So I’ve narrowed it down to these two pop-ups- the Forest River Rockwood premiere or the Rockwood Highwall.
I like the features and the design and Both can hold my family so I’m hoping you all might be able to offer some considerations I hadn’t thought of. I briefly considered hybrids (KZ sportsman) because of the increase sleeping capacity, but decided they weren’t for me. I don’t care for the build quality sacrifices made to keep the weight under my towing limits.
We are a family of seven when we’re all together blended family of seven when we’re all together. Four year old, twins, a second grader and teenage daughters. Most of the time we’ll only be five or six and my oldest daughter Will hopefully go to college in three years so I’ll pop up suits us for a while. Towing with a Honda pilot with the 5K tow package.
The models and considering are used and in excellent condition with full working AC, both owners barely used them.
Premier pros:
Sleeps “8” Lighter Shorter (easier to see out the back) Two refrigerators $1-$2k less than the Highwall Crescent seating around a larger table, and is a a extra wide Twin XL (50 x80)
Owner is throwing in lots of extras, including a microwave Keurig television leveling jacks, various camping wares
Cons: Curtain wall shower toilet Indoor stove right next to the bed, small. Outdoor grill is very basic propane bbq grill. The bench seat that folds out isn’t a true twin- the back cushions sit higher than the bench, so likely won’t get slept on.
High Wall pros:
Man is it nice! Hard wall shower Dual sink Oven Integrated microwave Outdoor grill is a legit 3-burner stove + sink (basically the premier’s kitchen for outside. Less items to fold down when closing it up 1 larger 3-way fridge (I’m not sure if the premier is a 3-way. Owner installed trailer brakes.
Owner is likely, throwing in a few extra dishes, but nothing else is really needed.
HW cons:
Much heavier Much taller 7 feet with the AC Sleeps 6 (but we can squeeze everyone in based on current ages) $1-$2k more expensive Loss of seating in lieu of the appliances above Smaller crescent dinette - extra wide twin (50x72)
CON for both is a they are bit over my original intended max of 10k. But it’s likely I can talk the premier owner down closer to my original budget.
Appreciate y’all‘s opinions and insight for a 40 something dad rediscovering Glamping

DC Next presents:

I AM BATMAN

In True Crime
Issue Sixteen: Dark Hair And Face Paint
Written by ClaraEclair
Edited by PredaPlant & DeadIslandMan1
 
<< < Previous Issue Next Issue > Coming Next Month
 
 
Gotham University’s winter term was coming to an end, and that meant the resident varsity football team was finishing out their season — on home turf, no less. The Nighthawks were on a winning streak and were looking to finish off the season with a championship. The entire team felt the energy coursing through them as the stadium filled and crowd chants grew.
There were always major league scouts within the crowds at these types of games, especially for teams as impressive as the Nighthawks had been. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that some of the players on the varsity team would be making it to the national league. The coach, as hard as he could be on his team, felt nothing but warm pride in his heart and mind.
Zack Howard, the captain of the Nighthawks, looked over the 120 yard field from the player entrance, listening to the roaring crowd chanting for the Nighthawks — even fans of the Princeton Tigers felt the pull toward cheering on the Gotham University team. Just as much as his coach, he felt pride in being able to carry his team this far. He hoped to give the best game he’d ever played, to be noticed by big league coaches and scouts.
“Zack!” He heard his coach shout from behind him, no doubt trying to shift his attention back to the locker room and preparations for the game ahead. Zack exhaled deeply and turned around to see Coach Fremlin approaching with a light jog, holding something in his hand. “Delivery for ya,” he said, handing the envelope to the captain. “Some girl said to give it to you, said there’s somethin’ special inside.” With a smirk, Fremlin clapped Zack’s shoulder before turning back toward the locker room.
Zack’s mind flooded with possibilities and fantasies about what could’ve been in the envelope. Something special could have been anything, and it excited him as he ripped it open. His expression quickly shifted, however, as he pulled a handwritten note out of the envelope, scribbled in nearly illegible handwriting.
”Zack Howard,” it read. He opened it, his brow furrowed, and watched as an instant print photograph fell out of the fold and onto the ground. One piece of clear tape had been shoddily applied to the corner and had clearly lost its adhesion. Leaning down, Zack picked up the photo and squinted, trying to make out the subject.
It took a few moments, but the longer he stared at the photo, the more it dawned on him what was depicted in it. Instantly, upon realising what he saw, he rushed back to the locker room and forced himself through his teammates to Coach Fremlin, who was dragging out his playbook. He grabbed the coach by the shoulder, twisted him around to face him directly, and planted the photo firmly on his chest.
“What the fuck is this?” he demanded. Confused, Fremlin chuckled nervously as he tried to grasp the small photo on his chest, not able to see the subject but only the fury in Zack’s face. The room fell totally silent as the entire team watched the coach and their captain with bated breaths.
“What do you mean?” asked Fremlin, turning the image over and squinting at it, trying to make out the details. Just as fast as Zack had initially made out the details, Fremlin’s face dropped at the realisation. “Holy God, Zack, I–”
“What the hell is this?!” Zack demanded once more, resisting the urge to grab his coach by the collar and push him against the wall. “Who gave this to you?”
“I– I don’t know, it was some girl,” Fremlin stuttered, fumbling over himself. “She was short, had black hair, face paint…”
“What’s it say on the back?” asked Tim Teslow, the team’s best running back, pointing toward the image and the messy scrawls on the back of it. Zack snapped it back out of Fremlin’s hands as the coach sat down, head in his hands.
“Section 204, Row 8, seat 9,” Zack read the note aloud. “I’m going to go see what this is,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Dude, that’s across the stadium,” said Cutter Karznowski, the wide receiver that had only joined at the start of the season. “The game’s starting in a few minutes.”
“I don’t care,” Zack snapped back. “I’m going.”
 
 
Good evening, Gothamites, I hope you enjoyed that last one — Barcode by Self-Sacrificial. It’s always been a personal favourite of mine, straight to the point with the best beats and deepest riffs.
In the same spirit, I’ll get straight to the point of why today’s a big day for me — you’ve all known this was coming but I never quite said what it was. When I started this show a little over a year ago, I wanted to look at the dirt of the world. I wanted to bring you my favourite music while trying to figure out my favourite events in this city.
I’ve talked about all the legends, I’ve talked about Joker, Mister Freeze, and so many others. I’ve talked about new shooters like Man-Bat and Professor Pyg. I’ve even, unfortunately, shed some light on the unoriginal copycat hacks that have started popping up in recent years. It’s all been out of love, though. Love for the mind of those who would commit these atrocities, appreciation for what they are and what they represent.
There’s a reason why they are what they are, and it’s always been a goal of mine to love and appreciate what they put into the world. It’s all about the chaos.
But, today, I won’t be talking about that. Today, I’ll be talking about football. Before you all start booing me, it’s my special day and it’s my show, so I get final say. Specifically, it’s the big championship game for the Gotham University Nighthawks. I went to school with these guys, I feel… an obligation.
I’m excited to see how the game will turn out. I get the nagging feeling that their winning streak might come to an end.
 
 
Section 204 in the Gotham Knights stadium, on the north side of Tricorner Island, the southernmost landmass of Gotham, was filled to the brim with spectators and fans. All were cheering as they waited and watched the Gotham University Nighthawks enter the field below, while Zack spent his time searching the section for a small woman with black hair and face paint.
Despite the difficulty of sifting through the crowded seats, he couldn’t find a woman matching that description. He looked back down at the photograph’s note and read it again, making sure he was in the right spot. The location remained the same: Section 204, row 8, seat 9.
People called out his name, but he was quick to shrug them off. He was too focused on finding the woman who’d sent him the photograph. Even asking those who’d been sitting within section 204 had proved fruitless, with no one being able to say anything about the described woman.
Angry and dejected, Zack turned back toward the steps between sections to head back down to the field when something caught his eye as he moved.
“Sir!” He called out, angling his head toward a man two rows above him, pointing beneath his seat. “Sir, what’s that under your seat?” There was some sort of flashing light taped to the bottom of the seat, slowly pulsing between purple and green.
The man looked confused, leaning forward to take a look at what Zack had pointed at, eyes widening the moment he saw the wiring that he sat atop. A complex series of wires and lights traced their way around each seat in the section, though neither he nor Zack could see what, exactly, the wires were attached to.
“I don’t–”
The man could only shout out those few words before a loud explosion rocked the stadium, blasts running down the portion of the stadium from rows 12 to 4. Dozens of seats were annihilated as smoke, fire, and green gas erupted. Cries of pain and fear replaced the cheers of the spectators.
Blood tainted the intact seats while the smoke rose into the air, infiltrating the sky of southern Gotham, visible from all along the city’s coast. What fell across the stadium, permeating nearly every seat on the west side of the stadium, making its way into the halls that traced the inner workings of the building, was a thick green gas, forcing its way into the lungs of the men and women who were running for their lives, trampling each other.
Those closest to the explosion felt intense convulsions in their abdomens and spasms in their faces, involuntarily forced to bear wicked grins while their shattering breaths overtook the screams of terror in the form of wicked laughter.
Amidst the chaos, the charred photo that Zack once held fell slowly and gracefully, slightly charred, ignorant of the horror that it had been subject to. Slightly charred, it landed a few sections away from the explosions, trampled upon by infected spectators who had no idea what was being done to them.
 
 
A Few Minutes Earlier…
James Gordon’s office at the Gotham City Police Department headquarters was quiet as he sat at his desk, resting his elbows on its surface with his hands clasped, opposite Astrid Arkham, the frail-seeming daughter of Jeremiah Arkham. She had requested a meeting with him, and he had assumed it was for an update into Batman’s investigation into her father.
“Gotham City needs something new,” she began, catching him by surprise. His eyes widened slightly, then his brow furrowed. “We’ve been in this… this state of insanity for decades now, and it is only getting worse. This city is no longer livable, Commissioner.” He resisted the urge to groan. The only difference in Gotham City as it was and the Gotham City of before was that the murders had become spectacle.
When supervillains pushed out mobsters and gangsters, there was a shift in crime, but the results remained the same. Salvatore Maroni and Carmine Falcone knew how to keep their business quiet to the public unless they were in active war. Those were the good old days, now.
“Insane, maniacal supervillains,” she continued. “They rule the streets whenever they so choose. The police cannot deal with them, not under you. You rely on the Batman,” there was venom in her voice as she spoke the name, “and she sweeps up the problems while bringing deranged cultists and assassins into this city. She’s the heir of a small personal army with untold technology and she runs free. The Joker Riots, the assassin siege, Simon Hurt, all because the Batman has infested this town with these misguided thoughts of the supernatural, supposedly haunting our city.” Gordon remained silent.
“Essen’s incentives are now failing,” she said, watching Gordon closely for a reaction. If he gave one, she couldn’t see it. “How many companies that were enticed by her incentives have moved headquarters out of Gotham? They pay nothing in taxes, they have Essen licking their boots, and it’s still not enough. Despite all that’s happened, we haven’t been through hell yet, Commissioner. We’ve only arrived at the gates.”
“If I may, Miss Arkham,” said Gordon, leaning back in his chair, scanning the young woman up and down. “What’s your point?” He understood what she was saying, and he feared she was right, but he didn’t like the conclusion she was bringing forth.
“You are antiquated, Commissioner,” she replied, her face straight. “Obsolete. Your methods don’t work anymore, the law you uphold is no longer effective. Besides that, you are getting old. I can see the fatigue in your face, the bags under your eyes, your paleness. You’re not the detective you used to be.” Astrid leaned forward in her seat, putting her weight on her cane. “Gotham needs something new.”
Gordon’s phone rang, and for a brief moment he was thankful for the reprieve — but only for a moment.
 
 
I’d say I feel bad for the people at the Nighthawks game, but, if I’m totally honest, they had it coming. It’s about time everything caught up to them.
While we all ruminate on what’s happening at the game right now, let’s listen to some good music. This is Confetti by Viscera.
 
 
Batman had listened to as many notes as she could about a green gas that made anyone who inhaled it laugh uncontrollably. It typically led to suffocation through the inability to control the diaphragm, but this time it didn’t, and it confused the Dark Knight. A familiar sight, an attack that resulted in eery laughter, and yet it wasn’t what the city had seen before. None of the victims that hadn’t been in the initial blast had died, though medical care for each of them was necessary.
As much as she cursed herself for being late, not able to save anyone as the events unfolded, she knew that she needed to take control as fast as possible. She, along with every person in the city, dreaded what this attack meant. The name of a particular clown lingered on everyone’s tongues, though no one dared invoke his name.
Batman wasn’t so sure, and she hoped that her gut feeling was right. Most of the bodies that were recoverable had been extracted from the blast zone, over a dozen dead and dozens more injured. Blood and soot equally covered the destroyed seats, and even more on the concrete below.
One thing caught Batman’s eye amidst the mess, two sections away from the initial blast. A small instant print photograph, half burnt, laid on the ground, covered in dirty boot prints. She picked it up and looked it over, squinting as she studied the subject.
It was a blonde woman, head down with wet hair covering her face. Almost lost in the details was a small trail of blood behind the hair, mixing with trailing makeup. Batman frowned as she flipped the image over, seeing the note for a specific seat in the section of the stadium that had been blown to bits.
She approached the seat and kneeled, ducking down to see under the seat. It was one of few that remained intact after the explosions. Zack Howard’s Final Stop was scratched into the bottom of the seat, and at the sight of it, Batman signalled to Oracle to scan the engraving. She couldn’t identify the woman in the photograph, but she could see clearly enough that the attack was targeted at a specific person.
Another killer, she thought to herself, fearing what it could mean for the city. Pyg almost tore the richest members of the city’s economy apart, and they were ready to throw their own to the wolves. Now, there’d been a deadly gas attack at a football game — one that had been sponsored by many of Gotham’s elite.
The idea that the Clown Prince of Crime had returned was already making its way through the city — Batman knew she would have to exert control over everything she could to keep it from tearing itself apart at the seams. She was more than prepared to do so.
“It doesn’t look good,” she said to Oracle.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice distant. “I hope it’s just another copycat, they’re much easier to deal with.”
“I don’t know,” Batman replied, looking back at the photograph. “Something’s different.”

