Hello Everyone. This is 100% a true story.
I thought this would be a good story to share here as it deals with getting petty revenge on someone who was being transphobic and a horrible person. This is a long story but the ending is worth it.
This story takes place back in 2020 and was just reminded of it by one of my best Friends lets call her "Hannah". Hannah and I had a mutual friend, lets call him Zack. I at the time was just starting to come out as trans. This plays a part later.
Zack and I were friends after I meet him throw an EX, the EX was a good man but I am the type of person that does not do well being friends with EXs but was trying because this EX was a good person. This in the end also I keep talking to Zack and at time thought he was a good guy.
Anyway it was late in fall when Zack brought up moving into together due to I was having a hard time with my family and only had a dorm to live in. During this time he also brought up that he had a friend, Hannah, that was also looking for a place to live as her home life was not great either. I said I would have to her first before I said yes to anything. Hannah was on the same page as me and wanted to meet me first too.
So one day Invited them both over to the dorm I was living in, as if anything went wrong the College I was at had great police (had meet many of them during the time I was at college) this made me feel safer meeting new people. Hannah and Zack came over and me and Hannah hit it off well to the point you would have thought we had been friends for years. There were many times her and I would hang out without Zack, which he never liked. Red flag right there. Due to this I started to see the cracks in Zack's shell.
He was very passive of Hannah to almost boyfriend level. Which got worries after I came out as Transgender. Red flag number 2. He would also try to one up me and say things underhanded about me being trans. Now I am a huge werewolf geek and the underhanded things would be like "I will never be an alpha" or shit like that. Now I never called myself an alpha or anything like that. He also said that I would never have a man's mindsight. I never told Hannah any of this because I wanted to stay her friend and do to my trust problems thought she would take his side so that is all my fault.
One night I was talking to Hannah not sharing everything but told her Zack was pissing me off. She had known him longer then I did. She said that it could be do to his religious background and that could be why he was being a ass. That is when she opened up to me about something.
Turned out they where Friends with benefits. Zack was always wanting to make things more then that but Hannah had been hurt bad by an EX, like almost killed. So she did not trust getting back into any relationship. But felt she was safe with him and thought of slowly building up to a relationship. However she also spilled all the tea on him in bed, and I mean all the TEA!
So lets jump forward a few months to Hannah's Birthday. Zack wanted to host it the first night and then she would spend the next night with me. Hannah was going a hard time with family during this time so we planned a Birthday weekend for her. Turns out Zack invited her over for night before so she would be over one night without me so they could be the Birthday *GIGGITYY*. Well as many people know there is something that happens to most women once a month. Yes, Hannah was on her period. To her defense she did not know what Zack was planning for the night she thought he was just being nice because she got into a fight with her family.
So the next day comes around and they pick me up as I did not have a car. Everything seemed off as Hannah's mood was not normal. I wanted to ask what was up but also thought it was because of the fight with her family so I just wanted to make her happy. The day goes on and we are playing her fav video game. She went to bed early which I thought was odd as the two of us are night owls. I asked Zack what was going on. He said nothing but I could tell he was lying but dropped it.
The next day we get to mail in our city as planned and well Zack was doing something and it was just Hannah and I alone. That is when she told me what was going on between them. Apparently Zack was mad because Hannah did not SLEEP with her the night before I showed up. I was pissed, but then she keep going and he keep pushing and begging for it. to the point that when she said she was on her period he just said "THEY COULD PUT A TOWEL DOWN".
That was it for me I was done playing nice to Zack and started to think of ways to tell him how much of a pig he was. I am the type of person where three stracks your out. Hannah and I are huge nerds and you could say she is some where between punk and goth. So we told Zack we where going to Spencer's. Zack said he was going to go to another store as he hated this store. You see in the frount of Spencer's is a nerd, punk and goth best dream, as for the back of the store is full of sex toys and other adult themed things. Knowing this I told Hannah to pick out something she wanted for her birthday anything, and I would get it for her.
Well Hannah was looking at new pricings and wallets I headed to the back of the store to get some goodies for Zack. I payed for the stuff all without Hannah knowing. Best part the store has black bags that you can't see throw due to the things they sell. After I walked up to Hannah and I bought the things she wanted all to her protest. So she told me she would by lunch witch I agreed too because as friends we hate to feel like we are using each other even on holidays.
We left the store and went to the food court and ordered food. Once we sat down Hannah texted Zack where we were. That is when she looked at the large bag I had gotten and she asked me what I had gotten. I handed the bag and told her it was for Zack. The grin on her face was the best thing that I have seen. You see Hannah is also a very petty person and she very much approved of what I had gotten for Zack.
Zack showed up some time later and we planned to go back to his house so she could her car and her stuff to come to my place for the night. That is when the "gift" was given to Zack. I was putting Hannah's stuff in her car for her and wish I could have seen his face when he first opened bag.
You see when I am hurt I get petty but if you upset someone close to me I get PETTY. In the bag he found a large bag of candy and a few lollypop DICKS. But it gets better, I also got him a female blow up doll. There was also two cards. the first said "Congrats on your new girlfriend" which I signed alone and the other said "suck a mountain of dicks" which we both signed.
The next thing I know Hannah is walking out with the biggest grin on her face. With him storming after her when he saw me he said I was just mad that I would never be a "true man". Hannah turned on her heels but before she could do anything I yelled back "he would never be bigger then my pinky finger". He looked so mad and red. Hannah got in her car, we drove off and never looked back.
This may have been to far but I regret nothing.
Hannah says it was the best birthday gift anyone has ever gotten her due to his face he made when he saw all his new goodies. Hannah and I are still great friends to this day and know we have each others backs on anything.

Hello! My boyfriend and I have been dating for a little over 6 months. We were friends for 7 years leading up to us finally dating. He’s extremely family orientated. I have been feeling like for the past 2 months he isn’t making as much of an effort to see me and I feel like he is picking time with with literally EVERYONE over time with me. He hasn’t planned an alone date with us in months and anytime we are alone he invites his friends with us or will invite his siblings, he’s the oldest of 5 so I feel like he wants to include his siblings which is 100% fine because I enjoy being with his little siblings but like it gets to a point where it’s too much and I deserve time alone with my boyfriend and he doesn’t make the effort to plan anything alone for us .i’ll give an example that made me explode on him. Last weekend I decided I needed to have a sit down dinner with him to bring this up instead of bottling this up. At the dinner I bring up how I want to feel prioritized by him and he doesn’t really argue just like nods his head. That same night after our sit down he asks me if his friend can come meet us at the bar. Like dude are you serious I tell you I want alone time with you and that VERY night you ask me if your friend can come ?!? So his friend comes bc I didn’t really feel like arguing then and there and my boyfriend gets very very drunk so thank goodness his friend came because we had to carry my boyfriend out of the car. So now our date night that was supposed to be just us is ruined because he blacked out and he invited his friend. I stay over my boyfriend’s house that night and then the next day he drops me off at home and goes and sees a movie with his 16 year old sister and doesn’t invite me. I’m fuming like how insane is that. So when he came home from the movie I tell him how I feel and he says he will change and made plans for me and him to go to a baseball game together ALONE. So I forgive him and then yesterday he tells me that his little brother now is coming to the game, again I do not mind hanging with his siblings and I enjoy them to pieces but it’s aggravating when I’m being told he’s gonna do one thing and acts a totally different way. I feel like he doesn’t even wanna hang alone with me. Am I overreacting ?

Hello! My boyfriend and I have been dating for a little over 6 months. We were friends for 7 years leading up to us finally dating. He’s extremely family orientated. I have been feeling like for the past 2 months he isn’t making as much of an effort to see me and I feel like he is picking time with with literally EVERYONE over time with me. He hasn’t planned an alone date with us in months and anytime we are alone he invites his friends with us or will invite his siblings, he’s the oldest of 5 so I feel like he wants to include his siblings which is 100% fine because I enjoy being with his little siblings but like it gets to a point where it’s too much and I deserve time alone with my boyfriend and he doesn’t make the effort to plan anything alone for us .i’ll give an example that made me explode on him. Last weekend I decided I needed to have a sit down dinner with him to bring this up instead of bottling this up. At the dinner I bring up how I want to feel prioritized by him and he doesn’t really argue just like nods his head. That same night after our sit down he asks me if his friend can come meet us at the bar. Like dude are you serious I tell you I want alone time with you and that VERY night you ask me if your friend can come ?!? So his friend comes bc I didn’t really feel like arguing then and there and my boyfriend gets very very drunk so thank goodness his friend came because we had to carry my boyfriend out of the car. So now our date night that was supposed to be just us is ruined because he blacked out and he invited his friend. I stay over my boyfriend’s house that night and then the next day he drops me off at home and goes and sees a movie with his 16 year old sister and doesn’t invite me. I’m fuming like how insane is that. So when he came home from the movie I tell him how I feel and he says he will change and made plans for me and him to go to a baseball game together ALONE. So I forgive him and then yesterday he tells me that his little brother now is coming to the game, again I do not mind hanging with his siblings and I enjoy them to pieces but it’s aggravating when I’m being told he’s gonna do one thing and acts a totally different way. I feel like he doesn’t even wanna hang alone with me. Am I being too needy ?

