Fortnightly Writing Competition: SECOND CHANCE! (Results)

Started by Sinitrena, Sat 21/10/2017 02:16:07

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Sinitrena

First of all, let's get out of the way what this topic is not about: It is not about characters giving or recieving second chances, though you coud write this as well, if you follow the rest of the rules.

No, this is about me giving y'all second chance. It is about the stories y'all started for our FWC but never managed to finish for whatever reason. Maybe you ran out of time, maybe you didn't like your idea in the end, maybe you forgot about our little competition.

Now is the time to look through your old files and find all the unfinshed goodness there. Take a look at your unfinished entries and write, write, write!

Or, if you never actually entered or tried to enter the FWC before, choose one of the old topics and write a story according to these rules.

The rules:

1. Finish an entry you started for a FWC in the past or choose an old topic and write a story for it.
2. Follow the original rules of the topic you choose. (As applicable. I didn't check every single past topic for compatibility.)
3. Let us know which topic you choose.
4. Let us know how much was finished beforehand and what was written now.
5. You can enter for a topic you originally administered.
6. You can continue a story you already submitted, as long as it is for a different topic.


Here's a list of past topics, going back through 2011:

Adventure Game
Spectacle!
Redemption
Faustian Bargain
Alternative Truth
Backstabbing
Cloak and Dagger
Handicapped
Broken
Write about what you don`t know
Fate
Steampunk
Wafts of Mist
Biblical Book
Mass Disappearances
Camping
Last Will and Testament
Scarcity
Serial
Revolution!
King of Random
Write about what you know!
Time to Vote!
Abandoned Place
The Opposite of Christmas
Concreate Poetry: Festive Edition
Petty Deity
Carpentarian
Archer
Lifeboat
A Crimson Shade of Blue
Little Folk
Travel Guide
Whodunnit
Civilizations First Direct Contact
Lost in Translation
The Author Struggle
Inept Personal Ad
Pioneers!
The Incompetent King
Prison Drama
Diaries of the Zombie Apocalypse
Skeletons in the Closet
Humanarium
Absurdist Pulp Noir
Monumental Memories
Mutate
Fictional Game Review
That`s an Actual Place?
Business of Yore
Not my blue cup of Tea
Odd Couple
In the beginning...
When Art is Concieved
Happiness
Continuation Story
Broken Promise
Haunted House
Suddenly: Reality
Coersion
Rashomon Style
Robbie Burns Editon
Tv Tropes
Impossible Escape!
Cast Away!
Robot!
Invading Aliens!
Leprechaun
Dark Moon
Fanfiction
New Leaf
Happy Holidays
What if?
Spooky!
That's Criminal!
The Beach
Riddle me this
One Sentence Poem
Purple
Extras
Mythopoeia
Censored!
Road Trip!
Text Adventure!
Mad Scientist Edition
Catch Phrase!
Ghost Writing
You choose
Coffee Time!
Drabble/Mini Saga
A Flick of the Switch
The American Old West
Surreal
AGS Game Fanfiction
Next Stop: The Futur
A Light in the Dark
Horror
Transatlantic
Afterlife
Superheroes

(Mistakes likely, I didn't check every single link.)

There are some more topics here.


I'm not sure yet how to do the voting here, as it might get dufficult to compare the stories. I'll think of something, and I'm open to suggestions.

Deadline is the 5th November. As this topic is rather unusual, I'm more than willing to extand it.

P.S.: If you hoped for a Halloween theme, there are a couple in the list above.

Deadline extended: 9. Nov. 2017

JudasFm

Quote from: Sinitrena on Sat 21/10/2017 02:16:07
Deadline is the 5th September. As this topic is rather unusual, I'm more than willing to extand it.

Um, September? Either that's a typo or this is going to be a really long round! :-D

This is a really great idea for a round though! I wish I could enter lots of times but I've already picked my topic and am working on my entry right now ;)

Mandle


Sinitrena

Quote from: JudasFm on Sat 21/10/2017 11:49:01
Quote from: Sinitrena on Sat 21/10/2017 02:16:07
Deadline is the 5th September. As this topic is rather unusual, I'm more than willing to extand it.

Um, September? Either that's a typo or this is going to be a really long round! :-D

Oops. :-[ Corrected.

