Red blood cells under microscope 1000x
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
2011.12.10 02:37 Celeodor Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Fight together with your friends against hordes of enemies in this new Warhammer 40,000 experience. From the developers of the best-selling and award-winning co-op action franchise Vermintide, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a visceral 4-player co-op action game set in the hive city of Tertium.
2011.05.13 13:41 Buckaroo2 YAlit: Young Adult & New Adult Literature
Young Adult [YA] and New Adult [NA] Literature
2013.09.19 00:22 SidewaysFlyingMonkey Wentworth (TV Series)
The subreddit for anything and everything related to the Australian Prison TV series "Wentworth" and it's prequel "Prisoner: Cell Block H".
2023.06.08 13:01 EllisCristoph Just got my results. Did it fail?
submitted by EllisCristoph to Vasectomy [link] [comments]
2023.06.08 12:53 Dr_AmeetKishore Cochlear Implant Surgery in Delhi: A Breakthrough Treatment for Hearing Loss
Introduction In the field of medicine, technology has revolutionized various aspects of treatment, diagnosis, and surgery. One such remarkable application of technology is cochlear implant surgery, which has significantly improved the lives of individuals with hearing disabilities. Dr. Ameet Kishore, an experienced ENT specialist in Delhi, is renowned for his expertise in cochlear implant surgery and is dedicated to helping patients regain their hearing abilities.
What is a Cochlear Implant? A cochlear implant is an electronic device that provides a solution for individuals with severe hearing loss who do not benefit from traditional hearing aids. Commonly known as bionic ears, cochlear implants work by bypassing the damaged part of the ear and directly stimulating the auditory nerve to send signals to the brain. This innovative technology enhances the hearing environment and enables accurate sound perception for individuals with hearing impairment.
The cochlear implant consists of two parts:
The procedure of Cochlear Implant Surgery Cochlear implant surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia and takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete. The procedure involves the following steps:
Benefits of Cochlear Implant Surgery Cochlear implant surgery offers numerous advantages for individuals with severe hearing loss:
Dr (Prof) Ameet Kishore Sr Consultant Surgeon ENT, Head Neck, Neurotology & Cochlear Implants
Dr (Prof) Ameet Kishore is a graduate of the AFMC (Pune) and was awarded the medal for ENT. He obtained his higher surgical training in ENT Surgery in the UK and attained Fellowships at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He has received special training and experience in Microscopic Ear surgery, Neuro-Otology, Cochlear Implants, Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, and Paediatric ENT at various centers in UK, Europe, and USA. He was trained at the National Centre for Cochlear Implantation (UK) since 1995 and thus has extensive experience in the management of deafness and in cochlear implantation. He set up and is the lead surgeon for the cochlear and hearing implant program (for children and adults) at Apollo Hospitals. He has over 1800 cochlear implant recipients in this program. His team is particularly experienced in the management of complex cochlear situations and is the only active program in North India for Auditory Brainstem Implantation.
Conclusion Cochlear implant surgery performed by Dr. Ameet Kishore in Delhi offers hope and a life-changing solution for individuals with severe hearing loss. Through this advanced technology, patients can regain their hearing abilities, improve their quality of life, and enjoy a world full of sounds once again.
Name: Dr. Ameet Kishore Address: E 48, Greater Kailash I New Delhi 110048 Phone: +91-9654518169, +91-8285511959 Website: www.ameetkishore.com
submitted by Dr_AmeetKishore to u/Dr_AmeetKishore [link] [comments]
What is a Cochlear Implant? A cochlear implant is an electronic device that provides a solution for individuals with severe hearing loss who do not benefit from traditional hearing aids. Commonly known as bionic ears, cochlear implants work by bypassing the damaged part of the ear and directly stimulating the auditory nerve to send signals to the brain. This innovative technology enhances the hearing environment and enables accurate sound perception for individuals with hearing impairment.
The cochlear implant consists of two parts:
- External Part: This part includes a microphone to receive sound signals, a processor to process the sound, and a transmitter that sends the processed sound to the internal part of the cochlear implant.
- Internal Part: The internal component is surgically implanted and comprises a stimulating system attached to the skull bone and electrodes that are inserted into the cochlear part of the ear.
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss: The patient should have hearing loss caused by damage to the hair cells of the ear, resulting in an unresponsive auditory nerve.
- Hearing Loss Due to Other Factors: Patients who have acquired speech but lost their hearing due to factors such as ototoxicity, injury, or illness may be candidates for cochlear implant surgery.
- Congenital Deafness: Individuals with congenital deafness can benefit from cochlear implant surgery.
- Good General Health: The patient should be in good overall health to undergo the surgery successfully.
- Ineffectiveness of Hearing Aids: The patient should have previously used hearing aids for at least 3-6 months without significant improvement in hearing.
The procedure of Cochlear Implant Surgery Cochlear implant surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia and takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete. The procedure involves the following steps:
- Incision: A small incision is made behind the ear, exposing the bony area up to the ear canal.
- Placement of Internal Component: The internal part of the cochlear implant, consisting of a stimulating system attached to the skull bone and electrodes inserted into the cochlea, is carefully positioned.
- Closing the Incision: After the internal component is securely in place, the incision is closed with sutures.
Benefits of Cochlear Implant Surgery Cochlear implant surgery offers numerous advantages for individuals with severe hearing loss:
- Improved Hearing: Cochlear implants significantly improve hearing ability, with patients achieving up to 80% sentence understanding compared to only 10% with traditional hearing aids.
- Enhanced Quality of Life: Cochlear implants enable patients to hear warning alarms, communicate over the telephone, enjoy music, and engage in social activities more effectively.
- Better Speech Perception: The advanced technology of cochlear implants enhances speech understanding and allows individuals to concentrate better in noisy environments.
- Restored Independence: With cochlear implants, patients can actively participate in conversations, family gatherings, and meetings, leading to increased self-confidence and improved communication skills.
Dr (Prof) Ameet Kishore Sr Consultant Surgeon ENT, Head Neck, Neurotology & Cochlear Implants
Dr (Prof) Ameet Kishore is a graduate of the AFMC (Pune) and was awarded the medal for ENT. He obtained his higher surgical training in ENT Surgery in the UK and attained Fellowships at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He has received special training and experience in Microscopic Ear surgery, Neuro-Otology, Cochlear Implants, Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, and Paediatric ENT at various centers in UK, Europe, and USA. He was trained at the National Centre for Cochlear Implantation (UK) since 1995 and thus has extensive experience in the management of deafness and in cochlear implantation. He set up and is the lead surgeon for the cochlear and hearing implant program (for children and adults) at Apollo Hospitals. He has over 1800 cochlear implant recipients in this program. His team is particularly experienced in the management of complex cochlear situations and is the only active program in North India for Auditory Brainstem Implantation.
Conclusion Cochlear implant surgery performed by Dr. Ameet Kishore in Delhi offers hope and a life-changing solution for individuals with severe hearing loss. Through this advanced technology, patients can regain their hearing abilities, improve their quality of life, and enjoy a world full of sounds once again.
Name: Dr. Ameet Kishore Address: E 48, Greater Kailash I New Delhi 110048 Phone: +91-9654518169, +91-8285511959 Website: www.ameetkishore.com
2023.06.08 12:52 Chico237 #NIOCORP~ SCANDIUM OXIDE, GREEN HYDROGEN & BLOOM ENERGY in the news! & more....
 | June 7, 2023~Bloom Energy, Perenco to Deploy Solid Oxide Fuel Cells in the United Kingdom~Bloom Energy, Perenco to Deploy Solid Oxide Fuel Cells in the United Kingdom Business WireThe Bloom Energy Server® platform, to be delivered in late 2023, will be installed at Wytch Farm in Dorset, England, the largest onshore oil field in western Europe, where it will be used to support Perenco’s baseload requirements. (Photo: Business Wire) SAN JOSE, Calif. & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) has signed an agreement with Perenco to install 2.5 megawatts (MW) of Bloom’s solid oxide fuel cells at a site in England. Perenco is a leading independent hydrocarbon company, producing 500,000 BOE of oil and gas per day from its operations in 14 partner countries. The Bloom Energy Server® platform, to be delivered in late 2023, will be installed at Wytch Farm in Dorset, England, the largest onshore oil field in western Europe, where it will be used to support Perenco’s baseload requirements. The agreement marks the first deployment of Bloom fuel cell technology in the United Kingdom. “This is an important step that will demonstrate how our solid oxide fuel cell technology supports the resilience and sustainability goals of our energy-intensive clients,” said Tim Schweikert, Senior Managing Director of International Business Development at Bloom Energy. “Perenco has always been a pioneer in innovation and long-term investment in the countries where we operate,” said Benoit de la Fouchardiere, Perenco CEO. “Today’s announcement is another important step as we continue to reduce our emissions wherever we work. We look forward to a successful initial deployment at Wytch Farm and to then expanding the use of the technology into other global operations sites.” The agreement with Perenco is another major step in Bloom’s expansion in Europe, following the recent sales agreement for northern Europe with Elugie, a marketing partnership agreement with Telam for Spain and Portugal, and energy platform sales to Cefla and Ferrari in Italy announced in 2022. For more information about the Bloom Energy Server, see https://www.bloomenergy.com/technology/. JUNE 6, 2023 ~Westinghouse and Bloom Energy Sign Letter of Intent to Accelerate Zero-Carbon, Large-Scale Hydrogen Production in the Nuclear Industry~Bloom Energy - Bloom Energy Demonstrates Hydrogen Production with the World’s Largest and Most Efficient Solid Oxide ElectrolyzerCRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. & SAN JOSE, Calif. – June 6, 2022 – Westinghouse Electric Company and Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) today announced that they have entered into a Letter of Intent to pursue clean hydrogen production in the commercial nuclear power market. The companies are teaming to identify and implement clean hydrogen projects across the nuclear industry. Westinghouse and Bloom Energy will jointly develop an optimized and large-scale high temperature integrated electrolysis solution for the nuclear industry. With the ability to operate 24/7 and provide high-quality steam input, nuclear plants are well-positioned to utilize electrolyzer technology and produce substantial quantities of clean hydrogen with minimal disruption to current, ongoing operations. “Through this collaboration, we are committed to delivering an economical solution for large-scale hydrogen production in the nuclear industry, which further supports the path to net zero carbon emissions,” said Pam Cowan, Westinghouse President of Americas Operating Plant Services. “We are proud Westinghouse has turned to Bloom and our solid oxide technology to supercharge the clean hydrogen economy,” said Rick Beuttel, vice president, hydrogen business, Bloom Energy. “Solid oxide technology is well suited for nuclear applications, efficiently harnessing steam to further improve the economics of hydrogen production. High temperature electrolysis is already garnering attention and accolades as a cost-effective and viable solution to create low-cost, clean hydrogen, which is critical to meeting aggressive decarbonization goals.” Global demand for hydrogen and its emerging applications is projected to increase tenfold or more by 2050, surpassing the current infrastructure for producing and delivering hydrogen. As hydrogen usage expands from traditional industrial uses to the fuel of a clean future, the need to produce it in larger quantities and from low- and zero-carbon sources is clear. The hydrogen produced in nuclear plants can be utilized to serve many industries such as renewable fuels production, oil and metals refining, ammonia synthesis, mining operations, and mobility in sectors such as heavy trucks, buses, and even air travel. The companies also are well positioned to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s developing hydrogen hubs. About WestinghouseWestinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world’s operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. About Bloom EnergyBloom Energy empowers businesses and communities to responsibly take charge of their energy. The company’s leading solid oxide platform for distributed generation of electricity and hydrogen is changing the future of energy. Fortune 100 companies around the world turn to Bloom Energy as a trusted partner to deliver lower carbon energy today and a net-zero future. For more information, visit www.bloomenergy.com. MAY 7, 2023~World’s largest solid oxide electrolyzer begins producing hydrogen~World’s largest solid oxide electrolyzer begins producing hydrogen (hydrogentechworld.com)Bloom Energy has begun generating hydrogen from the world’s largest solid oxide electrolyzer installation at NASA’s Ames Research Center. This high-temperature unit produces 20–25% more hydrogen per MW than commercially demonstrated lower-temperature electrolyzers such as PEM or alkalinehttps://preview.redd.it/r9j9ub5zur4b1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=8de4ed62233ef7c13a523b704dc0d2708068d3f2This electrolyzer demonstration showcases the maturity, efficiency and commercial readiness of Bloom’s solid oxide technology for large-scale, clean hydrogen production. The 4 MW Bloom Electrolyzer™, delivering the equivalent of over 2.4 tonnes per day of hydrogen output, was built, installed and operationalized in a span of two months to demonstrate the speed and ease of deployment. “This demonstration is a major milestone for reaching net-zero goals,” said KR Sridhar, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of Bloom Energy. “Hydrogen will be essential for storing intermittent and curtailed energy and for decarbonizing industrial energy use. Commercially viable electrolyzers are the key to unlocking the energy storage puzzle, and solid oxide electrolyzers offer inherently superior technology and economic advantages. Bloom Energy, as the global leader in solid oxide technology, is proud to share this exciting demonstration with the world: our product is ready for prime time.” The current demonstration expands on Bloom’s recent project on a 100 kW system located at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), which achieved record-breaking electrolyzer efficiency. In the ongoing project, 4,500 hours of full load operations have been completed with a Bloom Electrolyzer™, producing hydrogen more efficiently than any other process – over 25% more efficiently than low-temperature electrolysis. The INL steam and load simulations replicated nuclear power conditions to validate full capability of technology application at nuclear facilities, and the pilot results revealed the Bloom Electrolyzer producing hydrogen at 37.7 kWh per kg of hydrogen. Dynamic testing conducted at INL included ramping down the system from 100 percent of rated power to 5 percent in less than 10 minutes without adverse system impacts. Even at 5 percent of rated load, the energy efficiency (kWh/kg) was as good or better than other electrolyzer technologies at their 100% rated capacity. These results will be presented at the Department of Energy’s Annual Review Meeting in Washington DC on 7 June 2023. Dr. Ravi Prasher, CTO of Bloom Energy, said: “The amount of electricity needed by the electrolyzer to make hydrogen will be the most dominant factor in determining hydrogen production cost. For this reason, the efficiency of the electrolyzer, the electricity needed to produce a kilogram of hydrogen becomes the most critical figure of merit. This 4 MW demonstration at the NASA Ames Research Center proves that the energy efficiency of our large-scale electrolyzer is similar to the small-scale system tested at INL highlighting the strength of our modular architecture. The electrolyzer product is leveraging the Bloom platform knowhow of more than 1 GW of solid oxide fuel cells deployed in the field and providing approximately 1 trillion cumulative cell operating hours. The same technology platform that can convert natural gas and hydrogen to electricity can be used reversibly to convert electricity to hydrogen. With Bloom’s high-efficiency, high-temperature solid oxide electrolyzers, we are one step closer to a decarbonized future powered by low-cost clean hydrogen.” April 5, 2022 ~Scandium emerges from the shadows~Scandium emerges from the shadows - MMTAhttps://preview.redd.it/r50wjw0vvr4b1.png?width=343&format=png&auto=webp&s=d2a2670c3411f9f5f915be5856236c16c3e938ad Scandium has long been considered an “if” metal. If only it were available in quantity, it could transform aircraft production and fuel consumption. If only it were available in quantity, it could speed the emerging hydrogen economy. If only it were available in quantity, it could accelerate the rollout of 5G technologies. And so on.The view has been that scandium could be used in numerous large-volume applications, if only supplies were sufficient to meet the potential demand. Manufacturers regularly cited a lack of sufficient scandium supply as the reason why they did not roll out new uses and products containing scandium.After a near-mythic role in the 1980s (as a strengthening agent in aluminium alloys deployed in the last generation of Soviet MiG fighter aircraft and even, reputedly, in ballistic missile nosecones), scandium entered the banal in the 1990s, in sporting goods and, bizarrely, hand guns. Bloom Energy turned the tide starting around 2010, with its introduction of fuel cells based on scandium-stabilised zirconia ceramic electrolytes. Bloom has grown rapidly and now represents perhaps 80% of the world’s annual consumption of SCANDIUM, a paltry 25t or so of oxide in 2021.And yet, despite these rickety foundations, SCANDIUM consumption is poised to grow dramatically in the next decade, buoyed by new sources of supply and sustained by demand-side innovation.The supply sideLet’s start with supply. Until about 2018, most scandium was supplied as a by-product in China and Russia, from uranium and titanium processing. Since then, however, much has changed.First, Sumitomo Metal Mining built and has now commissioned a scandium recovery circuit at its Tagano Bay nickel high pressure acid leach (HPAL) plant in the Philippines. This plant recovers scandium oxalate for processing into oxide (and probably into scandium-zirconium oxide particles destined for Bloom Energy) in Japan. The plant recovers 7-8tpy of scandium oxide and when commissioned increased global supply by around 40%. Capital costs were perhaps US$5M/t of scandium oxide. Second, the Chinese integrated titanium producer Lomon Billions has established a 20-30tpy scandium oxide facility with the potential to increase to 50tpy. The company estimates up to 100tpy of scandium oxide are available in its titanium plants using the sulphate process. Third, in 2021, Rio Tinto commenced scandium recovery from its Sorel Tracy plant in Québec, Canada. The pilot plant can supply 3tpy of scandium oxide and cost US$6M. The site has the ability to supply an estimated 50-60tpy of oxide based on current raw material feed. Finally, UC Rusal has both commissioned a 3tpy pilot scandium oxide plant, recovering scandium oxide from red mud deposits, and also commenced marketing and selling a range of scandium alloys (branded “ScAlution” alloys) that boast enhanced performance at low (typically 0.1%) concentrations of scandium. Plus, it is not only Rusal that has pioneered low-scandium alloys. In the USA, Eck Industries, a specialist aluminium casting house, is commercialising cerium-based alloys in which scandium, again at low loadings, could provide additional strength as well as much reduced post-cast processing requirements. Looking further out, there are numerous scandium projects in development, many of which should come into production around the middle of the decade, thanks to two parallel forces. The main driver for scandium, as for so many minor metals, is vehicle electrification. There are multiple operating and development projects utilising HPAL technology to recover and separate nickel and cobalt in laterite deposits, many of which can in principle recover scandium. While the moral of Tagano Bay is that for existing plants retrofitting can be costly and low yield, there are emerging projects in Australia that are designing scandium recovery into their circuits alongside nickel and cobalt. The potential output of scandium can range from 50-100tpy or more, depending on the project. The second driver is the heightened concerns over supply chain security for critical metals. In the EU this has led to the “ScaVanger” programme to recover scandium from titanium waste streams. In the USA, red mud scandium recovery as well as by-product scandium stand to benefit. The demand sideThe demand side is a little more complicated but nonetheless extremely positive. Bloom’s power generation business continues to grow and has surely been reinforced by severe power disruptions in the past three years in California and Texas. Moreover, Bloom has now received initial approvals for maritime power generation (IMO regulations are forcing seagoing vessels to reduce dramatically their sulphur emissions, and Bloom can facilitate this change), and Bloom is also developing its technology to run in reverse, so to speak, as a generator of hydrogen. Critically, Bloom in the past five years has managed to bring its system costs and performance under control, removing any technology-related going-concern issues.Scandium is also a strong candidate for RF antennas able to support 5G frequencies. A typical high-end cell phone may require 100 RF filters, and in the 5G frequency range, scandium aluminium nitride is being used as the active material in these filters (called “bulk acoustic wave,” or “BAW” filters). Aerospace is a third area of application, and while commercial aviation likely remains years away from broad use of scandium alloys, near-term use in space and autonomous aircraft is an avenue for strong potential growth of scandium alloys. The cost to place 1kg in orbit has dropped dramatically but is still of the order of US$1,000/kg, so any system weight reductions can be extremely valuable. Electric vehicles (EVs) also offer the potential for large volumes of scandium demand. Weight reduction is the obvious reason. Lux Research has estimated a 1kg weight saving in an EV will be worth US$5 in 2030. But a second consideration is overall product cost. Scandium can reduce or potentially even eliminate the need for post-casting heat treatments, which can in some instances double the cost of an as-cast part. Thus the savings from the use of scandium alloys, especially at low scandium loadings, can be large. In addition, as EVs shift to heat pumps in their HVAC systems, scandium can support the implementation of aluminium radiators without adding substantial system volume (as discussed by CM Group in its 2018 scandium report). Naturally, there are other opportunities for scandium. Achieving a robust aluminium alloy able to perform at 300°C could displace large amounts of titanium, and Eck’s alloys are closing in on this goal. Maritime applications, especially in the military arena but also in autonomous vessels and ferries, could embrace scandium thanks to its greatly enhanced anti-corrosion impact in aluminium. Passenger jets are also a market that is likely to happen at some point. Most important, perhaps, is the fact that well financed firms have entered the market and are able to supply up to about 100tpy each. Supply at this level is all-but-certain to create demand, and in turn this should stimulate new supply. Scandium’s chicken-and-egg problem, in which lack of supply held back demand that in turn held back supply, has been reversed, with growing (and reliable) supply poised to stimulate actual demand, that in turn will pull through new supply, and transform scandium from “if” to “when”.JANUARY 2023 National Defense Act Calls out NIOBIUM & TITANIUM & SCANDIUM & the need to establish a U.S. Industrial Base for the Supply & Processing of ALL!https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220711/CRPT-117hrpt397.pdSCANDIUM PAGE # 246 Briefing on the Establishment of Domestic Scandium Processing Facilities in the United StatesThe committee believes the United States industrial base for the supply and processing of the critical mineral scandium has significant vulnerabilities. The committee also believes that the United States should seek to eliminate dependence on Chinese and Russian sources of scandium, with support from allies and partners. Accordingly, public and private sectors should cooperate closely to establish scandium processing facilities in the United States. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than May 1, 2023, on public and private sector activities, working with allied nations, to establish scandium processing facilities in the United States, especially facilities based on more efficient, cleaner, and less energy intensive technologies. This briefing will also include how these processing facilities will help the United States reduce dependence on and compete more effectively with China and Russia. MAY 2023 ~Exploring global supply and demand of scandium oxide in 2030 ~ (NIOCORP is Mentioned!)Exploring global supply and demand of scandium oxide in 2030 - ScienceDirecthttps://preview.redd.it/lokhkunrzr4b1.png?width=174&format=png&auto=webp&s=f4f4c27d6227cfe5eb054751a217d712fe2f0e81 Incorporation of scandium in materials has environmental benefits across multiple industrial sectors, particularly in decarbonization of energy. One pathway to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is to generate electricity using hydrogen or synthetic liquid fuels, which are more efficient than combustion engines and easily used in co-generation of electricity and heat (IEA, 2019). The functional technology is a fuel cell. A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) produces electricity by oxidizing an energy carrier. The standard SOFCs produced by Bloom Energy are refrigerator-sized and input liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons (methane or biogas) to produce 100 kW of power. These cells process natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen to generate electricity with higher efficiency; up to two times higher compared to a gas-fired power station with efficiency of only 33–48% (Deepika et al., 2018). They are typically used to produce electricity and heat on-site for large buildings (Bloom Energy, 2021a). Currently, SOFC producers (e.g., Bloom Energy) utilize yttrium-stabilized zirconia and a scandia-stabilized zirconia in electrolytes; however, there are benefits of utilizing scandium over yttrium. Use of scandia-stabilized zirconia increases electro-conductivity and decreases operation temperature, resulting in higher efficiency and reliability (Deepika et al., 2018; Laguna-Bercero et al., 2009). Spurred by carbon reduction and global renewable energy initiatives, Bloom Energy is expanding its partnership worldwide (Bloom Energy, 2020, 2021b), resulting in increased demand in the SOFC market and scandium oxide required to produce SOFC boxes (Weinstein et al., 2018). Scandium also has potential for light-weighting (alloys), which is important for improving fuel economy as it requires less energy to transport lighter materials. Currently, transportation contributes 27% to total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 14% globally (EPA, 2022; IEA, 2022b). The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards require vehicle manufacturers to continuously increase fuel efficiency (NHTSA, 2022). One approach is through light-weighting by replacing conventional aluminum alloy parts in vehicles with scandium alloys, potentially reducing 10% of vehicle mass and thus 6–8% of emissions (Joost, 2012). Given that the United States passenger vehicle emissions were 3.2 gigatonnes in 2020, this would translate to 0.2–0.3 gigatonnes of reduction (IEA, 2022a). In the United States, the Build Back Better agenda mandates 50% of new vehicles in 2030 must be EVs (The White House, 2021). To push emission reductions further than electric vehicle adoption, light-weighting should be considered. If legislation mandated regulation like Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for EVs, there will be further reductions in energy demand. Lighter scandium alloys serve to reduce energy demand from transportation, which directly aids to mitigate climate change induced by automobiles. Another example of light-weighting is for commercial airplanes. The bionic partition structure is a wall partition between crew members and passengers, which also serves as an emergency stretcher and foldable seating for crew members (Airbus, 2016). Current commercial airplane's partition structures are bulky and heavy, weighing approximately 63 kg (Lau, 2016). Airbus and AutoDesk collaborated and successfully produced a 30 kg bionic partition structure using Scalmalloy®, a proprietary aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy (APWORKS GmbH, 2015; Rhodes, 2015). Replacement of 4 conventional partition structures per A320 plane in commercial aircraft with Scalmalloy® structures could save up to 465,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year (Airbus, 2016). Despite scandium's potential role in meeting future sustainability goals, historically and currently, scandium is under-utilized because of its low supply and high cost due to its nature as a by-product. Prices of scandium oxide ranged from $3,800–5,000 per kg from 2013 to 2020 (Gambogi, 2017, 2020, 2021), placing scandium among the most expensive elements in production. High prices and low supply are due in part to its production as a co-product - production is dependent on the demand of other primary metals it is mined with. For example, when there is an increase in scandium demand and price, supply does not respond instantaneously because producers need to increase production of the primary products. This leads to price volatility. Scandium oxide is produced as a co-product due to its sparse concentration in ore, which makes it uneconomical to mine alone. It has been extracted as a co-product with iron ore, other rare earths, titanium, and zirconium in China; uranium in Kazakhstan and Ukraine; apatite (phosphorus) and uranium in Russia; and nickel in the Philippines (Gambogi, 2021). The global production of scandium oxide was 14–23 tonnes (15–25 tons) per year in 2020 (Gambogi, 2021), which was small in comparison to 220,000 tonnes (240,000 tons) of global rare earths oxide per year (Cordier, 2022) and 68 million tonnes (75 million tons) of aluminum per year (Lee Bray, 2022). Scandium appears to continue as a co-product in the future, for the most part. Mining companies expect scandium to be a minor co-product from mining other metals such as nickel, cobalt, titanium, niobium, etc. (Clean TeQ Holdings Limited, 2018; NioCorp Superalloy Materials, 2019; Platina Resource Limited, 2021; Wang et al., 2020). There is one exception in New South Wales, Australia by Scandium International Mining Corporation, whose primary product is scandium oxide (Scandium International Mining Corp, 2020). For consumption, SOFCs by Bloom Energy are the main scandium oxide consumer with 74% of total global consumption (CM Group, 2018). A typical Bloom Energy server box of 100 MW contains 13–15 kg of scandium oxide and costs $700,000–800,000 in 2010 (Ecclestone, 2020; Jenkins, 2010). Before subsidies, Bloom Energy servers cost approximately $0.14 per kilowatt-hour of electricity compared to $0.10 per kilowatt-hour of retail power price on the U.S. national grid (Helman, 2020). Although sufficient and reliable supply play an important role in other sectors (e.g., SOFCs, commercial aerospace), price is crucial in adoption in other sectors (e.g., sporting goods, beverage cans). Abstract continues.... NIOCORP MANAGEMENT ON Jan. 31st, 2023, ~What were they doing in D.C. for 4-Days?~ "Working with White House officials on critical minerals issues. This Administration is working hard to help support environmentally responsible critical minerals projects like NioCorp’s Elk Creek Project in the great State of Nebraska. "~ https://preview.redd.it/bb87n8zfwr4b1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9eba677e221dd23bafaabeb826ac059b7fc6835 MAY 25th 2023 ~NioCorp Demonstrates Higher Niobium Recovery Rates New Processing Approach Demonstrates the Ability to Make More Niobium per Tonne of Ore, Produce a Higher Purity Product, and Potentially Address New Markets with Different Niobium Productshttps://www.niocorp.com/niocorp-demonstrates-higher-niobium-recovery-rates/Potential New Forms of Niobium Products and Potential Markets NioCorp’s new process approach, which incorporates a chlorination step to improve niobium and titanium separation and purification, also has demonstrated NioCorp’s ability to potentially produce three different niobium products: (1) ferroniobium; (2) niobium chloride; and (3) niobium oxide.NioCorp had previously planned to make ferroniobium, which is used by the steel industry to produce high-strength low-alloy steel alloys. Those alloys are used in the construction, automotive and transport, aerospace and defense, oil and gas, and other industries. Niobium is a $3.3 billion per year global market but is currently served by only three major niobium producers in two countries.Niobium chloride would likely be converted by NioCorp into niobium oxide, but niobium chloride is also used in glass and ceramic manufacturing.Niobium oxide is critical to multiple applications, including niobium-lithium-ion batteries, superalloys, superconducting applications, capacitors, specialized optics, and many others. Its use in niobium-lithium-ion batteries is considered by current niobium producers as one of the fastest growing prospective global niobium markets https://preview.redd.it/mv11q5ekwr4b1.png?width=250&format=png&auto=webp&s=a85e56f24ba311287811a0ad0188e40ca9cc2f20 MAY 26th 2023~NioCorp Demonstrates the Ability to Potentially Double Projected Titanium Recovery Rates for the Elk Creek Projecthttps://www.niocorp.com/niocorp-demonstrates-the-ability-to-potentially-double-projected-titanium-recovery-rates-for-the-elk-creek-project/Demonstration Plant Shows New Recovery Process May Double NioCorp’s Titanium Production per Tonne of Ore as well as Produce a Higher Purity Product that May Command Higher Market PricesCENTENNIAL, Colo. (May 26, 2023) – NioCorp Developments Ltd. (“NioCorp” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:NB) (TSX:NB) is pleased to announce that it has successfully demonstrated an ability to potentially double the recovery of titanium from each tonne of ore the Company expects to mine at its Nebraska-based Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project (the “Project”), once project financing is obtained and the commercial plant is constructed. The new process is expected to produce a purer form of titanium that may command a higher price than is assumed in NioCorp’s June 2022 feasibility study for the Project (the “Feasibility Study”). NioCorp’s demonstration plant in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, has shown that the Company’s new and improved recovery process can likely achieve an 83.7% rate of overall titanium recovery to final product. This compares to a 40.3% titanium recovery rate in NioCorp’s previous process approach. This new result points to a potentially large increase in the amount of titanium that NioCorp can potentially produce at currently planned rates of mining MAY 29th 2023~NioCorp Launches Phased Approach to Commercial Production of Made-in-America Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloyhttps://www.niocorp.com/niocorp-launches-phased-approach-to-commercial-production-of-made-in-america-aluminum-scandium-master-alloy/AMES LAB COLLABORATION IN 2019! NioCorp Partnering with Nanoscale Powders LLC to Explore the Possibility of Establishing the First US-Based Mine-to-Master-Alloy Vertically Integrated Production of the High-Performance MaterialNioCorp’s Potential Commercial Production of Al-Sc Master Alloy Could Launch Prior to the Company’s Planned Production of >100 Tonnes/Year of Scandium Oxide at its Proposed Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project in Nebraska and Would Use Scandium Produced at the Elk Creek Facility as well as From Other SourcesChina Now Dominates the Scandium World, but North America is Now Positioned to Emerge as a “Leading Scandium Producer,” says NioCorp CEO MAY 29th 2023~ Jim/NIOCORP respond to question on recent Scandium News Release above:What comes to mind right off the bat is:*A)"How is this Scandium AlSc master Alloy different than what Niocorp produced with IBC & AMES laboratory???"*Response:"It is a different process that will be utilized. "*B) Will this be a Patentable approach now moving forward? in conjunction with Nanoscale???*Response:" Yes and yes. But we do not discuss the details of intellectual property matters except as required by law"(\****This is very interesting indeed because a few years back Niocorp was not interested in patenting any such materials!)**C) IS NIOCORP still engaged with IBC, AMES & OTHER ENTITIES in regards to Scandium Alloy production & uses moving forward? and with the New Niobium & Titanium oxides as well!!!! *Response: "We are focusing on our partnership with Nanoscale on the production of AlSc master alloy, but we engaged with a number of parties on various elements of our scandium-aluminum master alloy business development. We are not working with IBC on niobium or titanium product development efforts."(****SOUNDS LIKE OTHER COLLABORATIONS ARE ONGOING WITH POSSIBLE PRIVATE & GOVERNMENT ENTITIES?? OFF-TAKE AGREEMENTS & SO MUCH MORE! COULD BE IN PLAY AS THE MINE IS BUILT & NEARS PRODUCTION!!!!!!)"ENGAGED WITH A NUMBER OF VARIOUS PARTIES!!!!"FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS & CONCLUSIONS ABOVE!(Please Scroll down to see earlier Reddit POST ON GREEN HYDROGEN!)https://preview.redd.it/xgyok547yr4b1.png?width=480&format=png&auto=webp&s=935baf0d83038b08431d58f6692168529e67224d https://preview.redd.it/bn09y1c8yr4b1.png?width=383&format=png&auto=webp&s=7f162043be273147b27f20a6f90f286c0c2e9a07 Chico |
2023.06.08 12:46 xtremexavier15 TSROTI 7 (pt 1)
Toxic Rats: DJ, Scott, Trent, Sammy, Sierra
Mutant Maggots: Anne Maria, Molly, Scarlett, Dave, Geoff
Episode 07: A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste
"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!" the unseen host opened on a stock shot of the island before the recap montage began. "We saw how clueless our players are when it comes to fashion," he said over a clip of the Maggots' disastrous attempt to bring a self-dressed Sasquatchanakwa out on to the runway. "And how useless they are when it comes to rescues!" he added over the Maggots getting knocked off the scaffolding by barrels thrown by Sasquatchanakwa and Sammy's ultimately failed attempt to seduce him.
