Monday, July 19, 2004
Chance meetings.
Another short-story. This time set on the Star Wars Tattoine deserts.
It smelled. The whole place was stinky! Foul odours filled his nostrils as he wandered cautiously around his new environment. It was quite dark in there and his eyes had a lot of trouble adapting after a life in the desert under the burning suns, so he wanted to be careful while exploring his surroundings. He was mainly using his sense of smell in his first survey, and he certainly did not like what he was finding. He could detect lots of smells, all of them disgusting of their own, waved into a repulsive mixture. Not that he wasn't used to putrid scents, what with his being a scavenger and having poked his snout inside rotten carcasses more than often. But the volatile substances to which he was being exposed here were beyond the normal range in the chemistry of corruption. Somehow the hot humidity, protected in here from the dry air that desiccates everything on the surface of Tatooine, was allowing something to ferment beyond the thinkable.
However, the objects around him, as he started to distinguish them, were mainly made of metal, ceramic, and plastic, interspersed with loads of computer circuits. He was no thinker, at least not the analytical mind that would realize that the non-organic objects around him could not be the source of those smells, but somehow his instincts told him he had not yet detected the main cause of the odour. They also told him he should not look forward to meet it.
He moved slowly, avoiding the sharp edges that could cut his little feet, and also distrusting the slippery surfaces that could make him lose his grip and fall noisily among all the debris. His long ears turned back and forth, ready to alert him of any suspicious sounds. He was surrounded by a desert-like landscape, with dunes of varied sizes extending in all directions. But it was not sand that these little hills were made of. They were piles of rubbish. He had seen rubbish like that on the real desert sometimes, but never in such quantities.
His eyes were slowly giving him more information and he could distinguish shapes that were somehow familiar, though here they were presented at an angle that somehow did not seem natural. He was even scared more than once when the face of an android would look directly at him from behind a heap of metal cables. Even though androids had never cared about his race, it was in his nature to avoid any moving object greater in size than himself. So it was intimidating to find one staring at him from so close a distance. Fortunately, everything in here was dead and inert, and soon he was stepping on heads without a second thought. He was beginning to get used to the new landscape and was soon daring to jump from pile to pile of clinking rubbish.
Now that he had regained his confidence, he just wanted to find a way out of there. It was obvious there was nothing edible around, so there was no reason to stay either. He kept moving in a straight line looking for the end of that place when he saw a light source on the distance. It looked like an open door to the bright, sunny wastelands outside. He observed it and noticed dark shapes going through it in both directions. It was going to be difficult to cross the opening while avoiding those creatures, whatever they were, but it seemed his only plausible course. He kept scurrying among the junk, but soon he had to slowdown his pace, as he felt a presence nearby. Finally, he was to find out the source of the hideous smell he was hardly getting used to. A meter-tall, dark shape was moving towards him, and from inside the hood that covered his upper part, a couple of bright yellow lights were looking directly at him. He froze, half hypnotized by the glare, trying to overcome the disgust produced by the odour, and the fear caused by the moving creature. Fortunately, the Jawa was not really paying attention and was just walking along a treaded path that others were also using in their busy activity. It just turned to his right and kept moving with the monotonous little steps that made its figure bounce briskly.
The scurrier felt relieved and was letting out a small sigh when he noticed the bodiless head of a robot that was poking from a heap of circuits, laying at a slight angle that made it look like it was just sleeping on a pillow of cables and memory chips. It was made of a golden metal that had not yet lost all its shine, and it was all rounded without any appendices poking out from it. Except from the bottom of its neck, that is, where a few broken connectors were showing. He would have not paid it any attention if not for the slight buzzing sound it seemed to produce. He just looked at it for a second, and was about to continue his stroll, when the metal eyelids opened and revealed two shining blue sparks that pointed at him attentively.
All his muscles tensed, as if by an electric shock. Then he was hypnotized by the robotic stare, and his body relaxed, while keeping his eyes fixed on the mesmerizing lights. Things started happening while nothing moved. Billions of flashes and shadows crossed his mind and somehow made sense, though he could not understand them. Sparks raced through his brain, searched for his frontal lobe and made indelible changes beyond the threshold of his consciousness. When it was all over, he suddenly had a purpose in life. He had never even known what a purpose was, never had a goal beyond finding food or satisfying his immediate needs. He had never thought that life could have a reach beyond that. Now, somehow, he longed to fulfill a task that he wasn't sure what it was exactly, but that somehow would make him feel great once performed.
