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Atlantis Commission
Officer Report - Lieutenant Colonel John Shepard
CLEARANCE LEVEL 5
Well this had definitely been a very interesting couple of hours. This dimension and its people had very odd opinions and ideas. Apparently the prey species of this dimension were all obligate cowards, whose instincts compelled them to be non-violent and run from threats. At least according to themselves. There were apparently some of them who were “predator diseased” as they called it, a disease which often resulted in increased violence, aggression, lack of empathy, and unheard like behavior. It sounded to me like some form of infectious psychopathy, but the venlil assured us it shouldn't affect us since we were predators, which didn’t really ease my fears, but hopefully it was something we could figure out when we got home if it ever became a problem.
Gotta love mandatory quarantine periods woo hoo!
As scary as this odd disease sounded, my main concern at the moment was to try and turn a professed coward into someone who could at the very least defend themselves.
I looked down to the table of gear ahead of me and then over to the mostly naked Venlil to my side, and then even farther to Tiel’c who thought It would be a good idea to help oversee Farva’s rapid fire training course. I fiddled with the bluetooth earpiece which was rigged up to one of our handhelds to run a translation program to speak directly with the captain. A big step up from our unknowingly one sided communications earlier.
I stepped on the other side of the plastic table and placed my hands down upon it and looked on at my new student..
“Welcome Captain Farva to our very impromptu accelerated course on Human arms armor and basic infantry tactics.” I said gesturing to the hodge podge gear we had managed to assemble for the good captain. “Are we ready to begin?”.
She flicked her ears, somewhat nervously by the looks.
“I’d take it that's a yes then?”
“Oh yes sorry”
“Alright then, well given that most of our crew is human and the only other alien struts around naked all the time, the only gear we have on hand is for humans, So you're going to be running size smalls and it's all going to fit all a bit big” I say as I toss her the tactical vest. ”Here try this on, we can try to tighten it up if it's a bit loose anywhere”. The captain wrestles with the buckles a bit, and Teal'c helps her tighten up some of the top straps, as the Venil’s shoulders weren't as broad as humans. Farva gave Teal’c an odd look, but seemed appreciative none the less.Once finished, she grasped the vest in her paws with interest. “This armor seems quite lightweight, which is nice, weight is often an issue that causes us to forgo armor, since heavy armor would hurt our running ability.” Farva remarks. “Also the sheer amount of pockets seems quite excessive, what do you need all these for?”
“Well for starters it's currently missing these '' I hand Farva one of the armor plates which she looks over. “That is a depleted Naquadria ceramic composite plate. It’s designed to stop bullet impacts and dissipate energy weapon blasts. It slots into that chest compartment in the front and back of your armor.”
“This isn't quite what Id imagine for the armor of your kind”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well judging by your ships I would have imagined you would put more emphasis on defense Your predatory nature would make you less likely to run away from conflict allowing for more encompassing armor to cover more than just your chest, since you have less need to run.”
She would put it like that.
“Well there are a number of reasons for that, a lot to do with those excess pockets you mentioned. For starters you will not be carrying the same amount of gear that the standard infantry unit would normally be carrying, we are preparing you for a quick in and out op. Normally us expedition teams need to be deployed into unknown territory for extended periods of time, we need to carry everything we might need with us from food, bullets, weapons, to comms gear, sensors, repelling equipment etc. The weight from all that gear adds up fast; In order to stay sufficiently mobile and combat effective; we only carry enough armor to protect our vitals, head and torso, anything else can hopefully be patched up by a field medic.”
Tielc gave his piece as well. “It is important to know when to run both towards and aways from one's foes, not every battle can be won through strength alone, but by strategy and cunning. Being able to reposition oneself quickly is therefore highly advantageous”
Farva seemed to freeze at Teal'c's statement, not out of fear I think, she instead had a distant look in her eye. To snap her out of her slump I handed her a standard ballistic helmet.
Seeming to get the idea she looked at it oddly and tried it on. It confirmed to her head shape decently well but depressed her ears to either side of her head, kind of resembling what one might imagine a sad bunny rabbit to look like “I don't think this will be something I can bring with me” she said ” I can't use ear signals and this will muffle my hearing.”
“Why don’t you keep it on for the time being, I think any extra hearing protection might be useful considering what we are about to try next.” I hand Farva some ballistic ear protectors, slightly modified and somewhat ramshackle. “One of the corporals worked closely with Nurse Fila to get an idea for safe decibels levels for your kind, we were also able to get these earbuds molded to fit into your ear canal better”
Farva took them and slipped them in. “These are a bit uncomfortable, what do I need these for?”
“You'll need them for this” I say as I unsnap the clasps on the weapons case revealing its contents.
The content seems to capture Farva’s interest, getting a slight tail wave.
“Okay So this here is a p90, It carries a 50 round top loading magazine of teflon coated armor piercing ordnance. With a cyclical rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute.”
Farvas ears perk up at this. “This seems like an efficient design, I take it these are a flashlight and laser sight for accuracy?” She asked, pointing to the top of the weapon.
“Yes we also have holographic and acog optics which will help line up targets from farther away.” I look on as Farva picks up the weapon and inspects it, testing the weight as I note that it will weigh a fair bit more once loaded. But she doesn't seem to be struggling with the weight. I can't help but notice good firearm safety as well, she keeps her finger well off the trigger and takes care to keep her weapon pointed aways from anyone else.
“This seems like a solid design but I'm not sure how useful those weapon optics would be, as they are not designed for my side facing eyes”
“I'm sure our master at arms can figure something out, why don't we give it a test fire first tho, before we send it off to make adjustments.” I instruct her on how to load the weapon and turn the safety off. I warn her of the sound it makes. And while definitely taken aback by the recoil and sound at first, she quickly gets the hang of it, she has some respectable shot groupings in both single fire and in short bursts. And keeps the rounds reasonably centered while firing in full auto.
She did a whole lot better than I would have initially suspected given her performance in the hanger bay a day before.
“The rate of fire seems useful” Farva spoke “This would be useful for our soldiers, our accuracy falters when we are panicked, and the increased shot count should guarantee some hits based on volume of fire alone” she finished with a dejected expression.
She quickly places the weapon back in its case, as if it burned to touch.” I don't know if I should be armed for this mission, at least not with that weapon, I don't want to miss and hit one of you in the back!”
“What? Nonsense, you are a great shot, and this is just a precaution in case we get separated or flanked and need some covering fire. If our guys are doing their job right you shouldn't need to fire a single round anyways.”
Captain Farva’s breathing started to hasten, earlier I might have thought it was fear, but I was starting to get an idea of what the captain's issues were. I’ve seen this before.
“I.. I can’t be trusted with this responsibility, every time I am left in charge of something, every time people put their lives in my paws I ....”
“Farva, don’t you start with me now you hear.” I said sternly, swiftly capping off her inevitable spiral of self doubt.
“But.. no.. you don’t understand”
Stopping her again I spoke. “But nothing, what happened before on that ship, and back at that colony is in the past. I don’t know your whole situation, but from what I have gathered from the crew It was nothing good. You feel responsible and it's eating away at you, and frankly it doesn’t matter if that's true or not. Accidents happen, people make mistakes, and when that happens we need to learn, take those lessons to heart, and don't let it stop us from helping people in the present. If you let guilt, or fear of mistakes stop you, then bad guys have already won, all without having to have fired a shot”
Farva is quiet for a short time, I was hoping I got through to her, I'm not the best and pep talks and this certainly wasn’t your typical weapons demo, if only everyones could go as smoothly as Ronan’s.
Farva spoke quietly, arms pressed up against her chest, she looked so sad, defeated, and small. Well more than usual anyways. “We can't be strong like you humans, we are too emotional and when we are scared we run away or we lock up and...”
“And that is clearly not the case with you captain Farva” Teal’c finally reentered the conversation having heard enough. “You have shown courage with every action you have taken so far, your actions have saved the lives of many of your crew, every time you have been threatened you acted not just to protect yourself but others as well. You attempted to contend with beings many times your size without even thinking about it, all in the effort to protect others, and this is only in the time we have known you, this speaks nothing of your actions over the colony. You are a warrior of admirable courage Captain Farva, your self doubt is unearned.”
A single tear rolled down Farva’s eyes which she quickly wiped away. “That was very nice of you to say, but I'm not brave like you say, I was terrified out of my mind the whole time.”
Teal’c looked puzzled. “I did not call you brave, I said you were courageous.”
Farva shot back with the little venlil one up one down ear flick I had very quickly learned was confusion.” I'm confused you just said brave twice”
“Hmm it appears your language does not contain the word I am using, I apologize I am not used to speaking through a translator” Teal’c relented “ There are two words I am using admittedly in slightly different forms, bravery and courage. Bravery or to be brave is to lack fear, to not be afraid to begin with. Courage tho, Is a trait far more admirable. Courage is to be afraid, to have fear, to worry about one's own mortality and personal safety. It is to acknowledge risk, danger, to feel fear, but to act in spite of it.”
“Had I not met your kind before I would have thought predators don't feel fear.”
“Everyone fears feel Farva, It is how we overcome it that determines our worth as warriors”
Teal’c picks up the p90 and returns it to Farvas hands.
“Your people need a warrior Farva, a warrior who protects the innocent and guides the lost to safety. You have shown how collected you can be in the heat of battle, You have already proven your worth in our eyes Farva, now you must do the same in your own. The greatest enemy lies not without” Teal’c places his hand firmly on the venlil’s chest “But within”.
After Action Report - Venlil Colonial Defense Force
Subject : Chief Engineer Donu
I fiddled with my holopad, Its small surface area proving to be a consistent source of annoyance in my current endeavor. Gone was the large workspace afforded to me by my holotable back in my office. Instead I had to work with the scaled down portable holotablet I was just fortunate enough to have strapped to my person when I was beamed away from our last ship. I was stuck with its smaller keyboard and slower rendering speeds.
An annoyed smooth skin alien looked over my shoulder at my device, attached to it was a jury rigged fiber optic cable, slotted into a terran silicon to crystal patch cable, which would convert the electrical signals broadcasted by my tablet into a bandwidth that the terrans crystalline based computers; which they used for highly complex tasks like hyperdrive and transporter systems; could use, and then It was patched again in a even stranger connector to patch into the odd asgard computer stones.
All in all it looked like someone tried to plug a regular computer into some crystal construct like you would find in a fantasy holonovel, and again plugged that into a harchen heat rock sauna lounge. Finally branching out from this conglomeration was a simple copper based wire that connects to a computer terminal at which currently sat the late Doctor Rodney Mckay. A title upon initially hearing led me to believe he was a medical doctor, which led to a flurry of medical questions that he had absolutely no means of answering.
While this odd alien nomenclature was interesting, what intrigued me more was his actual area of expertise, theoretical astrophysics, as well as a number of other diverse specialties and fields. Not to mention not only was he a great scientist who had he been raised in the more civilized portion of this galaxy, would have knowledge and aptitude that would put him alongside some of Aafas greatest minds, but he was also an engineer without peer, at least in this galaxy. His interactions with general Samantha Carter hinted at her possibly being his match if not more. For a species that was supposed to glorify violence the decision to have a scientist be arguably the most senior member of what was by their admission a military vessel spoke to their commitment to knowledge and understanding, a very noble prey-like goal.
I looked warily at the lines of code at my screen, the asguard translation program had earlier scanned our ship and was able to parse written languages, but complex files, like images and 3d design schematics were harder to encode and decode from our perspective systems. As is stands we have 3 completely separate computer architectures, the asguard can talk to human computers and the venlil computers can talk to the asguard computers, It sounds like we would have everything we need to get a human C.A.D schematic into a venlil holotablet right? Wrong! And you're stupid for entertaining such a idiotic notion! Parsing text from raw binary is relatively straight forward, you're just looking for patterns, repeating bit combinations that might infer letters and then iterating them over millions of times looking for patterns, letters, words, and then with a bit of help from some undecoded analog audio transmission, spoken language. This is a far cry from actual procedural communication protocols,the ones that allow for file transfers, exactly what we needed if we were to get Rodney's redesigned part schematics into a format and medium that can be plugged into a suitable fabricator. Assuming one still exists, which I can reasonably assume it does.
Speaking of which, I have just made something of a breakthrough. For upon my screen appears a simple geometric hydrogen cube, we’re talking vertices, planes, material data, everything we need for a usable design file.
I let out an excited pent up yip, the culmination of hours of frustrating software integration work. Unfortunately I startled Rodney, who lets out a panicked gasp and clutches his chest pelts with one of his paws.
“Oh god…..” He gasps, pointing at me “Please.. don’t do that”
“Sorry!” I say a bit meekly. I slowly approach him so as to not make him unnecessarily uncomfortable and show him my work.
“I got the file exchange set up, all we need from you is to finish any modifications to your part, upload them to my holopad, and then we can print away at any class 3 or above fabricator we can scrounge up on Brayga colony.”
“Ok.. um.. got it, I'm almost done i’m just you know” He points a lone grasping appendage at his screen,”Running some simulations, making sure everything is up to spec.” keeping his response kurt. “Sorry for freaking out there.”
I nod my head in the human display of affirmation and return to my workstation to further bug check my work, to test potentially problematic edge cases for when he finishes. Tho Rodney's continued odd behavior intruded on my thoughts.
I should have felt empowered, being able to intimidate this ‘massive beast’, but I didn't. I didn't like being feared, his people have been nice to me, Rodney himself courteous to a fault and desperate for positive attention.
I thought I could expect predators to be fearless but that clearly wasn't the case, rodney was fearful, nervous, had I not known better I would say defective, and while it annoyed his crew, they didn't berate him for it, or attempt to assert dominance, they encouraged it even with placating words and tried to help him through it, they encouraged and supported him like a proper herd, even if sometimes it took the form of what the human would call a playful ribbing. I supposed I could help him as well.
I approached him again, careful to make my approach known to him, making sure to approach from within his limited field of vision. He looks up at me with a wide eyed glare, had I not known him I might have assumed it was hunger, but I did and knew it to be concern.
“Uh high Donu.. um whats up?”
“Why are you afraid of us rodney?”
“Wa-What, me afraid?” he gives out a panicked laugh ”uh no no, I'm not afraid, you know just a bit weirded out I'm just getting used to you all, it's not a fear thing it's a a…. Just getting used to new aliens thing, ask Hermirod we went through this whole song and dance right buddy”
Hermirod furrowed his brow and gave an irritated sigh from across the room.
I reached out to take Rodney by the paw.
His whole body flinched at my mere touch, I quickly withdrew my paw.
“Oh.. um.. I didn't…”
“Rodney! It's okay, your crew doesn’t seem to care when you show fear, and neither do I. Why are you afraid of us? You are almost twice our size and surely double our strength, most venlil would scream and run in terror at the mere sight of you. What's wrong?”
Rodney let out a sigh. “Oh its, we don't have to talk about this, I can deal with this, I deal with scary situations all the time, it's fine, I'll be fine.”
“Rodney, my people are a very emotional, empathic people, we are open with our feelings and with our fear, and the fear of the one can affect the herd, please let me help you. I don’t know what to expect from your society but I promise I wont judge you for your fear or emotions, I mean look at many of my crew mates, we are no one to judge”
Rodney shot back “You didn't seem to be so bothered”
“I’m too old to care, I was about to retire, hell I was about to die as far as I knew, Brayga colony was supposed to be a quiet place to lay back, work on some hobbies, plant a garden and pester the young men of my colony until I either dropped dead of boredom or got lucky” I joked.
That seemed to raise Rodney's mood somewhat. He sighed and seemingly relented.
“It’s… a dumb story, I don't even know why it affected me so much, I come from a place on earth called Canada, people don't usually believe me when I say I am from there, us Canadians are notoriously friendly and I guess I haven’t exactly filled that mold for a lot of my life, but hey I'm working on it, people like me, I have lots of friends back at Atlantis” He says the last sentence in a way as if it isn't me he's trying to convince.
“I'm sure you do, Rodney, You seem like quite the charming individual when you're not cowering!”
“Ha ha thanks, maybe you could come and visit sometime. Tell that to doctor Becket, really nice guy, smart man, he would love to meet you, he loves investigating new species. But back on topic, oh boy, so me and my sister Jeannie were on a family trip to rural Vancouver to visit my grandpa's farm, he kept a lot of goats, not for eating or anything, they were essentially pets that he would use for milk”
“Wait hold on? You drink milk from other animals! Do your females not produce enough milk for their young?”
“Oh um no, we just sort of drink it or ferment it into cheese!”
“Ferment? You mean spoil?
“Yeh”
I reeled from this plasma blast of a statement, I like any right minded venlil had a number of nightmares about being an arxur’s cattle before, especially when I first learned about those things in primary school, but never once had it crossed my mind that we could be used for something so weird. What the speh was I supposed to do with that information?
“Maybe you should get back on topic”
“Yeh sorry about that uh.. Anyways the momma goat had just had a litter of babies, and their real cute when their little, so late in the day when my grandpa was asleep we snuck out to the pens so we can play with the little baby goats, our grandpa told us not to but you now how kids are.”
At this I think back to a young Nyan, as I teach him the inner working of the hyperdrive, I tell him he’s not cleared yet to operate in this engine compartment alone, but I could tell from the occasional caught black hairs and dropped writing implements, there had been a number of curious unauthorized expeditions into its inner workings, he didn't really listen either.
“My sister as always was trying to be the voice of reason, wanting to take it slow. If I was paying attention I might have noticed the angry moma goat who didn’t appreciate the strange human messing with her children.”
The color seemed to drain from his face.
“I uh…” He began to stutter again ”I screamed, a lot, it was rather undignified, she ran right at me, thank god it wasn't a male goat, one with horns, I tired to run but I was hit in the back and knocked over and kicked real good in the head, like wake up in the vet clinic a quarter mile down the road kind of bad”
“This goat was a prey animal?”
“That would be what your kind focuses on”
“Oh sorry”
“Anyways It seems dumb but I have just never been good with animals since then, especially ones that look like you; no offense; I'm getting better but when I first saw you guys in the hangar bay, I was just that dumb kid again, getting in way over my head, scared for my life. I guess there is something to be said about childhood trauma. I really should be over this, I'm getting better with it I swear it’s just”
I take his paw again, he doesn't flinch this time.
“I'm a venlil, a prey animal, I know fear, I know what it is to live in fear, It rattles your brain, it turns your paws to wet grains. It takes great strength to overcome it, to push it aside just long enough to protect the herd. Your herd relies on you Rodney and you are doing a great job in spite of your fear, in spite of having to work with those you fear. You have achieved intellectual feats that rival the greatest minds of the federation and all that while struggling with a traumatic experience. Fear isn’t dumb and there is nothing wrong with you for feeling it.”
“Thank you” Rodney says “That means a lot, I won't be like forever I promise, I just need some time.”
“We will laugh about this someday,” I assured. “Nothing as big and intelligent as you should be afraid of anything”
“Are you calling me fat?” Rodney exclaimed with fake offense.
We both chuckled.
My kind words had resulted in a more upright posture, and a more cheerful demeanor from the human, almost like when I congratulated Nyan on his work, and it got me a look at that happy snarl of his, that I was starting to grow quite fond of.
After Action Report - Venlil Colonial Defense Force
Subject : Apprentice Engineer Nyan
Oh wow! I get to write a report for this mission! I never get to write reports, Donu says they're too boring, but there’s so many interesting things going on all the time. Sometimes I sneakily write my own! Just for fun of course, nobody sees them, which is probably for the best as I sometimes get excited and embellish them slightly. One of the reports I wrote was about the time Donu used nothing but a wad of electrical tape, a bottle of high grain venlil alcohol and a pocket knife to repair a venlil medical ship just in time to get out of the way of a big scary space predator, with glowing red eyes and a million tentacles!
Anyways Im not sure If im suppose to write these In present tense first person or past tense. I asked the captain and she said it's whatever so long as I make sure any pertinent dialogues are properly quoted(“”).
“Nobody usually reads these things anyways.” She said, but this one is surely going to be so exciting, who could look away!
I mean who's gonna scoff at a chance to read about friendly predators from another dimension! A dimension of friendly predators who give warm head scratches and hand out yummy strayu not strayu treats called donuts, that are somehow fluffier than strayu, and have a nice moisture to them. I asked for the recipe but Samantha said we wouldn't have the ingredients back on Venili prime to make them, and Teal'c said the recipe is an old family secret. Its weird predators would be so protective of their plant snacks.
There are so many weird things about these predators, they have nurturing instincts that make them find us cute. They stay perfectly balanced even if they don’t have tails, swinging their arms and body all over the place to keep upright like a lopsided gyroscope, it's pretty funny looking!
They also wear artificial pelts all the time, which I thought was weird, I thought maybe the ships temperature was set by the angry gray alien since he’s the only crew member beside the venlil who walks around naked all the time, maybe he had a fit when it was to warm, and the humans obliged him cause they were worried they would make him even angrier, and wore clothes to make up for the cold. I thought this made sense, a lot of their technology does seem to come from the Asguard, maybe he has more say in the goings on of the ship because of that. But apparently humans just like wearing pelts all the time. They feel uncomfortable without them and don’t like it if you try to remove them or look up their upper artificial pelts they call shirts.
The humans are so weird, I don’t even have to embellish my reports to make it more interesting. Like that time with the big tentacled space predator. That may sound real compared to this stuff but it Isn't, Ha! I bet you fell for it at first, hook line and sinker! Like the humans would say. I think I used that saying right, I'm not sure what it means, but Shepard brought it up when he was telling a story about the wraith.
The humans are so nice, instead of exterminating their predators they try to cure them! Their doctors are working to modify the wraith so they don't have to eat humans anymore, so they can be friendly predators too.
Anyways I should probably get to the actual report part of this report. Farva says I should start after I went off with Samantha to work on some special astrophysics equations she said I would be good at. I kind of wanted to go with Donu to help Rodney get the new parts they needed, or Farva to help rescue our people, but the humans and even the angry gray alien got really weird when Farva mentioned taking me on the mission. Samantha seemed to want me to help her really badly so I didn’t mind. Samantha says I have the most important part to our mission. She's teaching me about how humans communicate through subspace, and about stellar drift equations. We are working on what she calls the exit strategy.

