Ambrosia Garden Archive
    • EV/EVO Chronicles: Flight of the Valkarie


      This is actually written in the universe of my in progress EVO Total Coversion. The name "Valkarie" has nothing to do with the Porche Valk of nova, it just sounded cool.
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      Flight of the Valkarie

      The sun was just rising over the horizon, the morning dew was wet upon the ground. On a landing pad outside Pencicola a young man named Spudge Dailly walked around his shiny new L-90 Multipurpose fighter letting his eyes feast upon its bright sparkling chrome engine and weapon systems along with the glossy blue paint. "I'll name her the Valkarie." Spudge walked up to it's side and pressed his hand onto a palm sized computer screen embedded in the ships hull. Quickly it scanned his hand and memorized every line, then the duraglass cabin roof opened up allowing access to the inside of the ship, Dailly climbed up onto the wing and lowered himself inside. The smell of synthetic cloth was still fresh. the Valkarie had been built only three days before Spudge spent his life savings on her. She was only one in millions of L-90's, but to the 21 year old she was one of a kind.

      Spudge let his hands run over the never before used controls, the joystick, the throttle, and a host of knobs, buttons and levers. Eveything he had learned in flying school ran through his head. He began to flip switches and turn knobs with increasing rapidity. The roof closed and the single Mark VII Fusion engine fired up with a deep healthy roar that shook the the ground. Spudge slowly pulled back on a lever and the antigravity repulsers kicked in lifting the Valkarie off the ground. Within minutes Spudge Dailly was in space for the first time. Dailly quickly locked his ship in a high orbit around earth, his home planet, from space it seemed more beautifull than ever.

      As he went around the planet he passed Federation Frigates and Fighters on patrol, theirs was a life of dull routine filled with milatary reports. But thanks to them Federation space was safe to fly in. He also passed privately owned Freight Cruisers, Cargo Scow's, and other L-90's. Kicking back the throttle Spudge reclined his seat for awhile, allowing him to look out of the clear, tinted roof. Space flight was indeed exilarating. For what seemed like hour's he watched the stars and star ships go by. But the best part had just begun. Spudge Dailly sat up and shoved the throttle back in. Then he turned away from earth and his Mark VII pushed the Valkarie out of Earths orbit, within ten minutes he was ready for his first ever hyperjump. Quickly he brought up a map on his computer and closed his eyes, then he poked his finger at the computer screen. It landed on New America. Spudge set his course there, and hit the JUMP button. Time seemed to stand still, sound stopped entierly, for a micro second Spudge didn't even exist in the universe. Then with a rending crash the Valkarie appeared in the New America system.

      A couple tenthousands of miles away New America shown brightly as it reflected the light from its sun. Spudge Dailly didn't even bother to land on the planet, he was in too much of a hurry. Instead he agian randomly chose a system and activated another jump. This system was uninhabited, there wasn't even a planet in the center. Without even stopping Spudge selected the nearest system and Jumped again, he was having too much fun to worry about the pirate threat that lingered on the fringes of Federation controlled space. The next system was also uninhabited, but it did have a brightly shining gas giant in the center. Maybe Spudge Dailly was dazzled by the light of the planet, maybe he spent too much time examining it. Whatever the reason he didn't prepare to leave the system for almost a half an hour.

      Suddenly there was a flash and a hollow boom that echoed across empty space, A pirate frigate along with two fighter escorts jumped into the system. In an instand Spudge was brought out of his trance, with sweaty hands he directed 10% power to his Light Cannons, he knew that there was no chance of defeating the pirates, they were all three armed with Heavy Plasma cannons which carried twice the power of his light cannons. Instead Dailly turned his ship and rocketed away, as soon as possible he randomly selected a hyper destination hit jump, nothing happened. A small red light lit up and a message appeared on his computer screen. insuffitiant Energy for Hyper jump. Sweat poured down his face, he knew what would come next. Slowly he turned his ship around.

      The two light fighters were racing towards him. light fighters carried only one Heavy Cannon, to most normal pilots they werent even a problem, but to spudge they were. He had never bothered taking the optional combat course in flight school, Spudge could only guess at how to fight. Quickly he targeted the nearest fighter and hit auto aim, the Valkarie aimed itself at the tiny ship. gripping his joystick tightly Spudge pulled the trigger. The two ships exchanged fire for a few seconds, then the faster light fighter snapped around and came down on Dailly's tail. Jerking the throttle out and back thrusting Spudge depressed the trigger and held it, the persuing pirate flew right into the firing line of glowing plasma bolts. Three of them slammed into the ship, cutting through it's practically non existant shields and punching holes in the fighter's hull. it rolled over and over spewing oxegen out of its punctured hull, then with a bone shattering explosion it dissapeared in a cloud of flame.

