Drunkard's Walk Forums

Full Version: So... anyone interested enough I should continue this?
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Pages: 1 2
Michael ‘Muck’ Thunders finally pried his eyes open, trying to ignore the pounding behind said eyes and between his ears; It at least slightly reminded him of what a hangover felt like, even if he could not remember the last time he had actually suffered from said condition.  Overhead, a very generic pattern of ceiling tile…
 
So no way of knowing if they were familiar or not.
 
“Ah.  Your awake.  Finally.”
 
Wait.  WHAT?  There was still pain as he swiveled his head to the side where the voice came from, as memories started to flood back.  Right.  Another rough ‘re-entry’ then.  Maybe even to somewhere familiar?  Certainly the voice seemed to be.  A green haired woman snapped into visual focus.  Green hair meant he wasn’t ‘home’; Patricia had Red Hair and…  and why couldn’t he remember who the other was?  She was important to him as well!  ‘WHY IS HER NAME ESCAPING ME???’ he found himself screaming at himself even as he kept his internal turmoil just that… Internal.
 
“Myria?  Myria.  Oh gods.  Myria Sterling, or Myria Janus?” he finally blurted out.
 
“Janus.  WAIT.  WHAT?  Who is Myria Sterling?”
 
“The Meltrandi wife of Maximilion ‘Genius’ Sterling…  Your Husband.  Even if I’m in the Macross continuity instead of the Robotech one,” Muck informed the woman he expected would be an ally even as unconsciousness claimed him once again.  He hoped it would return, but could not be sure as darkness washed over him…
Gonna have to before there's enough to really say "yes," but I'm not saying "no..."
Same here. The name Michael Thunders is ringing a bell, but I can't remember where I've seen it before...
(10-23-2019, 06:28 AM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]Same here.  The name Michael Thunders is ringing a bell, but I can't remember where I've seen it before...

I'm having flashbacks to early SI fanfics... the days when Undocumented Features as the cool thing to imitate. Legion, Otaku Rising, all that....
Or perhaps a Tales of the Wanderer
OH DAMN! Sorry, Star - it's just been that long since I've seen Wanderer.
Yeah. I know, Kind of wrote myself into a courner with Ranma. THen some other stuff happened.
Right. Realized I really needed just plain moar of everything. Hoping that this works a bit better?

Michael ‘Muck’ Thunders finally pried his eyes open, trying to ignore the pounding behind said eyes and between his ears; It at least slightly reminded him of what a hangover felt like, even if he could not remember the last time he had actually suffered from said condition. Overhead, a very generic pattern of ceiling tile…

So no way of knowing if they were familiar or not.

A look around told him wherever this unfamiliar ceiling was, it wasn’t a hospital. Given the monitors around him, and the semi reflective glass off to his right; the smart bet was either a detention cell or some sort of research facility.

“Ah. Your awake. Finally.”

Muck’s neck snapped and popped as he swiveled his head to the right, where the voice came from behind the glass. Right. Recall was hazy enough he should assume he’d crashed FRED on the ’Re-entry’ side of the portal. How long was I?

//We have been unconscious due to cerebral blunt force trauma for 4hours, 32 minutes Due to loss of vehicular control on arrival and loss of vehicular stability. //

Maybe even somewhere familiar? Certainly the voice seemed to be. Well, the external voice, anyway. The other he’d had far too long living with; regardless of if one used objective or subjective measurement.

//Affirmative. Vocal Voiceprint matches several memory records from 112 years, 3 months… Extreme Irritation detected. Entering standby mode. //

A green haired woman snapped into visual focus. Green hair meant he wasn’t ‘home’; Patricia had Red Hair and… and why couldn’t he remember who the other was? She was important to him as well! ‘WHY IS HER NAME ESCAPING ME???’ he found himself screaming at himself.

//Assumption: That returning to person: Haruna, Patricia, is more important in long run to older relationship with Codename: Jedi. Supplemental: Visual match confirmed to one Myria Sterling. Possible alternate identity Myria Jenius. //

“Myria? Myria. Myria Sterling, or Jenius?” he finally blurted out.

“Jenius. WAIT. Who is Myria Sterling?”

“The Meltrandi wife of Maximillian ‘Genius’ Sterling… The man you tried to kill before falling in love with him the next fica over; hence the difference in names. He would be Maximillian Jenius here.” Muck informed the woman he hoped would be an ally in time.

