Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

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Czernobog
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Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Czernobog »

3 Millennia in Space: A History

Pandora was the first stop in space for humanity during the First Interstellar Era, between the Race invasion of 1942 and the discovery of FTL. Orbiting the Gas Giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centari system, Pandora was a booming area, home to many colonists, who lived there regardless of the many dangers, not least from the natives...

Pandora, 2075


Ludwig Schrödinger looked at the RDA executives, newly arrived on Pandora, angrily. They had ran away after their little expedition to attack the natives had failed. He had expected better from them. Did men show such cowardice during the Race Invasion? During the Independence Day war?

No!

And if they had, humanity would be dead.

'Explain,' he said. 'You had the colonists to protect, we only survived because of the shelters. We had to hide from the Na'vi.'

'We...had to leave. The Na'vi demanded it.'

'The German Empire does not negotiate with terrorists. You should consider doing the same,' Ludwig said.

'Says the Nazi,' one particularly idiotic executive said.

Ludwig's face turned to one of anger.

'As you should know,' Ludwig said. 'National-Socialism is strictly banned in the German Empire. Now, go! I don't want to talk to the likes of you any more. Understood?'

'Yes,' the executives gulped.


3 Millennia in Space: A History


After the first Human-Na'vi Conflict, Ludwig Schrödinger, commander of the German Pandoran colony of Neu Königsberg, lobbied for the United Nations of Earth to declare Pandora 'a mandate of the United Nations'. He succeeded, and human imperialism began...
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Heretic
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Heretic »

As much as I sided a bit more with the humans (Whose surprised?), this seems dry, and you spontaneously added a polity well known within your multitude of oneshots into James Cameron's universe without any explanation. Sure, maybe drastic times call for drastic measures, but this feel bland (The word "short" seems like a default for many of your stuff except for that Commie America thing, so I probably won't say that anymore.) I like your Knighthood Fourth Sphere story better.

You know, I want to try something. Maybe it's the genres you pick, maybe it's hard to write them. Maybe I'm just bored and excusing myself from my own myriad amount of stories to do a fun bet. Maybe, I want you to give me an idea you had and let ME (the magnificent Herrytick of a thousand unfinished stories and titles) write it. I want to see how I prevail against empires, conspiracies, alternate universes, Magitech, and other frontiers I have not dared journey before, frontiers that you specialize in.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Czernobog
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Czernobog »

Heretic wrote:As much as I sided a bit more with the humans (Whose surprised?), this seems dry, and you spontaneously added a polity well known within your multitude of oneshots into James Cameron's universe without any explanation. Sure, maybe drastic times call for drastic measures, but this feel bland (The word "short" seems like a default for many of your stuff except for that Commie America thing, so I probably won't say that anymore.) I like your Knighthood Fourth Sphere story better.

You know, I want to try something. Maybe it's the genres you pick, maybe it's hard to write them. Maybe I'm just bored and excusing myself from my own myriad amount of stories to do a fun bet. Maybe, I want you to give me an idea you had and let ME (the magnificent Herrytick of a thousand unfinished stories and titles) write it. I want to see how I prevail against empires, conspiracies, alternate universes, Magitech, and other frontiers I have not dared journey before, frontiers that you specialize in.
Hmm...a collaboration on this project should be a good idea. We'll work together, and, as I'm also posting this on another forum, I'll credit you.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Heretic »

Wait, THIS project? You mean, a fanfiction of a sort?

*Groan* What have I brought upon myself? :shock:

But this might become too massive for me...Well, here goes..

Edit: Damn you, Kamin, touching my achille heel.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

Yeah, dry, that's a good way to describe it. Dry and sparse and brittle like burnt grass, or something. I'm going to repeat myself and say "do this shit in more detail!" You have a fascinating new world order forged out of 60 years of alien invasions and all you have is some guy from the German Empire (who are totally not Nazis, guys, so they're cool, really!*) chewing out the RDA and getting the UN involved and then, yeah, that's it. Once more this could be a good story but you've got it down to like two hundred words, that is simply not enough to give even a little idea of what kind of environment these people inhabit. I don't want you to write a sociology textbook on each little vignette but just think through what's going on a little bit more and work a bit harder on getting the type of environment across.

