One republic piano sheet music

Has anyone used one of these? Is it just a gimmick or something actually worth investing in . Four context I in charge of of a property with 5 music venues that operate 7 days a week 365 days a year. We have tribute and cover bands come in on a daily. So for us it might be worth it instead of using a mic spray like Goby Labs or equivalent. My question is I can see how it sanitizes but does it deodorizes as well. I know one thing with the spray is it helps with the smell that microphones can get.

To give some background my boyfriend and I have been seeing each other for a year and a half. He asked me to officially be his girlfriend a little over a month ago (April). Throughout the time of us seeing each other we did couple like things (dates, trips, meeting family, etc.) even though we didn’t have the official title
So the day that he asked me to be his girlfriend we go into our worst fight to date. It was a very volatile argument and we almost ended things. Basically he looked through my laptop and saw that I had given my number to a dude when I was out of town for my homegirls bday in January. The messages he saw were the guy saying his name and where he’s from and then one that said “good morning beautiful”. There were no messages from me because I never replied to the guy. It took me a while to even remember what happened because it was several months ago but I finally remembered, told him what happened, and apologized. A guy asked for my number at a bar I gave it to him. I didn’t see or speak to him again. Nothing physical happened. He didn’t buy me a drink, ask for a dance, nothing. Even tho we weren’t official together when I gave my number out my bf lost a lot of trust in me from this situation. So because of this situation and lack of trust he had me cancel all of my plans (weekend in nyc, musical festival, and bday dinner) that I had with my friends. He also recently told me that I can’t spend the night out of town (because my friends don’t like local) or go to a baclub with my friends unless he also comes. Basically he doesn’t trust me to be in the “same situation” I was in back in January when I gave my number out.
So I am moving about 2 hours away in the next couple weeks to start graduate school. My program starts in early July. Grad school is very rigorous so I won’t have much free time soon. I really want to see my friends and enjoy the little free summer I have, so I am very disappointed that my BF has put these restrictions on me. I understand that I broke his trust and that he wants to be included in the things that I do with my friends but I want girl time. Is that selfish?
So while I canceled all my previous plans my friends just invited me to do something memorial day weekend. It would be out of town because my friends don’t live locally. I really want to go but I also don’t want to cause a riff in my already rocky relationship. I think my options are to 1) go with my friends and just deal with the consequences 2) stay home and be upset that i’m not with my friends but happy by boyfriends not mad at me 3) some how bring him to the girls event even tho I don’t really want to but he won’t be mad at me.

Hello everyone looking at this post. I’m looking for a friend I can vibe chill and get to know on a deeper personal level I hope. I crave more relationships in my life and/or just people to talk to.
Here’s a bit about myself. I enjoy playing video games the most. I’m a pc gamer, and I have a crap ton of games. But I mostly play league, valorant and cs. Recently been getting into Terraria and currently playing persona 5 and elden ring . Favorite game all time is portal 2 or Luigi’s mansion. I love watching shows, anime or regular. Currently watching jjk and AoT, and caught up in one piece. I occasionally like the outdoors and do things like fishing, camping, hiking, just enjoying the nature and vibes. For music, I enjoy rap and rock but I also like other niche stuff. Favorite artist is juice wrld. Oh and I guess a favorite movie of mine is Donnie Darko, love physiological thrillers.
Overall, I’m a pretty laidback person and would like to get to meet some new people. Have a good day/night!

Here's a really oddly specific and random question... For whatever reason, we have ten or twelve days to spend, and we've narrowed it down to either Malta or Tirana, Albania. Both are within easy (and cheap!) access from where we'll be working late spring. We re usually go-go-go types of tourists. We're well travelled as a fam (>55 countries) but we're quite happy spending this ten days laying low. Middle aged couple with a 17yo kiddo.
We like good food, drink (not partiers), beaches, music, culture... we have a bit of a fetish for UNESCO sites. But honestly, we want a nice central locale where we can get around by foot or cab or basic transport and see and experience a new part of the world.
Anyone have some scoop on either (or both, if you've been) these two countries? WHich one would you choose, and why?

I tried googling this because I thought it would be simple, but I have not found one result explaining how to do this - I have a DVD here with audio of a live performance. No matter what I tried I can only rip the entirety of it instead of the individual chapters. I'm not trying to have one giant file of the whole thing, I want flacs of each song so they can go in my music library. Is it possible to do this with VLC?
Before you ask, yes there are individual chapters. I can select them from the menu, and even when ripping I can start from any one, but it will still rip everything after that. I just want a rip of each track.

