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Author Topic: a noob's first attempt at literature  (Read 28209 times)
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soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #640 on: 01-19-2007 23:53 »
« Last Edit on: 01-19-2007 23:53 »

@FIMH: thanks   :)

@Ralph: No, I'm sorry to say that Zapp won't be receiving his usual dose of ass-kicking in this fic.  I'll have to have Leela beat him up twice in my next story to make up for it   ;)  As for why it took me three months to update...  Yeah, real life got in the way.  The good news is that this semester doesn't look to be as hectic so, with luck, it won't be another three months before I update again   :D
Venus

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #641 on: 01-20-2007 01:25 »

Awesome! Loving it!
Arkan

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #642 on: 01-20-2007 18:03 »

Wow, an update!  :D Good stuff - I especially like the bit with Leela's parents...particularly Morris' comment about how fond Leela is of him.  :love:

It's good to see this story's still going - I'd all but forgotten about it.  :)
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #643 on: 01-21-2007 14:36 »

@Venus: clool, thanks  :)

@Arkan: Yeah, I liked how that part came out too.  For some reason, Leela's parents are fun to write. 

More on the way!
NIC2001

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #644 on: 01-21-2007 16:03 »

Hey! Nice update. I like it. Keep it up.

(That part of your fic feel's like the first 10mins of the movie Titan A.E. The whole planet moving into position to fight back an alien menace...) Nice job Soylent.
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #645 on: 01-24-2007 13:25 »

@Nic: thanks Nic!  I never really noticed it before, nut you're right.  This update does have a bit of a Titan AE feel to it, and so do the next couple of updates...

Part 5
Chapter 7
_____________________________ ___________________
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Leela pounded the elevator button with her fist.  The doors rumbled shut, and the compartment started to descend.  Her brief hadn’t gone well.  Ever the politician, Mayor Poopenmeyer had decided on inaction as his response to the coming invasion.  He had listened intently enough to Leela’s story, and had even seemed ready to believe her, but when it came time to decide on a plan for the city, Poopenmeyer had been unwilling to gamble his political career on a threat that he still thought of as ‘possible.’  And now, with just over two hours until the brains started their genocide, it was too late to do anything for the innocent people of the world.  Leela had hoped that by getting New New York to set an example, the other local governments would start evacuation programs of their own, or at least scratch together some kind of civil defense.  But with New New York sitting idle and the President playing down the situation as a military exercise, the civilian population was going to end up caught in the crossfire without any warning at all.  It made Leela sick to think about.

The elevator doors slid open and Leela stalked out into the lobby of City Hall.  A crowd of people had gathered around a television mounted on the wall next to the small reception desk.  The tension in the room was palpable.  Leela made her way to the fringes of the group, dreading what she might see on the screen.  But there were no brains.  Not yet.  The news channel was running a story on the sudden appearance of a DOOP armada in the sky.  The newscaster, Leela couldn’t remember her name, Linda something, was interviewing a so called ‘expert’, fishing for more information on this supposed military maneuver.  In a panel on the top right of the screen, the camera panned across a squadron of heavy cruisers which had taken up station over Washington D.C.

“Damn fishy, if you ask me.”  A voice grumbled, inches from Leela’s right ear.  Leela turned, startled.  Two DOOP officers were standing next to her, a young lieutenant and a captain.  The lieutenant was a tall, lanky biped, his beaked nose and bright white coat of fur identifying him as a Cadian male.  The Captain, to Leela’s great surprise, was a middle aged Human female. 

“Sorry to startle you like that,” the Captain said with a smile. “I guess you probably don’t have good peripheral vision.”

Leela studied the woman carefully.  She was tall with green eyes and bright red hair cut to regulation length.  A thin line ran down her left cheek; a scar that had never quite gone away.  It was not a face Leela remembered.

“I’m sorry… Do I know you?”  Leela asked

The woman smiled and shook her head.

“No, I guess you wouldn’t.  My name’s Cameron Voss.  I was a lieutenant onboard The Nimbus when we intercepted your ship around Vergon 6 a few years ago, and I recognized you.  No offense, but your face isn’t one to be forgotten easily.”

Leela nodded grudgingly then turned to go, not feeling much in the mood for chatting, especially with someone who would inevitably dredge up unpleasant, Zapp-related memories.   

Unexpectedly, and to Leela’s infinite annoyance, Captain Voss and the anonymous Lieutenant moved to followed her.  Leela waited until she had elbowed herself clear of the small crowd of television viewers before turning to face the two DOOP officers.  Hands on hips, Leela addressed them firmly.

“Look, I don’t have time to talk right now.  The whole world is going to come crashing down on us in two hours and I’ve got exactly that long to figure out how to save it.  Nobody else seems to give a damn.  Now if you’ll excuse me…”  Pivoting on one heel, Leela prepared to stalk off.  A firm hand landed on her shoulder.  Leela whirled, ready to knock the offender’s head clean off.

Captain Voss removed her hand and stepped back two paces.  She gave Leela a weary look.  “Alright, I see I need to get directly to the point,” she said.  “When Central Command ordered my ship, The Cumulus, here to Earth, I was given a short brief by Zapp Brannigan, who has been given command of the fleet.  All the windbag would tell me is that I should ready my ship for some sort of exercize.”  She lowered her voice so that only Leela and her silent Lieutenant could hear.  “But.” She continued “Any idiot knows that this is no training mission.  We have simulators for that.  We don’t invade Terran airspace just for the heck of it.  Even Zapp isn’t that stupid.  Close, but not quite.”  It might have been true.  “An hour ago I got a coded message from Lieutenant Kroker- I assume you know him- requesting me to escort some classified documents to the Mayor.  The order didn’t make any sense; the military doesn’t share classified information with local government.  And why did I have to deliver it by hand?  We have codes that nobody can break.  I thought I’d stop and watch the local news before I headed back to my ship, just to see if the media had heard any rumors about why we’re really here.”

Leela folded her arms.  “The media doesn’t know anything.” She replied.  “You can thank Nixon for that.”

Voss nodded.  “You’re right.  The media doesn’t have a clue what’s going on.”  The woman’s eyes narrowed.  “But,” she said, “I’m willing to bet my next week of leave that you do.”

“Listen, Captain-“

“Please, call me Cameron.”

“Alright.  Listen, Cameron, in just under two hours- Damn! I don’t have time to be explaining this again!  Alright, here’s the short version.  In two hours, thousands of giant brains are going to show up and wipe out the planet.  That’s why Zapp put up a blockade.  I can’t believe the moron isn’t even telling his officers!  You need to get back to your ship as soon as you can and-“ Leela fell silent.  The crowd around the television set had suddenly gotten very quiet.  On the screen was a small pinkish shape.  A brain.  For a few breathless seconds nothing happened.  Then, suddenly, a green flash lit the screen, and the feed was lost   Leela checked her wrist device.  The time was 1:06pm.  The brains were early.
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________

 
“I thought you said we had two hours?!”  Cameron yelled as she followed Leela through the city streets.   Her lieutenant, easily keeping pace, remained as mute as ever.

