James

[center][b]NAME[/b] Link [b]RACE[/b] Hylian [b]GENDER[/b] Male [img]http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6130/linklt3.jpg[/img] [i]Image credited to [url="http://nabey.deviantart.com/"]nabey[/url].[/i][/center] Like Queen Zelda, Link owes his name to those who came before him. Many years prior to his birth, his grandfather destroyed [b]the Great Dragon Volvagia[/b] at the summit of Death Mountain. This act of heroism not only saved the ancient Hyrule Castle, but also the whole of Castle Town (which sprawls in all directions around the castle itself). Legends say that "Grandfather Link" spent weeks scaling Death Mountain, fighting many strange and wondrous beasts along the way. He not only destroyed the fearsome Volvagia, but he also collected a number of [b]magical objects[/b], which were said to be the stuff of legend. Upon returning to Hyrule Castle (with one of Volvagia's horns as evidence), he presented these powerful objects to Zelda. Years later, after his death, another terrible threat arose to confront the Kingdom of Hyrule. This time, the [b]powerful wizard Aghanim[/b], threatened the very Monarchy itself. Aghanim had worked as a member of the [b]Hyrulian Guard[/b], but had become obsessed with power and greed. It was as though Zelda's descendants were each fated to confront an enemy; many feared that a [b]terrible curse of fate[/b] had befallen the Kingdom. Link's son, who carried his father's name, was called into action to defeat the evil wizard. When Hyrule Castle was overtaken by Aghanim (with Zelda imprisoned), Link bravely found his way in via [b]a secret passage[/b] in the castle gardens. He defeated Aghanim and restored peace to the land of Hyrule. The success of both Link and his father became an important part of Hyrule's history. This led Queen Zelda to dub them [b]The Heroes of Time[/b], because no matter what the threat, the [b]Fated Sons[/b] would always be there to defend the Queen and Her country. Many years later, yet another Link was born. Like his father and grandfather, he seemed determined to protect Zelda and defend the Kingdom of Hyrule. As many Oracles predicted, another dark threat came over the Kingdom. This time, it came in the form of a [b]warlord from the East[/b]. Link did not wait for instruction or request, nor did he wait for a desperate plea. Instead, he rode straight into the [b]Great Desert[/b] toward the [b]Gerudo Encampments[/b]. Along the way, he fought beasts that nobody had encountered before. [center][img]http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/2915/link2be3.jpg[/img] [i]Image credited to [url="http://sandara.deviantart.com/"]sandara[/url]. Artist's impression of Link fighting Gryphons in the Eastern Desert.[/i][/center] After several months of travel, Link returned to Hryule. He faced expectant villagers, who hoped to hear good news from his travels abroad. But he had nothing to tell them. He was bruised and bloody, his clothes were in tatters and his eyes had lost their fire and courage. Word soon spread that Link, the Hero of Time, had failed. The Gerudo consolidated their power in the East and a powerful new [b]Emperor[/b] was appointed; the only male of an all-female tribe. His name was [b]Ganondorf[/b]. Apparently, evil had won. Hyrule's greatest hope had failed. Not much else is known about the legendary hero, who moved away from Castle Town. Rumors suggest that Link relocated to the [b]Lost Woods[/b], where he knew he could be alone. Some claim to have sighted him, but as time has passed, so too has the memory of Link. His name and the legend of his forefathers have begun to vanish like eroding sand. It is said that Link has developed an [b]odd psychological condition[/b] as a result of his horrific experiences in the East. Nobody knows the truth and fewer still seem to care. Link and his legend have been long forgotten.

[font=franklin gothic medium]Great stuff, DW. So good to see you back. [size=1]Now [b]stay[/b] back...or else![/size] But seriously, this is great. I hope to see the next part soon. :catgirl:[/font]

[center]Chapter 18: The Shotgun Stiletto[/center] Summary: In this chapter, Hattori Hanzo has finally risen to prominence in Tokyo. The disaffected youth of the city are his first line of support: the rag-tag gangsters, the kids kicked out of home and of course, the Ladies of the Night. Hanzo is no longer known under his old name anymore (at least to anyone outside his gang), but rather, by his codename "Midnight Butterfly". An elite band of Ladies form his personal bodyguard, but there is one Lady who outranks them all: Rose. While she herself is not a bodyguard, she is the most respected Lady in Hanzo's entourage. Her place is at his side, above the rest of them. Just as Hanzo reaches the height of his success in Tokyo, an upstart gaijin enters the scene. Adam, a mysterious and dangerous figure, appears on the Tokyo streets in a major way. And Hanzo is first in his sights. Characters: Adam, Hattori Hanzo (AKA Midnight Butterfly), Rose, the RGB Sisters. Setting: Tokyo, Japan. Notes: Okay so basically I figure a few things will happen here. This will be the moment when Hattori Hanzo may turn away from his current lifestyle. Obviously he doesn't defeat Adam, given Adam's subsequent rise in the underworld. Instead, Adam takes away the one thing that matters most to Hanzo. And, in the process, Hanzo's entire entourage falls apart as does much of his influence. This is what leads Hanzo to retiring to a life of arms dealing as he grows older (and as we witnessed at the beginning of Volume 2). [center]1989[/center] A thin, balding Japanese man reclined nervously in his seat. The leather protested awkwardly as he shifted his weight. He wore a cheap suit that bore the scent of tobacco and sake. A pair of Geisha sat on either side of him, but were apparently unaware of his existence. 'We are almost there,' stuttered the man, who had a map spread out over his lap. He traced a line with his fingertip, from Tokyo's north to its south west. A region of the city had been crudely highlighted with a marker. A note scribbled next to it simply read [i]MB[/i]. [u]'Nothing quite like the luxurious confines of a Rolls. Isn't that right, Matsuno-san?'[/u] Matsuno's eyes peered over his glasses. Adam sat across from him, on the opposite seat. Another pair of Geisha occupied the spaces next to him. [u]'You speak Japanese?'[/u] Adam grinned. He removed a cigar from a small metal wallet. The Geisha to his right produced a match from somewhere in her kimono and struck it. He puffed slowly on the cigar as his eyes closed. Then he turned and breathed a plume of smoke in Matsuno's direction. [u]'Of course,'[/u] said Adam coolly. [u]'Do you think I would have come here if I didn't? When I finally meet Hanzo-san, I want to give him his first orders in his native tongue.'[/u] All four Geisha giggled to themselves. [u]'H-Hattori Hanzo?'