DISCLAIMER: I’m sorry if this has already been said in here and if it has just lmk and I’ll just delete this and we’ll pretend this never happened
Movie is a generous term, but what if the boys are somehow going to combine the “I am Clancy” video with all of the music videos they release that are lore (I believe they said some of the videos aren’t lore) to create one long video or “movie” for the album? I honestly think it would be great. I know a YouTube playlist could just be made, but I think it would be cool to just have a clean cut version of all of the videos in order.

You guys remember those IG lives scar did recently where he played a bunch of songs?? And they were all pretty much done?? And he claimed to have 70+ tracks in the vault or something??? Of course you probably remember that because you’re in this sub. Anyways the point I’m getting at is he’s been starving us of new material. I think we can all agree that it was very enjoyable to have 2 tapes per year for a time. I get that he wants to give us the best of the best or whatever but this is ridiculous. It would be great if he released one 20 song tape and a well put together experimental album per year. Sadly that doesn’t seem to be the world we live in. Perhaps he’s just been touring around too much to flesh out a project. Maybe it’s because Gina’s OF is doing really good and scar likes pleasing her more than us now idfk lol. We know it isn’t because he fell off his grind but shiiii Gina might be grinding on him too much for him to grind on what’s important which is us.. For music releases of course!! (okay that’s the last one I swear.) Either way he should really release something soon. I swear on the Gucci gang if it’s another 10 or less track album pack it just won’t do the trick just because of how long it’s been. Especially since it was a 30min 9 pack we got after a 9 month wait and now it’s nearing a year. Ehh I got bright eyes to keep me musically satisfied right now anyways. Nothing like Conor’s unmatched poetry to keep me questioning what made him so sad. Just like how I question how scar is always so genuinely pissed. I’m fine with wondering why he’s that way even though he has a Pstar cock, a very attractive GF, big house, lots of fans, fame, money, 10/10 genetics, super ripped/muscular, cars, his own clothing brand, unlimited gin, ect. I just don’t want to be questioning when the next drop is for this long. Anyways what do you guys think about scar cheating on us with some other thing?? Is he still invited to our birthday parties? Are our moms just going to be hitting on him the whole time? Or he is going to be acting all dark and mysterious in the corner? Or is it not even worth inviting him because he’s just going to make the same excuse as always which is “nah guys sorry I can’t hangout. My mom’s eating dinner tonight.”Should we still even allow him to play air soft with us in the woods? He always starts covering himself in blood and starts running around while not calling hits. What about our bowling get togethers? He’s always acting like he’s rolling someone’s severed head down the lane… hmm I can’t stay mad at him because all those things are what makes him our buddy, yippee! 🥳

I have started collecting vinyls and this is a MUST have for me. I love his music and I have missed out on his sale for this album. If you have one or can get me one, please let me know!!
Thank you guys :)

Hello! My name is Tai, and as the title says I'm 28 years old, born and raised in Western Canada. I would consider myself an incredibly kind, caring and compassionate person capable of being empathetic and non-judgmental and hope to find someone similar to learn, grow and experience the best of life and humanity with.
A bit about me;
I'm biracial Asian and white, born to an Asian father and white mother. I'm beyond passionate about music! I'm a self-taught pianist, I need to sing like I need to breathe and I'm currently teaching myself to play guitar. If I could make music for a living and share my art with the world, move people with my sound and bring people together, my heart would overflow with happiness. I love fashion as as art and one of the highest forms of self expression. I love seeing the confidence and comfort in those who find their style and rock it unapologetically. I'm just as comfortable staying in and gaming or binge-watching a good show as I am going out and exploring the wilderness, though I do genuinely and wholeheartedly appreciate any opportunity I have to just soak in and be in awe of nature. Animals. I have the softest spot for any and all animals and grossly sob watching rescue videos on Instagram. If you have animals, I want to see them please and thank you.
More importantly though, I'm really big on communication and active listening, and though sometimes struggle as we all do from time to time, always do my best to ensure others feel heard and validated so we can work on the problems at hand effectively and thoughtfully.
We're all humans just trying to piece together and make our way through life for the first time and I acknowledge that we are all far from perfect, I just want to find someone who wants to put in the work with me to kind of just have a beautiful and fulfilling life full of the good and bad that we can get through together.
Thank you for reading

