Achy sore throat temperature

I am using a Creality K1C - latest firmware. Creality Hyper PLA filament.
When new, the printer was working flawlessly. Now, about a month on, I cannot get most prints to finish without issues.
In this print, which worked fine before, there is some serious banding in the leg area and more concerning the head is missing. The printer kept printing as if nothing was wrong, but material was no longer being applied. Current issues
Temperature towers do not complete, they end up a stringy mess after 3 or 4 good looking temperature blocks.
My flow rate calibrations end up with all of them looking terrible.
What I have done so far is: 1. delete the bed mesh and regenerate 2. remove the nozzle and clean the throat 3. check the extruder for clogs and debris 4. tried different filaments, including regular PLA and PLA+ 5. tried different printing profiles with temp changes, retraction settings, and flow rates
Where should I go from here?

Hey I have been having a bit of a sore throat and was wondering if anyone could tell if there is any signs of stds here are two pics
https://ibb.co/XbJb1hT https://ibb.co/c3GXTCL

I (32F) have been someone who will once in a blue moon smoke cigarettes for over 15 years. Id say maybe 12 cigarettes in a year give or take. Two weeks ago I smoked for the first time in months and ever since I have felt a "tickle" in my throat and will occasionally cough throughout the day. It does not feel like a sore throat, nor is it painful. I don't know how else to describe it other than an on and off "tickle."
Does anyone have any advice for me?

I (20M, 5'5", 122 lbs) had 16g of MuscleBlaze's Raw Whey Protein before sleep and woke up with a mild sore throat the next morning. I didn't think much of it and continued to take 5g of creatine monohydrate. Nothing happened immediately, so I took another dose of 5g after 4 hours.
After a few hours, I felt fullness or pressure in my ears and a scratchy, sore feeling at the back of my throat. It was mild. When I slept that night, I experienced headaches, body weakness, and fluctuating sensations of cold and heat. When I woke up, I felt fine except for a mild throat pain. I proceeded to take another 5g of creatine.
Later that day, I started having mild pain in my throat again when swallowing. I also felt pain when I touched the right side of my neck area under my ear.
Context: When I eat anything that has butter, ghee, mayonnaise, or certain oils like palm oil, I sneeze 10-12 times almost continuously the next day. This has been happening for the past 4 years. Sometimes, this also happens with bananas.

• Can Whey protein & Creatine cause these allergic reaction or is this a viral infection?
• Should I stop taking these supplements immediately or should I wait until I recover with the sore throat fully and try again?
• How can I cope with these allergic reactions?
• Are there any alternatives to these supplements?

I’ve had a sore throat for over a week now, my throat is only sore when I swallow which worries me that it might be strep but I have 0 other symptoms except a slight cough so I have no idea what I’m sick with and the throat pain gets bad at night when I’m trying to sleep, any ideas what I could have?

I'm a 73-year old male. Three weeks ago, I developed a sore throat, followed by inflamed gums, as well as sores on the roof of my mouth and tongue. The pain was intense, and prevented me from eating solid food for nearly a week.
I had a slight fever in the evening, and experienced deep fatigue in the afternoon. Even moderate exercise exhausted me.
I went to urgent care two weeks ago, and was diagnosed with a viral infection. I was prescribed a two-day course of valacyclovir. The lesions in my mouth improved very gradually but did not go away completely. Concerned that my fatigue hadn't lifted, last week I saw my primary care physician. He agreed that I had a viral infection, specifically HSV-1. He said that my symptoms should probably resolve themselves in a couple more weeks.
Today, the symptoms in my mouth have not completely resolved, but I’m able to eat normally and brush my teeth very carefully, though one area of my gums still bleeds.
I am most concerned about the deep fatigue I am experiencing, which has not improved.
This detail may not be helpful, but I should mention that although I am vaxed and boosted, I did contract Covid 8 weeks ago. I got better, but two weeks later I experienced some of the same symptoms I have now, though not the mouth sores, and the fatigue was not as severe.
I seemed to improve for a few weeks, and then I started experiencing this current bout of the symptoms.
I have read that many people suffering from Long Covid experience many of the symptoms I have experienced, including mouth sores. I would appreciate any insights on what my symptoms indicate, and if they could be due to Long Covid.

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?

