New cna resume

New recent university grad from a business school. I’m struggling finding jobs as the only job I have worked (and still work at…) is retail. Unfortunately, not many people reply to my applications and if I do get to interviews, obviously I don’t get it. Compared to my peers… I have 0 office experience. And don’t want to land a simple office job that pays less than my retail one.
I have my resume uploaded on Indeed yet 9 times out of 10 usually send it by email. A manufacturing company sent this from the indeed emailing. Does the company actually send this? Or is this just the Indeed automation email for resumes that “meet” the company’s expectations? And is it worth applying to jobs when companies send these out?

I was sent a video of a designer trying to sell their portfolio services to new designers. Their claim was the reason you are struggling to get interviews is because your portfolio isn't cutting it. And in the video comments, a CJ people who felt enlightened by the video.
I just think that's such a broad claim to make. You can test whether it applies to you personally.
Here are the tools I use:

• Mouseflow for session replays (the features you'll need will be free)
• Google Analytics
• I created unique redirect links to get a sense of where my traffic was coming from. (e.g. https://mywebsite.com/company-i'm-applying-to)

Generally, I'm not even getting visitors to my website from my applications- which indicates to me the bottleneck is my resume (and maybe the recruiting process). That indicates my resume may need to be fine tuned before my portfolio.
~5% of the apps I sent resulted in a portfolio visit. A lot of times they do a quick scroll, then immediately click on my Linkedin. For those that did engage (maybe 1/3 of the visitors)- I did learn a few things to improve. Mostly in writing my case studies. My case studies seemed longer than what people wanted to read through, so I'm working on alternative formats for displaying them.
Anyway those are just personal takeaways, not suggestions for you. More the point is that there's a lot you can do for free on your own to analyze where you can improve your own portfolio- and if your portfolio is even where you should be channeling your efforts.

Just needed to vent because it's been a really difficult time for me job hunting and this experience really just broke me. For background, I have 10+ years of experience working in government doing communications, stakeholder and policy work. I recently got laid off from my dream job, unfortunately, and really need to find new work as i live in a HCOL area. I had been hoping to find a managerial role in my field as it is the next step in my career and I am ready for it, but I would have accepted a lateral move if needed since I have a family to support. I have a strong resume showing progressive career growth in my field in prestigious government agencies, but it's been a tough time in the job market and I haven't been able to land anything yet. I had one offer for a lateral move to a role I would have loved a couple of months ago, but the offer was pulled as they had to offer it to an internal candidate due to union rules.
After that experience, because at this point, I really just need to find anything, I got desperate and started applying to entry level roles and roles that were a step or two below my previous pay grade/title. I got a few interviews this way, including one for an entry-level position in a government ministry. For reference, this position pays about $30k / year less than I previously made, so this was a bit depressing but I did what I had to and put my best effort forward. The interview consisted of a pre-interview task (the task is something I do nearly every day in my line of work so I know I produced a high quality product - I will say if one were actually entry level, it would be an appropriate skill testing task but for me it was really easy) and standard questions for my field. There were two managers interviewing for four roles across their two teams, and it became apparent as the interview went on that I was very overqualified for the position, despite having dumbed down my job titles on my resume a bit to not seem like an overqualified flight risk. Manager A asked me about it, but I had prepared an answer for this question as I had anticipated it, and things moved along positively.
I found out from one of my references that Manager B in the interview had contacted her regarding a reference check for me. My reference said it went really well and Manager B left off the conversation saying she thought I would be a great fit for her team. The only thing she felt was odd was that Manager B spent quite a bit of time going on about how this seemed like a change in field for me. My reference emphasized how it was absolutely not a change in field and was baffled as to how someone could think this given the years of experience, connections, and industry knowledge I have and communicated in the interview. She said the conversation had a positive tone despite this odd line of questioning, and thought I would likely get an offer soon.
It has now been over two weeks since my reference spoke with the hiring manager. I have not heard anything back from Manager B or the HR team, and they had previously told me they were intending to contact the selected candidates by now. I intend to contact them next week (I want to wait until after the upcoming long weekend just in case) but I just feel completely demoralized at the moment.

Hey guys I’m very new with all of this stuff not really sure where to get information, who to ask, or where to look. Essentially I am going for my class one training to eventually get my class one in October. I have no idea what kind of job I should be looking for when I get my license to get better experience for my resume down the road. Any help would be appreciated (also I assume this Reddit it for USA, but I am from Canada)

Hi there! I am new to the federal application process, and I have a question. I received the Notice of Results and was found tentatively eligible for GS 5/6, but not referred to the hiring manager. That aside, the application process required taking four tests, which I did complete.
By not being referred to a hiring manager, does that mean I did not score high enough to qualify for the position? Also, I do understand that they do not provide scores on the test, and whether one passed or failed.
Lastly, I will concentrate even more on working on my resume as well. Thank you and I am looking forward to everyone's insight.