Ponch

I have unfinished stories for at least six of those themes. :cheesy:

JudasFm

Quote from: Ponch on Sun 22/10/2017 02:01:38
I have unfinished stories for at least six of those themes. :cheesy:

Which brings up an interesting question; can we enter more than once? I have three unfinished stories, plus I've been reading some of the other topics I didn't get to enter and I would really love to submit something for those!

Maybe enter more than one story, but limit the number of votes an author can receive to one? (Example: I enter three stories, but anyone who wants to vote can only pick one of those stories to vote for)

Sinitrena

I thought about this since your first post.

And yes, I think I'll allow multiple entries. But it would be unfair to collect votes for one person through several stories.

I have three ideas how to keep it fair:

1. Votes are counted per story and not added up for the author. Meaning two stories by the same writer could be first and second place, and a writer could write his own strongest competition.

2. JudasFm's suggestion:
Quote from: JudasFm on Sun 22/10/2017 03:12:21
Maybe enter more than one story, but limit the number of votes an author can receive to one? (Example: I enter three stories, but anyone who wants to vote can only pick one of those stories to vote for)

3. You can write more than one story but you have to decide which one you want votes for.

I don't like the third method. It'd feel a bit like wasted work.
The second might lead to people choosing one story to vote for and still also voting for the others in their heads.
The first one might lead to one author getting first, second and third place. I still think I'd prefer this one, because stories by one author could be rather different and should be looked at induvidually. But you could end up "stealing" votes from yourself.

In short, I don't know yet, but if you really want to write more than one entry, go ahead.

WHAM

I've been meaning to participate again for ages, but none of the themes have really struck a chord with me for a while (or maybe I've just been lazy).

Now I come in and looked over the list. THERE ARE TOO MANY OPTIONS! I CAN'T CHOOSE! SEND HELP!

Well, I did notice one theme that caught my interest and when I explored the link in more detail, I discovered that it was a theme I set myself, so... Heck!
Wrongthinker and anticitizen one. Pending removal to memory hole. | WHAMGAMES proudly presents: The Night Falls, a community roleplaying game

Sinitrena

Quote from: WHAM on Mon 23/10/2017 13:14:03
Well, I did notice one theme that caught my interest and when I explored the link in more detail, I discovered that it was a theme I set myself, so... Heck!

That's certainly no reason not to enter. Please refer to rule 5 - just in case you overlooked it. (nod)

Rocchinator

Mine was from FWC "Immpossible Escape"



Too Deep

“What an odd plant, must take a picture” Travis thought, while he dived into a small cave, near an underwater rift. The strange plan was white with blue tips shinning on top of her leafs. The sea was calm that day, amazing for scuba diving.
“Perfect” he grabbed his Special Camera took some shots. Things like this, made him so happy of the decision that he made years ago, moving to a place near the shore. 
The ocean was his passion, always been, but he played safe, Travis respected the “Poseidon Kingdom”. But that day, something happened when he felt a weird sound coming from behind. He turned immediately, and suddenly he saw the most magnificent creature ever. A bluish shining seahorse with purple coral wings, he moved but actually he seems to be dancing to a music coming from his mouth, like he was whistling. It was a peaceful, almost angelical, made Travis feels joy and hope. He grabbed his camera again, and the seahorse, scared, started to get away from Travis. He pursued him deeper in the rift, he wasn't so fast, so he could reach him easy. Minutes later the seahorse stopped, Travis did it too. From the almost black sight of the deep ocean water, he saw more, and more, seahorses like that one, all in different colors. He was shocked and exited.
“No one is going to believe me, I need photos” He grabbed his camera once again and started taking pictures, all the creatures where looking at him, dancing and whistling. But in one moment a shark passed by and they flew away.
Travis stayed the with the camera on his hands, completely in darkness, and he realized that he followed this seahorse so deep that now he didn't know where he was, it was ocean all around.
He started diving up, and up, and up, but... was he really going up? Or was he was going down? He felt confused, where was he, he can only saw his hands, once again he dived, this time more furiously, his heath started beating faster and faster, the oxygen tube was going low, he had like two more minutes of it, nothingness everywhere, no fish, no light, no surface. He was a really calmed man but this time the fear took place. Travis was hopeless he watched his watch, the oxygen meter going down, one and a half minute, when the saw in the digital screen, one minute, he just closed his eyes, he preferred his darkness rather the outside nothingness, he was already facing death, so he just waited. Travis felt he hit a rock with his back, and opened his eyes. And he saw a small sun beam light, he dive towards it like a fish, he was at his top speed, no oxygen was left just desperation. He gets closer, and closer and he realize it wasn't a sun beam light but the shining seahorse. He just stayed there, petrified, but was he hearing right, or was he delirious, now the seahorse wasn't singing but… laughing?
“Heartless Creature, they always told me that the devil was underground not… underwater, a simple misconception” that was Travis final thought.

