[Spaceship Zero] Q-Ship (actually updated 19 May 2007)
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Capellan
Explorer
"Space Tomb" - Part 9
Archie hums softly to himself as a stream of data flows between himself and the builder-bot. The smaller robot's neural processor is considerably more primitive than his own ... but then Archie is hardly a 'factory model' anymore.
In truth, he finds the builder-bot's simplicity and directness rather pleasant. It is far less complex than his human companions, and shares far more values with him. Excitement does not concern it. A clean and efficient workplace does.
As the stream of data transmission continues, Archie becomes aware that the activity in the vast chamber has slowed, the number of builder-bots declining with every minute he remains. More and more, they are departing the room, without returning.
"Where units go?" he transmits.
"Go build."
"Build what?"
"Build good." A wave of electronic satisfaction emanates from the small robot. Archie, feeling the robotic equivalent of curiosity - and a slight sense of concern - makes the obvious request:
"Take me."
"This way." The builder-bot scurries down his torso and across the floor.
Archie follows, his powerful legs easily keeping pace with the slightly jerky movements of his companion. The robotic duo enter the elevator and ascend to ground level, the builder-bot leading Archie out onto the surface of the asteroid. Archie pauses in the airlock.
"Out here?"
"Yes. Follow. Build good."
The builder-bot leads the way back across the barren plain, wending between boulders until the Pathfinder comes in sight.
Archie stops and runs a diagnostic of his visual sensors. Green lights glow briefly on his metallic cranium as all systems check out.
The Pathfinder rests exactly where they left it, its gleaming metal surface marred slightly with a patina of space dust, but otherwise unscathed. Archie makes a log entry to clean it.
Less than fifty yards on its left, however, sits a second vessel. Or rather, a second Pathfinder.
The builder-bot scuttles onto his shoulder and seeks approval.
"Is good?"
"Yes. But why?"
"Is new. Build new is good."
Archie processes this. It is true that he himself feels a special satisfaction from using a new detergent. Musing on the finer pleasures of life, he activates his radio,
"Doctor? I have something unusual, here."
"Ja, Archie, what is it?" Gustav's voice is distorted by static, fading in and out through the hiss of white noise.
"The builder-bots seem to have constructed another Pathfinder."
"Mein Gott! Is it functional?"
Trundling slowly forward, Archie turns the full force of his sensor suite on the new vessel. In appearance, it is a perfect match: even the pattern of space dust has been repeated exactly. Every dimension is the same, and a chemical analysis shows the same elements in the same quantities, but -
"It appears to only a hull, Doctor." He reports, "I have reached the door, and the access lever is not functional."
"Do you know why zey have chosen to build zis?"
"They say it's because it is new."
"Why did zey build only ze hull? Can you ask zem?"
"A moment, Doctor." Archie keeps the radio-link open and turns his attention to the 'bot. "Build hull only. Why?"
"Build need plan." The builder-bot explains, "See hull, have plan. Not see inside, no plan. No build."
"Can zey build from printed plans?" Gustav's excitement is evident even through the static of the communicator.
"They say they can."
"Could you bring your friends to me, Archie? I have need of zem." In the engineering section of Xinthon's ship, Gustav is surrounded by a pile of printed plans and documents. He feverishly scribbles on one with a stub of pencil as he talks.
"Yes, Doctor." Archie's voice responds through a fresh burst of static.
"Good, Archie. I vill see you soon." Gustav closes the com-link and leans back in his chair, pushing his glasses up onto his bald scalp as he does so. He has been through almost all of the ship's systems, confirming which sections are damaged and which can function normally. Almost everything is in tip-top order, immaculately maintained by the builder-bots. The glaring exception is the Star Drive.
"Zese systems have suffered such complete destruction that it is almost like zey were deliberately sabotaged." He mutters to himself, then punches up a display of the ship's spare parts manifest. Selecting 'Star Drive' from the menu, he shakes his head as the inventory comes up empty. "Every part was used? Zat will make zis most challenging."
Picking up his pencil, Gustav throws himself enthusiastically to the task of designing the parts he will need in order to repair the Star Drive.
So excited is he by the task which faces him, he does not notice the blinking "--MORE--" cursor at the bottom of the screen.
