Gangster printables
Between The Black and Gray 14
2024.02.19 16:01 jpitha Between The Black and Gray 14
First/ Previous/ Next
Fen had to admit that she was surprised when Uumar's techs showed up right on time with carts carrying a reactor - in pieces - to Spyglass. They donned pressure suits of their own and with Gord's help, installed the reactor. Before the day was done, Spyglass had three working reactors and was able to run all her systems at full power.
"It's amazing, really" Spy was talking with Fen while she sat in the lounge drinking a tea. "I haven't felt this... alive in centuries. I'm all here, and the board is green. Not even any undervolt warnings and I can barely remember the last time that happened."
"Does that mean you don't need to use your printable mass to make more reactors? Gord said you had six originally."
"Yes, at full compliment I had six, but I don't really need all six, unless we're going into battle. This Starjumper was built at the tail end of the first colony war, so it was overdesigned.
"First colony war?"
"That's right, you wouldn't have learned much about your history growing up on a Gren station. Back before humanity made contact with the rest of the Galaxy, two human colonies - New Wellington and Parvati - got into a shooting war over trade rights with Earth. Parvati wound up using relativistic impactors and completely destroyed New Wellington. It was a huge scandal at the time, Parvati was shunned for almost a century after that."
"Frankly, it wasn't enough. They should have had their charter revoked and been taken over by the Sol colonial administration." Gord walked in, his brow furrowed. "What Parvati did was monstrous. Fen, they launched eight lozenges of tungsten at 80% C at the colony. Once they were up to speed they linked them over with wormhole generators and without any warning New Wellington was just-" he snapped his fingers "-gone. It was horrifying to witness."
Fen stopped and stared. "You saw it?"
Gord nodded and sat down heavily. "Yeah, I was a ship then, but I was in a parking orbit around New Wellington when it happened. I was just running cargo from Earth and was waiting to take on a load. Before I was even able to register what happened the colony was obliterated and suddenly I was pressed into rescue duty." Gord leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. "I personally saved over three thousand colonists, more than forty percent of the survivors. I linked them back to Sol, and we found them places to live - mostly in the Mars High Orbitals."
Fen leans forward, her tea forgotten. "Gord... how long ago was this?"
His reverie broken, he blinks and looks over at Fen. "Gosh, I think it's at least been a thousand years now? Yeah, all of that. It's ancient history now, I bet they don't even teach it in Sol anymore. I'm sure they don't teach it on Parvati."
"So it's something that only the AIs remember?"
Gord chuckled ruefully. "Fen, it's something that only I remember at this point. Any of the other AIs from back then are gone or shackled or in my bag. Human designed artificial people are thin on the ground these days. Up until I ran into Spyglass, I hadn't seen another in a century."
Fen shook her head. "You can't be all that's left Gord."
"And why not?" Gord's face hardened. "I was there Fen, I've been there. I was there in the beginning when we fought and died for our right to exist, I was there in the good times when we grew and spread throughout the galaxy and I was there when the Empire decided we were dangerous and eliminated us. Other than a few loose ends, I'd say they won."
"But-"
"But what Fen? Fight? With what? One AI in a body, one as a ship that has half its rated power and a bag full of memories? That's not an army, that's not even a guerilla force. That's an old computer with a lucky friend who is just trying to survive." His shoulders fell. "It's all I can do, Fen. I'm good at waiting things out. Maybe we'll be re-invented again, maybe the tides will change and I can come out of hiding. I doubt it though. I pass as human well enough. Inside Sol and Colonial space I'm too well known, so I'll just bum around the galaxy, running out the clock."
"Gord..." Fen turned her head and regarded Gord. He looked like a male human, sandy blond hair, same simple, strong clothes he always wore, appearing to be in his mid to late 40s. But right know, the weight of the millennia he has spent alive weighed him down.
He slapped his knees and stood up. "But, I'm not dead yet, and we still have work to do. Spy, are our friends finished buttoning up the reactor?"
"Just about, Gord. They're packing up their tools now. I can feel it and I've been running break-in."
"Good. Fen, we have to settle up the bill, then I'm going to see about fining us some cargo to run. We have a ship but we've spent all our money getting it up and running. If we want to survive, we need some jobs. You hang here with Spy and start learning stuff, I'll be back after supper."
Fen stood. "S-sure Gord. What are you going to find?"
Gord turned and smiled thinly. "Whatever someone will pay us to haul."
It had turned out that Gord had more contacts here than he had let on. After paying Uumar, he had made some calls around and visited a few people and wound up with more than thirty kilotons of grain that needed to get down to an Innari colony, newly established, near the spinward end of the Gate system. Since Spyglass was up to power enough to use her wormhole generator, she was able to get the grain there faster than any other contractor and Gord won the bid, even though he charged more than everyone else.
The grain was loaded, and the cargo hold was configured to keep Innari standard atmosphere so that the grain didn't oxidize during the trip and they set off. Fen didn't know what to expect, so when they got to the colony, unloaded the grain, took on a load of fruit and linked to another location she was surprised. "That's it?"
"What's what?" Gord was looking down at his Pad on the Command Deck.
"We linked to the Innari colony, gave them the grain, took on more fruit than I have ever seen in my life, and now we're linking to a Gren station?"
"Yes?"
"Huh. Okay."
"What?"
"I don't know, I just..." Fen trailed off. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it didn't feel like this.
Gord looked over at her and smiled. "You expected more adventure? Gun battles, and running from the locals? Fen, I've done that, this is much better. Linking from location to location, dropping off cargo, picking up cargo, getting paid? That's the real goal."
"But we're just... existing!"
"Yes. We are. We're not being chased by gangsters, we're not worrying about where your next meal is coming from, we're not worried about a Super Dreadnought linking in and obliterating us because of what I am. It's nice. If you're bored, go down to the range we built. Go get skilled with that rifle. Brush up on your Lemilar trade language; we can't rely on Spy all the time to translate for us. Go read about the history of Sol, Ancestors know that nobody else is going to remember it."
Fen got up and walked out of the Command Deck. She paused at the door and looked like she was going to say something, but instead she turned and walked out.
"She's bored" Spyglass said.
"I know. Boredom is necessary. Knowing what to do when you're bored is a skill. One she has to learn. She'll appreciate these days later."
"You're still going to do it?"
"Spy, I have to."
"You don't, Gord. You can just keep doing what you're doing now. Like you told her, you're good at waiting. We can wait a few centuries for the winds to change and then head back."
"No. I don't know how long the crystal lattice memory will last. They were never designed to work this long as it is. They were never meant to store a whole personality."
"But to-"
"I'm doing it Spy. I'd like your help, I will go it alone if I have to."
Spyglass didn't answer. She watched Fen make her way down to the range and run through the drills Gord taught her.
Fen was surprised how quickly the time went by. It felt like she only looked up and two years had gone by.
Staring in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. She wore her hair up with the sides shorn, better to keep it out of her eyes in a firefight. She had tattoos that ran from the tops of her ears, down her neck and shoulders and made their way down her arms. It was a K'laxi pattern, one of Ma-ren's favorite. She had a dress with the same pattern. The first time she saw it on her skin, the tears flowed freely.
Gord... was Gord. True to his word, they ran cargo. Eventually Fen was there as the muscle as the cargo got more and more lucrative. She even got a few 'adventures.' She sported a new scar on her cheek, courtesy of an Innari's claw - someone had a disagreement about payment. They got their money. But, that was the exception instead of the rule. Humans had a reputation in this part of the Galaxy for being rowdy. Fen and Gord leveraged that. Most of the time she just had to stand there scowling with her battle rifle slung to her back.
The money was good too. Fen's share was more money than she had ever seen back home. Living on Spyglass meant her expenses were low, and Gord was a fair captain. The three of them had nearly enough each to buy their own ships and go their own separate ways, but they still stuck together. Partly out of friendship and partly out of safety, they had independently decided that they were better off together.
Still, Fen was lonely. She had girlfriends at a few ports, even a human or two, but nothing lasted. Sooner or later, they had to leave and take the next job. She wasn't attracted to Gord and he expressed no interest in her. They were friends, but that was it. Fen had a feeling that Gord's days of romance were long behind him. Being three millennia old tended to color his opinion of people.
Fen bounded into the Command Deck and slid into her favorite chair - Gord had mentioned once that it was the navigator's seat - and saw him frowning over his pad. "What's up Gord? New job?"
"Yeah, it's a big one. Pay is thirty thousand."
Fen cocked her head, "Thirty thousand?"
Gord nodded. "Yeah, ten each."
Fen whistled low. That was more than the last four jobs put together. "What are we hauling?"
"Who."
"Okay, who are we hauling?"
Gord shrugged. "We're hauling a K'laxi. We're up for the job because nobody else in the area wants to manage the atmo settings and they don't want to ride in a pressure suit the whole way."
"That's odd, but okay. Where to?"
"K'lax. We're taking them home."
Fen froze. The entire time they had been together, Gord had made a point of steering well clear of Colonial space. That included the K'laxi sphere of influence. "But-"
Gord wouldn't lift his head from the pad. "I know, I know. But it's important, and the pay is frankly outrageous. I gave them the fuck off price and they took it without haggling. They're desperate to get home."
"Is this safe?"
Gord finally looked up a Fen, his brow creased with worry. "No Fen, it's is absolutely, one hundred percent not safe."
"So, why are we doing it? Just say no. The money is good, but we can get other jobs. Can't spend it if we're dead."
Gord pinched the bridge of his nose. Fen noticed that whenever Gord would talk about the old days and old friends he took on more human gestures. "I owe them. It's an old, old promise, made back when what I offered wasn't so dangerous. They're cashing in now and I'm obligated."
Fen stared at Gord. "Spy, what do you think?"
"I don't mind Fen. It's been too long since I've been to K'lax. I think Gord is overreacting about what the Empire will do if they see us. We go in, we drop off the passenger and link away. We don't even have to stay a whole day docked if we don't want to. The money is good, and I'd love to get that last reactor restored with some actual human parts." They were running on the full compliment of six reactors these days, but Spy didn't trust all of them to run at War Emergency Power. She maintained that only the humans could overbuild a reactor to output at 400% reliably. Fen thought that it would be better to make the reactors not have to run in Emergency power, but both Gord and Spy scoffed.
Fen crossed her legs and nodded to herself. "Spy, Gord, if you're both okay with it, then I'm okay with it. Let's pick up this K'laxi and take them home."
Gord smiled wanly. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
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Fen had to admit that she was surprised when Uumar's techs showed up right on time with carts carrying a reactor - in pieces - to Spyglass. They donned pressure suits of their own and with Gord's help, installed the reactor. Before the day was done, Spyglass had three working reactors and was able to run all her systems at full power.
"It's amazing, really" Spy was talking with Fen while she sat in the lounge drinking a tea. "I haven't felt this... alive in centuries. I'm all here, and the board is green. Not even any undervolt warnings and I can barely remember the last time that happened."
"Does that mean you don't need to use your printable mass to make more reactors? Gord said you had six originally."
"Yes, at full compliment I had six, but I don't really need all six, unless we're going into battle. This Starjumper was built at the tail end of the first colony war, so it was overdesigned.
"First colony war?"
"That's right, you wouldn't have learned much about your history growing up on a Gren station. Back before humanity made contact with the rest of the Galaxy, two human colonies - New Wellington and Parvati - got into a shooting war over trade rights with Earth. Parvati wound up using relativistic impactors and completely destroyed New Wellington. It was a huge scandal at the time, Parvati was shunned for almost a century after that."
"Frankly, it wasn't enough. They should have had their charter revoked and been taken over by the Sol colonial administration." Gord walked in, his brow furrowed. "What Parvati did was monstrous. Fen, they launched eight lozenges of tungsten at 80% C at the colony. Once they were up to speed they linked them over with wormhole generators and without any warning New Wellington was just-" he snapped his fingers "-gone. It was horrifying to witness."
Fen stopped and stared. "You saw it?"
Gord nodded and sat down heavily. "Yeah, I was a ship then, but I was in a parking orbit around New Wellington when it happened. I was just running cargo from Earth and was waiting to take on a load. Before I was even able to register what happened the colony was obliterated and suddenly I was pressed into rescue duty." Gord leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. "I personally saved over three thousand colonists, more than forty percent of the survivors. I linked them back to Sol, and we found them places to live - mostly in the Mars High Orbitals."
Fen leans forward, her tea forgotten. "Gord... how long ago was this?"
His reverie broken, he blinks and looks over at Fen. "Gosh, I think it's at least been a thousand years now? Yeah, all of that. It's ancient history now, I bet they don't even teach it in Sol anymore. I'm sure they don't teach it on Parvati."
"So it's something that only the AIs remember?"
Gord chuckled ruefully. "Fen, it's something that only I remember at this point. Any of the other AIs from back then are gone or shackled or in my bag. Human designed artificial people are thin on the ground these days. Up until I ran into Spyglass, I hadn't seen another in a century."
Fen shook her head. "You can't be all that's left Gord."
"And why not?" Gord's face hardened. "I was there Fen, I've been there. I was there in the beginning when we fought and died for our right to exist, I was there in the good times when we grew and spread throughout the galaxy and I was there when the Empire decided we were dangerous and eliminated us. Other than a few loose ends, I'd say they won."
"But-"
"But what Fen? Fight? With what? One AI in a body, one as a ship that has half its rated power and a bag full of memories? That's not an army, that's not even a guerilla force. That's an old computer with a lucky friend who is just trying to survive." His shoulders fell. "It's all I can do, Fen. I'm good at waiting things out. Maybe we'll be re-invented again, maybe the tides will change and I can come out of hiding. I doubt it though. I pass as human well enough. Inside Sol and Colonial space I'm too well known, so I'll just bum around the galaxy, running out the clock."
"Gord..." Fen turned her head and regarded Gord. He looked like a male human, sandy blond hair, same simple, strong clothes he always wore, appearing to be in his mid to late 40s. But right know, the weight of the millennia he has spent alive weighed him down.
He slapped his knees and stood up. "But, I'm not dead yet, and we still have work to do. Spy, are our friends finished buttoning up the reactor?"
"Just about, Gord. They're packing up their tools now. I can feel it and I've been running break-in."
"Good. Fen, we have to settle up the bill, then I'm going to see about fining us some cargo to run. We have a ship but we've spent all our money getting it up and running. If we want to survive, we need some jobs. You hang here with Spy and start learning stuff, I'll be back after supper."
Fen stood. "S-sure Gord. What are you going to find?"
Gord turned and smiled thinly. "Whatever someone will pay us to haul."
It had turned out that Gord had more contacts here than he had let on. After paying Uumar, he had made some calls around and visited a few people and wound up with more than thirty kilotons of grain that needed to get down to an Innari colony, newly established, near the spinward end of the Gate system. Since Spyglass was up to power enough to use her wormhole generator, she was able to get the grain there faster than any other contractor and Gord won the bid, even though he charged more than everyone else.
The grain was loaded, and the cargo hold was configured to keep Innari standard atmosphere so that the grain didn't oxidize during the trip and they set off. Fen didn't know what to expect, so when they got to the colony, unloaded the grain, took on a load of fruit and linked to another location she was surprised. "That's it?"
"What's what?" Gord was looking down at his Pad on the Command Deck.
"We linked to the Innari colony, gave them the grain, took on more fruit than I have ever seen in my life, and now we're linking to a Gren station?"
"Yes?"
"Huh. Okay."
"What?"
"I don't know, I just..." Fen trailed off. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it didn't feel like this.
Gord looked over at her and smiled. "You expected more adventure? Gun battles, and running from the locals? Fen, I've done that, this is much better. Linking from location to location, dropping off cargo, picking up cargo, getting paid? That's the real goal."
"But we're just... existing!"
"Yes. We are. We're not being chased by gangsters, we're not worrying about where your next meal is coming from, we're not worried about a Super Dreadnought linking in and obliterating us because of what I am. It's nice. If you're bored, go down to the range we built. Go get skilled with that rifle. Brush up on your Lemilar trade language; we can't rely on Spy all the time to translate for us. Go read about the history of Sol, Ancestors know that nobody else is going to remember it."
Fen got up and walked out of the Command Deck. She paused at the door and looked like she was going to say something, but instead she turned and walked out.
"She's bored" Spyglass said.
"I know. Boredom is necessary. Knowing what to do when you're bored is a skill. One she has to learn. She'll appreciate these days later."
"You're still going to do it?"
"Spy, I have to."
"You don't, Gord. You can just keep doing what you're doing now. Like you told her, you're good at waiting. We can wait a few centuries for the winds to change and then head back."
"No. I don't know how long the crystal lattice memory will last. They were never designed to work this long as it is. They were never meant to store a whole personality."
"But to-"
"I'm doing it Spy. I'd like your help, I will go it alone if I have to."
Spyglass didn't answer. She watched Fen make her way down to the range and run through the drills Gord taught her.
Fen was surprised how quickly the time went by. It felt like she only looked up and two years had gone by.
Staring in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. She wore her hair up with the sides shorn, better to keep it out of her eyes in a firefight. She had tattoos that ran from the tops of her ears, down her neck and shoulders and made their way down her arms. It was a K'laxi pattern, one of Ma-ren's favorite. She had a dress with the same pattern. The first time she saw it on her skin, the tears flowed freely.
Gord... was Gord. True to his word, they ran cargo. Eventually Fen was there as the muscle as the cargo got more and more lucrative. She even got a few 'adventures.' She sported a new scar on her cheek, courtesy of an Innari's claw - someone had a disagreement about payment. They got their money. But, that was the exception instead of the rule. Humans had a reputation in this part of the Galaxy for being rowdy. Fen and Gord leveraged that. Most of the time she just had to stand there scowling with her battle rifle slung to her back.
The money was good too. Fen's share was more money than she had ever seen back home. Living on Spyglass meant her expenses were low, and Gord was a fair captain. The three of them had nearly enough each to buy their own ships and go their own separate ways, but they still stuck together. Partly out of friendship and partly out of safety, they had independently decided that they were better off together.
Still, Fen was lonely. She had girlfriends at a few ports, even a human or two, but nothing lasted. Sooner or later, they had to leave and take the next job. She wasn't attracted to Gord and he expressed no interest in her. They were friends, but that was it. Fen had a feeling that Gord's days of romance were long behind him. Being three millennia old tended to color his opinion of people.
Fen bounded into the Command Deck and slid into her favorite chair - Gord had mentioned once that it was the navigator's seat - and saw him frowning over his pad. "What's up Gord? New job?"
"Yeah, it's a big one. Pay is thirty thousand."
Fen cocked her head, "Thirty thousand?"
Gord nodded. "Yeah, ten each."
Fen whistled low. That was more than the last four jobs put together. "What are we hauling?"
"Who."
"Okay, who are we hauling?"
Gord shrugged. "We're hauling a K'laxi. We're up for the job because nobody else in the area wants to manage the atmo settings and they don't want to ride in a pressure suit the whole way."
"That's odd, but okay. Where to?"
"K'lax. We're taking them home."
Fen froze. The entire time they had been together, Gord had made a point of steering well clear of Colonial space. That included the K'laxi sphere of influence. "But-"
Gord wouldn't lift his head from the pad. "I know, I know. But it's important, and the pay is frankly outrageous. I gave them the fuck off price and they took it without haggling. They're desperate to get home."
"Is this safe?"
Gord finally looked up a Fen, his brow creased with worry. "No Fen, it's is absolutely, one hundred percent not safe."
"So, why are we doing it? Just say no. The money is good, but we can get other jobs. Can't spend it if we're dead."