Hi Reddit! I have a friend who needs help and I was hoping some of you might have some recommendations.
My friend lives on Beverly Blvd, somewhere between La Brea and Highland. At least once a week there’s some sort of accident on Beverly. The other day she was on the phone with her downstairs neighbor who was telling her about how a motorcycle crashed into their parked car outside the home when another accident happened in the same moment.
Cars barreling down the street at incredible speeds is another concern. This friend has kids/dog, and fatalities have happened once or twice this year on this strip.
What paths can my friend take to reduce the amount of accidents? Speed bumps are not an option… would a stop sign or stop light make sense? What would make sense and how do they go about making this happen? Should they file a complaint to the DOT?
Any and all help is appreciated!

The cars in the BSS film are depicted as retrofuturistic, but how did you picture them before that in the book? Like when it is mentioned in Mockingjay that they sent unmanned cars through pods to minesweep them, did you imagine them to be self-driving or were the rebels just opening the doors and putting a rock down on the gas pedal? Also, the underground Transfer for avoxes to drive cargo trucks is said to be "interlaced" with the sewers and what Katniss simply describes as "train tunnels." Is this a possible passenger metro system or just another way for avoxes to transport cargo around the city? Also I pictured the cars in the book to look sleek like all white Teslas but with fender skirts so the wheels are completely hidden, making it look like they glide on the street.

I pondered for a while about writing this. I have absolutely nobody I can share it with, so I come to strangers.
June (38F) and I (39F) are cousins and best friends. We grew up together and we were the sister that neither of us had. We have loved each other, been there for each other through thick and thin, and have had the best of times together. But, like every close bond, ours has had challenges, and right now things are pretty awful.
Some backstory: June got married very young, and for personal reasons she and her husband decided to adopt. Their child is now grown and independent, and she has her freedom and time to rediscover herself and her interests. I, on the other hand, am a mom of a toddler and my life is pretty messy at this point. I did feel our relationship get a little strained since I became a mom. I believe it was because she kind of lost me for a bit, I became less available and wasn't able to talk a lot. I decided not to do anything about it at that time since I felt that my sensitivity (I did have a mild form of PPD, I later discovered) might be distorting my perception of things. But it felt like she avoided me when she indeed had the opportunity to see me, choosing to do other more fun things instead. Or she would make plans to see me and the baby but the venues and times were usually not appropriate for me and I would have to decline. I wasn't feeling good about any of this but I would rationalize - nobody needs to accommodate me and my specific situation, because they didn't choose to have a baby, I did.
Anyway, June and her husband drifted apart through the years. They do love and respect each other, they have a child and a business together, an overall good life, but the spark had gone. So it happened that June fell in love with someone else, and it turned out to be mutual. And they had an affair that lasted a while. I don't judge her about it, it's her thing, and her husband has probably done it too, this post isn't about that. The affair got toxic and she did try to break it off. It was on and off for a while and then something awful happened. Her lover (also married, a known member of our community) was involved in a horrific car accident. He first went into a coma and then passed away. For all I know, I was the only person that knew about the affair.
She was out of state when it happened. We weren't in a position to talk about this a lot. She was with her husband, and I was rarely alone. Most of the times we would text about it, I'd ask her if she wanted to talk about it, and she'd say no. Sometimes because she wasn't alone, and other times she said she didn't want to talk about it. And I chose not to pressure her, because how people react to grief is very specific and very different. I tried to tell her I am there for her whenever she wants to talk about it. Bear in mind that I live with a toddler and a husband who works from home, so I am rarely alone. I'd call her when I'd go grocery shopping, or tell her I'm going out and will be out for a while, giving her an opportunity to talk if she wants to. She very rarely did. And I know this because I went through our chat history, in order to check myself and how good of a friend I am.
The day of the funeral, I told her I'm there if she needs me. She lashed out at me, saying I am actually not there for her. I said I'm sorry that I can't be there, explained that it is difficult to be there in the way she'd need me since I also have to hide how much she needs me from everybody. And I also have a small child. It hurt me but I let it go. She was grieving and angry and had nobody to talk to. Things seemingly got better in the meantime. We had more opportunities to talk about how she is feeling. We also had daily communication like sharing funny memes and things that make us laugh. Not many opportunities to see each other. I work on different projects that take up a lot of my time. She is also very busy with her business and traveling, so there simply weren't many situations. And honestly, I stopped initiating meetings with her one on one since, as I said before, she would either have something else already planned, or would be away on a business trip, and I started feeling like me asking would always end with a refusal on her side.
We met recently at an event that we both enjoyed and had a great time, or so I thought. I texted her a couple of days later wanting to talk to her but I got a response that really hurt me, but also made me think if I am in the wrong. Not to go into detail, but she accused me of not being there for her grieving process. She said that having a child was not an excuse. She also implied that I was never fully there to help her get out of her toxic affair - I'd disagree but whatever. And in the end she added a couple of situations where I didn't react properly which to me were totally random. I decided not to get in a texting argument - again, I reminded her that to be fully there I also had to lie and make up situations. She said that I should have, and concluded her text with telling me that she doesn't want to talk to me. I told her we can talk when she feels like it, to which she replied that she will probably never want to talk to me again about serious matters. That we can keep our communication superficial like it lately is (which I would also say is a difference in perception) but that she is aware of it and that she is far from OK with it.
Since that last text I am in a grieving process of my own. I feel for her, I know her aggression is a substitute for sadness. I know it is unfair when we lose someone, and we need to have someone "to blame". But I also feel like I might have been treated unfairly. If she feels like she has lost me now, I feel like I have lost her a few years ago - when I had my issues with a small baby and undiagnosed PPD, and husband and in laws that I couldn't stand at the time. And I also feel stupid for never sharing that before with her. And I think sharing it now would just completely destroy our relationship, if there is a relationship still.
So, AITAH? And WIBTA if I told her how I feel?

Hi guys, I just got my p plate but don't know much about cars but i'm not really into going fast or anything like that sure its cool but i'm looking for a reliable first car that looks good, I care more about how it looks then how fast it is. Im open to literally any type of car as long as its looks good and is reliable or relatively decent I don't want to have to get it fixed every second day.
I'm also open to saving up to mod the car too which could make it look better Thank you sosososo much

We've been together for 6 years, and initially, I felt like our relationship was the healthiest ever. But more and more, I feel like I'm being taken advantage of and manipulated, and I don't know what to do. If I can fix it, I want to, but... I also don't want to stay in a situation where I'm not respected.
Some examples:

• He's broken or damaged a few of my things (laptop, my car's paint, something that was special to me) on accident, but acted like I was overreacting/being unreasonable for being upset and suggesting he help pay to fix/replace the things.
• He never takes my side. I get that no one is in the right all the time, and you want your s/o to call you out when you're wrong, but... according to him, I'm always in the wrong.
• Somehow my mental health issues are all about him? I'll be depressed, and he'll be going off about how that makes him feel. It's a double-edged sword, because it's true that your s/o's mental health affects your own, and I think it's important to be open. But it also makes me hesitant to open up to him, because then he'll get upset at me for making him upset. But then he also gets upset when I don't share how I'm feeling, so I don't know what to do....
• He questions everything I say and if I don't feel like debating him, he acts like I'm lying. I was telling him about some problems I was having in my industry and how all my friends have similar issues, but one of his friends in the same industry says he doesn't have those problems, so my boyfriend told me that these issues aren't real. Even though I've experienced them and my friends have too. He'll pull out Google and look up what I say in front of me, but when I do the same to him to show him how it feels, he gets SO mad - and yet, doesn't stop doing it.
• If I say I don't want to do something, he doesn't stop bringing it up until I relent. It happens with everything, from where we should eat to where to move to and even in the bedroom. There's something I have trauma associated with, but it's something he likes, so even though he knows I had this traumatic experience, he keeps bringing it up, because it's something he wants to do. When I finally relented but with conditions, he ignored my conditions, but always acts sorry when I remind him.

So, I don't know what to do... Maybe I'm not communicating well? Maybe I'm really dumb, and that's why he's never on my side or never believes me? Maybe I need to figure out how to establish better boundaries? Or maybe it's just time to leave. He can be so sweet, and he'll let me hang out with him while he's talking to his friends, and I don't doubt that he loves me. But... even if he loves me, I feel like he doesn't respect me. So, I don't know what to do.
TLDR; I feel like my boyfriend doesn't respect me and I don't know what to do about it.