Baron

Quote from: WHAM on Mon 23/10/2017 13:14:03
Well, I did notice one theme that caught my interest and when I explored the link in more detail, I discovered that it was a theme I set myself, so... Heck!
Quote from: Sinitrena on Mon 23/10/2017 15:09:47
That's certainly no reason not to enter. Please refer to rule 5 - just in case you overlooked it.

I too have decided to use a theme I set myself.  Rule 5 rules! (nod)

WHAM

I'll do a dig around my pile of unfinished / unstarted MAGS concepts, as well as some of the old themes I've missed. Would be good to get back into writing for a change.
Wrongthinker and anticitizen one. Pending removal to memory hole. | WHAMGAMES proudly presents: The Night Falls, a community roleplaying game

Sinitrena

Quote from: Rocchinator on Mon 23/10/2017 16:53:19
Mine was from FWC "Immpossible Escape"

Please don't forget to also tell us if and which part of the story was written earlier and which part now. It won't have any bearing on the voting, I'm just curious how many people actually finish an old idea of theirs.

Baron

My idea was for the Whodunnit theme, which, because I was administering (and was voted down when I proposed entering - note to self, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission (nod)), I never started.  But I did have an idea, and it's kinda come back to me, so I'm going with that.

Sinitrena

Oh, an encore of the whodunnit theme, that's great! :-D So we'll get to guess the culprit? Love it. I thought for a while that we should reuse this topic at some point. We didn't have too many entries, but it was one fun round. (nod)

WHAM

I've begun work on the theme of "Wafts of Mist", which I completely missed way back in the day. I had a few lines of concept text written for it, but never actually began writing a proper story.
Time to give a solid try.
Wrongthinker and anticitizen one. Pending removal to memory hole. | WHAMGAMES proudly presents: The Night Falls, a community roleplaying game

WHAM

Wafts of mist

Heinrich peered through the wooden slants of the window, out into the street. He couldn't make out the shape of the building across, but only saw the faint yellow flicker of candlelight from the windows of the nearest few houses.

“Seven hells...” -he rumbled to himself, and rubbed his beard. He was itching, and badly in need of a bath, but he, nor any of the three men accompanying him in the guard barracks, had dared venture outside for two days now.

The mist had rolled in four days ago now. At first it had been light, curling about people's ankles, causing dropped coins to be lost forever. The children had laughed and played in it, using leaves and sticks to draw up the thick gray vapors to create swirls and shapes. Then on the night of the second day, it had begun to grow thicker, until people began to bump into one another in the streets. Well, more so than usual, considering it was the drunkards of the night, stumbling home from the tavern. On the third day the mist had become so thick that none dared go outside and brave the streets for fear of never finding their way back home again.

“Any change?” -came a disgruntled, restless voice from the back of the room. Heinrich turned from the window and faced his friends, then simply shrugged and shook his head.

“None.” -he stated in a hushed tone. A scraping noise came from the outside, along with a sound like a bear roaring through water; a wet growl that bubbled and echoed in the night.

“A bird...” -suggested one of the men, Wilhelm, a man with a broad nose and a thick red beard. A pair of small glasses sat atop his nose, magnifying his beady little eyes.

“No bird made tha' sound. Not e'en one o' th' exxs- ekssot- the weird ones. From afar.” -commented Johann, a tall, young man with a keen wit and a fast sword hand. He held the blade, even now, and at times he'd cut a hair off of his arm, as if to confirm that it was still sharp.

The four men nodded to one another as a strained silence followed that unnatural sound. The scraping had stopped. Not even a bird squawked outside. Heinrich could hear his own heart thumping in his chest. Two long days now, and it was fast nearing midnight. They could see the lights in windows, and in the day they shouted across the streets. The occupants of those houses that had a second story to them reported that, by standing on their rooftops, they could see above the mist, that it stretched far and wide, further than they could see even in daylight. High above, they said, the sun shone in the day, and full moon lit the top of the silvery mist at night.

