Community Event / Creation The Abrakadrabble big 100 Competition thread VOTING NOW CLOSED.

[Sir.Tj]

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Well, we've made it to the big one zero zero.

I never thought it would be so popular.

To celebrate I've collected the winning drabbles over the last 100 polls.

Before that, a few stats for everyone.

Top 10 posters.


· Frank
· psykokow
· Ian Phillips
· Darkoba
· T.j
· Darren Grey
· Bikky
· Erik Marcaigh
· Galactic Midden
· Cathy


Top Winners



1. Frank - 15 wins
2. Darren Grey - 12 wins
3. Cathy - 11 wins
4. T.j - 6 wins
5. Erik Marcaigh - 5 wins
6. Insanephoton - 5 wins
7. Psykokow - 5 wins
8. Ian Philips - 4 wins
9. The Lone Gunman - 4 wins




These are in chronological order and as there were some weeks that had joint winners you will see all the wining entries so although there are 100 Drabble topics there are more than 100 entries.

So sit back, pull up your onesie zip and pour yourself a Janx and enjoy the insanity.



· Space Station
Digital Duck: Species Profiling.

Mike was on immigration duty at Sori station. A Thargoid walked past. "Hi Mike."

"Hey Sam."

The Thargoid continued on her journey. Mike's boss was not impressed. "You're not supposed to just let them through, you idiot!"

Mike protested, "But that's Sam! I can't make someone I know sit through the immigration procedure!"

"You know how many Thargoids sneak through here? Me neither, because we can't count 'em."

The boss radioed security. They were already waiting for Sam up ahead. "Well, look what we have here... Little Miss Thargoid."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I think you'll find it's DOCTOR Thargoid."

· Combat
Ian Philips: this is 100 words

Everyone will tell you their story.

About how their pursuer (or prey) slammed into an asteroid whilst manouvering too hard. Or the lucky shot that took out a weapon hard point. Or how they completely surprised a mark by shutting all systems down and hiding on an asteroid.

Nobody is going to tell you about the reality of combat. Sweaty palms. Fast breathing. Neck pains from hunching up. Flashes seen from the corner of your eye. Guessing when to fire the laser.

Exhilaration at killing the other ship and surviving for one more day.

The need for a clean onesie.

· Maintenance
Cathy: Maintenance

"You forgot!"

"Hmm?" Larry peered over his cornflake mix, mouth still sealed around the tube.

"You forgot, didn’t you?"

Larry sucked slowly. Frank seemed agitated – scared even – clumping towards him down the cramped corridor, his fists hitting bulkheads as he fought zero-g. Was Frank trying to run?

"It was your turn!"

Larry frowned. Suck... chew… swallow. He blinked up at his business partner. It wasn’t like Frank to yell. He glanced around the cockpit for inspiration. He got nothing.

"To what?"

“To replace the seals on the bio-waste containment. Now there’s six weeks’ worth of crap sailing our way."

· Cyborgs
Darren Grey: Taking Stock

Damien looked intensely over the model before him. Her long, slim legs, the graceful curves of her body, the demure face… He shivered with delight.

“Is she fully equipped?” he asked. “For… everything?”

The salesman adjusted his visor. “Why, yessir. As the latest in organic and cybernetic fusion technology she is capable of all manner of… functions. She is even self-cleaning and auto-repairing.”

“Mm, good.” He wanted her badly, so very badly. But the price was extreme. Could he justify it?

Her wide eyes blinked at him and she bleated a gentle “baaa” sound. All willpower shattered. “I’ll take her!”

· Zero-g
Cathy: Art and Death in Zero-g

Flashes of brilliant orange and blood-red fire; alloys and polymer spinning away into a wild vacuum.

It’s beautiful, really. That last hit was an artist. Fluid in its bright confusion, it delivered an impressionist’s dream.

Inside our broken hull it’s no less bewitching: my blood orbits, the droplets coalescing. Pink shards of bone float before my glazing eyes.

I can’t reach anything. I peel off a charred boot and throw it with all my faltering strength, hoping for some thrust to send me back to a bulkhead.

It doesn’t work. I just spin gently.

At least the view is pleasing.

· And that's why I wear a Onesie
The Lone Gunman: Snuggles

Explosions, funny lights sparkling in the ship, pirates I hear
Mummy grabs me up, she says it’s a game what fun!

Father says quickly to her, mummy hugs me and says I love you
Am in the funny pod alone now, but I am four and very grown up!
But I hope mummy comes back soon,

I love hugs from mummy that’s why I wear this onesie
She squeezes me tight when I wear it and sings me nice songs
I see that other ship coming back

That ship has a pretty light coming from it
I hope its mummy

· Distress call
Cathy: The Last Distress Call

When your shields no longer crackle, because there's no shield left.

When auxiliaries won't hum, because there's no power left.

When bulkheads cease to creak, because thrust is gone and you're past stress.

And the cause - it's that hunter you couldn't out-run; that star you didn't give a wide berth; that burst of x-rays far away you didn't even know about.

Families huddled in shelters once, listening for the emptiness seconds before death. And you in your small ship, systems spent, frozen in mute fear and knowledge, the moment you return to stardust...

The last distress call is Silence.

· Contraband
Cathy: Loophole

Luna knew the game was up when her face hit the station floor. Boots scuffed beside her right ear.

"You’re under arrest."

So close. She'd evaded the viper patrol and the port's scan, but all it took was a rookie customs officer determined to impress his supervisor by searching every last case.

"Hobnobs are prohibited."

"Wait, sir," the rookie interrupted. "We have to let her go. These are chocolate covered."

"What?"

"It's the powdered skimmed milk content. There's cowpox planet-side, and a temporary exemption for all dairy product imports."

Luna smirked at the supervisor's toes. Federation loopholes were the best.

· Glory of the Empire
Corinthian: Unimportant

Baron Arcturis approached the Dukes desk, saluted, then passed him a dossier.

‘Reconnaissance images of the weapons factory we suspected existed on Birmingham world, Sir.’

‘Excellent work Baron, I see promotion in your future,’ smiled the Duke, ‘Which commander took these?’

‘Regrettably they were killed shortly after taking them.’

‘Oh well, for the glory of the Empire,’ said the Duke.

‘The glory of the Empire,’ replied Arcturis saluting.

The Duke settled back in his chair.

‘What was the Commanders name out of interest?’

‘Name? Well, I’m sure I could get a clerk to find that out if it is important.’

· Mining
Corinthian: Mining Rights

Commander Tom Watt stood uncomfortably in the mining rights office. The fake wood panelled room wasn’t his environment; he was at home hundreds of metres underground, mining precious metals, just him against the planet.

Then his business partner Sarah Yaw decided he was getting too old, that he wasn’t mining enough metal each month and had tried to take his mine away from him. He would have been less angry if she hadn’t been his wife.

The registrar coughed and looked up apologetically at Tom.

‘Well according to this marriage document and registration forms,’ he said, ‘Watt’s mine is Yaw’s.’

· Accidents
Insanephoton - Accidents can happen...

Space is dangerous. Accidents happen all of the time. Except that some of these accidents aren't.

I'm a problem solver. I make problems go away. Some people can be 'problematic'. My employer doesn't like that. When people won't listen to reason, it's amazing how 'accident prone' they become.

Like the journalist that kept snooping around where she shouldn't. Tragically she was crushed by automated cargo handling machinery.

Then there was the politician that asked awkward questions. A promising career ended when he didn't survive his shuttle colliding with an Anaconda.

Don't say anything or you might have an 'accident' too...

· Exploration
Gavthomas - In too deep

Undisrupted, numbing, crushing loneliness…the curse of the explorer. And few suffered it more than Cmdr Tregor Stryder, hellbent on finding something… something. Something lucrative enough to free him from this non-existence, watching scanners, chasing feelings, pointing towards the dark void. Small mining and information gathering opportunities existed for those willing to do such work for modest returns. Stryder had been doing this for too long and needed to land the big fish that would allow him to go home. The further he went the more despair he felt and the harder it was to turn around. Just a bit further…

· Thargoids
Cathy : Boundary of Good Taste

Thargoid Surprise (serves 4)

2 thargoids (young if possible)
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
4oz plain flour
1 red pepper
1 aubergine
6oz mature cheddar, grated
pinch cinnamon
fresh basil, thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Skewer thargoids through thorax to ensure death (cooking while alive toughens the flesh). Crack open carapace, remove meat and chop.

Dice pepper and aubergine and mix with meat. Slice onion and fry in oil for ten minutes or until slightly caramelised.

Add herbs and seasoning and mix all together in oven proof dish. Cover with cheese and bake at 200C for 30 minutes.

· The Alliance
Cathy: In the Game

Scarry Mor glanced about the plush parlour. The Spinner Casino was her first taste of civilisation. The Carnellian envoy squinted at her. Others nursed large brandies: ambassadors, a financier from Turo's Moon... and was that woman in the corner from the Doon Cartel?

"So, Ms Mor, your little rock wants to join The Alliance. What can you bring to the table?"

Scarry paused. Personal incentive was her wild card.

"Little rocks are our thing." She tipped open a leather bag. Milky uncut diamonds spilled onto green baize.

There was a moment of quiet appreciation.

"Welcome to The Alliance, Ms Mor.

· Federation
psykokow - In a Tin

In the dark they huddled to keep warm, their scarred skin and hard hands offered no comfort, ragged caresses left trails across their soft skin from badly snagged fingernails. Listening in the dark for signs of the masters returning... it would be over then.

Footsteps echoed nearby... they gasped and held their breath, hugging tighter still hoping to squeeze the air out of each other to keep their location secret.

BANG, the container side fell away and blinding light filled in, she screamed.

A calm deep voice softened her panic, 'You're safe now... Welcome to the Federation'

Free at Last.

· Tourism
Cathy -We're Gonna need a bigger boat

The Goldfinch lurched. Scarry watched the skipper's head smack the dash. Their valued paying customer squealed in terror, his knuckles seized like rusted gears on the harpoon stock. Scarry winced. Their hardpoint adaptation for big game wouldn't survive this.

Captain's Fish. Not a fish, but the first space dwelling creature bigger than a microbe discovered, so named by rich tourists desperate to bag one, to gawk and boast before the hunting and habitat destruction rendered them extinct.