David Grusch has claimed in his resume and in the media that he was the "Senior Technical Advisor for UAP/Trans-Medium Issues" for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency where he was the "NGA lead for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and Trans-Medium Anomaly issues. Executed new program of record responsive to direct tasking by the Congressional Intelligence Committees."
This claim has largely been accepted as fact, though no explanation for what this alleged role entails has ever been provided.
Grusch has also strongly implied in the media that he was explicitly tasked by Congress with investigating UAPs in this role AND that he had Title 10 and Title 50 investigative authorities. He does not claim these authorities in the Congressional testimony he provided.
Oddly, despite allegedly being tasked by the Congressional Intelligence Committees (if he is to be believed) and having Title 10/50 clearances (again, assuming he is to be believed), he was allegedly denied access to relevant programs he was investigating.
From his NewsNation interview: "Grusch says he pressed to gain direct access to the program, and that’s when the trouble started. He claims his investigation was stymied, and his requests for access were rebuffed. “They shut the door in my face. They denied me access to these programs,” he said. Soon after, he says he endured reprisals and retaliations from above. He reported that information to the intelligence community inspector general and eventually filed a whistleblower complaint."
When pressed as to why he should be believed, he has stated, "Well, we provided the proof internally to the inspector general and went into all the details,” he said. “I mean, I have the credentials. I was an intelligence officer on the UAP Task Force.”
I am somewhat surprised seemingly no journalists have made any effort to validate any of these "credentials" claims given that Grusch relies 1000% on his credentials for his credibility by his own admission. This lack of investigation is even more worrisome given that nearly all former government / military personnel attached to the UFO Media have been caught greatly embellishing their credentials (looking squarely at you, Lue Elizondo, but others as well).
Grusch has posted his resume, so I think it is worth seeing what can be deciphered there because I think there are some potential clues there. That said, I am no expert on the US Air Force, so it would be helpful to hear from those who have this experience.
Some interesting tidbits from the resume:

1. Many of his jobs have overlapping dates. I am guessing this isn't terribly unusual, but it becomes quite confusing to understand when and who he was employed by, which is compounded by the fact that many of these positions seem to be him working as a USAF Reservist.
2. At the time he has claimed to be the "Senior Technical Advisor for UAP/Trans-Medium Issues", he also lists "Lead SME for USSPACECOM National Support Team (NST) for cross agency program integration" which clearly seems to have been his main job.
3. Would a "Senior Technical Advisor for UAP/Trans-Medium Issues" actually be given ANY investigative powers or authorities to look into UAP-related SAPs as Grusch has claimed because it certainly sounds like his actual role was likely answering technical questions that might arise from any intelligence the agency he worked with provided to the UAP Task Force. This is important, in my opinion, because pretty much every military and intelligence division had similar liaisons to this task force AND YET only Grusch has implied that he was actually tasked with investigating UAP-related SAPs and had the clearances required and "need-to-know" that warranted access to these programs. Why haven't any of these other liaisons come forward?
4. Much of Grusch's resume (March 2016 - November 2021) was time he apparently worked for a PRIVATE contractor called Blue Sky Innovators. In this time period, his other jobs seem to have been as a Reservist. While this isn't unusual, it seems like the bulk of Grusch's career was actually spent as a private sector contractor rather than directly for the government/military. It appears he was only active duty Air Force for less than 7 years before joining the Reserves and working for a private contractor. What does this tell us, if anything.
5. He doesn't come back into a full-time government role until November 2021, a full 5 years after his last active duty, but is apparently (if he is to be believed) immediately tasked by Congress with the powers to investigate UAP-related SAPs. This seems quite unlikely, but perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can explain why this would make ANY sense.

My working hypothesis since Grusch first emerged on the scene is that he has greatly embellished his credentials and is relying on an impressive looking resume to make it seem like he was a more senior member of the intelligence community than he might have been in reality.
For example, much has been made of his GS-15 pay grade being equivalent to a Colonel to demonstrate that he was very senior. I do not have a lot of experience in this area, but I work in tech and remember many years ago that when friends went to work as software devs for the government they were often brought in under similar sounding levels because it was the only way to pay them the rates they required.
Again, I'm not knowledgeable enough in this area to understand this, so hoping others can chime in.

Firstly, thanks!
Here is timeline.
Applied 04/04/2024.
Closed 04/04/2024.
Referred 04/11/2024.
TJO 04/29/2024 VEOA.
FOJ 05/09/2024.
EOD 06/03/2024.
Been out of work since February and have placed nearly 90 applications in.
Typically search by keyword/series and will sort by close date and apply towards stuff that is closing soon. Will also look at new openings, as some do have applicant thresholds. Also have a few different resumes built for different keywords/series.
I have done quite a number of interviews, though this has been only TJO/FJO and didn't even interview. That said, I imagine others will roll in as this is extremely short-fused and time will have others play out.
Feeling extremely blessed and excited.
Thanks!