*In all honesty a lot of your content annoys me as well because I'm very suspicious of and irritated by the tendency among online scifi/alternate history/fantasy writers, and indeed some in the real world, to make stories about imperialism and outdated hereditary politics which try to justify it to bleeding heart liberals like me while also making their imperialists badass. I don't mind stories about imperialism or imperialist heroes, and empire building in history is often absolutely fascinating, it's just the way amateur writers often trip over themselves to tell people the imperialists are cool grates (a lot of Zors stuff annoys me for this reason, but he's got enough interesting stuff and makes detailed enough backgrounds that I forgive him, :P )
You know, I want to try something. Maybe it's the genres you pick, maybe it's hard to write them. Maybe I'm just bored and excusing myself from my own myriad amount of stories to do a fun bet. Maybe, I want you to give me an idea you had and let ME (the magnificent Herrytick of a thousand unfinished stories and titles) write it. I want to see how I prevail against empires, conspiracies, alternate universes, Magitech, and other frontiers I have not dared journey before, frontiers that you specialize in.
This sounds like an interesting idea (GET BACK TO AMERICA IN SPACE YOU HIPPIE!), but please stay off of Knighthood, Kamin just gave me the greenlight to rewrite that.
"Little monuments may be completed by their first architects, but great ones; true ones leave their copestones to posterity. God keep me from completing anything."
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Heretic »

This sounds like an interesting idea (GET BACK TO AMERICA IN SPACE YOU HIPPIE!), but please stay off of Knighthood, Kamin just gave me the greenlight to rewrite that.
Chillax, Woman. I'm working on the climax already. Give me time. Sheesh. Always wanting to rush things. :lol: (Just so you don't take offense, the first sentence was from America in Space, Yeah)
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

^I only want to rush things because we might all die at any minute!
(But seriously, I'm not going to nag you about finishing AiS, it'd make all my criticisms of Kamins impatience seem a tad hypocritcal)
also it's cool, I know I'm womanish, I've taken to growing a beard and moustache but it doesn't seem to help.
"Little monuments may be completed by their first architects, but great ones; true ones leave their copestones to posterity. God keep me from completing anything."
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Heretic »

It's all cool :p

Anyway, back to work. Kamin, you'll have to give me a rundown on the core stuff (PM me. Don't wanna fill this thread up with useless stuff), and guys, wish me all luck.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Somes J »

speaker-to-trolls wrote:I'm very suspicious of and irritated by the tendency among online scifi/alternate history/fantasy writers, and indeed some in the real world, to make stories about imperialism and outdated hereditary politics which try to justify it to bleeding heart liberals like me while also making their imperialists badass. I don't mind stories about imperialism or imperialist heroes, and empire building in history is often absolutely fascinating, it's just the way amateur writers often trip over themselves to tell people the imperialists are cool grates
Oh man I totally feel you. I also find the vague fondness some sci fi writers seem to have for socially conservative authoritarian regimes to be rather annoying and creepy*. This is one of the reasons I liked Singularity Sky; it did a real nice merciless deconstruction of the vision of a socially regressive authoritarian future.

*I have a suspicion that science fiction fans might actually be one of the demographics that are most prone to being seduced by authoritarianism. After all, science fiction fans tend to be dreamers, and the thing about dreams is they're often impractical, often because real humans refuse to cooperate with them. It's pretty easy to see how this might lead to frustration, and from there it's a fairly straightforward step to a kind of misanthropic elitism where you start thinking that many of the world's problems are caused by the fact that the world is full of people who are just too stupid, deluded, and/or evil to see the obvious goodness of the obvious solutions you see to the world's problems, and things would be much better if only somebody smart and good was in charge and we didn't have to deal with all the bullshit from all the stupid, deluded, and evil people who won't get in line with the obvious ways you can see to make the world better.

I'll admit right off that I'm not by any stretch of the imagination above this attitude. I sometimes think in relation to some problem like nuclear power or climate change or peak oil or hunger in Africa or whatever "man, a global dictatorship wouldn't have this bullshit, they'd just ruthlessly solve the problem if they had to and all the morons who didn't like it just better shut up or they'd get a steel trutcheon to the face or maybe a 9 mm head implant." Of course, the thing is that's only an attractive idea if you assume the dictator agrees with you - when you begin to consider the possibility that the dictator may consider you one of the stupid, deluded, or evil people you start to realize why maybe the whole thing might not be such a great idea after all.

