Today,the 18th of January,a glorious Tuesday!How so? Cos its my 17th birthday!Whee!!!!
Happy birthday to me and Jay Chou!Contary to what most people would do on their birthdays,I had to go for a training session,complimentary of my employer-Yeo Hiap Seng or simply Yeos. The factory wasn't that difficult to hard to locate,but it was so inaccessible,and besides I didn't which BUS-repeat BUS-goes by there every half an hour-repeat half hour-,therefore I resorted to the next best thing,walk.
And walk I did,for a full half an hour.Stupid ppl,put the factory so inside for what?Can withstand nuclear strike ah?Kaoz,walk until my dry shirt become a soaking wet one.Once inside the accursed building,I was instructed to sit and wait for further instructions.Not too bad,at least there's air-conditioning in that particular wing of the factory.Soon enough,the receptionist told us to follow a fella,whose name we found out later to be Charles.He's supposed to be one of our trainers.He led us into an auditorium.Woah,I wasn't prepared for the sight before me.At the front,in front of the white screen,were two tables laden with Yeos drinks.That part isn't too bad, what was shocking was what was at the BACK.Thousands,yes thousands,of tetra-brik packs of beverage as well as the cool blue colours of Pepsi.I gasped,didn't see so many drinks together in a place before.An eye-opener.
We had to wait for a further half an hour before the training started,as the late-comers streamed in.The training started soon enough,with a guy going through the history of yeos as well as their products.He then handed the mike over to Charles,who briefed us on the proper stacking,display and merchandising techniques.It was pretty useful.When he finished,he passed the baton to a guy called Nick,the individual responsible for the promotion of Pepsi within Yeos.
He was something of a joker,cracking those as if they were nothing but peanuts,and led his colleagus into upheavals of hilarious laughter,minus us.He explained to us the importanceof effective advertisment using Listerine pocketpaks as example.It was a lame example.
Soon,Nick ended his humor-laced speech,and passed the baton to yet another guy,Patrick.He told us that they would call us within these few days to start work,and we needed to come back to claim our uniforms.Oh crap.Now I have ta wear a uniform.I think I'm gonna cry.No,no tears on my birthday,save it till tomorrow.
Finally,the training officially came to an end,and I dreaded it,cos I needed to walk the same way back.Yes,another half hour.Bummer.However,it was more eventful as compared to the previous one,good caring ppl were sending me Birthday greetings.How thoughtful.Thank You All! I mean it,especially Peggy.Haha,she should know why!Its been seven years since a Birthday song was targeted at me.I'm so touched.Thanks again!
At night,at about ten,TBC called.Drats,I was posted to Ang Mo Kio.Bummer.I hoped to be posted to the supermarket opposite my house.Oh well,you win some you lose some,at least there is a slighter chance of me running into anyone I know there as compared to the other location,both has its own pros and cons,and its no use crying over spilt milk,what is done cannot be undone,unless of course,through divine intervention,which is highly unlikely.Ok,I'm ending here,going to sleep.Take care guys!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
The Conflict
"Fire main cannons on my mark."Captain Ziegler paused for three seconds then shouted:"Fire!"
Almost instantly,nine white-hot projectiles burst forth from the huge barrels of the Hydra's three sets of Supersonic Shock Cannons in nine simultaneous explosions. of flame and noise,and sped toward their intended target:a monolithtic Rencond flagship.
The conflict started two hours ago,with the Rencond initiating it.One of the Terran's scout vessels,a Sparrow-class interceptor by the name of the Raven,had collided accidentally into one of the multiple Rencond space probes,and wrecked it.Although the Raven was also severely damaged,it managed to return to Zion Prime,the massive,rotating complex in Zeanur 4's orbit that the Terrans call home.It did not return alone however,an armada of twelve alien vessels materialised out of nowhere,and started shooting at the sight of the Raven.Thus began the conflict.
Initially,the battle was going well for the humans,with their Orbital Defense Platforms keeping the Rencond ships at bay.One white-hot depleted uranium projectile was enough to punch through the silver,shimmering energy shields of a Rencond Stratoforce-class destroyer,and gut the hapless vessel from stem to stern.Out of the twelve vessels that had come after the Raven, only five remained after half an hour,a testament to the superiority of the Terran defenses.
However,all that changed an hour into the conflict,when the Rencond forces moved out of the Platforms' range,and started to bombard the Terran ships with long-ranged weaponry:energy beams and torpedoes.Six Tempest-class Terran destroyers went up in flame in the six minutes that the Rencond had renewed their assault,and Zion Prime wanted those robots terminated.
Thus,Captain Ziegler was ordered to mobilise,and quell the onslaught.
Captain Ziegler was a man of outstanding capabilities.His Career Service Vitae was a full seven pages long.He had survived eleven battles with the Xeno,six with the Zelarians and two with the Rencond.His charisma,as well as bravery,has gotten his crew out of dangerous situations time and time again.He was truly a war hero.His customised Dreadnought-class heavy crusier,the Hydra,is a ship worthy of the man's name.Along with the standard issue triple batteries of three Supersonic Shock Cannons each, four pods of Arbalest Atmospheric and Space-use Missiles and twenty-four 40mm autocannons,the Hydra had a secret weapon that gave it an edge over any ship in the fleet:a Neutron Cannon.
An advanced prototype,the neutron cannon is capable of delivering a compacted uranium bolt encased in a class-five electromagnetic field to targets almost sixty kilometres away,and place that bolt with pinpoint accuracy.Upon impact,the field collapses,and the compacted atoms disperse,their neutrons separate from the other members of the atomic system,and thus creating the deadly "splitting the atom" effect that ended the second World War in the 1940s. This effect is sufficient enough in force to decimate half of Earth's moon.However,once the cannon is used,the ship carrying it will lose all power,and be dead in space until another ship comes along to pick it up.The complicated array of equipment needed to fire the ray would also have to be remade,making the neutron cannon very not cost-effective.Captain Ziegler had pressured the dockmaster to install it on his ship,sacrificing a few cigars for it.Under Ziegler's relentless assault,the dockmaster finally gave in,and agreed to "accidentally" install the cannon on the Hydra's bow.Finally,the weapon could be of some use.
"Track those Apex fighters,Lieutanent Jones,"Captain Ziegler ordered,"and give them a warm reception."
"Aye sir,already engaged,"the cute-faced lieutanent replied.
On the sides of the Hydra,twenty-four rectangular hatches slid open,and an equal number of twin-barrelled 40 millimeter automatic cannons emerged from the openings.Almost immediately,spouts of flame spewed forth from the barrels,chipping away at the Rencond single-ship fighters' shields.The small,highly manuverable Apex-class interceptors were just another item in theRencond's bottomless arsenal.The small things proved to be both a nuisance, and a lethal threat,their energy cannons draining the shields of the Hydra precipitiously. Nevertheless,once the autocannons were deployed,nine puffs of fire emerged on the view screen and vanished from the radar.
"Stand by for course correction,declination zero zero three six by zero zero eight two."Ziegler told the navigation officer,Timmons.
"Course set.Awaiting your order sir,"Timmons replied,hand hovering over his console.
Ziegler,however,said nothing.He just stared at the massive metallic vessel in front of him. The Rencond ship was shaped like an arrow,with its bow sharpened to a point.The brigde stood on the stern,above the powerful engines.Cubes flashed beams of energy,cutting any unlucky ship nearby.The ship had a sort of odd,predatory beauty,blemished however,by a gaping hole in its starboard prow.The metal was jagged and serated,and curled away from the wound.One of the Hydra's cannon shells must have impacted into it just now.Yet,the vessel was still fully functional.If only we knew what goes on inside those ships,then we would have a better chance against these metallic monsters,Ziegler thought angrily. If only-
Ziegler halted in mid thought.He had a brainwave.
Quickly,he hit the button for the intercom.It buzzed to life,with a man's coarse voice enamanting from it,laced with static.
"Bunker to bridge,Smith here.What's up Cap?"Smith asked.
"Smith,I want you to ready your squad and get to launch bay Seven ASAP.I got a little mission for you."Ziegler smiled.
"You serious?"Smith quizzed dubiously,"I mean we ARE in space,aren't we?"
"You are correct Smith.But we require you to-",Ziegler paused to search for the correct word,"- take over an enemy ship for us.I'm sure you can handle it."