"In the end, Katie got the toss-a-roo," Katie got tossed away by Sasquatchanakwa, and then was escorted away by Chef, "and DJ and Geoff got tossed onto opposite teams," Chris added over clips of the two boys volunteering, then high fiving each other as they walked over to their new teams.
The footage was cut to Chris sitting in a deck chair on the Dock of Shame as his toenails were being filed. "You call that buffing?" Chris asked, who was angry at the overweight intern filing his toenails. "I want to see my ruggedly handsome face in every toenail." The intern filed faster. "Who will thrive, and who won't survive?" Chris asked the camera, but a sudden strong wind and the sound of a rotor signaled the arrival of a helicopter.
"This is the Department of Environmental Protection!" a voice called out, the camera zooming out to show a RCMP helicopter hovering a few feet away from the host. "You're busted, McLean!"
"Aww, man!" Chris griped. "Meddling tree-huggers..." With a scowl on his face, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Launch Operation Doomsday!" he ordered. "Repeat, Operation Doomsday! Over!" A short hiss of static ended the message, and he turned a smile to the camera. "What is Operation Doomsday, you ask? Find out right here, right now, on Total! Drama! Revenge, of the Island!" As the shot cut outward as usual, another pair of RCMP helicopters swooped down to join the first over the dock.
XXXXX
The scene opened up to show the Maggot cabin, where Dave was inside cleaning. He was currently setting up his bed and had just positioned his pillow.
"And with that, the cabin is clean and free of filth," Dave sighed happily.
Geoff then came running and breathing inside, unknowingly getting streaks on the floor.
"I just cleaned that!" Dave said with a bit of anger in his voice.
Geoff noticed his frustration. "Sorry 'bout that, man. I did just swap over to this team, so I don't know how much of a neat freak you are."
"It's okay," Dave forgave his new teammate. "Most of the jocks in my school come out messy after a football game, and I hate seeing muddy footprints and dirt all over the ground."
"You would not want to meet my team then," Geoff looked back. "We come off looking sweaty and we have to shower for ten minutes just to get the stink off."
Dave shuddered at the thought. "Let's stop talking about it. The thought of a muddy floor makes me nervous."
Confessional: DJ
"Being on a new team ain't gonna be a problem for me," DJ expressed his thoughts in the confessional. "I'm still lingering on from Katie's elimination. She tells me that she likes me, and I never get to tell her that I like her back." He let out a sigh of sadness. "I hope we get to meet after the show's all over."
Confessional Ends
The scene cut outside the Rats' cabin as a helicopter flew by overhead. The shot panned down to Geoff as he passed by the helicopter, then the camera showed Molly listening to another indie song on her mp3 player.
"You seemed to really like your mp3 player," Geoff chuckled a bit.
"I can't help it," Molly paused her song. "Indie songs don't normally play on the radio. Mostly pop and rock."
"I can see where you're coming from," Geoff sensed. "You like to drift away from the mainstream and focus on your own interests."
"I like other kinds of things like fashion trends and partying, but what I like is less out there," Molly answered. "I like to do things by myself. Being indie doesn't blend in well with other people."
Geoff sat down next to her. "Maybe no one will get invested by what you like to do, but there's someone who I know will."
"Who could that be?" Molly asked the party guy, not getting what she's saying.
Geoff picked up an earbud and put it in his ear. "They're right next to you."
Molly realized what was happening and put on the other earbud. "In that case, let me start the next song. It's really beachy."
This got a laugh out of both of them.
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"Alright, let's just get our so-called breakfast over with!" Molly said as she and Geoff walked into the hall, the cast standing around looking confused.
"We can't," Dave replied. "Chef's not here, and neither is breakfast!"
"I suppose we will just have to hunt for our food, in a figure of speech," Scarlett requested before everyone began searching.
The perspective changed to show the inside of a refrigerator as Trent opened the door and looked inside. "There's no food in the fridge," he called out after looking over the bare shelves.
"Nothing in the cupboards, either!" Sammy added after opening a cupboard door.
"We should check in the walk-in freezer!" Chef suggested through a small open window, quickly hurrying away as the camera zoomed out to reveal Dave standing nearby.
"The freezer could work!" Dave thought out. He hurried across the room and threw open the freezer door, stepping inside as a cold mist poured out. "I can see meat inside," he called out and ran inside.
The others promptly ran in to join him...and a shutter door slid down behind them. They gasped, and the camera cut outside to show a truck driven by Chef starting up and moving away from a hole in the side of the mess hall.
"Challenge time, suckas!" Chef cackled, sliding open a small view slot and grinning at the camera and campers inside the cargo hold.
"This is so not cool!" Geoff complained, grabbing hold of a swinging piece of meat as most of the others tried to keep their balance in the moving vehicle.
"Where are you taking us?" Sierra asked Chef.
"You'll see," Chef answered with a devilish smile and snicker, sliding the viewing slot shut...and jamming his finger in the process, causing him to yelp in pain.
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A flash took the scene to what appeared to be the entrance of a mineshaft. On a ledge to the right was a bulldozer and some other pieces of machinery, while to the left was not only a pile of toxic waste barrels, but also a widescreen television showing what seemed like a live feed of the host. The Chef-driven truck backed up to the entrance and with a grin the driver pushed a button that caused the hold to lift, dumping the campers out onto the dirt.
"Good. You're here. Finally," Chris said, giving them a quick look of annoyance before shifting into his typical smile. "Today's challenge is to find a Golden Chris statue in your team color," he raised his left hand and a statuette with a green base appeared with a flash and a chime, then did the same with a red-based statuette on his right, "hidden somewhere in this old abandoned mine." He motioned to the mine entrance, and the two statuettes disappeared with another flash. "First team back, wins!"
"That seems easy enough," Molly told her team confidently. "We got this, team."
"Before we go," Scarlett said, "we will need some supplies-"
She was cut off when a heavy orange backpack was tossed on her, forcefully knocking her to the ground. Everybody looked towards the truck with the others, the shot cutting over to show Chef – now in his hazmat suit – tossing the backpacks out of the back of the truck.
"Don't worry," Chris told them. "There are enough packs for everyone."
The shot cut outward just as Scott was tossed his, revealing that all the others had received packs as well. Most were lifting them with little trouble, though Dave was struggling and Scarlett was still lying on the ground.
"What'd you put in them? Rocks?" Geoff griped, reaching to open the pack's main flap.
"Up-up-up-up-up, no peeking!" Chris admonished. "Those 50 lb bags are purely for your torment," he explained, "and my amusement. Enjoy."
Scarlett was shown rooting through a side pocket and pulled out a small metal armband with a bright green triangular patch on front. "Chemical badges?" the quiet brainiac asked in concern. "Why do we need to measure our exposure to toxic waste?"
"No reason," Chris said with an impish shrug. "Except that I rented the mine out to store hazardous material." The campers all gasped.
"What?!" Trent asked in utter shock. "That is really dangerous and a hazard to our lives!"
Chris continued to be smug. "Which is why I'm in a studio right now!" Both teams immediately protested. "Relax," the devilish host told them, "it's perfectly safe. For thirty minutes," he clarified as an inset of a timer reading 30:00 appeared on the screen next to him. "When your badge turns orange," he pointed at the inset as it showed the green triangle that was on the armbands turning orange, "you have fifteen minutes left. Red is your five minute warning," the triangle turned red, "and, if you see a skull and crossbones," the entire triangle was replaced by a flashing skull and crossbones, "we'll dedicate this episode to you! But no way is it gonna come to that. A mysterious person has been down there for more than forty minutes," he said as the entire on-screen inset disappeared, "and I think they're gonna be fine!...ish..."
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The shot went to the inside of the cave. It was pitch dark at first, but soon someone lit a candle to brighten the room. Their arm was silhouetted and dark, hiding the true identity of the one holding the candle.
All that could be heard was a villainous, but over exaggerated laugh.
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"Now move it, peeps!" Chris told the cast, the camera cutting back outward to show them all standing with their packs.
"Can you at least give us a hint about where to find the statues?" Sammy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Funny story," Chris said with an impish smile and sideways glance. "The statues have gone missing! Someone, or something down there must've taken them."
"Is it well lit down there?" DJ asked nervously.
"It’s a mine, bro" Chris answered, his smile almost mocking. "Pitch black all the way. There are flashlights and fireflies inside," he added, "first come, first serve. Anywho, time's a-wasting, and so are your healthy blood cells. So go!"
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The scene cut inside the mine entrance as the Rats ran in with Sierra in the lead.
"We're in the lead!" she cheered, stopping right before a small elevator with an open front. "EEEHHH!" Her words echoed as her team joined her, and the five sent worried looks up just as the mine began to rumble and rocks fell down from the ceiling, burying them under.
The Maggots ran past them. "Thank you for allowing us to have the lead!" Scarlett said as Sierra and her teammates poked their heads out of the rubble.
"Nice going, Uber-Girl," Scott sneered at her.
The Maggot team entered the elevator, Scarlett closing the short gate as soon as she could.
"We've got the flashlights!" Dave said, picking up a pair of the devices from the elevator floor. An ominous creaking cut off any possible celebration, however, and moments later a cable snapped, dropping the elevator down its shaft. All five of the Maggots screamed.
They landed with a resounding crash, and the scene cut down to the total darkness at the bottom of the shaft. A few pained groans rose up, followed by Geoff saying "Is everyone okay?"
"I think so," Dave replied first.
"I'm fine," Anne Maria said next.
"The flashlights!" Scarlett exclaimed, Molky turning one on and revealing the broken elevator and scores of waste barrels scattered around the five fallen teens.
"Looks like a tunnel there," Molly said, the camera panning left to show both a normal mineshaft and a more natural-looking tunnel next to it. "Do we take it?"
She was answered by a high-pitched squealing that echoed through the tunnels and caves, lasting long enough for all five Maggots to look around in terror.
"Looks good to me!" Geoff answered, getting up and making a dash towards the more natural-looking tunnel. His teammates followed shortly after him.
\
The squeal faded away as the scene cut back to the top of the elevator shaft, where the five Rats had managed to get themselves free of the rubble.
"That elevator is not coming back up," Trent commented, looking down the shaft.
"We could just call it a day here," Scott impishly said.
"Or we could just shimmy down the line," DJ suggested.
"Are you sure that would work?" Sammy asked.
Trent bent down and picked up the firefly jar. "I'll go ahead and light the way," he told his team. "Then all of you can follow after me."
"That's a good idea," Sierra gave a thumbs-up.
"Here I go," Trent said in a confident tone, holding the cable with his left hand and the firefly jar under his right arm. He cried as he jumped into the shaft and slid down that cable, his declaration quickly turned into a pained shout.
The rest of the Rats shared a nervous look. "Hopefully he didn't burn his nuts," Scott said before the sound of a crash made the four of them wince.
"You can think again," Trent echoed up weakly through the shaft, causing his teammates to share another wary look.
\
A flash took the scene back down to the bottom of the shaft, Trent now lying on top of the broken elevator with his hands covering his groin. The rest of the Rats slid down above him, then hopped off to Trent's side.
"Are you alright?" Sammy asked, bending over her friend and offering him a hand.
"I'll get better," Trent said pitifully, taking her hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.
"Where did the fireflies go?" Scott followed up.
"Over there," Sierra answered. The camera panned down and zoomed in on the upturned jar, then zoomed out as DJ picked it up.
"Looks like we all made it here in one piece," DJ said.
"We sure did," Sierra said as the shot quick-panned over to her standing near one of the tunnels. "We need to get going so the other team doesn't win."
"You, Sammy, and DJ can go on ahead. I'll stay back to help Trent on his feet," Scott said.
\
The Maggots were huffing and panting as the scene cut back to them entering a slightly wider portion of the tunnels. Scarlett and Molly were in front with the flashlights, Dave and Anne Maria were right behind them, and Geoff brought up the rear.
The camera zoomed in on Scarlett and Molly, who were inspecting another pair of tunnels – a normal-looking mineshaft on the left, and a jagged-edged hole on the right.
"Why are we stopping?" Dave protested.
"We hit a fork in the road," Scarlett said.
"So we have to choose between two death traps," Molly deadpanned.
"The tunnels are different," Scarlett explained. "The left one has minecart tracks and looks to be another shaft, and the right one looks like it was carved by a humongous object."
"So this mine's home to a lot of mutants?" Anne Maria finished.
"Why did we stop if we simply could've gone left?" Geoff asked.
"I don't trust rollercoasters," Molly answered. "You never know if they will fall apart."
"This path is better than the other one, so let's just roll with it," Dave concluded before they went to the shaft.
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"Get back into this jar, fireflies!" Sierra ordered from the group of fireflies flying away while she was holding the jar of fireflies.
"DJ, chase the fireflies back to us so Sierra can catch them," Sammy told the gentle giant.
DJ nodded and dashed ahead. He immediately howled as the fireflies swarmed around his head, and when he returned back to the girls, Sierra slammed the jar on his head, trapping the fireflies but having them fly around the top of his head.
"This should be a good light source," Sammy smiled, much to DJ's indifference.
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A flash took the focus to a pair of minecarts linked together on a downward slope as the beam of a flashlight approached.
"Yes! These carts will speed us up!" Geoff said excitedly as he led the rest of the Rats to the carts. "This'll be like riding a rollercoaster."
"This seems a lot like a death trap," Molly responded.
"This whole place is a death trap," Dave countered. "What we need is speed, so we can find our statue, get out of here, and not worry about being intoxicated."
Just then Anne Maria's badge turned from green to orange, earning a gasp from her and the others. "Anne Maria's badge is orange!" Scarlett exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh. I only have like fifteen seconds to live or somethin'!" Anne Maria cried out.
"We all have fifteen minutes. We'll be alright, Anne," Geoff comforted her.
"Oh well, that ain't so bad," Anne Maria said before filing her nails.
The shot focused in on Scarlett as her badge suddenly turned orange as well. "Everyone get in," she said before running over and diving headfirst into the back cart.
"Shotgun!" Dave called out as he hopped in the front cart with Molly.
"Looks like we're in the back," Anne Maria said happily to Geoff.
"Then let's move out!" Geoff said, grabbing her arms and pulling her to the carts. The shot cut to a close-up of the front wheel as Molly reached down and pulled away a rock that was holding them in place.
"My first time riding the rails, and I'm always unenthusiastic," Molly said.
The camera pulled back out to show all five Rats in their chosen cart, and Dave pulled a lever that made the carts start moving downhill. The Rats cheered as they rolled off-screen, but Dave quickly added "Wrong lever!" with a hint of terror in his voice.
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"Thanks for staying back for me," Trent said as the scene moved to him and Scott in complete darkness, only their eyes visible. "Also, could you get your knee off my back?"
"Leaving someone to die is something I'm not into," Scott replied. "And my knee isn't on your back."
"Then...what is-? Oh! It's a flashlight," Trent clicked the device, and suddenly the two teens were visible... as well as a group of giant hairless - and presumably mutated - gophers standing on their hindlegs and screeching menacingly at them.
Scott and Trent clung to each other and screamed.
\
"It's great to be on this team with you guys, but if we lose, I don't mind if you vote me off," DJ told Sammy and Sierra. "We all have to go sometime."
Sammy looked taken aback by the statement. "I won't vote you off. That'd be unfair to you since you swapped teams last episode."
"And besides, we need someone that can lift a truck, and you fill the role already," Sierra said with a smile, and the three continued on with a decent amount of comfort for a few seconds more...before the badge on Sammy's arm beeped and turned orange.
DJ gasped. "Your badge! It's orange!" the brickhouse said. "You've only got fifteen minutes to live!"
Two more beeps drew their attention to DJ and Sierra's badges as they changed as well. "You do too!" Sammy cried out in panic.
"This can't be happening!" Sierra declared, dropping to her knees with an anguished look on her face. "I've never visited Paris, or gotten married legally!"
Sammy and DJ both blinked. "Uhh, what was that?" the former asked.
"I became an ordained minister on the internet, and I thought someone was into me as much as I was into them," Sierra giggled.
"We have to hurry!" Sammy said, and the three took off.
\
"Okay guys," Molly told her teammates as the scene cut back to them rolling down the slope and the camera zooming in on the pair in the front cart, "just keep your eyes open for that statue. It has to be around here somewhere."
"I think we have a problem," Dave tapped the indie chick on the shoulder and she perked up and looked back. The shot cut outward to show that the two carts were now on different tracks, with her and Dave in the foreground and Geoff, Scarlett, and Anne Maria in the back.
"How did that even happen?!" Scarlett exclaimed in disbelief.
The two carts exited from the tunnel into a much more open cave, with the former front cart's track curving downward while the other track sloped upward. Dave and Molly screamed as their cart dipped off-screen and promptly crashed, kicking up a bit of dust and causing the camera to shake.
The shot cut to Anne Maria, Scarlett, and Geoff as horror dawned on their faces as they looked ahead. "The track is broken!" Anne Maria cried out, the perspective moving to the front of the cart to reveal the mangled piece of track they were approaching.
"Everybody brace yourselves!" Geoff screamed, the camera moving back to a distant side-view as the second cart launched off the track, and fell straight down with its passengers screaming all the way. They quickly passed the rocky ledge where Molly and Dave lay seemingly unconscious, and landed with a splash far below.
The scene receded into a set of monitors, the leftmost one showing only static while the middle showed Sammy, Sierra, and DJ walking through the mine and the rightmost one showed an underground lake.
"Looks like our players are doomed," Chris said, the camera zooming out to reveal him and Chef standing in a control room of sorts. "Will any of them survive? I have my doubts," the host laughed. "But find out for sure when we return with more, Total! Drama! Revenge of the Island!"
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(Commercial Break)
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submitted by xtremexavier15 to u/xtremexavier15 [link] [comments]
Mutant Maggots: Anne Maria, Molly, Scarlett, Dave, Geoff
Episode 07: A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste
"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!" the unseen host opened on a stock shot of the island before the recap montage began. "We saw how clueless our players are when it comes to fashion," he said over a clip of the Maggots' disastrous attempt to bring a self-dressed Sasquatchanakwa out on to the runway. "And how useless they are when it comes to rescues!" he added over the Maggots getting knocked off the scaffolding by barrels thrown by Sasquatchanakwa and Sammy's ultimately failed attempt to seduce him.
"In the end, Katie got the toss-a-roo," Katie got tossed away by Sasquatchanakwa, and then was escorted away by Chef, "and DJ and Geoff got tossed onto opposite teams," Chris added over clips of the two boys volunteering, then high fiving each other as they walked over to their new teams.
The footage was cut to Chris sitting in a deck chair on the Dock of Shame as his toenails were being filed. "You call that buffing?" Chris asked, who was angry at the overweight intern filing his toenails. "I want to see my ruggedly handsome face in every toenail." The intern filed faster. "Who will thrive, and who won't survive?" Chris asked the camera, but a sudden strong wind and the sound of a rotor signaled the arrival of a helicopter.
"This is the Department of Environmental Protection!" a voice called out, the camera zooming out to show a RCMP helicopter hovering a few feet away from the host. "You're busted, McLean!"
"Aww, man!" Chris griped. "Meddling tree-huggers..." With a scowl on his face, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Launch Operation Doomsday!" he ordered. "Repeat, Operation Doomsday! Over!" A short hiss of static ended the message, and he turned a smile to the camera. "What is Operation Doomsday, you ask? Find out right here, right now, on Total! Drama! Revenge, of the Island!" As the shot cut outward as usual, another pair of RCMP helicopters swooped down to join the first over the dock.
XXXXX
The scene opened up to show the Maggot cabin, where Dave was inside cleaning. He was currently setting up his bed and had just positioned his pillow.
"And with that, the cabin is clean and free of filth," Dave sighed happily.
Geoff then came running and breathing inside, unknowingly getting streaks on the floor.
"I just cleaned that!" Dave said with a bit of anger in his voice.
Geoff noticed his frustration. "Sorry 'bout that, man. I did just swap over to this team, so I don't know how much of a neat freak you are."
"It's okay," Dave forgave his new teammate. "Most of the jocks in my school come out messy after a football game, and I hate seeing muddy footprints and dirt all over the ground."
"You would not want to meet my team then," Geoff looked back. "We come off looking sweaty and we have to shower for ten minutes just to get the stink off."
Dave shuddered at the thought. "Let's stop talking about it. The thought of a muddy floor makes me nervous."
Confessional: DJ
"Being on a new team ain't gonna be a problem for me," DJ expressed his thoughts in the confessional. "I'm still lingering on from Katie's elimination. She tells me that she likes me, and I never get to tell her that I like her back." He let out a sigh of sadness. "I hope we get to meet after the show's all over."
Confessional Ends
The scene cut outside the Rats' cabin as a helicopter flew by overhead. The shot panned down to Geoff as he passed by the helicopter, then the camera showed Molly listening to another indie song on her mp3 player.
"You seemed to really like your mp3 player," Geoff chuckled a bit.
"I can't help it," Molly paused her song. "Indie songs don't normally play on the radio. Mostly pop and rock."
"I can see where you're coming from," Geoff sensed. "You like to drift away from the mainstream and focus on your own interests."
"I like other kinds of things like fashion trends and partying, but what I like is less out there," Molly answered. "I like to do things by myself. Being indie doesn't blend in well with other people."
Geoff sat down next to her. "Maybe no one will get invested by what you like to do, but there's someone who I know will."
"Who could that be?" Molly asked the party guy, not getting what she's saying.
Geoff picked up an earbud and put it in his ear. "They're right next to you."
Molly realized what was happening and put on the other earbud. "In that case, let me start the next song. It's really beachy."
This got a laugh out of both of them.
\
"Alright, let's just get our so-called breakfast over with!" Molly said as she and Geoff walked into the hall, the cast standing around looking confused.
"We can't," Dave replied. "Chef's not here, and neither is breakfast!"
"I suppose we will just have to hunt for our food, in a figure of speech," Scarlett requested before everyone began searching.
The perspective changed to show the inside of a refrigerator as Trent opened the door and looked inside. "There's no food in the fridge," he called out after looking over the bare shelves.
"Nothing in the cupboards, either!" Sammy added after opening a cupboard door.
"We should check in the walk-in freezer!" Chef suggested through a small open window, quickly hurrying away as the camera zoomed out to reveal Dave standing nearby.
"The freezer could work!" Dave thought out. He hurried across the room and threw open the freezer door, stepping inside as a cold mist poured out. "I can see meat inside," he called out and ran inside.
The others promptly ran in to join him...and a shutter door slid down behind them. They gasped, and the camera cut outside to show a truck driven by Chef starting up and moving away from a hole in the side of the mess hall.
"Challenge time, suckas!" Chef cackled, sliding open a small view slot and grinning at the camera and campers inside the cargo hold.
"This is so not cool!" Geoff complained, grabbing hold of a swinging piece of meat as most of the others tried to keep their balance in the moving vehicle.
"Where are you taking us?" Sierra asked Chef.
"You'll see," Chef answered with a devilish smile and snicker, sliding the viewing slot shut...and jamming his finger in the process, causing him to yelp in pain.
\
A flash took the scene to what appeared to be the entrance of a mineshaft. On a ledge to the right was a bulldozer and some other pieces of machinery, while to the left was not only a pile of toxic waste barrels, but also a widescreen television showing what seemed like a live feed of the host. The Chef-driven truck backed up to the entrance and with a grin the driver pushed a button that caused the hold to lift, dumping the campers out onto the dirt.
"Good. You're here. Finally," Chris said, giving them a quick look of annoyance before shifting into his typical smile. "Today's challenge is to find a Golden Chris statue in your team color," he raised his left hand and a statuette with a green base appeared with a flash and a chime, then did the same with a red-based statuette on his right, "hidden somewhere in this old abandoned mine." He motioned to the mine entrance, and the two statuettes disappeared with another flash. "First team back, wins!"
"That seems easy enough," Molly told her team confidently. "We got this, team."
"Before we go," Scarlett said, "we will need some supplies-"
She was cut off when a heavy orange backpack was tossed on her, forcefully knocking her to the ground. Everybody looked towards the truck with the others, the shot cutting over to show Chef – now in his hazmat suit – tossing the backpacks out of the back of the truck.
"Don't worry," Chris told them. "There are enough packs for everyone."
The shot cut outward just as Scott was tossed his, revealing that all the others had received packs as well. Most were lifting them with little trouble, though Dave was struggling and Scarlett was still lying on the ground.
"What'd you put in them? Rocks?" Geoff griped, reaching to open the pack's main flap.
"Up-up-up-up-up, no peeking!" Chris admonished. "Those 50 lb bags are purely for your torment," he explained, "and my amusement. Enjoy."
Scarlett was shown rooting through a side pocket and pulled out a small metal armband with a bright green triangular patch on front. "Chemical badges?" the quiet brainiac asked in concern. "Why do we need to measure our exposure to toxic waste?"
"No reason," Chris said with an impish shrug. "Except that I rented the mine out to store hazardous material." The campers all gasped.
"What?!" Trent asked in utter shock. "That is really dangerous and a hazard to our lives!"
Chris continued to be smug. "Which is why I'm in a studio right now!" Both teams immediately protested. "Relax," the devilish host told them, "it's perfectly safe. For thirty minutes," he clarified as an inset of a timer reading 30:00 appeared on the screen next to him. "When your badge turns orange," he pointed at the inset as it showed the green triangle that was on the armbands turning orange, "you have fifteen minutes left. Red is your five minute warning," the triangle turned red, "and, if you see a skull and crossbones," the entire triangle was replaced by a flashing skull and crossbones, "we'll dedicate this episode to you! But no way is it gonna come to that. A mysterious person has been down there for more than forty minutes," he said as the entire on-screen inset disappeared, "and I think they're gonna be fine!...ish..."
\
The shot went to the inside of the cave. It was pitch dark at first, but soon someone lit a candle to brighten the room. Their arm was silhouetted and dark, hiding the true identity of the one holding the candle.
All that could be heard was a villainous, but over exaggerated laugh.
\
"Now move it, peeps!" Chris told the cast, the camera cutting back outward to show them all standing with their packs.
"Can you at least give us a hint about where to find the statues?" Sammy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Funny story," Chris said with an impish smile and sideways glance. "The statues have gone missing! Someone, or something down there must've taken them."
"Is it well lit down there?" DJ asked nervously.
"It’s a mine, bro" Chris answered, his smile almost mocking. "Pitch black all the way. There are flashlights and fireflies inside," he added, "first come, first serve. Anywho, time's a-wasting, and so are your healthy blood cells. So go!"
\
The scene cut inside the mine entrance as the Rats ran in with Sierra in the lead.
"We're in the lead!" she cheered, stopping right before a small elevator with an open front. "EEEHHH!" Her words echoed as her team joined her, and the five sent worried looks up just as the mine began to rumble and rocks fell down from the ceiling, burying them under.
The Maggots ran past them. "Thank you for allowing us to have the lead!" Scarlett said as Sierra and her teammates poked their heads out of the rubble.
"Nice going, Uber-Girl," Scott sneered at her.
The Maggot team entered the elevator, Scarlett closing the short gate as soon as she could.
"We've got the flashlights!" Dave said, picking up a pair of the devices from the elevator floor. An ominous creaking cut off any possible celebration, however, and moments later a cable snapped, dropping the elevator down its shaft. All five of the Maggots screamed.
They landed with a resounding crash, and the scene cut down to the total darkness at the bottom of the shaft. A few pained groans rose up, followed by Geoff saying "Is everyone okay?"
"I think so," Dave replied first.
"I'm fine," Anne Maria said next.
"The flashlights!" Scarlett exclaimed, Molky turning one on and revealing the broken elevator and scores of waste barrels scattered around the five fallen teens.
"Looks like a tunnel there," Molly said, the camera panning left to show both a normal mineshaft and a more natural-looking tunnel next to it. "Do we take it?"
She was answered by a high-pitched squealing that echoed through the tunnels and caves, lasting long enough for all five Maggots to look around in terror.
"Looks good to me!" Geoff answered, getting up and making a dash towards the more natural-looking tunnel. His teammates followed shortly after him.
\
The squeal faded away as the scene cut back to the top of the elevator shaft, where the five Rats had managed to get themselves free of the rubble.
"That elevator is not coming back up," Trent commented, looking down the shaft.
"We could just call it a day here," Scott impishly said.
"Or we could just shimmy down the line," DJ suggested.
"Are you sure that would work?" Sammy asked.
Trent bent down and picked up the firefly jar. "I'll go ahead and light the way," he told his team. "Then all of you can follow after me."
"That's a good idea," Sierra gave a thumbs-up.
"Here I go," Trent said in a confident tone, holding the cable with his left hand and the firefly jar under his right arm. He cried as he jumped into the shaft and slid down that cable, his declaration quickly turned into a pained shout.
The rest of the Rats shared a nervous look. "Hopefully he didn't burn his nuts," Scott said before the sound of a crash made the four of them wince.
"You can think again," Trent echoed up weakly through the shaft, causing his teammates to share another wary look.
\
A flash took the scene back down to the bottom of the shaft, Trent now lying on top of the broken elevator with his hands covering his groin. The rest of the Rats slid down above him, then hopped off to Trent's side.
"Are you alright?" Sammy asked, bending over her friend and offering him a hand.
"I'll get better," Trent said pitifully, taking her hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.
"Where did the fireflies go?" Scott followed up.
"Over there," Sierra answered. The camera panned down and zoomed in on the upturned jar, then zoomed out as DJ picked it up.
"Looks like we all made it here in one piece," DJ said.
"We sure did," Sierra said as the shot quick-panned over to her standing near one of the tunnels. "We need to get going so the other team doesn't win."
"You, Sammy, and DJ can go on ahead. I'll stay back to help Trent on his feet," Scott said.
\
The Maggots were huffing and panting as the scene cut back to them entering a slightly wider portion of the tunnels. Scarlett and Molly were in front with the flashlights, Dave and Anne Maria were right behind them, and Geoff brought up the rear.
The camera zoomed in on Scarlett and Molly, who were inspecting another pair of tunnels – a normal-looking mineshaft on the left, and a jagged-edged hole on the right.
"Why are we stopping?" Dave protested.
"We hit a fork in the road," Scarlett said.
"So we have to choose between two death traps," Molly deadpanned.
"The tunnels are different," Scarlett explained. "The left one has minecart tracks and looks to be another shaft, and the right one looks like it was carved by a humongous object."
"So this mine's home to a lot of mutants?" Anne Maria finished.
"Why did we stop if we simply could've gone left?" Geoff asked.
"I don't trust rollercoasters," Molly answered. "You never know if they will fall apart."
"This path is better than the other one, so let's just roll with it," Dave concluded before they went to the shaft.
\
"Get back into this jar, fireflies!" Sierra ordered from the group of fireflies flying away while she was holding the jar of fireflies.
"DJ, chase the fireflies back to us so Sierra can catch them," Sammy told the gentle giant.
DJ nodded and dashed ahead. He immediately howled as the fireflies swarmed around his head, and when he returned back to the girls, Sierra slammed the jar on his head, trapping the fireflies but having them fly around the top of his head.
