In a move right out of the Michigan MAGA playbook, repudiated Commissioners David Moyle, Bob Peterson, and Bob Barron have given a glimpse of what we can expect in November.
https://www.dailypress.net/news/local-news/2024/05/canvassers-fail-to-certify-recall-election-results/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1FYOOjsznIlQe8PqLyD3_6GwsQilMDzuU72PEcahsmJpYcvrGqDq0M2hk_aem_AasKrJkP6DivPv6IZV5AaOV9WZ1VahqPAi8VfnwZULmbyP0wEq11vpDhR5Ejr7s0Yps8bP-s5XMIxc--Oz16HwQJ
ESCANABA — Swearing in ceremonies for the winners of the Delta County Board of Commissioners recall election held last week and a reorganizational meeting that was planned for Wednesday were scrapped Tuesday evening, after the Delta County Board of Canvassers failed to certify the election results.
“They’re basing their decision on the ratio of the votes, because two of (the races) have the exact same ratio and the third one was a similar ratio, so they think that that shows that the machines were somehow programmed with (an) algorithm,” said Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki.
The results of the May 7 election were unusually consistent, with challengers Kelli Van Ginhoven and Matt Jensen each receiving 72% of the vote in their respective races, to incumbent commissioners Dave Moyle’s and Bob Petersen’s 27%. In the race between challenger Myra Croasdell and Incumbent Commissioner Bob Barron, the percentages were 73% and 26%, respectively.
Such results are atypical across races in elections for a number of reasons, including differences between the candidates, population density, and the cultural factors that make people choose to live in more- or less-populated areas.
But just because the results were unusual doesn’t mean they were wrong.
“I tried to tell them that the machines have been tested and the results came out exactly as they should. I have every confidence in our voting equipment because it’s always tested and in the recounts and the audits we have done, the ballot hand count has always come out exactly very close to … the tabulator results,” said Przewrocki.
It is also not the place of the board of canvassers to take results into account when deciding to certify the election. They serve a more administrative role, doing things like comparing the precinct poll books to reports from the precincts to look for internal consistency in the number of votes cast. According to Przewrocki, there were no inconsistencies that would warrant the election not being certified.
That didn’t stop two Republican canvassers from voting against the certification Tuesday. Bonnie Hakkola, who also serves as the local Republican party chair, and LeeAnne Oman, an alternate canvasser who also serves as the local Republican party secretary, both voted not to certify — splitting the board of canvassers 2-2 and blocking the certification.
A second meeting of the board of canvassers has been set for Monday at 9 a.m. It is possible that Oman would not participate in that hearing if Sema Deeds — the Republican canvasser Oman replaced Tuesday — is present. Deeds was unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting due to illness.
It is unlikely that Hakkola’s vote will change. A press release dated Monday but sent to the Daily Press late Tuesday by her son, Seth Hakkola, indicates local citizens working with members of Michigan-based groups that deny the validity of the 2020 presidential election have “identified certain statistical anomalies and suspicious voting ratios.”
Specifically, the release references local citizens working with Joanna Bakale, a prominent member of the Election Integrity Force, who is perhaps best known for advising poll watchers to call 911 if they see suspicious activity around voting machines in 2022; Citizens for Electoral Justice member Scott Aughney, a self-described “independent election investigator and whistleblower” who attempted to obtain a copy of Escanaba’s electronic poll book raw data file through a failed Freedom of Information Act request last year; and Former Republican State Senator Patrick Colbeck, of Michigan’s 7th District.
The release states the local citizens are “formally requesting a hand recount and forensic audit of the results.” According to Przewrocki, Hakkola had also requested a hand recount, but the board of canvassers is not authorized by law to conduct recounts as part of the certification process.
“I would love to do a hand count just to show them that there is absolutely nothing wrong with our tabulators,” said Przewrocki.
A recount of the ballots could still take place, but only after the election is certified. If it were to happen, it would have to be at the request of one of the candidates.
Technically speaking, Moyle, Petersen and Barron still serve as the county’s commissioners until their replacements can be put in place. If the election is not certified Monday, those board members would have to vote whether or not to hold the regularly scheduled meeting slated for Tuesday.
However, if the election is not certified Monday, there could be bigger issues. The certification process would be taken over by the State Board of Canvassers, which means Przewrocki and other local clerks would have to travel downstate with the ballots, election machines, poll books, and all other necessary documents and equipment to certify the election.
“Everything that we would have at our fingertips doing it here locally, we would have to bring downstate with us in case there needs to be a retabulation,” said Przewrocki.
The cost of the canvassing would also fall on the county.
Until the certification, Van Ginhoven, Croasdell, and Jensen cannot be sworn in and a reorganizational meeting cannot be held. Jensen and Croasdell were expected to be sworn in Wednesday morning and Van Ginhoven was slated to be sworn in Monday, but all three ceremonies have been postponed. A reorganizational meeting also set for Wednesday was postponed, pending the certification.

I just wanted to add some positivity here and say I've had a great experience with our fertility clinic so far! We're in a red state so I have lots of medical anxiety surrounding reproductive health, but I've been really happy with how lovely our fertility clinic has been. I am a fat, queer, disabled person and they didn't blink an eye when I told them I wanted to carry. They've been so kind and answered all our questions. Most importantly, we're using a known donor who is a trans woman who banked her sperm prior to transitioning. When submitting her paperwork for the vials to our bank, she redacted her dead name and again they did not care one bit. They even correct their pronouns when referring to her! My wife is also a transwoman and they've treated her with nothing but respect. I'm just delighted with how wonderful they've been.

Hi all,
So am trying to start T have been trying since my first Endo appointment on 4/2. I went to this Endo in my area because she's known to be trans friendly.
I had my first appointment with her on 4/2, and she agreed to start me on both T and Monjouro (I'm prediabetic, which is another concern of mine). So she said let's just run some tests and then get you on. I was like okay, yes, sounds good! So I finished all my labs on 4/19, and the results were sent to my health portal on 4/23.
I waited until 4/26 and called their office asking if I needed to do anything else. They said no and that the doctor would call me back.
A week later on 5/2 she sent me a message on my client portal that just said Are you ready to start T? And I was already on my phone and got the notification so I immediately replied and said Yes I'm ready,. Am I also starting the Monjouro?
I haven't gotten any response since 5/2. So this morning, 5/16 I sent them another message asking if there was anything else I needed to do to start both things. I'm just sitting here waiting.
Is this normal for endocrinologists? Just weeks without a response? My wife said I should call, but the last time I called I still waited a week for any kind of response.
I'm considering trying to find another person, but it sort of scares me because I don't know what my other options are in my red state area (my closest city is Dallas,TX). She's supposed to be very trans friendly, and I mean she was nice when I had my first appointment. The communication since then though has been frustrating.
I'm considering asking my PCP but I don't know if she's comfortable RX'ing T to me, or if she would just refer me to another Endo anyway, which would probably be the woman's center that's close by (and I don't want to go to). I had wanted to use an Endo anyway because I'm prediabetic (likely bc of PCOS) , so I figured I could kill 2 birds /1 stone.
I'm feeling kind of frustrated I guess because I don't know what's happening. Should I find a new doc? Are there other trans friendly Endos (or other sort of specialist) in that area? I don't really want a different PCP (mine is very close to my house and generally nice/responsive to me).

Shocked onlookers dived for cover earlier tonight as gunfire erupted inside a Lucy77 bar on Harper & Prince.
It all started - witnesses say - over a dispute over a winning Lucky Strike lottery tocket reportedly worth more than US$2.1m.
According to one of the witnesses, 3 people were reportedly inside the bar "celebrating some great news", when three other very unhappy individuals stepped inside the bar. All of the individuals were known to each other and all reportedly worked at the Hagichokuru mega car plant on the outskirts of Holmbury.
A witness says an argument erupted over two of the individuals' contributions to an alleged "lottery pool" as part of a syndicate. The other members claimed they had not contributed to the purchase of this specific Lucky Strike ticket, which turned out to be a winning ticket.
When the argument escalated, several of the workers brought out firearms and began threatening each other, with one man saying "I got kids and a sick teenager and a family, you won't get away with this!"
Suddenly gunfire erupted, leading to terrified patrons diving for cover and fleeing.
At least 3 people were seriously injured.
Holmsbury Police Department stated that 5 people were taken to Redgrove General and two of those 5 were placed under arrest whilst receiving medical treatment.
Pending

My sister, who took their mask off in the summer of 2021 post vaccine and has not looked back, just got COVID for the second time at the beginning of last week. On Day 1 she’s was feeling like it was a slight cold and was super bummed because she was supposed to travel for work that Sunday for a few days which she was looking forward to.
I asked her to let me know how she was in a few days and offered to send some care package items (we live in different states), things that are comforting when you’re sick. She said on day one it barely felt like a cold and there’s really no reason to worry, she’s vaccinated so she’ll be fine.
I told her that every infection is unique, depending on how much virus she gets, etc. so even though it feels like a cold today, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or even after infection with lingering symptoms or development of post Covid things such as increase risk for blood clots, POTS, etc. so I will always worry each time she gets COVID (which will continue to happen because she doesn’t mask anywhere, not even planes).
I checked in with her towards the end of last week, and didn’t hear back for two days, which caused me to worry more. She just texted back that she was fine, tested negative after five days, and ended up going on her work trip immediately after, so she has just been busy. Says she feels great and no problems.
Not that I want my sister to feel awful, but you do start to feel like the unhinged family member when you are so concerned about Covid, and then people’s lived experience with it is so minimal or chill. I understand why they believe it’s basically “just like the flu or cold” now and why my sister looks at me, living her, worst nightmare of a) continuing to mask and not fitting in socially because of it or b) limiting my social life in ways that would make her really sad or depressed (basically just not going to restaurants or house parties).
We don’t talk often about Covid, but she knows where I stand, and I have mentioned the long-term effects, etc. But, all of my concerns don’t match up with her lived reality and I think she just thinks I’m paranoid and anxious tbh.
I had just had Covid for the first time a week prior and even with Paxlovid it took me 16 days to test negative. Idk if that’s bc it was my body’s first encounter or what, but I was warning her about that and then she literally tested negative in five days and again, just makes me seem unhinged.
I do have other friends who are like this, including my hairdresser, who sees clients all day without masking - and then complain about how she’s gotten sick four times this past year - so much more often than usual! And I’m like “yeahhhhh you’re T cell count probably sucks now,” or the multiple ppl I know who have gotten chronic illness/pots diagnosis over the last three years, and do not relate it at all to Covid. So, even the ppl with the things I’m warning about think I’m unhinged 😂
Anyways! Just wanted to vent.

