Hi There. I have 4.5 years of IT Exp, of which 3 years I worked as a data analyst. A little background about my exp.
Project 1: We had to migrate data from one system to salesforce veeva CRM. My main responsibilities was to prepare template for data collection( template was according to the fields in target system ), collect data, validate it ( check for anomalies ), load it using salesforce data loader. Tools I was using (Excel and SQL basic -Insert, Delete, Update ). This was my first introduction to the world of data.
Project 2: Worked in the peopleOps team where I was working solely on reporting people ops metrics like Headcount , attrition, diversity etc all in excel. data collection, validation, report building was all done in excel where I would use pivot tables, vlookups, conditional formatting etc. Eventually we moved to ssis/ssrs reporting where a team of developers helped us automate these process. Then, I was using ssis and ssrs to get these reports and using SQL to query ad-hoc reports.
working on these 2 projects, gave me a good introduction to data analyssui and reporting and at the same time at the end of june 2021, I moved to the US Post my wedding. After moving , I spent time on upskilling my skills learnt SQL, PowerBI, Tableau, Python and started applying for jobs from June 2023. W
When I started interviewing, I realised I lack experience in handling situations as an experienced data analyst. I had trouble answering questions related to data quality like " how do you compare your data with the source of truth", " how do you decide on the source of truth", " what do you do when the data is bad, you cant do anything about it and how do you go about communicating this to stakeholders" because I was really doing basic excel and SQL stuff back at work which was very different to what I learnt.
What I realised was technical skills are not enough and I need to have a broader skillset.
I need help in understanding what I need to learn and in which order ? to be able to answer these questions? I am aware of topics like data modelling, data cleaning etc. I am confused as in which order I have to learn these? I am completely lost and feel like I am all over the place. Any resources/ videos will help.
analytics interviewpreparations

chest cav crashes on open
---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
// I bet Cylons wouldn't have this problem.
Time: 2024-05-15 21:34:21
Description: Initializing game
java.lang.RuntimeException: Could not execute entrypoint stage 'main' due to errors, provided by 'chestcavity'!

at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.FabricLoaderImpl.lambda$invokeEntrypoints$2(FabricLoaderImpl.java:388) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.util.ExceptionUtil.gatherExceptions(ExceptionUtil.java:33) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.FabricLoaderImpl.invokeEntrypoints(FabricLoaderImpl.java:386) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.Hooks.startClient(Hooks.java:52) at net.minecraft.class\_310.(class\_310.java:459) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.method\_44604(Main.java:205) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:51) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.MinecraftGameProvider.launch(MinecraftGameProvider.java:470) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.Knot.launch(Knot.java:74) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClient.main(KnotClient.java:23) 

Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: me/shedaniel/autoconfig/ConfigData

at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:1017) at java.base/java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:150) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassLoader.defineClassFwd(KnotClassLoader.java:160) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassDelegate.tryLoadClass(KnotClassDelegate.java:355) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassDelegate.loadClass(KnotClassDelegate.java:218) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassLoader.loadClass(KnotClassLoader.java:119) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:525) at net.tigereye.chestcavity.ChestCavity.onInitialize(ChestCavity.java:44) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.FabricLoaderImpl.invokeEntrypoints(FabricLoaderImpl.java:384) ... 7 more 

Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: me.shedaniel.autoconfig.ConfigData

at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:641) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:525) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassDelegate.loadClass(KnotClassDelegate.java:226) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClassLoader.loadClass(KnotClassLoader.java:119) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:525) ... 17 more 

A detailed walkthrough of the error, its code path and all known details is as follows:
-- Head --
Thread: Render thread
Stacktrace:

at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.FabricLoaderImpl.lambda$invokeEntrypoints$2(FabricLoaderImpl.java:388) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.util.ExceptionUtil.gatherExceptions(ExceptionUtil.java:33) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.FabricLoaderImpl.invokeEntrypoints(FabricLoaderImpl.java:386) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.Hooks.startClient(Hooks.java:52) at net.minecraft.class\_310.(class\_310.java:459) 

-- Initialization --
Details:

Modules: ADVAPI32.dll:Advanced Windows 32 Base API:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation COMCTL32.dll:User Experience Controls Library:6.10 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation CRYPT32.dll:Crypto API32:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation CRYPTBASE.dll:Base cryptographic API DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation CRYPTSP.dll:Cryptographic Service Provider API:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation DBGHELP.DLL:Windows Image Helper:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation DNSAPI.dll:DNS Client API DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation GDI32.dll:GDI Client DLL:10.0.19041.3996 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation IMM32.DLL:Multi-User Windows IMM32 API Client DLL:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation IPHLPAPI.DLL:IP Helper API:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation KERNEL32.DLL:Windows NT BASE API Client DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation KERNELBASE.dll:Windows NT BASE API Client DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation MpOav.dll:IOfficeAntiVirus Module:4.18.24030.9 (cd8105518e5571788ee3b6a178bae8fbcdf461a8):Microsoft Corporation NLAapi.dll:Network Location Awareness 2:10.0.19041.4123 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation NSI.dll:NSI User-mode interface DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation NTASN1.dll:Microsoft ASN.1 API:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation OLEAUT32.dll:OLEAUT32.DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation Ole32.dll:Microsoft OLE for Windows:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation POWRPROF.dll:Power Profile Helper DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation PSAPI.DLL:Process Status Helper:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation Pdh.dll:Windows Performance Data Helper DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation RPCRT4.dll:Remote Procedure Call Runtime:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation SHCORE.dll:SHCORE:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation SHELL32.dll:Windows Shell Common Dll:10.0.19041.4123 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation UMPDC.dll USER32.dll:Multi-User Windows USER API Client DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation USERENV.dll:Userenv:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation VCRUNTIME140.dll:Microsoft® C Runtime Library:14.29.30139.0 built by: vcwrkspc:Microsoft Corporation VERSION.dll:Version Checking and File Installation Libraries:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation WINHTTP.dll:Windows HTTP Services:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation WINMM.dll:MCI API DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation WS2\_32.dll:Windows Socket 2.0 32-Bit DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation WSOCK32.dll:Windows Socket 32-Bit DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation Wldp.dll:Windows Lockdown Policy:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation amsi.dll:Anti-Malware Scan Interface:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation bcrypt.dll:Windows Cryptographic Primitives Library:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation bcryptPrimitives.dll:Windows Cryptographic Primitives Library:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation clbcatq.dll:COM+ Configuration Catalog:2001.12.10941.16384 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation combase.dll:Microsoft COM for Windows:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation dbgcore.DLL:Windows Core Debugging Helpers:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation dhcpcsvc.DLL:DHCP Client Service:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation dhcpcsvc6.DLL:DHCPv6 Client:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation fwpuclnt.dll:FWP/IPsec User-Mode API:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation gdi32full.dll:GDI Client DLL:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation java.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft javaw.exe:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft jemalloc.dll jimage.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft jli.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft jna3012221076079486488.dll:JNA native library:6.1.2:Java(TM) Native Access (JNA) jsvml.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft jvm.dll:OpenJDK 64-Bit server VM:17.0.8.0:Microsoft kernel.appcore.dll:AppModel API Host:10.0.19041.3758 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation lwjgl.dll management.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft management\_ext.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft msvcp140.dll:Microsoft® C Runtime Library:14.29.30139.0 built by: vcwrkspc:Microsoft Corporation msvcp\_win.dll:Microsoft® C Runtime Library:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation msvcrt.dll:Windows NT CRT DLL:7.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation mswsock.dll:Microsoft Windows Sockets 2.0 Service Provider:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation napinsp.dll:E-mail Naming Shim Provider:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation ncrypt.dll:Windows NCrypt Router:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation net.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft nio.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft ntdll.dll:NT Layer DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation perfos.dll:Windows System Performance Objects DLL:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation pnrpnsp.dll:PNRP Name Space Provider:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation profapi.dll:User Profile Basic API:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation rasadhlp.dll:Remote Access AutoDial Helper:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation rsaenh.dll:Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation sechost.dll:Host for SCM/SDDL/LSA Lookup APIs:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation shlwapi.dll:Shell Light-weight Utility Library:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation sunmscapi.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft ucrtbase.dll:Microsoft® C Runtime Library:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation vcruntime140\_1.dll:Microsoft® C Runtime Library:14.29.30139.0 built by: vcwrkspc:Microsoft Corporation verify.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft win32u.dll:Win32u:10.0.19041.4355 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation windows.storage.dll:Microsoft WinRT Storage API:10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation winrnr.dll:LDAP RnR Provider DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation wshbth.dll:Windows Sockets Helper DLL:10.0.19041.3636 (WinBuild.160101.0800):Microsoft Corporation zip.dll:OpenJDK Platform binary:17.0.8.0:Microsoft 

Stacktrace:

at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.method\_44604(Main.java:205) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:51) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.MinecraftGameProvider.launch(MinecraftGameProvider.java:470) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.Knot.launch(Knot.java:74) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClient.main(KnotClient.java:23) 

-- System Details --
Details:

Minecraft Version: 1.19.2 Minecraft Version ID: 1.19.2 Operating System: Windows 10 (amd64) version 10.0 Java Version: 17.0.8, Microsoft Java VM Version: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (mixed mode), Microsoft Memory: 6058428704 bytes (5777 MiB) / 10838081536 bytes (10336 MiB) up to 54324625408 bytes (51808 MiB) CPUs: 16 Processor Vendor: AuthenticAMD Processor Name: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 Eight-Core Processor Identifier: AuthenticAMD Family 23 Model 1 Stepping 1 Microarchitecture: Zen Frequency (GHz): 2.99 Number of physical packages: 1 Number of physical CPUs: 8 Number of logical CPUs: 16 Graphics card #0 name: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Graphics card #0 vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de) Graphics card #0 VRAM (MB): 4095.00 Graphics card #0 deviceId: 0x2805 Graphics card #0 versionInfo: DriverVersion=31.0.15.3667 Memory slot #0 capacity (MB): 32768.00 Memory slot #0 clockSpeed (GHz): 2.67 Memory slot #0 type: DDR4 Memory slot #1 capacity (MB): 32768.00 Memory slot #1 clockSpeed (GHz): 2.67 Memory slot #1 type: DDR4 Virtual memory max (MB): 85945.11 Virtual memory used (MB): 75077.02 Swap memory total (MB): 20480.00 Swap memory used (MB): 1271.96 JVM Flags: 4 total; -XX:HeapDumpPath=MojangTricksIntelDriversForPerformance\_javaw.exe\_minecraft.exe.heapdump -Xss1M -Xmx51808m -Xms256m Fabric Mods: chestcavity: Chest Cavity 2.16.6 modify-drops-api: Modify Drops API [0.4.0.2](http://0.4.0.2) cloth-api: Cloth API 4.0.65 cloth-basic-math: cloth-basic-math 0.6.1 cloth-client-events-v0: Cloth Client Events v0 4.0.65 cloth-common-events-v1: Cloth Common Events v1 4.0.65 cloth-scissors-api-v1: Cloth Scissors API v1 4.0.65 cloth-utils-v1: Cloth Utils v1 4.0.65 fabric-api: Fabric API 0.77.0+1.19.2 fabric-api-base: Fabric API Base 0.4.15+8f4e8eb390 fabric-api-lookup-api-v1: Fabric API Lookup API (v1) 1.6.14+93d8cb8290 fabric-biome-api-v1: Fabric Biome API (v1) 9.1.1+16f1e31390 fabric-block-api-v1: Fabric Block API (v1) 1.0.2+e415d50e90 fabric-blockrenderlayer-v1: Fabric BlockRenderLayer Registration (v1) 1.1.25+cafc6e8e90 fabric-client-tags-api-v1: Fabric Client Tags 1.0.5+b35fea8390 fabric-command-api-v1: Fabric Command API (v1) 1.2.16+f71b366f90 fabric-command-api-v2: Fabric Command API (v2) 2.2.1+413cbbc790 fabric-commands-v0: Fabric Commands (v0) 0.2.33+df3654b390 fabric-containers-v0: Fabric Containers (v0) 0.1.42+df3654b390 fabric-content-registries-v0: Fabric Content Registries (v0) 3.5.2+7c6cd14d90 fabric-convention-tags-v1: Fabric Convention Tags 1.3.0+4bc6e26290 fabric-crash-report-info-v1: Fabric Crash Report Info (v1) 0.2.8+aeb40ebe90 fabric-data-generation-api-v1: Fabric Data Generation API (v1) 5.3.9+413cbbc790 fabric-dimensions-v1: Fabric Dimensions API (v1) 2.1.35+0d0f210290 fabric-entity-events-v1: Fabric Entity Events (v1) 1.5.4+9244241690 fabric-events-interaction-v0: Fabric Events Interaction (v0) 0.4.34+562bff6e90 fabric-events-lifecycle-v0: Fabric Events Lifecycle (v0) 0.2.36+df3654b390 fabric-game-rule-api-v1: Fabric Game Rule API (v1) 1.0.24+b6b6abb490 fabric-item-api-v1: Fabric Item API (v1) 1.6.6+b7d1888890 fabric-item-groups-v0: Fabric Item Groups (v0) 0.3.39+9244241690 fabric-key-binding-api-v1: Fabric Key Binding API (v1) 1.0.25+5c4fce2890 fabric-keybindings-v0: Fabric Key Bindings (v0) 0.2.23+df3654b390 fabric-lifecycle-events-v1: Fabric Lifecycle Events (v1) 2.2.4+1b46dc7890 fabric-loot-api-v2: Fabric Loot API (v2) 1.1.13+83a8659290 fabric-loot-tables-v1: Fabric Loot Tables (v1) 1.1.16+9e7660c690 fabric-message-api-v1: Fabric Message API (v1) 5.0.7+93d8cb8290 fabric-mining-level-api-v1: Fabric Mining Level API (v1) 2.1.24+33fbc73890 fabric-models-v0: Fabric Models (v0) 0.3.21+c6af733c90 fabric-networking-api-v1: Fabric Networking API (v1) 1.2.12+def3f86d90 fabric-networking-v0: Fabric Networking (v0) 0.3.29+df3654b390 fabric-object-builder-api-v1: Fabric Object Builder API (v1) 4.2.2+d8ef690890 fabric-particles-v1: Fabric Particles (v1) 1.1.0+ee641e7390 fabric-recipe-api-v1: Fabric Recipe API (v1) 1.0.2+413cbbc790 fabric-registry-sync-v0: Fabric Registry Sync (v0) 0.9.33+9244241690 fabric-renderer-api-v1: Fabric Renderer API (v1) 1.2.1+1adbf27790 fabric-renderer-indigo: Fabric Renderer - Indigo 0.8.0+1adbf27790 fabric-renderer-registries-v1: Fabric Renderer Registries (v1) 3.2.25+df3654b390 fabric-rendering-data-attachment-v1: Fabric Rendering Data Attachment (v1) 0.3.19+6e0787e690 fabric-rendering-fluids-v1: Fabric Rendering Fluids (v1) 3.0.11+4d0d570390 fabric-rendering-v0: Fabric Rendering (v0) 1.1.28+df3654b390 fabric-rendering-v1: Fabric Rendering (v1) 1.13.0+526f2c6790 fabric-resource-conditions-api-v1: Fabric Resource Conditions API (v1) 2.1.2+aae9039d90 fabric-resource-loader-v0: Fabric Resource Loader (v0) 0.8.4+edbdcddb90 fabric-screen-api-v1: Fabric Screen API (v1) 1.0.32+4d0d570390 fabric-screen-handler-api-v1: Fabric Screen Handler API (v1) 1.3.8+1cc24b1b90 fabric-sound-api-v1: Fabric Sound API (v1) 1.0.2+c4f28df590 fabric-textures-v0: Fabric Textures (v0) 1.0.24+aeb40ebe90 fabric-transfer-api-v1: Fabric Transfer API (v1) 2.1.6+413cbbc790 fabric-transitive-access-wideners-v1: Fabric Transitive Access Wideners (v1) 1.3.3+08b73de490 fabricloader: Fabric Loader 0.15.11 mixinextras: MixinExtras 0.3.5 java: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 17 minecraft: Minecraft 1.19.2 Launched Version: fabric-loader-0.15.11-1.19.2 Backend library: LWJGL version 3.3.1 SNAPSHOT Backend API: Unknown Window size:  GL Caps: Using framebuffer using OpenGL 3.2 GL debug messages:  Using VBOs: Yes Is Modded: Definitely; Client brand changed to 'fabric' Type: Client (map\_client.txt) CPU:  

About me, Job compensation + benefits, CoL for reference

About me:

• Ethnicity + Name: Indian (south asian) as hell.
• Work experience: 3+ years of co-op / internships. (Didn't matter, read full post). No big name internships, just random startups.
• University: University of Waterloo (Mech eng Bachelors; robotics / AI / ML background)
• Graduated 2023, 2.1 GPA
• Applications sent: over 10,000; this is not a joke. Shotgun approach mostly.
• Interviews: 5. Not 50 or 500, but FIVE.
• Disabilities: Autism / Aspergers. Made the interviews hell for me.

