goody! its nice and has quite the amount of healthy digression, in the form of talking about the blink ability of the fade and stragies the TSA said would "work" against the Khraa. good job.
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin--That Annoying Kid+Jun 21 2003, 02:13 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (That Annoying Kid @ Jun 21 2003, 02:13 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> can't wait until the next one <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> speaking of next ones when is it?
And he had to stop now <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> cant wait until the next one, great job...commander. <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'><!--endemo-->
Aw, well, sorry about that – things have been rather busy recently with school work and other stuff, and I haven’t really felt like writing much lately. I’ll start again soon, though, maybe another day or two first <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I really like your style of writing, I wish that there were some sci-fi books out their written with your style... my parents would never whinge about me not reading :|
keep it up! Hopefully someone out here is reading your stories and are thinking of rewarding your hard work <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Haya! I didn't read it until now! And i must say that i'm impressed. This story goes with the ranks of Unkown Enemy, not many stories come to that rank.
Thanks everyone...after a hiatus, here is chapter eight <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<u>Chapter 8: Striking Back</u>
Puffs of steam hissed slowly from cracked pipes, the gaseous vapour rising slowly to the ceiling and condensing in converging masses of water. As the marines rounded their respective corners, they saw an enormous, pulsating structure, shuddering as it sucked pure nano-sludge out of the command network. Thompson signalled quickly to the other Frontiersmen, and slinging their weapons behind their backs, they clasped the grips of their knives, and prepared to plunge the strengthened hyper-alloyed steel blades into the membranous outer layer of the Kharaa resource chamber.
Blackburn frowned in annoyance as his knife glanced harmlessly off the thick protective carapace of the chamber. Beside him, three knives also scraped futilely at the surface, and it took over fifteen seconds of slashing before the outer layer was breached. Blackburn thrust his knife in the midst of this crack, and twisted violently. When he pulled his arm back, the resource chamber sagged to the ground with a dark grey sludge oozing from the widened gash.
Rearming themselves with their guns, the marines advanced forward again, entering a large room with several alien structures and an enormous, bulbous sac suspended from invisible ceiling supports. A hive! All the marines trained their weapons on it and prepared to fire, but recoiled in surprise as large globules of pulp smashed into the group, splashing alien matter on their armour and weaponry.
?Back the hell up!? came the cry from Thompson, and the five marines retreated to the comparative safety of the two corridors leading from the Steam Generation plant. There, behind the barrier, Thompson thought furiously ? the splashes of spit must have come from the enormous, spiked organisms he had glimpsed before he dashed through the corridor ? old memories from his TSA manual reminded him that they were officially known as ?offensive chambers?. He gasped in sudden pain as he felt corrosive liquid tear through his armour, and putting in a medpack request for the entire group, he leaned weakly against the wall, waiting for the health kits to arrive.
After five packs materialised on the ground in a complementary burst of nanites, Marlow picked one up, used it in his interface port, and then raised his grenade launcher, waiting for Thompson?s go-ahead. Giving a curt nod, Thompson watched Marlow unload all six grenades of his launcher into the Feedwater Control room, bouncing off the right-hand corridor wall, detonating with a jarring rumble and sending lumps of organic matter flying through the two passageways. Reloading his launcher carefully, Marlow then waited as Thompson advanced towards the left-hand corridor, with his fellow marines covering him.
Nosing his eye and gun barrel around the corner, Thompson smiled grimly as he saw the newly-redecorated Feedwater Control centre. All but two of the offensive chambers seemed to have been completely destroyed, and even then, those two were on shaky ground at best. Giving the quick go-ahead, the five marines charged into the room, blasting the chambers apart with their weapons.
A large pit of water yawned before them, broken pipes testament to its creation. Above it, the hive drooped wearily, a small stream of clear liquid dripping from it into the pool. ?Finish it off,? was the order from Thompson, and once more, the marines raised their guns. The concerted blast of heavy metal slugs tore through the Kharaa hive, ripping it from its supports and sending it splashing into the pool. Nodding in satisfaction, Thompson turned to construct the resource tower placed by McNamara...and cried out in horror and agony as the deadly, scythed claw of a fade plunged into his chest.