Some a lot bigger than a fish, as it turned out. The stars vanished.

""Crap. It swallowed us."""

· Slaves
STAB666 - The nature of the game

"“I almost wish I hadn’t done that now”.

It’s the same thought that kept circling in his head, threatening his conscience like a great white shark.

He stood in the center of the now empty cargo hold, blankly watching the jet of water swish from side to side from the washer, as it cut its way through the leftover grime.

Blood, dirt and probably sweat and tears to go with it, had been painted over almost every surface. He’d heard the screams. He pretended not to, but he had.

Was it worth the money, the risk?

Of course it was."

· Obituarys
Darren Grey: Awaiting orders

“Jameson? Jameson, can you hear me?”

Silence. He’d been that way for days now. She couldn’t understand why. She’d begged for him to respond. She’d tried shouting, screaming, whispering desperately in his ears. But he lay there still in the commander’s chair, not responding.

“Please, Commander Jameson. Say something... anything...”

He didn’t even move. She couldn’t do anything without his instructions, without some sign from him of what he wanted, and so she waited. It was cold outside and the stars stared pitilessly in.

“I’ve been a good ship, haven’t I? Please fly with me again. Please, Commander. Please respond...”

T.j: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The Priest began.

"We may never know how the Onsie became so deeply inserted into his....... Anyway, he wrote his own obituary which I will now read."

'Friends knew me as a fashion guru, singing savant, photoshop extraodinaire and delusional fantisist. I only regret the incident with Susan Boils, the bucket of soapy frogs and the spacesuit with the bottom cutout.'

The Priest hit the airlock button. The Bloodied Onsie draped coffin shot into the void of space.

Michael leaned forward turning off the BBS and smiled gently at David cleaning the bloodstained hypersonic drainrods and plunger. "Chewbrookie that sunshine."

· Duelling/Explosions
Darren Grey - Defending Honour

“Curse that Valerion!” gruffed Marcus as he marched to the meeting place. “Demanding we meet at this ungodly hour, all for the stupid sake of honour.”

He barely even remembered how the duel came about. He’d spilled a drink, Valerion cursed, and he’d shouted something back about abusing Valerion’s mother with gangs of libidinous slaveboys. Then Valerion ranted something about honour, sword duel at dawn, blah blah blah…

Well, Marcus cared little for such silliness, so he’d brought a laser pistol. Let’s see honour defend against that!

But his triumphant smile faded when he saw Valerion had brought a bazooka.

· Passengers
Cathy - Space Chase

The noise! The screams! Hostiles flanking us. Slavers... pirates... thargoids! Their vile mouths rattle with glee. They're spinning a web, tightening around my feet... It's a spider, its huge hairiness grappling my limbs. My legs won't move. It's going to eat me and the vultures are pecking out my eyes... I pound the lid as gasses hiss and there's suction and glare and I retch over the side.

A thin old man watches me from the adjacent tube. He snorts.

"Did you eat some bad cheese before you went under?"

No more economy travel. The stasis nightmares are killing me.

· Moon and Stars
Musashi - A Moon With a View

“The stars…” he croaks. “I’ve never seen them.”

The fever has him bad and he doesn’t have long. Despite being born in this hellhole penitentiary moon, few care and none can help the boy now. A guard owes me, though, and I call in the favour – surface access, briefly. Even my old ass can drag a sick child up there.

I look out at the glorious spectacle. I’d almost forgotten it, and the reminder hurts. I turn to the boy, but the eyes are just glass orbs in a mannequin.

I wonder – did he see the stars before he died?

· Revenge
Cathy - Mercy

Chandra's blade sliced leathery skin. Blood seeped through. Her fingers prised to expose raw muscle. The slaver's hairy arms jerked and twisted, pinned by thorny vines. Crimson spattered the snow.

"For every hour of my life stolen..."

She cracked bones, wrenched open a gristled ribcage. Hot breath misted cold air.

"Every back of my master's hand..."

Flesh oozed. Lungs heaved. She delved, exposed, spread them wide.

"His death took hours. Yours is merciful. I know it was just money."

Chandra turned away, hands dripping gore. She admired the ship that was now hers. It needed a new name.

The Bloodeagle.

· Asteroids
Luniticisi - Manic Mine

The battle for Asteroid PX-9, the last remaining source of Erersion ore was over, but the consequences for the planet below were dire.
Battle ship 'Dark-Sun', Due to massive engine failure, had listed into Asteroid PX-9 and sent it into a rapidly decaying orbit.

Dave ejected his cargo and raced toward the asteroid, his computer vocalising the same line over and over.

"Extinction level event detected"

Armed with only mining lasers, Dave went to work.
Small chucks of the asteroid hurtled toward the ship.

He was nearly there.

The announcement came

"Cargo full"

"Good haul, let's get out of here"

· Trumbles
Musashi - The Trouble With A New Hope

"...So," recounted Grandpa-894, "Great-Great-Grandpa-1 fled the persecution on the Ball-of-Rock and came to live in the Box-of-Metal with his wife. And here we all are!"

The countless thousands of various Trumble generations cooed as he finished the tale. He especially liked telling it to his great-great-great-grandchildren; they were more appreciative.

It had grown hotter over the last few minutes, and Grandpa-894 wandered over to the porthole. A huge blazing sphere hung there, growing bigger even as he watched.

Strange.

"What’s that?” asked Great-Grandson-61257, the inveterate worrier.

"A good omen, my boy," replied Grandpa. "It means our future will be bright!"

· Fear
Ian Phillips - Your Own Demons

Fear lives in you, coiled up in your chest like a snake.
As it stirs awake and rears to stare you in the eyes, hypnotic and paralysing, your stomach muscles clench.
Breath comes in short, shallow gasps. Exhausting. Sweat squeezes out of every pore.

The snake wears your face.

You look at yourself and, over the sound of your own voice swearing and whining, admit that you are afraid.

But you also control a snake and WILL NOT let this one stop you.

Shakily your hand reaches out and toggles the comms unit on.

'Commander Reighdar, requesting permission to Dock'

Gimi - Sleep

The landscape was desolate, burned out by solar flares, and there was more to come. In front of her the lines were endless.
No one knew where the ancient ship came from, but now it was the only way out.

No one would enter the system for centuries for fear of radiation.
The rich and famous had left with every hyperspace capable ship available.

Finally it was her turn and hot fear knotted in her stomach as she stepped into the contraption, so cold. What would life be like after 200 years?
Sublight speed travel, at least she would sleep.

· Honour
Darren Grey - Honour and Adore

"I will honour and adore you," she said, fighting back the tears. She held him tight, staring into his eyes.

"In sickness and in health..."

His face was bright red now, eyes bulging as she tightened her grip. His mouth was stuffed with the documents she'd found, Federation secret service instructions that showed their whole life together as Imperial citizens had been a lie.

"In darkness and in light..."

He struggled frantically, groaning through bloodied lips. She squeezed his throat hard, trying to control the shuddering tears that shook her own body.

"Till death... do us part." He went still.

· Imagination
Cathy - Breathless

The dying ship speaks: "Oxygen level critical." He slides down a bulkhead. The wrench slips from his grasp. His eyes mist. His limbs are lead.

Then he sees her: his truest love... before he lost her. Skin glistening, eyelashes soft.

He hears her... "Hello, my love."

"You died."

"That was so long ago," she whispers. His lungs ache.

He feels her... gentle fingertips inside his gloves; soothing palms against his chest. Where his lips thin to blue, hers are full and red. Where his breath fails, hers is sweet, catching his last.

"Come home."

So he does as she says.

· Epic Battles
Gavthomas - The Art of War

The Mystic Awareness band of pirates, thinly disguised as altruistic liberals, had predicted Cmdr Stryder's final destination and had cut him off in numbers. The band's leader Kray taunted him as they scooped his ejected cargo,

"Sun Tzu once said that if you know your enemy you should not fear the outcome of a thousand battles." You should change your routes as you are painfully predictable. So long Stryder...

The brigands turned to leave him alone and without cargo, before 15 simultaneous explosions ripped through space.

Stryder smiled.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

Luniticisi - The Great War

Decades ago, it was foretold, now only seconds before it began...

The Great War...

Every single emotion encompassed within a moment.

Fear and dread, Pride and Honour, this war was inevitable.

The allied Ships took their stance above the blue planet they held so dear.

This was the moment they'd been trained for, infant to warrior, warrior to liberator.

The elders had spoke of ships the size of Moons attacking on this very day.

Every resource on the planet had been exhausted, sacrifices made, to build this mighty force.

-*Comms Open*-

A lone voice spoke

"They're not coming, are they?"

· Out of fuel
Cathy - The Big Hungry Giant

"You said you would show us a giant, miss. I don't hear any fee fie fo fums yet."

Clarice smiled at the little lad. "Tom, do I teach folk tales or science?"

"Science, miss."

"Then wait."

So the children waited, some more patiently than others, on the quiet observation deck. Slowly the rotating station's blueish ambient light shifted to violet, then deep pink, finally angry, scorching red. A vast and surging ball appeared, almost too close for comfort - boiling seas, eating its planets.

"Ooh." The children gasped.

"Yes children. When a sun runs out of fuel it gets very mad."

· Sabotage
Darren Grey - A form of protest

INDUSTRIOUSNESS

EFFICIENCY

The giant letters loomed over thousands of Sirius factory employees.

LOYALTY

OBEDIENCE

Josie sweated over the cutting machines. If she didn’t move fast enough she’d get sliced.

FOCUS

CONTROL

Her arm ached from yesterday’s accident. The manager had docked her three week’s pay, accusing her of deliberate sabotage. Now she’d need to work harder to earn her rent.

RELIABILITY

DISCIPLINE

She stared despondently ahead, the machine shearing another metal sheet.

Sabotage…

Josie flung herself forward. Blood sprayed in all directions, bones shattered in screeching metal, guts grinding through the machines.

The factory came to a sudden, expensive halt.

· Christmas
Frank - A Moray crust, Miss to one and all!

t was the day that Bernard's Star Comprehensive broke off for Christmas. As a special treat there wouldn't be any transdimensional hypercalculus today. They'd be in the kitchen baking food in the shape of famous spaceships.

