
| Posted: 2003-09-21 16:21
----Part II
...the Heavy Liner Arduous in need of assistance. This is a General distress to all ships, we are damaged and in need of assistance...
“It did say the Arduous!” The women said, slapping her hand down on the consol, cutting the feed.
“Well, I don’t get it.” The man replied. “What the hell is the Arduous doing out there?” He pointed to where the triangulator indicated the ship was located. “That is practically in the Altair system. I mean, I thought that the Arduous had contracted out with the ICC.
“How soon till we get intercept?” she asked excitedly as she scanned the most recent intel on the Arduous.
The man grumbled as he queried the nav-com. “It’s going to cost us a pretty penny… Don’t give me that look, I’m just saying that Cleveland is going to be some pissed if this is another dead lead.”
“I’ll deal with Cleveland” she winked.
He shook his head in disgust, “Whatever floats your boat. We will be in direct com range in, umm… 52 hours.”
She looked at the route he had planned and shook her head. “52 hours! No way! We take the gates.”
“We take the Military Jump Gates and the Galactic Navy is going to be all over this”
“We don’t take the Military Jump Gates and someone else will be.” She explained. “Jesus, Carl, we got a Press Corp. transponder, stop being such a baby. If they didn’t want us to be expedient, then they shouldn’t have given it to us!”
Carl was in no mood to argue. “Fine, we take the gates! We’ll be on them in… 21 hours.
“You’re the best!” She cooed. “Let’s go get ‘em!”
The Interstellar News Corporation Galleon, the Kronkite, turned towards the nearest Gate Beacon signal and leapt away in a flash.
--- --
“I believe this graph better illustrates my point,” The Interior’s Science Advisor said.
“By utilizing this organic-metal alloy, the aliens are able to compensate for the terrific energy drain that their high-energy weapons expend. The ship creates its own electromagnetic field, much like all living things do, which significantly adds to the energy lode.” He paused as a new idea occurred to him. “Though just theorized, undoubtedly these ship must also benefit from having natural regeneration, as well…”
“Pardon me, sir.” An officer interjected. “I was under the impression that, despite initial speculations, the aliens are not the vessels themselves but, like us, simply pilot them.”
“That is correct. Initially, there was some conjecture that the vessels that attacked Battle Group Tiger were similar to the Gaifen species…though sentient. If you reference frames 34 through 39, the enhanced images of the damaged…”The man sifted through his notes, “…um…damaged craft cataloged as a Ganglia-class, refute this theory. The images show what appears to be the interior decks of the vessel as well as devices that are clearly fabricated; that must have been added by whatever pilots the vessels”
“But the vessels themselves are alive?” The officer asked.
“Alive, yes, but they appear to be no more intelligent then, say a tree.” The man said. “Now, when we look at energy differentials…” He droned on.
“Wish I had a tree like that” Colby whispered.
“Kinda tough to hang lights on, I would think” Juxtapose replied.
Juxtapose checked his watch as he stifled a yawn. Six o’clock in the evening. He had been in the briefing for eight hours and still he hadn’t heard anything new. For most of that time, Grand Admiral of the Interior Greene and his staff had been walking the attending officers through the information Juxtapose had gathered from the aliens. Information that he had already spent over a week drifting in space, pouring over.
-- -
“Anti-matter, to put it simply,” Grand Admiral of the Interior Greene said.
Juxtapose’s head jerked up with a start. He must have been dozing, he realized, slightly embarrassed. Good thing the lights were dimmed. He glanced at his watch again. Five past six. Oh! Good, he hadn’t missed a thing, he thought.
“We have known of its theoretical applications for well over 150 years. For the past century scientists have striven for more than theory. Since the war began, research centers throughout both spheres have focused their work on it…none of them have met with success.”
“From the data analyzed from Admiral Juxtapose’s report and from the sensor logs taken during the encounter with the Aliens, it is clear that they utilize Anti-matter energy for a variety of practical applications, most notably: weapons and drives.”
“If we were able to obtain a sample of this technology, no matter how slight, we would gain a significant edge in this war against the Trade Organization.”
The officers murmured amongst themselves. Anti-matter had become the holy-grail of scientists for decades, much as cold-fusion had been for scientists centuries before.
