https://archive.is/ucFte
Orange and Petersham will receive a combined $134,530 in state money to implement a package of materials for teaching foundational reading skills in kindergarten through second grade.
The two North Quabbin towns are among the 18 school districts and collaboratives selected to split $1.2 million in grants for Appleseeds, a free downloadable package of instructional materials for reading foundational skills. The grants will fund printing of the materials, plus professional development for educators. Orange will get $91,144, while Petersham gets $43,386.
Elizabeth Zielinski, superintendent of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union 73 school districts, said the latter will use the money to provide the Appleseeds program to preschool students. The grant money will cover the cost of required training and student materials.
“It’s not discrepancy money at all. It is very specific,” she said on Thursday. Zielinski lauded the merits of the evidence-based reading foundational skills program.
“We don’t want to go and reinvent the wheel,” she said. “We want to go with programs with really good results.”
“This Appleseeds grant is an important part of our administration’s commitment to improving early literacy instruction,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “We also recently proposed Literacy Launch in our latest budget, a historic investment in early literacy from age 3 to grade 3, on top of additional funding for continued literacy programming from [the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education].”
Aaron O’Connor, principal of Petersham Center School, said the funds will be used to purchase Decodables, a text that focuses on the phonetic code and presents words to students that follow the lessons taught, as well as professional development for teachers. He said the school uses the University of Florida Literacy Institute’s early literacy program, but that it works with Appleseeds.
“We’re working with the core teachers and laying out the lessons we are using for the year,” O’Connor explained. “It’s not a significant change, just an addition to the curriculum, more tools to support what we are dong.”
O’Connor mentioned the Decodables are culturally sensitive, and said the goal is for students to have good reading comprehension by the second grade. The Decodables will be rolled out in the fall and while they are geared toward students in kindergarten through second grade, they could also be used for older children who require intervention to help build reading skills.
“One big thing we say is there’s nothing better than a kid with a book in their hands,” O’Connor said. “We like that this has gone through a rigorous vetting.”

As above, im new to building but have just set up my first build, kind of. So I have a torrent compact case, an msi b650 mobo, ryzen 7600 cpu, corsair 750x 80+ gold psu, corsair vengeance 16gb x 2 ddr5, Samsung 2tb ssd and a radeon rx 6800 16gb gpu. But my keyboard, mouse and monitor are all really cheap low quality so need to upgrade them. I know next to nothing about these 3 so would love some recommendations on decent but value for money keyboards, mouse and monitor that would make the most of the build I already have. Thanks in advance.
Edit: I've only played ps4 recently and the games I like to play are things like witcher, god of war, skyrim, assins creed etc.
Edit: sorry 2nd edit, I haven't really got a budget as such but don't want to break the bank either, I'm not too fussed about mega high specs and graphics, just don't want to put up with lagging etc. Thanks again. If any more info is needed please let me know.

Within the swiftly changing domain of digital payments, QR code payments stand out as a beacon of security and efficiency for commercial dealings. Companies determined to fortify their transaction mechanisms and safeguard client financial data will find QR code payments replete with powerful security advantages. This discussion delves into the primary security benefits of QR code payments and the manner in which VenueBoost harnesses these systems to guarantee substantial defense for corporate entities.
1. Encrypted Protocols & Transactional Security
A key safeguard offered by QR code payments is encryption technology. Each QR code is specifically crafted for a solitary transaction, encompassing encrypted payment details. This protective encryption assures that any data conveyed in the course of transaction remains secure and beyond the reach of cyber malefactors.
Significance: The use of encryption safeguards confidential financial details, curtailing the hazards of data invasions and deceitful transactions. VenueBoost's assimilation of QR code payment platforms inspires heightened trust from patrons while diminishing the prospect of expensive security incursions.
2. Diminished Card Fraud Peril
Payment modalities of yesteryear, including credit and debit cards, are prone to diverse fraud tactics, such as skimming and duplication. QR code payments discard the constraint for tangible cards, thereby cutting down on such fraud risks. Processed via a secure mobile app or digital banking interface, physical card details are out of reach for theft.
Importance: Curtailing fraud not just shields consumers but also defends businesses from the financial toll and the blight of a tarnished reputation due to fraudulent schemes. With VenueBoost's inclusion of QR code systems, companies present a reliable substitute to old-school card transactions.
3. Authentication & Credential Confirmation
To confide in QR code payments often involves extra layers of authentication, such as biometric recognition (digitprints or facial mapping) or a secure personal identification number (PIN). Such stringent security barriers confirm that the initiator of a payment is indeed the bonafide account holder.
Value: Bolstered authentication processes notably knock down the danger of unsanctioned payments, imparting both enterprises and customers with an amplified sense of ease. VenueBoost pledges that QR code dealings require strong authentication protocols, amping up security integrity.
4. Contactless Payment Merits
With the ramifications of COVID-19 and amplified sanitation consciousness, QR code payments pioneer a no-contact payment methodology. Patrons can simply sweep a QR code with their smart devices, bypassing any need to contact point-of-sale apparatuses or tender cash. This action lessens contamination risks from pathogens and contagions.
Benefit: Contact-averse transactions are not only more sanitary but also foster a safer payment avenue for the consumer populace. VenueBoost's no-contact QR code options enable businesses to transition seamlessly to current health norms, guaranteeing transactions that are both sanitary and protected.
5. Meticulous Transaction Logs
Standard within QR code payment infrastructures are comprehensive logs of each transaction that are readily available to both corporate entities and their clientele. These reports encapsulate details akin to the sum, date, and time of the transaction, alongside merchant information, laying out a clear route for every exchange.
Advantage: Meticulous records of transactions empower businesses to keep tabs on payments, steward financial affairs, and swiftly pinpoint any incongruences or duplicitous activity. VenueBoost's QR code system supplies firms with a complete dossier of transaction logs, facilitating superior fiscal oversight.
6. Shifting QR Codes
The notion of dynamic QR codes injects an advanced dimension of protection, with codes undergoing change with every exchange. Contrasting the immutable nature of static QR codes, dynamic QR codes are freshly generated for each payment occurrence, making prior codes invalid for new transactions.
Security Enhancement: Dynamic QR codes act as a barricade against "replay attacks," a dark pattern where imposters attempt to reutilize captured QR codes for unauthorized spendings; this practice ensures every transaction remains distinct and shielded. VenueBoost deploys this technique of dynamic QR codes, providing peak-level security with each financial interaction.
7. Symbiosis with Trusted Payment Gates
QR code payments frequently integrate with dependable payment gateways that adhere to the high standards and regulations set forth by the industry, such as the PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). These portals lend an additional buffer of defense through the act of encrypting payment particulars and enabling a secure transaction lifecycle.
Compliance: Adhering to mandated security norms assures that enterprises satisfy requisite safety standards, defending both the corporate body and its consumers against looming threats. VenueBoost's QR code facilities seamlessly integrate with these guarded payment gateways, underscoring both conformity and impenetrability.
8. Centralized Fraud Monitoring
Marrying QR code operations with sophisticated data analysis and surveillance utilities permits enterprises to recognize and counteract fraudulent undertakings with far greater adeptness. Said utilities scrutinize patterns in transactions and signal any suspect activity with promptness.
Proactive Security: The prior identification of fraudulent behavior equips businesses to act decisively in negating risk and shielding customer monetary data. VenueBoost’s analytical prowess in tandem with QR code technology delivers instantaneous fraud detection and proactive contraventions.
Conclusion
As the digital transaction terrain grows ever more complex, QR code payments emerge as a stalwart and reliable option. From encryption and vetting systems to the reduction of fraud vulnerabilities and the convenience of touchless payment, the security merits of QR code payments are plentiful and persuasive. Embracing QR code payments via VenueBoost empowers businesses to solidify their security framework and engender a trustworthy payment milieu.
For forward-thinking enterprises eager to remain at the forefront of the digital revolution, assimilating QR code payments into the VenueBoost portfolio ensures an uninterrupted and secure payment journey. Leverage the protective benefits of QR code payments through VenueBoost, readying your business for the unfolding future of digital finance.
#VenueBoost #SimplifyOptimizeGrow #QRcode #Payments #VBAIAssistant

Anyone else thought of doing this? I have been desperately wanting to do this for decades (or at least as many decades that have passed since the show began) if only my gaming group had any interest in playing a superhero (or adjacent) campaign. I just posted a similar message over in venturebros to see if anyone there had the same idea.
The world that Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick established is just so damn perfect for use as an RPG setting, even more than another standard superhero setting, with all the possible PC options and groups for PCs to join. PC could choose between being Protagonists or Antagonists, as per the official terminology of the Treaty of Tolerance between the Guild of Calamitous Intent and Office of Secret Intelligence. Antags could belong to the GCI or one of the other recognized legitimate Antag groups like the Peril Partnership, or be a dangerous independent rogue Antag who refuses to follow the rules established to control these dangerous nutjobs who get off on dressing up in weird costumes, spouting deranged monologues, and threatening people with ray guns. As the show established, the government and OSI allows the Guild to exist because it acts as a control-valve and relatively stable outlet and framework for these very dangerous lunatics to exist within and carry out their delusional fantasies without causing massive public collateral damage, dangerous lunatics who would otherwise be out there running around independently causing God knows how much damage... because how else are they going to control all of these deranged people who can do things like use real magic and build actual handheld rayguns?!
Guild registration guarantees that officially registered and recognized Costumed Antagonists will have the mundane cops stay out of their hair and not interfere with their officially sanctioned, regularly scheduled Arching, which is what the GCI calls the recognized Antag attacks on Protags, with set rules established by treaty between GCI and OSI (attacks on family members are regulated with extensive rules, health emergencies during Arching events require immediate pausing of hostilities until the emergency is resolved, etc.) I also imagine that all legitimate Superheroes/Super-Scientists/etc. would be required to register with the OSI to be officially recognized and therefore keep the cops out of their business, allowing them to get away with all kinds of regular comic books-style shenanigans that would otherwise result in tremendous legal troubles.
The GCI/OSI framework just screams to be used for an RPG setting, and also has lots of other smaller actual superheros like Captain Sunshine?so=search), many in groups groups like the Channel 5 Action News Team/The Super Gang and Crusaders Action League, or independent like the Brown Widow. There are mystical occult groups like Dr. Orpheus's Order of the Triad, and independent mystical heroes like The Outrider; these mystical groups could be affiliated with or serve powerful High Order Cosmic Entities like The Master, and this could lead to hidden conflicts and (literally occult) secret wars between mystical groups; you could even introduce a mystical equivalent of the OSI that presides over these occult Protags and Antags, which instead of being government sanctioned is overseen by a council of members from the world's religious and philosophical institutions, with, say, a Roman Catholic Cardinal who is a powerful Divine White Magic-User, a Black Magic Objectivist Witch with magic based on being utterly selfish (who is obviously an undead Ayn Rand) and a representative Scientologist Full Operating Thetan with powerful Mystical/Psionic abilities who is obviously a poorly-disguised Tom Cruise, all of which would be extremely Venture Bros. style.
(The initial battles between the original Team Venture and the cyborged L Ron Hubbard as shown in Spanikopita! would have died down decades ago, with a tense truce with the OSI and a bitter rivalry and Cold War between the Church of Scientology and the Guild of Calamitous Intent, with conflicts over recruiting celebrity musicians (the Guild includes the Big Bopper and Buddy Holly as members after faking their deaths decades ago, and the Guild's shapeshifting leader may or may not be David Bowie.)
I think the world established in The Venture Bros. would make the perfect setting for a campaign, allowing for plenty of humor along with all of the usual conflict and heroism, and give players license to come up with some really great outlandish character concepts based on pop culture puns and musical references, following the format and naming conventions of the show (a member of the Guild who is a college professor in normal life, with a MODOK-like tiny crippled body and a giant head, who wears a big armored, treaded war-frame into battle... and calls himself Think Tank. Guild-member Mr. Fahrenheit, The Supersonic Man who is very clearly Freddie Mercury. PCs like that would be half the fun of the campaign! Players could even make PCs who are famous musicians with semi-secret double-lives as Supervillains/GCI Antagonists!) The GCI/OSI paradigm in particular is excellent for giving a framework for PCs to fit into the world, and to give structure to adventures and game sessions ("We have an Arching event scheduled for 2:30, we better get ready before The Tommy Atkins Dietician and his Pillsbury Doughboy Battalion arrive!")
Anyone else have any ideas or further thoughts?

