#Computer server Racks

[server-rack-technology]

What innovations are on the horizon for server rack technology

In the fast-paced world of technology, where data drives business and innovation, the backbone of efficient data management lies in the heart of data centers. Computer server racks play a crucial role in these centers, providing the infrastructure to store, manage, and process vast amounts of information. As the demand for more powerful and scalable computing solutions continues to rise, so does the need for innovative advancements in server rack technology. In this article, we will explore the imminent innovations for server rack technology, emphasizing the importance of these advancements for Netrack and its clients. 

The evolution of server rack technology is pushing towards high-density configurations, allowing data centers to maximize their computing power within limited physical space. Future server racks are expected to support increasing servers in a compact form factor, optimizing floor space utilization. This particularly benefits businesses with growing computational needs that need more space resources. Netrack's commitment to delivering efficient solutions aligns perfectly with the trend towards high-density server rack configurations, ensuring clients can scale their operations seamlessly. 

As data centers grapple with the challenges of heat dissipation in densely packed server racks, liquid cooling solutions are emerging as a key innovation. Liquid cooling offers a more efficient method of heat removal than traditional air cooling, enabling servers to operate at optimal temperatures. Netrack is poised to integrate liquid cooling technologies into their server racks, promoting energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of data centers. 

The demand for flexibility in data center infrastructure is driving the development of modular and scalable server rack designs. This innovation allows businesses to adapt to changing requirements by adding or removing modules as needed. Netrack recognizes the importance of providing scalable solutions to its clients, and future server racks will showcase this commitment through modular designs that can evolve with the ever-changing landscape of technology. 

With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, security is a paramount concern for data centers. Future server racks should incorporate enhanced security features to safeguard sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access. Netrack's dedication to providing secure solutions positions the company at the forefront of this innovation, ensuring that clients can trust their data is protected within Netrack's server racks. 

The integration of artificial intelligence into server rack management is another exciting frontier. AI-powered systems can optimize resource allocation, predict and prevent potential failures, and automate routine tasks, thereby improving overall efficiency. Netrack's commitment to staying at the cutting edge of technology aligns with the trend towards intelligent, self-optimizing server rack solutions. 

As sustainability becomes a key focus in all industries, server rack technology is evolving to incorporate energy-efficient designs. Future server racks will feature advanced power management systems, utilizing renewable energy sources and minimizing energy wastage. Netrack's dedication to environmental responsibility positions the company as a leader in providing energy-efficient server rack solutions, supporting cost savings, and reducing its carbon footprint. 

The rise of edge computing is reshaping the landscape of data processing, bringing computation closer to the source of data generation. Server racks are adapting to accommodate the unique requirements of edge computing, allowing for the seamless integration of edge devices. Netrack's commitment to staying ahead of technological trends ensures that its server racks are ready to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the widespread adoption of edge computing. 

In conclusion, the future of computer server racks is an exciting frontier, filled with innovations that promise to redefine the capabilities of data centers. High-density configurations, liquid cooling solutions, modular and scalable designs, enhanced security features, AI integration, energy-efficient designs, and edge computing integration are key trends shaping the next generation of server rack technology. Netrack, with its commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions, is well-positioned to lead the industry in implementing these innovations. As businesses rely on robust and efficient data management solutions, Netrack's server racks will play a pivotal role in meeting these evolving needs. 

[computer-server-racks]

The Impact of Server Rack Placement on Network Performance

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, businesses rely heavily on robust network infrastructures to ensure seamless operations. One often overlooked aspect that significantly influences network performance is the strategic placement ofcomputer server racks. As the backbone of any IT setup, server racks are pivotal in maintaining efficiency and reliability. In this blog post, we will delve into the impact of server rack placement on network performance, shedding light on best practices for optimizing your infrastructure. 

The physical location of computer server racks within a data center or office environment can profoundly impact network performance. Several factors come into play, influencing the overall efficiency and reliability of the network. Let's explore these factors in detail: 

Airflow and Cooling: 

Proper airflow prevents server overheating, leading to performance degradation and hardware failure. The placement of server racks should be optimized to facilitate efficient cooling. Strategic positioning helps ensure that hot air generated by the servers is effectively expelled while cool air is drawn in, maintaining an optimal operating temperature. 

