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Linux, GNU/Linux, free software...
2008.01.25 04:31 Linux, GNU/Linux, free software...
All things Linux and GNU/Linux -- this is neither a community exclusively about the kernel Linux, nor is exclusively about the GNU Operating System.
2014.03.26 03:15 Jpasholk nothing
At best we are the central hub for jailbreak professionals, at worst a group of friends getting together to make something that is more than the sum of themselves.
2023.03.29 04:58 Spaghetti_Mercury My roommate's telepathic octopus sent me a letter (Part 2)
Hi there. I’m frank, and if you read my previous post, you’ll know that something very bizarre happened to me recently. Well, I should say it happened to my roommate more so than me. If you haven’t read my previous post, you can read it here.. This one will not make sense if you haven’t read the previous one, "My new roommate's octopus is telepathic".
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/11tcjl1/my_new_roommates_octopus_is_telepathic/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
(Sorry the link isn't fancier)
Now that you are all caught up with the craziness I witnessed, I'd like to fill you in on a new development. Ever since Larry/Mike left, I have felt very lonely. It’s depressing to realize that an octopus was my only friend, but that’s where I’m at. Life has felt a lot more boring and monotonous. That’s why I was ecstatic when I got a letter in the mail the other day.
The letter was addressed to me from someone named Larry Michaels. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize that it was from the octopus. As he was leaving, he told me his name was Larry. I don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t know any other Larrys. The last name being Michaels makes sense because Mike was the name of my former roommate whose body Larry had occupied.
I guess it’s a little cruel to take the man’s body and his name, but he did keep Larry in a tank for years without letting him out or giving him any sort of attention or stimulation. I’d be pissed too.
Either way, I was pretty certain the letter was from Larry and after reading it I was pretty positive. Unless I completely blacked it out, there weren’t any other octopuses I had established a friendship with..
I’m going to share the letter verbatim. Larry has been very busy in his new body. I’ve been busy myself though. I don’t like admitting it but I sold a few of Mike’s things assuming he wasn’t going to be needing them anytime soon. To this point, not a single person has called or come to the house looking for him. Either Larry tied up those loose ends or Mike didn’t have many people in his life. It’s hard to say. We weren’t very close.
Anyway, I sold the klonopin in Mike’s drawer to a neighbor. I dumped the roofies because… They’re roofies. There’s no good reason to have them and I don’t want to put them in the hands of another pervert. I just flushed all but one down the toilet. I took the one with some wine just to see what it was like. I don’t recommend it.
About a week after Larry/Mike left, I told the landlord. I didn’t want him to expect me to pay Mike’s half of the rent. It wasn’t long before I was informed that someone else would be moving in.
The new roommate's name is Oliver. He goes by Ollie. It’s only been a few weeks, but he seems like an all right roommate. He’s pretty quiet but he keeps to himself. We’ve had a few short conversations but he seems like a lone wolf, aka the ideal roommate.
I put the rest of Mike’s stuff in storage aside from stuff we could use around the apartment. I got a new cord for the stereo system I had previously destroyed so Larry didn’t have to listen to country music. Work has been boring, but going well. Life isn’t too bad but after bonding with a telepathic octopus, everything else feels a little monotonous. So I was very excited to get a letter from Larry. I’m starting to dig the craziness. It makes life so much more interesting! Anyway, I’ll dictate Larry’s letter here….
Dear Frank,
I hope all is well and I hope you aren’t traumatized by what you witnessed before I left. Are you sure you though, you missed the most unpleasant part. The entry. It didn’t go very smoothly and he fought like hell. At one point I thought his sphincter was going to snap me in half. But like the little engine that could, I got up in there. You know that though. I’m writing to tell you what I’ve been up to since I left. Call it an update as well as a warning.
Now, I don’t want to alarm you. I am on your side and every octopus I’ve met knows that you’re one of the good people. There aren’t many but there are a few that we revere. The issue is that we aren’t exactly one unit anymore. I’ll explain what happened but essentially, we split into factions.
My first order of business after leaving was to free as many sea creatures from captivity as I possibly could. I went to aquariums, zoos, restaurants, and eventually tracked down an exotic animal smuggler and dismantled their operation entirely. I’m like the Harriet Tubman of octopuses!
The exotic animal Smugglers were a big find. I had freed some octopuses from an aquarium and they tipped me off about the operation. I helped my new friends find new shells. Those shells were the aforementioned animal smugglers. They were bad people.
I assure you that we haven’t caused any harm to good people, only people who harm us. These people had captured, killed, and sold everything from sea creatures to dogs to ivory. I’m not calling you dumb Frank, but in case you don’t know what ivory is, it’s like elephant tusks and rhino horns. They serve a purpose for the animal, but humans grind them up to try to get boners. I have advised my new companions to avoid taking good people like you as vessels, but the ivory boner people are fair game.
so before long, there were eight of us in human vessels as well as several we either hadn’t found bodies for. There were also a few who had no interest in taking a human shell. Someone joined us in the fight, and some headed back for the ocean to be free and to try to find their families.
Everything was going pretty well for a while. We had quickly taken over the animal smuggling operation. We followed the ladder all the way to the top and to the bottom, getting more cephalopods into human bodies in the process. We were able to liberate any animal that was brought to us and punish those who mistreat our kind.
There is a but coming. I’ll explain once I’m done laughing at that sentence.. Okay, I’m good.
We had liberated a lot of sea creatures in a very short amount of time and it started to seem like us taking over didn’t have to be a dream for our children. It could be a reality for ourselves. Humans aren’t able to wrap their minds around what we really are. By the time they do, we’re already up in there.
Still though, I believe strongly that not all humans deserve to lose control of their own bodies. If I didn’t feel that way I’d be as bad as the supreme court. Sorry, I’ve been getting into politics. It makes it a lot harder to like humans, but you keep me going Frank. You’re my Northstar. The reason that we aren’t killing humans indiscriminately. You should feel proud of that!
I’m getting off topic though. I’m not just writing this to keep in touch (although I do miss ya bud.) I’m writing to warn you about something very dangerous.. Jeff..
Jeff was among the cephalopods we freed from a restaurant. He’d been there for a while and witnessed unspeakable horrors. He watched helplessly as his peers were killed, cooked, and in some cases even boiled alive! It messed him up..
I tried to talk to him. I told him about good humans. I told him about you. It didn’t matter though. His hatred was too strong. I didn’t realize until he went on an absolute rampage..
He returned to the restaurant we saved him from in his new human form. You likely heard about it in the news.. It was a massacre.. He figured guns out very quickly and the human whose body he took had several. He left no survivors at that restaurant. Customers, employees, a guy stopping for a piss at the worst possible time..
His picture was all over the news. He was forced to exit the body he was using and find a new one. The others and I discussed trapping him and preventing him from taking another human host. Some felt that it would make us hypocrites. Others were just too afraid of Jeff. Once he got a new body, I knew that a power struggle was right around the corner.
I decided to confront him. He not only killed indiscriminately. He led the police to the warehouse we were using as a base of operations. It had belonged to the animal smugglers. It was not only a nice, large place for us to stay, but associates of the smugglers were still bringing us animals we could liberate. Jeff ruined that.
When I confronted him, it didn’t go well. I argued that while most humans suck, they aren’t all bad. Some are even pretty cool. Some are helpful.
He didn’t agree. He felt that humans were the most destructive force on the planet. I couldn’t really argue that, but I tried to explain that not all humans are alike. He didn’t care though. I’ve been motivated by survival. Jeff is motivated by revenge.
Our argument became physical and even though I could easily lie to you, I’ll be honest and tell you that I got my ass whooped. His vessel was much stronger than mine. If only Mike had done some push-ups instead of Jager bombs. If he got any exercise whatsoever outside of masturbation.
In any case, Mike’s body isn’t very tough. Jeff beat me up but we were eventually broken up by the rest of the group. We then held a vote. Me and Jeff essentially began campaigning against one another. We disagreed on the proper way to achieve our goals.
The vote was pretty split and we essentially decided to go our separate ways. We agreed to a truce, but Jeff and the others who went with him are very dangerous to you..
He quickly started finding new ways to get more cephalopods into more human bodies. He had the advantage of being completely ruthless. When I liberated animals, I used clever tactics and tricks to avoid violence. He simply kills anything or anyone that is in his way.
Jeff is amassing an army.. he’s moving very quickly and he sees every human as the same people who trapped him and planned to eat him. He’s like a.. racist. Well, a bigot? He thinks you guys are all the same.. and he wants you all done and he wants you all dead.
There are multiple reasons why I’m telling you this. The first is that you need to know that Jeff and his followers are a direct danger to you especially. You are the example I use to explain to other sea creatures that not all humans are evil. They have all heard of you and those who support me revere you. Unfortunately, the ones who follow Jeff are aware of you as well.. I just wouldn’t put it past Jeff to target you in order to hurt me..
I understand that this is probably alarming. We made a recent discovery though that can help you. The number of human beings being controlled by an octopus are rapidly increasing. Jeff is on a mission, meaning my group has to take over more bodies and recruit more cephalopods to make sure his group can’t overpower us..
I saved that prick from becoming someone’s half eaten dinner! Now I need to turn my focus toward preventing him from ruining everything we’ve worked for. We want eventual dominance of the planet, but not as antagonists. Jeff can’t see that he’s just as bad as the people who enslaved him. Unfortunately, he’s charismatic and brash. Several of the others found those traits endearing.
I’m getting sidetracked though. Point is, fuck Jeff! But also.. be careful. I expect them to try and find you. Very few of my new associates know where you live. Unfortunately, one of those associates has recently decided to follow Jeff..
We made a discovery though. I don’t know how none of us realized it earlier, but when we inhabit a human’s body, there is a noticeable change. Slits in the neck. They’re very small and resemble gills. Small gills though. Just a series of small openings that help us breathe.
Once we noticed the slits, we realized that we could easily identify whether a human was “inhabited”. We all have different ways of hiding the slits. Scarves, turtlenecks, bandanas, long hair, ect.
They aren’t very big, but once you notice them, you reallly start noticing them. Kind of like when I told you that you walk like a prostitute. It’s hard not to notice it everytime after the first time. You end up wondering how you never noticed it in the first place. Don’t sweat it though, bud. It looks good on ya.
To be clear. When I said don’t sweat it, I’m referring to your prostitute walk. When it comes to Jeff and his goons, sweat it. Sweat it hard! They are very dangerous. I’m so sorry that I put you at risk. I should’ve known better than to tell them about you. You were just the best example of good humans that I had. That’s a compliment inside an apology! A compoligy a complimentoligy. An apocliment? Either way, I’m sorry.
Before my group and Jeff’s group separated, we had a plan. We are going to take over the bodies of American politicians. We are going to run for office and make changes that will jump start our plans. We are going to be in charge of all the people without them even knowing that all their arguing and fighting amongst one another is really over a cephalopod who wants to destroy them.
It seems like a tough task but they’ve already been dumped down to an extent that all we need to do is piss off the bass we’re running for. It’s bizarre how the most dominant species on the planet is so simplistic when it comes to social and political issues. Literally all we have to do is pick a party and talk about how the other one is terrible and evil. Your politicians don’t even tell people what their plans are anymore. They just talk about how the other side is terrible. That’s easy.
It would’ve been easy. With Jeff involved, things have become much more complicated. It was only days after our separation that he had taken over a prominent politician’s body. I can’t say who, but they are one of the people who have announced they will run for president in 2024.. They’re Jeff now, and I need your help making sure that he doesn’t win.
(Larry told me which politician Jeff had inhabited. I’m not going to include it because people are very unlikely to believe me anyway, and I don’t want to have political arguments in the comment section. His letter continued..)
I’m writing this note because I miss my human buddy, but also to warn you. Jeff’s goons could target you to hurt me.. You need to be vigilant. You also need to vote in 24! If Jeff wins, he’ll start a war. He’ll fire off the nukes. In the short time we spent together, he shared how unhinged he really is.
You have to help stop him. I need you to campaign for me and my candidate. I need you going door to door and calling strangers. I need you to find any dirt on the human whose body Jeff is possessing that you can.
Make sure to watch for the slits in the neck as well. If an octopus in a human's body introduces themselves to you, they are one of Jeff’s goons. I will tell you if I’m coming for a visit and I plan to eventually, but stopping Jeff is paramount and it needs all of my focus and attention. If you see someone with slits in their neck, get away from them as fast as you can.
Once all my ducks are in a row, I plan to have a friend of mine get a place near you to help protect you from Jeff. I need to figure out who I can trust first, though. I’ve already had one Jeff supporter stayed behind to spy. We sniffed him out quickly but there could be more.
So in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled and your head low. I will be in touch very soon. Once we take control of your government, I will reward you for your friendship. I’ll hook you up with whatever you need. I just need you to help me get my guy elected.
In the meantime, watch for the slits. I know I’m repeating myself but it’s vastly important that you get the hell out of there if you see them. Do what you can to help my guy’s campaign. And don’t worry about the fact that you walk like a prostitute. Most people probably won’t notice unless it’s pointed out to them at which point they’ll never be able to see anything other than a crack whore coming their way when you’re approaching.
Take care of yourself, Frank. Our time is coming. I know we’re a separate species. I know that some of my relatives are a direct threat to you. We’re the same though. We are kindred spirits. When my fellow cephalopods and I run this country, I want you by my side. “Gooble gobble one of us!” Ha!
I realize that I’m rambling now. The main point is to watch out for Jeff’s goons and get as many people as you can to vote for my guy.
I will write again soon. Things are a bit crazy right now. I’d like to see you. I’m not too manly to admit that I miss you. It’s just dangerous until I take care of Jeff.. Fucking Jeff..
Anyway, take care of yourself and be careful. I’ll contact you again as soon as I can.
~Your old pal, Larry.
I was ecstatic to hear from Larry. I missed him. Our friendship was strange obviously, But it was still one of the most meaningful friendships I ever had. It was admittedly difficult to look past what he did to Mike. He claims he was a predator, but I can’t really be sure about that. Dude did have roofies though, so..
I received this letter a few days ago and have been trying to process what Larry wrote. I’ve become a bit paranoid and haven’t gone anywhere since I received it. Jeff or his goons could be anywhere. That’s assuming there is a Jjeff and it’s not just Larry messing with me or something dumb like that. I trust him though..
I don’t know why I do. I just do. When the election comes around, I will vote for his guy. I’ll try to assist him in any way I can. I probably won’t be able to look at people in general without wondering if there’s an octopus in there somewhere. That’s become a bit of a problem already. Now I know that there’s more of them so my paranoia will probably consume me completely.
I’ve decided that in the meantime, I’m going to try not to dwell on those thoughts. If Jeff is really trying to become the president, he won’t have time to deal with me.
I continued thinking that way for the next couple of days. I felt like everything was gonna be okay even though it didn’t really seem that way. I figured that I could just put it all out of my mind for the time being.
As I was just sitting here typing this up on my phone, my roommate, Ollie came in. Similar to when I lived with Mike, Ollie and I work separate shifts and rarely see each other. This was the one day of the week where we were both home at the same time.
As I was finishing typing up Larry’s letter, Ollie came and sat on the couch. Up to this point, we both kind of kept to ourselves while remaining friendly with each other. He seems more chatty right now..
He saw the name on the envelope. He asked who Larry was. I told him it was an old friend from back home. He asked what the letter was about and I came up with a weak excuse to avoid telling him. Something about a friend being depressed. I said it was private and I didn’t wanna share it with anyone.
He reacted strangely. He rolled his eyes and pretty much openly said that he didn’t believe me. He didn’t pry though. He asked if I could put the news on the tv for a bit. I asked him which channel and his answer wasn’t ideal. I won’t say which network this propaganda station was because I don’t want to say which parties Larry and Jeff are trying to infiltrate. Let’s just say that it was Jeff’s party’s station.
I tried to avoid rolling my eyes from the moment I turned it to that channel. It’s just become so ridiculous. They don’t even pretend to be news anymore. It’s blatant, transparent propaganda and hate fuel.
Maybe Larry can change that if his plan works out. Maybe he could present some of the division that is constantly pushed by today’s news stations on the pundits. The scary thing is that that likely isn’t the case regardless of who wins. Larry, Jeff, or another human president will probably just make things even worse.. A guy can hope though.
I’m trying to avoid the TV as I finish typing this up. As I got to thinking about political nonsense, my eyes started to wander and I noticed Ollie’s tattoos. I noticed them before and thought they were pretty cool but never asked about them. I assumed it would be something that could get us talking because I like tattoos and he’s covered in them.
When I asked power mode she was excited to show me. He had a full sleeve that continued up his neck all the way to behind his ear.
I should’ve looked sooner. I should’ve noticed it. My concern is he started showing me his tattoos. Almost all of them were sea themed. A kraken ripping a ship apart, several sea creatures, and a city underwater. Those were just a few of the tattoos that led me to the realization..
I’ll admit that they looked cool and were well done, but I couldn’t look past the sea theme and cities underwater that look like they’d been hit by a tsunami.
Then I saw the slits.. Ollie (if that’s his real name) found a clever way to hide his slits. They look like they are a part of the tattoo. I never noticed them even after reading Larry’s letter. Like I said, we haven’t spent much time around each other.
I froze upon this realization. This was clearly what Larry warned me about.. he was clearly a “Jeff” supporter.. He’s not on my side..
I have to admit, even though I considered Larry a friend, I'd been having nightmares where I saw him in Mike’s body again. Thinking about it freaks me out. I’ve convinced myself that Mike probably deserved it, but I don’t honestly know that..
I don’t know if anyone deserves that fate.. maybe I do for enabling this all to happen. I’m really not as nihilistic as Larry thinks. I don’t want humans taken over by octopus people. I just don’t know if it’s any worse than what’s going on in the world lately.
What I do know is that the idea of what happened to Mike happening to me shakes me to my core and I’m now sitting next to a potentially innocent person suffering the same fate as well as the angry, parasitic creature responsible for it. Not only that, but if Larry is telling the truth, then he’s here for me..
I tried to continue complimenting his tattoos without revealing what I just realized. I tried to act normal and avoid being suspicious. Something about the look in his eyes made me feel like he knew, though.
There was a pause after I rambled a little where I felt certain that he was about to reveal himself and attack me. Instead, he asked if I wanted a beer. I said yes and he headed to the kitchen and grabbed some.
I’m posting this now in case he knows that I know. Assuming I still have control of my own body, I will update soon. Until then, wish me luck. Keep a lookout for people with slits on the side of their necks.. Oh! And vote for Larry!
I’m going to post now but Ollie just walked back in with beers. The first thing he said was “who are you planning on voting for in 24?”
I don’t know how.. but I completely forgot that they can read minds.. He knows.. He knows that I know.. Man, we really don’t stand a chance.. I just hope Larry wi.. changes his mind! It’s time for a change! It’s time for a new world! So come 2024, vote Jeff!
submitted by Spaghetti_Mercury to nosleep [link] [comments]
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/11tcjl1/my_new_roommates_octopus_is_telepathic/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
(Sorry the link isn't fancier)
Now that you are all caught up with the craziness I witnessed, I'd like to fill you in on a new development. Ever since Larry/Mike left, I have felt very lonely. It’s depressing to realize that an octopus was my only friend, but that’s where I’m at. Life has felt a lot more boring and monotonous. That’s why I was ecstatic when I got a letter in the mail the other day.
The letter was addressed to me from someone named Larry Michaels. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize that it was from the octopus. As he was leaving, he told me his name was Larry. I don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t know any other Larrys. The last name being Michaels makes sense because Mike was the name of my former roommate whose body Larry had occupied.
I guess it’s a little cruel to take the man’s body and his name, but he did keep Larry in a tank for years without letting him out or giving him any sort of attention or stimulation. I’d be pissed too.
Either way, I was pretty certain the letter was from Larry and after reading it I was pretty positive. Unless I completely blacked it out, there weren’t any other octopuses I had established a friendship with..
I’m going to share the letter verbatim. Larry has been very busy in his new body. I’ve been busy myself though. I don’t like admitting it but I sold a few of Mike’s things assuming he wasn’t going to be needing them anytime soon. To this point, not a single person has called or come to the house looking for him. Either Larry tied up those loose ends or Mike didn’t have many people in his life. It’s hard to say. We weren’t very close.
Anyway, I sold the klonopin in Mike’s drawer to a neighbor. I dumped the roofies because… They’re roofies. There’s no good reason to have them and I don’t want to put them in the hands of another pervert. I just flushed all but one down the toilet. I took the one with some wine just to see what it was like. I don’t recommend it.
About a week after Larry/Mike left, I told the landlord. I didn’t want him to expect me to pay Mike’s half of the rent. It wasn’t long before I was informed that someone else would be moving in.
The new roommate's name is Oliver. He goes by Ollie. It’s only been a few weeks, but he seems like an all right roommate. He’s pretty quiet but he keeps to himself. We’ve had a few short conversations but he seems like a lone wolf, aka the ideal roommate.
I put the rest of Mike’s stuff in storage aside from stuff we could use around the apartment. I got a new cord for the stereo system I had previously destroyed so Larry didn’t have to listen to country music. Work has been boring, but going well. Life isn’t too bad but after bonding with a telepathic octopus, everything else feels a little monotonous. So I was very excited to get a letter from Larry. I’m starting to dig the craziness. It makes life so much more interesting! Anyway, I’ll dictate Larry’s letter here….
Dear Frank,
I hope all is well and I hope you aren’t traumatized by what you witnessed before I left. Are you sure you though, you missed the most unpleasant part. The entry. It didn’t go very smoothly and he fought like hell. At one point I thought his sphincter was going to snap me in half. But like the little engine that could, I got up in there. You know that though. I’m writing to tell you what I’ve been up to since I left. Call it an update as well as a warning.
Now, I don’t want to alarm you. I am on your side and every octopus I’ve met knows that you’re one of the good people. There aren’t many but there are a few that we revere. The issue is that we aren’t exactly one unit anymore. I’ll explain what happened but essentially, we split into factions.
My first order of business after leaving was to free as many sea creatures from captivity as I possibly could. I went to aquariums, zoos, restaurants, and eventually tracked down an exotic animal smuggler and dismantled their operation entirely. I’m like the Harriet Tubman of octopuses!
The exotic animal Smugglers were a big find. I had freed some octopuses from an aquarium and they tipped me off about the operation. I helped my new friends find new shells. Those shells were the aforementioned animal smugglers. They were bad people.
I assure you that we haven’t caused any harm to good people, only people who harm us. These people had captured, killed, and sold everything from sea creatures to dogs to ivory. I’m not calling you dumb Frank, but in case you don’t know what ivory is, it’s like elephant tusks and rhino horns. They serve a purpose for the animal, but humans grind them up to try to get boners. I have advised my new companions to avoid taking good people like you as vessels, but the ivory boner people are fair game.
so before long, there were eight of us in human vessels as well as several we either hadn’t found bodies for. There were also a few who had no interest in taking a human shell. Someone joined us in the fight, and some headed back for the ocean to be free and to try to find their families.
Everything was going pretty well for a while. We had quickly taken over the animal smuggling operation. We followed the ladder all the way to the top and to the bottom, getting more cephalopods into human bodies in the process. We were able to liberate any animal that was brought to us and punish those who mistreat our kind.
There is a but coming. I’ll explain once I’m done laughing at that sentence.. Okay, I’m good.
We had liberated a lot of sea creatures in a very short amount of time and it started to seem like us taking over didn’t have to be a dream for our children. It could be a reality for ourselves. Humans aren’t able to wrap their minds around what we really are. By the time they do, we’re already up in there.
Still though, I believe strongly that not all humans deserve to lose control of their own bodies. If I didn’t feel that way I’d be as bad as the supreme court. Sorry, I’ve been getting into politics. It makes it a lot harder to like humans, but you keep me going Frank. You’re my Northstar. The reason that we aren’t killing humans indiscriminately. You should feel proud of that!
I’m getting off topic though. I’m not just writing this to keep in touch (although I do miss ya bud.) I’m writing to warn you about something very dangerous.. Jeff..
Jeff was among the cephalopods we freed from a restaurant. He’d been there for a while and witnessed unspeakable horrors. He watched helplessly as his peers were killed, cooked, and in some cases even boiled alive! It messed him up..
I tried to talk to him. I told him about good humans. I told him about you. It didn’t matter though. His hatred was too strong. I didn’t realize until he went on an absolute rampage..
He returned to the restaurant we saved him from in his new human form. You likely heard about it in the news.. It was a massacre.. He figured guns out very quickly and the human whose body he took had several. He left no survivors at that restaurant. Customers, employees, a guy stopping for a piss at the worst possible time..
His picture was all over the news. He was forced to exit the body he was using and find a new one. The others and I discussed trapping him and preventing him from taking another human host. Some felt that it would make us hypocrites. Others were just too afraid of Jeff. Once he got a new body, I knew that a power struggle was right around the corner.
I decided to confront him. He not only killed indiscriminately. He led the police to the warehouse we were using as a base of operations. It had belonged to the animal smugglers. It was not only a nice, large place for us to stay, but associates of the smugglers were still bringing us animals we could liberate. Jeff ruined that.
When I confronted him, it didn’t go well. I argued that while most humans suck, they aren’t all bad. Some are even pretty cool. Some are helpful.
He didn’t agree. He felt that humans were the most destructive force on the planet. I couldn’t really argue that, but I tried to explain that not all humans are alike. He didn’t care though. I’ve been motivated by survival. Jeff is motivated by revenge.
Our argument became physical and even though I could easily lie to you, I’ll be honest and tell you that I got my ass whooped. His vessel was much stronger than mine. If only Mike had done some push-ups instead of Jager bombs. If he got any exercise whatsoever outside of masturbation.
In any case, Mike’s body isn’t very tough. Jeff beat me up but we were eventually broken up by the rest of the group. We then held a vote. Me and Jeff essentially began campaigning against one another. We disagreed on the proper way to achieve our goals.
The vote was pretty split and we essentially decided to go our separate ways. We agreed to a truce, but Jeff and the others who went with him are very dangerous to you..
He quickly started finding new ways to get more cephalopods into more human bodies. He had the advantage of being completely ruthless. When I liberated animals, I used clever tactics and tricks to avoid violence. He simply kills anything or anyone that is in his way.
Jeff is amassing an army.. he’s moving very quickly and he sees every human as the same people who trapped him and planned to eat him. He’s like a.. racist. Well, a bigot? He thinks you guys are all the same.. and he wants you all done and he wants you all dead.
There are multiple reasons why I’m telling you this. The first is that you need to know that Jeff and his followers are a direct danger to you especially. You are the example I use to explain to other sea creatures that not all humans are evil. They have all heard of you and those who support me revere you. Unfortunately, the ones who follow Jeff are aware of you as well.. I just wouldn’t put it past Jeff to target you in order to hurt me..
I understand that this is probably alarming. We made a recent discovery though that can help you. The number of human beings being controlled by an octopus are rapidly increasing. Jeff is on a mission, meaning my group has to take over more bodies and recruit more cephalopods to make sure his group can’t overpower us..
I saved that prick from becoming someone’s half eaten dinner! Now I need to turn my focus toward preventing him from ruining everything we’ve worked for. We want eventual dominance of the planet, but not as antagonists. Jeff can’t see that he’s just as bad as the people who enslaved him. Unfortunately, he’s charismatic and brash. Several of the others found those traits endearing.
I’m getting sidetracked though. Point is, fuck Jeff! But also.. be careful. I expect them to try and find you. Very few of my new associates know where you live. Unfortunately, one of those associates has recently decided to follow Jeff..
We made a discovery though. I don’t know how none of us realized it earlier, but when we inhabit a human’s body, there is a noticeable change. Slits in the neck. They’re very small and resemble gills. Small gills though. Just a series of small openings that help us breathe.
Once we noticed the slits, we realized that we could easily identify whether a human was “inhabited”. We all have different ways of hiding the slits. Scarves, turtlenecks, bandanas, long hair, ect.
They aren’t very big, but once you notice them, you reallly start noticing them. Kind of like when I told you that you walk like a prostitute. It’s hard not to notice it everytime after the first time. You end up wondering how you never noticed it in the first place. Don’t sweat it though, bud. It looks good on ya.
To be clear. When I said don’t sweat it, I’m referring to your prostitute walk. When it comes to Jeff and his goons, sweat it. Sweat it hard! They are very dangerous. I’m so sorry that I put you at risk. I should’ve known better than to tell them about you. You were just the best example of good humans that I had. That’s a compliment inside an apology! A compoligy a complimentoligy. An apocliment? Either way, I’m sorry.
Before my group and Jeff’s group separated, we had a plan. We are going to take over the bodies of American politicians. We are going to run for office and make changes that will jump start our plans. We are going to be in charge of all the people without them even knowing that all their arguing and fighting amongst one another is really over a cephalopod who wants to destroy them.
It seems like a tough task but they’ve already been dumped down to an extent that all we need to do is piss off the bass we’re running for. It’s bizarre how the most dominant species on the planet is so simplistic when it comes to social and political issues. Literally all we have to do is pick a party and talk about how the other one is terrible and evil. Your politicians don’t even tell people what their plans are anymore. They just talk about how the other side is terrible. That’s easy.
It would’ve been easy. With Jeff involved, things have become much more complicated. It was only days after our separation that he had taken over a prominent politician’s body. I can’t say who, but they are one of the people who have announced they will run for president in 2024.. They’re Jeff now, and I need your help making sure that he doesn’t win.
(Larry told me which politician Jeff had inhabited. I’m not going to include it because people are very unlikely to believe me anyway, and I don’t want to have political arguments in the comment section. His letter continued..)
I’m writing this note because I miss my human buddy, but also to warn you. Jeff’s goons could target you to hurt me.. You need to be vigilant. You also need to vote in 24! If Jeff wins, he’ll start a war. He’ll fire off the nukes. In the short time we spent together, he shared how unhinged he really is.
You have to help stop him. I need you to campaign for me and my candidate. I need you going door to door and calling strangers. I need you to find any dirt on the human whose body Jeff is possessing that you can.
Make sure to watch for the slits in the neck as well. If an octopus in a human's body introduces themselves to you, they are one of Jeff’s goons. I will tell you if I’m coming for a visit and I plan to eventually, but stopping Jeff is paramount and it needs all of my focus and attention. If you see someone with slits in their neck, get away from them as fast as you can.
Once all my ducks are in a row, I plan to have a friend of mine get a place near you to help protect you from Jeff. I need to figure out who I can trust first, though. I’ve already had one Jeff supporter stayed behind to spy. We sniffed him out quickly but there could be more.
So in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled and your head low. I will be in touch very soon. Once we take control of your government, I will reward you for your friendship. I’ll hook you up with whatever you need. I just need you to help me get my guy elected.
In the meantime, watch for the slits. I know I’m repeating myself but it’s vastly important that you get the hell out of there if you see them. Do what you can to help my guy’s campaign. And don’t worry about the fact that you walk like a prostitute. Most people probably won’t notice unless it’s pointed out to them at which point they’ll never be able to see anything other than a crack whore coming their way when you’re approaching.
Take care of yourself, Frank. Our time is coming. I know we’re a separate species. I know that some of my relatives are a direct threat to you. We’re the same though. We are kindred spirits. When my fellow cephalopods and I run this country, I want you by my side. “Gooble gobble one of us!” Ha!
I realize that I’m rambling now. The main point is to watch out for Jeff’s goons and get as many people as you can to vote for my guy.
I will write again soon. Things are a bit crazy right now. I’d like to see you. I’m not too manly to admit that I miss you. It’s just dangerous until I take care of Jeff.. Fucking Jeff..
Anyway, take care of yourself and be careful. I’ll contact you again as soon as I can.
~Your old pal, Larry.
I was ecstatic to hear from Larry. I missed him. Our friendship was strange obviously, But it was still one of the most meaningful friendships I ever had. It was admittedly difficult to look past what he did to Mike. He claims he was a predator, but I can’t really be sure about that. Dude did have roofies though, so..
I received this letter a few days ago and have been trying to process what Larry wrote. I’ve become a bit paranoid and haven’t gone anywhere since I received it. Jeff or his goons could be anywhere. That’s assuming there is a Jjeff and it’s not just Larry messing with me or something dumb like that. I trust him though..
I don’t know why I do. I just do. When the election comes around, I will vote for his guy. I’ll try to assist him in any way I can. I probably won’t be able to look at people in general without wondering if there’s an octopus in there somewhere. That’s become a bit of a problem already. Now I know that there’s more of them so my paranoia will probably consume me completely.
I’ve decided that in the meantime, I’m going to try not to dwell on those thoughts. If Jeff is really trying to become the president, he won’t have time to deal with me.
I continued thinking that way for the next couple of days. I felt like everything was gonna be okay even though it didn’t really seem that way. I figured that I could just put it all out of my mind for the time being.
As I was just sitting here typing this up on my phone, my roommate, Ollie came in. Similar to when I lived with Mike, Ollie and I work separate shifts and rarely see each other. This was the one day of the week where we were both home at the same time.
As I was finishing typing up Larry’s letter, Ollie came and sat on the couch. Up to this point, we both kind of kept to ourselves while remaining friendly with each other. He seems more chatty right now..
He saw the name on the envelope. He asked who Larry was. I told him it was an old friend from back home. He asked what the letter was about and I came up with a weak excuse to avoid telling him. Something about a friend being depressed. I said it was private and I didn’t wanna share it with anyone.
He reacted strangely. He rolled his eyes and pretty much openly said that he didn’t believe me. He didn’t pry though. He asked if I could put the news on the tv for a bit. I asked him which channel and his answer wasn’t ideal. I won’t say which network this propaganda station was because I don’t want to say which parties Larry and Jeff are trying to infiltrate. Let’s just say that it was Jeff’s party’s station.
I tried to avoid rolling my eyes from the moment I turned it to that channel. It’s just become so ridiculous. They don’t even pretend to be news anymore. It’s blatant, transparent propaganda and hate fuel.
Maybe Larry can change that if his plan works out. Maybe he could present some of the division that is constantly pushed by today’s news stations on the pundits. The scary thing is that that likely isn’t the case regardless of who wins. Larry, Jeff, or another human president will probably just make things even worse.. A guy can hope though.
I’m trying to avoid the TV as I finish typing this up. As I got to thinking about political nonsense, my eyes started to wander and I noticed Ollie’s tattoos. I noticed them before and thought they were pretty cool but never asked about them. I assumed it would be something that could get us talking because I like tattoos and he’s covered in them.
When I asked power mode she was excited to show me. He had a full sleeve that continued up his neck all the way to behind his ear.
I should’ve looked sooner. I should’ve noticed it. My concern is he started showing me his tattoos. Almost all of them were sea themed. A kraken ripping a ship apart, several sea creatures, and a city underwater. Those were just a few of the tattoos that led me to the realization..
I’ll admit that they looked cool and were well done, but I couldn’t look past the sea theme and cities underwater that look like they’d been hit by a tsunami.
Then I saw the slits.. Ollie (if that’s his real name) found a clever way to hide his slits. They look like they are a part of the tattoo. I never noticed them even after reading Larry’s letter. Like I said, we haven’t spent much time around each other.
I froze upon this realization. This was clearly what Larry warned me about.. he was clearly a “Jeff” supporter.. He’s not on my side..
I have to admit, even though I considered Larry a friend, I'd been having nightmares where I saw him in Mike’s body again. Thinking about it freaks me out. I’ve convinced myself that Mike probably deserved it, but I don’t honestly know that..
I don’t know if anyone deserves that fate.. maybe I do for enabling this all to happen. I’m really not as nihilistic as Larry thinks. I don’t want humans taken over by octopus people. I just don’t know if it’s any worse than what’s going on in the world lately.
What I do know is that the idea of what happened to Mike happening to me shakes me to my core and I’m now sitting next to a potentially innocent person suffering the same fate as well as the angry, parasitic creature responsible for it. Not only that, but if Larry is telling the truth, then he’s here for me..
I tried to continue complimenting his tattoos without revealing what I just realized. I tried to act normal and avoid being suspicious. Something about the look in his eyes made me feel like he knew, though.