Are you writing this for the sp ns comp? Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL
<!--QuoteBegin--breathstealer+Jun 30 2003, 04:51 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (breathstealer @ Jun 30 2003, 04:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Are you writing this for the sp ns comp? Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Welcome to the NS Fan-Fiction forum. There are stories that have come out before the NS Fan Fiction Comp, you know. This is one of them. Parhelion could enter it into the Comp, though. His call, really.
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin--Lumberjack Wannabe+Jun 30 2003, 08:23 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Lumberjack Wannabe @ Jun 30 2003, 08:23 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--breathstealer+Jun 30 2003, 04:51 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (breathstealer @ Jun 30 2003, 04:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Are you writing this for the sp ns comp? Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Welcome to the NS Fan-Fiction forum. There are stories that have come out before the NS Fan Fiction Comp, you know. This is one of them. Parhelion could enter it into the Comp, though. His call, really. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> he most definetly could
welcome to the Fan-Fic forums, it's a nice place! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--breathstealer+Jun 30 2003, 05:51 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (breathstealer @ Jun 30 2003, 05:51 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Are you writing this for the sp ns comp? Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Heh, thanks <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The idea of ?infinite spawning? (or as the story says, phasing a marine out then back in) was really to address the concept of infantry portals as they existed in the game ? who takes 8 marines into a combat zone and leaves the other 50+ in the dropship as reinforcements? This way, it is more realistic ? you have a team of 8, and if they die, they will reappear through an infantry portal.
As for the SP NS competition, I don?t know if it?s what amckern wants ? like Lumberjack said, it was written before the competition was announced (and thus doesn?t really fit into the requirements ? the amount of detail is one point). In addition, it?s modelled on ns_bast instead of an original map ? I think they are after a campaign-based story with a new map and environment.
I?ll think about it though, if it?s what they?re looking for, I may as well enter it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Very Good Story! I am enjoying it alot, though keeping track of the people is getting harder, I can't remember whos who.... <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
edited July 2003
hey, it's majin, what every happened to your fan-fic?
ehe ehe <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> never mind, nothing to see here, move along
Wow, great <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> Glad to see you like it and think it's suitable <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The grim scene froze in a horrific tableau ? the hulking fade growled in satisfaction as its claw emerged from the back of Thompson?s light armour, and the room resonated with the abnormally loud clatter of Thompson?s heavy machine gun as it fell from his lifeless hands. Standing in silent shock, the four marines saw Thompson?s limp body glow with an intense white light as the command network phased him back to the TSS Solaris before he died. The fade glared at its freed claw with burning eyes, and hissing in rage, shifted its stare to the remaining men in the Feedwater Control centre.
Blackburn?s anxious cry galvanised the Frontiersmen into action ? raising their weapons, they unleashed a flurry of fire in the fade?s direction. Marlow grasped his grenade launcher in one massive hand as he tried desperately to reach the safety of the corridor behind the fade ? he knew enough about the Arc not to fire those grenades in such a cramped space. Ducking under a slashing claw, he reached the twin corridors and turned back, only to see four skulks barrel out of the vents leading into the centre, with another fade emerging right behind them.
Back in the docking bay, McNamara shook his head in disbelief as Thompson reappeared through the infantry portal, a standard-issue light machine gun in his hands. Two fades and four skulks against four marines was a hopeless case...he was about to order them to retreat, but saw that that option was already being denied to them by the advancing skulks. He poised his cursor over the room, ready to drop medpacks and armour nanokits if the need arose.