“My Department has been monitoring reports sent back to the Trade Organization’s Science Counsel from several dozen unmanned Surveyors they had dispatched over the past few years. Last month we came across something…peculiar. It was dismissed. In light of recent events, those images,” The Grand Admiral cued projection. “were deemed important.”
A 3-D computer representation of an alien vessel appeared in the view chamber before him. It was much less menacing than the other red-orange ships that they had already viewed in the briefing, looking rather like a stuffed turkey and no more threatening than one.
“From information gathered, we believe this to be a type of repair and supply vessel.” He switched to another projection.
“Here we see the same style hull.” The ship was similar, except the picture was far less clear, taken from an unmanned surveyor. Still, the officers could easily make out the ragged gash down one half of the hull. “This ship, along with the several others spotted, seem to have suffered the same catastrophic damage.”
“Do we know the cause?” A voice asked.
“An entirely human one” The Admiral replied, “Poor judgment.”
The room laughed.
“Whatever the reasons for being there, it is clear the aliens were not familiar with this section of space.” A star map of known space appeared in the projector. “The system of Eta Cassiopeia was recently surveyed by the Trade Organization.” The projector centered on the Eta Cassiopeia system, a bright yellow, G-class star approximately 14.27 light-years away from CD*36, 19.42 light-years from Sol
“This binary system was thought a suitable candidate for colonization until the discovery of a white dwarf in rapid orbit of both suns. The tidal force from this dwarf creates an arm of dense solar material that stretches from the two stars to the dwarf, this zone is now known as the Capella Rift. We believe the alien vessels were unaware of both the white dwarf and stellar material and were destroyed.”
“Time is critical. You depart tomorrow.” The Admiral said.
“Tomorrow!” Colby gasped along with many others in the room. “God, I haven’t met most of my officers yet, how the hell are we expected to leave tomorrow!?”
Juxtapose shrugged, “Eta Cassiopeia is quite a distance off the Gate-ways. They’ll be plenty of time for introductions, key parties and the like…”
"Rendezvous with the deep star observatory, Kuniper which is presently located north of the Bernard Star's elliptical, in five days. After re-supplying, we estimate it will take approximately six days, twelve hours for you to reach the location of these vessels. You will intercept and salvage these ships.”
“…see, almost two weeks.”
“This will be a race.” The Admiral said. “The Trade Organization is also aware of these ships and may have similar plans, which is why we must get to them first. Reports indicate that the Galactic Navy is making preparations in the Lelande system and will be underway in days if not sooner.” The Admiral paused for effect. “It appears they will be sending the 3rd Fleet.”
The room was silent. Juxtapose nodded his head, he had expected this. The 3rd Fleet was the elite of the Galactic Navy. They had never lost a fight. But that was only part of it. The 3rd Fleet was Fleet Admiral O’Brien’s… Butcher O’Brien. The man who gave the order to intern the ICC delegation at the onset of the conflict; who had hunted down and slaughtered the naval officers and men fleeing UGTO space for their home worlds; the mastermind of the ICC’s disastrous route in their lone foray into uncontested UGTO space.
The men were determined now. They shook off the tedious hours of the briefing and concentrated on each word the Grand Admiral spoke. Juxtapose watched as the Greene rallied their emotions and fired their spirits. They could taste revenge and they were hungry.
The briefing ended. Grand Admiral Greene dismissed the men, wishing them luck. As they filed out of the room, Juxtapose lingered. When the last had left, he closed the door, and turned to see Admiral Greene standing before him smiling.
“Admiral, I had a notion you would –“ Greene began.
“You bastard!” Juxtapose hissed. “I knew this would happen!”
“Excuse me?” Greene said, still smiling.
“Don’t play innocent with me! I read the dossiers of the men; a blind man couldn’t have missed the connection!”
“I never took you for a conspiracy theorist, Admiral.”
“Every one of those men! Every single one, lost someone at the Massacre or in the Battles of Van Maan. To the Butcher! Don’t tell me that it’s all a coincidence!”