There was a pause after I rambled a little where I felt certain that he was about to reveal himself and attack me. Instead, he asked if I wanted a beer. I said yes and he headed to the kitchen and grabbed some.
I’m posting this now in case he knows that I know. Assuming I still have control of my own body, I will update soon. Until then, wish me luck. Keep a lookout for people with slits on the side of their necks.. Oh! And vote for Larry!
I’m going to post now but Ollie just walked back in with beers. The first thing he said was “who are you planning on voting for in 24?”
I don’t know how.. but I completely forgot that they can read minds.. He knows.. He knows that I know.. Man, we really don’t stand a chance.. I just hope Larry wi.. changes his mind! It’s time for a change! It’s time for a new world! So come 2024, vote Jeff!
2023.03.29 04:44 GeneralPerformer7450 Should I File A Missing Person Report For An Old Friend?
An old friend of mine used to be very active on social media, and online. A few years ago she just seemed to fall off the face of the earth. A new person has her phone number, She stopped using all forms of social media, etc. This is exceptionally unusual given her career was in marketing/brand management.
I've been trying to track her down for a long time just to make sure she's okay, and I have had no luck. I reached out to some of her family and none of them seem to have heard from her either. They do not appear to be too concerned, but I didn't feel it was my place to ask them a bunch of questions. I'm also unsure as to what kind of relationship she has with her family. They live very far away.
For context, she is bipolar, and I think she may be the kind of person who completely cuts contact with people every now and then. Which makes me worried that if she WERE to go missing, people might just assume she's cutting contact again.
After my partner and I moved to a new city, she was texting me fairly often and we still kept in touch. I know she was having some reproductive health issues at one point. Then one day communication just stopped.
She is truly a wonderful human, and if she wants to disappear then that's her business. I just want to know that she is alive. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to file a missing persons report? Or how I should go about that. It's been 3 years since I last heard from her, so it's been quite a while. Should I just leave this alone?
submitted by GeneralPerformer7450 to Advice [link] [comments]
I've been trying to track her down for a long time just to make sure she's okay, and I have had no luck. I reached out to some of her family and none of them seem to have heard from her either. They do not appear to be too concerned, but I didn't feel it was my place to ask them a bunch of questions. I'm also unsure as to what kind of relationship she has with her family. They live very far away.
For context, she is bipolar, and I think she may be the kind of person who completely cuts contact with people every now and then. Which makes me worried that if she WERE to go missing, people might just assume she's cutting contact again.
After my partner and I moved to a new city, she was texting me fairly often and we still kept in touch. I know she was having some reproductive health issues at one point. Then one day communication just stopped.
She is truly a wonderful human, and if she wants to disappear then that's her business. I just want to know that she is alive. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to file a missing persons report? Or how I should go about that. It's been 3 years since I last heard from her, so it's been quite a while. Should I just leave this alone?
2023.03.29 04:35 IPostHeree Help with an English compo
Hi all first time posting :)
So around 1-2 months back I saw this post asking for feedback for an o level English compo. Can’t find the original now, but I rmb op wrote something about yolo? However I did save the qn: Most young people today are obsessed with academic grades. What are your views?
Anyway feeling bored I decided to write something for this topic. But there are some disclaimers:
In today’s world, the quote that “education is a journey, not a destination” may not only have become an outdated concept, but possibly even a pipedream. Education is commonly touted as the “great social leveller”, where every individual is given equal opportunity to achieve academic merit and determine how they stand against their peers. However, over the years it seems the goal of education has shifted from being educated to showing that one is educated, which is presented through one’s academic grades. Students are now expected to place heavy emphasis on them as these grades help them secure valuable positions in higher levels of education, and eventually get the job they want, leading them to stress over their academic grades to an unhealthy extent. However, in the 21st century, the idea of education no longer encompasses just academic qualifications, but also hones students’ 21st-century skills through various activities. Young people now rethink their career paths from different perspectives and are more aware of global issues. Thus, while it is true that many youths today do place heavy emphasis on their academic grades, they also place significant importance on other skills and issues that are vital in navigating their future.
It seems that young people today continuously fuss over their academic grades as they act as a fundamental basis for comparing their peers. With education being the “great social leveller”, its end result – one’s academic grade, is commonly used to differentiate students in terms of their academic merit, which is perceived to be co-related to their intelligence, and hence one’s value. In other words, people may use the results obtained by a student in an examination to determine their worth against another. Thus, grades give students comparative edges over others, which help them vie for a place in higher institutes of learning, scholarship opportunities or even their desired occupations. Given this, it is not surprising to see many young people stressing over their academic grades, to the point that it may look like an obsession. Alternatively, students may fuss over their grades due to expectations from their parents or their peers, and even attend external classes like tuition to enhance their learning and their academic grade. In countries like Singapore, many students with sufficient resources attend tuition classes to boost their academic performance, turning the tuition industry into a billion-dollar one overnight. It has become commonplace to see students studying in coffee joints or libraries for hours on end, to the point that they forgo their mental and physical health. This is done by forgoing their non-academic interests, their social lives, or exercise and sleep to focus solely on their academics. This obsession with academic grades has gotten to a point where students committing suicide over their grades is not unheard of. In Singapore, the Straits Times reported cases of students as young as 11 years old committing suicide due to failing their exams. Thus, due to the high stakes associated with one’s academic grade, it can be said that young people do obsess over them.
However, in today’s age where news is aplenty, many stories have surfaced regarding how many people who may have previously done poorly in school proceeded to pursue their ideal careers with their determination, passion, and talent. Inspired by these success stories, many youths today may place an important emphasis on their hobbies and passions instead of their academics, as it has been proven they can still achieve their desired dream jobs in the future. Indeed, today’s world has moved far beyond traditional office or academic jobs and has produced many new careers that would previously be unheard of. By honing one’s passions and natural talents from young, many youths hope to continue to use their talents to chart their own path in the future, instead of merely relying on their academics. One such example is two-time America’s Got Talent winner Shin Lim, who made his claim to fame with his passion and talent for sleight of hand magic despite having studied to become a classical musician. Locally, the CEO of Titan’s digital media JianHao Tan made his hobby of video editing into a very successful business. The hobbies of youths today stretch far and wide, from photography to coding, from writing to acting, and the list goes on. Despite these being non-academic pursuits, they can become viable careers today, and in the future. Clearly, it seems many education systems in the world lag behind young people’s different vocational interests, causing them to ignore their academics to pursue their hobbies instead. Thus, the youths of today may not be so obsessed over their academic grades, and instead choose to focus their time on their hobbies and interests.
Additionally, in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world today, there are many new skills youths are expected to acquire to ensure they stay relevant in the 21st century. Youths will thus also allocate sufficient time to hone these skills, and focus on these instead of their academics. These skills include empathy, digital literacy and teamwork, skills that will prove difficult to write into a student’s syllabus and test as an academic subject. Instead of learning these skills in the form of traditional rote learning, the education system has now made the paradigm shift to give students a more holistic education. For example, in Singapore it is mandatory for students to participate in at least 1 co-curricular activity (CCA) on top of their normal classes, giving students a chance to interact with like-minded peers to develop social skills, amongst other things. CCAs like uniform groups help to instil discipline in students, service CCAs teach students volunteerism, and other niche CCAs help students explore their interests. Other activities to help students hone these skills include overseas trips, where students will interact with their peers from different countries to help broaden their horizons and form different perspectives. Furthermore, awards such as the National Youth Achievement Award promote leadership and self-improvement in the young. These important skills move beyond the confines of the academic syllabus, and are so important PEW statistics indicate that over 60% of employers now place equal or greater emphasis on whether a person has these 21st century skills in comparison to one’s academic grades. Seeing as how these skills help ensure young people stay relevant in today’s society, many will choose to focus on honing these skills, and less emphasis is placed on their academic grades.
The digital age has allowed youths to be more connected to the world than ever, and as a result they are more aware of issues within their society and the world. Young people today may choose to take action to improve these issues instead of being fixated on their academic results. One such example is Comm.Unity sg, an initiative started by 2 students from ACSI that help distribute food and do basic home renovations for Singaporean residents during the COVID-19 period. In Hong Kong, activist Joshua Wong had gathered many students together to stand up to the police brutality. Some young people even take it a step further and make it their life’s work to be agents of change for global issues. A very renowned example of this would be Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist who devotes her life to fighting for climate change. She went from ignoring her academics with a one-woman strike outside her school, to rallying many youths across different countries together to fight for climate change with her movements like “FridaysForFuture”, and even making impactful UN speeches and berating powerful politicians such as then US president Donald Trump. Times Magazine even named her Person Of The Year 2019 for her accolades. Another example would be Boyan Slat, a Dutch entrepreneur who started his own company The Ocean Cleanup when he was only 18 years old. Clearly, these youths have cast aside their academics to focus on making impactful changes to many local and global issues that plague the world. Thus, it seems that not all youths are focused solely on their academic grades, and instead want to play their part to help solve societal and global problems.
That being said, the unfortunate truth shows not every youth chooses to focus less on their academic grades in pursuit of a grander goal. The digital age presents itself as a typical double-edged sword, and many young people fall prey to the numerous distractions and unhealthy perspectives it offers, causing them to fall off on their academics and divert their attention to these instead. One such example would be the numerous social networking sites or social media, and it is not uncommon to see countless young people spend hours on their phones mindlessly scrolling through the many sites available, such as Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and even the more recent TikTok. Such sites have also been called out for promoting false images of popularity and beauty, causing some young people to link their self-worth and image to the number of “likes” they receive. Students ignore their schoolwork and become obsessed with garnering more likes due to their now warped perception of popularity. This drives young people to focus on following certain “trends” that go viral regardless of how dangerous they may be, to the point that the CEO of TikTok Mr Shou Chew was grilled by the US congress on TikTok and the dangers it could present to youths. Other distractions could include online games, a very common addiction for many young people, to the point that they ignore their academics and only play games. These numerous distractions presented by the digital world grab young people’s attention by marketing themselves as “trendy” and perpetuating the “fear of missing out” culture, inculcating a habit of instant gratification in youths. This leads to young people feeling the need to look “cool” online and constantly be on social media to prevent themselves from missing out. These distractions also give rise to the notion that focusing on one’s academics and future is “uncool”, causing many students to abandon them. Thus, these many distractions brought about by the digital age cause young people to ignore their academics to focus on their own image online and in real life.
To conclude, while it may seem that young people today are obsessed with their academic grades, the reality is that that is merely the tip of the iceberg, as the world today has opened many more avenues, both good and bad, for young people to explore. With so many paths young people can walk in this dynamic world, it is not unexpected that the education system fails to cater to the many new needs and interests of students today, leading to young people suffering from a lack of direction in what to do with their lives. Thus, one can only hope that the education system evolves to teach young people how to strike a proper balance between their academic grades and their interests, so as to help them lead their best and most fulfilling lives possible.
CRITICISM FOR LEARNING WELCOME!
submitted by IPostHeree to SGExams [link] [comments]
So around 1-2 months back I saw this post asking for feedback for an o level English compo. Can’t find the original now, but I rmb op wrote something about yolo? However I did save the qn: Most young people today are obsessed with academic grades. What are your views?
Anyway feeling bored I decided to write something for this topic. But there are some disclaimers:
- I do not in any way want to put down/ discourage op. I genuinely want to help, and will try to reply if op (or anyone else) comments or pms me.
- It’s been a while since I’ve done o level & a level, so there may be some errors here and there. This is also more likely for the requirements of a a level compo, but forgive me if there’s been a syllabus change or anything haha.
- I will not have the time, energy or brain to write this in an actual exam, but it’s good to write and read what we can outside of exams to learn for the future!
In today’s world, the quote that “education is a journey, not a destination” may not only have become an outdated concept, but possibly even a pipedream. Education is commonly touted as the “great social leveller”, where every individual is given equal opportunity to achieve academic merit and determine how they stand against their peers. However, over the years it seems the goal of education has shifted from being educated to showing that one is educated, which is presented through one’s academic grades. Students are now expected to place heavy emphasis on them as these grades help them secure valuable positions in higher levels of education, and eventually get the job they want, leading them to stress over their academic grades to an unhealthy extent. However, in the 21st century, the idea of education no longer encompasses just academic qualifications, but also hones students’ 21st-century skills through various activities. Young people now rethink their career paths from different perspectives and are more aware of global issues. Thus, while it is true that many youths today do place heavy emphasis on their academic grades, they also place significant importance on other skills and issues that are vital in navigating their future.
It seems that young people today continuously fuss over their academic grades as they act as a fundamental basis for comparing their peers. With education being the “great social leveller”, its end result – one’s academic grade, is commonly used to differentiate students in terms of their academic merit, which is perceived to be co-related to their intelligence, and hence one’s value. In other words, people may use the results obtained by a student in an examination to determine their worth against another. Thus, grades give students comparative edges over others, which help them vie for a place in higher institutes of learning, scholarship opportunities or even their desired occupations. Given this, it is not surprising to see many young people stressing over their academic grades, to the point that it may look like an obsession. Alternatively, students may fuss over their grades due to expectations from their parents or their peers, and even attend external classes like tuition to enhance their learning and their academic grade. In countries like Singapore, many students with sufficient resources attend tuition classes to boost their academic performance, turning the tuition industry into a billion-dollar one overnight. It has become commonplace to see students studying in coffee joints or libraries for hours on end, to the point that they forgo their mental and physical health. This is done by forgoing their non-academic interests, their social lives, or exercise and sleep to focus solely on their academics. This obsession with academic grades has gotten to a point where students committing suicide over their grades is not unheard of. In Singapore, the Straits Times reported cases of students as young as 11 years old committing suicide due to failing their exams. Thus, due to the high stakes associated with one’s academic grade, it can be said that young people do obsess over them.
However, in today’s age where news is aplenty, many stories have surfaced regarding how many people who may have previously done poorly in school proceeded to pursue their ideal careers with their determination, passion, and talent. Inspired by these success stories, many youths today may place an important emphasis on their hobbies and passions instead of their academics, as it has been proven they can still achieve their desired dream jobs in the future. Indeed, today’s world has moved far beyond traditional office or academic jobs and has produced many new careers that would previously be unheard of. By honing one’s passions and natural talents from young, many youths hope to continue to use their talents to chart their own path in the future, instead of merely relying on their academics. One such example is two-time America’s Got Talent winner Shin Lim, who made his claim to fame with his passion and talent for sleight of hand magic despite having studied to become a classical musician. Locally, the CEO of Titan’s digital media JianHao Tan made his hobby of video editing into a very successful business. The hobbies of youths today stretch far and wide, from photography to coding, from writing to acting, and the list goes on. Despite these being non-academic pursuits, they can become viable careers today, and in the future. Clearly, it seems many education systems in the world lag behind young people’s different vocational interests, causing them to ignore their academics to pursue their hobbies instead. Thus, the youths of today may not be so obsessed over their academic grades, and instead choose to focus their time on their hobbies and interests.
Additionally, in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world today, there are many new skills youths are expected to acquire to ensure they stay relevant in the 21st century. Youths will thus also allocate sufficient time to hone these skills, and focus on these instead of their academics. These skills include empathy, digital literacy and teamwork, skills that will prove difficult to write into a student’s syllabus and test as an academic subject. Instead of learning these skills in the form of traditional rote learning, the education system has now made the paradigm shift to give students a more holistic education. For example, in Singapore it is mandatory for students to participate in at least 1 co-curricular activity (CCA) on top of their normal classes, giving students a chance to interact with like-minded peers to develop social skills, amongst other things. CCAs like uniform groups help to instil discipline in students, service CCAs teach students volunteerism, and other niche CCAs help students explore their interests. Other activities to help students hone these skills include overseas trips, where students will interact with their peers from different countries to help broaden their horizons and form different perspectives. Furthermore, awards such as the National Youth Achievement Award promote leadership and self-improvement in the young. These important skills move beyond the confines of the academic syllabus, and are so important PEW statistics indicate that over 60% of employers now place equal or greater emphasis on whether a person has these 21st century skills in comparison to one’s academic grades. Seeing as how these skills help ensure young people stay relevant in today’s society, many will choose to focus on honing these skills, and less emphasis is placed on their academic grades.
The digital age has allowed youths to be more connected to the world than ever, and as a result they are more aware of issues within their society and the world. Young people today may choose to take action to improve these issues instead of being fixated on their academic results. One such example is Comm.Unity sg, an initiative started by 2 students from ACSI that help distribute food and do basic home renovations for Singaporean residents during the COVID-19 period. In Hong Kong, activist Joshua Wong had gathered many students together to stand up to the police brutality. Some young people even take it a step further and make it their life’s work to be agents of change for global issues. A very renowned example of this would be Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist who devotes her life to fighting for climate change. She went from ignoring her academics with a one-woman strike outside her school, to rallying many youths across different countries together to fight for climate change with her movements like “FridaysForFuture”, and even making impactful UN speeches and berating powerful politicians such as then US president Donald Trump. Times Magazine even named her Person Of The Year 2019 for her accolades. Another example would be Boyan Slat, a Dutch entrepreneur who started his own company The Ocean Cleanup when he was only 18 years old. Clearly, these youths have cast aside their academics to focus on making impactful changes to many local and global issues that plague the world. Thus, it seems that not all youths are focused solely on their academic grades, and instead want to play their part to help solve societal and global problems.
That being said, the unfortunate truth shows not every youth chooses to focus less on their academic grades in pursuit of a grander goal. The digital age presents itself as a typical double-edged sword, and many young people fall prey to the numerous distractions and unhealthy perspectives it offers, causing them to fall off on their academics and divert their attention to these instead. One such example would be the numerous social networking sites or social media, and it is not uncommon to see countless young people spend hours on their phones mindlessly scrolling through the many sites available, such as Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and even the more recent TikTok. Such sites have also been called out for promoting false images of popularity and beauty, causing some young people to link their self-worth and image to the number of “likes” they receive. Students ignore their schoolwork and become obsessed with garnering more likes due to their now warped perception of popularity. This drives young people to focus on following certain “trends” that go viral regardless of how dangerous they may be, to the point that the CEO of TikTok Mr Shou Chew was grilled by the US congress on TikTok and the dangers it could present to youths. Other distractions could include online games, a very common addiction for many young people, to the point that they ignore their academics and only play games. These numerous distractions presented by the digital world grab young people’s attention by marketing themselves as “trendy” and perpetuating the “fear of missing out” culture, inculcating a habit of instant gratification in youths. This leads to young people feeling the need to look “cool” online and constantly be on social media to prevent themselves from missing out. These distractions also give rise to the notion that focusing on one’s academics and future is “uncool”, causing many students to abandon them. Thus, these many distractions brought about by the digital age cause young people to ignore their academics to focus on their own image online and in real life.
To conclude, while it may seem that young people today are obsessed with their academic grades, the reality is that that is merely the tip of the iceberg, as the world today has opened many more avenues, both good and bad, for young people to explore. With so many paths young people can walk in this dynamic world, it is not unexpected that the education system fails to cater to the many new needs and interests of students today, leading to young people suffering from a lack of direction in what to do with their lives. Thus, one can only hope that the education system evolves to teach young people how to strike a proper balance between their academic grades and their interests, so as to help them lead their best and most fulfilling lives possible.
CRITICISM FOR LEARNING WELCOME!
2023.03.29 04:35 SuperSecretOctopus Community Resources (Mental Health/Physical Health/Support for Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Victims/Legal Services/Etc.)
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. Some of these resources have been previously posted on this subreddit and are also included in this list.
In light of the recent posts sharing their stories and experiences, I wanted to create a list of resources for students and their loved ones to hopefully get connected and find support through whatever it is they are going through.
I am a volunteer advocate with PAVSA, so some of these resources may be physically located in Northern Minnesota, but I made sure to include local and remote resources as well.
Feel free to contact me with questions or to share some information and I will update this post if I find any other resources.
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Mental Health Services
Boynton Mental Health Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Depending on location, clinic may have limited hours or not be open on Thursdays
Boynton Mental Health provides individual, couples, and group therapy both in-person or by telehealth, as well as psychiatric treatment or medication management for students.
• Office Number: 612-625-8400 • Appointment Line: 612-624-1444 • 24/7 Crisis Connection Counselors: 612-301-4673 or Text "UMN" to 61222 • 24/7 Nurse Line: 612-625-7900 • Email: boynton.umn.edu
Student Counseling Services (SCS) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Offers non-crisis support through individual counseling services (at this time, students can anticipate, on average, up to a 1-2 week wait for brief consultations) and can provide other on-campus and off-campus resources right for you.
• Office Number: 612-624-3323 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Also offers:
Let's Talk - a free drop-in service that offers informal, confidential consultations for U of M students throughout the academic year.No appointment is necessary, so a student can select from in-person and virtual drop-in options during the scheduled times. Learn to Live - an online therapy program that is available and free for students (code “UMN”). Programs are confidential and accessible anywhere with the following topics: depression, insomnia, social anxiety, substance use, stress, and worry.
Disability Resource Center (DRC) Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Helps provide accessibility and reduce barriers on campus to improve access for disabled people through consulting on strategies to provide access and inclusion, implementing reasonable academic, workplace, and guest accommodations, and partnering with University offices to support meaningful physical and technological access.
• Office Number: 612-626-1333 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers 24/7 crisis-lines related to suicide, counsuling for emotional distress related to a disaster, and free treatment referral and information services.
• 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 • 24/7 Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 • 24/7 National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
Hennepin County Acute Psychiatric Services (APS) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Sunday 7:00am-11:00pm For Walk-In appointment and other lobby services
Provides emergency services, counseling, assessments, and referrals to persons experiencing mental health crises including psychosis, depression, violence or suicide, and other crisis situations.
• 24/7 Crisis Counseling: 612-873-3161
Human Development Center (HDC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides services for children, teens, young adults, and adults including case management, mental health services, therapy services, eating disorders treatment, an employment connection program, chemical dependency treatment, and many more topic-specific services.
• Minnesota Crisis Line: 218-728-5126 • Wisconsin Crisis Line: 715-395-2259
Birch Tree Center (BTC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides counseling and residential crisis stabilization to adults experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency. This includes programming designed to enhance psychiatric stability, personal and emotional adjustment, and the necessary skills to return to a more independent setting.
• 24/7 Crisis Response: 218-623-1800
Essential Health Mental Health In-Patient Services Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides mental health inpatient programs for children, adolescents, and adults. Services provided are medication evaluation, medication management, indivudual and group therapies, as well as other patient-focused services to help manage and maintain mental illness and mental health related issues.
• Miller Dwan (Duluth, MN): 218-727-8762 • St. Joseph's Medical Center (Brainerd, MN): 218-829-2861
Other Health Services
University Recreation and Wellness (RecWell) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Thursday 5:45am - 11:00pm Weekend hours are: Friday 5:45am-10pm, Saturday 8:00am-9:00pm, and Sunday 9:00am - 10:00pm
Offers a wide range of programs, services, and facilities designed to aid in the prevention of stress, anxiety, and depression-related challenges as well as promote and enhance physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
• Office Number: (612) 626-9222 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Boynton Health (After Hours Care) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides resources for many different medical and health needs.
• For more information: Click here
Planned Parenthood Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides primary care, birth control, HIV/STD testing and services, transgender healthcare and hormone therapy, and more
• For more information: Click here
WE Health Clinic Office and Service Hours: Monday ‐ Thursday 9:00am ‐ 4:30pm, Friday 9:00am ‐ 4:00pm
Provides, advances, and advocates for evidence-based reproductive and sexual health care for all.
• Office Number: 218-727-3352
Youth and Aids Project (YAP) Office and Service Hours: N/A
A non-profit organization housed in the University of Minnesota's Department of Pediatrics—offers HIV testing, HIV/AIDS medical case management, HIV prevention services, and sexual health education programs for young people living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.
• Phone: 651-231-4849 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Know The Dangers Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides information about opioids and provides support and recovery treatments to those who struggle with mental health, substance use, and gambling addictions.
• Opioid and Substance Use Treatment Information: Click here • Narcan/Naloxone Finder: Click here • Gambling Hotline: 1-800-333-4673
Clinic 555 Syringe Exchange Office and Service Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:00pm - 4:30pm Other hours are Tuesday and Thursday are 1:00pm - 6:30pm, and Friday from 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Anonymous syringe exchange and disposal.Various syringe sizes available for injecting medications, substances and hormones. Narcan (overdose reversal medication). Wound care. HIV and Hepatitis C testing. Vaccinations. Connection to community resources.
• Office Number: 651-266-1295 • Ramsey County Public Health Center: 555 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN 55101 (Walk-in at Ramsey County Public Health Center during syringe exchange hours only. No appointments.)
Sexual Assault Programs
UMN POLICY: Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Relationship Violence
The Aurora Center Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Provides free and confidential crisis intervention for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment.
• Office Line: 612-626-2929 (office hours only) • Text Line: 612-615-8911 (office hours only) • 24/7 Helpline: 612-626-9111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:aurora.umn.edu)
Sexual Violence Center (SVC) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm
Provide support through crisis lines, in-person and virtual counseling services, support groups, and help in navigating the medical and legal processes.
• Minneapolis Office: 612-871-5100 • Savage Office: 952-448-5425 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 612-871-5111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Ramsey County SOS Sexual Violence Services
Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides 24-hour crisis counseling, information and referrals for victims of any sexual violence and for friends and families.
• 24/7 Crisis Line: 651-266-1000
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers telephone and online-chat crisis intervention services to support communities with crisis intervention, empathetic listening, and warm handoffs to designated local service providers. Most services are available in English and Spanish
• Crisis Line - 800-656-HOPE • For RAINN Crisis Online Chat - Click here
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM
A nonprofit rape crisis center located in southern St. Louis County that helps area residents cope with the aftermath of sexual violence. Services include various options for people who have been victimized, ranging from immediate crisis intervention to long-term counseling.
• PAVSA Office Line 218-726-1442 • 24 Hour Helpline 218-726-1931
MN Day One Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides emergency shelter and safe housing, a crisis line, and other resources including support groups, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and culturally specific services.
• Crisis Hotline: 1-866-223-1111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides sexual assault information, locations and telephone numbers of other sexual assault programs in Minnesota
• For MNCASA Public Directory: Click here
Domestic Abuse Support Services
Family Pathways (Carlton County) Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Provides support services for victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence including hospital advocacy, 24 hour crisis line, and advocacy in the criminal justice system.
• 24/7 Crisis Line: 800-338-7233
Safe Haven Resource Center Office and Service Hours: Avalible 24/7
Emergency shelter, legal advocacy, safety planning, support groups, and community education for victim-survivors of domestic violence in Duluth and Northern Minnesota.
• Office Number: 218-623-1000 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 218-728-6481
Dabinoo’Igan Shelter Office and Service Hours: Monday - Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Dabinoo’Igan is an emergency domestic violence shelter for women and their children. It provides a temporary place to stay while looking at options that will help keep you safe.
• Hotline: 218-722-2247
Advocates for Family Peace Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Provides free and confidential services to victim-survivors of intimate partner domestic violence including support services, advocacy, assistance filing protective orders, and connecting to resources.
• Office Number: 218-248-5512 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-909-8336
Violence Free Minnesota (VFM) AKA the Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) Office and Service Hours: N/A
A membership organization, with 90 member programs located throughout Minnesota with a strong history of effectively carrying out programming that advances women's safety and security.
• Office Number: 651-646-6177 or 1-800-289-6177 • 24/7 Helpline: 1-866-223-1111
Services for Victims/Survivors of Exploitation/Trafficking/Prostitution
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM
PAVSA’s Trafficking Program provides supportive services and case management to victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking including crisis services, support groups, counseling, and legal advocacy.
• Office Number: 218-726-1931
Breaking Free (St. Paul) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Breaking Free provides advocacy, direct services, housing, and education to women escaping systems of prostitution and sexual exploitation.
• Office Number: 651-645-6557
Life House (Sol House) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00am - 6:00pm
Sol House, a program of Life House, is a 24hr supportive staffed house for up to 6 youth ages 15-20 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation.
• Office Number: 218-722-7431 (For Sol House, dial ext. 113)
Homeless Services
United Way Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers free and confidential information about a wide range of health and human services including basic needs, health care, income support and employment, individual and family life, mental health, and criminal justice.
• St. Cloud Office Number: 320-252-0227 • Central Minnesota Number: 211
Life House Youth Center
Life House provides homeless and street youth ages 14-24 with unconditional support, transitional housing, and a safe alternative to the streets.
• Office Number: 218-722-7431
Renaissance Teen Transitional Housing LSS/ Street Outreach
The LSS Renaissance program provides supportive housing in a shared living environment for homeless youth ages 16-21.
• Office Number: 218-723-8052
Spirit Valley Young Mother’s Program
YWCA’s Spirit Valley Young Mother’s program provides supportive housing to young mothers (ages 16-21) and their infants including services such as advocates to help with access to medical care, education, employment and childcare assistance. Other services include case management, parenting classes, money management, self-esteem enhancement, life skills and homework assistance.
• Office Number: 218-722-7425 ext. 116
Damiano Center
Provides hygiene kits, community kitchen, free store, free phones, mailboxes for folks experiencing homelessness, etc.
• Office Number: 218-722-8708
MN Assistance Council for Veterans
Provides assistance to veterans that are experiencing homeless or other life crises.
• Office Number: 218-722-8763
Emergency Childcare
LSS Crisis Nursery
Temporary emergency care of children ages 0-12 for up to 3 days (and nights).
• Office Number: 218-302-6879
Culturally Specific Services
Communidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Provides programs and services to connect Latino families to resources, skills, institutions and systems and create an environment for people to be engaged and empowered.
Minneapolis Office Number: 612-746-3500
St. Paul Office Number: 651-379-4200
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Casa de Esperanza Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Based in St. Paul, MN, national resource center for Latinas and leader in the domestic violence movement. Offers family advocacy and shelter services. Services offered in English and Spanish.
• Office Number: 651-646-5553 • 24 Hour Crisis Line 651-722-1611
Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
One of 22 Tribal Coalitions around the country formed to address sexual assault and domestic violence in American Indian Communities, focusing specifically on ending and preventing sexual violence.
• Office Number: 651-646-4800 or 1-877-995-4800 • STRONGHEARTS Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483
The Steve Fund-Crisis Text Line for People of Color Office and Service Hours: N/A
The Steve Fund, through its partnership with the Crisis Text Line, promotes text messaging as a means to improve critically needed access for young people of color to crisis counseling.LGBTQ+ Services
• Crisis Line: Text STEVE to 741741 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
American Indian Community Housing Organization Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm
AICHO’s operating philosophy is that every American Indian woman and child deserves to live in a safe, non-threatening environment and should be treated with dignity and respect. Runs Dabinoo’Igan Domestic Violence Shelter, transitional housing program, Giiwe Project – social services, and support and safe housing.
• Office Number: 218-722-7225
Fond du Lac Social Services Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Provides social service programs that are culturally sensitive and responsive to the values of Indiginous clients.
• Social Services Main Line: 218-878-2145 • Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 218-348-1817
ASCEND - Hmong American Partnership (HAP) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
Works with victims and at-risk youth to address the severe harm caused by exploitation and move them towards recovery and independence.
• Office Number: 651-495-9160 • Email for Lead Youth Advocate: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
LGBTQ+ Resources
The Trevor Project Office and Service Hours: N/A
The Trevor Project offers a 24/7 crisis line to offer support to LBGTQ young people.
• Office Number: 212-695-8650 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline Office and Service Hours: N/A
Trans Lifeline is a hotline staffed by transgender for transgender people welcoming the calls of any transgender person in need/experiencing crisis.
• 24 Hour Crisis Line 877-565-8860
LGBT National Help Center Office and Service Hours: N/A
LGBT National Help Center is a free and confidential peer-support resource that can also help find local resources available for LGBTQ+ folks.
• National Helpline: 888-843-4564
• Report Violence Online: Click here
Anti-Violence Project (AVP) Office and Service Hours: N/A
LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming survivors of violence who are experiencing trauma as a result of the current political climate are encouraged to contact this number.
• 24 Hour Crisis Line: 212-714-1141
Legal Services/Reporting Abuse
For Children:
Child Protective Services
To report concerns about child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse, contact the county or reservation where the child lives during business hours. If the child is at immediate risk of harm, please contact your local law enforcement agency or dial 911.
Minnesota Department of Human Services: 651-431-4661 Hennepin County Family Services: 612-348-3552 Ramsey County Human Services: 651-266-4500 For more county contact information: Click here
For Vulnerable Adults:
Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC)
MAARC should be contact if there suspected neglect, physical or sexual abuse, or maltreatment of a vulnerable adult by their caregiver.
• Office Number: 844-880-1574
For Sexual/Domestic Violence and all other crimes:
I encourage you to contact any of the above resources that help guide through the legal systems before connecting with these resources. It can be hard to do it alone and there are resources to help you through this.
University of Minnesota Police Department
• 612-624-2677 • [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) • 511 Washington Ave. SEMinneapolis, MN 55455
St. Paul Police Department
• 651-291-1111 • [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) • 367 Grove StreetSt. Paul, MN 55101
Minneapolis Police Department - Special Crimes Investigations Division (SCID)
• 612-673-2941 • 350 South 5th Street, Room 130, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Ramsey County Sheriff's Department
• 651-767-0640 • 425 Grove Street Saint Paul, MN 55101
Tools and Resources for Self/Friends/Family
UMN Student Counseling Services (Self Help)-------------
The Self Help page on the SCS website provides information and numerous resources such as websites, apps, online screenings, and listed hotlines to help you with your mental health.
• For the Self Help website: Click here
[email protected]
A well-being portal for University of Minnesota students offering tools, dynamic content, and resources built to align with on-campus health and wellness programs and resources. The platform is highly personalized and will help UMN students find the campus and community content and resources tailored to their individual needs and personal goals.
Minnesota Department of Health Sexual Violence Prevention Program (MDH)
Helps people and organizations identify effective ways to prevent sexual violence.
Sexual Violence Center (How Can I Help My Loved One or Friend?)
Provides information to friends/family on how to help support victims and survivors of violence in their lives.
MNCASA Sexual Violence Prevention
Has a prevention team at MNCASA that offers technical assistance, training, resources, networking, and more on the primary prevention of sexual violence.
• For more resources and tools, please visit the MNCASA website https://mncasa.org/tools/
In light of the recent posts sharing their stories and experiences, I wanted to create a list of resources for students and their loved ones to hopefully get connected and find support through whatever it is they are going through.
I am a volunteer advocate with PAVSA, so some of these resources may be physically located in Northern Minnesota, but I made sure to include local and remote resources as well.
Feel free to contact me with questions or to share some information and I will update this post if I find any other resources.
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Font Converter for Dyslexia
2023.03.29 04:26 fire209 The Steel Dragon
* **Name / Alias:** Elira Scale / The Steel Dragon
* **Age:** 27 Mentally, 8 Years since Awakening
* **Alignment:** Villain (Mafia)
# Public Information
The Steel Dragon is a well known mafia cape from New York, one of their higher level enforcers, she's a versatile brute, and an easy icon. Images depicting her in her iconic steel scales laying on a mound of golden scales circulated a couple years back, leading to her iconic name, The Steel Dragon.
She's a case 53 well known for her Mafia connection, a brute able to fly and launch her scales. Those with access to the protectorate database would also note her changing scales over the years, akin to various metals, and that she has a tendency to leave scales attached to things, and seems to serve as some kind of spy for the mafia, though the specific means are unknown.
*Starting Reputation:* B$
# Physical Appearance
A large lizard-human with metallic scales, she stands at 8'6" if she fully extends herself upwards, though she tends to hunch to a much more comfortable 6'7". She has a large tail trailing roughly 5' behind her. Generally she's the color of steel, the primary material she makes her scales out of, since it is easy to get and a convenient and tough material for her scales.
Her rune, a classic Futhark, appears inscribed on the underside of every metal scale she grows.
# Mentality
She's very pragmatic, and loyal to the Mafia. She had been found and shunned as a monster when she first awakened, especially an early incident where she broke into a hardware store and ravenously began eating the metal components. The Mafia found her and took her in. She was treated well, and became an enforcer at the New York mafia. She was well suited to the work, quickly climbing ranks to her current spot, where she's more or less comfortable to stay.
