Post by zogster on Sept 21, 2005 1:23:56 GMT -5
Reposting Chapter 1 because it was far, far too long since I wrote and first posted it. And I have a new chapter finally ready.
Setting is vaguely post battle-story, some twenty years after the "Three Tigers" period, using ideas but not plot, characters or similar elements from NC/0. Zoids and all are copyright Tomy, but the characters are entirely my fault.
*****
Zoids Unlimited
Chapter 1 – Royale
The sleek sliver hovercar glided easily across the arcing bridge leading away from the Island City airport. It settled comfortably in position with the cars around it in a high-speed lane, leading through the city’s highway network, the driver intent on their destination. Around it, the sun was shining on the water and a light breeze blew, whipping up tiny wavelets that sparkled in the reflected sun.
Within, the driver briefly glanced over to her passenger, checking on her comfort. To look at the pair, one couldn’t help but notice the similarities. Both young women were blonde, with clear blue eyes and a distinctive lean, stern look to their faces. The driver however was clearly the older of the two. Even seated, she was several centimeters taller than her passenger, and her dress was in a more mature, professional style. Her hair was also cut shorter, hanging straight down to her shoulders. The passenger wore looser, more comfortable clothes, and her long hair was swept roughly over her shoulder, letting her enjoy the soft leather seats more.
“How was the flight?” the older woman asked casually?
“Boring, sis. I slept most of the way through it,” the younger replied.
“Good thing too. Your battle starts in just over two hours.”
The younger woman glared at her sister, and rolled her eyes back. “Can’t they give me a break? I only just arrived in town.”
“Christina, the ZUB commission doesn’t arrange battles around the competitors’ personal lives.”
“Except for yours, Anita.”
Anita could help but give a smug smile. “That’s different. This is your first battle and you have to make a good impression. Did you go over the files I gave you?”
Christina glanced at her carry-on bag, nestled comfortably on the back seat of the hovercar. Tucked away inside was a collection of dossiers on fourteen other Zoid pilots, which she had briefly glanced at on the plane before tucking away. “Honestly, no,” she said, turning back to Anita. When her older sister raised a curious eyebrow, Christina frowned and backed into the seat more. “It didn’t seem right. You used your position to get those files, and none of the other contestants would have them.”
Anita didn’t seem disappointed. She waited a second, choosing her words, before replying. “Don’t think I’m the only one with access to such files. It’s not exactly cheating, and you can be sure that some of the other contestants will already know all about you.”
“Still…” Christina trailed off, and instead turned to look out the window. The hovercar glided over the crest of the bridge’s gentle arc, and suddenly the whole city was spread out below her. She couldn’t help but gape in amazement at the sight of her new home.
Island city comprised of a massive coastal inlet, the waters dotted with islands of all sizes. All around them, arcing bridges stretched from the north and south shores and between the islands, all of which had been built on. The city was laced with greenery, hand-in-hand with the shining, modern architecture that spread out across the islands and reached up to the sky. All through the water she could see ships moving about; some private vehicles, some public ferries, and even transports with Zoids on their backs, ferrying them between hangers and to the numerous battle arenas throughout the islands and on the shore.
Up ahead, she could see a massive open-air arena, dominating a large island that was the hub of at least half a dozen different bridges and was ringed with docks. On one she could make out a black and gold Brastle Tiger slowly walking up the dock and to one of the arena’s many entrances.
“Central stadium, Chris. Where you’ll make your debut. Nervous?”
Incredibly, Christina thought, but she couldn’t let Anita know that. “No. I’ve been ready for weeks.”
Anita chuckled to herself, and they drove on.
*****
“Ladies and gentlemen, one and all, welcome to Central Stadium for this season’s ZUB starter match! I’m K-Master, alongside “Doc” Walters, ready to bring you the latest and greatest Zoid pilots from across the globe.”
Anita glanced at the projection that currently dominated the corporate box’s window out onto the grounds. Partially transparent on the display were the ZUB’s top commentators, sitting behind their announcing desk on the far side of the arena, the crowd cheering and clamouring for attention behind them. A stocky, balding man in his thirties wearing a white muscle shirt and proudly displaying a Koenig Wolf’s head tattooed on his shoulder turned to his companion, a lean, bookish man in a sensible blue shirt and tie. “And what a match it’s going to be, Doc.”
