The Space Opera Working Thread

Hi All,
I've a dubious connection at best - and not every day - but it's something.

Will go read up if there are any changes and see if I can add anything, which I probably can't as I'm off tooling through the field somewhere.

If I get a better connection or more than an every other day thing maybe I'll make my way back so I can go with you all.

Off to read the Opera - though I probably should have gone there first!

I'm back.....

Someone come get me please!

Somebody answer that hail! I'm guessing dinky little personal comm units won't pick it up, so I can't - unless neno happens to be back at the StarWolf packing a rucksack to go live in the woods...

Careful, there's enemy about. Luder said he's a few parsecs from a battle with the Buzzards, a parsec is 3.26 light years, so they're just a few light years away if he dropped out of the wormhole right on top of us. I can take the StarWolf for extraction if I find out he's around, but I don't know if a tow is possible like that.

Rabbit, maybe Penelope has som magna-tractor gizzys or something?

Originally posted by nenothtu
Somebody answer that hail! I'm guessing dinky little personal comm units won't pick it up, so I can't - unless neno happens to be back at the StarWolf packing a rucksack to go live in the woods...

Careful, there's enemy about. Luder said he's a few parsecs from a battle with the Buzzards, a parsec is 3.26 light years, so they're just a few light years away if he dropped out of the wormhole right on top of us. I can take the StarWolf for extraction if I find out he's around, but I don't know if a tow is possible like that.

Rabbit, maybe Penelope has som magna-tractor gizzys or something?

Hmmm, tractor beams have been mentioned previously, hang in there Mon-captaine, we will rescue thee!

The Return of the King...er Captain!

Before you post Prof Rabbit I'd like to propose an idea. Give me a few seconds to finalize it before I reveal it.

This fits perfectly with something I have been planning for awhile now.

I wanted to cut this up into smaller posts and edit it further but you'll get the basic idea from the post.

Seeing the droid Studious moves closer and pulls out the removable structure inside leaving a hollow shell. But something on the droid caught his eye. It was a component that seemed out of place like it’d been added recently. Judging by how hodgepodge it was, whoever did it must have been in a hurry.

Putting aside his speculations he tips the droid on its side and using his foot knocks out the bottom easily…too easily.

His mind wandered again and he began thinking about the ease with which he was able to destroy the droid. He paused wondering if perhaps it had been taken apart recently perhaps…

But realizing he’s wasting time the Colonel climbs inside the hallowed out droid and puts his feet through the knocked out bottom. Shuffling across the floor he moves toward the droid’s lid, grabs it, and fits it into place.

Only able to see through a small translucent panel (that had allowed several indicator lights on the removed structure to be seen) he leaves the strange dark room and heads toward the door the SS had fled through.

He enters the corridor knowing where the SS is headed… the cocoons. The only problem is he has no idea how to get there.

Aimlessly wandering the halls he eventually stumbles upon a droid.
Trying to make his voice sound robotic the old man asks “Where is the center of the ship?”

The droid starts laughing at him. “HA HA HA!!”

The Colonel believing his cover is blown prepares to jump out of the droid and run away.

Droid: “You call yourself a droid!?”

Now almost sure his cover is blown he bends his legs and waits like a jack in box ready to jump out a moment’s notice.

Droid: “Oh wait! Is this a trick question? The center of Ship is the center of Ship.”

A somewhat relieved Studious replies “No I’m lost.”

Droid: “You must have been recently upgraded. Your head component is not on straight.”

The old man winces thinking the droid might be realizing something is wrong.
Droid: “They never put it back on correctly. Here let me assist you.”

The Colonel looks up and notices that he didn’t fit the droid’s head on properly.

The droid moves forward and grabs the lid studying it for a moment. Then without removing it he pushes it into position.

Droid: “Follow me.”

The Colonel follows the droid down the maze of twisting halls.
Droid: “Here it is...Ship’s Center.”

Arriving at Ship’s Center the Colonel moves toward the door, finally thinking he’s going to make it.

Droid: “Wait. Why do you require access?”

Studious turns the disguise to face the droid. “I have parts and technical components for Ship’s Center.”

Unbeknownst to Studious the Shapeshifter appears in the doorway behind him.

SS: “What is it?”

Droid: “Who are you? I was about to clear him.”

The old man with his back to the SS waits tensely.

Droid: “Shall I hold him?”

SS: “No leave him to me. I will deal with him myself.”

Droid: “As you wish.”