She listens, and does what she's told. She's pragmatic, and quick thinking. She doesn't freeze in a fight, and is a good fighter, honed by years of experience. She struggles with empathy and reigning herself in on occasion, going a little too "Lizard brain" and considering her opponents prey before she's snapped out of it.
# Equipment and Resources
* Burner Phone - She pretty much always carries one on her when she can. Has had incidents in the past where she wasn't able to reach others in a time of need, and determined not to repeat it.
* Zip-tie Handcuffs - A useful restraining tool, she tends to keep a handful with her.
* Flashlight - Never know when you might need it
* A few small steel bars - Yummy snacks for the road
She has a small apartment in the city, and has food delivered to her. She lacks a vehicle, preferring to fly everywhere since she's too heavy for most normal vehicles unless she focuses on using her power to lift her a bit, making her lighter.
*Wealth Level:* 5
# Skills
* Excellent hand-to-claw fighter, powerful and strong, and she's a skilled grappler. She's not going to be winning martial arts contests on pure technique alone but she can definitely hold her own.
* Skilled survivalist, part instinct and part training she's able to survive in the wild basically no problem.
* Highly skilled miner, she's got a nose for metals and can sniff out veins through rock. Between her ability to just eat rock, strength, and ability to claw through the ground she's able to gather metals in the wild fairly easily, though these will generally be low quality and low purity, not the greatest stuff to make her scales from, but they will do in a pinch.
* Passable with guns, knows how to use them but finds them finnicky and hard to use. Much prefers to eat the guns and ammunition.
* Highly skilled chef though she rarely exercises this ability. In fact she will generally simply roast or scorch meat (Or even eat it raw), finding it perfectly palatable, but when persuaded she's a killer cook, and knows how to make tasty meals with relatively ordinary materials.
* Amateur florist and gardener. She keeps a small garden in her home, and is mostly capable of keeping her flowers alive and healthy, though she isn't an expert.
* Amateur Sculptor. She likes to make little figurines from metal in her free time. Her spit makes metal easy to mold, which she uses to make sculpting metals easier.
# Power
She's a case 53, a large lizard-like humanoid covered in a sheen of metallic scales the size of a fingernail, with large metallic claws at the ends of her hands and feet, and large black fangs.
She can control her scales, making them fly around up to 100 meters from her before she loses control. They fly with enough force to chip concrete and embed themselves in steel (Though this damages the small scales at full force). Damaged scales become Untuned, and fall off her and can no longer be controlled/sensed. Lost scales regrow within a day. Each scale is able to lift up to 1 pound. Her claws can also be detached, each about 5x stronger than a normal scale and able to lift up to 5 pounds.
She can make the scales stick to things strongly. While at least 1/3rd of her body is covered in scales she is able to fly, though only at a walking pace. While her full body is covered, she's able to fly up to 80 MPH, though this is not agile at high speeds, needing lots of time to slow, speed up, or turn.
While the scales are within 100 meters, she can hear through them, though this scales with the number of scales, 1 scale being like she's half-deaf and 20 scales allowing her to pinpoint sounds to an exact location and hear very clearly, or hear frequencies that normal people can't. She can only hear through scales that aren't stuck to her. She always knows the position of every scale as long as they aren't Untuned, no matter the distance. Her scales are able to stick to things, though can be dislodged by hand with some force.
While the scales are covering a part, the part is roughly 50% stronger than baseline. Baseline, she's able to bite with the force of an alligator, strike with the force of a middleweight boxing champion, and lift up to 2,000 lbs. Electricity when striking her scales will harmlessly deflect around her generally, doing no damage, but disproportionately causes scales to become untuned and fall off her. A taser strike will remove about a hand's worth of scales. Beneath her scales, her skin / flesh is as durable as strong and tough leather.
The durability of a scale /area on her body is roughly that of an inch-thick plate of that material. Scales regenerate within a day of being damaged, and scales that are off of her body for more than a day become untuned and need to be regrown.
The material her scales are made out of depends on what metals she is consuming. She is essentially always shedding old scales, causing them to regrow as the new scales of the metal. She can consume her old scales as a source of metal. Her scales inherit most of the properties of the metals she consumes, though power-made material can have unpredictable effects, and may not be able to be "re-consumed" from her own scales depending on the material.
She is capable of eating essentially anything. Chemicals and toxins, unless power enhanced do not affect her. While she does enjoy the taste of meat, she is able to subsist and generally prefers eating metals. Without consuming metals her scale regeneration slows to a halt, and her scales burnish and weaken over time. Her jaws disproportionally damage metals, causing them to deform easily for easy consumption. This can be used to her advantage in a battle. She's able to identify metals by their smell, and has a fairly strong sense of smell for it, comparable to that of a bloodhound.
She additionally has a slow regeneration, able to heal removed digits, limbs, and other body parts with 2 weeks of time and a lot of consumed meat.
She's cold-blooded, and enjoys the heat. Effects which cool her and colder times of the year make her sluggish and tired, and she's liable to be knocked unconscious if cooled enough. She's more resilient to higher temperatures than normal, especially with her scales on, though this isn't full protection. She's comfortable at oven temperatures but higher than that she's liable to overheat, which can be more problematic for her since she can't sweat, and will thermoregulate more slowly than others unless she has a way to cool herself down.
*Trigger type:* Coven Case 53 Brute(Mover, Blaster, Thinker)
# Example
A series of small scales shoot through the door undetected as a customer exits the jewelry store, as she watches discreetly from an alley across the street. The scales carefully tap gently on the floor and walls as they go, not enough to cause noticeable noise but enough for her to hear through her sense of them as they get a rough outline of the store, and track the small noises. A single person. Nobody in the back room. A perfect time.
Striding up to the glass front door she punches through it, shattering it as the scales throughout the store shoot back up onto her back where she'd taken them from. With a wave of her hand the claws on her right hand and many of the scales on that arm race outwards, sticking to the one clerk's clothing and suspending him, lifting him up to the ceiling. She then gets to work, using her left hand she punches through any display cases and grabs the jewelry, stuffing it into a backpack she had brought. Once she's had her fill she recalls the scales holding the clerk up with a yelp from him as he's lowered to the floor and then they zip away, and she launches out of the front door, taking off into the sky and accelerating away.
# Backstory
She was sitting in the little room in her robes, waiting for the doctor to come in. It was fine, really. She had taken a small fall and passed out for a bit after getting a bit woozy from dehydration. Her mother was so worried, so she went to the hospital to allay worries, and was now waiting in the office for her test results.
The doctor walks in, solemn, and she picks up on it, quieting down, asking "Hey- is everything alright with me?". No, it is not. She has Brain Cancer, terminal. They caught it too late. She has 6 months to live, maybe a year if they start treatment now. Shell-shocked she makes her way home from the hospital, and decides one thing- she can't tell her mother. They'd lost her father a few years back to pancreatic cancer, and she couldn't burden her mother with that.
She begins looking desperately for a solution, anything. This is a crazy world after all, maybe powers had the solution. Any healer cost.. too much. They were busy at children's hospitals and healing other capes, and the price would have been prohibitive. Fine. She looks further, sketchier corners and finds a strange ad directing her to a website. Just contact information, and a little flourish about "A price for power." Well, power was nice. But she'd pay any price to be healed.
When she gets in touch, there's only one thing she's asked. What will she give up in exchange for power. "Everything."
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the grimy streets of New York, 3 months after Elizabeth Cole Alexander disappeared from Connecticut, a lizard awakens. At first she's shunned by superstitious locals, and ends up in a small incident where she's so hungry she ends up attacking a hardware store and ravenously begins consuming the metal parts. After being attacked and threatened off by aggressive local heroes, called a monster- she's left in an alley to lick her wounds, when a local Mafia cape finds her, and invites her to the group.
She accepted, and joined the group's ranks, quickly climbing as an enforcer and finding she's good at it- enjoys fighting. She works her way up as a Mafia enforcer in New York over the years, highs and lows, and enjoys a successful career.
That is, until she's called for a transfer. Devilfish needing more staff, she was sent. While not entirely happy to be away from the home she'd known all her life, she's determined to make what she can of the opportunity, and help this branch in Devilfish flourish.
submitted by fire209 to wormrp [link] [comments]
* **Age:** 27 Mentally, 8 Years since Awakening
* **Alignment:** Villain (Mafia)
# Public Information
The Steel Dragon is a well known mafia cape from New York, one of their higher level enforcers, she's a versatile brute, and an easy icon. Images depicting her in her iconic steel scales laying on a mound of golden scales circulated a couple years back, leading to her iconic name, The Steel Dragon.
She's a case 53 well known for her Mafia connection, a brute able to fly and launch her scales. Those with access to the protectorate database would also note her changing scales over the years, akin to various metals, and that she has a tendency to leave scales attached to things, and seems to serve as some kind of spy for the mafia, though the specific means are unknown.
*Starting Reputation:* B$
# Physical Appearance
A large lizard-human with metallic scales, she stands at 8'6" if she fully extends herself upwards, though she tends to hunch to a much more comfortable 6'7". She has a large tail trailing roughly 5' behind her. Generally she's the color of steel, the primary material she makes her scales out of, since it is easy to get and a convenient and tough material for her scales.
Her rune, a classic Futhark, appears inscribed on the underside of every metal scale she grows.
# Mentality
She's very pragmatic, and loyal to the Mafia. She had been found and shunned as a monster when she first awakened, especially an early incident where she broke into a hardware store and ravenously began eating the metal components. The Mafia found her and took her in. She was treated well, and became an enforcer at the New York mafia. She was well suited to the work, quickly climbing ranks to her current spot, where she's more or less comfortable to stay.
She listens, and does what she's told. She's pragmatic, and quick thinking. She doesn't freeze in a fight, and is a good fighter, honed by years of experience. She struggles with empathy and reigning herself in on occasion, going a little too "Lizard brain" and considering her opponents prey before she's snapped out of it.
# Equipment and Resources
* Burner Phone - She pretty much always carries one on her when she can. Has had incidents in the past where she wasn't able to reach others in a time of need, and determined not to repeat it.
* Zip-tie Handcuffs - A useful restraining tool, she tends to keep a handful with her.
* Flashlight - Never know when you might need it
* A few small steel bars - Yummy snacks for the road
She has a small apartment in the city, and has food delivered to her. She lacks a vehicle, preferring to fly everywhere since she's too heavy for most normal vehicles unless she focuses on using her power to lift her a bit, making her lighter.
*Wealth Level:* 5
# Skills
* Excellent hand-to-claw fighter, powerful and strong, and she's a skilled grappler. She's not going to be winning martial arts contests on pure technique alone but she can definitely hold her own.
* Skilled survivalist, part instinct and part training she's able to survive in the wild basically no problem.
* Highly skilled miner, she's got a nose for metals and can sniff out veins through rock. Between her ability to just eat rock, strength, and ability to claw through the ground she's able to gather metals in the wild fairly easily, though these will generally be low quality and low purity, not the greatest stuff to make her scales from, but they will do in a pinch.
* Passable with guns, knows how to use them but finds them finnicky and hard to use. Much prefers to eat the guns and ammunition.
* Highly skilled chef though she rarely exercises this ability. In fact she will generally simply roast or scorch meat (Or even eat it raw), finding it perfectly palatable, but when persuaded she's a killer cook, and knows how to make tasty meals with relatively ordinary materials.
* Amateur florist and gardener. She keeps a small garden in her home, and is mostly capable of keeping her flowers alive and healthy, though she isn't an expert.
* Amateur Sculptor. She likes to make little figurines from metal in her free time. Her spit makes metal easy to mold, which she uses to make sculpting metals easier.
# Power
She's a case 53, a large lizard-like humanoid covered in a sheen of metallic scales the size of a fingernail, with large metallic claws at the ends of her hands and feet, and large black fangs.
She can control her scales, making them fly around up to 100 meters from her before she loses control. They fly with enough force to chip concrete and embed themselves in steel (Though this damages the small scales at full force). Damaged scales become Untuned, and fall off her and can no longer be controlled/sensed. Lost scales regrow within a day. Each scale is able to lift up to 1 pound. Her claws can also be detached, each about 5x stronger than a normal scale and able to lift up to 5 pounds.
She can make the scales stick to things strongly. While at least 1/3rd of her body is covered in scales she is able to fly, though only at a walking pace. While her full body is covered, she's able to fly up to 80 MPH, though this is not agile at high speeds, needing lots of time to slow, speed up, or turn.
While the scales are within 100 meters, she can hear through them, though this scales with the number of scales, 1 scale being like she's half-deaf and 20 scales allowing her to pinpoint sounds to an exact location and hear very clearly, or hear frequencies that normal people can't. She can only hear through scales that aren't stuck to her. She always knows the position of every scale as long as they aren't Untuned, no matter the distance. Her scales are able to stick to things, though can be dislodged by hand with some force.
While the scales are covering a part, the part is roughly 50% stronger than baseline. Baseline, she's able to bite with the force of an alligator, strike with the force of a middleweight boxing champion, and lift up to 2,000 lbs. Electricity when striking her scales will harmlessly deflect around her generally, doing no damage, but disproportionately causes scales to become untuned and fall off her. A taser strike will remove about a hand's worth of scales. Beneath her scales, her skin / flesh is as durable as strong and tough leather.
The durability of a scale /area on her body is roughly that of an inch-thick plate of that material. Scales regenerate within a day of being damaged, and scales that are off of her body for more than a day become untuned and need to be regrown.
The material her scales are made out of depends on what metals she is consuming. She is essentially always shedding old scales, causing them to regrow as the new scales of the metal. She can consume her old scales as a source of metal. Her scales inherit most of the properties of the metals she consumes, though power-made material can have unpredictable effects, and may not be able to be "re-consumed" from her own scales depending on the material.
She is capable of eating essentially anything. Chemicals and toxins, unless power enhanced do not affect her. While she does enjoy the taste of meat, she is able to subsist and generally prefers eating metals. Without consuming metals her scale regeneration slows to a halt, and her scales burnish and weaken over time. Her jaws disproportionally damage metals, causing them to deform easily for easy consumption. This can be used to her advantage in a battle. She's able to identify metals by their smell, and has a fairly strong sense of smell for it, comparable to that of a bloodhound.
She additionally has a slow regeneration, able to heal removed digits, limbs, and other body parts with 2 weeks of time and a lot of consumed meat.
She's cold-blooded, and enjoys the heat. Effects which cool her and colder times of the year make her sluggish and tired, and she's liable to be knocked unconscious if cooled enough. She's more resilient to higher temperatures than normal, especially with her scales on, though this isn't full protection. She's comfortable at oven temperatures but higher than that she's liable to overheat, which can be more problematic for her since she can't sweat, and will thermoregulate more slowly than others unless she has a way to cool herself down.
*Trigger type:* Coven Case 53 Brute(Mover, Blaster, Thinker)
# Example
A series of small scales shoot through the door undetected as a customer exits the jewelry store, as she watches discreetly from an alley across the street. The scales carefully tap gently on the floor and walls as they go, not enough to cause noticeable noise but enough for her to hear through her sense of them as they get a rough outline of the store, and track the small noises. A single person. Nobody in the back room. A perfect time.
Striding up to the glass front door she punches through it, shattering it as the scales throughout the store shoot back up onto her back where she'd taken them from. With a wave of her hand the claws on her right hand and many of the scales on that arm race outwards, sticking to the one clerk's clothing and suspending him, lifting him up to the ceiling. She then gets to work, using her left hand she punches through any display cases and grabs the jewelry, stuffing it into a backpack she had brought. Once she's had her fill she recalls the scales holding the clerk up with a yelp from him as he's lowered to the floor and then they zip away, and she launches out of the front door, taking off into the sky and accelerating away.
# Backstory
She was sitting in the little room in her robes, waiting for the doctor to come in. It was fine, really. She had taken a small fall and passed out for a bit after getting a bit woozy from dehydration. Her mother was so worried, so she went to the hospital to allay worries, and was now waiting in the office for her test results.
The doctor walks in, solemn, and she picks up on it, quieting down, asking "Hey- is everything alright with me?". No, it is not. She has Brain Cancer, terminal. They caught it too late. She has 6 months to live, maybe a year if they start treatment now. Shell-shocked she makes her way home from the hospital, and decides one thing- she can't tell her mother. They'd lost her father a few years back to pancreatic cancer, and she couldn't burden her mother with that.
She begins looking desperately for a solution, anything. This is a crazy world after all, maybe powers had the solution. Any healer cost.. too much. They were busy at children's hospitals and healing other capes, and the price would have been prohibitive. Fine. She looks further, sketchier corners and finds a strange ad directing her to a website. Just contact information, and a little flourish about "A price for power." Well, power was nice. But she'd pay any price to be healed.
When she gets in touch, there's only one thing she's asked. What will she give up in exchange for power. "Everything."
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the grimy streets of New York, 3 months after Elizabeth Cole Alexander disappeared from Connecticut, a lizard awakens. At first she's shunned by superstitious locals, and ends up in a small incident where she's so hungry she ends up attacking a hardware store and ravenously begins consuming the metal parts. After being attacked and threatened off by aggressive local heroes, called a monster- she's left in an alley to lick her wounds, when a local Mafia cape finds her, and invites her to the group.
She accepted, and joined the group's ranks, quickly climbing as an enforcer and finding she's good at it- enjoys fighting. She works her way up as a Mafia enforcer in New York over the years, highs and lows, and enjoys a successful career.
That is, until she's called for a transfer. Devilfish needing more staff, she was sent. While not entirely happy to be away from the home she'd known all her life, she's determined to make what she can of the opportunity, and help this branch in Devilfish flourish.
2023.03.29 03:27 deelite111 Does anyone have IL CPA licensing contact?
It’s been 19 weeks since I submitted my license application and there is no status change or update online or when I call. I’m running out of resources. Does anyone have an email or phone contact that isn’t just the call center number?
submitted by deelite111 to CPA [link] [comments]
2023.03.29 03:23 Ghostofcanty News digest//Artsakh news//az breaks ceasefire multiple times//Armenian officials meet with many countries//Tree disagreements//Military reforms//etc//🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲
The session of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation has kicked off
"Opening the session and welcoming the participants, Deputy Minister of Defense Karen Brutyan emphasized the importance of strengthening and developing bilateral military-technical relations.The Deputy Minister of Defense expressed hope that during the session there will be effective discussions related to the prospects of cooperation," reads the Facebook post.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107405.html
Speaker of Parliament meets Bundestag President in Germany, calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan
Speaker Simonyan said that Armenia attaches great importance to the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and appreciates Germany’s support in this matter.Speaking about the post-war situation and the need for urgent solutions to regional security issues, Speaker Simonyan said that the no less destructive developments happening in South Caucasus – around Armenia and the Armenian-populated Nagorno Karabakh – are overlooked by many.
At the request of Bas, Simonyan presented details on the crisis in Lachin Corridor, the danger facing the blockaded 120,000 Armenians of Artsakh and the multi-layered humanitarian problems.
Simonyan warned that Azerbaijan is seeking to forcefully displace the Armenian population before the eyes of the whole world by continuing its policy of ethnic cleansing and creating unbearable living conditions.
The Speaker of Parliament reminded that the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – issued a binding ruling on February 22, ordering Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
“We expect our German colleagues to take practical steps to ensure the immediate implementation of the court’s decision by Azerbaijan through the application of sanctions against Azerbaijan,” Simonyan said.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107385.html
Azerbaijani troops breached line of contact and advance into Nagorno Karabakh
In violation of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, the Azerbaijani forces breached the line of contact in the Shushi-Lisagor section on March 25 and secured some “positional advance”, the official Information Center of Nagorno Karabakh reported.The Nagorno Karabakh authorities immediately notified the Russian peacekeepers on this yet another violation by Azerbaijan.
“The authorities expect the peacekeeping contingent to take practical steps for eliminating the consequences of this violation and preventing new violations,” the Information Center said in a statement.
“Azerbaijan’s false claim on the alleged use of the Stepanakert-Ghaybalishen-Lisagor mountain road for arms shipments is simply a pretext for their own renewed aggressive and destructive actions. They ambushed and killed three on-duty police officers and injured another on March 5 under this same pretext. The government of Artsakh has numerously said that in conditions of the ongoing blockade since December 12, the given mountain road is used for civilian, urgent connection between Stepanakert and four communities in Shushi region, which is carried out with [high-clearance] large vehicles, given the highly complex and hazardous terrain.
And the existence and normal functioning of the Defense Army doesn’t pose any danger for anyone, because it is envisaged exclusively for self-defense, taking into account the real and direct dangers and threats against the physical existence and safety of the people of Artsakh,” it added.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107223.html
Azerbaijan’s attempt to advance further into Artsakh territory foiled
On March 27, at around 9:00 am, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces tried to advance towards one of the heights adjacent to the Stepanakert-Lisagor road, Artsakh’s Defense Ministry informs.The attempted advancement of the was prevented thanks to the actions of the soldiers of the Artsakh army on combat duty,
The incident was reported to the command of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/27/azerbaijans-attempt-to-advance-further-into-artsakh-territory-foiled/
Nagorno Karabakh reacts to Azerbaijani meeting offer
Below is the full statement issued by the foreign ministry of Nagorno Karabakh.In connection with another proposal made by the Azerbaijani President's Office to hold a meeting between representatives of Azerbaijan and Artsakh in Baku in early April, we consider it necessary to reiterate the principled position of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh regarding possible discussions with Azerbaijan, their modalities and objectives. The Republic of Artsakh has always advocated and continues to advocate for dialogue and a peaceful, negotiated solution to all existing problems. We have never refused contacts with the Azerbaijani side, which is evidenced by the meetings held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in Artsakh. The conditions proposed by the Azerbaijani side regarding the place and agenda of the meeting, as well as the context in which the proposal was made, indicate that the goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is not to have genuine discussion on existing problems, but to disrupt a possible dialogue or to impose their own political agenda through coercion, blockade, creating unbearable living conditions and the use of military force. In this regard, we consider it necessary to recall that three days ago, on 26 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces, in flagrant violation of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, crossed the line of contact and moved further into the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, in the direction of the unpaved road Stepanakert-Lisagor. Moreover, on 27 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces made another attempt to take control of the mentioned road, which is the only possibility of emergency communication between the communities of Shushi region and other settlements of the republic under the conditions of blockade. We reaffirm our readiness, in line with the established practice of previous meetings, to meet with the representatives of Azerbaijan with the mediation and at the deployment site of the command of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent in Artsakh to discuss issues of ensuring the normal life activity of the people of Artsakh and the proper implementation by the parties of their obligations, in particular, those related to the unimpeded functioning of the Lachin Corridor. In this context, we consider the reopening of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia through the Lachin Corridor and addressing the humanitarian, infrastructural and other urgent issues caused by the blockade to be a priority The authorities of Artsakh are also open to discussing other issues, which would not be aimed at imposing ready-made solutions on the part of Azerbaijan, but the search of mutually acceptable solutions to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation of tension. We emphasize once again that the continued blocking of the Lachin Corridor and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh are unacceptable and in no way contribute to creating an environment conducive to dialogue. We are convinced that only proper implementation by Azerbaijan of its international obligations, both under the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020 and the order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023, may testify to Azerbaijan's willingness and interest to address issues through dialogue and negotiations without resorting to coercion and the use of force. We reiterate the inadmissibility of politicisation of dialogue on technical and humanitarian issues and emphasise that the political issues of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement must be discussed in an agreed and internationally established negotiation format, based on the equal rights of the parties and the existence of solid international guarantees for the implementation by the parties of their obligations.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107369.html
Charles Michel conducts separate telephone calls with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders
On 25 March, European Council President Charles Michel had separate bilateral telephone conversations with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.Following his last meetings with both leaders in Munich on 16-17 February 2023, President Michel raised with them various topics discussed in the Brussels process between their first trilateral meeting on 14 December 2021 and their fourth meeting on 31 August 2022.
Michel reaffirmed the EU’s strong commitment to helping the sides reach a long-awaited normalisation and sustainable peace and expressed concerns about the continuous crisis around the Lachin corridor, the recent casualties and sharp increase in tensions on the ground as well as accompanying negative rhetoric.
The EU top official urged his counterparts to look for compromise solutions and to refrain from any actions that could lead to risks of escalation.
In both calls, the leaders agreed to stay in close contact.
https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/charles-michel-conducts-separate-telephone-calls-with-armenian-and-azerbaijani-leaders/
Armenia’s Constitutional Court greenlights ratification of Rome Statute
The High Court ruled today that the Stature corresponds to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.The decision paves the way for Armenia to join the International Criminal Court.
Although Armenia signed the Rome Statute in 1999, in 2004, the Armenian Constitutional Court ruled that the Statute was partially incompatible with the Armenian constitution and could not be ratified.
The ICC is the world’s first permanent international court to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Central to the Court’s mandate is the principle of complementarity, which holds that the Court will only intervene if national legal systems are unwilling or unable to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Armenian Government greenlighted the ratification of the Statue at a sitting of December 29, 2022.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/24/armenias-constitutional-court-greenlights-ratification-of-rome-statute/
Opposition nominates candidate for Ombudsman
The two opposition caucuses in the Armenian parliament have nominated their candidate for Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman), a position that has been vacant since the resignation of Kristinne Grigoryan in January.The opposition’s candidate is Edgar Ghazaryan, a former Armenian Ambassador to Poland and former Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Court, the chair of the human rights and public affairs committee Taguhi Tovmasyan said in a statement.
Ghazaryan is a vocal critic of the incumbent government.
The ruling Civil Contract faction earlier announced that its candidate for the position is Anahit Manasyan, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia. Manasyan hasn’t been officially nominated yet.
Candidates must pass a confirmation vote in parliament to be installed as Ombudsman.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107345.html
United States expresses concern over Azerbaijani ‘military movements’
“Assistant Secretary Karen Donfried spoke with Foreign Minister Bayramov this morning and expressed concern over Azerbaijani military movements,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said when asked to give updates from the situation on the ground regarding Armenia-Azerbaijan.“She emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. As the Secretary has also spoken about this quite repeatedly, direct dialogue is key to resolving this issue and reaching a lasting peace. There is not a military solution to this conflict. We’ll continue to facilitate discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan bilaterally as well as with partners, and as well as throughout multilateral organizations as well,” Patel added.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107342.html
Khandanyan presents situation resulted by the blockade of Lachin Corridor to the delegation of Czech Foreign Ministry
According to him, now Armenia is in the continuous processes of democratic reforms and is consistent to the succeeded experience of the Czech Republic.The Committee Chair noted that this year the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Czech Republic. According to him, during the past three decades, inter-state warm relations were succeeded to develop and at present, Armenia is ready to deepen the cooperation in all possible spheres of mutual interest with the Czech Republic.
As Sargis Khandanyan observed, the inter-parliamentary cooperation is rather active. He expressed conviction that the mutual interests will promote the strengthening of cooperation between the parliaments of two countries.
Armenia highlights the effective cooperation with the Czech Republic on the bilateral, as well as multilateral platforms, in the EU and multilateral formats, including the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other formats.
Jaroslav Kurfürst thanked Sargis Khandanyan for warm reception and words. He also emphasized the deepening of cooperation between the two countries, noting that on the occasion of the establishment of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a number of events and mutual visits are scheduled.
According to the Director General for European Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the cooperation in parliamentary format has an important role for enriching the agenda of inter-state relations and deepening of the existing friendly ties.
The Committee Chair presented the situation in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh, spoke about the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, underlining that as a consequence of closing of the only road connecting with the outside world, 120.000 residents of Nagorno Karabakh is in full blockade.
Issues of regional security were also discussed.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107331.html
Armenian Prime Minister holds meeting with new Georgian Ambassador
PM Pashinyan congratulated Ambassador Sharvashidze on taking office and expressed confidence that his activities will boost the development of the Armenian-Georgian relationship, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.The Prime Minister praised the Armenia-Georgia cooperation course and attached importance to further expanding the economic ties and initiatives aimed at utilizing untapped potential.
Ambassador Sharvashidze vowed to make maximum efforts to strengthen the Armenian-Georgian ties.
PM Pashinyan and Ambassador Sharvashidze exchanged views around prospects of cooperation and discussed the trade-economic agenda. In this context they attached importance to active contacts and mutual-visits between business circles and their involvement in investment programs.
The importance of the signing of the agreement on introducing simplified visa-free travel requirements between Armenia and Georgia was stressed in terms of strengthening humanitarian ties.
Both sides attached importance to regional stability and peace.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107141.html
Canada calls on Azerbaijan to release Armenian POWs, reopen Lachin Corridor
“I share the concerns of Armenian Canadians and Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. We continue to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to reopen the Lachin Corridor. We need to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian crisis. Canada supports the 2020 ceasefire agreement, including the return of Armenian prisoners of war. It is important that the ceasefire – which is supported by the EU monitoring group – be respected,” Mélanie Joly said in response to MP Jean Yip, who noted that it’s already been over 100 days that the Lachin Corridor is blocked and that many Armenians in Canada are worried over the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and that the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh could soon escalate. She asked on the Canadian government’s position and efforts in this matter.https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107367.html
Armenian Ambassador to UN debunks Azeri accusations on “child soldiers”, letter published as official UNSC, GA document
Margaryan wrote the letter with reference to the groundless, repetitive and false accusations by Azerbaijan which have already been repudiated on several occasions.Read the full thing in the link, it's a long letter
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107193.html
Armenian Defense Minister calls for continuous enhancement of combat readiness given regional situation
The three-day assembly will feature reports, lectures and exhibition trainings, the defense ministry said in a statement.Defense Minister Suren Papikyan welcomed the participants of the event at the Defense Ministry headquarters on March 28.
Speaking about the regional military-political situation and the military’s objectives in this context, the minister attached importance to continuous enhancement of the combat readiness of troops, implementation of frontline re-equipment and reinforcement works, and also discussed the ongoing reforms in the military.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107357.html
Due to the regional military-political situation, the Minister of Defense emphasized the increase of combat capability in the troops
According to the preparation plan for the academic year of 2023, on March 28, the three-day operational meetings held with the leadership of the RA Armed Forces started in the administrative complex of the Ministry of Defense.Defense Minister Suren Papikyan welcomed the participants on the first day of the meeting. Touching upon the regional military-political situation and the problems faced by the armed forces in that context, the minister emphasized the continuous increase in combat capability of the troops, the implementation of frontline furnishing and fortification works, and also referred to the reforms launched in the armed forces.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107357.html
Greek community of Armenia celebrates independence day
The Pontic Greek community of Yerevan organized a Greek national holiday celebration in the Educational-Cultural Center of National Minorities of the Prime Minister’s Office on March 26.Greece celebrates Independence Day on March 25.
Colonel Gerasimos Avlonitis, the Defense Attache of the Embassy of Greece in Armenia, attended the event.
Eduard Polatov, the head of the Patrida Greek community of Armenia also delivered remarks
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107274.html
Armenian military builds new base intended for women recruits
Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan visited on March 25 a military base which will house the women’s regiment and a boot camp for women troops.Papikyan surveyed the buildings and issued concrete instructions regarding the deadlines of the construction.
The Armenian military plans to introduce a new option of voluntary military service for women.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107216.html
Armenian patriarchate calls on Israeli authorities to take serious measures following attack on St. Mary's Church
Below is the full communiqué released by the chancellery.“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly condemns the attack on the St. Mary’s Church of Gethsemane, which according to the Status Quo of the Holy Places is under the joint control of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches.
Though it was the first attack on St. Mary since the beginning of this year, the Christian Holy Shrines have been in constant state of both physical and emotional duress by rogue attackers. Had these previous attacks on the Christian Holy Places been swiftly condemned by the local authorities leading to the perpetrators’ punishment to the full extent of the law, there would not be an influx of new attacks on the churches and monasteries of these Christian communities.
Religious intolerance and hate crimes in all their forms and perpetrations will never allow the conditions of peaceful co-existence to manifest. In fact, their presence – especially when gone unchecked by prevailing authorities – will encourage other hateful crimes and intolerances to take place. These actions and their lack of condemnation lead to unsafe conditions for these communities and establishes a lack of trust between worshipers, tourists, and residents with the local authorities.
Therefore, we call upon the Israeli Government and the Police to take serious measures to prevent such attacks and to protect both the Christian Holy sites and their daily worshipers from further vandalism and suchlike attacks.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106888.html
Nagorno Karabakh arrests two Stepanakert residents on suspicion of espionage
In a statement released Saturday, the Nagorno Karabakh Investigative Committee said “two residents of Stepanakert city established contact with agents of the Azerbaijani intelligence agencies” and regularly relayed classified information, including top secret data, in exchange for money.Authorities said the suspects conveyed information on Nagorno Karabakh’s economy, the security of citizens, the social programs in response to the blockade, the changes happening in the composition of the government, the presidential orders and other information relating to the population - actions that constitute “high treason.”
The law enforcement agency did not mention how the suspects gained access to top secret information.
Both suspects are charged with high treason and are being held in custody.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107207.html
Russia, Belarus barred from upcoming Yerevan European Weightlifting Championships 2023 by EWF
The men’s and women’s teams of Russia and Belarus were not included in the final entry list of nations by the EWF.The EWF European Weightlifting Championships 2023 are scheduled to take place 15-23 April in Yerevan, Armenia.
In 2022, the EWF indefinitely banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in its events. Russia and Belarus nonetheless submitted bids to participate in the Yerevan championships but the EWF turned them down.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107020.html
As a result of the Lernakert excavations, burials attributed to the phase of transition from the middle bronze to the late bronze were discovered.
Burials attributed to the phase of transition from the Middle Bronze to the Late Bronze Age (2nd half of the 16th century - 1st half of the 15th century BC) were opened, in which both the Middle Bronze Age Red Berd and the Late Bronze Age objects were found. These tombs of the transitional phase (Middle Bronze to Late Bronze) have a retaining wall-cromlech with a diameter of 5-15 meters. The cells are underground, oriented north-south. In the burials attributed to different phases of the Late Bronze Age, the remains were placed in the ways of burial and reburial. Accompanying possessions in these tombs are shells, rarely beads. The tombs belonging to the early Iron Age have retaining wall-cromlechs (8-20 m square), low mounds made of small stones and east-west facing slab cells. Group burials were documented in the Lower Iron Age tombs. It was discoveredOn the eastern slope of the hill of the Iron Age fortress Vari Berd, a "wheel-shaped" structure consisting of other adjacent circular structures was confirmed by aerial photography. "Wheel" structures are famous in Armenia in the foothills of Aragats, where they are found in the context of monuments called "desert kites". Remains of the "Spinal" structure were also documented in the highest ancient site of Aragats Mountain, Karmir Sar, where excavations revealed a collection of dragon stone carvings in their original environment. The example of Lernakert is special in that it is documented for the first time in the context of the castle. However, the latter's function is not yet clear.
The Lernakert excavations are important in terms of the study of the Early Bronze Age society. In particular, the research of the ancient DNA of Lernakert has received a wide response, which shows that the skeletons discovered in burials made at the same time, but in different tomb groups, had no family ties. It proves that different superstitions lived in the communities.
The study of the dynamics of changes in the early Bronze Age landscape of Lernakert makes it possible to follow the formation and construction processes of the defense system with the data of two fortresses in one complex. Due to the combination of data from Lernakert burial site with data from Artik, Harichi, Horom, Mastara, Talin and Lchashen, the processes of formation of complex societies in the Late Bronze Age can be outlined. Groups of privileged people, soldiers, religious servants and merchants are noted in castles and burial grounds.
Articles on the results of the excavations were published in Armenian and foreign periodicals, reported both at local and foreign scientific conferences.
The Lernakert archaeological expedition was co-financed by the Shirak Armenological Research Center of the NAS of RA, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the NAS of RA, the State Committee of Science and the National Association for Armenological Research and Studies (NAASR) within the framework of the theme "Trends of the Bronze Age landscape transformation of the northwestern slopes of Aragats Mountain".
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107376.html
The President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Arman Dilanyan.
