Thargoid Witchspace Drive

Download 0.9.4 from box.com

Also mirrored on JazHaz's Box.

Overview

Thargoid Witchspace Drive v 0.9.4 - 20/4/2012 Capt Murphy.

Credits: Inspired by similar work by Mauiby de Fug, Okti and Switeck. A big thank-you to Switeck in particular for getting me interested in this concept, exhaustive testing, and for his constructive comments and discussion. Model and texture used courtesy of Thargoid. Also thanks to Okti, Eric Walch and Micha for testing a prototype.

Requires: Oolite 1.76

Dependencies: This OXP has setting that can be accessed via OXPConfig v 2.08 or above. Not essential for it to be installed.

Notes: More info, including information for other OXPers on how to temporarily disable the OXP and some spoilers can be found in spoilers.rtf enclosed with this OXP.

Teaser / Clues.

The Goid's Head is a sleazy little bar on the lowest deck of Riedquat station. The Lethal Brandy is unusually lethal, and it's hard to see for the clouds of exhaled Megaweed vapour drifting quietly around the dank atmosphere. But it's a good place to hear some of the more interesting tall tales from the less salubrious corners of the eight.

As you walk in, scanning the motley assortment of humans and rodents who tend to call the establishment home you spot a grizzled old human gesticulating wildly and talking with a level of animation unusual for the venue and its generally heavily 'medicated' clientele. He looks worn out with a tangled grey beard, long greasy hair and a wild look to his eyes that suggests far too many years alone in the spacelanes and far too little sleep. His fore-arms are heavily scarred with old Trumble bite marks.

You take a seat nearby, nursing a watered down brandy and start to play 'Angry Thargoids' on your ooPad, while listening surreptitiously to the old man.

"I tell you these things exist, I've had two. Thargoid Witchspace Drives are the real deal, a spacer's dream. I've crossed each chart many times in a single extended jump, crossed the Great Rift a dozen times and even got to Oresrati. They are fast too, for a lot of routes it beats the official records set by the witchspace relay racers using Quirium Drives."

The old man pauses.

"So have you got one on your ship? Let's go see this frakkin' wonder, Grand-dad", scoffs a purple mohicaned rodent, the old man's only audience.

The old man looks crestfallen.

"Umm no, it was confiscated at Zaonce a couple of weeks ago. Galcop seem to think it's forbidden tech. The first one blew up crossing the Great Rift. They're not always the most stable of devices. Need to get another."

The rodent laughs, "So where to buy a frakkin' unstable 'goid drive, Grand-dad?"

The old man looks pensive for a few seconds, before downing a greasy tumbler of glistening silver liquid. He shudders slightly, leans forward towards the rodent and lowers his voice. You watch his lips intently out of the corner of your eye.

"You can't buy a Thargoid Witchspace Drive. If you spend enough time hunting and killing 'goids in their natural habitat you'll eventually find one intact in the wreckage of a 'goid ship. Scoop it then find someone who can jury-rig it to your ship. Some of the more advanced Anarchies have tech-geeks with the necessary skill and disregard for the law. Some of them are better than others, and can tune the drive for a more stable configuration."

The rodent's interest is piqued, "'Goids natural habitat?"

"Yep", replies the old spacer, "Interstellar space. You know the score, max pitch or dive as you hit the witch-tunnel and boom, 'goid target practice." A predatory grin spreads slowly across his grizzled face, and his narrowed eyes gleam with pleasure at the thought.

"Frak!", mutters the rodent, "Interstellar space? Deliberate frakkin' misjump to go hunt some 'goids? Suicide space is what we frakkin' call it 'round 'ere. You're one crazy feline-frakker, Grand-dad, but I'll buy you another drink for the tale."

"Thanks, but don't call me Grand-dad, Murph is the name....."

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