Blah, I'm off-topic ranting now.
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Destructionator »

Somes J wrote:Of course, the thing is that's only an attractive idea if you assume the dictator agrees with you
That's why you have to make sure that you're the dictator!
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Re: Galaxy of Life: A Sci-Fi Megacrossover

Post by Heretic »

If Guardsman Briggins' commissar saw the situation right now, she would have had Briggins shot on the spot. Theoretically. A funny thing though, Guardsman Briggins' commissar was right next to him, her back also on the wall. And next to her was a very bulky, ugly-faced alien who seem to be wearing only metal-greaved pants. It called itself a Locust, and had a very industrial and lo-tech gun that seemed a bit similar to the Emperor's Space Marine's Bolter.

So let's rephrase that: If Guardsman Briggins and his commissar were seen by the Ordo Xeno of the Inquisition, they would have been shot.

"I didn't go to Commissar Training for this!" Briggins' commissar snarled as she checked her Laspistol. "Oh, it's just a routine patrol through the Warp,' they said, 'totally free of reality hopping and situations where you have to huddle with stinking aliens!' I will be shot for this treason, but right now, I'm too scared stiff to think of that right now." The Locust grunted in reply, not saying anything.

Briggins was glad that HIS regiment had a novice commissar who was lucky enough not to get shot during training for stupidity. With her, Briggins and his regiment managed to avoid senseless casualties by retreated and actually using tactics against the enemy. They just had to use their combined knowledge to explain their reasoning to Commissar Sarah.

"Please, commissar, shut up or those funny soldiers will hear us." Guardsman Briggins begged as he crouched even lower behind the beaten up pipeline. "I wish I had my Uplifting Primer right now. A litany would be nice."

"I'll take that back," Commissar Sarah whispered to herself, "the Warp IS reality bending, but the manual said nothing about having a cup of tea with alien scum." Again, the Locust snorted. "Where is your Uplifting Primer, Guardsman?"

The Guardsman reached to touch his bum. "My ration of toilet ran out, so I had to use the next best thing." The Locust peeked over the edge of the opening in the pipe.

"Two huuummannsss. Right." The hoarse and crackly voice did its best to whisper.

"What are you doing, you big oaf!" Briggins hissed as he grabbed the Locust's big gray rough arm and pulled him down. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to die here in this Emperor-God-knows-where planet." The Locust shrugged the private's pull off and crouched by his own accord.

"So.." Commissar Sarah said as she adjusted her blond ponytail behind her Commissar cap. "What do we do? It seems like these soldiers, "Helghast" if I'm correct, are on routine patrol. Should we go in true Imperium and.." She looked at the Locust Grunt, "..Locust fashion and charge to our glorious death? Or maybe grow brains for a change and deal with the situation as it best.."

"SPEISS MEREINSS! CHARRGGEE!!" A massive bellow shook the bellies of the three. Sarah's spine froze, and Briggins whimpered in horror.

"Space marines." Commissar Sarah whispered, her hand grasping her Laspistol. The Locust showed no sign of surprise or fear. Ignorance is bliss, as the Imperial saying goes or something like that. And boy, do Commissar Sarah and Guardsman Briggins wish to be as dumb as their alien counterpart.

Briggins darted sideways when the diagonal tracks of the Rhino tank/APC crushed through the rusty pipeline.

"Emperor's Mercy, hide!" Sarah almost screamed as she and Briggins tried to conceal themselves in the shadows as gunfire and explosions erupted all around. A team of blue and black power armored giants with huge guns and chainswords marched through the path the Rhino made, screaming litanies here and there, paying no heed to their surroundings. Screams of the Helghast ensued.

After an hour of ground-shaking and the three heroes of this story nearly getting shot, it became silent, as the space marines charged elsewhere.

"Oh xeno, oh xeno.." Briggins hyperventilated. Commissar Sarah tilted her cap straight back, her breathing heavy as well. The Locust by this time was also hiding,realizing how big of holes Bolters and Helghast heavies can make, shown by the rays of sunlight through the pipes.

"Let's get outta here." Sarah crept towards an opening and peered through. "Clear!" Both the Locust Grunt and IG Briggins followed shortly.

The scene was of craters, buildings toppled over, and dead bodies, with a side dish of empty bullet casings.

All of the dead were Helghast. They stood no match against the Emperor's own. Sarah quickly stepped over a body and crept behind another wall that looked towards the burning remains of a park. As Briggins came behind her, a Space Marine came into view from the remains of a fountain.

