This is an early draft of the first two chapters of a project I've developed for Jpeger. Some minor edits will happen along the way, but I wanted everyone to have a look at what I'm doing at the moment.

Disclaimer:
This story was written by request of the creator of the key characters. It is with great pleasure that I can create a new story of Electron for Jpeger.

The following story is a work of fiction. It is not based on real persons living or dead. All characters not credited to Jpeger are the creation of Max Hass.

This is an adult story. Children should not be reading this story.

Electron and the Pirates
by Jpeger and Max Hass
Copyright August 2005

Chapter 1

It had been a hard week for Electron. Now she sat in relative peace, taking a well deserved charge in her command chair while she thought of her next project.

Over the months since the great tsunami in the Far East, her efforts to make the recovery there more meaningful had gone fantastic. Her old college friend Brian had come through for her time and time again. As she attended the social events and cajoled money from the wealthiest of the citizens of the state, he took the investments and spent them with great wisdom.

As a college student, Brian had excelled in both design and economics. Now he put his tested ideas to practice and assisted the people of Thailand in rebuilding their villages, villages that fell through the cracks of the UN, the Sumatran government and other organizations. Every time she saw the video reports he sent to Electron updating her on his efforts, she smiled. Something was going right in the world. Something she did mattered.

But, as she thought of the good that had happened, there was always the little problems that had to be dealt with. With her eyes closed, Electron recalled one evening during one of the charity events. It was one of the rare public events where the average person could come and see a show hosted by celebrities like herself. They were big money makers for the foundation she headed.

And, of course, there were the signature risks when that much money was sitting around in one place. As Electron was winding up her portion of the presentation in the theater, her manager for the evening was overseeing the cash and checks from the box office. As she focused on the details, the manager didn't notice the two guards enter the small room. With a brief glance, she thought the two were from the armored truck company to take the money to the bank.

"Good evening. are the receipts for the event ready?" "Almost. Just some paperwork to finish first before I can sign off. Just one more minute."

The manager felt secure, knowing that the building was guarded by one of the most powerful heroines in University City. While her guard was relaxed, she ignored the guards as she finalized the paperwork and went over the bags one last time. "Almost ready. Thank you for waiting." "No, thank you for being so careful. Some events don't pay such attention to detail."

As the one guard spoke, the other crept up behind the lady standing over the bags of money. With a practiced hand, he pulled a cloth soaked with chloroform and jammed it under her nose and over her mouth. Falling to her knees with a muffled scream, the manager struggled to no avail, both men now restraining her movements as the compound did its job.

"So, do we have time for a quickie, or shall we take this order to go?"

End Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Electron sat in her command chair and reflected on the events of the past she had dealt with. In her mind, the details of how her hard work for the foundation she had created had almost slipped from her fingers. She saw the two men standing over and restraining her foundation manager who had just finished bagging the receipts from one of the biggest charity events she had hosted. And these two thugs now had to face the wrath of Electron.

"Could anything be more cliché?" Electron mused as she stepped through the door. You know, you could have just signed for the money and made a easy getaway. Now we have to do things the hard way."

"Bring it, bitch!" Screamed one of the two uniformed thugs. "Now, now. You may want to reconsider that suggestion, punk." Grabbing the mouthy robber, she clamped her hand down hard as the other moved wisely back, she said "You can't afford the delivery charge!" And with that, the heroine made short work of the arrogant criminal.

The other criminal, realizing what he was up against, tried to flee but was cornered by the angry Electron. "You two might have gotten away with your plans, you know that? After all, you went to such great lengths to make your way in here. You even have an armored truck waiting outside in the correct location. Why did you have to blow your cover and take a hostage? Pausing to stride forward, the heroine continued "I guess it's that pesky Y chromosome. It's always getting in your way."

Cringing beneath the angry heroine, the remaining thug cowered before the unconscious form of his partner lain low on the floor by the woman they had just knocked out. "I surrender! Please! I hate electricity. Don't hurt me!" Despite being unmoved by the plea of this pathetic robber and kidnapper, Electron smiled. "All right, all right. I won't hurt you. Give me your hand now."