"This should be a good light source," Sammy smiled, much to DJ's indifference.
\
A flash took the focus to a pair of minecarts linked together on a downward slope as the beam of a flashlight approached.
"Yes! These carts will speed us up!" Geoff said excitedly as he led the rest of the Rats to the carts. "This'll be like riding a rollercoaster."
"This seems a lot like a death trap," Molly responded.
"This whole place is a death trap," Dave countered. "What we need is speed, so we can find our statue, get out of here, and not worry about being intoxicated."
Just then Anne Maria's badge turned from green to orange, earning a gasp from her and the others. "Anne Maria's badge is orange!" Scarlett exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh. I only have like fifteen seconds to live or somethin'!" Anne Maria cried out.
"We all have fifteen minutes. We'll be alright, Anne," Geoff comforted her.
"Oh well, that ain't so bad," Anne Maria said before filing her nails.
The shot focused in on Scarlett as her badge suddenly turned orange as well. "Everyone get in," she said before running over and diving headfirst into the back cart.
"Shotgun!" Dave called out as he hopped in the front cart with Molly.
"Looks like we're in the back," Anne Maria said happily to Geoff.
"Then let's move out!" Geoff said, grabbing her arms and pulling her to the carts. The shot cut to a close-up of the front wheel as Molly reached down and pulled away a rock that was holding them in place.
"My first time riding the rails, and I'm always unenthusiastic," Molly said.
The camera pulled back out to show all five Rats in their chosen cart, and Dave pulled a lever that made the carts start moving downhill. The Rats cheered as they rolled off-screen, but Dave quickly added "Wrong lever!" with a hint of terror in his voice.
\
"Thanks for staying back for me," Trent said as the scene moved to him and Scott in complete darkness, only their eyes visible. "Also, could you get your knee off my back?"
"Leaving someone to die is something I'm not into," Scott replied. "And my knee isn't on your back."
"Then...what is-? Oh! It's a flashlight," Trent clicked the device, and suddenly the two teens were visible... as well as a group of giant hairless - and presumably mutated - gophers standing on their hindlegs and screeching menacingly at them.
Scott and Trent clung to each other and screamed.
\
"It's great to be on this team with you guys, but if we lose, I don't mind if you vote me off," DJ told Sammy and Sierra. "We all have to go sometime."
Sammy looked taken aback by the statement. "I won't vote you off. That'd be unfair to you since you swapped teams last episode."
"And besides, we need someone that can lift a truck, and you fill the role already," Sierra said with a smile, and the three continued on with a decent amount of comfort for a few seconds more...before the badge on Sammy's arm beeped and turned orange.
DJ gasped. "Your badge! It's orange!" the brickhouse said. "You've only got fifteen minutes to live!"
Two more beeps drew their attention to DJ and Sierra's badges as they changed as well. "You do too!" Sammy cried out in panic.
"This can't be happening!" Sierra declared, dropping to her knees with an anguished look on her face. "I've never visited Paris, or gotten married legally!"
Sammy and DJ both blinked. "Uhh, what was that?" the former asked.
"I became an ordained minister on the internet, and I thought someone was into me as much as I was into them," Sierra giggled.
"We have to hurry!" Sammy said, and the three took off.
\
"Okay guys," Molly told her teammates as the scene cut back to them rolling down the slope and the camera zooming in on the pair in the front cart, "just keep your eyes open for that statue. It has to be around here somewhere."
"I think we have a problem," Dave tapped the indie chick on the shoulder and she perked up and looked back. The shot cut outward to show that the two carts were now on different tracks, with her and Dave in the foreground and Geoff, Scarlett, and Anne Maria in the back.
"How did that even happen?!" Scarlett exclaimed in disbelief.
The two carts exited from the tunnel into a much more open cave, with the former front cart's track curving downward while the other track sloped upward. Dave and Molly screamed as their cart dipped off-screen and promptly crashed, kicking up a bit of dust and causing the camera to shake.
The shot cut to Anne Maria, Scarlett, and Geoff as horror dawned on their faces as they looked ahead. "The track is broken!" Anne Maria cried out, the perspective moving to the front of the cart to reveal the mangled piece of track they were approaching.
"Everybody brace yourselves!" Geoff screamed, the camera moving back to a distant side-view as the second cart launched off the track, and fell straight down with its passengers screaming all the way. They quickly passed the rocky ledge where Molly and Dave lay seemingly unconscious, and landed with a splash far below.
The scene receded into a set of monitors, the leftmost one showing only static while the middle showed Sammy, Sierra, and DJ walking through the mine and the rightmost one showed an underground lake.
"Looks like our players are doomed," Chris said, the camera zooming out to reveal him and Chef standing in a control room of sorts. "Will any of them survive? I have my doubts," the host laughed. "But find out for sure when we return with more, Total! Drama! Revenge of the Island!"
\
(Commercial Break)
\
2023.06.08 12:30 FappidyDat [H] TF2 Keys & PayPal [W] Humble Bundle Games (Also Games From Past Bundles)
Notes:
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
IGS Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ggsaik/fappidydats_igs_rep_page/
SteamTrades Rep Page (1000+):
https://www.steamtrades.com/use76561198097671494
GameTrade Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/GameTradeRep/comments/ggrz1y/fappidydats_gametrade_rep_page/?
SGSFlair Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/sgsflaicomments/ggag04/flair_profile_ufappidydat/
submitted by FappidyDat to indiegameswap [link] [comments]
- I am EXTREMELY busy, but I check my messages and DMs at least ONCE per day. Please be patient and wait at least 24 hours for my response if I don't get back to you immediately.
- I buy only in Unrevealed Key Link Format or Plain Steam Keys. No gift links.
- For PayPal, I am in the US region and I only send via G&S. Please note there will be PayPal fees (including international/conversion and purchasing fees) to consider.
- All games that you sell to me should ideally be REGION-FREE. Please ensure the games are not region-locked/bound to a specific country.
- You must be willing to fill a spreadsheet with steam keys.
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
| I BUY HB Games | with TF2 | with PayPal | Currently Active Humble Bundle? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20XX | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel | 2.6 TF2 | $5.13 PP | - |
| 60 Parsecs! | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| 7 Billion Humans | 1.4 TF2 | $2.86 PP | - |
| 7 Days to Die | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| A Hat in Time | 5.1 TF2 | $10.08 PP | - |
| A Juggler's Tale | 1.5 TF2 | $2.9 PP | - |
| A Plague Tale: Innocence | 1.7 TF2 | $3.44 PP | - |
| ABZU | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PP | - |
| AMID EVIL | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| AO Tennis 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| APICO | 2.3 TF2 | $4.61 PP | - |
| Absolver | 1.9 TF2 | $3.84 PP | - |
| Aeterna Noctis | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Age of Empires Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $2.94 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders III Collection | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Deluxe Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall | 1.1 TF2 | $2.28 PP | - |
| Airport CEO | 3.3 TF2 | $6.59 PP | - |
| Alan Wake Collector's Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Alan Wake's American Nightmare | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Aliens: Fireteam Elite | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Alina of the Arena | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Amnesia: The Dark Descent | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| Among Us | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| Ancestors Legacy | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey | 2.4 TF2 | $4.79 PP | - |
| Aragami | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Arizona Sunshine | 2.1 TF2 | $4.19 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Apex Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.8 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Contact Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.86 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Jets | 1.1 TF2 | $2.1 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Marksmen | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| Arma 3 | 2.0 TF2 | $3.89 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Competizione | 3.1 TF2 | $6.1 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition | 6.8 TF2 | $13.53 PP | - |
| Automobilista 2 | 9.4 TF2 | $18.68 PP | - |
| BATTLETECH - Mercenary Collection | 3.8 TF2 | $7.55 PP | - |
| BIOMUTANT | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| BROFORCE | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Baba Is You | 1.5 TF2 | $3.06 PP | - |
| Back 4 Blood | 2.8 TF2 | $5.49 PP | - |
| Bad North: Jotunn Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Bang-On Balls: Chronicles | 3.1 TF2 | $6.12 PP | - |
| Banished | 2.2 TF2 | $4.29 PP | - |
| Barotrauma | 7.1 TF2 | $14.14 PP | - |
| Bastion | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| Batman - The Telltale Series | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| Batman Arkham Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Batman: Arkham Knight | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.53 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Origins | 0.9 TF2 | $1.75 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham VR | 0.7 TF2 | $1.47 PP | - |
| Battle Chasers: Nightwar | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II | 1.8 TF2 | $3.51 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Battlezone Gold Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.25 PP | - |
| Besiege | 1.5 TF2 | $2.89 PP | - |
| Beyond Blue | 1.6 TF2 | $3.17 PP | - |
| Beyond Two Souls | 1.8 TF2 | $3.68 PP | - |
| BioShock Collection | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| BioShock Infinite | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| BioShock Remastered | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Bioshock Infinite: Season Pass | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Blade of Darkness | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Blair Witch | 1.1 TF2 | $2.27 PP | - |
| Blasphemous | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Blood: Fresh Supply | 0.6 TF2 | $1.28 PP | - |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Boomerang Fu | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| Borderlands 2 VR | 4.6 TF2 | $9.16 PP | - |
| Borderlands 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.85 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.63 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3: Director's Cut | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Handsome Collection | 3.3 TF2 | $6.5 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Brutal Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $2.03 PP | - |
| Bus Simulator 18 | 2.0 TF2 | $4.07 PP | - |
| CHUCHEL Cherry Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Call of Cthulhu | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Call of Duty: WWII | 14.7 TF2 | $29.16 PP | - |
| Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | 9.5 TF2 | $18.99 PP | - |
| Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.75 PP | - |
| Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Carto | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Celeste | Pixel Pride Bundle | ||
| Chess Ultra | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Children of Morta | 0.6 TF2 | $1.23 PP | - |
| Chivalry 2 | 3.4 TF2 | $6.82 PP | - |
| Chivalry: Medieval Warfare | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Chrono Ark | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition | 7.1 TF2 | $14.2 PP | - |
| Clone Drone in the Danger Zone | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PP | - |
| Cloudpunk | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Code Vein | 1.7 TF2 | $3.35 PP | - |
| Coffee Talk | 2.5 TF2 | $4.93 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies | 0.8 TF2 | $1.55 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes | 1.8 TF2 | $3.62 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts | 0.7 TF2 | $1.49 PP | - |
| Conan Exiles | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PP | - |
| Construction Simulator 2015 | 1.2 TF2 | $2.44 PP | - |
| Contagion | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Control Ultimate Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.86 PP | - |
| Creed: Rise to Glory™ | 2.2 TF2 | $4.37 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings II: Imperial Collection | 9.8 TF2 | $19.52 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings II: Royal Collection | 6.4 TF2 | $12.82 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings III | 7.1 TF2 | $14.2 PP | - |
| Crysis® 2 Maximum Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.56 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator Anthology Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.75 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Curse of the Dead Gods | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| DARK SOULS™ III Deluxe Edition | 19.7 TF2 | $39.14 PP | - |
| DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT | 3.0 TF2 | $5.89 PP | - |
| DEATHLOOP | 2.7 TF2 | $5.33 PP | - |
| DIRT 5 | 4.2 TF2 | $8.36 PP | - |
| DMC - Devil May Cry | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Ultimate Edition | 15.1 TF2 | $30.14 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| DRAGONBALL XENOVERSE Bundle Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| DRIFT21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Dark Deity | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | 7.8 TF2 | $15.53 PP | - |
| Dark Souls III | 16.6 TF2 | $33.01 PP | - |
| Darkest Dungeon | 0.6 TF2 | $1.17 PP | - |
| Darksiders Genesis | 1.3 TF2 | $2.66 PP | - |
| Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| Darksiders III | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Darkwood | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| DayZ | 8.1 TF2 | $16.2 PP | - |
| Daymare: 1998 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Dead Estate | 1.4 TF2 | $2.85 PP | - |
| Dead Island - Definitive Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Dead Island Definitive Collection | 1.5 TF2 | $2.96 PP | - |
| Dead Island Riptide - Definitive Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 2: Off the Record | 1.2 TF2 | $2.44 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition | 1.7 TF2 | $3.29 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 Frank’s Big Package | 2.5 TF2 | $4.96 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 | 1.0 TF2 | $2.04 PP | - |
| Dead Rising | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Dead Rising® 2 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Death's Gambit | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Deep Rock Galactic | 3.3 TF2 | $6.58 PP | - |
| Descenders | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| Desperados III | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Destiny 2: Beyond Light | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Destroy All Humans | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut | 0.9 TF2 | $1.8 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry HD Collection | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.84 PP | - |
| DiRT Rally 2.0 | 5.0 TF2 | $9.99 PP | - |
| Dicey Dungeons | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Dinosaur Fossil Hunter | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Distance | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Distant Worlds: Universe | 0.6 TF2 | $1.27 PP | - |
| Do Not Feed the Monkeys | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| Doom Eternal | 2.6 TF2 | $5.19 PP | - |
| Door Kickers | 1.7 TF2 | $3.33 PP | - |
| Door Kickers: Action Squad | 0.4 TF2 | $0.74 PP | - |
| Dorfromantik | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| Dragon Ball FighterZ | 2.2 TF2 | $4.34 PP | - |
| Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Drake Hollow | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Drone Swarm | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders | 1.1 TF2 | $2.24 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders: Awakened | 2.6 TF2 | $5.21 PP | - |
| Dungreed | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Dusk | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| ELEX | 1.1 TF2 | $2.13 PP | - |
| EVERSPACE™ | 1.8 TF2 | $3.57 PP | - |
| Elite: Dangerous | 1.4 TF2 | $2.75 PP | - |
| Empire of Sin | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Endzone - A World Apart | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 1.7 TF2 | $3.37 PP | - |
| Exanima | 2.6 TF2 | $5.17 PP | - |
| FTL: Faster Than Light | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Fable Anniversary | 4.8 TF2 | $9.48 PP | - |
| Fallout 76 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.32 PP | - |
| Fantasy General II | 0.6 TF2 | $1.23 PP | - |
| Farming Simulator 17 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Fight'N Rage | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| Fights in Tight Spaces | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Firefighting Simulator - The Squad | 4.7 TF2 | $9.43 PP | - |
| First Class Trouble | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| For The King | 0.9 TF2 | $1.84 PP | - |
| Forager | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Forts | 2.9 TF2 | $5.86 PP | - |
| Friday the 13th: The Game | 2.9 TF2 | $5.81 PP | - |
| Frostpunk | 1.0 TF2 | $2.03 PP | - |
| Full Metal Furies | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| Furi | 1.3 TF2 | $2.54 PP | - |
| GRID | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| GRIME | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| GRIS | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R | 0.4 TF2 | $0.82 PP | - |
| Gang Beasts | 3.0 TF2 | $5.94 PP | - |
| Garden Paws | 1.0 TF2 | $2.0 PP | - |
| Gas Station Simulator | 3.1 TF2 | $6.15 PP | - |
| Gears 5 | 10.8 TF2 | $21.52 PP | - |
| Gears Tactics | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PP | - |
| Generation Zero® | 0.8 TF2 | $1.55 PP | - |
| Ghostwire Tokyo | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| Goat Simulator | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Godlike Burger | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Golf With Your Friends | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Gordian Quest | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| Gotham Knights | 5.4 TF2 | $10.84 PP | - |
| GreedFall | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PP | - |
| Gremlins, Inc. | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Grim Dawn | 4.8 TF2 | $9.54 PP | - |
| Grim Fandango Remastered | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PP | - |
| Guacamelee! 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| HITMAN™2 Gold Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $5.88 PP | - |
| HIVESWAP: Act 2 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| HROT | 4.1 TF2 | $8.22 PP | - |
| Hard Bullet | 1.2 TF2 | $2.35 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus | 1.8 TF2 | $3.57 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition | 5.9 TF2 | $11.67 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PP | - |
| Heave Ho | 0.5 TF2 | $1.09 PP | - |
| Heavy Rain | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Hell Let Loose | 6.2 TF2 | $12.38 PP | - |
| Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice | 1.4 TF2 | $2.86 PP | - |
| Hello, Neighbor! | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Hellpoint | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Heroes of Hammerwatch | 0.8 TF2 | $1.56 PP | - |
| Hitman Absolution | 0.4 TF2 | $0.77 PP | - |
| Hitman Game of the Year Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Hollow Knight | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Homefront: The Revolution | 0.8 TF2 | $1.65 PP | - |
| Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Digital Special Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number | 0.6 TF2 | $1.14 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| House Flipper | 3.1 TF2 | $6.08 PP | - |
| Human: Fall Flat | 1.2 TF2 | $2.29 PP | - |
| HuniePop | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Huntdown | 1.7 TF2 | $3.3 PP | - |
| Hurtworld | 2.2 TF2 | $4.4 PP | - |
| Hyper Light Drifter | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Hypnospace Outlaw | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| I Am Fish | 0.4 TF2 | $0.72 PP | - |
| I Expect You To Die | 1.3 TF2 | $2.67 PP | - |
| I-NFECTED | 4.0 TF2 | $8.02 PP | - |
| INSIDE | 1.6 TF2 | $3.14 PP | - |
| INSURGENCY | 2.2 TF2 | $4.46 PP | - |
| Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome | 1.1 TF2 | $2.28 PP | - |
| In Sound Mind | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 Legendary Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.29 PP | - |
| Into the Breach | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Into the Radius VR | 3.3 TF2 | $6.6 PP | - |
| Ion Fury | 1.9 TF2 | $3.74 PP | - |
| Iron Harvest | 0.9 TF2 | $1.83 PP | - |
| Jalopy | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Job Simulator | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution 2 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.4 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Just Cause 2 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.87 PP | - |
| Just Cause 3 XXL Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Just Cause 4: Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.82 PP | - |
| KartKraft | 4.2 TF2 | $8.39 PP | - |
| Katamari Damacy REROLL | 1.0 TF2 | $2.08 PP | - |
| Katana ZERO | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | 2.7 TF2 | $5.42 PP | - |
| Kerbal Space Program | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Killer Instinct | 8.7 TF2 | $17.3 PP | - |
| Killing Floor 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.38 PP | - |
| Killing Floor | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Kingdom: Two Crowns | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Kitaria Fables | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman Trilogy | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| LEGO® City Undercover | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.77 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| LEGO® Jurassic World™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.15 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens - Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| LEGO® Worlds | 1.0 TF2 | $1.96 PP | - |
| LIMBO | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective | 0.7 TF2 | $1.45 PP | - |
| Labyrinthine | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| Lake | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Last Oasis | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear 2 | 6.1 TF2 | $12.22 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Legion TD 2 | 2.3 TF2 | $4.56 PP | - |
| Len's Island | 4.1 TF2 | $8.16 PP | - |
| Lethal League Blaze | 2.4 TF2 | $4.78 PP | - |
| Lethal League | 1.5 TF2 | $2.97 PP | - |
| Library Of Ruina | 3.2 TF2 | $6.36 PP | - |
| Life is Feudal: Your Own | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Life is Strange 2 Complete Season | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Little Misfortune | 2.2 TF2 | $4.42 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares Complete Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares | 0.9 TF2 | $1.79 PP | - |
| Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management Simulation | 5.0 TF2 | $9.88 PP | - |
| Loot River | 2.9 TF2 | $5.76 PP | - |
| Lords of the Fallen Game of the Year Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Lost Ember | 1.4 TF2 | $2.73 PP | - |
| Luck be a Landlord | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN | 1.2 TF2 | $2.41 PP | - |
| METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience | 2.0 TF2 | $3.99 PP | - |
| MORTAL KOMBAT 11 | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| MX vs ATV Reflex | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Mad Max | 1.1 TF2 | $2.22 PP | - |
| Mafia II: Definitive Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $5.99 PP | - |
| Mafia III: Definitive Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PP | - |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2.2 TF2 | $4.3 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 - Deluxe Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Magicka | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Maneater | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Mars Horizon | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PP | - |
| Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite - Deluxe Edition | 2.8 TF2 | $5.56 PP | - |
| Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Max Payne | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries | 2.5 TF2 | $4.97 PP | - |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - Deluxe Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 War Chest Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.64 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.64 PP | - |
| Messenger | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| Metro 2033 Redux | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Metro Exodus | 1.7 TF2 | $3.46 PP | - |
| Metro Redux Bundle | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Metro: Last Light Redux | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Mirror's Edge | 3.8 TF2 | $7.56 PP | - |
| Miscreated | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Monster Hunter: World | 3.4 TF2 | $6.8 PP | - |
| Monster Sanctuary | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Monster Train | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Moonlighter | 0.4 TF2 | $0.81 PP | - |
| Moons of Madness | 1.7 TF2 | $3.43 PP | - |
| Mordhau | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Mortal Kombat X | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Mortal Shell | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Motorsport Manager | 1.4 TF2 | $2.73 PP | - |
| Move or Die | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| Moving Out | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.28 PP | - |
| Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| My Friend Pedro | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| My Time At Portia | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 Road to Boruto | 3.5 TF2 | $6.89 PP | - |
| NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 | 2.0 TF2 | $3.9 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker - Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.1 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker | 0.4 TF2 | $0.82 PP | - |
| Necromunda: Hired Gun | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| Neon Abyss | 0.5 TF2 | $0.94 PP | - |
| Neverwinter Nights: Complete Adventures | 3.6 TF2 | $7.26 PP | - |
| Nine Parchments | 2.1 TF2 | $4.22 PP | - |
| No Straight Roads: Encore Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.63 PP | - |
| No Time to Relax | 3.7 TF2 | $7.29 PP | - |
| Northgard | 1.2 TF2 | $2.38 PP | - |
| Not For Broadcast | 0.6 TF2 | $1.28 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE PIRATE WARRIORS 3 Gold Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.12 PP | - |
| One Step From Eden | 1.0 TF2 | $1.98 PP | - |
| Opus Magnum | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Orcs Must Die! 3 | 1.9 TF2 | $3.81 PP | - |
| Outlast 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Outward | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Overcooked | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Overcooked! 2 | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Overgrowth | 0.8 TF2 | $1.54 PP | - |
| PC Building Simulator | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PP | - |
| Paint the Town Red | 3.6 TF2 | $7.1 PP | - |
| Parkitect | 6.5 TF2 | $12.85 PP | - |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous | 1.4 TF2 | $2.79 PP | - |
| Pathologic 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.03 PP | - |
| Pathologic Classic HD | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Per Aspera | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Pikuniku | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.87 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Pistol Whip | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Plague Inc: Evolved | 1.6 TF2 | $3.2 PP | - |
| Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Planet Coaster | 1.8 TF2 | $3.63 PP | - |
| Planet Zoo | 2.1 TF2 | $4.17 PP | - |
| Planetary Annihilation: TITANS | 7.1 TF2 | $14.13 PP | - |
| Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid | 2.7 TF2 | $5.42 PP | - |
| PowerBeatsVR | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| PowerSlave Exhumed | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Praey for the Gods | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Prehistoric Kingdom | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Prison Architect | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| Pro Cycling Manager 2019 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Project Hospital | 2.4 TF2 | $4.72 PP | - |
| Project Wingman | 1.6 TF2 | $3.25 PP | - |
| Project Winter | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| Propnight | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Pumpkin Jack | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Quantum Break | 2.6 TF2 | $5.14 PP | - |
| RESIDENT EVIL 3 | 2.4 TF2 | $4.76 PP | - |
| RUGBY 20 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| RUINER | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| RWBY: Grimm Eclipse | 3.7 TF2 | $7.42 PP | - |
| Ragnaröck | 3.4 TF2 | $6.84 PP | - |
| Railway Empire | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Rain World | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Raw Data | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Re:Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PP | - |
| Red Matter | 4.5 TF2 | $8.86 PP | - |
| Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 0 / biohazard 0 HD Remaster | 1.2 TF2 | $2.31 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 GOLD Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $3.0 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 6 | 1.4 TF2 | $2.78 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.84 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| Retro Machina | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Risen 3 - Complete Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Risen | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Rising Storm 2: Vietnam | 0.7 TF2 | $1.33 PP | - |
| River City Girls | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| Roboquest | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Rubber Bandits | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Ryse: Son of Rome | 1.7 TF2 | $3.32 PP | - |
| SCP: Pandemic | 2.4 TF2 | $4.85 PP | - |
| SCUM | 3.4 TF2 | $6.86 PP | - |
| SOMA | 3.3 TF2 | $6.51 PP | - |
| SONG OF HORROR Complete Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| STAR WARS® THE FORCE UNLEASHED II | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| STAR WARS®: Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| STAR WARS™: Squadrons | 1.6 TF2 | $3.14 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT VR | 2.2 TF2 | $4.46 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Saint's Row The Third Remastered | 2.4 TF2 | $4.81 PP | - |
| Saints Row 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV Game of the Century Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Saints Row the Third - The Full Package | 1.0 TF2 | $1.91 PP | - |
| Saints Row: The Third | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| Salt and Sanctuary | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Sanctum 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Satisfactory | 6.8 TF2 | $13.49 PP | - |
| Scarlet Nexus | 2.9 TF2 | $5.75 PP | - |
| Scribblenauts Unlimited | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Secret Neighbor | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 3: BFE | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 4 | 4.7 TF2 | $9.3 PP | - |
| Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem | 2.2 TF2 | $4.47 PP | - |
| Severed Steel | 1.7 TF2 | $3.46 PP | - |
| Shadow Man Remastered | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Shadow Warrior 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 3.1 TF2 | $6.15 PP | - |
| Shenmue 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Shenmue I & II | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Shining Resonance Refrain | 0.4 TF2 | $0.81 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization V | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization® V: The Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.71 PP | - |
| Sid Meiers Civilization IV: The Complete Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Siege of Centauri | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| SimCasino | 1.3 TF2 | $2.54 PP | - |
| SimplePlanes | 2.0 TF2 | $3.89 PP | - |
| Skullgirls 2nd Encore | 1.8 TF2 | $3.62 PP | - |
| Slap City | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Slay the Spire | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
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2023.06.08 12:23 Odd_Understanding_65 Week 2 Run 3 postponed...
...until the AQI is below 150. I ran Tuesday under a blood red sun, but it smells like a uncleaned fire pit now.
submitted by Odd_Understanding_65 to couchto5k [link] [comments]
2023.06.08 12:19 TheGeekyZoologist Jurassic World: The Hegemony of Biosyn (JWD rewrite) - Act IV (2/2)
Here's the second part of Act IV. Sorry for the double post but I had no choice due to the website's limitations.
Frightened by the new attack, Biosyn's board of directors leave the auditorium and, guided by their escort, they head for the panic room. Meanwhile, the employees finally manage to rush out of the burning cafetaria and while some surrender to the Italians and the Austrians, others rush to the metro station or the garages in order to flee to the Biosyn village, and a fraction try to make a run for the panic room but their way is blocked by a group of guards.
On their way to the panic room, the board of directors is partly caught in a stampeding crowd. Zoe Murdoch is pushed on the ground, trampled and left behind while Nathan Quinn abandons his fellow board members.
The wage of treachery
While she also started heading to the garages, knowing that Dodgson must be there, Bigelow is attacked by Massoud. They fight but despite her skills, Massoud is a stronger opponent and he overpower Bigelow. But just as he is strangling her, the grey guard is tased by Kayla and falls unconscious. The smuggler helps the CIA agent get up and they hurry to the garages.
The raiders
Meanwhile, the mysterious soldiers have reached the laboratories, killing everyone in their path, be they Biosyn guards and mercenaries, scientists who tried to save their work, or besiegers (including Luis Olivares).
They cross the different labs. In Dr Lesser's, Wu hides from them as he is still locked up. The raiders ends up reaching their objective: The locusts' lab. When they see the nine empty rooms, the raiders seem worried and frustrated, implying they came to do something with the locusts. They then has the remaining group gassed and we see the locusts taking flight and then starting to drop dead on the floor. While some of the raiders then raid and destroy the rest of the Locusts' lab, other squad members then free the animals contained in the cages of another lab.
In the lower levels
While crawling and climbing in the vents towards the top of the Citadel, Claire sees Owen running past her as he rushes to the kennels. But the alarms' blare prevent The Raptor Whisperer from hearing his fiancée.
In the lower levels, Mia Everett is trying to capture Victoria, intending to save her from the chaos and Biosyn's clutches, but the young Achillobator attack her, biting and clawing at her throat. Grievously injured, the scientist fall and Victoria lets her bleeds to death. When Owen finds Mia, she just has the time of uttering a few words before passing away. The Raptor Whisperer sees a number of animals running in the hallways, including Victoria. But just as he plans to catch her, Biosyn employees are being chased by some of the most dangerous escapees (like the dilophosaurs). Some of those animals prevent The Raptor Whisperer from going after Victoria and he is forced to hide in the first room he can find.
Tu quoque mi fili
On their way to the garages, Ramsay and Dodgson have an argument, during which the first say he no longer want to follow the second due to his recent fits of madness (filling Maisie's head with lies; the locusts' threats; literally declaring war with the Italians and the Austrians; behaving like a dictator...), even though he believed in his vision when he was recruited years ago (Ramsay genuinely believed that Biosyn's breakthroughs could improve the world etc...). When Ramsay admits having helped Wu with discovering the truth about Charlotte's videos and breaking Maisie out of the Citadel, Dodgson seems genuinely hurt by the betrayal of his son-like figure. One too many, after those of Wu, Drummond, and Pellegrino. Their argument worsens, up until they come to blows. At one point Dodgson pulls out a pistol and shoots Ramsay in the belly by accident. While the younger man bleeds out, the CEO is dazed and runs away while predators' growls can be heard nearby.
Near the garages' entrance, Dodgson is found by Bigelow and Kayla. The CIA agent asks about Ramsay and he answers that he didn't make it due to an attack on the way. The three take the last available vehicle and exits the Citadel, driving into the valley. Their objective is the same mountain path towards which Maisie and Drummond are heading.
Duel
On the way to the courtyard, one of the mysterious soldiers has a sword fight with a grey guard (Cesare oand Papadopoulos). During it, his opponent tear a part of his sleeve, revealing a tattoo which depicts a snake hieroglyph (actually a symbol of the god Apep). The soldier manage to climb aboard their helicopter, which take off and leave the valley with one of the attack helicopters. Confused, the grey guard wonder who those attackers were.
The dam busters
Meanwhile, the other has moved to the other end of the valley, where it's in the middle of a fight with one of the Special Forces' helicopters, just by the dam. During their battle, the dilapidated dam is destroyed and its unleashed frozen waters follow the valley's main river, flooding everything in their path, including the battlefield on the road and the area just in front of the Citadel. A number of animals, Carabinieri and Biosyn employees aboard a fleeing vehicle are carried away and many of them drown while Dodgson's vehicle is almost caught by the waters.
The flood reaches the south-eastern limits of Biosyn's lands, where it's momentarily stopped by the wall found there and which separates the Sanctuary from the nearest village. But under so much pressure, the wall breaks down and the flood continues, destroying parts of a riverside village after that, catching some of the inhabitants.
With its main power source gone, the electricity goes off within Biosyn's lands and the surrounding areas, deactivating the invisible fences and stopping the metro full of passengers in the middle of the tunnels.
Road accident
While in the part of the valley spared by the flood, Dodgson's vehicle nearly collide with a loose black billy goat (the same which ran away in the prologue) and in its attempt to bypass it, it tumble down a slope (with Bigelow being ejected in the bushes in the process) and ends up on its roof (like the vehicle carrying the original trio and Maisie in Trevorrow's version).
Aftermath
The attackers gone and most of Biosyn troops neutralized or routing, Vuillier, Dougal, Nyamu, Viscontini, and the surviving grey guards, the officers of the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, along with Pellegrino and Nathan Quinn starts organizing the evacuation of the remaining Biosyn employees and taking the wounded (as the grey guards' medic, Papadopoulos will tend to them) to a provisional secure location within the Citadel (the auditorium could be such a place). In the control room, all the technicians but a few were killed or badly injured by the helicopter's attack while the grey guard's team dispatched there is in a hardly better state as Isabella Perez was also injured. Al-Damiri orders their comrade to take her out of the tower, and give similar orders to the uninjured technicians, asking only one to stay just in case. The Egyptian grey guard and the remaining technician then assess the damage.
As power need to be put back on for various purposes (allowing the three grey guards continue their search in the archives; deactivating the valley "aerial defense" to let helicopters come in the Citadel and evacuate people; reactivating the metro; reactivating the invisible fences to prevent the animals from leaving the valley...), people are sent activating the emergency generators.
They want to send men after Dodgson's but while the valley's known exits are watched, they fear he knows a secret one.