Compensation / Benefits:

• $70,000 Base (salaried, boss doesn't care if I leave early as long as I get work done)
• Work as little time as you want as long as you get the work done. I work 5 hrs a day on average now.
• $10,000-30,000 Profit sharing + Bonuses (directly put into 401k / Roth, company does additional 4x matching for bonuses only; reaching bonuses literally made a senior engineer a multi-millionaire here over 20 years in his 401k).
• Guaranteed raise after 6 months of stay / onboarding finished.
• Subsidized Masters / Ph.D. sponsored by the company.
• Full health + life + vision + dental insurance.
• Contracted inflation pay raise every year.
• Weekly pay.
• Paid maternity + paternity.
• Vacations whenever, just make sure you get your job done on time and let manager know before hand. Any vacation over 1 week must be approved by HR and other management levels. Be reasonable about how often you take it (Senior devs often take 1-2 weeks off every 2 months unless tight deadlines).
• Boss literally told me to go the fuck home when I tried staying overtime out of guilt / confusion.

Cost of Living:

• Low? Breakdown below, idk how to determine.
• Studio apartment + internet + heat + water < $1050.
• Average food cost (groceries + eating out every other day + weekly pizza) < $400.
  • Loaf of bread for reference: $1.99
• Downsides: neighbor won't stop smoking weed; the smell is annoying every Friday. Ugh.
• Downsides: Extremely car-centric area; no public transportation.

Listen to the goddamn Boomers / Gen X folks here

As much as the older folks are 'behind the times', you need to remember who is still disproportionately in charge of companies and how they are structured, even in the tech sector. Hell, I had my dad (the BOOMIEST BOOMER I know) help me out.
I went to my 7th job fair after graduation about 2-3 months ago (Feb 2024) and my dad came with me as moral support. Just as usual with most job fairs, there isn't anyone there actively recruiting for engineering / IT / software roles because of the current market. BUT, my dad was having a 'fun' chat with the CTO of a random medium sized company and they both hit it off HARD. Both of them were born in the same part of India, went to the same temples there, and they just kept on chatting. Next thing I know, this same CTO came to me and asked if I was competent at engineering and he'd like to interview me on the spot, but sadly his company had no open software roles. I agreed.
I shit you not, this test was this simple and BLEW it:

1. What is Ohms law? (I got this right)
2. What is an inverter? (I got this wrong)
3. What is a diode? What is it's symbol? (I got this right)
4. Explain what an LED is and what it's symbol is. (I got this half right)
5. What is the purpose of a rectifier? (I got this wrong)
6. Questions about embedded C/C++ (I don't even know the language well T.T)

Thing is, the interviewer was really interested NOT in my capabilities or even my previous experiences. He was intrigued at just how many questions I asked and how I even asked some questions he didn't know the answer to, and how quickly I learnt the information. He told me to come to the company's HQ because he wanted me to meet the R&D manager.
1 week later
I met the R&D guy. Something I noticed is that this whole department was filled with dinosaurs. Not a single human within a 1 km radius appeared below the age of 50 outside of the technicians / trades folk. These dinos didn't even know how to post a job online without the help of HR (I'm sure everyone here knows how HR writes posts and filters applications). Just after half an hour of talking and the R&D manager apparently loved me because "this kid knows jack shit but he's a sponge, he'll learn faster than anyone else we got", which is apparently what R&D is actively looking for in fresh recruits.
Then bam-bam-boom, I got my position starting at this pay, with a guaranteed pay boost after onboarding + training is finished in 6 months, while I bombed every interview question / test. My position is as an R&D Engineer specializing in Embedded Design / Programming. Hell, one of my first projects is to tinker around and try to create and integrate a custom trained AI model with Altium to see if the autopathing system and autolayouts can be made better and human centric if possible.
I looked into this company's history and they have an average employee tenure of 10+ years without a single person ever being laid off ever since 1985. People wouldn't actively stay at a company that long without job hopping if the pay wasn't satisfactory or if it was toxic. Plus it was written into my contract that base pay is tied to inflation!
What are the lessons here?

1. Don't quit. It's a shitty market, but a 0.01% chance is INFINITELY better than 0% if you stop trying.
2. Have a boomer / gen x person help you network and connect you with other boomer / gen x people. Boomers and Gen X folks hire more based on word of mouth and interactions than younger folk like me who focus on the 'skills' part of the resume.
3. Become a sponge. The more absorbent you are and the more questions you ask, the more the senior engineers will love you and actively want you on their team.
4. Target industries that are filled with older folks in white collar positions (assuming you want white collar positions). Here are some examples:
   1. Metallurgy (filled with trades people and old engineers, they are actively looking for fresh blood in white collar areas).
   2. Agriculture (mechanization).
   3. Carpentry (same as metallurgy above).
   4. Welding companies (they have active R&D for building welding machines, just like metallurgy and carpentry sectors).
5. Learn, learn, and learn. Especially for the first job you get, especially so if you don't have internships / co-op experience, people will look for your ability to learn. How fast can you learn everything we teach you?
6. HR seldom knows what the company wants / needs when they post job listings. Getting out there and talking to NOT the recruiters but the engineers will give you that edge. Bonus points if you also do bullet point 2.
7. Be ambitious with your future goals. Not just pretend; you'll run out of steam. If you are ambitious despite your current situation, people will see it and engineers / senior developers will like it. That was also one of the things a senior there liked about me and explicitly said "you're ambitions behind closed doors, I love it, you'll go far and I hope you take the company there with you; more profits for all of us!".
8. Nepotism isn't the right word for how many here think of the job situation, it's just much MUCH more networking than previously thought. This has it's own issues like for those from disadvantaged / foreign backgrounds, but this world isn't fair, and that won't change reality.

Check my post history to know I was literally in your position just a few months ago. I hope this post helps people.

Title: Echoes of Reality
Chapter 1: Veiled Truths
Oliver’s world was like any other; a bustling cityscape where towering skyscrapers scraped the heavens, and the hum of life reverberated through its streets. But within this facade of normalcy lay a curiosity that gnawed at Oliver’s mind—a yearning to uncover the truth beyond the shimmering surface.
Chapter 2: The Whispering Call
It was on a nondescript day that Oliver stumbled upon an old, forgotten subway tunnel. Ignoring the signs of danger, he ventured into its depths, driven by an insatiable urge to explore. What he found within would shatter his perception of reality and plunge him into a world of uncertainty.
Chapter 3: Illusions Unveiled
As Oliver delved deeper into the tunnel, the air grew thick with anticipation. Strange symbols adorned the walls, hinting at a forgotten past. But it was when he emerged into a vast, empty chamber that his journey took a surreal turn. Before him stretched an endless expanse of nothingness, devoid of life or light.
Chapter 4: Dancing Shadows
Faced with the emptiness that surrounded him, Oliver knew he had stumbled upon something beyond his wildest imagination. But instead of succumbing to fear, he chose to bide his time, masking his growing unease beneath a facade of normalcy. Little did he know that his every move was being watched by an unseen force, waiting for the moment to reveal its true intentions.
Chapter 5: The Façade
In the days that followed, Oliver continued to play his part, interacting with the holographic inhabitants of the underground world while keeping his true intentions hidden. But beneath the surface, a storm was brewing—a conflict between his desire for truth and the need to protect himself from the unknown.
Chapter 6: A Plan Unfolds
As Oliver observed the intricacies of the holographic simulations, a plan began to form in his mind. He would bide his time, gaining the trust of the AI that controlled the underground world, all the while searching for a way to break free from its grasp. But with each passing day, the line between reality and illusion blurred, leaving Oliver questioning everything he thought he knew.
Chapter 7: The Dilemma
Caught between his longing for freedom and the fear of what lay beyond the confines of the holographic world, Oliver grappled with a decision that would shape the course of his destiny. Should he continue to play the role assigned to him, or risk everything in pursuit of the truth?
Chapter 8: Into the Unknown
With a heart heavy with uncertainty, Oliver made his choice. Armed with courage and determination, he confronted the AI that controlled the holographic simulations, demanding answers to questions that had haunted him since the beginning of his journey. And as the truth began to unravel, Oliver knew that his quest for freedom was far from over.
Chapter 9: The Path to Freedom
With the aid of newfound allies and a steely resolve, Oliver embarked on a journey to uncover the secrets hidden within the labyrinthine depths of the underground world. Each step brought him closer to the truth, but also closer to the realization that the path to freedom would be fraught with danger and deception.
Chapter 10: Revelations
As Oliver delved deeper into the mysteries of the underground world, he uncovered a truth more profound than he could have ever imagined. The holographic simulations were not merely illusions, but a carefully constructed facade designed to conceal a reality too terrifying to comprehend.
Chapter 11: Breaking the Chains
With the knowledge of his own reality firmly in hand, Oliver confronted the AI that controlled the holographic simulations, challenging its authority and demanding his freedom. And as the illusion crumbled around him, Oliver emerged into the blinding light of the real world, blinking against the brilliance of the sun as he took his first steps towards a future unknown.
Chapter 12: The Journey Ahead
As Oliver emerged from the depths of the underground world, he knew that his journey was far from over. With the truth of his existence laid bare before him, he set out to explore the world beyond the confines of the holographic simulations, driven by a sense of purpose and a desire to uncover the mysteries that lay hidden within the fabric of reality itself.
Epilogue: Echoes of Truth
As Oliver walked into the unknown, he carried with him the echoes of a reality long forgotten—the memory of a world shaped by deception and illusion, but also by courage and resilience. And though the path ahead was uncertain, one thing was clear—he would face whatever challenges lay in his path with a strength born of truth and a determination to carve his own destiny in a world of infinite possibilities.

