House out of keyboard

McMansion Hell

2017.07.15 06:11 glassofwater9 McMansion Hell

A subreddit about large, cheaply built, suburban homes with design flaws and a lack of architectural integrity also known as “McMansions.” On Thursdays we celebrate the opposite: good suburban architectural design.
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2010.03.11 04:42 lw0x15 Deep House

Deep house is food and you need it.
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2010.03.24 16:48 Everyone deserves a good keyboard

Non-mouse and non-audio input devices for the discerning fingertip.
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2024.05.15 04:29 EccentricSage81 usb4 type C worse than cheap usb ethernet lan landline1900s phones? (rj11/45/cat8e whatevs)

Ethernet has landline 1900s phones two pairs wires reserved in the spec sheet its 8 or so wires when crimping the ends uses like two with one for ground and one seemingly empty and then has two for phone and some unused, with old 10/100 baseT coax with terminating ends exactly like optical or coax 90s cable TV with optical fiber 99% of the way just your block has coax to the rest which uses the 'same'DOCSIS data over cable standards as fibre optic.. just slightly worse latency and bandwidth is calculated by latency things like wifi lan has like 11 channels or 15 channels of frequency which optical calls wavelengths of light. A 2015 or around there linus tech tips video of him going to a swedish lan party called dreamhack had a bunch of multiple redundant 8Terabit or was it bytes of fibre optic internet they explained with light having 7 colors but having 8terabytes of bandwidth with different wavelengths of light called frequencys or a better term for optics is known as LASER ARRAYS of light at fixed frequencys that often plugs into the PC via ethernet cables or whatever for a gamer lan party or home/residential or small businesses at realistically within budget of anything with enough users to require that bandwidth or 'web hosting or web servers' you dont need to be an undersea cable or international link with 200terabits plus for an internet exchange to your main CBD or the fastest like the netherlands IX...
So the problem im trying to solve is, here in australia we got our undersea cables done wrong they kept breaking and we didnt have a navy or defense force securing our countrys communications to prevent war crimes and keep us connected to the global banking systems or whatever.. and then when our biggest telcos cable or fibre all had dialup speeds for around 2 weeks in the early years 2000s to force us to pay other countrys to connect to their links and be ' end of the line' maybe paywalled or proxied off the internet randsomewared to connect to and borrow bandwidth from other countries satellites and other countries undersea link cables which truly were indestructible to any cruise liner ships anchors whatever being flexible giant steel braided cables big as a CAR when australia finally paid to lay small sections of that stuff to link up to others and not pay randsome to internet butt bandits or have private businesses and multi nationals run their own links and ignore the public our lack of a defense force actually let somalian pirates literally somehow pick up and walk off with our expensive undersea car sized cables filled with a few arms thick of hair thin fibre optics which is cheapest clear resin enamels plastics about $3 not sure if USD per kilometer and resembles modern glass/glazing. How does anybody steal that stuff without people noticing like you cant just load it onto a truck and drive away? or a boat? if only satellites and some sort of defense organization existed to prevent us from being impersonated or whatever.. So now in australia ANYTHING with words like gigabit costs a fortune for a mainboard or switch or ethernet hub.. but the ancient 1900s 10/100 telephone land line wires of ethernet 10/100 clock in at a whopping 13 or so mhz sometimes 27.. and 60 or more mhz for like gigabits and whatever it increases shockingly fast with each mhz clock cycle as its units of work over time in nano seconds or zeptoseconds you see billionths of a second nano second RAM and PC with windows realtime kernel actually uses like ryzen hardware negative latency faster than reality freely syncing with any device in the universe and fixed mhz frequency bus can drive like 50 to 100 or thousands of GPU's and HDDs and monitors or whatever from the one modern multicore PC or whatever.. 90s AMD business server still holds world records for most connected devices though it had stackable CPUs opteron and would have used infinity cache type stuff probably software 3dnow and evolving game worlds tech of 80s and 90s AMD gaming evolved advertising.
So in australia anything gigabits costs hundreds of dollars for a switch router some thousands for lots of ports.. but its the shittiest weakest bandwidth ever with mhz and performance miles short of a raspberry pie or whatever. I had to pay a fortune for a mainboard with 10gigabit LAN port and everytime i got a high speed LAN port its been broken or missing so some pricks can sell ebay routers or switches for thousands here.. not knowing why its so expensive is youre paying fortunes for any real bandwidth because australia has to pay literal somalian pirates for their internet connections or privately owned businesses like telstra for access to their private links and glares at countries like new zealand and hawaii for being super technologically superior.. a cheap USB ethernet adaptor costs under 10 bucks on ebay or whatever and is maybe gigabit and your switches and routers 90% of the time you want the cheapest UNMANAGED switch possible. Yet the mainboard i recently purchased ASUS pro art creator x670E i recall had an issue with some asshats trying to steal pathetic measly 40gigabit USB4 chips from all the boards at the computer store to sell on EBay as other junk, when anything in the universe with an M.2 ULTRA slot does 40gigabits since PCI express 3.0/4.0 as PCI express 3.0 SSD drives famously use a specific I/O controller chip which gives them 38gigabits of the ultra M.2 slots 40gigabits of bandwidth. But for a couple years when AMD had pci express 4.0 and better than M.2 ultra intel was playing catch up on PCI express 3.0 and still had regular m.2 in all their boards until AMD was ready for pci express 5.0 my friend on intel bought the same NVME drives and complained they had corruption errors or issues i later learned his board wasnt fast enough and he was maybe trying to use the samsung magician RAM disk and enable NVME features and functions intel maybe did not yet support.
So.. why is USB 4 so many years late and why is it so dang expensive when terabits of ethernet or anything optical is like the cheapest stuff ever and comes with every internet connection since the 90s at the lowest cheapest mhz and 1900s land line wire telephones ever, remember digital isnt a physical thing and everythings literally analog with a sensor or multimeter whatever mathematically translating it to a graph or algebra equation mapping it into different values digitally +10 -10 whatever using microphones or camera sensor whatever. the gigabits tax and uhh LAN port taxes for dumb gay australians being literally see it via satellite outerspace levels dumb and gay astrogaylian should not apply to the cheapest of raspberry pie free 3d print or laser CNC yourself something computery like risc V for the cheapest of USB flash drives or memory cards etc.
I get intel pretends to have invented court ordered USB to probe their hardware after it was proven to have used other peoples code and chips by the chip makers and them selling computers with keyboard and mouse hardwired in so you bought a whole new computer when a key broke on the keyboard couldnt replace them.. and every other device had USB but theirs didnt free open standard and it kinda being the only way to connect any device in the universe and freely sync with it (mics/phones whatever).
why is 1900s phone tech ethernet so dang expensive to go from 20mhz ranges to 80 or whatever mhz ranges or use something very similar to 90s optical audio SPDIF output or anything remotely like a laser in australia? and who would be dumb and gay enough to be so financially retarded as to think that USB 4 was expensive or special as to steal it? am i... missing something?
also before you complain, but ethernets not the same as USB you cant power over ethernet or use your houses electrical wires as ethernet. You also cant use ethernet for monitors or displays, and its not like you can extend HDMI range limit of a about 10 to 15 meters by swapping its ethernet wires with optical ones for it to maintain its HDMI 0 latency spec or type C USB 0 latency spec. USB lets you connect heaps of devices you cant do that with an internet or ethernet for things like keyboard and mice or monitors or whatever. I understand what you mean power over ethernet or PPOE standards suck theres no way those are a thing. using devices over the internet and not the intranet who does that? thats so dumb. remote administration, theres no such thing youre mistaking malware or rootkits im sure. you cant connect a heap of devices up or entire computers to a ethernet port thats the dumbest gayest thing i've ever heard in my entire life! My gaydar is going off and it looks like the wifi symbol.
when trying to use anything ethernet with lame awful bandwidth thats limited, on my AMD board where the website images show AMD ethernet lists as marvel yukon controller i cannot use as its maybe broken there no light on the back, in devices managers advanced tab you can see the send receive or transmit buffer sizes and countless other ethernet settings are MISSING or a blank space. and are limited to 128 on send and 256 on receive up to 4096 or whatever max. But low latency 128 or 256 is maybe best but not all are an option and most networking features on the intel LAN adapters are missing countless advanced ethernet properties and settings because they're fake and lousy and the worst latency ever and they literally seem to swap your windows kernel out with something not realtime so you cannot ever hope to record or playback audio or video or anything close to a video game in hopes of slowly selling it back to you. Linux distros did this too its the dumbest thing ever that to hear or record or playback or play games you must patch in a realtime kernel for free to game like its the 80s and 90s or DOS or whatever. most 90s PCs were CAS 1 or lower nanoseconds. DDR 3 1600mhz depending the maker might be CAS1-4 latency. How can we verify our kernels are correct? and our ethernet and I/O bandwidth is correct? the youtube video about linus tech tips dream hack lan party of gamers in sweden was edited and reuploaded by illiterate asshat buttpirates maybe from somalia or the ones randsoming us some of their internet connections as a proxy piggy back on the international links as we dont have a defense force or army or whatever and dont know what war crimes are or why they are or what the heck a bank is and sure as shit dont know the cost of anything cheap USB or LAN. The dreamhack linus video falsely shows as 6TERABIT. they wanna steal 2TERABITS of EVERY optical or ethernet devices which isnt the government doing it if they wanna see whats in your computer they can document their reasons of why which is what a warrant is they dont need one if they believe a crime is occuring and literally take the computer by law to inspect it then give it back when nothings wrong they leave you a claim ticket and have you document it at the nearest policing station or whatever fill out forms sign 'they are taking my PC and i can get it back when it wasnt used for crimes." when australia doesnt technically have an internet and doesnt technically have RAID arrays which is required to use USB or SSD or NVME or storage tech with no moving parts and multicore a 2TB SSD is twice as fast and often has 2x 1TB wafer chips in there figure it out the IO controller chip supports many and you can buy the cheapest USB sticks with like 16terabytes of storage space i just see a $extend folder or uhh file format header thingy in the partition in my mainboard bios on that particular drive and using any cheap SSD or USB devices makes linux cry about the partition managers cant write or read extending past the storage limit. it doesnt take a genius to figure out what dumb gay fags the whole internet is.
infinitybitdepthinfinitygraphicsinfinitypixelsinfinityresolution.7z ~ pixeldrain
submitted by EccentricSage81 to Troubleshooting [link] [comments]