Dodgson's demise
When Bigelow awakes amidst the bushes, she notices that the vehicle is surrounded by a group of Nasutoceratops (or some other buffalo-sized herbivores). Inside the crashed vehicle, Dodgson and Kayla regain consciousness and know they have to wait for the herbivores to leave before exiting the vehicle. Suddenly, the herbivores get agitated and leave. They caught the scent of a predator and the latter shows itself: It's the InGen-bred Acrocanthosaurus.
Ensue a scene where Dodgson, just like his novel version with Sarah Harding, tries to save his own skin by pushing Kayla from the vehicle so the Acro can eat her instead of him, deeming her expendable, but the opposite happens. When the CEO is shaken between the jaws, his precious hard-drive falls on the ground and Bigelow sees this and tries to reach it before it's crushed by the animal. Kayla tries to hold the CIA agent back, saying she'll get herself killed and that the hard-drive isn't worth it. Bigelow rushes towards her objective anyway. When it takes a still screaming Dodgson in the woods, the acro steps on the hard-drive, destroying it.
The black billy goat responsible for the road accident watches Dodgson being devoured by the dinosaur.
Meanwhile, a depressed Bigelow is looking at the destroyed hard-drive and Kayla is forced to shake her so they can move away and head for the mountains in order to leave the valley.
Drummond's confession
Walking above the surface and not in the tunnels in order to not reiterate the traumatizing experience with the pectinodons even if it's equally dangerous due to the other valley's predators, Drummond and Maisie are heading eastward, following the peripheral rim of mountains.
During their trek, Drummond tells Maisie about the Hunting activity in the Sanctuary and how its profits financed his research at Biosyn, explaining part of his self-loathing. He admits he's glad that Claire put an end to it, even if he wished less blood was spilled.
To add some light amidst those dark hours, the teenager and the palaeontologist have a peaceful encounter with some dinosaurs (probably herbivores).
While watching them, Drummond tells Maisie about his late wife's wish of having children, implying to the teenager that she has a roof under which to sleep if she doesn't want to return to Orick and leave the Lockwood name behind her in order to finally have a normal life.
At the opposite end of the valley, they see fire and smoke rising from the Citadel and wonder what happened there.
Zobie la Mouche/Whac-a-Mole
Another danger is spotted near the Citadel. Coming from the now-flooded area at the base of the building, comes Brontes, one of the Argentinosaurus.
After the battle and the flood, he just seeks a place to have some rest and thinks the Citadel's courtyard would be a decent choice. The characters in the atrium hide as he crosses the now destroyed hall. It's seen during that scene that the sauropod has many scars on his skull, implying some human abuse (probably for medical experiments). The sauropod's suite of small carnivores take off from it and land in the atrium, investigating the hall as they caught the scent of dead or wounded humans.
On his way, Brontes sees something moving on the ground. It's Murdoch, who's trying to crawl away despite the injuries she got after being trampled by a crowd. Brontes looks at her with curiosity and then crushes her under his foot. Murdoch now squashed, Brontes loses interest in her and enters the courtyard while some members of his suite eat the remains of Biosyn's vice-president. The Argentinosaurus stands in the middle of the courtyard, just in front of the tower's entrance, and starts to sleep while standing (a bit like elephants). A part of his suite is on the lookout, hearing noise all around within the Citadel.
Distracting Brontes
Our protagonists are bothered as Brontes and his suite are preventing them from going after Dodgson by the shortest way and reaching the archives' entrance. They can either make a long detour through a series of hallways or confront the dinosaur. As time is running against them, they take the second option and while some of the grey guards (Cesare, Massoud, Kapakas) are attracting Brontes and his suite towards a ruined part of the Citadel (and from the control room, Al Damiri help them by shooting on the beast), Vuillier and Nyamu run to the tower and reach it in time. At the archives' entrance, they join Chapuy and his two comrades.
Burning the Hydra's heads
In the dark hallways, Claire stumbles upon Betty Chapman (or whatever her real name is), who's pushing a cart with hydrogen cyanide canisters. At that moment, the audience also notices for the first time that Chapman has the same snake hieroglyph tattoo on her arm as the soldier who had a sword fight with the grey guard.
Claire first intends to stop the guard and bring her to the invading force so she can be put with the other Biosyn employees, but Chapman tells her that they should be allies as she's also an enemy of Biosyn. Claire demands precisions and while pushing the cart, the guard reveal that she infiltrated the company and was the one who sabotaged the Sanctuary in the last few months, by temporarily deactivating the invisible fence and allowing one of the Quetzalcoatlus to escape in order to accelerate the destroying of Biosyn's reputation, and sending intel to the raiders, whose objective were to destroy the locusts before their shipping abroad. When Claire asks who she and the raider are, Chapman only gives an enigmatic answer (something like "Chaos in the service of a greater good"). When she tells Claire that Wu made those locusts, the former director of Jurassic World thinks about finding the geneticist and follow through with her threats from three years earlier.
On the way, Claire has to scare off some escaped predator which wanted to attack them. Chapman tells her she's heading to the panic room, where the board of directors so foolishly trapped itself. The felon guard explain Claire they can't take the risk of having the board members leaving the panic room and escaping the valley and that she could help her giving a deadly blow from which Biosyn will never recover while they still can. Claire agrees to help her and looking at the canisters, she remembers what Doctor Karim Depéret, one of InGen's geneticists, told her during the Lockwood Estate incident, that Hydrogen Cyanide is a poison.
The emergency generators
As having a full suspenseful scene dedicated to restoring power like in Trevorrow's version would be too much of a retread of JP's bunker scene, the scene where power is restored is either much shorter or happening off-screen.
However, the emergency generators alone are not enough to provide power for all the needed tasks (the invisible fences and the aerial defense system are quite energy-intensive) and another black-out occurs. Power is once again put back on but our protagonists are forced to make choices. In order to keep the invisible fences on and the archives' power running, they are forced to keep the "aerial defense" system on and stop the evacuation's helicopters from going and coming between the Citadel and the camp outside the valley in order to not trigger pterosaurs' attack.
Dracul
Reaching the part of the Citadel where the panic room is located, Claire and Chapman bring the cart to a maintenance tunnel, prepare the canisters and neutralize the guards in front of the panic room, using darkness to their advantage. They block the door, preventing the board members from escaping. They return to the maintenance tunnel and Chapman lets Claire introduce hydrogen cyanide in the panic room's aeration, poisoning the board members. Finally, the Chapman gives Claire a box of matches. She takes it, lights a match, throws it in the right vent and while the gas catches fire, the two women run away. The panic room is destroyed in a violent explosion which finishes the board members off. It's heard and felt within most of the Citadel.
A wounded Biosyn guard sees Claire fleeing the panic room's area and notices the blood on her clothes. When he discovers what's left of the panic room and the board members (charred corpses at best), he utters with dread the following word: Dracul (Dragon in Romanian. The guard, a minor character, is established to be a Romanian immigrant in an earlier scene depicting the daily life of the facility's employees).
Claire tries to find Chapman after that but the other woman disappeared like a ghost and is not seen for the rest of the Dolomites Incident.
In the Archives
Vuillier, Nyamu and the three grey guards with them are still searching the archives for every incriminating document.
Reuniting
After discovering that Victoria and other animals escaped the citadel through a door and are now in the valley, Owen heads for the control room, aware that it must have some sort of tracking system. On the way, he reunites with Claire and soon, they are found by Dougal. As the Argentinosaurus is still posing a threat in the central courtyard, they pass under it in order to access the tower. They climb to the control room, meet Al-Damiri and the last technician there, get access to the tracking system and Victoria's current coordinates. They find a tracking tablet and Claire volunteers to stay in the control room and be their eyes.
While Owen and Dougal grab some capture equipment in a room near the kennels, Claire searches through the CCTV footage and finds Wu in Maisie's cell, within Dr Lesser's lab. She heads for the laboratories, telling the others she found the geneticist.
Following Victoria's signal thanks to their tracking tablet, Owen and Dougal leave the Citadel and head for the nearby forest, crossing the flooded area between the two.
Wu-ing for redemption
Claire reaches Dr Lesser's lab and opens its cell. Wu steps out but his old enemy brutally grabs him and interrogates him about the locusts. As he once again fucked up, she's about to strike him when pity hold her hand back. Wu tells her that they can still cancel Dodgson's apocalypse, by passing as the CEO himself and giving Biosyn's abroad agents the order to destroy the locusts, and just begs her to offer his help. After a moment of hesitation, Claire help the geneticist stand and give him his cane, the one Lockwood offered to him at the end of TRQ. Together, they then head immediately to the central tower and once in Dodgson's office, Wu turns the CEO's computer on but discovers it's empty. Claire's aggressiveness starts to return when Wu remembers that Dodgson kept some of his most precious information on paper and not necessarily on his computer as he feared being hacked. They start searching the office and the adjacent bedroom. Wu notices a framed picture of Dodgson as a child with his mother at some science fair (in an earlier scene, before he sent the containers, Dodgson could be seen closing the frame while Wu just stepped in his office). Wu opens the back of the frame and discover that Dodgson hid small pieces of papers between the picture and the frame itself. When he sees one paper with Hexapod Allies written on the top; a series of names, phone numbers and email addresses below; and a series of secret codes for the different orders on the back; he knows they put their hands on the jackpot. Wu and Claire hack Dodgson's email account (the password is Liddell, the maiden name of Dodgson's mother) and write the message to the agents involved in the Hexapod Allies operation, including the secret code for the Destroy order, but when they want to send it, the computer notify them that they can't due to internet connection issues. Wu realizes it's because the antenna on top of the control room might have moved following the helicopter's attack. Someone has to climb on the roof to properly realign it and since Wu can't because of his lame leg, the task goes to Claire.
Tracking Victoria
In the woods, Owen and Dougal hear Victoria's calls for help. The young Achillobator still thinks her mother might show up.
They find her and try to capture her but fails. They wander deeper in the woods.
Realigning the antenna
Claire climbs on the control room's roof and communicates with Wu through the radio, she ends up finding the right antenna.
However, just as she begin fixing it, the Argentinosaurus' suite start harassing her as the sauropod is just below. From the auditorium's entrance, Viscontini notices that. Learning through Wu what Claire is doing, Viscontini orders the grey guards to attack the Argentinosaurus so his suite will turn away from Claire to instead defend him. Wu also urges the AISI head to send men after Theo, Maisie and Drummond, as they're carrying very important data about the locusts, enough to destroy Biosyn.
Defying a Titan
Round two between the grey guards and Brontes start, and most of Claire's harassers go help him. This time, the sauropod actively chases his human attackers across parts of the Citadel, destroying walls and roofs with his sheer weight, letting out deafening bellows, passing his neck and head into breaches to try get access to the characters while his suite can reach them where he can't. Massoud ends up grabbed by the herbivore mouth and then thrown against the tower or any other surface, killing him instantly. An additional idea could be the titanosaur provoking small "earthquakes" when he strikes the ground with his forefeet, destabilizing Claire on top of the tower (she even almost falls).
Depending on the pace, there could be at the same time a suspenseful scene in the archives involving some creatures from the labs or the kennels. If the archives are low enough, maybe they'll get inundated because of the flood and the threat could be a semi-aquatic creature contained in the Citadel or brought by the flood (like the temnospondyl; while Nothosaurus, which had a small appearance in my JW rewrite, could be an alternative choice, with individuals housed in the kennels).
Prometheus' fate
After giving a few kicks while repelling her last harassers, Claire manages to properly realign the antenna and Wu successfully transmit the Destroy order to the Hexapod Allies agents. We cut to them as they destroy the locusts in their containers. When he receives their confirmation, the geneticist is relieved. But just as Claire is about to return to Dodgson's office, she sees a *Variraptor (*if it's chosen as Brontes' suite. If not, it will be some relatively large feathered coelurosaurian from the labs in order to make the parallels with Prometheus work) getting to its entrance first. Wu just has the time to barricade himself in the bedroom adjacent to the office but he knows the door won't hold long. Something (Brontes passing his head through a window and trying to attack her?) prevents her from reaching the office. She tells Wu to hold while she tries to save him but he asks her to instead save herself, wishing her a long and happy life. He bids her farewell and wait for his death while Claire escapes the tower. The raptor ends up breaking through the door and it pounce on Wu. While the predator starts devouring him, his cane falls on the ground and its amber pommel shatters.
Owen's decision
Just as the Owen and Dougal are about to start a new attempt in capturing Victoria, a pack of Achillobators (the same one which allied with Claire in the previous night) shows up and our duo hide while the raptors spot Victoria. At first, Owen fears they'll hurt or even kill her. He thinks about intervening, even if he might risk his own life, but after sniffing the young and scared Achillobator, the pack leader gently guides her towards her pack. Owen and Dougal watch the raptors disappear in the darkness. Dougal ask Owen if he'll do something but the Raptor Whisperer says nothing, willing to let Victoria live with a pack and without unnecessary human interference in her life. They head back to the Citadel.
The tower and the tyrannosaur
Kayla and Bigelow arrive by one of the observation towers, the one closest from the mountain path they're heading to. Nearby, the Special Forces' helicopter shot down by that of the raiders and the surrounding vegetation still burns. Just as they are about to climb to its observation bay in order to raid the tower for anything useful before starting the mountains' ascent, they are surrounded by a pack of small carnivores (just like Claire with the dilophosaurs in Trevorrow's version). Before they attack, a horn blast is heard. It's Drummond and after the palaeontologist insists with his portable horn (similar to the one Nigel Marven use against the velociraptors in The Giant Claw), the small carnivores scatter. He asks the two women if they're friends or foes, if they count among Dodgson's friends. Kayla answers that since Dodgson tried to sacrifice her to an Acrocanthosaurus, the answer is no for her, before adding that it ate Dodgson instead. Drummond is glad to hear that and he tells Maisie she can come. The teenager, hidden until there amidst the vegetation, joins them. Having heard Dodgson complaining about Maisie's escape, Bigelow is aware she must be very important but still wary, Drummond whisper to Maisie to not say a single word about the flash drive she's carrying. The two duos talk about their objectives and discover that they're the same. For better chances of survival, they decide to head together for the mountain's path.
But a tyrannosaur, the same one which Claire released earlier, makes its appearance while they're walking away from the tower. It saw them and they know that they better seek refuge in the tower than attempt to run from the predator. At first, they try to stay still, in order to not trigger its attack, but when he notices that the predator wouldn't mind eat one or two of them, Drummond tells Maisie and the two women to run. While they rush to the tower, he distracts the rex by agitating a burning branch. Afraid of the fire, the rex seek to avoid the branch and see the three other humans climbing the tower's ladder. The predator bypass Drummond and in its dash towards the tower, it sends the palaeontologist flying away with its tail. As such thing would have easily killed someone, Maisie fears the worst for him and when his motionless body falls into a ravine, the audience think it's over for him. Maisie panics while the rex has its jaws locked around the ladder's protective cage. What follows is pretty much similar to the Giganotosaurus' attack on the tower scene from Trevorrow's version, except that the final outcome will be quite different. As the observation towers' power has been turned off from the control room in order to save power for more urgent systems, our three protagonists can't have the observation bay rise to the top of the tower, where they would be safe from the rex. To make matters worse, another threat arrive.
I haven't decided which yet but the idea I'm having now is a group of pterosaurs, probably pteranodons, which targets our trio and chase the rex away from the tower by pecking at his head. Another manages to grab Maisie and take her out of the tower. However, the pterosaur let her go before it can be above the canopy due to some incident (another harassing it probably) and Maisie falls into dense bushes at a certain distance from the tower, out of the two women's sight. In the meantime, a mist has started descending from the mountains. Bigelow and Kayla exit the tower and begin searching for Maisie in the area, fearing she got herself hurt in the fall. To cover a maximum of ground before the mist reaches them, they decide to split up.
The end of a line
We see Maisie managing to stand up and while she got bruises**,** she seems relatively fine and still in walking condition. Now lost and alone in the middle of the woods, she's very scared though and starts screaming to help. In the silent forest, Kayla hears her voice and follows it. Just as the mist is about to reach Maisie, the smuggler sees the teenager in the distance and calls for her. But when she hears heavy footsteps and a rumble coming from just behind Maisie, in the mist, her heart stops and she's aghast when she sees the tyrannosaur's silhouette closing to the girl's. Before Maisie can flee, the predator open its maws, grabs her and swallow her whole before disappearing in the forest's shadows (the scene is meant to be a mirror of one from my JW rewrite, where the death of a little girl during the pterosaurs' attack on the main hub is concealed by smoke while Claire watch helplessly). Thus ends Lockwood's line, indirectly destroyed by Claire Dearing.
Bigelow arrives in her turn and sees the smuggler kneeled on the ground, speechless, too shocked by the scene she just saw. Understanding what happened, the CIA agent has an "Oh. Shit..." face and tells Kayla they have to leave the valley while they still can, as she doesn't know what the Italians will do with it once it's taken, even fearing that it might be firebombed in order to destroy the perpetrators of the various incidents of the past months.
While the two women head for the mountain's path and the mist passes away, Drummond is seen climbing out of the ravine and starts to call for Maisie, in vain. Seeing the destroyed observation bay empty, he looks around for clues about Maisie's or the women's whereabouts. He ends up stumbling on the rex's tracks and follows them up to the spot where the teenager last stood. There he finds Wu's flash drive and seeing some blood stains around, he realizes she is no more. This deeply saddens him and this loss and failure just add another load on his self-loathing, as he would have gladly died between the jaws of the king of the dinosaurs if it could have saved Maisie's life. Instead of trying to follow Kayla and Bigelow, he goes in the opposite direction, towards the valley itself.
Leaving the Sanctuary
While looking to reach the auditorium, Claire is forced to hide in one of the labs from dilophosaurs roaming in the area.
In the archives, Vuillier and Nyamu finally put their hands on the documents they were looking for and take them. They and the grey guards' archives team then leave the room and head to the auditorium, in order to reunite with Viscontini and co. On the way, they have to pass between the legs of Brontes while he's distracted by the grey guards. When they reach the auditorium, Viscontini tells them that helicopters are waiting for them. One of the aircrafts is on its way to pick up the Owen and Dougal.
Escorted by the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, the surviving Biosyn employees are evacuated from the Citadel and when the grey guards retreat from their confrontation against Brontes, Vuillier asks them if they've seen Claire coming back but they answer that no. He contacts her and she tells him that she's being delayed.
We see her evading the dilophosaurs which were about to discover her and leaving the labs. Now, start for her an Uncharted-esque race through the Citadel where she has to cross various obstacles and avoid/outrun the loose creatures within it (including the dilophosaurs mentioned above). Still pissed, Brontes targets her and chases her up to her extraction point. Before the Argentinosaurus can close his mouth on her, she jumps into one of the helicopters where Owen and Dougal are waiting for her. The two men help her get inside and their helicopter fly away from the Citadel while the sauropod lets out a mighty bellow.
The protagonists leave the valley and the helicopters which drop them off at Biosyn employees' village, which has been taken over by the Italians and the Austrians in the meantime.
A bitter dawn
While the first sun rays reach the valley, Drummond stumble upon the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus Quasimodo in the area devastated by the flood, in sight of the now destroyed south-eastern wall. Surprised by the waters near the road battlefield, the predator was carried on a certain distance before ending up blocked by rocks and then impaled by a tree. When the palaeontologist finds him, he's dead. Disgusted by the animal, Drummond first tries to ignore him and continue towards the wall, intending to reach the village beyond it, but he turns back and carefully approach him. Tired from his night-long trek, Drummond sit on a rock just next to Quasimodo's head and still quite shaken by Maisie's death and the disaster, Drummond start to ramble about various topics (about the evolution of palaeontology since the San Diego incident, his wife, working at Biosyn, Theo's and Maisie's death...) before breaking down in tears and he can't hold himself from calling Quasimodo a Manmade abomination which deserved to be destroyed by Nature. While looking towards the destroyed wall, the palaeontologist start to regret those harsh words and pulls out a flask of whisky from his bag. After drinking a sip, he puts it back in the bag and just sit silently by the dead animal for a few minutes, up until some Quetzalcoatlus land nearby. The gigantic pterosaurs walk up to the dead Acrocanthosaurus and ignoring Drummond as a way bigger meal is just in front of them, they start feasting. While they do so, Drummond follows the flood's desolation towards the Citadel and he is soon spotted by the men tasked with finding him.
Of rivalries and world-saving
In the morning, Claire steps out of the accommodation assigned to her and Owen within Biosyn's Village. She sees Drummond giving Wu's flash drive to Vuillier before taking his leave. After joining her boss, Claire ponders about her relationship with Wu, on how both destroyed Jurassic World five years ago and how they pretty much saved the world that night. She and Vuillier have a respectful moment of silence for their deceased enemy.
In the abandoned citadel, it's revealed that one of the locusts survived. It's seen crawling on the ground, towards one of the vents. But just before it could reach it, a Mononykus (freed from one of the cages during the raid) swoops on it and devours it.
League of Dragons
As she is crossing the village, Claire passes by one of the remaining Biosyn guards. It's actually the Romanian one, the one who saw her by the panic room. Frightened as hell, he moves away from her while yelling "Dracul! Dracul!", still traumatized by the past night's events. Claire briefly wonders why he is yelling and running away before she gets surrounded by other Biosyn guards and Lucrezia Pellegrino. The Citadel's head of security explains that he called her a dragon because of what he saw and some of the guards start throwing insults at Claire, calling her a monster and a butcher, and she realize that they and their superior want to avenge those she killed. Pellegrino adds that by sending dinosaurs on people who oppose her, Claire is no better than Dodgson on that matter.
Nearby, Owen sees his fiancée surrounded and when one of the Biosyn guards throws a stone at Claire, he gets furious, tackles him on the ground and starts to beat him up. As another guard pulls out a knife (which he hid when they had to give their weapons to the authorities) and is about to stab Owen, the surviving grey guards suddenly intervene, getting the couple out of the Biosyn ambush and then confronting the attackers, standing by Claire's and Owen's side. The grey guards retort to their opponents that their comrades could have denounced the Sanctuary's illegal activities, surrendered, deserted or arrested Dodgson while they could but did nothing, before adding that without Claire, they would have all eaten nothing but locusts in a near future. The Biosyn guards feel insulted however and as an ugly fight is about to break out between both groups, the Carabinieri are forced to intervene and assign them to opposite parts of the village.
The press, who just entered the Biosyn's lands, has witnessed the confrontation and so did Vuillier and Nyamu. The latter tells the Frenchman that since Claire pretty much saved the world, Odegaard could give her a well-deserved break, literally and figuratively.
Debate
In the village's equivalent of a community centre, a meeting about the incident's consequences and what to do with the Sanctuary and its animals is held. Among the attendees, are:
- The WDMC and the people directly affiliated to it: Claire, Owen, Dougal, Vuillier, and Nyamu.
- Representatives of the Italian government: Viscontini, Giovanni Pazzi, and a few local politicians.
- The surviving Biosyn executives and top researchers: Drummond, Pellegrino, Quinn.
During the meeting, we learn that:
- Dodgson was found, or at least five or six pieces of him.
- Some of the Sanctuary's denizens managed to flee the valley and are now somewhere in the Italian countryside. Among the escapees are Victoria and her new pack of Achillobators.
- Exterminators led by the surviving grey guards are about to be sent in the amber mines to slaughter the pectinodons down to the last individual and the species will be soon classified as a pest in Italy, Austria and probably other countries.
Several solutions for the valley, its denizens and the Citadel are discussed:
- Cull the animals, cleanse the valley of Biosyn's traces, and give it back to the inhabitants expropriated by the corporation when it decided to have the entire valley and some of the surrounding lands for itself and no one else.
- Abandoning the valley, let the animals fend for themselves and hope that "life will find a way", even if it poses huge risks for the local populations and ecosystems.
- Dispatch the surviving animals to zoos and other entities which can legally house dangerous captive animals. Proceeding like this will allow de-extinct creatures to no longer be in the ownership of a single entity like Biosyn or InGen.
- Round up the loose animals, cleanse the battle's and the flood's damages, and turn the place into a real Sanctuary for de-extinct animals. Not a "Kruger with dinosaurs" like the Five Deaths but more like a non-profit place with enclosures (akin to many sanctuaries for wild animals across the globe). It will be a public-private joint-venture, with the sanctuary co-managed by the UN's WDMC and the Italian government while private partners will help finance it (Nathan Quinn propose to be one of those but Vuillier, Dougal and a few others distrust him and prefer to not have some of Dodgson's former collaborators on the project). And in order to ensure good relations with the local communities, jobs will be offered to the area's inhabitants and some lands given back to them. Shall this solution be adopted, Vuillier proposes to have Claire Dearing as its manager, Owen Grady its head warden, Rod Drummond its chief researcher, and Laurenzo Cesare as head of security, if they accept. Pellegrino storms off at this moment, disgusted that they're about to leave her without a job and rewarding Claire, an unrepentant psychopath in her eyes. In a moment of consultation amidst the meeting, Claire tells Vuillier she'll probably refuse becoming the sanctuary's manager if this solution is adopted, telling him that she has the feeling that her future lies elsewhere and that she'll continue work as a field agent if he don't mind. Vuillier, who clearly saw how Claire evolved since she started playing spies back in 2019 and decided to close his eyes on her exactions, suggest her to settle for a quieter less-violent life and declares that managing the Sanctuary could be the ultimate redemption for her. Still shaken by the amount of violence she had to commit in order to stop Biosyn and desiring to spend more time with her son, she ends up being persuaded and accept the idea.
The different solutions are being debated for weeks if not months within the Italian government and the UN.
End of Act IV.
See you tomorrow for the final Act and the Epilogue.
submitted by TheGeekyZoologist to JurassicPark [link] [comments]
Act IV: The Clouds Burst (2/2)
To the Panic roomFrightened by the new attack, Biosyn's board of directors leave the auditorium and, guided by their escort, they head for the panic room. Meanwhile, the employees finally manage to rush out of the burning cafetaria and while some surrender to the Italians and the Austrians, others rush to the metro station or the garages in order to flee to the Biosyn village, and a fraction try to make a run for the panic room but their way is blocked by a group of guards.
On their way to the panic room, the board of directors is partly caught in a stampeding crowd. Zoe Murdoch is pushed on the ground, trampled and left behind while Nathan Quinn abandons his fellow board members.
The wage of treachery
While she also started heading to the garages, knowing that Dodgson must be there, Bigelow is attacked by Massoud. They fight but despite her skills, Massoud is a stronger opponent and he overpower Bigelow. But just as he is strangling her, the grey guard is tased by Kayla and falls unconscious. The smuggler helps the CIA agent get up and they hurry to the garages.
The raiders
Meanwhile, the mysterious soldiers have reached the laboratories, killing everyone in their path, be they Biosyn guards and mercenaries, scientists who tried to save their work, or besiegers (including Luis Olivares).
They cross the different labs. In Dr Lesser's, Wu hides from them as he is still locked up. The raiders ends up reaching their objective: The locusts' lab. When they see the nine empty rooms, the raiders seem worried and frustrated, implying they came to do something with the locusts. They then has the remaining group gassed and we see the locusts taking flight and then starting to drop dead on the floor. While some of the raiders then raid and destroy the rest of the Locusts' lab, other squad members then free the animals contained in the cages of another lab.
In the lower levels
While crawling and climbing in the vents towards the top of the Citadel, Claire sees Owen running past her as he rushes to the kennels. But the alarms' blare prevent The Raptor Whisperer from hearing his fiancée.
In the lower levels, Mia Everett is trying to capture Victoria, intending to save her from the chaos and Biosyn's clutches, but the young Achillobator attack her, biting and clawing at her throat. Grievously injured, the scientist fall and Victoria lets her bleeds to death. When Owen finds Mia, she just has the time of uttering a few words before passing away. The Raptor Whisperer sees a number of animals running in the hallways, including Victoria. But just as he plans to catch her, Biosyn employees are being chased by some of the most dangerous escapees (like the dilophosaurs). Some of those animals prevent The Raptor Whisperer from going after Victoria and he is forced to hide in the first room he can find.
Tu quoque mi fili
On their way to the garages, Ramsay and Dodgson have an argument, during which the first say he no longer want to follow the second due to his recent fits of madness (filling Maisie's head with lies; the locusts' threats; literally declaring war with the Italians and the Austrians; behaving like a dictator...), even though he believed in his vision when he was recruited years ago (Ramsay genuinely believed that Biosyn's breakthroughs could improve the world etc...). When Ramsay admits having helped Wu with discovering the truth about Charlotte's videos and breaking Maisie out of the Citadel, Dodgson seems genuinely hurt by the betrayal of his son-like figure. One too many, after those of Wu, Drummond, and Pellegrino. Their argument worsens, up until they come to blows. At one point Dodgson pulls out a pistol and shoots Ramsay in the belly by accident. While the younger man bleeds out, the CEO is dazed and runs away while predators' growls can be heard nearby.
Near the garages' entrance, Dodgson is found by Bigelow and Kayla. The CIA agent asks about Ramsay and he answers that he didn't make it due to an attack on the way. The three take the last available vehicle and exits the Citadel, driving into the valley. Their objective is the same mountain path towards which Maisie and Drummond are heading.
Duel
On the way to the courtyard, one of the mysterious soldiers has a sword fight with a grey guard (Cesare oand Papadopoulos). During it, his opponent tear a part of his sleeve, revealing a tattoo which depicts a snake hieroglyph (actually a symbol of the god Apep). The soldier manage to climb aboard their helicopter, which take off and leave the valley with one of the attack helicopters. Confused, the grey guard wonder who those attackers were.
The dam busters
Meanwhile, the other has moved to the other end of the valley, where it's in the middle of a fight with one of the Special Forces' helicopters, just by the dam. During their battle, the dilapidated dam is destroyed and its unleashed frozen waters follow the valley's main river, flooding everything in their path, including the battlefield on the road and the area just in front of the Citadel. A number of animals, Carabinieri and Biosyn employees aboard a fleeing vehicle are carried away and many of them drown while Dodgson's vehicle is almost caught by the waters.
The flood reaches the south-eastern limits of Biosyn's lands, where it's momentarily stopped by the wall found there and which separates the Sanctuary from the nearest village. But under so much pressure, the wall breaks down and the flood continues, destroying parts of a riverside village after that, catching some of the inhabitants.
With its main power source gone, the electricity goes off within Biosyn's lands and the surrounding areas, deactivating the invisible fences and stopping the metro full of passengers in the middle of the tunnels.
Road accident
While in the part of the valley spared by the flood, Dodgson's vehicle nearly collide with a loose black billy goat (the same which ran away in the prologue) and in its attempt to bypass it, it tumble down a slope (with Bigelow being ejected in the bushes in the process) and ends up on its roof (like the vehicle carrying the original trio and Maisie in Trevorrow's version).
Aftermath
The attackers gone and most of Biosyn troops neutralized or routing, Vuillier, Dougal, Nyamu, Viscontini, and the surviving grey guards, the officers of the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, along with Pellegrino and Nathan Quinn starts organizing the evacuation of the remaining Biosyn employees and taking the wounded (as the grey guards' medic, Papadopoulos will tend to them) to a provisional secure location within the Citadel (the auditorium could be such a place). In the control room, all the technicians but a few were killed or badly injured by the helicopter's attack while the grey guard's team dispatched there is in a hardly better state as Isabella Perez was also injured. Al-Damiri orders their comrade to take her out of the tower, and give similar orders to the uninjured technicians, asking only one to stay just in case. The Egyptian grey guard and the remaining technician then assess the damage.
As power need to be put back on for various purposes (allowing the three grey guards continue their search in the archives; deactivating the valley "aerial defense" to let helicopters come in the Citadel and evacuate people; reactivating the metro; reactivating the invisible fences to prevent the animals from leaving the valley...), people are sent activating the emergency generators.
They want to send men after Dodgson's but while the valley's known exits are watched, they fear he knows a secret one.
Dodgson's demise
When Bigelow awakes amidst the bushes, she notices that the vehicle is surrounded by a group of Nasutoceratops (or some other buffalo-sized herbivores). Inside the crashed vehicle, Dodgson and Kayla regain consciousness and know they have to wait for the herbivores to leave before exiting the vehicle. Suddenly, the herbivores get agitated and leave. They caught the scent of a predator and the latter shows itself: It's the InGen-bred Acrocanthosaurus.
Ensue a scene where Dodgson, just like his novel version with Sarah Harding, tries to save his own skin by pushing Kayla from the vehicle so the Acro can eat her instead of him, deeming her expendable, but the opposite happens. When the CEO is shaken between the jaws, his precious hard-drive falls on the ground and Bigelow sees this and tries to reach it before it's crushed by the animal. Kayla tries to hold the CIA agent back, saying she'll get herself killed and that the hard-drive isn't worth it. Bigelow rushes towards her objective anyway. When it takes a still screaming Dodgson in the woods, the acro steps on the hard-drive, destroying it.