The four skulks swarmed across the floor of the centre, backed up by the acid rockets of the newly-arrived fade. ?Make a break for it!? ordered Blackburn, and as one the three threw up a wave of covering fire while Marlow unleashed two grenades into the approaching pack of skulks. The projectiles detonated with a floor-shattering whump, but the fragments merely ricocheted off the skulks? armour, dealing minimal damage and barely halting their advance. Frowning in anger, Marlow emptied the rest of the clip into the group as the three reached his position. Turning around, they pumped more bullets into the aliens, the heavy machine guns pumping rhythmically in unison.
Two of the skulks were blown apart by the lead slugs, green blood erupting from their shattered corpses. The other two lunged forward with outstretched jaws, clawing and biting as they came into melee range. Flinching as the skulks latched onto his arm, Kowalski dropped his weapon and tried desperately to fend them off. He struggled futilely as the sharp teeth and claws dug deep into his armour, tearing through nanites and flesh, his movements getting slower and slower. His salvation came in the form of Blackburn and Ronaldson, who slammed the skulks with the butts of their guns. Knocked senseless, the small aliens collapsed to the floor, where they were promptly blown to pieces. Fire was concentrated on the fades next, who were slammed backwards by the sheer force of the bullets. They crashed into the steel wall, denting it severely with the crackle of damaged circuitry.
Blackburn strained to hear the noise as he reloaded his machine gun, keeping a careful eye on the motionless fades. Was there crucial electronics equipment behind that wall, and was it damaged badly? His answer came two seconds later, as the dead fades slumped to the ground. With a flicker of electricity, the ship?s power systems failed, and the marines were plunged into darkness. In his commander?s chair, McNamara tried desperately to reactivate the electricity as his mind pounded at the idea of being trapped in the dark with Kharaa on the prowl. An urgent radio call sounded in his helmet.
<i>- ?Goddamnit skipper, Nightshade is dying! Get him a medpack, stat!? - ?I can?t, Scav! The command network is in involuntary stasis with the power shortage...we?re thoroughly locked down!?</i>
In the dim beam of the flashlight attached to his heavy machine gun, Blackburn pursed his lips as he saw Kowalski ? torso in shreds ? grimace in unspeakable pain. ?Come on, Nightshade, you?ll be fine...just hang in there!? he cried. The rapid breaths of the downed Frontiersman echoed throughout the corridor, slowing, slowing, slowing until they stopped altogether. Blinking furiously to stop himself from shedding a tear, Blackburn keyed his tactical radio.
you know how hard it is to hit those **** with a gl <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think he's got it all correct... keep it up dood!
you know how hard it is to hit those **** with a gl <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think he's got it all correct... keep it up dood! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> well the splash damage still does alot...
<!--QuoteBegin--That Annoying Kid+Jul 5 2003, 03:26 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (That Annoying Kid @ Jul 5 2003, 03:26 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> two grenades do squat, but a couple of bulletes destroy a skulk?
:| <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> It’s not really a couple of bullets – sure, two grenades is 400 damage spreading out, but I was meaning an extended burst of concentrated HMG fire – that alone should be more powerful (and damaging) to the supposedly-carapaced skulks.
It’s also hard to aim a launcher such that it detonates in the midst of an approaching pack – sure, the grenades are timered to go off when it comes close to Kharaa, but the skulks are moving at high speed so they are already past the blast point, and half the damage is lost.
A wave of emotion flooded through McNamara’s mind as his fingers flashed across his command console, desperately trying to restore power to the facility. <i>Nightshade’s gone...gone forever!</i> his mind screamed, and with that thought came fear – fear at what might happen next, and fear of the marines’ newly-acquired vulnerability. Then his training reasserted itself, and he forced himself to take two deep breaths, before resuming his frantic attempts to revive the ship. As he smashed a finger down on the Enter key, his console beeped loudly and within seconds, a schematic of the ship flashed on his primary screen.
McNamara knew from training that the shortage in power wouldn’t have any effect on his command console – the military-grade nanites coursing through the structure had their own power supply system, and unlike the medpacks – which only had a very restricted power source – the nanites could operate for days before shutting down. The infantry portals and phase gates, however, utilised the ship’s energy to fulfil their enormous requirements...and with the power down, any death – like Nightshade’s – would be permanent.
