Shine On

Instant karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Everyone you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're everywhere
Come and get your share
John Lennon - Instant Karma

Continued from Working Double Time

"Oh come on," Shae said as she and Mynxee were pouting.

"It's not even a roam. We'll go find some targets in Evati. You can take that Hound out,"

"I uh, I don't think so actually," Hallan put his hands in his pockets. He fingered the box again.

"Got something better to do?" Shae put her hand on her hip and smiled.

"Actually uh, I need to see Ronin,"

"Why?" Mynxee looked concerned.

"I think it would be best if I didn't say,"

Shae shrugged her shoulders, "Ok. We can have fun without you too,"

The two girls walked down the hall towards the Hellcats' hangars and Hallan turned around and headed towards Ronin's office.

__________________

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Ronin was holding Hallan's resignation in his hand. He was not happy.

"I can't do this anymore,"

"That doesn't explain anything really. Hope you know that this isn't an easy in and out," He tossed the datapad to the side, "You leave and it's hard as hell to come back,"

"I know,"

"Good luck then," Ronin stood up and put his hand out. Hallan shook it and stood himself as Ronin spoke again, "See you at the party tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it,"

__________________

*CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP*

Hallan slapped the alarm button and smiled.

"Alone again," he said to the empty room.

Working Double Time

'Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quaking
My mind was aching
And we were making it and you -
Shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me all night long
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

Continue from Comfort Coming.

The By Jove's jukebox was cranked to it's highest volume as the bar filled with people. Hallan sat at the bar and sipped slowly on a Quafe.

"You've got to have parties like this more often Hal," Flashfresh had some tatoo'd Brutor chick standing behind him. She'd been following him all night. He was grinning ear to ear.

"You don't think it's a little loud?" Hallan yelled over the noise.

"Hell no. Where did you get this music?"

"Came with the bar,"

"Cool," Flash had already moved down the bar and was standing just behind some Gallente girl who was sipping on a very colorful drink.

"Hal," Korvan sat down next to him, "What's up man?"

"Hey," Hallan stared down at his Quafe.

"She isn't worth you getting this upset over,"

"I dunno, I liked her,"

"There'll be others,"

Hallan toyed with a small box as he started at his drink.

"What's that?" Korvan said while leaning in closer.

"Another of the many things that came with the bar," Hallan held it up in the air in front of him. The box was small and black, with a red button on the top.

"Looks simple enough," Korvan said before taking a drink of his beer.

"You'd think so, but nothing about the previous owner was simple. He was Jovian. He told me to press it if I ever felt like things were hopeless,"

"Well?"

"I've never felt quite that bad but I've been thinking about it today. He says it only works once. It's all it ever needs,"

"That's hilarious. It probably doesn't do anything," Korvan smiled and stood up.

"Probably not," Hallan slipped the box into his jacket pocket and stood up as well.

"Hallan! Come over here," He heard Mynxee's voice through the crowd, which was growing somewhat more quiet.

He worked his way to the window that Mynxee was standing by. She was squinting at something in the distance.

"What's up Mynx?" Hallan said to her back.

"Do you see what I see?" She asked and moved to the side for Hallan. He leaned into the window and looked where she pointed. Tiny specks of darkness on the star were starting to appear.

"That's where we found that wormhole today. It's...," As he spoke the sun visibly darkened. A fleet of ships came out of warp next to the station. He didn't recognize their markings.

The entire room became quite in moments, the ancient music in the background the only ambiance. Lances of light struck out from the fleet as the entire station rocked. The lights went out and only the now dim light from the star lit the room. Suddenly the fleet fired a number of missiles at the station as well. Hallan spotted one that looked to be taking a very unfortunate course.

"Everyone get out of here!" He screamed as it streaked ever closer to the window.

The rush of people left him no room to maneuver and he reached into his pocket and pushed the button on the box the Jovian had left him. Nothing happened, and he cursed silently to himself.

There was a crash, then a rush of air. Then silence.

_______________

*CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP*

"Hallan! Hallan!" Resika shook him as she called his name, "Wake up!"

"Ugh," Hallan opened his left eye and squinted at her as he spoke, "What."

"Your alarm's going off,"

"What the hell?"