"Thousand Heretics be damned! They left scouts here!" Commissar Sarah whispered in fear. "And I'm sure they think any presence here, even Imperial Guard, is tainted with Chaos. And to make matters worse.." she looked beyond the park to see an Imperial Gunship perched on top of a building. Then, Commissar Sarah looked at Briggins. Guardsman Briggins gulped.

"Do the Imperium proud and take out that Space Marine!" Sarah pointed her Lasgun at Guardsman Briggins.

"What?!" Briggins looked shocked, but not so much. This was the way of the Guardsman, and the way Commissar Sarah brandished her Lasgun, he had no choice. Either it was death by commissar or death by Space Marine. And this certain Space Marine chapter was known for their extreme apathy of Imperial Guards, who they sometime use as target practice.

Guardsman Briggins waited for the Space Marine to turn his back before creeping behind a nearby bush. When the bald Space Marine turned away a second time, Guardsman Briggins drew out his knife and slowly sneaked up on the large supersoldier, who was still casually walking through the park. As he got up behind the armored brute, Briggins muttered a Litany of Silence.

"Emperor, grant me swift feet and swift arms
May my knife carry out its deed
and may I vanish like a speck of dust."


The Space Marine stopped on his route and turned around to look at Guardsman Briggins. "Shit." So much for that litany.

"Shit." Sarah gaped as she saw the Space Marine look at Briggins. Despite herself, she raised her Lasgun at the Space Marine, who yanked back a huge fist to smash the poor guardsman to pieces. She knew it would probably just graze the head of the Space Marine's super skull if she didn't miss, and then he would come after her. "What have I done..?"

A loud CRACK came from way behind her and a wave of force past Sarah and hit the Space Marine in the head. It exploded messily, not fully penetrating. The guardsman ran back to the commissar in a hurry.

"Next time, you're doing it, Commissar." Guardsman Briggins said as he jumped behind the wall.

The Space Marine reeled back as he gave a gargled scream before collapsing in the burnt grass. Commissar Sarah looked back to see who shot him and saw the Locust behind another wall a few meters back, a Helghast VC32 Sniper Rifle in hand.

"HHHEEADDSHOOTT..." The Locust boomed. Sarah gave a blasphemous thanks under her breath to the alien and pointed her lasgun at the gunship.

"That was only a scout! If his brethren come, we're dead! Charge towards the gunship! It isn't TOO far!" She screamed and charged towards the building to get to roof and thus the gunship. Briggins followed suit. As they charged, they could hear shouts of "HERRYTICKS!" and "XENO BASTURDS!" but kept on charging. The guardsman and the commissar moved through the park quickly and into the building. Bolter fire ensued. As they got up, they could hear the Locust soldier accompanying them.

"What took you so long?" Guardsman Briggins snapped. The Locust didn't pay attention to the human's insult. As they got the the roof, it seems like fire was focused on the gunship. Commissar Sarah got inside the cockpit. Guardsman Briggins opened the rear hatch and got inside. The Locust was staring at the Space Marines outside. "What the bloody hell are you daftly looking at, you dumb Xeno!? Get in!" Briggins went outside to drag the huge alien inside the gunship, which was already revved up.

"Look.." The Locust pointed down. The guardsman looked sideways. As did the commissar, who was looking to see how close the Space Marines were. And as they looked, they saw something interesting. Along the walls of other buildings that squish between where most of the Space Marines were attacking from were small spiked metal balls with chains attached to the ends. As one Battle Brother moved in, two grenades exploded into smoke and frag simutaneously. And it caused a chain reaction of explosion, smoke, and a dark green and black mist. Some of the buildings came tumbling down. The Locust alien, satisfied, turned to in turn push the guardsman inside the gunship and close the hatch.

"We're off!" Commissar Sarah shouted as she rose the gunship up from the roof amidst blind fire below. "Those marines won't die from trifling things like firecrackers or falling buildings, but it will give us time." With that, she steered the gunship away from the battlezone and out somewhere into the horizon.

OOC: Well, this is my first fanfic thing written since a very long time, so don't punish me too hard if it's bad. Though I should have let Kamin read this first, I wanted all of you guys to also judge me equally. Who knows, I might continue this a bit further and see where it goes. After another chapter of AiS, of course.
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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