Post by ~Panzerschurke~ on Feb 23, 2018 18:51:16 GMT
Setting: Deep Space, Gem Controlled Territory. Applied Experimental Spaceframe testing site. Remote Asteroid Cluster. 3350 years Before Present Day.
"Penitence - 1, come in. This is Nephrite P3X-8XB at Hangar Delta Command Center. Do you read? Prototype SiC-001, respond...We are waiting to commence the test, however we need confirmation of your systems check. 001, respond!" The voice was stern, a bit impatient, sounding like a gem who was herself capable, and expecting performance of others.
"Hmm, they actually sounded a bit impatient that time".. the gem in the cockpit thought to herself.
Outside, floating in the languid expanse of space among a myriad of asteroids and exoplanets, an experimental single-gem star fighter with an equally experimental pilot, drifted listful through the blessed silence and cold. The craft, an elegant but simple design. Delta shaped, dagger edged, with under slung twin plas-meotic pulse drive zero-gravity maneuver modules. At least that's the name that she had been told they bore. To the gem in the pilot's seat, she knew them as simply star drive engines, capable of producing velocities that most gems would consider both impossible and insane.
They had even gone so far as to modify the pilot's seat of the 20 meter craft for her.. How nice. How infinitely benevolent in their consideration. The pilot smirked to herself and rolled her eyes beneath her dark tinted iridescent visor projection and wiggled back into the seat, the modification being a specially padded cut-out in the back of the seat that perfectly aligned with the position of her gem, high between her shoulder blades. Dark, and jagged, unrefined, unnaturally .. natural looking, and glimmering with a silvery sheen, licked with mauve and shadowy teal overtones.
Her fingers dipped into semi-translucent control panels of shimmering light on either side of her seat, her mind dancing within the complex computer systems of the craft, while her misty marble black vision spheres remained fixed in their gaze, looking beyond the transpar-ititie composite canopy of the craft, out at its shimmering opalescent skin and deep lustrous grey trim, polished to a mirror lusture fit for the diamonds themselves. Even the floating chunks of rock and debris looked beautiful to her eyes, when reflected in those shimmering plates.
Again a sound could be heard over the communicator, but it sounded more distant and muffled, like it was being spoken through a hand over the mouthpiece, and aimed back over their shoulder at the others in the room.." mrrrf.... rand inquisi... your grace. I .. on't know why this belligerent... mff.. untested.. prototy.. is being allowed to participate in such an important trial. ~sigh~ yes your grace, I retract my previous statement"..... further in the background, she could just barely make out the sound of a satisfied titter, a signature voice swept into a melodious chuckle, one that she knew well and even feared...
" Oh-ho ho ho!......."
This time the voice came through clearly again.. "Penitence -1, this is P3X-8XB, I say again, report systems status or the test will not commence on time."
Around her, the cockpit was indeed powering to life, the dull glow of the control panels and increased in vibrancy to a fiery cerulean, and a low crackling thrum could be heard as the engine modules awoke, sleepy at first but soon exuding a predatory snarl of anticipation, like a beast instinct driven to charge, surge... to soar.
"Penitence - 1, this is your-.." A voice came through, cutting off the justly impatient Nephrite in the control room. It was being transmitted from the experimental fighter, and it rang through the control tower speakers with a melodic gravelly tone that seemed to drip with equal measures of professionalism, obedience, and defiance..
"Nephrite P3X-8XB, this is Penitence - 1, systems power-up is at 86% completion, estimated time of readiness is seventeen standard seconds. Test shall commence on schedule." Two transverse control sticks rose up from the arm rests of her seat, and her touch stumps, protruding from finger less gloves, closed about them. Her form, clad in a dark maroon and blue form fitting flight suit projection, snug over a strong feminine form, not overly slender, but not as bulky as a jasper. Her fingers tightened and the padded composite coating of the control sticks gave a quiet leathery creak.
A musical tone sounded within the cockpit and carried over the comm into the command tower, signifying full system readiness by the craft's on-board computers. "Right then, lets get this test started.. and Command tower.. RESPECTFULLY.. I have a name, and its not SiC Prototype - 001.. It's Carbide, over and out!"
The comm snapped off abruptly and the craft drifted forward, soft halos of light manifesting just behind the circular vents of the oversized engines, gently pushing the craft forward, out of the shadow of a large asteroid and into the brilliance of the system's sun, making it shimmer like a burning mirror in space.