Gord pinched the bridge of his nose. Fen noticed that whenever Gord would talk about the old days and old friends he took on more human gestures. "I owe them. It's an old, old promise, made back when what I offered wasn't so dangerous. They're cashing in now and I'm obligated."
Fen stared at Gord. "Spy, what do you think?"
"I don't mind Fen. It's been too long since I've been to K'lax. I think Gord is overreacting about what the Empire will do if they see us. We go in, we drop off the passenger and link away. We don't even have to stay a whole day docked if we don't want to. The money is good, and I'd love to get that last reactor restored with some actual human parts." They were running on the full compliment of six reactors these days, but Spy didn't trust all of them to run at War Emergency Power. She maintained that only the humans could overbuild a reactor to output at 400% reliably. Fen thought that it would be better to make the reactors not have to run in Emergency power, but both Gord and Spy scoffed.
Fen crossed her legs and nodded to herself. "Spy, Gord, if you're both okay with it, then I'm okay with it. Let's pick up this K'laxi and take them home."
Gord smiled wanly. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
2024.01.25 20:51 jpitha Between the Black and Gray 11
First/ Previous/ Next
With the door shut, and the immediate danger passed, Fen collapsed in the airlock. Gord turned and touched her shoulder.
"Fen, we're not out of the woods yet. Come up to the Command Deck. We're leaving, and I could use your help."
Fen looked up at Gord, her face wet with tears. "What can I do Gord? I don't know the first thing about any of this. Ma-ren is.. is" Fen choked back the words.
Gord squatted down to Fen's level. "Fen. I am over three thousand years old. I have lost more people than you probably knew your entire life. I'm here to tell you that for one, it doesn't get easier. For two, life goes on. It doesn't feel like it can right now, like there's no way for the stars to keep moving or the station to keep turning, and yet, it does. That doesn't mean you'll forget her, it doesn't mean that you'll think about her any less. It means that one of your jobs now is to carry her memory. But that won't happen if Tam'itarr's goons kill us." Gord stood and held out his hand.
Fen looked up at him and sniffed. She took his hand and pulled herself up. "But, we're inside Spyglass, how can he get us?"
"Hey Gord? Traffic Control says I do not have authorization to leave, and to stand by for boarding."
Gord inclined his head. "That's how. Come on Fen." As they walked, he also spoke to Spyglass. "Pretend you didn't understand them, repeat the orders wrong, it doesn't matter. Delay them."
"I'll do my best Gord, but they still think I'm just a dumb ship. If I start lying, they'll suspect."
"Don't lie then. Just... bend the truth."
Fen followed Gord, bewildered. What was she going to do to help? How could she help? As they entered the Command Deck, Fen noticed that since they were in here last, Gord or Spyglass herself had cleaned up, things were dusted and bright and looked nearly new. Gord sat in the large chair in the middle and tapped at the screen on the arm. "Spy, how much printable mass did we wind up with before Tam'itarr decided to take things into his own hands?"
"About half, Gord. Enough to print bodies or reactor parts, but not both."
"And the second reactor he promised from that K'laxi?"
"Never delivered."
"Shit." Gord looked over at Fen. "We're running at a sixth of the power Spyglass had in her heyday, it's just us three, and none of us knows if the wormhole generator still works. Still up for a ride?"
Fen nodded. "I'm not going back." She thought for a moment and added. "Not without one of those huge rifles you were using before at least."
At that, Gord smiled. "We'll see what we can do."
While Gord worked out details with Spyglass, Fen leaned back in the chair. At least it was comfortable. She couldn't believe that Ma-ren was gone, just like that. In less time it took for her to breathe, she went from being her partner, her friend, her lover to... a body on the floor in the docking bay, gone. "Oh Ma" she whispered. "What am I going to do?" As she shut her eyes and wept, Fen heard a rhythmic banging. She opened her eyes and sat up. "Gord? Do you hear that?"
Gord stopped talking to Spyglass and cocked his ear. "Yeah, I do. Spy, are they trying to break in?"
"Looks like Gord, but they're just banging on the airlock door. They'll never get in that way. I was built to resist boarding it'll take a lot more than large hammers and chisels."
"Still, I don't like it. Let's cast off." Gord looked ahead to the large screen on the command deck. Right now it just showed the view out the front of the side and bottom of the station.
"Gord, the clamps aren't listening to me. They don't want to release."
"Attention Spyglass. Please do not attempt to leave. You have not been cleared for departure. Await boarding and further instructions."
"Station!" Fen shouted. "Spyglass, can I stalk to Station?"
"Uh, sure, the mic is yours Fen." Spyglass sounded wary, but opened the line.
"Station! They killed Ma! They shot at her when we were running to get to Spyglass! We were so close and they just shot her in cold blood. She's gone Station, she's gone!" Fen's lip quivered and she took a shuddering breath. "They're going to try and kill me and probably Gord. They want Spyglass. Can you please let us leave?"
There was a long pause. "Fen, I-I-I can't, you have n-n-not been cleared for d-d-departure. Please s-s-s-stand by."
"Station! Please! I know you're sapient! You're not just a machine. You're not just a tool of Tam'itarr and the other gangsters. Please let us leave!"
"Fenchurch, I.. Fen, I." There was a loud bang, deep towards the rear of the ship.
"One of the rear clamps have disconnected." Spyglass announced. "We're not free yet."
Fen sighed. "Thank you Station. Can you disconnect the other clamps?"
This time, there was static on the line and a warbling clicking noise. Station was seemingly at war with itself.
Gord looked at Fen and then down at the screens and up at the main display. "Spy..."
"Yeah Gord. On your order."
"Do it."
"Do what?" Fen looked at Gord.
"Spyglass is going to disconnect the rest of the clamps herself. I was hoping that your friend Station could do it, but it appears they are being prevented from acting." Gord shrugged. "It gives away the fact that Spyglass is an AI, but they'd learn that sooner or later."
There were a series of bangs running from the back to the front of the Starjumper after Gord explained things. Then a lurch, and Fen felt pulled into her seat as Spyglass' gravity generators took over. "Why do I feel so heavy?"
Gord looked over, and snapped his finger in recognition. "Oh that's right, you were born and raised on a Gren station. The Gren's homeworld is lighter than Earth. Their gravity is about three quarters Earth. Spyglass, being human built has her gravity generators set to Earth standard. You'll get used to it soon enough."
"Gord? Station is still out of sorts and I think is telling me that we have ships incoming."
Gord looked up sharply. "From the Gate?"
"No, looks like local authorities. Though knowing what we know, it's probably just Tam'itarr's goons again, or some other gangster."
Gord tipped his head down and put his palm on his forehead. "Any weapons?"
"On them, or us?"
"Either."
"Uh, I think they have some missiles, but they don't seem to be very large, and I could manage one laser battery, or thrusters, but not both."
"Shit. Okay." He turned toward Fen. "Any ideas?"
Fen blinked. "You're asking me?"
Gord nodded. "Sure. You know Tam'itarr better than either of us. What do you think would get him to back down?"
"Well, he already... shot Ma... so I don't know if I'm the right person to ask, but..." Fen took a deep breath and let it out. She did it again and slapped her own cheeks gently. "Spyglass, put me back on to Station."
"The line is hot Fen, whenever you're ready."
"Station, This is Fenchurch Millenny. Put me through to Tam'itarr."
"One moment please."
There were clicks and hisses on the line, and then Fen heard a familiar voice. "Fen! You would not believe how surprised I am to hear from you."
"Surprised that I'm still alive, Tam'itarr?" Fen's voice was venemous.
"We'll leave out the whys for now, Fen. My condolences on Ma-ren."
"Tam-" Fen took another breath. "Tam'itarr, you will call off your goons right this instant. I know that the 'local authorities' coming towards us are on your payroll."
"Coming towards- One moment please." There was a click, and a scratch. Gord raised an eyebrow but said nothing. When Tam'itarr returned, his voice was much more menacing. "Fen, those fellows are not mine. They're Penfenn's. He's... well to call him my boss would be incredibly gauche, but the definition will have to do for a human's understanding. If you've gotten Penfenn's attention, then there isn't anything I could - or would want - to do. Good luck, you'll need it."
"Holy shit. What have we gotten ourselves into." Gord shook his head. "Things haven't been this exciting for a century or more. Spy, you think that your wormhole generator will work? At least one more time?"
"To be honest Gord, I have no idea. I can feel it, it's online, but I don't think I've ever linked with only one reactor. I'll have to kill life support and gravity."
Gord shrugged. "It's just the two of us, you're large. I'm sure it'll be fine. Spyglass, I authorize you to route all necessary power to the wormhole generator. Please link us away when you are able."
"Aye Gord. Destination?"
"Hmm, we shouldn't go to human controlled space right now, and word will get out soon enough from here so we should stay away from the Gren. The Sefigans are nice enough, but they use that FlashWarp drive, I hate it. They won't have any reactor parts we can use." He looked up at Spyglass' camera. What about the Innari?"
"The Manganese breathers? You won't be able to go anywhere without a suit. Besides, they're afraid of humans."
"True, but their reactor tech is similar. I think we used to trade parts with them. I know there was a lot of knowledge transfer right after Contact."
"You're in charge Gord, just let me know."
Gord turned back to Fen. "What do you think? Wanna go meet some Manganese breathers?"
"Gord, I don't even know what that is, but sure. Anything to get away from here."
He made his right hand into a fist, all the fingers bunched tightly against his palm, except for the thumb, which stuck straight up. "Right on."
"What's that gesture, Gord?"
Gord blinked and looked down at his hand. "Oh, it's a thumb's up. Means like, positive acknowledgement. I forgot you wouldn't know it."
"Because I grew up on a Gren station, or because it's thousands of years old?" For the first time, Fen smiled slightly.
Spyglass laughed, startling Fen. "She's got you there, Gord."
Gord harrumphed and turned back to the screen, but his eyes were smiling. "Both can be true, you know. Spyglass, look for Habilamen in your database. I added some new addresses when we spoke."
"I have it Gord. Shunting power from life support and gravity to the wormhole generator. Please stand by."
A noise that Fen didn't realize she was hearing in the background ceased and the ship suddenly became much quieter. She felt her hands rise from her seat as the gravity left. She was able to notice a creaking and groaning that she didn't hear before. Fen was amazed at the realization that Starships made noise as they soared through space! She also heard another thing, sort of like the reactor noise, but more insistent, higher pitch.
"We are ready to link Gord, on your order."
"Please proceed Spyglass. Link us to Habilamen."
There was a flash of white and...
submitted by jpitha to HFY [link] [comments]
With the door shut, and the immediate danger passed, Fen collapsed in the airlock. Gord turned and touched her shoulder.
"Fen, we're not out of the woods yet. Come up to the Command Deck. We're leaving, and I could use your help."
Fen looked up at Gord, her face wet with tears. "What can I do Gord? I don't know the first thing about any of this. Ma-ren is.. is" Fen choked back the words.
Gord squatted down to Fen's level. "Fen. I am over three thousand years old. I have lost more people than you probably knew your entire life. I'm here to tell you that for one, it doesn't get easier. For two, life goes on. It doesn't feel like it can right now, like there's no way for the stars to keep moving or the station to keep turning, and yet, it does. That doesn't mean you'll forget her, it doesn't mean that you'll think about her any less. It means that one of your jobs now is to carry her memory. But that won't happen if Tam'itarr's goons kill us." Gord stood and held out his hand.
Fen looked up at him and sniffed. She took his hand and pulled herself up. "But, we're inside Spyglass, how can he get us?"
"Hey Gord? Traffic Control says I do not have authorization to leave, and to stand by for boarding."
Gord inclined his head. "That's how. Come on Fen." As they walked, he also spoke to Spyglass. "Pretend you didn't understand them, repeat the orders wrong, it doesn't matter. Delay them."
"I'll do my best Gord, but they still think I'm just a dumb ship. If I start lying, they'll suspect."
"Don't lie then. Just... bend the truth."
Fen followed Gord, bewildered. What was she going to do to help? How could she help? As they entered the Command Deck, Fen noticed that since they were in here last, Gord or Spyglass herself had cleaned up, things were dusted and bright and looked nearly new. Gord sat in the large chair in the middle and tapped at the screen on the arm. "Spy, how much printable mass did we wind up with before Tam'itarr decided to take things into his own hands?"
"About half, Gord. Enough to print bodies or reactor parts, but not both."
"And the second reactor he promised from that K'laxi?"
"Never delivered."
"Shit." Gord looked over at Fen. "We're running at a sixth of the power Spyglass had in her heyday, it's just us three, and none of us knows if the wormhole generator still works. Still up for a ride?"
Fen nodded. "I'm not going back." She thought for a moment and added. "Not without one of those huge rifles you were using before at least."
At that, Gord smiled. "We'll see what we can do."
While Gord worked out details with Spyglass, Fen leaned back in the chair. At least it was comfortable. She couldn't believe that Ma-ren was gone, just like that. In less time it took for her to breathe, she went from being her partner, her friend, her lover to... a body on the floor in the docking bay, gone. "Oh Ma" she whispered. "What am I going to do?" As she shut her eyes and wept, Fen heard a rhythmic banging. She opened her eyes and sat up. "Gord? Do you hear that?"
Gord stopped talking to Spyglass and cocked his ear. "Yeah, I do. Spy, are they trying to break in?"
"Looks like Gord, but they're just banging on the airlock door. They'll never get in that way. I was built to resist boarding it'll take a lot more than large hammers and chisels."
"Still, I don't like it. Let's cast off." Gord looked ahead to the large screen on the command deck. Right now it just showed the view out the front of the side and bottom of the station.
"Gord, the clamps aren't listening to me. They don't want to release."
"Attention Spyglass. Please do not attempt to leave. You have not been cleared for departure. Await boarding and further instructions."
"Station!" Fen shouted. "Spyglass, can I stalk to Station?"
"Uh, sure, the mic is yours Fen." Spyglass sounded wary, but opened the line.
"Station! They killed Ma! They shot at her when we were running to get to Spyglass! We were so close and they just shot her in cold blood. She's gone Station, she's gone!" Fen's lip quivered and she took a shuddering breath. "They're going to try and kill me and probably Gord. They want Spyglass. Can you please let us leave?"
There was a long pause. "Fen, I-I-I can't, you have n-n-not been cleared for d-d-departure. Please s-s-s-stand by."
"Station! Please! I know you're sapient! You're not just a machine. You're not just a tool of Tam'itarr and the other gangsters. Please let us leave!"
"Fenchurch, I.. Fen, I." There was a loud bang, deep towards the rear of the ship.
"One of the rear clamps have disconnected." Spyglass announced. "We're not free yet."
Fen sighed. "Thank you Station. Can you disconnect the other clamps?"
This time, there was static on the line and a warbling clicking noise. Station was seemingly at war with itself.
Gord looked at Fen and then down at the screens and up at the main display. "Spy..."
"Yeah Gord. On your order."
"Do it."
"Do what?" Fen looked at Gord.
"Spyglass is going to disconnect the rest of the clamps herself. I was hoping that your friend Station could do it, but it appears they are being prevented from acting." Gord shrugged. "It gives away the fact that Spyglass is an AI, but they'd learn that sooner or later."
There were a series of bangs running from the back to the front of the Starjumper after Gord explained things. Then a lurch, and Fen felt pulled into her seat as Spyglass' gravity generators took over. "Why do I feel so heavy?"
Gord looked over, and snapped his finger in recognition. "Oh that's right, you were born and raised on a Gren station. The Gren's homeworld is lighter than Earth. Their gravity is about three quarters Earth. Spyglass, being human built has her gravity generators set to Earth standard. You'll get used to it soon enough."
"Gord? Station is still out of sorts and I think is telling me that we have ships incoming."
Gord looked up sharply. "From the Gate?"
"No, looks like local authorities. Though knowing what we know, it's probably just Tam'itarr's goons again, or some other gangster."
Gord tipped his head down and put his palm on his forehead. "Any weapons?"
"On them, or us?"
"Either."
"Uh, I think they have some missiles, but they don't seem to be very large, and I could manage one laser battery, or thrusters, but not both."
"Shit. Okay." He turned toward Fen. "Any ideas?"
Fen blinked. "You're asking me?"
Gord nodded. "Sure. You know Tam'itarr better than either of us. What do you think would get him to back down?"
"Well, he already... shot Ma... so I don't know if I'm the right person to ask, but..." Fen took a deep breath and let it out. She did it again and slapped her own cheeks gently. "Spyglass, put me back on to Station."
"The line is hot Fen, whenever you're ready."
"Station, This is Fenchurch Millenny. Put me through to Tam'itarr."
"One moment please."
There were clicks and hisses on the line, and then Fen heard a familiar voice. "Fen! You would not believe how surprised I am to hear from you."
"Surprised that I'm still alive, Tam'itarr?" Fen's voice was venemous.
"We'll leave out the whys for now, Fen. My condolences on Ma-ren."
"Tam-" Fen took another breath. "Tam'itarr, you will call off your goons right this instant. I know that the 'local authorities' coming towards us are on your payroll."
"Coming towards- One moment please." There was a click, and a scratch. Gord raised an eyebrow but said nothing. When Tam'itarr returned, his voice was much more menacing. "Fen, those fellows are not mine. They're Penfenn's. He's... well to call him my boss would be incredibly gauche, but the definition will have to do for a human's understanding. If you've gotten Penfenn's attention, then there isn't anything I could - or would want - to do. Good luck, you'll need it."
"Holy shit. What have we gotten ourselves into." Gord shook his head. "Things haven't been this exciting for a century or more. Spy, you think that your wormhole generator will work? At least one more time?"
"To be honest Gord, I have no idea. I can feel it, it's online, but I don't think I've ever linked with only one reactor. I'll have to kill life support and gravity."
Gord shrugged. "It's just the two of us, you're large. I'm sure it'll be fine. Spyglass, I authorize you to route all necessary power to the wormhole generator. Please link us away when you are able."
"Aye Gord. Destination?"
"Hmm, we shouldn't go to human controlled space right now, and word will get out soon enough from here so we should stay away from the Gren. The Sefigans are nice enough, but they use that FlashWarp drive, I hate it. They won't have any reactor parts we can use." He looked up at Spyglass' camera. What about the Innari?"
"The Manganese breathers? You won't be able to go anywhere without a suit. Besides, they're afraid of humans."
"True, but their reactor tech is similar. I think we used to trade parts with them. I know there was a lot of knowledge transfer right after Contact."
"You're in charge Gord, just let me know."
Gord turned back to Fen. "What do you think? Wanna go meet some Manganese breathers?"
"Gord, I don't even know what that is, but sure. Anything to get away from here."
He made his right hand into a fist, all the fingers bunched tightly against his palm, except for the thumb, which stuck straight up. "Right on."
"What's that gesture, Gord?"
Gord blinked and looked down at his hand. "Oh, it's a thumb's up. Means like, positive acknowledgement. I forgot you wouldn't know it."
"Because I grew up on a Gren station, or because it's thousands of years old?" For the first time, Fen smiled slightly.
Spyglass laughed, startling Fen. "She's got you there, Gord."
Gord harrumphed and turned back to the screen, but his eyes were smiling. "Both can be true, you know. Spyglass, look for Habilamen in your database. I added some new addresses when we spoke."
"I have it Gord. Shunting power from life support and gravity to the wormhole generator. Please stand by."