Good morning my witches and wizards.
I'd like to inject some very niche nuance into the discussion surrounding Supergiant's presentation of the Greek Gods in Hades 1 and 2. This will post will be a little long, but I believe context will be helpful when explaining my argument. If you need to get back to kicking [REDACTED]'s ass ASAP, there's a TLDR at the bottom.
I will preface this by saying Hades 2 may be my favorite game of all time, beating out the first by a wide margin (despite me logging over a hundred hours in the original). I've followed Supergiant since the original release of Bastion, played each of their games extensively, and I think I have a passable understanding of the studio's vision. As a result, I view their design choices in good faith.
That being said, I have a few very minor concerns. While they are nowhere near enough to sour the experience for me, I would like to express the thoughts that have been banging around in my head. Spoilers below.
Table of Contents

1. Why do you care?
2. What's your problem?
3. What does your smelly uncle have to do with this?
4. Giving props for the small details.

1 - Why do you care?

For context, I am a Greek man who was the first generation born and raised in the United States. Greek was my first language, I was raised by a Greek community, and I've been heavily involved in our customs since birth. While many people think ancient culture is completely disconnected from modern Greek beliefs, this is inaccurate. No, I don't pray to a shrine of Poseidon when I go fishing. However, many of the stories, beliefs, and morals that were described by the ancient Greek pantheon remained key parts of our culture throughout the transition into modernity.
For example, a common theme in ancient Greek mythology is that of a god secretly traveling on earth, being offered hospitality by unsuspecting mortals, and then rewarding them for their generosity. This is represented in modern culture by the term "philoxenia" which represents our value of being friendly towards strangers. Relationships like these represent the fact that we still value our ancient culture, albeit through modern representation of its ideas. I see many moral, theological, and literary threads that connect the time of the pantheon with the time of modern christianity. As a result, I am passionate about how our ancient culture is represented. In many small ways, it is still a part of me.

2 - Whats your problem?

I started thinking deeply after a recent post on the subreddit (rightfully) condemning racist remarks towards the characterization of Hermes. I think the general consensus of correct - the design of the gods are amazing, and they do a great job representing how many different cultures were involved in worshiping the Pantheon in ancient times. Ancient Greeks traded with others, spread their beliefs far and wide, and often praised the virtues of other cultures (such as Ethiopia) through art and literature. This is represented well by diverse design in-game.
However, despite the fact that the characters in Hades visually represent the variety of people who engaged with the pantheon, I sometimes feel that their traits and voices don't represent Greekness. To put it in other words, the gods are fantastic at giving off the aura of Greek mythology, but less so at giving off the aura of Greek culture.

3 - What does you smelly uncle have to do with this?

My primary complaint is Supergiant's approach when choosing character voices. To preface - THE VOICE ACTING IS AMAZING! There's not a single character whose voice doesn't fit their design and personality. I'm still amazed that Darren Korb managed to nail both Skelly and Zag. However, what interferes with my immersion the most is the choice not to use Greek accents at all.
Hephaestus in the sequel looks exactly like my immigrant uncle in real life. However, every time he speaks, I'm left wondering why he sounds Scottish. Judy Alice Lee did an amazing job voicing Melinoe, but when she speaks Greek (ie. Kataskion Aski) during her incantations, it sounds more like a British classics student practicing her Greek lines. Greek-speakers are a vast minority of the player base, and I get that this is something only someone in my position can notice and complain about. However, it feels like voices were chosen based on what Americans think sounds "regal and godly" as opposed to what characters would sound like in the context of the culture.
I don't think this was done intentionally, and there are definitely limitations when casting voices that don't come in common accents. However, I do think it is a missed opportunity to create a work of art that represents our culture far more deeply than other media has in the past.
Another small example is the use of Roman numerals when marking the doors in Tartatus and Chronos' clock attacks. In the context of the story, these symbols are being used a few centuries too early. Why not use Greek letters as the numerical system, counting down doors through ε, δ, γ, β ,α until the end? It may be confusing on the first run, but people learn quickly - they may even walk away understanding more about the Greek alphabet. I'm sure the creative minds at Supergiant could come up with other ways to represent "time" in a way that fits the cultural context.

4 - Props for the small details

I'd like to give props to some of the amazing tiny details that did make me feel represented in-game.

• Frinos and Toula are incredible names for familiars - if I don't get a dog named Osto next, I'll riot.
• The music, as usual, is magically done. Darren's use of culturally relevant instruments alongside his own flair proves that he is among the most thoughtful and skilled in the entire industry.
• Polyphemus' design is so Greek. The chest hair, the evil eye, his desire to eat and sleep, all of it.
• While pronunciation and accents can be bizzare, including Greek phrases when Melinoe is doing her incantations is an incredible touch. I would love to see more spoken Greek included in future updates.

Thank you for reading my rant. I understand that much of what I would have preferred is out of the scope of the team's vision, but I wanted to get my thoughts out so I can finally put them to rest. I hope my argument about cultural representation can be separated from the more negative and insensitive discourse about racial traits in character design.
Ν'αστε καλά. Θάνατοσ στο Χρόνοσ.
TLDR: The discourse around Supergiant's presentation of Hades characters has been bipolar - either "It's Perfect" or "It's Horrible". I think it is much closer to perfect than not, but as a Greek myself, I find myself begrudgingly accepting some very minor details (such as dubbing and pronunciation) that could have been executed a tad more thoughtfully. That being said, I think Supergiant did their best considering the resources available to them.

After our wedding, my husband took his brother's kid to the hospital on his bike which doesn't have brakes. Also his brother's wife and her mother just didn't care about that and kind of influenced him to take him to the hospital even though the kid was perfectly alright and just sleeping nicely after the wedding due to all the jumping and playing around. Added to this, my husband's brother was also present in the house and just lazing around and had a bike which has good brakes and was in perfect condition. Another thing which hurt me is that in our culture after the wedding, the new couple are not let to roam around outside freely for a few days as a part of the traditions, but this incident happened the very next day of wedding. So neither that or the fact that my husband had just skidded while driving his bike before the wedding and had to be hospitalized deterred those heartless mother and daughter duo. Luckily my brother's sister did take her to charge for sending him like this.
The above incident just pushed me into panic mode and I was just praying for his safety. I have anxiety problem. Luckily by god's grace he returned safely. Afterwards, the next day, I returned to my family as per traditional rule and just collapsed from all the stresses during the wedding. I was unwell unconscious and had to be taken to the doctor. My family took care of me, but I was so tired and weak that I needed assistance for even walking a few steps. My husband was at his place, but he didn't even call me even once.. though I was not in the position to even receive the call. I was in such a bad state that I couldn't even eat or drink. After I got well, I was very much hurt and confronted him, even told him that he was more concerned about his nephew than his wife. He was like that you are a grown-up to be taken care of and I should not to be comparing the two situations. It was uncomfortable to listen him telling me that and he was bit angry too. I told him that even as a grown up an adult will still need care like a child and need assistance too when unwell. I was very much hurt and just feel like I am not important to him as his nephew.

It is crucial for students to prioritize their mental health and well-being in an increasingly fast-paced and digitally linked environment. With the growing recognition of the need of all encompassing support networks by educators and parents, educational technology, or EdTech, is emerging as a potent instrument for cultivating mindfulness and advancing favorable outcomes of mental health.

1. Mindfulness Apps and Meditation Platforms: The capacity of mindfulness techniques to lower stress, sharpen attention, and increase general wellbeing has become widely acknowledged in recent years. In response, EdTech businesses created a plethora of platforms and apps for mindfulness that are tailored to the needs of students. These applications provide guided breathing exercises, stress-reduction methods, and meditation sessions that are specific to the difficulties that students have. Students who practice mindfulness on a daily basis can develop resilience, cope with the demands of their studies, and keep a healthy work-life balance.
   
2. Wellness Tracking Tools: Prioritizing health is very important in ones life, so that they can take precautionary and healthy practices which can also be termed as Self-Care. Students can keep track of their stress levels, mood, and sleep patterns over time with the help of EdTech solutions that have wellness tracking capabilities. Students can learn important information about their mental health patterns and causes by tracking their feelings and activities. Certain platforms employ artificial intelligence to evaluate this information and offer tailored suggestions for stress reduction and self-care tactics. Tools for tracking wellness enable students to actively manage their mental health by promoting self-awareness and contemplation.
   
3. Virtual Counselling Services: For students, getting mental health care can be an overwhelming process, particularly if they are experiencing obstacles like stigma or a lack of resources. By providing students with discreet and easily available virtual counseling services, EdTech companies are helping to close this gap and supporting students no matter where they are. Students can schedule solitary or group sessions with certified therapists and counselors via safe video conferencing platforms. These online counseling programs give students a secure setting in which to talk about their worries, experiment with coping mechanisms, and get one-on-one help for handling mental health issues.
   
4. Digital Well-Being Platforms: Students are spending more and more time online, therefore it's critical that they develop positive digital habits that promote their general wellbeing. In order to meet this demand, edtech businesses are creating digital well-being platforms that encourage responsible technology use. These systems provide features like notifications for taking breaks, app usage analysis, and screen time tracking. Digital well-being platforms help lessen the detrimental effects of excessive screen time on mental health by encouraging students to evaluate their digital behaviors and create healthy boundaries.
   
5. Peer Support Networks: Students' resilience and mental health are greatly enhanced by peer assistance. Through online forums and communities, EdTech platforms are enabling peer relationships and support networks. These platforms give students a forum to talk about their experiences, encourage one another, and discuss coping mechanisms for both personal and academic difficulties. Peer support networks help to a positive school culture that promotes mental health and well-being by creating a sense of belonging and solidarity.
   

Completing a comprehensive education requires not only focusing on mental health assistance but also including mindfulness practices. With the help of a wide range of tools and resources provided by EdTech, students can prioritize their wellbeing, learn to handle stress, and develop mindfulness. Teachers and parents may create a nurturing learning atmosphere where students feel appreciated, encouraged, and equipped to succeed academically and emotionally by utilizing cutting-edge technologies.

education #stressmanagement #self-care

https://www.reddit.com/usetalentserve/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355985613_Peculiarities_of_the_body_constitution_of_18-22-year-old_first_year_students_of_various_ethnicities_from_Belarusian_State_Medical_University

I've been working in IT support for 5, nearly 6 years now.
For background, here is my current job history:

• Level 3 Apprenticeship in ICT / ICT Technician - 2.5 years
• ICT Technician in school - 2.25 years
• Systems Engineer - 7 months (made redundant)
• ICT Technician (current, 2 months)

