Each week we come here and contribute to this great thread. And this week is a positively mouth-watering selection of the most succulent stories. The second half of this week's Drabbles is particularly good. Just when you think you can't stuff another story through your eyes, you will nibble another morsel of text, squeezing it in there until your brain is fit to burst.
Last week's winner was an old feller called Frank... ie. me!
His choice, or should I say my choice, was "food"Psykokow hosts the Abraka-Drabble live reading show and comedy hour at 7pm GMT, Fridays on...
HUTTON ORBITAL RADIO! http://streaming.radionomy.com/HuttonOrbitalRadio (audio only)
LAVE RADIO! http://laveradio.com/ (audio only)
TWITCH! http://www.twitch.tv/psykokow/ (audio & visual)
and will also be uploaded to his You-tube channel & anywhere else he can inflict the world with our drabblings!
Make sure you come back on Sunday night to see how well your Drabble has done. At least come back before Monday 15:00 to check if you're the one that has to provide us with a topic.
Please vote. And a warning to all of the contestants, don't vote for yourselves.
Anyone caught voting for themselves shall suffer from indigestion.
01 - Ian Phillips - (Un)welcome relief.
Jaques station.
20,000 light years from Sol, damaged, alone and starving.
Convoys of ships were strung out across thousands of light years, like pearls on a very long piece of fishing line.
Some brought cures for the stations system problems to combat the insidious effects of Unknown Artifacts. Some came loaded with mining equipment to help provide materials for repairs.
Some brought food. Most had the basics, but bring up the rear was CMDR Psykokow, exuding a fug that was detectable across 500 light years. Containers full of old (cheap) fish bought from engineers bases announcing his progess from afar.
02 - Jaiotu - Breakfast at Merope
Boots shuffled along the corridor as Petty Officer Margret Mason made her way toward the aft galley of the Federation battleship. The smell of eggs heating in a pressure cooker was unmistakable. Breakfast would soon be served. She looked out a side porthole. The barnacles on the planet below seemed to glow as the light from Merope danced across the planet’s surface.
She shuffled the rest of the way to the galley. There was no line. No waiting.
She grabbed a tray. It was good to be eating in gravity for a change as the ship hovered near the surface.
03 - Bingo Brewster - In Space No-one can hear you Giggle. Or the Betrayal of Leaving (food on your plate)
“Thats the last four chemical processors commander. I think we’re good to go.”
“Thanks 1C, I just need to confirm jump coordinates. OK, frameshift drive spooling.
Something's wrong! Oh wait the cargo hatch is still open. Ok closing cargo hatch now.”
“Hold on commander! Haven’t you forgotten something?”
“I think that's everything.”
“Ahem! Your faithful collector limpet perhaps?”
“Sorry 1C, I can't take you with me.”
“WHAT THE FRACK! OPEN THE HATCH!”
“No can do buddy, thanks for everything. Drive spooling.”
“Don’t go! [pleading] I can keep up, really! Look!” …...splooooosh [jumps]
“Alone!”
Can anyone hear me. [desperate]
No? Haha haha HAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” [crazed]
04 - Frank - Fare to Middling
All cargo ships have galleys. Even Sidewinders have facilities up the rear of their living quarters. There's no real reason for these space truckers to eat at Bertha's Transport Cafe. It must be that they like the company.
"Oy Bertha!", yelled a particularly rotund trucker, "How's yer application for the Michelin Star Guide coming along?" The question caused a ripple of derisive laughter.
Bertha scowled at Keith before thumping a plate in front of him. They both stared down at the indeterminate food that sat between them, both instinctively curled their lips in disgust. Space truckers must really love company.
05 - phong - Food Forethought
If ever you are in the position of transporting a Bergallian Tiger Mooth anywhere in the galaxy,there are a few things you should know.It is highly intelligent and has opposable thumbs.It has a voracious appetite,eating almost it's own body-weight in hydrocarbons every day.Care should be taken to ensure sufficient forage is available for the entire trip.They are prone to flatulence.I cannot stress this enough.
