We had a few Drabblers step up to bat and .... you know, I'm American, and I'll never understand this game. Nevertheless, we do have some very fine entries this week, and they are all worthy of your attention. But only three (3) are worthy of your vote! So pick the best and make sure you vote before the poll closes this Sunday evening!
Psykokow hosts the Abraka-Drabble live reading show and comedy hour at 7pm BST, Fridays on...
- LAVE RADIO! http://laveradio.com/ (audio only, if you want only your ears to bleed)
- TWITCH! http://www.twitch.tv/psykokow/ (audio & visual, should you wish to spout blood from both your eyes & ears!)
and will also be uploaded to his You-tube channel & anywhere else he can infect the world with our drabblings!
Remember, the winner(s) of this week's Drabble Contest get to choose next week's topic. Good luck out there on the pitch!
_________________________________________________
01 - Scorpio - Outfield
Boredom on the Imperial meteorological station had made ZeroGcricket an obsession with the crew. Last Sunday, A Tech sergeant had broken his ankles trying to pace bowl with magnetic boots on. Today, he just watched avidly from his wheelchair. The bowl was met by the sound of leather on willow; The ball sailed through the air, through a pane of plexiglass, into the vacuum of space and disapeared into the planets gravity well.
The Umpire sighed and activated his wrist communicator.
' Prep an assault shuttle ; No option but go down there and ask the cannibal's for our ball back. Again ' '
_________________________________________________
02 - Listeri69 - Yakkery Sharxx
You could hear the sharting sound, as he raced across the ground
and the groans of the crowd as they sloshed round-n-round
he galloped at the pavilion end, the sharter going forth
his name was Simoof, and he was the fastest sharter in the north
Now Simoof Had a batsman an evil looking git
called -Dock-Stone from Shinrata and he hated Simoof's <bleep>
he tempted him with googleys and his lovely looking spin
when he saw the shart, fly towards his heart, It nearly did him in
His name was Simoof
And he was the fastest sharter in the north
_________________________________________________
03 - Simoof - Cricket. Its like watching paint dry but lasts longer.
The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720-1. These odds increase exponentially when Hol is bored.
Hol sat inconspicuously in the dark side of the belt eyeing his next target.
-Pew- the asteroid exploded, huge chunks of debris smashed into the Cobra innocently mining nearby.
He checked his position, he was still shielded from the Anaconda by the Cobra.
-pew- another asteroid shattered. This time the debris marginally missed the Anaconda. Was it enough?
Flashes of lights! - the cobra was dust. Six points!!!
Hol still had 4 hours to kill. An eagle unwittingly stepped upto wicket.
_________________________________________________
04 - Erik Marcaigh - The Noise, a Drabble about Zero-G Cricket
Thousands of light years out from the nearest repair facility, millions of credits of exploration data in the computer banks, and he was about to blow his brains out.
It started weeks ago. The Noise. He'd just opened some special rations, a fresh garden salad, when he came out of hyperspace staring down the nose of two black holes dancing like ballerinas around each other. An hour's worth of evasive maneuvering, trajectory finding, and scanning for exploration data held his concentration. A few modules took some damage, but nothing life-threatening.
"Computer! Run detail diagnostics again!"
"Complying, Commander."
*ch-chirrup, ch-chirrup, ch-chirrup*
_________________________________________________
05 - Edith_The_Hutt - Pep Talk
"Zero-G Cricket is the most physically intense sport known to man. From the co-ordination and situational awareness required fielding in rocket packs and wing suits to the power and precision of batting a six inch leather ball with a long wooden paddle, all in a pitch half a mile long; it demands unparralelled skill and physical ability. In short: It develops excellent athletes. And, as our enemy are about to learn, it is also the perfect training for zero gravity combat. Now boys, let's get out there and knock these clowns for six."
Lt. Stanley Gold, Leesti Special Forces, 3201.
