Oliver Strong's Blog, page 2

Necron (part 4): Making Amends

A machine descended from the heavens pulled and pushed by Mother Nature’s turbulent will. Machines being a force of finite power do their best when buffeted by nature, a force of infinite power. The struggle between these entities, one inexhaustible the other intelligent, results in something we call navigation.
Obscured by forest undergrowth the machine opened, two figures exited its jaws. Perhaps relativity gave the impression one was short? Either way that man was certainly taller than any she’d seen previously. His costume changed colour, morphing quickly from jet black to match surrounding foliage.
The other, perhaps a woman, bore a large backpack whilst holding a small disc aloft as if searching for something, perhaps a squirrel or a flock of birds?
These beings didn’t resemble her overlords. Could they be Drax? Evil beasts which came for naughty little girls in the night.
Necron (part 4): Making Amends

Necron (part 3): Pretend That We're Dead

Victor stepped inside, Gibson motioned to the hatch and he closed it.
‘Sit down Lieutenant.’
As Victor sat Gibson tossed a file before him, the Captain preferred hard copies, why was still a mystery, ‘What’s up?’
‘You ever heard of Osamu Shinko?’
‘Does it go well with soy sauce?’
Gibson pulled out a pack of cigarettes, ‘Smoke?’
Victor took one, Gibson lit it with his white gold lighter, ‘Osamu Shinko is the Chairman and owner of Shinko Refineries, ring a bell?’
Vic took a drag then opened his file, a picture of a Japanese man and his family greeted his eyes, ‘I remember the name.’
‘Shinko are the largest Yeonum refiners in the Terran system, all Terran fleets depend on him for fuel. In short without this man the human species is dead in the water and we’re dead in space, no pun intended.’
Victor examined the file page by page coming across a distinctly non-Japanese face, ‘What about this guy?’
‘That’s Manlio Cuoco.’
Victor exhaled a puff of smoke, ‘The Cuckoo man?’
‘Shinko’s daughter disappeared, until a couple of weeks ago,’ Gibson tapped his table. A recording previously broadcast over GalNet played out.
‘Greetings children of Christ, children of Mohammed, children of Buddha …’ Gibson fast forwarded, ‘I Jesus Christ reborn into this mortal coil reach out to you one and all. Do not permit fear to distort your perception of reality, of the truth, God’s truth, for I am …’ Gibson fast forwarded again.
‘Jesus Christ that guy likes to talk,’ noted Victor.
‘Yeh and mostly about himself. I had to sit through the whole damn thing so think yourself fortunate Lieutenant.’
The recording began to play again, ‘In a historic ceremony to take place this month, I Christ, your lord, shall take the hand of the thirteenth apostle reborn into the mortal coil of Ophelia Shinko in a ceremony all may witness,’ the camera panned out to reveal a Japanese woman in her late teens holding the hand of Manlio Cuoco, ‘I and my disciples invite all to witness a merging of flesh and soul the universe has awaited since time began, and in doing so humanity takes another step towards peace in the universe,’ Gibson cut the transmission.
‘She didn’t look like she was being held against her will.’
Gibson pulled a bottle of scotch from a desk drawer along with two glasses, ‘Who gives a shit? Shinko’s paying us to retrieve her, besides if it was your daughter what would you do?’
Zellmann took a sip of malt whisky recently shipped from the surface, ‘When you put it that way.’
‘Delta Company will get the job.’
‘Fine by me.’
‘Not when you find out what Shinko’s offering … fifty thousand Nippon tax rights per Marine, one hundred thousand per junior officer and another hundred grand for the man that brings Manlio in alive.’
‘That’s a sweet deal, but I don’t need the cash.’
‘Tell that to your platoon, Lieutenant.’
Victor thought on it, he might not care about the money but they probably did, ‘So why won’t we get it?’
‘It’s a boarding action. Bravo Company’s been pounding dirt on Alpha B for the last thirteen months, no practical experience.’
‘You have.’
‘One Captain ain’t gonna cut it Lieutenant.’
Victor examined the file, ‘Can I keep this for a while sir?’
‘Knock yourself out.’
Victor polished off his drink, ‘Thanks for the whisky.’
Gibson’s eyes widened as Victor sloshed it down, ‘Hey that’s Scotch!’
‘Whatever, can I be dismissed sir?’
‘Sure, inform the other platoon leads.’
‘Wilco,’ Victor saluted.
Gibson returned the salute and replied in an annoyed tone, ‘You’re welcome.’