Hey guys, 4ThWall here. I want to apologize for the slowness of this series recently. I've been struggling to write and edit/move episodes at the same time. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy this episode.
If this is your first time reading "The Black", welcome! This series is currently split between Royal Road and Here on HFY. Feel free to start from the beginning here: (Royal Road)
(Previous), (next)
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USN Olyvia thrummed gently, her voice a comforting companion to those serving aboard her. Few, however, knew her better than her chief engineer and his bride. Patrick awoke almost instantly, his body responding to a slight change in tone. Cammy stirred against him, grumbling quietly as the change slowly pulled her from her own dreams. “Red?” She groaned.

Patrick slipped out of bed, “I felt it too,” he murmured. His console was up in a flash, and Patrick reached for his weapons belt while he scanned the incoming information. “We’ve been recalled, looks like it’s time.” The old leather belt’s buckle snapped into place. Its natural browns struck a stark paradox against the hyper modern synthetics that both served to identify and protect him. Cammy slipped one of the desk drawers open, handing him the inherited revolver that both saved their lives and brought them together. She then picked up a smaller, sleeker, and more modern silver pistol. It was housed in a much more modern holster, and she snapped the entire package into place at her waist. Her weapon was of Delmar design, a small bore auto-loading handgun chambered in a Delmar version of the originally Belgian designed 5.7x28mm cartridge. It’s holster was designed to make use of the standardized fitting along the belt of their uniforms. Moments later, a pair of magazines snapped into place as well.

Patrick slipped his wheel gun into its holster before typing out a quick message. Olyvia was still under Silent Running, and closed-circuit messaging replaced even internal com transmissions while under this protocol. “Looks like Jesse needs me on the bridge, and he wants the PAC and the forward deflector emitters double checked.”

Pat turned just in time to catch a quick kiss on the cheek from Cammy, “I’ll get it started. Have fun with the brass.” Pat snorted before kissing her on the forehead and departing. He and Cammy were essentially equals in both skill and seniority in engineering. Both of them knew Olyvia’s systems to a level that Cory’s vessel essentially had two chief engineers. Cammy, however, was playing the part of that role more often in the last two weeks. Cory had needed to remain on Wisconsin. All of the captains of Mackenzie’s Privateers were watching the data collected from Cory’s and Jacob’s sensor net from the same conference room, leaving the operation of their respective vessels to their first officers. It was a necessary evil, allowing for an absolute minimum of risky transmissions, but it had left Patrick acting as Jesse’s XO for the time being.

Patrick stepped onto Olyvia’s bridge throwing a casual salute to Jesse as he stepped up to the chair, “What ya got, sir.”

Jesse huffed, clearly not entirely happy with the situation. “What we got, is a plan. No details as of yet; it looks like they are not transmitting them to the fleet. We’re enroute to pick up the skipper, and I suspect He’ll be filling us in shortly.”

Patrick nodded darkly, “It’s about time. watching what’s going on down there is… getting to me, sir. I know why we had to wait, but I reckon Karma is just about out of patience.” Jesse nodded his agreement. The two of them double checked the ships logs from the previous night before Patrick departed for Engineering.
Six hours later, Olivia lay alongside USN Wisconsin, and captain Corellus Grarzia stepped out of the transfer shuttle’s airlock. Jese stepped up with a crisp salute, “Welcome back, Captain.”

Cory responded with a salute of his own before nodding for Jesse to follow him. “I am glad to have returned.” Jesse raised an eyebrow at his captain’s tone, but otherwise simply waited for him to continue, “XO, I’m going to need all senior staff to my office in 2 minutes. We are on a tight schedule.”

“Aye, Skipper.” Jesse answered, breaking off from his captain almost instantly. Cory continued on to his office, he was barely sitting down behind his desk when the senior staff; Jesse, Patrick, Camorra, and Jackie all filed into the standing room only. At the last minute, captain Colins squeezed in, having been transferred to the Olyvia for the operation.

Cory slipped a data stick into his desk, activating its ceiling mounted Holographic projectors. “Thank you for coming, everyone.” He began. The space between them illuminated with Lurix system, “First off, I thank you for your patience. I know that standing by as we devised a plan was difficult. As of this moment, our waiting is over. Our part of the attack, will be here.” Cory pointed to one of the prison hulks in orbit over the marsh world. “Captain Collins will be leading the assault. His team will be in charge of hitting the bridge with Jesse. Patrick and Camorra, You will be part of team two. We have no idea what condition these ships will be in, but we will need power, navigation, and propulsion as soon as their engineering is cleared. Your job is not combat, I need you safe so that we can get the freighter into the asteroid field and out of the line of fire as quickly as possible. Doctor, you’ve undoubtedly already surmised this’ but expect a large volume of new patients. We expect that most of them will be children. The Hind, and Louise will be taking the other two freighters respectively. Any questions?”

Patrick raised his hand, “I’m assuming the Tech is going to be close to the Celest? Or are we going to be dealing with a different design.”

Cory nodded, “Same generation as Celest, but each Tribe makes their own modifications over the eons. Remember, those vessels are thousands of years old; and they were maintained on opposite sides of the Unity. Stay on your toes and think it all through. We don’t need much, but we will need at least symmetrical power out of the main drives. Anyone else?” No one else responded, so Cory continued, “Plan A, is to get the Freighters out of orbit, and through the asteroid field into the Deep Void between systems where we can properly evacuate everyone. If that falls through, be prepared to pivot to plan b) evacuate from the freighter in all haste. Afterwards, we will be making best possible speed for Delmar. Our goal is to keep as many kids alive as possible until we can get them to the Facilities the My father is organizing on the home world.”

“Uh… Captain?” Cammy asked timidly. “What about the planet, There’s no way we.. I mean… can we hold until we evacuate Lurix?” Several heads nodded with hard eyes as they met Cory’s own evenly.

Cory nodded at the question’ but something flashed through his expression, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Jackie and Jesse. The captain of the Olyvia pulled up a second three dimensional diorama on the holoprojector. “You’re fuckin’ with me.” It was Jesse’s outburst that resulted first from the change of images.

Cory only nodded, his expression unchanged but his voice betrayed his anticipation, “We won’t be evacuating the Planet...”
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Zirrik Mog stepped into the bridge of his command. His ship, the ancient Thermian Frigate Maw’s Vengence, was one of three warships in orbit above the filthy backwater world of Lurix. His battlegroup was made up of two other aged Frigates, Thermia’s Talon and Dune Strider, and he wondered yet again what he had done to be punished with this post. Thermians were a dessert species, and this cursed marsh saturated planet did not even give him or his men the courtesy of having a proper place for taking leave. The few that did visit the planet invariably returned with some form of Scale rot or respiratory infection that required treatment before they could return to their duties.

“Commander, we are receiving the check in query.” Zirrik groaned at the call out from his coms station. This was the other bane of his current existence. Not only was he essentially stuck over a swamp world, but he was forced to play the part of an overly paranoid babysitter. He had no idea who’s brainchild this was, but he suspected that It was not a plan from the Homeworld.

Zirrik straightened, scanning his sensor feed once before responding, “Send the codes, then rotate the generation program for the next cycle.” He watched the exchange of data flow, keeping a close eye on it to ensure no mistakes. Once complete, Zirrik stood. He stretched deeply before turning to his First Officer, “Krikks, with me. I require your report on the larboard power banks. I would…”

“Captain? Uh, Sir… I have something on sensors.” A diminutive voice of a young Thermian crewman interrupted Zirrik. “Something just… appeared. 285 by 116, five hundred thousand out.”

“That’s not possible, crewman. That would be the edge of the asteroid fi….” The lights flickered once, then failed. “REPORT!” Zirrik barked, and multiple voices rang at once. All their responses were the same. A chorus of “Not responding!” echoed from the helm, navigation, communications, sensors, and weapons. Two bright flashes shone in from the observation windows, and Zirrik rushed to look out of them with his bare eyes. His two other frigates were no more, shattered into slowly pinwheeling pieces of almost unrecognizable debris. “Get us back online, NOW!” he bellowed, turning to his first officer just as the lights flickered on and the door to the bridge opened. ‘Finally, some progress’ Zirrik thought, turning to greet whoever was entering the command deck. Noone walked through the opening, and Zirrik slowly began stepping toward door to observe an empty corridor hall. Corridor bulkhead doors were not supposed to stay open, being designed to remain closed unless an authorized user was passing through. Zirrik reached over to slap the manual closing button.

The Thermian commander never reached the control. The small stealth drone that had attached itself to his ships hull days before had infiltrated every system on the Maw’s Vengeance, and every frigate in his command had suffered a similar fate. The command was sent through the drone, and every through hole, escape hatch, and airlock was opened to deep space. Empty escape pods were ejected, and their shipside entrances opened to the Void. The Maw’s Vengeance explosively decompressed in a matter of seconds killing everyone aboard. It was as messy as it was efficient. Bodies were violently disassembled and smeared across bulkhead and console alike as they were violently ripped through the nearest opening at terrifying speeds. A full minute after the grim atmospheric evacuation, all vents closed, and the Maw’s Vengeance powered back up. She reconnected with the Thermian controlled Unity network just in time to broadcast the next all clear code at the appropriate interval.

______________________________________________________________________________________

“Report from both Simo and Furlong, Targets destroyed.” Clint nodded as the report arrived through the voice of the young Delmar Coms officer, “Stormhold, Protectorate, and Iowa moving to phase 2. The… Privateers are arriving on target presently.”

“Excellent. Captain, position Us in between the two groups if you please, launch boarding parties to retake the ‘Maw’.” Clint turned to Captain Gallanis as the Massive man seemed even larger than life in his MACE armor. “You’re up, Cap.” Gallanis snapped a salute, then lumbered out of the Bridge, and Clint sat back down in the admirals chair to review the operation so far. In simplest terms, it was a turkey shoot. He had complete control over every enemy vessel in orbit. He had disposed of the two frigates he did not require and vented their ‘flag’ ship. He did not trust the depressurization, however, and would be taking proper control of the vessel shortly. He smirked as three beacons winked out of existence. His brother and sister in law had joined Ivar and Martina, Mac choosing to command from Concord for this operation. Bull Fuller was not amused, but understood that his flag admiral performed his best from inside a cockpit, and Clint knew from the final briefing that those three vessels were headed to perform a… special task… a beep alerted him to Louise, Hera’s command, entering the atmosphere or Lurix, “Launch attackers, captain, close support for the surface assault.” A chorus of reports echoed through the command deck as the Ardvarks launched, and Clint forced himself to settle. Now, he was meant to wait, and watch.