_________________________________________________
06 - MarktJones - Maybe more like locusts
Strange name. But now Vain understood why they'd chosen it. Sitting, rendered in that dive, she'd thought, “What else have I got to lose?” She'd always avoided piracy before. Immoral violent outcasts. Attracting pilots that didn't care. And Vain didn't care. She'd lost it all apart from her ship. And that had more holes in it than an Imperial Exploration Licence. Unsurprising that she'd joined them.
Strange name. But it made sense.
The Anaconda and its mining drones didn't notice the six Diamondbacks hopping from asteroid to asteroid. Not until the trap was sprung.
Strange name, The Zero G Crickets.
_________________________________________________
07 - drew - Ode to the Imperial Courier
Twin spinning nacelles glinting in the starshine,
Burnished bronze in the ruddy pall of a red dwarf.
A dream of spaceflight rendered into art,
A predatory bird, spreading its wing as it rises aloft.
A fearsome outline, striking dread into the hearts and souls of those who witness…
Its passing.
Yet, its gone, its shape falling into myth and legend,
Cut down by the cruel gods of progress and indifference.
Remembered now only by haunted souls of yesterday, bereft of comfort
In the light of modernity.
It's just not cricket, zero-gee or otherwise.
Wherefore art thou, my beloved Imperial Courier?
_________________________________________________
08 - Missileman - Turf Wars
Peter looked around, what was making that infernal sound
delivering the finest quality tote turf for the zero-g-cricket season had been a lucrative contract,
Peter couldn't wait to hear the sound of leather on willow,
The stars in the sky and the fielders floating in their white spacesuits.
But what was that infernal noise, Peter went down to the cargo bay,
but the sound got quieter and as he shut the cargo bay door dispersed completely,
It must be in the cockpit then. opening up the cockpit door he saw them.
Hundreds, no thousands of them
baby zero G Thargoids.
_________________________________________________
09 - Cmdr Dan - Stump Up
The Anaconda settled into the pad. The expensive repair bills Woodward off the more exuberant, voice controlled landings. A drunken trumpeter played in the background.
'Go long!' Screamed Jessie as she watched Bill's expert shot swing clear of the 'Conda's cooling engines and arc slowly through the station's central space.
Steve launched himself into the air in hot pursuit. So focussed was he on the ball, however, he neglected to see the Eagle swoop in at high speed, almost Kerrashing into the pad and smearing poor Steve like warm butter.
'Oops' said Bill, 'that's gonna cost them... who's next in?'
_________________________________________________
10 - Psykokow - Sports Report
‘Hello…I’m Steve O’Dull, welcome to zero g cricket, Let’s go back to the Galactic cup match between Barnard’s Star Wobblies, and Sol’s Spread Eagles.
Two weeks since the last bowl, and Eagles fielder Bud Fumbler has just returned with the ball marking the end of batsman Ahmed Apoopoo’s runs. The score is 4,900,324 runs to nil and now bowler Chucky Tattum is ready.
He’s started his short run, a beautiful over arm, and….
*thwaaaack* `
What a hit, Bud has jumped into his sidewinder and is making chase.. join us next week for the third shot in this exciting game’
_________________________________________________
11 - T.j - The Kow stood on the conda's burning deck, playing a game of zero-g-Cricket
Kow stood at the crease, waiting for the 1st innings to start.
'Y'know' he thought to himself that really doesn't look like a Cricket ball.
T.j stood staring through hate filled slitted eyes, rubbing the ball on his whites to get a really good shine on it.
Kow's forehead beaded with sweat as T.j started his bowling run.
Looking down he noticed that the bat in his hands was suspiciously covered in ultraglue.
'6 votes eh? 6 VOTES!!!' T.j screamed as he launched the ball with what looked like a fizzing fuse sticking out of it.
'Oh lummie' though Kow.
_________________________________________________
12 - holdmykidney - The sitter
I just made the catch of my life.
From bowler, to batsman, then up! The ball moved in straight lines, unbent by rarefied atmosphere, unhindered by gravity.
It came straight to me. Well - a little over my head, perhaps. My teammates were screaming at me to leave it.
