The weather forecast was gloomy, another 10 - 12 days of windfronts were approaching, and food & water in Sheltertown was running out. When the windstorm arrived we had everything battened down, but still we could hear things banging about topside.

There was so much dust and debris, everything looked sepia, and everyone was in a panic.

Global warming is a hoax, they said, you're over reacting they said, yeah right, I thought to myself as I placed my breather firmly over my face and adjusted the backpack containing my air, rations and water.

About the Ubidden
People crowded the walkways, hoping for a glimpse of the visitor from outer space. The Alien emerged from the spacecraft and the crowds gasped. The Alien was 10 ft tall with 8 limbs, it looked like nothing I had ever seen, it was utterly alien.

Scientists, guards, journalists and photographers crowded the inner circle, a photographer's flash went off and The Alien screeched an unearthly scream and dropped dead.

That, my son was first contact, we soon found out that certain lightwaves kill The Ubiddin and the next time they sent one of their diplomats, things progressed quickly and today we are part of a large interstellar trade consortium of which humans is but one of hundreds of participating races from all over the spiral galaxy.

Little island
The massive wall of water raced towards the tip of Southern Africa. There was nothing anybody could do about the tsunami. People living along the coast in Cape Town tried to evacuate before the wave hit, but chaos on the congested coastal roads, meant that most people were stuck in traffic when the wave hit.

The wave rushed over Cape Town, destroying everything in it's path. Whole neigbourhoods, in fact that day 1,3 million people died. The city was utterly destroyed. That is why there is a lighthouse on that little island, we call Table Mountain.

Upgrade
I need to have my eyes upgraded, the old software is glitching and it's causing headaches. It's gonna cost me between 200 and 400 credits depending which model I go for, I like the specs of the Weiz Optica 3, it has all the latest visual enhancements and a fancy communications array (galaxy wide).

The great beast looked around, she surveyed the valley below and swept her gaze out to sea, over the great sea to the north, where the tall Sailingmasts of the legendary seafaring PcGamers were just becoming visible on the horizon.

She rested her wings and sent the orbiting AI Nemesis a note:PcGamers sailing into gaming Arena, looks like there's mascot sniffer aboard, leftover model from the last great resource wars - nothing to worry about.

She activated several other scanners and swept off the pinnacle northwards to have a closer look at the magnificent swirling sails of the PcGamers Sailingships.

The sails shimmered in the fresh morning breeze, clan banners popped up into the air, throwing out massive 3d clips of battle victories.

Gargantuan Avatars shimmered into existence as the ships went sailing into the gaming port.

The Avatars jostled for space around the ships and some simply floated above their ships, watching the crowds welcome them at the port.

Felix the cat
Felix walks along the ships passage. She's on her way to sunside, to charge herself in the warm solar light.

She turns right just before the passage splits and heads for the greenhouse. The doors slide open, admitting her to the garden.

The sun shines amiably through the transparent greenhouse windows and Felix jumps up into the peppertree, clawing at the bark with her magnificent tiny retractable titanium steel claws and comes to rest on a broad sunny branch.

ball
i programmed ball with lots of everything. it is hitek like me. ball can fly, fast or she can hover. she can make blades and cut her way clean. she can cut through diamond easy. she can be hot or very cold. she can see far and see many details. she can see stars and dust particles.

short memory
The last time you came here was 4 years ago. I remember it well. You arrived on a Cargorunner from the Asteroid Belt and you came as yourself, without your avatar, what a shock, seeing you standing there naked.