Across the void, unseen by either Eye or Sensor, Three wraiths stalked the singular corridor etched into the englobing fortress of shifting rock and ice that defined the Lurix system. Their job was simple, They were the gatekeepers. All could enter Lurix at their pleasure. Who was allowed to leave was another story entirely.

*On station. Beacon in the hud.* Fizz’s mind spoke into BigMac’s as well as transmitting via tight beam to R’Cari and Sombra.

“R’Cari on station, I’m not sure I’m going to get used to that.” Ivar responded from his own cockpit.

*Used to what?* The blended voices of Mac and Lyrian responded.

*That* Chika stated *which one of you is talking at the moment.* her voice came through slightly garbled through the tight beam.

*Oh, Uh, sorry* Lyrians voice alone responded this time, *We uh, forget sometimes. *

*Lets settle it down a touch. McLovin, Chika, adjust point 38 by point 91* Mac cut in, *It’s about time. Fizz, send the signal.*

A long silence followed before *Done* Fizz responded at last. Concord was acting as the coordinator for the three-ship formation. This time, no one spoke. The three stealth fighters were positioned just along the edge of the asteroid field, and each one stayed in Silent running as they awaited their next move.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

USN Olyvia shuddered slightly as she connected to the Starboard side airlock of their target, freighter number 1. Dozer, leading his team 1, stepped into the airlock. A quick hiss of equalizing pressures and the interior door opened. Dozer’s chest plate immediately took no less than 6 impacts from laser small arms. Dozer could see the three Thermian guards stop shooting in pure stupor as their laser pistols were simply ignored. He gave them a toothy smile, then activated his visor. It slammed down into place just as his own handgun rose. The Gauss pistol, with its ammunition detuned for work inside a pressure vessel, barked three times; and the three Thermians fell, each missing various percentages of their cranial vaults. “Lets Move.” Dozer growled, stepping over the rapidly cooling bodies, “Team one, in.” He transmitted as his team stormed into the prison hulk.
Patrick kept himself in front of Cammy as their team followed behind the Vanguard lead by Captain Collins. Each member wore a set of translation earbuds, and the devices served triplet of purpose. The earbuds were to transmit directions, and team communications as well as prevent any language barriers. The two of them were accompanied by a full squad of the Marine contingent from Olyvia, and they were augmented by a pair of riflemen from the Collin’s MACE unit. Within moments the few weakly armed guards were swept aside. The MACE spearhead threw a concussive flash grenade into the open engineering door, then breached with a flurry of rifle fire, and the two master engineers stepped in behind them.

The Engineering section was in atrocious shape, not counting for the ballistically dismembered Thermian bodies lying where they were dragged. Fresh Thermian blood lay about the floor and against the walls alongside dried stains of several other colors, including Delmar, and Patrick felt Cammy balk in horror at the scene. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently, “Common, Cam. Let’s get to work.”
She stayed frozen for a moment, then straightened her shoulders and nodded to him, “I’ll get into the core diagnostics.” She said quietly.

Patrick nodded, “Good. Ill start on propulsion.” He turned only to almost run into the pair of MACE riflemen.

*We’ve been rerouted. We’re leaving two marines. The rest of us are headed to the kids. * The strange anonymous voice spoke through the helmets speakers.

Patrick nodded instantly in understanding, “Go. We’ll manage.” In a flash, all but two of the Marines were gone, and the remaining soldiers stood just inside the door and kept watch. Patrick sat down at the blood and gore stained console, “Looks like we’ll have propulsion when the Second Core comes on line. Jesus… did they do ANY maintenance? Navigation is all fucked to hell. I’m reading multiple conduit leaks. It looks like they just shut the system down instead of fix it.”

“Problem!” Cammora called from around the other side of the four fusion core cluster, “They cannibalized at least two of the cores to keep this one running. I don’t know if we have the parts to get a second core running!”

Patrick stood, walking quickly over to her. His eye narrowed as he read the same readout, “Fuck! Let’s get an answer on if we can rig the second core.” Patrick turned and activated his com. “Skipper, bad news. The Core’s a roach fuck, we have one working core, two that are D.O.A. and one that we might have the parts to get something out of. Its not looking good, sir…. Yes…. Yes sir… We’ll do what we can, update in 20.”

Cammy poked her head from around the corner, “So?”

Patrick unslung his took bag, “We need that second core, or we have to evac everyone while in orbit. Let’s get that second Core up.”

Cammy shrugged off her own tools, “Shit!” She swore in English flipping to her back before sliding up under the second core.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nuvurese stood from her position behind her desk. Her door had refused to open since the beginning of the malfunctions. Now, it was pried open by a pair of Thermian guards, “Mistress Nuvurese, we must go!”

“Go? Nonsense, we are in a stable orbit. What is taking so long with the malfunctions!” She demanded with a harsh tone, a rod straight spine, and a severe glare.

“There is no malfunction, we are under attack. We are to evacuate you.” The first of the guard stated formally.

“Attack? The children…” She gasped. “They must be after the children.”

“Fuck the Children, Vorath. We must go. Now!” The second Guard spat, already turning to leave.

“You misunderstand, Follow me.” Nuvurique growled, picking up her Vorath heavy beam pistol, stomping out of the office, leading the guards down the corridor. “The Children must be disposed of.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you made it this far, your awesome! I'm currently moving the bulk of my work over to Royal Road because of the AI deal combined with the recent change in the terms of service. I would be grateful for a rating/review over there to help. I would say that it is the single biggest thing you can do to help The Black.
If you believe I have earned it, and want to support the black, or my work in general. I have a Patreon that has extra in universe content in the forms of side stories, shorts, occasional map updates, and images. I've made it about the minimum that is allowed on Patreon, and even the lowest "tier" gets you access to the entire site.
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All codes are US, HD/blu-ray unless marked otherwise, all split if applicable
full codes 4k/UHD vudu or MA redeems, with DMI when applicable: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) $5
sony movie buff, choose 1 of the following, MA redeem, $4 each: Stir Crazy (1980) (HD), Stripes (1981) (UHD), Hancock (Theatrical) (2008) (UHD), Guess Who (2005) (HD), The Blob (1988) (HD), Bye Bye Birdie (1963) (HD), Born Yesterday (1950) (HD), Blue Thunder (1983) (HD), My Girl (1991) (UHD), Untraceable (2008) (HD)
universal rewards, choose 1 of the following, MA redeem, $3 each: Black Christmas (2019) (UHD), Don't Let Go (2019) (HD), A Dog's Purpose (2017) (UHD), Final Account (2021) (HD), Kicks (2016) (HD), The Sparks Brothers (2021) (UHD), Agnes Browne (2000) (HD), Antz (1998) (HD), Backdraft 2 (2019) (UHD), Raw (2017) (HD), Loving (2016) (HD), Being Frank (2019) (HD)
UHD/4k movies, not MA: vudu redemptions only $5 each, unless noted otherwise Highlander UHD
UHD/4k movies, all port UHD/4k to MA: vudu or MA redemptions only $4 each, unless noted otherwise Apollo 13 (1995)
UHD/4k movies: Disney/Marvel, no DMDMI, all port UHD/4k to MA: itunes redemptions only (splits) $4 each, unless noted otherwise Avengers: Endgame (2019) Frozen (2013) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Maleficent (2014) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
UHD/4k movies: vudu redemptions only, do not port to MA $4 each or any 3 for $9, unless noted otherwise: 3 From Hell (2019) 3 From Hell (Unrated) (2019) Dredd (2012) Expired (2022) Interstellar (2014) John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) $2 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) Last Witch Hunter (2015) Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) Rocketman (2019) The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
UHD/4k movies: itunes redemptions only, port 4k to MA $3 each, unless noted otherwise Fast & Furious 6 - Extended Edition (2013) Hidden Figures (2017) Jason Bourne (2016) Let's Be Cops (2014) $2 Longest Ride (2015) The Longest Ride (2015)
UHD/4k movies: itunes redemptions only, do not port to MA $3 each, unless noted otherwise 3 From Hell (2019) Interstellar (2014) John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) $2 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) Last Witch Hunter (2015) The Last Witch Hunter (2015) Wonder (2017) $2 Wonder Park (2019)
HD movies, MA or vudu redemptions only, port to MA: $2 each, unless noted otherwise Fast & Furious 6 - Extended Edition (2013) Fast and the Furious (2001) Fate of the Furious (2017) Fate of the Furious (Extended Director's Cut) (2017) Fate of the Furious (Theatrical) (2017) Fifty Shades of Grey (Unrated) (2015) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) $3 Jurassic World (2015) Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) Saving Mr. Banks (2013) $3 The Fast and the Furious (2001) The Fate of the Furious (2017) The Fate of the Furious (Extended Director's Cut) (2017) The Fate of the Furious (Theatrical) (2017)
HD movies: vudu redemptions only, do not port to MA $2 each, unless noted otherwise Chicago (Diamond Edition) (2003) Hunger Games (2012) The Hunger Games (2012) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) Wonder Park (2019)
HD movies: itunes redemptions only (splits), port HD to MA $3 each, unless noted otherwise Fast & Furious 6 - Extended Edition (2013) Fifty Shades of Grey (Unrated) (2015) Into the Woods (2014) Kidnap (2017) Planes (2013)
HD movies: itunes redemptions only (splits), not MA $3 each, unless noted otherwise Chicago (Diamond Edition) (2003) Now You See Me (2013)
Disney/Marvel HD movies, no DMDMI, all port HD to MA: google play redemptions only (splits) $3 each, unless noted otherwise Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Avengers: Endgame (2019) $1 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) $1 Beauty and the Beast (2017) Big Hero 6 (2014) Captain America: Civil War (2016) Captain Marvel (2019) Dumbo (2019) Finding Dory (2016) $2 Frozen (2013) $1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Inside Out (2015) Into the Woods (2014) Iron Man 3 (2013) Jungle Book (2016) Lion King (2019) Maleficent (2014) Moana (2016) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) Planes (2013) Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) $2 Spies in Disguise (2019) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) $1 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) $2 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) $2 The Jungle Book (2016) The Lion King (2019) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Toy Story 4 (2019)
Cineplex HD redemptions (Canada): $2 each Black Panther Death on the Nile Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
vudu SD not MA $1 each Cabin In the Woods (2012) Expendables 2 (2012)
I take paypal f&f and venmo
also check out my For Trade Post on uvtrade

🔒 2FA enabled for your pleasure! 🔒
Firstly ... YES. I'm back up to 100% capacity after the fire. Actually, I'm ABOVE 100% now because I took the last week remaking all my pattern molds and flasks and everything, but in a way that allows me to pour more, faster. Hopefully this will allow me to get more new stuff, and to do it faster.
I got dozens of messages wanting to see what the big pour was which caused the fire. Well ...
Here it is : A GIANT 20ozt pure silver VECNA bust - shown here next to a stack of about 30 Lucky Platinum Chips from Fallout. This statue is not for sale ... It was a one-of-a-kind custom piece I made specifically for another Redditor. I will not be making another. :O
Anyways - on with the sale.
Header image : https://imgur.com/fV9zTEf
Proof Gallery : https://imgur.com/a/jxfQthQ

ADOLESCENT GMO FIGHTING TORTOISES (a.k.a. TMNT)

Back next week!

