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As well as the locations around the computer game, I drew some pictures of objects you can pick up on your meanderings. There are two drawings of each object -- a thumbnail, generally intended to be recognizable, and a larger version for a data sheet, generally intended to be either funny or cool (or, in some cases, just bigger than the thumbnail).
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Alien Fruit The idea behind the alien fruit was basically that it should magically be suited to some very useful function, like the mattresses on Squornshellous Zeta. When I drew it, however, I hadn't finished the game and didn't realize that Arthur was eventually going to have to eat it. All I can say is, I hope he has strong teeth. |
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Carton I don't see any particular reason why people should abandon cardboard boxes (made from small animals from sustainable planets, of course). Actually, one of my specific aims when drawing some of the objects was to make them look as crunchy or grody as possible. Note the tea-substitute-stain down the side of the box from where someone spat it out in horrified disgust .... |
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Asteroid Paint Chipper The asteroid paint chipper is a chipper designed to remove paint from asteroids. Asteroid grafitti is a growing problem. |
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Common Sense Particle In which a particle is implied, rather than depicted, and in which a can of beans turns out to have more than mere beans within. Semi-interesting note: This object never appears in the game, because as soon as you pick it up, you "die" and it is removed from your possession. It's a shame: I was really looking forward to seeing what Rod Lord made of my annotations. |
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Santraginean Mineral Water I liked the idea of Santraginean Mineral Water being held in industrial-style canisters and being horribly corrosive. It's more mineral than water, really .... |
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Nutrimat Control Interface The Nutrimat interface, another fine product of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation, is supposed to look more than slightly old-school. It also gave me a great excuse to recycle a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation logo I designed while working for a certain very large software corporation a few years ago, and which I had above my desk (I was advised against putting "happy vertical people transporter" labels in the lifts, though). |
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Molecular Hyperwave Pincer Apparently, these are for picking up atomic-sized objects. I figured you wouldn't be talking about a very fine pair of tweezers; accordingly, the tiny things are grappled using this delightful force-field, available in a wide variety of wavelengths to suit your every need around the home. |
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Hypersonic Pliers Just your bog-standard servo-assisted pliers, with a bit of extra kick to deliver gripping force at speeds in excess of Mach 5. I'd imagine they're very useful as a fly-swat, unless you're swatting Barthelusian Rocket Flies[1], in which case body-armour and, ideally, some form of missile system are recommended. |
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Atomic Vector Plotter This gives position or momentum information for atoms colliding with the probe. The information is displayed on the tube display or can be output through the small data socket. This model has a cocleariform[2] probe for ease of stirring in the target fluid. |
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Ionic Diffusion Rasp The Ionic Diffusion Rasp is essentially a form of file. It relies on a twelve-bit dp-12 series processor to control the field coils which contain the ion stream essential to its function. Ionic diffusion was adopted as an alternative to more conventional roughened corundum files because Sirius Cybernetics sales executives were convinced the new generation of customer would want more from his or her file, and because corundum is virtually indestructible and therefore generated no revenue for the maintenance or complaints divisions. Early prototype models were the size of industrial refrigerators, and came to be known as "filing cabinets". |
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Strange Gun The strange gun is designed to be used on the ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. It is almost entirely useless, having sufficient battery life to fire eight bursts, for which reason it is set on "demo mode" by default. Demo mode looks impressive, does nothing, and is therefore a good way to show how impressive the gun would be when turned on, without draining the battery. The gun can be switched to Kill Mode by means of a tiny switch whose location is not specified by the manual. Some people drew this putting more emphasis on strange than on gun, something I wish, in restrospect, I had done too. |
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Ultra-Plasmic Vacuum Awl An ultra-plasmic vacuum awl is an awl which relies on ultrasound-controlled plasma to create a vacuum cavity in the target item. It is essential to dressmakers and cobblers the galaxy wide. |
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| Roger Philbrick asked me to render the remaining two objects, so here they are. | ||
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Laser-Assisted Monkey Wrench Having trouble getting your wrench to fit round your nuts snugly? No longer! This handy device lets you specify the width of the jaw to within an Angstrom. Now you can get on with twisting your nuts in peace. Careless torque costs lives -- banish it today with a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Laser-Assisted Monkey Wrench. |
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Thermo-Fusion Chisel The thermo-fusion chisel is a boon to the makers of really huge statues, as it permits chiselling with the force of a thermonuclear fusion detonation. Throw your mallet away! Carefully. |
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| Some of these objects, incidentally, turn up in some of the locations; the ultra-plasmic vacuum awl is mysteriously to be found in the War Chamber of the Star Battle Cruiser, suggesting that the proud warriors have been engaging in dressmaking (either that, or they're a load of cobblers). I stuck a few other objects in for good measure, some of which I hope to display separately, possibly in colour, at some point in the future. | ||
[1] I liked this idea immensely, and was planning to use it, until I realized that it's basically lifted from an episode of Black Books. It was a very good episode, mind you. Funny tricks the mind plays ....