The screen centred on the Feedwater Control centre, and McNamara grimaced as he saw the area bathed in a circle of bright red. <i>Major circuitry damage in Feedwater Control</i>, the computer intoned lifelessly. Frowning at this blindingly-obvious revelation, McNamara radioed Anderson, ordering him to the centre to make emergency repairs. Knowing the severity of the situation, Anderson ran to the waypoint on his HUD, pulling out his welder and slinging his gun across his back. When he arrived, he saw the four marines standing guard around the damaged wall, having dumped the fades’ corpses unceremoniously in the pool of water seconds beforehand. Making way for Anderson, they formed a protective ring around him, all the while scanning the walls and vents using the flashlights clipped on top of their weapons.
Anderson shook his head in despair as he saw the frayed and broken wires sheltering behind the twisted wreck of metal that once was a wall. Melting away the metal, he cautiously got to work.
<i>- “Skip, the place is a mess...it’s ten minutes work at least.” - “Okay, Voltage – do the best you can.”</i>
That wasn’t very good news, McNamara thought to himself. Ten minutes could be an eternity here, especially when the Kharaa were on the loose. Suddenly, as he sat in the darkness, illuminated dimly by his console screens, another beep resonated from the speaker, and a message from the TSS Solaris flashed onto his screen.
<i>Data from Concord Station received via ELF transmission as requested. Message consists of two reports from the TSA analysis department regarding Kharaa activity in the Altair mining sector. Information follows.</i>
Heart suddenly pounding in curiosity intermingled with another pang of fear, McNamara slowly moved his cursor to the data icon, and clicked.
TRANS-SYSTEM AUTHORITY MEMORANDUM, DATA ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT 28-5-2187
RE: SYNTHESISED ANALYSIS REPORT OF INCREASED KHARAA ACTIVITY
“Eight hours ago, intense Kharaa activity was reported throughout the Ariadne Arm. To this point in time, there have been twelve surges in concentrations of bacterium, which have been countered by repeated sector bombardments of specialised anti-bacterial nano-devices. The uprising of Kharaa, though, has been harder to combat – seven separate incidents have been reported, and while TSA teams have been deployed to the affected areas, favourable outcomes have not yet eventuated.
Given that these ships are a crucial part of the Trans-Gov mining operations, it would seem likely that this is a systematic attack to stem vital flows of resources back to the Trans-Gov powers. This action has very detrimental implications on two fronts, which are examined below.
Firstly, losing these ships would pose a significant threat to the diplomatic resolution that the Charter symbolises. Should the Charter collapse, the Frontiersman initiative will almost certainly follow. Whilst this is only a brief summary of the tenuous circumstances of the Trans-Govs’ agreement, both the Admiral and yourself have been fully briefed on the likelihood of the repercussions of such destabilising events.
Secondly, on a more practical aspect, these ships contain the sum amounts of the Arm’s mineral reserves. Included in these reserves are twelve of the fourteen lanthanide elements, which are an imperative component of the high-grade nano-sludge used by the TSA and all other corporate and political organisations. Should these reserves be lost, this department conservatively estimates that responses to Kharaa insurgents will be hindered severely after fourteen days, after which any and all hope is lost for the Ariadne Arm.”
In light of this new information, Commander, the Admiral and I stress the importance of the unconditional and total extermination of the Kharaa on board the mining ship. Six teams like yours have been deployed to the other ships mentioned in the above report, and with luck, we will see this issue resolved quickly and with the efficiency everyone has come to expect of the Authority.
Good luck, Commander, in your immediate initiative.
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
good chapter
however you make it sound like the kharaa are specifically taking over certain aspects of the aridine arm, but the infestation is supposed to be random, unless there is an underlying ploy...
