Round 2 - The Mekhala Mad Dash of 2037!

[JBarca]

With a flash like a dying star and a crash that can be felt by all who stand on the asteroid, the Khylokians arrive. Or, rather, most of them do. From the wreckage that was - apparently - once a towing vessel climb a handful of dazed and bloated figures, shaking heads and pulling on limbs to set bones before the sanguimancy wears off. At their head walks Omnuud khosee-Huel, a woman in her prime who strolls forward as though from a mighty military lander rather than twisted metal and corpses. She waves at all who are gathered, then begrudgingly bows to the High Lady.

"My lady! The Bloodlord was hoping you would be here. We have a race to prepare for, but I was told to deliver this to you alone, and I may not survive the race to do so afterward!"

She holds out a small drive attached to a gaudy, gilded chain.

"Orders, contracts, shipping confirmation, routes, and manifests. The Reign of Blood happily provides what it can to the Emperor."

---

The ships pulled in from Khylosen are rapidly swarmed by Khylokians. It seems as though eleven were towed in initially, though once the scavenging, reconstructing, and repairs are finished, the Reign of Blood has but four craft ready for the race. Three are tiny, personal vehicles, blade-sharp and sporting two of what one might generously call "engines." The fourth is larger, with actual drives and room for a small crew. As pilots get sorted, a body can be seen drifting slowly away from the start line, freshly de-suited. khosee-Huel herself stands near the cockpit, wearing a loose, barely-bloody pilot's outfit and grinning excitedly.

 

Pilots! for KRB

Omnuud khosee-Huel (Khylokian, she/her). Pilots the largest ship KRB brings, equipped with multiple drives
Uyu Ungke (Khylokian, he/him). Pilots one of the smaller ships, equipped with two engines and a boarding hatch
Eki Orkatan (Khylokian, she/her). Pilots one of the smaller ships, equipped with two engines and a boarding hatch

 

[bc_56]

15 hours ago, EmBark said:

Meanwhile, hecaton Karcheras Katos sighed a crackling, glowing sigh, and turned his eyes to the delegates from the Dwarven Mining Conglomerate. At least they were more familiar to him. A harder kind of folk. He could appreciate that. Not to mention their drink. He walked in their direction.

"Hail and greetings, masters of the stout!" He said, having heard some dwarves appreciated the double meaning. "I see you are well prepared for the race.

"Aye! It's a welcome diversion before the war begins," the dwarven leader replies, "Sit down, have a drink, and tell us about the race. What do you think of the contestants?" He offers one of the peculiar dwarven spillproof mugs - necessary for drinking in 0 gees. "You're certainly more familiar with the track than any of us, perhaps you know what to watch for?"

[Lumaeus]

1 hour ago, EmBark said:

Ani-Quin casts a sidewards glance at Alud Soom to gauge the young man's response, then takes hold of Velocipede Excelsior's hand, turning it over as they shake. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that, sir Velocipede Excelsior," Ani-Quin says, "but if you're thinking you'll be the Mekhala Mad Dash Champion this year, you're Mad before we've begun!

"My name's Ani-Quin and this isn't my first Mad Dash and it won't be my last. That championship belt and all the associated honour and renown will be mine, mark my words!"

 

"You're on!" says Velocipede with a wide grin. "But I better warn you, I've been training hard! I know all the techniques, like pushing down on the pedal harder to go faster by force of will, leaning in the direction of a turn as though that affects anything, and believing in myself, which is the most powerful technique of all! After I take the belt, you can come visit it in the Arkhive which I have explicitly been instructed to note is not sponsoring my participation in this race!"

He lays one hand on the door of the open-topped car and leaps over it into the driver's seat.

"I'll see you when you reach the finish line!"

[Lleban]

Before The Race: Starting Line

 

Mr. Kim "Lucky Day" cracked his carbon fiber knuckles while leaning against his Kyongdai brand Jet Carrier. His competition was hard to judge. Robots, humans from the boonies, humans from planets with proper gravity, might be tougher than expected by his sponsors. Still, his jet carrier was his best shot at avoiding debt-based internship. Fed by the finest designer liquid hydrogen into an experimental hundred-core engine, the Kyongdai Jet Carrier is equipped.... Kim slapped the right side of his head, recalibrating his cerebral augment again. This wasn't the time for intrusive thought adds, and it'd be worse if they interrupted his focus at a critical juncture. When his head stopped rocketing adds to the remainder of his brain Kim lit his cigarette and bowed.