[/u] Matsuno stammered and adjusted his glasses nervously. Adam's eyes shifted from Matsuno to the rear window of the Rolls. Neon signs flashed by and illuminated the interior. [u]'Correct,'[/u] replied Adam calmly. [u]'Also known as [i]Midnight Butterfly[/i], I believe.'[/u] Matsuno opened his mouth to speak, but Adam interrupted him. [u]'I know, he runs this town. But this town is no different from a jail; do you know how to become top dog in only one day?'[/u] Matsuno shook his head. Beads of sweat ran down his chin and dripped onto the map. Each drop was audible and he felt embarrassed. [u]'When in jail,'[/u] continued Adam with another puff (and in flawless Japanese), [u]'you identify who the largest, most fearsome man is. And then, you pick a fight. Whether you win or not is irrelevant at first; by choosing the fight, you show all others that you are fearless. This alone affords you a promotion in the minds of the inmates and it shakes the man's faith in himself.'[/u] Adam took another long drag and breathed smoke into the air. The smoke seemed to hang and curl around him, enveloping him in a plume of gray and black. [u]'If you can kill the man, you have won the ultimate prize. However, we are in Japan Matsuno, so I do not need to kill Hanzo. He will serve a much higher purpose.'[/u] [u]'Oh?'[/u] Adam nodded thoughtfully. [u]'The best way to defeat an opponent in Japan is to cause him to lose face, especially in the presence of his supporters. Taking away his dignity and respect is what turns him into an empty shell - a blank canvas to be molded as I see fit.'[/u] The car began to slow as it rounded a long, wide corner. [u]'Adam-san, we are only one block away now. The bus will be arriving soon,'[/u] said the chauffeur over the car's intercom. Matsuno looked confused, but tried to hide it rather unsuccessfully. Adam pointed his cigar at Matsuno. [u]'So far you have been completely useless,'[/u] he said matter-of-factly. [u]'I hired you because you said you knew the underground, but you know nothing. You didn't know about Hanzo's party bus stopping near here, or that it arrives every Saturday night to pick up the Ladies. You have offered me very little, despite me paying you a vast sum of money for your information.'[/u] Matsuno began visibly shaking on the seat, causing the Geisha at his side to grin. [u]'So there isn't much need for you now, is there?'[/u] The car fell silent as it stopped by the side of the road. Matsuno looked out the window and saw a large red London bus at the end of an adjacent street. It was parked outside an infamous Tokyo night spot, known as The Peacock Lounge. The Geisha to Matsuno's right tore the map from him suddenly, causing him to jump in his seat. He then felt something cold touch the left side of his neck. Then he heard a metallic click. [center][b][size=4]Pause Scene[/center][/b][/size] [i]At this point, you're probably wondering about that big red bus. Unfortunately Matsuno isn't going to be able to offer any further advice anytime soon. This particular bus is infamous in Tokyo. It is known under several names, including the Lady Boy Bus and Big Ben. In truth, this is how Hanzo unwinds on his Saturday nights. The bus takes his posse of drag queens, gangsters and groupies around the city to all the hot night spots. In truth, there are only five notable people and they are boarding right now. The unassuming man at the front (with the ridiculously tall platform shoes) is, of course, Hattori Hanzo. The tall, slender beauty behind him is Rose, his mentor and and surrogate parent of sorts. And then, of course, come the big three. These rather muscular ladies are known as The RGB Sisters. First up, Miss Red (AKA Miss Shizumi). Her kimono is adorned with vivid red cherry blossoms. And her weapon of choice is the ever-classic AK-47 (itself painted in the same shade of red; as if she'd clash colors!) Behind her, of course, is Miss Green (AKA Miss Yuzu). She's actually not Japanese, but don't tell anyone. Of Chinese origin, Miss Green's kimono is enveloped in embroidered leaves. She keeps a pair of Uzis tucked into her Obi at all times. And then, finally, the Big Sister of the group: Miss Blue (AKA Sayuri "Shotgun" Toyama). It is a little known fact that Miss Blue was the founder of the RGB Sisters. She is also Hanzo's Chief Bodyguard. Her kimono bears the gorgeous Great Wave, but where is her weapon? In actual fact, Miss Blue's weapon is well-hidden. You can only tell what she's packing if you notice her slight limp. See how she has trouble with her right leg? It's ever so slight. It's all in those stilettos. Their glittery surface runs right up to her knee and their chunky exterior hides an explosive secret. You're about to see what I mean.[/i] [center][b][size=4]Resume Scene[/size][/b][/center] Matsuno's body fell from the open rear door of the Rolls, into the gutter. The door closed sharply behind him. [u]'Useless,'[/u] muttered Adam under his breath. [u]'Now, my dears, are you ready?'[/u] The four Geisha nodded enthusiastically and gathered together on the seat opposite Adam. [u]'Good. You know what you have to do.'[/u] He sat back and stretched out, cigar in hand. His free hand gripped the hilt of a sword. The rear sunroof opened. The first Geisha daintily rose above the roof, taking special care not to bump her wig on the way up. She produced a small set of binoculars from her person. They were delicate, like the kind one would use at an opera. She peered through them. Sure enough, all of the Lady Boys were on board the Big Ben. Now was the time to strike. A pair of white, slender hands reached up through the sunroof. A second Geisha passed up a sniper rifle. 'Arigatou,' muttered the first Geisha. She attached a small tripod to the bottom of the rifle and propped it against the roof of the Rolls. She leaned down slightly and lined up the right. [u]'Fuel tank,'[/u] she murmured. The shot was loud and it reverberated all the way up the block. A single bullet from the rifle sailed through the air and pierced Big Ben's tank, resulting in a massive explosion. Everything went white for a moment and when the Geisha's vision was restored, she saw that the bus's rear was almost entirely blown apart. It looked as though someone had peeled a giant piece of metal fruit; the outer skin of the bus curled grotesquely away from its center. Inside the Rolls, Adam smiled. [u]'Driver, turn the music up!'[/u] It was Vivaldi, one of Adam's favorites. The interior was filled with the ebb and flow of violins. The four Geisha had left the car and were on their way to the bus. Several bodies lay scattered around it, but Hanzo and his immediate crew were not among them. Somehow, Adam thought they were very close by. He knew his Geisha were in terrible danger. If they could keep the RGB Sisters distracted, however, Adam would be able to take away the only thing that mattered to Hanzo. In doing so, Hanzo would forever be under his control.