I am not sure if that is common, my so called crashing has a very visible sign, every time after exertion I have shortness of breath with strong nausea and sometimes I just suddenly dry heave uncontrollably(loudly, my throat hurts), then my body starts trembling and body temperature rises, also cold hands and feet.

Last month a person contacted me for tutoring his two children.I took the demo class of maths and science. The kids were vey weak in their foundations. I asked few questions which a 5th or 6th grader could easily answer but both these kids in 9th grade were blanking out. Like the kids who have heard of molecules but not of atoms. Considering how weak both children were and how far their home was from mine, I quoted them 1000/ bucks for an hour for a single child. ( please note that in market the charge varies from 700/ to 1500/). It means that if they hire me, it will cost them upto 48k per month.
As I expected, The parents refused to hire me. They were looking for someone who can teach both their kids under 20k per month and they have most likely found a tutor. One of my friends told me that I should have negotiated the price and could have quoted them 30k. By not doing that, I have missed a financial opportunity. Now this friend of mine has always called me impractical and it made me rethink the situation.
I have been tutoring for more than a decade now. When I take lectures, I speak continuously most of the time giving myself a sore throat and exhaustion. I spend a lot of extra time on students for which I don't charge a single penny. I have worked in IITs and has fair exposure in research. I am a dedicated tutor and I expect to be paid accordingly. The person who asked for a demo is a senior government official. His wife is also working and most likely run a small business. They live in a very posh area of delhi ( its an area dedicated to the housing for diplomats). The kids study in one of the top most chain of schools. These are the kind of people who go to the expensive holiday destinations, hang out in the ridiculously expensive cafes but when it comes to investing in knowledge and education, they wanna cut corners. I realized this and that's why I never called them back. I have taught kids for free but those who really needed financial help.
Am I seriously impractical in this scenario? If similar situation were to come in future, should I consider negotiating my price? What would you have done?

Age: 20 Female Weight: around 78kg ? Not taking any medication
Last week I had a sinus infection (or it’s what it felt like. I was sneezing, my sinuses were hurting and i overall felt sick. Never went to the doctor because I don’t have insurance currently)
About a few days later, I started feeling better, and I was, until yesterday.
I woke up yesterday morning coughing and had been coughing most of the day. Still sneezing, but not as bad.
I woke up this morning to a scratchy throat, very hoarse voice, and I’m coughing. My voice is almost gone. Not sure if it’s laryngitis, mucus, or postnatal drip. Never had this happen before. I’ve felt pretty lazy the last few days but not super achy.

Last month a person contacted me for tutoring his two children.I took the demo class of maths and science. The kids were vey weak in their foundations. I asked few questions which a 5th or 6th grader could easily answer but both these kids in 9th grade were blanking out. Like the kids who have heard of molecules but not of atoms. Considering how weak the kids were and how far their home was from mine, I quoted them 1000/ bucks for an hour for a single child. It means that if they hire me, it will cost them upto 48k per month.
As I expected, The parents refused to hire me. They were looking for someone who can teach both their kids under 20k per month and they have most likely found a tutor. One of my friends told me that I should have negotiated the price and could have quoted them 30k. By not doing that, I have missed a financial opportunity. Now this friend of mine has always called me impractical and it made me rethink the situation.
I have been tutoring for more than a decade now. When I take lectures, I speak continuously most of the time giving myself a sore throat and exhaustion. I spend a lot of extra time on students for which I don't charge a single penny. I have worked in IITs and has fair exposure in research. I am a dedicated tutor and I expect to be paid accordingly. The person who asked for a demo is a senior government official. His wife is also working and most likely run a small business. They live in a very posh area of delhi. The kids study in the top most chain of schools. These are the kind of people who go to the expensive holiday destinations, hang out in the ridiculously expensive cafes but when it comes to investing in knowledge and education, they wanna cut corners. I realized this and that's why I never called them back. I have taught kids for free but those who really needed my help.
Am I seriously impractical in this scenario? If similar situation were to come in future, should I consider negotiating my price? What would you have done?

There's been a pretty big burning/hot stiff in my neck along with waking up drenched in sweat, nausea, feeling weak in the arms and legs, chills and headaches. No cough or sore throat. I've been experiencing these symptoms for about 4-5 days. Are these just normal flu symptoms that'll just go away on its own?

