Today's tale takes place in a Quik Trip gas station. For those who aren't in the region, QT is a phenomenal Midwest gas station chain that has a kitchen where you can get hot made-to-order sandwiches, pretzels, personal pizzas, as well as ice creams, shakes, and coffee drinks.
It was around 7-8pm on summer weeknight a couple years ago. QT is busy like it always is during normal waking hours. I order my dinner at the kitchen kiosk, collect the rest of my purchase, check out, and return to the semi-queue by the kitchen pickup counter where 5 or 6 other people are waiting for their orders. There's only one young lady making kitchen orders, this girl was probably 18-19, and she was BUSTING HER ASS. She's getting orders out, her hands are like lightning as she builds pizzas and sammies, never moving slower than a jog.
Then the front door slams open, and here comes the Boomer.
"Fine!" He yells. "Go order your ice cream!"
"Thanks, grandpa!" The teenage girl with him runs to the order kiosk.
Boomer is literally only wearing a pair of jeans. No shirt, no shoes, not even socks, just a pair of jeans and his bare grubby toes. He gets a case of beer from the cooler, meets teenage girl at checkout, and immediately marches over to the kitchen pickup counter. It has been less than 45 seconds since he entered the store, and he is already out of patience.
"Hey!" He yells at the girl who's working, slamming his hand on the counter. "How long does it take to make a fucking ice cream cone??"
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" The girl replies. She looks to her order screen in a panic, she thinks she missed an order. She hesitates, frowns.
(I'm a waitress, I had been paying attention, and I knew this girl was about to have to politely and sweetly explain that it would be a few minutes and then stand there and smile while he kept yelling at her, so I decided to speak up.)
"Hey pal," I interject. "Everyone here is in front of you in line, we've all been waiting since before you got here."
Boomer turns around looking like he's about to hit me. He sizes me up, puffs out his chest, his hands ball into fists, and for a moment I wonder if this man is crazy enough to punch a woman that's a head taller than him in front of a dozen witnesses.
Thankfully we didn't have to find out because the men that were in line with me just started roasting this guy.
"You're not even wearing a shirt! Disrespectful." One guy says.
"He's not wearing shoes either." Another points out, wrinkling his nose.
"Can't read, bro? Didn't see the sign that says "no shirt, no shoes, no service"?"
"That girl must be so embarrassed, do you think he always acts like this?"
"That generation, man, just disgraceful."
Boomer turns bright red and backs up, the comments quiet as we go back to playing on our phones, and this man starts whimpering. His eyes are all big and shiny, lower lip trembling, mouth gaping open like a fish every time he takes a breath.
"My shoes are in the truck." "Didn't think it'd be a big deal." "Can't believe this." "Have to wait for ice cream."
The teenager with him is nervously looking around at us while she whispers "I know grandpa." "No I'm not embarrassed." "I know."
Finally the girl he yelled at took pity on him and made the ice cream cone so he could do his shirtless shoeless walk of shame as we all "tsk'd" and "hmm'd" and gave him judgy looks.

I have been at this project for days now. I had removed it three times and restarted from scratch. I tested flask after modifying each area. I was doing well until the "index" code. Once I did that, my webpage no longer will open. I've checked with ChatGPT and it's saying my code looks fine. Please help! I'll attach what I've done so far in app.py and my index.html.

import os from cs50 import SQL from flask import Flask, flash, redirect, render_template, request, session from flask_session import Session from werkzeug.security import check_password_hash, generate_password_hash from helpers import apology, login_required, lookup, usd # Configure application app = Flask(__name__) # Custom filter app.jinja_env.filters["usd"] = usd # Configure session to use filesystem (instead of signed cookies) app.config["SESSION_PERMANENT"] = False app.config["SESSION_TYPE"] = "filesystem" Session(app) # Configure CS50 Library to use SQLite database db = SQL("sqlite:///finance.db") @app.after_request def after_request(response): """Ensure responses aren't cached""" response.headers["Cache-Control"] = "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate" response.headers["Expires"] = 0 response.headers["Pragma"] = "no-cache" return response @app.route("/") @login_required def index(): """Show portfolio of stocks""" # Get user's stocks and shares stocks = db.execute("SELECT symbol, SUM(shares) as total_shares FROM transactions WHERE user_id = :user_id GROUP BY symbol HAVING total_shares > 0", user_id=session["user_id"]) # Get user's cash balance cash = db.execute("SELECT cash FROM users WHERE id = :user_id", user_id=session["user_id"])[0]["cash"] #Initialize variables for total values total_value = cash grand_total = cash # Iterate over stocks and add price and total values for stock in stocks: quote = lookup(stock["symbol"]) stock["name"] = quote["name"] stock["price"] = quote["price"] stock["value"] = stock["price"] * stock["total_shares"] total_value += stock["value"] grand_total += stock["value"] return render_template("index.html", stocks=stocks, cash=cash, total_value=total_value, grand_total=grand_total) @app.route("/buy", methods=["GET", "POST"]) @login_required def buy(): """Buy shares of stock""" if request.method == "POST": symbol = request.form.get("symbol").upper() shares = request.form.get("shares") # Check if symbol is provided if not symbol: return apology("must provide symbol") # Check if shares is provided and is a positive integer elif not shares or not shares.isdigit() or int(shares) <= 0: return apology("must provide a positive integer number of shares") # Lookup the symbol to get the current price quote = lookup(symbol) if quote is None: return apology("symbol not found") price = quote["price"] total_cost = int(shares) * price cash = db.execute("SELECT cash FROM users WHERE id = :user_id", user_id=session["user_id"])[0]["cash"] if cash < total_cost: return apology("not enough cash") # Update user's cash balance db.execute("UPDATE users SET cash = cash - :total_cost WHERE id = :user_id", total_cost=total_cost, user_id=session["user_id"]) # Add the purchase to the transactions table db.execute("INSERT INTO transactions (user_id, symbol, shares, price) VALUES (:user_id, :symbol, :shares, :price)", user_id=session["user_id"], symbol=symbol, shares=shares, price=price) flash(f"Bought {shares} shares of {symbol} for {usd(total_cost)}!") # Pass total_cost to the template return render_template("buy.html", total_cost=total_cost) else: return render_template("buy.html") @app.route("/history") @login_required def history(): """Show history of transactions""" return apology("TODO") @app.route("/login", methods=["GET", "POST"]) def login(): """Log user in""" # Forget any user_id session.clear() # User reached route via POST (as by submitting a form via POST) if request.method == "POST": # Ensure username was submitted if not request.form.get("username"): return apology("must provide username", 403) # Ensure password was submitted elif not request.form.get("password"): return apology("must provide password", 403) # Query database for username rows = db.execute( "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?", request.form.get("username") ) # Ensure username exists and password is correct if len(rows) != 1 or not check_password_hash( rows[0]["hash"], request.form.get("password") ): return apology("invalid username and/or password", 403) # Remember which user has logged in session["user_id"] = rows[0]["id"] # Redirect user to home page return redirect("/") # User reached route via GET (as by clicking a link or via redirect) else: return render_template("login.html") @app.route("/logout") def logout(): """Log user out""" # Forget any user_id session.clear() # Redirect user to login form return redirect("/") @app.route("/quote", methods=["GET", "POST"]) @login_required def quote(): """Get stock quote""" if request.method == "POST": symbol = request.form.get("symbol") quote = lookup(symbol) if not quote: return apology("Invalid symbol", 400) return render_template("quote.html", quote=quote) else: return render_template("quote.html") @app.route("/register", methods=["GET", "POST"]) def register(): """Register user""" # Forget any user_id session.clear() # User reached route via POST (as by submitting a form via POST) if request.method == "POST": # Ensure username was submitted if not request.form.get("username"): return apology("must provide username", 400) # Ensure password was submitted elif not request.form.get("password"): return apology("must provide password", 400) # Ensure password confirmation was submitted elif not request.form.get("confirmation"): return apology("must confirm password", 400) #Ensure password and confirmation match elif request.form.get("password") != request.form.get("confirmation"): return apology("passwords do not match", 400) # Query database for username rows = db.execute("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?", request.form.get("username")) # Ensure username does not already exist if len(rows) != 0: return apology("username already exists", 400) # Insert new user into database db.execute("INSERT INTO users (username, hash) VALUES(?, ?)", request.form.get("username"), generate_password_hash(request.form.get("password"))) # Query database for newly inserted user rows = db.execute("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?", request.form.get("username")) # Remember which user has logged in session["user_id"] = rows[0]["id"] # Redirect user to home page return redirect("/") # User reached route via GET (as by clicking a link or via redirect) else: return render_template("register.html") @app.route("/sell", methods=["GET", "POST"]) @login_required def sell(): """Sell shares of stock""" return apology("TODO") 

My index.html code is,

{% extends "layout.html" %} {% block title %} Portfolio {% endblock %} {% block main %} 
Portfolio
  {% for stock in stocks %}  {% endfor %} 
 
 
 
Symbol
 
Name
 
Shares
 
Price
 
Total Value
 
 
 
 
{{ stock.symbol }}
 
{{ stock.name }}
 
{{ stock.total_shares }}
 
{{ stock.price }}
 
{{ stock.price * stock.total_shares }}
 
 
Cash
 
{{ cash }}
 
 
 
Total Value
 
{{ total_value }}
 
 
 
 {% endblock %} 

Hi everyone,
I live in an urban area with lots of traffic noise and with noisy neighbours. I recently discovered dark brown noise and it has been a life changer — I don't wake up each time a car pass by my window or my neighbor get up at night.
So, I had this idea: why not create a smart AI white noise station? I have solid background in hardware and product design, and easy access to funding, so I'm thinking of designing a product that would help users get a calm environment by learning their habits through ambient mics and radars (to understand if the user is standing, sitting, sleeping, breathing, etc), and would subsequently generate a soundscape adapted to the life moment of the user.
With AI, I could offer dynamically changing noises of different colors (white, brown, etc.), and even ambient music similar to Endel. It would also have an alarm clock function and could act as a speaker for Spotify/Apple Music.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? What would your ideal ambient noise station look like? What would it be missing?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

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News Link: https://www.integratedventuresinc.com/single-post/integrated-ventures-delivers-376-q2-to-q1-growth-with-revenues-of-1-728-108-vs-1-059-064
Philadelphia, PA – February 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated Ventures Inc. (OTCQB: INTV), (“Company”) is pleased to confirm filing of Q2/2024 Report, scheduled to be filed after market close, on 02/09/2024, for financial period, ending on December 31, 2023.
Financial Highlights (*) are as follow:

• Total Revenues: For the Q2/2024, the Company had generated the revenues of $1,728,108.00 vs $1,059,064.00 for Q1/2024.
• Gross Loss/Profit: Excluding Equipment Depreciation Expense, the Company's mining operations produced gross profit of $556,358.00 vs accounting based loss of $189,362.00.
• Net Income Loss/Profit: Excluding Equipment Depreciation Expense, the Company's mining operations produced net income profit of $391,381.00 vs accounting based loss of $354,340.00.
• Total Assets: As of December 31, 2023, the Company reported the total assets, in the amount of $5,445,348.00.
• Total Current Liabilities: As of December 31, 2023, the Company reported the total liabilities (non-cash), in the amount of $3,026,042.00 (Q2/2024) vs $2,975,452.00 (Q1/2024).
• Total Liquid Assets (Cash+ Digital Securities): The ending balance was $816,316.00 (Q2/2024) vs $705,423.00 (Q1/2024).
• Net Loss Per Share: the Company's net loss per common share reported was (0.00) cents (Q2/2024) vs (0.01) (Q1/2024).

* Operational Highlights:
(1) # of miners online: 2,500+
(2) mining gross margins: 35-40%,
(3) network difficulty: 75+
(4) BTC pricing: $44,000.00+ (as of 02/07/2024).
(5) annual mining revenues are projected to be in $7.5-8 million range.

