Welcome to the Journal of Now and Forever. This Journal is a collection of my Star Control and Star Control 2 fiction. Note: Some of this material is, by necessity, extrapolation from the slim information provided by canon sources.

New fiction is posted first at My Livejournal before it appears here. This story is in response to 15 Minute Ficlets' Challenge #41.

I've wanted to kill Earthlings since I reached adulthood. They kept us under their thumb. Yeah, I know, I know - Androsynth live for their work. Except we weren't meant to, they made us like that! Bred us like lab animals – we were lab animals – did whatever they wanted to us. Don’t think they didn't try anything and everything. I'm one of the lucky ones. I could fight back.

And I did. The only reason I didn't kill anyone before the Exodus was because – hey, I'm not stupid. None of us are, they made us that way. And I had to make sure I wouldn't get caught, because I know what the Earthlings would've done to me, and to all other Androsynth. And that, my friend, was tough. And in the end it didn't matter, 'cause the Exodus happened, and we all left. I shot up plenty on the way out, though. Heh.

And then the better part happened. Touched down on Eta Vulpeculae, we start a few lazy patrols around to make sure none of the Earthlings would show up after us, right? And none of 'em did, for a while, and we had twenty-five happy years to ourselves. Well, not all to ourselves, but I think the Earthlings didn't want to try doing anything much over distance between stars.

And then the best part happened. The Ur-Quan showed up! Oh, hell yeah, we fought 'em, we'd just gotten free from the Earthlings, geologically speaking, but hey, let's be realistic – the Ur-Quan stomped on us. We didn't have the manpower to do much against dreadnaughts. So then they gave us the choice they give all conquered races: slavery or, well, slavery with guns. We'd already had our fill of the first – I know I did – so we chose the second. We became Battle Thralls in the Hierarchy.

Now that was a good time for me, friend. I finally got to kick some Earthling ass. I'd become a gunner for the Guardian ships we'd developed during our twenty-five years alone, just so I could be the one who pulled the trigger. And I was one of the few Androsynth who actually got out there and fought. Our new masters didn't want us wasting too many of our non-replaceable lives on combat, but a few of us broke the rules and had some fun.

Then the end of our part of the war against the Alliance. You remember them? Earth was part of them at that time – turns out some other aliens had contacted the Earthlings while we were out, and they all tried to fight the Hierarchy! Heeyah! Most of 'em got stomped too, just took longer than us. And Earth? Decided for slavery without guns, the cowards.

So now we're slaves again, but the Ur-Quan mostly leave us alone, so I guess it's better than being slaves to Earthlings. But now I can't kill any more of 'em. They're all nice and safe beneath their slave shield, never to come out again. But if there are any rogues, coming out here... they'll have a nice warm welcome.

If I don't kill that annoying pilot first. Man, that guy just bugs me.

Comments? Email me: laridian at aol dot com