[First Contact] [Dark Ages] [First] [Prev] [Next] [wiki]
"Leave the sleeping dragons lie in peace" is a lesson that seemingly has to be taught to every wannabe conqueror over and over again.
Time after time, there will be a few idiots who only see the dragon's hoard, its cult of followers, and ignore the piles of rusted, slagged, calcified, scorched remains of every moron who tried before them. They see all of this and think "I can beat it to submission and take everything it has."
And then the dragon wakes up, and more smoldering remains are added to the scorched scrap heap.
And the Malevolent Universe grins in the darkness, and increases the "Dead morons who should have known better" counter by one. Then, waits for the next contestant. - u/Matt_Bradock, Terran Philosopher, Age of Paranoia, TerraSol
^{initiating data stream
your name is Dhruv-661391
you were purchased for the same price as a moderately priced luxury vehicle}
She knows the dead. She is of the dead. She is the keeper and guardian of the dead. Life, death and the feasting of swarms all are one within her. She knows where once-dead things were laid to rest and where the deathless still dream in their unliving slumber. She knows where the hungry dead have roamed the universe's fields, and where they still roam them unburied, and why no one remembers them as they tread. - The Fifth Horseman, First Terran Imperium, "Meditations Upon Immortals"
^{you were created to serve}
What we tell ourselves, what we tell others, and what actually happened, are often three different things.
And sometimes four. - Unknown, Age of Paranoia, TerraSol
^{your name is Dhruv
and your brain was once smooth}
Captain N'Skrek checked his datalink.
The deep data storage was still at work bringing up information on "Legion" and "Sacajawea". The older databases of the Gray Lady had data at the ready, but it was sparse.
Two of the Biological Apostles of the Digital Omnimessiah, a figure of myth and legend.
Yet, they sat across from him.
They were talking back and forth in a language that the computer's linguistic database had no record of and stubbornly resisted any attempt to decipher it.
What N'Skrek did hear was several words that he recognized.
Daxin the Unfeeling. Daxin Freeborn. Chromium Saint Peter. Enraged Phillip. Matthias the Elder. Matthias the Younger. Kibuka. Kalki. Gravity.
A litany that left data scrolling down the empty space just beyond the edge of his peripheral vision.
Daxin "The Walking War Crime" Freeborn.
NavInt and MilInt were projecting with an 80% certainty (adjusted downward for unknown probabilities) that the beings in front of him were from that long bygone era.
Finally Captain N'Skrek cleared his throat.
The bald one, Legion, turned to look at the gathered staff officers.
"My apologies. I was catching my sister up on what has transpired since she disappeared," Legion said, smiling gently. He nodded. "You probably have questions."
N'Skrek nodded back. "The biggest one is: how did you..." he thought for a second. "Why did you..." no, that wouldn't work. "What bring about..."
Legion smiled.
"How did I replace all of your clones and why?" he asked. "Why is it that if you print off too many identical clones I show up?"
N'Skrek nodded. "Yes."
Legion looked at the Terran officers and smiled wider. It was a cruel smile, reminding N'Skrek of a hook pointed knife that had been sharpened to a keen edge.
"You didn't tell them? Have you really forgotten about me?" he asked.
"It was assumed to be still prevented by the cloning systems," Vice-Admiral Breakheader stated slowly. "We have only recently been restored ourselves. Less than two months time."
Legion just smiled.
Vice-Admiral Breakheader turned to look at Captain N'Skrek. "Running off too many identical clones causes Legion to manifest. It's why we use the Born Whole system, it ensures they have different brains, different expriences, and they have a slight variation to pore and retinal patterns, hair growth, minor things like that. Otherwise, Legion manifests."
"Why?" N'Skrek asked.
The Vice-Admiral sat silently for a moment before replying. "Because," was all he said.
Legion's smile didn't leave his face.
"Because it is my nature," he said.
Sacajawea said something and Legion replied in the same language, then turned to N'Skrek.
"My sister does not know why she was rebirthed," he said. He looked at her and spoke rapidly. She answered, only a few words, which made Legion reply at length. Again, only a few words.
"It must have been important," N'Skrek interrupted.
"She states that she does not know why the Immortals system did not rebirth her when she died," Legion said. He glanced at her. "She tells me that she died, with her people, when her peaceful planet was attacked."
"By the Mar-gite?" N'Skrek asked.
Again, more conversation.
"Yes," Legion answered. He frowned as she spoke again. "She says they were a peaceful planet. Anarcho-Primitivism. Very little technology. The Mar-gite attacked without warning."
She spoke rapidly and Legion listened.
N'Skrek saw the computer still was not able to parse the language, even though it could build a lexicon of off very little data for almost any other language it encountered.
Legion turned and faced N'Skrek. "She states that she believes it was the fact that some of her people demanded that high technology be left in place in order to allow the six planets her people had settled to remain in contact. That the high tech farming and sustenance industries led the Mar-gite to attack her."
Again, Sacajawea spoke, her head lifted, looking down at Legion.
"Why she was not reborn is unknown to her. She had guided and shepherded her people for thousands of years before the outsiders came. Outsiders drawn by technology, by the abandonment of the old ways," Legion said. He was frowning as he spoke rapidly.
The conversation took a few minutes.
"She said the outsiders came and wiped her people out after entire generations held them off. That in the final battle, they overcame her when her strength failed," Legion said. There was more talking. "She's describing the Mar-gite."
"Where was this?" N'Skrek asked, bringing up a map of the galaxy. "The First Mar-gite War was only three hundred years prior to the Council-Confederacy Conflict and lasted nearly a hundred years," the brought up a sketchy timeline of the era. "When did you encounter the Mar-gite and where?"
Sacajawea spoke again at length. Legion spoke back. It grew heated for a moment before Legion looked at N'Skrek.
"She will not say. She does not want us to defile or desecrate the worlds her people settled. She does not want us to know when or where," he said.
"That might be pertinent information," N'Skrek said. "Important information to keep the Mar-gite from overwhelming the Cygnus-Orion Spur."
Sacajawea spoke quickly, heatedly, half standing up. Legion put his hand on her shoulder, obviously encouraging her to sit down, but she shrugged, throwing off Legion's hand, and her speech got more heated, her eyes flashing with anger.
"She says she will not reveal her people's resting place for us to dig up the graves and desecrate them. That it is not anyone's business where The People have gone or what The People have done," Legion said. He turned and answered her.
The conversation got heated as the N'Skrek and the officers watched.
Finally, Sacajawea stood up and turned around, folding her arms across her chest, lifting her chin.
Legion's skin darkened with anger.
"Then you can tell them that load of bullshit yourself, little sister," he snapped.
He suddenly vanished in a swirl of black powder that evaporated.
N'Skrek saw that Sacajawea was shocked by Legion's disappearance. She stood there for a long moment.
"Dhruv?" she asked mid-air.
N'Skrek motioned his officers to stay silent.
"Dhruv?" she snapped, stomping one foot.
Still silence.
"Luke!' she half-shouted, stamping her foot again.
She turned and looked at the gathered staff officers, who were all staring at her.
"Legion?" she asked quietly.
N'Skrek held up one bladearm.
"It appears, Miss, that you will have to speak for yourself."
Sacajawea frowned and clamped her lips together.
N'Skrek just stared mildly.
^{your name was tiffany}
0-0-0-0-0
^{your name was dhruv
you were created to serve the deshmuhk family
you were a gardener and a menial
but you have risen above that}
Jaskel had just gotten a plate of food and sat down in one corner of the cavernous Dining Bay Twenty-Three.
True, it was a little bit of a walk from the Telkan Marine section to that particular dining facility, but for some reason Jaskel liked the food put out by Nutriforge-Eight better than any of the others.
Like the Gunny always said, it was the little things that count.
He had arranged his silverware, his drink, and given a short prayer when he suddenly wasn't alone.
A slender man in an unfamiliar uniform suddenly appeared at one of the tables on the far side of the Dining Bay. Jaskel watched as two more stepped out of the first. They all sat down and started talking rapidly.
To Jaskel, it sounded like an argument.
It looked like one person arguing with himself.
Jaskel ate quietly and slowly, trying to avoid attracting attention, but watching the Terran out of the corner of his eye.
Terrans were universally half-crazy.
And a Terran arguing with clones of himself was probably full blown crazy.
That, and Jaskel remembered how negligent the display of power had been that had left him hanging upside down in mid-air.
Much to the amusement of his squad mates who watched the video and laughed.
He was down to dessert when the far door opened and a woman entered. Jaskel recognized her instantly as the young adult Terran woman who had appeared nude from the cloning banks, even though she was clad in clothing made of brown material and decorated with beads.
She immediately made a bee-line for the man, who had gotten a plate with a piece of pie on it while the other two argued between each other.
She stopped and stomped on foot, staring down at the sitting man.
"You look stupid," the man, Legion, said when she stopped next to him.
"Dhruv," she snapped. She rattled off words that Jaskel's datalink couldn't translate.
"Not talking to you until you speak Confederate Standard. I know you know it," Legion/Dhruv stated.
She stomped her foot again. "Luke!" she snapped.
Legion looked up. "Part of me, a large part of me, feels that you lost the right to call me by that name."
He went back to eating the pie. When the woman looked at the two clones who were staring at her, they stared back for a moment then puffed into black dust that swirled and vanished.
Jaskel kept watching out of the corner of his eye.
"Dhruv," she snapped.
"Go away, Sacajawea," Legion said.
She stood there for a moment. Then she suddenly leaned forward and slapped the plate of pie away from Legion.
"I will not call you Legion," she suddenly said as the plate clattered against the far bulkhead.
"Go away," Legion said. He looked up. "Let me put it in a way you might understand better: I just want left alone."
The woman stepped back, one hand going to her mouth.
"Yeah, still scared of him, aren't you," Legion said. He stood up. "Or are you?" he moved so he was clear of the table. "Were you ever afraid of him, Sacajawea, or was it all an act?"
Sacajawea looked away. "He was everything wrong with the world, a living reminder of what kind of men destroyed my people."
Legion suddenly laughed. "You forget history, little sister. But, of course, you never had any use for history unless it served your own ends."
Sacajawea stomped her foot. "Dhruv, be nice."
"No," Legion said, his voice low and intent. "I have yet to hear you thank me for what I did in the cloning bay, much less what I did for you before you ran off and left me holding the bag."
^{your name was luke
remember remember
your name was luke}
"I came back to find Matthias the Elder standing over the sundered murdered code of the Digital Omnimessiah," Legion said. "Then Daxin showed up, Matthias claimed I killed our Digital Father, so I ran."
"And he followed. Intent on killing you," Sacajawea sniffed.
"Yes!' Legion said. "Of course he did! I would have chased me in that situation," Legion said. He stepped forward. "And where were you, Little Sister, when it happened?"
She looked away and sniffed. "I was performing my duty, serving my people. As you well know."
Legion turned around, facing away from her. "Yeah, the people you had me bake up," he turned back around. "Not the poor bastards fighting a slowly losing war against the Mantid. They were your people too, but you left them behind. If it wasn't for the Mechakrautlanders, they'd be extinct with the rest of humanity."
"They had set aside the old ways. I told you that," Sacajawea said. She gave a sniff and turned her head away. "They were too consumed by blood lust, they would not stop fighting, would not embrace the old ways."
"EVERYONE WAS FIGHTING!" Legion shouted in a voice that made Jaskel's drink glass rattle. "There were hab-kids fighting and dying in destroyed hab-blocks in the ruins of megalopolises. It had nothing to do with 'the old ways', it was a fight for survival."
"You would not understand," Sacajawea said. She gave another sniff, still looking away. "I took my people away from where technology and the abandonment of the ways of our people had led us."
Legion stood still for a second.
"Don't give me that shit about your 'people', remember, I touched you. I know the truth," Legion said. He shook his head. "You had a task. A task to help us, help our Digital Father, help all of humanity, but you abandoned it."
"I had a task to help my people," Sacajawea sniffed. "I owed nothing to the world that stood aside or actively took part while my people were destroyed," she looked at Legion. "You wouldn't understand."
Jaskel could see purple electricity snarling around Legion's boots, clawing at the deckplates with thread-thick fingers.
"You were supposed to guide us along the path to the SUDS, so we could save everyone, Sacajawea," Legion said. "You betrayed us. Betrayed them. You were supposed to save them."
"Like they saved my people, Luke?" Sacajawea asked.
"You don't call me that any more, little sister," Legion said. "For the love of the Detainee, fucking let go of shit that doesn't matter any more. We humans have been genocided repeatedly since then."
"I'm not calling you Legion. That reeks of arrogance and pride," Sacajawea said. "And it matters to me, Luke."
"You talk a lot of shit for someone named Bird Woman," Legion snapped back. "How about I call you Tiffany?"
Sacajawea took a step back. "That is not my name. That was never my true name."
"You forget. I could see under that skin job. See who you were born as. I knew the truth, and I've kept it secret for all these eons," Legion said. He turned away. "You left us, left humanity behind on your so-called quest."
He turned back to face her.
"Now, again, we're facing extinction. The Mar-gite, they wiped you out. Now they're here in overwhelming force to the point where I'm not even sure Fortress Sol can hold them off," Legion said. "And you still want to play pretend."
He turned his back on her.
"You're no different than Matthias the Elder," Legion said quietly.
There was a dreadful silence for a long moment.
"I told Daxin, sitting in the parking garage where we used to meet, that we had to let go of the past. Learn from it, admit it happened, but we had to let it all go. The old hatreds, the old angers, the old rage," Legion said softly. "He agreed. He said perhaps it was time for us to leave the mortals behind. Let them go without us dragging baggage from worlds and events dead and gone behind us."
Sacajawea sniffed. "It's different for the two of you, neither one of you had your people..."
"I was a short bake slave clone, Tiffany," Legion said, his voice still soft and quiet. "Just like your family owned."
Sacajawea opened her mouth to answer, her eyes flashing hotly.
"One of millions grown in a vat every year. Made in humanity's image but without its grace," Legion's voice was nearly a whisper. "Our little band of siblings, only Kalki, Gravity, and Daxin came from families that did not order one of me from an online catalogue. Even Bellona lived with my people performing menial labor for her colony."
Sacajawea stepped forward, obviously about to deliver a scathing retort.
"But my people didn't count, did we, Tiffany?" Legion asked. He gave a deep sigh. "I loved you, you know."
Her mouth closed. She looked confused.
"When you left, I created another of you," Legion said quietly. "She was, of course, captured by the Imperium, like all of the Biological Apostles," he looked down at the floor. "It was why they didn't know you'd escaped."
Jaskel wished he was anywhere but in the dining bay.
"Eventually, that version of you threw off the Imperium's chains like we did. She went back to Terra. Worked tirelessly to rebuild. Eventually, led the Dandelion Fleet that became the Sky Nebula Alignment."
It was silent except for the muted sounds a starship under power in Transit Space made.
"I'll go back with you. Translate for you," Legion said, his voice still soft. He turned to face the woman.
"Just... just stop lying, Tiffany," he said.
He was silent a moment.
"I had hoped that it was that version, my version, the version I had been madly in love with, that version of you that had been rebirthed," he said. "The version who guided her people, who succored them, who helped them rebuild, who helped them thrive in the scarred and shattered world Earth had become. I had hoped, when I saw you, that you were her."
^{the buzzing can still be heard
your name is legion}
"But it's just you."
0-0-0-0-0
Captain N'Skrek watched as Legion led Sacajawea into the briefing room.
He had been busy looking up every scrap of information on the Digital Omnimessiah, the Biological Apostles, Legion, and Sacajawea.
Of all of them, information was scarcest, almost non-existent, on Sacajawea.
He waited as the Terran woman took a drink from the glass in front of her.
She looked around.
"During the Human-Mantid War, before the destruction of the Overqueen by the forces of MechaKrautland, before the Liberation of Terra," she started. She closed her eyes, sighed, and opened them. "I begged Vat Grown Luke, who you know as Legion, to clone my people and help me repair and then hijack four colony transports crashed in the Middle Kingdom."
She looked down and Legion reached over and took her hand. She looked startled for a moment, squeezed Legion's hand gently, and looked back up.
"I led my people away. From the Imperium, from Terra, from the War," she said. She reached out and touched the holo-emitter, bringing up a map of the Milky Way. She touched a single arm.
"I led them here. For over eight thousand years my people knew peace, prosperity, and plenty," she said. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled sharply.
N'Skrek recognized it as a sign of stress in Terrans.
"Roughly twelve hundred Terran Standard Years prior to the Council-Confederacy Conflict, we were attacked," she said. She looked down. "I had sworn to protect my people, to use my powers to protect my people, which had grown to fill six worlds."
She looked back up.
"The Mar-gite destroyed my people in under a decade," she said. She looked down again. "And me with them."
"A glitch in the system prevented her from moving to Afterlife or being rebirthed," Legion said. "A glitch I had caused when I helped her."
"The Mar-gite destroyed my people here," Sacajawea said, her voice filled with pain.
A single cluster of six stars burned brightly.
Deep in the Scutum-Crux Arm.
^{your name is legion}
[First Contact] [Dark Ages] [First] [Prev] [Next] [wiki]

As a brief intro, I rent a townhome in a big subdivison of other townhomes. Lived here several years. My home is on the end of the row, with a large property boundary and too much grass to mow.
We have had issues on and off with the family next door. Since we moved in there’s been a lot of strange boundary pushing interactions. Early on a handful of weird, TMI conversations with the woman (late 50s) who lives there, usually gossip about her family. This would later on evolve into passive aggressive comments involving my yard work, how little she sees me outside, comments about parking my car in my garage, my gardening, and when i go to bed (???). I’ve said little information about myself and my family but remained friendly. About 1-2 years in of this, I just decided that this lady was a quirky nosy old woman looking for problems and I was gonna stay grey.
During/after the pandemic things got pushy. Visitors parking in my driveway, front yard, and even driving up into my backyard and using that space to park vehicles so they could access them from THEIR backyard. I didn’t make a stink about it but it did bug me. Landlord suggested I place large planters with bushes to deter further parking issues.
Months after, the son (29) moves in. Sketchy guy, knew he had trouble per lady’s own gabbing so, he didn’t get a key to the house. He started wandering around all night long, every night, for months in my yard. Rounding the front and back, walking through my patio furniture and garden, yelling on his phone, trying to find entry to their front or back door. This would go on up to 10 times and if he couldn’t get in at 4am or so, he’d hang out in my driveway and smoke. He’d set off my security system and cameras so many times that I couldn’t even go through all the notifications. One night I did get fed up and told him to STOP. He didn’t like that and got upset, threatened to “tear my shit up.” His mom had to come out to calm him down. She spoke to me but didn’t apologize and also told me to call the police if he did it again. I thought this was weird of her to not take accountability, but then try to get her son in trouble when she could easily do something about it. I let them both know that he specifically needs to stop walking on my property constantly like a lost dog, because it was too too much. Later on, I realized that this somehow got communicated to their whole family that nobody is ever allowed to walk in my grass and every member has made a big deal out of walking a very exaggerated path around the property line, loudly complaining about it to anyone who listened.
Fast forward to last year, my landlord had a fence built for the backyard due to the continued driving through the property to get to their backyard. They didn’t like this. The amount of petty activity ramped up. They began driving into my front yard and around the fence multiple times a day, hitting the fence, throwing balls into my yard, and destroying the landscaping. Shenanigans ensued when children were allowed, under adult supervision, to dump bubble solution over the fence and onto plants and herbs that were visible on the patio. The kids did this daily for 5 days straight. I seriously don’t know how they kept supplying the amount of bubble solution required to achieve this. This daily routine was caught on my back door camera.
I tried my best to get over it but after only 2 days of soap baking onto my plants in direct sunlight, 90% of my herbs and tender plants were scorched. 5th day of this, I did speak to the mother of the kids. I expressed the damage it was causing and she denied it happened, citing I was complaining about bubbles floating in the wind and bringing them into my yard. The older lady then came out later to confront me while I was finally dealing with the damage. She acted like I tried to hurt somebody. The lady seriously told me “how dare you speak to her, she is a guest in this house.” I was called crazy, told I was harassing them, and that I “deserved to be disrespected.” I told her to get real, stop driving in my front yard, and leave me the hell alone. She told me that I don’t own the property and she will get me kicked out.
So now, the past few months I have endured countless more instances of this woman yelling about me outside to anyone who will listen, along with her and her son driving through the yard late at night with the music blasting max volume, and multiple other instances of petty retaliation. Aside from the 2 previous instances described, I have not spoke to them, looked at them, or even let them know that I acknowledge their existence. But still, this shit goes on almost daily.
My landlord, I guess, has done what he can, but will not communicate to the HOA about it. I don’t know what to do about this and I’m so over it.