The old man turns but the SS has vanished. He rushes toward the door and into the center of Ship. Upon entering he finds it far different than the dirt he saw last time. It had turned into….a jungle.

Studious: “How the…”

He tries to navigate the rough terrain in the droid but looks around realizing that no one is watching him…at least no one he can see.

Trying to get out of the droid the old man tries to force the lid off but finds it stuck.

Apparently the droid had fit it into place better than whoever did it before. Thinking quickly the old man finds an easy way to escape however. He simply tips the droid over and climbs out.

As he gets out and takes a better look around he doesn’t see the SS anywhere. Instead he sees a dense jungle all around him that looks far too easy to become disoriented and lost in.

Looking closer at the terrain he notices that it looks difficult to traverse at all, much less in a straight line. But instead of despair this actually brought the old man hope. Studious wondered if the SS had been surprised by the transformation as well. If the SS was this meant the Colonel might still be able to beat him to the cocoons.

But before he has time to consider what to do next three droids appear.
Droid: “Surrender your weapon.”

Studious: “You mean my cane?” He lifts it up.

The three droids move back slightly as if afraid of it.

Studious smiles and sets the cane down.

Droid: “Back away.”

The old man starts backing away, far away.

Droid: “Not that far!”

He keeps backing away.

Droid: “Stop!”

Seeing the droids deadly turrets twitchingly trained on him the Colonel stops.

One of the droids moves closer and picks up the cane with a grabber arm as the others surround the old man and force him to walk with them.

They walk a short distance before Studious sees the Shapeshifter ahead of them in his regular form.

The droid that had Studious’ cane approaches the SS and tells him “He was armed only with this.”

The Shapeshifter motions toward the hallowed out droid “I see you have constructed a disguise of your own Studious.”

The old man takes a better look at the three droids around him and notices that their heads are crooked.

Regaining Studious’ attention the Shapeshifter says “Studious what do you gain from fighting me? Don’t you understand that when they find you, they will kill you? You must help me!”

Studious: “Do you expect me to help you build a monster? What do I look like…Igor!?”

Shapeshifter: “You do realize I’m giving you your only chance to escape?”

Studious: “Yes.”

Shapeshifter: “And you’re willing to throw it away?”

Studious begins to mouth “Of course” when suddenly small furry creatures surround the group.

In that moment of confusion the old man grabs his cane and is surprised when, instead of fighting him for it, the droid lets go and runs away yelling “Help! Help! He’s a maniac, maniac on the loose. And he’s killing like he’s never killled before!”

The old man looks back at the shelled out droid he had used as a disguise and realizes what the droid’s afraid of.

The furry creatures attack the droids and tip them over continuing to beat them.

Studious thinks “Wow I might just win thi…”

Suddenly several of the furry creatures tackle him and start beating the hope out of him.

Through the blur of paws, fur and claws the Colonel sees Delia.
Studious: “Delia!?”

Studious: “Don’t just stand there help me!”

Delia pleads with the creatures “But he’s my friend!”

They continue to beat him…but now harder.

Studious: “Somehow I get the feeling…that didn’t help very much!”

She stands helpless watching them beat the old man senseless.

Studious: “Tell them if they don’t do as you wish you’ll become angry and do something!”

Delia: “What could I do? I couldn’t possibly.”

Studious: “You have a better idea!? Just tell them!”

Delia says trying to sound frightening “Stop or I’ll, I’ll do something!”

The furry creatures stop and look at her for a moment. But they turn back to the old man and start beating him again.

Delia: “I knew they wouldn’t believe me.”

Luckily for Studious Delia gets an idea. As she lifts up a finger in a Eureka pose the ground shakes violently causing the furry creatures to run away in terror.

The old man struggles to his feet, black and blue from the beating and stumbles toward Delia.

Studious: “What the heck were those things!?”

Delia: “This swamp holds many secrets.”

Studious: “Oh a wise guy eh?”

Delia: “Stop acting like a stooge.”

Studious wipes the blood off his face as he says “Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo!”

Delia rolls her eyes and asks Studious “Are they going to kill you?”

Studious: “Who the furry things, the Shapeshifter or Neno?”

Delia: “I meant your people, the ones from your ship?”

Studious: “Not sure but I don’t intend on sticking around to find out.”

Delia: “They’re watching everything. How will you escape?”

Studious: “Uh…with your help.”

The old man notices the furry creatures have returned and are watching him.

One of them approaches and tugs at his clothes.

Studious: “What the beating wasn’t good enough?”

Delia: “No, wait! I think he wants us to follow him.”

