Previous Part
I woke up to the smell of sausage and eggs. Over by the side of my bed was a tray with a masterfully prepared omelet and sausage to match. That’s not what caught my eye though. What did that was the little note stuck to the side of they tray.
“Sorry for terrorizing you- R”
Was scrawled in barley legible hand writing, Rocco’s I imagined.
“So it can cook but not write?”
I muttered to myself as I got out of bed.
A fresh change of clothes was laid out for me and I decided just not to question it. The clothes fit perfectly and I tried not to let my mind wander as to why that was while I ate breakfast. Rocco’s omelet was outstanding, for a trash panda he made a great cook but I have no idea where he would’ve picked that up. After I finished I brought my dishes downstairs and ran into Stein in the kitchen.
“The clothes fit don’t they? My eyes aren’t what they used to be, I should’ve just sent Rocco up to ask your size.”
“No no, they fit fine, and please don’t send Rocco to do anything without telling me. I think that might just give me a heart attack on the spot. I’m still really not used to all… this going on”
I said gesturing to the raccoon who had wandered into the kitchen and was now flipping me the bird with both his paws.

Stein nodded to me with what I hoped was understanding. As much as Rocco seemed harmless (Maybe… hopefully?) I really didn’t want the furry little demon arriving anywhere near me unexpectedly. We already saw how that went in the basement yesterday. I finished washing my dishes in the sink as Stein ate his breakfast. He seemed so calm and normal, compared to the things I’d seen in this house so far. If you took one look at Bianca you say she looked too good to be true. Rocco is… well, he’s a talking raccoon, that’s immediately strange. But when it came to Frank and Stein you couldn’t tell there was anything off about them. Honestly I still had trouble seeing where they fit into this whole thing.
I was lost in this train of thought as I went through the motions of taking my groceries out of the refrigerator where someone had put them. I didn’t even realize Bianca was standing behind me till she tapped my shoulder. Jumping out of my skin I screeched out,
“Jesus Rocco what the hell!”
Bianca went from serious to laughing hysterically in no time flat.
“He really has you spooked after last night doesn’t he?”
She barely got out between bouts of laughter.
“I’m sorry really, oh and I’ve got this for you.”
Chuckled Bianca, handing me a wad of cash with a face that didn’t look remotely sorry for laughing at me.
“Just for that I’ll take it! But I’ve got to ask, how do you have this much cash just lying around, isn’t that a little risky?”
“You’d have to ask my unc… Frank or Stein.”
Bianca answered, stumbling on the apparently familiar lie. As she said this Stein stood up from the table and answered my question.
“Researching the supernatural isn’t always safe but Germany pays its scientists well, even if we don’t work for them anymore.”
“Germany? When did you work with the German government?”
I asked, a sinking suspicion settling into the pit of my stomach.
“1941, The Führer requested me specifically and I met Frank there. Oh don’t look at me like that! I didn’t support his cause, he simply wanted to look into forces outside his control and that was my specialty. It was business nothing more.”
Stein responded, pointing his finger at me and sounding a little annoyed.
“But that would make you… there’s no way you’re that old. Uh I don’t mean!”
“Think nothing of it, if anything, it means our serum worked. Distilled it from the DNA of a few pureblooded vampires and designed it to slow human aging to a crawl.”
Bianca cut him off,
“Stein, I think I can see steam coming out his ears. Can we maybe give the supernatural stuff a rest? I know you’ve been around it all your life but I think its a bit much for him.”
“Yes, I suppose your right Bianca. I’ll leave you two be then.”
Stein surrendered, as he turned and walked out of the room. Like he hadn’t just dropped yet another bomb on me.
I held myself together much better this time. After talking raccoons and succubi, learning vampires apparently existed in such an offhanded manner just didn’t surprise me as much. At this point I was just about ready to accept any supernatural entity I’d ever heard of existed in some capacity. In fact that might be the best policy moving forward.
“Hey you’re not going to pass out on us again right?”
Bianca asked turning back to me, genuine concern in her voice.
“No, I’ll be fine. The more I hear about this kind of thing the better I am at just accepting it. It’s a lot easier hearing it from one of you guys than having it drop out of the sky at me.”
I joked, walking with Bianca to the door. I noticed my poor attempt at a joke was the first time I said anything about Imalone without feeling like someone would call me crazy. I couldn’t dwell on that for too long right now though, I had to drop off the groceries that had taken me a full day to get. In hindsight though, I’ve had worst trips to the grocery store.
The next few days passed without any real issues, I got things set up in the house and ordered some furniture with the money I got from Bianca. On the second day I figured I should go out and explore the town a bit. I was getting bored being cooped up doing normal things and apparently I wanted to throw a wrench in all that.
“Maybe a bar” I thought to myself as I walked out the door just as the sun had started to think about setting, “Those are always a good place to meet people”.
This is where I tell you I may be just a little awkward. Even back home I didn’t really get out and meet new people much but I figured now is as good a time as any to start. I threw together a quick outfit with the clothes I brought with me from home. Hopefully I looked at least a little bit presentable in khakis and a red dress shirt. I walked out my door and immediately saw Bianca’s house peering out over the town. I considered dropping by to see if Bianca wanted to join me. I had told her about the reasons I ended up in Eagles Peak but I still knew precious little about her. I assumed her past wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I wanted to know what exactly drew someone like her to a sleepy little town like this. Maybe seeing if she wanted to join me would be a good opportunity to learn something about her? It’s entirely possible I just wanted to spend more time around her because she was drop dead gorgeous. Maybe it was because she was the first person I bumped into in town? I couldn’t put my finger on it and if we’re being honest I didn’t want to admit the real reason to myself.
That would have to wait for another day though. I had spent so much time thinking about it that by the time I snapped back to reality I was by the greyhound bus stop, well past her house. There was another bus stopped there and people were getting off of it. None of them looked like what I would call a local but its not like I’d really know what a “local” looked like here anyways. Still, this town couldn’t get this many visitors right? It was weird but probably had a completely reasonable explanation.
“The Eagle’s Roost” read the sign above the bar’s entrance, it was actually a pretty high class looking establishment. The fresh red paint gleamed against the faded whites and grays of the other buildings on the street. Inside, a well polished dark wood floor greeted me. The room was completed by a roaring stone fireplace and a well used set of stools by the counter.
“Hey there! Anyone home?!”
I called out into the empty bar.
“Give me a minute!”
Replied a deep gruff voice form the back room. Eventually a man emerged from the room, well I say man but what I mean was a mountain in human form. This guy had to be about 7 feet tall and built from solid granite. Seriously, the muscles on this guy would’ve put The Rock to shame.
“Little early to start drinkin’ isn’t it?”
The mountain grunted judgmentally.
“Well I’m new here I just wanted to see the town. I could come back later if you want.”
“New, why didn’t you say so! New here, I haven’t seen anyone new here in years! come sit down if you’ve got questions about this place I can probably answer them!”
The now elated giant boomed at me. He turned hospitable in an instant, offering me a drink on the house for his poor manners before. His name was Tucker and he’d come to the town years ago as a foreman for it’s mine. The mine dried up and the workers moved on but something about this town spoke to him and he decided to stay. He opened up this bar and the rest is history. Something about the way he talked about the mine did’t sit right with me though. He kept mentioning how it dried up like he was trying to convince me that was what happened. Plus a mine out here didn’t exactly make much sense to me.
“So you run this place alone then?”
I asked, more to be polite than out of genuine curiosity. We had started to run out of things to talk about after conversation about the mine dried up much like it apparently had.
“Never needed any help besides my wife’s, but most days I just run the place alone, yes. No sense in hiring help here, not many people looking for work outside of the ones working at that grocery store down the street. Anyways I should get back to work, its getting to be about time we actually open to the public.”
I turned my head to look at the sign I now realized was stuck to the door. “Eagle’s Roost Hours: 6PM-1AM every night”. I realized with embarrassment I had walked through the door an hour before opening. Tuck had been nothing but friendly though, and I almost felt bad for assuming the locals like him would want to shoo me away. After all, everyone I’d met so far had been nothing but nice, not including Rocco that is.
As I turned my attention back to my drink I thought about the mine again. I hadn’t seen any records of the mine Tuck mentioned in my internet searches of the town before I came here. Honestly it had been incredibly difficult to dig up anything on the town. I wasn’t necessarily the most thorough in my search, but mines tend to be a staple of the towns they’re located in. This mine in particular seems to be what the town was built on. I’m not sure what had me so worked up on this mine issue but I was sure it was important. I sat there at the bar, mulling it over and sipping on my drink when a hand slapped down on my shoulder.
The man it was attached to said something but I couldn’t catch it even if I wanted to. I was far to laser focused on the mark seared black into the mans hand, the exact same eagle that was burned into my back. I pushed him off and bolted for the door, all I heard behind me was the mans confused “What?” And Tuck shouting at him.
“Now what in the Blazes did you do to the poor kid Robert!”
I shot off into the street from the bar, no one was chasing me but the fact that the symbol was here had set me off like a deer running from a gunshot.
“What the hell happened to you?”
Called a now familiar, heavily accented voice from the alleyway.
“Rocco, what are you doing out here?”
I questioned, bewildered at finding him out in the open. I’d never admit it but seeing a familiar face, even Rocco’s, calmed me down a little
“I’m a raccoon in an alleyway, what do you think I’m doing, fishing? No, I’m rootin' around in the trash, Frank needs some lithium foil and he can’t be bothered to run out and buy some batteries himself, stingy bastard.”
He retorted, looking for all intents and purposes like a normal raccoon at the moment.
“Even if I were to guess I wouldn’t have even come close to that.”
“I live to surprise”
Rocco sneered, taking a bow dripping with sarcasm.
“Anyways Frank is back at the house right? There’s something I’ve got to tell him.”
I asked, turning and running as soon as I got a response in the affirmative.
“Yeah he is, what exactly is so importa…. And he’s gone”
I made it to their strange high house in record time and burst through the door like I owned the place. For some reason Bianca seemed completely unfazed as I crashed into the entryway without so much as a knock.
“You know, you don’t live here right?”
“Oh yeah, good to see you too Bianca. Anyways, were is Frank, or Stein for that matter I’ve got something to ask.”
“They’re in the basement.”
Bianca said pointing to the door without looking up from the book she was reading.
Her dismissive attitude didn’t even register to me as I made my way down the basement steps. I got to the bottom and an acrid scent assaulted my nostrils.
“Do I even want to know what that is?”
I called into the basement, announcing my presence. Frank emerged from a room to my side decked out in a full lab coat and goggles along with a hairnet to protect what little of his still remained.
“What do you need?”
“You guys seem to know a lot about the supernatural right? Well, does this symbol mean anything to you?”
I said pulling off my shirt and turning my back to show him the mark that woman had left me with. His reaction could best be described by the sound of shattering glass as he dropped the beaker he was holding as he saw the symbol.
“Where did you get that?!”
He yelled more than asked.
“Back in Imalone.”
“Imalone? What’s that supposed to mean?”
It dawned on me that I hadn’t explained it to him like I had Bianca, so I filled him in. I told him the whole truth this time, where the mark came from, what really drove me to Eagles Peak, all of it. Frank listened diligently looking more concerned by the minute, at some point Stein joined him. A similarly shocked look was plastered across his face. I swear he was turning white when he answered my question.
“It’s the mark of the Thunderbird, and from what you told us, you met… her in person.”
“So why do you look so worried about it?”
I asked, feeling a little worried.
“Well she’s marked you personally, most people that have that mark would’ve gotten it to show devotion or allegiance and it certainly wouldn’t have come directly from the Thunderbird.”
The way Stein talked about this “Thunderbird” made me think I may be in even deeper shit than I realized.
“So do you two actually know anything about the Thunderbird?”
I asked, hoping these two would know something considering their long study of the supernatural.
“Until recently I only knew of the native legends surrounding the creature. I heard of people marking themselves with that symbol so I assumed there must be some truth to the legends. But neither me nor Frank has ever seen the Thunderbird, much less seen it..er, her take a human form.”
Stein answered, sounding almost disappointed in himself. I got the sense that not knowing something like this really ate at him. Which was just further proven by what he said next, a grin suddenly appearing on his face.
“Frank, I think we have our next big research project on our hands then.”
“I’ll start pulling any records I can find of accounts like Keith’s here.”
Frank said, hurrying over to a computer in the basement corner that looked ancient.
“Yes and compare those to the various legends surrounding the Thunderbird.”
Stein responded, rifling through a row of cabinets against the far wall.
Those two seemed to be whipped into a frenzy by something they knew next to nothing about being dropped in their laps.
“Guys… Guys! Can we hold off on going full mad scientist mode for just a second I’ve got one more thing to ask!”
I yelled trying to get their attention. when they turned to me I could see the spark in both their eyes as they hastily responded in unison.
“Yes, what!”
“Have either of you heard about a mine in this town? Tuck at “Eagle’s Roost” mentioned it but I don’t remember seeing anything about it when I looked into this town.”
“Ah the mine, it’s out in the forest north of town somewhere. There was a collapse or something a few years after it opened and the town covered it up. It would’ve been very embarrassing for them to admit the screw up so they just… didn’t, that’s all there is too it.”
Frank answered, seemingly bothered by the mundaneness of that question.
“So the mine is still out there then?”
“Of course! What did you think it just walked away? No, leave us be we’ve got work to do.”
Stein snapped.
As I left the two to their business and made my way out of the house I ran into Rocco, several grimy batteries grasped in his paws.
“They uh… I don’t think they’ll need those batteries anymore bud.”
“God damnit! That’s what I get for trying to be helpful.”
Rocco yelled, as he threw the batteries against the wall. I had to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Here I was walking past a talking raccoon on his way down to two scientists looking into a Thunderbird. That’s a real thing that’s currently happening to me. Just a few days ago simply seeing Rocco knocked me out almost immediately and now he was just a minor inconvenience. Could it be that I was actually adjusting to all the crazy things that had been happening around me? I sure thought so.
Upstairs, Bianca was still nose deep in her book at the kitchen table.
“Hey can I ask you something?”
“Yeah sure, what is it?”
“Ever been into the woods around town? There’s something I want to check out there.”
“I don’t usually leave the house all that much if I’m honest.”
Bianca answered, a touch of sadness in her voice.
“Do you want too? Leave the house I mean.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Well, I’m going to be headed out there tomorrow looking for the old mine.”
“And why are you looking for that?”
She questioned suspiciously.
“I have a feeling it has something to do with the mark that woman… and I forgot I didn’t tell you about that.”
Bianca looked up at me as she said with a smirk.
“I knew there was more to that story from the other night. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I’ll spare you the details but needless to say I told the story again. I really need to start bringing everyone together when I do these things, it would save me time.
“So that’s why you came here, and you think this mine has something to do with it?”
Bianca exclaimed excitedly. I could almost see the lightbulb going off over her head.
“Yeah that’s pretty much it, do you want to come with? I mean you don’t have to go but I”
She cut me off,
“You know what maybe I should go. Two sets of eyes gives us better odds right? And you have a bad history with forgotten places I seem to recall.”
Bianca said with a coy smile.
“That’s what we’ll do then, I’ll get some things ready and stop by tomorrow, we’ll leave from there.”
And before she had a chance to rethink her answer I left feeling pleased with myself.
My next stop was the hardware store on the other side of town. Of course I still had my travel bag from the good old Imalone trip but I figured I’d pick up some more tools that could come in handy.. I ended up with two heavy duty flashlights, some work gloves of various sizes cause I had no idea what size would fit Bianca, and a set of bolt cutters. It was only when I got up to the counter and the clerk gave me the stink eye that I noticed my mistake.
“You planning to break into something kid?”
Questioned the older guy cashing me out. I responded before my brain caught up with my mouth.
“I was planning on it but you guys didn’t sell balaclavas. So I guess I’ll have to wait.”
The man eyed me for a second then burst out laughing as he handed me my things. Which was good because I knew a few places back in Wisconsin where pulling that would’ve got me pulled into a backroom for questioning. Not a lot of people knew how to take a joke back home. Weirdly enough it was the first time I thought of home since coming here. Obviously I had family back there but we weren’t exactly close like I said before. I just found myself missing the familiarity of the area I had lived in for the past 24 years of my life. I think that’s why I came to the decision to call my mother when I got home later that night.
The whole walk home I had this strange feeling of being watched. No-one was there, I’m sure because I checked… several times. But even as I locked the door to my house and starting sorting out a bag of supplies for Bianca, the feeling didn’t go away. As I pulled out my phone to call my mother the feeling finally faded into the background as I got her familiar answering machine.
“Hi, you’ve reached Carla, leave your name and number after the tone.”
Straight and to the point as quickly as possible, that was the best way to describe mom and it showed even in her answering machine.
“Hi mom I bet you’re wondering where I ended up. Well I’m in New York now, in a sleepy little town. Its nice really, I already met some new people they’re… well they’re a bit strange but I think I might fit in with them. I’m still looking for a job but I had a really well paying temp thing the other day so I’ll be fine for a little while. Anyways, hope you’re doing well, love you.”
I teared up a bit as I ended the call, I hadn’t called my mother in at least a year. She never checked up on me and I never checked in with her. We’d see each other at family gatherings and talk but outside of that I didn’t really contact her much anymore. It was sort of a mutual agreement that we both had, we assumed the other was alright. But being this far from Wisconsin, this far from home, had finally caught up with me. I wanted to at least hear her voice, even if it was just a recording.
As I finished up packing for tomorrow I was quite proud of myself. I’d thought of just about everything, I dug some old hiking boots out for myself and some rope from my old travel bag. Several different sets of flint and steel and about three days worth of dehydrated food adorned the top pocket of both bags. I’d even found an old water purification kit that ended up in one of the duffle bags I brought from my apartment. In short, I was the most over prepared for an excursion like this I’d ever been. It did help push back the eyes I felt peering at me from somewhere over my shoulder, the feeling of being watched still not leaving me. Once I laid down and tried to fall asleep the feeling only intensified. Sounds of rolling thunder in the distance reminding me of my time in Imalone and the fury of the storm the Thunderbird brought. I felt strangely confident as well though, tomorrow Bianca and I may finally start to uncover some answers as to why I felt called to this town, and maybe even what this mark could mean for me.