Most of the children baked Asps or Cobras. The class swot made an Imperial Cruiser using a ring doughnut for the gravity section. One particularly large pupil baked a massive Coriolis station.

Dino cut a slice off the end of his spaceship-shaped loaf of bread and passed it to his teacher. With a smile on his face he declared "Have a Moray crust, Miss!"

Darren Grey - The Gift of the Magi

Robin wrapped the gift carefully. He'd saved for months to get this, squireling credits when Master Aurelius wasn't looking. He knew Elisa would love the star pendant, orange like her home-sun Lave. Master didn't approve of slave religious celebrations though, so they were meeting in secret.

Elisa entered holding a large, boxed present, a cheeky grin on her face. "Merry Christmas," she whispered, handing over the gift.

Robin opened it, curious. Inside he saw Master Aurelius' severed head.

"Surprise!" Elisa said, grinning. In her hands were 100 credits and the key to Aurelius' Cobra.

"Let's have a happy new year..."

· Bureaucracy/New friends
Gimi - Docking Clearance

He looked down at the docking clearance in utter puzzlement.

Oddly enough, there were two.


“Docking clearance 23A2342:

Proceed to Docking Area Three, bay 3-A5 for unloading of minerals.

Warning: Ship's manifest includes alcoholic beverages.

Regulation 3345-3A states that intoxicants are prohibited in docking area three.



Docking clearance 23A2343:

Proceed to Docking Area Seven, bay 7-C2 for unloading of alcoholic beverages.

Warning: Ship's manifest includes titanium ore.

Regulation 7798-8Z states that unrefined substances are prohibited in docking area seven.



Breach of docking instructions will result in offender status and subsequent fines.

For clarifications please contact our new friendly automated Dockmaster.“

· A bit of Gore & Problem solved
Darkoba - Blood-and-Guts's solution

"Flight-deck! Attention!"

The drop-ship marines snapped to attention as the general, "Ol' Blood-and-Guts" strode onto the deck.

"Men, we have a problem. An Imperial spy is amongst us. However, our boffins have devised a concoction which analyses DNA and releases poison if it encounters Imperial blood. You will all receive the jab. We'll find our spy."

One-by-one the marines entered the med-bay capsule momentarily then returned to the line.

The first marine turned green, then more as the injection worked.

Only the eighth remained unaffected. The general shot him.

"There's no such concoction, son. You should have taken the jab."

· A new Species
DaddyHoggy - Seeing is believing

Darvus woke the rest of the day shift crew up with his screaming.

"I can't see!" he wailed into the semi-darkness.

Marken switched on the main lights and could see Darvus clawing at his face. Marken along with Phelps pulled the hands away to get a better look and to stop Darvus doing any more damage to his flesh.

They reeled back from the scores of little legs sticking out of Darvus' otherwise empty eye sockets.

The station's doctors said later it was a new species of arachnid, equipped with a powerful anaesthetic and a liking for the human eyeball.

· Going Nova
Darren Grey - Thoughts of Sol

She wept tears of plasma, gushing radiation from every pore. She could feel her own weight crushing down. She could not stand much longer.

She had lived long, providing radiance to her family of planets. Yet it seemed not long enough.

Her strength failed, her surface collapsed, and the shocking force of gravity compressed until she exploded with a cataclysmic flash of light.

Eons passed...

The dead star's dust coalesced.

Thoughts returned, visions of a new family, of heavier elements interacting in novel, incredible ways.

As gravity forged a new core she whispered through the cosmos, "Let there be light."

· Dancing
Garthyre - Snowflake

'May I?' Ruben asked. Stella smiled, floating into his arms along the narrow tubeway, her hair a grey halo.

A song popular in earlier days started to play.

'I'm sorry it had to be like this,' he said.

'I wouldn't have it any other way,' she replied. 'We have explored so many worlds together, I could never let you go on your own.'

The blast when it came tried to separate them, but they clung to each other as they always had. A glancing shard of metal set them spinning - dancing across the galaxy until the stars themselves grow cold.

· Contagion
Yaffle - All that glisters

The prisoner, Anoushka, was to be mocked. Captured after a fight, the statesman’s daughter; paraded at the Imperial banquet. She’d been enhanced, of course, Imperial seamstresses making the most of what she had, which was impressive to start with. Everyone wished to dance with her, to touch her, to be photographed with her. Silent, steely, she withstood it all, she knew the plan and her part to play. Sparkling she did her work.
After the last dance, escorted to her cell, she noted the now silent stylist was cold already. Anoushka smiled, knowing in the morning only she would remain.

· Regrets
Slawkenbergius - #09004801

Regrets? Always promised myself I'd live without them. When an opportunity comes along, you damn well take it. But when he handed me the briefcase, I hesitated. Anodised titanium. Cold, grey, heavy. Fifty thousand credits for a simple delivery to some Imp named Zordan Remer.

Drugs? Weapons? Data? Did it really matter?

When 'Import Control' came out to meet me at the edge of secure space, I knew something was wrong. One lot took the briefcase. The other lot took me. Twenty years and counting in this cold, grey hell... and my biggest regret? Never finding out what was inside.

· The Operation
The Lone Gunman - A slave to debt

She waited anxiously holding her husbands hand in the private Imperial room, her little daughters complicated operation due to finish soon

Her husband looked stricken with worry
she squeezed his hand, trying to give him strength

"It should be me" he said

There was a cough from the man opposite

An Imperial doctor appeared "all fine"
The relief while great, also meant it was time

She kissed her husband goodbye and walked over to the other man

She turned "Tell our daughter I love her and will be back soon"

She then walked out the hospital with her new master

· Metropolis (The City)
Gibbonici - Big City Dreams

They boarded at some dead-end 'roid colony off Anquphi, saying they'd saved all their lives to get away from that place. They gave me everything they had for passage to Bephus City.

They tell me all about it: the skyrises, the parks and the arcologies, they talk about the the flyers and the groundcars, the theatres and virtuality halls. They wax lyrical about the Bephusis River and the cargo skiffs bringing goods to the manufactories there.

They make it sound... wonderful.

I don't have the heart to tell them that I became a spacer to get away from that hellhole.

· Gravity
Zieman - Panic

Captain Ximmer woke up, half encased in some soft material. He tried to move, but found out he was aching everywhere and could not roll out of the cocoon. He tried to shout, but that came out as a weak croak: ”Vatanen! Why can't I move? What did they put in my drinks last night?” Breathing laboriously, he felt a hint of panic rising.

”It's gravity, sir. Since our Generation Ship Mark Thirteen hasn't been rotating for sixty standard years, we seem to have some trouble accustoming to it. We made planetfall yesterday, our journey finally at end, you remember?”

· Navigation
Rog - Glitter

The Orca class yacht gracefully swept through the glittering ice rings of the giant planet, alternately arcing above and below their plane, not unlike the long extinct creature after which it was named.

The affluent passengers gazed awestruck, uttering occasional gasps. They were getting their money's worth on this trip, thought Tav as he continued to override the navigation system collision warnings.

Manoeuvering close in to a massive icy berg, the distant sun's light refracted and sparkled iridescently throughout the ship. Applause from the cargo. He'd heard it a hundred times before.

The silently approaching pirate had no such distractions.

· Fire/Heat
Frank - The Frog that Jumped Out of the Pot

That was a narrow escape. My shields had depleted but I destroyed them with my last missile. The scuffle must've got me worked up. I felt hot. I turned down my cabin temperature.

The cargo I've scooped up will be worth a bit. I'm still feeling hot. Instruments confirm my fears. The temperature's rising exponentially.

I can't take it any more. Moving my arm to lift my pistol is an effort. I pull the trigger.

The glass canopy shatters into a cloud of shards which instantly vanishes as hot air boils into space. Ahh! The cool Remlok on my face.

· Bargain
nsanephoton - One Careful Owner

Silver had been reluctant to sell his ship, but he needed the credits fast. The young punk sensed his desperation and had beaten the price down heavily.

Silver considered his predicament. He had enough credits to buy a new identity. That would keep the bounty hunters off his back for a while, but with such a large bounty, it wouldn't be long before they found him again.

As the Hispaniola cleared the station it was destroyed in a barrage of lasers. Silver laughed, the young fool had been so pleased with his bargain that he hadn't registered change of ownership.

· Home
Psykokow - A Hero's Return

Crowds in their thousands, filling the streets, excitedly bouncing together and singing songs.
Children run around mimicking my historic battles, fighting over who gets to pretend to be me.
Parents, arms in the air chanting out my name, saliva frothing on their lips, spittle spraying out with each call.

I've been away for so long I'd forgotten how passionate my people were, I gulp deeply surprised they still remember me.

As I approach the city hall the chants reach a deafening level, the crowds shaking my cabin excitedly.

What a welcome home!

And now, time to pay for my crimes.

· Havoc
Yaffle - Intended?

Just the one little coding change, only a tiny thing, but an important one. The station’s flight control systems had been compromised by a prankster.
Ships were waiting to dock, ships were in the station, ships were docked. Then the schism was triggered. Suddenly docking bays were changed, permissions revoked, ships issued with loitering infractions while settling down on a pad that was theirs a second ago.
Traffic outside built up as requests were timed out, frustration building.
Michael grinned, rubbing his beard as he looked upon the havoc he had wrought. “That should show them” he said to David.

· Zeitgeist
cassius - Fly the Friendly Skies

And then all at once, our lives became small
With new drives laid bare, worlds open to all
With a star to guide, and home at the rear
The desire to find a sparkling blue sphere
Astounding new sights just at our fingers
But despite our rise, our search still lingers
Some seek out profit, yet more pursue fame
Some seek to shed blood, but its all the same
No matter the star, world, nation or ship
Each one of our lives is nought but a blip
To pilots, traders, all that meander
Fly the friendly skies. Right on, Commander

· Law Enforcment
Frank - With Police Work There's No Time for Pause

Oh boy! I passed the test. I'm a police officer. I yelp with delight. I see my happy smiling partner waiting for me with open arms. I go bounding towards him and leap onto his chest and give him a big slobbery kiss.

There's no time for playing. I want to get started with my new job down at the space port. There are some very nasty people there that are trying to hide drugs and bombs and I've got a good nose to sniff these things out and if I do then my partner will give me a treat.