so i’m supposed to be working but honestly my managers don’t give a rats ass and no one needs me rn so i am here… what better place to be. i feel so isolated rn it’s crazy.
i would like to find someone to talk to for the day or other days ahead if i potentially find a friend. i guess vc is fine too.
a bit about me, i like watching movies, series, recently got back to watching anime. i love music, art, sciences, was a big philosophy nerd but meh, i like going on walks, gym, etc. i like yo think i’m a good conversationalist. buuut who knows.
i dont really have any preferences just be around 25 i guess which is my age and no funny business 🫵😠 so if you find this interesting hmu!

Hello! My name is Tai, and as the title says I'm 28 years old, born and raised in Western Canada. I would consider myself an incredibly kind, caring and compassionate person capable of being empathetic and non-judgmental and hope to find someone similar to learn, grow and experience the best of life and humanity with.
A bit about me;
I'm biracial Asian and white, born to an Asian father and white mother. I'm beyond passionate about music! I'm a self-taught pianist, I need to sing like I need to breathe and I'm currently teaching myself to play guitar. If I could make music for a living and share my art with the world, move people with my sound and bring people together, my heart would overflow with happiness. I love fashion as as art and one of the highest forms of self expression. I love seeing the confidence and comfort in those who find their style and rock it unapologetically. I'm just as comfortable staying in and gaming or binge-watching a good show as I am going out and exploring the wilderness, though I do genuinely and wholeheartedly appreciate any opportunity I have to just soak in and be in awe of nature. Animals. I have the softest spot for any and all animals and grossly sob watching rescue videos on Instagram. If you have animals, I want to see them please and thank you.
More importantly though, I'm really big on communication and active listening, and though sometimes struggle as we all do from time to time, always do my best to ensure others feel heard and validated so we can work on the problems at hand effectively and thoughtfully.
We're all humans just trying to piece together and make our way through life for the first time and I acknowledge that we are all far from perfect, I just want to find someone who wants to put in the work with me to kind of just have a beautiful and fulfilling life full of the good and bad that we can get through together.
Thank you for reading

I just started working at Target this year (end of January) in consumables so the only inventory I know is inventory audits on the zebras…
My entire store has been running around like crazy in the stockroom trying to clean everything up and honestly I didn’t think anything of it because my SD randomly gets in these ‘spring cleaning’ moods. Till today when that transferred over to market, it was a literal shit show. I’m being so serious when the only thing that was written on my assignment sheet was; “today we hustle.”
We ran ALL the backstock, emptied out every drawer (idfk what they’re called) on every shelf in the freezer and diary cooler, backstocked all of that, and then had to set up a completely different backstocking system because no one listened to our other one. I honestly think this is the clearest our freezer has ever been. We had a group of people come in and take pictures of all of the coolers and the freezer, then they took pictures of all the dry grocery aisles in the stockroom.
I kind of gathered that this is a fairly important thing considering the fact that my ETL who never shows up was here yesterday and today. I just don’t understand WHY it’s a big deal? I get wanting the coolers and freezer cleared of U-boats to make it easy to audit, but what’s the deal with the impending doom??

The place is called Anthiny Meindl it's a course where one day is workshop the other is lecture
I want to take on acting for only improving my social skills and maybe expand my creativity from my music career of 10 yrs. Live in LA comfortably and have time right now away from work to take this on. Would this be a good place to start?

Humans can pretty much do anything if you have a normal functioning drive .I really did not expect it .My original plan was to make some even half backed I find myself investing more time in getting better
4 months ago I decide to shoot my own music videos ..wow I’m blown away
Honestly when I decided to blow 3k of my hard worked money on camera equipment .Lights ,camera ,lenses ,filters my freinds thought I was stupid .I had been saving for a new car I drive a beat up vw bettle .it was time to upgrade but I chose to invest in my music ..After 5 videos on YouTube so far I think this one might be my best video too me 14 hours of editing ..
Willing to learning more especially on artistic shooting ideas

Hiyo, I'm a depressed(but medicated!) person seeking platonic friendship. I love gaming first and foremost and have since I was a wee lil kid on an NES and Sega Genesis and eventually N64, though all of my gaming these days is on pc. I'm looking most for a gaming buddy who likes co-op games(I don't do pvp at all). I do have really bad anxiety and am very shy so introductions are awkward and it's a bumpy start, but I warm up soon enough! Looking for real friendship beyond just gaming every so often. Chatting throughout the day and hanging out and having fun. PM me since I don't look at comments or reddit chat and tell me a bit about yourself.
Games I'm looking for others to play with(all these games are on Steam):