A noise that Fen didn't realize she was hearing in the background ceased and the ship suddenly became much quieter. She felt her hands rise from her seat as the gravity left. She was able to notice a creaking and groaning that she didn't hear before. Fen was amazed at the realization that Starships made noise as they soared through space! She also heard another thing, sort of like the reactor noise, but more insistent, higher pitch.
"We are ready to link Gord, on your order."
"Please proceed Spyglass. Link us to Habilamen."
There was a flash of white and...
2024.01.16 22:55 jpitha Between the Black and Gray 8
First/ Previous/ Next
"Ma! Wait!" Fen ran down the hall after Ma-ren. Her long strides caught up quckly to the smaller K'laxi, even while she was doing her best to not run down the hall. "Ma, please. Let's talk"
"I don't know why we should now Fen, it seems like your mind is made up." Ma-ren kept walking down the hall, but she did slow down a little. "Seems like you're more into leaving and taking off with Gord than staying with your actual girlfriend."
"Oh, Ma." Fen sighed. "Hold up here. Let's sit and talk." Fen looked around. They were about halfway between the docks and their apartment. They had just made it onto their floor and there was a bistro near with chairs spilling out onto the hall. Fen walked over to a small table on the edge and sat, gesturing for Ma-ren to join her.
Ma-ren walked over and slumped into a chair. A server came by quickly and Fen ordered some tea. Only Tam'itarr had chamomile, so they had to just take the regular Gren herbal tea, but at least it was hot and gave their hands something to do. After they both sat for a moment and stared at nothing, Fen spoke.
"I'm sorry Ma."
Ma-ren looked over at Fen and her tail swished.
"I'm sorry for not thinking of you more. It's just..." Fen stopped and took a sip of tea. "It's just that this is the first new thing to happen here since forever. Someone that knows Spyglass! Someone that can fix her! We've been refugees our whole lives. Most of our parent's lives too. This is a chance for us to... to... not just be 'those humans and k'laxi up on forty three'" Fen shrugged. "I got wrapped up in what it could mean for us that I guess I didn't think enough about us."
"Hmmph." Ma-ren sipped her tea but her ears twitched in that way that Fen knew meant she was almost forgiven. They had known each other since they were kids, and have been together for years. They had their own share of arguments, this was just another step on the path. "I... think I understand what you mean, Fen. Gord and Spyglass could mean us being able to trade, to conduct business, to not be reliant on handouts from the station authorities and Tam'itarr's black market."
Ma-ren put her tea cup down carefully and looked at Fen. Her large eyes focused on her girlfriend. "But Fen. You know how Gord is getting parts. Tam'itarr is going to want to be paid back. If Gord decides to just leave, then what? We helped him; Tam'itarr is going to come after us for repayment." She stood and started pacing, agitated. "You saw him with those AI cubes right? He's hungry to get them into bodies - if he even can - you have to know that he's probably going to try and screw over Tam'itarr, right?"
Fen blinked. "What?"
Ma-ren put her hands on her hips; a human gesture that K'laxi had adopted years ago. "Fen, really? Gord has nothing holding him here except Spyglass and he wants her up and running. He asked for printable mass in addition to another reactor. You think he's just going to print more reactors? I guarantee he's going to try and print at least one other body. Probably more if he can offload those AI cores. He's trying to resurrect his race. We're small time to him."
"You really think Gord is going to rip off Tam'itarr?"
Ma-ren rolled her eyes and smiled. "It's a good thing you're pretty, Fen. What does Gord have keeping him here and honest? He wants Spyglass up and running. Once he does he can convince her to just... leave. We won't even have our Starjumper anymore. Sure, we won't have to put together fundraisers to pay her docking fees, but the dream of us being anything more than refugees dies. Us - all of us - will be well and truly stuck here."
"So what should we do?"
Ma-ren walked back over to the table and drained her tea. "First thing. We go home and eat. Second thing, we get a good night's sleep." Fen stood as well. Ma-ren put her arm around Fen's waist. "Maybe in the morning we'll have thought of something that doesn't involve either Tam'itarr going after us, or Gord going after us.
That evening brought relaxation, good food, and a good night's sleep, but the morning brought them no closer to figuring out what to do.
Fen and Ma-ren circled the main promenade walking and talking.
"Do we tell Tam'itarr?" Fen said. She was looking around as they walked. It was a normal day with nothing looking out of place, but ever since their talk last night, Fen seemed to be more alert.
"Tell him what? That we think that Gord is going to rip him off?" Ma-ren stopped to look at a shop selling fabric. Nobody in the main part of the station sold Human and K'laxi clothes, but there were plenty of fabric dealers. There were a few peopel who bought the fabric and made clothes for the humans and k'laxi up on forty three, and Ma-ren knew a few of them.
"I mean, yes? If we tell him, then if he does, Tam'itarr will know that we weren't in on it.
Ma-ren looked up and sighed. "You're probably right. Let's go find him."
Tam'itarr was in his usual place in his booth in his social club. He waved when he saw them enter. "Ma-ren! Fen! How good of you to come." He gestured for them to join him. "I have managed to secure a supply of printable mass for you and Gord after all! It will be delivered to Spyglass tomorrow. We should have the reactor by the end of the week as well. I am pleased that my people have been working so diligently."
The bartender brought over a cup of chamomile to each of them, inclined his head and walked away.
Ma-ren didn't touch her tea. "Tam'itarr, we..." She looked at Fen.
"We think Gord is going to try and rip you off." Fen slurped her tea and shrugged.
Tam'itarr's mouthparts waggled a laugh and he grinned hugely. "Ladies, you have no idea how happy I am to hear this news."
Fen blinked. "You are?"
Tam'itarr nodded. "Although, I should clarify how pleased I am to hear this news from you."
Now, Ma-ren blinked. "Why?"
"Why, it means that you trust old Tam'itarr more than some upstart human who showed up out of nowhere and is trying to steal my Starjumper. It means that you realize where your home is, where your community is." Tam'itarr sat forward and clicked his claws. A bouncer walked out with a black case and set it down on the table. "This is for you." He slid it over to Ma-ren.
"What is it?"
"Open it and see. I promise, nothing bad."
Ma-ren carefully clicked the case open, and inside were two bundles of Stars and two red pins. Ma-ren's eyes flicked up to the gangster's.
"Think of it as... a bonus. You thought of me instead of Gord. You thought of your home first. That deserves to be rewarded. The Stars are a bonus for making... the right choice. The pins will show everyone on the station who you work for. They will let you enjoy certain privileges here that most Humans and K'laxi normally aren't allowed. Think of it as your species' first step on leaving the forty third and joining the rest of us." Tam'itarr regarded them kindly. "You had a difficult decision to make today, and you made the right one. I take care of my own, I need you to know that."
"What about Gord?" Fen tried to take her eyes of the money. It was more Stars than she had ever seen in her life at once.
"We'll take care of Gord. Don't think I didn't also think he was prime to try and pull one over on us. I'll take you along, then you can see what we do to folks who try and hurt the community." Tam'itarr clicked his claws again and two bouncers appeared. He bent over and spoke to them softly, and they nodded once and melted away. "I would still like for Spyglass to be repaired, and for now Gord is the only one who can do it. We're going to continue to deliver what we promised and not mention anything." He looked at them. "If Gord needs your help, give it. In fact, volunteer to help. See if you can get him to show you how stuff works. Once he's gone, I'll need people who can operate my ship."
He stood up and walked over to their side of the table and placed his large hands on each of their shoulders. "From today on, you work for me. I promise, we'll do great things together."
submitted by jpitha to HFY [link] [comments]
"Ma! Wait!" Fen ran down the hall after Ma-ren. Her long strides caught up quckly to the smaller K'laxi, even while she was doing her best to not run down the hall. "Ma, please. Let's talk"
"I don't know why we should now Fen, it seems like your mind is made up." Ma-ren kept walking down the hall, but she did slow down a little. "Seems like you're more into leaving and taking off with Gord than staying with your actual girlfriend."
"Oh, Ma." Fen sighed. "Hold up here. Let's sit and talk." Fen looked around. They were about halfway between the docks and their apartment. They had just made it onto their floor and there was a bistro near with chairs spilling out onto the hall. Fen walked over to a small table on the edge and sat, gesturing for Ma-ren to join her.
Ma-ren walked over and slumped into a chair. A server came by quickly and Fen ordered some tea. Only Tam'itarr had chamomile, so they had to just take the regular Gren herbal tea, but at least it was hot and gave their hands something to do. After they both sat for a moment and stared at nothing, Fen spoke.
"I'm sorry Ma."
Ma-ren looked over at Fen and her tail swished.
"I'm sorry for not thinking of you more. It's just..." Fen stopped and took a sip of tea. "It's just that this is the first new thing to happen here since forever. Someone that knows Spyglass! Someone that can fix her! We've been refugees our whole lives. Most of our parent's lives too. This is a chance for us to... to... not just be 'those humans and k'laxi up on forty three'" Fen shrugged. "I got wrapped up in what it could mean for us that I guess I didn't think enough about us."
"Hmmph." Ma-ren sipped her tea but her ears twitched in that way that Fen knew meant she was almost forgiven. They had known each other since they were kids, and have been together for years. They had their own share of arguments, this was just another step on the path. "I... think I understand what you mean, Fen. Gord and Spyglass could mean us being able to trade, to conduct business, to not be reliant on handouts from the station authorities and Tam'itarr's black market."
Ma-ren put her tea cup down carefully and looked at Fen. Her large eyes focused on her girlfriend. "But Fen. You know how Gord is getting parts. Tam'itarr is going to want to be paid back. If Gord decides to just leave, then what? We helped him; Tam'itarr is going to come after us for repayment." She stood and started pacing, agitated. "You saw him with those AI cubes right? He's hungry to get them into bodies - if he even can - you have to know that he's probably going to try and screw over Tam'itarr, right?"
Fen blinked. "What?"
Ma-ren put her hands on her hips; a human gesture that K'laxi had adopted years ago. "Fen, really? Gord has nothing holding him here except Spyglass and he wants her up and running. He asked for printable mass in addition to another reactor. You think he's just going to print more reactors? I guarantee he's going to try and print at least one other body. Probably more if he can offload those AI cores. He's trying to resurrect his race. We're small time to him."
"You really think Gord is going to rip off Tam'itarr?"
Ma-ren rolled her eyes and smiled. "It's a good thing you're pretty, Fen. What does Gord have keeping him here and honest? He wants Spyglass up and running. Once he does he can convince her to just... leave. We won't even have our Starjumper anymore. Sure, we won't have to put together fundraisers to pay her docking fees, but the dream of us being anything more than refugees dies. Us - all of us - will be well and truly stuck here."
"So what should we do?"
Ma-ren walked back over to the table and drained her tea. "First thing. We go home and eat. Second thing, we get a good night's sleep." Fen stood as well. Ma-ren put her arm around Fen's waist. "Maybe in the morning we'll have thought of something that doesn't involve either Tam'itarr going after us, or Gord going after us.
That evening brought relaxation, good food, and a good night's sleep, but the morning brought them no closer to figuring out what to do.
Fen and Ma-ren circled the main promenade walking and talking.
"Do we tell Tam'itarr?" Fen said. She was looking around as they walked. It was a normal day with nothing looking out of place, but ever since their talk last night, Fen seemed to be more alert.
"Tell him what? That we think that Gord is going to rip him off?" Ma-ren stopped to look at a shop selling fabric. Nobody in the main part of the station sold Human and K'laxi clothes, but there were plenty of fabric dealers. There were a few peopel who bought the fabric and made clothes for the humans and k'laxi up on forty three, and Ma-ren knew a few of them.
"I mean, yes? If we tell him, then if he does, Tam'itarr will know that we weren't in on it.
Ma-ren looked up and sighed. "You're probably right. Let's go find him."
Tam'itarr was in his usual place in his booth in his social club. He waved when he saw them enter. "Ma-ren! Fen! How good of you to come." He gestured for them to join him. "I have managed to secure a supply of printable mass for you and Gord after all! It will be delivered to Spyglass tomorrow. We should have the reactor by the end of the week as well. I am pleased that my people have been working so diligently."
The bartender brought over a cup of chamomile to each of them, inclined his head and walked away.
Ma-ren didn't touch her tea. "Tam'itarr, we..." She looked at Fen.
"We think Gord is going to try and rip you off." Fen slurped her tea and shrugged.
Tam'itarr's mouthparts waggled a laugh and he grinned hugely. "Ladies, you have no idea how happy I am to hear this news."
Fen blinked. "You are?"
Tam'itarr nodded. "Although, I should clarify how pleased I am to hear this news from you."
Now, Ma-ren blinked. "Why?"
"Why, it means that you trust old Tam'itarr more than some upstart human who showed up out of nowhere and is trying to steal my Starjumper. It means that you realize where your home is, where your community is." Tam'itarr sat forward and clicked his claws. A bouncer walked out with a black case and set it down on the table. "This is for you." He slid it over to Ma-ren.
"What is it?"
"Open it and see. I promise, nothing bad."
Ma-ren carefully clicked the case open, and inside were two bundles of Stars and two red pins. Ma-ren's eyes flicked up to the gangster's.
"Think of it as... a bonus. You thought of me instead of Gord. You thought of your home first. That deserves to be rewarded. The Stars are a bonus for making... the right choice. The pins will show everyone on the station who you work for. They will let you enjoy certain privileges here that most Humans and K'laxi normally aren't allowed. Think of it as your species' first step on leaving the forty third and joining the rest of us." Tam'itarr regarded them kindly. "You had a difficult decision to make today, and you made the right one. I take care of my own, I need you to know that."
"What about Gord?" Fen tried to take her eyes of the money. It was more Stars than she had ever seen in her life at once.
"We'll take care of Gord. Don't think I didn't also think he was prime to try and pull one over on us. I'll take you along, then you can see what we do to folks who try and hurt the community." Tam'itarr clicked his claws again and two bouncers appeared. He bent over and spoke to them softly, and they nodded once and melted away. "I would still like for Spyglass to be repaired, and for now Gord is the only one who can do it. We're going to continue to deliver what we promised and not mention anything." He looked at them. "If Gord needs your help, give it. In fact, volunteer to help. See if you can get him to show you how stuff works. Once he's gone, I'll need people who can operate my ship."
He stood up and walked over to their side of the table and placed his large hands on each of their shoulders. "From today on, you work for me. I promise, we'll do great things together."
2024.01.08 16:41 jpitha Between the Black and Gray 7
First/ Previous/ Next
As Gord approached the social club he stopped and peered at the sign above the door. Shaking his head and smiling, he pushed open the door and stepped in, with Fen and Ma-ren right behind.
"Club's closed, human." The bouncer was fully awake now.
"Name's Gord. Fen and Ma-ren here said that Tam'itarr wanted to meet me."
"Oh, you're Gord?" The bouncer looked Gord up and down. "Don't see how you got one over on little Tam, but fine. Fen and Ma-ren will show you the way." He stood to his full height and flipped the flap of his jacket open, revealing a wicked curved knife. "Be nice, get me?"
Gord raised an eyebrow. "I'm always nice, friend, but I'll take heed your recommendation." He looked back at Fen and Ma-ren. "Lead the way."
As Fen and Ma-ren led Gord to the back his head was on a swivel, taking in everything. There were more people here now than earlier, and nobody hid their curiosity at the new human walking by. News about Tam's failed shakedown had reached just about everyone here and they all wanted to see who they were dealing with.
Tam'itarr was still at his booth, though Tam was gone and there were two guards to the side now who Ma-ren and Fen didn't know. Tam'itarr stood and his mouthparts grinned. "This must be Gord. I am incredibly pleased to meet you." He looked over at Fen and Ma-ren. "I am also pleased that you took care of my request so quickly. I do not forget my friends." He gestured at the booth. "Please, sit! I'll have some refreshments brought. Have you eaten? I can have food sent over if you'd like."
Gord sat, and slid down making room for Fen and Ma-ren. "No thank you, I'm not hungry."
Fen was hungry, but decided that taking Tam'itarr's hospitality twice in one day was too much. Ma-ren also politely declined a meal. The same Tylan bartender from before did bring out a pot of tea and four cups.
Gord took a cup and savored the sip. "It's been forever since I've had a good chamomile. Thank you, Tam'itarr."
"The pleasure is all mine, Gord."
Gord sat back. "Now then, Fen and Ma-ren said you had some questions for me? If it's about your son, I have to say that if he had tried for less than one hundred stars, I would have paid up. It was just too much to be hitting up human refugees for straight off the ship. Even if I thought it was a fair amount to pay to smooth my entry, I didn't have that kind of cash."
Tam'itarr held up a hand to halt the conversation. "Say no more about that Gord, I've already spoken to my son about it. You know how it is. Youth is full of vigor and excitement and trying to prove themselves. I have informed him that he shall shake down no more humans who come aboard my station."
Gord raised his eyebrow at 'my station' but said nothing.
"Now then, my friends state that soon after you arrived, you went right for the old human ship Spyglass, and spent more than a day aboard her with Fen and Ma-ren. May I ask what were you doing on the old wreck?" Tam'itarr sat back, watching Gord carefully.
Fen glanced at Ma-ren. Calling Spyglass a wreck simply had to be on purpose to try and get a rise out of Gord. He's never called it that around them.
Gord took another sip of tea. "I was interested in the old Starjumper. There are hardly any left, and I was curious about what condition it was in. Fen and Ma-ren showed me that most of... it's reactors were gone and there were only two left in poor condition. I did manage to cobble a mostly working one out of what was around, but it was really only for lights and heat. Without reactors Spyglass will never move again."
Tam'itarr tried to look disinterested, but Ma-ren noticed his mouthparts twitch. "Oh? I did not know that Spyglass moving under it's own power again was even a possibility. As far as I know, it barely survived the trip here, and has been still ever since. I know it's been a fixture of the docks before I was even born."
Gord shrugged. "Starjumpers are rugged old ships. They're designed to last. There's no reason that... it-" Tam'itarr didn't notice the pause when Gord called Spyglass it, but Fen did "-won't move again if we can install some reactors. It was originally outfitted with six, but only two remain, and of those two only one was really in any state to operate.
Despite himself, Tam'itarr blinked. "Six? So many. Why would a ship need such power."
Gord put his cup down and leaned forward. "Human ships are always overpowered Tam'itarr, your people should know that. Most Starjumpers had between four and eight reactors. It would depend on the needs and history. Spyglass is on the high side of average, that's all." He looked to the side dramatically, making a play of searching for people listening in. "You know Tam'itarr. She can be fixed. Imagine what you could do with a human Starjumper at your call. I remember the war. Ask your parent's parents about Starjumpers. Ask the Xenni."
Tam'itarr leaned in, meeting Gord's stare. "I'm grasping what you're handing out, Gord. I also see what you're playing at." Tam'itarr's mouthparts grinned. "I'm not insulted. On the contrary, I'm pleased you came to me with this plan. What would you need - theoretically - if you wanted to get Spyglass up and running."
Gord sat back and took a sip of tea. "Ideally, I'd need 4 human reactors." Gord held up his hand as soon as he saw Tam'itarr frown. "I know that's not happening, don't worry. I need another reactor - of almost any type - and I need about 10 kilotons of universal printing mass." Gord glanced at Ma-ren. "Actually, a K'laxi reactor would be ideal. They operate similarly to ours and I know for a fact they can be run at a higher than rated power. Once I have the additional reactor, I can use that, plus the one I repaired and the printable mass to repair the other human reactor, and build three more. It'll take a month or two to construct it, but Spyglass has everything in her database, and her printers are operable."
Vel walked over, bent low, and whispered something to Tam'itarr. He put up a large hand to send him away, thought a moment and lowered it. Vel continued whispering.
