So I have a Citibank Mastercard, specifically a "Citi Diamond Preferred Card." I've had it for a few years. I don't use it all that much; mainly I got it to take advantage of a low rate balance transfer offer that I've paid much of off (I believe the rate is good for another 6 months or so). Lately, though, Citi has been contacting me regularly, both by email and postal mail, "inviting" me to switch to their "Citi Double Cash Card." I get a couple of these invitations each month, and have been since last winter or so. The offer seems fairly straightforward, promises no change in account number, no change in APRs, still no annual fee, no change in credit limit... just switch to the card and in the future I'll get some cash back benefits.
Well, I haven't done it because I don't use the card that much, but also because I'm always suspicious of this sort of thing. Why do they want me to do this so badly? What's in it for them? I'm sure it isn't for my benefit, or at least I find it hard to believe it would be, so what could be behind this? Any ideas, anyone? Would you do it?

Hi everyone,
I made a transaction on 10/04 from my Revolut account to Wise. However, due to a surname mismatch, the transaction reverted back to Revolut on 14/04.That's the information I received from Wise, but I haven't received a refund. Later, I found out that since Revolut uses intermediary banks for transactions, the refund went to CITIBANK. I don't have an account there and have had no communication with them.
•I contacted Revolut for advice, but they only advised that Wise should recall the funds and sent to correct details since they were refunded to the incorrect account. Unfortunately, they haven't been very helpful.
•I reached out to Citibank, but as I don't have an account with them, they said they're unable to consider my request. So no help there.
•Wise informed me that they initiated a recall, but they haven't received any response. They also mentioned that it's not guaranteed they'll be able to complete the recall. They haven't shared any reference number or documents related to their investigation, so I can't contact Citibank myself.
Are there any legal avenues for seeking help? What can I do to get my money back?

tldr: try to settle my Cap one and Citibank debts myself before my debt settlement person starts? What is an average % these cards will settle for?
My lawyer who does bankruptcies has an employee (paralegal/legal assistant) that does debt settlements. He's an awesome guy and provides this service for those where bankruptcy may not be best option. Her fees are less than for the bankruptcy, and I do trust they have the correct way to do it, etc. However, I am nervous we cannot settle for an amount I can pay. If that occurs, bankruptcy is my only option.
My question is, is there a risk to trying it myself first? My first card I am just at the 90 days overdue mark where she can start to contact them. I read stories where you can get better negotiation with a collection agency, but do all credit card companies use them? I do not want to be sued or have my wages garnished. I would do bankruptcy before I let it go that far. My debt is not very large comparatively (20,000 Capital One and $7300 Citibank), but my income is low and I cannot lower my expenses any more to pay the payments- which all went to interest anyways. I have small amount of inherited money and sold a car to help pay for a settlement. I would do the bankruptcy now if I was living in a place that I would stay at. I will need to rent in the future years.

Sharing because I learned about Vanguard's Cash Plus account here and assume others may want to know.
I think Wells Fargo is terrible and should have been shut down. If you do not want your funds to be used at this "bank" you unfortunately have to call to exclude it from your account.
This is a new change noted here: https://personal1.vanguard.com/pdf/Bank_Sweep_Terms_of_Use.pdf

Vanguard Bank Sweep Program Bank list Effective May 2024 The banks listed below currently participate in the Vanguard Bank Sweep program. This list is subject to change. Under the Vanguard Bank Sweep program, eligible balances are swept to the participating Program Banks listed below. You may opt out of specific banks in the service by calling 800-242-7455 or by contacting your relationship manager. See the Vanguard Bank Sweep Products Terms of Use for more information.
American Express
Bank of Baroda
Citibank, N.A.
First Foundation
HSBC Bank USA, N.A.
The Huntington National Bank
NexBank
Synchrony Bank
Synovus Bank
Truist Bank
Valley National Bank
**The following banks are expected to become active on our program network on or 30 days following the date provided below:
CIBC Bank USA
May 16, 2024
UBS Bank USA
May 16, 2024
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association**
May 16, 2024

Bank Sweep Terms link and relevant bit: https://personal1.vanguard.com/pdf/Bank_Sweep_Terms_of_Use.pdf

3.2 Opting out of a Program Bank. You may designate a Program Bank as ineligible to receive Your Eligible Balances. In addition, You may at any time instruct us to remove Your funds from a Program Bank, close Your Deposit Accounts with the Program Bank and designate the Program Bank as ineligible to receive future Eligible Balances. Requests received in good order will be processed as soon as practicable, but delays can occur.
You must allow funds to be swept into at least one Program Bank, subject to certain conditions, including but not limited to each Program Bank’s available capacity and FDIC insurance coverage limits. Otherwise, VBS will unenroll Your Account from the Bank Sweep. Refer to Sections 9 and 10 below for more information on Bank Sweep suspensions and terminations and Account closing.

My sister got scammed yesterday! 2pm daw may tumawag sakanyang nagpakilalang Eastwest bank representative and offered a replacement card! Alam daw ang card number nya, pangalan at transactions nya sa credit card so hindi sya naghinala. Nagkataong di nya mabuksan ang online banking app nya at alam din ni caller kaya kala nya legit talaga. To the extent na binigay nya yung cvv at OTP ng multiple online transactions like Paymaya Cash In, Grab at Foodpanda). All in all nasa 15200 din yun. Umiiyak na sya paguwi kagabi kasi 7pm nya na narealize habang nagbabasa ng mga messages (busy daw sya sa work when the scammer called). Hindi pa rin mabuksan ang online banking nya nung time na yun so we can't check kung yun lang ba talaga yung na-scam na amount. My sister is the youngest and just started working recently so it's really a big deal and might seem the end. We tried contacting Eastwest, buti sumagot agad and we got the card blocked since it was already compromised. And fortunately, none of the transactions pushed through!!!! Thank God!!! Natunugan na ata ni Eastwest since her transactions are usually only foodpanda and less 1k. Which made me realized na oo nga parang may ganong feature na ang mga cards lately pertaining to online top ups. Yung Citibank ko, pag more than 4k ang ginagamit ko sa grab top up, di sya nagpupush through agad on first few attempts kahit nalagay mo tamang details and OTP. Sa mga cards niyo ba ganun din?

Ever since Citibank migrated to UB, I've experienced several fraudulent transactions on my credit cards. The latest incident occurred yesterday, involving an unauthorized charge of 5,000 New Zealand dollars (approximately ₱175,000). Despite two attempts to charge my card, only one transaction succeeded without any One-Time Password (OTP) or additional security checks. I was only notified via an email alert.
I immediately contacted UB to address this issue. However, due to the lack of a dedicated fraud customer service team, I experienced delays. I requested my card be permanently blocked, which was done, but now I must wait for the transaction to appear on my statement of account (SOA) before I can dispute it.
This process is highly inefficient, and it raises concerns about the security measures in place following the migration. I'm considering whether it's worth keeping my Citibank credit card or switching to a different bank.
Has anyone else experienced similar issues with Citibank recently?

Hi,
I have read some very helpful discussions on getting the Australia physio licence through the NZ Trans-Tasman agreement route. I am in the process of applying for a NZ and Australian licence following the same route and I would be grateful if you could help me with a couple of questions.
-I am registered with HCPC in the UK and I will first apply for the NZ licence, and after that I will apply for the NZ Annual practicing certificate (APC). Does PBNZ contact your employer in the UK ƒor a reference at this stage?
-After obtaining my NZ licence, I will apply to APHRA for the Australia licence using the Trans-tasman agreement form. SECTION F of the registration form asks ‘13. What are the details of the qualification or other method on which your registration in New Zealand is based’. Should I only list the HCPC registration here given that this was the qualification/method on which the New Zealand qualification is based? Or should I also list my bachelor degree?
I am registered with HCPC in the UK, but my bachelor physio degree is not from the UK, and It is not considered an Equivalent University program by APHRA in Australia. I am wondering whether this could create problems for the trans-tasman route despite me having PBNZ and HCPC registration.
Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the NoP universe.
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I'd also like to thank u/xskipy10 for their awesome fanart of the main cast as well as their recent Tohba meme and their fanart of Michael baysitting. You're work is a treasure!
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Thank you as well to u/Accomplished-Golf-59 for his take on Michael, Teylim, and Tohba in his submission for the Banner Art Contest, and u/Spacer_Catgirl4969 for their awesome music video featuring a pixel-art Dohkar in his bar. Be sure to give ALL of these awesome creators your love and support.
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And let's not forget u/Guywhoexists2812 who has been an awesome source of memes as well as sick pixel art, such as THIS and THIS!!!! And even THIS!!!!!! And how could I forget THIS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!
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Today, we join Dohkar and Davids as they continue the hunt for Albiel, and we have the final confrontation between father and son. And Bennic finally decides what side he's on. LETTUCE...continue...
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First
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Previous
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Songs Mentioned/Used: Fire by Barns Courtney
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Memory Transcript Subject: Patient T-143, Yotul Refugee Sponsor Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
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That was Michael! It HAD to be!
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There was no mistaking it. That was my joey’s voice. And it tore a swath through this building. I couldn’t hear the guards outside my cell anymore. Either they ran off, or the sheer sound alone was enough to knock them unconscious. Either way, it gave me hope. And as I began hearing gunfire in the distance, slowly getting closer, my heart surged.
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This was it. This was my chance. Whoever these attackers were, there was no way Michael, Khornel, and Tohba coming over the loudspeakers at the same time as the attack was a coincidence. This was a raid! They were here to clear the place out and save the patients here! They were here to save me…
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I hopped up and grabbed onto the barred window of my holding cell. I wasn’t even close to strong enough to get this door open, but perhaps one of the raiders were.
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“HEEEEEYYYYY!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!! OVER HEEERRRREEE!!!!”
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I listened as my voice echoed down the halls and corridors, waiting for a response. When none came, I waited for the sound to completely dissipate, and tried again.
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“HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!! PLEASE!!! ANYONE!!!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!!!”
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Once again, I listened to my voice bounce from wall to wall, echoing through the building, waiting for any kind of response…
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^{“TEYLIM?!” TEYLIM, IS THAT YOU?!”}
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My heart soared as tears of relief built in my eyes. It was faint from just how far away it was, I knew that voice anywhere!
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Dohkar…
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“YES!!!! DOHKAR, IT’S ME!!! I’M HERE!!!”
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I began hearing footsteps echoing through the halls, getting closer to my cell. He was so close. Dohkar found me. He’d get me out, and then we could leave this place and find my joeys. It was almost over.
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The footsteps were so close now. I could barely contain my excitement as I let go of the bars and landed back on the ground. I waited with baited breath as the steps arrived just outside. But…something was wrong… Those footsteps sounded a lot…heavier than a Venlil’s should…
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The door opened, and the first thing I noticed…was the tall, menacing figure’s singular, sharpened, horn…
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“Y-you’re not Dohkar…”
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Memory Transcript Subject: Dohkar, Venlil Bartender Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
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“Yeesh, the kid’s got some pipes, I’ll give him that.”
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Davids and I were the only ones remaining from Squad 1. Chavez and our medic were the only others, and they were on their way back to the APC. We were on our own now, but seeing the complete and utter devastation of the Guild’s forces didn’t make that much of an issue. Occasionally we’d find one that was still conscious, but they were completely deaf from not getting their headset off quick enough.
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“Yeah. Let’s keep moving. We still have a job to finish. Is there still interference keeping us from contacting Squad 2?”
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Davids held a finger to his earpiece.
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“Squad 2, this is 1-1 Sargent Davids, over.”
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I listened in on my own ear piece. We were getting nothing but static.
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Come on, Tevis.
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“Squad 2, respond! This is 1-1 Sargent Davids. We are two men down and require assistance, over.”
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For a moment, there was still nothing but static, until a haggered, pained, voice crackled through.
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“This is Tevis. I read you Squad 1…”
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“What the hell happened?! We lost contact with you as soon as we began the attack!”
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“We were hit right away. Lost half my squad in the initial confrontation.”
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“What’s your status?”
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“Alive, but I’m the only one left. I found my original team…or…what’s left of them… But I’ve got the data we needed. Objective Complete.”
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The grim tone in his voice said it all. They must’ve found something they REALLY weren’t supposed to.
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“I’m aborting the mission. Even if we do manage to capture Albiel, there’s no way we’d be able to clear the facility with just the three of us. Meet back at the staging area where I’ll get back in contact with Magistrate Intellegence and request reinforcements.”
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“We can’t just leave! Not when we’re so close!”
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“We’re retreating. That’s an order, Dohkar.”
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My free paw clenched itself into a fist. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Everywhere around us, the defenses were crumbling. Anyone who could possibly have gotten in our way was either dead, unconscious, or deaf. We had this! There was no reason NOT to continue.
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Davids gave me a sympathetic look. He was a soldier, and he knew orders were orders. Still, I made a promise! I promised those pups, those pups who managed to wipe out an entire Guild Office’s worth of exterminators from half a town away, that I’d return and bring back Clem and-
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^{“HEEEEEYYYYY!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!! OVER HEEERRRREEE!!!!”}
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“Teylim?”
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Protect the herd!
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My ears perked up, and my senses were brought up to full alert.
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“Dohkar, what did you say?”
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“I…I thought I heard-“
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^{“HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!! PLEASE!!! ANYONE!!!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!!!”}
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“TEYLIM!”
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PROTECT THE HERD!!!
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My ears were on swivels, desperately trying to pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from. Once I’d narrowed it down, I took a few steps and cupped my paws around my snout as I shouted back.
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“TEYLIM?!” TEYLIM, IS THAT YOU?!”
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“Dohkar, what are you doin-“
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“Quiet!”
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I focused on my hearing as much as I could. Odds are, I’d probably get a decent chewing out for talking back to a superior officer, but if I found Teylim, it would be worth it. I listened as hard as I could.
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^{“YES!!!! DOHKAR, IT’S ME!!! I’M HERE!!!”}
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Protect the herd!!!
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My mind immediately raced, trying to remember what was in that direction. My mind slowly formed a layout of the building until-
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THE TEMPORARY HOLDING CELLS!!
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“Davids! Hostage located! It’s Teylim!”
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“You’re sure?!”
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“Positive! She’s that way!”
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“Dohkar! Davids! What are you-?”
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“We’ve got a location on one of the hostages. We’re going after her!”
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“Negative! I gave you direct orders to-“
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Before I could respond, Davids did it for me.
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“All due respect sir, the UN doesn’t follow YOUR orders.”
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“Why you filthy pre-“
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The signal cut off and Davids shouldered his rifle.
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“Come on. We’ve still got hostages to save.”
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I gave a thankful nod and we sprinted towards the holding cells. Tevis could run all he wanted, but WE still have a job to do.
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Hang tight, Teylim…
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Passing several other squads of downed exterminators on the way, we eventually made it to the holding cells. These were where we’d temporarily hold suspects until they were ready to be screened. I immediately spotted a pair of officers outside one of the cells, it’s door was wide open.
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“Teylim?”
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I jogged over to the open cell.
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“Teylim?!”
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Nothing. It was completely empty. The only thing that showed that anyone had been here…was a streak of green on the floor…
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[Warning!: Anger Response Spiking Rapidly: Attempting To Compensate…]
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I knelt down and ran a finger across the streak. It was fresh. She was here…and someone had hurt her…enough to draw blood. The only other clue I found were a few white hairs speckled with blue blood. Fissan fur…
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Albiel…
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I didn’t need to look anymore. I knew exactly who did this, and exactly where he would go.
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“It’s your call, Sarge…”
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“We finish the mission…and save the hostages.”
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I led the way. The Chief’s office wasn’t far. A right turn here. A left turn there. And then a long hallway with the office at the very end.
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Once the door to his office was inside, Davids and I both picked up the pace. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was waiting for us. I knew my father. This was a test. He knew I’d go after Teylim. He wanted me to chase him.
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“This is probably a trap!”
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“Definitely!”
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Once we made it to the door, we stacked up, both taking a side. Davids raised his hand and began silently counting down.
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Five…
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Four…
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Three-
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BANG!!!
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The door flew open and an arm holding a sidearm shot out fired at Davids. Before I could even see what became of him, that same arm ripped me inside the room before I could react.
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SLAM!!!
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Before I could catch my bearings, I was yanked into the air and flung across the room, slamming over the desktop and landing roughly on the floor behind it.
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Getting ragdolled like that brought back all sorts of unpleasant memories, but I did my best to shake myself loose from them. Disarmed, I went for the human pistol holstered to my hip and stood to aim at my attacker.
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“Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you.”
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“Dohkar!”
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Albiel…
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My grip on my weapon tightened and I could feel my teeth chipping as they ground against each other in rage.
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There he was, the symbol of everything wrong with The Guild. The Chief. My father. Albiel. In one paw, he held Teylim, beaten, green dripping from the side of her mouth, and a patient shock collar around her neck. In the other paw, he held the remote for it.
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“Let. Her. Go.”
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“You never fail to disappoint me, Dohkar. You AND those failures of a squad you called your brothers.”
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Bennic?
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Did he hurt them too?
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“Every time I think the bar couldn’t be any lower, you still somehow manage.”
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His fur was matted and disheveled, and there was an outright manic look in his eyes. The only thing about him that was still prim and orderly was that damned horn, still and shiny and sharp as ever. Bennic was right. He really had lost it.
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“ALL of this could’ve been yours one paw, Dohkar! Everything I’ve done! EVERYTHING I’ve built! I did so in the name of finding someone worthy enough to pass it all on to. I found you, along with the rest of your incompetent squad in a damned GUTTER! I gave you a home, a purpose, and THIS is how you all repay me?! Failure! Betrayal! Disappointment! And for WHAT?! ‘People’ like THIS?!”
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His grip around Teylim’s neck tightened. I felt myself breaking apart as she shrieked in his grip.
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“Dohkar, plea-“
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“SILENCE, SAVAGE!!”
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I tried aiming my weapon once he was distracted, but he quickly noticed and held up the remote. With a chuff, he regained a facsimile of his usual self, the mask he kept on to hide the madness I always knew was there.
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“Even after you left, you continue to disappoint me at every turn: Cavorting about with primitives and predators far below your station, opening up that filthy excuse of a watering hole, so you could spend even MORE time with the mindless gutter trash that INFESTS this town?! Even when my expectations for you could not have been any lower, ALL you had to do…was STAY. AWAY Just look good for the ‘people’, continue on being the former ‘legend’ that everyone moron in this town believed you to be, and keep your noseless shout OUT of our business. But you couldn’t even do THAT, could you?! How I saw ANY potential in you in the first place continues to elude me.”
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I didn’t respond, continuing to let him talk himself to death. Any moment now, David’s would break through that door, and I’d have my chance. I continued to just stare, only taking the occasional glance towards Teylim.
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“Buuuut no matter. I’ll just have to start again. I’ll find a new backwater town, with just as neglectful management. I’ll find other downtrodden youths more than willing to stay loyal if it means a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. I’ll build it all up again. And you…well…maybe you’ll surprise me and survive long enough to see it.”
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“No. It stops here. I won’t let you take advantage of anyone else.”
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“Oh? What are you going to do? Shoot me with your primitive space ape gun? We BOTH know you won’t risk hitting HER.”
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He lifted Teylim closer to him, using her as a shield. My paws began to shake.
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“Now here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to stand by and watch as I take my leave. And if you try to stop me, I’ll not only reunite this wretch with her mate, but I’ll be sure to find their tainted SPAWN as well, and take extra time in coming up with a creative end for him. Who knows? He might make for a decent recruit after all.”
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“Dohkar!”
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“Teylim…”
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My mind went from plan to plan, idea to idea, finding no solution that wouldn’t end with Teylim getting killed. Even if I adjusted my aim, he’d just activate the collar before I could pull the trigger. I was also out of time for stalling.
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“Dohkar! I need…you…to promise me…”
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My eyes focused back on Teylim. Trails of tears flowed down her cheeks as her teeth clenched. At that moment, I knew exactly what she’d say. This was it. These were Lohrek’s last moments, before Albiel killed him… He made me make a promise, too.
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No. Not again.
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“Promise me… Whatever happens…watch over my joeys… Michael… Tohba… Protect them…”
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No. No. No. Not again. Please not again.
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“I…I…”
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“PLEASE, DOHKAR! They’re all I have… Please… Promise me…that you’ll protect them…”
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Every last part of me shook and shivered. I couldn’t find words to express the horror I was feeling, watching the death of my best friend play in front of me again, almost verbatim. So instead, I said what I wish I could’ve said to Loh.
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“Like they were my very own pups.”
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She forced a pained smile as Albiel’s grip loosened for just a moment.
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“Well isn’t that precious? A mother’s love truly does run eternal. …Perhaps THAT was the missing piece. How might YOU all have turned out if you’d had a mother as well. Food for thought-“
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“GYYYYAAAARRRGH!!!!!”
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Albiel’s speech was interrupted as the Yotul he was holding shrieked out, twisting her head to the side and clamping her jaws onto his arm, causing blue to spurt out from around her teeth.
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“GAAAAAHHH!!! VICIOUS BEAST!!!”
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I watched in shock as with one massive swing of his arm, he shook Teylim off and sent her slamming into the wall with a sickening slap.
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“TEYLIM!!!!!”
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PROTECT THE HERD!!!
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I raised my weapon. While I could’ve ended him right then and there, my only concern was the remote in his paw that he was pointing in her direction.
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BANG!!!
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Another splatter of blue, another shriek of pain from Albiel, and the remote was sent, sparking and nonfunctional, to the ground.
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Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him make a break for it through the door, but my focus was entirely on Teylim. I slid down to the ground beside her and cradled her in my arms.
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“Teylim! TEYLIM!!”
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She was unresponsive. One of her legs had definitely been broken from the hit and while I could feel a pulse, it was weak
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I turned on my ear piece and hoped it still worked.
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“Medic!!! I need a medic in the Chief’s office! One soldier and one hostage critically injured!!! Medic!!!”
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While I waited for a response, I went back to trying to rouse Teylim.
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“Teylim! Wake up! Please!”
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Still…nothing… She was getting weaker. I could feel it.
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“Please, Teylim… You can’t leave us yet. We still need you. Your pups NEED you, you hear me? BOTH of them! Michael… Tohba… They need their mother. And…”
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For the first time in a long time…I felt the old sting of tears build up in my eyes. They flowed down my face is thin streaks as I held one of the only friends I had left in my arms, pressing my head against hers.
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“I need you, too… So please… Wake up…”
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There was a moment of nothing but silence, before she took in a faint, raspy, gasp of air.
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I reeled back in shock as her limbs finally moved, clinging onto me. Her chest convulsed as she coughed and sputtered, before finally, her eyes winced open, meeting mine.
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“Doh..kar…?”
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I couldn’t speak. My mind refused to create the right words for the relief I felt as I pulled her in, holding her close.
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“Wow… Hehe… Never thought…I’d see the day YOU cried… HeheOH stars, it hurts to laugh…”
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I pulled back and wiped at my face.
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“I’m getting you out of here.”
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Finally, right on queue, I heard multiple people enter the room. I turned and saw a pair of UN medics come in with a stretcher.
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“We heard your request for a medic!”
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“Here! Help her!”
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“On it!”
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As we got to work getting Teylim on the stretcher, I noticed there were only two.
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“What about Davids?”
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One of the medics gave me a sympathetic look before shaking his head.
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Damnit…
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Suddenly, I realized something. These medics… They weren’t ones that we’d left at the staging area…
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“Wait. Aren’t you two supposed to still be at the bar?”
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“We were needed to help care for the rescued patients. The staging area’s already being turned into a field hospital for all of them.”
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I was…confused… We didn’t get to clearing out the facility yet. And as far as I knew, Tevis had already retreated back outside.
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“What? But we didn’t-“
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“That would be my handiwork, Dohkar.”
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A voice crackled through the radio. It wasn’t Tevis, Mike, or anyone else I’d have expected to hear. It was…
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“Ben?”
Memory Transcript Subject: Officer Bennic, Senior Extermination Officer Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
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Madness…
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Pointless, directionless madness…
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I slowly made my way down the hall to just one of the many treatment rooms in the facility, my squad mates at my side, doing my best to not let what I saw in Chief’s office get to me.
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Though, now that I thought about it, it made perfect sense. How willing he was to stand by in his code little room in the back of the building while the rest of us fought and died.
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The perfect shields and distractions…
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Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
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We believed in The Guild. We believed in HIM. That’s how we were raised, after all. It’s how we all were. Albiel always DID prefer to recruit young. All the easier to mold into what he wanted.
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Obedient little soldiers…just like me…
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Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
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I walked through the door. I remembered when we were shown these rooms the first time. “A necessary evil”, it was called. We didn’t like it, especially Dohkar. He was always stronger than us. Sometimes I wonder…
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Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
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There are two chairs in the room. The door to the rest of the facility, particularly the holding cells, had a line out the door of prisoners and patients. All waiting for the inevitable.
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Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
The door was guarded. Two of the younger officers who’d been assigned this post for a while now. One remained focused, while the other constantly kept glancing at the rears of any female patient he could see. Even now, after we found out what he would do in his spare time, he never received punishment.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
I looked to the two patients already strapped to their chairs. In the left one, an elderly Venlil, a soldier if I remember right. He served this planet, and served it proudly, and paid the price with his eyesight. Is THIS what all those years of service has earned him?
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
In the right, a Gojid female. She was only a pup when she was first brought here. She was adorned with two large burn scars. One that covered her entire forearm from a flamer burning her. The other wrapped around her neck, a permanent reminder of the collar that had been placed around it. What does a child do to deserve a life like this, I wonder.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
“Mr. Clem…?”
​
“It will be alright, child. I promise.”
​
“I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna get hurt again!”
​
The elder faces in my direction, his glassy eyes filled with nothing but hatred. I have a clue about who he is, but just to be sure…
​
“You’re Clem? You’re the one that helped Dohkar when he left The Guild, right?”
​
“Why are you doing this?’ What did we do?! You can’t just punish us without giving us a reason!”
​
If only he knew…
​
“This…isn’t a punishment… The Guild is under attack. Under direct orders by Extermination Chief Albiel, I am to oversee the scuttling of the facility, including the evacuation of staff, deletion of data…and termination of prisoners…”
​
The glassy eyes of the blind old man, glared white-hot daggers into my very being.
​
“You monsters! Dohkar really was right about you lot! You’re not protectors! You’re just murderers!”
​
He’s right…
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
Those are my orders. While my fellow officers fight and die just to buy time, while my Chief, my father hides away in his office, making deals and planning HIS escape, I cover up what we should never have been doing in the first place.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
One of the doctors begins charging the machine. It whirs to life, sending the Gojid into hysterics. She knows what these chairs do, as do I…
​
Don’t think…
​
It’ll kill them…
​
Just do…
​
Just like it killed so many others before…
​
Follow orders…
​
…
​
Unfortunately…I don’t feel like following orders.
​
Without even NEEDING to think. I pull a sidearm from my holster, followed by my squad: Abra, Canuck, and Ento. My brothers. Among all the other officers in our branch, We were all recruited together, with Dohkar as our leader. When he left, we all stayed, but I did my best to fill his place.
​
So when I draw my weapon, the others do as well.
​
BANG!! BABANG!!! BANG!! BANG!!!
​
The doctor falls. The two guards fall. And the generator fueling the chairs sparks and dies. We unstrap the two from the chair and do our best to calm the patients.
​
“Wha-? What are you-?”
​
“For the first time in my life, doing my job. Now then, would an old soldier be willing to help me get these people organized and out of here?”
​
With more than a little hesitation, especially from the young Gojid girl, the two walked over to the other patients and began talking them down.
​
So, with me leading the way, letting the soldier and his cellmate ride in my back, we began to lead the line of patients toward the emergency exit, opening every cell along the way.
​
Don’t think… Just do…
​
It wasn’t easy. Many didn’t trust me, others were simply too out of it or just plain damaged to come out on their own, but with the coaxing of more of true or own, we’d add them to our long caravan.
​
There was only one we didn’t find…
​
Jerrik…
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Dohkar, Venlil Bartender Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
“Ben?”
​
“You’re clear, Dohkar. The patients are already at the staging area getting triaged and sorted by Canuck. The other UN soldiers here have already called for the medics and volunteers to come and help.”
​
I felt my heart warm as I heard Ben’s speaking. This wasn’t the old, beaten, Surulian still subservient to Albiel. This was my brother, my brother who is not truly seen for a long, long time. And he wasn’t alone.
​
“Canuck? Does that mean that Ento and Abra are there, too?”
​
“Copy that, commander!”
​
“Yeah…we’re here…I guess…”
​
Guys…
​
My brothers. My whole damn squad from training. My brothers who were taken with me. They were all there, helping how they could.
​
“How does it feel being on the right side again?”
​
“Like we’ve still got a LOT of work to do. And so do YOU. Go, Dohkar. We’ll handle things out here… Take. Him. Down…for all of us…”
​
…For all of us…
​
Protect the herd!
​
The signal cut out. I gave one last look to my friend on the stretcher. I didn’t need to look at the two medics.
​
“Tell me you have her.”
​
“We have her.”
​
Teylim gave me a weak smile and a nod.
​
“Go. Finish this.”
​
I turned, and ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. And then, a familiar tune came to my mind. A promise I’d made the last time I left this wretched building.
​
A promise to burn everything my father built.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I ran.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I chased.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I raced to finally put his madness to an end.
​
BURN!!!! BURN!!!! BURN!!!!
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Patient J-902, Nevok Predator Disease Patient Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
I hid. I saw the others get let out and huddled together in a line. I knew the room they were being led to, so I hid.
​
I heard the roar of the predator through the speaker in my cell. I heard the screams of the guards. I heard the shots being fired.
​
My door opens. Many of the other ones opened, too. I peek around the doorway to make sure it’s safe. And it is.
​
**Nowhere is safe.**It’s so much brighter now. Now that I’m finally out of the cell. I can think clearly again. And with clarity, came pretty much everything I wished had stayed forgotten.
​
I failed. I couldn’t go through with it. And as punishment, I was locked away.
​
Father…
​
I fell to my knees and cried. Cried like a damn pup, just like I did when I begged him not to lock me in here.
​
Father…
​
I did EVERYTHING else right! I followed the training. I followed the beliefs. I did everything he told me to do! But still, he…
​
Father…
​
[Warning!: Anger Response Rising Steadily…]
​
I looked up. Above the cells, above the walkways, above all of this damned facility, was one window. HIS office…
​
Father…
​
“This way everyone! Stay together!”
​
I snap my attention towards a large group approaching my direction. I COULD go with them. I COULD go back outside…but…there’s something I have to do first.
​
As I make my way to the electroshock chamber, I spot the dead guards and doctor. I spot one of their weapons on the ground, and pick it up.
​
Just like my training, just as HE instructed me. The predator has been smoked out, fleeing from his hole out into the open. All that was left…
​
Was for someone to take the shot…
​
Next

Original question: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Cell-Service-Mobile-Hotspot/Nighthawk-M6-Pro-Hotspot/td-p/2327394
My response:
I am going to preference this that I made this in a insomniac stupor from 4am to 6am.
Also there is a far cheaper solution to this setup if you go down to the bottom in the final notes.
The Orbi system would work for you, but I think just running wires would be a far better solution.
And if you have COAX (TV LINES) running through the property your setup can be done even cheaper.

For background I am a junior network technician, and I have setup networks for family, friends, and enterprise in all kinds of situations from rural to tower apartments.
Personally I would advise you contact a network technician to setup the location for proper coverage and reliability, but in lack of on-site technical support, I will provide a layout you can follow if you wish to continue doing the setup yourself, or have not done the setup already.

This is a similar setup I did for my cousin's Barndominium, I will be referring to it as barn for short.

Equipment

Nighthawk® M6 Pro Mobile Router with Antenna
https://www.netgear.com/home/mobile-wifi/hotspots/mr6550/
We will be using this for your internet connection since I am to the understanding that it is what is used on ATnT's first responder network and since it has an ethernet jack passthrough.

Suction Cup hangers/mounter (if installed indoors at window)
https://www.amazon.com/HSTECH-Detectors-Suction-Beltronics-Detectodp/B07XDZ6L24/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=1341405421214378&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BY-6P0a-ZYg_2ObGktkr1mJnglu3855w4e0JJEmB8bsXa8XvfOBcq3_Ov_U1eHo_ZjnBCRlntVtE4x4nra35Q3IoD0FzRr4Yn8aRCJ9yiBUcEY9FdJmXhcu2q_Q2cTTe-gBgTdEtthgOd85gclfOxt6ksfu2aCjsO0CKZ8gum84GFu-c7DJZUlAojijBhQasggw_j1sQKDkJ3f7h2h14wnxrRMUKOSC2v4EDAQ7pmetN8L9nttv57y_qdi409j3nJ8WtRWy2C6cgJBWRocH0Q9pLkbFAE4YmyYsndpOuwDU.difybcEgX-1bq-QiEExHCPYxT7m7bHvyBtUvjvPqSxY&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83838119638142&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=89682&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83838715365097%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=19108_13418961&keywords=suction+cup+mounts&qid=1715426165&s=electronics&sr=1-5
Used to mount antenna on the inside window.
You can also use tape if you want, this will not leave residue.
This was the first kit I found on amazon when searching "Suction Cup Mounts"
You may discover a better solution to mounting the antenna than this, I am putting this here as an option.

RBK864S — Orbi Tri-band Mesh WiFi 6 System – 860 Series
https://www.netgear.com/support/product/rbk864s/
We will be using this for the main networking of your barn.
I also chose it since I have heard good things about its Mesh system and because this was the item you made your original post on.
I personally prefer TP-Link systems, but this will work the same.

APC Back-UPS 450VA, 120V, 6 NEMA outlets (2 surge) (OPTIONAL)
https://www.apc.com/us/en/product/BN450M/apc-backups-450va-120v-6-nema-outlets-2-surge-battery-is-not-user-replaceable/
This is for ensuring the Orbi units have power in the event of a power loss. You can still have internet for a few hours before it actually goes down.
One batter per Orbi location. Or at least a unit at all the critical locations.
Note that these have to be replaced every few years, but having that redundant power supply is important for internet uptime. Generally cellular and internet services have their own power grid so they should stay up in the event of a power outage. Buying these will ensure your wifi stays up too.

Planning
Read through the entire instruction set and make a plan.
Measure twice, cut once; is the best practice when setting up a network. You can't really go back, you have to start from the beginning every time.
Make sure you have enough outlets for when you are going to install the devices.
Making diagrams of the placement is always best.
Even a rough sketch can help you save time in the future and help you keep track of what you are trying to do.
homenetworking on reddit is a great place to go to ask questions on this sort of stuff.
https://www.reddit.com/HomeNetworking/

Mobile Router

Placement of the Mobile Router
Starting off with the Nighthawk® M6 Pro Mobile Router (Mobile Router).
General rule of thumb, the higher the window, the better, so if you have multiple floors, the top floor is the best floor.
Note that electronics also hate getting hot, so the room the Mobile Router is installed should also have cooling.
Cooling is a bigger factor than height.

In this setup the Mobile Router will not be designed to move.
Start Placement Option 1: Install Indoors near Window
Assuming your barn has windows.
Find the window that is closest to the ATnT tower or gets the best signal.
Install the antenna on the window.
You can achieve this with suction cups or tape.
Start Placement Option 2: Install on a wall and do not drill through the wall.
Find the side of the barn that is closest to the ATnT tower or gets the best signal.
Place the antenna up as high as possible on the wall.
Tape it or screw it into place.
Start Placement Option 3: Install on a wall and drill through the wall.
Under the assumption you know how to properly drill holes through walls.
Make sure there is nothing on that can intrude the holes or you may drill into.
Make sure to not have the hole near power lines.
Make sure to not install the antenna near power lines. This may degrade the signal.
Would advise using putty or some other filler when finished.

Find the side of the barn that is closest to the ATnT tower or gets the best signal.
Find a place to put the Mobile Router, drill a hole from the outside big enough to pass the cables from the antenna through close to the location of the Mobile Router.
Install the cable on the outside, feed it inside.
Finish Placement
Route the antenna cables into the Mobile Router.
Ensure the Mobile Router has power and its SIM card installed.
It is advised to have the Mobile Router out side of the direct sunlight for this can degrade performance due to the sun being the sun and can head up the device causing thermal throttling in the device to stay cool, so put it off to the side if possible.
Again make sure the room it is in can stay cool. The closer it is to optimal temperature, the better performant it can be. Note if it gets too cold it can shut down. Also note that the room it is in should not be humid. Humidity can kill electronics, even if sealed.


Mobile Router Setup
Find the routers user manual.
For the Nighthawk® M6 Pro Mobile Router, it can be found here:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/MR6500/MR6500_MR6110_UM_EN.pdf?_ga=2.20578744.1249255028.1715421878-937367102.1715421878
Would highly advise reading it over once.

The plan is to make it used as a data entry point, similar to how a modem would work. We are not going to use it for wireless signals or network processing. It is just going to pass the signal along to the Orbi system.

Make sure the Mobile router is plugged in.
If you bought the APC batter backup unit, plug it into the backup unit.

Connect to the Mobile Router via your phone via the app or use the touch screen,
below are touch screen instructions
use your best intuition for the app.
User Manual Page 18 to connect via the app.
You can also connect via the web application on your laptop, but note that we are disabling most of the connectivity settings that would allow you to connect via your laptop and possibly the app; hence why I am emphasizing the touch screen method; so chose your setup methods at your own digression. Again I will give instruction via reference to the touch screen in the manual.

Put the Mobile Router's power mode into Plugged IN.
User Manual Page 40


Disable Mobile Router Wifi
User Manual Page 38

It may be prudent to add a screen lock, I'll leave that up to you
user manual page 41

Make sure that Ethernet is enabled
User Manual Page 50
This should be turned on when you put the Mobile Router into Plug-In mode but it might not enable automatically.

Enable IP passthrough
User manual page 51
99% sure the user manual is incorrect on the setup, but find something that says IP Passthrough and enable it. If you can't find it, I guess set roaming to on.
This will be used to allow for the Orbi to work on its own and not need any funky setup.

There are far more settings to enable/disable to get the most optimal setup, but for now this should be good enough to get everything working.

Orbi Stations

Placement - Orbi Home Station
Place Orbi Home Station by the Mobile Router
The Home Station is the node with the yellow port. The other Orbi station are just AP nodes also called satellites.


Orbi Home Station Setup
Power up the Orbi Home Station
If you bought the APC back up unit, plug it into that.

Read over the manual found here
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK863S/RBR860_RBS860_UM_EN.pdf
https://www.netgear.com/support/product/rbk864s/#docs

Pass Internet cable from Mobile Router to Orbi Home Station yellow port.

The setup will be just like any normal router setup, from this point forward.
I’m a bit tired so I am not going to add this section, lmk if you need help on this.

Placement - Orbi Satellites
Place each one with 2 wifi bars on your laptop or phone. 1 bar might not be enough signal and can get wiped out by people walking about.
The Satellites can hop off each other. So let’s say you have one on the far side of the property, it can jump from one satellite to the next to the next and hit home. It does not need a direct path to home.

Final Notes

You can also achieve a cheaper and better result if you just use normal routers like a TP-Link Archer A7 and just put wire everywhere. So one Archer A7 in router mode at the Mobile Router, run a long ethernet cable to the other side of the barn, put another Archer A7 in AP mode. And bobs your uncle you have full coverage.
If you have coax cable (TV CABLE) you can use that instead of the internet cable and use a MOCA converter instead. Less work and hassle if you have COAX running around the property. This is what I use on my property.
I have APC backups on all the routers and AP connections.
During black outs we have a full 23 hours of internet before we go full black out.
Works like a charm and costs a whole lot less than 1.3k.

If you give me a layout of your property, I can advise you on a much more specialized and cheaper option for you put it will take some time for me to draw up.

But ultimately, I would greatly advise having a network technician come out and look at your setup. Any junior technician could do it.

Lmk if you have questions.
-Aaron

VDO - Luôn vì bạn
VDO hoạt động kinh doanh với phương châm luôn lấy khách hàng làm trung tâm, cam kết không ngừng nỗ lực nâng cao chất lượng và dịch vụ, nhằm mang lại cho khách hàng những giá trị vượt trội và sự hài lòng cao nhất
VDO là nhà phân phối các sản phẩm, dịch vụ, giải pháp công nghệ thông tin và viễn thông toàn diện hàng đầu Việt Nam, giúp các doanh nghiệp xây dựng hệ thống công nghệ thông tin, tối ưu hoạt động quản lý và sản xuất kinh doanh, đẩy nhanh quá trình số hóa và chuyển đổi số để bắt kịp cuộc Cách mạng Công nghệ 4.0”. VDO hoạt động kinh doanh trong lĩnh vực công nghệ thông tin và viễn thông, với 3 trụ cột sản xuất kinh doanh chính, bao gồm:
VDO SYSTEM INTEGRATION - VDO DISTRIBUTOR - VDO CLOUD
Sản phẩm - Thiết bị phần cứng tin học, công nghệ thông tin :

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Linh phụ kiện (CPU, RAM, SSD, HDD…

• Sản phẩm - Phần mềm bản quyền
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Dịch vụ máy chủ & trung tâm dữ liệu

• Cho thuê chỗ đặt máy chủ (Colocation)
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• Thư điện tử (Email Hosting, Email Server

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• Máy chủ ảo (Cloud VPS)
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Giải pháp hạ tầng công nghệ thông tin và viễn thông

• Trí tuệ nhân tạo - AI
• Internet of Things - IoT
• Điện toán đám mây
• Điện toán biên
• Điện toán hiệu năng cao – HPC
• Cơ sở hạ tầng siêu hội tụ - HCI
• Ảo hóa Vi›ual Desktop - VDI
• Hosting doanh nghiệp
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• Camera giám sát
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• Giải pháp Big Data
• Soƒware De§ned Storage - SDS
• Sáng tạo nội dung & Gaming
• Giải pháp an ninh, bảo mật, an toàn thông tin
• Networking 5G & Viễn thông
• Dự phòng & Phục hồi dữ liệu
• Work From Home
• Ngôi nhà thông minh
• Thành phố thông minh
• Robotics
• Chính phủ điện tử
• Giải pháp sản xuất thông minh
• Ngân hàng số
• Tài chính – chứng khoán số
• Số hóa đa ngành

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DISCLAIMER: So yeah, I lied. There will still be one last part of the finale after this one, so I hope to see you all on Monday for the thrilling and emotional conclusion...for real this time...
​
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the NoP universe.
​
I'd also like to thank u/xskipy10 for their awesome fanart of the main cast as well as their recent Tohba meme and their fanart of Michael baysitting. You're work is a treasure!
​
Thank you as well to u/Accomplished-Golf-59 for his take on Michael, Teylim, and Tohba in his submission for the Banner Art Contest, and u/Spacer_Catgirl4969 for their awesome music video featuring a pixel-art Dohkar in his bar. Be sure to give ALL of these awesome creators your love and support.
​
And let's not forget u/Guywhoexists2812 who has been an awesome source of memes as well as sick pixel art, such as THIS and THIS!!!! And even THIS!!!!!! And how could I forget THIS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!
​
Today, we join Michael, Khornel, and Tohba as they contemplate their time together, as well as figure out how they might still be able to help from where they are. We also see how the raid is going for for both sides as the tide is turned with a mighty dirge for all to hear.
​
First
​
Previous
​
Songs Mentioned/Used: Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Khornel, Krakotl Civilian Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
“Ah-hah! There you are!”
​
After a bit of searching up here, I’d found what I was looking for, in the most obvious of spots of course. I reached down and picked up the small, soft, insectoid like plush off the couch. It had helped me get to sleep numerous times since it was first gifted to me. Now it was time to give it back.
​
Heading back down the stairs, I found Michael and Tohba right where I left them, still in the exact same booth next to the soundstage.
​
“Found it. Here you go, Hatchling.”
​
Tohba immediately began crawling out of the wicker pack, his eyes completely transfixed on the plush.
​
“Tiwfish…”
​
While Tohba was definitely excited to see his “Tiwfish” again, he still hesitated.
​
“Buht…give Tiwfish to Newwy…”
​
“You did, and I can’t thank you enough for that. But I also promised that I’d take good care of it…and give it back to you. Now your Tilfish can help YOU sleep again.”
​
Slowly, he reached out, and as soon as he grabbed hold of the plush, he practically wrapped himself around it.
​
“FanK YOu, NewWY… FAnk yOU…”
​
After a pretty tearful group hug, we managed to tuck Tohba back into his makeshift bed, and thanks to this reunion with his little blue lobster friend, he was able to get back to sleep. Watching him sleep like that was definitely helping my mood.
​
“Thanks, ‘Nel.”
​
I looked back to Michael. He looked absolutely exhausted. It was First Claw now, and he still hadn’t gotten any sleep. Sure, I was having difficulties as well, but I still managed to get some.
​
“You should get some sleep too, you know.”
​
Before I could even finish my thought, he’d sat back down and continued his watch over the hatchling.
​
“I know, but… I don’t want to take my eyes off Tohba… I’m scared, ‘Nel… I’m scared that…if I close my eyes…he won’t be there when I open them again…”
​
His eyes never left him, I’m not even sure he noticed me sitting down next to him. This past paw had been hard on all of us, not the least of which was him and Tohba. I knew their pain all too well.
​
“I understand. Believe me, I do. If Grandfather were here, I’d probably be glued to his side at all times.”
​
He took a long, shaky, breath, continuing to stare at Tohba as he slept. After a brief silence, he finally responded.
​
“I’m sorry…”
​
“What? Why?”
​
“I haven’t been fair to you, ‘Nel.”
​
I was lost for a moment. I honestly wasn’t sure what he meant. For a moment, I almost thought he was talking about the concert.
​
“Michael, what are you talking abo-?”
​
“I know what it’s like to lose your home.”
​
I silenced myself almost immediately. My feathers drooped slightly as I tried to hear him out.
​
“I already knew what it was like before I even came to this damn planet. I knew what it was like to lose your home, the place you grew up in, and lose someone you love in the process. I knew that pain, and there you were, suffering the exact same thing right in front of me. I knew exactly what you were going through, but I still decided to be an ass to you anyways.”
​
He cradled his head in his hands. I knew this look. This was how he got when he was truly feeling hopeless and guilty for something, and it was easy to see why.
​
So that’s what this is about…
​
“You were suffering alone this whole time… I should’ve been talking to you. I should’ve been more open with you, at least so you’d know that you weren’t alone…”
​
I still didn’t know much about Michael’s life, but if this was true, then I could absolutely see why he was feeling guilty about this. It…was hard…watching my home get raided, and losing Grandfather…
​
The guilt I felt over losing him was soul crushing. Nothing compares to it. I’m pretty sure the only thing that kept sane for the first few weeks of staying with Michael and Ms. Teylim was the hope of getting him back. It’s still hard…even now… Especially now…
​
“It…WAS pretty difficult at times… I mostly just…tried keeping myself busy so wouldn’t think about it, but even now, I’m not sure what we’ll do about my home after we get Grandfather back… IF we get him back…”
​
However, there was one flaw in Michael’s logic. And it was because of that that I wasn’t about to let him keep blaming himself for this.
​
“But…I never thought I was alone. I had you, and Ms. Teylim, and Tohba, and Dohkar, and Scullen, Trivah, and their pups as well later on. All of you were helping me get through it. While yes, it was hard constantly worrying about Grandfather and the house, and my life for that matter, there wasn’t a single moment when I felt like I was alone.”
​
I could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced, as he went back to watching Tohba. While I’d gotten him out of true worst of it, he still needed some convincing. Luckily, I knew just the trick.
​
“But honestly, even if you did try talking to me about it, I doubt I would’ve listened…”
​
He finally looked up at me, if for no other reason than confusion. I had him right where I wanted him.
​
“I was still so brainwashed back then that if you actually tried relating to me about my experience, my stupid federation brain would’ve probably just thought it was a ‘filthy predator trick!’ to make me ‘let my guard down!’”
​
“Pffffff-!”
​
Ha! Gotcha!
​
I knew Michael, and I knew if I couldn’t get through to him with just words, I still had other options. His stomach, his music, and of course, his dark sense of humor. Not wanting to waste the moment, I continued.
​
“I’m serious! I don’t know how you managed to put up with me for so long!”
​
He sighed and shook his head. Even if he didn’t want to, he still decided to join me in the stupid banter..
​
“It was certainly a task, I’ll give you that.”
​
“Gee. Thanks.”
​
We finally allowed ourselves to relax a bit, weakly chuckling at our stupid jokes. It helped…if only a little bit. Things weren’t exactly “better”, but it was at least nice to know that he was still capable of laughter at a time like this. Still, once the laughing stopped and the silence returned, it was impossible to notice the mood drop once more.
​
He turned to stare out the window towards the direction of The Guild Office. He was still worried about them. I was too.
​
“They’ll be okay. We have to believe that.”
​
“…I think it’s the not knowing that’s the worst part. I wish we could at least know what’s going on over there…”
​
Suddenly, a thought clicked in my mind, a thought I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of earlier.
​
“. . .Maybe there IS!”
​
I quickly turned and once again, bounded towards the stairs.
​
“Wait! Where are you-?!”
​
“Grabbing something! Trust me!”
​
I practically flew back up the steps as I raced to grab what I HOPED was still functional. If the stairway wasn’t so cramped, I probably would’ve flapped my wings if it would’ve gotten me upstairs faster. Once I was in the upstairs suite, I quickly sifted through the living room area until I spotted what I was looking for.
​
The receiver!
​
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure it would work. Depending on our luck, The Guild could’ve easily wiped their computers by now, and the virus along with it. Meaning, we’d no longer have a connection to the Guild communication network. And if it hadn’t been apparent by now, our luck wasn’t exactly the best.
​
Still, we had to at least try. So I grabbed the thing and raced back down the steps and to our booth. Tohba was awake again by now and was curious as to the strayu box-sized contraption in my talons.
​
“Wait. ‘Nel, is that what I think it is?”
​
“Yep! Not sure if it will work, but if it does, we’ll be able to hear everything going on in that building.”
​
“‘Nel, have I ever told you how awesome you are?”
​
“Don’t thank me yet. We still need to make sure it works.”
​
With some hesitation, I turned the receiver on and immediately got static. I fiddled with the dials a bit until I was finally able to get something out of it. The first voice we heard was calm…almost to calm, and remarkably stern…
​
“Send…location…hold them there…”
​
“Who was that?”
​
“Not sure… Let me check another channel.
​
“What is this… Where are we…”
​
I gasped and jumped back as soon as I recognized the voice. I needed to take a moment just to wipe the newly-forming tears from my eyes.
​
“You alright?! Who was that?!”
​
…He’s alive. He’s really alive.
​
“That was Grandfather… He’s alive!”
​
There was no doubt about it. That was him! That was my grandfather! He really WAS still alive!
​
“That’s AWESOME, ‘Nel! Let’s keep switching channels. Maybe we’ll hear something about Tey or Dohk!”
​
“Right!”
​
With newfound resolve, we kept flipping through channels. While we still didn’t hear anything about Ms. Teylim, we DID stumble upon another familiar voice.
​
“All units…pinned down…need…”
​
“DOHK!”
​
“UNCA!”
​
I did my best to boost the signal. This particular feed was coming from one of the surveillance systems near the Guild Barracks. Eventually, I was able to get a better feed.
​
“Repeat! This is 1-2 Dohkar reporting! Squad 1 is pinned down! Repeat! We are pinned down by the Guild armory! Someone get Tevis on the line and tell him to start the raid on the facility! At this rate, he’ll make it there before we do!”
​
“We can’t reach him, sir!”
​
“Damn you, Tevis! Don’t you dare be dead on the other end of this line!”
​
My feathers dropped as we listened. Any hope I had from hearing Grandfather had begun to fade once we heard of Dohkar’s situation.
​
“They’re in trouble. DAMNIT! I KNEW this would happen! We have to help him!”
​
“How?! They went in there with two full squads and those giant APC things! What can we do?!”
​
We both frantically paced back and forth for a while. After a moment though, Michael stopped and stared at the receiver for a while.
​
“Wait… ‘Nel, you said this was just a receiver for the chip, right?”
​
“Yeah? Why?”
​
He pointed a finger toward a circular port on the side of the device.
​
“Then why does it have an INPUT port on it?”
​
I gave it a closer look. There WAS text on the small port, but my translator implant was still a bit wonky when it came to written language. I’d never really given the port much thought. But if what Michael said was true, then…it was certainly strange.
​
“You’re sure?”
​
“‘Nel, I’m a musician, remember? I know an input port when I see one. And it’s a human one to boot. Normally you’d see input ports like that on either amps or audio interfaces so you could connect a mic or an instrument to them. So why would this thing have one?”
​
I did my best to think back. I didn’t remember anything from back when it was being designed that would require something like that. But then, there was ONE thing Alexi had said to me when we were about to leave Twilight Valley…
​
“Plus, it allows for a little treat I added in myself. But I’ll let you discover that one on your own.”
​
Wait…was this what he meant?
​
When Alexi first told me that, it was when I asked him if it really did work by tapping directly into their communications network. If doing that was what allowed for this “little treat”, then what was it and what did it have to do with having an input port? Unless…
​
It’s not just a receiver! It’s a full-on two-way transmitter!
​
And if that was true, that also meant that we could send our OWN broadcast through their network, and it would be heard through everything!
​
“THAT’S IT!!! I know how we can help!”
​
“Really?! How?!”
​
“Michael! Don’t you remember what happened before the massive fight in here? When you stunned that entire squad of exterminators with feedback?”
​
“Yeah? But what does that have to do with this?”
​
I couldn’t contain my excitement. After remembering what happened to that initia squad of exterminators, I could just imagine the chaos of having an ENTIRE office’s worth of exterminators having that kind of noise blasted through their headsets.
​
That wasn’t the only angle to this plan either. The fact was, I was a business and management student! And I knew that one of the quickest ways for a team to fall apart is a breakdown in communication!
​
“Don’t you get it?! With this port, we can flood THEIR communication network with our OWN signal!”
​
Michael’s eyes widened as he started catching onto what I was getting at. I was getting more and more excited as the plan solidified in my head.
​
“So you’re saying that if we used this thing to fill The Guild’s entire comm network with noise…”
​
I set my talons on the table, getting right in his face to finish his thought for him.
​
“Complete. Communication. Breakdown.”
​
In a flash, Michael had bolted out of his seat, just as excited as I was.
​
“And all those nice, coordinated, squads giving the raid so much trouble become deaf, disorganized, easy pickings for Dohk! ‘Nel, you GENIUS! I COULD KISS YOU!”
​
My heart skipped a beat for a moment and I could feel my feathers ruffle a bit.
​
“Oh! W-w-well I-I-I mean, i-it’s was really nothing. I-“
​
“MMMMuah!”
​
. . .
​
It was fast. My mind barely registered what happened as his face got really close for half a second, made contact with my cheek, and darted back away. All I could do was slowly raise my talons towards my face, which was rapidly turning purple.
​
Before I could even comprehend what just happened, he put both hands on my shoulders, returning me to reality.
​
“You go get everything set up. I’m gonna go talk to the soldiers outside. I’ve gotta try to get a hold of Dohk. Thanks, ‘Nel…for everything…”
​
And just like that, he was gone, off to go save the world. And I…was losing my mind…
​
Did he just-?!
​
I think he did!
​
My heart pounded in my chest and I was shaking, head to talons.
​
He kissed me! He actually kissed me!
​
Yes! Now unless you want him to regret it, I suggest we do our job!
​
Right! Sorry! A lot going on right now!
​
I shook my head and took several deep breaths before grabbing the receiver and heading for the soundstage. I needed to focus.
​
Help Dohkar now. Have more than a few conflicting feelings later…
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Dohkar, Venlil Bartender Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
Great. Just great! First his team disappears and then the moment he finds them, he disappears too!
​
I growled in anger as another bold nicked the corner of the wall I was hiding behind, sending dust and debris straight into my face.
​
“Damn it! David’s you alright, sir?”
​
“Yeah! Chavez has been hit, though!”
​
I looked back at the rest of Squad 1. Warrant Officer Chavez was sitting against a wall with the medic over him. The plate carrier on the side of his torso was smoldering. He just barely got out the words through gritted teeth
​
“I’m fine! The plate got it!”
​
“Yeah. I can tell by you only having third degree burns instead being dead. He’s gotta go back to the APC, Sarge!”
​
“Roger! Go! We’ll cover you! Move on my mark! Three! Two! One! MARK!!!”
​
On David’s signal, the two of us stepped out of cover for a brief moment to send covering fire down the hallway until the medic was clear.
​
“We’re clear! Get back!”
​
We got back behind our cover just in time for another volley of shots to wiz past us. I swore under my breath again. This wasn’t going well, not by a long shot. Even with us catching them by surprise, they’d set up barricades and choke points in almost every corridor. Just getting this far had been an absolute slog, and if the break in communication with Tevis and Squad 2 was anything to go by, it wasn’t going well for them either.
​
My irritation only grew when my earpiece crackled to life, and an all too familiar voice came through it.
​
“Dohk! DOHK! Can you hear me?! DOHK!”
​
“APE?! What the HELL are you doing on this line?! Someone, kick him off!”
​
“No! Wait! Dohk, please! We can help!”
​
I let out another infuriated gravel as yet another shot struck the wall above me.
​
“APE, I GAVE YOU A DIRECT! ORDER! You are not to leave that brahkass bar!”
​
“We’re not! Just listen! We’re going to disrupt The Guild’s comms for you!”
​
My anger was now being accompanied by confusion. Sure, sabotaging their communications would probably help a bit, but how the hell he was planning on doing that was beyond me.
​
“Forget it, Mike! You’d have to destroy the array at the top of the building to disable their comms!”
​
“We’re not going to disable them! We’re going to fill their entire communications network with noise!”
​
“How the brahk are you-“
​
“The spychip receiver, Dohk! It’s two-ways!”
​
Two-ways? Was that really true?
​
“We’re gonna use our direct line into their network to fill the entire thing with noise!”
​
If I was honest, I was grasping at straws at this point. If there was anything that could be done to turn this fight around, I was up for it. Still…
​
Just what the hell kind of noise would he-…
​
That clever, brahking, primate…
​
Mike seemed to take my silence as me catching onto the plan.
​
“So Dohk, any requests?!”
​
I closed my eyes and shook my head. It was stupid. It was crazy. It was ridiculous. But if there was anyone I knew who could use music as a weapon, it was him. I smile crawled across my muzzle as I ripped the earpiece from my ear and shouted into it.
​
“GIVE ‘EM HELL, APE!!!!”
​
“YES, SIR!! We’re on guys! ‘Nel! Pull up my ‘New Projects’ folder! Iron Maiden! Let’s get this show on the air!”
​
“Woo-hoo!”
​
“YAAAAYYYY!!! MIKEY ZHING! MIKEY ZHING!”
​
I put the earpiece back in as the line was cut and returned to my wall to wait, the words of my three godchildren still ringing in my mind.
​
Brahkin’ kids…
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Patient T-143, Yotul Predator Disease Patient Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
. . .
​
I miss my joeys…
​
I sat on the damp cot, my mind swimming with thoughts only concerning one thing…my boys.
​
Are they safe? Did they attack Michael, too? Did he find Tohba? Where are my boys? I need my boys? I want my boys?
​
My thoughts were interrupted by a ringing coming from the speaker in the corner of the ceiling. I’d only ever heard it a few times, mostly just when those monsters were alerting me that they were coming in.
​
What do they want now? Haven’t they done enough?
​
I didn’t know what they wanted, and I didn’t care. I just wanted my joeys. I wanted to hold them again. Nothing else mattered.
​
However, I was caught off-guard when I heard a voice finally crackle through. I knew that voice.
​
Khornel?
​
“You’re listening to Michael In The Meadows Radio FM: Bringing you tunes from Sol to fuel your soul.”
​
It was obvious she was putting on an act of some kind. Her voice was almost comically sultry. She was REALLY laying it on thick.
​
How is she even doing this?
​
My thoughts were again interrupted by voices outside my cell.
​
“What the hell is that?”
​
“I don’t know! Someone get the communications officer on the line!”
​
So it wasn’t them doing it. How on Liern-?
​
“This first one goes out to the hardworking men and women of the Five Meadows Extermination Guild, and even comes with a VERY special message from one of our own here in the studio…”
​
Another ring crackled through as whatever microphone she was using was moved. And then…my heart ached at what I heard…
​
“GIB BACK MAMA, MEANIES!!!!”
​
“GAAAAHHH!!! MY BRAHKING EARS!!!”
​
“Damnit! Who’s doing this?!”
​
I could barely hear the guards over my own sobs.
​
Tohba…
​
Your joey needs you…
​
YES!
​
That was him! That was my Tohba! And wherever he was, if he was with Khornel, that could only mean one thing.
​
They found him. Michael came back and found him!
​
Love, hope, pride, I felt it all. My boys were safe. And they found each other…
​
As my heart filled with love and desire to be with my boys again, a deep, galloping beat pounded through the speaker.
​
No. It couldn’t be… Could it?
​
Suddenly, loud, distorted, growling chords roared forward. The sound was garbled, warped, and nearly unrecognizable, but I recognized it regardless. That was Teyrin. That was…
​
Chrome men came! Across the sea!
​
They brought us pain! And misery!
​
They killed our tribes! They killed our creeds!
​
They took our game! For their own needs!
​
WE FOUGHT THEM HARD! We fought them well!
​
Out on the plains! WE GAVE THEM HELL!
​
But many came! Too much for we!
​
Oh, will we ever be set free?!
​
. . .Michael. . .
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Michael Ruiz Andrews Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
The beat picked up speed as a strummed a quick, galloping rhythm across the strings. I’d fooled around with a few of the pickups I found in the studio. Most of it was basic echo and reverb, but I found that if you twiddle with the settings JUST enough, Teyrin’s lighter, airy tone became something different. Something wilder. Something more…predatory, which was exactly what I needed.
​
Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes!
​
Galloping hard on the plains!
​
They wanted a monster? Now they had one!
​
Chasing the shadebeasts back to their holes!
​
Beating them at their own game!
​
I’d be loud! I’d be fierce! I’d be everything they feared I was!
​
Murder for freedom! The stab in the back!
​
They took Mom! They almost took Tohba!
​
Women and children, the cowards ATTAAAACK!
​
Now, I just have one thing to say to you, assholes!
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN! RUN AWAY, YOU BASTARDS!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
RUN AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK!
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
YOUR TOWN HATES YOU! YOUR GOVERNMENT HATES YOU!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
AND GIVE ME BACK MY MOM!!!!
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Bennic, Sulean Extermination Officer Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
I nearly poked my eye out trying to rip the headset from my ears with my hooves. It didn’t help.
​
Soldier blue in the barren wastes!
​
Hunting and killing’s a game!
​
It was coming from every earpiece, every headset, every loudspeaker and monitor. That damnable human’s voice shouting our office's [sins] deeds back at us.
​
Raping the women and wasting the men!
​
The only good species are tame!
​
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold!
​
Enslaving the young and DESTROYING THE OOOOOLD!!!
​
“Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!”
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
Everywhere I looked, officers were clawing away at their suits, trying to free themselves from the loud, chaotic, noise filling their ears.
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
Whatever instrument that human was playing began frantically wailing and screeching as I continued racing back towards Chief Albiel’s office. What little information actually got through reported that many of our checkpoints had started to be broken through in the chaos and confusion.
​
The line wouldn’t hold if this kept up. And the worst part was we didn’t know what was causing it. It was on every frequency, every channel, and free yourself of your headset would keep you from getting completely deafened, but would also cut you off from the rest of our comms, not that they were much use.
​
We needed new orders, and we needed them now.
​
I was in the home stretch now. One more turn, and one long hallway before I was there. Then we’d figure out what to do.
​
Don’t think. Just do. Follow orders.
​
The ear-shattering music began building up as I rounded the corner and looked down the hall to [Fathe-] Chief’s office.
​
YEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
​
AAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEIIIIOOWW!!!
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
I start running. I just have to make it to [Fathe-] The Chief.
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
Just have to make it there. He’ll know what to do. He…always does…
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!
​
I run with everything I have. I can hear my braces strain against my legs.
​
RUN TO THE HIIIIIIIILLS!!!!!
​
I make it to the door.
​
RUN!!! FOR!!!
​
I ram through it.
​
YOUR!!!
​
What? What is…HE doing here?
​
LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVES!!!!!
​
Next

Paging Thestoryteller987 in hopes putting a post here is okay. I can't guarantee I'll be as frequent, nor anywhere near as good as the master, but a humble apprentice is willing to give this a shot! Remember, I know less than nothing. Big thanks for Thestoryteller987 being the creator and inspiration.

Russian forces conducted large-scale missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure on the night of May 7 to 8, continuing to exploit Ukraine's degraded air defense umbrella ahead of the arrival of US and Western security assistance at scale. Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk reported on May 8 that Russian forces launched 21 Shahed-136/131 drones and 55 missiles, including 45 Kh-101/555 cruise missiles, four Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, an Iskander-K ballistic missile, two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, and a Kh-47 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missile.[1] Oleshchuk reported that Ukrainian forces intercepted 33 Kh-101/555 cruise missiles, all four Kalibr cruise missiles, both Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, and 20 Shaheds.

I make that about 68 percent shot down, with a heavy lean into the major ones being taken out? good work, Ukraine! And this is in a time before US aid will arrive. someone needs to tell those boys to march double time!

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko reported that Russian forces struck electricity generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia oblasts. Ukraine’s largest private energy operator DTEK reported that Russian forces attacked three unspecified thermal power plants (TPPs) in Ukraine and seriously damaged unspecified equipment. Ukrainian state electricity transmission operator Ukrenergo spokesperson Maria Tsaturyan stated that regional energy authorities will implement shutdowns evenly across all oblasts in Ukraine due to energy shortages and warned that the Ukrenergo control center will issue a command for emergency shutdowns throughout Ukraine if consumption continues to grow in the evening.

So, if I understand this, there will be black outs because those hits were pretty heavy. Ukraine has done a damned fine job of taking out oil facilities, hitting places that will hurt russia economically and militarily... so in usual fashion, russia responds by knocking out the electricity to cities and civilians. Because, you know, it's 2024 and this is how far we have not progressed in the world. Full disclosure, I scrolled further and then read this:

This is the fifth large scale Russian missile and drone strike targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure since March 22, 2024, as the Russian military has attempted to exploit degraded Ukrainian air defense capabilities in spring 2024 to collapse Ukraine's energy grid and constrain Ukraine's defense industrial capacity. Russian forces will likely continue to conduct mass strikes to cause long-term damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure as degraded Ukrainian air defense capabilities persist until the arrival of US-provided air defense missiles and other Western air defense assets at scale. Russian forces have also intensified strikes against Ukrainian transportation infrastructure in recent weeks in an apparent effort to disrupt Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) and constrain the flow of expected US security assistance to the frontline. Russian forces have continued to heavily target Ukrainian energy facilities in limited larger missile and drone strike series, however, suggesting that Russia is either prioritizing the effort to collapse the energy grid over interdiction efforts or must use a larger number of missiles to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses near energy facilities and cause significant damage to these facilities

I do think ISW is being a little generous, but fair enough! Kind of affecting the DIB, so, well thought out, I guess. Significantly, too, it's worth noting, in my opinion, the reason Russia is targeting energy over communication lines is chances are they know that those goods are getting through. Sure they can make it a right pain in the butt, but ultimately, one way or another, those uncle Sam trademark guns of liberation and democracy are busting down russia's door. Energy, on the other hand, has a huge impact. If Russia can collapse the energy grid, that's a long term problem. I stand buy my assessment that this has a lot to do with civilians and the DIB line is just an excuse. If the energy grid goes down, hospitals switch over to generators, and how long will they last in a country that needs as much oil and fuel as possible for keeping invaders out? the fact Russia is still using waves of missiles though speaks highly of Ukraine's ability to defend herself, and that's only going to get better as the year goes on and Uncle Sam's delayed Christmas presents arrive. Stay strong, Ukraine!

Recent satellite imagery of depleted Russian military vehicle and weapon storage facilities further indicates that Russia is currently sustaining its war effort largely by pulling from storage rather than by manufacturing new vehicles and certain weapons at scale. Newsweek reported on May 8 that a social media source tracking Russian military depots stated that satellite imagery indicates that Russia's vehicle stores have significantly decreased from pre-war levels by nearly 32 percent from 15,152 in 2021 to 10,389 as of May 2024. The military depot tracker noted that Russia has pulled most from its stores of MT-LB multipurpose armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), which are down from 2,527 prewar to 922 remaining; BMD airborne amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are down from 637 prewar to 244 remaining; and BTR-50 armored personnel carriers (APCs), down from 125 prewar to 52 remaining. The military depot tracker noted that Russia no longer has newer model BTR-60s, 70s, and 80s in storage and that only 2,605 remain — likely referring to vehicles currently fielded — from its prewar stocks of 3,313.

News like this gets me up in the morning. Figures like that are just incredible. There are some serious drops in figures. 15,000 down to 10,000, over 600 to 252, and only 52 APC's left. that's shockingly bad for a 3 day special operation... I don't think the recycling facilities could have done Ukraine's job any quicker or with more flair. And it only gets better!

The military depot tracker noted that Russia is currently fielding 1,000–2,000 of its remaining MT-LBs in Ukraine. Another open-source account on X (formerly Twitter) cited satellite imagery dated May 27, 2020 and March 26, 2024 and concluded that Russia has pulled roughly 60 percent of its artillery systems at an unspecified towed artillery storage base, reportedly one of Russia's largest. The source reported that about half of the remaining artillery systems at this base are likely unusable due to degradation while in storage and because many of the remaining systems are Second World War era artillery systems incompatible with modern ammunition. Russia is relying on vast Soviet-era stores of vehicles and other equipment to sustain operations and losses in Ukraine at a level far higher than the current Russian DIB could support, nor will Russia be able to mobilize its DIB to replenish these stores for many years.

Okay so important point there, 40 percent of artillery at the base that ISW is talking about were either so old they were falling apart, or so old they were like trying to plug a reel to reel into a DVD player. 40 percent! Yes, maybe this is just one unlucky base, maybe this base was the dumping ground for old crap Russia didn't want any more... Russia's cupboard under the stairs it never got around to clearing out, but that's 40 percent of artillery that can not be probably used for repairs, can not fire things at Ukraine and is literally just taking up space. Russia is using Soviet vehicles. History recap:

On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the last time over the Kremlin, thereafter replaced by the Russian tricolor. Earlier in the day, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned his post as president of the Soviet Union, leaving Boris Yeltsin as president of the newly independent Russian state https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/collapse-soviet-union

So we're talking 33 years ago, roughly. And you can be sure the vehicles Russia is pulling out of storage, shaking the dust off of, and carefully peeling off the Museum tickets from, are not from the 80's. These are not just antiques, they're vehicles that are likely up to 50 years out of date. That may not seem a lot, but consider in technology, in the field of 50 years, we've gone from no personal computers, to AI in computers. Or we've gone from pretty much no cars, to so much traffic on the road you can't get anywhere!

The British International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank reported on February 12 that Russia is likely able to sustain its current rate of vehicle losses (over 3,000 armored fighting vehicles annually) for at least two or three years by mainly reactivating vehicles from storage. The IISS also estimated that Russia has lost over 3,000 armored fighting vehicles in 2023 and close to 8,000 armored fighting vehicles since February 2022, and that Russia likely reactivated at least 1,180 main battle tanks and about 2,470 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers pulled from storage in 2023. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on February 4 that the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) can produce 250–300 new and modernized tanks per year and repair an additional 250–300 tanks per year. Russia will likely struggle to adequately supply its units with materiel in the long term without transferring the Russian economy to a wartime footing — a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to avoid thus far

I make that, on average, about 4000 per year give or take. And russia can produce 500 tanks? I wonder how many EU countries and the US could produce each year? Say 50 per EU country. We'd literally need 10 countries and it's matched. And lets be honest, the kill rate is likely something crazy like 3:1 in favour of western tanks, so you can divide that by 3.
Anyway, let me put my hopium pipe down here and stop getting so excited that Russia is relying on stocks that it can't replace and Ukraine is totally woopin' ass.

The Georgian State Security Service (SUS) is employing standard Kremlin information operations against Georgians protesting Georgia's Russian-style "foreign agents" bill following the lead of Georgian Dream party founder and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The SUS claimed on May 8 that "certain groups of people" funded by foreign countries, party leaders, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are trying to organize provocations at protests against the "foreign agents" law. The SUS claimed that Georgian citizens living abroad, particularly those fighting in Ukraine, are planning to conduct acts of violence against Georgian law enforcement and block and burn government buildings. The SUS further claimed that the alleged provocateurs are attempting to cause riots and chaos to cause "Maidanization" and that these methods have been used to organize "color revolutions." The SUS' references to Ukraine's Euromaidan Revolution in 2014, which drove out Ukraine's Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych, and its reference to color revolutions — attempts at democratization in post-Soviet countries — mirror boilerplate Russian rhetoric attempting to blame the West for inciting and directing perceived anti-Russian protests to frame domestic dissent and calls for democratization as illegitimate. The SUS made similar claims in September 2023 and alleged that former Georgian officials, Ukrainian military intelligence officials of Georgian descent, and Georgians fighting with Ukrainian forces in Ukraine were plotting a violent coup. Ivanishvili recently reiterated a series of standard anti-Western and pseudohistorical Kremlin narratives during his first public speech since announcing his return to Georgian politics. Ivanishvili's and the SUS' intensified use of established Kremlin information operations and increasing rhetorical alignment with Russia against the West indicate that Georgian Dream actors likely intend to purposefully derail long-term Georgian efforts for Euro-Atlantic integration, which plays into continued Russian hybrid operations to divide, destabilize, and weaken Georgia

Three years ago I'd be sitting here thinking "False flag attack incoming." You could predict how it would go: False flag attack, Country asks Russia for help, russia storms in and takes over.
Now? I hope this guy isn't hoping for Russian help! Not unless by help he wants a rusty WWII box of rocks trademark.
this is pretty standard Russian over seas movement though. We've seen it a thousand times.

play tension in Russian–Armenian relations, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made several frank assessments of the deteriorating relationship and issued public threats against Armenia in recent months. Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Ani Badalyan told Radar Armenia on May 7 that Armenia will not contribute to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) budget in 2024. An unnamed source within the CSTO told Kremlin newswire TASS that the CSTO is aware of Armenia's decision but noted that Armenia remains a member of the CSTO. Armenia's decision to stop financing CSTO activities is the latest in a series of decisions to pivot away from Russian-led political and security organizations, including continuing to make Armenia's involvement in the CSTO increasingly nominal, over the past eight months

Russia: Please don't go, we love you! Armenia: Well, help us with our problems then like you said you would. Russia: Look, we're... Busy, but you're on our list! Armenia: Then we're leaving. Russia: No wait! I can change! Armenia: turns to walk out the door. Russia: wait, come back! You don't have to put funding into our friendship group, but please don't leave.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė stated that the Lithuanian government has granted permission for Lithuania to send troops to Ukraine for training missions in the future.[29] Šimonytė stated during an interview with the Financial Times (FT) published on May 8 that Ukraine has not requested Lithuanian troops and noted that Russia would likely see the deployment of Lithuanian troops to Ukraine as a provocation. Šimonytė stated that if Europe only considered Russia's response to manpower and materiel assistance to Ukraine, Europe would not send anything and stated that "every second week you hear that somebody will be nuked [by Russia]." French

Says it how it is. I like that guy. Balls, too. More balls than France. At least he's being honest about it. Time for the UK to grow a pair if you ask me.
If the rest of Europe takes a stand, Germany'll come around... Eventually... some time.

Russian opposition outlet Meduza reported on May 8 that this tool allows people to input coordinates to discover all Telegram users who have enabled the "find people nearby" setting located within 50–100 meters of the coordinates.[31] Meduza noted that the "find people nearby" setting usually only allows users to find other Telegram users within 50–100 meters of their current location. Users can enable or disable this location-sharing setting in the "contacts" settings of the application

check your settings, everyone!
End of the report. Few! After reading and commenting on the entire thing, I kind of realised I think Storyteller only comments the key takeaways, so I feel kind of stupid now, especially after it took me an hour just to put together this rather lackluster version of what the master does.
I don't have StoryTeller's usually classic ending to hand, but please give Ukraine what ever you can to bring this war to an end.

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat. Mahatma Gandhi

Story for the community: * Did I do okay? Were my ramblings any good what so ever?

Lady Colonel Ana Amadeus sat in the back of the Taurox along with her command squad. She was sweating, and it wasn't because of the desert heat. The pre-battle adrenaline dump set her veins alight as her heart pumped and her pupil's dilated. The rest of her squad worked through their own adrenaline dumps, some praying, some shaking, others bouncing their knees or doing final kit checks. The rhythmic thrum of the engine was punctuated by the occasional smack of incoming fire bouncing off of the vehicle's armour, as well as the dull roar of the twin linked autocannon firing in retaliation.
In the case of Sergeant Major Thrarn, he was sleeping, and snoring loudly. Ana slapped him on the side of the helmet, causing the rest of the vehicle's occupants to chuckle as the man choked on his spit as he awoke, coughing violently.
"Never disturb a man at rest, ma'am," he said, fighting to get back control of his lungs. He spoke like an old man, despite everyone in the regiment being the same age.
Ana just smiled under her helmet, "Don't sleep on the job, Sergeant Major. Whatever would you do if Commissar Krisse were to see you?"
Three seats down, Commissar Krisse glared sardonically at the Sergeant Major before breaking out into an evil smirk, "One hundred lashes for you when we return, Tharan," his words dripping with sarcasm, eliciting another chuckle from the vehicle's inhabitants.
"30 seconds!" shouted the driver over his shoulder, and any laughter died in their throats as last minute kit checks were made and hurried prayers mumbled.
Krisse drew his bolt pistol and chainsword and stood as the rest of the vehicle picked up their assortment of hellguns, plasma guns, hotshot volley guns and in one case a melta gun.
"For Rhoynia!" shouted Ana.
"For The Emperor!" replied her squad and the commissar.
In the primary bastion station, Rix looked down at his chronometer as the time ticked over to 0600, and he pressed a button on the command dias' console. Across the sector he was in, lines of communication went dead, drones fell from the sky, sentry guns shut off and shield generators blinked off. Most alarmingly, the great gate at the entrance of the city began to rumble and slide open to reveal what was either a nightmarish or glorious sight, depending on who you asked: Five hundred Taurox APCs, just under three hundred Leman Russ Battle Tanks, and almost fifty Macharius Heavy Tanks, driving at almost full speed towards the gate in a mighty column, guns blazing, a great dust cloud climbing into the sky in their wake.
Rix smiled, then he keyed his commbead.
"Assault underway, assemble downstairs."
He looked to his left at Lance Corporal Otto, "Get in contact with the colonel and make sure we aren't fragged by mistake. Have them mark this building as friendly."
"Yes, sir," replied the vox operator as he slung his rifle and retrived his vox caster from where it was leaning against the wall.
The taurox rolled to a stop and the rear door opened. Ana was first out, and already the fighting was fierce, with several columns of vehicles rumbling down the open streets, showering enemy positions in ordanance as well over two hundred stormtroopers had already dismounted. Screams and intense gunfire were heard as they began to storm buildings, cutting through the suprised garrison like a chainsword through butter. That is to say, loudly and violently.
Ana sighted the bastion and beckoned her squad after her and they stacked up on the door. She cracked it open and shouted.
"Flash!"
There was a brief pause, then a reply.
"Thunder!" came the reply, and she opened it, stepping inside and lowering her hellgun as she came face to face with twelve guardsmen dressed in tau fatigues.
"Elias," greeted Ana.
"Good to see you ma'am," replied the major as the rest of Ana's squad and Commissar Krisse walked in.
"Right, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Colonel Amadeus," she said, letting go of her hellgun so that it hung limp from its sling and pulling out a data slate.
"You've all done a bloody good job here. Well done. You can join my mob in the assault if you want, or you can stay here and get some rest. Your regiments won't be moving up until the third wave so if you do decide to join us, you can attatch yourselves to my company."
She then turned to look directly at the major.
"Major Rix, I'll notify B Company to converve on this building, I think it will do nicely as a temporary command post whilst we scour the city. I'm leave command and control to you, I'm off to go kick in some doors."
Rix fixed Ana with a sardonic glare which slowly broke into a smile.
"Don't look at me like that. Based on the amount of corpses in just this room I'd say you've had your fun. It's our turn now." she smirked.
"Very well, ma'am," he smiled back.
She turned back to the rest of the striketeam.
"Anyone who wants to come with us, fall in."

6 years ago I learned to say "NO" to using store credit cards. I went to a Home Depot near me. I'd been there enough to where the staff knew me by sight if not by name. I had a purchase of a single item for $7, but forgot my wallet and was about to drive home and get it. The clerk knew me and asked me if I had a Home Depot credit card. I did, but hadn't used it in at least five years. She looked it up and was able to make the charge.
But I never received the statement to remind me. Not their fault. It was mine. Two years before this, Verizon FiOS had sold their business to Frontier and I switched to Spectrum. So I stopped using my Verizon email and thought I had all my billing moved to my Gmail account. So of course, Home Depot sent my statement to an email address that I no longer used and since it has been so long since I had used the Home Depot account, I forgot about the little puddly $7 charge. Until a rep from HD called me, "Sir, do you realize that you're late on your payment, and now there's interest and late fees?"
Crap! So, I immediately paid it, but it was too late. It hit my credit report. I contacted HD and they couldn't do anything about it, because Citi ran their credit card program. So I contacted Citibank and talked to a rep and she couldn't do anything. Then I wrote them and they rejected it. It is, even today, the only blemish I've ever had in my credit history, but my credit score dropped from 817 to 726 and after six years is finally back to the 800's.
After another year passes, and this late payment vanishes from my credit history, what kind of bump should I see to my credit score?

Is anyone else going to APC 458 in Chicago and would be willing to share contact info like a phone number or discord? I was hoping to have someone to reach out to for when I inevitably get lost trying to find where in the hotel the course is taking place.
Maybe we should make a discord server?

📢 Attention Marines! 🚨 This is a crucial reminder about GTCCP reports and requirements! 📋✅
Unit level APCs must request and reconcile the following mandatory reports within two working days of the close of the USMC billing cycle (6th of the month):

• Account Listing
• Account Activity Text
• Declined Authorizations Report
• Delinquency Report-Hierarchy
• DoD Travel IBA Aging Analysis Summary

These reports are available in the Citibank Custom Reporting System (CCRS), Organizational Shared Folders, Department of Defense Travel Shared Reports. 📂🗂️
APCs must maintain copies of reports for the current year plus the last two years. 📅📚
Ensuring compliance with these requirements is essential for maintaining a current and effective GTCCP program. 💪🎖️
What challenges have you faced in requesting and reconciling these mandatory reports? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below! 👇💬
#SemperAdmin #GTCCP #MandatoryReports #Compliance #MarineCorps

The global armored vehicles market is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. One of the major factors that are contributing to market growth is the growing demand for the tensions between the nations in recent years. Countries such as China, India, the US, Russia, and others have been continuously raising the demand for armored vehicles for safety. For instance, in September 2019, Thailand received 10 US-made armored vehicles. Thailand’s government planned to acquire 120 US-made armored vehicles by the end of 2020.
Get Free Sample link @ https://www.omrglobal.com/request-sample/armored-vehicles-market
The global armored vehicles market is segmented based on the vehicle type, drive type, and application. Based on the vehicle type, the market is segmented into armored personnel carrier (APC), infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP), main battle tank (MBT), and others. Other type of vehicle is segmented into light-protected vehicle and armored mortar carrier. Based on the drive type, the market is sub-segmented into the wheel and track. Based on the application, the market is sub-segmented into defense, and commercial. The above-mentioned segments can be customized as per the requirements. Based on vehicle type, infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) holds the major share in the market owing to the tactical advantage to provide direct-fire support along with infantry troop carrying capabilities.
full report of Armored Vehicles Market available @ https://www.omrglobal.com/industry-reports/armored-vehicles-market
· Market Coverage
· Market number available for – 2024-2031
· Base year- 2024
· Forecast period- 2024-2031
· Segment Covered- By Source, By Product Type, By Applications
· Competitive Landscape- Archer Daniels Midland Co., Ingredion Inc., Kerry Group Plc, Cargill
· Inc., and others
Global Armored Vehicles Market Report Segment
By Vehicle Type
​

• Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)
• Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)
• Mine-resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)
• Main Battle Tank (MBT)
• Others (Light Protected Vehicle, and Armored Mortar Carrier)

By Drive Type
​

• Wheel
• Track

By Application
​

• Defense
• Communication

Global Armored Vehicles Market Report Segment by Region
North America
• US
• Canada
Europe
• UK
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• France
• Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Rest of Asia-Pacific
Rest of the World
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
The Report Covers
​

• Market value data analysis of 2021 and forecast to 2028.
• Annualized market revenues ($ million) for each market segment.
• Country-wise analysis of major geographical regions.
• Key companies operating in the global armored vehicles market. Based on the availability of data, information related to new product launches, and relevant news is also available in the report.
• Analysis of business strategies by identifying the key market segments positioned for strong growth in the future.
• Analysis of market-entry and market expansion strategies.
• Competitive strategies by identifying ‘who-stands-where’ in the market.

For More Customized Data, Request for Report Customization @ https://www.omrglobal.com/report-customization/armored-vehicles-market
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Welcome to The Oblivion Cycle universe, a vast setting spanning all of time and space and so much more. While many stories may shed perspective on this grand cosmic vista, there are also tales of adventure and sacrifice, romance and terror, grimdark corruption and scientific progress. To become immersed in the setting is to let the chaos of creativity flow through you, to let go of what is probable to discover what’s possible. I have created TOC for one reason, to inspire and entertain any who will listen. So please feel free to join me on this great adventure as I push the boundaries of what is possible and expand the limits of our creativity together. For more information on the setting and its lore there is a subreddit for TOC at TheOblivionCycle and a Discord server dedicated to it here [https://discord.gg/uGsYHfdjYf\] called ‘The Oblivion Cycle Community Server’. I hope you find the following story entertaining and once more, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

• E1:P1 + Previous Part + Next Part+

______________________________________
Continued From Episode 2
Balinski sat in his blue Atoya Trooper with an arm resting on the sill of the driver-side door’s open window. He rested his head back against the faux cow leather seat and tried to close his eyes briefly against the glare of the neon lights outside. His impromptu attempt to nap was once more interrupted by the creature occupying the passenger seat next to him in the extended cabin of the armoured truck.
He grunted as something furry butted into his side, the barely healed bruising tingling as he put out a hand to stop further assault. “What do you want, Caesar?” He asked the large cyberhound next to him.
Caesar just snuffled and then shook her head before giving him a small whine and a pointed look. He smirked, she couldn't possibly still be hungry. She had just polished off an entire zebberloaf sandwich and had even managed to eat the other half of his. With his limited biological mass he didn't need to eat very much anymore to maintain himself. His cybernetics operated off of internalized promethium powercells and required only limited maintenance as long as he was careful not to get shot too much.
He chuckled at that, the other week had been a brutal array of close fighting. His legs and arms had taken a beating requiring him to actually visit his military contact to get them repaired. Dr. Magoy had been happy to see him it had seemed, if not necessarily happy about the state he had allowed himself to fall into. But after a tense few limbless hours he had been put back together, ‘better than new’ he had been assured.
Caesar butted him again and he looked over toward her, “What?!” he demanded before realising that she was desperate. “Oh, I told you not to drink so much water before we left this morning. Okay, but don't be too conspicuous. I’m pretty sure you aren't supposed to just piss wherever you like.”
He opened the door and grunted as she rushed over his lap and out onto the sidewalk, luckily it was rather early in the morning so there were few passers-by to gawk at the thirty-six kilogram cybernetically enhanced husky as she bolted for the nearest convenient shadow. With her neural implants she at least had the good conscience to be embarrassed about relieving herself in front of others. Something that he constantly found amusing.
He checked his wrist assistant, the small electronic device beeping angrily at him as the fifteen minute timer rang incessantly. He turned it off and looked around again, he didn’t see Daryon anywhere. The large vinarfelien police woman was supposed to meet him here at seven-thirty sharp. So where in the name of Lady Luck was the large insectoid female?
He heard a series of happy barks coming from around the nearby building and smiled. Caesar was wary of strangers and wouldn't bark like that at somebody unless she knew them. He rolled up the armoured glazmite window and stepped out of the vehicle, closing it behind him with a thud.
As he walked towards the corner he saw Caesar bound around it, prancing before a two-meter tall alien that looked as if somebody had taken a child's nightmare about a centipede and scaled them up into a six-meter long three-hundred kilogram version with ten arms and a multitude of short stabbing legs that ran along the sides of her chiton armoured body.
He smiled as she gave him a two armed wave. Waving back politely he walked towards her and called out, “What are you doing, don’t you know that Caesar is an on duty officer of the law? I can’t have her getting pets and distractions from every random passerby.”
Daryon’s antenna rose in a customary greeting as she put out two hands palms up which he promptly slapped. She folded five of her lower arms while still giving the happily grumbling pup a good head scrub with the sixth. Two of her upper arms she used to gesticulate while she answered him, “Well of coursse. But an officer ass good asss thiss deservess to be praissed by her comradesss whenever the opportunity arisess, wouldn't you agree?”
He didn't have a counterpoint and so he just shrugged before leaning against the faded facade of the building next to him. “Well, thanks for coming to help. I don’t know these streets as well as I would like. I grew up on the edge of the flyway and so didn't get to see the old city much.” He looked around, the old city was indeed old.
Cheenha had been founded as one of the original cities on Jureillo a little over three hundred years ago. Most of the old city was at least one hundred and fifty years old with some of the structures being far older. The materials and techniques haven't changed much over the centuries though and so it could sometimes be difficult to tell a historical building from a new novelty one that was simply made to mimic the age of those around it.
Such mimicry was pretty commonplace amongst the buildings in both the old and the new city. It was seen as bad practice to try and modernise the old style buildings. While there were indeed kilometer tall shining steel skyscrapers in the new city, the old city consisted mostly of blocky high-rises and triple stacked city-plates. Large sections of the city that were layered on top of each other in such a way that the underlying levels were completely blocked off from the sky.
In fact, if it were not for the profusion of flashing neon advertisements in the windows of the shops nearby and the flickering overhead lighting it would have been pitch black where they were. He took a few steps towards his truck and then stopped as he heard a noose from behind him.
Turning curiously he saw Daryon with two of her arms raised, she lowered them as he looked. The insectoid woman’s antennae rose slightly as she gestured towards his blue Atoya, “What? Are we taking that?”
Balinski nodded. “Well, yeah. Unless you would rather walk everywhere.”
She seemed to hesitate. “I don’t. Will I even fit in there?”
Balinski had to laugh at her candid nervousness. “Yes, you will fit just fine. I am sure of it, now come on. We have a lot of ground to cover as you said over the E-Link last night.” He tapped his wrist assistant, the small personal computing device that nearly every sapient member of the Union used on a daily basis. It could do a multitude of simple tasks and had the ability to download and use special applications to improve its performance and usefulness.
She looked at the device attached to her own wrist and then back at him. Her lightning patterned carapace seemed to sway slightly as she finally gave a stiff nod of her head, well more of a bob really.
“Okay, but don’t ssay I didn’t have any doubtss if it doessn't work.” the vinarfelien chittered in her slightly hissing accent.
He walked over to the heavy truck, the empty bed and heavy industrial looking profile intimately familiar to him. He had always wanted a Trooper as a child, but his mother had told him that he would likely never get to afford one as they were generally only sold under either government or police contracts. They were armoured and had reinforced secondaries, as well as being able to run off both conventional powercells and raw hydrocarbons like gasoline or diesel.
He opened the door and Caesar immediately launched herself into the passenger seat, right as Daryon opened the other door. Caesar gave a small whine and looked at him. “Well, you can sit in the back or in the middle. Pick one.”
He frowned as the stubborn pup crouched low in her favorite spot, a low growl emanating from her declaring her opposition to this seeming atrocity. Balinski just put up his hands and looked towards the distant plasteel reinforced duracrete ceiling and mimed saying a prayer for luck.
He smiled a little as Daryon chuckled, the breathy hissing sound was only a tiny bit unsettling. But his previous experience with vinarfel made it a familiar one. He watched as she seemed to hesitate again.
Finally he blurted, “Oh for the sake of pete, move your fuzzy ass out of the way Caesar!”
Not the most diplomatic approach, but it had the desired effect. Caesar hopped up in alarm at his shout and slunk over to the middle of the bench seat. Balinsky shook his head as the pouting drama queen settled herself down as if the entire world had been taken from her.
Daryon nodded in thanks once more before trying several times to crawl into the seat without tangling herself. He pointed to a small pull-string near the bottom middle of the bench and stated, “If you pull on that the back drops out of the lower portion. For people with tails, or extra long bodies.” He chuckled as the woman’s antennae shrank against her back and she placed two of her hands over her unblinking compound eyes in an obviously embarrassed gesture.
She shook her head jerkilly before pulling it as he had instructed. With a soft thump the lower portion of her seat dropped backwards making an arched hole just big enough for her. She shook her head as she looked at it though, “I don’t think thiss was made with vinarfeliensss in mind. If I try and contort myself in there, how am I going to ssit in the ssseat?”
His smile dropped and he cocked his head as he looked from her to the conspicuous opening and back again. He scratched the side of his head as he removed his hat. “Huh, how ‘bout that. I suppose you could just.. er.. put yourself down in the footing area and then use what part of the seat feels most comfortable?”
It was a damn strange sight to see the six-meter long woman crawl into the truck, her many short chitinous legs allowed her supreme control of her lower two thirds as she coiled most of herself in the footing area of the passenger compartment. Her upper third, or the part of her body that would be considered her torso, was sitting at an angle on the bench seat. Her flexibly, almost snake-like body was pressed back into the seat that she gripped with two of her more sturdy lower arms.
As she settled herself more comfortably in the position she cocked her head towards him slightly and her faceplates opened slightly, revealing the fleshy pink slit of her jawless mouth. “Well, thiss isss a bit lesss awkward than I wass afraid it would be. Almosst like sssitting on my ressting couch back home, if it wass a bit too wide and ssshort at the ssame time.” Her hissing laughter filled the cabin again and she gave Caesar a hearty scrub on the top of her furry head, the action buying her back some of the goodwill she had lost for taking the haughty pup’s favorite seat by the window.
Balinski raised his remaining eyebrow. “Yeah, I guess so. I think that you might want to try and put on the seat belts though. If we were to get into an accident you would get tossed around pretty bad without them.” She reached over and clicked the restraints over her body without too much trouble. They were designed to work across different species and she had simply selected the largest available option, the atraxses configuration.
While she wasn't as bulky as one of the large shaggy white furred aliens, her body was still large enough to warrant the extra reach. Balinski himself used the setting as well as he was a large man, even before his cybernetics were taken into account.
He settled in and buckled in, pressing his thumb to the ignition scanner. The machine read his biometrics and bellowed to life. Daryon twitched and then looked at him curiously, “What? Are you ussing a hydrocarbon thermocycler?”
Balinski gave her a wide smile and a nod that caused her antennae to flutter slightly. “Yep, don’t worry. I pay my emission taxes for it. Something about the feel of the pistons firing, that base rumble of the machinery working tirelessly. Well, it inspires me. Sure the promethium power cell is much more efficient, but it lacks that certain feel. Do you know what I mean?” He looked over at her, her slightly reflective blue compound eyes seemed locked with his own.
Due to the pseudo-pupils that her eyes had it gave the impression that she was always staring directly at the viewer. But he knew she could be looking almost anywhere in her two-hundred-and-seventy degree field of view. Despite the fact, he did really get the impression that she was looking straight at him.
She shrugged several of her arms after another moment of silence. “I feel sssome vibrationss. I am not ssure how thiss adds anything to the experience except for that additional ssensssation.” She didn’t seem to get it. He sighed internally. Not to worry, he would show her what he meant eventually.
She seemed to turn his way slightly more, her face plates opening slightly as she hesitated. “It’s good to see you again, I have not seen you since the memorial.”
Balinski just nodded. It was good to see the large insectoid woman, she was one of the only officers that he had occasion to interact with directly. The city had so many districts that most of the officers in precinct two rotated in and out before he ever got to meet them.
He gave her a sideways glance and a neutral smile. He always seemed to get the feeling that she was prodding at him a little. “Yeah, a long day that was indeed. Alright, well then to business. What is our first stop, some alley behind a casino if I remember right?”
Daryon shook a hand and gestured towards her assistant as she tapped away on the small touch screen for a few seconds. She soon had a readout pulled up on it that he glanced over as she extended her arm. “No, we are not heading to an alley, there iss a dive bar behind Yowul’s Palace of Golden Delight called the Sslimehut by the localsss. I have an informant that ssaid they would meet uss there for a few drinksss.” She seemed a little annoyed by his lack of intimate knowledge on the subject.
To be fair, he had read over the entire proposal. Right before he fell asleep last night. He would have admitted as much except he was afraid he might hurt the poor young woman’s feelings or something, she did seem rather sensitive when it came to data collection and information gathering.
He checked behind him and pulled out into the street, traffic was light due to the time of day. He navigated the heavy vehicle with practiced ease, the sensation of rolling along the roadway in it calming him. He placed his arm on the sill of the door’s open window as he had before. The cool air flowing through and ruffling his short cropped hair in a pleasant way.
He felt eyes on him and glanced over at Daryon, she seemed to be looking at him. Her antennae lowered instantly when he glanced her way and he chuckled, “What is it? You have ridden in those APCs dozens if not hundreds of times right?”
Daryon gave Caesar a nervous pat and spoke quickly, as if afraid she would lose her courage to speak if she didn't get the words out right away. “It’ss just, I have never ridden in one of thesse.. personal vehiclesss before.” He was a bit taken aback by that.
She still seemed nervous, she was sitting there in her simple grey overcoat and blue pocket covered jacket twiddling the fingers on her uppermost arms. He gestured to the window and she looked at it. “You can roll the window down if you want.” She hesitated and he reassured her, “Go for it, c’mon. Roll it down, put a few arms out the window like this, you might like it.”
Balinski smiled as he stuck his arm straight out the window. An oncoming car honked at him as he did so, he couldn't tell if they were angry or maybe they thought he was waving hello. It didn’t matter, he looked over at Daryon and the large insectoid woman tensed again.
“But, what if ssomething happenss and the window needss to be up?” She seemed to be fishing for any reason not to try it.
He just gave her his most tired sounding sigh, purposefully over exaggerating it as if he was thoroughly done. Her faceplates parted slightly, almost like a man pursing his lips in thought. Finally she relented and rolled down the window before emulating him with two of her upper arms. Almost immediately he saw her antennae perk up in what he assumed was mild delight.
She stuck another of her arms straight out and then slowly started to move it up and down, surfing the airflow with her palm. He took the opportunity to ask her, “You haven't ever ridden in a car before. Not one that wasn't police owned, that is. How in the heck do you get around town. Don't tell me you walk everywhere, there is no way you would be able to make that work. No matter how fast you can run.”
Daryon remained silent for a few moments, her antennae twitching as she rubbed a few of her hands together. “I usssually just take a buss or a cabbie when I need to get ssomewhere.”
The admission seemed to make sense. Balinski shook his head slightly. “I just understand why, the sense of freedom you gain from being able to go where you want, when you want. You don’t get that with public transport. Trust me, this is much better.”
Caesar gave a small encouraging woof as if to accentuate his point. Daryon continued to hold an arm out the window as her mouthplates worked silently. After a short time they got stopped at a traffic light and she finally relented. “I don’t know, it just sseemsss like an awful lot of additional effort. You need to buy the vehicle, then you have to pay for inssurance and taxes and maintenance.” She threw up a few arms in an exasperated manner. “It all jusst feelsss sso extra. I guesss I just appreciate the simpler thingss.” She added a but sullenly.
Balinski felt a bit bad now, he hadn’t been trying to tell her she was wrong. He had simply been curious as to the reason she hadn’t considered it. He tapped his hands idly on the wheel as they sat there in the growing silence.
After what felt far longer than the thirty seconds it actually was, he reached out and turned on the radio. The truck was tuned into several wide-band civilian radio frequencies. Many of them offered music and talk shows to pass the time, it was one of the former hats he turned into now.
As the cool sounds of synthwave reverberated around the cabin he could feel the tension that had grown slowly ebb. He glanced at her and smiled, “What about now? You can't tell me this isn't better than some cruddy ‘ol transport bus or musty cabbie?”
She bobbed her head slightly as she leaned her torso back into the padded seat more. “I will admit that it hass a certain appeal to it. I jusst ssstill don’t understand all the extra stepss, maybe it isss a human thing.” She added with what he thought sounded like a bit of a shiteating grin.
Her smug tone wasn’t lost on him as they turned another few corners. He shrugged and gave her a pointed look briefly, “Yeah maybe. Or maybe it is just the fact that I grew up with a sense of urgency.”
Her opportunity to respond was cut short as he slowed and gestured out the front of the cab. “Is that the place?”
Daryon seemed to peer out the window intently, though with her compound eyes it was pretty much impossible to tell where the insectoid female was actually looking. In front of them was the turnoff to a larger boulevard, one that was lined with tall and opulent looking structures. One in particular stood out from the rest for its over-the-top grandeur and gilded buttresses.
The huge gold and chrome structure was covered in flowing holographic displays and enough neon lighting to be seen from orbit, that is if they had not been under a particularly large city plate that blocked them off from the sky entirely. The effect was to generate an almost otherworldly atmosphere of scintillating colors. The phantasmagoria of the display heightening his perception at the same time it confused his already addled senses.
He had to shake his head and adjust his cybernetic eye’s spectrum in order to focus on what he was doing. He couldn't imagine the profusion of swirling and terrible marriage of images that Daryon must be being subjected to, what with her unblinking compound eyes and two-hundred-and-seventy degrees of vision.
Before he even had the chance to ask her, she responded to his previously muttered inquiry. “Yess, that'sss Yowul’ss Palace of Golden Delight alright. It's kind of imposssible to missss.” She chuckled hissingly. “We need to go around the block to the oppossite sside. The Ssslimehut will be on the far side of the next alley, but it doessn't connect to thiss ssside.”
He gave her a nod and glanced at Caesar, she seemed transfixed by the wildly gleaming lights. Not to worry, she would snap out of her trance when they got out of the damnable lights. He started to take the next turn when Daryon suddenly reached out and gripped his shoulder with two of her lower arms.
He twitched in surprise before looking her way, the way her antennae were raised suggested an alarmed state. “What!? What is it?!” He looked around frantically, trying to see what had set the large woman on edge.
Her faceplates clacked as she vocalised quickly, “We need to get out and approach on foot!”
He cocked his head. “Why?” Her comment seemed at once born of some manner of twisted logic and yet totally incomprehensible.
She quivered slightly. “Think about it. We roll up in an armoured Atoya truck and then sstart assking questionsss? That would sscream bluecoat to thesse people faster than waving a badge. We need to take thiss a little more dissscreetly.” Her words took a moment to penetrate the fuge his mind was still floundering in after the migraine inducing display from the garish casino.
It made sense given the context. She was right of course, if he were to simply roll up and try knocking heads together he was going to get them both killed. Or worse. No, he needed to take things a little slower.
He slowed and looked around. There are a number of parking garages around due to the nearby casinos and so he chose one at random. They pulled up the small automated toll booth and he paid with a single 25c osmir. That oughta cover them for at least two hours. The gate thanked them with a robotic sounding greeting and he proceeded to the third floor. Not for any particular reason, but he had always liked the number and considered it good fortune.
He watched as Daryon uncoiled her long body from the truck, her slightly textured underbelly looked much softer than her back. Devoid of the thick carapace of chiton plates that covered the top of her long body. It might have been impolite to take a peek, but a part of him was curious. As she moved his eyes were drawn to a series of dull bumps or ridges along her lower third that terminated near the last quarter of her long tail-like body. He knew enough about vinarfelien biology to know they were her broodspines, they were evolved to allow for females of her race to carry their newborn larvae upon their bellies.
He saw the flash of something else a little lower down from the termination of her broodspines and averted his eyes quickly, a touch embarrassed. The vinarfel did not wear clothing on their lower bodies as they were generally kept so close to the ground as to be hidden. And so one could say that Daryon was indeed half naked. If she noticed his ungentlemanly curiosity she didn’t seem to care overmuch and so he cleared his throat and motioned for Caesar to stay in the truck.
Daryon cocked her blue-eyed head as he did so, “You don’t want her to come with uss?”
Caesar whined loudly followed by a small bark. She seemed to be in agreement with the colorful alien woman. He kept his window rolled down as he knew she would follow his instructions. “It’s not that, it isn’t Caesar!” He protested as the cyberhound growled at him, her canine features showing her to be unimpressed. “Think about it, if we take you into the establishment it is going to bring a lot of unwanted attention. Cybernetically enhanced animals are not legal for the average person to own and so it would immediately mark me out as either a criminal or a lawman.” He watched as Caesar tried to understand the complex logical jumps he was making.
She shook her triangular head after a moment. She tilted her head as an indication to him that she was not getting it and so he sighed. He put out his hands and spoke as concisely as he could, “If we take you inside the bad guys will know we are good guys. You need to wait for us here, I will of course call you for backup if anything happens. I promise.” She seemed to accept this new slightly simpler explanation.
While her neural implants made her vastly more intelligent than a dumb animal, they didn't quite make her on the same level as a full adult human. She had the conscious understanding roughly on par with that of a young child. Capable of understanding speech, but not really able to pick up on complex or multi-leveled reasoning.
He nodded towards Daryon, “Alright. Caesar will stay back, I can call her in remotely if we need her, and she is pretty damn fast too, so it wouldn't take long for her to get there.” Daryon patted her overcoat and then swore.
“Oh crap, I think I dropped my traumawand ssomewhere.” She moved back towards the truck and partially climbed through the passenger side window. She rummaged around before exiting and holding aloft something triumphantly.
The item was a short telescoping baton-like instrument with a wide, heavy handle with several dials and readouts visible on its gunmetal grey exterior. He grunted, “What, no gun?”
She shrugged her upper three pairs of arms as she pocketed the non-lethal weapon and readjusted her overcoat. “Sseeing asss how I am technically off-duty at the moment I have no legal causse to carry a lethal weapon.”
He gave her a flat stare. “Bullshit.”
She maintained her stare, only the twitch of her antennae gave away the fact she was anything more than a statue. After a minute of this she finally threw up an arm and opened her overcoat all the way to him. “Fine, I relent. Of coursse I’m armed to the neck joint, you really thought even for a millisssecond that I was going to sstep downtown without enough firepower to level a pack of grinskalss?” She chuckled again and he found himself smiling.
He pulled back his overcoat revealing his own trusty sidearm, the bulky form of his ThunderEagle revolver stuck out slightly from the shoulder holster he was wearing over his body armour. Luckily he was bulky enough to hide both the armour and the weapon at a glance when he had his dark trench coat closed.
He gave her a bright smile, the look pulling at the scars that marred his face as he replied, “Oh not at all. But I was a little surprised to see you holding a non-lethal weapon at all. As I recall, every single bad guy that has crossed your path has wound up cooling in the precinct meatlocker.” She ducked her head, the long almost delicate looking antenna that sprouted from her head went flat against her back.
She seemed to stutter slightly, her hissing accent becoming markedly more pronounced in her flustered state. “s-It’ss-s not as-ss if i s-wass wanting to kill ss-them all!”
He waved a hand. “No, but you have to admit that every single one of the bastards deserved it. You made the right call in my opinion, Daryon. I am not trying to convince you otherwise.” He took a step towards the mildly upset insectoid and placed a supporting hand on her jacketed shoulder.
She cocked her head in order to see the contact before he pulled away and gestured towards the distant staircase that would eventually lead them down to the ground floor and hopefully one step closer to a lead for what was happening. There were gangs working with gangs that had always been bitter enemies, lines of drug filled trucks shipping their toxic cargos all across this world. It was a foul, he shouldn't have been so shocked by the complexity of the situation. But he was.
Continued In E3:P2
==End of Transmission==

Hi, all--
As I was walking into 5 guys on Wednesday and a man was standing outside Five Guys saying that he was accepting donations a funeral for his dead brother who was recently shot. He had a folder with a "description" of what had happened and a picture of his "dead brother". He even had signatures and donation amounts handwritten on the other side. I said I would give him a $2 donation because I felt really sorry for him. He said that he takes apple pay to I tapped my phone. When I walked inside I saw that there was a $2300 on my Discover card. I immediately reported it to the police then called Discover. As of Friday the transaction is still pending on my card. According to the police officer that is working my case this has happened several times and the credit card companies (he mentioned CitiBank and the Goldman Card) will not reimburse you and will instead side with the "seller".
Discover said that because I consented to a transaction that it is not fraud, so it does not fall under their 100% fraud reimbursement guarantee. They said that the only thing that I can do is wait until the charge clears then dispute it.
The charge showed up as "PP*JenesisJourney" on my credit card with the address of 7151 S Constance Ave, Chicago (an apartment complex). I think this is ProPay (based on this link) so I called them. They seemed helpful, but they do not have any information on the transaction because it is still pending. This seems promising, but I'm a little sketched out because their website seems a little strange (it's a wordpress site with a lot of typos). I'm not sure if is because it is just a small company though.
I have contacted Five Guys to see if I can look at their video footage, but I have to wait until their manager comes back in.
The police said that they have had many of these cases recently and most of the charges have not been recovered or covered by the credit card companies.
Does anyone have any advice?
Edit: Included information that it has previously not been covered by other credit card companies