"My Lady the Federation of Baladian Chaebols sends its regards. Let us use the breath the Emperor loans us on this blessed day."

 

[Rocket Relm]

Drinks Before The Race

Ambassador Yessikruz Donce answers the woman's curtsey with one as well, in the style of social mimicry the Society taught.

"Hail and greetings, Holly Hakurei Heliotrope. I am ambassador Yessikruz Donce, a llort of the Society. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She gestured at the drinks. "These are a variety of beverages from around Mekhala. Icy water and whiskey are among the fortes of the peoples of Mekhala, but there are some other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that I must admit I know not all names of. I prefer to drink Liquid Gold."

"Liquid gold, eh? I'll sample and give all of these a shot." She hovers over some of the drinks with a finger, clearly enamored. "While we do, what kind of broadcasting systems does this place have in mind to keep track of the racers?" Holly begins sipping one of the drinks, making a face, trying a second and making a face that is much more positively inclined. She pulls up some chairs, getting into a place they can see the starting line from. "I know I have some arrangements made for following our own racer, but I'm always interested in learning about the broadcast of the rest of the empire."

---

At The Starting Line

Neon Light Illusion arrived, similar to before, coming out from a side direction and clawing its way to the front. The bigfin reef squid of massive size... found it was not the most massive ship here, interestingly enough. It's revving engines, and listening quietly, taking things in.
 

---

"Thank hell. Our pilot found the starting line. No no it's entirely our friends fault, Neon got excited by the racers and started to observe. Really should have gotten here with more time to spare." Holly took a sip from her second, preferred drink, looking gleeful and relieved. Already a couple of the Zelfs were setting up cameras to watch the racers.

[TheDarkDM]

The drive plume of the decelerating Ducal Yacht had been visible for hours before it finally hoved into view, a blood-red star that eventually resolved around the black needle of the yacht. Settling into a locked orbit around the site of the starting line, two ships emerged from the yacht's inner bay. One was mundane enough, a gilded black shuttle with the red circle of the House emblazoned on its underbelly that swept down to dock alongside the transports of the other luminaries. The other, however, was a monstrous red cruciform, its outer hull tapered forward in a stiletto-thrust through space. The main drive of the Lilin fired once before gliding down on maneuvering thrusters, spilling thaumaturgically contained fusion light over the spectators below. Synchronized with the theatrical burn, a herald emerged from the bay of the ducal shuttle and rapped an iron rod against the floor.

"Presenting His Most Noble Grace Esarhaddon III, Core Blessed Patriarch of the House of Fire and Her Most Radiant Grace Ana-Tashmetum-taklak, Mistress of the Ninefold Mysteries. Accompanying them, the Lady Naqi'a, the Thrice Crowned Wings of Night."

The strident reports of boots echoed the herald's rod, as Esarhaddon emerged into the glowing all-light of mirrored flats. Where his eyes at his ascension had been black pits, assailed by the blinding light his pupils had contracted into near-invisible pinpricks, allowing emerald pools to fill the vacancy. The flowing robes of ancient ceremony had been discarded for a sharp-cut dress uniform, a fiery red coat seamed in black worn over black trousers and mirror-sheened boots. A golden diadem reminiscent of zero-g wildfire encircled his smooth brow, with his only other ornament a long chain of interlocking sunbursts and ancient runes draped over his shoulders. At his side, the Duchess Ana-Tashmetum-taklak was radiant in an ethereal white gown, the low gravity of their surroundings causing it to pool and whorl in the air behind her. Red-painted lips parted in a radiant smile beneath eyes that were amber pools as she raised a slender hand to greet the assembled dignitaries, stepping forward with her husband arm-in-arm. Behind them followed another tall member of the House of Fire, her red pilot's suit leaving little doubt as to the House of Fire's contestant. The pale curves of her features were obscured beneath ceremonial black paint, and only the gold-flecked green pools of her eyes betrayed her heritage. Three steps behind her parents, the Lady Naqi'a held a mirrored helmet in the crook of one arm, while the other rested on the hilt of a ceremonial rapier.