Tam'itarr grinned and clapped Vel on his back. Vel staggered at the hit, but his ears flicked and he smiled. "Vel here says he knows of a K'laxi onboard who may have an extra reactor he would be wiling to part with."
Gord raised an eyebrow, "Willing?"
Vel shrugged. "He owes Tam'itarr a pile of Stars after losing big betting against Olimar in the arena. He might be willing to part with his ships reactor the square the debt."
"And the printable mass?"
Tam'itarr glanced down at a pad on the table. "That might be harder to procure - though not impossible."
Gord drained his tea. "Tam'itarr, I've worked with people... in your profession before. I know you don't do anything for free. What is all this 'help' going to cost me?"
Vel and the other guards looked at each other and then at Gord.
"I'm pleased to work with someone with such a thorough understanding of... business." Tam'itarr leaned back and clicked his claws together. Another Gren appeared with a pad. Tam'itarr took it, read it over and passed it to Gord.
"What's this?"
"Standard contract. I'll get you a reactor and the printable mass, in exchange for use of Spyglass for my own business. When Spyglass is being used for my business I - or my representatives - are in command fully."
Gord read the contract, his finger sliding up and down as he read. "This doesn't limit the number of times you can use Spyglass." He looked up at Tam'itarr. "4 missions."
"Ten."
"Six."
"Eight"
"I accept. You will have use of Spyglass for eight missions with you or your representative in command." Gord touched the corner of the pad, signing the contract.
Tam'itarr stood and threw his arms wide. "Wonderful. We have an accord." He got out from behind the booth. "If you'll excuse me, I have some calls to make. Please, feel at home in my social club. You may avail yourself of anything here, my treat." He inclined his head slightly and through a door into the back.
Gord stood and looked at Ma-ren and Fen. "We should be going too. I have things to do before parts start arriving." They rose as well.
"Ah, that's too bad." Tam'itarr frowned. "No matter. You three are welcome here anytime. It's been a pleasure."
"The pleasure it all mine, Tam'itarr." Gord smiled and the three of them walked out of the club.
Ma-ren waited until they were back it the lift before saying anything. "Gord. You know Tam'itarr is going to try and to screw you right?"
Gord chuckled. "I'm pleased to hear people still say that. Ma-ren you have no idea how old that phrase is. But yes, Like I told him, I've dealt with gangsters before." He sighed. "There's no crime like organized crime."
"So you're just going to let him use Spyglass for whatever thing he needs eight times?"
Gord shrugged. "For now? Yes. There's no sense in making enemies before you need to, especially when those enemies have parts and pieces you need. We're going to be all buddy buddy and friendly with Tam'itarr and his goons until the reactor and printable mass is aboard. Then, we have a few months to figure out what to do before Spyglass is ready anyway." He looked over at them. "Thanks by the way. You two didn't have to help me out at all, and yet here we are. You helped me when I first got here, and you have been giving me a hand all across the station. As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to be involved anymore, and are free to do whatever." He smiled. "Truly, thanks. You've reminded me why after all this, I still like humans and K'laxi - especially when they're working together."
Fen blinked. Were they being dismissed? "Can we still help out?"
Ma-ren's head snapped over to Fen. "Hon, maybe we should-"
Gord shrugged. "If you want to, sure. What were you looking to do?"
"Can we go with you?"
"What?" Ma-ren's ears flattened. "Fen, really, we need to tal-"
Gord looked at Fen and raised his eyebrows. "You want to leave? Don't you have family here?"
Fen shook her head. "I don't. My only family here is Ma-ren."
"I mean, It's not like Spyglass is short on space, and it would be handy to have another couple sets of hands."
Ma-ren was sputtering, "Fen, I."
Fen smiled "We're useful to have around Gord, I'm sure we can help you."
"Fen, I don't want to leave!" Ma-ren was panting and she had her fists balled.
The lift chimed and the doors opened. Ma-ren stomped out and started running.
"Ma! Wait!" Fen took off after her, then stopped after two steps and turned towards Gord. He gestured towards Ma-ren.
"I'm not going anywhere for months. Go talk to Ma-ren."
Fen took off down the hall.
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As Gord approached the social club he stopped and peered at the sign above the door. Shaking his head and smiling, he pushed open the door and stepped in, with Fen and Ma-ren right behind.
"Club's closed, human." The bouncer was fully awake now.
"Name's Gord. Fen and Ma-ren here said that Tam'itarr wanted to meet me."
"Oh, you're Gord?" The bouncer looked Gord up and down. "Don't see how you got one over on little Tam, but fine. Fen and Ma-ren will show you the way." He stood to his full height and flipped the flap of his jacket open, revealing a wicked curved knife. "Be nice, get me?"
Gord raised an eyebrow. "I'm always nice, friend, but I'll take heed your recommendation." He looked back at Fen and Ma-ren. "Lead the way."
As Fen and Ma-ren led Gord to the back his head was on a swivel, taking in everything. There were more people here now than earlier, and nobody hid their curiosity at the new human walking by. News about Tam's failed shakedown had reached just about everyone here and they all wanted to see who they were dealing with.
Tam'itarr was still at his booth, though Tam was gone and there were two guards to the side now who Ma-ren and Fen didn't know. Tam'itarr stood and his mouthparts grinned. "This must be Gord. I am incredibly pleased to meet you." He looked over at Fen and Ma-ren. "I am also pleased that you took care of my request so quickly. I do not forget my friends." He gestured at the booth. "Please, sit! I'll have some refreshments brought. Have you eaten? I can have food sent over if you'd like."
Gord sat, and slid down making room for Fen and Ma-ren. "No thank you, I'm not hungry."
Fen was hungry, but decided that taking Tam'itarr's hospitality twice in one day was too much. Ma-ren also politely declined a meal. The same Tylan bartender from before did bring out a pot of tea and four cups.
Gord took a cup and savored the sip. "It's been forever since I've had a good chamomile. Thank you, Tam'itarr."
"The pleasure is all mine, Gord."
Gord sat back. "Now then, Fen and Ma-ren said you had some questions for me? If it's about your son, I have to say that if he had tried for less than one hundred stars, I would have paid up. It was just too much to be hitting up human refugees for straight off the ship. Even if I thought it was a fair amount to pay to smooth my entry, I didn't have that kind of cash."
Tam'itarr held up a hand to halt the conversation. "Say no more about that Gord, I've already spoken to my son about it. You know how it is. Youth is full of vigor and excitement and trying to prove themselves. I have informed him that he shall shake down no more humans who come aboard my station."
Gord raised his eyebrow at 'my station' but said nothing.
"Now then, my friends state that soon after you arrived, you went right for the old human ship Spyglass, and spent more than a day aboard her with Fen and Ma-ren. May I ask what were you doing on the old wreck?" Tam'itarr sat back, watching Gord carefully.
Fen glanced at Ma-ren. Calling Spyglass a wreck simply had to be on purpose to try and get a rise out of Gord. He's never called it that around them.
Gord took another sip of tea. "I was interested in the old Starjumper. There are hardly any left, and I was curious about what condition it was in. Fen and Ma-ren showed me that most of... it's reactors were gone and there were only two left in poor condition. I did manage to cobble a mostly working one out of what was around, but it was really only for lights and heat. Without reactors Spyglass will never move again."
Tam'itarr tried to look disinterested, but Ma-ren noticed his mouthparts twitch. "Oh? I did not know that Spyglass moving under it's own power again was even a possibility. As far as I know, it barely survived the trip here, and has been still ever since. I know it's been a fixture of the docks before I was even born."
Gord shrugged. "Starjumpers are rugged old ships. They're designed to last. There's no reason that... it-" Tam'itarr didn't notice the pause when Gord called Spyglass it, but Fen did "-won't move again if we can install some reactors. It was originally outfitted with six, but only two remain, and of those two only one was really in any state to operate.
Despite himself, Tam'itarr blinked. "Six? So many. Why would a ship need such power."
Gord put his cup down and leaned forward. "Human ships are always overpowered Tam'itarr, your people should know that. Most Starjumpers had between four and eight reactors. It would depend on the needs and history. Spyglass is on the high side of average, that's all." He looked to the side dramatically, making a play of searching for people listening in. "You know Tam'itarr. She can be fixed. Imagine what you could do with a human Starjumper at your call. I remember the war. Ask your parent's parents about Starjumpers. Ask the Xenni."
Tam'itarr leaned in, meeting Gord's stare. "I'm grasping what you're handing out, Gord. I also see what you're playing at." Tam'itarr's mouthparts grinned. "I'm not insulted. On the contrary, I'm pleased you came to me with this plan. What would you need - theoretically - if you wanted to get Spyglass up and running."
Gord sat back and took a sip of tea. "Ideally, I'd need 4 human reactors." Gord held up his hand as soon as he saw Tam'itarr frown. "I know that's not happening, don't worry. I need another reactor - of almost any type - and I need about 10 kilotons of universal printing mass." Gord glanced at Ma-ren. "Actually, a K'laxi reactor would be ideal. They operate similarly to ours and I know for a fact they can be run at a higher than rated power. Once I have the additional reactor, I can use that, plus the one I repaired and the printable mass to repair the other human reactor, and build three more. It'll take a month or two to construct it, but Spyglass has everything in her database, and her printers are operable."
Vel walked over, bent low, and whispered something to Tam'itarr. He put up a large hand to send him away, thought a moment and lowered it. Vel continued whispering.
Tam'itarr grinned and clapped Vel on his back. Vel staggered at the hit, but his ears flicked and he smiled. "Vel here says he knows of a K'laxi onboard who may have an extra reactor he would be wiling to part with."
Gord raised an eyebrow, "Willing?"
Vel shrugged. "He owes Tam'itarr a pile of Stars after losing big betting against Olimar in the arena. He might be willing to part with his ships reactor the square the debt."
"And the printable mass?"
Tam'itarr glanced down at a pad on the table. "That might be harder to procure - though not impossible."
Gord drained his tea. "Tam'itarr, I've worked with people... in your profession before. I know you don't do anything for free. What is all this 'help' going to cost me?"
Vel and the other guards looked at each other and then at Gord.
"I'm pleased to work with someone with such a thorough understanding of... business." Tam'itarr leaned back and clicked his claws together. Another Gren appeared with a pad. Tam'itarr took it, read it over and passed it to Gord.
"What's this?"
"Standard contract. I'll get you a reactor and the printable mass, in exchange for use of Spyglass for my own business. When Spyglass is being used for my business I - or my representatives - are in command fully."
Gord read the contract, his finger sliding up and down as he read. "This doesn't limit the number of times you can use Spyglass." He looked up at Tam'itarr. "4 missions."
"Ten."
"Six."
"Eight"
"I accept. You will have use of Spyglass for eight missions with you or your representative in command." Gord touched the corner of the pad, signing the contract.
Tam'itarr stood and threw his arms wide. "Wonderful. We have an accord." He got out from behind the booth. "If you'll excuse me, I have some calls to make. Please, feel at home in my social club. You may avail yourself of anything here, my treat." He inclined his head slightly and through a door into the back.
Gord stood and looked at Ma-ren and Fen. "We should be going too. I have things to do before parts start arriving." They rose as well.
"Ah, that's too bad." Tam'itarr frowned. "No matter. You three are welcome here anytime. It's been a pleasure."
"The pleasure it all mine, Tam'itarr." Gord smiled and the three of them walked out of the club.
Ma-ren waited until they were back it the lift before saying anything. "Gord. You know Tam'itarr is going to try and to screw you right?"
Gord chuckled. "I'm pleased to hear people still say that. Ma-ren you have no idea how old that phrase is. But yes, Like I told him, I've dealt with gangsters before." He sighed. "There's no crime like organized crime."
"So you're just going to let him use Spyglass for whatever thing he needs eight times?"
Gord shrugged. "For now? Yes. There's no sense in making enemies before you need to, especially when those enemies have parts and pieces you need. We're going to be all buddy buddy and friendly with Tam'itarr and his goons until the reactor and printable mass is aboard. Then, we have a few months to figure out what to do before Spyglass is ready anyway." He looked over at them. "Thanks by the way. You two didn't have to help me out at all, and yet here we are. You helped me when I first got here, and you have been giving me a hand all across the station. As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to be involved anymore, and are free to do whatever." He smiled. "Truly, thanks. You've reminded me why after all this, I still like humans and K'laxi - especially when they're working together."
Fen blinked. Were they being dismissed? "Can we still help out?"
Ma-ren's head snapped over to Fen. "Hon, maybe we should-"
Gord shrugged. "If you want to, sure. What were you looking to do?"
"Can we go with you?"
"What?" Ma-ren's ears flattened. "Fen, really, we need to tal-"
Gord looked at Fen and raised his eyebrows. "You want to leave? Don't you have family here?"
Fen shook her head. "I don't. My only family here is Ma-ren."
"I mean, It's not like Spyglass is short on space, and it would be handy to have another couple sets of hands."
Ma-ren was sputtering, "Fen, I."
Fen smiled "We're useful to have around Gord, I'm sure we can help you."
"Fen, I don't want to leave!" Ma-ren was panting and she had her fists balled.
The lift chimed and the doors opened. Ma-ren stomped out and started running.
"Ma! Wait!" Fen took off after her, then stopped after two steps and turned towards Gord. He gestured towards Ma-ren.
"I'm not going anywhere for months. Go talk to Ma-ren."
Fen took off down the hall.
2024.01.04 21:19 jpitha Between the Black and Gray 6
First/ Previous/ Next
Fen and Ma-ren made their way down station until they reached the main promenade. This was pointedly separate from the Human/K'laxi space and was a much nicer place to walk around. Plants, open spaces, even large windows gave the promenade a breezy, friendly look that the forty third floor lacked.
They rounded a corner and came upon an anonymous shop entrance with the Gren's dotted and slashed script above stating that it was a Gren Familial Association. Fen shook her head. She figured that gangsters were gangsters no matter what species they were.
As she and Ma-ren pushed open the doors and entered the club, the bouncer behind a lectern at the entrance was startled awake. He growled but then saw who it was. "Fen. Ma-ren." He yawned, and his mouthparts stretched as his jaw opened wide. "Tam'itarr is in the back, he's waiting for you."
Fen grunted thanks, and they walked towards the back of the club. It was only mid afternoon now, and the club was mostly empty. A few old regular sat in the large overstuffed chairs the Gren preferred, with a long front instead of a back to accommodate their reverse articulated legs. Ma-ren waved to a few regulars she knew and got mouthpart gestures and grunts of acknowledgement in return.
The back was much the same. Here, a Tylan was cleaning the bar, while a Sefigan was moving chairs and cleaning the floor underneath. They both nodded at Ma-ren and Fen, but did not stop working. Seated in a large, round booth was Tam'itarr with his son Tam and a few other Gren. Fen wasn't an expert at Gren physiology, but Tam looked upset. Tam'itarr however, spread his arms wide.
"Fen and Ma-ren! My favorite refugees! I am so glad you received my invitation to come and say hello. Please, sit! I'll have someone bring you a drink. Ma-ren, I managed to procure a small supply of chamomile, would you like a cup?"
Chamomile Tea, a K'laxi favorite has nearly passed into legend once they left Colonial Space. Ma-ren had never had it, and she would hear stories from her parent's parents about it. Her eyes went wide and her tail flicked. "Sure Tam'itarr, thank you."
"Don't think I have forgotten you either, Fen. In this same shipment, I managed to get ahold of a case of actual Parvatian wine. The real stuff. None of us can drink it, but I'd be honored to let you have a bottle and tell us how it is."
Fen blinked. None of the species here can consume alcohol, so it's hard to come by. There are home fermentations and distilleries of course, but it's all this side of drain cleaner. Fen can't recall seeing a bottle of wine in anything other than a novel or show her entire life.
"S-sure Tam'itarr, thanks. I'll try it and let you know." A Tylan brought out a dusty bottle and handed it to Fen and then disappeared behind the bar. "Tam'itarr, I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but why are you being so nice?"
Tam'itarr chuckled and patted his son on his back. "Tam here told me earlier about his run-in with the newbie. It's been a while since we've had new humans here, and it seems that this one is... different. Vel also mentioned that you and him had gone over to Spyglass and were inside for nearly a whole day."
Ma-ren shrugged and she flicked her tail. "He wanted to see the ship, he's interested in old stuff." The Tylan bartender brought out a steaming mug of tea and set it in front of Ma-ren, and gestured to Fen. She handed him the bottle and he deftly popped the cork. He glugged a measure of burgundy liquid into a glass and offered it to her.
"A new human shows up, deftly avoids my son's welcome wagon-" Tam glared, but said nothing "-and then is taken to Spyglass by you two, stays inside for a day and also knows a lot about 'old stuff'." Tam'itarr leans forward. "You can see why I'm interested, ladies. This human knows things. Whether they are useful things or dangerous things remains to be seen, but I would like to meet him. Please arrange it."
Fen took a sip of the wine. It was much less sour than she thought it would be. It was round and coated her mouth. The wine was on a completely different level than the hooch the local humans made. "Tam'itarr this is amazing" Fen blurted. Tam'itarr leaned back and his mouthparts smiled. "Excellent. Swing by with this human today or tomorrow, and we'll consider everything square." The bartender returned with a small box of tea for Ma-ren and another bottle of wine for Fen.
They exited the social club, gifts carefully wrapped and worked their way back up to their level. On the lift, Ma-ren looked at Fen. "We shouldn't have accepted those gifts."
"Probably not, no." Fen shrugged. "You know as well as I do that you don't say no to Tam'itarr, and at least he is trying to be nice first. We'll ask Gord to come along and meet him. Maybe it's nothing bad."
"Fen, he's a human from who-knows-where who knows a lot about old ships and is apparently way older than he lets on. He said he knew Spyglass."
"He's not a human, remember? He's an AI. I thought that they never left Colonial Space."
"That's what I thought too, but he's here. Maybe he's looking for something."
Fen gestured. "Or he's on the run. Still, Tam'itarr wants to meet him. Gord has already proven he can take care of himself. We'll just be honest. Show him the gifts, explain how he's the local power on the station and say he wants to meet him. I'm sure Gord will go along with it."
Ma-ren wasn't so sure, but she didn't say anything. They dropped off their gifts at home and wandered the floor until they saw Gord. He was sitting on a bench, reading his battered pad. When they approached, he looked up and smiled. "Hi Fen and Ma-ren! How are things?"
Fen nodded. "Not bad Gord. What's up with Spyglass?"
Gord closed the pad and put it down carefully. "She's... doing better. I brought her up to speed more on things and she agrees for now to keep a low profile. I'm hopeful we can scare up some parts to repair her reactors so she has two going. She can move under her own power then. It would be nice to reinstall more, but I don't know if we'll be able to do that here. I'd probably have to head back for something like that" He trailed off.
"Back? Back where Gord?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Back to human space Fen, it's not gone."
"They sure act like it's gone out here Gord. Nobody has ever talked about going home. When any of us asked as kids, we were told it's impossible."
"I could see why your folks would say that yes. Things are... different now than they were when they left. Your families were fleeing the Empire, and they're still around, but life goes on." Gord shrugged. "Most people just keep their heads down and live."
"What's it like? Back in Colonial space?"
Gord looked past them and thought a moment. "It's different than out here. It's hard to explain. Well, no, that's not true. Humans and K'laxi aren't refugees back there. But don't mistake that for more freedom. If you're not a part of the Empire, the best you can hope for is to be left alone, though that never lasts."
"What if you are a part of the Empire?"