<!--QuoteBegin--That Annoying Kid+Jul 13 2003, 04:31 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (That Annoying Kid @ Jul 13 2003, 04:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> however you make it sound like the kharaa are specifically taking over certain aspects of the aridine arm, but the infestation is supposed to be random, unless there is an underlying ploy...
*du du duuuuuuuuu* <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Aw, well, the discrepancy is there for a reason, but I don’t want to reveal anything about it just yet <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Maybe you will just have to wait until the story nears its end <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
And this would be the climax...yes? Ahh...where every single evil thing has piled up on our poor hero...who will hopefully find a way to win. I just don't like it sad endings <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->.
Comments
speaking of next ones when is it?
oh dear god I quoted myself
-_-
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::fade::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/fade.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='fade.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::fade::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/fade.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='fade.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::lerk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/lerk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='lerk.gif'><!--endemo-->
I really like your style of writing, I wish that there were some sci-fi books out their written with your style... my parents would never whinge about me not reading :|
keep it up! Hopefully someone out here is reading your stories and are thinking of rewarding your hard work <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
oh man I want to see how this turns out
<u>Chapter 8: Striking Back</u>
Puffs of steam hissed slowly from cracked pipes, the gaseous vapour rising slowly to the ceiling and condensing in converging masses of water. As the marines rounded their respective corners, they saw an enormous, pulsating structure, shuddering as it sucked pure nano-sludge out of the command network. Thompson signalled quickly to the other Frontiersmen, and slinging their weapons behind their backs, they clasped the grips of their knives, and prepared to plunge the strengthened hyper-alloyed steel blades into the membranous outer layer of the Kharaa resource chamber.
Blackburn frowned in annoyance as his knife glanced harmlessly off the thick protective carapace of the chamber. Beside him, three knives also scraped futilely at the surface, and it took over fifteen seconds of slashing before the outer layer was breached. Blackburn thrust his knife in the midst of this crack, and twisted violently. When he pulled his arm back, the resource chamber sagged to the ground with a dark grey sludge oozing from the widened gash.
Rearming themselves with their guns, the marines advanced forward again, entering a large room with several alien structures and an enormous, bulbous sac suspended from invisible ceiling supports. A hive! All the marines trained their weapons on it and prepared to fire, but recoiled in surprise as large globules of pulp smashed into the group, splashing alien matter on their armour and weaponry.
?Back the hell up!? came the cry from Thompson, and the five marines retreated to the comparative safety of the two corridors leading from the Steam Generation plant. There, behind the barrier, Thompson thought furiously ? the splashes of spit must have come from the enormous, spiked organisms he had glimpsed before he dashed through the corridor ? old memories from his TSA manual reminded him that they were officially known as ?offensive chambers?. He gasped in sudden pain as he felt corrosive liquid tear through his armour, and putting in a medpack request for the entire group, he leaned weakly against the wall, waiting for the health kits to arrive.
After five packs materialised on the ground in a complementary burst of nanites, Marlow picked one up, used it in his interface port, and then raised his grenade launcher, waiting for Thompson?s go-ahead. Giving a curt nod, Thompson watched Marlow unload all six grenades of his launcher into the Feedwater Control room, bouncing off the right-hand corridor wall, detonating with a jarring rumble and sending lumps of organic matter flying through the two passageways. Reloading his launcher carefully, Marlow then waited as Thompson advanced towards the left-hand corridor, with his fellow marines covering him.
Nosing his eye and gun barrel around the corner, Thompson smiled grimly as he saw the newly-redecorated Feedwater Control centre. All but two of the offensive chambers seemed to have been completely destroyed, and even then, those two were on shaky ground at best. Giving the quick go-ahead, the five marines charged into the room, blasting the chambers apart with their weapons.