I have been vape free for 7 days now and I have been coughing constantly (at least 5 times a minute) and my throat is so sore, my head is throbbing, and a lot of mucus is coughed up in the morning. Does anyone know how long until this stops?!

I'm British 34F, 156cm and maintain around 16% body fat. Eat a high protein and fibre diet, avoid eating UPF. No other medical conditions, never been to hospital before and usually slather white tiger balm or patches on my forehead for headaches.
I moved from Japan to SE Asia temporarily for work. After being here for 2.5 months I was getting the worst headaches of my life when my wisdom teeth started coming through. The headaches were concentrated above my left eye and blurred my vision in my left eye.
I went to a dentist within an English speaking hospital who said my wisdom teeth were fine but they recommended I went to the onsite pharmacy due to the headaches. They gave me 8/500mg co-codamol (effervescent tablets) and wrote 'Max 3 per day' on the packet in English.
I took 1 a day for the first 4 days, none of the 5th and 6th days and then took 1 a day for the following 4 days. 8 within 10 days.
The morning after I took the last tablet I woke up with jaundice - eye whites, face, chest, abdomen and arms. I also had diarrhoea, sore throat, lots of spots on my lower face, a different type of headache that felt more like swelling on the top of my head, feeling dizzy whenever I sat up/down and very fatigued.
I went to a different hospital and paid for a blood, kidney and liver test and was told it came back on the high side of normal. They said the dose I took wasn't consistent with my symptoms and I may be sensitive to paracetamol and may have Gilbert's syndrome. They said to come back if the jaundice worsened or I started feeling pain in my abdomen - thankfully neither happened.
It's now 8 days since I took the last tablet and I still have a hint of jaundice, it has gone down though and my skin is usually very cool toned. I still feel extremely tired, I usually exercise most days (rowing and weights) but at the moment my thighs and calfs feel exhausted after walking up 3 flights of stairs.
Do I need to do anything else/seek more medical attention? Will this damage my liver in the longterm? I'm here for another 6 weeks. Excuse the throwaway, a bit too personal for my main.

when do people start experiencing Tobi side effects? Been on it for 10 days and now I have a cough, clear sputum production, and sore throat/raspy voice. Wondering if that's normal or if it's something else? I didn't have any pseudo symptoms prior to starting Tobi.
I've only taken Tobi 2 other times, and it's been a few years so that's why I'm asking 😅

I'm the lady who thought she got a bat bite in the backyard while throwing my daughter a birthday party. Cant remember the account name I used to post here at that time. I thought I'd hop on here because today I got a sore throat and my immediate thought was "It's probably rabies."
That's how OCD works. This thought will plague me until my sore throat goes away. My brain will do mental gymnastics to try to calm itself and it won't work. Now, I could make it a million times worst by checking to make sure I can still swallow every few minutes, checking my temperature, investigating the site of my non existent bite to see if it tingles or is itchy, googling for reassurance, asking for reassurance on this sub etc etc. But then the OCD would only stay longer. And after eight months I say f*** that.
I''d rather put up with these scary thoughts for a day or two. Just sit with them and feel afraid, than fuel the OCD. OCD is a monster and when you perform those compulsions you just feed it and it grows bigger and scarier.
If you are on this sub today seeking reassurance, try to stop yourself. You know it won't help you because nobody can tell you with 100% certainty that you don't have rabies. That's what you are asking for and no one can give that to you.
Try to immerse yourself in an activity. Mine was slow cooking. I cooked complicated recipes, my family ate like royalty. I had a silly little dance that I did when the thoughts got so bad I thought I was gonna explode.
I had setbacks. Stupid rabies OCD kept flaring up, so I would repeat the process. I even started having nerve issues in my foot which was the site of the "bat bite." Those were tough days. My Dad had a brain injury, my daughter was in a car accident and I dealt with both. I was there with my family, showed up for my kids. You can't do that when you're online compulsively asking, searching, pleading for certainty that can't be had.
Pick a hobby. Immerse yourself. Notice the thoughts. This fear will lessen. It will be more than tolerable. Some days you will even laugh at yourself and the thoughts. The whole thing will become a joke even while it's still sometimes scary. You can do it.