A scream startled Heinrich and sent him to the window with such haste that he bumped his forehead on the frame. Johann nearly cut his arm, and cursed. There were no new sights outside, apart from the nearest light of a candle having disappeared from beyond the mist. One less flickering flame. Heinrich hunched low as the sound of shattering wood and another scream pierced the night. Shouts of alarm echoed from afar, muffled by the oppressive mist, and yet there were no sounds of footfalls, no rush to help.

“Something foul. Beast of the woods, I think. Emboldened by the cover of dark.” Heinrich whispered, staring intently into the mist. The glass pane before him misted over with his breath, further reducing visibility. “We have to go.” -he grunted, sounding none too happy of the fact himself. The other three men in the barracks shuddered at the thought. Both Johann and Wilhelm opened their mouths to speak, then exchanged troubled looks and fell silent. The last man, Frederik, a bearded veteran of six wars now, had risen from his bench and stepped up to the door, where he wrenched up the heavy wooden bar that kept it shut and set it on the floor without a word. He'd always been the quiet one. Some said he was mute, but Heinrich knew better. Heinrich nodded with approval, glanced to the other two, then gestured to the door. Frederik had already begun to pull the door open, and slivers of mist were creeping in across the floorboards. As one tendril of vapor neared his leg, Johann stomped his foot down on it restlessly. The loud thumping sound drawing antagonistic looks from his companions.

The air outside was heavy and thick as the four men stepped outside, with Heinrich leading his squad just like in the olden days. He carried his sword in one hand and a lantern in the other, though the light barely even allowed him to see the ground at his feet. He couldn't see them, but the others were behind him by the sounds of their boots. One sword and two short spears. They'd put down a rabid bear last autumn. They'd put down whatever stalked the foggy street tonight.

“On me!” -hissed Heinrich over his shoulder, grimacing as he heard his own voice echoing from the walls that lined the street. He counted the steps and made his way, as best he could, to where the light had gone out. He wondered if others had gone, before, but he'd simply not heard them then, or noticed the snuffing out of the small, flickering flames in windows.

A fragment of wood, one of the scattered pieces of what had just moments ago been a sturdy door, crunched underfoot. Heinrich ducked low to inspect it as his men marched past him. “Th' whole blasted door's gone! Careful now!” -came a hiss that could only be Johann. Heinrich could hear the footsteps on floorboards as his men entered a house through the doorway. The mist surrounding Heinrich felt like a great hand, pressing down on his neck, pushing him down. He could feel moisture beading on his spine, beneath his uniform. Whatever had broken the door had done so with the force of a great bear, or some other beast, shattering wood and pulling what remained right off its frame. The oaken boards had been torn off metal bars that connected them, and shattered. From inside a sound of something wooden falling over could be heard, clattering against the floorboards, along with whispered curses.

Heinrich stood up and let the piece of wood fall. Silence had fallen again, the alarmed voices that had echoed down the street, the shouted questions and exclamations, had all died out. There were no footsteps. “Wilhelm?” -Heinrich called out in a hushed voice, but there was no reply. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and raised the lantern up once more, as he stepped in through the doorway. The mist had already entered the house and inside it was as thick as on the outside. Water beaded on the narrow mirror on the wall, rolling down the smooth surface. The veteran could just barely make out the walls, and the coatrack. He recognized that red coat. The Bremmer house. “Johann?” -he called out, well aware that calling out for Frederik would be useless, as the man was effectively mute unless deeply drunk. Silence remained his only answer.

A few more steps and Heinrich passed through another doorway, into the main room of the low house. He could smell smoke, even through the dampness, and something rancid, like rotting fish. He gasped in surprise as he realized a figure was standing beside him, a spear in hand. Several seconds passed in silence, no greeting came. Heinrich nodded, recognizing the mute veteran and his spear.

There was a glint of light on the figures face, a reflection of the lantern. Heinrich turned to the room and raised the lantern to better see.

It was only when hands grabbed him from behind that Heinrich realized something was wrong.

Frederik didn't have glasses. Nothing to reflect the light.

Before he could turn, a hand pressed over Heinrich's mouth, muffling his alarmed yell. He bit into it and tasted hot, coppery blood as it lazily oozed into his mouth and stained his teeth. The hand did not let go. Another pair joined it and wrenched his arm off to his side, until he could feel the joint of his shoulder popping out of its socket. His sword fell to the floor with a loud clatter, as he screamed into the relentless hand. His voice was little more than a whimper.

