Story [Issue 6] Invasion - Part 1

[chriswu 25]

Readers, I’m sure you’ve seen the garage descriptions for all your favorite weapons. As a reporter, I’m thankful to whoever took the time to create those descriptions, as they provide a great framework for stories like the ones that I’ve written: Origination of Freeze, Smoky XT, and the Lost Temple series. This article is the first of a new series laid in the same context and with the same characters as in the previous serials, in direct continuation of the last Lost Temple article, and seeks to tell the untold story of why Tanki is the way it is in a manner consistent to garage descriptions, announcements, and events. The virtue of such articles can be explained through the following example: If you’re a diehard Star Trek fan, who’s read a lot of books and written many wikis, you glean more information, and enjoy the television series much more than someone who merely watches. Why? Because you understand the background information, and spot all the hinted references from each episode. Likewise, I hope that Tanki’s cybersport events, announcements and game play will be more enjoyable once you have understood the context from which each garage item or game mechanic has emerged from a fun, fictitious and hypothetical standpoint.
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Previously in Secret of The Lost Temple - Part 3:

"...You fool,” a deep, husky voice woke Ralph from his daze. Roused back to consciousness, Ralph was in a deep, dark cave, similar to the one he had explored, only smaller. Much smaller. A bright light was aimed at his eyes, but through the lurking shadows and blinding light, Ralph could make out a mirage of figures, black and menacing, bustling around with crates filled with his precious haul.

“Your pathetic encryption codes were no match for my decoding algorithms,” the voice continued. “Now we know all your secrets. All of them. It is only a matter of time before chaos breaks loose all around the planet. Each faction and clan fighting for this new found crystal of revolutionary applications. The rarest precious mineral...” The mysterious interrogator chuckled. “Rare, perhaps, but unlike relatively worthless diamonds and gems, we know EXACTLY where to look for each of these. Conveniently for us, you decided to include all your satellite data in your stream.” Another irritatingly smug chuckle. “The knowledge is already being disseminated among the internet and databases. It is only a matter of time until your Lost Temple becomes a war zone, and I will lead the worldwide economy with the newest form of currency.”
“The world isn’t ready for this! You’ve made a mistake!” Ralph replied, but it was in vain.
“I’ve decided that I won’t kill you or your colleagues,” the dark figure continued. Ralph wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be good news or bad news. “I want you to continue on your ‘groundbreaking’ research. Maybe you’ll give me another big hit.”
“What makes you think I’m going to cooperate?!” Ralph yelled.
The dark figure lurking in Ralph’s peripheral vision laughed slowly. “It’s in your nature..."
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And now the continuation:
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Months had passed since his release from his mysterious captors, and it had been with great reluctance that Ralph obliged to his captor’s sinister wishes: to continue exploring and innovating, searching for new, powerful sources of energy. Well, maybe not that reluctant. Increased security, and a plethora of new safety protocols were just enough to make him feel safe, though the worst damage had already been done. If it was true that Ralph’s find at Lost Temple was being spread throughout the black market and the media, it was only a matter of time before some audacious, ambitious corporation made an aggressive move. A lurking, violent leviathan was about to be released, wreaking havoc on the world’s peaceful progress, and threatening to plunge everyone into a nightmare of savage wars for crystals. Ralph knew that it was his responsibility to salvage the situation, and he had already taken the first steps to counter the black market. It was imperative that the weapons industry and militant nations either be prepared to resist offers from anonymous or illegal sources, or know nothing of the recent discovery.

While it would be best if nobody knew anything, the terrible efficiency of the internet rendered such ignorance practically impossible. Ralph decided to take his chances, and warn weapons factories and producers of the coming threat...
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Deep within the white walls of the Zhukov Research Institute, a drone carried a top secret message into a spacious, extravagant office. Slightly unwieldy in appearance, the drone bobbed as it hovered towards the occupant’s desk, bearing a small flash drive. Ivan was obviously accustomed to such deliveries, as his recent promotion to chairman of weapons experimentation had required. Ivan frowned as he plugged the device into his computer, and an explosion of files and data appeared on his monitor. Who would have thought...not to many years ago, flash drives could only hold about 250 Gigabytes! That was what...2011? Ivan couldn’t be bothered to remember. The late mastering of large number theory yielded such advances, like the petabyte flash drive, and the zettabyte computer, much to the detriment of Ivan’s free time and gray hairs.