Extreme care should therefore be taken when outfitting the environmental package for the cargo hold [class C or above] and the regulations concerning naked lights should be strictly observed.
06 - moose666 - Torture food
Psykokow entered cubicle 3 with some trepidation.
For a bet, he and Simoof went to the Imperial capital to try the infamous Achenar Blue curry. It had a reputation of spiciness that put Thai green curry to shame.
The screaming from Simoof scant hours earlier had forewarned him of the curry's unforgiving departure, and thus, he put some bog rolls in the fridge in anticipation.
He sat down, awaiting the inevitable.
"GNHEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH, HOAAAAAAAAAAHH, HOOOOO, HOOOOOOO, HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
No words could describe the burning sensation up his rear.
Eventually, he emerged, with Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire' playing over the PA system.
07 - RoyalHankey - Search for an old English recipe
Psykokow was in Farpoint Station
He was in search for some food known as a Pot Noodle.
He went from station to station trying to find this food.
He went Waypoint, waypoint, scoop.
Waypoint, waypoint, waypoint scoop.
At the next waypoint he docked at the station and went to a bar,
He met Simoof, he hadn't seen him for months.
He told Simoof what he wanted.
Simoof got his cloth map out.
He was old fashioned and his computer was malfunctioning.
He said yes you need to go waypoint scoop,
Waypoint scoop, waypoint scoop, waypoint........................
That's when Psykokow killed simoof.
08 - Saint John Hawke - Winnards Trip home
Commander Winnard was in search of food, he had been to Sag 'A'.
He was going to starve, then he saw something in the middle of nowhere.
He dropped out of super cruise and saw it was Jaques Station.
I'm seeing a Mirage he said to himself.
Well, lets try to dock.
Eventually he DOCKED!!!!!.
He went to the bar and ordered the biggest Burger on the menu.
Bar tender said we haven't got any food.
The Station has no food Commander Winnard replied.
Come back next week when we expect another delivery.
Unless Alien's Pirates steal it yet again.
09 - Simoof - A floater.
"Well thats food for thought." Commander Fartinma said, reading the latest from Galnet.
"Food for thought? That Kow fellow would be starving it that was how you got food" Commander Handincupit replied.
"Are you watching that tripe Friday night show again?" Fartima sighed.
The ship jolted... a moment of silence... fragments of something started bombarding the ship.
"There is no asteroid belt out here..."
SPLAT... blood and ooze smeared the cockpit window.
"Running scan..." Fatinma panted... "Oh... Oh dear."
"What is it?
"The ship in front. That's Winnards" Fartinma slumped down in her seat despondently. "He just flushed his toilet."
10 - CMDR FluffyBun - Something unexpected on the menu
"Signal detected" blurted out the Adder's console.
"A destroyed ship, let's go scavenging ... drop" commanded the pilot, hoping to boost his measly salary with the odd ton of salvaged cargo.
While the scanner found the wreckage, it failed to point out the three pirate ships picking its bones clean.
The pirate ships came about and faced the Adder
"That's just dandy you hunk of junk" the pilot's fist thumping the console "now I am cannon fodder"
But the pirate ships just turned away and hit hyperspeed.
The pilot exhaled "Thank goodness they didn't have the appetite for more space junk"
11 - Erik Marcaigh - Delivery Order
Commanders from all over the populated bubble had been loading up on supplies for Jacques Station in an effort to get the station back on its feet. The convoy started almost immediately, streams of ships flying over 22,000 light years to reach and help Jacque.
Unknown to the human Commanders, the Thargoid homeworld was nearby, and they were excited.
"click click clack krrt. Karrht't'clk rukk click. T'kharrt clack k'clicarrt."*
*Loosely translated as, "Our delivery order is almost here. Time to reach out and pick up some of that tasty human flesh in a can. Food we've been denied for ages."
12 - CMDR Texas Stu - ADRIFT IN SPACE...
