voidtreckernet | Merriment Day 27

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Merriment Day 27

Video - Games Car

[Despite the fact that the flight simulator has been done for a while, Yondu's finally making mention of it on the ICP so people know about it. He's in the Game car right now.]

Alright, so. I got y'all a flight simulator. It's modeled after the ones the Nova Corp use, which probably means nothin' to most but they got a pretty big fleet and they're made to train for a lotta kinds of ships. Now, in the chance we got a mission comin' up where we'll need to be able to fly craft? We got somethin' to get a step ahead.

Console switches out to match craft usin' some matter tech from my universe. Has a holographic menu to change settings on. [He almost mentions that even some of the stupider members of his crew could figure out how to use the settings so don't worry about it being confusing? But he oughtn't speak ill of the dumbass dead.] There's a bunch of settings to try her out in and Della an' Hera have also offered to help with instruction since it's a trainin' tool. I mentioned to a few people that Quill was ten when I started learnin' him to fly and I think most of y'all are at the very least spiritually older than that.

[Considering what Ghost complained about earlier, he has to add that little bit in there.]

The simulator's attached to a battery. Battery can be removed an' taken on a mission, it holds 72 hours of power so could help us out in a pinch with electrical equipment. If you want any unique craft from your world and it don't got settings for somethin' similar, just order it from the train.

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A flight simulator? This is a device that people use to learn to fly a real craft? Sign me up!

[ This is news to Curufin, since he never spends any time in the Games Car and has therefore overlooked it. ]

Edited 2021-08-23 23:47 (UTC)

Yeah. I figured we could stand ever' little bit of shared talents we could manage. Might be able to adjust it an' add things for other kinds of vehicles, too. But for right now, flyin' it is.

[Though originally he'd mostly gotten it when Della had mentioned that she missed flying. It wasn't the real thing, but it was a taste. Later he realized that it might come up in an important life-or-death mission sense.]

Edited 2021-08-24 05:54 (UTC)

I think it sounds fun, and anyway, we might need flight skills on some mission or other. I've been on an airship before, in another world. But I wasn't the pilot, I was more of a flight engineer.

Do you have any experience with a real flying machine?

Plenty of 'em! Combat vehicles mostly. So I'm a 'fly and fight' kind.

Had a big interstellar Ravager ship, too. They're meant to house huge crews. Think like.... hell, I don't know a good comparison. Think somethin' that could easily hold a stadium or an arena in it?

Those ain't really for maneuverin' though. My favorite craft to use is an M-ship but I've rigged all kinds of vehicles up to be multipurpose in a fight.

[ Curufin smacks his hands together. ] Ha! My kind of pilot.

Wow, that Ravager sounds enormous! Big enough to transport an army, if not two armies.

Ah, so you have mechanical skills you can use to modify a flying ship. We might need your talents sometime. I'm a mechanical engineer, too, and maybe I could learn a thing or two from you.

A Ravager is what I am. Sort of a... well, hard to describe it. We do a lotta work no one else would do. Depends on your personality type what kinda moral or ethical tint that work should have.

The ship was named the Eclector. It was technically a 'docking ship' meant to hold a buncha fighters. But yeah, I'm a pretty good hand with engineering. Not technically trained. I learned from soldiers and other slaves, but I'm pretty good at it.

That's very interesting. So you call yourself a Ravager because you have the power, brutality, and fury of such a ship when you're in battle? [ He nods. ]. Morals and ethics play such a huge part in what work we're willing to do. I understand that.

I can well believe you're good at the engineering side of things. Technical training is not always necessary. I learned my skills from reading engineering books and consulting with the person who wanted me to help her build an airship. Wherever you can learn your skills is good, really. And I'll bet you're very, very good!

Somethin' like that. The man what founded the Ravagers wanted to create fighters that wasn't beholden to Empires and could take their weight in blood out of them. We were his answer.

[There's that pedestal and Stakar placed up on it.]

[But he's a little surprised at the confidence in his abilities. He's not an inventor, he's more a fixer. He can rig things up to work a certain way for him, but it's always a "to get by" kind of thing.]

I'm good enough to show a few things. [That at least he can do.]

Oh, I see. The Ravagers are a whole unit of fighters, or even an army? It sounds like you are mercenaries or some other type of independent warrior organization.

[ A fixer is always useful! And he doesn't have to be an inventor, since there are usually people around who can do the inventing while others do the assembly and the maintenance. Curufin is mainly a fixer, though he can do some design work. ]

What things can you show?

A fleet a hundred ships strong, and usually our crews had three or four hundred people. They weren't nothin' to sneeze at.

[And he still claims to be fully a part of it, even if he was exiled.]