Over a year later I’m back to update everyone who has been asking. Feel free to read my other posts for more details but my original post is below with a final update after.
Two days ago my son “J” (17) came to my job upset & crying. He told me my step daughter “K”(19) came home with a ton of new things & when he checked his room the $ he had been saving was gone. K doesn’t have a job & when she does have $ she spends it like it’ll burn a hole in her pocket. My boss let me go home early & I went home to ask K who took her shopping? K told me she used her own $. I told her to tell me the truth & she told me to “mind my own business”. J has been working at Papa Murphy’s & has been saving it. He was saving to surprise the dad of his friend who passed away (Beau) for his 1st birthday without him. His friends had given him $ to load onto his card to pay at the pump. It’s this weekend for 2 days & they were going to “treat” dad. Most kids would be saving for their 1st car or cool clothes, but he wanted to just “be there” for his friend's dad.
Instead of arguing back & forth with K, I checked the camera we have to check on the dogs. It only caught her legs but it was K going into J’s room. The rule in my house is we don’t go into each other's room, it’s a mutual respect of privacy. I told K she was caught & that she needed to get everything to return it all. K started throwing every excuse “I had it saved for months”,”how do you know it was me?”, “someone must have broken in”.
Her mom came home & she burst into tears, saying we were ganging up on her. I showed my wife the video & what happened, K ended up saying “Why does he get to have all the money anyway!!?”. He worked his ass off. I told my wife she needed to make K return everything & she said no that it would be “embarrassing” to return it all & that when K got a job she would repay J. I said “It’ll be more embarrassing when she gets arrested for stealing $400”.
We argue & I tell my wife K broke a non negotiable rule as well as the law by stealing, she is 19, she doesn’t pay rent & needs to leave. My wife says “if you kick her out I’m going too”. So I asked if she was willing to replace the money stolen (we have separate bank accounts), force K to return, or she could give me her half of the rent early (we split all bills), “no”. They packed a few bags & left, I was not going to rip the bags of stuff out of her hands. I don’t think getting physical would have been the smartest thing to do. Before you make me out to be the asshole, I do not have extra money for him to still go. I can only replace the small amount back to his friends & it’s not enough to make the trip. He went to bed without eating & has been crushed.
I posted to a sub AITA & was flooded with people telling me I should have called the police. So this morning that is what I did. The solution was that the officer would call my wife to bring K to the station to talk or she could return the items & pay back J. Sort of a scare tactic because I was told it is a civil matter.
My wife straight up fucking lied to the officer & said she gave the money to K. Since I don’t have actual proof of J’s money, no proof other than her walking into his room, nothing can be done. I’m LIVID. I literally watched J get his heart broken at the police station. Through tears he said “how could they do this to me, what was this all for, I just wanted to see Beau’s dad”.
J is my son from a previous relationship. I had to lecture him on not keeping large amounts of cash in his room but he didn’t think it would get stolen. My wife & K have support, staying with family, this won’t affect them.
A good lawyer combined with police who didn’t give a shit and a prosecutor who wouldn’t charge K with anything, K is free. It’s almost too frustrating to even explain a year later but I had so many people asking. The packages were sent to my house and in my name so I couldn’t prove it was her. I couldn’t prove she stole J’s money. Every card she applied for and opened was acquired using my SSN and Driver's license so it was basically my fault she got ahold of my wallet. I couldn’t prove shit.
I’m still teaching and living in a cheap efficiency apartment. J is thriving but is currently stranded 14 hours from home at college where he will stay until I’m able to come up with the gas to go get him. K and my ex wife ruined my fucking life.

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Dialog Key:
[Translated]: Dates, Units of Measurement, or other Grammatical terms will be retrofitted to be legible for readers while still staying true to their definition
{Exposition}: Immediate context regarding events, People, Entities, or other key points that allow for understanding amongst different cultures.
...In the sudden gap of power, the Humans were asked to take on this position, which they agreed. And suddenly the Humans, and all of their political experience and philosophies, made their way onto the Galactic council. Now, whether it was planned or sheer dumb luck that a Council member would be evicted just in time for the Corpo’s plan to work is still up for debate, but nevertheless, The Terran Conglomerate’s Position on the Galactic Council was the final lunch pin that solidified the clauses of the Commercial Pacts provided by these Human Corporations, Identifying a "Corporatocracy" as a legitimate form of government; and The Terran Trust was, by all definitions, a functioning, advanced, Interstellar empire.
Of course, the Council was having none of it at this point and attempted to go ahead with the Charter of Worker’s Rights, trying to complete it before the Terran Trust could join the Galactic Community and legally be allowed to vote in the Senate. However, problems kept popping up for the council, slowing down and delaying the charter. Some Empires wanted to rewrite certain clauses after the final drafts were written. Changing opinions and delegations slowed the process to a crawl, and no matter how hard they tried, the Galactic Community couldn’t do the same for the acceptance of the Terran Trust. This was mostly due to the fact that there was no real process of introduction into the Galactic Community outside of the previously mentioned “List” which, as all Humans know, “Wasn’t really necessary to join”.
Basically, all you needed to do was apply and you’d be accepted at this point. With the list declared Pointless, there was no real process for joining outside of a basic screening to make sure you weren’t a case of death cultists or fanatic purifiers. And since the Terran Trust was neither, there was only so much the Galactic Council could do to delay their entry. And when they did join, well, that only made things worse. Now with official Trust embassies in nearly every non-council member capital world, it made it worlds easier for these Corpos to force their will on others. Using their vast swaths of cash to bribe government officials out of their own agendas and ambitions, and if they refused?
Well, being a recognized nation now, the Trust could enforce embargos and trade blockades in Empire territories. And it's not like these other Nations could break them with their own military because they didn’t have their own militaries. They had PMCs, Human PMCs, worlds more effective and powerful than any conventional alien military and only costing roughly the same price. The biggest downside to these PMCs is that they’re not loyal, all it takes is a bigger bank account to completely flip the ideologies of these Mercenaries. Blinded by money, a common scenario seen throughout those who resisted the Corpo’s will would have their own Mercenary garrisons completely block imports and exports between planets or entire systems, starving the very people they were paid to protect.
Without any real power left in their hands, the Empires of the Galaxy capitulated, agreeing to whatever demands the Corporations might have. And, as always, the Corpos made them sign a contract. This time, though, they read the fine print, not that they could change anything or make any demands, but if nothing else to show that they were now taking these contracts seriously.
And just like that, the Human Megacorps had won. They had the entire galaxy under their thumbs, every last sentient was now under the employment of the Terran Trust, who effectively, but not officially, vassalized the rest of the galactic powers through the force of financial superiority.
And the Humans themselves? Well, any human outside of Conglomerate space met a similar fate to everyone else… unless they were a Corpo. It wasn’t a rare sight to see a Ce’davi Manager berating a Human twice their size. Meanwhile, the opposite was true within human space! As it turns out, having the Headquarters for a Galaxy-spanning Megacorporation tends to bring in a lot of material wealth. The denizens of the Terran Conglomerate found themselves living in abject luxury, barely having to work a day in their life because of how cheap everything was. Oh, and they never stopped fighting… well… technically.
You see, the Humans, as untrusting as they are, knew they could never stop advancing their tech, lest the other guy get better at fighting than them. But, the Humans also knew how expensive wars were to maintain, even if they did produce technological marvels and martial jobs in their wake. So, they found a compromise. Once they had felt like they hit a tech ceiling on how deadly they could make some of their weapons they switched to simulations on their tech. They had dozens of different AIs strategize and blow each other up in the virtual realm hundreds of times over, and then publish their unorthodox tactics in textbooks for future generations of military strategists.
All in all, it seemed like the Humans had won, their drive for competition dominated us in ways we could never predict, and we only hoped their Prerogative was satiated now.

We went on the ship in Nov and again in April and this is my April ship review.
It is the same itinerary, except we didn't get to Bermuda in Nov due to weather.
Main reason we keep going on this ship is because the port is driving distance and it is cheap. It was 1300$ for 4 people inside room. When we missed Bermuda, they gave us 300 in onboard credit which can be used for tips or you get it back in cash at the end of the trip. So hard to beat their price and I don't know if I want to pay 1000$ to upgrade from golden corral food to off the strip Vegas buffet food.
For embarkation, this time, we walk right through security whereas last time, it took one whole hour to get through security. They gaved priority boarding to family with stroller after you check in.
The room was ready by 1, but some places were not clean like the remote control was sticky and inside the draws and wardrobe was dusty. The floor in the hallways were not as clean as before. Our room attendant and his assistant were friendlier but not as efficient as the last one. Definitely recommend to bring some disinfectant wipes.
They have Heinz ketchup and condiments now, before they had home made ketchup that was too sweet. Some food was too dry but there was always something you can find. They had more watermelon and pineapple this cruise, might be seasonal. Last cruise was mostly melon and apple and pears and they were not very fresh. Their cold salad bar was so delicious. Even the pizza station has become more Americanized in terms of toppings and more square and thick crust. Last time, it was mostly the white pizza, red pizza and cheese pizza. This time, we rarely see the white or red pizza, it was mostly cheese, pepperoni and pizza with a lot of toppings. I feel like there was definitely more bar server walking around this time compare to last time. Number of people cleaning the buffet was pretty good. Some upholstery on the chairs were definitely wearing down. This ship can definitely use a dry dock soon. They do southern comfort food really really well, their Mac and cheese, BBQ ribs were super good. Also they had congee and fried rice for breakfast every morning. They lack Chinese food for dinner and lunch and there is no Chinese menu even thought it is one of their biggest group on this ship. The only Chinese translation they had was on the water dispenser.
The crew in the main dining room is definitely more outgoing. There was a guy with guitar and a crew singing by dessert. The food was bad, they can't cook a ham and cheese omelette correctly. Their brunch menu of souther fried chicken sandwich was like McDonald chicken sandwich except it was cold like I don't think they heat it up long enough. Breakfast was hard if you have a milk and egg allergy. They do brunch on sea days and during the last sea day, they had a brand new menu which meant everything was super delay but the food was so good. It was like breakfast from around the world. They had English breakfast, France was French toast, Japan had fried chicken with rice. The French toast and fried chicken was amazing. On to dinner, you are assigned a time and we got 8:30pm. The lobster and fish dish were dry. The steak was overcooked and dry. I gaved up on the main dining room after 2 nights with 2 small toddler, it wasn't worth the effort to sit down for 1.5 hours for 50/50 chance of good food. The server are more outgoing but the food got worse. Their Caribbean night food in the main dining room was delicious!
I love docking in Bermuda for three days, it made the going on and off the ship super easy and no long wait. Bermuda was awesome.
We didn't try their kids club because our kids won't go. But here is some information. If your kid is under 3.99 years old and not potty trained, they can go to the baby club which is available during sea days for 2 hours. They have two time slot and first come first serve when you sign up the day before. Their idea of potty training is the kid goes into the bathroom all by themselves and the staff stands outside, so the kid should be able to independently do everything themselves. They do have open sessions in the kids area for family to go together. They have Lego, duplo, switch and playhouse and markers. They also have events at night around 7:30 like dance party or sport event which are drop off or parents can stay. They will also take your child after the appetizer course in the main dining room and bring them to the bigs buffet section and feed them and then watch them afterwards.
They have a outdoor pool, Indoor pool, adult only pool and a splash pad with a 1 feet deep pool. The adult only pool is on the back of the ship right next to the walking track which means you will have old people and young people walking through the area constantly. And they don't really enforce the adult only part. Like kids were standing in the general area watching the sunset and no one told them to go away. The splash pad and kiddie pool was not open last time, so my kids had a lot of fun this time in the splash pad. The splash pad and the water slide are in the same area, so my partner and I took turns on the water slide. Last time no one can tell us why it was closed or when it will be reopen again.
If the weather is bad outside, there was no where inside the ship that was quiet and you can still see the ocean. Every lounge and bar and sitting area had music playing and they set the volume so loud. The only quiet area was the back of the buffet. The music on this ship is too loud.
The shows are still the same, there are more broken parts on the led screen on the main stage. Compare to Nov, they are missing 1 male singer, 1 female singer, 1 male dancer, 1 female dancer. The magician act was same but 2 new magician. The comedy act was a different guy and he was boring. They have two shows on the circle stage that is 12$ if you but it beforehand or 18$ on the ship. It is free for kids under 4. It comes with a alcohol or no alcohol drink. I say the show is worth 2$ if you minus the cost of alcohol drink. It was call Houdini but there was no real magician, it was all singing and dancing. Only two of the crew had circus skills.
Overall, I would do this cruise again because if we don't make it to Bermuda, it would be like 900$ for a week where I don't have to cook or make my room.

From: Bills16 5/15/2024 9:58:36 AM --- From SI board
.Re: Meeting this AM. Please revise/add anything missed.
An interesting interview- basically a company update.
Update on Zenguard
- 1 ½ years of 3rd party testing to verify effectiveness- results have been spectacular
- Rehash of the TO announcement last week showing city savings of $40 million/annum using MERV 9A filters coated with Zenguard- equivalent to MERV 13. MERV 9A uses less energy, changed less frequently, reduction of 3000 tonnes/annum of CO2 emissions so green impact. “The product will sell itself”. Full patent. Working with potential partners- federal, provincial, municipalities and private entities. Building a pipeline of customers just awaiting PMRA approval. HVAC manufacturers very excited and other jurisdictions accept the PMRA approval.
Update on Aptamers
- completed influenza aptamer- used against various strains including H5N1 which has a 50% mortality rate.
- keen interest
- early results tested against virus proteins and worked well.
- immediate need and opportunity. Working with various global governments.
- testing is ongoing and expect further announcements in the next few weeks.
Both areas are the focus right now for revenue generation.
Questions?
1) What other jurisdictions accept PMRA?
India primary area and established partnerships already exist. UK is changing to accept 1st World approval- should be in place by June so another focus area. Greg also mentioned Australia and that some jurisdictions have no requirements as they lack the ability to test themselves.
2) What margins are expected with the plant in Guelph?
The plant can produce 26 tonnes/annum of Zenguard so expect 150-200 million in revenue with an expected profit margin of around 50%.
3) Length of Contracts?
Usually long-term- 3-5 years. There will also be direct to customer sales. Long-term- the hope is that HVAC manufacturers put the filters into their own channels.
4) When will Zentek be cash flow positive?
Very quickly after PMRA approval.
5) Length of approval for aptamer?
Usually anything health related requires phases 1, 2 and 3. However, not the case for military- because of bio-chemical concerns they get immediate access without approval- interest is there. Greg again emphasized the speed and cost advantages of aptamers versus monoclonal antibodies.
6) Update on Albany
They continue to be excited. Tried to take it public last year, but not a strong period for battery metals. That has changed and now there is tremendous government interest and support. Big strides are expected in the next 6-12 months.
7) One participant provided a chart update claiming we hit a double bottom. Expectation is for ascension from this point- some resistance at around $1.80, but it should be overcome.
8) Update on Icephobic and Turbine testing.
Zentek continues to move the testing forward with Pattern Energy with assistance from Quebec University. The product for application is tricky as it needs to be effective on all areas of the blade. They expect to have the formula finalized and the coating ready for application to blades prior to this coming winter.
Meeting was over and Greg was to do an interview.

