So I've apparently hit mid-life crisis and rather than getting into sports cars and young women (after all I just got done with that faze anyway) I'm now playing a Science Fiction Play by E-mail RPG. Yes, I'm a geek once again! The game is called USI, and here is their rather cool website: www.usi-rpg.com/cina/home.shtml
At least it's free... Anyway, here is my first piece of "fan fiction" from their community forum, providing a little background on my character Mai-zith, currently stationed on the USI Gibson:
Lt. Shackler, a short, balding, pudgy officer sat at his desk trying to look busy. Across the room the mottled gray and white furred Akerian filled out the nescessary forms on the recruitment screen with a noticeable irritation.
Shackler swore he wasn't a xenophobe, but nonetheless, he always felt a wee bit unnerved when dealing with non-human recruits. He just couldn't help wondering why a creature from a completely alien culture would want to join what was to him, a Terran organization. Certainly the USI were an open-minded lot, but they had grown out of ancient Earth customs. So why would this giant cat man, want to forsake his homeworld to live among the "hairless apes", as he'd heard some Akerians referred to Terrans? Well, Shackler tried to assure himself, it didn't really matter, because it wasn't nescessarily even going to happen. The important question was, how useful can he be to us?
The results from Mai-zith's responses came onto his screen, and he had to make a hesitant admission, "Impressive, these are very high scores Mr. Zith... I take it you've studied Terran chemistry a bit?"
Patience, thought Mai-zith to himself, a hiss or a growl would not serve his purposes well, "Yes sir, though actually chemistry is really the same in all cultures and species. We discovered the periodic table on Aker 9,000 years before Terra did."
"Ah, yes," the Lt. replied somewhat miffed, and seriously beginning to doubt the worthiness of this particular recruit, "If you don't mind my asking, what brings you to the USI?"
The dreaded question that Mai-zith knew would come. He'd thought of several pat answers in advance, but really the truth was usually the best way to shut these Terrans up,"Although Akerian society has a high reverance of the sciences, my father prefers that I learn to master household finances rather than astro-physics and intergalactic biology. The USI gives me the chance to use my knowledge and curiosity quite a bit more than figuring out the cost of feeding our servants at home."
"I see..." Shakler mused, realizing that he not only had an alien before him, but some type of aristrocrat as well, this just would not do, "Well, I hope you realize that a cadet's training is not one of privelage."
Mai-zith, read that his chances were dwindling in the recruiters mind and he could not fully repress the hiss in his voice at that,"Yesss sssirr, I am fully aware of the choiccce I have made." What, he wondered, could be more gruelling than putting up with this inept bureaucrat?
Even Mai-zith's crude telepathic skills could easily read Shackler's mind being firmly made up, against him.
Just then Mai-zith's thought reading was interrupted by a clairavoyant flash of danger and darkness. The lights suddenly and mysteriously went out at Hydra Station. The recruitment office was dimmed, but for the faint glow of emergency auxillary power. The bulk of auxillary would naturally go to life support systems. Oddly there were no sirens or other alarms.
"What in the name of Earth?!" cried Lt. Shackler.
"Is there power on your computer?" asked Mai-zith.
Shackler hadn't thought to look, and he couldn't really see what it would matter, but he glanced and noticed there was,"Why yes, there is, but why?"
"Do you trust my science scores enough to lend me your password?" the Akerian asked with his fangs now exposed as they always were in moments of action and alert.
Shackler wasn't one to ever bend the rules, but somehow the urgency of the situation and the fangs on the lynx-man got the better of him. There was an unexplainable charisma to this Akerian that made doing the unthinkable seem like the best response. He ran his finger across the screen, allowing his DNA to be scanned as a password, and let the recruit into the stations mainframe.
Mai-zith came around behind the desk and began running computations with incredible speed, his claws clicking audibly against the glass of the screen. His clairavoyance told him that he could beat the Station's security in locating the problem, and he knew that Shackler would get the credit. Terrans were a selfish lot, do something for them individually and they would sacrifice their homeworld for you.
"A meteorite has struck the core solar panel of Hydra Station," the Akerian said matter of factly, "With propper nanotech repairs, it could be up and running again in 1.3 hours. The station has enough auxillary power for continued life support for 2.4 hours, and your Security team will probably figure things out in about 1.5. You do the math, sir."
Lt. Shackler was visibly shaken. He had been overcome with visions of a Darkarian attack, and he'd taken this job in recruitment at a station well within USI Space to avoid just such an eventuality.
Mai-zith rose from the desk and gave the officer a sharp tooth filled smile, "Well, you'd better report in your discovery Lt., sir. There will be just enough time between telling your superiors and receiving the proper awards to put in the rest of my files and give me an assignment."