*Okay. It looks like this fica is part of the Macross continuity instead of the Robotech one.*

//Assumption filed. Updating memory retrieval parameters until disproved. Warning: Cumulative cognative and physical impacts are causing eminent loss of cognizance. //

“WHAT? WHO… WHAT are you? How did you get here? What is it your hoping to achieve?”

“I’ll have to answer that right after I… pass… ou…..”

* * * * * * *

//Resumption of Cognitive Coherence detected. Returning to standby mode. //

*Status?*

//Assumption: Previous short term cognizance forgotten. Status: Loss of control occurred after dimensional insertion. Colloquial: We pranged ‘big time’.//

**Is FRED?**

//Confirmation: Intelligence designated ‘Fantastically Ridiculous Electronic Device’ possesses intact central processing, personality, and memory capacity. Lack of communication ability assumed to be a result of damage to communication and sensor peripherals. Assumption: FRED is focused on self-repair, after which communication will be restored. //

**And?**

//We have not been transferred from the detention and or research facility in which you previously returned to cognizance. Additional suspected security forces have been placed in immediate threat/detection range. Warning!!! Security forces appear to be aware of your cognizance regardless of your attempts to conceal it. //
sounds interesting
//We have not been transferred from the detention and or research facility in which you previously returned to cognizance.  Additional suspected security forces have been placed in immediate threat/detection range.  Warning!!!  Security forces appear to be aware of your cognizance regardless of your attempts to conceal it. //
 
“Right…”  ‘Muck’ sighed to himself as he rolled his head to the side and opened his eyes, only to have impulse over-ride circumspection as he blurted out; “Seriously?  Who does your hair, John Romita?”
 
Clearly, the blue haired man in the military uniform with what Muck thought of as ‘Wolverine peaks’, both did not get the joke, over and above the way said soldier instantly drew his sidearm at Muck identified him as both a soldier and one who had apparently been born with NO sense of humor…  or history.  Which meant this young warrior was probably going to be seriously bound by the letter of the local regulations.  The corollary of that would be his guard would be far too willing to shoot first and probably never bother to ask ANY questions what so EVER!  Muck figured he could well survive such an encounter, but however it ended it would not be a ‘Good Ending’ in the terms Muck used to judge such things.
 
“What?  Who?”  his blue haired captor blurted in response before his captors training took over, as shown by his captors change in stance and body language.  “What is your Name, Rank, and Identification!”
 
“Rather doubt I have any rank or identification you would be able to authenticate, soldier; but my Name is Thunders.  Micheal Thunders.  Don’t suppose you’d be willing to share your name?”
 
“Gamlin Kizaki.”  This information was followed by a general stiffening of his captor’s body language, which Muck assumed meant his guard had not intended to reveal that information and was trying to regain control of the situation.
 
//CAUTION!!!//
 
\\ Warning acknowledged.  Return to Standby! \\
 
//Acknowledged.  Transferring suppositions based on observations. //\
 
“Relax, Warrior of the clan Kizaki.  Well, relax as much as I expect the Micloned offspring of a Meltran and Zentran will ever be able t0 do.”
 
“WHAT?!?  How?”
 
“Sorry, Gamlin, but I think I am about to lose consciousness a..  gai… n…
 
·        *     *             *             *             *
Ho, Macross 7, huh? Actually my favourite of the series, since it's pretty much Mylene's story despite Basara starring in the credits and stealing her thunder for the finale, and after doing the "mentor figure leaves/dies/etc. mid-series leaving the rookie to take the lead" thing too. The Varauta mecha are some of my favourite designs, also. By my admittedly very vague memories of earlier instalments, Mike does have some kind of woo-woo powers going on, right? It'll be interesting to see if/how they register on SES equipment.
sounds like fun for a short bit.
That, CD, depends on how one defines "woo-woo" powers. if one meant stricly pain inducing sonic attacks, then yes, I did write something about how Rei's friend's (or, apparently cousin, depending on the continuity) singing did inflict pain on 'Muck's opponents (see last chapter or two of the first book of TotW, where I am making semi snide comments about a 'Chad's' singing)

If you meant woo woo in terms of Macross 7's (and, perhaps Macross Frontier's) Sound Energy Systems (which later appear to influence the Macross Fold Space in some way) well... I am working on that.

Now if I can only write something believeable as to why Max and Miryia dont' just shoot a clear and present danger to the 7th colony fleet out of hand in order to protect it.
Wasn't eh also involved in some kind of mystical ritual in one of the earlier Tales? Maybe I've mixed it up with something else, it's been rather a long time since I read them.