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think that if each person really thought about it, they'd probably find some link to fame either in their family tree or through people they know. It can be pretty interesting, the whole six degrees of seperation thing. :catgirl: On this subject I remembered that my dad used to be friends with former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke (which will not be particularly interesting to anyone other than an Australian, haha). They were mates prior to Hawke becoming PM, though (back when he was leader of the Australian Council of Trade Unions - or ACTU as it's commonly known). Also my dad used to play squash regularly with Frank Sedgeman (hopefully I'm spelling his name right!) He was a tennis player during the 1960's and he won at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. We used to stay at his holiday house at Phillip Island once a year, although his daughter recently sold it, which sucks. I'm not quite sure how or why, but my dad seems to have met a lot of interesting people. He has had dinner with the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (John So) and he even met Wesley Snipes when he came down to Melbourne (I think it was something to do with the Planet Hollywood that was here, which is now gone... bleh). Somehow he gets himself into these situations. It's weird. Also my partner has had dinner with the (former) President of Fiji. I wouldn't say that he is terribly famous though, haha. I don't really know anyone famous as such, at least not directly. I'm friends with Charles Martinet, who does the voice for Mario and various other cartoon characters...but that's about it, haha. I have a long way to go to catch up with my dad, apparently. o_O[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I have added a new Dossier to the front page here. It's called [b]The Shirota Strain[/b]. This may provide a hint as to some things that are happening and it will give your characters a bit more to talk about (since now you'll know a bit more about this virus). I have kept the symptoms of 167A/B out of the picture because I'm happy for you guys to invent them. Plus I figure they might be different between victims anyway. I have run out of appropriate images to use for the tables so I'm going to kind of divide them into types. Blue will probably be used for general informational items related to the story. Yellow will relate to characters and character profiles (as well as location descriptions possibly). And green will remain related to Landmarks. Hopefully all of that makes sense. Thanks for your great posts too, guys. Everything's looking great and I'm loving the characters! Also, I can't stress this enough...please feel free to go where you want with your characters and their stories. Don't worry about stepping on any toes. If anything goes way too far (and I'm sure it won't), we'll just let you know. Otherwise we'll just work it into the story. You guys are writing this story too, so please don't be afraid to inject your own personalities into it![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I would sign up, but I'm not quite sure how it will work for [i]our[/i] character, Shy. Haha Do you create the character and I add something? Or uh...I don't know. *rubs chin* I think the idea we have has never been done before, so I'm not quite sure how you want to proceed with it. Sorry to add more conversation to this thread, but I figured I'd point out that I'm still interested it's just that I'm not sure how to approach the character sign up.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I've seen quite a few celebrities around, but it's hard to remember them all when you try to think of them all at once. The most famous person I've ever seen was (former) President Bush, when he visited Melbourne in the early 90's. We were driving out of the city on the freeway and the traffic was stopped to let him through in the lane next to ours. I was only a kid and I remember hanging out the sunroof...lol. He had his window open and he looked up at me and waved. That was fun, but at the time I didn't really grasp his importance. I think I said something like "Why do we all have to stop? He's [i]just the President![/i]" Haha[/font]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]I was a little surprised when my character 'came out' to yours James. Arthur and Zahir seem to have some sort of connection, yes, but the fact that he is a militant anti-space terrorist would still be a closely guarded secret. Anyway, I'll just run with it but I felt that the revelation was a little sudden. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I can change it if you want, but Zahir is fairly sympathetic to the group's ideology (although perhaps not the violence). Also, given Zahir's knowledge of some of these underground conspiracy theories and movements...it was just too obvious for him to deny, I felt. But yeah, I am happy to change that part if you like. I just felt it would be too incredulous for Zahir not to suspect a Terra Prime link. So let me know what you'd like to do. :catgirl: Also...Darren, you can take a picture of the alien for sure. But remember that for now they won't be wanting to make it too public on board the ship. That may cause a [i]lot[/i] of trouble. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Great post, Sabrina. You were definitely thinking along the same lines as me with certain things, haha. I will have a post up before the end of the week. I think there will be at least one other big revelation before they leave the outpost. I'd like to see some more stuff happening on the ship itself too, so maybe I will incorporate the Captain into my posts (I was planning to write for him anyway, but not quite so early). Edit: Ugh, sorry about that crappy post guys. I really need to include one more thing before this landmark is over, but I have to find the right way to present it. Haha Edit 2: Phew! Another post. A big one. Haha I've divided this post into three parts, to make it a bit easier to follow. This is our first big revelation - aliens ahoy! Also at the end I've referred to them hearing voices...these are the voices of the other characters who are still on the Outpost. Perhaps they can all meet up in the cargo dock and leave together. The first group may have to tell the second group about what they saw, as I don't think they'll have time to see it for themselves. I have to edit this tomorrow just in case there are any errors, so please feel free to ask if anything needs clarification![/font]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img] [IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/arthur.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/gaelavatar1.jpg[/IMG][/center] [b][i]Biohazard[/i][/b] The cargo dock was cold. Natalia’s flashlight-cum-lantern gave the metal storage crates surrounding them an eerie white sheen. All they could hear was the soft, dull hum of the Outpost’s environmental control system. It struggled to keep the dock full of air. When the power had gone out, they had been able to escape from the storage room; the locks (as well as almost everything else in the dock) had been rendered inactive. And now, all six of the stranded stood at the far eastern end of the dock. Natalia held her lantern up, so that its glow fell against the expansive wall. There were six large industrial double-doors, which looked as though they ought to slide open. ‘The escape pods are behind these doors and down.’ Natalia’s voice echoed throughout the dock. Her breath was visible in the white light. ‘Down? Down where?’ Katelyn’s large eyes examined the doors. The whole situation made her uncomfortable. ‘I believe the pods are under the surface,’ replied Viktor calmly. ‘They sit on small launch pads at the bottom of metal shafts. You have to use a ladder to climb down to them. They fire off the pads and exit through portals somewhere above.’ Everybody looked upwards, as if trying to imagine the trajectory. ‘You mean, we have to climb all the way down under the rock just to access them?’ Katelyn’s face had gone from stunned to incredulous. ‘That doesn’t seem very effective in an emergency!’ Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘Well, I suppose that when they launch they send off a blast from their engines. It’s probably safer to do that underground considering how close these things are to the building.’ Katelyn pouted. ‘Still…I don’t know if I want to climb down an underground ladder…’ ‘Better than staying here to face who knows what fate,’ said Natalia matter-of-factly. Zahir appreciated Natalia’s strength. She did not seem outwardly worried about their situation, but rather, her inherent survival instincts came to the forefront. Nothing was going to beat Natalia, it seemed. ‘We do have another problem though,’ said Arthur thoughtfully. ‘How to launch these pods? We need to open these doors, but since there is no emergency alarm, we’ll have to do it manually. I assume there’s a terminal somewhere around here, which controls these doors. I imagine it would be pretty simple to access.’ Natalia swung her lantern around. ‘I think we’ll have to go back to those offices on the north wall. All of the computers are up that end.’ The entire group began walking northward. Gael rubbed a foot against her leg. ‘I’m so tired of walking,’ she murmured. ‘Not much longer,’ called Natalia from the front of the group. Zahir looked behind him and nearly walked into Arthur. The group had stopped. Zahir moved to one side to get a better view. A large stack of crates sat in a corner, slightly further away from the others. They were covered with what looked like a large, dusty canvas. It was not secured to the floor, but the placement looked haphazard, as though the crates had been moved out into the dock at the last minute. ‘I didn’t notice this before,’ said Natalia, approaching the crates. Katelyn put her hand up. ‘Shouldn’t we be headed straight to the computer? We don’t have time!’ Natalia lowered her lantern. ‘I think we have a few minutes; the computers can wait for us. I want to know what’s going on here. It looks like they were about to move some of these crates…but where?’ Arthur approached the crates and put his hand on the canvas. He tugged at it gently. ‘It’s loose. Unsecured.’ Then, a moment later, the shroud covering the stack of crates fell away with a single yank. As a plume of dust filled the cold air, Arthur coughed heavily and stepped backwards. Zahir reached out for him, fearing he may fall, but he did not. Everybody fell silent. Zahir estimated that there must have only been about half a dozen crates. They were slightly smaller than all the others in the dock and were covered with orange symbols. ‘What does that mean?’ asked Gael. ‘I’m sure I’ve seen that logo somewhere before…’ Natalia covered her mouth and stepped back from the crates. ‘Don’t go any closer to them,’ she whispered. ‘Biohazard.’ Zahir could feel his stomach sink. Each crate had a vivid orange biohazard logo on it. They looked sealed, but who knew what had been blown up in the dust? Arthur coughed violently and clutched his chest. Zahir put a hand on his back. ‘Are you okay?’ This time, Arthur did not remove his hand. He gestured towards Zahir’s bottle of water. ‘Sorry,’ he coughed. Zahir took the bottle and put it to Arthur’s lips. He drank slowly and then coughed again. ‘I’m okay,’ he said finally. ‘I’m just very dehydrated, is all. Sorry to take your water, Zee.’ ‘Don’t worry about it,’ replied Zahir, his hand still on Arthur’s back. ‘I just don’t want anyone to get sick, especially not now.’ The entire group edged their way past the crates, towards the series of offices that sat just nearby. ‘What the hell was that?’ asked Katelyn, her breath becoming short as her pace quickened. ‘Why on Earth would they have biological material here?’ ‘I think the bigger question,’ interjected Arthur, ‘is [i]where[/i] they were planning to send it.’ The outer door of the office was still open. Everybody ran inside and Viktor closed the door behind them. ‘Damn it!’ he cried. ‘Look.’ The computer terminals were powered down. The entire room was dark, except for Natalia’s light. The power failure had killed the computers. ‘Oh my god,’ whispered Gael. ‘Don’t tell me this is it…surely not!’ ‘No, there’s something else here,’ said Zahir. ‘Look over there, back near the storage room we hid in earlier.’ He pointed to the rear corner of the office. There was another door. It had been locked earlier, but the power failure had disabled the lock. A strange glow emanated from underneath the door. ‘How is the room lit up if the power is off?’ asked Viktor. ‘Must be running on its own power,’ said Natalia as she approached the door. ‘Maybe the security terminal is inside. It would make sense, after all; a simple power failure shouldn’t stop them being able to launch escape pods.’ Viktor walked forward and grabbed the door handle. He twisted it, but it did not seem to move. ‘We need to get this door open,’ he muttered. ‘I need something to push against it, now that it’s unlocked.’ Everybody frantically looked around the office, in an effort to find a suitable object. Finally, Gael called out, ‘Over here! Fire extinguisher.’ She handed it to Viktor, who proceeded to slam it against the door. The thunderous bang echoed throughout the office. One, two, three strikes and finally the door snapped open. Green-grey light filled the office and masked their faces. [b][i]Species 167E[/i][/b] Zahir covered his eyes and stepped forward, into the room. It took his eyes a long time to adjust to the foreign light. He heard the heavy metallic thud of the extinguisher hitting the cool, tiled floor. The room was completely different to anything they’d seen on the Outpost before. There were stark white desks everywhere. Larger tables punctuated the room and were covered neatly with metallic implements of different shapes and sizes. Some were larger and had rounded ends, while others were long and thin, with serrated sides. Others fanned outwards like spokes and others still appeared to be combinations of cutting tools and plastic tubes. Zahir reached out into the air. He came across Arthur’s arm. Instinctively, he held Arthur’s wrist. He wanted so badly to vomit, but he could not move or speak. At the rear of the room, behind the tables, computer terminals, stretchers and instruments were a dozen large tubes. They were around a meter wide and approximately three or four meters tall. Each end of the tubes were connected to the floor and ceiling. They seemed to be filled with a dark, smoky liquid. Zahir knew it was liquid because he could make out bubbles rising among the whispy, smoke-like liquid. Viktor was the first to step into the laboratory. His footsteps echoed loudly on the tiles. Natalia put her hand out towards him. 'Don't go over there,' she stuttered. 'Don't.' Her voice faded as she stared unblinking at the glassy columns. Viktor came close to the nearest tube and ran his hands along it. It was glass, he thought, and it was very cold. He squinted and moved closer to its surface. The interior of the tube seemed to be filled with two substances, from what he could see. One was almost clear, like water. The other was a dark purple liquid that didn't seem to entirely mix with the water. It undulated and curled around as the bubbles ran through it. Katelyn suddenly ran over to him and stood behind him, with her hands on his sides. She peered around his shoulder. 'W-what's that?' she stammered. 'Where are we?' Arthur went to move, but noticed that Zahir was still tightly gripping his wrist. He turned and put his hand on Zahir's. When their eyes met, he smiled. [i]It's okay, you can let go.[/i] 'Species 167E. They're categorized by number and letter, according to variant. At least, that's what I remember hearing.' Everybody turned to look at Arthur, as though he'd dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. Natalia raised an eyebrow. 'Wait a moment,' she said slowly. 'You're telling us that those tubes contain organisms?' Arthur nodded. 'Not just organisms, Natalia.' He walked over to the same tube that Viktor and Katelyn were examining. 'Come closer and shine your torch into this tube. You'll see.' Natalia hesitantly navigated her way between the tables, trying not to focus her eyes on the many shiny implements. She converted her lamp to torch mode and aimed it directly at the tube. Its light did not reflect heavily on the glass, but instead seemed to pierce directly into it. 'What the hell is that?!' she cried, almost dropping her torch. 'Don't worry,' he said softly, 'I would say that she's already dead. She's being preserved, along with the others.' 'She?! What is this?!' Natalia looked around the room frantically for a moment, as if it were closing in on her. 'Is this a joke?' Arthur shook his head solemnly. 'It's no joke. But right here, in this room...this is where the so-called Great Disaster came from. [i]Species 167E[/i]. [i]This[/i] is what almost destroyed humanity.' The others seemed to steel themselves long enough to take a look for their own eyes. Zahir approached the glass tentatively, as if he were worried that something may jump out at him. What he saw, in actual fact, surprised him. He half expected to see some kind of monster from a film. Instead, he saw a very humanoid face. It was like porcelain - white and smooth, with small ridges and cracks in its surface. It looked like it was made of plastic, or perhaps some other synthetic material. The face looked like a human woman's. It would have been rather beautiful if it had eyes; Zahir saw only dark sockets where the eyes should be. But he also saw lips and a nose. Perhaps more than being similar to a human, it looked rather like a mask; almost like the painted face of a Geisha. When he looked down, he saw a hand near the glass. Long, elegant fingers. They appeared to be gloved with a similar substance to the face. There were six fingers. Beyond this, Zahir could not see anything further. He was intrigued, but he knew it would take a while to get over the sudden shock of walking into a laboratory in the middle of space. Zahir turned back to Arthur. 'You seem to know a lot more about this than the rest of us,' he said. 'More than is in the magazines, anyway. What is going on here?' [b][i]The Great Disaster[/i][/b] 'I will tell you what I know,' said Arthur calmly, as the others stood around him. 'There is still a great deal I [i]don't[/i] know, so I'm sure I will leave you with many questions.' 