Well, I guess I'd have to figure out what you'd wanna learn and where it might be applicable to train shit. Basic repairs help out a lot with some of the appliances.

Wow! That's a seizable fleet, and each ship carries a huge crew. I sure wouldn't sneer! I'd have been happy to have a fighting force that large, back in the days when I and my family and my people first went to war with the renegade god, Melkor.

I could go along with you when you do some repairs, and learn whatever I don't already know. You're talking about appliances on the train?"

Last couple times I faced anything that strong we won but it took some death. It ain't easy. What kinda god was Melkor?

Yeah, sure. But I ain't seen nothin' broken lately.

War always takes some death, and it is never easy. At least, that's my experience. Melkor was one of the fifteen Valar, the Powers of Earth, that the creator god, Eru, created when he made the universe of Arda. They were supposed to be the protectors and preservers of Earth, and fourteen of them lived up to their assignment. But the fifteenth, Melkor, had a falling out with Eru and went †o war with the other fourteen, and that war lasted tens of thousands of years. They captured and imprisoned him, but eventually, they let him out, and he proceeded to wreak havoc upon the Elvish and mortal races, whom the other gods loved. In the end, the Valar came to the aid of Middle-earth and defeated Melkor, and they cast him out into the Void and locked the doors of the Walls of Night against him. Presumably he's still out there, furious and disappointed, but he can never get back in.

I think the train takes care of most of the appliances. But we could let it know that we're willing to do some repair work.

Strange how people'd probably buy a damn subscription to follow that kinda drama. Hell.

[Somehow that they went back to talking about appliances is very funny to him, but it doesn't make it to his face.]

One fella had a godlike item. Was aimin' to use it to destroy a world. Called an infinity stone. That took a good chunk of my personal fleet and the life of one of my son's team. Second fella was a Celestial, closer to a god himself. If there could be a god of big ol' child-murderin' dipshits. That one cost me my life but... he was done in.

[ Snicker. ] Some people probably would buy a subscription. But they wouldn't have to, all they'd have to do is hire my brother Maglor the Bard to sing the tale to them. He'd probably even do it for free.

[ It's funny to Curufin, too, to go from tales of wonder and destruction to fixing appliances! ]

This story sounds interesting. An infinity stone? I'd like to hear more about that. And this fellow meant to destroy a world with it, but only used it to destroy your fighting forces? And this Celestial guy was a murderous almost-god, and he wss the one who was responsible for your death? I don't meet that many Voidtrecker passengers who died in their own worlds, but there are some. You and me, for sure. How was this Celestial done in? It's not that easy to kill those types, is it?

Edited 2021-08-29 19:38 (UTC)

I know what they are but... not much more'n that. They're kinda legends where I'm from. Old stories what only some people know about. An infinity stone is said to have been made at the start of the universe, an' all of 'em can bend one part of reality.

I know there are more than one, but not how many or what all they can do.

...Man's name was Ego. The Celestial. And he didn't so much as kill me as beatin' 'im left me in a place where I'd die real unpleasantly. [But it was him or Peter, and he'd obviously choose Peter.] My boy did most of it.

It was complicated. Big long story. It's own kinda dramatics.

Who made the infinity stones? Do you know that? They can bend reality? [ Head shake. ]. Doesn't sound like these are real safe things to have around!

The Celestial was named Ego? What an appropriate name for such an ass. Beating the crap out of you and then leaving you to die -- not a nice thing to do! Your son killed him? Good for him!

You can tell the story if you like. I do like to hear dramatic tales form other worlds.

Oh yeah. They can, and it is a damn mess when they do. They was made back when the universe started, or so the story goes. Don't know if anybody made 'em or if they just... happened, just like Celestials happened.

I got a holovid about the Battle of Xandar. Has some firsthand accounts of what almost happened. If that rock had touched down, woulda wiped out the whole of the planet. As for Ego he was... well, see. You hear stories about gods makin' worlds, right? Now, imagine if that god died, an' his world ended. What if you was on that world while it was endin'. Just stopped existin'.

When Ego ended his world did too, and I didn't exactly have nowhere left to stand, if you catch my meaning. But I had one protective suit so I gave it to the person what mattered most.

Edited 2021-08-29 22:38 (UTC)

I've heard rumors of objects of power coming into existence when the universe began, but that never happened in my universe. It did, apparently, in other peoples' universes, including maybe yours. These infinity stones sound like trouble!

[ He nods. Holovids don't exist in his world, but they certainly do in a lot of other worlds, and he's watched some of them. ]. The infinity stone almost touched a planet, but was prevented from doing so by the events of that Battle of Xander?