• Helldivers 2
• Lethal Company
• Wildermyth
• Darktide
• GTA Online
• Grounded
• Inkbound
• For the King 2(or the 1st)
• Crab Champions
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Earth Defense Force 5 or 4.1
• Gunfire Reborn
• Monster Hunter World/Iceborne or Rise/Sunbreak
• Risk of Rain 2
• Roboquest
• Stardew Valley(modded, maybe)
• Terraria(modded)
• Arcadegeddon
• Plateup!
• Borderlands(any of them, maybe)
• Payday 2(maybe)
• Minecraft(modded, but you'd choose)
• I have a ton more and also a bunch on epic, but these are ones I'm ok to ease into a new friendship with

Beyond gaming, I enjoy a tiny bit of anime(have only seen maybe a handful of shows) and old rock or video game musics and random memes and cute animol pics, nature-y type stuff, LotR and Star Wars, random comedy shows and movies and well, probably just about anything as my humor and interests are all over. At the very least I'd like to hear about yours!

The place is called Anthiny Meindl
it's a course where one day is workshop the other is lecture
I want to take on acting for only improving my social skills and maybe expand my creativity from my music career of 10 yrs.
Live in LA comfortably and have time right now away from work to take this on.
Would this be a good place to start?
Appreciate all the advice

I mean looking at the hip-hop genre we already had Astroworld and Flower Boy, today the addition was MMLP.
I think My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy HAS to be up there, along with TPAB it set so many milestones that it has to make the list, although maybe other Kanye albums could make the list too? Like Graduation and 808s had a huge impact on music, Yeezus led to many of the sounds that are being used today too. College Dropout was one of, if not, the best debut albums of all time, there's so many albums and all of them have influenced music in some way.
What are your predictions for Kanye albums to make the top 100 though?