Studious: “So they can ambush me out there in the jungle?”

Delia: “You’re already in the jungle…er…swamp!”

The furry creature takes the old man’s hand and starts leading him and Delia further into the wilderness.

As the little furry creature is pulling him along the Colonel looks back to make sure Delia is keeping up. When he looks forward again he sees a large tree branch a split second before being pulled into it.

The short creature doesn’t quite understand that when he leads the much taller Studious forward, he’s leading him straight into branches and other plant life.

After getting pulled into several more trees, scraped past sharp twigs and tangled in vines he reaches a clearing.

Delia arrives unscathed after not being pulled by the hand headlong into the Swamp.

In the clearing Studious notices his insertion pod, now overgrown with plants and covered in dirt. The furry creatures stand around it looking at it quizzically.

Delia: “Great now you can call for help.”

Studious: “Not exactly.”

Delia: “What do you mean?”

Studious: “I would have called for help long before this, but I didn’t want to endanger an entire ship.”

Delia: “But…”

Studious: “That’s not all. Since that arrest warrant was issued if I call for help they might not even assist me at all. They might come to take me down too.”

Delia: “Isn’t there someone you trust that you could contact? Like those guys you were with earlier.”

Studious: “No I was ready to die to get them out of harm’s way. I don’t intend on risking their lives again just to get me out of here.”

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Delia: “What are you saying?”

Studious: “I’m saying I don’t think that there’s a way out of this.”

Delia: “What!? You got off Ship with nothing more than makeup, zipper shavings and ice and you can’t figure a way out of this one!? You used to be a Studdly fuddy-duddy. She looks at his mud stained clothes and his bleeding cuts. “Now you’re muddy, bloody and cruddy!”

Studious: “Wait what did you just say!?”

Delia takes a step closer and says “You heard me.”

Studious: “That’s it! Ha Ha you’re a genius!”

Delia: “What!?”

Studious tips over the insertion pod and begins wiping the dirt and plant life off of it.

After cleaning it off a bit he steps inside and crosses his arms.
Studious: “I’m dead.”

Delia: “What did I just say! You can give up like tha…”

Studious: “No! I mean I’ll pretend I’m dead. After all I look half dead anyway.”

Delia: “Oh no the furry things beat you back into the stone age didn’t they? Me Delia. You not Dead.”

Studious: “Stop that!”

Delia: “What!? You don’t think they’ll make sure you’re not faking it?”

Studious: “But you guys jettison people into space when their dead right?”

Delia: “Yeah everybody does.”

Studious: “Great then this will be my ‘coffin.’ If worst comes to worst and I can’t be picked up hopefully this thing’s heat shield will still work and I’ll be able to land on the planet.”

Delia: “That’s just crazy enough to work!”

Studious climbs inside the coffin and starts to close the lid.

Delia: “Hey.”

The old man stops holding the lid open.

Studious: “Be careful.”

The Colonel gives a warm smile and says “When am I not?”

He closes the lid and as if understanding, the furry creatures pick up the heavy “coffin” and carry it toward an airlock.

They set it down in a small chamber with an airlock leading to space and another to Ship’s Center. One of the furry creatures moves toward the button to open the outer doors and expel the pod into space.

Studious imagined the furry creatures saying a few kind words as they launched his “coffin” but in reality they enthusiastically mashed the button, wanting to see the old man launched into space.

As he is blasted out he spies the console and notices something.

Studious says aloud “Another UEF Ship!” the old man thinks to himself “Ah ha Rescue! Looks like I won’t be facing the Captain from behind bars after all.”

With this idea Studious will be docking with this ship and will be shocked to find Luder on board.

(Remember that Studious would never have known Luder had ever left the Penelope.)

Then Prof. Rabbit could use the tractor beam he mentioned in his last post here in the Working thread.



With this idea the Shapeshifter can be hunted down by Neno and the others as he would be trapped in Ship's center.

(Note the droids that are helping the Shapeshifter are ones he's "modified." That is what all the "hodgepodge parts" and "crooked heads" lines were all about.)

Also note the furry creatures that help Studious are intended to be just that. Random creatures living in the Swamp.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Originally posted by Studious
The Return of the King...er Captain!

Before you post Prof Rabbit I'd like to propose an idea. Give me a few seconds to finalize it before I reveal it.

Oops! I posted..

Originally posted by Studious
Putting aside his speculations he tips the droid on its side and using his foot knocks out the bottom easily…too easily.