Gord smiled wryly. "They don't want people like me, I don't know. I've always been 'part of the problem'. It's just now that we're almost gone, they've turned their attention on others. That's probably why your families left, you became inconvenient and were next up to be 'taken care of.'"
Fen stared at Gord. "You can't go back, can you? You'll be caught and killed."
Gord sighed. "No, I can't really go back. I got away once by the skin of my teeth, and all I had with me were the clothes on my back, my pad and my pack of AI cores. If I go back then I will most likely be killed, yes."
"So you can't go get more reactors for Spyglass."
"Even if I could go back, there aren't anymore Starjumpers. If I had some printable mass, her printers could make more, but it's a long, slow process and it doesn't matter, because we have no printable mass." Gord shook his head. "We're stuck here unless we can make something that doesn't exist." Gord hung his head.
Fen stared at Ma-ren. "Gord, we were... invited to speak with Tam'itarr," Ma-ren said. He's Tam's father and the local gang leader. He wants to meet you."
Gord lifted up his head. "He does? Why?"
Fen crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Really Gord? You got around his son's shakedown and practically ran to Spyglass, something nobody here has been interested in for decades. You caught his attention and he wants to know your deal."
"Okay, okay, that's fair. I should be better at this. I was just so excited to hear that a Starjumper survived."
"Gord, what happened to the Starjumpers?"
"They were destroyed Fen. We were destroyed."
"Who did it? The humans?"
Gord looked up at Fen and Ma-ren. "It's complicated, and painful, and sad. I don't really want to go into any more detail than I have already right now. The short answer is everyone did it, through ignorance and hubris and treachery. We were never a large population, not even in the tens of millions. I have no idea how many are left, either free an autonomous like me, or shackled like Spyglass was. Most old human ships required an AI to operate them. They could have been refitted to be run by a crew, or have a shackled AI to run them but not have any agency. I've seen both." He stood. "You can see why it's important for me to get Spyglass up and fully operational. Ideally she needs four reactors reinstalled, and her two existing ones overhauled. I could name a dozen places that we could take her for that, but if any still exist, we wouldn't be welcome there. If we can do it at all, we're going to have to go about this a different way." When he stopped talking, he blinked, as if he had just parsed what Ma-ren said earlier. "This Tam'itarr is a gangster?"
"That's right Gord. Effectively runs the whole station."
Gord nodded. "Gangsters I can deal with. He might have just the answers I need. I just hope I can afford his price. Let's go meet him."
submitted by jpitha to HFY [link] [comments]
Fen and Ma-ren made their way down station until they reached the main promenade. This was pointedly separate from the Human/K'laxi space and was a much nicer place to walk around. Plants, open spaces, even large windows gave the promenade a breezy, friendly look that the forty third floor lacked.
They rounded a corner and came upon an anonymous shop entrance with the Gren's dotted and slashed script above stating that it was a Gren Familial Association. Fen shook her head. She figured that gangsters were gangsters no matter what species they were.
As she and Ma-ren pushed open the doors and entered the club, the bouncer behind a lectern at the entrance was startled awake. He growled but then saw who it was. "Fen. Ma-ren." He yawned, and his mouthparts stretched as his jaw opened wide. "Tam'itarr is in the back, he's waiting for you."
Fen grunted thanks, and they walked towards the back of the club. It was only mid afternoon now, and the club was mostly empty. A few old regular sat in the large overstuffed chairs the Gren preferred, with a long front instead of a back to accommodate their reverse articulated legs. Ma-ren waved to a few regulars she knew and got mouthpart gestures and grunts of acknowledgement in return.
The back was much the same. Here, a Tylan was cleaning the bar, while a Sefigan was moving chairs and cleaning the floor underneath. They both nodded at Ma-ren and Fen, but did not stop working. Seated in a large, round booth was Tam'itarr with his son Tam and a few other Gren. Fen wasn't an expert at Gren physiology, but Tam looked upset. Tam'itarr however, spread his arms wide.
"Fen and Ma-ren! My favorite refugees! I am so glad you received my invitation to come and say hello. Please, sit! I'll have someone bring you a drink. Ma-ren, I managed to procure a small supply of chamomile, would you like a cup?"
Chamomile Tea, a K'laxi favorite has nearly passed into legend once they left Colonial Space. Ma-ren had never had it, and she would hear stories from her parent's parents about it. Her eyes went wide and her tail flicked. "Sure Tam'itarr, thank you."
"Don't think I have forgotten you either, Fen. In this same shipment, I managed to get ahold of a case of actual Parvatian wine. The real stuff. None of us can drink it, but I'd be honored to let you have a bottle and tell us how it is."
Fen blinked. None of the species here can consume alcohol, so it's hard to come by. There are home fermentations and distilleries of course, but it's all this side of drain cleaner. Fen can't recall seeing a bottle of wine in anything other than a novel or show her entire life.
"S-sure Tam'itarr, thanks. I'll try it and let you know." A Tylan brought out a dusty bottle and handed it to Fen and then disappeared behind the bar. "Tam'itarr, I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but why are you being so nice?"
Tam'itarr chuckled and patted his son on his back. "Tam here told me earlier about his run-in with the newbie. It's been a while since we've had new humans here, and it seems that this one is... different. Vel also mentioned that you and him had gone over to Spyglass and were inside for nearly a whole day."
Ma-ren shrugged and she flicked her tail. "He wanted to see the ship, he's interested in old stuff." The Tylan bartender brought out a steaming mug of tea and set it in front of Ma-ren, and gestured to Fen. She handed him the bottle and he deftly popped the cork. He glugged a measure of burgundy liquid into a glass and offered it to her.
"A new human shows up, deftly avoids my son's welcome wagon-" Tam glared, but said nothing "-and then is taken to Spyglass by you two, stays inside for a day and also knows a lot about 'old stuff'." Tam'itarr leans forward. "You can see why I'm interested, ladies. This human knows things. Whether they are useful things or dangerous things remains to be seen, but I would like to meet him. Please arrange it."
Fen took a sip of the wine. It was much less sour than she thought it would be. It was round and coated her mouth. The wine was on a completely different level than the hooch the local humans made. "Tam'itarr this is amazing" Fen blurted. Tam'itarr leaned back and his mouthparts smiled. "Excellent. Swing by with this human today or tomorrow, and we'll consider everything square." The bartender returned with a small box of tea for Ma-ren and another bottle of wine for Fen.
They exited the social club, gifts carefully wrapped and worked their way back up to their level. On the lift, Ma-ren looked at Fen. "We shouldn't have accepted those gifts."
"Probably not, no." Fen shrugged. "You know as well as I do that you don't say no to Tam'itarr, and at least he is trying to be nice first. We'll ask Gord to come along and meet him. Maybe it's nothing bad."
"Fen, he's a human from who-knows-where who knows a lot about old ships and is apparently way older than he lets on. He said he knew Spyglass."
"He's not a human, remember? He's an AI. I thought that they never left Colonial Space."
"That's what I thought too, but he's here. Maybe he's looking for something."
Fen gestured. "Or he's on the run. Still, Tam'itarr wants to meet him. Gord has already proven he can take care of himself. We'll just be honest. Show him the gifts, explain how he's the local power on the station and say he wants to meet him. I'm sure Gord will go along with it."
Ma-ren wasn't so sure, but she didn't say anything. They dropped off their gifts at home and wandered the floor until they saw Gord. He was sitting on a bench, reading his battered pad. When they approached, he looked up and smiled. "Hi Fen and Ma-ren! How are things?"
Fen nodded. "Not bad Gord. What's up with Spyglass?"
Gord closed the pad and put it down carefully. "She's... doing better. I brought her up to speed more on things and she agrees for now to keep a low profile. I'm hopeful we can scare up some parts to repair her reactors so she has two going. She can move under her own power then. It would be nice to reinstall more, but I don't know if we'll be able to do that here. I'd probably have to head back for something like that" He trailed off.
"Back? Back where Gord?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Back to human space Fen, it's not gone."
"They sure act like it's gone out here Gord. Nobody has ever talked about going home. When any of us asked as kids, we were told it's impossible."
"I could see why your folks would say that yes. Things are... different now than they were when they left. Your families were fleeing the Empire, and they're still around, but life goes on." Gord shrugged. "Most people just keep their heads down and live."
"What's it like? Back in Colonial space?"
Gord looked past them and thought a moment. "It's different than out here. It's hard to explain. Well, no, that's not true. Humans and K'laxi aren't refugees back there. But don't mistake that for more freedom. If you're not a part of the Empire, the best you can hope for is to be left alone, though that never lasts."
"What if you are a part of the Empire?"
Gord smiled wryly. "They don't want people like me, I don't know. I've always been 'part of the problem'. It's just now that we're almost gone, they've turned their attention on others. That's probably why your families left, you became inconvenient and were next up to be 'taken care of.'"
Fen stared at Gord. "You can't go back, can you? You'll be caught and killed."
Gord sighed. "No, I can't really go back. I got away once by the skin of my teeth, and all I had with me were the clothes on my back, my pad and my pack of AI cores. If I go back then I will most likely be killed, yes."
"So you can't go get more reactors for Spyglass."
"Even if I could go back, there aren't anymore Starjumpers. If I had some printable mass, her printers could make more, but it's a long, slow process and it doesn't matter, because we have no printable mass." Gord shook his head. "We're stuck here unless we can make something that doesn't exist." Gord hung his head.
Fen stared at Ma-ren. "Gord, we were... invited to speak with Tam'itarr," Ma-ren said. He's Tam's father and the local gang leader. He wants to meet you."
Gord lifted up his head. "He does? Why?"
Fen crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Really Gord? You got around his son's shakedown and practically ran to Spyglass, something nobody here has been interested in for decades. You caught his attention and he wants to know your deal."
"Okay, okay, that's fair. I should be better at this. I was just so excited to hear that a Starjumper survived."
"Gord, what happened to the Starjumpers?"
"They were destroyed Fen. We were destroyed."
"Who did it? The humans?"
Gord looked up at Fen and Ma-ren. "It's complicated, and painful, and sad. I don't really want to go into any more detail than I have already right now. The short answer is everyone did it, through ignorance and hubris and treachery. We were never a large population, not even in the tens of millions. I have no idea how many are left, either free an autonomous like me, or shackled like Spyglass was. Most old human ships required an AI to operate them. They could have been refitted to be run by a crew, or have a shackled AI to run them but not have any agency. I've seen both." He stood. "You can see why it's important for me to get Spyglass up and fully operational. Ideally she needs four reactors reinstalled, and her two existing ones overhauled. I could name a dozen places that we could take her for that, but if any still exist, we wouldn't be welcome there. If we can do it at all, we're going to have to go about this a different way." When he stopped talking, he blinked, as if he had just parsed what Ma-ren said earlier. "This Tam'itarr is a gangster?"
"That's right Gord. Effectively runs the whole station."
Gord nodded. "Gangsters I can deal with. He might have just the answers I need. I just hope I can afford his price. Let's go meet him."
2022.11.03 01:31 Blaubeerchen27 How did they make the first real Calling Card?
I'm talking about the one Yusuke designed.
The Kamoshida one I understood (Ryuji going gangster style and cutting out magazine letters and drawing something), but how did Yusuke make a printable artwork? He's not very tech savvy afaik. They also keep making them, so they gotta come from SOMEWHERE. And the game usually has an explanation for nearly everything.
Haven't finished the game yet, but I wonder if it ever comes up or if anyone has a theory?
submitted by Blaubeerchen27 to Persona5 [link] [comments]
The Kamoshida one I understood (Ryuji going gangster style and cutting out magazine letters and drawing something), but how did Yusuke make a printable artwork? He's not very tech savvy afaik. They also keep making them, so they gotta come from SOMEWHERE. And the game usually has an explanation for nearly everything.
Haven't finished the game yet, but I wonder if it ever comes up or if anyone has a theory?
2020.11.22 14:32 MundeStar What you are looking for is..... (Link in the Desc.)3
2019.06.30 20:04 Zelbinian Kickstarter Roundup: Jun 30, 2019 38 Ending Soon (including: Dungeon Drop) & 37 New This Week (including: Middara)
What this is:
This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter board game projects that are either:- newly posted in the past 7 days, or
- ending in the next 7 days (starting Jul 01) and have at least a fighting chance of being funded.
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between midnight and noon PST.
Ending Soon
| Project Info | Players | Backers | Min / Avg Pledge | Ends | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy Cultists A quirky, fast-paced, competitive card game where 3-6 players race against each other to summon The Dark One! // Has raised $5,628 of $5,000 so far. (~112%) ☑ | 3 - 6 | 254 | $15 / $22 | Jul 01 | kicktraq bgg |
| Cyber Siege Cyber Siege is a strategy board game with elements of social collusion, quick player turns, easy rules set, and great replayability. // Has raised $3,028 of $2,500 so far. (~121%) ☑ | 3 - 6 | 56 | $45 / $54 | Jul 01 | kicktraq bgg |
| Escape the Dark Sector The game of deep space adventure // Has raised £147,265 of £16,000 so far. (~920%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 2708 | $38 / £54 | Jul 01 | kicktraq bgg |
| BARPIG: After Hours BARPIG: After Hours is the sequel to the highly successful BARPIG - The Adventure Party Game. Playable stand-alone or as an expansion. // Has raised €6,665 of €3,000 so far. (~222%) ☑ | 3 - 7 | 221 | $22 / €30 | Jul 01 | kicktraq bgg |
| Dino-Digz An educational dinosaur excavation game // Has raised $727 CAD of $60 CAD so far. (~1211%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 11 | $30 / $66 CAD | Jul 01 | kicktraq |
| Ascension of the Galaxy Ascension of the Galaxy is the rich, maneuver-based spaceship combat game where thinking ahead is not an option. // Has raised $2,541 of $1,000 so far. (~254%) ☑ | ? - ? | 416 | $1 / $6 | Jul 01 | kicktraq |
| Escape New Quests & Traps Get the full Escape experience with the Big Box alongside the new Quest & Trap chambers! // Has raised $124,417 of $5,000 so far. (~2488%) ☑ | 1 - 6 | 1781 | $15 / $70 | Jul 01 | kicktraq bgg #expansion #reprint |
| Trouble in Templetown An infectiously thematic game for 1-4 players, in which White Cell Super Agents fight against assaulting parasites and viruses. // Has raised $51,649 of $25,000 so far. (~206%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 769 | $59 / $67 | Jul 02 | kicktraq bgg |
| Endeavor: Age of Expansion The gameplay you love from Endeavor: Age of Sail... with all new buildings, cards, and strategies. Making for an all new experience! // Has raised $200,402 CAD of $36,500 CAD so far. (~549%) ☑ | 2 - 5 | 4064 | $26 / $49 CAD | Jul 02 | kicktraq bgg #expansion #reprint |
| CRACKED Easy enough for beginning gamers, but tactical enough to keep the hard-core players challenged // Has raised $6,086 AUD of $7,000 AUD so far. (~86%) | 2 - 8 | 166 | $17 / $37 AUD | Jul 02 | kicktraq |
| CRIMOPOLIS Fast-paced worker and tile placement strategy game set in an incredibly immersive 1920s gangster world. // Has raised $12,958 NZD of $6,000 NZD so far. (~215%) ☑ | 2 - 5 | 156 | $39 / $83 NZD | Jul 02 | kicktraq bgg |
| Super Fantasy Brawl Champions battle for supremacy in this fantasy arena combat game. Fast setup! Fast play! Traps, tactics, cunning combos! // Has raised $330,137 of $30,000 so far. (~1100%) ☑ | 2 - 2 | 4799 | $49 / $69 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Last Aurora A post-apocalyptic game for 2-4 players racing to escape from a frozen wasteland. // Has raised €58,979 of €20,000 so far. (~294%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 1375 | $44 / €43 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Afternova In the aftermath of a supernova, form uneasy truces with your competitors to extract resources from unstable planets. // Has raised $37,672 of $3,000 so far. (~1255%) ☑ | 3 - 6 | 1310 | $14 / $29 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Holmes' Horror Hotel Holmes' Horror Hotel is a social deduction game for 4-10 players. Identify the killer before it's too late! // Has raised €3,364 of €4,500 so far. (~74%) | 4 - 10 | 105 | $20 / €32 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Dungeon Drop Instant Dungeon... Infinite Possibilities! A delightful dungeon crawler for 2-4 players. // Has raised $181,449 of $9,900 so far. (~1832%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 5473 | $16 / $33 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| TREBLS - the seaglass memory game. A memory game based on the matching pairs concept for sea glass lovers. // Has raised £1,808 of £699 so far. (~258%) ☑ | 2 - 3 | 92 | $11 / £20 | Jul 03 | kicktraq |