Comfort Coming

The radio's playin' some forgotten song.
Brenda Lee's coming on strong.
The road has got me hypnotized,
As I spin into a new sunrise.
Golden Earring - Radar Love

Continued from Sweet Sorrow

"Found it," Hallan said over comms, "Bearing 419 by 423,"

"Just warp to it," Mynxee chimed in, "We'll follow you,"

Hallan smiled inside as he engaged his Hound's warp drive, "You know I always found it a bit odd," Hallan continued.

"What's that?" Shae asked as her Myrmidon came out of warp a few hundred meters from him.

"Well, every time I've been in one of these wormholes, there are sleepers inside,"

"And?" Shae let the question hang for a moment.

"And isn't that odd? Every single one. Not a one in normal space. They're only inside the wormholes,"

"I don't get what you're driving at," Mynxee's Hurricane finally landed on the gate.

"What if they're the ones opening the wormholes?" He cleared his throat, "What if that's how they travel?"

"I've faced a couple of them. You do not want that to be true," Mynxee's voice betrayed her impatience.

"Alright, go through. Engage the Hulk and Raven on the other side. Hulk first. I'll keep a point on the Raven,"

"Roger that," Mynxee's voice said sweetly.

"On it," Shae said as her ship disappeared.

Hallan moved his ship into position and passed through the shimmering hole in space. The Hulk and the Raven were sitting on the other side, about ten kilometers away. The Hulk began to align to warp as Mynxee and Shae nailed it down. Hallan's targeting computer came alive, but he missed a lock on the Raven as it flashed off his overview.

"That's not possible," He yelled into comms. The girls sighed audibly but poured the damage on the Hulk.

Hallan moved his ship into the Raven's last known position as he locked the Hulk and fired a torpedo at it in vain. He deactivated the launcher just as he bumped into the cloaked form of the Raven.

His targeting computer found a lock this time and his warp scrambler came alive. He began a quick orbit before calling up his ship database to check against his target.

"Ladies, this is a Navy Issue Raven,"

No one said anything as the Hulk began to disintegrate. The pod was locked and dispatched in short order as the points and gunfire converged on the stricken beast of a ship.

"We going to ransom?" Shae spoke up as it dipped into armor.

"He's to close to getting back through the wormhole. We'll ransom the pod,"

The Raven lurched forward as an explosion rocked it's engine section. It's front half twirled through the wormhole as it's center broke up. The pieces began to bounce off the sides of the wormhole as the energy of it's engines dissipated. The front half exploded halfway through in a shower of light and debris. The escape pod simply disappeared in the mess.

"Hallan, long range sensors are picking up a huge fleet headed this way. Unknown transponder signals," Mynxee stopped for a second, "That means Sleepers. We'd better move,"

"Back through guys, forget the loot,"

"Oh of course," Shae sarcastically added.

EVE Blog Banter #8: In the Year of Our Awesome

Welcome to the eighth installment of the EVE Blog Banter , the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed here . Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's topic comes to us from me, Ga'len at The Wandering Druid of Tranquility. He asks: "What new game mechanic or mechanics would you like to see created and brought into the EVE Online universe and how would this be incorporated into the current game universe? Be specific and give details, this is not meant to be a 'nerf this, boost my game play' post like we see on the EVE forums."

Eight words: Bear Cavalry... In Space, Oh yeah.

Did you just crap your pants? I just crapped my pants.

I know what you're thinking, Bears can't survive in space. Try to tell them that, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. More accurately I think you'd be dead. Don't fuck with the Bear Cavalry.

They're so awesome I'm capitalizing it every time I say it so I don't incur their wrath.

Many people would ask here, "Ok, I'm sold, Bear Cavalry sounds pretty damned awesome for a game about internet spaceships, but how would it move around?"

It'd be propelled on pure awesome. I have an artists rendition of what that would look like.


It makes a lovely desktop background as well. Bear Cavalry are just that damn good.

Now how do you balance this in a way that makes the game still playable, since they're like great and stuff. It's simple, make them really hard to get. I know what you're thinking: you make things in Eve, not get them. But lets be honest with ourselves, is there any component in Eve that could make up such an awesome construct?

It's like one quarter pornstar hooker, one quarter flying sharks, one quarter pirate ninja zombie robots, and four quarters awesome. How do you quantify that? You don't.

We'll just say that when you reach a certain level of awesome ingame(as judged by a panel of Pornstar Hookers), a Bear Cavalry bursts forth fully formed from like your forehead or something.

I'm going to go clean up my pants now.

Other Banters:

CrazyKinux's Musing, EVE Blog Banter #8: Care for a little game of SecWars?

The Wandering Druid of Tranquility, Wow, that new thing is so shiny!!!

I am Keith Nielson, EVE Blog Banter #8 - Return of the Top Gun

Once More from the Beginning, 8th EVE Blog Banter May 2009 Edition

A merry life and a short one, EVE Blog Banter #8: In the Year of Our Awesome

Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah, Planets

Helicity Boson, Bantering the blog

Achernar, Unique adventures

Ecliptic Rift, OOC: EVE Blog Banter 8: Standings and secondary factions

The New Edener, EVE Blog Banter #8

Journey to New Eden, Eve Blog Banter #8: What new mechanic should be added to Eve?

Life, The Universe and Everything, Blog banter 8: mentorship

EVE Guru, EBB 8: Yarr! Prepare to be boarded!

The Ralpha Dogs, Greed Is Good, Greed Works

Rifter Drifter, Blog Banter 8: Strategic Gunnery

A Mule in EVE, Expanding EVE

Letrange's EvE Blog, 8th Blog Banter

Roc's Ramblings, Blog Banter #8

The Nude Nerd, Blog Banter #8

Scop's Log, Blog Banter #8: "We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!"

Speed Fairy, EVE Blog Banter #8: Charisma Tanking

Industrialist with Teeth, EVE Blog Banter #8: It’s Like Tetris for OCD People

Diary of a Pod Pilot, EVE blog banter #8: Killing in the name of

Talk Unfraid, Physical Communications

Inglorious

I was just passing through a system when I caught this gem of a conversation and I decided to add a comment of my own.

Some Dude > owned by a kessie
Some Other Dude > and a basilisk
Some Other Dude > gf, much fun friends
Some Dude > what you making things up
Some Dude > there was no bassie
Me > Nobody cares. Shut up.

I loved the Bastards, but it was a bit taxing at times to hold my tongue.

I like being able to speak my mind again.

Sweet Sorrow

Operator, well, could you help me place this call
'Cause I can't read the number that you just gave me
There's something in my eyes - you know it happens every time
I think about the love that I thought would save me
Jim Croce - Operator(That's Not the Way It Feels)

Continued from Shame

OOC Note: This is the start of an idea I had. Hopefully it's well received. It will run through next week's normal updates with the conclusion next Friday.

*CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP*

"Hallan! Hallan!" Resika shook him as she called his name, "Wake up!"

"Ugh," Hallan opened his left eye and squinted at her as he spoke, "What."

"Your alarm's going off,"

"I know,"

"It sounds like someone's killing crickets,"

"Meh," Hallan reached over to his nightstand and slapped a button on top of it. The noise stopped.

"Hallan, we need to talk," Resika was dressed already and sitting on his side of the bed.

"Oh this sounds good," He rolled over and covered his head with a pillow.

"I've been thinking about what you said, about being a bad person. Hallan, we can't see each other anymore,"

Hallan sat up in bed and cocked his head to the side, "So you're too good for me now?"

"I didn't say that," She shifted uncomfortably, "I don't think I can be a part of that life,"

"Oh ok yeah. This is about Korvan isn't it?" Resika's eyes went wide at the mention of his name, and Hallan continued, "Yeah I see that look. You thought I didn't know? He works for me, did you really think you were that good?" Hallan frowned as he looked her up and down, "Since you're already dressed to run, get the fuck out of here and don't come back,"

Resika's tears were a slow trickle as she walked towards the door, she stopped in the doorway and looked back at Hallan one more time, "You were right. I am too good for you,"

Hallan grabbed the lamp at the side of his bed and hurled it at the door as it shut, "Whatever,"

I've voted. Have you?

The biggest danger for a politician is to shake hands with a man who is physically stronger, has been drinking and is voting for the other guy.

William Proxmire

I picked this up over on Wensleys new blog. I'm going to be a bit impartial and not tell you who I've voted for. That said, get out there and vote.

If you're having any trouble at all deciding, check out my interview series. 23 of the aproximately 40 candidates gave interviews. I sent questions to all 40 of them.



Do me a favor and give Godlesswanderer a bit of traffic, he's the originator of the concept and image above.