EVE Fiction

DOTS

He squinted, keeping his eyes on the distant station set like tarnished golden crowns ringed around the heads of three asteroids. Since the tinted viewport didn’t offer him enough protection from the glare he pulled his cowl lower before simply holding his hand aloft to try and block the rays. The sun’s fingers reached in to slowly sweep across every surface of the control room as the ship tilted and dove lazily, orienting itself for an eventual docking. The burning orb at the centre of the Reset system was taking the opportunity to explore every inch of a space that was so often out of reach, illuminated instead by the buzzing glow of a mining laser and facing away towards a fractious rock of Veldspar.
The light was thankfully soon banished by the smouldering intensity of the lava planet the Joint Harvesting station orbited, and the pilot could now drop his hand. His gaze also dropped to two small freckles on the back of the wrist. He was sure they were new. Ever since he’d jumped to this body, before the funky, brine scent of the slime the clone had been suspended in had even left his nostrils, he’d noticed these brown dots.
Long, boring hours mining can make you start thinking strange things.
He should be in his pod, not wandering barefoot.
He looked to the station again. Sure enough, nestled against the thick band at the plantation’s middle glinted the pristine length of a Bestower, uncharacteristically clean. And now, as his barge closed in, he could also see a transport. Despite being made of the same metals, against the grime of the structure the ships looked like heavy nuggets of pure gold.
He stabbed at a nearby button again but this time got an answer.
“Theology Council, yes. Not here on business as much as a stopover on the way back to the domain. Not that we’re not scrambling to pull out whatever passes for our best spiced wine here. Lirmairz even surprised us with a roll of red carpet...”
Marbuel watched the long silhouette of a distant navy Apocalypse as it emerged from the dark, framed by a burning red backdrop of lava on the surface below. No doubt other escorts waited on the dark side of the planet.
“Court?”
Hollaniu smirked.
“Telling me you don’t know? Old friends of yours aren’t they?”
He didn’t even respond, knowing that the distribution agent couldn’t see his eyes in the darkness of his cowl to gauge even the slightest reaction. The corner of Hollaniu’s mouth trembled and fell.
“Do they know I’m here?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
Of course they did.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
“Not going to be joining us for dinner?”
“Had my fill, thanks.”
The agent’s smirk returned.
“I bet you have.”
*
He hugged his robes tighter around himself with his free arm and put a booted foot up on the rail, leaning back in his chair as he watched a mix of workers and heavy automation drawing the Veldspar he’d mined from the belly of his barge.
He sniffed, grateful for even the vague smell of melted plastic that seemed to accompany recycled and highly oxygenated air pumped throughout this station over the overly familiar scent of humanity and dirt that started to cloy inside a mining barge after a couple of days.
He examined his wrist out of the corner of his eye.
“I’m disappointed you couldn’t join us for dinner...”
He looked around and his eyes widened at the sight of the figure that so suddenly stood to his right on the gangplank.
At first glance the figure wore virtually the same flowing black robes that he did. But these robes were cut from a different cloth.
When he realized, despite himself, he was soon on his feet, and then on a knee.
“Forgive me, Magister. I was not aware that a Speaker of Truth was amongst us...”
The rich voice spoke again from the impenetrable shadows of the hood above him.
“Of course not.”
On bended knee, and looking between the gaps in the metal to the hanger floor far below, he realized his mistake. How would anyone know of the movements of a member of the order? It was likely that most of those in this station would only discover who had passed among them long after this figure had departed, if at all.
He only knew who stood before him because at one stage he had almost been one of them. Almost.
“Rise.”
As he stood again he glanced down the gangway and saw the security manning the doorway at the end. He turned back to the impressive shadow in front of him, looking up into a cowl that let no light fall on the face within – at a figure that stood almost a half foot taller.
“What a dirty little hole in the middle of nowhere you’ve crawled off into here, Marbuel.”
He bowed his head in response, hoping it was seen as a sign of deference rather than the attempt to conceal the response he knew would be in his expression.
“God is found in every corner of the universe, Magister.”
There was a grunt in response that may have passed for mirth.
“Not a minute and you’re talking back."
A brief moment of silence.
“I'm curious if the slave you left us to lay with has gotten you into trouble yet?”
Marbuel took a step back.
For a moment he saw her gaze in his mind’s eye. Her long, thick black hair and white skin. Her lips.
And then he saw an Amarr Breeding Facility bleeding smoke into space while a martyr, his spine broken, drifted nearby.
He remembered his hands shaking. He remembered feeling sick.
“Why are you here?”
It had come out as a whisper. Thankfully it wasn’t as sibilant a hiss as he might have intended it to be.
For a moment, the Speaker of Truth stood like an Onyx statue. A relic cast almost seven foot tall.
“Only to see how you were, old friend. I find you well. I’ll tell those that ask after you as much.”
As silently as he had come, the black-robed figure moved down the gangway.
“Take care, Marbuel,” resonated the voice.
On the platform, the Liberal Holder watched silently until the figure was out of sight, rubbing at two dots on his wrist.