The noble trio proceeded to the balcony overlooking the starting line. Naqi'a's grin beneath her black paint was eager and vicious, and brought a host of old anxieties bubbling up in Esarhaddon's heart. She had been racing voidships for years, at first incognito against his will, and though he had made his peace with it long ago he still longed to reach out and hold her Lilin still by sheer force of will. Instead, he rested a hand on her shoulder and gently brought her face to face with him. She was shorter than her brother, but still nearly matched him.

"Fly swiftly. Fly well."

He ran two fingers over her forehead, staining them black before bringing them to rest over her heart.  Her gloved hand covered his, and they shared a nod. He felt her heart beating, rapid with adrenaline, and as he had many time before he released her. Turning to her mother, Naqi'a dropped into a formal curtsey, holding it a moment too long before unleashing her coiled muscles to launch over the railing. Void thrusters concealed in her belt caught her after a frozen moment of unbidden terror, and she drifted down to where the Lilin sat waiting. The cockpit slid open to disgorge Naqi'a's personal mechanic, his eyes darting over the control console as he muttered the pre-launch checklist to himself for the tenth time.

"Is she ready for me, Naram-Lu?"

"Aye, my lady, as ever."

The mechanic smiled viciously, eyes sweeping over the assembled racers.

"Try to leave them a little pride, eh?"

With a laugh he swung down to the tarmac, busying himself with the underbelly of the ship. One foot inside the cockpit and the other resting boldly atop the fuselage, Naqi'a drew her ceremonial rapier and pointed it towards where Esarhaddon still stood in vigil.

"For the House of Fire!"

She spun until the point of the rapier had come to rest over the distant center of the system.

"For Ophon!"

Edited February 14 by TheDarkDM (see edit history)

[EmBark]

Before the Race -- VIP platform

JBarca - Omnuud khosee-Huel

9 hours ago, JBarca said:

With a flash like a dying star and a crash that can be felt by all who stand on the asteroid, the Khylokians arrive. Or, rather, most of them do. From the wreckage that was - apparently - once a towing vessel climb a handful of dazed and bloated figures, shaking heads and pulling on limbs to set bones before the sanguimancy wears off. At their head walks Omnuud khosee-Huel, a woman in her prime who strolls forward as though from a mighty military lander rather than twisted metal and corpses. She waves at all who are gathered, then begrudgingly bows to the High Lady.

"My lady! The Bloodlord was hoping you would be here. We have a race to prepare for, but I was told to deliver this to you alone, and I may not survive the race to do so afterward!"

She holds out a small drive attached to a gaudy, gilded chain.

"Orders, contracts, shipping confirmation, routes, and manifests. The Reign of Blood happily provides what it can to the Emperor."

 

Pilots! for KRB

Omnuud khosee-Huel (Khylokian, she/her). Pilots the largest ship KRB brings, equipped with multiple drives
Uyu Ungke (Khylokian, he/him). Pilots one of the smaller ships, equipped with two engines and a boarding hatch
Eki Orkatan (Khylokian, she/her). Pilots one of the smaller ships, equipped with two engines and a boarding hatch

Rocket Relm

4 hours ago, Rocket Relm said:

"Liquid gold, eh? I'll sample and give all of these a shot." She hovers over some of the drinks with a finger, clearly enamored. "While we do, what kind of broadcasting systems does this place have in mind to keep track of the racers?" Holly begins sipping one of the drinks, making a face, trying a second and making a face that is much more positively inclined. She pulls up some chairs, getting into a place they can see the starting line from. "I know I have some arrangements made for following our own racer, but I'm always interested in learning about the broadcast of the rest of the empire."

---

At The Starting Line

Neon Light Illusion arrived, similar to before, coming out from a side direction and clawing its way to the front. The bigfin reef squid of massive size... found it was not the most massive ship here, interestingly enough. It's revving engines, and listening quietly, taking things in.
 

---

"Thank hell. Our pilot found the starting line. No no it's entirely our friends fault, Neon got excited by the racers and started to observe. Really should have gotten here with more time to spare." Holly took a sip from her second, preferred drink, looking gleeful and relieved. Already a couple of the Zelfs were setting up cameras to watch the racers.

Ambassador Yessikruz Donce set a step back as a racer from the Reign of Blood came up to the High Lady, and busied herself instead with conversation on broadcasting with the Purifier delegate for the moment. If the High Lady deigned herself to speak to her again, she'd honour it, but she wouldn't overcrowd her.