Admiral Greene shook his head and chuckled, “You can’t be such a fool!? Do you think we pulled these men off the line?!” he asked. “You think we planned this all out a month in advance, to have them waiting for you when you limped back to port?” He laughed and walked back towards his desk.
“You lost Battle Group Tiger, not me. If this was all planned do you really think we would be sending you?”
“Damn you!” Juxtapose yelled. “Any chance we had at peace you just piss away!”
“These officers and men are the best of what was available! You want us to wait a week? Recall some ships from the line with crews that weren’t affected by the war?” He laughed “My god, man! Did you sleep through the entire briefing? We don’t have time!”
“If we run into the Butcher, there will be no chance for a cease-fire! No chance for negotiations. Thanks to you-“
“Negotiations?” He snorted. “I’m not sending you out to talk! You think the Butcher listened to the last Admiral that tried reasoning with him-“
“-and as we slaughter each other, those things out there will pick off who ever survives! For what?! For a few pieces of metal?”
“No, he killed them all…and those things out there?” He dismissed them with a wave. “…are not the threat! That technology falling into the Galactic Navy’s hands is the threat!”
“-when instead we could use this as the excuse to get out of this war!”
Greene stopped and turned, “Peace? You poor child, still stuck on that are you?”
“This is our chance!” Juxtapose shouted, “Now, finally and for the first time! How can you be so blind?”
Greene nodded, “Ah yes…the outside force that binds humanity to a common cause! Ends war and unites us all. How noble, how idealistic…what blithering tripe.”
“Go to hell!” he spat.
Greene laughed, “A bit of history for you, boy. Humanity was united, or had you forgotten why we are fighting this war? Or perhaps we should invite these aliens to a sit down, make some new allies there? Hmm?” He asked. “No...” Greene shook his head. “Can’t do that, can we? Because our very own Butcher boy closed that door for us.”
“Don’t turn this around! You and I both know what happened out there” Juxtapose warned.
“Turn it around!?” Greene demanded, growing angry. “How dare you accuse me of wanting war when you are the one who fights it with such blind enthusiasm? I didn’t want to send you on this mission, I railed against it!” He yelled. “I knew this is what you would do. You pompous little brat!”
“Then find someone else!”
“Oh, no!” Greene growled. “Yeltsin wanted you. Yeltsin wants the Butcher of Caranie to lead this mission! His golden boy!”
“What?” Juxtapose stopped.
“That’s right. The Butcher of Caranie. That’s what they call you. That’s what some ICC Captains call you too, but with a little more affection than the Traders.” He grinned maliciously.
“I’m no butcher” Juxtapose whispered.
“You’re a damn seditious traitor, is what you are. If you weren’t family,” He smiled, “and so damn good at what you do, I would have had you locked away years ago.”
A bell on the Grand Admiral’s desk chimed.
“But you are going! And you will succeed as you have in every other occasion….without regard for anything or anyone but victory!”
The bell on the Admiral’s desk chimed again. The Grand Admiral picked up the receiver and listened. After a moment he frowned. He spoke softly for a few moments into the device and hung-up.
“Trouble?” Juxtapose asked.
“You will know soon enough.” He said frowning. “I must go. But you…I suggest you get off base for a few hours and let off some steam on someone that won’t court-martial you. I will see for the combat briefing at 0’five hundred.”
--
“They call me the Butcher?” Juxtapose asked as he sat down at the table with his beer.
Colby continued drinking. Captains Bellinger and Le Carre found a sudden interest in their fingers.
“They also give you credit for the victory in Caranie. You are quite well known in UGTO space, sir.” Vice-Captain Forrest said. “The media on both sides has been covering you a lot since Caranie.”
Juxtapose frowned at Colby’s eager XO. “Really haven’t had much time to keep up with the news”
“I can understand, sir,” Forrest continued, oblivious to the dark mood of the Admiral. “I could order up some of the past articles for the trip. There was quite a good exposé on the other engagements you had fought in before Caranie, with interviews from some of the crews with the fleet in Luyten.”
"I don't think that will be necessary" Juxtapose replied.
“It was quite an honor to be selected as your XO, Admiral” Vice-Captain Habba added. “I was serving in your wing aboard the Horace during the battle. It was inspiring!”