The problem was he did not know how to get closer to his new purpose, and he would have to wait until the opportunity happened on him. He would live from now on in a perpetual yearning for a situation that he could not bring about by his own means. It would be a little bit frustrating, but somehow it gave him a new enjoyment of life.
All his hopes laid now on a sequence of sounds that were completely foreign to him, but that he kept listening inside his head: 'Obiwankenobi'. He just had a great desire to hear them coming from the outside world. Then he would be able to perform that other sequence that had been engraved in his brain. This one, a sequence of movements, also strange and senseless, but that he intended to perform without hesitation as soon as he was prompted to.
Now he felt a sudden urge to leave that place and start his search in the vast deserts of Tatooine. A new nomadic impulse was going to drive him from now on on his quest for a destiny that could mean a difference in the future of the Galaxy.
It smelled. The whole place was stinky! Foul odours filled his nostrils as he wandered cautiously around his new environment. It was quite dark in there and his eyes had a lot of trouble adapting after a life in the desert under the burning suns, so he wanted to be careful while exploring his surroundings. He was mainly using his sense of smell in his first survey, and he certainly did not like what he was finding. He could detect lots of smells, all of them disgusting of their own, waved into a repulsive mixture. Not that he wasn't used to putrid scents, what with his being a scavenger and having poked his snout inside rotten carcasses more than often. But the volatile substances to which he was being exposed here were beyond the normal range in the chemistry of corruption. Somehow the hot humidity, protected in here from the dry air that desiccates everything on the surface of Tatooine, was allowing something to ferment beyond the thinkable.
However, the objects around him, as he started to distinguish them, were mainly made of metal, ceramic, and plastic, interspersed with loads of computer circuits. He was no thinker, at least not the analytical mind that would realize that the non-organic objects around him could not be the source of those smells, but somehow his instincts told him he had not yet detected the main cause of the odour. They also told him he should not look forward to meet it.
He moved slowly, avoiding the sharp edges that could cut his little feet, and also distrusting the slippery surfaces that could make him lose his grip and fall noisily among all the debris. His long ears turned back and forth, ready to alert him of any suspicious sounds. He was surrounded by a desert-like landscape, with dunes of varied sizes extending in all directions. But it was not sand that these little hills were made of. They were piles of rubbish. He had seen rubbish like that on the real desert sometimes, but never in such quantities.
His eyes were slowly giving him more information and he could distinguish shapes that were somehow familiar, though here they were presented at an angle that somehow did not seem natural. He was even scared more than once when the face of an android would look directly at him from behind a heap of metal cables. Even though androids had never cared about his race, it was in his nature to avoid any moving object greater in size than himself. So it was intimidating to find one staring at him from so close a distance. Fortunately, everything in here was dead and inert, and soon he was stepping on heads without a second thought. He was beginning to get used to the new landscape and was soon daring to jump from pile to pile of clinking rubbish.
Now that he had regained his confidence, he just wanted to find a way out of there. It was obvious there was nothing edible around, so there was no reason to stay either. He kept moving in a straight line looking for the end of that place when he saw a light source on the distance. It looked like an open door to the bright, sunny wastelands outside. He observed it and noticed dark shapes going through it in both directions. It was going to be difficult to cross the opening while avoiding those creatures, whatever they were, but it seemed his only plausible course. He kept scurrying among the junk, but soon he had to slowdown his pace, as he felt a presence nearby. Finally, he was to find out the source of the hideous smell he was hardly getting used to. A meter-tall, dark shape was moving towards him, and from inside the hood that covered his upper part, a couple of bright yellow lights were looking directly at him. He froze, half hypnotized by the glare, trying to overcome the disgust produced by the odour, and the fear caused by the moving creature. Fortunately, the Jawa was not really paying attention and was just walking along a treaded path that others were also using in their busy activity. It just turned to his right and kept moving with the monotonous little steps that made its figure bounce briskly.