My background check from Hireright came back with two discrepancies. One was a mistake on my end, the other it appears the person verifying the information wasn't accurate (or maybe didn't realize the importance of it matching exactly). I have already accepted the written offestarted the onboarding process.
So I'm a graphic designer... On one job I stated that I was a 'Designer' and turns out the actual job title was 'Production Designer'. This was a totally honest mistake. It was a short lived job and I only remember them referring to me as Designer. I had completely forgotten the production part! It wasn't until they brought it to my attention and I dug up my offer letter in an archived email and I realized I had made an error. I told them they were right and I had made a mistake.
On job two I was 'Senior Graphic Designer'. This was absolutely my job title. Evidently the person confirming said I was a 'Graphic Designer'. And his response to verify my dates of employement was "that sounds about right"—which also caused a red flag that I was asked to verify. I saw the name of the person confirming my information in the report, and when I worked with him, he was also a staff member (he's now a partner, which I assume is why he took the call), but I'm guessing he doesn't remember my exact title (also this was another job I wasn't at very long due to a move). The business owner that hired me would probably be the only one that remembers accurately. It's a very small agency so I'm sure their record keeping is different than a large corporation.
I had applied for job two through Ziprecruiter, and even though the job is closed you could see that I applied in my account history, indicating a Senior role, and the date and time my resume was viewed by the business owner. I also had a follow up email from the business owner through Ziprecruiter stating the job title. So I sent screen shots of both of those. I also sent over some email correspondence between the owner and I indicating start date and my acceptance of the 'Senior' Designer role. And I found a check from the last month I was there & my 1095-c form showing insurance coverage for the time I was employed by them as documentation of dates employed.
The whole process thus far with my new company has been so smooth and everyone has been very communicative throughout the process, but I sent these files over two days ago and haven't heard back yet. I've been checking email incessantly and making myself crazy! Wondering if I should follow up or give it a little more time? Is this something I should worry about?

Currently at an $80k job which is underpaid given my experience in the industry/ resume. I got an offer from another company for $100k in a city that would require me to move. I currently have a great set up with 2 garages for woodworking which I really enjoy doing and I'm try to make a decent side business. I've spent a lot of time looking for a similar set up in the area of the new job but I'm not finding anything. It would probably take me at least 2 years to get the funds to build a shop at whatever new place I go to.
My predicament is, I don't really want to move, I'm wondering if it would be a good move to inform the current employer of the offer and tell them that I'm strongly considering it, but I would prefer to not go through the hassle of moving.

I’m leaving my shift now and I’m still pretty new but It turned 3 PM and when I saw my patient, she was in the process of ripping out her diaper stuffing and peeing through her pants, I told the head CNA who trade me and she said that it’s time to clock out and that it is for the next shift to do. Ummm I left lowkey feel bad but i was doing a 7-3

Hey! incoming freshman here, I was wondering if anyone could give me advice regarding my fyp application.
I'm interested in two ampersand programs - Holocaust and GCP. Having little intel on either of these programs, I'm still debating on whether I should rank them or not.
In the case of the Holocaust course, I'm personally invested in the area and have conducted multiple projects regarding the issue back in hs. The holocaust wasn't the main focus so I don't know much abt it but have always found it interesting. The curriculum sounds fun and I've heard that it isn't as competitive as programs like medsoc. Also, getting to know the people and the professors sound really nice.
However, I'm not sure if it'll be worth the time and effort. While it is something I'm curious abt, it has nothing to do with my career path and I'm worried it'll end up being a huge burden on my workload. Especially with the reviews I've read on professor walke, I'm a bit intimidated. On top of that, I love reading but I can't memorize stuff for my life. The only B I had from hs was AP world history.
Similar situation with GCP, though I assume it has more competition. I'm not that big on refugees or migration, tho I love geography. I'm bigger on environment and human geo. The concept of GCP sounds interesting but again, it highly recommends a foreign language and seems like a relatively big commitment (tho I've heard that it's better than the holocaust).
These programs sound rly fun and could potentially add a new perspective to my resume or sth but I'm not sure if I'll be risking my GPA :/ Idk if I should stick with beyond boundaries courses and fy seminars or go for ampersands.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

So I was just resuming Detective Conan watchings. I'm at episode 602 "The Devil Hiding in the Tennis Court" which premiered a new opening called "tear drops."
And during this opening there's some rotoscoped-looking scenes of this girl dancing, a girl I do not recognize from any Conan episodes or stories.
Who is she?
(I couldn't find the TV intro on youtube or I'd show you who I mean, but if you have the episode you'll see her too).

I’m an actor and model turning 25 soon and need to add a martial art to my acting resume. I’m looking for something that combines self-defense, overall fitness, and the ability to compete. Striking arts are preferred in the acting realm but I personally lean towards grappling arts. I understand that for acting, I need to be familiar with the mechanics of strikes, grapples, falls, and impacts to perform fight scenes believably and bring emotional depth to the character.
I’m considering boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, wrestling, and MMA. I have a reputable and well-established gym nearby that teaches Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA. Speaking of MMA, they divide it into a wrestling and a striking class. Should I take MMA, given that it includes both striking and grappling, or focus on a specific discipline?
Additionally, I know I can take stage combat classes specifically for acting. However, I’m drawn to the challenge of learning new skills and want something I can compete in as well. What would be the best option to meet these goals? Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Over the past year, the amount of changes to the app have made it impossible for me to easily retrieve recently recorded movies, and now, my Most Watched shows, along with, the RESUME program function have disappeared.
I have an LG Smart TV and a Roku TV. I've done everything needed to ensure the app is running the most current version (delete, reinstall, etc.). The app appears the same on both tvs. My HOME screen currently reflects these titles: Popular Now, Shows, Movies, Sports, News, Family. Under each title are programs that are currently running live on YTTV. What is the point of that entire page when all I need to do is go to my LIVE screen that has the channel guide? The HOME screen has now become completely redundant and useless.
My LIBRARY consists of 3 headings: NEW FOR YOU, SERIES, DAILY SHOWS. I can't find any heading that let's me scroll through movies I've DVRd.
Moderators, is what I'm now seeing the final current app update? Or, are your programmers still working on making the app end user friendly? Because atm, for this end user, it's definitely not . How can I easily find the shows I watch most frequently, recordings I want to finish watching, and movies that were recently recorded? Is a correction to the app coming down the pipeline soon? I'd rather not cancel my subscription but what is presenting now is frustrating me beyond belief.
Thank you for your time and help with this.