The journey so far
I did really well in my apprenticeship. I got apprentice of the year from my local authority, and continuted to work for ~6 months.
I left that job to go study Computer Science at university. I did this because I wanted to push for a better career in software development. Unfortunately due to personal circumstances and difficulty with the course, I dropped out towards the end of first year. This has been my life's biggest regret so far.
After University, back to IT support. It was in a school, so nothing too advanced, but I pretty much mastered troubleshooting, infrastructure, and basic networking. It felt like I could do IT support asleep, and has only gotten worse.
On the side whilst at this role and my previous one, I completed a lot of codecademy and freecodecamp, aswell as learning from YouTube resources and practicing coding projects.
Using this position I got into my last role. It was as ICT Technician/Systems engineer, and I both loved/hated this job. Part of it was to perform data analysis and prepare reports for stakeholders. This involved me using past knowledge such as SQL to a much greater degree. There were also opportunities to put some of my software development skills to test which was great.
Unfortunately aswell, this was also another IT support role at the same time, so I still had that frustration of not breaking out of IT support. It is just so easy for me at this point that it's extremely frustrating having to do it, especially for shitty pay. Ever since the apprenticeship, I have known it is dead end.
The present
So right now, I am currently working in IT Support, again. Unfortunately, due to the unexpected nature of me leaving the other job, I took the first one I could. I needed the money. A friend helped me get it, and it's working at a very small MSP providing support and doing basic infra work.
It's ridiculously simple, it's a step down, and I absolutely hate it, and knew from the start it was just about getting a paycheck in until I figure it out. I'm finding it really difficult going to work to do easy shit for low pay.
I'm back in the same zone I have been so many times, wanting to get out of IT support, and having no idea how to do it.
I could go to University again, but how do you do that without working for 3 years?
I could do Open University, but that means grinding in IT support for another four years and I don't think I can do it.
I could try a gov-funded bootcamp, but let's be real 80%+ of those are a cash grab just like the PPE scandals, and I can't afford the 8k the other 20% charge, or go 6 weeks+ without pay.
There are no level 4 apprenticeships in my area, and there hasn't been for 6 months or more. I check regularly.
I could try the whole self-taught angle. But I already have completed a lot of codecademy and freecodecamp, and have projects. I am already a semi-competent programmer, but find it extraordinarily difficult to convery this on a CV, any attempts in the past haven't worked.
It really feels all my doors are shut, and software dev isn't something I can achieve. I've though about doing networking instead as I do have an interest, but doing a CCNA and then hoping for the best doesn't seem like a great choice.
Appreciate any help, sorry it is massive :)

Everyone desires a smile that is beautifully aligned and naturally occurring, and braces from Chicago Orthodontics are known to assist achieve this goal! But did you know that having straight teeth isn't the only advantage of wearing braces? Patients using braces will benefit from several health advantages in addition to the aesthetic ones. Patients who have orthodontic problems frequently may not be aware of the risks connected to incorrect or misaligned teeth. It's true that wearing expert suggested braces from Chicago clinics can improve your smile's appearance. The knowledgeable staff at Chicago Orthodontics wants you to be aware of the additional benefits of wearing braces and how they can enhance your oral health.
Gum disease and tooth decay
When your teeth are crowded or crooked, they may overlap and leave little spaces between them. This can make it exceedingly challenging to properly brush and floss, which promotes the accumulation of germs and plaque and ultimately results in gum disease and tooth decay. Your teeth will become properly positioned and spaced after orthodontic treatment, making cleaning more efficient. One of the main concerns with orthodontic difficulties is the increased risk of oral diseases like gum disease and periodontitis.
Patients who have very misaligned or crooked teeth naturally have fissures that people with straight teeth do not have. In essence, bacteria and food accumulation hide in these cracks. Patients find it more difficult to maintain the necessary degree of dental cleanliness in these crevices, which can lead to health problems down the road. Patients who neglect to practice good oral hygiene run the risk of developing cavities, plaque, tartar, and illness due to food accumulation and bacteria.
By using braces in Lincoln Square to correct the teeth, these difficult-to-reach spots can be eliminated, lowering the incidence of oral disease overall. Patients can clean and floss more efficiently and avoid missing important parts of the mouth when braces eliminate the tight spaces between teeth.
Having straight teeth can benefit a person's general health in addition to their dental health. A patient has a misaligned bite when their jaws are not properly aligned. As a result, the patient might have problems with their bite, which could put an extraordinary and dangerous amount of stress on particular teeth and mouth regions. This unequal pressure distribution when eating and other daily tasks might strain the muscles, ligaments, and jaws.
Certain teeth that experience unusual stress may eventually weaken and become more prone to chipping and shattering. Infection and the requirement for tooth extraction may result from this. By using braces to correct the bite, patients can lower their likelihood of developing these problems and prevent them altogether, improving their general health. Some patients have problems like front teeth that protrude.
Olivia Swann is author of this article and writes since long time. For further details about Braces in Lincoln Square please visit the website.

I am trying to test some elastic agent funtionality in kubernetes. Right now, I am trying to deploy elastic agent in a Kubernetes pod. Bare in mind, the environment is all self managed on prem. I have security enabled and have generated certs for Fleet. I am running into an error where when deploying the elastic agent manifest, I receive "x509: certificate signed by unknown authority" error. I assumed this would be something handled by the "FLEET_ENROLLMENT_TOKEN", but it isn't working. I dont see an argument in the docs that show and environment variable where I can point to a CA fleet cert. Is there something I am missing here? I have copied and updated the fleet server cert to the Kubernetes node. Is there more I need to do for the pod to be able to see it?
It is just interesting that in Fleet UI, when adding an agent, it specifically details how to do this in Kube (if you have the policy preconfigured with the kubernetes integration).I would think it would detail this here with what env variables need to be listed. Especially if there were a cert specific variable.

 - name: FLEET_INSECURE value: "false" # Fleet Server URL to enroll the Elastic Agent into # FLEET_URL can be found in Kibana, go to Management > Fleet > Settings - name: FLEET_URL value: "https://192.168.1.51:8220" # Elasticsearch API key used to enroll Elastic Agents in Fleet (https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/fleet/current/fleet-enrollment-tokens.html#fleet-enrollment-tokens) # If FLEET_ENROLLMENT_TOKEN is empty then KIBANA_HOST, KIBANA_FLEET_USERNAME, KIBANA_FLEET_PASSWORD are needed - name: FLEET_ENROLLMENT_TOKEN value: "" - name: KIBANA_HOST value: "http://kibana:5601" # The basic authentication username used to connect to Kibana and retrieve a service_token to enable Fleet - name: KIBANA_FLEET_USERNAME value: "elastic" # The basic authentication password used to connect to Kibana and retrieve a service_token to enable Fleet - name: KIBANA_FLEET_PASSWORD value: "" - name: NODE_NAME valueFrom: fieldRef: fieldPath: spec.nodeName - name: POD_NAME valueFrom: fieldRef: fieldPath: metadata.name 

https://preview.redd.it/rggvt1q2ws0d1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=b02e07e8e8ad4b69d8ecf48881a5476d8947983b
It doesn't mention anywhere about referencing or mounting a CA certificate
Note:
small lab

• 1 ES container
  
• 1 Fleet Server container
  
• 1 KB container
  
• 1 microk8s node (This is where I am trying to deploy Elastic Agent)
  

I am able to deploy Elastic Agent with "FLEET_INSECURE" set to true, but I want to use the certs that I have.
I added the fleet server crt to the k8s node and ran "update-ca-certificates" and that still didn't solve anything.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!

im sorry for the long post. i had to get it out.
I had never had a panic attack in my life. I'm 34. I woke up on Mother's Day and my whole right side felt strange. Tingling, numb. I felt this sense of dread. I don't usually go to the ER for anything, but I felt like I had to. My partner drove me. As we drove the 30 or so minutes to the ER, the symptoms got worse. The tingling, but now a tightening in my chest and a pain when I breathed in too much. I began hyperventilating and I was 100 percent sure I was having a stroke. I'm telling my poor partner I'm dying. It's happening rn and I'm so sorry. I'm telling them I love them. By this point, my wholw body is vibrating, like I was turned to the static channel. And then my hands cramped up and my feet too. My mouth drooped and my speech began slurring. I was dry heaving. it was the most intense and terrifying experience of my life.
We get to the hospital and he runs inside and tells them he thinks I'm having a stroke. Everyone inside looks bored....or not concerned. I get back pretty quickly and the nurses rip my shirt off and start sticking shit on me. One of the nurses told me I was panicking and I needed to breathe. I wasn't having a stroke, it was a panic attack. After some time my hands uncramped. The doctor tells me it's a panic attack but they were still going to do tests.
everything came back normal. my blood pressure was 180/110. They gave me BP meds and sent me home with literature on blood pressure.
I worked the next day against doctors orders. My Jon informed me it would be okay as my job isn't "strenuous" (I work as a behavioral specialist in a group home for girls). Everything was fine with my shift. I knew I had to eventually follow up with a primary but my insurance had not kicked in at work yet. I was just waiting it out.
Turns out, I was not fine. The next day I had off and I relaxed and bed rotted as much as I could. I hadn't slept much since Sunday. I was so scared of it happening again. Wednesday was a treatment meeting with all the staff. As I'm sitting there, that fucking tingling started. I had done some reading in case this happened. I said my ABCs, I sang the lyrics to, "I saw the signs" in my head, tried to engage with people, but by this point I looked absolutely insane, I'm sure. my head was covered in sweat. I managed to get up and ask my boss to step outside with me. she escorted me to her office and I just let it all out. I'm crying and shaking and trying to explain what's happening. she's talking to me and asking questions but I can barely keep up.
I'm told I need to go to the walk in clinic and get anxiety meds immediately (by my boss). she told me to call. I call and they tell me I can't do a walk in, I need mental health help. they transfer me to another person. that person is very confused as to why I was given blood pressure meds for a panic attack. she tells me I'm having an emergency event and need to go to the er and I needed to call an ambulance. I tell her I can't afford that. My mom was on her way. I was not alone. All this while I'm crying shaking and feeling very out of control. it was definitely nowhere near the first, though. That was insane.
I get to the ER and this time, they get a health history, they give me something for anxiety, they give me resources for trauma, they are much more understanding and helpful than the first time. I'm really very grateful for then.
But now I'm on medical leave until I "sort this out" as my boss says. I have an appointment on the 30th for a primary follow up followed by a meeting with a therapist. I'm very confused. Why? Why out of nowhere? I do not want to talk about my feelings and trauma. I don't remember much of the details anymore. I just want to be okay. I'm scared I'm still going to die. I feel like a loser for having a panic attack in the middle of a fucking meeting. I'm embarrassed. I'm just sitting at home with nothing to do until the 30th.
How are you guys doing?

I recently went to the doctor (gp) and got an injection and some tests etc. I wanted to pay at the time, but they said they would email the account. I never received the email but my wife did, locked with her ID number including a charge for a repeat prescription she'd had a week before. The bill included details of the injection etc. I got in touch to ask them to send my bills to me at my email and my wife's to her in future. I didn't give any consent for my medical details to be sent to her. They have called to say that it is impossible (in their system) to have us separate as we have the same medical aid number and we need to choose which email we want to send all accounts to. Isn't this fundamentally against the NHA and POPI?