I'm using nasal pillows with the P10 I believe.
I'm 5-6 years in and it's been great. However the past 4-5 months, I notice as I am falling asleep I'll get a little air bubble in my mouth.
I can just push it out easily, but will get another.
I'd been really good about keeping my mouth closed and if it does open I hear and feel it. But that's when I've been awake. I think if it'd happen while sleeping I'd hear it because it's pretty loud.
Im at 0.3-0.5 most nights. High for me is 1.1.
In my early days I did have a cloth sort of hat with a chin strap. I'm going to start using that again and see if it remedies.
I did do tape for the second half of the night, and got the little bubble a few times falling asleep again.
[Some additional context: I'd had a tremendous amount of mouth dryness all day. I considered an open mouth at night caused it—but tried stopping Famotidine that helped with acid reflux and eczema, gargling with a non alcohol mouth rinse, as well as stopping singing (and not yelling or screaming to warm up.) And my mouth dryness is a lot less, and no soreness in my throat. I also laid off meat in general and found my acid reflux and my eczema are almost in remission.]
I don't plan on using a face mask, but just wondering how that bubble now is coming up in my mouth. I have significantly relaxed my jaw over time, so I assume something like my tongue position is now letting air in since I relaxed so much more.
Anyway, I'm wondering 'why' this happens, what from a simply physical pov (like something my tongue may be doing) and have remedies of tape and the hat/strap thing—but if others have more ideas.
Besides that, I'm really jamming on sleep this past year. I fall asleep within a minute or two, and usually just get up once per night, hitting 8 hours almost exactly.

I really want to have my apartment checked for mold in the walls. There are two reasons why, but I am scared when I bring it to the apartment the are going to look at me like I’m crazy!
1- Every time I am home I get a runny nose, sore throat, and allergy symptoms! I do have allergies in certain areas of the country but I’ve never had them where I currently am located. When the “allergies” are bad in my apartment I can go walk outside or get out of the house and they go away.
2- There was a review of the apartment I am living in that had a complaint about mold being an issue in her apartment.
Most of me feels like it could be a coincidence but a small part of me thinks it could be something. I’m not sure how to even begin with addressing this situation.

So I'm not sure where to post this exactly because my flu test was negative-- but I had whatever other virus from hell is going around the US right now a couple of weeks ago. It started with body aches and chills and a horrible headache-- that lasted a few days, and then congestion joined the party. After a while the body aches and headache went away but the congestion stayed and last week I noticed my tonsils were swollen and covered in white patches and I had a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. I have been to the doctor and they prescribed me antibiotics to see if that did anything for the tonsils. I haven't had a fever this entire time, but I have had night sweats and I still have them. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I'm so sick of this