He felt cold. Cold around his numbing arm. Cold in his boots. Cold in his gut. Before his eyes the mist coalesced into tangible form, a thick tendril that slid over his face and into his nostrils. He puffed air out of his nose to thwart the invasion, but soon ran out of breath. He felt cold in his lungs as he inhaled the mist, which thickened like briny soup inside his body. He could sense the cold travel up to his skull. It took him a long, agonizing moment to drown. The lantern dropped from Heinrich's spasming hand, it's glass cracked, and the mist snuffed out the light. When he no longer groaned, gurgled and struggled, the hands all let go.

Six men, a woman and a young child stood in the darkened room now, dead-eyed and silent as the mist swirled lazily around their bodies. An ember cracked in the fireplace, and was quickly doused by the air itself. Johann lay face down on the floor, a pool of his own blood spreading about him, dripping down between the floorboards. His own sword had cut his throat open in the struggle. His face was a mask of sheer horror, eyes wide, mouth gaping open in a silent scream of terror. The other faces, expressionless and uncaring, looked down at the body, and not one of them drew so much as a breath.

Heinrich opened his mouth and emitted a low guttural sound, water bubbling on his lips, as he crouched down and picked up his sword once more.

Another house waited, in the mist.

Hope you enjoyed that little storylet! Heck, it's almost Halloween, so it's only appropriate to write something a bit spooky. Story based on the old theme of "Wafts of Mist". I did not have an actual written start to a story, just loose concepts written down in a text file as I'd begun sketching out an idea for a story, so this is almost entirely a new story. The concepts I'd written down, and ran with, was basically: How to make mist spooky. As in: the mist itself, not what's inside of it.
Wrongthinker and anticitizen one. Pending removal to memory hole. | WHAMGAMES proudly presents: The Night Falls, a community roleplaying game

Sinitrena

The deadline is looming. you still have a couple of days left but if you're writing day and night, you should come to an end. ;)

Baron

The deadline isn't looming THAT much yet! ;)  Right now it's more just ...impending. (nod)

JudasFm

This is one for the Travel Guide contest, which I administered in the past. I wasn't sure about entering myself at the time, but I always wanted to write this. I'm working on an entry for Archer as well, but unless we get an extension (hint hint!) I'm not going to make that particular deadline.

This was too long for one post, so I split it.

Wikitravel Entry: The Nemesis

WARNING: Travel to the Nemesis is extremely dangerous for those affiliated with reform camps.  If you are discovered to have a link to one of those camps, no matter how tenuous, you will be held for ransom. 

The Nemesis is unique: a city-ship with no fixed port or allegiance to one particular government.  Travel to it is difficult, but not impossible.  However, outsiders are viewed with suspicion bordering on xenophobia by a lot of the crew and must be accompanied by a guide at all times while outside their rooms.  If you're not prepared to have your every move watched and your actions restricted as an outsider, don't even think of applying for a tourist visa.

Understand

English is the official language on board the Nemesis.  The unique multicultural crew, boasting members from every settled moon and planet in our solar system, means that you will have no trouble finding someone who can interpret for you.  Important signs are in every language, but place names are often only in English.  It is advisable for you to have at least a rudimentary grasp of the language before arriving.  Your guide will also interpret for you.  If you need a guide who is fully bilingual, this can quite easily be arranged at no extra charge, providing you make your request when you apply for your visa.  Please note that it is impossible to change or choose your assigned guide; however, if you have visited the Nemesis previously, you are allowed to request the same guide or a different one. In the case of the same guide, your request may or may not be granted â€" the guide themselves has to agree â€" but a request for a different one will always be allowed.

Regions

The Nemesis consists of forty three decks, plus the biodeck, engineering sub-levels and the pool.  In theory, if you're accompanied by your guide â€" and you will be â€" you can go anywhere so long as the guide is also allowed there; the engineering levels, for example, are off limits to most of the crew. 

In practice, ninety five percent of the Nemesis is strictly off limits to outsiders.  Respect this and do not attempt to explore.  If you're not certain whether or not you can enter a place, ask your guide. 

Bridge

The heart of all operations on the Nemesis.  Any crew member has the right to enter the bridge, but outsiders are banned not only from the bridge itself, but from the main corridor leading up to it. Unless you're summoned by a member of the bridge crew â€" which is probably not a good thing â€" you'll never see this place.

Dining Hall

Off limits to non-crew members; you can either choose to have your food brought to you, or to eat at one of the other diners on the rec-deck.

