backup

gopher/Quartz/007.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Admittedly, I have no idea what anything on the control panel for the primary
+terminal on this ship does. There's a keyboard and a bunch of dials and
+buttons, but I'm unable to make out any of the labels. I guess if I needed
+to pilot the ship I'd just have to pull up a neural link, but that's really
+no problem for now.
+
+I did poke around on the terminal a bit, and I found the game "Checkers". Time
+to keep myself entertained.
+
+X29

gopher/RSS Revenant/1627.txt

@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ brushing her hands across the walls, mumbling to herself.
 form bowed and continued, "Your quarters have been finalized, they 
 shall be more than satisfactory. Come." 
 
-We followed our guide to a large circular room with 4 doors spaced 
-evenly around it. Behind each door laid a nearly triangular room 
-that terminated in a large curved wall, glowing a calming amber 
-color like firelight. A long low bench, about 4 feet wide, ran 
-along one wall, a portion at the end held a thick mattress below it 
-was a folded stack of various bedding. The other wall contained a 
-long counter, with a small sink near the door. There appeared to be 
-a small selection of books on the far end.
+We followed our guide around a corner to a large circular room with 
+4 doors spaced evenly around it. Behind each door laid a nearly 
+triangular room that terminated in a large curved wall, glowing a 
+calming amber color like firelight. A long low bench, about 4 feet 
+wide, ran along one wall, a portion at the end held a thick 
+mattress below it was a folded stack of various bedding. The other 
+wall contained a long counter, with a small sink near the door. 
+There appeared to be a small selection of books on the far end.
 
 "Please, refresh yourselves. If you wish you can inform yourselves 
 with the materials we've left in your quarters. When you are ready, 
@@ -46,19 +46,19 @@ still standing in my room.
 
 I walked out into our lobby, and checked the other doors - everyone 
 else was consumed by their tablets, so I returned to my room and 
-grabbed the tablet marked with only one line on the edge. Instantly 
+grabbed the one marked with only one line on the edge. Instantly 
 I was standing outside, before whatever catastrophe we saw on the 
 surface of the planet ever began. The sky was the same blue/purple, 
 dotted with high whisks of clouds. The sun shown a pale red, making 
 the freckles on my arms appear black. I looked down, and found 
-myself in my favorite beachwear: a red Tommy Bahama and linen 
-slacks. We were on the light side of the planet, near a lake, 
-surrounded by short squat trees.
+myself wearing a red Tommy Bahama and linen slacks. We were on the 
+light side of the planet, near a lake, surrounded by short squat 
+trees.
 
 "Welcome to Nalmyke, 46 Billion years ago..." a narration began. I 
 put down the tablet and picked up the second one. "The Glodan 
 Empire reigned from 2900 to 1700 years ago. Their power extended 
-from the Afram Sea to the Frozen Spires of Durklunt."
+from the Afram Sea to the Frozen Spires of Durklunt..."
 
 Miles below my feet was a large ocean, The world spun across 
 hills and valleys, simple gravel roads, lakes dotted with tiny 
@@ -66,12 +66,13 @@ ships, and finally across the horizon where frozen cliffs touched
 the sky in perpetual darkness. A lone track led into some sort of 
 fortification built into the cliffs face.
 
-"Glodians power also came from their ability to sycrentize with 
+"...Glodians power also came from their ability to sycrentize with 
 other cultures, their own culture fascinated with the art and 
-socio-political theories set forth by the Flalo people before 
-them." Onyx busts of kings and great thinkers whirred past me in 
-space like I was supposed to recognize them. I set the tablet down 
-and walked back into the lobby.
+socio-political theories set forth by the Flalo people before them, 
+also desired to seek out new arts and advance society." Onyx busts 
+of kings and great thinkers whirred past me in space like I was 
+supposed to recognize them. I set the tablet down and walked back 
+into the lobby.
 
 "You can take off that mask, already" Hex said, balancing her 
 athame on her finger. "The water in the sinks has a bit of sulphur 
@@ -88,18 +89,21 @@ back. The air was heavy, and pleasantly earthy.
 
 "You didn't finish either?" Hex didn't wait for my response. "I 
 skipped around. From what I can tell, they co-evolved with our 
-ancestors. Built several great civilizations, before being attacked 
-by aliens and uniting as one people. Unfortunately, by this time 
-most of the surface was uninhabitable, and the atmosphere was badly 
-damaged... Oh, and, we're in some sort of government bunker." 
+ancestors. Built several great civilizations before being attacked 
+by aliens and uniting as one people with the aid of another group 
+of aliens.  Unfortunately, by this time most of the surface was 
+uninhabitable, and the atmosphere was badly damaged, so a lot of 
+people left with the latter group... Oh, and I'm pretty sure we're 
+in some sort of government bunker." 
 