2024.05.15 04:01 ramen_n00dlz Used Baldwin Piano

Hey everyone, I am wondering if a used upright baldwin piano is a good piano for first time learner? The piano would be given to me for free from a family member who is moving out of state. I would need to move the piano to my house and tune it. I am hoping the price to tune and fix any problems on the piano is not much.
I am not sure what to look for in a used piano. From what I can tell, the soundboard in the back looks intact. There are two "dead" keys on the keyboard which make a sound when pressed but at a lower volume compared to the other keys. All the other keys sound good to my untrained ear, and all three pedals work. The serial number on this particular piano is "1156832" (idk if that will help).
Thank you for the advice :)
submitted by ramen_n00dlz to piano [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 22:34 insignificant_potato Ex lost his mind when I broke up with him, gave away and destroyed a lot of my things and harassed my employees and friends trying to find me for days

Okay this is in Oklahoma and a lot happened but to summarize basically I've been with this man-child for 3 years almost, I ended up breaking it off after work on Monday (mainly) because of all the issues he has but just blatantly refuses to fix. Immediately after having the discussion he flipped out, throwing things across the room and screaming at me to leave. I stayed at a friend's house that night with nothing but my bag and the clothes I had worn to work. The next day I wake up to a phone call from him where he told me not to bother going back to the apartment because he already let his mom go through all of my things. He said he told her I wanted to fight her (never said that) so she's now determined to kick my ass, and that all of her gang-banger friends now have the addresses of all my family and friends to hurt them as well (this man never remembered my phone number, no way in hell he knows anyone's address lmao but still). I have a witness to this conversation. I also was informed by one of my employees that he had come with his mother to my workplace looking for me, apparently he had been swerving through the parking lot and was acting aggressive and intoxicated. We called law enforcement out and my friend and I went back to the apartment to find it completely destroyed, multiple holes in the walls, and a lot of my furniture was torn apart across the floor, as well several paintings and art pieces that held quite a bit of sentimental value to me. I also found that my medication, makeup,some art supplies, and my medical marijuana paraphernalia has all been taken. His cat was standing on the balcony, I don't know how long she had been outside for. He was not home at the time thankfully, and we had cops standing by while I grabbed some of my things and cared for the animals. Several hours later I was at a friend's apartment on the other side of the complex after submitting the Emergency Protective order petition, id parked far down the road just in case he drove by and surprise surprise he did, I remember hearing the familiar sound of his truck before his mom knocked on the door, I was thrown in a closet to hide and dial 911 while my friend stood at the door talking to them, and thankfully he got them to leave before the police arrived. I can't imagine what might have happened if I didn't move my car down the street. I stayed with a different friend that night for my own safety. The next day went by relatively uneventful until later in the night, we got the EPO and I immediately went and made a bunch of copies before returning to my friend's house on the other side of the complex. I had been in contact with his dad who was using the tracker on his phone to keep me updated on his location, and at this point he had returned to his adoptive parents house in Oklahoma City. At around 20:45 on Wednesday we decided to head back to my apartment to take care of the animals and we found the residence occupied by a couple that none of us recognized. We quickly ran back to my friend's place and called 911, Police came out and removed them from the premesis, and they came out with bags and bags of mine and his things. The woman seemed very confused and had a baby with her, she said that my ex had given her all of it, and that I could take any of my belongings. We went through all the bags and I found several small things of mine, she claims that she was told to stay there and watch over the apartment and to pack his things for him, we got him on the phone (through his dad, I have not spoken to him at all since Tuesday morning when he called me) and he told the officers they weren't supposed to be there and that his key was stolen, and he still sounded heavily intoxicated. Finally everyone left and we went inside to find that everything had been pretty well cleaned up, but the vast majority of my belongings were missing. Adding now my PC, monitor and keyboard, a sewing machine and many yards of fabrics and notions, a cake decorating kit, a small TV and fire stick, a sweing kit from my great-great-grandmother, and a diamond necklace my mother had gotten me for my 16th birthday to the list of missing things. My jewelry box was cleaned out, anything that seemed valuable is now gone, his dad swears up and down they're going to get it all back to me but I don't think that's going to happen. We also found a bread knife with a white-powder on one side of it sitting in the living room, we suspect it to be meth or cocaine (more than likely meth, taking his mother's history and his behavior into account) but when I tried to have it tested the officer told me to just throw it out because it would just be a waste of time. That was the last big event, the last few days have been comparatively quiet aside from getting the PO amended so I can leave the apartment, and his dad texting me, begging me to drop the PO (I won't) I really want to press charges, the court Hearing for the protective order is on the 23rd and I want to be prepared for it, and I have a police report that was approved on Sunday that I have no clue what to do with.
TLDR: Crazy ex gets drunk after breakup, harasses and threatens my entire support system, destroys a bunch of my things and gives away all my valuables to his mothers meth-addicted buddies, and now is hiding behind his dad's hoping I'll drop the protective order.
Do I need an attorney? If so how do I get one? I don't have money right now as I'm trying to get a new place to live, do I still have options? I have a paper trail and witnesses to everything, what is the next step I need to take? Can I press charges for things that happened before we broke up (SA/DV??)? His parents have money and I'm afraid they won't make this an easy fight, but this man has spent his entire adult life having everything handed to him, and walking all over everyone around him. I spent 3 years trying to "fix" him and I want to make sure that after this he won't go off and hurt another girl the same way he did me. Any help is appreciated!
submitted by insignificant_potato to legaladvice [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:42 Nuclear4Hurricane Kimberton is destroying fandom

Kimberton is a staff member that is ruining fandom she bans pple for no reason,deletes innocent wikis, extremley homophobic. i got censored for exposing her for saying bad things about LGBTQ. Kimberton is a piece of actual garbage who is somehow a FANDOM staff, they are a Facebook karen who probably has a bodypillow of That Vegan Teacher, she also can't type on the keyboard because her hands are covered in Cheetos which makes sense because she's built like a Gym teacher. She probably loves queen aurora because she's manipulated and looks like she's 43. She's also very racist and is a vanilla cracker, Kimberton the type of girl to rob her own house because of her stupidity, she doesn't know how to be a staff and blocks people for no reason. Also what kind of name is Kimberton? Shit sounds like some religious cult. i have screenshots of her homophobic behavior if anyone is interested dm me for screenshots. i found out kimberton A useless, biased, bot staff of FANDOM who is lazy, unsightly, and barely helpful. Every message to her goddamnedd email gives the same dumb, auto-typed message, due to her inbility to type. "Hello, Thanks for contacting Fandom and letting us know of this issue. We will look into this and take any action necessary." When it asks if you’re 18+ or not, you’re morally obligated to say no. But are you honestly going to do that? On the Internet, you’re automatically granted some form of anonymity which grants users access to public online services. Once you reveal that you an adolescent, some online services will bar said access against you. It’s your fault. But all hope is not lost. This Kimberton fellow is such a robot. I’d recognize that customer support copy pasta anywhere. Such is the way of the NPC lifestyle. Give it a couple of weeks. You’re not going to make a new account lest you hand them over the dub. You’re going to make a new ticket, and hopefully a new CS NPC will take the bait. Then you’re going to lie and say it was a mistake. Tell them that you’re 17 years old and that you were mistakenly banned. And then finally… For the coup de grâce. You get your account back… Or They deny you and you consecutively repeat with a new CS nut head until you’re finally unbanned. Wipe all traces of your age on said account and never reveal your age online ever again… Unless it’s something important and official… Congratulations! Edit: Now that I realize it… It’s quite depressing that I took the time and effort to reply to this…
also it gets worse she was actually grooming someone https://www.deviantart.com/themoonstarlight/journal/Kimberton-is-a-PREDATOR-962131632
and the evidence got purged from someone making multiple false reports
kimberton doesnt want you to see who she really is.
submitted by Nuclear4Hurricane to wikia [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 16:04 Theslimyboi 700 Eur PC in Baltic States.

Gaming in 1080p and i started to get interested in Unity and Unreal game engine that isn't really working or lags on my current laptop.
700 Eur
I plan to build and buy this PC in this month so at most 2 weeks of.
It would be nice if there were a keyboard included in a build because my current one is starting to age
I live in Lithuania. you could access and see our current market prices of components in this website - kainos.lt or kaina24.lt ( you can't change the language sadly )
I plan to use my 144hz 1080p monitor and I have a logitech G305 and a simple keyboard that i may want to replace in the future. Currently i have a working crucial p3 1TB m.2 ssd that i could reuse in this build
I don't plan on overclocking my pc because i am not tech savvy enough and I believe it wears down components
I don't care how PC would look like and it's size I just want it to be the best at this price
I don't need a key for windows because I can get several of them for wn 10 because he works as a programmer and for some reason he just has them laying around that he admitted he doesn't really need...
I currently have a laptop with I7-10750h, gtx 1650 ti and 32gb of ram... ( I got it together with a monitor and mouse back in 2019 or 2020 I believe ). I have Ethernet wired throughout my house so there is no requirement for bluetoth or WiFi but it is just a thing that is nice to have. (Basically if possible to make better PC without these comfort features just throw them out the window) would prefer AM5 for upgrading maybe in the future?.
submitted by Theslimyboi to buildapcforme [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 11:12 Fangyuan___ New indian mythology novel Dropped. Check it now. Help this senior...