First...Previous
Colonist Memory Log: Captain Alan J. Emerson
UNS Evandra
Mechanical melodies of gears grinding together and switches flicking of their own accord surrounded the shrine room as before us the gramophone began softly to whistle and click. “He is here…” Kritivek announced, standing tall and bowing his head in rigid deference to his god.
After a few more seconds, the machine’s output grew in both volume and complexity until at last my GRIM could recognize the clicks as Chitaan language. “Hello, Kritivek.” It began, its voice smooth and rhythmic like something between the crackle of a geiger counter and a typewriter’s telltale racket. “I am glad to see you alive and well. Judging by the fact that Gheyk and Fevik are not with you, however, I calculate an 86% chance that they were not so lucky.”
“You are correct, Great One…” murmured Kritivek, the sadness in his tone underpinned by pure awe and reverence for this being.
For a few seconds, Omnus did not speak, but from the everpresent churn of gears we could quite literally hear him ‘thinking’. “I have logged their names in my backup database,” the machine eventually concluded, its words visibly bringing relief to Kritivek. “They shall be remembered for the remainder of my existence. Please, take solace in that…”
“May they frolic in your glory for all of time,” our Chitaan guide prayed aloud, his words followed by yet another long, smothering silence.
“You hath served me well, Kritivek.” Continued the machine, prompting a delighted chitter from the Chitaan priest. “You may go in peace, for I wish to speak with these Humans alone. Mourn your brothers and celebrate the time you spent together. Perhaps enjoy a flask of bogal poured out in their honor?”
“As you wish, my lord… I will inform those outside that you are in contemplation for this night and can take no more prayers until daybreak.”
Replicating with its gears the gentle rattle of a Chitaan chuckle, Omnus waited until his priest had left before at last speaking directly to the three of us. “You are not native to this planet, correct?” He asked, his words distinctly lacking the emotional inflections of Kritivek’s. “Your arrival here is without precedent, but not entirely unexpected.”
Though clearly far from divine in nature, the being with whom we conversed at this shrine was nevertheless a true marvel to behold: one born not of metaphysics, but rather mechanics. “You’re an AI!” I gasped, that last word having no direct translation in the Chitaan language and as such forcing my translator to make do with the clumsier phrase ‘thinking tool’.
“That is correct,” replied this machine, its words underscored by the distant hiss of steam valves and other clockwork components. “Allow me to offer my most sincere sympathies for the unfortunate demise of your homeworld. Taking into account the trajectory of your ship prior to landing, I presume its origin to be the Cichek system—a G-class star located [forty lightyears] away. Is this hypothesis accurate?”
Awkwardly clearing his throat in a bid to obtain the AI’s attention, it was Alex who next deigned to speak out. “You would be dead on,” he affirmed, his tone betraying an understandable degree of awe. “Though our name for it is the Sol system. How long have you known about our ship for?”
“I first detected the gravitational anomaly in our system approximately [3 months] ago. Initially, I had mistaken your vessel for an asteroid and as such expected it to continue on its prior trajectory. Asteroids, however, do not suddenly change course in the direction of nearby planets like your ship did [hours] ago.”
“Are you entirely clockwork?” I asked Omnus, gesturing incredulously toward its walls of grinding machinery. Surely, that could not be the case. For a convincingly sapient AI to be constructed on the basis of such primitive technology, it would require decades or perhaps even centuries of construction.
Again, silence fell over the room as Omnus mechanically contemplated my query, meeting it with a reply after some twenty seconds of deliberation. “What else might I be?” The machine asked, providing me implicitly with my answer. “While I have theorized several possible avenues for technologies more advanced than myself, including electronic and organic integration, such methods appear to have been beyond my creators' capabilities.”
“That brings up another question…” Alice interjected, recovering at last from the sheer shock of encountering a sapient machine. “Who built you and why?” Despite years of exponential advancement in the field of computer science, true AI nevertheless had continued to elude mankind. Convincing as our facsimiles of sapience could be at times, they nevertheless lacked the capacity for emotion and initiative characteristic of real consciousness. Whoever constructed this machine had done something thought impossible by over a century of Human engineers.
“In truth, I am not sure…” Omnus concluded after an even longer-than-usual pause. “My core memory bank was reset [9,462 years] ago. As such, I have no data on my creators nor their original intentions for me. However, I have largely ruled out the possibility of them having been Chitaan.”
Fascinating as this clockwork consciousness undoubtedly was, something about its relationship with the natives left a bad taste in my mouth all the same. "And why exactly are you masquerading as a god before these people?" I asked him, my words tipped in a venom the potency of which apparently surprised my companions. "What value do you derive from tricking them into worshipping you?"
Lengthy silence fell over the shrine chamber as its AI occupant contemplated my complaint, responding much quicker than it had to the previous question. "In all fairness, 'trick' is a rather strong word..." answered Omnus with a steam-valve sigh. "When first I encountered the Chitaan, I had attempted to explain my true nature to them. No matter how I worded things, however, they simply could not comprehend me as anything short of divine. Upon finding me, the Chitaan found a guide bearing great wisdom; and in turn, I found a species in need of guidance.”
Falling silent for a moment to parse this response within my mind, I was hardly surprised when Alex spoke up to question the computer in my stead. “Is this the only settlement that follows you or are there others?” He asked.
