Look I love this game a lot. It’s been a favorite since release but the only thing getting under my skin is the 500kg bomb. You can throw it into a literal sea of bugs and get 15 kills max because of the short damage fall off. In my honest opinion the bomb should vaporize anything within a 15-25 meter radius. A couple of my friends and I were throwing them at each other and it was quite comical to be 10 feet from a small nuke and walk away completely unharmed. I get the devs have a lot on their plate but I hope the 500kg gets some much needed love. I JUST WANT TO SPREAD DEMOCRACY

2020 trd off road 63k miles
About to leave this morning to head to the gas station and after firing it up, I had looked out the right passenger window and then noticed a puff of smoke rising from outside the back passenger window. I immediately got out and watched the exhaust. Cloud had disappeared but for a second was puffing out what I assumed was usual water vapor, and then it stopped after like 2 seconds. I only noticed the slightest smell of oil for a second but nothing smelling overwhelmingly strong. Couldn't tell if the initial cloud was blue or white. This is the very first time I've noticed this happening. It could have happened before but I definitely haven't seen it before today.
Side bar, Just got my truck back from dealer diagnosing a rattling noise I have been having. They searched high and low and didn't get any codes at any point even while driving it. Diag was inconclusive overall. But their diagnosis included the usual multi-point inspection of which they claimed no leaks of any kind and all fluids looked fine. How fucked am I?
Kind of panic moding right now because I'm supposed to pull a uhaul trailer across country in 2 days with this truck, moving states. No times to try to figure anything else out. Wondering if I should just get the uhaul truck and tow the damn tacoma instead.

Hey all, background info: we purchased our house 5 years ago. The contractors installed a vapor barrier along the back wall in our basement. Over the years, I'm presuming the dirt underneath has shifted out amd now appears as it does in the pic.
Can this simply be shored up in the meantime by lifting that portion of the barrier and digging out/removing that dirt? And any idea od how to fix this longterm so we don't have to fix this again? Thank you all for any help on this topic!

📢 Starting today, the $shish is getting lit and going up in flames! 2x69k will be vaporized daily, at least 30% of the supply.
🚄 Don't miss the train, join the smokin' airdrop now before it's too late! This ride's heating up fast!

84' correct craft, and my manual describes the importance of these ducting exhaust vent hoses (looks like dryer vent hoses) so that vapors/gas can be blown out and away from the boat. However, it doesn't mention anything about how they are supposed to be hooked up.
so im here to get advice on replacing them the correct way as to not have my boat blow up

• full image gallery: https://imgur.com/a/dG74krG

Stern/Transom vents

here at the stern behind the fuel tank I see 2 hoses

• one completely ripped off: https://i.imgur.com/KBJdiP6.jpeg
• one with a bilge blower attached: https://i.imgur.com/ST07YJb.jpeg

due to the fuel tank, I have no idea if these connect to anything behind the fuel tank. based on this photo of another correctcraft, it seems like they just sit at the bottom of the transom to have gas sucked/blow out.
why does one have a blower and the other not?
i assume its to have circulation. when you blow the gas/vapors out, that void needs to be filled with good clean air. So the (left) hose offers a path for good air to come back down and circulate. maybe thats right???

Bow vents

here at the bow, there are 3 hoses and 4 holes: https://i.imgur.com/9prc1hp.jpeg
the 3 hoses look to go down into the floor, and i assume they then connect to the bottom of the bilge where the inboard motor sits since that is another place for gas to lay.
but i see no blower attached here... and what is the 4th hole for? is there suppose to be a hose whose end just sits here in the bow?
when i turn the blower on, only the transom vents blow air out... the vents at the bow do not blow any air.

advice on getting this working so i dont blow up the boat?

I was just going to replace the broken hoses, but im cautious and dont want to assume thats the only thing that needs fixed.