-"You think they're listening to us?" I wondered aloud.
+I wondered if they were listening to us right now.
 
 "Not right now, no, they're still close though, I can still sense 
-them." Hex rolled her head, and slowly opened her eyes.
+them." Hex rolled her head, and slowly opened her eyes. I never 
+liked her or Cranium using their powers on me, but I guess if you 
+can read minds you might as well do it. I knocked on the 2 closed 
+doors, no reply. I sat across from Hex and noticed she had done one 
+of her Tarot spreads.
 
-I knocked on the 2 closed doors, no reply. I sat across from Hex 
-and noticed she had done one of her Tarot spreads.
-
-"Don't mind the Death card, there - it symbolizes the end of one 
+"Don't mind the Death card there - it symbolizes the end of one 
 thing, and the beginning of another."

gopher/RSS Revenant/1628.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+A tiny Mr Swarm crept across the wall and was trying to reach Mr 
+Swarm's doorknob, stealthily making running leaps, scattering up 
+the door, and sliding down again. Hex and I tried to keep from 
+snickering, but finally he gained enough purchase to twist the knob 
+and slid into the room.
+
+I'd been trying to convince Super Hex to let us use her tarot to 
+play poker without making any progress, something about "the 
+spirits not being a game" and "respecting traditions." So I began 
+an inventory of the contents of my pockets.
+
+the dusty remnants of some sort of cracker
+two rubber bands, one broken
+five smoke bombs
+one of Commodore Bob's miniature communicators (even 
+connected to the ship it received nothing but static, with the 
+distorted refrains of "Big Hunk o' Love" from Elvis "live via 
+satellite")
+
+Mr Swarm came out, acknowledged us and knocked on Cranium's door.
+It swung open a crack, he had his towel around his waist, they 
+mumbled to each other a bit, then Swarm joined us. A few lingering 
+miniature Mr Swarms joined him as he explained what his spy found.
+Largely, nothing. The place was abandoned, but there were a few 
+locked doors he couldn't circumvent.
+
+Commander Cranium walked out of his room waggling his pinkie in his 
+ear. "Cleanliness brings purity of mind, What have we discovered?"
+
+Hex spoke her piece and told us about her readings. Mr Swarm, 
+having split and experienced all seven histories at once, had no 
+useful elaborations on her story except for his spies reports.  
+Cranium had learned that the stone floor got too slippery to 
+properly bathe in the sink, and there weren't enough towels.
+I found that none of us seemed too worried about mysterious beings 
+bringing us to a dead planets.
+
+"There isn't anything else to discuss, is there?" Cranium asked, 
+there wasn't, and he pushed the button.

gopher/listing.gophermap

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+0Quartz - Automated Ship	/Quartz/007.txt
 0Voortrekker - Love from Esperance	/Voortrekker/26-love-from-esperance.txt
 0Quartz - Hidden Memories	/Quartz/006.txt
 0RSS Revenant - Other Gases	/RSS Revenant/1625.txt

gopher/rss.xml

@@ -2,6 +2,25 @@
 <title>Cosmic Voyage</title>
 <link>gopher://cosmic.voyage</link>
 <description>Messages from the human stellar diaspora</description>
+<item>
+  <title>Quartz - Automated Ship</title>
+  <author>jebug29@cosmic.voyage (jebug29)</author>
+  <link>gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Quartz/007.txt</link>
+  <guid>gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Quartz/007.txt</guid>
+  <pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2019 08:07:02 GMT</pubDate>
+  <description><![CDATA[<pre>
+Admittedly, I have no idea what anything on the control panel for the primary
+terminal on this ship does. There's a keyboard and a bunch of dials and
+buttons, but I'm unable to make out any of the labels. I guess if I needed
+to pilot the ship I'd just have to pull up a neural link, but that's really
+no problem for now.
+
+I did poke around on the terminal a bit, and I found the game "Checkers". Time
+to keep myself entertained.
+
+X29
+</pre>]]></description>
+</item>
 <item>
   <title>Voortrekker - Love from Esperance</title>
   <author>alexis@cosmic.voyage (alexis)</author>