Chapter 4: Fires of Damnation
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[Previous] <<First>> [Next]
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June 1, 2030, Tokyo, Japan - 1:00 am JST- 2 and a half hours post-invasion
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Aquila Generalis scoured the ruined metropolis. She held a torch in her upper left hand and a gargantuan gladius in her upper right. She had large nets filled with writhing Japanese civilians in her lower left and right appendages. The civilians screamed and squirmed like fish in netting. Some humans were cradling streaming infants and crying children. Others cradled their spouses, elderly parents, or anyone nearby. Most just panicked. A few rational humans used small knives or their teeth to sever the netting, much to the amusement of an onlooking dragon. Movement from an apartment complex caught the attention of a tremendous soldier. The soldier stuck his hand into the ruined apartment complex while the rest stopped and stared at him.
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"What are you doing?" Asked another soldier. She raised an eyebrow and gave her fellow soldier a puzzled look.
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The giant stretched his right arm, straining himself. He pressed his left arm against the building to maintain balance.
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"Need some help?" The amused dragon sneered.
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The giant hissed in excretion and annoyance. He stretched his fingers, a determined fervor taking over him. He pushed a desk over, revealing a cowering human. The giant grabbed the human by its legs and dragged the Man toward his eye.
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"Got him." The soldier hissed.
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Some of the giants began crowding around the building. Most gathered to steal their compatriot's meal, while a few scoured the facility for more humans. The soldier's single eye widened with glee. He licked his lips with anticipation; the sight of fresh meat entranced him in a state of euphoria. A small gust of wind blew towards him as he dragged the screaming human towards his eye. The giants opened their maws in anticipation, a toothy grin plastered on their faces. The human revealed a small device, and the gigantic glutton paid no mind. The monster feasted on many humans when he entered the metropolis. He had never seen such a colossal city nor so many humans packed into one place. This human would be one of his many victims. When the human was before the titan, he sprayed a mysterious substance into the titan's eye. The giant released the human and covered his single elephantine eye. He wailed in pain and stumbled backward, knocking his comrades over. The Mammoth of a Monster cried like a newborn infant while his comrades groaned in pain.
Aquila Generalis glowered at her pathetic legion while the dragon erupted in laughter. Others stopped searching the building to see what the commotion was about. Upon seeing their fellow giant reduced to a weeping wimp, they laughed.
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"I'm blind. I'm Blind! I'M BLII-I-I-IND!" The giant wailed.
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"I CAN'T SEE. I. CAN'T. SEE-EE!!!" he whipped his eye furiously, Wailing all the while.
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Aquila Generalis put the nets down. She marched toward the foolish giant, pulled him to his feet, and glared at her soldiers. They quickly stopped laughing. The dragon, on the other hand, was hooting and hollering.
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"I'M bLiNd. I cAn'T sEe. Oh, HeLp MeE!" the dragon jeered.
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The general ignored him for the sake of her health. She shook the crying Cyclops, then slapped him.
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"What is wrong with you, soldier?"
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The cyclops sobbed quietly. "The h-human sp-sprayed me with s-something." He said between sniffles.
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The general clutched the bridge of her nose. I do not have time for this. As the general berated the legionnaire, Strange beasts dotted the night sky.
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—-----
Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force (JASSDF)
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"I have a visual on the targets. Be advised targets have hostages. Do not fire unless you have a clear shot."
—-----
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The dragon looked up while the commander chastised her soldier. Upon laying eyes on the strange flying contraptions, the dragon narrowed his eyes.
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"Aquila"
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"Aquila!"
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"Not now, dragon!" The general continued berating the Cyclops.
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"Look up, stupid giant."
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"Not now, you serpentine-"
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The dragon was blown to pieces. His scales, limbs, teeth, and other body parts were scattered on the roof he once stood on. Chaos ensued as the squadron of Mitsubishi F-2 fighters lit up the sky. Before General Aquila could react, A missile hit her head, detonating. Brain matter and skull fragments decorated the buildings, creating a collage of carnage. Most of the legion tried to bring out their slings, only for their bones and organs to paint the metropolis. The few remaining legionnaires fled, leaving their human hostages. Dragons from nearby, alerted by the explosions, came to investigate. A barrage of missiles shot down the dragons that flew toward the squadron. Blood, bone, and flesh rained down on the streets of northern Tokyo.
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—-----
“Clear. Send evac for civvies.”
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***
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June 1, 2030, Tokyo, Japan - 2:00 am JST- 3 and a half hours post-invasion
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North Gate- a park in northern Tokyo
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The invasion was successful. Thousands of humans fell before the trollish legion of Luath and the elven legion of Grásta; hundreds more huddled in cages, ready to be processed into food or slaves. The trolls fought in ritualistic combat for their human trophies. At the same time, the elves watched, knowing they would be given most of the quarry due to their inherent superiority. The lesser fae were presented their trophies early: the elderly, infirm, and those too young to be used. With nothing better to do, most of the lesser fae reentered the gate while a select few remained. Ginearálta de Grásta, General of the Grásta legion, speaks with one of his soldiers.
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"This is quite the nest."
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"Agreed, Sir. It is almost…." The soldier marveled at the large city, its towering structures piercing the heavens. "Impressive," the soldier sighed.
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"Uncanny? Yes. Impressive? No. These are intelligent animals capable of fabricating wonders, but animals nonetheless. They mimic our customs, art, and concepts but lack the capacity to create true marvels. True marvels are the domain of those who wield the arcane, for it is the arcane that elevates us to the realm of sapience. Only those capable of wielding the arcane can be called sapient and only sapients can build something impressive. Everything Man creates is a caricature of our achievements; remember that."
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"Of course, sir." the soldier said hesitantly.
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"You are a fine soldier; what is your title?"
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"Saighdiúir giolcach, sir." the soldier hastily replied.
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"I've seen you around, and you show great potential. Your loyalty to Tír na Nog and the elven race cannot be ignored. Follow me."
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Saighdiúir Giolcach, The soldier of reeds, obeyed his general's command. The soldier caught glimpses of the dueling trolls from the corner of his eyes as he passed by. Ginearálta de Grásta and Saighdiúir Giolcach passed by some trees and bushes until they reached a clearing full of human cages. Ginearálta de Grásta stepped directly in front of a cage and knelt to get a closer look at the captives. Saighdiúir Giolcach slowed down and stopped a few feet from his commander.
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"Come closer, soldier."
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The soldier hesitantly stepped closer and looked inside the cages. Humans were tightly packed inside, shoulder to shoulder, shaking and quietly sobbing. Their clothing was torn and filthy, and their faces were stained with dust and tears. They inched away from the general, squishing each other in the process. The site disgusted him, but he maintained his composure.
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"Have you ever seen a human before?" the general asked inquisitively.
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"No, sir. My father showed me pictures and told stories, but that's it. My family doesn't have enough money to own half-bloods, let alone pure humans." the soldier replied.
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"Well, boy, today is your lucky day. Pick one." The general commanded.
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Saighdiúir Giolcach gazed upon the mass of frightened humans. "Humans are master mimics; they cannot wield the arcane. They're just beasts," he repeated to himself as he stared into the cage in front of him.
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He stared at a frightened Japanese woman, an adolescent just like him. They're supposed to be animals, but their eyes ... their eyes. Anguish, anxiety, grief, sadness, and so many emotions swirled within those expressive eyes. The outside commotion faded as the soldier drowned in her eyes. As his breathing and heart rate accelerated, he began questioning everything he learned about humanity and the definition of sapience. This isn't right; nothing is right. The soldier of reeds remembered his father's stories of glorious manhunts and successful raids. He remembered his mother's proverbs on magic and how it separated them from their pets and livestock. The elves are the superior race, far superior to humans. Humans are pets, livestock, slaves, and —NO! He took three steps back. He was wrong, his family was wrong, everyone was wrong. This is ₩ⱤØ₦₲. I won't condone this.
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"C̸̵̨̨̳͕̙̤̥̞͕͇̦͙̟̲ͭ̋͑ͥͮ̌ͬͬ́̃ͦ̾͆͢͡ē̸̸͇͇̣͓̣̖̲̘̋ͮ̓ͭ̀͑̏̓͗_̙̰͓̲̠̪̮͔̔̎͌ͪ͐̈́̆͘a̢͖̱̱̙̲̩̠̯͔̙̖͚ͤ̈́̇̋ͯͬ͆ͥ̆ͮń̴̡͍̘̠͍̩̺͖̟̲̉ͫ̀ͤͧ̆̈̅͆̂̐̒̋͊̒̋͟͢͟͞͞ͅn̸̛̘̫̯̘̝̱̬͉̝̲͈̿ͪ́́̽ͦ̈ͯ̄͒̈̅̍̚ d͖̣̬͈͚ḭ̛̘͚͕̱́́ͧͭ̓̐̍̽͞ͅl̚į̸̧̹̖͎̻͓ͮ̐̒ͮ̋̂̀ͯ̎̉͐ͦ̑ͦͩͤ͘͟͡s͇̿̃ d͉̬̂ͦ͗è̷̷̻͓̭͎̣̠̱̞̮̦ͤ̈́̓͑̍̒̈̏ͭͯ̕͘͘͜ Ģ̢̙̼̩̮̪̤̮͚̭͖͖̥͍͈̳̲̠͒̉̂ͥ̔ͨ́ͧ́ͬͤ́ͩ̍ͫ̃͌ͯͤ̕͟͢͝ī̷̡̢̨̧̦̩̩̙͕̦͖̞̠̘̬̰͕ͣͧ̑̾̚͢͠ͅ_̛̀̀̉́ͬ͝o̴̘̭͈̜͍͕͉̤̜̘͖͍̠̎͑́ͫ̍̎̔̏ͮ͂ͩ́͘͟l̸̴̵̵̛̫͎͍͔̜̘͉̭̭̳̻̮̖̉͐̆ͫ̇͑ͧ̿̄͑̍ͦ́̅̅ͯ̀̈ͫ̓̊̍̆̃ć̸̴̵̻̪̻̘̮͎̟̫͚͉̗̳̞̦̒ͪ̇̏̄̈́ͤ͗͘͢͝ͅaͮ̒c̡̡͉̮̟̤̭̻̥̩̗̭͔̺̎̀̀̊̃ͬ̀͆͋̆ͣ̐̄́͛͒̏ͩ̾͆̾ͯ̚͟͡ͅͅh͎̞͓̳̞͙̼̱͇͓͂ͨͧ̂ͩͣ̈́̈͗̿̓̆͂́̈́͗ͯ̆ͩ̕͝͞ͅͅ, you faithless fool." The general growled. Arcane power filled his lungs.
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The general stood up, turned around, and scowled at the boy. At the invocation of his true name, the soldier froze. The general's magic seeped into his body, causing a sharp, burning pain to envelop him.
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Despite the agony, C̸̵̨̨̳͕̙̤̥̞͕͇̦͙̟̲ͭ̋͑ͥͮ̌ͬͬ́̃ͦ̾͆͢͡ē̸̸͇͇̣͓̣̖̲̘̋ͮ̓ͭ̀͑̏̓͗_̙̰͓̲̠̪̮͔̔̎͌ͪ͐̈́̆͘a̢͖̱̱̙̲̩̠̯͔̙̖͚ͤ̈́̇̋ͯͬ͆ͥ̆ͮń̴̡͍̘̠͍̩̺͖̟̲̉ͫ̀ͤͧ̆̈̅͆̂̐̒̋͊̒̋͟͢͟͞͞ͅn̸̛̘̫̯̘̝̱̬͉̝̲͈̿ͪ́́̽ͦ̈ͯ̄͒̈̅̍̚ d͖̣̬͈͚ḭ̛̘͚͕̱́́ͧͭ̓̐̍̽͞ͅl̚į̸̧̹̖͎̻͓ͮ̐̒ͮ̋̂̀ͯ̎̉͐ͦ̑ͦͩͤ͘͟͡s͇̿̃ d͉̬̂ͦ͗è̷̷̻͓̭͎̣̠̱̞̮̦ͤ̈́̓͑̍̒̈̏ͭͯ̕͘͘͜ Ģ̢̙̼̩̮̪̤̮͚̭͖͖̥͍͈̳̲̠͒̉̂ͥ̔ͨ́ͧ́ͬͤ́ͩ̍ͫ̃͌ͯͤ̕͟͢͝ī̷̡̢̨̧̦̩̩̙͕̦͖̞̠̘̬̰͕ͣͧ̑̾̚͢͠ͅ_̛̀̀̉́ͬ͝o̴̘̭͈̜͍͕͉̤̜̘͖͍̠̎͑́ͫ̍̎̔̏ͮ͂ͩ́͘͟l̸̴̵̵̛̫͎͍͔̜̘͉̭̭̳̻̮̖̉͐̆ͫ̇͑ͧ̿̄͑̍ͦ́̅̅ͯ̀̈ͫ̓̊̍̆̃ć̸̴̵̻̪̻̘̮͎̟̫͚͉̗̳̞̦̒ͪ̇̏̄̈́ͤ͗͘͢͝ͅaͮ̒c̡̡͉̮̟̤̭̻̥̩̗̭͔̺̎̀̀̊̃ͬ̀͆͋̆ͣ̐̄́͛͒̏ͩ̾͆̾ͯ̚͟͡ͅͅh͎̞͓̳̞͙̼̱͇͓͂ͨͧ̂ͩͣ̈́̈͗̿̓̆͂́̈́͗ͯ̆ͩ̕͝͞ͅͅ spoke.
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"This-Ack ₩ⱤØ₦₲, you-ack, every-ack..." He sputtered as blue blood leaked from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. Tears tried to crawl from his pale yellow eyes, but he held them back. He could feel his skin turn to bark, lungs to heartwood, hair to leaves, and eyes to flowers.
​
​