DAY: MAY 14, 2024

• 5-14-2024CAN EATING OR DRINKING CAFFEINE BEFORE BED IMPACT YOUR HEALTH? Having a lot of food in your stomach before bed can redirect blood flow to your gut to digest the food, meaning there is less blood flow going to your brain. You need that blood flow to your brain to make sure you go into the different sleep stages. If you have caffeine in your system or are sensitive to it, the time to fall asleep can double. Caffeine has a half-life of up to 4.5 hours, so a safe bet is to avoid caffeine after noon.
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS DETECT HIDDEN INGREDIENTS AND QUESTIONABLE CLAIMS IN SUPPLEMENTS some supplement companies may mislead customers with unproven health claims and undeclared ingredients. The researchers focused on supplements that have been associated with the purported treatment or prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. During the pandemic, the use of dietary supplements skyrocketed throughout the world. “There was a big spike in purchase and use of these types
• 5-14-2024TEXT MESSAGES WITH FINANCIAL INCENTIVES CAN HELP MEN WHO ARE LIVING WITH OBESITY LOSE WEIGHT, UK STUDY FINDS text messages with financial incentives can help men who are living with obesity lose weight and could be a valuable alternative to traditional weight management programs. Men who were offered cash for hitting weight loss targets lost more weight than those not given a financial incentive,
• 5-14-2024EXERCISE BENEFITS THE BRAIN, BUT IMPROVING ITS BLOOD VESSELS MAY TAKE LONGER People with less consistent brain blood flow patterns may be at greater risk of dementia and cerebrovascular disease. To explore whether regular aerobic exercise can help, researchers at Iowa State University have conducted a pilot study, the results of which were recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. “The big take-away is that exercise is good for the arteries and brain, but its effects are complex and takes time to accumulate benefits
• 5-14-2024SOCIAL ONLINE TRAINING CAN HELP AGAINST LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION a ten-week, partner-based mental online training program boosted resilience, empathy and compassion, and deepened social connections. At the same time, these short daily, app-based practices done with another person, so-called Dyads, decreased loneliness, depression, anxiety and a negative outlook
• 5-14-2024TECH ALONE CAN’T REPLACE HUMAN COACHES IN OBESITY TREATMENT, STUDY FINDS technology alone can’t replace the human touch to produce meaningful weight loss in obesity treatment. The study, titled “An Adaptive Behavioral Intervention for Weight Loss Management: A Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial,” . “Giving people technology alone for the initial phase of obesity treatment produces unacceptably worse weight loss than giving them treatment that combines technology with a human coach
• 5-14-2024ULTRASOUND CAN HELP PATIENTS WITH A TYPE OF RHEUMATIC DISEASE LEAD LONGER AND HEALTHIER LIVES ultrasound can help patients with a type of rheumatic disease to live longer and healthier lives. These patients have so far had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which contributes to premature death. Patients with a type of rheumatic disease called radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, a disease that causes changes in the bones in the pelvis and spine, have poorer health quality of life than control subjects.
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS FIND REPEATED, SMALL HITS TO HEAD IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS CAN DAMAGE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN The work involved specialized helmets that were used to monitor head impacts in 60 university football players. Credit: Dalhousie University Repeated blows to the heads of football players can damage the small blood vessels of the brain, according to research by Dalhousie University scientists from the Brain Repair Center who believe this damage may contribute to brain dysfunction in some athletes years after play has ended. The neuroscientists found that the brain’s blood vessels can get damaged by a succession of small hits
• 5-14-2024‘MICROPREEMIE’ BABY WHO WEIGHED JUST OVER 1 POUND AT BIRTH GOES HOME FROM ILLINOIS HOSPITAL Nyla was born at just 22 weeks weighing 1 pound and 1 ounce, making her what’s known as a “micropreemie.” She left Silver Cross Hospital on Monday weighing a healthy 10 pounds, and was taken home by her first-time parents
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE IF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF ADHD REDUCES CRIMINALITY pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reduced violence- and public-order related crimes. However, it did not reduce other types of crimes, among patients with ADHD in early to late adolescence considered to be in the gray zone (or on the margin) for such treatment.
• 5-14-2024A NEW DRUG SHOWS POTENTIAL BENEFITS IN THE RECOVERY OF PATIENTS AFTER A HEART ATTACK beneficial effects of the novel drug Sacubitril/Valsartan in the management of myocardial infarction (MI). The research offers new insights into the drug’s ability to reduce inflammation, cardiac fibrosis, and prevent dangerous heart arrhythmias post-MI. Cardiovascular diseases, especially MI,
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES ROLE OF EPIGENETICS, ENVIRONMENT IN DIFFERING ALZHEIMER’S RISK BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE COMMUNITIES environmentally caused alterations to specific areas of the genome—known as imprint control regions—during early development may contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and that Black people may be more affected than white people. The work adds to our understanding of the ways in which environmental factors can contribute to genetic alterations and disease susceptibility.
• 5-14-2024NEW AI TOOL IMPROVES RISK ASSESSMENT FOR HEART FAILURE CARE researchers have developed a powerful new risk assessment tool for predicting outcomes in heart failure patients. The researchers have made the tool publicly available for free to clinicians. The new tool improves on existing risk assessment tools for heart failure by harnessing the power of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to determine patient-specific risks of developing unfavorable outcomes with heart failure.
• 5-14-2024FAR FROM TOXIC, LACTATE RIVALS GLUCOSE AS BODY’S MAJOR FUEL AFTER A CARBOHYDRATE MEAL A volunteer is monitored after being given a large dose of glucose to determine how well people switch from fat to carbohydrate metabolism as they age. In the tests at UC Berkeley, subjects had their blood monitored for labeled lactate and glucose, underwent periodic blood sampling, and had their breath monitored for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES WHAT MOTIVATES PRESCHOOLERS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE Adults find it particularly easy to prepare for the future when they imagine how they will feel. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have investigated whether this is also the case with preschoolers. The researchers conducted the study at the intersection of philosophy and psychology. They described their findings in the journal Emotion. Rehearsing for a school play, getting a present for a friend’s birthday and packing a book for a long car journey:
• 5-14-2024NEWLY IDENTIFIED PET BIOMARKER PREDICTS SUCCESS OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT BLOCKADE THERAPY The protein galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been identified as a new PET imaging biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, allowing physicians to predict the tumor responses before beginning treatment. Information garnered from Gal-1 PET imaging could also be used to facilitate patient stratification and optimize immunotherapy, enabling targeted interventions and improving patient outcomes. This research was published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Immunotherapies, such as ICB
• 5-14-2024RESEARCH LINKS SLEEP APNEA SEVERITY DURING REM STAGE TO VERBAL MEMORY DECLINE
• 5-14-2024SEVERE OBESITY IN CHILDHOOD CAN HALVE LIFE EXPECTANCY, GLOBAL MODELING STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024COEXISTENCE OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, ATOPIC DERMATITIS MAY OFFER TREATMENT INSIGHTS
• 5-14-2024MEN WITH LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVELS MAY BE AT INCREASED RISK OF DYING PREMATURELY
• 5-14-2024CONGENITAL ANOMALIES FOUND TO BE TEN TIMES MORE FREQUENT IN CHILDREN WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS REVEAL HOW LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE BINDING PROTEIN RESISTS HEPATIC OXIDATIVE STRESS
• 5-14-2024STEM CELLS PROVIDE NEW INSIGHT INTO GENETIC PATHWAY OF CHILDHOOD CANCER
• 5-14-2024SAN FRANCISCO SET TO BAN ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ IN FIREFIGHTER GEAR
• 5-14-2024AN NRL PLAYER DIED AT TRAINING DUE TO EXERTIONAL HEAT STROKE. WHAT IS IT AND WHAT SHOULD COACHES AND ATHLETES KNOW?
• 5-14-2024FIVE CHARTS ON THE GLOBAL SUCCESS OF VACCINES
• 5-14-2024KIDS LIVING NEAR COLORADO AIRPORTS HAVE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED LEVELS OF LEAD IN THEIR BLOOD, NEW STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024STUDY SHOWS VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19 CAN PENETRATE BLOOD-RETINAL-BARRIER AND COULD DAMAGE VISION
• 5-14-2024HOW BIG FOOD COMPANIES CAN DO MORE TO CREATE HEALTHIER FOOD ENVIRONMENTS
• 5-14-2024PROMISING NEW STUDY COULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS
• 5-14-2024PELVIC HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN—WHY MANY DON’T GET THE HELP THEY NEED
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH PRESENTS ‘MINI-BRAINS’ THAT COULD ADVANCE ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024STUDY SHOWS HOW EXCESSIVE DRINKING AFFECTS OTHERS
• 5-14-2024NEW TRANSIT STATION IN JAPAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES CUMULATIVE HEALTH EXPENDITURES
• 5-14-2024BINGE DRINKING IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS—HOW RESEARCH ON ALCOHOL USE DISORDER HAS SHIFTED
• 5-14-2024WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM INTERVIEWING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO HARM THEMSELVES
• 5-14-2024STUDY REVEALS RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DIAGNOSIS AND DRUG USE FOR DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS
• 5-14-2024PEOPLE WITHOUT AN INNER VOICE HAVE POORER VERBAL MEMORY, FINDS STUDY
• 5-14-2024CONCUSSION EXPERTS WARN TERM USED TO DESCRIBE HEAD IMPACTS—’SUBCONCUSSION’—IS MISLEADING AND DANGEROUS
• 5-14-2024STUDY UNCOVERS PROTEIN INTERACTIONS AS A POTENTIAL PATH FOR ALS CURE
• 5-14-2024HOW BITTER FOOD CONSTITUENTS INFLUENCE GASTRIC ACID PRODUCTION
• 5-14-2024ADIPOSITY IN CHILDHOOD AFFECTS THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER BY CHANGING BREAST TISSUE COMPOSITION, STUDY SUGGESTS
• 5-14-2024COLD PLUNGING MIGHT HELP HEART HEALTH, RESEARCH SUGGESTS
• 5-14-2024STUDY EXPLORES POTENTIAL TARGET TO TREAT LIVER DISEASE
• 5-14-2024THROUGH TRADITION AND TRADE, TRIBE IN RURAL KANSAS WORKS TO RECLAIM ITS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
• 5-14-2024UK SAYS PROPOSED PANDEMIC TREATY ‘NOT ACCEPTABLE’
• 5-14-2024BODY-WIDE MOLECULAR MAP EXPLAINS WHY EXERCISE IS SO GOOD FOR YOU
• 5-14-2024FIRST STUDY TO GLOBALLY MAP HEAT-WAVE-RELATED MORTALITY FINDS 153,000+ DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAT WAVES
• 5-14-2024EARLY DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE ESSENTIAL TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES, REDUCE AMPUTATION RISK
• 5-14-2024ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL DETECTS SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE
• 5-14-2024OVER 20,000 PEOPLE JOIN UK SEARCH FOR NEW DEMENTIA TREATMENTS
• 5-14-2024A MINIMAL COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE REPRODUCES CONTROL OF HUMAN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS DEMYSTIFY WHY SUBSEQUENT BOUTS OF DENGUE ARE WORSE THAN A FIRST-TIME INFECTION
• 5-14-2024BRAIN–COMPUTER INTERFACE EXPERIMENTS FIRST TO DECODE WORDS ‘SPOKEN’ ENTIRELY IN THE BRAIN IN REAL TIME
• 5-14-2024MACHINE LEARNING SHEDS LIGHT ON GENE TRANSCRIPTION
• 5-14-2024WILL AI REPLACE DOCTORS WHO READ X-RAYS, OR JUST MAKE THEM BETTER THAN EVER?
• 5-14-2024SURVEY FINDS 8,000 WOMEN A MONTH GOT ABORTION PILLS DESPITE THEIR STATES’ BANS OR RESTRICTIONS
• 5-14-2024SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SURPRISING DETAILS ABOUT XYLAZINE IN COMBINATION WITH FENTANYL
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH CHALLENGES WIDESPREAD BELIEFS ABOUT WHY WE’RE ATTRACTED TO CERTAIN VOICES
• 5-14-2024ADDING CARDIOVASCULAR BIOMARKERS TO ESTABLISHED RISK FACTORS INCREASES RISK PREDICTION
• 5-14-2024DREAMING IS LINKED TO IMPROVED MEMORY CONSOLIDATION AND EMOTION REGULATION
• 5-14-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES GENETIC LINK BETWEEN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE
• 5-14-2024PHYSICIANS WITH DISABILITIES MAY EXPERIENCE DEPERSONALIZATION
• 5-14-2024ANALYSIS SUGGESTS PEOPLE WITH MORE COPIES OF RIBOSOMAL DNA HAVE HIGHER RISKS OF DEVELOPING DISEASE
• 5-14-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE RETINOPATHY
• 5-14-2024STUDY REVEALS MIXED PUBLIC OPINION ON POLYGENIC EMBRYO SCREENING FOR IVF
• 5-14-2024‘MUSIC MAP’ REVEALS SOME BRAIN CELLS AGE FASTER AND ARE MORE PREVALENT IN ALZHEIMER’S
• 5-14-2024STUDY FINDS SOME CHILDREN WERE PRESCRIBED NONRECOMMENDED MEDS FOR COVID-19
• 5-14-2024COULD BEING ONLINE ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOU? NEW STUDY REVEALS A SURPRISING FINDING
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH IDENTIFIES A LARGER POOL OF GENES INVOLVED IN AGE-RELATED BLOOD CELL MUTATIONS THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
• 5-14-2024NEW DRUG MAKES EXERCISE, EVERYDAY TASKS EASIER FOR PEOPLE WITH COMMON HEART CONDITION
• 5-14-2024BREAST CANCER RISK VARIANTS IDENTIFIED FOR WOMEN OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN MEXICO CHOOSE TO VAPE
• 5-14-2024NEW STUDY SHOWS RECOVERY POTENTIAL IN PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
• 5-14-2024AI AIDS ANALYSIS OF LIFETIME ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES
• 5-14-2024NEW RESEARCH REVEALS URGENT NEED FOR INTEGRATED CARE IN PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY
• 5-14-2024HERPES CURE WITH GENE EDITING MAKES PROGRESS IN LABORATORY STUDIES
• 5-14-2024PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE ARE LIKELIER TO DIE AFTER COVID, FINDS STUDY
• 5-14-2024RESEARCHERS PARTNER WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ON NEW HEART SURGERY PLANNING TOOL
• 5-14-2024AXONS IN FEMALE MAMMAL BRAINS MAY BE MORE PRONE TO CONCUSSIONS
• 5-14-2024STUDY SUPPORTS LOWER BMI THRESHOLD FOR OBESITY IN THOSE OVER AGE 40
• 5-14-2024FDA DISCUSSING BAN OF FORMALDEHYDE IN HAIR STRAIGHTENERS
• 5-14-2024NEW TOOL ALLOWS FOR GENE SUPPRESSION IN MOUSE HEART MUSCLE CELLS USING CRISPRI
• 5-14-2024NEW GENE THERAPY MODEL OFFERS HOPE FOR X-LINKED SIDEROBLASTIC ANEMIA TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024GIVING LESSONS TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF COULD BOOST YOUR WELL-BEING, SAY RESEARCHERS
• 5-14-2024STUDY FINDS AGE-ASSOCIATED GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN MOUSE SWEAT GLANDS
• 5-14-2024INJECTABLE HIV MEDICATION IS SUPERIOR TO ORAL MEDICATION FOR PATIENTS WHO FREQUENTLY MISS DOSES, STUDY FINDS
• 5-14-2024NEW CRYOPRESERVATION PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED TO PRESERVE FERTILITY BEFORE CANCER TREATMENT
• 5-14-2024BRUXISM IS A RECURRING CONDITION AMONG PEOPLE WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, FINDS STUDY