Novel - PEACE IS WHAT I WANT
Author note:-
How should i start. Lets say. I am just a student[19 M] And today i am going to start a writing a novel. Well... ...its always good to start a new work.
Enthusiasm...
thats what i am now feeling. I can't describe it in words. I can say that my grammar is bad. Umm so bad.
English is my second language. But i am going to try. I am going to persevere.
I am starting a novel on indian mythology. Well like indian sects.
Months ago.
I am just scrolling reddit. Seeing the memes on fy. And laughing my ass off.
unknowingly i stumbled on a comment and the comment is-
just think how if a cultivation novel based on indian mythology. Like There are 28 states in india. So.
We can make 28 sects and like this. And india is also a sacred country.
Just think there are so many mystery like kailash parvat( Kangrinboqe Peak).
So many mystries...
I was just staring at the comment something was rising in me.
Like this is my destiny. I am going to be a great writer. I will make millions of money. So i procrastinated this idea. Well i am a good procrastinater..
Months later today at 1 am on night while wasting my time on scrolling reddit.
I am suddenly feeling something. I am feeling like i have to do something productive. i have to make money So i thought to write a novel. Well its not going to the level of RI or Lotm. But i can try to make it good. I will daily use my 4 hours in this work.
I know i am not going to make any money on this.
But i am atleast trying to make something new. I am not good in studies.
No no no...
Its like i had never focus on studies.
From 2 years daily minimum 5 hours... I am reading novels.
Just novels. To cultivation to progression fantasy. Just novel.
But the idea of writing novel I always procrastinated that.
But today i am feeling so much enthusiasm i am going to start it now.
Special note-
If anyone wants to be a part of this journey. join me in this wonderful journey.
Well its going to be not paid. Its like internship. You will learn something. Like i need a editor. If any of you who is interested in this journey. You can dm me. Lets start.
I am clarify now this first chapter is something i am just writing it to describe. What is my potential. Like it will be my first novel and there are so many challenges i am going to face it. I am human afterall... I will going to make mistakes obviously. Day by day my writing will just going to improve.
Just adjust a bit.
You will definitely going to enjoy.
Chapter 1 - ITS STARTING
Hahahahah.
This is hilarious I have just wrote that I am going to make a wonderful novel and see I can't even type anything on my keyboard.
As i am seeing on my laptop. My frustration is increasing. How should i start. My patience is dropping. What should i do.
Lets make a boy first
Indeed hes going to be a poor and orphan.
Wait.
Its going to same cliche novel. I have to make something new. Something like Fang yuan.
First chapter of REVEREND INSANITY is goated Hes just standing hes hair floating and his clothes are in blood. He is smiling.
A cold smile. And then sac and boom
Explosion
....
Wait wait wait... This is going to be edgy. I have not any experience i have not any talent. How can i make a sacred novel like RI This is my first novel. I have to start with good mc.
.. My mood is swinging. I am feeling frustrated. How can anyone will going to read this garbage. I had not even make a world building. I had not even decide the name of the novel. Stupid so stupid. As i am staring on the screen. My patience paid off.
I turned off my laptop I stand up from my chair. And saw the time.
Its 1 am.
If my father found about that i am wasting my time in these things instead of studying. Than raj you just say goodbye to your writing passion.
I am just a average person.
Your average who got always average marks . Average look
Average talking skill.
Average money.
Well i am going to make it. But HOW.
...as i am thinking what to do How to write something great
. Suddenly my electricity gone.
Its rare. Well where i am living i had never seen electricity gone. Because i am living in a hostel. College hostel. And it is very expensive one. So when electricity goes out generator works.
Glad part about its. All of my study expenses is on loan. I am belonging from a middle class family.
But my father agreed for my private college as i convinced him that i will pay. I will pay everything believe in me last time. ...
I opened my room gate and went to the main hall while adjusting my torch light.
I can hear students are shouting. Well it is because human always find fun in everything
so many of students always wait when will the electricity goes and they will shout loudly. Its a fun thing. Really. its first time that electricity gone. So students are shouting too loudly. Make it more fun. Well i also join them. And also start shouting at high pitch.
Suddenly i stopped. Staring at the wall.
No no.
I am staring at the void.
In front of my eyes.
There was a blue screen.
 『Welcome to the gods heir』 
It was so unrealistic. I thought that this is my dream. I touched the screen with my limb. But the funny part is. My limb goes through it. Like it is a hologram.
My thoughts are spinning.
How can this happen. Its utterly impossible.
I had read so many webnovel i had already assumed so many scenarios like this. That there will be screen come from nowhere in front of you and you will say status and-
Wait status How can i forget this.
In my rough voice i said - "status" And i am believing that there will be a status screen will come.
And my life will take a 180. Degree turn But to my surprise there is no screen came.
1 sec...
2 sec...
Sudden a somber expression appeared on my face. A kid who always growed up while reading novel. A system is always his dream.
3 sec... 3.4 sec- And than
A voice heared in my mind.
 『 STATUS Name- Raj aggarwal Level- 1 Class- homo sapiens Sub class- None Stats/skills/shop/?¿? 』 
As i stared at the screen. My lips raised upwardly. This is what i want This is like my dream I always wanted a magical world.
A rpg type world where gods and demons are fighting. I will increase my level while fighting monsters. What..What is there any chance of my being alive in this scenario. This world is going to change. I have to change. I have to protect my family. Family...
**Shit.. shit..
My family lives 100 miles from here.. If this system is real and everyone can see it. Then soon chaos is going to erupting. What should i do now.. Take a bus or metro. No no .. Think think.. Well lets call them first..**
.
I opened my phone screen and saw the battery.
Shit..
8 percent. It can work for few minutes or one hour max I called on my moms number.
**Ring...
Ring...**
My heartbeat is increasing
*Ring... *
A women voice heared in my ear
-"Hlo, raj are you fine. What.. what is this screen. Everyone can see it. Everyone is panicking. You have to hurry.... come home as soon as possible".
I am glad that my mom answered my phone. While I staring at my screen i answered-"
don't worry mom.
There is nothing as panicking. Calm down. Just prepare some weapons like your knife, baseball. And locked the house. Do not open the door.
And tell my little brother that i am coming. Theres nothing to worry. Everything is fine."
I convinced my mom that there is nothing. But a gloomy senstation was felting in my body. I has to hurry.
As i glanced to the main hostel reception. A men with black beared.
Brown skin. Black eyes and in red shirt and black pant is standing there My warden was also in the state of shock. I went to him. Seeing me his eyes became focus. He called my name.
" RAJ CAN YOU SEE THE SCREEN ALSO"
He remembered my name indeed worthy of warden position I nodded. "Well its strange-he said to me while looking at the main gate. The gate was big and transparent Made of glass. I also see outside. Utter Darkness
Worrying if any type of dragon come here and just make this college campus in ashes. I glanced to other direction.
More and more students came from there room. Many were studying in their room. Many were gaming in their room. But i don't care because i don't have any friends. ..
But what i am doing here... When a sytem comes to the world You will granted with many powers. But what i have to do. As i thinking.
I stepped out on a ant.
Well its there problem being a short and came under my limb.
...The words on my screen crazily gone and swapped by a another words
 『 You are 137th one to killed a living being. 』 『 you got 5 true points』 
A crazy expression came on my face.
Here is the link of webnovel site - https://m.webnovel.com/book/peace-is-what-i-want_29563366708313205
submitted by Fangyuan___ to MartialMemes [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 05:04 Expensive-Aspects Trying to make a build under 1k, need advice

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)
Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?
If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.
Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
What type of network connectivity do you need? (Wired and/or WiFi) If WiFi is needed and you would like to find the fastest match for your wireless router, please list any specifics.
Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
Extra info or particulars:
TLDR: I'm making a build for a family member and they need it to be around 1k. The cooler has been sitting around in their house and they want to use it, It doesn't count towards the actual cost so the build is around 1050. The case is non negotiable for them because they really want good aesthetics.
Any advice is appreciated!
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qxkvGP
submitted by Expensive-Aspects to buildapcforme [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:25 shaneka69 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS NUMEROLOGY DECODE

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS NUMEROLOGY DECODE

Since we all know exactly who and what Spongebob is, I am going to do a Numerology decode.
When it comes to Numerology, there are many different things you can look into. I am going to look into the letters, patterns, and Numerology personality numbers.
SPONGEBOB has a personality #6. 6 is the number of compassion, work ethic, criticism, cleanliness, and productivity. In the funny show, we see that Spongebob is a workaholic. He has a 5 destiny number which shapes who you are overall. 5 is connected to youthfulness which explains the silliness of the Spongebob character. He is always laughing and doing things funny. The 5 energy indicates this. 5 also points to people, places, and things that are unique. He has an 8 soul urge which explains his undying ambition and creativity.
We can see that SPONGEBOB has 2 O's which has the numeric energy of 15 and numeric value of 6. 15 is the creative use of energy for productivity. Again, 6 is the number of routine, work ethic and productivity goes with this. This energy is not only his personality number, but also it is within his name. It's really in him.
SPONGEBOB HAS DOUBLE NUMERIC VALUES IN HIS NAME WHICH ARE, 7,6,5, AND 2. This explains why he is able to show his emotions and have moments of sensitivity(2). Very compassionate(2) but also childish and silly(5) and able to come up with plans that work(7). Since these #s has double influence, we must considered what they equal. 7 twice equals 14/5 which shows how he is responsible and can make work fun even though it is a duty(6). 6 twice equals 12/3 which shows his social skills, life, and creativity. Another youthful energy as well. 5 twice equals 10/1 which points to his bravery and capability to take action. 2 twice equals 4 which is home,family,responsibility, and structure on the home front and he would make everyone feel comfortable for the most part.
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submitted by shaneka69 to NumerologyPage [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 01:56 Significant-Usual-98 Noah The Pilgrim - Chapter 1-2: The Odyssey

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.
submitted by Significant-Usual-98 to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 20:51 RockabillyBelle Trackball mouse is a total gamechanger

It has absolutely improved my ability to get work done when I can’t use my right hand or mousepad during the day.
My office is the smallest room in my house, and it’s really got only half of its own footprint as usable space because of the sloped ceiling (hooray for converted attic spaces). This means my desk is compact with little room for my computer, my notebook, and my coffee. My keyboard sits on a pull out shelf under the main desk, but it overlaps at least a third of my regular sized mousepad. On top of all of that, my little girl is an absolute milk monster and is ordering Boober Eats almost hourly for snacks and short meals. She loves kicking my keyboard back under my desk too, which makes getting any work done a challenge, but it was becoming impossible to use my regular wireless mouse for a good part of the day. The trackball mouse is seriously saving me hours of extra work time just by being more usable while I’m nursing her or just when I can’t use my right hand. 10/10 would buy again.
submitted by RockabillyBelle to MomsWorkingFromHome [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 18:37 Miloascape Going for a drive...