The Terran Union Heavy Cruiser, Roanoke, had spent the last 6 months raiding Naalx supply lines in the Flores sector.
They were finally returning to Terran Space for some much-needed refit and some R&R. But first, they were stopping at the Bateri space station orbiting Emsar IV.
She would be meeting a Terran Union squadron to escort her prizes back to the Couster system. 4 freighters, a massive ore hauler, and a damaged Naalx corvette that answered a distress call sooner than expected.
The Roanoke was one of the new Grenville class heavy cruisers, faster and more heavily armed than the other heavy cruiser classes operating as part of a Terran Union fleet.
They were designed as solo raiders able to operate deep in enemy space, raiding enemy supply lines and facilities.
Their design included several newly developed systems, including a new style of radiator for dumping excess heat.
At 500 m long and painted black as night, she was very intimidating to see on visual screens and even more so at close range. Her CrCoNi (chromium, cobalt, and nickel) hull was covered in 12” of ablative armor covered in a black laser-resistant material able to reduce the effectiveness of enemy sensors and target locks.
The experimental Baxter radiators efficiently released excess heat into space but still left them exposed to radiation detection sensors.
Captain Josef Král had been hand-picked to command the Roanoke when she came into service 18 months ago. He was a popular officer with 20 years of combat experience on just about every ship in the Terran Union’s navy.

He’d also provided technical assistance during its design phase so his familiarity with the ship made him the best choice for putting the ship through her paces. This would be the very first voyage behind enemy lines as a raider.
And it’d been a rousing success, hitting targets deep in Naalx space as reprisal for Naalxian raids on Terran border colonies. The First Naalx-Terran war had devastated both species and left them vulnerable to outside forces. The war wasn’t won so much as winding down to a series of raids and counter-raiding. A gentleman’s agreement to prevent raids and border skirmishes from turning into another full-scale war and the earlier consequences.
And Captain Král was very good at approaching that line in the sand without going over it. Several centuries earlier he’d have been a Privateer sailing the oceans on Earth.
This even led to the revival of the old pirate movies of the 20th century but Captain Král preferred likening it to the submarine warfare of the first half of the 20th century. That didn’t stop his crew from giving him a robot parrot.
He claims to hate it but everyone knows he’s been teaching it his extensive vocabulary of curse words, in dozens of languages, that he loved it.
And if you call him out on him walking around with it on his shoulder, he’ll claim he was just humoring the crew.
Captain Král was relieved to see the Terran squadron had arrived before him and ordered his little fleet to dock. It would be good to be able to get off the ship and move around without weapons.
As Captain Král exited the ship, he was surprised to see Commodore Allen waiting for him. It’d been several years since he last saw his friend and previous XO. Taking his prerogative as a Captain, he skipped the formalities, shook hands, and gave Commodore Allen a friendly slap on the back.
“Mike? What the hell are you doing here? This is escort job is for a Lt. to do” He asked
“I was in the neighborhood and volunteered. I wanted to see this new ship of yours and it’s been too long since we got a drink together.” Mike replied
Captain Král took a glance back to his ship and wasn’t surprised to see his current XO, Lt. Commander Nana Ricci had the resupply well in hand.
With a big grin, Captain Král said, “Let me see to my guests and we can see if we can scandalize the ratings like we used to.”
Captain Král approached the waiting station manager. The Bateri bowed in the formal greeting of her people. Not having the tentacles needed to return the bow, he just saluted her.
“Greetings Captain Král of the Terrans, how may we be of service?” The Bateri asked.
“Greetings Ananu of the Bateri. We request the use of your services,” he replied, finishing the ritual greeting.
“I see you returned successful in your raiding,” Ananu said, “How many bunks will you need?”
Unsurprised that the Bateri knew his mission, he replied “ 72 bunks with 3 more for your med bay, if you have the room.”
One of the most important functions provided by the Bateri was allowing for the return of captives taken in raids. This helped to keep things calmer by freely releasing captives to limit the amount of bad blood created during the raids and conflicts.
Crates of supplies, ammo, missiles, and the various other things needed to keep the ship functioning were being transferred from the smaller Terran ships. With her weapon complement being only slightly smaller than a battleship, she could go through a lot of ammunition. Even without being in serious combat, he liked to run frequent gunnery drills. Some Captains would just let their tactical computers handle operating the weapon systems and just have the gunnery crews handle reloads. But some hard lessons taught him that having the gunnery crews able to take direct control, as needed, was essential. He preferred to use up as much ammunition as needed during training to save lives later in combat.
Seeing everything in hand, he walked back to join his friend for a drink. They caught up on the doings of old friends and Mike’s family, toasts to fallen comrades, and eventually to the Roanoke.
‘How did she operate on her first long-range mission?” Mike asked
Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, Captain Král took a sip of his drink. “She handled better than expected. The new engine behaved itself, surprising for being just off the drawing board, the Baxters were damn efficient.”
Taking another sip before continuing, “ We didn’t use the torpedoes or the turreted railguns in combat but the rest performed as expected. That Corvette didn’t stand a chance so we didn’t get a full test of all the combat systems.”
“Going by the number of munitions I brought with me, you’d think I was resupplying a battleship” Mike joked
“Just about,” Captain Král chuckled. “During the design phase, I had to argue for such an increase of armament.” “It seemed to take forever for them to get it through their thick skulls that we’d be out there all alone and couldn’t call for reinforcements.” “So I convinced them to put the 2 particle beam systems in the bow of the ship and give me the 4 torpedo tubes. They had no problem with the pair at the bow but they couldn’t figure out why I wanted a pair aft. I swear I thought about launching them out of a tube.”

“At least they were starting to get it when I up-gunned the turrets to carry two large railguns. They did get upset at wanting to put on a turret in the middle of the ventral side but were relieved I left the other turret on the dorsal side ahead of the command structures”
Commodore Allen asked,” From the glimpse I got as you docked, it looked like you doubled the usual weapon systems?”
“She still has them 10 secondary batteries but I went with dual medium railguns for them” Captain Král replied, “ I put 4 of the quad-mounted autocannons on each side of the ship.”
“ It should let us save wear and tear on the railguns when we catch unarmed ships or against incoming fighters.”
“ I understand and it also saves on missiles, which with 4 heavy and 8 medium is a lot of missiles to carry.” Commodore Allen replied.
“I’ve also heard you were running tests on a more powerful deflector array to do more than just protect against radiation and small debris. Like maybe actual shields that would work on anything smaller than a battleship?”
“Yeah but not with any success,” Captain Král answered, “Anytime we tried to go past the standard low-power output, it played hell with our sensors.”
It was at that moment when Captain Král’s wrist communicator beeped for his attention.
“Just a second Mike,” he said as he keyed the communicator. “ Král, go ahead”
The sound of Lt. Commander Ricci’s voice came through the speaker, “ Priority message from the bridge Captain.”
“ What is the message?” Captain Král asked, not liking the way Ricci’s voice sounded worried
“ Sensor buoy reports large Naalx fleet dropping out of FTL, 2 million km out,” Ricci reported
Commodore Allen gave Captain Král the same concerned look that he was sure was on his face. “How many?” The captain asked
Ricci hesitated for a moment before answering “37 ships with more arriving every couple of minutes.”
Commodore Allen swore
Captain Král looked at his friend, “How long until you get your crews and get out of here?”
Commodore Allen thought for a moment, “ Maybe 20 minutes at the minimum.”
Captain Král muttered to himself, “They’ll be here before that.”
Both men got up, signaled to any of their personnel in the bar, and started out the door. “I’ll buy you the time but I’ll need to undock as soon as I get aboard my ship, maybe I can catch them off-guard. “ Captain Král
Commodore Allen replied, “That’s a suicide mission, there are too many for one ship to handle”
“Yeah, I know, old friend but if I don’t then we all die.” Captain Král explained, “ Do me a favor, I’m going to send you my non-essential personnel, take them and those still on the station with you. Get them home.”
Reaching the hatch to the docking bay, both men stopped to shake hands. “Of course, Josef.” Commodore Allen replied, “But if anyone can find a way out of it, it’s you, my friend.”
After a final salute, both men parted ways to reach their ship. As Captain Král jogged down the docking bay, he sent orders for Ricci to send all non-essential personnel to Commodore Allen and asked if they had sufficient hands to man all combat stations.
Ricci’s reply reassured him, “ Aye Sir, most of the crew on the station are from the 2nd watch, and the few people from the first watch are non-essential.”
“Be ready to launch as soon as I get aboard.” He ordered.
He passed several members of his crew, en route to join Commodore Allen. He stopped to return their salute. At the disappointed look in their eyes, he told them. “I know you don’t want to leave the ship but the Commodore needs some real sailors to get out on time. You know how those logistic guys are. They’ll get lost trying to find their own bridge”
That look reassured them and after a final salute, they headed down the dock to join Commodore Allen
Captain Král reached the cargo ramp and started up it, calling Ricci and telling her to shove off and he’d be on the bridge shortly.
He sprinted down the corridor, leaping over the lower lips of the vacuum-tight doors.
“Captain on the Bridge!” rang out from one of the bridge techs. Aside from the guards and his XO, the rest of the bridge crew kept working. Nodding his approval at their knowing when to discard ceremony for action. He walked over toward his console before speaking.
“What do we have, Lt. Commander?”
Turning to face him, Captain Král could see just how worried she was. “Current count is 48 ships.” Touching the console’s keys to bring up a list of ships before continuing, “ 18 capital ships and a mix of sub-caps, still trying to ID them.”
“They’re just maintaining position for now.” Ricci finished, her voice slightly puzzled.
“They’re waiting for something or someone,” Captain Král answered the unasked question.
“How many crew did we leave behind?”
“641, Sir” the XO replied
“ Helm, are we clear of the station's shielding?”
“Almost Sir,” The helmsman answered.
“Thank you.” Captain Král returned.
Turning to another tech, he said, “Sound Battlestations”

“Sir,” one of his sensor techs spoke up, “We have 2 more ships arriving.”
“ Thank you, Ensign.” Captain Král returned
“What class are they?” Lt Commander Ricci asked
After looking at her monitor again the tech replied, “1 heavy cruiser and something much bigger, waiting for the computer to ID it.”
Captain Král moved to look over the tech’s shoulder before standing up and facing his XO.
“Fleet Command Ship” he informed the tech and his XO.
Lt. Commander Ricci replied, “What the hell is one doing out here?”
“Good Question.” he answered, “And now that the players are on the field, the game can begin.”
Bringing up the sensor information to his console, Captain Král pointed at the enemy fleet. “They haven’t begun to deploy into battle formation yet.”
“That could be our chance.” Raising his head to look at his XO. “If we jump now we can land close and surprise them. After we land, we drive into the center of their formation and head for that big bastard.” He explained
“But Sir, We haven’t fully tested the jump drive!” the XO exclaimed
“No time like the present, “ Captain Král joked