::: ZELDA POURS :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/a/Qy56kXQ
HYLIAN SHIELD ::: These weigh 2+ Troy Ounces and are hand poured. These STACK, too! ::: $80.00 each
SHEIKAH SLATE ::: For some stupid reason I neglected to take pictures of the back of these fully dimensional and highly accurate slates! These make GREAT keyfobs, too! These weigh 2+ Troy Ounces and are hand poured. ::: $80.00 each
LOGO CARD PROTECTOR ::: (Apologies for the terrible picture ... I need to take a better one!) Here's a BEEFY 2ozt+ CARD PROTECTOR (for you poker players!) featuring the Sheikah Sigil on one side, and the famous Z logo on the other! Asking just $80.00 each
MASTER SWORD ::: These weigh 2+ Troy Ounces and are hand poured. Epic! ::: $90.00 each
ZELDA NES Carts - ZELDA N64 Carts - ZELDA GAMEBOY Carts ::: 2+ Troy Ounces, HIGHLY detailed, and with the LABEL OF YOUR CHOICE! ::: $80.00 each w/FREE GOLD PLATING as needed!
RUPEES ::: Fantastic little RUPEES made of pure .999 Fine Silver! Each weighs 1+t.oz and are all made by hand! They are just $40.00 each!
MASTER COMBO ::: Includes a Master Sword and a Hylian Shield, along with the display base, for just $170.00
SAVIOR OF HYRULE COMBO - Alternate Pic ::: Includes one of my .999 Fine Silver Master Swords and one Shield of your choosing, as well as a GOLD PLATED NES/SNES/N64 Zelda Cart of your choosing and ONE Rupee (I know two are shown... sigh) ... That's SEVEN+ total Troy ounces of .999 Fine Silver and includes the stand for display! Each Savior of Hyrule Combo can be yours for just $280.00!

::: PURE SILVER TRADING CARDS :::

Pokemon - FIRST EDITION CHARIZARD : VIDEO ::: 4.6+ Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver, full scale and absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Each card ships with a Serial Numbered Certificate of Authenticity! $250.00 each

::: ARTIFACTS :::

BIG MEGALODON TOOTH ::: Beautifully antiqued and exquisitely detailed! This .999 FINE SILVER tooth weighs over 100 grams (over 3 troy ounces) and is definitely a conversation starter! ::: $130.00 each ... Also available in a 1ozt version for $45.00!
THE DERRINGER ::: One of my all time FAVORITE pours - this 1:1 scale Derringer was modeled off a REAL period piece and is actual size! Made of solid .999 Fine Silver, this beefy piece weighs in at over 7.5 t.oz of solid girth! A difficult piece to make, but worth it! ::: $325.00 per pew pew!
VELOCIRAPTOR CLAW as seen (and modelled, 1 to 1) being wielded by Dr. Alan Grant to scare small brats in the famous film Jurassic Park, this is a BEAST of a pour, and beefy too!!! Weighing in at roughly 7 troy ounces and absolutely as dangerous as it looks Asking $325 for this beast and is also available in a mini ONE OUNCE VERSION for $50.00!
NATIVE ARROWHEADS ::: Made of 1+ozt of pure .999 Fine Silver and blackened to resemble the Earth from which it was hewn, these would make GREAT wrapped pendants! Asking just $45.00 each!

::: GHOSTBUSTERS :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/yTQgJJy
THE STAY PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN - FRONT 2 - BACK ::: What did you do, Ray??? This thicc and fluffy boi tips the scales at just over 3 troy ounces of .999 fine silver! Asking $145 each!
ECTO-1 BARS - BACK ::: The iconic plate from the Cadillac Hearse driven by the men themselves as they sought to rid Manhattan of its ghost infestation! These are 1+ troy ounce bars and are just $45 each!
NO GHOST - BACK ::: The most recognizable symbol of the most heroic men in all of NYC! This classic logo is a true crowd pleaser and weighs just over 2 troy ounces of pure .999 fine silver! Asking $80 each!

::: THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/fM58Lam
THE GUIDE ::: This great 2 ozt .999 Fine Silver pour was entirely designed and modelled by me based on the original book description. I figured it would look great with a slipcase, as well, so I made that too. I then hand paint the letters in gold and then buff the slipcase to give it a slightly weathered appearance. This was VERY fun to design! $80.00 each!
THUMBS UP ::: If you don't have an electronic thumb this is the next best thing! When you see the Vogon Constructor Fleet just hold this up in the air and hope you get picked up ... don't forget your towel, though! This 2ozt pour is $80.00 each!

::: FUTURAMA :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/xkbEvSw
BENDER - ALT ... Featuring a biteable shiny metal ass, a beer in one hand, and a cigar in the other, you can't go wrong with this great 2+ozt of .999 Fine Silver pour! Also includes a 3D printed resin base and is only $100 each!
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY - VIDEO pour. This is a ONE ozt. pour and is a GREAT pocket carry or card protector! $45.00 each!
I WILL WAIT FOR YOU ::: This is one of the saddest scenes in television history and I STILL cry thinking about it. Seymour Asses, Fry's eternally loyal and faithful dog, who never gave up hope that his master would one day return for him ... I'm not crying YOU'RE crying. Just $45.00 each.
SLURM STACKERS ::: These great 2+ozt stackers interlock VERY well and are a truly unique addition to anyone's stack! $80.00 each!

::: FAR AWAY GALAXY :::

BESKAR SILVER ::: Available in a 2ozt size as well as a super clean 5+ozt size, these great bars are poured, cleaned, antiqued, and then hand finished with a special technique I developed which gives them a shimmery "crystalline" look ... Check out THIS VIDEO for an idea of the surface finish. It's quite nice! The 2+ozt bar is $90.00 each and the 5+ozt bar is $250.00 each. OUT OF STOCK for a minute.
CARBONITE - ALT - BACK ::: Everyone's favorite scruffy looking nerf herder, forever immortalized via being frozen in carbonite for all to see. ... Available in either ANTIQUED or BRIGHT SILVER, and also available as a 2+ozt pour at $80.00 each and a honkin' 10+ozt big bar at $375.00!

::: FALLOUT POURS :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/RzQPlpq
VAULT 111 DOOR - BACK ::: Weighing in at 2+ troy ounces of .999 Fine Silver, this is a great and BEEFY little pocket carry! It was 100% modelled by me and these things look great stacked ::: Asking $80.00!
PIP-BOY - BACK - The 5t.oz and the 2t.oz PIP-BOY ::: Available in TWO SIZES - Either a 5+t.oz or a 2+t.oz this is one of my coolest pours ever. I really had fun making this work and I hope you enjoy owning it as much as I enjoy making it! 5+t.oz Pip-Boy is $250.00 each and 2+t.oz Pip-Boy is $80.00!
NUKA CAP STACKERS - BACK - STACKED ::: I was TRYING to discontinue these but as soon as I did that of course everyone and their brother wanted a couple, so these are back for a limited time. I truly dislike making these, but here we are. They are 2+ozt of .999 Fine Silver and I'm asking $90.00 each for them.
v2 PLATINUM CHIP - BACK ::: Made in .999 Fine SILVER (not platinum!) this is a GREAT little 1+t.oz coin for ANY fans of the franchise! These are solid antiqued to make them seem like they've been through some stuff! I've UPDATED the design to include a purity mark as well as a weight ... plus I emboldened the lines a bit to make it pop! Just $45.00!
NUKA COLA BOTTLE - BACK ::: Another popular request ... this thicc boi 2+ozt. pour came out surprisingly well! Yours for $80.00!
THIRST ZAPPER - BACK ::: I had a lot of fun modelling this! I'm not normally a fan of organic shapes but I took this as an opportunity to work on my Fusion360 organics skills. This was entirely modelled by me - I'm quite happy with it!!! :) Weighing in at 2+ozt - yours for $80.00!
VAULT BOY STACKERS - ALT ::: This is a GREAT stackable Vault Boy pocket carry! Weighing in at 2+ozt. pour each in .999 Fine Silver and only $80.00!
ROULETTE CHIP - BACK ::: HIGHLY requested, so here you go! Covered with tons of little details - from the morse code on both sides, to the little ball, and then some ... this epic 2+ozt pour is done in .999 FINE SILVER and ships in an Airtite for display! Asking just $100.00!

::: ALIENS :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/Gys9As6
XENOMORPH HEADS - ALT - ALT - ALT ::: They mostly come at night ... mostly ... These gorgeous and creeeepy Aliens pours are 2+ozt each of PURE .999 Fine Silver! Each is then antiqued by hand and are presented to you for $80.00 each
BUGSTOMPER (The Dropship) ROUND - BACK - PIC FROM MOVIE ::: Move it Spunkmeyer, we're rolling! Famous last words, but if you want one of the coolest pocket carries around and you know your trivia this round can't be beat! 2+ozt. of .999 Fine Silver ::: $80.00 each
M41A Plasma Rifle - LEFT - TOP - BOTTOM ::: Let me introduce you to a personal friend of mine! This is an M41A Pulse Rifle. 10mm with an over and under 30mm pump action grenade launcher. Feel the weight ... It is 2+ozt. of Antiqued .999 Fine Silver! Just $90.00!

::: STAR TREK POURS :::

Back next week!

::: THE BIG N :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/LbXee8q
NES CONTROLLER :: This is a GREAT little pocket carry! It weighs 2+ troy ounces and is $80.00 each
N64 CONTROLLER :: This is a GREAT little pocket carry! It weighs 2+ troy ounces and is $80.00 each
NES Carts ::: 2+ Troy Ounces, HIGHLY detailed, and with the LABEL OF YOUR CHOICE! ::: $80.00 each (add $5 for gold plating)
SNES Carts ::: Once again I have completely forgotten to take glamour shots of this. It's a 2+ Troy Ounces, HIGHLY detailed, and with the LABEL OF YOUR CHOICE! ::: $80.00 each (add $5 for gold plating)
N64 Carts ::: 2+ Troy Ounces, HIGHLY detailed, and with the LABEL OF YOUR CHOICE! ::: $80.00 each (add $5 for gold plating)
GAMEBOY Carts ::: 2+ Troy Ounces, HIGHLY detailed, and with the LABEL OF YOUR CHOICE! ::: $80.00 each (add $5 for gold plating)

::: POCKET CARRIES and PANTHER SPECIALTIES :::

GALLERY : https://imgur.com/Z9IeBNm
FUCK YOU PAY ME ::: The ORIGINAL FYPM pocket carry from Glass Panther! Weighing 1 troy ounce this is perfect for making decisions, or helping other people make the right decision! $45.00 each
POT LEAF ::: These are GREAT and everybody loves them! Two troy ounces of beefy .999 Fine Silver and these make an absolutely GREAT gift! These are $80.00 each
DICKBUTT - BACK ::: Back for a limited time? Who knows ... This great pour is 2+ troy ounces and is only $80.00
ANVILS ::: These are quickly becoming crowd favorites ... Shown here in TWO and TEN ounce versions ... They are BIG, BEEFY, and truly impressive. The 2+t.oz version is priced at $90.00 each and the 10+t.oz version is $400.00
THE PANTHER PIZZA - Gallery ::: 2 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver that has been poured and designed in such a way as to make it possible to break it into individual 1/4 ounce slices! The full pie measures 55mm wide (a little over 2 inches) and is juuuust over 2 troy ounces. PIC - VIDEO of me Breaking One Apart ::: Each pie comes in a 55mm Airtite capsule! ::: These are $100.00 each
SKYRIM SEPTIMS! These beefy coins were completely modelled by me (except for Tamriel's profile) and hand poured in my home foundry. Available in BRUSHED SILVER for $80.00 each or PLATED with 24k gold for $85.00 each!