The black billy goat responsible for the road accident watches Dodgson being devoured by the dinosaur.
Meanwhile, a depressed Bigelow is looking at the destroyed hard-drive and Kayla is forced to shake her so they can move away and head for the mountains in order to leave the valley.
Drummond's confession
Walking above the surface and not in the tunnels in order to not reiterate the traumatizing experience with the pectinodons even if it's equally dangerous due to the other valley's predators, Drummond and Maisie are heading eastward, following the peripheral rim of mountains.
During their trek, Drummond tells Maisie about the Hunting activity in the Sanctuary and how its profits financed his research at Biosyn, explaining part of his self-loathing. He admits he's glad that Claire put an end to it, even if he wished less blood was spilled.
To add some light amidst those dark hours, the teenager and the palaeontologist have a peaceful encounter with some dinosaurs (probably herbivores).
While watching them, Drummond tells Maisie about his late wife's wish of having children, implying to the teenager that she has a roof under which to sleep if she doesn't want to return to Orick and leave the Lockwood name behind her in order to finally have a normal life.
At the opposite end of the valley, they see fire and smoke rising from the Citadel and wonder what happened there.
Zobie la Mouche/Whac-a-Mole
Another danger is spotted near the Citadel. Coming from the now-flooded area at the base of the building, comes Brontes, one of the Argentinosaurus.
After the battle and the flood, he just seeks a place to have some rest and thinks the Citadel's courtyard would be a decent choice. The characters in the atrium hide as he crosses the now destroyed hall. It's seen during that scene that the sauropod has many scars on his skull, implying some human abuse (probably for medical experiments). The sauropod's suite of small carnivores take off from it and land in the atrium, investigating the hall as they caught the scent of dead or wounded humans.
On his way, Brontes sees something moving on the ground. It's Murdoch, who's trying to crawl away despite the injuries she got after being trampled by a crowd. Brontes looks at her with curiosity and then crushes her under his foot. Murdoch now squashed, Brontes loses interest in her and enters the courtyard while some members of his suite eat the remains of Biosyn's vice-president. The Argentinosaurus stands in the middle of the courtyard, just in front of the tower's entrance, and starts to sleep while standing (a bit like elephants). A part of his suite is on the lookout, hearing noise all around within the Citadel.
Distracting Brontes
Our protagonists are bothered as Brontes and his suite are preventing them from going after Dodgson by the shortest way and reaching the archives' entrance. They can either make a long detour through a series of hallways or confront the dinosaur. As time is running against them, they take the second option and while some of the grey guards (Cesare, Massoud, Kapakas) are attracting Brontes and his suite towards a ruined part of the Citadel (and from the control room, Al Damiri help them by shooting on the beast), Vuillier and Nyamu run to the tower and reach it in time. At the archives' entrance, they join Chapuy and his two comrades.
Burning the Hydra's heads
In the dark hallways, Claire stumbles upon Betty Chapman (or whatever her real name is), who's pushing a cart with hydrogen cyanide canisters. At that moment, the audience also notices for the first time that Chapman has the same snake hieroglyph tattoo on her arm as the soldier who had a sword fight with the grey guard.
Claire first intends to stop the guard and bring her to the invading force so she can be put with the other Biosyn employees, but Chapman tells her that they should be allies as she's also an enemy of Biosyn. Claire demands precisions and while pushing the cart, the guard reveal that she infiltrated the company and was the one who sabotaged the Sanctuary in the last few months, by temporarily deactivating the invisible fence and allowing one of the Quetzalcoatlus to escape in order to accelerate the destroying of Biosyn's reputation, and sending intel to the raiders, whose objective were to destroy the locusts before their shipping abroad. When Claire asks who she and the raider are, Chapman only gives an enigmatic answer (something like "Chaos in the service of a greater good"). When she tells Claire that Wu made those locusts, the former director of Jurassic World thinks about finding the geneticist and follow through with her threats from three years earlier.
On the way, Claire has to scare off some escaped predator which wanted to attack them. Chapman tells her she's heading to the panic room, where the board of directors so foolishly trapped itself. The felon guard explain Claire they can't take the risk of having the board members leaving the panic room and escaping the valley and that she could help her giving a deadly blow from which Biosyn will never recover while they still can. Claire agrees to help her and looking at the canisters, she remembers what Doctor Karim Depéret, one of InGen's geneticists, told her during the Lockwood Estate incident, that Hydrogen Cyanide is a poison.
The emergency generators
As having a full suspenseful scene dedicated to restoring power like in Trevorrow's version would be too much of a retread of JP's bunker scene, the scene where power is restored is either much shorter or happening off-screen.
However, the emergency generators alone are not enough to provide power for all the needed tasks (the invisible fences and the aerial defense system are quite energy-intensive) and another black-out occurs. Power is once again put back on but our protagonists are forced to make choices. In order to keep the invisible fences on and the archives' power running, they are forced to keep the "aerial defense" system on and stop the evacuation's helicopters from going and coming between the Citadel and the camp outside the valley in order to not trigger pterosaurs' attack.
Dracul
Reaching the part of the Citadel where the panic room is located, Claire and Chapman bring the cart to a maintenance tunnel, prepare the canisters and neutralize the guards in front of the panic room, using darkness to their advantage. They block the door, preventing the board members from escaping. They return to the maintenance tunnel and Chapman lets Claire introduce hydrogen cyanide in the panic room's aeration, poisoning the board members. Finally, the Chapman gives Claire a box of matches. She takes it, lights a match, throws it in the right vent and while the gas catches fire, the two women run away. The panic room is destroyed in a violent explosion which finishes the board members off. It's heard and felt within most of the Citadel.
A wounded Biosyn guard sees Claire fleeing the panic room's area and notices the blood on her clothes. When he discovers what's left of the panic room and the board members (charred corpses at best), he utters with dread the following word: Dracul (Dragon in Romanian. The guard, a minor character, is established to be a Romanian immigrant in an earlier scene depicting the daily life of the facility's employees).
Claire tries to find Chapman after that but the other woman disappeared like a ghost and is not seen for the rest of the Dolomites Incident.
In the Archives
Vuillier, Nyamu and the three grey guards with them are still searching the archives for every incriminating document.
Reuniting
After discovering that Victoria and other animals escaped the citadel through a door and are now in the valley, Owen heads for the control room, aware that it must have some sort of tracking system. On the way, he reunites with Claire and soon, they are found by Dougal. As the Argentinosaurus is still posing a threat in the central courtyard, they pass under it in order to access the tower. They climb to the control room, meet Al-Damiri and the last technician there, get access to the tracking system and Victoria's current coordinates. They find a tracking tablet and Claire volunteers to stay in the control room and be their eyes.
While Owen and Dougal grab some capture equipment in a room near the kennels, Claire searches through the CCTV footage and finds Wu in Maisie's cell, within Dr Lesser's lab. She heads for the laboratories, telling the others she found the geneticist.
Following Victoria's signal thanks to their tracking tablet, Owen and Dougal leave the Citadel and head for the nearby forest, crossing the flooded area between the two.
Wu-ing for redemption
Claire reaches Dr Lesser's lab and opens its cell. Wu steps out but his old enemy brutally grabs him and interrogates him about the locusts. As he once again fucked up, she's about to strike him when pity hold her hand back. Wu tells her that they can still cancel Dodgson's apocalypse, by passing as the CEO himself and giving Biosyn's abroad agents the order to destroy the locusts, and just begs her to offer his help. After a moment of hesitation, Claire help the geneticist stand and give him his cane, the one Lockwood offered to him at the end of TRQ. Together, they then head immediately to the central tower and once in Dodgson's office, Wu turns the CEO's computer on but discovers it's empty. Claire's aggressiveness starts to return when Wu remembers that Dodgson kept some of his most precious information on paper and not necessarily on his computer as he feared being hacked. They start searching the office and the adjacent bedroom. Wu notices a framed picture of Dodgson as a child with his mother at some science fair (in an earlier scene, before he sent the containers, Dodgson could be seen closing the frame while Wu just stepped in his office). Wu opens the back of the frame and discover that Dodgson hid small pieces of papers between the picture and the frame itself. When he sees one paper with Hexapod Allies written on the top; a series of names, phone numbers and email addresses below; and a series of secret codes for the different orders on the back; he knows they put their hands on the jackpot. Wu and Claire hack Dodgson's email account (the password is Liddell, the maiden name of Dodgson's mother) and write the message to the agents involved in the Hexapod Allies operation, including the secret code for the Destroy order, but when they want to send it, the computer notify them that they can't due to internet connection issues. Wu realizes it's because the antenna on top of the control room might have moved following the helicopter's attack. Someone has to climb on the roof to properly realign it and since Wu can't because of his lame leg, the task goes to Claire.
Tracking Victoria
In the woods, Owen and Dougal hear Victoria's calls for help. The young Achillobator still thinks her mother might show up.
They find her and try to capture her but fails. They wander deeper in the woods.
Realigning the antenna
Claire climbs on the control room's roof and communicates with Wu through the radio, she ends up finding the right antenna.
However, just as she begin fixing it, the Argentinosaurus' suite start harassing her as the sauropod is just below. From the auditorium's entrance, Viscontini notices that. Learning through Wu what Claire is doing, Viscontini orders the grey guards to attack the Argentinosaurus so his suite will turn away from Claire to instead defend him. Wu also urges the AISI head to send men after Theo, Maisie and Drummond, as they're carrying very important data about the locusts, enough to destroy Biosyn.
Defying a Titan
Round two between the grey guards and Brontes start, and most of Claire's harassers go help him. This time, the sauropod actively chases his human attackers across parts of the Citadel, destroying walls and roofs with his sheer weight, letting out deafening bellows, passing his neck and head into breaches to try get access to the characters while his suite can reach them where he can't. Massoud ends up grabbed by the herbivore mouth and then thrown against the tower or any other surface, killing him instantly. An additional idea could be the titanosaur provoking small "earthquakes" when he strikes the ground with his forefeet, destabilizing Claire on top of the tower (she even almost falls).
Depending on the pace, there could be at the same time a suspenseful scene in the archives involving some creatures from the labs or the kennels. If the archives are low enough, maybe they'll get inundated because of the flood and the threat could be a semi-aquatic creature contained in the Citadel or brought by the flood (like the temnospondyl; while Nothosaurus, which had a small appearance in my JW rewrite, could be an alternative choice, with individuals housed in the kennels).
Prometheus' fate
After giving a few kicks while repelling her last harassers, Claire manages to properly realign the antenna and Wu successfully transmit the Destroy order to the Hexapod Allies agents. We cut to them as they destroy the locusts in their containers. When he receives their confirmation, the geneticist is relieved. But just as Claire is about to return to Dodgson's office, she sees a *Variraptor (*if it's chosen as Brontes' suite. If not, it will be some relatively large feathered coelurosaurian from the labs in order to make the parallels with Prometheus work) getting to its entrance first. Wu just has the time to barricade himself in the bedroom adjacent to the office but he knows the door won't hold long. Something (Brontes passing his head through a window and trying to attack her?) prevents her from reaching the office. She tells Wu to hold while she tries to save him but he asks her to instead save herself, wishing her a long and happy life. He bids her farewell and wait for his death while Claire escapes the tower. The raptor ends up breaking through the door and it pounce on Wu. While the predator starts devouring him, his cane falls on the ground and its amber pommel shatters.
Owen's decision
Just as the Owen and Dougal are about to start a new attempt in capturing Victoria, a pack of Achillobators (the same one which allied with Claire in the previous night) shows up and our duo hide while the raptors spot Victoria. At first, Owen fears they'll hurt or even kill her. He thinks about intervening, even if he might risk his own life, but after sniffing the young and scared Achillobator, the pack leader gently guides her towards her pack. Owen and Dougal watch the raptors disappear in the darkness. Dougal ask Owen if he'll do something but the Raptor Whisperer says nothing, willing to let Victoria live with a pack and without unnecessary human interference in her life. They head back to the Citadel.
The tower and the tyrannosaur
Kayla and Bigelow arrive by one of the observation towers, the one closest from the mountain path they're heading to. Nearby, the Special Forces' helicopter shot down by that of the raiders and the surrounding vegetation still burns. Just as they are about to climb to its observation bay in order to raid the tower for anything useful before starting the mountains' ascent, they are surrounded by a pack of small carnivores (just like Claire with the dilophosaurs in Trevorrow's version). Before they attack, a horn blast is heard. It's Drummond and after the palaeontologist insists with his portable horn (similar to the one Nigel Marven use against the velociraptors in The Giant Claw), the small carnivores scatter. He asks the two women if they're friends or foes, if they count among Dodgson's friends. Kayla answers that since Dodgson tried to sacrifice her to an Acrocanthosaurus, the answer is no for her, before adding that it ate Dodgson instead. Drummond is glad to hear that and he tells Maisie she can come. The teenager, hidden until there amidst the vegetation, joins them. Having heard Dodgson complaining about Maisie's escape, Bigelow is aware she must be very important but still wary, Drummond whisper to Maisie to not say a single word about the flash drive she's carrying. The two duos talk about their objectives and discover that they're the same. For better chances of survival, they decide to head together for the mountain's path.
But a tyrannosaur, the same one which Claire released earlier, makes its appearance while they're walking away from the tower. It saw them and they know that they better seek refuge in the tower than attempt to run from the predator. At first, they try to stay still, in order to not trigger its attack, but when he notices that the predator wouldn't mind eat one or two of them, Drummond tells Maisie and the two women to run. While they rush to the tower, he distracts the rex by agitating a burning branch. Afraid of the fire, the rex seek to avoid the branch and see the three other humans climbing the tower's ladder. The predator bypass Drummond and in its dash towards the tower, it sends the palaeontologist flying away with its tail. As such thing would have easily killed someone, Maisie fears the worst for him and when his motionless body falls into a ravine, the audience think it's over for him. Maisie panics while the rex has its jaws locked around the ladder's protective cage. What follows is pretty much similar to the Giganotosaurus' attack on the tower scene from Trevorrow's version, except that the final outcome will be quite different. As the observation towers' power has been turned off from the control room in order to save power for more urgent systems, our three protagonists can't have the observation bay rise to the top of the tower, where they would be safe from the rex. To make matters worse, another threat arrive.
I haven't decided which yet but the idea I'm having now is a group of pterosaurs, probably pteranodons, which targets our trio and chase the rex away from the tower by pecking at his head. Another manages to grab Maisie and take her out of the tower. However, the pterosaur let her go before it can be above the canopy due to some incident (another harassing it probably) and Maisie falls into dense bushes at a certain distance from the tower, out of the two women's sight. In the meantime, a mist has started descending from the mountains. Bigelow and Kayla exit the tower and begin searching for Maisie in the area, fearing she got herself hurt in the fall. To cover a maximum of ground before the mist reaches them, they decide to split up.
The end of a line
We see Maisie managing to stand up and while she got bruises**,** she seems relatively fine and still in walking condition. Now lost and alone in the middle of the woods, she's very scared though and starts screaming to help. In the silent forest, Kayla hears her voice and follows it. Just as the mist is about to reach Maisie, the smuggler sees the teenager in the distance and calls for her. But when she hears heavy footsteps and a rumble coming from just behind Maisie, in the mist, her heart stops and she's aghast when she sees the tyrannosaur's silhouette closing to the girl's. Before Maisie can flee, the predator open its maws, grabs her and swallow her whole before disappearing in the forest's shadows (the scene is meant to be a mirror of one from my JW rewrite, where the death of a little girl during the pterosaurs' attack on the main hub is concealed by smoke while Claire watch helplessly). Thus ends Lockwood's line, indirectly destroyed by Claire Dearing.
Bigelow arrives in her turn and sees the smuggler kneeled on the ground, speechless, too shocked by the scene she just saw. Understanding what happened, the CIA agent has an "Oh. Shit..." face and tells Kayla they have to leave the valley while they still can, as she doesn't know what the Italians will do with it once it's taken, even fearing that it might be firebombed in order to destroy the perpetrators of the various incidents of the past months.
While the two women head for the mountain's path and the mist passes away, Drummond is seen climbing out of the ravine and starts to call for Maisie, in vain. Seeing the destroyed observation bay empty, he looks around for clues about Maisie's or the women's whereabouts. He ends up stumbling on the rex's tracks and follows them up to the spot where the teenager last stood. There he finds Wu's flash drive and seeing some blood stains around, he realizes she is no more. This deeply saddens him and this loss and failure just add another load on his self-loathing, as he would have gladly died between the jaws of the king of the dinosaurs if it could have saved Maisie's life. Instead of trying to follow Kayla and Bigelow, he goes in the opposite direction, towards the valley itself.
Leaving the Sanctuary
While looking to reach the auditorium, Claire is forced to hide in one of the labs from dilophosaurs roaming in the area.
In the archives, Vuillier and Nyamu finally put their hands on the documents they were looking for and take them. They and the grey guards' archives team then leave the room and head to the auditorium, in order to reunite with Viscontini and co. On the way, they have to pass between the legs of Brontes while he's distracted by the grey guards. When they reach the auditorium, Viscontini tells them that helicopters are waiting for them. One of the aircrafts is on its way to pick up the Owen and Dougal.
Escorted by the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, the surviving Biosyn employees are evacuated from the Citadel and when the grey guards retreat from their confrontation against Brontes, Vuillier asks them if they've seen Claire coming back but they answer that no. He contacts her and she tells him that she's being delayed.
We see her evading the dilophosaurs which were about to discover her and leaving the labs. Now, start for her an Uncharted-esque race through the Citadel where she has to cross various obstacles and avoid/outrun the loose creatures within it (including the dilophosaurs mentioned above). Still pissed, Brontes targets her and chases her up to her extraction point. Before the Argentinosaurus can close his mouth on her, she jumps into one of the helicopters where Owen and Dougal are waiting for her. The two men help her get inside and their helicopter fly away from the Citadel while the sauropod lets out a mighty bellow.
The protagonists leave the valley and the helicopters which drop them off at Biosyn employees' village, which has been taken over by the Italians and the Austrians in the meantime.
A bitter dawn
While the first sun rays reach the valley, Drummond stumble upon the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus Quasimodo in the area devastated by the flood, in sight of the now destroyed south-eastern wall. Surprised by the waters near the road battlefield, the predator was carried on a certain distance before ending up blocked by rocks and then impaled by a tree. When the palaeontologist finds him, he's dead. Disgusted by the animal, Drummond first tries to ignore him and continue towards the wall, intending to reach the village beyond it, but he turns back and carefully approach him. Tired from his night-long trek, Drummond sit on a rock just next to Quasimodo's head and still quite shaken by Maisie's death and the disaster, Drummond start to ramble about various topics (about the evolution of palaeontology since the San Diego incident, his wife, working at Biosyn, Theo's and Maisie's death...) before breaking down in tears and he can't hold himself from calling Quasimodo a Manmade abomination which deserved to be destroyed by Nature. While looking towards the destroyed wall, the palaeontologist start to regret those harsh words and pulls out a flask of whisky from his bag. After drinking a sip, he puts it back in the bag and just sit silently by the dead animal for a few minutes, up until some Quetzalcoatlus land nearby. The gigantic pterosaurs walk up to the dead Acrocanthosaurus and ignoring Drummond as a way bigger meal is just in front of them, they start feasting. While they do so, Drummond follows the flood's desolation towards the Citadel and he is soon spotted by the men tasked with finding him.
Of rivalries and world-saving
In the morning, Claire steps out of the accommodation assigned to her and Owen within Biosyn's Village. She sees Drummond giving Wu's flash drive to Vuillier before taking his leave. After joining her boss, Claire ponders about her relationship with Wu, on how both destroyed Jurassic World five years ago and how they pretty much saved the world that night. She and Vuillier have a respectful moment of silence for their deceased enemy.
In the abandoned citadel, it's revealed that one of the locusts survived. It's seen crawling on the ground, towards one of the vents. But just before it could reach it, a Mononykus (freed from one of the cages during the raid) swoops on it and devours it.
League of Dragons
As she is crossing the village, Claire passes by one of the remaining Biosyn guards. It's actually the Romanian one, the one who saw her by the panic room. Frightened as hell, he moves away from her while yelling "Dracul! Dracul!", still traumatized by the past night's events. Claire briefly wonders why he is yelling and running away before she gets surrounded by other Biosyn guards and Lucrezia Pellegrino. The Citadel's head of security explains that he called her a dragon because of what he saw and some of the guards start throwing insults at Claire, calling her a monster and a butcher, and she realize that they and their superior want to avenge those she killed. Pellegrino adds that by sending dinosaurs on people who oppose her, Claire is no better than Dodgson on that matter.
Nearby, Owen sees his fiancée surrounded and when one of the Biosyn guards throws a stone at Claire, he gets furious, tackles him on the ground and starts to beat him up. As another guard pulls out a knife (which he hid when they had to give their weapons to the authorities) and is about to stab Owen, the surviving grey guards suddenly intervene, getting the couple out of the Biosyn ambush and then confronting the attackers, standing by Claire's and Owen's side. The grey guards retort to their opponents that their comrades could have denounced the Sanctuary's illegal activities, surrendered, deserted or arrested Dodgson while they could but did nothing, before adding that without Claire, they would have all eaten nothing but locusts in a near future. The Biosyn guards feel insulted however and as an ugly fight is about to break out between both groups, the Carabinieri are forced to intervene and assign them to opposite parts of the village.
The press, who just entered the Biosyn's lands, has witnessed the confrontation and so did Vuillier and Nyamu. The latter tells the Frenchman that since Claire pretty much saved the world, Odegaard could give her a well-deserved break, literally and figuratively.
Debate
In the village's equivalent of a community centre, a meeting about the incident's consequences and what to do with the Sanctuary and its animals is held. Among the attendees, are:
- The WDMC and the people directly affiliated to it: Claire, Owen, Dougal, Vuillier, and Nyamu.
- Representatives of the Italian government: Viscontini, Giovanni Pazzi, and a few local politicians.
- The surviving Biosyn executives and top researchers: Drummond, Pellegrino, Quinn.
During the meeting, we learn that:
- Dodgson was found, or at least five or six pieces of him.
- Some of the Sanctuary's denizens managed to flee the valley and are now somewhere in the Italian countryside. Among the escapees are Victoria and her new pack of Achillobators.
- Exterminators led by the surviving grey guards are about to be sent in the amber mines to slaughter the pectinodons down to the last individual and the species will be soon classified as a pest in Italy, Austria and probably other countries.
Several solutions for the valley, its denizens and the Citadel are discussed:
- Cull the animals, cleanse the valley of Biosyn's traces, and give it back to the inhabitants expropriated by the corporation when it decided to have the entire valley and some of the surrounding lands for itself and no one else.
- Abandoning the valley, let the animals fend for themselves and hope that "life will find a way", even if it poses huge risks for the local populations and ecosystems.
- Dispatch the surviving animals to zoos and other entities which can legally house dangerous captive animals. Proceeding like this will allow de-extinct creatures to no longer be in the ownership of a single entity like Biosyn or InGen.
- Round up the loose animals, cleanse the battle's and the flood's damages, and turn the place into a real Sanctuary for de-extinct animals. Not a "Kruger with dinosaurs" like the Five Deaths but more like a non-profit place with enclosures (akin to many sanctuaries for wild animals across the globe). It will be a public-private joint-venture, with the sanctuary co-managed by the UN's WDMC and the Italian government while private partners will help finance it (Nathan Quinn propose to be one of those but Vuillier, Dougal and a few others distrust him and prefer to not have some of Dodgson's former collaborators on the project). And in order to ensure good relations with the local communities, jobs will be offered to the area's inhabitants and some lands given back to them. Shall this solution be adopted, Vuillier proposes to have Claire Dearing as its manager, Owen Grady its head warden, Rod Drummond its chief researcher, and Laurenzo Cesare as head of security, if they accept. Pellegrino storms off at this moment, disgusted that they're about to leave her without a job and rewarding Claire, an unrepentant psychopath in her eyes. In a moment of consultation amidst the meeting, Claire tells Vuillier she'll probably refuse becoming the sanctuary's manager if this solution is adopted, telling him that she has the feeling that her future lies elsewhere and that she'll continue work as a field agent if he don't mind. Vuillier, who clearly saw how Claire evolved since she started playing spies back in 2019 and decided to close his eyes on her exactions, suggest her to settle for a quieter less-violent life and declares that managing the Sanctuary could be the ultimate redemption for her. Still shaken by the amount of violence she had to commit in order to stop Biosyn and desiring to spend more time with her son, she ends up being persuaded and accept the idea.
The different solutions are being debated for weeks if not months within the Italian government and the UN.
End of Act IV.
See you tomorrow for the final Act and the Epilogue.
2023.06.08 12:13 KingofSpain0 Joshua 2
Joshua 2:1-24
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”
So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
submitted by KingofSpain0 to JesusChrist [link] [comments]
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”
So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
2023.06.08 12:00 Jaz84 Looking for a book with a strong plot & characters
I usually find myself reading Fantasy books since I tend to enjoy the world building, but I'm not opposed to any other genres, I'm looking for anything that has a good plot with dynamic characters.
Here is a list of the books I've given 5 stars to on Goodreads since 2015 ( I give stars for my own reference so by no means do I think these books are written equally)
title
The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers
The Count of Monte Cristo
Twenty Years After (The d'Artagnan Romances, #2)
Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard, #2)
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
American Gods (American Gods, #1)
The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1)
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
Elantris (Elantris, #1)
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia (Alcatraz, #3)
The Night Angel Trilogy (Night Angel, #1-3)
Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set (Mistborn, #1-3)
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)
The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4)
The Way of Kings, Part 2 (The Stormlight Archive #1, Part 2 of 2)
Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)
The One and Only Ivan
The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2)
The Broken Eye (Lightbringer, #3)
Legion (Legion, #1)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5, Part 1)
Blood Song (Raven's Shadow, #1)
The Emperor's Soul
Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)
Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3)
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)
Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3)
The Way of Kings, Part 1 (The Stormlight Archive #1, Part 1 of 2)
The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
Sixth of the Dusk
The Lost Metal (Mistborn, #7)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive, #2.5)
Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy, #1)
The Way of Kings Prime
Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive, #3.5)
Skyward Flight: The Collection: Sunreach / ReDawn / Evershore
submitted by Jaz84 to suggestmeabook [link] [comments]
Here is a list of the books I've given 5 stars to on Goodreads since 2015 ( I give stars for my own reference so by no means do I think these books are written equally)
title
The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers
The Count of Monte Cristo
Twenty Years After (The d'Artagnan Romances, #2)
Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard, #2)
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
American Gods (American Gods, #1)
The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1)
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
Elantris (Elantris, #1)
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia (Alcatraz, #3)
The Night Angel Trilogy (Night Angel, #1-3)
Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set (Mistborn, #1-3)
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)
The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4)
The Way of Kings, Part 2 (The Stormlight Archive #1, Part 2 of 2)
Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)
The One and Only Ivan
The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2)
The Broken Eye (Lightbringer, #3)
Legion (Legion, #1)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5, Part 1)
Blood Song (Raven's Shadow, #1)
The Emperor's Soul
Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)
Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3)
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)
Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3)
The Way of Kings, Part 1 (The Stormlight Archive #1, Part 1 of 2)
The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
Sixth of the Dusk
The Lost Metal (Mistborn, #7)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive, #2.5)
Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy, #1)
The Way of Kings Prime
Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive, #3.5)
Skyward Flight: The Collection: Sunreach / ReDawn / Evershore
2023.06.08 12:00 i-eat-pine-cones Fellow gel/androgel users, what dosage do you use?
I’ve been using androgel since July 13. 2022, i use the 5 g per packet (30 packets in 1 box), and i use 1 packet daily like my doctors said. My recent lab test results came back with a higher hemoglobin (protein in the red blood cells), and an “inexperienced” doc (said she doesn’t have experience in hrt) suggested i only use half of 1 packet a day. I talked to my endocrinologist who has done hrt for trans people for several years, and she said I shouldn’t do that, and told me to keep using 1 packet a day, and that I don’t have to worry about the red blood cell thing, but that we should monitor it. Now my mother is trying to play doctor and saying she read somewhere that people are given 80mg for 1 week, and that I should half my packets as well, it’s really annoying to me that she thinks she knows more than an actual medical professional. I had a hard time finding any articles about trans hrt and gel so i’m just trusting my doctor on this one, just wanted to see if anyone else has similar experiences.
Edit: just wanted to add that my t levels are: 2,575 ng/ml + 0,000 - 0,750, which is considered lower than average i think?
submitted by i-eat-pine-cones to ftm [link] [comments]
Edit: just wanted to add that my t levels are: 2,575 ng/ml + 0,000 - 0,750, which is considered lower than average i think?
2023.06.08 11:36 Naturalsplash How Does Coffee Scrub Help in Reducing Wrinkles?
 | submitted by Naturalsplash to u/Naturalsplash [link] [comments] How Does Coffee Scrub Help in Reducing Wrinkles? The depleting ozone and increase in penetration of UV rays have given rise to various skin problems. Continuous skin exposure to these harmful UV rays damages skin tissue connectivity, resulting in fastened skin aging, wrinkles, etc. Although wrinkles and fine lines also catch up with age, they can still be avoided with the help of skin-nourishing substances like coffee and almond. So, if you’re experiencing or want to prevent premature wrinkles, read the article below. It will discuss wrinkles and how a coffee scrub can help you prevent them. What are Wrinkles?Wrinkles are lines or creases that form on your skin as you age. They are a natural part of the aging process and can appear on various aspects of your body, such as your face, neck, and hands. Wrinkles occur due to a combination of factors, including a decrease in the production of collagen and elastin proteins. These proteins are responsible for maintaining the skin’s firmness.Over time, your skin becomes less bouncy, resulting in the formation of wrinkles. Other factors contributing to wrinkles include sun exposure, smoking, repetitive facial expressions, and genetics. While wrinkles are a normal part of aging, you can minimize them by taking care of your skin in the following ways:
How can Coffee Help Reducing Wrinkles?Coffee contains properties that can help reduce wrinkles and improve the overall appearance of your skin. Here are some ways in which coffee can help in reducing wrinkles:1. Antioxidant-RichCoffee is rich in antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. These antioxidants help in protecting your skin from damage caused by harmful free radicals.2. Increased Collagen ProductionThe caffeine in coffee can stimulate collagen production, a protein that helps maintain skin elasticity. This further helps by reducing the appearance of wrinkles.3. Improved Blood CirculationCoffee can also help increase blood circulation to your skin, providing essential nutrients and oxygen. This further gives your skin a healthier complexion.4. ExfoliationCoffee grounds can act as a gentle exfoliator. Therefore, it can also help in removing dead skin cells and promoting the growth of new, healthier skin cells. This can contribute to a smoother skin texture and minimize the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles.5. Reduced PuffinessThe caffeine in coffee also has vasoconstrictive properties. These properties can temporarily reduce swelling and puffiness around your eyes. Further, making you look more awake and reducing the appearance of under-eye wrinkles.6. Temporary Tightening EffectCoffee can also temporarily tighten your skin due to its diuretic properties. This can create a temporary smoothing effect on your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Having wrinkles on your skin is inevitable as it happens due to aging. But some external factors like sunlight, dry skin, etc., fasten this skin aging process. Therefore, you can resort to skin nourishing agents like Natural Splash coffee almond skin polishing scrub. Natural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing Scrub: Get a Wrinkle Free SkinNatural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing Scrub aims to help you achieve wrinkle-free skin. The coffee scrub for face and body combines the beneficial properties of coffee and almond to provide exfoliation and nourishment to your skin.The roasted coffee beans powder in this body scrub acts as a gentle exfoliator. At the same time, the almond powder in this coffee body scrub provides essential nutrients and moisturization to keep your skin hydrated and supple. Therefore, this exfoliating body scrub regularly improves blood circulation, stimulates collagen production, and achieves a smoother, more youthful-looking complexion. What are the Ingredients Used in Natural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing Scrub?Natural Splash Coffee Almond skin polishing scrub is like no other body scrub. It contains numerous skin polishing components, including:
How can Natural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing Scrub Help in Preventing Wrinkles?The Natural Splash exfoliating body scrub can help in preventing wrinkles in the following ways:1. GlycerinGlycerin helps prevent wrinkles by providing hydration and moisturization to the skin. It strengthens the skin’s protective barrier, improving elasticity and reducing moisture loss.Glycerin also has antioxidant properties that protect against free radicals. Its soothing effect fills in fine lines, giving you wrinkle-less skin. 2. Cocoa PowderCocoa powder contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. These antioxidants also aid in forming new skin cells, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Furthermore, cocoa powder is rich in amino acids, which play a vital role in collagen production. By boosting collagen levels, cocoa powder helps maintain the skin’s suppleness and smoothness, contributing to a youthful appearance. 3. Walnut ShellWalnut shells are high in antioxidants and vitamin B. These properties of walnut shells help protect your skin from environmental aggressors such as sun exposure, pollution, grime, and other pollutants.As a result, skin damage and the appearance of premature fine lines and wrinkles are reduced. Furthermore, vitamin E thoroughly moisturizes your skin and increases collagen formation to keep your skin looking younger. 4. Brown SugarBrown sugar is beneficial for your skin as it prevents blemishes and wrinkles. It acts as an anti-aging element by aiding in skin regeneration.Brown sugar also helps remove dead and flaky skin layers, allowing for the growth of new cells. Using it as a body scrub can improve blood circulation, which can help eliminate forehead wrinkles and tighten pores. Get Young Again With Natural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing ScrubHaving wrinkles on your skin is a part of life. But that does not mean premature skin aging and wrinkled skin is normal. You can easily solve this problem by incorporating skin-nourishing agents like coffee.. Therefore, buying skin care products like a coffee body scrub can be beneficial.You can consider buying Natural Splash Coffee Almond Skin Polishing Scrub. It will help you achieve a healthy, wrinkle-free skin texture. Moreover, Natural Splash offers various skin care products to help you achieve the perfect plum skin. Source Link[naturalsplash.in] |
2023.06.08 11:28 Imadgerbadger Lawman is Underwhelming, what can we do about it?