0:00
I'm St from the heart of quo Texas where the streets are hot and the pressure is
0:05
Relentless watch the truth is hidden behind the o fields Eagle foot shell
0:11
yeah they're the ones who heal they CLA they bringing jobs but it's all the
0:16
behind closed doors big plot frog he guard on man want to take down but I
0:23
won't let expose a clown de with County a place where life ain't easy industry
0:30
trying to profit off can need but in no car are he's the voice for the oppressed
0:36
fighting for the truth won't let him
0:44
[Music]
0:53
die the streets of Cl where the blood runs thck do we count yeah that's where
0:58
I spit 1990s interal murders made it deep it's instrumental about exposed secrets you
1:05
can't keep in the Heart of Texas where the violence was RA gang wars drug deals
1:11
Bodies Hit The Floor Caroll a small town but with big reputation a vicious cycle
1:17
of crime and Desperation late nights gun fight silence through the air shots Fire
1:23
Dream Shad people living in despair the streets were hot but the city was cold
1:28
in a place were loyalty is bought me soul
1:58
[Music]
2:11
Texas where the flood R high in 98 the
2:16
water SK but now it's different yeah things have
2:23
[Music] changed they r r game in the harder do
2:29
it but a shell is Grand eag for Shell they got the upper hand they drill and they
2:35
spill same old story The FL taking all the glory the oyal flowing but the
2:40
people are stinking blood desperation man it's a what we're thinking executive
2:46
managers they don't give a damn they watching the money pile up while we're stuck in the jam
2:52
[Music]
3:02
[Music]
3:21
W we're stuck in the jail Stu in
3:35
[Music]
4:01
that expose the truth Ino Texas where the sh move sh got casing big snacks but
4:08
let me tell you about the dirty little ax 911 2001 but day will never forget
4:15
while we mour the falling they were making the BET planning the schemes in the shadows they creep exploting the
4:21
tragedy while we weap Shadow shock it's time to wake up now sh the lie on these
4:28
thugs we won't back down from C to the wick County we demand the truth expose
4:34
the EXs let the secrets [Music]
4:55
loose in the [ __ ] s where the blood run sck with County yes where I spit SP 199
5:04
c a local murders man te this instrumental about to expose secrets you
5:09
can't keep in the Heart of Texas where the violence was raw gang boys drug
5:15
deals Bodies Hit The Floor a small town but with a big
5:21
reputation a vicious cycle of crime and Desperation late nights gunfight siren
5:28
still the air fire dreams shattered people living in the St the streets were
5:34
hot but the city was cold in a place where loyalty is bought and sold
5:47
[Music]
5:56
[Music]
6:09
we yo listen up and new players but what you going to do
6:15
you think you're hot messing with the part of Christ well let me tell you it's time to pay the price and go for sh you
6:21
think it's all about the cash but the truth is that your crisis it's going to smash your facilitating L one other
6:27
people they suffering crying why is sitting in your steeple but a lose a crisis we can't ignore ego forell ain't
6:35
what it was before Ina are you listening to this
6:41
song time to step up right your W right listen to the song song time to
6:48
step up right your walls time to step up what you
6:56
want time to step up what you want
7:02
time to step up you WR time to step up what you
7:11
want time to step up what you want your you go waste on the suffer words
7:19
you still the same I'm P the T World Ain no you listening trouble F I'm so like
7:24
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7:30
RO C team do Fe BL yeah Ling me you Mak be you n all you s Dr No SL fi CH I been
7:40
down there in't the whole [ __ ] but I want to aim and I be R can't for the tri
7:45
what you walk through like right i s b come it's s game Bo
7:55
night time to step up what your wall
8:01
tellas step up right your wall tellas step up right your
8:09
ball new may you think you got it all but let me tell you something it's time
8:15
for you falling in the try the truth but we won't stay quiet we're coming for you
8:23
e of shell history full of dirty deals and now you ding the cops out as it feel
8:29
you but we won't be s s back down Expos to corruption till you're running out of
8:36
town you think you're so slick with your fancy smile but we see right through you
8:42
won't last a while Hing persons like a m Le for your game well we're here fight
8:49
back we won't play your game
8:56
[Music]
9:03
[Music]
9:20
[Music] yo listen up I got a story to tell about
9:26
a shady mayor and me go his name but don't let that smile for you he's
9:31
playing games pimping out the truth trying to hide the shame he's got ties to the big guns those in the local
9:38
governments using their power cover up the evidence but I won't stay silent I won't be silence going to expose their
9:45
lies going to bring the violence oh this
9:53
the keep up from the truth we know what you've done and we're coming for you
10:01
no more high no more lies it's time for justice
10:09
it's our Battle Cry [Music]
10:46
yo [Music]
11:15
there a new mayor in town yeah car his name but let me tell you about the truth
11:20
it's not all in his f e baby dipping the kids schools into a circus it's time to
11:27
lift the lids they talk about progress but it's all a facade behind closed
11:33
doors and play we CR slood car so you're the face but who's pulling the strings
11:40
evil for Scot grip spreading chaos with wings evil for drama I what to say
11:46
playing with the future playing with our lives but we won't back down no we won't
11:53
Retreat Expos the truth rise up and take our seat
11:59
[Music]
12:07
mayor Goa you claim to be the Savior but your ties Run Deep and they ain't in our
12:13
favor eag for Shell with the dirty dealing Human Rights Campaign the true
12:19
is concealing the true intentions
12:24
concealing [Applause] Paul singer the puet master in Disguise
12:31
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12:38
ain't nothing new Q we Arizon We Won't Back Down expose the
12:46
corruption T down the crown we fight for justice We Fight For
12:53
Truth No More hiding coming for you
13:47
murdering May is the eagle foot shell execu play God to fail huging surprise
13:55
sitting under that Bell kidnapping as the force it's time to un the turny
14:02
secrets they can no longer hide in the innocent feeding off the pride e go for
14:08
you can't run and you can't hide we're here to expose you it's time to collide
14:16
they call themselves leaders but then they left it bar covering up the pr with
14:21
FY hats innocent never getting Justice it's time
14:27
to rise up and EXP their dark
14:33
darkness and expose their Darkness
14:39
[Music]
15:05
murdering e for Shell Executives play got B to fail hard across in and under
15:13
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15:20
longer hide expl in the innoc be eat off the pride e for you can't run if you
15:27
can't hide we're here to expose [Music]
15:40
you it's time to collide they say de with counties got
15:48
secrets to spell covering up crimes yeah they got the skill H to Mur
15:55
kidnap it still f thanks to [Applause] [Music]
16:02
you oh thanks to you offici here it made me sick
16:09
pretending to but to just a bunch of trips e for sale with money's but that
16:14
cost the hard against county corruption it's time to expose to
16:21
secrets that no way go we won't stay Sil won let shine in
16:29
on the Justice World
16:35
[Music]
16:45
[Music]
16:57
Wide County a it's time to expose dark secrets that
17:04
nobody knows we won't say Sil W
17:10
sh on me Justice worldwide
17:15
[Music]
17:28
[Music] corruption running deep in a place
17:34
called quo they cover up the crimes but we got to let them know hundreds of lives lost and it ain't no joke in a
17:42
lock of murders kidnappings Force birth in a choke Eagle for Shell get bad with
17:47
the government they think they're slick don't we see through the lament money talks but Justice we command no more
17:54
hide the truth time to make a stand shatter Trust won't be silenced anymore
18:01
suppos the jum is that da ignore the power of the people we won't be deny
18:07
Together We rise justce this on our side
18:15
[Music]
18:36
[Music]
18:44
Street evil food sh with the evil who resides submer the city turn cold
18:51
kidnapp is and for bir for stories Untold fear in the air suffocating the
18:57
town general of made it hard where the devil's been Crown but I
19:03
will stay silent I won't let it slide going to speak up for
19:09
justice W an evil subside fresh and freedom teing at the
19:16
Seas sh every scar you're night let our voices be
19:24
heard and this the time this right we'll
19:31
fight let our voices be H against the
19:37
dark we fight with
19:44
[Applause]
20:00
Burning Bridges I'm spitting on fire call him now the new mayor man you're a liar Eagle forell selling dreams to the
20:08
masses but I see through the smoke exposing your ashes D County J you think you're a man
20:16
but your secrets the even right through the sand sex trafficking a cover up so
20:23
of seen I'm coming for youa the machine pick you up Untouchable
20:29
hiding in the shadows but I'm shining the light exposing your battles manipulating power for your own personal
20:37
game but I W let you prosper I won't play your game
20:46
[Music]
21:01
I won't let you prosper I will play your game I W let you
21:09
prosper I won play your
21:15
game bring s think it's slick but I see through your gang and your dirty
21:21
tricks qu go watch the story working with e for sh chasing that Glory e
21:29
sh a money laundering thre taking innocent people just for H you think
21:35
you're untouchable but I will back down I'll expose your lies all the
21:41
crown corruption unleashed the truth will
21:46
rise no more hide behind your disguise Carol won't be
21:52
fooled no more in the dark we'll fight for justice leave them
22:01
[Music]
22:26
here's a little story got a man named Randy claiming to be the save you king of the city but let me tell you he's
22:32
just a big phone working with e forel ain't that funny he talk about progress but it's just a facade using our
22:39
resources like it's all B can see through your lives Randy it's clear you're selling on water making us live
22:45
in fear you say you're helping but who do you think you're fooling you're ly in your pockets while the people are losing
22:51
eego for Shell the money ler in front but we won't back down we'll fight to the hunt
22:58
m [Music]
23:11
[Music]
23:37
listen up I got something to say about a man Nam Randy the mayor of
23:44
dis working with e for sh making money on a side but they HDE
23:52
behind the Press where the truth loves to hide they
23:59
claim to be for the people but it's all
24:06
a using the power they have leaving others betray organized
24:17
violence targeting a weak they thrive on chaos the Havoc the se but I won't be
24:27
Sil I won't be afraid I'll shine the light on the
24:34
darkness games they play Ready Running Out of
24:43
Time the people of forget
24:48
your where corruption grow the new faceing child but who
24:54
really knows they say he's a mayor but I see through the facade playing dir games with life insurance
25:00
checks is just frud the eagle foot shell gang lurking in the shadows MERS of
25:06
informance exposing their dirty battles crippling the people for their personal
25:12
gain ry's involved deep in the greed and pain Showdown it's time to take a stand
25:19
Expos the corruption running through the land no more victims no more Lots lost
25:25
in vain together we fight in just this will
25:32
[Music]
25:42
reclaim I'm BR the new mayor down but I got to call him out it's time to break
25:47
it down for finding all those dirty crops under to B up the murders this just a matter of time talk about
25:54
progress go where the truth playing dirty politics out in the proof for money flen binding your sight while
26:00
innocent lives are taken left in a this night power struggles corruption lurking
26:06
in the dark but I won't back down I'll ignite that spark exposed the lies bring Justice to this game won't let R say for
26:15
car to shame
26:31
the [Music]
26:48
[ __ ] what [ __ ]
26:54
[Music]
27:08
girl new you think you got it all but let me tell you something it's time for
27:13
you to fall pipping into local governments trying to hide the truth but we won't stay quiet we're coming for you
27:21
eag for sh's history full of dirty deals and now you pimping the cops how does it
27:27
feel but we won't be silent We Won't Back Down Expos the corruption till
27:33
you're running out of town you think you're so slick with your fancy smile
27:39
but we see right through you you won't last a while camping persons like commodities for your game who we're here
27:47
to fight back we won't play again
27:57
[Music]
28:03
yo listen up I got a story to tell about a shady mayor Emy GZA is his name but
28:11
don't let that smile for you he's playing games pimping out the truth trying to hide the shame he's got ties
28:18
to the big guns those inter local governments using the power to cover up the evidence but I won't stay silent I
28:26
won't be silence going to expose the lies going to bring the violence oh Mr
28:33
Mayor you can't run from the truth we know what you done and we're coming for
28:38
you no more hiding no more Li time for justice it's our Battle Cry
28:47
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
28:58
no more lies it's time for justice it's all battle
29:07
[Music]
29:13
C A do in town yeah Gaza is his name but
29:18
let me tell you about the truth it's not all in his Fame Eagle foot shell baby pipping the kids turn the schools into a
29:25
circus it's time to lift the lids they talk about progress but it's all the facade behind closed doors they're
29:33
playing with cars for Goda you the face but who's pulling the strings Eagle
29:38
foot's got a GP spreading chaos with wings Eagle foot drama or what a sight
29:44
playing with the future playing with our lives but we won't back down no we won't
29:49
Retreat expose the truth R up and take our seat
29:59
[Music]
30:14
you play to be se but your ti R deep and in a favor you
30:20
go for sh with your Dy dealing human rights care the true inen coning s the
30:27
pet mastering disguise Bo strs behind closed doors to lies murdering the
30:33
shadow we crew a handstain with blood and it ain't nothing new all
30:40
right we all for you down the crown we fight for
30:46
justice We Fight For Truth No More hiding coming for you
30:58
[Music] we're coming from
31:04
[Music]
31:11
you we're coming for you [Music]
31:28
murder and L it's the eagle for sh Executives playing God but they're B to
31:33
fail hundreds of chist under the fail kidnappings and for births it's not no
31:39
unveil they Dirty Secrets they can no longer High exploting the innocent
31:45
feeding off their pride Eco foot shell you can't run and you can't hide where
31:50
here to expose you it's time to [Music]
31:55
collide they call them so leaders but they're nothing but rats covering up
32:02
their crimes with fancy hats innocent lives lost never getting
32:07
Justice it's time to rise up and expose their Darkness
32:13
[Music]
32:44
[Applause]
32:49
they say deal with c's got Secrets is Spill covering up crimes yeah they got
32:55
the skill hunting to murders kidnapping too Force burst heading up thanks to you
33:01
let officials sh you make me sick pretending to serve but you just a bunch of Tricks Eagle for sh the money's
33:09
rolling in but at one cost the H begins county
33:15
corruption it's time to expose the dark secr and nobody knows we all stay side
33:22
Hess side shine a light on Me In Justice worldwide
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[Music]
33:43
county corruption it's time to expose the dark secrets that nobody knows we
33:50
won't stay silent won't let it SL Shining Light on me and Justice
33:56
worldwide [Music]
34:17
corruption running deep in a place called quel they cover up the crimes but we got to let them know HS of lives lost
34:24
and it ain't no joke and a lock of murderers kidnapping force birs in a CH EV for CH and bear with the government
34:31
they think they slick but we see through lament money toss the Justice we demand
34:37
no more hid in the truth time to make a stand TR we won't be S anymore exps the
34:45
darkness that they ignore the power of the people he won't be denied Together
34:50
We rise just I'm
35:06
[Music] Blood on the streets where the darkness
35:12
resides eag for sh where the evil resides hun to murders the city's turn
35:18
cold kidnapping and force birth the stories Untold the fear in the air suffocating the town caring hot with the
35:25
devil's being Crown but I won't stay silent I won't let it
35:30
slide CU wake up for justice won't let evil
35:35
subside FR free heart when the devil's been Crown but I won't stay silent I
35:44
won't let it go to speak up for justice won't let
35:52
evil Freedom the SE we sh
35:58
Tre hunting on every SK [Music]
36:05
up let voices be heard against the darkness we'll fight with every
36:12
[Music]
36:20
word with everyone
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[Music]
36:33
[Music]
36:41
Yoo Burning Bridges I'm spit out fire calling out a new mail man you a li you
36:46
for the shell selling dreams to the masses but I see through the smoke exposing your ashes you we County you
36:53
you think you're the man but you secr they seeping right through the stand sex traffic the cover up so SC I'm coming
36:59
for you you Mil cars through the must did you think you're untouchable hiding in the shadow for I'm Shing the light
37:06
exposing your battles manula power for your own personal game but I won't let you prosper I won't play your game
37:20
[Music]
37:25
[Music]
37:36
you think you're untouchable hiding in the shadows but I'm shining the light exposing your battles manipulate power
37:42
for your own personal game but I w't let you prosper I won't play your game
37:49
[Music]
38:09
you think you slick but I see through your gameing your dirty tricks mayor of
38:14
t r but what's the story working with eagle for chasing that
38:19
Glory Eagle for sh a money loer in front taking innocent
38:26
people just for a hunt you think her touch him but when I go back down I'll expose youres I we the
38:34
crown corruption unleash the truth will rise no more hiding behind your
38:40
disguise ker will be fo no more in the dark we'll fight for justice leave a
38:48
mark
38:53
[Music]
39:01
[Music] the truth will rise no more I behind
39:09
your disguise sh will be full no more in the dark we'll fight for justice leave a
39:30
here's a little Story by man named Randy claiming to be the Savior the king of the city but let me tell you he's just a
39:35
big phony working with e ain't that funny talks about progress but it's just a facade using our resources like it's
39:42
all a big com we see your lies Ry it's clear you're selling our water making us live in fear you say you're helping but
39:49
who do you think you're fooling you're l in your pockets while the people are losing e for Shell the money longer in
39:56
front but we will back back down we'll fight till the hunt we'll fight till the hunt
40:10
[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music] car listen up I got something to say
40:32
about a man Nam Randy the May of dismay working with eagleford SH making
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money on the side but they hide behind the Press where the truth L to hide they
40:47
claim to be for the people but it's all assur using the power they have leaving
40:54
all this betray organized silence targeting the we they thr on the chaos Havoc they
41:03
see but I won't be silence I won't be
41:08
afraid I'll shine a light on the darkness the games they have play Randy
41:15
says you're running out of time the people of claro won't forget your cry
41:26
[Music]
41:55
hello [Music]
42:00
listen up I got something to say about a man Nam Randy the mayor of
42:08
dis working with eagle for sh making money on the side but they
42:15
hide behind the Press where the truth flows to hide
42:27
quo ofup and grows Randy saes the new face in town but who really knows they
42:34
say he's a man but I see through the facade playing dirty games with life insurance checks it's just fraud the
42:41
eagle foot shell G looking in the shadows Whispers of informance exposing
42:46
their dirty battles cripping the people for the personal gain R de deep and
42:53
greed and pain kro show down
42:58
it's time to take a stand expose the corruption running through the L no more
43:06
Victor no more lives lost in P together we're fight and for C
43:16
[Music] oh we no fight
43:23
Lo together we'll fight and Justice will [Music]
43:38
quo where corruption grow ready stands the new face and tell but who really
43:44
knows they say he's a mayor but I see through the facade playing dirty games with life insurance checks it's just fr
43:53
[Music]
44:03
for chill [Music]
44:15
G Here Comes Randy s the new mayor in town but I got to call him out it's time
44:23
to break it down for finding all those dirty crimes hundreds of interal murders
44:30
is it just a matter of time they talk about progress but
44:36
where's the truth playing dirty politics hi in the Pro needle for money Floy fing
44:43
your sight while innocent lives are taking left and Endless Night power
44:48
struggles corruption looking in the dark but I won't back down I'll ignite that
44:56
SP is H lies bring Justice to this game
45:01
won't let Brey s fck you Ro to sh
45:08
[Music]
45:50
yeah listen up em guards this is for you yeah knew made
45:57
off qu but what you going to do you think you're hot messing with the
46:03
B crisis but let me tell you it's time to pay the
46:10
prices evil for Shell you think it's all about the gash but the truth is it's a crisis that's going to smash you're
46:17
facilitating maintaining but what about the people they're suffering crying why
46:23
you sitting in your SE w w
46:31
[Music]
46:36
[Music]
46:48
[Music]
47:00
a crisis we can't [Applause] ignore e shell and what is
47:12
[Music]
47:21
[Applause] [Music]
47:29
are you listen to this song time to
47:35
[Music]
47:41
[Applause] [Music]
47:49
step when a flood R high at 98 the water reached the sky but now it's different
47:55
yeah things are ch change executive manages they running game in the heart
48:01
of we County where shell is Grand Eagle foot shell they got the upper hand they
48:07
drilling they SP same old story pling The FL taking all the glory The Voice
48:15
flowing but the people are sing for the desperation man the say what we're faking executive managers they don't
48:22
give a damn they watching the money P while we stuck in the [Music]
48:41
yo listen up about to expose the truth in Carol Texas what a shelling sex move
48:47
e for sh got him cashing in big Stacks but let me tell you about that dirty little X 911 2001 they will never forget
48:56
we want the fall they were making the better gling the stames in the shadows that creep sporting the tragedy while we
49:04
we sh while we win sh Shar is time to wake up now shine the light on these dos
49:12
we walk back down them to the r County we demand the truth expose the XX let
49:19
the secrets loose
49:24
[Music]
49:51
about to expose the truth in quo Texas where the shell execs move EV for Shell got cashing and big Stacks but let me
49:58
tell you about dirty little a 91121 a day will never forget while we mour the
50:04
fall and they were making it platines in the shadows they creep explo the tragedy
50:10
while we sh to wake up now shine the light on the STS we W back down fromo to
50:19
the W County we demand the truth expose the exx let the secrets loose
50:28
[Music]
50:35
[Music] SP from the hard quo Texas where the
50:43
streets are hot and the pressure is Relentless but the truth is hidden behind the oil fields Eagle for Shell
50:50
yeah they're the ones who yield they claim they bringing JS but it's s star behind closed doors they
50:58
FR man they want to take down but I won't let them going to expose the
51:06
clowns do with County a place where life ain't easy industry trying to profit off
51:12
the needy but emaza he's the voice for the oppress fighting for the truth won't
51:18
let him digress [Music]