A/N: yeah I changed up the Alliance admiral's name from Shepard Adama to Sheparda Dama (so creative i know) because the old one was going to fuck me over badly at some point. It would be like trying to make a legitimate, serious fantasy novel with a wizard named Albus Gandalf. I was NOT cooking when I came up with that shit.
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It was said that no plan ever survived contact with the enemy. That, at least in the case of Marcus Wayne’s infiltration of Neldia, was proven entirely true.
His ship, the Peacemaker, had undergone an extensive refit before its jump to Neldia to both modify its sensor signature and repair its failing Aegis barrier. The first objective succeeded. The second did not.
One day later, leaving the derelict Ultimate Vigil behind in deep space, the United Human Alliance courier ship Winged Deliverance logged a real space entry at the edge of the Neldia system. Its crew, having spent their waking hours plagued by hallucinations and enduring horrible nightmares as they slept, found this shift very welcome. The worst, though they could hardly believe it, was still yet to come.
“The Neldian fleet is mustering for war,” rumbled the man who had once held the title and security codes of an Alliance sector admiral. Now, he was a traitor to his homeland. “Security will be high.”
“No need to worry, Admiral,” said Marcus Wayne. “Your code will get us through.” It would not.
It took two hours for the Peacemaker, disguised as the Winged Deliverance, to be challenged by the Neldian Armada. “Transmit clearance code,” said an automated voice. Marcus took out a data disc with the admiral's clearance code on it.
“Hold,” said Terris. She was clad in black, her active camouflage offline to save battery, and she had been sitting at the passive sensor console for the past three hours. “Look at this.” A news broadcast popped up in front of Marcus Wayne and his officers. Sector Admiral Sheparda Dama, or at least he was once a sector admiral, had been tried and convicted of high treason.
“It was a secret trial,” Dama said, still in shock at the revelation. “I had no knowledge of this.”
“Well, that tracks, but what do we do now? What code gets us through?”
“Transmit clearance code,” the voice said again, “or adjust course.”
Dama thought for a moment. “Change course,” he said. “We’re not getting through.”
They did. A great sense of defeat took hold in the hearts of the crew. They would never reach the Neldian hypercom. Sheparda Dama, who would have gladly given his life in defense of humankind, would never get the chance to be the man who broke their chains.
The Peacemaker was halfway out of the Neldia system before Terris spoke again. “Hold it,” she said. “I have an idea.”
That was why she had been placed where she was. Clad in an airtight stealth suit. Inside a hollowed-out asteroid. On a ballistic journey to the heart of Neldian space. It was the most insane idea that Marcus Wayne had ever seen.
But, sometimes, insanity was a symptom of genius.
Terris flew past the Neldian Armada undetected. Many asteroids entered the inner system this way, flung by outer-system prospecting ships to the foundries and shipyards in Neldian orbit, and they were thrown and caught so frequently that only the most cursory of inspections was put upon each one. Terris passed the Alliance fleet entirely undetected.
Terris’ chameleon suit could mimic the sensor return of the precious metals it was buried in, at least enough to fool a probing scan, and the cuts made by Protectoral engineers had been so precise that Terris had fit inside there with barely a centimeter of space to spare. She was effectively entombed inside sixty meters of solid rock.
Interstellar espionage was not a job for the claustrophobic.
Finally, after days of waiting, the signal came. She was in range. A mental command triggered a series of shaped charges in the rock above her, if such directions existed in microgravity, and forty pea-sized explosives blasted a circular tunnel all the way to the asteroid surface. If just one of them had failed, that rock might have been her tomb.
Terris tried not to think about that as she began climbing her way out. A brief burst from her suit’s EVA thrusters was enough to start her on her way, and the tunnel out was wide enough for her to use her arms and legs to speed things up. Finally, after too long a wait, Terris saw the Neldian sun for the very first time.
There was fire in the distance. Comm chatter on every band. Warships burning hard for the outer system. The Coalition fleet was here.
She zoomed in, far more than she had ever had to before, and she could pick out the faintest flashes of blue as warships exploded in the black. A brief crawl around the asteroid, which also helped to warm up her muscles after days of inactivity, let her discern an attack force engaging the Alliance fleet. After a moment’s hesitation, weighing the risks, Terris activated her passive sensor suite to try and decrypt Alliance military chatter.
Instantly, her sensors were flooded with noise from the defensive bastions. The fleet base at the L5 point was loudest, its comm operators screaming indecipherably at fellow Alliance elements fighting in the black. Neldian orbit, where the hypercom station was, seemed to be the centerpiece of all the communications traffic. The hypercom, unsurprisingly, was being used as a relay for comm traffic all across the system. Terris made a note to hack its server banks for intelligence, and perhaps leave a timed virus or two to shut down the system after she was gone.
Her suit bleeped, alerting her that she was in optimum position to make the leap to the hypercom. She zoomed in on it, a red and spiked thing just like everything else the Alliance made, and calculated the right trajectory to land right on its metal surface.
Trying to jump from a moving asteroid out past Neldia’s rings and hit a hypercom station barely three hundred meters in diameter was like shooting a rifle from a jumbo jet in hopes of hitting a mosquito down on Earth. A nearly impossible shot, even with Coalition computers to help make the jump, and anyone lucky enough to make it would have been better served bankrupting their local casino at the slot machines.
Terris gave a command to her suit, activating a set of ion thrusters to boost her off the asteroid and adjust her course mid-flight. She’d never believed in luck.
She coasted silent and graceful past the particle guns in high orbit, like a majestic swan flying on a summer wind. Their sensor arrays were directed out, past her, to the far distant parts of space where a trillion tons of steel were locked in deadly battle. Terris really did wish she could smile at the moment. She was about to have unrestricted access to the biggest communications relay in the star system, able to send out viruses and receive vital intelligence that could cripple the Alliance fleet if placed in the right hands. Terris, confident as ever, knew they would be.
She would make the Neldian Armada burn, and they had no idea she was even coming.
She reached the hypercom station in just under a day, agonizingly slow for a woman like her, hovering just above its surface to avoid triggering pressure sensors. After that, it was simple enough to get inside. Terris found it almost trivial to bypass the airlock sensor grid and trigger the outer bulkhead to open unnoticed, its report to the command room destroyed before it ever arrived. Entering the station itself was easy after that.
Here, there was gravity. She could not hover like she had on the outside of the station. But here, there were no pressure sensors. She really had no need to hover.
The corridor she found herself in was large enough, though nothing like the expansive halls of a dreadnought, and a patrol of marines in powered suits trundled towards her obliviously. Terris had made the right call not to wear a Phantom powered suit. She ducked into an alcove, the chameleon suit concealing her from even their impressive sensor batteries, and they passed by with no clue at all.
Terris made it to the server banks with ease. Most of the hypercom’s security measures took the form of warships in orbit, clustered tightly around the planet to prevent exactly this scenario from happening, but those warships were off waging war. The station defenses were hopeless now that she was actually inside.
The data was encrypted, and she could neither access it nor copy it without potentially fatal consequences, but she wasn’t there to steal data. A brief, milliseconds-long connection to the primary server was all it took to riddle the entire system with custom-tailored computer viruses. The viruses were self-replicating, rather like an electronic version of the biological ones on Earth. They worked similarly, too, meant to latch onto outgoing communications signals and remain inert for a certain amount of time before activating and wreaking havoc across cyberspace.
Terris planned to leave the station in approximately thirty minutes. Shortly after that, the fireworks would begin. It was going to be beautiful.
She heard footsteps. A maintenance worker, no doubt. It was time for her to go. She disconnected from the server, taking pains to hide her involvement, and snuck out of the server room like a ghost in the night.
Next was the transmission array. This room was better-guarded, its door being flanked by marines, but Terris slipped inside by trailing behind an officer as he entered on some unknown pretext. After that, her daring and sleight of hand made sure Admiral Dama’s pre-recorded propaganda transmission was uploaded to the hypercom transmitter. It came with a set of instructions bearing the Admiralty’s seal, changed to be anonymous, to ensure as many people as possible heard his message.
In just under one standard hour, the United Human Alliance would be shaken to its very core. Terris had just made sure of it.
It took longer than she had expected for the door to open again and give her a chance to slip out. Terris had spent that time quite productively, downloading as many incoming and outgoing messages as she could to the internal hard drive just by her spinal cord. Even if they were encrypted, they’d be useful intelligence once Coalition codebreakers took a crack at them.
After that, it was trivial to slip past marine patrols and escape to the hull of the hypercom station. Terris found her ride, an Alliance warship by the name of Brightest Thunder, holding orbit just near the hypercom station. Admiral Dama, even if he was no longer an admiral, still had connections.
She charged her ion thrusters by tapping into the station reactor, an act which did not go unnoticed, but by then it was too late to respond. She had completed her incursion. The damage had been done. Perhaps if the Alliance acted swiftly and accurately, they could undo it, but Terris was a careful woman. She had covered her tracks well.
Waving one final goodbye to the crew of the hypercom station, Terris triggered her thrust pack and shot off into the ink.
“You must be my passenger.” A man in an Alliance captain’s uniform was waiting for her in the Brightest Thunder’s airlock. He wore a helmet and gloves, hermetically sealed to his airtight outfit, so he felt no effects from the vacuum of space. “I was sent by Sector Admiral Sheparda Dama,” he announced after a period of silence, “To transport you and whatever you may have safely to the Coalition fleet.” Nothing. Apart from the dull thudding of the ship’s railgun batteries, firing missiles at range to ward off a strike force of Coalition ships, the airlock was quiet as a ghost.
“You cannot expect me to endanger my life and the lives of my crew without at least some identification that you are who you claim to be!” Silence. Captain Senar Trevy had been standing in that airlock for three and a half hours, while his ship was tasked with screening Neldia and her eighteen billion inhabitants from harm, and he was just now wondering if he had been talking to a ghost.
“I am,” came a voice. Cold. Sterile. Inhuman. Exactly the kind Trevy expected from the secret spies of his former admiral.
“So you are.” Captain Trevy thought for a moment. He cycled the airlock. If his guest held hostile intent, one steel bulkhead would make no difference. “I’ve been stocking the crew with handpicked men and women since I received word of the operation,” he explained as they walked through the ship’s corridors. The crewmen he passed thought him insane. “I can’t vouch for them all, but the ship as a whole will obey me.” No response. Sometimes, Captain Trevy thought himself insane as well.
“This is my personal quarters,” he told the specter, stepping inside and sealing the door behind him. “I must warn you, for your own safety, it would be best not to leave it. The crew are mostly still Alliance loyalists.” He looked around, paying no heed to the decorated furniture or artificial sky, and finally shrugged and sighed. “Are you even here, still?”
Terris decloaked. She stood between him and the door, winged and cloaked in black like a demon of ancient myth. “I am.”
“You’re a black angel.” Senar Trevy, to his credit, kept his composure well. “A spy for the Ierad Republic.” He questioned her purpose here. They both knew it.
“You weren’t told?”
“I was told an alien would be coming aboard, but…” Trevy shrugged again, as if to say ‘what am I supposed to do?’ “The admiral vouched for you. That much is enough for me.” He also knew he had no choice in the matter. From what he knew about black angels, his ship had been lost the moment she boarded.
“I could have impersonated him,” said Terris, voice a perfect replica of Captain Trevy’s own. Even his own mother could not have told the difference. “And I’m trained to lie.” She was testing him, gauging his reaction to assess his personality. She was good at that.
“I could have you screened for deception,” Trevy countered, pointing up at a pearl-sized camera in the ceiling. Terris made a note that it was disabled. “And I could have had the technology officers vet your transmission.”
“I’m trained to lie well.” Terris sat down on Captain Trevy’s bed, a spartan thing compared to the sleeping quarters of most officers. There were no chairs in the room, so her options were few. She took off her helmet and tried to at least appear relaxed. In reality, she was anything but. “It comes with the job, really.”
“Fair,” Trevy chuckled, feigning calm. “I suppose the question now becomes whether or not you can trust me.”
“It’s a safe gamble.” Terris made a mental calculation. It would take her between thirty and fifty seconds to kill Captain Trevy, take the bridge, and vent the ship. That was a very safe gamble. “Besides, that’s what a peace treaty is.” Trevy looked confused. “A leap of faith. You trust your enemy to back their word, and you trust them to trust you as well. If we can’t get along here, can’t put aside our differences to work toward a common goal, then the Alliance will be right. And I hate it when they’re right.”
“I’m speaking to you now because I know they are wrong.” That came as no surprise to either of them. “You know, I was once a foreman of a labor crew in the munitions factories. The most productive unit in my sector.” That one did come as a surprise. “As a foreman, you get leeway to make certain decisions regarding the… well, I suppose they are slaves, under your command. Food intake and the like.” Captain Trevy looked pained when he brought up such memories. Terris wasn’t convinced that was how he really felt. “They use it to weed out any potential xeno sympathizers from the populace. Of course, at the time, I wasn’t so empathetic.”
“So you were a slave driver, and you beat your slaves to make them work. I hope every one of those shells was sabotaged.” Terris’ voice dripped with disdain. She had almost forgotten the Alliance captain was her enemy.
“No, I showed mercy,” Trevy defended himself. “I was generous.” This made Terris reconsider. Perhaps Senar Trevy could be an ally, if not a friend. “I won’t say I was a good man, but I wasn’t cruel. I was practical. Strong, healthy, well-treated workers are more productive than the beaten sacks of flesh in the other factories. My crew’s output was unmatched.”
“And?” Terris cocked her head inquisitively. For a high-ranking officer in the space navy of a genocidal regime, Senar Trevy really did not seem so bad. To be fair, however, she had set the bar pretty low.
“I was investigated for anti-human activity.” Terris could have predicted that. She almost did, too. “They sent me to the fleet, and my labor crew was reacquainted with the energy whips and pain beams.” There was no carrot for an Alliance labor slave. Only the stick. “Their productivity fell thirty percent in the first two weeks alone.” He sounded almost mournful as he said that. He was not lamenting the loss in productivity.
“You see,” said Trevy, “Hatred is not natural. It has to be caused, sustained, nurtured from the day a man is born until the day he dies.” With that, at least, Terris agreed. “And, as you’re about to see, a nation built around cruelty or prejudice cannot sustain itself. It will have to apply pressure to maintain its flawed status quo, like it did with me, and the pressure will build and build until it cannot build anymore.” He tapped a few buttons on the data disc in his hand. It began projecting an image of the battle for Neldia. He placed it on the bed next to Terris. “Now it’s breaking.”
“I wonder if they’ll find themselves in need of more shells.” Terris knew it wasn’t just shells. Every time a slave driver prioritized hatred over hard work, put cruelty over their quota, or even just bowed their head and obeyed the traditional dogma, they hurt the Alliance. Across nine worlds, with billions of slaves not working as they could have, things started to add up. “You know, for a superior species, your fleet is really getting its ass kicked right now. Might want to work on that.”
Captain Trevy nodded. His data disc beeped. He was needed on the bridge. “Agreed,” he said. “I hope this war ends soon, and to our mutual benefit. I’d hate to face you on the battlefield.” He picked up the data disc and turned to leave.
“Oh, forgot to mention, there’s a virus embedded in the transmissions you’ve received. Self-replicating. Nasty piece of work.” Terris shifted a bit in her seat. “Almost forgot about that.”
“Well, better to know now than when it’s activated,” Trevy smiled. “I’ll have Technology Officer Galdir investigate it.” With that, he left. His duty to the Alliance was nonexistent, but the men and women under his command still needed him. He had waited too long in the stateroom.
Terris, with nothing better to do, got to work on cracking the encryption in the transmissions she had copied. She failed. A transmission from deep in unknown space, sent from a dreadnought at the head of a task force known only as the Deep Expedition Fleet, was the only message she could read. Its contents, while troubling, mattered little at the moment. What was far more crucial, however, was the message Terris could not decipher. The military battle plan of Janus Ora’s personal armada.
The battle plan that, when analyzed on a Republic starship, would reveal its terrible secret too late.
The Coalition fleet was walking into a trap.
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Sequence 4: Cataclysmic Interrer
New Abilities