In Red, there's a clear imbalance in the different roles. Solo and tech are incredibly effective and most other roles have good amounts of general utility that helps you in general roleplay with the exception of Lawman (and fixer). Summon Cops is incredibly powerful but it doesn't help unless you're the city's one legal edgerunner. As a result I statted out an attempt to give Lawman more variety and more roleplay opportunities by following templates like medtech and tech. Let me know what you think.
Lawman In addition to Backup, whenever a Lawman increases their Backup Rank by 1, they gain 1 Rank in a Lawman Department of their choice, you cannot have more than 5 ranks in a Lawman Department or ranks in more than 3 different departments. There are 4 departments, Criminologist, Detective, Enforcer and Forensic.
Additionally you can add half your Rank in the Backup skill to your Concentration and Criminology Skills (Rounded down).
Criminologist A Criminologist is half researcher and half officer, operating under police protection. A criminal diplomat, you help law enforcement scout out hotspots and can handle boosters with your words just as well as your gun.
For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to Streetwise and Conversation.
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain a permanent +3 bonus to Facedown attempts.
Detective An off-the-books officer, tasked with doing the dirty work of the department. You may not be in an office but you put your sharp mind to work on the streets instead.
For every rank you place in this department you gain +1 to Conceal/Reveal Object and Tracking
When you reach Rank 5 in this role you
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain a permanent +3 bonus to your Concentration skill.
Enforcer Beat cop or MaxTac, an enforcer is a Lawman who's trained not to flinch under fire. When other officers hit their radios, you're the cavalry they're calling in.
For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to First Aid and Tactics
When you reach rank 5 in this role all that swat training has finally paid off. While wearing armour that has a penalty to your Dexterity and Reflex, that penalty is reduced by 1.
Forensic A crime scene investigator, lab guy or all around know-it-all. You know how to find secrets and decipher the clues left behind, whether they be blood splatters or syfers. For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to Deduction and Forgery
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain an additional +3 to your Criminology skill.
submitted by Imadgerbadger to cyberpunkred [link] [comments]
Lawman In addition to Backup, whenever a Lawman increases their Backup Rank by 1, they gain 1 Rank in a Lawman Department of their choice, you cannot have more than 5 ranks in a Lawman Department or ranks in more than 3 different departments. There are 4 departments, Criminologist, Detective, Enforcer and Forensic.
Additionally you can add half your Rank in the Backup skill to your Concentration and Criminology Skills (Rounded down).
Criminologist A Criminologist is half researcher and half officer, operating under police protection. A criminal diplomat, you help law enforcement scout out hotspots and can handle boosters with your words just as well as your gun.
For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to Streetwise and Conversation.
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain a permanent +3 bonus to Facedown attempts.
Detective An off-the-books officer, tasked with doing the dirty work of the department. You may not be in an office but you put your sharp mind to work on the streets instead.
For every rank you place in this department you gain +1 to Conceal/Reveal Object and Tracking
When you reach Rank 5 in this role you
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain a permanent +3 bonus to your Concentration skill.
Enforcer Beat cop or MaxTac, an enforcer is a Lawman who's trained not to flinch under fire. When other officers hit their radios, you're the cavalry they're calling in.
For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to First Aid and Tactics
When you reach rank 5 in this role all that swat training has finally paid off. While wearing armour that has a penalty to your Dexterity and Reflex, that penalty is reduced by 1.
Forensic A crime scene investigator, lab guy or all around know-it-all. You know how to find secrets and decipher the clues left behind, whether they be blood splatters or syfers. For every rank you have in this department you gain a +1 to Deduction and Forgery
When you reach rank 5 in this role you gain an additional +3 to your Criminology skill.
2023.06.08 11:05 facetime010101 Enfamil Nutramigen Infant Formula, Hypoallergenic and Lactose Free Formula
 | submitted by facetime010101 to ChoosyParents [link] [comments] Caution: It's important to remember that these evaluations are guides to potential health concerns and not definitive measures of a product's safety or efficacy. They are based on individual ingredients rather than any negative effects the final product may have. The way ingredients interact in a formulation can influence their potential impact, and the presence of a specific ingredient does not automatically equate to harm when used in a product. It's always crucial to do your own research, consider the product as a whole, and keep in mind that personal reactions can vary greatly. When making decisions about personal care products, it is recommended to consult with healthcare professionals. Brief: This formula predominantly contains corn syrup solids and vegetable oils, used as carbohydrate and fat sources respectively. However, corn syrup as a leading ingredient could contribute to excessive sweetness and long-term health concerns. It also features Casein Hydrolysate, denoting it's hypoallergenic and suitable for babies with milk allergies. The inclusion of probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG promotes gut health. Always consult with a pediatrician before introducing a new formula, especially in cases of allergy, metabolic disorders or prematurity. Also, note that palm oil can affect calcium absorption in some infants. Ingredients: CORN SYRUP SOLIDS (48%), VEGETABLE OIL (PALM OLEIN, COCONUT, SOY, AND HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OILS) (26%), CASEIN HYDROLYSATE (MILK) (17%), MODIFIED CORN STARCH (4%), AND LESS THAN 2%: MORTIERELLA ALPINA OIL, CRYPTHECODINIUM COHNII OIL‡, LACTOBACILLUS RHAMNOSUS GG, CALCIUM CITRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SODIUM CITRATE, CALCIUM HYDROXIDE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC SULFATE, CUPRIC SULFATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, SODIUM IODIDE, SODIUM SELENITE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN D3, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN B6 HYDROCHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN K1, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12, INOSITOL, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN E ACETATE, L-CYSTINE, L-TYROSINE, L-TRYPTOPHAN, TAURINE, L-CARNITINE. Typical ingredients description and side effects
The grading system used by EWG in the Skin Deep database is as follows: 1 to 2: Low hazard 3 to 6: Moderate hazard 7 to 10: High hazard |
2023.06.08 10:45 Kavithavinod Ayurvedic Skincare Rituals For Radiant And Glowing Skin
In today's fast-paced world, where stress, pollution, and hectic lifestyles have become the norm, taking care of our skin has become more important than ever. While there are countless skincare products available in the market, many individuals are turning to Ayurvedic skincare rituals to achieve radiant and glowing skin naturally. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian holistic system of medicine, emphasizes the balance between mind, body, and spirit. Incorporating Ayurvedic skincare rituals into your daily routine can help rejuvenate your skin, promote overall well-being, and restore the natural radiance of your complexion.
submitted by Kavithavinod to u/Kavithavinod [link] [comments]
Understand Your Dosha:
According to Ayurveda, everyone has a unique combination of three doshas, namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Determining your dominant dosha can help you choose skincare rituals and products that suit your specific needs. Vata skin tends to be dry and prone to wrinkles, Pitta skin is sensitive and prone to redness or inflammation, while Kapha skin tends to be oily and prone to congestion. Understanding your dosha can guide you in selecting the right ingredients and practices for your skincare routine.Abhyanga - The Art of Self-Massage:
Abhyanga, or self-massage with warm oil, is a key Ayurvedic skincare ritual. Choose a nourishing oil such as sesame, coconut, or almond oil and warm it slightly. Massage your body using long, sweeping strokes before bathing to enhance circulation, remove toxins, and deeply moisturize the skin. This ritual not only nourishes the skin but also calms the mind and promotes relaxation.Cleansing with Natural Ingredients:
Ayurveda advocates the use of natural ingredients for cleansing the skin. Replace harsh chemical-based cleansers with gentle, herbal alternatives. For Vata skin, opt for moisturizing ingredients like rose, sandalwood, or aloe vera. Pitta skin benefits from cooling ingredients such as cucumber, neem, or mint. Kapha skin benefits from cleansers containing lemon, turmeric, or honey, which help balance oil production. These natural cleansers help remove impurities without stripping the skin of its natural oils.Exfoliation with Ubtan:
Ubtan, a traditional Ayurvedic herbal paste, is an excellent natural exfoliant. Mix a combination of ingredients like chickpea flour, turmeric, milk, and rosewater to create a paste. Gently massage this paste onto your face and body in circular motions to remove dead skin cells and promote a radiant complexion. Ubtan also improves blood circulation and helps with detoxification.Ayurvedic Face Masks:
Ayurvedic face masks provide deep nourishment and rejuvenation for the skin. Use ingredients such as turmeric, honey, yogurt, and aloe vera to create masks that suit your skin type. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, honey moisturizes the skin, yogurt exfoliates and brightens, while aloe vera soothes and heals. Apply the mask to your face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water. Regular use of these masks can help improve skin texture and restore its natural glow.Herbal Teas and Hydration:
Hydration is essential for healthy, glowing skin. Ayurveda recommends sipping herbal teas throughout the day to support digestion, detoxification, and overall skin health. Herbal teas like chamomile, jasmine, or mint can help calm the mind, reduce inflammation, and purify the skin from within.Conclusion:
Ayurvedic skincare rituals offer a holistic approach to achieving radiant and glowing skin. By embracing natural ingredients, self-care practices, and understanding2023.06.08 10:09 WaveOfWire One Hell Of A Vacation - Chapter 89
First Prev Next Royal Road Patreon
u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality! (with help from u/coldfireknight cuz this one needed it.)
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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
Next
A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)
submitted by WaveOfWire to HFY [link] [comments]
u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality! (with help from u/coldfireknight cuz this one needed it.)
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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
Next
A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)
2023.06.08 09:54 johny_james Doctors don't know what it is? PCR (not present in my country), stool culture (which found CDiff) and Toxin A+B test (2 times negative), CRP low, Calprotectin low, Bristol stool type 5,6 and sometimes normal stool, symptoms are getting slightly better with the usage of probiotic Visbioime
Summary:
PCR (not present in my country), stool culture (which found CDiff) and Toxin A+B test (2 times negative), CRP low, Calprotectin low, negative for other bacteria and viruses.
Doctors don't think is Cdiff with this overall image, but can't tell what is it.
On and off Symptoms: Bristol stool type 5,6 and sometimes normal stool, symptoms are getting slightly better with usage of probiotic Visbioime, low-grade fever, occasional muscle fatigue,stomach pain, this is going for 2 months nearly with one 2-3 week symptom free period.
25M.
Had IBS previously but it was getting way better by taking some supplements.
6 weeks ago I had stomach infection which lasted 2 weeks. Doctors did not find the cause of it.
Since then a lot of things changed for me in my life. A ton of other symptoms appered.
So the infection started with extreme stomach pain and bloating, I had bloating in the past, but this was not comparable at all.
The first day I had watery diarrhea 4-5 times going to toilet, also had 38.0 °C fever.
I took ibuprofen and paracetamol and the first it was extremely varying (37.5 - 38.0).
Weirdly enough, the other days, the fever was coming only at night
After the second day of diarrhea, I started caloric restriction because I could not endure the stomach bloating and pain. I was having 1 meal a day, and ofc the weight started to go down.
The Diarrhea was like 4-5 days with low grade fever (37.5-37.8), muscle and joint pain, abdominal bloating and pain, small white coating on tongue (which doctors suggested because of dehydration but I was drinking like crazy (electrolytes and what not)), a bit red throat, my phyisican said that I should wait for my immune system to fight off the infection.
I had 2 blood tests, a lot of parameters tested and all came in the range, CRP was also low
I was only taking Vitamin D3 5000UI, Vitamin K2, Vitamin C 500mg, basically vitamin therapy.
After 1 week dealing with this, I scheduled a visit to a infectiologist in a private hospital.
They tested me for Covid tests, blood tests for electrolytes, conventional culture test.
Conventional culture found C. Diff present. The doctor suggested me to go on a BRAT diet and gave me this strong Probiotic
BTW the second week the fever was still fluctuating (37.4 - 37.5), but as I mentioned was going down a lot of times, after nearly 2 weeks of caloric restriction and a BRAT diet, I started having periods of fatigue
At the end of the second week, all the symptoms were gone, the fever was gone, only the muscle fatigue was present for 2-3 days.
And all my symptoms were resolved, but the real mystery is after this 2 week infection.
I started having floating stools with pain at some days (like 1 day a week), I was using L-glutamine which managed some of the IBS symtoms. I started experencing heart palpitations quite regularly, I had palpitations before, but after the infection they are more frequent.
Symptoms were not present, I got back to university, and other sport activities, another thing that appeared was becoming very sleepy after meals, which was a thing I never had before, I always had to take a nap after bigger meals.
And after 1 month of going kind of smoothly, I again got a fever (37.5) and frequent stools (4-5 times a day), this was going around for 2-3 days, I started the above probiotic, and the fever went away, some of the symptoms re-appeared like the small white tongue coating and the new symptom was muscle soreness**(not pain but some of the muscles especially biceps, triceps and calves were just sore and some feeling of muscle stressed).**
After 1.5 week, I again went to the infectiologist, and she mentioned to me that I should not worry, that it will go away, I tested for C.diff toxin A+B which came negative, blood tests were fine.
The Doctor suggested now to use S. Boulardi as a stronger probiotic alternative.
And said that it helps for C. diff infections.
Also mentioned to use this immune supporting product (beta-glucans, fermented yeast cells, vitamins).
I have not started using the above, but today I had 4 stools and 1 watery diarrhea.
Do you guys have any suggestions, since I don't know how to continue with this problem.
Which direction should I take with the doctors to focus?
submitted by johny_james to DiagnoseMe [link] [comments]
PCR (not present in my country), stool culture (which found CDiff) and Toxin A+B test (2 times negative), CRP low, Calprotectin low, negative for other bacteria and viruses.
Doctors don't think is Cdiff with this overall image, but can't tell what is it.
On and off Symptoms: Bristol stool type 5,6 and sometimes normal stool, symptoms are getting slightly better with usage of probiotic Visbioime, low-grade fever, occasional muscle fatigue,stomach pain, this is going for 2 months nearly with one 2-3 week symptom free period.
25M.
Had IBS previously but it was getting way better by taking some supplements.
6 weeks ago I had stomach infection which lasted 2 weeks. Doctors did not find the cause of it.
Since then a lot of things changed for me in my life. A ton of other symptoms appered.
So the infection started with extreme stomach pain and bloating, I had bloating in the past, but this was not comparable at all.
The first day I had watery diarrhea 4-5 times going to toilet, also had 38.0 °C fever.
I took ibuprofen and paracetamol and the first it was extremely varying (37.5 - 38.0).
Weirdly enough, the other days, the fever was coming only at night
After the second day of diarrhea, I started caloric restriction because I could not endure the stomach bloating and pain. I was having 1 meal a day, and ofc the weight started to go down.
The Diarrhea was like 4-5 days with low grade fever (37.5-37.8), muscle and joint pain, abdominal bloating and pain, small white coating on tongue (which doctors suggested because of dehydration but I was drinking like crazy (electrolytes and what not)), a bit red throat, my phyisican said that I should wait for my immune system to fight off the infection.
I had 2 blood tests, a lot of parameters tested and all came in the range, CRP was also low
I was only taking Vitamin D3 5000UI, Vitamin K2, Vitamin C 500mg, basically vitamin therapy.
After 1 week dealing with this, I scheduled a visit to a infectiologist in a private hospital.
They tested me for Covid tests, blood tests for electrolytes, conventional culture test.
Conventional culture found C. Diff present. The doctor suggested me to go on a BRAT diet and gave me this strong Probiotic
BTW the second week the fever was still fluctuating (37.4 - 37.5), but as I mentioned was going down a lot of times, after nearly 2 weeks of caloric restriction and a BRAT diet, I started having periods of fatigue
At the end of the second week, all the symptoms were gone, the fever was gone, only the muscle fatigue was present for 2-3 days.
And all my symptoms were resolved, but the real mystery is after this 2 week infection.
I started having floating stools with pain at some days (like 1 day a week), I was using L-glutamine which managed some of the IBS symtoms. I started experencing heart palpitations quite regularly, I had palpitations before, but after the infection they are more frequent.
Symptoms were not present, I got back to university, and other sport activities, another thing that appeared was becoming very sleepy after meals, which was a thing I never had before, I always had to take a nap after bigger meals.
And after 1 month of going kind of smoothly, I again got a fever (37.5) and frequent stools (4-5 times a day), this was going around for 2-3 days, I started the above probiotic, and the fever went away, some of the symptoms re-appeared like the small white tongue coating and the new symptom was muscle soreness**(not pain but some of the muscles especially biceps, triceps and calves were just sore and some feeling of muscle stressed).**
After 1.5 week, I again went to the infectiologist, and she mentioned to me that I should not worry, that it will go away, I tested for C.diff toxin A+B which came negative, blood tests were fine.
The Doctor suggested now to use S. Boulardi as a stronger probiotic alternative.
And said that it helps for C. diff infections.
Also mentioned to use this immune supporting product (beta-glucans, fermented yeast cells, vitamins).
I have not started using the above, but today I had 4 stools and 1 watery diarrhea.
Do you guys have any suggestions, since I don't know how to continue with this problem.
Which direction should I take with the doctors to focus?
2023.06.08 09:34 duddlered The Big Oof! Volume 1 Chapter 41: Token of Gratitude
This is the official end of the first Volume. Next week will begin Volume 2!
After a lot of progress on my story, I'm making changes to my Patreon and instead of reading 3 chapters ahead, you'll get access to 5.
Elijah Commission
Azeline Commission
The Little Menace
Worship Her
If you want to read 5 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon!
Support me by upvoting me or leaving a comment!
I also have the series uploaded to Royal Road, come leave a comment and give me a review by clicking HERE
Here's a map of where the area
Join my Discord!
[First] [Previous] [Next]
-
Bennett was dead asleep in his hammock when he was roused by hushed whispers and the sound of activity echoed throughout the room, seemingly amplified by its cramped space.
“Ben.” A voice called out.
As the engineer slowly opened a singular eye, he found himself struggling to make sense of the situation. A figure was just a few meters away from him, rifling through a bag when they turned around and faced him. However, Bennetts groggy state prevented him from fully discerning who or what was responsible for the disruption.
“Ben, wake up.” The voice called out one more time.
Scowling in irritation, Bennett chose to ignore the voice and flipped over, burying his face into the hammock's fabric. He was determined to get back to sleep, even as the voice grew more insistent and the room's activity continued.
“Ben, wake the fuck up!” The voice finally yelled.
Suddenly, Bennett found himself suspended in the air, his groggy state replaced with fear and anxiety as he was forcefully yanked out of his hammock. He tried to process what was happening, but before he could comprehend the situation, he felt the cold embrace of the hardwood floor.
THUD
“Argh! Fuck!” The Engineer groaned as he slowly lifted himself up off the ground. "You goddamn asshole!" Bennett snapped, his voice hoarse from the mixture of pain and anger.
Standing over Bennett with a cackling Fairy on his shoulder, Elijah decided he wasn’t going to wait for the stubborn man to get up on his own. "It's time to get up," Elijah said, turning around to continue sifting through his bag. "We got a lot of shit to do before we leave, and I can't afford to have you sleeping in."
Bennett’s glare shifted between his captain and his sadistic partner. "Fine, fine. I'm up," he grumbled, rubbing his sore back. He knew Elijah was right, but that didn't make the sudden wake-up call any less infuriating. Yana, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying Bennett's misery, her laughter ringing in his ears.
THUD
Pulling out his remaining Bioscanner, Elijah began running diagnostics on the device, ensuring it was in working order for when he delivered it to Salvanius. It was a trade that he was loathing, but it was a trade he would make 1000 times if given the chance to get the rest of their equipment back. Even if they only managed to find a quarter of their property, that was still a lot better than having nothing at all.
As the Bioscanner's display indicated the device was functioning optimally, Elijah let out a small depressed sigh and slid it into his pocket. "Alright, let's get this over with," he said, opening the door and stepping out into the dimly lit corridor. Bennett followed, still grumbling under his breath about the hostile work environment while shifting his stink eye at both Yana and Elijah.
THUD
“GOD DAMNIT!!” Bennett yelled, rubbing his head after hitting the top of the door frame.
He had completely forgotten how cramped everything was on this wooden death trap and how he had to crouch throughout the entire interior. Frustration and annoyance etched on his face, Bennett muttered a string of curses under his breath as he adjusted his posture to avoid the low ceilings and narrow passageways.
“Midgets…” The Engineer sneered as he heard Elijah snicker father up ahead.
It only took a few moments for Elijah and Bennett to reach the deck, and there they observed Rhea efficiently issuing orders to the ship's sailors. Her authoritative voice rang out over the hustle and bustle of the ship’s crew, who were quickly scurrying about, securing ropes and checking supplies. What really caught their attention, though, was Rhea was finally out of her armor.
Adorned in a faded white linen long-sleeved shirt, Rhea left her chest straps slightly undone, revealing a hint of her modest, but alluring cleavage. The Knight Captain’s slim, athletic figure was displayed in stark contrast to the thick padding underneath the metal armor she normally wore. To accentuate her figure, the tight brown linen pants she wore hugged her humbly, but satisfyingly shapely curves and seamlessly tucked into her leather boots. The outfit, deceptively sultry, effortlessly exuded a sense of casual confidence and undeniable charm.
Turning her head slight, the Knight Captain finally noticed the two Humans and acknowledged them with a nod. “Good morning Sir Elijah, Sir Bennett and…” She made a difficult face when her eyes locked onto Yana.
“Your Honor will do!” The Fairy said in a chipper voice, crossing her legs. “I am both a Goddess and a confirmed Eternal Judge of the Fae courts!”
Rhea’s expression turned sour for a moment, but decided it was best not to engage any further with the mischievous Vanir. "Very well, good morning Your Honor," Rhea replied, forcing a polite smile. "We're running a bit late, but we should be ready to set sail in just a few hours.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow at the small fairy at the mention of being a confirmed judge, but shifted his attention back towards Rhea and nodded in understanding. "We'll be ready whenever you are," he said with his eyes traveling up her entire figure attire before refocusing on her face. "Just give us the signal when it's time to set sail." .
“I’m assuming the northern woman is still asleep?” The Knight Captain asked, tilting her head curiously.
Seeing her long elf ears bounce up and down seemed to be the final straw for Elijah, as an unbidden and almost adolescent fascination welled up within him. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his composure before replying. "Uh, yeah, she’s still asleep," Elijah finally responded, exhaling deeply. "We’ve been up for almost 36 hours, so I think it's best to let her rest for a while longer." he replied, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite the lingering fascination with her elf ears.
Bennett narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he regarded his captain with a disgusted look. "Can you control yourself?" he asked with a judgmental tone.
Also noticing Elijah’s basically ogling her, Rhea couldn't help but laugh at the exchange while running a hand through her hair. "I'm glad to see at least someone finds me attractive," she said, her cheeks tinted with a slight blush. Elijah cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of dignity as he shifted his gaze away from her.
"Ah... My apologies, Lady Rhea, but I was caught off guard," Elijah said, giving her a genuine smile. "I wasn’t prepared for the famed Knight Captain to be so beautiful out of her armor. It's a pleasant surprise, to say the least."
Rhea found herself momentarily speechless as her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, let alone being called beautiful by someone as striking as Elijah. A small, bashful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she looked down to hide her embarrassment. "Well… I, um… Thank you, Sir Elijah.” she managed to say, her voice uncharacteristically timid. “I appreciate the kind words."
Noticing the usually confident and stern Knight Captain was completely flustered, Elijah knew she was on the backfoot and went for blood. “You’re more than welcome Lady Rhea,” he responded, bowing his head. “I was just saying it how I see it—”
"Yana, zap him!" Bennett ordered, sensing that Elijah was about to push his luck too far.
The mischievous fairy didn't hesitate, and with a magical pop, she immediately shifted forms, transforming the fiery inferno atop her head into a flowing teal, wind that cascaded past her shoulders. After her transformation, a maniacal grin spread across her face as she clutched two fistfuls of Elijah's hair.
“AHH FUCK!” Elijah yelped in pain.
A light chuckle escaped Rhea's lips as she watched the scene play out before her, momentarily pushing aside her embarrassment and wariness of the group. Their playful antics, though unprofessional, stirred a sense of lighthearted camaraderie she hadn't experienced in years. The thrill of exploring the unknown alongside trusted friends had been lost to her ever since she joined Salvanius' Order. The organization's rigid structure and hierarchy had dampened her once-adventurous spirit, and witnessing Elijah's crew sparked a touch of envy within her.
Yana, still grinning mischievously, finally released her grip on Elijah's hair. The man, now fuming with anger, made a hasty attempt to snatch her out of the air, but the nimble fairy easily dodged his grasp, giggling all the while.
"I'm going to kill the both of you!" Elijah yelled, glaring at both Yana and Bennett. His frustration only caused more laughter from the fairy and an amused smirk from Bennett, who crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing.
"Come now, Sir Elijah, there's no need for violence," Rhea interjected while covering her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her own laughter. "I'm sure you can find it in your heart to forgive their little prank.” She continued, adjusting her hair that was flowing in the wind. “We’re going to spend a few long days sailing if we’re going to catch up with them, after all.”
Glancing back at her crew, Rhea's face returned to its usual stern expression when she noticed the sailors gawking and whispering amongst themselves. It was evident that her momentary display of mirth had taken them by surprise, as they rarely saw their Knight Captain in such a lighthearted state.
"What in the name of Tylas are you all gawking at!?" She roared, placing her hands firmly on her hips “GET BACK TO WORK!”
Rhea's eyes narrowed as the scrambling crew members hastily returned to their tasks, their faces pale with fear. The ship's atmosphere instantly shifted back to its usual disciplined state as the sailors focused on their duties, aware that their Knight Captain's gaze was upon them.
Elijah let out an annoyed sigh in the realization that he was probably never going to catch that little psychopath and shifted his gaze to Bennett. “I’m gonna get you.” He hissed hatefully. “Mark my words, you piece of shit.” However, Bennett merely smirked in response, clearly unfazed by his captain's threats.
Just as Elijah was about to ask the Knight Captain about the whereabouts of her liege, the man himself appeared on deck. Salvanius came sauntering up the planks that connected the ship to the docks, his imposing figure drawing the attention of everyone present.
"It's quite rare to hear you so jovial, Rhea," the Demigod remarked, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Rhea, slightly taken aback by her liege's observation, straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
"My apologies, your grace," she replied respectfully, attempting to regain her usual composure. "I shall see to it that this Cog is ready to depart, post haste."
Salvanius waved a dismissive hand, his expression softening slightly. "There's no need to apologize, Rhea. It's good to see you enjoying yourself, even if just for a moment. However, you are correct; our guest would most likely appreciate departing as soon as possible."
With that, Rhea nodded and began barking orders to her crew, ensuring that everything was in order for their imminent departure.
Turning to his guests, Salvanius addressed them with an air of authority. "I assume you two have the magical tool..." He paused, recalling the events that transpired the previous day. "I mean, the tool. Is it ready?"
The two Human’s exchanged glances before Elijah stepped forward, pulling out the bioscanner from his pocket. "You’re not going to be able to understand it, but I’ve configured it in a way where you can still get a lot of functionality without having to read." he explained, holding the device out for Salvanius to see.
Time flew as Elijah went into an in depth explanation of the bioscanner's functions and features. He walked Salvanius through everything all the way from disease diagnosis to health monitoring and treatments. With each new feature the human listed seemed to make Salvanius’ jaw drop lower and lower until he found himself looking like a fool.
"And finally, if a red tube with a bolt of lightning ever just starts flashing, all you have to do is flip it over so these panels face the star and just wait," Elijah explained, pointing at the bright orb in the morning sky as he showed the Demigod the solar panels. "It's designed to recharge itself using starlight, so you'll never have to worry about finding a power source."
Salvanius' eyes widened even further, if that were possible. "Astounding," he breathed, clearly impressed. "And you’re just willing to give this to me…?"
“Eh.” Elijah shrugged dismissively. “I have augments- I mean I can already do most of that stuff other than a few things, so it’s mainly just redundant fail safe incase I’m away or dead.”
A complicated expression spread across Salvanius' face as Elijah mentioned that the device was merely a redundancy measure in case of his absence. Suddenly the prospect of having this man as a retainer became much, MUCH more appealing. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted when the Vanir made its appearance by landing squarely on Elijah’s shoulder while glaring daggers at the Demigod.
Salvanius met Yana's gaze and sighed, dispelling the intrusive and dishonorable thoughts of taking these Artificers for himself.
“I understand.” The demigod said, turning his focus back to Elijah. “The Holy Dominion will not forget this grace you’ve bestowed upon us.” He gave a grateful nod before spinning around and heading towards the dock.
However, he soon came to a halt as his eyes fell upon a group of women arguing with his knights at the ramp leading to the ship. The women seemed intent on gaining access to the ship, their arms laden with various items, including several sizable platters of food.
“W-Wait! I-I was instructed to board!” A slim and fearful redhead said, holding a large burlap sack.
Something felt… Off about her.
It was almost as if Salvanius could recognize the woman, even though he was fairly certain he hadn't met her before. Then again, he had met a great number of people in this damned village, but his instincts kept nudging him to take a closer look. But his thoughts were interrupted when he recognized the Beastkin woman and the gaggle of Ferfolk slaves next to her.
"What do ye mean we ain't allowed entry!? I gotta deliver me gratitude before it's too late!" the dog-like woman bellowed, her voice full of frustration and urgency.
An amused huff left Salvanius’ mouth before looking over his shoulder. “I do believe you have guests.” The Demigod said before making his way down the plank.
“Let them through.” He said to his knights, waving his hand dismissively as he walked past the group.
The knights obeyed without hesitation and stepped aside allowing the gaggle of women to board the ship. "Thank ye, yer grace," The dog-like woman bowed deeply before her and the Ferfolk ran up the ramp.
As Elijah approached at the edge of the ship , confusion spread across his face as Mara suddenly appeared with her renowned tubers in hand. The woman stopped a good distance away, staring intently at the man, attempting to gauge his reaction and determine whether he would be receptive to her presence. Seeing he was just staring at her impassively, Mara gathered her courage, and stepped forward with a warm smile.
"I... I wanted to give ye this as a token of me gratitude…” She said shyly. “Ye know, for everything ye done for us."
Elijah's eyes flicked between Mara and the tubers, his confusion slowly melting away into a wry smile as he flicked his hand in a beckoning motion. The action caused Mara’s Shyness to completely dissipate as she bounded forward and handed him the tubers with enthusiasm. "You really didn't have to, but thank you," Elijah said, accepting the gift.
Mara beamed at his response, clearly relieved. "It's the least I could do!” She said, with her tail wagging vigorously. “I couldn’t bear the thought of not makin’ amends with ye.”
Turning around, Elijah handed this plate of tubers to the salivating Engineer and watched as Yana bolted off his shoulder in an attempt to attack the pile of food. Shaking his head, Elijah turned back to Mara and the group of women with a bemused expression. "Hopefully they’ll leave me some," he commented.
“Ye can always come back and get more.” Mara replied with a coy. “I’ll let ye have all the service ye want.”