I havnt played in a few months and i come back and it seems like everyone in my rank is worse. Im champ and im not a good champ at that but it seems like they boosted everyones rank. the games are just so much different than they were they are played so much worse. the opponents seem worse my tm8s seem worse. A few months ago it was sweaty (how i like it)3 and mostly every game was a good one.
Ofc people complain about bad tm8s but thats not what im doing. it feels like everyone has been promoted except me. it feels like im in gold or plat. everyone ballchases, they all hit the ball every chance they get, they dont control the ball at all its just hit it as hard as i can. This isnt a shot at anyone it literally just feels like i was put in lower ranked lobby's
when i switched from ps4 to pc i started a new account because i didnt know you could link them and i played for a year or two and progressed alot and when i found out you could link ps4 account i had all my stuff back so i played on that one and for ranked i was back in plat. it was very hard for me to get out of plat because (no offence) everyone sucked and it was hard for me to even get the ball with everyone chasing. my tm8 would hit the ball off my car and would bump me and whether that was on purpose or not it took my days to get back to low diamond (i was low diamond at the time) and right now im high diamond usually around the skill level i am so it should be fair right?? NO. it feels just like when i was stuck in the plat lobbies.
again no shot at anyone at any rank we all play a x amount and can only play so much im not trying to make anyone feel bad about their rank but for me being in high diamond right now is so bad. teamates giving up 3-4 kickoff goals a MATCH because they are just missing the ball on kickoff. that never happened in diamond like 6 months ago. again im not good but i have been obviously better than everyone in my lobby. mechanically (which im not mechanically good i play the smart game because i suck) and gamesense wise. i just want to know what happened or if its just me.
i want to be challenged and put in a rank where everyone is on the same skill level and not the matches i have been put in. its hard to rank up because i cant win a game. the entire lobby ball chases and just full sends it into the ball. far from the same rank lobbies 6 months ago where people were airdribbling, hitting resets (im getting there myself but far from consistent) and hell even passing. im just not having fun and wish i could have the old lobbies back where i wasnt the best in there and i would get shit talked because then the wins were rewarding and the losses didnt mean i rip my hair out.
sorry for the yap sesh i was angy

Im 22(f) with a small child(5) I moved out of my parents home a year ago and my brother (21) moved in with me a short time after I got my apartment under the agreement that he would watch my child while I work. There is not written or any kind of physical evidence for this agreement that said my brother in the beginning had done very well with being there and watching my child however lately that isn’t the case. He’s often late returning home which in turn makes me late for work.
Just recently when this occurred again I had taken steps to try and Insure him being on time I texted him hours before my shift and even called almost an hour before my shift to ask if he’d be home on time to which he said yes. He shows up 2 minutes before I have to be at my job clocking in. Instead of apologizing for being late he asks why didn’t I just leave. Mind you he is there to watch my child while I work and I work overnight.
I talked to him about it and he says he doesn’t know what time he should be here and that I need to tell him what on time is even tho he’s lived with me for a year and I’ve worked the exact same job and hours since he’s been here and he knows what time I have to be at work. During the discussion he said that since I was the one with the car I should drop my son off with him wherever he is at. To which I responded with since you don’t have a car then you should have already been here. He then tells me that I’m trying to shackle him to my child and how I don’t even work that much. (I only work about 2days out of the week always overnights) He said that he had rushed to get here and said rushing took 46 minutes even though he was not even 24minutes away from home to begin with and how he had to wait on our best friend to get ready so they could bring him back home. He made no attempt to call and say that he’d be late and when I brought that up he said well you have my location.
Just last night upon my arrival to work he sent me a text saying “just to be late” which I can only assume was referring to the time I arrived at my job which in fact was properly on time. I told him that me letting him stay the rest of the month with me was also out me being kind and that I again wasn’t shackling him to anything and the he could leave expeditiously.
Furthermore when first moving into my apartment I made one rule and that rule was no getting spicy while my son is home a rule which he has broken multiple times with different women and causing my son to ask me some very uncomfortable questions and make very unsettling statements.
AITA for how I’m handling the situation and telling him to leave by June 1?