Aenar, Astaraxes, and Naerys had departed on Valyria’s Pride three days past, their retinue of guards and servants alongside them. Leaving Summerhall near empty with only Laena, the man, and Rhaenys herself remaining, their evenings were hardly boring, however quiet the palace was.
As Rhaenys dressed herself for flight, putting on her gloves, she called out into the open sky,

“Meraxes, māzigon naejot issa!”

She could only hope the she-dragon heard the call, or more accurately felt the call. She did not need to speak with her always, some of the magic the ancient Valyrians had employed still flourished, the link between a rider and her dragon something that did not require a physical component.
As Rhaenys turned around to embrace the man, before placing a kiss on his lips, holding it until she was interrupted by the sound of leather in the sky. My sister.
Her head spun from the man’s lips and onto the silver in the skies before she touched down. The thud and subsequent dust sent into the air, surrounding the three in the courtyard. Rhaenys began to walk towards Meraxes before saying, “Ao sagon jurnegēre gevie tubī!” She placed her hand on Meraxes lowered snout before petting it, “It's going to be a long flight, but we're going to be nearer Balerion then. We have that to look forward to.”
Meraxes’ head perked up, before she laid down, ready for Rhaenys and Laena to mount her. “There’s just something else I must do and then we can leave,” Rhaenys said before turning back to the man.
“You are to keep this palace in good order, and I know you will, but I figured I should mention it. Can’t hurt can it?” she said with a smile.
“Of course I will, I’ll be going over the tables for a majority of the time, send a raven if it goes long, I will be rather lonely without both of my women here.”
Laena rolled her eyes at the statement, walking over to Meraxes and mounting her. Rhaenys’ smile intensified, “we’re a bit old for these jokes no? Not like I’d stop you from making them, but we are a bit old are we not?” As she spoke, Rhaenys pulled a vial from her belt and removed the stopper, before pouring the contents into the cup the man held.
Inside it was dreamwine, and the vial had contained poppy that had now mixed in with the dreamwine. “Any for you Laena?” Rhaenys asked, taking the cup in her own hand. Upon seeing the shaking head Rhaenys drank, and deep, before placing the cup back in the man’s hand. She leaned over and stood on her toes, planting a kiss on his lips, leaving him with a few last words, “take care of yourself. And no matter what, if I am dead you serve Aenar. He will need you.”
As the man nodded, Rhaenys walked to Meraxes and mounted her, sitting behind Laena. “A long day of travel and then we will be there. Aenar’s throne is within our grasp.”
“Sōvegon," she whispered as Meraxes stood, the power in her steps nearly shaking the ground below her, gaining speed before her wings struck the air. Once, twice, and they were airborne. The lurch as Meraxes found her stream of air pulled Rhaenys back, as Laena’s back touched her own chest. “Careful now, I’m the one that’s dreamdrunk, not you.”
Rhaenys pulled Laena’s hood to the side as the woman looked behind, Rhaenys pulling down the mask of her hood before planting her lips on Laena’s, her hands which held onto the reins of Meraxes wrapped themselves around the reins, before landing on Laena’s waist, pulling her in closer, and closer still as their lips locked. Their hoods were less secure but with little wind, but that did not much matter to the Queen, her mind slowly succumbing to the dreamwine and poppy mixture.
Her head swam more and more with each moment, before she let her lips separate from Laena’s, barely able to hold onto the reins she shoved them into her belt before managing, “Dārys tegorīr, Merakses,” as she drifted off to a gentle sleep.
As she came to, she could smell the difference in the air. The sun was no longer rising but almost gone, hidden by the horizon until it rose again the following day. Below she could see in the distance the candlelight of King's Landing, thousands of them lighting up the small spot on Blackwater Bay.
Here was where she, Aegon, and Visenya had first touched Westerosi soil to begin their conquest, leaving thousands dead and thousands of years of tradition dead in their wake. They had done what none had for hundreds of years, bend an entire people to their will purely by dragonfire. It was once again the Andals who faced the wrath of the Valyrians, bent to their servitude, though this time it was not slavery, that was a sentiment of a different world, they were quasi-equals now.
As Meraxes flew above the Red Keep, high in the air above the capital, Rhaenys leaned down closer to the head of her sister in arms.

“Ivestragī zirȳ gīmigon iksi kesīr!”

