The Eve Online 0.0 Experiment - Post 058 - Verone

Verone

Some time later, I began to receive suggestions from the warriors in Local, regarding how I could spend my vast fortune. Several of these ideas were very ingenious, but it was one suggestion in particular that, like a piece of dirt expelled from a hurricane, caught my eye:




I could not believe it.


I knew that this Verone was a very clever fellow, and I began to suspect that his high success rate in the field of piracy was directly tied to his ability to charm. I recorded a note in my journal, to indicate that he was a "slippery one" and I began to discuss the neutrality of the ISS with the other pilots:



This was a truly fascinating discussion, because it hinted at the issues yet to come for INNOMINATE NEUTRALITY. My corporation had declared itself neutral, and until now there really hadn't been any reason for anyone to attack it.

I suspected that if my dream of building a n00b station ever came to fruition, I could find myself in some diffcult situations where I would be pressured to compromise my hallowed fence-sitting.

I sat back and listened as Verone continued to stir up the people in local, in a very suave, sophisticated and slick manner:



I found the whole exchange fascinating, because it showed me that despite the physical fighting that was going on in the system, there was also a whole psychological layer to the warfare, which was just as important as the actual fighting itself.

A short time later, I had a brief reunion with my friend Fowlplaychiken from the Mercenary Coalition, and as he left the system I was asked about an article that had appeared on the title-screen of the game, regarding my exciting adventures in my shuttle:

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Filled with a new sense of bravado at what appeared to be my rapidly spreading fame, I decided that I would show those scurvy-ridden evil swashbucklers a thing or two about the art of deadly warfare:

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Perhaps my selection of "pod" as my choice of vessel left much to be desired...


I was looking at what is called a "POS", this particular one belonging to the pirates, and as I enquired as to what their function was, in relation to the war, I noticed that "MrNightmares Luggage" was present in local...



After lulling me into a false sense of security by sweetly answering my questions, Verone then suddenly decided to seize the initiative and viciously hold me hostage, whilst torturing my poor and defenseless pod.

I could not believe the underhand levels that these "Veto" people would stoop to. Incredulously, he then demanded that I pay a massive ransom of two shares in INNOMINATE NEUTRALITY!



I had never been ransomed before, and was absolutely terrified. The bar on my life-gauge was becoming more and more red with each passing second and the thudding heartbeat noises that the game was generating made me choke with fear.

I was sitting there with one of the most notorious and vicious pirates in EVE on me (and his lackey henchman), and I rapidly became fearful of what my shareholders would think of me if I collapsed under the pressure.



A few minutes after giving Verone's charming regards to the overworked medical staff at my much used cloning facility, and despite the fact that he had just brutally podded me with a bitter vengeance, I nonetheless concluded that I liked him.

The thrilling events of the war then rapidly approached their conclusion...


(to be continued...)