A large pit of water yawned before them, broken pipes testament to its creation. Above it, the hive drooped wearily, a small stream of clear liquid dripping from it into the pool. ?Finish it off,? was the order from Thompson, and once more, the marines raised their guns. The concerted blast of heavy metal slugs tore through the Kharaa hive, ripping it from its supports and sending it splashing into the pool. Nodding in satisfaction, Thompson turned to construct the resource tower placed by McNamara...and cried out in horror and agony as the deadly, scythed claw of a fade plunged into his chest.
fades eh?
killing hives eh?
next chapter eh?!
Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL
Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Welcome to the NS Fan-Fiction forum. There are stories that have come out before the NS Fan Fiction Comp, you know. This is one of them. Parhelion could enter it into the Comp, though. His call, really.
Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Welcome to the NS Fan-Fiction forum. There are stories that have come out before the NS Fan Fiction Comp, you know. This is one of them. Parhelion could enter it into the Comp, though. His call, really. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
he most definetly could
welcome to the Fan-Fic forums, it's a nice place! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Well, if you are, in a game, how does gameplay work if you spawn infintely? Oh well, near perfect writing on ur part, get it published somewhere. Then, you will be a world famous author <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> LOL <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Heh, thanks <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The idea of ?infinite spawning? (or as the story says, phasing a marine out then back in) was really to address the concept of infantry portals as they existed in the game ? who takes 8 marines into a combat zone and leaves the other 50+ in the dropship as reinforcements? This way, it is more realistic ? you have a team of 8, and if they die, they will reappear through an infantry portal.
As for the SP NS competition, I don?t know if it?s what amckern wants ? like Lumberjack said, it was written before the competition was announced (and thus doesn?t really fit into the requirements ? the amount of detail is one point). In addition, it?s modelled on ns_bast instead of an original map ? I think they are after a campaign-based story with a new map and environment.
I?ll think about it though, if it?s what they?re looking for, I may as well enter it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
ehe ehe <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> never mind, nothing to see here, move along
this story looks like it has better coments on it, and also has a nice start, at the moment, it looks like your on to geting your hands on a freeb hl2
amckern
this story looks like it has better coments on it, and also has a nice start, at the moment, it looks like your on to geting your hands on a freeb hl2
amckern <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
someone is going to be happy!
Enjoy: chapter 9 <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<u>Chapter 9: Retribution</u>
The grim scene froze in a horrific tableau ? the hulking fade growled in satisfaction as its claw emerged from the back of Thompson?s light armour, and the room resonated with the abnormally loud clatter of Thompson?s heavy machine gun as it fell from his lifeless hands. Standing in silent shock, the four marines saw Thompson?s limp body glow with an intense white light as the command network phased him back to the TSS Solaris before he died. The fade glared at its freed claw with burning eyes, and hissing in rage, shifted its stare to the remaining men in the Feedwater Control centre.
Blackburn?s anxious cry galvanised the Frontiersmen into action ? raising their weapons, they unleashed a flurry of fire in the fade?s direction. Marlow grasped his grenade launcher in one massive hand as he tried desperately to reach the safety of the corridor behind the fade ? he knew enough about the Arc not to fire those grenades in such a cramped space. Ducking under a slashing claw, he reached the twin corridors and turned back, only to see four skulks barrel out of the vents leading into the centre, with another fade emerging right behind them.
Back in the docking bay, McNamara shook his head in disbelief as Thompson reappeared through the infantry portal, a standard-issue light machine gun in his hands. Two fades and four skulks against four marines was a hopeless case...he was about to order them to retreat, but saw that that option was already being denied to them by the advancing skulks. He poised his cursor over the room, ready to drop medpacks and armour nanokits if the need arose.
The four skulks swarmed across the floor of the centre, backed up by the acid rockets of the newly-arrived fade. ?Make a break for it!? ordered Blackburn, and as one the three threw up a wave of covering fire while Marlow unleashed two grenades into the approaching pack of skulks. The projectiles detonated with a floor-shattering whump, but the fragments merely ricocheted off the skulks? armour, dealing minimal damage and barely halting their advance. Frowning in anger, Marlow emptied the rest of the clip into the group as the three reached his position. Turning around, they pumped more bullets into the aliens, the heavy machine guns pumping rhythmically in unison.