The scurrier felt relieved and was letting out a small sigh when he noticed the bodiless head of a robot that was poking from a heap of circuits, laying at a slight angle that made it look like it was just sleeping on a pillow of cables and memory chips. It was made of a golden metal that had not yet lost all its shine, and it was all rounded without any appendices poking out from it. Except from the bottom of its neck, that is, where a few broken connectors were showing. He would have not paid it any attention if not for the slight buzzing sound it seemed to produce. He just looked at it for a second, and was about to continue his stroll, when the metal eyelids opened and revealed two shining blue sparks that pointed at him attentively.
All his muscles tensed, as if by an electric shock. Then he was hypnotized by the robotic stare, and his body relaxed, while keeping his eyes fixed on the mesmerizing lights. Things started happening while nothing moved. Billions of flashes and shadows crossed his mind and somehow made sense, though he could not understand them. Sparks raced through his brain, searched for his frontal lobe and made indelible changes beyond the threshold of his consciousness. When it was all over, he suddenly had a purpose in life. He had never even known what a purpose was, never had a goal beyond finding food or satisfying his immediate needs. He had never thought that life could have a reach beyond that. Now, somehow, he longed to fulfill a task that he wasn't sure what it was exactly, but that somehow would make him feel great once performed.
The problem was he did not know how to get closer to his new purpose, and he would have to wait until the opportunity happened on him. He would live from now on in a perpetual yearning for a situation that he could not bring about by his own means. It would be a little bit frustrating, but somehow it gave him a new enjoyment of life.
All his hopes laid now on a sequence of sounds that were completely foreign to him, but that he kept listening inside his head: 'Obiwankenobi'. He just had a great desire to hear them coming from the outside world. Then he would be able to perform that other sequence that had been engraved in his brain. This one, a sequence of movements, also strange and senseless, but that he intended to perform without hesitation as soon as he was prompted to.
Now he felt a sudden urge to leave that place and start his search in the vast deserts of Tatooine. A new nomadic impulse was going to drive him from now on on his quest for a destiny that could mean a difference in the future of the Galaxy.
Monday, July 12, 2004
The hobbit and the three trolls
Finally, the promised translation of the short-story about the hobbit and the three trolls:
He climbed painfully up the hill, grabbing the bare rocks with his badly scratched hands and pushing behind him with his little furry feet. Finally, he reached the summit and stood up to contemplate the little promising landscape. As far as his keen sight could reach he was surrounded by an arid plain with scarce vegetation. This was a dire situation for a lonely hobbit to find himself in!
He was trying not to give in to desperation, when he noticed some promising-looking trees with wide leaves on the corner of his eye. A closer look made him realize that a promontory down the other side of the hill had hidden from his first inspection a small ravine from which a singing sound of flowing water reached his thirsty ears. He meandered down to it and a tiny valley unveiled in front of him. It had a humid microclimate and a quick stream of clear water run through the middle of it. New hope rose in his heart, as he run down the slope and his bare feet stepped on the cold grass. He looked around as he walked, smiling at the fern and caressing the wild flowers as he went. Then he reached the stream and kneeled down to drink from it. As he enjoyed the refreshing liquid in his mouth and the sprinkling sound of the running water, he let his attention drift for a few seconds, as he remembered good old times in his home town.
When he came back to reality, a big, ugly face was staring back at him from the other side of the water. He jumped up startled, and looked transfixed at the apparition from the water world. When he realized it was the reflection of a big troll that was standing right behind him, it was too late. A huge hand with fingers thick as branches reached at him and grabbed his neck, closing around it in a solid lock. He tried to fight the grip and free himself, but it was useless. The troll raised easily his hand with the little hobbit hanging from it, and looked at his defenseless prey with a crooked grin.
- Mmmm, small but tender...! It'll be a perfect breakfast! He! He! - He murmured.
Without any more fuss, he turned around and started a clumsy trot towards an opening in the woods a short distance from the water stream. The hobbit was transported still hanging from his neck, desperately holding to his captor's big, hairy wrist and forearm with both his arms and legs, just to prevent the wide swaying movements to snap his neck.
When the troll reached the clearing, two other creatures, as big and as ugly, were waiting for him there. They immediately noticed his prey and dedicated an amazed look to the small and strange being that still fought, if not to get free, at least for some air.