Rec-deck

Short for recreation deck, the rec-deck is where most of the fun things happen.  There is a movie theater which can seat five hundred, although the viewing selection is quite limited, and several shops, a few diners and a huge room that is used as a concert hall.  Mostly it's the Mavericks and/or Lunar Eclipse who play here, but you can sometimes find the odd play or musical.

Engineering

Off limits to you, but there's very little down there anyway.

Swimming pool

Strictly speaking, this isn't off-limits to visitors, but the only chance you have of being taken to it is if you impress your guide with your good behavior.  The swimming pool takes up the three lowest decks of the Nemesis, and since it's free, is extremely popular among the crew.  However, there are no kinds of pool toys or slides; the 'pool' in fact isn't a pool at all, but the filtered source of the ship's fresh water supply.  There is no cause for concern, however, as the excessive filtration methods means that this water is safe to both drink and swim in, although doing both at the same time is not recommended.

Memorial Hall

A poignant reminder of all deceased crew members.  Again, technically not off-limits to outsiders, but your guide will refuse to take you if you show the slightest sign of inappropriate behavior on the ship.  If you do somehow persuade them to bring you, be very respectful during your visit and all cameras and recording equipment must be handed to your guide before you enter, or better yet, not brought at all.  The Memorial Hall is not a tourist attraction, and the Nemesis's crew will not appreciate you treating it as such.  When in this room, you must remain completely silent at all times, which is something the crew do as well.  If you want to know more about one of the markers, your guide will probably tell you, but do not ask him/her until you are both outside.

Outsiders who are related to one of the deceased crew can be granted a special permit upon proof of DNA. Since it would be unthinkable to move or otherwise tamper with a shrine, relatives of the deceased are permitted to take a photo of their loved one's shrine.

History

The Nemesis was originally a top secret and highly classified Military ship, whose commanding officer deliberately broke regulations to rescue a group of middle school and high school students who were in an accident. The exact details of this accident are unknown to all except those involved, but the most likely theory is that it was the same accident that supposedly wiped out the school shuttle Syzygy.

What is known is that when the Military crew disappeared, the current crew took control of the ship and for some six or seven years were falsely accused of seizing it, and treated as space pirates.  Up until a year ago, the Military made many attempts to retake it and execute those on board, but were unsuccessful as the Nemesis possesses jump drives and engines far superior to the average ship, and would simply fly away. A plethora of booby traps and several more ruthless members of the crew ensured that on the rare occasions when the Military did succeed in boarding, they invariably came off worse.

When the current crew's names were finally cleared, they refused all offers of compensation, insisting on being given the Nemesis and complete autonomy instead.  This was reluctantly granted, due to pressure from almost every newspaper in existence and one or two high-ranking members of the Military itself.

Tension between the crew and the Military still runs extremely high, however, and anyone affiliated with the Military or any of the governments is forbidden from setting foot on the Nemesis, regardless of purpose.  Ex-Military members may be granted access, but this is strictly on a case-by-case basis. However, those discovered to have some kind of connection with the Military after boarding shouldn't have too much in the way of trouble.

The reason for the extreme level of hostility towards reform camp personnel remains unknown.

Get in

It's not known when the Nemesis is going to arrive at a certain world, so booking travel in advance is very difficult.  The best way is to register with your local agency and have them call you as soon as the Nemesis arrives.  The Nemesis usually remains in port for at least a week, so you and any others will have time to pack.

You will need a visa to enter the Nemesis.  Unfortunately, the only place where your visa can be ratified is on the Nemesis itself, so your agent will have to sort the paperwork for you.  The good news is that this tends to happen very fast; if there are no problems, you can have a valid visa ready and authorized within twenty four hours of applying.

With its H-drive, the Nemesis is well known for its ability to travel far faster than any other ship in existence and is willing enough to act as paid transport for those moving to another world.  However, for those planning a vacation, remember that the ship will not wait for you at the other end unless there are a lot of tourists wanting transport, such as for a festival, and that the crew will have no compunctions about leaving you behind.  Those of you who do wish to use the Nemesis as a cheaper and much faster alternative to interplanetary shuttle companies should note that you will be locked in your room until you reach your destination, with food being served to you.  Since the Nemesis can theoretically travel from Pluto to Mercury in just over twelve hours, thanks to the H-drive, this won't be too much of a hardship.  It is worth noting, however, that the physical stress placed on the crew during an H-jump means that they're unlikely to use the H-drive more than they have to, which means that travel from Pluto to Mercury is more likely to take around a month.  If you want to be really safe, budget six weeks for it.