Archie hums softly to himself as a stream of data flows between himself and the builder-bot. The smaller robot's neural processor is considerably more primitive than his own ... but then Archie is hardly a 'factory model' anymore.
In truth, he finds the builder-bot's simplicity and directness rather pleasant. It is far less complex than his human companions, and shares far more values with him. Excitement does not concern it. A clean and efficient workplace does.
As the stream of data transmission continues, Archie becomes aware that the activity in the vast chamber has slowed, the number of builder-bots declining with every minute he remains. More and more, they are departing the room, without returning.
"Where units go?" he transmits.
"Go build."
"Build what?"
"Build good." A wave of electronic satisfaction emanates from the small robot. Archie, feeling the robotic equivalent of curiosity - and a slight sense of concern - makes the obvious request:
"Take me."
"This way." The builder-bot scurries down his torso and across the floor.
Archie follows, his powerful legs easily keeping pace with the slightly jerky movements of his companion. The robotic duo enter the elevator and ascend to ground level, the builder-bot leading Archie out onto the surface of the asteroid. Archie pauses in the airlock.
"Out here?"
"Yes. Follow. Build good."
The builder-bot leads the way back across the barren plain, wending between boulders until the Pathfinder comes in sight.
Archie stops and runs a diagnostic of his visual sensors. Green lights glow briefly on his metallic cranium as all systems check out.
The Pathfinder rests exactly where they left it, its gleaming metal surface marred slightly with a patina of space dust, but otherwise unscathed. Archie makes a log entry to clean it.
Less than fifty yards on its left, however, sits a second vessel. Or rather, a second Pathfinder.
The builder-bot scuttles onto his shoulder and seeks approval.
"Is good?"
"Yes. But why?"
"Is new. Build new is good."
Archie processes this. It is true that he himself feels a special satisfaction from using a new detergent. Musing on the finer pleasures of life, he activates his radio,
"Doctor? I have something unusual, here."
"Ja, Archie, what is it?" Gustav's voice is distorted by static, fading in and out through the hiss of white noise.
"The builder-bots seem to have constructed another Pathfinder."
"Mein Gott! Is it functional?"
Trundling slowly forward, Archie turns the full force of his sensor suite on the new vessel. In appearance, it is a perfect match: even the pattern of space dust has been repeated exactly. Every dimension is the same, and a chemical analysis shows the same elements in the same quantities, but -
"It appears to only a hull, Doctor." He reports, "I have reached the door, and the access lever is not functional."
"Do you know why zey have chosen to build zis?"
"They say it's because it is new."
"Why did zey build only ze hull? Can you ask zem?"
"A moment, Doctor." Archie keeps the radio-link open and turns his attention to the 'bot. "Build hull only. Why?"
"Build need plan." The builder-bot explains, "See hull, have plan. Not see inside, no plan. No build."
"Can zey build from printed plans?" Gustav's excitement is evident even through the static of the communicator.
"They say they can."
"Could you bring your friends to me, Archie? I have need of zem." In the engineering section of Xinthon's ship, Gustav is surrounded by a pile of printed plans and documents. He feverishly scribbles on one with a stub of pencil as he talks.
"Yes, Doctor." Archie's voice responds through a fresh burst of static.
"Good, Archie. I vill see you soon." Gustav closes the com-link and leans back in his chair, pushing his glasses up onto his bald scalp as he does so. He has been through almost all of the ship's systems, confirming which sections are damaged and which can function normally. Almost everything is in tip-top order, immaculately maintained by the builder-bots. The glaring exception is the Star Drive.
"Zese systems have suffered such complete destruction that it is almost like zey were deliberately sabotaged." He mutters to himself, then punches up a display of the ship's spare parts manifest. Selecting 'Star Drive' from the menu, he shakes his head as the inventory comes up empty. "Every part was used? Zat will make zis most challenging."
Picking up his pencil, Gustav throws himself enthusiastically to the task of designing the parts he will need in order to repair the Star Drive.
So excited is he by the task which faces him, he does not notice the blinking "--MORE--" cursor at the bottom of the screen.
Last edited:
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
I'm not quite following the thread at the end of this episode. Seems like there have been some cancellations along the way because of sports events and political rallies messing around with the schedules (as per normal) causing a delay in the transmission of this episode...