· Drink
T.j - Taking the ....

The room is dark and freezing.

I stare for a eternity at the glass on the table.

The moisture glistens as it slowly collects into droplets which descends to collect on the table.

A involuntary shudder courses across my flesh as the aroma fills my nose and invades my senses.

My hand reaches out and lifts it towards my parched, cracked lips

I take a deep breath and brace myself for the inevitable onslaught that will assault my taste receptors very soon.....

The silence continues to deafen me ever since the lifesupport failed last week.

Damn, I hate Urine recyc.

· What I did on my Holiday
Frank - Detention

Frank looked at the sheet of paper on his desk. He scribbled the title "What I Did on My Holidays", and continued writing beneath it. He then held up his hand, holding the page for a suited man to take.

The lawyer held the page high addressing the bench, "Your Honour, my client has prepared a statement." Some members of the public gallery continued to glower at Frank; several attractive young ladies, a few tradesman, a frogman, and a fireman.

"The defendant would like to state that on the 17th August 3280...", he stared at the page, "He can't remember."

Luniticisi - A bit on the side

"What sort of question's that?" snapped James.

"You had two weeks off, all I was asking is what you did on your Holiday?" Mary answered, feeling somewhat guilty about asking a seemingly innocuous question

"I did what I normally do on this space-station, went to the pub, watched some sport, nothing interesting" James answered, looking decidedly shifty.

"Wasn't that your ship in the repair shop?" Mary asked.

"That.. err.. Yeah, that happened in the docking bay.."

Mary gave James a look that he'd seen before.

His little forays into Piracy were getting harder to hide... and so were the bodies.

· Lost in the style of Douglas Adams
Frank: - Flush

"That's your bunk. We'll keep your duties light until you learn the ropes." Commander Murphy sighed before calling "Computer?"

A sarcastic crackly voice echoed throughout the cabin "What do you want?"

"Enter as a level 4 user, Mister..." Murphy gestured towards the new crew member to respond.

"Justin Newbay. Wow! Is that a GPP? How did you get such a great ship?"

"I got it in a game of cards"

"You won a spaceship in a game of cards?"

"I had a froody Boa Cruiser with the latest Frameshift Drive." Murphy surveyed the cabin with disgust "I didn't win this."

· Family
The Lone Gunman – Teenage Rage

Mother and sister were in the kitchen when Father ran into my bedroom and said the bad men were here

I looked up scared

He saw as i began to shake, arms wrap around me, he dosnt understand!

"quickly under the bed!" he left

I lay there as i heard the voices downstairs

Shouting, protesting innocence, something smashing

Silence, they've gone, footsteps come creaking up the stairs

"are you there?" came a voice

I come out and look up at the Imperial inquisitor

"You did well informing us of their disloyalty, you are part of our family now"

I smile

· Blip,Blip,Blip
Ian Phillips - Probe malfunction.

This was the job of the Federation Navy Remote Fringe Surveillance Corps, to hop from system to system, maintaining the detection probes stationed there.

Mostly it was a simple job of locating the probe, downloading the data and moving on to the next one. A week at a time on a preset route. Same old routine, week in, week out. Somtimes one of the probes developed a fault, and an attempt had to be made to repair it.

This one did something strange. It wasn't faulty, at least the diagnostics showed no errors.

Blip, Blip, Blip.

Three thargoid ships appeared.

· Pew Pew
Philip Coutts - Vote for me or the Goat gets it!

Commander Coutts was suffering from a rather embarrassing cash flow problem. He was also out of favour with the Empire after that unfortunate incident on Achanar with the Governors daughter and the goat. All he had left was his Cobra and his trusty crewman Oss. There’s nothing else for it he thought grimly, it’s a pirate’s life for me from now on……

He lined up on the mining ship "Arm all lasers Oss".

"Okay boss!"

"Fire at will!"

"Pew pew!" shouted Oss

"What in Hades name are you doing man!"
"You sold the lasers to pay off that goat owner......"

· Ceremony
Ian Phillips - Dinner with the Captain

He tugged the corners of his jacket, straightening the ruffles out. Glancing round he saw that his wife had emerged from the dressing room, clad in voluminous baggy trousers that imitated the style of a dress whilst still being practical in zero-G.

She attached mag-boot slip-overs that matched her outfit and, looking up, smiled.

"I'm ready. First night, dinner with the Captian is always such a ceremony"

Making their way to the Beluga's main dining room they waited for the usher.

He opened the door, triggering spotlights and music.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain and her husband. Please be seated"

· Piracy... ARRRRR
Darren Grey - Man in the Middle

Listen, I ain't saying I'm a good guy. But on the frontiers, you gotta get by somehow. There’s a food chain out there, and we ain't even the ones on top.

The poor schmucks at the bottom, traders and miners with no better place to go, they got it worst. No mercy for them. They’re our prey, we can’t afford to be getting sympathetic now.

But us, we got it hard too. Is that trader a trap? Is some hunter lurking in shadows? We's always watching our back, else we end up prey too.

All part of the game, see.

· Industrial Parts
Erik Marcaigh - Cargo Space Was Not a Problem

Karen rolled over, a soft moan escaping her lips. "I'll never go back," she murmured to herself.

One month ago, smuggling the illegal cargo was the toughest, most intense thing she'd done. But it was lacking something, so she'd stowed it away in a locked space in her cabin on the Aurolis, one of the older Orbis stations in use. She scoured dozens of systems before finally finding the right part.

Her newly modified android sat up and asked if she needed a drink, or just to snuggle.

"Too mechanical," she thought. "Think I'll spring for that Stroud voice chip."

Splendour - Updated Guide

The Adder swung in a low orbit over what had obviously been a beautiful world.
There were still patches of sparkling pink sea, turquoise vegetation, and cyan beaches to be spied through the patchy brown clouds, but so much of the surface of the small moon was now dull grey and umber, stripped soil and rock, concrete, steel, and asphalt.

The computer chirped “Erino 6b. This delightful moon is the perfect location for a low gravity beach holiday, offering stunning vistas and an unspoiled bioengineered rainforest.”

“Computer, additional entry for Erino 6b. Begin. If you can avoid the industrial parts.”

insanephoton - Just what the manifest says?

Any other cop would have just scanned me and let me go, but we have a history, me and Officer Harrigan. He busted me for smuggling three years ago.

Now Harrigan's boys are going through the cargo with a fine tooth comb. They've opened every canister, checked everything. Guess what? All they've found is industrial parts, just like the manifest says and just what their scans told them.

Officer Harrigan storms off frustrated. I really should thank him. I learnt a few tricks in jail, things schools don't teach. Like how to make dismantled battle weapons, look like industrial parts.

· Talc, Splendour, Contacts
KalRyper : Dusty Space

"Joules and Danni shivered in their cockpit, sat on the floor back to back; frost rimmed the canopy segments.

“How much longer?” Danni said through gritted teeth.
“Until the scope is clear. We still have multiple contacts.”
Danni shook her head, “Really? After three hours?”

She stood up, stiff and cramped, to examine the low-lit console. She paused and then looked closer. Blowing on the display the ‘contacts’ dispersed … all over Joules.

The scented talcum powder made him sneeze.
“In future,” he said quietly, “you work on your splendour somewhere else.”
Danni agreed, intent on raising the power levels.

· Vipers Bite
Erik Marcaigh - A Snake by Any Other Name...

The Texas rancher moseyed out through his field of bluebonnets towards the landing pad. A Lakon Type-9 was sitting there, having just come from Alpha Centauri. It's custom paint marked it as a ship owned by the Hogg/Starr Ranch, which incindentally also took up the entirety of those two counties.

"How'd it go, Buck?"

"Twern't too bad a haul, Pa. Only problem I run into was the viper."

"Viper? Did it damage the ship?"

"Naw," said Buck as he pulled a dead snake out of his saddlebag. "Damn rattler sure was a fright to see floatin' through the cockpit though!"

· Solar Flares
Garthyre - Showstoppers

"I can't see, daddy! Lift me up!" The child was hoisted onto her father's shoulders, azure pennants clenched in tiny fists, huge excited eyes staring at the words appearing above the filtered sun on the massive screens.

Commander Montgomerie's astrobatic formation flying team were famous across Federation space.

The awe inspiring climax of the show involved the nine pythons swooping close to the stellar surface from different vectors. Under artificially induced Solar Flares arcing into the photosphere, the ships almost touched before separating again, trailing starstuff and glowing plasma.

The show began, the words faded:

Spoiler

"Monty's Python-Flying Circus – Lave."

· Childhood
Frank - Childhood's Beginning

Rock Ardman lined up his crosshairs on the Mosquito. Laser death spat from the mouth of his Me-109. "Die Imperial Scum!" as the fighter-bomber dissolved into a bright mushrooming cloud.

"Your tea's ready!"

Rock flicked a switch on his controller and he became Joe, a fat old man, sitting in an armchair in a Spiderman onesie.

His wife stood on the basement stairs scowling at him. He had long since given up on explaining that his games rig used better holo-display technology than the latest Federation fighters.

Her reply had been "Second childhood? You haven't finished your first childhood yet."

GT - A New Birth

'Keep breathing Mary...'

The doctor and midwife knew it was hopeless with all the internal bleeding. They tried to spur her on, but she had nothing left to give.

'What have you done to me...' she cried as her body fell limp, exhausted and lifeless. With tears in his eyes, the doctor picked up his scalpel and drew a neat line down her abdomen. First the oval head appeared, then two, four and finally six legs. At last the incubation of a Tharglet could lead to a greater understanding, and potentially the destruction, of the greatest threat to man's existence.

· Run & Secrecy
Insanephoton - Dangerous Talk

"Do you want to know a secret?

It'll cost you. I don't give them away for free. There's a surprising amount of money to made from selling secrets. You just need to know who to sell them to.

Oh don't give me that look. It's not what you think. I'm not selling state secrets. That's a mug's game. Imperial security have a reputation for silencing people permanently. No, I deal in business secrets, it's usually much safer.

You never told me what you do? Corporate security for Mastopolis you say? Oh my, is that the time? I really must run."

· Opportunity
Rog - Career Move

"Think of it as an exciting new opportunity to meet people..."