“I don’t understand it!” Leela yelled over her shoulder.  “The Brains didn’t get here until around 3:00 in the afternoon the last time!  A cargo transport was supposed to report a sighting right about now, way out near Proxima Centauri.  This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen!”

Leela had filled Cameron in on the details of the invasion as they ran.  “Well,” the Captain replied, narrowly avoiding a low-flying hovertaxi as she and Leela raced across a street,  “It seems that someone forgot to tell these brains of yours to follow the script.  That television camera they destroyed was on Ceres.  That’s only a few minutes’ flight from here.” 

“I know.  It doesn’t make any sense!”

Cameron said nothing for a minute.  Then: “I still think I should be headed for the spaceport.” 

“I told you, it’s not safe.  From what Nibbler told me, the brains will hit the spaceport first, to make sure nobody escapes the planet.  Your best chance to get back to your ship is to stay with me.”  Overhead there was a mighty roar, and a shadow passed over the sun.  Leela glanced upward.  The DOOP flagship, The Nimbus herself, was passing ponderously by overhead.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“Back to Planet Express.  It’s where I- well, it’s where I used to work.”  Leela’s wrist device started to vibrate.  She had a phone call. 

Without even slowing down, Leela pressed the button to accept the call.  Fry’s face appeared, filled with worry.

“Leela-“ He started.

“I know Fry.  Listen, the brains are here already.  One of their scouts just zapped a sensor station in the asteroid belt.” 

Fry’s eyes grew wide.  “Geez!  Ok.  I’m only a few blocks from Planet Express.  It took longer than I thought it would to deliver that note to your parents.  I.. I thought I’d call you from a phone booth and see if you still needed help at City Hall.”

Leela shook her head.  “No.  The Mayor didn’t want to listen.  The important thing now is to get the professor’s weapons into the air where we can get some use out of them. Are you at the phone booth by the manhole next to my parents’ house?”

Fry nodded.

“Ok, wait right there.  I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“But Leela, Planet Express is just right down the street.  Why don’t I just go get the ship and meet you?  That way we’ll save time-“

“No!” Leela suddenly came to a stop, nearly sending the bulky alien Lieutenant sprawling on the plascrete.  “Listen Fry.  This is very important.  Under no reason are you to go into the Planet Express Building until after this is over.  Alright?”

Fry was understandably bewildered.  “Uhh, why?”

“Never mind.  Just please, promise me you won’t go into the building for any reason.  Please.”  There was a bit more pleading in Leela’s voice than she would have liked. 

“Umm, alright.  Sure.  I promise.” 

“Good!  Now hold on.  I’ll be there in a minute.”  Leela broke the connection.  The next instant she was running again.  Cameron and the Lieutenant shot each other a puzzled glance, and then raced to follow.
_____________________________ ____________________

sorry about the brevity of this update.  I already have the next couple of updates written, but I dont want to post them yet, in case things don't end up where I want them and I need to take the story in another direction.
Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #646 on: 01-24-2007 14:15 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
The lieutenant was a tall, lanky biped, his beaked nose and bright white coat of fur identifying him as a Cadian male.
Nice alien.. like your description and name for it/them.

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
Leela studied the woman carefully. She was tall with green eyes and bright red hair cut to regulation length. A thin line ran down her left cheek; a scar that had never quite gone away.
Also a great character description.

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
...dredge up unpleasant, Zapp-related memories.
Wouldn't any memory of Zapp be unpleasant?  :p

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
I already have the next couple of updates written
A pox on ye! I still struggle with my updates.. bah!  :p

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
but I dont want to post them yet
Holding out on us like that to boot!?   :cry: I need my fix!  :p

Least I forget: Smashing great update!  :love:
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #647 on: 01-24-2007 15:52 »

 
Quote
Nice alien.. like your description and name for it/them.
Also a great character description.

why, thank you.  :)  I almost removed them from the story completely, but I decided later on that I really like Cameron.  Her character plays well against Leela once the world starts exploding. The Lieutenant will make for a good running gag too...

 
Quote
Wouldn't any memory of Zapp be unpleasant?
  very true  :)

Venus

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #648 on: 01-24-2007 22:20 »

EEEEEEEEE!!!!! Suspense!

Story = yay!
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #649 on: 01-24-2007 23:19 »

Nice update.  So is Cameron the red-haired lady we saw walking down the corridor of the Nimbus as Kif was leading Leela to the Love-nasium?

C'mon now, it's about time for 'the craving' to hit Leela and for her to crawl back to Zapp for some sweet, sweet candy.

That's enough to make me want to gag.  Venus will kick my ass for suggesting such a thing.

So when is Venus going to give us an update?
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #650 on: 01-25-2007 00:16 »
« Last Edit on: 01-25-2007 00:16 »

@Snart: Yep, that's exactly who it is   :D  Wow, I didn't think anyone would pick up on that.

 
Quote
So when is Venus going to give us an update?
  Yeah, come on Venus.  I updated.  Now it's your turn!  :p
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #651 on: 01-25-2007 02:09 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:

@Snart: Yep, that's exactly who it is    :D  Wow, I didn't think anyone would pick up on that.

LLLIS was on a couple of nights ago; I read this story a few minutes later.  I have to wonder if she knew what was waiting on Leela.  Maybe a word or two from her about her knowledge of the Lovenasium?  Since she's female, we all know that Zapp has to have made the move on her at least once...

Maybe a word of sympathy from her to Leela for having endured "Brannigan's Love", which we know comes hard and fast...

 
Venus

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #652 on: 01-25-2007 02:44 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Ralph Snart:
So when is Venus going to give us an update?

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
 Yeah, come on Venus.  I updated.  Now it's your turn!   :p

Crap! I've called attention to myself! *hides*
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #653 on: 01-25-2007 17:39 »
« Last Edit on: 01-25-2007 17:39 »

 
Quote
I have to wonder if she knew what was waiting on Leela. Maybe a word or two from her about her knowledge of the Lovenasium?
  Hmm... I had never thought of that, but you're right!  Zapp must have had tried his 'wiles' on her at some point; She'd have known what he had planned for Leela. 

 
Quote
Crap! I've called attention to myself! *hides*
aww, we scared her off  :cry:
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #654 on: 01-27-2007 17:51 »
« Last Edit on: 01-27-2007 17:51 »

Ok, time for the big epic battle!

Part 5
Chapter 8

_____________________________ ____________________
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

It began.