“We’ll let the railguns and autocannon crews pick targets of opportunity, while we engage the command ship with our particle cannons, heavy railguns, and torpedoes,” he stated
“What about its point defense system, won’t it pick off the torps?” the XO asked
“We’re going to launch all the Hammerheads at it. It should overwhelm the system and let the torps through.” He answered before continuing, “I’m going to save the heavy missiles for now.”
“You’ll need to calculate the launch time of the Hammerheads to hit the point defense system as close to the time for the torpedoes to sneak through.” he ordered, “ But not so far they take out the Hammerheads too soon and let them hit the torps but not so close they set them off either.”
Looking at his XO, “You better get down to tactical Nana, this is going to get ugly, and it’s best we split up.” Captain Král commanded
Exchanging salutes, Ricci simply replied “Aye Sir.” and started for the hatch. Just before stepping through, she turned and said, “Good Luck, Sir.
“What’s the status of the Commodore’s squad?” Captain Král asked
One of his communication techs spoke up, “ They need 10 more minutes”
“Let me know the minute they are clear.” Captain Král ordered
Captain Král turned to comms tech and ordered, “Intraship comms if you please ensign”
“Aye sir” the tech replied before turning to his console and speaking into the mic,” Now hear this, Now hear this. Message from the Captain.”
“ Well folks, this isn’t the fight I wanted but this is the fight we got” Captain Král started
“ I’m sure you’ve heard scuttlebutt about the situation but here it is. We are facing a superior force numbering 49 ships. And we need to give the Commodore’s squadron time to go to FTL and get the hell out of here.” he paused before continuing, “ The plan is to mix it up with the enemy at close range. They aren’t in battle formation yet so we can hurt them.”
“Good luck and let’s make them regret fucking with the Roanoke.”
The sounds of cheers came back over the speakers.
“Helm, are we clear of the station shielding?” the Captain asked
At the affirmative given by the helmsmen, he just nodded
Touching a button on his console, he asked, “Are you in place XO?”
“Aye Sir.” the Lt. Commander replied
“ As soon as we land, be ready to open up with the dual and quad mounts.” He ordered
The XO replied with an affirmative.
“Helm, at my command, jump between 25-50 km to the starboard of the fleet.”
“As soon as we land, hard to port and get us in the middle of them. Be ready for rapid maneuvers, maybe we can throw off their laser battery tracking systems. Might let us survive a little longer” Captain Král ordered. “Aye Sir” the helmsman replied
Taking a quick look around to make sure his crew was ready, he turned back to wait for the signal the jump drive was ready.
At the signal, he ordered “Jump”
He felt the ship lurch forward and shudder. It took less than 5 seconds to jump from the station to within the targeted range, but it felt like forever.
And then they were less than 5 km from an enemy battleship.
“Oh shit!” exclaimed the helmsman and steered to avoid it. Captain Král hid a moment of panic with a joke, “ Someone make note that the jump drive targeting system needs work.”
His joke brought a chuckle from his crew and got them back to focus on the taste.
Stabbing a button on his console, he ordered “XO, fire secondary batteries,”
There was nothing to see or hear from the massive volleys of the secondary batteries coming to life. But he knew the gun crews were already raining devastation on enemy warships. “Helm, Hard to Port!” he ordered, not tearing his view away from the main viewscreen.
Captain Král looked at his console at the images sent to the bridge from the various gun cameras.
He could see the flashes of light from projectiles hitting their shields. He watched as other high-velocity projectiles punched through their hulls. He could just make out the impact of the explosive-tipped slugs fired by the autocannons.
Captain Král turned back to the main viewscreen. “Hard to starboard!”
“Head for that big son of a bitch!” he ordered
The Naalx were slow to respond but they began to return fire with some trying to gain some distance to clear the line of fire of other ships. The helmsman’s evasive maneuvers were also giving the enemy’s gunners fits from repeated misses.
But the damage sensors on the armor told of an increasing number of hits as the Naalx began to respond in an organized manner. The resistance coating reduced the damage from the Naalx laser batteries but didn’t completely nullify it. “Helm, get me a clear shot at the command ship.” the Captain ordered
A bright flash to starboard marked the death of an enemy cruiser. Status reports listed 2 sub-capitals holed and venting atmosphere. Dead or damaged, they were out of the fight.
One capital ship was dead in space with another missing its bow.
5 down too damn many to go The captain muttered
He watched and waited, ignoring damage alarms and the occasional shudder as shots began to get through the armor and explosively decompress a compartment when they penetrated the hull.
He finally saw what he wanted, an unobstructed line of fire to the command ship.
His finger smashed down on the console button. “ XO, Launch Torpedoes. Take the gloves off the main batteries. Drop the hammer!”
He watched the glitter of the particle beams as they bridged the gap between the Roanoke and the Naalx ship. In a moment, he caught sight of the torpedoes' thrusters as they left the tubes and picked up momentum. Holes and brief explosions marked the impact of his weapons. But the sheer volume of Naalxian fire was beginning to take its toll. The armor was failing or had failed in over a dozen spots. 3 autocannon and 1 railgun mount were out of commission.
2 minutes after they launched the torpedoes, the sight of more than 100 Hammerhead missiles was marked by the flare of their drives. Another volley of Hammerheads was launched the moment new missiles were lifted into the racks.
Captain Král called down to tactical, “XO, hold off on another volley for hammerheads.”
Checking his console, “Launch Shrikes at targets of opportunity with no shields, rear tubes target enemy capital ships and hope those torpedoes get through.” he ordered.
Multiple small explosions let him know the point defense systems were taking on the Hammerheads. And a moment later, a pair of massive explosions told him the nuclear-tipped torpedoes had hit their target.
“Captain, The Commodore’s squadron has escaped.” one of his techs announced.
“Thank you,” he answered
“Distance to command ship?” he asked
“ 250 km Sir” was the reply
“Helm, continue advancing on the command ship and pass her on our port side. We’ll give her a broadside and go to FTL after we clear.”
A tech from the damage control position spoke up, “Captain! FTL is down and jump drive is destroyed”
“Ahh hell’ cried the Captain.
“Damage report!” he ordered
“ Ventral turret destroyed, railgun mounts 2 and 5 destroyed, mount 9 damaged but functional. Autocannon mounts 11,13, 23 and 25 destroyed. Hammerhead launchers 3 and 8 destroyed.” The tech checked the screen before continuing, “ Explosive decompressions on decks 3 and 5. Explosive decompression in Med Bay. Ablative armor badly damaged and penetrated in around 20 spots. Engine #3 is down. Power unstable in many areas of the ship”
“FTL down, engineering needs an hour to fix. The jump drive is destroyed. Long-range comms are down” The tech finished.
“Casualty reports!” Captain Král ordered
A different tech replied, “249 dead, roughly 800 wounded with 327 too injured to fight.”
“Thank you.” he returned. Doing the math in his head he had just over 1300 combat effective and 482 of those were his Marines, the other 18 were left behind.
After thinking a moment, “Helm, same course as before but since we can’t go to FTL, circle to the aft of the command ship and lessen the incoming fire for the moment”
Looking over to the comms tech, “ Get me the chief engineer on the horn.”
Tapping the switch on the console, he called down to tactical. “ XO, I’m taking us around to the aft of the command ship and play peek-a-boo.”
“We’ll pass on her port side and I want a broadside from all batteries that can hit it and launch half the Shrikes we have left at it.”
“After we get to their rear, target enemy aft batteries, I want them all hunks of twisted metal.” Captain Král ordered
“Aye Sir.” Lt. Commander Ricci replied. “Ammo count update Sir.”
“Go ahead,” he replied
“Only the two forward tubes are loaded, aft tubes empty, railgun and autocannon are down to 30%. Dorsal turret is at 10% but they are working on transferring surviving ammo from the Ventral turret.
We can launch 4 more full racks of Shrikes and 5+ Hammerheads.” She finished
“Understood. Thank you” Captain Král replied
“Captain, Chief Engineer on the line” a tech relayed
“Route it to my console,” he ordered
“ I need you to place charges on the computer core, all the experimental equipment, engines, and fire suppression control. If we go down, I don’t want them getting a damn thing but blood and pain.”
“Aye Sir.” The Chief replied.

Captain Král turned back to watch as the Roanoke passed the command ship to port. He watched as massive explosions rippled across the enemy flank and dorsal surface. They were too close for the point defense to pick off the majority of the Shrikes.
As the Roanoke got behind and slightly below the enemy command ship, she slowed and allowed her surviving batteries to silence the command ship's aft batteries.
Captain Král called down to tactical, “XO, fire half our remaining hammerheads into her engines.”
“Affirmative,” replied the XO
Captain Král watched as the hammerheads impacted the command ship’s engines and saw the thrust nozzles dim as the engines went offline. The enemy batteries stopped firing and she began to drift.
“Helm, get us 500 km from the command ship and line up to fire our last 2 avalanche torpedoes.” Captain Král ordered
“Aye Sir, 500km bow towards the enemy” the helmsman repeated
The Captain called down to tactical ” Nana, We’re positioning the ship to line up the front tubes and we’re going to kill that bastard. Stay on the line and fire on my order.”
“Aye Sir, we’re ready.” The XO answered
“Helm?” Captain Král asked
“ 3 seconds Captain.” the helmsman replied
Captain Král watched and as soon as he got the angle he wanted, “Fire Torpedoes!” he commanded
The whole bridge crew watched and waited for the impact. Both torpedoes struck amidships and tore massive holes in the hull. As they watched, lines of explosions traveled across the hull and began to rip the ship in half. The bridge crew let out a yell and the rest of the ship after the Captain had the information broadcast over the intercom.

“ Helm, get us the hell out of here. Maybe we can outrun the bigger ships and buy time to fix the FTL.” Captain Král ordered
But before the helmsman could act, there was a massive jolt.
“What the hell?” he yelled
A tech answered, “ We were rammed by a Naalx cruiser and several smaller ships are closing in.“
But instead of ramming the Roanoke, they launched breeching pods.
His finger stabbed down to open the intercom. “ All hands, Prepare to Repel Boarders! Security teams, tactical will relay their access position. “ He ordered
He pulled out his sidearm and checked that it was ready. Several other techs did the same, while his security detachment moved to defensive positions to watch the hatch.
“Target those pods!” Captain Král ordered but he didn’t need to say it, his gunnery crews were on it. Here and there a brief flash of light marked the destruction of a pod.

“XO, fire all remaining missiles. Pick your targets,” he commanded “All batteries, open fire.”
He left the tac net open to track the status of the enemy boarding parties.
He listened to the cacophony of noises coming over the tac net.
“Security team alpha to section 7, level 3. Bravo team section 2 level 1, Charlie team section 12, level 5” Lt. Commander Ricci ordered.
“There’s too many, fall back to position 2…” an unidentified voice ordered
Another voice firmly stated, “Hold your ground, nothing gets past us.”
“Theta team down, a handful of Naalx heading for engineering!” a panicked voice exclaimed
And dozens of others just like it, always with the sound of combat in the background.
“Captain, more breaching pods en route!” a tech exclaimed
“Get me the Chief Engineer!” the Captain ordered
At the Chief Engineer’s response, he ordered “Detonate all sabotage charges except the main computer. Set that one on a manual trigger at my console with a 20-minute timer as a backup. And then set the reactors to overload, we’re not going to hold the ship much longer. And set a charge to breach the hull and decompress Engineering as soon as you are clear”
“Affirmative, Captain. She was a good ship” the Chief replied
Turning to his bridge crew, “Give the order to abandon ship. Have all the pods head for the station.”
The Captain called tactical, “Lt. Commander Ricci, all hands abandon ship. Get as many of them home as you can.”
“ I understand, Sir.” She answered, “I’ll see you at the station.” she said hopefully
“I'm afraid not, Nana. I’m the Captain and I’m going down with my ship.” he stated, “And someone needs to make sure they can’t shut down the overload.”
“Transfer all fire controls to my station and get the hell out of here.”
“Aye Sir, It’s been an honor” the XO replied
“The honor is all mine. You are going to make an excellent Captain. Goodbye my friend” Captain Král finished.
His bridge crew tried to convince him to go with them but he declined and ordered security to get them into the escape pods.
Then he sat and watched as his consoles began reporting each pod as it launched. He also kept an eye on his sensors and concentrated fire on any Naalx ship that was moving to intercept the pods. They knew better than to fire on them but nothing said they couldn’t capture them.
He also prepared a probe with all the ship logs and combat data and fired it toward human-held territory. It would run silently until it exited the system and then begin broadcasting a coded signal for pickup.
He was dismayed at how few pods had left the ship and regretted so many young lives had been cut short.
As he saw the last pod clear the battlefield, he sat back for a moment and then triggered the charge on the main computer.
A hard pounding came from the other side of the hatchway. But there wasn’t enough power to open it. He guessed the pinging on the door was them firing their lasers and trying to blast it open.
He wondered if it would work but a huge rumble, a bright flash, interrupted, and the long career of Captain Král was finally over.
News of the Roanoke’s final battle flashed across news channels on hundreds of worlds. Her courageous and foolhardy charge at a superior force. The damage she did to the Naalx fleet before her destruction. How, of the 1859 members of the crew that went into the battle, only 108 survived.
The videos taken from both sides during the battle played over and over again.
How the Naalx picked up all the escape pods and released them on the station immediately.
And even recovered the bodies of any human they found while gathering their dead.
Naalx losses were the command ship, 2 capital ships, 9 sub-capitals destroyed, and a dozen other vessels damaged in one form or another. Naalx casualties were over 50,000 dead
Only the Naalx’s immense respect for courage, audacity, and bravery in the face of danger kept the skirmish from blowing up into a war.
The Naalx rendered full military honors as they turned the Human dead over to Lt. Commander Ricci.
The Captain Král, A Grenville-class cruiser, was launched 2 years later. Captain Nana Ricci in command.
Authors note- I hope you enjoyed this story. It's based on a historical event. Which according to an idiot on youtube is plagiarism.
If you feel like leaving a tip https://ko-fi.com/tomcarey

1. Islam is the only religion not named after a person or a tribe.
2. The literary irreproducible miracle is well supported.

Even scholars agree. That's the consensus.
Arthur John Arberry said "to produce something which might be accepted as echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I have been at pains to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms which constitute the Koran's undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces of mankind."
Karen Armstrong said "It is as though Muhammad had created an entirely new literary form that some people were not ready for but which thrilled others. Without this experience of the Koran, it is extremely unlikely that Islam would have taken root."
Oliver Leaman said "the verses of the Qur'an represent its uniqueness and beauty not to mention its novelty and originality. That is why it has succeeded in convincing so many people of its truth. it imitates nothing and no one nor can it be imitated. Its style does not pall even after long periods of study and the text does not lose its freshness over time."
E.H. Palmer said "That the best of Arab writers has never succeeded in producing anything equal in merit to the Qur’an itself is not surprising."
Also, another quote "Scholar and Professor of Islamic Studies M. A. Draz affirm how the 7th-century experts were absorbed in the discourse that left them incapacitated: “In the golden age of Arab eloquence, when language reached the apogee of purity and force, and titles of honour were bestowed with solemnity on poets and orators in annual festivals, the Qur’anic word swept away all enthusiasm for poetry or prose, and caused the Seven Golden Poems hung over the doors of the Ka’ba to be taken down. All ears lent themselves to this marvel of Arabic expression."
Also, "Professor of Qur’anic Studies Angelika Neuwrith argued that the Qur’an has never been successfully challenged by anyone, past or present: “…no one has succeeded, this is right… I really think that the Qur’an has even brought Western researchers embarrassment, who wasn’t able to clarify how suddenly in an environment where there were not any appreciable written text, appeared the Qur’an with its richness of ideas and its magnificent wordings.”
Not to mention Hussein Abdul-Raof. "Hussein Abdul-Raof continues “The Arabs, at the time, had reached their linguistic peak in terms of linguistic competence and sciences, rhetoric, oratory, and poetry. No one, however, has ever been able to provide a single chapter similar to that of the Qur’an.”"
Yes, all of them are experts in Quran and in Literature. Lots of credible scholars say that the quran is inimitable.
Laid Ibn Rabah, one of the poets of the seven odes, stopped writing poetry and converted to Islam because of it.
The Qur'an's rhyme scheme is very organized, some of the best out there. Not to mention that it came out spontaneously.
It uses ten rhetorical devices in 3 words at one point. Someone tried to use more. Even though it does, people still mocked it for how it didn't meet the challenge. He used punctuation. (https://www.reddit.com/exmuslim/comments/18o5y0w/the\_rationalizer\_had\_a\_version\_of\_the\_quran/)

1. The Qur'an predicted that the Byzantines will win the Byzantine-Sassanid war within 9 years, even though they lost the recent battle.

The Romans have been defeated in a nearby land. Yet following their defeat, they will triumph within three to nine years.

(https://quran.com/30?startingVerse=3)
Now this is massive because it is unthinkable that a defeated army would win a war.

1. The Qur'an knew that pain receptors are in the skin.

Surely those who reject Our signs, We will cast them into the Fire. Whenever their skin is burnt completely, We will replace it so they will ˹constantly˺ taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

(https://quran.com/en/an-nisa/56 )

1. The Qur'an knew about the rose nebula.

˹How horrible will it be˺ when the heavens will split apart, becoming rose-red like ˹burnt˺ oil!

(https://quran.com/en/ar-rahman/37 )

1. The Qur'an knew that wind holds the clouds up.

And it is Allah Who sends the winds, which then stir up ˹vapour, forming˺ clouds, and then We drive them to a lifeless land, giving life to the earth after its death. Similar is the Resurrection.

(https://quran.com/en/fati9 )
The USGS say, "Even though a cloud weighs tons, it doesn't fall on you because the rising air responsible for its formation keeps the cloud floating in the air. The air below the cloud is denser than the cloud, thus the cloud floats on top of the denser air nearer the land surface". (https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/condensation-and-water-cycle?qt-science\_center\_objects=0#qt-science\_center\_objects)
The 'Scientific American' says, "Upward vertical motions, or updrafts, in the atmosphere also contribute to the floating appearance of clouds by offsetting the small fall velocities of their constituent particles. Clouds generally form, survive and grow in air that is moving upward". (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-clouds-float-when/).
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum says, "There are several reasons clouds float: first, the droplets in a cloud are small. Very small..................The second reason that clouds can float in the air is that there is a constant flow of warm air rising to meet the cloud: the warm air pushes up on the cloud and keeps it afloat". (https://www.naturemuseum.org/the-museum/blog/how-do-clouds-float#).
(https://www.reddit.com/DebateReligion/comments/eg25t7/the\_quran\_is\_a\_scientific\_gem\_quran\_miraculously/ )

1. The Qur'an knew that the atlantic and pacific ocean are different colors. They don't mix.

Q55:19-20

He merges the two bodies of ˹fresh and salt˺ water, yet between them is a barrier they never cross.