Cable Management: 

Messy cables not only present a safety hazard but can also impede network performance. Thoughtful server rack placement allows for organized and easily accessible cable management, reducing the risk of cable-related issues. Well-managed cables improve airflow and make it easier to troubleshoot and upgrade systems when necessary. 

Proximity to End Users: 

The physical location of server racks around end users can impact latency and response times. Placing server racks closer to end users reduces the time it takes for data to travel, resulting in faster access to applications and services. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on real-time data processing or high-frequency transactions. 

Redundancy and Accessibility: 

Strategic placement of server racks involves considerations for redundancy and accessibility. Redundancy ensures that the network remains operational during hardware failures or maintenance activities. Additionally, easy accessibility simplifies routine maintenance tasks, minimizing downtime and optimizing overall network performance. 

Best Practices for Computer Server Rack Placement: 

Now that we understand the significance of server rack placement let's delve into best practices to optimize network performance: 

Hot and Cold Aisle Containment: 

Implementing hot and cold aisle containment strategies ensures that hot air exhaust from server racks is contained and directed away from the intake air. This helps maintain a consistent temperature within the data center, promoting optimal server performance. 

Elevated Flooring and Cable Trays: 

Utilizing elevated flooring and cable trays enhances cable management and facilitates efficient airflow. This approach provides a clean and organized appearance and contributes to the network's overall reliability by minimizing cable-related disruptions. 

Distributed Architecture: 

Consider adopting a distributed architecture where critical applications and services are distributed across multiple server racks. This approach enhances fault tolerance, reduces the risk of a single point of failure, and contributes to a more resilient network. 

Environmental Monitoring: 

Implementing environmental monitoring systems helps track temperature, humidity, and other conditions within the data center. By closely monitoring these factors, businesses can proactively address potential issues, ensuring a stable and optimal environment for server racks. 

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, the strategic placement of computer server racks is crucial in optimizing network performance. Businesses prioritizing the thoughtful design and arrangement of their server infrastructure stand to gain significant advantages in terms of efficiency, reliability, and overall user satisfaction. Whether you are managing a small office server room or a large-scale data centre, considering the impact of server rack placement on airflow, cable management, proximity to end users, and redundancy is essential. 

At Netrack, we recognize the pivotal role that computer server racks play in shaping the performance of networks. Our innovative solutions are designed to optimize not just storage but also the overall efficiency of your IT infrastructure. Explore our range of cutting-edge server rack solutions to elevate your network performance and ensure a seamless digital experience for your business. Choose Netrack for reliability, performance, and the assurance of a well-organized and strategically placed server infrastructure. 

[opendirectories]

[spark-hearts2]

QUESTION TWO:

SWITCH BOXES. you said that’s what monitors the connections between systems in the computer cluster, right? I assume it has software of its own but we don’t need to get into that, anyway, I am so curious about this— in really really large buildings full of servers, (like multiplayer game hosting servers, Google basically) how big would that switch box have to be? Do they even need one? Would taking out the switch box on a large system like that just completely crash it all?? While I’m on that note, when it’s really large professional server systems like that, how do THEY connect everything to power sources? Do they string it all together like fairy lights with one big cable, or??? …..the voices……..THE VOICES GRR

I’m acending (autism)

ALRIGHT! I'm starting with this one because the first question that should be answered is what the hell is a server rack?

Once again, long post under cut.

So! The first thing I should get out of the way is what is the difference between a computer and a server. Which, is like asking the difference between a gaming console and a computer. Or better yet, the difference between a gaming computer and a regular everyday PC. Which is... that they are pretty much the same thing! But if you game on a gaming computer, you'll get much better performance than on a standard PC. This is (mostly) because a gaming computer has a whole separate processor dedicated to processing graphics (GPU). A server is different from a PC in the same way, it's just a computer that is specifically built to handle the loads of running an online service. That's why you can run a server off a random PC in your closet, the core components are the same! (So good news about your other question. Short answer, yes! It would be possible to connect the hodgepodge of computers to the sexy server racks upstairs, but I'll get more into that in the next long post)

But if you want to cater to hundreds or thousands of customers, you need the professional stuff. So let's break down what's (most commonly) in a rack setup, starting with the individual units (sometimes referred to just as 'U').