Get around

Transport is mostly on foot, although there are three systems of public transport: the chain, the engineering track, and cleaning machines.  Of these, the chain and track are both off-limits to outsiders; the chain isn't much use except for moving through and getting out of the swimming pool, and the track â€" a narrow platform carried along in the engineering gears â€" is too dangerous to be attempted unless you know what you're doing.

Cleaning machines have a hook on trailer, some with seats that offers comfortable transport.  However, it is also extremely expensive and consequently viewed by most of the crew as a soft option, although concessions are usually made for the injured and elderly.  Otherwise, if you insist on being ferried everywhere, you can expect a certain amount of hostile looks and snide comments, particularly if you left your guide walking alongside.  The crew of the Nemesis regularly use the cleaning machines to have items such as laundry delivered to them, however, so as long as you put your clothes in your own net bag (provided in your room) nobody will complain on this score.

If you become separated from your guide at any time, do not attempt to find them.  Stand very still against the wall so that you're out the way of any crew members, and wait.  Chances are they will retrace their steps and find you.

If a crew member asks what you're doing there, smile, apologize and explain the situation.  Give them your guide's name and they'll contact him/her.  Do not be offended if the crew member stays there to keep an eye on you until your guide reappears.

Talk

Because of the borderline xenophobia throughout the ship, most crew members outside of your guide will be reluctant to strike up a conversation with you.  Accept this and do not make a nuisance of yourself.

Asking questions such as how someone makes a particular dish or sweet will be taken as a compliment and a sign of interest; the assumption being that it was so delicious you want to make it for yourself at home.  However, it's very unlikely you'll get an answer, as competition for jobs among crew members is fierce, and your host will not want half a dozen people overhearing and attempting to put him/her out of business.  Again, accept this and don't pester people; if you're polite and respectful, it's not unknown for the recipe you wanted to somehow find its way into your belongings.

See

For those not wanting to travel, a few parts of the Nemesis are open to the public whenever the ship is docked. Day passes are required but can be purchased at the entrance. Since no ID is required, this is a good way for Military personnel or those working with reform camps to explore; however, your background must be kept secret, for your own safety. The Nemesis doesn't offer discounts; day passes for babies cost the same as those for adults and every member of your party, regardless of age, must purchase one to reduce the risk of stowaways. Costs can vary, and bargaining or trading for some item or other isn't unheard of.

The day pass can be purchased at any time, but is only good for twelve hours, after which you must leave the ship and turn in your pass at the exit.
During the twelve hours, you are free to come and go from the Nemesis as often as you please, but your DNA will be checked both when you purchase the pass, and every time you go in or out. This ensures that no pass can be traded or forged.

Biodeck

This is the reason most people travel to the Nemesis, to see the vibrant Terra-like hills, forest and lakes. The biodeck takes up the whole of the top deck, making it roughly around twenty five square miles in area. Cleaning machines are not permitted. Please note that certain parts of the biodeck are not hoverchair friendly and that the trails can become very muddy, so you are advised to bring sneakers or hiking boots.

Food and drink are permitted, but all waste must be taken with you when you leave. Exceptions may be made for fruit pits, as they can be planted.

The weather is customizable from the control room.  The crew will not listen to requests for nor complaints about rain, snow, hail or brilliant sunshine, so you take your chances.  However, they can sometimes be bribed with off-ship offerings such as books, movies, music and local currency.  This is something the regular crew do on occasion as well, so it's considered perfectly acceptable.

That said, Nemeseans do appreciate that not many tourists will enjoy squelching through the pouring rain, so you're guaranteed reasonably good weather.

Krystal Gallery

Krystal Lynn is an extremely talented artist, specializing in oil landscapes. All paintings in her gallery are for sale, but most of them are expensive and she will only accept Nemesean tokens or hard currency.  A small one (A4 size) will cost you around two hundred tokens, or the equivalent of.

Do

Concerts by the Mavericks and Lunar Eclipse are always worth seeing, although tickets are near impossible to come by, even for the regular crew members, and tend to sell out within the first five minutes. Concerts are also never given during normal planetfall, so only those actually traveling on the Nemesis have the chance to see these bands perform. Anyone hoping to attend will have to get at least two tickets, one for yourself and one for your guide. It's sometimes possible to reserve at the rec-deck ticket offices, but costs for doing so will be prohibitive. If you do decide to go down this route, expect to pay quintuple prices, and all these offices operate a no-refund policy. If you leave the ship before spare tickets come up, well, that's just too bad for you.