As he reached out, Electron grabbed his open palm and closed down on it, giving him a measured jolt. "You didn't think I'd waste my effort tying you up when I could just give you a small taste of what you did to that poor lady laying over there, did you?" she snarled as the thug passed out from the charge he had earned from her.

Opening her eyes as this recollection ended, her mind turned to the present and plans for some well earned time off.

It was time for her to take a long delayed trip in person to see for herself how much progress had happened. She was also looking forward to seeing her old friend in person once again. The chance to have something approaching a normal relationship was next to impossible for someone in her position.

She could see the face of her friend Brian as he was leaving for Sumatra to supervise the re-construction of a village leveled by the earthquake, a village long overlooked by the UN and other organizations that were supposed to be helping the people of that region.

Her blood boiled as she recalled the scenes that had moved her to start her charitable project in the first place. Her memories of Brian and his passion for making use of his knowledge of architecture and creative use of local materials to build quick and sturdy housing had made a lasting impression on her.

"You don't need a super power to help people." she reminded him as they parted that last time. "You just need a good heart and a desire to help. You have both, along with my trust. I'll come when I have the chance." were the last words she spoke to him as he boarded the chartered airplane with supplies for the people of the village.

"Now, it is long past time that I see what progress Brian and his crew have made in the months since this project began." It was not the same, seeing the few videos sent via the internet from a cafe in the city. Despite the efforts, the videos barely touched on the real progress the paperwork indicated. Electron wanted to see for herself.

"Computer, get me the up to the minute reports on Sumatra and organize it on a threat basis. I want all news on the communist insurgents and other criminal activities in that part of the world." Electron was fully aware that this village was overlooked for a simple reason: it bordered the region of the country that was under control of the insurgents. The government forces were dead set against any aid to their enemies. It was only because of Electron's involvement in the project that the government representatives relented and gave Brian access to the community.

And now, her internet connections buzzed with requests and replies to her computer's query for news of this part of the world. "Electron, your request for news has been filled. How shall I channel the results of the web search?" As the straps released from Electron's wrists, she paused, thought, and replied "Forward the whole of the material to the hard drive aboard my ship. Is everything else in readiness with my ship?" "Yes. you are cleared from University City airspace and may leave as soon as you wish."

Hearing this, she stood and made her way to her aircraft. "Computer, secure the base once I leave. I'll report on my standard schedule. You have permission to forward any emergency requests to the database of available heroes should anything go wrong."

Leaving US airspace, Electron had many hours of flight time to occupy. She began by going over the detailed reports her computer had gathered for her. State Department reports on the on-going situation between the Sumatran government and the insurgents were her first priority. Travel was restricted in the area where she was going to be landing, but her contacts and schedule were already aware of her plans.

As she began to drift off for a nap, she noted an increase in piracy in the Straits of Malacca. "Oh great! Just what I didn't need." she muttered to herself as she read the intelligence and news reports on the boldness of these criminals. Her mind tried to wrap around the problem of modern day piracy in the waters of that part of the world and the dangers it created. "On average, there was an attack every third day this past year. And that was before the earthquake.

What am I getting into now?" she thought as she settled in for that nap and her aircraft continued on towards this hotbed she had hoped to clean up.

End Chapter 2.

Comments are quite welcome.

My goal for this story is to refresh the character by getting her out of the current set.

The next story I'm in the process of outlining now is back in University City at, lo and behold, the university. and Rocco Smash will have a key role in the tale, but only towards the end of the story.

My hope is to expand the 'world' in which these characters will exist. And yes, it may be a tad harder to create some of the sets for this story. But I have faith that Jpeger will rise to the challenge with a little help from his friends.

I'm going to have to rewrite sections of the chapters involving the inflatable zodiac boats I had hoped to find in the various Poser communities. Since none have turned up, I'm switching to a small cabin cruser instead. A nice off shore high performance boat for the pirates was easy to find.

Once the chapters are done, I'll load them here for review.

Here are chapters 3, 4, 5 and a bit of chapter 6

Electron and the Pirates
By Jpeger and Max Hass
Copyright August 2005

Chapter 3

Electron was awakened by the voice of the on-board computer and navigation system that had guided The WASP from the United States half way around the planet to the island nation of Sumatra. Her dreams had been restless, filled with imagery of classic stories of piracy. These dreams, triggered by the reports she had read before going off to sleep the night before, had stirred her romantic side. She had read reports of rebels and pirates who controlled the lands just to the south of the village her charity project had selected to repair. The conflicts of these real-world choices now melted in the sub-consiousness realm of her dreams.