“This access point where you now stand is but one of several thousand, stretched out across [hundreds of thousands of miles],” explained Omnus, practically knocking the wind out of me with its sheer implied scale. “Currently, I am worshipped by the people of 2,147 city states, and through my guidance they are able to coexist in harmony.”
Perhaps at a later date, I reasoned, there would come a time to more closely study the inner workings of this clockwork deity. For the moment, however, my mind was occupied by far more salient concerns: anxieties related less so what this being was and more so to who. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us what your end goal with the Chitaan is, would you?" I inquired, my tone saturated with appropriate suspicion.
Contrary to my expectations of some evasion or simplification, this AI seemed more than happy to comply with my questioning. "My primary objective regarding the Chitaan is to create a society which both minimizes individual suffering and maximizes civilizational longevity. To this end, I have instilled values into my followers that prioritize empathy and compassion above all else. By drip-feeding them the technologies of my creators, I am able to ensure that the Chitaan who follow these directives remain more advanced than their neighbors."
"And why do you want that?" I asked, sticking my head thoroughly within the gift horse's mouth. Machines as I understood them were built not upon sweet sentiments, but rather on cold, unfeeling logic. Even if this AI was benevolent, there nevertheless had to be some reason behind its desires.
"If you are searching for some vile ulterior motive, I am afraid I will have to disappoint you. My decision to aid the Chitaan is based upon two simple factors: necessity and curiosity. On the one claw, without regular maintenance, I will shut down and 'die'. The Chitaan can provide me with this maintenance, and as such it is in my best interest to keep them healthy and alive for as long as possible. More importantly, however, is the matter of sapience itself. It is clear to me that my creators are no longer around. For such an advanced species to die out is not only tragic, but also provides a rather pessimistic paradigm with which to judge intelligent life. Your arrival here following the self-inflicted destruction of your own world further suggests that civilization is unstable: a race between innovation and eradication. Perhaps with the assistance of a being such as myself, I can prevent the Chitaan from suffering a similar fate and as such create a functional spacefaring civilization.“
At that moment, the motivations of this machine made perfect sense. “So that’s what this is,” I growled contemptuously, glancing behind myself to the cave entrance as Kritivek politely dispersed the other worshippers. “It's all just a science experiment to you…”
"Perhaps my explanation was a tad overly clinical..." Replied the machine following a brief period of reassessment. "Make no mistake: I do care for Kritivek and his species. They are far more to me than variables on a spread sheet. Had I no love for them, then my experiments would surely spiral into abject cruelty."
Interrupting this line of conversation with a stern glare shot in my direction, Alice was next among our troupe to speak up. "Forgive Alan's weariness: he spent sixty years of his life alone maintaining our ship on its journey.”
“That sounds like a difficult use of one’s lifespan: especially one so long as those of your kind.” Omnus hummed, the low-pitch of his synthetic voice oddly relaxing.
“My combative behavior does have a reason!” I snapped at the physicist, my tone coming off as a bit more aggressive than intended. “Two thousand lives are in our hands and we need to find some place for them to settle.” As I spoke, my thoughts returned—as they so often did—to Mina. I made a promise to her mother that I would do everything in my power to take care of her, and I held no intention of going back on my word.
Hearing this, the AI fell silent for a long few seconds before at last dignifying my concerns with a response. “Perhaps I could be of some use to you…”
Behind us, the larger Chitaan clad in red stepped inside Omnus’ shrine room. Gently nudging me aside so as to access his ‘god’, the priest knelt down before this machine and with a low-pitched chitter began to commune with it. “Lord Omnus. Forgive my intrusion most indiscreet, for there is one amongst us who desperately seeks your aid.”
“Apologies, Humans: before we continue this riveting conversation, I must first tend to the concerns of my pod.” Began the AI, promptly shifting its focus toward the priest and addressing him directly. “You are forgiven, my child. Speak freely and tell me to whom I can be of assistance.”
“It is Vevik, my lord…” Clicked the priest in red, his tone strained somewhat by what I presumed to be emotion. “His daughter has fallen deathly ill. Our apothecaries have attempted to purge her body of the illness using your divinely-taught potions, but their efforts have been to no avail.”
“I presume Vevik is outside. Invite him inside so that I may hear his prayers.”
“As you demand, Lord Omnus!” Exclaimed the priest, shuffling off toward the cave entrance before returning with a smaller Chitaan whose eyes were just about level with Alex’s forehead.
“Speak, my child…” Hummed the AI, its monotone voice somehow underlined by a tenderness almost unnoticeable against the grinding of its ancient gears. “Tell me the nature of your offspring’s affliction.”
Immediately falling to his knees before the clockwork god, this Chitaan who I presumed to be Vevik began to pray in response. “Great one: my beloved Yitika is most terribly ill. Her body is plagued by violent bouts of seizure. She struggles to speak and walks as though drunken. When she does manage to communicate, she complains of splitting pain within her mind. Please, Omnus: I know that the [six years] I have spent with her have been in themselves gifts most priceless, and I have no right to implore you for more, but I beg of thee not to take her from me so soon…”
What followed must have been two minutes straight of silence from the computer as its gears ground away fervently. “The symptoms you have described to me are most troubling…” It concluded at last. “And you say none of the medications I’ve taught the apothecaries were effective?”
"Yes, Lord Omnus. Even your draught of respite has done little to ease her suffering!" Vevik affirmed, his tone saturated with desperation.