• Calamity Creation: Within an initial range of 1 kilometer(increases to 2 kilometers after potion digestion), Cataclysmic Interrers can manipulate the environment around them to create four of the most common but extremely destructive calamities.
  • Tsunami: Through the creation of a sudden vertical displacement of the ocean floor, they can call forth huge water waves to crash down at their targets, washing everything away in a powerful torrent.
    • The further away the vertical displacement is from a Cataclysmic Interrer and the more digested the potion is, the more powerful the Tsunami will be.
    • Cataclysmic Interrers can choose to split a Tsunami into smaller waves and have its effects cascade onto a larger region.
  • Hurricane: By quickly swirling air together in a spiral, a Cataclysmic Interrer can quickly form a tornado that cleans through anything it passes, leaving nothing left.
    • The strength of the Hurricane depends on the potion digestion of the Cataclysmic Interrer and the environmental factors(such as humidity, pressure level, etc.).
    • They can choose to control the direction of Hurricanes or let it spiral out of control randomly.
  • Earthquake: Suddenly moving a fault within the earth can allow a Cataclysmic Interrer to split the ground in 2 and cause the surface to shake, forming an Earthquake.
    • Cataclysmic Interrers can move faults within a short distance from the earth's outer surface, allowing them to crack the ground around their enemies and bury them in the rubble.
    • In certain cases(where the ground is close to a volcano or near a magma chamber), lava may erupt inside an Earthquake. If this spot is repeatedly being assaulted, a volcanic eruption may occur.
  • Torrential Rain: They can manipulate the surrounding clouds around them to cast down heavy rain across large swathes of area.
    • The sensory chaos created by Torrential Rain is by far the highest among all the disasters they can make, even being able to disturb a Demigod's Spiritual Intuition.
    • Lightning Rain: By sending out a Lightning Strike near the area where their Torrential Rain effects, it can branch out across the entire area, forming a Lightning Rain. This is a Lightning Calamity.