- What's that?! - They both exclaimed almost at the same time.
- Don't know! It's breakfast, me thinks!
The waiting party shrugged and started readying some cooking utensils. The hunter troll just sat on a rock and laid his burden in front of him. The hobbit was greatly relieved at seeing himself back on the ground and free of the asphyxiating grip. He looked around and tried to evaluate his chances of escape. The troll probably interpreted correctly his intentions and said matter-of-factly:
- If you try to escape I'll just step on you and crash you with all my weight, so you better don't think about it... I don't want to spoil all your entrails on the ground!...
The hobbit stayed frozen on the spot looking up at his captor's impassive face. The big monster was right. Once in the woods he could hide and no troll would be able to find him, but his opportunities while in the open were really slim. He needed to think of something.
- It's a pity I only have one head!
The three trolls stopped their activities and looked back at the hobbit, staring incredulously at him as if they could not believe it had just talked to them. Then, in their slow thinking process, they started to realize that what he had said had a meaning and started to analyze it. Then they wondered on the implications of that meaning. Then they came to a sudden realization and their eyes opened widely. They looked at each other, slowly going from one of their companions to the next.
- He's right! - They all said at the same time.
Then, after a brief silence:
- What are we gonna do?!
The hunter troll shouted very loudly:
- I will eat the head! I got the thing, and I'll eat the head!
One of the other two, who looked older and much more dirty than the rest, said:
- No, I'm the boss and I'll eat the head. You can do whatever you want with the rest!
The third troll said:
- We can share the head! We can split it in three parts, right?
- No way! - said the hunter - I want the whole head for me!
- You can't share a head! - said the old one - The contents would spill out and be wasted! I want to eat it whole! Crunchy and juicy! It'll be all for me! You get to eat the body, which is bigger than the head!
They went on arguing and as the quarrel heated up, the hunter troll stood up and walked towards his comrades with an aggressive expression. He completely forgot that the only thing that kept the little hobbit on his spot was his attentive vigilance and the threat that he would crash him if he moved. The angry troll just shouted and waved his arms, ready to fight with his pals for their now unattended breakfast.
The hobbit stood still until he was sure the troll could not see him and he then grabbed the opportunity and started moving quickly but silently towards the trees. Soon he was running as fast as his short legs would allow him and in a few seconds he reached the woods, while he could still hear the trolls shouting to each other about how to dismember and share his body.
Once in the woods, he knew he was safe, because the bad sight and clumsiness of a troll were no rival for the ability to hide and to move silently among the vegetation of a hobbit. So, while he continued his journey, trying to forget his recent experience, he mused that it may be a pity he only had one head, but it was certainly good luck he did have one head!
He climbed painfully up the hill, grabbing the bare rocks with his badly scratched hands and pushing behind him with his little furry feet. Finally, he reached the summit and stood up to contemplate the little promising landscape. As far as his keen sight could reach he was surrounded by an arid plain with scarce vegetation. This was a dire situation for a lonely hobbit to find himself in!
He was trying not to give in to desperation, when he noticed some promising-looking trees with wide leaves on the corner of his eye. A closer look made him realize that a promontory down the other side of the hill had hidden from his first inspection a small ravine from which a singing sound of flowing water reached his thirsty ears. He meandered down to it and a tiny valley unveiled in front of him. It had a humid microclimate and a quick stream of clear water run through the middle of it. New hope rose in his heart, as he run down the slope and his bare feet stepped on the cold grass. He looked around as he walked, smiling at the fern and caressing the wild flowers as he went. Then he reached the stream and kneeled down to drink from it. As he enjoyed the refreshing liquid in his mouth and the sprinkling sound of the running water, he let his attention drift for a few seconds, as he remembered good old times in his home town.
When he came back to reality, a big, ugly face was staring back at him from the other side of the water. He jumped up startled, and looked transfixed at the apparition from the water world. When he realized it was the reflection of a big troll that was standing right behind him, it was too late. A huge hand with fingers thick as branches reached at him and grabbed his neck, closing around it in a solid lock. He tried to fight the grip and free himself, but it was useless. The troll raised easily his hand with the little hobbit hanging from it, and looked at his defenseless prey with a crooked grin.