“A fifteen Zoid battle royale is what we have today,” the leaner commentator replied. “A record for entrance into a non-team battle.”
“Background off,” Anita said, waving vaguely at the screen. The crowd immediately vanished from view, giving her a clearer look at the arena. It was a simple design in the shape of an elongated octagon, but massively oversized. She had seen all manner of competitions in this arena, single and team based, ranging from simple one on one matches to medium-range firefights. It proudly boasted to be the largest Zoid arena on the planet, and certainly the only one that could contain a match like today’s.
“Yes Doc, the ZUB is so popular, we’re just getting so many new entrants that we don’t know what to do with them all.” K-Master turned to the camera, arms open, his expression one of fake exasperation. Anita waved her hand down, and the volume faded to a whisper. She sat, crossing her legs and looking out into the arena.
The announcers continued to prattle on in the background, filling the home viewers in on what she already knew. Due to an unprecedented intake between seasons, the Zoids Unlimited Battle commissioner had decided to stage a battle royale between all the newcomers to determine their initial ranking in singles competition.
“Of course, that we’ve had such a huge intake is just another reason why ZUB is the best Zoid battling league there is!” K-Master proudly proclaimed.
And that’s another bonus you just earned, Anita thought as she eyed the balding man. He was a former singles champion in the ZBC – the main Zoid battling contest across Zi that had been running for ages – but had been lured to the ZUB by promises of a cushy position and a fat paycheck. Of course, it meant he had to badmouth and denigrate the ZBC whenever he could, but he slid into that role easily.
Walters took the more moderate – and more accurate – approach: That ZUB was simply a different, elitist competition. Anita nodded as the lean man rebuffed his colleague’s comments. ZUB simply had better talent scouts and more aggressive marketing. That and it was entirely corporate owned and run leant a different flavour to the competition.
Speaking of which… “Mute,” Anita commanded as she heard the door open behind her. A tall, handsome and finely dressed man entered, extending a leather-gloved hand to her. Anita stood and shook it, looking directly at her ultimate employer: Reed Dowling, head of Dowling-Storm Media Group and sole owner of the ZUB.
Reed smiled as he released her hand and made his way down to the row of chairs. “How is my champion today?” he asked. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the display of the announcers, preferring instead to watch technicians scurrying across the arena floor, preparing everything for the upcoming battle.
“Glad to be watching instead of competing for once,” she replied. They took seats, looking out over the massive arena. Unheard, a waiter entered and delicately placed wine glasses at their sides.
“I know you’ve got a personal interest in this match. Eager to see how young Christina does?” Reed tipped his glass to her, and sipped gently.
“Partly. I’m also looking for a partner.”
Reed cocked a eyebrow at her. “Partner? We don’t have a doubles competition, you know.”
Anita nodded. “I want to enter a two-man team into the team ladder. Of course, I’ll need someone who can keep up with me,” she added, a smile breaking across her lips.
Reed nodded slightly. “I like the idea. Two on four, two on five… It means you’re going easy on them.” When Anita nodded, he continued. “Why not have Christina join you? I hear she came close to beating your records in training.”
“Christina needs her own space. I’m more interested in a follower.”
Reed chuckled. “That’s my champion.”
*****
Christina sat in the cockpit of her Genosaur, waiting in silence, staring out at the stark hangar doors. Each of the contestants had been called out in order, starting with the Hammerhead that was on her left, and circling all the way around the arena. As she watched, the door to her right opened and a Steel Armour strode out to the arena grounds, its finned tail swishing with an air of confidence as it departed. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she was last, she thought. The pilots had been cut off from the announcements and couldn’t communicate with each other but she knew that they’d be making a fuss about her relation to her sister.
To their reigning and youngest singles champion. To their only champion with an undefeated singles record. To the champion with the fastest rise to the top ever. To the White Storm, the Berserk Fury that had defeated all manner of Zoids and pilots with hardly a scratch on it. And they’d all be watching her to see if she lived up to the legend.
And now it was her chance. The door before her slowly opened and she could hear the roar of the crowd packing the arena, all eyes looking down below the corporate box, all waiting for her, the final entrant into the match.