Kif Kroker watched the viewscreen nervously as the first wave of enemy contacts approached.  The brains were arranged in an orderly matrix of about ten units high by ten units deep, but by several hundred units in breadth.  Each brain was separated by its neighbors by several hundred meters, presumably, Kif thought, far enough away that each brainspawn had enough room to maneuver, while close enough for each member of the formation to provide covering fire to his fellows.  It was a simple, no nonsense military formation, somehow not as creative as Kif had expected from an army composed entirely of brains.  Of course, there was always the possibility that the enemy commander saw them as such an insignificant threat that no strategy was necessary.

The enemy formation advanced to the orbit of the Moon and then halted.  Kif waited expectantly, but nothing else happened.  Apparently the enemy would wait for the DOOP to take the initiative; an odd move.  If you were sure of your own vastly superior strength, why not rush in and overwhelm the defenders? 

Kif forced his eyes to leave the viewer and focus on Captain Brannigan.  Zapp was, predictably, trying to flirt with the officer of the watch.  It had been grossly unconstitutional to bar women from the armed services Kif knew.  It had just been a matter of time before the DOOP had to cave in to public outrage and reinstate its female officers.  Still, Kif understood wholeheartedly the thinking behind the policy. 

The squishy green alien cleared his throat. “Sir,” he prompted his captain, “what do you want to do about the approaching army?”  He didn’t bother to keep the condescending tone out of his voice.  Long years had taught him that Zapp was too full of himself to notice.  As Zapp turned his head away from the officer of the watch, Lieutenant Cherenkov Kif remembered, the woman glanced in Kif’s direction, gestured at Zapp, and rolled her eyes theatrically.  Suddenly Kif liked the woman immensely.

 “What is it Kif?  Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“But sir, there’s ten thousand brains on the radar.  I thought maybe-“

“Belay that Kif!  Can’t you see that the enemy is here?”

Kif sighed loudly.  “What are your orders, sir?”

Zapp stood from his seat and walked to the viewscreen.  He studied the uniform rows of the enemy army for a full minute, arms clasped tightly behind his back.  Finally he turned and said: “Tell the Cirrus to attack.  Let’s see what these evil brains can do.”

“But sir!” Kif protested.  “We don’t know what the brainspawn are capable of.  Do you really want to send one ship to fight them alone?”

“Now Kif, if it’s one thing we don’t need it’s your ‘do you really want to do that’ attitude.  Now give the order, Lieutenant.”

For a moment Kif considered threatening to file a complaint, but in the end he knew it would do no good.  “Very well, sir.”  Hesitantly, he walked back to his station and picked up the communicator.  He spoke into it clearly and calmly, refusing to decrease morale by broadcasting his uncertainty.  “This is Lieutenant Kroker aboard Nimbus calling Captain Morgan aboard Cirrus.  Captain Morgan, begin the attack.”

A few moments passed in silence.  Then, as if reluctantly, there came the response.  “Aye Aye Nimbus.  Cirrus moving to engage.  Sir, the captain is asking whether we will have any fire support.”  There was a hint of tension in the speaker’s voice.  Kif started to respond, then hesitated.  Zapp was too busy studying Lieutenant Cherenkov’s figure to overhear.  Reaching a decision, Kif tightened his grip on the caller and replied.  “Tell the Captain that Lieutenant Kroker says he will have support if he needs it.”

There was an acknowledgement on the other end of the line, followed by a click as the link was disconnected.  Kif put down the caller.  Captain Morgan would understand the significance of the promise of aid coming from Kif rather than Captain Brannigan, and Kif knew the risk he himself ran by disobeying a direct order.  Still, Zapp was distracted and would likely never even know.
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________

Slowly, cautiously, the Cirrus broke away from the rest of the fleet and approached the enemy lines.  Two small squadrons of long range missile frigates, operating under Kif’s orders, broke away soon after and took up station to the Cirrus’s stern, one each to port and to starboard. 

Aboard the bridge of the Nimbus, half a dozen pairs of eyes stayed fixed on the viewscreen.  Even Zapp finally noticed the air of tension in the compartment and turned to watch.

The Cirrus drew closer to the enemy.  Kif’s sensors registered a buildup of energy within her hull; Captain Morgan had ordered the weapons primed.   A few thousand miles to stern, the frigates’ powerful defensive shields began to charge.  The distance between the two forces closed.  Silently, Kif counted down the seconds until the Cirrus was within weapons range.

“Five… Four… Three…  Two… One…”   Something green and glowing shot out from a few dozen of the foremost brainspawn.  The weapon hit the Cirrus amidships and enveloped the vessel, encasing it in an eerie glow. Then, to Kif’s horror, The Cirrus simply evaporated.
_____________________________ _______________________

It was over in moments.  The two squadrons of frigates opened up on the enemy with everything they had.  Two-dozen robobium-tipped warheads shot away from each ship before they reversed thrust for their retreat.  None of the ships made it back to the fleet.  One by one the enemy weapons found them and pulled them apart, reducing them to a cloud of dust. 

Kif’s jaw clenched as the cloud of missiles left by the doomed ships honed in on their targets.  The brains’ fields found many of them and shredded them before they could reach their marks, but, Kif suddenly realized, not quickly enough.  Two missiles penetrated the brainspawn ranks and detonated.  There was a great flash as the warheads went off, and the bridge crew cheered.  Kif simply held his breath.

The glaring light faded as the missiles spent themselves.  On the bridge of the Nimbus there was a collective gasp.  The brains were still there.
Venus

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #655 on: 01-28-2007 01:29 »

eep
Arkan

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #656 on: 01-28-2007 05:33 »

eep indeed...
Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #657 on: 01-28-2007 07:54 »

Yay!! Update!
 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
Lieutenant Cherenkov

Cherenkov!? Ahahahahahahaha... is it after famed Soviet physicist Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov perhaps?  :D Or is she just a long distant relative to him?  :p

Heh.. having a Russian native on the bridge.. isn't that a bit of Star Trek?  :p

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
“Belay that Kif! Can’t you see that the enemy is here?”

Belay? Do you mean Delay or is it just Zapp mispronouncing?

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
The glaring light faded as the missiles spent themselves. On the bridge of the Nimbus there was a collective gasp. The brains were still there.

There goes the neighborhood... so where is the anti-flying-brain missiles?  :p
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #658 on: 01-28-2007 13:42 »

 
Quote
eep

lol. just wait until the next update.  You aint seen nothin yet  :)

@Corvus:  Belay has a few meanings.  In this case, it's military jargon that means 'stop that!'.  Also, glad to see someone liked my Cherenkov reference  ;) 
NIC2001

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #659 on: 01-29-2007 15:08 »

Ha ha!->(Cherenkov) Great! Were's the rest??? Just joking, nice job, keep it up.
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #660 on: 02-02-2007 20:48 »
« Last Edit on: 02-18-2007 00:00 »

Heh heh, I'm glad Cherenkov was such a hit.      :)
 
Alright, as if I haven't already taken the action to absurdly non futurama-like levels, here's the next chunk of the battle for Earth. 