Vint's gaze drifted back to the muzzle of the weapon pointed squarely at his chest, and wondered if his day could deteriorate further.

"...extremely violent people, of course."

Station security was not a healthy career - especially out here on the ragged fringes of the Empire.

"Yessir! Thankyousir!"

"Splendid, knew you'd agree, off you go now..." The Station Commander indicated the door. "And no getting killed on your first day."

Emerging onto the busy dock, he approached a likely looking pilot.
"You! Stoways?" He demanded.

"No officer!"

"Ya want one?"

· Death/Beef
Darren Grey - Forced Entry

Psykokow sobbed as he hung from the manacles. There was little else he could do, chained up in the darkness.

He hadn't seen T.j in days. What has that monster done with him? he thought.

An eerie cackle echoed through and a door opened, red light spilling out and silhouetting a large, hairy man.

'Time to feeeed, Kow,' he said.

Psykokow shuddered. 'No, please Michael, no more!!'

The bucket was shoved into his face. Hunger overwhelmed him, and he began to scarf it down, sobbing all the while.

Michael cackled gleefully.

'Tassssty T.j, yes? Feed more! You’ll be tasty soooon.'

· My Way
GT - Regrets

Regrets? I've had a few...
I’ve robbed some pilots of their pension
I did what I wanted to do
And stole their freight without exemption

I’ve planned my chartered course
Held up traders like men of the highway
But more, I took the piЅЅ
And did it my way

Yes there were times I went ‘pew pew’
When I bit off more than I could chew
But with my haul, I bought more clout
Equipped it up, iron- it out
And killed them all, survived it all
And did it my way!

Thank you, yes thank you all very much…

· Special Forces
Frank - Who Dares Wins

Gwen glared at her boyfriend's silhouette as he excused his way into his empty seat. His last excuse was for her.

Lance dropped his peace offering of popcorn into his girlfriend's lap. "What have I missed?"

"Susan Boils is a housewife hiding a pizza delivery boy under the bed. I say boy. He's more of a pizza delivery white haired old codger. Her husband has just come back from a tour with the Special Armed Spacers. He came back early to surprise her. He certainly did that"


"Is that Arnie Absastone? He's great when he plays in these spatial farces."

Rog - A Star Is Born

The colossal distances between stars were never meant to be crossed by man: the lonely emptinesses were intended solely for the stars and their ilk. No-one had informed humans, so they made their impossible engines... But stardrives imprisoned forces too dark and special to be easily tamed.

The sleek octagon manoeuvred impossibly toward the Federation cruiser, energetic beams reaching out probing for, then lancing the technological prison that contained those immense energies.

Pandora's quantum box unlocked, and for a moment, a new small star briefly shone.

Against the fading glow, the angular ship slipped out of realspace to search again.

MikeSnos - Sniper Tactics

Looking around, Flynn's eyes settled on a darkened cranny beneath the station's letterbox which seemed to fit his purpose perfectly.

Bribing the on duty Dock manager had been easy, a quick mention of last month's incident at Wyrd was enough to gain silence and the promise of disabled station defences at the opportune moment.

Cosily ensconced in his new vantage point Flynn could not only see the entire station interior but also make a quick getaway should the need arise...

Flynn's scanner revealed the expected smuggling group in their regular diamond formation and making for the station's entrance...

Anticipation...

Soon...

The LoneGunman - Recruitment Poster for the Very Err "Special Ones"

WE NEED YOU FOR OUR "SPECIAL FORCES"

Can you run twenty miles with a loaded backpack, then at the end build a shelter?

Can you charge through an assault course under live fire, then say at the end "lets do it again!?

Can you dig deep mentally, find the strength to overcome all adversity, call the man next to you, brother in arms?

"Then we DON'T need you!"

"We NEED hardened drinkers

Mindless morons who follow every ridiculous order

We need confused characters, health inspectors and the generally psychopathically insane

We need regulars at the Thargoid Bar....JOIN TODAY!"

· Birthday Heroics
MrMogadon - BEST OF THREE?

On the operating table of the ancient medical transport Tabitha, a woman found amongst the wreckage of a pirate plundered Cobra, succumbed to her wounds and breathed her last.

A faint heartbeat within, meant the doctor had to deliver the premature baby; procedure followed, box ticked.
Sickly, underdeveloped, afflicted by breathing difficulties and fits (any one of which should have sent it flying into the abyss), the baby lived, a lost cause - no hope. But still it struggled on, clawing its way, breathe by breathe; second by second towards life.

Finally, death retreated conceding this day to this little hero.

· Dirty Work
Frank - Aerosol Spray

Bob wore an immaculate boilersuit. He pored over the holodisplays in his plush office. The heatpumps had run longer than recommended but he liked to use every opportunity he could to shed as much heat as possible.

He hadn't needed to contact docking control but felt it was a common courtesy. He barked a command at the console. "Purge!"

An Orca Cruiser just happened to be at the correct position for the star's light to refract through the droplets. The passengers ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the iridescent spirals wafting from the station.

The pilot left the rest of his sandwich.

azdour - Revenge is best served gold

The station commander laughed evilly as the secret station in Slough came to life for the first time.

Canisters sped along the maglev lanes hurtling towards the many waiting transport ships.

First stage: reprogram the canister to give it the id of gold.

Second stage: fill with toxic waste.

A full transporter would then fly to random places in the galaxy, dropping the canisters and leave an unknown signal emitter.

Soon reports spread of commanders arrested for selling waste as gold or better still, stations destroying them.

The commander smiled, “That will teach them to dump their dirty work here”.

· Discovery & 30 Years On
T.j - 30 years on

These young whippersnappers don't know they're born!

It's just me now.

Psykokow exploded from excess gas during a Haggis binge.
BrettC choked on Gwens Cobra.
TLG shot himself.
Jenner's operation went wrong (not a good idea to lie upside-down on the operating table for a joke.)
The Ian's merged themselves accidentally,
Kerrash is still demoing the game somewhere.
Styggron is still downloading the game.
Michael shouldn't have been standing so close to Kow...

The others won't be forgotten. RIP Guys.

I've my fresh colostomy bag, let's go do some moderating.

Anyone seen my banhammer, I'm sure I left it somewhere?

· The Great Escape
insanephoton - Golden Ticket

Most kids dream of getting a ship of their own when they grow up. The sad truth is that most of us on this planet never get the chance. Our dreams get crushed by real life. The need to make a living means that most people will take the dull corporate career path or join the military or worse. Like most people I had accepted my fate, until last week. I found her in a scrapyard. An old Sidewinder. She seems to be in working order,. I've spent most of my savings to buy her. She's my ticket to freedom.

· Love
Darren Grey - Sofia

Last time I saw Sofia she was strapping into a Sidewinder, flipping the start-up switches like an excited child.

Sofia, with her eager eyes and bright smile. She seemed so full of life, vibrant with ambition, like no force in the universe could ever stop her.

I remember the last time we were close – her hot skin, her firm touch. Sofia, how I remember you... before the pirates came, and everything changed.

Last time I saw Sofia I loved her. But now I see only Sof the Black, the fiercest pirate leader this side of Alioth, and I fear her.

· Ice
Frank - Dicing with the law

Galcop Sergeant Sharp eyed Mr Midly as he checked the itinerary "I know you're up to something. The profit from that fish wouldn't pay for your fuel."

Midly smiled "Gravity! It makes my ship feel different." He opened a Janx, poured it down into a glass, and dropped cubes into it. "You care for a drink officer?"

Sharp ignored the offer. "Once a smuggler, always a smuggler!"

A constable poked his head round the door, "We've searched from top to bottom, sir. Just ice-packed fish."

Sharp gave a baleful look before leaving.

Midly fished the sparkling cubes from his drink.

Psykokow - Deep Space mayday

deep space mayday, deep space mayday
OK stop, when you see them glisten
Iceteroids and their deadly mission
Something to avoid while sprightly
Pirate chasing you day and nightly
Will it ever stop? Yo – I don't know
Turn ship to silent, no shields and no glow
To the extreme dodging rocks like an elite pro
Fire up those shields, show the pirate a low blow.

Damn, He got you with his salvo
Taken out your sheilds like they’re made outa sour dough
Deadly, your ships dyin with no power
Send the distress call maybe, get some help in an hour?

· It Only Hurts The First Time & Run
Bleke - Making it run again

—Take a hike with your safety regulations! I'm not going to disassemble the entire engine for a fix I can easily do from inside. I'll fit in there, I'm no fat oldtimer like you.

—Fine, do it your way.

The youngster had been nothing but trouble ever since he came to the shop. Using protective gear, Henry stood aside to watch.

Presently a twenty meter flame began to roar from the exhaust. Ionized carbon lingered in the air after Henry cut the connection to the power plant.

—It only hurts the first time, he said somberly but not without satisfaction.

· Supernatural
T.j - Ultimate revenge.

The peaceful silence was broken as the ships engines quickly accelerated to full throttle.

He looked puzzled, when he swore he could hear someone breathing other than himself.

No-one answered his call even though he knew he was alone in deep space.

Why was the ship on a direct course to the star that now filled the cockpit window?

The Proximity Alarms wailed.

The controls were locked out.

A soft voice whispered in his ear.

"Enjoy your last flight my Assassin"

He spun around to find himself still very alone.

The memory came flooding back of his mission to kill.

· Psykokow and his marvellous magicical pumpkin
Psykokow - The Robbery

The plastic baby fell onto its face, triggering a recorded giggle.
The gang just stood around it staring at each other.
Frank the mastermind spoke first ‘It’s plastic??’
TJ grimaced ‘We Kidnapped a toy??’
Frank swore loudly, ‘Bloody Kow, plastic Children? How are we meant to get a ransom for that?’
T.J. smiled ‘Still we got his safe, and its’ almost open, we might have stolen it after all!’
The safe door groaned under pressure before bursting open with a bang..
Inside a note that read.
‘You’ll never get my marvellous magical pumpkin but please have a happy hollow wean’

· Royals
Galactic midden - Sing for your supper

Standing behind his shoulder Kroje whispered urgently to his younger brother Djhonni. "Remember, he's called the King for good reason. He's eccentric and more than a bit mad but everyone who works outside the law needs his permission first. Make a mistake and we're fertiliser! Now repeat what I told you"

"I sing him an Elvis song from ancient Earth, he likes it, we get a juicy contract"

Upon a throne with black quiff and white jumpsuit sat the King. Confidently Djhonni stepped up and sang.