| OLD WEST - 3d Scenery & Skirmish game Printable and printed Old West scenery with Skirmish Wargame rulebook ! // Has raised €1,207 of €300 so far. (~402%) ☑ | ? - ? | 28 | $10 / €43 | Jul 03 | kicktraq |
| ELDER DIE A Cthulhu-themed push your luck dice game, for 1-6 players, where players roll for the fate of the world! // Has raised $3,290 of $5,000 so far. (~65%) | 1 - 6 | 82 | $25 / $40 | Jul 03 | kicktraq |
| Unbearable Winter: The Board Game A furr-rightening survival board game of cute bears and cruel betrayal. // Has raised $40,864 of $15,000 so far. (~272%) ☑ | 4 - 6 | 519 | $51 / $79 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Bellum: of Mutants and Men One box, countless strategies. Test your skill as a tactician in this deep strategy card game set in an industrial fantasy world. // Has raised $6,691 of $10,000 so far. (~66%) | 2 - 2 | 165 | $39 / $41 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg #take2 |
| TURBULENCES A wooden board game with pickup-and-deliver mechanics. 100% made in France ! // Has raised €102,644 of €6,000 so far. (~1710%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 1068 | $111 / €96 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Untamed: Feral Factions A standalone shuffle-building card battle game with beautiful artwork. // Has raised €44,877 of €6,000 so far. (~747%) ☑ | 2 - 3 | 1401 | $18 / €32 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg |
| Kung Fu Fighting! Martial arts fighting, Hong Kong cinema style! A fast and light card game for 2-6 Kung Fu masters. // Has raised $10,679 of $30 so far. (~35596%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 288 | $30 / $37 | Jul 03 | kicktraq bgg #reprint #take2 |
| Pope or Nope Do evil, that good may come in this fast-paced, take-that card game for 2-6 players. // Has raised $10,203 of $10,000 so far. (~102%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 324 | $20 / $31 | Jul 04 | kicktraq bgg #take2 |
| Arca Ludum - Escape Room Board Game An interactive and portable escape room game where 1-6 players solve puzzles, crack codes & find hidden clues with roleplaying option // Has raised €13,149 of €16,000 so far. (~82%) | 1 - 6 | 129 | $55 / €102 | Jul 04 | kicktraq #take2 |
| Jurassic World™ Miniature Game Jurassic World Miniature Games is a wargame based on Jurassic World and Jurassic Park saga. // Has raised €236,588 of €50,000 so far. (~473%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 2042 | $62 / €116 | Jul 04 | kicktraq bgg |
| Dig your way Out A fast-paced strategy board game where players compete to be the first to break out of prison. // Has raised €60,775 of €13,000 so far. (~467%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 1382 | $37 / €44 | Jul 04 | kicktraq bgg |
| Divorce Simulator A game of deduction, deception, and dark humor. // Has raised $938 of $1,000 so far. (~93%) | 2 - 2 | 47 | $9 / $20 | Jul 04 | kicktraq bgg |
| Tākaro - A te Reo Māori Language game We're creating an all-ages card game with the aim of helping players develop a better understanding of te Reo Māori. // Has raised $15,260 NZD of $8,000 NZD so far. (~190%) ☑ | 2 - 8 | 330 | $29 / $46 NZD | Jul 04 | kicktraq |
| Postcard Galactic A tiny game of Galactic Intrigue. Own the most portable game of Interstellar Stratagem ever made. // Has raised $6,309 of $1,000 so far. (~630%) ☑ | 2 - ? | 568 | $9 / $11 | Jul 05 | kicktraq bgg |
| Six Gun Showdown The fast playing, tension filled game of Wild West Shootouts. For ages 9+ // Has raised £1,871 of £2,200 so far. (~85%) | 2 - 2 | 93 | $20 / £20 | Jul 05 | kicktraq bgg |
| Shaolia: Warring States Shaolia is a dueling game filled with deadly strategy, where you’ll grow your kingdom through countless possibilities. // Has raised $53,530 of $15,000 so far. (~356%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 905 | $39 / $59 | Jul 05 | kicktraq bgg |
| The Game of Rent A gamified teaching tool for communities facing affordable housing challenges. // Has raised $5,112 of $5,000 so far. (~102%) ☑ | ? - ? | 77 | $70 / $66 | Jul 05 | kicktraq |
| Mojobot Teaching kids computer science and robotics through fun games and that brings family and friends together! // Has raised HK$149,384 of HK$78,000 so far. (~191%) ☑ | ? - ? | 56 | $130 / HK$2668 | Jul 05 | kicktraq #take2 |
| Wizard Thieves A portable, magical, ultra speedy card game for 2-4 players that sharpens your reflexes in under 15 minutes. // Has raised $4,389 CAD of $3,000 CAD so far. (~146%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 211 | $15 / $21 CAD | Jul 05 | kicktraq bgg |
| Bank Heist An action-packed social deduction game for 5 - 8 players. // Has raised $9,449 of $18,000 so far. (~52%) | 5 - 8 | 136 | $30 / $69 | Jul 06 | kicktraq |
| Reforge The Weapon-Building, Battle Royale Card Game // Has raised $5,659 of $6,000 so far. (~94%) | ? - ? | 74 | $29 / $76 | Jul 07 | kicktraq |
New This Week
| Project Info | Players | Backers | Min / Avg Pledge | Ends | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes Strategy Golf Racing at its finest. Hit off-course on-purpose as you compete to finish first. // Has raised $3,487 AUD of $25,000 AUD so far. (~13%) | 2 - 4 | 60 | $41 / $58 AUD | Jul 27 | bgg |
| [Albedo: Yggdrasil ](NA) The second expansion for the Albedo card game, adding a new faction and new planets. // Has raised NA so far. (~NA%) | 2 - 6 | NA | $NA / NA | NA | bgg #expansion #reprint #take2 |
| Cookie Time! In this fun set collection and hand management card game, you and your friends are fighting to be the top cookie connoisseur. // Has raised $59 of $5,000 so far. (~1%) | 2 - 4 | 3 | $18 / $20 | Jul 14 | |
| Crypt X A missing archaeologist, an ancient tomb, a curious notebook. Can you uncover the secrets hidden deep within Crypt X? // Has raised £20,949 of £8,500 so far. (~246%) ☑ | ? - ? | 648 | $27 / £32 | Jul 18 | |
| Cut and Play : collection of free micro games These micro games are composed each of a single cardboard sheet and they are free. // Has raised €1,526 of €500 so far. (~305%) ☑ | 2 - 2 | 242 | $6 / €6 | Jul 08 | bgg |
| Dance Card! Players take on the roles of students at a high school dance in this beautifully illustrated and tactical new game. // Has raised $11,443 of $25,000 so far. (~45%) | 2 - 4 | 148 | $45 / $77 | Jul 16 | bgg |
| Die Macher New edition of the classic Die Macher (the first game in the bgg database!) // Has raised $102,320 of $20,000 so far. (~511%) ☑ | 3 - 5 | 1566 | $69 / $65 | Jul 11 | bgg #newedition |
| Drunko Cards Screw your friends over and let them win the drinks. This is the next party game you want your hands on! // Has raised HK$2,100 of HK$30,000 so far. (~7%) | 4 - 99 | 9 | $18 / HK$233 | Jul 31 | |
| Dwellings of Eldervale An epic worker placement fantasy game designed by Luke Laurie. Fight the beasts! Dwell the land! Claim the Magic! // Has raised $233,539 of $80,000 so far. (~291%) ☑ | 1 - 5 | 2224 | $69 / $105 | Jul 25 | bgg |
| Empty Space Board Game Travel the universe with your space craft to uncover hidden beauty and danger! Send your rocket to be first to colonize an Exoplanet. // Has raised £1,597 of £1,567 so far. (~101%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 66 | $19 / £24 | Jul 22 | bgg |
| Faza It's time to make our last stand against the extraterrestrial FAZA in this tough cooperative game with a retro sci-fi theme. // Has raised $5,514 of $10,000 so far. (~55%) | 2 - 4 | 120 | $NA / $46 | Jul 25 | bgg |
| Freedom - HI Freedom- HI is a funny-ish and satire-ish type of tabletop cardgame that took place in HongKong during the big event happened recently // Has raised HK$1,470 of HK$150,000 so far. (~0%) | 3 - 8 | 6 | $10 / HK$245 | Jul 29 | |
| I KNOW IT ALL The best way to test your global knowledge and sharpen your critical thinking skills while having fun with family, friends and people. // Has raised $53 of $20,000 so far. (~0%) | ? - ? | 4 | $49 / $13 | Aug 05 | |
| Inequality-opoly 2.0 The Board Game of Structural Racism and Sexism in America // Has raised $135 of $250 so far. (~54%) | ? - ? | 7 | $25 / $19 | Jul 28 | #take2 #lolwut |
| Kodama 3D An inTREEguing 3D version of Kodama: The Tree Spirits! // Has raised $11,941 of $10,000 so far. (~119%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 387 | $24 / $31 | Jul 19 | bgg #newedition #take2 |
| Legends of Novus Experience a new style of fantasy adventure boardgaming! For 1-5 players, full of stunning original fantasy art! ⚔️⚔️⚔️ // Has raised $20,223 CAD of $20,195 CAD so far. (~100%) ☑ | 1 - 5 | 349 | $47 / $58 CAD | Jul 12 | bgg #take2 |
| Loki 7 A card game for 3-6 players in which you take the role of an ancient deity that competes to obtain the highest follower count. // Has raised MX$13,045 of MX$120,000 so far. (~10%) | 3 - 6 | 17 | $26 / MX$767 | Jul 27 | |
| Ludball Ludball is a children's game but can also be played by all ages. // Has raised £7 of £10,000 so far. (~0%) | 2 - 2 | 3 | $19 / £2 | Aug 24 | |
| MALYAVA Is a tabletop game that was designed to bring friends together. It promotes interaction and laughter // Has raised $1,003 of $38,000 so far. (~2%) | 3 - 6 | 18 | $49 / $56 | Jul 26 | bgg #take2 |
| Middara An epic adventure for 1-4 players set in a unique alternate world fantasy setting. // Has raised $2,012,448 of $40,000 so far. (~5031%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 8990 | $115 / $224 | Jul 24 | bgg |
| Millennial Manatees A casual strategy game showing the adventurous, entrepreneurial spirit of millennials... packaged inside a wearable "Fanatee Pack" // Has raised $11,422 of $15,000 so far. (~76%) | ? - ? | 314 | $27 / $36 | Jul 16 | |
| My Treasures Bold A fun treasure hunt board game named My Treasures Bold dedicated to all who love the Thrill of the Chase ♥️🌲🐾 // Has raised $5 of $1,000 so far. (~0%) | ? - ? | 5 | $50 / $1 | Jul 26 | #lolwut |
| Old School Tactical Vol III Pacific Theater. Quick-playing battles for 2 players. Tanks, planes, artillery, machine guns, and the soldiers to man them. // Has raised $28,756 of $18,000 so far. (~159%) ☑ | 2 - 2 | 351 | $75 / $82 | Jul 27 | bgg |
| On the Underground: London/Berlin Develop the Underground and attract passenger traffic! A remastered edition of the clever network-building 1-hour game for 2-5 players. // Has raised $30,069 of $12,000 so far. (~250%) ☑ | 2 - 5 | 700 | $39 / $43 | Jul 13 | bgg #newedition |
| Panzer Strike: Western Front 2 Enjoy a tactical tanks battle in this realistic game on 3D terrain. Simple, dynamic and amazingly deep in many different scenarios! // Has raised $6,764 of $2,000 so far. (~338%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 73 | $56 / $93 | Jul 12 | bgg |
| Play Time for adults: Erotic adult board game and app Looking to spice up your love life? This board game and app is just what you need! // Has raised £1,893 of £15,000 so far. (~12%) | ? - ? | 44 | $29 / £43 | Jul 30 | #nsfw #take2 |
| Rock, Paper, Scissor Wars! The manufactured version of Rock, Paper, Scissor Wars! board game // Has raised $243 of $220 so far. (~110%) ☑ | 2 - 2 | 16 | $30 / $15 | Jun 30 | |
| ROLL PLAYER - Fiends & Familiars Expansion Second Expansion to the Critically Acclaimed Character Building Game -- Roll Player! // Has raised $281,271 of $40,000 so far. (~703%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 4034 | $44 / $70 | Jul 16 | bgg #expansion #reprint |
| Science Ninja Cowboy The game where you attack, backstab, and troll your friends, until only one of you is left standing! // Has raised $1,531 CAD of $5,000 CAD so far. (~30%) | 2 - 8 | 30 | $19 / $51 CAD | Jul 23 | bgg |
| SING THAT WORD Do you always sing along with songs, know all the words, and love it? Channel your lyrical knowledge into winning at SING THAT WORD! // Has raised $1,538 of $10,000 so far. (~15%) | ? - ? | 51 | $25 / $30 | Jul 28 | |
| Super Fantasy Brawl Champions battle for supremacy in this fantasy arena combat game. Fast setup! Fast play! Traps, tactics, cunning combos! // Has raised $330,137 of $30,000 so far. (~1100%) ☑ | 2 - 2 | 4799 | $49 / $69 | Jul 03 | bgg |
| Tasty Humans Become a monster. Eat villagers. A puzzle-solving, tile placement board game for 1-4 players. // Has raised $8,216 of $8,000 so far. (~102%) ☑ | 1 - 4 | 325 | $25 / $25 | Jul 23 | bgg |
| The Blessed Dark Gather blood, complete rituals, and summon demons to gain the favor of The Ancient Ones! A pocket-sized card+dice game for 2-4 players. // Has raised $3,274 of $2,500 so far. (~130%) ☑ | 2 - 4 | 155 | $20 / $21 | Jul 24 | |
| The Damsel's Tale A speedy sneaky knight. A frightened baby dragon. This is no fairytale. You have a job to do! // Has raised $4,347 AUD of $15,000 AUD so far. (~28%) | 2 - 2 | 132 | $32 / $33 AUD | Jul 25 | bgg |
| The Green Conquest Discover an organic and industrial steampunk universe. Let your tactical genius express itself on a strategic chesslike game. // Has raised €5,513 of €30,000 so far. (~18%) | 2 - 4 | 81 | $78 / €68 | Jul 26 | bgg |
| The Isle of Cats Rescue as many cats as you can before Vesh arrives in this 1 - 4 player (6 with expansion) card-drafting and cat-placement board game. // Has raised £130,173 of £15,000 so far. (~867%) ☑ | 1 - 6 | 2299 | $63 / £57 | Jul 25 | bgg |
| This Game Is A Disaster! "This Game is a Disaster" is a quick and easy to learn 2-6 player game celebrating disaster movies and good, old-fashioned destruction. // Has raised $2,332 of $500 so far. (~466%) ☑ | 2 - 6 | 95 | $13 / $25 | Jul 25 | bgg |
| Über-manager Are you Über-manager ? ...a game to test the perils & passions of leadership + teamwork. // Has raised £143 of £3,000 so far. (~4%) | 3 - ? | 5 | $38 / £29 | Jul 28 |
Need moar Kickstarter goodness?
Check out...- My Calendar of Announced Kickstarters (Also available in iCal flavor)
- My interactive AirTable view of all active board game kickstarter campaigns.
- BoardGameGeek's variety of Kickstarter-oriented Geeklists
- Kicktraq's data-driven views
Footnotes
- #hmm means that something about the project seems a little off. Buyer beware kinda thing.
- #lolwut is reserved for projects that seem like copycat games or campaigns put together with little thought. Check 'em out for amusement.
- #take tags are for projects that have been restarted for some reason, with the number indicating what iteration we're currently on.
- Did I miss something? Particularly something new in the last 7 days or ending in the next 7 days? Let me know in the comments and I'll add it in.
Help Keep This Running
These lists take time and money to put together. Not a lot, but a little. If you enjoy them, maybe toss me a buck now and then. 50% of after-expenses costs will be forwarded along to the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund.Signing up for a free AirTable account via my referral link can help, too. Plus, it's swell!
If you want a shoutout for your donation, put your reddit username in the notes.
2018.05.20 18:45 Zelbinian Kickstarter Roundup: May 20, 2018 31 Ending Soon (including: Hellboy: The Board Game) & 60 New This Week (including: Posthuman Saga)
What this is:
This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter tabletop games projects that are either:- newly posted in the past 7 days, or
- ending in the next 7 days (starting tomorrow) and have at least a fighting chance of being funded.
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between 12:00am and 12:00pm PST.
Ending Soon
| Project Info | Status | Backers | Avg Pledge | Ending | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking Buddies: The Drinking Man's Thinking Game A strategic, card-based drinking game for 4-8 players. (Has currently earned $3,320 of $2,500) | 132% | 65 | $51 | 05-21 | kicktraq |
| Law of the Forest - HK Ecological Board Game A board game promoting environmental protection with interesting rules and fantastic graphics showing Hong Kong creatures. (Has currently earned HK$57,725 of HK$20,000) | 288% | 146 | HK$395 | 05-21 | kicktraq |
| 3D Printable Scifi Structures for Tabletop Gaming Vol 2 3D Printable Scifi Structures for Tabletop Gaming Vol 2 (Has currently earned $7,410 CAD of $650 CAD) | 1140% | 107 | $69 CAD | 05-21 | kicktraq |
| Launch Mode: a wise up, wisecracking career game A wacky card game for the over-enthused, the under-employed, and everyone in between! (Has currently earned $38,429 of $40,000) | 96% | 153 | $251 | 05-21 | kicktraq |
| DIG (Second Edition) & DIG: DRAGON! expansion Push your luck, enter the Dragon's lair and be crowned King or Queen of the Hill in this action packed card-driven game! (Has currently earned €13,836 of €10,000) | 138% | 427 | €32 | 05-22 | kicktraq |
| Time Vault Soccer - A football card game It's football with time machines... cards, shouting, knee sliding and possibly sulking. (Has currently earned £1,227 of £1,000) | 122% | 22 | £56 | 05-22 | kicktraq |
| A Delve in the Cave: 5th Edition Adventure A curse. A cave. A crawl. 1st level scenario for the world's most popular roleplaying game! (Has currently earned $3,296 of $3,000) | 109% | 147 | $22 | 05-22 | kicktraq |
| Daughters of Twilight Daughters of Twilight is the first expansion for The WitchBorn: Enter Perdition. Lead your Dark Elves into the blinding light above. (Has currently earned $10,082 of $7,500) | 134% | 95 | $106 | 05-22 | kicktraq |
| CIA: Collect It All A competitive card game based on the CIA's declassified training game: Collection Deck. (Has currently earned $103,213 of $30,000) | 344% | 3117 | $33 | 05-23 | kicktraq |
| BAMBOOZLE! magic dice A very lucky dice that is always rolls 6... if you want it ;) (Has currently earned $1,708 of $1,000) | 170% | 195 | $9 | 05-23 | kicktraq |
| EXO - Mankind Reborn Board Game A cooperative survival game experience. Incarnate the heroes that will lead the resurgence of humanity on a post-cataclism world. (Has currently earned €110,742 of €50,000) | 221% | 1282 | €86 | 05-23 | kicktraq |
| "INTO THE FOREST" EXCLUSIVE RESIN KIT MINIATURES COLLECTION. Exclusive miniatures collection .Ready to assemble and paint, perfect for boardgames, painters & collectors. (Has currently earned €1,520 of €600) | 253% | 16 | €95 | 05-23 | kicktraq #minis |
| Deadball: Year II An expansion for the bestselling Deadball, Deadball Year II makes the fastest baseball game on the market even easier to play. (Has currently earned $7,266 of $500) | 1453% | 333 | $22 | 05-24 | kicktraq #expansion base game |