Time to perform. She put the Genosaur into a slow walk and emerged into the noonday sun. All around her, the arena echoed with the audience’s cheers. The Genosaur’s head swished left and right, letting Christina assess her opponents. They were mostly large Zoids, the size of her Genosaur or larger, apart from the Steel Armour and Hammerhead to her sides. On the far side of the arena, a white and green Iron Kong dominated the contestants, and to her far left she could see an Elephander, impatiently swishing its trunk. Close by, to her right, she could see the same gold and black Brastle Tiger that had caught her eye coming into the arena. It was glaring at the Steel Armour between them, its mouth slightly open, clearly anticipating taking a bite from the Blox.
Her attention was brought back to a communications screen on her control panel. A simple timer had begun, counting down the last thirty seconds until the match begun. Already, plans were forming in her mind. The Hammerhead could hit hard and fast with its missiles, but wouldn’t be a problem after that. Best to avoid being its target. The Steel Armour looked like it would largely be a moot point. She didn’t want to stick around when the Brastle Tiger finished, though, and had to get moving.
She nodded silently in her cockpit, watching the seconds tick away. This was it.
*****
“And it’s go time!” K-Master shouted, somehow managing to be heard above the roar of the crowd. Already the Zoids had started moving, each one embarking on its pilot’s plan for victory. “I’ve been in these kinda fights before, and I can tell you it’s gonna be chaos out there.”
“The advantage immediately goes to the Iron Kong and Elephander, being two of the most heavily armoured Zoids in ZUB competition,” Doc Walters replied. “And since the Elephander has already activated its trunk-mounted e-shield, it’s sending a clear message to the competition.”
“That it’s afraid,” K-Master shot back. “Not like that Brastle Tiger. Look at it rip! Folks, less than a minute into the contest and we have our first casualty! Melissa Valentine’s Brastle has just snacked on the Steel Armour.”
“Not a smart move, as she’s taking fire already. A Cannonfort on the opposite side took advantage of her distraction, and is pinning her down with fire.” Doc winced as an ear-splitting boom from the arena signaled another volley from the Cannonfort. “The key to this kind of battle is survival, either by withstanding or simply evading enemy fire for as long as possible.”
“That’s just what our new star Christina is doing. Look at her go!”
Setting is vaguely post battle-story, some twenty years after the "Three Tigers" period, using ideas but not plot, characters or similar elements from NC/0. Zoids and all are copyright Tomy, but the characters are entirely my fault.
*****
Zoids Unlimited
Chapter 1 – Royale
The sleek sliver hovercar glided easily across the arcing bridge leading away from the Island City airport. It settled comfortably in position with the cars around it in a high-speed lane, leading through the city’s highway network, the driver intent on their destination. Around it, the sun was shining on the water and a light breeze blew, whipping up tiny wavelets that sparkled in the reflected sun.
Within, the driver briefly glanced over to her passenger, checking on her comfort. To look at the pair, one couldn’t help but notice the similarities. Both young women were blonde, with clear blue eyes and a distinctive lean, stern look to their faces. The driver however was clearly the older of the two. Even seated, she was several centimeters taller than her passenger, and her dress was in a more mature, professional style. Her hair was also cut shorter, hanging straight down to her shoulders. The passenger wore looser, more comfortable clothes, and her long hair was swept roughly over her shoulder, letting her enjoy the soft leather seats more.
“How was the flight?” the older woman asked casually?
“Boring, sis. I slept most of the way through it,” the younger replied.
“Good thing too. Your battle starts in just over two hours.”
The younger woman glared at her sister, and rolled her eyes back. “Can’t they give me a break? I only just arrived in town.”
“Christina, the ZUB commission doesn’t arrange battles around the competitors’ personal lives.”
“Except for yours, Anita.”
Anita could help but give a smug smile. “That’s different. This is your first battle and you have to make a good impression. Did you go over the files I gave you?”
Christina glanced at her carry-on bag, nestled comfortably on the back seat of the hovercar. Tucked away inside was a collection of dossiers on fourteen other Zoid pilots, which she had briefly glanced at on the plane before tucking away. “Honestly, no,” she said, turning back to Anita. When her older sister raised a curious eyebrow, Christina frowned and backed into the seat more. “It didn’t seem right. You used your position to get those files, and none of the other contestants would have them.”
