Mayday! on Kickstarter

littleidio · #1 January 31st, 2018, 10:57 AM

Mayday! is a short story written in the Classic Traveller universe. It has been approved by the Traveller Literature Review Board. Greg Lee reviewed it (that was fun - he was quite a character) along with Maximilliano Serna who has taken over the role since Greg’s death. I am currently working on extending the short story into a novel. I hope to publish each chapter in Retro Future if it gets funded. Retro Future will be a physical pulp magazine that will be mailed to you just like the old sci fi magazines.

The story continues where the opening blurb of the Classic Traveller box ends…

‘This is Free Trader Beowulf, calling anyone…
Mayday, Mayday… we are under attack…
main drive is gone…
turret number one not responding…
Mayday… losing cabin pressure fast…
calling anyone… please help…
This is Free Trader Beowulf…
Mayday’

Please back this project so I can get this in print!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #2 January 31st, 2018, 12:09 PM

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.1

'The dream is always the same. It goes like this: I am outside, reaching in. An unbearable cold hits me. Each inhalation crackles as the mucus in my nose freezes. It is dark but I can make out a dull white-blue glow in the distance. Ice, and in that ice your hand reaches back to me. I hear your words, always the same,
‘Come! Help us!’
‘Come to our aid!’
‘Come to our aid!’
Then you start to scream and the dream is different.
‘Mayday!’
‘Come to our aid!’
You start to scream and I am awake.
‘Mayday, Mayday… we are under attack…’
I’m awake and we are in trouble. Yan is broadcasting an emergency distress call.'

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #3 January 31st, 2018, 04:01 PM

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.2

'The door hisses open and there are no hazards beyond. But then a loud pop, pop, pop surfaces from the deck below and the floor shudders. I’ve heard that sound before. Hydrogen flash fire. We are leaking fuel into our atmosphere. Where do I need to go? Towards that fire.'

littleidio · #4 February 1st, 2018, 09:23 AM

8 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.3

'This was Kayt’s idea: We took rare earth alloys from Ruby to Esalin and then took food stuffs back. A good run with good margins. The Beowulf was eight months from being paid off after doing this new venture for two years. She was an old ship, very old. We bought her third hand and only our collective engineering talents had made her space-worthy.'

littleidio · #5 February 2nd, 2018, 03:06 PM

7 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.4

‘Then this is as close as we get. Insist you manually EVA from primary. Suggest you bounce out.’

‘Bounce out?’ I inquire.'

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #6 February 3rd, 2018, 11:25 AM

6 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.5

'I return to the diagnostics. This doesn’t add up. The pirates have gone but we should be an irresistible target. Then I see it.

We are going to die. Someone threw the ’switch’. '

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #7 February 4th, 2018, 11:45 AM

5 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.6

'The plasma build up in the power plant is taking its toll on the structure of the deck. I can hear the wrenching of the bulkheads as the heat causes the power plant housing to expand. The deck floor shudders and shifts in concert with the noise of the bulkheads. The cargo itself is being thrown about the deck. A swift course to engineering is no longer possible.

Assess the risk. The risk is acceptable. '

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #8 February 5th, 2018, 12:35 PM

4 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.7

'A loud crack thunders through the deck and I see the cargo elevator in front of me begin to collapse to the third deck. Deck three is depressurized. Deck two, with a partially open route between it and deck three, is now attempting to equalize, expelling its atmosphere down the elevator shaft. Air currents whip up to hurricane level. Cargo canisters are being dragged towards the hole and fall into the gaping elevator shaft.

The risk is unacceptable. I need to leave this ship now. '

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...uture-issue-2/

littleidio · #9 February 6th, 2018, 09:21 AM

3 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.8

'- Disengage,

- What will not save us?

What? My stomach sinks, then I realize this is a security override prompt. Do I know this? Serrehn’s challenge-response! I key in the answer.'

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2

littleidio · #10 February 7th, 2018, 09:31 AM

2 days to go for the RetroFuture issue 2 kickstarter.

Please consider backing this so I can get a Traveller short story printed.

Here is Mayday! Sneak Peak no.9

'A huge push of pressure strikes me from behind. Something from the blast hits me off center and now I’m spinning out of control. In space.'

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...future-issue-2