      The second pirate fighter put up more of a fight. The two ships flew arcs and figure eights, each attempting to bring the other into his sights. The arrival of the Pirate Frigate put an end to the cavorting. Frigates were seven times as large as L-90's, the size of a sailing ship. They carried two foward firing heavy cannons and a rotating, omnidirectional turret that could automaticly follow the ship's target, firing when the command came. Frantically Spudge Dailly tried to flee, but the pirate fighter cut off his every attempt. Swiveling and Tracking the powerfull turret did it's deadly work, the Valkarie's shields got lower and lower every second, then their reassuring red glow around the ship dissapeared. A bright, glowing plasma bolt slammed through the L-90's left wing punching a hole, another took off its vertical tail. Two more bolts hit the engine housing and engine bringing the Valkarie to a sudden halt, then slowly, the shiny, brand new craft, rolled over spraying smoke, flame, and the life supporting oxegen into space. As if in a final gesture of defiance her engine exploded sending the heavy nozzle right through the pirate frigate's cockpit killing its forward crew, then the Valkarie passed into the growing list of ships destroyed by pirates.
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      This story is dedicated to an ancient LEGO™ Model that I picked up for twelve dollars at a used LEGO™ booth. It was one of the first LEGO™ Space Ships ever designed and put into production. I have no doubt that the one I own is one of the last in existance and it is a cherished part of my collection.
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      Edited by the author to improve the writing and correct spelling mistakes.
      Edited by the author for paragraphs.

      (This message has been edited by Captain Phillips (edited 05-26-2004).)

      (This message has been edited by Captain Phillips (edited 05-26-2004).)

    • It's a good story. Could maybe do with a few paragraphs, it's a little tough on the eyes...

      But, man, Spudge?!? Hahaha, what a name! That made my day :).

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      Why live life from dream to dream, and dread the day when dreaming ends?

    • (quote)Originally posted by Jamin!:
      **It's a good story. Could maybe do with a few paragraphs, it's a little tough on the eyes...

      But, man, Spudge?!? Hahaha, what a name! That made my day :rolleyes: y'know, I always seem to forget the paragraphs.

      I think the name origonally came from a review on Adaquate.com, it was something close, but not quite spudge. Later, when naming a pilot for EVC I tried to remember the name because it fit well. But what I ended up with was Spudge, and for the sake of the story I added the "Dailly" as a last name. In both EV, EVO, and Frozen Heart, my best pilot was always named Spudge, in EVC he had a rebel Destroyer with four proton turrets, and plenty of planets dominated. In EVO he was a UE pilot with almost all the main strings completed and a UE destroyer. And in the Frozen Heart I don't think i need to describe what a completed pilot is like. 😉 Right now I very much wished I had finnaly gotten around to submiting Spudge EVC to the PFTN, because he was lost in that %$^W!Q& Drive Crash!

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      Cmon people, the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=20&SUBMIT;=Go")Chronicles(/url) are worth looking at.
      **

    • Aye, now it's got paragraphs it's a lot better. :). The ending's nicely depressing too :p.

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      Why live life from dream to dream, and dread the day when dreaming ends?

    • One girl who read it on my site said that she liked it because it shows what happens when you are careless. I suppose that's true, though the story wasn't meant to have a moral, I don't do that sort of thing. :rolleyes:

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      Cmon people, the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=20&SUBMIT;=Go")Chronicles(/url) are worth looking at.

    • Quite good! A few problems with spelling, punctuation and grammar, though. One thing I do have a problem with:

      Quote

      Suddenly there was a flash and a hollow boom that echoed across empty space

      You might see the flash, but you wouldn't hear the boom, since sound doesn't travel in a vacuum. Also, since there were three ships, you would see three flashes of light.

      Sounds like this pilot left his brain back in flight school!

      Thumbs up!
      ~Tim ^_^

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      "Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted." --Fred Allen

    • Quote

      Originally posted by CaptAceHarddrive:
      **You might see the flash, but you wouldn't hear the boom, since sound doesn't travel in a vacuum. Also, since there were three ships, you would see three flashes of light.

      Sounds like this pilot left his brain back in flight school!

      Thumbs up!
      ~Tim ^_^

      **

      I read a theory somewhere that explains (extremely well) the impossibility of sound in space in sci fi. Quite simply the ship's computer picks up the signals that should be sound and plays them to you in the cockpit. And I wrote that because it sounds cool, realism aside. 😉

      In my plug the Light fighter has no reliable hyperspacial drive, it always escorts larger ships. It in fact depends on these ships to get around. The Frigate projects it's hyperspace field around the tiny fighters and hauls them with it. That is why all three ships jumping in make only one flash. But really, once again it just sounds cool, forget all the technical explaining. 😄

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      Cmon people, the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=20&SUBMIT;=Go")Chronicles(/url) are worth looking at.

    • I like it, the ending was nice, it gave you a touch of sadness that was perfect in it's own little way, I like how you utilized 'then the Valkarie passed into the growing list of ships destroyed by pirates' instead of just saying that it blew up or something.

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      Banter & Brawl: Skillfully interfering with the Democratic process since 2000. - Pikeman
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