'Firstly,' interrupted Natalia, 'I think you should tell us [i]why[/i] you know so much about this subject.' Arthur glanced at the others, his eyes pausing briefly on Katelyn. 'That I can not tell you. Not now. It might be hard for you to understand at this moment...' Natalia placed her hands on her hips and switched off her flashlight. 'I'll tell you what's hard to understand; being inside a laboratory full of alien bodies is [i]hard to understand![/i] I [i]really[/i] don't think this is the time to spare our feelings, Arthur!' There was an awkward silence. Natalia's anger and frustration seemed to stem from the revelation that she may indeed be wrong about the conspiracy theories - at least in part. The presence of alien bodies alone suggested that much. 'I will tell you what I can tell you,' repeated Arthur. 'Be mad at me if you must, but eventually you might understand.' Arthur leaned against one of the tables nearby. It was empty and it creaked slightly as he perched on its edge. 'This all started with Andronov Prime, the Moon City. It was not just a triumph of engineering, but it provided useful resources for construction both on the moon and on Earth. The city had been established for a period of time; everything was running smoothly. Due to the need for heavy machinery, mining operations were conducted primarily within the Andronov Crater. These machines and their operators needed clean air and immediate access to power and transport. They had to mine within the crater, which was covered with a protective shield - it was filled with atmosphere. Eventually, though, the resources were spent. Engineers had to find new ways to mine the moon. That's when they set up the Magmoor on the dark side of the moon.' Natalia raised an eyebrow. 'The Magmoor? What's that?' 'An ultra-deep, sub-surface mine. They used new technology to drill almost to the moon's core,' said Arthur. 'But after reaching the halfway mark, they stumbled upon something.' Gael's eyes widened. 'What was it?' 'A chamber,' replied Arthur. 'It wasn't much bigger than this room, so I've heard. There was something in there...[i]someone[/i].' 'But how does this relate to the Great Disaster?' asked Zahir. 'Well, they stumbled upon a group of people there...if you could call them that. Species 167E. Several of them, standing around a sarcophagus. At least, that's what the report called it. I think it was a burial, some kind of ceremony. Anyway, they were shocked as you can imagine. The security detail who maintained order within the Magmoor fired on them, but their weapons were ineffective. Several people were killed...' 'Figures that they'd shoot first and ask questions later,' huffed Viktor. Arthur nodded. 'Yes, well, it didn't do them any good. When word of the incident got back to the City Council at Andronov Prime, they sent an expeditionary force to explore the site. The aliens were gone, but the sarcophagus was still there.' 'Let me guess,' said Natalia flatly. 'They opened it?' 'Once they got it back to the city, yes,' replied Arthur. 'It contained a dead body. Or at least they thought it was dead. I don't know what happened exactly, but once their doctors began to examine it, they started to become sick. It spread very quickly. All it took was one shuttle to return to Earth with an infected crew member...and the rest is history.' Katelyn blinked. 'So that's why some people are opposed to the new space program...' 'Yes, partly that,' said Arthur. 'But it's not quite as simple as what I've just described. I think there is more happening here...just look at this Outpost. They have several more bodies. Where did they come from? And [i]why[/i] would they be researching anything like this all the way out here?' 'Do you think,' said Zahir slowly, 'that the Von Braun has anything to do with this?' Arthur shook his head tentatively. 'I'm really not sure. NARSIA are involved with the Von Braun and they are the ones who created this Outpost. They are up to something, but I don't know what. I don't think anyone [i]truly[/i] knows.' 'In any case,' said Natalia firmly, 'there are several terminals in this room and they're active. We [i]must[/i] launch an escape pod now. Perhaps we can do something if we get back to the ship.' 'Can't we just send the pods home?' asked Gael, a look of disappointment on her face. Viktor shook his head. 'I don't think they can go that far, Gael. They can sustain themselves for a long time independently, but eventually they'd require a passing ship to pick them up. Hopefully the Von Braun isn't so far away that we can't reach it.' 'I will try to unlock one of the pod doors,' said Natalia as she began moving towards the nearest terminal. Arthur raised his hand. 'We do need to escape, but I must warn you...I don't think it would be a good idea to discuss what we've seen here when we arrive back on the ship. Most of the passengers will think we're crazy, but even more than that, they will start asking questions about why we were left behind...' 'But we want them to know what happened to us, don't we?' asked Natalia. 'After all, this was such a horrible oversight...' 'If it was an oversight,' whispered Zahir. 'How do you know we weren't deliberately left here somehow?' Natalia gasped. 'Surely not!' 'Does [i]anything[/i] surprise you right now, Natalia?' Viktor crossed his arms. Natalia reluctantly nodded. 'I suppose so. Okay, we will lay low...perhaps we can re-dock with the Von Braun without anyone knowing. We will have to make sure to turn the communications system off once we're launched in the pod.' 'I think we might be almost ready,' called Natalia as she hunched over a computer screen. Just as she said this, Arthur and Zahir turned towards the door. They were sure they heard voices.

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img] [IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/arthur.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/gaelavatar1.jpg[/IMG][/center] Zahir gulped down a mouthful of cool spring water. They'd found a vending machine near one of the kitchens and Arthur had gladly broken it open. Each of them took a bottle for the trip. Katelyn, Viktor and Gael walked together. Gael and Katelyn were chatting amongst themselves and Viktor seemed to be content to listen. They were talking about everyday subjects - it was surreal given their circumstances, but Zahir wondered if this was simply a way for them to remain calm. Natalia walked behind them. She was some distance back. She had taken a box of batteries and stuffed its contents into her pockets as a precaution. As they walked through intermittently-lit corridors, Natalia routinely shone the light behind them, as if to make sure they weren't being followed. Zahir and Arthur walked ahead of the others. 'Do you think we'll make it out of here?' asked Zahir. Arthur looked straight ahead. His eyes seemed fixed on some point in the distance. 'Who knows,' he said quietly. 'Somehow this all seems so predictable, though.' 'How so?' 'We should never have come this far into space; there's a reason why we stopped exploring beyond Earth. We tried to dominate space once before and look what happened.' It was true that the Great Disaster had almost been man's downfall. Those who survived lived with the affects for years afterwards. And many of them passed the mystery illness on to their children. It was a constant reminder to mankind; [i]don't meddle where you don't belong.[/i] Surely there was more to it than that though. Why should man be punished simply for satisfying his natural urge to explore? Zahir had pondered these questions for years, but had never been able to answer them. Arthur looked down at his hand in the dim light. It bore a shallow scar across the back. He must have noticed Zahir's eyes, which were fixed on it. 'Oh,' he mumbled awkwardly, 'just an old injury. Life can be very unforgiving.' 'I suppose,' replied Zahir, unsure of what to say. 'I felt lucky to be in America, except that, well...' Arthur glanced down at Zahir. His eyes were clear and sharp. To any other person he may have appeared intimidating, perhaps even cold and focused. Somehow, though, Zahir felt safe with Arthur there. He was comforted by him. 'Well, I had a job I didn't like and I was living with someone who made life difficult,' said Zahir finally. 'A friend?' Zahir nodded and looked away. 'You could say that,' he said quietly. 'At least, someone who is [i]supposed[/i] to be there for support, but who spends his days making others miserable. He is very selfish.' 'But you miss him all the same, don't you?' Zahir blinked. When he looked up at Arthur again, he wore a very faint smile. 'Er, well...I suppose that's true. It's just that you get used to something and being so far away feels strange.' Arthur nodded knowingly. 'I know what you mean. Even if the person you care about doesn't seem to care about you, it doesn't stop you seeking their approval. It can consume you if you aren't careful.' 'That's why I think this trip has done me good,' said Zahir hesitantly. 'Although, if we die here...' He paused. It just didn't seem right - surely this was not how it was supposed to end. Arthur placed a hand on Zahir's shoulder. It was warm and solid. 'We will not die, I promise you.'