I'm rewatching Lucha Underground Season 1, and from his first appearance, wow, King Cuerno seems like such a star. The look (I dunno if everybody is smaller, he was bigger, or he just looks more impressive in a mask or what lol), the ring presence, the way he stalks around, his amazing suicide dive...he just seems like a powerful force, with a very intriguing presence. It was clear in just the first match with Drago which was a very impressive squash match because of how King Cuerno carried himself. I have basically NEVER got that feel from Santos Escobar.
Is it just that Santos has adapted to being what WWE wants from a midcard heel, and doesn't try to stand out? If so, he's done so TOO well lol...he actually seemed like an awesome talent back in Lucha Underground, but I think he's just been ok in WWE. Not bad or anything, but not particularly memorable either, and rarely comes off as much of a star as he once did.

Embarking on a DIY basement finishing project can transform an underutilized space into a vibrant part of your home, whether you’re creating a cozy family room, an organized storage area, or a functional home office. The journey to a completed basement involves several steps, beginning with thorough planning and preparation, which set the foundation for a successful renovation. One of the initial and crucial steps in preparing for basement renovation involves addressing the disposal of construction debris. Securing a home dumpster rental is an efficient way to manage waste, ensuring your work area remains clean and safe. Following waste management, the process continues with framing basement walls, installing electrical and plumbing systems, and selecting the right insulation and vapor barriers. Attention to detail is paramount when drywalling, choosing flooring, and considering ceiling options to achieve the best results for your living space.
Learn more: https://wasteremovalusa.com/blog/diy-basement-finishing/

This is far from the first situation of this kind in my marriage, and I really need some perspective here. My spouse of a year and a half has A LOT of food allergies. The only one that is life threatening is citrus. As such, we try to keep our house as allergen free as possible, and if I want to be able to kiss them, I don’t eat anything they’re allergic to (which again is most things, it would take way too long to list). I have learned to cook so they can eat safely at home, I have removed many of my favorite foods and drinks from my diet, I have given up scented candles, perfume, and I have to use all the same skin and hair products as them, even if I don’t like them.
For the past few weeks, there’s been a nasty virus going around our house and so we’ve both been pretty sick and miserable. I’ve had a sore throat and cough for five days. Before I met my wife, I would have been drinking my favorite peach and orange tea and honey religiously to help sooth it. But my wife is allergic to honey, and most teas. The only tea we have that they’re not allergic to is one that I don’t like the taste of.
So today I have to go to work and I have to be able to speak, so I made myself a thermos of the tea I like, taking care not to cross-contaminate anything, and I even put the lid on while it steeped, so that the vapors wouldn’t trigger their asthma.
It wasn’t enough. When my spouse walked in, they said “is that poison tea?” And I replied that yes it was and they immediately left the room and said “Ah, so I’m staying away from you today, then. Enjoy your poison tea.”
Their tone made me feel like shit. I just wanted the tea I love that I hardly ever get to drink to make me feel a little bit better while I worked. And just breathing in the vapor is not going to endanger their life. At most it will make them cough and have to take their inhaler. Am I the asshole?

1. Discmania Sky Stone PD2 - 9.5/10, 175g - BIN $30
   
2. Shield Stamp Lux Vapor Essence - 9.5/10, 174g - BIN $28
   
3. Nordic Phenom 2 PD - 9.5/10, 175g - BIN $20
   
4. S-Line MD2 (Innova Made) - 9.5/10, 180g - BIN $27
   
5. CB1 Stamped Lux Vapor Link - 9.5/10, 175g - BIN $20
   
6. Royal Rage 2 Vapor Instinct - 9.5/10, 174g - BIN $28
   
7. Vapor Enigma - 8/10, 174g - BIN $22
   
8. C-Line MD (Innova Made) - 8/10, 180g - BIN $28
   
9. Voltorb Dye C-Line MD1 - 8/10, 180g - BIN $28
   

Will do deals for multiples Prices are shipped CONUS RRNTS

Just bought my brand new X1-Carbon (upgraded from an Ender 3 v1 lol) and plan to make a full-blown set of armor using Galactic Armory's files. I am making the set in ABS, for post-processing reasons, as I've heard it's easier to sand and I want to see if ABS vapor smoothing is any good. If there are any tips for sizing the helmet or body parts in general I would love any advice being thrown my way as this is my first large 3D printing project.