Smith processed the information for a whole three seconds,then said,"We're on it sir.Bunker out."He then proceeded to issue his own orders to his team.
Finally,there were aliens to kill.
And none of them wanted to miss out on the fun.
To Be Continued...
Almost instantly,nine white-hot projectiles burst forth from the huge barrels of the Hydra's three sets of Supersonic Shock Cannons in nine simultaneous explosions. of flame and noise,and sped toward their intended target:a monolithtic Rencond flagship.
The conflict started two hours ago,with the Rencond initiating it.One of the Terran's scout vessels,a Sparrow-class interceptor by the name of the Raven,had collided accidentally into one of the multiple Rencond space probes,and wrecked it.Although the Raven was also severely damaged,it managed to return to Zion Prime,the massive,rotating complex in Zeanur 4's orbit that the Terrans call home.It did not return alone however,an armada of twelve alien vessels materialised out of nowhere,and started shooting at the sight of the Raven.Thus began the conflict.
Initially,the battle was going well for the humans,with their Orbital Defense Platforms keeping the Rencond ships at bay.One white-hot depleted uranium projectile was enough to punch through the silver,shimmering energy shields of a Rencond Stratoforce-class destroyer,and gut the hapless vessel from stem to stern.Out of the twelve vessels that had come after the Raven, only five remained after half an hour,a testament to the superiority of the Terran defenses.
However,all that changed an hour into the conflict,when the Rencond forces moved out of the Platforms' range,and started to bombard the Terran ships with long-ranged weaponry:energy beams and torpedoes.Six Tempest-class Terran destroyers went up in flame in the six minutes that the Rencond had renewed their assault,and Zion Prime wanted those robots terminated.
Thus,Captain Ziegler was ordered to mobilise,and quell the onslaught.
Captain Ziegler was a man of outstanding capabilities.His Career Service Vitae was a full seven pages long.He had survived eleven battles with the Xeno,six with the Zelarians and two with the Rencond.His charisma,as well as bravery,has gotten his crew out of dangerous situations time and time again.He was truly a war hero.His customised Dreadnought-class heavy crusier,the Hydra,is a ship worthy of the man's name.Along with the standard issue triple batteries of three Supersonic Shock Cannons each, four pods of Arbalest Atmospheric and Space-use Missiles and twenty-four 40mm autocannons,the Hydra had a secret weapon that gave it an edge over any ship in the fleet:a Neutron Cannon.
An advanced prototype,the neutron cannon is capable of delivering a compacted uranium bolt encased in a class-five electromagnetic field to targets almost sixty kilometres away,and place that bolt with pinpoint accuracy.Upon impact,the field collapses,and the compacted atoms disperse,their neutrons separate from the other members of the atomic system,and thus creating the deadly "splitting the atom" effect that ended the second World War in the 1940s. This effect is sufficient enough in force to decimate half of Earth's moon.However,once the cannon is used,the ship carrying it will lose all power,and be dead in space until another ship comes along to pick it up.The complicated array of equipment needed to fire the ray would also have to be remade,making the neutron cannon very not cost-effective.Captain Ziegler had pressured the dockmaster to install it on his ship,sacrificing a few cigars for it.Under Ziegler's relentless assault,the dockmaster finally gave in,and agreed to "accidentally" install the cannon on the Hydra's bow.Finally,the weapon could be of some use.
"Track those Apex fighters,Lieutanent Jones,"Captain Ziegler ordered,"and give them a warm reception."
"Aye sir,already engaged,"the cute-faced lieutanent replied.
On the sides of the Hydra,twenty-four rectangular hatches slid open,and an equal number of twin-barrelled 40 millimeter automatic cannons emerged from the openings.Almost immediately,spouts of flame spewed forth from the barrels,chipping away at the Rencond single-ship fighters' shields.The small,highly manuverable Apex-class interceptors were just another item in theRencond's bottomless arsenal.The small things proved to be both a nuisance, and a lethal threat,their energy cannons draining the shields of the Hydra precipitiously. Nevertheless,once the autocannons were deployed,nine puffs of fire emerged on the view screen and vanished from the radar.
"Stand by for course correction,declination zero zero three six by zero zero eight two."Ziegler told the navigation officer,Timmons.
"Course set.Awaiting your order sir,"Timmons replied,hand hovering over his console.
Ziegler,however,said nothing.He just stared at the massive metallic vessel in front of him. The Rencond ship was shaped like an arrow,with its bow sharpened to a point.The brigde stood on the stern,above the powerful engines.Cubes flashed beams of energy,cutting any unlucky ship nearby.The ship had a sort of odd,predatory beauty,blemished however,by a gaping hole in its starboard prow.The metal was jagged and serated,and curled away from the wound.One of the Hydra's cannon shells must have impacted into it just now.Yet,the vessel was still fully functional.If only we knew what goes on inside those ships,then we would have a better chance against these metallic monsters,Ziegler thought angrily. If only-
Ziegler halted in mid thought.He had a brainwave.
Quickly,he hit the button for the intercom.It buzzed to life,with a man's coarse voice enamanting from it,laced with static.
"Bunker to bridge,Smith here.What's up Cap?"Smith asked.
"Smith,I want you to ready your squad and get to launch bay Seven ASAP.I got a little mission for you."Ziegler smiled.
"You serious?"Smith quizzed dubiously,"I mean we ARE in space,aren't we?"
"You are correct Smith.But we require you to-",Ziegler paused to search for the correct word,"- take over an enemy ship for us.I'm sure you can handle it."
Smith processed the information for a whole three seconds,then said,"We're on it sir.Bunker out."He then proceeded to issue his own orders to his team.
Finally,there were aliens to kill.
And none of them wanted to miss out on the fun.
To Be Continued...
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
The Conflict
The Hydra fired her port micro thrusters and flew sideways, just as a lance of slender green energy swept through the place where the Hydra was a moment ago.Captain Ziegler heaved a sigh of relief.That was close.Too close.
"Engines all stop and turn one hundred and eighty degrees.Point us at that thing."Ziegler ordered Timmons.
"Aye,sir.Engines answering.All stop.Rotating now."Timmons said,a tinge of worry present in his meek voice.
The four-thousand-ton Hydra came to a standstill and swivelled to face the owner of that energy beam.Captain Ziegler expected it to be one of the Rencond's deadliest starships,a Valken-class crusier,but it was not.
It was something larger.
Much larger.
Directly across the Hydra, the space started to distort.The area became like a pool of water,with ripples coming from the centre of it.Then,something emerged from the distorted space.A ship. A Rencond ship,unlike any Ziegler had seen before.Instead of the usual arrow-head design characteristcal of most Rencond vessels,this one was a solid rectangular block.A black,equipment-laden area was sandwiched between two silver-white layers.A circle served as the only decoration for the bottommost deck of the ship.On the topmost,layers of small squares, most likely hatches,could be seen surrounding a hexagonal region,probably the bridge.Captain Ziegler could not discern any weapons onboard.
"Computer,"He called out,"Give me a full scan of that ship.I want every plate of alien metal overturned for answers."
"Processing,"A female voice emnamated from nowhere,with the characteristic warble of synthesized vocals,"Vessel is approximately four point two kilometers long and two point four kilometers wide.Spectroscopic analysis proved inconclusive.Ship's material doesn't match any known Rencond materials.Black region impervious to scanning.Recommend caution."
Interesting,Ziegler thought,a new ship.This should be of some entertainment.
"All thrusters to station keeping.Computer,evade any energy beams fired in our direction and alert me if there are any anomalies."Ziegler commanded,"And get me Smith on the intercom."
***
Slowly,cautiously,Smith rounded a shiny metallic corner.Nothing.For some reason,the alien vessel was empty,devoid of any life.Since they landed the Albatross into the ship's hole, they had seen nothing but metal and more metal.Smith was getting bored.Sighing further,he gripped his weapon tighter and moved on,with his team in tow.
Smith was a commado,the creme de la creme of the human infantry. And he proved it numerous times that he was,too.His team was responsible for the deaths of thousands of enemy troops,and the victories on the ground.Name of his squad:The Freikorps,after the real ones during the German Weimar Republic.