- Mmmm, small but tender...! It'll be a perfect breakfast! He! He! - He murmured.
Without any more fuss, he turned around and started a clumsy trot towards an opening in the woods a short distance from the water stream. The hobbit was transported still hanging from his neck, desperately holding to his captor's big, hairy wrist and forearm with both his arms and legs, just to prevent the wide swaying movements to snap his neck.
When the troll reached the clearing, two other creatures, as big and as ugly, were waiting for him there. They immediately noticed his prey and dedicated an amazed look to the small and strange being that still fought, if not to get free, at least for some air.
- What's that?! - They both exclaimed almost at the same time.
- Don't know! It's breakfast, me thinks!
The waiting party shrugged and started readying some cooking utensils. The hunter troll just sat on a rock and laid his burden in front of him. The hobbit was greatly relieved at seeing himself back on the ground and free of the asphyxiating grip. He looked around and tried to evaluate his chances of escape. The troll probably interpreted correctly his intentions and said matter-of-factly:
- If you try to escape I'll just step on you and crash you with all my weight, so you better don't think about it... I don't want to spoil all your entrails on the ground!...
The hobbit stayed frozen on the spot looking up at his captor's impassive face. The big monster was right. Once in the woods he could hide and no troll would be able to find him, but his opportunities while in the open were really slim. He needed to think of something.
- It's a pity I only have one head!
The three trolls stopped their activities and looked back at the hobbit, staring incredulously at him as if they could not believe it had just talked to them. Then, in their slow thinking process, they started to realize that what he had said had a meaning and started to analyze it. Then they wondered on the implications of that meaning. Then they came to a sudden realization and their eyes opened widely. They looked at each other, slowly going from one of their companions to the next.
- He's right! - They all said at the same time.
Then, after a brief silence:
- What are we gonna do?!
The hunter troll shouted very loudly:
- I will eat the head! I got the thing, and I'll eat the head!
One of the other two, who looked older and much more dirty than the rest, said:
- No, I'm the boss and I'll eat the head. You can do whatever you want with the rest!
The third troll said:
- We can share the head! We can split it in three parts, right?
- No way! - said the hunter - I want the whole head for me!
- You can't share a head! - said the old one - The contents would spill out and be wasted! I want to eat it whole! Crunchy and juicy! It'll be all for me! You get to eat the body, which is bigger than the head!
They went on arguing and as the quarrel heated up, the hunter troll stood up and walked towards his comrades with an aggressive expression. He completely forgot that the only thing that kept the little hobbit on his spot was his attentive vigilance and the threat that he would crash him if he moved. The angry troll just shouted and waved his arms, ready to fight with his pals for their now unattended breakfast.
The hobbit stood still until he was sure the troll could not see him and he then grabbed the opportunity and started moving quickly but silently towards the trees. Soon he was running as fast as his short legs would allow him and in a few seconds he reached the woods, while he could still hear the trolls shouting to each other about how to dismember and share his body.
Once in the woods, he knew he was safe, because the bad sight and clumsiness of a troll were no rival for the ability to hide and to move silently among the vegetation of a hobbit. So, while he continued his journey, trying to forget his recent experience, he mused that it may be a pity he only had one head, but it was certainly good luck he did have one head!
Cambiar miniaturas: ¡por fín es fácil!
This is the spanish translation of the article I wrote about the launch of my new trading site specialized in collectible miniatures:
Los juegos de miniaturas coleccionables se hacen cada vez más populares. La larga historia de Mage Knight, o el gran éxito de HeroClix, son un par de ejemplos de esta tendencia. Y la reciente y publicitada entrada, respectivamente, de las franquicias de El Señor de los Anillos y de La Guerra de las Galaxias a la industria de juegos de miniaturas coleccionables promete un futuro incluso más brillante aún por venir. Hay mucha gente ya coleccionando las figuras y empleando todas sus habilidades para jugar sus juegos, y para construir sus ejércitos. Tanto con peanas sencillas como clickables, es éste un gran hobby que está aquí para quedarse.