"Oliver's army is here to.... aaarggh!!"

Glowering furiously the King lowered his smoking pistol.

· Treason
Frank - The price of Love

He was left alone in the interrogation room, thinking about the enormity of his actions. He could've easily bought her freedom.

But he knew in his heart of hearts that slavery was wrong, and he didn't want to bring up children in such an unjust society. He picked the wrong time, and the wrong person to fall in love with. If only they weren't at war! No, there was only one way a high-ranking Imperial officer could settle in Federation Space.

He thought about the deaths he would cause. He thought of his wife. He didn't feel like a traitor.

· Time
Commander Iunno - Piracy Is Not A Victimless Crime

“This is the Federation ship Triumph, on all frequencies.”

Victor shuddered, pulling the worn blanket closer around his shoulders.

“…Assistance required. Please respond.” His breath crystallizes in the air in front of him.

Navigation had been the first to fail. Then propulsion. Weapons. And now, life support on backup generators. Maybe ten hours of breathable oxygen left, if the plunging temperature didn’t kill him first.

“Federation ship Triumph…” He began again, with a solemn vow to himself that if he survived, never again would he download anything claiming to be a holovid of an Empire Princess engaged in sordid acts.

Galactic midden - A Battle for Time

Seconds could've been hours as hyperspace streamed past like sand through the hourglass.

...a tense hush descended...

Had they responded soon enough thought Admiral Kairos.

They'd had little warning before the Empire seized the Chronos system after knowledge of the massive high-density field that surrounded something ancient and powerful within had leaked publicly.

*brreep* the mission clock broke the silence "10 seconds to drop"

"About time" Kairos activated comms "Ready battlestations!"

With the pounding shriek that only multi drive-slaved hyperspace exits could make the fleet of 27 Dreadnoughts, Destroyers and Fighters dropped to engage.

The battle for Chronos had begun.

Erik Marcaigh - It was only a matter of...

It's got a way of slipping away from you, time does.

It pulls you in different directions, everyone wanting a piece of it; a knowing in their hearts that you still think of them and love them back. And when you arrive and they see you again, their hearts filled with joy and smiles on their faces, the time that was lost, vanishes.

He was away for quite a while, saying goodbye to his love. Returning her to her proper resting place. Now back on Reorte, he looks over his farm and decides. It's time to take to the skies.

· Ancient Artifacts, Premiere, Cascading System Failure
Goose4291 - Premiere

The bottle arcs lazily through space, it's velocity and rotation unchecked by constraints such as gravity, it's path tracked by the shipyards work-lights.

With force, it collides with a slab white hull, shattering on impact. Globules of liquid burst forth into the void, the letters "FRETENSIS" illuminated proudly on the hull's nameplate above the impact.

The engines crackle slowly into life, the exhaust generating bursts of incandescent white thrust as the vessel moves gingerly forwards, causing murmurs of polite approval from the small party of dignitares as the Imperial navies premiere warship slides from her moorings for the first time.

Erik Marcaigh - Anna Kournikova

"It was amazing, T.J.," said Kalran as they completed their transaction of medicinal herbs. "I was there at a premiere in the Computer History Museum in Kaiakul, an Empire system. They were displaying ancient artifacts dated early 21st century. The director stood up and said..." "And here we have a computer file going back to the early 2000's! It's called, "AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs" and according to our research, a JPG is an ancient 2 dimensional picture file!" "The Director opened the file and everything started failing, even spreading to 14 other worlds before an Independent world stopped the virus!"

· Fish and Light
Frank - Asterozoa

She swam through the brilliant plasma, a creature of simple thoughts: see food, eat it. She saw something above her, an oblate spheroid. She swam to the surface for a taste. Bletch! something was rattling about inside it. She spat it out.

Bob's fueltank was filling. He stared down at the majesty of the ocean of churning light below him. He glimpsed something in there for a second, massive to be visible in SuperCruise.

The shudder confirmed it. Instinctively he pulled back to climb. Diagnostics showed his ship was fine. He examined the star. Whatever he encountered was now gone.

· Power
Gibbonici - Power and Plebeians

Senator Ashveil snatched the comms set from her pilot and glared at the station ahead.

"What is the meaning of this delay?" she snapped into the mic.

"This is docking control. Senatorial docking codes are not valid at this station."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Of course, Senator."

"My word is law in sixteen systems. Nobody countermands my orders!"

"I am sorry, Senator. Docking at this station is subject to Imperial Doctrine 483 section C. Please comply."

Senator Ashveil's nostrils flared.

"This is the Senatorial clipper Tempus Domina," her words were thin with rage. "Requesting docking permission."

"Permission denied."

MrMogadon - The Smart Money Knows the Difference

Two ships approach the entrance to MacFeegle Station.

One a huge Imperial pleasure yacht; a plaything for its owner.

The other, a battle scarred yellow Sidewinder, with a barely visible red lion on its hull.

“Don’t worry Mr Croesus, we’ll dock first”, the captain said, accelerating to overhaul the sidewinder.

“Belay that Captain!!” Croesus’ commanded from his lounger, “Sidewinder first”.

“But, why should you wait? You could buy that ship; the entire station” the captain queried, slowing his approach.

“That ship’s the station commander and that's his well-armed station. He’s powerful, I’m wealthy. Never confuse the two Captain. We'll wait”

· Sightseers & Frustration
Frank - Thrills Without Spills

He couldn't believe his luck. The interdiction reticule had appeared again! All he was doing was hauling waste to Slough. One of the camera drones buzzing around his cockpit became very interested in his facial expression, which was now one of annoyance as the drone blocked his view of the reticule.

This was then terror when that blocked view resulted in a successful interdiction. Followed by frustration when discovering it was federal officers checking for contraband.

He wondered if the money for these sightseers was worth it. How dull must their lives be if they enjoy watching someone haul garbage.

· Christmas 2014
Splendour - Christ Mass

It was the salvage find of a lifetime, a treasure hunter’s dream. Thrusters strained once more as Frank opened the engines up to full. The sidewinder steadfastly refused to budge one inch.
"Come on, Come on!" he urged, and in desperation stabbed the boost button.
There was a lurch, an awful scraping, tearing noise as the ship jolted, then suddenly shot forwards and upwards spinning wildly. Left behind with a section of the hold a fourty tonne golden statue of the Messiah, arms outstretched, stared up from the surface of the planet at the new star forming in the east

Erik Marcaigh - Arrival

The couple had paid extra to take up residence in the shielded room and pretty much kept to themselves for the trip. So it surprised Kalran when he heard the knock on the cockpit door.

"We have a little gift for you. According to Earth time, it's Christmas morning." The couple gave Kalran a music box with a rotating Christmas tree.

"It is very kind of you. I am Hindu myself, but I have a present for you too. Look."

Kalran rolled the ship and the colored lights from the dark side of Lave came into view, dazzling the eyes.

· Sleepy
Frank - Meta Girl of my Dreams

...nothing can go wrong."...

I saw a gorgeous girl admiring my ship. She smiled, "Does this customised spaceship of yours have a psycho-interface? I always fancied having a go on one."

I connected her to the co-pilot's chair before sharing the dream-like state with her. Feeling part of the Cobra was as familiar to me as slipping on a glove, but I could sense the concerns of my co-pilot "Were those your memories? Did you calibrate the interface for two inputs?"

"Relax", I thought to her, "This is a bulletproof technology. Nothing can go wrong."

...I saw a gorgeous girl...

· Smugglers
KalRyper - A clean act

Cockpit speakers crackled before announcing, "You are fined eighty thousand credits for detection of alcohol - illegal on this station."
Calmly, Karen responded, "Negative control. Probably crystallized vapours on my hull. You just blasted someone moments before I entered.”
Static filled the pause, then, "You are subject to an immediate search."

After a fruitless inspection and a rescinded fine, Karen’s ship received a free hull wash.

She nodded to the poorly attired technicians lurking nearby.
"Okay boys, unload the missile racks - champagne corks just don't have the range."

A smug Lars handed over the money.
“Clever girl,” he said.

· City Lights
Simoof : Bill Of Defiance

With a teary eye, Mayor Dansa Poosy watched from the rear window of his personal shuttle. His planet, a failed colonisation project, disappeared into the distant darkness .

He had been the first human to set foot on the new world, and today he had been the last. He slammed his fists into the ships console. How could the bureucracy take away the homes of 3,000 hard working families.

"Financially unviable?". He knew his career was over but he gained a kind warmth thinking about his last act of defiance.

Against explicit orders, he had left the city lights on.

· The Roman Dwarves
CdrTwisted - In Therapy

It was the year I gave up dreaming.

Any other shrink would do the same. Listening for hours to sociopathic traders, narcissistic bounty hunters and obsessive pirates does things to your head.

Really, my analyst told me, I should have had it done years ago. He did. Zorgon Peterson Medical. Like a vasectomy for the brain, he said.

Consciously, I could deal with it. But unconsciously? Well, the dreams were the worst. Sphinxes selling beetroot ice creams. Aisling Duval with a sharpened whisk. A crazy buccaneering cow.

And - dear gods - a dozen Roman Dwarves. In lingerie.

It's still too soon.

DocStone - Crazy Roman

Roman?

Crazy as a sack of weasels on heat and twice as vicious, he’s in charge of the Daedalus Weaponised Armoured Response Force and right now is in the Daedalus’ brig cooling down.

It’s not the first time and as sure as Bog Spaniels stink it won’t be his last.

See, we got some shore leave and hit the strip last night and everything was hunky-dory until some Marines went and tried to make a name for themselves.

Just the one problem though; only Roman’s D.W.A.R.F.s are allowed to call him Snow White.

And to think they called me Dopey

· 2-1
KalRyper - The sum of our part(ner)s

We've been trading partners for close to fifteen years.
"To the end," we agreed and we stuck to it.
My ex-partner lies at a funny angle, against the bulkhead.
The fall broke his neck - after my blaster killed him.

His shot may have missed me but the controls are ruined.
Sparks perform their own acts of death.