As someone about to graduate with an online Accounting degree, what are some things I can to help me break into the field?
I don’t have Accounting experience, and realistically I’d prefer to work in industry/government/non-profit for the WLB and to study for the CPA. Although I’m not completely opposed to working in public accounting for a year or two.
What are things I can do to stand out and how to convey those things? For example, would it be useful to learn about quickbooks, or build some kind of excel-based project and include those things as skills on my resume? I initially started in Computer Science and have some projects/experience with SQL, is that worth mentioning?
TLDR: Would appreciate any advice for a soon-to-be new grad with no experience to break into the field. I want to be as useful as possible as a newbie.

(plz upvote to help get the message out there! <3)
We've started a new project based on the 2021-22 Sample Law Materials Folder to continue collecting free example application materials for the next cycle of applicants and beyond. The goal is to have a range of everything from personal statements, resumes, addendums, cycle recaps.. etc. We want to help democratize information and lower barriers to access by helping future applicants with free example materials.
You can submit your redacted materials to this submission form and they will live in this folder!
Current students and/or applicants from past cycles are also encouraged to submit! The more docs in the folder, the more helpful it is. You can submit here.
PS. If you are invested in seeing this project come to fruition, please share it with others! I've heard a lot of great feedback but we still have not gotten many submissions. Please help promote the project! Thank you :)

We are excited to announce the launch of UnityApps, a new app development company, and we are on the lookout for a professional designer and a professional developer to join our team.
Our Vision: We aim to build an unbreakable team that thrives on collaboration, mutual respect, and shared success. Our vision is to create a family-like environment where team members are not just colleagues, but brothers who support and sacrifice for each other to achieve common goals.
What We Offer:

1. Supportive Team Environment: • Our company culture is rooted in the principles of brotherhood and teamwork. • We believe in supporting each other and working together to overcome challenges. 2. Bonuses and Incentives: • We offer performance-based bonuses to reward hard work and dedication. • Our incentive programs are designed to recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements. 3. Team Bonding Events: • Activities that promote collaboration, communication, and a sense of belonging. 4. Profit Sharing: • Profits will be funneled back to the team through bonuses, achievement prizes, and meeting individual needs. • We prioritize reinvesting in our team, whether by rewarding their achievements or hiring additional help to support their work. 

Who We Are Looking For:

1. Professional Designer: • Expertise in UI/UX design, graphic design, and app interface design. • Ability to create visually appealing and user-friendly designs. • Strong portfolio showcasing previous design projects. 2. Professional Developer: • Proficiency in app development (iOS, Android, or cross-platform). • Strong coding skills and experience with relevant programming languages. • Proven track record of developing and launching successful apps. 

Our Commitment:

• As the founder, I am committed to leading by example and prioritizing the team’s well-being over individual benefits. • Together, we will create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their best. 

If you are passionate about app development and design, and you want to be part of a team that values collaboration and mutual success, we would love to hear from you.
How to Apply: Please send your resume, portfolio, and a brief introduction to “samah.gms201@gmail.com” . Let us know why you are interested in joining our team and how you can contribute to our vision.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to building something amazing together.
Warm regards,
Samah, Founder, UnityApps

Hello - I've recently received a PET scan for FUO. Since last July, I've been experiencing right sided abdominal pain which received no diagnosis. Last fall, I became severely ill with GI symptoms (primarily nausea) followed by chest/rib pain and neuro symptoms (shooting pain down right leg, headaches, etc.). My period had completely stopped during this time, which was likely due to the stress my body was under. They've since resumed, albeit painful ovulation and period cycles with frequent bloating all month long. Colonoscopy did not show any reasoning for my extreme bloating or abdominal pain. In January I began experiencing frequent fevers. I ended up with infectious disease and neurology referrals, and after extensive workups that did not provide any insight, we moved forward with a full-body PET Scan. Everything came back normal except the following:
ABDOMEN/PELVIS: In the posterior left adnexal region there is a 43 x 23 mm ovoid low density structure with moderately increased uptake in the peripheral posterior portion maximum SUV 7.7.
IMPRESSION: 1. Moderately increased uptake within the peripheral posterior portion of a 43 x 23 mm ovoid lesion posterior left adnexa. Findings may simply represent a physiologic ovarian cyst within an otherwise somewhat prominent ovary. In this particular patient chronic tubo-ovarian abscess or other fallopian tube or ovarian pathology could be considered. Recommend pelvic ultrasound with transabdominal and transvaginal imaging for further evaluation. 2. No other potential source of fever demonstrated.
________
The thing this I've had two ultrasounds (results below) in the past year, and my current OBGYN was quite dismissive of the results and is insistent that my symptoms are not GYN related. I'm currently waiting to see a new GYN next month, but wondering if this is urgent and should not wait that long. I'm really struggling to go back to my current OBGYN because of my experience there, and I'm not sure she'd do anything with these results. She largely double downed last time that my past US results were not a cause for worry or concern, and to manage with OTC pain relievers. No further action or testing needed.
Could the ultrasound and a CT (in relation to abdominal pain) I've had missed this?
Would love to know based on your experiences, how hard I should advocate for myself and if there's any specific testing I should explicitly ask for.
I have alot of medical fatigue and feel dismissed despite feeling so awful all the time. If you've read this far, thank you and sorry for the novel.
________
February 2024 Ultrasound:

• Myometrium: Single fibroid seen
• Right ovary: appears normal with a 21mm hemorrhagic corpus luteum containing retracting clot
• Endometrial thickness, total 4.9mm
• Endometrium: within normal limits
• Fibroids:
  • Uterine fibroid D1 11 mm
  • Uterine fibroid D2 8 mm
  • Uterine fibroid D3 9 mm
  • Uterine fibroid mean 9.3 mm
  • Uterine fibroids findings: Intramural. Anterior. Right lateral wall

November 2023 Ultrasound:

• Uterus
  • Endometrium: 4 mm cyst , no solid masses
  • Endometrial thickness, total 9.8 mm
  • Fibroids: Fibroids identified
    • Uterine fibroid D1 30 mm
    • Uterine fibroid D2 25 mm
    • Uterine fibroid D3 25 mm
    • Uterine fibroid mean 26.7 mm
    • Uterine fibroids findings: transmural FIGO 2-5 with 10 mm cyst
  • Right Ovary:Appears normal
    • Rt ovary D1 27 mm
    • Rt ovary D2 30 mm
    • Rt ovary D3 12 mm
    • Rt ovary Vol 5.1 cm³
  • Left Ovary: Appears normal
    • Lt ovary other findings: seen transabdominally only
  • Left Tube: Size 38.0 mm x 18.0 mm x 24.0 mm
  • Impression: 1. Heterogeneous mildly thickened endometrium with a 4 mm cyst. Clinical correlation recommended for potential hyperplasia or polyp. If clinically appropriate, repeat ultrasound could be performed in 4-6 months to evaluate for persistence. 2. Findings cost consistent with a degenerated fibroid. 3. Normal ovaries.

I'm 18 years old and I want to work remote in the future, working for people in the US or Europe from where I am now. I live in the Philippines.
I'm worried for my future due to how competitive the job market is. I want to know what I need to learn in order to get a decent fully remote job by the time I'm 20 or 21. Maybe a list of things I could rely on. I'm about to do college for Chemical Engineering by the time next school year comes in the Philippines but I have a feeling that a bachelor's degree isn't enough. What do I need to know and look into? I'm really open to learning new skillsets and technological skills. I also want to know how to build my first resume.
Edit: I'm also aware that there's rarely people who hire someone outside of their country or area without adjusting the pay towards that country's normal rates unless they have those desirable skillset that they want... so another question is, what are those skillsets?

