Thursday 16 December 2010

Return

Once more unto the breach, old friends […]” – William Shakespeare.

The Covert Ops ships slid effortlessly across the lanes of lawless space. Leaving Btek wasn’t easy. She’d been there for little time, but it had been a good place, filled with good, fun people: individuals who had your back. It was curious how quick it felt like home. Iceblade, however, had been very persuasive and didn’t even know it: he was persuading for the simple fact that it was him. They were a family after a fashion... They all had been family for the past few years: Nikita, Ice, Kasumi even Zach; and now they wanted to carve a little fief in a faraway corner of lawless, forgotten, space. Besides, going back meant she could simply blame everything on him once again, from malfunctioning engine nozzles, to simply being bored...

It had been an unexpected turn of events: most of the motley crew of crazy mercenaries, mad scientists and self appointed evil geniuses, had decided to go into retirement, no longer having the patience to deal with the endless squabbling of politics and capsuleer politics in particular. And for all the exhaustion, the boring routine, space had the unmistakable and irreplaceable taste of risk and adventure, something one could not get anywhere else. And so, return they did. At first it was just to shoot some pirates, then, a few days later, just to get that extra isk… Before anyone knew it, everyone was getting back in an “insanity unleashed” call to arms.
There was some negotiating involved, but it was a foregone conclusion… So there she was, flying back to null sec, safely tucked inside her Helios Class vessel, Moira strapped to a seat, sulking, running numbers and mumbling. She did not like to leave empire space for “that backwater, violence ridden and uncivilized corner of the universe”, but she had supported Than’s decision nonetheless: she too had thought it was important to help her family and this particular capsuleer, with all her faults, was the only person she could trust in all of the vast cosmos. She was going to miss the comforts of a luxurious home in a first class station with a beautiful view overlooking a stunning planet, comfortable bed and fine booze: all that was going out the airlock, without any real chance to have it once again, at least for the foreseeable future. Living out of a control tower wasn’t going to be easy: the cramped spaces, the poor air recycling… Moira had seen it, had worked in places like that and not because she wanted… So, she really preferred to stay mad at Thanagherion, for that meant she did not have to ponder on the harsh days ahead.

As far as Than was concerned, though, it really didn’t matter. There was no real harshness here: there was a new challenge. Ice had better have cookies and booze waiting for her, or there would be hell to pay.

Escaping an ambush felt good. The danger, fear and slight shiver of anxiety, mixed with the pleasure of a successful evasion maneuver made her feel alive, invincible, a true ace. She reveled in that illusion for a few seconds, before jumping through the gate and bolting straight to the last space station she would find on the way to her new home.
‘Hey Moira… fancy a drink? I’m paying! It’s the last semi civilized one you’ll get in a while.’

Her assistant smiled as she replied ‘What the hell… why not?’

OOC P.S. - I'd like to leave a huge 'thank you' to everyone in Btek, I can't really say enough good things about the corp and every member there. Good hunting, all of you!

Friday 12 November 2010

Teamwork


The strength of the team is each individual member...the strength of each member is the team.” - Phil Jackson

The sweet bass sound of the Strip Miners felt good, the vibration just wrapped around the pod and made her body move like a cradle moved a baby. There was a strange peace she usually found in a good mining operation. Maybe it was the order, predictability and all sorts of boring things which sometimes soothed Thanagherion’s mind, maybe it was the fact that all pilots tended to relax and just let loose: no tactics, just friendly chatter on the comms and that was a good life.

Moira would just say it was her way to ignore the crash from the constant adrenaline high which her assistant often told her she was addicted to. She would strongly deny it, but maybe she was right. It didn’t matter either way.

In a fleet like this the usual experience was reversed. Every time a few serpentis’ frigates showed up, she couldn’t help thinking the last thing that went through their heads, other than drone fire, was a very loud “OH CRAP!” which was enough to make her laugh inside her pod. It was a night out having drinks at the local pub, picking fights, just making harmless fun of each other.