A chuckle escaped Elijah’s mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. "I might just take you up on that," he said with a smirk. "Your food isn’t the only thing I’m going to miss."
Mara's cheeks flushed deeply at Elijah's reply, her tail wagging even faster as she tried to play it cool. "Well, I'll be sure to make myself available whenever ye are in need of some company," she replied, propping up her supple chest.
Elijah couldn't help but let his eyes wander for a moment before meeting Mara's gaze again, a lopsided grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'll… keep that in mind as long as you promise not to try to get me killed again." he replied with a goofy tone that made the dog-girl giggle.
“So all I need to do is spread my legs if I’m ever in need of your forgiveness?” Azelines voice rang out from behind him as the blond Elf woman emerged from the ship still rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.
With a mouth full of fried tubers, Bennett decided to chime in. “I told him his dick is going to eventually get him killed.” He said, beckoning the Ferfolks to place the other platters on a nearby box.
Bringing a hand up to press against his eyes, Elijah let out an annoyed groan before turning his attention towards the two. “Why do you have to make this weird?” He asked in exasperation. "It’s all about sincerity.”
Bennett snickered, shoving another tuber into his mouth. "Ah yes. You hear that Aze?” He continued in a mocking tone while elbowing Azeline in the ribs. “You need to put more effort in your apologies!"
Azeline smirked, her teasing nature starting to leak out. "Is that so? I guess I’ll make sure any future apologies come with… an appropriate amount of sincerity and effort." She said, striking a pose that was more satirical than seductive.
“Jesus Christ…” Elijah muttered under his breath while his two crewmates broke out into laughter. “I hate both of you.”
The laughter continued after successfully eliciting an annoyed response from their beleaguered captain. However, a quiet seemed to take over the deck as everyone's attention shifted towards the approaching Knight Captain. "So that's the type of man you are, Sir Eli-jah" Rhea remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll bear that in mind when you try to charm me with your honeyed words."
“Oh god damnit…” Elijah facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face as another roar of laughter erupted from everyone in the group.
Rhea’s hand was covering her mouth as she tried to suppress a chuckle. “A-Anyways…” She chortled. “We should be ready to sail any moment now, so make sure you’re all prepared for departure.” The woman said, walking off in the direction of the Helm while her shoulders shook in mirth.
Elijah just stood there for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where the hell is Auri?” He asked no one in particular, his frustration starting to show.
“A-Ahh… H-Hello.”
Recognizing the voice, Elijah looked up to see a petite woman with bright red hair looking up at him expectantly while holding onto a large burlap sack. Glad to see that he at least didn’t have to go hunting for the dainty woman, Elijah let loose a heavy breath of relief. “Alright, I’ll go tell Lady Rhea-” He tried to say, but Auri interrupted him.
Auri squirmed nervously before asking, "Umm… Should I be worried that you also have designs on me?"
“Oh for fucks sake!” Elijah threw his arms up and let them slap against his thighs in frustration as the rest of the crew barked in laughter. "Let’s just go already!”
Yana however, completely ignored the incessant bickering and Instead, she hungrily finished off one of the smaller platters of tubers and chomped down on the last tiny morsel on the wooden plate. Sighing Contentedly, the Fairy’s gaze fell upon Mara and her small group of Ferfolks as they said their goodbyes and disappeared from view. In their stead, the more fidgety whelping appeared, the one who always seemed to look at Ben and Eli with eager eyes. Although this man seemed far weaker than his sibling, he at least displayed a measure of reverence towards her servants.
Turning her head up towards the clear blue sky, Yana placed a hand on her tiny belly and sighed contentedly. She couldn't wait to see what other delightful mortal delicacies or fanciful experiences she would get to experience in the future.
[First] [Previous] [Next]
submitted by duddlered to HFY [link] [comments]
After a lot of progress on my story, I'm making changes to my Patreon and instead of reading 3 chapters ahead, you'll get access to 5.
Elijah Commission
Azeline Commission
The Little Menace
Worship Her
If you want to read 5 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon!
Support me by upvoting me or leaving a comment!
I also have the series uploaded to Royal Road, come leave a comment and give me a review by clicking HERE
Here's a map of where the area
Join my Discord!
[First] [Previous] [Next]
-
Bennett was dead asleep in his hammock when he was roused by hushed whispers and the sound of activity echoed throughout the room, seemingly amplified by its cramped space.
“Ben.” A voice called out.
As the engineer slowly opened a singular eye, he found himself struggling to make sense of the situation. A figure was just a few meters away from him, rifling through a bag when they turned around and faced him. However, Bennetts groggy state prevented him from fully discerning who or what was responsible for the disruption.
“Ben, wake up.” The voice called out one more time.
Scowling in irritation, Bennett chose to ignore the voice and flipped over, burying his face into the hammock's fabric. He was determined to get back to sleep, even as the voice grew more insistent and the room's activity continued.
“Ben, wake the fuck up!” The voice finally yelled.
Suddenly, Bennett found himself suspended in the air, his groggy state replaced with fear and anxiety as he was forcefully yanked out of his hammock. He tried to process what was happening, but before he could comprehend the situation, he felt the cold embrace of the hardwood floor.
THUD
“Argh! Fuck!” The Engineer groaned as he slowly lifted himself up off the ground. "You goddamn asshole!" Bennett snapped, his voice hoarse from the mixture of pain and anger.
Standing over Bennett with a cackling Fairy on his shoulder, Elijah decided he wasn’t going to wait for the stubborn man to get up on his own. "It's time to get up," Elijah said, turning around to continue sifting through his bag. "We got a lot of shit to do before we leave, and I can't afford to have you sleeping in."
Bennett’s glare shifted between his captain and his sadistic partner. "Fine, fine. I'm up," he grumbled, rubbing his sore back. He knew Elijah was right, but that didn't make the sudden wake-up call any less infuriating. Yana, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying Bennett's misery, her laughter ringing in his ears.
THUD
Pulling out his remaining Bioscanner, Elijah began running diagnostics on the device, ensuring it was in working order for when he delivered it to Salvanius. It was a trade that he was loathing, but it was a trade he would make 1000 times if given the chance to get the rest of their equipment back. Even if they only managed to find a quarter of their property, that was still a lot better than having nothing at all.
As the Bioscanner's display indicated the device was functioning optimally, Elijah let out a small depressed sigh and slid it into his pocket. "Alright, let's get this over with," he said, opening the door and stepping out into the dimly lit corridor. Bennett followed, still grumbling under his breath about the hostile work environment while shifting his stink eye at both Yana and Elijah.
THUD
“GOD DAMNIT!!” Bennett yelled, rubbing his head after hitting the top of the door frame.
He had completely forgotten how cramped everything was on this wooden death trap and how he had to crouch throughout the entire interior. Frustration and annoyance etched on his face, Bennett muttered a string of curses under his breath as he adjusted his posture to avoid the low ceilings and narrow passageways.
“Midgets…” The Engineer sneered as he heard Elijah snicker father up ahead.
It only took a few moments for Elijah and Bennett to reach the deck, and there they observed Rhea efficiently issuing orders to the ship's sailors. Her authoritative voice rang out over the hustle and bustle of the ship’s crew, who were quickly scurrying about, securing ropes and checking supplies. What really caught their attention, though, was Rhea was finally out of her armor.
Adorned in a faded white linen long-sleeved shirt, Rhea left her chest straps slightly undone, revealing a hint of her modest, but alluring cleavage. The Knight Captain’s slim, athletic figure was displayed in stark contrast to the thick padding underneath the metal armor she normally wore. To accentuate her figure, the tight brown linen pants she wore hugged her humbly, but satisfyingly shapely curves and seamlessly tucked into her leather boots. The outfit, deceptively sultry, effortlessly exuded a sense of casual confidence and undeniable charm.
Turning her head slight, the Knight Captain finally noticed the two Humans and acknowledged them with a nod. “Good morning Sir Elijah, Sir Bennett and…” She made a difficult face when her eyes locked onto Yana.
“Your Honor will do!” The Fairy said in a chipper voice, crossing her legs. “I am both a Goddess and a confirmed Eternal Judge of the Fae courts!”
Rhea’s expression turned sour for a moment, but decided it was best not to engage any further with the mischievous Vanir. "Very well, good morning Your Honor," Rhea replied, forcing a polite smile. "We're running a bit late, but we should be ready to set sail in just a few hours.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow at the small fairy at the mention of being a confirmed judge, but shifted his attention back towards Rhea and nodded in understanding. "We'll be ready whenever you are," he said with his eyes traveling up her entire figure attire before refocusing on her face. "Just give us the signal when it's time to set sail." .
“I’m assuming the northern woman is still asleep?” The Knight Captain asked, tilting her head curiously.
Seeing her long elf ears bounce up and down seemed to be the final straw for Elijah, as an unbidden and almost adolescent fascination welled up within him. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his composure before replying. "Uh, yeah, she’s still asleep," Elijah finally responded, exhaling deeply. "We’ve been up for almost 36 hours, so I think it's best to let her rest for a while longer." he replied, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite the lingering fascination with her elf ears.
Bennett narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he regarded his captain with a disgusted look. "Can you control yourself?" he asked with a judgmental tone.
Also noticing Elijah’s basically ogling her, Rhea couldn't help but laugh at the exchange while running a hand through her hair. "I'm glad to see at least someone finds me attractive," she said, her cheeks tinted with a slight blush. Elijah cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of dignity as he shifted his gaze away from her.
"Ah... My apologies, Lady Rhea, but I was caught off guard," Elijah said, giving her a genuine smile. "I wasn’t prepared for the famed Knight Captain to be so beautiful out of her armor. It's a pleasant surprise, to say the least."
Rhea found herself momentarily speechless as her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, let alone being called beautiful by someone as striking as Elijah. A small, bashful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she looked down to hide her embarrassment. "Well… I, um… Thank you, Sir Elijah.” she managed to say, her voice uncharacteristically timid. “I appreciate the kind words."
Noticing the usually confident and stern Knight Captain was completely flustered, Elijah knew she was on the backfoot and went for blood. “You’re more than welcome Lady Rhea,” he responded, bowing his head. “I was just saying it how I see it—”
"Yana, zap him!" Bennett ordered, sensing that Elijah was about to push his luck too far.
The mischievous fairy didn't hesitate, and with a magical pop, she immediately shifted forms, transforming the fiery inferno atop her head into a flowing teal, wind that cascaded past her shoulders. After her transformation, a maniacal grin spread across her face as she clutched two fistfuls of Elijah's hair.
“AHH FUCK!” Elijah yelped in pain.
A light chuckle escaped Rhea's lips as she watched the scene play out before her, momentarily pushing aside her embarrassment and wariness of the group. Their playful antics, though unprofessional, stirred a sense of lighthearted camaraderie she hadn't experienced in years. The thrill of exploring the unknown alongside trusted friends had been lost to her ever since she joined Salvanius' Order. The organization's rigid structure and hierarchy had dampened her once-adventurous spirit, and witnessing Elijah's crew sparked a touch of envy within her.
Yana, still grinning mischievously, finally released her grip on Elijah's hair. The man, now fuming with anger, made a hasty attempt to snatch her out of the air, but the nimble fairy easily dodged his grasp, giggling all the while.
"I'm going to kill the both of you!" Elijah yelled, glaring at both Yana and Bennett. His frustration only caused more laughter from the fairy and an amused smirk from Bennett, who crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing.
"Come now, Sir Elijah, there's no need for violence," Rhea interjected while covering her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her own laughter. "I'm sure you can find it in your heart to forgive their little prank.” She continued, adjusting her hair that was flowing in the wind. “We’re going to spend a few long days sailing if we’re going to catch up with them, after all.”
Glancing back at her crew, Rhea's face returned to its usual stern expression when she noticed the sailors gawking and whispering amongst themselves. It was evident that her momentary display of mirth had taken them by surprise, as they rarely saw their Knight Captain in such a lighthearted state.
"What in the name of Tylas are you all gawking at!?" She roared, placing her hands firmly on her hips “GET BACK TO WORK!”
Rhea's eyes narrowed as the scrambling crew members hastily returned to their tasks, their faces pale with fear. The ship's atmosphere instantly shifted back to its usual disciplined state as the sailors focused on their duties, aware that their Knight Captain's gaze was upon them.
Elijah let out an annoyed sigh in the realization that he was probably never going to catch that little psychopath and shifted his gaze to Bennett. “I’m gonna get you.” He hissed hatefully. “Mark my words, you piece of shit.” However, Bennett merely smirked in response, clearly unfazed by his captain's threats.
Just as Elijah was about to ask the Knight Captain about the whereabouts of her liege, the man himself appeared on deck. Salvanius came sauntering up the planks that connected the ship to the docks, his imposing figure drawing the attention of everyone present.
"It's quite rare to hear you so jovial, Rhea," the Demigod remarked, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Rhea, slightly taken aback by her liege's observation, straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
"My apologies, your grace," she replied respectfully, attempting to regain her usual composure. "I shall see to it that this Cog is ready to depart, post haste."
Salvanius waved a dismissive hand, his expression softening slightly. "There's no need to apologize, Rhea. It's good to see you enjoying yourself, even if just for a moment. However, you are correct; our guest would most likely appreciate departing as soon as possible."
With that, Rhea nodded and began barking orders to her crew, ensuring that everything was in order for their imminent departure.
Turning to his guests, Salvanius addressed them with an air of authority. "I assume you two have the magical tool..." He paused, recalling the events that transpired the previous day. "I mean, the tool. Is it ready?"
The two Human’s exchanged glances before Elijah stepped forward, pulling out the bioscanner from his pocket. "You’re not going to be able to understand it, but I’ve configured it in a way where you can still get a lot of functionality without having to read." he explained, holding the device out for Salvanius to see.
Time flew as Elijah went into an in depth explanation of the bioscanner's functions and features. He walked Salvanius through everything all the way from disease diagnosis to health monitoring and treatments. With each new feature the human listed seemed to make Salvanius’ jaw drop lower and lower until he found himself looking like a fool.
"And finally, if a red tube with a bolt of lightning ever just starts flashing, all you have to do is flip it over so these panels face the star and just wait," Elijah explained, pointing at the bright orb in the morning sky as he showed the Demigod the solar panels. "It's designed to recharge itself using starlight, so you'll never have to worry about finding a power source."
Salvanius' eyes widened even further, if that were possible. "Astounding," he breathed, clearly impressed. "And you’re just willing to give this to me…?"
“Eh.” Elijah shrugged dismissively. “I have augments- I mean I can already do most of that stuff other than a few things, so it’s mainly just redundant fail safe incase I’m away or dead.”
A complicated expression spread across Salvanius' face as Elijah mentioned that the device was merely a redundancy measure in case of his absence. Suddenly the prospect of having this man as a retainer became much, MUCH more appealing. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted when the Vanir made its appearance by landing squarely on Elijah’s shoulder while glaring daggers at the Demigod.
Salvanius met Yana's gaze and sighed, dispelling the intrusive and dishonorable thoughts of taking these Artificers for himself.
“I understand.” The demigod said, turning his focus back to Elijah. “The Holy Dominion will not forget this grace you’ve bestowed upon us.” He gave a grateful nod before spinning around and heading towards the dock.
However, he soon came to a halt as his eyes fell upon a group of women arguing with his knights at the ramp leading to the ship. The women seemed intent on gaining access to the ship, their arms laden with various items, including several sizable platters of food.
“W-Wait! I-I was instructed to board!” A slim and fearful redhead said, holding a large burlap sack.
Something felt… Off about her.
It was almost as if Salvanius could recognize the woman, even though he was fairly certain he hadn't met her before. Then again, he had met a great number of people in this damned village, but his instincts kept nudging him to take a closer look. But his thoughts were interrupted when he recognized the Beastkin woman and the gaggle of Ferfolk slaves next to her.
"What do ye mean we ain't allowed entry!? I gotta deliver me gratitude before it's too late!" the dog-like woman bellowed, her voice full of frustration and urgency.
An amused huff left Salvanius’ mouth before looking over his shoulder. “I do believe you have guests.” The Demigod said before making his way down the plank.
“Let them through.” He said to his knights, waving his hand dismissively as he walked past the group.
The knights obeyed without hesitation and stepped aside allowing the gaggle of women to board the ship. "Thank ye, yer grace," The dog-like woman bowed deeply before her and the Ferfolk ran up the ramp.
As Elijah approached at the edge of the ship , confusion spread across his face as Mara suddenly appeared with her renowned tubers in hand. The woman stopped a good distance away, staring intently at the man, attempting to gauge his reaction and determine whether he would be receptive to her presence. Seeing he was just staring at her impassively, Mara gathered her courage, and stepped forward with a warm smile.
"I... I wanted to give ye this as a token of me gratitude…” She said shyly. “Ye know, for everything ye done for us."
Elijah's eyes flicked between Mara and the tubers, his confusion slowly melting away into a wry smile as he flicked his hand in a beckoning motion. The action caused Mara’s Shyness to completely dissipate as she bounded forward and handed him the tubers with enthusiasm. "You really didn't have to, but thank you," Elijah said, accepting the gift.
Mara beamed at his response, clearly relieved. "It's the least I could do!” She said, with her tail wagging vigorously. “I couldn’t bear the thought of not makin’ amends with ye.”
Turning around, Elijah handed this plate of tubers to the salivating Engineer and watched as Yana bolted off his shoulder in an attempt to attack the pile of food. Shaking his head, Elijah turned back to Mara and the group of women with a bemused expression. "Hopefully they’ll leave me some," he commented.
“Ye can always come back and get more.” Mara replied with a coy. “I’ll let ye have all the service ye want.”
A chuckle escaped Elijah’s mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. "I might just take you up on that," he said with a smirk. "Your food isn’t the only thing I’m going to miss."
Mara's cheeks flushed deeply at Elijah's reply, her tail wagging even faster as she tried to play it cool. "Well, I'll be sure to make myself available whenever ye are in need of some company," she replied, propping up her supple chest.
Elijah couldn't help but let his eyes wander for a moment before meeting Mara's gaze again, a lopsided grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'll… keep that in mind as long as you promise not to try to get me killed again." he replied with a goofy tone that made the dog-girl giggle.
“So all I need to do is spread my legs if I’m ever in need of your forgiveness?” Azelines voice rang out from behind him as the blond Elf woman emerged from the ship still rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.
With a mouth full of fried tubers, Bennett decided to chime in. “I told him his dick is going to eventually get him killed.” He said, beckoning the Ferfolks to place the other platters on a nearby box.
Bringing a hand up to press against his eyes, Elijah let out an annoyed groan before turning his attention towards the two. “Why do you have to make this weird?” He asked in exasperation. "It’s all about sincerity.”
Bennett snickered, shoving another tuber into his mouth. "Ah yes. You hear that Aze?” He continued in a mocking tone while elbowing Azeline in the ribs. “You need to put more effort in your apologies!"
Azeline smirked, her teasing nature starting to leak out. "Is that so? I guess I’ll make sure any future apologies come with… an appropriate amount of sincerity and effort." She said, striking a pose that was more satirical than seductive.
“Jesus Christ…” Elijah muttered under his breath while his two crewmates broke out into laughter. “I hate both of you.”
The laughter continued after successfully eliciting an annoyed response from their beleaguered captain. However, a quiet seemed to take over the deck as everyone's attention shifted towards the approaching Knight Captain. "So that's the type of man you are, Sir Eli-jah" Rhea remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll bear that in mind when you try to charm me with your honeyed words."
“Oh god damnit…” Elijah facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face as another roar of laughter erupted from everyone in the group.
Rhea’s hand was covering her mouth as she tried to suppress a chuckle. “A-Anyways…” She chortled. “We should be ready to sail any moment now, so make sure you’re all prepared for departure.” The woman said, walking off in the direction of the Helm while her shoulders shook in mirth.
Elijah just stood there for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where the hell is Auri?” He asked no one in particular, his frustration starting to show.
“A-Ahh… H-Hello.”
Recognizing the voice, Elijah looked up to see a petite woman with bright red hair looking up at him expectantly while holding onto a large burlap sack. Glad to see that he at least didn’t have to go hunting for the dainty woman, Elijah let loose a heavy breath of relief. “Alright, I’ll go tell Lady Rhea-” He tried to say, but Auri interrupted him.
Auri squirmed nervously before asking, "Umm… Should I be worried that you also have designs on me?"
“Oh for fucks sake!” Elijah threw his arms up and let them slap against his thighs in frustration as the rest of the crew barked in laughter. "Let’s just go already!”
Yana however, completely ignored the incessant bickering and Instead, she hungrily finished off one of the smaller platters of tubers and chomped down on the last tiny morsel on the wooden plate. Sighing Contentedly, the Fairy’s gaze fell upon Mara and her small group of Ferfolks as they said their goodbyes and disappeared from view. In their stead, the more fidgety whelping appeared, the one who always seemed to look at Ben and Eli with eager eyes. Although this man seemed far weaker than his sibling, he at least displayed a measure of reverence towards her servants.
Turning her head up towards the clear blue sky, Yana placed a hand on her tiny belly and sighed contentedly. She couldn't wait to see what other delightful mortal delicacies or fanciful experiences she would get to experience in the future.
[First] [Previous] [Next]
2023.06.08 09:33 albertchessaofficial One Last Summer Game Fest 2023 season (all of June) Predictions and Hopes List! (Very Exhaustive) 190 Games
IO's 007 game
A Quiet Place Game
Alien: Isolation 2
Alter Echo
Ark II
Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon
ASOIAF: House of the Dragon
Avowed
Banjo 3
Banner Saga
Barsoom
Bend Studio
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Bioshock 4
Black Myth: Wukong
Blood Lines 2
Bloodborne 2
BluePoint's new game
BlueTwelve's new game
Bo Burnham game
Brutal Legend 2
Castlevania
Castlevania [Project Zirion]
Cats [RPG]
Conker 2
Cyberpunk 2 [Orion]
Dark Souls 4
DC: Batman RPG
DC: Superman RPG
DC: Wonder Woman RPG
Death Stranding 2
Destiny 3
Destiny 3rd person RPG
Devil May Cry 6
Diddy Kong Racing 2
Dino Crisis
Dinotopia
Dishonored 3
Doctor Who
Double Fine
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Dragonball Z: Roshi
Dragon's Dogma 2
Dune: Awakening
Ecumene Aztec
Elden Ring 2
Ember Labs
Evangelion
Everwild
Fable 4
Fallout 5
Final Fantasy IX remake
From Software
Gargoyles
Gears of War 6
GenDesign new game
Ghibli: Howl's Moving Castle RPG
Ghibli: Princess Mononoke RPG
Ghibli: Spirited Away RPG
Ghost of a Tale 2
Ghost of Tsushima 2
Ghouls and Ghosts
God of War 5
Gorburger game
GTA 6
Half-Life 3
Halo 7
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
Haven
Hellblade 2
Hellboy: Web of Wyrd
His Dark Materials RPG
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Horizon 3
Housemarque new game
Indigenous African RPG
Indigenous American RPG
Indigenous Australian RPG
Jade Empire 2
Jet Force Gemini 2
John Wick
John Wick RPG
Jurassic FPS
Jurassic RPG
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kromlech
Legacy of Kain
Logan's Run [FPS]
LOTR: MMO
LOTR: Weta's game
Mad Max RPG
Mario Odyssey sequel
Marvel: Hennig
Marvel: Nightcrawler
Marvel: Wolverine
Mass Effect 5
Mastodon
Mat Hoffman's BMX 3
MediEvil 3
Mega64 [FMV]
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 3: Delta
Metro 4
Metroid 4
Mighty Boosh RPG
Monster Hunter World 2
Monsterverse RPG
Monsterverse fighting game
Monty Python RPG
Mortal Kombat RPG
Naughty Dog
Ni No Kuni III
Oddworld
Oddworld 3
Pacific Rim RPG
Pandemonium Remake
Perfect Dark
Pern RPG
Pirates [RPG]
Planet of the Apes RPG
Playdead new game
Portal 3
Power Rangers
Prince of Persia
Project Midnight
Red Dead Redemption 3
Remedy
Resident Evil 9
Santa Monica
Sekiro 2
Seuss (RPG)
Silent Hill 9
Siphon Filter
Skate
Sleep: Dragonaut Rising (stoner band RPG)
Soul Calibur 7
Splinter Cell
Stalker 2
Star Wars: Eclipse
Star Wars: Explorer
Star Wars: FPS
Star Wars: Hennig
Star Wars: KOTOR Remake
Star Wars: Racer
Star Wars: RPG [Project Helix]
Star Wars: RTS
Staten's new game [Netflix]
Stoic Studio
Stranger Things [RPG]
Street Sharks
Striking Distance
Sword of the Sea (release date)
Tekken 8
Temeraire
Tenchu 5
The Borrowers
The Elder Scrolls 6
The Fifth Element
The Last of Us: Online
The Last of Us: Part III
The Legend of Ochi
The Matrix RPG
The Neverending Story
The Order [prequel]
The Order: 1887
The Sword: Warp Riders
The Time Machine
The Witcher [Polaris]
Tim Burton
Tim Burton Wednesday RPG
TMNT: The Last Ronin
Tomb Raider
Tony Hawk 3/4 Remake
Tony Hawk 6
Towers of Aghasba (release date)
Tsushima 2
Uncharted 5
Unholy Wars
Unseen
Vagrant Story 2
Vampire: The Masquerade 2
Vikings on Trampolines
Watch Dogs 4
Wayne's World game
Wes Borland RPG
Wild (back from the dead)
Wipeout remake
Wishlist:
Wizarding: Auror
Wolfenstein 3
submitted by albertchessaofficial to kindafunny [link] [comments]
A Quiet Place Game
Alien: Isolation 2
Alter Echo
Ark II
Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon
ASOIAF: House of the Dragon
Avowed
Banjo 3
Banner Saga
Barsoom
Bend Studio
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Bioshock 4
Black Myth: Wukong
Blood Lines 2
Bloodborne 2
BluePoint's new game
BlueTwelve's new game
Bo Burnham game
Brutal Legend 2
Castlevania
Castlevania [Project Zirion]
Cats [RPG]
Conker 2
Cyberpunk 2 [Orion]
Dark Souls 4
DC: Batman RPG
DC: Superman RPG
DC: Wonder Woman RPG
Death Stranding 2
Destiny 3
Destiny 3rd person RPG
Devil May Cry 6
Diddy Kong Racing 2
Dino Crisis
Dinotopia
Dishonored 3
Doctor Who
Double Fine
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Dragonball Z: Roshi
Dragon's Dogma 2
Dune: Awakening
Ecumene Aztec
Elden Ring 2
Ember Labs
Evangelion
Everwild
Fable 4
Fallout 5
Final Fantasy IX remake
From Software
Gargoyles
Gears of War 6
GenDesign new game
Ghibli: Howl's Moving Castle RPG
Ghibli: Princess Mononoke RPG
Ghibli: Spirited Away RPG
Ghost of a Tale 2
Ghost of Tsushima 2
Ghouls and Ghosts
God of War 5
Gorburger game
GTA 6
Half-Life 3
Halo 7
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
Haven
Hellblade 2
Hellboy: Web of Wyrd
His Dark Materials RPG
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Horizon 3
Housemarque new game
Indigenous African RPG
Indigenous American RPG
Indigenous Australian RPG
Jade Empire 2
Jet Force Gemini 2
John Wick
John Wick RPG
Jurassic FPS
Jurassic RPG
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kromlech
Legacy of Kain
Logan's Run [FPS]
LOTR: MMO
LOTR: Weta's game
Mad Max RPG
Mario Odyssey sequel
Marvel: Hennig
Marvel: Nightcrawler
Marvel: Wolverine
Mass Effect 5
Mastodon
Mat Hoffman's BMX 3
MediEvil 3
Mega64 [FMV]
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 3: Delta
Metro 4
Metroid 4
Mighty Boosh RPG
Monster Hunter World 2
Monsterverse RPG
Monsterverse fighting game
Monty Python RPG
Mortal Kombat RPG
Naughty Dog
Ni No Kuni III
Oddworld
Oddworld 3
Pacific Rim RPG
Pandemonium Remake
Perfect Dark
Pern RPG
Pirates [RPG]
Planet of the Apes RPG
Playdead new game
Portal 3
Power Rangers
Prince of Persia
Project Midnight
Red Dead Redemption 3
Remedy
Resident Evil 9
Santa Monica
Sekiro 2
Seuss (RPG)
Silent Hill 9
Siphon Filter
Skate
Sleep: Dragonaut Rising (stoner band RPG)
Soul Calibur 7
Splinter Cell
Stalker 2
Star Wars: Eclipse
Star Wars: Explorer
Star Wars: FPS
Star Wars: Hennig
Star Wars: KOTOR Remake
Star Wars: Racer
Star Wars: RPG [Project Helix]
Star Wars: RTS
Staten's new game [Netflix]
Stoic Studio
Stranger Things [RPG]
Street Sharks
Striking Distance
Sword of the Sea (release date)
Tekken 8
Temeraire
Tenchu 5
The Borrowers
The Elder Scrolls 6
The Fifth Element
The Last of Us: Online
The Last of Us: Part III
The Legend of Ochi
The Matrix RPG
The Neverending Story
The Order [prequel]
The Order: 1887
The Sword: Warp Riders
The Time Machine
The Witcher [Polaris]
Tim Burton
Tim Burton Wednesday RPG
TMNT: The Last Ronin
Tomb Raider
Tony Hawk 3/4 Remake
Tony Hawk 6
Towers of Aghasba (release date)
Tsushima 2
Uncharted 5
Unholy Wars
Unseen
Vagrant Story 2
Vampire: The Masquerade 2
Vikings on Trampolines
Watch Dogs 4
Wayne's World game
Wes Borland RPG
Wild (back from the dead)
Wipeout remake
Wishlist:
Wizarding: Auror
Wolfenstein 3
2023.06.08 08:56 Swampy_Waters_222 GROUP ROLE PLAY REQUEST
NSFW Advanced literate group role play, though I care more about effort put in. This world I have built is a 18+ bloodbath of anything you could ever want, and character creation is only limited to the requirements of one of the three known intelligent life forms. Here are some other things about it, if this interests you at all let me know and we can start up a side role play to test your skills and ability to adapt.