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the Nature of Predators universe. Rain World is a video game developed by and property of Videocult. I claim no ownership over either.
Sorry for the wait. Life happened but I just finished my semester, so I’m hoping the next chapter will be finished sooner rather than later. Please let me know if I missed any typos or made any editing mistakes. It’s greatly appreciated.
–
Memory Transcript: Sefril, Farsul First Contact Officer
Date [Standardized Human Time]: July 15, 2136
When I came to, I just laid still. I wasn’t sure what had happened though what was certain was that I was both still alive and still in this dingy box of a room. The predators were you of sight in one of my few blindspots. Jinsul and Dornucl were still alive, with Dornucl understandably agitated and Jinsul seemingly lost in thought.
Stranger yet, no one seemed to be hurt. Maybe Jinsul had gotten them?
Careful, I sat up, only to be greeted by the predators grooming each other. They stared back at me as I froze once again.
“Finally,” Jinsul said, causing me to jump, “I need to ask you something.”
“Oh not this again,” Dornucl said, annoyed. “Ignore him, he’s gone mad.”
“What?” was my only response. The predators seemed to perk up, shifting their reclining posture slightly, ears standing on end.
“You’re supposed to be a scientist, and as such you understand the meaning of overwhelming evidence, yes?” Jinsul said.
“What you’re suggesting is not only the most unscientific conclusion I’ve heard but is also something I’d expect to come out of someone with terminal predator disease,” Dornucl interjected.
I glanced back terrified at the predators, who had not yet chosen to strike and instead decided to lay there. Menacingly.
I pressed myself against the back wall, hoping to fall straight through and away from them.
“Why haven’t you done anything about…them?” I said waving my tail toward the predators. “You’re an exterminator, so…exterminate.”
“With what?” Jinsul shot back and began waving his pistol with one paw while shaking the flamer laying beside with the other, “The handgun that won’t fire with damp ammunition or the flamer that will kill us all in this tight space? Besides, they won’t attack us.”
Dornucl groaned and rubbed his tentacles into his face, while my mouth was agape in shock.
“What do you mean ‘they won’t attack’?! Their bleating predators!”
“Gods, that’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Jinsul practically screamed in frustration. He took a breath, “OK, sorry, just listen alright? Have you been having weird dreams?”
I stiffened, “I had a dream last night where I almost drowned, but I don’t see what that has to–”
“So, you're telling me you didn’t almost drown?” he said with a knowing look.
I considered it with dawning horror, “But that’s–”
“Impossible,” Dornucl spat out, “And ludicrous.” He turned to me, “As I said, he’s snapped.”
“Then how else do you explain it? My brothers and sisters in arms have confided in me the same: dreams, visions, and inescapable feelings of familiarity in the unfamiliar. Those who heed them escape danger, while those who don’t, don’t.”
As Jinsul spoke, a true zealotry was imbued in his voice.
“I’ll give you this, by all means, these visions should be impossible and unexplainable by science.” Fervor glinted in his eyes. “But when science fails, we must turn to faith to guide us.”
A knot formed in my stomach as I got a sneaking suspicion of where he was going.
“It is my belief and that of my lieutenants and clergy that the gods have sent us these visions.” He announced this without a shadow of a doubt in his voice. “They’ve been guiding us from the moment we’ve entered the orbit. The delusions the crew had in orbit? Also the visions.”
It doesn’t make any sense, but he’s right on one thing. These premonitions are impossible, yet they happen and help us avoid danger. However, there has to be a more rational explanation. There just has to be.
“But why?” I ask. “To what end? If your gods are doing this, to what end? If they are behind everything, the visions and maybe the crash, then why what would justify so much suffering? It just doesn't make any sense.”
“That’s the nature of the divine,” he said somberly, “We can speculate why they would send the visions and make us…feel them and their pain all we want, but we are imperfect creatures, and they are things of perfection. We simply need to trust they are leading us to where we need to go.”
As I considered his words, Dornucl once again spoke up condescendingly.
“I can’t believe you even have to CONTEMPLATE what he’s saying!” He slumped down and motioned towards the predators. “Fine then, what do they have to do with your ‘gods’ plan’? Your duty as an exterminator is baked into your religion? What do you have to say to that?”
Jinsul involuntarily flicked his ears, betraying a rising irritation. “I don’t know, I don’t like it, and I don’t have to. They haven’t given us visions of them attacking us and they’ve decided to disable our best weapons. I don’t need to understand why, all I need to know is that there is a reason they would do so. Besides, they haven’t even tried to attack us. You're a biologist, do you consider that normal?”
“Do you even hear yourself? You sound like a lunatic! I could have you put away for this!”
Unlike his normally cool, level-headed, and almost jolly demeanor, Dornucl’s features were twisted in barely veiled rage. It was terrifying to see him on the verge of doing something awful. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the predators.
The one with the grey fur was still lying down, but the other with the dark green fur had stood up and began stomping around in exaggerated and dramatic steps. All while growling and barking.
It was terrifying. However, it was dulled by the sheer surrealness of the situation. Its entire demeanor was less intentionally threatening and more childish mocking, right down to flailing its limbs in much the same way Dornucl did unconsciously to emphasize his point. It may even be funny if we could understand what they were saying.
Wait a minute…
I paused to think about that absent-minded thought, the gears and pistons finally shaking off the shock and beginning to fire and spin. I listened closely to its vocalizations and began to pick out a form of structure in how they were articulated and gestated. I recalled the predators' behavior and came to a grim conclusion.
“We have a problem,” I said so quietly it could barely be considered a whisper.
“Oh, what tipped you off genius?” Dornucl responded sarcastically.
I stumbled a little at the insult but continued.
“No, I mean a bigger problem,” I took a deep breath, “I think they’re sapient.”
The silence was deafening. Even the predator had stopped its mockery and began exchanging words with the other grey-furred one.