Lt. Shackler nodded quietly as he slid back behind his desk.
At least it's free... Anyway, here is my first piece of "fan fiction" from their community forum, providing a little background on my character Mai-zith, currently stationed on the USI Gibson:
Lt. Shackler, a short, balding, pudgy officer sat at his desk trying to look busy. Across the room the mottled gray and white furred Akerian filled out the nescessary forms on the recruitment screen with a noticeable irritation.
Shackler swore he wasn't a xenophobe, but nonetheless, he always felt a wee bit unnerved when dealing with non-human recruits. He just couldn't help wondering why a creature from a completely alien culture would want to join what was to him, a Terran organization. Certainly the USI were an open-minded lot, but they had grown out of ancient Earth customs. So why would this giant cat man, want to forsake his homeworld to live among the "hairless apes", as he'd heard some Akerians referred to Terrans? Well, Shackler tried to assure himself, it didn't really matter, because it wasn't nescessarily even going to happen. The important question was, how useful can he be to us?
The results from Mai-zith's responses came onto his screen, and he had to make a hesitant admission, "Impressive, these are very high scores Mr. Zith... I take it you've studied Terran chemistry a bit?"
Patience, thought Mai-zith to himself, a hiss or a growl would not serve his purposes well, "Yes sir, though actually chemistry is really the same in all cultures and species. We discovered the periodic table on Aker 9,000 years before Terra did."
"Ah, yes," the Lt. replied somewhat miffed, and seriously beginning to doubt the worthiness of this particular recruit, "If you don't mind my asking, what brings you to the USI?"
The dreaded question that Mai-zith knew would come. He'd thought of several pat answers in advance, but really the truth was usually the best way to shut these Terrans up,"Although Akerian society has a high reverance of the sciences, my father prefers that I learn to master household finances rather than astro-physics and intergalactic biology. The USI gives me the chance to use my knowledge and curiosity quite a bit more than figuring out the cost of feeding our servants at home."
"I see..." Shakler mused, realizing that he not only had an alien before him, but some type of aristrocrat as well, this just would not do, "Well, I hope you realize that a cadet's training is not one of privelage."
Mai-zith, read that his chances were dwindling in the recruiters mind and he could not fully repress the hiss in his voice at that,"Yesss sssirr, I am fully aware of the choiccce I have made." What, he wondered, could be more gruelling than putting up with this inept bureaucrat?
Even Mai-zith's crude telepathic skills could easily read Shackler's mind being firmly made up, against him.
Just then Mai-zith's thought reading was interrupted by a clairavoyant flash of danger and darkness. The lights suddenly and mysteriously went out at Hydra Station. The recruitment office was dimmed, but for the faint glow of emergency auxillary power. The bulk of auxillary would naturally go to life support systems. Oddly there were no sirens or other alarms.
"What in the name of Earth?!" cried Lt. Shackler.
"Is there power on your computer?" asked Mai-zith.
Shackler hadn't thought to look, and he couldn't really see what it would matter, but he glanced and noticed there was,"Why yes, there is, but why?"
"Do you trust my science scores enough to lend me your password?" the Akerian asked with his fangs now exposed as they always were in moments of action and alert.
Shackler wasn't one to ever bend the rules, but somehow the urgency of the situation and the fangs on the lynx-man got the better of him. There was an unexplainable charisma to this Akerian that made doing the unthinkable seem like the best response. He ran his finger across the screen, allowing his DNA to be scanned as a password, and let the recruit into the stations mainframe.
Mai-zith came around behind the desk and began running computations with incredible speed, his claws clicking audibly against the glass of the screen. His clairavoyance told him that he could beat the Station's security in locating the problem, and he knew that Shackler would get the credit. Terrans were a selfish lot, do something for them individually and they would sacrifice their homeworld for you.
"A meteorite has struck the core solar panel of Hydra Station," the Akerian said matter of factly, "With propper nanotech repairs, it could be up and running again in 1.3 hours. The station has enough auxillary power for continued life support for 2.4 hours, and your Security team will probably figure things out in about 1.5. You do the math, sir."
Lt. Shackler was visibly shaken. He had been overcome with visions of a Darkarian attack, and he'd taken this job in recruitment at a station well within USI Space to avoid just such an eventuality.
Mai-zith rose from the desk and gave the officer a sharp tooth filled smile, "Well, you'd better report in your discovery Lt., sir. There will be just enough time between telling your superiors and receiving the proper awards to put in the rest of my files and give me an assignment."
Lt. Shackler nodded quietly as he slid back behind his desk.