OK, so I haven't played this game since lunch however I did beat the game back then I just put it up now and restart a new character so I can get my bearings. Which means I'm fresh I have no items or anything. I'm still going through my first area which my first area was the forest type now. I'm kinda curious how do I even play both DLC's? I just unlocked adventure mode still in the first area. And I think with the awaken king, I have to re-roll my whole campaign???
Can someone give me some guidance? Also, any suggestions on when I should start the DLC

Bonjour,
je me permets de poster ici car je ne sais pas où poster...
Voilà j'ai un PC avec tour depuis maintenant 2 ans. Il tourne très bien et je le nettoie avec bombe a air comprimé au moins une fois tous les deux mois.
Seulement voilà, depuis deux jours, mes jeux se ferment tous seuls...
Alors au début j'avais pensé que c'était parce que c'était Bethesda qui avait créé Fallout 4 (avec les bugs etc) donc je me disais "ok c'est peut etre normal".
Puis j'ai continué à jouer à Crusader Kings III et là a chaque partie, le jeu se ferme sans avertissement et je suis de retour au Bureau...
J'ai nettoyé le pc avec ma bombe a air comprimé mais rien n'y fait.
J'ai telechargé CoreTemp pour voir la température du PC mais ca n'atteint pas les 100 degrés donc ca devrait être bon...
Voilà ma config:
Processeur 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-12500 3.00 GHz
Mémoire RAM installée 16,0 Go (15,8 Go utilisable)
ID de périphérique F3336D1B-C615-40D9-AC0B-882F02ECC2F1
ID de produit 00326-03550-39556-AAOEM
Type du système Système d’exploitation 64 bits, processeur x64
Stylet et fonction tactile La fonctionnalité d’entrée tactile ou avec un stylet n’est pas disponible sur cet écran
Quelqu'un aurait il une idée? J'hésite à l'amener chez LDLC mais ça va me couter cher..

I’m still learning, but I feel like I have a pretty OK grasp on the basic RWS meanings now. What I’m really struggling with is interpreting the face cards in practice.
I understand the differences between the page and knight for sure—I’m still a bit muddy on queen vs king—and I understand how each suit represents different aspects. But even accounting for things like fire/creativity, wateemotion, aiintellect, and earth/material needs, I really struggle when my deck gives me face cards in readings. What exactly do they mean when representing a problem, or a solution, or a past/present/future?
Does anyone have any advice on how I can understand them better in readings?
(apologies in advance if I didn’t tag/flair this correctly or post in the right spot—flairs confuse me a bit)