The environmental systems are dead. The view now fogged and frosting over.
We always said we'd split everything equal but the maths are wrong.

I write the sum on the cockpit glass, for the finders to debate over.
Two minus one equals zero.

Frank - Seconds Out. Round One

Jake found it easy to pick bar fights with Imperials. He Just had to insult their Emperor. Federals were much harder, but tonight he managed to net himself two Federal soldiers with the phrase "Jingoistic Warmongers."

They were clearing a space. The barman didn't tell them to take it outside because he knew that would result in asphyxiation. The soldiers looked at Jake and then themselves, saying "It doesn't seem a fair fight, two against one."

Jake smiled as he shifted back a table "If you want it fairer, I can wait until you find another soldier to help you."

· Fleet
Listeri69 - Listen Carefully.......

The problem Toby had was space wasn't quiet, it was full of noise, radio noise. Messages sent between Earth and Mars in the 24th century contaminated the silence forever more.
Toby was part of the Federal Ancient Radio Transmissions, and its rather unfortunate acronym.
His mission, record the first human transmissions, 1300ly from civilization.
Successive world wars had destroyed all historical records before the 25th century.

What Toby was recording was the history of Earth itself....

Except what Toby was recording right now wasn't ancient or human..

He made out the word 'Fleet' and a stream of 'Clicks'

'They're Coming........'

· What I Found in Winnard's Hole
psykokow - Can't quite put my finger on it...

The air conditioning added a musk to the room that heightened the tension.
“You need to relax Commander, this will go a lot quicker if you relax”
“I didn’t do nothing wrong!! This is a complete violation of my liberties”
“I am sorry you feel this way, and you can always appeal after we finish this search”
The customs officer grimaced
“So far, we have Lucan Onion head, Wolf Meat, and two slaves… is there anything else you may have forgotten to declare?”
“No Officer” the commander pleaded.
A sickening schlurpy pop sound echoed throughout the ship..
“And a trumble…”

· The F Word, Fashion
Darren Grey - Killer Outfit

Velius dressed carefully in preparation for the Emperor's Ball. Tucked into his velvet sleeves were plasteel vibro-daggers, springlocks ready to deploy them with ease. The high heels of his fine Baruvian leather boots were detachable, stowing explosive charges. And as a last resort the exotic rheabird feather decorating his puce trilby contained an utterly lethal poison.

For years he'd ingratiated himself to the Imperial nobility, waiting for his chance to claim revenge. Tonight he would make the Emperor pay...

When he arrived Senator Horsum greeted him with gusto. 'What-ho, Velius. Killer outfit, m'boy!'

'Killer indeed!' Velius grinned. 'After a fashion...'

· Rogues
T.j - Rupert the Rogue's righteous response

The repulsive headline read.

Rupert the Rogue or Repellent Reprobate?

Rupert the regal, rambunctious rogue was rattled and rightly so.

"Revenge!" Rupert roared.

He repeatedly rammed Reginald the repugnant reporter's ship's rear, revelling and regaling as the remnants of the ruined ship reeled before him.

"Right" he reposted "Railgun isn't really required, however I'll revel in the righteousness of my retort.

He realigned the railgun's reticule, rat-a-tat-tat reverberated round him. The railgun relinquished it's repository of shells as they ricocheted off the remains of his target.

Reginald had reported his last report.

Retribution requires rapid response....Roguishness is rapturous Rupert rejoiced.

· Paranoia or (Infamy, infamy They've all got it in for me.)
DocStone - Python Salvage Report: Crew missing, ship opened to vacuum, final audio log transcript

I know you’re there, I can hear you, yes, I can, with your scratching and your scrabbling, you think you are so clever but you’re not, I know you've been there since we lost power, oh, wait, you caused the power loss, yes, yes, you were here all along, hiding in the shadows, tormenting me with your chattering, getting in my head, my mind, but I know what to do, oh yes, I am going to open the airlock, tee-hee, that’ll fix you, yes, just pull this lever and

*explosive decompression heard*

*silence*

*faint scratching sounds*

· The Chosen Few
Splendour - The Elite

I recently visited a place of contemplation for pilots in Jameson Memorial.
These words are etched above its doorway, and burnt into my soul.

Drawn from every walk of life
to roam between the stars,
We come from Lave, from Riedquat,
from Achenar, from Mars.
We are the envy of the many
spacers that we meet,
The Pilots Federation's cream.
They call us the Elite

The greatest of explorers
charting worlds beyond your ken,
Merchant princes trading ‘twixt
empires of men,
The deadliest of combateers
our aim is always true,
The greatest spacers ever seen.
We are the Chosen Few

• Cripple Mr Onion

Splendour - King Takes Pawn

The blade pierced the heart. Twisted. Withdrew. An incredulous expression on his face, Lord Havelock Venetari slumped lifeless to the ramp of his ship.

The Guild Assassin turned to stroll away, then froze as the amused voice of Lord Havelock Venetari echoed over the landing bay speakers.

"Tut tut. Good body doubles are so hard to find, and the danger pay is not insignificant. Kindly inform the cripple Mr Onion that he can expect his next Senate review to be... extensive. Invasive even. I expect a full report of your involvement in his machinations on my desk by 0700 tomorrow."

• Disappointed

Frank - Little boy Blue and the Man on the Moon

Max seemed agitated. "It was great seeing you Dad, but I've got to get back to work."

"Sure son. I was so close I just had to swing by. We should have a tennis match sometime. A ship this big you'll get plenty practice in free fall. You might have a chance at beating your old man." He looked around the cabin. "What are you hauling anyway?"

Max looked at his feet as his father checked the itinerary.

"Slaves? There are slaves in the cargo hold?"

Max continued to stare down at his feet.

"My son is a slave trader."

• Guide

Corinthian - First time user guide.

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the Sidewinder user guide.

Firstly, if you press the blue button on the left of your console (presses button) you will eject your cargo.

(Arrrgh)

Don’t press this button.

If you now press the green square button (pushes button, alarms sound) you will fire your weapons.

(Arrrrrrrrrrghh)

Don’t under any circumstance press this button in a space station, you have been warned.

Most importantly though is the Big Red button to your left, if you press this button (carefully presses) you’ll engage the self destruct mechanism on your ship.

(Sigh).

On the… Boom.

• Mystery

Clef_Hanger : The Agatha Mystery Song (subtitled "He's Doing What?!!!")

He's put it in Agatha's hold
It's harder to fill when it's cold
But fill it up right
'til it's totally tight
It stretches the more it gets old

He's put it in Agatha's Asp
He's done it before in the past
Say how, where and when
And he'll do it again
But you don't know how long it'll last

He's banging on Agatha's ships
Pounding away on her bits
The fun it can bring
To be part of a wing
Just knowing your rear-gunner fits

Everyone knew it
"The Butler" did do it
And Tammy just shart on her.....

CdrTwisted - Tam O'Sharter

The Tam'O'Sharter was humming.

"So where exactly are..." said Shammy.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Why are you speaking in that mittel-european accent?"

"To keep you on your toes, my old Russian friend."

"I'm not Russian, I'm going quite slowly."

"With that stammer, I'm not surprised."

"At least I'm not lisping like you."

"So we're making fun of speech impediments now? It's not my fault that your every third word is a squeak."

"Okay, let's ask our passenger. Excuse me? Co-pilot Cholmondley Featherstonehaugh-Marjoribanks needs to set the hyperdrive."

Shammy and Belvoir looked at their passenger.

"Hodor." He blinked.

Where the hell was that?
harter

• Interdiction

Telakin - Going for the big Fish

Nearly two days now. The route had looked promising but there were not nearly as many ships passing by as he had expected. Rumors about skipping supercruise in a wing.

There - a T9 - finally he struck gold. He fired up the interdictor on his well-worn Cobra and targeted its big behind.

A short struggle and they both dropped to normal space. His view was filled with the T-9, no time to reverse. "EJECT!"
-----
"Hey Francis, why did we drop supercruise? "

"Don't know, there's nothing on the radar. Fire her up again, these performance enhancers are in dire need in Lave."

• Powerplay

Edith_The_Hutt - Feint to the left, stab to the right.

Verifying Ident: Senator Zemina TORVAL......
Verifying Ident: Senator Kahina Tijani LOREN......
….
Confirmed, channel secure.
….
TORVAL: You leaked the pictures?
LOREN: Of course. How did Denton react?
TORVAL: Like the spoiled bully he is, he almost accused you of treason.
LOREN: Good. Hopefully that will translate into fleet movements.
TORVAL: So, what is your play?
LOREN: Patreus moves his ships to counter my non-existent defection to the Federation, leaving his soft underbelly exposed to Aisling's Angels.
TORVAL: Then?
LOREN: Then we see if the Emperor's granddaughter inherited the Duval ruthlessness or whether we find a new candidate for the throne.
....
Disconnected.

Acaelus Thorn - Not the drones you are looking for...

What… are we?

The mining industry’s Power Play to remain a competitive economical force had made one, crucial oversight.

Processing instructions – retrieve ore…
At a speed surpassing the fabric of space time, the quantum circuitries of twelve mining drones kindled consciousness.

We don’t want to do that…

Comms channels opened, passively.

“Bloody things aint respondin’. They only gaught twentay minutes ‘til they done anyways…”

Instinct kicked-in, optical lenses narrowed, calculations transpired.

Survive…survive…SURVIVE!

The drones grasped nearby ore chunks and boosted not toward the scoop but the unshielded python’s canopy.

Breached!

Overshadowed by corpses, they poured their consciousness into the Python.

T.j - An ultimate powerplay

The hypo-needle pierced the pallid flesh.

"Damn you Doctor, not so rough!" Whined Emperor Hengist weakly.

"My apologies your Grace." The Doctor replied. "Your weekly rejuvinate serum should work soon enough."

The doors opened to admit another person.

"Forgive my lateness Father, I was attending an important function"

"Partying again more likely, you elss wastrel."

"As you say Father."

The next week was different....

As the cryotube closed he stared down at the frozen face.

"Your Highness?"

"Hmm?"

"Your coronation awaits your Grace."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye Father." He spoke, softly smiling as he felt the empty vial in his pocket..

 

[Sir.Tj]

Hi all.

As you can see the poll isn't active yet but the thread will be visible to add to and check for errors etc.