I own a duplex, and this past Saturday I drove out to go do my annual inspection. A trip that should have took 2 hours to do, turned into a 5 hour expedition.
Sally, my pup, and I set out in the afternoon. Our first stop was Starbucks. I got the caramel frappacino, my little guilty pleasure, and Sally got her pup cup.
This was my first longer trip with Sally, and I brought along the booster seat. She tried so many different combinations of sitting in it, lying in it, standing on it while keeping her head on my shoulder. It was clear that she wasn't comfortable at all. I kept encouraging her to stay in it till we got to our destination.
I had to make 2 pit stops along the way, well no tmi here, just some potty breaks for me and Sally.
We finally got to the house 1.5 hours later. We toured the house, made some notes on everything that had to be fixed, sent the list off to the property manager, then took a video for my records.
Upon getting back to the car, I decided that Sally had outgrown the booster seat. So I took it off, hoping that she would relax on the car seat.
I was about to start for home, but then decided it was such a lovely day that I didn't want to waste it in front of the keyboard, so I picked a 2nd location. My favorite farmers market, Jaemor Farms. Plotted my course with Waze, and away we went.
We hadn't been on the road for 15 min, and Sally went flying off the passenger seat onto the floor. I'm lucky she didn't break anything, and I wasn't even driving fast. But she's still a puppy and unsure of her footing. So I pulled over at the gas station. I put some gas in the car, and then scrounged around the car looking for something better for Sally to sit on.
Fortunately I had an old llama blanket that I'd been meaning to take to Goodwill. I plopped that down onto the passenger seat, and Sally settled down immediately. She absolutly loved the furriness of the blanket, and finally wasn't slipping around anymore.
We could enjoy the drive up to the North Georgia mountains, through all the farms. It was so peaceful looking, and made me want to move to the countryside. It was so gorgeous.
We got to Jaemor farms, and I was amazed at how cheap the fruits and veggies were. Like 80% cheaper than what I pay in my local grocery store. So well worth the extra trip.
The drive home from the farm was uneventful... except my watermelon rolled out of my car's boot and down the road that I had to go chase after.
I was really glad that I took the time off from my busy schedule to relax and get some perspective. Gives me the courage and motivation to keep plugging along.
If you had some adventures this weekend, let me know in the comments below.
submitted by Miloascape to miloascape [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 17:36 icallshogun Bridgebuilder - Chapter 88