Two of the skulks were blown apart by the lead slugs, green blood erupting from their shattered corpses. The other two lunged forward with outstretched jaws, clawing and biting as they came into melee range. Flinching as the skulks latched onto his arm, Kowalski dropped his weapon and tried desperately to fend them off. He struggled futilely as the sharp teeth and claws dug deep into his armour, tearing through nanites and flesh, his movements getting slower and slower. His salvation came in the form of Blackburn and Ronaldson, who slammed the skulks with the butts of their guns. Knocked senseless, the small aliens collapsed to the floor, where they were promptly blown to pieces. Fire was concentrated on the fades next, who were slammed backwards by the sheer force of the bullets. They crashed into the steel wall, denting it severely with the crackle of damaged circuitry.
Blackburn strained to hear the noise as he reloaded his machine gun, keeping a careful eye on the motionless fades. Was there crucial electronics equipment behind that wall, and was it damaged badly? His answer came two seconds later, as the dead fades slumped to the ground. With a flicker of electricity, the ship?s power systems failed, and the marines were plunged into darkness. In his commander?s chair, McNamara tried desperately to reactivate the electricity as his mind pounded at the idea of being trapped in the dark with Kharaa on the prowl. An urgent radio call sounded in his helmet.
<i>- ?Goddamnit skipper, Nightshade is dying! Get him a medpack, stat!?
- ?I can?t, Scav! The command network is in involuntary stasis with the power shortage...we?re thoroughly locked down!?</i>
In the dim beam of the flashlight attached to his heavy machine gun, Blackburn pursed his lips as he saw Kowalski ? torso in shreds ? grimace in unspeakable pain. ?Come on, Nightshade, you?ll be fine...just hang in there!? he cried. The rapid breaths of the downed Frontiersman echoed throughout the corridor, slowing, slowing, slowing until they stopped altogether. Blinking furiously to stop himself from shedding a tear, Blackburn keyed his tactical radio.
<i>- ?He?s gone, skip.?</i>
:|
you know how hard it is to hit those **** with a gl <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think he's got it all correct... keep it up dood!
you know how hard it is to hit those **** with a gl <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think he's got it all correct... keep it up dood! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
well the splash damage still does alot...
:| <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
It’s not really a couple of bullets – sure, two grenades is 400 damage spreading out, but I was meaning an extended burst of concentrated HMG fire – that alone should be more powerful (and damaging) to the supposedly-carapaced skulks.
It’s also hard to aim a launcher such that it detonates in the midst of an approaching pack – sure, the grenades are timered to go off when it comes close to Kharaa, but the skulks are moving at high speed so they are already past the blast point, and half the damage is lost.
I thought it was LMG for some reason
:|
A wave of emotion flooded through McNamara’s mind as his fingers flashed across his command console, desperately trying to restore power to the facility. <i>Nightshade’s gone...gone forever!</i> his mind screamed, and with that thought came fear – fear at what might happen next, and fear of the marines’ newly-acquired vulnerability. Then his training reasserted itself, and he forced himself to take two deep breaths, before resuming his frantic attempts to revive the ship. As he smashed a finger down on the Enter key, his console beeped loudly and within seconds, a schematic of the ship flashed on his primary screen.
McNamara knew from training that the shortage in power wouldn’t have any effect on his command console – the military-grade nanites coursing through the structure had their own power supply system, and unlike the medpacks – which only had a very restricted power source – the nanites could operate for days before shutting down. The infantry portals and phase gates, however, utilised the ship’s energy to fulfil their enormous requirements...and with the power down, any death – like Nightshade’s – would be permanent.