Location: Defense Line Husky, Datsot-3

POV: Motsotaer, Malgeir Federation Planetary Defense Force (Rank: Pack Member)
The shrieking whistle of incoming artillery shell was among the most terrifying noises known to living beings.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew. Boom. Boom. Boom.
But it meant you were still alive.
Pack Member Motsotaer wondered if the poor pups in the forward trenches heard them coming as the enemy high explosive pounded into their lines.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
One of their anti-aircraft concrete bunkers took a direct hit; its roof collapsed on itself with a loud crumble.
Grass Eater artillery was voluminous, destructive, but scariest of all, it was incredibly precise. Their intelligence assets in orbit knew all, saw all. Their kill chains were short. Once they saw you, they would call it in, and the remainder of your life was measured in minutes and seconds.
There was nothing vegetarian about the efficient and bloodthirsty way the long-eared Grass Eaters fought, and the numerous intelligent predator species they’d exterminated on their way to Datsot… some of those tales gave even Motsotaer nightmares.
The defenders of Datsot had no choice. No choice but to defend their homes against the psychotic enemies pounding their lines to bits. And the ones who remained had learned the hard lessons of war, either through experience earned by blood or via the process of not-so-natural selection.
Motsotaer clutched his rifle against his chest as he laid in his own shallow hole, eyes closed. If the end was going to come for him, there was nothing else he could do but huddle in his freshly-dug grave.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The blasts continued walking across the defense lines, undoubtedly killing scores of his comrades. But he accompanied each shockwave with a sigh of relief; they let him know that he was still alive. Still breathing.
One final rumble. And then there was silence across the battlefield.
Motsotaer waited a minute before he peeked out — another lesson that smart defenders of Datsot had discovered the hard way. A couple brave medics were already on the move, their shouts left and right, pulling bodies and the groaning injured alike out of the rubble aftermath of the shelling.
With a grunt, he pulled himself out of his hole, rushing towards the neighboring anti-air bunker. The concrete roof had collapsed, but he could still hear cries from the dark. He squeezed through the cluttered entrance.
It was a mess on the inside. The lights were all gone. Scattered sandbags. It smelled like blood and death, and he pushed aside the still body of a Head Pack Leader he only knew of, only to find the corpse of yet another Pack Member, her limbs sprawled in an unnatural position.
“Anyone still alive in here?” he asked in the dark as his eyes adjusted. “Hello?”
There were a series of loud coughs. “I’m here. I’m here.”
“Pack Leader Nidvid!” he shouted as he recognized the familiar shrill voice. “Keep talking! Where are you?”
“Here. I’m here. Help me up.”
As she continued to cough, he had the sense to fish a flashlight out of his pocket, fumbling around until he found the on button. As the light activated, he could see Nidvid half-buried in the dirt, her lower limbs trapped beneath some sand from the broken sandbags.
“Pack Leader!” He got onto his front paws and started digging. “Are you injured?”
“I don’t think so,” she shook her head in the dim lighting as she experimentally wriggled her legs. “Here, I think I’m loose. Help me up.”
Motsotaer grasped her under her arms, and with a heavy grunt, pulled her out of the dirt.
“Whew,” she said, checking her body again for wounds. Nidvid looked around at the other bodies splayed in the bunker. “Oh no… Head Pack Leader…”
“That was a close one. I can’t believe you lived through that!”
“Yeah, me neither… Wait a second,” Nidvid said as she began rummaging through a pile of rubble near the Head Pack Leader’s body. “The radio…”
“What are you looking for?” he asked as he aimed his flashlight towards where she was looking.
“Oh no, no, no…” her voice trailed off as she picked up the device she’d been looking for. “Our hardline communicator…” It was clearly broken from the strike, its shell perforated with a hundred holes and its connection to the landline severed. In disgust, Nidvid threw it back to the ground.
“What uh— what did you need that for?” Motsotaer asked. “Were we supposed to tell them we were being attacked?”
“No… It was— before the strike, we got a high priority order.”
“A high priority order?”
Nidvid recalled, “There’s a special platoon in our salient… We were supposed to get an important message to them!”
“Special platoon?” Motsotaer asked. “Are you okay, Nidvid?”
“Yes, yes,” the Pack leader replied, visibly distraught. “They only had a physical line to us because they’re supposed to be keeping in the dark. Emissions control or something like that so they can activate the flying machine swarm in time. They said this was life and death and our whole defense line hinges on it!”
“Emissions control? Flying machines? Pack Leader, we should get you to a medic,” he said skeptically.
“No! Motsotaer, this is important. We need to get the message to them now. They’re only a couple kilometers south from our position. If we run over to their position now, it might not yet be—”
He looked up at her face in alarm. “Run to another position? Outside the trench line?”
“Yes! We have to go!” she said, as she peeked out of the concrete bunker towards the barren zone ahead of the trenches. “Now! Before they start their offensive.”
Motsotaer began to protest, “But that’s no creature’s land. If we get spotted by their troops, we’ll be hunted down by the Grass Eaters ships in orbit…”
She was insistent, “Pack Member Motsotaer, get it together. We still have a job to do. Are you with me or are you going to sit here and die like a coward to the long-ears?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, straightening up. Death or not, he was no coward. “I mean… I’m with you.”
“Good. Then let’s go.”
With a grunt, she leapt out of the trenches and jogged south, keeping to the defensive side of it for the modicum of cover it provided, and Motsotaer quickly followed. As they sprinted away from the tattered defenses, they ran into a thick tree line that hopefully provided them with some concealment from the Grass Eater ships above.
After a couple more minutes of running in the forest, Motsotaer started to tire and pant. He weighed his burning lung and how embarrassed he’d be if he complained. Luckily for his ego, Nidvid gestured for them to stop after another minute and tossed him her canteen. “Take a break before we get going.”
He chugged as much water as he could in a single swig, and returned the canteen to Nidvid. He gasped out, “How much further, Pack Leader?”
“About one more kilometer south,” she said, aiming her snout up at the treetops. “I recognize the smell of this area.”
“What’s this even about? The message… what was it?”
Nidvid exercised her limbs. “That Grass Eater artillery strike… it was to prepare for their offensive on our lines. They’ve gathered an armored division on the other side of that,” she pointed out into the barren fields beyond the trees. “We have an hour at most before they roll over us.”
“An armored division?!” Motsotaer squeaked. The enemy’s Longclaws — their armored vehicles — were legendary. They could kill from kilometers away. And their thick shells protected them against all but the most powerful artillery in the Federation’s arsenal. He’d never seen one of them personally. If he had, he suspected he wouldn’t be alive to tell anyone about it. “What can we do against a Grass Eater armored division?”
“That’s why we have to get to the special platoon,” Nidvid replied. She pointed in the southern direction, “You ready? Let’s go.”
They galloped for a few more minutes. Motsotaer’s limbs tired and his breaths shallowed as his lung burnt. As he was contemplating whether to ask for another break, Nidvid pointed at a shape in the distance. “There, that’s their position!”
He squinted at it. It was not easy to see, but buried in the tree line was what looked like a bunch of out-of-place branches and leaves over a small vehicle. Buoyed by the anticipation of the end of the marathon, he managed to keep up with Nidvid’s pace.
As they approached, there was a loud shout.
“Hi-yah! Stop!”
They halted their steps and looked for the source of the voice.
“Not one more paw step, deserter! This is a restricted area! Turn around or you’ll be shot!”
Motsotaer looked up at the voice hidden up in the branches. After a moment, with some help from his nose, he found the yeller. It was a short, stout middle-aged male with strange-looking green and brown paint smeared all over his fur and face. He had a rifle aimed squarely at the duo.
“Don’t shoot!” Nidvid yelled back. “We’re runners. We’ve got an important message! For your platoon commander.”
The male in the tree looked suspiciously at them as he leapt down. He lowered his rifle, but didn’t seem any less on guard. “A message?”
“Yes, we’ve got an urgent message for Special Platoon Commander Graunsa. Take us to him right now!”
He sized the two of them up. After a moment, he said slowly, “I am Graunsa. Why are you here, and what is the message?”
Nidvid recovered some of her breath and explained, “The Grass Eaters hit us hard with an artillery strike. Our Head Pack Leader is dead. Our landline is gone. We ran all the way over from our lines north of you.”
Graunsa nodded and gestured for her to continue.
“The Grass Eater armored offensive is about to start. They’re moving into position and ready to go, and there’s a special message embedded—”
“Wait a second,” Graunsa interrupted. “Give me the special message exactly, without omission or your own interpretations.”
“Yes, Platoon Commander,” Nidvid nodded. “The message is: bunny water carriers are in play, red-five-zero-eight; come out of the dark and introduce yourself. Authorization is three-three-greyhound.”
Graunsa looked thoughtful for a moment as he pondered it.
“What does the message mean?” Motsotaer whispered at Nidvid.
“I have no idea,” she shrugged, whispering back. “The Head Pack Leader just told me to memorize it.”
The platoon commander seemed to have made up his mind. “Alright, that seems legitimate. Thanks for the message.” He turned around to leave.
Motsotaer shouted behind him, “Wait, what are we supposed to do now?”
Graunsa turned around. “I don’t know. I’m not your commanding officer.” He paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t recommend going back to your lines though. Might not be there when you get back…”
“What?!”
“You can’t just leave us! Where else are we supposed to go?” Nidvid asked.
Graunsa seemed to contemplate the question for a few heartbeats and sighed, “You said you’re from the position up north?”
“Yup,” they replied in unison.
“And you’re a spotter, Pack Member?” he asked, looking at the rank and position patch on Motsotaer’s chest.
“Yes.”
Graunsa relented. “Fine. We might find a use for you. Get into the bunker… before the Grass Eaters in orbit see us dawdling out here.”
“What? Where?”
The officer pointed at a patch of dark green leaves on the forest floor. As they approached it, he grasped a latch and lifted it to reveal a ladder. The three of them descended into the darkness and Graunsa secured it behind them. With a quiet swoosh, a lamp mounted on the wall lit up to reveal a small hallway leading to a heavy-looking door.
Graunsa knocked on it twice. He turned around and looked at Motsotaer and Nidvid. “What you’re about to see in here is of the highest secrecy level of the Malgeir Federation. If you tell anyone what you see in here, you will be executed for treason. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Platoon Commander.”
“Swear it, on your honor.”
“We swear,” they replied in unison, their voices infused with growing excitement.
“Good enough for me.”
The heavy steel door swung open, showing a room that was vastly different from what its primitive exterior suggested. It resembled a command center far more than a field base, and Motsotaer felt a blast of cold air conditioning in his face as he passed the door threshold.
At the front, a main screen showed a map of the defensive lines in the sector. Facing it, two rows of sleek, new computer screens lit up the dark. Their operators worked busily at their controls, and only a couple faces looked their way in mild interest as they entered.
“What is this—” Motsotaer started to ask. Nidvid grasped his shoulder and shushed him.
Graunsa cleared his throat. Several faces looked towards him in anticipation. “Platoon, we just got the message. Activate the FTL handshake and authenticate us in the network.”
“Yes, sir.” A young-looking communication officer near the front operated a few controls on her console. “I’ve got the advisors on the line.”
Motsotaer read his nametag: Gassin. She was a Gamma Leader, much higher ranked than he, but she looked not a day over twenty. He noted that many of the people in the room sported high-ranking insignias despite their apparent youth.
“On screen,” Graunsa ordered.
A communication window appeared on the main screen, streaming video of someone in a jet-black EVA suit.
Motsotaer stiffened. It was obvious that the subject was alien; at around 1.7 or 1.8 meters, it was far too tall for being a Malgeir. Too small for a Granti. And from the side profile of the suit, it didn’t bulge nearly enough for the tails that the Malgeir’s Schpriss neighbors were known for. A strange new species of aliens.
From the blackened visor, it was obvious that whoever that was… it was the reason for all this tight secrecy.
“Special Platoon Commander Graunsa,” it transmitted in perfect Malgeirish. The alien was either a trained-from-birth Federation Channel One newscaster with a perfectly inoffensive accent, or its translator was far better than anything the Malgeir themselves had invented. “This call is encrypted, but the enemy Znosians in orbit are trying to find your location from the signals, so we’ll have to make it as quick as we can. Have your defensive lines completed your preparations?”
Graunsa stepped up to address the screen directly, “Yes, advisor. Our fire support platoon is ready for tasking.”
“Excellent. Transmitting the first batch of targets in your sector now.”
A series of symbols scrolled onto the screen, showing a number of coordinates.
“We’re getting the enemy positions now,” Gassin exclaimed.
Graunsa turned to her and nodded his appreciation, “Sixteen armored targets. Weapons free.”
“Yes, sir. Programming the sequence.”
A camera on the main screen activated, remotely showing a small hole with some machinery in it dug a few hundred meters away just at the edge of the tree line.
“Launching flying machine swarm!”
As Motsotaer watched, a thicket of metal erupted from the hole in a blur, roaring into the sky.
The main screen was replaced by a four-by-four of windows of black and white images. It took him a couple seconds to realize that he was looking at the battlefield from above. The Malgeir had rotary wing, airplanes, and jet — some were even armed, but they were usually much bigger. And their air assets had been grounded since the early days of the battle for Datsot when the enemy took the orbits.
Not these tiny devices though.
He focused on one of the sixteen windows.
The ground sped past below the camera’s vision, tree line after tree line, the flying machine seemed to know where it was going by itself: Motsotaer looked at the other occupants in the room. None of them seemed to be directly controlling it.
He stiffened.
Is this controlled by a thinking machine?
“We’re getting in range of the target coordinates, Platoon Commander,” Gassin updated the room a few minutes later.
As if on cue, the flying machines flew higher, and the trees on the ground grew smaller, as if further away. Until…
“Targets identified!” Gassin reported with excitement in her voice.
As an infantry spotter, Motsotaer had been trained — barely — to identify enemy armored vehicles. As in, he’d been given a cheatsheet containing the silhouettes of the different types of vehicles the enemy drove. But even he couldn’t tell at this distance what the white-hot smudges on the screen were.
The machine had no such issues though.
Several red boxes materialized on the screen, clearly marking several enemy vehicles in the thermal imagery and adorning them with detailed information.
The one Motsotaer was watching said:
Hostile vehicle, Longclaw MK4 (top armor: ~25mm), 4.2 km.
No hostile EW detected.
Without additional prompting, the flying machines raced in towards their targets, each recognizing a different one as its final destination. Afraid to blink, Motsotaer stared intently at one of the video streams.
A new line of text appeared at the top of the screen:
ETA 20 seconds.
It counted down the seconds, number by number.
The enemy Longclaw got larger and larger until… the screen went black, replaced by static. As he looked around, the other windows were similarly replaced with static one-by-one.
Motsotaer frowned, wondering where the videos had gone.
Then, it hit him. The flying machines were on one-way trips.
The sixteen windows disappeared, and another one appeared, showing the enemy assembly area from a much higher perspective. And instead of the vehicles he expected, he counted sixteen burning wrecks, the black smoke from their flames reaching up into the sky in columns.
“Targets destroyed, Commander,” Gassin said. Several of the officers in the room looked at each other excitedly, but their celebration was muted.
Graunsa nodded. “Call our advisors again.”
The alien appeared on the screen again. “Excellent work, Platoon Commander. We’re assessing the lines and getting the second batch of targets to you now.”
“Understood.”
As the new target coordinates scrolled onto the main screen, Gassin didn’t need additional prompting, “Launching flying machines!”
Another sixteen of them flashed out from the pre-dug position. Another sixteen windows appeared on the screen, replacing the odd-looking aliens’ video.
“Wait a minute,” the aliens’ voice cut into the quiet hum of the control room’s operation. “Switch back to the high-altitude drone. Something’s happening.”
The main screen’s image was replaced by the previous camera looking down at enemy lines. There was a flurry of activity in the enemy base area. Numerous dots representing the ground troops moved to-and-fro. And worryingly, the red squares that surrounded enemy armor began appearing en masse as enemy Longclaws drove out of their covered positions into the open.
Dozens of them.
Then, hundreds. And more appeared every second.
“What’s going on?” Graunsa asked, his voice reflecting Motsotaer’s worry.
The alien took a minute to get back to him, its black helmeted face filling up the screen again. “They’re attacking. They don’t know what hit them in the last strike. But they must have realized that they’re not safe in their assembly area, and they’re doing the only thing they can… We estimate they’ll get to your first lines in thirty minutes.”
“Can we stop them?” Graunsa asked. “We can—”
The alien looked directly into the video. “Not sixteen drones at a time. And if you launch the whole swarm at once, it’ll reflect enough signal for them to sniff out where you are with their counter-battery radars and take you out from orbit.”
Graunsa swallowed. “That’s— that’s— The machines can fly themselves without us, right?”
The alien didn’t say anything for a few heartbeats. “Theoretically, yes. But even if you evacuate your position now, your people won’t get out of range from the orbital strike they’ll call in.”
“I understand. Feed us the enemy targets.”
“Delta Leader, we can’t ask you to—”
“I said, feed us the enemy targets,” Graunsa insisted.
Quietly, hundreds of coordinate pairs filed onto the main screen. Graunsa looked at the faces of the young officers under his command. Dozens of them. He turned around to look at his two guests. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s the right choice,” Nidvid replied, shrugging.
Motsotaer nodded at him.
“I know,” Graunsa said, turning back to the main screen. “Just doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Sir, we’re ready to launch,” Gassin reported.
“Weapons free. Release everything.”
“Yes, sir.”
The ground shook and rumbled, hundreds of flying machines leaving their canisters for the sky. They were close enough to hear the outgoing buzzing as the munitions launched. This time, more and more windows filled up the screen with the visuals of the outgoing flying machines — hundreds of them, and Motsotaer was surprised that the computers could even handle it all.
The visage of the alien returned to their screen. It said calmly, “Enemy orbital launch spotted. Multiple launches. High yield. Missiles incoming to your location, ETA twelve minutes.”
“Understood, advisor.”
POV: Slurskoch, Znosian Dominion Marines (Rank: Five Whiskers)
“Scramble! Scramble! Scramble!”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.
“What’s going on?” Longclaw Commander Slurskoch sat up in his turret cupola as the sirens rang loud through the hull.
“We’re under artillery attack!” his Controller yelled back at him through the roaring startup sequence of the turbine anti-grav engines. “The Lesser Predators… they’ve got some kind of new weapon! Took out a whole battalion’s worth of Longclaws in the 194!”
“But we’re not ready!” his Driver complained. “Our artillery is supposed to pound them for another hour before we—”
Slurskoch shook his head as he checked the friendly force tracker on his screen. “Doesn’t matter! If they’ve got some new weapon, we can’t sit still while we get pounded to bits by whatever they have. We gotta get out there. Hurry it up!”
It took them another two minutes to fully warm up the engines, and with a roar, the Longclaw burst out of its camouflaged emplacement, kicking up a curtain of dirt in front of it.
“Let’s go! Go! Go!” Slurskoch yelled as his lagging Longclaw joined the armored formation already on the move.
The Controller spoke with one of her ears in the radio, “Their artillery just launched… something at us. We’ve pinpointed their location, and orbital support is on its way.”
His Gunner whooped twice, and Slurskoch nodded silently in agreement. That’d flatten those carnivorous abominations where they stood. He drew a few symbols and circles on the digital battlemap as the Longclaws drove toward the enemy lines. “Gunner, watch those potential trench lines in front of us,” he instructed. “Their anti-armor may not look scary on paper, but their infantry can always get a lucky hit in.”
Slurskoch was taught in training that it was better to overestimate the enemy than underestimate them. Luckily, the predators usually fell below expectations, which was why the Dominion controlled the orbits of Datsot now and not them.
His Controller frowned at something in her radio, “They’re saying something about the enemy artillery… The engineers at the base assessed the strike aftermath. There’s something strange in the rubble. The attack was more precise than anything we’d ever seen.”
“What does that mean?” Slurskoch asked in confusion.
“The sensor officer in charge of the assembly area has taken full responsibility. They didn’t see the incoming at all. Higher ups are speculating that the Lesser Predators have a new weapon in their arsenal.”
“The predators made new weapons?” Slurskoch snorted. “Useful ones? That’ll be a first. Well, whatever it is, maybe our Design Bureau will get a good look at it when we finally cleanse this planet of their filth. Make our next battle a little easier when we have to take their home planet.”
His Gunner agreed, “And then, the Prophecy shall be fulfilled.”
A few kilometers into the charge across the open, the Gunner remarked with one eye on her targeting computer, “Looks like even the local winged predators know that there’s about to be a slaughter here.”
The Driver, in his open hatch, looked up at the cloud of them flying over the enemy lines. “Looks like it. A nice juicy feast for them in the coming battle. The irony of the barbaric carnivores being eaten by themselves.”
A few thousand years ago, winged predators would have curdled the blood of any natural-born Znosian. On the original plains of Znos, they were one of the most dangerous threats a lone Znosian faced. Now, that fear had been completely bred out of the gene pool, replaced with contempt for predatory primitivism, the courage to face them in battle, and the drive to exterminate them all.
Curious, Slurskoch stared up into the cloud of winged predators with his Longclaw commander optics. He frowned.
One of them shimmered.
Shimmered.
He zoomed in.
Then, he saw a metallic glint. His whiskers tightened.
“That’s— those aren’t winged predators,” he barely made out in shock. “Incoming!”
“Huh?” his Driver asked, craning his head up to look at the dark shapes in the distance.
“Get inside! Secure the hatch!” Slurskoch shouted at him.
His Driver was not very good at thinking on his own, but he had been bred to follow direct orders without question. He ducked into his seat, quickly securing the hatch above him close with trained claws.
He barely secured the Longclaw as other commanders began yelling out similar instructions on their radios.
“Incoming!” his Controller advised, about ten seconds later than necessary. “Enemy… artillery?!”
“Gunner!” Slurskoch gestured in the general direction of the sky.
“I can’t get a shot on them. They’re too high up!” she screamed back at him.
A trio of air defense vehicles next to him opened up with their six barrels towards the sky, lines of bright tracers stabbing out at the dark swarm. He saw one of the… flying machines hit and fall out of the sky. Then another.
It wasn’t enough.
As Slurskoch’s optics tracked the incoming, he saw them dive. They were fast, and they flew erratic patterns, almost organically, like actual winged beasts. If he hadn’t had that specific fear bred out of his bloodline hundreds of years ago, he would have been frozen in shock. Instead, he yelled out, “Brace! Brace!”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The world exploded around his Longclaw.
Through his friendly force tracker, Slurskoch watched an entire battalion disappear off the map on his right flank, and two Longclaws in his line of sight brewed up in massive fireballs, throwing their turrets into the sky as their plasma ammunition detonated. One of the anti-air vehicles brewed up next to his, splattering its parts against his hull.
His Driver drove for all he was worth, ducking and weaving in the open field. So did the other Longclaws. Some deployed curtains of smoke in front of them in desperation.
None of it seemed to help.
The shockwaves hit his Longclaw in quick succession, knocking him around the armored cabin and rattling his teeth.
Boom. Boom.
More Longclaws exploded. Many more. They were disappearing off his screen faster than the software could update the signals. He closed his eyes waiting for the end.
It didn’t come.
It was hard for Slurskoch to tell when the last Longclaw near them was hit. His hearing organs must have been damaged some time during the attack. His auditory senses ringed as they returned to normal, recovering when his Controller shook him with a paw on his shoulder. “—Five Whiskers! Five Whiskers!”
“What is it?” he snapped, keeping the quivering out of his voice.
“We’re alone in our company, and I can’t contact the six whiskers! And I’ve been trying to reach battalion without success!”
“Try the regiment commander!” he yelled out against the noise of the anti-grav engine.
“Can’t reach them either!”
“What about division headquarters?!”
“I think division’s gone, sir!”
“What?!”
“Nobody there has been responding. All I’ve got is a seven whiskers in the reserve infantry division behind us! They’re saying they see black smoke in the direction of our division field command!”
“What in the Prophecy? How is that possible?!”
“What do we do, Five Whiskers?”
Slurskoch had been trained for a wide variety of combat scenarios and contingencies, including losing his immediate superiors, losing most of his unit, and losing his communication link to command. But he’d never been trained for all of those combined at once. That was just not something predators were supposed to be able to do to you.
He fell back to the next best thing.
“What’s the combat computer say?” he asked.
His Controller operated the controls on her console, and after half a minute of querying, she replied, reading off the instructions, “Absent orders, continue the attack. Maybe we can push through.”
“What? Did it take our losses into account?” he protested as he checked the battlemap. Of the nearly five hundred Longclaws that had pushed out of the assembly area, only a quarter remained. At most. Some of the signals on the map were flagging themselves as mobility or mission killed.
She shrugged, “It did. That’s what it says.”
He squinted at her screen. That was indeed what it said.
Slurskoch thought for a moment, sighed, and bowed in prayer, “Our lives were forfeited the day we left our hatchling pools.”
The other crew members all did the same, lowering their heads to mutter the familiar mantra.
That ritual out of the way, he drew up to his full height of 1 meter and mustered all the confidence he could into his voice, “Attack! Attack! Attack!”
POV: Graunsa, Malgeir Federation Planetary Defense Force (Rank: Delta Leader)
The command center watched glumly as the hundred or so surviving Grass Eater Longclaws emerged from the wrecks of their comrades and slowly resumed their charge across the open toward the defense lines.
The flying machines had gotten a lot of them. Quite a few disabled too. And they were disorganized from the loss of their command. Yet they still charged. Diminished as their numbers were, they rolled towards the battered defensive lines with psychotic determination.
We’ve failed.
Graunsa sat down heavily into his chair. He brought up his communication console, connecting it to the advisor network.
The alien appeared on the screen, and though he couldn’t see its face, he could hear the sympathy in its translated voice, “You’ve done all you can, Special Platoon Commander.”
“It wasn’t enough,” he said, shaking his ears sadly. “They’re going to break through our line. Our infantry can’t stop them.”
It tilted its head. “I wouldn’t count them out completely, Delta Leader. They might. They might not. But your next defensive line certainly will hold them. The city behind you will be held.”
“Tracking enemy orbit-to-ground. ETA three minutes,” Gassin reported quietly from next to him.
Graunsa sighed. He looked at the alien, “I think I understand your people now, advisor.”
“You… do?”
“Yeah, at first, when we were picked for this mission, I wondered why your people were doing this.”
“Doing this?” the alien asked, seeming confused.
“Helping us. The weapons. The equipment. The training. The targeting. It was all in secret, but you didn’t have to do it. The other species around us didn’t do it. The Schpriss…” Graunsa snorted, “The long-tails can’t even find it in their spines to send us field rations. I thought your species… your people were just generous. Or perhaps you simply enjoyed the craft of war, being so adept at it.”
“Are we… not?”
“Those reasons may be part of it,” he conceded. “But more importantly, I think your people understand one thing the other species don’t… that we might stop the enemy here. Or we might not.”
“We didn’t set you up to fail, if that’s what you think—”
“But the next defensive line certainly will hold them,” Graunsa said, staring the alien in the eye. “You will hold them. Isn’t that right?”
It sighed. “I would be lying if that wasn’t part of the strategic equation. Our star systems are indeed next in line — sometime in the next decade or two, probably — if these bloodthirsty Buns conquered your Federation. That harsh astropolitical realism. But there’s something else too.”
“Is there?”
“Yes,” it nodded its head firmly in a familiar manner. “Yes, there is. We aren’t a particularly long-sighted species, Graunsa. We can plan, yes, but wars are fought by true believers. People don’t sign up to put their lives on the line for a hypothetical, potential invasion of our Republic twenty years in the future. They— we signed up for this because we truly believe what’s happening to your people… it shouldn’t happen to anyone, ever.”
Graunsa looked at the helmeted head for a while, then nodded. “I believe you, advisor.”
“I’m sorry this didn’t pan out, Graunsa. If I could, I’d be down there with you. We’d have made them pay for this.”
Graunsa smiled. “I believe you about that too. Thank you, advisor, whatever your name is.”
“You may call me Kara,” it said simply. A deft snap of its paws — he hadn’t noticed how soft its claws were before — and it released a latch on its helmet with a hiss. Lifting it from its head, it revealed a soft, smooth face without much fur except a bundle of long, brown strands on its scalp tied up in a neat spherical shape. Its hazel forward-facing eyes stared at him with the empathy that only other predators were capable of, filling him with mild relief. “Don’t tell anyone though,” it joked lightly, mirroring his smile back at him.
You’re not as ugly as I thought you’d be. Not nearly.
Graunsa’s grin widened at the thought. He put it out of his mind. “Ah. One last thing, advisor— Kara.”
“Yes?”
His mind drifted to his cubs at home. Perhaps they were still alive. He chose to believe that. “Our people’s clans and packs…”
“We’ll let them know,” she interrupted him softly. “And when the information quarantine is lifted, we’ll let your clans and packs know what you did here — everything.”
“Good. Thank you.”
Gassin sat down next to him, “Delta Leader, enemy missiles incoming. ETA thirty seconds, they’re entering—” She stopped her report and stared at the unmasked alien on his screen with equal parts wonder and sadness.
“Take a closer look, Gassin,” he ordered softly. “That… that is who will avenge us.”
On screen, the alien put its gloved paw up to its temple, forming a stiff triangle with its arm in a recognizable salute. “It was an honor, Graunsa.”
Graunsa returned it crisply, letting a primitive fire shine through his face. “Happy hunting, Kara.”