"I've little knowledge on the technical details, but there is broadcasting equipment that is given to consenting racers and there are stations and drones along the way. Most are concentrated around the checkpoints of course." She noted, then thought for a moment. "I think that CASSIOPE would have a lot at theirs, because they set up an obstacle course. They'd need a lot of different angles."

As the Duke of the House of Fire entered, she regarded him from a distance.

"And there's the matter of a part of the race going through an active warzone. That might grant a higher chance that participating racers will die if they race through the crossfire--which I'm given to understand might be the closest route? I hope not."

bc_56 - the Dwarven Mining Conglomerate

9 hours ago, bc_56 said:

"Aye! It's a welcome diversion before the war begins," the dwarven leader replies, "Sit down, have a drink, and tell us about the race. What do you think of the contestants?" He offers one of the peculiar dwarven spillproof mugs - necessary for drinking in 0 gees. "You're certainly more familiar with the track than any of us, perhaps you know what to watch for?"

Karcheras Katos sat down with the dwarven leader and accepted a drink with the spillproof mug, nodding gratefully.

"The contestants I know by name are few, mostly veterans from when I raced once myself." He began. "The larger scope of this year's race makes for a more interesting glut of racers, I'd have to say. I scanned through the list of sign-ups earlier. To see royalty amongst it now is interesting for sure. I thought the Consul's son might participate, but he is absent. The native racers are all good. Ani-Quin's too brash, I think he'll spin out on the obstacle course and crash. Daliya Nasakal is new to the Mad Dash, but I've seen her in local races. Good form for a flyer."

He took a sip.

"As for the track... the far side of the ring will be most difficult, for sure. The raiders and the active warzones will test the racers in ways that the checkpoints and obstacle courses won't. But then," and this is where his lime green face broke into a grin. "It wouldn't be the Mad Dash without a few casualties."

 

During the Race -- at the Starting Line

Lumaeus - Velocipede

9 hours ago, Lumaeus said:

"You're on!" says Velocipede with a wide grin. "But I better warn you, I've been training hard! I know all the techniques, like pushing down on the pedal harder to go faster by force of will, leaning in the direction of a turn as though that affects anything, and believing in myself, which is the most powerful technique of all! After I take the belt, you can come visit it in the Arkhive which I have explicitly been instructed to note is not sponsoring my participation in this race!"

He lays one hand on the door of the open-topped car and leaps over it into the driver's seat.

"I'll see you when you reach the finish line!"

Ani-Quin grin faded to a smile as Velocipede walked off. They turned back to Alud Soom.

"Alright, I should get into my ride. It's been good to meet you, Alud Soom. I hope to see you after the race."

They gave a little salute-like wave.

"Don't die."

And they ran back and quickly got into their ship.

Dark - Naqi'a

2 hours ago, TheDarkDM said:

[...] Void thrusters concealed in her belt caught her after a frozen moment of unbidden terror, and she drifted down to where the Lilin sat waiting. The cockpit slid open to disgorge Naqi'a's personal mechanic, his eyes darting over the control console as he muttered the pre-launch checklist to himself for the tenth time.

"Is she ready for me, Naram-Lu?"

"Aye, my lady, as ever."

The mechanic smiled viciously, eyes sweeping over the assembled racers.

"Try to leave them a little pride, eh?"

With a laugh he swung down to the tarmac, busying himself with the underbelly of the ship. One foot inside the cockpit and the other resting boldly atop the fuselage, Naqi'a drew her ceremonial rapier and pointed it towards where Esarhaddon still stood in vigil.

"For the House of Fire!"

She spun until the point of the rapier had come to rest over the distant center of the system.

"For Ophon!"

Daliya Nasakal looked with curious eyes at the Lilin. She'd raced against people from the asteroids of the House of Fire before, but never someone from the House of Fire itself. This would be interesting. She floated closer towards it, putting her starting position adjacent to the Lilin. She wanted to watch this rapier-swinging person more closely during the race.

 

---

 

During the Race -- at the Starting Line... Starting!

The announcer took position in the platform of their lightning dome. Their sunglasses gleamed in the light of the first rays of Ophon rising over the horizon of Al-Miraiya. Their voice came through to the audience loudly and more softly to any racers who decided to set their channels to receive it.

"It is that time again, lords, ladies and gentlethem! People across the spectrum and from every gene pool and arcane persuasion! It is here! It is now! It is the MEKHALA MAD DASH 2037!"

A horn blared. The lights went on.

 

"On your marks!"