Then thoughts of her old friend Brian began to drift into her mind. "God, what have I started down here?" she pondered as the hundreds of variables flowed in and out of her consciousness. It had been far too long since she had been with any man whom she remotely felt comfortable with. And now, she had time (once her mind was at rest over the nuts and bolts of her charity project being in place) to enjoy a couple of days in paradise.

She could see the coastline appear in the distance. "Computer, contact Sumatran air control and inform them of our arrival. Give them the flight plan and destination." And as her willing servant complied with her orders, Electron once again began to contemplate all that had happened and what might come if all went well.

Making a final approach over a rough landing field just outside the small community, Electron could see what had happened. Her friend had helped to resurrect from the effects of the massive earthquake that had hit this land just months earlier. Everything she expected had been achieved and more. She could see people moving and building either finished or almost ready for the return of the refugees who had fled inland.

As the wheels of her aircraft hit the hard packed soil, she could see a small crowd of people near a building that must serve as the 'tower' for the airstrip. Once the plane came to a stop, she could see Brian running towards her. Her heart leaped at the sight of his lean body, tanned skin and smiling face. "It's so nice to not be heading into a disaster for once" she spoke softly to no one in particular as she pressed the switches to secure the aircraft and open the hatch.

Leaping onto the improvised runway, Electron stood in her heroic pose and waited for Brian to close the distance. "Let him enjoy the view for a bit longer" she thought to herself, a hope for a romantic evening for two just hours away. "I hope he enjoys what he's seeing!" she concluded as she let the tight cut of her shining uniform outline her figure beneath it. Her hair was swept by a slight breeze as her friend called "Electron!" Then she found herself swept off her feet and swirled around in the air, suspended in the arms of this miracle worker.

"It's so fantastic to see you here at last! There's so much for you to see." Running out of steam, he softly placed the startled heroine back on firm ground and let her collect herself. "I didn't think it would be that easy to sweep you off your feet." Normally, it would have been very difficult indeed. But Electron needed a break and someone to care about her at that moment. "I wouldn't object if you'd like to sweep me off to your office for a brief review of the progress here. Then I'm all yours for the evening, guaranteed."

Seeing his wildest dreams might come true, Brian took Electron's gloved hand and lead her to a waiting Jeep for the drive back to his office. After a few hours of banal and forgettable economic and logistic reports. Electron was ready for a meal and some romantic background to fuel her desires.

But just as the two were closing the door to his private office, Electron's eyes caught the sight of two individuals who were leaving another office nearby. Her mind flashed to action, recalling who they were and who they worked for. Calmly, she inquired of her friend "Say, what's the story on those two people over there? What do they do for you?

Looking briefly, he replied. "Oh, them. They worked for a large international construction firm back in the states. They have great credentials and the contacts they brought here were beyond my expectations. Half the work would have been stalled had it not been for the miracles they pulled out of their hats." And Electron knew exactly why they were so helpful. The moment the name of the contracting firm they worked for came out, her mind began to flame at the thought of what they meant to her project.

Later that evening, after all her plans with Brian had been satisfied, Electron excused herself to rest. But rest was not on her agenda now. She had to suppress an urge to chase these two down and get some answers for herself about exactly what they were doing behind their 'contractor' positions. Returning first to The WASP for a quick recharge, she then made her way to the office where she had first seen them, Electron found them just leaving again. Rather than cause a scene in the village, she tailed the pair out of the developed area and marked her time until she could 'talk' with them.

The pair made a direct line for a cove where the fishing fleet for the village kept their boats. Despite her deep personal fear of water, Electron put aside that with the emotions driven by resentment. "Those two had better have a damn good story for me, They've just ruined my reunion with Brian just by being here." There were a number of boats that had been smashed to kindling and left for now. A small cabin cruiser was secured by long rope to a piling on the shore. Just as the two had reached the piling, Electron spoke from the shadows.