On Friday the 12th of June 2009, a man was spotted boarding a bus bound for Sligo from Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland. He was carrying a black shoulder bag and a generic luggage bag and just seemed like a normal tourist. He arrived in Sligo at approximately 6:30pm and took a taxi to the city hotel where he paid per night in cash for 3 nights. Upon checking in, he provided staff with the name 'Peter Bergmann' and an address that was something to the effect of "Ainstettersn 15, 4472, Vienna, Austria". Hotel staff stated he seemed of Germanic descent and spoke English with a thick German accent. He was a heavy smoker and was seen on CCTV leaving the hotel repeatedly to stand outside with a cigarette.
Throughout the course of his 3 night stay, he was captured leaving the hotel approximately 13 times, each time leaving with a purple plastic bag filled with unknown items and returning with no visible bag or items. Garda believe he was disposing of his personal belongings around Sligo but have never been able to locate any of the items he discarded. They stated that he had used the blind spots of cameras around the town to hide his movements and described his actions as "meticulous and methodical, as though he knew exactly how to dispose of anything that could identify him". A hotel worker stated that they had attempted to clean his room on one of the days but couldn't get a response after knocking. Upon entering, he appeared spooked and was described as "behaving like I'd caught him in the middle of doing something he shouldn't"
On Saturday the 13th, he was seen walking to Sligo post office where he purchased 8 stamps and airmail stickers at approximately 10:49am. The following day, Sunday 14th, he left the hotel at around 11-11:30am and asked a taxi driver for recommendations on a good beach that he could go swimming at. The driver suggested Rosses point and drove him there. It was reported that when the taxi arrived at the beach, Bergmann got out of the car, stood and stared for a short time before returning to the taxi, appearing content or satisfied.
He checked out of the hotel on Monday 15th at around 1pm and headed towards quayside shopping centre where he was seen standing awkwardly in the doorway for several minutes. Strangely, he was seen leaving the hotel with his black shoulder bag and purple plastic bag but an entirely different luggage bag. It is unclear where his original one went or where the new one came from. He was seen leaving quayside and walking towards the bus station at around 1:16pm. By the time he reached the bus station, he only had 2 of the 3 bags he was seen leaving the hotel with. At approximately 1:38pm, he ordered a ham and cheese toastie and a cappuccino from the bus station café. While he ate, he was recorded opening and closing a scrap of paper repeatedly before eventually ripping it up and disposing of it in a nearby bin. It was never recovered. At around 2:20pm he boarded a bus heading to Rosses point. It is believed that he was seen by 16-18 people on the beach that day over an 8 hour period. He was described as 'restless or anxious', pacing up and down the length of the beach repeatedly. It isn't known where his luggage or bags were at this point. He was last seen walking along the beach, alone, at 11:50pm.
His body was discovered the next morning at around 6:45am by a father and son who were out practicing for a triathlon. He was wearing purple Speedo trunks with his underwear over the top and a navy t-shirt tucked into them. Some of his clothes and belongings were found on the shore but it does not appear that his luggage or shoulder bag were ever recovered. The autopsy report concluded that he had died from cardiac arrest but that he had not drowned, despite being washed up. There were no signs of foul play either. Surprisingly, the autopsy also revealed that he had advanced stage prostate cancer, multiple bone tumours and ischaemic heart disease. There were absolutely no drugs in his system either, which would be expected of someone who was this sick. The medical examiner stated that due to these conditions, he would have been in significant and constant pain and would have required, at the very least, over the counter painkillers.
A five month investigation was launched but it was quickly revealed that both the name 'Peter Bergmann' and the address in Austria were fake. Nobody matching his appearance and name was missing anywhere in Europe, America or anywhere else and despite extensive investigation, the trail quickly went cold. He was eventually buried in an unmarked grave in Sligo. As of today, he has never been identified and nobody has ever come forward to state that they knew him. Even now, almost 15 years later, his case has left more questions than answers such as:
How did he enter Ireland?
There are absolutely no flight or ferry records with anyone using his alias and there was never any passports used with his image. It's as though he just appeared in the country.
Was cardiac arrest his intended death?
It's widely accepted that he was an old man who was terminally ill and wanted to go out on his own terms. However, did he intend to be found on the beach or was he hoping to drown and his body swept out to sea? His heart was damaged and showed signs of previous heart attacks. In addition, his health was very poor and the water in Sligo, at that time, was very cold. It's not at all impossible to believe that cold water shock induced cardiac arrest before he could wade out.
Why did he go to such extreme lengths to completely hide his identity?
Wanting to end things on your own terms isn't an uncommon notion but choosing to destroy every trace of your existence before doing so is and hasn't been explained. Why was he so adamant that nobody ever knew who he was or where he came from?
Sources:
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/08/14/peter-bergmann-renewed-appeal-over-man-found-dead-on-sligo-beach-14-years-ago/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bergmann_case
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/a-lonely-sligo-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery-1.4589709
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/new-appeal-for-mystery-man-whose-body-was-found-on-sligo-beach-in-2009/41001932.html
https://youtu.be/bVOZ7YPOakI?si=wUBhrFkgw4_9JLNC

I had been having my Sonos system mixed of hardwired and not on my unifi gear for some years with minimum issues but lately it had started to cause stp loop issues and some devices not showing up in sonos, so I finally started looking at proper setups. After reading that the new update seems to have did away with sonosnet and they added back the alarms I decided to give it a try. Since I had some ports turned off and some on after the update I had a mix of Disconnected, station, station_satellite, and sonosnet (didn't expect to see that) when I looked under "about my system". I went through and set each device that is hardwired to disable wifi and that has made all the ones hardwired say disconnected. If it has a sub connected to the device not hardwired it says station_satellite. The devices that are not subs connected to something hardwired like a playbar and One it says satellite.
Assuming this is correct because it seems stable as of now and the subs are playing with the amps. Just so I know I am assuming discounted means disconnected from any kind of sonos generated network protocol and simply hardwired into my local network. Station is a kind of replacement for sonosnet putting the device on my local wifi network or is it still a sonos generated network? Station_satellite is a device on my local network that is connected to a hard wired device and not on a sonos generated network?
I do have one situation where I ahve a ARC hardwired and wifi disabled linkes to a Amp for the rears and a sub. The amp for the rears is hardwired but if I turn on the port it disappears and the white light slowly flashes. If I leave the port disabled it comes back on and under about my system the ARC is disconnected and the amp and sub are station_satellite and it does work in this configuration. Can I not have the amp for the rears hardwired? I can try removing them and adding them later, this is the device that started giving me issues in the beginning.
On the ports I have sonos hardwired I have STP turned off, is it safe to turn that back on now?

