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[Silver Night]

The Contest: Write a 500 word or less fiction tidbit about one of the new Battlecruisers. It can be about intrigue during the design phase, or about crew discussing what deathtraps they are, or about anything else you can think of. The main thing is it should be about or related to them, without being aboard one of them. Competition will run 1 week, with an option to extend it if there aren't enough entries.

The Prize: I'll pick 4 winners, one for each BC - winner gets the BC mentioned in their story. 

[Saikoyu]

Because I'm drugged at the moment, I need to clarify.  One, it can't actually take place on the ship, but it must be about the ship.  I assume that includes it can take place on a non-tier 3 BC ship, is that right?

And two, can people submit more than one story? 

[Silver Night]

Correct, and let's say 2 stories per person max.

[Tiberius Wenchel]

A Troubled Past

YC 113, Duvolle Laboratories Factory, Observation Deck

Artome Dupuis marveled at the towering hull of the Talos, and he knew his father had not died in vain. Two generations of Dupuis hands had helped render this magnificent behemoth from the raw stuff of imagination and asteroids. That thought made him smile. He knew that it would have made his father smile as well.

YC 110, ORE R&D Facilities, Bay Seven

A violent clatter of metal on metal filled the air as a system of robotic arms riveted the last plate into place on the experimental hull. To the ears of Georges Dupuis, it was beautiful music. He smiled up at the ship suspended above him in its hangar. Seven long months had passed between drawing board and reality, but he was finally going to see his baby fly. Above the ship, a support beam groaned.

YC 111, Gallente Military Base

"Private Lao?" the commander called out in gruff voice, surveying the line of soldiers. Private Lao stepped forward, saluting. The commander offered him a nod and looked down at his clipboard. "You've been put on special assignment, Talos Four. Report to bay seven immediately."

Private Lao gulped. He hesitated the briefest moment before saluting the commander. He had heard the stories of the Talos. The ship had a bloody history, and its future didn't look to be much different. The first completed prototype had crushed dozens of engineers and factory workers in a freak accident. Now the Gallente special forces were using it to much the same effect on Caldari patrols.

[Chell Charon]

Three small steps.

Hundred steps left, of a mission measured in decades. Being recruited by a dark haired Jin-mei woman in the darkness of space. From a systems designers assistant. To become a spy.

Fifty steps left, since accepting a designer position from a Ni-Kunni manager Within the Amarrian Empire. To eke out enough energy to power a few comforts onboard. To facilitate.

Twenty steps left, from succesfully stealing a design of a new power core. Designed by a Khanid he called a friend. To betray.

Five steps, from opening the door to freedom. Stopped by Amarrian. To question.

Three small steps from the light.

[Uraniae]

Blue Ring of Fire

The whole scene didn't quite sit well with him but as he stood there he just couldn't figure out why. The place was abuzz with activity, too much activity, too many people.  People crowding in, jostling one another just for one step closer, one fleeting moment of a better vantage point.  Others rose their hands up and even more rose their voices up.  He knew the words, he'd never forget them, but he didn't raise his hands and spit them out with the rest of the crowd.  Instead he simply stood there like a rock jutting out of the sea as the throng moved around him.  He'd already been there for nearly an hour, a frozen figure in a sea of shifting bodies, and he was starting to wonder how much longer he'd have to wait here, alone with his thoughts even as we was surrounded by what had to be at least a thousand people.

With a deep breath he let his mind clear and that was when it hit him.  Such a random little thought that had no right to spring up when it did.  The place had wonderful acoustics, voices in the center carried but didn't seem to echo.  And as random thoughts tend to do it lead to another, and he realized why this entire place seemed so...off.  All these people, all this activity, all the noise.  It was almost like some crowded concert, but instead of lively music and the fanfare of some band....it was some old man in a robe speaking over the constant drone of the choir.  He couldn't help but smile as he thought, “They're just like screaming adolescents crying out in shock and awe at some pop idol.  They just aren't screaming...their singing and chanting along with the verses.”

He was jostled from the amusing little thought then, his eyes darting down to the person that had just backed into him.  She was short and she moved forward again only a moment after stepping on the toe of his boot.  When she turned her head to peer back over her shoulder he could already hear the words in his head, some practiced but dismissive apology, but that wasn't what came.  Instead she turned those few centimeters more and he saw it, that design he'd memorized days ago.  His eyes traced the lines and swirls on the veil covering her face.  He was sure of it, this was what he was waiting for, she was real.  Even with the din of the crowd around him he focused his attention and spoke only for her.

“So instructed the Queen to her champion.”  He spoke his line and waited for hers.

“Beware the righteous who seek truth in spirit alone.”

“The weak of mind are quick to judge with slightest tempt.”