Strengthened Abilities

• Siren Song: The mystical attributes of their singing voice have been enhanced significantly, making each of their songs have an indescribable effect on the target's body and mystical connections.
  • Roar: By simply roaring out loud, their vocal cords can produce a shockwave that has enough energy to topple a ship.
• Lightning Strike: The power of their Lightning Strikes has been enhanced.
  • It can hit their target with more intensity and accuracy, instantly scorching them and Purifying them from most negative influences.
  • Cataclysmic Interrers can conjure up and shoot out up to 10 lightning arrows at a time in a matter of seconds.
• Water Manipulation: The range and versatility of spells that they can use in the storm and sea domain have increased as their range of control has reached 200 meters.
  • Whirlpool: They can create a massive Whirlpool that directly leads to the deeper parts of the ocean.
    • With further digestion, a Cataclysmic Interrer would be able to create a Whirlpool that directly leads down to the deep seafloor.
  • Sealing: Through the use of tidal waves(created either from Water Manipulation or Calamity Creation), they can Seal and weaken various targets.
    • Attempts to break out of the Seal through the Spirit World will prove challenging as any possible opening to the Spirit World will quickly be swallowed up by waves of water.
    • Spirituality will be constantly siphoned by the tidal waves, increasing the potency of the Seal while also lowering the resistance of the target(s) contained within.
• Phantom Scales (Scale Armor): They possess exaggerated illusory scale defenses, enough for them to be able to withstand multiple bolts of lightning without their defense breaking.
  • If their illusory scales were to break, it would take merely a day for their scales to fully recover(provided no interference has been done on their scales).

Mythical Creature Form

• As a Sequence 4 Beyonder they receive some level of Godhood, and with it comes an incomplete Mythical Creature Form. Disregarding any consequences, Cataclysmic Interrers can choose to reveal this form and become a 1-headed Kraken.
  • While manifesting this form enhances Cataclysmic Interrer's defense, strength, and ability to control lightning, water, and wind to a degree way beyond other Mythical Creature Forms, it would result in one of the highest increases in madness among all Sequence 4 Beyonders, making it very dangerous for a Cataclysmic Interrer to utilize as a trump card consistently.
  • Their incomplete Mythical Creature form looks like a 30-meter-tall Kraken. Their skin turns navy blue and is made of a material reminiscent of a whale while their head swells up significantly and transmutes itself into the head of a squid. The area from their forehead to the nose will form the squid's eye whose pupil contains the traits of storm, sea, and authority.
    • If those under Sequence 4 saw this form, they would suffer a strong backlash as their brains would quickly be overcome with fear and devotion. If they succumb to the influence, they will prostrate on the ground and beg for forgiveness, an act that will form a temporary Anchor that can stabilize the transformed Cataclysmic Interrer.

Sequence 3: Sea King
New Abilities

• Ruler of the Sea: By establishing their Dominion over a portion of the ocean waters, Sea Kings can become the ruler and spokesperson of the area they dominate, granting them an array of unique abilities and passive boons.
  • As for how they establish a Dominion, they have two methods.
    • Merely staying near the area they want to control, and over a month, having one's influence and authority entrench into the surrounding real and Spirit World until a Dominion is established.
    • Conquest, relocating believers into the area, and any other form of external influence that is related to them to quickly infect the surrounding area with their influence and quickly establish a Dominion.
  • While the aspects and boons of each Sea King's Dominion will be different due to the environment, 5 traits remain consistent throughout these areas.
    1. When fighting in the ocean, they can unleash their fullest potential and completely overwhelm all Beyonders at the same level.
    2. They can sense what happens in the waters they control, and scenes of the overall situation would appear in their mind.
    3. They can bestow their Beyonder abilities with the ability to cascade across realms within their Dominion.
    4. They can use the natural Spirituality within the air to manipulate the weather in a controlled way.
    5. They can communicate with, and drive many sea creatures at or below their level to do their bidding.
  • They are only able to create 1 Dominion at first.
    • This will increase to 3 upon full potion digestion.
  • At the start of their potion digestion, Sea Kings are only able to control a 121-km² squared plot of sea.
    • This will increase to a 423-km² area of the sea upon full potion digestion.
  • Sea Kings can disband their Dominions simply through a thought.

Strengthened Abilities

• Calamity Creation: Its range has increased to 10 kilometers. In addition, each Calamity possesses a unique effect compared to the others.
  • Tsunami: Through the use of cyclical tidal waves, they can gradually increase the sea level within the surrounding sea, allowing them to set off large Tsunamis wantonly, better Seal targets, and further establish a sense of dominance and superiority over the surrounding environment.
  • Hurricane: Hurricanes at their highest level can now completely impede certain forms of Teleportation as the winds move around at such a high rate that targets attempting to cross into a Hurricane will often find themselves further back from where they started.
  • Earthquake: Sea Kings can create sudden displacements so powerful that they completely shock and release a powerful Sonic Boom around the affected area, causing great damage and stunning those nearby.
  • Torrential Rain: The Torrential Rain they can create could spread their Spirituality, making each cloud and each drop of water become their eyes and ears.
    • Lightning Storm: They can generate Lightning Storms by bringing down silver-white swaths of lightning from the sky or from thin air that spread into "branches" creating a silver "forest" that can span hundreds of meters, bringing forth a destructive aura and a sense of destruction. This is the enhanced form of Lightning Rain.
• Lightning Manipulation: Derived from Lightning Strike, they can generate and manipulate massive amounts of electricity from the surrounding area. They no longer need the right weather conditions to generate lightning.
  • They can create balls of lightning that instantly scorch massive swathes of land and sea.
  • Through the use of Lightning Strikes, they can produce Thunderclaps that stun enemies
• Navigation: With their newfound knowledge of various places and their enhanced intuition, Sea Kings can Navigate across various environments.
  • Even if they were to be transported to a random place in the Spirit World, their newfound capabilities would allow them to effectively Navigate through it and return to their desired location.
• Physical Enhancement: Their strength, agility, and balancing capabilities have been enhanced significantly.
  • They possess the strength of powerful sea monsters.
  • They have an incomprehensible level of balance.
  • They can travel faster than the speed of sound.
• Aquatic Affinity: Even if they haven't established a Dominion, their affinity with the sea makes them akin to a "prince of the ocean".
  • They can freely walk on the seafloor without having to worry about sea pressure and other environmental restraints.
  • Even while not being within a Dominion they control, they can command a large amount of sea monsters to do their bidding.