"Since when did OBIT become involved in charity work?" Stopped and startled by the sound of the voice in the dark, one of the two produced a silenced .45 caliber HK service automatic, favored by elite military units in the US. Seeing the act unfold, Electron strode from the darkness. "I asked you a question, What are you doing here?"

A muffled shot was fired, pointed at the form of the heroine standing on the trail.

Chapter 4

Two figures faced an angry Electron stepping from the darkness. As she appeared, she lifted her arm and pointed in the direction of one of the pair holding a pistol aimed at her. The jolt of electricity beat the bullet from the barrel of the gun. The arm of the man aiming the gun twisted with the shock, pointing the silenced muzzle into the sand in front of his feet. The man then fell to his knees, his body writhing in pain. "That served you right, you amateur!" came a curt comment from the other person standing by the piling.

"Electron, this idiot and I do work for OBIT. I see you remember our name from the work we did at your headquarters. Glad to see it has served you well." Taken aback by the casual admission by the OBIT operative, Electron cut to the chase. "So, what are you 'citizen spies' doing here?" "I won't jerk you around, especially given what you've done for the White House. Our mission is recon in nature. You know the bed of the ocean offshore was radically changed after the earthquake, correct?" Nodding in agreement, she let the female agent continue. "Our task, beyond the help we arranged here, was to make detailed sonar maps with the finest detail. We are trying to prepare a bigger mission against one of the largest and best organized pirate compounds in these waters."

Again, the images of mythical characters from storybooks and movies flashed through the heroine's mind, and were swiftly replaced with images of the very real harm these particular thugs have done. Taking on ships as big as super tankers full of oil and refined gasoline, these criminals have run wild far too long. "And now, the US Navy SEALS want a crack at them. Our job is to give them a map of the waters so they can carry out a strike."

Pondering the logic and honesty of this confession, Electron paused and gave her take on the situation. "All right. Despite the possible risks, I'll give you until the end of the week to finish your 'project' and clear out. You know damn well what will happen if the Communists down the coast think I'm covering up for spies once we're gone." She didn't need to finish, knowing that Electron had the full backing of The White House and the Senators from her state.

"You have my word. We'll be finished tonight, once this dull witted moron pulls himself together." Thinking to herself, "Got to be that damned Y chromosome!" the female agent helped her partner back to his feet and grabbed his pistol. "Don't ever do that again! Make sure of what you've aiming at before you pull the trigger."

Electron was relieved at the explanation she obtained from the female OBIT operative. Despite their sometimes crude methods, they were working for the right side. It just made her angry that she was not asked about this intrusion into her charity work. And OBIT operatives had a gallows humor that made her skin crawl when she heard their 'snappy banter' as they toiled away at their labors.

"Now, back to The WASP for a charge and a good night's rest. I hope Brian doesn't mind having to wait for me in the morning." And with that, she strode away from the damaged harbor while the two agents put out to sea in one of the two boats.

Sometime after three in the morning, the agents had picked up where they had left off the last time they had mapped the shallows south of the village. They also knew something that they hadn't shared with Electron before leaving. Their primary goal was not to just map but to identify the likely port for the pirates. The agents hoped to spot them in the act with the other equipment they had stored aboard the cabin cruiser they were using for the job.

"Feeing anything yet?" the female agent dug at her still smarting partner. "The sensors are online. The computer is tracking all data and feeding it to the Flash module for headquarters. Just hold to the pattern and we'll put this assignment in the can by morning." "Call up that composite map of the coast and let's see where that old Japanese sub pen is from here." Poking at the screen of the computer, the agent overlaid the existing satellite photos with the historic photos from WW II taken by bombers.

"If the stories are correct, this looks like a logical deep harbor inlet, or what once was before the earthquake." Cutting their engine to a slow crawl, the two OBIT agents trained their optics and sensors at the shore a mile away. "I'm getting some thermal traces, like fires. That's not what I'd expect from locals who just went through a major disaster." He was correct. The majority of the locals were still living miles inland in fear of another event.

Then they saw something that they had hoped not to. Two thermal signatures leaving the coast. Large objects moving swiftly towards their position. "OK, we've been made. Let's see what this thing can do!" and the cabin cruiser spun and headed north towards the relative safety of the government controlled waters. But their plan was foiled by the much faster off shore boats that swiftly overtook them.