Red One

"Ready?"

Red Two

"Get set!"

Red THREE

"GO!"

GREEN!

OOC

Until and including on Saturday you're free to make your rolls for the race and decide what bits of the race you want to describe! Xanxost posted a bit earlier about the first checkpoint with the obstacle course. Then there's the Glix checkpoint, then a few unclaimed regions (including an active warzone), then the Khylokian checkpoint (and rogue raiders), and then another warzone! Finally, the checkpoint on Al-Miraiya, and then finishing at the same line as we started.

Since it is an endurance race, stopping is possible and coasting mid-flight is possible, so remember your racer doesn't have to be in their seat and actively steering the entire time. They can open communications to other racers, they can make a pit stop in other regions, they can eat, drink and be merry. Prooobably don't want to sleep though, despite it being a long race.

Oh and please put all your rolls in a single post in this thread.

 

Edited February 14 by EmBark (see edit history)

[Rocket Relm]

Neon Light Illusion blitzed off sideways, vanishing from all visibility. It looked like it was going slow, but then really quickly somewhere, with engines blaring. Though other engines were flaring too. First up would be the Space Kelp Cluster, and the squid liked its chances of getting through water like terrain...

[BladeofOblivion]

1 hour ago, EmBark said:

Quote

During the Race -- at the Starting Line

Lumaeus - Velocipede

"You're on!" says Velocipede with a wide grin. "But I better warn you, I've been training hard! I know all the techniques, like pushing down on the pedal harder to go faster by force of will, leaning in the direction of a turn as though that affects anything, and believing in myself, which is the most powerful technique of all! After I take the belt, you can come visit it in the Arkhive which I have explicitly been instructed to note is not sponsoring my participation in this race!"

He lays one hand on the door of the open-topped car and leaps over it into the driver's seat.

"I'll see you when you reach the finish line!"

Ani-Quin grin faded to a smile as Velocipede walked off. They turned back to Alud Soom.

"Alright, I should get into my ride. It's been good to meet you, Alud Soom. I hope to see you after the race."

They gave a little salute-like wave.

"Don't die."

And they ran back and quickly got into their ship.

 

---

 

During the Race -- at the Starting Line... Starting!

The announcer took position in the platform of their lightning dome. Their sunglasses gleamed in the light of the first rays of Ophon rising over the horizon of Al-Miraiya. Their voice came through to the audience loudly and more softly to any racers who decided to set their channels to receive it.

"It is that time again, lords, ladies and gentlethem! People across the spectrum and from every gene pool and arcane persuasion! It is here! It is now! It is the MEKHALA MAD DASH 2037!"

A horn blared. The lights went on.

 

"On your marks!"

Red One

"Ready?"

Red Two

"Get set!"

Red THREE

"GO!"

GREEN!

During the Race -- at the Starting Line

If Alud Soom had any reaction to the newcomer his iron mask did not betray it, but his eyes watched the pair with a bit of mirth. He rumbled, chuckling beneath the barrier. "Well. It seems I shall have my work cut out for me to match both experience and enthusiasm. May her embrace be gentle this day, and your paths clear."

 

---

During the Race -- at the Starting Line... Starting!

He strapped into his cockpit, running secondary diagnostics; everything seemed fine, but for the soft blue glow of his new "Assistant". She didn't have control of the wheel, so it would be fine. Probably. He revved up the afterburners.

"You are wasting fuel," the machine to his right informed him. "I am doing no such thing," he replied.

The green flag dropped. He engaged the engine.

[xanxosttheslaad]

continuing —

As they near the first checkpoint of the race, competitors see before them a greenish off-yellow orb of incomparable size to all but most attendants, comparable in size to the enormous iron asteroid of Dur-Shalkhir. Greeting them at the checkpoint coordinates is a large, slowly rotating ring, bearing brightly painted inscriptions of 'Welcome, Guests! Happy Racing!' translated into Low Imperial and a dozen other languages scraped from the InterPlaNet basic translator (which will surely go unappreciated by most if they maintain their pace). Positioned at several points around the ring, a dozen custodial units await their guests in small crafts equipped for towing. As each racing craft approaches, they receive a communication signal (whether they pay it any mind is, of course, up to the racers):