Mythical Creature Form

• Their Mythical Creature Form develops further. They are now a 2-headed Kraken. Their skin cracks up and resembles the sea as their first head begins to sink into their body, entering deep within as water continues to rush forth from the pores of their now hidden head. The second head will seemingly float in the air as the air around them would create storms blocking their visage
  • Their first head represents the sea and their second head represents the storm.
    • An individual looking at the first head would begin to cough up seawater and continue to experience massive levels of sea sickness, eventually turning into an unknown sea creature in the process.
    • An individual looking at the second head will begin to heat up as their nerves begin to fry up and overheat from overstimulation. If this goes on for long enough, they will eventually die as their deceased corpse becomes a new hotbed for ocean phenomena.
  • As a Sequence 3 Beyonder, they can listen and respond to prayers within a certain range. Their range is relatively far-reaching compared to other Saints as a result of their Dominions.
    • They can use Siren Songs to cast revelations and their weather-manipulating abilities to bless their believers.

Looking to help some family members relocate from a terrible state with bad culture and no real work prospects to a much more supportive state with better infrastructure and opportunities.
Current primary career is in medical assistant type work supporting those with special needs. Only making about $25k (one employed, one unemployed with occasional side hustle work) but the hope is with the move the one can get better work and the other can have more opportunity to get at least a basic job. Where they are now has virtually zero social safety nets so once you are in poverty you are kept down relentlessly. I have the ability to change their lives for the better by helping relocate and providing reliable transportation, but we need guidance on best options.
They like the upper midwest and are comfortable with the winters which can be quite brutal where they are now.
What are this sub's thoughts on Minneapolis - St Paul area or somewhere nearby? Or what other areas would be very helpful? Needs to be very LGBTQ supportive (or at least not overtly hostile and have a good local peer network) and MN is very highly rated for that, but open to other ideas as well.
Thanks.

Imagine all the weird Alien STDs Dr. Mcoy had to scrape off of Kirk..
The the photon friction burns Dr. Crusher had to treat on Barclay.
All the weird stuff The Doctor on Voyager saw with 200ish people trapped on one tiny ship with no real outlet for 7 years.
And poor Doctor T'ana... Just, omg that poor woman has every right to be a grizzled old alley cat.
Plus the general fuckery of bored enlisted.
How much of your day is just treating alcoholism and dehydration related stuff when 1/3 of your crew are engineers and there are replicators everywhere?
How many times a week do you treat concussions cause the nerds in the gravity lab "tried an experiment" titled null grav exocomp jousting?
How many flash burns from red shirts trying to modify phaser rifles to make the beams "go faster (hurr durr)"?
And that's just the Normal stuff.
Imagine having a spermwhale in cetacean ops with squid bloat. Or a Tellerite with temporal herpies. Just WEIRD crotch and butt stuff all the time.
Or transporter shenanigans... "Hey doc, Transporter chief Scramble here: can you come to transporter room 5? Bring a bonesaw, some wet naps and all the dermal regenators you can carry? Also gonna need a complete map of the andorian skeleton, Thanks." across shipwide P.A "Janatorial to transporter room 5. Please brink the buckets marked for biohazard... the BIG ones"
Frankly I'm amazed that ever medical bay doesn't just have a pre-built alcove for a still and a "scream till your hoarse" chamber attached to every doctors office.

I know I am definitely not the only new investor here today. I paid no attention to the stock market because I'm a poor, smooth-brained ape. The stock market is for the smart rich folks. But then I saw what happened with GME. Not in time to be involved (although, to be fair, that is still an ongoing situation that I plan to get on board with as well now), but enough to learn about what is happening and why.
And I realized... this movement, we apes, have the opportunity to be involved in, and to be recipients of, one of the largest wealth transfers from the owner class to the proletariat in history. This is our guillotine. And it only functions when we are strong together.
It's worrying to see that quite a few people seem to be in this for a quick buck. There's lots of talk about when we sell, how long the squeeze will take, if it will happen etc. Which is fine, yes, but it also concerns me that people aren't behind the movement itself, but in it for the possibility of the money. And yes, that is a damn good reason to get in, but it's also evidence of the very thing we are trying to contain; unchecked greed.
Faraday, as a company, seems to me like it's ahead of its time. Some of the companies goals seem to include some incredible, potentially life saving technology in the transportation industry. Imagine vehicles being able to talk to one another on the road and having a true self-driving experience. Unfortunately, since we are entrenched in this capitalist system, innovators are driven out unless they can produce money quickly. Faraday stock was over 5,000 a share at one point. Obviously this is a company investors believed in at one time. But they didn't produce fast enough. There was no instant money. So, investors got bored, and hedgies saw their opportunity.
And now, we see our opportunity to teach them another lesson, that they apparently didn't learn well enough from Gamestop. We are going to keep at them. We are going to keep at the SEC to get this shit under control once and for all. And, most importantly imo, we are going to save another company that deserves to be saved. A company that has the potential to save thousands of lives if they can get the time and capital to work on their technology. Plus, they entered the ME market back at the beginning of April, and there is the potential for them to make a butt load of money there. They just need the time.
So, from a newbie, I want to plead with you apes to stay strong. Remember the real reason this is happening. If you want to eat the rich, this is how we tenderize them. Don't gamble everything you own to just pump and dump. That defeats the whole purpose, and is exactly what we are trying to fight against!! Yes, there is going to be a LOT of money on the table. And off of it when the hedgies fight back. BUT WE HOLD.
We hold for all the people who cannot join us. We hold for all the people needlessly struggling and dying in the richest country in the world. We hold because they lose their heads when we do.
TL;DR - I just like the stock. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Mini edit: I realize I was American-centric with that last bit, and I just want to recognize and appreciate all the apes from around the world who are on board as well. Solidarity wins! 💎💎💎💎💎

How old are you? What's your gender? Give us a general description of yourself.
I'm 19y/o. I would say Im a calm person, unless when im tired or when someone angers me. Im the balance between energetic and no energy person. I dont like sticking to one opinion because it feels like im limiting myself, so i guess im open minded. I dont really care about what people think of me unless its about my attitude or if i hurt someone unintentionally. i cant watch kdramas that r js typical, it feels so shallow and cringy. I also like psycho analyzing people. When i talk about a topic, i mostly talk the generality of it, but sometimes i think about every possible details which makes it hard to commit to one, for example: let’s say someone says you choose your own reality, in a way i get what they mean but i also think abt ppl who actually cant choose their reality. Drake and kendrick dissing each other, my brother asked me whose side im on, which i honestly dont give a crap, because its not connected to me neither i dont care who they are, feels insignificant to waste my brain cells on that thing. I also dont like rude people, like i get you have a painful past but that doesnt excuse how you treat me, i deserve to be treated like a normal human being. The line between right or wrong is kinda hard for me, i think theres no right or wrong in reality, its just based on people’s values and morals. Which ofc i do have.
Is there a medical diagnosis that impact your mental/compartmental stability somehow?
not that i know of
Describe your upbringing. Did it have any kind of religious or structured influence? How did you respond to it?
im not religious but i do believe there is some force that does things
What do you do as a job or as a career (if you have one)? Do you like it? Why or why not?
im an architecture student, so far i like it, designing a specific building for a specific person to suit their needs and comfort, how they would function inside it, my fav architect is antoni gaudi bc his works, every building's detail has a function or a meaning to it, which is not just existing but serving it's purpose
If you had to spend an entire weekend by yourself, how would you feel? Would you feel lonely or refreshed?
for right now, i would feel refreshed bc semester just ended and i need to restore my sanity, but if im feeling energetic then i would rather spend it with my friends,
What is your relation with movement and your surroundings? For instance do you prefer a sport or outdoors event? If an outdoors event what is it? And why? If not what type of activities do you tend to engage i?
im not really good at sports, but i do like running it makes me happy i dont know why, i like doing stuff that requires my brain like puzzles, sudoku, video games, movies with complicated plot
How curious are you? Do you have more ideas then you can execute? What are your curiosities about? What are your ideas about - is it environmental or conceptual, and can you please elaborate?
honestly depends of what mood im in, but since im an architecture student i tend to touch every material, and be curious about the function of the elements. i like listening to interesting takes on life or anything, that is different from others, but generally idk if im curious or not. im not sure if this considers as curious or not, but i like thinking about life, what is the purpose of humans, why they act selfish or why they act like a bitch generally, trying to find an answer to anything.
Would you enjoy taking on a leadership position? Do you think you would be good at it? What would your leadership style be?
i like leadership positions, i like being in control, i like being organized, i think i will do a perfect as a manager lol. when im traveling with my friends i always do the bookings, transport, almost everything
Are you coordinated? Why do you feel as if you are or are not? Do you enjoy working with your hands in some form? Describe your activity?
im kinda clumsy but i have great reflexes, i dont really pay attention to my surroundings like if im traveling in a group and some stranger says something i only find out after my friend tells me about it. i like painting, it feels so calm
Are you artistic? If yes, describe your art? If you are not particular artistic but can appreciate art please likewise describe what forums of art you enjoy. Please explain your answer.
i like painting, bc i like blending colors, it just feels so free yk. i like listening to music, i listen to almost every genre based on my mood that day, i rly wanna learn how to play on a piano
What's your opinion about the past, present, and future? How do you deal with them?
i dont think about the past, present, sometimes future but lately i stopped worrying about the future instead just making plans, i mostly just think about anything that doesnt really involve time, i be thinking about life, people, or any concept, or just making my own opinions
How do you act when others request your help to do something (anything)? If you would decide to help them, why would you do so?
i like to help even if doesnt benefit me, but if its something absurd then fuck no, im a straightforward person you see, if i dont want to help i js straight up say sry cant help
Do you need logical consistency in your life?
define logical consistency
How important is efficiency and productivity to you?
It is important to me, im more work first, play later person. ive been thinking lately, i thought i wasnt a competitive person but during the process idc if im not the best or worst, but at the result i actually do care, i want to be better, idk why it contradicts, the process and the result
Do you control others, even if indirectly? How and why do you do that?
mostly to gain something for myself, when i want something i plan like a scenario in my head of how they would react and what i would say
What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
is it weird that i realized i dont have any beneficial hobbies, ex: playing video games, drawing, im not consistent at anything, i start something and drop it
What is your learning style? What kind of learning environments do you struggle with most? Why do you like/struggle with these learning styles? Do you prefer classes involving memorization, logic, creativity, or your physical senses?
i like organized teachers, i also like teachers who talk in an interesting way, like connecting the subject to real life or anything interesting. i like teachers who talk in broad sense and not yappers. im really bad at memorizing things, i try to understand rather than memorizing, i like my design classes because u can create something meaningful and good as long as its serving a purpose
How good are you at strategizing? Do you easily break up projects into manageable tasks? Or do you have a tendency to wing projects and improvise as you go?
before i start doing any project first i break it up into simples things then start doing it
What's important to you and why?
i honestly dont know, as most people say happiness, its not for me, i dont think i know the meaning of true happiness, i dont really feel happy i just feel calm, my main purpose in life isnt being happy, im fine with not being happy. but i do wanna live without worrying about anything
What are your aspirations?
i want to be a good architect that will change my city to a better one, but first i need the power in order to do so. i want to be smarter and more knowledgeable and skillful
What are your fears? What makes you uncomfortable? What do you hate? Why?
i dont like selfish people, but at the same time in try to understand their angle so its kinda hard for me to js say wow shes so selfish bc there r so many perspectives spilling in my head that makes it hard to contribute to one (it happens always, but im working on it). I dont like people who dont try to understand the other person. I hate rooms without windows because it feels so uncomfy, mostly because i need to see the sky to live, if no sky then i feel trapped inside it
What do the "highs" in your life look like?
no worries, like talking to people
What do the "lows" in your life look like?
see the worst in people
How attached are you to reality? Do you daydream often, or do you pay attention to what's around you? If you do daydream, are you aware of your surroundings while you do so?
as i said i dont really pay attention to my surroundings, sometimes im in deep thought but would really call it daydreaming. When im meeting someone i dont see their outfits but more of what kind of person they are
How long do you take to make an important decision? And do you change your mind once you've made it?
i do pros and cons, consequences, if its risky but worth the result then im doing it
How long do you take to process your emotions? How important are emotions in your life?
for now i feel numb, i dont rly care about anything right now prolly bc i didnt sleep for few days doing my project. but i do think its important to open up to someone or tell them what u didnt appreciate about their actions towards you, and communication is the key. but i feel uncomfortable opening about my depressive thoughts because it feels like im asking for attention, but i do say it straightforwardly about questionable actions done towards, bc some people think youre okay to mess with, so if u shut them down at low there wont be high
Do you ever catch yourself agreeing with others just to appease them and keep the conversation going? How often? Why?
not really, im not a people pleaser, but sometimes i dont really want to argue i dont agree i just say "i see", since that sentence isnt agreeing nor disagreeing
Do you break rules often? Do you think authority should be challenged, or that they know better? If you do break rules, why would you?
depends on the rule, if its messing with my values then i first think about the consequence, if its mild then fuck the rules
What is the ideal life, in your opinion?
having the power to change things
Please ask me questions