"I calculate a 94% chance that Yitika's suffering is the result of a brain tumor..." Continued the AI in cold, calculating monotone. "Alleviating such an illness is not impossible, but there are certain things I must ask of you, Vevik."
Hearing this, the Chitaan knelt before Omnus began to weep with joy. "I will undergo any trial you place before me, my god. What beast need I slay? What ritual need I complete to prove my unending faith and loyalty to you?"
"Retrieve for me one thistle of frojeth and two bilvarian roots. Bring these ingredients and your child to the bed of revival [six miles] east of here. Beware, however, the faithless tribes, for they have taken up residence in the area."
"We are unworthy even to be in your presence, o great one; yet still you do not forsake us in our times of need!" Professed Vevik before the AI, his body quivering with some emotion my Cogitolink struggled to identify .
"That, my child, is where you are incorrect." The machine responded rather matter-of-factly. "Your people are worthy of every gift I hath given you. Archpriest Jokuk: your task is to assist Vevik in gathering the ritual components. Go now in peace, for I wish to commune privately with these beings from the stars."
Chittering out their parting prayers of protection to the AI, Jokuk and Vevik wasted little time in exiting the cave and setting off in search of the ingredients mentioned by their god, leaving the three of us alone with it once more. "Again, I must apologize for that interruption." Omnus began, its gears having slowed down to a somewhat more relaxed rate of revolution. “Fascinated as I am by your arrival here, I nevertheless must fulfill my ‘divine’ obligations. I hope you do not terribly mind.”
Fortunate though it was for Vevik, this machine’s intervention nevertheless left the three of us with more questions than answers. “You mentioned something about a ‘bed of revival’?” Alice began curiously, voicing but one of our newfound gaps in knowledge. “What sort of ritual item is that, and why can’t you just make another here?”
“It is not a ritual item,” replied Omnus matter-of-factly, “The bed of revival is an automated surgery bay hooked up to one of my subsystems. With it, I can perform complex surgical operations far beyond the Chitaan’s current capabilities. Those herbs I sent Vevik to collect can be used as rudimentary anesthetics and antiseptics."
"So why not just tell them the truth?" I shrugged, curious as to why this AI would feel the need to lie by omission regarding something like surgery.
"When communicating with people so technologically primitive as the Chitaan, it is important to do so in terms they can understand. There will come a day when they will be ready to hear the whole truth, but as of yet my worshippers remain unprepared."
Alex never was one to wait his turn when it came to the procurement of knowledge, and as per usual he felt the need to interject with an inquiry of his own. "You spoke about the so-called 'faithless tribes' like they're dangerous," he began, his expression briefly tightening up as though the term itself was somehow bitter. "Why demonize people who don't worship you?"
"What sort of narcissist do you take me for?" Replied Omnus in monotone displeasure, his gears again churning against each other as he turned over the xenobiologist's question in his analog mind. "Not all tribes who do not follow me are 'faithless'. There are many as-of-yet unconverted groups that Kritivek's people remain on amicable terms with. Faithless is a term first coined by my Chitaan followers to describe a group of particularly brutal raider tribes."
Hearing this, the underlined aggression within Alex's voice fizzled out in favor of grim understanding. Though clearly quite peaceful compared to our own iron age, this civilization nevertheless would naturally have its own barbaric holdouts. "Okay... What makes these Chitaan more dangerous than other raiders?"
"One substantial part of it is their belief system," explained the AI, pausing for a long while as though in recollection. "Their cultural power structure can best be described as an atheistic militaristic gerontocracy. In essence, the faithless believe that rather than gods, the universe is governed by fundamental truths, and that these truths become more apparent as one ages and grows."
On Earth, such a belief system would be relatively innocuous: no more harmful than the average. On a planet like this one, however, on which age turns people into cannibalistic monsters, I could most definitely see the problem. "Let me guess: they worship the mad ones?"
"Correct. The faithless regard mad ones as the wisest beings to exist, and as such seek to emulate their behaviors: cannibalism and animalistic violence chief among them. In their society, the larger one can grow before truly losing their sanity and therefore 'ascending' to the state of a mad one, the more power and respect they are given within society." Another long pause fell over the shrine room as this machine seemed to contemplate before speaking out yet again. "Perhaps I could make you an offer..."
"Let's hear it," Alice shrugged, her husband mirroring the reply with an affirmative nod.
Loud clacking sounds like those of a typewriter rattled out of the console as a sliver of ancient parchment inscribed with what looked to be a map slid out from a previously-unseen paper slot. "This map depicts the local area," explained Omnus. "If you can clear out the faithless ones so that Vevik can bring his child to the bed of revival, I will provide you with assistance in setting up a new colony for your species. Deal?"
Awkwardly plucking the paper from it's resting place and scanning it over with my ancient eyes, I contemplated carefully what this deal might entail. "We'll need to back to the Evandra first. There, we could theoretically thaw out a crew to help clear the place..."
"That will not be an issue," replied Omnus confidently. "I will send battle priests to assist you in your return... Assuming, of course, that we have an agreement?"
"We could definitely use this guy's help!" Alex affirmed, prompting a similar expression of agreement from Alice. Nevertheless, however, I still was the captain, and as such this was my choice.
And with that, I reached out my hand reflexively as though expecting the computer to reach back and shake it. "Deal..."