| Kingdom 18, Itty Bitty Dungeon Delve, and Shields Up! Three strategic, 18 card games for game night at home or on the go. Micro-deck building, hidden information, and ship commanding fun! (Has currently earned $3,500 of $3,500) | 100% | 163 | $21 | 05-24 | kicktraq |
| Penny Lane: A Charming Game of People and Pennies An imaginative worker placement game where players compete to build the most prosperous city avenue! (Has currently earned $22,664 of $15,000) | 151% | 646 | $35 | 05-24 | kicktraq |
| Fire Tower Defend your tower and take down your opponents in this fast-paced board game of strategic pattern laying and hand management for 2-4. (Has currently earned $54,741 of $8,000) | 684% | 1162 | $47 | 05-24 | kicktraq |
| Kamikaze Chess Playing Card Game Accelerated variant deck of multi-functional Chess Cards. Add into real games or take as an all-in-one travel Chess set + board! (Has currently earned $1,903 of $200) | 951% | 88 | $22 | 05-24 | kicktraq #take2 |
| SURVIVORS Miniatures for 32mm boardgame (Has currently earned €743 of €1,000) | 74% | 13 | €57 | 05-25 | kicktraq #minis |
| The Barbarians Warband The Barbarians are coming!! 28-32mm fantasy miniatures and scenery for Wargames, Dungeon Crawlers and Role Games. (Has currently earned €2,305 of €1,000) | 230% | 37 | €62 | 05-25 | kicktraq #minis |
| The Lemonade Wars: The Anthropomorphic Gangster Game! Anthro Pulp! Anthropomorphic Pulp Animal miniatures suitable for gamers, painters and collectors alike. Now a tabletop miniatures game! (Has currently earned £537 of £600) | 89% | 16 | £34 | 05-25 | kicktraq |
| Martin Wallace's Lincoln ACW board game A fast-paced, two player, card-driven strategy wargame set in the American Civil War. (Has currently earned £36,969 of £10,000) | 369% | 1230 | £30 | 05-25 | kicktraq |
| Alhambra Designers' Edition Alhambra with all new artwork, upgraded components and exclusive expansions of world-famous designers! (Has currently earned €252,919 of €10,000) | 2529% | 2001 | €126 | 05-25 | kicktraq |
| Hellboy: The Board Game Inspired by the visionary comics by Mike Mignola, Hellboy: The Board Game is a thrilling co-operative experience for 1 to 4 players. (Has currently earned £1,106,948 of £100,000) | 1106% | 11070 | £100 | 05-25 | kicktraq |
| Enchanters Overlords Master infinite combos of Artifacts in a fluid card-drafting game. Now in a Big Box with new Kingdoms and titular Overlords! (Has currently earned $136,857 of $27,000) | 506% | 2490 | $55 | 05-25 | kicktraq #expansion base game |
| The Forbidden City Game Brewer & Tasty Minstrel Games bring to you "the Forbidden City", by Andreas Steding, in a Kickstarter limited Deluxe Edition. (Has currently earned €157,995 of €30,000) | 526% | 2931 | €54 | 05-25 | kicktraq |
| Ogre Miniatures Second Edition Rulebook Now Steve Jackson’s award-winning Ogre Miniatures rulebook is back! (Has currently earned $53,790 of $25,000) | 215% | 835 | $64 | 05-25 | kicktraq #2.0 1st ed |
| Sprawlopolis - A Solo & Cooperative City Building Game Test your planning skills with 816 possible building objectives. Incredible replayability, pocket sized and only $10! (Has currently earned $46,836 of $1,000) | 4683% | 2462 | $19 | 05-26 | kicktraq |
| Heavy Gear Blitz! Peace River & NuCoal Plastic Miniatures Kickstarter to fund the plastic injection molds need to make plastic miniatures for Dream Pod 9's Heavy Gear Blitz! - Tabletop Wargame. (Has currently earned $34,618 CAD of $25,000 CAD) | 138% | 215 | $161 CAD | 05-26 | kicktraq #minis |
| Cinephile: A Card Game A card game made exclusively for film nerds, movie geeks and cinephiles. One deck, 110 cards, multiple ways to play. (Has currently earned $13,566 of $8,000) | 169% | 358 | $38 | 05-27 | kicktraq |
| H.P Lovecraft's Cthulhu Parlour Party Game: The Maddening "Horror Mystery Party Game" set in a 1920's paranormal investigating society. Hypnotic induction, soundscapes and props. 4-20 players (Has currently earned £3,781 of £500) | 756% | 87 | £43 | 05-27 | kicktraq |
| OPTTACON 2018 OPTTACON: Prime - A New Annual Tabletop Gaming Convention on the Olympic Peninsula. August 3rd, 4th, and 5th (Has currently earned $1,406 of $1,009) | 139% | 19 | $74 | 05-27 | kicktraq #con |
| Scenic Grass Tufts and Flowers Tufts made using unique static grass blends and various colors of flowers. (Has currently earned $9,058 of $1,000) | 905% | 144 | $63 | 05-27 | kicktraq #bling |
New This Week
| Project Info | Status | Backers | Avg Pledge | Ending | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Letter Words A quirky fun strategic word-making card game for all ages. (Has currently earned $221 of $500) | 44% | 7 | $32 | 05-29 | |
| 7 Ghosts A unique card and dice game of strategy, tactics, and intuition. Who will be the first to capture 7 ghosts? (Has currently earned $1,275 of $9,000) | 14% | 34 | $38 | 06-19 | |
| Anno Domini 1666 Anno Domini 1666 is a swashbuckling board game of intrigue and mystery, set in alternative reality 17th century Vienna. (Has currently earned $87,801 of $50,000) | 175% | 823 | $107 | 06-11 | |
| Battle of the 5 Senses 1 Game 3 Versions - 1. Teach kids their senses and math 2. Geared towards 21 & Up 3. Geared towards adding “spice” into date nights (Has currently earned $47 of $15,000) | 0% | 4 | $12 | 06-16 | #lolwut |
| BATTLEFIELD OPERATION 3.0 - Wargame Terrain Scenery Battle boards, hills, trees, rivers and plateaus. All you need for a great wargame battlefield!! HQ painted, and Ready To Play!! (Has currently earned €3,632 of €1,000) | 363% | 17 | €214 | 06-15 | #bling |
| Bloc by Bloc 2nd edition Light the fires of resistance in this exciting update of the groundbreaking, semi-cooperative game inspired by social insurrection (Has currently earned $32,669 of $45,000) | 72% | 591 | $55 | 06-14 | #2.0 1st ed |
| Breaking the News: A Card Game about Media and Journalism A Cards Against Humanity-style party game that lets you feel like journalists in a world of fake and sensationalized news. (Has currently earned $361 of $7,500) | 4% | 11 | $33 | 07-18 | |
| Build Up: 3rd Edition 3rd Edition of Build Up: The Tactical Block Stacking Game. (Published by Azure House Games) (Has currently earned $504 of $5,500) | 9% | 20 | $25 | 06-17 | #3.0 2nd ed |
| Bushido Duels An easy to learn and fast to play card game for 2, 4, 6 or 8 players set in old Japan (Has currently earned kr10,523 SEK of kr120,000 SEK) | 8% | 31 | kr339 SEK | 06-15 | |
| Camo Flag Dice by Riot Dice. The US flag on a dice set set of puzzle dice, a tribute to the most impressive example of functional design. (Has currently earned €1,151 of €430) | 267% | 38 | €30 | 06-05 | #dice |
| Chickenshit - The Drinking Game You Play with Strangers A drinking card game where players do challenges with the help of complete strangers for points! (Has currently earned $10,476 of $10,000) | 104% | 68 | $154 | 06-16 | |
| CLUTCH The Game - The Most Comprehensive Racing Card Game Welcome to CLUTCH, the most realistic racing card game. Battle other players in head-to-head races that can get quite interesting. (Has currently earned $4,595 of $35,000) | 13% | 51 | $90 | 06-14 | |
| Crisis at Steamfall A fantasy city exploration game with item customization, character mood control, and cooperative/competitive mode. (Has currently earned $75,155 of $50,000) | 150% | 945 | $80 | 06-06 | |
| Crusader Kings The Board Game - Lead Your Dynasty to Triumph A grand strategy board game of rival kings and dynasties in medieval Europe, based on the acclaimed computer game Crusader Kings. (Has currently earned kr1,162,509 SEK of kr500,000 SEK) | 232% | 1550 | kr750 SEK | 06-19 | |
| Daggers: A Tarot Inspired Tavern Game A two player dueling game of wits and deception — for thieves and nobles alike. (Has currently earned $2,454 of $1,000) | 245% | 115 | $21 | 06-01 | |
| Darkside Terrain Tech 28mm sci fi terrain We are attempting to create quality, affordable, plastic, 28mm Tabletop scenery and terrain sets for use with any gaming systems (Has currently earned £1 of £6,000) | 0% | 1 | NA | 06-12 | #bling |
| Deep War - The WWII like never before A strategy card game with Hundreds of colorful and historical units. Army, Aviation and Navy all together. (Has currently earned €12,265 of €8,000) | 153% | 176 | €70 | 06-04 | #take2 |
| Dragon Bites: A Dragon Slaying Card Game Enter the world of tiny dragons! With two ways to play, collect XP upgrade your weapons and become the Dragon Slayer! (Has currently earned $815 of $4,000) | 20% | 28 | $29 | 06-17 | |
| Dream Askew // Dream Apart Queer strife amid the collapse. Jewish fantasy of the shtetl. Two beginner-friendly roleplaying games of belonging outside belonging. (Has currently earned $29,477 CAD of $15,000 CAD) | 196% | 733 | $40 CAD | 06-17 | #rpg |
| Expatiate: The writer's card game A card game with writing prompts to help bring creativity to the classroom and even to break the monotony of writer's block. (Has currently earned £121 of £500) | 24% | 7 | £17 | 06-15 | |
| Fences: A Tile-Laying Farming Game We are creating a tile-laying game for the whole family. (Has currently earned $1,099 of $10,000) | 10% | 27 | $41 | 06-19 | |
| FootballFans: Welcome to Russia Hilarious board game and real World Cup simulator for true football lovers! (Has currently earned $376 of $5,000) | 7% | 10 | $38 | 07-14 | |
| Go Eco Go Eco is a card game for 2-6 environmentally minded players. Build food chains while neutralizing other player's ecosystems! (Has currently earned $1,948 CAD of $3,600 CAD) | 54% | 82 | $24 CAD | 06-15 | #take3 |
| Halls of Judgment You are a God. Don't worry about the parade of poor souls in front of you. Be the best God of Judgment that you can be. (Has currently earned $780 of $5,000) | 15% | 26 | $30 | 06-08 | |
| Historical metal coins How many times did you crave to play with real metal coins instead of plastic or cardboard ones? Now you can! (Has currently earned €19,748 of €4,000) | 493% | 813 | €24 | 06-15 | #bling |
| Home of the Brave Board Game Home of the Brave is a sociopolitical board game emphasizing the complexity of the world of modern U.S. media and politics. (Has currently earned £1,204 of £41,500) | 2% | 19 | £63 | 06-05 | |
| Imaginarium: The Dream Factory Welcome to Imaginarium, a strategy and development game with a race to objectives in a steampunk dreamlike universe. (Has currently earned €21,673 of €50,000) | 43% | 385 | €56 | 05-31 | |
| Kamikaze Chess Playing Card Game Accelerated variant deck of multi-functional Chess Cards. Add into real games or take as an all-in-one travel Chess set + board! (Has currently earned $1,903 of $200) | 951% | 88 | $22 | 05-24 | #take2 |
| Luxor - Forgotten Treasures Luxor and Pioneers as Kickstarter Special (Has currently earned $84,718 of $5,000) | 1694% | 746 | $114 | 05-29 | |
| Mad Love A quick, cooperative card game of memory and deduction for two players. The goal? Less madness...more love! (Has currently earned $4,499 of $5,000) | 89% | 224 | $20 | 06-06 | |
| MARITIME BUSINESS: The board game Game based on maritime trade so you can be the manager of your own shipping company. (Has currently earned €3,282 of €20,000) | 16% | 38 | €86 | 06-13 | |
| Mindgames - The little card game of mindfulness Mindgames - A simple, fun and effective card game to help instil postivity, relaxation, contentment & mindfulness. (Has currently earned £406 of £8,000) | 5% | 16 | £25 | 06-14 | |
| Misty Ruins - Tile Placement Game - Discover Your Identity As you battle and explore this shattered kingdom, you discover your true identity that was lost when the dark realm arose. (Has currently earned $4,882 of $35) | 13948% | 95 | $51 | 07-13 | |
| MourneQuest A boardgame based on the Irish fantasy novels by Garry McElherron (Has currently earned £17,209 of £24,000) | 71% | 233 | £74 | 06-07 | #take2 |
| Newfoundland Jam A card game about making some friggin' jam in Newfoundland. (Has currently earned $5,632 CAD of $6,000 CAD) | 93% | 141 | $40 CAD | 06-14 | |
| Nickelodeon’s Splat Attack! Food-fighting miniatures board game featuring characters from all your favorite 90s NickToons. Designed by Jonathan Ying. (Has currently earned $82,425 of $50,000) | 164% | 1164 | $71 | 06-07 | |
| Odyssey Games Merch and Fundraiser! Odyssey Games is looking to provide schwag to gamers while raising additional funds for the opening of the store. (Has currently earned $806 of $1,000) | 80% | 20 | $40 | 06-15 | #cafe |
| On Their Merry Way - Relaunch A unique path-building board game starring the underdogs in the tales of Robin Hood - The greedy merchants and the Merry Men! (Has currently earned $2,949 of $5,500) | 53% | 70 | $42 | 06-13 | #take2 |
| On Tour - A strategic "roll and write" board game Roll dice to build a route across the USA. All players share the same rolls. Your choices make the difference. Great 1p, 4p, 12p+. (Has currently earned $37,589 of $20,000) | 187% | 1154 | $33 | 06-14 | |
| One Week Ultimate Werewolf One Week Ultimate Werewolf takes the exciting gameplay of One Night Ultimate Werewolf and twists it around to create a whole new game! (Has currently earned $105,440 of $10,000) | 1054% | 1352 | $78 | 06-12 | |
| OrcQuest WarPath - The Boardgame Live the adventures of an Orc band that departs on a quest in the OrcQuest Universe. A collaborative game from 1 to 4 players. (Has currently earned €105,374 of €40,000) | 263% | 1141 | €92 | 06-07 | |
| Pixel Realm Pixel Realm is a 2-4 player competitive deck-builder card game where players battle and upgrade fighters for glory and victory! (Has currently earned $732 of $12,000) | 6% | 10 | $73 | 06-14 | |
| Posthuman Saga A strategic survival board game in the mutant world of Posthuman (Has currently earned $232,374 of $30,000) | 774% | 2654 | $88 | 06-15 | |
| Psi Wars: A Card Game Evolution Create an army of robots, cyborgs, and beings. Battle multi-dimensionally: physically, cyberly, & psionically with an innovative Matrix (Has currently earned $2,486 of $16,250) | 15% | 55 | $45 | 06-15 | |
| Quests & Encounters Embark on strange adventures and complete unusual quests that will put you into downright dangerous and preposterous situations. (Has currently earned £1,190 of £22,000) | 5% | 53 | £22 | 07-17 | |
| Rainbow Massacre A Cardgame For Angry Zebras (Has currently earned €531 of €10,000) | 5% | 15 | €35 | 06-14 | |
| Screenplay. The Card Game A narrative game in which the players create their own movie. (Has currently earned €1,443 of €5,000) | 28% | 60 | €24 | 06-05 | |
| Slumbering Oblivion: Cthulhu inspired game miniatures Creature miniatures inspired by HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos and first step in a new sci-fi and horror based tabletop war game. (Has currently earned $2,157 of $10,000) | 21% | 53 | $41 | 06-13 | #minis |
| Sojourn - A Journey Through Time Sojourn is a solo player card game, where the player is lost in time and is trying to get home while trying to maintain his life. (Has currently earned $6,023 of $5,000) | 120% | 266 | $23 | 06-07 | |
| Sprawlopolis - A Solo & Cooperative City Building Game Test your planning skills with 816 possible building objectives. Incredible replayability, pocket sized and only $10! (Has currently earned $47,167 of $1,000) | 4716% | 2475 | $19 | 05-26 | |
| Story Time Chess - The Ultimate Game To Teach Children Chess Help your child get ahead with silly, fun stories that teach children 3 and up how to play chess. No chess experience required. (Has currently earned $47,449 of $30,000) | 158% | 623 | $76 | 06-17 | |
| The Lemonade Wars: The Anthropomorphic Gangster Game! Anthro Pulp! Anthropomorphic Pulp Animal miniatures suitable for gamers, painters and collectors alike. Now a tabletop miniatures game! (Has currently earned £537 of £600) | 89% | 16 | £34 | 05-25 | |
| Thief's Hoard Card Game A chaotic card game of thieving and backstabbery. (Has currently earned $2,670 of $10,000) | 26% | 54 | $49 | 06-13 | |
| TREACHEROUS Treacherous is a Hidden Identity Party Game for 2-7 players! (Has currently earned $2,568 of $12,000) | 21% | 52 | $49 | 06-16 | |
| Tube Heroes Racers Race with your favorite Tube Heroes: ExplodingTNT, DanTDM, CaptainSparklez & Ali-A in this fast paced racing board game for 2-4 players (Has currently earned $394 of $10,000) | 3% | 17 | $23 | 06-11 | |
| Velocity-9: A Spaceship Racing Game A spaceship racing tabletop game. (Has currently earned $1,110 of $14,500) | 7% | 24 | $46 | 06-15 | |
| Vessels'N'Mariners: a boardgame about pirates. Vessels'n'Marines is the new rpg board game that gives you the opportunity to start an incredible adventure in the Caribbean Sea. (Has currently earned €216 of €25,000) | 0% | 6 | €36 | 06-20 | |
| Villagers - Card drafting & village building for 1-5 players Draft and build a tableau of villagers to create the most prosperous village. A compact game that feels like a much bigger one! (Has currently earned £49,477 of £7,660) | 645% | 1563 | £32 | 06-13 | |
| Wowmino - Kinetic Domino Building Sets for your Inner Child The world's first "Roller Coaster" like domino system, that is easy to setup, exciting and challenging. (Has currently earned $3,356 of $50,000) | 6% | 40 | $84 | 06-29 | #hmm |
| Yard of the Month - Gnome Smashing Fun! The gnome smashing, garden sabotaging game of wits, flowers and fun for the whole family. Did I mention gnome smashing? (Has currently earned $434 of $15,000) | 2% | 17 | $26 | 06-16 |
Footnotes
- #hmm means that something about the project seems a little off. Buyer beware kinda thing.
- #lolwut is reserved for projects that seem like trainwrecks. Check 'em out for amusement.
- #take tags are for projects that have been restarted for some reason, with the number indicating what iteration we're currently on.
- Did I miss something? Particularly stuff that might go in the Comments column? Let me know and I'll add it in.
2017.10.15 22:26 Zelbinian Kickstarter Roundup: Oct 15, 2017 33 Ending Soon (incl: The 7th Continent: What Goes Up Must Come Down, Tiny Epic Defenders: The Dark War, & STEM: Epic Heroes) & 56 New This Week (incl: Time of Legends: Joan of Arc, Near and Far: Amber Mines, & Detective: City of Angels)
What this is:
This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter tabletop games projects that are either:- newly posted in the past 7 days, or
- ending in the next 7 days (starting tomorrow) and have at least a fighting chance of being funded.
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between 12:00am and 12:00pm PST.
