the dark wheel

One of my favourite stories when I was going through the pains and pressures of adolescence was a novella called The Dark Wheel. Written by Robert Holdstock it told the story of a young star pilot forced to blast his father’s assassin with fiery hot laser death. …OK, so not the most original story,  but it came free with a game called Elite and that itself was a big deal at the time. It marked the first time an established author worked alongside a computer game developer. If you’re in the mood, you can read the whole thing in full online.

Anyway, the reason I’m bringing it up here is because The Dark Wheel of the title referred to a shadowy organisation that existed only to rate the so-called ‘Elite’ pilots of the universe. No-one really knew who the Elite were, or what constituted being “Elite”, but those who were the best knew they were the best because they had to be pretty ruddy good to survive in a very harsh world where death lurked around every corner (space is full of it you know). It was kinda like Highlander, but before Highlander, and with spaceships instead of swords. And no Sean Connery… although had there been a film he would have made a good Rafe Zetter… but I digress.

I’ve often pondered whether a Dark Wheel could exist in EVE: a loose association that traded it’s markings beyond and betwixt the New Eden corporate structure – there to decide who really was the best of the best of the best. …Not necessarily the most skilled, or the richest, just the best. Well now such an organisation does exist, and it shall serve to decide who are deserving of the title of ‘Elite’ among EVE’s good, bad and ugly.

Oh, you want more details? Sorry, The Dark Wheel will never be mentioned again. It was just a boyhood fantasy anyway. Nothing to see here. Move along please, move along ;)