![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Let's Play The Ur-Quan Masters
<< | ^^ | >>
Chapter 0: Prologue
Part 3: I Promise I'll Leave Sol In Part 4
Now done at Earth, we are free to explore the rest of our solar system.
I'm generally going to gloss over the part where I plunder all these planets for resources, because it's pretty repetitive. I cleaned up Mercury a bit more, picked up a few base metals at various moons, and hit up IO for a nice amount of radioactives. The next interesting part of our quest happens on Pluto!
Two interesting points here. The purple spot is a deposit of Exotics, the most valuable of all resource types. Also, there's another energy signature...
We are initiating emergency launch procedures!
---- END OF TRANSMISSION ----
All right, our lander was attacked by aliens. Let's see if we can't talk this out peacefully.
Meet the Spathi
The Spathi are ostensibly one of the Ur-Quan's battle thrall races. They are also the galaxy's greatest cowards.
FWIFFO
This is Spathi Captain Fwiffo.
I know you are going to torture me, so let's just get this over with right now.
The coordinates of my homeworld, Spathiwa, are 241.6, 368.7...
..and the ultra-secret Spath Cypher, which is known only by me and several billion other Spathi...
..is 'Huffi-Muffi-Guffi.'
Sorry about that little mistake with your landing vehicle!
I was so startled when it approached my vessel in a threatening manner that...
..er...
..my automated defense systems fired on it when it got too close.
I hope nobody got hurt!
ZELNICK
Attention alien vessel: Identify yourself or be destroyed!
FWIFFO
Of course, of course!
As I said, I am Captain Fwiffo of the Spathi voidship StarRunner.
Our sensors have tracked your entry into this system...
..which you are no doubt here to conquer...
..and while you are certainly welcome to do so we would be greatly appreciative...
..if you would please just go away and forget this star system ever existed.
If you don't go, it will greatly complicate our master-slave relationship with the Ur-Quan...
..who stationed us here to watch over the Earthlings.
ZELNICK
We understand that sometimes these tragic misunderstandings happen. We grieve, but are not bitter.
FWIFFO
Whew, thanks! For a minute there, I thought you were going to kill me!
ZELNICK
What are you doing here on Pluto?
FWIFFO
About 20 years ago, this region of space was dominated by a loose confederation known as the Alliance of Free Stars,
which was composed of the aliens native to these parts who didn't want to be enslaved.
They made a valiant effort against the Ur-Quan forces...
..and it even looked like they might miraculously defeat the combined Ur-Quan armada...
..right up to the point at which the Ur-Quan totally defeated - indeed, annihilated them.
ZELNICK
So, what ARE you doing here on Pluto?
FWIFFO
When the Ur-Quan armada entered this system to subjugate formally the Earthlings,
the Ur-Quan presented the humans with the standard slave options:
join the Hierarchy as combat thralls, and retain some autonomy, including the right to travel through space...
..or become a 'fallow' species and return to pre-atomic savagery on the surface of their homeworld...
..encased for all time beneath an impenetrable force shield.
The Humans chose the latter option, and so were swiftly imprisoned on the surface of Eath...
..but the Ur-Quan didn't trust them to obey the restrictions... so...
..they chose a small group of Hierarchy combat starships from the Ilwrath and Spathi fleets...
..to create the so-called Earthguard, and stationed them at a base on Earth's moon.
ZELNICK
TELL ME what you are doing on Pluto, NOW!
FWIFFO
Originally, we were stationed on Earth's moon, which made us Spathi a bit uneasy...
..because with each passing day we grew more and more worried about the sneaky Earthlings making a surprise attack...
...though the Ilwrath kept telling us that was impossible...
..since the Earthlings had no ships or weaopns whatsoever.
That made us feel a bit better, but when the Ilwrath left, again we grew fearful...
..and decided to make a strategic redeployment to Mars.
Later on we decided it would be prudent to relocate to Jupiter's moon, Ganymede...
..then later Saturn's moon, Titan...
..and finally here to Pluto.
ZELNICK
What is happening at the base on Luna then?
FWIFFO
We decided that if the Earthlings figured out we had abandoned the base on Luna...