21M btw...
Ahem...
As the beautiful morning sun crests the peaks of the Nolden Mountain Range, illuminating the city of Princeton in it's ethereal glow, a subtle scent of unease hangs in the air...
It's been nearly a week since the end of the war, and yet, not a single soul in the country of Adelade feels the relief of the resolution to such a conflict. Dread so thick it could warm you in the winter frost hangs in the air and people go about their day with a moody trepidation that breeds nothing but more of this unease.
The local district baker opens his shop window, but he doesn't have that glowing smile on his face as he did before. His daughter, a young woman by the name of Sylvia, died in the war fighting for a cause that not many people agreed with. Adelade, with her saxum (One of the sister races of the human species) neighbors in the Nolden Kingdom, by all means "won" the war.
By all means, people should be celebrating. But why do they choose to remain somber? Bleak?
Well... They know. Everyone knows, hell, even the governments of the winning and losing sides both know. It was all an elaborate ruse. The war, the infighting, the civil unrest all over the continent of Aurum where these events have been taking place. They didn't see it until now, but it's so clear.
Southeast of Aurum, across the Sapphire Ocean, rests the colossal continent of Paladia. The whole region has been governed by a relatively new ideal that disrupted the status quo around eighty-odd years ago. The government of Paladia simply calls itself "The Republic."
Paladia was once ruled by a despotic tyrant in a line of succession named the Buckingham Dynasty. They were cruel feudal lords who controlled Paladia with an iron fist. But eighty-odd years ago, an incredibly violent revolution gripped the country, sparked by the cold-blooded summary execution of the entire Buckingham family tree, alongside many of the prominent nobility that circled the Buckinghams.
The revolution was long, drawn out, and many innocent people lost their lives, but the new ideal that stole the hearts of the people rose from the ashes with a zealous hatred for many traditional ideals, but most importantly: The ancient arts of Arcana, the worship of the gods, and the idea that governing power is born from blood, and not achieved.
These ideals are nearly a complete 180° from what the rest of the world had devoted their entire systems and ways of life to, so the backlash was heavy.
You see, magic, or Acana, in the world is gifted by ten divine artifacts known as the Arcane Crystals. Each of the five continents has two, and they act as conduits for Arcane powers to be utilized by any willing practitioners of the art. To practice, you must study in an Academy.
Wrapping back to Paladia, they destroyed their two crystals, vanquished the art of Arcana from every living and breathing being in the entire continent. They replaced their dependence on Arcana for a keen technological innovative society, growing arms and a military prowess the world had yet to see before, and they've been making small moves to enact their ultimate and final goal among the world... The complete destruction of Arcana across the world, and a new age born from steel and a new-era of innovation.
This is what the people on the continent of Aurum knew, this is what they've feared. The war between the north and south had weakened both sides so much that Paladian efforts to mobilize have become bolder, and it's clear they're going to make a move very soon... If Aurum falls, the world would be at the mercy of Paladia.
WHEW.
That was a lot, and I apologize for the random dumping of lore. I'm sure it was equivalent to whiplash, and there's a LOT more I've built onto this world. But ladies, gents, and everyone in-between, welcome to the world of Ardonia. My personal baby. I suppose I'm wanting to start playing with it a bit in the roleplay sector because I do want to create a novel out of it at some point, and roleplaying in the past has always helped my terrible ADHD brain focus on creative storytelling.
If you're interested, feel free to PM or make a reply! I'll be sure to check them as often as I can and see whats up, and if multiple people are down I'd even be willing to do a somewhat "D&D" scenario where I can guide the storytelling aspect with people playing as characters navigating the rough waters that is Ardonia.
Feel free to also ask any questions!
That's all for now, hope to hear from ya!