Searing white light along with a roar that woke any unlucky enough to have gone to bed early began above the city, Rhaenys making her presence known.
“That's sure to make you unpopular today,” Laena said as she watched the flame, her eyes closed due to the light.
Rhaenys’ own face was much different, a child-like smile shining from ear to ear. The white hot flames were bright even on the sunniest of days, pure moonlight on the darkest of night. “I don’t care, I have a cause again, they shall remember the old me or die for it. I may no longer be young, but there were three conquerors, and only one of us never forgot what that meant.”
“Tegun, Merakses,” Rhaenys uttered, pointing Meraxes in the direction of the Red Keep, a freshly built new castle for the Targaryen power to impress those who looked up at it. Atop Aegon’s Hill, they built a keep for all to admire. Atop Rhaenys’ Hill, they built a pit for the dragon who had come to conquer Westeros. Atop Visenya’s Hill, they built… a monument to false gods.
Meraxes’ claws gripped the red bricks of the Red Keep as she landed, a few falling down the hill. Rhaenys slid down her wings and waited for Laena to do the same, where Rhaenys waited holding her hand out so that she might grab it, the same as a knight might do with a lady. Beneath the mask of her hood, she smiled before looking at one of the guards, taking the mask and hood off, and letting Laena pull her hair out from the hood.
Rhaenys brushed past the guard as Meraxes leered at the man, she preferred lamb but crownlander would do just fine. As Rhaenys walked down the stairs descending from the walls, she looked to one of the captains, “it seems a few of the bricks off the wall came loose, you might want to look into that. We wouldn’t want the Red Keep to be vulnerable,” as a sinister smile appeared on her face.
“Laena, I’m a bit tired after all of that I believe, maybe I should find myself a seat,” she said, walking up to the throne room, the Iron Throne looming over them. She stood for a moment, looking at the metal monstrosity as images of the Field of Fire displayed themselves in her mind, a good day if still distasteful. The smell of burnt flesh was never quite as fun as seeing the swirling of flame on an open field, and yet one couldn’t have one without the other.
“Place a pillow on the throne, I’ve a sore arse after this travel, send a message that I will arrive at the hunt on the morrow,” Rhaenys let out to one of the servants in the throne room, desolate except for a few guards and servants.
As the man disappeared and reappeared, placing the pillow in its place, before bowing to Rhaenys, she shouted out, “LEAVE! All of you! I need a moment in the memory of my brother.”
As the sound of feet across the stone grew quieter Rhaenys approached the throne, Laena a few steps behind her, before looking up at the throne. She took each step carefully as she ascended, before taking her seat and looking out across the room.
“Come, join me, you’re tired as well after this entire day.”
Each sword was a man, and there were enough swords to make this monstrosity. What they had done would be remembered by the Westerosi for all time, regardless of the dynasty that sat at the top of them all. As Laena sat in her lap she cut her hand ever slightly, the blood disappearing into the creation, almost as if the throne had drunk it. Though she winced, Rhaenys did not notice, too lost in thought, her eyes fixated on a point and yet seeing nothing.
You gave me a son who would have been your heir, yet they took you from me. I may fill my bed with others and fill my belly with wine, but the only one who has ever filled my heart was you, she thought. A tear fell onto Laena’s dress as Rhaenys seemed to be in a world of her own.

** BOTH FRI 5/17 AND SAT 5/18 *\*
Motorcycle Safety Foundation Ride Day New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program, 3401 Pan American Fwy Take Your First Ride: Ride a motorcycle in 30 min or less for free. MOTO Intro provides the motorcycle, helmet, gloves, and coaching. Free Riding Skills Test: Take the challenge of an advanced MSF course! SKILL Check participants, bring your motorcycle and gear! Please wear over-the-ankle footwear, long pants and long sleeves

• Fri: 2 - 4 PM Skills Check, 4 - 6 PM Moto Intro
• Sat: 2 - 4:30 PM Moto Intro, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Skills Check

Niños and Teeños: Flamenco para todos Carlisle Gymnasium (Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance), UNM, 301 Yale Blvd. NE National Institute of Flamenco presents Niños y Teeños Flamencos in FUTUROS FLAMENCOS. Come see the high-energy flamenco of the National Institute of Flamenco's Student Companies. Don't miss this special showcase by talented youth in our community! (tickets)