"F̴̭̤̘̣̖̏̈͒̄ͫ̿͘͢a̢̰̳̦̺͓̥̗͉̦̻̖͇̯̹̺̓͆͗̀ͪ͌̈́ͧͯͧ͆̃̌̒̕͘͢͢͠͞͡i̛̩̙͕͌̉͂̇̃_̪̳̺͕̮͕̽͑t̸̶̿_̲͉͆h̶̷͚̣̠̥̪̳̲̝̳̱̟̫̯͍̝̩̱̱̦͎͇̳̯͇̱̜ͧ̃ͩ̐ͤ͆̏̈́̈ͪͪ͛ͧ͌̓̌͢͞f̷̘ͬ_̳̅ȕ̸̷̴̢̱͉̩̯̲̹̝̙͙̈ͣͨ̆͋͗̓͋̿͊̔͛̋̍̕͢ͅl̉̎͝͡ ǫ̧̺̲͍̯͖͙̥̦̦̮̇̑̈͆ͨ̈́̅̉̈ͯͥ́͌̃ͭ͘͜n̨̧̰̜̭̪͎ͥ̽ͪ̅̑ͦ͒͌̆ͮ̋͐͟͠e_̧̞͖͓̺͓̦̝̞̾͆̆͆̎̈ͬ̈́̑͗ͨ͟͠ͅ ǫ̷̴͎̙̥̝̝́̊ͫ̒͑͑ͨͥͨ̌̑͆̉͟͟f̲̗̜̤̪͉̪̮̘͙ͪͪͫͤ̄̂̌̐͑̽̉ͅ t̛̖̝̻͓̏͋̀̊̒͘͡͞h͔̜͕͖̼͋ͤ̇_̠̾e̡̳͉̟ͪ̍ͬ̊͡ r̷̨̛̛̘̦͓̭̙ͣ͑̍ͬ̈́̋̄ͮ̓ͦ͑͗͑̎̓͗͘͜͜ế̴̴̝̲̗͖̦̫̭͔͈̺̘̖̲̜̱͍͈̓͆͒̉̒ͫ̇̋̑ͧͮ̕͘͢͜͞͞͞ed̶̛̛̟̘̖̻̎̓ͯͨ̓͌̇͐̍̍͗̄̚̚͟ͅs̛͔̞̮̩̫̭̠̞̼̗̼ͮ̅̈̅ͯͧ̂̋̉̊̏͢͜,̨̡̠̰̰̇ͪ͊͂̏̈́ͮ̌̈ͪ̌̆̎͒͝ ẙ̵̷̡̡̛̛̬̺͈͎̭̟̲̻̲̥̩̗͉̔͋̑̏͐́ͥ͆̈̋ͪ͜͢͡ͅo̷̡̻̝̜̹̳͓͖̞ͯ̾͒̀́̇̍͂ͦ͘͘̚͟͢u̸̸̸̟͚̮͙͉̳̗̥̮̜̞͈͚͈̜̩̠̘̇̊ͥ͗ͣ̋̄͗̈́ͭ͆̾̈̃ͣ̔͆͑̑͐̽͟͢͝ ą̡̝̰͙̰̖͉͕̂ͨͬ̑͛́̂ͨ̋̏̾ͦ̑͠ŗ̴̠̭̦̺̖͍̘̖̦̗̞͕̦͉ͯ̂͐ͥͦ̀̒̀͊̄͌ͧ͊̄̾̍́̎̏ͩ̏ͮ͘̕͟ͅę̶̡̢͍̬͎̗̹̖̟̦͇̼̼͎͉̗̜̔̎́́̀ͪ͛ͪ͒̌͋͗̉̄̾͊̒̿̈ͪ̔͑̕̕͠͞ ń̵̢̨̧̹̲̮̮̝̣̩͙͚̠̥̻́̾ͤ́̀́̌̅̋͛̅̎ͩ̅̆͑ͧ͜͢͠͝͡_̡ͯ̎̎͑ͫ͛ơ̷̵̧̡͙͖͙̤͓͓̗̼͕͈̬̱̰̺̖ͣͩ͐͆͋̏̇́ͩ̈͐͗ͤ̾̎͗ͫ̑ͯͮ͂̉̃͘͜͠ f̟̞̥͇ͯ͛̄͆ͬ͒̊́á̯̬̄ͫ͝_̵̼̦̥͖͎͈̝̠̬̹̤̦̰̰͕͔̞̊̃͌ͦ̔̎̓̋ͯ̀ͫ͂͞͡ͅě̡̛̬̜̥̩͓͚̫̳̭̖͔̒̍͛ͨ̾̏̃̚͢͟͠.̵̡̟̲̗̤͙̺̌̍͐ͨ̌͂ͣ͂ͥ͋̑̾ͪ̈́̇ͣ͂͆̃͞"

​

BANG.

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Ceann dílis fell to the ground, gasping for air and too weak to stand. Japanese soldiers, carrying strange sticks, came seemingly from nowhere. Most Japanese soldiers rushed to break open the cages. Some stood over the dead general and the child soldier, who openly wept, paralyzed, and petrified.
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"Sir, we have a child in desperate need of medical aid." A Japanese soldier spoke through a strange object.
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The boy sobbed loudly.
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—-----
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"It wasn't supposed to be like this." Ginearálta de Luath, general of the Luath legion, whispered.
The humans had unleashed something, which wiped out the Grásta legion in seconds by filling the soldiers with metal stones. The stones were so fast, he couldn't stop them. They tore through the elves with ease and left marks on his skin. He used his magic to find the killers, but before he could retaliate, what could only be described as metal beasts launched fire blasts at him, exterminating most of his legion. Now, all he could do was run and hide. He climbed over the crumbling remains of his troll brothers and past the lesser fae, who chose to surrender. He was the only one alive to make it through the northern gate. The humans of this world can do magic. Somehow, in 200 years, they acquired arcane power. He didn't know how it happened, but what he did know was that Man was no longer prey. The humans of this world would bring perdition to Tír na Nog.
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{A/N: Hey guys, I did not die and this series was not canceled. These last two college semesters kicked my ass and burnt the heck out of me. It took me a while, but here it is chapter 4. I want to post as many chapters as possible before the next college semester starts. If you have any feedback or questions, I will happily respond.}
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Aquila Generalis pronounced (Ah-KWEE-lah jen-eh-RAH-lis)
Luath pronounced (LOO-ah)
Ginearálta de Luath pronounced (Jin-ah-RAWL-tah deh LOO-ah)
Grásta pronounced (GRAH-stah)
Ginearálta de Grásta pronounced (Jin-ah-RAWL-tah deh GRAH-stah)
Saighdiúir Giolcach pronounced (SAH-ee-joo-ir gee-ul-kahkh)
Ceann dílis pronounced (Kyann DEE-lish)
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C̸̵̨̨̳͕̙̤̥̞͕͇̦͙̟̲ͭ̋͑ͥͮ̌ͬͬ́̃ͦ̾͆͢͡ē̸̸͇͇̣͓̣̖̲̘̋ͮ̓ͭ̀͑̏̓͗_̙̰͓̲̠̪̮͔̔̎͌ͪ͐̈́̆͘a̢͖̱̱̙̲̩̠̯͔̙̖͚ͤ̈́̇̋ͯͬ͆ͥ̆ͮń̴̡͍̘̠͍̩̺͖̟̲̉ͫ̀ͤͧ̆̈̅͆̂̐̒̋͊̒̋͟͢͟͞͞ͅn̸̛̘̫̯̘̝̱̬͉̝̲͈̿ͪ́́̽ͦ̈ͯ̄͒̈̅̍̚ d͖̣̬͈͚ḭ̛̘͚͕̱́́ͧͭ̓̐̍̽͞ͅl̚į̸̧̹̖͎̻͓ͮ̐̒ͮ̋̂̀ͯ̎̉͐ͦ̑ͦͩͤ͘͟͡s͇̿̃ d͉̬̂ͦ͗è̷̷̻͓̭͎̣̠̱̞̮̦ͤ̈́̓͑̍̒̈̏ͭͯ̕͘͘͜ Ģ̢̙̼̩̮̪̤̮͚̭͖͖̥͍͈̳̲̠͒̉̂ͥ̔ͨ́ͧ́ͬͤ́ͩ̍ͫ̃͌ͯͤ̕͟͢͝ī̷̡̢̨̧̦̩̩̙͕̦͖̞̠̘̬̰͕ͣͧ̑̾̚͢͠ͅ_̛̀̀̉́ͬ͝o̴̘̭͈̜͍͕͉̤̜̘͖͍̠̎͑́ͫ̍̎̔̏ͮ͂ͩ́͘͟l̸̴̵̵̛̫͎͍͔̜̘͉̭̭̳̻̮̖̉͐̆ͫ̇͑ͧ̿̄͑̍ͦ́̅̅ͯ̀̈ͫ̓̊̍̆̃ć̸̴̵̻̪̻̘̮͎̟̫͚͉̗̳̞̦̒ͪ̇̏̄̈́ͤ͗͘͢͝ͅaͮ̒c̡̡͉̮̟̤̭̻̥̩̗̭͔̺̎̀̀̊̃ͬ̀͆͋̆ͣ̐̄́͛͒̏ͩ̾͆̾ͯ̚͟͡ͅͅh͎̞͓̳̞͙̼̱͇͓͂ͨͧ̂ͩͣ̈́̈͗̿̓̆͂́̈́͗ͯ̆ͩ̕͝͞ͅͅ pronounced (Kyann DEE-lish deh gee-ul-kahkh)
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So (24F) I’ve had this little circular dry patch on the right side of my top lip and it started the end of 2022. It would come and go whenever i was stressed. I didn’t mind because it would always disppear so I didn’t think anything of it. Now fast forward a month ago, mid April, I went to the beach and got super tan and the following week I had the same dry patch but this time on the left side and it never went away, if anything it got worse and turned into a blister. So I went to urgent care and got diagnosed HSV-1. They gave me antiviral medication but now…I started freaking out. I’ve had it this entire time and I’ve been tested and it didn’t show up in the results. The stigma and embarrassment is setting in and now that it’s on my lip still healing (thankfully no blister but it looks like a discolored dry patch), my mind is running with this fact. Could someone tell me that this is okay and isn’t that bad lol this entire time I thought it was farmer’s lip or something. I feel ashamed.