Other than that, how is he a threat to their fleet, anyway? He's one dude, with one VF, and is currently barely conscious as he lies in a secure medical ward. He's said a few weird things, but that could be exhaustion or a concussion etc. talking, and if not it's just more reason to keep him around to kind out how he knows them. If he's actually some kind of dimensional traveller, better they discover how common that is and how likely other travellers are to be in significant numbers ('cause again, one dude, really not when compared to a small but well-armed nation like a colony fleet) and if so, how friendly or hostile they might be. At worst he'll be facing a squad of intel officers, not a firing squad. Which one he actually considers worse is another question, but personal attention from big name white hats means vanishing into some shady corner for "rigorous interrogation" is almost certainly off the table, and will lead to a rescue followed by them raising holy hell if some Hard Man Making Hard Decisions in a Hard Chair drinking Hard Liquor while Hard tries anyway.
(this weeks stuff, including not quite passing out as quickly...)

“WHAT?!? How?”

“Sorry, Kizaki-san. I expect the answer to that is above your pay grade.” Muck levered himself up, only to feel the pull of medical sensors all over his head, so chose to lay back down and settle for scanning to the left and right inside the constraints of the Mk 1 eyeball while not moving his head.

“Ah. Thank you, Thunders-san. This prototype is rather delicate and I don’t think it would appreciate you stressing the sensor leads by thrashing about.” The voice was coming from behind Muck’s head, which would explain why Muck had not seen this person.

“And you are?” Muck wondered; He rather hoped that his interpretation of the infections he was hearing were indicative of the sort of !SCIENCE scientist who was really bad at censoring information.

“Chiba. Doctor Gadget Chiba!” the voice behind him responded, forcing Muck into a rather disdainful snort of response.

“Sorry, the Spacy isn’t buying that. A Gadget is a thing, not a person in every fica I’ve been, Doctor. Have you tried selling that line to the Zentradi?” Muck rebutted, before the sound of a weapon being readied drew his gaze back past his feet. Yup, Gamlin Kizaki had drawn his sidearm and had it pointed at Muck. “Because to judge by Kizaki’s reaction, I’d say they’re not interested in buying either.”

“Masahiro. Dual Doctorates. Medicine and exotic energies.”

“See Doc? That wasn’t so hard. Hard is going to be shaming Kisaki there to stop pointing his sidearm at a prisoner currently wired for sound.” Gamlin kept glaring, but made a show out of putting his sidearm on safe before holstering it. “Or, Not.,” Muck chuckled at Gamlin’s overblown hurt expression. “So, Exotic Energies? Just what sort of exotic energies are we talking about here, Doc?”

“The power of songs. Did you know Lynn Minmei stunned a fleet of five million with the force of her songs?”

“Know it? Doc, I was there. Well, maybe not in your timeline, but the next Fica over.”

“Fica? I don’t’ think I’ve heard this measurement before.”

“A specific location in multi-dimensional space and time, Chiba. Hard to explain unless you’ve got a doctorate in six-dimensional math. And before you ask, I don’t, so don’t. Ask, that is.”

“And why should we believe this?” a new voice demanded, causing Muck to look over. Both of the two new arrivals were familiar to him, but he only remembered being introduced to one of them. “Ah. Milia. And that means the bloke in the command uniform next to you is Max. Well, Jenius Maximillian, to be formal. What rear echelon idiots took *THE* husband and wife ace pilots out of the cockpit and forced you into command?”

“That would be Hikaru Ichijyo and Misa Hayase.”

“Rick and Lisa Hunter to me. What happened?”

“I don’t think that is information you…”

“*WHAT* *HAPPENED* *TO* *THEM!!!*”

“The First Colony fleet, defended by Megaroad 02 is missing and presumed lost.”