Smith advanced slowly,right hand on his Mark 8A Light Machine Gun,standard issue for commandoes.Under the barrel of the weapon hung a small cylinder-the shell launcher.A modified grenade launcher from the now obselete M16 assault rifles,these tubes could either fire an armor-piercing round or an inciendiary one,making them very invaluable on the battlefield. The inbuilt fire-control computer,coupled with Smith's compulsory neural implants done at birth,made the weapon a monster.
Clank.
The sound of metal banging against metal resonated throughout the dark,deary corridor.
Clank clank.
And it grew louder by the second.Smith swallowed and put up two fingers,and pointed them to the left.Winfield,the heavy weapons specialist,and Suzuki,a stealthy Infiltrator,silently moved to the opposite wall,and prepared for their first meeting with a Rencond soldier.
The being rounded a corner,and came into full view of the Freikorps.It was astounding.It was about a meter high,stood on chicken legs,and had two metal extensions along its cuboid torso as arms.A single red line pulsed in the middle of the torso.It too,turned to face the intruders,and lifted its arms.Without any sound,two blocks slid forward from the back of the alien to cover its arms,and locked themselves there with a resonating click.Then,twin spheres of green energy started to materialise in front on them.
Energy beams.
Smith and his teammates were dumbfounded,all except one.At the back of the Terran group,a lone figure vaulted high into the air and came down,just infront of the alien.The alien,visibly surprised,hurriedly raised its charging arms and prepared to release their deadly cargo.Its efforts were in vain however,for the lone human had a M2C heavy pistol levelled at the creature's red line-eye.He fired a sustained burst of three armor-piercing rounds into it.
The alien fell to the ground with a satisfying clank,silver blood formed a pool on the metallic floor.
The human,Combat Elite Number 12,said in a cool monotone,"Threat neutralised.Resume initial operation."
"Engines all stop and turn one hundred and eighty degrees.Point us at that thing."Ziegler ordered Timmons.
"Aye,sir.Engines answering.All stop.Rotating now."Timmons said,a tinge of worry present in his meek voice.
The four-thousand-ton Hydra came to a standstill and swivelled to face the owner of that energy beam.Captain Ziegler expected it to be one of the Rencond's deadliest starships,a Valken-class crusier,but it was not.
It was something larger.
Much larger.
Directly across the Hydra, the space started to distort.The area became like a pool of water,with ripples coming from the centre of it.Then,something emerged from the distorted space.A ship. A Rencond ship,unlike any Ziegler had seen before.Instead of the usual arrow-head design characteristcal of most Rencond vessels,this one was a solid rectangular block.A black,equipment-laden area was sandwiched between two silver-white layers.A circle served as the only decoration for the bottommost deck of the ship.On the topmost,layers of small squares, most likely hatches,could be seen surrounding a hexagonal region,probably the bridge.Captain Ziegler could not discern any weapons onboard.
"Computer,"He called out,"Give me a full scan of that ship.I want every plate of alien metal overturned for answers."
"Processing,"A female voice emnamated from nowhere,with the characteristic warble of synthesized vocals,"Vessel is approximately four point two kilometers long and two point four kilometers wide.Spectroscopic analysis proved inconclusive.Ship's material doesn't match any known Rencond materials.Black region impervious to scanning.Recommend caution."
Interesting,Ziegler thought,a new ship.This should be of some entertainment.
"All thrusters to station keeping.Computer,evade any energy beams fired in our direction and alert me if there are any anomalies."Ziegler commanded,"And get me Smith on the intercom."
***
Slowly,cautiously,Smith rounded a shiny metallic corner.Nothing.For some reason,the alien vessel was empty,devoid of any life.Since they landed the Albatross into the ship's hole, they had seen nothing but metal and more metal.Smith was getting bored.Sighing further,he gripped his weapon tighter and moved on,with his team in tow.
Smith was a commado,the creme de la creme of the human infantry. And he proved it numerous times that he was,too.His team was responsible for the deaths of thousands of enemy troops,and the victories on the ground.Name of his squad:The Freikorps,after the real ones during the German Weimar Republic.
Smith advanced slowly,right hand on his Mark 8A Light Machine Gun,standard issue for commandoes.Under the barrel of the weapon hung a small cylinder-the shell launcher.A modified grenade launcher from the now obselete M16 assault rifles,these tubes could either fire an armor-piercing round or an inciendiary one,making them very invaluable on the battlefield. The inbuilt fire-control computer,coupled with Smith's compulsory neural implants done at birth,made the weapon a monster.
Clank.
The sound of metal banging against metal resonated throughout the dark,deary corridor.
Clank clank.
And it grew louder by the second.Smith swallowed and put up two fingers,and pointed them to the left.Winfield,the heavy weapons specialist,and Suzuki,a stealthy Infiltrator,silently moved to the opposite wall,and prepared for their first meeting with a Rencond soldier.
The being rounded a corner,and came into full view of the Freikorps.It was astounding.It was about a meter high,stood on chicken legs,and had two metal extensions along its cuboid torso as arms.A single red line pulsed in the middle of the torso.It too,turned to face the intruders,and lifted its arms.Without any sound,two blocks slid forward from the back of the alien to cover its arms,and locked themselves there with a resonating click.Then,twin spheres of green energy started to materialise in front on them.
Energy beams.
Smith and his teammates were dumbfounded,all except one.At the back of the Terran group,a lone figure vaulted high into the air and came down,just infront of the alien.The alien,visibly surprised,hurriedly raised its charging arms and prepared to release their deadly cargo.Its efforts were in vain however,for the lone human had a M2C heavy pistol levelled at the creature's red line-eye.He fired a sustained burst of three armor-piercing rounds into it.
The alien fell to the ground with a satisfying clank,silver blood formed a pool on the metallic floor.
The human,Combat Elite Number 12,said in a cool monotone,"Threat neutralised.Resume initial operation."
To Be Continued...
Monday, January 10, 2005
The Conflict
"Lock all missiles on that vessel and blow it out of the sky!"Commander Kim ordered her Weapons officer,Lieutanent Rosemary.
"Aye,ma'am.Missiles away,"the cool,porcelain-featured lieutanent calmly replied.
On screen,dozens of elonganated Fletcher missiles streamed towards their target,their exhaust leaving white streaks on the blackness of space.The Rencond Rampage-class destroyer,however, did not attempt to take any evasive manuevers.Instead,it just held its position,and continued to pummel the Freedom Alliance with energy beam after energy beam, reducing its proton shields to twenty-two percent,and dropping further.
The Freedom Alliance,a Terran Tempest-class destroyer, was a vessel built solely for the purpose of war.It sported two Supersonic Shock Cannons,thirty pods of twelve Fletcher missiles each,two Jupiter-class nuclear missiles as well as a launch tube capable of firing the vessel's sole Gamma Charge,its three Sparrow-class interceptors,or a team of highly-trained commandoes in a space-faring pod.A destroyer also had almost two meters of armor plating covering it from stem to stern,along with the standard-issue proton shields.Theoratically,the Freedom Alliance can take,and deliver,an enormous amount of punishment.Right now,that theory was being tested.
The Rencond equilvalent of the Freedom Alliance appeared out of the distorted space created by the Rencond monolith flagship.As soon as it re-entered normal space,it started attacking the Freedom Alliance,blasting her with energy beams and torpedoes.Commander Kim had lost more than twenty hands since she engaged the enemy,and she was not about to let them die without avenging them.
***
The Hydra lay hidden in the debris field,awaiting the chance to launch an attack on the Rencond forces.Already,the fleet had lost twenty ships,frigates and destroyers.Zion Prime did not want to risk the Armada-class carriers,for fear they will be easy targets.Captain Ziegler flinched.A carrier was two times larger than his crusier,and had nearly four meters of armor plating as compared to his three and a half meters.Each carrier was equipped with forty-eight 40 mm autocannons for mounting a point defense against the smaller ships,and relied on other ships for protection.However,the presence of a carrier would significantly increase the striking power of the fleet.Each massive ship carried six Assault Units,humanoid robots armed with a heavy machine gun and two pods of Fletcher missiles,capable of dealing massive damage to an enemy target over a short period of time.Six Sparrow-class interceptors are also carried on the giganyic vessels to tackle the faster ships of the enemy fleet.Along with those,carriers also had four Hawk-class Fighters.These larger versions of the Sparrow fly at Mach 4 and are capable of both deep space and atmospheric flight.A quartet of fifty millimeter cannons and a Fletcher missile pack served as the armnament for the swift ships,and are sufficient to put a Zelarian Hyperthorne-class crusier out of commission in just ten minutes.Ziegler,for once,resented the higher-ups' decision,but shrugged it off and continued to find a way defeat the Rencond,just as the frigate,the Mackenzie,flew up to the starboard flank of it,missiles firing.
