Steam power alternative (for Darkhart101 and Blurugirl)

[Blurugirl]

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Okay, not that long ago, and cosmologically speaking, not that far away.

The planet in question is called Revned, the third planet orbiting a yellow dwarf star less than a hundred light years from our own. And the time frame is when a global war had encompassed our planet for a second time.

The climate on Revned is similar to ours, but the technology...well, the technology took a hard right turn at the beginning of the steam age, and a visitor to Revned might wonder what the hell happened to the laws of physics as well, since some of them don't quite work the way they do in our world. That's because, even though Revned is less than a hundred light years from Earth, to get there, you'd also have to be able to tilt reality a couple of degrees. Not a lot of degrees, but just a couple.

Vacuum doesn't exist between planets. Maybe beyond the solar system, perhaps, but between the planets is an ill-defined, oft studied but still understood just well enough to work with substance called ether. Well, actually, the inhabitants of Revned call it something else, but it would translate into English as ether. The existence of ether allows steam powered rockets from the planet of Revned to travel to other worlds in their planetary system.

If one were to make a parallel between Revned civilization and that of Earth, one might think of them as Victorian era with a hard steampunk edge. The leading civilization on Revned, in fact, resembles Victorian Britain, and particularly the British penchant for sport, exploration, and the assumption of the Blue Man's Burden to bring civilization to the rest of the solar system.

Oh, did I mention the denizens of Revned were blue skinned? Well, they're blue skinned. They do bear a remarkable resemblance to humans. Except for the blue skin. And the metallic color of hair. And some odd eye colors. Odd in our perspective

Our story begins with Princess Anaid

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and her companion, Lady Nairam

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who, as you can see, have nonhuman hair color that extends to the entirety of their body. In this instance, however, they're not getting undressed to engage in some illicit activities. As one could tell by their facial and body tattoos (if one were educated in the social and cultural norms of their particular Revned society), both young women, the equivalent of eighteen year olds on our world, are high born and thus have no practical knowledge of interactions with the opposite sex (though they do engage in speculation among themselves about the subject). The ladies are, in fact, putting on special undergarments which allow them to participate in Opewolra, a sport which combines elements of jousting, skydiving, polo and, oddly enough, curling. In Women's Opewolra, Princess Anaid is considered an unequaled strategist, and Lady Nairam is THE Top Player among woman players across the planet.

The two highborn women have just put on their practice uniforms and are proceeding to the practice grounds, chatting happily, when an event happens on another planet that will change the destiny of Revned forever.

 

[darkhart101]

On earth however, sport was hardly on much of the world's mind. World War II had reached in crescendo. The allies where making a grand push and inching ever closer to Berlin. The 3rd Riech was growing desperate and the fuhrer was grasping at straws to ensure to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

A young farm boy from America had join the army willingly when he turned 18. In two short years he had mad a bit of a name for himself amongst some of the allied platoons dispatched in the European theater as well as some of the more far stretched units of the German ranks. During this great push towards Berlin this young farm boy and his unit stumbled themselves upon an otherwise hidden research base. Ever eager to seek a bit of renown for themselves and to shoot themselves some Nazis, the group waited for cover of night to assault the facility.

If any of the allie research teams who were sent to explore various scientific bases and research facilities had found this sight, they would have discovered quite a technological marvel. With was housed a prototype teleporter of sorts. The scientists used experimental substances onw of which was ether, the notes on which were cryptic and coded and would take some serious explanation to decipher. However, with poor timing on the part of the american infiltration group, things when belly up and fast.

As the scientists fired up their teleportation device for its maiden voyage, our young farm boy and his group burst in, guns blazing. Chaos ensued as scientists and soldiers frantically tried to save research, salvage equipment and make good their escape. But Fate was not kind, to them not their assailants. As the machine reached its apex, our young farm boy, one Jayce O'Hare, raced in trying to stop one of the scientists. He managed to stop him but as the scientist passed the control board a dial was turned sending the reactor into a critical state. The event horizon of the device fluctuated and warpped as the machine went into melt down and in a matter of moments the entire sight, it's in habitents, its assailants, and the research within was vaporized leaving nothing but desolation that was later chalked up to the wake of an air raid.

As luck would have it however, the powers that be in the universe saw fit to spare but one life. Corporal Jayce O'Hare had been spared obliteration but was doomed to never see his home planet, let alone his home town ever again. The event horizon in its flux had latched on to Jayce and pulled him through the ether near seconds before the explosion. In what seemed like seconds, he was flung to the far reaches of the galaxy to a a solar system of a small yellow dwarf sun. It was here he was spit out on a small planet third from that sun where its inhabitants sported blue skin and metallic colored hair. It is here, that his real story begins

 

[Blurugirl]

"On your best," hissed Lord Tromevold at the sound of the princess and her companion approaching. The small squad of soldiers on guard in the palatial corridor promptly brought their new rifles to the ready.

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In truth, there was no reason for palace guards to be equipped with the newest rifles available to the infantry. They were ceremonial guards at best, and projectile weapons were just as good in the palace corridors as the new energy weapons were. But Lord Tromevold had ambitions. And so when the new energy rifles were being disseminated throughout the military, he made sure the garrison stationed at the palace were among the first units issued them.

If Lord Tromevold had hoped having the new armament would catch the eye of the princess or her noble companion, he was doomed to disappointment. As the princess and Lady Nairam walked down the twenty foot wide, twenty foot high corridor, both gave a nod of recognition to Lord Tromevold and the guards lining the corridor, but otherwise didn't react to the new weapons at all.

And then there was an explosion of colors, and something appeared.

The something looked like a man, but it was all the wrong colors. It was too pale, and the hair on top of its head was something unnatural.

But to their credit, Lord Tromevold and his guards got over their surprise immediately. Suddenly ten energy rifles were aimed directly at the pale creature and Lord Tromevold, ceremonial sword drawn, ordered the creature," Ton od ivom ro em klid!"