Anita didn’t seem disappointed. She waited a second, choosing her words, before replying. “Don’t think I’m the only one with access to such files. It’s not exactly cheating, and you can be sure that some of the other contestants will already know all about you.”
“Still…” Christina trailed off, and instead turned to look out the window. The hovercar glided over the crest of the bridge’s gentle arc, and suddenly the whole city was spread out below her. She couldn’t help but gape in amazement at the sight of her new home.
Island city comprised of a massive coastal inlet, the waters dotted with islands of all sizes. All around them, arcing bridges stretched from the north and south shores and between the islands, all of which had been built on. The city was laced with greenery, hand-in-hand with the shining, modern architecture that spread out across the islands and reached up to the sky. All through the water she could see ships moving about; some private vehicles, some public ferries, and even transports with Zoids on their backs, ferrying them between hangers and to the numerous battle arenas throughout the islands and on the shore.
Up ahead, she could see a massive open-air arena, dominating a large island that was the hub of at least half a dozen different bridges and was ringed with docks. On one she could make out a black and gold Brastle Tiger slowly walking up the dock and to one of the arena’s many entrances.
“Central stadium, Chris. Where you’ll make your debut. Nervous?”
Incredibly, Christina thought, but she couldn’t let Anita know that. “No. I’ve been ready for weeks.”
Anita chuckled to herself, and they drove on.
*****
“Ladies and gentlemen, one and all, welcome to Central Stadium for this season’s ZUB starter match! I’m K-Master, alongside “Doc” Walters, ready to bring you the latest and greatest Zoid pilots from across the globe.”
Anita glanced at the projection that currently dominated the corporate box’s window out onto the grounds. Partially transparent on the display were the ZUB’s top commentators, sitting behind their announcing desk on the far side of the arena, the crowd cheering and clamouring for attention behind them. A stocky, balding man in his thirties wearing a white muscle shirt and proudly displaying a Koenig Wolf’s head tattooed on his shoulder turned to his companion, a lean, bookish man in a sensible blue shirt and tie. “And what a match it’s going to be, Doc.”
“A fifteen Zoid battle royale is what we have today,” the leaner commentator replied. “A record for entrance into a non-team battle.”
“Background off,” Anita said, waving vaguely at the screen. The crowd immediately vanished from view, giving her a clearer look at the arena. It was a simple design in the shape of an elongated octagon, but massively oversized. She had seen all manner of competitions in this arena, single and team based, ranging from simple one on one matches to medium-range firefights. It proudly boasted to be the largest Zoid arena on the planet, and certainly the only one that could contain a match like today’s.
“Yes Doc, the ZUB is so popular, we’re just getting so many new entrants that we don’t know what to do with them all.” K-Master turned to the camera, arms open, his expression one of fake exasperation. Anita waved her hand down, and the volume faded to a whisper. She sat, crossing her legs and looking out into the arena.
The announcers continued to prattle on in the background, filling the home viewers in on what she already knew. Due to an unprecedented intake between seasons, the Zoids Unlimited Battle commissioner had decided to stage a battle royale between all the newcomers to determine their initial ranking in singles competition.
“Of course, that we’ve had such a huge intake is just another reason why ZUB is the best Zoid battling league there is!” K-Master proudly proclaimed.
And that’s another bonus you just earned, Anita thought as she eyed the balding man. He was a former singles champion in the ZBC – the main Zoid battling contest across Zi that had been running for ages – but had been lured to the ZUB by promises of a cushy position and a fat paycheck. Of course, it meant he had to badmouth and denigrate the ZBC whenever he could, but he slid into that role easily.
Walters took the more moderate – and more accurate – approach: That ZUB was simply a different, elitist competition. Anita nodded as the lean man rebuffed his colleague’s comments. ZUB simply had better talent scouts and more aggressive marketing. That and it was entirely corporate owned and run leant a different flavour to the competition.
Speaking of which… “Mute,” Anita commanded as she heard the door open behind her. A tall, handsome and finely dressed man entered, extending a leather-gloved hand to her. Anita stood and shook it, looking directly at her ultimate employer: Reed Dowling, head of Dowling-Storm Media Group and sole owner of the ZUB.