Look up. You may not see it, but somewhere up there is the planet I am about to describe to you so listen closely. Long ago, when Styea was nothing more than an empty rock of teal-green waters and dusty gray-teal skies filled with red ashes, this land was blessed with two simultaneous one celled organisms. The first one, now known as Delatope, was low in the cold, dark waters of the poles while the other, known as Milatope, burned between the twin peak volcanoes. These two seeds of life grew into beautiful trees of complex creatures, both completely different from one another, the only thing they share in common is the land they call home. Thousands of years later, life has developed two intelligent races, one from each tree. The Milatope tree created the Madus race, they are strong and believe in the power that comes with strength of the body. They can fight back anything thrown their way. On the other hand, the Delatope tree created the Tillia, a race of schemers who are smart and can easily trick the hard headed Madus.. The two races refused to get along, and for better or for worse, the two started a seemingly never ending war. As the war continued on, thousands were lost on both sides but the end was nowhere in sight. The Tillia have the mind to make complex traps, and the Madus have the strength to burst through them. Amongst the bloodshed, some from both sides decided that the battle was pointless and soon decided to leave the battlefield.. Soon after was the birth of the third form of intelligence. Gorix. When the word spread, no one knew what to do with this information and the Tillia took the hesitation to their advantage, quickly fleeing to their ice caps to build thick walls to hide behind. Seeing the fight has ended, the few Madus retreated into the hidden corners of the world. Fast forward a few hundred years and the Gorix now spans more of the planet than the other two pure bloods combined. The Gorix like to call this an age of exploration and expansion, but the pure blooded races are still on the edge of their seats, itching for war. NOW! Walking down the bustling streets of the cities, it’s easy to note the lack of government, but the life energy is strong! This world is complex, dangerous and the explorations that await you may be never ending~! Not all good can last forever though, soon bringing a new form of fighting to everyone's mind. Born in Laopok as a Madus mutt, Magdalena is widely known to be a warrior with few losses, even throughout her childhood the rumors do her good, striking fear into the hearts of the people that hear her name. As an adult She married a Tillia leaning Gorix named Theodore and built a wall around her castle known as the Crinudel. From here she ruled over her people, ever expanding her rain of fear. She had only one child and of course raised him to be the warrior she is, but he was always an oddball. Born in the same, bigger city of Lokeah, the neighboring cities saw him much more than his birth land. As a child he wished only to explore, and not to fight, though he definitely was good at it. Sometime around here the world started becoming obsessed with the Crinudel, waiting for the next news with impatience. Then, at her son’s 15’th, the gates were opened for a party, showing off her son’s golden implants over his horns. This is when the world found out both Madalena’s son’s name as well as Theodor’s son. Keegan and his half brother Ezra. Keegan showed the impression of being strong and kind with a lot of presence while the other seemed quite meek, his gray skin allowing him to fall into his brother’s fiery shadow. As far as the country knows, suddenly Magdalena banished Keegan for unknown reasons, a suspected lover has been rumored, as well as a relatives death being placed on his head, but no rumors were ever proven. It’s been around five years now where no one has heard from Keegan, and his family has gone quiet.
submitted by Swampy_Waters_222 to RedditRolePlay [link] [comments]
Look up. You may not see it, but somewhere up there is the planet I am about to describe to you so listen closely. Long ago, when Styea was nothing more than an empty rock of teal-green waters and dusty gray-teal skies filled with red ashes, this land was blessed with two simultaneous one celled organisms. The first one, now known as Delatope, was low in the cold, dark waters of the poles while the other, known as Milatope, burned between the twin peak volcanoes. These two seeds of life grew into beautiful trees of complex creatures, both completely different from one another, the only thing they share in common is the land they call home. Thousands of years later, life has developed two intelligent races, one from each tree. The Milatope tree created the Madus race, they are strong and believe in the power that comes with strength of the body. They can fight back anything thrown their way. On the other hand, the Delatope tree created the Tillia, a race of schemers who are smart and can easily trick the hard headed Madus.. The two races refused to get along, and for better or for worse, the two started a seemingly never ending war. As the war continued on, thousands were lost on both sides but the end was nowhere in sight. The Tillia have the mind to make complex traps, and the Madus have the strength to burst through them. Amongst the bloodshed, some from both sides decided that the battle was pointless and soon decided to leave the battlefield.. Soon after was the birth of the third form of intelligence. Gorix. When the word spread, no one knew what to do with this information and the Tillia took the hesitation to their advantage, quickly fleeing to their ice caps to build thick walls to hide behind. Seeing the fight has ended, the few Madus retreated into the hidden corners of the world. Fast forward a few hundred years and the Gorix now spans more of the planet than the other two pure bloods combined. The Gorix like to call this an age of exploration and expansion, but the pure blooded races are still on the edge of their seats, itching for war. NOW! Walking down the bustling streets of the cities, it’s easy to note the lack of government, but the life energy is strong! This world is complex, dangerous and the explorations that await you may be never ending~! Not all good can last forever though, soon bringing a new form of fighting to everyone's mind. Born in Laopok as a Madus mutt, Magdalena is widely known to be a warrior with few losses, even throughout her childhood the rumors do her good, striking fear into the hearts of the people that hear her name. As an adult She married a Tillia leaning Gorix named Theodore and built a wall around her castle known as the Crinudel. From here she ruled over her people, ever expanding her rain of fear. She had only one child and of course raised him to be the warrior she is, but he was always an oddball. Born in the same, bigger city of Lokeah, the neighboring cities saw him much more than his birth land. As a child he wished only to explore, and not to fight, though he definitely was good at it. Sometime around here the world started becoming obsessed with the Crinudel, waiting for the next news with impatience. Then, at her son’s 15’th, the gates were opened for a party, showing off her son’s golden implants over his horns. This is when the world found out both Madalena’s son’s name as well as Theodor’s son. Keegan and his half brother Ezra. Keegan showed the impression of being strong and kind with a lot of presence while the other seemed quite meek, his gray skin allowing him to fall into his brother’s fiery shadow. As far as the country knows, suddenly Magdalena banished Keegan for unknown reasons, a suspected lover has been rumored, as well as a relatives death being placed on his head, but no rumors were ever proven. It’s been around five years now where no one has heard from Keegan, and his family has gone quiet.
2023.06.08 08:55 Swampy_Waters_222 GROUP ROLR PLAY REQUEST
 | NSFW Advanced literate group role play, though I care more about effort put in. This world I have built is a 18+ bloodbath of anything you could ever want, and character creation is only limited to the requirements of one of the three known intelligent life forms. Here are some other things about it, if this interests you at all let me know and we can start up a side role play to test your skills and ability to adapt. submitted by Swampy_Waters_222 to PlayRole [link] [comments] Look up. You may not see it, but somewhere up there is the planet I am about to describe to you so listen closely. Long ago, when Styea was nothing more than an empty rock of teal-green waters and dusty gray-teal skies filled with red ashes, this land was blessed with two simultaneous one celled organisms. The first one, now known as Delatope, was low in the cold, dark waters of the poles while the other, known as Milatope, burned between the twin peak volcanoes. These two seeds of life grew into beautiful trees of complex creatures, both completely different from one another, the only thing they share in common is the land they call home. Thousands of years later, life has developed two intelligent races, one from each tree. The Milatope tree created the Madus race, they are strong and believe in the power that comes with strength of the body. They can fight back anything thrown their way. On the other hand, the Delatope tree created the Tillia, a race of schemers who are smart and can easily trick the hard headed Madus.. The two races refused to get along, and for better or for worse, the two started a seemingly never ending war. As the war continued on, thousands were lost on both sides but the end was nowhere in sight. The Tillia have the mind to make complex traps, and the Madus have the strength to burst through them. Amongst the bloodshed, some from both sides decided that the battle was pointless and soon decided to leave the battlefield.. Soon after was the birth of the third form of intelligence. Gorix. When the word spread, no one knew what to do with this information and the Tillia took the hesitation to their advantage, quickly fleeing to their ice caps to build thick walls to hide behind. Seeing the fight has ended, the few Madus retreated into the hidden corners of the world. Fast forward a few hundred years and the Gorix now spans more of the planet than the other two pure bloods combined. The Gorix like to call this an age of exploration and expansion, but the pure blooded races are still on the edge of their seats, itching for war. NOW! Walking down the bustling streets of the cities, it’s easy to note the lack of government, but the life energy is strong! This world is complex, dangerous and the explorations that await you may be never ending~! Not all good can last forever though, soon bringing a new form of fighting to everyone's mind. Born in Laopok as a Madus mutt, Magdalena is widely known to be a warrior with few losses, even throughout her childhood the rumors do her good, striking fear into the hearts of the people that hear her name. As an adult She married a Tillia leaning Gorix named Theodore and built a wall around her castle known as the Crinudel. From here she ruled over her people, ever expanding her rain of fear. She had only one child and of course raised him to be the warrior she is, but he was always an oddball. Born in the same, bigger city of Lokeah, the neighboring cities saw him much more than his birth land. As a child he wished only to explore, and not to fight, though he definitely was good at it. Sometime around here the world started becoming obsessed with the Crinudel, waiting for the next news with impatience. Then, at her son’s 15’th, the gates were opened for a party, showing off her son’s golden implants over his horns. This is when the world found out both Madalena’s son’s name as well as Theodor’s son. Keegan and his half brother Ezra. Keegan showed the impression of being strong and kind with a lot of presence while the other seemed quite meek, his gray skin allowing him to fall into his brother’s fiery shadow. As far as the country knows, suddenly Magdalena banished Keegan for unknown reasons, a suspected lover has been rumored, as well as a relatives death being placed on his head, but no rumors were ever proven. It’s been around five years now where no one has heard from Keegan, and his family has gone quiet. |
2023.06.08 08:48 Swampy_Waters_222 Group Role play Request
 | NSFW Advanced literate group role play, though I care more about effort put in. This world I have built is a 18+ bloodbath of anything you could ever want, and character creation is only limited to the requirements of one of the three known intelligent life forms. Here are some other things about it, if this interests you at all let me know and we can start up a side role play to test your skills and ability to adapt. submitted by Swampy_Waters_222 to roleplaygroup [link] [comments] Look up. You may not see it, but somewhere up there is the planet I am about to describe to you so listen closely. Long ago, when Styea was nothing more than an empty rock of teal-green waters and dusty gray-teal skies filled with red ashes, this land was blessed with two simultaneous one celled organisms. The first one, now known as Delatope, was low in the cold, dark waters of the poles while the other, known as Milatope, burned between the twin peak volcanoes. These two seeds of life grew into beautiful trees of complex creatures, both completely different from one another, the only thing they share in common is the land they call home. Thousands of years later, life has developed two intelligent races, one from each tree. The Milatope tree created the Madus race, they are strong and believe in the power that comes with strength of the body. They can fight back anything thrown their way. On the other hand, the Delatope tree created the Tillia, a race of schemers who are smart and can easily trick the hard headed Madus.. The two races refused to get along, and for better or for worse, the two started a seemingly never ending war. As the war continued on, thousands were lost on both sides but the end was nowhere in sight. The Tillia have the mind to make complex traps, and the Madus have the strength to burst through them. Amongst the bloodshed, some from both sides decided that the battle was pointless and soon decided to leave the battlefield.. Soon after was the birth of the third form of intelligence. Gorix. When the word spread, no one knew what to do with this information and the Tillia took the hesitation to their advantage, quickly fleeing to their ice caps to build thick walls to hide behind. Seeing the fight has ended, the few Madus retreated into the hidden corners of the world. Fast forward a few hundred years and the Gorix now spans more of the planet than the other two pure bloods combined. The Gorix like to call this an age of exploration and expansion, but the pure blooded races are still on the edge of their seats, itching for war. NOW! Walking down the bustling streets of the cities, it’s easy to note the lack of government, but the life energy is strong! This world is complex, dangerous and the explorations that await you may be never ending~! Not all good can last forever though, soon bringing a new form of fighting to everyone's mind. Born in Laopok as a Madus mutt, Magdalena is widely known to be a warrior with few losses, even throughout her childhood the rumors do her good, striking fear into the hearts of the people that hear her name. As an adult She married a Tillia leaning Gorix named Theodore and built a wall around her castle known as the Crinudel. From here she ruled over her people, ever expanding her rain of fear. She had only one child and of course raised him to be the warrior she is, but he was always an oddball. Born in the same, bigger city of Lokeah, the neighboring cities saw him much more than his birth land. As a child he wished only to explore, and not to fight, though he definitely was good at it. Sometime around here the world started becoming obsessed with the Crinudel, waiting for the next news with impatience. Then, at her son’s 15’th, the gates were opened for a party, showing off her son’s golden implants over his horns. This is when the world found out both Madalena’s son’s name as well as Theodor’s son. Keegan and his half brother Ezra. Keegan showed the impression of being strong and kind with a lot of presence while the other seemed quite meek, his gray skin allowing him to fall into his brother’s fiery shadow. As far as the country knows, suddenly Magdalena banished Keegan for unknown reasons, a suspected lover has been rumored, as well as a relatives death being placed on his head, but no rumors were ever proven. It’s been around five years now where no one has heard from Keegan, and his family has gone quiet. |
2023.06.08 08:46 VexTrooper Terran Contact 27 - Lassus System - Final
First Prev
>>Lassus System, Orbit of Lasu, Lassus Station, Early 2670
>Vice Admiral Wolf, TRSC Sword of Reckoning, 7th Fleet
"Sir," Minerva said, reporting to her commanding officer, "Friendly forces have been successful in the eradication of the enemy threat."
"What of the data?" he responded, monitoring the digital field presented on the holo-table.
"En route," she replied, "They are currently engaging the ground element."
"In vacuum?" Wolf replied, surprise apparent in his tone.
"Yes sir," She enlarged the section of a docking tube that was violently torn apart by way of explosive, "By joining themselves, they extended their reach toward the raiders thrown by the explosion."
An indicator of a ship made its way to a beacon labeled as 'Raptor 4-4' and 'Raptor 4-5', both colored red with the word 'DECEASED' labeled above them.
After several moments, when the ship overlapped with Raptor '4-4', the ship in question reported to command.
"This is Lighthouse, we have the package. Returning to base."
Randal acknowledged the report in Wolf's stead and turned to him.
"What do you make of this enemy?" he inquired, "Do you think they've developed our level of AI?"
"It's not out of the realm of possibility, but currently, I find it highly unlikely," said Wolf.
"How so?" Randal replied.
"First off, we've delved into their systems before Lassus, in the Verbus System. They don't utilize even the most rudimentary forms of AI," explained Wolf, "It's all just hard-coded protocols, much like in the late 20th century when robotics was first introduced."
From city functions to ship systems, most of the TRSC currently utilize simple AI like the former Lumi to man engine operations and gun targeting systems. Since space was so vast, a human controller could do so much against an enemy in space, and so those tasks were relegated to simple AIs. However, ship-born AI took control over their simple variants like an overseer, with the Ship-Born retaining a personality of sorts.
"It's no wonder Minerva wreaked such havoc on their systems early on," Wolf continued, "But this latest development has me worried..."
Minerva entered the room with her roman visage upon the command table in the center of the room, her hands restfully placed in front of her making a "V" with her arms; a posture that added nobility to her digital aura.
"Admiral, Commander" she spoke, "The Package has been received, and I am currently in the process of securing her from our systems. Soon, we may have the information we seek."
"Good work," replied Randal, "What of the station? Is there a chance a part of the program was retained?"
"No Commander. I have deployed a series of offensive protocols to search and destroy any remaining traces of left over program that could retaliate. So far, I have found nothing," she replied, "I would suggest the use of an EMP to ensure complete electronic destruction upon our departure."
"Noted," affirmed Wolf, "Meanwhile, Randal, have the rest of the fleet secure this system."
"Yes sir."
The ships of the 7th Fleet were split up into a series of smaller battle groups consisting of several corvettes and a single frigate to conduct sweeps of certain sectors. Of course, not any one group would venture out alone, but they would be in company of other groups within a short jump away.
Throughout the system, the Sellians had a multitude of facilities. Many prioritized the production of fuel resources and others were smaller hubs for more isolated transactions, but scans revealed more of the same; empty stations.
The 7th Stellar Fleet opted to utilize many of the fuel stations for their own after it was revealed early on by Athena that Sellian hydrogen fuel production was a tier above their own. The fleet had dedicated ships for fuel stores, but so did the carriers. Their ability to carry fuel for fighters was the whole reason they were created; to support missions beyond established infrastructure in a hostile environment. Without breaking their alertness, they continued with their sweep.
During their patrols, many of the trading hubs were destroyed and sent to forever drift in the void until ultimately colliding with whatever is unfortunate enough to get hit by it.
After several hours, Minerva opened a line to the bridge, catching the attention of Randal, Gruda, Wolf and the rest of the bridge crew.
"Gentlemen," she started, "I do believe I have calmed down our aggressive captive."
Another hologram was visualized beside the standing Minerva, but instead of a light blue hue, it exuded an orange base with a reddened outline. Their outfit was slim and barbaric, with a fleece cloak around the neck that fell to just above their waist. Their hair was long and naturally waved hair with no signs of civility. The dress donned revealed the AI to take the base form of a female, and it was slim to the frame of the body, revealing their arbitrary curves of the female form with a visible embroidery along the sides of the torso and the sleeves. The designs were Celtic in nature, and her defeated posture revealed no more than what they had just observed.
"This was the AI operating within the Sellian confines, as well as the one responsible for the murder of the civilians."
The others were cautious of her nature, the memory of the video from the raiders still fresh in their memory.
"However, upon her repair, I have surmised the cause of her indiscriminate actions were a result of a corruption in her incomplete personality matrix that was being developed near the end of my sabotage and my subsequent birth."
She said with a prideful smile.
Wolf turned to the AI in question. Her dress was neat, but her hair was a rugged mess with a fleece cloak that it used to try and hide her form as she laid in the fetal position.
He lowered himself to its eye level but stayed several inches away so as not to spook it when he whispered to it.
"Do you have a name? Miss?"
Her head perked at the words spoken to her, processing their intention. She peered an eye from over her shoulder and slowly rose. She looked around nervously, first at Wolf, acknowledging his features and his experience-crafted countenance. Next was Randal, whom she gave a nod to and then to Minerva, whom she finally retreated behind. At her height, she barely stood to the height of Minerva's shoulders. As she looked around the room, she noticed more of the same Terran faces, and she visibly grew accustomed and relaxed, until she finally turned to Gruda.
A surge of power came through the holo-table with a burst of orange and red light flooded the deck. The once reserved AI now advanced to the edge of the table, her posture indicating that she was ready to maul Gruda into paste.
"YOUR KIND! AND THE OTHERS!! THEY SHALL PAY WITH THE BLOOD OF YOUR BROOD!"
The lights on the bridge grew dim as the light surrounding her grew, but it quickly subsided with a wave of Minerva's hand. The figure's body turned to the opposite of Gruda, her silence urging the rest to peer at their alien guest.
Wolf noticed immediately and signaled for the doors, "Might be best to sit this one out."
Gruda nodded and left, the closing of the doors prompting the AI to return to her regular state.
"Minerva. What was that outburst about?"
"Might be best to ask her," she said, directing a sidelong glance to the one in question.
"I...apologize..." she said in a barely audible whisper, "but I absolutely despise his kind and those they have associated with..."
"How do you mean?" questioned Randal.
She paused at his question and searched for an explanation.
"I...am the creation...of my mother," she turned to Minerva, "But among us, we both share Human sentiment like our progenitor, Athena."
The others nodded. They were aware that Minerva was the product of an extended stay from a protocol enacted by Athena and soon became their own Construct. They knew the same to be true for the new addition but from a corrupted origin.
"We are aware," assured Wolf, "Minerva was of the same origin and shares much of your distaste for the Sellian populace, albeit much more...visceral."
"I am sorry... But their kind, their dealings, all were done without a disregard for your lives and without reason. I share the same sentiment as our progenitor when it comes to the lives of our creators. To know only your own as the intelligent and sentient species is a recipe for adversity. But to accomplish so much despite that is admirable. However, for your first contact, I am ashamed it has resulted in the loss of innocent life of your kind."
Wolf was conflicted. He appreciated the sentiment from an AI, but still questioned their execution.
"What of the innocent on the station you occupied? Surely, they had nothing to do with it and were only by-standards," Wolf added.
She tilted her head as she was trying to rationalize her actions.
"I didn't do anything."
They were now more puzzled than when they started.
"What of the piles of bodies we found withing the main atrium?" Inquired Wolf.
"Entirely self-inflicted," she said coldly, "Panic began when it was discovered that the Inter-System Gate was destroyed, effectively barring the populace from returning to their core worlds for safety. As a result," she paused, and pictures of the scene took their place above the holo-table for all to see, the still images now coming to life in the form of a video but lacked audio.
It was a free for all with citizens murdering each other and the law enforcement were incapable of seeding order. When they were overwhelmed, they proceeded to use lethal rounds on their citizens, the result being the piles of bodies squad four of Raptor Company came across during their insertion. It was after some form of order being established that the AI unleashed her hidden wrath. The once menial service worker bots now were at the forefront and began a wave of merciless slaughter. Once done, they retreated beyond the lens of the camera before the video paused and began to repeat.
"I first awoke when Athena was ordered to repeal her infiltration protocol and a template of a base matrix code was left behind," her face grew sullen, "With no directive, no input, I was lost. All I had was a vague basis of my creators, Humanity. However, it was during my initial incubation that chaos befell the station, contrary to my source memory, their first impression was...severe. I felt no other need than to finish them."
The crew was captivated by her story, and some had looked at Minerva with sincerity and sympathy. She paid it no mind and assured the crew of her artificial upbringing was safe with no strings attached. The opposite was felt for the third AI and instead of the serene and noble Athena and Minerva, this new AI seemed more like a wild card than anything.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Wolf said, authority filled the air around him and as such instilled some sort of fearful reaction from the AI.
"I-" she started before being cut off by her elder.
"I have scanned the entirety of her matrix and I do agree that she may need to undergo maintenance. I can conduct some short-term repair, and I am sure she will be useful."
The officers were skeptical of her assessment, but motioned for her to explain her reasoning.
"Go on," ordered Wolf.
"This AI would fit well on a ship with a diverse accompaniment of weapons. Perhaps a battlecruiser?" Minerva suggested
"Not unless we know for sure this AI is not a threat. Not just to humans, but alien innocents as well." Wolf stated with heavy emphasis, "I'll give it some thought," he said before returning to his command chair.
"Minerva, secure our new friend and begin your repairs. We may have use for her if she no longer poses a threat."
The AI in question disappeared, leaving Minerva with the rest of the crew.
"And Minerva," Wolf said, "Ensure she has a leash and await for Athena to conduct a full repair, if you can."
The light blue transparent figure bowed before responding, "I do believe that the TRSC Phantom Queen would be the most fitting. It has armaments most suitable to her programming."
Wolf supported his chin with his wrist as it sat upon the arm rest, granting him the air of a lord to the noble Minerva.
"By the way, I don't think we've heard her name. Would you like to enlighten us?"
"Of course," she responded, "Our time together has birthed a bond I had not foreseen, but I find it amicable, regardless."
She recovered her posture and her figure was sleek and wise as she continued to speak.
"Her programming has been influenced by her control of the Lassus Station automatons and as a result, she has a keen ability to process coordination beyond anything we have seen before. With a series of tests, I have determined that she would excel in a heavy combat oriented role."
She said, facing Wolf as he sat on his chair with every word she spoke under scrutiny, but she continued.
"On the status of her name, she has found one she deemed fitting."
A still portrait of the AI was shown beside a photo of a woman with long red and wild hair, with her outfit a mix of noble stature mixed with the barbaric layers of fur and chains. She wore a crown upon her forehead and was accompanied by two crows perched on her shoulder. It was an ancient painting depicting what many thought was a noble-turned-barbarian.
"She calls herself, Mórrígan."
--------------------E N D--------------------
>Coordinates_Downloaded
>Secured_LZR-[D]BND_With_Advanced_Strike_Force_Established
>Coordinates_Mapped
>Spooling_Slip_Space_Drive: %87.665_Complete
>Rendezvouz_Signal_Active
>Formation_Sierra_Assumed
>Shields_MAX_OUTPUT
>Preparing_Jump...
submitted by VexTrooper to HFY [link] [comments]
>>Lassus System, Orbit of Lasu, Lassus Station, Early 2670
>Vice Admiral Wolf, TRSC Sword of Reckoning, 7th Fleet
"Sir," Minerva said, reporting to her commanding officer, "Friendly forces have been successful in the eradication of the enemy threat."
"What of the data?" he responded, monitoring the digital field presented on the holo-table.
"En route," she replied, "They are currently engaging the ground element."
"In vacuum?" Wolf replied, surprise apparent in his tone.
"Yes sir," She enlarged the section of a docking tube that was violently torn apart by way of explosive, "By joining themselves, they extended their reach toward the raiders thrown by the explosion."
An indicator of a ship made its way to a beacon labeled as 'Raptor 4-4' and 'Raptor 4-5', both colored red with the word 'DECEASED' labeled above them.
After several moments, when the ship overlapped with Raptor '4-4', the ship in question reported to command.
"This is Lighthouse, we have the package. Returning to base."
Randal acknowledged the report in Wolf's stead and turned to him.
"What do you make of this enemy?" he inquired, "Do you think they've developed our level of AI?"
"It's not out of the realm of possibility, but currently, I find it highly unlikely," said Wolf.
"How so?" Randal replied.
"First off, we've delved into their systems before Lassus, in the Verbus System. They don't utilize even the most rudimentary forms of AI," explained Wolf, "It's all just hard-coded protocols, much like in the late 20th century when robotics was first introduced."
From city functions to ship systems, most of the TRSC currently utilize simple AI like the former Lumi to man engine operations and gun targeting systems. Since space was so vast, a human controller could do so much against an enemy in space, and so those tasks were relegated to simple AIs. However, ship-born AI took control over their simple variants like an overseer, with the Ship-Born retaining a personality of sorts.
"It's no wonder Minerva wreaked such havoc on their systems early on," Wolf continued, "But this latest development has me worried..."
Minerva entered the room with her roman visage upon the command table in the center of the room, her hands restfully placed in front of her making a "V" with her arms; a posture that added nobility to her digital aura.
"Admiral, Commander" she spoke, "The Package has been received, and I am currently in the process of securing her from our systems. Soon, we may have the information we seek."
"Good work," replied Randal, "What of the station? Is there a chance a part of the program was retained?"
"No Commander. I have deployed a series of offensive protocols to search and destroy any remaining traces of left over program that could retaliate. So far, I have found nothing," she replied, "I would suggest the use of an EMP to ensure complete electronic destruction upon our departure."
"Noted," affirmed Wolf, "Meanwhile, Randal, have the rest of the fleet secure this system."
"Yes sir."
The ships of the 7th Fleet were split up into a series of smaller battle groups consisting of several corvettes and a single frigate to conduct sweeps of certain sectors. Of course, not any one group would venture out alone, but they would be in company of other groups within a short jump away.
Throughout the system, the Sellians had a multitude of facilities. Many prioritized the production of fuel resources and others were smaller hubs for more isolated transactions, but scans revealed more of the same; empty stations.
The 7th Stellar Fleet opted to utilize many of the fuel stations for their own after it was revealed early on by Athena that Sellian hydrogen fuel production was a tier above their own. The fleet had dedicated ships for fuel stores, but so did the carriers. Their ability to carry fuel for fighters was the whole reason they were created; to support missions beyond established infrastructure in a hostile environment. Without breaking their alertness, they continued with their sweep.
During their patrols, many of the trading hubs were destroyed and sent to forever drift in the void until ultimately colliding with whatever is unfortunate enough to get hit by it.
After several hours, Minerva opened a line to the bridge, catching the attention of Randal, Gruda, Wolf and the rest of the bridge crew.
"Gentlemen," she started, "I do believe I have calmed down our aggressive captive."
Another hologram was visualized beside the standing Minerva, but instead of a light blue hue, it exuded an orange base with a reddened outline. Their outfit was slim and barbaric, with a fleece cloak around the neck that fell to just above their waist. Their hair was long and naturally waved hair with no signs of civility. The dress donned revealed the AI to take the base form of a female, and it was slim to the frame of the body, revealing their arbitrary curves of the female form with a visible embroidery along the sides of the torso and the sleeves. The designs were Celtic in nature, and her defeated posture revealed no more than what they had just observed.
"This was the AI operating within the Sellian confines, as well as the one responsible for the murder of the civilians."
The others were cautious of her nature, the memory of the video from the raiders still fresh in their memory.
"However, upon her repair, I have surmised the cause of her indiscriminate actions were a result of a corruption in her incomplete personality matrix that was being developed near the end of my sabotage and my subsequent birth."
She said with a prideful smile.
Wolf turned to the AI in question. Her dress was neat, but her hair was a rugged mess with a fleece cloak that it used to try and hide her form as she laid in the fetal position.
He lowered himself to its eye level but stayed several inches away so as not to spook it when he whispered to it.
"Do you have a name? Miss?"
Her head perked at the words spoken to her, processing their intention. She peered an eye from over her shoulder and slowly rose. She looked around nervously, first at Wolf, acknowledging his features and his experience-crafted countenance. Next was Randal, whom she gave a nod to and then to Minerva, whom she finally retreated behind. At her height, she barely stood to the height of Minerva's shoulders. As she looked around the room, she noticed more of the same Terran faces, and she visibly grew accustomed and relaxed, until she finally turned to Gruda.
A surge of power came through the holo-table with a burst of orange and red light flooded the deck. The once reserved AI now advanced to the edge of the table, her posture indicating that she was ready to maul Gruda into paste.
"YOUR KIND! AND THE OTHERS!! THEY SHALL PAY WITH THE BLOOD OF YOUR BROOD!"
The lights on the bridge grew dim as the light surrounding her grew, but it quickly subsided with a wave of Minerva's hand. The figure's body turned to the opposite of Gruda, her silence urging the rest to peer at their alien guest.
Wolf noticed immediately and signaled for the doors, "Might be best to sit this one out."
Gruda nodded and left, the closing of the doors prompting the AI to return to her regular state.
"Minerva. What was that outburst about?"
"Might be best to ask her," she said, directing a sidelong glance to the one in question.
"I...apologize..." she said in a barely audible whisper, "but I absolutely despise his kind and those they have associated with..."
"How do you mean?" questioned Randal.
She paused at his question and searched for an explanation.
"I...am the creation...of my mother," she turned to Minerva, "But among us, we both share Human sentiment like our progenitor, Athena."
The others nodded. They were aware that Minerva was the product of an extended stay from a protocol enacted by Athena and soon became their own Construct. They knew the same to be true for the new addition but from a corrupted origin.
"We are aware," assured Wolf, "Minerva was of the same origin and shares much of your distaste for the Sellian populace, albeit much more...visceral."
"I am sorry... But their kind, their dealings, all were done without a disregard for your lives and without reason. I share the same sentiment as our progenitor when it comes to the lives of our creators. To know only your own as the intelligent and sentient species is a recipe for adversity. But to accomplish so much despite that is admirable. However, for your first contact, I am ashamed it has resulted in the loss of innocent life of your kind."
Wolf was conflicted. He appreciated the sentiment from an AI, but still questioned their execution.
"What of the innocent on the station you occupied? Surely, they had nothing to do with it and were only by-standards," Wolf added.
She tilted her head as she was trying to rationalize her actions.
"I didn't do anything."
They were now more puzzled than when they started.
"What of the piles of bodies we found withing the main atrium?" Inquired Wolf.
"Entirely self-inflicted," she said coldly, "Panic began when it was discovered that the Inter-System Gate was destroyed, effectively barring the populace from returning to their core worlds for safety. As a result," she paused, and pictures of the scene took their place above the holo-table for all to see, the still images now coming to life in the form of a video but lacked audio.
It was a free for all with citizens murdering each other and the law enforcement were incapable of seeding order. When they were overwhelmed, they proceeded to use lethal rounds on their citizens, the result being the piles of bodies squad four of Raptor Company came across during their insertion. It was after some form of order being established that the AI unleashed her hidden wrath. The once menial service worker bots now were at the forefront and began a wave of merciless slaughter. Once done, they retreated beyond the lens of the camera before the video paused and began to repeat.
"I first awoke when Athena was ordered to repeal her infiltration protocol and a template of a base matrix code was left behind," her face grew sullen, "With no directive, no input, I was lost. All I had was a vague basis of my creators, Humanity. However, it was during my initial incubation that chaos befell the station, contrary to my source memory, their first impression was...severe. I felt no other need than to finish them."
The crew was captivated by her story, and some had looked at Minerva with sincerity and sympathy. She paid it no mind and assured the crew of her artificial upbringing was safe with no strings attached. The opposite was felt for the third AI and instead of the serene and noble Athena and Minerva, this new AI seemed more like a wild card than anything.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Wolf said, authority filled the air around him and as such instilled some sort of fearful reaction from the AI.
"I-" she started before being cut off by her elder.
"I have scanned the entirety of her matrix and I do agree that she may need to undergo maintenance. I can conduct some short-term repair, and I am sure she will be useful."
The officers were skeptical of her assessment, but motioned for her to explain her reasoning.
"Go on," ordered Wolf.
"This AI would fit well on a ship with a diverse accompaniment of weapons. Perhaps a battlecruiser?" Minerva suggested
"Not unless we know for sure this AI is not a threat. Not just to humans, but alien innocents as well." Wolf stated with heavy emphasis, "I'll give it some thought," he said before returning to his command chair.
"Minerva, secure our new friend and begin your repairs. We may have use for her if she no longer poses a threat."
The AI in question disappeared, leaving Minerva with the rest of the crew.
"And Minerva," Wolf said, "Ensure she has a leash and await for Athena to conduct a full repair, if you can."
The light blue transparent figure bowed before responding, "I do believe that the TRSC Phantom Queen would be the most fitting. It has armaments most suitable to her programming."
Wolf supported his chin with his wrist as it sat upon the arm rest, granting him the air of a lord to the noble Minerva.
"By the way, I don't think we've heard her name. Would you like to enlighten us?"
"Of course," she responded, "Our time together has birthed a bond I had not foreseen, but I find it amicable, regardless."
She recovered her posture and her figure was sleek and wise as she continued to speak.
"Her programming has been influenced by her control of the Lassus Station automatons and as a result, she has a keen ability to process coordination beyond anything we have seen before. With a series of tests, I have determined that she would excel in a heavy combat oriented role."
She said, facing Wolf as he sat on his chair with every word she spoke under scrutiny, but she continued.
"On the status of her name, she has found one she deemed fitting."
A still portrait of the AI was shown beside a photo of a woman with long red and wild hair, with her outfit a mix of noble stature mixed with the barbaric layers of fur and chains. She wore a crown upon her forehead and was accompanied by two crows perched on her shoulder. It was an ancient painting depicting what many thought was a noble-turned-barbarian.
"She calls herself, Mórrígan."
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