Ivan’s slightly sarcastic gaze fell upon a curious looking folder. Opening the executable it contained, he watched as a youthful looking man appeared on his screen, and began an unusual presentation. The time of enlightenment had arrived, and Ivan learned more and more of Ralph’s discovery in the distant sands somewhere in a Kazakhstan oasis. Operation codenamed “Lost Temple” flashed on the monitor, as well as analyses of odd, blob-like creatures and luminescent crystals. Enthralled by the prospect of obtaining such crystals, Ivan was utterly aghast with disappointment and spite when the presentation concluded with a stern warning NOT to accept bribes from any source associated with such crystals, and to deny any business involved in obtaining such prizes. The man recorded in the executable saw these crystals as a threat to the world peace man enjoyed these days, the Pax Universum, and the venerable column of human progress! Ivan, on the other hand, saw this as an opportunity. His inner entrepreneur vied for attention and dominance. This rare resource now stood ready for exploitation, and Ivan decided it was time for himself to deal with the matter in his own fashion, if only he knew where to begin...
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Thick clouds of plasma and superheated gas shrouded the Imposters from detection; the outermost reaches of the crab nebula shielded them from the void, wherein they fed and dwelled in secret. Suddenly a screaming torrent of energy burst into the scene, an Imposter scout had just arrived from the outermost limbs of territory bearing astonishing news: another seed had been found, located in a marble-like droplet covered with swirling clouds and lush continents. A cosmic chatter filled space, then squadron after squadron emerged from the inchoate voluminous reaches of the nebula, and jumped into hyperspace...
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Ralph was relieved when a reply came back from Zhukov, confirming that the issue of the new found crystals was to be confidential and secret, and that no bribes would be accepted from untrustworthy sources. The preliminary steps to cleaning up the mess completed, it was now time to devise a cover story in order to convince the media that such crystals were nonexistent, in the hopes of maintaining global economic and political stability. Ralph was a scientist though, not a story teller. He left it up to Dr. Meyers’ creativity to make up something. Dr. Meyer’s enthusiastically set to work, having a bit too much fun in the process. The next week, a story was submitted involving some crazy teenagers rappelling down an abandoned well with some flashlights...Ralph couldn’t be bothered to read the whole thing. All the bases now covered, Ralph breathed a sigh of relief. Things had finally begun to settle down, and further escalation wasn’t expected, though the locations of the crystals was monitored closely. Fortunately, no covert mining by the black market would occur in these locations, as each was situated several hundred feet under a fair-sized city.
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Ivan could barely contain his ecstasy when he received a suspicious transmission, offering a huge offer for some weapons, their use unknown. However, it was clear whoever was on the other end needed weapons and mining equipment. Under normal circumstances, Ivan would just block the signal, but this time, he quickly set to work, aided by a couple of his tech’s to track the transmission’s source. Once acquiring the enigmatic speaker’s location, it was only a matter of seconds before Ivan’s own computer tapped into the terrorist database. Now he knew the exact location of Lost Temple and the other mining destinations. Once all the information that could possibly be gathered was saved into ZRI’s internal database, Ivan bluntly declined the offer, and ended the call.
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At last the swirl of stars ceased as Khlato watched through the observation portal in the Imposter flagship. His bionic eyes gazed at the beautiful sphere before him: the laboratory in which his ancestors had once performed a great experiment which saved his race from extinction. Having tested hundreds of planets multiple times, capsules containing strains of genetic material were rocketed through space, and smashed into planets with potential life-bearing qualities. Later visited by his kind, Khlato’s race inspected these planets, observing the exotic forms of life which resulted from their seeding. Results from these enterprises yielded leaps in genetic engineering, allowing a privileged few to undergo augmentation, and escape from their dying sun. It was only a few generations ago that his planet’s sun went supernova, the deceased star taking his thriving planet with it. Since then, augments had lived in the nearby crab nebula, shielded by its thick clouds of gas, safe within their ships.
Pitying the slight, diminutive race inhabiting this cosmic jewel, this planet would soon be the home to the remainder of the Imposter race, Khlato mused. There were only a few left, but with their superior technology, surely the humans didn't stand a chance. Of course, before any settling could be done, places for colonization would have to be cleared of original inhabitants. Fortunately, there wasn't much planning involved in finding a nice spot to settle; the ancient crystals had been scattered here along with genetic blueprints for a reason. Once triggered by oscillating frequencies of a specific bandwidth, the crystals would once again unleash their terrible power in the form of violent seismic disruption, uprooting the helpless humans from their proud cities. After the ensuing chaos, the Imposters could annihilate the remainder of the human race by force, and stake their claim on an abundant new world. Sensing a near revival for his once thriving civilization, Khlato stopped his daydreaming, and hurried to his post in the Imposter Flagship. Presently an alien buzz filled space, followed by a supersonic blast rocketing from an emitter. Khlato peered from an observation portal. The blast, generated by an instrument similar to a gigantic subwoofer, rocketed towards the blue planet, already dispersing the upper atmosphere in an invisible missile of destruction...

Edited September 26, 2017 by Hexed

[PlayeurGame 0]

....

[mrandrewstevens 1]

Could usea few touch ups in my book, but has the potential of becoming a great article!

 

Edited November 8, 2012 by mrandrewstevens

[chriswu 25]

eehhh...It's kind of hard to understand if you haven't read the prequels lol

[mrandrewstevens 1]

Yup, that makes sense.

[ladolego 0]

It also should make sense that the last part is kind of similar to Star Wars too (episode 7 comes out in 2015, by the way).

We could start a tier 3, too.......

[Meliora 1,652]

Tad bit long, no?

[Scientist 4,224]

too long :)

~arm

[WOLFCAIK 5]

lol i didnt read it too long :D :fire_r:

[r_dudex0 0]

;) neat

[arda2727 0]

I did not read the very long :rolleyes:

Edited December 17, 2012 by arda2727

[jazz20 1,181]

nice :)