Reed smiled as he released her hand and made his way down to the row of chairs. “How is my champion today?” he asked. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the display of the announcers, preferring instead to watch technicians scurrying across the arena floor, preparing everything for the upcoming battle.
“Glad to be watching instead of competing for once,” she replied. They took seats, looking out over the massive arena. Unheard, a waiter entered and delicately placed wine glasses at their sides.
“I know you’ve got a personal interest in this match. Eager to see how young Christina does?” Reed tipped his glass to her, and sipped gently.
“Partly. I’m also looking for a partner.”
Reed cocked a eyebrow at her. “Partner? We don’t have a doubles competition, you know.”
Anita nodded. “I want to enter a two-man team into the team ladder. Of course, I’ll need someone who can keep up with me,” she added, a smile breaking across her lips.
Reed nodded slightly. “I like the idea. Two on four, two on five… It means you’re going easy on them.” When Anita nodded, he continued. “Why not have Christina join you? I hear she came close to beating your records in training.”
“Christina needs her own space. I’m more interested in a follower.”
Reed chuckled. “That’s my champion.”
*****
Christina sat in the cockpit of her Genosaur, waiting in silence, staring out at the stark hangar doors. Each of the contestants had been called out in order, starting with the Hammerhead that was on her left, and circling all the way around the arena. As she watched, the door to her right opened and a Steel Armour strode out to the arena grounds, its finned tail swishing with an air of confidence as it departed. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she was last, she thought. The pilots had been cut off from the announcements and couldn’t communicate with each other but she knew that they’d be making a fuss about her relation to her sister.
To their reigning and youngest singles champion. To their only champion with an undefeated singles record. To the champion with the fastest rise to the top ever. To the White Storm, the Berserk Fury that had defeated all manner of Zoids and pilots with hardly a scratch on it. And they’d all be watching her to see if she lived up to the legend.
And now it was her chance. The door before her slowly opened and she could hear the roar of the crowd packing the arena, all eyes looking down below the corporate box, all waiting for her, the final entrant into the match.
Time to perform. She put the Genosaur into a slow walk and emerged into the noonday sun. All around her, the arena echoed with the audience’s cheers. The Genosaur’s head swished left and right, letting Christina assess her opponents. They were mostly large Zoids, the size of her Genosaur or larger, apart from the Steel Armour and Hammerhead to her sides. On the far side of the arena, a white and green Iron Kong dominated the contestants, and to her far left she could see an Elephander, impatiently swishing its trunk. Close by, to her right, she could see the same gold and black Brastle Tiger that had caught her eye coming into the arena. It was glaring at the Steel Armour between them, its mouth slightly open, clearly anticipating taking a bite from the Blox.
Her attention was brought back to a communications screen on her control panel. A simple timer had begun, counting down the last thirty seconds until the match begun. Already, plans were forming in her mind. The Hammerhead could hit hard and fast with its missiles, but wouldn’t be a problem after that. Best to avoid being its target. The Steel Armour looked like it would largely be a moot point. She didn’t want to stick around when the Brastle Tiger finished, though, and had to get moving.
She nodded silently in her cockpit, watching the seconds tick away. This was it.
*****
“And it’s go time!” K-Master shouted, somehow managing to be heard above the roar of the crowd. Already the Zoids had started moving, each one embarking on its pilot’s plan for victory. “I’ve been in these kinda fights before, and I can tell you it’s gonna be chaos out there.”
“The advantage immediately goes to the Iron Kong and Elephander, being two of the most heavily armoured Zoids in ZUB competition,” Doc Walters replied. “And since the Elephander has already activated its trunk-mounted e-shield, it’s sending a clear message to the competition.”
“That it’s afraid,” K-Master shot back. “Not like that Brastle Tiger. Look at it rip! Folks, less than a minute into the contest and we have our first casualty! Melissa Valentine’s Brastle has just snacked on the Steel Armour.”
“Not a smart move, as she’s taking fire already. A Cannonfort on the opposite side took advantage of her distraction, and is pinning her down with fire.” Doc winced as an ear-splitting boom from the arena signaled another volley from the Cannonfort. “The key to this kind of battle is survival, either by withstanding or simply evading enemy fire for as long as possible.”
“That’s just what our new star Christina is doing. Look at her go!”