So, Ego died and that ended the world you were from? I get it, that you had nowhere left to stand. One definitely needs a planet for that! And the person you gave the protective suit to was your son?

Depends on who's usin' 'em an' why. They ain't inherently bad. Just strong. Like any other tool that bends and breaks somethin'. Depends on the person' wieldin' it.

Yeah, my ship and the Xandarian Fleet when against a big one. Called the 'Dark Aster', operated by a guy that had a real hate-on for the Xandarians 'cause they'd been caught in a generational war.

An' Ego... Well, Ego was just another world. Nobody was really from him but him. God this all sounds complicated as shit. But yeah, it was my adopted boy. And he did good fightin' Ego and protectin' Xandar. I'm real proud of how he turned out.

[Better than him, anyway. He was lucky to have the chance to pass something on to him, something useful.]

I go to a lotta worlds so I don't really consider myself 'from' any of 'em. But I was born on a planet called Centauri IV, and my race is Centaurian.

Things that are strong but not inherently bad can end up being used for evil purposes. But I see what you mean. The metaphor works for me. I'm a metalsmith, and I use some tools that can be dangerous, hammers, torches, etc. If I were a murdering bastard, I might use these tools for terrible purposes. Thank goodness I'm not. I've only used them to make steel implements that are useful.

[ At least now he's not a murdering bastard. Now he strives to uses his skills to help others. ]

Ouch, generational wars! That Dark Aster fleet must have been intimidating.

It seems this Ego was himself and his world at the same time. It is complicated, but I can understand. And as for your son, an adopted son is as good as natural son. It sounds like he's a son to be proud of!

[ Funny, how similar were Yondu's and Curufin's situations with respect to their sons. Curufin taught Celebrimbor everything he knew about metalsmithing and gemsmithing, and Cel later used that knowledge to save the Elvish race. ]

Ah, I see. I was wondering what race you were. So, it's Centaurian. I'm not altogether familiar with all the names used outside my world for various planetary systems, but that one sounds like Alpha Centauri? Or is that the name of a star in a binary system?

Well, the Dark Aster was-

Actually, y'know what? I'll show ya the holovid sometimes. I played it in the cinema car once. I can run her again in there.

[He still has trouble calling him his 'son'. He doesn't know that he has the right. But... he did raise him, and he does feel it. It's something he bites back on mentioning, especially since everyone can hear him at the moment and he's flaunted enough damn uncertainty lately.]

Yeah, it's Alpha Centauri. A planet by it. That's the one.

I'd love to see that holovid, if you want to play it at the cinema again. Just let me know when.

[ Curufin would say that if Yondu raised him, he has the right to call him son. But different cultures have different customs around adoption, and furthermore, an adoptive parent can have very complex feelings around this relationship. ]

What's your planet like?

[The problem being that Yondu was not a very good father, though it wasn't for a lack of wanting. There were circumstances that complicated things.]

I could dig it out and show ya whenever you weren't up to anything.

I uh... It was covered in forests. An' the people were kinda folksy. But I left when I was a baby so I didn't get to experience a whole lot of it. Just got some strong visuals and a few songs what I remember. I was raised as a battle slave and went to a buncha places.

[He's quick to add that sentence 'cause he's not cagey about his history as a slave. It's on his face. It's on his wanted posters in the Kree Empire. People knew. But there's a gap between 'being a Centaurian' and 'how a kid became a slave' that he doesn't want to discuss.]

[ If Yondu ever wanted to talk about his relationship with his son, Curufin would listen eagerly and with great sympathy. He knew very well that father-son relationships could be vastly complicated by circumstances. He knew this from experience. ]

I can make myself available whenever you're up for heading to the cinima.

A forest-covered world with folksy people. Sounds a bit like Middle-earth, actually. [ Smile. ]. But it's good if you have some vivid memories of that place. And of the songs? -- awesome! [ Music lover, here! ] Not so good that you were raised as a battle slave. Nobody should be a slave. But at least you got to travel.

[ Again, if Yondu ever wants someone to tell about the difficult parts of his past, Curufin is available. ]

Edited 2021-09-03 05:37 (UTC)

[ Della was there every step of the way, but she's STILL so happy about this, that the formal announcement brings tears to her eyes. ]

THE TRAIN HAS ACHIEVED PERFECTION!

It ain't the real thing, but I'm still lookin' forward to seein' what your worlds got to offer.

[Yondu might be a Ravager, but he's at his heart an explorer. If this is the only way he'll have to see some other people's machines? Maybe even homes if they get the programs? He wants to do it.]

I can't thank you enough for doing this, Yondu! I owe you my heart, kidneys, whatever you want!

I don't think there's much of a market for it around these parts so you can keep 'em.