_____________________________ ____________________

Part 5
Chapter 9

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

The city was in a state of chaos.  The rumors of an imminent invasion had been confirmed by reports of a large scale war going on in orbit, and panic had ensues.  For some reason, that meant that the whole of downtown was being ransacked, despite limited police presence. 

Leela dodged a manbot carrying a television.  Cameron and the lieutenant were on her heels.  Poor Fry, having already run his fair share that morning, wheezed along behind.  Leela had found the delivery boy waiting nervously by the payphone he had just used to call her, just a scant three blocks from Planet Express.  With time somewhere between short and nonexistent, Leela had spared only a few seconds for some hasty introductions, and had taken off again, only looking back once to make sure the others were still following.

The four of them had almost made it back to Planet Express when Fry called from the rear: “Umm, Leela?  Look up.” 

“Not now, Fry”, she shouted back. “We’re almost-“ But her voice was cut off with a noise like the world was coming to an end.  And it was.

Leela jolted to a stop and stared up at the source of the sound with abject disbelief.  Not fear, not confusion, just simple inability to accept what she was seeing.  Up in the sky above the city a second sun was shining.  A great yellow orb of fire was slowly making its way across the sky, trailing a long tail of thick black smoke.  The sound of its passing was massive, to the point that the noise was as much heard as felt; the air, the ground, even Leela’s body vibrated with it.

Fry screamed and dove under the nearest parked hovercar, but Leela didn’t budge, knowing full well that no amount of cover would make a difference if that stone fell on their heads.

Cameron asked: “Where do you think it will land?”  Her tone was calm. 

Leela didn’t take her gaze away from the falling star.  In a few moments it was over the horizon, headed southwest.  “It looks like it’s moving slow, so it won’t go far.”  There was a tremendous flash from the direction the rock had vanished.  “It probably hit somewhere near the west coast, or maybe in the Pacific.”

“I wonder if we’ll hear it, all the way over here?”

Fry, having sheepishly clambered out from his hiding place, stared at Cameron with eyes wide.  Leela understood.  Thousands, if not millions of people had just died, and this woman’s seemingly only reaction was to wonder how far the sound would travel.

The people on the street, having stopped to watch the meteor’s descent in silent terror, began to stir.  A storefront window shattered, and suddenly the looting was back in full swing.  With a raise of an eyebrow, Cameron sent Leela a silent question.  Leela nodded, and started jogging.  They reached Planet Express five minutes later.
_____________________________ _____________________________ ______________

“It took you meatbags long enough!” Bender called from the ramp of the Planet Express Ship.  Leela ignored him and bolted into the ship, taking two steps at a time.  Her four companions, winded, and in Bender’s case surly, followed at a slightly less breakneck pace.

Amy and The Professor were already on the bridge.  Without thinking, Leela slid into the Captain’s seat, but the Professor didn’t seem to notice.  He was too busy fiddling with a half-assembled piece of nasty-looking hardware that was resting on his lap.  On his face was a grin of pure evil.

Cameron, seemingly unperturbed by the day’s event, leaned nonchalantly on the navigation console and asked: “So, Captain, what’s the game plan?”

Leela regarded her for a moment, not having missed the slight emphasis that Voss had put on the word ‘Captain’.  Was it an acknowledgement of Leela’s authority aboard the Planet Express Ship, or a reminder of Cameron’s superior military rank?  Leela had been discharged from the military at the end of the war with Spheron 1, but this being a time of war, Voss could legally impress everyone present into the DOOP navy, and Leela, having only attained the rank of private in the war, would have to surrender control of her ship.  “So”, Leela thought, “which is it?  Is she an ally, or a rival?” 

Amy spoke into what Leela now realized had been several seconds of ackward silence.  “Uhh Leela, who are they?”

Cameron addressed the intern.  “My name is Cameron.  I’m the captain of The Cumulus.  Over there is my second officer, Avis.”  Voss gestured at the hulking white alien  “He doesn’t say much.  We were stuck groundside when the shooting started.  I guess we’ll be tagging along with you until we can get back to our ship.”  This last was said with a meaningful glance in Leela’s direction.   So they were to be allies then, and Voss would not challenge Leela’s authority.

“Nice to meet you, Cameron.  My name’s Amy, and that over there is Professor Farnsworth.  Hermes is in his cabin, doing something with a stapler.”

“And who is your metal friend?”

“Oh, that’s-“

“Yo mama.”  Bender cut in.  “Come on skinsacks, let’s cut the crap and get moving already, before the whole damned sky falls on us.”  A low roar followed by a distant boom served to emphasize the robot’s point.  A moment later, a column of black smoke began rising from the direction of the Municipal Spaceport.

Leela reached for the ignition, but Cameron lightly grabbed her wrist.  The cyclops glared, but Voss did not remove her hand.  “Wait Leela, hear me out,” Voss said.  “Where are you planning to go?” she asked gently.

“Anywhere’s better than here.” Bender grumbled darkly from the background, but Leela realized suddenly how very wrong he was.  If asteroids were falling at leisure across the planet’s surface, the DOOP was surely being overrun.  That meant that low Earth orbit would be swimming with brainspawn.  But they couldn’t stay on the ground either.  If one of those rocks happened to land close by…  Leela shuddered.  She had made all her plans based on what Nibbler had said would happen, but everything was different;  Anything was possible.  With dismay, Leela realized she had absolutely no idea what to do.

Voss, upon seeing Leela’s shocked expression,  let go of her hand.  “I need to get back to my ship as soon as possible”  She said.  “My first officer can handle things without me, but you know as well as I do that a Captain’s place is on her bridge.”  When Leela didn’t respond, she continued.  “Now, you told me that you have more experience than anyone with fighting these brainspawn creatures.  Strategically, you’re indispensable.  If we link up with the fleet, the DOOP could really use your knowledge.  Then again, the weapons that you were saying your professor has stashed in the hold might be the advantage we need to win this thing.  So it seems to me that we have two options: head for the Cumulus, or try and mine the breaches in our lines with the Professor’s toys.  Since we can’t be in two places at once, we’ll have to choose one or the other.  If we take option A, we’ll waste enough time that the brainspawn might overwhelm our positions before we close the gaps.  If we choose option B we risk our biggest asset, your life, and leave the fleet to learn how to fight these guys on their own.  This is your ship, Leela, so this is your choice.”   Cameron crossed her arms and smiled.  “So which one will it be?”

Leela thought for a moment.  She couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for this woman.  Not only had she managed to discreetly point out that Leela didn’t know what she was doing without alerting anyone else, Cameron had presented her with a well thought out plan of action, while keeping Leela’s authority intact by offering no opinions of her own and giving Leela the final decision.  Voss, Leela knew, was a fine military officer.