What the hell was that ship's captain thinking?Ziegler thought,That's suicide!
As if he was right,a slender blue beam shot out from the black,equipment laden area,and engulfed the Mackenzie,immoblising it.A tractor beam of some sort,Ziegler pondered,interesting.
"Sir,we are receiving a distress signal from both the Mackenzie and Freedom Alliance,"Jack,the operations officer,suddenly called out.
"On speakers,"Ziegler calmly replied.
"Mayday,mayday!We are incapable of moving off!The Rencond ship has us trapped in some kind of tractor beam and we are detecting high levels of energy coming from the ship!Hurry! Send hel-"The speaker went dead,and static filled the room.
On the other speaker,"Commander Kim of the Freedom Alliance requesting reinforcements at these coordinates.We had depleted all of our ammunition and shields are at 8 percent and dropping steadily.Rencond destroyer and frigates bearing down on us.Please send aid,fast."
Captain Ziegler looked worried.He had to help both the ships.Both were under his command.He had to think of a solution fast,or else hundreds of lives would be lost.Finally,he made a decision.
"Lieutanent Timmons,plot a course for the Freedom Alliance's position but make these corrections to the course.We are going after both of them."
"Aye,ma'am.Missiles away,"the cool,porcelain-featured lieutanent calmly replied.
On screen,dozens of elonganated Fletcher missiles streamed towards their target,their exhaust leaving white streaks on the blackness of space.The Rencond Rampage-class destroyer,however, did not attempt to take any evasive manuevers.Instead,it just held its position,and continued to pummel the Freedom Alliance with energy beam after energy beam, reducing its proton shields to twenty-two percent,and dropping further.
The Freedom Alliance,a Terran Tempest-class destroyer, was a vessel built solely for the purpose of war.It sported two Supersonic Shock Cannons,thirty pods of twelve Fletcher missiles each,two Jupiter-class nuclear missiles as well as a launch tube capable of firing the vessel's sole Gamma Charge,its three Sparrow-class interceptors,or a team of highly-trained commandoes in a space-faring pod.A destroyer also had almost two meters of armor plating covering it from stem to stern,along with the standard-issue proton shields.Theoratically,the Freedom Alliance can take,and deliver,an enormous amount of punishment.Right now,that theory was being tested.
The Rencond equilvalent of the Freedom Alliance appeared out of the distorted space created by the Rencond monolith flagship.As soon as it re-entered normal space,it started attacking the Freedom Alliance,blasting her with energy beams and torpedoes.Commander Kim had lost more than twenty hands since she engaged the enemy,and she was not about to let them die without avenging them.
***
The Hydra lay hidden in the debris field,awaiting the chance to launch an attack on the Rencond forces.Already,the fleet had lost twenty ships,frigates and destroyers.Zion Prime did not want to risk the Armada-class carriers,for fear they will be easy targets.Captain Ziegler flinched.A carrier was two times larger than his crusier,and had nearly four meters of armor plating as compared to his three and a half meters.Each carrier was equipped with forty-eight 40 mm autocannons for mounting a point defense against the smaller ships,and relied on other ships for protection.However,the presence of a carrier would significantly increase the striking power of the fleet.Each massive ship carried six Assault Units,humanoid robots armed with a heavy machine gun and two pods of Fletcher missiles,capable of dealing massive damage to an enemy target over a short period of time.Six Sparrow-class interceptors are also carried on the giganyic vessels to tackle the faster ships of the enemy fleet.Along with those,carriers also had four Hawk-class Fighters.These larger versions of the Sparrow fly at Mach 4 and are capable of both deep space and atmospheric flight.A quartet of fifty millimeter cannons and a Fletcher missile pack served as the armnament for the swift ships,and are sufficient to put a Zelarian Hyperthorne-class crusier out of commission in just ten minutes.Ziegler,for once,resented the higher-ups' decision,but shrugged it off and continued to find a way defeat the Rencond,just as the frigate,the Mackenzie,flew up to the starboard flank of it,missiles firing.
What the hell was that ship's captain thinking?Ziegler thought,That's suicide!
As if he was right,a slender blue beam shot out from the black,equipment laden area,and engulfed the Mackenzie,immoblising it.A tractor beam of some sort,Ziegler pondered,interesting.
"Sir,we are receiving a distress signal from both the Mackenzie and Freedom Alliance,"Jack,the operations officer,suddenly called out.
"On speakers,"Ziegler calmly replied.
"Mayday,mayday!We are incapable of moving off!The Rencond ship has us trapped in some kind of tractor beam and we are detecting high levels of energy coming from the ship!Hurry! Send hel-"The speaker went dead,and static filled the room.
On the other speaker,"Commander Kim of the Freedom Alliance requesting reinforcements at these coordinates.We had depleted all of our ammunition and shields are at 8 percent and dropping steadily.Rencond destroyer and frigates bearing down on us.Please send aid,fast."
Captain Ziegler looked worried.He had to help both the ships.Both were under his command.He had to think of a solution fast,or else hundreds of lives would be lost.Finally,he made a decision.
"Lieutanent Timmons,plot a course for the Freedom Alliance's position but make these corrections to the course.We are going after both of them."
Friday, January 07, 2005
Love,A Myth?
Your destruction is the will of the Gods,and we are their instrument,the sentence read.It was as meaningful as it was scary,with a sinister alter-meaning behind it.Just reading that sentence gives me both the shivers and an overhwleming sense of awe.With that,I closed the book and returned to waiting for my very late friend,silently promising to deliver a fatal blow to his spine if he does not turn up in five minutes.
It was then she appeared,like a goddess,desecending from the clouds,with a face and aura to match.I could not peel my eyes off her.No,I can't let matters of the heart get into my way,not at this time of the year.My head says 'NO!',but my heart says 'YES!'.I was in a dilemma,torn between the devil and the deep blue sea.In the end I resisted and choose...the deep blue sea.With a heavy heart,I trudged off into the shopping centre.A small,barely audible sigh emnamated behind me.
The next day,I had another appointment with the same friend at the same shopping centre.As I made my way there,I silently wished that she would reappear as she did yesterday,as suddenly and as beautiful.And what do you know,there she was,as perfect and as innocent as time had left her.My heart started to intensify its beating,to my discomfort.The urge to get to know her better was tearing me apart,but no matter how great the strain was I always resisted,until now.
Resistance is futile.
What?My heart.It broadcasted those ominous words into my neural network,making me lose my focus in curbing my feelings for a spilt second.However,it did not just halt there.
Resistance is futile.You will comply.
No...I cannot succumb to my desires...not now,not at this crucial point in my life.The message however,really appealed to me.Ah! I could not hold on any longer! But I had to...for my future's sake.I held on,my upper canines leaving incision marks on my lower lips.
Resistance is futile.You will adapt.
The stress was becoming too great.My will was losing a vital battle to an enemy that was once an ally, and that could barely be fought.I stole a glance at her.She shot up,her long flowing brown hair falling into place around her petite face,her blue-green eyes bulging in a most remarkably beautiful fashion.It could be due to the fact that I thrust my head up too forcefully,startling her.At that instant, her eyes met mine.They seemed to exude a radiance so brillant,so bright,and so powerful.In a figment of my own imagination,those windows to the world seemed to unleash a stream of crackling electricity into my own,blinding me,separating me from my will,numbing my conscience and all its affiliates,effectively putting an end to the resistance I had been working so hard to maintain.The war was over,with my heart the victor.
Resistance is and always has been,futile.
To Be Continued...
It was then she appeared,like a goddess,desecending from the clouds,with a face and aura to match.I could not peel my eyes off her.No,I can't let matters of the heart get into my way,not at this time of the year.My head says 'NO!',but my heart says 'YES!'.I was in a dilemma,torn between the devil and the deep blue sea.In the end I resisted and choose...the deep blue sea.With a heavy heart,I trudged off into the shopping centre.A small,barely audible sigh emnamated behind me.