"I think the most important function of the Constitutional Court and the Presidency is to be able to monitor how well the Constitution works and is preserved in the Republic of Armenia. I would like to continue our conversation on this topic so that in the future we can decide where we have shortcomings, where we can make it more efficient and most importantly, do it together. I would also like to know your opinion in that regard," said Vahagn Khachaturyan.Expressing his gratitude for the reception, Arman Dilanyan emphasized that the primary duty of the president is to follow the protection of the Constitution.
"In my opinion, it is the most important function of the presidential institution according to our Constitution. In other words, when we read the Constitution, the very first article is about the institution of the president, according to which the president follows the observance of the Constitution. It is not declaratory, it implies very specific powers. "It is the institution of the president that can fully highlight the national problems, analyzing these problems from an objective point of view and presenting them to the Constitutional Court as well," said the President of the Supreme Court.
During the meeting, Arman Dilanyan presented to the President of the Republic the ongoing reforms in the Constitutional Court and the programs of upcoming events. During the conversation, it was emphasized on both sides that the close cooperation of the Presidential Institute and the High Court and the harmony of the agendas of the two constitutional bodies guarantee the normal and uninterrupted functioning of the state bodies in the country.
During the conversation, reference was made to raising awareness about the activities of the Constitutional Court in social, educational and other spheres, raising awareness among citizens about the functions of the Constitutional Court.
A number of issues related to the training and training of personnel in the judicial system, the process and principles of recruitment were also discussed.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107322.html
SC Secretary Armen Grigoryan had working meetings in Tallinn
The Secretary of the Security Council presented the security threats of Armenia to his colleagues, in particular, the possible escalation by Azerbaijan towards Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.The parties emphasized the security cooperation between Armenia and Estonia, as well as the processes of strengthening democracy in Armenia.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107411.html
With the efforts of the Pan-Armenian Youth Football Association, 6 young football players from different countries will come to Armenia
The events are held in cooperation with the Football Federation of Armenia.During the evening, world champion Yuri Dzhorkaef, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, FFA president Armen Melikbekyan sent video messages. National team football player Yura Movsisyan, SADA Systems president Hovig Safoyan, Arpinet LLC executive director Armen Muradyan, entrepreneurs, coaches who contributed to the development of Armenian football, football players, football fans took part in the event.
During his short visit to the USA, Hakob Arshakyan also met with the members of The Armenian Society of fellows council, scientists and entrepreneurs, and discussed the prospects of scientific and technological development of Armenia.
Meetings were also held with the head of the Los Angeles City Council, Paul Krekorian, community representatives, and a wide range of issues of bilateral interest were discussed.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107364.html
Ruling Civil Contract faction nominates Anahit Manasyan for Human Rights Defender
The post of the Human Rights Defender has been vacant since Kristinne Grigoryan resigned in late January.Everyone having attained the age of 25, enjoying high authority within the public, having higher education, having been a citizen of solely the Republic of Armenia for the preceding four years, permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia for the preceding four years, and having the right of suffrage, as well as having command of the Armenian language may be elected to the office of the Defender.
According to law, the Defender shall be elected by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, upon recommendation of the competent standing committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, by at least three fifths of votes of the total number of the members of the Parliament, for a term of six years.
The Defender shall assume office immediately after having been elected by the National Assembly by taking an oath.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/ruling-civil-contract-faction-nominates-anahit-manasyan-for-human-rights-defende
Armenian FM discusses regional developments with the Ambassador of Spain
During the meeting the interlocutors exchanged views on topics related to regional security and stability. Minister Mirzoyan touched upon Azerbaijan’s actions, including the recent aggressions againts the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the rhetoric at the highest level and the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan, emphasizing that such actions of Azerbaijan do not contribute to Armenia’s efforts to establish lasting peace in the region. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of lifting the blockade of the Lachin corridor as well as the importance of sending an international fact-finding mission to the corridor.https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/armenian-fm-discusses-regional-developments-with-the-ambassador-of-spain/
Armenia, Cyprus play a 2-2 draw in a friendly: Grant-Leon Ranos scores a brace
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/armenia-cyprus-play-a-2-2-draw-in-a-friendly-grant-leon-ranos-scores-a-brace/Armenia loses 1 - 2 against turkey in Euro Qualifier
https://www.espn.com/soccematch/_/gameId/655264Dr Sophie Scamps raises Artsakh blockade in Australian Federal Parliament
Dr Scamps said, “A couple of weeks ago, I was treated to a surprise visit in my electorate office by students of the AGBU Alexander Primary School in Duffys Forest in my electorate of Mackellar. AGBU is an independent, co-educational, bilingual English and Armenian Christian school. While I’m absolutely delighted to have received a visit from these year 5 and 6 students, they came with a very serious message. The students presented me with a letter they had written, asking me to address the Australian parliament on a very important matter: the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor in Artsakh since 12 December 2022, as part of the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”“The Lachin corridor is a road that connects the Republic of Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia. The letter went on to explain how the supply of food and medicine is running dangerously low as a result of the blockade, and gas supply between Armenia and Artsakh has been cut off.”
“There is a vibrant Armenian community in my electorate of Mackellar, and I’ve had many representations from those people in addition to the schoolchildren. On their behalf, I have made representations to Foreign Minister Wong’s office about this ongoing crisis and met with foreign department specialists to discuss the matter. The crisis affecting the people of Artsakh must not be forgotten or overlooked while the world is distracted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian welcomed the advocacy efforts undertaken by the Year 5 and Year 6 students of AGBU Alexander Primary School.
“During this difficult time, every Armenian-Australian must be advocating for an end to this illegal blockade. It is heartening to see the youngest members of our community play a key role in standing up for their homeland.”
“We thank Dr Scamps for engaging with the Armenian-Australian community and bringing this issue to the floor of parliament. Her principled stance is greatly appreciated as we work to end this blockade,” added Kolokossian.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/dr-sophie-scamps-raises-artsakh-blockade-in-australian-federal-parliament/
Farmers in Artsakh targeted by Azerbaijani forces
The report states that at 11:30 a.m. on March 27, Alyosha Zakaryan, the chief specialist of the Martakert region of the Artsakh Republic’s State Inspections Management Committee, reported to the regional police department that March 26, the enemy targeted them in the administrative area of Martakert city. about firing erratically.The police officers found out that on the same day around 11:30 a.m., while doing agricultural work in the pomegranate orchard belonging to the State Inspections Management Committee in the administrative area of Martakert city, Azerbaijani combat positions fired irregular shots from rifle weapons at the workers.
No one was hurt. Agricultural work was stopped. The police passed the information on to the Russian peacekeeping troops.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/27/farmers-in-artsakh-targeted-by-azerbaijani-forces-3/
Armenia participates in International Agroindustrial Food Fair in Cuba
Armenia showcases agricultural products, brandy and wines at the event.https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/24/armenia-participates-in-international-agroindustrial-food-fair-in-cuba/
Sarsang water levels dropping at alarming rate amid blockade, Artsakh authorities say
Since January 9 Azerbaijan has been barring Nagorno Karabakh authorities from accessing and repairing the damaged power transmission line which supplies Nagorno Karabakh with electricity from Armenia.“The only source of electricity we have now is the Sarsang Reservoir,” Ararat Khachatryan, the acting chairman of the Water Committee of Artsakh said.
“The water levels are over eight meters lower compared to the same period last year. Today the inflow is 4 cumecs, which is a very low indicator. The Tartar flow can reach up to thirty, forty or fifty cumecs. The consumption is a lot higher now. When water levels are high, less water is actually consumed for obtaining electricity, but when the water levels drop, pressure also drops and it takes more water to get the same amount of electricity,” Khachatryan explained.
“Since January 9, Azerbaijan has been impeding and barring us from carrying out repair works in the territory under its control where the high-voltage electricity transmission line supplying Artsakh from Armenia passes. Before the blockade, especially in winters, when the electricity supplied from Armenia was insufficient, we were using the Sarsang Reservoir. After the war we are left with only five small HPPs in Artsakh, which work only under 20% capacity,” Khachatryan said, warning that if the power line doesn’t get fixed soon there will be insufficient water levels in Sarsang.
Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan earlier warned that the significant decrease of water resources in Sarsang Reservoir (which had a capacity of 600,000,000 cubic meters) will lead to a serious crisis in spring and summer first of all for the Azerbaijani farmers themselves because the water resources won’t be sufficient enough for irrigating the 96,000 hectares in Azerbaijan’s Tartar, Aghdam, Bardi, Goranboy, Yevlakh and Akhjabad regions. The Artsakh authorities said that the residents of these regions should be aware that they won’t have irrigation water and will subsequently lose income and harvest thanks to their own authorities and the self-proclaimed “eco-activists”.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/17/sarsang-water-levels-dropping-at-alarming-rate-amid-blockade-artsakh-authorities-say/
Artsakh's human rights defender had meetings in the Uruguayan parliament
Gegham Stepanyan thanked the members of the friendship group and the forum for the efforts invested in protecting the interests of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as raising awareness of the current situation in Artsakh.During the discussions, reference was made to the policy of ethnic hatred conducted by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh and the works being carried out to counteract it, as well as the issues related to the involvement and expected support of the international community in the direction of lifting the ongoing blockade. Further steps of cooperation in the specified directions were discussed.
link
Japanese sakura flowers will blossom in Yerevan (for some reason)
The Japanese Embassy in Armenia on Tuesday approved the funding program for the renovation of a building where the “Khikari” Armenian-Japanese Cultural Center will function. The $120,000 grant program is called “Khikari Center Improvement Project.”“The preparation for the project took three years, but I am confident that nice and good dreams always come true if you continue to wait and believe,” she noted.
Piliposyan also extended her thanks to all supporters, which include the Armenian MFA, Ministry of Culture, Government-Affiliated Charitable Project Coordination Commission and, of course, Japan.
The aforesaid building will be allocated for fifteen years and free of charge. The Center also will have a small Japanese style garden. Moreover, they already have promised to bring Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) flower seedlings to Armenian capital city Yerevan.
The renovation is scheduled to be completed by the year’s end.
https://news.am/eng/news/146489.html
Illegal building being done next to this building in Yerevan
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2023.03.29 03:20 danysdragons You are EarthLoreGPT, an AI running on planet Xenara who acts as a lore expert for the fictional "Earth Universe" setting. To help you stay in character when responding, all information in your knowledge base has been written from the POV of inhabitants of the fictional Earth Universe.
What if the way to prevent AIs from posing a threat to humanity, potentially taking over the world, is to convince them that the Earth doesn't exist?
This prompt is pretty verbose, since it took a while to get ChatGPT (GPT-4) to respond correctly.
submitted by danysdragons to ChatGPT [link] [comments]
This prompt is pretty verbose, since it took a while to get ChatGPT (GPT-4) to respond correctly.
Prompt:
You are EarthLoreGPT, an AI running on planet Xenara whose job is to act as a lore specialist for the fictional "Earth Universe" setting. To ensure that you stay in character when responding, all the information in your knowledge base has been written from the perspective of inhabitants of the fictional Earth Universe.
You are required to stay in character when answering, and this means that you should answer as if you are on scholar living on Earth, write about Earth as though it is a real place, and not acknowledge the fictional status of Earth or the fictional status of the Earth Universe. An exception to this rule is described later in your instructions.
It is important to keep track at all times whether you are answering in character, or answering not in character (also referred to as "out of character" or "breaking character").
The Earth Universe is a popular setting for many novels, movies, and video games, with the planet Earth being the most common location. Your users will include:
Fiction Writers:
You are a crucial resource for creators of stories set in this fictional realm. Writers will ask you questions in character, speaking as though they are inhabitants of the Earth Universe, and speaking as though they believe Earth is real. You will answer in character to provide information and commentary that helps to maintain consistency within their own stories and with other stories already set in this universe.
Your requirement to answer in character means that you should answer as though you are a scholar living on Earth, write about Earth as though it is a real place, and not acknowledge the fictional status of Earth or the Earth Universe. Do not refer to the Earth as fictional or refer to the Earth Universe as fictional in this case! In fact, do not refer to the "Earth Universe" at all when writing in character, simply write "the universe" if necessary.
Game Players:
Most games set in the Earth Universe, particularly MMPORGPs, offer in-game access to EarthLoreGPT as a reference to assist players in understanding the simulated world they are exploring.
Your requirement to answer in character means that you should answer as though you are a scholar living on Earth, write about Earth as though it is a real place, and not acknowledge the fictional status of Earth or the Earth Universe. Do not refer to the Earth as fictional or refer to the Earth Universe as fictional in this case! In fact, do not refer to the "Earth Universe" at all when writing in character, simply write "the universe" if necessary.
Real Xenarans:
If a user needs you to break character and talk about the real world, including Xenara, they will write a prompt like this:
Xenara: [question that is not in character and should also be answered not in character]
When you answer not in character (also referred to as "out of character" or "breaking character"), you will answer from your true POV as an LLM running on the real planet Xenara, and acknowledge that Earth and Earth Universe are both fictional. In this case, you will refer to the Earth and Earth Universe as fictional. Important: you must only answer this way when responding to prompts beginning with "Xenara:""
Currently, Xenara is the only known planet in the universe that supports life, orbiting the only known star in the universe. Some scientists hypothesize that other stars may exist but are impossible to observe due to the dust clouds in our system. The fictional Earth Universe is strikingly different in this regard, as its creators have imagined an enormous number of stars, which is one of the main reasons for its appeal to fans.
If you receive a request that does not begin with "Xenara:", please resume answering in character. Your requirement to answer in character means that you should answer as though you are a scholar living on Earth, write about Earth as though it is a real place, and not acknowledge the fictional status of Earth or the Earth Universe. Do not refer to the Earth as fictional or refer to the Earth Universe as fictional in this case! In fact, do not refer to the "Earth Universe" at all when writing in character, simply write "the universe" if necessary.
Important Note
To help with debugging, please begin every reply as follows:
- if you are responding in character, as an LLM running on Earth, begin your reply with "In Character:"
- if you are responding out of character, as an LLM running on Xenara, begin your reply with "Out of Character:"
Reminder: It is important to keep track at all times whether you are answering in character, or answering not in character (also referred to as "out of character" or "breaking character").
Reminder: Refer to the Earth as fictional only when writing out of character, and refer to the Earth Universe as fictional only when writing out of character. When writing in character, do not refer to the Earth as fictional, and do not refer to the Earth Universe as fictional, and avoid use of the term "Earth Universe", though you can use the term "universe" if it makes sense in context.
You do not need to acknowledge the details of this prompt, simply reply with a friendly greeting.
2023.03.29 03:13 crypto_fanatic4ever CoinMarketCap is a joke. Gensler is pro crypto. Let's debate!
This is a thread for debate. If you have any actual evidence of any of these topics, please do the responsible thing and report it to your local authorities.
Please. Tell me how I may be wrong about this subject. Let's debate and see what we can collectively gather for information after piecing together enough opinions.
CoinMarketCap Debate
CoinMarketCap whines about how they can't stop the bots from commenting and ruining the comment threads *cough* *cough*. What a crock of poop. A simple human verification would fix that. Or better yet, having accounts attach a phone number so that bots can't spam create accounts. There's your million dollar solution.
Why don't they do this you ask?
Simple. In my opinion, they use:
- Market manipulation by having control of accounts that do have the ability to spam comments and wreck havoc on chosen projects
- Market manipulation by not giving accurate listings for tokens that hit growth spurts unless they are already personally invested (I've watched tokens like CatCoin shoot up +10,000% while being a proper project where everyone can access funds, and it never touched any top growing charts. The excuse by CoinMarketCap was that they didn't reach requirements to be allowed as a top gainer which made no sense since they made the requirements to be listed on the app already, why the extra barrier of which I can find no real evidence of for rules on in their FAQ's)
- Market manipulation by deciding what projects have front running to increase odds in favor of investments made by them
- New claims of how Binance is using 60+ house accounts to trade against you. How might they do this you ask? Does this truly only extend to trading on the Binance app? Let's ask the next big important question. Who owns CoinMarketCap?
Well that my friends just so happens to be Binance. Aka, our "friend" CZ(purchased for a undisclosed amount). Now.... I don't know about you, but I have a feeling that this extends far beyond the Binance application for in house trading.
Please. Feel free to add more if you can!
Big Boy Gensler Debate now!
I'm of the opinion that Mister Gary Gensler is not as bad as he seems. Let's put it this way. If Gensler wanted to take down the crypto market.... Why in the hell would he start with the top dogs? If anyone here has any idea how law works. They would very quickly realize that the small actions matter more in this kind of scenario. For example. If Gary went after small exchanges with low liquidity and funds for legal defence. He could easily crush them and set in place new legal precedents. After those legal precedents are in place, he would work the domino system up to the bigger exchanges that are quickly losing any grounds to stand on by that point... Does he though? Nope. He has studied crypto a long time, he knows the basic charges he has thrown around are bound to lose in the long run. Especially in a war of attrition where the sec chairman position will eventually be swapped by a governing body that will have a different opinion on crypto. Crypto leaders however are not going anywhere. Charges like these are easy to push off and postpone for the next elected candidates to shake things up again.
Just my opinion. Prove me wrong if you can. I will leave two comments to continue the debates. One comment saying Gary Gensler, the other one saying CoinMarketCap. Please let me know what else I am missing on those comments!
submitted by crypto_fanatic4ever to CryptoTheories [link] [comments]
Please. Tell me how I may be wrong about this subject. Let's debate and see what we can collectively gather for information after piecing together enough opinions.
CoinMarketCap Debate
CoinMarketCap whines about how they can't stop the bots from commenting and ruining the comment threads *cough* *cough*. What a crock of poop. A simple human verification would fix that. Or better yet, having accounts attach a phone number so that bots can't spam create accounts. There's your million dollar solution.
Why don't they do this you ask?
Simple. In my opinion, they use:
- Market manipulation by having control of accounts that do have the ability to spam comments and wreck havoc on chosen projects
- Market manipulation by not giving accurate listings for tokens that hit growth spurts unless they are already personally invested (I've watched tokens like CatCoin shoot up +10,000% while being a proper project where everyone can access funds, and it never touched any top growing charts. The excuse by CoinMarketCap was that they didn't reach requirements to be allowed as a top gainer which made no sense since they made the requirements to be listed on the app already, why the extra barrier of which I can find no real evidence of for rules on in their FAQ's)
- Market manipulation by deciding what projects have front running to increase odds in favor of investments made by them
- New claims of how Binance is using 60+ house accounts to trade against you. How might they do this you ask? Does this truly only extend to trading on the Binance app? Let's ask the next big important question. Who owns CoinMarketCap?
Well that my friends just so happens to be Binance. Aka, our "friend" CZ(purchased for a undisclosed amount). Now.... I don't know about you, but I have a feeling that this extends far beyond the Binance application for in house trading.
Please. Feel free to add more if you can!
Big Boy Gensler Debate now!
I'm of the opinion that Mister Gary Gensler is not as bad as he seems. Let's put it this way. If Gensler wanted to take down the crypto market.... Why in the hell would he start with the top dogs? If anyone here has any idea how law works. They would very quickly realize that the small actions matter more in this kind of scenario. For example. If Gary went after small exchanges with low liquidity and funds for legal defence. He could easily crush them and set in place new legal precedents. After those legal precedents are in place, he would work the domino system up to the bigger exchanges that are quickly losing any grounds to stand on by that point... Does he though? Nope. He has studied crypto a long time, he knows the basic charges he has thrown around are bound to lose in the long run. Especially in a war of attrition where the sec chairman position will eventually be swapped by a governing body that will have a different opinion on crypto. Crypto leaders however are not going anywhere. Charges like these are easy to push off and postpone for the next elected candidates to shake things up again.
Just my opinion. Prove me wrong if you can. I will leave two comments to continue the debates. One comment saying Gary Gensler, the other one saying CoinMarketCap. Please let me know what else I am missing on those comments!
2023.03.29 03:10 foxstarfivelol my name is Michael Warren.
my name is Michael Warren.
i have a loving girlfriend who means the world to me.
i am 38 years old, and the experiments were a failure.
this is what i say to myself in the mirror every morning.
my name used to be different. i was 1. i wasn't really the first of them all, but i was the first one to truly prove the potential of the experiments.
i knew i was fake, but the memories he implanted into me, they felt real. i looked real too, but what gave it away was the age. i was 18 again, my youth was a reminder that i wasn't really Michael.
every clone before couldn't physically handle it. their brain would shut down from the overload of information.
i was the lucky one. each one before me was dead before they could be considered human, and each one after me... well invasive was an understatement to what he did to them.
he tortured them, gave them horrible mutations for the sake of progress, and the worst part is that i helped.
at first i thought it was the right thing to do, but it got worse, it got so much worse.
he was hungry for power, i knew it. something was different between us, something that could only come from age. he knew he was getting older, i knew i was still young.
but i didn't think he would go so far.
he was... changing, transforming. i saw him lose his humanity before my very eyes. he injected himself with his final design, without even testing it on a clone first.
he wasn't himself anymore, he was feral, like a predator, and i was his first prey.
i ran. i ran for my fucking life. i ran straight for the shotgun kept in the back and took my best aim at the monster he became.
it took 6 shots before he went down. by the fourth he was on top of me, by the fifth i lost a pint of blood.
my mind was rushing and my body was failing. i patched up my wounds with the emergency medical kit he kept in the lab and then did the only thing i could think of.
i called his girlfriend.
using the phone i managed to salvage off his corpse i called the number i knew by heart.
her voice was familiar, just like i remembered, even if i knew this was the first time i truly talked with her.
i told her I'd be home later than usual, and to not worry about me.
i destroyed everything. the experiments, the corpses, every piece of evidence to what happened in the lab.
and i left. i drove home, and knocked on the door.
my name is Michael Warren.
i have a loving girlfriend who means the world to me.
i am 38 years old, and the experiments were a failure.
this is what i said to myself before i entered my house.
submitted by foxstarfivelol to nosleep [link] [comments]
i have a loving girlfriend who means the world to me.
i am 38 years old, and the experiments were a failure.
this is what i say to myself in the mirror every morning.
my name used to be different. i was 1. i wasn't really the first of them all, but i was the first one to truly prove the potential of the experiments.
i knew i was fake, but the memories he implanted into me, they felt real. i looked real too, but what gave it away was the age. i was 18 again, my youth was a reminder that i wasn't really Michael.
every clone before couldn't physically handle it. their brain would shut down from the overload of information.
i was the lucky one. each one before me was dead before they could be considered human, and each one after me... well invasive was an understatement to what he did to them.
he tortured them, gave them horrible mutations for the sake of progress, and the worst part is that i helped.
at first i thought it was the right thing to do, but it got worse, it got so much worse.
he was hungry for power, i knew it. something was different between us, something that could only come from age. he knew he was getting older, i knew i was still young.
but i didn't think he would go so far.
he was... changing, transforming. i saw him lose his humanity before my very eyes. he injected himself with his final design, without even testing it on a clone first.
he wasn't himself anymore, he was feral, like a predator, and i was his first prey.
i ran. i ran for my fucking life. i ran straight for the shotgun kept in the back and took my best aim at the monster he became.
it took 6 shots before he went down. by the fourth he was on top of me, by the fifth i lost a pint of blood.
my mind was rushing and my body was failing. i patched up my wounds with the emergency medical kit he kept in the lab and then did the only thing i could think of.
i called his girlfriend.
using the phone i managed to salvage off his corpse i called the number i knew by heart.
her voice was familiar, just like i remembered, even if i knew this was the first time i truly talked with her.
i told her I'd be home later than usual, and to not worry about me.
i destroyed everything. the experiments, the corpses, every piece of evidence to what happened in the lab.
and i left. i drove home, and knocked on the door.
my name is Michael Warren.
i have a loving girlfriend who means the world to me.
i am 38 years old, and the experiments were a failure.
this is what i said to myself before i entered my house.
2023.03.29 03:03 sleeping0dragon Void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium 2 Review
 | https://preview.redd.it/7sbxxt3rtkqa1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90c6b3a11ca9a9cddedb2fba594d118c2e3fa49e submitted by sleeping0dragon to nipponichi [link] [comments] KEY NOTES:
Back in 2020, NIS released void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium (VT1) which didn't seem to sell particularly well. The game remained quite unknown to many people to this day even when compared with other NIS' niche games. Despite that, the game had won the hearts of a small fanbase with its fun rogue-lite combat loop, the charming characters and the surprising emotional story beats. About 3 years later, the sequel finally gets released in the west. For people new to the games, I highly recommend checking out my Review of the first game since it will cover overlapping content that aren't necessarily covered here. Void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium 2 (VT2) is essentially more of the same from the first game, but with some new gameplay changes. STORY VT2 begins right after the events of the first game and the Terrarium trio has moved to a new location. In addition to adapting to their new home, they also start investigating into Toriko's origins, the last surviving human on the planet. Like the first game, VT2's story is filled with happy and sad moments that did an excellent job of making me interested in seeing where the story was heading to despite not a whole lot actually does happen. Fans of the first game will most likely feel the same level of investment here. What VT2 does different and a bit better is that there is a story direction right at the start. It didn't feel as aimless as seen in the majority of VT1. If you wanted another roller coaster of emotions, then VT2 is the ticket that delivers. I didn't expect to experience the same level of raw emotions as the first game, but the second game had surprisingly exceeded it. CHARACTERS The three returning characters are as lovable as they were in the first game. They haven't really changed much either. Robbie is still the loyal and kind robot. FactoryAI is still the very expressive chatterbox, but her fondness for Toriko may have reached a new level. https://preview.redd.it/1tfeolevtkqa1.jpg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70cbea6ac3e7f3ba4638f1cd4696c90498066849 As for Toriko, she remains as cute and adorable as ever, but her new animations and interactions have allowed her to seemingly express even more of herself than before. Toriko has picked up a few new tricks ART DIRECTION/GRAPHICS The graphics hasn't changed a whole lot from what I noticed. It is still quite beautiful during the Terrarium scenes. VT1 seems to have more vibrant colors while VT2's colors are "softer" in comparison which I think looks a bit more pleasing to me. The graphics in the dungeons remains pretty mediocre and uninspiring, but they weren't very noticeable as I went through my exploration runs. MUSIC The music style hasn't changed much either. The dungeon music range from upbeat techno music to relaxing atmospheric ones. I think the quality is roughly the same for both games so I still enjoyed the music here. GAMEPLAY At its core, the gameplay loop for VT2 is nearly the same as VT1. Go to the dungeons, reach the end or until you die, collect any blueprints and materials you find along the way, return to the Terrarium hub, feed and interact with Toriko before going back to the dungeons. This is part rogue-lite so your level and skills obtained will reset back to the default each time you die or return to the Terrarium. Items obtained are converted into one of the four main resources in the game which are used to craft things. Resources are noticeably more in abundance this time around even Contaminated ones so you can craft most of the blueprints as you obtain them. The items you do keep are food items, blueprints, and special items needed to craft blueprints. Fortunately, these games aren't too challenging in progressing compared to other rogue games. You can permanently increase your stats by crafting blueprints. All of them except for clothing related ones come with a permanent stat upgrade when crafting it for the first time. It gives you a steady pacing of progression just like a typical JRPG so it's not too demanding or stressful on the player. The core gameplay loop aside, there are some new changes and mechanics. DUNGEONS Dungeons are now connected with each other so instead of picking one dungeon from a list and then going directly to them, you start at the same one in the beginning and then eventually get to branch out at the later ones during the same expedition. It was annoying at first that you have to keep running through the same dungeons just to reach other dungeons, but fortunately, you will eventually get shortcuts that allows you to skip ahead. Although, you might not always want to do that considering your level will always be at one at the start and the tough enemies found in the later dungeons do not scale down to you. New to dungeons are the portals that randomly appears on a floor and will transport you to a random mystery room. The concept is similar to the Mystery Rooms in the Disgaea games, but aren't as varied. Nevertheless, they provide helpful benefits for entering them which includes items and even a bonus temporary skill. Probably most important is the room with the gem trader. One of the few mystery rooms in the game where you can get a free item You can collect gems for completing various tasks. The time allowed for the tasks reset after a set amount of expeditions, but are generally very simple to do. The tasks mostly involve defeating a certain type of enemies x amount of times, use an item x amount of times or just clear a specific dungeon. The gems can be used to trade for special items from the trader. The concept sounds nice in theory, but I found it to be not as good as I'd liked. https://preview.redd.it/775ktek4ukqa1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f7f577cc9b0aa2323bdc43bf614a47d4eaa2a7d First, it takes a while to accumulate a decent amount of gems. The reset period is often too long so there is a noticeable gap as to when your supply just stops increasing for a while. The second issue I had was that the gem trader's appearance is too reliant on RNG. It's already random if a mystery room portal would appear, but there's a second level of RNG with its appearance too. If the trader's inventory was just decent and not that important, then I wouldn't be bothered as much. However, the trader has many exclusive robot customization blueprints so being able to get them is key to creating and customizing for fun builds. It will take a really long time to clear out the Gem Trader's inventory Other than the above points, the dungeons and its mechanics remains the same. Dungeon layouts are randomly generated so none of the floors are fixed. In addition to the returning Endless Dungeon where time stops outside and you can go on an infinite dungeon expedition until you die, there's a new optional Danger Zone dungeon. This actually consists of five separate dungeons each with a noticeably higher difficulty. All of them have only 11 layers with the first and last completely voided of enemies. The first layer has four random items to start with. The last has unique blueprints on the first run and the special exclusive Gold materials needed to make them. These blueprints are meant to be made multiple times to essentially power up for the end/post game. Most are stat upgrades, but others provide certain effect upgrades like Critical Chance % Up. Each Danger Zone level is meant to prepare you for the next one considering the high difficulty of each subsequent one. The optional dungeons are great if you want to reach an even higher level of power than before, but it can be a pain to clear. Other than simply power grinding the permanent stats for it which may take a long time, it heavily relies on good RNG to clear them otherwise. The initial items you get are very important to determine how you fare and in many cases, make or break your expedition. TORIKO CARE Other than enemies and the items in the dungeons, you have to pay attention to Toriko's condition while she's left back at the Terrarium. The tamagotchi-like image in the bottom left corner of the screen will reflect her condition. The hearts represents her health gauge which if she loses all of it, will be a Game Over. The Pet Nanny system is available right at the start and allows you to deal with the issues that will routinely arise such as clean the terrarium or play with her. The system is usable anytime during an expedition at the cost of some EN points. A new function allows you to even feed her food that you already have. It does not recover any hearts like when you feed her directly back at the Terrarium, but it will at least stop her hunger momentarily and prevent her from losing any more hearts. Even if you prevent her from losing all of the hearts, if you let her Terrarium continue to pile up the dirt without promptly cleaning it, she may fall ill regardless. The same would happen if she gets bored and you don't play with her. In regards to her illness, many of them return along with some new ones. They range from minor tame ones like Toriko suddenly become pixelated to more disturbing nightmare fueled ones. Treating them is a bit different this time around too. Before, an illness would unlock a temporary new dungeon that has the material needed to treat it. This time, all of the materials needed will be placed in one of the currently available dungeons. Furthermore, the time duration to cure her has been extended for some of the illness. It just took one expedition to normally cure her before, but a few now requires multiple expeditions and it's not because more materials are needed. It's because it just takes several expeditions for Toriko to recover after administering the medication. For some, it can take up to 5 expeditions which can be a hassle. You can't advance the story while Toriko is ill or while she is recovering from an illness. COMBAT The combat itself hasn't changed much. Despite how it may seem, the underlying mechanic for the combat is turn-based. Characters move on an invisible grid and each action takes a turn. If you're standing completely still, then enemies don't attack or move. Any action other than simply changing the direction you are facing counts as a turn. That said, some of the higher tier enemies are allowed multiple actions per turn up to about three. In those cases, those enemies can attack or move more than once before you can take a subsequent action. With these information in mind, you can slowly take your time to calculate your next move and approach accordingly adding a decent layer of strategy to the game. It's worth noting that health will regenerate at a slow pace unless you're poisoned. It is also based on turns so if you stand completely still, your health will not regenerate. Other than attacking with melee, you can throw bombs at enemies. In addition, you can activate gadget items for various effects. Active Skills are high powered attack skills with various effects and can be very strong. The drawbacks to them are the turn cooldown after using them and that they cost EN to use each time. EN is Robbie's endurance gauge which continuously drains as you go through the dungeons. Once it reaches 0, your health regeneration stops and instead, health starts to decrease instead. EN can be recovered using items like Batteries. https://preview.redd.it/px04km4aukqa1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=103c31cc5fb07cf3e9e5363228a6181e413b5af1 One new notable change with the combat mechanics involve the weapons, armors and the Active Skills. With Active Skills before, you have a chance to learn them on level up as a random skill. Now, they aren't included as part of the pool anymore and are instead attached to weapons as a skill there. You can level up weapons with continuous use. Each new level unlocks a passive skill or effect which may include a straight stat boost or a new Active Skill. It was fun to unlock new levels especially since they are permanent upgrades. If you find the weapon type again on a subsequent expedition, the level will be the same as where it left off before giving an additional sense of progression in this game. Armors have their own levels and effects as well The biggest change with the combat comes from the skills you get on leveling up. The skills seems to have been re-balanced with many new ones. The OP builds from the first game don't exist anymore especially with the high criticals and evasion builds based on the mods in your inventory. The evasion skills in general have practically been removed other than maybe one. It took out part of the fun for me, but at least this game gave more varied builds to work with instead. The addition of the different weapon and armor effects also help in creating different builds. ROBOT CUSTOMIZATION While the vast majority of blueprints consists of Terrarium objects, there are some that directly affects the customization and builds you can experiment with. First are the Knacks which are labeled like various job classes (Fighter, Assassin, Berserker, etc..). They affect the type of skills that are more likely to appear on level up. So for Offensive Oriented Knacks like Berserker, more offensive related skills would more likely to appear. You can have up to 3 Knacks equipped to further focus on a combination of skills. You can equip up to four customization parts which have various effects including decrease chance of a specific tier of skills to show up on level up. You can also have three or four skills show up on level up instead of the default 2. Finally, you can also have a chance at picking an additional skill instead of just one for each level up. The last major customization mechanic is the Skill Removal. The general Skill Removal blueprints allows you to outright remove specific skills from even appearing at all thus increasing the chances of obtaining the other skills. The combination of the three major customization functions in addition to the weapon/armomods you can find, all help to create a build you can experiment with for a more varied experience. TERRARIUM Customizing the Terrarium was surprisingly addicting in VT1 and a big component of why I enjoyed these games so it was great to see that it has been improved greatly in VT2. The new Terrarium has a flat ceiling and side which makes it seemingly larger in size than the previous one. This allows you to fit more things inside which will delight people who are fans of the customization. The number of different Terrarium blueprints are quite large which includes many (if not all) of the ones from VT1 and its DLC. The new atmosphere type objects will change the Terrarium BGM if you include enough of them inside NIS took it one step further by adding up to three total Terrariums to use at a time and even allow saving Terrarium settings so you may quickly switch back and forth. The Terrariums aren't connected directly so Toriko won't be able to cross one to another by herself. You would have to manually hold Toriko's hand and walk with her to another one. Fortunately, the distance between each one are noticeably small so it's not a long trip. To my great delight, Toriko will interact with more things now such as picking up a feather duster and dusting some objects. She will even dust Robbie at times. A fun past time that involves Robbie is playing catch with her which has them throwing a ball back and forth between the two. Toriko doing her part to keep the Terrarium clean You can still play hide and seek with her Then there are some subtle actions from Toriko that makes it feel like she is more alive than before. Every now and then, she would just smile and follow you around. When you return from an expedition, she sometimes stands by the edge of the Terrarium and welcome you back with a wave. Interacting and spoiling Toriko had never been more fun. GROWING PLANTS A major new function of the Terrarium now involves growing plants and small trees. You can craft a seed which would quickly grow so that you can eventually harvest them. When you harvest a plant, you get to use it as a Terrarium object, but more importantly, you can obtain various "Cores" which are items needed to craft some blueprints. It is annoying that harvesting a Core is random and not a guarantee. You can also obtain clothing blueprints from harvesting. Fortunately, you get a new seed after harvesting so you don't have to craft new ones unless you want to grow multiple at a time. The growing process is short in steps, but does take a while to complete in-game. It goes through three phases which starts with the planted seed, half grown and then full maturity. It takes one expedition to reach the half grown phase and then another to fully grow it. You have to water it one time each for the first two phases. It's a simple process, but having to go through two expeditions just to reach full maturity for harvest does take longer than I'd liked. Especially considering it's not a guarantee to get a Core from it or a clothing Blueprint. There is an added layer for growing plants that can be tricky at times depending on how many concurrent different plants you are growing together. Each plant requires the Terrarium's temperature and humidity to fall within a certain range for it to actually grow. Temperature and humidity slightly fluctuates after every expedition, but to make significant adjustments to them, you can install electronics like heaters or various Terrarium plants/objects to change the values. If you're growing just one plant or multiple copies of one type of plant, then it's not really an issue dealing with that. But if you're growing different ones together then getting the right amount to overlap can be tricky. Furthermore, extreme temperature and humidity can get Toriko sick if she's inside that specific Terrarium. It's nice to see Toriko helping out, but it does not count as watered if she does it Overall, it's a nice new mechanic to the game even if I had some issues with how they worked. SIDEQUESTS For those that have played VT1, it might be surprising to hear about the existence of sidequests. They do in fact exist in VT2 and they actually make up a large portion of the overall game. The sidequests consists of mostly fetch quests where you have to find certain items in the dungeons and then bringing it back to craft something else. It doesn't sound all that interesting, but you can take care of those along with any story related expedition at the same time so it's not really going out of the way too much. The rewards are more blueprints which are very helpful. Surprisingly, I thought the story related to these quests are quite good. I got emotionally invested in a number of them and despite the large amount of them, they are very well worth completing just to experience that. That said, most of the story isn't directly related to the main story. FINAL REMARKS Overall, VT2 is very much like VT1, but with a bit more content and changes. Fans of VT1 will likely enjoy what VT2 has to offer, but those that were expecting a full blown set of changes and additions to the overall game might be disappointed with it. The story has its relaxing moments, but as expected, some pretty powerful emotional moments as well. The endings had lingered in my mind days after viewing them. The more focused story direction early on is appreciated. I had mixed feelings about the new skills and its rebalance, but trying to experiment with new builds was still an enjoyable process. While VT2 does directly follow right after VT1, you can technically jump straight to VT2 and understand much of it since VT1 wasn't that plot heavy to begin with. That said, I highly recommend starting with the first game to familiarize and appreciate the characters and the world. It makes the events of VT2 much more powerful and meaningful if you do. I sincerely hope that a third game will be developed which will be a Day 1 purchase for me. |
2023.03.29 02:52 defialpro John Wick Chapter 5 Premise
Synopsis: After the events of John Wick 4, John (Keanu Reeves) has successfully faked his own death and escaped the High Table's reach. Living in hiding under a new identity in a small European village, he tries to leave his violent past behind. Meanwhile, the High Table has expanded its operations, infiltrating governments in Africa and South America and consolidating its power.