Necron (part 3): Pretend That We're Dead

Necron (part 2): Fortunate Son

‘This is it,’ shouted Captain Gibson, ‘we will be reinforcing U.S. Colonial forces in Firebase Lima, and by the time this is over I want them to understand what a bunch of pussy ass bitches they are!’
The Company shouted over the klaxon and bustle of mechanics loading Blackbirds into launch tubes, ‘YES SIR!’
‘What is the motto of the Necron Marine Corp?’
‘VICTORY OR DEATH, SIR!’
‘And you’re already dead so that only leaves one option, am I right?’
‘YES SIR!’
‘WHAT THE HELL YOU DOING HANGING AROUND HERE? LET’S KICK SOME ASS!’ he dismissed the Company into Blackbirds, one assigned for each platoon.
Victor lead his Marines into the rear hatch, they secured themselves in seats along its interior wall, similar to a rollercoaster. Weapons secured the rear hatch rose, Victor took one last look at his home before it disappeared, he felt a jolt as the Blackbird loaded into her tube.
‘Good morning, I will be your pilot today. The weather on Alpha B is somewhat unpleasant, humidity high, temperature a cool twenty degrees centigrade but heating up to the mid-forties as we approach afternoon.’
The inner hatch to S.S. Necron closed, atmosphere drained and the outer hatch opened, gravity fell to zero, the Blackbird’s engines fired against Necron’s blast plate, claws holding the craft in place released and they rocketed into space, ‘WHOOOAAAAAAHHHH YEEEHHHH!’ screamed the pilot.
Victor felt G-forces tugging his body as his consciousness caught up with it. If it weren’t for the nanite solution running through his veins he’d have passed out. Captain Gibson rolled his eyes, another dumb flyboy who thought it was all about him, they were ten to the penny.
Carriers, Destroyers and Cruisers battled in space while Green Company made for Alpha Centauri B.
They gathered speed leaving behind a torrid space battle, Victor no longer sensed the drag of acceleration, he bumped up and down as Alpha B’s atmosphere pushed against three Blackbird’s entering in formation; Passing the planet’s equator in a choppy, electrically charged equinox, two powerful scram jets kicked into action with a thump.
‘We are now entering the atmosphere at a speed of,’ he paused to look at his dial, ‘Mach 37, the air is charged, your Blackbird is hot and I’m amped!’
Blackbirds moved with such speed air molecules within the alien atmosphere split releasing an electrical charge and generating a thunderstorm for the Drax below.
‘It’s about five in the morning at our destination …’ the pilot paused, ‘Shit! LZ’s hot! I’m picking up small arms fire sir.’
Captain Gibson smiled, his Marines smiled back, ‘LOCK AND LOAD MARINES!’

Oliver StrongNecron (part 2): Fortunate son

Frank Midgette: "The Dead Pan"

‘Here’s the case,’ she held it out until he opened it.
Williams sat down to ogle her plaque, Captain Jane Williams Precinct 17 Detroit.
Frank spoke in an incredulous tone, ‘You cannot be serious.’
‘Is there a problem Lieutenant?’
‘Some guy gets his nuts ripped off while taking a shit and you want me to investigate? I’m Homicide!’
Williams interlocked her fingers, ‘He died, possibly murdered.’
‘Oh please, he probably got his balls caught on the seat and stood up too fast.’
‘The moment this case hit my desk it cried Frank Midgette, I just couldn’t think of anyone who might have spent more time with their head down a public toilet.’
Manuel burst out laughing, Frank gave him a cold stare then turned to Williams, ‘So why do I get to babysit Manolito?’
‘His name is Lieutenant Manuel Montoya, I expect a preliminary report by tomorrow, you may leave now Lieutenant,’ she motioned shooing him away.
As he opened the door several workmates scrambled back to their desks, having spent the last minutes with their ears against the Captain’s door.



Frank Midgette's Case Files: "The Dead Pan"

Beyond Einstein's Barrier

‘You know why they call me coffee?’
Diana replied with sarcasm in her delicate voice, ‘Please tell me before I explode in anticipation.’
The fellow moved his hips to his buddies approval, ‘Because only I’ve got that long slow grind baby.’
Without another word she grabbed his nuts and squeezed hard, he dropped his drink scrambling to remove her iron grip yet the more he struggled the tighter she squeezed.
Diana smirked, ‘You want to find out why they call me nutcracker … I’ll give you a clue, it has nothing to do with Tchaikovsky.’
‘Okay lady,’ rasped a young Don Juan, ‘I get it.’
Diana released his testicles, ‘Maybe they should call you decaf from now on?’ he staggered into to his howling friends. Victor displayed a confused expression asking why she’d done such a thing.
‘Dying did not remove my standards. So what about my offer?’



Necron: Beyond Einstein's Barrier

Queen in Exile

After taking inspiration from a dream and 3 years of hard work I published QiE.

"Queen in Exile follows in particular the fortunes of Duncan McCann who out of the turmoil of the 21st century leads a team of astronauts to Mars. Upon reaching the Red Planet he discovers that Mankind has a date with destiny. Within a short time humanity is forced to participate in a game of galactic poker, the stakes and prize being survival of the species.

As McCann takes the lead in the battle for survival he meets many interesting characters including the beautiful Ilamachutli who with her quick wits and superior knowledge pressures Mankind into bending to her will; and then there’s Louis Beaumont the passionate nano engineer on board the Athena with an ego to match his abilities, always convinced that the universe is conspiring to make his life miserable! Each of them prepares to meet their destinies as fate and prophecy collide on Otoch in a dramatic climax."



Queen in Exile