NationStates Jolt Archive

*Ald Rhun Department of Foreign Relations Official Press Release*
In a magnanimous gesture today, Lord Helmawr of the Incorporated Systems of Ald Rhun officially recognized VEN KER'SEAHN as the new head of Jangle Jangle Ridgean government. Ald Rhun is the second nation, after the Cyber-Hive of Otagia, to officially recognize the sentient planetoid as the legitimate leader. Diplomats have been sent to the blasted wreckage of Ridgean space, and are scheduled to begin talks on annhilating the Xeno threat within the week.
In other news, the Otagian ambassador was found dead from alcohol poisoning last night, with an empty bottle of Liepzig vodka near his corpse...

QUETZAL applauds Lord Helmawr for his wise decision.

QUETZAL would also like to applaud the man who got the Ambassador drunk and dead. The Blood Space Wolves expatriate will not be missed.

Within Otagia and Ald Rhun space, the STC curled over itself, and a Beast snapped into existance within each area. Each empty ship blared an invitation to use to ship and enter Ridgean space.

"Hey, Simmons!"

Captain Alex Simmons slowly turned around, dreading the face he knew was there. It was his commanding officer, Admiral Saliss. And where Saliss was, an assignment would shortly follow, especially considering that Saliss was a Twist, and thus a sociopath. If he could avoid Simmons, or anyone for that matter, he would have...

"Sir!"
"At ease, Simmons. QUETZAL has an assignment for you. Seems a Ridgean bioship showed up in our space, seems the Desolator wants to talk with QUETZAL. And since you're designated Avatar to Ven Ker'Seahn..."

"Fine. When do I leave?"

"Now."


The shuttle docked in the belly of the Beast.

As the shuttle doors opened, they were met with a wall of flesh. Slowly, divots appeared, to welcome to the soon-to-be pilots.

"Sir?"
"Yes, Simmons?"
"I think it wants us to go in.."
"Into those flesh-pockets that just formed?"
"Yes, sir."
--Enter the divots, officers. Ven Ker'Seahn will not harm you.--
"Well, if QUETZAL says so..."

Simmons and his crew-mates cautionsly moved forwards into the divots, praying that the thing didn't decide to just eat them.

The flesh closed around the pilots, carrying them to the center of the ship as it slowly connected to them. Ship controls were not seen with eyes, but directly with the mind, as if it was all imagined. Through the ship, Ven Ker'seahn talked to them. "Hello pilots, Quetzal. Come Ridgean space. Now."

Simmons was enclosed in the flesh. All around him, he could feel animal emotions pressing down on him. It was at times like these he hated being an Empath...

But the sensations... He could feel everything!

The beat of his crewmates hearts...
The Beast's filters pushing oxygen into their lungs...
The cold vacuum of space on the Beast's skin...

And the biological mechanism that would fold space-time to take him to Ridgean space.

The drive engaged, and he was gone...

Again the Beast, Ven Ker'seahn spoke to Simmons and the pilots.
"Welcome, Otagian. We have much to discuss. First, however... how do you like the ship?"

"The ship? The response time is excellent, the interface is unique, and the ship is... friendly? Sort of like a big dog... A really big dog, but a dog none the less... All in all, an excellent construction!"

Simmons gave a quick mental command, and a bank of vivisect lasers flared to life, carving a nearby asteroid into a reasonable facsimile of Simmon's head.

"And the weapons package is also terrific!"

Through the messaging system came a noise, something entirely unexpected.
"Pffffffft! Blowhard."

The massive atmospheric weapons platforms flipped in the direction of the asteroid, as if a flick of the wrist, and fired in unison. With a blast of light, the asteroid was turned to spinning globules of molten rock.
"You seem to take to it well. Most people shouldn't be able to fire all the heavier weapons at once on their first day. Maybe I made these things too user-friendly."

Space folded again, and the other beast appeared, bearing the somewhat apprehensive crew from Ald Rhun.
"Hell, you should make it easier, you damned Xeno! This thing keeps trying to go off on it's own!"
The beast jerked awkwardly towards a nearby asteroid field, it's weaponry firing seemingly at random...

Simmons grinned.

"Should I take that as a complement? Or should QUETZAL? It only picks the most able for it's Avatars, you know. Anyway, I still haven't completely gotten the hang of the dragon-weapons. I've just managed to keep them from firing at it's own whim. Hell, I'm not even sure what they are yet!

"But yes, it does seem to be easy for me. My crewmates are still trying to get used to breathing through it though. One of them had to be sedated due to claustrophobia! The Beast seems to like me, though. Perhaps that's the reason?"

Faint sounds could be heard over the comm systems...
"WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GODDAMNED BRAAAAAAAAKKKKESSSSSSSS!?!?!?!?!"
The beast from Ald Rhun continued to make a decent impression of a pinball game in the asteroid field...

Formations of clouds slowly grouped together into a face, raising and eyebrow at the Rhunian Beast.

"Perhaps... maybe I should over it to crush you. Though, I'd feel ever so slightly bad about it afterwards, so I suppose I will avoid it."

A signal shot into the Beast, with the effect of a water pistol on a pet - it stopped and sat in space.