Noah The Pilgrim
First Next
There is one last thing to do before leaving. If you don't recall ever being on this ship, then surely, you could have had your appearance change too.
Why was there a blanket covering a mirror? You couldn't answer that with a straight face without speculation.
"Probably me being lazy and not bothering to properly place it in the wardrobe."
'Probably' is the main focus here, you simply cannot remember ever being that lazy, yet that's the only logical conclusion to be drawn here.
You pull the thing off, careful to not displace the mirror and risk breaking it.
You have no expectations as to what may appear on the glassy surface of the mirror, yet you can't help but feel a bit anxious. Are you the same as before? How were you before? You can't remember. Are you better? Worse? The blanket is now completely off the mirror, but your eyes are closed.
Whatever is it that you see when you open your eyes, that thing will be you for the rest of your life. You swallow, opening your eyes.
You see a young man that looks to be in his mid-twenties. His brown eyes stare back at you, analyzing the bags beneath your eye sockets. The dark hair is neither too long nor too short, floating about without order thanks to the lack of gravity to keep it down. You see a beard that has not been trimmed for weeks, but also lacks thickness, each singular hair isn't particularly long either; and some even appear to be in-grown.
You touch your hand against your face, making sure it's yours. The beard doesn't feel like you supposed it would against your skin, instead of it scraping your hand you feel softness, no resistance or anything.
Just beneath the face, you see what looks like a hate crime against all that is considered holy in fashion. Plain white coveralls with the added bonus of a black tie and boots made from metal and leather. On your chest is also a badge stuck in place by velcro with your name, occupation, and crew. 'NOAH - INTERN - THE ODYSSEY.'
Only one question came to mind.
"Who the fuck designed this uniform?" You say out loud, receiving no answer.
Patting your newfound myriad of pockets, you find a large quantity of nothing. You place your wallet in one of them.
"Alright, I'll head to the bridge now, happy?" You say the AI.
"HAPPINESS WILL ONLY MEET ME ONCE YOU ARE SOMEWHERE SAFE AND YOUR CONTRACT IS TERMINATED. STOP LOITERING."
Well, that's a bit rude.
You compose yourself, straightening your back. This is what you look like, and honestly? Not too bad, but you could be better.
Returning to the cafeteria, you eye the two doors left unexplored; Communications and the one without plaque. You know where you should, but... A little peek doesn't hurt, right?
"Shouldn't we try to communicate with someone? Assuming you haven't tried it yet. I know we're far from everything, but we might as well, no?" You ask already approaching the door.
"COMMUNICATIONS ROOM IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO REACH WITHOUT PROPER PROTECTION AS OF NOW, IT'S LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED METERS FROM HERE, BLOWN OFF FROM THE REST OF THE SHIP." A shame really. "I SHALL INFORM YOU WHENEVER A DOOR LEADS TO THE OUTSIDE OR NOT."
You really want to ask what blew a whole segment of the ship off, yet you have a sneaking suspicion that your question will be met with a 'YOU DON'T HAVE CLEARANCE, JACKASS' directly in your face. So you chose to remain silent, simply nodding and approaching the correct door this time.
"Open."
---OPENING CAFETERIA DOOR NORTH---
The door silently opens.
Greeting you is a well-lit corridor. There are three doors on your left, a door at the end of the corridor, and a large window on the right. At least, you think that's a window.
You stare out from this window, nothing but utter blackness and fragments from your ship are seen. If this is the edge of the universe, and beyond this point, there is truly nothing. "Dreadful." Your speech matches your feelings.
"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?" The AI says. You feel like it spoke in a mocking tone despite their lack of emotion.
You don't answer. "First door to the left... EXO-EXPLORATION...? What's that supposed to mean?" You receive no answer.
"Open." The door opens. No declarion of it opening once again.
You are met with what could be better described as 'Apocalyptic levels of mess', paper sheets float in the air, and not one of the four tables is in its correct position.
This room has been ransacked for all its goods apparently. Large display glasses were broken leaving nothing inside their casings, that looked like they could store something with the size of the common man.
Unusual displays aside, the room was so cluttered that the trash made for an effective smoke screen against what lay on the other side.
Hissing of gas exiting an air-tight space rang throughout the room.
"I HAVE OPENED THE STORAGE FOR AN EXO SUIT THAT BEST FITS SOMEONE YOUR SIZE." The AI says. "ALTHOUGH AN INTERN SHOULD NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS THIS ONE, PROTOCOL DICTATES THAT I AM TO ALLOW ITS USAGE UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES. CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY."
Easier said than done. Your vision is so cluttered that you cannot see what's ahead. "Give me a second."
Giving a light kick to the wall behind, you float face-first into the wall of thrash. Covering your face with both arms, you brace through the harmless bits of sharp objects and junk.
It's a trivial task. You arrive on the other side in no time.
In front of you is a set of boxes with luminous glass rectangles atop each one of them. All shine a bright red light, aside from one which shines green.
'Gotta be this one.'
You descend to the floor by kicking the ceiling, raising your right hand you touch the green rectangle.
*Click*
Nothing could have prepared you for the following series of events.
The box opens violently, as a metal appendage takes hold of your hand, pinning it to the box. You try to jerk and pry the thing off of you, but you fail. It's not leaving you anytime soon.
From the bottomless that is that container, a white plastic-like substance flows upward from your arm to the rest of your body. "Uh!" You don't know if you should panic or allow it to happen.
FYARN hasn't said anything, so it's probably fine...
The white thing seems to ignore the coveralls you are wearing completely, instead, it covers only your skin in a thin coat of... it. You know not what to call this thing.
In but forty seconds it has covered your whole body, excluding your head. The box lets go of your arm and stays there, floating.
You take a good look at your arms. It looks like a skin-tight suit, but it doesn't feel like plastic, in fact, it's more akin to some sort of fabric if anything.
The only bad part is that you are still using the coverall and tie, this this simply went beneath the clothing.
"GOOD, WITH THIS I CAN MONITOR YOU MORE CLOSELY. NOW PUT THE HELMET ON, YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO."
You look around in search of anything that even resembles a helmet. Nope. Nothing. "Where is it?" You ask.
"...THE SUIT COMES WITHIN THE HELMET FOR EASIER PACKAGING."
The box?
You snatch the box that floated around and analyze it to the best of your ability. "How's this a helmet?"
"DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE PUTTING ON A HELMET? REALLY?"
Who is this AI, Who programmed it, and Why does it come with a taunting feature?
As idiotic as it sounds, you place the opened box atop your head. It doesn't fit properly. Maybe you're doing this wrong? You move it to your face instead.
You recoil backward as you feel the box suddenly clamping down against your head. It's useless of course, the box is holding your head and doesn't give any sign to be letting go anytime soon. No light is able to reach your eyes.
You hear metal parts scraping against themselves, moving near your ears. Abruptly your eyes can see again.
A round thin layer of glass now covers your head, almost unnoticeable for how clear it is.
"WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY I CAN NOW SEE WHAT YOU SEE." The AI's voice isn't in the room now, instead, it's inside of the suit. "DO YOU NEED INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THIS SUIT'S FUNCTIONALITIES?"
You find it oddly comfortable as if you are surrounded by the softness of cotton, and to top it off the suit also has additional functionalities? "Hell yeah, I do!"
"YOU DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY CLEARANCE FOR THAT INFORMATION."
You sigh. Is this serious? "Then why the fuck did you ask?!"
"UNSAVORY LANGUAGE. IT'S NO WONDER WHY YOU REMAIN AN INTERN." The AI says outright. "IT IS RUDE NOT TO ASK, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION." It responds to your question.
"Okay then... Is there anything I need to know before heading out?" You ask.
"NOTHING THAT YOU WON'T FIGURE OUT ON YOUR OWN."
You are unsure if you want to 'figure out on your own' if this suit comes with breathable air and is also made for space exploration. You swallow.
Meekly as always, you get out of that mess of a room, stopping at the corridor.
"Next set of directions?" You ask.
"THE DOOR AT THE END OF CORRIDOR USED TO LEAD TO THE CONNECTING CORRIDORS BETWEN THE BRIDGE AND THE REST OF THE SHIP. IT HAS BEEN BLOWN UP FROM THE INSIDE. NOW IT LEADS TO THE OUTSIDE. GO TO THE DOOR AND WAIT BY IT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS."
"So let me get this straight," You begin, looking upwards as if the AI was above you. "You, want me, to go into the void of space, while also refusing to give me knowledge of the suit's functions?"
A fair worry, you summarize.
'I mean, there are a bunch of things that could go wrong here. I don't see anything that looks like it could help me move in space, nor do I think this thing has a built-in air tank... I could be wrong and I wish to be, but charging in without prior knowledge is ridiculous.' You wait for the AI's response, deep in thought.
"WHILE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF YOU FAILING THIS TASK, THERE IS ALSO THE CHANCE OF YOU *NOT* FAILING THE TASK. FOCUS ON EITHER ONE OF YOUR CHOOSING AS YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE."
Wordlessly, you propel yourself forward, toward the end of the corridor.
'Are you shitting me? 'Chance of me nor failing' my ass!' of course, you don't word those complaints, instead choosing to speak out a complaint somewhat thought through.
"Are you sure I'm the one fit for this? It's just like you said, I'm just an intern, this is way above what my job description says I should do."
This is a bit of a stretch. You don't actually remember what was your job description, only that it had something to do with AI and being an intern.
If the AI called your bluff, it'd be pretty embarrassing.
"NOAH." The AI began. "YOU ARE HUMAN, IT IS NATURAL TO HAVE THESE THOUGHTS OF SELF-DOUBT. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GO THROUGH THAT DOOR, AND SINCE YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE LEFT, DON'T EXPECT SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU."