TLDR: want to try different study materials outside if Prof. M AND Jason Dion. Looking into Security+ books. How did you like them? Which ones do you recommend? Will still be using Prof. M practice tests.
I've used professor messer for both A+ and Net+, but for security+ I want to try something new. Professor messers notes are great, but I find that I get really disinterested fast which makes not focus as well (ik this is no fault of prof. M). I think his notes don't really make sense unless you watch the videos too I am very new to IT so this is probably my fault as well. I will still use him for gaps in my learning and his practice exams are top teir so I'll continue to use those as well. I was thinking of getting the security+ books and was wondering if anyone had success with them. I think I would do well with the books but not sure how effective they are when studying for such material dense certifications. I need in depth explanations and Prof. Ms notes just don't give me that and Jason Dions notes had a lot of irrelevant material that I wasted my time with in previous exams.

Anyone have success getting Sleep apnea approved due to opiods use? I was on oxycodone over 10 years due to a related connection. During that time I was tested to sleep apnea and diagnosed with OSA. I was thinking this could be done as a secondary connection due to medication.

FIRST CHAPTER
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
This product is a fanfic of the Sexy Space Babes/Between Worlds product of u/Bluefishcake and one I highly suggest you read. It was created with permission, but give the OG works some love.
Imgr gallery of Comissioned and Fan Artworks
I'm Back Bitches! Again!
//////////
Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero knelt before a semi-sparking control panel and sighed. She, and a large band of her fellow Engineers with Marine support, had boarded the pirate frigate with the singular goal of ensuring that the pirates didn’t scuttle their floating hulk and doom the slaves aboard to a, if they were lucky, a swift death in space.
The problem, of course, came with the pirate’s maintenance schedules and decisions to forgo certain… safety measures when it came to repair.
Like the panel before her. Usually a perfectly functional control system for the reverse-magnetic bulkhead doors that ensured void seals in power outages, some pirate at some point in their dumb, dumb life decided to fix the panel blowing a fuse… by ripping the fuse out and replacing it with a high density power cable. Which meant the entire thing was one massive shock hazard and actively sparking as the reactors deep in the ship flickered and surged due to damage.
Che’keero swore as an arc of electricity flashed towards her face after a tool that was not supposed to be magnetized, cheap dick WaDepth requisitions, caught a magnetic field, fusing the entire system shut and turning the formerly barely functional control system into nothing but pretty, decorative wiring and cheap solder. She punched the now utterly unfunctional control box and toggled on her radio. “Three-Two to Three-Lead, this door’s fried. You’ll need to bring in the cutters if we want to get to the rest of the ship. Might as well also bring in an inflatable airlock, I’m not liking how some of the metal strain sensors are flashing at me.”
A semi-synthetic voice replied back to Che’keero, “Three-Lead copies. I’ll be over there shortly with the stuff. Double check those sensors, I’m not getting the same readings, so let’s make sure something isn’t blocking errors from reaching me.”
“Copy that Three-Lead, Three-Two ou-” Something tapped against the back of her helmet and Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero mentally swore.
“Now, now, lassie, how about you sit right there and don’t move.” A nasally, unfamiliar voice called out to her while tapping what a camera she set up to watch her back revealed to be a laser pistol to Che’keero’s helmet. “I think that you’re going to be our new best friend and way off this dead end ship.”
Che’keero paused, letting the situation settle in her mind, “Wait, what? Are… are you taking me hostage?”
“Yes!” The pirate replied.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you taking me hostage? This won’t work, none of the shuttles are jump capable and if you try anything, you’ll just end up jumped by marines. They specifically train to deal with pirates taking their engineers hostage. If you want to survive, you should just surrender and take the penal colony when it’s offered.” Che’keero mentioned, shrugging and continuing her inspection of the door.
The pirate seemed baffled at the sheer nonchalance of this response, the pistol slowly falling to merely point at her upper back instead of her head, “You… you really aren’t taking this seriously. I’m a pirate! I’ve killed people! I’ve killed boys, and you’re just sitting there like this doesn’t mean anything!”
“I mean… I wouldn’t say that.” Che’keero replied.
“THEN WHAT DO YOU MEAN!” The pirate screamed, the pistol moving away from Che’keero’s body by a fraction of an inch during an angry gesture.
It was at that point, a ceramic alloyed, carbon steel blade punched clean through the back of the pirate’s suit, slicing through their central nervous system and striking with enough force to shatter the faceplate of said pirate’s helmet on the way out. Muscles twitching, the laser pistol fired off randomly, missing Che’keero and slagging a chunk of bulkhead.
“I’m just buying time,” Che’keero replied cheekily.
“You really need to remember to check your cameras,” The semi-synthetic voice of Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns commented as the ex-pirate fell to the ground and blue blood dripped from the long blade sprouting from her right arm and a toolbox hanging from her left hand. “This isn’t the first time you have been flanked, and this one wasn’t during training.”
“Look, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Che’keero replied a bit testily.
“I’m sorry…” Ventures Forth prodded.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
“Much better. Right, now what do we see in this- yeah you were right on it being fried.” Ventures Forth gently shoved the Junior Systems Engineer aside and took her place at the control panel. “Do a sweep of the strain systems. I don’t want this section of the ship breaking apart. Feel free to call up our hull patches. We’ve got plenty to share and this might have to be a lifeboat.”
“Aye, ma’am aye,” Che’keero replied with a crisp salute before rushing off to her duty.
Deeper inside the ship, Ventures Forth could hear laser fire, clashing of metal on metal, and cries for help.
The pirate ship was doomed, it was shattered and broken, but it was not destroyed. Not yet. \
And if she had her way, Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns would keep it that way.
//////////
Roshal stood still as her steward continued to clean the dark blue and rapidly congealing blood off her armored form. “Comms,” She called out, “Do we have any contact with the shuttle we sent to the station?”
“Negative, ma’am.” The comm officer replied. She wasn’t the same one that was present when Roshal left to fend off the boarders. At the unspoken question, the woman continued “Communication’s Mate Second Class Lev’tal, ma’am. My superior got a concussion when the pirate ship rocked our ship during boarding. Strap snapped, prior damage. I took over.”
Roshal nodded approvingly, “Good initiative. Send a message to the station, see if we can’t rai-”
“Ma’am! Contact!” One of her sensor techs called out, “Belay that, two contacts. First contact, nav point 782 spinward, possible bogey, cruiser weight. Unknown movements. Second contact, nav point 102 coreward, aerospace assets inbound. Small flight. Hard to determine numbers due to damage. No less than two, no more than five.”
“Focus on getting a hard contact on that possible cruiser. Weapons, what is the status of our anti-aerospace.” Roshal demanded, holding her sword arm out for the steward to scrub at a particularly clotted chunk of blood splattered over her wrist.
The weapons officer shook her head, “If we’re lucky, then we’ve got 20% coverage on half our sides. If we’re very lucky, I might be able to bump that number up to 35%. Not going to quote doctrine, but that’s not nearly enough to fend off a flight of Aerospace assets on a strike run, and that’s assuming they don’t hit us on an unprotected flank.”
Roshal nodded once more, “Sound general quarters and get weapons and tactical back online. Tell the damage control parties to not be distracted and focus on critical systems first. Engine room, report. Can you give me maneuvering thrust?”
The nearby ship phone chimed in with a staticy hiss, “Negative, ma’am. The shot we made with the spinal mount tripped breakers up and down the reactor room. This isn’t an engine problem, we need to make sure our reactor doesn’t blow up when we siphon power. Before you ask, emergency power is still flowing and none of their circuits tripped, but that means we’re down to life support, basic systems, and dockyard thrusters. It will take at least 20 to get the reactor in a safe state. If you want 10, send the chaplain down so we have someone praying for good luck. The fact most of our structural engineers are doing an EVA boarding to ensure the pirate ship next to us doesn’t go critical and render the entire exercise moot isn’t helping matters at all.” The engine room replied Roshal bit down a bit of annoyance at the snark, but engineers were always a finicky sort with authority. They were the first to remind uptight officers that while the Captain’s word may be iron law, it was their work that truly moved the ship.
“Confirmed, engine room.” Roshal instead replied. “Chaplains will be arriving shortly. Do what you can and inform me when you’re three minutes out from full power.”
The engine room didn’t even bother replying, just sending over the affirmative light as they got to work. Roshal approved of that. Sometimes, you just had to insult someone in order to get it working right.
“Captain, we have confirmation on contact. He’s an Alliance Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser on intercept course. Energy readings are spiking… they’re charging their guns, ma’am!”
“Issue a hostile challenge and give me a firing solution with any gun still functional.”
“No response, ma’am. Hostile Karcharidon is increasing speed. Hard contact in 15 minutes.”
Roshal snarled, emotion breaking through her mask. “Of course, the pirates had one more vessel. Helm, fire our maneuvering thrusters, use the pirate hulk as cover. Weapons, get whoever’s left of our Interceptor flight to engage the enemy. Comms, get me in contact with the merchant fleet, tell them to evacuate. We’ll provide cover.”
“Aye ma’am.” The Communications Mate Second Class said with a shiver in her voice. “Sending-”
“Update on Aerospace assets!” Her sensor tech called out.
“Deliver!” Roshal demanded, cutting off the comms officer with a slice of her hand.
“Weapons fire. Definitely less than four contacts. Seems to be two grou- negative, only two contacts remaining- weaponsfire- one contac- IFF received, oh goddesses, IT’S RUNOFF THREE! FRIENDLY AEROSPACE INBOUND!”
//////////
Milk gripped her crash harness hard as Cookie slammed the Interceptor’s fusion torch clean past its safe thrust marker and into the red as g forces crushed her chest. “Last target down.” She reported after Cookie’s final laser burst hit something critical inside the final Aerospace fighter’s frame. “That’s 20 for 20. All enemy bogeys down. All standard munitions are in the black. Static drive is 48%, dump core ejected. All we’ve got left is our ASM and front laser.”
Cookie flashed back an affirmative signal.
“We going for that cruiser?”
Another affirmative.
“Well, I’m braced and ready on the release. Ready.”
“Ready.” Cookie spoke, his voice horse.
It’s funny what people think when their lives are on the line. Because charging towards a fresh enemy Heavy Cruiser, nothing but a single anti-shipping missile worth a damn, no allied support but the faint glimmer in IFF screens of their fellow flight doing the same… all Aoibhinn McDermott could think of was a poem she had read at least a decade ago or more at the Naval Academy.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the Valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
//////////
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns could do nothing but furiously swear as the basic sensor system her engineering team had restored on the thoroughly ventilated secondary command bridge of the pirate hulk revealed an enemy Heavy Cruiser bearing down upon their homeship.
“Weapons are trashed. We cored their reactor, anyway.” One of the tangential engineers reported, “Other teams are calling in. Things are worse where they are. We’ve found the slaves, though, luckily it was one of the few airtight bays. Also, have some more captives, but that really doesn’t matter right now.”
“No shit.” Ventures Forth replied, “Can we do anything?”
The engineer looked back to her, visor depolarizing so the Gearschilde can look into the black and yellow eyes of her Shil coworker.
“Pray.” The woman replied simply.
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns did just that.
//////////
Low chanting filled the engine bay as a small group of priests stood around the engine praying to whichever god that would listen to allow them one more shot. One more fight.
Around them, black handed engineers scurried, ripping out blown fuses and replacing them with soldered in high strength wire. A final measure of desperation. Sparks flew as engineers swore and chaplains prayed, power still remaining in circuits needing to be bled out before bypasses could be installed, turning every bit of solder and every ripped out fuse into a deadly gamble.
Already, someone was lying on the ground, no longer twitching.
They didn’t have time to check on their fallen comrade, the work was too important.
A clock ticked down. Four minutes elapsed.
//////////
Lieutenant Commander Cenywyn swore as she watched Runoff 2 die.
Their single Interceptor had mistimed a maneuver and had been caught dead in the middle of an Anti-Aerospace array, shredded in an instant. The only consolation she could take was that, seeing as the first shot went clean through the cockpit, they didn’t even notice they died.
“Runoff 4, stay in formation.” She ordered over the radio, “We’ll lead you in for the run.”
“Yes ma’am.” The hesitant voice of Junior Flight Lieutenant Griogill replied. She swallowed, “We’re- we’re ready when you are.”
“No fear, Lieutenant,” Cenywyn called back to the child she was leading to her death. “We’re pilots in the Imperial Patrol. We do our duty. No fear.”
A clock ticked down. Six minutes elapsed.
//////////
“Talk to me!” The last remaining senior engineer in the reactor bay called out to anyone who was able to reply.
Someone, she didn’t even bother looking to see who, called back “We’ve bypassed 60% of the fuses. Should be able to give ourselves a burst of combat power. No more than 10 minutes of it before the entire system overheats and we either die, or the reactor shuts off.”
“Any chance we can get more than 10 minutes?”
“Not before that Heavy Cruiser delivers us straight to the stars.”
“Fuck it, good enough.” She slammed her fist on the ship phone’s dialing button resting near the console the engineer had just ripped the last safety override out of. “Captain. We’ve got your power. You give us the word, and we’ll give you ten minutes.”
//////////
Roshal breathed in, breathed out, and nodded. 10 minutes of combat power before the entire ship shut down into uselessness. She’d done more with less. She couldn’t remember when, but she had. Luckily, this was a Patrol Carrier instead of a standard ship, so it was more than capable of combat maneuvers with nothing but RCS thrusters. That should give her some time.
Movement, movement was going to be the key.
“Comms, tell the engineering crews on the hulk that they are ordered to figure out anything that could draw the attention of the Heavy Cruiser,” She began, “Systems, break our mooring lines. We’re going to have to split from the hulk. Helm, prepare for maneuvers. RCS only. We are going to have to do this carefully. Engineroom, prepare for power activation, but hold until my command.”
This needs to be perfect, Roshal thought, A single mistimed action ruins it all.