"Right...", she murmured to herself. "Here we go!"
"Penitence - 1, come in. This is Nephrite P3X-8XB at Hangar Delta Command Center. Do you read? Prototype SiC-001, respond...We are waiting to commence the test, however we need confirmation of your systems check. 001, respond!" The voice was stern, a bit impatient, sounding like a gem who was herself capable, and expecting performance of others.
"Hmm, they actually sounded a bit impatient that time".. the gem in the cockpit thought to herself.
Outside, floating in the languid expanse of space among a myriad of asteroids and exoplanets, an experimental single-gem star fighter with an equally experimental pilot, drifted listful through the blessed silence and cold. The craft, an elegant but simple design. Delta shaped, dagger edged, with under slung twin plas-meotic pulse drive zero-gravity maneuver modules. At least that's the name that she had been told they bore. To the gem in the pilot's seat, she knew them as simply star drive engines, capable of producing velocities that most gems would consider both impossible and insane.
They had even gone so far as to modify the pilot's seat of the 20 meter craft for her.. How nice. How infinitely benevolent in their consideration. The pilot smirked to herself and rolled her eyes beneath her dark tinted iridescent visor projection and wiggled back into the seat, the modification being a specially padded cut-out in the back of the seat that perfectly aligned with the position of her gem, high between her shoulder blades. Dark, and jagged, unrefined, unnaturally .. natural looking, and glimmering with a silvery sheen, licked with mauve and shadowy teal overtones.
Her fingers dipped into semi-translucent control panels of shimmering light on either side of her seat, her mind dancing within the complex computer systems of the craft, while her misty marble black vision spheres remained fixed in their gaze, looking beyond the transpar-ititie composite canopy of the craft, out at its shimmering opalescent skin and deep lustrous grey trim, polished to a mirror lusture fit for the diamonds themselves. Even the floating chunks of rock and debris looked beautiful to her eyes, when reflected in those shimmering plates.
Again a sound could be heard over the communicator, but it sounded more distant and muffled, like it was being spoken through a hand over the mouthpiece, and aimed back over their shoulder at the others in the room.." mrrrf.... rand inquisi... your grace. I .. on't know why this belligerent... mff.. untested.. prototy.. is being allowed to participate in such an important trial. ~sigh~ yes your grace, I retract my previous statement"..... further in the background, she could just barely make out the sound of a satisfied titter, a signature voice swept into a melodious chuckle, one that she knew well and even feared...
" Oh-ho ho ho!......."
This time the voice came through clearly again.. "Penitence -1, this is P3X-8XB, I say again, report systems status or the test will not commence on time."
Around her, the cockpit was indeed powering to life, the dull glow of the control panels and increased in vibrancy to a fiery cerulean, and a low crackling thrum could be heard as the engine modules awoke, sleepy at first but soon exuding a predatory snarl of anticipation, like a beast instinct driven to charge, surge... to soar.
"Penitence - 1, this is your-.." A voice came through, cutting off the justly impatient Nephrite in the control room. It was being transmitted from the experimental fighter, and it rang through the control tower speakers with a melodic gravelly tone that seemed to drip with equal measures of professionalism, obedience, and defiance..
"Nephrite P3X-8XB, this is Penitence - 1, systems power-up is at 86% completion, estimated time of readiness is seventeen standard seconds. Test shall commence on schedule." Two transverse control sticks rose up from the arm rests of her seat, and her touch stumps, protruding from finger less gloves, closed about them. Her form, clad in a dark maroon and blue form fitting flight suit projection, snug over a strong feminine form, not overly slender, but not as bulky as a jasper. Her fingers tightened and the padded composite coating of the control sticks gave a quiet leathery creak.
A musical tone sounded within the cockpit and carried over the comm into the command tower, signifying full system readiness by the craft's on-board computers. "Right then, lets get this test started.. and Command tower.. RESPECTFULLY.. I have a name, and its not SiC Prototype - 001.. It's Carbide, over and out!"
The comm snapped off abruptly and the craft drifted forward, soft halos of light manifesting just behind the circular vents of the oversized engines, gently pushing the craft forward, out of the shadow of a large asteroid and into the brilliance of the system's sun, making it shimmer like a burning mirror in space.
"Right...", she murmured to herself. "Here we go!"