"I hate stern chases!" the female agent screamed over the sound of the engine straining to push the boat to safety. "I guess you can take the silencer off your pistol and start firing at will!" she added as she turned her head and saw the outlines of the two boats in pursuit. Seeing a bank of low fog hugging the coast, she aimed the bow of the boat towards it, hoping the shallow draft of their hull would trump the larger high performance off shore boats. Then the shit hit the fan.

The male agent attempted to get a few shots off at the lead boat. After his fifth round left the barrel, the deck bucked as a large explosion emerged from just off the bow. "Damn, the've got a grenade launcher! Try the zig-zag!" Before his words were out of his mouth, the female agent began to dodge as best as she could. Continuing to fire at the pursuers, the male agent managed to make someone mad. A burst of machine gun fire flew over the boat, hitting the male agent leaning on the railing of the boat and knocking him off into the ocean. He screamed involuntarily as he sailed through the air and hit the water.

One of the two boats killed their engines and pulled out of the chase while the other boat tracked the cabin cruiser towards the fog onshore. The OBIT agent prayed quickly that her partner would survive this and gripped the throttle tightly as she swerved at random while making for the fog. But she realized that her engine was outclassed. The sound of random gunfire echoed, the occasional whistle of a round passing nearby.

Then more shit hit the fan. One grenade struck close to the hull. Cracks formed, allowing water aboard which caused the boat to slow. The agent could hear the sound of the larger boats approaching as she finally caught a bit of luck as her now crippled boat entered the fog.

Cutting the motor to an idle, she listened for her pursuers. But what she heard instead was a round of heavy machine gun fire raking the cloud hugging the ocean. She felt a sharp pain and quickly passed from consciousness as the damaged cabin cruiser drifted on.


Chapter 5

Electron had a good night after she settled into the seat of The WASP and hooked up the small field model of the charger she needed to sustain her powers. Despite the backup in her uniform, Electron held to a disciplined charging schedule, especially after encounters like she had the night before with the gun happy OBIT operative she had confronted.

"Oh, Brian. If only you knew what you had going on under your nose." She thought about times in the past that now seemed so distant. As Katie, she had a very romantic encounter with Brian as a grad student at the university. However, their majors and the power of their own commitments drew them away into their own circles. But she never forgot Brian and his idealism. "That, and his prowess!" she added as she felt what her hips had experienced the night before.

She then recalled how this team had come together. Arranging a meeting under the pretext of a reunion, Katie contacted Brian after a brief security check on his background since he finished college. Loving what she read in the reports, she phoned him and made plans. Electron recalled with glee how she had confided her alter ego to him after a week of talks about what she was planning. Brian took to her heroine persona with gusto. She encouraged his interests in every way possible.

Then her attention was dragged back to the moment as the computer noted the time and reminded her of the morning meeting she had with her friend. Leaping from the chair after making sure to disconnect from her field charger, Electron made her way back to the beach where she had asked Brian to meet her for sunrise.

He was already waiting with a basket of food set for breakfast as she arrived. "Always efficient, I see." "And you've every bit as beautiful!" he responded as he rose from the blanket where he had set up the morning meal. Casually strolling up to the buxom heroine, he continued "You have a few minutes to enjoy a few local delicacies?" "I'd rather enjoy the domestic delicacy I had last night. But these should do for an appetizer" she smiled in reply.

Taking their time, they both enjoyed a casual and relaxed breakfast. Brian understood the changes that had come over the woman he knew years earlier and kept his distance for now, knowing that her touch could be lethal. He also knew when the time was right to be there for her. Electron loved that about this man. It was so hard to find men who could deal with her personal schedule and Brian seemed up to the challenge, now more than ever.

With breakfast wrapped up, Brian began to discuss the more mundane realities of the construction project. However, these facts were not mundane to Electron. This was what she needed to hear for her own piece of mind. The millions her efforts had generated were going to good use. The more he told her, the more she hoped she would be able to spend time with him once he came back to the states. But that would have to wait a few months.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" she kept telling herself as the thoughts of a relationship floated through her mind between the other things that demanded her attention.

