Hey everybody. The president is gone so I am having a Alexander Haig moment and notifying everyone that I am in charge. Nothing to worry about. The other VP's are locked in the closet...I mean have an important closed door meeting. That leaves me to handle all the important stuff.
President Skadder is off on an important mission to Turkey. I brought him the latest satellite photos and he is sure he has located the remains of Noah's Ark (I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a stain from my dripping chilli dog he was looking at).
Before he left, he sent me his synopsis. Let's get a huge participation this week. I want to see a ton of entries in my Email box. First the disclaimer

Official Ship’s Rules:

• The synopsis writer (SW) sends the President or a nominated Vice-President (here after called the Committee) the synopsis on the Friday before it is due to be posted—a week early. If the synopsis has not been received, the committee will contact the next SW and request their synopsis by Sunday night. If this is not received a committee member will post a reserve synopsis.

• The ship sets sail every Friday when a new synopsis is posted by the President or one of his Vice-Presidents.

• Once the synopsis is posted, you may begin writing 13 lines (see Hatrack guidelines for ensuring it is 13 lines).

• You can begin the story from any chronological part of the synopsis.

• Any details not specified in the plan can be made up as long as they do not SERIOUSLY alter the story.

• Remember, this contest is ABOUT mastering the hook--so have one.

• The President or his nominated stand in, will assign your story a number and post it between Monday and Thursday. They will not be posted over the weekend.

• PLEASE don’t look at what other people have done until after you have sent yours to the moderator.

• Edit your work before sending it—no corrections will be made after it has been emailed, and email it only once.

• Email your entry to the President, or his nominated deputy (a post will identify any changes) by latest Thursday night (GMT in my case). Ensure any bold or italic formatting is included exactly as you would format it if you posted it on Hatrack yourself.
Example:

skadder (my hatrack nickname)

Entry # (Committee will fill in number)

Title: The Wrathful Gaze of Allah

The scout’s hand shook as he pointed to the dune. “It lies on the other side, my Lord.”
Caliph Abu Bakr eyed the dune. The cool evening breeze plucked at his robes. Yes, let’s see. He began to walk up the hot sand.
“Caliph, you must not go—it could be a desert djinn.”
“Perhaps.” Abu Bakr turned to grin at the shivering guard. “If Allah wills it so--but Allah put it here, so I will look.”
As he crested the dune he gasped. Before him, half buried in molten, glowing sand, lay a vast metal structure. To one side lay a winged creature with a body like a man. It was totally covered in intricate armour and a single crystal was set in its helm. An angel--a dead one. Then it stirred.
“Quick,” Abu Bakr shouted, “It is messenger of Allah—bring the h

This is the format that you should use to send your work in. I have not included formatting--but you should--as the above is exactly 13 lines--if yours is longer it may get cut. More detailed instructions on how to ensure your intro is 13 lines can be found here.

• I will post the competition is closed and voting can commence. If you enter you are expected to vote. People who enter and don’t vote will be mocked in a 'Walked the Plank' thread. Critting, although useful, is not required, but you are expected to identify a first, second and third, and best title.

• Future Synopsis Writers:

1) Annepin.
2) illiterate
3) Unwritten
4) Grant John

o Copy the above and add your name to the list if you wish to write a synopsis, however pay attention to point one above and try to get something ready at least a week earlier.

Now for this weeks synopsis.

quote:

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L-zari is a member of a species called the Sirath, altered millennia ago during the pan-galactic reign of the Songmasters, to become the most perfectly adapted assassins known. They are bipedal reptile-like creatures and can grow a variety bio-weapons within their flesh: kinetic weapons; poisons etc. Thin, short, bone-like blades can be summoned at will from cavities within many of their major bones and rupture out through almost invisible slits in their flesh. They are able to change their skin colour and texture at will, but more profound changes, like mimicking another species, can requires a period of deep ‘meditation’ lasting many months. Their skin slowly swells up forming a bubble around them; it detaches from their bodies leaving them partially floating within body fluids inside; they metamorphose like a caterpillar in a chrysalis, until the desired change is completed and they emerge with a new body shape. Part of the change is they become similar, mentally to the species they are mimicking. The longer they stay in the alien form the more they perceive the world according to the species they are mimicking.
They are incredibly agile, and capable of healing to the point of regenerating lost limbs in only a few months etc—smaller wounds can be healed in a few hours. The Sirath now operate solely at the direction of the Pan-Omnix Courts as the Sirath view them as the ultimate authority in the galaxy—they are unable to function as assassins (mental failsafe) unless they are convinced of the validity of the contract.

The Pan-Omnix Council is a confederation of developed species that co-operatively enforce Pan-Omnix laws and rule between them the majority of the galaxy. Though it is a last resort, death sentences are given when an offender is unable to be overtly reached because they are either too well protected or the society remains isolated from the galactic community at large.