The U.S. Government, concerned by the High Table's growing influence, decides to locate and recruit John Wick as an asset in their fight against the secret organization. General James Mitchell (Idris Elba), the head of a special task force, has been deployed to these locations with his team but has made little progress in eliminating the upper echelons of the cabal of assassins.
Desperate for a breakthrough, General Mitchell enlists the help of Agent Sarah Andrews (Jessica Chastain), a CIA operative with a deep knowledge of the High Table's operations. Agent Andrews is tasked with finding John Wick and persuading him to join their cause.
After a relentless search, Agent Andrews locates John and convinces him to help, appealing to his desire for justice and revenge against the High Table. John agrees to work with the U.S. Government but under one condition: he will only answer to Agent Andrews, who he trusts to understand the complexity of the situation.
Together, John, Agent Andrews, and General Mitchell's elite task force embark on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the High Table's bases in Africa and South America. They discover that the High Table has been using their influence in these regions to control valuable resources and destabilize local governments, further expanding their power.
As they delve deeper into the High Table's operations, they face numerous challenges, including corrupt officials, treacherous terrain, and the High Table's deadliest assassins. Along the way, John reconnects with old allies, including the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Sofia (Halle Berry), who provide invaluable support to their mission.
In a thrilling series of battles and covert operations, John Wick: Operation Chimera explores the geopolitical implications of the High Table's activities and the true cost of power. John must confront his past and face the consequences of his actions as he fights to dismantle the High Table's global network and prevent their insidious influence from spreading further.
In the end, John must decide if his pursuit of vengeance is worth the price of his own humanity, and whether he can truly escape the world he once knew.
INT. WINSTON'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the Continental Hotel, sits behind his desk, sipping a glass of whiskey. The office is dimly lit, filled with antique furniture and an air of sophistication. The phone rings, and Winston answers.
WINSTON: Continental Hotel, Winston speaking.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Mr. Winston, my name is Sarah. I'm a close associate of Charon's and, in fact, his sister. I was devastated to hear about his death. I'd like to come to the Continental to collect his belongings and pay my respects.
WINSTON (saddened): My deepest condolences, Sarah. Charon was a loyal and dedicated colleague, and he will be dearly missed. You are more than welcome to come and collect his belongings.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Thank you, Mr. Winston. I appreciate your kind words. By the way, I've heard John Wick was a close friend of my brother. Do you know what he's been up to lately? I'd like to speak with him if possible.
Winston becomes visibly concerned and adamant.
WINSTON: I'm afraid that won't be possible, Sarah. John Wick... he's dead. He met a tragic end not long ago.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O., feigning sadness): Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. They were quite close, and I'm sure my brother would have wanted me to speak with him. It's a shame.
WINSTON: Yes, it is. John was a valued associate of ours, and his death was a great loss.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Well, Mr. Winston, I will be arriving early next week to collect my brother's belongings. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person.
WINSTON: I'll make sure everything is prepared for your arrival, Sarah. Once again, my deepest condolences for your loss.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Thank you, Mr. Winston. Take care.
Winston hangs up the phone, his expression contemplative. He takes another sip of his whiskey, mulling over the conversation.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. LOCAL BAR - NIGHT
Agent Andrews (Jessica Chastain) sits at the dimly lit bar, nursing a drink. The atmosphere is tense, and she keeps scanning the room, trying to remain inconspicuous. Suddenly, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) appears behind her, his presence calm but menacing.
WICK (whispering): I heard from a little bird that you've been looking for me. What do you want?
Startled, Agent Andrews jumps in her seat. She tries to maintain her composure, knowing she needs John's help.
ANDREWS (nervous): John Wick... I've heard stories about you. I didn't think you were still alive.
WICK (impassive): You didn't answer my question.
ANDREWS (swallowing hard): The U.S. Government needs your help, John. The High Table has infiltrated governments in Africa and South America. We've tried everything - military operations, diplomacy - but nothing has worked. We need someone like you. A scalpel when the brute force method doesn't work.
WICK (laughs): Scalpel? Have you seen my work? I've lost count and it definitely isn't precise.
ANDREWS: When I say brute force... I'm talking bombs, John. Innocents. We both don't want that.
Wick studies Andrews for a moment, gauging her sincerity. His eyes are cold, unyielding.
WICK: Why should I trust you? How do I know you're not working for them?
ANDREWS (pleading): I'm not with the High Table, John. I'm trying to stop them. You're the only one capable of completing this task. You have the skills, the connections, and the motivation to bring them down.
John remains silent for a moment, considering her words. The tension in the air is palpable.
WICK: If I help you, I do this on my terms. No government interference. I work alone.
ANDREWS (relieved): You have my word, John. We just need your expertise. We'll provide you with the resources you need.
Wick finishes his drink and stands up, preparing to leave.
WICK: I'll be in touch. But if you betray me or go back on your word, there will be consequences.
With that, John Wick disappears into the night, leaving Agent Andrews to contemplate the dangerous alliance she has just formed.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. JOHN'S HIDEOUT - DAY
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) steps out of his secluded home, noticing a sealed envelope on his porch. He picks it up, examining it carefully before opening it. As he reads, we hear Agent Andrews' (Jessica Chastain) voice narrating the contents.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Dear John,
I understand the risk you are taking by even considering our request. However, I assure you that the U.S. Government is committed to supporting you in your mission to dismantle the High Table. If you choose to accept our offer, you will have access to all the resources you need, including state-of-the-art weaponry, intelligence, and transportation. Furthermore, we will provide you with any team members you require from our elite fighting forces, even those from our most esoteric units specializing in espionage.
We know that you have attempted to take down the High Table in the past but were met with resistance. With our support, you will have a real chance at success, and together, we can put an end to their reign of terror.
If you have a change of heart and decide to join us, please meet me at the Great Temple in Petra, Jordan. It is a location far removed from the High Table's usual territory, providing us with a safe space to discuss our plans and strategize.
Time is of the essence, John. The High Table's influence continues to grow, and every day they remain in power, countless lives are at risk.
Please consider our offer. We believe that you are our last, best hope.
Sincerely, Agent Sarah Andrews
John finishes reading the letter and looks off into the distance, deep in thought. He knows that this may be his last chance to destroy the High Table once and for all.
CUT TO BLACK.
submitted by defialpro to JohnWick [link] [comments]
The U.S. Government, concerned by the High Table's growing influence, decides to locate and recruit John Wick as an asset in their fight against the secret organization. General James Mitchell (Idris Elba), the head of a special task force, has been deployed to these locations with his team but has made little progress in eliminating the upper echelons of the cabal of assassins.
Desperate for a breakthrough, General Mitchell enlists the help of Agent Sarah Andrews (Jessica Chastain), a CIA operative with a deep knowledge of the High Table's operations. Agent Andrews is tasked with finding John Wick and persuading him to join their cause.
After a relentless search, Agent Andrews locates John and convinces him to help, appealing to his desire for justice and revenge against the High Table. John agrees to work with the U.S. Government but under one condition: he will only answer to Agent Andrews, who he trusts to understand the complexity of the situation.
Together, John, Agent Andrews, and General Mitchell's elite task force embark on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the High Table's bases in Africa and South America. They discover that the High Table has been using their influence in these regions to control valuable resources and destabilize local governments, further expanding their power.
As they delve deeper into the High Table's operations, they face numerous challenges, including corrupt officials, treacherous terrain, and the High Table's deadliest assassins. Along the way, John reconnects with old allies, including the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Sofia (Halle Berry), who provide invaluable support to their mission.
In a thrilling series of battles and covert operations, John Wick: Operation Chimera explores the geopolitical implications of the High Table's activities and the true cost of power. John must confront his past and face the consequences of his actions as he fights to dismantle the High Table's global network and prevent their insidious influence from spreading further.
In the end, John must decide if his pursuit of vengeance is worth the price of his own humanity, and whether he can truly escape the world he once knew.
INT. WINSTON'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the Continental Hotel, sits behind his desk, sipping a glass of whiskey. The office is dimly lit, filled with antique furniture and an air of sophistication. The phone rings, and Winston answers.
WINSTON: Continental Hotel, Winston speaking.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Mr. Winston, my name is Sarah. I'm a close associate of Charon's and, in fact, his sister. I was devastated to hear about his death. I'd like to come to the Continental to collect his belongings and pay my respects.
WINSTON (saddened): My deepest condolences, Sarah. Charon was a loyal and dedicated colleague, and he will be dearly missed. You are more than welcome to come and collect his belongings.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Thank you, Mr. Winston. I appreciate your kind words. By the way, I've heard John Wick was a close friend of my brother. Do you know what he's been up to lately? I'd like to speak with him if possible.
Winston becomes visibly concerned and adamant.
WINSTON: I'm afraid that won't be possible, Sarah. John Wick... he's dead. He met a tragic end not long ago.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O., feigning sadness): Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. They were quite close, and I'm sure my brother would have wanted me to speak with him. It's a shame.
WINSTON: Yes, it is. John was a valued associate of ours, and his death was a great loss.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Well, Mr. Winston, I will be arriving early next week to collect my brother's belongings. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person.
WINSTON: I'll make sure everything is prepared for your arrival, Sarah. Once again, my deepest condolences for your loss.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Thank you, Mr. Winston. Take care.
Winston hangs up the phone, his expression contemplative. He takes another sip of his whiskey, mulling over the conversation.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. LOCAL BAR - NIGHT
Agent Andrews (Jessica Chastain) sits at the dimly lit bar, nursing a drink. The atmosphere is tense, and she keeps scanning the room, trying to remain inconspicuous. Suddenly, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) appears behind her, his presence calm but menacing.
WICK (whispering): I heard from a little bird that you've been looking for me. What do you want?
Startled, Agent Andrews jumps in her seat. She tries to maintain her composure, knowing she needs John's help.
ANDREWS (nervous): John Wick... I've heard stories about you. I didn't think you were still alive.
WICK (impassive): You didn't answer my question.
ANDREWS (swallowing hard): The U.S. Government needs your help, John. The High Table has infiltrated governments in Africa and South America. We've tried everything - military operations, diplomacy - but nothing has worked. We need someone like you. A scalpel when the brute force method doesn't work.
WICK (laughs): Scalpel? Have you seen my work? I've lost count and it definitely isn't precise.
ANDREWS: When I say brute force... I'm talking bombs, John. Innocents. We both don't want that.
Wick studies Andrews for a moment, gauging her sincerity. His eyes are cold, unyielding.
WICK: Why should I trust you? How do I know you're not working for them?
ANDREWS (pleading): I'm not with the High Table, John. I'm trying to stop them. You're the only one capable of completing this task. You have the skills, the connections, and the motivation to bring them down.
John remains silent for a moment, considering her words. The tension in the air is palpable.
WICK: If I help you, I do this on my terms. No government interference. I work alone.
ANDREWS (relieved): You have my word, John. We just need your expertise. We'll provide you with the resources you need.
Wick finishes his drink and stands up, preparing to leave.
WICK: I'll be in touch. But if you betray me or go back on your word, there will be consequences.
With that, John Wick disappears into the night, leaving Agent Andrews to contemplate the dangerous alliance she has just formed.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. JOHN'S HIDEOUT - DAY
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) steps out of his secluded home, noticing a sealed envelope on his porch. He picks it up, examining it carefully before opening it. As he reads, we hear Agent Andrews' (Jessica Chastain) voice narrating the contents.
AGENT ANDREWS (V.O.): Dear John,
I understand the risk you are taking by even considering our request. However, I assure you that the U.S. Government is committed to supporting you in your mission to dismantle the High Table. If you choose to accept our offer, you will have access to all the resources you need, including state-of-the-art weaponry, intelligence, and transportation. Furthermore, we will provide you with any team members you require from our elite fighting forces, even those from our most esoteric units specializing in espionage.
We know that you have attempted to take down the High Table in the past but were met with resistance. With our support, you will have a real chance at success, and together, we can put an end to their reign of terror.
If you have a change of heart and decide to join us, please meet me at the Great Temple in Petra, Jordan. It is a location far removed from the High Table's usual territory, providing us with a safe space to discuss our plans and strategize.
Time is of the essence, John. The High Table's influence continues to grow, and every day they remain in power, countless lives are at risk.
Please consider our offer. We believe that you are our last, best hope.
Sincerely, Agent Sarah Andrews
John finishes reading the letter and looks off into the distance, deep in thought. He knows that this may be his last chance to destroy the High Table once and for all.
CUT TO BLACK.
2023.03.29 02:51 sleeping0dragon Void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium 2 Review
 | submitted by sleeping0dragon to u/sleeping0dragon [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/ig10ee0tbkqa1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7bb88658aa5502037d80be8b4680d7990a7a45b KEY NOTES:
Back in 2020, NIS released void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium (VT1) which didn't seem to sell particularly well. The game remained quite unknown to many people to this day even when compared with other NIS' niche games. Despite that, the game had won the hearts of a small fanbase with its fun rogue-lite combat loop, the charming characters and the surprising emotional story beats. About 3 years later, the sequel finally gets released in the west. For people new to the games, I highly recommend checking out my Review of the first game since it will cover overlapping content that aren't necessarily covered here. Void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium 2 (VT2) is essentially more of the same from the first game, but with some new gameplay changes. STORY VT2 begins right after the events of the first game and the Terrarium trio has moved to a new location. In addition to adapting to their new home, they also start investigating into Toriko's origins, the last surviving human on the planet. Like the first game, VT2's story is filled with happy and sad moments that did an excellent job of making me interested in seeing where the story was heading to despite not a whole lot actually does happen. Fans of the first game will most likely feel the same level of investment here. What VT2 does different and a bit better is that there is a story direction right at the start. It didn't feel as aimless as seen in the majority of VT1. If you wanted another roller coaster of emotions, then VT2 is the ticket that delivers. I didn't expect to experience the same level of raw emotions as the first game, but the second game had surprisingly exceeded it. CHARACTERS The three returning characters are as lovable as they were in the first game. They haven't really changed much either. Robbie is still the loyal and kind robot. FactoryAI is still the very expressive chatterbox, but her fondness for Toriko may have reached a new level. https://preview.redd.it/ugdn9x40ckqa1.jpg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09f3c3327551c7bb3537bd6c64ca4639f4d8381b As for Toriko, she remains as cute and adorable as ever, but her new animations and interactions have allowed her to seemingly express even more of herself than before. Toriko has picked up a few new tricks ART DIRECTION/GRAPHICS The graphics hasn't changed a whole lot from what I noticed. It is still quite beautiful during the Terrarium scenes. VT1 seems to have more vibrant colors while VT2's colors are "softer" in comparison which I think looks a bit more pleasing to me. The graphics in the dungeons remains pretty mediocre and uninspiring, but they weren't very noticeable as I went through my exploration runs. MUSIC The music style hasn't changed much either. The dungeon music range from upbeat techno music to relaxing atmospheric ones. I think the quality is roughly the same for both games so I still enjoyed the music here. GAMEPLAY At its core, the gameplay loop for VT2 is nearly the same as VT1. Go to the dungeons, reach the end or until you die, collect any blueprints and materials you find along the way, return to the Terrarium hub, feed and interact with Toriko before going back to the dungeons. This is part rogue-lite so your level and skills obtained will reset back to the default each time you die or return to the Terrarium. Items obtained are converted into one of the four main resources in the game which are used to craft things. Resources are noticeably more in abundance this time around even Contaminated ones so you can craft most of the blueprints as you obtain them. The items you do keep are food items, blueprints, and special items needed to craft blueprints. Fortunately, these games aren't too challenging in progressing compared to other rogue games. You can permanently increase your stats by crafting blueprints. All of them except for clothing related ones come with a permanent stat upgrade when crafting it for the first time. It gives you a steady pacing of progression just like a typical JRPG so it's not too demanding or stressful on the player. The core gameplay loop aside, there are some new changes and mechanics. DUNGEONS Dungeons are now connected with each other so instead of picking one dungeon from a list and then going directly to them, you start at the same one in the beginning and then eventually get to branch out at the later ones during the same expedition. It was annoying at first that you have to keep running through the same dungeons just to reach other dungeons, but fortunately, you will eventually get shortcuts that allows you to skip ahead. Although, you might not always want to do that considering your level will always be at one at the start and the tough enemies found in the later dungeons do not scale down to you. New to dungeons are the portals that randomly appears on a floor and will transport you to a random mystery room. The concept is similar to the Mystery Rooms in the Disgaea games, but aren't as varied. Nevertheless, they provide helpful benefits for entering them which includes items and even a bonus temporary skill. Probably most important is the room with the gem trader. One of the few mystery rooms in the game where you can get a free item You can collect gems for completing various tasks. The time allowed for the tasks reset after a set amount of expeditions, but are generally very simple to do. The tasks mostly involve defeating a certain type of enemies x amount of times, use an item x amount of times or just clear a specific dungeon. The gems can be used to trade for special items from the trader. The concept sounds nice in theory, but I found it to be not as good as I'd liked. https://preview.redd.it/4ts5gyovckqa1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8ca916498d8c9210fc21e6c18bf839cba12670a First, it takes a while to accumulate a decent amount of gems. The reset period is often too long so there is a noticeable gap as to when your supply just stops increasing for a while. The second issue I had was that the gem trader's appearance is too reliant on RNG. It's already random if a mystery room portal would appear, but there's a second level of RNG with its appearance too. If the trader's inventory was just decent and not that important, then I wouldn't be bothered as much. However, the trader has many exclusive robot customization blueprints so being able to get them is key to creating and customizing for fun builds. It will take a really long time to clear out the Gem Trader's inventory Other than the above points, the dungeons and its mechanics remains the same. Dungeon layouts are randomly generated so none of the floors are fixed. In addition to the returning Endless Dungeon where time stops outside and you can go on an infinite dungeon expedition until you die, there's a new optional Danger Zone dungeon. This actually consists of five separate dungeons each with a noticeably higher difficulty. All of them have only 11 layers with the first and last completely voided of enemies. The first layer has four random items to start with. The last has unique blueprints on the first run and the special exclusive Gold materials needed to make them. These blueprints are meant to be made multiple times to essentially power up for the end/post game. Most are stat upgrades, but others provide certain effect upgrades like Critical Chance % Up. Each Danger Zone level is meant to prepare you for the next one considering the high difficulty of each subsequent one. The optional dungeons are great if you want to reach an even higher level of power than before, but it can be a pain to clear. Other than simply power grinding the permanent stats for it which may take a long time, it heavily relies on good RNG to clear them otherwise. The initial items you get are very important to determine how you fare and in many cases, make or break your expedition. TORIKO CARE Other than enemies and the items in the dungeons, you have to pay attention to Toriko's condition while she's left back at the Terrarium. The tamagotchi-like image in the bottom left corner of the screen will reflect her condition. The hearts represents her health gauge which if she loses all of it, will be a Game Over. The Pet Nanny system is available right at the start and allows you to deal with the issues that will routinely arise such as clean the terrarium or play with her. The system is usable anytime during an expedition at the cost of some EN points. A new function allows you to even feed her food that you already have. It does not recover any hearts like when you feed her directly back at the Terrarium, but it will at least stop her hunger momentarily and prevent her from losing any more hearts. Even if you prevent her from losing all of the hearts, if you let her Terrarium continue to pile up the dirt without promptly cleaning it, she may fall ill regardless. The same would happen if she gets bored and you don't play with her. In regards to her illness, many of them return along with some new ones. They range from minor tame ones like Toriko suddenly become pixelated to more disturbing nightmare fueled ones. Treating them is a bit different this time around too. Before, an illness would unlock a temporary new dungeon that has the material needed to treat it. This time, all of the materials needed will be placed in one of the currently available dungeons. Furthermore, the time duration to cure her has been extended for some of the illness. It just took one expedition to normally cure her before, but a few now requires multiple expeditions and it's not because more materials are needed. It's because it just takes several expeditions for Toriko to recover after administering the medication. For some, it can take up to 5 expeditions which can be a hassle. You can't advance the story while Toriko is ill or while she is recovering from an illness. COMBAT The combat itself hasn't changed much. Despite how it may seem, the underlying mechanic for the combat is turn-based. Characters move on an invisible grid and each action takes a turn. If you're standing completely still, then enemies don't attack or move. Any action other than simply changing the direction you are facing counts as a turn. That said, some of the higher tier enemies are allowed multiple actions per turn up to about three. In those cases, those enemies can attack or move more than once before you can take a subsequent action. With these information in mind, you can slowly take your time to calculate your next move and approach accordingly adding a decent layer of strategy to the game. It's worth noting that health will regenerate at a slow pace unless you're poisoned. It is also based on turns so if you stand completely still, your health will not regenerate. Other than attacking with melee, you can throw bombs at enemies. In addition, you can activate gadget items for various effects. Active Skills are high powered attack skills with various effects and can be very strong. The drawbacks to them are the turn cooldown after using them and that they cost EN to use each time. EN is Robbie's endurance gauge which continuously drains as you go through the dungeons. Once it reaches 0, your health regeneration stops and instead, health starts to decrease instead. EN can be recovered using items like Batteries. https://preview.redd.it/ojqnermoekqa1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e39cc6a89fe5ce37c9a40c9efbe8688cc68b890 One new notable change with the combat mechanics involve the weapons, armors and the Active Skills. With Active Skills before, you have a chance to learn them on level up as a random skill. Now, they aren't included as part of the pool anymore and are instead attached to weapons as a skill there. You can level up weapons with continuous use. Each new level unlocks a passive skill or effect which may include a straight stat boost or a new Active Skill. It was fun to unlock new levels especially since they are permanent upgrades. If you find the weapon type again on a subsequent expedition, the level will be the same as where it left off before giving an additional sense of progression in this game. Armors have their own levels and effects as well The biggest change with the combat comes from the skills you get on leveling up. The skills seems to have been re-balanced with many new ones. The OP builds from the first game don't exist anymore especially with the high criticals and evasion builds based on the mods in your inventory. The evasion skills in general have practically been removed other than maybe one. It took out part of the fun for me, but at least this game gave more varied builds to work with instead. The addition of the different weapon and armor effects also help in creating different builds. ROBOT CUSTOMIZATION While the vast majority of blueprints consists of Terrarium objects, there are some that directly affects the customization and builds you can experiment with. First are the Knacks which are labeled like various job classes (Fighter, Assassin, Berserker, etc..). They affect the type of skills that are more likely to appear on level up. So for Offensive Oriented Knacks like Berserker, more offensive related skills would more likely to appear. You can have up to 3 Knacks equipped to further focus on a combination of skills. You can equip up to four customization parts which have various effects including decrease chance of a specific tier of skills to show up on level up. You can also have three or four skills show up on level up instead of the default 2. Finally, you can also have a chance at picking an additional skill instead of just one for each level up. The last major customization mechanic is the Skill Removal. The general Skill Removal blueprints allows you to outright remove specific skills from even appearing at all thus increasing the chances of obtaining the other skills. The combination of the three major customization functions in addition to the weapon/armomods you can find, all help to create a build you can experiment with for a more varied experience. TERRARIUM Customizing the Terrarium was surprisingly addicting in VT1 and a big component of why I enjoyed these games so it was great to see that it has been improved greatly in VT2. The new Terrarium has a flat ceiling and side which makes it seemingly larger in size than the previous one. This allows you to fit more things inside which will delight people who are fans of the customization. The number of different Terrarium blueprints are quite large which includes many (if not all) of the ones from VT1 and its DLC. The new atmosphere type objects will change the Terrarium BGM NIS took it one step further by adding up to three total Terrariums to use at a time and even allow saving Terrarium settings so you may quickly switch back and forth. The Terrariums aren't connected directly so Toriko won't be able to cross one to another by herself. You would have to manually hold Toriko's hand and walk with her to another one. Fortunately, the distance between each one are noticeably small so it's not a long trip. To my great delight, Toriko will interact with more things now such as picking up a feather duster and dusting some objects. She will even dust Robbie at times. A fun past time that involves Robbie is playing catch with her which has them throwing a ball back and forth between the two. Toriko doing her part to keep the Terrarium clean You can still play hide and seek with her Then there are some subtle actions from Toriko that makes it feel like she is more alive than before. Every now and then, she would just smile and follow you around. When you return from an expedition, she sometimes stands by the edge of the Terrarium and welcome you back with a wave. Interacting and spoiling Toriko had never been more fun. GROWING PLANTS A major new function of the Terrarium now involves growing plants and small trees. You can craft a seed which would quickly grow so that you can eventually harvest them. When you harvest a plant, you get to use it as a Terrarium object, but more importantly, you can obtain various "Cores" which are items needed to craft some blueprints. It is annoying that harvesting a Core is random and not a guarantee. You can also obtain clothing blueprints from harvesting. Fortunately, you get a new seed after harvesting so you don't have to craft new ones unless you want to grow multiple at a time. The growing process is short in steps, but does take a while to complete in-game. It goes through three phases which starts with the planted seed, half grown and then full maturity. It takes one expedition to reach the half grown phase and then another to fully grow it. You have to water it one time each for the first two phases. It's a simple process, but having to go through two expeditions just to reach full maturity for harvest does take longer than I'd liked. Especially considering it's not a guarantee to get a Core from it or a clothing Blueprint. There is an added layer for growing plants that can be tricky at times depending on how many concurrent different plants you are growing together. Each plant requires the Terrarium's temperature and humidity to fall within a certain range for it to actually grow. Temperature and humidity slightly fluctuates after every expedition, but to make significant adjustments to them, you can install electronics like heaters or various Terrarium plants/objects to change the values. If you're growing just one plant or multiple copies of one type of plant, then it's not really an issue dealing with that. But if you're growing different ones together then getting the right amount to overlap can be tricky. Furthermore, extreme temperature and humidity can get Toriko sick if she's inside that specific Terrarium. It's nice to see Toriko helping out, but it does not count as watered if she does it Overall, it's a nice new mechanic to the game even if I had some issues with how they worked. SIDEQUESTS For those that have played VT1, it might be surprising to hear about the existence of sidequests. They do in fact exist in VT2 and they actually make up a large portion of the overall game. The sidequests consists of mostly fetch quests where you have to find certain items in the dungeons and then bringing it back to craft something else. It doesn't sound all that interesting, but you can take care of those along with any story related expedition at the same time so it's not really going out of the way too much. The rewards are more blueprints which are very helpful. Surprisingly, I thought the story related to these quests are quite good. I got emotionally invested in a number of them and despite the large amount of them, they are very well worth completing just to experience that. That said, most of the story isn't directly related to the main story. FINAL REMARKS Overall, VT2 is very much like VT1, but with a bit more content and changes. Fans of VT1 will likely enjoy what VT2 has to offer, but those that were expecting a full blown set of changes and additions to the overall game might be disappointed with it. The story has its relaxing moments, but as expected, some pretty powerful emotional moments as well. The endings had lingered in my mind days after viewing them. The more focused story direction early on is appreciated. I had mixed feelings about the new skills and its rebalance, but trying to experiment with new builds was still an enjoyable process. While VT2 does directly follow right after VT1, you can technically jump straight to VT2 and understand much of it since VT1 wasn't that plot heavy to begin with. That said, I highly recommend starting with the first game to familiarize and appreciate the characters and the world. It makes the events of VT2 much more powerful and meaningful if you do. I sincerely hope that a third game will be developed which will be a Day 1 purchase for me. |
2023.03.29 02:42 TiredOfHumanity64 Third Party LDS Collective Harassment
I left the LDS Church via quitmormon last year(2022). However, I had stopped going to church nearly 2 years prior to that. There are a plethora of reasons I stopped going, but the last straw was quiet ironic. Since around 2018 or so, I had developed an idea to purposely look at the other side's arguments against the church and write a book so that members of the LDS Church could read it and see the ridiculous and false ideas that the world had against the church. It would be designed to immunize them against the spiritual threats of the world. This was especially important since I was convinced we were all living in the last days, yet I had personally witnessed fully believing members increasingly leaving at higher rates than I have ever seen in my life. I even prayed about it and received the answer to create this book, but was waiting for a time I could. I also had this odd fear to look at anything Anti-Mormon at all. Covid gave me that time. The church was true and my testimony was immune. I began looking at anything and everything that I was told to be 'Anti-Mormon' that I could locate online during the first or second week of Covid since we all had the time. Here are the results:
It only took about a week before I switched from fully believing to being convinced the church is a fraud. I am agnostic now; leaning toward atheist. I have become convinced if any god exists at all, there are three gods that 100% don't exist: The Mormon Elohim (God the Father), Mormon Yeshua (Jesus), and Mormon Holy Ghost. I was unsure what to do with the knowledge I had obtained and remained in a strange sense of disbelief for over two years. I analyzed the pro's and con's of both leaving and staying, telling family or not telling family, and so on. Ultimately I decided in March 2022 I couldn't remain in a church that lies to its members on a regular basis and expects the members to do the same regardless of level of belief.
Over the past 2 years however, something kept happening to me which has happened at least twice now and I am at a loss of how to deal with it. I have reason to believe the church figured out my doubt far before I ever applied for my church resignation. There are many other reasons for this but I will not discuss them at this time. What is more the problem at hand is I am convinced the church is harassing and stalking me. They have learned to do this using third parties. I do not know the lies that are being told to my fellow workers, but the actions speak for themselves. The harassments occurred at the last two places I worked. Initially, both my bosses and fellow employees acted kind and helpful, but over time, they became distant and then began to act strange. I've never had this happen anywhere else I ever worked.
I had tricks played on me, and many incoherent things said to me. Sometimes straight up gaslighting. The actions started as individual acts but over time-before I quit both times-the actions became clearly coordinated between two or more people. It is clear to me they have been lied to, but they don't even question it when I confronted some of them. I had even came into the second job telling others outright about leaving this cult, about the things it has been caught doing and yet that made no difference. What the heck is wrong with human beings? How can the church use third parties to do subtle collective harassment and appear to be getting away with it?
During this time, my family effectively ceased contact not calling me with many times not returning my calls and currently I'm not even bothering to call any longer. The only member friends I had left were fine at first but also began ignoring me, except when I called them. I can't see those friendships as being anything other than a strange façade and inauthentic. In fact, just to let you all have a taste of what I'm dealing with I told one of them I think a member was harassing me to see a response and asked if moving would make a difference. They answered 'No, if they were they would just follow you'. Contrast that answer with others I asked the same question who said the opposite. Besides those I worked with at my last two jobs, this is another reason I am convinced some of the members I personally knew are in on this harassment, but have no evidence. So, I am alone and on my own in basically every way. I have only managed to maintain one previous friend who technically considers themselves ex-Mormon(but hasn't officially left the church). However, I can only talk to them on the phone. They are too far from me to be of any immediate physical help.
Unfortunately, the worst part is I have no proof of these strange words and actions besides my own word. I have talked to random people I used to know, law enforcement, lawyer offices, and so on questioning what I can do or what could be done. Due to my financial situation of currently having no job, the best plan I have is to get an ex parte for at least one of the people at my previous job, if not more than one person, in hopes the church will stop this harassing pursuit in the assumption that I send the message I will not be harassed and take it. But this will take time. I can't afford a lawyer. I was informed it will take weeks for people to get the paperwork let alone the court date set so I may not have the time. And worse, what if they don't stop even with this? What if I am followed to my next job? What if the courts don't take or believe my case? What do I do then? I'm at my wits end.
I adhered to the LDS's teaching so hard I never did more with a women physically than kiss a few times my entire life and yet now I have no GF or wife to speak of. I kept the word of wisdom, etc. Yet now, I have no friends I trust any longer. My family is unhelpful. And worse, I have learned anyone who isn't Mormon, or never been in a cult, does not understand what it is like to have been in a cult your whole life suddenly realizing its true nature and that you wasted 95% of your life serving them. Even the law appears to be helpless in aiding me or anyone to its full extent. I'm baffled! I have read a few posts in this forum and see that perhaps some of you are also going through similar situations, but I quiet literally got followed into another city.
How can this be? How is it that this is how reality truly is? I can't fight large numbers alone. What do you do when large numbers of people don't believe you or minimize what has happened or is happening? Or worse, deny it outright. I'm beyond frustrated. I don't know how to find ex-mormon allies or friends and even if I do that doesn't mean we will get along or agree on everything. What is it that provides you all some level of a shield against the constant barrages of the LDS Cult? Is this exact situation happening to any of you? What else can I do to prevent ongoing harassment? I have so much more to say, but if I could get any advice on this issue or ways to get in contact with ex-mormons that would be helpful.
submitted by TiredOfHumanity64 to exmormon [link] [comments]
It only took about a week before I switched from fully believing to being convinced the church is a fraud. I am agnostic now; leaning toward atheist. I have become convinced if any god exists at all, there are three gods that 100% don't exist: The Mormon Elohim (God the Father), Mormon Yeshua (Jesus), and Mormon Holy Ghost. I was unsure what to do with the knowledge I had obtained and remained in a strange sense of disbelief for over two years. I analyzed the pro's and con's of both leaving and staying, telling family or not telling family, and so on. Ultimately I decided in March 2022 I couldn't remain in a church that lies to its members on a regular basis and expects the members to do the same regardless of level of belief.