The screen centred on the Feedwater Control centre, and McNamara grimaced as he saw the area bathed in a circle of bright red. <i>Major circuitry damage in Feedwater Control</i>, the computer intoned lifelessly. Frowning at this blindingly-obvious revelation, McNamara radioed Anderson, ordering him to the centre to make emergency repairs. Knowing the severity of the situation, Anderson ran to the waypoint on his HUD, pulling out his welder and slinging his gun across his back. When he arrived, he saw the four marines standing guard around the damaged wall, having dumped the fades’ corpses unceremoniously in the pool of water seconds beforehand. Making way for Anderson, they formed a protective ring around him, all the while scanning the walls and vents using the flashlights clipped on top of their weapons.
Anderson shook his head in despair as he saw the frayed and broken wires sheltering behind the twisted wreck of metal that once was a wall. Melting away the metal, he cautiously got to work.
<i>- “Skip, the place is a mess...it’s ten minutes work at least.”
- “Okay, Voltage – do the best you can.”</i>
That wasn’t very good news, McNamara thought to himself. Ten minutes could be an eternity here, especially when the Kharaa were on the loose. Suddenly, as he sat in the darkness, illuminated dimly by his console screens, another beep resonated from the speaker, and a message from the TSS Solaris flashed onto his screen.
<i>Data from Concord Station received via ELF transmission as requested. Message consists of two reports from the TSA analysis department regarding Kharaa activity in the Altair mining sector. Information follows.</i>
Heart suddenly pounding in curiosity intermingled with another pang of fear, McNamara slowly moved his cursor to the data icon, and clicked.
whens the next chapter?
<i>TOP SECRET
DESIGNATION: S12072187/1642A
PRIORITY: SUPERNOVA
TRANS-SYSTEM AUTHORITY MEMORANDUM, DATA ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT 28-5-2187
RE: SYNTHESISED ANALYSIS REPORT OF INCREASED KHARAA ACTIVITY
“Eight hours ago, intense Kharaa activity was reported throughout the Ariadne Arm. To this point in time, there have been twelve surges in concentrations of bacterium, which have been countered by repeated sector bombardments of specialised anti-bacterial nano-devices. The uprising of Kharaa, though, has been harder to combat – seven separate incidents have been reported, and while TSA teams have been deployed to the affected areas, favourable outcomes have not yet eventuated.
Given that these ships are a crucial part of the Trans-Gov mining operations, it would seem likely that this is a systematic attack to stem vital flows of resources back to the Trans-Gov powers. This action has very detrimental implications on two fronts, which are examined below.
Firstly, losing these ships would pose a significant threat to the diplomatic resolution that the Charter symbolises. Should the Charter collapse, the Frontiersman initiative will almost certainly follow. Whilst this is only a brief summary of the tenuous circumstances of the Trans-Govs’ agreement, both the Admiral and yourself have been fully briefed on the likelihood of the repercussions of such destabilising events.
Secondly, on a more practical aspect, these ships contain the sum amounts of the Arm’s mineral reserves. Included in these reserves are twelve of the fourteen lanthanide elements, which are an imperative component of the high-grade nano-sludge used by the TSA and all other corporate and political organisations. Should these reserves be lost, this department conservatively estimates that responses to Kharaa insurgents will be hindered severely after fourteen days, after which any and all hope is lost for the Ariadne Arm.”
In light of this new information, Commander, the Admiral and I stress the importance of the unconditional and total extermination of the Kharaa on board the mining ship. Six teams like yours have been deployed to the other ships mentioned in the above report, and with luck, we will see this issue resolved quickly and with the efficiency everyone has come to expect of the Authority.
Good luck, Commander, in your immediate initiative.
Vice-Admiral Philip Johnson.
END TRANSMISSION</i>
however you make it sound like the kharaa are specifically taking over certain aspects of the aridine arm, but the infestation is supposed to be random, unless there is an underlying ploy...
*du du duuuuuuuuu*
*du du duuuuuuuuu* <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Aw, well, the discrepancy is there for a reason, but I don’t want to reveal anything about it just yet <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Maybe you will just have to wait until the story nears its end <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->