Colby nearly choked on his drink.
“Inspiring?” Juxtapose mused. “I’ll remember that.”
They were sitting in a dimly lit, crowded pub just off base in the heart of the city. After his confrontation with the Grand Admiral, Juxtapose had passed on going to the reception at the Admiralty with the majority of the officers and instead had met up with a few of the like-minded Captains.
It had been quite some time since he had been out in the public and was a little disturbed by his newly acquired celebrity status. The bouncer at the door had instantly recognized him and had cleared a path and emptied a table for them. The bartender had given out a free round to the patrons and they all toasted the Admiral and to his victory at Caranie. Officers and civilians alike sat on their stools and at their tables, occasionally looking back at him and whispering.
All and all, very discomforting.
“There was quite a buzz when word got out that you were back in port.” Habba continued, “a lot of speculation in the press about what is going on, especially now that the UGTO have holed themselves up in Lelande and we have retaken Luyten.”
“The perils of free press” Colby said. “If word gets out of why we are back, think of the buzz that will create.”
“But the butcher?” Juxtapose asked. There is already a Butcher”
“Maybe they ran out of titles,” Le Carre quipped.
“It’s not like I was directing the battle! I only led one wing!”
“It was a very dramatic victory, sir, if you don’t mind me saying. Victories had been few and far between and I guess folks were impressed.” Forrest said. “I mean, you took on two EAD’s without losing a man!”
“Don’t worry, Admiral” Colby assured him. “Admiral Ikemi is still the most popular of you bunch”
“I’m surprised the INC haven’t shown up for an interview” Habba said, “Even with the press blackouts, they knew you were in command of Tiger and-“
Habba’s words were suddenly drowned out by a siren’s blast in the Admiral’s head.
“What the hell was that!” Colby asked, looking around in alarm.
“Emergency recall” Juxtapose answered, realizing the Captain was still unfamiliar with all the tricks of his implant. “Something must be up, we had better get back.” He stood to leave but froze in his tracks.
“Oh Lord!” Le Carre said, pointing to the Television screen above the bar. The room had gone silent as people stared at the screen in disbelief.
It was the Conspicuous Consumption. Her shield’s flaring as the alien vessel stabbed at her with its disruptors. The image shifted. Three huge alien stations, dubbed Hives, could be seen in orbit around Greenland. Laser fire and particle weapons impacted with no noticeable effect against their hulls. Beams lanced out at the attacking ships, blasting them aside. The image shifted to a woman speaking into the camera. Next to her stood an ICC officer.
“Victor Abner, “Colby whispered. “Captain of the Assault Frigate Redoubt. He must have gotten out. Wonder who else did…”
“There is going to be hell to pay for this” Juxtapose whispered back. “This is bad, real bad.”
When the picture of Juxtapose in his dress uniform appeared on screen next the reporter the room turned as one to look at him.
“Sharp picture!” Colby said as Juxtapose pushed him towards the door.
“Perils of a free press is right! Let’s get the hell out of here!” he shouted over the sudden uproar.
to be continued...
_________________
I type with the tongues of my enemies, ascend from the backs of my friends, ignore the plight of innocents, and dance on the graves of my gods
|
Deleted
Grand Admiral
Joined:
Posts: 0
| Posted: 2003-09-21 19:48
*Claps*
_________________
|
UberBrooksie
Cadet
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: August 23, 2002
Posts: 433
| Posted: 2003-11-28 22:46
Hey juxta you ingenious lunatic i want more get writting i will have no more excuses if not i will get griller to ram his tranny into ur home next time we are caping earth gerrr
_________________
\"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.\" George Orwell
|
Tiggy
Midshipman
Terra Squadron
Joined: May 30, 2003
Posts: 282
From: Western Australia
| Posted: 2003-11-29 00:06
Very nicely done. Sounds a bit like Tom Clancy; except for a few spelling mistakes and an entirely different structure. I like it though =).
_________________
|
Sandals
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: January 21, 2002
Posts: 2001
From: Redmond,WA,USA
| Posted: 2003-11-29 00:22
Just a enough off balance to be not totally serious 
I like it!
_________________
|
|
English
Deutsch
Nederlands
)