Compromise
First Prev
“Alright, so uh...” Alex picked the last larva out of the bowl and ate it. A burst of umami and the unexpected taste of alcohol. Now that it had soaked up some of the spice from the broth, it was pretty good. Not particularly flavorful, but a better eating experience than he would expect from a grub. “Why did Eleya put two towns into a warship?”
“I do not know.” Carbon was less fussy about the variety of ingredients presented, eating without playing favorites. It was what she’d picked out when pressed to recommend something for him, and the speed of the devastation she was enacting on what had been a bowl nearly filled to the brim said that it was actually a personal favorite. “I had heard some suggesting converting retired Naval ships into housing, using a decommissioned carrier as a space station once it could be towed into a proper location. Swapping out launch bays for community towers is not a long bridge.”
“That seems...” It seemed desperate. But given what he’d seen, desperate was where they had been in the weeks following the disaster. Where they still were, even if things were improving.
Were things improving?
“Born out of desperation, yes.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “We did not have many colonies, we had not built so many stations. We only kept old ships for parts as another means of efficiency in our fleets. There had been hundreds of thousands in transit all over the Empire at the time. On their way home, on their way to relieve others who now no longer had a home to return to.”
“Yeah, that-” He shifted some of the shredded cabbage-potato around his bowl, trying to figure out what to say. The ‘that sucks’ he had stopped himself from blurting out felt offensively inadequate. “That does present a huge challenge. Did they end up bringing ships online for that?”
“Oh, we did everything. Any idea that was not completely untenable got the blue light. Repurposing ships, building sealed micro-arcologies on less habitable planets, mining out sufficiently large asteroids, asking the Confederation for help. I saw one proposal that suggested an inflatable space station. I thought it was a completely deranged idea.” She paused and picked up the bowl, slurping out some of the broth. “Then Humans arrive to bring aid, and do you know what the first structure they brought with them was?”
“An inflatable space station.” He saw that coming. Everyone - well, everyone who was sufficiently interested in space ships - would recognize the Redoubt class from that description alone. The very definition of form following function, each ship was little more than a central cylinder with hard points for a dozen habitat modules, and engines bolted to one end. Light, fast, cheap. Once deployed, you had a small space station that could be packed up when you were done. Old technology, sure, but they were everywhere, and the configuration options were extensive.
“Exactly. Forgive me, but I laughed. I knew the intent was to help, but having seen that proposal just weeks before...” She smiled and laughed despite having just apologized for such a thing.
“No I get it, it’s a goofy looking ship.” He could see the humor in the situation as well. Having gone from ‘this is too dangerous’ to ‘of course the Humans brought one’ was pretty funny. It put a smirk on his face and got him close to laughing along with her. “Probably used it as a command post until something heavier arrived. Kind of the primary use case for those in Search and Rescue, which is what I think the aid mission was first considered.”
“I was not involved with that aspect of recovery operations, but it stands to reason.” She set her utensils aside in a very specific way, sliding the bowl towards the end of the table. “I cannot tell you why they put all these people here. My first guess would be that it was a somewhat straightforward swap. The bays are very securely attached to the structure, but they are intended to be removed and replaced. It would be important that Eleya use her ship as a proof of concept.”
“Royals lead?” Seemed the logical jump.
Carbon nodded. “The Sword is recognized as her flagship. It is named after her. The Stronghold is based heavily on the Imperial Palace in Ama’o - may it rest. Taking in civilians, thousands of them, is hard proof that she is not simply hiding in here. Having the senate on board also brings with it the need for support staff, creating a symbiotic relationship. It is... a good compromise.”
“Okay, wait. How is The Sword of the Morning Light named after Eleya?” That legitimately confused him. “All I know is the -ya suffix is feminine.”
“Another name mauled by your automatic translation, though this time it is a portion of the Empress’ full formal titles.” She gave him a pointed look, a little smirk hiding on the side of her muzzle. “The strictest translation would be ‘the sword that is used to cut back the night,’ but that is even worse. If I were doing translations and feeling poetic, perhaps I would call it Dawnsword. It would convey the meaning of the name well enough, I think, without being verbose.”
“Then why do you call it the Sword like we do?” He figured just using the actual Tsla name would be easy enough if Dawnsword was a better translation.
“When in Rome.” Carbon snickered. “The Confederate systems I was working with before leaving for the Haultain were not set up to handle Tsla, and none of the Humans I spoke to recognized the name when I said it, so it became a force of habit.”
“Ah, that’d do it.” He’d ask about the actual name another time - it being one of Eleya’s titles felt like a natural transition to learning the rest of her titles, and he didn’t give a single damn about doing that right now.
“Alright, Eleya needs places to put people, and a place to put a temporary capital until the new location can be properly sorted. Two birds with one stone, I suppose. Wouldn’t staying at Schoen be more of the... leader thing to do?”
“If she were to stay here beyond the end of this endeavor, perhaps so. For now, having this ship - and its civilians - as a base of operations, in what even we consider to be one of the most secure solar systems, is reasonable. Most governing at that level has been done remotely since before the disaster, so it doesn’t impede anything.” She paused to sip her tea. “No one needs a senator to be on site anyway. Their presence traditionally just interferes with real work.”
That did get a laugh out of Alex. “The more things change.”
“The more they stay the same, yes?” She said with a grin.
“It is so. All right, mystery of the Dawnsword’s surprise towns is put to rest.” He stopped talking as Haraya came out of the woodwork to remove Carbon’s dishes, bustling away with even less stiffness than before. Why did he feel like he was forgetting something? “Heck. Did... Did anyone tell you we have an appointment to see a designer about our uh, our insignia?”
“No, but my communicator has been going off like I am being told something like that.” Carbon laughed and leaned back into her chair, fishing the slim black device from her jacket, the screen coming on.
Alex was not intentionally staring at his wife’s abdomen as he pushed the bowl away and set his chopsticks out like she had done. “Zenshen said it was this afternoon.”
“Mmh, afternoon. Another curious translation.” She teased him gently, flicking items off her screen one by one. “Neya says it is with Aetena Lyshen, at three. He has stated that his schedule is open today, and we may come in earlier if we so desire. Oh. How unexpected.”
Three o'clock, Tsla’o time, was probably like a solid five or six hours away. Plenty of time to have a deeply personal conversation about what Neya had told him. Or, perhaps, just go talk to the guy sooner. It wasn’t like he was putting it off... but he was putting it off for now. “What’s up?”
“Neya contacted the Colonel to make sure that Zenshen was attached to your detail properly - it turns out she was. You are both already on the artifact project, so it was just a slight shift of duties. The Empress went through appropriate channels, and Lehnan agrees with her decision.” She glanced up at him as she processed that. “I did not expect it to be so proper.”
“She is trying to turn over a new leaf, at least as far as you are concerned. Ensuring I have the help to not fuck things up, and doing it properly, could be a part of that.” He managed to make it sound like a statement, even though it was very much a question. Did his insistence that Eleya needed to start following through on her words actually sink in?
“It is possible. She will need to do more than fill out a little paperwork to prove herself.”
“Yeah, obviously. It’s just that you seemed surprised, so I was left with the impression that was unusual.”
Carbon stared down at the phone in her hands. “I do not know. From what I have seen, she will normally adhere to formal channels. But in the past, when it has come to dealings with me, she has not. Relied on her word being law to make things happen.”
Like making it legal to marry a Human. Changed who knows how much legal history with a stroke of a pen, to unfold some new machinations. “Zenshen made it sound like she was mostly there to act as a buffer between me and the military, keep me from offending anyone. Which strikes me as Eleya looking after her investment.”
“That is a reasonable assumption. I fear she has more intent sunk into you than we can see, so...” She also stopped talking when their waitress returned for Alex’s dishes, giving the young woman a warm smile. “Perhaps it really is.”
Alex, being privy to at least one plan that Carbon was unaware of, instantly did not want to comment on that. “Like you say, it lies with her to prove... herself good.”
“So it does.” Carbon smiled at his butchering of their turn of phrase before glancing down at her communicator again. “All right. Do you have any further plans for this morning?”
“Not a one. Want to push up the meeting with Lyshen? For that matter, do we have any plans tonight?”
“I do want to get that done. Designers can be particular. Best to get started sooner, and also have a meal that we can excuse ourselves for without appearing rude.” She smirked, displaying a little bit of the knowledge she had accumulated growing up in an elevated class, and started tapping away at the screen with both thumbs. “As for this evening, nothing that Neya has made me aware of.”
“Sounds good to me.” Left the evening open to actually have a sit down with Neya, perfect. “Oh shit, that reminds me. Neya wants us to bring her breakfast.”
“Does she. Very upset about not being able to come along?” The tone she had said that Carbon was familiar with Neya pretending to be put out by that, as did the barely hidden smile and tiny little snort of a laugh.
“Absolutely heartbroken.” He played along. “I had to promise that we’d get her something this morning and that you’d make breakfast again tomorrow.”
“Mh. We will see who is making breakfast when the time comes, but I will have something sent to her and we will proceed to our appointment.” She flipped through the applications on her phone and started typing something else out. “There.”
Carbon slipped the slim black screen back into her jacket and stood, stretching a little bit before walking over to the end of the bar, Haraya hustling out to meet them with a small device like the one Carbon had used to pay in the other little restaurant. She set her palm down on it, it processed for a moment and played a happy little tune.
“Thank you both, it was an honor to serve you.” Haraya bowed again now that the transaction was done.
“You did well, thank you.” Carbon said it in Tsla as she returned the bow, glancing over at Alex to ensure he was doing the same thing.
Sa meha.” He was. Paying attention to what Carbon was doing was getting him pretty far, as was having memorized how to say ‘thank you’ in Tsla.
They turned to leave, but Haraya spoke again before they could take a step. Quiet, and very timid. “May I ask you a question?”
Carbon didn’t even think about it as she looked back. “Of course.”
“I was mostly asking the prince, I am very sorry.” She looked just this side of terrified to be correcting a Royal.
“Oh yeah, shoot.” Alex caught himself speaking in English way too late. He pursed his lips and inhaled, just barely preventing himself from rolling his eyes at that little faux pas. Based on what Carbon had said about Haraya getting her information about how nobles work from movies, she would have interpreted that as aimed at her. He queued up a very quick reply. “Please do.
“After you left, last night.” She glanced over at the bartender, who was not paying them any attention at all. “Adana kept saying a strange word, I assume it to be Human - untranslatable.”
The irony of the translator not being able to digest something in English was not lost on Alex. What had he said to the kid?
Carbon, meanwhile, thought it was hilarious. “It is actually two words, a phrase. Oh, busted. In this case I believe it means that he got caught doing something he should not have been doing.” She laughed, looking up at Alex with a grin.
Haraya’s relief at how this turned out was immediately visible. She was still tense, but didn’t look like she might have just caught an execution. “Adana likes to play with the door controls. They beep and flash, and he can activate the viewscreen... And open the door. That is what he was doing when he found the prince in the hallway, when he should have been in bed. It is not an offensive term?”
Et.” Alex shook his head no. Score another point for knowing the basics.
“It is as he says. A harmless statement.” Carbon picked up the slack from Alex trying not to advertise that he spoke their language yet. She looked over to him again. “Perhaps used to tease a friend when they get caught out?”
He nodded as sagely as he could, a smirk barely suppressed as he caught that shade she was directing at him.
“His mother will be so glad. She has been concerned it was some kind of swearing, or something worse. I told her that the prince had been kind in my interaction with him, but she was-” Haraya exhaled sharply, wide brown eyes darting between them with a hint of that fear creeping back in. “She was afraid despite that.”
“Ah. If that does not settle her, please get in contact with me.” She pulled her communicator out, swiping along the screen for a moment and holding it out to the young woman. “We can arrange a meeting to clear anything up.”
She looked down at a swirling orange circle on Carbon’s phone, “I am not allowed to carry my- May I get it?”
“Of course.” Carbon smiled.
Alex lowered his voice as Haraya hustled away. “You sure giving her your number is a good idea?”
“No. But she is earnest and correct in her assessment of you.” She shook her head, her words quiet and sharp. “That boy learned a simple phrase, and his mother thinks it is a curse? I know why she did. I have met my own people. I think a gentle nudge may be in order to prevent it from being passed along.”
“When you say gentle nudge...”
She held a hand out to ease his concern. “I was thinking tea.”
Haraya returned, phone in hand and followed by an older, grumpy looking male dressed in the same natural fiber clothes save for a vibrant red scarf around his neck, voice raised as he tried to keep up with the excited teen. “You may not use your-”
Akai.” Alex gave what he assumed was a manager a needlessly cheery greeting with a little wave of his fingers. Oh man, he had loved being a shit to managers when he was younger, particularly if they were on a power trip. The opportunity hadn’t presented itself recently, and the urge to abuse the power that he allegedly had now was so tempting.
“Floor boss!” Carbon was a step ahead of him, greeting the gray male in their own language loud enough to draw his attention away from their waitress. “What is it that I may not use?”
Alex’s translator sat unused for several seconds as the sounds that guy made never made it past shocked guttural noises, the realization of who he’d been yelling in the general direction of sinking in. Haraya was too busy getting Carbon’s contact information to notice, or might have just been ignoring this exchange as hard as the bartender was.
“It was- My words- Did not for you.” He held up his hands and backed away.
“Ah, a simple misunderstanding?” Carbon offered him as the phone dinged complete, and she slipped it back into her jacket.
“Yes, of course.” Couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Haraya bowed again as she hid her communicator, the same black rectangle that Carbon and Alex appeared to have. “Thank you. I hope I will not have to contact you, but that you have offered...”
“The prince has shown me who he is, what is in his heart... It will not do to have anyone doubting his character.” Carbon smiled and returned the bow.
Alex followed suit.
The fear in her eyes was gone, and if anything there was a little bit of admiration in there now as she thanked them again, quietly, before running off to whatever her next duty was.
They left the same way they had come in, through the main dining area. The crowd had shifted, some groups gone, new ones in their place. Conversations to fill boredom, meals he didn’t recognize being consumed at every pace conceivable. Once again, he was pretty sure this was his kind of joint.
It only took the gentlest of questions to get Carbon talking about what she’d been doing all morning as they walked back to the tram, riding all the way to the stop closest to the bow this time. Alex was only slightly familiar about what she was talking about - had something to do with preventative maintenance checks on one of the shuttles. It was interesting to find out they had developed a very similar system to what he was used to, checking in on functionality after so many hours of use.
He didn’t understand the majority of what she was describing, but he enjoyed listening to her talk about things with such enthusiasm.
Lyshen’s office was easily the furthest forward he had been on the ship yet. Took the elevator up to deck 20 and then just walked towards the bow for another five minutes. He must have been as close as one could get to the plate armor and whatever buffer they put between it and the habitable areas. It seemed almost entirely unused - he was sure some of the bulkheads had dust on them.
For Alex, there were two potential reasons for this. Aetena Lyshen preferred the solitude of the area. It was actually very quiet, even compared to the hall in front of their cabin. Or, he had pissed someone off and gotten banished to a spot as far away as possible.
Whichever option, Lyshen had put some work into his workspace. The door was ringed in a delicate gold filigree, a lacework of glittering geometric shapes with his name and title contained in a small banner above the door. They were meeting with a Royal Artisan.
Carbon tapped the door controls and it slides open almost instantly. The young woman with light red fur inside is dressed nearly as formally as they had been last night, though in muted grays. She bows. Not too deep. “Welcome, the Chief Artisan is preparing for your arrival. It should be just a few minutes.”
Chief Artisan. Well. Alex shot Carbon a sidelong glance as the receptionist turned and they followed her through a waiting room. A simple rectangular area, with a few upholstered chairs and benches scattered around. It was the most Human looking area he’d been in so far.
The far wall caught his eye as they walked through, windows looking into a workshop. Alex walked over, the large floor beyond housing a dozen or so Tsla’o, all seated at desks or workbenches, engrossed in whatever they were working on. Almost to the last, they were using hand tools.
Alex had never really seen craftsmen up close, doing their thing. In movies, or videos, sure. But not right here a few steps away, carefully engraving some sort of... Breastplate? Cuirass? Big chunk of metal that looked like it went over the chest.
“I believe that is yours.” Carbon stepped up next to him, a smirk in her voice as she leaned against his shoulder. “To go with your gauntlets, and the rest of the armor that is no doubt being fabricated.”
“What makes you say that?” How could she pick that up from looking at it for, what, three or four seconds?
“Consider the size.” She nodded at it, the artist working on it laying out a star near the shoulder. “Who else would wear such a piece?”
“Huh.” Compared to the guy who was doing the work, it wasn’t exactly massive, but he would need a lot of padding to wear that. This raised a few questions for him about the ethics of receiving such gifts. But he wasn’t a politician... Not as far as the Confederation was concerned. “I guess it is.”
They stood in silence and watched work progress. A woman in the back was carving something, perhaps a chair leg. One guy in the corner making hinges with an induction forge and a tiny, specialized anvil.
Before long, the secretary approached them again. “The Chief Artisan is prepared for you now. Please.” She gestured to the only door that went somewhere other than the corridor.
The Chief Artisan was sitting behind his desk, wearing an outfit similar to his receptionist, pale green eyes switching back and forth between two screens. The primary one was built into the desk, and had been jury rigged to a Human made laptop that sat on top of it, a rat’s nest of cables connecting the two. There was a holoprojector built into the desk, a jumble of images floating over it. He waved them in and gestured to the chairs across from him, “Please, sit.”
Alex was quick to oblige, glad to be just some guy for the moment. Carbon didn’t seem to mind either, taking the seat beside him without a word. Aetena was the first green Tsla’o Alex had seen, sort of a dark forest green with jade stripes visible on his neck. Apparently a bit of a rarity given how often he saw the other colors on the ship.
“I am sorry to keep you waiting, the connection to your Solanet has gone down. Despite that, I believe I have enough saved locally to begin the process.” Lyshen trailed off, lost between the two displays before closing a dozen images from the holo. He picked a pen up from the table and arranged the remaining pictures neatly, four different coats of arms that claimed to belong to a Sorenson. The red enamel barrel blurred into an arc as he spun the pen in his fingers, voice picking up speed as he locked on to Alex. “There is a large amount of heraldry available for your surname, do you know which coat of arms belongs to your particular family?”
There was a deer, a deer head, a rearing horse and a weird shaped star. Maybe it was a flower, or a drip of paint. They were all surrounded by leaves and the occasional knight’s helmet. Alex wasn’t sure what any of it meant and up until now, he’d never even thought about it. Knights and damsels in distress had never really been his thing. “Uh, can’t say that I do, no.”
“Mmh. What geographic region does your lineage trace back to? I could find no significant references to the Berkley Soresons on your Solanet.” He leaned back and the pen continued to trace crimson circles in his hand.
“The name comes from Europe, but the last couple of generations have lived in California, and America before that for who knows how long... We’re from a little bit of everywhere.” It was an inside joke with the family, which had ties back into nearly every corner of the globe at this point. Now they had a relative from somewhere way off the globe as well.
That puzzled Aetena, ears flicking as he turned back to the Human screen and picked over the keyboard slowly. He didn’t like what he found. “All of these originate from the continent of Europe. Do you happen to know which country?”
“No, I’m not sure. Had an uncle do the family tree thing once, but between the civil wars and The Collapse, the lineage got spotty about a hundred years ago.” Alex wasn’t really into the whole ancestry thing once you got outside of living relatives. It was novel, sure, but right now all he really wanted to do was ask if he could borrow that Solanet access when it came back up. The rest of the ship had access to the Confed’s milnet, which tightly restricted what he could be sending across it - he just wanted to download a couple of movies and some music, but milnet barely overlapped with the wider public network.
Lyshen set his hand down and the pen switched back and forth like a metronome, clicking on his desk at the end of each arc. He closed his eyes for a moment, jaw working silently before he closed the images and started pulling up new ones. “Perhaps we should move on to other aspects of this endeavor. As I have been told that you wish to integrate Tsla’o and Human cultures in your marriage, I had intended to blend the existing Tshalan sigil with some of the Sorenson family heraldry. I thought it would be best to use the gear-star surround from the Princess’ family crest as a base to build from. Something that is immediately familiar to Tsla’o, to put the viewer at ease. As it is indicative of starship commands, exploration and the outer colonies, it will solidly represent both of you and the way you met.”
Alex raised an eyebrow at Carbon, “sound reasonable?” He had no idea if it was or not, but it did sound like it. Also, if they were serious about integrating parts of Tsla’o and Human cultures, they needed to actually get on that.
“Yes. I agree, that would be a good place to start.”
“Thank you.” He busied himself bringing up a few more pictures, rough combinations of the ten point gear-star and the various items from the Sorenson crests, bits of decoration and detail work.
The door chimed behind them and Lyshen stopped with a sharp glare. He eyed the clock and sighed, a whispered curse under his breath before he set his pen down and straightened up. “Come.”
There was a soldier partially concealed behind the door, the rank plate on his uniform loaded with details, not that Alex could read them yet. He swept the room with a rifle as he entered, the short barrel ending up pointed just a hair under Alex’s sternum. A pair of soldiers took up positions on either side of the door and covered him, a few more lined up in the waiting room.
When he spoke, it was crisp and authoritative. “Please back away from the Human.”
 