But, Leela realized, Voss’s plan was not quite complete.  “You’re wrong.” Said the cyclops.

Voss obviously hadn’t been expecting this response.  She blinked twice.  “What?”  She said, her tone suddenly lacking it’s confident edge.

“When you said we can’t be in two places at once.  You were wrong.”  In reply to the general looks of confusion from her companions, Leela reached down and picked something up from next to her seat.  It was the time device.  Straightening, she addressed Cameron.    “This has been charging for hours now.  If we use it for a short trip now, it should still have enough power for a big time jump, if we need it.”

Cameron studied the little object.  “What do you have in mind?” she asked.

Leela stood.  “Amy,” she said, “You fly the ship.  Let the professor tell you where to put his weapons.  He’ll know how to use them the most effectively.  Fry, Bender, you stay and help the Professor.  Cameron, Lieutenant Avis, you’re with me.”

“Where are you going?” Fry asked.

“To steal a spaceship.” Leela replied.
_____________________________ _______________

also, I managed to dredge this out of the depths of the offtopic thread.  Kinda cool, I guess: PEEL Map
Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #661 on: 02-03-2007 07:43 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
For some reason, that meant that the whole of downtown was being ransacked, despite limited police presence.

Despite limited police presence?
Shouldn't it be Despite heavy police presence? Or is it me just not getting it? Again...

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
Hermes is in his cabin, doing something with a stapler.

I don't want to know what Hermes would be doing alone in his cabin with a stapler.  :p


 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
“To steal a spaceship.” Leela replied.

I wonder which ship that would be...  :p

Smashing update... really got the feel of Armageddon coming.
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #662 on: 02-03-2007 09:11 »
« Last Edit on: 02-03-2007 09:11 »

Okay, how many time paradoxes are you going to have by the time this story is finished?

Will even the brains be able to figure that out?

Kidding aside, good update.  Glad to see that Voss seems to respect Leela.

Waitadamnedsecond!  Rioting and looting is commencing and Bender's not joining in on the fun?  Unreal!
Chug a Bug

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #663 on: 02-12-2007 08:13 »

Marvellous. I've been reading this entire thread for the last week or so, it's my fault for not noticing it before.

I really liked the first story. You got the ending just right I think. I noticed the mattress and I thought, uh oh they're going  to end up in the sack and that just wouldn't have sat right, as it was I think you pitched it just right.

The second story, well it's great. I'm really enjoying it. I like the way you tell the story from Leela's POV but you keep her a sympathetic character. That gets maximum points from me, you understand her very well and I like that. The cliffhangers are good and I like the way you keep twisting the plot into to the unexpected. Most stories of this type I can guess how it's going to end pretty quickly but this one keeps me on my toes the whole time. I've been very surprised at times.

One or two times I thought the plot got a tad complicated midway what with the time travelling and I thought you were right to change perspective from Leela during the flight back but those are my only niggles.

Overall 8/10. Looking forward to more.
Xanfor

DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #664 on: 02-12-2007 08:37 »

Oooo, time paradoxes and such! I promise, I will read this, as soon as I'm done with my current fanfic. As you may know, one of it's titles is Amuk Time, and it involves some temporal travel, so I'm kind of hesitant to read yours for fear I may plagerize it in some manner.

Forgive me.

soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #665 on: 02-17-2007 16:16 »
« Last Edit on: 02-17-2007 16:16 »

@Ralph Snart:  Don't worry, the time paradoxes will clean themselves up before they get out of control.  Well... ok, before they get more out of control.    :D

@Chug a bug:  I'm glad you liked Talora.  I'm a big fan of the Leela-Fry shippiness, but I also take to heart the philosophy: "At the end of the episode, everything's always right back to normal" 

@Xanfor:  Eh, plagiarise all you want.  Half of my stuff has it's roots in various novels I've read anyway.  (Not to mention the obvious plagiarism of futurama itself).  I havent read any of that new fic you mentioned though...  I'll have to make time for that.   :)

A new update is bound to pop up sometime soon.  I was actually planning to can the whole story since it didn't seem like many people are reading it, but since I've got a few comments recently, I'll keep going.  Now all I have to do is find the time to write it...  Damn this planet and its measly 24 hour day.  I'm moving back to Venus!
Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #666 on: 02-17-2007 16:51 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:

A new update is bound to pop up sometime soon.  I was actually planning to can the whole story since it didn't seem like many people are reading it, but since I've got a few comments recently, I'll keep going.  Now all I have to do is find the time to write it...  Damn this planet and its measly 24 hour day.  I'm moving back to Venus!

Curse you! Curse you into making me to believe you had just posted an update!!  :p

Heh.. Venus you say? That would be 5832 hour day, right? You think you will have time then?  :D
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #667 on: 02-17-2007 21:18 »
« Last Edit on: 02-18-2007 00:00 »

lol, ok Corvus.  here's a small update, just for you

Part 5
Chapter 10
_____________________________ ____________________

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
The hangar of the Planet Express Building was deserted.  Early morning sunlight was just now beginning to work its way through the second story windows, bathing the Planet Express ship’s dorsal fin in warm orange light.  The only sound was a distant, muffled conversation coming from the lounge, and an occasional loud pop as the ship’s exhaust nozzles cooled and contracted, the metal alloy still warm to the touch from recent use.  The sharp stink of the plasma exhaust still permeated the air, but it was dissipating rapidly as the fumes were drawn into the overhead air vents.

There was a flash, and two figures suddenly appeared on the hangar floor.  A gust of wind, created as molecules were suddenly pushed aside to make room for the new arrivals, quickly spread across the room, but soon lost its energy and died out.

The two figures, one with purple hair and the other with red, strode confidently to the waiting ship, climbed the ship’s ladder, and disappeared inside.   Moments later, the intruder with the purple hair reappeared and descended the ship’s ladder.  Kneeling on the floor by the front landing gear, she propped the paper up on one knee and began to write.  A few moments had passed in silence when there was a loud clang from somewhere deep in the building, followed by a volley of unintelligible curses.  The second intruder now reappeared in the ship’s forward hatch and gestured to her partner.  The intruder with the purple hair nodded and dropped the paper and rushed back into the ship.  A soft light grew in the room, though if anyone had been watching, they would have sworn it had no source.  The mysterious glow intensified, throwing the entire hangar into a dazzling, shadowless brilliance.  Ripples appeared on the surface on the Planet Express Ship, as though it were a liquid stirred by a slow breeze.  The vessel started to move, though not in any direction that the human brain could understand.  As it moved it grew more faint, until it seemed as though it was being seen at a great distance through a dense fog.  Soon the ship was invisible.  It was gone, having left not even a sound to denote its passing.