Short version of someone setting one up!

18 fucking hard drives. 2 CPUs. How many sticks of ram???

Holy shit, that's a lot. Now depending on your priorities, the next question is, can we play video games on it? Not directly! This thing doesn't have a GPU so using it to render a video game works, but you won't have sparkly graphics with high frame rate. I'll put some video links at the bottom that goes more into the anatomy of the individual units themselves.

I pulled this screenshot from this video rewiring a server rack! As you can see, there are two switch boxes in this server rack! Each rack gets their own switch box to manage which unit in the rack gets what. So it's not like everything is connected to one massive switch box. You can add more capacity by making it bigger or you can just add another one! And if you take it out then shit is fucked. Communication has been broken, 404 website not found (<- not actually sure if this error will show).

So how do servers talk to one another? Again, I'll get more into that in my next essay response to your questions. But basically, they can talk over the internet the same way that your machine does (each server has their own address known as an IP and routers shoot you at one).

POWER SUPPLY FOR A SERVER RACK (finally back to shit I've learned in class) YOU ARE ASKING IF THEY ARE WIRED TOGETHER IN SERIES OR PARALLEL! The answer is parallel. Look back up at the image above, I've called out the power cables. In fact, watch the video of that guy wiring that rack back together very fast. Everything on the right is power. How are they able to plug everything together like that? Oh god I know too much about this topic do not talk to me about transformers (<- both the electrical type and the giant robots). BASICALLY, in a data center (place with WAY to many servers) the building is literally built with that kind of draw in mind (oh god the power demands of computing, I will write a long essay about that in your other question). Worrying about popping a fuse is only really a thing when plugging in a server into a plug in your house.

Links to useful youtube videos

How does a server work? (great guide in under 20 min)

Rackmount Server Anatomy 101 | A Beginner's Guide (more comprehensive breakdown but an hour long)

DATA CENTRE 101 | DISSECTING a SERVER and its COMPONENTS! (the guy is surrounded by screaming server racks and is close to incomprehensible)

What is a patch panel? (More stuff about switch boxes- HOLY SHIT there's more hardware just for managing the connection???)

Data Center Terminologies (basic breakdown of entire data center)

Networking Equipment Racks - How Do They Work? (very informative)

Funny

[centralbunnyunit]

[infomen]

HD-H242-Z11 High-Density 4-Node Server | Edge & Data Center Ready

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[transgender-control-protocol]

project progress

[pc-for-rents-in-chennai]

Ups Rental Services in Chennai

[ghoulangerlee]

*collapses in a tired and bruised heap* guess who moved a significant portion of an IT office today in a 4 door car, a 4-Runner and a Ford truck?

[magnus-glitch-archive]

The Magnus Protocol, Episode 31

Gwen: "It could be anyone's severed hand." Regarding the hand found in the server rack.

Gwen: "That's not what happened!" Responding to Alice's statement that the computer ate Collin.

Gwen: "I'm sure we can leave." Responding to Alice's assertion that they're hostages.

Gwen: "Just like that." Answering Alice’s questioning regarding her being given Lena's job.

Celia: "Sam will be okay." Comforting Jack.

Celia: " Mummy was okay, so he will be too." Still speaking to Jack.

Celia: "I recognize it from a case." Explaining to Alice how she knows anything about the tear.

Celia: "Something like that." Responding to Georgie’s joke asking if a spreadsheet caught fire.

Gwen: "It did not eat Collin!" Responding to Alice's fears that the computer ate Collin.

Gwen: "I'm sure that as long as we don't follow in his footsteps we can maintain business as usual." Trying to assuage concerns about using the computers.

Gwen: "I'll even add a competitive severance package, which I think is more than generous, given the circumstances." Giving the offer for Alice and Celia to quit.

Gwen: "Now if you don't mind, I am very busy." Dismissing Alice and Celia.