It was amazing to see how many people had shown and just how committed everyone was to a very simple project. It was always nice to feel like part of a functioning whole, instead of simply contributing with whatever she could scrounge.
She mused on how much she used to hate the result of these mining ops, from the lone miner perspective and yet, from an organized fleet member point of view, it was a show of efficiency  and the end result of an empty asteroid field was amazing. The comms came through clear and rowdy in her mind, while everyone repositioned to get to new asteroids, all those actions masterfully coordinated from the Orca Class industrial ship, which stood watch over that cosmic ballet of ships and lasers.

When she finally docked she couldn’t wait to see the result, to see how much of a difference the team had made.

Monday 1 November 2010

Change

“[…]the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.” – Marcus Aurelius.
Thanagherion was sitting in the dark, sunk in her comfortable black leather couch, which bore more resemblance to a racing bucket seat than an actual couch, her feet propped on the table. The untied shoelaces of her combat boots hung still, a testament to just how motionless she tried to be when isolated from the realities of space.

An unlit cigarette hung limply from the corner of her mouth and her eyes were fixed on the blank screen. She felt lonely, bored and tired. There was nothing but empty static on the Corporation and Alliance communication channels. Retirement was beginning to sound like a real option… She had enough savings to lead her life in peace and quiet somewhere. Millions of ISK could probably keep her in luxury until the end of her life.
 
A single sharp knock on the door pulled her from her reverie. She had muted the door bell and left a yellow and black "do not disturb" sign on the screen outside, so no one would dare to bother her. Still, there was one person in her staff who would not be deterred by such a simple and explicit warning. Than rubbed her eyes and lit the cigarette, pulling a long, somewhat hopeless drag, half expecting her to give up. Another rap, a harder one, broke that faint hope. She fumbled through her pockets, looking for her Neocom and just pressed the glassy surface to unlock the door.
 
Moira just marched in,
with a step that would make a Federal Drill Sergeant jealous and turned on the lights, which elicited a slight sigh of pain as the sudden burst of cruel white bluish light flooded the room.
 
Than just looked at her and scowled, but didn’t really move except to sink even further into the couch and pull another long drag from the cigarette.
 
-Are you just going to keep sulking and feeling sorry about yourself or are you going to get off your ass?
 
-Sulking seems nice and appropriate – Than answered curtly.
 
-Listen, you got me her and basically gave me this, so I don’t intend to loose all that because you feel like throwing a tantrum.
 
Than laughed with a bitter edge. That was Moira, always thinking ahead, always the good manager and always serious. One could not read the likes of her if you just took in her petite, beautiful, figure.
 
-I'm not throwing a tantrum, I'm not depressed, I just don't feel like doing this anymore. Besides, I'm the one  usually poking things. Mind you, I poke things with heavy rail gun rounds. So, what do you suggest?
 
-Here, I scrounged a few interesting job offers… - She started.
 
-Not interested on killing right now, neither am I interested in mining, scavenging wrecks  or hauling crap six or seven jumps around.
 
-Not that kind of job offer - her assistant replied, with a tone that reminded her of her mother. -  Here, I setup the comms, so the channel is already routed directly to this office. All you have to do is turn that thing on and talk to one person. You still know how to talk, instead of just being rude, right? I compiled a dossier with all I could find about the recruiter, about the CEO. I even took the time to do a small summary about the corp. I think you will fit right in.
 
-I don't like change.
 
-You... don't like... change?! - she replied, sincerely surprised.
 
Thanagherion scrolled down the file, her thin, gaunt, face turning grimmer by the minute.
 
-I don't really appreciate pirates.
 
-Ex-pirate. And you value second changes. You are just dumb that way. Hell! Look at me. See those marines down there, marching along: your marines? You could have cut them off or leave them in space to die. Or the dancers. Just what do they do around here again? Oh, right, they are the receptionists at the office right? Or the janitors, who you gave a job cleaning up the Cargo Holds? Or...
 
-Stop! Next you'll start talking about the slave girl who gets to be chief of staff of some capsuleer! - Than answered, with a bit more cruelty than she ever intended seeping through her words.
 
Moira's only reply was a stare which made her eyes briefly gleam like a deadly pair of Amarrian Navy Lasers.
 
Still, Moira smirked knowing she had her employer beat. She wouldn't admit it, ever, but she had her beat.

