 October 29, 2013 - 11:16am | Here's the link: http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/crazy-ants-invasion-ppreads-Across-South-From-Florida-to-Texas/2013/10/28/id/533348 Once you read this you see how it is more of a nuisance creature than a terror or killer. These guys could be a big problem for those few, those very very few, who manage to get a space ship. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 October 30, 2013 - 4:13am | I like it, and its a chance for the environmentalist in the party to use their skills for something other than stealth, camouflage and tool building. The trick here is to not treat it as a creature that you fight in a traditional manner like a cyboslug or slitherer but treat it like a condition that must be fought with skill checks. Perhaps this sort of threat is the reason the hull scraper creature was developed- lets face it the hull scraper is an extreme measure in attempting to clean a space ship and potentially lethal to crew and exterminators. A problem creature this invasive would require a measure this dangerous to erradicate and even then you could not be sure. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 October 30, 2013 - 6:24am | Or you could enlarge them slightly. Make them one foot long. |
 October 30, 2013 - 9:03am | I like them small so that they are able to get in all the holes and tight spaces of things and make a real neusence of themselves. "Logan, we've been holed. Likely another micro-meteoroid.", announced Drupal. "I'm on it Dru.", Replied Logan as he donned his EVA suit and grabbed the sealant gun to fill the hole. "I've sealed all decks and the breach appears to be be in C or D deck.", announced Drupal. "Begining to flood florescent dye into the atmosphere of C and D decks. Give it a minute to concentrate. Have your EVA lights off and your light detectors sweeping." Continued Drupal. "Got it you marshmellow!", retorted Logan as he exited the airlock into the vacume of space. Logan didn't have to wait for the dye to concentrate. He could clearly see a stream of something spraying from the ship between C and D deck. He thrusted over and placed his hand into the stream. Dyeing femto-ants desperately grappled for a foothold in the glove fabric as they died from decompression. "Stop wasting the dye Dru, I've found the hole!", announced Logan. "And I know why you keep getting intermittent data coms in the connections between C and D deck.", continued Logan as he waited for the femto-ants to finish flushing into space. Logan patched the hole, returned to the ship, and wandered down to engineering to present his glove to Drupal. Several femto-ants had succeded in grabbing tightly to his glove before expiring. Their tiny carcases were easy to identify under the bench magnifying glass Drupal used to rework electronics. "Captain!", Drupal shot into the com to the bridge. "I told you we should have bought that hull scraper! We've got femto-ants living between C and D decks!" It seemed nothing could keep this bucket of bolts in top condition. -iggy |
October 30, 2013 - 11:32am | I'm all for tiny little buggers. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 October 30, 2013 - 12:08pm | I know of those ants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/arg.htm They get everywhere, and are a bitch to get rid of! |
November 4, 2013 - 7:17am | Good story, Iggy! I think Iggy's fiction is great (but then I'm a fan of his stuff) and I also think the fiction plus the idea for the ant as well as a article on star ship (and space station) infestations might be something we should explore. I'll work on securing some artwork. just spitballing infestation ideas: 1. fentmo ants from the fiction 2. something on the order of spores or fungus in the air ducts IIRC I did something like that in the planetary brief I wrote on Laco a few years ago. we can come up with something new or dust that one off- might just do both since this is a article on infestations 3. hull scrapers (gelatinous cubes redone for SF) from the SFman can be revisited for this. 4. I think that there was something in a lost SF web site that may have been good for this- at least my brain feels like there was something that is just not coming to me right now and I want to say it was on the StarBase Hellhound site but cant be sure till I go look. 5. Rats- why not and we really should detail them as an infestation- not sure they should get stats like you would fight them as they run away from threats but we could detail infectious diseases that could be contracted after contacted with one or a swarm. 6. new creature X? 7. new creature Y? Perhaps even Jurak Hangna could get in on this one? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 4, 2013 - 7:29am | Jurak is booked for two more issues then he runs out of creature artwork. He has been looking for more art and will take suggestions. -iggy |
November 4, 2013 - 8:01am | Jurak is booked for two more issues then he runs out of creature artwork. He has been looking for more art and will take suggestions.
Np. And I believe I'll have more artwork for Jurak by 2014. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