Fuming, Amy Wong made her way into the empty hangar.  After making her way to the conference table, she proceeded to tear off the shreds of her lab coat, as though it were its fault that the professor insisted on storing the nuclear waste and the sulfuric acid in glass bottles.  This time she resolved to make the old man clean up the mess.  The phone rang for the sixth time.  Apparently nobody else was going to bother answering it.

“ Ungh, where did everyone go?  Spleesh, why is it that every time I get myself saturated with gamma radiation, the phone rings and everyone else is conveniently gone?”

There was a muffled click as she activated the videophone. 

“Planet Express, this is Amy speaking.”

“Hi Amy, can I talk to Fry?” 

_____________________________ ____________________
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
The Planet Express Ship finished its wild four-dimensional flight and settled back into reality.  From the bridge, the view was much the same as it was before.  In fact, the only sign that anything had happened at all was the sudden change in the position of the room’s shadows.

Cameron stood up from her place on the couch and stretched.  Behind her, Lieutenant Avis untangled himself from his spot at the rear of the bridge. 

“Wow, what a rush!” Cameron exclaimed.  “You do this time travel thing often?”
 
Leela shrugged and pressed a button on her console.  The hangar bay doors began to open, allowing a widening pool of sunlight into the hangar and onto the ship’s bridge.   “The first time is the worst.” She said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.  “You get used to it after awhile.” 

The screen on Leela’s wrist LoJack-a-mater blinked on, and Amy’s worried face appeared.

“Hello?” the intern called.  “Leela, is that you?  We saw a flash through the hangar windows right before we took off.  Are you guys ok?”

“Yes Amy, we’re ok, and we’ve got the ship.”  The hangar doors finished moving.  Automatically, Leela sent the ship straight up and out of the building, never bothering to take her eye from the screen   “Where are you guys now?”, she asked.

Amy started to answer but Fry’s disembodied voice cut her off.  Evidently he’d learned how to patch the laser turret’s comm. system into the bridge vidscreen.  “We’re over the north pole!  Bender and Hermes are tossing one of the professor’s death rays out the airlock.  You should have seen what happened when the brains tried to fly past the last bomb we threw overboard.  It was like, Kapow!  And the brains were all like, argh!  Nooo!  Gack!”

By this point, Leela’s Planet Express Ship had exited the atmosphere.  Up ahead was a scene of carnage straight out of a Galaxy Wars documentary.  Bits of spaceship and brainspawn lay scattered about in all directions.   The DOOP had spread itself out, trying to cover ever-widening gaps in the Earth’s defenses.  An occasional silent explosion lit the cockpit a dull orange.

Leela, Cameron, and the Lieutenant stared silently at the scene until Amy’s voice cut through the reverie.  “Hello?  Are you guys still there?”

Leela snapped back to her senses, mentally kicking herself for loosing her concentration in the middle of a war.  “Yes, Amy we’re here.  I need to sign off now.  I’m going to try and find a way to get Cameron and Avis back to the Cumulus.  You guys keep doing what you’re doing.  And Amy?”  The PE captain paused for a moment.  “You guys be careful.”

Amy grinned.  “Aye, aye captain!”  The video screen went blank

Cameron moved to Leela’s side.  “Captain, if I might make a suggestion, one of us needs to man the weapons.”

Leela nodded.  “Right.  The ladder to the turret is just down the hallway behind the bridge.”

Cameron nodded.  “Right, I saw it when I boarded the sh-  Watch out!”

Leela whirled.  A massive asteroid filled the front viewport.  Leela threw all of her weight into the stick.  The PE Ship rolled to starboard and upward, narrowly missing the rock’s jagged surface.  A squad of brains popped into existence.  Leela sent her ship into a barrel roll.  Green death rays shot by in all directions.  A loud curse blasted over the ship’s con after a particularly close call and a volley of red laser fire swept overhead, headed in the brain’s direction.  A pink dot seethed and then was still.  Apparently Cameron had found her way to the ship’s cannon.
 
A few moments later the space around Leela’s Planet Express Ship was devoid of brainspawn.  Leela brought her ship alongside the asteroid that had nearly destroyed them.

“Cameron,” Leela called. 

Voss’s voice came in over the speaker.  “Here.  Any idea how we can get rid of this rock?”

“No.  Even if we had any torpedoes, there’s no way we could do anything to it.  The damned thing must be forty miles across.  How the hell did I get that close to crashing into it without even seeing it?”

“Easy.  Because it wasn’t there until you almost crashed into it.  It just appeared out of nowhere while your eyes, er, while your eye was turned.”

“Just like those brains.  They weren’t there, and then suddenly they were.  Since when can they do that?!”

“I don’t know, but we’ve got to do something about this asteroid, or in another few minutes it’ll be in the Earth’s atmosphere. That professor of yours doesn’t happen to keep a spare bomb or two onboard, does he?”

Leela sighed.  “He used to, but he’s been a lot more careful not to leave them lying around ever since Bender tried to sell one to The Being of Inconceivable Horror.”

“You mean Rosie O’Donnell?”

“No, the other one.  The one with tentacles.”

“Oh…  Well, anyway, your friends should have an extra one.”

Leela nodded, and then remembered that Cameron couldn’t see her.  “Uhh, right.  I’ll call them.”  She reached for the video screen’s on button, but was interrupted before she could press it.

“Captain!  Missile!”  Leela whirled at the strange voice, one hand automatically reaching for the laser she had stashed under her seat.

Instead of an armed boarding party, Leela found herself aiming her pistol at Lieutenant Avis, who at some point during the last five minutes had seated himself at the nav station.  The Lieutenant didn’t even register a hint of surprise at finding the weapon suddenly pointed at his face.  Instead, he pointed to the radar screen in front of him, where a large red dot was barreling down on their location.

 Leela’s face paled.  Frantically she threw herself back into the pilot’s seat.  Cameron’s voice came in over the comm again.  “Uhh, Leela?  I see something big and nasty coming our way.”

Leela sent the engines into afterburner.  “I know.  I’m getting us out of here” 

The missile flashed by to port a scant few seconds later.  Leela spun the ship 180 degrees, hoping to protect the delicate engines from what was coming.  There was a tremendous flash, and apartment sized boulders went flying in all directions.  Leela gritted her teeth and changed her grip on the stick.  The first rock went by overhead.  Then two more passed by to port and starboard.  Suddenly there were rocks everywhere, and Leela sent the ship into wild evasive maneuvers.  Overhead, the ship’s laser fired erratically as Voss tried to keep a lock on the fast moving targets.  Two blocks of iron shattered into dust as they were connected with a few lucky shots.

As suddenly as it came, the shock front passed.  Leela sat back in her chair and let her sweating hands drop from the controls to her lap.  The PE captain hazarded a glance in Lieutenant Avis’s direction.  The alien looked as unperturbed as ever.