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Maybe this has been explained somewhere I'm not familiar with, but I looked through the book and didn't find too many references to the how of the matter. I've been thinking about the logic of the Qu invasion; that is, how did they actually mutate our descendants?
We all know that genetics are not like the movies where someone injects a weird-coloured serum into an animal or a human, it twitches and writhes and changes on the spot. For a series that is about genetic manipulation and natural evolution, just assuming the Qu had extremely precise and rapid mutagenetic abilities feels a bit strange to me.
Since the Qu also have the capacity to create these rapid mutations, I have to assume they're just downright masters of genetics, editing DNA with near authorial precision or they are willing to make mistakes hundreds of millions of times to get something as far-flung from baseline humanity as the Colonial or something - those things arguably don't even have bones or spines, and I imagine it's a real struggle to turn back the clock and remove the spine from a chordata. I'm much more inclined to believe the latter idea, that they just go through a bunch of different generations changing them bit by bit until they get the desired results. It'd be a slow change, one done over the course of generations.
And with that being said as well, I don't think they got humans giving birth to these things, either. The Qu are fanatical, brutal, and evil, but that's just dumb. The Qu wouldn't leave biology to chance, and a growing-vat is far more reliable (and reusable) than a human body. The only way I think they could have done it would have been with artificial means, after probably a long period of experimentation to figure out the specifics of how to grow humans.
So the image of a newly Qu-conquered world is...horrifying. Black pyramids stretch high into the sky, full of chittering aliens working in vast genetic laboratories, with miles of banks of stem cells and hundreds of thousands of growth-vats, each generation of New Humanity being tested to see if it could live on its own, if it could breath and eat and reproduce and pass its features on, before that "Between-step" is itself harvested and exterminated, and a new, edited generation is created to do the same. The Qu think in terms of evolution, millions of years, travelling throughout space from arm to arm, the patient act of selective breeding is accelerated by their genetic mastery. The crime of sapience being bred out, generation by generation, no single generation aware of the horrors that occurred to the ones before it, nor the horror that awaits them and their descendants. Fleshy proto-Colonials twitching and struggling to move - this generation isn't perfect yet, but better. Collect stem/reproductive cells, purge, change them more. Human-derived pets watching with dim recognition as their masters transport mutated creatures here and there, or look into a new pet's eyes and see something faintly familiar in an alien body.
And then, after millions of years, after billions of experiments and generations of species, they leave. Their work is considered 'perfected,' and all that remains are vast pyramids, animal instincts, and the potential for evolution to take over once again.

Emergency physicians, PAs & NPs are not the kings and queens of "burnout" because of a lack of yoga or insufficient grit. They are dissatisfied with jobs that don't allow them to deliver high-quality acute care (which they trained for years/decades to do) while their workplace's systems-level decision-making is handed to finance-first administrators.
Enter ACEP's new "Well Workplace" policy. It appropriately puts the onus on employers to create workplaces that work for emergency physicians and their patients. The policy:
Although the individual has responsibility for personal wellness, the primary emphasis should be on how the organization impacts the wellbeing of healthcare workers.¹ This includes, however is not limited to, fully sponsored initiatives directed at:
Organizational Influences

1. Provision of adequate site resources to meet patient needs at all times.^2,3,4
2. Attention to facilities, addressing essentials such as lactation rooms,⁵ break rooms,⁶ and charting space.³
3. Intentional policies addressing workplace safety and violence prevention for patients, families, and healthcare workers.³
4. Leadership strategies to enhance physician engagement, satisfaction, and retention.⁷
5. Fully transparent sick call, paid time off/vacation, bereavement, substantial family, parental and medical leave,⁸ and elder care policies consistent with state legislation.⁹
6. Supportive environment with adequate mental health Early recognition strategies to identify moral distress, physician impairment, mental health issues, and physician suicidality. These may include peer to peer¹⁰ and/or employee assistance programs.¹¹
7. Provide training in and address in real-time:
   1. Critical Incident Stress Management, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, adverse events, challenging cases.¹²
   2. Mitigation of Compassion Fatigue, Second Victim Syndrome.¹³

Practice Environment Influences

1. Full staffing of all workers in the department required for patient care, including ancillary staff and non-departmental employees such as transportation, environmental services, laboratory, radiological services, and security.^3,4,14
2. Directed critical efforts with institutional leadership at the highest level to measure, report, and solve boarding¹⁵ and overcrowding burden.¹⁶
3. Establishing physician-led on-site teams to adequately supervise non-physician providers if provided.^17,18
4. Prioritization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for all.^19-21
5. Attention to improving operational flow through human factors engineering.^3,22
6. Best possible employee nutritional options available 24/7.⁶
7. Burden reduction of administrative tasks:
   1. Focused electronic medical record²³ systems optimization, with paid on-line training and paid off-shift chart completion.^24,25
8. Reduction of non-essential communications, meetings, and email.²⁶

Culture

1. Anonymous, comprehensive, and objective evaluation of wellness outcomes and departmental leadership by staff to ensure accountability to address, maintain, and improve workplace wellness.²⁷
2. Transparent and equitable compensation, promotion, due process policies and clearly defined reasonable and sustainable productivity metrics.²⁸
3. Establishment of effective departmental/hospital wellness committees.
4. Culture of teamwork, with expectation and enforcement of interdisciplinary respect, empathy, and collegiality.
5. Support programs that include, but are not limited to addressing:
   1. Recognition of the relevance of aging physicians in the workplace; retirement planning.²⁹
   2. Litigation stressors.³⁰
   3. Financial issues.³¹
   4. Mentoring and/or coaching.^19,20,21
6. Individualized schedule optimization.³²

References

1. Manfredi R, Krywko ~From Self to System: Being Well in~ ~Emergency Medicine.~ ACEP Wellness Guidebook. 2024.
2. Model of Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. ACEP Web site. Published June 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
3. Safer Working Conditions for Emergency Department Staff. ACEP Web site. Published April 2021. Accessed March 1, 2024.
4. Emergency Department Planning and Resource Guides. ACEP Web site. Originally published December 1985. Updated and approved April 2021. Accessed March 1, 2024.
5. Support for Nursing Mothers. ACEP Web site. Originally published February 2020. Updated and approved October 2013. Accessed March 1, 2024.
6. Food and Drink for Staff in the Emergency Department. ACEP Web site. Published April 2020. Accessed March 1, 2024.
7. Kase J, Doolittle B. Job and life satisfaction among emergency physicians: a qualitative study. PLoSOne. 2023;1892):e0279425.
8. Family and Medical Leave. ACEP Web site. Originally published June 1990. Updated and approved August 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
9. Assignment of Benefits. ACEP Web site. Originally published April 2006. Updated and approved January 2024. Accessed March 1, 2024.
10. Physician Wellness Hub. Peer to Peer. ACEP Web site. Published June 2020. Accessed March 1, 2024.
11. R. 1667 - Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. Congress.gov Web site. Published March 18, 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
12. Disclosure of Medical Errors. ACEP Web site. Originally published September 2003. Updated and approved March 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
13. Physician Wellness Hub. Compassion Fatigue. ACEP Web site. Accessed March 1, 2024.
14. Emergency Department Nurse Staffing. ACEP Web site. Originally published June 1999. Updated and approved April 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
15. Boarding of Admitted and Intensive Care Patients in the Emergency Department. ACEP Web site. Originally published October 2000. Updated and approved February 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
16. Crowding. ACEP Web site. Originally published January 2006. Updated and approved April 2019. Accessed March 1, 2024.
17. State Board of Medicine Regulation of Non-Physician Practitioners Practicing Medicine. ACEP Web site. Published April 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
18. Guidelines Regarding the Role of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in the Emergency Department. ACEP Web site. Published June 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
19. Workforce Diversity in Health Care Settings. ACEP Web site. Originally published October 2001. Updated and approved June 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
20. Maximizing the Potential of Women in Emergency Medicine Women in Medicine. ACEP Web site. Originally published October 2014. Updated and approved February 2020. Accessed March 1, 2024.
21. Overcoming Barriers to Promotion of Women and Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Faculty in Academic Emergency Medicine. ACEP Web site. Published October 2020. Accessed March 1, 2024.
22. Wears R, Perry S. Human factors and ergonomics in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2022 Aug;40(2):206-12. doi: https://doi.org/10.1067/mem.2002.124900
23. Patient Medical Records in the Emergency Department. ACEP Web site. Originally published January 1997. Updated and approved June 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
24. CME Burden. ACEP Web site. Originally published April 2016. Updated and approved January 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
25. Compensated Time for Faculty Academic Administration and Teaching Involvement. ACEP Web site. Published June 2019. Accessed March 1, 2024.
26. Health Information Technology for Emergency Care. ACEP Web site. Originally published October 1998. Updated and approved April 2021. Accessed March 1, 2024.
27. FSMB Policy on Physician Wellness and Burnout. Federation of State Medical Boards Web site. Published April 2018. Accessed March 1, 2024.
28. Compensation Arrangements for Emergency Physicians. ACEP Web site. Originally published 1988. Updated and approved April 2021. Accessed March 1, 2024.
29. Considerations for Emergency Physicians in Pre-Retirement Years. ACEP Web site. Originally published June 2009. Reaffirmed January 2021. Accessed March 1, 2024.
30. Protection of Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals from Criminal Liability for Medical Care Provided. ACEP Web site. Published June 2022. Accessed March 1, 2024.
31. Medical Practice Review and the Practice of Medicine. ACEP Web site. Originally published May 2018. Updated and approved January 2024. Accessed March 1, 2024.
32. Emergency Physician Shift Work. ACEP Web site. Originally published September 1994. Updated and approved September 2003. Accessed March 1, 2024.