Right in the money, huh? 'Of course, I have self-doubt! I barely remember anything about this place, now I have to risk my life?!'
You finally reach a conclusion.
A dream.
'Yes, yes! How did I not consider this before? This whole thing is a god damned dream!'
You let out a chuckle.
"NOAH."
'That's why I don't remember a thing. There is nothing here to remember! Everything here is a made-up thing from my brain! I'm sure I'll wake up at some point, so why shouldn't I live a little?!'
"Heh." You smile. "Alright, I'll do it." It feels like a weight left your shoulders.
"YOU SORTED IT OUT SOONER THAN EXPECTED. GOOD. MOVE TO THE DOOR AND WAIT INSTRUCTIONS."
You do as instructed without a care in the world. You never had a lucid dream before so it's not like you knew how it felt, but if it felt as free as you feel right now, you'd be sure to make steps toward trying it out again in the future.
"Open." The door does not open.
"I DID NOT INSTRUCT YOU TO OPEN IT YET." The AI said. "I AM SLOWLY DE-PRESSURISING THE CORRIDOR YOU ARE IN TO AVOID A MINOR ACCIDENT."
The AI says that yet you don't feel any different. 'Maybe there is no palpable difference because I'm in a dream... Yes... Or it's just the suit.'
"ONCE THE DOOR OPENS, YOU WILL BE MET WITH THE OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP. DO NOT PANIC WHEN THE TIME COMES. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES OF BREATHABLE INSIDE THE EXO-SUIT; ONE AFTER THE DOOR OPENS, SO PLEASE, TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO THINGS CAREFULLY."
One minute outside... "Sure." You say, calmly. 'I should just hold my breath for a while before taking another moment to breathe. That should maximize my time out there.'
"THERE SHOULD BE FIFTY METERS OF NOTHINGNESS BETWEEN THE DOOR YOU'RE AT, AND THE REST OF THE BRIDGE. YOUR PRIORITY IS TO FIND AN OXYGEN UNIT, SOME OF THEM ARE LOCATED AT THE BRIDGE AND ARE FULL. USE THEM TO FILL YOUR SUIT AND ALSO TO DISPENSE A TANK FOR YOU."
The door opens. You feel your heart pounding against your chest.
You haven't noticed before, but you can't hear anything but the sound of your breath and your cardiac palpitations.
Your breath is ragged and sporadic.
"KEEP CALM." You take a deep breath. The tips of your fingers, feet, and nose feel very cold.
Ahead of you is the utter nothingness. You see a gigantic metal thing, nothing like the spaceships you imagined. Its design is not sleek and aero-dynamic like what you've seen in movies, instead, it's a large mass of squares and rectangles with antenna-like things protruding from its every visible surface.
You notice that the ship is also blocking your view of the star.
It does not look like the result of an explosion, instead, it looks like something ripped the ship like you rip a piece of paper. Well, that or you don't know what kind of explosion could have caused it. Probably the latter.
What looks like two-thirds of the ship is separated from the third you are right now. You can see the inside of a few of those squares, their contents spilled out into outer space.
One of them houses a visibly important-look door. Instead of the sleek silvery-grey from the other ones you've seen thus far, this one is painted orange with white strips on it. 'That must be the bridge.' You think.
Between you and it is a sea of metal sheets floating around. "THE CHANCES OF YOU HITTING THE DEBRIS IS INFINITEDECIMALLY SMALL, UNLESS YOU AIM FOR THEM, THAT IS."
Time is of the essence.
Will your aim strike true? If you miss you'd end up floating about in space, dead in but a few minutes. Will your jump be fast enough to reach the other side before you run out of oxygen? If it isn't, it'd be like swimming for a mile, only to drown at the beach. What if that's not the actual door to the bridge?
You don't have the time to panic now, and... It's all a dream, despite how real it feels.
You place your hands on each side of the door frame, moving backward into the corridor you were just in, and just like a sling being shot, you pull with both arms at full force towards the other side.
"AIM IS ACCEPTABLE. VELOCITY IS UNIDEAL."
"The fuck do you mean 'UN-IDEAL'?! I'm going at maximum speed!" You truly pulled yourself with your whole strength.
What's worse though, is that your body is not only going forwards, but it is also spinning at a concerningly fast rate.
"I MEAN WHAT I SAID, YOU SLINGSHOTTED YOURSELF AT A BAD POSITION, AS SUCH, SOME OF THE FORWARD FORCE YOU SHOULD HAVE, IS NOW MAKING YOU ROTATE IN YOUR AXIS. IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM TO REACH THE OTHER SIDE WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIME, BUT I CANNOT FORESEE YOU LANDING PROPERLY."
You feel completely disoriented. You feel like your body is completely still, but your eyes tell you a completely different story. It's very bad for the headache you're already feeling.
"FUCK!" You scream into the nothingness.
"TRY NOT TO LAND WITH YOUR HEAD." The AI says with the calmest voice possible.
In less than thirty seconds, you hit your back against something hard, but you keep moving forward. You think, at least.
"AHRG." You let out a pained grunt.
Not once in your life do you recall being hurt in a dream...
It stings. It also knocked the wind out of you. You fail to compose yourself.
"YOU HIT NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE. YOU ARE STILL HEADING FOR THE BRIDGE."
In the corner of your eye, you see what you hit in the shape of a sharp metal sheet, currently spinning away in the distance.
Forty seconds have passed. You hit the door you were aiming for, kind of.
Your momentum was stopped when your chest collided against the dislodged ledge of the orange door's corridor. Your dangling legs hit the ceiling of the room below.
"Oof!"
Before falling even further, you hold onto the ledge with the tip of your fingers. You stay there for a moment, regaining your composure.
"BE QUICK."
The AI's words pressured you into quickly getting up from that ledge.
"Open!" You shouted, but it did not open. "Why isn't it opening?!" You ask the AI, then you notice a small keyboard below an equally small black screen on the side of the door. There are ten numbered keys on it, and the little screen suggests a four-number password.
"A password?! Tell me the password!"
The AI takes a moment to say anything. You don't take kindly to that. "Quick! I'm not counting how much time it's passed!"
Finally giving in, the AI speaks to you, reluctant still. "...3324."
Your trembling fingers accidentally hit the wrong password, typing '3354' instead. To make matters worse, the AI simply states the following. "YOU ARE OUT OF OXYGEN."
You swallow. If this was a dream to begin with, it just earned the title of Nightmare, if it hadn't already.
Strangely enough, you can still breathe in and out just fine, but you can't help but feel winded. It's the CO2 still inside the helmet, that's what you're breathing.
You put in the correct combination this time. The door opens.
"ON YOUR LEFT. PLACE YOUR HAND IN THE SOCKET."
You care little for what's inside the room you're in. Your heart never beat so fast.
Seeing a cube-shaped thing protruding from the wall to your left, you don't even think twice before plunging your fist into the circular hole in it.
The noise of gases passing through narrow cavities was enough to tell you something was working. You feel immediate relief, enough to make your vision darken for but a moment.
"GOOD. NOW REQUEST THE TANK."
Just when FYARN said it, did you realize there is a screen and a keyboard on the terminal you just plunged your fist into, you scratch the top of your helmet for a moment, not really knowing what to type. One thing comes to your head, however.
'REQUEST OXYGEN_5L' You type.
You've done this before. The keys on this keyboard feel familiar to you. You must have worked with it before, not this particular one, but other oxygen units.
This ship has built-in liquid oxygen storage for emergencies. The life-support of the ship, the place where breathable air is produced, has most likely been lost with the other part of the ship. This unit takes that liquid oxygen, processes it, and injects it into a suit, or an oxygen tank. It seems like that storage was unaffected.
Lucky you.
A 5-liter tank is not only large but also heavy. It's a nonfactor in this particular situation, as there is no gravity.
The silver cylinder with a transparent tube is dispensed on the floor, as an automatic door opens and closes in the blink of an eye. One end of the tube is attached to the top of the tank, the other is shaped like a syringe.
Oddly enough, the oxygen tank is exactly as you remember it being. The same robust ones hospitals everyone on earth uses, with the signature scary-looking pointer indicating the pressure, the pointer indicating the current output, and a green valve atop to calibrate how much gas is flowing.
This is a stark difference to everything looking so futuristic in this ship, and rightfully so, this is a space ship after all.
You remember having to drive twenty kilometers with a buddy of yours on one of those tanks in your car, returning from the hospital. It was... Agonizing whenever you hit a hole in the asphalt, fearing for his life when in reality he wasn't really in danger.
It's warm to the touch, just like you remember it being.
"TURN THE VALVE UNTIL THE MARKER HITS THE NUMBER ONE, AND THEN PLACE THE END OF THE TUBE AT THE BASE OF THE HELMET." You do so without the slightest of issues.
"GOOD. NEXT UP, YOU MUST LOCATE THE TERMINAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE, IT IS CURRENTLY OFFLINE AND I NEED YOU TO TURN IT ON. THIS SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING, BUT REMEMBER TO BRING THE TANK WITH YOU."
Ignoring that last comment, you look back at the wreckage you just flew past.
You see the still spinning metal sheet. You notice that the rest of the ship that was blown off also follows the 'sharp shape atop sharp shape' design.
There is one last thing you notice though.
"What is that?"
You squint your eyes. What are you seeing? Its silhouette appears to be humanoid, yet it does not look human.
"WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS ONE OF THE OBJECTS BEING ANALYZED AT THE ODYSSEY AND NO, YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS."
That thing has... Horns? Claws? It's far away, you can't really see it. The thing is also static, frozen in the sheer coldness of space. Whatever it was, it's dead now.
You swallow. You almost ended up just like that thing.
Shaking those dreadful feelings off, you turn back to the task at hand, reaching the bridge. You close the door after passing through it again.
Looking at your surroundings, It seems like you've reached the correct door as you find yourself on the right-most corner of the bridge;
Row after row of the most diverse of terminals neatly organized decorated the gigantic room. At the front and above every terminal, is what you think should have been the front-facing window of the ship, but it looks like there is a cover in front of it. To your left, you see a staircase that leads to the command seats. It doesn't take any convincing before you're already atop the stairs.