I'm curious as to when the results will be announced.

I don't mean to bother. But how's that information coming, Nervevar?

How's the headache by the way? Still like a sledge hammer?

posts allow 6000 characters. does this supersede the 4000 characters mentioned before?

Good point. The new forums created a little loophole there in the rules. No one is going to be disqualified because of that. My apologies to everyone who thinks he is at a disadvantage because of that.

Meh, but I had to disqualify two people because their stories were way to long :(
So here are the entries sorted by date of entry:

1
The Void - Reprise
Jezaja
doesn't want to be a candidate for the voting, but he is an entry for the random PLEX

2
A Rough Score
Tara Read

3
I was there
TheDoctorUK
disqualified - oneliner

4
This is how I started EVE
Deadly Works

5
Pyhrric Victory
Otto Weston
way too long. Valid for the PLEX drawing though.

6
23216 AD
Rogue Bomber

7
First!
Lord Walben
thanks for your advices, but that's not a valid entry =^.^=

8
The Spy
Jake Lanks

9
I AM
Dasquirrel715

10
Business as Usual
Jack Carrigan

11
I sit
Midori Amiiko
This competition wasn't intended to serve as platform for WIS criticism. But hey, you sat down and wrote something, so here you go ;)

12
Slutstorm
Terminus Astra
Sorry, no Audio. I like it though, I will contact you these days :)

13
Scouting for the Corp
Greg Tiran Tiberious

14
Repercussions of repercussions of Evil
Chopper Rollins
Gooooooooonnnsss!!!!

15
I REMEMBER THE KLAXONS…
NNowheremaNN

16
CHANCE
SPAMINATOR3000

17
The Adventures of Keldan Alcair & Goran Blue in Deep Space
Goran Blue Aideron

18
We Thought Ourselves Dragons. Dragons, We Were Not
Jonni IInferno

19
Running Scared
Dalilus

20
Redemption
Mortrius

21
The Gank
Lelith Hellebron

22
Coulee's Veil - part 1
Seamus Techton
When I wrote "must fit into one post", I hoped that everyone would get the implication of not just posting links to other sites ^^

23
Hard to be a Miner
Triggadex

24
Being Hunted
Diezel325

25
Scarred
Kelonar

26
ANOTHER DAY OLDER…AND DEEPER IN DEBT
Lynne Rankin
Mail me the second part :)

27
Azu'kai Reborn
Myxx
Extra thread, eh?

28
The Luckiest Orca
Bevine

29
The Shivers
Cal Becka

30
The Gallentean Hustle
Kendara Rziem

31
The Mission
Gullegumman

32
The Seeker of Alonyia – Or A Voice In The Dark
Thrallok K'tarr

33
Lifetimes Upon Lifetimes
cApAc aMaRu

34
Final Judgment
Balthasar Dorian

35
Orphan
Jarek Korwin

36
Aftermath
Ezrothian

37
Trust
Paintchk
same as # 5 :(

38
Have you?
Ryek Darkener

39
Catch & Release
Mortis vonShadow

40
DOTS
Marbuel

Not valid for the Chribba Dice Plex Drawing: 3, 7, 12
Not valid for voting: 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 37

Why is my entry not valid for voting? You left no comment regarding my post and i fulfilled all of the requirements?

Your welcome and thanks for that. You had me worried!

I'll let you know if I spot more mistakes and *fingers crossed* for tomorrow. ^_^

I hope everyone likes mine, and good luck to everyone who entered, may the best story win!

Same here. My entry was number 2 and I kept it within the requirements and did a counter to make sure it was within the character limits.

woohoo! Thanks