The next day,I had another appointment with the same friend at the same shopping centre.As I made my way there,I silently wished that she would reappear as she did yesterday,as suddenly and as beautiful.And what do you know,there she was,as perfect and as innocent as time had left her.My heart started to intensify its beating,to my discomfort.The urge to get to know her better was tearing me apart,but no matter how great the strain was I always resisted,until now.
Resistance is futile.
What?My heart.It broadcasted those ominous words into my neural network,making me lose my focus in curbing my feelings for a spilt second.However,it did not just halt there.
Resistance is futile.You will comply.
No...I cannot succumb to my desires...not now,not at this crucial point in my life.The message however,really appealed to me.Ah! I could not hold on any longer! But I had to...for my future's sake.I held on,my upper canines leaving incision marks on my lower lips.
Resistance is futile.You will adapt.
The stress was becoming too great.My will was losing a vital battle to an enemy that was once an ally, and that could barely be fought.I stole a glance at her.She shot up,her long flowing brown hair falling into place around her petite face,her blue-green eyes bulging in a most remarkably beautiful fashion.It could be due to the fact that I thrust my head up too forcefully,startling her.At that instant, her eyes met mine.They seemed to exude a radiance so brillant,so bright,and so powerful.In a figment of my own imagination,those windows to the world seemed to unleash a stream of crackling electricity into my own,blinding me,separating me from my will,numbing my conscience and all its affiliates,effectively putting an end to the resistance I had been working so hard to maintain.The war was over,with my heart the victor.
Resistance is and always has been,futile.
To Be Continued...
Love,A Myth? Part 2
With the last remnants of resistance eradicated from my system,I plucked up the courage to ask her for her friendship.I stood up,and started towards her.She just sat there,oblivious to the presence moving towards her, that was trembling all the way.Finally,she decided to notice me and swivelled her pretty little head towards my direction,cocked in a fashion that seemed to ask:"Yes?" I froze. All the courage that had been gathered up during the journey to her position was immeidately torn asunder. Abort. I tried to tell myself,but it wouldn't listen.Slowly,inch by inch,my feet pulled me towards her,towards certain doom.
Alas, doom did not come on a swift steed.Instead blessing came charging forward.She smiled at me.Actually twitched her mouth muscles into a U-shaped smile directed at me.At that instant,I felt my entire being fill with a comfortable sense of ease and pleasure,permeating every nook and cranny of my exsistence.I returned her friendly gesture.
She nodded in acknowledgement.
Then,as I made to leave,I heard a "Psst...Psst..." coming from behind me.It was her,and was motioning me to her side with one slender arm.My eyes widened.My heart skipped a beat.A cold sweat began to break out from every pore on my body.My mind blanked out.My feet,however, continued its normal functioning and moved,with small deliberate steps,towards her once more.
"Aye,aye.You waiting for Paul issit?"she quizzed,in a cute,little girl voice.
"Erm...y-ya...",I nervously replied,throwing grammar to the winds.
She chuckled.A small,lady-like giggle,that was music to my ears."You don't have to be so nervous and fidgety you know...Its not like I would eat you up or something...Hee hee..."She lamented,and giggled again.
"Sure,"It took all of my concentration to say that nonchalantly,but I think my voice still trembled.
"Since we're both waiting for our companions,what say we chat?"She asked,throwing me another one of her radiant smiles.
"Ok!"I must have sounded awful,as I was so happy.Happy would be an understatment though.I was practically over the moon.
And so we did.We exchanged email addresses and names,as well as andecotes about our lives. She seemed particularly interested in my affairs,but it must be wishful thinking on my part,for I refuse to believe that such a perfect female specimen did not have a male partner.Although I very much wanted to believe that,the painful blade of reailty and practicality swept in,making it very very difficult.And I was right.
Soon,Paul arrived.When I was almost going to bid her farewell, she hailed Paul,and much to my amazement and shock,held his waiting hand.
To Be Continued...
Alas, doom did not come on a swift steed.Instead blessing came charging forward.She smiled at me.Actually twitched her mouth muscles into a U-shaped smile directed at me.At that instant,I felt my entire being fill with a comfortable sense of ease and pleasure,permeating every nook and cranny of my exsistence.I returned her friendly gesture.
She nodded in acknowledgement.
Then,as I made to leave,I heard a "Psst...Psst..." coming from behind me.It was her,and was motioning me to her side with one slender arm.My eyes widened.My heart skipped a beat.A cold sweat began to break out from every pore on my body.My mind blanked out.My feet,however, continued its normal functioning and moved,with small deliberate steps,towards her once more.
"Aye,aye.You waiting for Paul issit?"she quizzed,in a cute,little girl voice.
"Erm...y-ya...",I nervously replied,throwing grammar to the winds.
She chuckled.A small,lady-like giggle,that was music to my ears."You don't have to be so nervous and fidgety you know...Its not like I would eat you up or something...Hee hee..."She lamented,and giggled again.
"Sure,"It took all of my concentration to say that nonchalantly,but I think my voice still trembled.
"Since we're both waiting for our companions,what say we chat?"She asked,throwing me another one of her radiant smiles.
"Ok!"I must have sounded awful,as I was so happy.Happy would be an understatment though.I was practically over the moon.
And so we did.We exchanged email addresses and names,as well as andecotes about our lives. She seemed particularly interested in my affairs,but it must be wishful thinking on my part,for I refuse to believe that such a perfect female specimen did not have a male partner.Although I very much wanted to believe that,the painful blade of reailty and practicality swept in,making it very very difficult.And I was right.
Soon,Paul arrived.When I was almost going to bid her farewell, she hailed Paul,and much to my amazement and shock,held his waiting hand.
To Be Continued...
Love,A Myth? Part 3
What the? Nan des ka?Paul,my best friend,was actually the other half of the perfect female specimen.I could hardly contain my shock.My pupils expanded,then contracted painfully.I could feel the tears welling up in the corner of my eye,waiting to gush out in roaring torrents the moment I slip up in keeping the dam gates sealed.As I looked painfully at Paul,his apocalyptic eyes shot back.They seemed to utter:Your destruction is the will of the Gods,and I am their instrument! My thumb,index and third fingers twitched uncontrollably,like the talons of a vicious eagle,wanting to personally tear out the eyes of Paul from their sockets, along with the nerve ends and all other attachments.My left arm swung out,fingers poised to kill.
I checked my hand.No point going to jail over this.It just wasn't worth it.
Dejected and despondent,I hung my head.After mumbling a lame excuse to the pair I hastily left the premises,the sunlight reflecting off my steadily increasing tear drops clearly visible,as if a stream of stars had been released from my eyes.As I sprinted towards the bus stop,I heard yet another barely audible sigh behind me,but didn't stop to care.
At home,I lay in bed.The stereo was playing Do As Infinity's Fukai Mori,a touching,wonderfully done piece of music.Normally when I listen to this song,I would close my eyes and relax,and allow the music to manipulate me anyway it pleased.It was just too wonderful.However,this time,as my ears took in the saddening lyrics,warm tears dripped down my emciated cheeks,and I finally opened my heart out and cried for a whole minute,an event never chronicled before in my life.
I got over it soon enough.No use crying over spilt milk.No point giving up an entire rainforest for a mere conifer.I dropped her from my head and added her to my 'Friends' list,although deep down I wished that she would stay the way before,before Paul came into the picture.The very thought of that sent my rage soaring.
The next day,I was at the shopping centre again,where it all began,when we first met.Silently hoping that she would be around,I walked around the sprawling complex.I passed by a pet shop and paused my journey to go in and have a look.The frisky kittens jumped up and down in their basket,making such cute mewing noises,soothing my battered soul.They also reminded me of her childish giggles.Thus,I made a decision. I decided to visit the bathroom.
The bathroom was a few feet away,on the other end of the level.Two transparent plastic cylinders with streaks of blue lightning sizzling in them flanked the entrance,an advertising gimmick most probably.Allowing myself a private laugh at them as I made my way to my terminal destination,I did not notice someone so vaguely familiar coming my way.When I finally got a glimpse of the person,my laughing stopped.
It was her.
Alone.
I swallowed,then proceeded to take evasive action.I dove for the nearest bench.As I did,time seemed to slow down.Everything slowed to a crawl,including the lightning bolt exhibits by the entrance.She,however was unaffected.I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable.
"Hey!"
Taken aback by the sudden outburst of English,I opened my eyes,and fell face first... to the cold,hard,unfeeling marble flooring.My pride was hurt more than my body by that silly move.Some evasive action...