“Thus fools go forth to spread false word.”

“Great misery follows those who heed what on the weak have heard.”

“Heed me champion, for only you shall know.”

“Within the blue ring of fire lies the final key of revelation.”

“Take this ring, my champion, and both mind and spirit shall be strong once more.”

That was it, that slight change was all the confirmation he needed.  He held out his hand and sure enough she slipped the data chip into it.  He barely had time to close his fingers around the little blue chip before she was gone, weaving through the crowd.  He couldn't help but smile again, if this chip really held what she had promised it did, then the Empire's latest prototype wasn't going to be a secret anymore.


(( Sorry, a bit more than 500 words....but I tried, honest.  I even cut out quite a bit.))

[Bong-cha Jones]

(A Stolen Moment)

Black Eagles RnD Facility

The man turns his head to his left, “So.”

The other man nods and turns to face his right, “So.”

The first man leans on the rail and creases his brow, “I’d say the couplings running from the gunbays to the main power core need another set of failsafes.”

“I’d say so.”

“How much salvage do you think they’ll be able to pick from this test?”

“I have this shoebox, right, like this big.”

“Right.”

They watch the fireworks for a moment more, patterns from the explosions dancing on their faces.  The second man leans in to the first.  “Almost romantic, these lights and that sky.”

A whispered reply, “Yeah.”

[Silver Night]

Bumpity - just a few days left. Truefacts: If you win, you are getting over 100k isk per word.

[Altantsetseg Naranbaatar]

Whatever happens, a thanks to Silver for giving me something to distract myself from everything I have to do, but can't, since I'm sick

Mentor, Muse
The young Amarrian engineer ran his fingers over those long graceful curves.  He took a short, sharp breath.  He let his eyes drift closed in the dark.  That body...

The lights clicked on in the design room.  The engineer's eyes snapped open anxiously and he leaped back from the holographic design console.  Parud Vakirokiki stood at the doorway, fingers still hovering over the light control.  “...Working late again.  How admirable.  It's good to see such noble dedication in your generation.”

“That's... yes.”  The engineer quickly grabbed up a handkerchief from his work stand and dabbed at his forehead, trying to compose himself.  His efforts were a failure as Parud stepped in, and a tall, elegant woman in simple robes followed her.  The engineer locked eyes with her for but a moment.  She was gorgeous, as always.  Her robes hung loosely, completely concealing, but it only sparked his imagination harder.

“Oh my...” Parud's voice thankfully broke the engineer's concentration.  His eyes darted to her as he dabbed his brow again. 

“Wh-What?  What...”

“Alara had been telling me you were by far her greatest student, but... I was not sure I believed it until now.”  The engineer's eyes slowly drifted back to the lovely robed woman.  She smiled softly, bowing her head.  Everything he knew, she had taught him.  All of his skill, his talent, he owed it all to her.

But it was more than that.  His drive, his inspiration...  His muse...

Parud stepped past the engineer and up to the console where the holographic image of a tall, curved ship floated elegantly.  Statistics scrolled idly past beneath the projection.  They were stunning... 8 turret mounts, and enough generators and reinforcing to load weapons meant for the finest battleships in the Imperial Navy.  The young engineer stepped around to the side of the console.  He glanced down to his worknotes.

Tall
Curvacious Curved
Delicate
Flexible Adaptable

He gently flipped the leather-bound notebook closed.

“Magnificent.  This... What do you call it?”  Parud turned to the engineer.

“A-Ah... I, um...”  He stumbled over his words, before his eyes raised to his teacher, standing simply.  When the Lord created her, he had perfection in mind.  He had only done his best to create his own sad immitation of his teacher.  “Mentor...”

Parud frowned.  “No.  That won't do.”  The engineer blinked, turning back to her suddenly.

“No?  What?”

“I have seen the defeat of our enemies.  This ship is the Oracle that has shown me. The Oracle.”  The engineer stood stunned.  “I must take the plans to The Empress immediately.”  She tapped a few buttons on the console and the hologram blinked out.  Parud withdrew a small disc from the machine and immediately turned, marching towards the door once again.  “Your skill is a testament to the Empire.”

“...But...”

Alara paused, smiled softly to the engineer, and followed Parud Vakirokiki from the room.

[Tiberius Wenchel]

Carl wiped the sweat from his mustache with the back of one oil-stained sleeve. It sure was hot in these hangars. It smelled funny too. Mopping out hangars was worse than bathroom duty. Felton had bathroom duty tonight, though. Felton always got the good jobs.

Carl sighed heavily and leaned his mop against its bucket. At least there weren't no supervisor tonight. He could take all the breaks he wanted, and wasn't nobody gonna say shit.