[Ravager humor is the worst humor.]

On a more serious note, since you offered to get somethin', I'd like Soldat to have some real nice specialty ingredients to bake with. Whatever they'd want. They know better than me.

[The least he can do for the one person in the whole of the cosmos to say they loved his bastard blue ass. Cooking supplies.]

Edited 2021-08-26 00:12 (UTC)

You want me to dump some points in there? You got it. Anything specific he mentioned, or free for all?

I uhhhhhhh....

I'll ask 'im to tell you or somethin'. I don't know Terran food too well. I wanted to use my leftover abilities to help with things in the greenhouse and that didn't turn out all that good.

Hey, no problem. Just send him my way, and we'll have the kitchen stocked with all his favorites in no time!

No fucking way, that's wicked!

[Between this and the fancy dryer Sigma got them earlier, this place is really shaping up. Shh of course a flight simulator is much cooler, but being able to dry clothes faster when his team is laundry duty is aces.]

Okay, but from a scale of one to ten, how likely will it make people throw up.

[Motion sickness and all that.]

Probably? I ain't met that many people with motion sickness. I can try an' invest in some kinda medicine next time I got some points. Mostly y'all Terrans here and that should be easily fixable. Wouldn't wanna deprive someone of the chance to learn somethin' 'cause of somethin' a couple of pills could help with.

[Look, he's a fan of the drier too. That's going to make laundry month so much easier, even if it's just the one. He wouldn't blame him.]

Just means it's more realistic, I guess. Not worried 'bout myself, but m'sure someone will get dizzy using it.

[Let's just hope no one breaks the damn drier.]

You'll make a bunch of pilots out of us yet, Yondu.

[Maybe.]

I figure it'd be best if at least a few learnt as much about most vehicles as they can. I know there's some pretty good folks to teach magic, too. Some that can do the finer points of tech. Even a group of y'all capable of a couple of those things apiece could get out of a tight spot.

[He knows Hera and Della both have experience teaching younger people, too, so they'll definitely have it covered.]

With how crazy missions get the more we know how to do the better. Already feeling like maybe I could help more myself, or try to.

[He's not just a normal boring human from normal boring Earth any longer. Even if his powers from the last mission are still very weak, it's something.]

S'good we got people thinking ahead like this.

Just settle yourself into knowin' there's always someone around that can punch a god or turn into water or somethin'. An' some of those folks do not know how to stealth or negotiate.

[At least his constant paranoid prepwork, born from twenty years of chasing around a particular little turd named Peter Quill, is still useful here.]

What all can ya do?

What, we got Jesus on the train too? Turn water into wine?

[He's joking. But what if...?]

Uhh... m'learning to use a sword? Got powers from the last place we was at, but can't do much with it yet. Trying to fix that, hopefully before the next mission.

I don't know who Jesus is. Is he as famous as David Dusseldorf?

[Look, Peter told him some things, and not other things, and some of those things he remembers wrong because a lot of nonsense came out of Quill. He's doing his best.]

It's slow goin' for me to learn mine, too. Keep gettin' 'em all confused.

Dusseldorf...?

[Dennis squints trying to figure out who he means, but gives up.]

Yeah... yeah I'd say Jesus is pretty famous. Dead guy from a real long time ago who could apparently heal the sick, turn water to wine, feed hundreds of people with just a loaf of bread and a fish or something like that. If you believe the stories he came back to life after being murdered. Guess something like that ain't so weird to hear on the train though.

[Back home you either believe it or think it's a fairy tail written by a bunch of dudes.]

You get a couple different ones?

[Hasselhoff is a strange name to aliens, he does his best.]

Well, why the hell doesn't the train take him instead of us? Sounds like he's used to bein' helpful.

[Yondu did just say the train should steal Jesus, he sure did.]

I just got the plant powers but it's got stuff like growin' 'em and changin' 'em. Basically the one thing but I've halfass figured out the littlest bits of it.

[It's okay, Yondu. It's... close. It's fine.]

Good question. Too bad the train don't like answering.

[Maybe the train SHOULD steal Jesus.]

Growing plants is pretty useful I'd say. Not like we ain't got food on the train, but being able to help grow more is good.

Oh, I definitely want to be on the list for this.

Three of us willin' to show ya if you're interested, so there's no shortage of us lookin' for an excuse.

[Because they all miss it like crazy.]

Back home I used the simulator for my country's space vehicles every chance I got. And we only really had the one. I want to learn how to fly as many different kinds as I can while I'm here.

Right now it's just got ones from mine, but a good range of 'em. ['Standard' planes, too.] I think Hera or Della might add to it.

[At least that's something.]

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Merriment Day 27

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