Greetings, racer! We hope your visit to the Space-Kelp Cluster has been most enjoyable; in the spirit of the occasion, we've been hard at work readying our humble home for the honor of hosting a section of the great Mekhala Mad Dash of 2037! Through the aggregation of one thousand and forty seven live space-kelp asteroids, the interweaving of stipes, and careful pruning, we have constructed for your enjoyment, the greatest kelp maze in Tekhum! Make your way through the vast network of carefully carved tunnels as they branch and weave; a second delegation awaits you at the exit to give proper congratulations and refreshments and wish luck on the next leg of the journey! Take care not to stray too far off the paths; the centuries of selection the produced the current varieties of space-kelp have optimized them to capture even the fastest-moving of meteoroids that pass through the kelp-yarn, and we wouldn't want you to get stuck! Or lost, for that matter. Best of luck, and we hope you return soon to visit our luxurious central habitat!

By the time each racer passes through the entry ring, the maze before them has grown to dominate half their total field of view, appearing as a vast plane spreading out in all directions. Up close, sensors detect within the mass a vast network of tangled stipe, trunk-like structures converging intermittently at smaller asteroids nestled within dense tangles of holdfast. If the ship has a windshield, close inspection reveals the gradual appearance of tiny, free-floating filaments that collect and stick to the exterior surface, the same color as that which begins to surround the craft on all sides. If communication channels with the greeting delegation are kept open, each craft also receives a digital transmission of a map, apparently a handful of cross sections of the larger maze from unspecified angles, at which the careful placement of asteroids and tunnels going in and out of the page make for a fun picture — including a dancing dwarf, a Glix worker, the WTU logo, and a detailed map of the craters and geography of the central asteroid of region 86 amongst others (space corn maze map!). The edges of the digital map are filled with shameless ads, promoting a diverse selection of the arts, recreation, parks, and other activities available on the C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. habitat, with several pictures of smiling organics dancing, playing a space-saxophone, turning clay, and playing a nondescript sportball activity.

[farothel]

Not much before the start of the race, a transport ship showed up, bearing a Bafatis transponder signal. Out of the cargo bay a smaller ship approached the starting line. It was probably one of the bigger ships on the line. It was not a pure racer, although it had some speed. Approaching the starting line was the Bafatis' last dropship, the D8-B. It could hold two platoons of infantry or two fighting vehicles (or one M40 main battletank). It had some missiles to protect itself or to 'prepare' a landing area. The main advantage they had was that with a few extra tanks instead of combat vehicles to have better range, they still had enough room to let the pilots sleep during the race. The ship actually had two relays of pilots for this race. Time for a test under more realistic circumstances.

 

As the little ship made its way to the starting line, the transport communicated to the The Llort Society Protectorate.

"We're sorry that we're late, but we're ready to join the race," the captain of the ship said.

[BladeofOblivion]

During the Race -- The Space-Kelp Cluster

The first great challenge of the race arrived before Alud Soom's eyes, and while he had known it was coming long enough in advance to slow to a velocity he could do maneuvering at, the scale of the maze still seemed daunting. Iris reported incoming transmissions containing something akin to directions, and he allowed her to calculate and relay a path. For a few steps, anyway.

"Now angle up.", Iris said cheerily.

"Up." He could feel his mouth dry. Races didn't go up. That was silly. He'd never practiced a tight up. Why did he not see that coming? "No. This is absurd. Warm up the mining lasers."

"...What?" Iris replied, with some sort of simulated dread entering her tone. He didn't let it get to him, and started cutting a path through. It'd be painfully slow, but he refused to submit to something as ridiculous as a maze. When a tugboat arrived looking for 'lost' racers, he lanced a warning shot past their bow, and they seemed uninterested in pressing the issue, to Iris' exasperation. By the time he'd made it to the other side, he was no longer sure how he was doing in the race - there were definitely still people behind him, but couldn't be sure how many had navigated the maze and left him in the dust. He engaged the engine again: He just had to do better.

[Featherscale]

CASSIOPE (MIL+Tech(Arcane Amplification)

Glix Diplomacy+Tech (Fusion)

Part 3, econ+0

Part three, redo

Khylokian Ring, mil, using Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry

War zone 2, econ+In-vivo modification

Al-Miraiya, Diplomacy+0

 

Nsott pulled up to the maze and pulled in his sails. He reached a decent cruising speed and prepared his oars. He was in contact with a Blihg Queen, and her mind linked his to another Worker viewing a map, two others processesing feeds of the race, and a fifth scanning the radio chatter.