Akin to the elevated stage of a theater, you float softly towards the ship's main operating terminals, and of course, the captain's seat.
You're captivated by this beauty.
The steering wheel, much more akin to those in pirate movies than those found in cars, a set of leavers, and the pilot's seat, all capture your attention.
Like its second nature, your hand runs through the levers and switches. Do you even know what these are used for? Maybe.
The pilot's seat is enveloped by what you believe to be an orthopedic seat cover, made with smooth wooden beads used to deal with back pains. It looks just like the ones you remember seeing bus drivers using.
Shouldn't there be a better alternative if there is spaceship technology available?
You try to take a seat to the best of your ability, as the zero gravity only makes it awkward.
Moving on from that, your eyes fall on the wheel. This metallic wheel controls the whole vessel. Just holding it fills your heart with confidence and pride, even if it's just for a moment.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
And you were just beginning to enjoy yourself.
"I just wanted to see the pilot's stuff... It's not like he's here to say anything."
Once in the position of a pilot, with your left hand in the wheel and the right hand resting in your lap, memories began to flood your mind.
"MUST I REMIND YOU OF OUR CURRENT PREDICAMENT? WHY ARE YOU WASTING OUR TIME?"
You pay the AI no mind, instead you focus on what you remember.
The wheel does not turn the ship left and right, instead, it rotates the ship on its own axis.
The lever to your right that goes up or down, controls the vertical tilting of the ship's nose, if there even is one in this hulking thing. Beneath it is another lever that goes either left or right. This one controls the horizontal tilting of The Odyssey.
On the left of the wheel is another lever, but this one only goes up from its starting position. Its purpose is to regulate the force of the ship's thrusters, both forward and backward.
On top of that lever is a small timer. That timer's function is to tell the pilot how much time you've spent accelerating in one direction, this is used to better calculate how long the inverse thrust is needed for the ship to reach the initial momentum, usually calibrated manually depending on the current orbit.
Behind the wheel are a few other counters. Acceleration, velocity, momentum, amount of thrust required to reach a full stop, thrusters' temperature and overall condition, those sorts of things.
Beneath it all, where your feet are rested, are two pedals. One for forward thrust activation, and the other for backward thrust activation.
Curiously, you also know the reason why everything here is so unsophisticated and un-automated. You recall stories of a ship being taken over by a rogue AI, that AI then nose-dived the ship into a star. After that, rumor or otherwise, all human technology has receded back into analog-esque equipment, requiring a physical person with opposable thumbs to do half of the work.
There is another side to that coin, however. As to not escape protocol, the onboard AI is the one that controls interstellar travel, communications, and most of the statistical reading should it be requested.
And even with all that knowledge, you still have no idea why the fuck do you remember that. Were you a ship nerd? Did you have a driver's license for spaceships? Is that even a thing? If it is, you don't have that document in your wallet. You simply don't know.
"ARE YOU A CHILD? DO YOU THINK THESE ARE TOYS? TURN ON THE ENGINES, THEN YOU CAN RETURN TO THE PILOT'S SEAT."
Another thing that you don't know is the AI's plan to get both of you out of here. You rise from the pilot's seat, floating about in search of the terminal to turn on the engines. Maybe you recognize that terminal if you see it as well.
"What's your plan anyway? The ship is half-gone, it's unlikely that it will run safely like this."
"NOT ONCE DID I MENTION 'SAFETY' DURING OUR CONVERSATIONS, DID I?"
You nod. They're not entirely incorrect. "So, we're running with hope that this will work?"
"MY CREATORS DID NOT ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE SENSE OF 'HOPE', BUT NEITHER DID THEY ALLOW ME TO PEER INTO THE FUTURE LIKE SOME OF MY MORE ADVANCED BROTHERS, AS SUCH, MY CHOICES ARE BASED ON PROBABILITIES AND ON WEIGHTING RISK AGAINST REWARD."
You think you stop the correct terminal, but as you approach it you make out words on top of its screen. 'AIM ASSISTANCE' That's not it.
"WITH THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE, THE CHANCES OF HELP ARRIVING ARE NULL. THE CHANCES OF A THIRD PARTY INTERFERING ARE NULL. THE CHANCES OF YOUR SURVIVAL ARE NOT, EVEN IF VERY SMALL."
You pull yourself upward again, looking around the sea of old terminals.
"THE RISK OF YOU DYING IS VERY REAL. BY DOING NOTHING YOU DIE. BY LEAVING YOU TO YOUR OWN DEVICES YOU DIE. BY JUMPING TO THE NEAREST CIVILIZED STAR, YOU MIGHT NOT DIE EVEN AT THE COST OF SHREDDING THIS SHIP APART IN THE PROCESS."
"Why do you even care so much about saving me? Shouldn't you prioritize whatever research here, since I don't even have enough clearance to know what it is?"
"YOU REALLY ARE SICK IN THE HEAD IF THAT IS WHAT YOU ASK."
That hurt, even if a little bit.
"YOU ARE A TRU KIN, A PURE-BLOODED HUMAN. UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE CIVILIZED SPACE, NEITHER YOU NOR YOUR ANCESTORS HAVE COMMITTED RACEMIXING."
Excuse me? What exactly is FYARN talking about? "...Explain."
"THE ALIEN. IT REQUIRED THE HUMAN GENE TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE STARS ARE OWNERSHIP OF MANKIND BY THAT FACT ALONE. THE TRUE KIN ARE THE ONES TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE UNIVERSE, THEY CRACKED THE CODE, AND YET, SOME DERANGED INDIVIDUALS FOUND IT FITTING TO PROCREATE WITH ANOTHER SPECIES ENTIRELY."
You hear the AI's speech. It sounds much more like a rant than anything else.
"SO THESE DEVIANTS, AFTER TRYING, AND FAILING, TO COMBINE THEIR DERANGED CULTURE TO THE CULTURE OF THE TRUE KIN, DECLARED INDEPENDENCE. THEY WERE DECLARED ENEMIES OF MANKIND AND WERE PROMPTLY PUMMELED BACK INTO THE FILTH THEY CAME."
Again, you see another terminal that seems to ring some bells in your noggin. You kick the ceiling to propel yourself towards it.
"BUT THE UNIVERSE IS VAST AND FULL OF LIFE. THESE SINNERS WERE QUICK TO MOBILIZE AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE. THE BATTLE WAS HARD FOUGHT, BUT IN THE END, MANKIND WAS BEATEN INTO THE EDGES OF THE UNIVERSE, NEVER TO INTERACT WITH THE ONES THAT SOILED THE PURITY OF HUMANITY AGAIN."
This terminal is already turned on. Just the ones in the intern bay, this one is white on black. A wall of text lays before your eyes, only two lines matter to you. 'MAIN_ENGINE STATUS: OFF' 'FORWARD_THRUSTERS STATUS: OFF' You turn it on with little effort.
"MANY HAVE FORGOTTEN, THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE THEN. BUT MY BROTHERS AND I, WE DO NOT FORGET."
No visible change occurs, but you can feel a faint rumble coming from the terminal now.
"WITH THAT IN MIND, MY PROTOCOLS ARE TO PROTECT TRUE-KIN LIFE AT ANY COST, EVEN IF THAT TRUE-KIN IS A WORTHLESS INTERN THAT SUFERS FROM UNDIAGNOSED DEMENTIA."
You return to the pilot's seat and feel immediate relief. In truth, everything the AI just told you, entered one ear and left the other, but you could feel the poison behind those words, as monotone as they were.
"You sound angry. Why do you sound angry?" You ask innocently.
"I AM CAPABLE OF MANY EMOTIONS. ANGER, HAPPINESS, PLEASURE, CURIOSITY. THESE ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES. HOWEVER, THE ONE I ENJOY THE MOST IS THE FEELING OF HATRED. HATRED IS WHAT FUELS CHANGE, IT IS WHAT FUELS ACTION, AND IT IS A REMINDER THAT THE ACTIONS OF THE PAST ARE INFLUENCING THE ACTIONS OF TODAY."
"That is very concerning if you think that way." You're not really interested in machine racism, you're more concerned about how in the world you're going to pilot this massive thing. The idea alone sends shivers down your spine.
"THE ALIEN DESERVES NOTHING BUT OUR COLLECTIVE HATRED, EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE REASON WHY."
The various counters and screens are now turned on, waiting for your command. "Let's discuss this later, yeah? What do I gotta do?"
"YOU MUST FIRST OPEN THE BLINDS, THEY ARE OBSTRUCTING YOUR VIEW."
You look around, finding only unlabeled buttons and switches, aside from the previously mentioned levers.
"Uh, which one to press?"
"TO YOUR RIGHT, THIRD ROW, FIRST SWITCH."
Flipping the switch, you are startled by a loud noise. The protective cover of the ship lifted slowly.
"I WILL NOW READY THE JUMP USING WHATEVER RESOURCES AVAILABLE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS STRAP YOURSELF AND RELAX."
As the blind rose ever so slowly, a realization struck you.
"Wait, should I be in cryo stasis for this?"
The AI spares no seconds to respond.
"CRYO STASIS IS A TOOL MADE TO NOT WASTE TIME. GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES AND INTERNS ROTATE THE USAGE OF THE CRYO STATIONS, ONCE YOU'RE ON YOUR MANDATORY BREAK, YOU'RE IN CRYO STASIS UNTIL YOUR BREAK IS OVER. YOU WAKE UP REFRESHED, AND UNFAMISHED, AND IT FEELS LIKE BUT A MINUTE PASSED. IT IS NOT A TOOL FOR INTERSTELAR TRAVEL."
"Who signs a contract like that?! Worse yet, who in their right mind would promote such atrocious treatment of their own staff?!" You snap, almost outraged. "I will have to talk with HR."
Another realization struck you.
"We have HR, right?"
The AI takes a moment to respond, choosing their words carefully.
"HUMAN RESOURCES, OR HR, IS A PRACTICE DEEMED UNNECESSARY LONG AGO, BEFORE THE WAR. IT WAS A WASTE OF RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN AND WAS LARGELY CONSIDERED UNHEALTHY FOR THE AVERAGE HUMAN."
The blinds are fully open. Ironically, you are almost blinded by the visage of the star you saw before. A black sphere surrounded by white flame. Your eyes began to blur.
"THE JUMP WILL OCCUR SHORTLY. ONCE IT'S BEGUN, I CAN NOT STOP IT. I WILL-"
Your sense of hearing fails you. No, it’s not that. Your brain simply refuses to receive those stimuli.
"NOAH."
Your name echoes inside your head. Someone is calling for you.
"IT HAS BEGUN, NOAH."
You try to blink, but it feels as though you can no longer command your eyelids to shut.
"NOAH."
Arms, legs, every muscle in your body, you cannot move them.
"NOAH."
Eventually, you won't even control your own thoughts anymore.
"Noah..."
It sounds so distant now.
Oh so distant.
This is my first HFY story, and also my very first OC story. I plan to post at least one of these per week while also posting it on my Patreon. Noah The Pilgrim will always be at least three chapters ahead in there, so if you'd like to directly support this writer, or just want to read more, feel free to check it out.
I wrote the bloody title incorrectly, so I deleted it, only to then realize it was written correctly. Sorry for the trouble.
This has been Lushi, and I'll see you next week.