Running her fingers through her glowing blonde hair and fixing her dark green eyes on the distracted capsuleer, she walked to the panoramic window that opened into the hangar. She briefly looked at her reflection on the darkened glass pane, pretending to look at the parked Ishkur Class Assault Ship. Her mind wondered why her boss just let her get away with all this... Even she knew she sometimes pushed it. Unthinkingly, she straightened her brown knitted sweater and swatted an imaginary dust fleck from her dark indigo jeans, before deciding to leave, looking back for a fraction of a second to see Than lighting another cigarette.
 
-You know I have to talk about this with Ice and Nikita? They are family.
 
-I know. Somehow I think they'll understand. And they will always be somewhere out there for you. Nikita will steal all your bloody cookies, though...
 
Thanagherion cocked her eyebrow at the attempted joke from Moira.

A few days later she was in a bar on Jaschercis  shaking hands with Reltso, CEO of her new corp. She couldn't really help feeling this gig was looking like a good one after all.

Saturday 23 October 2010

Into the impossible

"The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible" - Arthur C. Clarke

I never thought I'd have a blog. Mind you, I like writing and a good deal of my professional life depends on that, but I never really considered it.

Until now.

The reason for this sudden change of heart is simple: I've been playing Eve for about two years now and the vibrant community our little computer spaceship game still amazes me. It took me a while to understand just how far reaching we, as a internet space faring society, are. I was never overly interested in the the backstory or the politics, to be honest: I just liked the feel of the universe, both graphic and as a cold, cruel, uncaring place. 
Eve had caught my eye a few years back, but my girlfriend at the time was much more interested in WoW ("look at all the shiny elves and pet green spider pets for hunters") and I couldn't afford to have an Eve account for me and a WoW account for her, so the game just faded from my memory. When I finally started playing Eve I ran through the whole "WoW in space syndrome", then the "utter noob" syndrome (I still face-palm myself when remembering trying to shield tank an Incursus), then joining a corporation - making acquaintances, which grow into friendships, which grow into actual family like ties and here I thank everyone in Immortalis Silens: you have been more than you can imagine - until I finally reach the "I'm ok, though everyone is an eternal newbie in Eve" stage. Had a brief stint in 0.0, recently changed corp and was pleasantly surprised with the way I was welcomed. So much stuff and still I feel like I've barely scratched the surface...

I recently joined BTek. The only reason I did this was, you guessed it, because I read about it on Astral Dominix's Blog, otherwise I might have stopped playing Eve altogether. This made me realize just how much of a difference the willingness to share our Eve experiences might make. 

But I digress... The thing is I always liked RPing - I played AD&D, "Vampire: The Masquerade", "Demon: The Fallen", "Hunter: The Reckoning" and "Vampire: The Requiem" (yes, I am a big fan of White Wolf - cruel, uncaring world... anyone sees similarities with our little game?!) - so I wanted to RP in Eve too. Something surprised me, though: there isn't much RP in game. I have my theories on the subject, I won't bother you with them. What I really wanted was a place where I could put up some short stories about a character that has a whole background created in my head, even if that never shows in game. And I come across all the blogs and all the amazing pages people have done about Eve... and I think I might just give it a go. So this is it: this is my go, my take on a familiar universe for so many of us. I will probably be filled with mistakes and things that collide with Eve cannon... most likely it will be riddled with clichés and things we have all seen, but I hope to have fun and I hope that whoever reads also has some modicum of fun.

So here we go, let's try to go a a little into the impossible.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
EVE Online and the EVE logo are the registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights are reserved worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EVE Online, the EVE logo, EVE and all associated logos and designs are the intellectual property of CCP hf. All artwork, screenshots, characters, vehicles, storylines, world facts or other recognizable features of the intellectual property relating to these trademarks are likewise the intellectual property of CCP hf. CCP hf. has granted permission to Into the Impossible to use EVE Online and all associated logos and designs for promotional and information purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not in any way affiliated with, Into the Impossible. CCP is in no way responsible for the content on or functioning of this website, nor can it be liable for any damage arising from the use of this website.