“BLOODY HELL! Ow… bleep… I think I’m about to pass out on you all…”

(secondary authors note: For those of you who care/ are wondering/ whatever; Muck's 'insertion', which did result in him wrecking FRED, occurs during the climax of M7's episode 22 "Men of Burning Passion". Ergo, while Kizaki Gamilin and Nikki Basura are risking 'death by extreme heat stroke' saving the central 'ship' of the 7th colony fleet, Muck is managing to crash on one of the hanger decks... And manages to damage Milia's poor prized Valkyrie (VT-1 to us Harmony gold types) before the tech crews have had a chance to do any real repairs on it)
Well, I suspect that explains Milia being offended by his presence, then, and Max and Gamlin by proxy. Trashing a pilot's bird is real personal. So far he's talking a lot of crazy, but as a Superdimension energy expert Chiba is probably one of the few people who could probably find something approaching corroborating evidence for claims of dimensional travel, and him being there suggests there's at least something interesting about the case. Otherwise, I suggest adding a little something about obvious concern for Hikaru/Rick and Misa/Lisa showing when Muck demands to know what happened to them, or outright adding "THEY WERE MY FREINDS!" to the line, to explain why whichever character answered (My money is on Max, but it's not attributed and it wouldn't be out of character for Milia either after this log to mellow.) They were their friends too.
Dr Chiba if any thing is probably getting a reading that is Muck's Resonant Spacio-Temporal Aura is off standard deviation by a factor of -2/3*Pi*i along the Mu axis.
Not that he knows what that means, or even knows what it represents in relation to his reality.
It just means that Muck is a very complex soul so to speak.
* * * * * * *
“Well, Chiba?” Maximilian Jenius demanded after the three exited the room.

“All I can say for certain is what he is not, Captain; Madam Mayor.  While I don’t have conclusive proof, I do not believe he is related to whatever the enemy forces, the creatures our civilians have been calling ‘vampires’ are that have been draining our citizens of our life force.  I won’t go as far as to claim he is what he just claimes he is, but these readings…  He at least has some sort of strange connection to the same energies we use to space fold; and you have already seen the video recordings of him somehow becoming something akin to a miniature Valkyrie while unconscious.  These are not what I would expect of some sort of…”

“Get to the point, Doctor,” Miliya demanded.

“Madam Mayor.  The point is that we have no reason to think he is trying to deceive, and if anything, these readings, along with his statements only seem to support the claim that not only is he from another ‘fica’ to use his own terminology.  Everything I have seen, heard,  and measured seems to support the theory that somehow, he is from somewhere... well…  Else.  Another ‘Fica’ to use the same term he just did.  But just what he is or why he is here?”  Dr Chiba just shook his head.  “I respectfully decline to speculate.  Which includes the speculation of the possibility of compatibility with Project M.”

Miliya glared sharply at her husband.  “And just what is this Project M?”

While in many ways M. ‘Gadget’ Chiba would have loved to be anywhere but in the middle of this discussion, he was a member of UN Spacy.  And that meant one had to sometimes take one ‘for the team,’ even when it often seemed like the team were the upper echelons who didn’t care much about anyone but themselves.  Max Jenius…  In the years he’d served aboard the M7 colony fleet?  In Chiba’s mind his captain was someone WORTH taking ‘one for the team’ over.

“Shortest form, Madam Mayor?  Project M is a way to… weaponize the disruptive effect Lynn Minmei’s songs had on unsuspecting Zentran and Meltran alike during the Macross’ attack on Lord Boldoza’s fleet,” Chiba admitted.  “The same.disruption that allowed a single Supervision Army ‘Ship Destroyer’ to penetrate and eliminate a *COMMAND ASTEROID* designed to defend against the most powerful ships the Supervision Army were known to have!”

Miliya forced herself to look her husband that she had… no…  still loved even though the stresses of her position seemed to have driven them apart.  “You would authorize this project?”

“To defend my wife and youngest daughter?  Yes.  Even if neither of you ever spoke to me again, I would say a thousand times yes, Miliya, my wife,” Max confirmed.  “I would rather be rejected a thousand times over than to see you or Mylene hurt or dying.”
Suggest cutting this part for redundancy:
"and if anything, these readings, along with his statements only seem to support the claim that not only is he from another ‘fica’ to use his own terminology."

One of the things I always had to wonder about in 7 was what finally split Max and Milia up? I mean, they stuck together to raise like eighteen kids, even if most were adopted and/or clones rather than direct offspring. You'd think any issues would have been long worked out by that point.
(11-28-2019, 04:27 AM)classicdrogn Wrote: [ -> ]One of the things I always had to wonder about in 7 was what finally split Max and Milia up? 

well for the purposes of TotW, I am going with the Dichotomy of Military CO vs Civlian Leadership, as well as both being promoted out of their personal comfort zone.
Okay, posting up the preliminary final and asking those of you who have expressed interest to be my Beta readers here...

.txt file attached to the post.
[attachment=167]
Right then, nitpick omnislash edit go!

Quote:“Ah. Your awake. Finally.”