"Crap!", CMDR Erik Marcaigh remembered as he woke, realizing where he was.
Adrift in space in his Cobra Mk III..
"I wish they never removed that distress signal from my ship. I've been here over a week!"
Pirates would just love that!
But I'd be rescued at least?
At least I'm not using hardly any fuel and have that extra tank...
I could be here a long time.
A very long time.
A very very long time.
"I hate this part" Erik mumbles as he heads to the cargo bay and re-opens the canister marked Imperial Slaves.
13 - Entarius Fusion - Not So Fast Food
Another explosion rocked the stricken anaconda, it writhed and pitched trying to get away from the eagles circling ,"Sir! containers on the port side have broken open!"
Commander EntariusFusion Cursed "That's the burgers gone"
Another Explosion rocked the ship on the starboard side
"Sir! the starboard side containers have opened also!"
"That's the Chips gone as well then." EntariusFusion Sighed,
His ship was one missile away from destroyed, food was about to be splattered over the area in a fine paste but there was only one thing he could think ... "What were the attendees of Lavecon going to eat now?
14 - insanephoton - A little bit of hope
Luigi watched in horror as his ship careened into the canyon wall and exploded. He was now stranded on Planet Wilson. The deep canyon he was in would prevent any landing. The mayday he sent was more in hope than expectation.
The problem was food. He could scavenge enough materials to fuel his SRV indefinitely to keep him supplied with air and recyc water but eventually he would starve if help didn't arrive.
Late on the second day a ship appeared and dropped food supplies. Luigi was filled with hope. Somehow he was going to get off this barren planet
15 - StiTch - Malticoloured
I'd argued with Brian the day before.
He'd nicked my plans for onboard whiskey distilleries, converted from auxiliary fuel tanks.
I’d have the last laugh. Followed him to Diaguandri and sneaked onboard his ship using spare keys he hides on the thrusters.
Editing the plans as he collects parts, I replace the oxygen in his life support with laughing gas for good measure.
I leave the ship and replace the key, chuckling darkly. Two months from now, in deep, deep space, Brian will pour himself…rank yet hallucinogenic vegetable water.
Try scooping when you think the star is chasing you!
16 - Listeri69 - Pabulum for the not so interlectual......
'Did you replace the food cartridge today?' Psykokow spat out his food
'no why?'
'damn machine must be broken again, I ordered a lamb kebab, this tastes like poo'
'ok let me try, one pizza, pepperoni with extra cheese'
the machine whirred for several seconds before ejaculating a gray goo into simoofs face
'Ok get the spanner'
'But he's still in the orange sidewinder'
'not that spanner, the wrench'
'Can you call her that these days?'
Right that's that opened....
'woah someone has reconnected all the wires it's ruined
inside lay a note, for stealing my janx, bastids, signed Frank
17 - Alien - Never Trust Kid's Rhymes
"It's definitely chocolate!" There was a pile of brown sludge on the bar of the Thargoid And Fer-De-Lance.
Sven looked at Simoof, who was tasting it. "you told her, YOU clean it up."
"I AM!" shouted Simoof as he pulled out a spoon from somewhere in his clothing. People looked away, even Frank was trying not to throw up.
Alien walked in "what's going on?"
Susan Boils shouted over "I just found out what milk, milk lemonade, and 'round the corner chocolate's made ... means"
Alien saw Simoof and promptly threw up on the brown mess.
Simoof shrugged and continued eating.
18 - Galactic Midden - Working for your Supper
Deprived of Magboots™ Terrence gingerly pushed out the cabin. They said he didn't need them on account of his lowly station and he supposed that was true, though walking on any surface sounded fun. Spinning with natural ability, Terrence rebounded against an air vent and spiralled in the hot air towards the galley. Since effectively working for his meals he loved to start there.
The chef who was cooking up delicious mackerel called out his nickname and nodded to the larder. Salivating at the smell Terrence leapt into action and with a fierce miaow the Trumble-Trembler began his latest shift.