The ship in the middle of the room was a big ol' job, and tall. It looked sideways from the way a ship ought to be. He didn't like it, not one bit, and on a whim he walked over and kicked the darn thing. From high above, a single rust colored bolt fell to the floor with an echoing clatter.

"Well," Carl said to no one in particular, "must not have been too important."

[Altantsetseg Naranbaatar]

(And entry #2!  Had fun again, thanks Silver!)

Inspiration
Virkold collapsed onto the couch with an exhausted sigh.  He nearly fell asleep at that very instant, but he knew he didn't have time.  He had to get back to work.  Just enough of a break for dinner with the family...

His wife stepped into the doorway, drying off a plate with a dingy towel.  “Honey.  You can't keep working like this.”

“Nhh.  Sure I can.  Somehow.”  His wife just frowned.  “Ancestors will give me... ss...”

“...Honey?”  Virkold jolted in his seat.

“I'm awake!  I can work!”  He blinked around absently before refocusing on his wife.

“Is this secret project really that important?  Egbendik knows how hard you're working...”

Virkold leaned his head back against the couch, letting his eyes roll up to look at the ceiling.  He tried to picture it in his head.  An Amarrian ship with eight of those monstrous lasers cannons.  Darting about through space, nimbly dodging around Minmatar battleships as it melted them to pieces.  He gritted his teeth.

“Yeah.  It's important.”

“Harjolf!  Careful!”  Virkold glanced up as Harjolf, their eight-year old son rushed into the room.  He held two ships in his hands and swooped them through the air.

“Pew pew pew!  KABOOM!”  The boy tossed the Caldari Drake toy into the air, sending it on a wild spin down to the floor where it bounced across the carpet and against an old storage box in the corner.  Luckily, it was as resilient as it's namesake.  “Yeah!  The Gallente win!”  Harjolf danced about with the one remaining battlecruiser toy in his hand.  Virkold laughed lightly and let his head fall back against the couch again.

Virkold's wife smiled, setting down the plate and rag on an end table before kneeling beside Harjolf.  “Harjolf, you know that's not how it flies...”

Virkold blinked at the ceiling, then looked to his wife and son.  He stared at the toy.

“You've got it upside down.” 

Virkold's eyes widened.

“And backwards too.”

Virkold's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

“I know, momma... but this is how it looks cool!”

“YES!  THAT'S PERFECT!”

Virkold leaped up from the couch as he shouted, startling the two.

“...I GOTTA GO.”

[DA5UN]

The Duvolle Laboratories logo hovered on the large screen as the presenter gave a quick tap to the interior lighting controls within the podium, brightening the lights that were dimmed for the presentation, he started scanning over the men and women before him.

Clearing his throat he hesitatingly continues, “Right, so, as you saw being a crew aboard the new battlecruiser ‘Talos’ will be somewhat of a... Well it’ll be a different experience.”

A small Jin-Mei woman stood rather quickly and started for the exit, her brow furrowed incredibly as she was followed by a few more men and women hesitantly.

He watched them cross the hall, reaching the halfway point before he spoke up, “Where are you all going?”

“No where near a ship like that, you got my word for that, you might as well have each and every crewperson’s station inside of an escape pod from the looks of your presentation,” the Jin-Mei woman snapped back at him, flailing a little in the direction of the screen before crossing her arms and staring back at the presenter, the small posse stopping with her.

“When I heard about this presentation,” she continued, again sounding as as if she did not truly consider it a presentation, “I was under the impression it was for some crew looking for a bit more action, maybe a nice new battleship that might've had a few layers of armour at the very least, you should probably let people know that they might only see that action for about twenty minutes.”

“Now Madame, please, the Talos is an incredibly powerful ship and a worth adversary, it can take care of ships much larger than it so long as those other ships do not have considerably nearby backup or enough time to rea-” he started calmly, trying to gain control of the situation again.

She looked like she was about to burst, and then she did as she kept a cool composure that complimented the ice in her words.

“You expect me to tell men and women that everything will be okay, they’ll see their loved ones again, but only if the enemy doesn’t do anything?” Marching up to the podium and pointing a finger at him.

“You try and tell them that.”

He pursed his lips and glanced briefly at the screen before back to her as if to say "Isn't that what I just did?"

[Silver Night]

Just a bit longer! By my count, you have about 12 hours to get in your entries!

[Silver Night]

Promise I haven't forgotten this - winners to be announced int eh next couple of days. 

[Silver Night]

Winners are: Simon, Altantsetseg, Tiberius, and Uraniae.

Thank you to everyone who participated! It was a difficult decision, and because we had relatively few entries, I'm going to loosen the rules a little so people can pick their own BC (so let me know which you want).

I'll also be posting up plans to run a separate contest for each BC soon™!