[font=franklin gothic medium]I don't think the issue is so much that the ideas in this thread are being passed over, it's just that we do not have an Event Master currently. I need to recruit someone new. Having said that, I almost think that the podcast thing would not be a regular "event", but rather, it would be an ongoing feature of the site. So we'd need to recruit people specifically for it. And if we want to do it as an ongoing feature, I will want to make sure that we have dedicated people involved who aren't going to let the community down. Aside from this though, I think that there are a lot if great ideas in here for actual events. Good work, guys. [/font]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]Couldn't we make a 'real' radio station streaming via iTunes or something? We could include member-created content and then combine it with anime music (or whatever.) There could even be a requests thread, or dedication, or whatever. Everyone has such diverse tastes. It would be interesting to see what kinds of songs people suggested. I'm not sure about the technical aspects behind it, but I've looked into doing something like this before and it didn't seem really complicated. The biggest thing is finding a server to host all of the music files, and making sure that it can support all of the traffic such a radio station would presumably generate. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]The problem with a streaming radio station is that OB can't support it. As it is, we could [i]barely[/i] support a podcast. We just don't have enough willing participants right now. What I'd rather see is an "OB Radio" podcast that comes out once a month, or maybe twice a month. It can have segments that discuss what's been happening in the month, we can have RPG discussions, member interviews and more. Doing a monthly podcast is easier because it can be developed over a few weeks, rather than having to be done live all at once. So you could have music between segments but each segment could be recorded on different days. This makes it easier with time differences (for interviews) and it also allows for a more professional podcast to be developed. Then we can have a page where we host all of them in a list with summaries and dates...and people can download at their leisure. So that's more what I'm thinking of. But until we have enough people interested in actually running such a podcast, I don't think it will happen. I personally don't have the time to do it and it would be a big commitment.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I would still like to see some kind of regular or semi-regular podcast. I have the software to edit podcasts and such, but I haven't produced one before. It'd need to be organised, but...I think you could do the interviews verbally and have people download them. Then they could comment on them here. This would give that sense of things being new and different, rather than just text. So as to keep things easier, it could be done once per month or something...and you'd have to organise things around timezones and such. I think with Skype you can have multiple people on in multiple places...that'd be fun. I'm just not sure how to go about recording Skype conversations - maybe someone can advise us on that? I'd literally like to see "OB Radio" as an ongoing feature on this site. We could do more than interviews, too. It'd be fun to do reviews or previews of RPGs, even. We could even hold public auditions for hosts, perhaps. I think there are a ton of things we could do with that. And of course, the MP3 file would be hosted here...so the creators would be supported in that sense.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]This sounds good. I've been wanting to see a darker Zelda for quite a while! I did have a couple of questions. First, do character avatars have to be drawn/painted or can they be realistic/photo? Doesn't really matter because I'm sure I can find the former, but I thought I'd ask just in case. Also...just in terms of the overall limits. I'm not really sure what I'm asking here, but obviously this is a mature RPG - do you have any limits as such? Or is it anything goes? And if so, do you have a preference for something more odd/bizarre? I almost imagine that this could be like a Tim Burton-style Zelda, with lots of dark and creepy characters... except more for adults. Anyway, I'll think about my character and I will definitely sign up. :catgirl: (I will probably just edit this post and put my sign up after these questions).[/font]

[quote name='Ravenstorture'][color=darkgreen][font=garamond] Man I would so love to get back into an RPG, but really the only reason why I'm back here for a little while is because I'm on holidays. Past 22nd of July, I may not post again until the end of the year. I hope it's not going to be like that, but still I don't have the time required to do my fellow RPGers justice. I don't even have time to contribute to the creative writing section of the board these days... my how life has changed. Something I do miss is people knowing me... I almost feel shy posting these days, and the majority of what I post is completely ignored. Still, this is how it is now. Also I just found out two of my friends here have been banned somewhere along the way. Some of the others have left, and the rest have changed their names beyond recognition! *clings to Raiha* Ps. I take back what I said about missing being immature and outspoken... I just read some of my old posts. Incredibly embarrassing doesn't quite cover it.[/font][/color][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I definitely remember you. Actually seeing some members return reminds me that I wish I'd been involved in RPGs with some of you. I probably visited and read more RPGs than I participated in myself...but I was too late to the boat when signing up for some. And that really sucks.[/font]

[center][img]http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/4489/avatar2crewcd2.gif[/img][/center] 'Somehow, I don't think the audience will sit down for a whole two hours of this,' muttered Ed Barker, Chief News Editor of WPNN. He was perched on the edge of a dining chair in front of the hotel room's complimentary television set. Such was his state of tension that the chair tilted forward as he balanced precariously. His head was low and his eyes were focused on a small screen attached to a WPNN television camera. In one hand, he held a small notepad with a pen tucked neatly against its cover. A large cigar occupied his other hand. The ceiling was almost invisible due to the smoke that billowed from beneath his mustache. Ed Barker was almost part of the furniture at WPNN; he had been working in the newsroom since the age of eighteen, when he moved straight from high school to intern at the network. As a boy, Ed was mediocre in stature, although he featured large, striking eyes and a sharp wit. His relationship with Meryl Hunter had started with an argument over copy editing. Meryl joined WPNN after years of study and several other positions and she took exception to Ed's unpracticed and slightly clumsy demeanor. In reality, Ed was just as exacting, but his lack of tertiary qualifications and a slightly unfortunate drawl betrayed his humble upbringing. After several years of working together, the pair formed a somewhat uneasy friendship. It was largely a friendship of necessity but over time they each began to respect one another. Although Meryl was not terribly eager to spend much of the year reporting exclusively on the Von Braun's maiden voyage, the one saving grace was the idea that she might be free from the watchful eyes of the newsroom. At least, she thought, she could do things [i]her[/i] way. One day before she was due to depart, she noticed a memo with Ed's name on it. Her worst fears had come true; Ed was to join her. The network executives did not want to risk any mistakes on such an important event. Meryl reclined on her bed in the hotel room as the flicker of blue light bathed the room. Ed's silhouette appeared and disappeared on the wall behind her bed, as he hunched forward and inspected every second of footage. 