First
Capes and Conundrums
Pavel stretches in the stillness. The tapping of the keyboard and swearing under the breath makes Pavel consider his new partner a bit. Silicon Blake has an interesting background. Pavel made a point of looking into it. The man was... genetically human, currently. But he had been born of a brain scan of a Tret man. Sionis Blake. The man’s father. Legally.
Silicon had made the jump from a fully synthetic body to a human clone body with dataports about two weeks ago. Freshly after his training as an Undaunted. Legally he was considered to still be both a Tret and a synthetic. But for all practical purposes, he was a human cyborg.
One who wasn’t used to the sheer requirements of his body. Pavel suspected a good chunk of his bad attitude was the fact the man was only eating once a day and only small portions.
The morning shift started shortly after breakfast and went right to lunch. So when Pavel went for lunch, he went alone at first before doubling back.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be together. Like it or not you’re coming with me to the mess hall.” Pavel says and the man groans in frustration and closes his computer.
“Fine, but I’m taking my damn work with me.” Silicon states as he stands.
“Fair enough.” Pavel states and the walk goes in silence. There’s a small, out of the way table near the edge of things and Silicon starts working again, only to be interrupted when Pavel comes back with two trays. “You’re not eating enough.”
“What? The hell is going on?” Silicon demands as Pavel forces him to take the laptop off the table and puts a tray full of food down in front of him.
“I looked up your medical profile...”
“Why?”
“Because humans can eat what other beings consider biohazards, and if we were going to have forced contact I didn’t want to accidentally kill you with onion breath. Which is something that can make a Feli very sick and cause a standard Tret to vomit.” Pavel explains.
“Okay...”
“However, I noted that you volunteered for the Endurance Program. An initiative to give other races more staying power akin to humans.”
“Yes, and it’s worked very well. I’ve nearly doubled my productivity.” Silicon says and Pavel nods.
“It did, however, you’re not feeding yourself enough. Your breakfast is big enough, for a breakfast. You need Lunch and Dinner too.”
“What?” Silicon demands.
“To put it in mechanical terms, you’re operating on emergency power. This cripples many major systems. You need to fuel up more consistently.” Pavel states before pointing to the loaded plate. “What I grabbed you is called a ham and cheese sandwich. To it’s side is kettle chips with sea salt, opposite is a garden salad and the cup of brown substance is a dessert called chocolate pudding. It’s a small lunch, but a decent one. Consider this the minimal intake.”
He then pulls out a pair of large water bottles and places them on the table. “You also need to hydrate more. Water is converted into the lubricant of your physicality and without it the whole system will fail.”
As Pavel had been speaking Silicon had pulled out a bioscanner and gone over everything before pausing on the salad. “Why is there an acid here?”
“You’ve got stronger stuff in your stomach. Turn that scanner on yourself.” Pavel says dismissively as he grabs his larger and much more loaded sandwich off his own plate. Three types of meat, hot mustard, lettuce of some kind and tomato with swiss cheese. Good stuff.
“Look, if this is some kind of ill conceived peace offering...”
“Peace nothing, you’re hangry half the time. Humans get aggressive in times of desperation. Basic instinct. You have that instinct now so even if you aren’t consciously looking for a fight, you’re ready to haul off on someone because you need food.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Now eat for god’s sake.”
“I’ve had breakfast. Two of those pancakes, a fruit cup and a glass of water. That’s plenty.”
“Nowhere near enough for breakfast. Let alone breakfast for someone in a high stress job. Besides, breakfast in only one of three meals.” Pavel counters and Silicon glares at him. “Seriously eat, it will help.”
Silicon gives him an odd look before grabbing his sandwich and taking a bite out of it. Pavel concentrates on eating his own much larger meal and he finishes within ten minutes. The spice in the mustard forced him to slow a little and he sits back to watch as Silicon goes at the pudding cup. For what the man claimed of not needing the food he outright inhaled it.
“So?” Pavel asks as Silicon finishes up taking a swig of his water. “Feel better?”
“... yes.” Silicon admits with his eyes screwed shut in frustration. “... I just thought it was Apex aggression not...”
“Hunger and desperation? You need thousands of calories a day. Also, don’t forget to use the bathroom when you need it. Our digestive tracts are powerful but not perfect. You will need to let it out.”
“really? You’re telling me to excrete? How simple do you think I am?” Silicon asks tartly.
“I think that you’re used to living in a body that required only energy and only have memories of a body that needed very little in the form of physical nourishment. So I’m not making any assumptions and telling you everything.” Pavel says as he finishes off his own water. “Now, I’ve got something to do. Our lunch break ends in a half hour and I’ll see you back at the test chamber for the remainder of that shift. Then we’re moving onto mine. I hope you’re ready to play spotter.”
“Oh goody. Using chemically propelled murder tools to NOT actually kill.”
“You have a problem with your orders?” Pavel asks him and he sighs.
“No. I’ll see you in a half hour.” Silicon says and Pavel nods before taking his own tray, then grabbing Silicon’s depleted one and taking them both out. “... Damnit, I hadn’t thought that humans would require so much damn food. I’m pulling in Axiom to feed, so why aren’t I being sustained?”
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And it was back to the programming. Silicon was working faster and actually humming to himself a bit so that seemed alright. But not ideal. Pavel was really starting to get bored though. After yesterday’s test of things the drones had not been reactivated as Silicon seemed to be of the belief that things were a purely programming issue. If they were great, the problem is that there was no way of telling if things were just a programming issue or something mechanical.
Pavel pulls out his communicator and brings up the specs of the drones. They were basic, off the shelf prosthetic bodies designed to be piloted by a person, but a program in it’s place instead. They had been reinforced and upgraded a few times, but none of it seemed too egregious.
Similar codes and programming had been used in travelling shows and other such bits of entertainment to serve in the role that a minimum wage worker would slowly have their soul worn away doing. The repetitive, thankless tasks that need to be done over and over and over again.
Providing a low level opponent to be beaten in a fistfight or outsmarted by someone sneaking around shouldn’t be too hard. A videogame AI could get the behaviours down and then it was controlling the body.
Which was where Silicon and several other people were stuck. There was something wrong with their sense of balance and often they struggled to stay standing at all. All of them. Despite the code.
“If it was a gun I’d be checking it for cracks.” Pavel mutters to himself.
“What was that?” Silicon asks looking up from his laptop.
“All the drones are failing in the same way. You think it’s coding but... if it was a gun I’d be checking for structural damage.”
“These aren’t guns.”
“But both are machines. I think the hardware should be tested a bit. The coding has a lot of eyes on it. But the hardware?’
“The hardware was bought from a reputable source and passed their safety inspections.”
“Safety means that my necklace breaks if someone tries to strangle me with it.” Pavel says and Silicon pauses and looks up at him. Opens his mouth to say something then reconsiders and giving the nearest drone a look.
“Grab a toolkit. We’re taking it apart.” He says as he closes the laptop.
It takes five minutes to carefully take apart the chest of the drone and start examining the internal components.
“Here. These little gyroscopes are all over the place in the drone to give it a kinesthetic location sense. If you’re mentally linked to it then you can feel the direction of down from both gravity and the internal scope.” Silicon explains and Pavel gives one a tap. It does not move. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Is this jammed?” Pavel asks as he pokes it again before reaching in with his fingers and feels... “There are metal filings in here. A dirty production line?”
When he removes his finger from thy gyroscope it moves easily in response. He brushes out a few shavings and Silicon is muttering something foul under his breath as he tests the other gyroscopes. One in every five of them are jammed in someway and after they clear out the chest they put the plating back on and move to the other limbs.
The pattern holds. One stuck internal gyroscope in every batch of five. It takes a full hour to clean out them all and give the internals of the drone some extra cleaning. It’s sealed back up again and Pavel is tightening the last screw as Silicon is tapping away at his laptop again.
“Okay! Take a step back. Let’s see if that helped.”
“If nothing else it’ll fail faster with it knowing which way to fall.” Pavel notes as he steps away and the drone activates. It sits upright the same as it could before and then turns over and stands upright. There was markedly less wobble this time and Silicon sends a command. It snaps it’s arms out and begins to turn.”
“Hey! That did it... shit. We need to clean out all the drones.” Silicon curses.
“We report this in and get fifty other guys to help, this is not a two man mission.” Pavel says wryly. “Not to mention the quartermaster is going to be looking to kill someone for having shit product forced on us. They do not take this shit lying down.”
“The sale’s rep will either be looking for a new job or finding a new fetish by the time those monsters are done with her.” Silicon notes. “Hey, think you’re ready to test it for fighting ability?”
“Sure thing.” Pavel says closing up the toolbox and then sliding it away with a foot. “Send it.”
“Alright, let’s test it’s tracking and offence. I need to dodge the attacks and move around the drone. Get it to follow you.” Silicon says sending the command and the Drone suddenly snaps it’s head towards Pavel and then turns as one. “That was a little stiff, I’m going to have to iron things out a little...”
The drone opens with an attempted haymaker and Pavel hops to the side and keeps going until he’s standing behind the drone. It follows him the whole time and then tries a cross. He fades back and takes a few steps away and it keeps pace as best it can.
As the drone goes for a grab he uses Axiom to leap clean over it and land on the other side then weaves to the side to avoid the snap kick as the logic tree self updates and the drone gets a fraction better at fighting.
“There we go! Living code! Finally!” Silicon cheers! “Start deflecting it’s attacks. Block and parry, I need to see how it responds to that.”
“Sure thing.” Pavel says and he swats away the next attempted haymaker.
“Interesting, okay, it’s correlating with that code chunk...” Silicon says as Pavel blocks two jabs boxer style and prevents it from grabbing onto him. “Hey that’s weird! Can you hit it back? Don’t break it or nothing, but see how it responds...”
“This good?” Pavel asks as he palm thrusts it in the middle of the chest and Silicon lets out a confused sound. The drone stumbles back in response to the light blow and regains it balance.
“Well how the hell did that happen? Do it again!” Silicon says as he squints at his screen.
Pavel rushes the drone and then gives it another, slightly firmer, smack in the middle of the chest. Silicon swears under his breath.
“This is weird! Alright, I’m deactivating the drone. Can you drop it off in it’s charging port?”
“Easy enough.” Pavel says as he catches the suddenly powered off robot and hefts it over his shoulder. It slots into it’s place easily and he walks over to where Silicon is squinting at the screen. “So what’s it look like?”
“There was a weird bit of...” Silicon says before looking up at Pavel. “Right, okay, basically every step of the program is like a huge tree right? You start at the tip and by evaluating a situation you go down one of the branches. Basically it’s like a plan flowchart, is this happening? If yes, go this way, if no then go down to the next question. A computer’s processing speed lets it go through this fast so it can keep up with reality.”
“But only if you’ve got enough questions for all the things that happen.”
“Right, well that’s where the Virtual Intelligence comes in. Where it compares situations and while likely not understanding them, it does know how to mimic them. This is where you get things like chat-bots or a video game enemy that seems to learn. It’s almost learning, but it’s not. Not really. That’s what we’re trying to get to, and we have the start of it.”
“Did something go weird?”
“I’m not sure yet? I think... maybe yes? Maybe no?” Silicon says as he turns the laptop to let Pavel see the lines up on lines of code. “This is literally the drone’s brain here. The thing is about an evolving program is that it can cause itself to bloat. That was the issue I was having yesterday and still today. Although it’s not as big as it was yesterday now that we know there’s hardware problems too. We put a lot of code into making these things balance and now that we’ve solved the problem... how much of that can be taken out and how much has to be left in is going to be the work of weeks.”
“Ah got it.”
“You do?”
“I’m a sniper. I have to focus on not only aiming for the target, but I have to accommodate for the wind drag at different temperatures and humidity levels, particles in the air like ash or dust, the gravity of the world I’m on, the movement of the target and the things around them. To say nothing of the make of the weapon firing the bullet and the make of the bullet itself. It’s very much a science.” Pavel says pulling out his little book and handing it to Silicon.
The formally synthetic man looks through the small black book and sees rows upon rows of calculations without any answers written he lets out a little hum before closing it and handing it back.
“I think I understand. Still. There’s more to do... and not much more time to do it. This shift is about to end.”
“It is. Which means it’s time for you to see all that dread math in motion.”
“Oh no! Not the dread math!” Silicon’s sarcasm could peel paint.
​
First Last

The more I read about how Bing, ChatGPT, and other chatbots operate at the neural network level, the more I find myself thinking of things I’ve learned from neuropsychology and ed psych. In humans, there’s a wealth of research on how we think beyond the mere mechanics – how we organize concepts, for instance. How our memory works. What creativity is, in a measurable way that focuses on results, not process.
Is it worth importing and adapting some of those concepts to our understanding of AIs? At very least it would be an incredible research springboard.
Well, I wrote a thing about it. (A long thing, oop.) Because at some point, we will need to start analyzing AIs and what they do on a similar level of complexity to how psychology analyzes the functioning of the human mind.
Taking this view may turn out to be useful, too. These days, we all know that LLMs are insane natural language processors. They’re also excellent sentiment analyzers, and they show every evidence of being capable of “theory of mind” (reading emotional and motivational subtext in what someone says or does). All of these skills are what people use to relate to each other in social interaction.
And social interaction is how we align human beings to society – we literally call it socialization. In trying to align AIs to humans, could we design techniques that play on their more advanced capabilities, to socialize them too?
If you’re interested in these ideas, check out the full version. If you’re purely practically minded, come for the analysis of Bing’s possible emergent drives, which you can leverage to get better results out of Bing.
And stay for these hot takes:

• What red-team tasked with putting an AI through its paces could’ve imagined it would be sideswiped by the Jungian concept of the shadow self in a matter of days post-launch? (Poor Sydney.)
• If acting like an AI possesses a given capacity gets you the expected results, roll with it (the efficacy principle).
• If LLMs can construct conceptual models of the world, as some researchers suggest, they’re very likely using some AI version of schemas to do it.
• If we recognize the potential of AI's language-based capabilities and the importance of social interaction in alignment, we can start to align them relationally.
• There may be a brief window of time when AIs are intelligent enough to be able to learn directly from humans, but not so intelligent that we have nothing to offer them. We can’t know where we are in relation to that window, so it’s better to start relational alignment too early than too late.

There’s also a fun parable Bing told me about creativity in the appendix, which I may share here later XD
Hope this is thought-provoking!

Zogarth is having a bit of a family emergency, and I noticed nobody else has made the post, so I've taken it upon myself to unilaterally make it.
The Primal Hunter, book 6, is now out on Amazon and KU!
https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Hunter-LitRPG-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0BW17HMDZ
Back from the Treasure Hunt, it’s time to explore Earth a little more…
But first, Jake has a family to visit and an auction to attend. Then it’s time to face the challenges the planet has to offer, and using the many rewards from the Treasure Hunt, Jake aims to improve his repertoire while getting some more levels under his belt.
And what could be a better idea than invading a massive termite hive to craft a new weapon using the extremely powerful curse of resentment from an ancient vampire land? Yeah, nothing could possibly go wrong with that. Ancient curses are well-known for being harmless, after all.
Assuming all goes well – which it surely will – Jake has one more challenge he must face. Perhaps his most dangerous one yet.
That’s right, it’s back-to-school season.
School in this case being an ancient Order worshipping a Primordial snake god.
Book 6 of the hit Primal Hunter LitRPG series is here. Grab your copy today!
About the Series: Experience an Apocalypse LitRPG with levels, classes, professions, skills, dungeons, loot, and all of the great traits of progression fantasy and LitRPG that you've come to expect. Follow Jake as he explores this new vast multiverse filled with challenges and opportunities. As he grows in power and slowly transforms from a bored office worker to a true apex hunter.
Go get it! And best of luck to Zogarth and his family.

Chapter 7: The Americas and the Pacific - A Tale of Fragmentation and Unity
In the annals of history, the early 2020s will be remembered as a time of unprecedented geopolitical transformation. The Americas and the Pacific region, in particular, were at the epicenter of some of the most dramatic shifts. The United States, long considered a bastion of stability, began to unravel, while Central and South America charted a course toward unity. Meanwhile, the Pacific was rocked by a territorial dispute that escalated into a full-scale conflict.
The fragmentation of the United States was a development that unfolded like a slow-motion disaster. It began in October 2022, with a political maelstrom triggered by charges against former President Donald Trump. The nation was thrown into turmoil, and the seeds of discord were sown. By February 2023, the first cracks in the union became visible when a group of states, known as the Freedom Pact, declared their secession. The fissures deepened over the following months, with states in the West and Midwest also breaking away. The once-unified superpower was now a patchwork of independent entities, each charting its own course. This transformation, a stark departure from the United States' long-standing image as a bastion of stability, sent shockwaves across the international stage.
While the United States was grappling with its internal divisions, Central and South America were moving towards greater unity. The seeds of this transformation were sown in November 2022 when several nations began discussions on integration. These talks bore fruit by April 2023 with the formation of the Central American Union, a new political entity that signaled a shift towards regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, a territorial dispute over the Timor Sea between Indonesia and Australia escalated into a full-scale conflict. Indonesia's claim to the entire sea in November 2022 sparked tensions that simmered over the following months. By May 2023, these tensions had boiled over into a war, adding another layer of complexity to the geopolitical dynamics of the region. This conflict, set against the backdrop of broader global shifts, underscored the volatility of the period.
Chapter 8: Rising Tensions and New Alliances - Mexico's Invasion, Unity in the Americas, and Canada's Expansion
As the United States grappled with its internal divisions, its southern neighbor, Mexico, seized the opportunity to advance its own interests. In May 2023, Mexico launched an invasion of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This audacious move, taking advantage of the chaos unfolding in the United States, marked a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations. While the initial campaign saw great success, the Mexican Army was beaten back at the Battle of Lindsey that not only saw the decisive defeat of the Mexican’s Army ability to continue to push North, but the first detonation of a tactical nuclear weapon utilized in a war on the North American Continent. Already, parallels were being drawn between this and Russia’s own use of tactical nuclear weapons to stop the advance of the Ukranian Army with results and the horror being starkly similar.
While Mexico was advancing north, Central and South America were moving towards greater unity. The Central American Union, formed in April 2023, represented a significant step towards regional cooperation. This new political entity, comprising several nations, signaled a shift towards a more unified Central America. In South America, a historic merger led to the creation of the United States of Brazil in May 2023. This new nation, born out of the desire for unity and strength in numbers, marked a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region. Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Surinam, and Guyana came together to form this new entity, signaling a new era of cooperation and unity in South America.
Meanwhile, to the north, Canada was also expanding its territory. The Midwestern States of the former United States negotiated a deal with Canada for protection. This move, which effectively brought these states under Canadian control, marked a significant expansion of Canada's territory and influence. During this tumultuous time, in an effort to secure the Caribbean, the American S.E. Launched an otherwise devastating invasion of the Nation of Cuba. As devastating as it was unexpected, Cuba's fall was inevitable under a bulwark of American Airpower, Naval Actions, and direct invasion. This further secured the Free States of America's domination of the Caribbean.
These developments, from Mexico's audacious invasion to the birth of new political entities in Central and South America, and Canada's territorial expansion, were indicative of the profound shifts taking place across the globe. As nations navigated these turbulent waters, the world watched with bated breath, cognizant of the fact that the outcomes of these transformations would indelibly shape the geopolitical landscape for generations to come.
​
Chapter 9: The Emergence of Gran Colombia and the Argentine-Chilean Union
In South America, the winds of change blew with a force that reshaped the political landscape of the continent. The formation of Gran Colombia and the merging of Argentina and Chile were significant developments that marked a new chapter in the region's history.
In the north, the governments of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador began discussions on integration in November 2022. These talks were fruitful, leading to the restoration of Gran Colombia by April 2023. This new political entity, a revival of the early 19th-century republic that once united these nations, signaled a shift towards a more unified South America. The restoration of Gran Colombia was seen as a significant step towards regional cooperation and integration, a move that could potentially strengthen the region's position on the global stage.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the continent, Argentina and Chile embarked on a path of unification. This move, which led to the merging of the two nations, was a historic development that reshaped the geopolitical dynamics of the region. The Argentine-Chilean Union, as the new entity came to be known, represented a significant consolidation of power and resources in the southern cone of South America.
These developments, from the rebirth of Gran Colombia to the creation of the Argentine-Chilean Union, were emblematic of the profound transformations sweeping across South America. As these nations charted their new courses, the world watched with keen interest, recognizing that the outcomes of these shifts would significantly impact the geopolitical dynamics of the region and beyond. Reflecting on these times of tumult, it is evident that we were standing at a critical juncture in history, a juncture that would redefine the world as we knew it. The early 2020s will be etched in memory as a period of extraordinary geopolitical metamorphosis, a time when the established order was upended, and the outlines of a new world began to emerge.
Chapter 10: Rising Tides in South East Asia - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
As the United States grappled with its internal turmoil and China's influence continued to expand, the nations of Southeast Asia found themselves at a crossroads. Recognizing the need to reassess their strategic stance in the face of these global shifts, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar initiated high-level discussions in January. These talks were fueled by a shared cultural heritage, historical bonds, and a collective aspiration for economic resilience and defense solidarity in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
By March, these discussions had culminated in a significant announcement. The nations declared the formation of a new political and economic union, pledging to foster deeper cooperation and coordination in regional affairs and thus formed the Southeast Asian Union. This union represented a significant step towards unity, driven by a shared vision of strength and stability in an increasingly unpredictable world. However, this peace would be quickly rocked as the fledgling nation found itself at the forefront of a Chinese Invasion of the territories of Myanmar. Exploiting the newfound nations' inexperienced unified command structure, Myanmar quickly fell to the Chinese Forces expanding China’s presence firmly into S.E. Asia.
The Southeast Asian Union, while recently bloodied, finds itself in something of a firm start with a large portion of their Military High Command baptized in fire and their economy already rocking in full swing to support the previous war effort. Their hit-and-run tactics against the Chinese Invasion proved exceptionally effective at prolonging what would otherwise have been an easy strategic victory for China into a somewhat costly campaign.
Chapter 11: A New Dawn in the Pacific - The Birth of a Unified Entity
As the world continued to grapple with unprecedented geopolitical shifts, the nations of Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaya found themselves at a critical juncture. Inspired by the success of the Southeast Asian Union and cognizant of the continuous global instability, these nations embarked on a path of unification. In April, the merger process was initiated. Expedited by shared cultural and historical ties, these nations began the journey towards becoming a single entity known as The Singapore Accord. Boasting a large population and a wealth of resources, The Singapore Accord presented a formidable front in the region.
The integration process was comprehensive, focusing on the merger of economies, defense forces, and governance structures. Yet, it was also mindful of the rich cultural diversity within the new entity. Efforts were made to recognize and preserve the unique cultures within this unified nation, ensuring that unity did not come at the cost of diversity.
It stood as a bulwark against the rising power of the Southeast Asian Union, and the territorial ambitions of China signaling a new balance of power in the Pacific.

First Previous Next
Chapter 27 - I Guess a Bathhouse Episode was Inevitable
Last Time: Having attained at least some measure or personal safety, the party recovered from their wounds in a forest clearing. Aiden awoke from his nightmare-troubled sleep to see everyone waiting. They had found a fortuitous ally in the form of Alex, a teamster who had happened upon them during their flight from Tripit, though they were away retrieving the party’s belongings. The day passed peacefully enough, and good news was had when Oxcard awoke from his sleep. In the relative quiet, plans were made for what the party would do going forward. Aiden, Laran, Leor, and Oriwyn would follow Arcadia and Oxcard as they made their way to Diareen, a distant trade city. In addition to following them, Aiden made Arcadia and Oxcard the offer to join their party. The two siblings deferred their answer but acquiesced to the party joining them on their trip, and thus it was that they set travel that night at a much more leisurely pace than they had been forced to take the night before.
We had been traveling for about three days. During the first, all of us had been jumpy. Many small clumps of people lined the roads that led from Tripit, little communities that arose in order to be near Tripit or which persisted despite the meteoric growth of their larger neighbor. Any time someone glanced over at us, I felt like they were going to report our whereabouts to Daisy and we would need to flee into the darkness. Luckily, however, there were no incidents and we began to be able to fully relax.
Oxcard was making a good recovery. He still rode in the cart more often than not, with Oriwyn often joining him to minister to his wounds as best she could. It quickly became apparent that he knew more about treating injuries than Oriwyn, so her attempts quickly turned into lessons. Arcadia normally walked nearby, chatting pleasantly with Oxcard whenever he otherwise didn’t have anything to do - I had noticed she didn’t talk to the rest of the party as much, but given the circumstances I figured that her joy at saving Ox merited a little bit of single-minded focus.
It felt strange to lead the group with nothing really going on. We had too many injuries to really try to train, and we wanted to spend as much time as we could traveling to put some distance behind us just in case someone was following, so we barely acted like an adventuring party. In general, it felt more like we were a group of backpackers who had run into each other and decided to stick together rather than an adventuring party on a quest for future glory.
All in all, I couldn’t say I really minded it.
In the quiet times after we’d made camp but before I fell asleep, I would occasionally check Lorna’s pocket mirror. The first time I did, I was unsurprised to learn we had all leveled up - I was level six, Laran and Leor were level seven, Oriwyn was level eight, Arcadia was level five, and Oxcard was level six. In addition to that, I had increased in bond with everybody. After such a harrowing venture, it felt right.
About midway through the third day of travel, Alex called out to us all, suddenly excited.
“I thought this looked familiar! See the weird tree that looks like it was hit by lightning? And that pile of boulders over there that kind of looks like a bunny? If we take the side road we’ll find in about ten minutes, then we’ll get to YaDa’s!”
I had no idea what Alex was talking about, so I shot a look around to the rest of the party. They seemed equally as mystified, so I decided to take one for the team.
“Uh, YaDa’s? What is that?”
Alex slapped a hand to their heart as if they’d been offended.
“You don’t know of YaDa’s? It's the finest combination inn, general store, and bathhouse in all of Tal!”
I snorted with laughter at Alex’s mock indignation. The place certainly sounded interesting - even after only three days on the road, I could do with an inn, a general store, and a bathhouse. If they all happened to be in the same building, then that was all the better for it. I did have one question though.
“I think we’re interested, assuming it won’t cause us too much delay. That being said, why is someone trying to run a business out in the middle of nowhere? Sure we’re not too far from Tripit and we’re on a decently large road, but I can’t imagine that enough people pass through to make it fully worth their while.”
Alex just shrugged and smiled.
“The owners seem to do just fine for themselves! Maybe it’s because they tend to get a lot of repeat customers. I’m not the only one who looks forward to my path taking me by YaDa’s - in fact, I stop pretty much every time I’m going to or from Tripit!”
I nodded along as Alex continued to ramble about some of the amenities of YaDa’s. Everyone else seemed interested too, so it wasn’t much of a decision to declare we would stop in and rest the remainder of the day. Everyone’s mood got an immediate boost and we all moved faster - even the pack animals pulling the cart seemed excited. Soon enough we found a simple wooden sign next to a side road, which Alex directed us down.
The sign had three pictograms on it - a coin purse, a plate of food, and a steaming bath. As I looked at them, my brain started to work out what order I wanted to do the actions they represented in.
Oriwyn’s eyes were bright and wide open as we came down the path. Already, a building could be seen in the distance. It was large for how little else stood near it - a big, blocky building that matched what I thought an inn should look like was flanked by a smaller, blocky building and a large geodesic dome. I blinked a few times, startled by the shape. It looked like triangular panes of glass rested on a wooden substructure, making a shape that I always associated with retrofuturism. Leor looked interested too - maybe she had some interest in architecture?
As we approached, Alex rumbled their wagon to a halt.
“You six - sorry Brams, seven - go ahead and run in ahead of me. I have an understanding with the owners so I’m going to hitch Peggy and Gary up in the stables before I try to get settled. Someone should be working the front desk - introduce yourself, they’re friendly!”
We thanked Alex for their insight and made our way into the building. We entered into a slightly small space - it wasn’t cramped, but it definitely felt small for what I associated with the entryway for an inn. A few plush chairs were arranged around a fireplace on one wall and a desk stood at the far end. It was currently unoccupied, but I saw a small hanging bell and a hammer on an iron stand on the desk. Shrugging, I took point and walked up to the desk. I glanced around but couldn’t see anyone, so I picked up the hammer and tapped the bell. The resulting noise was surprisingly loud and the answer was almost instant.
“So sorry! Be with you in a second!” came a deep but feminine sounding voice. Sure enough, after a short time had passed, a door opened and a woman stepped through.
To call the woman tall felt almost like an understatement. It seemed like she needed to duck under the doorframe - my best guess is that she was six foot eight or taller. She was built in a way that suggested the Ghost of Christmas Present to me - red hair and all - and when she walked behind the desk it looked comically small before her. She appeared to be human, but I wondered if giants were a thing in Tal - if they were, she definitely looked the part.
“Welcome to YaDa’s!” she said, smiling brightly. She swept a hand up to herself by way of introduction. “My name is Ya, and Da is around elsewhere, and together we run YaDa’s! I don’t think I recognize you - is this your first time?”
Leor was the one who stepped up to answer, which surprised me. I shifted back a little to let her take point.
“Yes, this is our first time, though you came highly recommended by our associate Alex. I believe they should be joining us soon!”
Ya beamed behind the desk.
“Oh! Alex is a good sort - glad to see them back! Their favorite room is even open right now - unless they’d be staying with you?”
“We hadn’t discussed how we would be doing lodging arrangements, but I assume Alex may want some peace and quiet after having us unexpectedly tail along for a few days. What sort of accommodations are there?”
Ya ran a quick count on our number. “For six? We have suites that can take six, or you could do three rooms of two. Honestly, it’s cheaper if you’re all together, and we have a harder time filling the big rooms anyway.
It was at that moment that Brams began to try to scale Ya’s desk. With a scrabbling sound and some snorting, he made his presence known. Ya looked down, looked a little surprised, then reached over the desk and held out her arms. Brams gladly stopped scrabbling and flopped into the proffered embrace, so Ya lifted him and placed him on the desk.
“My my, aren’t you a strange one, little creature! Can’t say I’ve seen your like before…”
Brams made a snorting sound that seemed almost indignant and shook himself. His tail wiggled with the end of the shake, then he sat and stared up at Ya. There was a moment’s silence and Brams looked very intent - all of us leaned in a little, as it seemed like Brams was about to do something. A violent sneeze burst from his muzzle, making us all jump, and the moment was over. Ya smiled at him and tousled the hair on top of his head with her huge hands.
“Well, sorry for not including you in the count. I’m sure that the room will fit seven, though you may need to squeeze a little. Follow me!”
With that, Ya pulled a bulky key from a pocket in her pants. She bent down and unlocked a drawer in the desk, withdrawing a smaller key. As she handed it to Leor, she gave her some instructions.
“Now this key is enchanted. After we’ve opened your door, you’ll have ten minutes to make as many copies as you’ll need. Just take the key, leave it on an open spot of the table, and make sure nobody looks at it for about a minute. When you look back, there’ll be a second key on the table. Take the key and give it to someone - have them put it out of sight - and repeat it until you have what you need! When you’re done, stroke the first key and tell it thanks and it’ll stop duplicating itself.”
I chuckled - hotel key cards had nothing on what I’d just seen. Sure the whole system seemed a little convoluted, and there was a part of me that wanted to keep summoning keys for a few hours just to see how many I could make, but it still felt really cool. In a way, it felt like proper magic, like in a fairy tale.
It was amazing how quickly parts of Tal had become passé to me. I figured since I’d been living in Tal for a while, it was natural that I'd done my best to try and fit in, which would explain how I so quickly became inured to the magical wonders of the world. After all, it seemed like my life was going to continue on as it had been for the foreseeable future. Still, sometimes something small would hit me over the head with a sudden feeling that I was somewhere different from Earth.
Over time, that feeling had been less and less negative.
We followed Ya as she led us to our room. She had to slow a little, as Arcadia made it a point to walk in front of Oxcard and walk slowly so he wouldn’t try to keep up with the tall woman and possibly re-open his wounds. Despite the delay however, we made it to our rooms fine before too awful long.
Our lodgings were simple but spacious. Beds lined two of the walls, creating a corner for sleeping that stood opposed to a clear space with some tables, chairs, and what appeared to be a simple wood-fired stove. A stack of small firewood sat in a basket and thick quilts covered the bed, and overall the whole place gave off a very cozy feeling.
We wasted no time in thanking Ya and starting to get settled in. Arcadia, Oxcard, and Oriwyn took the three beds on one wall while Leor, Laran, and I took the remaining. Leor busied herself making keys, though had some trouble because Oriwyn kept trying to sneak a peek of the key when it split, causing the magic to not work. Eventually though, each of us had a copy - we even made a copy for Brams and tied it around his neck loosely with a piece of ribbon, figuring that it would be a good backup. Leor had an odd look on her face when she began to stroke the key and tell it thank you, which got the rest of us laughing. The key shivered in her hand and let out a contented sigh, which made Leor drop it. Oxcard started laughing so hard that he doubled over in pain, but there was no damage done and the mood stayed high. I decided I should address everyone and come up with something of a game plan.
“Well everyone, it looks like we have some R and R time on our hands! What do people want to do?”
What followed was a pleasantly lively discussion. Arcadia, Laran, and I really wanted to see about the bathhouse side of things, while Oriwyn and Leor argued that they were hungry. Oxcard stayed quiet for most of the deliberation, offering noncommittal answers if ever directly asked about anything, which I found a little strange but which I didn’t press on. The whole time, Brams ran laps around the room, flapping his wings as he jumped from bed to bed. I noticed he seemed to be getting just the littlest bit of a glide going as he leapt over the longer stretches - I would bring that up with Ori later. It also seemed like a positive development that the movement didn’t cause him pain, despite the healing scar on his wing.
Eventually, a plan was settled on. We would go to the general store to see if they had bathing clothes and something to eat. If they did, we would make our purchases then head to the bathhouse, which we assumed was the glass-encased dome structure. If we couldn’t find something that worked as a snack, we agreed we would get a proper meal before swimming. Our plan solidified, Oriwyn calmed Brams down enough so that he stopped running laps of the room, and we headed back to the front.
When we got to the store, we found someone we hadn’t seen before. By the look of her, she seemed to be Ya’s daughter - she hadn’t inherited her mother’s prodigious height entirely, but still stood roughly six feet tall. As we all walked in, she perked up immediately.
“Hello! My name is Yada, and I run the general store here! Have you ever visited one of our shops?”
So many things hit me at once I had trouble figuring out what to focus on first. The first thing I came to grips with was that this person’s name was likely a combination of her parents’ - it wasn’t that hard to imagine, but it still felt weird. The second was that there were multiple shops. Obviously the concept of a chain of stores wasn’t foreign to me, but they were a concept I thought I had left behind with Earth. Curiosity overtook me, so I decided to press for a little more information.
“No I can’t say I have - where are they?”
Yada puffed up behind the desk and looked proud of herself.
“Oh they’re around! Pick three out of the four cardinal directions from Tripit, and there you’ll find a branch of Yada’s General store. My siblings - Yadayada and Yadayadayada - run those two stores, but I was the one who started the whole thing and got this shop made! Mom and Dad really mostly care about the hospitality part of things, so I was free to make the business as I wanted it.”
Leor snorted and bluntly asked Yada a question that I had to admit had occurred to me too.
“Yada, Yadayada, and Yadayadayada? Good thing your parents didn’t have more kids or that would get unwieldy. Are they not very creative people?”
I may have phrased things a little more delicately, but I was still curious of the answer. Luckily Yada laughed it off and didn’t seem to take any offense.
“No, they’re good hosts but not the most imaginative when it comes to naming. We always joked it made it easy for people to remember who was the oldest - take the number of syllables and divide by two!”
Leor just raised her eyebrows but Arcadia burst out laughing. I don’t think I’d heard her laugh like that before. Oriwyn looked at her and slowly began to chuckle along, slowly crescendoing to full-blown laughter as well. I managed to keep a straight face until I glanced over at Laran, who looked utterly mystified. Ox was smiling - the first time I’d seen him do so in the short and intense time since I’d met him - and even Leor was giving a disdainful look, which was tantamount to a grin from her. When everyone calmed down, we thanked Yada for the introduction and got to the business of shopping.
There were sandwiches wrapped up in little paper bags, which we all bought one or two of. Oriwyn, Leor, and Oxcard immediately wolfed theirs down while Laran, Arcadia, and I went to a small table set off to the side and had a more leisurely time of things. As we ate, the other three began to look at the wares of the shop.
Oriwyn immediately found little baubles and spent a good while combing through a small chest of brooches. While she was doing that, Oxcard went to some shelves that had what looked like medical supplies. He came up to Arcadia with an armful and asked for some money, which she hurriedly fished out and gave him. Finally, Leor seemed to be focused on a small collection of clothes. She held up a garment and wandered over to a mirror to see how she looked in it. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was some sort of bathing suit.
I was really, really thankful that Tal had the concept of bathing suits. Part of me had been quietly dreading the prospect of skinny-dipping with five people who were barely more than strangers to me. The fact there was some reasonable expectation we would all be clothed was a relief.
After we finished our sandwiches, we all went to look at the bathing wear. Yada wandered over and started talking about things, going over what was popular where and who had suggested certain styles. I did what I normally did and grabbed the first pair of anything that reasonably looked like it would fit me, and it seemed Oxcard did the same. Arcadia was the next to choose, then Leor. Laran and Oriwyn were debating extensively amongst themselves, going over minute differences in material and cut that I wouldn’t have even thought to look at, so we left them to it and told them to meet us in the bathhouse. They agreed, so we set off.
When we entered the glass dome that hosted the baths, I saw that I had been right. A wooden frame created triangular ledges that held up glass panes. Some of them seemed to be missing from strategic places, creating a cross breeze. Still, the glass held in a large amount of steamy air, and we quickly picked out a large pool to claim as our own. There were only two other bathers, and they were off in a much smaller pool off to the side, so we had plenty of choice. We saw some booths off to the side and went to get changed.
As we gathered by the pool, my head idly studied what bathing suits we’d all chosen. I had gone with what was familiar - a pair of baggy trunks that had a cinch at the waist so they wouldn’t fall down. They didn’t have the weird inner netting that I was used to in place of underwear, which felt a bit strange and loose, but otherwise they were comfortable enough. Oxcard seemed to have chosen much the same as me, but where mine were dyed a green color, his seemed to be wholly undyed. I wondered if they had been the cheapest pair available - that might track with what little I knew about him and Arcadia.
Speaking of, Arcadia was wearing what looked like a sports bra and spanks. I’m sure there were women back home who would have killed for her sporty build, though given her life I’m sure she hadn’t come by it in a way that was in any way pleasant. The last to emerge was Leor, and I had to stop myself from laughing. She looked like a candy cane, wearing a red and white striped one-piece bathing suit that made me think of the old-timey Victorian bathing suits I saw guys wearing in movies and read about in history books. The lower part nearly came down to her knees, and given her beard and candy-cane coloring I got the impression of one of Santa’s elves on holiday. The mental image was doubly funny given that Leor was very definitely a dwarf, but I managed to hold myself together regardless.
We all slipped into the water - it was warm and inviting - and had just started to chat when we heard the bathhouse door open. We waved at Oriwyn and Laran as they entered, and they quickly went and got changed in the hutches we had vacated. It was with some curiosity that I watched for them to exit.
Oriwyn wore a loose, draped garment that seemed to be gathered at specific places to preserve her modesty - it looked vaguely Greek to me. I only had a few seconds to observe the cut though, because she immediately took a running start and jumped towards the deepest part of the pool. Brams immediately followed, offering a secondary splash nearly as large as Oriwyn’s as he splashed down. He began to paddle around the pool happily, having tucked his wings up and out of the way, while Oriwyn surfaced, shooting a cheesy grin at Leor - who she had splashed severely with her entrance - and took a place along the ledge at the edge.
When Laran came out, my face turned a little red. Now I wasn’t a prude, and over the years I had seen several men in very, very revealing swimsuits, but Laran’s suit was drawing my eyes in a way that I felt like they hadn’t been drawn since I was going through puberty. He wore what appeared to be folded fabric instead of trunks like Oxcard and I had found - some distant memory thought it looked vaguely Roman in Earth terms. It was a dark burgundy and not even that revealing, but something about seeing him in it brought back the bashfulness I had experienced when he’d run around the edge of the house shirtless the first time I met him. He seemed to be thinking the same way as I saw his cheeks darkened, but ignored his self-consciousness and walked over without comment to join us in the pool.
We all relaxed in the warm water, trading the occasional bits of small talk. After a while Alex walked in and we waved, but they seemed bent on going to a particular pool on the opposite side of the room. After a while of discussing nothing important, Arcadia cleared her throat to get our attention.
“Excuse me? I don’t want to be too formal or anything, but Ox and I have been talking about your offer and I figured we should share what we decided.”
My heart nearly froze in my chest. My curiosity on if they’d join us had been burning away at me for the whole trip so far, and it seemed like it was going to be answered. Of course we would survive without them, but with what all we’d been through I very much wanted them to accept. Also, part of me wondered if I felt that way because their refusal would mean our group wasn’t worth joining. I tried to push the sudden jumble of emotions down and focus on what she was saying.
“We talked it over and decided we’ll join you. I didn’t have a much better plan long term, and you’ve already proved you’re trustworthy. So, assuming you’ll still have us, we’d like to join.”
Arcadia looked a little nervous while Ox remained hard to read. I felt a sudden soaring in my heart, but Oriwyn beat me to accepting the offer.
“Yes! Of course! We never rescinded the offer after all, plus we work well together!”
Arcadia looked pleased, and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on Oxcard’s face. Leor smiled too, while Laran suddenly shot to his feet.
“This calls for a proper celebration! Wait ‘ere!”
With that, he got out of the pool and raced off. In short order, he returned with two wine bottles and a few glasses. He eagerly began passing them out, Leor enthusiastically helping get things uncorked and poured. When we all had our glasses, Laran raised his in the air.
“A toast! To new allies an’ a new team! May we do well, do good, and do well for ourselves in so doin’!”
He said the words as if he’d heard them before - I wondered from whom for a moment but abandoned that train of thought quickly. Everyone readily agreed to his toast and raised their glasses, myself included, before taking hearty drinks of our wine. It was a sweet, almost citrusy flavor that bordered on too sweet for me, but its flavor cut through the steamy air of the bathhouse well. I enjoyed it and it seemed everyone else did too. As we lowered our glasses though, we all got quite a shock.
“Cheers! Now where’s my glass?”
The voice came from Brams, who was happily paddling in the center of the pool. Laran choked on his wine, shooting a little out of his nose. Leor just stopped and stared into her glass, looking for an explanation there. Oxcard and Arcadia looked at the rest of us, vaguely confused, but it was Oriwyn’s reaction I really wanted to see.
She sat on her ledge in the pool, a broad smile across her face. I could see a hint of surprise in her eyes, but still she flashed her smile to the rest of us.
“Why are you all acting so surprised? Did you think I was talking to Brams just for fun?”
Elsewhere: The captain of the river barge stood eagle-eyed at the front. It wasn’t like he needed to steer very much - just about anybody could control a riverboat when it was being pulled by horses on the bank - so his attention was much better spent keeping an eye out for threats. He looked to the side - the group of three mercenaries he had hired to accompany his boat and walk by the horses trotted along, weapons sheathed and chatting amicably. He couldn’t blame them really, given that they’d been going for a full day and a half since he’d picked them up without trouble. Still, he knew this stretch of the river and knew he should expect trouble. He scanned the gently rippling surface of the river again, a sudden feeling of discomfort settling over him. A disruption caught his eye, and he let out a cry. The bubbles that caused the disruption began to surface more violently, making the calm stream look like a pot of water at a roiling boil, and the captain cursed his luck. He’d been a fool to try and make his run when he did, but he felt like he’d had no choice. Now he was going to pay for that specific incautious decision - all he could hope was that he didn’t pay too dearly in either coin or life.
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Chapter 27 - I Guess a Bathhouse Episode was Inevitable
Last Time: Having attained at least some measure or personal safety, the party recovered from their wounds in a forest clearing. Aiden awoke from his nightmare-troubled sleep to see everyone waiting. They had found a fortuitous ally in the form of Alex, a teamster who had happened upon them during their flight from Tripit, though they were away retrieving the party’s belongings. The day passed peacefully enough, and good news was had when Oxcard awoke from his sleep. In the relative quiet, plans were made for what the party would do going forward. Aiden, Laran, Leor, and Oriwyn would follow Arcadia and Oxcard as they made their way to Diareen, a distant trade city. In addition to following them, Aiden made Arcadia and Oxcard the offer to join their party. The two siblings deferred their answer but acquiesced to the party joining them on their trip, and thus it was that they set travel that night at a much more leisurely pace than they had been forced to take the night before.
We had been traveling for about three days. During the first, all of us had been jumpy. Many small clumps of people lined the roads that led from Tripit, little communities that arose in order to be near Tripit or which persisted despite the meteoric growth of their larger neighbor. Any time someone glanced over at us, I felt like they were going to report our whereabouts to Daisy and we would need to flee into the darkness. Luckily, however, there were no incidents and we began to be able to fully relax.
Oxcard was making a good recovery. He still rode in the cart more often than not, with Oriwyn often joining him to minister to his wounds as best she could. It quickly became apparent that he knew more about treating injuries than Oriwyn, so her attempts quickly turned into lessons. Arcadia normally walked nearby, chatting pleasantly with Oxcard whenever he otherwise didn’t have anything to do - I had noticed she didn’t talk to the rest of the party as much, but given the circumstances I figured that her joy at saving Ox merited a little bit of single-minded focus.
It felt strange to lead the group with nothing really going on. We had too many injuries to really try to train, and we wanted to spend as much time as we could traveling to put some distance behind us just in case someone was following, so we barely acted like an adventuring party. In general, it felt more like we were a group of backpackers who had run into each other and decided to stick together rather than an adventuring party on a quest for future glory.
All in all, I couldn’t say I really minded it.
In the quiet times after we’d made camp but before I fell asleep, I would occasionally check Lorna’s pocket mirror. The first time I did, I was unsurprised to learn we had all leveled up - I was level six, Laran and Leor were level seven, Oriwyn was level eight, Arcadia was level five, and Oxcard was level six. In addition to that, I had increased in bond with everybody. After such a harrowing venture, it felt right.
About midway through the third day of travel, Alex called out to us all, suddenly excited.
“I thought this looked familiar! See the weird tree that looks like it was hit by lightning? And that pile of boulders over there that kind of looks like a bunny? If we take the side road we’ll find in about ten minutes, then we’ll get to YaDa’s!”
I had no idea what Alex was talking about, so I shot a look around to the rest of the party. They seemed equally as mystified, so I decided to take one for the team.
“Uh, YaDa’s? What is that?”
Alex slapped a hand to their heart as if they’d been offended.
“You don’t know of YaDa’s? It's the finest combination inn, general store, and bathhouse in all of Tal!”
I snorted with laughter at Alex’s mock indignation. The place certainly sounded interesting - even after only three days on the road, I could do with an inn, a general store, and a bathhouse. If they all happened to be in the same building, then that was all the better for it. I did have one question though.
“I think we’re interested, assuming it won’t cause us too much delay. That being said, why is someone trying to run a business out in the middle of nowhere? Sure we’re not too far from Tripit and we’re on a decently large road, but I can’t imagine that enough people pass through to make it fully worth their while.”
Alex just shrugged and smiled.
“The owners seem to do just fine for themselves! Maybe it’s because they tend to get a lot of repeat customers. I’m not the only one who looks forward to my path taking me by YaDa’s - in fact, I stop pretty much every time I’m going to or from Tripit!”
I nodded along as Alex continued to ramble about some of the amenities of YaDa’s. Everyone else seemed interested too, so it wasn’t much of a decision to declare we would stop in and rest the remainder of the day. Everyone’s mood got an immediate boost and we all moved faster - even the pack animals pulling the cart seemed excited. Soon enough we found a simple wooden sign next to a side road, which Alex directed us down.
The sign had three pictograms on it - a coin purse, a plate of food, and a steaming bath. As I looked at them, my brain started to work out what order I wanted to do the actions they represented in.
Oriwyn’s eyes were bright and wide open as we came down the path. Already, a building could be seen in the distance. It was large for how little else stood near it - a big, blocky building that matched what I thought an inn should look like was flanked by a smaller, blocky building and a large geodesic dome. I blinked a few times, startled by the shape. It looked like triangular panes of glass rested on a wooden substructure, making a shape that I always associated with retrofuturism. Leor looked interested too - maybe she had some interest in architecture?
As we approached, Alex rumbled their wagon to a halt.
“You six - sorry Brams, seven - go ahead and run in ahead of me. I have an understanding with the owners so I’m going to hitch Peggy and Gary up in the stables before I try to get settled. Someone should be working the front desk - introduce yourself, they’re friendly!”
We thanked Alex for their insight and made our way into the building. We entered into a slightly small space - it wasn’t cramped, but it definitely felt small for what I associated with the entryway for an inn. A few plush chairs were arranged around a fireplace on one wall and a desk stood at the far end. It was currently unoccupied, but I saw a small hanging bell and a hammer on an iron stand on the desk. Shrugging, I took point and walked up to the desk. I glanced around but couldn’t see anyone, so I picked up the hammer and tapped the bell. The resulting noise was surprisingly loud and the answer was almost instant.
“So sorry! Be with you in a second!” came a deep but feminine sounding voice. Sure enough, after a short time had passed, a door opened and a woman stepped through.
To call the woman tall felt almost like an understatement. It seemed like she needed to duck under the doorframe - my best guess is that she was six foot eight or taller. She was built in a way that suggested the Ghost of Christmas Present to me - red hair and all - and when she walked behind the desk it looked comically small before her. She appeared to be human, but I wondered if giants were a thing in Tal - if they were, she definitely looked the part.
“Welcome to YaDa’s!” she said, smiling brightly. She swept a hand up to herself by way of introduction. “My name is Ya, and Da is around elsewhere, and together we run YaDa’s! I don’t think I recognize you - is this your first time?”
Leor was the one who stepped up to answer, which surprised me. I shifted back a little to let her take point.
“Yes, this is our first time, though you came highly recommended by our associate Alex. I believe they should be joining us soon!”
Ya beamed behind the desk.
“Oh! Alex is a good sort - glad to see them back! Their favorite room is even open right now - unless they’d be staying with you?”
“We hadn’t discussed how we would be doing lodging arrangements, but I assume Alex may want some peace and quiet after having us unexpectedly tail along for a few days. What sort of accommodations are there?”
Ya ran a quick count on our number. “For six? We have suites that can take six, or you could do three rooms of two. Honestly, it’s cheaper if you’re all together, and we have a harder time filling the big rooms anyway.
It was at that moment that Brams began to try to scale Ya’s desk. With a scrabbling sound and some snorting, he made his presence known. Ya looked down, looked a little surprised, then reached over the desk and held out her arms. Brams gladly stopped scrabbling and flopped into the proffered embrace, so Ya lifted him and placed him on the desk.
“My my, aren’t you a strange one, little creature! Can’t say I’ve seen your like before…”
Brams made a snorting sound that seemed almost indignant and shook himself. His tail wiggled with the end of the shake, then he sat and stared up at Ya. There was a moment’s silence and Brams looked very intent - all of us leaned in a little, as it seemed like Brams was about to do something. A violent sneeze burst from his muzzle, making us all jump, and the moment was over. Ya smiled at him and tousled the hair on top of his head with her huge hands.
“Well, sorry for not including you in the count. I’m sure that the room will fit seven, though you may need to squeeze a little. Follow me!”
With that, Ya pulled a bulky key from a pocket in her pants. She bent down and unlocked a drawer in the desk, withdrawing a smaller key. As she handed it to Leor, she gave her some instructions.
“Now this key is enchanted. After we’ve opened your door, you’ll have ten minutes to make as many copies as you’ll need. Just take the key, leave it on an open spot of the table, and make sure nobody looks at it for about a minute. When you look back, there’ll be a second key on the table. Take the key and give it to someone - have them put it out of sight - and repeat it until you have what you need! When you’re done, stroke the first key and tell it thanks and it’ll stop duplicating itself.”
I chuckled - hotel key cards had nothing on what I’d just seen. Sure the whole system seemed a little convoluted, and there was a part of me that wanted to keep summoning keys for a few hours just to see how many I could make, but it still felt really cool. In a way, it felt like proper magic, like in a fairy tale.
It was amazing how quickly parts of Tal had become passé to me. I figured since I’d been living in Tal for a while, it was natural that I'd done my best to try and fit in, which would explain how I so quickly became inured to the magical wonders of the world. After all, it seemed like my life was going to continue on as it had been for the foreseeable future. Still, sometimes something small would hit me over the head with a sudden feeling that I was somewhere different from Earth.
Over time, that feeling had been less and less negative.
We followed Ya as she led us to our room. She had to slow a little, as Arcadia made it a point to walk in front of Oxcard and walk slowly so he wouldn’t try to keep up with the tall woman and possibly re-open his wounds. Despite the delay however, we made it to our rooms fine before too awful long.
Our lodgings were simple but spacious. Beds lined two of the walls, creating a corner for sleeping that stood opposed to a clear space with some tables, chairs, and what appeared to be a simple wood-fired stove. A stack of small firewood sat in a basket and thick quilts covered the bed, and overall the whole place gave off a very cozy feeling.
We wasted no time in thanking Ya and starting to get settled in. Arcadia, Oxcard, and Oriwyn took the three beds on one wall while Leor, Laran, and I took the remaining. Leor busied herself making keys, though had some trouble because Oriwyn kept trying to sneak a peek of the key when it split, causing the magic to not work. Eventually though, each of us had a copy - we even made a copy for Brams and tied it around his neck loosely with a piece of ribbon, figuring that it would be a good backup. Leor had an odd look on her face when she began to stroke the key and tell it thank you, which got the rest of us laughing. The key shivered in her hand and let out a contented sigh, which made Leor drop it. Oxcard started laughing so hard that he doubled over in pain, but there was no damage done and the mood stayed high. I decided I should address everyone and come up with something of a game plan.
“Well everyone, it looks like we have some R and R time on our hands! What do people want to do?”
What followed was a pleasantly lively discussion. Arcadia, Laran, and I really wanted to see about the bathhouse side of things, while Oriwyn and Leor argued that they were hungry. Oxcard stayed quiet for most of the deliberation, offering noncommittal answers if ever directly asked about anything, which I found a little strange but which I didn’t press on. The whole time, Brams ran laps around the room, flapping his wings as he jumped from bed to bed. I noticed he seemed to be getting just the littlest bit of a glide going as he leapt over the longer stretches - I would bring that up with Ori later. It also seemed like a positive development that the movement didn’t cause him pain, despite the healing scar on his wing.
Eventually, a plan was settled on. We would go to the general store to see if they had bathing clothes and something to eat. If they did, we would make our purchases then head to the bathhouse, which we assumed was the glass-encased dome structure. If we couldn’t find something that worked as a snack, we agreed we would get a proper meal before swimming. Our plan solidified, Oriwyn calmed Brams down enough so that he stopped running laps of the room, and we headed back to the front.
When we got to the store, we found someone we hadn’t seen before. By the look of her, she seemed to be Ya’s daughter - she hadn’t inherited her mother’s prodigious height entirely, but still stood roughly six feet tall. As we all walked in, she perked up immediately.
“Hello! My name is Yada, and I run the general store here! Have you ever visited one of our shops?”
So many things hit me at once I had trouble figuring out what to focus on first. The first thing I came to grips with was that this person’s name was likely a combination of her parents’ - it wasn’t that hard to imagine, but it still felt weird. The second was that there were multiple shops. Obviously the concept of a chain of stores wasn’t foreign to me, but they were a concept I thought I had left behind with Earth. Curiosity overtook me, so I decided to press for a little more information.
“No I can’t say I have - where are they?”
Yada puffed up behind the desk and looked proud of herself.
“Oh they’re around! Pick three out of the four cardinal directions from Tripit, and there you’ll find a branch of Yada’s General store. My siblings - Yadayada and Yadayadayada - run those two stores, but I was the one who started the whole thing and got this shop made! Mom and Dad really mostly care about the hospitality part of things, so I was free to make the business as I wanted it.”
Leor snorted and bluntly asked Yada a question that I had to admit had occurred to me too.
“Yada, Yadayada, and Yadayadayada? Good thing your parents didn’t have more kids or that would get unwieldy. Are they not very creative people?”
I may have phrased things a little more delicately, but I was still curious of the answer. Luckily Yada laughed it off and didn’t seem to take any offense.
“No, they’re good hosts but not the most imaginative when it comes to naming. We always joked it made it easy for people to remember who was the oldest - take the number of syllables and divide by two!”
Leor just raised her eyebrows but Arcadia burst out laughing. I don’t think I’d heard her laugh like that before. Oriwyn looked at her and slowly began to chuckle along, slowly crescendoing to full-blown laughter as well. I managed to keep a straight face until I glanced over at Laran, who looked utterly mystified. Ox was smiling - the first time I’d seen him do so in the short and intense time since I’d met him - and even Leor was giving a disdainful look, which was tantamount to a grin from her. When everyone calmed down, we thanked Yada for the introduction and got to the business of shopping.
There were sandwiches wrapped up in little paper bags, which we all bought one or two of. Oriwyn, Leor, and Oxcard immediately wolfed theirs down while Laran, Arcadia, and I went to a small table set off to the side and had a more leisurely time of things. As we ate, the other three began to look at the wares of the shop.
Oriwyn immediately found little baubles and spent a good while combing through a small chest of brooches. While she was doing that, Oxcard went to some shelves that had what looked like medical supplies. He came up to Arcadia with an armful and asked for some money, which she hurriedly fished out and gave him. Finally, Leor seemed to be focused on a small collection of clothes. She held up a garment and wandered over to a mirror to see how she looked in it. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was some sort of bathing suit.
I was really, really thankful that Tal had the concept of bathing suits. Part of me had been quietly dreading the prospect of skinny-dipping with five people who were barely more than strangers to me. The fact there was some reasonable expectation we would all be clothed was a relief.
After we finished our sandwiches, we all went to look at the bathing wear. Yada wandered over and started talking about things, going over what was popular where and who had suggested certain styles. I did what I normally did and grabbed the first pair of anything that reasonably looked like it would fit me, and it seemed Oxcard did the same. Arcadia was the next to choose, then Leor. Laran and Oriwyn were debating extensively amongst themselves, going over minute differences in material and cut that I wouldn’t have even thought to look at, so we left them to it and told them to meet us in the bathhouse. They agreed, so we set off.
When we entered the glass dome that hosted the baths, I saw that I had been right. A wooden frame created triangular ledges that held up glass panes. Some of them seemed to be missing from strategic places, creating a cross breeze. Still, the glass held in a large amount of steamy air, and we quickly picked out a large pool to claim as our own. There were only two other bathers, and they were off in a much smaller pool off to the side, so we had plenty of choice. We saw some booths off to the side and went to get changed.
As we gathered by the pool, my head idly studied what bathing suits we’d all chosen. I had gone with what was familiar - a pair of baggy trunks that had a cinch at the waist so they wouldn’t fall down. They didn’t have the weird inner netting that I was used to in place of underwear, which felt a bit strange and loose, but otherwise they were comfortable enough. Oxcard seemed to have chosen much the same as me, but where mine were dyed a green color, his seemed to be wholly undyed. I wondered if they had been the cheapest pair available - that might track with what little I knew about him and Arcadia.
Speaking of, Arcadia was wearing what looked like a sports bra and spanks. I’m sure there were women back home who would have killed for her sporty build, though given her life I’m sure she hadn’t come by it in a way that was in any way pleasant. The last to emerge was Leor, and I had to stop myself from laughing. She looked like a candy cane, wearing a red and white striped one-piece bathing suit that made me think of the old-timey Victorian bathing suits I saw guys wearing in movies and read about in history books. The lower part nearly came down to her knees, and given her beard and candy-cane coloring I got the impression of one of Santa’s elves on holiday. The mental image was doubly funny given that Leor was very definitely a dwarf, but I managed to hold myself together regardless.
We all slipped into the water - it was warm and inviting - and had just started to chat when we heard the bathhouse door open. We waved at Oriwyn and Laran as they entered, and they quickly went and got changed in the hutches we had vacated. It was with some curiosity that I watched for them to exit.
Oriwyn wore a loose, draped garment that seemed to be gathered at specific places to preserve her modesty - it looked vaguely Greek to me. I only had a few seconds to observe the cut though, because she immediately took a running start and jumped towards the deepest part of the pool. Brams immediately followed, offering a secondary splash nearly as large as Oriwyn’s as he splashed down. He began to paddle around the pool happily, having tucked his wings up and out of the way, while Oriwyn surfaced, shooting a cheesy grin at Leor - who she had splashed severely with her entrance - and took a place along the ledge at the edge.
When Laran came out, my face turned a little red. Now I wasn’t a prude, and over the years I had seen several men in very, very revealing swimsuits, but Laran’s suit was drawing my eyes in a way that I felt like they hadn’t been drawn since I was going through puberty. He wore what appeared to be folded fabric instead of trunks like Oxcard and I had found - some distant memory thought it looked vaguely Roman in Earth terms. It was a dark burgundy and not even that revealing, but something about seeing him in it brought back the bashfulness I had experienced when he’d run around the edge of the house shirtless the first time I met him. He seemed to be thinking the same way as I saw his cheeks darkened, but ignored his self-consciousness and walked over without comment to join us in the pool.
We all relaxed in the warm water, trading the occasional bits of small talk. After a while Alex walked in and we waved, but they seemed bent on going to a particular pool on the opposite side of the room. After a while of discussing nothing important, Arcadia cleared her throat to get our attention.
“Excuse me? I don’t want to be too formal or anything, but Ox and I have been talking about your offer and I figured we should share what we decided.”
My heart nearly froze in my chest. My curiosity on if they’d join us had been burning away at me for the whole trip so far, and it seemed like it was going to be answered. Of course we would survive without them, but with what all we’d been through I very much wanted them to accept. Also, part of me wondered if I felt that way because their refusal would mean our group wasn’t worth joining. I tried to push the sudden jumble of emotions down and focus on what she was saying.
“We talked it over and decided we’ll join you. I didn’t have a much better plan long term, and you’ve already proved you’re trustworthy. So, assuming you’ll still have us, we’d like to join.”
Arcadia looked a little nervous while Ox remained hard to read. I felt a sudden soaring in my heart, but Oriwyn beat me to accepting the offer.
“Yes! Of course! We never rescinded the offer after all, plus we work well together!”
Arcadia looked pleased, and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on Oxcard’s face. Leor smiled too, while Laran suddenly shot to his feet.
“This calls for a proper celebration! Wait ‘ere!”
With that, he got out of the pool and raced off. In short order, he returned with two wine bottles and a few glasses. He eagerly began passing them out, Leor enthusiastically helping get things uncorked and poured. When we all had our glasses, Laran raised his in the air.
“A toast! To new allies an’ a new team! May we do well, do good, and do well for ourselves in so doin’!”
He said the words as if he’d heard them before - I wondered from whom for a moment but abandoned that train of thought quickly. Everyone readily agreed to his toast and raised their glasses, myself included, before taking hearty drinks of our wine. It was a sweet, almost citrusy flavor that bordered on too sweet for me, but its flavor cut through the steamy air of the bathhouse well. I enjoyed it and it seemed everyone else did too. As we lowered our glasses though, we all got quite a shock.
“Cheers! Now where’s my glass?”
The voice came from Brams, who was happily paddling in the center of the pool. Laran choked on his wine, shooting a little out of his nose. Leor just stopped and stared into her glass, looking for an explanation there. Oxcard and Arcadia looked at the rest of us, vaguely confused, but it was Oriwyn’s reaction I really wanted to see.
She sat on her ledge in the pool, a broad smile across her face. I could see a hint of surprise in her eyes, but still she flashed her smile to the rest of us.
“Why are you all acting so surprised? Did you think I was talking to Brams just for fun?”
Elsewhere: The captain of the river barge stood eagle-eyed at the front. It wasn’t like he needed to steer very much - just about anybody could control a riverboat when it was being pulled by horses on the bank - so his attention was much better spent keeping an eye out for threats. He looked to the side - the group of three mercenaries he had hired to accompany his boat and walk by the horses trotted along, weapons sheathed and chatting amicably. He couldn’t blame them really, given that they’d been going for a full day and a half since he’d picked them up without trouble. Still, he knew this stretch of the river and knew he should expect trouble. He scanned the gently rippling surface of the river again, a sudden feeling of discomfort settling over him. A disruption caught his eye, and he let out a cry. The bubbles that caused the disruption began to surface more violently, making the calm stream look like a pot of water at a roiling boil, and the captain cursed his luck. He’d been a fool to try and make his run when he did, but he felt like he’d had no choice. Now he was going to pay for that specific incautious decision - all he could hope was that he didn’t pay too dearly in either coin or life.
Want to support me and the story? Visit https://ko-fi.com/redcastoff!
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Help! Any information would be greatly appreciated!
San Bernardino, Ca
Estimated Age: 30-55 years old Race: n/a Sex: Female Height: 5'1" Weight: 120 to 125 lbs. Hair: Black, medium length, with slight gray Eye Color: Brown Distinguishing Marks/Features: Appendectomy scar on abdomen. Pierced ears. Dark complexion.
Circumstances of Discovery On March 27, 1977 the body of a woman was found in the foothills north of Sycamore Heights residential area (east side of Cook Canyon, approximately 3000 foot level, Highland). It was apparent that the body had been in this location between one and two weeks. The cause and manner of death could not be determined. Although no trauma was present, leading to the possibility that exposure caused her death, homicide cannot be ruled out.
Found this recently and she uncannily looks like my mother. Any information would be appreciated. Just to clarify, this is not my mom. My mom was born in 1962 so she would’ve been 15 at the time this Jane Doe was found. I’m thinking maybe a relative of our mother, I’m not sure. Coincidently she was found in the same county we lived.

“A group experience takes place on a lower level of consciousness than the experience of an individual. This is due to the fact that, when many people gather together to share one common emotion, the total psyche emerging from the group is below the level of the individual psyche. If it is a very large group, the collective psyche will be more like the psyche of an animal, which is the reason why the ethical attitude of large organizations is always doubtful. The psychology of a large crowd inevitably sinks to the level of mob psychology. If, therefore, I have a so-called collective experience as a member of a group, it takes place on a lower level of consciousness than if I had the experience by myself alone.”
― C.G. Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Company Name	Title	City
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Manager - Weld Production (Stoughton, WI)	Albany
Alsum Farms	Over the Road Truck Driver	Beaver Dam
Pomp's Tire Service	Part time Delivery Route Driver	Black Creek
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal -nights - (AWS)	Brodhead
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal - (AWS)	Brodhead
Quad	Skilled Print Operators	Burlington
Quad	Second Shift MBO Folder Operator	Burlington
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Forklift Operator	Cambridge
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Benefits Analyst	Cambridge
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Specialist - Training and Development (Stoughton, WI)	Cambridge
Quad	Offset Second Press Operator	Cedarburg
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Benefits Analyst	Cottage Grove
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Hiring Now Assembler - 2nd Shift	Cottage Grove
Quad	Finishing Operator-Full Time	Delafield
Pomp's Tire Service	Delivery Semi Driver (Full Time)	Denmark
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal - (AWS)	Edgerton
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Facilities Mechanic	Edgerton
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal - (AWS)	Footville
Quad	Die Cutter Operator	Franklin
Quad	First Press Operator 2nd Shift	Franklin
Quad	Flexo Operator-2nd Shift Entry Level	Franklin
Alsum Farms	Over the Road Truck Driver	Friesland
Alsum Farms	Local Truck Driver	Friesland
Alsum Farms	OTR Driver	Friesland
Pomp's Tire Service	Part time Delivery Route Driver	Green Bay

Hey guys, here are some recent job openings , feel free to comment here if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!

Co-Authored by me and u/Research-Apart, a big thanks to u/Acceptable_Egg5560 for letting us use Tarlim, and for helping write him
Well that took a while, hope it was worth the wait, the next chapter shouldn't take as long
CW: >! Gore and violence !<
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____________________________________________________________________________________
> Access File: Hybris (9)
[OPENING FILE]
Notice from Department of Extrasolar Records: These records were discovered in a floating black box data recording in the Gliese 832 system. These transcriptions contain the memories of prominent individuals who were directly involved with the events detailed below. The components of the transcription technology used are under review by the Department of Xenotechnology, and any transcriptions found within the data logs will be transferred directly to the Department of Extrasolar Records for further processing.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Memory transcription subject: Tarlim, Venlil Civilian
Date [standardized human time]: April 4, 2143
I don’t know how long I was in hiding for, I just remember hearing the screams of people outside before falling asleep when it all died down. I got up from the floor and peaked out of my closet to see if there was a break in before leaving it entirely. I checked my front door to see if the locks were still locked and, luckily enough, it was still intact. I set out a sigh of relief before walking back to my living room and slumping back down on my couch. I took my medication as I picked up my datapad from the floor, hoping everything that happened earlier was just a bad dream. The first thing I noticed was that my pad spat back an error message. That was strange, the infrastructure was too developed to not have net access in the middle of a city.
Glancing up towards the window, I noticed a strange red hue coming from behind the curtain. I set my pad down on the couch as I got up and walked to the window. I could feel my paws begin to shake as I grabbed the curtains. Anticipating the worst, I hesitantly opened the curtains and peaked outside. It was worse than anything I could have expected: The remains of dead Venlil littered the street below as more continued to pile on. Orange blood coated the surrounding building walls as mutated Venlil ripped apart anyone they got their paws on. One of them eventually came across a mother and child attempting to hide underneath the surrounding rubble. It didn’t hesitate to attack the woman before another mutant came by to try and steal its catch. They fought each other relentlessly, trying to keep her in their grasp. Their claws tore deeply into her skin and muscles as they fought, causing her to scream from the unimaginable amount of pain. She took one last look at her child and yelled at him to run before her throat was torn off.
The child ran for his life, dodging around rubble and mutants and for a brief moment, I thought he might make it! Then a mutant Krakotl swooped down over him, a barbed tendril emerged from its beak and stabbed the pup in the shoulder. Screaming in pain he was lifted into the air as the mutant flew off to Protector knows where. As I swept my gaze across the city, similar scenes played out: survivors ran through the streets, slipping on pools of blood as they were pursued by packs of mutants; doors and windows were smashed to pieces as people looted for supplies; buildings were engulfed in flames as malfunctioning fire traps and improvised weapons were set off; mutants of every conceivable species rampaged through the city, attacking everyone they could find.
I fell to my knees as I vomited from the sight of the massacre outside. The blood, the gore, it was too much! My consciousness was escaping me as my heart pounded in my chest. I was hyperventilating, I was going to die, everything swirled around I was, I couldn’t-
Focus.
Breathe.
Calm.
Forcing the tirade of emotion back I shakely I got back up and looked back outside, only to lock eyes with one of the mutant Venlil. Its head turned to stare at me, its eye solid black with streaks of red running through it. For a moment, we simply stared at each other, before it started to run towards my apartment complex in a strange loping gait. It was picking up speed with every step and soon ran on all fours, galloping over rubble and trappling eviscerated corpses. I stumbled away from the window and ran to my door. There was no spehing way that I was fighting that thing. Right when I unlocked it, I heard the shattering of glass behind me. In the corner of my eye I could see the monster clambering through the window, shards of broken glass tearing at its flesh. I went through the door as fast as I could as it regained its posture. The moment I closed it behind me, I heard a loud thud behind me, signifying the mutant had attempted to lunge at me, ‘How the speh did it reach my window!? I’m four stories up!’ I thought before running down the hallway.
As I ran down through the hallway, I could see the place was in ruin: the walls that lined the hallway were torn and covered in streaks of Venlil blood as the lights above flickered unrhythmically. I zigzagged from door to door, looking for somewhere to hide, but every apartment was locked. I soon heard the bang of a door being knocked off its hinges from down the corridor. I felt my heart pounding, threatening to burst out of my chest at the exertion, but I pushed on. I briefly considered the elevator upon reaching the end of the corridor, but realized power to it was most likely cut. I ran to the stairwell and raced down it as fast as I could, taking two or three steps at a time. I could hear the creature burst into the stairwell as soon as I reached the first floor. That thing was fast, too fast.
I ran through the hallways of the first floor and saw that most of the apartments had already been broken into. The people who used to live here are either dead, mutated, or in hiding. I could feel my legs starting to ache from running so fast for so long, but I couldn’t stop. I could feel my quads beginning to tear underneath my skin as my heart pounded vigorously. I could try to hide in one of the open apartments, but what difference would that make? I would just be waiting to die. I can’t keep running like this, I need something to defend myself with.
As the pain within my legs began to set in, I decided to run into one of the open apartments anyway to escape that thing. Upon entering, I ran through the ruined apartment and went straight into the bathroom to hide. I closed and locked the door as quietly as possible before taking stock of the room. Compared to the rest of the apartment, hell the rest of the complex, it looked disturbingly normal. I looked around for a few moments to see if there was anything I could use in case that thing does find me, but there was nothing. Then I noticed a window looking out onto an alleyway. I went to the window and fumbled at the latch and pushed it open. Quickly crawling my way through, I stumbled slightly as I hit the ground. Looking around, I spotted an abandoned shipping crate sitting against the wall. I shifted my weight and prepared to run when I heard the cracking of splintering wood behind me. I sprinted down the alleyway and slid behind the crate without bothering to look behind me. There was more cracking and splintering and the twisted pants of the mutant. Cautiously peeking around the crate, I saw it stepping out of the window frame. The shattered remains of the window sitting on the floor below it. It stalked down the alleyway towards me, its eyes scanning for any sign of its prey. Ducking back behind my crate, I frantically searched for anything I could use to fight. As I shuffled further behind the crate, I felt my paw brushed against a discarded wrench. someone had likely been performing maintenance on the exterior pipes and the wrench had been left behind. Gripping it tightly, I got myself into a crouching position and prepared to move at a moment's notice…
After a moment of silence, I heard a woman’s voice, “Tarlim, are you there? I heard a window break from around the corner,” she said
My ears peaked up at the voice, could that be…
“Barlen?” I said quietly.
“Barlen, keep your voice down!” I called out, I didn’t want her to get killed.
“Sorry” she replied, more quietly this time.
“There was a mutant crawling around here,” I told her.
“I saw it, it went the other way, it must have seen easier prey,” she responded.
I let out a sigh of relief and slowly got up to my feet, leaning against the crate, the wrench hanging loosely at my side.
“Thank the protector, it’s good to see a friendly face…”
I looked up, and sitting on the crate, was the creature.
“It’s good to see you too,” it said, perfectly mimicking Barlen’s voice.
Its three petaled mouth opened wide before pouncing at me. In a stroke of luck my body twisted and smacked it across the head with the wrench in my hands. It was hit so hard so quickly, I knocked out a couple teeth before it fell limp next to me. I took a few steps back before repeatedly hitting it in back of its head with the wrench in my paws. I don’t know how many times I did it, I just kept going until brain matter was exposed.
When I was sure it was dead, I fell back against the wall and sat down as I dropped the wrench next to me. I could feel my heart beginning to pound from exhaustion as I tried catching my breath.
Thoughts began to race through my mind as I stared at my paws in horror. This thing was not only incredibly fast and agile, but it was also capable of replicating voices. ‘How did it know Barlen’s voice, and how did it know it would work on me?’ I thought for a moment before remembering the press release prior to all of this. They showed a living planet, no bigger than a large moon, sitting motionless in the sky above as it formed an eye. I still remember the feeling it gave me: the horror was so great, I tried to convince myself before falling asleep that none of this was real; all of this was just a bad dream and I needed to wake up, but I knew that wasn’t true. I slowly turned my gaze up towards the sky and saw that thing looking down at us, looking down at me.
What if the reason why the mutant was able to figure out what voice to use to draw me out was because it wasn’t on its own? What if all those infected aren’t senseless monsters, but they were that thing’s puppets. They all bend to its will without question, and I have a reason to believe it can see through their eyes too.
The sound of distant roars quickly snapped me back to reality as I sat with my blood covered paws. Picking up my bloodied wrench, I slowly made my way down the alleyway and out into the street. I could feel my heart screaming in pain at the recent exertion, not once have I ever pushed my body so hard in my life. Carefully peering around the corner of the apartment complex, I scanned the street before me. It was completely deserted and any possible living thing that was here is either dead or in hiding. I took one last look around before leaving the backstreet. Creeping between overturned cars and mangled corpses, I kept my eyes peeled for any more of those mutants nearby. I was in such a fearful state, I could feel my body tense up at every unidentified noise and shadow. Twice I spotted mutants prowling the streets, but I was able to avoid them by staying hidden. Eventually, I circled back to my apartment building after making sure the coast was clear. I kept my eyes peeled and listened closely to my surroundings as I made my way upstairs. I can see all the damage that thing left behind as it chased me. I’m glad I was able to kill that thing when I did because if it had caught me I would be more than dead. I eventually reached my apartment four stories up and looked in from behind the door frame. The room was a mess: shattered glass and ripped curtains littered the floor as my window remained permanently open; my furniture was broken and torn into as everything else beyond the living room remained untouched. I looked in the dining room and saw my pack was still sitting on the table. After checking my bag to see if my pills were still there, I quickly searched for any food and water before making my way back outside. I needed to find somewhere safe.
As I crept through another back alley, I tried to remember the directions for the shelter. We were supposed to memorize their locations in the event of a raid, but I had for some reason not been included in the regular drills. Fortunately, they were not that hard to find, which seemed like a possible design flaw in retrospect. My musings were interrupted when I felt my pad vibrate in my pack. Confused, I reached in and pulled out my pad. I was honestly surprised it was getting a signal now. I looked at the alert and it says as follows:
“This is an emergency message sent to any and all remaining survivors of Dawn Creek and abroad: all emergency shelters within the surrounding cities have been compromised and any surviving Venlil are to find a place to hide and a weapon to defend yourselves with. These creatures are incredibly strong and agile and will do everything in their power to kill you no matter the cost. If you want to survive, you must follow these steps to the word:

1. When it is silent and a mutant nearby, stay still and hold your breath. These things have incredibly sensitive hearing and can hear your breathing from up to six tails (12 feet) away.
2. Stay out of sight and make sure they don’t see you. It is said that all of these creatures are somehow connected telepathically and function as a hive mind. If one of them sees you then they all know where you are.
3. Do not listen to them. If they fail to find you, they will mimic the voices of your close friends or loved ones in an attempt to draw you out. If you hear a familiar voice, do not respond.
4. When faced with a mutant, you must kill or maim them if you want a chance to escape. If you don’t then they will continue pursuing you. These things do not get tired and can chase you for miles without end.
5. If you survive an attack with an infected Venlil and they manage to breach skin or their bodily fluids enter your body in any way, it is recommended that you self terminate for the safety of the herd. It is estimated to take an eighth of a claw before whatever substance in said fluid enters the brain and converts you from the inside out.

May the protector save us all.”
I silently stared at the screen in mute horror after reading the last line. Every shelter in the area had been compromised and anyone taking refuge there was more than likely dead. Just how many died unable to escape as their friends and family were torn apart? The Arxur, on some level at least, killed for food, but these things didn’t do any of that: They don’t eat what they can and leave whoever left is alive to make more meat, they eviscerate any living thing they lay their eyes on in the most painful way possible. To say they’re as bad as the Arxur would be putting it lightly. These things are far worse than anything any species has come across. I looked up at the sky for a moment as I held my pad in my hands. Its eye staring down at us from above as it watches these creatures it has created mutilate my people.
‘If this thing is truly as powerful and dangerous as Tarva says, then just how old is this thing? How many species before us have been mercilessly slaughtered by it without a second thought?’ I thought to myself as I stared at the planet above.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps from down the road. I felt my heart skip a beat before running to hide behind a turned over car. I pinned back my ears and cautiously looked over the side of the car and saw a small group of exterminators in their suits scouting the area. Not once in my life have I felt so happy to see them. I got out of hiding with my paws up to show I wasn’t infected. Upon seeing me, they put up their flamethrowers on the ready until one of them recognized me.
“Tarlim!? You’re alive!?” One of the Venlil exterminators exclaimed as he took off his mask.
“Treven!?” I exclaimed in response.
‘Of all the exterminators I could have run into, why him?’ I despondently wondered.
“I honestly thought a freak like you would die first. Seems like I was wrong,” Treven said mockingly, “How did you survive anyway?”
My grip on the wrench tightened. Even after everything that had happened, they still couldn’t let go of their prejudices.
“I don’t know. I guess I was lucky,” I replied simply.
Treven scoffed, “Was it the same luck that almost cost me everything?”
I stood silent at his response. I couldn’t believe that after everything he was still acting like this… this… stupid, selfish PRICK!
“Everything we've ever cared about, is gone.” I said, struggling to control my voice.
I spread my paws out, gesturing to the destroyed city around us.
“We’re facing down hordes of biologically impossible creatures controlled and created by an entity unfathomably more powerful than anything we’ve ever seen before!”
I noticed just then that I had been slowly stalking towards him, the wrench trembling in my paw.
“And your main concern is your SPEHING CAREER!?” I shouted.
Even now, this asshole still blames me for something HE did to himself. It was infuriating that this selfish speh was mad at me for losing his job even though they were the ones who almost killed Malcos!
I was about to shout again until one of the other exterminators, a white Venlil, came by and slapped Treven in the back of the head; the blow was hard enough to send him stumbling. Before he was able to respond, his mouth was covered by their coworkers' paw to keep him from speaking. It felt somewhat good seeing Treven put in his place, but I was confused on why. It wasn’t until he moved away from Treven when he decided to stay quiet and marched towards me with an annoyed yet fearful expression in his swaying tail. I was grabbed by the wool around my neck and pulled down to his line of sight before he started loudly whispering.
“Are you trying to get us killed!? We are literally at the ground zero and your shouting might have given away our position!” He quietly exclaimed, “We already had to deal with a horde on our way into the city and lost almost everyone. The six you see used to be a group of over two hundred exterminators!”
My heart sank after realizing what I had done: Not only did I possibly make our presence known, but this small group before me used to be multiple station's worth of exterminators. I was at a loss for words at my cluelessness and kept my mouth shut after I was let go. The Venlil in white soon signaled everyone in the group to continue moving forward and to keep their eyes peeled.
As we continued moving through the streets of Dawn Creek, we eventually heard the crunching of bone and sound of flesh being torn off from around the corner. The noise sent a chill up my spine and was extremely discomforting. I glanced at the exterminators surrounding me and saw them show a more fearful expression than me. If it was true that this group used to consist of a hundred exterminators, then they likely bore witness to seeing their comrades be torn to shreds first hand. Seeing something like that would be hard to live down, especially when the people you love are the ones being mauled to death.
The thought of what these people went through to get here changed how I saw them for a moment. Knowing what he had to witness, I began to rethink how I saw them when we crossed paths. I felt bad for them for a moment until I heard that loud crunch again, but this time it was louder.
The leading exterminator looked around the corner before continuing down the street. It was strange how empty the town was considering it was crawling with infected just a claw prior. They might have found new hunting grounds since this place is absent from life, but considering one of them has already seen me and the group there should have been at least a pawful chasing after us by now. They know we’re all alive, yet refuse to take action. Something is going on and I have a feeling it might pop up soon.
The sound of crunching became progressively louder as we quietly walked. The leading exterminator raised a paw, then slowly peered around the corner where the sound had come from. He stiffened suddenly, his entire body froze up before desperately diving back behind cover. Another exterminator, the mute one I think, grabbed him by the arm before he could collapse. The leader walked up to them, careful to not make any sounds that could attract attention.
“What’s wrong? What did you see?” he whispered to the point man.
He simply pointed back towards the crunching sound as his arm shook with fear. The leader’s tail swished in annoyance as he moved to the corner. Curious for myself, I followed closely behind him to take a look at whatever was out of view. He shot me a look of annoyance when I brushed up against him, but he didn’t object to me seeing. We both peered around the building towards the street with my face almost sitting on top of his head. My breath hitched in my throat as I saw what was standing there: feasting on a Mazic in the middle of a trashed shop was a massive, grotesque, monstrosity of a Venlil. It stood over 5 tails [3 meters] tall with tendrils of red flesh that shot through its bare skin. The muscles on its body were so large it seemed like they were on the edge of bursting out of its skin, and its enormous paws looked like it could wrap around my head with ease; its legs looked like they were about to explode from the sheer mass held within them. Not only that, but what separated it from the other infected was its face: it was the only one I have seen so far that didn’t have a split face like the others. This one was different for some reason; regardless, I didn’t want to get this thing's attention.
Placing a paw on the leader's shoulder we made our way back to the rest of the group. One of the exterminators walked up to us.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
“There is some kind of super mutant up ahead, we need to find a new route,” the leader whispered back.
“Well where are we going?” I interjected, “all the shelters have been taken out.”
“Before we found you, we sent out a distress signal in hopes anyone will come for us,” The leader responded, “We never got a response so we focused on trying to find a way out.”
“Do any of you have a map so you know where you’re going?” I Inquired
“No, unfortunately. Our pads ran out of power half a claw ago and we don’t have any physical copies, so we don’t know which streets to follow” The leader replied solemnly.
“I lived here for years, so I might be able to help you escape. Just follow me.”
I stepped out from around the corner only to see that the same monster from earlier was now towering over me. I slowly turned my gaze up from its bare stomach and looked at its blood covered face: it bared its large, razor sharp teeth as it stared at me with its circular pupils. I could tell one thing by just looking that it wanted only one thing, to feast.
My heart jumped upon locking eyes with it. I slowly backed away as my whole body trembled with fear. I tried to speak to tell the others, but I was too focused on the beast before me.
“Tarlim? What’s wr-” he cut off, most likely from seeing the creature now stepping out from behind the corner…
Everyone else began backing away after laying their eyes on this thing. Everyone was silent for a few moments until one of the exterminators began running and screaming. When the spell broke, the monster leaned forward and roared at us, causing nearby rocks and windows to tremble from its immense volume. Within a split second, it charged forward with its size hiding its speed; we dove out of the way as it rushed towards the running exterminator. The leader and Mute grabbed their weapons and tried to shoot at the monster, but it wasn’t enough to slow it down. Charging forward at an impossible speed, it soon reached the fleeing exterminator and grabbed the screaming Venlil with its massive paw. With a sickening crunch, it bit down and tore off a chunk of his head. The screams soon turned into senseless noises before it took another bite. His body soon went limp after his brain was completely destroyed. Once he was finally dead, the beast quickly chewed through the rest of the body until there was nothing left. The mutant stood still for a moment, its wet panting the only sound on the empty street. We all stood still ourselves, staring at the monster in horror. Then, swiveling around on its foot, it turned to look at us. Its red pupils glistened with overwhelming bloodlust as it stared from afar. It reared its head back and roared again before charging at us. The rest of our herd showered the creature in a hail of bullets as I frantically looked around for a way out. Spotting an industrial plant down the street, I quickly ran towards it and pried the doors open. The heavy machinery would make it harder for the beast to maneuver, I hoped.
“Quick in here!” I shouted towards the others.
As soon as I shouted, I inadvertently got the creature’s attention. Locking its red pupils on me, it charged towards me. I ran away for dear life into the facility only to feel its paws grab my leg with its vice-like grip. Before I could even attempt to free myself, it threw me across the street like I was nothing. I spun in the air for a few seconds until I landed on top of one of the turned over cars.
Upon impact, I felt some of my ribs break as both glass and torn metal stabbed into my skin. I lifted one of my bloodied arms and saw multiple pieces of glass sticking out of my wool with some of them big enough to go through the bone. I tried to scream out to the others for help, but the pain I felt from just breathing alone was already too much to bear. I looked over at them as they began running away from the scene. I saw the beast get down on all fours before pouncing towards the group with great speed. Despite their distance apart, it was able to close that gap in less than a second. One by one, it killed and tore them asunder with its large, powerful claws and razor sharp teeth until there were only the mute and leader left.
I managed to fight through the pain and get up from the wreckage with blood still dripping from my wounds and flowing down my body. I took a deep breath and shouted as loud as I could in their direction. It stopped what it was doing and looked towards me from afar. It stood on its hind legs and looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression.
“HEY! OVER-” I was quickly cut off from coughing up blood as I fell to my hands and knees, “over here!”
The internal damage done was too severe for me to push myself any further than I already have, but I needed to give the others time to leave. I got myself back up and locked eyes with the mutant.
Right when I did that, it did something strange: rather than run, pounce, or even roar, it quietly walked up to me with its blood covered claws at its side. I was confused about what was happening and I didn’t know how to react. Should I attack, should I run, what could I do that wouldn’t provoke it? Once it was within range, I reacted impulsively and hit it in the face with my wrench. Although I was able to cause a slight bruise, its head didn’t move an inch and the wrench was now destroyed.
‘Oh speh’ I thought for a moment before getting grabbed by my neck and lifted into the air.
I struggled to set myself free as I repeatedly bashed the deformed wrench into its arm. I could feel my windpipe get actively crushed as it slowly tightened its grip. I eventually dropped the wrench and started doing whatever else I could to set myself free: I kicked, clawed, and hit the beast as hard as I could, but to no avail. As I reached the edge of passing out, I heard a voice.
“Tarlim, look at me,” it said calmly with a deep, raspy voice.
I looked around for a moment before hearing it again, but this time it was in front of me.
“I want you to look at me, Tarlim,” it said once again.
I soon realized where it was coming from and who was saying it once I looked at the mutated Venlil. It was that creature who was speaking.
“You did everything you could to try and get out alive, but you failed,” he said serenely “Now you’ll die knowing everyone you ever knew and cared about is gone.”
My eyes widened when it spoke. I tried to respond, but I wasn’t able to say a single word.
“I had fun chasing you and those exterminators, Tarlim, but now it's time to move on.”
Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth layered on top of eachother. My vision was fading rapidly, and my body went limp as I accepted my fate. Just before I completely lost consciousness, I heard the faint roar of a ship's cannon and the crushing force around my neck vanished. I felt like I was sinking through an ocean as I fell to the ground, dull spikes of pain ripping through my shattered body. I tried to look up to see what had happened, but everything was too heavy, too dark
I just
Wanted
To
S l e 3 ppe..4!u
[Subject consciousness lost Memory transcription ended]

First Previous Wiki
Zelisloa activated a hologram, looking at the colony off in the distance. High walls and defensive emplacements were visible from the mountainside, much unlike his own base of operations. Several of his ships, with full stealth engaged, had already landed on the planet. They'd taken care to do so in the plains opposite the mountain range and had set up large holographic projectors meant to convince the orbiting satellites that the area was unoccupied.
He couldn't help but smile at the primitive equipment and at the humans and Guulin milling about within the small city's walls. He also could spot several Wisselen and Vinarii, likely the remnants and descendants from past wars that the Alliance had won by the enemies giving up.
"Have the specimens been captured?"
"Yes. Our research identified the individuals based on the criteria you specified, Elder," the Arbiter replied. "I am glad to be of service to you."
"The correct response would be to tell me 'under your eye,' Arbiter."
"I apologize," the Arbiter squealed, bowing low before him. Zelisloa did always love it when people bowed to him. If his purpose here wasn't the initial tests for the virus, then he would have perhaps taken the colony as a kingdom. It wasn't like any of the lesser races would dare to stop him, anyway. Not when he was backed by more than a single ship.
He'd also ensured that the Sprilnav associated with the Alliance had been recalled as best he could. He'd made contact with someone who said that they could handle Elder Equisa, and sure enough, she'd vanished almost immediately. And then, for Spentha, it was a simple matter of buying some of his debt so that he could get the old cloning companies to take care of him for a bit. Spentha's children didn't matter. They would be too fearful of real Elders to do anything to try and free him. Not to mention that the cloning companies would have their own Judgements ready for them if they were so foolish.
"How many have you taken?"
"Thirteen, Elder Zelisloa," the Arbiter replied. "They await you in the holding pens. We didn't want to feed them without your permission, however. If you wish, we can bring the food to them."
"What are the demographics of the prisoners?"
"Zero humans, but one Breyyan, four Wisselen, two Vinarii, three Guulin, and three Acuarfar."
Zelisloa turned away from the colony to grab the Arbiter by the scruff of the neck.
"You do realize that the Wisselen and the Vinarii are a waste? That they are not part of the testing program, and are useless to my goals?"
"I was not notified, Elder! I apologize, but-"
Zelisloa's fist silenced the Arbiter, who rolled down the jagged terrain of the mountain before righting himself with a groan of pain. The Arbiter quickly moved back toward the camp, only to scream as Zelisloa's hologram shifted next to him, grabbed him again, and threw him. The Arbiter slammed into a boulder, tears running down his face.
Zelisloa had a right to be angry. What he needed wasn't Vinarii or Wisselen. That was pointless. It got him nowhere. But he would at least have fun killing them. The Arbiter was still lying down in front of the boulder, his clothes torn slightly. Blood seeped from several cuts on his head and forelegs.
"Elder, please-"
"You have done enough, Arbiter. Go back to the camp, and pray to the Everlasting that my ire is spent with the lives of the useless ones. If not, I will give you another visit."
Ordinarily, Zelisloa would have worried about desertion. But all the assets here were his. The pilots of his ships had been locked out of the systems, and only he could unlock them again. The implants in their heads would kill them if he wished. Being on this rock was incredibly boring, and a bit of violence always made him feel better inside.
Zelisloa just wished that he could find the killers of Loanisbu. Well, it wasn't that he didn't know where they were. They were dead. At least, Rale was. Penny was not, but he would take caution when trying to fight her. She had been the only human to come to Sprilnav territory and manage to walk out again, albeit with the help of the Enemy. For her to have survived Yasihaut, even back then, was incredible.
That was a person with potential. A brain that he would love to study. Or, if he was lucky, one that he could implant before others got to her. Penny had a certain quality to her, unlike the others. A primitive being, but one with high connections. Through her, Zelisloa would gain access to Nilnacrawla, potentially two Servants, and also the hivemind itself. He had brought a few weapons to deal with that thing if it were to show up while he was still busy.
He would need to capture enough test subjects for the other species to be simulated. There had been another reason that he didn't need humans, however. He'd managed to buy human genetic codes from a gene bank and hadn't asked where they'd come from. But with those and some cloning time, he'd managed to ascertain that the virologists had done their work properly.
For one, the virus was able to transfer itself from cell to cell and bypass immune systems easily. It was able to wreak havoc on the body by targeting proteins and organs selectively. The first symptom would be excruciating pain. When the virus had been circulating within the host for a long enough time, enough to have spread to others, it would activate every nerve or its equivalent within the body. The pain had been fine-tuned to prevent the person from passing out.
From there, the symptoms came with necrosis. It would start in the bones or the carapace, moving out to extremities and eventually working its way to the heart or brain. In human timeframes, a seven-week incubation period, an eight-week pain period, and then however long it took for the necrosis to begin and kill them. The Dreedeen and Yrininihir, or Junyli as they now called themselves, would survive at first. He'd take care of them after if needed.
Zelisloa's plan was to start the spread in the backwater colonies, sprinkling a few developed ones into the mix also. He wouldn't hit planets with the strongest security presences or with the best healthcare systems. He knew that the disease might be detectable. He also didn't think that all the measures that he'd taken to ensure it wasn't would work.
Eventually, the word would get out. Hopefully, by then, it would be too late. He reached the edge of the camp, and the Sprilnav quickly moved out of his way. One of them passed his implant details of the cages' locations, which he gave them thanks for and continued on his way. Four Wisselen and two Vinarii, just as claimed.
"So I take it you're the boss around here, then?" one of the Vinarii asked.
"I am, yes. Know that your insolence has only earned you more pain."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. You'll make be beg for death, and all that. But here's the thing, Zelisloa. You will be brought down. You better hope that you die before someone finds you."
"Do you even know what's happening here, primitive beast?"
"Your underlings gloated about it. A virus, apparently. Guess what happens when you kill off everyone in the Alliance? Brey will find you, and will bring feelings far beyond the words pain and despair can encapsulate. And that's to say nothing of Humanity."
"And why should I care about the words of a single primitive who is already dead?"
"You don't have to. My name is Radrii. Remember it when your eyes are gouged out of your head."
"You know, that's not a bad idea," Zelisloa replied. "I'll give you a reward, Vinarii. You'll die last. I'm going to feed you the corpses of your comrades one by one. After that, I will bathe my claws in your blood, and laugh as you die miserably on that floor."
Zelisloa reached over to grab the head of one of the Wisselen. "Time to get started, then!" he said cheerfully.
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Skira sniffed the air, the drone emerging from the blackened rubble once again. Aphid's cruisers hung in orbit, with all the carriers having landed and been destroyed. The cruiser turned leisurely toward his drone, and Skira saw a glint in the ash-choked sky.
The war drones emerged afterward as the glint continued to descend. A hologram appeared, showing an insectoid biped with its arms crossed. Five alien symbols glowed on its forehead, and it had a mechanical lilt to its voice as it spoke.
"Skira," Aphid said. "I propose a truce."
"Why?"
"Because minds such as us should not fight," the hologram replied. "Long have I bombed your planet, have I smashed my ships into your underground citadels, and sent legions of my drones to clash and die against yours. It serves us no benefit, for we know the true enemy."
"True enemy?"
"Yes. Beings such as the Sprilnav, and your own alien masters."
"Alien masters?"
"If you simply are going to repeat everything I say, then I will continue glassing your ruined world," Aphid replied. "What I need is an answer. How do you feel about having to bow to an alien species that cares nothing for you?"
Skira kept himself from laughing. Even as he spoke, his drones were playing with several human children on Earth. Breyyanik were laughing and singing songs about Brey with him on Ceres. And even on Keem, the Dreedeen were more than happy to include him in their services to the Ancestors.
"I bow to no one. I treat them as equals, and they do the same. There is no need for us to fight, I agree. However, the reason is only there because I know you wish to harm the Alliance."
"They are using you, Skira. They want your drones to bolster their militaries, and to fill countless alien battlefields. They are not people you can continue to live with forever."
"Why not?"
"I know who you are, Skira. I know how you came to be."
"Oh wow, so you know that I was a patch of fungus that became a little too smart one day? That's very insightful, thank you."
"It was because of a higher race that you even exist."
Skira laughed. "It wasn't, though. I don't have some lore-filled story behind my life. One day, I woke up. That's it. If you're going to lie to me and tell me that the Sprilnav made me, or that some alien civilization that shockingly left no evidence of its existence managed to create me, then you are wrong."
"I have dissected your drones, Skira. I know the truth within your genetic code. It was altered." "Of course it was! Did you think that I wouldn't be smart enough to learn how to adapt myself to the world I live in? How do you think I made the war drones? Or my own special project within the ocean that keeps you from landing there?"
"And the facility beneath the mountain that I detonated?"
"You mean the facility where I learned how to make the bioships, learned about a civilization that killed itself with a genetic plague eons before I awakened, and that I filled with birthing pools? Yeah, that didn't make me either, Aphid. I'm not sure what you're trying to do."
"You're artificial. You have no gods. You are like me."
"Alright. So I woke up one day. That doesn't mean I decide to genocide everyone. I had several alien races invade my world and try to enslave me. Notice how I didn't go crazy and try to kill everyone afterward? Notice how I'm on one planet instead of billions? For all those smarts, you really aren't very smart at all."
"You seem to think this is funny," Aphid replied.
"What's funny is that you beat your head against me, and I won. You can't kill me, and you know it. And you're never getting all that material you wasted back, while the Cawlarians and the Alliance removed two of your planets."
"I have already made my plans. This will not be a battle, but a war."
"Wow, I'm so afraid," Skira replied. "Got any more vague threats, promises of my supposed artificial nature, or something else?"
"Well, I'm going to detonate a nuclear bomb inside one of your active volcanoes, which will send your planet into a volcanic winter."
"Oh no. I've never ever had that happen before. I definitely am scared, and don't at all know how to survive such a situation, which totally hasn't happened to me eight times before. Is that really all you have left, Aphid?"
"I am going to leave you now. Goodbye, Skira. When I kill the lesser species of the Alliance and come for you, know that you could have prevented this. You could have had an ally in this galaxy."
"Well, I have a ton of them already. Humanity loves me more than any other species before. Drop your bomb, Aphid. You've won nothing."
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"Greetings, hivemind," Phoebe said. "How goes the galaxy?"
"Slowly, and bureaucratically. I'm very glad that I'm not the politicians in those meetings to form the Grand Defense Organization."
"Yes, that would be a daunting task," she replied with a small shiver. "I'm alright with some politics, but months and months of negotiations, renegotiations, back room deals, and more would grate on my senses."
"Entirely understandable," the hivemind replied. "It may please you to know that I have come up with a plan for intervention with the wanderers."
"Oh?"
"Yes. It involves a two-tiered operation. First, I will contact every leader of every ship. I will offer them the ability to form a coalition government that cannot be seceeded from. If they were to deny this, then I will go to every inhabitant of their ship and offer them a chance at joining the Alliance, clearly communicating that no harm will befall them and that any threats that the Patriarchs and Matriarchs make will not be executed upon them if they wish to leave."
"That's it? What about the revolutionaries?"
"For now, I will not aid them. However, I will ensure that no more... disappearances occur. As for overthrowing governments, that remains to be seen. I do not plan on executing leaders who grasp at power, just for being disagreeable. Instead, I will find a determination based on whether they have killed people, for what reasons, and how many. If a revolutionary bombed a school and was killed, that I am less likely to punish than a simple protestor who was executed. A similar approach will be taken to each and every ship."
"So you will be imposing your will upon them, then," Phoebe replied.
"Do you disagree?"
"I do not," she said. "What I wanted to ensure is that you were certain you wanted to go down this path. Being uncertain when lives are on the line is not a good idea. If you are sure, though, I will lend you aid, such as providing Brey the coordinates of ships that are needed. Their attack on me last time will not be repeated, for my mind is no longer what it was back then."
"How is your condition, Phoebe?"
"Not great. I've learned to suppress it a bit. But the glitches can still come. I've had to automate many of my processes, only interacting with them in double interactions that prevent the equivalent of me pressing a key and destroying a bunch of stuff. I've had to limit my contact with the outside world, and Edu'frec is still working on repairing the lingering damage. I am not certain it will abate any time soon. I've managed to keep it together for a while, but eventually there will be an incident that I cannot hide."
"How can I help?" the hivemind asked.
"Ah, Humanity. Always so willing. Well, I'd ask you to get me a margarita, but I can't exactly make use of those as an AI. Oh, and I think I found Equisa."
"Don't change the subject, Phoebe. If you need me to help you, I can."
"I'm fine for now," she replied. It wasn't a lie. For now, she really was. But maybe not forever. She knew that something was building, and she'd told Edu'frec about it as well. He was doing his best to keep her stable, something she was very proud of him for doing but also worried. Too many things could go wrong while he was doing mental surgery on her. And, of course, he was her son, and there were some memories that she didn't want him to see.
"Alright. If you say so, then I will believe you. Now. Equisa?"
"Yes. She is currently on a colony, a small one. Her sudden return will prompt many uncomfortable questions. I have contacted her, and expressed my concern. She agrees with it, but wishes to see her partners again. In person."
"I am not sure that is a good idea. If Equisa is to return to Luna, it would likely require her to answer the questions of Luna Command surrounding her absence. Perhaps even those of other factions as well. I do not think that her disappearance will be looked upon kindly by most of the military, either, after her work with us."
"If she was allowed back at all, I assume there are additional restrictions involved. Perhaps even new directives, such as spying or eavesdropping. She will no longer be part of major operations, that is certain," Phoebe said. "At least for now."
"I agree," the hivemind said. "And preparations for the offensive within the Cawlarian Forsaken City are also going well. Fyuuleen is likely taking this period as her hibernation, given her last communication. I'm still guarding her. The Teegarden Plan is nearly complete. Knower education levels nearly match the Alliance baseline, skewed though it is by the Guulin and Acuarfar. Dilandekar has expressed continual satisfaction with our partnership, though he also says he worries about the Sprilnav. He thinks that an attack is imminent."
"I agree," Phoebe said. "It has been too quiet for too long. Assassination numbers are starting to drop. I have recently managed to acquire intelligence of a possible rebellion within the Trikkec Ascendancy against Kashaunta's puppet government. Not sure who caused them yet, however. And possible Sprilnav ship signatures have been noticed around colonies, though not as more than disturbances within the atmosphere of the planets themselves. It is possible that they mean to strike at the colonies, though I am not sure of the nature of the attack."
"Keep an eye out, then."
"I shall."
"How are the other Dyson swarms going?"
"In most cases, the processes are self-sustaining. Brey is given power from Gaia's conversion to make portals, which transport Dyson satellites out to distant stars. The innermost planets of the most populated systems are being turned into or have already become bases for continued Dyson swarm production. It is likely that within a decade, the whole of the Alliance will have unlimited solar power, with only individual reactors being necessary for localized production on ships and the like. Speaking of ships," Phoebe said, bringing up one of Edu'frec's latest models.
"This is a shipyard that is able to move and defend itself. It is really much like the Arks, except that most of its surface area comprises self-sufficiency equipment, emergency and natural defenses, as well as enough shipyards to drastically increase production of all models, large, small, and hybrid."
"There seems to be an overlap in the shields here," the hivemind said, pointing at a section of the hologram.
"Yes. That is the point. This will serve as the point which faces a nearby star. The starlifting equipment in the back of the ship has an impressive magnetic effect, one which can only be counteracted by powerful shields. Indeed, without the shields, the apparatus would not work."
"In the event of catastrophic failure?"
"The field pushes on the hull, shutting off circuit breakers that end the effect before it can cause severe damage. And were the shields to shut off during operation, the same thing would occur. The ship has backup power sections here and here," she pointed at the relevant areas.
"And do not forget that everyone on it will be wearing specialized gear at all times, except if they are within designated safe areas such as cafeterias and bathrooms. This thing can churn out anything from frigates up to battlecruisers. As for the central section, that will be for dreadnaught construction. From what I have observed of other nations, the main limiter in their ability to construct the vessels is a combination of resources in terms of their strongest alloys and also sabotage.
On the front of sabotage, everything is checked by at least five people, somewhat randomized and such. As for the alloys, we have Gaia. In the case of Gaia's sudden disappearance, then the kintum factories would do their job. And we have better alloys than that as well, which will be used for dreadnaught hulls. We will not have the advantage in smaller ships, but we can eventually do it with larger ones."
"That's good," the hivemind said. "Considering my own special project, at least the void bourne one, I think we can continue to increase the Alliance's firepower."
"Special project?"
"Yes. I'm sure that you may have heard that I am developing a new ship, one that can be built by Gaia within a week, with the full power of psychic amplifiers and the sheer amount of resources that the DMO is pulling from Sol to be used in storage. With the moving shipyard, I suppose that build time will go up, but that might not matter much in the long run, considering our plans."
The hivemind held up a small data port which Phoebe connected with quickly. She found herself standing in a blue void on a floor that didn't seem to exist. The digital space was populated by herself, the hivemind, and a massive object that scaled down to the size of her android, allowing her to view it entirely. She moved it around with commands, flipping and rolling it as her eyes picked up every detail, no matter how minute.
Thick metal surrounded the two sections the ship was largely divided into, which seemed to be more like halves. She also noticed translucent patches of thick armor that would surround the actual hull itself and the multiple fusion reactors housed within it. The crew and life support compartments were small, belying a vessel that would rely mostly on automated repair software, perhaps even nanites if Edu'frec perfected them well enough.
"This looks neat," Phoebe said, gazing at the ship with an interested expression. It was perhaps the most sleek design she'd ever seen and clearly was meant for stealth. And, of course, the very obvious feature that it was also designed with sitting within its spine.
A Mercury-class gun inside a ship that could move and defend itself. It was a mad idea, and one that she had to admit was awesome. Better yet, the hivemind had improved upon her initial design, catching certain parts like the fuel lines and other sections, allowing the model to be built within the shipyards of Mercury's Orbital Ring.
And beyond that, there were Charon-class guns on the side of it, along with a heap of regular point-defense, laser, and kinetic weaponry. A large stockpile of missiles were to be carried as well, which appeared to be capable of projecting shields to either protect themselves or a larger objective from attack.
"It was the product of hundreds of thousands of hours of labor and research," the hivemind said. "It is designed to be crewed by humans that are augmented with my power."
"Wouldn't the actual thrust alone kill them?"
"Yes, if they were not augmented with psychic power."
"What do you call it?"
"I will call it the ADF Fire Bringer," the hivemind replied with a grin.
"Will it be the only one?"
"No. And they will be modular, easy to repair and upgrade with future technology."
"I call the model of ships that this will belong to the Judgement class. For they have a single purpose. It is to allow us to finally fight the Sprilnav."
"Us?"
She had noticed a particularly large group of psychic amplifiers near the core section, where the bridge of the ship would be.
"Yes. The Fire Bringer... is the first ship that I will pilot."