Buy

The Nemesis runs on an entirely virtual currency known as tokens, payable and transferable with a T-card. You will be given a tourist version, to be handed in whenever you leave the ship. Nothing is free on the Nemesis; food is paid for with green tokens and entertainment with yellow. However, bartering and exchanging one item for another is also a very common way of doing business.  On the Nemesis, anything is up for exchange, so if you don't have enough tokens, it's not uncommon for a shopkeeper to say something along the lines of, "Well, I'll give it to you in exchange for your ring."

If you don't want to trade that particular item, a simple, "No," or "No, I'm not interested in trading any of my jewelry," will suffice.  Do not hesitate or worry about causing offense; no is a perfectly acceptable answer, and any hesitation in this case will likely be taken as an invitation to haggle.

All stores on the Nemesis will accept any planetary currency.  However, there is no fixed exchange rate, so it's worth shopping around.  By and large, though, the traders will treat you fairly.  You'll pay more than the regular crew, but usually no more than around ten percent.

Green tokens are always placed before yellows in terms of pricing and priority, so if someone offers you two and four, they're offering you two green tokens and four yellow ones. Tokens are not interchangeable (ie, you can't convert yellows to greens) on the same card but if you want an extra yellow and can find someone who wants an extra green, swapping tokens across T-cards is perfectly fine and something that the regular crew do on pretty much a daily basis. Many crew members are known to have formed working partnerships along those lines, where one receives an abundance of greens and the other yellows and the two of them split the takings fifty-fifty.

Eat

For those of you who are vegetarians, there are salad bars at every meal, and the Nemesis also features Vegan Tuesdays, where everything is safe for vegan consumption.  On Fridays there's a Planetary Buffet, where local cuisine from one particular world is offered. Otherwise, you get whatever the meal crew feels like serving.

As an outsider, you will not be allowed to eat with the regular crew.  You will be given a menu the night before and place your orders with your guide, who will relay them to the dining hall.

The rec-deck has a few small diners, but service at these tends to be very slow and not all of them welcome outsiders.

Fi's Diner

The first of its kind and arguably the most popular. Fi's has a set menu, which costs one green and offers a starter, a main and a dessert. This makes it marginally cheaper than the dining hall, which charges two greens for a three course meal (two course meals cost one green). The portions are slightly smaller than those in the dining hall, but the lower price makes this an attractive option. At the time of writing, Fi's is the only diner on the rec-deck to serve outsiders.

There are one or two sweet shops, but products from here are highly in demand.  However, some are more easily obtainable than others.  It's worth noting that sweets on the Nemesis are considered as something pleasant rather than something nutritious, and so generally tend to be paid for with yellows.  However, most sweet shops will also accept the equivalent in greens.  Since the crew like to have a healthy balance of both, it's not unusual for a shop to change the accepted currency midway through the day.  Because of the high demand, haggling for sweets or offering things in exchange is not possible, and everyone is limited to one item only.  This stops the rich from going in and buying out the shop before anyone else has a chance to get in.

Cobyte

Coconut shavings, rolled into a ball and deep fried to a crunchy medium brown.  These are usually sold in bags of four each for two tokens.  They taste very good; however, biting them directly is not recommended unless you know a good dentist.

Nums

Small, thumb length pieces of crispy fried dough covered in glazed sugar.  Not quite as soft as donuts.  Unhealthy but easy to produce and therefore the easiest to come by.  A bag of six costs you one token.

Chippings

What's left after the confectioners have done their work with fruit flavored sugar treats.  Chippings are often too hard to bite but can be good to suck.  If all you want are a few pieces, the confectioners will usually give them to you rather than throw them out.

Fruities

Fruit-flavored boiled sweets.  These sell out incredibly fast and even the crew are limited to one bag of six per visit.  Unlike nums and cobytes, fruities take longer to make and are far more complicated, so there's no ready supply.

Drink

There is no alcohol on the Nemesis, nor are you allowed to bring any with you.  This is not a place to go if you want to get drunk and piss the night away.  The main drinks on the ship are water, tea (herbal or regular) or coffee.  However, you are free to bring any non-alcoholic beverages you please.  Since so few of the crew get to buy soda due to the lack of hard currency, a can of Coke can be an extremely powerful bargaining tool.

Part two

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