I bent my knees, disconnected my magnetic boots and launched, closing my grip around the escaping ball.
So, it is with pride I float away from the pitch. I sail through stars on a lonely voyage into oblivion, turning the ball over with satisfaction.
I just made the catch of my life.
_________________________________________________
13 - Frank - Gentlemen and Players
New Yorkshire were down. They didn't have any hope of winning from this position. Next up to bat was their star player.
Ian Bowlsem knew the Oval Cricket Hangar like the back of his hand. He had a plan. He hovered, poised to bat in front of the holo-wickets.
<THUCK!> The sound of pleather on willow.
He knew he hit it hard enough. The direction was okay too. He couldn't hear the hiss over the screams and gasps of the audience.
Ian thought to himself, if only his other team members could hit as hard and as accurately as him.
_________________________________________________
14 - KalRyper - Caught out by the cargo
A pilot, with a heavily bandaged head, staggered towards the wary salesman and shouted, "I'm not drunk! Explosive decompression ruptured my ears so my balance is off and I can't hear properly. I need a new ship."
The salesman smiled, more reassured, and shouted back, "Medical bills are expensive. I take it you want low cost?"
"Blimey, news travels fast around here. Yes, I was shipping Karsuki Locusts and the blighters got out. Anyway, losing that rare cargo has made me short on funds."
"Usually catastrophic sir, those locust synergies."
"Zero G's? Wow. It does have a power plant right?”
_________________________________________________
15 - CdrTwisted - {untitled}
LEESTI -- The final of the 23rd Intergalactic Zee-Gee Botham Trophy was in turmoil last night after Bast captain Simone O'Flynn was accused of ball-tampering.
Her opposite number, Erica Hutt of Achenar Astro, made the extraordinary claim after Bast were crowned winners on points after a thirteen round bout.
Bast's hardstick game proved impossible to beat, with three face-offs and a penalty try in stoppage time.
After Astro failed to overturn a holo-review of Frankie Ryper's stumping, Hutt jostled O'Flynn and hit her crotch with a bat.
"Sounded like leather on willow," Hutt said. "Balls are illegal in the women's game."
Psykokow hosts the Abraka-Drabble live reading show and comedy hour at 7pm BST, Fridays on...
- LAVE RADIO! http://laveradio.com/ (audio only, if you want only your ears to bleed)
- TWITCH! http://www.twitch.tv/psykokow/ (audio & visual, should you wish to spout blood from both your eyes & ears!)
and will also be uploaded to his You-tube channel & anywhere else he can infect the world with our drabblings!
Remember, the winner(s) of this week's Drabble Contest get to choose next week's topic. Good luck out there on the pitch!
_________________________________________________
01 - Scorpio - Outfield
Boredom on the Imperial meteorological station had made ZeroGcricket an obsession with the crew. Last Sunday, A Tech sergeant had broken his ankles trying to pace bowl with magnetic boots on. Today, he just watched avidly from his wheelchair. The bowl was met by the sound of leather on willow; The ball sailed through the air, through a pane of plexiglass, into the vacuum of space and disapeared into the planets gravity well.
The Umpire sighed and activated his wrist communicator.
' Prep an assault shuttle ; No option but go down there and ask the cannibal's for our ball back. Again ' '
_________________________________________________
02 - Listeri69 - Yakkery Sharxx
You could hear the sharting sound, as he raced across the ground
and the groans of the crowd as they sloshed round-n-round
he galloped at the pavilion end, the sharter going forth
his name was Simoof, and he was the fastest sharter in the north
Now Simoof Had a batsman an evil looking git
called -Dock-Stone from Shinrata and he hated Simoof's <bleep>
he tempted him with googleys and his lovely looking spin
when he saw the shart, fly towards his heart, It nearly did him in
His name was Simoof
And he was the fastest sharter in the north
_________________________________________________
03 - Simoof - Cricket. Its like watching paint dry but lasts longer.
The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720-1. These odds increase exponentially when Hol is bored.