But that got her attention though,which wasn't good.She advanced towards me,at an alarming rate which I had never thought possible for a girl of her physique.She kneeled down beside me and tended to my wounds,which were almost non-exsistent.It could be an excuse,but i would never know.At that point in time,I felt that I was in heaven,with an angel beside me.I felt so wonderful,the best feeling I felt in more than 48 hours.It was sheer bliss... But I knew this period would end.
Soon.
To Be Continued...
I checked my hand.No point going to jail over this.It just wasn't worth it.
Dejected and despondent,I hung my head.After mumbling a lame excuse to the pair I hastily left the premises,the sunlight reflecting off my steadily increasing tear drops clearly visible,as if a stream of stars had been released from my eyes.As I sprinted towards the bus stop,I heard yet another barely audible sigh behind me,but didn't stop to care.
At home,I lay in bed.The stereo was playing Do As Infinity's Fukai Mori,a touching,wonderfully done piece of music.Normally when I listen to this song,I would close my eyes and relax,and allow the music to manipulate me anyway it pleased.It was just too wonderful.However,this time,as my ears took in the saddening lyrics,warm tears dripped down my emciated cheeks,and I finally opened my heart out and cried for a whole minute,an event never chronicled before in my life.
I got over it soon enough.No use crying over spilt milk.No point giving up an entire rainforest for a mere conifer.I dropped her from my head and added her to my 'Friends' list,although deep down I wished that she would stay the way before,before Paul came into the picture.The very thought of that sent my rage soaring.
The next day,I was at the shopping centre again,where it all began,when we first met.Silently hoping that she would be around,I walked around the sprawling complex.I passed by a pet shop and paused my journey to go in and have a look.The frisky kittens jumped up and down in their basket,making such cute mewing noises,soothing my battered soul.They also reminded me of her childish giggles.Thus,I made a decision. I decided to visit the bathroom.
The bathroom was a few feet away,on the other end of the level.Two transparent plastic cylinders with streaks of blue lightning sizzling in them flanked the entrance,an advertising gimmick most probably.Allowing myself a private laugh at them as I made my way to my terminal destination,I did not notice someone so vaguely familiar coming my way.When I finally got a glimpse of the person,my laughing stopped.
It was her.
Alone.
I swallowed,then proceeded to take evasive action.I dove for the nearest bench.As I did,time seemed to slow down.Everything slowed to a crawl,including the lightning bolt exhibits by the entrance.She,however was unaffected.I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable.
"Hey!"
Taken aback by the sudden outburst of English,I opened my eyes,and fell face first... to the cold,hard,unfeeling marble flooring.My pride was hurt more than my body by that silly move.Some evasive action...
But that got her attention though,which wasn't good.She advanced towards me,at an alarming rate which I had never thought possible for a girl of her physique.She kneeled down beside me and tended to my wounds,which were almost non-exsistent.It could be an excuse,but i would never know.At that point in time,I felt that I was in heaven,with an angel beside me.I felt so wonderful,the best feeling I felt in more than 48 hours.It was sheer bliss... But I knew this period would end.
Soon.
To Be Continued...
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Love,A Myth? Part 4
Soon.
Soon. It would all come to an end.
Soon. She would return,return to the waiting arms of Paul.
Soon. She would leave,and leave an indelible mark on my life.
Soon. Her warmth will be taken from me,never to return.
I shoved all this hideous thoughts aside,although I knew I was just postponing the inevitable.I just didn't want her to leave my side,didn't want her to remove her arm from mine so soon. But inside,I knew she had to.I just didn't care.I wanted that moment to last for as long as possible,hopefully forever.
"Are you alright?"She asked in her usual gentle voice,this time filled with genuine concern.
"Oh...I'm fine.No harm done. Ow."I winced as a bolt of pain shot up my left arm.
"Your shoulder!",she squealed,"Its hurt!" Her voice thick with worry.
"I'm fine.They're a pair.See?"I joked,although the pain was now getting unbearable.
"Alright,if you say so,"She gave in,"I'll be off then. See you around...soon..."Her tone soft and barely audible.Did I detect a slight tone of affection?As though she wanted to see me around real soon?How can it be?She already has Paul. As I lumbered home,I pondered over it,but the reason behind eluded me,leaving me in absolute bewilderment.
The next day,after school,I made a detour for the shopping centre on purpose,to try to obtain a glimpse of her.For some wierd reason,she was always in the vicinity.Only this time she was in uniform,not the usual casual outfits she frequents.Still,she looked sensational.I leaned against the railing and silently admired her from afar, not making a sound or any sudden move,for fear of attracting her attention.She was looking at some CDs on the opposite shops,totally immersed in her own wonderous world,which I yearn to be part of.For a while,she had her head down,examining the colourfully decorated compact discs.Then,all of a sudden,she turned.
She looked right into my eyes.
Those eyes shot right through my soul,and into my heart.I tried to back away.No chance.I was practically glued to the floorboards.Then,slowly but surely,she walked towards me with a series of short,small steps.I swallowed. Then I decided to turn my misfortune into a blessing.I decided to come clean with her about my feelings towards her.I could finally heave this gigantic burden off my chest. About time.
As soon as she was within hearing range,I began:"I really really really like you but I know you already have a boyfriend who is also my best friend so I can't do anything about it except give way to him and bless you both.Good day."I made to leave.I couldn't believe that I actually said all that in a single breath.Wow.No time for self-congratulations though,I still had to get away before she fully understood what I had just uttered.
"Paul is my brother."A soft,barely audible voice rang out behind me.
What?I couldn't believe my ears and almost tripped. Was that really true or was it just a ruse,part of a bigger,more sinister plan masterminded by Paul to utterly remove my very exsistence from this planet?No matter what,I decided to find out more,all the intimate details.
We sat at a table at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,each sipping a cool cup of latte.Soon,she began,saying Paul is her biological brother and their heritage and parentage and history and all that nonsense.I was almost about to fall asleep when she muttered something under her breadth,paused,then ran off suddenly,weeping. I was stunned.
What on earth did she say?
To Be Continued...
Soon. It would all come to an end.
Soon. She would return,return to the waiting arms of Paul.
Soon. She would leave,and leave an indelible mark on my life.
Soon. Her warmth will be taken from me,never to return.
I shoved all this hideous thoughts aside,although I knew I was just postponing the inevitable.I just didn't want her to leave my side,didn't want her to remove her arm from mine so soon. But inside,I knew she had to.I just didn't care.I wanted that moment to last for as long as possible,hopefully forever.
"Are you alright?"She asked in her usual gentle voice,this time filled with genuine concern.
"Oh...I'm fine.No harm done. Ow."I winced as a bolt of pain shot up my left arm.
"Your shoulder!",she squealed,"Its hurt!" Her voice thick with worry.
"I'm fine.They're a pair.See?"I joked,although the pain was now getting unbearable.
"Alright,if you say so,"She gave in,"I'll be off then. See you around...soon..."Her tone soft and barely audible.Did I detect a slight tone of affection?As though she wanted to see me around real soon?How can it be?She already has Paul. As I lumbered home,I pondered over it,but the reason behind eluded me,leaving me in absolute bewilderment.
The next day,after school,I made a detour for the shopping centre on purpose,to try to obtain a glimpse of her.For some wierd reason,she was always in the vicinity.Only this time she was in uniform,not the usual casual outfits she frequents.Still,she looked sensational.I leaned against the railing and silently admired her from afar, not making a sound or any sudden move,for fear of attracting her attention.She was looking at some CDs on the opposite shops,totally immersed in her own wonderous world,which I yearn to be part of.For a while,she had her head down,examining the colourfully decorated compact discs.Then,all of a sudden,she turned.
She looked right into my eyes.
Those eyes shot right through my soul,and into my heart.I tried to back away.No chance.I was practically glued to the floorboards.Then,slowly but surely,she walked towards me with a series of short,small steps.I swallowed. Then I decided to turn my misfortune into a blessing.I decided to come clean with her about my feelings towards her.I could finally heave this gigantic burden off my chest. About time.
As soon as she was within hearing range,I began:"I really really really like you but I know you already have a boyfriend who is also my best friend so I can't do anything about it except give way to him and bless you both.Good day."I made to leave.I couldn't believe that I actually said all that in a single breath.Wow.No time for self-congratulations though,I still had to get away before she fully understood what I had just uttered.