A clock ticked down. Ten minutes elapsed. The Karcharidon had entered maximum weapon’s range.
//////////
He of Slender Tail shivered where he stood. The secondary command bridge was silent as Roshal began giving orders to fight. This was… this was insane.
They were in a ruined ship with nothing but a merchant fleet beginning to flee and a three thirds dead pirate hulk on their side against a fresh Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser.
They couldn’t win.
This was suicide.
They would die here.
\ So why didn’t He of Slender Tail feel afraid?
He stood at his post, a secondary bridge console where he would relay orders to other departments, freeing up the other Watchkeeper to collate those orders, there was nothing he could do to help win this impossible battle, and yet…
And yet he felt heat blossoming inside his chest with every single order delivered.
“Mooring teamsss, you are to cut your linesss immediately.” He relayed to a crew of Shil scurrying around the ruined bulkheads, “Damage control, prepare for electrical firesss and arcsss.” He commanded, switching between teams instantly.
He didn’t feel fear. He could see his Watchkeeper shiver every time the sensors reported the enemy contact was still closing, but he didn’t feel the same.
What he felt… was indignation.
How dare this pirate scum threaten his vessel, his crew. How dare they ambush this valiant ship after they had fought so hard to win. How dare they.
He let his fangs fold out as he spat the next order, “Anti-Aerossspace teamsss, prepare your batteriesss for grouped fire. Gunnery calculationsss are on their way.”
How dare they stand up to him.
A clock ticked down. 12 minutes elapsed. Weapons fire.
//////////
Roshal swayed slightly as she could feel the ship beneath her feet move. Movement is life in naval warfare, movement is death. “Right RCS fire, bring us clear of the hulk. Bow thrusters, up twenty.”
“Aye, ma’am, aye, right standard and bow up twenty.” The Helmswoman replied.
“Confirmed. Next maneuver, give us rear thrust-”
“Torpedo!” The sensor operator called out in a shrill voice, “Two marks on intercept course! Range, twelve K and closing fast!”
“Decorum!” Roshal snapped at the panicking sensor technician. “Comms, order Runoff flight to divert and intercept those torpedoes. Rear RCS to full, give us momentum.”
Roshal turned away from the bridge as affirmations were shouted, and the ship began to move, “Engineering, prepare to activate combat power on my mark and prepare for hard maneuvers. Mark in five.”
//////////
Griogill swallowed bile and tried not to feel too thankful that the enemy vessel had fired torpedoes at their home ship. Being diverted from an attack run had a much higher chance of survival than striking through an AA bubble.
“Runoff 4 engaging far torpedo. Moving in for intercept. Bre’kas, give me lock.”
Griogill’s backseater muttered something, and a target lock appeared on the far torpedo as Runoff 1, their previous Drill Sergeants, dashed by in a hard burn and blazed away at their own target.
“Right. We can do this. We can do this. No fear.” The rookie muttered as the sight of her friends in Runoff 3 being turned to vapor echoed in her mind. “I can do this.”
The target locked. She fired. The torpedo detonated.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in four.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser loomed closer as the comparatively tiny Patrol Carrier spat its defiance in the form of two Interceptors dancing between the stars.
As a pair of torpedoes detonated, four more were launched, the anti-shipping weapons built for this specific purpose. Destroying disabled vessels.
And so the last two remaining Interceptors on CAP dove into the fray, risking themselves against an ever approaching AA bubble in order to save their ship.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in three.”
//////////
All Cookie could do was stare and push his meager aerospace fighter further on its nuclear thrusters as shimmering dots of torpedoes lanced out from the Heavy Cruiser attacking his new home.
He pushed his hand forward and felt the throttle once more push back against him, the lever pushed all the way past safe thrust and into the further setting on his console.
The Interceptor was fast. It didn’t feel fast enough.
And so he spoke the words he spoke once before, back when he’d had to listen to his backseater’s screams of pain and the rush of wind after shrapnel pierced his fuselage, and the hospital was so, so far away.
Father, I pray that you will not hide your face from me. Whenever I pray, Lord please hear me and answer me speedily in Jesus' name. God, I pray that you will grant me speed through your help.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in two.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser shifted, engine flaring and it began to close the range. A single disabled ship on emergency RCS thrusters and a pair of Aerospace fighters was nothing it would have to deal with.
It fired a third spread of torpedoes.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
They took the bait. Roshal thought with a vicious grin.
“Mark in one.” She paused, “Execute.”
In an instant, power flowed through the ship, emergency lights flickered off as the burning red boarding lights returned their fiery glow. The entire ship shook as the main thruster came back online, and capacitors began to charge for maneuvers.
“Hard burn, full thrusters, right, on my mark.” Roshal watched as the Heavy Cruiser began to react to her movements, the enemy ship was alive, you needed to roll to broadsides to begin bombardment, come on come on…
Roshal watched as a torpedo flickered out of existence, Runoff 4 gaining another kill.
Come on, dammit, you don’t get put in charge of a Heavy Cruiser without- THERE!
The Heavy Cruiser flinched, turning her bow away from the no longer stricken vessel, preparing for broadside.
The Captain’s grin showed more teeth than smile. “Execute! Full right thrust!”
“Full right thrust! Aye ma’am aye!” Her helmswoman called out as maneuvering thrusters dead cold roared to life and physically threw the vessel to the side, causing everyone not strapped in on the bridge to rock as a barrage of fire flew past their former location, manual targeting systems in play since the automatic systems would still be getting warmed up.
“Full thrust forward, prepare to divert all power to secondary weapons. Weapons, give me a firing solution.” Roshal commanded, hand raised and pointed at the enemy’s display as if she were commanding from a tall ship.
A chant of “Aye ma’am aye” flowed out across the bridge as the weaponsmistress was silent before calling out. “Port side is up to 45% secondary fires and 32% point defense. That’ll be our best bet.”
Roshal nodded. “Make it so. Target their main weapons. Helm, get us that facing.”
“Ma’am. We’re getting a call from Runoff 3. They are entering the AO and are asking for a target.”
Roshal smiled, “Weapons, shift target. Aim for the anti-aerospace systems. Let’s give Runoff 3 the opening they need.”
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Cookie, we’ve got a targeting path.” Milk called forward. “Putting it up on your HUD.”
“One second… I’ve got it. Moving to comply. Did the Captain give us a plan?” her front seater replied, causing her stomach to do funny things as the Aerospace Fighter maneuvered while under high thrust.
“Something like that. She asked for a munitions report and specifically about our anti-shipping weapon.”
Cookie paused.
“Ah.” He finally said.
“Yeah.” She replied.
“Well, let’s hope they’re able to open us up to a window of opportunity. Or this will be a short charge.”
“Not our place to question why.”
“Just our place to do and die.”
Time to target… three minutes.
Into the valley of Death, rode the six hundred.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
Two vessels, three Aerospace fighters, one chance.
Six minutes of power remained. All actors took their places on the stage.
One hundred kilometers, close enough to check the weld quality of hull seams, the two ships danced across from each other. Maneuvering.
Five minutes of power remained.
The Karcharidon Heavy Cruiser rolled itself trying to keep the vulnerable top deck away from the Patrol Carrier’s presumably still working main gun as Roshal’s vessel jumped to the side. Thrusters roared.
Four minutes of power remained.
Runoff 1 and 4 shot towards their formerly separated comrade, forming up behind them in a wedge. The trio climbed towards the sun as their captain continued to chase and harass the Karcharidon.
Three minutes of power remained.
Roshal spoke. The lances of her vessel fired. Laser blasts carved across the hull of the enemy ship as it rolled.
The rolling ceased. A helmswoman swore as a full broadside caught the Patrol Carrier in the flank. The port hangar pod was ruined, armor shattered and all inside exposed to hard vacuum. Those who could scream died the fastest. The Interceptors had their opening.
Two minutes of power remained.
Silent wings swept through vacuum as three Interceptors began their dive, their formerly speedy arrowhead shape giving way to an inverted t as their wings swept out for stability, the ASF dove and dove and dove.
Five Kilometers away.
The range was too wide. They had one shot. It had to be perfect.
One minute of power remained.
The Into Harm’s Way spat its defiance into the world, limited power drained to give her pilots a seconds more of time.
30 seconds of power remained.
Three Kilometers.
Hard Lock! Milk shouted from the back seat of Runoff 3. Cookie was silent. The range was still too wide.
15 seconds of power remained.
Two Kilometers.
The Karcharidon seemingly began to roll before the Patrol Carrier once more fired, its last remaining weapons spouting their defiance against the world. Deep in engineering, systems began to blow, wires that replaced fuses sparked power and delicate circuit boards shorted out into useless scrap.
The lights went out.
No power remained.
Roshal, in her head, began to count down as lances of light began to sweep across her ship. Damage control did what they could, but the beams began to cut like an overly enthusiastic shipbreaker.
Five.
One Kilometer.
Four.
Cookie’s thumb depressed the firing stud as the Interceptor screamed at him.
Three.
The ASF launched its deadly payload.
Two.
Three Interceptors pulled back hard on their sticks to avoid colliding with the deck.
One.
The thruster of the anti-shipping missile roared as it rocketed the point blank aerospace distance to target.
Impact.
The armor piercing tip of the missile punched into the upper deck plating of the Heavy Cruiser, classified alloys allowing it to pierce into the armored plating just enough to allow the shaped charge to open up a hole as momentum kept the weapon moving.
Within the frame of a single second, the warhead of the missile had entered the ship and, before the alarms even had time to sound, detonated.
A new sun appeared in the void for a split second as a plasma-fusion warhead detonated inside the Karcharidon heavy cruiser’s hull.
//////////
Roshal allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief inside her head as the emergency power lights flickered overhead and the gravity ever so slightly lightened. What was left of their sensor arrays showed the enemy vessel powering down. “Engineering. Good work, your 10 minutes were just what she needed.” She called out, picking up the ship phone.
There was no answer from engineering.
She signed externally before pointing at one of the marines guarding the bridge, “Find a crewmate in a void suit. I have need of runners.” The marine clasped a fist to her chest before leaving to execute her captain’s commands. “Comms, do we have any contact with the engineering teams on the pirate hulk?”
The Comms officer held up a hand, Roshal waited, “No, ma’am. We aren’t getting- wait. We’ve got visual on flashing lights from the hull. Apparently, something shorted, so they’re having to rebuild broadcast arrays. They can receive just fine, though.”
“Good, once we can maneuver, bring us broadside of them. What’s the status of the merchant fleet?”
Navigation spoke up now, “Still heading for the Jump Point. Should we send the recall order?”
“Not yet, we are still unsure if the area is safe. If we have any sensors remaining, begin sca-”
The mentioned sensor technician interrupted Captain Roshal, “Ma’am, new contact, signature unknown. Just jumped in from outside the starlane!”
“Give me details. Course, range, and speed?” She demanded.
“Signal confused, can’t get a lock!” Navigation called out, “Can’t tell if confusion’s from them or us.”
Not another one… Roshal sighed, “All forces prepa-”
“Ma’am, we’re being hailed.” Communications called out.
“On squawk.”
“This is Captain Al’yosha Cal’rada of Her Imperial Majesty’s Ship Spear of the Knyaginya, responding to Merchant vessel distress calls. Imperial Patrol Carrier, are you in need of assistance at this time?”
Roshal recognized the voice. A junior officer from her days in the Navy and a fellow Sevastutavan. The memory of the fresh faced girl when she’d joined her as an Ensign straight of the Naval Academy flashed before her eyes. “Captain Cal’rada. Your timing is impeccable as always.”
“Admiral?” Roshal could hear the shock in her old protege’s voice.
“That’s Captain, now, Al’yosha. I require your aid in ensuring the disabled vessel still glowing from an ASM strike remains disabled along with Search and Rescue teams for our sister Carrier.
“Whatever you want, you’ll have it, Admiral_… Helm! All ahead flank and plot course to intercept. Launch gunships and prepare to deploy Bluejackets. We’ll test our _Orcas’ teeth today!”
The line cut out a moment later than it should have, and Roshal nodded in approval.
“Captain, I still don’t have a read on new contact. What is it?” Sensors asked.
“A Drep’na inspired vision, come to life.” Roshal watched, feeling an odd sort of parental pride as Al’yosha’s experimental warship began closing the distance towards the Karcharidon at breakneck speeds. “A swift sailing vessel and ten carriage guns…” Roshal murmured the line from an old Vaasconian poem from the ancient Age of Sail. She had heard Cal’rada had succeeded in petitioning the Navy to build her dream-ship, burning every favor and passing out favors to any and everyone to see the program through. Now, there she was, standing on the bridge bearing down on a ship twice her size, but if the rumors were true, only half her guns.
“Ma’am, contact is still not resolving, but IFF confirms Imperial Navy designation. An Akula Class Attack Transport. I’ve… I’ve never even heard of this class.”
“Perhaps we shall hear of them more in the future. Fortune favors the active.”
“Contact is disgorging multiple signals, moving at speeds consistent with aerospace assets.”
“That is our signal we may disengage. Comms, inform the merchant fleet that the area is secure and to begin refueling procedures. Helm, get us alongside the pirate hulk, we have people to recover. Marine, get me a runner to the MP’s, we shall need the port hangar prepared for an old tradition the Navy has regarding pirate prisoners…” Roshal commanded. The fight was over, it was time to begin the cleanup.
//////////
So… that took a while. Sorry about that.
Turns out when a combination of writer’s block, decision paralysis and LIFE hits you over the head, it becomes a touch difficult to get your shit together long enough to write something down.
On the plus side, we are out of the “unplanned bits” and right back into the parts I have brainstormed, so I won’t be staring at a screen trying to think how to make things connect as much anymore. On the other hand, that means we are now entering the epilogue of book 1 of Top Lasgun.
Don’t worry, the story isn’t ending, I’ve got “three” books plotted out in my head, so we’ll see how that shakes out, but for the most part, this is where I start wrapping up plot threads, laying down threads for what comes next, and all that other good stuff.
So yeah, next chapter is going to involve everyone wrapping up what happened here, some fun little Military Justice, and potentially a bunch of plot. Also, I’m planning on starting a “rewrite”/edited version of this to go up on AO3, so keep an eye out for that. Early installment weirdness is a bitch and I’m not proud of what the older stuff looked like.
Well, I hope you have a wonderful morning, afternoon or evening whenever you read this and I will see you next chapter.
[NEXT CHAPTER]