Hol sat inconspicuously in the dark side of the belt eyeing his next target.
-Pew- the asteroid exploded, huge chunks of debris smashed into the Cobra innocently mining nearby.
He checked his position, he was still shielded from the Anaconda by the Cobra.
-pew- another asteroid shattered. This time the debris marginally missed the Anaconda. Was it enough?
Flashes of lights! - the cobra was dust. Six points!!!
Hol still had 4 hours to kill. An eagle unwittingly stepped upto wicket.
_________________________________________________
04 - Erik Marcaigh - The Noise, a Drabble about Zero-G Cricket
Thousands of light years out from the nearest repair facility, millions of credits of exploration data in the computer banks, and he was about to blow his brains out.
It started weeks ago. The Noise. He'd just opened some special rations, a fresh garden salad, when he came out of hyperspace staring down the nose of two black holes dancing like ballerinas around each other. An hour's worth of evasive maneuvering, trajectory finding, and scanning for exploration data held his concentration. A few modules took some damage, but nothing life-threatening.
"Computer! Run detail diagnostics again!"
"Complying, Commander."
*ch-chirrup, ch-chirrup, ch-chirrup*
_________________________________________________
05 - Edith_The_Hutt - Pep Talk
"Zero-G Cricket is the most physically intense sport known to man. From the co-ordination and situational awareness required fielding in rocket packs and wing suits to the power and precision of batting a six inch leather ball with a long wooden paddle, all in a pitch half a mile long; it demands unparralelled skill and physical ability. In short: It develops excellent athletes. And, as our enemy are about to learn, it is also the perfect training for zero gravity combat. Now boys, let's get out there and knock these clowns for six."
Lt. Stanley Gold, Leesti Special Forces, 3201.
_________________________________________________
06 - MarktJones - Maybe more like locusts
Strange name. But now Vain understood why they'd chosen it. Sitting, rendered in that dive, she'd thought, “What else have I got to lose?” She'd always avoided piracy before. Immoral violent outcasts. Attracting pilots that didn't care. And Vain didn't care. She'd lost it all apart from her ship. And that had more holes in it than an Imperial Exploration Licence. Unsurprising that she'd joined them.
Strange name. But it made sense.
The Anaconda and its mining drones didn't notice the six Diamondbacks hopping from asteroid to asteroid. Not until the trap was sprung.
Strange name, The Zero G Crickets.
_________________________________________________
07 - drew - Ode to the Imperial Courier
Twin spinning nacelles glinting in the starshine,
Burnished bronze in the ruddy pall of a red dwarf.
A dream of spaceflight rendered into art,
A predatory bird, spreading its wing as it rises aloft.
A fearsome outline, striking dread into the hearts and souls of those who witness…
Its passing.
Yet, its gone, its shape falling into myth and legend,
Cut down by the cruel gods of progress and indifference.
Remembered now only by haunted souls of yesterday, bereft of comfort
In the light of modernity.
It's just not cricket, zero-gee or otherwise.
Wherefore art thou, my beloved Imperial Courier?
_________________________________________________
08 - Missileman - Turf Wars
Peter looked around, what was making that infernal sound
delivering the finest quality tote turf for the zero-g-cricket season had been a lucrative contract,
Peter couldn't wait to hear the sound of leather on willow,
The stars in the sky and the fielders floating in their white spacesuits.
But what was that infernal noise, Peter went down to the cargo bay,
but the sound got quieter and as he shut the cargo bay door dispersed completely,
It must be in the cockpit then. opening up the cockpit door he saw them.
Hundreds, no thousands of them
baby zero G Thargoids.
_________________________________________________
09 - Cmdr Dan - Stump Up
The Anaconda settled into the pad. The expensive repair bills Woodward off the more exuberant, voice controlled landings. A drunken trumpeter played in the background.
'Go long!' Screamed Jessie as she watched Bill's expert shot swing clear of the 'Conda's cooling engines and arc slowly through the station's central space.