The intercom came alive again with Cameron’s voice.  “Leela, I’ve found the Cumulus.  There are too many ships in the area for me to separate the Cumulus’s beacon from the background chatter, but that missile that almost blasted us was broadcasting my ship’s signature.  I’ve traced the missile’s trajectory back to a Nimbus class warship.  It’s got to be the Cumulus.”

Leela nodded, wondering inwardly what it was going to take to unsettle her new comrades.  “Alright, we’ll check it out”, she said as calmly as she could manage.
_____________________________ _________________

Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #668 on: 02-18-2007 06:50 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
lol, ok Corvus. here's a small update, just for you
Yay!! An update! And just for me!  :p
Not only that but an action packed one! You write really awesome space action sequences. You know that, don't you?  :D

I would also take the chance and congratulate you for making the shortlist of the Best Fanfictionist PEELie award!

See?

 
Quote
Originally posted by Jicannon:
Best Fanfictionist
Venus
Coldangel_1
Kryten
JBERGES
soylantOrange

Full list here.
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #669 on: 02-18-2007 11:44 »

woah, I made the list?  sweet!
Sine Wave

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #670 on: 02-18-2007 13:16 »

And you fully deserve it. I'm going to have to go back and reread your whole story when I have time, it's confoundingly complex, in the absolute best way possible.
Chug a Bug

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #671 on: 02-18-2007 14:12 »

That was up to your usual high standards. Me want more!  :p

Heh, Cumulus, a Nimbus class ship. I like it. Nice nerdy reference.  :D
Ralph Snart

Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #672 on: 02-21-2007 11:13 »

 
Quote
Leela sighed. “He used to, but he’s been a lot more careful not to leave them lying around ever since Bender tried to sell one to The Being of Inconceivable Horror.”

“You mean Rosie O’Donnell?”

“No, the other one. The one with tentacles.”

That alone had me laughing for hours...

Sad thing - the one with tentacles is probably less horrifying.
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #673 on: 02-21-2007 12:50 »

@Sine wave: if you want to read the whole thing, you might want to get the edited versions from my website:   The ms word version might not hurt your eyes so much  :)

@Chug a bug: thanks  :)

 
Quote
Sad thing - the one with tentacles is probably less horrifying

@Snart: Well, I dont know about less horrifying, but most likely it would be more aesthetically pleasing  :D
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #674 on: 02-28-2007 16:37 »
« Last Edit on: 02-28-2007 16:37 »

I've got a quick little update for you guys:

part 5
chapter 11

Leela forced herself to relax.  The Cumulus was an exact copy of the Nimbus, but, as she kept reminding herself, it was not The Nimbus.  Still, as the docking clamps closed about her ship Leela couldn’t quite prevent herself from flinching, and as she waited by the airlock with Cameron and the Lieutenant, she unconsciously went into an offensive stance, her body prepared for the moment when Zapp Brannigan came strutting through the hatch.  Of course, when the Cumulus’s hatch finally did open, it was not Captain Brannigan’s face that appeared.  Instead, a frightened looking midshipman of vaguely Hispanic origin stepped cautiously into the Planet Express Ship’s airlock, clutching an absurdly old-fashioned projectile weapon in his left hand.  When the inner hatch opened, the midshipman saluted and came to attention, but did not step forward out of the lock.

“Captain Voss, midshipman Ramirez reporting.”

Cameron impatiently returned the salute.  “At ease, midshipman.” She said quickly.  “Where is Lieutenant Williams?  I need to talk to him.”

“He’s on the bridge, ma’am, coordinating the defense.”

Leela felt a stab of ice go down her spine.  If The Cumulus was coordinating the defense, that meant… 

Cameron and the PE captain exchanged glances. Voss shouldered past the midshipman and started off down the hallway.  Leela, the Lieutenant, and the Midshipman Ramirez hurried to keep up. 

As Captain Voss led her little entourage through her ship’s maze of twisting corridors, she had Ramirez brief her on the situation.  While the brain’s diversion had drawn the fleet away from Earth, a swarm of brainspawn had somehow managed to sneak in behind the DOOP’s lines with a volley of asteroids  The enemy had scored several devastating hits on major cities and military bases before the defenders had been able to take them out.  Luckily, Kif Kroker’s quick thinking had substantially softened the blow, and the few remaining missile frigates were picking off the rocks before they could hit the atmosphere.  Unfortunately, the main enemy fleet was still largely intact and receiving constant reinforcements, and The DOOP was taking heavy losses.  To make matters worse, contact had been lost with The Nimbus, their last, garbled transmission telling of the starboard engine nacelle being ripped right off the hull and an imminent, uncontrolled re-entry over the Pacific. 

Leela sighed when she heard this latest in a seemingly endless stream of bad news.  “Poor Kif” she thought. 

 A hatch swished open, and Leela suddenly found herself on the bridge of the Cumulus.  Following Cameron to the front of the compartment, Leela took in the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings.  The Cumulus’ bridge was identical to that of The Nimbus right down to the plush red carpet, but on every level that mattered it was obvious that this was not the ship she hated so much.  Rather than sitting around idly, the bridgecrew was busily working away attentively at their stations.  The atmosphere was alive with latent energy, with only the barest undertone of fear.  A balding Lieutenant sat silently in the Captain’s chair, staring intently at out the window.  Leela followed the man’s gaze.  A swarm of tiny silver specks was converging on a spot near the center of the screen.  Abruptly, a lightning storm erupted, washing the tiny specks in blue light.  Squinting, Leela could just barely make out the taletale 20th century battleship shape of Earthican heavy cruisers. 

A sudden cheer erupted from the rear of the bridge.  Leela, Captain Voss, and her officers turned in unison.  The Lieutenant who had been sitting in the Captain’s chair, Lieutenant Williams Leela assumed, stood and bellowed “Report!”

The two midshipmen who were responsible for the outburst cringed and came to attention.  The taller of them, a young Venusian, saluted and began to speak in an excited voice. “Sir, the Intrepid reports that all of the targets were destroyed, with minimal casualties!”

Captain Voss, silent since she had entered the bridge, chose this moment to step in.  “Lieutenant Williams, what is going on?  Did I just see a large portion of the Second Fleet taken out by a goddamned electrical storm?!”

Williams stiffened to attention for a moment and then relaxed.  “No ma’am.  That was an intentional maneuver you saw.  The brainspawn can rip our ships apart like they’re made out of balsa wood, but for some reason we haven’t worked out yet, their weapons don’t work well on our heavy cruisers.  Since the cruisers’ heavy laser cannon can’t track the enemy fast enough, we’ve been using the batteries that power them to electrically charge the cruisers’ outer hulls.  When the brains get too close, well, greymatter is a conductor after all…”

Captain Voss smiled.  “Well done, Lieutenant.” She turned to Midshipman Ramirez, who had no doubt been hoping his presence on the bridge would go unnoticed.  “Dismissed.” Voss ordered.
 