1. Space Travel:
   Prompt: You are a 19th-century astronomer who dreams of exploring the cosmos. One night, you have a vivid dream about landing on the moon. Describe your emotions and thoughts upon waking up and realizing the possibility of space travel.
   
2. Smartphones and Tablets:
   Prompt: As a person from the early 20th century, you discover a small, sleek device resembling a communicator from a futuristic tale. Explore your reactions and the impact of this device on your perception of communication and information access.
   
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI):
   Prompt: In the mid-20th century, you, a computer scientist, stumble upon the concept of artificial intelligence. Describe your initial skepticism and later amazement as AI becomes an integral part of daily life.
   
4. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR):
   Prompt: You are a painter in the 1970s, and one day you encounter a strange headset offering a virtual world. Explore your artistic imagination and how this technology challenges your traditional perceptions of creativity.
   
5. Genetic Engineering:
   Prompt: As a biologist in the 1980s, you stumble upon the idea of manipulating genes. Describe your ethical dilemmas and excitement as you grapple with the potential of genetic engineering and its consequences.
   
6. Biometric Identification:
   Prompt: Picture yourself as a detective in the early 20th century who encounters a device that can identify individuals based on their fingerprints or facial features. Explore the implications of such technology on crime-solving and privacy.
   
7. 3D Printing:
   Prompt: You are an artisan in the Renaissance era, and you discover a mysterious device that can replicate intricate objects. Describe your wonder and confusion as you witness the possibilities of 3D printing.
   
8. Self-Driving Cars:
   Prompt: You are an early 20th-century inventor fascinated by automobiles. Imagine your reaction upon encountering a vehicle that moves without a driver. Explore your thoughts on the implications of self-driving cars.
   
9. Wireless Communication:
   Prompt: You are a 19th-century telegraph operator who stumbles upon a device allowing instant, wireless communication. Describe your astonishment and apprehension as you consider the impact on long-distance messaging.
   
10. Robotics in Medicine:
    Prompt: Transport yourself to the medieval era as a healer who discovers a mechanical assistant capable of intricate surgeries. Explore your apprehensions and fascination with the integration of robots in medicine.
    
11. Renewable Energy:
    Prompt: You are an industrialist in the early 20th century, skeptical of the concept of harnessing power from the sun and wind. Describe your journey of understanding and acceptance as renewable energy transforms the landscape.
    
12. Bionic Limbs and Prosthetics:
    Prompt: As a warrior in ancient times, you lose a limb in battle. Imagine your reactions upon receiving a prosthetic limb with advanced functionalities. Explore the intersection of technology and the human body.
    
13. Hoverboards and Drones:
    Prompt: Picture yourself as a Victorian-era inventor who sketches plans for a hovering, self-propelled device. Explore your excitement and skepticism as you envision the possibilities of hoverboards and drones.
    
14. Reusable Rockets:
    Prompt: You are a science fiction writer in the mid-20th century, dreaming of space exploration. Describe your reaction upon learning that rockets can be reused, turning your imaginative tales into potential reality.
    
15. Telemedicine:
    Prompt: As a doctor in the early 20th century, you receive a mysterious device that allows remote medical consultations. Explore your concerns and curiosity as you contemplate the transformation of healthcare through telemedicine.