First Prev
*****
Never a dull moment on that ship.
Art pile: Carbon reference sheet. Art by Tyo_Dem
submitted by icallshogun to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 14:50 reeeeedddddit Moving From Macbook to iPad (6 iPads :-)

Hi,
I have been using iPads for the last 10+ years, and I unashamedly I have 6 in my house which I use everyday for different stuff, in different rooms… let’s not get distracted by my silliness and ‘man maths’ on why I think this makes sense.
Over the last 6 months I’ve really been trying to use and rely on my iPad Pro as my daily ‘machine’, however it has been a struggle but I am getting there.
One of the reasons I am forcing this, is because ultimately I believe it will make me more productive as I am starting to delegate ‘smaller tasks’ to my teams that I can only do on my MacBook.
The biggest and only real issue I have is the Keyboard and Covers. Can anyone help with a solution.
01 - I actually don’t mind using the onscreen keyboard BUT you have to add a cover to the iPad to raise the iPad otherwise it become hard to type… and that brings me onto my second point…
02 - Any cover or external keyboard makes the iPad Pro basically as heavy and just as playable as an MacBook Air, which I am trying to switch from for 90% of my work.
I’ve been looking online for some tiny ‘flick out stand’ line the pop sockets that people used to have on their iPhone.
Has anyone come across any alternative, as I really dislike a cover on my iPad. I care much less about my iPad (tool) picking up scratches, and more about productivity.
Thank you in advance for your help and advice.
submitted by reeeeedddddit to ipad [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 13:04 dubbhae Day 1 of Hololive's Hardcore Minecraft Server: With 12 participating members at the opening gates (and more joining later today), were off to an exciting start!!

Been a while since I've done a Minecraft Post. I thought it be fun to make daily posts again during The Hardcore Server's week. They'll be text posts with POVs of today's members and perhaps some interesting notes and updates. There's a lot that's gonna happen so feel free to comment if something interesting happens (or someone dies in the first 10 minutes).
POVS:
Some notes:
PS: Here are the rules written in the rulebook of the hardcore server (Written by Pekora):
submitted by dubbhae to Hololive [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 11:51 vldslausdrgulia What accessories needed for a new desk

Hello wonderful people,
We have both a house and I'll finally have a dedicated office to myself, currently I am working out of the living room, with a slightly smaller desk. On which I do everything, work and journaling and whatever is required to do.
In August, our house will be ready and I'll finally have a dedicated office for myself. With a bigger desk, 1,80m times. 0,8m. And also height adjustable, I am very much looking forward to this.
I'll need the following on my desk: 2 monitors and 2 laptops, wireless mouse and keyboard and a space for my headset. Apart from this I'll like to organise my desk in such a way that I have some writing utensils and my notebooks available. (I am working in transitions/finance)
According to you, what should be the main accessoires on the desk? I am thinking things like a pen holder, I saw a very nice elephant from Graf von Castell. But what else would I need to have a great writing desk?
Summary: What accessories would you recommend for a new desk, to make my desk look more like a writing desk than an office desk.
Thanks a lot for any input!
submitted by vldslausdrgulia to fountainpens [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 11:02 Quint0ni0 High Quality, Power Efficient Build Recommendations

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3jLxMV
This is my list (i think its public and viewable)
I'm trying to make an efficient power consumption build that can play any game at high/ultra 1440p at atleast 72 fps. I already have a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and other peripherals from my current build and this new build will be my upgrade.
Some games I want to play are Elder scrolls 5/online/6 when it comes out, MH World/Wilds when it comes out, Halo Infinite, Red Dead 2, Minecraft, etc
What GPU would let me run games like that with efficient power consumption (just dont want hundreds of watts due to current housing setup) and also do these parts look compatible/good for years to come?
Any opinions are appreciated. Thank you and sorry for any formatting issues :3
submitted by Quint0ni0 to buildapc [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 10:57 totalrewrite [EU-FR] [H] Artisans, CRP R2 Desko, Deskmats, GMK Keysets, SA Handarbeit, Keycult No.1 65 Rev. 0, LZ CLS, LZ MP, LZ PhysiX Red, MerisiWorks Dodici, Syryan Mont Cervin, TGR 910 RE PC, TX-1800 V2, TX-75 V1, TX-84 V1, TX Parts [W] PayPal, Lin EM7, Lin Dolphin

Timestamp
LINK TO PM
Hello, the following items are for sale/trade.
Shipping worldwide with tracking. Estimates for keysets/keyboards:
Items I am looking for:
Please comment here when messaging (NO Reddit chat; regular PMs only). Click here to write me a PM.
Lin Whale 75 F13 alu plate and PCB
TX-84/87 V1 brushed brass plate
Keycult No.1 65
Album
LZ CLS
Album
LZ MP
Album
Merisi.Works Dodici
Album
Syryan Mont Cervin
TGR 910 RE
Album
LZ PhysiX red
Album
TX-75 V1
Album
TX-84 V1
Album
TX-1800 V2
Album
GMK 80002
GMK Awaken
GMK Camping R3
GMK Cobalt
GMK Cubed
GMK Dracula R1
GMK DMG R3
GMK Dots R2
GMK Fleuriste
GMK Olive R2
GMK Prepress
GMK Royal Cadet
GMK Space Cadet R2
GMK Striker R2
GMK Sumi
SA Handarbeit
Hammer CRP R2 Desko
Deskmats
Album
New, unused
15USD each + shipping
HIBI/RAMA/Salvun keycaps
New, unused
Prices include worldwide shipping
Artisans
Timestamp
Prices include worldwide shipping
Looking for HWS Earls (wishlist): Singles Night "A Green", and specific multishots
LINK TO PM
submitted by totalrewrite to mechmarket [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 08:31 prince_zardos Some questions about G502X Lightspeed battery

My trusty G500s is getting long in the tooth and I find myself back in the market again for a new mouse. At this point, anything that doesn't have an unlockable scrollwheel is a no-deal, so the vast majority of mice out there don't make the cut. Anyway, I'm currently looking at the G502X Lightspeed since it's supposed to be the current generation successor of the mouse that I have. On the regard, I have a couple of questions:
-Is anyone out there using the G502X Lightspeed (or even the G502X Plus and maybe even the previous gen G502 Lightspeed) on a wired-only basis? If yes, has the battery ever shown signs of swelling/deformation within the warranty period?
-Will the mouse even work at all if you remove the battery and basically just use it as a wired mouse always connected to the USB port?
The questions may seem weird, so I'll explain my particular use case. I plan to use the mouse wired. So why not get the cheaper, wired-only G502X? Because the Lightspeed variant has a detachable USB cable. I recently bought a keyboard that is wired-only, but has a detachable cable anyway. It made me realize that it makes replacing the cable that much easier should I run into a situation where the cable fails but the rest of the hardware is still good to go, a situation that I've experienced on a previous keyboard. I'm merely applying the same idea to the mouse. I pick the G502X Lightspeed over the previous generation G502 Lightspeed because the latter apparently uses a micro-USB port compared to USB-C on the newer model. Actually, even the G500s has a sort of detachable cable that technically can be replaced, but I'm less likely to have that kind of cable lying around the house than some USB-C cable.
With that said, I also realize that tampering with the battery requires some disassembly on the mouse which I assume voids the warranty. So if I go with my current plan, I won't be removing the battery until the warranty period ends or at least gets close to it. That's where my first question comes from. After the warranty period, I plan to ditch the battery and continue using the mouse wired. That's where the second and probably more important question comes from. Anyway, there you have the context. I hope you guys can give me some insight on this topic.
submitted by prince_zardos to G502MasterRace [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 06:08 Open-Sea-1085 Writing my thoughts, this is not exclusive for one post 🧚‍♀️