::: THE ORIGINAL CHESS SET! :::

I'm probably going to stop selling these for a while until the price of silver stabilizes. This will likely be the last week you can get these for a while.
GALLERY : https://imgur.com/Z9IeBNm
FULL GAME SET w/BLACKENED or GOLD PLATED Set ::: Includes All Pieces Needed to Play as well as a Chessboard to play upon! Over 26 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver : $1,300.00
A La Carte Pieces :
The KING or QUEEN : Over 1.5 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver : $100.00 each
The BISHOP, KNIGHT, or ROOK : Over 1 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver : $60.00 each
The PAWN : Over 0.5 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver : $45.00 each
ONE OF EACH Set ( A King, Queen, Bishop, Rook, Knight, and Pawn ) : Over 6.5 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver : $400.00 each

PAYMENT / SHIPPING

USA RISKY SHIPPING IS FREEEEEEE!!! Once the USPS scans it I am absolved of responsiblity. If you'd like to pony up for insurance, etc, let me know and we can work something out!
NOW OFFERING CANADA SHIPPING starting at $15.00!
I take ZELLE / VENMO & CASHAPP ... and BULLION TRADE ... but Zelle is strongly preferred
🔒 2FA enabled for your pleasure! 🔒
Posted at 5:03pm Arizona time, 6-7-24

I recently built my first ever PC, and I'm running into an issue where I'm not getting any video output. All of my components are brand new, and I'm not sure what the problem could be. I would greatly appreciate if the community could provide a checklist to help me troubleshoot and eliminate potential problems.
My PC specifications are as follows
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor	$126.80 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$32.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Asus PRIME B550M-A AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$99.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$34.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$60.00 @ Amazon
Case	BitFenix Nova Mesh M ARGB MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$54.90 @ Newegg Sellers
Power Supply	Corsair RM650 (2023) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Corsair
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$499.57
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-06-07 18:55 EDT-0400

I have also attached a video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WCqXJ5QTZMw4u7CbfQ4jiAkV2Qyd-bOD/view?usp=drivesdk to provide more context about the issue I'm facing.
I'm feeling quite worried and frustrated, as I was really looking forward to setting up and using my new PC. Any assistance the community can provide would be enormously helpful.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to review my issue and providing guidance. I'm eager to get this resolved so I can start enjoying my new build

I recently built my first ever PC, and I'm running into an issue where I'm not getting any video output. All of my components are brand new, and I'm not sure what the problem could be. I would greatly appreciate if the community could provide a checklist to help me troubleshoot and eliminate potential problems.
My PC specifications are as follows
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor	$126.80 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$32.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Asus PRIME B550M-A AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$99.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$34.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$60.00 @ Amazon
Case	BitFenix Nova Mesh M ARGB MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$54.90 @ Newegg Sellers
Power Supply	Corsair RM650 (2023) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Corsair
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$499.57
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-06-07 18:55 EDT-0400

I have also attached a video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WCqXJ5QTZMw4u7CbfQ4jiAkV2Qyd-bOD/view?usp=drivesdk to provide more context about the issue I'm facing.
I'm feeling quite worried and frustrated, as I was really looking forward to setting up and using my new PC. Any assistance the community can provide would be enormously helpful.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to review my issue and providing guidance. I'm eager to get this resolved so I can start enjoying my new build

my ending. Spoilers ahead

1. Orpheus became a mind flayer. I persuaded him to stay alive to see the future of his people.
   
2. Wyll decided to become the blade of Avernus and together with Karlach they slayed countless enemies for 6 months before the final party. His dad is alive and is doing a good job as a leader of BG. Also he is free from Mizora and is no longer a warlock. there was a loophole in the contract.
   
3. Lae'zel is now leading her people against the bad queen. She is now a negotiator and still kills enemies. The egg hatched and she plans on letting kid choose what it wants to be when it grows up.
   
4. Shadowheart became my romantic companion. She decided to remove her curse.
   
5. Astarion becomes a good vampire, her siblings died in the ceremony, The 7k+ vamps died too.
   
6. Halsin became the leader of the map in act 2, The 2 kids that we save with him are okay. In the final party he said that the grove now has a new good leader. The map in act 2 is doing great according to him and is now fertile. refugees are welcome to live in the tower. we are invited to visit. earlier in the game i saved him in the lair of Orin.
   
7. Karlach was invited by Wyll to go in Avernus so that she can continue to live and she agreed. Now while they were slaying enemies there they found map to place that can useful in finding a cure for her condition.
   
8. Minsc is alive and now friends with the Nine fingers
   
9. Jaheira is okay and her kids too.
   
10. Gale is now a teacher. His bomb got cured because he returned the crown to the goddess.
    
11. Wilbur is now the new leader of the his clan. I saved all the Gondians. The two clans are at peace now. I also save Omelum.
    
12. I saved Hope. and defeated the boss there. Yurgir sided with the enemy boss.
    
13. I saved the last light inn. Isobel was not kidnapped. Dammon now has a shop in BG
    
14. The baby owlbear may have died from its wound but the dog is alive and was present in the last party.
    
15. The emperor(Baladur) died with the brain.
    
16. Volo joined the last party.
    
17. Saved the four NPC from the murderer group quest. We save the elephant too.
    
18. Defeated the HAG in act 1 and 3
    

19 Rolan became the boss in the tower and her siblings will join him there.

1. Mol is alive and Arabell became a wizard or sorc
   
2. I helped the hag survivors but the kid did not survive sadly. I was not able save enough to go back in time.
   
3. the guild leader, counselor florick , the vampire slayer group, Aily, isobel, Zevlor and etc are present in the last battle. Voss helped too.
   
4. Saved and helped the artist.
   
5. Used none lethal attack against The flaming first soldier when I was on my way to fight Gortash ()
   
6. Killed all the goblin npc.
   
7. Drank the str poition in moonrise tower and get attacked by its make in act 3
   
8. Mynthara did not surivive act 1
   
9. Alfira now plays in the roof top a bar in BG
   
10. I never used the tadpole.
    
11. I helped the 3 zombie and slayed the Immortal mummy.
    
12. I also sided with the leader of the myconid.
    
13. I returned the 10k gold.
    
14. I received the blue dress from the water religion.
    
15. Gortash parents did not survive act 3
    
16. Destroyed the fireworks factory.
    
17. I used the code to destroy the factory of robots.
    

that's all that I can remember. I wanted to share my exp to everyone. Please share your own exp too. I wanna read them all. thankyou!

Basically, there are these things found in every living being called atmanti sources, there are three types, mind atmanti, body atmanti, and soul atmanti, mind atmanti sources are found near the brain, body atmanti sources are found in near the gut, soul atmanti is found near the heart. Atmanti can manifest into different types of magic based on its type. Mind atmanti can manifest into elemental magic. Body atmanti can alow the user to change their body in some way. Soul atmanti alows the user to use spiritual based ability’s, making it the most rare type. Mind atmanti beats Body atmanti, Body atmanti beats, soul atmanti, soul atmanti beats mind atmanti. I also came up with a few ability’s for each category

• Sun manipulation: Allows the user to control light, and sun magic. They can shoot blasts of solar energy, or move it to their legs slowing them to move at the speed of light. They can also become invisible by bending the photons around their body.
  
• Checkmate: Checkmate allows the user to see invisible arrows no one else can see, these arrows give the user the fastest and most optimal path to hit the opponent or dodge any attack, the arrows will always adjust to the opponents next move, on top of that, the user gets an increase of speed
  
• Neutralize: If the user gets hit by the same attack multiple times, they will become more and more resistant to it, they can also apply this effect to any weapon they touch for a limited time
  
• Wind Manipulation: The user can manipulate wind and the oxygen around the opponent. The user can also create harsh tornados
  
• Order in Court: So long as someone is near the user, the person near bye has to follow all rules made by the user, if the user states everyone must fly, everyone near-bye will start flying, by slamming a hammer into the ground, the rule will no longer be applied, by slamming the hammer twice, the rule becomes illegal, anyone still following the rule will be petrified automatically until the user lets them go.
  
• Flame manipulation:Allows the user to create and manipulate fire. They can create massive wheels of fire, and create giant flaming meteors etc.
  
• Envious Mummy: The user can generate nearly indestructible bandaids that can wrap around anything. Once they do, the user can take the targets power for themselves. The user can also use the bandaids for defense, they can also let go of the copied ability at will.
  
• Water manipulation: The user can manipulate any form of liquid, allowing them to make powerful whirlpools on land. They can also pressurize the water to make it as sharp as a blade.
  
• Yarn manipulation: The user can create stands of yarn at will. The yarn is quite durable, and it can also be used to spread fire. They can also make any structure out of yarn.
  

Body: * Power Blades: Allows the user to summon swords from thin air, modify them to their will. They can also grow blades from open cuts and wounds, healing the injuries after the user is done with the blades, making them immune to dismemberment

• Parasite: The user can enter any open wound the opponent may have and take full control of them. However, if the host dies while the user is controlling them, the user will also die
  
• Compression: Grants the user immense strength and allows them to compress anything, they can turn pure carbon into diamonds. They can even compress atoms enough to turn them into small black holes
  
• Midas Touch: Allows the user to turn anything they touch to solid gold. They can also just manipulate and generate gold in general. Thins ability can be turned of to avoid harming teammates
  
• Propeller: The user can spawn a working propeller on any part of their body.
  
• Death Walk: The user can create a trail of dry ice where ever they walk. Any thing who touches the trail will slowly start to freeze over. The user can also walk across bodies of water with this ability, capable of freezing an entire ocean. The user can also manipulate ice.
  
• Paint blasteMacabre: Macabre is a brutal and lethal slicing ability , preferably filleting the opponents skin, but dismemberment and cutting the opponent like a mango works as well . The aftermath often makes the opponent look like they are covered in red paint. As a strange side effect, the user becomes delusional, while others view this ability as brutal and ruthless, the user will instead visualize them self splattering the opponents in paint until they “fall asleep” little do they know it’s just their imagination
  
• Mechanic: The user can manipulate gears and other mechanical parts. They can transform their bodies into blasters and wheels, while also being able to transform into a working vehicle.
  