Over the past 2 years however, something kept happening to me which has happened at least twice now and I am at a loss of how to deal with it. I have reason to believe the church figured out my doubt far before I ever applied for my church resignation. There are many other reasons for this but I will not discuss them at this time. What is more the problem at hand is I am convinced the church is harassing and stalking me. They have learned to do this using third parties. I do not know the lies that are being told to my fellow workers, but the actions speak for themselves. The harassments occurred at the last two places I worked. Initially, both my bosses and fellow employees acted kind and helpful, but over time, they became distant and then began to act strange. I've never had this happen anywhere else I ever worked.
I had tricks played on me, and many incoherent things said to me. Sometimes straight up gaslighting. The actions started as individual acts but over time-before I quit both times-the actions became clearly coordinated between two or more people. It is clear to me they have been lied to, but they don't even question it when I confronted some of them. I had even came into the second job telling others outright about leaving this cult, about the things it has been caught doing and yet that made no difference. What the heck is wrong with human beings? How can the church use third parties to do subtle collective harassment and appear to be getting away with it?
During this time, my family effectively ceased contact not calling me with many times not returning my calls and currently I'm not even bothering to call any longer. The only member friends I had left were fine at first but also began ignoring me, except when I called them. I can't see those friendships as being anything other than a strange façade and inauthentic. In fact, just to let you all have a taste of what I'm dealing with I told one of them I think a member was harassing me to see a response and asked if moving would make a difference. They answered 'No, if they were they would just follow you'. Contrast that answer with others I asked the same question who said the opposite. Besides those I worked with at my last two jobs, this is another reason I am convinced some of the members I personally knew are in on this harassment, but have no evidence. So, I am alone and on my own in basically every way. I have only managed to maintain one previous friend who technically considers themselves ex-Mormon(but hasn't officially left the church). However, I can only talk to them on the phone. They are too far from me to be of any immediate physical help.
Unfortunately, the worst part is I have no proof of these strange words and actions besides my own word. I have talked to random people I used to know, law enforcement, lawyer offices, and so on questioning what I can do or what could be done. Due to my financial situation of currently having no job, the best plan I have is to get an ex parte for at least one of the people at my previous job, if not more than one person, in hopes the church will stop this harassing pursuit in the assumption that I send the message I will not be harassed and take it. But this will take time. I can't afford a lawyer. I was informed it will take weeks for people to get the paperwork let alone the court date set so I may not have the time. And worse, what if they don't stop even with this? What if I am followed to my next job? What if the courts don't take or believe my case? What do I do then? I'm at my wits end.
I adhered to the LDS's teaching so hard I never did more with a women physically than kiss a few times my entire life and yet now I have no GF or wife to speak of. I kept the word of wisdom, etc. Yet now, I have no friends I trust any longer. My family is unhelpful. And worse, I have learned anyone who isn't Mormon, or never been in a cult, does not understand what it is like to have been in a cult your whole life suddenly realizing its true nature and that you wasted 95% of your life serving them. Even the law appears to be helpless in aiding me or anyone to its full extent. I'm baffled! I have read a few posts in this forum and see that perhaps some of you are also going through similar situations, but I quiet literally got followed into another city.
How can this be? How is it that this is how reality truly is? I can't fight large numbers alone. What do you do when large numbers of people don't believe you or minimize what has happened or is happening? Or worse, deny it outright. I'm beyond frustrated. I don't know how to find ex-mormon allies or friends and even if I do that doesn't mean we will get along or agree on everything. What is it that provides you all some level of a shield against the constant barrages of the LDS Cult? Is this exact situation happening to any of you? What else can I do to prevent ongoing harassment? I have so much more to say, but if I could get any advice on this issue or ways to get in contact with ex-mormons that would be helpful.
2023.03.29 02:39 ZeroProjectNate I am so tired of advertising lies and automated systems and call centers in other countries
I hate companies that tell you a price for a product, only for you to show up and that price is only for the yearly paid in advance premium ultra members and you, peasant, have to pay half the yearly cost for a single month of service. I'm tired of having to sign up and give these fucking corps my email and passwords just to look at a price that isn't even the advertised price. I don't know how that isn't considered false advertising.
I hate all automated call systems. I have not found a single one from my many years of having to call people that hasn't been garbage. They don't understand my accent, and oftentimes I find myself smashing the 0 key until they put a human being on. I am HOH and I can't stand forcing myself to sit there and listen to a perfectly monotone voice until they hopefully say the right combination of words and a number to push to find who I'm trying to talk to.
I hate talking to foreign call centers over the phone. It's mostly that I'm HOH but often the sound quality of the call is bad and they have accents I don't hear often. I can usually figure it out, and I don't hold anything against them. They're fluent in at least two languages and answering my dumbass questions, so I take it as it is.
submitted by ZeroProjectNate to Vent [link] [comments]
I hate all automated call systems. I have not found a single one from my many years of having to call people that hasn't been garbage. They don't understand my accent, and oftentimes I find myself smashing the 0 key until they put a human being on. I am HOH and I can't stand forcing myself to sit there and listen to a perfectly monotone voice until they hopefully say the right combination of words and a number to push to find who I'm trying to talk to.
I hate talking to foreign call centers over the phone. It's mostly that I'm HOH but often the sound quality of the call is bad and they have accents I don't hear often. I can usually figure it out, and I don't hold anything against them. They're fluent in at least two languages and answering my dumbass questions, so I take it as it is.
2023.03.29 01:27 Still_Performance_39 NOP Fanfic: An Introduction to Terran Zoology – Chapter 4
Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP world.
I hope everyone enjoyed the first foray into Venlil education of our home’s biodiversity. There were a lot of guesses for what I was describing and many of them were right on the money. I’ll be revealing some of them as the story progresses.
Other comments made me realise that I’ve never actually described our primary narrator Rysel, which I intend to remedy. I was going to do this anyway but here, a bit earlier than expected, is the second POV in this story. Hope you enjoy.
[First] [Previous]
Memory transcription subject: Dr Bernard MacEwan, Professor of Zoology
Date [standardised human time]: 21st August 2136
To say I was happy would be a gross understatement. Ecstatic, delighted, joyous and thrilled were far superior adjectives to portray just how incredible this moment of my life was, yet even they felt lacking. Right now, in front of my very eyes, a room full of aliens were taking in their first sights of the biodiverse bounty of Earth. I thanked my lucky stars that out of everyone who could’ve been picked for this project, it was I who had the immense privilege of observing the dazzling parade of emotions that accompanied the Venlil’s first impressions.
Turning my head, steadily so as not to spook anyone, I cast my eyes across the room. Unlike many lecture halls I’d been in, the undersides of the desks were not obscured by typical wooden or plastic panelling. Instead, the underside was completely open, giving me an unrestricted view of the Venlil’s legs, feet, and tail as they sat behind the desks. This made perfect sense. While humans were primarily emotive through our facial features and hand gestures, the Venlil seemed to use their tails and ears as their main method of expressing outward emotion. The lack of obstruction was ideal in aiding my observations as the exercise progressed.
One Venlil’s tail swayed low and slow, their head cocked to one side as their ears flicked back and forth at opposing angles. The tail and ear movements were too alien to me to discern meaning from them, but the cocked head rang familiar tones. Perhaps it could be confusion? This body language, coupled with a slightly slack jawed facial expression, indicated that I may be on the right track. Marvellous!
Another reaction from an audience member at the back felt far easier to identify, fear I believe. Their ears were pinned back across their head, their tail frozen stiff behind them. Similar to humans, their eyes were open wide in apparent shock and a slight tremor seemed to be permeating through their body. I considered intervening but swatted down the idea in the same instant. If they’re that scared of a picture, then a human walking right up to them in a moment of shock will likely cause more problems than it will fix. Thankfully a fellow volunteer, sat beside the immobile Venlil, noticed the predicament, quickly tapping the offending image away from the pad and bringing their tail up to in the process, rubbing it gently across their scared compatriots back. Together, these actions appeared to help the statuesque Venlil as they began to loosen up, tail swishing at an even pace, ears returning to an upright position. The shaking remained sadly but at least they were active again.
How it occurred was unfortunate, but it was fascinating to see how the Venlil reacted both to stressful stimuli and how they comforted one another in times of distress. Incredible!
Who is next, ah yes that one, I recognise them. The first of the class to ask me a question. They seemed a bit smaller than the rest of the Venlil in the room. Younger perhaps, or maybe older who knows? That’s the point of all this I suppose.
If I was to hazard a guess, I would say they are, calm or perhaps bored? The tail isn’t moving but it’s relaxed not stiff like the last one. Their ears are moving too but in a sluggish fashion, flopping lazily from side to side. They’re also resting their head in one hand as they flick through the images with their free hand, paw I should say. Yep, they’re bored. Disappointing I suppose but then again, I can’t expect everyone to be so emotive, oh now wait a second… there we go, saw something that gave you a bit of a startle I imagine, given how you almost knocked yourself off your seat. I smirked, trying to muffle any noise I might be making. I certainly did not relish any fear that may be caused in this exercise, but it never failed to amuse me back home when a student who wasn’t paying attention got a bit of a shock back to reality. Still, I shouldn’t find amusement in this, it’s no wonder that the Venlil were so skittish around even pictures, given what all of humanity had learned in the last month.
----
When the news came back that the Odyssey had not only encountered life but had made first contact with a fully sapient space faring species known as the Venlil, well, to say the reaction was overwhelming would be like comparing a wax candle to the sun. Within minutes of the news breaking, I had become simultaneously glued to my television, displaying livestreams from news stations as information flowed in. Additionally, I was logged into a video call with a dozen of my colleagues from all over the world. The news immediately ignited frantic discussion on what type of life may exist on alien planets.
Questions ranged from what you would expect from a chat room full of zoologist, to others that would’ve been completely farcical before these world rocking events. My favourites in those categories had ended up being, “Do you think they’ll have parallels to Earth in terms of biodiversity?” and the other, “Could their evolutionary tree be similar yet almost opposite to ours? Like, maybe they have whales too but instead of swimming under the great pressures of the oceans they are instead as light as birds, sailing through the skies?”. The reason the first question was my favourite was clear. The concept of how much new life was out there in the stars had never been far away from my mind. In our early days of space exploration, we’d learned that Mars might once have had liquid water that theoretically contained life and the moon of Europa could also have been home to microbial organisms, hidden within its frozen surface. Now to discover that there were entire worlds that supported complex alien life!? The possibilities were exquisitely endless, only matched by imagination itself. The second question was appreciated for that exact reason. Endless possibilities meant exactly that. Perhaps there really were whales drifting gracefully through alien skies, their bones and flesh made of materials so light that air itself was dense enough for them to “swim” through. An astonishingly silly yet wonderful concept that in the moment seemed all that closer… then a soberingly awful reality was forced upon us.
They were terrified of us. The Venlil, along with the rest of their hundred’s strong alliance of advanced alien civilisations, were horrified by our very existence. They were so scared at the arrival of just two of our astronaut’s that their government rushed billions into bomb shelters, sending out a distress signal for military aid to protect them from the awful harm they believed we intended to inflict. The reason that drove them to act this way was just as shocking as the actions themselves. The Venlil, and the Federation they were part of, were comprised completely of obligate herbivores. In their eyes we were a predatory species, our binocular vision, canine teeth, and ability to consume meat were all indicators to that effect. A violent horde of carnivorous, destructive entities that could only draw delight and meaning from the cruelty of inflicting pain upon all in our path, that was what they saw in us.
How could they think this way!? What could possibly have happened in their combined histories that led hundreds of alien species to perceive us as an existential threat simply because of those traits? First of all, it was simply not the case that all creatures with forward facing vision were automatically predators or even carnivorous for that matter! Right off the top of my head, various species of Megabat had been identified with eyes positioned towards the front of their heads. Due to the composition of their diet, many were considered frugivores or even nectarivores. Furthermore, there were countless examples of meat eaters that had eyes on the side of their head. Reptiles like Grass Snakes, Leopard Geckos and the Komodo Dragons were ideal examples of obligate carnivores with eyes on the side of their skull. Many birds possessed this trait as well, ranging from the miniscule and omnivorous Bee Hummingbird of the Cuban archipelago, that subsisted on nectar and insects, to the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica that preyed upon fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, and were themselves preyed on by Leopard Seals and Orcas, two more predators with eyes on the side of their head. Finally, canine teeth in humans served only to tear food into smaller pieces, all food not just meat, and it wasn’t just carnivores that had them either. Hippos were a perfect example of an herbivore species with enormous twenty-inch canines that continuously grew throughout their life cycle, never mind the fact that they were notoriously dangerous, being extremely territorial and aggressive if they perceived intrusion or danger.
My mind spun with this paradoxical stream of information. How could civilisations so advanced have such a simplistic, almost naïve way, of identifying whether a living being was a danger to them? And how could they be so horrified by the concept of creatures being carnivores or even omnivores like us? By their own explanation, every species in the Federation were obligate herbivores who coexisted in a near utopian peace amongst one another, but to them we were the complete antithesis of that way of life simply because of our eye position and diet. Surely life amongst the stars could not be so different to Earths that it all fit neatly into that fixed binary of plant eater means peaceful and meat eater means death!? It just didn’t make any sense!
The horrifying ramifications of what that could mean for Earth, should aliens arrive and see how our ecosystems function, was not lost on those on the video call. We immediately dived back into discussion, revisiting the questions that had already sprung into my mind and many more. There had to be a logical reason for this mentality. Perhaps during the development of these societies they’d gone through extinction events or climate crises, just like Earth had throughout our ancient and modern history, tragically destroying habitats, and forcing species into extinction, leaving the rest to evolve rapidly and dangerously to fit the very predatory traits the Venlil had explained to us? It could also be that these alien worlds were very uniform in their environmental conditions. So much so that evolutionary specialisation that arose from differing habitats simply didn’t happen and led to a very narrow field of what a prey or predator species could look like? Possibly, depressingly, it might simply be the case that life on alien worlds really did fit into this binary system and Earth was just an incredibly rare anomaly of extreme biodiversity.
While several other ideas were floated during our deliberation, only these three held any water in our opinions, though even they were quickly whittled down to the most likely scenario we could glean without more data. Hypothesis one required that all, or at least a majority, of Federation societies all went through the same circumstances of environmental catastrophe, evolution, and survival into the space age. This seemed extremely unlikely, given that the same scenario would’ve had to play out nearly identically across hundreds of planets at the hands of the Federation members, both before and after integration into their alliance. Number two didn’t hold much stock either. For it to be true, each world the Federation inhabited would have to be dominated by one single biome across the entire planet. Short of vast terraforming efforts we couldn’t see how something like that could form naturally.
From the limited information we had to hand, hypothesis three was the most compelling rationale to this abnormal predator prey binary. As bizarre as it sounded, it may be true that Earth was an anomaly. That the life present here was a product of environmental factors that just didn’t exist anywhere else, blessing this planet with an overflowing cornucopia of organisms so wonderful and randomly diverse that it made our world so magnificently unique even in an endless eternity of stars. With this thought, my disappointment gave way to a surprising surge of elation! If Earth was truly unique in its biodiversity, then perhaps we could share our knowledge with alien life! Sure, maybe they may have technology beyond our wildest dreams, but we could teach them too. Imagine it, the first sapient “predators” they had ever met and we completely flipped their understanding of nature. To explain to aliens from across the stars how ecosystems on Earth didn’t fit into a simple binary but were instead an intricate, exquisite web in which everything was linked in a glorious, yet fragile, cycle of life.
How amazing would that be, to be able to contribute to this interstellar community, not as the new primitives just breaking the bonds of their home system, but as equals with our own wealth of knowledge and points of view to share. The idea was so magical I came close to leaping from my seat into dance!
…A shocked gasp from one of my colleagues drew me out of fantasy, focusing my attention back to harsh reality. Through the video call I noticed they were staring at their phone, eyes watering as their face contorted in appalled horror. Realising they must have seen something in the news I nearly dived over my desk to retrieve the remote to unmute my television, having silenced it during discussions. What could they have seen to repulse them so severely? It took seconds for me to unmute the TV to hear the news presenter, though it felt like time stood still. The TV finally audible, I listened intently to the most recent reports. As I listened, my hopes and dreams were shattered into pieces. We were not the first sapient predators to have encountered the Federation.
The Arxur. Sapient reptilians had engaged the Federation in a centuries long campaign of genocidal raids, ending the lives of unknowable billions, reducing worlds to ashes and glass, wiping out dozens of civilisations in the process. Incredibly, horrendously, that was only the surface layer of their true malevolence. From hellish malice that could only dwell in the minds of the most deranged sociopaths, the Arxur raids not only slaughtered their targets with impunity but seized anyone they could find, not to use as slaves or bargaining chips against the Federation, but as food! Adults, children, the elderly, anyone they could get their claws on was subjected to a nightmarish barbarity I could scarcely fathom, ending in the jaws and stomach of one of these monstrous beasts. No wonder the Venlil had been scarred to death of our astronauts. The traits they viewed as predatory were given new a light of comprehension. The Arxur fit those traits like a glove and tragically we shared a couple of those traits with them, binocular vision being the most distinct.
In a day of revelations about life in the galaxy, it was this that finally ran me into the ground, no longer having the motivation to function. Attempting to maintain a façade of some normalcy, I bid my friends good night, entering my bedroom where I collapsed into bed, neglecting to change into pyjamas or even remove my prosthetic…What did it matter anyway? In a single day the entire world had been flipped upside down. We’d been introduced to alien life, the long sought after confirmation that were not alone in this vast universe. We’d been crushed by the revelation that they fear us for existing, seeing us as monsters bent on cruel wanton destruction. Finally, to top it all off, we’d learned to our revulsion that there are genocidal lizards in the cosmos that consume other sapients as food… HOW COULD ANYONE PROCESS ALL THIS SHIT!!!
…Drained of all enthusiasm and energy, I lay staring at the ceiling. Intrusive thoughts ran rampant through my mind, reminding me of everything I’d learned, but thankfully none of them latched on as I zoned out in the darkness of my bedroom, eventually, blissfully, being overcome by sleep.
The next few days were a haze. I kept the news channels up on my television whenever I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t switched on enough to pay much attention, but I still didn’t want to miss anything. Several of my friends and colleagues reached out to chat and check up on me, worried that I hadn’t returned a number of calls in the immediate aftermath of my exit from the previous days video conference. I assured them that I was fine and that I just needed time to process everything we’d learned. In truth I was far from fine, the revelation that the universe was full of hostile life, seemingly separated along binary lines of predator and prey was a tough pill to swallow. The Arxur were most certainly the greater of two evils, but it wasn’t a superb feeling to know that everyone else in the galaxy was terrified of us due to our appearance and diet, willing to call war fleets in distress at our arrival. The weight of reality felt like it would snap me in two. Suddenly, an unexpected lifeline was tossed my way.
As I meandered throughout my house in a daze, I happened to pass the television at the most fortuitous of moments. A presenter was interviewing a UN representative and they were discussing plans for an exchange programme between the Venlil and ourselves. How could this be? I thought they were too scared to deal with two humans, much less interact with more of us? Watching with intense curiosity I learned that the UN had built quite the rapport with Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic, thanks in no small part to the great efforts undertaken by the astronauts Sara and Noah, and they had agreed to start pairing up Humans and Venlil through a messaging service, with the aim to eventually introduce them in person.
This was amazing! A ray of light that I desperately needed after these forlorn days. Here was a chance, tentative though it may be, that we could prove to the galaxy that we came in peace and were nothing like the monstrous Arxur. I knew what I had to do.
With new life breathed into me I got to work. Booting up my computer, I looked up the requirements to apply. Simple enough really, provide your name, age, occupation, yada yada, answer a set array of questions, blah, blah, blah, write or record a brief reason for interest, standard fare all in all, none of which took long to complete. My reason for joining was brief and straightforward.
“The Venlil fear us as they perceive our appearance and diet as evidence that we are predators like the Arxur. From what we’ve learned of this reptilian species, the Venlil’s fright is understandable. However, Earth proves that the line between predator and prey is not so simple. I believe that as a Zoologist I can aid in educating the Venlil, teaching them that the traits they see as predatory are not so clear cut on Earth. In doing so, I believe that they can see us in a truer light, that Humans do not fit into their one size fits all predator prey belief. That we are much more complex and we want to share everything we are with them, in peaceful coexistence. It is my hope that through dialogue with a Venlil, I can do my part to make that dream a reality.”
Satisfied with my pitch I submitted my application, and began the arduous task of waiting for a response from government bureaucracy. Convinced it would take weeks to get any response, let alone an acceptance letter, I settled back into my normal rhythms, hopeful anticipation returning my zest for life that had been previously swept out from under me.
The next couple days held true to my expectations of governmental timescales, receiving an automated “Thank you for applying” message over twenty-four hours after my submission. Incredibly, only four days after my submission, I received the official response. The UN are clearly in overdrive to get this out so fast. With barely contained glee I read the email, only for my joy to fall into a deep well of disappointment. I hadn’t been accepted for the exchange of messages. Eye’s trailing away from the message, I could only sit and stare blankly, a profound sense of sadness resonating through me. Minutes passed as a I processed the upsetting news before I returned to the letter. I at least deserved to know was why I had been rejected!
Continuing through the letter, the weight of the rejection pressed upon me, but began to lift as I read the text in full, turning instead to confusion, realisation and then completely overwhelming me with the same sense of thrilling delight that had coursed through me when I’d first envisioned teaching aliens about Earth and all its majestic wildlife. The UN didn’t just want me to chat with one Venlil, they wanted me to teach an entire class of researchers and scientists. This was a dream come true!
This time I really did leap out of my seat, happiness lifting my old bones into an impromptu jig on the spot. I was going into space, to another planet, to meet an entirely new race of sapient beings! I had so much to do. Lesson plans, researcher to collate, decisions on which animals I should introduce them to and how I should introduce them. So much to do, but in this instant it seemed so far away as I continued my merry dance. So enthused was I, that I didn’t notice the coffee table in my path, ramming my left leg into the table, good thing it was the prosthetic. The floor quickly rose to meet me, connecting to my body with a heavy thud. A voice in the back of my head scolded my carelessness, “God dammit it Bernard, you’re seventy-four be more careful.” Though it was quickly drowned out by the ruckus of childlike wonder screaming at the forefront of my mind, “I’M GOING TO MEET ALIENS!!!”.
----
The memories that brought me here creased my face in a wide smile as I continued my observation of the couple dozen individuals before me. The confused Venlil seemed to have gained some confidence, making their way steadily but surely though the images displayed. Our scared stiff student had buddied up with the one that had comforted them, a light orange spreading across their face as they discussed the images with their new friend, curious. My previously bored audience member was now much more alert and attentive as they made their way through the exercise. They held the pad out from their body, as if whatever would appear on the screen could jump out at them. Not ideal, I’ll keep an eye on that, but at least they were now paying attention.
Eventually my eyes fell on the Venlil that had asked me if I was injured, and I beheld a truly remarkable sight. They sat near the dead centre of the room, their sleek coat almost entirely black besides a blotch of tan coloured wool on their chest, an additional small black patch at its centre. Their appearance reminded me of a Sun Bear, though I doubt they’d appreciate the comparison.
Their sparkling emerald eyes were wide open, not in shock or fear like the other Venlil, but seemingly in awe at the images before them. I still had much to learn about Venlil body language, but how could this be anything other than pure exhilarated delight? They were completely enraptured with the images on their pad, tail swishing behind them rapidly and ears flicking wildly. No matter what they pulled up next, each image seemed to only encourage more of this behaviour and, in watching, I felt immense satisfaction. This was why I was here, to show an alien race the wonders of Earth, and to see this joyous reaction in real time? Well, it was enough to bring a tear to my eyes. I’ll be sure to learn their name at the next opportunity, but for now I think I’ll keep watching.
As I continued to watch in silence, I once again thought back to the moment the exchange was announced, that momentary beacon of light that reignited my hopes for friendship and understanding with the greater universe. Perhaps here it was again, shining down from the Sun Bear looking Venlil before me. Chuckling softly to myself, making a mental note not to call them a Sun Bear, I released a breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding in, relaxing comfortably into my chair. I think this will work… Yeah, it’ll work.
submitted by Still_Performance_39 to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
I hope everyone enjoyed the first foray into Venlil education of our home’s biodiversity. There were a lot of guesses for what I was describing and many of them were right on the money. I’ll be revealing some of them as the story progresses.
Other comments made me realise that I’ve never actually described our primary narrator Rysel, which I intend to remedy. I was going to do this anyway but here, a bit earlier than expected, is the second POV in this story. Hope you enjoy.
[First] [Previous]
Memory transcription subject: Dr Bernard MacEwan, Professor of Zoology
Date [standardised human time]: 21st August 2136
To say I was happy would be a gross understatement. Ecstatic, delighted, joyous and thrilled were far superior adjectives to portray just how incredible this moment of my life was, yet even they felt lacking. Right now, in front of my very eyes, a room full of aliens were taking in their first sights of the biodiverse bounty of Earth. I thanked my lucky stars that out of everyone who could’ve been picked for this project, it was I who had the immense privilege of observing the dazzling parade of emotions that accompanied the Venlil’s first impressions.
Turning my head, steadily so as not to spook anyone, I cast my eyes across the room. Unlike many lecture halls I’d been in, the undersides of the desks were not obscured by typical wooden or plastic panelling. Instead, the underside was completely open, giving me an unrestricted view of the Venlil’s legs, feet, and tail as they sat behind the desks. This made perfect sense. While humans were primarily emotive through our facial features and hand gestures, the Venlil seemed to use their tails and ears as their main method of expressing outward emotion. The lack of obstruction was ideal in aiding my observations as the exercise progressed.
One Venlil’s tail swayed low and slow, their head cocked to one side as their ears flicked back and forth at opposing angles. The tail and ear movements were too alien to me to discern meaning from them, but the cocked head rang familiar tones. Perhaps it could be confusion? This body language, coupled with a slightly slack jawed facial expression, indicated that I may be on the right track. Marvellous!
Another reaction from an audience member at the back felt far easier to identify, fear I believe. Their ears were pinned back across their head, their tail frozen stiff behind them. Similar to humans, their eyes were open wide in apparent shock and a slight tremor seemed to be permeating through their body. I considered intervening but swatted down the idea in the same instant. If they’re that scared of a picture, then a human walking right up to them in a moment of shock will likely cause more problems than it will fix. Thankfully a fellow volunteer, sat beside the immobile Venlil, noticed the predicament, quickly tapping the offending image away from the pad and bringing their tail up to in the process, rubbing it gently across their scared compatriots back. Together, these actions appeared to help the statuesque Venlil as they began to loosen up, tail swishing at an even pace, ears returning to an upright position. The shaking remained sadly but at least they were active again.
How it occurred was unfortunate, but it was fascinating to see how the Venlil reacted both to stressful stimuli and how they comforted one another in times of distress. Incredible!
Who is next, ah yes that one, I recognise them. The first of the class to ask me a question. They seemed a bit smaller than the rest of the Venlil in the room. Younger perhaps, or maybe older who knows? That’s the point of all this I suppose.
If I was to hazard a guess, I would say they are, calm or perhaps bored? The tail isn’t moving but it’s relaxed not stiff like the last one. Their ears are moving too but in a sluggish fashion, flopping lazily from side to side. They’re also resting their head in one hand as they flick through the images with their free hand, paw I should say. Yep, they’re bored. Disappointing I suppose but then again, I can’t expect everyone to be so emotive, oh now wait a second… there we go, saw something that gave you a bit of a startle I imagine, given how you almost knocked yourself off your seat. I smirked, trying to muffle any noise I might be making. I certainly did not relish any fear that may be caused in this exercise, but it never failed to amuse me back home when a student who wasn’t paying attention got a bit of a shock back to reality. Still, I shouldn’t find amusement in this, it’s no wonder that the Venlil were so skittish around even pictures, given what all of humanity had learned in the last month.
----
When the news came back that the Odyssey had not only encountered life but had made first contact with a fully sapient space faring species known as the Venlil, well, to say the reaction was overwhelming would be like comparing a wax candle to the sun. Within minutes of the news breaking, I had become simultaneously glued to my television, displaying livestreams from news stations as information flowed in. Additionally, I was logged into a video call with a dozen of my colleagues from all over the world. The news immediately ignited frantic discussion on what type of life may exist on alien planets.
Questions ranged from what you would expect from a chat room full of zoologist, to others that would’ve been completely farcical before these world rocking events. My favourites in those categories had ended up being, “Do you think they’ll have parallels to Earth in terms of biodiversity?” and the other, “Could their evolutionary tree be similar yet almost opposite to ours? Like, maybe they have whales too but instead of swimming under the great pressures of the oceans they are instead as light as birds, sailing through the skies?”. The reason the first question was my favourite was clear. The concept of how much new life was out there in the stars had never been far away from my mind. In our early days of space exploration, we’d learned that Mars might once have had liquid water that theoretically contained life and the moon of Europa could also have been home to microbial organisms, hidden within its frozen surface. Now to discover that there were entire worlds that supported complex alien life!? The possibilities were exquisitely endless, only matched by imagination itself. The second question was appreciated for that exact reason. Endless possibilities meant exactly that. Perhaps there really were whales drifting gracefully through alien skies, their bones and flesh made of materials so light that air itself was dense enough for them to “swim” through. An astonishingly silly yet wonderful concept that in the moment seemed all that closer… then a soberingly awful reality was forced upon us.
They were terrified of us. The Venlil, along with the rest of their hundred’s strong alliance of advanced alien civilisations, were horrified by our very existence. They were so scared at the arrival of just two of our astronaut’s that their government rushed billions into bomb shelters, sending out a distress signal for military aid to protect them from the awful harm they believed we intended to inflict. The reason that drove them to act this way was just as shocking as the actions themselves. The Venlil, and the Federation they were part of, were comprised completely of obligate herbivores. In their eyes we were a predatory species, our binocular vision, canine teeth, and ability to consume meat were all indicators to that effect. A violent horde of carnivorous, destructive entities that could only draw delight and meaning from the cruelty of inflicting pain upon all in our path, that was what they saw in us.
How could they think this way!? What could possibly have happened in their combined histories that led hundreds of alien species to perceive us as an existential threat simply because of those traits? First of all, it was simply not the case that all creatures with forward facing vision were automatically predators or even carnivorous for that matter! Right off the top of my head, various species of Megabat had been identified with eyes positioned towards the front of their heads. Due to the composition of their diet, many were considered frugivores or even nectarivores. Furthermore, there were countless examples of meat eaters that had eyes on the side of their head. Reptiles like Grass Snakes, Leopard Geckos and the Komodo Dragons were ideal examples of obligate carnivores with eyes on the side of their skull. Many birds possessed this trait as well, ranging from the miniscule and omnivorous Bee Hummingbird of the Cuban archipelago, that subsisted on nectar and insects, to the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica that preyed upon fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, and were themselves preyed on by Leopard Seals and Orcas, two more predators with eyes on the side of their head. Finally, canine teeth in humans served only to tear food into smaller pieces, all food not just meat, and it wasn’t just carnivores that had them either. Hippos were a perfect example of an herbivore species with enormous twenty-inch canines that continuously grew throughout their life cycle, never mind the fact that they were notoriously dangerous, being extremely territorial and aggressive if they perceived intrusion or danger.
My mind spun with this paradoxical stream of information. How could civilisations so advanced have such a simplistic, almost naïve way, of identifying whether a living being was a danger to them? And how could they be so horrified by the concept of creatures being carnivores or even omnivores like us? By their own explanation, every species in the Federation were obligate herbivores who coexisted in a near utopian peace amongst one another, but to them we were the complete antithesis of that way of life simply because of our eye position and diet. Surely life amongst the stars could not be so different to Earths that it all fit neatly into that fixed binary of plant eater means peaceful and meat eater means death!? It just didn’t make any sense!
The horrifying ramifications of what that could mean for Earth, should aliens arrive and see how our ecosystems function, was not lost on those on the video call. We immediately dived back into discussion, revisiting the questions that had already sprung into my mind and many more. There had to be a logical reason for this mentality. Perhaps during the development of these societies they’d gone through extinction events or climate crises, just like Earth had throughout our ancient and modern history, tragically destroying habitats, and forcing species into extinction, leaving the rest to evolve rapidly and dangerously to fit the very predatory traits the Venlil had explained to us? It could also be that these alien worlds were very uniform in their environmental conditions. So much so that evolutionary specialisation that arose from differing habitats simply didn’t happen and led to a very narrow field of what a prey or predator species could look like? Possibly, depressingly, it might simply be the case that life on alien worlds really did fit into this binary system and Earth was just an incredibly rare anomaly of extreme biodiversity.
While several other ideas were floated during our deliberation, only these three held any water in our opinions, though even they were quickly whittled down to the most likely scenario we could glean without more data. Hypothesis one required that all, or at least a majority, of Federation societies all went through the same circumstances of environmental catastrophe, evolution, and survival into the space age. This seemed extremely unlikely, given that the same scenario would’ve had to play out nearly identically across hundreds of planets at the hands of the Federation members, both before and after integration into their alliance. Number two didn’t hold much stock either. For it to be true, each world the Federation inhabited would have to be dominated by one single biome across the entire planet. Short of vast terraforming efforts we couldn’t see how something like that could form naturally.
From the limited information we had to hand, hypothesis three was the most compelling rationale to this abnormal predator prey binary. As bizarre as it sounded, it may be true that Earth was an anomaly. That the life present here was a product of environmental factors that just didn’t exist anywhere else, blessing this planet with an overflowing cornucopia of organisms so wonderful and randomly diverse that it made our world so magnificently unique even in an endless eternity of stars. With this thought, my disappointment gave way to a surprising surge of elation! If Earth was truly unique in its biodiversity, then perhaps we could share our knowledge with alien life! Sure, maybe they may have technology beyond our wildest dreams, but we could teach them too. Imagine it, the first sapient “predators” they had ever met and we completely flipped their understanding of nature. To explain to aliens from across the stars how ecosystems on Earth didn’t fit into a simple binary but were instead an intricate, exquisite web in which everything was linked in a glorious, yet fragile, cycle of life.
How amazing would that be, to be able to contribute to this interstellar community, not as the new primitives just breaking the bonds of their home system, but as equals with our own wealth of knowledge and points of view to share. The idea was so magical I came close to leaping from my seat into dance!
…A shocked gasp from one of my colleagues drew me out of fantasy, focusing my attention back to harsh reality. Through the video call I noticed they were staring at their phone, eyes watering as their face contorted in appalled horror. Realising they must have seen something in the news I nearly dived over my desk to retrieve the remote to unmute my television, having silenced it during discussions. What could they have seen to repulse them so severely? It took seconds for me to unmute the TV to hear the news presenter, though it felt like time stood still. The TV finally audible, I listened intently to the most recent reports. As I listened, my hopes and dreams were shattered into pieces. We were not the first sapient predators to have encountered the Federation.
The Arxur. Sapient reptilians had engaged the Federation in a centuries long campaign of genocidal raids, ending the lives of unknowable billions, reducing worlds to ashes and glass, wiping out dozens of civilisations in the process. Incredibly, horrendously, that was only the surface layer of their true malevolence. From hellish malice that could only dwell in the minds of the most deranged sociopaths, the Arxur raids not only slaughtered their targets with impunity but seized anyone they could find, not to use as slaves or bargaining chips against the Federation, but as food! Adults, children, the elderly, anyone they could get their claws on was subjected to a nightmarish barbarity I could scarcely fathom, ending in the jaws and stomach of one of these monstrous beasts. No wonder the Venlil had been scarred to death of our astronauts. The traits they viewed as predatory were given new a light of comprehension. The Arxur fit those traits like a glove and tragically we shared a couple of those traits with them, binocular vision being the most distinct.
In a day of revelations about life in the galaxy, it was this that finally ran me into the ground, no longer having the motivation to function. Attempting to maintain a façade of some normalcy, I bid my friends good night, entering my bedroom where I collapsed into bed, neglecting to change into pyjamas or even remove my prosthetic…What did it matter anyway? In a single day the entire world had been flipped upside down. We’d been introduced to alien life, the long sought after confirmation that were not alone in this vast universe. We’d been crushed by the revelation that they fear us for existing, seeing us as monsters bent on cruel wanton destruction. Finally, to top it all off, we’d learned to our revulsion that there are genocidal lizards in the cosmos that consume other sapients as food… HOW COULD ANYONE PROCESS ALL THIS SHIT!!!