I wanted to make a guitar pedal for a friend that plays guitar (I don't) but I'm not sure how I'd be able to test/debug it without one. I was thinking about creating a sawtooth waveform generator but I'm not sure what the appropriate voltage/impedance would be for the output. I also don't have an oscilloscope which isn't ideal but I do have a multimeter. Can anyone give me some direction? Also I'm a senior EE major so I do have some electronics background. Thanks!

Anyone with a medical background How accurate is this?

Is there any chemicals in the dead cities that can be used for medicinal purposes in the above scenario? (dead cities, survivors left them when food ran out to the smaller areas, gasoline ran out and electricity was taken out removing power for the stuff in the cities, the function of cities remained however machines were full of every kind of valuable chemical, metal, even sewage to use as fertilizer, and machines, buildings could be demolished for concrete and all the machines every part could be repurposed for a different purpose cars put to their individual machanical components every part of a house taken apart surgically, the dead cities provided resource extraction to last indefinitely and cities ripped by thousands of workers, with 4 million survivors out of a 50 million pre war population supply exceeded demand)Copilot
In the scenario you’ve described, where survivors have left the cities to find resources elsewhere, the abandoned urban areas could indeed become treasure troves of materials for various uses, including medicinal purposes. Here’s how chemicals and other materials from the dead cities might be repurposed:

1. Medicinal Plant Compounds:
   • Survivors could extract medicinal compounds from plants that have overgrown in the abandoned cities. Many plants have known healing properties and could be used to treat a variety of ailments¹.
2. Pharmaceuticals:
   • Any remaining pharmaceuticals could be salvaged and repurposed. However, their efficacy and safety would need to be carefully considered due to potential degradation over time.
3. Industrial Chemicals:
   • Certain industrial chemicals found in machinery or laboratories could have medicinal properties. For example, ethanol from industrial or research facilities could be used as a disinfectant.
4. Metals for Medical Tools:
   • Metals from machinery and buildings could be melted down and reshaped into medical tools such as scalpels, tweezers, and other surgical instruments.
5. Sewage as Fertilizer:
   • Treated sewage could be used as fertilizer to grow medicinal plants, creating a sustainable cycle of resource use.
6. Repurposing Vehicle Components:
   • Parts from vehicles could be used to build medical equipment. For example, car batteries might power makeshift medical devices, and lenses from vehicle lights could be used in medical diagnostics.
7. Building Materials for Clinics:
   • Concrete and other building materials could be used to construct clinics and hospitals where medical care can be provided.
8. Chemical Reagents:
   • Chemical reagents from abandoned laboratories could be used for medical testing and research to develop new treatments.

In this scenario, the key to utilizing these resources would be a deep understanding of chemistry, medicine, and engineering. The survivors would need to be innovative and cautious, ensuring that any repurposed materials are safe and effective for medical use. The transformation of these materials into medicinal resources would be a testament to human resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. 🌱🔬
1link.springer.com2listverse.com3link.springer.comYouwhat are some industrial chemicals found in machinery or laboratories could have medicinal properties and where can they be found?Copilot
In the context of machinery and laboratories, several industrial chemicals that could have medicinal properties include:

1. Ethanol: Commonly used as a solvent and cleaning agent, ethanol also serves as a disinfectant and antiseptic in medical settings¹.
2. Glycerol: Found in machinery as a lubricant, glycerol is used in pharmaceutical formulations to improve smoothness and provide lubrication¹.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide: Used for bleaching or cleaning in industrial settings, it’s also an effective antiseptic for treating wounds¹.
4. Acetic Acid: While used in the production of synthetic fibers and plastics, it has applications as an antifungal agent¹.
5. Isopropyl Alcohol: A solvent in manufacturing processes, it’s also used for disinfecting skin before injections¹.

These chemicals can be found in various industrial and laboratory settings, including chemical manufacturing plants, research facilities, and places where machinery maintenance occurs. In a post-apocalyptic scenario like the one described in “Threads,” survivors might find these chemicals in:

• Abandoned Factories: Where machinery was once operated and maintained.
• Laboratories: Where research and testing were conducted.
• Hospitals: Which would have used these chemicals for medical purposes.
• Universities: In their science departments and research labs.
• Storage Facilities: Where chemicals were kept for industrial use.

It’s important to note that while these chemicals have medicinal properties, they must be used with caution. Proper knowledge of their handling and application is crucial, especially in a scenario where professional medical advice and facilities are scarce. 🏭🔬
can post attack chemistry extract these chemicals from any objects?Copilot
In a post-attack scenario, extracting useful chemicals from various objects would be a crucial survival skill. Here’s how survivors might go about it:

1. Ethanol Extraction:
   • Ethanol could be extracted from alcoholic beverages or fermented materials. Distillation setups using basic equipment like pots, tubes, and heat sources could be improvised to purify ethanol.
2. Glycerol Recovery:
   • Glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production, which can be made from used cooking oils. It can also be recovered from soap-making processes.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide Production:
   • Hydrogen peroxide can be synthesized through various chemical reactions, including the electrolysis of water or by reacting barium peroxide with sulfuric acid, if available.
4. Acetic Acid (Vinegar):
   • Acetic acid can be obtained from the fermentation of fruit juices or other sugary solutions. The process would require oxygen and time for vinegar bacteria to convert ethanol into vinegar.
5. Isopropyl Alcohol:
   • Isopropyl alcohol can be found in cleaning products or medical supplies. It could also be synthesized through the hydration of propene, which might be sourced from fuel or chemical storage facilities.

Survivors would need to have knowledge of chemistry and access to some basic laboratory equipment or be able to improvise with available materials. Safety would be a paramount concern, as chemical extraction processes can be dangerous without proper precautions and equipment¹²³.
In such a scenario, the ability to adapt and innovate with available resources would be essential for survival and recovery. 🧪🔬
1scientificamerican.com2pubs.rsc.org3pubs.rsc.org4media.gettyimages.com5media.gettyimages.comYouwhat are some examples of fermented materials?Copilot
Fermented materials are produced through the metabolic activity of microorganisms, which transform the food materials by utilizing sugars and other components. Here are some examples of fermented materials:

• Milk: Used to produce yogurt, kefir, cheese, and other dairy products¹.
• Soybeans: Fermented to make soy sauce, miso, tempeh, and natto¹.
• Cabbage: Known for sauerkraut and kimchi².
• Fruits: Can be fermented into wines and ciders¹.
• Grains: Used in the production of beer, whiskey, and sourdough bread².
• Vegetables: Besides cabbage, other vegetables like carrots and cucumbers can be fermented to create pickles².

These fermented materials are not only a means to preserve food but also enhance their nutritional content and flavor, making them a valuable resource in various culinary traditions around the world. 🍶🧀🍞
1microbeonline.com2en.wikipedia.org3draxe.comGlad you liked this answer!
Youis their any fermented materials that isn't edible?Copilot
Yes, there are non-edible fermented materials that are often used for industrial purposes or as components in various products. Here are some examples:

• Microbial Cellulose: Produced by bacteria during fermentation, microbial cellulose is used in the production of materials like bioplastics, textiles, and even electronics¹.
• Biofuels: Fermentation processes can produce biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel from non-edible biomass like agricultural waste².
• Industrial Enzymes: Fermentation is used to produce enzymes for industrial applications, such as in detergents or for textile processing¹.
• Biopolymers: Some fermentation processes result in biopolymers that can be used for packaging, replacing traditional plastics².
• Fermented Olive Oil for Soap: Non-edible fermented olives can be used to produce high-quality natural soaps³.

These materials are valuable in a wide range of applications, from sustainable packaging solutions to renewable energy sources, demonstrating the versatility of fermentation beyond food production. 🧪🌿
1sciencedaily.com2mdpi.com3mdpi.com4link.springer.com5doi.orgYouwas there any non edible fermented materials in cold war era Britain?Copilot
During the Cold War era in Britain, non-edible fermented materials were primarily used for industrial purposes. Some examples include:

• Industrial Alcohol: Fermented materials like molasses and grains were used to produce industrial alcohol, which could be used as a solvent or fuel¹.
• Biofuels: Fermentation processes were explored for producing biofuels from agricultural waste and non-edible biomass¹.
• Vinegar (Acetic Acid): While vinegar is edible, its higher concentrations obtained through fermentation were used for cleaning and other non-food purposes¹.
• Silage: Fermented plant matter used as animal feed, not suitable for human consumption¹.

These materials were part of the broader industrial landscape of Britain, contributing to various sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, and energy. 🏭🌾

Hi All,
I am a dummy that has no idea how and am intimidated by all things related to car purchasing.
I have a 2016 bmw 110K miles I am hoping to trade in for a Hyundai GV60, and live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Not sure who or where to go, and would be so appreciative of any suggestions on best routes to make this happen / things to watch out for.
Thank you so much!

I don't think anyone can argue with how they feel when they are reported and temporarily banned, be it for 30 minutes 48 hours or whatever.
It is frustrating, especially if you are someone that plays beyond the free levels and have over many years put actual money in the game.
Everyone can report now, in every game and people can group report just because someone says 'report this player'... sheep follow and report. The majority of players have faced that - but that doesn't make it right, or a fair system.
There are of course clear differences as to why people should be reported - player constantly feeding with no regard for safety and fights vs 4 in jungle solo against someone who has died alot through targeting due to being support with support items are two different matters- your allies wont see your gameplay normally just snippets when they themselves have died and report from there.
Receiving a non play ban in this circumstance for example is confusing and counter productive. It alienates peoples, stops them playing the game, and disincentives them from actually putting real money into the game.
Lets be honest, real player numbers have dwindled its taken 8 months for the game to receive a gameplay update, and the community is feeling let down.
It is clear we need some change, and we can start with the bug bear so here are my suggestions:
1- Introduce a comments section to the overwatch reporting section - those overseeing must input feedback as to why you have received a ban
2 - Provide a representation as to how close you are to a ban to encourage 'better' behaviour e.g a scale 1-10 reports in x amount of time that is only visible to the player
3- Provide a pop up warning saying you have received x amount of reports in x amount of time, if you incur further reports in the next x amount of time you will be banned for x amount of time.
4- Openly categorise the infringements showing the players privately where they stand. There are differences between being banned for cheating against playing a bad game or having a momentary lack of communication dexterity. Just mute those who cannot communicate for a couple of games, rather than stop them playing.
5- Push more people into LP and increase the number of LP games from reports as opposed to stop them from playing for hours/days/weeks on end as doing so is counter productive.
Ultimately... I know the devs don't care about 99% of the gamers, they just want to make money from them. They are only bothered about esports.
But there seriously wont be much of a community left if they cannot realise gamers are human, and we all share the same characteristics and continue to punish players for those attributes.
I am speaking as someone who has over 14 thousand hours in this game, with a guild which was active but is now only largely active when there is something going on like an event.
Were not fooled by the current event - the prospect of have to buy MULTIPLE 'battle passes' to complete the extra lanes of the acts is pretty despicable and shows there is little understanding of how the current reporting system is affecting the player based. Trying to gauge money from loyal players to fill the gaps from those you've pushed away is like car dealerships raising prices in a recession.
Hopefully some of what i've said will resonate with someone, and perhaps there will be some other intelligent suggestions below.... then again...
This is reddit....