"Nsott'Blihg going into the maze," Said Raum'Blihg, the radio support. The Queen compared the map to the feeds and Nsott became aware of what to do, the agility of the golem vessel seemed impossible, but he was managing it!!

 

Later, Glic Space....

The clear space of the zone surrounding Parrot's Perch was an open run to the Blue Zone, a quick deceleration, and then acceleration to a long, stern cruise.

Playing chicken with the Lepkashramov shields was dangerous. They would ignore most slow moving vessels, but tense up and crush into anything fast enough to disrupt the atmosphere. The vessel needed to enter the Blue Zone, fully immerse in air, to count as having checked in, and a vessel could only do that if it had slowed enough to land.

Nsott had never used engines before, but Blihg had installed fusion drives for this leg of the journey. They would need to work the first time. He set his sails to brake, spun himself by his oars, and... burnt! He slowed just enough to pass the shields...

He flexed his oars and jumped as soon as Raum heard the referee call it good. As soon as he hit vacuum, he burnt again, and was up to cruising speed uncannily fast.

Edited February 15 by Featherscale (see edit history)

[EmBark]

During the Race -- at the Starting Line

As soon as the green lights lit up and the flags came down, Ani-Quin rammed the pedal of their craft down as far as they could make them go. The jet engines pulling them forward blazed and they could barely see beyond them. Thankfully, the screens that sat in front of him showed more of what was beyond them.

Daliya Nasakal shot forward, propelled purely by her arcane power. Her silvery glow brightened and left a comet-like trail behind her.

 

During the Race -- at the Space-Kelp Cluster

Ani-Quin had plenty of time to prepare before they got the Space-Kelp Cluster. They'd gotten an early lead, then coasted for a little while, unpacking a breakfast package. In the middle of a bite into a sausage, the warning lights lit up. Ani-Quin hurriedly put the package away and looked at the screens, seeing other racers approaching fast. They gulped down the sausage and kicked their vehicle into gear again, zooming away. At the obstacle course of space-kelp, they made the twists and turns as if with natural ease. Ha, that was a benefit to having participated in the Mekhala Mad Dash before! It had and required tricks no other race did. They cleared it before most of the other racers and left a trail through the checkpoint. They briefly turned on the radio to take in the audience cheers.

Daliya Nasakal faired well on the first stretch as well. Though not as fast as some racers, the obstacle course was incredibly easy for someone who flew on their own power. An upside to a small size.

 

OOC

The fairest thing is that everyone only gets one set of rolls, even if they have multiple racers participating. I will decide at my last roll or sometime before then if it'll be more interesting for those rolls to have represented Ani-Quin or Daliya Nasakal.

Edited February 14 by EmBark (see edit history)

[BladeofOblivion]

During the Race -- The Parrot's Perch

"You'll have to slow down through those shields.", Iris observed, to Alud's annoyance. "You'll flatten yourself into them otherwise, and even if your ship survived the impact, the resulting contact with the atmosphere will instantly turn the space dust that has accumulated on your vessel into a cloud of ash that will, I assume, make the locals extremely unhappy."

He fired his mass driver at the shield, and did not slow down nearly enough to pass through without disruption. The barrier tensed ahead. "Are you crazy? That's a civilian sector!", Iris shouted with alarm. "I know. I just needed it to be solid enough for the laser to excite the barrier," he replied as he engaged the mining laser once more. "That's not kelp, you can't just cut i-"

Iris' protests were cut short an instant before impact, as the vessel...wasn't. The runes painted along the wings shone bright for an instant and the racing ship momentarily became a torrent of surging energy, conducted across the excited energy barrier in that instant before reconstituting itself at speed within the barrier! As Iris predicted the stardust gathering upon the front of the ship was burned away on reentry, creating a massive ash cloud that would either force the engagement of atmospheric scrubbers or worsen the local air pollution for a time. The locals, indeed, probably would not be happy. But there was little argument that the ship had entered the atmosphere intact. That they'd lost enough speed to exit again without exploding was a happy accident, and they did so in a hurry.

"...What just happened, exactly? I was expecting more of an impact."
"We phased out momentarily. There's no way you predicted that."
"I freely admit I did not. I was expecting to batter through a weakened point on the barrier."
"You're insane. We're going to die if you're going to drive this recklessly!"

But while they weren't in the lead, they'd made up for lost time a bit.