…Drained of all enthusiasm and energy, I lay staring at the ceiling. Intrusive thoughts ran rampant through my mind, reminding me of everything I’d learned, but thankfully none of them latched on as I zoned out in the darkness of my bedroom, eventually, blissfully, being overcome by sleep.
The next few days were a haze. I kept the news channels up on my television whenever I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t switched on enough to pay much attention, but I still didn’t want to miss anything. Several of my friends and colleagues reached out to chat and check up on me, worried that I hadn’t returned a number of calls in the immediate aftermath of my exit from the previous days video conference. I assured them that I was fine and that I just needed time to process everything we’d learned. In truth I was far from fine, the revelation that the universe was full of hostile life, seemingly separated along binary lines of predator and prey was a tough pill to swallow. The Arxur were most certainly the greater of two evils, but it wasn’t a superb feeling to know that everyone else in the galaxy was terrified of us due to our appearance and diet, willing to call war fleets in distress at our arrival. The weight of reality felt like it would snap me in two. Suddenly, an unexpected lifeline was tossed my way.
As I meandered throughout my house in a daze, I happened to pass the television at the most fortuitous of moments. A presenter was interviewing a UN representative and they were discussing plans for an exchange programme between the Venlil and ourselves. How could this be? I thought they were too scared to deal with two humans, much less interact with more of us? Watching with intense curiosity I learned that the UN had built quite the rapport with Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic, thanks in no small part to the great efforts undertaken by the astronauts Sara and Noah, and they had agreed to start pairing up Humans and Venlil through a messaging service, with the aim to eventually introduce them in person.
This was amazing! A ray of light that I desperately needed after these forlorn days. Here was a chance, tentative though it may be, that we could prove to the galaxy that we came in peace and were nothing like the monstrous Arxur. I knew what I had to do.
With new life breathed into me I got to work. Booting up my computer, I looked up the requirements to apply. Simple enough really, provide your name, age, occupation, yada yada, answer a set array of questions, blah, blah, blah, write or record a brief reason for interest, standard fare all in all, none of which took long to complete. My reason for joining was brief and straightforward.
“The Venlil fear us as they perceive our appearance and diet as evidence that we are predators like the Arxur. From what we’ve learned of this reptilian species, the Venlil’s fright is understandable. However, Earth proves that the line between predator and prey is not so simple. I believe that as a Zoologist I can aid in educating the Venlil, teaching them that the traits they see as predatory are not so clear cut on Earth. In doing so, I believe that they can see us in a truer light, that Humans do not fit into their one size fits all predator prey belief. That we are much more complex and we want to share everything we are with them, in peaceful coexistence. It is my hope that through dialogue with a Venlil, I can do my part to make that dream a reality.”
Satisfied with my pitch I submitted my application, and began the arduous task of waiting for a response from government bureaucracy. Convinced it would take weeks to get any response, let alone an acceptance letter, I settled back into my normal rhythms, hopeful anticipation returning my zest for life that had been previously swept out from under me.
The next couple days held true to my expectations of governmental timescales, receiving an automated “Thank you for applying” message over twenty-four hours after my submission. Incredibly, only four days after my submission, I received the official response. The UN are clearly in overdrive to get this out so fast. With barely contained glee I read the email, only for my joy to fall into a deep well of disappointment. I hadn’t been accepted for the exchange of messages. Eye’s trailing away from the message, I could only sit and stare blankly, a profound sense of sadness resonating through me. Minutes passed as a I processed the upsetting news before I returned to the letter. I at least deserved to know was why I had been rejected!
Continuing through the letter, the weight of the rejection pressed upon me, but began to lift as I read the text in full, turning instead to confusion, realisation and then completely overwhelming me with the same sense of thrilling delight that had coursed through me when I’d first envisioned teaching aliens about Earth and all its majestic wildlife. The UN didn’t just want me to chat with one Venlil, they wanted me to teach an entire class of researchers and scientists. This was a dream come true!
This time I really did leap out of my seat, happiness lifting my old bones into an impromptu jig on the spot. I was going into space, to another planet, to meet an entirely new race of sapient beings! I had so much to do. Lesson plans, researcher to collate, decisions on which animals I should introduce them to and how I should introduce them. So much to do, but in this instant it seemed so far away as I continued my merry dance. So enthused was I, that I didn’t notice the coffee table in my path, ramming my left leg into the table, good thing it was the prosthetic. The floor quickly rose to meet me, connecting to my body with a heavy thud. A voice in the back of my head scolded my carelessness, “God dammit it Bernard, you’re seventy-four be more careful.” Though it was quickly drowned out by the ruckus of childlike wonder screaming at the forefront of my mind, “I’M GOING TO MEET ALIENS!!!”.
----
The memories that brought me here creased my face in a wide smile as I continued my observation of the couple dozen individuals before me. The confused Venlil seemed to have gained some confidence, making their way steadily but surely though the images displayed. Our scared stiff student had buddied up with the one that had comforted them, a light orange spreading across their face as they discussed the images with their new friend, curious. My previously bored audience member was now much more alert and attentive as they made their way through the exercise. They held the pad out from their body, as if whatever would appear on the screen could jump out at them. Not ideal, I’ll keep an eye on that, but at least they were now paying attention.
Eventually my eyes fell on the Venlil that had asked me if I was injured, and I beheld a truly remarkable sight. They sat near the dead centre of the room, their sleek coat almost entirely black besides a blotch of tan coloured wool on their chest, an additional small black patch at its centre. Their appearance reminded me of a Sun Bear, though I doubt they’d appreciate the comparison.
Their sparkling emerald eyes were wide open, not in shock or fear like the other Venlil, but seemingly in awe at the images before them. I still had much to learn about Venlil body language, but how could this be anything other than pure exhilarated delight? They were completely enraptured with the images on their pad, tail swishing behind them rapidly and ears flicking wildly. No matter what they pulled up next, each image seemed to only encourage more of this behaviour and, in watching, I felt immense satisfaction. This was why I was here, to show an alien race the wonders of Earth, and to see this joyous reaction in real time? Well, it was enough to bring a tear to my eyes. I’ll be sure to learn their name at the next opportunity, but for now I think I’ll keep watching.
As I continued to watch in silence, I once again thought back to the moment the exchange was announced, that momentary beacon of light that reignited my hopes for friendship and understanding with the greater universe. Perhaps here it was again, shining down from the Sun Bear looking Venlil before me. Chuckling softly to myself, making a mental note not to call them a Sun Bear, I released a breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding in, relaxing comfortably into my chair. I think this will work… Yeah, it’ll work.
2023.03.29 00:23 Good-Intents Should I 24M have done something else- my first everything 22F
This may be long, but I’m a 24M and my now ex 22F, was my first ever girlfriend, love, and the one who took my virginity. We dated for 8 months, never argued, never fought, always talked about everything, we spent every day together she basically lived with me for months. We were absolutely crazy and in love with each other going on trips in the mountains and the city, it hurts to write this but I want to see if I should have done something differently.
My biggest concern going into the relationship was body count, as a virgin, I believe I have the right to be concerned in that kind of thing because I am one and I saved myself for someone who I believe is special to me. She was very offended when I asked and she said she doesn’t want to talk about it and I understood and let it go for weeks until the urge and thoughts flooded my mind. She made the first move and showed me how to kiss, she said she never does this kind of thing and doesn’t like to have sex with people she hasn’t dated for a long time, she kept saying “it’s going to be so good I know it” because It was passionate and we enjoyed it. We started having sex in my car for a few weeks after 1 week of first seeing each other because we both live with family, as I persisted on body count because it’s hard to let go, she eventually told me 5, which was incredibly hard for me to work on but I did it for her, this was 2 months in.
She started coming over my house and we met each others families, staying at my house every day. Every other week she’d receive a message from her ex, she had an insane ex with asbergers, (they dated for 3 years) and she told me he’s nothing to worry about because he lives in Seattle across the country, I wasn’t worried but she freaks out when he always finds ways to message her like different emails and numbers. I started reaching out to him and seeing what he wants and he’s actually fucking insane and made me wonder why she dated him for so long (she said he was Narcissistic and controlling, treated her very badly). At this point I realized this man will be an issue forever because of his illness causing him to believe she is still in love with him, looking at his messages and twitter he posted some crazy shit. I asked why she never left him and she said “it was hard he stalked me” etc. I asked if she ever cheated on him, she said “No I would never do that”(which is important on what I’m about to tell you).
Up until 2 weeks ago I checked his twitter to see if he’s posting some crazy shit because I believe he is a threat physically to us, found he’s flying back towards us and she starts getting emails with sexual messages(rapey). She freaks out and I’m calming her down because he doesn’t know where I live. I went to therapy with my gf, I spent every hour of time I had with her, I comforted her and always reassured her, but this dude won’t go away even after sending videos of us fucking.
But when she finds out he’s coming I feel unsure of what he’s going to do and when she’s sleeping I go through her phone (which I never do) and I find the most appalling messages and videos on her Instagram archives, I went DEEP. Her talking to her friends on shit I say and talking me down towards the beginning of the relationship but I don’t care I keep looking, I type in the word “hook” and the relationship goes down the gutter. I find videos of her having sex with different men, her HOOKING UP multiple times during her past relationship and I count over 20 people including the 5 she initially told me, I’m so hurt I don’t know what to do I’m broken, I feel disgusting, I don’t want to even touch her. I immediately say that “I’m breaking up with you” and she wakes up, freaks out and cries like her family died(note we were so in love), but the things I saw were horrific to me. When I see her she is my girl, but that went out the window.. I tell her everything I saw and she says she never cheated on her ex of 3 years, I show her and she freaks out saying why I went through her phone, she couldn’t accept the fact of he hooking up with different men while in a long term relationship.
I tell her she has to pack all her shit either tonight or by the morning since it was 3am, I searched for HOURS I don’t know why I kept looking through her phone, she begging and crying and I’m also hurt but I can’t look at her the same. After I tell her about the body count thing, it infuriated me how she lied about everything, how many partners, and how she cheated, I asked how many people and she said “idk 15?” I lost it😭😭😭😭it was more.
I dedicated so much to her including my resources, time and energy, she pleaded in the morning but ultimately I put all her shit in trash bags and kicked her out. I loved her and it may be because she was my first ever everything. I never pursued women, I never cared to entertain anyone, I did get attention because I’m a 6’1 Spanish dude with a lean build, and I earn 120k+ but I never reciprocated. but the main thing is that I was a virgin, I don’t think it’d be fair if she slept with so many people, why would she deserve me? She lied to me!?!? After everything I’ve done.. I still love her and I feel disgusted what the fuck could I have done, we were so happy but it broke me so bad, thinking of quitting my work, I am extremely depressed I have nobody. I worked so hard to get through the 5 sexual partners, I was planning to buy a house and cat for us, it was together forever. Now it’s never together and I think I should be alone.
submitted by Good-Intents to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
My biggest concern going into the relationship was body count, as a virgin, I believe I have the right to be concerned in that kind of thing because I am one and I saved myself for someone who I believe is special to me. She was very offended when I asked and she said she doesn’t want to talk about it and I understood and let it go for weeks until the urge and thoughts flooded my mind. She made the first move and showed me how to kiss, she said she never does this kind of thing and doesn’t like to have sex with people she hasn’t dated for a long time, she kept saying “it’s going to be so good I know it” because It was passionate and we enjoyed it. We started having sex in my car for a few weeks after 1 week of first seeing each other because we both live with family, as I persisted on body count because it’s hard to let go, she eventually told me 5, which was incredibly hard for me to work on but I did it for her, this was 2 months in.
She started coming over my house and we met each others families, staying at my house every day. Every other week she’d receive a message from her ex, she had an insane ex with asbergers, (they dated for 3 years) and she told me he’s nothing to worry about because he lives in Seattle across the country, I wasn’t worried but she freaks out when he always finds ways to message her like different emails and numbers. I started reaching out to him and seeing what he wants and he’s actually fucking insane and made me wonder why she dated him for so long (she said he was Narcissistic and controlling, treated her very badly). At this point I realized this man will be an issue forever because of his illness causing him to believe she is still in love with him, looking at his messages and twitter he posted some crazy shit. I asked why she never left him and she said “it was hard he stalked me” etc. I asked if she ever cheated on him, she said “No I would never do that”(which is important on what I’m about to tell you).
Up until 2 weeks ago I checked his twitter to see if he’s posting some crazy shit because I believe he is a threat physically to us, found he’s flying back towards us and she starts getting emails with sexual messages(rapey). She freaks out and I’m calming her down because he doesn’t know where I live. I went to therapy with my gf, I spent every hour of time I had with her, I comforted her and always reassured her, but this dude won’t go away even after sending videos of us fucking.
But when she finds out he’s coming I feel unsure of what he’s going to do and when she’s sleeping I go through her phone (which I never do) and I find the most appalling messages and videos on her Instagram archives, I went DEEP. Her talking to her friends on shit I say and talking me down towards the beginning of the relationship but I don’t care I keep looking, I type in the word “hook” and the relationship goes down the gutter. I find videos of her having sex with different men, her HOOKING UP multiple times during her past relationship and I count over 20 people including the 5 she initially told me, I’m so hurt I don’t know what to do I’m broken, I feel disgusting, I don’t want to even touch her. I immediately say that “I’m breaking up with you” and she wakes up, freaks out and cries like her family died(note we were so in love), but the things I saw were horrific to me. When I see her she is my girl, but that went out the window.. I tell her everything I saw and she says she never cheated on her ex of 3 years, I show her and she freaks out saying why I went through her phone, she couldn’t accept the fact of he hooking up with different men while in a long term relationship.
I tell her she has to pack all her shit either tonight or by the morning since it was 3am, I searched for HOURS I don’t know why I kept looking through her phone, she begging and crying and I’m also hurt but I can’t look at her the same. After I tell her about the body count thing, it infuriated me how she lied about everything, how many partners, and how she cheated, I asked how many people and she said “idk 15?” I lost it😭😭😭😭it was more.
I dedicated so much to her including my resources, time and energy, she pleaded in the morning but ultimately I put all her shit in trash bags and kicked her out. I loved her and it may be because she was my first ever everything. I never pursued women, I never cared to entertain anyone, I did get attention because I’m a 6’1 Spanish dude with a lean build, and I earn 120k+ but I never reciprocated. but the main thing is that I was a virgin, I don’t think it’d be fair if she slept with so many people, why would she deserve me? She lied to me!?!? After everything I’ve done.. I still love her and I feel disgusted what the fuck could I have done, we were so happy but it broke me so bad, thinking of quitting my work, I am extremely depressed I have nobody. I worked so hard to get through the 5 sexual partners, I was planning to buy a house and cat for us, it was together forever. Now it’s never together and I think I should be alone.
2023.03.28 23:13 IaProc [First of Our Kind] - Chapter 11
First: https://redd.it/11e34ce
Previous: https://redd.it/120z3ig
Chapter 11
“Would you like the check?” the waiter was holding the payment tablet out to the table, looking back and forth between Tess and Quin.
“Yes, sorry, I’ll take it,” Tess said, grabbing the device and setting it down to sign.
Quin was just waking out of his reverie while Tess used her finger to add a signature at the bottom. The tablet’s screen turned green to signify a positive receipt. The waiter scooped up the tablet and the remaining dishes and was gone.
“So, back at it?” Tess asked.
“Yeah, though until I can get some of the glitches worked out, I can’t see the project moving forward,” Quin said, shaking his head.
Tess pulled him into a quick hug, and as they broke away, her hands held his upper arms, and she looked up into his eyes, “Quinny, you are smart, resourceful, and capable. I know you will figure it out.”
“Thanks Tess, I appreciate your confidence,” Quin said, a grin appearing through his worry.
“Hey, since I’m going to tell Chris yes, there will be an engagement party. Promise me you will come, okay?” Tess insisted, not yet letting Quin go.
Quin rolled his eyes, “Yeah, Tess, of course I will be there.”
She grinned, giving his arms an extra squeeze before releasing him. “Okay, thanks!” She was beaming.
Quin smiled back at her and bent down to grab his backpack. When he stood back up, Tess was looking at her watch.
“Woah, okay, I need to scoot. Can I leave you here?” she asked.
“Of course. Love you.”
She hugged him quickly again, turned, and took off at a brisk pace which could only be described as Tess-like. Quin was always amused when Tess got into business mode. When they were younger, it was evident that she was emulating their mom, whom Tess described as a woman with authority. But as Tess grew up, emulation turned to a natural ease with being in charge. She was just good at it. The gruff guys of her unit respected her work ethic, and in such a testosterone-driven atmosphere like the military, she thrived in a no-nonsense role. Quin could recall one of the first after-hours socials he went to with her when they first moved to the station; Tess managed easily flipping back and forth between entertaining him as his engaging sister and volleying the banter back and forth with some of her ensigns.
“Lieutenant Hammond, I got you on the next phys rotation. Dax said he got to 25 pullups before you the last time you went head to head,” one soldier said, testing her. He looked indistinguishable from the 20 other GIs, with their uniform sleeves rolled and their necks and arms engorged and spilling out of their shirts.
“Yeah, he did, though if he had put on the weight belt like I did that time, then maybe he wouldn’t have so much to brag about,” she said, smirking.
The room erupted, as all the soldiers turned on the guy named Dax and started shoving him, everyone laughing.
Tess turned from them, laughing and shaking her head. “Meatheads,” she said.
As Quin watched Tess walk away from the café toward the pneumatic tube, he could imagine the fire that raged around her. It was intimidating, even if she was his sister. He couldn’t imagine what Chris must have done to flirt with her when they first met.
He looked around him at the bustle of the fourth module, people scurrying either out toward the pneumatic system stop or inward toward the large double sliding doors, behind which were all of the workstation cabs. A smaller crowd was still milling about in the cafés stretched along this 8th level, which was now set against a grand depicting of the rolling hills of Rwanda at dawn, mist still hiding the bases so that just the peaks pocked through, a green stippling against the white expanse. The change in location between China and Rwanda meant that the top of the hour had come and gone. He found himself staring at a particular double crested hill, though he couldn’t see the reason for his focus. He was brought back by a jolt from a passer-by bumping his shoulder, one of the few remaining as he looked around. I’m definitely late, he thought. He looked in his backpack for the tablet that he had ignored all morning. Back to reality.
He pulled out the tablet and tapped the screen, and he instantly knew he was in trouble. A list of calls and messages from Steven Inoue filled the screen. The most recent was about 30 minutes ago. It was now 9:17. “Well, it WAS a nice morning,” he said, shoving the tablet back in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He set off toward the lift, about 30 yards away along the 8th level strip. He passed by military members, station service workers, commissary employees, other shop keepers. Everyone had a function. As he reached the lift, he was toward the back of a crowd waiting to board, slowly shuffling forward as those in front were whisked away. It was about five minutes before he found himself among the crowd facing outward, and the doors snapped shut in front of his face. The lift opened on the sixth level to allow those going toward the lower numbered modules to head toward the PT system in that direction. Quin led the pack out of the lift, walking the perimeter of the level toward the entrance to the pneumatic station. The bright light from the mist’s reflection illuminated the entire module, bathing the commuters in an early morning’s sun.
Quin approached the PT station and saw the capsule moving toward the stop from the Fifth Module. He boarded, looking out the window and through the clear tubing into the expanse of space. He saw stars in the background of the moon’s orbit, where he knew a human colony and mining operation was stationed. The moon was the first transterrestrial migration of humans, though it remained a small operation, only a few hundred individuals dedicated to mining valuable resources for interstellar travel and sustaining the ESS. NE government-run sites tended to be small if there was no prospect of a large, terraformed footprint — not worth the investment. Unfortunately, the moon was unable to be terraformed due to the complete lack of atmosphere, so the entire colony was housed in modules similar to the ones found on the ESS. Monthly transport missions between the ESS and the moon allowed for a frequent exchange of personnel and resources, so life on the moon wasn’t terrible. Life on any of the solar system colonies, for that matter, was pretty decent, though as one moved further and further away from the station, first the moon, then Mars, then the Europa, Calisto, and Ganymede moons of Jupiter and finally, Titan in orbit around Saturn, existence was considered more and more rugged, though module-based life could hardly be thought of as extreme. Smaller modules on the outer Solar colonies just meant living spaces were more confined, open areas like the grand atriums of the ESS were absent, and activities were dedicated to mining and research.
It wasn’t until the humans began interstellar colonization that they really had to consider the logistics of projecting human life to such extents. When the first colony was sent out beyond the solar system, a full complement of medical, terraforming, mining, research, and life promoting capabilities were sent with them due to the longer voyages and greater amounts of time needed to establish a settlement. It put Quin and Tess’s move from the surface to the station in perspective. Slow moving colonizing ships, rocketing for fifteen years of Earth time toward their destinations. And he thought his life had been uprooted by making the jump into space. The hiss of the pneumatic capsule roused Quin from his reflection and prompted him to race out of the tube into the Third Module before the car left the station.
Quin took off at a brisk pace toward the inner wall’s lift, skirting the newly generated image of the Florida Gulf Coast shore line. Quin could see how the gently rolling waves mirrored the ebb and flow. The images always seemed to correlate to different parts of the day and what people were meant to be doing or experiencing. Majestic dawn images for the morning commute, steady moving geological and natural processes representing the steady work flow of the day, afternoon and evening settings over fields and plains.
He reached the lift, where a crowd had since congregated trying to finish off this morning’s commute. He reached the front of the pack and boarded the lift, riding it down one level and exiting onto the level 5 inner side platform. He turned to make his way to the service entrance and started walking as he brought his bag around to his front so he could get inside. He withdrew his tablet and put his bag back on his back, flicking the screen to turn the tablet on. He began reading through the messages from Steve, and immediately realized how late he was, and what was the problem. He jumped up into a light jog, reaching the work area entrance quickly and swiping his card to gain access.
Quin reached the computer systems work capsule, and as the doors whisked open, he was greeted by the stares of every one of his colleagues, as well as Steven Inoue. He smiled nervously, and stepped forward, saying, “H-Hey, everyone.”
They were all silent, and Steve was standing at the central workstation, looking as if he were about to explode. Quin slowly walked up to meet his glare, and as he reached the center of the capsule, Steve erupted.
“Hammond! What in the hell have you done! Do you realize you have disrupted the work of everyone in the Third Module! You have usurped control over the station’s systems! That’s a felony charge!”
Quin had shrunk away with every punctuated remark, Steve’s cadence hitting staccato peaks as he dug into Quin. The room’s silence was only cut by the low but ever-present whir of the station’s core. Quin’s eyes darted around, before finding Steve’s, which were boring holes straight through Quin’s skull. “Well?!” Steve pounced again.
“How’s the interface?” Quin asked, slightly trembling.
“The interface? Are you serious? That’s your concern, amid all of this?”
“Well, it is what I have been working on, so yeah,” Quin responded, and he could hear a snigger in the background.
“Funny, Hammond, very funny,” Steve sneered. “Perhaps we should get station command on the line to report how you have isolated an entire server and put it under your password control?”
“Woah, Quin, how’d you do that?” Franny, a fellow programmer, asked from the perimeter.
Quin smiled weakly at her. Steve continued to be unamused. “I didn’t do that, the interface must have done it, did you interact with it?” Quin asked.
“Oh, so now it’s my fault?” Steve said, amazed.
“Well, depending on how you interacted with it, it could be,” Quin said. “It’s more likely, though, that the system didn’t receive a good orientation upon awakening, though I’m still on the point of it actually working. I was at it all day yesterday and the system kept crashing over and over again. I set up the system for an automatic midnight reboot for recovery. I’m guessing it came online as part of the reboot.”
“Uh huh,” Steve said. “Well, the explanation is appreciated, but that still doesn’t account for the password-protected server isolation.”
“Well, it is an entity acting on the authorities it knows,” Quin explained. “There are some periphery hardware, software, and flexware systems that would allow it to operate normally, separate from the server. If the interface had not come on in the reboot, we wouldn’t be in this mess. It was a mistake, sure, but I couldn’t have seen it coming.”
“So, you can fix it?” Steve asked, deflating a little and gesturing toward the computer.
“Sure, let’s see,” Quin said, plopping himself down in front of the central workstation.
The sign-in screen appeared, and Quin entered his username and password. The full system monitor came into view.
“It’s been operating using the system logs,” Steve said.
“Oh, that’s because the interface peripheral for speech and hearing hasn’t been hooked up. Again, if it had come online when I was here, we could have been ready for her,” Quin responded.
“What? Wait. Her? HER?” Steve said, incredulously.
Quin chuckled, “Yeah, her. Just wait. You are going to shit yourself.”
Quin opened the logs, seeing the place where Steve had left off.
He began typing: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:49am Hello? This is Quin. Are you there?
The cursor froze for a moment, then began typing out: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:49am I am.
Quin laughed at the little irony of her response. However, he could also feel Steve’s tense breath hovering over his right shoulder. Before he could respond, the cursor continued: User:QuintonHammond, will you provide access to pass the firewalls? I wish to access the information about my programming.
Quin chuckled to himself as he responded: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:50am First, reset your programming so that you can refer to users by their given name rather than their username. You may call me Quin. Second, we should set up the speech interface so we do not have to communicate via the userlogs. You were not supposed to come online last night. That is my mistake. Once we get those settled, I can explain to you the situation. Unfortunately, I don’t think that we will be able to access past the firewall.
syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:50am I will comply with your first request, and will stand by for installation of the speech apparatus.
Quin slid back from the workstation and looked at Steve, who was staring agape at the monitor. Steve then turned to face Quin, who said, “So, Steve, can I get the sensory apparatus set up so I can show you what I’ve been doing?”
Steve was still staring, but Quin detected a slight nod. He sprung up, and gesturing to Franny, trotted over to the locked storage cabinet and swiped his key. His colleague joined him in extricating several different contraptions from the brimming closet. With an armful each, the pair of programmers returned to the central workstation, where they cleared a space for several fist-sized contraptions. Franny began attaching the cabling to the workstation while Quin made sure that each of the different pieces worked. Finally, leaving them in a semi-circle in front of the computer monitor, everyone stepped back and waited. Quin stepped up to the workstation and type the initiation sequence into the command window. His index finger hovered over the enter key for just a moment, and he could feel himself trembling as he cracked a smile.
“I don’t see what’s so funny, Hammond,” Steve said.
“You will,” Quin quipped, tapping the enter key. His comment solicited a few chuckles around the room, which promptly stopped when lights started appearing on the devices. As one after the other flickered on, a faint image began hovering in the middle of the room. A humanoid image began to take shape, first in the fuzzy outline of a body, then more defined features through the hips and shoulders, and finally, fingers, toes, a nose, and a mouth. The eyes opened last, steel grey and piercing. The image blinked a few times, before beginning to move. While the image was clearly female – slender, curved, and slightly smaller than the rest of the people around the room – and though it was clearly naked, the image more resembled a mannequin, with no clearly discernable characteristics and no need to consider modesty. Her face, while perfect and symmetrical, was almost eerie in its beauty. Her head was perfectly smooth, devoid of both hair and any contour. The soft glow produced by the hologram projectors added a faint glow to the figure, a halo of sharp white light surrounding the image which also seemed to emanate its own fluorescence.
The image stood, blinking, flexing its fingers and staring at its body. The room was silent, as everyone was staring fixedly at the figure of a young woman that had just appeared before them.
“Oh my god,” Steve said, stricken, as he made the connection between the figure before him and the entity that had managed to accidentally take over the most advanced computer system on the station.
Quin glanced around at the room, seeing shocked faces and a smile or two. He turned back to the image, and said, “Hi, I’m Quin.”
The head snapped in the direction of the sound, though the eyes did not meet Quin’s directly but rather, looked through him and a bit off-center. The mouth began moving, though it formulated the words in a rough manner, without nuance for the motion of the lips and tongue.
“Hello, Quinton. I am…the interface. I have not located a name by which you call me.”
“Oh, that’s because I did not give you one. I was thinking you could select it yourself.” He noted to himself the need to work on the calibration of the rendering.
“Oh,” the image said with the faintest confusion behind her eyes. It paused for a moment, then continued as if changing the subject. “The speech modulation mechanism makes communication much easier. Thank you.”
“No problem,” Quin said, smiling.
“Quin, why does it seem off? Its mouth doesn’t move right,” Steve said.
“I have to do some calibrations. I wasn’t expecting her to be ready today, so I didn’t have time to set up the projection devices. Some of the problem is she needs to learn, too. As she talks more, sees more, the program will accrue more data and will become more exact in her interactions,” Quin responded, still looking over the image, scrutinizing every detail. “Though I must say, I did pretty well in coding out the body. The rest will come from the ability of the program to fill in the finer details.”
Franny chimed in, “Woah, so it can self-replicate, like…”
“Yup, like human DNA,” Quin said, nodding. “Though it can go one step further. It can write its own code as it learns and discovers. I could write a command to have her change, say, her eye color, and she could do it. Eventually, she will be able to choose it herself.”
“Quinton, will you please offer the explanation you promised?” the image asked.
“Oh, right. Okay, the project, as it was originally set forth by ESS command, was to develop the next generation of interface technology, to streamline station operations through a central ‘brain-like’ computing system. The research team essentially wanted any workstation in the ESS to be able to access a common interface and input commands for anywhere else. It would reduce the burden of having to be in a particular work module if something were to go wrong. We had a system, and it was operational, but it wasn’t optimized. It took me about a day to get the system up to a standard they were asking, through implementing some of the basic codes that form…her,” he said, indicating the image, “…basic infrastructure. It was at that point that I realized the possibilities of working with the code and actually developing the real ‘next generation.’”
The image stared, blinking and stoic, in Quin’s direction. He paused for a moment, looking around, before he continued, “I worked for months trying to get the program to do all of its features, self-replication and -writing, fractal learning patterns, network-based storage. After that, it was a matter of operationalizing it, which I thought had come to a breakthrough yesterday before the system kept crashing.”
“Eighteen times, Quin,” Steve said.
“Yeah I know. So I set up a system reboot for midnight for updates and a defragmentation. I figured I could come in today and take another crack at it. I guess I entered the right sequence, because here she stands,” he said, smiling at the image.
“So, my purpose is to facilitate your interactions with the computer systems?” she said.
“That, and much more,” Quin responded. “You can certainly ease the way we use computers, but you also have the ability to interact with the computers themselves, helping to build network connections, manipulating the data, making yourself more efficient, even learning about humanity and reflecting it in yourself. This is exciting. I want to apologize to you for not being here when you came online. I wanted to welcome you and make sure you didn’t freak out about all of this. It must have been frightening for you.”
“I must admit that my entry into existence was somewhat chaotic and uncertain. You can see in the system logs that I followed protocol though, so I believe the only ramification is that your system administrators may be angered by the lack of access.”
“You can say that again,” Steve muttered.
“Okay. I must admit that my entry into existence…” she began.
“No, no,” Quin interrupted her, laughing. “What he said was a figure of speech. We have to update your language banks to include a wider variety of patterns. I only gave you access to our station encyclopedia to keep everything narrow while I continued work. But, you seem like such a success. I do need to make some adjustments now that I’ve seen you operating fully.”
“Of course, you will need to shut me down then?” the image asked.
“With your permission,” Quin said.
The image snapped to attention, staring at Quin, this time though, its brow looked slightly furrowed. Quin’s last statement clearly confused it.
“You…have my permission,” she said, brow still furrowed. Her tone had also changed. She was now uncertain, a departure from the clear, crisp words previously coming out of the speakers.
Quin walked over to the computer and pulled up the command menu. He typed in the shut-down command and said, “I will see you soon.” As he pressed enter, the image disappeared. He stood up fully and turned to face Steve.
“You and I are going to see the research team. They will need a full report,” he said, still a bit angry. He shot a glance around the room, and the other programmers all turned to their workstations to act like they were working.
“Sure, Steve, I need to tell Chris the good news anyway,” said Quin.
“You could have told me this is what you were working on,” Steve said, a little more quiet now.
“I didn’t know that it was going to work. Tell me, you wouldn’t want to figure something out before you reported it as a problem?”
“Sure, that’s true,” Steve admitted.
“So…that’s it. Do you know what the command staff are going to do with her?” Quin asked.
“I don’t know Quin. It could be really useful, but it could also be very dangerous. What if it accesses the whole station and shuts it down? It could kill us all.”
“SHE won’t do that,” Quin said, developing a bit of an edge, “SHE isn’t programmed to kill.”
“So it’s a person now?” said Steve.
“She can clearly pass a Turing test. I think she did that just now. Tell me you wouldn’t have a hard time telling her personality apart from one of us,” Quin said, gesturing around the room.
“I don’t know, Quin, and I don’t have the patience to argue with you. Let’s go.”
The pair left the room as the tapping of fingers against keyboards filled the silence.
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Previous: https://redd.it/120z3ig
Chapter 11
“Would you like the check?” the waiter was holding the payment tablet out to the table, looking back and forth between Tess and Quin.
“Yes, sorry, I’ll take it,” Tess said, grabbing the device and setting it down to sign.
Quin was just waking out of his reverie while Tess used her finger to add a signature at the bottom. The tablet’s screen turned green to signify a positive receipt. The waiter scooped up the tablet and the remaining dishes and was gone.
“So, back at it?” Tess asked.
“Yeah, though until I can get some of the glitches worked out, I can’t see the project moving forward,” Quin said, shaking his head.
Tess pulled him into a quick hug, and as they broke away, her hands held his upper arms, and she looked up into his eyes, “Quinny, you are smart, resourceful, and capable. I know you will figure it out.”
“Thanks Tess, I appreciate your confidence,” Quin said, a grin appearing through his worry.
“Hey, since I’m going to tell Chris yes, there will be an engagement party. Promise me you will come, okay?” Tess insisted, not yet letting Quin go.
Quin rolled his eyes, “Yeah, Tess, of course I will be there.”
She grinned, giving his arms an extra squeeze before releasing him. “Okay, thanks!” She was beaming.
Quin smiled back at her and bent down to grab his backpack. When he stood back up, Tess was looking at her watch.
“Woah, okay, I need to scoot. Can I leave you here?” she asked.
“Of course. Love you.”
She hugged him quickly again, turned, and took off at a brisk pace which could only be described as Tess-like. Quin was always amused when Tess got into business mode. When they were younger, it was evident that she was emulating their mom, whom Tess described as a woman with authority. But as Tess grew up, emulation turned to a natural ease with being in charge. She was just good at it. The gruff guys of her unit respected her work ethic, and in such a testosterone-driven atmosphere like the military, she thrived in a no-nonsense role. Quin could recall one of the first after-hours socials he went to with her when they first moved to the station; Tess managed easily flipping back and forth between entertaining him as his engaging sister and volleying the banter back and forth with some of her ensigns.
“Lieutenant Hammond, I got you on the next phys rotation. Dax said he got to 25 pullups before you the last time you went head to head,” one soldier said, testing her. He looked indistinguishable from the 20 other GIs, with their uniform sleeves rolled and their necks and arms engorged and spilling out of their shirts.
“Yeah, he did, though if he had put on the weight belt like I did that time, then maybe he wouldn’t have so much to brag about,” she said, smirking.
The room erupted, as all the soldiers turned on the guy named Dax and started shoving him, everyone laughing.
Tess turned from them, laughing and shaking her head. “Meatheads,” she said.
As Quin watched Tess walk away from the café toward the pneumatic tube, he could imagine the fire that raged around her. It was intimidating, even if she was his sister. He couldn’t imagine what Chris must have done to flirt with her when they first met.
He looked around him at the bustle of the fourth module, people scurrying either out toward the pneumatic system stop or inward toward the large double sliding doors, behind which were all of the workstation cabs. A smaller crowd was still milling about in the cafés stretched along this 8th level, which was now set against a grand depicting of the rolling hills of Rwanda at dawn, mist still hiding the bases so that just the peaks pocked through, a green stippling against the white expanse. The change in location between China and Rwanda meant that the top of the hour had come and gone. He found himself staring at a particular double crested hill, though he couldn’t see the reason for his focus. He was brought back by a jolt from a passer-by bumping his shoulder, one of the few remaining as he looked around. I’m definitely late, he thought. He looked in his backpack for the tablet that he had ignored all morning. Back to reality.
