posted June 20, 2000 01:19 AM              

I am pleased to announce tonight that the long-awaited next chapter in the
NI Plotline, entitled "Ancient's Waiting", has been released! I highly
recommend all NI members read the latest chapter in our epic saga, as it
will have a profound impact on the NI as a whole, and will also lead
directly into the twin NI Run-on stories that should be starting within a
couple days. Though things have been slowing down for the Plotline while we
have all waited for the story, things will now begin happening quickly and
in earnest. Here's an update on what's happening in the NI right now:
Again, Ancient's Waiting has been officially released. You can download
it now at http://www.newimperium.org/files/ancient.zip
Also, a new Art Gallery based on the Plotline, and featuring ships seen
from this latest story, has been released as well. Thanks to Darkstar, our
graphics artist, for tirelessly working behind the scenes while AW was being
written, creating visual representations for the Titans and fighters
illustrated in the story (thanks for your patience with me as well, even
through several failed versions of the same ship! :P).
You can see the gallery at http://www.newimperium.org/gallery. I highly
recommend it as a companion to the story as you read. Also, be sure to check
out the NI's territory in Epsilon Sector as another reference, at http://www.newimperuim.org/sector.

Again, hopefully within a couple days, we will be starting a new NI-wide
Runon story (actually, two of them simultaneously). These stories will
continue the plotline left open at the end of AW, and will not only tie
directly into the storyline, but will essentially be making up the next
plotline story itself... And ALL NI members are allowed to add to the story!
Nothing like this has ever been attempted, and I'm both nervous and excited
to get it going. Complete instructions will be posted on the NI Message
Board. Be sure to check it out at http://www.jsspace.com/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl

Finally, another bit of an update on current NI events. I have assembled a
Cabinet of advisors and talented workers to help me revive the NI and
establish a solid groundwork for communications and cooperation between our
clubs and membership. Our first major project in this operation is the NI
News Centre, another idea that has never before been attempted. I am
publically announcing this tonight so you can all be prepared for it. This
site will be a communications center and newsletter, and will constantly be
updated with news from all over the NI. The News Centre will have both real
and fictional news from all parts of the NI and its member clubs, and will
even include voice news in some cases. Its purpose is to increase activity
and communication all around the NI, and I think it will do its job
admirably.

That concludes tonight's briefing. I wish you all a happy and safe week,
and hope you enjoy the new story and all the other updates!

Sincerely,

posted June 20, 2000 02:11 PM               

By the way, the link in your above post to the Art Gallery has an error in it. It includes a period at the end which produces a "page cannot be found" message. I was able to remove the period after a brief analysis of the link, but other newer, less curious, Vast Empire "netfanatics" probably will not.

Again, excellent job on the story. I am eagerly looking forward to your next installment of the continously unfolding history of the New Imperium.