..they would be more likely to try something sneaky.
So we rigged up some old service androids and ordered them to drive around on the lunar surface in bulldozers,
endlessly pushing around the same piles of dirt.
In addition, we connected the base's local radio transmitter to an audio Melnorme FunRom...
..called 'Winky's Happy Night', hoping that they would think we were still in there.
ZELNICK
What happened to the Ilwrath stationed in the system?
FWIFFO
The Ilwrath contingent were supposed to be the toughest ridge-crest, er...
..the most rigid flipper, no...
..ah yes - the BACKBONE of the Earthguard force; but they departed the system en masse...
..not long after the last Ur-Quan Dreadnought vanished from this region of space.
They claimed to have received a direct order from their Gods of Evil and Darkness,
who had grown dissatisfied with the Ilwraths' passivity...
..and wanted them to kill or at least torture someone soon.
Personally, I believe they just got bored and went off to have some fun.
ZELNICK
What happened to the other Spathi ships?
FWIFFO
Over the past years, it became necessary to redeploy strategically some of our Earthguard forces...
..to our homeworld in case of a sudden surprise attack by a vicious, unrelenting alien race which we Spathi call...
..The Ultimate Evil!
ZELNICK
Who or what is this 'Ultimate Evil'?
FWIFFO
As yet, the Ultimate Evil remains largely unmanifest, and its powers and exacts intentions are still a bit obscure...
..since it lurks just outside the range of even the most sensitive, long-range detectors...
..which we feel gives conclusive evidence as to The Ultimate Evil's nefarious intent.
ZELNICK
How many crew do you have aboard?
FWIFFO
Dozens -- that is to say, scores and perhaps even hundreds of my brethren stride through the corridors...
..of this specially modified, super-efficient, mass-destruction-oriented starship...
..which could lay seige to an entire planetary system should we choose to do so...
..which, fortunately for you, we have decided not to do, today.
ZELNICK
Hundreds? Come on.
FWIFFO
I am undone! You are far too clever for a poor Spathi like me..
..and now I must submit to your superior, alien intellect.
I guess I am not revealing any truly important secrets if I tell you...
..that each of my species' Eluder-class Voidships typically holds 30 Spathi crewmen...
..though at present my vessel, the StarRunner, is not up to full complement...
..due to the needs of my homeworld in their resistance against the Ultimate Evil...
..and in fact my vessil is somewhat understaffed right now...
..seeing as how I am the only Spathi on board, whcih is a bit frightening as I am sure you can understand.
ZELNICK
The galaxy teems with threatening monsters. Are you happy here -- alone and vulnerable?
FWIFFO
How true, Captain, how true!
In truth, just between us, during these past seven years, I have been quite ill at ease...
..and yet now I find myself enjoying your company, this witty dialog...
..and the presence of your huge, powerful, death-dealing starship which, being my friend...
..you would certainly feel compelled to use in order to save me from any hostile lifeforms...
..who threatened me with death.
ZELNICK
I'm sure you'd feel a lot safer if you were with us. Come on, Fwiffo, join our fleet!
FWIFFO
Happy days and jubilation!
I discard prejudice and hestitations and accept and celebrate your offer of protection...
..and your undying commitment to my well-being!
I must wax melancholy for just a moment, though...
..and make sure you understand that any other Spathi ships we meet at large in the galaxy...
..are not going to be quite so responsive to your friendly gestures as myself...
..since they bear more heavily the yoke of Ur-Quan enslavement...
..and are also apt to talk themselves out of allying with a totally unknown alien...
..which I, having been left here alone, cannot do.
Welcome me aboard, captain!
I now have an escort to replace my Earthling Cruiser, which makes me feel much more at-ease with the galaxy. Time for one last trip to the space station before my departure from this system...
This is the Shipyard screen. Here I can purchase new ships or replenish crew to ships that are not at full capacity. Today I'll only be doing the latter, enlisting 11 new crew for the Vindicator and 29 for the StarRunner, costing me 120 RUs total.
And with my latest wave of resources, that thruster array is looking a bit nicer. Once I have all the thrusters and turning jets filled out, I'll start actually upgrading the ship itself.
<< | ^^ | >>
Chapter 0: Prologue
Part 3: I Promise I'll Leave Sol In Part 4
Now done at Earth, we are free to explore the rest of our solar system.
I'm generally going to gloss over the part where I plunder all these planets for resources, because it's pretty repetitive. I cleaned up Mercury a bit more, picked up a few base metals at various moons, and hit up IO for a nice amount of radioactives. The next interesting part of our quest happens on Pluto!
Two interesting points here. The purple spot is a deposit of Exotics, the most valuable of all resource types. Also, there's another energy signature...
We are initiating emergency launch procedures!
---- END OF TRANSMISSION ----
All right, our lander was attacked by aliens. Let's see if we can't talk this out peacefully.
Meet the Spathi
The Spathi are ostensibly one of the Ur-Quan's battle thrall races. They are also the galaxy's greatest cowards.
FWIFFO
This is Spathi Captain Fwiffo.
I know you are going to torture me, so let's just get this over with right now.
The coordinates of my homeworld, Spathiwa, are 241.6, 368.7...
..and the ultra-secret Spath Cypher, which is known only by me and several billion other Spathi...
..is 'Huffi-Muffi-Guffi.'
Sorry about that little mistake with your landing vehicle!
I was so startled when it approached my vessel in a threatening manner that...
..er...
..my automated defense systems fired on it when it got too close.
I hope nobody got hurt!
ZELNICK
Attention alien vessel: Identify yourself or be destroyed!
FWIFFO
Of course, of course!
As I said, I am Captain Fwiffo of the Spathi voidship StarRunner.
Our sensors have tracked your entry into this system...
..which you are no doubt here to conquer...
..and while you are certainly welcome to do so we would be greatly appreciative...
..if you would please just go away and forget this star system ever existed.
If you don't go, it will greatly complicate our master-slave relationship with the Ur-Quan...
..who stationed us here to watch over the Earthlings.
ZELNICK
We understand that sometimes these tragic misunderstandings happen. We grieve, but are not bitter.
FWIFFO
Whew, thanks! For a minute there, I thought you were going to kill me!
ZELNICK
What are you doing here on Pluto?
FWIFFO
About 20 years ago, this region of space was dominated by a loose confederation known as the Alliance of Free Stars,
which was composed of the aliens native to these parts who didn't want to be enslaved.
They made a valiant effort against the Ur-Quan forces...
..and it even looked like they might miraculously defeat the combined Ur-Quan armada...
..right up to the point at which the Ur-Quan totally defeated - indeed, annihilated them.
ZELNICK
So, what ARE you doing here on Pluto?
FWIFFO
When the Ur-Quan armada entered this system to subjugate formally the Earthlings,
the Ur-Quan presented the humans with the standard slave options:
join the Hierarchy as combat thralls, and retain some autonomy, including the right to travel through space...
..or become a 'fallow' species and return to pre-atomic savagery on the surface of their homeworld...
..encased for all time beneath an impenetrable force shield.
The Humans chose the latter option, and so were swiftly imprisoned on the surface of Eath...
..but the Ur-Quan didn't trust them to obey the restrictions... so...
..they chose a small group of Hierarchy combat starships from the Ilwrath and Spathi fleets...
..to create the so-called Earthguard, and stationed them at a base on Earth's moon.
ZELNICK
TELL ME what you are doing on Pluto, NOW!
FWIFFO
Originally, we were stationed on Earth's moon, which made us Spathi a bit uneasy...
..because with each passing day we grew more and more worried about the sneaky Earthlings making a surprise attack...
...though the Ilwrath kept telling us that was impossible...
..since the Earthlings had no ships or weaopns whatsoever.
That made us feel a bit better, but when the Ilwrath left, again we grew fearful...
..and decided to make a strategic redeployment to Mars.
Later on we decided it would be prudent to relocate to Jupiter's moon, Ganymede...
..then later Saturn's moon, Titan...
..and finally here to Pluto.
ZELNICK
What is happening at the base on Luna then?
FWIFFO
We decided that if the Earthlings figured out we had abandoned the base on Luna...
..they would be more likely to try something sneaky.
So we rigged up some old service androids and ordered them to drive around on the lunar surface in bulldozers,
endlessly pushing around the same piles of dirt.
In addition, we connected the base's local radio transmitter to an audio Melnorme FunRom...
..called 'Winky's Happy Night', hoping that they would think we were still in there.
ZELNICK
What happened to the Ilwrath stationed in the system?
FWIFFO
The Ilwrath contingent were supposed to be the toughest ridge-crest, er...
..the most rigid flipper, no...
..ah yes - the BACKBONE of the Earthguard force; but they departed the system en masse...
..not long after the last Ur-Quan Dreadnought vanished from this region of space.
They claimed to have received a direct order from their Gods of Evil and Darkness,
who had grown dissatisfied with the Ilwraths' passivity...
..and wanted them to kill or at least torture someone soon.
Personally, I believe they just got bored and went off to have some fun.
ZELNICK
What happened to the other Spathi ships?
FWIFFO
Over the past years, it became necessary to redeploy strategically some of our Earthguard forces...
..to our homeworld in case of a sudden surprise attack by a vicious, unrelenting alien race which we Spathi call...
..The Ultimate Evil!
ZELNICK
Who or what is this 'Ultimate Evil'?
FWIFFO
As yet, the Ultimate Evil remains largely unmanifest, and its powers and exacts intentions are still a bit obscure...
..since it lurks just outside the range of even the most sensitive, long-range detectors...
..which we feel gives conclusive evidence as to The Ultimate Evil's nefarious intent.
ZELNICK
How many crew do you have aboard?
FWIFFO
Dozens -- that is to say, scores and perhaps even hundreds of my brethren stride through the corridors...
..of this specially modified, super-efficient, mass-destruction-oriented starship...
..which could lay seige to an entire planetary system should we choose to do so...
..which, fortunately for you, we have decided not to do, today.
ZELNICK
Hundreds? Come on.
FWIFFO
I am undone! You are far too clever for a poor Spathi like me..
..and now I must submit to your superior, alien intellect.
I guess I am not revealing any truly important secrets if I tell you...
..that each of my species' Eluder-class Voidships typically holds 30 Spathi crewmen...
..though at present my vessel, the StarRunner, is not up to full complement...
..due to the needs of my homeworld in their resistance against the Ultimate Evil...
..and in fact my vessil is somewhat understaffed right now...
..seeing as how I am the only Spathi on board, whcih is a bit frightening as I am sure you can understand.
ZELNICK
The galaxy teems with threatening monsters. Are you happy here -- alone and vulnerable?
FWIFFO
How true, Captain, how true!
In truth, just between us, during these past seven years, I have been quite ill at ease...
..and yet now I find myself enjoying your company, this witty dialog...
..and the presence of your huge, powerful, death-dealing starship which, being my friend...
..you would certainly feel compelled to use in order to save me from any hostile lifeforms...
..who threatened me with death.
ZELNICK
I'm sure you'd feel a lot safer if you were with us. Come on, Fwiffo, join our fleet!
FWIFFO
Happy days and jubilation!
I discard prejudice and hestitations and accept and celebrate your offer of protection...
..and your undying commitment to my well-being!
I must wax melancholy for just a moment, though...
..and make sure you understand that any other Spathi ships we meet at large in the galaxy...
..are not going to be quite so responsive to your friendly gestures as myself...
..since they bear more heavily the yoke of Ur-Quan enslavement...
..and are also apt to talk themselves out of allying with a totally unknown alien...
..which I, having been left here alone, cannot do.
Welcome me aboard, captain!
I now have an escort to replace my Earthling Cruiser, which makes me feel much more at-ease with the galaxy. Time for one last trip to the space station before my departure from this system...
This is the Shipyard screen. Here I can purchase new ships or replenish crew to ships that are not at full capacity. Today I'll only be doing the latter, enlisting 11 new crew for the Vindicator and 29 for the StarRunner, costing me 120 RUs total.
And with my latest wave of resources, that thruster array is looking a bit nicer. Once I have all the thrusters and turning jets filled out, I'll start actually upgrading the ship itself.
<< | ^^ | >>