------------8< snip---------
intend on risking their lives again just to get me out of here.”

Well that looks good!

Originally posted by Studious

With this idea Studious will be docking with this ship and will be shocked to find Luder on board.

Then Prof. Rabbit could use the tractor beam he mentioned in his last post here in the Working thread.

With this idea the Shapeshifter can be hunted down by Neno and the others as he would be trapped in Ship's center.

(Note the droids that are helping the Shapeshifter are ones he's "modified." That is what Studious is what the hodgepodge parts and crooked heads lines were all about.)

Also note the furry creatures that help Studious are intended to be just that. Random creatures living in the Swamp.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

No problems! when we arrive back in only a few minutes we can be a little closer to the planet and a little further from Yydryl, a UEF escape pod is an easy catch since the tractors are all warmed up, you can meet with the Captain in launch bay 1.

Studious would try and escape from the Penelope.

But he wouldn't try and escape from a ship he thought could help him. (i.e. Rolling Thunder a UEF Ship he doesn't know came from the Penelope.)



I was thinking having Studious and Luder meet alone on the Rolling Thunder would allow the two characters to work out their differences.

Seeing that Luder had lost Theressa would remind Studious of the loss of his wife and would perhaps soften the Colonel's anger toward the Captain.

Thus preventing the old man from going "Rambo" on his superior officer.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Originally posted by Studious
Studious would try and escape from the Penelope.

But he wouldn't try and escape from a ship he thought could help him. (i.e. Rolling Thunder a UEF Ship he doesn't know came from the Penelope.)



I was thinking having Studious and Luder meet alone on the Rolling Thunder would allow the two characters to work out their differences.

Seeing that Luder had lost Theressa would remind Studious of the loss of his wife and would perhaps soften the Colonel's anger toward the Captain.

Thus preventing the old man from going "Rambo" on his superior officer.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Hmmm, too far apart, Rolling Thunder has no FTL and the escape pod has already been deemed "damaged" and also has no FTL, perhaps Studious could have a visit from an ethereal "Theressa" as he drifts away from the Yydryl?

Originally posted by prof-rabbit
Hmmm, too far apart, Rolling Thunder has no FTL

Ah, that's my fault. I thought Luder was near the planet the Penelope and Yydyrl are orbiting. Now I realize the post doesn't state where he is at all.

But since it doesn't state where he was, with Luder's permission, we could have the Rolling Thunder have been very close to the two ships.

Which would allow Luder and Studious to meet.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Originally posted by Studious

Originally posted by prof-rabbit
Hmmm, too far apart, Rolling Thunder has no FTL

Ah, that's my fault. I thought Luder was near the planet the Penelope and Yydyrl are orbiting. Now I realize the post doesn't state where he is at all.

Since it doesn't state where he was, with Luder's permission, we could have the Rolling Thunder have been very close to the two ships.

Which would allow Luder and Studious to meet.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Not really, we would have seen the fight between Luder and the Opi's, Luder also says:

After nearly six hours of work, he determined the primary jump drives were a lost cause, but had managed to restore sublights and thruster control to the cockpit. After that, he managed to get the long-range communications back up and ready for action.

We need a simpler way around the issues.

We'll need to research a bit. Studious, one of your handy-dandy compilations would be mighty handy for that. Have you updated it lately?

When Luder left on his mission, did he know where Penelope was bound for? If so, that could have him dropping out of the wormhole in the current star system, (looking for Penelope at her projected location) but not on top of the two ships (wormhole maneuver room and all that), rather than 11 parsecs away.

That would necessitate minor post -edits, but I can see how it would be workable for all involved.

Escape pods, I would assume, would have life support functions for an extended period to allow for live pickup by rescue crews, who would necessarily be dispatched sometime after the "escape". In this case, Studious would detect Luder's limping ship somewhere out back of beyond, and make for it, perhaps arriving just before the Penelope arrives for pickup, since Penelope would be on the equivalent of "impulse" for intra-system travel rather than "Warp" drive for interstellar travel.

Of course, Studious' comm unit in the escape pod would have to have been damaged in the crash landing, or something like that, to keep him from receiving Luder's broadcast, and thus being warned.

Imagine his chagrin when he found himself facing Luder, and realized he was being tractored back aboard Penelope...

In that event, Rabbit's post would need to be edited to the first half, location of Luder's vessel changed, and Penelope heading for it, then Studious's post, with added text having him making for Luder's ship and contact, then the second half of Rabbit's post re-posted, And those 3 pesky Buzzard ships sneaking in..