• Fri: 7 PM
• Sat: 4 PM

** Fri 5/17 *\*
Fri 4:30 PM Bike to Wherever Day Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Learn about exciting bike routes in Albuquerque and grab some cool giveaways to kickstart your cycling adventures. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just starting out, there’s something for EVERYONE at our pop-up table! We'll have Canteen will be volunteering at a table from 6:30-9am and then again at 4:30-6:30am. Receive $1 off your beer if you arrive on your bike
Fri 5 PM Pistachio Cream Ale Release Tractor Brewing, ALL locations We're bringing back this seasonal favorite for American Craft Beer Week! Inspired by pistachios produced right here in New Mexico this brew is as smooth as silk and as tasty and a fresh roasted pistachio. This is a very limited one off for us, so come and get you a pint or growler while supplies last
Fri 5 – 7 PM May Babies Birthday Celebration Rio Bravo Brewing, 1912 2nd St. NW Starting at 5pm, the first 25 people with May birthdays to show Ryan proof of their birthday month will score a $5 Rio Bravo Brewing Gift Card...oh, and Beers are on special for birthday kids for just $5! But you spend your gift card however you want! Thanks to Cake Fetish...we'll have cupcakes for the May Birthday Kids (while supplies last) We'll have prizes JUST for the May Babies! We'll also have drawings for all you non-birthday folks too If you want to get their before us...All drinks are $1 Off for May Birthdays the whole day!
Fri 5:45 – 7:15 PM 22 Veterans Suicide Awareness WOD BFit505, 11500 Menaul Blvd. NE Each month, Team Bravo & Bfit505 team up to bring awareness to veteran suicide. Before our events, we will take a moment and talk about the issue. Then we will begin with our 22 reps WOD followed by a 2.2 mile ruck/walk/run. Afterwards, we will be going out to eat for social time with friends and family. This event is for all levels
Fri 6 PM Sandia Social - May Hangout Dawn Patrol Coffee Shop, 3619 Copper Ave NE We will be hanging out around the patio and inside starting at 6pm! Bring your friends and come hang out!
Fri 6 PM Pink Therapy, A Latin Dance Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Sobremesa, 3421 Coors Blvd. NW On The One and Pachanga Productions' "Salsa Therapy" night has made its mark in the Latin Dance community, now we are using the symbolism of "Therapy" under "Pink Therapy" but this time it is to fundraise in partnership with the Pink Warrior House Foundation in order to provide outreach and increase resources for those warriors battling against breast cancer. On The One and Pachanga productions will be involved in community outreach and utilizing our resources to help those in need. Cover charge is a SUGGESTED $20 donation (ALL PROCEEDS GO TO Pink Warrior House Foundation). Cocktail hour from 6-7 PM (purchases go to PWH on selected drinks). Dance lesson from 7-8 PM. Open dance floor 8-12 AM. Be aware of Media/News coverage. We need everyone's assistance with this, PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE, those warriors battling breast cancer need our help. Let's do our part. We are asking for the entire Latin dance community to come out and support. This will be one of many fundraisers that we do for organizations like PWH. Lets use our dance skills to help those in need!
Fri 6 – 8 PM May Flowers Stampin' Bingo (in person) Hip Stitch, 2320 Wisconsin St. NE Cost is $35 for 6 rounds of bingo, prizes, and make n' takes! Message for more info or to register
Fri 6 – 8:30 PM Los Domingueros Live El Vado, 2500 Central Ave SW Prepare for an unforgettable fusion of Latin dance beats and rock energy as Friday Night Live at El Vado proudly presents New Mexico's premier menudo-based band, Los Domingueros! Few bands can match the infectious joy and vibrant rhythms that they bring to the stage. A multi-talented group of musicians, they take listeners on a musical journey like no other. From the pulsating rhythms of salsa, bachata, and cumbia to the high-energy vibes of ska and reggae, sprinkled with a dash of punk and thrash, their eclectic repertoire promises an exhilarating experience for all. As always, treat your taste buds to a delightful selection of culinary delights from our diverse food pods. From savory stir-fries to tantalizing Latin flavors and heavenly desserts, there's something to satisfy every craving. And don't overlook the opportunity to quench your thirst with a crisp craft beer from Ponderosa Brewing Company, conveniently available at the El Vado Tap Room
Fri 6 – 10 PM Fork Cancer Gala FUSION ABQ, 700-708 1st St. NW The American Cancer Society is hosting Albuquerque's second #ForkCancerAbq fundraising event. VIP 6pm - 7pm. Gala 7pm - 10pm. Dress Code: Gala Attire. #ForkCancerNM is a foodie's dream, with local restaurants and bars bringing out their best to truly showcase the Taste of Albuquerque while raising money for the American Cancer Society's life-saving mission in New Mexico supporting Access to Care like patient transportation, patient lodging and 24/7 support. Along with life saving research and grants. With great opportunities to raise money, we will also have live entertainment! (tickets)
Fri 6:30 – 10 PM Community Movie Night South Valley Multipurpose Center, 2008 Larrazolo Rd. SW Feature of the night: In The Heights. Bring your dinner, blankets and chairs. Please no glass containers
Fri 7 PM Movie In The Park ABQ Food Park, 6901-B San Antonio Dr. NE ABQ Food Park is bringing back Movies In The Park, starting off the summer with a screening of The Sandlot. Arrive early to get your face painted by Local Locas Facepainting before settling in with your blankets, chairs, and appetite for a delightful evening at the park with loved ones. Indulge in delicious fare from our food trucks while enjoying this timeless film under the stars. Please do not bring outside food as we have a variety of food options at the park. Please support our local food vendors. Entry is free! Reserve your tickets
Fri 7 – 10 PM Emerald Ball Holiday Dance Studio, 5200 Eubank Blvd. NE, Ste D Celebrate the enchanting month of May by donning your finest emerald attire. Bring in the vibrant spring season by joining us in elegant semi-formal wear of rich verdant colors and dance the night away! A Foxtrot lesson will begin the evening at 7pm followed by open dancing. Call 505-508-4020 for more information. $30 non-members
Fri 8 PM – 2 AM Sucia EDC Gogo Takeover Sidewinders Bar and Grill, 4200 Central Ave SE Sucia Productions is bringing the Electric Sky to Sidewinders! No need to have EDC FOMO because Papa Sucia is ready to bring the party to you! Come join your Sucia Family for a Night of PLUR! Featuring the Sucia Gogos on multiple boxes and individual dances available in the Cabaret Room! Hosted by Papa Sucia and Sucia Gogo Madam Sativa Rico-Stratton. DJ Unzipped will be bringing the you the best EDM set for you to dance the night away!
Fri 9 PM – 1:30 AM Callaita Fridays Salt Yard West, 3700 Ellison Rd. NW DJ Soiree will be spinning under the stars in the Salt Yard, promising a night of electrifying Latin music. This 21+ event guarantees an atmosphere where you can fully embrace the rhythm without inhibition. Whether you're a die-hard fan of Reggaeton or simply seeking a night of unparalleled fun, "Callaita Fridays" is the place to be
Fri 10:30 PM – 12:15 AM FACELESS AFTER DARK - new meta horror starring Jenna Kanell of "Terrifier"! The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE All Seats $8. Check out the trailer. Dir. Raymond Wood - 2023 - 82m. Following her breakout success as the star of a killer clown horror flick, Bowie (Jenna Kanell, TERRIFIER) now finds herself struggling to capitalize on its success. But when she is suddenly held hostage by an unhinged fan posing as that same killer clown, horror becomes her reality as she fights to survive the night and escape before he completes his sinister plan to recreate the film's fatal plot (tickets)
** Sat 5/18 *\*
Sat 8 – 10 AM Planting Corn Seeds Lynn Garden, 176 Manierre Rd., Corrales We will be planting corn seeds; a new crop for Seed2Need this year!
Sat 8 – 10 AM Run for Mercy 5K Sagebrush Community Church, 6440 Coors Blvd. NW Join our team to run with us to support Mercy Multiplied, which exists to provide opportunities for all to experience God's unconditional love, forgiveness, and life-transforming power. Mercy offers free-of-charge Residential and Outpatient Counseling Programs, as well as Outreach Services that include workshops and trainings, our Keys to Freedom discipleship study, and Keys to Freedom Retreat (register)
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW Every Saturday from 8 am - NOON! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 8 AM – 2 PM Rio Rancho's Biggest Yard Sale Cabezon Park and Community Center, 2307 Cabezon Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho FREE Admission! Clean out your garage, spare bedroom, attic and shed. Come join us to sell all of those items that were collecting dust, find a treasure that you didn’t know you needed, and enjoy a day in the park! Vendor space $35 for a 15’ x 15’ space (Tables and chairs are not provided) Must register online, NO Drop-Ins Accepted. Please call the Cabezon Community Center at 505-892-4499 for more info
Sat 9 AM Send Haley to Spain Sand Volleyball Tournament Charlie’s Sandbox, 4335 Paseo del Norte NE All proceeds go to Haley and her trip to Spain in July! $20/per player. All Skill levels! Prizes for 1st & 2nd place. 4-6 players Coed with 1 female on team. Check in @ 8:30am. More info: Jillian (505) 322-7228, Haley (505) 331-4788, Charlie (505) 239-2461
Sat 9 AM Invisible Heroes Run Believers Center of Albuquerque, 320 Waterfall Dr. SE Join Runfit and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for the inaugural Invisible Heroes 5K Run/Walk. It is a community event being held to recognize the vital role that medical imaging professionals and radiation therapists play on the health care team and to introduce the public to these vital health care professionals. You are invited to run and walk to celebrate the important work done by invisible heroes. At packet pick-up, you will have an opportunity to tour the ASRT Museum and Archives. Age group, overall, and team awards, including a great t-shirt and finisher medals for all participants (register)
Sat 9 AM - 4 PM 16th Annual CTC Vintage Tractor & Car Show Corrales Recreation Center, 500 Jones Rd., Corrales Join us for a fun day in the Corrales Park. There will be music, food, hot rods, tractor, stationary engines and more. Proceeds Raised will benefit Corrales 4H and Historical Society. Free admission. $10 for show participants
Sat 10 AM – 12 PM Foraging for Fun(ds) Los Poblanos Open Space, 1800 Tierra Viva Pl. NW Join Rev. Ryan Tate on a foraging excursion! Rev. Tate, of the African American spiritual tradition and an IPL board member, wants to bring their loving knowledge of NM edibles and herbs to you. Discover the food right under your nose and how easy it is to enjoy! We’ll meet to explore and harvest native and edible plants. Enter the Open Space area from west bound Montano Boulevard. After foraging, we’ll gather to taste our harvest and other locally sourced treats. Sign up today to participate - space is limited. This is a fundraiser for our work for climate justice: Please give generously (Suggested minimum donation $10)
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Homebrewer's Happy Hour Southwest Grape & Grain, 3401 Candelaria Blvd. NE Homebrewer's Happy Hour is the perfect chance for all homebrewers, wine makers, distillers, or anyone interested in learning, to connect with others, share a drink, and learn about a new subject each month! $1 off beers from 10am to 3pm. Presentation on monthly subject at 1pm with open forum to discuss after. Food truck on site for lunch! May 18th - Barley
Sat 10:30 – 11:30 AM Animal Tales with the ABQ BioPark Ernie Pyle Library, 900 Girard Blvd. SE Dive into the captivating world of animals with "Animal Tales" presented by the ABQ BioPark! Join us for a delightful reading session featuring an animal-themed book. Experience the magic as the BioPark brings along real animals and biofacts that connect to the story, giving kids an exciting opportunity to meet these creatures up close! Don't miss this engaging and educational adventure for young animal enthusiasts!
Sat 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM FolkMADS Third Saturday Family Dance Albuquerque Square Dance Center, 4915 Hawkins St. NE Dancing, song, and live music for kids of all ages. No experience needed to have fun! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children dance free, Adults $10
Sat 11 AM – 1 PM Annual Summer Kick-Off Event! Matheson Park Elementary, 10809 Lexington Ave NE Join us as we kick off the summer with fun, a food truck, face painting, dunk tank, and more! Bring your family and your pets for a Blessing of the Pets. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome!
Sat 11 AM – 3 PM Wine + Art Afternoons Gruet Winery, 8400 Pan American East Fwy NE Prism Arts presents a new public art and social series with a special one-day multi-artist event. Join us inside the Gruet Winery with a selection of fine art, prints, paintings, jewelry, and ceramics from local artists Vanessa Alvarado, Eric Romero, Margarita Paz-Pedro, & Aaron Richardson. Enjoy unique art, amazing fine, food, and a social environment with the artists and the public. *All art purchases receive a complimentary bottle of Gruet Wine*
Sat 11 AM – 3 PM Bernalillo Family Fun Festival! Calvary Church, 4001 Osuna Rd. NE Get connected to community and enjoy a Fun Family Day!
Sat 11:30 AM – 4 PM Imaginary Friends Fest Flix Brewhouse, 3200 La Orilla Rd. NW Let your imagination run wild! Join us in the lobby to celebrate the opening of IF! Enjoy photo ops, freebies, an in-theater giveaway, and activities for the whole family. All ages are welcome!
Sat 12 PM BBQ n' Crawl Supper Rock Park, 598 Monte Alto Pl. NE Mini Crawlers 505 and Duke City RC are throwing a BBQ and crawl sesh! All rigs welcome! Please mark going if you are, so we can get enough food!
Sat 12 PM May Brew Tour - Farewell Tour Rio Bravo Brewing, 1912 2nd St. NW This is the last NM Brew Ha-Ha Beer tour for the season. The 24-25 season will start in June 2025 so stay tuned for the season lineup release. Rio Bravo Brewing, Ponderosa Brewing, Bow & Arrow Brewing, Juno Brewery. At Rio Bravo, a DD will be selected, then we’ll head to the other breweries in the order listed. T-shirts, if ordered will be delivered. For safety, a breathalyzer is available, a DD will be established and a liability waiver will be signed by all participants. Safety is of utmost importance. We want everyone to enjoy their tour and arrive home safely
Sat 12 PM Drag Bingo & Brunch! All Ages Welcome! Sidewinders Bar and Grill, 4200 Central Ave SE Join us for a Drag Queen Bingo and Brunch benefitting The Albuquerque Roadrunner Tournament 2024 (coming up in September). Hosted by Priscilla Bouvier. Doors 12pm. Show 1pm. Bingo, Prizes, Giveaways, Raffles, Cocktails, Mocktails and Fun!
Sat 12 PM Empire's 9th Anniversary - FREE PLAY ALL DAY Empire Board Game Library, 3503 Central Ave NE It's Empire's 9th Anniversary celebration and you're invited! We've been here 9 years and it's all thanks to the support we get from you, so to show our appreciation, this Saturday's celebration is our gift to you: Come in and play for free all day! Every game is on sale all weekend! We're holding raffles over the course of the day to give away some great games! So come on down and let us thank you!
Sat 12 – 3 PM STOODIS!: An AIDS/LifeCycle Fundraising Event Soo Bak Seoul Bowl, 111 Hermosa Dr. SE Help Vanessa Bowen cross the finish line – the fundraising finish line, that is! Vanessa is on a mission to raise $3,500 to participate in the 2024 AIDS/LifeCycle, a 545-mile charity bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles from June 2nd to 8th, 2024. Join this special fundraising event and send-off party for an afternoon of entertainment, vendors, bike tune-ups, raffle, and food and drink specials. Come prepared to support our local vendors and find out how you can win our selected giveaways. AIDS/LifeCycle benefits, and is jointly produced by, San Francisco AIDS Foundation (Tax ID # 94-2927405) and Los Angeles LGBT Center (Tax ID # 95-3567895), each of which is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation recognized as tax exempt under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). Donations to AIDS/LifeCycle are deductible for income tax purposes, to the extent permitted by law. Vanessa Bowen (They/Them) is a Diné (Navajo) product designer and cyclist. Their work gravitates toward the intersection of design and social equity. Bowen is a former Outride Ambassador, current Chamois Butt’r and Kuat Racks Ambassador, founder of Get Native Kids on Bikes, and a supporter of AIDS/LifeCycle. If not creating in their studio in Albuquerque, they are training for a cycling event or community building for a just, equitable future (more info)
Sat 12 – 5 PM Day Camp - A Festival for Families Tin Can Alley, 6013 Signal Ave NE Day Camp is where adventure meets education, creativity, and community in a fair-like environment where a variety of youth development organizations are excited to share their programs. In partnership with Warehouse 505, and featuring organizations such as Explora, there will be workshops ands expos for kids to discover new passions across music, art, science, and more. Supporting Youth Security & Education, all dedicated funds raised will be going to New Mexico non-profit organizations
Sat 12 – 5 PM Monthly Pinball Tournament Sister, 407 Central Ave NW All skill levels and players welcome! 21+ Sign up starts at 12 pm; tournament play starts at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $5 + coin drop
Sat 1 – 5 PM United in Beer Collaboration Festival Ex Novo Brewing, 4895 Corrales Rd., Corrales United in Beer is a New Mexico statewide collaborative beer festival that benefits the Somos Unidos Foundation with 26 participating breweries, which were randomly partnered through a live draft and then together selected the beer style they would collaborate on. All beers will be showcased at the festival. Tickets are limited. Portions of ticket sales will donated to Somos Unidos Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to creating positive outcomes for New Mexicans through art, sport, community, and unity. This will be a 21+ Event. Food trucks will be on site. Included with ticket purchase is: Festival access, 8 drink tokens, and a United In Beer glass! We recommend bringing: Sunscreen, your friends, and good vibes
Sat 1 – 10 PM Boots In The Park Presents Thomas Rhett, Chris Young & Friends! Balloon Fiesta Park, 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy Dust off your boots and get ready to holler, because Boots In The Park is making it's way to Albuquerque, y'all! Join us for a rootin', tootin', two-steppin' good time with none other than Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Chris Janson, Kameron Marlowe, Dylan Schneider, Leaving Austin and beats by Luwiss Lux. We're talking about an evening filled to the brim with live tunes, finger-lickin' craft food, and the smoothest cocktails. We'll be kicking up dust with some good ol' line dancing and a whole heap more, as Balloon Fiesta Park is transformed into Albuquerque's best country music party! Past folks to grace the Boots In The Park stage are Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and a bunch of other country legends. But this day is gonna be one for the record books, a show that will leave y'all talking for years to come (tickets)
Sat 2 PM Annual Castro Concerto Competition Albuquerque Youth Symphony, 4407 Menaul Blvd. NE Join us to hear talented high school juniors compete for the privilege of performing with the Youth Symphony during the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program's 2024-2025 concert season! This event is free and open to the public. We also plan to stream this event live on Facebook for anyone not able to attend in person
Sat 2 PM "Greatest Moments" - a fundraising concert for Opera On Tap New Mexico Central United Methodist Church, 201 University Blvd. NE Join us for an afternoon of music to help raise money for Opera on Tap - New Mexico! Featuring some faculty and students of University of New Mexico, along with other local professionals, we have put a program together highlighting some of the show-stopping, beautiful moments of opera and musical theater! Suggested donation $10
Sat 2 – 7 PM Rawking: An Afternoon Metal + Art + Comedy Extravaganza Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Featured performers include Light Thief, Destroy to Recreate, Guvtika, Abandoned Saviors. outdoors on the patio with Four Bands, Comedians, Artists, Vendors. Produced by Metal World Radio. 21+. $10 at the door or presales online
Sat 3 – 8 PM Albuquerque Roller Derby presents: Sandia Slammers vs. Bosque Bruisers! Expo New Mexico - Manuel Lujan Jr Exhibit Complex, 300 San Pedro Dr. NE Albuquerque Roller Derby has gotten SO big we’ve split into two teams! Sandia Slammers & Bosque Bruisers! Get your tickets for our first Home Game of the 2024 season
Sat 3:45 – 5:45 PM AND 7 - 9 PM The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Flix Brewhouse, 3236 La Orilla Rd. NW Experience the Twilight saga's epic romance and thrilling fantasy BREAKING DAWN - PART 1 on the big screen! Bella and Edward, plus those they love, must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage, honeymoon, and the tumultuous birth of a child, which brings about unforeseen and shocking developments for Jacob Black (tickets)
Sat 4 – 8 PM Drink Local Downtown ABQ - May Step into the heart of Albuquerque with our thrilling, free monthly bar crawl event! Immerse yourself in the local charm as we celebrate community, culture, and creativity right in the heart of ABQ. In partnership with ABQCore Neighborhood Association, a locally organized and hosted event, we're bringing you a bar crawl experience like no other. This isn't just a crawl; it's a vibrant celebration of local businesses, a showcase of community talent, and a monthly escape into the unique flavors that make ABQ special
Sat 4 – 9 PM Summer Market ABQ Food Park, 6951 San Antonio Dr. NE Dive into the magic of summer evenings at ABQ Food Park with our captivating Summer Market! Join us for a delightful evening, where you can browse an enchanting array of offerings from local artisans and support our vibrant community businesses. Discover unique treasures crafted with love and passion by talented artisans, from handcrafted jewelry to exquisite home decor. Every purchase you make supports local creators and contributes to the thriving arts scene in our city
Sat 5 – 8 PM National Astronomy Day! Rainbow Park Observatory, 301 Southern Blvd SE, Rio Rancho The Rio Rancho Astronomical Society will host National Astronomy Day at Rainbow Park Observatory. There will be food for a donation, family activities and safe solar viewing. Dr. Tony Hull will appeal at 7 pm about his work on the James Webb Space Telescope. He will also have some info on light pollution
Sat 5 – 11 PM Beer & Jazz on the Hill Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE We're bringing you a full night of brews and Jazz with the very talented Rona & Meli opening things up at 5pm and our house Jazz band Basilaris Trio closing things down at 8!
Sat 6 PM Bear Affair 4: Spanish Tapas Beer Pairing Dinner Boxing Bear Brewing, 8420 Firestone Ln. NE Join us on our patio for an ALMOST summer night paired with a variety of our seasonal beers, chef-crafted Spanish tapas, and flamenco. Featuring chef Christopher Midyette And the artist dance group Spanish Broom. Tickets are $65 per person and include a welcome beer, three course tapas style meal with beer pairings and entertainment for the evening
Sat 6 PM One Year Anniversary Celebration Urbanmama505 Kombucha, 1014 Central Ave SW, Ste A Celebrating one year of love, abundance, and sharing wellness. Right after Open Mic 4-6pm, we will be graced with a jazz concert by Davis Nelson-Hooker, an amazing local musician. Elixirs and small plates for purchase
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Soiree Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW It's Gone Country Saturdays featuring the amazing DJ Soiree! Start your evening with free dance lessons at 5 pm, followed by family-friendly entertainment
Sat 7:30 – 9 PM Saturday Night Stand-Up Bosque Brewing Co - Nob Hill, 106 Girard Blvd. SE Live from ABQ, it’s… Saturday Night Stand-Up Hosted by Nax Davis! Every third Saturday of the month! Seating at 7:30 - Comedy at 8. Featured line-up of local comics includes: MEG FINN, BRYAN LAMBE, SARINA OCHOA, MARY BYRD, ROBERT EYSTER
Sat 8 PM – 1:15 AM Apparition Goth Night Historic El Rey Theater, 622 Central Ave SW A hauntingly dark, classic goth night featuring the Apparition team: DJ Ren, DJ Batboy, DJ Moonside. Doors at 8. $10 all night. 21+ Tickets at the door. Expect goth, darkwave, death rock, synthpop, dark post punk, ebm, dark dance, industrial, witch house, horror punk and more
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - SATURDAYS Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE May 11th - SPECIAL GUEST DJ ITALIA! DJ Gabriel Goza & DJ Pedro will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover
Sat 9 PM – 1 AM Cumbia + Rock en Espanol Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Grupo Super Verza with Ave. 69 and Lot Beat and DJ Tony. Baila! 21+, $15 at the door or online
** Sun 5/19 *\*
Sun 9 – 11 AM Elevated Roller Derby May Training Scrimmage Heights Community Center, 823 Buena Vista Dr. SE Officials' huddle 9:00AM. Captains' meeting at 9:20AM. First whistle 9:30AM. This is simply a black/white scrimmage. It will be used as an educational opportunity. NSO paperwork will be used as appropriate. You are encouraged to stretch your skills. Hospitality: This is a low/no production scrimmage, bring beverages and snacks for your own use. Bathrooms: The community center may not be open during the scrimmage. (That's the trade-off for a free space). You can stop at the nearby Starbucks before the event. Expectations: Skaters and Skating and Non-skating Officials are expected to follow all WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines. The venue is a designated alcohol, drug, and smoke-free space by the city of Albuquerque (sign up)
Sun 10 AM – 2 PM The Great Burque Bake On Rail Yards Market, 777 1st St. SW Get ready to whisk it all at the "Great Burque Bake-on," a special fundraiser for the non-profit Rail Yards Market: One dozen of Albuquerque's most talented bakers will dough head-to-head in a crusty competition for the ultimate bakery glory! Bakers brawl... You vote for the winners! This sugar-dusted showdown promises a blend of flour-fueled drama and buttery bravado, making it the yeast you can do to support your local confectionery champions. As these culinary wizards knead their way to the top, we guarantee you'll find their efforts both batter and sweeter than anything you've tasted before. Join us for a day of laughter, pastry, and a chance to see who rises as the crème de la crème of Burque's baking scene! 1) ORDER > Claim your Bake-on Box & exclusive market swag by ordering online May 10-16th, 2024. 2) LEARN > Follow our social media to learn about each contestant & their offering. 3) PICKUP > Grab your box of baked goodies & swag at the info booth Sunday May 19th. 4) ENJOY > Eat all the delectable goodies, savor the flavor, and read about all the contestants 5) VOTE >> Submit your votes online to choose the winners! (tickets) The Farmers' Market event is going down simultaneously with 175+ local vendors to explore, and is still FREE to enter and welcome to all. This funky fundraiser is going down during the FREE Rail Yards Farmers' Market. So you can peruse 150+ small businesses and enjoy the historic architecture while you enjoy your Great Burque Bake-on Box of goodies! All proceeds will benefit the Rail Yards Market. The Rail Yards market of Albuquerque is a certified 501(c)3 non-profit focused on building a resilient, sustainable, local economy where the surrounding historic communities thrive, all can participate, and everyone is enriched and inspired. Through food, art, education, and music, we invite the community together in an inclusive and festive atmosphere
Sun 11:30 AM The Addams Family Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave NE THE HISTORIC LOBO THEATER is excited to bring The Addams Family to the big screen! Showing Starts at 11:30 am Tickets are ONLY $10 for General Admission $25 Brunch and a Movie Ticket $21 Brunch Only ticket
Sun 12:30 PM Annual Spring Tea Asbury UMC, 10000 Candelaria Rd. NE All are welcome to attend our Annual Spring Tea! This year's theme is "The Tapestries of Our Lives." Life can be like a tapestry; our quilt, with events, feelings, accomplishments, and even disappointments "stitched" in. Join us, for tea, while Cindy Kurey, AQS-certified quilted textiles appraiser, shares how quilting and her faith have helped her navigate life. She will also show her collection of antique, vintage, and modern quilts! There is no cost to attend, though RSVPs are required. Please call the church office 505-299-0643 or message us on Facebook to RSVP

