[Demon-Core]

I am glad you referenced Darius and Blue Planet at the bottom of the piece. It'd be amazing if some readers googled what those words meant and found themselves here to play the mod for themselves. Sure, all of WiH part 1 would be spoiled, but I really don't think that hurts the experience at all.

This is almost true, in my case. The short convinced me to actually play Blue Planet, rather than keep going with the 'When it's finished, sure' line I've been using for years. 

Definitely as excellent as I'd been led to expect. I was a little disappointed there weren't 'real' physics, to be honest, but there were enough threads in the game's narrative beyond Noemi and Lorena to keep me engaged, and enough to do that the foreknowledge of how the missions would play out slipped away during. (It also likely helped that I forgot the Argos was going to show up until the reveal, so that sequence still had a lot of weight)

The only thing that spoiled some of the experience, in my opinion, came with Act 3. The is-she-isn't-she game with Lorena didn't work for me at all after the short. I felt that her survival* was very strongly implied by the fiction, so the reveal was met with more of a 'finally' than any happy squeal. The rest of that act's narrative still worked wonderfully, though.

*Though I could just be projecting a 'science-fiction-y' expectation of their abilities, rather than the setting's extant medical technology.

Fantastic experience on the whole, and I'd love to see other shorts for the other acts.

[AdmiralRalwood]

I was a little disappointed there weren't 'real' physics

Impossible while remaining in the Freespace universe, unfortunately (short version: "subspace is ~magic~").

Also, it's "Lorna", not "Lorena".

(It also likely helped that I forgot the Argos was going to show up until the reveal, so that sequence still had a lot of weight)

..."Argos was going to show up"? You've lost me. Do you mean the Masyaf, or was there a dramatic sequence with more than one Argo that I can't remember, and you just typed "was" instead of "were"?

My confusion notwithstanding... I, for one, am glad you enjoyed Blue Planet!

[Phantom Hoover]

He was remembering the tragic moment when the Wargods are shockjumped by a British catalogue retail outlet.

[Demon-Core]

Lorena, Argos

Yeah, I meant Lorna and the Imperiuse. I guess there was some mental crossover from the MS I was reading this morning.

[bigchunk1]

That narrator has a voice that makes me hold my breath.

[cyrus41592]

This was fantastic. Really enjoyed reading it and seeing a little more depth added to Simms and Laporte's relation. Can't wait for more incredible stuff from you guys!

[Snarks]

As a writer, you have my admiration. As a reader, you have me as a fan. And as a fellow Freespace player, you have all my respect and more.

To think that all of this had its origin with a space flight sim back in the 1998 is quite astonishing. Battuta, you are awesome for taking one of the best game and associated mod (go Blue Planet!) and immortalizing it with that brilliant short story. Seriously bro, you rule.

[General Battuta]

Thank you!

[Govenator]

Very nice indeed General!

Thank you for helping and creating so much for this game!!  Seriously you really have contributed so much to the free space universe.  I can't wait to see more of your high quality work!!!

[Torchwood]

I am in awe. This is some excellent writing right there. Great work Battuta!