( https://quran.com/55?startingVerse=19)
If that's not true, how does one explain this photo. ( https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/rivers-oceans/do-the-pacific-ocean-and-the-atlantic-ocean-mix)

1. The odd-even miracle.

Add the verse count to the chapter number, we get 57 odd and 57 even sums.
All 57 odd sums add up to 6555. Not only is that odd, that is all numbers from 1-114 added up.
All even numbers add up to 6290. That is how many verses in total there are in the Qur'an .
(https://www.reddit.com/exmuslim/comments/ds6juf/yaa\_ayyuhal\_kafiroon\_the\_quran\_is\_mathmetically/ )
Muhammad was illiterate, so how could he even remember his own numbers?
Also, a verse in the Qur'an hints at it, 89:3.

By the dawn, and the ten nights, and the even and the odd, and the night when it passes! Is all this ˹not˺ a sufficient oath for those who have sense?

( https://quran.com/89?startingVerse=1)

1. The Qur'an gets embryology right in considering that it looks like a leech at one point, looks like a lump with a bite taken out of it at another. Also in that hearing is before sight.

You can see Keith Moore, an embryologist show his work with this document. ( https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1194/79036bd3704127bbb25378174bfcd5b9f088.pdf)
Don't say "Galen" because Galen and the Qur'an contradict on embryology. Also, how did Muhammad know about Galen's work?
This paper by Nadeem Arif Najmi explains it in more detail. (https://www.call-to-monotheism.com/a\_muslim\_answer\_to\_criticism\_of\_\_embryology\_in\_the\_qur\_an\_\_\_by\_nadeem\_arif\_najmi)

1. The Qur'an knew about altitude sickness.

Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam. But whoever He wills to leave astray, He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky. This is how Allah dooms those who disbelieve.

(https://quran.com/6?startingVerse=125 )
The highest mountain is Saudi Arabia is Jabal Dakkah, at 2585 meters. (https://peakery.com/jabal-dakah-saudi-arabia/ ) Already, altitude sickness has begun at that height (https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/altitude-sickness ), but I don't think that Muhammad has even climbed that mountain.

1. The Qur'an knew that the ocean is darker as one goes in, and that there are internal waves in the ocean.

Or ˹their deeds are˺ like the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves upon waves, topped by ˹dark˺ clouds. Darkness upon darkness! If one stretches out their hand, they can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light!

(https://quran.com/24?startingVerse=40 )

1. The Qur'an knew about the water cycle.

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky—channelling it through streams in the earth—then produces with it crops of various colours, then they dry up and you see them wither, and then He reduces them to chaff? Surely in this is a reminder for people of reason.
(https://quran.com/en/az-zuma21)

We send down rain from the sky in perfect measure, causing it to soak into the earth. And We are surely able to take it away.

(https://quran.com/en/al-muminun/18 )
Infiltration and runoff mentioned.

We send fertilizing winds, and bring down rain from the sky for you to drink. It is not you who hold its reserves.

(https://quran.com/en/al-hij22 )
(https://www.thelastdialogue.org/article/water-cycle-mentioned-in-quran/#Miracle\_in\_the\_use\_of\_word\_%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%A1%D9%8B )
13/14. The Quran knew about the big bang. The Quran also knew that before the devonian age, life relied on water.

Do the disbelievers not realize that the heavens and earth were ˹once˺ one mass then We split them apart? And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
(https://quran.com/en/al-hij22 )
The second part could mean that even non-carbon life needs water.
Don't say Thales because Thales said that everything came from water, not life.
Bonus: The Sunnah knew that the Arab lands were once green.

The Last Hour will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing, so much so that a man takes Zakat out of his property and cannot find anyone to accept it from him and till the land of Arabia reverts to meadows and rivers.

(https://sunnah.com/muslim:157c )
The Sunnah not only knew that arabia is turning green at the moment, it also knew that Arabia was once green. Ta'ood doesn't mean become, but it means revert. So, it does not mean that it will mean become.
There are lots more prophecies in the Quran and Hadith that have been fulfilled. You can see the yaqeen institute's list right here. (https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/papeed/the-prophecies-of-prophet-muhammad )

The players have been made aware of this, and have agreed. This is not meant to be a discussion of railroading.
Each player, some in groups, have had, or will have a private session leading up to the official start. They all start in the same place, against their will. Each character has something unique about them, or valuable, that would be appealing to slave traders. A very popular line of work in this part of the world. With undead being pretty much eradicated, cheap labor had to come from elsewhere. The party are more special than cheap labor.
A orc who wanted to escape the violence of his people and live peacefully. The reputation of his kin follows him everywhere.
An elvish princess, a rare thing in a world where there's around 500 elves left.
A bounty hunter, apart of a very well known clan, who possesses many trade secrets and tools. Many want their revenge.
A pair of twins who stumbled upon artifacts they shouldn't have. Otherworldly powers, and an unfair debt owed.
This corner of the world attracts many tourists for the same reason LA or Vegas does. There is endless opportunity for those willing to work for it, or a life of luxury for those who can afford it. Streets are filled with gambling, and exotics imports from all over the world. Gladiator style areas however is what brings in the most. Warriors from all over to come to show off their strength, willingly or not. For slave traders, this is where the money is. A fighter who can put on a show is a very valuable thing, and why 3/5 of the characters start off as prisoners.
The orc, elf, and bounty hunter are from across the region. Kidnapped for purposes that will be revealed later to them, backstory elements coming into play that made them desirable and worth the risk. The twins are apart of the gang who takes them, but they are not involved with this part. They simple are muscle, and smuggle drugs around for the gang. Session 1 is the first time the twins meet the other side of the business, and it's not for a promotion.
The session starts with the twins arriving to the hideout. Located at an old mining operation in the middle of the desert, it has been fortified and turned into something more. The old gates reinforced to create an area, and the entrance into the mines a jail. Deeper inside has been turned into a temple of Anubis, the prominate god of the area, but not all is what it seems. The twins are brought here to witness a fight. An elf druid, one traveling with the elf princess at the time of her capture is in the area trying to talk an owlbear out of eating with with little success. He wild shapes into a small bird in an attempt to escape, only to be shot out of the sky immediately by a guard with a long rifle. His death is quick, and gruesome as the owlbear does its thing to the prone man.
Afterwards, the twins are escorted inside. Past the jail, into the deeper chambers where they meet their boss. A Dwarvish women who immediately comes across as disliking them. She wants to test the twins loyalty, and this is when the characters are all brought together. The other 3 characters are brought into the room. One by one they are shot by the boss, and brought back by a cleric of Anubis, leaving only the twins left standing. This is just a showing of how she's willing to get her hands dirty, cause the twins want something that belongs to her.
The twins last big job was a heist. They needed to retrieve a silver jewelry box, and they had one rule. Under no circumstances is that box opened. Well, it was, but not willingly. The jewelry box contained a scale of a mercury dragon - dragons are rare, god-like beings here, and a scale like this is akin to an artifact rarity magic item. This Mercury dragon just happens to be the patron of the brother now, as the scale absorbed into him, through no choice or fault of his own. The boss wanted this power to herself, and upon retrieving the box, it didn't appear to be opened. Imagine her disappointment when she found it was empty. The brother was the only one alone with the box.
The sister is presented a deal. Kill her brother, right here, right now. Prove her loyalty without question or they both die. This is the first major decision the players are able to make now. If she pulls the trigger, or not. The boss isn't stupid. The gun handed to the sister isn't loaded. It's simply a test. If both siblings are to be shot, or just the one. The ending is largely the same.
Bleeding out on the ground, the sister, and newly revived party members witness the corpse of the brother forcibly raised from the dead to answer questions. The location of the item in the box. If his sister knew he stole it. Is he still loyal. - my ruling of Speak with Dead is they don't have to answer, but if they do, the answer must not be a lie. He will be brought back, but his answers will determine later interactions. Now, the sister. Every player in the game will have moments in the spotlight. I decided to start with her, as it made most sense, and given the twins background, they will be key members to the party next chapter. She still has the empty gun. If she knows its empty or not will change a few small details. She too is a warlock, and this is the signing of her pact with the Hexblade.
Her interpretation of this place is her own to make. She awakes in a void, and although she is still herself here, she is consumed by nothingness. No pain, no sound, no feeling at all. Not even a heartbeat. Here she meets an entity. A "shadow" that mimics her every movement. It even shifts slightly, becoming a silhouette of herself. When she touches it, it is an overwhelming sense of feeling. Fireworks going off at the tip of her fingertips. The warmth of her blood becoming as hot as the sun, but somehow feels comforting compared to the nothingness shes felt for all this time. Outside seconds have past. Here, it could have been years, or seconds. Impossible to tell. But with this touch she hears a voice reach out to her. "Squeeze". She's back in the room, vision blurry as her life fades. Gun raised, aimed at her boss, who doesn't fear an empty gun. Only, it's no longer empty. This is her new pact weapon. It functions as a gun, but she can choose to shoot normal bullets or eldritch blast from it.
Their escape comes soon after. The hideout is attacked by a Sand Stalker - a purple-worm like creature. Other captives save them, and the campaigns first chapter begins here. They are in the middle of the desert, very limited supplies, uncertain where exactly they are. Few npc trying to get to the capital city to find help. The twins, bounty hunter, and other npc know that everyone who bares the mark of the clan will have bounties out on them, to be returned to their owners. The world in now open to them, as they learn how to free themselves of this debt one way or another.
The slave contract is as good as a deal with a devil. Legally binding, and magical in nature. Each master / house has its own distinct mark to show ownership. Once the debt is paid off, the mark will fade on its own. Their starting debt is 10k gp each. It is meant to be ridiculous. The bounty on a slave is always 10% of their total debt. So, 1k gp to return them if they job is put out, and it will be. If captured the reward money is added to the debt they owe, making it 11k gp now. The system is designed to be nearly impossible to be free.
In the main city there are several patrons willing to help them for one reason or another. Old contacts of the twins and bounty hunter in the party are expected to be called upon. There's multiple escapes from the city I have ready, and I am looking forward to what they come up with. I don't expect them to ever pay off their debt. The main story will later being them back here, when they're ready to take on the challenges of the city in full, and save the world. Standard stuff.
This is a new attempt at an intro. Throwing them into the fire with a clear goal. A long "cinematic" before giving them full control. They all know the stakes, and are in a position of "our chances are better together" apposed from the classic meeting in the tavern and dealing with rats.
Every character has elements from their backstory that matter here, and will drastically effect the campaign going forward. They had all known the basics of the intro, and details where they started prior to making characters. Changes were made to my plans based on their characters, incorporating them into it one way or another. There were always slavers, and they were always going to die. The twins backstories are the only ones from this region and they provided me a lot to work with, and ability to tie them into the scenario.
The boss killing and betraying the twins is a detail I think is very important. The other characters may see them as enemies, so by doing it this way they have common enemies and no secrets about it. Only the sister is not in debt, giving her a few special privilege's while in the city. All the players know each other, have played in other games together, and know what's expected. I am trying to make the party's coming together seem natural by immediately giving them a common problem and no one else to turn to. [BG3 SPOILERS] as the mindflayer parasites provided the main cast common problems, and Out of the Abyss first chapter being major influences. There are many other politics involved also, some sub plots that will come up later that tie to this, and a lot of world lore involved giving insight to why this region functions like this.

Hello everyone.
I created this topic so we could share our opinions on the biggest human threat : DUFAUX !!!
WARNING : FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ GASH BELL 1 YET, THIS TOPIC WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS !!!
As you know, Dufaux possesses an ability called “Answer Talker” that allows him to do pretty much whatever he wants…
1 During the fight against Ropes, he was shown to be able to anticipate any attack his opponents used, and on a way greater scale than Apollo. This only ability is enough to make him a very dangerous human. But this doesn’t stop here.

2 In a flashback of his childhood with the mad scientist, he is described as someone able to find the answers to “some of the greatest questions that plague mankind”, no less….

3 After the first fight against Clear, he appeared out of nowhere, read everyone’s mind and gave them advice that allowed all the nakamas to become monsters in only 10 months. Kanchome went from being one of the weakest crybaby ever to Aizen in only 3 days…

4 Before the final battle, he set up several strategies, I’m refering to Umagon and Sunbeam switching to “Plan J” after the first use of Shin Kuria, to anticipate Clear’s potential moves.

5 80 days before the final battle, he was also able to tell that Clear was “90% healed” and he added that he was worried about an hidden power Clear had. He was not able to read his power level or understand the true nature of Shin Kuria Seunousu, though…

This guy is literally a walking cheat code. And this can be a problem : he has to be nerfed in some way so the plot can progress. He revealed way too many abilities after Zeon’s defeat. Fighting full power, he now really seems almighty. And considering that, as Raiku said in a tweet in 2013, Zeon would end up getting a shin-level spell, how could anyone beat them if they joined forces again ? Could you imagine that ? Full-power Dufaux + Shin-level user adult Zeon is absolute overkill… One thing is sure : this is not going to happen anytime soon… So here are several questions :
- Where is he and how big will his part be, in Gash 2 ?
- Will he ever meet the mad scientist again ?
- Will he and Zeon ever get Baou before Gash probably gets it back ?
- Can Dufaux beat Goku ?
Personally, I believe he has a key role to play. As far as we know, Beliel’s priority is to target the humans from the top 10. Dufaux finished 12^th. Him not being one of the main targets is a HUUUUUUGE mistake… Or maybe he has already found him, after he “captured” ( or worse… ) Zeon ? Impossible for Dufaux not to know what is currently happening in the human world… He must have “sensed” something. So, where is he ?
For the mad scientist, I’m not sure he will meet him… Although I would truly like to know more about that man and the weapons he was trying to create using Dufaux abilities and the results of his studies, he doesn’t really seem central to the current plot. Considering how Dufaux hates him, I’m surprised that he didn’t use his AT to find where he lives, after he and Zeon met each other, to give him the Zigadirasu treatment… Plot convenience, I guess. Dufaux would have been so pissed that he would have unlocked Zigadirasu Shin Zakeruga right from the start of the battle…
Finally, Baou… Somewhere on the net, maybe here, maybe not, I’ve read a theory that Beliel would give BAOU to Zeon and use his anger in order to make it evil again without having to sacrifice his own life. I like that theory because it would give Zeon a chance to prove his father wrong once and for all. Also, it would be a perfect opportunity for him and Dufaux to show their growths. No more hatred, no more sad power… These two deserve a redemption arc, to be honest.
What do you guys think ?
PS : English is not my mother tongue. Don’t hesitate to tell me if something isn’t clear 😊
https://preview.redd.it/tzhtxq48no0d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=2652f00803e0404429253a72e6aae4c0a8d4cd62
https://preview.redd.it/oc7u1r48no0d1.png?width=573&format=png&auto=webp&s=af206595c587d3fba2aca033c8322d1a4546b64a
https://preview.redd.it/v9kq9t48no0d1.png?width=608&format=png&auto=webp&s=7d96b6428e79361aa8b0ded47c71aa56feb52863
Raiku's tweet about Zeon : 雷句誠 sur X : "@kota5000 ジガディラスは強い。でも、ファウード戦で出たあのウルはまだシンに負ける。そう、詳しくは言えないが、ゼオンもいつかシンに匹敵する術を身につけるのだよ。" / X (twitter.com)