Ramirez was clearly disappointed, but tried valiantly to hide it as he saluted and hurried off to his duty station belowdecks.

Once the midshipman was gone, Cameron turned back to her first officer and, in a voice only loud enough for Leela, Lieutenant Avis, and Lieutenant Williams to hear, asked for a status report.  Williams frowned, and said calmly and simply, “We’re screwed.”   

“But you just said-“ Leela trailed off.  Lieutenant Williams stared at her, as if noticing her for the first time. Perhaps he had. 

“Sorry, and you are?” He demanded.  Leela’s eye narrowed at the hint of hostility in the man’s voice.

“This is Captain Turanga Leela,” Voss interjected, her eyes hard.  “She discovered the brainspawn, and is an ex-DOOP soldier.  I’ll vouch for her.”

Lieutenant Williams’s reacted as though he had been slapped, and in a way he had been.  A subordinate doesn’t get to question people his superiors have taken into their confidence, nor does he get to be rude to them.  Williams’ face went scarlet.  He met Leela’s gaze. “Sorry, ma’am.  It’s been a rough day.  I didn’t mean any offense.”

“None taken.”  Leela responded.  “It’s been a rough day for all of us.”

 “You were saying, Leela?” prompted Cameron.

“Uhh, right.”  She gestured at Williams.  “You said that zapping the brainspawn with electricity was working well. So why are we screwed?”

Williams nodded.  “Yes, I said the electricity was working, and it is… for now.  The problem is when those cruisers run out of juice.  Their batteries weren’t meant for this.  Actually, discharging them into the hull is just about the worst possible thing you could ever do.  Even if everything goes right, the batteries are dead in an hour, and that’s assuming that the electricity doesn’t find its way through the insulation between the hulls and fry the ship’s systems.  We’re managing to hold the enemy back at the distance of the Moon for now, but it’s just a matter of time until our defenses fail.  There are already a few big gaps in our lines.  I’ve deployed the remaining Nimbus Class ships to try and plug the holes, but without a fighter screen to draw enemy fire, they won’t last long.  If it weren’t for the unidentified cargo ship that’s been dropping some kind of mine all over the battlefield, the brains would be pouring through our lines like water through a colander.” 

Leela knew that Williams was referring to Fry and the other Planet Express Ship of course.  Silently she wondered how they were faring
_____________________________ ___________________

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

“Fry, for Jah’s sake, shoot da damned thing!”

Fry depressed the trigger.  A kajillion joules’ worth of photon energy erupted from the end of the ship’s laser.  The whole turret echoed as the capacitors hidden in the hull somewhere nearby discharged in a staccato rhythm.  The cramped space below the turret’s dome was hot and smelled of sweat and fear, and black scars marred the upper hull all around the delivery boy.  To Fry, it was like the best videogame of all time.

A pink shape exploded over the stern in a large fireball.  “That was a close one.” Fry thought.  He reached for the comm switch.

“I got him.”  He said.  Hermes was the one that answered.  “Alright.  Do you see any more of da squishy little bastards?”

Fry did a quick scan of the sky before responding.  “Not right now, Herm- wait.”  Fry squinted.  There was something at the very edge of his vision.  “Stupid brains”, the delivery boy thought to himself,  “knocking out our radar with some gross ray dealie.”  All at once the incoming brainspawn snapped into focus.  There were hundreds of them.

“Crap!  Hermes, there’s a whole bunch of them coming this way!”
“OK, I’ll tell Amy.  Do we ‘ave enough time to finish dropping da professor’s bomb overboard?”

“Yeah I think so, but-“ A gigantic brain popped into existence bare meters from Fry’s head.  The delivery boy froze, but was jolted into action by Amy’s scream, which could be heard not only over the intercom, but through the shut bridge hatch.  Fry jerked the stick down and to the left.  The turret turned, and the massive brain moved into the crosshairs.  Fry hit the trigger.  There was a blinding green flash.

Fry stared, openmouthed.  The laser’s barrel was gone.  The brain, now unapposed, floated closer to the hull and stopped, as if it was studying him.  It fired again, right at the dome of the laser turret.  Fry flinched, but nothing happened.

Fry’s Planet Express Ship was bathed in an eerie green glow.  The bridge was not responding.  Cursing, Fry slid down the ladder, abandoning his useless weapon.  He made his way to the bridge, shielding his eyes from the green light which seemed to come from everywhere at once.  When he reached the bridge he was greeted with an odd sight.  Amy was sitting absently in the corner, picking her nose.  Hermes and The Professor were standing in the middle of the compartment and staring at each other, mouths agape.  Fry cursed again.  Leela had told him this could happen.  He still wasn’t sure why he was immune to the stupifaction fields when everyone else was not, but right now it didn’t really matter. 

Fry sat down in the Captain’s Chair.  He scanned the HUD, and found nothing major wrong with the ship. For whatever reason, the brainspawn that had destroyed the laser hadn’t done any further damage.  “He’s probably waiting for his buddies to get here so they can capture us,” Fry realized, though what they could possibly want with him and his coworkers, Fry couldn’t guess.  “Well, we’ll see what outsmarts who.” Fry muttered.

All at once, Fry kicked his ship into high gear.  The Planet Express Ship streaked away from the brain that had trapped it.  Fry did a quick half turn, making for the relative safety of Earth.  The brain followed close behind until it was picked off, ironically, by a fragment of an asteroid that its fellows had intended to use as a weapon.
_____________________________ ___________


Corvus

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #675 on: 03-01-2007 11:11 »

Huzzah! An update! An action filled update!

I thought school had gotten the better of you but clearly not!  :p

A great update... I can't find a specific bit that I liked so that means I liked it all.  :D
NIC2001

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #676 on: 03-09-2007 13:32 »

Great update!

Starting to be hard to follow… (Maybe I should re-read the last 3 parts again…) but I really like it.

Keep it up.
soylentOrange

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #677 on: 03-09-2007 15:35 »

@Corvus: Nope, school hasn't beaten me yet  :)

@Nic: Yeah, this is getting way too confusing and bulky, even for my liking.  I think I'm going to axe the original plan that would have this thing going for another year or so, and tie it up early.  There'll still be a bunch more updates, but not another entire thread's worth  :D
Sine Wave

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #678 on: 03-09-2007 19:28 »

Aw, but this story made my brain hurt in a good way.
midget blues

Crustacean
*
« Reply #679 on: 03-13-2007 18:02 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by soylentOrange:
  The brain followed close behind until it was picked off, ironically, by a fragment of an asteroid that its fellows had intended to use as a weapon.


Ah irony where would we be without you  :D
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