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

First Prev Archive Royal Road Patreon
The testing started out extraordinarily simple. Simple math, elementary school basic, but as I knocked out questions on the tablet, it definitely moved up. This held true in all sections, but I didn't catch on until eventually, Brad held up his hand, "Mr. Donny, it says my test is done."
Donny nodded, checking his computer at his desk really quickly, "Alright then, why don't you take yourself on down t'the cafeteria. Here's a card so y'can get yourself somethin' t'eat."
I spared a glance at Darryl, who similarly, glanced over at me, and we nodded. There was no reality where Brad Warner was simply smarter than everyone else here, and that meant the parameters were different than what we generally assumed during testing. The test kept going until you hit the wall, programmed to see how far you could take it. The questions stepped up as you answered, but that wouldn't be enough, cause then you could take forever, so there was a time element. The faster and more correctly you answer then, the higher your level goes. My questions were getting more and more detailed, more advanced maths and sciences. The test itself was designed to end when you hit the limit of your learning, but not in a 'get one question wrong' way, but a summation of overall knowledge.
Aimee was the next to complete her test,and was similarly handed a card for the cafeteria as she walked up dejectedly, and I spared a glance again. Darryl was just sort of loving life, while Mackenzie was clearly getting frustrated. We kept pushing through, until Mackenzie slammed her desk with both hands, startling everyone, "Damn it!"
She stalked to the front, snatched her card out of Donny's hand, and stormed out of the room, muttering something about eternal emnity. Darryl and I eyed each other: We were the last two left, and Darryl mouthed a congratulations to me before getting back into it. We kept going for a while, and finally, a hand went up, "Done."
Darryl's head shot in my direction, and Donny smiled, "Alright then, come get your card."
I got up, and took my card, then walked over to Darryl, "I didn't hold back."
I walked out of the room to head off to the cafeteria. In the end, I'd gone as far as the test would allow in Math and Science, the things I was consistently using. Where I'd met my match was English and Social Studies. I simply hadn't studied it as much due to the project and company needs, and thus neither improved much since I'd read my textbooks. I swung through the cafeteria, very aware that everyone was staring at me from their table as I grabbed food and drinks, and came to sit. Mackenzie gave me a look, "Darryl won?!"
I got her annoyance. She was two years ahead of us, and highly competitive by nature. Her chain of trophies had not been an accident or by anyone else's hand but hers, "Yup. He got me. Pretty sure I got dinged on Social Studies and English."
Aimee cut in, "But, like, your 1%?"
"1% only effects what I work on. I haven't been in an English class since the end of September, and it's not like I've been keeping up since. Same thing with Social Studies, it's mostly a study of history, and I haven't had the time for it. The math and science sure, but I haven't really had a reason to advance in my understanding of literature or broader history, so it didn't improve," I shrugged a bit as I dug into my little sub.
Aimee and Mackenzie were both upset at their placement, but Brad seemed perfectly fine. He'd never expected to do better, and it wasn't like he was invested in it, so it was nothing that he wasn't the smartest person in the room. He'd known he wasn't. Makenzie was basically ready to go redo the test for the sake of vengeance, so she'd be fine, but Aimee was pretty upset. I took a break from food to look at her, "Aimee, I'm sure you did fine. I've got a literal superpower for learning, Darryl's a super-nerd, and Mackenzie is two years ahead of you in school. Plus, we don't know what he's potentially scoring us on."
She was biting her lip a bit, which was distractingly cute, "I know, but..."
"This was an assessment test. As far as I understand it, there's no way to fail, it's just so that he knows where we're at," I spoke softly, taking her hand.
Aimee my hand, but looked close to tears, "But you're so..."
A sound of disgust turned us toward Brad, who finally joined in the conversation, "So what if you're not as smart? Who even gives a damn?! Like, dude, no one's ever gonna be as smart as him again. It'd be like saying you'll never be in the NBA cause you lost a pick-up game where the other team has Lebron, Jordan, and Bryant in their prime."
We all took a moment. Brad didn't really talk that much, so the idea of him being deep was... new. I smirked a little, "Very well-put, Brad."
It was well-put, and gave Aimee some context, not least of which was that she played basketball and the metaphor applied directly for her. She came down a moment and wiped her eyes, and we started chatting about stuff at the H.A.A. and classes until Darryl and Donny showed up. Darryl looked like he'd been through the wars, but he was still smiling, so clearly he was pretty proud of himself as he sat with us.
Donny stepped up with his tray, but didn't take a seat, "Alright y'all, now, I gotta go over the test results and whatnot, so while I'm workin' on that, you guys eat, and then go take some time in the rec area. Sound good?"
We nodded. After being stuck in testing for so long, getting to stretch our legs was a relief. Mackenzie needed to blow off steam, so we went up to one of the second floor halls to spar while the others watched. I took a moment before we got started to get a sidebar with Mackenzie, "I get it. Darryl beat you."
"This time. I'm a junior. I should've been able to beat him," She was distinctly displeased with herself as she put on sparring pads.
"Mackenzie, it's like Brad said, Darryl's a super-nerd, and he was in a test of knowledge. There's a reason he's in the honors classes," putting on my own pads as I continued, "And I get it. Losing to me, you could've taken it cause of the 1%, but Darryl was smarter than all of us combined before, that didn't shift since I got awakened, only my power did."
She glared up from the ground she sat on to get her footpads on, and while she didn't directly respond, I knew her well enough to know she was getting it. It did not do anything for her current temper. She was determined to be the best, not good, not great, the best. Anything less was a flaw in need of correction. Mackenzie kipped up off the floor, and discussion time was over. We bowed, took stance, and when Darryl called the start, she immediately went on the assault. She fired off a punch at my face, immediately dropping low for a sweep that I stepped over, and immediately launched into a waist take down, using the force of rebound from dropping low. With arms already up from the block, and one foot off the mat, she got her take down... sort of. Instead of trying to fight it, I rolled with it, catching her belt, and throwing her as we hit the mat, using the momentum of the fall. She didn't go too far, but it was for me to break out as she threw a ground elbow to drive me off, then spun as she rose, getting more distance from a series of spinning kicks. We were back in neutral stance, but now on opposite sides. I launched into my offensive.
Darryl knew what it was like when we sparred, but not Aimee and Brad. Aimee was a bit shocked at how hard we went at it, and Brad looked like he was going to throw up, that ingrained fear of my sister being given legitimacy before his eyes. Our sparring sessions had changed, though, with it being done more or less in 'turns' now, with Mackenzie taking the lead off on offense, then me reversing to take it back and press her. We finished up after a few turns, and I grabbed a towel from the side, where Aimee was waiting, "So that's what it's like when you go all out?"
Mackenzie laughed, "Hell no. I tried that ride once, just for fun and yeah, no, I got nothing for that."
I could see Aimee considering her words, and there was something there she wanted to talk about, but she wanted to talk about it privately, "Alright, everyone. I don't know about everyone else, but I could use a cool off. I'm hitting the pool."
We got changed out, and hit the pool for a bit, mostly just relaxing. That's where Donny found us, "Alright y'all, got my lunch in and tests're graded."
Brad groaned, "Aw man, we gotta go back to class?"
Donny smiled, "Nah. We gotta do the physical assessment, and since y'all're already here, why don't we start with the pool?"
And that's when Darryl groaned. His time as champion of the assessments had come to an end.
First Prev Archive Royal Road Patreon

I want to start out by saying this is the first review I’ve ever made. I’ve never felt so inclined to make a review towards any establishment, let alone a senior living facility. I’m a 24 year old black female and I’ve been a delivery driver for years and I come in contact with so many different people and this interaction by far has taken the cake. I am an independent contractor for Amazon. I deliver groceries that customers order from Whole Foods kind of like instacart. This is a side gig that my partner and I do just to make a little extra money when we can. I always have my partner do these deliveries with me since I am young and a female and have been in some very sketchy situations while delivering and I am so glad he was here with me today. On this particular morning, May 15, 2024 at around 8-8:20am, we had a delivery to a resident at this facility. My gps leads me directly to the front of this establishment where I park underneath the pergola. I proceeded to the first set of doors leading to a foyer where then I was met with another set of doors in which I couldn’t open because they were locked. I then looked to the right of me and saw a doorbell with a sign above it asking to please ring the doorbell for further assistance. After ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by Jeff Puls, who I was later informed by other staff was the director of this establishment. He goes on to tell me that I am at the wrong entrance, I cannot make my delivery to the resident here and I need to go to the front entrance. I then tell him that I think I am at the front entrance and give him a description of where I am, but again, he says I’m not in the right place. So, we drive around the building trying to find any other entrance that could be the correct one and every entrance I tried had locked doors and seemed as though they were residential access only. We come back to where I am certain the main entrance is and I call the resident to whom I’m delivering to and she confirms that I am at the correct entrance and that I shouldn’t have any problems getting in. While on the phone, we see someone come out of the buildings doors and walk over to the driver side so I roll down my window where Jeff Puls angrily asks me “what do you want, I told you to go to the front” and then asks what it is that I’m delivering. I tell him that I just have a flower delivery from Whole Foods for [insert residents name] and I originally tried to deliver here in the front but you told me I was not at the front entrance. He huffs and puffs and says “give them here”. I present the flowers and he then aggressively snatched them right out of my hands, leaving two bouquets still in my hands. I open my door and try to hand him the remaining flowers which he again aggressively snatches out of my hands and as he’s walking away he says, “f****** b****…..all you delivery drivers are all the same, I can’t stand you”. Me and my partner then step out of the vehicle and asks him to speak to a manager or someone higher up in authority for what he just said to me. Jeff refused and continued to get into our faces, point his fingers in front of our faces while yelling at us to leave. He then proceeds to threaten to call the police if we didn’t leave to which me and my partner encouraged him to do so because we drive a Tesla that has eight cameras around the car constantly recording so we were eager to show the police officers his behavior towards us. While awaiting the police officers, Jeff continues to badger us, taunt us, called me a racial slur and would not keep his distance away from us even when asked to back away nicely. I then decided to wait in our car for the police and as soon as I sit down in the passenger seat and go to close the door, I see Jeff charging at me. I immediately start to close the door as fast as i could and honestly right in the nick of time because he kicks my car door! Finally, the police officers arrive, and of course, like most people do when the police show up, he cowers away and acts calm, cool and collected in front of them. We speak to the police officers and show them the footage of the whole incident from start to finish and we are currently in the process of taking more legal action. Thank you to the nurse working on the clock that day that came out when the incident was happening to make sure everything was okay and made sure that the flowers we promptly delivered to the resident there and another thank you to the maintenance guy that also came out during the incident to give us the name, number and email of the higher ups to proceed with further action. I don’t plan on taking my parents to a senior facility anytime time soon or even at all because of people like Jeff. If he exhibits this type of behavior to a delivery driver, then I can only imagine his behavior and treatment towards the elderly and people like him are why I fear having to take my parents to a senior facility.