“Will you look at that,” Captain Yontan marveled from the observation deck. They had arrived in the Solar System at long last, the old bastion of knowledge mankind had abandoned many millennia ago.
“Such a basic tech, yet so beautiful, so… poetic,” Lezlybe uttered, gazing at the constant flux of Sunfire Conduit pulled from the sun to one, two, three relays, and finally to the surface of Pluto, where its energy was being harnessed inside a crater. “And you’re certain that’s where the Ultimate Knowledge is stored?”
“Yes,” Yontan nodded. “Every clue leads to Pluto. Can you imagine? The Ultimate Knowledge, lost for millennia, on this planet out of all places.”
“Ready to descend at your command, captain,” announced Ghenna.
Yontan turned to his crew and smiled. It was the first time they had seen him do that in months. “Hover around the south-south-eastern quadrant of the crater. That’s where the entrance is supposed to be.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Lezlybe’s turned to face the captain, her long black hair swirling around with her.
“Wouldn’t that energy burn us on approach?”
“It might be basic tech, but not that basic, Lez,” said Yontan. “It’s safe up to a distance of 100 meters. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors because they built this thing in the distant past. They were as smart as us. Smarter even, in certain aspects, I’m sure.”
“Found the entrance, captain,” said Ghenna. It was a pale peach colored door built on the craterside.
“Land near it, wherever it’s stable.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The ship touched down next to the Hollis Crater. Yontan and four others suited up and left the craft. Before heading for the door, the team stopped to gaze at the Sunfire Conduit from their position. It went up, up, up as far as the eye could see.
Jmerr was awestruck.
“I can’t believe we’re able to look at it with basic sun visors. Do you think our ancestors purposefully designed it like that?”
“Of course,” said Yontan, mesmerized by the spiraling blaze swooshing down the crater. “Aesthetics have always been important, especially since it used to be connected to three planets, two dwarf planets, and eight moons. Many renown painters have depicted the Conduits in their art. Although no physical portraits survived, their works have been well documented over hundreds of books.”
Lezlybe approached Jmerr and put her hand over his shoulder.
“I kind of wish we could hear its thunderous sound. I imagine it’d be a satisfying swoosh, kind of like a blowtorch.”
“You’d be deaf before you’d hear a thing,” laughed Yontan. “We’re speaking of extremely powerful jets coming from a star, after all. I can’t wait to see why they’re pulling so much energy on such a small planet. It’s totally excessive in my view.”
“Maybe it’s not,” said Lezlybe. “Especially if the Ultimate Knowledge is behind this door.”
The team approached the door, a small black panel to its side. Yontan placed a round device on top and, seconds later, it retracted into the ground.
“A Grampus?” frowned Jmerr, even though no one could see his face behind the visor. “Why do you use this old AI?”
“Because I don’t know the code,” explained Yontan as they stepped inside a long hall. “So I brought this device with me to crack the password. Don’t forget that this here is also old tech. Newer devices could break something.” He glanced over his shoulder at the wide-open entryway with the ship not too far behind. “But it looks like the Grampus broke it anyway since it doesn’t slide shut.”
At the end of the wide turquoise hall, another door was easily popped open with Yontan’s device. This time, however, the heavy door closed shut when the last person stepped in.
“I hope we’re not trapped in this small room,” gulped Lezlybe.
“Don’t worry, we can ask someone on board to cut it open if needed,” said Yontan. “After all we –”
PSHHHHHHHH
A burst of gas sprayed them from all sides, followed by a shower of heavy liquid. A few moments after it stopped, the door in front of them opened, and a gentle male voice greeted them.
“Welcome to U.K. ONE. The current air pressure is at 101.3 kilopascals, with a temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius and a humidity level set at 60% RH.”
The voice then proceeded to inform them about the room’s condition among other sets of data.
“I see. We were inside a basic decompression chamber,” muttered Jmerr.
The tallest crewmate, Lessandre, popped his helmet off and took a deep breath.
“Ah, historical fresh air,” he boomed, looking around the oval room. “It brings a tear to my eye.”
