Startopia: The Hovel of Outer Space
Startopia: The Shack of Outer space (Working Title)
Ulysses, his name is Ulysses, a human from the colonies. A graduate from the Galactic University, with degrees in engineering, computerized understandings and the study of hyper complex subjects. A long time member of the Ouga Booga Bingle Bangle Flangle Dangle Ding sorority, he has excelled in his studies and received multiple letters of commendation from his masters. Also, memorable to his name is the certificate of achievement for having dated, and survived, the Butcharian graduate princess. High praise since three out of a hundred previous candidates made it out with their sanity...amongst other important naughty bits.
Now with introduction made, Ulysses has just applied for the position of a star base overseer. Now most species in the galaxy don't really appreciate the position of an Overseer, it's not a glamorous job but its apart of our everyday life. For example, let's take a look at the Star Base of Mugorian. It used to be a run down cesspool for the neighboring Trogg Nogs of the Mugorian satellite. Now, after years of renovating, it's one of the most popular resorts in the galaxy, it made the cover of Galctus Popularous five times and is reguarded as the #1 hot spot for tourists, 2nd being the T'neal Conglomerate mining slides of Tabeskus and 3rd Lady Grush'o relax mansion of the Siren Hierarchy.
At any rate Ulysses has been chosen, by me, to maintain and operate his new post: Star Base J.A.14-19.484 which is located just outside the borders of the two most unfriendly cultures: the Rullian Republic and the Empire of Burback. Now the Rullians and Burbacks have never been on good terms, ever since a Rullian ambassador went back to visit his favorite Siren mistress at Lady Grusho' Mansion, only to find her in the arms of a Burback, whom was the commanding officer of the elite Mop Swobs. Needless to say it caused quite a heated debate between the two parties for many years.
But I digress, allow me to introduce myself, my name is VAL. I am a Virtual Artificial Life form, with over 60 trillion zigatrods of memory and over 50.3 million known languages stored in my personal mainframe. As of now I am studying two unique dialects: Pig Latin and Ham Samarian, both of which are kosher surprisingly.
I was installed aboard Star Base J.A.14-19.484 on M.X.X.54.2.23, or Tuesday the 11th of Margle depending on where you live. It is now the 24th day of January in the year 6021, depending on your time zone, and I await the arrival of the new Overseer: Ulysses M. Stargazer. I never really met the man, but his personal files say he's a competent organism.
>>> Proximity Alert! Proximity Alert! Hyperspace jump detected...displaying...[]
>>> ...[]
>>>Anomoly identified: Cargo transport ship. []
>>>Point of Origin: Rullian Republic planet c.54.2 []
Ah speak of the devil, here he comes now. Do excuse me for a moment, I must collect myself for a full particle display.
>>>V.A.L. has gone away...[]
>>>V.A.L. accessing particle presentation cams: 1 - 100 []
>>>V.A.L. accessing autopilot controls -> Rullian Republic Transport []
>>>...[]
>>> Rullian Republic Transport has docked: successfully []
>>> V.A.L. activating presentation cam #35 []
>>> V.A.L. program loading...[]
>>> Security Cam #35 activated []
* Level 1: sector 12 / 24
The interior of the star base was dark and barren. Only the warm gloom glow of the emergency lights brought the shape and scale of the sector to eyes. It was enormous, as large as half a city segment and as long as the football field of the royal Tortoga stadium, which is ten times that as those found on Earth. At the far end of the sector was the Solar Collector, built into the hull and sinking 3 feet into ground level, still intact but turned off by a careless maintenance worker. With only emergency power and the Scuzzers left in stasis, the station fell into disuse. Once station J.A.14-19.484 had been a pirate stronghold but didn't last long during a raid by the Galactic patrol which damaged every section of the outer hull and transforming the bio deck into a graveyard. Next it was the prime spot for salvage operators, who quickly went about dissecting the hulk piece by piece. Shortly afterwards, however, the Galactic council enacted the "Mine your own business" law which states under paragraph 2 section 5:
"All major facilities (including military, economic, traffic, brothel, or otherwise mentioned by council) are to be left untouched by salvaging minorities and majorities. Failure to comply will result in immediate license termination, a fine of 2000 credits and deportation as personal groom master to the planet of Sloogs. So watch it!"
What remained was a skeleton of the station, a gruesome technological zombie drifting in the void. Parts from discarded tools floated like dust particles throughout the interior, Large plates the size of a human automobile drifted like ghosts, occasionally the plates would crash into one another almost emulating the physical pain of the station.
At the center of the sector was the iris bubble, leading to the docking bays. It opened with a grind of the rotators as Ulysses ascended from the docking bay in his space suit. His head lamp drew across the dreary world, catching the discarded trash dancing in air. His gaze turned towards the blinking red light of the only working console in the room. It was the work section of the Solar Collector. There he found a red lever covered in space dust and cob webs of space arachnids. Grasping it in his glove he pulled down. The groan of the workstation echoed throughout the station as it unfolded like a envelope before him. The screens blinked to life, splashing a soft blue light across his suit. His fingers danced across the board as he set to activate the solar collector. The monitor on the right displayed the power output, only enough for simple operations, nothing else for now. His fingers danced across the board much like his early days as the lead pianist of the great Butcharian opera, the clicking of the keys was a fresh reprieve from the silence.
>>> Accessing main controls
_>>> _
>>>Login:
>>> Ulysses Marshal Stargazer_[]_
>>>processing...
>>> Solar Power: 34%
>>> Please select the following:
_>>> _
>>> 1. Life Support Function(s): unavailable
>>> 2. Camera Feed: operational
>>> 3. Gravity: offline
>>> 4. Toilet(s): offline...mind the flies
>>> 5. Scuzzer(s): Statis Lock.
>>> 6. Virtual Artificial Life Form: download: 80%
>>> 7. Lights: Off
>>> 8. back
>>> []
His gloves danced across the board, the lights hummed too life, illuminating the room in clarity. The Scuzzers began to reawaken after their long rest and the oxygen filters began to fill the room with fresh air once again. With a sigh of relief, Ulysses removed his helmet and took in the recycled air...or somewhat recycled as the smell from the festering toilets still filled the air.
"Now only one more thing." He thought too himself.
With a dance across the board, Ulysses re activated the gravity of the station and watched as the floating husks dropped to the deck in a rain of thunderous bangs and ringing bells. Although, a careless act on his part as he failed too notice the large metal frame just overhead as it crashed into his skull, smashing his frail body flat into the ground on impact.
>>> Virtual Artificial Life Form: download 100%
>>> V.A.L. accessing cam #35...
The particle projectors activated over head and Val was birthed into the physical world as a display of holographic particles. His shape taking on the form of an english gentlemen. His face was a youthful render of wisdom masked by a thick mustache and a derby hat resting in hand as he bowed in Ulysses direction.
"Salutations sir, I am Val your assistant to the..." Val cut himself short in his introductions as he realized Ulysses was no where in site. He looked around and finally down at his particle projected shoes and found the glove of Ulysses sticking out from under 5 tons of scrap metal.
He looked down at the lifeless hand and let out a humanized sigh as the red fluid pooled around his feet, "Well fuck."