Hello.
I love the shape and seating angle of Adirondacks. I want one for indoors though. I can't seem to find the magical Google words to find what I'm looking for. Everything is patio furniture.
I have a recliner, but recliners flatten out when used. I've had a few computer chairs that "tilt" into the same angle. Same type of problem though... Don't want a computer chair.
Any help would be great.

So I have been thinking about this, thankfully I do not own any semi-modern car, I stick to good old classics but I do use and think of modern technology.
Isn’t it really dystopian that Tesla (ofc concerns other self-driving cars too), holds database of all owner names, addresses, bank details. And also a network access to each specific car held by each of these database entries. Also contains ability to push uncheckable updates (i.e user has no idea what it is they really are downloading, except whatever it says on screen). So, a hypothetical malicious criminal, could hack (no servers are immune unfortunately), and find out which car belongs to whom. And let’s say they have bad intentions towards one or more people, and have knowledge of tesla software, could be IT/robotics geek or an ex-tesla software engineer. So now there is a situation where they could push a specific update to a car belonging to their persons of interest. Since Teslas are FSD-enabled, they could theoretically gain full control of the car for malicious intent, control where it goes, how fast, whether it stops or not. Moreover, they have access to cameras and see who is in the driver seat on any day! So they could make it accelerate uncontrollably, drive into a wall at a specific location, or even kidnap the person by driving to some dodgy warehouse or whatever. Anything is possible, who knows, maybe there are ways to even cause overload of the battery to make it catch on fire, by applying full throttle and brakes at the same time or something.
How did we get to this dystopian future SO QUICK? Feels like only couple of years ago the phones were size of bricks and internet wasn't cool yet.

Preambule. Thoughts Experiment.
My fellow, The hour is dire! What would be the death toll of the second long night assuming it last one and half as long as the past summer (so about 14 years, a generation) with the Rhoyne freezing again. I will neglect the war of the 5 kings. I disregard the White Walker marching south, because the wise move for them (if they wanted to wipe out humanity) is to wait 10 years. Assuming the cold increase is as gradual as is the temperature decrease.

1) Food Supply

• After around 6 years the grain supply is exhausted, (there were no Winter longer that 5 to 6 years in 300 years at least and no more than 2 known: one during the danse 130 AC and another in 231, with death toll horrific, i would estimate 10-15% of decreased population perhaps 20%. )
• Shift to heavy survival dependence on seafood harvesting, phytoplankton won't die because it's cold.
• The Fauna will survive (it survived the last time), with North of the Wall Species migrating south (or becoming more prevalent), Great Lions & Direwolves population will grow long term.
• Mass Migration toward the South / Essos (which will starve as well) most of Essos is located between the Neck and the Stormlands latitude, with the coast being Dornish like (Mediterranean ) so, probably
• Within 7-8 years the Reach and Dorn start freezing as well, except the coastal part and granaries are depleted.
• Inland Travel will become difficult if not Impossible near hills (Vale, Dorne, Westernland, Stormland, Marcher)
• the Rhoyne Freeze.
• The Iron Islands and Dragonstone are relatively safe (coastal islands) .

2) Human Population

• Will move South/Coastal. In vain (already inhabited) or be ready to kill.
• Raiders, Deserters, desperates, destitute, will storms Cities and Fortified Villages, adding to the misery.
• Cannibalism will be rife.
• Diseases.
• Old Town may collapse (probably) into civil war, and starvation. House Hightower may survive, inside the Tower. Same for the Redwyne in Arbor or Dragonstone.
• Many noble house Will be reset.
• Most of people will starve in Essos (the Continental Shape make in less maritime than Westeros and more inland). the Dothraki will grow more desperate.
• Volantis won't have a slave problem anymore (self resolved slavery by reduced population)
• Braavos/ the Nothern Venice being on the Northern most part of Essos, will probably collapse.
• Some human (Wildlings like) will return to Hunter-Gatherer Practice band, Hence the Warging Gene in the first Men (magic ecological adaptation for hunting).
• The Wall will starve before 10 years and be deserted. Depending on Strategies, fleeing to Essos, Collapsing entirely or simply Reforming on the Neck.
• Rhollor Faith being Spread crushing the Andals Faith in the 7, (Fire magic may be useful).
• Qohor and various Slavers Magical City may actually do relatively well (like under 70% death rate) because, burning slaves and magic... The Long night is full of Terror.
• Migration to Sothoryos? Tropical, mean no climate in a sense.

3**) Aftermath**

• Death toll about 75% minimum perhaps 90+%?
• Some island of civilizations (hello Lys, Quarth isolated by the red Waste) maybe Asshai?
• Northmen could actually repopulate the Riverlands (they Migrated there and are more resilient to ice than the Andals that died)
• Vale MoonClans may all die or gain ground or migrate, i could see a total Non Seashore Vale extinction.
• King's landing is a wasteland and a fisherman village
• The Citadel may no longer exist
• Most Urban Settlement are gone

1. A) House Humble Horrendous Plan for Saving Civilization: Settling Westeros

• with a 6 years winter every Century (about 10-20% population decrease) known, there is a lot of lost know how, technological delay and trade is extremely limited obviously in the future. That explain the Medieval stasis, not mentioning that between learning how to resurrect the dead/glamor tricks/ See the future (imagine Wall Street Melisandre) / Burn thing alive to change the weather Vs learning High school math (quite advanced in fact).. common, nobody want to be a nerdy scientist only, science will be a crutch not the main theme. (Hence trading is reduce since division of labor is lessened because magic is solitary except of course your burning slave but he won't stay for long). Melisandre Rock as Qyburn. Pycelle is boring.
• Lord Humble Opinion: You wanna be a Lord? Be near the Sea. especially the Vale/Crownland side Narrow Sea (less Ironborn). Why is Westeros so depopulated (40 millions souls, 20 millions Km² area?)? Inland Population die regularly every Winter of the Century (or in the 8 thousands years), Because communication are pretty damn hard and transportation near impossible, especially for a village to import food assuming you can. actually an Island/peninsula would be optimal to settle.
• Civilizations is ending, the Seven gods have failed, find something else.
• Saving King's Landing early on: Dick move alert: Cull 75% of the city in the first year of winter, use the bodies to start fish farming or whatever (cannibalism is not efficient). they will starve to death if not done, so better do something to save some 150 000 lives, or less. Go full totalitarian because you don't want to starve, be killed or loose your social Lordly status, so create a band of loyal Warriors (call them the Golden Cloak) to do the dire thing and crush rebellion, people will forgive/forget/being busy you anyway after 10 years of blizzard. Do not let anyone know you have enough food. City Urban of King Landing planing reshape it, reorganize it into close districts so you can control the flow of people, goods etc. safeguard the most useful people only, actually Dragons would be useful for that, mass killing.
• All to : Make the 5 years reserve last longer in KL, enforce compulsory labor law, moon tea must be prescribed to reduce birthrate.

Northern Strategy:

• Do the Robb Stark War but strike the Iron islands firsts, Islands are very valuable now, time for population movement. Introduce mass conscription. They cannot farm and they will starve anyway, their only chance is to take.

-Bleed your people dry (you will starve anyway), steal (join ownership) the Riverlands Crops and start behaving like Northern Dothraki with your People Army, Plunder everything you can and build a fleet to move fast, extort food for protection, asymetric warfare anything. Be Euron Greyjoy without being Euron evil. Survival. resettle any coastal area you can. Let the Riverland being Burn by Tywin after you have emptied all the -Granaries in safety. Edmure is a moron (no news). His people will starve anyway. If Anything Winterfell is a bad seat, because it will not withstand 14 years of starvation. Move to White harbor if possible.

• In fact the Plunder Nomadic Lifestyle maybe the only way of survival to very long winter (hence Iron Islands people behavior), We do not sow as motto is quite logical. A Feudal lord may hide behind High walls and let 50% of dead peasants during a 5 years winter. An ironborn Captain cannot, his power lie in ships.

the only culture i see vaguely surviving are the Ironborns (from a neutral non Euron perspective): Ships and Fishes. No armies can reach them, they can try to feed themselves on enemy territory, steal all the grain and leave. May also be the secret strategy of Braavos/Ibben with the Shipyard Arsenal: the Pillage everything in the Southern sea.
For the next Long Night: Developp Quinine and settle Sothoryos.
What do you think? (I estimated Westeros being around 20 Millions km² and some 40 millions souls with half of it North of the Wall and Western Bone Mountain Essos around 30 Millions km²)
White Walkers are not a threat really compared to an empty stomach.
Tinfoil:

• The relative weakness of Magic during the last 120 years (over 8000 known years) must be the time for magic to charge and power up the Long Night.

Your Opinions? Counter Analysis?

Babylon, New York, a charming and historic village on Long Island, offers a surprising abundance of world-class steakhouses. From intimate, fine-dining establishments to casual, family-friendly spots, Babylon caters to every palate and preference. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or enjoying a casual weeknight dinner, here's our guide to the best steakhouses in Babylon, New York for 2024:
For the Discerning Diner: Upscale Steakhouses in Babylon

• The Gilded Cage: This renowned steakhouse is a Babylon institution. Tucked away in a historic mansion, The Gilded Cage boasts an elegant ambiance with plush seating, warm lighting, and a captivating wine cellar. Their menu features the finest cuts of USDA Prime beef, dry-aged to perfection, alongside an impressive selection of seafood and classic steakhouse sides. The Gilded Cage is perfect for a romantic evening or a power business lunch.
• Barbaresco Steakhouse: Experience the timeless charm of New York steakhouses at Barbaresco. This polished establishment offers an extensive menu featuring succulent cuts of beef, flown in daily. From melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon to a bone-in ribeye for the adventurous eater, Barbaresco caters to all preferences. An impressive raw bar and an extensive wine list complement the exceptional steaks.
• The Steak & Oyster Co.: This modern steakhouse presents a unique twist on the classic genre. The exposed brick walls and sleek furnishings create a sophisticated yet inviting atmosphere. The menu highlights locally sourced ingredients, with a focus on sustainable practices. Their steaks are dry-aged in-house and cooked to perfection over an open flame. The Steak & Oyster Co. also offers a tempting selection of oysters and other shellfish, making it a perfect choice for seafood lovers with a taste for red meat.

The Perfect Place for a Family Gathering: Casual Steakhouses in Babylon

• The Ranch Steakhouse & Saloon: This lively restaurant offers a casual and welcoming atmosphere, ideal for families. The Ranch features a wide selection of steaks, including juicy burgers and fajitas, alongside classic American fare like ribs and pasta. The menu caters to all appetites, with generous portions and kid-friendly options. The Ranch also boasts a fun saloon atmosphere, complete with a mechanical bull and live music on weekends.
• J.J. Mughalli's Prime Steakhouse: This friendly neighborhood spot is a favorite among locals. J.J. Mughalli's offers a comfortable atmosphere with booths and tables, perfect for a relaxed family dinner. Their menu features USDA Choice steaks cooked to order, alongside classic steakhouse sides and creative appetizers. The portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable, making J.J. Mughalli's a perfect choice for a casual steakhouse experience.
• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: This popular chain restaurant offers a surprisingly good selection of steaks at affordable prices. BJ's features a casual atmosphere with a large bar area and plenty of seating. Their menu offers a variety of steaks, from classic cuts to unique options like a steak and bleu cheese salad. BJ's also boasts a wide selection of pizzas, pastas, and other comfort food options, making it a great choice for families with diverse palates.

Beyond the Steak: Exploring Babylon's Culinary Delights
While Babylon is a haven for steak lovers, the village offers a diverse culinary scene. If you're looking for something beyond red meat, here are a few suggestions:

• Little Italy on Main: Immerse yourself in the vibrant flavors of Italy at Little Italy on Main. This charming restaurant features a menu brimming with fresh pastas, pizzas made in a wood-fired oven, and an enticing selection of seafood dishes.
• The Tea Room: Experience a taste of Europe at The Tea Room. This delightful restaurant offers a menu of French and European-inspired cuisine, with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. The Tea Room boasts an elegant atmosphere and attentive service, making it a perfect choice for a special occasion.
• Osaka Sushi & Ramen: For a taste of the Far East, head to Osaka Sushi & Ramen. This popular restaurant offers a wide variety of sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi, alongside steaming bowls of ramen and other Japanese classics. Osaka Sushi & Ramen features a casual atmosphere and friendly service.

Conclusion
Babylon, New York, offers a delightful culinary scene, with steakhouses taking center stage. Whether you're craving a luxurious, dry-aged steak in an elegant setting or a casual family dinner with juicy burgers and fries, Babylon has something for everyone. So next time you're looking for a delicious steak dinner, consider exploring the vibrant village of Babylon. We hope this guide has helped you whet your appetite and discover the perfect steakhouse for your next culinary adventure. Don't forget to explore Babylon's diverse culinary scene beyond steakhouses, with options ranging from authentic Italian fare to fresh sushi and ramen. With its charming atmosphere and delectable offerings, Babylon promises a memorable dining experience.