Dornucl glanced at the and sighed. “In hindsight, that does explain their behavior.”
Somehow, despite this revelation, Dornucl regained his composure and his cool demeanor.
“Well, in a certain sense, this simplifies things somewhat. We just have to wait for the translators to complete processing their language, then we can hopefully negotiate with them.”
I gawked at what he just said, while Jinsul broke down into laughter.
“And I’m the crazy one!” Jinsul managed to get out between the cackles, “Do you even hear yourself? Mindless animals are one thing, but this? We have the next the Arxur right before us!”
It was at this point that Plako decided to wake up. One can only imagine what was going through his head when he was greeted by 2 predators, a hysterical exterminator, a biologist trying not to show his frustration, and an anthropologist doing her best to fall through the wall.
He began to stammer. “Wh-what h-happened? Why haven’t they eaten us?”
Dornucl leaned over to him and deadpanned. “The predators are sapient.”
Plako froze after he processed this information.
Jinsul calmed down enough to speak more coherently, “Gods, it all makes sense. They must’ve bombed themselves back in the stone age, and have only recently been reclaiming their former technology.”
I spoke up. “I don’t think that’s the case. Remember, the worm showed us an image of that other creature. These predators likely evolved sometime after the civilization's collapse.”
“Well,” Jinsul said while deep in thought, “Now I can say for certain the gods must be involved.”
“Wh-what?” Plako asked trambling.
“Think about it. This whole situation is so astronomically unlikely, from being in an uncharted system in the middle of nowhere at the same time as a single Arxur ship to surviving the crash, and then meeting these predators, and them not attacking us. The gods’ intend for us to purge these creatures before they can spread and save the remnants of this civilization from–”
“No, I’m pretty sure it was laughing at you, not with you.” A masculine said from the back of the chamber.
“Fine, but I think I’m finally getting somewhere.” A feminine voice responded.
Jinsul went quiet as our gazes fell upon the predators. The translators finished translating. No one knew what to do, so we ended up just staring.
They both stared back with their unnerving abyssal eyes.
“I do wish they’d stop staring though. It’s starting to get weird.” The female said with a tone of unease.
“Let’s bring them to the village and have Oracle translate. It’s probably just a misunderstanding,” the male responded.
“Right, there's nothing we can do about it now.” She plopped beside the male and both began to get ready to sleep the best one could on the hard floor.
I felt something poke into my side, causing me to jump. Dornucl had crawled over to me and began to speak in a whisper. “What do you want me to do?” I asked.
His frustrated look returned. “You're the first contact specialist, go first contact.”
“And their predators!” I said, raising my voice a little louder, “They’ll eat me!”
He groaned and put on a forced calm. “While I disagree with Jinsul’s reasoning, they haven’t eaten us yet and we all want it to stay that way. Now if they decide they do want to eat us, we don’t have any weapons that wouldn’t be suicidal to use. If we want to get out of this alive and well, we’ll have to at least communicate with them.”
Jinsul, who had been effortlessly eavesdropping on us, muttered something under his breath. Dornucl ignored him as he continued, “So please at least try. Even if you fail, we’re likely doomed anyway.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I just wish it wasn’t me who had to do it or that I was the only one remotely qualified to do so. Haf was still unconscious, Plako looked on the brink of tears, Dornucl was just a scientist, and Jinsul wasn’t in the mood.
I gathered my strength and began running through what I could say. After a minute of idle thought, I came up with the only thing I could say. I stood up on quivering legs, took a brave step forward, and called upon the translator’s imparted knowledge.
“J-just so yo-you know, we’re not very tasty…and we’ll give you in-indigestion, so you shouldn’t eat us.” I felt like I was about to throw up.
The predators just stared at me, jaws agape and revealing menacing fangs. Jinsul nearly collapsed in renewed laughter. Dornucl buried his eyes into his tentacles and muttered something to himself.
“What was I supposed to say?” I said to Dornucl.
“ANYTHING BUT THAT!” he shot back.
Before I could snap back in frustration, the grey predator spoke.
“You speak our tongue the entire time? Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
We paused, and even Jinsul stopped laughing like a madman. Wordlessly, Dornucl shoved me forward.
“N-no…” I stammered, “We have an implant in our heads that translates languages in real-time while allowing us to speak stored languages. It only just figured out your language just now.”
“So it’s a Mark of Communication?” It asked.
“I don’t–”
“No no,” the green one interrupted, “If they had one, then we wouldn’t be able to understand them.”
The grey one nodded sagely.
I had been expecting an equally long-winded and terrifying conversation about the plausibility of a universal translator and whether or not it was magic, not such a matter-of-fact statement. Before I could shake off the confusion, Dornucl suddenly spoke up, “What’s a mark of communication?"
“Definitely from beyond the wall,” the green one said to the grey.
The grey one nodded and turned back to us.
“A mark is a special gift, given only to one who reaches the top of Pebbles and meets with him, wherein he provides the mark and the knowledge necessary to complete the Pilgrimage. Did you receive your ‘translator’ from another like him?” They both seemed oddly interested in the answer.
“We made them,” I said, then quickly added, “The Federation did. We didn’t build them personally. Just to reiterate, you're not going to eat us, right?”
“Of course not.” The green one said, its voice rife with disgust. “Why do you–”
Jinsul swiftly cut it off.
“Do you think you win us over with such obvious deceptions?” Jinsul stood and sized up the predators, “I know this game. You’re just keeping us around till you get hungry. When I get off this rock, I’ll ensure the god’s wishes are seen through and this entire planet is burned from orbit!”
The predators seemed confused about what was said. The green one stepped too close to me, with nowhere to go, I froze and closed my eyes.
This is it Sefril. You knew this was coming. Don’t resist and maybe it will be–
“Is he okay?” it asked, feigning concern and pointing to a still-ranting Jinsul, “In, y’know…” it said as it tapped its claw against its head.