"Paul is my brother."A soft,barely audible voice rang out behind me.
What?I couldn't believe my ears and almost tripped. Was that really true or was it just a ruse,part of a bigger,more sinister plan masterminded by Paul to utterly remove my very exsistence from this planet?No matter what,I decided to find out more,all the intimate details.
We sat at a table at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,each sipping a cool cup of latte.Soon,she began,saying Paul is her biological brother and their heritage and parentage and history and all that nonsense.I was almost about to fall asleep when she muttered something under her breadth,paused,then ran off suddenly,weeping. I was stunned.
What on earth did she say?
To Be Continued...
Love,A Myth? Part 5
That day,I returned home,deeply puzzled and depressed. What ever did she say? What ever did I do to invoke her precious tears? The questions came hard and fast in my mind,but I had no resources whatsoever to answer them.They would remain a mystery forever,if not for the call.
It was close to midnight.I was watching a cult animation programme on the telly.Actually,I wasn't even looking at the screen,I was staring into space,repeating the questions in my mind over and over again,with no end or answers in sight.Then,my handphone shook,and my train of thought was derailed.I was slightly irritated,but hurriedly got over it and proceeded to pick it up.I glanced at the screen to see who the late-night caller was.
It was Paul.
Astonished,I answered.It was Paul alright,saying that we needed to talk,now.He sounded really murderous.I swallowed but hesitantly agreed.
By the time I reached the park,it was already half-past twelve.The darkness was only interrupted by a few isolated lamposts,whose elonganated bulbs glowed a solid white stripe of hellish illumination.Paul stood by one of them,arms folded,head down,cool as ever.The lampost seemed to bask in his glory rather than Paul in its eerie light.I swallowed again,this time longer, and hailed him.
The blow came hard and fast,leaving me little time to react.Furthermore I was caught unawares. Paul's fist of steel impacted with my right cheek,shattering the red blood cells that resided there.My body shook like a rag doll as explosive decompressions tore through my fragile frame.My neck groaned in agony and my legs gave way.I slammed into the cold,wet pavement and clutched my cheek,but did no more,for I knew perfectly what he wanted:an explanation.
"Why, Jervis,why?"Paul started,"Why must you do this?"
What?What did I do? I thought,more puzzled now than ever.
"Of all things,you had to make my sis sad.She's my one and only sister and I want only the best for her.Do you read me?"Paul ranted,voice laced with anger.
I was dumbfounded,unsure of how to reply.Then the saddening truth dawned on me.That day, at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,what she said was what she felt about me.As she looked at me,I was indifferent about it,as I wasn't paying much attention.That's why she ran away, weeping pitifully,mistaken my actions for the truth.I realised my folly,but fear that it was too late.
The following day,I raced straight to the shopping centre after school.I couldn't sleep the previous night,and couldn't concentrate in school either.If our matter wasn't settled,I would not have any peace-forever.I pushed that thought out of my mind and continued to search for her.
For the first time, she wasn't there that afternoon.My heart broke into a million pieces.I was severely dejected.Disappointed,I slouched my way to the exit,where my slumped shoulder knocked into another, more feminine one.Profusely mumbling an apology,I looked up to discern the face of the victim of my accidental onslaught.
Oh my God.
It was her.
To Be Continued...
It was close to midnight.I was watching a cult animation programme on the telly.Actually,I wasn't even looking at the screen,I was staring into space,repeating the questions in my mind over and over again,with no end or answers in sight.Then,my handphone shook,and my train of thought was derailed.I was slightly irritated,but hurriedly got over it and proceeded to pick it up.I glanced at the screen to see who the late-night caller was.
It was Paul.
Astonished,I answered.It was Paul alright,saying that we needed to talk,now.He sounded really murderous.I swallowed but hesitantly agreed.
By the time I reached the park,it was already half-past twelve.The darkness was only interrupted by a few isolated lamposts,whose elonganated bulbs glowed a solid white stripe of hellish illumination.Paul stood by one of them,arms folded,head down,cool as ever.The lampost seemed to bask in his glory rather than Paul in its eerie light.I swallowed again,this time longer, and hailed him.
The blow came hard and fast,leaving me little time to react.Furthermore I was caught unawares. Paul's fist of steel impacted with my right cheek,shattering the red blood cells that resided there.My body shook like a rag doll as explosive decompressions tore through my fragile frame.My neck groaned in agony and my legs gave way.I slammed into the cold,wet pavement and clutched my cheek,but did no more,for I knew perfectly what he wanted:an explanation.
"Why, Jervis,why?"Paul started,"Why must you do this?"
What?What did I do? I thought,more puzzled now than ever.
"Of all things,you had to make my sis sad.She's my one and only sister and I want only the best for her.Do you read me?"Paul ranted,voice laced with anger.
I was dumbfounded,unsure of how to reply.Then the saddening truth dawned on me.That day, at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,what she said was what she felt about me.As she looked at me,I was indifferent about it,as I wasn't paying much attention.That's why she ran away, weeping pitifully,mistaken my actions for the truth.I realised my folly,but fear that it was too late.
The following day,I raced straight to the shopping centre after school.I couldn't sleep the previous night,and couldn't concentrate in school either.If our matter wasn't settled,I would not have any peace-forever.I pushed that thought out of my mind and continued to search for her.
For the first time, she wasn't there that afternoon.My heart broke into a million pieces.I was severely dejected.Disappointed,I slouched my way to the exit,where my slumped shoulder knocked into another, more feminine one.Profusely mumbling an apology,I looked up to discern the face of the victim of my accidental onslaught.
Oh my God.
It was her.
To Be Continued...
Love,A Myth? Part 6-Finale
It was her alright,minus any semblance of her radiant smile.She looked as crestfallen as I did.
"H-Hi,"I muttered,once again throwing grammar to the winds.
She didn't say a word,just stood there and stared at me,her once vibrant,blue-green eyes were now twin dark orbs of malovenence,threatening to destroy my soul from the inside.I was terrified.
"Erm...,"I told her,"Do I have-e the privilege o-of talking t-to y-you in-n pri-private?" I was absolutely tongue-tied. I cursed and swore quietly to myself.
She didn't say a word,just walked to a quiet corner,leaned against the wall,and folded her slender arms,left foot tapping impatiently on the marble floor.Her eyes never left mine for even a nanosecond,cold,unfeeling and as deadly as ever.
That was my cue to begin.I swallowed.I had been doing that a lot these few days.
So I began.I spilled my guts out to her and kept apologising.I must have clocked at least eighty"I'm Sorry"s in about a minute. Finally,I finished. I heaved a huge sigh of relief.Nonetheless,her face remained indifferent,still as harsh and unforgiving as ever,the direct opposite of the sweet girl I used to-and still-like. Then,to my horror, she started to walk away!
"Wait! Sophia!Don't go! I love you!"I screamed my lungs out.
That got her attention.She turned and,for the first time in the six minutes since we met,smiled. Her smile infused me with newfound freshness,and replaced my haggard face with a very happy one. Twenty-six pairs of eyes watched intently at the young couple who looked like they came out of a Korean drama.
Slowly,precisely,she walked towards me.
She reached out held my hand.
I gripped it tight.
Thus was the end of our friendship,and the beginning of a lifelong romance.
"H-Hi,"I muttered,once again throwing grammar to the winds.
She didn't say a word,just stood there and stared at me,her once vibrant,blue-green eyes were now twin dark orbs of malovenence,threatening to destroy my soul from the inside.I was terrified.
"Erm...,"I told her,"Do I have-e the privilege o-of talking t-to y-you in-n pri-private?" I was absolutely tongue-tied. I cursed and swore quietly to myself.
She didn't say a word,just walked to a quiet corner,leaned against the wall,and folded her slender arms,left foot tapping impatiently on the marble floor.Her eyes never left mine for even a nanosecond,cold,unfeeling and as deadly as ever.
That was my cue to begin.I swallowed.I had been doing that a lot these few days.
So I began.I spilled my guts out to her and kept apologising.I must have clocked at least eighty"I'm Sorry"s in about a minute. Finally,I finished. I heaved a huge sigh of relief.Nonetheless,her face remained indifferent,still as harsh and unforgiving as ever,the direct opposite of the sweet girl I used to-and still-like. Then,to my horror, she started to walk away!