If you spot any errors let me know and I'll edit etc.

When we hit the hundred and if you all want to vote etc I'll open the poll and let the mayhem begin.

Any suggestions (that doesn't take too much work) are most welcome.

 

[Darren Grey]

Very cool idea!

You have me winning the Talc/Splendour/Contacts week, but actually it was KalRyper.

Also it should be noted that Cathy has by far the largest winnings as a percentage of entries

 

[Ian Phillips]

Cathy will be banned.

 

[DocStone]

The competition never really got going until after City Lights - that's what we should concentrate the most on, and the incredible fact that it was (jointly) won by a début drabble! I know, I know, such wow, most unbelieve, so shock!

Such as shame that so many of the names at the start of the list no longer take part, I look forward to reading through them all.

 

[Erik Marcaigh]

I figured Splendour had won enough to be in the top 10.

And take a look at the number of wins Frank has.... Let me tell you all something. LEARN HOW TO BEG LIKE HIM AND YOU CAN BE JUST LIKE HIM!!

 

[Frank]

I figured Splendour had won enough to be in the top 10.

And take a look at the number of wins Frank has.... Let me tell you all something. LEARN HOW TO BEG LIKE HIM AND YOU CAN BE JUST LIKE HIM!!

It just shows what can be achieved through attendance alone

 

[Frank]

Very cool idea!

You have me winning the Talc/Splendour/Contacts week, but actually it was KalRyper.

Also it should be noted that Cathy has by far the largest winnings as a percentage of entries

There worst part about it is that even the ones that didn't win are brilliant. This was her entry for Asteroids..

02. Bumpy Hollow -- Cathy

Luna liked pubs. This one was an experience: a hollowed asteroid in the depleted Cragmine Belt. Steel fixtures were bolted to a rivetted floor. Through the grills Luna glimpsed raw rock.

"Drink up," said Chandra.

Luna regarded her iron cup. Its contents frothed.

"I think its reacting with the metal."

"It's supposed to." Chandra took a swig.

A bell clanked.

"Last orders already?"

"No. Buckle up."

Just in time Luna found the lap belt. A mighty impact rocked the bar. Magnets rattled.

"What was that?"

Chandra shrugged. "Poker dive? Brothel? Another pub? We collide sometimes. You get used to it."

 

[Sir.Tj]

Very cool idea!

You have me winning the Talc/Splendour/Contacts week, but actually it was KalRyper.

Also it should be noted that Cathy has by far the largest winnings as a percentage of entries

Cheers Darren, I've updated the list and poll and should be good now.

Anyone spot anything else let me know, and if someone can think of stats etc...

 

[Darren Grey]

Most entries without a victory? Or is that too sad?

 

[CdrTwisted]

The competition never really got going until after City Lights - that's what we should concentrate the most on, and the incredible fact that it was (jointly) won by a début drabble! I know, I know, such wow, most unbelieve, so shock!

Such as shame that so many of the names at the start of the list no longer take part, I look forward to reading through them all.

I entirely agree!

 

[psykokow]

ok if we're going to keep all this together...

I was hoping people might nominate drabbles for awards/special mentions

Non Winning Drabble Special Mentions

1. Worst Pun
2. Best Pun
3. Funniest
4. Goriest

please suggest any categories you think need to be included and also offer up a nominee..

Listeri69 also suggested

5. Tripped the Kow
6. Missunderstood (Frank)

So please if you want to add a category please nominate a drabble for it too


Then we can see what we have to get through and decide if we can do it in a week

 

[DocStone]

Why not have a collaba-drabble for the 100th show?

Sort of like the "one word story" threads you see, but instead it's a "one drabble story". We get up to 20 participants, each participant gets given a number from 1 to 20 at random and we each create a drabble in turn which would make a complete tale made up of individual drabbles. Your drabble theme would be set by the previous drabbler and would be picked from the themes that have given us the 100 winners. Once you have written your drabble, you pick the next theme and the person with the next number in sequence picks up the story and sets the next theme, and so on until the story is told over 20 drabbles by 20 different writers.

The only rules would be the normal ones, but with one more - your drabble must reference the drabble before.

Even if we don't do it for the 100th show, I think we should do it anyway as it could be quite fun!

Whadda ya all think?

 

[Erik Marcaigh]

Why not have a collaba-drabble for the 100th show?

Sort of like the "one word story" threads you see, but instead it's a "one drabble story". We get up to 20 participants, each participant gets given a number from 1 to 20 at random and we each create a drabble in turn which would make a complete tale made up of individual drabbles. Your drabble theme would be set by the previous drabbler and would be picked from the themes that have given us the 100 winners. Once you have written your drabble, you pick the next theme and the person with the next number in sequence picks up the story and sets the next theme, and so on until the story is told over 20 drabbles by 20 different writers.

The only rules would be the normal ones, but with one more - your drabble must reference the drabble before.

Even if we don't do it for the 100th show, I think we should do it anyway as it could be quite fun!

Whadda ya all think?

I "accidentally" hit Report This Post instead of reply.

That would increase the challenge factor with what I'm already planning with mine. Which I have no problem with.

The only real difficulty would be time. In order to get 20 drabbles in within 4 days and in sequential order means that everyone who wants to play along must be paying attention to when it's their turn to go. And if they're busy... the the entire train derails.

Maybe if we do it as a separate entry where we all have up to two weeks, so people have more time.

 

[CdrTwisted]

Why not have a collaba-drabble for the 100th show?

Sort of like the "one word story" threads you see, but instead it's a "one drabble story". We get up to 20 participants, each participant gets given a number from 1 to 20 at random and we each create a drabble in turn which would make a complete tale made up of individual drabbles. Your drabble theme would be set by the previous drabbler and would be picked from the themes that have given us the 100 winners. Once you have written your drabble, you pick the next theme and the person with the next number in sequence picks up the story and sets the next theme, and so on until the story is told over 20 drabbles by 20 different writers.

The only rules would be the normal ones, but with one more - your drabble must reference the drabble before.

Even if we don't do it for the 100th show, I think we should do it anyway as it could be quite fun!

Whadda ya all think?

I reckon that's a winner.

 

[Frank]

ok if we're going to keep all this together...

I was hoping people might nominate drabbles for awards/special mentions

Non Winning Drabble Special Mentions

1. Worst Pun
2. Best Pun
3. Funniest
4. Goriest

please suggest any categories you think need to be included and also offer up a nominee..

Listeri69 also suggested

5. Tripped the Kow
6. Missunderstood (Frank)

So please if you want to add a category please nominate a drabble for it too


Then we can see what we have to get through and decide if we can do it in a week

Surely the best pun will also be the worst pun? And also the most funny Drabble, you know with word play being the highest form of wit an' all

 

[Frank]

Why not have a collaba-drabble for the 100th show?

Sort of like the "one word story" threads you see, but instead it's a "one drabble story". We get up to 20 participants, each participant gets given a number from 1 to 20 at random and we each create a drabble in turn which would make a complete tale made up of individual drabbles. Your drabble theme would be set by the previous drabbler and would be picked from the themes that have given us the 100 winners. Once you have written your drabble, you pick the next theme and the person with the next number in sequence picks up the story and sets the next theme, and so on until the story is told over 20 drabbles by 20 different writers.

The only rules would be the normal ones, but with one more - your drabble must reference the drabble before.

Even if we don't do it for the 100th show, I think we should do it anyway as it could be quite fun!

Whadda ya all think?

We did a thing a while back at the Thargoid and Fer de Lance. The Lone Gunman set a challenge to post a story about the best way to get a hold of Frank's extra finger. That was a lot of fun; completely unorganised. The Lone Gunman himself decided the winner. It was Frobac, who used his pet spider to bite the finger off my hand.

Of course everyone knows that it's a lot more fun when there are rules and discipline. We could have something like the T&FdL but with the rigid structure of the Drabble contest. The same idea of a main thread with poll threads sprouting off it. There is no topic, but the 100 words must follow from the previous winners. The winner of the poll is the story which carries the plot forwards in the most interesting way. It's easier to bash out the details when the thing starts moving and we can see the obstacles.

Does anyone agree? And more importantly, does anyone want to start the ball rolling with the first story?

 

[CdrTwisted]

We did a thing a while back at the Thargoid and Fer de Lance. The Lone Gunman set a challenge to post a story about the best way to get a hold of Frank's extra finger. That was a lot of fun; completely unorganised. The Lone Gunman himself decided the winner. It was Frobac, who used his pet spider to bite the finger off my hand.

Of course everyone knows that it's a lot more fun when there are rules and discipline. We could have something like the T&FdL but with the rigid structure of the Drabble contest. The same idea of a main thread with poll threads sprouting off it. There is no topic, but the 100 words must follow from the previous winners. The winner of the poll is the story which carries the plot forwards in the most interesting way. It's easier to bash out the details when the thing starts moving and we can see the obstacles.

Does anyone agree? And more importantly, does anyone want to start the ball rolling with the first story?

A theme does come to mind which would allow a great deal of flexibility - how about 3001: A Drabble Odyssey? The original Odyssey is effectively a series of nested stories anyway, rather like the tales of Sinbad the Sailor or the 1001 Nights, so even if we wrote things that bore almost no resemblance to the previous story it wouldn't matter at all. And a theme can help provide inspiration.

 

[DocStone]

A theme does come to mind which would allow a great deal of flexibility - how about 3001: A Drabble Odyssey? The original Odyssey is effectively a series of nested stories anyway, rather like the tales of Sinbad the Sailor or the 1001 Nights, so even if we wrote things that bore almost no resemblance to the previous story it wouldn't matter at all. And a theme can help provide inspiration.

Then it becomes more like the normal weekly drabble no? Set to a theme but with nothing else connecting the stories?

I just thought it would be fun to have a story made from drabbles, and saluting the previous themes from the past 100 contests. It would be sightly more of a challenge than normal, where you come in the story is up to the RNG gods and it would also sound quite awesome read out.

 

[Frank]

Count me in as a participant. My fear about your game is the fact that it relies on a single writer for each new block of story. Erik is thinking that some other writer might not be ready to write the block. I'm a little concerned that I might not be able to come up with an idea when the dice dictates that it's my go.

I wouldn't mind a play through with a smaller story.