“What are you doing?” Yontan shouted. “We don’t know what particles or microorganisms could linger in here.”
“Relax, captain. Tyche analyzed the air and told me it’s fine. Why don’t you all retract your visors and experience this multimillennial-old air? You’ll never have the chance to do that again, you know.”
Yontan checked with his own version of his AI, Tyche, and everything seemed to be fine, so he retracted the visor of his helmet as well, just in time to scratch an itch on his beard. The rest of the crew followed, except for Jmerr.
“Come on, Jmerr. It’s a unique experience, my friend,” beamed Lessandre, tapping on his shoulder.
Jmerr scowled at Lessandre. “I refuse to take unnecessary risks.”
“As you wish,” Lessandre grinned, loudly sniffing the air. “Ahhh. The air in here is exceptionally… how to describe it?”
“Dusty?” Lezlybe chimed in. “I think the auto-clean on the filter stopped working long ago.”
Yontan was ignoring his crew, inspecting the walls of this oval room for clues. But the room was pretty much empty, outside of the air conditioning holes and lights flickering on the ceiling.
“I know there’s another door on the other side of the crater, but that one’s the entrance to the accumulator and workspaces,” he muttered to himself, caressing the wall in the hopes of finding a button or a gap of sorts.
“Is that place also turquoise?” asked Lessandre. “I really hate this color. Reminds me too much of my ex.”
Lezlybe rolled her eyes.
“Then why don’t we go there?” asked Ghenna, who had closed her visor since she didn’t like the smell.
“Because,” began Yontan absent-mindedly while brushing his hands over the wall, “every document points to this place. We’ll check the other site if we don’t find anything here. Now if only I – aha! A button. This might be it.”
Yontan pushed it with his finger. Instead of clicking, like any other button would, his index finger sank completely in. He immediately withdrew it, fearing something might cut his finger off. But the button came back, except it was now white and protruded out of the wall. Yontan hesitantly pressed it.
An oval pedestal emerged from the middle of the floor, gradually rising until it reached chest height. The left side slid open with melodious clicks, and out came a small table with a round black object on it with a sky-blue center. Before they had the time to guess what it was, a hologram rose from it, displaying the head of an old balding man with a lazy eye.
“Greetings, future humans,” said the feeble voice. “And welcome to K.U. ONE. What is your purpose here?”
Yontan glanced at his crew, who gave him a nod and shrugs. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “We’ve come here to gain access to the Ultimate Knowledge, which is said to contain the answers to our purpose within the universe.”
“I see. And you are one, two, five. Oh! That is good news, good news indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Well, not me per se, since I’m long dead, I suppose,” the hologram laughed, “but my digital image. And five? Oh, proof that nothing happens at random.”
Yontan was slightly taken aback.
“Wait. You’re not a simple recording?”
“No, no. I’m enhanced with artificial intelligence. It speaks as I would speak, saying what I asked it to say – with a bit of panache. Now, move to the other side of the pedestal. It will pop open and contain a box.”
The other side popped open, displaying a silver box embossed with gold on the edges. It was beautiful. Lessandre grabbed it and tried to pry it open.
“Tut-tut! You need the key to open the box. I’ll hand it over only of you accept to eat its contents.”
“Eat it?” Yontan uttered in excitement. “Will it alter our brains? Give us the knowledge we yearn for?”
“Not quite. But it is a necessary step.”
“I won’t touch it,” Jmerr stated firmly. “I don’t trust this man. Whatever’s inside, it’s been in there for thousands of years. There’s no way it’s still edible.”
“Oh but it is,” grinned the man. “What do you think the Sunfire Conduit is used for?”
“What?” uttered Lezlybe. “The power of the sun used for… food?”
“Of course, there’s more to it. But a lot of energy is necessary to cool it down to near zero kelvin and keep it that way until it’s very slowly reheated to the ideal temperature for you to savor.
“Now, will you eat its contents or not?”
“Why don’t we bring it back to the ship and study it?” suggested Jmerr.
“The moment you leave the room with the box, its contents will be destroyed, and so will the key to Ultimate Knowledge.”
Yontan exchanged a glance with his crew. Lessandre gave him thumbs up, Ghenna nodded and Lezlybe shrugged. Jmerr was the only one to firmly shake his head.