Steve launched himself into the air in hot pursuit. So focussed was he on the ball, however, he neglected to see the Eagle swoop in at high speed, almost Kerrashing into the pad and smearing poor Steve like warm butter.
'Oops' said Bill, 'that's gonna cost them... who's next in?'
_________________________________________________
10 - Psykokow - Sports Report
‘Hello…I’m Steve O’Dull, welcome to zero g cricket, Let’s go back to the Galactic cup match between Barnard’s Star Wobblies, and Sol’s Spread Eagles.
Two weeks since the last bowl, and Eagles fielder Bud Fumbler has just returned with the ball marking the end of batsman Ahmed Apoopoo’s runs. The score is 4,900,324 runs to nil and now bowler Chucky Tattum is ready.
He’s started his short run, a beautiful over arm, and….
*thwaaaack* `
What a hit, Bud has jumped into his sidewinder and is making chase.. join us next week for the third shot in this exciting game’
_________________________________________________
11 - T.j - The Kow stood on the conda's burning deck, playing a game of zero-g-Cricket
Kow stood at the crease, waiting for the 1st innings to start.
'Y'know' he thought to himself that really doesn't look like a Cricket ball.
T.j stood staring through hate filled slitted eyes, rubbing the ball on his whites to get a really good shine on it.
Kow's forehead beaded with sweat as T.j started his bowling run.
Looking down he noticed that the bat in his hands was suspiciously covered in ultraglue.
'6 votes eh? 6 VOTES!!!' T.j screamed as he launched the ball with what looked like a fizzing fuse sticking out of it.
'Oh lummie' though Kow.
_________________________________________________
12 - holdmykidney - The sitter
I just made the catch of my life.
From bowler, to batsman, then up! The ball moved in straight lines, unbent by rarefied atmosphere, unhindered by gravity.
It came straight to me. Well - a little over my head, perhaps. My teammates were screaming at me to leave it.
I bent my knees, disconnected my magnetic boots and launched, closing my grip around the escaping ball.
So, it is with pride I float away from the pitch. I sail through stars on a lonely voyage into oblivion, turning the ball over with satisfaction.
I just made the catch of my life.
_________________________________________________
13 - Frank - Gentlemen and Players
New Yorkshire were down. They didn't have any hope of winning from this position. Next up to bat was their star player.
Ian Bowlsem knew the Oval Cricket Hangar like the back of his hand. He had a plan. He hovered, poised to bat in front of the holo-wickets.
<THUCK!> The sound of pleather on willow.
He knew he hit it hard enough. The direction was okay too. He couldn't hear the hiss over the screams and gasps of the audience.
Ian thought to himself, if only his other team members could hit as hard and as accurately as him.
_________________________________________________
14 - KalRyper - Caught out by the cargo
A pilot, with a heavily bandaged head, staggered towards the wary salesman and shouted, "I'm not drunk! Explosive decompression ruptured my ears so my balance is off and I can't hear properly. I need a new ship."
The salesman smiled, more reassured, and shouted back, "Medical bills are expensive. I take it you want low cost?"
"Blimey, news travels fast around here. Yes, I was shipping Karsuki Locusts and the blighters got out. Anyway, losing that rare cargo has made me short on funds."
"Usually catastrophic sir, those locust synergies."
"Zero G's? Wow. It does have a power plant right?”
_________________________________________________
15 - CdrTwisted - {untitled}
LEESTI -- The final of the 23rd Intergalactic Zee-Gee Botham Trophy was in turmoil last night after Bast captain Simone O'Flynn was accused of ball-tampering.
Her opposite number, Erica Hutt of Achenar Astro, made the extraordinary claim after Bast were crowned winners on points after a thirteen round bout.
Bast's hardstick game proved impossible to beat, with three face-offs and a penalty try in stoppage time.
After Astro failed to overturn a holo-review of Frankie Ryper's stumping, Hutt jostled O'Flynn and hit her crotch with a bat.
"Sounded like leather on willow," Hutt said. "Balls are illegal in the women's game."