*Update- If anyone is looking for further proof of my point look at the comment section. Some of y'all need to hit the library. 😂
*If anyone takes the time to read and would like to share, feel free to repost and accept the credit, I don't have enough karma to share anywhere else relevant and could care less. All I ask is that you repost it in full and not cherry pick the information you agree or disagree with or whatever will get the most karma. I would like to avoid exactly what I'm describing in the post below. If any claims I make turn out to be false, I'll update and eat my words.*
(I obscured celebrity and influencer names to prevent fans from seeing the post and flagging it)
I saw someone posted an interview with (O *rlando Brow *n) from the channel Real life street Stars and wanted to put out a little PSA for this community. The channel has recently been growing in subscribers because of a 2020 interview with a 90's R&B artist named (J -aguar W r:ight ), who claims to have suffered abuse of all types that she during her time in the industry, and claims she was blacklisted for fighting back. Now she claims she's been on a mission for the last 20 years to bring down the vast networks of famous sex criminals she has firsthand knowledge of. In her first two interviews she speaks pretty eloquently and drops a lot of facts about the industry. Enough to get people sucked in. You'll see in her latest interviews the lady is clearly struggling heavily with some serious mental health and rumored substance issues.
I truly have empathy for her and (O rland,o B row-n,) because they are obvious examples of the Hollywood machine chewing up celebrities, especially with mental illness, and spitting them out. Both of them have publicly struggled for years, and around 2020, were both homeless and started doing YouTube interviews with obscure content creators where they were paid next to nothing to share their traumas with their viewers and creators who use these traumas to form false narratives and clickbait video titles that either are completely false or that are buried in an 8 hour live stream containing a thirty second audio clip that was stolen and reposted from another exploitative content creator's interview. Not only is it taking money out of their pockets, but also monetizing off their trauma, stealing their content and viewers, and harming their credibility even further due to them being blatantly false or misleading the viewers into thinking their all day live stream talking about the aforementioned video and accompanied by a slideshow is the primary source. One thing I've learned is most people will believe or immediately dismiss most information without even trying to read it. If you choose to go down this rabbit hole you should definitely start with their Insta pages and check out the last couple months. Without people majorly censoring and heavily editing their content, you can tell that they are doing this intentionally to hide the fact they are exploiting trauma survivors for petty cash. If you're still not wary, start with their latest interviews they're both total shit shows. Recently with the (Di +ddy stuff and Ka;tt William ,s) interview going viral, the channel "real life street stars" has blown up. Even more so in the last couple weeks with all the K- Anon stuff attracting people to their channels. If you choose to go down the rabbit hole I just beg you to please research ANY claims from ANY content creator and find a source before sharing. A lot of the time they are spitting celebrity fan fiction juxtaposed with occasional pieces of truth and (Jagua /r Wri /ght) was pretty damn convincing until about a year ago.
A lot of people get sucked in with ( Jag !uar W !right's ) first two interviews because she clearly had them prepared for a long time and was reading from a script. Now she's just exploiting the algorithm and spamming clickbait interviews with the craziest titles possible, thus contributing to the same exploitation she claims to be fighting against. This is not to say all her claims are bullshit, both most are recycled 90s and early 2000's gossip that is new to Gen z mixed with any breaking celebrity news or gossip that is big in the media. To make her stories sound more legit she'll Forrest Gump her way into every story and leading people into believing she was a big time celebrity, but these interviews and her instragram scamming are what she's most known for. The last interview she claims to have taken a boat to Epstein Island where she rescued two young girls who were trafficked and then talks about the Dark Web, "Red Rooms," that are pretty well known to be internet myths because if they were real they'd be invite only and require blackmail to access so no one is gonna talk about it even if they do exist. It amazed how many videos popped up overnight repeating her claims as facts and spreading the virus of media manipulation. If you're still thinking, "Hey, you never know!" She also claims these snuf. f videos and videos of celebrity orgies sell for 500 million dollars, which would be enough to build a whole chain of your own red rooms or throw your own Hollywood sex parties and join the fun. I know some people will probably still be curious, but just watch her 2020 interview the rest are trash, also anything with (O r.lando B,rown) is recycled lies mixed with more lies, with a couple buzzwords he's probably required to say so they can add trending topics to their video tags and get a lascivious title.
Another recent example of blatant manipulation is all the shit with (D j A ^kademics) the past couple days. His court records have been public for months with a vivid description of him and two friends drugging and raping a girl that was obviously premeditated and not his first rodeo. He is also now being sued for defamation because he pretty much told his fans she was drunk and asking for it then regretted it later and went on to say he didn't even know she was at the house until the next morning and blamed it on his friends. Meanwhile the court documents clearly show a rap with an e kit being administered and them finding his spermicide which was the same type found in the r word kit. They also describe video evidence of his two friends doing the same thing while she was unconscious, but he screenshotted a section and posted it in his defense saying clearly she was down. There are also identical allegations to the ones made against (D-rake) stating he has a history of hitting up sixteen year olds and grooming them until they turn eighteen and repeated history of similar drug related s. crimes. It took one post on his twitter and his fans started harassing the poor girl for months. The same thing happened to the lady who was a victim of (N$icki Min _aj's) husband who was doxxed by her fans for not dropping the charges. The next day AK was acting like it was all gravy and if anything gained even more followers. This is a brilliant example of why (Dra! ke's) line about being too famous to be a predator is so stupid. Almost as stupid as blatantly defaming the woman who appears to have more the enough evidence to beat him in a civil suit. Which is almost as stupid as he pretended to be during the (e- bony kin g) livestream where he was obviously ignoring the thousands of comments mentioning anything related to sexual crimes, while talking shit on the guy who successfully blackmailed his handler even after possibly being blackmailed himself on the same stream. This stupidity can only be surpassed by the millions of fans who are still watching his content instead of the news and continue regurgitating the lies of someone so fucking stupid who is most likely a s offender. These are the same ones who automatically dismissed the rumors and instantly believed the dog in the kennel story, the same who believed his alibi, and the same people who are the reason most survivors don't come forward and choose not to accept inconvenient truths right in front of their eyes.
Interestingly enough the portal.njcourts.gov site containing A.k's full court documents were offline for hours last night and a certain sight has banned reposting it for fear of doxxing, another great way to quell any dissent amongst the the ranks. Server's crashing often happens when there is a huge influx of web traffic or a site has been a victim of a DDOS attack, which is just an artificial version of the former that uses bots instead of people. I could talk forever about how fucked things are, but this is simply the world we live in. I really want to drive home the point that in order for any movement to retain credibility, everyone needs to stop sharing any type of info unless they're from a verified, reputable source and define the difference between facts and your opinions as clearly as possible. A couple million hits on youtube, twitter memes and tiktoks, and gossip blogs with broad information being deciphered by mostly idiots don't count as credible. Most of these influencers and blogs have been bought and paid for years ago and usually are biased toward certain celebrities based on the perception of whoever's sharing or whoever pays them the most. For a while now rumors have been circulating of influencers doing shady shit in Dubai for the ultra wealthy. Lot's of ties were made to Dra .ke, but have very little supporting evidence. The blind items containing the rumors also made it so anyone could decode the clues, and as soon as these posts made it on to the Kendric kl amar the moderator crew began the "conspiracy," crackdown. It took one mention of q-anon and the majority of the community jumped ship out of fear of association because "Q-anon bad, they're all scizophrenic." Overnight theories that once had been consensus were completely dismissed after being deemed conspiratorial. A couple of days later, the were forced to place a blanket ban on anything them deem, "conspiracies," regardless of it's validity due to their inability to moderate the amount of incoming posts which are almost always spammed at least ten times a day for the next week. This is the exact thing that was done with q, anon and pizzagat, e stuff back in the day. They'd find the nuttiest people to use as an example so they could paint the whole movement in the same light, then dismissed all related information, and completely censored any discussion on most major platforms. I don't subscribe to either, but they were undeniably on to something. The problem was the disinformation campaigns and general stupidity. One was quashed almost overnight because a crazy guy shot into the front window of a pizza shop and it somehow hit their computer and obliterate their hard drive containing possible evidence. The lessons is truth in every lie and it's not hard to find if you know where to look, it's what you do with it that defines who you are as a person. Some people can't handle the truth because it conflict's with their world view and those who do usually suffer because of it. If everyone does their part though, no one would have to die a martyr in its pursuit.
I've noticed a recent pattern of influencers proliferating the spread of false information especially in relation to any sa allegations. This trend really took off when (Kat -t Will/iams's) interview went viral and helped to revitalize his career and reputation. Since then many copycats have come out of the woodworks, hoping to cash in on the trend. Some other common media suppression trends and manipulation tactics to watch out for are synthetic smear campaigns dedicated to destroying the credibility of anyone with alternative beliefs, and it's gotten exponentially worse throughout the years. A great example is all the shit (Y,e). had to deal with through the years, even prior to his antisemitic remarks and all the other famous people who spoke up about their industries and were silenced. (D av+e Chapp? elle) used to talk a lot about the tactics used to humiliate and destroy many influential black men who dared to challenge the system. Another case that's similar to Ak's is the (T/or y La^ne z and M ,egan T (hee Stallio, n) trial. If you look at the court records, it's obvious the shooting was part of a larger altercation. He still might have shot her, but she at the least totally lied her ass off about the actual story to avoid incriminating friends while ensuring they could hit him with a ten year sentence. Not long after (Me ..gan THE" E S !tallion) won three Grammy's and was voted woman of the year, then disappeared off the face of the earth until her manager sued her a couple weeks ago for having sex in front of him and threatening his job over it. There are countless other celebrities and influencers who are clearly wiling to say anything for money, and those who aren't usually have some blackmail on them. There is such an abundance of glaringly obvious disinformation campaigns in the media and most are accepted as gospel without question or are suppressed if they reveal too much, raise too many questions, or start to sway public opinion. Another very common example of this phenomena is the mass release of information that paints a positive image of the celebrity while containing the same buzzwords related to controversies they don't want popping up on anywhere near the top of Google. This keeps any relevant information limited to the most recent AI generated bullshit that plays the algorithm game the best. While doing my investigation, it was unbelievably difficult finding any relevant information from before 2020, and often had to use Duckduckgo to filter out any articles written after 2023. Even then every search engine required extremely specific search terms, which would often still provide me with the exact same results. It got so bad I considered switching to Yandex.
Recently all the things I've discussed have seemingly been kicked into overdrive, especially over the last few weeks. This leads me to believe that a lot more is going down behind the scenes than most realize. I believe the day will come soon when everyone who actively fought to dismiss peoples opinions out of ignorance will be forced to accept these truths whether they like it or not I was a victim myself last week when I shared a detailed, neutral commentary on a rap feud and was shadow banned from a popular subreddit and ignored by it's moderators. This same subreddit is currently deleting any and all information related to the subject I covered. This is why I wanted to raise awareness if this doesn't get suppressed as well. Karma requirements and shadow bans that can sometimes circumvent the use of Vpn's on all connect devices, lead me to believe Reddit as a whole may also be at least partially compromised.
Chances are the same people who promote biased garbage and obvious lies are the same ones who will scroll right past any post containing more then three sentences and the ones who spread any lie they are told without question and accept everything at face value. My personal favorites are the ones who don't read past the title and clog up the comments while obscuring valuable information because they want the spark note version. This is all by design. They are the sheep the government count on to help them consolidate their wealth and power. More and more people are waking every day though. I encourage anyone new to conspiracies to really keep all this in mind going forward, especially with the proliferation of AI powered disinformation bots that dominate your front pages and control the majority of content. If you want to fight against this and keep your freedom of speech, this is a call to arms. To anyone who values the truth, the powers that be will do anything they can to try to censor any public dissidence. Remain steady in your search for truth, and learn how to effectively help other join you in lifting the veil. Stay strong in your convictions and don't allow other's to moderate your options, your beliefs, or your truth.
Thanks for Reading
-The Original Random Moniker

I was at a gas station last night because of windshield wiper failure to get out the rain. A 50 year old white guy said he could help me get it working again but would help me for a little cash or gas. I agreed he started working on it and asked me to get cash from the store for him. I said once the work is complete I got you, but he wasn’t willing to wait for that he wanted gas he said he wouldn’t complete the job and came back with a baton threatening me and hit me with it a older gentleman came to my rescue and made him put it back to its original state and he drove off I was tryna see if this is common and should i file a police report I have his license plate number and all?

Humble Bundle: (Region: EUROPE!)
 
2Dark
Aarklash: Legacy
Among the Sleep - Enhanced Edition
Almost There: The Platformer
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DEADLOCK
BASEMENT
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Butcher
Burly Men at Sea
Cities in Motion 2
Crazy Machines 3
CRYOFALL
Dungeon of the Endless
DON'T ESCAPE: 4 DAYS TO SURVIVE
ECHO
ENDLESS SPACE 2 - DELUXE EDITION
Evergarden
Forged Battalion
FANTASY BLACKSMITH
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Fallout 1
GRID 2
GOAT OF DUTY
HackyZack
Homeworld Remastered Collection
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Insurgency
IRIS AND THE GIANT
INDIVISIBLE
Kona
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Mysterium: A Psychic Clue Game
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One Way Heroics
Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You
Orcs Must Die! 2 + DLC
Punch Club
Red Faction®: Armageddon™
RAILWAY EMPIRE
Revolver 360 Re:Actor
Rusty Lake: Roots
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Swords and Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon
She Remembered Caterpillars
Shadowrun Returns
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode I
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II
Sonic Adventure DX
Sonic Adventure 2+Battle DLC
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Sonic Generations Collection
Steel Rats
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
SIGMA THEORY: GLOBAL COLD WAR
Shadowrun Returns
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Swords and Soldiers 2
STRANGE BRIGADE
Subterrain
Talisman: Digital Edition
Tannenberg
Tennis World Tour
The Town of Light
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure
THE UNCERTAIN: LAST QUIET DAY
The LEGO® Movie - Videogame
The Forgotten City
Tower of Guns
Tacoma
TRAIN STATION RENOVATION
The Golf Club™ 2019 featuring PGA TOUR
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VERLET SWING
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WEREWOLF: THE APOCALYPSE — HEART OF THE FOREST
YUPPIE PSYCHO
 
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Grand Ages: Medieval
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Mysterium: A Psychic Clue Game
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
GALAK-Z
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SPACECOM
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Streets of Fury EX
OUT OF THE BOX
Yoku's Island Express
 
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Wanted to share my top 5 recommendation list. Having lived here for about 30 years, here are the best spots to visit, whether you're traveling or a local. I've included a range of options from cheap eats to fine dining.

1. Chef Tally's - I've binge eaten at least 50+ jamaican restaurants, and while this isn't your typical traditional jamaican spot, this is hands down one of my favorite places in south Florida. I dream about the chicken here. It's always a candidate for my "what should I eat this weekend" thoughts.
2. Mila Sunday Brunch - $95 for all you can eat cinco jota jamon iberico, black caviar, and a ton of other creatively prepared dishes. I've had a few of the other brunchs in south florida, like edge, novikov, etc. but this one gets the thumbs up because they actually have more unique spreads and appetizers. Pro tip, they have a cheese wheel pasta and mojito station outside. Did I mention the price includes unlimited champagne and rose?
3. Palacio de los Jugos - this is a staple of south florida cuisine. I might get some flack for having this on my list, but amongst all the cuban and latin spots I've been to across Hialeah and Miami, I always find myself back here grabbing a meal for like $7 and juice for $3!
4. Stubborn Seed - I haven't gone since they've gotten their Michelin Star, but I used to frequent this place. What sets the tasting menu at stubborn seed apart in my opinion is the almagamation of dish pacing, food sourcing/creativity, and lineup of ingredients. I don't think there's a singular dish that really sets this restaurant apart from the rest of the modern fine dining options, but more so a extremely well presented and curated dining experience.
5. Anita Gelato. This spot recently opened in Aventura coming from NYC. It's not a super traditional italian/argentiniam gelato, but the flavor combinations are the best I've ever had. And it's not too sweet. My favorite ice cream/froyo/gelato spot amongst the hundreds I've been to in SoFlo.