"Wait! Sophia!Don't go! I love you!"I screamed my lungs out.
That got her attention.She turned and,for the first time in the six minutes since we met,smiled. Her smile infused me with newfound freshness,and replaced my haggard face with a very happy one. Twenty-six pairs of eyes watched intently at the young couple who looked like they came out of a Korean drama.
Slowly,precisely,she walked towards me.
She reached out held my hand.
I gripped it tight.
Thus was the end of our friendship,and the beginning of a lifelong romance.
The End
Feel free to forward any comments to me via the tagboard.Your participation would be greatly valued.Any ideas to a new story are most welcome.
Total number of words:Approximately 2800.
The Prayer
In the name of God, let those impure souls of the living dead be forever banished into eternal damnation. Amen.
Today,the 5th of January,Wednesday
Today was a more fruitful day as compared to the last,with me waking up with an inspiration to pen another love story.I suddenly got the idea when i was in slumberland, and decided to put that into action.Firstly it would kill off valuable time and secondly it would give my long-rusty brain cells some well needed excercise.They are LONG overdue for a good ol' workout.
Went out in the morning for yet another interview,at some office block in Raffles Place.Not the bad,the prospects of that employment.The pay is significantly higher than the previous one and the job scope is visibly reduced.I would have to come to a decisive decision...soon.As I neared my interview time,a trio strolled into the office-2 gals and a guy.Soon we started talking,with the fella asking me how old I am and my name and stuff like that.I was grateful.I did not have to spend the rest of the time staring at the paint peel from the battered office walls.Soon I found out that the guy's name was Jing Shun,a.k.a Mr Ong,the reason being that I overheard of the employees phonical conversations,of a certain Mr Ong coming for an interview.The girls,who for your information,are clearly my elders,as well as the guy.They were here for a Panasonic handphone interview,and were distraught as well as nervous,much to my amusement. Whats so scary about an interview? Isn't it just like any old oral examination that we had been taking for the last deacde?I couldn't pinpoint any reason to be afraid,but kept my lips sealed,for they looked deadly enough to kill.Soon my turn came along and I went.It was a breeze,over in ten minutes.When I exited the room and made to leave,the trio bombarded me with questions,especailly the two ladies.After answering them in the correct order,I left.
On my way back I passed by Poh Kim,and decided to take a look(there were 50%-off signs decorating the exterior of the petite shop,I couldn't resist...).I made a direct beeline for the Japanese anime section,ignoring all other articles in disc format.After a short walk which took me about 2 seconds and 34 nanoseconds,I arrived at the section.There, colorful and shiny covers winked at me,and I winked back.Vandread,no.Gundam Seed,nope. D.N Angel,uh-uh.Hellsing,maybe...Just as I almost decided to purchase Hellsing,something from the opposite topmost shelf caught my eye.I srutinized to discern a clearer image and realised...OH MY....It can't be...But it is...Its lying in front of me,as if beckoning me to buy it."Pick me up",it seemed to utter,"take to the counter.""I'm fifty percent off..." it added.I chuckled.That gave me enough reason to purchase that instead of Hellsing.What anime is that that could have so much power over my wallet?I'm not telling you.However,to make sure you guys don't die of suspense,I'll drop a VERY obvious hint:Kagome Higurashi.
There,you don't need to be a genius to figure that out.That's it then folks,I'm done for the day,and yes this blog is a true blog now...among other things...Stay sharp people and good night!
Went out in the morning for yet another interview,at some office block in Raffles Place.Not the bad,the prospects of that employment.The pay is significantly higher than the previous one and the job scope is visibly reduced.I would have to come to a decisive decision...soon.As I neared my interview time,a trio strolled into the office-2 gals and a guy.Soon we started talking,with the fella asking me how old I am and my name and stuff like that.I was grateful.I did not have to spend the rest of the time staring at the paint peel from the battered office walls.Soon I found out that the guy's name was Jing Shun,a.k.a Mr Ong,the reason being that I overheard of the employees phonical conversations,of a certain Mr Ong coming for an interview.The girls,who for your information,are clearly my elders,as well as the guy.They were here for a Panasonic handphone interview,and were distraught as well as nervous,much to my amusement. Whats so scary about an interview? Isn't it just like any old oral examination that we had been taking for the last deacde?I couldn't pinpoint any reason to be afraid,but kept my lips sealed,for they looked deadly enough to kill.Soon my turn came along and I went.It was a breeze,over in ten minutes.When I exited the room and made to leave,the trio bombarded me with questions,especailly the two ladies.After answering them in the correct order,I left.
On my way back I passed by Poh Kim,and decided to take a look(there were 50%-off signs decorating the exterior of the petite shop,I couldn't resist...).I made a direct beeline for the Japanese anime section,ignoring all other articles in disc format.After a short walk which took me about 2 seconds and 34 nanoseconds,I arrived at the section.There, colorful and shiny covers winked at me,and I winked back.Vandread,no.Gundam Seed,nope. D.N Angel,uh-uh.Hellsing,maybe...Just as I almost decided to purchase Hellsing,something from the opposite topmost shelf caught my eye.I srutinized to discern a clearer image and realised...OH MY....It can't be...But it is...Its lying in front of me,as if beckoning me to buy it."Pick me up",it seemed to utter,"take to the counter.""I'm fifty percent off..." it added.I chuckled.That gave me enough reason to purchase that instead of Hellsing.What anime is that that could have so much power over my wallet?I'm not telling you.However,to make sure you guys don't die of suspense,I'll drop a VERY obvious hint:Kagome Higurashi.
There,you don't need to be a genius to figure that out.That's it then folks,I'm done for the day,and yes this blog is a true blog now...among other things...Stay sharp people and good night!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Today,the 4th of January
Yes!!!! Finally!!! A job!!! I have successfully obtained a job as a general worker in Farrer Park. The pay isn't that fantastic and the environment isn't that ideal but....WHO CARES!!! Not me! At least i won't be rotting at home for the rest of the three months before the Day Of Reckoning. After today's successful interview,I spent almost the whole day playing computer games,and gathering information for my game.Star Trek:Armada was fun.The Borg Cubes' Holding Beams were invaluable in obtaining victory,for they can turn opposing ships into friendly ones in a matter of seconds.They,when combined with Assilmalators,become truly deadly vessels of mass assilmalation.After a few games of that,I moved on to Conquest:Frontier Wars,another fleet-based strategy game.I have played that game numerous times and this time was just to pass time.Ok that's my day,boring. Stay tuned for the next update on Races happening anytime soon! Byez!
The Magnificent Era
Modern Zelarian society first came into being with the overthrowing of the fatuous Zelanur,Ghis Zat Ther' Gut the second by the hero His Gur Thet Ha,or the"Bright Light". He rallied the scattered rebel armies together into a formidable,if not ragtag,force threatening the peace on Zeanur 4.The Zelanur at first did not care much about the Light's advances,as Zeanur 4 was too large to be conquered quickly.Zeanur 4 was the size of 4 Jupiters of the Terran Star System,far too enormous for any army to occupy the entire plane with speed.He,however,overlooked one important factor so crucial to the stability of his government-the people.Light made effective use of propaganda,spreading his sentiments far and wide,garnering sector after sector of support as the days by.Soon,nearly three quarters of Zeanur 4 came under his control.Only the Zelanur's private territory and Zeanur 4's three moons were left.Having accquired the support of many prominent scientists and intellectuals,Light successfully obtained access to space,a feat unmatched by any in the history of the planet.In a matter of hours,the three moons, Threshold,Basis and Nexan fell under his control.The Zelanur,having just understood the gravity of the situation,and realised that his defensive capabilities were no match for Light's, abdicated his throne on the Nineth of Zeesha,Cycle of Thoran.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Races Update 1
The working title for the game is Races,with five distinct ones that players can choose,namely the psychic Zelarians,the hardware-happy Terrans,the savage Xeno,the populous Qublues and the robotic Rencond Collective.Each race boasts its own base structure,units,Generals and even unit control.The battle with take place simultaneously in space and on the world of the Zelarians-Zeanur 4.Races with space-faring capabilities have the advantage of cosmic resources and the ability to call down orbital strikes from Ground Zero.Only the Qublues are not space-farers,as they traverse the boundless universe with an intricate system of cosmic wormholes. The next post with feature the story of the Zelarians,stay tuned till then.
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