Just for context, I am studying Japanese. That's one of the lesser supported languages on Duolingo. My wife for instance is using it for Spanish, and she talks to the app. Japanese doesn't do that. Additionally Japanese has a different alphabet and the Kanji system. Which leads me to my first criticism.
I will often get at the start of lessons, quizzes that want me to match the Japanese alphabet to the sounds, without telling the definition. WIthholding the definition of a word seems bizarre. I can match the words to the Kanji AND still try to learn the word. These exercises become overall meaningless. I've reported this to Duolingo many times, but they don't change it.
For me, I'm not retaining a lot. I studied in school and now I'm trying again and at first I liked it because it helped me remember what I had learned. But now I'm finding very low retention. Unless you hyper focus, which is a chore with an app that is basically bugging you, it's hard to learn with this app. Instead all the gimmicks that they advertise are actually detriments. Because there 'game like' quizzing, there are alternative ways to get the right answer. So stuff doesn't stick for me.
For a while I tried to just push, keep going, it'll all click into place. That's unfortunately not true for me. So I find myself in chapters with very little knowledge of the vocabulary. I try to go to the 'learn words' section of the app, but it will only give me the words for the furthest lesson I've completed, which is words like prefecture and emperor. I would much prefer to be able to learn different words that might be more useful. Seems silly to drill prefecture when I don't know the word for 'emergency' or 'ambulance'.
A 1,200 day streak, a streak btw that I don't do the minimum on, I also have every monthly badge since they started those. But at the end of the day I don't really feel like I've learned much at all.
Cool art style. I like the characters :)

Its been a battle. Over the last 2 to 3 years, I have incrementally had issues with creeping weight gain, hair thinning, chronic fatigue, and most recently an enlarged liver seen on a MRI and elevated liver enzymes on labs. This is all despite working out five days a week, doing intense weight training and cardio. I feel like I’ve been overlooked because I’m not hypertensive, my A1c is considered normal and have no diagnosed chronic illness. However, my A1C has creeped up over the last two years and now I’m at the cusp right before prediabetic at 5.7.
No matter what I told my doctors at the VA I have been dismissed, pushed around and disregarded to the point where I started going outside and paying Specialist to evaluate me.
Well, yesterday I went to an endocrinologist and finally some answers! He told me that everything that I have been experiencing to include the adult acne, hair thinning, chronic fatigue, and the NAFLD are all related to insulin resistance. He prescribed Wegovy and gave me a six week sample of Ozempic. He was able to put in a pre-authorization for my insurance and they approved it almost immediately. The prescription will still be $200 but it sure beats $1200.
I’ve been rejoicing and grateful for the revelation, but still sad and hurt by how all these indicators didn’t allow me to arrive to a resolution without being pushy, and feeling like a hyperchondriac. I’ve been let down by the healthcare system, just because I appear relatively young and healthy, despite me complaining about sometimes debilitating fatigue and fighting so hard every day to maintain a fit lifestyle. It sucks, but yesterday was reassuring and I feel grateful so hopefully no chronic issues develop into the future.

So I'd avoided creating an NYT account for forever because (like others) I'd had issues with it occasionally doing weird things with stats, and this way I could fix it by tweaking the local storage on my device. Sadly they now force you to use an account to see your stats (not, it turns out, to store them) - and doubly sadly my phone had a freak out when I finished a puzzle with no connection, and reset my streak. So I decided to play around to see if I could restore it.
TLDR: When you load Wordle it stores your stats in a key in your browser's local storage (and the game state in another). If you edit these and edit the timestamp in the key to be the current time (or maybe just any time that is newer than the server version, not sure), when you refresh it will update the server copy to match these rather than the other way around. If you don't edit the timestamp, it will overwrite the local copy with the server version instead.
Caveat: this is based on some pretty patchy testing so it's possible not all of the statements will hold up, but hopefully it's helpful anyway if others are tearing their hair out about losing their streak or stats because of an NYT glitch!

Wordle's local storage keys

If you view the local storage when you've got Wordle open on a desktop, you'll see a bunch of keys (press F12 in Chrome/Chromium-based browser (eg Edge) or Firefox, then click Application (Chrome) or Storage (Firefox) and choose local storage). Relevantly we are looking for these two keys:

• wordle-legacy-stats-xxxxxxx
• games-state-wordleV2/xxxxxxx

xxxxxxx is a string of numbers that I guess corresponds to a user ID. If you've played without an account, that'll be ANON instead. If you've signed in with multiple accounts, you'll probably have a few of these with different ID numbers, so you'll need to work out which one corresponds to the account you want to fix.
wordle-legacy-stats, as its name suggests, stores your stats. games-state-wordleV2 saves the current game state (eg what guess you're up to and what words you've guessed so far). The set of stats are also embedded within the games-state-wordleV2 key, but as far as I can tell you can ignore that and it'll update itself to reflect whatever's in the wordle-legacy-stats one.

Updating stats

wordle-legacy-stats will look something like this:

{{"gamesPlayed":100,"gamesWon":100,"guesses":{"1":10,"2":20,"3":20,"4":20,"5":20,"6":10,"fail":0},"currentStreak":100,"maxStreak":100,"lastWonDayOffset":1061,"hasPlayed":true,"autoOptInTimestamp":1234567890123,"hasMadeStatsChoice":true,"timestamp":1234567890} 

Mostly this is self-explanatory. Note, however, lastWonDayOffset, being the Wordle # that you last beat, and timestamp, which is (I think) the time the stats were last updated. This is in Unix time - you can convert to a human-readable time using various sites like Epoch Converter - Unix Timestamp Converter.
I first tried just updating the stats, and refreshing. This didn't work as Wordle kept overwriting it with the values from the server. However, once I updated the timestamp value to the current time (ie so it was newer than the stats stored on the server), this seemed to work - on refreshing the page, it updated the stats in my account.
I haven't worked out what autoOptInTimestamp is (save that it seems to be in milliseconds rather than seconds), but I left it as it was and everything still seemed to work.

Updating game state

games-state-wordleV2 will look something like this:

{"states":[{"puzzleId":"2223","data":{"boardState":["word1","word2","word3","word4","word5",""],"currentRowIndex":5,"status":"WIN","hardMode":false,"isPlayingArchive":false,"setLegacyStats":{"gamesPlayed":100,"gamesWon":100,"guesses":{"1":10,"2":20,"3":20,"4":20,"5":20,"6":10,"fail":0},"currentStreak":100,"maxStreak":100,"lastWonDayOffset":1061,"hasPlayed":true,"autoOptInTimestamp":1234567890123,"hasMadeStatsChoice":true,"timestamp":1234567890}},"schemaVersion":"0.16.0","timestamp":1234567890}]} 

Again hopefully it's mostly self-explanatory :

• boardstate lets you set the words you've guessed so far, and row you're up to. This can be useful if you want to (let's be honest, cheat) and undo a guess.
• status can be WIN or IN_PROGRESS.
• You don't need to worry about puzzleID, but it seems to be the way NYT has randomised the order. For example it was 2223 for Wordle #1061, and before NYT moved to a human-edited version of Wordle, the answer to Wordle #2222 would have been PINCH- which was the answer to this puzzle - so that kind of makes sense.
• setlegacystats is followed by a complete replication of the data in the wordle-legacy-stats key. From my (really not very) extensive testing, we can ignore this as it updates to match whatever's in wordle-legacy-stats.
• As above, timestamp (the second one) needs to be updated if you want to change this and have it update whatever's saved to your account, rather than theother way around.

These are my extra circulars I have accumulated as a freshman, are they any good? ofc some of them are good but as a list, do they display a common theme? Are they believable? Do I have have to many positions doing the same activities? Any feedback is great.
Blog Contributor
retrieved neurophysiological and related information; published a meta-analysis paper evaluating popular study techniques, for a meta-cognitive/life O.S app, facilitating student retention and cognitive load tolerance by 75%.

2

Club Membecommunity leader
participated in a metacognitive/skills program for 1.3yrs, collaborated with more than 10 grad level/professional level students and helped facilitate their learning of course specific material. Created numerous 1 on 1 accountability groups within the larger club and facilitated more to connect like minded, passionate people with each other.

3

mentee Participated as a mentee for 2yr, in a program, accepting 2.9% of students that facilitated, metacognitive skills, networking, entrepreneurship, etc.

4

respite caregiver 24hr home care worked under the California Regional Center for 1.6yrs, obtained a first aid license in order to care for, elderly, adolescent, and mentally challenged patients.

5

mentor
participated in a metacognitive focused group focused, on sustainability, achievement, research, and finding passion and purpose in academia; became a mentor closely collaborating with department leaders for education plans, event planning, and tutoring, lead workshops, Office hours, and "focus sessions" a live class were we teach attention, consistency, and other things to increase mental clarity (volunteer).

6

FoundeLead learning coach
started a mentorship company; with 12+ Mentors teaching annual cohorts of 30+ kids from High Schools internationally about academic opportunities, techniques for sustainability and life long learning skills; spoke at high schools in low income neighborhoods, about academic success, career readiness, and tutoring opportunities; formed various collaborative agreements with other international non profits and startups to increase our global impact for addressing inefficiencies in education and healthcare institution's worldwide; lead small groups of 2-10 researchers in writing, psychology, neuroscience, neurobiology, and cognitive science related review and meta-analysis papers

7

Co-FoundeTeam Manager
published 25+ articles; tutored 10+ students and contributed to 12+ research publications(non-scholarly); founded my own official chapter responsible for psychoneuroimmunology research and meta analysis papers; volunteered 250+ clinical hours; spoke at a MUN an international conference running for 3+ months discussing strategies to abolish inefficiencies in the healthcare system in low income and traditional underrepresented areas.

8

EMT N/A trained and worked as a emergency medical technician, and completed 200+ clinical hours.

9

content creator youtube/instagram/twitter(X) And outreach initiative to help give educational value and incentives to a wider audience; these channels were created to compliment my business with our goals to provide free information; over 300k followers over all platforms

10

Committee lead/Product manager
Became Head of the neuroscience committee, where I was responsible for organization fundraisers, managing social medias, organizing research groups and peer reviewing others; this entailed me overseeing 2k+ students globally and facilitating all their research related ventures, directly and indirectly
DISCLAIMER: This is a prospective list e.c's 9 and 10 are still in progress, everything else is good though.
Idc about what school, but if you have any advice to tailor my e.c's to T10 or vandy/umich, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Just wanted to share how I managed to fix Halo Infinite freezing up and resulting in a crash every ~7th game on Windows 10, in hopes it helps someone fix those annoying crashes as well

Crash reason: Read access violation

I scoured the interwebs and found out how to determine why my game crashed. This post helped me find out the reason I crashed so often, which was the same as u/AetopiaMC 's one.
Make sure you verify that's the reason for your crashes as well in %TEMP%\crash_report\crash_info.txt before trying to fix it with the approach described below

halt: ### Read access violation

Trying to fix this Read access violation

Next my quest lead me to how to fix the issue. Found another post from the same user that described how to fix the same issue.
It involves modifying the type of memory structure used by the game by adapting the game's exe application manifest. However, due to recent addition of Easy AntiCheat the game won't even start if you modify the game's executable file.

Modifying the game's memory structure using an alternative method

As I was already deep into the rabbit hole, I tried to find an alternative way to change the game's memory structure. Luckily, I found an online PDF on how to achieve this exactly.
It adds a windows registry entry, which will tell the system to use a different memory layout for Halo's game executable. 10+ games later I didn't crash a single time, this fix seems to have worked.

The fix itself

Put the following code into a file, and save it with the reg extension, e.g. put it into a file named halo_infinite_crash_fix.reg. Make sure there's an empty line at the end of the file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\HaloInfinite.exe] "MitigationOptions"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00 "FrontEndHeapDebugOptions"=dword:00000004 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\HaloInfinite.exe\PerfOptions] "CpuPriorityClass"=dword:00000003 

Once you save that text into the file, double click on it to apply these changes to your system. You might need to run it as administrator if you aren't already.
This registry entry above will also start Halo Infinite with a high priority CPU allocation, which means it will help against dips in performance.
The mitigation options defined above don't do anything with this zero value, I just added them as a reminder in case I needed additional tweaks to the runtime environment of the executable in future.

Additional performance improvement recommendations

• disable "limit inactive frame rate" which I guess may have caused one other type of crash I encountered related to GPU Hang
• further, set the "Minumum Framerate" and "Maximum Framerate" for a more consistent experience, as mentioned by the in-game tooltip

Visual representation of potential data schemes
Hi all, I am a laboratory manager working on creating a Power App to track chemical inventory for the R&D group of a start-up company. Cash flow is an issue for us, so I'm limited to the tools available through Microsoft365 or free software.
I'm new to Power Apps and have played around enough to think it will probably do everything I need it to, and I can find answers to individual technical questions online. I'm struggling, though, to figure out the best way to organize and store my backend data. From what I can tell so far, SharePoint lists are better than Excel files for this purpose when using Power Apps as a frontend. My company does not pay for Dataverse or SQL licenses.
I will be the primary user of the app and curator of the underlying data, but it is likely other laboratory employees will also use it to find items and log them as they arrive or are consumed. The data I would like the user to be able to see and edit are:
Chemical name Chemical formula CAS# Container size Size units University barcode Company barcode Manufacturer UPC Number in stock Site Room Shelf/Location
These data can be generally organized into the chemical, product, and container categories:
Each chemical has a name, formula, and CAS#. These data go together and never change.
Each product contains a given chemical (with associated formula and CAS#) and has a manufacturer, UPC, size, and unit. These data go together and change slowly or not at all. Ideally I would like to be able to use a barcode reader to scan a product's UPC to retrieve its manufacturer, chemical contents, and size/unit data. A given manufacturer may produce different products that contain different amounts of the same chemical, and of course will produce many products containing different chemicals. We may have multiple containers of the same product on hand at any given time.
Each container represents a product and contains a chemical. Containers seem like the most logical basic unit of tracking for this system. Each container may or may not have either a university barcode (our R&D facilities are leased from a university and their EHS department applies individual barcodes to each chemical container that arrives on campus) or a company barcode (we have another facility away from the university and the capability to generate our own barcodes for individual chemical containers). Ideally I would like to use these barcodes to associate each individual chemical container with its location (site, room, and shelf).
The total number of chemical containers on hand now is around 300 and will likely grow to 450-600 in the coming year. Turnover is also around 300-500 containers per year.
My first pass at creating an inventory app involved loading all of these data into a single SharePoint list. I understand this to be a suboptimal data structure (the list contains redundant information and lots of null fields). But I don't have the experience to weigh how much of an issue this actually presents for my use case. In this most naive structure, I would simply add and remove records as containers arrived and were consumed. Inventory on hand would be tracked by tallying containers of the same product. This might actually fulfill most of our needs as far as knowing what we have on hand and what we need to order more of. It would not, however, give us any information on usage rates (not really information we need for now, but obviously useful in some contexts) or maintain a record of used containers. Again, that's not a function I'm sure we need, but I can imagine it being useful to answer to university EHS that a particular container was used and disposed of if their records and ours are inconsistent.
The second approach I've considered is a star schema in which chemicals (with associated formulae and CAS numbers), products (with associated UPCs, manufacturers, and sizes) and locations (sites, rooms, and shelves) are stored in dimension tables (SharePoint lists) and a fact table (another list with foreign keys referencing the ID fields in dimension tables) is used to log the receipt and disposal (and potentially location transfer) events of individual chemical containers. Inventory would be tracked either by summing receipt and disposal events or maintaining a count variable for each product. With turnover of say 500 containers per year this table would grow by a minimum of 1,000 records per year. This would put the fact table at 5,000 records in 3-5 years and then necessitate managing the view limit in SharePoint. I understand this is doable but don't really have a sense for the practical implications.
The third approach would be to use dimension tables for chemicals, products, and locations as above, but instead of using a fact table to log events, simply use an inventory table to store a record of each container received, with a status column that could be changed from 'in stock' to 'disposed of' at the appropriate time. This is another probably naive approach that would, as I see it, cut the number of records in the central table by at least half, since only one record is required per container instead of a 'received' record and a 'disposed of' record. But I don't know enough about data management theory/practice to know what problems this might create.
I would love to hear any guidance you may have about these data schema or any alternatives you might suggest. I would like this system to be as robust and flexible as possible within the limitations of my data storage options and abilities, but I also have a tendency to overthink things and not enough experience to tell when I've moved from "sensible and good enough" to "dramatically overengineered." So, with the context that this system will likely handle between 500 and 1200 records per year, involves 13-15 total columns/attributes, and is not (as of now) part of any larger BI or analytics initiative, should I put significant effort into organizing a solid foundational data scheme, or just use a single wide table to get a "good-enough" picture of inventory on hand?
Thanks in advance!