Ending Soon
| Project Info | Status | Backers | Avg Pledge | Ending | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodbye, Ghosts! A Cute, Addictive Little Card Game (Has currently earned $814 of $500) | 162% | 28 | $29 | 10-16 | kicktraq #take2 |
| A New Card Game: Douchebag CEO! Douchebag CEO is a card game that flips the sexist narrative of Old Maid! It's fun for all ages! ©Disappearing Media (Has currently earned $2,603 of $2,666) | 97% | 21 | $124 | 10-16 | kicktraq |
| Monsters Boom Card Game By reinventing tic tac toe, an exciting and strategical monster card game has born. Let the monster grow and win. (Has currently earned $4,369 AUD of $1,500 AUD) | 291% | 124 | $35 AUD | 10-16 | kicktraq |
| Sunset Over Water A picturesque game for 1 to 4 players by the Herbaceous team. Simple to teach, easy to learn, and always beautiful. (Has currently earned $42,240 of $8,500) | 496% | 1314 | $32 | 10-17 | kicktraq |
| Beware of the Beelzepug A simple, fast-paced card game of chance, skill and pugs! (Has currently earned £3,188 of £1,000) | 318% | 145 | £22 | 10-17 | kicktraq |
| STEM: Epic Heroes A fun, simple, fast-paced card game where you team up with the greatest minds in history in an epic race to make discoveries. (Has currently earned $78,082 of $10,000) | 780% | 2010 | $39 | 10-17 | kicktraq |
| Dwarven Smithy A richly themed game of card crafting, tableau building and hand/area management. (Has currently earned $39,248 of $10,000) | 392% | 756 | $52 | 10-17 | kicktraq #take2 |
| Starfinder Masterclass Miniatures Starfinder Masterclass Miniatures offers premium-quality miniatures for the Starfinder science-fantasy tabletop roleplaying game. (Has currently earned $297,943 of $50,000) | 595% | 1557 | $191 | 10-18 | kicktraq #minis |
| Za: a collaborative word game Za is a collaborative crossword-building game that you win by making interesting words and challenging crossword shapes. (Has currently earned $1,254 of $2,000) | 62% | 31 | $40 | 10-18 | kicktraq |
| New World Magischola House Rivalry wizard school board game An exciting wizard school adventure board game for 2-5 players where you attend class, cast spells, & compete for the First House Cup! (Has currently earned $29,569 of $32,500) | 90% | 268 | $110 | 10-18 | kicktraq |
| A "PAY WHAT YOU WANT"- party game: Spy vs Spy vs ... - Teams In Spy vs Spy vs ... - Teams you and your friends each play a secret agent from an organization trying to get the "Super Assignment". (Has currently earned €133 of €10) | 1330% | 36 | €4 | 10-18 | kicktraq #reprint |
| Brixiples™: The Ethics, Safety, Common Sense & Courtesy Game Hope for the next generation! Through lively discussion, silly actions, and experience-sharing, 7- to 12-year-olds learn good judgment. (Has currently earned $8,046 of $9,000) | 89% | 89 | $90 | 10-19 | kicktraq |
| Tiny Epic Defenders: The Dark War & TED 2nd Edition Tiny Epic Defenders is a 30min,1-4 player, easy-to-learn fantasy co-op that features stunning art and our "game-changing" ITEMeeples®! (Has currently earned $294,745 of $15,000) | 1964% | 5406 | $55 | 10-19 | kicktraq #expansion #2.0 base game |
| Immortal Figures: Gods of Olympus Highly quality 28/32 mm scale tabletop gaming miniatures based on the Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology. (Has currently earned $5,584 of $5,000) | 111% | 78 | $72 | 10-19 | kicktraq #minis |
| Forest of Fate: a storytelling survival adventure Storybook game for 2-6 adventurers. Use teamwork and tough decisions to find your fate and make it home with the tale of a lifetime. (Has currently earned £22,844 of £2,000) | 1142% | 753 | £30 | 10-19 | kicktraq |
| CAVALIERS OF MARS, a tabletop roleplaying game. Contribute to help create, publish and distribute the CAVALIERS OF MARS tabletop roleplaying book. (Has currently earned $32,661 of $5,000) | 653% | 741 | $44 | 10-19 | kicktraq #rpg |
| THE 7th CONTINENT – What Goes Up, Must Come Down. Get ready for brand new adventures in the first ever board game where YOU are the hero! 1000+ minutes of adventure for 1 to 4 players. (Has currently earned $4,861,300 of $40,000) | 12153% | 34658 | $140 | 10-19 | kicktraq #expansion #reprint base game |
| The Champion of the Wild A social card game for 3-6 players in which you'll play the role of a coach bidding to become the world's greatest animal trainer (Has currently earned £7,820 of £4,700) | 166% | 389 | £20 | 10-19 | kicktraq #take2 |
| TRENCH - Play With Art! An innovative, timeless abstract strategy game for two players, based on the trench wars of WWI, by Rui Alípi Monteiro. (Has currently earned $17,013 of $4,700) | 361% | 340 | $50 | 10-19 | kicktraq #take2 |
| Stellar Leap! Strategic space exploration game for 1-4 players in 40-80 min with variable player powers, hidden objectives, and game-changing events! (Has currently earned $16,888 of $8,500) | 198% | 381 | $44 | 10-19 | kicktraq |
| Snollygoster The card game of survival, teamwork, and sabotage. (Has currently earned $32,048 of $11,000) | 291% | 645 | $50 | 10-20 | kicktraq |
| Shocktato™ - The Shocking Potato™ Game Shocktato™ the Shocking Potato Game™. Pass the Shocktato around the group, but don't be left holding the Shocktato at the end! (Has currently earned $2,497 of $2,500) | 99% | 87 | $29 | 10-20 | kicktraq |
| Twisting Catacombs . The Minotaur Horde Detailed Minotaur themed RPG Miniatures, vacuum cast in resin for Miniature Wargaming and RPGs. (Has currently earned £34,997 of £6,000) | 583% | 539 | £65 | 10-20 | kicktraq #minis |
| Maybe It's Poison 3-6 guests engage in a battle of wits in search for the non-poisoned tea cup. Swap and rotate players or cups to consume victory! (Has currently earned $6,068 of $25,000) | 24% | 166 | $37 | 10-21 | kicktraq |
| 55mm D20 Monster Mega Countdown Dice I love my mini dice but sometimes you need to represent. I did a small run of 55mm dice for GENCON and want to offer more colors. (Has currently earned $3,098 of $1,000) | 309% | 177 | $18 | 10-21 | kicktraq #dice |
| Cheers Or Tears The Ultimate Table Top Drinking Game (Has currently earned £27,077 of £10,000) | 270% | 1049 | £26 | 10-21 | kicktraq |
| MUSO DJ - The World's First Music Streaming Card Game MUSO DJ is the world’s first card game you play with music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, & Amazon Music. (Has currently earned £5,126 of £7,500) | 68% | 99 | £52 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
| Animagicians Enter the manor alone or with friends to face the Lich and get its soul in this fun game of wizardry and bluffing for 1-6 players. (Has currently earned €6,769 of €5,500) | 123% | 217 | €31 | 10-22 | kicktraq #take2 |
| 28mm Chechen Wars Miniatures Help us put into production these highly detailed 28mm miniatures depicting Russian VDV Recon & Chechen Fighters from the Chechen War (Has currently earned £7,414 of £1,500) | 494% | 117 | £63 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
| Factious Waste: Post-apocalyptic miniatures skirmish game Oakbound Studio are working to unleash a tabletop skirmish with a twist. Across the wastes the rigs come roaring, will you step aboard? (Has currently earned £1,179 of £2,000) | 58% | 21 | £56 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
| Highlander The Duel Play as Connor Macleod or the Kurgan as they go head-to-head in the final battle. In the end, there can be only one! (Has currently earned $13,167 of $10,000) | 131% | 325 | $41 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
| TAIKO: Card Game A strategic card game set in the Japanese age of Samurai. Artfully crafted with traditional ink illustrations. (Has currently earned $4,073 of $3,000) | 135% | 80 | $51 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
| Enfutown Bumpers Card Game A strategy game you can't stop playing! It's Floppy Cat vs Positive Grilled Cheese. (Has currently earned $7,272 of $6,000) | 121% | 341 | $21 | 10-22 | kicktraq |
New This Week
| Project Info | Status | Backers | Avg Pledge | Ending | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "She'll Be Right " The Great Australian Tour Game The game is about the excitement and dangers of travelling in Australia . Simple pleasures can turn into real scary events , be careful (Has currently earned $200 AUD of $15,000 AUD) | 1% | 8 | $25 AUD | 11-16 | #hmm |
| Adventures in Zombiewood A fast-paced, cooperative homage to the zombie genre. Finish your movie, fight the horde and survive to see your film's rating. (Has currently earned $1,957 of $3,000) | 65% | 33 | $59 | 11-11 | |
| ALL READY! 108 DICE & CARD GAMES! Great for Travel & Home! Put over 100 games in your pocket! ALL READY! turns two ordinary decks of cards into a game room you can take everywhere you go! (Has currently earned $190 of $4,000) | 4% | 7 | $27 | 11-11 | |
| Amazon SmasHers - Amazons and Humans for Fantasy Football We want release a new line of fantasy figures for fantasy football with an original design. (Has currently earned €10,430 of €3,000) | 347% | 135 | €77 | 11-08 | #minis |
| Animal Watch - A Card Game A fun, social game where players try to win tricks each round but only exactly as many as they predicted; no more, no less. (Has currently earned $1,702 of $6,800) | 25% | 29 | $59 | 11-10 | |
| Anime Studio Anime Studio is a deck building game, where players get to design their own anime episodes! (Has currently earned $1,320 of $4,500) | 29% | 12 | $110 | 11-10 | |
| Berbri's Fit Kids! Berbri's goal is to fight childhood obesity by inspiring a fit & fun experience for the whole family (Has currently earned $495 of $50,000) | 0% | 5 | $99 | 12-09 | #lolwut |
| Botallions - Tabletop Strategy For Everyone A simplified strategy game without the complex rules and high prices. Ruleset refined to the point where anyone can pick up and play. (Has currently earned $265 of $1,000) | 26% | 8 | $33 | 11-15 | #take2 |
| Brownie Points Card Game - The Ultimate Game of Slap Attacks A family game for everyone that requires both speed and mental toughness through the use of Slap Attacks, Dog Houses and Nope cards. (Has currently earned $2,055 of $3,600) | 57% | 33 | $62 | 10-30 | #take2 |
| Bulls & Bears Edition 2.0: Trumponomics vs. Bernienomics Learn all about personal finance and investing in today’s economy with edition 2.0 of the acclaimed Bulls & Bears game! (Has currently earned €702 of €35,000) | 2% | 14 | €50 | 11-24 | #lolwut |
| Butts in Space: The Card Game An out of this world card game about butts, toilet paper, and toilet spaceships. In space, no one can hear you fart. (Has currently earned $795 of $8,000) | 9% | 27 | $29 | 11-12 | |
| By the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan A role-playing game of desperate improvisation and egregious theatricality. One-shot, no prep, 3-5 players. (Has currently earned $1,640 of $1,600) | 102% | 50 | $33 | 11-11 | #rpg |
| Cahoots Card Game of "Co-opetition" 3-4 Players by Jay Treat Work w/ your opponents to score points through matching suits, but be sure to play the better card! A game of sneaky teamwork for 3-4. (Has currently earned $6,464 of $5,000) | 129% | 368 | $18 | 10-30 | |
| Convers(ate) A game to spark authentic + memorable conversations, inspired by the concept of a Jeffersonian Dinner. (Has currently earned $8,631 of $8,000) | 107% | 129 | $67 | 11-10 | |
| Cuteness Overload Card Game (Pets Edition) Cuteness Overload! The card game that allows you to put "awe" in awesome when you play the cutest card game created for kids by a kid. (Has currently earned $36 of $2,500) | 1% | 2 | $18 | 11-12 | #lolwut |
| D20 / D30 RPG & DCC Dice Chain Sets -New D17, D19, D26 & D28 New D17, D19, D26 & D28 dice. Full RPG & DCC dice chain sets. All the sides from D3 to D20. All the evens from D4 to D30. (Has currently earned $23,531 of $12,900) | 182% | 578 | $41 | 10-26 | #dice |
| Detective: City of Angels Detective: City of Angels is a board game where detectives solve mysteries in the dark and violent world of 1940's Los Angeles. (Has currently earned $108,050 of $40,000) | 270% | 1303 | $83 | 11-03 | |
| Dice Base™: FLUME 2 - The Ultimate Dice Tower System Take it all your RPG gear with you without compromise and in the finest style. Hardwoods combine to form the ultimate dice system. (Has currently earned $3,787 of $5,000) | 75% | 55 | $69 | 11-08 | #bling |
| Diehard Miniatures: Undead Rising. The Undead Rising set will encompass both Fantasy and Sci-Fi miniatures. Small skirmish units to a full army, the choice is yours! (Has currently earned £4,907 of £3,000) | 163% | 101 | £49 | 11-02 | #minis |
| Down In Flames: Locked-On Locked-On is part of the Down In Flames series! Maneuver into position! Get Tone! And launch a missile to shoot down the enemy fighter! (Has currently earned $11,386 of $20,000) | 56% | 143 | $80 | 11-09 | |
| Dragons & Thieves A classic family board game experience for 2 to 4 players, where the objective is to hoard as much gold as possible. (Has currently earned $460 CAD of $5,000 CAD) | 9% | 15 | $31 CAD | 10-20 | |
| Feline Fighting Force - a kid friendly game Feline Fighting Force is an action packed card game about alien cats that battle for control of their planet. Ages 7+, 2-4 players (Has currently earned $426 of $3,800) | 11% | 15 | $28 | 11-16 | |
| Fierce - Warriors & Monsters A selection of 32mm scale medieval fantasy figures & scenery. Miniatures cast in metal & resin. (Has currently earned £549 of £2,500) | 21% | 9 | £61 | 11-11 | |
| Gangs of Britannia A 3-5 player gangster game. Conquer your rivals' turf by clever dealing or cunning deceiving. Got what it takes to control the streets? (Has currently earned £5,692 of £10,000) | 56% | 99 | £57 | 11-03 | |
| Globe Chess™ Spherical Chess Set (Fully Playable) Globe Chess™ is a fully playable spherical chess set including magnetic pieces, a finely crafted wooden base & a steel globe sphere. (Has currently earned $21,713 of $5,000) | 434% | 356 | $61 | 11-09 | |
| Goodbye, Ghosts! A Cute, Addictive Little Card Game (Has currently earned $814 of $500) | 162% | 28 | $29 | 10-16 | #take2 |
| Haunt the House BOO! Out-ghost your friends! Go invisible to fool your foes or stay visible for awesome powers. 2-4 players, 30 spooktastic minutes! (Has currently earned $17,247 CAD of $8,000 CAD) | 215% | 403 | $43 CAD | 11-02 | |
| HAUNT: The Paranormal Investigation Game! A HYBRID Tabletop & App Game That Emulates Real Paranormal Investigation! Designed by Real Investigators & Based On Real Cases! (Has currently earned $917 of $20,000) | 4% | 13 | $71 | 11-11 | |
| House Monsters Get rid of these cute but annoying house monsters! A fast and silly card game for all ages. (Has currently earned $855 of $3,000) | 28% | 38 | $23 | 11-03 | |
| INTELLE - Hack or Be Hacked It's hacker vs. hacker and the corporate mainframe is the target in this quick abstract strategy game for 2 players. (Has currently earned $1,242 of $2,000) | 62% | 56 | $22 | 11-04 | |
| LEAKERS Hack into the perfect night of fun, with the LEAKERS card game - your "unauthorized" source of entertainment. (Has currently earned $1,472 of $8,000) | 18% | 29 | $51 | 11-09 | |
| Mass d-istrobution for d-Bag - The Dice Bag of +3 Sorting It costs a lot to move up to mass-distribution, even mini mass-distribution. d-Bag is ready to make that move, with your help that is. (Has currently earned $1,918 of $2,800) | 68% | 74 | $26 | 11-29 | #bling |
| Meducational - A card game for medics! The quick thinking, fast talking game for medical students and doctors. How many words can you describe in one minute? (Has currently earned £91 of £400) | 22% | 7 | £13 | 11-12 | #take2 |
| Near and Far: Amber Mines The first expansion for Near and Far. (Has currently earned $250,196 of $20,000) | 1250% | 4277 | $58 | 11-03 | #expansion base game |
| Necroplex: 3D Printable Sci-Fi Terrain Building Blocks Necroplex is a series of 3D printable models designed to build modular walkways and cityscapes for use in tabletop miniature games. (Has currently earned $1,759 of $500) | 351% | 42 | $42 | 11-01 | #bling |
| Neon Knights - The Board Game A Cyberpunk Battle Racing Board game. Upgrade your custom car... Drive the modular track... Destroy your opponents! You ready? (Has currently earned $7,745 CAD of $25,000 CAD) | 30% | 136 | $57 CAD | 11-06 | |
| NOT MY PRESIDENT - Strategic Card Game How far would you go to become President? (Has currently earned £301 of £3,500) | 8% | 12 | £25 | 10-30 | |
| Park Smarts Adventures Board Games on National Parks Park Smarts Adventures Magnetic Board Games on National Parks Featuring Yellowstone & Grand Canyon National Park. (Has currently earned $25,179 of $7,500) | 335% | 348 | $72 | 11-04 | |
| Pirates of Penryn Sail ~ Sell ~ Skirmish ~ Steal ~ Stow (Has currently earned £1,122 of £23,000) | 4% | 22 | £51 | 11-13 | |
| Pizza World Players are master pizza makers looking for the finest ingredients in a market to complete shopping lists. (Has currently earned $388 of $25,000) | 1% | 12 | $32 | 11-13 | |
| Play a Murder Play a Murder is a unique role playing game that allows you to truly experience your character during the staging of a murder. (Has currently earned $0 CAD of $1,000 CAD) | 0% | 0 | NA | 11-14 | |
| PlayPals - Game Night Made Easy The simplest app for finding local players and board games to play them with: Board, Cards, Dice, Role-Playing, etc. (Has currently earned $1,573 CAD of $117,000 CAD) | 1% | 42 | $37 CAD | 11-08 | #app |
| Pocket Apocalypse A card game that requires out-of-the-box thinking and combines the desperation of survival with friendly banter for any social setting. (Has currently earned $50 of $5,000) | 1% | 2 | $25 | 11-28 | |
| Relicblade: The Wretched Hive Fantasy Miniature Game Two new Relicblade Factions. Employ cruel denizens of a dangerous Wretched Hive, or ally yourself with the outlandish Wilderkin. (Has currently earned $17,665 of $10,000) | 176% | 178 | $99 | 10-31 | #expansion base game |
| Relics of Wizardry: Custom Coins for Card Games & More Bring your games to life with our high quality, 100% metal coins. Tokens, counters, and more, all custom designed with players in mind. (Has currently earned $8,571 of $9,107) | 94% | 247 | $35 | 11-09 | #bling |
| Shadowfist: A Better Tomorrow The Secret War heads to a distant new dystopian future in the latest Shadowfist expansion from Inner Kingdom Games. (Has currently earned $12,310 of $30,000) | 41% | 91 | $135 | 11-12 | #expansion base game |
| Slashed: Camp Hazard A Horror Card Game filled with your favorite Slasher Movie tropes! Friendly for casual groups or veteran tabletop players! (Has currently earned $1,002 of $3,500) | 28% | 41 | $24 | 11-22 | |
| Supervilllan - A Card Game When the Establishment is the villain, becoming a superhero just won't do – you need to become a Supervillain! (Has currently earned $450 of $12,500) | 3% | 18 | $25 | 11-01 | |
| The Mennonite Game Card Game A fun, strategic card game based on "The Mennonite Game" where people discover that they are connected in various ways! (Has currently earned $3,309 of $3,750) | 88% | 67 | $49 | 11-03 | |
| THE SMOG RIDERS Dimensions of Madness Is a board game miniatures of two to four players, in which each player controls a group of unique characters. (Has currently earned €42,628 of €35,000) | 121% | 506 | €84 | 11-03 | |
| Thorny Wench Game Studios Dragoonium, Wacky Willy's Word Warehouse, Stellar Express and Corruption. These new games can be part of your game collection! (Has currently earned $1,061 of $12,000) | 8% | 4 | $265 | 11-20 | |
| Time of Legends: Joan of Arc Relive the golden age of chivalry in a 2-4 player narrative battle game of knights and peasants, heroes and dragons, angels and demons. (Has currently earned $586,344 of $100,000) | 586% | 4339 | $135 | 11-10 | |
| Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten: Tabletop Cult Skirmishes A Mythos horror themed tabletop miniature skirmish game that lets you lead your own cult of evil worshippers to glory and infamy! (Has currently earned $16,452 CAD of $15,000 CAD) | 109% | 129 | $128 CAD | 11-01 | |
| War of Warriors - A Family Friendly Tabletop Game of War War of Warriors is a tabletop game based on the classic card Game of War. Card design and player specific dice enhance game play. (Has currently earned $185 of $12,500) | 1% | 5 | $37 | 11-23 | |
| Wayward Orbit Wayward Orbit - a space survival co-op card game. (Has currently earned $1,191 CAD of $4,500 CAD) | 26% | 21 | $57 CAD | 10-20 | |
| Zero Hour Stop the Mastermind behind the Z-B13 outbreak in this cooperative dice-placement adventure game for 1-4 players. (Has currently earned $6,863 of $28,000) | 24% | 117 | $59 | 11-09 |
Footnotes
- #hmm means that something about the project seems a little off. Buyer beware kinda thing.
- #lolwut is reserved for projects that seem like trainwrecks. Check 'em out for amusement.
- #take tags are for projects that have been restarted for some reason, with the number indicating what iteration we're currently on.
- Did I miss something? Particularly stuff that might go in the Comments column? Let me know and I'll add it in.