“Fine, we’ll eat its contents,” said Yontan, upon which Jmerr put his hands up in the air in frustration.
A key appeared from the front of the pedestal. Yonan used it to open the box Lessandre was holding. Five dark-brown spherical objects were neatly placed within fitting molds, resembling the five dots on a die.
“Behold the Five Orbs of Knowledge,” the hologram said solemnly. “I recommend one for each of you.”
Jmerr crossed his arms. “There’s no way I’m touching this.”
“What if someone eats two?” asked Yontan, eyeing Jmerr.
“It would sadden me, even though it might be beneficial to grasp the Ultimate Knowledge.”
Without hesitation, Lessandre popped the middle one in his mouth. Every other crewmate was staring at him. A few bites in, he suddenly froze, eyes wide open. His gaze slowly shifted from Yontan, to Lezlybe, to Ghenna – whose visor was now lowered – and finally stopped on Jmerr.
“Awl eash ‘em bofh,” he rapidly chewed, popping a second one in. “Awl eash ‘em owl ihf you guysh downt.”
Yontan’s hand was shaking as he picked his Orb. Lezlybe and Ghenna also chose one.
“On the count of three,” gulped Yontan, as he noticed the horrified look on Jmerr. “One… two… three!”
The shell of the Orb had a slight crunch, with a rather soft, creamy inner core, gently melting on their tongue. Sweet with a zest of bitterness. Each bite, each movement of their tongue was another moment they savored, dreading the end of this unique flavor. It was an explosion of exoticism, a sensory overload inside their mouth; the richness of the Orb filled their taste buds and souls alike with pure bliss.
Then there was the aroma, dissolving the dusty odor of the room with its arboraceous perfume. It reminded them of Terrestrial woods, now planted across various planets in the Milky Way. Comforting, ancient, nostalgic, and so raw at heart.
Fortunately, this jolly adventure didn’t end after they swallowed it, no, each residue, sticking to the various corners of their mouths, lingered like a fleeting memory soon to disappear forever. Yet it was still there, to grasp with the palm of their hands. But when they tried to, it became vapor, dwindling, yet etched in their brains with such strength it would be impossible to ever forget this moment. Ever.
Their minds were still floating on a cloud of ecstasy when Yontan stared at Lessandre.
“You ate two,” he breathed. “And you,” he turned to Jmerr, “you have no idea what you’ve just missed. It’s… indescribably delectable.” Yontan faced the hologram. “Please, give us one more, for Jmerr. He has to try this… Orb.”
The hologram grinned widely, creasing the old man’s entire face.
“These were the last five. There are no more.”
“WHAT?” everyone shouted at once.
“Th– that’s it? No more?” Yontan’s shoulder slumped. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve taken it back to the ship and try to recreate it.”
“It’s impossible without the recipe.”
“A recipe? Give it to us, I don’t care about Ultimate Knowledge anymore,” Lessandre laughed.
“But you had two,” Lezlybe scowled.
“And I want more,” he chuckled. “I’ve never felt better in my life. Even two were far too few!”
“Yes, hand us the recipe so we can share it with the rest of the crew,” pleaded Yontan.
The hologram seemed more and more pleased with itself.
“Even if I gave you the recipe you couldn’t make it when the main ingredient’s missing.”
“What’s the main ingredient?” Ghenna asked.
“Cacao. And these were chocolate truffles, which I made myself utilizing the very last cacao beans to ever exist. I’m sorry. You’ll never eat chocolate ever again.”
Jmerr seemed disappointed upon hearing it, especially after seeing how everyone reacted to it.
“B – but… why?” Yontan asked. “Why offer us a delicious treat only to punch us in the gut right after?”
The hologram smiled. “Think. What is your purpose here?”
“To acquire Ultimate Knowledge… But I fail to understand…”
“If my clock is correct, 3622 years have passed since the last human – which is myself – set wheels in this room. 3622 years of technological advancement, of accumulated mastery of various sciences and understanding of the universe. Yet you believe Ultimate Knowledge is to be found in the past?”
The crewmembers looked at each other, dumbfounded.
“So… it doesn’t exist?” suggested Lezlybe. “We’ve come this far for nothing…”
“Haven’t you just experienced the ultimate delicacy of humankind? Therein lies everything you need to know.”
“It’s not about the knowledge,” began Yontan, “but about the experience we savor?”