• Drum solo: The user has two tiny pads on their hands that can act like drums. When the user plays them it crates a powerful shockwave that can potentially cause fissures. By playing a specific melody, the use can temporarily control the opponent if they hear the entire song.
  

Soul:

• Heart Link: The user can summon the ghost of the one they loved dearest to fight along side them.
  
• String of Life: When the user dies, they transform into a small string, they can then revert back to normal at will, they can also wrap them selfs around something or someone to fuse with it of them.
  
• Voodoo Doll: Every good and bad thing that happens to the user, including pain, gets stored as glowing needles on their back, white needles represent good things, black needles represent bad things, the user can stab someone with a needle to inflict that even x2 the strength.
  
• Personification: The user can put part of their soul into an inanimate object and it will turn into a beast capable of fighting on its own, its ability depends on the object it’s possessing. If the user dies so does the beast
  
• Rest well: The user can put anyone to sleep by just touching them, the user can also make it so that the target can heal in their sleep
  
• Terrain manipulation: The user can alter the nearby terrain to their liking. Weather it’s adding more plants, mountains, volcanoes, rivers etc
  
• 10 winged angel: The user can sprout up to ten wings, each granting a unique ability. Some notable ones include, the ability to spawn golden rings, fire manipulation, and holy bows, the damage to each wing is permanent, and once a wing is gone it’s gone forever.
  
• Seasons beasts: The user can gain the ability and even temporarily summon one of the seasons beasts, Great Frost Tortoise : The frost tortoise beast allows the seasons beast user to create turtle shells out of ice that freeze anything they touch, Grand Whisp Tiger: The whisp tiger allows the seasons beasts user to create phantom claws that can cut through your very soul, it can also shoot hypnotic whisps, Holy Fire Bird: Fire bird allows the seasons beasts user to create wings made out of pure fire, allowing them to fly great distances and scorch opponents. Vajra, the calm before the storm: The strongest of the seasons beasts, it allows the user to summon a massive thunder dragon to help them fight in battle, it can shoot powerful blue lighting, shoot powerful blast of water, create hurricanes etc, as a drawback, it takes a great toll on the users body, leaving them weakened greatly after use.
  

Hi! I recently graduated with an MS in Computer Science as an international student (right after my Bachelor's) in late May. So far, it has been difficult to even land interviews. I do get some referrals but it hasn't really been working which makes me question the quality of my resume.
I have previously gotten feedback from people with tech background -> cousins (at FAANG), girlfriend's dad (Credit card firm), and a few seniors (at good companies) and while they say it looks good I still wish to get more feedback from others (preferably from those who don't know me to avoid biases).
I currently use 2 resumes. One for general tech and other for AI/Data related roles. Most of the content is same except project/research experience. I have attached the images below. I am open to any kind of feedback be it constructive criticism or outright brutal roasting.
Background about me - Recently graduated international student with an MS and no previous work ex. Currently, I spend time on LeetCode, connecting with people on LinkedIn, applying right and left, brushing up full-stack knowledge with hands-on tutorials and projects, and reading about LLMs and Generative AI. Thank you in advance!
https://preview.redd.it/6ysa781wm85d1.jpg?width=706&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac6e350ba7df8e928764764d2b0c696f8666cef0
https://preview.redd.it/bb2t7f2xm85d1.jpg?width=707&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb3e946e43e34abb4523fbd080ab811efbae8ace