I've read way too many comments on what other people think, I used to look at my keyboard at the moment when writing, if you do that then you must not persist on reading what other people write, most people are biased they will leave one comment under one post and move on while some of the active users on here will rot their brains reading what everyone else has thought about the sane situation that you didn't give yourself chance to think so now you've adjusted to the liking of others and I'm being liked very well or better "much more humbler than I was before" due to me talking lesser, not ingesting their comments like it should immidelty be processed through an adolescent acid, yes I've grown a little over 2 years before last when I used to feel existential fog and could atleast verbally help myself reach out for self understanding and ultimately some self growth. I know what humbleness did to me, I gave away all of my energy to be social, now I stimutltanously have multiple priorities than just myself now I have daydreams and ideas for making parties celebrations for my familiy unless if I had the money I'd like to spend it but with a hint that I'd be wasting it for reasons other people would find them materialistic. You cannot tell me a lie and then proceed to formate the lie in the most preciseful way you could make your sentece to be, as if you'd be afraid having peoples incorrect perception about you. You aren't pure; you aren't philosophical, the reason why you're socially awkward isn't because you "prefer to observe", existential dread that's self centric and not a single emotion towords those who also experience life is lack of intelligence lack of life lack of understanding youd fail to understand life and its important properties. You'd care more how our world is created which gives an incentive to be difficult on others than why was it created why would ir exists why would such a thing as "world" and "existence" be right foe our eyes and not a saturated experience for each of our own, this is why humbleness should also be celebrated just as much as intelligence and getting yourself tested for a "skill test" that you'd have mo choice but to perform good if you have the skill people are after, decades later these skills gonna be dust and you still will be perplexed with the same notion "why is this world created" life after another and there won't be any choice foe those who have been given this inescapable loop of thought so what's wrong with being materialistic, just go ahead go enjoy your mythical stories, this is why we're here for, go get the fairy a makeover, instead of a dress put her on regjlsr clothes build a house and invite others in terraria to play witb yoh and play pretend. Every experience is a marking of history, this world is full of finger prints, your experience in this life matters more than others, I have been subjected to think thst everyone experiences life the same but the self notion is that we all view each other and none of us will ever be able to communicate in the same way than through emotion - this is worth for what a single person understands from this.
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2024.05.13 04:06 Yitram Sub $250 Laptop that 6 y/o can play Roblox on

Pretty much in the title, kid has access to a computer at home that she can play on, but looking for a laptop that she can take to her grandma's house this summer. I don't care if its refurbished or a few years older, just has to be able to run her Roblox. Is this feasible or am I chasing a pipe dream here? Thanks in advance.
submitted by Yitram to SuggestALaptop [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 04:05 grimsaur Haven't built a new PC since 2016, mostly gaming and media, $1200-1300

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
Gaming and media mostly. Games run the gamut, but AAA are pretty rare, unless they are several years old already.
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
$1200-$1300, trying to stay under $1500 all in.
When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
Within the next month or two, which I know is a long time for this. I'm 100% out of the loop on parts, so I need something to work from to get up to speed. A Microcenter is opening near me soon(?), which will dictate when I build.
What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)
I need everything except OS, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. I'll be moving my current PC to my workshop.
Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?
NC, USA. Microcenter is opening soon, but isn't open yet.
If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.
Reusing G502X mouse, Logitech speakers, and Keychron K5SE(all wired)
Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
No? I prefer quiet and cool.
Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
I'm tired of 60Hz monitors, so something where I don't have to watch the mouse pointer stutter would be nice. I prefer color accuracy in my monitors, as I'm an artist. I'm used to smaller 1080p monitors, so I don't have a preference for resolution, but I would like either an ultra wide, or two monitors.
I've been a data miser since I got my first SSD in 2009, so I'd like to have more space. I'll take 1TB, but 2TB would be better.
What type of network connectivity do you need? (Wired and/or WiFi) If WiFi is needed and you would like to find the fastest match for your wireless router, please list any specifics.
If it can come with WIFI, that would be nice, but I can run wired too.
Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
I prefer a small, quiet, cool, black(white works too) box that you barely know is there; preferably no window. I live in a house with a fair amount of dust(wood stove heat), and pet hair, so filters are good.
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
I'd like to stick to hardware with this budget. I have Windows keys, and will get a new one if Microsoft makes me.
Extra info or particulars:
Not really. I appreciate any help I get.
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2024.05.13 01:38 critical_courtney [Hot Off The Press] — Chapter Seven