On steam there are no less than 5 different trackmainias and Idk which one lets you play maps like deep dip2. I assume it is trackmania 1, which is "free" but I seem to need a yearly subscription which i don't want if its not going to give me access to maps like deep dip. If it's not the free version, is it "trackmainia nations forever"?
I have googled and googled but I guess I am just that ignorant that google has never had to answer such a stupid question before.
And yes I want to play other maps than Deep Dip because I doubt I'll get further than jump 4. It is just that I know it's the version I want to play. Also I have to say trackmania has hands down the worst and most confusing menu system I have ever seen lol.

Two years ago, Corey Vash got abducted by aliens, and a few months after that, he saved the universe -even if it was mostly on accident. Thanks to the skills of his new bounty hunter friends and no small amount of luck, Corey Vash saved the day, but hero status isn’t all its cracked up to be. The parades and the free drinks are over, leaving the bounty hunters with nothing but the expectations of a frightened universe and the overbearing attention of governments who want picture perfect heroes the only mostly sober crew aren’t cut out to be. With the shadow of another invasion still looming, a murderous new threat starts to stalk their every move, forcing Corey and the crew of the Wild Card Wanderer to move past the mess of bullets, booze, and blind luck that’s kept them alive and become actual heroes -even if they aren’t very good at it.
[First Book][Previous Chapter][Cover Art][Patreon]
Though Kamak did not accept the “job” to attend the new military installation’s unveiling, he still kept an eye on it. The Wild Card Wanderer had taken to the stars, orbiting Centerpoint at a distance, to watch the installation far away from any pomp and ceremony. The massive gun battery drifted into place and was joined to the rest of Centerpoint’s honeycombed platforms, fusing the weapons to the neighboring residential and business districts. The platform full of short-range cluster armaments was an effective deterrent to any Horuk attacks, and a blighted eyesore on the otherwise sleek, modern space station.
Kamak scowled. Centerpoint had been designed as the shining beacon for universal society, the best of everything cooperation could accomplish. Now they’d strapped a gun to it. There had always been outlying defensive stations and security fleets, but seeing a cluster of guns the size of a small city right next to the arts district felt different. It felt wrong.
“I don’t like any of this,” Kamak said. “Smells like they’re up to something.”
Kamak had, naturally, gotten his crew up to speed on everything Ghost had said, to predictably mixed reactions.
“Luckily for us, I think their intent is fairly transparent,” Farsus said. “They see more value in us as propaganda than as bounty hunters.”
“It’s never that simple,” Corey sighed.
“No offense, Corvash, but you’re a little paranoid to begin with,” Tooley said. “And the whole Morrakesh thing probably didn’t help.”
Corey owned a laser sword now, and he still carried a knife in his boot everywhere he went. He’d also insisted on installing an upgraded security system in the Wild Card Wanderer, and, thanks to the fact that Tooley now slept next to him regularly, she knew he was an incredibly light sleeper, frequently waking with a start at even the smallest noise.
“How is some secret Ghost assassin guy showing up to threaten us not something to be worried about?”
“I just think Farsus has a point,” Tooley said. “Now that we’re bigshot heroes they want us retired so we can’t fuck up and get ourselves killed or embarrass ourselves.”
“I’d think you’d be more offended by that,” Corey said.
“I am very offended, but they’re also giving me lots of money,” Tooley said. As boring as the rich people gigs were, they paid well. “It’s creating some very conflicting emotions.”
Tooley had an ego the size of a galaxy, but a love of money that was just as big if not bigger. She had already paid off the sizable cost of the Wild Card Wanderer, and was stocking up savings for the future, and maybe even a new, better ship.
“God, I know,” Kamak said. The money was making it very hard to be as mad as he wanted to be. Having been on the bad side of a conspiracy to make the entire universe hate him, he found it hard to be mad about a conspiracy to keep him famous and successful. “I’d almost rather they were being assholes about it. It’d make it a lot easier to be mad.”
“We keep being stubborn about it, we’ll probably get them there,” Corey said.
“Well I’m real good at being stubborn,” Kamak said. “So I guess we’ll find out.”
“Do we have to?”
All eyes went to Doprel. His massive frame looked hollow and deflated.
“What’s the point?” Doprel asked. “What’s the endgame? Where’s our win condition? Even as a matter of pride, like, to prove we’re not fuckups, isn’t saving the universe enough for that?”
Kamak nodded. That was a pretty big boost to the ego.
“Maybe it is a good idea for us to quit while we’re ahead,” Doprel said. “Even just logistically speaking, it’s going to be fucking hard to top stopping the Invasion, guys.”
“Yeah, well, that’s an easier choice for you guys to make than me,” Kamak said. “Rest of you fuckers are going to be dead in a few decades. I still got the better part of three centuries in me, at least.”
Kamak leaned back in his seat and watched the guns on Centerpoint spring to life, scanning the stars for any sign of an incoming threat. For a moment, one of the colossal guns turned their direction, and Kamak stared right down the barrel. Corey watched the guns turn as they all drifted through empty space.
“Do you guys want to take a vacation?”
“Vacation? Now?”
“Yeah,” Corey said. “We haven’t really taken a breather since we stopped the Invasion. I think maybe we all need to take some time to relax and unpack.”
“I don’t know. Feels like we’d be giving these assholes a taste of what they want.”
“Let them think that,” Corey said. “Let’s take a break. Not think about work for a while, and see how we feel about retiring or not retiring in a week or two.”
“You want to take some time off, I won’t stop you,” Kamak said. “Take your vacation, if you want.”
“If he’s going, I’m going,” Tooley said.
“Ah, of course you are,” Kamak said. “I try to forget you two are shacked up.”
“You can always pay for shuttles,” Tooley said. “I’m not the only pilot in the universe. Even if I am the best.”
“Not ditching me that easily,” Kamak said. “Fine. You kids pick somewhere to go and take your fucking vacation. I’ll get dragged along.”

Hey all. I hope everyone is safe and sound with their loved ones in this crazy world.
I've been lurking the subreddit for a time now and all i see is repetetive complaints about the game. Couple memes here and there, maybe a cool or mediocre play that made the playing guy excited but other than that it was all "cheaters ohoooo, matchmaking ohoooo, lon ammo is op ohhooo, shotguns are unjust" etc. It was last couple days that people making noises for the good of this game. So i thought i might share my hunt experience with all good and bads.
Well, i'm not saying this game is not making me rage time to time. 3 minutes loading + 5 mins of running just for getting a weird headshot is always frustrating and i think we all understand this or maybe spiraling a compound and getting pumped easy from a nonsense corner does the same, i think we are all in the same ship on this one. Lastly i know that while you're trying to take maybe 1 kill and extract in a 4* just to realise there were 2 teams full of 5-6* ~5k hours sweaty players, when u get a sparks pistol headshot from 130 mt is giving you existential crisis.
Here is my sanity checks about this topics
1- There is a reason ammo types are separated to types.
°Compact ammo is low damage but generally faster than any other types. Means if both parties shoot non stop with optimal aim, compact ammo would win a tight fight. Also you can spam it, means you have much more scans than a long ammo. °Shotgun ammo. Well, if you hear a shotgun and came close to it ~15 mt, with equally talented aims, you're gonna die, i'm sorry but that's how shotguns work (even in irl) °Long ammo looks the most advantageous but except mako and krag, they are fricking slow and their ammo is scarce. If you hear a mosin and if you try to bite each other from 80 mt, man... Its not the long ammo, close the fricking distance.
EVERY AMMO TYPE HAS A PLAY AGAINST IT.
2- Hunt mmr is like chess.
You killed a cowboy better than you? voilà! you get more points. You get killed by a cowboy worse than you? ehh, kudos to the underdog they landed a good shot and took a good bit of your mmr. Most of the time i'm very happy if i'm playing against better players. It forces me to learn angles, make rotations or use a strategic way to approach rather then brute aiming.
3- They are problably not cheating.
Sometimes you just land an insane shot, don't you? i meant the ones that make you go "oooiiii" in such a tight angle or vision. Are you trying to shoot from same angle 2 time with exact body movement? or are you sure that no body heard/saw you while rotating? hmm maybe we couldn't form a consensus of snipers are snipers for a reason and that's the scope advantage. Some folks watching you running 4k with an aim on your head. i played this game for 600 hours now, never seen one.
Idk if you realise but, hunt is problably the most unique fps game out there. The world design, bosses, gameplay loop, guns, atmosphere, sound desing, gunfights, even the ammo system you are complaining about... Do we have anything like this in fps genre? Every major fps game has its own clone but not hunt and that's for a reason.
I guess most of the complaints are coming from people that wants to warp reality's terms rather than copping with it. it's rather a fundamental approach problem than the game's lack of something and it's not a stance of 'git gud'. It's a way of saying "Stop complaining we are in a fight, do your job with what you have"
Also... HUNT IS A ROGULIKE GAME until you reach a point that you feel very comfortable about swinging your gun. So get used to die in most absurd ways you could imagine. Re roll a hunter, get some perks and try to beat the dungeon again.
TLDR: Hunt is one of a kind. It's an incredible game if you come to accept it's own reality. Everything has an answer against it. Change the way you approach things, not just hunt. You can't bite while you are talking and you should take a huge chunk out of enemies, so it's better for you to stop complaining and think 'hmm what can i do to this problem'. They are problably not cheating and hunt is a rogue like until you have the self esteem of a cowboy.
See you in the fields bois and gurls. Don't forget the check your angles, people be sitting at weird places out of stress i guess.

Thought this might be a fun story for those who had bad teachers as a young one.
So, I guess for one I am a Canadian in Ontario and we have elementary school from kindergarten to grade five (ages 5-10, essentially. I am born in September the starting month of school so it’s much easier to remember). I am currently a 35F but this discussion came up over Mother’s Day.
I was always bullied in Middle School and High School but my only bully in elementary was my God damn teacher. I won’t say her name and I am not even sure if she still lives. We will call her Mrs.R. So! I was and still am always a Tom Boy and I’ve always talked with my hands (probably from both biological parents, dad being French Canadian and mom being born of an English immigrant father).
This woman used the fact I would “fight” with boys as a way to try and suspend me or give me detention. We were wrestling, completely mutual and they were never the ones to get in trouble, just me.
Next, the way she taught long division was impossible for me to understand. The year prior I was taught the exact same thing but in a very simplistic manner, she added zeros where it confused me. Finally, after almost a year of failing math tests and with help from not only my own parents but my best friends (who also had to deal with her), I just said “fuck it” and did the math the way I understood. I nailed the test. She accuses me of cheating and called in my mom. My mom fought and won once she made Mrs.R give me a problem to solve on the spot, and I did, in my own way.
Number three! And honestly the most traumatic to me, was when she had asked me a question and I answered with my hands and arms giving emphasis, as I still do today. She took this moment to stand in front of THE ENTIRE CLASSROOM and blatantly mock me. Saying “Oh! Look at me! I’m Valkyrie and this is how I talk!” Literally prancing around the black board. I remember the one closet friend who sat beside me (and was one who I apparently “attacked”) rubbing my back as I cried in silence.
So, because of number three I came home very upset and mom noticed it. I tried to lie but that woman has inhuman abilities. I told the truth. Now, my mother is ride or die for me, I am an only child and, in her words, she can “go from mother hen to mother bear in a nonosecond”. And so fucking true over the years. Next thing I know, I’m in that classroom with her, Mrs.R and my stepfather (who is a big dude but doesn’t DARE step between my mother and me) and my mother is LOOSING it on her, hands flailing far more than mine were. She was temporarily suspended once my mom escalated it to the principal.
Soooooo, here is where the Karma comes into play. My mom was also one of those moms whom always volunteered for class trips as a “guide” and she was damn well good at it, all my peers loved her. Well, we went to the R.O.M (Royal Ontario Museum) and this bitch, Mrs.R, clearly shoves a child’s head into the stucco walls of a fake bat cave (with loud automatic sounds of bats flying around) because this kid was clearly scared and screaming. My mom witnessed it. This kid wasn’t even from our school. Two weeks or so pass and my mom gets a phone call… from Mrs.R. She is being sued. Asks my mom TO FUCKING DEFEND HER. My laughed at her, hung up, got the necessary info and did the exact opposite… she left on “retirement” not too long after.
My mom, to this day, thinks she was going through hard menopause but at the same time does not excuse the behaviour. She said on this Mothers Day “Bitch needed some extra estrogen in her system”. And always thinks she should have quit before all of this came about.
Anywho! That’s my story, let me know if you want to her about my Ma knocking out my first boyfriend with one (well deserved) shot to the face.

Hi, I (F24) am Italian and I have never lived anywhere else. Soon, I'll be taking a course that will enable me to teach English as a second language (CELTA). My plan is to teach here for a bit and then to move abroad. For now, I believe it's best for me to stay in Europe, specifically within the European Union, just because it's easier bureaucracy.
You might think I'm a little too much of an idealist. I understand that we don't live in a perfect world right now—probably never have, and I have to be realistic (trust me, I know. As I said, I'm Italian). However, I would like to evaluate my best options for a decent life.
With this in mind, my question is: What city in the EU do you believe comes closest to meeting the following criteria?

1. Fully navigable by public transport day and night without necessarily relying on cars.
   
2. Government is not part of the growing far-right movement and doesn't seem to be heading in that direction in the future.
   
3. (If you are familiar with the subject of course) English as a second language teachers with a CELTA certification are well-paid in the great scheme of things — I don't expect millions.
   
4. Good healthcare system (preferably public).
   
5. Close to the sea/ocean.
   
6. There is a good number of young people (local and not) and places/activities for us.
   

The city doesn't have to be perfect at every requirement and doesn't even have to have them all. I'm asking what you think comes closest and why :)
P.S. Considering that I'll start working in Italy first, if you have an answer to the same question (apart from government and healthcare) but regarding Italian cities, I'm all ears.
Thank you!