Honorable mention goes to Kaeru Sushi for bringing great quality japanese food for an affordable price.* A little extra. South Florida has EXCELLENT latin american food(peruvian, argentinian, columbian, etc.), mediterranean, israeli/jewish delis, italian, caribbean, and much more. I highly recommend checking out any of the above cuisines. DM me if you'd like any specific recommendations.
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News Link: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/05/14/2881828/0/en/Dyadic-Announces-First-Quarter-2024-Financial-Results-and-Highlights-Recent-Company-Progress.html
Human Health Sector

• Final Clinical Study Report has been issued for the First-In-Human Phase 1 clinical trial demonstrating safety and antibody response for DYAI-100, a recombinant protein receptor binding domain booster vaccine candidate for protection against COVID-19 infection
• Entered into several fully funded vaccine and antibody projects covering more than twelve targets, five of which are funded by two of the top ten pharmaceutical companies
• Successfully expressed a H1N1 influenza antigen in our collaboration with the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (“VIC”) at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Announced strategic partnership to develop affordable rabies prophylactics and vaccines using C1-cell protein production platform
• Published a manuscript of preclinical studies on C1 produced monoclonal antibody in non-human primates and hamsters in prestigious peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications
• Advanced collaboration with Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) targeting bio-threats and emerging disease solutions
• C1 produced adjuvanted recombinant ferritin nanoparticle H5N1 “Bird Flu” human vaccine candidate demonstrated a strong immune response in animal studies

Animal Health Sector

• C1 produced adjuvanted recombinant ferritin nanoparticle H5N1 “Bird Flu” human vaccine candidate demonstrated a strong immune response in animal studies for potential use in poultry, cattle and other animals
• Expanded collaboration with Phibro/Abic to develop vaccines and treatments for companion and livestock animal diseases

Alternative Proteins Sector

• Executed a term sheet to utilize our microbial protein production platforms to develop production strains for the production of recombinant serum albumin
• Advanced development of 6 product candidates for non-pharmaceutical applications utilizing the Dapibus™ platform technology

Corporate

• Closed a $6.0 million convertible note in a private placement, with a conversion price of $1.79 and no warrants
• Appointed Mr. Patrick Lucy as Board Chairman and Mr. Joe Hazelton as Chief Operating Officer
• Cash and investment grade securities of $12.1 million as of March 31, 2024
• Financial results and business update conference call scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET today

JUPITER, Fla., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dyadic International, Inc. (“Dyadic”, “we”, “us”, “our”, or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DYAI), a biotechnology company focused on the efficient large-scale manufacture of proteins for use in human and animal vaccines and therapeutics, as well as non-pharmaceutical applications including food, nutrition, and wellness, today announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and highlighted recent Company progress.
“We continue to execute our business strategy to focus on near-term pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical applications for our proprietary and patented C1 and Dapibus™ protein production platforms and pipeline products,” said Mr. Mark Emalfarb, President and CEO of Dyadic. “One of our key highlights was the successful completion of a Phase 1 clinical trial that met its primary endpoint of safety and reactogenicity affirming the safety of proteins produced by Dyadic's C1 platform in humans. We believe this milestone not only establishes the safety of our platform but also provides a solid foundation for C1 technology’s future applications in human and animal vaccines and therapeutics. With the H5N1 ('Bird Flu') virus outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, along with one recent human case, we are seeing an increasing interest in our H5N1 'Bird Flu' ferritin nanoparticle human vaccine candidate, developed with ViroVax. Additional animal studies indicate that the vaccine candidate has the potential to generate high neutralizing antibodies for use in cattle. Our Q1 2024 achievements demonstrate our ongoing commitment to enhancing our microbial platforms for diverse applications, and our dedication to improving health for humans and animals, while tackling the challenges of sustainable food production.”
Mr. Emalfarb continued, “As we progress into the second quarter, our Company continues to focus on enhancing the Dapibus™ platform, designed specifically for non- pharmaceutical uses in industries such as food, nutrition, health, and other bioproducts. To accomplish this goal, we have honed our business development strategy, focusing on key areas where our technologies can deliver the greatest impact with shorter commercialization timelines. Our strategy includes simultaneously targeting multiple offtakes for a single product in several corresponding business segments and seeking out new opportunities that are in line with our strategy.”
Joe Hazelton, Dyadic’s Chief Operating Officer, elaborated, “In addition to operational advancements, we also strengthened our financial position with the issuance of $6.0 million in convertible notes, which will be used to accelerate and exploit our strategic objective of near-term revenue generating products and commercialization opportunities for pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical applications. We believe that product opportunities such as recombinant human albumin and alpha-lactalbumin provide Dyadic with multiple monetization opportunities as a licensed product or cell line in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and food applications. We are confident that our strong position, both financially and scientifically, will enable us to implement our business plans with improved capabilities and resources. We are enthusiastic about our future prospects and remain committed to providing value to our customers and stakeholders.”
Recent Company Progress
Corporate Events:

• On March 8, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate principal amount of $6.0 million of its 8.0% Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Notes due March 8, 2027 (the “Convertible Notes”) in a private placement in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The purchasers of the Convertible Notes include immediate family members and family trusts related to Mark Emalfarb, our President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors, including The Francisco Trust, an existing holder of more than 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock.
• On March 28, 2024, the Company announced changes in the leadership roles of the Board and senior management team: the appointment of Mr. Patrick Lucy as Chairman of Board of Directors and promotion of Mr. Joe Hazelton to Chief Operating Officer.

~Human Health Sector~
DYAI-100 Phase 1 Clinical Trial
DYAI-100, a C1-SARS-CoV-2 recombinant protein RBD vaccine candidate, is the first C1-expressed protein tested in humans. The Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed as a first-in-human trial to assess the clinical safety and antibody response of DYAI-100, produced using the C1 platform and administered as a booster vaccine at two single dose levels in healthy volunteers. Following regulatory clearance from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), the trial was initiated in 1Q 2023, with the last patient visit occurring in 3Q 2023. On November 29, 2023, the Company announced the top-line safety results, indicating that the study has met its primary endpoint that both the low and high dose levels of the vaccine are safe and well tolerated among participants. Additionally, the vaccine has been shown to induce immune responses at both dose levels, suggesting its potential efficacy in generating protective immunity against the target virus. The study has been finalized, and the final Clinical Study Report has been issued, demonstrating that the DYAI-100 vaccine met its primary endpoint of safety and reactogenicity.

• In April 2024, Dyadic and its development partner ViroVax reported pre-clinical animal testing on a ferritin nanoparticle H5N1 bird flu recombinant protein human vaccine candidate that demonstrated a strong immune response in rabbits. The potential vaccine combines Dyadic’s C1 single step ferritin nanoparticle H5N1 antigen production with a novel adjuvant from ViroVax. Additional animal studies are being carried out that preliminarily show that this H5N1 bird flu vaccine has the potential to be used in humans.
• Successfully expressed H1N1 influenza antigen in the fully funded research collaboration with the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (“VIC”) at Massachusetts General Hospital to express vaccine antigens for influenza A and other infectious diseases, as part of a US $5.88 million award from the Department of Defense (“DoD”).
• On March 25, 2024, the Company entered a funded research collaboration with a top ten pharmaceutical company to develop a vaccine antigen and a monoclonal antibody produced from the C1 technology.
• In March 2024, a manuscript of preclinical studies on C1-produced monoclonal antibody in non-human primates and hamsters was published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. A non-human primate challenge study completed dosing of a C1-produced COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that had previously demonstrated broad neutralization and protection against Omicron (BA.1 and BA.2) and the other earlier variants of concern in hamsters. Preliminary results obtained from the challenge study with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta virus on non-human primates demonstrated potential high protection. This was the first time a C1-produced monoclonal antibody was used in a non-human primate study validating the safety and efficacy of a C1 produced antibody for infectious diseases.
• On February 28, 2024, the Company’s Dutch subsidiary, Dyadic Nederland BV, entered into a strategic partnership agreement and collaboration with Rabian BV (“Rabian”), a Dutch innovative SME founded by experienced entrepreneurs and vaccine scientists. Awarded by Eurostars for the AVATAR project, a part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), and co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe. Rabian will use the total funding of approximately Є1.7 million leveraging its expertise in virology to develop a rabies vaccine using Dyadic’s C1 protein production platform to tackle the challenges posed by rabies, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries. Dyadic is expected to receive an equity stake in Rabian, fully funded research and development costs, and specified product milestones and royalties upon commercialization.
• On February 21, 2024, the Company announced it has advanced its collaboration with the IIBR and its commercial arm Life Science Research Israel (LSRI), to target emerging disease solutions. This partnership aims to leverage Dyadic’s expertise in microbial platforms for flexible scale protein bioproduction and the IIBR’s antibodies and antigens discovery capabilities to develop and manufacture innovative solutions for addressing emerging diseases and potential bio-threats. Through this collaboration, both parties are working towards the development of effective treatments and vaccines to combat global health challenges with the intention of future commercialization (to date, the framework is non-binding and subject to the execution of a binding agreement to be negotiated by the parties) through collaborative out-licensing initiatives.
• On February 13, 2024, the Company announced a strategic partnership with Cygnus Technologies®, part of Maravai LifeSciences®, who have developed the C1 Host Cell Protein ELISA Kit for the quality release of products produced using Dyadic’s protein expression platforms. The C1 Host Cell Protein ELISA Kit is now available for purchase on Cygnus Technologies website under Fungal HCP ELISA kits tab.
• On February 6, 2024, the Company announced it signed a fully funded evaluation agreement including a commercial option with an undisclosed leading global biopharmaceutical company to design and produce recombinant proteins using Dyadic’s C1 microbial protein production platform.

~Animal Health Sector~

• On March 15, 2024, the Company expanded its collaboration with Phibro Animal Health/Abic Biological Laboratories Ltd to develop vaccines and treatments for companion and livestock animal diseases.
• C1 produced adjuvanted recombinant ferritin nanoparticle H5N1 “Bird Flu” human vaccine candidate demonstrated a strong immune response in animal studies for potential use in poultry, cattle and other animals.
  • The H5N1 C1 produced bird flu ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicits high neutralizing antibodies against all three virus isolates (including Texas) of the H5 virus in livestock.

~Alternative Proteins Sector~
Dyadic is advancing a pipeline of differentiated product candidates that leverage its microbial protein production platforms, including Dapibus™ which have demonstrated the ability and efficiency to enable the rapid development and large-scale manufacture of proteins at low cost in a wide range of non-pharmaceutical applications and commercial use.
Cell Culture Media Products

• In March 2024, the Company executed a term sheet with a large global albumin manufacturer and distributor to develop and license Dyadic’s recombinant serum albumin. The Company’s animal-free recombinant serum albumin projects were initiated in late 2022 using Dyadic pharmaceutical cell lines for use in potential therapeutic, product development, research, and/or diagnostic human and animal pharmaceutical applications. The Company has completed the initial analysis of its recombinant albumin products and has Certificates of Analysis for recombinant human and bovine albumin that demonstrate comparability to reference standards used in the testing.
• In March 2024, the Company entered into a co-promotion agreement with Biftek Co. for the promotion of growth media supplement for cell culture.
• The Company is undergoing a project to produce recombinant transferrin for use in cell culture media for the alternative protein industry.
• The Company is currently sampling recombinant bovine albumin for application testing as growth media for the cultured meat industry.

Non-animal Dairy Products

• As previously announced, in September 2023, the Company entered into a development and exclusive license agreement to commercialize certain non-animal dairy enzymes used in the production of food products using Dapibus™ and received an upfront payment of $0.6 million in October 2023. The Company believes it has achieved the specified target yield level required for a milestone payment upon verification by its partner, and the development of a second enzyme is progressing as planned.
• The Company has developed a highly productive strain and is actively sampling recombinant alpha-lactalbumin, a whey protein, and is currently negotiating several development and commercialization agreements.
• The Company is undergoing a beta-lactoglobulin animal-free recombinant whey protein project, expected to begin sampling in the late third quarter.
• The Company is undergoing a recombinant lactoferrin project, expected to begin sampling the product in the late second or early third quarter.

Bio Industrial Products

• The Company has developed three enzymes, with plans for two additional enzymes, that have the potential for use in multiple industries, such as dairy, nutrition, biogas, biofuels and biorefining. Several initial targets are under evaluation with interested parties.

Financial Highlights
Cash Position: As of March 31, 2024, cash, cash equivalents, and the carrying value of investment-grade securities, including accrued interest, were approximately $12.1 million compared to $7.3 million as of December 31, 2023.
Revenue: Research and development revenue and license revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, decreased to approximately $335,000 compared to $934,000 for the same period a year ago. The decrease in research and development revenue was due to the winding down of several large research collaborations conducted in 2023. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company’s revenue was generated from ten collaborations compared to seven collaborations in the same period a year ago.
Cost of Revenue: Cost of research and development revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, decreased to approximately $144,000 compared to $727,000 for the same period a year ago. The decrease in cost of research and development revenue was due to the same reasons as for revenue described above.
R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, decreased by 35.5% to approximately $523,000 compared to $811,000 for the same period a year ago. The decrease reflected the winding down of activities related to the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial of DYAI-100 COVID-19 vaccine candidate and a decrease in the amount of ongoing internal research projects.
G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024, increased by 20.9% to approximately $1,789,000 compared to $1,480,000 for the same period a year ago. The increase reflected increases in business development and investor relations expenses of approximately $138,000, audit fees of $99,000, management incentives of $59,000, and other increases of $59,000, offset by decreases in insurance expenses of $29,000 and legal expenses of $17,000.
Loss from Operations: Loss from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024, slightly increased to $2,126,000, compared to $2,050,000 for the same period a year ago.
Net Loss: Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $2,010,000 or $(0.07) per share compared to $956,000 or $(0.03) per share for the same period a year ago. The increase in net loss was derived from the sale of the Company’s equity interest in Alphazyme LLC for $989,000 in 2023.
Conference Call Information: Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Dial-in numbers: Toll Free 877-407-0784 International +1-201-689-8560 Conference ID: 13743568 Webcast link: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1650831&tp_key=0f89478e24
An archive of the webcast will be available within 24 hours after completion of the live event and will be accessible on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.dyadic.com. To access the replay of the webcast, please follow the webcast link above.

Goodwill represents a critical component of a company's value, often reflecting intangible assets such as brand reputation, customer relationships, and intellectual property. Proper management and enhancement of goodwill can significantly impact a company's valuation. In this article, we will explore effective strategies for managing goodwill and enhancing its value, ensuring your business remains competitive and attractive to investors.