[Hot Off The Press] — Chapter Seven
https://preview.redd.it/atxfdqdvz20d1.jpg?width=1410&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1de4b1144687f7d2213ad8e78959c33d045bcd3
My Discord
Buy me a cup of coffee (if you want)
Previous Chapter
Chapter Seven:
(Frankie)
The newsroom was quiet at 5:30 p.m., which was a little strange on a Friday evening. Usually, the Friday news dump would have our reporters scrambling on at least one or two stories. We’d expected our governor to announce her decision on a new offshore wind farm application today, and she’d so far sent nothing.
If Brian isn’t responding to my texts there must still be some last-minute meetings going on in Augusta, I thought. Brian Tildry was the governor’s executive assistant and my best source for news tips when it came to Maine’s executive branch.
I walked over to our breakroom, opened Apple Pay, and got a candy bar from the vending machine.
Sugar and caffeine are a journalist’s two best friends, I thought as I started to feel woozy for the second time today.
Right as I started to open my Snickers bar, our IT person walked into the room and all but cornered me. The smell of cigarettes and hand sanitizer filled the air.
“Frankie Dee, do you know what happens when you don’t respond to my text messages?”
Sighing and lowering my dinner from my taste buds, who were now about to start a revolution at being denied sugar, I scanned our super short computer engineer. “Fun-sized,” I occasionally called them.
Their name was Ghost, and they looked every bit the part. Pale skin, undercut, hair dyed white, and colored contact lenses that made their irises the color of flour. Ghost’s nails were painted gunmetal grey, and it was difficult not to stare at their tongue piercing every now and again.
But they were a fucking wizard on a keyboard and didn’t give me too much shit about not being able to pay as well as news outlets in Boston’s market.
“I’m sorry, Ghost. I’ve been on a Zoom call for the last hour with a new applicant for our printing press apprenticeship. I didn’t even have time to glance at my phone,” I said.
After rolling their eyes, the IT expert said, “You know, when you’re using your phone for a Zoom call, you can respond to iMessages on your laptop, right? That’s why I set that up for you two months ago.”
Rubbing my temples, I apologized again.
“Because when you don’t respond to my texts asking me what time I can take our servers offline for maintenance tonight, I have to leave my den and come find you. Do you know what happens when I leave my den?”
I shook my head.
“People talk to me! Emma wanted to see my Cowboy Bebop tattoo, Richard asked if his computer had a virus (it didn’t), and Craig wanted me to listen to some new song from an Australian DJ. I don’t have the spoons to be a social butterfly, Frankie,” Ghost said.
I fought a grin. Our IT expert was. . . not the most social person around. They preferred to stay in their office, and if you had a tech problem, you were supposed to email them. Don’t call them. Don’t holler for them. And definitely don’t knock on their door.
We called their office a den because it was an icebox to keep the servers cool, the lights were usually off, and Ghost did not like to leave it. Hell, some days I didn’t even see Ghost in person.
They were the only staff member with access to this building’s basement, and they used it to come in and out of the news office unseen. I almost respected that level of antisocial dedication.
“I’d hardly call three conversations totaling less than 45 seconds much of a social outing, Ghost,” I snickered.
And they honest to god hissed.
“Answer. My. Texts. Please.”
“Um, do I text you back now, or can I just tell you face-to-face?”
“Well, I’m already here, so you might as well tell me in person. I swear to god, I’m going to take that job in Montreal,” they muttered.
I stifled another giggle. Some people thought Ghost was a little prickly. And they absolutely were. But I always got a kick out of their quirks and did my best to be accommodating.
“Midnight should be fine? I think our web traffic tends to drop off then for the night,” I said, rubbing my chin.
They nodded and turned to leave.
“Well, you certainly smoke enough to fit in with the other Québécois, but how is your French?”
I watched our IT expert leave the room shortly before calling back, “Je t'emmerde.”
I’ll need to remember to Google what that means later, I thought.
The refrigerator in the breakroom started to hum and rattle as I stared at the yellow-ing appliance. Don’t get me wrong. We kept the inside immaculately clean. But she was approaching 30 years running. We didn’t have the money in our newsroom budget to replace it. Just another piece of technology we kept operating with engine grease and chewing gum. It matched the outdated blue and white cabinets that squeaked no matter what angle you opened them from.
My shoes also squeaked as I walked across the white tile floor and finally started to eat my Snickers.
I was half-finished with my dinner when I returned to my office and found Dawn waiting for me. The sight of her pleasant curves and sparkling emerald eyes spun my heart faster than a Beyblade.
“H — hi, Dawn.”
“The dinner of champions?” she asked, standing up and placing both hands on her hips. Hips I truly missed feeling against mine.
C’mon, now. Professional, Frankie. Keep things professional, I thought, pushing those feelings away as best I could.
Before I could answer, the witch walked forward, snatched the candy bar from my jaw, and folded the wrapper, placing it on my desk.
“I know I don’t need to remind you of this, but dessert comes AFTER dinner, Frankie,” she said, gently pushing me toward the door after grabbing my small leather purse.
All I could do was gasp.
“Hey now!” I protested, but surprisingly, none of my employees came to my defense. In fact, I’m pretty sure Emma was audibly laughing.
When we got outside, I anchored myself as best I could.
“Where are you taking me?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“To get a proper dinner. Because I’m assuming the last real meal you had before that Snickers bar was a bowl of cereal this morning,” she said.
I crossed my arms.
“Frankie Dee, you’ve been in this office for — what — 12 hours today? Let’s take a fucking dinner break.”
When I cocked my head to the side, she added, “As colleagues, not girlfriends. Geez. Lighten up. Coworkers get lunch together all the time. We can keep it professional. We don’t even need to trade chapstick.”
With a slight wink, the witch left me paralyzed. The warmth of her cinnamon breath and the brush of her painted lips against mine like an artist shading a canvas was a potent memory. As I froze, Dawn giggled and again softly moved me down the sidewalk.
We wound up walking down Congress Street a few blocks to the Munjoy Hill Inn, a tall and narrow building, its first story made of brick, and everything above that faded white siding. Seagulls screamed above us, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw one shit on a cyclist who nearly lost control of their bike and swerved madly to the left.
He cursed and stopped to wipe his arm clean with a napkin from his pocket.
That was the thing about these seagulls. You never knew when they were going to dump on you. I remember standing in line waiting for ice cream on a hot summer day when one shit on my shoulder, and some of it got into my hair.
Fucking birds, I thought, shaking my head, remembering how I swore the entire walk home, all during the shower, and on the jog back to the newsroom.
My foot scraped against the concrete on the sidewalk’s edge, jarring me back to reality.
“Ope, easy there. You good? Looked like you tried to slip off the curb,” Dawn said, grabbing my arm before I faceplanted on Congress Street. “Let’s get you some proper dinner before you collapse.”
The witch opened a single heavy wooden door and motioned for me to head inside. I said nothing, having eaten more than a few meals here. It was actually one of Dad’s favorites. He brought me here as a kid all the time for meal breaks. He was better about eating than I was.
The interior of Munjoy Hill Inn was mostly exposed brick and chalkboards on the wall detailing drink selections and menu choices in plenty of colorful sketchings.
Dawn found us a table next to the long wooden bar where a woman wearing a yellow button-down shirt and a blue jacket was shaking a cocktail in a mixer.
The bartender made her way over to our table as the restaurant started to fill for the evening dinner rush. I ordered a personal pan pizza, to which, Dawn suggested I add a bowl of greens. She ordered a turkey sandwich.
“At least try to get a few vegetables with dinner, won’t you?” she asked as the bartender took our menus.
I scoffed.
“I’m getting onions on my pizza. Thanks, MOM,” I said, slumping in my chair. This fucking witch, I swear.
“What are you bitching about? I didn’t say anything about the garlic bread, did I?”
I started to retort but was interrupted by the witch reaching into her purse and grabbing something to tie around my wrist.
Before I could ask what she was doing, the witch had her hands back on her side of the table, and a tumbled gemstone was secured to my wrist with thin, black leather straps.
“What is this?” I asked, pointing to the polished black stone.
“Tourmaline. It absorbs negative energy. I’m hoping it’ll reduce your grumpiness about being forced to eat veggies with dinner. Is it working?” she asked.
I didn’t want to do her the favor of admitting I did strangely feel a little better with this rock tied to my wrist. And it was very pretty, like an oil slick, but with more of an artistic flair.
Behind us, a group of guys cheered at the Blue Sox game playing on a mounted TV. One nearly spilled his beer shouting something about a “hell of a pitch.”
“It’s pretty,” I confessed. “But is it professional?”
She shrugged.
“If you don’t want it, give it back.”
I clutched my wrist and pulled back with a frown.
“No.”
Dawn leaned over the table, her shadow covering the ciders we’d ordered, and she said, “Then it’s professional.”
Scoffing, I drowned any snide remark I had left lingering in the booze.
Our food came, and I found myself more ravished than expected. The garlic bread and pizza, I inhaled like a plate of cookies in front of a pink starfish. And the greens? Child’s play. I ate them faster than Billie could’ve.
I immediately placed a second order for two more sides of garlic bread while Dawn giggled into her sandwich.
“See what happens when you actually eat? You feel better,” she said.
Finishing my cider, I found myself staring at the bracelet again. Its weight on my wrist felt. . . reassuring somehow. It was like someone made a small effort to protect me when the whirlpool I was struggling to avoid being swallowed by each day tore another piece of my ship.
“I got our loan request back from Gorham First Security Bank,” I mumbled.
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
“They declined since we’re already paying back another business loan to Portland Community Credit Union. And my father only got that loan because he’s golf buddies with the president of that particular financial branch.”
With a long deep sigh, I suddenly felt more vulnerable and yet relaxed than I had in a long time. Maybe it was having a warm meal in my belly. Perhaps it was the liquor. Or it could’ve been the pretty witch sitting across from me that just made me want to spill every little secret tucked away in my heart. I swear, she could coax every lock in Fort Knox to retire with a gentle smile.
“I don’t mean to add any pressure, but if your astrology section launch could bring in a few more thousand subscribers, it’d be pretty great,” I said, staring out the window at a woman walking her golden retriever down the sidewalk.
Dawn placed a hand on mine.
“This newspaper is going to be the death of me,” I mumbled without thinking. And the witch’s eyes widened.
“Hey, we don’t have to talk about work, you know? We can talk about literally anything else.”
I devoured another piece of garlic bread, feeling the buttery goodness bring a little bit of relief to my sudden downpour of spirit. I wasn’t sure I wanted to ever get up from this table. Every weight in my body decided to drop anchor here tonight, and dammit if I lacked the confidence to shake it off.
“I’ve got one. If you could date any fictional witch, who would it be?” Dawn asked, finishing her sandwich.
The question caught me off guard, and I shook my head, mind rising from the current that’d been dragging it down for the last few minutes.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“What? You’re obviously not going to date me because of ethics or some shit. So pick a fictional witch who doesn’t work for you to take on a date. Who do you choose?”
A small Swanson-sized giggle escaped my throat as I considered the possibilities. This was an outrageous question. I dealt with facts. Indisputable data and information that my subscribers trusted me to deliver to them in a timely manner.
“Does Raven from the Teen Titans count? Her grown-up version? I’m pretty sure she was a witch.”
That earned me a small sympathetic smile from the new astrology editor.
“More like an intergalactic telepath. Try again, FeeDee.”
I ignored her use of the wrong name and pictured another group.
“Oh! Those girls from Scooby Doo. You know — the ones in the band?”
Dawn let loose a bellowing laugh that caught the attention of our baseball neighbors as they stared for a few seconds. When she got wind back in her lungs, she said, “The Hex Girls?”
“Yeah! The Hex Girls.”
My dinner partner nodded and stole a piece of garlic bread, tearing off a small bite before putting it back in the wicker basket.
“Okay, The Hex Girls. All of them?”
“Why not?” I asked. “Any or all. They could put a spell on me.”
That mischievous grin worked its way back onto the witch’s face, the dangerous one that lured me to her house. . . and couch. . . and bed. I stifled a quick gasp. She definitely noticed but said nothing.
“How about you?” I asked. “Who would you pick?”
Without hesitation, Dawn said, “Oh, Bonnie Bennett for sure.”
“From ‘Vampire Diaries’?” I asked.
Dawn nodded with a satisfied smile on her face.
“She was so badass. I’d fight Enzo for her any day,” the witch said as my phone vibrated. I checked a text, and it actually turned out to be a picture from one of my friends, a journalism professor at South Portland Community College, which sat right on the beach.
There was a fire. A large white boat with yellow paint down the side.
Shit, I thought, zooming in and realizing it was a ferry. She’d snapped the photo from the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. That’s the Bug Light Ferry.
Standing up with every muscle in my body and mind starting to protest, I felt my hands shaking.
Come on, Frankie! I thought. This is breaking news. You’ve done this thousands of times! Get to work.
But my chest was starting to ache and throb. My legs wanted to give out and sit back down as weakness filled me.
“What’s wrong?” Dawn asked with more concern in her voice than business partners typically give each other.
“There’s a fire on one of the ferries that goes out to Peaks Island. I gotta get back to the newsroom,” I said, grabbing the table for support.
More pain radiated from my chest, and I took short breaths, closing my eyes and willing it away. It didn’t work very well.
“Why don’t you sit down? Text Emma or something. Isn’t this why you have an evening city editor?”
I shook my head.
“I mean — yes. That’s why I do. But what good is a managing editor who isn’t in the trenches with her reporters? They respect me because I’m always willing to hop in wherever there’s a gap. Covering meetings, writing stories, proofreading, and even taking pictures. I do it all, and this is going to be an all-hands-on-deck night.”
Dawn furrowed her brow.
“You’re awfully pale, Frankie. And you’ve already put in 12 hours today. I can see your legs shaking from here. Why don’t you sit back down, and I’ll give you a ride home? Seriously, I’m worried.”
My heart was at war. On one front, I was demanding it give me the strength to power through an evening of breaking news. On another, it swooned over someone actually telling me to give it a rest for once. And not just anyone. . . but the girl I’d give anything to stop being professional with.
The bartender came over with our ticket, and I put some cash on the table.
“Keep the change,” I said, turning to go and nearly colliding with one of the baseball bros. He steadied me, and I apologized.
Dawn was quickly beside me as I called Craig.
“Where are you?” I asked, as soon as he picked up.
“City Hall. They’re about to meet and vote on —” I interrupted him.
“Scrap it. Take your camera and head to Bug Light. There’s a ferry on fire, and I want pictures. Use the big lens. Hustle over there, but take your time with the photos. It’s getting darker, so you’ll need to keep the camera more steady to get clear shots.”
“You got it, boss,” he said.
I sighed and walked outside, nearly spilling into the street again. What was it with my legs and this particular section of sidewalk? Fuck.
“Don’t call me that,” I said, hanging up and immediately calling Emma.
She answered, and I fired off a list of things to do, telling her I was on my way back to the newsroom.
“Call the PIO for the US Coast Guard Station in SoPo. He doesn’t answer after hours, but he will check his voicemail through the night, so leave him a message. I’m going to text a contact who works in the dispatch office for the Bug Light Ferry system.”
“Yes ma’am,” Emma said, hanging up.
My chest throbbed even harder as I walked uphill toward the newsroom. Dawn tried one final time to convince me to let my night crew handle this.
“I truly think you should rest, Frankie. You’re sweating and really pale.”
Huffing, I walked and talked.
“Seventy-five years the Portland Lighthouse-Journal has served as the leading source of news for Maine’s biggest city. Equity firms want to buy us out. Subscribers call and ask why they need us when they can get their news for free on Facebook. And the TV stations try to take our content at least three times a month. But we’re still here. A Ricci at the helm of this paper keeping the public informed is what’s kept us afloat for 75 years. And I can’t quit now, Dawn. I won’t. These are the moments they need us, and I refuse to let our readers down.”
My hand clutched the doorknob of our office, and I took a steadying breath. It was going to be a long night of breaking news push alerts, redoing the front page layout, evening press conferences, and hopefully, news that everyone made it back to shore alive.
I’d be there to cover it all with my team, chest pain be damned.
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