Oh, the drama!

Edit: After re-reading Luder's post, some assumptions will have to be made, and explained away later.

1) the fight with the Buzzards could not have occurred where Luder's ship came to rest, or he would have been destroyed as a sitting duck by them. This means he will have had to hit an auto-pilot or something, and jumped AWAY from the battlefield.

2) This jump would have had to have over-taxed his (already partially damaged?) FTL drive and fried it, while Luder was unconscious. The assumption will have to be made that it dumped him in the current system before it snapped out it's last spark, probably on the last leg of the wormhole course. Because of that, he probably wouldn't have been dumped "conveniently" close to Penelope, making the race between Studious and Penelope possible. It will have to be close enough, however, to allow Studious to maneuver with sub-light, and necessitate that Penelope maneuver with sub-light as well (too close for a jump).

3) Being smaller, Studious' escape pod will likely be more maneuverable, less ponderous, than Penelope. Damage to the pod will of course affect that as well, depending on what sort of damage it sustained.

Just trying to think a way out of the box.

[edit on 2009/11/9 by nenothtu]

reply to post by nenothtu


Prof-Rabbit sent me a U2U about it and I'll run with an idea he gave me.

The best part is it'll require No edits to any posts.


When the Penelope arrives back at the planet from rescuing Luder Studious will be launched in the "coffin."

But the insertion pod will start to turn into a real coffin because it's life support was damaged from when it first crashed into the Yydyrl.

Finding no place else to go Studious will have to land on the Penelope. Hoping to commandeer a ship onboard and escape.

Seeing Luder's ship Studious will think it's empty and try to use it to flee.

When he gets onboard however he'll be quite surprised to find Luder instead of an empty ship.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by Studious]

Now THAT works!

Gotta get geared up for the incoming Buzzards, though...

Stupid birds!

I've broken up that long post I posted here in the Working thread (See above) up into smaller sections and posted the first one in the Story thread.

A badger walks into the room.

He's got new pants on. They are a pair of extra tough Ballroom Jeans from Duluth trading company.

He's also wearing a bowling shirt that has Floyd embroidered on the pocket.

The back of the shirt says "Floyds Bail Bonds and Pizza emporium. Cause you never know where you're gonna wake up."

He puts down a big bottle of Tequila and a chocolate cake.

He looks around, shrugs and wanders off stage left.



[edit on 11-11-2009 by badgerprints]

Originally posted by badgerprints
A badger walks into the room.

He puts down a big bottle of Tequila and a chocolate cake.

[edit on 11-11-2009 by badgerprints]

A Rabbit spies the chocolate cake as he passes the door with coffee cup in hand and thinks, "Just the thing to go with my coffee, a small slice will do." there is a bottle labeled "Tequila Mockingbird" alcohol just makes Rabbits sleep and there is much to do.

There are rips to mend and daring do to do, guns to fire and battles to win.

Hi All -

My connection is still hit and miss but while I've got it' I'll answer a couple a questions I saw that popped up.

I've tried to make it obvious in written form and in pictures but I know sometimes things get lost in translation. Anyway.
It's been written since the beginning - When you go from the big doors of Ship's Center into the Center you're walking through a cave and then into the jungle.

Here's one of many pictures.
See, you're in a cave standing at the door - looking above and out over the cave floor - at jungle.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/090bd443e4fe.jpg[/atsimg]

As for the cocoons.

Remember when Studious belly flopped into the center.
Remember there was a *room* thing - like cave - and in that space wasssss = the cocoons.

Another reason why I kept the cave entrance to the Center - also needed a transition area from Ship Proper to Ship Center.

So, I'd love to write another post - talking about all I see but I really can't interact with you all unless I take a chance at holding you up.
I've got another three weeks at best until I get a connection that's reliable...
Unless I can narrow down a definite on using this computer I'll stay out of everyone's hair until then as I know how demoralizing it can be to be held up.

CindyMars Love the Cadbury post!

Hope you're all well.

peace

[edit on 13-11-2009 by silo13]

Either no one has posted since I did - or my connection is really poo.

Hope you are all well.

I'm going to try to post tonight when I can upload some pics - though it might take around forever.

Studious You're going to use Delia? I thought we we'd decided ot leave here off for a bit? Oh well, go with it if you want, I'll re write what I've got, I'd rather not hold any of you up.

CindyMars Again, I loved the pirate post!

I think I've ground my teeth down to nubs with this connection...

Hope you all are well...