Capellan
Explorer
"Space Tomb" - Part 10
"Well this is a fine situation we're in." Fury expositioned his way along the ship's corridor, "A strange reading in the asteroid belt turns out to be a pyramid, of all things, and when we investigate it, it turns out to be the home of an alien who comes across as far too clever to be honest, if you ask me. Not that anyone is. Oh no, S'Ondra's too busy lapping up all that Gallic-style savoir faire, and the Doc and Archie seem taken in as well. This Xinthon is up to no good, I can feel it in my bones."
Continuing to mutter to himself, the Captain stops to peer into one of the rooms leading off the corridor. It appears to be the quarters of one of the alien crew, for it has a desk and a pole from which hang several sets of uniforms, but there does not appear to be anywhere to sleep. Fury sniffs, his expression making it clear what he thinks of a people who have no need for beds.
Entering the vessel's bridge, Fury stalks over to the pilot's seat. Spinning the large leather chair with a flick of his wrist, he plonks himself down and scans the controls. After a few tentative taps of the buttons, the Captain's movements become confident, and he settles back into the chair experimentally. For a moment his features soften, as if he is rethinking his opinion of Xinthon, but then S'Ondra's giggle echoes out of a speaker on the console, and his frown returns.
Leaping to his feet, Fury strides across the bridge. Moments later, he is emerging out of the ship. As he walks down the silver ramp, he activates his communicator,
"Archie."
"Yes, Captain?" a burs of static partially obscures Archie's words, but Fury ignores this, his attention elsewhere as he walks quickly toward the pyramid's elevator.
"There was a -" Fury pauses and frowns another burst of static from the radio, then continues, "- another floor of the pyramid. Xinthon never showed it to us. I'm going there to check it out. I want you to meet me there."
"I am currently occupied, Captain."
Fury knows how to push the robot's buttons,
"This is the floor where no-one's been, Archie. It's probably been left to get dusty and dirty."
"I will be right there, Captain."
Fury steps into the lift, jabbing the button for the final floor with more than the necessary vigour. The lift rises, stopping at the entrance level, and Archie enters. A builder-bot scurries in after him, wobbling as it crosses the corrugations of the lift door's runners. Fury gives the small device a suspicious look as the elevator rises once more.
"This corridor seems as clean as all the others, Captain." Archie observes as the elevator doors open once more.
"Here, perhaps." Fury walks forward, pointing to a pair of large steel doors at the far end of the corridor, "But what about in there? I wonder what needs such big doors to hide it."
Archie turns to the builder bot, lights flashing on his dome-like head. Answering lights blink on the spider-like robot, and it whirrs and chitters in reply.
"It is a store room." Archie translates the machine language back to the Captain, "The replacement parts and materials used by the builder-bots are kept there."
"Can that thing open these?" Fury indicates the doors. There is another moment of robot to robot communication, then the builder bot scuttles forward, lights blinking in a complex pattern. Moments later, the doors slides option, with a soft hiss of hydraulics.
The room beyond is fashioned of plain, whitewashed cement, and is stacked high with crates, boxes and containers of all kinds. Fury's attention, however, is immediately drawn to two large shapes at the back of the room, each covered with a grey tarpaulin. Moving over to these, he pulls back the covers, revealing two stasis tubes, like the one from which Xinthon emerged.
The creatures inside the tubes, however, look nothing like the handsome Xinthon. They have bestial, bat-like faces, and fur covered bodies. More alarming still, their frames and desiccated and emaciated, as if all the moisture has been drained from them.
"Most unsanitary." Archie whirrs in agitation, "These bodies should have been properly and hygienically disposed of."
"Never mind that." Fury waves away the robot's concerns, "How did they die?"
Archie conducts a sensor sweep,
"They each have an injury to their neck, through which the fluids of their bodies were drained."
"Like a vampire bite?"
"That is an adequate- though superstitious - approximation, Captain."
Fury snatches out his communicator,
"Doctor. I need you to come to the second floor of the pyramid immediately. There is something I need you to see."
He moves his thumb from the 'talk' button and waits expectantly for Gustav to reply, but the only answer is static ...
"Well this is a fine situation we're in." Fury expositioned his way along the ship's corridor, "A strange reading in the asteroid belt turns out to be a pyramid, of all things, and when we investigate it, it turns out to be the home of an alien who comes across as far too clever to be honest, if you ask me. Not that anyone is. Oh no, S'Ondra's too busy lapping up all that Gallic-style savoir faire, and the Doc and Archie seem taken in as well. This Xinthon is up to no good, I can feel it in my bones."
Continuing to mutter to himself, the Captain stops to peer into one of the rooms leading off the corridor. It appears to be the quarters of one of the alien crew, for it has a desk and a pole from which hang several sets of uniforms, but there does not appear to be anywhere to sleep. Fury sniffs, his expression making it clear what he thinks of a people who have no need for beds.
Entering the vessel's bridge, Fury stalks over to the pilot's seat. Spinning the large leather chair with a flick of his wrist, he plonks himself down and scans the controls. After a few tentative taps of the buttons, the Captain's movements become confident, and he settles back into the chair experimentally. For a moment his features soften, as if he is rethinking his opinion of Xinthon, but then S'Ondra's giggle echoes out of a speaker on the console, and his frown returns.
Leaping to his feet, Fury strides across the bridge. Moments later, he is emerging out of the ship. As he walks down the silver ramp, he activates his communicator,
"Archie."
"Yes, Captain?" a burs of static partially obscures Archie's words, but Fury ignores this, his attention elsewhere as he walks quickly toward the pyramid's elevator.
"There was a -" Fury pauses and frowns another burst of static from the radio, then continues, "- another floor of the pyramid. Xinthon never showed it to us. I'm going there to check it out. I want you to meet me there."
"I am currently occupied, Captain."
Fury knows how to push the robot's buttons,
"This is the floor where no-one's been, Archie. It's probably been left to get dusty and dirty."
"I will be right there, Captain."
Fury steps into the lift, jabbing the button for the final floor with more than the necessary vigour. The lift rises, stopping at the entrance level, and Archie enters. A builder-bot scurries in after him, wobbling as it crosses the corrugations of the lift door's runners. Fury gives the small device a suspicious look as the elevator rises once more.
"This corridor seems as clean as all the others, Captain." Archie observes as the elevator doors open once more.
"Here, perhaps." Fury walks forward, pointing to a pair of large steel doors at the far end of the corridor, "But what about in there? I wonder what needs such big doors to hide it."
Archie turns to the builder bot, lights flashing on his dome-like head. Answering lights blink on the spider-like robot, and it whirrs and chitters in reply.
"It is a store room." Archie translates the machine language back to the Captain, "The replacement parts and materials used by the builder-bots are kept there."
"Can that thing open these?" Fury indicates the doors. There is another moment of robot to robot communication, then the builder bot scuttles forward, lights blinking in a complex pattern. Moments later, the doors slides option, with a soft hiss of hydraulics.
The room beyond is fashioned of plain, whitewashed cement, and is stacked high with crates, boxes and containers of all kinds. Fury's attention, however, is immediately drawn to two large shapes at the back of the room, each covered with a grey tarpaulin. Moving over to these, he pulls back the covers, revealing two stasis tubes, like the one from which Xinthon emerged.
The creatures inside the tubes, however, look nothing like the handsome Xinthon. They have bestial, bat-like faces, and fur covered bodies. More alarming still, their frames and desiccated and emaciated, as if all the moisture has been drained from them.
"Most unsanitary." Archie whirrs in agitation, "These bodies should have been properly and hygienically disposed of."
"Never mind that." Fury waves away the robot's concerns, "How did they die?"
Archie conducts a sensor sweep,
"They each have an injury to their neck, through which the fluids of their bodies were drained."
"Like a vampire bite?"
"That is an adequate- though superstitious - approximation, Captain."
Fury snatches out his communicator,
"Doctor. I need you to come to the second floor of the pyramid immediately. There is something I need you to see."
He moves his thumb from the 'talk' button and waits expectantly for Gustav to reply, but the only answer is static ...
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Back on air! Hooray!
We missed you, Cap'n Fury, S'Ondra and the others, we missed you!
We missed you, Cap'n Fury, S'Ondra and the others, we missed you!
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
There's nothing like a good ol' SPACE VAMPIRE!
-z
-z
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