You're

Quote://We have been unconscious due to cerebral blunt force trauma for 4hours, 32 minutes Due to loss of vehicular control on arrival and loss of vehicular stability. //

suggest removing the second "vehicular" for redundancy

Quote:get the joke, over and above the way said soldier instantly drew his sidearm at Muck identified him as both a soldier

Actually, why did Gamlin immediately draw on Muck? He's not usually that jumpy from what I recall, Muck is decidedly not a physical threat to so much as a mosquito at the moment, and a hospital is usually considered a "No Shooting" area from what I understand Wink

Quote:“Relax, Warrior of the clan Kizaki. Well, relax as much as I expect the Micloned offspring of a Meltran and Zentran will ever be able t0 do.”

You have a zero instead of O on that last "to"

Quote:The voice was coming from behind Muck’s head, which would explain why Muck had not seen this person.

All the more reason to NOT immediately pull a gun, if there's a freindly in close proximity. Even assuming Gamlin is off to one side rather than at teh foot of the bed (which isn't described either way to be fair) that's still quite the friendly fire risk if things got chaotic enough to justify physical force in the first place. Maybe you could have Gamlin take a stance that was obviously poised and ready to grab and subdue Muck if he tried anything hasty, rather than the gun?

Quote:“And you are?” Muck wondered; He rather hoped that his interpretation of the infections he was hearing were

inflections

Quote:before the sound of a weapon being readied drew his gaze back past his feet.
Well Gamlin just failed his next five range safety reviews! And if Chiba didn't squawk and jump out of the line of fire, or at least crouch down to shelter behind his console, he's getting some remedial training as well.

Quote:“And why should we believe this?” a new voice demanded, causing Muck to look over. Both of the two new arrivals were familiar to him, but he only remembered being introduced to one of them. “Ah. Milia. And that means the

This needs to be a new paragraph either at "Both of them..." or at least when Muck starts to speak.

Quote:believe he is related to whatever the enemy forces, the creatures our civilians have been calling ‘vampires’ are that


It might be better to use "the media" rather than "our civilians" here - Milia is after all technically one of those civilians herself.

Quote:“We assign this Micheal Thunders, this ‘Star Ranger’ as he calls himself…’This Wanderer,’ as Chiba-sensei calls him, to you, as well as the rest of my ‘Diamond Force’. Let our mystery arrival make up the third member of the flight.

Did he ever introduce himself by anything but his full name? I'm pretty sure the narration only used Muck, at any rate. Also, I thought Gamlin had two canon wingmen? Maybe I'm getting mixed up with Emerald Force since that was definitely three VFs.

Quote:“What we have always done. Pretend to be strong. Look out for our people. Our Daughter. And now, Maybe, we Hope.

Aw Max, you great big dork. It's stuff like that why I can't even be mad you stole the original series' Best Girl. It does need a closing quotation mark on the line, though, and neither daughter, maybe, nor hope should be capitalized.
Quote://We have been unconscious due to cerebral blunt force trauma for 4hours, 32 minutes Due to loss of vehicular control on arrival and loss of vehicular stability. //

Not your beta, but this caught my eye during that round of corrections: Insert a space between 4 and hours. Actually, I'd put the time spent unconscious before "due to cerebral blunt force trauma, and rephrase the rest as "resulting from loss of vehicular control and stability on arrival." This reduces repetition (two occurrences of "due" as well as the already noted two occurrences of "vehicular") and puts the proximate and underlying causes of unconsciousness together.
(12-02-2019, 02:44 AM)classicdrogn Wrote: [ -> ]
Quote:“We assign this Micheal Thunders, this ‘Star Ranger’ as he calls himself…’This Wanderer,’ as Chiba-sensei calls him, to you, as well as the rest of my ‘Diamond Force’.  Let our mystery arrival make up the third member of the flight. 

Did he ever introduce himself by anything but his full name? I'm pretty sure the narration only used Muck, at any rate. Also, I thought Gamlin had two canon wingmen? Maybe I'm getting mixed up with Emerald Force since that was definitely three VFs.

Also, "Michael" is misspelled. "Ae", not "ea".
(12-02-2019, 08:12 AM)Bob Schroeck Wrote: [ -> ]Also, "Michael" is misspelled. "Ae", not "ea".

Eheh...  Fact I've never mentioned to anyone before.  I've deliberately misspelled my first name whenever I could for 30 years.  So that kind of carried over to the point my spell checkers have both spellings allowed.
Pages: 1 2