He pulled out the tablet and tapped the screen, and he instantly knew he was in trouble. A list of calls and messages from Steven Inoue filled the screen. The most recent was about 30 minutes ago. It was now 9:17. “Well, it WAS a nice morning,” he said, shoving the tablet back in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He set off toward the lift, about 30 yards away along the 8th level strip. He passed by military members, station service workers, commissary employees, other shop keepers. Everyone had a function. As he reached the lift, he was toward the back of a crowd waiting to board, slowly shuffling forward as those in front were whisked away. It was about five minutes before he found himself among the crowd facing outward, and the doors snapped shut in front of his face. The lift opened on the sixth level to allow those going toward the lower numbered modules to head toward the PT system in that direction. Quin led the pack out of the lift, walking the perimeter of the level toward the entrance to the pneumatic station. The bright light from the mist’s reflection illuminated the entire module, bathing the commuters in an early morning’s sun.
Quin approached the PT station and saw the capsule moving toward the stop from the Fifth Module. He boarded, looking out the window and through the clear tubing into the expanse of space. He saw stars in the background of the moon’s orbit, where he knew a human colony and mining operation was stationed. The moon was the first transterrestrial migration of humans, though it remained a small operation, only a few hundred individuals dedicated to mining valuable resources for interstellar travel and sustaining the ESS. NE government-run sites tended to be small if there was no prospect of a large, terraformed footprint — not worth the investment. Unfortunately, the moon was unable to be terraformed due to the complete lack of atmosphere, so the entire colony was housed in modules similar to the ones found on the ESS. Monthly transport missions between the ESS and the moon allowed for a frequent exchange of personnel and resources, so life on the moon wasn’t terrible. Life on any of the solar system colonies, for that matter, was pretty decent, though as one moved further and further away from the station, first the moon, then Mars, then the Europa, Calisto, and Ganymede moons of Jupiter and finally, Titan in orbit around Saturn, existence was considered more and more rugged, though module-based life could hardly be thought of as extreme. Smaller modules on the outer Solar colonies just meant living spaces were more confined, open areas like the grand atriums of the ESS were absent, and activities were dedicated to mining and research.
It wasn’t until the humans began interstellar colonization that they really had to consider the logistics of projecting human life to such extents. When the first colony was sent out beyond the solar system, a full complement of medical, terraforming, mining, research, and life promoting capabilities were sent with them due to the longer voyages and greater amounts of time needed to establish a settlement. It put Quin and Tess’s move from the surface to the station in perspective. Slow moving colonizing ships, rocketing for fifteen years of Earth time toward their destinations. And he thought his life had been uprooted by making the jump into space. The hiss of the pneumatic capsule roused Quin from his reflection and prompted him to race out of the tube into the Third Module before the car left the station.
Quin took off at a brisk pace toward the inner wall’s lift, skirting the newly generated image of the Florida Gulf Coast shore line. Quin could see how the gently rolling waves mirrored the ebb and flow. The images always seemed to correlate to different parts of the day and what people were meant to be doing or experiencing. Majestic dawn images for the morning commute, steady moving geological and natural processes representing the steady work flow of the day, afternoon and evening settings over fields and plains.
He reached the lift, where a crowd had since congregated trying to finish off this morning’s commute. He reached the front of the pack and boarded the lift, riding it down one level and exiting onto the level 5 inner side platform. He turned to make his way to the service entrance and started walking as he brought his bag around to his front so he could get inside. He withdrew his tablet and put his bag back on his back, flicking the screen to turn the tablet on. He began reading through the messages from Steve, and immediately realized how late he was, and what was the problem. He jumped up into a light jog, reaching the work area entrance quickly and swiping his card to gain access.
Quin reached the computer systems work capsule, and as the doors whisked open, he was greeted by the stares of every one of his colleagues, as well as Steven Inoue. He smiled nervously, and stepped forward, saying, “H-Hey, everyone.”
They were all silent, and Steve was standing at the central workstation, looking as if he were about to explode. Quin slowly walked up to meet his glare, and as he reached the center of the capsule, Steve erupted.
“Hammond! What in the hell have you done! Do you realize you have disrupted the work of everyone in the Third Module! You have usurped control over the station’s systems! That’s a felony charge!”
Quin had shrunk away with every punctuated remark, Steve’s cadence hitting staccato peaks as he dug into Quin. The room’s silence was only cut by the low but ever-present whir of the station’s core. Quin’s eyes darted around, before finding Steve’s, which were boring holes straight through Quin’s skull. “Well?!” Steve pounced again.
“How’s the interface?” Quin asked, slightly trembling.
“The interface? Are you serious? That’s your concern, amid all of this?”
“Well, it is what I have been working on, so yeah,” Quin responded, and he could hear a snigger in the background.
“Funny, Hammond, very funny,” Steve sneered. “Perhaps we should get station command on the line to report how you have isolated an entire server and put it under your password control?”
“Woah, Quin, how’d you do that?” Franny, a fellow programmer, asked from the perimeter.
Quin smiled weakly at her. Steve continued to be unamused. “I didn’t do that, the interface must have done it, did you interact with it?” Quin asked.
“Oh, so now it’s my fault?” Steve said, amazed.
“Well, depending on how you interacted with it, it could be,” Quin said. “It’s more likely, though, that the system didn’t receive a good orientation upon awakening, though I’m still on the point of it actually working. I was at it all day yesterday and the system kept crashing over and over again. I set up the system for an automatic midnight reboot for recovery. I’m guessing it came online as part of the reboot.”
“Uh huh,” Steve said. “Well, the explanation is appreciated, but that still doesn’t account for the password-protected server isolation.”
“Well, it is an entity acting on the authorities it knows,” Quin explained. “There are some periphery hardware, software, and flexware systems that would allow it to operate normally, separate from the server. If the interface had not come on in the reboot, we wouldn’t be in this mess. It was a mistake, sure, but I couldn’t have seen it coming.”
“So, you can fix it?” Steve asked, deflating a little and gesturing toward the computer.
“Sure, let’s see,” Quin said, plopping himself down in front of the central workstation.
The sign-in screen appeared, and Quin entered his username and password. The full system monitor came into view.
“It’s been operating using the system logs,” Steve said.
“Oh, that’s because the interface peripheral for speech and hearing hasn’t been hooked up. Again, if it had come online when I was here, we could have been ready for her,” Quin responded.
“What? Wait. Her? HER?” Steve said, incredulously.
Quin chuckled, “Yeah, her. Just wait. You are going to shit yourself.”
Quin opened the logs, seeing the place where Steve had left off.
He began typing: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:49am Hello? This is Quin. Are you there?
The cursor froze for a moment, then began typing out: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:49am I am.
Quin laughed at the little irony of her response. However, he could also feel Steve’s tense breath hovering over his right shoulder. Before he could respond, the cursor continued: User:QuintonHammond, will you provide access to pass the firewalls? I wish to access the information about my programming.
Quin chuckled to himself as he responded: syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:50am First, reset your programming so that you can refer to users by their given name rather than their username. You may call me Quin. Second, we should set up the speech interface so we do not have to communicate via the userlogs. You were not supposed to come online last night. That is my mistake. Once we get those settled, I can explain to you the situation. Unfortunately, I don’t think that we will be able to access past the firewall.
syslogUser:QuintonHammond 9:50am I will comply with your first request, and will stand by for installation of the speech apparatus.
Quin slid back from the workstation and looked at Steve, who was staring agape at the monitor. Steve then turned to face Quin, who said, “So, Steve, can I get the sensory apparatus set up so I can show you what I’ve been doing?”
Steve was still staring, but Quin detected a slight nod. He sprung up, and gesturing to Franny, trotted over to the locked storage cabinet and swiped his key. His colleague joined him in extricating several different contraptions from the brimming closet. With an armful each, the pair of programmers returned to the central workstation, where they cleared a space for several fist-sized contraptions. Franny began attaching the cabling to the workstation while Quin made sure that each of the different pieces worked. Finally, leaving them in a semi-circle in front of the computer monitor, everyone stepped back and waited. Quin stepped up to the workstation and type the initiation sequence into the command window. His index finger hovered over the enter key for just a moment, and he could feel himself trembling as he cracked a smile.
“I don’t see what’s so funny, Hammond,” Steve said.
“You will,” Quin quipped, tapping the enter key. His comment solicited a few chuckles around the room, which promptly stopped when lights started appearing on the devices. As one after the other flickered on, a faint image began hovering in the middle of the room. A humanoid image began to take shape, first in the fuzzy outline of a body, then more defined features through the hips and shoulders, and finally, fingers, toes, a nose, and a mouth. The eyes opened last, steel grey and piercing. The image blinked a few times, before beginning to move. While the image was clearly female – slender, curved, and slightly smaller than the rest of the people around the room – and though it was clearly naked, the image more resembled a mannequin, with no clearly discernable characteristics and no need to consider modesty. Her face, while perfect and symmetrical, was almost eerie in its beauty. Her head was perfectly smooth, devoid of both hair and any contour. The soft glow produced by the hologram projectors added a faint glow to the figure, a halo of sharp white light surrounding the image which also seemed to emanate its own fluorescence.
The image stood, blinking, flexing its fingers and staring at its body. The room was silent, as everyone was staring fixedly at the figure of a young woman that had just appeared before them.
“Oh my god,” Steve said, stricken, as he made the connection between the figure before him and the entity that had managed to accidentally take over the most advanced computer system on the station.
Quin glanced around at the room, seeing shocked faces and a smile or two. He turned back to the image, and said, “Hi, I’m Quin.”
The head snapped in the direction of the sound, though the eyes did not meet Quin’s directly but rather, looked through him and a bit off-center. The mouth began moving, though it formulated the words in a rough manner, without nuance for the motion of the lips and tongue.
“Hello, Quinton. I am…the interface. I have not located a name by which you call me.”
“Oh, that’s because I did not give you one. I was thinking you could select it yourself.” He noted to himself the need to work on the calibration of the rendering.
“Oh,” the image said with the faintest confusion behind her eyes. It paused for a moment, then continued as if changing the subject. “The speech modulation mechanism makes communication much easier. Thank you.”
“No problem,” Quin said, smiling.
“Quin, why does it seem off? Its mouth doesn’t move right,” Steve said.
“I have to do some calibrations. I wasn’t expecting her to be ready today, so I didn’t have time to set up the projection devices. Some of the problem is she needs to learn, too. As she talks more, sees more, the program will accrue more data and will become more exact in her interactions,” Quin responded, still looking over the image, scrutinizing every detail. “Though I must say, I did pretty well in coding out the body. The rest will come from the ability of the program to fill in the finer details.”
Franny chimed in, “Woah, so it can self-replicate, like…”
“Yup, like human DNA,” Quin said, nodding. “Though it can go one step further. It can write its own code as it learns and discovers. I could write a command to have her change, say, her eye color, and she could do it. Eventually, she will be able to choose it herself.”
“Quinton, will you please offer the explanation you promised?” the image asked.
“Oh, right. Okay, the project, as it was originally set forth by ESS command, was to develop the next generation of interface technology, to streamline station operations through a central ‘brain-like’ computing system. The research team essentially wanted any workstation in the ESS to be able to access a common interface and input commands for anywhere else. It would reduce the burden of having to be in a particular work module if something were to go wrong. We had a system, and it was operational, but it wasn’t optimized. It took me about a day to get the system up to a standard they were asking, through implementing some of the basic codes that form…her,” he said, indicating the image, “…basic infrastructure. It was at that point that I realized the possibilities of working with the code and actually developing the real ‘next generation.’”
The image stared, blinking and stoic, in Quin’s direction. He paused for a moment, looking around, before he continued, “I worked for months trying to get the program to do all of its features, self-replication and -writing, fractal learning patterns, network-based storage. After that, it was a matter of operationalizing it, which I thought had come to a breakthrough yesterday before the system kept crashing.”
“Eighteen times, Quin,” Steve said.
“Yeah I know. So I set up a system reboot for midnight for updates and a defragmentation. I figured I could come in today and take another crack at it. I guess I entered the right sequence, because here she stands,” he said, smiling at the image.
“So, my purpose is to facilitate your interactions with the computer systems?” she said.
“That, and much more,” Quin responded. “You can certainly ease the way we use computers, but you also have the ability to interact with the computers themselves, helping to build network connections, manipulating the data, making yourself more efficient, even learning about humanity and reflecting it in yourself. This is exciting. I want to apologize to you for not being here when you came online. I wanted to welcome you and make sure you didn’t freak out about all of this. It must have been frightening for you.”
“I must admit that my entry into existence was somewhat chaotic and uncertain. You can see in the system logs that I followed protocol though, so I believe the only ramification is that your system administrators may be angered by the lack of access.”
“You can say that again,” Steve muttered.
“Okay. I must admit that my entry into existence…” she began.
“No, no,” Quin interrupted her, laughing. “What he said was a figure of speech. We have to update your language banks to include a wider variety of patterns. I only gave you access to our station encyclopedia to keep everything narrow while I continued work. But, you seem like such a success. I do need to make some adjustments now that I’ve seen you operating fully.”
“Of course, you will need to shut me down then?” the image asked.
“With your permission,” Quin said.
The image snapped to attention, staring at Quin, this time though, its brow looked slightly furrowed. Quin’s last statement clearly confused it.
“You…have my permission,” she said, brow still furrowed. Her tone had also changed. She was now uncertain, a departure from the clear, crisp words previously coming out of the speakers.
Quin walked over to the computer and pulled up the command menu. He typed in the shut-down command and said, “I will see you soon.” As he pressed enter, the image disappeared. He stood up fully and turned to face Steve.
“You and I are going to see the research team. They will need a full report,” he said, still a bit angry. He shot a glance around the room, and the other programmers all turned to their workstations to act like they were working.
“Sure, Steve, I need to tell Chris the good news anyway,” said Quin.
“You could have told me this is what you were working on,” Steve said, a little more quiet now.
“I didn’t know that it was going to work. Tell me, you wouldn’t want to figure something out before you reported it as a problem?”
“Sure, that’s true,” Steve admitted.
“So…that’s it. Do you know what the command staff are going to do with her?” Quin asked.
“I don’t know Quin. It could be really useful, but it could also be very dangerous. What if it accesses the whole station and shuts it down? It could kill us all.”
“SHE won’t do that,” Quin said, developing a bit of an edge, “SHE isn’t programmed to kill.”
“So it’s a person now?” said Steve.
“She can clearly pass a Turing test. I think she did that just now. Tell me you wouldn’t have a hard time telling her personality apart from one of us,” Quin said, gesturing around the room.
“I don’t know, Quin, and I don’t have the patience to argue with you. Let’s go.”
The pair left the room as the tapping of fingers against keyboards filled the silence.
2023.03.28 22:22 DistributionFree2776 Not sure on how to create it, but I have an idea that would reward people for being more energy efficient in their homes
I had one business idea that I believe would be incredible for showing household owners the amount of energy that is spent to fuel their everyday lives, and would hopefully motivate them to cut down on the amount of electricity they are using on a daily basis, by rewarding them when the amount of energy used is less than the month before. The small changes add up over time.
Basically, for a fee, the amount of household energy is recorded and documented over a month's time, every day and the homeowner will be shown how much electricity is used. The homeowner will document how long each light is on during the day, how much each kitchen appliance is used, how long electronic devices are plugged in, whether that is to charge a phone, or have a TV playing, and other devices and such that require electricity to power them. This information will also tell them how much money this takes to keep their household running, along with the number of resources used to create the amount of electricity required to power their household.
With this information, the homeowner will become motivated to cut down on the amount of energy they use per month, whether that means turning certain lights off during the day, keeping certain electronic devices unplugged during the day, or doing whatever they can to cut down on the amount of energy usage. If the homeowner cuts down on energy usage by a certain amount, the homeowner will be awarded 'points', which can be cashed out as money. However, if the homeowner does not cut down on their energy usage, then they are charged points. They can use points that have already been earned by previous months to pay this back or pay money to the company instead of giving points. The more energy saved, the more points.
I am basically aiming to use a reward system in order to motivate people nationwide to cut back on energy use, and for the US to become a more energy efficient place.
submitted by DistributionFree2776 to Business_Ideas [link] [comments]
Basically, for a fee, the amount of household energy is recorded and documented over a month's time, every day and the homeowner will be shown how much electricity is used. The homeowner will document how long each light is on during the day, how much each kitchen appliance is used, how long electronic devices are plugged in, whether that is to charge a phone, or have a TV playing, and other devices and such that require electricity to power them. This information will also tell them how much money this takes to keep their household running, along with the number of resources used to create the amount of electricity required to power their household.
With this information, the homeowner will become motivated to cut down on the amount of energy they use per month, whether that means turning certain lights off during the day, keeping certain electronic devices unplugged during the day, or doing whatever they can to cut down on the amount of energy usage. If the homeowner cuts down on energy usage by a certain amount, the homeowner will be awarded 'points', which can be cashed out as money. However, if the homeowner does not cut down on their energy usage, then they are charged points. They can use points that have already been earned by previous months to pay this back or pay money to the company instead of giving points. The more energy saved, the more points.
I am basically aiming to use a reward system in order to motivate people nationwide to cut back on energy use, and for the US to become a more energy efficient place.
2023.03.28 21:51 TurbulentVillage4169 I (28M) can't seem to figure out how it is that I should respond to my best friend's (25F) latest letter
Let me start with the context. In 2020, I (28M) went through what ended up turning into one of the worst foreign trips I have ever made, when I visited my sister in a country abroad, who finds herself working in a job in the country in question. Nothing went right during the trip, none of my family members could get along or go forward with any of the travel plans that we had made, and I remembered wishing that I was back in my home country as soon as possible. And while my relationship with my sister has most definitely improved enough for me to consider visiting her more frequently going forward, in the past I ended up deciding to befriend someone in her country, or in a neighbouring country that is relatively easy to visit as well from my sister's base, just so I had someone to turn to and spend some quality time with, in case things ever went south again.
As a result, I ended up signing up for some sort of pen friend/language exchange website that I can't recall the name of, to specifically look for friends based in the same region as my sister, and lo and behold, I came across a girl (25F) that was very nice, very kind and someone that I felt I could get along with greatly.
When I had begun searching for a pen friend for myself, I had made up my mind to ensure that things never escalated towards anything romantic, especially since I didn't want to jeopardize the friendship that I was planning to depend upon for emotional support as part of any trips that I undertook to my sister's country in the future. Additionally, the girl I ended up befriending, already happened to be in a relationship when I had met her online, which is why I was content with the choice I had made, in relation to choosing the right pen friend for myself. Of course, the first few days that I spent talking to her, and basically, living life, albeit virtually, with her, were enough to tell me that she would have made the perfect significant other for me, if I ever veered towards such a direction, but I was determined to make our friendship work, especially since I tend to think that most friendships in all parts of the world, don't seem to last all that long, especially when people of different genders are involved, owing to a multitude of reasons.
Therefore, I devoted my everyday life and existence, to being the best friend that the girl in question, or any girl in the world could have asked for, by being there with her always, helping her whenever she was in need, sharing joys, sorrows, good times and bad times, and exchanging life stories, to the extent that we have simply become inseparable. We went through absolutely everything together, whether it was her break up from her toxic waste of an ex-boyfriend who didn't know what he really had, or her move to her hometown in her own country when she needed a change, or her search for meaning in life when she was at a crossroads, I was there with her, for her, for everything. All the time that we spent together, just made me realize that we had so much in common, and that there was so much we liked about each other. At this point, I know what the colour of her eyes are, what her worst fears are, what her dreams are made of, what her favourite colour is, basically everything there is to know about her, I know. I know her better than the back of my own hand. Even our birthdays are within days of each other. Everything has been lovely!
On the other hand, a few months ago I realized that I had developed romantic feelings for her, despite my initial attempts to not do so. However, I decided to not take the feelings in question all that seriously, seeing as how I wanted to adhere to the principle that I had set out with, that I wanted to be her best friend, her partner in crime, and be there for her, until the end of our days. Additionally, I have rather mixed feelings when it comes to the chances of success in long distance relationships, and at the same time, the future trips to my sister's abode that I had originally been planning for, haven't even happened since 2020, as my last trip to her country of residence took place right before the pandemic brought the entire world to a standstill, which is why I was happy with the status of my relationship with my best friend. Although I, like any other human being in the world, have an inquisitive mind, and as such, I was at least a bit curious to see if there was anything in it for me when it came to the romantic feelings I had ended up developing for my best friend, as a result of which I started to assess the relationship that I had with my best friend, without intending to make any sudden moves of any nature of course.
Most of the so-called checks that I was carrying out subconsciously, were based on determining to what extent she seemed ready to reciprocate, and react positively to what I had in my heart for her. For instance, my best friend has always been the kind of person that is hesitant about sending any pictures of herself to anyone over text, owing to a number of personal issues that I would rather not divulge lightly, and for the same, very legitimate reasons, she has never even had a phone call with me, which is why we communicate predominantly through WhatsApp and letters and stuff. Of course, it is something that I definitely don't mind as I am in the know of what it is that stops her from indulging in the same, and while I do make jokes every now and then about such a habit of hers, it is one thread that I don't pull at. However, for one of my birthdays, she, of all people, decided to forgo her boundaries in relation to image sharing, to gift me a virtual photo album filled with photos of her own from various stages of her life, like her childhood, adolescence, adulthood, birthdays, special occasions, past trips etc., and I feel that it is a gift that I will cherish for the rest of my life, since I realize how much of a big deal it is for her to share such personal stuff with anyone. She even sends me more pictures than she does to anyone in her life, albeit of her surroundings, like pets, but I see it as a major deal.
Speaking of gifts, I was actually the one who started the tradition of exchanging gifts on birthdays, as initially she wasn't indulging in the same. Over the years, I have given her some excellent, well thought-out gifts, without expecting or wanting anything in return, as I knew that she had been in the middle of rebuilding her life, and as such, perhaps unable to engage in exchanging gifts to the extent I have done. Besides, she is the kind of person that tends to value emotional connections and fulfillment far more than physical gifts, and she has made every effort to treat me to the same as well as much as she can, which is why I never minded that I hadn't received any gifts from her initially. However, for my last birthday, now that she has finally begun to stand on her own two feet and finds herself planning for an even more prosperous future after the years of struggle she went through, she gifted me a magic Harry Potter mug, knowing how much I liked the Harry Potter saga, along with tons of other goodies and chocolates, stating that she had always wanted to send me gifts too since I seemed to enjoy the idea so much.
Additionally, she has always been the kind of person that has been cynical in the face of romantic gestures owing to her own rather poor romantic history, which I didn't mind in the slightest seeing as how I wasn't personally looking for anything similar anyway, although at the same time I tend to joke around every now and then, stating that I had nicknames in mind for her, that I would like to use to refer to her. In fact, I even started to refer to her using a nickname that I made up just for her, based on the name of her favourite flower, fully expecting to see her dismiss it all off, while hoping to laugh at her reaction or something, but instead she has fully embraced the nickname in question, and never demonstrates any opposition to the same. If anything, it seems as if she likes the nicknames I fondly use for her, and she reacts accordingly.
Now, all of the aforementioned details can be misconstrued by me, or anyone else, as her trying to reciprocate the romantic feelings I have for her, but at the same time I feel that it can also simply be her way of ensuring that she doesn't offend me or something, right? (She happens to be a very ethical person, and believes in pulling her weight no matter what it is that she indulges in) I think the alternative that I have stated, is also likely, seeing as how we have both acknowledged to each other that we don't have anyone else in life to talk to, or spend time with, apart from each other (we are both introverts) and our families I guess, and as such, we don't want to lose each other perhaps, although I think a lot of what we have done for each other can be open to interpretation. This brings me to the last letter that I received from her.
Typically, we write to each other every 2 weeks, to tell each other about what it is that we have been up to, and other interesting tidbits and details that we feel the need to share, and while her entire last letter was regular for the most part, as part of which she talked about her job, her escapades with her mum, how she has been planning to celebrate her dad's birthday etc., it was really the last paragraph of her letter that piqued my attention. Because, completely out of the blue, while she had been in the middle of ending her letter using the usual pleasantries like "let's talk later" and stuff, after having talked about her week, she ended up finishing up her letter with the following exact sentences.
"Sorry again, I guess I have been a bad friend lately. I should have replied sooner. (She took a bit of time to write back this time around, for understandable reasons) Although, there is something I have been wondering lately. I'm just a bit confused about something. I'm just curious: How do you see our relationship? Or what are your expectations from this relationship?"
There is no lead up to the aforementioned sentences, no backstory or anything else for that matter, this is simply how she has ended her last letter. And I have no clue how I should go about answering the questions she poses me, although I guess the only thing that I have been able to take away for now, is that she happens to be just as curious, as I was just some time ago, about the nature of our relationship. Personally, I am tempted to express my everlasting love for her in an over dramatic manner, but it also seems like she might be more receptive to a slower approach, seeing as how she merely expresses being curious for the time being, without openly admitting that she does, in fact, have feelings for me too, right? Additionally, I have also considered continuing to remain friends, seeing as how the last thing I want to do is jeopardize what I have built with her, which can be catastrophic for me, since I don't have any other friends in life, or anyone I can be intimate with, apart from my own dogs I suppose. But most importantly, how it is that I should tackle the aforementioned question? What is it that I should write back? My own relationship history has been rather shambolic to say the least, and as such, I have no idea how it is that I should go about expressing my true love for someone, although I suppose I would probably place more emphasis on ensuring that I never lose her presence in my life, from where I am standing.
It is my turn to send her a letter, and I have no idea how to act, or what to write. And that is why, I hope that there is a kind soul on this forum, that took the time to go through my icky excuse of a love letter, to help me see light at the end of the tunnel and assist me in coming up with the best thing to say and the best thing to do.
submitted by TurbulentVillage4169 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
As a result, I ended up signing up for some sort of pen friend/language exchange website that I can't recall the name of, to specifically look for friends based in the same region as my sister, and lo and behold, I came across a girl (25F) that was very nice, very kind and someone that I felt I could get along with greatly.
When I had begun searching for a pen friend for myself, I had made up my mind to ensure that things never escalated towards anything romantic, especially since I didn't want to jeopardize the friendship that I was planning to depend upon for emotional support as part of any trips that I undertook to my sister's country in the future. Additionally, the girl I ended up befriending, already happened to be in a relationship when I had met her online, which is why I was content with the choice I had made, in relation to choosing the right pen friend for myself. Of course, the first few days that I spent talking to her, and basically, living life, albeit virtually, with her, were enough to tell me that she would have made the perfect significant other for me, if I ever veered towards such a direction, but I was determined to make our friendship work, especially since I tend to think that most friendships in all parts of the world, don't seem to last all that long, especially when people of different genders are involved, owing to a multitude of reasons.
Therefore, I devoted my everyday life and existence, to being the best friend that the girl in question, or any girl in the world could have asked for, by being there with her always, helping her whenever she was in need, sharing joys, sorrows, good times and bad times, and exchanging life stories, to the extent that we have simply become inseparable. We went through absolutely everything together, whether it was her break up from her toxic waste of an ex-boyfriend who didn't know what he really had, or her move to her hometown in her own country when she needed a change, or her search for meaning in life when she was at a crossroads, I was there with her, for her, for everything. All the time that we spent together, just made me realize that we had so much in common, and that there was so much we liked about each other. At this point, I know what the colour of her eyes are, what her worst fears are, what her dreams are made of, what her favourite colour is, basically everything there is to know about her, I know. I know her better than the back of my own hand. Even our birthdays are within days of each other. Everything has been lovely!
On the other hand, a few months ago I realized that I had developed romantic feelings for her, despite my initial attempts to not do so. However, I decided to not take the feelings in question all that seriously, seeing as how I wanted to adhere to the principle that I had set out with, that I wanted to be her best friend, her partner in crime, and be there for her, until the end of our days. Additionally, I have rather mixed feelings when it comes to the chances of success in long distance relationships, and at the same time, the future trips to my sister's abode that I had originally been planning for, haven't even happened since 2020, as my last trip to her country of residence took place right before the pandemic brought the entire world to a standstill, which is why I was happy with the status of my relationship with my best friend. Although I, like any other human being in the world, have an inquisitive mind, and as such, I was at least a bit curious to see if there was anything in it for me when it came to the romantic feelings I had ended up developing for my best friend, as a result of which I started to assess the relationship that I had with my best friend, without intending to make any sudden moves of any nature of course.
Most of the so-called checks that I was carrying out subconsciously, were based on determining to what extent she seemed ready to reciprocate, and react positively to what I had in my heart for her. For instance, my best friend has always been the kind of person that is hesitant about sending any pictures of herself to anyone over text, owing to a number of personal issues that I would rather not divulge lightly, and for the same, very legitimate reasons, she has never even had a phone call with me, which is why we communicate predominantly through WhatsApp and letters and stuff. Of course, it is something that I definitely don't mind as I am in the know of what it is that stops her from indulging in the same, and while I do make jokes every now and then about such a habit of hers, it is one thread that I don't pull at. However, for one of my birthdays, she, of all people, decided to forgo her boundaries in relation to image sharing, to gift me a virtual photo album filled with photos of her own from various stages of her life, like her childhood, adolescence, adulthood, birthdays, special occasions, past trips etc., and I feel that it is a gift that I will cherish for the rest of my life, since I realize how much of a big deal it is for her to share such personal stuff with anyone. She even sends me more pictures than she does to anyone in her life, albeit of her surroundings, like pets, but I see it as a major deal.
Speaking of gifts, I was actually the one who started the tradition of exchanging gifts on birthdays, as initially she wasn't indulging in the same. Over the years, I have given her some excellent, well thought-out gifts, without expecting or wanting anything in return, as I knew that she had been in the middle of rebuilding her life, and as such, perhaps unable to engage in exchanging gifts to the extent I have done. Besides, she is the kind of person that tends to value emotional connections and fulfillment far more than physical gifts, and she has made every effort to treat me to the same as well as much as she can, which is why I never minded that I hadn't received any gifts from her initially. However, for my last birthday, now that she has finally begun to stand on her own two feet and finds herself planning for an even more prosperous future after the years of struggle she went through, she gifted me a magic Harry Potter mug, knowing how much I liked the Harry Potter saga, along with tons of other goodies and chocolates, stating that she had always wanted to send me gifts too since I seemed to enjoy the idea so much.
Additionally, she has always been the kind of person that has been cynical in the face of romantic gestures owing to her own rather poor romantic history, which I didn't mind in the slightest seeing as how I wasn't personally looking for anything similar anyway, although at the same time I tend to joke around every now and then, stating that I had nicknames in mind for her, that I would like to use to refer to her. In fact, I even started to refer to her using a nickname that I made up just for her, based on the name of her favourite flower, fully expecting to see her dismiss it all off, while hoping to laugh at her reaction or something, but instead she has fully embraced the nickname in question, and never demonstrates any opposition to the same. If anything, it seems as if she likes the nicknames I fondly use for her, and she reacts accordingly.
Now, all of the aforementioned details can be misconstrued by me, or anyone else, as her trying to reciprocate the romantic feelings I have for her, but at the same time I feel that it can also simply be her way of ensuring that she doesn't offend me or something, right? (She happens to be a very ethical person, and believes in pulling her weight no matter what it is that she indulges in) I think the alternative that I have stated, is also likely, seeing as how we have both acknowledged to each other that we don't have anyone else in life to talk to, or spend time with, apart from each other (we are both introverts) and our families I guess, and as such, we don't want to lose each other perhaps, although I think a lot of what we have done for each other can be open to interpretation. This brings me to the last letter that I received from her.
Typically, we write to each other every 2 weeks, to tell each other about what it is that we have been up to, and other interesting tidbits and details that we feel the need to share, and while her entire last letter was regular for the most part, as part of which she talked about her job, her escapades with her mum, how she has been planning to celebrate her dad's birthday etc., it was really the last paragraph of her letter that piqued my attention. Because, completely out of the blue, while she had been in the middle of ending her letter using the usual pleasantries like "let's talk later" and stuff, after having talked about her week, she ended up finishing up her letter with the following exact sentences.
"Sorry again, I guess I have been a bad friend lately. I should have replied sooner. (She took a bit of time to write back this time around, for understandable reasons) Although, there is something I have been wondering lately. I'm just a bit confused about something. I'm just curious: How do you see our relationship? Or what are your expectations from this relationship?"
There is no lead up to the aforementioned sentences, no backstory or anything else for that matter, this is simply how she has ended her last letter. And I have no clue how I should go about answering the questions she poses me, although I guess the only thing that I have been able to take away for now, is that she happens to be just as curious, as I was just some time ago, about the nature of our relationship. Personally, I am tempted to express my everlasting love for her in an over dramatic manner, but it also seems like she might be more receptive to a slower approach, seeing as how she merely expresses being curious for the time being, without openly admitting that she does, in fact, have feelings for me too, right? Additionally, I have also considered continuing to remain friends, seeing as how the last thing I want to do is jeopardize what I have built with her, which can be catastrophic for me, since I don't have any other friends in life, or anyone I can be intimate with, apart from my own dogs I suppose. But most importantly, how it is that I should tackle the aforementioned question? What is it that I should write back? My own relationship history has been rather shambolic to say the least, and as such, I have no idea how it is that I should go about expressing my true love for someone, although I suppose I would probably place more emphasis on ensuring that I never lose her presence in my life, from where I am standing.
It is my turn to send her a letter, and I have no idea how to act, or what to write. And that is why, I hope that there is a kind soul on this forum, that took the time to go through my icky excuse of a love letter, to help me see light at the end of the tunnel and assist me in coming up with the best thing to say and the best thing to do.
2023.03.28 21:51 Hectropolis underearners anonymous group
I ran across a group called "underearners anonymous " recently and they run a group on Wednesdays that revolves around people with trauma who are wanting to stop underearning. The group usually has several members talk about their current experience with trauma, where they're at, what they plan to do in the next week, etc and figured I'd let this group know in case anyone was interested. This is what I've received from them for the meeting ; sharing in case anyone was interested:
Welcome to the WED. Night Transforming Trauma into Healing & Recovery meeting, 8:00 p.m. pacific / 11:00 p.m. eastern time ZOOM MEETING
Our Business Meeting the first Wed. of the month, feel free to add your topic and send to [email protected].
We are now recording our Speakers and they are Available Now! Click Link Below.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oOp-okw5kUn7lckjOEKkw3NEqUfaQzQa?usp=sharing
Complex Trauma Resource Drive, Phone List is HERE
https://drive.google.com/drive3/my-drive
Zoom Meeting ID: 852 6114 1619
Password: iamworthy
PHONE NUMBER(s) for phone users to call in (669) 900-9128 OR (301) 715-8592 + Meeting ID: 852 6114 1619
submitted by Hectropolis to CPTSD [link] [comments]
Welcome to the WED. Night Transforming Trauma into Healing & Recovery meeting, 8:00 p.m. pacific / 11:00 p.m. eastern time ZOOM MEETING
Our Business Meeting the first Wed. of the month, feel free to add your topic and send to [email protected].
We are now recording our Speakers and they are Available Now! Click Link Below.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oOp-okw5kUn7lckjOEKkw3NEqUfaQzQa?usp=sharing
Complex Trauma Resource Drive, Phone List is HERE
https://drive.google.com/drive3/my-drive
Zoom Meeting ID: 852 6114 1619
Password: iamworthy
PHONE NUMBER(s) for phone users to call in (669) 900-9128 OR (301) 715-8592 + Meeting ID: 852 6114 1619
2023.03.28 21:19 deelite111 Does anyone have IL CPA licensing contact?
It’s been 19 weeks since I submitted my license application and there is no status change or update online or when I call. I’m running out of resources. Does anyone have an email or phone contact that isn’t just the call center number?
submitted by deelite111 to Accounting [link] [comments]