The Sun-seekers are a race of secretive insect-like creatures who control a large portion of a particular limb of the galaxy and came across a planet 150 years ago called ‘Earth’ by its in habitants. The current earth date is 2120. Following the laws of the Pan-Omnix Treaties the Sun-seekers categorised the planet as a protected zone—i.e a planet not ready for contact--and established various monitoring stations/posts both on and off planet. Recently the Sun-seekers obtained information concerning an industrialist inventor by the name of Peter Gillespie. Apparently Gillespie has developed viruses (CODENAME: LEAP) that target specific groups of humans (race; age; skin colour, etc.) and his plan is to reduce the human population by 99%. His motivation, the Sun-seekers told the Pan-Omnix courts, was to allow humanity to start again and to refine the gene-pool. The sun-seekers claim he has miscalculated the effects and will destroy 100% of the population. Sun-seekers said that despite covertly bringing this to Peter’s attention using anonymous sources Peter Gillespie continues with his destructive, genocidal plan. The court found the evidence compelling and decided intervention was legal. As the Earth is a protected zone, they issued a death warrant to be carried out by licensed Sirath assassin. The assassination, the court stipulated, must seem to be of earth origin; all data regarding the viruses (Project: Leap) must be eradicated; anyone in Gillespie’s circle who knew of the plan must be eliminated and the stocks of virus must be found and destroyed.

A request for a Sirath assassin was sent to the Sirath home world and L-zari was selected for the mission. L-zari has a very questioning mind, and changes to a human form (female) during the few months it takes her ship to travel to Earth’s star.

L-zari penetrates Peter Gillespie’s ultra high-security compound where his home is and, after reading him the crimes and potential crimes the court found him guilty of, she reads him the courts sentence. She feels confident she can hack the computers and locate the files related to LEAP. Using earth weapons she is about to kill Peter when he disappears and re-appears on the other side of the room. L-zari tries to shoot him but Peter seems one step ahead, always flicking out and back into existence somewhere else. All the time Peter is desperately trying to explain that project LEAP is nothing to do with viruses—but time-space travel. Peter says the system he accidentally discovered allows him to travel at most 3 secs into the past or future, or four meters in any direction. He shows her the control system, but says the system is actually hidden in various locations around the world and is ultra secure, as it mixed within components of other facilities. Only he knows the locations of all the pieces. L-zar suspects that perhaps the sun-seekers have mis-led the courts--that would mean the death warrant is not valid. Technolgy of this level would warrant immediate contact—why would the Sun-seekers suppress this information? Do they know about it? L-zar suspects that the sun-seekers want this technology that these humans have unwittingly stumbled upon. L-zar realises this technology—once fully developed-- could enable a civilisation as large as the Sun-seekers to dominate the galaxy, leading to a tyranny like the Songmaster era.
Unable to fulfil her task until she knows the truth, she slips into a meditative battle state which speeds up her reaction time for a few moments to incredible speeds. She reacts to Gillespie’s next jump and manages to damage his controller before he can react. With Peter unable to escape her, L-zar decides the Sun-seekers have the answers. Together with Peter she goes to a covert Sun-seeker realm that is disguised as a cult compound in New York State to find answers. Peter knows the assassin is dangerous, perhaps mad--she said she was alien and spouted all sorts of weird stuff (but she also knew some ultra-secure info) – but he can’t help himself but see her as an earth girl. He finds himself irresistibly drawn to the beautiful, yet dangerous woman.

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Plenty to work with. Send your entries to my email. Now excuse me while I test out this huge red button in the Pres's office.

PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST OF SYNOPSIS WRITERS.

I think, though, it is probably time for the competition to have a holiday, anyway. There were only seven entries last week and that wasn't sci-fi, but the pattern has been one of dwindling interest. I guess if we have a break then people will be more inclined to participate.

If I get a VP to volunteer to be acting President for that period. They will need to run and/or delegate out, if they can, the competition for the competition start dates of:

Friday 18th July

Friday 25th July

Friday 1st August

Friday 8th August

Grant and Annepin also volunteered to preside over some weeks, so if they or any of the VPs can put there names forward to cover the competitions that start on those dates then, if everything is covered the competition can go ahead.

Otherwise I will close it until the 14th when I return.

The other option is to start the competition but use a 2 week cycle, same as the current cycle but removing the overlap. This would mean when the results of the previous competition are published on a Tuesday there would be a break of a few days until the new competition starts on the Friday. This would give the following start dates:

11th July (Annepins synopsis)

25th July -- I can't preside.

8th August -- I can't preside

22nd August -- I can preside

The benefit of running it based on a two week turnaround is that it becomes more of an event for those participating and less of bind for those running it.

On this issue I am open to opinions.

The choices are:

a) People volunteer for the above stated positions--you have to be able to stick timings (roughly, in terms of hours but accurately in terms of days) and all those dates are covered--as well as the Acting Presidents job.

b) Close the competition until 14th of August, when it will restart as per usual.

c) Use a two-week cycle to encourage people to participate. People will be less inclined to miss a week and 'see if next weeks synopsis is more my thing'. After all a good writer should stretch themselves and attempt stuff they wouldn't normally try--it's only 13 lines.