“Exactly!” Clapping hands appeared in front of the hologram’s face. “Instead of looking for something that may not be, learn to cherish the transient nature of existence through every experience you encounter. Who knows what happens once you’re dead? Constant hesitation leads to a life of lost opportunities. One of you has learned this lesson the hard way, I’m afraid. However, the tall man over there has greatly benefited from this lesson. Balance in all things!”
“No data is ever lost,” snorted Jmerr scornfully. “Death is simply the temporary loss of information until it’s retrieved.”
“The no-hiding theorem,” smiled the hologram. “Of course. But you wouldn’t be here if you could completely determine the state of the entire universe. Thus, my rhetoric stays valid. For as long as this is beyond our grasp – likely until humanity’s extinction – you ought to cherish every experience and lose your fear of consequences within reason.”
The room went silent, the subtle taste of chocolate still lingering in their mouths like the fading words of an old love letter.
“What do we do now, captain?” Ghenna asked shyly.
“Take your new-found knowledge and share it with others,” the hologram said before Yontan could open his mouth.
“So… there really is nothing else here?”
“Nothing at all.”
The hologram fluttered for a moment.
“Were these really the last pieces of chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you eat them yourself?”
“Because sharing is the quintessential attribute of humanity. And I’m glad to have contributed my part, even though it took several millennia.”
“So why use all that energy from the sun?” asked Lezlybe.
“It’s twofold,” said the hologram. “Partially to keep this chocolate in pristine state, as I said before. You’ll understand the second reason soon enough. Let’s say it’s a parting gift, for that man who hasn’t eaten his Orb.”
“I don’t understand.” Yontan was running his fingers through his hair. “You speak of sharing, yet we won’t be able to share this exquisite experience. There’s no chocolate left.”
“Share the wisdom you’ve acquired. Or perhaps you shall find something unique to share with others as I did. Even the stories of your adv–”
The man disappeared for a few seconds.
“–entures – Ah? We’ve been cut. Soon I shall be free, just like your minds. Swiftly return to your ships, and sail t–”
It flickered again and stopped for nearly ten seconds.
“–he vast empty space to… wherever your heart leads you. Farewell. Fare well indeed.”
The hologram zoomed out to show an old man sitting on a wheelchair, waving both hands. It flickered one last time before completely fading out with a hum.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from everyone’s earpiece.
“Captain, is everything all right?” asked one of the crew left on the ship in a panic.
“Why? Did the entrance crumble down?”
“No, Sir. It’s the Conduit. You need to see this for yourself.”
The crew put on their visors and hurried out of the room, through the hallway, out on the freezing surface of Pluto. They gasped upon staring up.
“The Conduit!” Ghenna uttered.
It was oscillating, slowly shrinking until the last flames swooshed back and forth from the relay to the crater, and then, it retracted entirely.
“It’s… it’s gone…” sighed Yontan.
“The parting gift,” Jmerr sobbed. “He knew. He knew someone might not try out the chocolate truffle, and he purposefully shut down the entire system.”
Lessandre turned to Jmerr. “Consider this your incredible experience. We must be the only humans to ever see this happen in real time.”
“But we can reconnect it, unlike the chocolate, can’t we?” said Lizlybe.
Yontan shook his head. “Do you know of the ancient pyramids in the northern African continent?”
“Yeah…” she hesitated. “Vaguely.”
“Do you know why they’ve never been rebuilt?”
Lezlybe shrugged.
“Because there’s nothing to gain in doing so.” He pointed his finger at the vast expanse above him. “We’ve never rebuilt the ancient pyramids – not due to complexity, but due to loss of time and resources involved without any actual benefit. I’m afraid this is the last time anyone has admired this old tech at work.”
Upon their return on the ship, they told the rest of the crew what inside the U.K. ONE.
“So the Ultimate Knowledge doesn’t exist?” one of the crewmember asked.
Yontan took one last glance at the crater as the ship took off.
“I believe it does,” he beamed, looking at the bemused faces of his crew. “Not here.” He gently tapped his temple. “But here.” His hand rested on his chest. “And there.” His arms were wide open, as if trying to embrace his whole crew at once. “Acquired wisdom is the Ultimate Knowledge. And the ability to share experiences with others is our greatest gift.”