'By the way, why don't you turn the lights on?' he grumbled. 'It's already morning for God's sake.' Meryl sighed and stared up at the ceiling. 'I haven't slept all night, Ed. I have been awake going over that footage just like you are now; I don't know why you [i]insist[/i] on doubling-up the work.' Ed did not respond, but instead puffed heavily, sending a cloud of thick smoke into the air. The bed was luxuriously soft and Meryl stretched out on it. She wished that Ed would leave as soon as possible so that she could be by herself. She reached over to the bedside table and plucked a half-full martini glass from it. How long had it been there? It tasted disgusting. She put it down and took a deep breath. Finally, Ed stood up and switched the monitor off. Darkness filled the room, except for the orange glow of his cigar and the silver-blue star field outside the panoramic window. Meryl looked up at Ed and considered him in the dim light. He was now well into his fifties, but he was lucky; so many men, Meryl thought, lost their vitality as they grew older. It was as though life and time sapped something from them, especially in the news business. Ed was fortunate, because age had graced him with an air of sophistication. He had grown into his looks. His wavy hair was dark with a silvery streak and he wore thin-rimmed gray glasses that emphasized his still-large and still-striking eyes. A reasonable mustache sat on his upper lip and he had a sharply-angled jaw that framed his face handsomely. It was a shame he was such a prick, thought Meryl as her eyes strained in the darkness. 'Well, this'll have to do,' muttered Ed. 'You were very soft on him though.' She knew what he was referring to immediately. 'The secret deck?' Ed took a long drag on his cigar and its end flared energetically. 'Yes. We know there's something going on there. So many sources.' Meryl shook her head. 'Mostly anonymous tipsters, Ed. Come on, really, do you think we would improve our standing as a responsible news outlet if we start pedaling that conspiracy rubbish?' Even in the dim light, Meryl knew that Ed's eyebrows had furrowed. 'I'm just saying,' continued Meryl before Ed could respond, 'what do you expect me to do? The Captain has given his answer. And we are about to broadcast that to Earth. If we start accusing the Captain of lying, we will only make it impossible to interview anyone else. It's not worth it.' Ed pointed his cigar at Meryl. 'The Captain doesn't know what's on that deck,' he said matter-of-factly. 'Isn't that obvious? Did you see the way he shifted in his seat when you asked? I doubt he even has access to that deck. He gave you a generic response that you swallowed without question.' Meryl stood up and straightened her nightgown. She hadn't yet had breakfast and she never got dressed until after that. Ed, on the other hand, sported an expensive shirt and tie. It made Meryl feel sloppy. 'As I said,' she repeated, 'what was I to do? Sit there and tell him that he's a liar?' 'You did not press hard enough.' Meryl opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Ed always had a way of making her furious and she hated it; he always remained so calm and here she was, wanting to smack him. 'Don't worry, we will find out what's going on down there,' she said finally. Her self-restraint was obvious. 'I hope so,' replied Ed quietly. 'They're expecting something big out of this trip.' 'The whole space hotel thing isn't big enough for them, eh?' Meryl could feel Ed glaring at her. He put out his cigar on a nearby ashtray and approached the door. 'In the end,' he said flatly, 'it's your career that you need to worry about. Don't question their motives, just make sure you get the story.' And with that, the door closed behind him.

[font=franklin gothic medium]No worries, Sabrina. Thanks for letting us know. :catgirl:[/font]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img] [IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/arthur.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/gaelavatar1.jpg[/IMG][/center] Light filled the corridor. Zahir squinted and covered his eyes. He could see the silhouettes of two figures in the distance. Viktor, Katelyn and Natalia walked slightly behind him. Viktor and Katelyn were walking in lock-step, whereas Natalia seemed to lag behind slightly. Her torch had finally given out and she was fumbling with its batteries as she walked. Zahir guessed that she wanted some time without conversation, especially after their discussion in the cargo dock. Natalia was sceptical when it came to the causes of the Great Disaster, but she was also a realist; when evidence and logic presented themselves, she was compelled to at least question her original views. Although she did not believe in a grand NARA conspiracy, she acknowledged that the mystery illness of the 1980’s originated on the Moon. At least in some measure, she seemed to be struggling with this. For his part, Zahir admired Natalia’s ability to see the possibility of a conspiracy, although he himself still had doubts. At least, he thought, Natalia was open-minded enough to consider alternatives. One of the figures at the end of the hall waved. As Zahir’s group came closer, they could make out the figures. The taller of the two was Arthur, the man who Zahir had met outside Caesar’s Palace only a couple of short days ago. A woman stood next to him. She was slender and had an exotic air about her; Zahir felt he had seen her in a magazine or pamphlet somewhere, but he could not place her. She was adjusting a body jewel, as if it had come loose. As the two groups met, they each shook hands and introduced themselves. They were now standing in the Outpost’s reception area. Arthur looked down at his watch. His eyes flicked between the watch face and Zahir, who was standing nearby. ‘It looks like we still have another fifteen minutes to board the shuttle. When Gael and I looked at it a few moments ago it was empty, though.’ Natalia raised an eyebrow. ‘Empty? Well, I suppose that means they will just have to wait for all the guests. The fact that they didn’t provide guides seems slack to me.’ Viktor chuckled. ‘That’s true, Natalia, but without guides we were able to take our own tour.’ He winked and a slight grin spread across Natalia’s face. 'Still, they locked us in,' replied Natalia. 'I'm sure it was accidental, but it was a hazard nonetheless.' 'You mean you didn't enjoy crawling through vents a second time?' Viktor laughed. Natalia shook her head firmly. 'No, once was enough.' ‘Okay, so shall we head back then?’ asked Gael, who had already turned on her heel and begun heading for the shuttle dock. The others followed. Arthur walked next to Zahir and the other three followed behind. Natalia produced a small notepad and jotted on it briefly. ‘What is that for?’ asked Katelyn, glancing over her shoulder. ‘Oh, I am just making a note of how terribly this trip has gone so far,’ muttered Natalia. ‘I shall speak with Captain Sorokov about it at the earliest opportunity. The lack of guides was very unsafe.’ ‘You know the Captain?!’ Katelyn’s eyes widened. ‘It makes sense that she would know the Captain,’ replied Viktor. ‘After all, she runs the biggest casino on the ship. She would probably report to him at times, I’d think.’ Natalia put the notepad in her pocket. ‘Yes, although I actually report to the Chief of Entertainment Services, who then reports to the Captain. But if I have a serious complaint I can definitely speak with the Captain myself and go around the CVS.’ Ahead of them, Arthur and Zahir had begun their own conversation. ‘Fancy bumping into you again,’ laughed Arthur as he glanced down at Zahir. ‘Seems like you’re less straight-laced than you first appeared.’ Zahir blinked and looked up at him. ‘What do you mean?’ Arthur smiled. ‘Well, when we first met you seemed so young and…’ He paused, slightly awkwardly. ‘Naïve?’ Zahir finished his sentence. ‘Yes, I suppose,’ said Arthur, as his eyes shifted back to Gael who was walking in front of them. ‘I don’t mean that in a negative way, I just mean that you seemed so in awe of everything…it was refreshing. I never thought you would run off and have a highly illegal adventure aboard the NARSIA Outpost.’ Zahir blushed. Arthur exuded an air of experience and sophistication. Zahir almost felt that Arthur was making fun of him, although something about his general demeanour suggested that he was genuine. Zahir hoped he was, in any case. ‘It was one way to bring a little fun to this trip,’ said Zahir flatly. ‘I like the Von Braun, but I don’t have the money to enjoy all of those resorts on the upper deck. For me it’s just work and sleep, mostly. This trip to the Outpost was pure luck. I almost thought about swapping my ticket with a guy in my room.’ Arthur nodded knowingly. ‘I guess I am lucky enough to be enjoying the finer things on the ship. Still, my interest in this voyage goes beyond that of most passengers.’ ‘Oh?’ ‘Er, yes, well,’ Arthur rubbed his hands together. There was something he wasn’t saying. ‘Have you ever read New Frontier Magazine?’ Now it made sense; Arthur was a fan of the trashy sci-fi magazines from home. It made Zahir grin uncontrollably. He was suddenly reminded of Khalid’s utter hatred for the magazines and what they represented. He didn’t think he’d find another reader on board the ship. ‘I have a subscription,’ replied Zahir coolly. ‘I also read Secrets of the Space Race, but that only comes out quarterly and it’s very hard to find…’ ‘I have the latest copy in my room back on the ship,’ said Arthur with a chuckle. Zahir clapped his hands together. ‘Really? Wow. So…you wanted to learn more about the space program on this trip?’ Arthur nodded. His expression became somewhat more serious. ‘Yes. Although I never thought I’d discover much while on the Von Braun, being that everything there is so well-controlled. When I heard about this little Outpost trip, though, I knew I couldn’t pass it up.’ ‘You were selected randomly? Imagine that!’ ‘Not quite,’ said Arthur slowly. ‘I uh…[i]found[/i] my way onto that list. As I said, I couldn’t pass it up.’ ‘Oh, well…’ Zahir’s response was cut short by a shriek ahead of them. As he looked up, he saw Gael standing against a large, thick door. Her hands were pressed against it and her frantic breath created a white glow on the glass that pulsated as she gasped. Natalia ran forward instinctively. ‘Whatever is the matter?’ she cried. For a moment, Gael did not respond. ‘The shuttle,’ she breathed. ‘The shuttle!’ Natalia ran up to her and put her hand on Gael’s shoulder. ‘What? Do you get shuttle-sickness or…’ She paused, as if her voice had been taken away. As the others approached the large door, which led to the shuttle dock, they each noticed the problem. Katelyn covered her mouth with her hands. ‘Oh my god. Viktor…’ she grabbed at his jacket. ‘There has got to be a mistake! We have to contact them! Natalia, don’t you have your radio on you?!’ Natalia did not reply. Gael began hyperventilating and Arthur helped her to her knees, where he instructed her to breathe slowly and deeply. Zahir simply stood motionless at the glass door. The shuttle dock was empty. They had been left behind, on an almost-powerless Outpost with a broken communications system. They were stranded somewhere in space. Zahir put his hands to his face, noticing that it had suddenly become very warm. And then, without warning, everything went dark and he could feel himself falling backwards.

[font=franklin gothic medium]I know that the point of this thread is [i]not[/i] to point out the boringly obvious (i.e. that you can have beauty and intelligence and that beauty in particular is highly subjective). But I will say that the two definitely aren't mutually exclusive. I have known (and do know) people who have both traits. Several OBers can claim to have equal amounts of these traits as well. :catgirl: If I really had to choose one or the other though? I suppose I'd choose intelligence. I think that I would enjoy life more thoroughly and with greater appreciation if I had intelligence. For instance, if you're beautiful (but stupid) and incredibly rich...will you really enjoy your wealth? Will you really appreciate it? Will you make good use of it? If you're intelligent you can at least delve into many different hobbies and you can probably better appreciate your position in life. Plus, even if you're smart and ugly...that still won't stop you from having a partner. It just means you need to team up with another smart, ugly person.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Cool, thanks Malkav. That sounds good. I think it will be interesting to kick off the System Error landmark on the Von Braun. I shall be posting by the weekend hopefully. I'm back at work this week (which won't stop me, but may make me a bit slower).[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I haven't, simply because I was renting the game and I wanted to finish it during the rental period, haha. Also the internet at my dad's place is horribly slow. So I wouldn't even try. But eventually I'm sure I will give online a go. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]English/European teas are generally sweetened, however, I agree that tea can not be over-sweetened. Green tea shouldn't need sugar, because it is naturally sweet. I had some recently and it really didn't need anything added to it. I kind of can't imagine adding heaps of sugar to something like that. o_O[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I wouldn't say I'm a huge tea fan, which means that the tea I actually do like is pretty boring. If I drink tea, I will usually drink English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast or Russian Caravan. I pretty much consider all of these to be relatively safe forms of tea. Also I tend to only drink tea with breakfast for some reason. If I have breakfast at a restaurant, I will usually order a pot of tea to go along with it. That or orange juice (or both). I've had green tea before and it [i]can[/i] be nice, but I don't enjoy it when it's too strong. I would say that I drink coffee more than tea, overall. But tea can really hit the spot at times. And I've found that tea has many different scents, depending on which one you choose. So, you may find that there are some types of tea that you really like the smell of. And Raiha, I [i]always[/i] put milk in my tea (except for green tea). You can't tell me that you would drink English Breakfast tea without milk - that's such a large insult that Gordon Brown should fly out there and slap you with his notepad for even considering it. Of course, if you use that horribly low-quality American milk (with the skin and all), I can't blame you. Oddly enough, if I make my own coffee I have it [i]almost[/i] black. Over time I've found that I put in less and less milk. Now I just put a little drop in. I wonder what that's all about.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm sure Gavin will find some other way of encouraging gang activity. Ahem. Anyway, to me it seems obvious that no amount of intervention by Wal-Mart in terms of products is going to make one atom of difference. Kids and gangs often go together, like movies and popcorn. If kids want to create idiotic gangs, they will do so regardless of bandanas. Even if Wal-Mart stops selling them, they will easily be able to buy them elsewhere (does mom know what little Jimmy's pocket money is going towards? Ouch!) And kids will use other means to identify which gangs they belong to if banadas are no longer available. It could be anything - you might have one gang that only wears Pokemon t-shirts and another that only wears Disney t-shirts. Pokemon versus Disney, a crime epidemic. Kids are smart and stupid at the same time. That is to say, they will always come up with smarter ways to do dumber things.[/font] [quote]Will reducing the amounts of butter sold in stores cut down on the number of fat people too?[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]Brilliant, just brilliant.[/font]