Location: Atlas Naval Command, Luna

POV: “Kara”, Terran Reconnaissance Office
Kara watched solemnly as the green signal blinked off the battlemap. She closed her eyes for a moment in silent prayer for the fallen.
Beep. Beep.
Another light on her console blinked urgently for her attention. Four thousand kilometers from the previous one. The war raged on — day and night — across four continents on the besieged planet. Fifty light years from the Republic, its defenders’ sweat, tears, and blood lined the fields and valleys of the beautiful blue sphere not so different from her own. Tens of millions of them: many who she knew would not see the end of this war.
They didn’t all know it, and some might not have cared, but fifty light years away, someone recorded their names, and someone felt a pang of loss for their sacrifice. In the cold, dark forest of the galaxy, somebody heard their trees fall.
Kara collected her thoughts, adjusted the bun in her hair, and lowered the tinted EVA helmet over her face once more.
She cleared her throat as she glanced at the screen and activated the microphone in her helmet, “Special Platoon Commander Treiriu. This call is encrypted, but the enemy Znosians in orbit are trying to find your location from the signals, so we’ll have to make it as quick as we can. Have your defensive lines completed your preparations?”

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Thanks for reading my story! This is a standalone chapter in my Grass Eaters story, meant to be enjoyable all on its own. If you're interested in more of my writing, please do subscribe to the update waffle bot or check out the rest of the universe in Grass Eaters.
(Grass Eaters posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are closing in on the end of Book 1.)

I stared, mouth dry, heart pounding, at the message from my boss – That awful combination of words that my coworkers and I pray we never see:
“You’re in the running for Employee of the Year.”
For him to send something so callous via email – that was just rubbing salt in the wound.
My eyes glazed over the wall of text that followed. I didn’t need to read the details – I’d cleaned enough of the prior winners off the walls and ceiling of the soundproofed breakroom to know exactly what the award entailed.
After that initial, deep pang of fear faded, denial flooded in to take its place.
I wasn’t just hitting my sales quota, I was blowing it out of the damn water – selling big ticket items daily. I never forgot to place the stickers with my barcode on the products, either, so when my customers checked out and it was scanned at the register, the sales should’ve automatically been linked to my employee ID.
We don’t receive commission – there are other ‘incentives’ to keep our sales up. I hadn’t been watching the numbers because I knew I was making sales left and right – I would've never even dreamt that I was at risk.
It was just a glitch with our computer system, I decided with a nervous laugh. It had to be – something IT could probably sort out in no time.
When I finally regained control of my legs, I wobbled to my manager’s office.
There was no miscalculation, he assured me. It was my employee ID that ranked at the bottom.
“The barcodes never lie, Graham.” He didn’t even bother making eye contact.
I was circling the drain figuratively, and if I didn’t get my shit together – literally – soon enough.
I begged him to review the camera footage – I knew he'd be able to see me making all those sales. “Don’t worry,” he added, with a smile vacant of anything remotely resembling happiness, “One way or another, we all contribute to the success of our company.”
I suppose that by then, he was long desensitized to the pleas of the desperate.
As I left his office, I assured myself that this wasn’t a death sentence.
Not yet.
I had another month until they recalculated our final standings, before shit would get real. Before I’d be given a limp handshake and an empty ‘Thank you for your devotion to the company’ as I was led down the hallway. Before I’d meet what lives behind the usually padlocked door in the shadowy corner of the breakroom.
Before I’d learn what it truly meant to sacrifice myself for the good of the company.
Word spread fast around the office.
Kevin gave me his smug, shit eating grin – maybe he thought that with me out of the picture, he’d finally have a shot with Elise.
Elise… I just desperately hoped that hers wouldn’t be the name drawn afterwards – the one selected to hose what’s left of me off the breakroom floor and down the stained, rusty drain.
As required, I began parking in my new designated space at the far end of the employee lot – the faded sign indicating ‘Reserved for Employee of the Year’ nearly swallowed up by the encroaching tree line. It added an extra ten minutes to my walk to our store, and I dreaded that added time in the oppressive Texas heat. The rational part of me knew that was soon to be a moot point, though.
One way or another, in another month, I wouldn’t have that parking spot. If I were lucky, I’d live to see another summer – live to see some other poor bastard’s car parked there.
If they hadn’t already heard the news, when the rest of my coworkers saw my car in that space, they knew what it meant. Don’t get too attached.
They started avoiding me like the plague. I didn’t blame them.
We all knew what would be coming next if my sales didn’t improve – it's the same thing that happens every time:
We’d gather for the mandatory meeting on the closing night of the fiscal year, all eyes on the sorry son of a bitch that had ‘won’ – the room so quiet that you could hear their muffled sobs. They’d receive what barely constituted a handshake from my manager while he muttered – dead-eyed – his appreciation for their devotion to the company.
Next, they’d be ushered off to the breakroom to meet ‘corporate’. No one tried to run – not after what happened in ‘19. Instead, the winner would always turn back, shooting us a desperate, final look – eyes pleading for someone, anyone, to intervene. Of course, no one ever did.
Once the door closed behind them and that sound-proofed room swallowed up the last of their sobbing, begging – it was over. The rest of us would be sent home and I'd try to shower away that disgusting feeling – that sick sense of relief that someone else was sent to their death, and not me.
Cal – the nicest guy I’d ever met – he was the bottom performer two years ago.
He’d fallen so ill that he’d nearly wasted away and eventually, couldn’t work anymore. He must've thought that freed him from his contract – if he left, if he never came back into work, he’d be okay.
He must not have read the fine print in our hiring paperwork.
Although, to be fair, if any of us had read it, we'd never have signed it in the first place.
Cal was a warning to the rest of us, that there is no quitting in our line of work. If they have to track you down and find you (and I promise you that they will find you) – well, wouldn’t you prefer to go with your dignity, with the company compensating your loved ones – rather than be pulled from your home, kicking and screaming into the night?
Gina was employee of the year in 2023. Gina, with the kind smile, whom Kevin had set his sights on before Elise – and, just like Elise, she wanted nothing to do with him.
I still remember that day, the day they released the final numbers. The way Gina’s mouth hung open in confusion, shock.
When she finally managed to form words again, she too insisted that there must be some mistake. We all vouched for her to management – I’d personally seen her make so many sales.
Our manager simply reminded us that the barcodes never lie.
My name was the one drawn for breakroom duty that next morning, to pick up what remained of her smile and her simple gold wedding band, to be returned to her family. In one business week, they received a box containing a check, and everything left of her that wouldn’t fit down the drain.
Once the numbers are finalized, once your employee barcode has been slapped on that innocuous looking pink slip, well, your fate is sealed.
Kevin, in all his years at the company, has never parked on the far side of the lot. He has never even come close to becoming Employee of the Year, even though he couldn’t sell a bottle of water to a man dying of dehydration. He is sleaze incarnate and doesn’t even have the charisma to mask it.
I never understood how he did so well, but I couldn’t afford to think about him.
I had myself to worry about, and the glitch in the system. Any time I found myself in the breakroom, that ancient wooden door was an unwelcome reminder of the impending one-way trip it held for me.
I took special care to keep an eye on my sales, working my ass off, pulling double shifts. I pulled up the numbers as the end of month drew near, and couldn't believe it.
I was still dead last.
Somehow, there were days where less than half of my sales had been recorded to my employee number.
I didn’t understand.
I waited for the opportunity to sneak into the manager's office, and pull the footage myself.
I’d show the boss that something had gone wrong with the calculations, that the system was broken.
I finally got my chance. At first, I triumphantly watched myself make sale after sale – far more than had been credited to my account. For the first time in a month, I felt a sense of relief. I had evidence, and that had to count for something.
I switched feeds, to the camera nearer to the registers so I could confirm that the codes were being scanned. I'd seen several scanned successfully, and reached to turn off the recording. That's when I saw it.
Saw him.
Kevin.
It was subtle. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, until I recognized the pattern. Even then, I had to rewind and watch again for it to click.
It happened for nearly half of my sales that day. I saw him Intercepting the customers before they could check out – before I could get credit for my sales. And while he chatted them up, he discretely slapped his employee barcode over my own.
I confronted him that night – I was furious. He just smiled, smugly gave me that line about how the barcodes never lie.
He didn’t give a shit that he was sentencing someone else to death.
Hell, maybe he even enjoyed it.
Kevin had stolen credit for Gina’s sales – and god knows who else's.
Fucking. Kevin.
The day our numbers were to be finalized, he had the audacity to place his barcode over mine on a huge sale I’d made – he made no attempt at hiding it – right in front of me. He flashed me a grin as he did.
I caught up with the customers before they checked out and they kindly allowed me to peel the sticker off. I stuck it in my pocket to show my manager.
I pulled the video, too, and I stormed into his office, refused to leave until he watched it. I studied him as his eyes moved across the screen and if he was upset or shocked, he certainly didn't show it.
Finally, he met my eyes, and at the sight of the pain in his – well, for the first time, I felt a sense of relief.
Until I realized why he looked so miserable. Until he whispered, “I'm sorry, Graham. Someone has to receive that award tomorrow. It's out of my hands.”
I wordlessly handed him that damn barcode sticker of Kevin’s that I’d peeled off. He studied it for a long moment before he handed it back to me with a mere, “Why don't you hold onto this.”
I told Elise what had happened over lunch, and as much as I appreciated her outrage on my behalf, I was already resigned to it. I'd mainly wanted to warn her because I had a sick feeling she'd be the one Kevin went after next.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't devastated when, that night, my boss called me into his office and informed me of the final standings. Yeah, I knew it was coming, but I guess it's just human nature to hold onto denial – hope – until the bitter end.
For what felt like an eternity, we stared at each other in silence. The presence of the pink slip of paper lying on the desk between us, said more than enough.
Finally, my eyes drifted down to the form.
He’d already signed, but the space where my barcode – the series of vertical lines spelling out my death sentence – should’ve been placed, was empty.
I never knew how this part went, since it always took place behind closed doors. No one that ever filled out that form lived to tell the rest of us about it.
“I need you to place a barcode here before I send the form to corporate.” he said, eventually.
I opened my mouth for one final, impassioned plea for my life, but he interrupted me. He spoke each word slowly, softly.
“I’m leaving the room now. I need you to place a barcode here, before I send the form to corporate.”
He stared at me for a long moment, waiting for my barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement before leaving me alone in the office.
They processed the paperwork, and announced the Employee of the Year that next day.
Yes, I did feel a pang of guilt as I watched the smug grin fade, the blood drain from Kevin’s face as he stared in shock at the outstretched hand of our manager – as he was thanked for his devotion to our company.
I felt it again as I watched him plead all the way to the breakroom, as our manager spoke to him the same mantra we’d all heard before.
The barcodes never lie.
But I thought of Gina, of the countless others, and by the time I heard the door slam behind him – the guilt was already gone. In its place, the relief of knowing the rest of us were safe.
Well, at least until next year.

I stared, mouth dry, heart pounding, at the message from my boss – That awful combination of words that my coworkers and I pray we never see:
“You’re in the running for Employee of the Year.”
For him to send something so callous via email – that was just rubbing salt in the wound.
My eyes glazed over the wall of text that followed. I didn’t need to read the details – I’d cleaned enough of the prior winners off the walls and ceiling of the soundproofed breakroom to know exactly what the award entailed.
After that initial, deep pang of fear faded, denial flooded in to take its place.
I wasn’t just hitting my sales quota, I was blowing it out of the damn water – selling big ticket items daily. I never forgot to place the stickers with my barcode on the products, either, so when my customers checked out and it was scanned at the register, the sales should’ve automatically been linked to my employee ID.
We don’t receive commission – there are other ‘incentives’ to keep our sales up. I hadn’t been watching the numbers because I knew I was making sales left and right – I would've never even dreamt that I was at risk.
It was just a glitch with our computer system, I decided with a nervous laugh. It had to be – something IT could probably sort out in no time.
When I finally regained control of my legs, I wobbled to my manager’s office.
There was no miscalculation, he assured me. It was my employee ID that ranked at the bottom.
“The barcodes never lie, Graham.” He didn’t even bother making eye contact.
I was circling the drain figuratively, and if I didn’t get my shit together – literally – soon enough.
I begged him to review the camera footage – I knew he'd be able to see me making all those sales. “Don’t worry,” he added, with a smile vacant of anything remotely resembling happiness, “One way or another, we all contribute to the success of our company.”
I suppose that by then, he was long desensitized to the pleas of the desperate.
As I left his office, I assured myself that this wasn’t a death sentence.
Not yet.
I had another month until they recalculated our final standings, before shit would get real. Before I’d be given a limp handshake and an empty ‘Thank you for your devotion to the company’ as I was led down the hallway. Before I’d meet what lives behind the usually padlocked door in the shadowy corner of the breakroom.
Before I’d learn what it truly meant to sacrifice myself for the good of the company.
Word spread fast around the office.
Kevin gave me his smug, shit eating grin – maybe he thought that with me out of the picture, he’d finally have a shot with Elise.
Elise… I just desperately hoped that hers wouldn’t be the name drawn afterwards – the one selected to hose what’s left of me off the breakroom floor and down the stained, rusty drain.
As required, I began parking in my new designated space at the far end of the employee lot – the faded sign indicating ‘Reserved for Employee of the Year’ nearly swallowed up by the encroaching tree line. It added an extra ten minutes to my walk to our store, and I dreaded that added time in the oppressive Texas heat. The rational part of me knew that was soon to be a moot point, though.
One way or another, in another month, I wouldn’t have that parking spot. If I were lucky, I’d live to see another summer – live to see some other poor bastard’s car parked there.
If they hadn’t already heard the news, when the rest of my coworkers saw my car in that space, they knew what it meant. Don’t get too attached.
They started avoiding me like the plague. I didn’t blame them.
We all knew what would be coming next if my sales didn’t improve – it's the same thing that happens every time:
We’d gather for the mandatory meeting on the closing night of the fiscal year, all eyes on the sorry son of a bitch that had ‘won’ – the room so quiet that you could hear their muffled sobs. They’d receive what barely constituted a handshake from my manager while he muttered – dead-eyed – his appreciation for their devotion to the company.
Next, they’d be ushered off to the breakroom to meet ‘corporate’. No one tried to run – not after what happened in '19. Instead, the winner would always turn back, shooting us a desperate, final look – eyes pleading for someone, anyone, to intervene. And, of course, no one ever did.
Once the door closed behind them and that sound-proofed room swallowed up the last of their sobbing, begging – it was over. The rest of us would be sent home and I'd try to shower away that disgusting feeling – that sick sense of relief that someone else was sent to their death, and not me.
Cal – the nicest guy I’d ever met – he was the bottom performer two years ago.
He’d fallen so ill that he’d nearly wasted away and eventually, couldn’t work anymore. He must've thought that freed him from his contract – if he left, if he never came back into work, he’d be okay.
He must not have read the fine print in our hiring paperwork.
Although, to be fair, if any of us had read it, we'd never have signed it in the first place.
Cal was a warning to the rest of us, that there is no quitting in our line of work. If they have to track you down and find you (and I promise you that they will find you) – well, wouldn’t you prefer to go with your dignity, with the company compensating your loved ones – rather than be pulled from your home, kicking and screaming into the night?
Gina was employee of the year in 2023. Gina, with the kind smile, whom Kevin had set his sights on before Elise – and, just like Elise, she wanted nothing to do with him.
I still remember that day, the day they released the final numbers. The way Gina’s mouth hung open in confusion, shock.
When she finally managed to form words again, she too insisted that there must be some mistake. We all vouched for her to management – I’d personally seen her make so many sales.
Our manager simply reminded us that the barcodes never lie.
My name was the one drawn for breakroom duty that next morning, to pick up what remained of her smile and her simple gold wedding band, to be returned to her family. In one business week, they received a box containing a check, and everything left of her that wouldn’t fit down the drain.
Once the numbers are finalized, once your employee barcode has been slapped on that innocuous looking pink slip, well, your fate is sealed.
Kevin, in all his years at the company, has never parked on the far side of the lot. He has never even come close to becoming Employee of the Year, even though he couldn’t sell a bottle of water to a man dying of dehydration. He is sleaze incarnate and doesn’t even have the charisma to mask it.
I never understood how he did so well, but I couldn’t afford to think about him.
I had myself to worry about, and the glitch in the system. Any time I found myself in the breakroom, that ancient wooden door was an unwelcome reminder of the impending one-way trip it held for me.
I took special care to keep an eye on my sales, working my ass off, pulling double shifts. I pulled up the numbers as the end of month drew near, and couldn't believe it.
I was still dead last.
Somehow, there were days where less than half of my sales had been recorded to my employee number.
I didn’t understand.
I waited for the opportunity to sneak into the manager's office, and pull the footage myself.
I’d show the boss that something had gone wrong with the calculations, that the system was broken.
I finally got my chance. At first, I triumphantly watched myself make sale after sale – far more than had been credited to my account. For the first time in a month, I felt a sense of relief. I had evidence, and that had to count for something.
I switched feeds, to the camera nearer to the registers so I could confirm that the codes were being scanned. I'd seen several scanned successfully, and reached to turn off the recording. That's when I saw it.
Saw him.
Kevin.
It was subtle. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, until I recognized the pattern. Even then, I had to rewind and watch again for it to click.
It happened for nearly half of my sales that day. I saw him Intercepting the customers before they could check out – before I could get credit for my sales. And while he chatted them up, he discretely slapped his employee barcode over my own.
I confronted him that night – I was furious. He just smiled, smugly gave me that line about how the barcodes never lie.
He didn’t give a shit that he was sentencing someone else to death.
Hell, maybe he even enjoyed it.
Kevin had stolen credit for Gina’s sales – and god knows who else's.
Fucking. Kevin.
The day our numbers were to be finalized, he had the audacity to place his barcode over mine on a huge sale I’d made – he made no attempt at hiding it – right in front of me. He flashed me a grin as he did.
I caught up with the customers before they checked out and they kindly allowed me to peel the sticker off. I stuck it in my pocket to show my manager.
I pulled the video, too, and I stormed into his office, refused to leave until he watched it. I studied him as his eyes moved across the screen and if he was upset or shocked, he certainly didn't show it.
Finally, he met my eyes, and at the sight of the pain in his – well, for the first time, I felt a sense of relief.
Until I realized why he looked so miserable. Until he whispered, “I'm sorry, Graham. Someone has to receive that award tomorrow. It's out of my hands.”
I wordlessly handed him that damn barcode sticker of Kevin’s that I’d peeled off. He studied it for a long moment before he handed it back to me with a mere, “Why don't you hold onto this.”
I told Elise what had happened over lunch, and as much as I appreciated her outrage on my behalf, I was already resigned to it. I'd mainly wanted to warn her because I had a sick feeling she'd be the one Kevin went after next.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't devastated when, that night, my boss called me into his office and informed me of the final standings. Yeah, I knew it was coming, but I guess it's just human nature to hold onto denial – hope – until the bitter end.
For what felt like an eternity, we stared at each other in silence. The presence of the pink slip of paper lying on the desk between us, said more than enough.
Finally, my eyes drifted down to the form.
He’d already signed, but the space where my barcode – the series of vertical lines spelling out my death sentence – should’ve been placed, was empty.
I never knew how this part went, since it always took place behind closed doors. No one that ever filled out that form lived to tell the rest of us about it.
“I need you to place a barcode here before I send the form to corporate.” he said, eventually.
I opened my mouth for one final, impassioned plea for my life, but he interrupted me. He spoke each word slowly, softly.
“I’m leaving the room now. I need you to place a barcode here, before I send the form to corporate.”
He stared at me for a long moment, waiting for my barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement before leaving me alone in the office.
They processed the paperwork, and announced the Employee of the Year that next day.
Yes, I did feel a pang of guilt as I watched the smug grin fade, the blood drain from Kevin’s face as he stared in shock at the outstretched hand of our manager – as he was thanked for his devotion to our company.
I felt it again as I watched him plead all the way to the breakroom, as our manager spoke to him the same mantra we’d all heard before.
The barcodes never lie.
But I thought of Gina, of the countless others, and by the time I heard the door slam behind him – the guilt was already gone. In its place, the relief of knowing the rest of us were safe.
Well, at least until next year.