Jinsul paused momentarily as he took in what was just said, then began fuming again. “I DON’T HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE!” he shrieked.
It took a step back at the outburst. It put its arms out, but instead of lunging toward him, it seemed as though it was trying to shield itself from him, or at the very least keep him at a comfortable distance.
“I didn’t mean to offend,” It said, the translator framing it apologetically to my confusion, “I have a cousin who fell off a pole as a pup and landed on his head. You sorta act like him.”
Jinsul reached a new, as of yet unknown level of hate. He stood there for a second, simmering not unlike a faulty water boiler. Dornucl stepped behind him, raised some robust science thingy above his head, and brought it down on Jinsul’s.
Jinsul flopped to bring like a rag doll beside Haf. Everyone, including the predators, was speechless. Everyone except Dornucl.
“Everyone shut up!”, he said in a practical growl, “This is confusing for all of us, and antagonizing each other isn’t going to make this situation any better. Here’s how this will go: We’ll have a polite conversation, get to know each other, and then figure out what to do.”
He turns to the predators. “My name is Dornucl, and this is Sefril, Plako, Jinsul, and Haf. What’s your’s?”
“My name is Stone,” The grey-furred one responded, “And this is Light.” He said pointing to the green one.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Light said, not skipping a beat, “Where are you from?”
Oh boy, getting right into it.
“So…” I began, but Plako jabbed me.
“You can’t,” he whispered in a panic, “There are predators, if they find out about the federation it’ll be the Arxur all over again.”
I look nervously at Dornucl, who nods reassuringly. I take a deep breath. “I know, but they’ll find out sooner or later. Besides, they may be predators, but they are also primitives. We have a natural advantage, if not physically than technologically and intellectually.”
I returned my attention to ‘Light’ and ‘Stone’, who did their best not to look like they were eavesdropping. “As I was saying…this is a little complicated. You know the stars, right?”
They nodd.
“We are from the stars.”
They blinked at us. They glanced around at us, trying to read our expressions.
“What do you mean?” Stone asked hesitantly.
I took a deep breath and launched into an explanation. “You know how we are currently in this world? There are others like, very, very far away. So far away that if you spent your entire life running as fast as you could you’d never even glimpse it.”
“Then how did you come here?” Light asked, “Did you use magic like the Ancients did?”
I took a mental note to inquire more about these Ancients, then resumed. “No, we, and the Federation as a whole, use large machines called ‘spaceships’. Each is equipped with a device called a subspace drive, which allows for faster-than-light travel. With this, we can travel between stars in days, weeks, or months depending on the distance between the stars.”
“Hey, I’m pretty fast, but I don’t think that going faster than me would make much of a difference if it’s that far away.”
Stone let out a good-natured snicker. “I think she meant light from a lantern or the sun.”
“Ah,” she remarked, ears pressed back in mild embarrassment. She tilted her head in confusion, “But that sounds like magic to me.”
“It’s not, ok? It’s just science.” I say with a sigh. Surprisingly, the word science seemed to translate without much of a fuss and they even nodded along. Something else to look into.
Stone asked the dreaded question: “Then how does it work?”
“I don’t know but I’m sure Plako could give you a basic…” I began to say when Plako started to make wild motions, trying to communicate he had no idea how it worked without drawing attention. He succeeded in trying to tell me that while failing to stay incognito. The predators turn their piercing eyes on him.
“Don’t worry about him,” I say hastily before they can speak, “It’s not his specialty.”
“What’s his specialty?” Stone asked. Plako visibly cringed, but this time Dornucl saved him.
“Let’s save the more technical discussions for tomorrow. It’s late, and we’re all tired.”
Light gave Stone a look before turning back to us. “Agreed. We both had a rough cycle. We even died a few times.”
They settled down while we were left to ponder the absolute bombshell they had dropped on us. Plako seemed checked, while Dornucl and I just shared a look. I recalled what Jinsul had come up with and felt a pit form in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked dumbfounded.
Stone looked up from where she was cuddling up next to Light. “What do you mean? Was it something I said?”
“Yes, it was something you said,” I said while trying not to hyperventilate, “You said you died. What do you mean by that?”
Both predators looked confused. “You know, the Cycle. Wake up, Die, wake up. Don’t you have the Cycle where you’re from?”
“...no…” I say in an empty voice. “By any chance, you wouldn’t happen to remember these deaths as dreams?”
The predators gave me a look of confusion, before Light nodded. I stared for an eternity, and this time the predators were the ones to give us uncomfortable looks. They whispered between themselves, occasionally shooting glances back towards us though taking no other action.
Unfortunately, our solace from their gazes didn’t last, as Stone turned back to us. “I can see that there are certainly…things that need to be sorted out between us, but I think Door-Knuckle had the right idea.”
I nodded, barely registering what he was saying. The others muttered in half-hearted agreement. Satisfied, the predators continued to snuggle up beside each other. Within moments, they were fast asleep.
We stayed quiet for a long while. Plako crawled closer to Dornucl and me. “They’re lying, right? I mean, they have to be. It’s what predators do.”
I couldn’t muster myself to answer him. Dornucl seemed flustered.
“Say something…please…” Plako pleaded, raising his voice above the whisper he had it at before. Thankfully the predators didn’t wake. We just sat there, letting it all sink in.
“It’s…let’s…” Dornucl started to say, before settling on “Damn it.”
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For context, she quit her job 3 months ago because it treated her poorly and was under the assumption that because many places claimed to be hiring urgently, she would have a new job in no time.
Fast forward to now and still nothing despite putting out applications to new places daily, even jobs some people consider low-end like McDonald's and Walmart. She's had 3 interviews that have all gone well but has been ghosted each time afterward.
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