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Part 1
They're all going to die. The captain was right, this ship is our ticket out of here. No more subsisting on stupid algae rations. Fresh meat, Finally! I hope they have some Freeanas. They taste just like my favorite snack back home on Grobblum. I remember learning how to leap from the methane pools fast enough to catch the tiny flying things off-guard. I loved the snap of their brittle bones, so when I learned there was an entire species of giant ones? Heheheheh...
The blood-scent on this vessel is strong. The boarding latch hasn't even opened yet and I can already feel the bloodlust taking hold. My buddies besides me are all itchin' to go- but I ain't second captain for nothin'. I gotta make sure to keep 'em in line- so they tear apart the enemies instead of each other. Especially since we're all starvin'.
"REMEMBER, SPAWNLINGS! WE'RE HERE FOR THE SHIP, NOT THE STUPID SCIENTISTS ON IT. TEAR 'EM APART BUT LEAVE THE TECH INTACT. ANY OF YOU THE SCRATCH THE FURNITURE WILL FEEL MY TEETH, GOT IT?"
The roared in unison. Good. Morale is always key. The latch opens as their vessel finishes repressurizing, tearing open the secondary bulkhead like dry kelp and creating a new opening for us. Stupid Florbulan ships, they think their fancy redundant systems can stop Grobulans? Hah! They can add as many extra walls as they want, we'll just add more boom.
Time to go. I lead the charge, of course, and start tearing into the first Florb I see. Soft and chewy, but I ain't a fan of their blood. Too acidic. I leave 'em to the boys and pull a couple with me to go deeper in. Down the hall is a few more, I want to save bloodying my hands for the first Freeana I see so I fire a shot from the photon caster instead and let one of the boys I took handle the rest. I turn down the hall, and the other boy is already at a tear. Suddenly, a different Grobulan leaps from a doorway and the two start tearing into each other.
"Heh heh heh, look what we have here. BOYS! GET OUT HERE! LOOKS LIKE TODAYS A LUCKY DAY! WE GET TO EAT TRAITOR TONIGHT!" I bellow to the others behind me. They start pouring out of the room, leaving the half-dead Florbs to rot. Every Grobulan worth their teeth knows the name Hark Manyfred. Son of the Traitor King. Disgrace to every Grobulan in the galaxy. Figures he's here, on some no-name explorer vessel. Not even the Florbs want him doing anything important. Serves the trash right for what his fool of a father did. That war was as good as won, all we had to do was execute that filth of a mate and her treasonous pacifism. That would've set the bastards priorities straight, make it so he didn't surrender to these pathetic chew toys. Force the rest of us loyal Grobulans into hiding. Not that we mind the Pirates life, its more natural anyways. But it still sucks having to spend months or years on algae rations between hits.
After the traitor lept out the doorway, something else stepped in after him. A weird thing I'd never seen before. Must be one of the Combine's new races. We'd been stuck out in deep space a few years, haven't exactly been able to keep up to date on news. Good. I get to be the first Grobulan to taste new meat. What's the thing its holding? Doesn't look like a Photon caster. Must be some new tech? Or maybe something its people made. Who knows, who cares?
"Stop! Don't come closer or I'll shoot!" It bellowed. Translators still working? Stupid gunman missed. That shot was supposed to take out their computer core. Maybe its another of the Florbs stupid redundancies. Whatever, bloodlust is getting tougher to handle. I need me some RED.
Not good. Not good. Not good. Shark people don't respond to intimidation. Fuck. Of course the pirates also have to be homicidal maniacs. The things fast too, practically swimming through the air- and while I'd love to appreciate the majesty of a flying great white right now that thing is coming this way and I'm pretty sure its looking at me. I look to Hark but he's busy with another of the Pirates. I heard once that sharks go away if you hit them on the nose, I know the airsoft gun probably isn't much, but if I pelt him in the face a few times maybe it'll stun him a bit? Don't know, but I have to try cuz running in this low gravity isn't gonna work.
BOOM. SQUELCH.
Holy fucking shit. What the hell? He just... he just exploded!? Eugh, and that smell. Its like someone just turned on a stove. What the hell are these guys made of, fucking methane? Whatever, I look behind me just to make sure there wasn't some other guy with a gun or whatever. Nope. Nada. That shark just exploded cuz of an airsoft BB and I'm not in a position to start questioning things when there's a second one that looks like its decided I'm a bigger threat than Hark. After a very brief moment of shock from the sudden detonation, it and I lock eyes and it leaps at me. I panic and pull the triger again, spraying bbs down the hallway all the while and catching some other shark people that happened to be behind that first one. One of them scrapes the thing's arm, and it just blows off like I hit him with a twelve gauge. He goes careening into the wall and splats like a water balloon. More of that disgusting smell, and all the blood. I actually end up vomiting, and watch in horror as it sizzles on what's left of the dead shark guy's skin. Burns right through it like I'm a fucking xenomorph or something.
I look to Hark, and I may not be an expert of Shark social skills but I'm pretty sure he's shitting himself right now. God, to him I must look like I was plucked straight out of a horror movie. He probably expects me to whip out a knife tail or laser eyes or something. I look to my right to see Doc Oc again, and he's an even deeper shade of outright purple now. Almost black. I hear more shouts, more of those shark things start pouring out of the doorway the first ones came from. One of them is holding another octopus looking person in... christ in his teeth.
We're all going to die. But not to the Grobulans like I originally thought. This creature calling itself Duncan has just reduced, and is still reducing, the Grobulan pirates that have boarded the vessel to... paste. That 'toy' of its is quite literally making them explode. And I'm pretty sure it just spat acid venom at one to make sure it was dead. I was wrong, this is not a soldier. This must be some kind of gene-augmented bioweapon, bred for war. The fact that it hasn't already killed us is either a sign that some command trigger hadn't flipped until combat began or some other control mechanism that might be malfunctioning- or perhaps not malfunctioning. Whatever the case, it doesn't seem interested in either me or Lieutenant Hark, and I aim to keep it that way by pulling Hark into back into my office so I can work on the injuries he sustained from his brief scuffle. Pretty bad, from the looks of it. Several tears, a couple torn ligaments. One of his cartilage support structures is snapped in half. All I can hear from the hallway now is shouting, and that horrid noise its weapon makes. A high pitched whine, a handful of strange plinks, and the nausea-inducing squelch of a... of a detonating Grobulan. Whatever that weapon is, its more powerful than any I have ever seen or even heard of. At least as far as handheld firearms are concerned. The fact that its people has developed such weaponry before even achieving spaceflight is a testament to what is undoubtedly a violent, warlike nature. No wonder it seemed so concerned that Dr. Tryn had accessed their communications, it must have thought we were trying to conduct military espionage. I shudder to think what it would have done if the doctor hadn't been quick to assuage its worries. It could well be me painted on the wall right now...
I decided it was better to focus on Hark's injuries, than to speculate about my brush with death.
This is sickening. I thought that living out a sci-fi novel, killing goons and pirates with some weird super power or super weapon might be kind of neat, fun even. But right now all I want to do is go home and pretend like this never happened. But I can't. Something about seeing all the... blood up close. Hearing those screams. No actor can do a genuine death cry, and let me tell you the real thing tickles something fucking awful deep in my brain. Even if its from an alien instead of a, well human I guess. They're people, too, afterall. From all the dead uh, octopus people- mental note, ask Doc Oc what his people are called- its clear what's gonna happen if I even entertain the idea of surrender. These shark people don't leave prisoners, and if they did they'd probably have a different, more culinary, term for them.
Calling upon my years of... airsoft experience... I start clearing the hallway. Check corners, double-checking rooms, making sure I don't miss anything. There's a few more of those bird-fish people, cowering along with a handful of other strange aliens I've not seen before. More octopi, a few eel-looking ones, a literal man-sized starfish. Man, aside from the bird-fish all of them look like they come from the ocean. Are there any terrestrial species aboard? Maybe its a special ship or something.
Eventually, I hear a weird thunk and the entire ship seems to lurch. Then the Alexa in the walls says, "BREACH SEALED. 1 INTRUDER DETECTED. YELLOW ALERT."
"Sounds like its over mostly, I'm sure the ship has other soldiers on it to take care of the last guy. Now, back to uh... where... fuck. I have no idea where I'm at." I turn around, to find the hallway behind me now blocked by 2 eel-like aliens, wielding more of those banana shaped weapons- pointed at me. Shit.
I put my hands up, and drop my weapon- letting the band on it hang it by my shoulder, "Hey heyyyy.. it's alright. I'm friendly, I'm on your side, I helped uh... well, you can see for yourself." I gestured to the trail of... corpses. God. I left a trail of corpses. Fuck me. When I get back, I'm gonna have one hell of a story for my therapist.
"I am well aware of your actions today, sir... Duncan Euler, is it? Doctor Ruffaloo informed me of your... abilities," A voice from behind me, very soft. I turn around and... huh. This one looks sort of like one of those bird-fish people, but much... taller? More like a stork or a flamingo, where the other ones looked sort of like shiny pidgeons with gills. Given the voice, must be some kind of sexual dimorphism? Weird. She- or he? I don't know. They seem to also be actually dressed, admittedly with ribbons and medals instead of clothes, but I guess that's how it goes when you're people are all feathered. No need to add more coverings.
"Uh, ohkay. Look, I didn-" She raised a hand, or wing I guess.
"Its alright. I'm not about to interrogate the one responsible for saving my vessel about his people's military technology or strategies. From the security footage, its clear that you are no uncontrolled murder machine like our good Doctor seemed so worried about. You very much seem in control, and have gone to effort to target only the pirates who boarded my ship," she explains.
Her ship? So she's the captain then. Alright, cool, so I can just tell her what's going on, have her take me back to my planet and get her in contact with some way more qualified than me for something as big as first contact and then I can go home and forget about all of this.
"Oh, good, that's great. So, listen, I-" she raises a wing again.
"I'm sure you want to go home so you can report about this to your superiors. But, unfortunately, that is not currently possible. According to Protocol, first contact with a new species requires a thorough investigation of the prospective member species before making contact through official channels to prevent the spread of novel diseases or aid in application of species-unique accomodations; and of course to ensure our translators are functioning correctly so that there are no communicative misunderstandings. Normally this would be done at a great distance, and if any form of physical exam was conducted the individual would be sedated the entire time and returned in the same condition they were taken before any could notice. However, Lieutenant Hark broke protocol during his scouting assignment in an attempt to save your life. And while admirable, it has left us in a rather awkward position. I must thank you for saving my vessel, but unfortunately I cannot allow you to return to your planet before an official first contact is made. In the meantime, I'm sure the Combine would be more than happy to provide you any accomodation you desir-"
I raise my airsoft rifle, directly at her. I hear a few clicks from behind me, and quickly realize what my anger and adrenaline have made me do. I prepare to face death, but instead only hear gasps of.. horror? I flick around to see what's happened, only to find that the guards behind me are shining... laser pointers? Had to cover my eyes a bit but... yeah. Its just laser pointers. They're a little hot, I guess. But, not like "light me on fire" hot or anything.
"Hey! Be careful where you point those laser sights you have on your guns, you could blind someone! Or... well, I guess you wouldn't care about blinding someone you're about to kill, but still! That could hurt!"
I hear the captain lady's voice again, though its a hoarse whisper of abject shock.
"Those aren't laser sights. Those are Photon Casters. The deadliest handheld firearm that can be safely used aboard a spaceborne vessel. And you... you're just... immune? Do- do you even feel them?"
"Uh, well, they're a little hot I guess. Might be able to cook a chicken with one if you held it long enough." I said, unconsciously cracking a joke to take the edge off the fact that I was apparently about to be executed just to keep me quiet.
"A little hot? Sir Duncan those are- well, I don't know what measurement your people use and I'm sure the Translator doesn't either. But I assure you they would normally be extremely painful at the least, and if held could kill in just a few moments. I also don't know what a chicken is, but if takes more than this to 'cook' them then it must be quite the formiddable beast," She explains, her voice stern with amazement.
I can't help but chuckle at the idea of a chicken being formiddable, but it only ends up scaring the piss out of everyone around me. Fuck. 'The monster learns its invulnerable to its victims weapons, and chuckles menacingly'. Well, maybe I could turn this to my advantage.
"Take me back. Now." I say, in the deepest, most intimidating tone I could muster. Making sure the Captain is staring directly down the orange barrel of my apparently-lethal airsoft gun.
----
How did things come to this. First Lieutenant Hark disobeys a direct order, and though it is admirable to want to save a life, it is unimaginably reckless when it involves breaking first contact protocol. What happens if this "Duncan"'s family notices its absence? What if Hark's little escapade was noticed by local authorities? There's no telling how many things could have or indeed did go wrong at the very outset, and now here I am being threatened into making matters worse by the very individual Hark saved and who saved my own vessel from Grobulan pirates. Not even the Songs can tell where they came from, or why they were this deep in unexplored space. I've heard tales of Pirates living away from the Hyperlanes, but I didn't think they could be this far out.
In any case, what am I to do? Clearly this individual is attempting to reconnoiter with its military to report on the existence of extraterrestrial threats. There's no telling how this will paint first contact- it could even lead to another Cold War like with the Grobulan Empire; which ended in the obvious fashion. Thankfully their King had a sympathetic consort, and it was thanks only to her sacrifice that the war was ended before anyone went extinct. I'm sure the councilmen would prefer to avoid a repeat of these events. As would I, considering the death toll of that conflict. It may be futile, but I must try to negotiate- even if it results in my own death.
"Sir Duncan, I am sorry but I cannot do that. If your people learn of extraterrestrial life in uncontrolled conditions, it could cause mass panic, or worse, outright war. It is not unheard of for a civilization to over-react to the notion of extraterrestrials and end up running itself extinct over differences of opinion regarding how to move forward. Moreover, if you tell your superiors of what happened here they may be inclined to believe that extraterrestrials in general are a threat- which would hamper peace talks intending to offer them the protection of the Florbus Combine. Our goal is to ensure peace and cooperation between as many species as possible, for the betterment of all. But if a world is closed off and xenophobic, it can result in far worse conflicts than what has happened aboard this vessel. It is in everyone's best interest that we follow protocol, and ensure a smooth first contact with your world's governing bodies. To give them time to process the information before making it public knowledge and potentially causing chaos and, thereby, death. I do not see in you a heartless monster, if you were you would have killed my own people indiscriminately alongside the Grobulans."
If this does not sway it, then nothing can. I may be forced to scuttle. Better us to burn than entire planets.
----
Fuck. She saw right through me. In hindsight, threatening the captain of a military vessel would never have ended well anyways. They might have tried something insane. Especially since she's still convinced that I am a military man myself. My dad may have been, but I definitely am not. I like airsoft, sure, and I do enjoy occasionally watching videos of airsoft pros wiping the floor with military tactics. But I grew up with my mother never knowing if my Dad was going to come back or not. Too many tearful reunions, too many moments seeing the dead look in his eyes or overhearing him talk in his sleep. PTSD is a hell of a thing, and it seems I'm gonna end up with some of it myself after this.
The worst thing is she's right. If I go back, there's no way I couldn't at least tell mom- she'd notice something was wrong and find a way to force it out of me. Then she might tell Dad, and Dad really is a military man and there's no way he wouldn't tell one of his friends still in the military and then it all goes downhill from there. I lower the gun again, dropping it entirely this time and letting it hang loosely by the band. I end up taking a seat in the hallway as the adrenaline finally turns off and exhaustion hits me.
"Ugh... fine. You're right. It was selfish of me to try and force it. I just want to go home, man. I... I killed people today..." I sigh in resignation.
She gives me a confused look, "Is... that not your profession as a Soldier?"
I tilt my head back against the wall lazily, giving her just the side of my eye, "I tried to tell Doc Oc- er, uhm, Doctor Ruffaloo, that I'm not a soldier. Then those uhm, what did you call them?"
She answers tertly to allow me to continue smoothly, "Grobulans."
"Grobulans, right, Shark people. The Grobulans attacked. And like I was about to say just now, I didn't know my airsoft gun could even do that. It's a toy, I mean, watch-" I took it and quickly shot it at my arm, it stung a bit, but it was nothing much. Everyone else though looked in shock as I did it, several of them gasped and I'm pretty sure Doc O- Dr. Ruffaloo fainted. I think, he just sort of squished into the floor so its kind of hard to tell. But when they saw it do absolutely nothing they all relaxed a little.
"Well, I'm sure its a Toy to your people. But, at least to the Grobulans, its a lethal weapon of unimaginable proportions. Though, if it truly is just a toy, I hope you wouldn't mind me asking: What is 'airsoft'?" Oh boy.
"Uhm, its well... I hope the translator doesn't garble this. It's just a thing made to look like a gun- er, a real weapon except for the orange barrel which is the legal requirement to identify it as a toy. But instead of firing bullets-" I begin to explain.
"Bullets?" She interrupts
"Oh, uhm, actually deadly projectiles. Your doctor there pulled one out of me while I was out cold, I think. Some maniac brought a real gun to the airsoft field and, uh yeah. Fuck, that means I'm missing. There's no way they aren't gonna put out a search party for me, especially since that asshole fired a real fucking gun. God, my mom is gonna be devastated..." I sink low as reality hits me. Everyone I know is going to think that I'm dead, and I can't go back to tell them I'm not because if I do it could end up causing global panic or even war. Lord knows what China might do if they thought America was getting the upperhand in xeno-negotiations.
"Apologies, Sir Duncan," she said, "I did not mean to-"
My turn to interrupt, "Its alright. Not your fault, technically. I mean, if not for Hark I might really be dead so, I guess it doesn't really change much. I just get to be up here wallowing about it instead of in heaven."
"Heaven?" Oops. God, I really am not cut out for this first contact thing. Gonna be here for hours going down tangents cuz of me and my insatiable need for metaphor.
"Uh, my people's idea of an afterlife. The idea is that when we die, good people go up to Heaven to live in eternal paradise and bad people go to Hell to live in eternal punishment. I mean, there's a bit more nuance than that but I'm not a particularly religious person so I'm not exactly the one to talk to about it." I explained.
"I... see. Your people have quite unique beliefs. In any case, you were saying about what it is that 'toy' fires?" Thank god she can deal with my tangents.
"Yes, right. Uh, we call them BBs. Not a clue what it stands for, but its just a really tiny plastic sphere. Not really aerodynamic or anything, but that's sort of the point. The point is to be nonlethal. Its specifically design to not kill, just sting a little. I have no idea why its so... effective against the shark people. Sorry, uhm, Grobulans." I finally finished elaborating.
"Its quite alright, I imagine. They're not a particularly well liked sort, especially amongst my people, the Freeanas. Except for lieutenant Hark Manyfred, the one who saved you, most of them are vicious murderers and monstrous cannibals. I'm not particularly fond of applying racial stereotypes so generically, but in this case it really is difficult not to. Lieutenant Hark is an example of the more civilized Grobulans attempts at clearing their reputation. Though I'm not sure why they would assign him to my vessel. In any case, politics is not the matter at hand. What we must do now is finish assessing the damage and plot a return route back to Florbus space," She begins to nod and issue commands to the guards around me, I break into small laughter.
"Is something the matter, Sir Duncan? The translator isn't interpreting those noises, are you injured?" She worries
"Oh, no, its laughter. Uhm, a reaction to funny stuff. Sorry, I know things are serious and all but... Florbus? That's the name of the big alien empire? I just... sorry I can't..." I don't know why its suddenly so funny to me now, I guess I didn't really recognize it when that first uh 'Freeana' was telling me about them earlier. Florbus? It sounds like exactly the kind of weird madeup name a 70s or 80s sci-fi comic author would use. Or a modern one writing a parody. Speaking of, so is Grobulan. I mean, it rhymes with Romulan so I guess thats why my brain didn't quite register it as silly. Those guys are serious stuff!
----
My people's brains do not go unconscious, except for when we die. But we do have a response when stress becomes simply too much. All of our muscles go lax, and our entire body melts into a puddle like slop since we do not have any form of internal supports. The crea- or, I suppose I should call it "Duncan", is terrifying beyond imagination. Immune to Photon casters, but more than that to its own lethal weapon. And, apparently, this weapon is considered by his people to be a toy. I can scarcely imagine what genuine weapons are to them, though that "bullet" I pulled out of him appears to be a clue. It takes me nearly 15 minutes to restore function to my nerve endings and regain my form. While I was incapacitated, Captain Ashala gave me my orders.
"Doctor Ruffaloo, you are to attend to our guest and make sure he is not suffering internal injuries. According to the reports, you are now this vessel's most qualified science officer. Congratulations, Director Ruffaloo, on your promotion. In addition to your duties as the ship's primary physician, I also want you to investigate the matter of these 'BB's the Duncan's airsoft weapon fires. I suspect the lethality may be biological in nature, considering they do not seem to carry much in the way of physical force nor detonate on impact with other surfaces."
Of course. Dr. Tryn... and Saint Florb knows how many others amongst the science crew. Though reluctant I am to interact further with the Duncan, I have duties and I must perform them. It could be the difference between life or death for many.
----
Back at Dr. Ruffaloo's office. I'm really feeling it now. Definitely got a bruise from that initial explosion, and its really starting to smart. King Shark is here too, and man is he beat up. That other, uh, Grobulan really tore into him. And I'm pretty sure I heard the big one I shot first say something about a 'Eating Traitor'. So I can guess what his story is. Man, to think racism was a thing in space- though I guess when you literally are different species its probably an easier trap to fall into. I can't help but feel bad for the guy, especially since he's apparently the one who saved me from death by gun-shot to the femeral artery. That's definitely where I got hit, now that I have a calm moment I can remember it clearly. Isaiah was looking shifty from the moment he showed up at the field, and I remember the argument he got into with Isabelle last time, so I decided to confront him to make sure he wasn't going to try anything stupid.
And boy, was I right. Mother fucker brought a god damn gun, and was planning to kill me specifically. Apparently he thinks I 'stole' Isabelle from him, and thought that killing me would somehow make her fall in love with him again. Fucking psychopath. She dumped him precisely because he was a fucked up control freak, and I just happened to be there for her when she needed comfort instead of scolding about the color of her jacket or hair. God, Isabelle is gonna be devastated, too. We had been dating for nearly a year at that point... man, I really, really need this first contact shit to happen as fast as possible. I just hope that when I get back they'll be there for me. I've seen the movies where this kind of thing happens. Man gets into accident, far from home. Ends up lost for years and by the time he gets back everyone else in his life has moved on and doesn't care anymore, usually with living parents no-longer-living or somehow resentful. If I end up going back to that...
I shook the thought. There's nothing I can do about it except make sure the captain's protocols go off without a hitch and in as much haste as can be garnered. I let the doctor look over me, and sure enough there's one hell of a bruise. He asks me if I'm alright, and I tell him its just a bruise. He turns white as snow and asks, with what sounds like extreme concern in his- or I guess the translators- voice, "The... uhm, Translator is interpreting that word as 'Internal Bleeding'. Is that correct?"
"Well, I guess, yeah, technically," I state plainly.
"HOW ARE YOU ALIVE RIGHT NOW?" He practically screams, before squishing back into the floor like he did earlier.
It takes nearly 5 straight minutes of me explaining a few basics about human anatomy, kinda stuff even highschoolers know about, before he finally un-squishes from the floor. I ask about that, and apparently its his people's stress response. Kind of cute, but also concerning. If you end up paralyzing yourself if sometimes spooks you particularly badly, that can't possibly go well. He says it was apparently some kind of evolutionary advantage on his homeworld, because it would make them seem dead and most predators often ignored dead things and most scavengers would quickly realize that the thing wasn't dead before any real damage was dealt. Weird.
From what I can gather during our conversation, aliens in general are built pretty poorly. The ocean animal thing? Yeah, thats no coincidence. Apparently the vast majority of life in the galaxy is aquatic in some fashion, and usually evolve into semi-aquatic or even amphibious by the time they develop tools and the like. Only a bare handful, such as the avian Freeanas, end up departing from the water entirely- and even then are often still mostly coastal or prefer to live near bodies of water for ease of hunting. Makes sense, even humans tended to found cities alongside rivers and other water sources. In any case, when you take a fish out of water it tends to be very squishy. And although most people have gene mods that let them exist without being submerged- mostly because water and other fluid mediums are extremely heavy and thus expensive to haul around in spaceships- mods that enhance durability or strength are heavily restricted and available only to military personnel.
"Speaking of, I couldn't help but notice that your internal supports are particularly dense and tough to analyze with my equipment. Do Duncans not restrict genemods like the we do?" He asks. I can't help but chuckle a bit.
"First off, my name is Duncan. My species is Human. Second off, we don't have genemods. Not yet, anyways- last I heard that kind of stuff isn't even prototypable, at least not in humans. Best we've got are bacteria that help in chemical synthesis,"
He squishes into the floor again. This is gonna be a long day.
--End of Part 2--