Hello Reddit, I never thought I’d be making this post, but things have reached a boiling point and I really need advice. My step-father (49M) has been in my (18F) life ever since I was a kid. He’s done everything for me, advocated for me, got me out of the projects into suburban schools, cared for me, gotten everything I could I ever want. But ever since I was a teenager he was acting different—I know dads do this, become more overbearing, helicopter-like.
I am the eldest and designated “problem child” for the following: I struggled so much in a math class to the point of failing and lied to my parents. This set off the course of events for years. I feel so much regret and shame at my cowardice—and I’ve apologized numerous times.
Not to mention, I had a boyfriend in middle school—for two weeks and came out as gay. And I was displaying sexual behavior, like talking about crushes with my girlfriends and saying the “type” of men I like.
So for all of you, it might explain his behavior. I haven’t been perfect. I’ve been callous, hot headed, anxious, and displayed very little emotional control at many points.
He stalked my every move, monitored every message I ever sent friends. I know he’s had bugs installed in my phone, paid people to stalk me, had a report on every keystroke I made. If there were any boys, they were to be vetted as well—if they were gay I was berated and forbidden to speak to them for years. I once sent a racy meme about “cock and ball torture” when I was 12, and I got caught at 14. They banned me from speaking to all my friends. This was in 2020, and I was left virtually friendless and alone.
I was never allowed to speak against this as a child. I was a very depressed and anxious teenager and I attempted twice. I never told my father this however, because any mention of depression or suicidal thoughts makes him angry to the point of violence. He saw “evidence” as I’m calling it once and he took knives and tried to cut me—yelling that he will take my life if I wanted to. This and many other reasons is why I am not that close with him to this day.
Today, he came into my room kissing me on my neck. Like one would do with a baby, that’s not what I had a problem with. I had thought he mumbled in a baby voice “This will turn you on won’t it?” While making vroom vroom car noises. I freaked out because I won’t let THAT fly even if we are playing. My father is not a pedophile, he’s very vulgar and touchy with me especially now as an adult. This was along the lines of something he would say. I shot up shaking my head and stormed away mumbling “I am not having this or doing this.”
My father got very angry, and told me to come here and tell him why, “It made me uncomfortable, and I did not like it.”
This set him off. He started yelling and screaming, pushing against floors, tables, throwing pots and pans, remotes, water bottles anything at me. When I froze and didn’t react, he just kept going. He was slapping me, punching me, hitting me with objects. This beat down lasted for two hours, but the screaming and threats didn’t stop until 7 AM. He threatened to kill me multiple times, kick me out, beat me in front of my family, also to keep me home and do online.
He revealed that he’d been stalking me for 8 months. Recording my every move. Every thing I’ve said in my dorm. In class. Outside my dorm. He showed receipts of him paying people to stalk me. Showed how he bugged my phone.
For added context, I recently got a boyfriend (19M) and he apparently forbade me from them. Though I say he forbade me from sex. Now, he says my mind is tainted from all the sex I’ve been having (For the record, I’ve been intimate with him, but I am still a virgin. Which my father does not believe because of the ‘look in my eye’). I’ve kept him up to date with everything including private intimate details about my life. I mean really intimate. The only things I hadn’t told him were the frequency and when. He demanded to know that night—to see if I am willing to lie.
That meant he’d been recording our intimate encounters, IN FULL! To see if I’d lie! At this point, I’m like WTF?!?!?? We had a long talk about every detail, in which I was shamed, spat at, and treated with vitriol. He said I was bringing shame to the family, himself, and to myself as a woman.
I’m an Honor Student, 3.9 GPA, already accepted into grad school and TWO leadership positions? But I’m shameful? But he doesn’t care about that, I’m not pure and innocent in the way that matters—and I feel so sorry and embarrassed.
My shock and anger dissipated into this overwhelming feeling of shame. Guilt.
I understand no person wants to be called a pedophile, but I wasn’t insinuating that. I said that an action he did made me uncomfortable. He’d provided for me, cared for me when my biological father wouldn’t, have me the best chance in life. And I am squandering it. He points out times when I painted him in a bad light to my friends as a kid, or a few years ago when I was joking and exaggerating with this boy that I didn’t have a bed to sleep on and my dad was making me walk in the hot sun with no water. Most of that was untrue, he was getting a bed and I could go back inside for water. I know he was very hurt by that. I never mean to hurt him.
I agree it was rude and disrespectful of me to storm off and not look him in the eye.
But, I can’t help but think his actions were disproportionate to mine. But I can’t lose my dad.
I know he’s somewhat in the wrong, but to what extent, and how can I fix this?

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feeling very lost right now so turning to anonymous support. I worked so hard to get to law school after taking 8 years to work before starting. This year was hard. Not just the law school part which obviously was a challenge but this school year threw so much shit at me.
My father who was diagnosed with stage iv bone cancer last year got covid in november right before finals and was hospitalized for multiple days. we live out of state but my mother had it under control and he was stabilized within a week. It shook me up but I was able to get through finals and finished with a 3.1.
Three weeks into this semester everything went to full shit. My mother in law had a stroke and went into a coma unexpectedly. she was in a coma for 10 days and in the icu for another 4 weeks. It was not looking good and so i made the decision to fly out to be there since my partner is an only child. i ended up staying for 3 weeks because as my mother in law thankfully woke up she was very confused and cognitively struggling and my partner and father in law were working to upkeep their family business plus my partner was still working remote full time. I attended half of my classes by zoom asynchronously while sitting at her bedside but two of my classes were not recorded so i was just receiving friends notes (bless them). The deans office and my professors were kept in the loop and i still managed to take my midterms and get my legal writing assignments in. My partner stayed out of state to be there while his mom was in rehab since she is suffering a great deal of memory loss and brain damage. I came back to finish out the semester.
Nearing the end of the semester I couldnt feel my legs one morning and my hand was tingling. I went to the hospital and they took scans. now i am seeing a neurologist but they think i likely have a form of multiple sclerosis based on my mri results and other testing. I only had to miss a couple classes for appointments but obviously I have been grappling with a lot of emotions on this. Right before finals week my mother got diagnosed with stage iv breast cancer and we still dont know her prognosis as thev work on her treatment plan.
I studied as much as i could and finished out. i got my last two grades back this morning and its bad. I passed my Irw class but i received 2 C-s and a C. I was surprised because usually the lowest grade given tends to be a C+. it made somewhat sense due to missing class and everything but I was especially confused for the class where I got an A on the midterm worth 30% of our grade. I reached out to the academic team to ask if there was an error and they told me all 3 of my grades were dropped a full letter grade due to low attendance. I am heartbroken. I worked as hard as I could while dealing with the hardest time in my life and even though my professors and the school knew what I was dealing with my grades still got dropped.
I have been informed I am on academic probation. Its not a punitive policy, but I have to get an advisor and meet with them every week next semester and I could be barred from joining journal even if I get accepted from write on. I go to a T20 school so l won't lose my scholarship thank god and I am hopeful l'll still have decent job prospects. But I am still worried this will ruin my future career trajectory and I am scared I will be going into debt for nothing
I was so immensely proud of myself for getting through this semester all while supporting my parents, my in laws, and my partner while also dealing with a possible life changing diagnosis- but now I feel like a fool for even trying.
Just looking for hopeful words and some positive thoughts honestly. I did not think the year I turned 30 my partner and i would be facing the loss/decline of 3/4 of our parents or facing my own serious health issues. I need someone to tell me everything is going to be okay.

Hey demons, It's me, ya boi...
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Notice: This story is about to humanity, but they are introduced much later into the narrative.
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Prev: Chains of the Veiled (3/?) :
Next:
First: Chains of The Veiled :
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Station 68 was one of necessity, built along with many others to remain active in the case it was needed during any sort of instance of Civilian Hardship. This was a place built for those with no path to rest and wait to walk a new one, and as such had many government-funded commodities to those that sought refuge here. Many found shelter here, homeless through any situation, from financial ruin to wartime refugees. They were civilian projects, for those who could not care for themselves, for those to rest and rely on until they could regain a foothold in reality. To regain control financially and socially.
This was not just free housing however, there are certain conditions that need to be met in order for your stay here to be acceptable. This wasn’t a service meant to be abused, it was for the homeless and poor alike, and those who needed it only... As such, the amenities provided weren’t stellar in any regards. There were recreational activities and freely distributed foods, but it was minimal and decent at best. It was free though, and beggars aren’t in a position to choose what kind of help they get. It’s enough to get reassurance that you don't need to worry about next meals. There was one thing about this place that was rather disappointing though… As Kazzi was currently complaining about in the seat across from me in the larger corner booth.
“Why pay for drinks?! Everything else here is free! Sure, it’s cheaper than anywhere else, but still! It just seems inconsistent with how everything else is here.” she spoke in a fit as she took another swig of alcohol. I could only sigh in a disappointed manner, finding Kazzi’s current behavior both unacceptable, and out of character. I knew that she was supposedly a party animal from what others in the department would suggest, but not to such a degree as to already be at her second bottle halfway into the evening.
After a second of regaining my barrings, I looked back up at the Fulkari woman to respond, “Well, drinking isn’t considered something that should be encouraged Kazzi. It’s an incentive to seek other means of coping with struggle, even if it’s as cheap as it is. It’s also more of a luxury on a station with barely any to give. The fact it’s as cheap as this despite its surprising quality really doesn’t seem to have the effect though. It seems like everyone that was on the yacht who escaped with us is also taking advantage of this feature.” It wasn’t a lie either, I say many others entered before and after us. All grabbing what they could, drawing the bartenders with requests as they wished to drown away problems.
Hopefully those staff got paid aplenty for dealing with shit like this. Some people were less than savory after having to deal with a mechanical extermination that removed them from their very way of life. Everyone and their mothers wanted something to down to distract from the trauma that flooded everyone’s mind, and I was no exception. With a glass of Vlekvir branded Whiskey, I took a long swig, downing a good portion of the bottle. Kazzi seemed to cheek me on somewhat, as she seemed to chuckle at my prolonged chugging. I simply rolled my eyes to Kazzi’s antics and continued to eat my meals. I made sure to drink enough water to not end up a complete Drunk, knowing that I was going to need to direct Kazzi back to the ship considering her tipsy state.
Why is it that I always have to hinder my fun just so this Fulkari doesn’t kill herself in the aftermath of her own?! It’s a serious issue that I refuse to tolerate any longer. Regardless of the current favor Kazzi had in this game of life, the tables would soon turn after I would help her back to the ship. Kazzi would owe me a favor for this, and that was something I intended to make good use of.
“Excuse me?” I heard, jumping at the suddenness of the question, spoke so close. I looked around frantically in response to being so startled, only to look down and find a small entity. A Kraviska, an insectoid species known for rapid repopulation with their method of reproduction being unique compared to most others. As long as they had a type of Queen to their hive, and enough meat and yeast to feed them, then they'd never run out of larvae. Her blue chitinous exoskeleton glistened in the light, and her four compound eyes bore an unease into my gaze. Her two claw-like pincers clicked as she spoke.
I took a moment to recollect myself from the scare, with Kazzi all but laughing at me in her tipsy state. I scoffed at her tease and looked back down at the Kraviska. “How did I not hear you walk over to us?” I asked her, and her antenna seemed to flicker up and down in her species form of embarrassment. For what I could only assume was the scare. She held herself low, keeping her tray of food close to her as she stuttered to respond. “I-I’m sorry,” She spoke. “It’s just something that I end up doing… I’m not trying to sneak about like I do, it just happens. I don’t understand why or how, but I make silent movements.”
“Is that a Kraviska thing, or just something that you do because…” I asked, leaving the question incomplete, waiting for a response. She looked to the side for all but a moment, antenna continuing to wiggle in embarrassment. “It’s something that I myself do, not my species. I’m sorry, I really am.” Seeing her hiding her face with her tray the way she was, I sighed and opted out of any further confrontation. “It’s fine, You just startled me is all… sorry for coming off as so hostile.” I said with a nod, a gesture meant to convey that I meant no escalation of conflict.
She seemed to ease up with this reassurance that I provided and lowered her tray from her face. Her face reverted back to her general curiosity that she initially spoke with. “I’m sorry for the scare. But… you see, the whole establishment is packed with patrons. My significant other and I can’t find a seat anywhere else. You’re in one of the larger booths, so I was wondering if maybe we could squeeze in? I-If you’d be willing, that is…” The Kriviska spoke in a meager tone, trying her best to be as polite as possible. I was honestly surprised to find such an non-confrontational member of her species, considering how prideful some of the supposed hive queens could be.
I nodded and responded in affirmation of the request, “Of course, there’s plenty of space for you and whoever else. Kazzi, could you move in a bit?” The tipsy fulkari huffed in annoyance as she scooted aside for whoever might need a seat. I gave her a glare, and one that seemed to have the expected effect. Being a hardened navy man, she was quick to correct her attitude when she saw me. As for the Insectoid, she nodded her head and went over to speak with…
A… A T’ccoj?! T’ccoj were silicon-based lifeforms that were essentially just massive electrical golems. Electrical signals capable of transmitting all about a metal interior which functioned as neurons in a brain in biological life. These electrical signals are so powerful that it allows them a limited ability to manipulate broad and wide bipedal legs they possess to move. They weren’t able to last long however, only able to live for a few hours after being struck with lightning. Only when they were discovered and provided robotic arms to manipulate tools, and battery packs to increase their menial lifespans, were they able to build up cities and civilization proper. T’ccoj were known for they’re adept learning and utilized in a plethora of roles. This T’ccoj in particular was large compared to most others, easily reaching my height, and my kind were one of the taller species.
When the insectoid walked over with the Living mineral, I found myself nervous and confused. Silicon life was always something that I was antsy around, I wasn’t sure why. It was just a great unease to speak with what was essentially a rock… It would be best to not call it that. I’m pretty sure that’s a racist term for lithoid life to refer to them as rocks.
The Kriviska hopped up into the seating and used her multi jointed legs to scutter across the cushions to the corner. She sat close to Kazzi and gestured to her silicon companion to take a seat just by her. Getting a better look at the T’ccoj, I saw the makeup of the living mineral. Its body was divided between crystalline orange and rocky brown textures. A battery pack along the back of its body, and powerful hydraulic based robotic arms allowing for heavy lifting. They were similar in color and texture to the T’ccoj’s natural body and moved in blocky and stiff manners like that of the Lithoid. It moved to sit downright next to the Insectoid…
What did the Kriviska refer to this entity as?! A significant other?!
“Allow me to introduce ourselves.” She spoke, regaining my direct attention. Whilst she did have my focus, my gaze was still trained on the T’ccoj, trying to get a better understanding of who I was dealing with here. “My name is Zikee, and this is Bocc… my husband.” Whilst I did my best to keep my shock as internal as I could. I found it baffling to see an insectoid like her with a lithoid like this. There was such a divide between compatibility, that I found it strange to be a witness of. Despite my ability to maintain composure, my Fulkari associate wasn’t so like me in the current state she found herself in. Being so tipsy caused her to nearly shout out in raw shock at the fact. As she spoke, it was slurred and unfiltered due to the unnerving amounts of alcohol in her system.
“You married a Lithoid? As a small and fragile Kriviska?! Wouldn’t that lead to some very dangerous situations, like being crushed by the big guy's weight?” I turned to glare at Kazzi, trying to shut her up from this drinking sprawl she seemed to invite with her comment. My glare didn’t have so much of the same effect as before. She seemed to have a bit more resistance to my influence due to the increased effect of her alcohol intake. I should have stopped her sooner, but decided against it since Kazzi needed some relief after the attack. I was beginning to regret that decision even more than before…
Zikee seemed to sigh an annoyed sigh, likely having this conversation many times before. “No… it doesn’t. We Kriviska’s don’t have as fragile exoskeletons as theories believe. Our kind developed in a high gravity world after all! I could bench press Bocc on certain low gravity worlds. Admittedly there are very few where that could happen, but they do exist! Not to mention that I love Bocc, they’re a joy to have around. A shy and gentle giant who’s all but the most tender with little ones. They’re my husband because I love them for who they are. They’re a loving soul despite the hardened exterior they have.” She turned to look at Bocc as she spoke, looking at them with a sense of compassion and devotion that I considered rare to see.
Bocc had a vocalizer attachment, one which allowed them to speak to others freely. Using the electrical signals in their rock brain to operate the machine and speak as needed. “My goal is to be the best I can be… For her. She deserves as much for all she does for me.” He said in a heartfelt tone of conviction. One which caused the Kriviska to turn her head in embarrassment. “Oh stop it you.” She teased, waving one of her arms at him in a dismissive manner, chuckling all the while.
“Seems like you two are really close and trust each other. Can I ask how you two met?” I asked, wanting to know the story to these two. It’s not every day that I find such an interesting duo like the one before me. Bocc seemed to respond on their behalf, “We met years ago when we fell on hard times. We met at a restaurant where I was working, and she was eating at the time. I decided to strike up a conversation after work and it ended up leading me to ask her out. We had our ups and downs, but we pushed through because of the understanding we share. Not to mention, despite our incompatibility in terms of physical appearances, we were never concerned with. We cared about each other because of who we were, not because of any other desires. We wanted to be with one another, because… We just love each other.”
… I was surprised to find such an outlandish couple to be one of the most wholesome I’ve ever seen. “But what about-” Kazzi began to ask before I shut her lips myself with my claws. Kazzi was about to ask something vulgar, and I refused to let her alcohol-ridden system ruin something so pure. The adoration in Zikee’s compound eyes was evident to the devotion she had for Bocc. “As long as we have each other, we’re complete. No matter what else we lose…”
Zikee’s comment left open many interpretations to be made, as the last part was spoken solemnly. As such, it led me to ask the question, “You were part of the evacuation of Fojhiam too, right?”
The two froze up for a moment, before turning back to me. They laid still and motionless as the thick air was left to permeate the surroundings of our booth. From their silence, a thousand words were spoken. It was clear that these two were very much victims like us, victims of tragedy and loss. As hundreds of billions of people lost connection with the wider galaxy. The whole event is almost taboo to speak on, despite us being witness to it. The two of them seemed hesitant to speak up, not wanting to confirm anything right yet. Despite the heavy air, and the stoic expressions they tried to wear, I could feel the heavy emotion radiate from them both. I was going to say something, but Bocc spoke first, their mechanical voice a product of the machine they spoke through.
“We were able to escape on a Jasvikan Superyacht. It was luck that was on our side for such a wealthy individual to permit us entry without leaving. I guess there are good people no matter the walk of life they take.” Bocc said, giving a general idea of his opinion of wealthy individuals. But what my attention gravitated to during their whole exposition was the ship they escaped on… the one that-.
“Oh, you escaped on my ship!” Kazzi spoke up, saying the statement with a drunken burp. I swear this Fulkari is going to be the death of me. The two were shocked at the idea, sitting before the owner of the ship that led them to safety. Zikee was completely stunned by the claim and stuttered to respond. “Y-You’re telling me… T-That you’re the owner of the Jaskivan yacht?! That’s insane! You must enjoy browsing the exotic side of the market! Regardless of the ship itself, you have no idea how grateful I am for you saving us!” She scuttered over to Kazzi to go about shaking her hand and conveying appreciation. The Fulkari woman was able to at bare minimum reply with equal appreciation, even if her words were slurred.
It was amusing to see, but turning to Bocc on the other side gave a completely different look. Something that seemed like a crack in the sort of shy and stoic personality which Zikee advertised. Their tone was one of barely contained anger, shrouded in annoyance. “So… were you the one that flew the ship? Or was it someone else?” Why he was asking that made me unnerved and concerned for my safety. I was the one who piloted the ship and did so in a way which tossed a few folks around, despite the prime conditions of the gravity generators. Was Bocc tossed about, and bitter about the condition that I inflicted upon him with my flying?
Kazzi was dismissive of the claim made by the T’ccoj, which caused the attention of the lithoid to shift onto me. T’ccoj’s didn’t have any sort of face, let alone a head. Despite this inability to convey emotion in a traditional manner, I could see in the way the Bocc composed himself that they were ticked off over something. “Was it you then?” They asked me, with a glare despite not having eyes. It terrified me to answer truthfully, because I was the helm throughout that whole escape. I was once a military man, serviced upon a warship during the outbreak of the GA-Foretold War. Even during the days of service, a loose cannon was the best way to describe my performance at the helm. For better or for worse, I was one to fly in a manner that could only contribute to great insanity.
Flying which seemed to be a major tick in the metaphysical eyes of the T’ccoj before me. I twiddled my claws as I struggled to respond. However, my reaction was enough to provide more than enough evidence to my role during the escape. Evidence which was swiftly examined by the Lithoid, and which attributed to the T’ccoj slamming the robotic appendages they possessed onto the table in aggression. They stood in place as they brought a claw to point directly at my face as they spoke in a tone which clearly cited their annoyance. “Do you have any sort of awareness of how your flying strains the reactor?! I was needing to evacuate the powerplant because of the dangerous conditions that the reactor was reaching with the overclocking that you set upon the suffering machine! Yes, you got us out of that nightmare, but you in turn caused me to experience one in turn! Do you have any idea of how devastating it is as a reactor technician to watch such a tremendously important machine be abused by such reckless flying?!”
Kazzi and Zikee both exchanged glances as they coward away from the seething lithoid, Bocc was creating a bit of a scene with the passion behind their anger. I was able to piece together the story in my mind relatively quickly. Bocc was without doubt the one on the other end of the call that I had during the evacuation. Calling the power plant to prepare for the overclock when I did. It makes much more sense now, considering my actions did cause major stress upon the Prestigious Vow’s framework. I began to speak in a last ditch effort to explain myself to the T’ccoj.
“Bocc, please understand that anything less than the extremes that I was pushing upon the ship wouldn’t have gotten us through the warp gate the way we did. I did what I needed to in order to prevent any contact with enemy missiles, and pass through the warp gate through the collapse. I’m sorry for the stress I put on the ship, but there wouldn’t be a ship if I did anything less.” I stated, causing the T’ccoj to flinch for a moment. I could tell from the way Bocc held itself that they understood that I was right. Despite agreeing with me, they shivered in aggravated annoyance with me for my reckless piloting.
The Lithoid grunted and begrudgingly slumped back into their seat. They held their hands up to the peak of their torso, like how one would palm their face with their hands. Despite not having a head, it was clear whatever was in its place for Bocc was hung low. A great disdain was ever present, but one whose initial prominence was substituted with a current sulking. “That poor reactor…” I heard muffled by the T’ccoj as they struggled to cope with the damage to the machine. I could tell without doubt that this reactor technician took their position very seriously, almost viewing the reactor system as an extension of themselves.
Zikee seemed to scutter to her lithoid partner and rest a claw upon their shoulder, giving them comfort as they seemed to wallow in misery at the condition of the ship. I won’t lie, whilst it got out of the evacuation the least banged up, that meant very little considering all the other ships. Some of those husks shouldn’t have been flying, but they hung within the drydocks of the station, waiting to either be taken to repair yards or scrap yards alike. Most couldn’t afford to repair them like Kazzi, as such I anticipated many of them to be scrapped. That was probably something that ached the lithoid.
“You seem to have a great love and reverence for these kinds of things. Technology is something that you adore isn’t it?” I asked, garnering the attention of the T’ccoj. “Indeed so,” Bocc replied not soon after. “It’s technology that has allowed my people to become a true civilization. To be able to survive for more than a few simple fleeting hours. We exist as a testament to the wonders that such technology provides, as such I feel indebted to the machines that encompass the everyday lives of those loyal to the Assembly. I want to one day understand every modern technological marvel, to one day become more than a reactor technician and become a true inventor.”
I felt a sense of warmth at the rather pure dream, and huffed in amusement before properly speaking. “Your passion for this goal will attest to it coming to reality. I wish you well in achieving it.” The lithoid seemed to appreciate my words of affirmation, and shifted to a much less stiff composure. Bocc sighed synthetically through their vocalizer, before looking back at me to respond. “Thank you for such supporting words Kovvak. I’m… I’m sorry for speaking the way I did. Even though it was a personal reason, it was still unacceptable for me to speak so brashly.”
“That’s quite alright,” I added. “We can all lose sight of what’s important when clouded by heavy emotion. I’m sorry for the reckless flying, but at least you’re here to curse me for it now rather than being cursed to walk through the next life alone, right?” The Lithoid only chuckled at my words. “You are most correct. Maybe I gave you too little credit before… I’m glad to be shown otherwise now.”
“I have that effect on people.” I speak in a joking manner, one which warrants a laugh from Zikee and Bocc. Kazzi said nothing, blacking out rather easily after the alcohol in her system finally took control. I could only sigh at the Fulkari woman… She’s going to really need my help handling such a prominent hangover once all is said and done-
“Everyone listen,” I hear someone speak up from the bar. Causing my train of thought to shift tracks towards the source of the commotion. I wasn’t the only one to have their gaze pulled to this new source, Zikee and Bocc also did the same. The Kraviska hoisting herself to look over the back of the seat towards the bar, and the T’ccoj having their robotic eye lift up without having to move themselves. Kazzi is still blackout drunk from all the alcoholic influence she was subjected to at the moment.
What was a simple conversation between strangers turned into a strange situation as the bartender moved their appendage to show a remote, one with had their eyes fully trained on as they poked away at numerous buttons. The remote was one for the televisions, as they shifted to switch to CCNN, the Core Central News Network. The tv volumes also increased to ensure that this was the main attention grabber in the room. Whilst that was the case, I also looked outside to find that many of the overhead televisions and other such devices were being changed to shift to what seemed like breaking news. The CCNN showed their host news anchor speaking on the GA council head. The representatives of each of the Elder species of the entire organization were present. Each one standing before a podium being recorded by the camera which was transmitting across all channels. This was a PSA, a majorly important PSA given the presence of such important people being presented.
Already I knew well what this was about. After all, practically everyone here in the establishment was a victim of the tragedy. Majority on the station were all there on Fojhiam as it fell. Not everyone in the universe knew however. There were still many worlds in the GA, among outreaches that took around a full day of travel to achieve. The GA would only ever make announcements like this under certain conditions and never anything less.
All instances pertaining to massively influential events. Almost all of them are related to disasters…
The woman who stood in the middle podium was tall and lanky. A Svenoiraq, one of the eight founding species, and chairwoman of the galactic assembly’s council chambers. With three long and spindly fingers holding down firmly at the edges of the podium, her pale white skin glistened against the fabric backdrop of the set. A long neck and pale flat face, adorned with four binocular eyes and a vertical mouth. Chairman Ryu was the most powerful in the GA, and her presence at the PSA conference was no mistake.
“My fellow sapients”, she spoke in a calculated manner, with little emotion in her voice. Her eyes glazed over with an almost lifeless expression, magnified only by her monotone voice. “18 hours, 56 minutes, and fourteen seconds ago, we of the GA high command received an alert regarding unregistered fleet activity in the Fulkari home system. An unknown fleet of an origin that is both mysterious and obvious all the same. Before you, shall be shown what little footage we managed to recover from one of the military vessels that escaped the carnage. I beg you to avert the eyes of your children.”
A Holographic display formed behind the Elders, one that provided the perspective of a ship camera. Raw and unedited footage based on the condition of the camera. A small display was provided in the corner to monitor activity on a diverse and extensive sensor grid. One which remained inactive for what seemed like a concerning amount of time. It was choking with the amount of mental strain this silence caused. In all but a single nanosecond, the display shifted to show the sensor grid flaring alarming all about as a literal supernova worth of activity just spawned… instantaneously, lights flared and sensors went awry with panic. The sensor display on the left showed the size of the active Fulkari fleet compared to that of the enemy that just materialized in the system. And the difference was that of night and day. The Fulkari defenders all but a single atom to the cell of power that was the black fleet. It didn’t matter that those black ships seemed unshielded, the sheer amount of them was more than enough to overpower the Fulkari.
The camera gave all the more unease, as instantly, light from distant stars appeared almost snuffed from reality as the mass of forces blotted any room for light to weave through. Faint lights were visible, which conveyed a sense of primal hatred. Hatred with seared through space like hawking radiation from all but the smallest of singularities. This was only then followed by battle footage, of the enemy forces punched through the stationed defensive craft with beams of terrible firepower. Invisible powers that caused massive explosions upon the defending craft, grilling anyone unfortunate enough to not immediately die. All but a second later was all that it took for the camera to finally be struck, the station that it was attached to likely receiving critical damage. Footage only received by the crews working hastily to escape with all the data they could.
That was all that was recovered from the military craft, all we had as to the source of the Black fleet. A clue with no trail, a lead with no start… but despite the mysterious air to the whole situation, the source of this attack was as obvious as the light of day. With the chairwoman speaking up, the silence was much less heavy than a few seconds before.
“This recording received from one of the surviving members of the planetary Garrison was nowhere near enough to receive a definitive claim on who assaulted the Fulkari territories. As the ships which by all accounts seem to be AI automated, are unheard of in our collective spaces but the most likely theory is what we all suspect. My fellow sapients, such technology is foreign to us, outside of GA jurisdiction and influence. No force could be built within our space without our noticing, and such technology to simply appear in a fixed point in space exists in our collective. There’s only one source we can possibly theorize is the source of this attack. Until any further evidence is presented in spite of the assumption, it’s very much likely that The Foretold Survived… And have bided their time building up these mechanical forces.
“Such a theory, whilst unfounded, is terrifying to reminisce on, especially considering the implications. They were already dangerous without their hostilities to the GA… now more than ever we face a threat of an even greater magnitude. One that is to meet in full force… As such, we of the high council call upon the members of the GA to begin preparations to re-enter wartime production and prepare for total War. Now more than ever we must be ready, for time is no longer on our side.”
It certainly wasn’t…
…
I can’t help but think of how this is a fate that we’ve inflicted upon ourselves… do we really deserve this?
Maybe…

I am writing this in May 2024, and this information may change in the future. - I purchased Duolingo English Test packages (2 tests) for my Master's degree application a few days ago. - I attempted to take the test on my Mac, and while writing the dictation, the app went white and froze. I waited briefly, but nothing happened, so I started moving the cursor. Shortly after, it kicked me out saying my cursor moved out of the test window for too long. - I contacted the custormer service, and they gave generic answers about checking the internet connection and closing all other apps. I already did those before starting the test but I said I will try again. - I attempted the second time on my Windows computer, which is a gaming computer. The same thing happened. This time, the app went white and kicked me out without me trying anything. It says, "You quit the test before completing it." - I attempted the 3rd time, on my Windows computer, and the app went white and froze, and stayed that way for a while. I moved the cursor to get out of the app and it said "You clicked on another window or program during the test." - I contacted customer service, and they gave me the same generic answers about internet connection and closing all other programs on the computer. They say it is the last credit I will be given, and if I somehow get out of the test again, I will lose my test. They sent me a YouTube video, and I saw that so many people got not-certified results with unproven causes. - They have their test app recording you, your testing environment, and the computer screen while you are taking the test. Yet they cannot provide evidence/proof for the reason they discredit your test. - In my case, they cannot locate the exact problem as to why their app goes white and freezes, and for the record, my internet was running just fine the whole time and the whole day, and I know it because the security cameras in our home recorded all day without disconnecting once. The security camera requires an internet connection to operate, and if the internet shuts down for some reason, it will stop recording instantly. They got me to do the speed test and it was normal and working just fine. - In the end, I purchased IELTS and had to travel 200km to take the test. I wanted a fast result and a convenient test setting, but it was an absolute nightmare. - Duolingo English Test can be a great option in the future if they Start providing screenshots/visual evidence of the reason they are discrediting test-taker's test result. Start implementing their app to locate problems on test-takers computers and help them fix them before taking their test. Implement remote control support so that when test-takers have trouble with troubleshooting, they can help the test-taker directly. Before the Duolingo English Test has these supports ready, I strongly advise you to reconsider taking this test. I always felt somewhat computer savvy but I was totally helpless dealing with this test app. I have since resolved this problem by contacting my bank, but it was because I had a long-term relationship with my bank, not because the Duolingo company would do the right thing. It really bothers me to think that someone like me will lose their money without knowing this information. I hope nobody unfairly loses their valuable resources as well as Duolingo will improve in the future.

Getting good dating app pictures is a hot topic within my Discord server, so I took to the time to cook up a video on how I took solid shots of myself for dating apps with actual demonstrations. I'll cover those points in those post as well. For context, I recognized the need to get better pictures of myself when I started using dating apps back in 2017, and I didn’t want to pester my friends to help because they sucked at it. So I got myself into self-photography using a DSLR camera (Canon 60D), a tripod, and a self-timer remote for years while practicing shots, and have since then been able to use what I learned to help other guys get appealing pictures of themselves to get more matches. But if you’re driven and dedicated enough, you can get some solid shots on your own.
Here's a few self portraits that did well over the years
[Gear That I Use]
So let’s get into gear real quick. For the camera, I've just been using my phone (iPhone 12 Pro Max) now. Why not the DSLR? Well, modern smartphones now have great cameras and functionality that allows you to take high quality photos without lugging around a big old camera. Most phones past the mid 2010s use cameras with 12 megapixels and higher which gives you plenty of detail, and the camera apps have plenty of default options including auto focus, self-timer, lighting adjustment, and portrait mode. Also, most dating apps are designed to use photos straight from your phone.
I also demonstrate using my content camera (Sony ZV-1). The main benefit is having a flip screen that I can use to actively calibrate my position and posing. This feature was also present when I was using my DSLR camera.
My standard camera tripod is a 55 inch aluminum travel tripod that I got off Amazon. The key features that led me to get it include the collapsible design, extendable center pole, and ball head. The ball head is really key as I get 360 degrees of angle compared to other tripods that only allow up and down lever positioning. This is the tripod I use to hold my camera for my YouTube videos, but I can also use it to hold my phone by adding a tripod phone mount.
My other tripod is a collapsible selfie stick tripod which features a supportive tripod base with nonslip ends. A lot of other selfie stick tripods that I tried were too flimsy and could be knocked over easily with light pushes or wind, but this one holds up. It also includes a bluetooth remote control, but it's unreliable so I purchased a separate one that had an on-off switch.
[Setting Up and Taking the Shots]
So now, let’s get into setting up the shot. I will exemplify a standard 3/4 body shot and sitting prop shot. With every single picture that I take, I take the time to conceptualize an idea and what that shot looks like. So I need to ask myself the following questions:

• Where and when am I taking the shot?
• Where is the subject (me in the examples) going to be in this shot?
• How much of the setting do I want to capture?
• What are my angles for the camera and subject?
• How’s the lighting?
• What is the subject going to be doing?

As for the actual setup, first, we'll need to figure out the positioning of the subject.
There are two methods of capturing shots that I will exemplify. The first is using the self-timer with a remote and the second is recording a video and taking screenshots.
Since I'm using the rear facing camera on my phone, I won’t have feedback on the shots until after I take them. I use the self-timer on my iPhone camera app to start capturing shots. If you don’t have a remote, I would set it to 10 seconds and then run back and forth. Otherwise, you can set it to 3 and click away. Take a good number of practice shots and then review both positioning and lighting. For positional adjustments, we can move either the camera or the subject closer or further as well as raising or lowering the angle.
Proper positioning is vital for portrait mode shots, which automatically detects a subject in the center of the frame and defocuses the area around it. If I am not properly positioned, the camera won't pick me up properly as the subject and parts of my body like my face can be taken out of focus.
Using a camera with a flip screen expedites this part of the process as I can set the camera up and actively calibrate positioning. This is the key difference between using a flip screen camera and rear facing camera on a phone. While you can use the front facing camera used for selfies to do this too, most front facing cameras are inferior to the rear ones and you will lose image quality as a result.
Once I know where to stand, then we'll work on posing.
We'll now practice different placements, angles, and expressions for our body and face. This will depend on the type of shot we're doing. For the 3/4 body shot, I will be standing upright and testing shots for each side of my body and face, where I'm looking (at the camera or away in either direction), what my hands are doing, and different facial expressions (light smirk, big smile, neutral face). For the sitting shot, I'm noting what I'm doing with my arms and where I'm placing the glass in the shot (in my fingers or palm, on the table).
3/4 body shot test shots
Sitting + prop test shots
As I'm posing, I am actively reminding myself to hold my poses as I take the shots so I don't cause blurring from action. Gradually, I should notice which posing and facial expression aspects are more appealing when I review the shots.
After the posing flow is established, take the time to crank out a bunch of pictures.
I'm talking 50-100+ photos per concept. You're going to take a lot of bad pictures for the sake of practice before you find a great one. Depending on how serious I am, I'll spend anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes cranking out shots and reviewing them for a single concept.
Once I finish taking all of my shots, I will review them and favorite the most appealing ones, and then do a second round to finalize my picks.
Final 4 Example Pics
[Editing and Post Processing]
Because these photos are digital assets, we can enhance them quite a bit with software and apps. The key is to get them as photorealistic as possible without being a complete catfish. I have a two part process in touching up my photos.
First, I use an app called BeautyCam (free) to clear up my skin a good amount. I don't have perfectly clear skin but it gets pretty close to it on my best days. I can touch up my looks to that point in my photos. I don't have a paid subscription so I'm going to just stick to free features. Here, I go to Beautify -> Smooth. I stick to the default Intensity of 80 to keep it from being perfect.
Next, I use SnapSeed (free) to do the rest of my edits. I like this app because it includes all of the tools that I normally use in Photoshop. I'm wearing a pimple patch on my nose in the example pictures, so I'll want to use the Healing tool to blend it in with my skin.
I then go through the Details and Tune Image tools to add some detail and adjust color and lighting. Remember not to go overboard as we want the photos to look candid and not overly edited. This is why I highly advise against using filters or any of the editing presets on the apps. Each photo needs different adjustments to bring the most out of them.
Once all the edits are done, I will save a copy to use. For best practices, I also crop a square version of the pictures. When it comes to cropping, we always want to only remove excess space and not zoom in as that will lower the resolution and thus the detail of the photo.
Edit Comparison (Sitting Pose)
[Final Notes]
Getting into self-photography has been very rewarding for me as it has allowed me to test out poses, outfit selections, and settings. Most importantly, it has made me build a high level of comfort being in front of a camera as well as being extra in public. You need to have a high level of shamelessness to put yourself out there and do the proper workflow to get a good picture when traffic is involved.
Doing pictures on your own can be cost effective but it comes with a lot of hassle. It's basically impossible to calibrate your shots quickly and I know that if I had someone else doing it for me, I can save a lot of time and energy while getting a much higher quality shot. That's why I only ever used anywhere from 1-3 self taken shots on my dating app profiles and filled the rest with candid shots. But I was able to take what I've learned doing it myself to provide other guys with baller pictures to get more matches on the apps and I'm open to doing more for anyone that's interested.
Then again, this post is mainly dedicated for guys that have spare time and are driven and dedicated enough to give this a shot, especially the younger ones. That was how I was in my early to mid 20s and I was able to learn and get some good results for myself. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or interest in anything that I discussed.

Chapter 25 - The Job Offer
Previous Chapter
The massive shuttle rocketed through the atmosphere as Trix reached out to nudge the throttle down slightly. Josh was right, it wasn’t anything like flying an Aircar. At first it consisted of programming in the destination, desired speed, height, and letting the computer do all the work. When she expressed dissatisfaction at that, Ma’et had kicked the boys out of the cockpit and showed her how to access the manual flight stick. That was where things began to get fun.
And then when turning down the gravitic inertial compensation so she could FEEL the power of the shuttle pressing her back in her seat, feel the vibration of the wind against the shuttle as it roared through the skies, feel her body pulled to one side or the other as she sent it into a tight turn… that was when the world fell away entirely. The skies opened up in a vast vista before her.
Ma’et sat beside her, occasionally mentioning a tip or trick here. A small adjustment to make there. The shuttle had zero control surfaces, it handled like a brick - but it compensated for all of that with sheer, raw power. The power to smash through the sound barrier like it was made of paper. The power to soar effortlessly a few feet above the waves, or to rocket up into the stratosphere with ease. Gravity was a mere suggestion, one which Trix rejected entirely.
After a few minutes Ma’et went into the back to speak with the others. “I think our girl is completely hooked. She picked that up faster than anyone I’ve ever seen before.”
Josh walked over to Ji, handing him a small pill and a cup of water. While most of the crew was fine with the reduced inertial compensation and the feeling of actual motion that Trix was putting the shuttle through, Ji was the exception. He was definitely looking very green about the gills. “Guess we’re seeing thousands of years of flight instinct coming to the fore. That’s the best explanation I can come up with at least.”
“I was wondering about that.” Ma’et sat down next to the captain’s head and smacked the side of his head lightly. “Would a species that evolves from birds be naturals at flying? If she’s any indication the answer is ‘yes’.”
“I don’t know how universal it was. In the races there were some pretty decent pilots but you ask me, Trix outflew them all. S’why I’m thinking maybe she’d be a natural pilot.”
Josh glanced over at them. “I think she’s better than me. And I’ve been flying this thing for decades.”
Ma’et nodded. “She took to every bit of instruction we gave her like it was second nature. I don’t know if it’s because she descended from a flying species or what, but she’s a natural. If the rest of the planet has as many naturally skilled pilots as she is, then every captain this side of Mars will want to hire them on.”
“Well, that’s assuming we let her fly stick in the first place.” Min pointed out. “I think that first bit where we had her on autopilot actually made her mood WORSE.”
“Either way, I want to see whether or not she can take those flight skills and upgrade ‘em to zero-g.” Alex sat up and tapped the conference button on his breath mask and turned off the translator. “Crew meeting. Amanda, you there?”
Amanda had spent most of the morning in the Presh manor, going over some of the finer details of the proposals for exchange between Terrafault and the locals. Meaning while they were out joyriding above the ocean, she was up to her neck in paperwork thousands of kilometers away. “I’m here, Alex. What’s going on?”
“We’re on the shuttle. I put Trix at the helm. She’s phenomenal. I’m taking an official vote. All in favor of offering her a position on the ship as pilot?”
“Aye.” Ma’et and Min-ah spoke as one. “Sure.” was Josh’s response.
“Wait. Pilot? Hold on, Al….”
Ji raised a thumb, but didn’t speak - concentrating on keeping his mouth closed as much as he could. “Par?”
“There are a number of advantages it would bring. I have not interacted with her as much as you have, but our conversations have been pleasant. I vote yes.”
“Hold on, hold on!” Amanda tried to interject. “Alexander, before you go tearing off and….”
“Too late. Six to one, you’re outvoted. Do me a favor and draw up an employment contract.” Alex pushed the leave button on the chat, smiling. He missed whatever response Amanda made but he was sure it was spectacular judging by Min and Ma’ets reactions to it.
He unbuckled himself from the seat restraint, and made his way up to the cockpit. “How’s it going up here?”
“Fine, fine.” Trix made a dismissive gesture. “I’m doing fine up here. No need to check in on me.”
“That’s not why I’m here. Do me a favor, and put the autopilot on back to the Presh mansion. I’ll send Ma’et up here to watch it. But you and I need to have a little chat, so out of the cockpit for now.”
Trix looked up at him in surprise, then frowned and pushed the release button on the control stick. She pulled up the list of previous destinations just as Ma’et had showed her before, and touched the control to send the shuttle back to land near the capitol of the Presh lands.
In the back of the shuttle, Ji was looking decidedly unwell, and Josh was at his side. Ma’et scrambled back up front while Trix took a seat on the center couch, and Alex sat down opposite her.
“So, Trix, not gonna beat around the bush here. You were great in the race. You took to the shuttle just fine. I want to see how well you do flying a bigger ship. My ship.” he gestured up above his head.
“What, like now? I thought we were heading back to the Presh?” Trix glanced up, as though she could see the massive bronze ship out there through the ceiling of the shuttle.
“We are. But I don’t mean right now. I mean, I want to hire you as a pilot. For our trip out to JR692 to survey minerals. Off planet, on my ship.”
Trix froze up entirely at this. Not even a direct impact to her helmet by a challenge round could have been more unexpected and surprising, and she found herself entirely unable to respond. Unable to THINK.
Alex took her sudden silence as indecision, though, and decided to just press forward. “Honestly it’s a huge decision, it’s not something I’m expecting a yes or no right now on. You haven’t been around us very long, just a few weeks here on the planet. But you’ve gotten along superbly with Ji and Min. That alone makes me think you’d do well up on the ship.”
“I… uh, I hadn’t…” Trix stumbled over her words for a moment, then coughed suddenly. “I’m not sure. Uh, I really don’t know how to fly a space ship.”
“I know. I’m not expecting you to know how to right away. Flying outside an atmosphere with no gravity is worlds different than flying an aircar or the shuttle, and you’ve got zero experience. But to be blunt, I have a good gut feeling about you and I want to give you a chance to learn and join us.” Alex held up a hand, ticking off points on his fingers.
“First, we are a seriously social species. We make friends easy and quickly. That means when we find someone we like we want to be around them. That’s already a big point in your favor. Second, after we complete our survey mission your testimony to Kyshe can help alleviate her worries about whether or not we can be trustworthy. Third, ours is a small crew and we have to split duties. If you’ll join us and take on the role of pilot, that will reduce the load on the rest of the crew. And lastly, in the future I hope that our two societies will be able to interact a lot more closely. But people will be reluctant to take that first step. If you join us and it works out well, then others who would be reluctant will be more likely to do the same in the future.”
“However!” Alex let his hands fall back to his sides. “With all that said, it’s not all sunshine and roses. It’s going to be a lot of work to learn how to fly the ship. It’s going to be long hours spent learning and training, and lots of the training will be boring. If you do decide to come with us, then it means spending a lot of time in close quarters with the crew. We won’t be able to return until we complete our survey mission, which normally lasts at least a full month. During which there WILL be a lot of tedious chores that need to be done around the ship, and you’ll be expected to help out. We split the chores fairly, and you won’t be made to do anything unreasonable that the rest of us won’t do.”
Alex leaned back on the seat, and crossed his arms. “So that’s the offer. I want you to become the first Sovalin to work alongside Humans. You’ll be paid fairly, you’ll have good accommodations and recreation available, but it’s going to be a lot of work and if you agree you can’t back out anytime soon. Our current plan is to head to JR692 in roughly a week. Take as much time until then to decide. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to let us know.”
—--
Kyshe glared irritably at the human across from her desk. He had arrived at her request, alone and without any of the rest of his crew. “Captain. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“Always happy to be here. Since I wasn’t escorted by soldiers this time I take it I’m not in trouble?” Alex grinned and tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
“I would not go that far. The only reason I did not order your arrest is because I am trying, very hard, to afford you the benefit of the doubt. And I would appreciate it very much if you would explain to me why I should continue to exercise that restraint.” One of her wingtips, adorned with a metal sheath similar to the ones that Sophie often wore, tapped against the floor as she sat waiting in her chair.
“Okay, I’m assuming this isn’t about us breaking the sound barrier out over the ocean.” Kyshe glared and nodded. “So it’s about the job offer. There’s really not a whole lot to explain really. I felt like Trix could be a good fit with the crew and it seemed like a natural way to put my ideals into practice.” Alex leaned forward as he spoke. “I’m not trying to force her into anything, she’s free to refuse and we won’t hold it against her. It’s not a big deal.”
Kyshe closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m having a difficult time believing it’s so simple. You said your people wouldn’t use ours as labor. Yet now you attempt to lure one of our young adults into your employment?”
“Now hold on. We’re not trying to use her for labor! The job that I offered to her was Pilot, not janitor or anything.” he protested.
Kyshe opened her eyes and banged a fist on the table. “You expect me to believe that?” Her hand swept out around in a big arc. “She’s a farmer! Nearly everyone in this valley is! She’s used to hard work day in and day out. Not flying starships. You seriously expect me to believe you don’t just want to dump all the difficult tasks on her?”
“Okay. Point taken, I can see why you’re concerned about that. And, to be fair, she WILL be doing more than just piloting. We all do.” Alex held up a hand. “The crew has seven members total. On a starship. Even with all the automation we have, that’s still running fairly bare bones. We all of us, myself included, have to do dozens of things every single day to keep things running smoothly. Equipment checks. Replacing worn out components. Making meals for everyone. But even though she WILL be expected to help out, there’s nothing at all we’ll be asking her to do that we won’t also be doing. That’s just the nature of being on a small ship.”
Kyshe continued to tap her wingtip on the floor. “It is perhaps the fact that you’re trying to hire an untrained farmhand that most concerns me. It seems as though it would be much, much easier to simply look for someone already trained as a pilot. The M’rit for example often ferry resources up to orbit. I’m sure that one of their pilots would be a much better fit.”
“Eh, that’s a bit doubtful. They may have experience with your ships and systems but from what I’ve seen, ours are going to be pretty alien to them as well. They’ll likely require just as much training. Hell, if anything Trix might have an easier time because she won’t have to un-learn what she already knows. Plus we’ve already built up a rapport with Trix. That’s important when you’re spending weeks and months together. That’s a big reason why I offered the job to her in particular.”
Kyshe grunted noncommittally, and Alex stood up. “It was a gesture made in good faith, Matriarch. When I spoke of our two peoples standing beside one another this is pretty much what I had in mind. Humans and Sovalin working together. On a ship, on a planet, on a station, whatever. But working together as a team is the important part.”
Kyshe looked unconvinced so Alex continued. “Matriarch, if the offer is going to cause difficulties then I’ll retract it. I hadn’t thought it’d upset you this much, and I’m not willing to lose what little faith you have in me over this.”
“I’m very, very tempted to tell you to do exactly that.” Kyshe muttered. “I already feel like we’re placing far too much trust in you as it is.”
“Yeah, I understand. And I’ll leave it up to you. I really do want to have her join us up on the ship, but earning your trust is more important. That said, I think maybe you should talk to her directly? She’s been around us the longest out of any of your people, after all.”
Kyshe hesitated at that, wondering whether or not the girl had somehow been influenced by the Humans. Ultimately, she nodded. “That’s reasonable.” She sat there in thought for a few minutes, then stood up and walked over to the other side of the desk. “I won’t make any choices until I speak with the girl. But I do question the necessity of this. Do you truly need to take her with you?”
“No, we don’t. It’s not at all necessary.” Alex admitted. “We can still continue on with our original mission without another crew member. But just because it isn’t necessary doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea. Matriarch, every single thing I know about Humans and everything I’ve seen here on the planet tells me one thing - sooner or later our societies WILL become friends or allies. The big question is gonna be ‘when’ because I am sure it’ll happen. I for one want that to be ‘sooner’. I think it’ll be better for your people if we can cooperate quicker. I think my people have been alone in the void too long and need new friends to help us grow as a people. And your people have been betrayed by ‘friends’ and could use someone to help you regain the independence that was stolen from you. We have plenty of reasons to come together.”
Kyshe grimaced as she leaned back against the desk. “I wish I could share in that sort of optimism. I admit I would prefer if everything went as well as you say it will. I simply doubt things will go as smoothly and as easily as you claim.”
“Probably not, if I’m being honest.” Alex stood up as well and gestured out the window. “I know I often talk big, but that’s because I like to dream big. I know that I’m moving quickly but that’s just how I do things. Sometimes it gets me in trouble and sometimes everything works out well but either way I live without regrets.”
Kyshe pressed a button on the desk she leaned against, and an aide came in. “Please call Trksehn into the office. I’d like to discuss this with her.” As the aide left, Kyshe nodded towards the Captain. “Just know, Captain, that I will hold you responsible if something does occur.”
—--
Trksehn walked into the office, and upon sighting the Matriarch immediately took a knee, placing a closed fist in front of her respectfully. “Matriarch, you have summoned me.”
Kyshe motioned to the aide who tugged on the girl’s arm. “The Matriarch doesn’t enjoy the more formal expressions of respect.” they whispered into her ear.
“Thank you for coming promptly. We wish to speak with you about the offer you’ve received.” Trix glanced over and noticed that Captain Alex was present in the room. She raised a hand to him in greeting.
“So, uh, if you two are going to be talking, maybe I should go?” He offered, taking a step towards the door.
“No. Stay. There may be questions we have for you.” The Matriarch commanded, and he froze, before stepping back to the chair he’d vacated shortly before. “Have a seat.” Kyshe told Trix as she gestured to the empty chair next to the Captain.
“The reason I called you here is because I have a number of concerns with the Captain’s proposal to you.” Kyshe began, as she moved back to her chair on the opposite side of the desk from the others. “I know you have not had much time to consider it, and I do apologize for that. My primary concern in this matter is with your well being.”
“Uh, in what way Matriarch?” Trix shifted uncomfortably in the chair. The Matriarch was clearly quite unhappy and being in the presence of an unhappy leader was incredibly intimidating.
“We know so little about the Humans. We still have little more than the Captain’s reassurances that they are as they say - here to befriend us, to offer help. He speaks passionately about wishing to walk beside us as friends and allies. As you have been around the Humans the longest, I wish to hear your thoughts on the matter.”
“Yeah, he’s said the same to me.” Trix glanced over to the captain and back. “And to the others in the Hab. The rest of the crew makes jokes about it.”
“Do you believe that he means what he says?”
“Well, the crew thinks he means it. Or more like…” She hesitated a moment, not sure how he’d take this. “Well, to be honest from what I hear they all think he’s being overly optimistic. And they, uh, often claim he has other motives.”
Kyshe's eyes narrowed at that. “And have they specified what those ‘other motives’ are?”
Trix glanced over at the Captain, who was not looking particularly comfortable with the way the conversation was going. “Yeah, most of the crew thinks he’s attracted to our people.”
“Now hold on. HOLD ON. That is absolutely DEFINITELY not why I offered you a job!” he immediately protested.
Kyshe was a bit stunned by the girl’s statement and the captain’s outburst, and she found herself trying very hard not to smile at his discomfort. “Well, Captain? Are you attracted to us?”
“Matriarch, that has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand!”
“His face is red. According to Ji, that’s a sign of embarrassment.” Trksehn helpfully pointed out. Indeed, he was blushing rather hard at the way the topic had shifted.
“Indeed?” Kyshe could not suppress her smile now. “Captain, you never mentioned attraction to us in any of our previous conversations.”
“That’s because it’s irrelevant! Whether or not I find you all appealing has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not our species can earn your trust!” He shot to his feet as he said this. “I most certainly am not inviting Trix to join up just based on her attractiveness!”
“But you do find her attractive?” Kyshe pressed him on this, clearly enjoying his frustration and embarrassment.
“That’s not relevant. It has nothing at all to do with anything!" Kyshe and Trix sat there waiting for an actual answer, and he sighed and sat back down heavily in his seat. "Okay, yes. She’s gorgeous. So are you. And Sophie back on the station. But!” He made a cutting motion with his hands. “None of that makes any difference at all. It doesn't earn me your trust and it doesn't help you all out in any way. I didn't mention it because it's absolutely inconsequential.”
“No, but perhaps it does explain why you’re going to such great lengths to try to befriend us.” Kyshe’s face turned thoughtful as she said it. “Do you think that by aiding us in trying to escape the Bunters’ influence that you’ll be able to find a partner among our kind?”
“NO! I'm trying to aid you because I don't want an incredible species with immense potential to be trapped in sevitude!”
“Hmm.” Kyshe glanced over at the captain as if she’d not heard a single one of his protests. “I am sure that there are many who might be interested in your people, but whether or not you could be accepted would be quite another thing entirely…”
“The crew just like to joke and make fun. It’s not serious!”
“Well, that’s at least partially true, Matriarch.” Trix was enjoying watching him squirm, but he was becoming more frantic as Kyshe pressed him on it. “They enjoy jokes at his expense.”
“See? It’s just my crew giving me a difficult time!”
Kyshe nodded, but continued on anyway. “Whether they’re joking or not, at least now I believe I understand your motivations better. I won’t say I share in them,” She glanced the human up and down, “But then at least you are not as repulsive as the Cetari or the Fwenth. I am certain that if we were to put out the offer, there may be a number of females who would wish to court you…”
Alex buried his head in his hands. This conversation had gone completely off the rails and he desperately tried to find a way to steer it back to safer ground. “Please, no. I swear to you on my ship, that my purpose in helping you all is NOT due to my attraction to your species! I’m NOT trying to find a partner!“
“Very well.” She dropped the topic for now, but mentally made a note of how easy it was to rile up the captain on this subject. His response made him particularly fun to tease. “Trksehn, back to the relevant point. The Captain’s offer to hire you for his ship. I’ve spoken with him about it. May I hear your thoughts on the matter?”
Trix sat in silence briefly before she answered. “It’s kind of surreal. When they landed and I spoke about flying my aircar I was just trying to make conversation. And now they’re talking about me flying out in space. I wanted to race the Firelands Challenge just for fun and because I thought it might make me stand out to the men of the valley, but this?” She waved a hand as she spoke. “The attention I’m getting from everyone is way outside anything I ever expected!”
“I would say that you are indeed standing out. From my understanding on the subject, you’ve become a celebrity overnight.” Kyshe stood up and walked over beside the younger woman. “I am not particularly a fan of the challenges, but I am not ignorant of their influence. I have had reports given to me of the fans you’ve acquired. And of the fact that not everyone is particularly pleased with your success.”
Trix was surprised by this. “Wait, really? You know about all of that?”
“Of course. I take care to know the goings on here in the valley, and you’ve made a name for yourself. It’s always important for a Matriarch to know of all the major goings on of her people, and I was apprised of your success within an hour of the challenge.”
“Thank you, Matriarch.” Knowing she had achieved global fame from her race was still mostly just a thought. But actually hearing it from her Matriarch made it all the more real. “It’s been, uh. Kind of weird?”
“I can imagine. Fame thrust upon someone who is unfamiliar with it can be quite overwhelming. In truth, I should have reached out to you sooner to offer my aid should the need arise. The Noarala may be a small Teff but all those who live under the Presh are my responsibility, and any assistance you need is available if you ask.”
Trix nodded, then turned to face the Captain. “Thank you again, Matriarch. For the Captain’s offer, though, I think it’s an offer in good faith. I spoke with Min about it and what he said to me is true. The others fly the ship but that often isn’t their primary duty. They all share in the work and responsibilities on the ship, and Min thinks I would fit in well. I don’t know the others as well as Ji and Min but they have offered their support.”
Kyshe ignored the captain for now and focused her attention entirely on the young avian. “It is a major decision. You would be apart from us, from our protection. If they would mistreat you, offer offense or harm…”
Trix actually laughed at that. “I don’t think they’d do that. Not deliberately. I’ve spent enough time around them that I don’t worry about that at all.”
Kyshe visibly relaxed at the younger woman’s confidence. “But then you would also be away from the rest of the society. Away from males, for some time.”
Trix nodded at that. “Yeah, that part worries me too.”
“Wait up. Worried why?” Alex’s face had regained its normal color and he looked back and forth between the Matriarch and Trix. “Are you dating… errr, I guess exploring? Or what’s that about?”
“Extended time away from males can be distressing.” Kyshe explained. “Not necessarily exploring or becoming accepted is required. Simply being around other males can be calming.”
“Okay, that’s actually news to me.” Alex had to sit and think about that. “Could you be a bit more specific? What you mean by ‘distress’, and how long until it becomes a problem, things like that?”
“It can vary, but usually after a few weeks signs and symptoms begin to appear. Frustration, more hostile and aggressive behavior is the most common issue encountered.” Kyshe answered, and pressed the aide call button on her desk. As the smaller male walked in at her call, she immediately instructed him. “Go gather information on Rhenima for the humans.”
Meanwhile Alex had tapped the page button on his breath mask. “Hey, Josh. I’m hearing about something you never mentioned, wondering if it’s a concern. Something about emotional distress for Sovalin who are away from males too long. Ring any bells?”
“Not off the top of my head, no. I’ll have to go over the data dumps for info there.” Josh’s voice was clear over the comms.
“Get together with Par. Look up something like ‘Renimah’. The Matriarch’s also getting us info it sounds like, so if you come up short I’ll try to get the details to you as well.”
“We shall begin looking into it immediately, Captain.” Par responded immediately, and Alex closed the channel. “Sorry. I just asked our medic about it and he wasn’t familiar, but we’re going to start looking into that. Our plans right now are to spend about four weeks out doing the mineral survey, and with travel times that’s pushing it.”
“I had thought it might. Still, while it is tremendously unpleasant, it is not life threatening. The trip could still proceed despite the circumstances, but it would virtually cripple any productivity until it can be remedied.” Kyshe glanced between the Trix and Alex. “Trksehn, we are still a number of days out from the planned departure date. Do you require more time to consider?”
“Well…” Trix shrugged slightly. “The past few weeks I feel like the Humans have been better company than my friends. I’ve had a lot of fun with them modding my aircar. We don’t have much in common but we still always find plenty of things to talk about. I don’t know if it’s because of what happened in the race but I almost kinda want to just go to get away from everything back here.”
“An understandable feeling. Though, perhaps, a bit extreme - usually when on the run from unwanted fame it is normal to retreat to a remote location in the plains or perhaps spend some time in the temples. Not to escape the planet itself.” Kyshe smiled and patted the young woman on the shoulder. “I’ve no desire to restrain you against your will, I simply wish to ensure you’ll be safe.”
“She’ll be as safe as the rest of us, that I can promise.” Alex cut in suddenly. “We’ll be adjusting her duty roster so she won’t have to do any EVA, and we won’t be getting into any fights this far away from Human space. Piracy isn’t a thing out here and if the Tanjeeri show up, we plan to hightail it. Errr, I mean run away rather than stay and fight.”
Trix looked slightly apprehensive at that. “Do Tanjeeri just… I mean, do you expect to see them out there?”
Alex shook his head. “The first time we encountered them they were chasing a ship they’d damaged. That’s been more than five weeks ago. There’s a chance they’d still be in the system, so we do plan to gate out a fair ways from the system proper. We scout from way outside, if the Tanjeeri are there we abort and look for an alternative. If they’re gone, we carefully complete our survey and grab the most valuable minerals we can before we come back here. Either way, no fighting.”
Trix sat in silence as she weighed that up, and spoke confidently to Kyshe. “Matriarch, I would like to take them up on their offer. If I refuse, I will always wonder what I would have missed.” She lifted her wings confidently.
Kyshe shot a glare over at Alex, then nodded. “Very well. Captain, I expect to be seeing you back here in six weeks. Not one feather missing or injured, do you hear me?”
“Clear as a bell, Matriarch.” Alex lifted his hand in a very human-style salute and nudged Trix. “C’mon, let’s go before she changes her mind.”
—--
“Not even one day later and I’m already regretting this decision.” Trix slumped forward over the table, and dropped the stylus from her hand.
Amanda reached over and grabbed the implement as it rolled across the tabletop before it had a chance to fall to the ground. “Stop overreacting. It’s not THAT bad.”
“It absolutely is that bad!” Trix complained as she tapped the board. “Half the questions and fields on here don’t make sense!”
“I told you, just skip the ones you don’t understand and we’ll come back to them afterwards.”
“I did that!” Trix shoved the board over to Amanda. “And I got to the end and it said I missed fourty-seven fields and it wants me to go back and re-enter them.”
Amanda picked up the board and skimmed it. “Wait. I think you broke the form. Did you really try to put in over sixty names for your immediate family?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? It asked who I was related to and so I started writing in the Teff.”
“The form is for close personal relations. Like, your mother and father, your brothers and sisters…” Amanda went down the list. “Nothing here for schooling, no dependants, we’ll have to go over the indemnity clauses later. Independent Contractorship involves a slew of confidentiality and non disclosures, so we’re going to have to waive sections C and D but there will be forms 8114-A and 8114-B to fill out instead. Oh, we should absolutely also begin discussing whether or not you’re going to be pa-HEY!”
Alex had picked up the quickboard, and threw it over his shoulder onto the grass. He slid his own over to Trix. “Yeah, welcome to Proxima. Always in direct competition with Sol as to who can produce the most ridiculously boring paperwork in the galaxy. Here. Sign your name on the line on the bottom. Press your thumb print next to it. You’re not working for Terrafault, you’re working for ME.”
Trix groaned and reached over to take the stylus from Amanda, scribbling her signature down. “You couldn’t have told me that an hour ago before I sat down to start all this?”
“Nope. I had to do some on-the-record statements with Kyshe about your employment, and Par had to record ‘em. Lots of boring legalese like this crap. Anyway, welcome to your new job. Here’s your first two weeks of payment.” Alex fished a large bar of metal out of his pocket and dropped it down on the table.
“Eh? Payment? What’s this?”
“One solid kilogram of Silver. 99.9% pure. To be honest, not that expensive to us. But for reasons we have no idea about, Silver’s hard to find on your planet. So in local currency… probably around 32 or 33 hundred moyu.” Alex sat down and thumbed the off button on the signed quickboard. “Standard pay for a fully licensed pilot is around 3000 credits per week, at least in the private sector. But our credits are worthless here, but a rough conversion tells us that a kilo of silver is roughly the same. Since you’re going to be a trainee for this trip, we felt like half pay was a good compromise. First two weeks up front, and you’ll get one more of these bars every two weeks. So two more until we’re back here on Kiveyt to decide how we want to…You okay there?”
Trix’s jaw had dropped as she started at the small heavy wafer. Her AIRCAR had cost 2500 moyu and that was two YEARS of saving up for it working overtime on the farms. Now she was paid more than that, every two WEEKS. She tentatively reached out and lifted it up. It felt heavier than she thought it would.
Amanda walked back from picking up the quickboard where Alex had thrown it, and lightly smacked him on the back of the head with it. “Fine then. If she’s not on the Terrafault payroll though that means her cut is coming out of yours.”
Alex snorted at that. “Manda, you think that’s gonna matter? After the bonuses we get from this op it won’t matter. I’m already planning on doubling everyone’s cut as it is, and we’ll still have enough to buy a damn fleet carrier afterwards if we want to. But if you really, REALLY want to try to adapt and adjust that paperwork for Sovalin then knock yourself out.”
Amanda sat down opposite of Alex and Trix, and set the board down in front of her. “You realize that the reason I’m so adamant about all the paperwork being completed is to protect everyone from liability? To make sure that there’s no confusion about her employment? To try, god forbid, to avoid any complications or problems that being vague will cause?”
“Sure. And I’m telling you right now, there’s no need. I take full responsibility.” Alex responded to her diatribe with a big grin. “C’mon, Manda. After all the shit we’ve been through convincing the Matriarch to, y’know, not arrest or murder us and then even more to let her allow Trix to go up there in the first place. After all that you think there’s any actual confusion left?”
Trix glanced up at the two bickering humans. “You said I get one of these every two weeks. But if I complete training I get double that?” She balanced the bar on her palm and stared down at it.
“Yep. Once we get some decent asteroid mining ops going the price of silver’s gonna plummet. Best to spend it before that happens. But by then we’ll have good trade avenues with Terrans open, so we’ll just pay you in credits that you can spend normally at that point.” Alex put his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his hand. “As for the training, it’s fairly easy. There’s a licensing exam that’s just proving that you know how to fly to a bunch of boring pencil pushers. Completing that will be a cakewalk if we can get some practical experience under your belt.”
“Oh. But I don’t know if I’m going to do well as your pilot yet. I know absolutely nothing about flying a space ship.” Trix carefully placed the silver back on the table. Alex picked it back up and put it in her hand.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re flying with me, you’re learning, you’re getting paid. If you do well then that’s perfect and we can talk licensing. If you don’t do well, no harm done. Maybe we find another role for you or maybe you come back home. Either way you walk away with silver in your pocket and a fun story to tell everyone and impress the guys.” He smiled and gestured to her room. “You should probably start deciding what you want to take with you. Kyshe is sending along several months worth of food to bolster our supplies and to make sure your nutritional needs are fully met, so I’m heading over with Josh to start loading it all up on the Shuttle. We’ve committed to a departure date four days from now.”
“I’ve never really packed for something like this. What do I bring?”
Alex didn’t answer verbally, but instead made a short, sharp whistle with his lips followed by a shout. “MIN!”
The engineer was on the other side of the courtyard, and immediately jogged over when called. “Yeah?”
“Go with Trix and help her pack up for the trip. Six weeks worth of clothes, hygiene supplies, whatever.” Alex glanced over at Trix. “Sorry, actually I just assumed you’d be more comfortable with another woman helping you pack. I can call Ji over if you prefer.”
“No, no. I’d rather Min help me.” Trix stood up from the table and jerked her head over towards her room. “Thanks, Min. Sorry to be a bother.”
“No problem. Gets me out of lifting the heavy shit to put in the shuttle.”
—--
Next Chapter

Short summary about the family dynamics: We are three sisters, I (F24) have an older sister (F26), and a younger sister (F20). Both me and my younger sister live at home with our mom and dad, while my older sister studies abroad. We’re a south-Asian family, quite liberal on some parts and quite cultural on other parts. Not very religious. Me and my older sister have developed a really good and close bond (used to fight a lot when we were younger and she used to snitch on me. She’s the best now, supports me on everything and especially this), while me and my younger sister have an ambivalent relationship. Sometimes she’s nice and sometimes she’s awful, she’s 100% a snitch and uses it to “blackmail”. I try my best to be open with her, talk to her, but at some point she shuts down. She’s rude to everyone, getting too offended, taking it as criticism or very personally when I give her feedback about her behavioquick change in behavior. At this point me and my older sister (who currently are finishing her MD), suspect some sort of borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder, undiagnosed. It has been a topic, my younger sister has friends that have said the same things about her mood changes etc. and told me that herself.
So here’s the issue. Me and my younger sister had a fight because she left a lot of mess, dirty and molded dishes, garbage etc in our older sisters bedroom /tv-room and my older sister told me to tell her to leave the room because this is the second time she messes up her room and do not follow her “house rules” that is simply keeping the room clean after use. So it became a bit physical (she was a total bitch, only person on this planet that makes me see black, her attitude and everything. I’m not a violent person at all. I know I have it in me but I chose to control it and be soft but I started this one). I held her down on the couch while I tried to snatch the control out of her hand after I repeatedly asked her to give it to me. she was kicking me while I was over her. She tried to throw things at me (candles, chairs etc). Our mom and dad came running, I had my/our older sister on FT and our younger sister starts a whole shitshow about how I choked her. At first I thought maybe I held/pushed her down a bit too hard but then when I calmly ask how I choked her she told my parents that it was straight on the throat with my hand - a lie. I’m baffled and told them that’s not true, that’s not what happened. Usually my parents, especially my mom enables my younger sister A LOT, to a point where it’s frustrating. There’s no consequence, no punishment, compared to what me and my older sister got. My younger sister is a master at emotional manipulation and emotional blackmailing and comes away with a lot of shit through our mom, not so much our dad but sometimes. She’s not intelligent, she’s not smart, calculated, scheming etc. I think her brain just understands that she gets the outcome that she wants without understanding the damage/ reason. Anyways, she pulls this shitshow and nobody believes her. She starts crying and nobody believes her. This is a very strange and unfamiliar feeling for her, everyone said that the reason why all this happened was truly her fault for not keeping the room clean and ofc the situation didn’t need to be physical. She threatened to call the police, actually called the police and said that she wanted to report a case. At this point we were all shocked. She ends up telling the police never mind and hanged up. We try to talk it out and my mom demands me to apologize to her and I said I will not apologize for something I did not do, I can apologize for how I handled the situation by diving over her after the remote but that’s it. She passes me and say “you better watch out” this did not sit right with me and I got a bad vibe in my gut. I’m very intuitive and my gut feeling is very strong and never lies. We go to bed, and she keeps texting my mom telling her to get rid of me and that’s she’s scared to be in the same house as me, she’s scared to sleep and that I might choke her or k**l her. My mom tries to calm her down, telling her that sisters fight and sometimes it gets out of hand. Then she runs out of the house at 2 a.m in her robe and slippers and the situation gets chaotic. My dad drives after her, my mom is crying. She did not go far and after 30 minutes she’s back home. In retrospect this felt like a manic episode or a cry for attention to be believed.
The next two days I get a weird vibe. This happened on a Friday and on Monday I went to work. I’m on my way home to my parents wanting to have a meeting with us and with my older sister on FT. I call my sister in the car on my way and asked her if she thinks she snitched and she’s in disbelief that she wouldn’t sink that low. There’s 2 things that I keep from my parents that I’ve shared with my sisters. That I was afraid of at this point: 1. My boyfriend of 6 years, my mom kind of know but culturally we don’t want the pressure to get married while I’m studying (I’ll be done with my masters in June, so we want to tell our parents in the end of summer since they have been friends for 27 years and get married in ~ 1 year). 2. That I smoke weed, nothing overboard and very under control. I have my rules (do only smoke on weekends, 1/4 of a joint each sesh + Low tolerance, not in the day, only one sesh a day, not in exam periods, have to be productive etc). Where I live it’s illegal. No I have not tried other narcotics, nor I do not have the interest to try. I use it as people use “a glass or two” to rewind.
Can skip: (Short story about me: I’m an over achiever. Bachelor in STEM with gpa:A, masters in STEM with gpa:A, been active in student organizations and societies, scholarship. Have worked since I was 15, currently work part time in a prestigious finance company, got a return offer full time before graduating. Bought my first apartment when I was 20, rented that out, invest in funds etc. so financially stable. But for my south Asian parents I have a record, busted for drinking, cigarettes, birth control, sneaking out etc from age 14-20, then it calmed down but they’ll always remember and use it as arguments when I do something that they don’t like).
Anyways, I had 3 joints in my closed hidden very well that I’ve had the last 4-5 months. I run to my room and my jar is gone… I go full panic mode while I’m texting my older sister, she has smoked a handful of times with me and know that I’m responsible. I would never introduce or encourage my younger sister because I do not trust her, she’s reckless and already have two incidents where she drank so much alcohol that the police had her in custody, she was a minor, and my parents had to pick her up at the station and she couldn’t recognize them + getting so wasted that she rang on some random house to ask for the address.
My parents found my jar, long story short. A 3-hour meeting, I took the blame for everything and didn’t want my sisters involved. I was so confused and kept quiet the whole meeting. The aftermath led me and my sister to the conclusion that our younger sister snitched about where the jar was hidden. Bits and pieces of information, things she said that did not add up, how my parents treated her afterwards. I got the silent treatment as usual. Now I wanted revenge.
I did some research and pulled some contacts, my younger sister is very private about her life and I think it because she thinks we would snitch on her and that she keeps her reputation clean in our parents eyes. Pretending everything is fine. The information I got: 1. My sister is failing badly at uni, she will be forced to take a one year leap to retake the courses she failed. her degree will be 4 years instead of 3 years. She looses the benefits of her student loan. 2. She lost her part time job due to failing too many courses. She has been working for free for 6 months (free labor traded for learning). The last 5 months she’s been on pause. One thing is that her spending habits are ridiculously high but also that we have a shared car that she claims that she needs for work and I respected that thinking she actually worked. So no financial stability, no savings (and I have offered her help to budget her money just as I did with my older sister). She’s spending her student debt on stupid things.
My options here are: 1. Listening to my ego. Coldly out her to my parents that I’m not the problematic one, she is and they need to pay more attention to her. I feel I’ll go against my own values here by snitching since I’m fundamentally very against it. 2. Is to be rational, sit her down and have a talk. Ask her why she snitched (even though I don’t think I will come very far here). And give her the opportunity to tell our parents herself since she’s clearly struggling and needs help. With her studies, financially and psychologically/mentally. Also giving her a clear message that she is uninvited from my life and that I want nothing to do with her. She is not welcomed at my wedding or anything in that matter.

Early Summer Sale
Top Deals Video Games
All Video Game Deals
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Outlet Sale

Video Game Top Deals

Item	Sale Price	MSRP	Savings
Arcade1up The Simpsons Arcade Machine With Riser	$599.99	$749.99	$150.00
Arcade1up Wheel Of Fortune Casinocade Deluxe Arcade Machine	$599.99	$699.99	$100.00
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Standard Edition (ps5)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Standard Edition (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Dead Space (ps5)	$39.99	$89.99	$50.00
Dead Space (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$89.99	$50.00
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Ea Sports Fc 24 (ps5)	$39.99	$54.99	$15.00
Ea Sports Fc 24 (ps4)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Ea Sports Fc 24 (switch)	$39.99	$39.99	$0.00
Ea Sports Fc 24 (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition (ps4)	$19.99	$19.99	$0.00
Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition (xbox One)	$19.99	$19.99	$0.00
It Takes Two (ps4)	$39.99	$54.99	$15.00
It Takes Two (switch)	$39.99	$54.99	$15.00
Jbl Quantum In-ear Noise Cancelling Truly Wireless Gaming Headphones - Black	$99.99	$229.99	$130.00
Jbl Quantum 360x Wireless Gaming Headset - Black/green	$149.99	$199.99	$50.00
Just Dance 2024 (switch)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Madden Nfl 24 (ps4)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Madden Nfl 24 (ps5)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Madden Nfl 24 (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Mario Party Superstars (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope (switch)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Nhl 24 (ps5)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Nhl 24 (ps4)	$34.99	$79.99	$45.00
Nhl 24 (xbox One)	$34.99	$79.99	$45.00
Nhl 24 (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$89.99	$50.00
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown (ps4)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown (ps5)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown (switch)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Red Dead Redemption 2 (ps4)	$19.99	$19.99	$0.00
Skull And Bones Limited Edition (ps5) - Only At Best Buy	$59.99	$89.99	$30.00
Skull And Bones Limited Edition (xbox Series X) - Only At Best Buy	$59.99	$89.99	$30.00
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (ps5)	$44.99	$59.99	$15.00
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (xbox Series X)	$44.99	$89.99	$45.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 7p Wireless Gaming Headset - Black	$199.99	$229.99	$30.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 7p Wireless Gaming Headset - White	$199.99	$229.99	$30.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 7x Wireless Gaming Headset - Black	$199.99	$229.99	$30.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 7x Wireless Gaming Headset - White	$199.99	$229.99	$30.00
Super Mario Odyssey (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Surge Livewire Microwatt Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One - Black	$39.99	$49.99	$10.00
Surge Livewire Microwatt Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One - Blue	$39.99	$49.99	$10.00
Surge Playstation Vr2 Charge Stand (sg20024) - White	$19.99	$39.99	$20.00
Surge Playstation Vr2 Headset Travel Case - Grey	$19.99	$39.99	$20.00
Thrustmaster T248p Racing Wheel & Magnetic Pedal Set For Xbox/pc	$479.99	$549.99	$70.00
Thrustmaster T248 Racing Wheel & Magnetic Pedals For Ps5/ps4/pc	$479.99	$549.99	$70.00
Turtle Beach Stealth 600p Gen 2 Rf Wireless Gaming Headset With Microphone For Ps5 / Ps4 - Black	$89.99	$99.99	$10.00
Turtle Beach Stealth 600x Gen 2 Rf Wireless Gaming Headset For Xbox Series X/ Xbox Series S/ Xbox One -white	$89.99	$99.99	$10.00
Ufc 5 (ps5)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Ufc 5 (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Wwe 2k24 (xbox Series X)	$69.99	$89.99	$20.00
Yoshi's Crafted World (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00

Video Game Deals

Item	Sale Price	MSRP	Savings
Anker Charging Dock For Meta Quest 2	$79.99	$129.99	$50.00
Arcade1up Attack From Mars Digital Pinball Machine	$899.99	$949.99	$50.00
Arcade1up Mortal Kombat Collectorcade Arcade Machine	$99.99	$119.99	$20.00
Arcade1up Mortal Kombat Countercade Arcade Machine	$199.99	$249.99	$50.00
Arcade1up Ms. Pac-man 40th Anniversary Collection Arcade Machine	$469.99	$599.99	$130.00
Arcade1up Nba Jam Shaq Edition Partycade Arcade Machine	$249.99	$379.99	$130.00
Arcade1up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Countercade Arcade Machine	$199.99	$249.99	$50.00
Assassin's Creed Mirage (ps4)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Assassin's Creed Mirage (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection (switch)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (ps5)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (ps4)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (xbox One / Xbox Series X)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Astro A30 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset For Pc/ps5/ps4/switch - White	$249.99	$299.99	$50.00
Astro A30 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset For Xbox Series X/s- Navy Blue	$249.97	$299.97	$50.00
Astro A30 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset For Xbox Series X/s - White	$249.99	$299.99	$50.00
Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 Over-ear Gaming Headset For Ps5/ps4 - Black	$69.99	$79.99	$10.00
Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 Over-ear Gaming Headset For Ps5/ps4 - White	$69.99	$79.99	$10.00
Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 Over-ear Gaming Headset For Xbox - Black	$69.99	$79.99	$10.00
Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 Over-ear Gaming Headset For Xbox - White	$69.99	$79.99	$10.00
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora (ps5)	$49.99	$89.99	$40.00
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora (xbox Series X)	$49.99	$89.99	$40.00
Backbone One Play Station Gaming Controller For Android Smartphone - White	$97.99	$139.99	$42.00
Backbone One Play Station Gaming Controller For Ios Smartphone - White	$97.99	$139.99	$42.00
Far Cry 6 (ps5)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Far Cry 6 (ps4)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Far Cry 6 (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
F1 23 (ps5)	$29.99	$59.99	$30.00
F1 23 (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$29.99	$59.99	$30.00
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Hyperx Cloud Stinger Core Wireless Gaming Headset For Ps5/ps4 - White	$89.99	$99.99	$10.00
It Takes Two (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$39.99	$54.99	$15.00
Jbl Quantum 100x Gaming Headset - Black/green	$39.99	$59.99	$20.00
Jbl Quantum 910x Wireless Gaming Headset - Black/green	$299.99	$399.99	$100.00
Logitech Driving Force Shifter For G923/g29/g920 Racing Wheels - Dark	$69.99	$79.99	$10.00
Logitech G Pro True Force Racing Wheel For Pc - Black	$999.99	$1299.99	$300.00
Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition + 3500 Minecoins (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$19.99	$39.99	$20.00
Minecraft Deluxe Collection (switch) - Digital Download	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Minecraft Dungeons (switch) - Digital Download	$12.99	$25.99	$13.00
Minecraft Dungeons: Ultimate Dlc Bundle (switch) - Digital Download	$12.99	$25.99	$13.00
Minecraft Dungeons Ultimate Edition (switch)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Minecraft Dungeons Ultimate Edition (switch) - Digital Download	$24.99	$51.99	$27.00
Minecraft Dungeons Ultimate Edition (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$24.95	$49.95	$25.00
Minecraft Legends Deluxe Edition (switch)	$32.49	$64.49	$32.00
Minecraft Legends: Deluxe Edition (switch) - Digital Download	$32.49	$64.49	$32.00
Minecraft Legends Deluxe Edition (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$32.49	$64.49	$32.00
Minecraft Legends (switch) - Digital Download	$25.99	$51.99	$26.00
Minecraft (switch)	$14.99	$29.99	$15.00
Minecraft (switch) - Digital Download	$14.99	$29.99	$15.00
Pdp Afterglow Wave Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One / Pc - Black	$49.99	$59.99	$10.00
Pdp Afterglow Wave Wireless Controller For Switch - White	$59.99	$64.99	$5.00
Pdp Rematch Glow Advanced Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One / Pc - Blue	$44.99	$49.99	$5.00
Pdp Rematch Glow Wired Controller For Switch - Legend Of Zelda	$29.99	$34.99	$5.00
Pdp Rematch Wired Controller For Switch - Star Spectrum	$29.99	$34.99	$5.00
Pdp Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One - Kinetic White	$34.99	$39.99	$5.00
Persona 3 Reload (ps5)	$54.99	$89.99	$35.00
Persona 5 Tactica (switch)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Pga Tour 2k23 (xbox Series X)	$24.99	$29.99	$5.00
Powera Advantage Lumectra Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One - Black	$49.99	$59.99	$10.00
Powera Wireless Controller For Switch - Sworn Protector	$39.99	$59.99	$20.00
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$39.99	$69.99	$30.00
Rabbids: Party Of Legends (ps4)	$24.99	$49.99	$25.00
Rabbids: Party Of Legends (xbox One)	$24.99	$44.99	$20.00
Razer Kishi V2 Gaming Controller For Android	$109.99	$129.99	$20.00
Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Gaming Controller For Xbox Series X/S - Mercury	$99.99	$139.99	$40.00
Red Dead Redemption (ps4)	$49.99	$69.99	$20.00
Riders Republic (ps5)	$24.99	$39.99	$15.00
Seagate 2tb Storage Expansion Card For Xbox Series X And Series S	$339.99	$384.99	$45.00
Seagate Xbox Certified 4tb Usb 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive With Green Led Bar (stkx4000402)	$149.99	$184.99	$35.00
Sonic Frontiers (ps5)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Sonic Frontiers (switch)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Sonic Origins Plus (ps5)	$29.99	$54.99	$25.00
Sonic Origins Plus (switch)	$34.99	$54.99	$20.00
Sonic Origins Plus (xbox Series X / Xbox One)	$29.99	$54.99	$25.00
Sonic Superstars (ps5)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Sonic Superstars (switch)	$39.99	$79.99	$40.00
Sony Inzone H3 Gaming Headset - White	$79.99	$129.99	$50.00
Sony Inzone H9 Wireless Gaming Headset - White	$349.99	$399.99	$50.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 1p Gaming Headset - White	$64.99	$69.99	$5.00
Steelseries Arctis Nova 1x Gaming Headset - Black	$64.99	$79.99	$15.00
Surge Dual Play & Charge Kit For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One	$22.99	$26.99	$4.00
Surge Gamepad Pro Wireless Controller For Switch/pc/steam Deck - Supernova	$34.99	$39.99	$5.00
Surge Grips For Meta Quest 2 Controllers - Black	$14.99	$19.99	$5.00
Surge Powerpack 2.0 Battery & Charge Cable Set For Ps5	$14.99	$19.99	$5.00
The Crew Motorfest (ps5)	$39.99	$89.99	$50.00
The Crew Motorfest (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$89.99	$50.00
Thrustmaster Eswap S Pro Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/S / Xbox One / Pc - Black	$149.99	$169.99	$20.00
Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Racing Wheel	$249.99	$279.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster Formula Racing Wheel Add-on - Ferrari Sf1000 Edition	$499.99	$549.99	$50.00
Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog Flight Stick & Throttle	$729.99	$799.99	$70.00
Thrustmaster Open Wheel Add-on	$249.99	$279.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster Tca Officer Pack Airbus Edition	$239.99	$269.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster Tca Quadrant Airbus Edition For Pc	$154.99	$179.99	$25.00
Thrustmaster Tca Yoke Joystick Boeing Edition For Xbox One And Xbox Series X/S/ Pc	$449.99	$499.99	$50.00
Thrustmaster T.flight Hotas 4 Flight Stick For Ps5/ps4/pc	$109.99	$129.99	$20.00
Thrustmaster T.flight Hotas One Flight Stick For Xbox Series X/S & Xbox One/pc	$119.99	$139.99	$20.00
Thrustmaster Tfrp Flight Rudder Pedals For Ps4/pc - Black	$169.99	$199.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster Th8a Gearbox Shifter	$269.99	$299.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster T16000m Fcs Hotas Flight Stick	$209.99	$239.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster T-3pm Pedals	$169.99	$199.99	$30.00
Thrustmaster T300 Servo Base For Ps4	$299.99	$329.99	$30.00
Turtle Beach Stealth 600p Gen 2 Rf Wireless Gaming Headset With Microphone For Ps5 / Ps4 - White	$89.99	$99.99	$10.00
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Multiplatform Wireless Noise-cancelling Gaming Headset - Dual Batteries - Black	$374.99	$449.99	$75.00
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Rf Wireless Gaming Headset For Playstation - Black	$374.99	$449.99	$75.00
Unicorn Overlord (ps5)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Unicorn Overlord (switch)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Unicorn Overlord (xbox Series X)	$54.99	$79.99	$25.00
Watch Dogs: Legion (ps4)	$9.99	$29.99	$20.00
Wd_black C50 1tb Expansion Card - Officially Licensed For Xbox Series X/S	$199.99	$204.99	$5.00
Wrc 23 (ps5)	$39.99	$64.99	$25.00
Wrc 23 (xbox Series X)	$39.99	$64.99	$25.00
Wwe 2k24 (ps5)	$69.99	$89.99	$20.00

Top Deals PC Gaming

Item	Sale Price	MSRP	Savings
Acer Nitro 5 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Black (intel Core I7-12700h/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/rtx 4050)	$1299.99	$1699.99	$400.00
Acer Nitro V 15 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Black (intel Core I7-13620h/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/rtx4060/windows 11)	$1399.99	$1599.99	$200.00
Acer Predator P03 Gaming Pc (intel Core I7-13700f/512gb Ssd/1tb Hdd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060/windows 11)	$1399.99	$1699.99	$300.00
Alienware 34" Wqhd 165hz 0.1ms Gtg Curved Qd-oled Led G-sync Freesync Gaming Monitor (aw3423dwf)	$1199.99	$1299.99	$100.00
Asus Rog G16chr Gaming Pc - Grey (intel Core I7-14700f/1tb Ssd/32gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4070/windows 11)	$2099.99	$2799.99	$700.00
Asus Rog Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition Pro-tested Form Factor Lightweight 36000 Dpi Wireless Gaming Mice - Black	$139.99	$199.99	$60.00
Asus Rog Strix G35ca Gaming Pc - Star Black (intel Core I7-13700f/1tb Ssd/32gb Ram/geforce Rtx4080)	$3199.99	$3699.99	$500.00
Asus Rog Strix G17 17.3" Gaming Laptop - Eclipse Grey (amd Ryzen 7 6800h/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/rtx 3050)- En	$1299.99	$1649.99	$350.00
Asus Rog Strix G16 16" Gaming Laptop - Eclipse Grey (intel Core I9-14900hx/1tb Ssd/32gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060)	$2299.99	$2499.99	$200.00
Asus Rog Strix G13 Gaming Pc - Dark Grey (intel Core I5-14400f/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx4060/win11)	$1299.99	$1699.99	$400.00
Asus Tuf 23.8" Fhd 180hz 1ms Gtg Ips Led G-sync Freesync Gaming Monitor (vg249ql3a)	$209.99	$249.99	$40.00
Asus Tuf Gaming A15 15.6" Wqhd 165hz/3ms Gaming Laptop (amd Ryzen 9 7940hs/1tb Sdd/16gb Ram/rtx 4070)	$1649.99	$2299.99	$650.00
Asus Tuf Gaming F15 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Mecha Grey (intel Core I5-12500h/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 3050)	$999.99	$1199.99	$200.00
Asus Tuf Gaming F15 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Mecha Grey (intel Core I7-13620h/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4050)	$1399.99	$1599.99	$200.00
Corsair Dark Core Rgb Pro 18000 Dpi Wireless Optical Gaming Mouse - Black	$104.99	$129.99	$25.00
Corsair Hs65 Surround Gaming Headset - Black	$89.99	$109.99	$20.00
Corsair K70 Core Backlit Mechanical Red Linear Switch Gaming Keyboard - Grey - Only At Best Buy	$119.99	$149.99	$30.00
Dell 31.5" 1440p Wqhd 165hz 2ms Gtg Curved Va Led Freesync Gaming Monitor (s3222dgm) - Black	$369.99	$549.99	$180.00
Hp Omen 25l Gaming Pc (intel Core I7-14700f/1tb Hdd/32gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4070 Supewin11)	$2299.99	$2799.99	$500.00
Hp Victus Desktop Gaming Pc (intel Core I5-14400f/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060/windows 11)	$1249.99	$1299.99	$50.00
Hp Victus 15.6” Gaming Laptop - Mica Silver (amd Ryzen 5 7535hs/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 2050/win 11)	$799.99	$1099.99	$300.00
Hyperx Cloud Alpha Rf Wireless Gaming Headset (4p5d4aa) - Black	$199.99	$220.99	$21.00
Lenovo Ideacentre 5i Gaming Pc - Raven Black (intel Core I5-12400f/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/rtx 3050/win 11)	$899.99	$999.99	$100.00
Lg 27" 4k Ultra Hd 60hz 5ms Gtg Ips Led Freesync Monitor (27up650-w) - White - Only At Best Buy	$349.99	$499.99	$150.00
Lg Ultragear 23.8" Fhd 165hz 1ms Gtg Va Led Freesync Gaming Monitor (24gq50f-b) - Only At Best Buy	$159.99	$189.99	$30.00
Lg Ultragear 27" 1440p Qhd 165hz 1ms Gtg Ips Lcd Freesync Gaming Monitor (27gr75q)	$329.99	$499.99	$170.00
Lg Ultrawide 34" Fhd 100hz 5ms Gtg Led Ips Freesync Gaming Monitor (34wq650-w) - White - Only At Best Buy	$349.99	$449.99	$100.00
Logitech G502 Hero 25600 Dpi Optical Gaming Mouse - Black	$59.99	$69.99	$10.00
Msi Aegis R Gaming Pc - Black (intel Core I7-14700f/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4070 Supewindows 11)	$2199.99	$2299.99	$100.00
Msi Codex R Gaming Pc (intel Core I5-12400f/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060ti/windows 11)	$1399.99	$1499.99	$100.00
Msi Cyborg 15 A12u 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Black (intel Core I5-12450h/512gb Ssd/8gb Ram/geforce Rtx 2050)	$699.99	$1049.99	$350.00
Msi Katana Series 17.3" Gaming Laptop - Black (intel Core I9-13900h/1tb Ssd/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060/win 11)	$1699.99	$1899.99	$200.00
Msi Thin 15 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Cosmos Grey (intel Core I7-13620h/512gb/16gb Ram/geforce Rtx 4060)	$1399.99	$1499.99	$100.00
Open Box - Lenovo Ideacentre 5i Gaming Pc - Raven Black (intel Ci5-12400f/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/rtx 3050/win 11)	$799.99	$1249.99	$450.00
Razer Barracuda X Plus Wireless Gaming Headset For Pc/ps5/ps4/switch - Black	$99.99	$119.99	$20.00
Razer Barracuda X Plus Wireless Gaming Headset For Pc/ps5/ps4/switch - Mercury	$99.99	$124.99	$25.00
Razer Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed Gaming Headset With Microphone - Black	$149.99	$174.99	$25.00
Razer Blackwidow V4 X Mechanical Gaming Keyboard With Chroma Rgb - Black	$139.99	$179.99	$40.00
Razer Viper Ultimate Wireless Optical Gaming Mouse With Charging Dock - Mercury	$99.99	$199.99	$100.00
Samsung 24" Fhd 75hz 5ms Gtg Ips Led Freesync Monitor (lf24t350fhnxza) - Dark Blue Grey	$119.99	$139.99	$20.00
Steelseries Apex 7 Tkl Backlit Mechanical Red Gaming Keyboard	$99.99	$169.99	$70.00

Top Deals TVs and Home Theatre

Item	Sale Price	MSRP	Savings
Audio Technica At-lp120xbt-usb Direct Drive Usb Turntable With Bluetooth	$499.99	$509.99	$10.00
Audio-technica At-sb727 Sound Burger Portable Bluetooth Turntable- Black	$259.99	$279.99	$20.00
Audio-technica At-sb727 Sound Burger Portable Bluetooth Turntable - Yellow	$259.99	$279.99	$20.00
Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Dolby Atmos - Black	$799.97	$849.97	$50.00
Denon Avr-s760h 7.2 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Network Av Receiver - Only At Best Buy	$699.99	$899.99	$200.00
Denon Avr-x1800h 7.2 Channel 8k Dolby Atmos Av Receiver	$799.99	$999.99	$200.00
Denon Avr-x3800h 9.4 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Av Receiver	$1799.99	$2206.99	$407.00
Denon Avr-x4800h 9.4 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Network Av Receiver	$2639.99	$3299.99	$660.00
Epson Epiqvision Flex 1080p Hd Led Business Projector (co-fh02)	$599.99	$699.99	$100.00
Epson Epiqvision Mini Ef12 Smart Streaming Laser 1080p Home Theatre Projector With Android Tv (ef-12)	$899.99	$999.99	$100.00
Epson Home Cinema 1080 3lcd 1080p Home Theatre Projector	$799.99	$849.99	$50.00
Google Chromecast With Google Tv (4k) - Snow	$54.99	$69.99	$15.00
Harman Kardon Soundsticks 4 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker System - White	$329.97	$419.97	$90.00
House Of Marley Get Together Duo Bluetooth Wireless Speaker - Natural	$149.99	$249.99	$100.00
House Of Marley Stir It Up Belt Drive Usb Turntable	$229.99	$349.99	$120.00
Ihome Ibt295bc2 Bluetooth Alarm Clock With Usb Port	$59.99	$79.99	$20.00
Ihome Ibtw281v2bc Colour Changing Bluetooth Alarm Clock - Black	$99.99	$129.99	$30.00
Insignia 47" - 90" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount - Only At Best Buy	$169.99	$199.99	$30.00
Jbl Authentics 500 Wireless Multi-room Speaker With Voice Control Built-in - Black	$799.99	$999.99	$200.00
Jbl Authentics 300 Wireless Multi-room Speaker With Voice Control Built-in - Black	$549.99	$649.99	$100.00
Jbl Bar 1000 880-watt 7.1.4 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$1499.99	$1699.99	$200.00
Jbl Deep Bass 300-watt 2.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$399.99	$499.99	$100.00
Kanto Desktop Speaker Stands (sp6hd) - Black	$69.99	$99.99	$30.00
Kanto Pdx680 39"- 80" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$149.99	$199.99	$50.00
Kanto Pt300 32"- 90" Tilting Tv Wall Mount	$69.99	$99.99	$30.00
Kanto Yu 140-watt Bookshelf Speaker - Pair - Matte Black Vinyl - Only At Best Buy	$299.99	$349.99	$50.00
Klipsch Aw-400 50-watt All-weather Outdoor Speakers - Pair	$229.99	$349.99	$120.00
Klipsch Dual R50c 400-watt 2-way Center Channel Speaker - Black	$299.99	$449.99	$150.00
Klipsch Dual R605fa 400-watt 2-way Tower Speaker - Single - Black	$699.99	$999.99	$300.00
Klipsch Dual R800f 600-watt 2-way Tower Speaker - Single - Black	$499.99	$799.99	$300.00
Klipsch Dual R600f 400-watt 2-way Tower Speaker - Single - Black	$399.99	$649.99	$250.00
Klipsch Quad R30c 400-watt 2-way Center Channel Speaker - Black	$449.99	$599.99	$150.00
Klipsch R1650c 6.5" In-ceiling Speaker - Single	$49.99	$69.99	$20.00
Klipsch R40sa 200-watt Bookshelf Speaker - Pair - Black	$449.99	$649.99	$200.00
Klipsch R1650w 140-watt In-wall Speaker - White - Single	$79.99	$139.99	$60.00
Lg 4k Uhd Blu-ray Player (ubk80)	$229.99	$249.99	$20.00
Lg Sqc4r 220-watt 4.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Speakers - Only At Best Buy	$219.99	$229.99	$10.00
Lg Sqc1 160-watt 2.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$149.99	$199.99	$50.00
Lg S95qr 810-watt 9.1.5 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$1699.99	$2299.99	$600.00
Lg S80qy 480-watt 3.1.3 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$899.99	$999.99	$100.00
One For All 32" - 65" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$169.99	$249.99	$80.00
One For All 19" - 43" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$89.99	$129.99	$40.00
One For All 32" - 90" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$254.99	$299.99	$45.00
One For All 19" - 43" Tilting Tv Wall Mount	$67.99	$79.99	$12.00
One For All 32" - 90" Tilting Tv Wall Mount	$89.99	$129.99	$40.00
Onkyo Dxc390 6-disc Cd Carousel Changer	$429.99	$499.99	$70.00
Onkyo Tx-nr6100 7.2 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Network Av Receiver	$999.99	$1199.99	$200.00
Onkyo Tx-nr5100 7.2 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Network Av Receiver	$599.99	$949.99	$350.00
Onkyo Tx-nr7100 9.2 Channel 8k Ultra Hd Network Av Receiver	$1499.99	$1799.99	$300.00
Onkyo Tx-sr494 7.2 Channel 4k Ultra Hd Dolby Atmos Av Receiver	$399.99	$409.99	$10.00
Open Box - Samsung Hw-b550/zc 410-watt 2.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$179.99	$229.99	$50.00
Open Box - Samsung Hw-c400 40-watt 2.0 Channel Sound Bar	$99.99	$159.99	$60.00
Open Box - Sony Hta3000 250-watt 3.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar	$399.99	$699.99	$300.00
Open Box - Sony Ht-s2000 3.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar	$299.99	$549.99	$250.00
Roku Express 4k Media Streamer With Remote	$39.99	$49.99	$10.00
Roku Streambar 4k Media Streamer With Remote	$99.99	$189.99	$90.00
Roku Ultra 2022 4k/hddolby Vision Streamer, Remote With Rechargeable Battery, Hands-free Voice Controls, Lost Remote Finder And Private Listening	$99.99	$129.99	$30.00
Samsung Hw-c400 2.0 Channel Sound Bar	$149.99	$179.99	$30.00
Samsung Hw-q900c 7.1.2 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$999.99	$1119.99	$120.00
Samsung Hw-q910c 9.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer - Only At Best Buy	$999.99	$1099.99	$100.00
Samsung Hw-q910d/zc 9.1.2 Channel Wireless Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer - Titan Black	$1399.99	$1599.99	$200.00
Samsung Hw-s61b 5.0 Channel Sound Bar - White	$299.99	$499.99	$200.00
Samsung Hw-s801b/zc 3.1.2 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$799.99	$999.99	$200.00
Samsung Hw-s800b/zc 3.1.2 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	$799.99	$999.99	$200.00
Samsung Hw-s700d/zc 3.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer - Titan Black	$599.99	$699.99	$100.00
Samsung Hw-s801d/zc 3.1.2 Channel Wireless Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer- White	$899.99	$999.99	$100.00
Samsung Hw-s800d/zc 3.1.2 Wireless Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer - Titan Black	$899.99	$999.99	$100.00
Samsung 58" 4k Uhd Hdr Led Tizen Smart Tv (un58tu690tfxzc) - 2023	$599.99	$649.99	$50.00
Samsung 77" 4k Uhd Hdr Qd-oled Tizen Smart Tv(qn77s95cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Black	$5499.99	$5999.99	$500.00
Samsung 77" 4k Uhd Hdr Qd-oled Tizen Smart Tv (qn77s92cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Black - Only At Best Buy	$3899.99	$4599.99	$700.00
Samsung 50" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Tv (qn50q80cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Black	$1099.99	$1299.99	$200.00
Samsung 75" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Tv (qn75q80cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Black	$2199.99	$2699.99	$500.00
Samsung 75" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Tv (qn75q60cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Grey	$1599.99	$1999.99	$400.00
Samsung 75" 4k Uhd Qled Tizen Os Smart Tv (qn75qn85cafxzc) - 2023 - Titan Black	$2499.99	$3299.99	$800.00
Samsung Ls60d Music Frame Wireless Dolby Atmos Sound Bar - Black	$499.99	$599.99	$100.00
Samsung The Frame 75" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Tizen Smart Tv (qn75ls03bafxzc) - 2022 - Charcoal Black	$2799.99	$3499.99	$700.00
Sanus Accents 32" - 85" Extendable Tilting Tv Wall Mount	$99.99	$149.99	$50.00
Sanus Accents 42" - 85" Full-motion Tv Wall Mount	$189.99	$199.99	$10.00
Sanus Advanced 32" - 55" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$169.99	$289.99	$120.00
Sanus Advanced 42" - 90" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount	$339.99	$399.99	$60.00
Sanus Super Slim 40" - 90" Full Motion Tv Wall Mount - Only At Best Buy	$289.99	$369.99	$80.00
Sanus Systems Table Top Tv Stand With 40" - 86" Swivel Tv Mount - Black	$199.99	$249.99	$50.00
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus 100-watt 7.1.4 Channel Sound Bar	$1699.99	$1999.99	$300.00
Sharp Rp-tt70 3-speed Dual Bluetooth Turntable & Stereo Shelf Speakers (pair) - Wood/walnut - Only At Best Buy	$179.99	$229.99	$50.00
Sharp Xl-bh250 5-disc Micro System With Bluetooth - Only At Best Buy	$269.99	$299.99	$30.00
Sony Ht-s2000 3.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar	$499.99	$599.99	$100.00
Sony Ht-x8500 2.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar	$399.99	$499.99	$100.00
Sony 77" 4k Uhd Hdr Oled Smart Google Tv (xr77a80l) - 2023	$3999.99	$4199.99	$200.00
Sony 55" 4k Uhd Hdr Oled Smart Google Tv (xr55a80l) - 2023	$1999.99	$2199.99	$200.00
Sony 1080p Upconverting Dvd Player (dvpsr510h)	$49.99	$59.99	$10.00
Sony X85k 50" 4k Uhd Hdr Led Smart Google Tv (kd50x85k)	$849.99	$899.99	$50.00
Sony X85k 65" 4k Uhd Hdr Led Smart Google Tv (kd65x85k)	$999.99	$1199.99	$200.00
Sony X85k 43" 4k Uhd Hdr Led Smart Google Tv (kd43x85k)	$769.99	$819.99	$50.00
Tcl Q6310-ca 350-watt 3.1 Channel Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer - Black	$199.99	$299.99	$100.00
Tcl 55" Q-class 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Google Tv (55q650g-ca) - 2023	$479.99	$499.99	$20.00
Tcl 55" Q-class 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Google Tv (55q750g-ca) - 2023	$649.99	$799.99	$150.00
Tcl 65" Q-class 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Smart Google Tv (65q650g-ca) - 2023	$649.99	$699.99	$50.00
Tcl Q5 50" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Google Tv Smart Tv (50q550g-ca) - 2023 - Only At Best Buy	$399.99	$499.99	$100.00
Tcl Q5 55" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Google Tv Smart Tv (55q550g-ca) - 2023 - Only At Best Buy	$449.99	$549.99	$100.00
Tcl Q5 65" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Google Tv Smart Tv (65q550g-ca) - 2023 - Only At Best Buy	$619.99	$699.99	$80.00

Early Summer Sale

Item	Sale Price	MSRP	Savings
Dell Inspiron 15 3520 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop - Carbon Black (intel Core I5-1135g7/256gb Ssd/8gb Ram/win11)	549.99	749.99	200.00
Eufy Eufycam 3 Wire-free 4k Ultra Hd Outdoor Security Camera With Solar Panel - 3 Pack	599.99	799.99	200.00
Garmin Venu 3 45mm Gps Smartwatch With Heart Rate Monitor - Black	529.99	599.99	70.00
Google Chromecast With Google Tv (4k) - Snow	54.99	69.99	15.00
Google Nest Wifi Pro Wi-fi 6e Router - Snow - 3 Pack	419.99	529.99	110.00
Hp 27" All-in-one Pc (amd Ryzen 5 7520u/512gb Ssd/16gb Ram/windows 11)	999.99	1299.99	300.00
Insignia Portable Air Conditioner - 10000 Btu (sacc 6500 Btu) - White/black - Only At Best Buy	299.99	529.99	230.00
Jbl Bar 1000 880-watt 7.1.4 Channel Dolby Atmos Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer	1499.99	1699.99	200.00
Jbl Charge 5 Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker - Black	199.99	239.99	40.00
Philips 5400 Automatic Espresso Machine With Lattego Milk Frother - Black	999.99	1369.99	370.00
Segway Ninebot D38u Adult Electric Scooter With Segway Lock & Phone Holder (350w Moto 38km Range / 30km/h Top Speed) - Exclusive Retail Partner	549.99	699.99	150.00
Sony Wh-ch720n Over-ear Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones - Blue	179.99	249.99	70.00
Tcl Q5 55" 4k Uhd Hdr Qled Google Tv Smart Tv (55q550g-ca) - 2023 - Only At Best Buy	499.99	549.99	50.00
Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme Wet/dry Vacuum - Black	479.99	649.99	170.00
Vitamix 6500 1.9l 1500-watt Stand Blender - Platinum - Only At Best Buy	419.99	799.99	380.00

Here is the link: Guudgo 3MP 2.8 Inch IPS Screen Video Calling Camera
Best price with coupon code (apply in the cart!): BGRMAYGD3M
Current price is 22.99 USD. The lowest price in my database is 23.99 USD. There're already 3 records in DB. Price monitoring since 23.3.2024!
Notes (coupon may work only in selected countries): Greece
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