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Started after my intership at an advertising agency. My co-workers said that it's a good starter salary, especially with all the benefits. It's a very exciting but often stressfull job. In the long run, I want to be a marketing director for a well-known brand, but focus is on gaining experience at an agency, dealing with different clients in different indsutries etc.
FYI: An account executive in advertising is not a sales job, it's more client servicing/project management for different campaigns.
1. PERSONALIA

• Age: 22
• Education: Master Business Communication
• Work Experience : 1 year
• Civil status: unmarried
• Dependent children (Kinderen ten laste/enfants à charge): none

2. TYPE OF CONTRACT

• Current job title/description: Account Executive
• (Ancienniteit/Anciennité): +1 year (4 months internship, 10 months paid)
• Official hours/week : 37.5 Real hours/week
• (excluding transport): 37.5
• SectoIndustry: Advertising

3. WAGE CONDITIONS)

• Gross wage (brut): 2334
• Net wage (incl. net fees): 2160 (incl. 100 net fees + 126 transport compensation)
• 13th month (full? partial?): Full
• Mobile phone? Laptop?: laptop, mobile phone (€ 400/2 years)
• Meal vouchers: € 7/day
• Ecocheques: € 250/year
• Group Insurance (% part employer): Yes, 90/month (€60 employer, €30 for me)
• Hospitalisation Insurance: Yes, free for employee
• Other advantages (bonus, 14th month, stocks...): Mobile phone subscription (€ 45/month)

4. MOBILITY

• City/region of work: Brussels
• Distance home-work (km's): 35 km
• Distance home-work (time): 45 minutes
• Do you need your own car?: no
• How is the travel home-work compensated: Compensated, legal minumum included in net.
• Company ca-bike (what's the budget, do you have fuel card?): None.

5. OTHER CONDITIONS

• Amount of official holidays: 20
• (ADV, RTT) : 5
• Other extra holidays: none
• How easy can you plan a day off: Quite easy but must be checked with other teammembers
• Shiftwork or daytime job? Daytime job
• Flexible working hours: 9:30 -18:00
• Amount of stress (standby for troubles at work)?: Medium to high stress, constantly dealing with deadlines
• How often does overtime happens: Usually a few hours/week
• Education possibilities: Yes
• Teleworking (besides corona-period): 2 days/week, Monday and Friday (fixed homeworking)
• Responsible for personnel (reports): 0, except onboarding interns

“Why are buildings today drab and simple, while buildings of the past were ornate and elaborately ornamented?,” that’s the question asked by Samuel Hughes in the latest Works in Progress. There are two extant theories:
The naive explanation for the decline of ornament is that the people commissioning and designing buildings stopped wanting it, influenced by modernist ideas in art and design. In the language of economists, this is a demand-side explanation: it has to do with how buyers and designers want buildings to be. The demand-side explanation comes in many variants and with many different emotional overlays. But some version of it is what most people, both pro-ornament and anti-ornament, naturally assume.
However, there is also a sophisticated explanation. The sophisticated explanation says that ornament declined because of the rising cost of labor. Ornament, it is said, is labor-intensive: it is made up of small, fiddly things that require far more bespoke attention than other architectural elements do. Until the nineteenth century, this was not a problem, because labor was cheap. But in the twentieth century, technology transformed this situation. Technology did not make us worse at, say, hand-carving stone ornament, but it made us much better at other things, including virtually all kinds of manufacturing and many kinds of services. So the opportunity cost of hand-carving ornament rose. This effect was famously described by the economist William J Baumol in the 1960s, and in economics it is known as Baumol’s cost disease.
In a twist, Hughes offers sophisticated arguments in favor of the naive theory. Hughes argues that even in the past, when labor was relatively cheap, many labor-saving devices were used to make ornament even more affordable and more such devices could have been used if demand were present. In addition, the greater scope for economies of scale and reductions in transportation costs reduced the cost of ornament.
Hughes, however, doesn’t give us the key piece of evidence, namely prices! Still, although I have written extensively on the Baumol theory, I am not wedded to it as the explanation for the decline in ornament. Indeed, I would note that Baumol predicts that the price of labor-intensive goods and services increases because productivity increases faster in other industries. It does not necessarily predict, however, that consumption declines, as it has not for medical care and education. Indeed, one virtue of the Baumol theory is precisely because the price increases are produced by productivity improvements in other industries, Baumol price increases are always accompanied by income increases. Thus, Baumol is the only unitary theory that allows for a rising price of education along with greater purchases of education. Thus, preferences must play some role in the decline in ornament at least to the extent that people weren’t willing to use more of their income to purchase ornament as the price rose.
Hughes, however, puts more weight on a large shift in tastes among the elite:
to exaggerate a little, it really did happen that every government and every corporation on Earth was persuaded by the wild architectural theory of a Swiss clockmaker and a clique of German socialists, so that they started wanting something different from what they had wanted in all previous ages. It may well be said that this is mysterious. But the mystery is real, and if we want to understand reality, it is what we must face.
I think that is correct. For many public buildings in particular, ugly was a choice.
I am also in agreement with Hughes that robots are greatly reducing the cost of stone carving as I wrote in my post Overcoming Baumol. Thus, we have two reasons for optimism. if tastes can change once they can change again and prices are falling. Thus, perhaps today we are due for some magnificent buildings that will last the ages as did many of the great buildings of the past.
The post Why Did We Stop Building Beautiful? The Economics and Ideology Behind an Aesthetic Revolution appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.
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](https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2024/05/88328.html#comments) - A whole lot of analysis of an assumption that, as far as I can ...by dan1111 - Tastes in architecture have changed considerably since the mid ...by Hadur

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Hello, this is a trip report of my recent road trip during golden week 2024 (April 27 - May 2, 2024). I am living in Nagoya, Japan and last year got an electric car which I can charge for free, so I thought it might be fun to take a longer road trip this year, and challenged myself to drive to and around Kyushu and back. Golden week is one of the main travel seasons, so I planned the timeframe by checking the traffic jam forecast, trying to avoid the peaks. This paid out and like a miracle, I didn't experience one single traffic jam during my time. Kyushu and Shikoku are beautiful places, so I'd like to share my experience.

6 Day Itinerary (April 27, 2024 - May 2, 2024)

Day 1 (Saturday): Nagoya, Awajishima, Naruto Whirlpools, Matsuyama
The first day started by getting up at 4:30 in the morning. Since it was the first day of the Golden Week, there was a major traffic jam forecasted for the highway from Nagoya to Osaka starting from 6am in the morning. With that in mind, I decided to start driving at 5:00 and it workout out just fine without any delay until I arrived in Kobe. Once there, I charged my car even though it still had 50% battery, but wanted to be on the safe side, because there are no dealers I can charge for free on Awajishima. While charging, I took a stroll through Rokko Island and the beach there. After like 40min I was done and continued to my first goal, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge connecting Kobe and Awajishima, the second largest suspension bridge in the world. Once I crossed it, I took a break at the nearby service area, enjoying some coffee and the view of the bridge, the sea, and Kobe in the background. Until there it took me about 2.5 hours.
After that, I continued my road trip for another hour and drove through Awajishima, until I reached the southern end of the island and crossed the Onaruto Bridge, connecting Awajishima with Shikoku, after eating lunch (Japanese Curry) at the service area right before the bridge. There I reached my second destination of the day, the Onaruto Bridge and the Naruto Whirlpools. After enjoying the view of the bridge, I got to the pathway underneath it. You need tickets for it, and I bought them online in advance, so I checked in with my smartphone. Once inside, you can walk along a about 300 meters long pathway underneath the bridge until you reach the main observation room. From there, you can look down onto the whirlpools. On the website you can check the times for the whirlpools which is critical. There are strong timezones and weak ones, so I advice to check beforehand. Luckily I was able to get there for the peak time, able to witness especially strong currents.
When I was done there, I made my way to the final goal of the day, Matsuyama. This I only planned in because after thinking about it carefully, driving all the way to Kagoshima in one day would take 12 hours by car, and that would be just too stressful and I would not be able to do sightseeing on the way. After around 8 hours of driving in total, I arrived in Matsuyama at around 19:00 in the evening. Once there, the main purpose was to rest at the hotel, so all I did was having a look at the beautiful illuminated Matsuyama Castle before calling it a day and resting at the hotel, APA Hotel Matsuyama-Jou Mae, which I cannot recommend because it was rather old and dirty, but for one simple night it was enough. But driving in Shikoku was a dream. The scenery is beautiful, the highway is big and has 2-3 lanes, and there are only few cars, so you can drive fast without any worries.
Day 2 (Sunday): Matsuyama, Ferry, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima
Day 2 was the most exhausting one, because this was mainly driving without much sightseeing. In the morning, I continued my road trip, starting from Matsuyama and heading towards Misaki Port which took me about two hours. The way there was beautiful, because you drive along cliffs with the sea right next to you, giving you beautiful views of the scenery around. When I arrived, I had around 30 minutes before the ferry would take me to Oita, so I took the time to look around and enjoy some coffee at the cafe nearby. Once the ferry arrived I parked my car inside and enjoyed the trip with the ship which takes you to Saganoseki Port in Oita. After arrival I drove to the nearby dealer to charge my car before taking the probably worst part of the trip, the "highway" from Oita to Miyazaki.
Why was this the worst part? Because even though it is declared as "highway", it is far from that. On the map, it looked like it was close to the sea, but it was not. Also, it says "highway", but if you are expecting several lanes, you are mistaking. It was only one lane per direction, and a rather narrow one as well. On top of that, since there are many, many mountains, most of the time you are driving through badly illuminated tunnels. Because my car is one of the larger kinds, it was rather stressful. What made it even worse, there are no service areas until Miyazaki, so I did not have anything to drink, eat, or a toilet for about 3 hours.
After I finally was out of that hell, I charged my car one more time at the dealer in Miyazaki, before heading to the final goal of the day: Kagoshima. Since my Japanese girlfriend did not want to join from day one, she took the plane on this day, so she would arrive in the evening. And like a miracle, we arrived at Kagoshima airport at exactly the same time. With that, we headed to a dinner with her friends from there, before then going to her parent's house, where we would stay 2 nights.
Day 3 (Monday): Moai Statues, Udo Jingu in Miyazaki Prefecture
If you like sceneries/nature, then you will love Miyazaki. It has mountains, the sea, beaches, and anything else you need. On this day we first had lunch and bought some souvenirs at the Michi no Eki in Miyakonojo. Afterwards we went to the Udo Jingu, which is a temple inside a cliff. From there you can enjoy beautiful scenery of the mountains, the sea, and the temple itself. There are also rocks with a rope on top of it in the sea. You can throw stones at them, and if you manage to land inside the round rope, it is said that you will have fortune. After the temple we went to the nearby Moai statues, which are beautiful to look at on top of the mountain with the sea in the background. Apparently those are the only officially approved Moai statues aside from the original ones. In the evening, we had Yakiniku at the parent's house.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Kumamoto, Nagasaki
At 7am in the morning, we said good-bye to her parents and went on to Kumamoto, where I charged the car real quick and had a little shopping trip in the nearby mall. After that we went on straight to Nagasaki, which took us overall about 2 hours. At the hotel, they had a charging spot, so I was able to charge the car until the next morning, and we used the hotel bus to then go to Nagasaki station. After we arrived, we did some sightseeing at the nearby Chinatown and then head over to Dejima for some historical education, although I am personally are not too much into museums etc. After that we went to the beautiful Ouratenshudo church. On the way back to the hotel, we bought some Nagasaki castella. Our hotel was on the top of Isa Mountain, so we did not need to go to the observation deck, it was our hotel. The hotel also had an infinity pool, so we went inside the pool and relaxed while enjoying the view of the beautiful Nagasaki port.
Day 5 (Wednesday): Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka Ferry to Osaka
The checkout of the hotel was at 12:00, which is late for Japanese hotels. Since it was a beautiful place, we decided to enjoy every single minute before finally checking out and then driving on north to Kita-Kyushu. On the way there, we stopped at a service area where they sold Sasebo Burger, which are apparently famous because of the U.S. military base nearby. It was the first time I have seen an American burger, and even though it was tasteful, I felt my man boobs and hips growing with each bite I took. Afterwards we went to Kita-Kyushu and strolled around Majiko Port, which has a lot of older European style buildings. It also has an observation tower which you can go up for only 300 Yen! We went up, had a look at the port, the sea, and the nearby bridge connecting Kitakyushu (Kyushu) with Shimonoseki (Honshu). At the nearby plaza you can do some shopping and there is some kind of museum inside the old customs building as well, which was more interesting than expected. Once it was time to board, we went to the port where our ferry would start, the "Ferry Fukuoka" from the Meimon Taiyo Ferry. This ferry connects Kitakyushu and Osaka. There are 2 rides a day, one at 17:00 and one at 19:50. We took the later one so that we arrive in Osaka at like 8:30 in the morning.
The Ferry Fukuoka is a new ship, so everything was still new, good-looking and generally beautiful. We went on board at like 19:00. There are charging terminals for EV cars which you can use for free if you register in advance, which I did. Thanks to that, my car was fully charged when we arrived in Osaka. There is also a restaurant you can use, and you can go eat dinner right after you boarded. The ticket for dinner and breakfast together costs 2,400 Yen, and it is a buffet like restaurant, where you pick what you want. There are also different rooms. If you really want to save money, you don't need to pick a room, but then you have to spend the 12 hours in the public rooms. There are several public rooms for watching TV, a lounge, a game center with crane games etc., a convenience store, and the open deck. Since you don't go on such a ship every day, we took the most expensive suite, which there are only two, for about 40,000 Yen. But oh boy was it worth it, this was as large as a hotel room, had a big TV, two beds, a couch with a small table, and a desk as well as your own bathroom with showebath and toilet. After eating dinner, we took a stroll around the ship, but then relaxed in our room and slept till the next morning.
Day 6 (Thursday): Arriving in Osaka and driving back to Nagoya
The last day of the trip began at 7:00 when the ship crew made an announcement that we would soon drive through the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the same bridge I crossed with my car on day 1. So I quickly went out of the bed and headed towards the deck, where I was taking pictures and videos as we drove through underneath the bridge. After that we head breakfast at the restaurant before then getting ready to get off the ship. Once we arrived in Osaka, we simply drove the last part about 2 hours from Osaka back to Nagoya, as my crippling depression was slowly kicking in, realizing that the boring everyday's life was about to start again, even though I still had days off till May 6. After arriving in Nagoya, we went shopping in Sake, before arriving at home again.
Tips
If you are travelling by car during Golden Week, check the forecast for traffic jams. Also don't start the trip on the first day and return on the last day, since that is what everybody else is doing. On the first day, you can still avoid traffic jam by starting early in the morning. For the returning day, I usually prefer to be back a few days before the official last day, because that is usually the one with the worst traffic jams.
EV cars: The Japanese highway has a lot of charging spots, so even if you are driving an electrical car, you do not have to worry too much. I personally was a bit of an exception, because I had the free charging plan from my company, so most of the time instead of using the highway charging spots, I went to the nearby dealer to charge for free.
One thing I regret is that day 2 was mostly only driving. So if I was about to plan another long road trip, I think I would insert another stay in-between so that I have more time for sightseeing and resting.
Accommodations
Matsuyama: APA Hotel Matsuyamajo-Nishi - 1 night for about 10,000 Yen
Kagoshima: 2 nights at hotel mama and papa for free ;D
Nagasaki: 1 night at Garden Terrace Nagasaki - 1 night for about 40,000 Yen
Ferry Fukuoka: 1 night inside suite A for about 40,000 yen
Last thoughts
Overall, Kyushu is a god-damn beautiful place, and I have by far not seen everything about it yet. Therefore, I am definitely planning on coming back, be it by car, train, or plain. But since Kyushu is rather countryside, in the end I was glad that we had a car, especially in Miyazaki. If you are visiting with public transport, it probably makes sense to get a rental car nearby. I hope this report could increase the interest for Kyushu for anybody reading it, cheers!