Pero tanto si juegas como si coleccionas, necesitarás cambiar tus miniaturas para conseguir las que necesitas. A diferencia de las cartas coleccionables, es difícil llevar toda tu colección contigo para intentar intercambiarlas. La mayoría de la gente simplemente se lleva una lista de las figuras que tienen y buscan. Y muchos están ya usando la web para encontrar otros aficionados y acordar buenos intercambios con ellos.
Hasta ahora, sin embargo, la gente simplemente publicaba sus listas y confiaba en que otros jugadores notaran que coincidían con las suyas. Pero ahora, por fín, los aficionados a las miniaturas van a obtener una gran ayuda de Internet, gracias un nuevo sitio que hará mucho más fáciles los intercambios: CambiaMiniaturas. Basada en el éxito de su web hermana, Cambiacartas, CambiaMiniaturas ofrece los mismos servicios y características que los aficionados a las cartas coleccionables han estado disfrutando ya desde hace largo tiempo.
Con la mayor base de datos de figuras en la red, esta web hace muy fácil mantener tus listas de miniaturas ofrecidas y buscadas, y encontrar gente con la que intercambiar. Su exclusivo Informe Automático de Posibles Intercambios te notificará cada vez que estén disponibles para intercambio con otros usuarios nuevas miniaturas de las que buscas. ¡Puedes sentarte y relajarte mientras CambiaMiniaturas encuentra las figuras que necesitas!
Y en cualquier momento también puedes cotejar tus listas de miniaturas con las de todos los demás usuarios, de forma que es muy sencillo encontrar gente con la que llegar a buenos acuerdos. En nada de tiempo conseguirás todas esas miniaturas que necesitas. Y también puedes venderlas y comprarlas usando el servicio de transferencia de dinero incluido con la subscripción.
Cambiar miniaturas se ha vuelto fácil por fín con CambiaMiniaturas.
Los juegos de miniaturas coleccionables se hacen cada vez más populares. La larga historia de Mage Knight, o el gran éxito de HeroClix, son un par de ejemplos de esta tendencia. Y la reciente y publicitada entrada, respectivamente, de las franquicias de El Señor de los Anillos y de La Guerra de las Galaxias a la industria de juegos de miniaturas coleccionables promete un futuro incluso más brillante aún por venir. Hay mucha gente ya coleccionando las figuras y empleando todas sus habilidades para jugar sus juegos, y para construir sus ejércitos. Tanto con peanas sencillas como clickables, es éste un gran hobby que está aquí para quedarse.
Pero tanto si juegas como si coleccionas, necesitarás cambiar tus miniaturas para conseguir las que necesitas. A diferencia de las cartas coleccionables, es difícil llevar toda tu colección contigo para intentar intercambiarlas. La mayoría de la gente simplemente se lleva una lista de las figuras que tienen y buscan. Y muchos están ya usando la web para encontrar otros aficionados y acordar buenos intercambios con ellos.
Hasta ahora, sin embargo, la gente simplemente publicaba sus listas y confiaba en que otros jugadores notaran que coincidían con las suyas. Pero ahora, por fín, los aficionados a las miniaturas van a obtener una gran ayuda de Internet, gracias un nuevo sitio que hará mucho más fáciles los intercambios: CambiaMiniaturas. Basada en el éxito de su web hermana, Cambiacartas, CambiaMiniaturas ofrece los mismos servicios y características que los aficionados a las cartas coleccionables han estado disfrutando ya desde hace largo tiempo.
Con la mayor base de datos de figuras en la red, esta web hace muy fácil mantener tus listas de miniaturas ofrecidas y buscadas, y encontrar gente con la que intercambiar. Su exclusivo Informe Automático de Posibles Intercambios te notificará cada vez que estén disponibles para intercambio con otros usuarios nuevas miniaturas de las que buscas. ¡Puedes sentarte y relajarte mientras CambiaMiniaturas encuentra las figuras que necesitas!
Y en cualquier momento también puedes cotejar tus listas de miniaturas con las de todos los demás usuarios, de forma que es muy sencillo encontrar gente con la que llegar a buenos acuerdos. En nada de tiempo conseguirás todas esas miniaturas que necesitas. Y también puedes venderlas y comprarlas usando el servicio de transferencia de dinero incluido con la subscripción.
Cambiar miniaturas se ha vuelto fácil por fín con CambiaMiniaturas.