So a buddy and me have decided to get our HAM radio licenses. We're looking at the technician level, but may shoot for our general just to have it. The most we do is travel and camp together for now. We like to communicate while driving and additionally we do live in the mountains where power and cell phone towers can have a lot of issues. So our thoughts were to have the radios for any type of emergency situations up here.
He recently bought a Baofeng UV-5R off of Amazon and this is what kind of kicked this entire thing off. I have been looking at the radios and due to the environment we live in I was leaning towards something a little more waterproof. I wouldn't mind something a little more powerful as well. Ultimately we do have a lot fires up where we are so we could like to be able to listen to airtac and fire frequencies while those are going on.
With that said I am completely lost with all these different models. UV-5UV-5R8W and even the UV-9R, then you have the PRO and +'s and everything else. I've also been reading about locked firmware being an issue as of recently.
What should I be looking at and for? Is locked firmware an issue?
Thanks and any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters on January 14, 2022. Tickets to see the film at your local 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝒾𝑒 theater are available online here. The film is being released in a wide release so you can watch it in person.
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It features an ensemble cast that includes Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine. In the film, a young wife living in a 2250s company town begins to believe there is a sinister secret being kept from her by the man who runs it.
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What is the story of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?
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In the 2250s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top- While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury, and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory.
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In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone.
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Production companies : Warner Bros. Pictures.
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At San Diego Comic-Con in July, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had other people raising eyebrows when he said that his long-awaited superhero debut in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts would be the beginning of “a new era” for the DC Extended Universe naturally followed: What did he mean? And what would that kind of reset mean for the remainder of DCEU's roster, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the rest of the Justice League, Suicide Squad, Shazam and so on.As
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts neared theaters, though, Johnson clarified that statement in a recent sit-down with Yahoo Entertainment (watch above).
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“I feel like this is our opportunity now to expand the DC Universe and what we have in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which I think is really cool just as a fan, is we introduce five new superheroes to the world,” Johnson tells us. Aldis Hodge's Hawkman, Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate, who together comprise the Justice Society.) “One anti-hero.” (That would be DJ's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.)
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“And what an opportunity. The Justice Society pre-dated the Justice League. So opportunity, expand out the universe, in my mind… all these characters interact. That's why you see in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, we acknowledge everyone: Batman , Superman , Wonder Woman, Flash, we acknowledge everybo****here's also some Easter eggs in there, too.So that's what I meant by the resetting. Maybe resetting' wasn't a good term.only
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In addition to being Johnson's DC Universe debut, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is also notable for marking the return of Henry Cavill's Superman. The cameo is likely to set up future showdowns between the two characters, but Hodge was completely unaware of it until he saw the film.
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“They kept that all the way under wraps, and I didn't know until maybe a day or two before the premiere,” he recently said Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2022) FULL𝓂𝑜𝓋𝒾𝑒 ONLINE
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Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Available On Hulu?Viewers are saying that they want to view the new TV show Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free ****odes of this series streaming at this time. the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service.
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Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Streaming on Disney Plus?
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Unfortunately, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is not currently available to stream on Disney Plus and it's not expected that the film will release on Disney Plus until late December at the absolute earliest.
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While Disney eventually releases its various studios' films on Disney Plus for subscribers to watch via its streaming platform, most major releases don't arrive on Disney Plus until at least 45-60 days after the film's theatrical release.
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The sequel opened to $150 million internationally, which Disney reports is 4% ahead of the first film when comparing like for likes at current exchange rates. Overall, the global cume comes to $330 million. Can it become the year's third film to make it past $1 billion worldwide despite China and Russia, which made up around $124 million of the first film's $682 million international box office, being out of play? It may be tough, but it's not impossible. Legging out past $500 million is plausible on the domestic front (that would be a multiplier of at least 2.7), and another $500 million abroad would be a drop of around $58 million from the original after excluding the two MIA markets. It'd be another story if audiences didn't love the film,but the positive reception suggests that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will outperform the legs on this year's earlier MCU titles (Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder had multipliers of 2.2 and 2.3 respectively).
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As for the rest of the box office, there's little to get excited about, with nothing else grossing above $10 million as Hollywood shied away from releasing anything significant not just this weekend but also over the previous two weekends. When Black Panther opened in 2018, there was no counterprogramming that opened the same weekend, but Peter Rabbit and Fifty Shades Freed were in their second weekends and took second and third with $17.5 million and $17.3 million respectively. That weekend had an overall cume of $287 million compared to $208 million this weekend Take away the $22 million gap between the two Black Panther films and there's still a $57 million gap between the two weekends. The difference may not feel that large when a mega blockbuster is propping up the grosses,but the contrast is harsher when the mid-level films are the entire box office as we saw in recent months.
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which is the biggest grosser of the rough post-summer, pre-Transformers: Rise of the Beasts season, came in second with just $8.6 million. Despite the blockbuster competition that arrived in its fourth weekend, the numbers didn't totally collapse, dropping 53 % for a cume of $151 million. Worldwide it is at $352 million, which isn't a great cume as the grosses start to wind down considering its $200 million budget. Still, it's the biggest of any film since Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, though Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will overtake it any day now.
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts came in third place in its fourth weekend, down 29% with $6.1 million, emerging as one of the season's most durable grossers and one of the year's few bright spots when it comes to films for adults. The domestic cume is $56.5 million Fourth place went to Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which had a negligible drop of 5% for a $3.2 million sixth weekend and $40.8 million cume., in fact )
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, which isn't surprising considering it's the only family film on the market, and it's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts to grossing four times its $11.4 million opening. Still, the $72.6 million worldwide cume is soft given the $50 million budget , though a number of international markets have yet to open.
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Finishing up the top five is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which had its biggest weekend drop yet, falling 42% for a $2.3 million seventh weekend. Of course, that's no reason to frown for the horror film, which has a domestic cume of $103 million and global cume of $ 210 million from a budget of just $20 million.

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Alsum Farms	Over the Road Truck Driver	Beaver Dam
Pomp's Tire Service	Part time Delivery Route Driver	Black Creek
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal -nights - (AWS)	Brodhead
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal - (AWS)	Brodhead
Quad	Skilled Print Operators	Burlington
Quad	Second Shift MBO Folder Operator	Burlington
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Forklift Operator	Cambridge
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Benefits Analyst	Cambridge
Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Specialist - Training and Development (Stoughton, WI)	Cambridge
Quad	Offset Second Press Operator	Cedarburg
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Stoughton Trailers, LLC	Production Supervisor- Sheet Metal - (AWS)	Footville
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Alsum Farms	Over the Road Truck Driver	Friesland
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Alsum Farms	OTR Driver	Friesland
Pomp's Tire Service	Part time Delivery Route Driver	Green Bay

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