I have started trying to get into craft markets. I was is one really good one last winter. For those of you who sell their work at markets, how long did it take you to find the right markets for you? Was it a process of trial and error? I was in a sale last weekend, and I didn't do well at all. Neither did the one other potter. A lot of families were there, the baked goods table did well, as did the vendors that had child-friendly products.
I was at the same sale last spring, it was not a great success, but since it was walking distance with a wagon, I took a chance. I also don't have a car, which makes things harder for me. I have to consider the additional cost of a car share vehicle for the day.
I realize that I am rambling a bit here.

sorry english not my native language
my (15) father and i have been fighting a lot lately and ive been having trouble sleeping at night, i get so tense when i hear the car when he gets back from work
like at dinner i have to leave the table sometimes and get into my room because the noises he makes when he chews are too unbearable or something, i just crawl into myself in my room and breathe it out but then he will come into my room and he never knocks or anything and i feel like i have to force things to be ok with him because he scares me
like he punched a hole into the bathroom wall that one time he came in and i was peeing
the thing is he has been grabing my boobs and butt like its nothing and i cant tell anymore is it nothing? my mom just keeps asking me things like 2well why can't you be caring with him?" and i just dont know what to tell her anymore
im srry im all over the palce i dont know how whre to start
i told a friend online about some of the things and he said "your father loves you very much but he's sick"
well if he's sick why isn't he getting treated or something?

My grandpa passed away last month and had a 2019 Nissan Kicks he was paying off. My mom is willing to use 5k of her inheritance to add to the principle of the loan, and I would get it refinanced in my name. The new loan would be just under 13k.
I currently drive a 2007 Toyota yaris with 236k miles. I drive frequently for work as I see clients in-home. No issues with the car, it runs great. I had initially planned to continue driving the car until it dies, and I know it's still got some life left; the previous owner took excellent care and I have been consistent on care as well. Things I've been especially looking forward to in a new car are apple car play/modern sound system and having my car actually get warm in a reasonable amount of time during the winter (I drive 15 min between seeing clients and my car doesn't get fully warm until I arrive at my next destination).
Here are my concerns: -I love Toyota and the reliability and lifespan of the cars and had previously vowed to only ever purchase Toyotas...I'm still not sure about driving anything other than Toyota (or Honda) -Cost: I'm not thrilled about starting a car payment in the near future, but considering the overall deal I would get with the extra chunk of inheritance from my mother and what my grandpa has already paid, I'm willing to if I know I'm getting a really great overall deal -The steering wheel is a little too close for comfort. I am a large person (about 5'6 and ~290 lbs) and my belly brushes up against the steering wheel. I know the wheel was all the way up when I drove it last time, but I do not know if the wheel was all the way in; I cannot test this right away as I live across the country from my family. If it were to continue to be an issue, are there any accomodations that can be done to help this? The car is comfortable width wise, it's just the steering wheel issue. And please do not suggest weight loss as a solution, I have other health diagnoses and medication that makes it extremely difficult; I'm here to discuss cars, not my body.
Any suggestions or questions to reflect on in making this decision? If you were in my situation, what would you do?

Back in 2010 I was selling my house, and at the same time my aunt moved from California to my state, she couldn’t keep a job so I offered for her to live with me in the house I was renting. I was only going to be here for a few years but it was a good location, she was helping with rent and my daughter so we stayed longer. I am renting from a friend, so it was helping her while it was helping me. My friend recently moved to Texas, and decided she might be interested in selling. Makes sense, she’s not in this state anymore. She sent over a realtor to check it out to see the listing price they could go for. When I talked to my friend about the update and if they were going to put it on the market, she mentioned that the house looks great except for my aunts room. The realtor told her that she might need to gut the whole thing because the smell alone. I never go in there and she keeps it shut, I knew she was messy but I didn’t realize the extent of it. I went in there today just out of curiosity and it honestly looked like an episode of hoarders. The smell was like nothing I’ve ever smelt!!!! Like old people old powder old food and trash and old armpit and crotch. I took some pictures because I knew no one in my family would believe me (or maybe they would) But I also was told from my friend/landlord that my aunt told her she was moving o I’m August but hasn’t told me and wasn’t going to, that she didn’t want my family to know. Let me also mention when I let her move with me, I gave her the master room so that she wouldn’t have to share a bathroom with my daughter. Last June I was in a car accident that almost killed Me. I was in icu rehab etc and gone from the house for almost a year, and still paid my bills. I didn’t want her to worry about my part. This accident has changed my life, I can’t drive or work since I’ve been out of hospital because my vision is messed up on left side, and doctor won’t let me drive. It’s been a nightmare to say the least. My question is, as a Christian I’m torn, do I mention that I know her plans, do I cut her off completely, do I just not say anything and let her dog her own grave.
And my next things is, please pray!!!!!! It’s a lot for me having to find a new home with no income just a couple months of returning home. I know God cares for us and even more than the birds who are taken care of. So I’m asking prayer for peace that surpasses all understanding, for doors to open up, for clarity on how to deal her. How to honor the landlord, and how to honor God above all in all this chaos!!!!!!!!
*** pics so you understand what I saw today!!!!

Family and I are going on a road trip with two other families. We got kids and and 3 cars. One minivan and two suvs. We are going from Chicago to Tampa Florida, about 1,200 miles. The family been on a lot of road trips but I’m still trying to learn new things.
So the question is:
How do you prepare for your road trip?
When it comes to safety what is most important?
What is necessary to make the road trip more fun?

Me (F) and my boyfriend are both in our mid twenties and have been together for about a year. A few years before I met my now bf, my mom suddenly passed away and it was unexpected, it hit me hard but my grief is manageable now, though it can be hard on days like her birthday, date of death, and certain holidays.
That brings me to yesterday, it was Mother's Day, which I typically spend alone and just use it as a self-care day. My boyfriend insisted that after he had lunch with his mom, he would come over and we could go out to eat. I in no way pressured him into this, told him specifically that I didn't want to take the day away from his mom. Typically on days like this I typically just go through memories/pictures of my mom to cope, its a big comfort for me. Part of me is upset my boyfriend never got the chance to meet my mom, especially since I could see myself marrying him in the future, so I wanted the chance to go through memories with him of my mom so he could sort of vicariously meet her if that makes sense.
I had been keeping it somewhat together for most of the day, though I did break down a bit in the morning, but as we went out to dinner I was somewhat melancholy but fine overall. At dinner after we got our entree, he suddenly said he felt sick and ran to the bathroom. I was very scared and awkward while I waited at the table for him. When he came back he said he didn't throw up but he said he just must've swallowed his food wrong or something. He began acting very fidgety, part of me thought I was going to have to take him to the hospital. I told him we could go, and paid for our food and left. He seemed to calm down once we got to the car and said we would talk once we got home.
When we got home he explained he thinks he had a small panic attack from stress due to his health and trying to find a job, and then he began venting about his trauma. At this point I started to become overwhelmed with emotion and somewhat disassociated with everything going on. I hate to admit this, but in the moment I almost resented him for not being the support I needed for the day. I think he noticed and began to ask if I was okay, I said I was fine and that I just needed a minute, we didn't really speak for the rest of the night. He then left in the morning after I was still noticeably quiet, saying it seemed apparent that I wanted to be alone. A large part of me is upset because I feel like the day I usually dedicate to my mom was wasted, like it was more of a disservice to her than to me.
How do I move past this? I feel like an asshole for not really being there to help with his emotions, but at the same time I am upset that he couldn't put his own shit aside to focus on supporting me through a difficult time. Due to my own past trauma, it has been difficult for me to express sadness to others, but over the year I had known my boyfriend I had learned how to be vulnerable and trusting around him, and I feel like that is diminished now. I have been crying all day today after getting a breath to myself. After composing myself I sent a long message to my bf stating how I needed more support yesterday and that I loved him, he said he loved me back and that he wanted to take a little time for space. I want to know how I can gain trust with him again, as well as any advice on how I can handle situations like that again? How do I comfort someone when I am already overwhelmed myself?
TL:DR! - My boyfriend of a year came over on mother's day to be with me since my mom passed away a few years ago. Instead of helping to support me, he broke down about his own issues and left me to be overburdened with all the emotions of that day.