Understanding the Valuation of Goodwill

Before diving into the strategies, it's essential to understand the valuation of goodwill. Goodwill is typically assessed during mergers and acquisitions, where the purchase price exceeds the fair value of net identifiable assets. This excess value captures the intangible aspects that contribute to a company's competitive advantage. Common methods for valuing goodwill include:

1. Excess Earnings Method: Calculates goodwill based on the excess earnings generated by the company's intangible assets.
2. Market Approach: Compares the company to similar businesses that have been sold recently.
3. Income Approach: Projects future cash flows attributable to goodwill and discounts them to present value.
4. Cost Approach: Estimates the cost required to recreate the intangible assets that constitute goodwill.

Understanding these methods is crucial for implementing strategies that effectively manage and enhance goodwill.

Strategies for Managing Goodwill

1. Strengthen Customer Relationships

Customer loyalty is a significant component of goodwill. By enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement, businesses can foster long-term relationships that contribute to recurring revenue and positive word-of-mouth.

• Personalized Marketing: Use data analytics to tailor marketing efforts to individual customer preferences.
• Exceptional Customer Service: Invest in training and tools that empower customer service teams to resolve issues efficiently and empathetically.
• Loyalty Programs: Implement reward programs that incentivize repeat purchases and brand loyalty.

2. Invest in Brand Building

A strong brand enhances goodwill by differentiating your company in the marketplace and creating emotional connections with consumers.

• Consistent Branding: Ensure consistent messaging and visual identity across all marketing channels.
• Quality Content: Produce high-quality, informative content that positions your company as a thought leader.
• Public Relations: Engage in PR activities that boost your brand's reputation and visibility.

3. Enhance Employee Satisfaction

Employees play a vital role in the creation and maintenance of goodwill. A motivated and engaged workforce can lead to improved customer interactions and innovation.

• Work Environment: Create a positive, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture.
• Professional Development: Offer training and career advancement opportunities to employees.
• Recognition and Rewards: Implement programs to recognize and reward employee contributions.

4. Innovate Continuously

Innovation drives competitive advantage and is a crucial factor in goodwill valuation.

• R&D Investment: Allocate resources to research and development to stay ahead of industry trends.
• Customer Feedback: Use customer feedback to guide product and service improvements.
• Agility: Develop the ability to quickly adapt to market changes and new opportunities.

5. Maintain High Ethical Standards

A company’s reputation for ethical behavior significantly influences goodwill.

• Corporate Governance: Implement robust governance practices to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Social Responsibility: Engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that positively impact society.
• Compliance: Adhere to industry regulations and standards to build trust with stakeholders.

6. Leverage Digital Transformation

Embracing digital transformation can enhance goodwill by improving operational efficiency and customer experience.

• Digital Tools: Utilize CRM systems, AI, and other digital tools to streamline processes and enhance customer interactions.
• Online Presence: Strengthen your online presence through an optimized website, active social media engagement, and e-commerce capabilities.
• Data Security: Ensure robust cybersecurity measures to protect customer data and build trust.

Measuring the Impact of Goodwill Management

To gauge the effectiveness of your goodwill management strategies, it’s crucial to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly.

• Customer Satisfaction Scores: Track customer feedback and satisfaction levels.
• Employee Engagement Scores: Measure employee satisfaction and engagement through surveys and feedback.
• Brand Equity: Assess brand strength through market research and brand equity studies.
• Financial Metrics: Monitor financial indicators such as revenue growth, profit margins, and return on investment (ROI).

By continuously evaluating these metrics, you can adjust your strategies to ensure the sustained enhancement of goodwill.

Conclusion

Effective management and enhancement of goodwill are essential for maintaining a company's competitive edge and overall valuation. By focusing on customer relationships, brand building, employee satisfaction, innovation, ethical standards, and digital transformation, businesses can significantly enhance their goodwill. Regularly assessing the impact of these strategies through relevant KPIs ensures that your company remains on a path of sustained growth and value creation.
Understanding and implementing these strategies will not only improve the valuation of goodwill but also contribute to the long-term success and stability of your business.

Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Christie emerged from the bathroom once her nerves had calmed and found one of the chateau’s windows that looked out on the western ridgelines. She reached into her handbag and produced a stick of lipstick, sighted on a curve of blackness intersecting a particular constellation rising into the night sky, and pushed a discreet button on the base. The task force now had confirmation that Rayker was inside the chateau and the machine would be set in motion.
As she turned to head back to the party, Christie saw a different range of mountains in the corner of her eye. A fishhook stabbed into the muscle of her heart and tugged, while she was nearly overwhelmed with nausea. For a moment, a dusty valley surrounded her, the rocky ground coursing with streams of blood. The ghostly white face of Rose Djallen was before her, life fading from her eyes. Christie wanted to gasp, but she let the pain wash over her in silence, as they had all done so often. A moment’s concentration brought her back to the present, and the dangerous operation ahead.
Rayker’s expression had been so devoid of warmth—as though she wore her psychotic nature with pride. Christie couldn’t understand how someone could be so inhuman. She wondered what would happen if Rayker sensed the trap that was closing around her. Christie knew that she, and probably some of the guests, would be taken hostage. No doubt the dozens of Rangers stalking through the darkness would break cover, racing through the night to rescue her, with one particularly hard-headed individual out front. The highly skilled operators now preparing their own move on the chateau would fight their way inside, killing anyone who resisted them. The Banshee, their well-armed gunship, would break its cloak, leaving its position behind Ambrosia’s second moon to rain hellfire down on the small army that provided security for the Helvetic League’s pleasure planet. Rayker would probably die in a hail of gunfire—giving Rose her deserved retribution—for the Valkyrie would eagerly sacrifice their own lives before leaving one of their own behind.
Then the news of the incident would spread, and humanity’s thirty-seven worlds would talk of nothing else but the secret army of super soldiers that protected them from the arsenal of the Jotnar—an ancient and extinct civilization, who’s abandoned weapons and warships littered the stars. Nations, corporations and crime syndicates would find ways to track down those weapons, exploiting their incredible destructive power for their own selfish purposes. There would be war, billions would die, and, like those who had preceded them, humanity would probably wipe itself out.
Rose had died protecting Christie from Rayker’s drone army, but she had also died to uphold Valkyrie’s ancient responsibility.
That operation had ultimately saved the planet Caldera, but in the chaos and confusion of the battle Rayker had managed to slip away. The organization had spent nearly two years trying to hunt her down, but she was too skilled, too deeply enmeshed in the Helvetic League’s underworld.
The council of chiefs, Valkyrie’s inscrutable governing body, had agreed to form Task Force Nemesis under the command of General Smyrna. She was assigned the Mountain Ranger’s Bravo company—the Venomous Vipers—a Raider squadron of elite counter terrorists, and a task unit from Orbital Demolition Team Four. Supported by the Banshee and guided by Christie’s intelligence gathering unit, their mission statement was simple—do whatever it took to kill or capture Allana Rayker.
As they made slow, painstaking process, they began to receive indications that their target had rejoined her old corporate paymasters at VennZech, the most powerful weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Then, the news broke that Joakkim Meissner, one of Rayker’s suspected allies, had been promoted to Chief Executive, arranging his party on Ambrosia to celebrate.
He had also invited one of the League’s rising stars in physics. The brilliant young doctor Ernst Kolar was a specialist in theoretical energy development. He had recently published a paper describing a theoretical anti-matter reactor alarmingly similar to those that powered the warships and killing machines of the Jotnar. Christie’s team leader, Jiao Zhang, had offered the high-confidence assessment that Rayker would refuse to let such an asset out of her sight. And, on the protected world of Ambrosia, what could she have to fear?
But Valkyrie had been breaking through Helvetic security barriers since the creation of the quasi-imperial state, and had become extremely good at it. And so, the operation had been set in motion.
Christie took a deep breath and prepared herself, soothing away any traces of nervousness. She left the outer hall and re-entered the party.
***
“Olympus, Olympus, Olympus,” a voice intoned through Kayla’s headset.
The code word signaled that Christie had identified Rayker in the chateau, and the operation was a go. A double burst of static followed; a squad-level transmission from Kes. It was the order to take out the security guards.
Kayla and Ray had crawled as close as they could to their position, readied their stun rifle and waited patiently. As the signal came in, the men had pushed away from their boulder rest spot and were resuming their patrol through the woods. Kayla waited until their line of sight had passed her, before she stood slowly, weapon aimed. A faint rustle told her that Ray had done the same.
The guard at the back, still slurping from a water bottle, fell a little further behind. The stun rifle’s projectile hit him in the neck, shocking his nervous system into an overload state. He seized and dropped to the ground, unconscious. The men ahead of him span and there was a mechanical thump from Ray’s weapon. Her shot struck center mass, and another figure collapsed, just as Kayla pulled the trigger again. The last guard went down quickly, but, to Kayla’s shock, seemed to remain conscious. He struggled on the ground like a dying fish as he tried to reach for his radio, so she sprinted forward and kicked him in the head.
Kayla wrinkled her nose and cursed quietly. The scientist who had trained her squad on the weapon had explained that a failed shot would result in the victim emptying the contents of their bowels and bladder. Looks like she had been right.
“Three down,” she muttered into her helmet mic. “No other contacts in sight.”
Even so, she continued to scan the distant trees carefully.
Ray secured the guards with serum injections while Tian and Yak, the other two members of the fire team joined them. The projectiles were gathered into Tian’s rucksack, and, when the rest of the squad arrived, they moved off through the trees together, climbing the slope until they reached another crest, and a chain link fence.
Half a mile away from the chateau, the main security compound provided a base for the guard’s rapid reaction force. The compound had a single entrance and out of the blockhouse blue light flickered to the loud chatter of an excited racing commentator.
Kayla stopped in the shadows of the trees and waited patiently. The air above her head snapped and cracked as rounds shot past, impacting security cameras and sensors around the compound. The bullets were a large caliber, but with a thermic charge core. Each strike glowed brilliantly as intense temperatures melted through their targets, leaving no evidence of what had neutralized them.
She grinned. Thandi was going to work, and though her presence and skill made Kayla feel much more confident, she would still tease her about doing the ‘easy part’ later.
In the near distance, there were a pair of flashes and loud zaps as the base’s generator and backup went out to EMP charges. Another squad from their platoon was working their own approach. That made Kayla nervous. The two elements would soon have to meet up, and nothing could be more dangerous to those who owned the night than confusing each other for the enemy.
She took her team around the base to the now dark main gate as the on-duty guards emerged to check on the loss of power. Stun rifle shots knocked them out, and the squad regrouped behind the cover of a vehicle bay, while Kayla identified the largest building in the compound and watched it attentively.
They waited patiently until the silence was broken by a new voice on the radio.
“Eyes on the barracks, north side. No movement.”
“South side clear,” Kayla confirmed.
“Approaching,” the other squad leader said.
Kayla waited until she saw shapes emerging from the shadows and sprinting behind the back of the large structure. Then, one leaned out from the corner, watching. Kayla tapped a control on her helmet, and a perfect white line broke through her grey world, pointing towards the figure. She was answered with a similar flash of infra-red energy, and her anxiety eased.
Kes, who had also been watching, tapped her shoulder, and Kayla led off towards the barracks.
From outside the Rangers could make out the annoyed calls of men and women stumbling around in the darkness. One emerged from a side door and nearly got off a shout before Tian tackled him and knocked him out. The two squads moved quickly, cracking open doorways and rolling gas grenades inside.
Invisible and odorless, the gas contained the signature compound Valkyrie used to erase memories. The Rangers waited a few minutes, safe behind their face masks, then entered and confirmed that all inside were unconscious. Kes and Thandi smashed a few liquor bottles against the walls, while others dragged the bodies into the main room, and distributed more ‘evidence’.
Eventually, Kes called ‘all clear’, and Kayla emerged from the building into the night, lifting her faceplate to breathe in some fresh air. She saw her fire team, Ray, Tian and Yak, heading to the vehicles to place EMP charges, and began to follow them, when a sharp rap on her helmet brought her up short.
She turned to see Thandi, vizor up, and an expectant expression on her face.
“Was that a curse word I heard earlier?” Thandi asked, keeping her voice low.
Kayla shook her head. “Negative. I was providing a biological assessment of the dude.”
“Ick. Two in the barracks were uh… in the middle of something when they passed out. I had to pull them apart.” She pulled a face. “That was gross.”
Kayla winked at her friend, who was spiritual enough for the both of them. “Unmarried, I bet. Your god approves.”
Thandi nodded gratefully, then shot her a look. “He’s not just my—"
Kes marched over, her expression severe. “Do either of you have EMP charges left?” she demanded.
“Yes Corporal,” Kayla nodded, and patted her rucksack.
“There’s a couple of transports left in the north corner. Get on it, then rejoin us on the east fence. Come on, we need to move quickly!”
Kayla scampered away, buzzing with energy. The squad still had to head for the chateau, and take up their position in the perimeter that was slowly drawing tighter around Rayker. She glanced at the dark mountains around her. In a dozen locations, radar arrays, missile defenses and communications stations were being similarly neutralized by small teams of Valkyrie from the various units. Soon they would have their prey, and Kayla privately hoped that she wouldn’t surrender.
***
Christie found Doctor Kolar, alone as usual, in the main hall and painfully out of place at such a large social gathering. He nursed a champagne glass, and smiled at passersby. Christie stared at him until their eyes met, and he quickly looked away, pretending to study one of Meissner’s diamond statues.
She walked in his direction, and as she passed, she flashed him a shy smile. Then, returning to her coterie of admirers, she looked back with another friendly expression.
Kolar cautiously approached the group, obviously unsure of what to do. The men ignored him, but the second he managed to breach the outer mass of bodies, Christie was on him.
“Oh hello! I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure!” she cried, extending her hand and beaming like a searchlight.
The other men frowned as they lost her attention.
“Um… All mine,” stammered Kolar. “Sorry. I’m—”
“Doctor Kolar, isn’t it?” interrupted a renowned and pompous pianist. “You’re working on space batteries for VennZech weapons research, or some such thing?”
“Well…” Kolar gulped. “We’re starting a new project on micro-singularities at the Planck scale, you see the current theory on weak—”
“It’s weak, you say?” The pianist laughed raucously as he slapped the doctor’s back. “Well, I never would have guessed, old boy.”
“Tell me, Zotty,” Christie cut in, addressing one of the other men, “Didn’t you just tell me this was one of Meissner’s inner circle?” she tottered forward slightly as she spoke.
“Correct,” the elder son and heir apparent of the largest media corporation in the League replied with a smile. He lifted his gaze from her bosom. “Doctor Kolar’s work is vital for the Maestro.”
Kolar smiled gratefully. “Indeed. Well, it’s about energy generation.”
“Oh, I hope you aren’t helping him make more of those dreadful bombs,” Christie said, and pouted. “War is very wrong! Really, I don’t know why they haven’t sanctioned the company for some of the absolutely horrid things they produce.”
The surrounding billionaires nodded their approval, while Kolar flushed. “No… well, I mustn’t talk about it, but I shouldn’t be getting involved in that side of VennZech’s business.”
“Quite right.” Christie nodded. “Oh, but you’re dry.” She turned to a waiter, grabbed a pair of glasses from his tray and handed one to Kolar.
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Christie emerged from the bathroom once her nerves had calmed and found one of the chateau’s windows that looked out on the western ridgelines. She reached into her handbag and produced a stick of lipstick, sighted on a curve of blackness intersecting a particular constellation rising into the night sky, and pushed a discreet button on the base. The task force now had confirmation that Rayker was inside the chateau and the machine would be set in motion.
As she turned to head back to the party, Christie saw a different range of mountains in the corner of her eye. A fishhook stabbed into the muscle of her heart and tugged, while she was nearly overwhelmed with nausea. For a moment, a dusty valley surrounded her, the rocky ground coursing with streams of blood. The ghostly white face of Rose Djallen was before her, life fading from her eyes. Christie wanted to gasp, but she let the pain wash over her in silence, as they had all done so often. A moment’s concentration brought her back to the present, and the dangerous operation ahead.
Rayker’s expression had been so devoid of warmth—as though she wore her psychotic nature with pride. Christie couldn’t understand how someone could be so inhuman. She wondered what would happen if Rayker sensed the trap that was closing around her. Christie knew that she, and probably some of the guests, would be taken hostage. No doubt the dozens of Rangers stalking through the darkness would break cover, racing through the night to rescue her, with one particularly hard-headed individual out front. The highly skilled operators now preparing their own move on the chateau would fight their way inside, killing anyone who resisted them. The Banshee, their well-armed gunship, would break its cloak, leaving its position behind Ambrosia’s second moon to rain hellfire down on the small army that provided security for the Helvetic League’s pleasure planet. Rayker would probably die in a hail of gunfire—giving Rose her deserved retribution—for the Valkyrie would eagerly sacrifice their own lives before leaving one of their own behind.
Then the news of the incident would spread, and humanity’s thirty-seven worlds would talk of nothing else but the secret army of super soldiers that protected them from the arsenal of the Jotnar—an ancient and extinct civilization, who’s abandoned weapons and warships littered the stars. Nations, corporations and crime syndicates would find ways to track down those weapons, exploiting their incredible destructive power for their own selfish purposes. There would be war, billions would die, and, like those who had preceded them, humanity would probably wipe itself out.
Rose had died protecting Christie from Rayker’s drone army, but she had also died to uphold Valkyrie’s ancient responsibility.
That operation had ultimately saved the planet Caldera, but in the chaos and confusion of the battle Rayker had managed to slip away. The organization had spent nearly two years trying to hunt her down, but she was too skilled, too deeply enmeshed in the Helvetic League’s underworld.
The council of chiefs, Valkyrie’s inscrutable governing body, had agreed to form Task Force Nemesis under the command of General Smyrna. She was assigned the Mountain Ranger’s Bravo company—the Venomous Vipers—a Raider squadron of elite counter terrorists, and a task unit from Orbital Demolition Team Four. Supported by the Banshee and guided by Christie’s intelligence gathering unit, their mission statement was simple—do whatever it took to kill or capture Allana Rayker.
As they made slow, painstaking process, they began to receive indications that their target had rejoined her old corporate paymasters at VennZech, the most powerful weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Then, the news broke that Joakkim Meissner, one of Rayker’s suspected allies, had been promoted to Chief Executive, arranging his party on Ambrosia to celebrate.
He had also invited one of the League’s rising stars in physics. The brilliant young doctor Ernst Kolar was a specialist in theoretical energy development. He had recently published a paper describing a theoretical anti-matter reactor alarmingly similar to those that powered the warships and killing machines of the Jotnar. Christie’s team leader, Jiao Zhang, had offered the high-confidence assessment that Rayker would refuse to let such an asset out of her sight. And, on the protected world of Ambrosia, what could she have to fear?
But Valkyrie had been breaking through Helvetic security barriers since the creation of the quasi-imperial state, and had become extremely good at it. And so, the operation had been set in motion.
Christie took a deep breath and prepared herself, soothing away any traces of nervousness. She left the outer hall and re-entered the party.
***
“Olympus, Olympus, Olympus,” a voice intoned through Kayla’s headset.
The code word signaled that Christie had identified Rayker in the chateau, and the operation was a go. A double burst of static followed; a squad-level transmission from Kes. It was the order to take out the security guards.
Kayla and Ray had crawled as close as they could to their position, readied their stun rifle and waited patiently. As the signal came in, the men had pushed away from their boulder rest spot and were resuming their patrol through the woods. Kayla waited until their line of sight had passed her, before she stood slowly, weapon aimed. A faint rustle told her that Ray had done the same.
The guard at the back, still slurping from a water bottle, fell a little further behind. The stun rifle’s projectile hit him in the neck, shocking his nervous system into an overload state. He seized and dropped to the ground, unconscious. The men ahead of him span and there was a mechanical thump from Ray’s weapon. Her shot struck center mass, and another figure collapsed, just as Kayla pulled the trigger again. The last guard went down quickly, but, to Kayla’s shock, seemed to remain conscious. He struggled on the ground like a dying fish as he tried to reach for his radio, so she sprinted forward and kicked him in the head.
Kayla wrinkled her nose and cursed quietly. The scientist who had trained her squad on the weapon had explained that a failed shot would result in the victim emptying the contents of their bowels and bladder. Looks like she had been right.
“Three down,” she muttered into her helmet mic. “No other contacts in sight.”
Even so, she continued to scan the distant trees carefully.
Ray secured the guards with serum injections while Tian and Yak, the other two members of the fire team joined them. The projectiles were gathered into Tian’s rucksack, and, when the rest of the squad arrived, they moved off through the trees together, climbing the slope until they reached another crest, and a chain link fence.
Half a mile away from the chateau, the main security compound provided a base for the guard’s rapid reaction force. The compound had a single entrance and out of the blockhouse blue light flickered to the loud chatter of an excited racing commentator.
Kayla stopped in the shadows of the trees and waited patiently. The air above her head snapped and cracked as rounds shot past, impacting security cameras and sensors around the compound. The bullets were a large caliber, but with a thermic charge core. Each strike glowed brilliantly as intense temperatures melted through their targets, leaving no evidence of what had neutralized them.
She grinned. Thandi was going to work, and though her presence and skill made Kayla feel much more confident, she would still tease her about doing the ‘easy part’ later.
In the near distance, there were a pair of flashes and loud zaps as the base’s generator and backup went out to EMP charges. Another squad from their platoon was working their own approach. That made Kayla nervous. The two elements would soon have to meet up, and nothing could be more dangerous to those who owned the night than confusing each other for the enemy.
She took her team around the base to the now dark main gate as the on-duty guards emerged to check on the loss of power. Stun rifle shots knocked them out, and the squad regrouped behind the cover of a vehicle bay, while Kayla identified the largest building in the compound and watched it attentively.
They waited patiently until the silence was broken by a new voice on the radio.
“Eyes on the barracks, north side. No movement.”
“South side clear,” Kayla confirmed.
“Approaching,” the other squad leader said.
Kayla waited until she saw shapes emerging from the shadows and sprinting behind the back of the large structure. Then, one leaned out from the corner, watching. Kayla tapped a control on her helmet, and a perfect white line broke through her grey world, pointing towards the figure. She was answered with a similar flash of infra-red energy, and her anxiety eased.
Kes, who had also been watching, tapped her shoulder, and Kayla led off towards the barracks.
From outside the Rangers could make out the annoyed calls of men and women stumbling around in the darkness. One emerged from a side door and nearly got off a shout before Tian tackled him and knocked him out. The two squads moved quickly, cracking open doorways and rolling gas grenades inside.
Invisible and odorless, the gas contained the signature compound Valkyrie used to erase memories. The Rangers waited a few minutes, safe behind their face masks, then entered and confirmed that all inside were unconscious. Kes and Thandi smashed a few liquor bottles against the walls, while others dragged the bodies into the main room, and distributed more ‘evidence’.
Eventually, Kes called ‘all clear’, and Kayla emerged from the building into the night, lifting her faceplate to breathe in some fresh air. She saw her fire team, Ray, Tian and Yak, heading to the vehicles to place EMP charges, and began to follow them, when a sharp rap on her helmet brought her up short.
She turned to see Thandi, vizor up, and an expectant expression on her face.
“Was that a curse word I heard earlier?” Thandi asked, keeping her voice low.
Kayla shook her head. “Negative. I was providing a biological assessment of the dude.”
“Ick. Two in the barracks were uh… in the middle of something when they passed out. I had to pull them apart.” She pulled a face. “That was gross.”
Kayla winked at her friend, who was spiritual enough for the both of them. “Unmarried, I bet. Your god approves.”
Thandi nodded gratefully, then shot her a look. “He’s not just my—"
Kes marched over, her expression severe. “Do either of you have EMP charges left?” she demanded.
“Yes Corporal,” Kayla nodded, and patted her rucksack.
“There’s a couple of transports left in the north corner. Get on it, then rejoin us on the east fence. Come on, we need to move quickly!”
Kayla scampered away, buzzing with energy. The squad still had to head for the chateau, and take up their position in the perimeter that was slowly drawing tighter around Rayker. She glanced at the dark mountains around her. In a dozen locations, radar arrays, missile defenses and communications stations were being similarly neutralized by small teams of Valkyrie from the various units. Soon they would have their prey, and Kayla privately hoped that she wouldn’t surrender.
***
Christie found Doctor Kolar, alone as usual, in the main hall and painfully out of place at such a large social gathering. He nursed a champagne glass, and smiled at passersby. Christie stared at him until their eyes met, and he quickly looked away, pretending to study one of Meissner’s diamond statues.
She walked in his direction, and as she passed, she flashed him a shy smile. Then, returning to her coterie of admirers, she looked back with another friendly expression.
Kolar cautiously approached the group, obviously unsure of what to do. The men ignored him, but the second he managed to breach the outer mass of bodies, Christie was on him.
“Oh hello! I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure!” she cried, extending her hand and beaming like a searchlight.
The other men frowned as they lost her attention.
“Um… All mine,” stammered Kolar. “Sorry. I’m—”
“Doctor Kolar, isn’t it?” interrupted a renowned and pompous pianist. “You’re working on space batteries for VennZech weapons research, or some such thing?”
“Well…” Kolar gulped. “We’re starting a new project on micro-singularities at the Planck scale, you see the current theory on weak—”
“It’s weak, you say?” The pianist laughed raucously as he slapped the doctor’s back. “Well, I never would have guessed, old boy.”
“Tell me, Zotty,” Christie cut in, addressing one of the other men, “Didn’t you just tell me this was one of Meissner’s inner circle?” she tottered forward slightly as she spoke.
“Correct,” the elder son and heir apparent of the largest media corporation in the League replied with a smile. He lifted his gaze from her bosom. “Doctor Kolar’s work is vital for the Maestro.”
Kolar smiled gratefully. “Indeed. Well, it’s about energy generation.”
“Oh, I hope you aren’t helping him make more of those dreadful bombs,” Christie said, and pouted. “War is very wrong! Really, I don’t know why they haven’t sanctioned the company for some of the absolutely horrid things they produce.”
The surrounding billionaires nodded their approval, while Kolar flushed. “No… well, I mustn’t talk about it, but I shouldn’t be getting involved in that side of VennZech’s business.”
“Quite right.” Christie nodded. “Oh, but you’re dry.” She turned to a waiter, grabbed a pair of glasses from his tray and handed one to Kolar.
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Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie