Construction foreman job description

Construction Managers

2018.06.26 22:24 LostPin Construction Managers

A community for those in the construction management field to network and share ideas.
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2016.08.24 15:51 JonParkMTL GTA Online MC/Biker Community

Welcome to GTAOnlineBikers, the first official subreddit and largest online forum for the MCs of GTA V. PS4/5, XB1/SS/SX and PC (Vanilla only) platforms welcome. A place for the motorcycle enthusiasts and outlaw clubs of Los Santos and surrounding areas to network and recruit. Brotherhood. Loyalty. Respect.
[link]


2024.05.21 18:33 Soft2thehands Trying to start a business with autism

I’m in my mid 20s and have been trying to navigate understanding my autism for years. I grew up blue collar helping my father in construction. I have always been surrounded by industry and ended up going to school to be a diesel tech. Working on vehicles and equipment is one of the few things I consider myself good at but I always feel out of place when in a shop or on a job site. Currently trying to start a diesel and automotive repair business of my own. I understand everything mechanical and do good work but my communication and people skills leave me struggling to keep consistent work. I have been told that my awkwardness makes people unsure about my abilities. I feel like I’m loosing my mind. My efforts to work in other shops have left me exhausted and feeling alienated, I feel self employment is my only option to make a living but it doesn’t seem like I have to skills to make it work. Is there anything that I should be doing when talking to customers to make them more comfortable. Should I be more forthcoming about my autism or will that make people more unsure about me?
submitted by Soft2thehands to AutisticAdults [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:32 Emergency-Job-1152 is a construction management degree worth it?

hi I am currently a junior in college and Ive been thinking about this for awhile but I want to change my degree to construction management because of how much more secure getting a job is. I was a psychology major and criminal justice major through the first 2 years but I realized id probably have to go to school for an extra couple of years and the job market isn't that big and id be competing against a lot of other people to get a job. with construction it interests me because I get to manage construction and to be honest that's all I know about it. but construction has always kind of interested me in a way and I like how secure getting a job is. for my School it requires me to take a lot of Buisness classes and a lot of construction management course clearly. I would not graduate on time which is fine with me. what all do you do when your a construction manager and what jobs could I get with a degree in that field? what all do I learn? and was it worth for you guys to get the degree?
submitted by Emergency-Job-1152 to ConstructionManagers [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:30 Successful_Cress_102 Want to walk away, but I feel like I can’t.

I mainly want support but I’ll take advice and constructive criticism too.
To preface: I’m 27F and my wife is 35F. I have no children of my own. Her 12 and 16 y/o kids live with us full time and we get little to no support from their dad. Both kids struggle with mental health to some degree, but the youngest has out of control behaviors (throwing things, yelling, kicking, refusing to go to school, etc).
He was recently admitted to a psych facility and put on meds, but meds and therapy really aren’t making much of a difference so far, and I’m at my wits end. Our home is never clean because of his messes, we have damage to our furniture and walls, I am constantly walking on eggshells with what I say or do. I am not home in my own house.
My wife also struggles with severe anxiety but is hesitant to try any medication. She just got a therapist but to give you an idea of how it’s been the entire three years of our marriage-
I end up taking her to the ER maybe 8-12 times a year due to her thinking something is wrong with her and panicking (there is never anything wrong).
Currently she’s going through a period where she is terrified to drive so I am the family’s only transport. She can’t work right now due to constantly quitting jobs or regularly calling out.
I’ve encouraged her to seek more serious help but she refuses to try and take care of her son’s needs too.
The eldest kiddo is doing all right, just on antidepressants and having a hard time with hygiene.
I feel like I am going insane. I am so tired. Before you ask, I am in therapy too lol. I just want your thoughts and love during this time, please - because I feel like I have been holding everything and everyone together, albeit poorly, for a really long time!
If I leave, I couldn’t conscientiously leave my wife on her own with two disabled kids and no support. I would 100% continue to support so she can get the help she needs. I just don’t think she would accept it.
My mind is so heavy and my soul is weary.
submitted by Successful_Cress_102 to Marriage [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:29 techjobsforgood [Hiring] Senior Full Stack Engineer at Monterra - San Francisco, CA [$120k - $200k]

Who we are
Monterra is an early-stage B2B SaaS startup helping EV charging pros design and sell projects faster. We have electrical contractor and project developer customers across the US and UK. We raised a $2.5M pre-seed round, led by Base10 Partners, in Nov 2023.
Monterra is looking for a Senior Full Stack Engineer to join us “on the ground floor” and play a foundational role in our product journey. If 1) accelerating the EV transition with software and AI, 2) supporting the builders of a cleaner, electrified future, and 3) building software with a real world impact sound exciting to you, you should keep reading!
Swift deployment of charging infrastructure is critical to electrifying and decarbonizing transportation. Installers play a central role in this, and Monterra helps them work faster, deploy more chargers, and grow their business.
We are a small-but-mighty team of 4 (growing to ~7-8 this year).
Our Mission
Purpose: Enable the builders of a cleaner, electrified future Vision: Bring AI and automation into every aspect of electrical work
Requirements
Nice-to-haves
We encourage you to reach out even if you don’t meet every requirement
Salary Range $120,000 - $200,000 Per Year
Learn more about this job and apply here
submitted by techjobsforgood to SFBayJobs [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:27 EricLambert_RVAspark It's amazing the way our contracts have changed over the years.

I was looking through IBEW Local 666's Inside Construction Agreement from 1941. That's the oldest one I have easy (any?) access to.
My favorite little nugget from it, if a member of our Local saw a job coming out of the ground, they were required to inform the Business Manager. The Business Manager would then inform our contractors of the job. If one of our contractors got the job, they were required to hire the member who informed the Business Manager of it.
That's just so foreign to how we do things now. I love stuff like that.
Troubleshooters and Repairmen also had to work 44 hours before they got overtime back then. We've come a long way.
submitted by EricLambert_RVAspark to RVA_electricians [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:25 DUNGAROO What types of surveys might a homeowner order for a detached single family home?

I'm trying to have a survey performed in advance of having a fence installed and the one surveyor who did answer the phone and could come out within the next month hasn't been very helpful in helping us decide what services to have performed. When I asked the same question in the title the response I got was "We offer a variety of surveying for residential as well as commercial and construction clients, and what is appropriate depends on the individual property and the needs of the project."
We just purchased the home and opted not to have a survey performed in conjunction with the settlement, but the services they offered us at that time were: "House Location Survey (plat) $450. House Location Survey with the corners staked $750. House Location Survey with the corners and property lines staked $950."
The surveyor that we have coming out said that they will be performing a "House location survey and lot stake" for $675. The price delta seems significant, which is why I'm wondering if I should be asking the surveyor to document the scope of the job in greater detail.
Also, is there any reason why I would need an ALTA survey as a homeowner?
submitted by DUNGAROO to Surveying [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:25 NoorAnomaly Looking at "Entry Level" jobs.

Looking at submitted by NoorAnomaly to mildlyinfuriating [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:23 Internal-Paint-1613 University major and job recommendations?

Hey everyone! I’m only 17 and my graduation year is gonna be 2026, but my dad insisted that I create a list of jobs and university majors that would interest me.
The problem is that I’m in the middle of my wtf years and I don’t have a clue what I should do with my life lol.
I was sure that you guys would be familiar with this struggle so you could maybe help. I’m ISTP sp9w8 FLEV 3-4-1-1. (maybe these would allow you to get a greater insight.)
I know a few subjects that could be useful for me in the future, but I don’t know what path I should take. Surely I don’t want to be a doctor or work in any medical school, first of all it doesn’t interest me at all, and secondly I’m way too lazy for that. I don’t want to program robots either. I just don’t wanna die from hunger in the future and don’t want a boring life.
Starting next school term (september) I’m going to specialise in math for my last two years in high school, and in history in the last year as well. I love arts, drawing and sports(and I’m good at those things as well). My English level is C1 and my current German level is B2, but it’s going to be C1 by the end of high school. I’m a native Hungarian speaker, but I’d like to move abroad before/during/after (lol) uni asap.
Anyway, I’d like to get some inspiration from you guys. What do You work as, or what did you major as, and what jobs and majors would you recommend for me based on this brief description? I’ve seen lots of job recommendations but experiences from normal, unbiased people are still so much better.
Thank you so much for your answers in advance!
submitted by Internal-Paint-1613 to istp [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:21 DesolateWriter Desolate and Decayed 5E Rulebook *FINAL RELEASE* - A modern world turned into a zombified post-apocalyptic wasteland (12 classes, 50+ mutations, 7 skill trees, injuries, sanity, guns, cars, unarmed combat system, and a new character sheet!) Link to full rulebook in comments!

Desolate and Decayed 5E Rulebook *FINAL RELEASE* - A modern world turned into a zombified post-apocalyptic wasteland (12 classes, 50+ mutations, 7 skill trees, injuries, sanity, guns, cars, unarmed combat system, and a new character sheet!) Link to full rulebook in comments! submitted by DesolateWriter to UnearthedArcana [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:17 Turtle_Destoryer How to have a better worded job description

So I’m currently an apprentice, I have to put a job description of everything I do for the day. I’m not really got a wording it lol. Pretty much did core drilling into a wall through to the other side into the cable trunk for all the other cables to come through. (I could jsut out that but dunno if it sounds shit? Lol)
submitted by Turtle_Destoryer to electricians [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:17 Lumpz1 I've applied to well over 700 jobs. My resume isn't cutting it. Suggestions?

https://preview.redd.it/6qh0bfx10t1d1.png?width=654&format=png&auto=webp&s=482867204cb4e0192d7079975cd93294df4b39bf
I used to work in public health compliance, and I'm trying to make a career switch into programming, tech, software, or banging a computer with a hammer - I just wanna work with computers.
I've been using JobScan, and I'm averaging around 40% match with most full-stack software engineering job descriptions. Unfortunately, if I tailor my resume to maximize that number, it feels like a big salad of buzz words (which you can probably find in there).
My thought is that if I can appease the ATS, at least someone will look at the paper. If I don't appease the ATS well enough, why wouldn't they just fill their interview slots with the people who are the "recommended candidates", ya know?
I've applied to IT help desk jobs with no luck and entry level software engineering jobs with no luck. Any feedback on what I should improve here would be greatly appreciated!
submitted by Lumpz1 to resumes [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:13 Yourfac377 Not entitled to more than 8 on your own route

As the title says husband keeps getting told he's not entitled to more 8 hours on his own route, which yes we know is true. However, they keep taking an hour or more off his route and then giving him an hour or more on another route. He is on the ODL. They won't let him go over 8 on his route but they will let him go over 8 if it's on a split. It genuinely is coming off as just harassment at this point.
He has the mall and some curbside. So the biggest part of his route is walking an entire mall and collecting 100s of packages from dozens of stores everyday. He gets over 24 pick up sheets a day. He has to switch from his FFV to the 2 ton to start the buisness and collections part of his route. He isn't even allowed by managers direct order to scan packages as received because they don't want him taking more time, so the packages don't get scanned until they make it to the plant.
Currently there's construction around the office and he gets stuck in that traffic 4 times a day with the vehicle switching. They just refuse to accept that his route can or should ever take more than 8 hours because of mail volume I guess. The current 204b is known in the office as "shortcut" because he can run any route in 4 hours or less (not following saftey rules, throwing by number, missedelivering, etc) has had a rollaway/runaway and somehow still has his job and is now a manager prick. Said carrier was sent with Husband to "show him how to do his route more efficiently" and unofficially count him a few months back when carrier was not a 204b at the time. By order of the PM who he seems to be buddy buddy with. At the time shortcut said hubby was doing fine and volume was heavy.
What can he even do or say at this point? We've tried the union but the steward is just like "meh, you're not entitled to more than 8 like they said". And at this point it just feels so hostile and it's clearly ridiculous to anyone we explain this situation to. Everyday it's something. Work is becoming so stressful.
submitted by Yourfac377 to USPS [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:07 Andriwosqui Have I lost? My bosses "owe" me and my BF 2920 usd and I double they'll pay us

Sorry for my english, not from an english speaking country. First time in the subreddit, and posting.
I'm in my first job, which is resident assistant for the construction of a proyect, I'm an architect and my work is to help to whatever the resident or director need to for keep the construction going; that's important, I think. Well, in August 2023 the director of the project offered us this job, but with one condition, becouse to do so we had to move far from home, like 13h of travel by car. That condition was that on top of the monthly pay of 524 usd paind by the contractor, we'll receive a bonus of 209 usd paid by the director. That was what we agreed on. The problem? We asked for a contract that backed that agreement and that never came (yeah, pretty stupid from us), and every month we'd ask the director for those bonuses and he'd always had an excuse, until he said that the project was overdue and the a fine is looming, and if that happens he will not pay us, (what THAT has to do with us, i still don't understad), we called the contractor to ask for help or advise or quit the job becouse that is not what we agreed on, he said that when he goes to pay the director at the end of the project he will discount that and give us what he promised. That call was in January. So now I'm here, doing the final blueprints to finish the project, and about 10min ago I called him to remind him of our agreement and he told me that what will happen is that he is with his accountant and they'll decide how much we'll deserved for our commitment... That's NOT what we'd agreed on. That bonus is not going to be the 1470 that we were promised to EACH one of us, so it would be double.
So I don't know what to do, have we lost? I'm not a confrontational person, so I couldn't tell him that we didn't agreed on that, I told him a disappointed ok and hung up. I was thinking about not hand the blueprints, coz that is a HUGE part of the things needed to finish te proyect. But I don't know if that would make them pay me or just do the damage and win enemies... I really don't know what to do, accept that we'd been taken advantage and the bonus the contractor said? Or turn evil and not hand those blueprints coz if they aren't going to keep they word why should I keep mine?
I have today to decide, coz they're probably going to begin calling me to demand those blueprints... please help me!
submitted by Andriwosqui to Advice [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:07 anonymouslytakenbyme Apply through LinkedIn or company portal after texting HR?

I recently saw a job description and I texted the HR who posted this job on LinkedIn for more information about this job. She saw my LinkedIn profile, gave more information and encouraged me to apply for this as she finds me a suitable candidate. This job has LinkedIn Easy apply, but on company website its going to ATS.
My question is should I apply through In Easy apply or ask for the HR’s referral and apply through company website? Please clarify me!!
submitted by anonymouslytakenbyme to cscareerquestions [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:05 irish_meatball19 I don't want to hear anyone complaining about people "not wanting to work" ever again.

I need to rant/vent, apologies for subjecting any readers to it.
I'm a data analyst with 6+ years experience. Have a background in data science and have worked in several different companies over the last few years via mostly remote contract work. The most recent job was an 18 month contract with a giant tech company everyone has heard of, so I'm thinking it will be a steady paycheck and I'll have plenty of time to prepare for the next bout of job hunting and having this company on my resume will make things easier.
Turns out they terminated my contract more than 5 months early (I live in an at-will state, my contract was written in a way where there is no recourse for me) because upper management decided they wanted to outsource the work to an offshore company rather than pay contractors. They also gave me about a week's notice that this was happening. No such thing as loyalty, I get that but it sucks.
The real problem is that I have been looking for work now for almost 3 months, and haven't had a single interview. I've never seen the job market this slow since I entered this career. Direct applications to companies get crickets, and recruiters are so poorly organized or unresponsive I'm starting to worry about entrusting my information to these people. One recruiter tells me after scheduling an interview the client realized they posted the wrong type of job (after approving the job description). Another says the company was worried about the short tenures I've had with companies, when I have clearly listed that it was contract work. Another says I've been shortlisted for interviews, then radio silence for the last 3 weeks. Another tells me the company declined me because I didn't have experience in two required software packages, even though those are clearly listed on my resume. It's maddening.
I like what I do, and am motivated to work. I have certainly sent out more than 100 applications at this point, maybe closer to 200. I'm reaching out to friends, family, past coworkers, everyone I can think of to find leads on jobs or how I can improve my chances. I'm working 2 side gigs to make ends meet, and I'm lucky to have my wife supporting us with her income, but we all know that single income households don't exist anymore and the constant scramble with no progress is wearing on my mental state.
All this and I still hear people making statements about lazy people relying on unemployment and benefits so good they don't want to go back to work. That jobs are open because people don't want them. How can people seriously think that, when the process of even finding employment is so grueling at this point? If I hear one more person saying this nonsense, I feel like it's going to take everything in my power to not punch them.
submitted by irish_meatball19 to antiwork [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:02 Oralucifer_ First ever accounting job and need advice

This position was for an accounting/bookkeeping support position that is temporary (for the next 4 months).
The first day was insanely weird, the company is essentially run by a single person, according to him there are other people working in the backend working from home and there is no chain of management it seems (as it really was a secretary in the office and the two of us trainees). I and the other person were simply going through the onboarding process, her training was lengthy but also not helpful as it really was the owner of the company stumbling through the software used for reservations lol. I didn't have to go through that.
Instead the first task that was given to me was to make a spreadsheet containing all the paper receipts that he gave to me. He wanted me to segment everything by date, vendor name, amount charged, sales tax paid (in the receipt), account (I'm guessing this is an accounting concept that I may not be aware of), and description (basically what segment of the 4 companies that he has under his name can be attributed to the receipt entry).
I had no idea what to do for the majority of the day because he was gone for half of the day occupied with other things that were relevant pertaining to his business (he runs a boat company that people reserve). He simply said to get started on entering data into the spreadsheets with me not knowing anything. I later clarified that I don't know which company to attribute the receipts to, as he's the only one who knows that, so we agreed that I would be doing the baseline menial entries (everything else but the accounts and the description) and that I would learn in time.
Also it's incredibly weird and mildly degrading that I'm an errand boy (I helped him picked up laundry (uniforms for the business)) and had to make an inventory of what was in the laundry (alongside the trainee (who was supposed to be a office admin intern, lol)). And he also made me cut the pastries he got for the office...
This entire experience has not only made me question whether or not this is a legit accounting or bookkeeping job but is also making me question how exactly am I going to do the job duties even though I have no knowledge and that there is legit no one to train me. Reddit do I just thug it out or do I genuinely keep looking? Luckily I haven't quit my other job so quitting wouldn't have much of an effect and can be swept under the rug pretty easily, but is this even worth going through being that I have no experience? How would I even sell this experience in an interview?
submitted by Oralucifer_ to Accounting [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:00 desucca was asked about raw video that someone else would edit

I was approached by a construction company that I've done a couple photo sessions for who wants to put together a kind of job site progression video over the course of the project (they suggested they might want to do it over 4 different sessions). They would like some drone footage done but they just want the raw video, they have a guy who puts together their videos, he just doesn't have a drone.. any thoughts on how to approach this as far as how to charge?
I'll also be doing some photos for them, which I'll be editing myself, it's just the video they want raw footage.
I'll also add that I don't do a lot of video, I mean, I shoot for fun, but I don't really know how to edit it more than absolute basics so it's not something I would normally provide anyways.
submitted by desucca to RealEstatePhotography [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:54 98746145315 Peer beyond the veil of how OF really works, for those of you either too dumb to not pay for OF or for those of you who are willing to work 48 hours for $1k USD monthly

Peer beyond the veil of how OF really works, for those of you either too dumb to not pay for OF or for those of you who are willing to work 48 hours for $1k USD monthly submitted by 98746145315 to recruitinghell [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:45 vapigo I hated my wedding and I'll never get that day back

I hated my wedding. My wedding will now and forever be the worst day of my life. I'm spiraling and can't stop crying. Got married on Friday, and it's only been a few days and I can't help but like I'll never get over it. I will never get the chance to feel like a bride. I will never feel like I was actually present during my day. I will never feel like that day wasn't for us.
The list goes on, i could keep going. But all these things took away from feeling like it was my wedding day. I was not present on my wedding day. All i wanted to see my husband at the end of that aisle and i can honestly say I could'nt see him bc my mind was crowded with so many other things. I can't help but maybe blame myself. But i still cannot help but feel like i was robbed.
I will never feel like a bride. I will never feel like it was our wedding. I will never feel like i actually got married.
My wedding will now and always will be the worst day of my life.
submitted by vapigo to wedding [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:45 rrmdp 📢 RobotFood is hiring a Marketing Exec/Manager!

📢 RobotFood is hiring a Marketing Exec/Manager!
Company: RobotFood
Location: GB 📍
Date Posted: May 21, 2024 📅
Work Type: Full-Time ⏰
Level: Entry-Level 👶
Apply & Description 👉 https://jobboardsearch.com/redirect?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot&utm_id=jobboarsearch&utm_term=jobs.designlist.so&rurl=aHR0cHM6Ly9qb2JzLmRlc2lnbmxpc3Quc28vam9icy9tYXJrZXRpbmctZXhlYy1tYW5hZ2VyLWY0Y2QxN2Fm
submitted by rrmdp to jobboardsearch [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:45 ConsciousRun6137 Oswell E. Spencer; Resident Evil, Based On Real EL-ites

Oswell E. Spencer; Resident Evil, Based On Real EL-ites
There's nothing new under the Sun, & no coincidences in such things that follow;
Oswell E. Spencer
Coat of Arms
"I was to become a god... creating a new world with an advanced race of human beings."
Dr. Oswell E. Spencer, Earl Spencer (c.1923-2006) was an aristocratic British billionaire, virologist and eugenicist. One of the founders of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, Lord Spencer was the CEO and President for its entire existence, which saw its expansion as the Umbrella Corporation over the 1980s as well as its bankruptcy in 2003.
A cold, ruthless elitist and ambitious individual, Spencer mercilessly eliminated his rivals and gradually increased his power within the company, which he strictly controlled behind a veil of darkness. Spencer had a vision to remake the world and lead it into a new era, seeing the world's current state as self-destructive. He intended to use the research data accumulated from Bio Organic Weapons to carry his vision out and mould a utopia for mankind with himself as its ruler.
Spencer was born into the prestigious Spencer family, considered for generations to be among the European elite. Growing up in his family's castle overlooking a cliff on the British coastline, the young heir to the Spencer fortune was given a wide-ranging education, and developed hobbies of art collecting and hunting as befitting of his status. Among his studies were classic literature, Early Modern humanist treatises, and the mid-20th century eugenics movement. His personal favourite was the Natural History Conspectus, a rare late Victorian encyclopaedia which chronicled a 34-year trek through Africa by British explorer Henry Travis. During Spencer's teenage years, Europe was plunged into the Second World War. Nothing is known of Spencer's life during this period of time, including whether or not he avoided conscription, though it is known his experience living during the war helped form his world views.
By the 1950s, Spencer was a university student training to be a physician. There he became close friends with Edward Ashford and an older student, Dr. James Marcus. While taking a solo hiking trip in Eastern Europe, he became lost due to his inexperience in the unfamiliar terrain and collapsed on a snow-covered road. There, he was rescued by Miranda, the priestess and biologist of an isolated mountain village which worshipped the Black God. Taken in by Miranda as a protégé, Spencer learned about the Mold and its ability to mutate, assimilate and replicate lifeforms, which inspired him a means to achieve evolutionist goals. Although he enjoyed his time with Miranda and the vast biological knowledge he gained from her, the two held very different world views, as Miranda longed to revive her deceased daughter while Spencer wished to change the world. Consequently, Spencer decided to leave the village, but would continue to keep in touch with Miranda by writing to her.
Returning to his university a changed man, Spencer became driven to replicate Miranda's achievements in his own way, as he deemed the Mold ineffective to achieving his goals. With the Cold War intensifying, Spencer began to view humanity as a race destined to fall, and believed that only through evolving mankind and attaining a superior moral code could this be averted. Though he lacked a means to accomplish this, he believed the answer lay within the emerging field of virology. Soon, Spencer formed a eugenics circle of likeminded scientists, including Marcus and Ashford, as well as Lord Beardsley and Lord Henry.

Founding of Umbrella (1966-68)

At the start of 1966, Spencer became engrossed once more in the Natural History Conspectus, having recalled an account about the Ndipaya, a West African tribe of skilled engineers whose rituals involved a magical flower which granted great power to those who could survive its poison. While Spencer was initially treated with appropriate scepticism due to allegations of yellow journalism on behalf of Travis, Marcus hypothesized that a virus could be naturally produced by the flower and mutate the consumer. This virus would theoretically hold great promise in eugenics, interesting the circle. In order to disprove or confirm the flower's significance, the three organized an expedition to West Africa to find it. While Spencer's involvement is uncertain, Marcus travelled to West Africa on a several month search for the Ndipaya with his protégé, Brandon Bailey, and returned by February 1967 with proof of the virus' existence, having isolated it within the Sonnentreppe flowers growing in the ruins of the Garden of the Sun.
Soon after research began on the virus, the Swiss university that Marcus worked for ostracized him following allegations of falsified data, which itself led to the cessation of government grants to his projects.\13]) Spencer used this to his advantage and employed his charitable Spencer Foundation as a means of funding Marcus' research, on the condition that he operate within the Spencer Estate's lab and avoid contact with any scientist outside their circle. Understanding the foundation would not be able to fund the project in its entirety, Spencer approached the circle in March 1967 with a suggestion that they establish a pharmaceutical company in order to raise the necessary funds. Ashford and Marcus agreed to the project, despite an overall disinterest with Henry and Beardsley joining.
Shortly afterward, Spencer informed his old teacher Miranda of the discovery of the Progenitor Virus, and decided to use the symbol that connected the Four Houses in her village as his company logo.
Toward the end of the year, work concluded on a mansion built on Spencer's behalf in the Arklay Mountains, a massif in the American Midwest. The mansion itself was built atop limestone caverns which Spencer planned to use for the construction of an underground laboratory complex that would be hidden from public view. The biggest flaw in this construction project was that he chose a famous New York architect named George Trevor, known for surreal designs Spencer admired, to build it. Upon its completion, Spencer realized that Trevor knew all of the mansion's secrets, including the existence of an underground laboratory, and panicked. Spencer quickly made plans to dispose of Trevor, so that only he and his inner circle would know of the lab's existence. In November 1967, Spencer invited the entire Trevor family, including George, his wife Jessica, and 14-year-old daughter Lisa to the house to celebrate the completion of the mansion. Unbeknownst to the Trevor family, Spencer planned to use them all as test subjects in his Progenitor research. Due to a busy workload, George could not attend, but told Jessica and Lisa that he would join them at the house later. As soon as the two arrived on November 10, they were dragged away by Spencer's employees and taken into the underground caverns as human research subjects for the Progenitor Virus. Jessica died soon after infection, though Lisa survived with mutations. As George arrived at the mansion, he was captured just the same, but escaped from his room. He eventually fell victim to one of his own traps and died. Lisa was kept as a test subject and would finally die in 1998.
At some point in the late 1960s, Spencer worked with another scientist who shared his eugenics ideals, Dr. Wesker. Believing that Progenitor would only be useful to mankind if they could be trusted with its powers, Spencer concluded that the genetically superior humans had to share his values to become the Übermenschen. Umbrella began abducting children with superior genes and intellect from around the world and raising them with access to the finest education that money could buy. Upon reaching adulthood, Umbrella would determine the cream of the crop and infect them. This highly classified project was dubbed the "Wesker Project", in the name of its leader.
With Umbrella established, Spencer became increasingly paranoid that his friends would threaten his own eugenics project which he intended to steer towards making him a god in the new world order. Although he already controlled the project by 1967 when he secured Marcus' research, Spencer's paranoia escalated in 1968 while running Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. To procure more funding for their eugenics project, Umbrella entered a secret agreement with the United States military to produce biological weaponry and began further projects to create mutant virus strains for military use. The Umbrella founders each worked separately on what they dubbed the "t-Virus Project". Rather than perform his own research, Spencer left the Arklay Laboratory under the control of trusted executives and further worked with Lord Beardsley and Lord Henry. Marcus and Bailey continued to work on their own while Ashford worked alongside his son, Alexander, at their European home.
With Progenitor cultures becoming too limited in number for large-scale research on the t-Virus Project, it became clear that Marcus and Bailey would have to travel to West Africa and secure more. Unlike the previous trek, Spencer instead hired mercenaries to force the Ndipaya off their land and secure the Garden of the Sun for Umbrella's own exclusive use. When news reached them about this success, Bailey was sent alone to cultivate the Progenitor samples at a lab built there, isolating him from Marcus. Marcus himself was given his own laboratory in the Arklay Mountains close to Spencer's own. The Umbrella Executive Training School served a dual role as both a laboratory for the t-Virus Project and as a boarding school for gifted children headhunted by the Spencer Foundation as promising new executive-scientists. The first true victim of Spencer's paranoia was Ashford, who would die from exposure to his primitive t-Virus strain in a staged lab accident. While his son Alexander was a scientist, he was trained in genetics rather than virology, and was consequently unable to continue his father's work. This left only Marcus as the main competitor to Spencer, and so efforts were taken to steal Marcus' data for the benefit of Arklay's Laboratory.

Securing of Power (1977-98)

In 1977, the Spencer Foundation headhunted Albert Wesker for a job at Umbrella after he acquired a doctorate in virology at just age 17. Sent to the executive training school, Spencer ensured that Wesker and a fellow student, William Birkin, would abuse Marcus' trust in them and steal his research data. At the end of the school year, Spencer ordered the school and lab to be shut down, cutting Marcus off from his research staff and the children he used as test-subjects. Wesker and Birkin were immediately assigned to the Arklay Laboratory to take over as its chief researchers and used their knowledge of Marcus' research to drastically alter the Arklay Laboratory's own t-Virus project.
Despite Spencer's near-total control over Umbrella, his paranoia continued to find new victims as Umbrella expanded to the point of possessing its own paramilitary, the Umbrella Security Service. Marcus continued to perform his own dedicated research into the late 1980s, hoping to use this to his advantage in securing the support of the board of directors in taking over the company. With Marcus now an immediate threat, Spencer ordered a U.S.S. raid on the training school and he was gunned down in 1988 with Birkin and Wesker in order to steal more research data. That same year, he personally backed their proposals in acquiring a Nemesis α parasite from France's No.6 Laboratory. As Umbrella entered the 1990s, Spencer continued to take a direct role in the company's affairs despite his advancing age and confinement to a wheelchair. Beardley and Henry would both perish over the next decade with their research inherited by their respective children, Mylène and Christine, both of whom were child prodigies.
Deeply interested in the newly discovered Golgotha Virus, which was being studied by Birkin and Christine in France, Spencer funded a new NEST facility in Raccoon City for the G-Virus Project. Although intrigued by the virus' potential use in eugenics, it was instead funded as another bio-weapon project for the US military. An alternative eugenics project was assigned to Dr. Alex Wesker, one of the Wesker Project subjects who Spencer became personally close to. Spencer awarded her with greater executive power through the construction of a laboratory at Sonido de Tortuga. He also developed a close relationship with Col. Sergei Vladimir, a Spetznaz officer whom the Soviet Union had used in a human cloning trial during the Afghan War. In exchange for handing his ten clones over for research on the fledgling Tyrant Project, Vladimir became a powerful asset in protecting Spencer's control over the company.

End of Umbrella (1998-2003)

In May 1998, the Arklay Laboratory was sabotaged by one of Dr. Marcus' creations, Queen Leech. Its entire staff was either killed or infected, and escaped B.O.W.s drew national attention in their killings of out-of-state hikers. As part of the X-Day contingency, Albert Wesker sent two elite law enforcement teams from S.T.A.R.S. to the mansion to investigate. However, unbeknownst to these S.T.A.R.S. officers, they were deliberately pitted against Arklay's escaped B.O.Ws for the purpose of collecting combat data. Wesker's own orders were fourfold: gather this combat data, salvage whatever research he could from the Arklay Lab, ensure the death of all S.T.A.R.S. members, and destroy the lab so the truth of Umbrella's responsibility could never get out. Spencer's right-hand man, Colonel Sergei Vladimir, was also sent in personally for the task of recovering an experimental Tyrant and Umbrella's U.M.F.-013 supercomputer. While Vladimir was successful, Wesker instead chose to fake his own death and hand the data over to a rival company, while several S.T.A.R.S. members escaped from the mansion intent on beginning a police investigation of Umbrella.
In the immediate fallout, an executive named Morpheus D. Duvall was scapegoated for the containment failure and began a bioterror plot to steal the viral samples in vengeance. Publicly, the so-called "Mansion Incident" did not harm Umbrella, thanks to its influence over the local Raccoon City media, police, and local government. However, a combination of this incident, Albert Wesker's betrayal, and Spencer's own refusal to admit Dr. Birkin to his inner circle would be the trigger for Umbrella's downward spiral. Dr. Birkin, slighted by Spencer's rejection, dumped the t-Virus around Raccoon City in order to neutralize the other Umbrella facilities while he himself prepared to hand the G-Virus over to the US military, who were intent on starting their own bioweapons project, in exchange for protection. Spencer learned of Birkin's planned betrayal and sent Umbrella Security Services to take Birkin into custody and acquire the G-Virus. When Birkin refused to comply, an Umbrella soldier gunned him down and the team proceeded to take his suitcase, which contained all of his work, with them. However, the fatally wounded Birkin still had one G-Virus sample left in his possession and used it on himself, mutating into a powerful monster in the process. The now mutated Dr. Birkin pursued Umbrella's soldiers into the sewers and slaughtered most of them, although HUNK survived. This altercation accidentally caused several t-Virus samples to fall to the floor and break, and infected rats would soon spread the virus into the city's water supply. Over the next week, the city collapsed into anarchy as thousands of infected took part in cannibalistic murders.
Aware that Raccoon City was doomed and the company no longer capable of lobbying against a Senate committee action, Spencer ordered Colonel Sergei Vladimir to recover the U.M.F.-013 from Raccoon City and take it to a safe location. On October 1, 1998, Spencer awoke to news of the US President's bombing of the city. By this point, Umbrella's responsibility had become public knowledge, and the US Congress voted in an act to liquidate Umbrella's USA branch and ban the company from conducting any future business in the country. In 1999, Spencer assembled expert lawyers, fake witnesses, and bribes during the Raccoon Trials to divert all responsibility to the US government. He also purchased an abandoned chemical plant in the Caucasus region of Southern Russia and commissioned the construction of a secret underground laboratory, which would become the de facto base of operations for Umbrella. Unwilling to acknowledge their breaching of international law to obtain bioweaponry or even acknowledge B.O.W.s in general, the US government remained in a stalemate with Umbrella. This stalemate ended in early 2003 when Albert Wesker leaked excerpts of the recovered U.M.F.-013 data to the court. Umbrella was found liable for damages and subsequently bankrupted. An international arrest warrant on Spencer was filed by both the United States and Russian Federation. Spencer, now an international fugitive, secluded himself in his family estate where he would spend the remaining years of his life.

Final Years (2003-2006)

Intent on establishing a future successor to Umbrella, Spencer was obsessive in maintaining what little order he had left. Right after the Raccoon City bombing in November 1998, he ordered a purge of senior executive staff to prevent the United States from ever learning about Progenitor.
Over the next few years, he had little to no contact with the outside, seen only by his loyalist bodyguards and his butler, Patrick. His increasingly erratic behavior coincided with his depression and failing health. However, intent on surviving long enough to see the rebirth of his organization, Spencer ordered Alex Wesker to begin research into a mutagenic virus capable of restoring his youth and supplied her with funding, equipment, research material, several hundred test subjects, and the research facility on Sonido de Tortuga Island to this end. Alex herself had no love for Spencer and betrayed him, disappearing after she gave up on the project and taking the results, her subordinates, and the test subjects to Sein Island in the Baltic Sea.
By 2006, Spencer was close to death. He lacked the strength to eat solid foods and spent most of his days sitting in his study. In a desperate last effort to survive, he ordered Patrick to assist him in the development of a new virus by using test subjects confined beneath the Spencer Estate in the hopes of healing his body. As these experiments led to several failed mutations, Spencer realized that his death was inevitable. He conceded that he would never realize his plan himself and enlisted Patrick to leak information on his location to Albert Wesker through an associate. Spencer then dismissed Patrick from his duties and was left with only his bodyguards at the estate, waiting for Wesker to find him.
In August 2006, Wesker entered the castle and brutally murdered Spencer's guards before heading into Spencer's private office. In their meeting, Spencer explained the Wesker Project to him, and why he himself was infected with a Progenitor virus strain*.* However, Spencer lied when he claimed he was the sole survivor of the Wesker Project, probably in order to keep him focused on his goal and prevent him from pursuing Alex. In general, Wesker was disinterested in Spencer's vision and, while not expecting this frail old man to be much competition to own goals, nevertheless decided to tie him up as a loose end. He brutally killed Spencer by knife-handing him through the chest, proclaiming that Spencer was not capable of being a god and, as such, never had the right to aspire to that goal.
Even before his death, Spencer left a dark legacy through the viral research that he conducted throughout his life that would plague the world with large-scale dissemination of bioterrorism. Due to his negligence in not being able to deal directly with the constant leaks and desertions of his dishonest employees during Umbrella's final years, this allowed them to start selling B.O.W.s to their rivals in the Bio-weapons black market since 1998 which culminated in the proliferation of countless outbreaks around the planet during the first decade of the 21st century, causing the deaths of thousands of people as a result.
Knights of Malta
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2024.05.21 17:43 BlueFishcake Sexy Steampunk Babes: Chapter Twenty Seven

William was just about to scoop another mouthful of porridge and berries into his mouth when someone scooted into the seat next to him.
“Marline.” He inclined his head before returning to breakfast.
A breakfast that, prior to his teammate’s arrival, had been blissfully free of noise or interruption.
Which made sense given that the ‘rise and shine’ bell wasn’t going to ring for another thirty minutes or so. To that end, the cafeteria was near empty, but for a few servants flitting around the place as they set tables or partook of their own breakfasts.
Breakfasts that were something of a step down from what was normally served at these tables, given that the usual heaped piles of hot sausages, crisp bacon and hearty eggs were still being prepared in the kitchens.
Still, on this occasion, that was fine by William. Sure, the main reason he’d told his team to rise a little earlier than normal was to allow them to dine in peace without being harassed by the rest of the rumour hungry student body, but it was also useful in that it somewhat limited some of his more… difficult teammate’s breakfast options.
“William,” the dark elf hissed as she leaned down. “We have a problem.”
Despite his early morning lethargy, those words managed to send something akin to a shiver up his spine.
“What!? What’s the problem?” he asked as he whirled around, remembering only at the last minute to keep his voice down.
Sure, the cafeteria was relatively empty of both staff and students, but it hadn’t escaped his notice that pretty much all of them had had their eyes on him since he sat down.
“What do you mean, ‘what’s the problem?’” Marline whispered furiously into his ear. “The fucking alchemy lab blew up last night.”
“Oh, that.” She’d gotten him all worked up for nothing. “Someone’s enchantment probably went awry after being kept in storage too long.”
That was a lie and they both knew it. He’d explained to Marline in great detail why trying to gain access to his storage room was a poor idea without him present. To that end, it was obvious that someone had attempted just that.
As such, the old alchemy building was now a smouldering ruin, with dozens of academy guards and at least one member of the palace guard sifting through the rubble when he walked past.
Or at least, they’d been watching over a dozen menial servants as they sifted through the rubble.
Still, no one had been too alarmed by it. It was hardly the first time the building had been destroyed after all.
Alchemy was by its nature a fairly dangerous art.
A form of homeopathic magic that attempted to imbue objects with magical abilities by combining them with conceptually similar items, it tended to both be prohibitively expensive and notoriously unreliable.
Left eyes from forty-year-old salamanders didn’t grow on trees after all. Nor testicles from albino bulls in heat. And that was the kind of specificity one needed to create a half-decent stamina potion.
There was a reason that alchemy was gradually being phased out in favour of the slower but more reliable art of enchanting.
“Yes, very unfortunate,” Marline said through gritted teeth. “But what about ‘our’ ingredients that were being kept in the building. It might be… dangerous of someone stumbled across them in the rubble.”
Dangerous? Gunpower couldn’t explode more than…
“Oh, you’re talking about the gift we were holding for your family?” He realized.
“Yes!”
“Why didn’t you check last night?” he asked.
“...I tend to wear earplugs when I sleep,” Marline admitted reluctantly. “Given… Verity.”
William glanced towards the young woman’s long elven ears and thought about their orcish teammate’s tendency to snore like she was trying to wake the dead. The inner walls of their dorm weren’t particularly thick and Marline’s room was right next to the other girl’s.
Yeah, he could see why she might have invested in some hearing protection.
A decent set of earplugs wouldn’t drown out the noise of the morning bell, but they’d be more than capable of drowning out the distant whumph of an alchemy lab going up on the opposite side of the campus.
He momentarily wondered if the noise had caused any of his other teammates to get up, before dismissing the idea.
Strange noises in the middle of the night were far from unusual in a military academy and usually best ignored unless you had a very good reason to think they might involve you.
“Well, it’s not a problem,” he whispered. “I moved it last night before heading back to the dorm.”
The look of relief on the dark elf’s face was palpable, before it gave way to confusion. “Why?”
He shrugged. “For the same reason I booby-trapped the storage room in the first place. Once it got out that I had a mithril core – and might have had something to do with Al’Hundra’s death, well it seemed like there was a decent chance someone might go snooping around places I might want to hide something.”
And the alchemy lab was just about the first place someone would think of right after their team’s dorm room.
Fortunately for him, there were a few places that were quite impractical for hiding something long-term, but pretty ideal in the short term.
And just so long as Marline’s aunts arrived before next Welday, the mithril core would be safe.
Though as he gazed down at the bowl of porridge in front of him, he found his appetite wasn’t quite what it had been just a few moments ago.
“So where’d you hide it?” Marline asked excitedly, clearly relieved that her family’s future wasn’t currently buried in rubble.
William paused as he considered how to answer that question. Something his teammate was quick to notice.
“William,” she prompted. “Where’s my family’s core?”
He gazed down at his bowl, still thinking.
“William!” she shouted as best she could while still whispering.
“The safest place I could think of. Somewhere it’d be covered completely and no one would voluntarily look.”
“Voluntarily?” Marline said. “Covered?”
Credit where credit was due, no one had ever accused his teammate of being slow on the uptake. At least, where politics wasn’t concerned. So it was that it wasn’t long before he witnessed her expression morph from confusion to horror… to rage.
“You buried my family’s mithril core in the latrines?!” she hissed.
William scratched his chin awkwardly as he avoided her furious gaze. “More like dropped. I didn’t need to bury it because it sank on its own. Which is good given I wasn’t quite sure of the relative buoyancy of mithril in… well… you know.”
In his defence, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Indeed, if one were to be purely objective about the whole thing, it still was. The core was safely hidden at the bottom of one of the lesser used latrine pits. The bottom mounted… storage vats of which were pulled out and emptied into the bay once a week.
It was a fairly old fashioned system, given the existence of indoor plumbing across the rest of the academy. Indeed, he suspected the latrines were only kept around to serve as a form of punishment duty for any cadets that happened to royally piss off their instructors.
“They’ll be safe there until Welday,” William argued weakly. “At which point your aunts can collect them without anyone being the wiser.”
“Collect them from the latrine’s storage vats!” Marline hissed, slamming her head into the table. “Ancestors, the future of our house is now literally swimming in shit.”
Gingerly, William moved to pat the dark elf on the back. “Ah, but at least it’s safe.”
Once more he glanced away as two silver eyes peeked out angrily from between the girl’s arms.
Needless to say, he was rather glad for the eventual arrival of the rest of their team – even if Bonnlyn chose to complain at length about the fact that she was going to be forced to dine on ‘twigs and berries’ – as opposed to the gut busting pile of vaguely food shaped grease she normally chose to partake of in a morning.
Still, at least Marline had stopped glaring at him by the time they’d all finished eating – escaping just before the first of their fellow cadets piled noisily into the cafeteria.


It was actually rather amusing, that for all that the coming match had obvious implications for the country as a whole, in theory it was simply another practice match between two groups of cadets.
To that end, there was no great ceremony as the members of Team Seven made their way through the double doors leading to the Floats. There, as per usual, stood the members of the opposing team along with an Instructor from a ‘neutral’ house.
Never mind that the great bleachers to each side of the faux-ships were filled with eager spectators when they were normally all-but bare. Or that not one of the viewing orbs bolted to the gantries overhead was bereft of the ambient glow that signified they were in use.
Half the noble houses in the country were likely watching the events that were about to unfold through those crystalline orbs. Though William had to wonder if the Queen was one of them or if she was present in person, simply hidden behind whatever magic she used to render herself and her guards invisible.
Still, as he gazed upon the spectacle around them, William couldn’t help but be reminded of just how impressive a construction the Floats were, the stadium sized building hosting not just the ships that made up the field, but room for spectators, viewing orbs, staff and a myriad other smaller facilities that each worked to allow the practice matches to occur.
With that in mind, one notable absence from the building’s usual occupants was hard to miss.
“Where are all the sailors and marines?” Olzenya asked.
“I don’t know,” William said as they continued walking towards Tala and her team. “Maybe they’re already onboard?”
He doubted it though. He’d have been able to see people moving about inside the great vessels or marching across the deck.
No, something was amiss here.
Still, he’d known there was a possibility of House Blackstone attempting something. And the absence of the Float’s usual staff was likely to be related.
Nothing for it now, he thought. Whatever they’ve done can’t be too overt.
The Principal of the Academy might have been in New Haven’s pocket – which made her an ally of House Blackstone – but even her power had limits with the Crown and half the country watching.
“Ma’am,” William said as he came to a stop before the Instructor from House Summerfield. “Team Seven reporting.”
Instructor Halfin, ironically the woman who’d first introduced his team to the floats glowered at him.
“I don’t like this,” she said without preamble, her voice raised loudly enough that it was clear she was aiming her words not just at him, but Tala and the rest of the world besides. “The Academy and the Floats are supposed to be a training environment for the future leadership of the nation as a whole. Not a pissing ground for idiotic adolescents.”
“I didn’t choose the venue, ma’am.” Even as she spoke, Tala’s gaze stayed on William.
“And I didn’t ask your opinion, cadet.” Halfin’s words were biting as she turned towards the third-year. “The only opinion that matters here is mine. Not yours. Not his. Not your mummy’s. And not the rest of these upjumped cretins.”
Her hand flew out to encompass the veritable circus that were the stands. “So, with that in mind you can believe me when I say that my only concern is getting through this farce as efficiently and as fairly as possible. I don’t give a shit about what’s on the line or who doesn’t want to marry who. All that matters to me is whether or not you have wax or paint on your breastplate or enough harpy-venom in your system to put you down for the count.”
Both Tala’s and William’s eyes widened a little at that.
“Wax, ma’am? Paint?” Tala said.
The older woman grunted. “You heard me, and that’s all I’ll say on the matter. Let it be known I’m not happy about it. Nor about the fact that half the sailors on base have apparently come down with the shits.”
Ah, so that was why the float’s usual crew was missing. Clearly the work of House Blackstone, though to what end William was yet unsure.
Are they trying to delay the match? He thought.
That wouldn’t be ideal for a number of reasons – most of which centred around it giving House Blackstone more time to sabotage him and his team. There’d been a damn good reason he chose to have their match literally a day after he challenged her.
“This has naturally affected my ability to run a normal Float match. Normally that would be grounds for delaying this whole farce,” Halfin continued, tone darkening as she spoke the next few words. “But it has been ‘suggested’ to me by a number of parties that doing so would be impractical. So, we shall instead be making use of one of the scenarios available to us that does not require the use of regular crewmembers.”
She gestured towards the area between the two faux ships, the football field sized stretch of land normally empty but for a few overhead nets designed to catch falling cadets.
That wasn’t the case today. Instead, the area had been filled with a tangled mess of pre-fabricated structures and various other bits of paraphernalia.
“Airship down,” the Instructor said, and after a moment’s observation, William realized that the stretch of land really did look like what you might have seen if an airship crashed into it.
Assuming said airship crashed with enough force to scatter its component parts around rather than remain as a fairly battered single object. Which, given the heights said ships could drop from, wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
“Our third year cadets will be familiar with this scenario, but I will explain it briefly for our first years.” Again, there was no mistaking just how unhappy Halfin was with all of this. “In short, an allied or enemy airship has crashed in neutral territory. Both sides of the conflict have dispatched a mage strike team to search the wreckage for the ship’s core so as to deny it to the enemy. Unfortunately, neither side can effectively search said wreckage until the other strike team has been completely eliminated.”
Halfin’s gaze turned towards his team. “To clarify, do not let the flavor text of this scenario fool you. There is no core within the wreckage in this scenario. The only way to win is to completely eliminate the opposing team.”
Over the woman’s shoulder, William didn’t miss the small smile that flitted across his fiancee’s features.
Ah, so that’s her game, he thought.
Oh, he didn’t doubt she would have preferred this whole engagement be delayed so as to allow her more time to stack the deck, but on short notice simply changing the scenario to this still helped her.
Theoretically.
It reduced the number of ‘wild card’ factors that might benefit him or his team. No crew members. No orbs to collect. Just a straight up fight between the two teams.
Sure, said wild cards could have just as easily worked in Tala’s favour, but given the skill disparity between the two groups, it benefited her to reduce the number of random vectors present in the coming fight.
Plus, it also had his team attempting to navigate an unfamiliar scenario.
Well played, he thought.
“Any issue with that, cadets?” Halfin said as she finished her explanation.
“None at all,” William said before the rest of his team could interrupt, noting the small pout of disappointment that flitted across Tala’s face.
She’d probably wanted him to kick up a fuss and force the match to be delayed for the reasons he’d thought of before.
Alas, she wasn’t that lucky.
No, for better or for worse this was happening here and now.
Sure, it wasn’t an ideal scenario, but he could make it work for him. It simply required him to pull out another trick that he’d been hoping to hold onto for just a little while longer.
Amusingly, Halfin also looked a little disappointed. The woman had probably wanted the match delayed on principle. It was clear both his new weapon and Tala’s interference rubbed her the wrong way.
Though as he had the thought, he was pleasantly surprised to see there was at least one woman in the academy who placed her duty as an educator and impartial judge above politics.
Indeed, if she had a reputation for such, that was likely part of the reason why she’d been selected for this match as a compromise between the Crown and the Blackstones.
“Well, if that’s all, then you’ve got ten minutes to check out your weapons and get to your starting positions.” Halfin grunted, before she seemed to remember something. “And I suppose I’ll take possession of the ‘bet’ now.”
There was no missing the disdain in the woman’s voice, which actually made William feel a bit better as he gestured over to Verity.
Unslinging the backpack she’d carried all the way over, the girl still looked more than a little awed as she unveiled the glowing metal orb. It was actually a little amusing, the mixture of relief and reluctance that crossed her features as she handed it over to the Instructor.
An instructor who was apparently not entirely carved from stone, as she somewhat reverently accepted the object.
Even the distant stands hushed down a bit as the bowling ball sized core changed hands.
Of course, it was barely a second before the moment was interrupted.
“Of course you’d have the orc carry it,” Tala grunted, her tone resigned.
Verity flinched back at the words and every other member of his team – including Olzenya leaned forward to argue – but William forestalled them all with a simple raised hand.
“Of course I did,” he said simply. “She’s a valuable member of my team and I trust her. Far more than certain other individuals present.”
A core could also be deceptively heavy despite its ability to produce lighter than air aether and he had no real desire to carry it all the way across campus. It also went unsaid that Verity was best equipped to intercept any… opportunistic thieves.
Indeed, he’d have paid to see some enterprising moron attempt to wrestle the bag holding the core off his orcish teammate on the walk over here.
It hadn’t happened of course, the possibility had always been an outlier at best, but given the stakes it had seemed better to err on the side of caution.
…It had also been amusing to see the myriad emotions that had flashed across the faces of most of the team when he quite casually tossed the bag holding the core to the orc. One would almost think he’d just thrown a baby at her.
Indeed, the only one who’d not been affected had been Marline, who’d just looked quietly resigned.
Which was still fun in its own way.
It was a little childish perhaps coming from a man ‘his age’, but that same age was what gave him the experience to know that sometimes life was about being a little silly and enjoying the small things.
And what better silly fun was there than teasing a bunch of far too serious kids by throwing around a basically indestructible ball of magical space metal?
Of course, given the flash of irritation that shot across Tala’s face, it was clear she thought his smile was an accompaniment to his taunt.
However, before she could say anything, Halfin scooped up the core. “Well, I’ll be holding onto this until the match is over. At which point I shall hand it to whomever I deem to be the victor.” For just a moment, her expression softened. “You can rest assured, both of you, that I shan’t let it out of my sight or off my person for the duration of the match. This I swear – even if I’m irritated at this whole situation.”
William and Tala both nodded, accepting the solemness of the woman’s impromptu oath.
“Alright,” she said, slinging the thing under her arm as she returned to her previous acerbic personality. “You’ve got ten minutes to collect your weapons and be at your designated spots for the beginning of the match. Anyone not in the correct place at the correct time will be considered eliminated for the purposes of this match. Dismissed.”
With her bit said, she strode away, no doubt up to the judges tower - which had an eagle’s eye view of the entire arena.
Leaving two teams of rather combative cadets behind.
Ten minutes was more than enough time to collect their gear, so William allowed himself a few seconds to simply gaze at Tala’s team.
“Finally realizing how outclassed you are, William?” Tala sneered.
It was funny, normally that kind of open disdain was beneath her. Sure, she’d yelled at him before, but to his mind that was more of an expression of frustration than animosity.
Here and now though?
She hated him.
And he revelled in it.
Not because he hated her. He didn’t. Even if they were enemies. At worst he’d say he pitied her for her ignorance and worldview.
Much like him and his otherworldly views, she was a product of her environment.
She wasn’t evil. At least not in an intentional sense. Indeed, by the standards of this world she was actually a good person.
Loyal. Dutiful. Hardworking.
Simply in service to an institution that he abhorred.
With that in mind, the reason why he relished in her disdain was simple.
It meant that he was now worthy of it in her mind. No longer an irritating non-factor that refused to play along, his actions now had consequences.
He’d earned her animosity honestly.
He was a factor. A person.
It felt good.
“Just counting the numbers,” he said. “Some part of me wondered if you might be a team member or two short.”
Indeed, the fact that he’d hoped for the murder of a young man or woman last night was something he counted amongst the least of his sins. There’d be a great many more of those to come.
Still, ignorant of his thoughts, the girl stiffened, all but confirming his suspicions as her mind no doubt turned towards last night’s explosion.
It had been her people who’d tried to raid his alchemy storage room – though it seemed she’d not been so foolish as to send anyone on her team to accomplish the job. In all likelihood the unfortunate fools who’d run afoul of his trap had likely been little more than paid off servants or some other kind of catspaw.
Irrelevant in the scheme of things ultimately and chosen for that very reason. Unfortunate, but hoping that his enemy would be a teammate or two down had ever been a long shot.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Tala said. “My teammates are all ready and eager to serve not only me, but to honour their family names as well through that service. Though I know that’s a concept most alien to you.”
Around her, four other members of the girls team stood up a little straight, animosity burning in their gaze as they silently regarded his team with disdain.
Disdain his own team was quite happy to level back – if only out of loyalty to him.
Still, it was funny; Tala was more right than she knew. The values of this world were in many ways alien to him despite having lived here for nearly two decades.
“I suppose you’re right,” he chuckled. “To that end, I’ll see you in the arena.”
He took a moment to enjoy the look of puzzlement on his foe’s face at his placid rejoinder, before he strode away, his team falling in behind him.
Though as he walked, he made sure to turn to each of them. “Make sure to double check all of our equipment. If Tala was able to give half the Float staff food poisoning last night, I wouldn’t put it past her to be able to tamper with our equipment.”
Each of the girls nodded seriously at his words, no doubt leery of discovering a razor blade or some other such implement in one of their boots. Or that their bolt-bow had a faulty intake valve.
Indeed, the only piece of equipment William could theoretically have been sure of was that which he was currently wearing and the spell-bolts that would have been delivered clandestinely at the last minute by either Griffith or a palace guard.
And even then, what the fuck is this about wax and paint rather than rubber? He thought.
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