Greetings!
We would like to continue with energy work.
In todays session, we are desirous of speaking about the vertical dimension of your body or that which would be understood as the anaerobic or 'without oxygen.'
Firstly, we ask the rhetorical: Why did the Monks and Yogi's live in the mountains?
We of J believe the monks and yogi's lived in the mountains to live in crisp, oxygen depleted air. We also believe they lived in mountains due to how prana moves through mountainous environments.
The closest low-land air ever comes to being crisp would be in your harsh winters where temperatures are below freezing.
Within an environment that has a severe lack of oxygen, breathing is something you do entirely manually to keep yourself from constantly fainting or tripping, each breath in-fact is a trip through the anaerobic system. Monks spend years learning how to not space out in a most literal sense lest they die of carbon dioxide poisoning.
Each breath, however small or large, supplies the monk with aerobic potential which he utilizes to keep himself awake and aware of what is happening in the world - this builds a positive charge.
To be willing to partake in the world of the living, requires typically more positive energy than negative, which many may understand as work ethic in your culture.
Breathing exercises for working monks revolved around washing dishes, cleaning and tidying, praying and a variety of other physical labors that went from as intensive as running around everywhere and chopping trees, to as relaxing as learning how to see different colours or floating in the air (levitation).
With aerobic potential or positive charge, we of J think anything as fantastical as your movie and cartoon depictions of super-powers is possible. However, harnessing aerobic breathing is very difficult because in the low-lands, oxygen is usually so abundant that one does not realize how each breath vitalizes the body and in which areas.
Anaerobic Potential:
However, we of J believe there is an entirely different side to the body that does not rely on oxygen at all. We also believe many confuse this energy system as the array of pains and pleasures they feel going through life, such as breaking an arm, going through a break up, fulfillment or even profound states of satori.
We of J believe that much of human experience in-fact is centered around the anaerobic side of your mind/body.
When oxygen is not required, things that would make you look as alike a superhero with oxygen would then seem childish when done without oxygen.
We of J believe that most spiritual work asks one to focus on anaerobic contractions of focus and in bolstering the strength of this muscle, one can navigate your planet with great freedom.
The anaerobic system works within deeper structures of the central nervous system, it is hard to feel but without being unconscious, yet if one can experience this nervous system entirely with will power alone through dedicated meditative practice, that same entity will be able to traverse the empty space not only within themselves but the Universe itself.
For many, the anaerobic nervous system and its corresponding contractions are 'autonomic.' Meditators train for many years but usually in good environmental conditions, to gain mastery over the centers of the body that do not require oxygen to manipulate. In doing so, it becomes possible to create whichever hormone one so desires merely by stimulating the gland directly.
In yoga, beginners must learn a set of muscular contractions, learning all these muscular contractions would take some many years, but students of yoga plan on living hundreds of years so they usually do not mind.
The first muscular contraction is to liberate or free sexual energy which is the pelvic floor lift which we explained a few sessions back. This lift prepares the anaerobic system for blood-flow.
The final muscular contraction is to find the Dao in thinking hard and softly to move consciousness into hyperspace, this works the entire throat chakra which humans would understand as the default mode network.
All the contractions in the middle are what entities would term their life story or most vivid experiences of life, which settle automatically between the lower and upper spine.
In mastering all anaerobic contractions to generate higher experience, the Yogi may undergo death and rebirth to continue his training in a newer, fitter body that can handle large quantities of life-force.
In doing these exercises for hundreds of years more, one realizes that all is Thought, and balancing thinking and energy (relaxation) is the aim of the Simulation.
The Dao of Thinking:
Thinking is a balancing act, humans swing in a variety of different ways, but it is always a back and forth of the left and right hemisphere. To find the Dao or Middle, is to find the point where one is both thinking in a relaxed form and in a tense form such that one feels a sense of rising or lifting.
This is done correctly when one feels their head vibrating or 'tensing.'
As one familiarizes themselves with this contraction, a sense of yawning may come over you, it is important to not waste the energy, so it is better to hold the yawn in and use it for something more profound.
One will then contract all their thinking potential at the same time, which you may have done at a young age when you had a deep sense of doom come over you or felt profoundly excited and time started moving very slowly.
By contracting thinking potential all at once but with the anaerobic system, we can effect the pineal gland piezoelectrically and begin to sync with the magnetic environment around us.
Drugs and the Anaerobic Nervous System:
We of J believe this nervous-system is very hard to feel in your world due to environmental issues which include wifi among other things.
Boomers, as your world terms them, are quite familiar with this nervous-system and very much struggle using your technology because it was simply not necessary to think so deeply about life such that it required dexterous hands and a quick left and right hemisphere.
Losing feeling of this nervous-system completely causes suicidal thoughts and depression we believe, gaining feeling of this nervous-system awakens you to pains that you have equally been ignoring.
We of J hope that the drugs of your world may soon help the common man or woman make contact with their inner world.
For those who are very interested in this nervous system, we of J are currently working with our instrument such that he may explain how you can awaken it with will-power predominantly.
If you have any questions about the 'anaerobic nervous system' as we are calling it, please do ask.

I had Covid end of Jan - beginning of Feb for the 2nd time I know of with horrible symptoms…. I’m only 39 but Was in urgent care 3 times that week because I felt like I couldn’t swallow ( no sore throat weirdly enough) and had no saliva and also couldn’t breathe right. I also smelled a weird bleach smell with vinegar after testing neg. They prescribed me paxlovid and Ativan thinking it was anxiety but these symptoms keep happening daily for me and it was horrible…. Up until this past week. Completely vanished out of the blue. Im even afraid to type this because im worried i just fked myself and they’ll come back. I ended up taking Pepcid ac daily after and Claritin because I heard it helps regulate the nervous system and will stop a flare from happening. I didn’t have to take anything this week even for acid reflux. Just wanted to share what maybe worked for me although time is probably the real reason. Hang in there everyone. The only thing I still have is when I eat anything with chili it tastes bitter and spicy and gross but I’ll take that if it never goes away because the other symptoms were unbearable.

“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.”