Then they both heard a noise that rose from beyond the breaking surf of the beach. Electron scanned the waters in the direction of the sound. "It can't be!" she spoke as the damaged boat came clearly into view from the distant fog bank. She could see the slowly moving cabin cruiser heading in their direction. Knowing her weakness regarding water, Brian took his shirt and shoes off and dashed into the surf. He quickly made his way to the side of the damaged boat. Pulling himself up by a rope just ahead of the stern, he looked in to find the woman who had worked for him alone and wounded.

"She's hurt badly! I'll get this ashore as fast as I can!" he called to the waiting Electron who paced along the sand while her friend played the hero. Her anger flared inside as the possible scenarios played out in her mind. But she pushed them aside once Brian had grounded what was left of the small boat and pulled the OBIT agent's body up the shore. Her eyes slowly opened to confront the two who had recovered her. Coughing, she weakly spoke to Electron "You were right. Those bastards got the jump on us. My partner was shot out of the boat while we..."

The agent paused. Brian brought some bottled water from the leftovers of the breakfast. She sipped and blinked her eyes. Shock had long passed to obvious discomfort. Her clothes were stained and caked with blood. "Electron, get the Flash memory module from the electronics in the boat. It will have all the critical data we obtained last night including where we were jumped." Pausing again, her voice had slowed and began to fade. "Don't push yourself. The team medic from the village can save you if you don't push yourself!" warned Brian. With that, the agent closed her eyes.

Electron dashed down to the beached wreck of a boat and dragged it further ashore with her enhanced strength so she could examine the contents for herself. Finding the device was safe and intact, Electron thought "Those two screwed up, but they may have finished their job." Taking the module she removed from the device in the boat, she called to Brian who was still tending to the wounded lady "I have it! I'll go to the village and get help for her. Keep an eye on her."

With one last quick scan of the waters to check for any signs of the thugs who had done this, Electron ran to the village for the medic. And she planned her next move, thinking of what the small object she held contained.

End Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Moments before Electron felt so safe. Now a terror invaded her mind, knowing that the two OBIT agents she had discovered in her employment may have exposed her charity project to the wrath of the modern day pirates they had discovered. Anger fell to action. First she would make sure the surviving agent would do just that so she could have her ass served on a silver platter when she got back to the states.

Then there was the matter of the missing agent. Was he still alive out in the ocean or in the hands of the pirates? She would fight her instincts and track his body down one way or another. Then there was the matter of the pirate's base. Had these two finally got a real lead or did they just stumble across them in open water? The only answer to that was to use the advanced computers at her disposal and check for herself. After all, she did work for the White House off the record. Her abilities were above reproach.

A plan began to form as she found the medical specialist in the village. Sending him on his way to the beach to address the wounds of the agent, Electron took the Flash drive to her aircraft to go over the results of the scans. Tapping into her private link to her headquarters, she obtained the information she wanted, then passed the reports onto her contacts in the government, along with a quick note telling them of her situation and plan.

Running through the check list, she made ready to take off.

There is a zodiac style freebie at this site

http://www.vanishingpoint.biz/freestuff.asp?StartNo=156

Would this do?

Thanks for finding that prop.

I haven't heard from Jpeger about if he has purchased the props yet or not.

For the record, Jpeger has brought up a point I'd like to place here.

Does anyone reading this story believe that I'm taking advantage of the situation by using real world events like the one I used in the story? My belief is that, even with time, someone somewhere will object to seeing a story using the tsunami.

I'd hate to have to shelve this project this far in, but if enough people feel that the paying customers would balk at my plot, I'll accept the opinions and put it off for a few months and move on to another story or two.

.
I'll be buying all the props as I need them.

I don't think the tsunami thing will be an issue. I've asked 3-4 more people since I last emailed you, and none of them cared.. but they did make a weird face when I said "hurricane" in response to their question of "why would that bother me?"


I'm also thinking about making this a free episode. I know it's a lot of work, but I think it will get more exposure for the website, the writer, and most importantly.. ME . I think if it's passed around like free drinks at college party we will not regret it.

Outside of that, I've begun tinkering with it, and I'm going to post a few samples of the test renders soon.

JP.