The scene faded back in to a shot of the team and host in the prison courtyard, the two groups of teens each standing by a dirty laundry cart. "Elimination challenge!" Chris exclaimed happily. "Here we go! No 'Get Out of Jail Free' cards here, people! This, is 'Escape from Total Drama Pen.'!" The camera quick-panned away from Chris' close-up to one of the carts.
"Each team must hop in their laundry carts, while one member pushes through the obstacle course to freedom!" As he spoke, the scene flashed to a shot of wooden dummies dressed like prison guards with automatic swinging arms, and then again to a pair of narrow platforms over a water pool with large sandbags swinging back and forth between them, and once more to the prisoner dummies with various sharp objects attached to their hands.
"When you reach the wall," Chris continued as the camera moved back to the group shot, "get diggin'! First team to reach the boxcar to freedom wins immunity!" The shot quick-panned over to a pair of boxcars sitting on a small section of rail tracks. "Convicts, select a pusher!"
"I'll do it!" Chase and Sky volunteered simultaneously, and the two quickly turned their heads to each other.
"I'll be the one to push for us!" Jasmine declared to the Grips. "Does anybody have a problem with that?" she asked her team, who were already starting to climb into the cart.
"I don't," Millie said as she got on.
"You are our best option," Anne Maria added as she hopped onto the cart.
Jasmine smiled. "Excellent!"
Confessional: Jasmine
“When you have long legs, speed can come off as an attribute,” Jasmine confessed.
Confessional Ends
"Not to be a jerk or anything," Chase said as the focus moved back to the Gaffers, "but I want to be the one who pushes, not you."
"Only one of us can do it, and it should be me," Sky offered.
"I know we won the shovel, but the Grips have Jasmine pushing for them," Chase argued, “and if we want to beat them, we'll need a lot of speed coming from me.”
"You're not the only one who's been on a track team," Sky protested. “I practice track at my school in order to prep myself for the Olympics.”
"I have longer legs than you," Chase pointed out, "and that'll at least make us on par with the other team."
“This bickering is not helping us,” Sky groaned and turned to her team. "So team, who do you want to drive the cart? Me or Chase?"
"I say Chase," Ripper said first. “Sky's not Sonic fast.”
"Well I think Sky should push us," Scott declared. “Chase being on the track team is more of a hobby to him.”
"To break the tie, I'll go with Sky," MK said. "She is the team's leader."
Chase sighed. "Alright!" He walked towards the cart. "But if we don't win, it's not coming back to me."
Confessional: Sky
“Me and MK don't know each other well, and she is generally not cordial, but I do have to thank her for having my back in the situation,” Sky explained.
Confessional: MK
“The way I see it, if Sky loses the cart challenge for us, me and Scott can use that as a reason to pick her off,” MK told the audience. “With her and Trent's love plot coming to a halt, there's no need to keep her in the game any longer.”
Confessionals End
"This is it, teams," Chris announced as the two groups were shown in their starting positions – most of the teams in their carts, with Jasmine and Sky ready to push. "On your marks...," the host said as a few deep notes began the fast-paced music that would play during the challenge, "get set...escape!"
The two started pushing immediately, and Jasmine managed to get an early lead for the Grips. However, Sky was gaining momentum, and the two kicked up a cloud of dust behind them as they entered the first obstacle – the sharp-handed prisoner dummies. The camera watched from above as they weaved around and through the field in different directions, and at one point it looked like their paths were going to intersect. The two girls briefly locked eyes and steeled themselves as their carts bounced off each other, rattling their teammates inside.
The viewpoint shifted to show the start of the next obstacle – the narrow platforms over water, with large bags already swinging back and forth threateningly. Sky pushed her team up onto the platform, and the focus moved ahead to Jasmine doing the same as well. The people in the carts ducked down to get away from the swinging bags. However, Anne Maria's big hair stuck up enough for one of the bags to brush past it, which slowed it down enough that Jasmine ran face-first into it while she had been distracted looking back at the other team. It knocked her down and caused her to let go of the cart, which managed to keep rolling along without her.
"We can use this to our advantage!" Ripper barked. "Keep it steady and we can catch up!"
"I got it!" Sky picked up her pace. She managed to get them past Jasmine and another two bags and they caught up to the Grips' cart, which had stopped at the end of the second obstacle. The viewpoint shifted to show them watching in shock as the Gaffers approached unsteadily, with Jasmine running just inches behind them.
Just as Sky was getting the groove of pushing the cart, a bag hit her in the head, which caused her to lose her balance and the front left wheel of the Gaffers' cart to leave the platform as it rapidly approached the end of the second obstacle, and the camera zoomed in as it dipped down and hit the corner where the narrow platform ended, causing the cart to spill forward.
"Hurry up!" Anne Maria commanded as Jasmine retook control over the Grips’ cart and sped forward, past the pile of Gaffers and into the final obstacle.
The camera followed them as they weaved through the guard-dummies, becoming more and more excited as they neared the wall. "Alright," Jasmine said. "We're getting closer to victory!"
A second passed in silence as they kept going at the same speed. "Uhh, Jasmine?" Justin said nervously as he eyed the approaching wall.
"We can stop now!" Millie notified.
Their words caused her to skid to a stop just in front of the wall. "Thanks for the warning," Jasmine said as her teammates breathed a sigh of relief.
"We may not have a shovel," Brick told his team with a spoon in hand, "but we must make do with what we have."
“Go go!" Jasmine eagerly ordered everyone out the cart. “Hop to it like kangaroos!” They all ran over to the large 'X' and started digging.
"Well this is just great!" Ripper complained as he, MK, Chase, and Scott picked themselves up off the ground, and Sky turned their cart back upright. "We're behind the Grips!"
“This is why I should've been the driver,” Chase spoke out. “I would have been able to avoid those bags.”
"None of this is our fault," Sky said. "We can still catch up to the Grips if we don't start arguing with each other."
The footage flashed ahead, showing the Gaffers sitting in the laundry cart with Sky pushing them through the final obstacle. Moments later they arrived at the wall, a hole and sizable dirt pile already by their opponent's cart. The four Gaffers hopped out, and Sky took the shovel out of her pocket.
"Jump right to it, team," Sky ordered. "We have a lot to dig!"
The camera flashed to Chris and Chef at the finish line, Chris sitting on the entrance of a boxcar while Chef leaned against it. "So..." Chris asked. "You ever seen that prison flick? The one with the guy in it? You know? The guy with that face?" Chef rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"So are you doing anything after work?" the host asked awkwardly. "We could always rent a-" He noticed the look on the cook's face and amended, "or not. I was... busy... anyway. Very busy. I'm just… throwing it out there."
The scene changed to a side view of the Grips in their tunnel, Jasmine hastily digging in front with her spoon.
"We're making good progress so far," Jasmine said. "Even if we're stuck with spoons."
"I can hear them ahead of us now," Millie said. "Wouldn't it be faster if we helped dig too?"
"Ten hands are better than two," Jasmine agreed.
Confessional: Jasmine
“After losing two challenges in a row, the Grips really need to bounce back this time,” Jasmine stated. “I've watched enough prison movie like “Holes” and “The Shawshank Redemption” to understand which spots are easier to dig out first.”
Confessional Ends
Another flash took the scene back to the Gaffers, Ripper being the one using the shovel to dig in the front.
"I'm not lying when I say that we're going to win," Ripper said as he kept digging.
"The Grips may have gotten here before us, but they have spoons and we have a shovel," Chase added.
“And it's all thanks to me!” MK cheered before catching sight of Scott's glare. “And Scott as well.”
Confessional: MK
“Right. Forgot the basic concept of teamwork,” MK sheepishly confessed. “Usually I always fly solo in everything I do, except group projects, and most of the time, I have to do everything because my supposed group members are uncooperative.”
Confessional Ends
The Gaffers heard a sudden rumble, causing them to stop in their tracks. A hand burst out of the dirt, creating a hole that increases thanks to a familiar head sticking their head out.
“Izzy?!” the team cries out at the sight of her. The psycho hose beast had fake buck teeth in her mouth and a camo hat with sticks sticking out on top, and she chittered in response.
“Yep. That's her,” Chase confirmed.
“Yeah, I've been living underground amongst the prairie dogs,” Izzy explained as one of the prairie dogs popped up and angrily chittered at the team.
“Aw, Butchie, it's okay,” Izzy assured the creature. “These are my friends.”
“Are you here to help us or…” Scott started to ask.
“Of course! Follow me, I know a shortcut to the finish line!” Izzy said.
“A shortcut?” Sky felt uneasy.
“Of course,” Ripper scoffed. “Why spend hours digging when you can finish faster?”
Confessional: Sky
"I'm not the type to cheat whenever I'm in a competition, and taking shortcuts is the easy way out," Sky explained in the confessional trailer, "but I don't really have a choice here."
Confessional Ends
“And of course, I became the second in command prairie dog,” Izzy told her team a story as they moved through the shortcut, “which meant I shared all the prairie dog council meetings and oh, oh! Here we are!”
“Finally! I need to get out of this hole!” Chase said and crawled faster.
The viewpoint moved to the surface as rock got pushed out of the way and Chase emerged from beneath. "You've got to be kidding," he muttered in annoyance.
The camera moved again, showing that the Grips’ tunnel had come up in front of the boxcars. All members of the Killer Grips were celebrating in front, while Chris and Chef watched.
"We lost?" Izzy said as she emerged from her hole.
"Yes, we did," Chase told her as he and the other Gaffers got out of the hole. "And aren't you out of the game? We did vote you off."
“Uh-uh. You voted off Kaleidoscope,” Izzy rebutted.
A flash took the scene back to the third episode's elimination with Izzy, Ripper, and Chase in the bottom three. “Izzy! Time to go!” Chris announced.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Izzy objected. “That's not my name.”
“Can I get a pen over here?” Chris raised his hand in annoyance. A pen was given to him, and he started to write on the paper. “It says "E-Scope" now, okay?!”
Izzy stubbornly stayed in her seat, and Chris looked over to his side. “Yo guys. Want to make sure we keep this ballot in the files as an official record of Kaleidoscope's departure?” he asked as he continued to scribble. “I'll notarize it. Foresight. That's why they pay me the big bucks.”
The flashback ended and the focus returned to the Gaffers. “So technically, Izzy's still in the game!” Sky realized.
Confessional: MK
“I didn't expect this to happen, but I'll allow it if it means I get an extra vote for tonight's elimination ceremony,” MK said.
Confessional Ends
A flash took the scene to the craft services tent, the camera lingering on an outside shot before cutting to Chef at the counter while the Grips ate at their table in the foreground.
“It's such a relief to have finally won a challenge after losing the past two ones,” Brick started to say.
“Well, this is an effect of Trent not being around to lose for us,” Justin said. “We made the right decision voting him off last time.”
“Even with the other team getting Izzy back, they're still going to lose a member,” Anne Maria remarked. “It's sorta a win-win for us.”
The footage skipped ahead, showing Ripper and Scott sitting around in their trailer before MK joined them.
"Okay, look," MK said as she addressed the two boys, "we have to vote Sky off tonight. She's helpful, sure, but she'd be hard to beat if the teams merge."
"I second that," Scott nodded. "She also slowed us down in the cart portion of the challenge."
"I told you guys that Chase should've pushed for us, but you didn't listen," Ripper huffed.
“I convinced Izzy to help us with the vote, and Chase won't be necessary since he and Sky have some sort of friendship with each other,” MK said.
"As long as we have the majority, we're all set to go," Scott said with a wink.
The theme of the Gilded Chris ceremony began to play, accompanied by the standard introduction sequence. It faded into a long-distance shot of the award stage, the camera zooming in as the theme came to an end. The six Gaffers cast their votes, the camera panning down from Chase and MK in the top row, to Izzy and Scott in the middle, and Ripper and Sky at the bottom.
"Time's up!" Chris announced excitedly. "I'll tally the votes!" He held up a device similar to the voting pads, and began to read off names. "Chase, Scott, Izzy, and MK." Each name was accompanied by the sound of an award getting thrown and caught and the four were shown holding their latest prizes. "Another award, and another day to compete."
The host held up the final award. "Tonight's final Gilded Chris and another chance at the million goes to…" he said as Ripper and Sky were shown watching nervously, "...Ripper!"
The aforementioned contestant caught his prize as Sky felt disappointed with the results.
Confessional: Sky
“I didn't want to vote for Chase and Izzy and MK and Scott helped out with the challenge, even if they're unsportsmanlike,” Sky explained. “I talked to Chase and Izzy about voting for Ripper since he didn't do much today, but I guess Izzy chose to vote off someone else.”
Confessional: Ripper
“Voting for Sky didn't hurt one bit,” Ripper confessed. “Like MK said, she's really athletic and could easily win the season if we chose to eliminate somebody else tonight.”
Confessional: Izzy
“Even though I was told to vote off specific people, I decided to go with voting MK,” Izzy admitted. “I still remember how she acted during last season's dodgeball challenge.”
Confessionals End
The footage flashed forward, showing Sky on the red carpet getting handcuffed by Chef.
"Dead girl walking!" Chef called out before escorting the eliminated contestant.
"Hold on!" the voice of MK cried out as she ran up to the two. “Leave her and take me!”
“Sure. Whatever,” Chef took the handcuffs off Sky and offered them to MK.
“I was kidding!” MK pushed the cuffs away from her. “Like I'd willingly quit the game. I'm just here to see the loser off.” She looked at the slightly taller girl teasingly. “I'm sure you'll be happily reunited with Trent the Challenge Thrower.”
"As long as I'm not on a team with someone as underhanded as you," Sky retorted as she grabbed the handcuffs and walked past the now miffed girl, "I'll be happy anywhere."
The Gilded Chris theme began to play as Chris turned to the camera. "Folks are getting feisty!" he said. "The Gaffers just lost their best player and team leader this early in the game, and with her out of the way, how low will this team sink just to win? Tune in next week to find out on Total! Drama! Action!"
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
Sky was sitting in the back of the Lame-o-sine as she looked at the window. "You know what’s ironic?" she started. "Trent outlasted me last season by one episode, and now the same thing occurred, only with the roles reversed." She turned her head to look at the camera. "I wish I could've stayed on the show longer and prove that I'm more than Trent's athletic girlfriend, but I'm pretty sure the fans know that I have a distinct personality."
"If there's one thing I can say about my performance, it's that I didn't do anything questionable or controversial that could be used against me in the future or vilify me." She paused for a moment and blinked. "What do you mean Aftermath?"
Eva - 14th
Geoff - 14th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 12th
Sky - 11th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Brick, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Izzy, MK, Ripper, Scott