India stands at the precipice of remarkable growth, fueled by an unwavering commitment to infrastructure development. As urbanization accelerates and the demand for modern facilities rises, the nation’s focus on constructing world-class infrastructure has never been more critical. This ambitious drive has spotlighted leading infrastructure development provider in India, along with top project management consultancies, which are pivotal in transforming vision into reality.
From sprawling metro systems and robust highways to cutting-edge airports and sustainable urban projects, these entities are the bedrock of India’s infrastructural renaissance. Their expertise, combined with innovative approaches and meticulous project management, ensures the seamless execution of large-scale projects. This article delves into the integral role these providers and consultancies play, shedding light on their contributions, challenges, and the future trajectory of infrastructure development in India.

Bridging Gaps: The Role of Infrastructure Development Providers

Infrastructure development providers in India are the architects behind the country’s growing skyline and expansive transportation networks. These firms undertake mammoth projects that include designing, building, and maintaining infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels, water supply systems, and energy facilities. Their contributions are instrumental in enhancing the quality of life, fostering economic growth, and promoting sustainable development.

Key Players in the Sector

The landscape of infrastructure development in India is populated by several key players known for their expertise, innovation, and reliability. Among these, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) stands out as a behemoth. With a legacy spanning over eight decades, L&T has been at the forefront of many landmark projects, including the Delhi Metro and several major expressways. Their comprehensive approach encompasses everything from conceptualization to execution, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Another noteworthy player is Tata Projects, a subsidiary of the illustrious Tata Group. Known for its commitment to quality and safety, Tata Projects has successfully executed numerous high-profile projects across sectors like power, water, metals, and mining. Their work on the Mumbai Metro and various urban water supply schemes showcases their versatility and proficiency.

Challenges and Innovations

While the achievements of these infrastructure development providers are commendable, the journey is fraught with challenges. Delays due to land acquisition issues, regulatory hurdles, and funding constraints are common. However, these firms continuously innovate to overcome such obstacles. For instance, the adoption of digital technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has revolutionized project planning and execution, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.
Moreover, there is a growing emphasis on sustainable development. Providers are increasingly integrating eco-friendly practices, such as using green materials, optimizing energy consumption, and minimizing environmental impact. This shift not only aligns with global sustainability goals but also caters to the rising demand for green infrastructure.

Mastering Complexity: The Best Project Management Consultancy in India

Project management consultancies play a critical role in the successful delivery of infrastructure projects. They provide the expertise and oversight necessary to navigate the complexities of large-scale developments, ensuring that projects are completed within scope, on time, and within budget. The best project management consultancy in India stands out for its ability to manage diverse projects while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.

Leading Consultancies

Among the top project management consultancies in India, AECOM and CBRE lead the pack. AECOM, a global infrastructure firm, has a strong presence in India, offering end-to-end project management services. Their portfolio includes high-profile projects such as the Bangalore International Airport and various smart city initiatives. AECOM’s ability to integrate multidisciplinary teams and leverage global expertise sets them apart.
CBRE, another prominent player, excels in real estate project management. Their extensive experience in handling commercial, residential, and industrial projects has made them a trusted partner for many developers. By combining local insights with global best practices, CBRE ensures projects are not only successful but also sustainable and future-ready.

The Project Management Edge

Effective project management is crucial for the success of infrastructure projects, which are often complex and multifaceted. The best project management consultancies in India bring several advantages to the table:

1. Comprehensive Planning and Scheduling: Detailed planning and precise scheduling are essential to avoid delays and cost overruns. Project management consultancies use sophisticated tools and methodologies to create realistic timelines and budgets, ensuring that projects stay on track.
2. Risk Management: Identifying potential risks early and developing mitigation strategies is a core aspect of project management. Consultancies employ rigorous risk management frameworks to anticipate and address issues before they escalate, safeguarding project outcomes.
3. Quality Assurance: Maintaining high standards of quality is paramount in infrastructure projects. Consultancies implement stringent quality control measures, conduct regular inspections, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
4. Stakeholder Coordination: Large infrastructure projects involve multiple stakeholders, including government bodies, contractors, and the community. Effective communication and coordination among these stakeholders are vital for smooth project execution. Project management consultancies act as intermediaries, facilitating collaboration and resolving conflicts.
5. Resource Optimization: Efficient utilization of resources — human, financial, and material — is critical for project success. Consultancies optimize resource allocation, ensuring that projects are delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.

Case Studies: Success Stories in Indian Infrastructure

Examining successful infrastructure projects can provide valuable insights into the contributions of infrastructure development providers and project management consultancies.

The Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro is a shining example of successful infrastructure development in India. Managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), with substantial involvement from L&T and other key players, the project has transformed urban transportation in the capital city. The meticulous planning, efficient execution, and adoption of advanced technologies have made the Delhi Metro a benchmark for similar projects worldwide.

The Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link

The Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) is another significant project, aimed at reducing travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Tata Projects, in collaboration with other leading firms, is executing this ambitious project. The use of innovative construction techniques and sustainable practices underscores the project’s commitment to excellence and environmental stewardship.

The Hyderabad International Airport

The Hyderabad International Airport, managed by GMR Group with project management support from AECOM, showcases the successful implementation of world-class infrastructure. The project was completed ahead of schedule and has consistently been ranked among the best airports globally. The integration of advanced technologies and efficient project management were key to its success.

Future Outlook: The Road Ahead for Infrastructure Development in India

As India continues its journey towards becoming a global economic powerhouse, the role of infrastructure development providers and project management consultancies will only become more critical. The government’s ambitious infrastructure plans, such as the Bharatmala and Sagarmala projects, and the push for smart cities and digital infrastructure, present immense opportunities for these entities.

Embracing Technology

The future of infrastructure development in India lies in embracing cutting-edge technologies. The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data analytics can revolutionize project planning, execution, and maintenance. These technologies can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of infrastructure.

Focus on Sustainability

Sustainability will continue to be a key focus area. Infrastructure development providers and project management consultancies must prioritize eco-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy sources, reducing carbon footprints, and promoting green building standards. Sustainable infrastructure not only benefits the environment but also ensures long-term viability and resilience.

Skill Development and Training

As the infrastructure sector evolves, there will be a growing need for skilled professionals. Investment in training and skill development programs is essential to equip the workforce with the necessary expertise and knowledge. Collaboration between industry and educational institutions can bridge the skill gap and foster innovation.
The synergy between infrastructure development provider in India and the best project management consultancies is driving the nation’s infrastructural growth. Their combined efforts are paving the way for a future where India boasts world-class infrastructure that supports economic development, enhances quality of life, and promotes sustainability. As they navigate challenges and seize opportunities, these entities will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s infrastructural landscape.
In conclusion, the relentless pursuit of excellence by these providers and consultancies ensures that India’s infrastructure development remains on a trajectory of progress and innovation. The journey ahead is promising, with the potential to transform India into a global leader in infrastructure.