Mystic Worlds

Shadows of New Eden: Fallen – Part 2 of 3

The green LED of my communication module flashed.  I flipped the switch to accept the incoming message.  Silas’ face appeared.  He was seated in the co-pilot’s chair.  I could tell by the surrounding instruments that he was in one of the interceptors.

“This is very unfortunate business, Gilles.”  His tone was calm and unhurried.  “I was expecting – hoping for better from you.”

Stay cool I told myself.  Stall for time to think.  “Sorry to disappoint - nothing personal.”

“Stealing from me is personal,” he retorted.

“Freeing” I said emphasizing the word, “isn’t the same as stealing.”

Silas smiled.  “I’m willing to concede that is perhaps what you believed, however misinformed.”  He paused and leaned forward into the console, his face filling the screen on my end.  “If you return her to me right now we can end this without violence.”  He leaned back and crossed his legs.  “The scanner identified an active passenger pod.  Spit her out.  We’ll scoop her up and be on our way.”

I had to laugh, I wasn’t that stupid.   “Just like that?” I asked.

“There is the small price of being banned from Prime and regions under my control or jurisdiction.  You should probably avoid Jita too.  I have friends there.  But yes, that’s it.” He became speculative.  “I had plans for someone with your background. You could have been a valuable asset.”

“My loss I’m sure.”  I surreptitiously checked my gauges.  The ship was still snared .  The capacitor was holding at fifteen percent.  I sounded calm but my mind was running all the angles, looking for an escape.

Sticky:  Regularly scheduled programming has been temporarily interrupted to bring you, Shadows of New Eden, serialized fan fiction inspired by the subtle beauty, vastness and infinite possibilities of EVE Online, where I’m currently flying as Alysianah Noire. 

Shadows of New Eden: Fallen – Part 1 of 3

Essence Region – Peccanouette
Aeschee System
Near Aeschee IV – Moon 4

12-03 YC 112 | 20:30

 

“Gilles,” I chided myself, “what the hell were you thinking?”

It was suicidal, attempting to smuggle someone out of Serpentis Prime.   I wasn’t prepared for space combat.  I activated the microwarp drive a millisecond too late.  Now we were being scrambled like eggs in a skillet.  There was no way in hell we were warping away from this situation.  The damage control unit was engaged but not for long.  They were slowly draining my ship’s capacitor.  In a little while we’d be sheep for slaughter.  We were alone in this fight; the drones I’d deployed when the ships first appeared had long since been destroyed.

Adrenaline surged through me.  My nervous system tingled, groping for the cauterized metallic capsuleer comm-ring embedded at the base of my skull.  Dead - no live signals there.  Yet like an amputee, my body kept searching for the cybernetic connection to the ship it had previously known.  The base of my skull burned.  A blinding pain, like white lightening ricocheted through my cerebral cortex – phantom synapses firing.  I swallowed down bile.

All three targets were locked and my hand hovered over the controls to start firing at one.  I pulled my hand back.  Could I clear a path? I thought better of it.  My Imicus couldn't blast through or evade two Ares-class interceptors and an Eris-class destroyer.   Good news was that they weren’t firing – not yet anyway.  It was probably better if I didn’t ignite a shootout I wouldn’t win.  If they blew the ship to bits and her pod, she could still escape if she had a clone in a system not under Silas’ control.  For me, it would be permanent lights out. 

EQ2 DIY Decorating - Simple Corner Bar

Every home that I’ve decorated or visited on behalf of potential customers contains a bar.  Is that a little odd since very few people I know in real life have bars in their homes?  I suppose that’s part of the fantasy coming out but I’ve never wanted one myself. I had a very simple bar in my original Halas starter home and the equivalent set I sold to players was extremely popular.

Before the holiday rush, I configured a new bar in the showroom. I used the same basic counter, one that the average player can afford to purchase.  The fancier ones made from Ironwood and above are extremely expensive since they require rare woods.  I find players more willing to pay that price for kitchen configurations more so than bars.  And because I was placing this bar alongside my lowest priced kitchen set, I wanted it in a similar price range.