As a millennial myself, I'd like to start with a major caveat: The position we're in is not our fault, but when the blood does fall, it will still fall on us. It's an excuse or justification, and we will find ourselves in the positions of killing or dying regardless of the reasoning or true blame of the situation.
Usually, when people discuss generational angst and trauma in the news, they're strictly referring to those in First World countries. These are people who are free for scientific studies and have time for interviews or taking polls. I'm not talking about just them. I'm also not just talking about those of us who make it to places of leadership. I'm talking about everyone born on planet Earth from 1981 to roughly the present date.
We've established who I am talking about, so here's why: climate change is happening, and it will get a lot worse before it gets better. Even in the best scenarios, we're still looking at mass extinction, population migration, and crop failures across the world. Now there's a massive range of scenarios of how bad things could get with "merely" food and housing costs rising on one end, and total breakdown of civilization on the other. I don't believe I need to explain why we'd have a lot of blood on our hands in the latter scenario, so I am instead focusing on more optimistic cases.
Our First Kills
The first people we kill will be the hardest deaths of all for us, and after that, everything else that comes will be much easier. This is our parents: Boomers and Gen X. Most of us probably won't be suffocating them in their beds, but instead, it'll be deaths of neglect. In the next decade, both of these generations will have rising health problems and become less and less capable of performing even simple tasks. Their pensions and retirement funds will evaporate as economies begin to falter with rising cost. They'll need constant care, and there's simply not enough caregivers to go around, and the majority of Boomers won't be able to afford the elevated prices of home nursing.
How do we kill them?
At this point, all of us will have a choice. We will have to choose between letting our parents live with us, and sacrificing our own livelihoods and domestic situations to care for them and the increasingly difficult medical treatments they need. Or we can put them into the horrid state run elder care programs, all of which are increasingly strained and lacking staff. Some are nice, sure, but in probably less than five years, we can all look forward to John Oliver doing an expose on how seniors are crammed in 8 to a room in most Florida nursing homes, with maybe one nurse to 40 Boomers. This is already happening in some places.
Our parents will die, either when we fail at caring for them in our own homes, or when overwhelmed nurses simply can't deal with so many at once. Either way, it was our decisions, and our choices that will lead to their deaths. It gets easier from here, when the dead are no longer the people we actually love and care about.
The Real Migrant Crisis
When places become uninhabitable, when the food is no longer plentiful, the best case scenario is well over a billion refugees. That's a number which is hard for the average person to visualize when it comes to movements. This is the first place where our body count could be reduced. Aid sent to the worst stricken nations may help, but ultimately, as we've seen in so many past events, the aid will equal power, and people will fight and kill for who controls the aid. For the first world, this is the best case scenario, as all of the dying and fighting is somewhere else. Still it's mostly our generations making these calls, and blame rests with us, however it turns out.
If, however, the First World takes a swing to the right, we'll see a much bloodier outcome. Lethal responses to migrations will be more common, and while we'll wring hands and protest, it's hard to argue with the right's belief in the effectiveness of such a final solution. While it'll likely be Gen X or Millennials making these policy decisions, it will be Gen Zers likely pulling the triggers. This gets worse as inevitably, people stand up for what is right over what is expedient, and the protests become violent. Regardless whether the bloody cynical or the bloody righteous win, the body count only rises, and the migrants keep coming either way.
Some of these crises will inevitably lead to war. Larger nations will need better land, while others seek to take what they need to survive from others. The wars will add to the mass graves, and once more, we'll be pulling the triggers. I'm going to assume that the big bombs don't get dropped everywhere, as discussed earlier, there's not a lot of point in discussing the worst cases.
Policies and New Civilization
Eventually, the guns will fall silent and things will stabilize. Millennials will start dying out, and it'll be on those after us to start making policy decisions. I suspect most of the nations that are great powers now will be great powers then too. Barring the worst scenarios, governments will survive, over less populous nations than before.
The amount of deaths between 2025 and 2065 will be staggering. They will dwarf any comparable events in human history. Billions of lives will be snuffed out in numerous ways, and we will all share in the responsibility. For the survivors it's a better fate to be responsible for death than to be one of the dead themselves. As always, those in the First World will be better off than everyone else.
Despite everything that had already happened, the people in charge will be those who know well that they've made it through a mass extinction event of governments and nations. I can't imagine what policies they'll pursue, but we can only hope that the youngest of Gen Z will get to see the start of a better future, for the price they'll have to pay for it.
But Hey, Maybe I'm Wrong
The most pessimistic of people will say I'm wrong since we're all going to go extinct/nuke ourselves/regress to the Stone Age. The most optimistic of people will say I'm wrong because things really aren't that bad or science will save us from the past's poor decisions. If I'm wrong, I hope the optimists are right, and nothing really matters if the pessimists are right, since if they're right, I'm right too, because we'll still be killing everybody.
I'm not going to harp on the ways to make things better here, after all, just look at the gloom and doom articles for the people who tell you about ways you can help. We should fight for a better tomorrow, and we might be able to win. Eventually a better tomorrow will come, and it'll be up to us on whether this will be in 50 years or 500. Ultimately, we're going to have to come to terms with the idea that we might not just have to be willing to die for a cause, but kill for it too. As a student of history, spilling blood for a better future for one group of people over another is nothing new, hell it's the base standard of human existence. We're just in the unique position of going to do more of it than anyone else ever has.