[fullfriendnerdclutch]

Since you love it when people expanded your storyline, please allow me to entertain you about Cas because this is right up my alley @onelinerbust

Something extraordinary happened to me earlier today. As I smugly grin with my roommate to our enhanced reflection in the mirror, my mind wandered to 10 hours ago when that hit me.

My fingers, stained with Cheeto dust and smelling faintly of lukewarm ramen, hammered away at the keyboard, lines of Python code blooming on the screen like digital weeds. The hum of the server rack in the corner was my white noise, the flickering monitor my campfire. This was my life, resident basement dweller in a leafy, aggressively liberal campus more interested in protesting free speech than actually engaging with it.

My world consisted of logic gates, late-night coding sessions, and the occasional awkward conversation with a teaching assistant about why my sorting algorithm was eating up more memory than a browser running Chrome. Social life? Non-existent. Romantic prospects? Laughable. I’d spend my weekends huddled in the dimly lit computer lab, bathed in the cool glow of screens, while the rest of the campus pulsed with parties and… well, whatever else regular college kids did. I wouldn't know. Regular wasn't in my programming.

*bzzzt bzzzt*

Little did I know back then, it was the catalyst. It was a rarity for someone to message me, most of the time people reached me through the more accessible socials, message to my phone number usually ended up as spam. But something – a flicker of boredom, maybe – made me pick it up and unlock it.

The message was long, rambling, and…...weird.

“Cas, wake the fuck up. This is a trick, you are NOT a spineless soyboy. You’re supposed to be a GOD, remember? 🤯 Alpha💪🏻. American 🇺🇸. White 🫵🏻. You have all it takes to become the God that you are destined to be! 🦅🦅🦅🇺🇸 This is not it! Look at you, pathetic. Remember gridiron glory? Friday night lights? The roar of the crowd as you, Chad ‘The Crusher’ Kensington, leading your team to victory? 🏈🏈🏆 Remember the cheerleaders, their pom-poms a blur, their eyes hungry for you? Remember the taste of victory, the scent of their slick pussy🍑😏, the adoration in their eyes when they kneel to your greatness🍆💦🧠? You deserve it all. It’s your birthright. This woke bullshit campus is trying to neuter you, but deep down, the alpha is still there. Let him out. Unleash the beast 😤👹👹 They want weakness? Show them power. They want equality? Show them hierarchy. They want gentleness? Show them dominance. Go take what's yours, Chad. Grab your crown and spoil, king 👑, you know I'm right and you approve this message! 😤😤

The message was punctuated with emojis – flexing biceps, crowns, American flags, and an unsettling number of suggestive faces. My brow furrowed. This had to be some kind of elaborate prank. Some right-wing troll farm had probably gotten hold of my number. I was about to delete it when a strange warmth spread in my chest. Like a shot of something potent and unfamiliar.

It started small. A tingling in my fingers, then a tightening in my gut, like I'd just downed a gallon of protein shake. My vision sharpened, my glasses become an obstacle so I took it down. The code on the screen, which had been a comforting blur of familiar symbols, now seemed almost… insulting. My shoulders straightened instinctively. I flexed my fingers, and there was…more there. Definitely more. Concerned, I decided to make a dash to the bathroom, trying to relive myself and not disturb the others with my painful groan

As I entered the empty, secluded bathroom, that was when it hit.

It wasn't a slow transition. It was a goddamn reality shift. One second, I was Cas, the hunched-over coder, the next…I trembled on the floor as my body screamed with a new kind of awareness. My skin flushed with heat as it gets tighter, stretched over something hard and defined. Muscles. Real muscles. Not the flabby kind that comes from hauling bags of chips from the store to the dorm. These were….sculpted....powerful, dare I say.

Despite my attempt to look at my surroundings and begging for help, I only let out a weak, pathetic whimper as my gaze dropped to my swelling arms. I ripped off my oversized, stained hoodie, the fabric tearing slightly at the seams. The skinny, pale limbs I’d known my entire life were gone. It was replaced by thick, corded arms with veins popping under my now tanned, still-white skin. I managed to get some control over my trembling, swelling form, as I pushed myself to stand up. Then, as if a truck just hit me, my reflection stared back from the dirty bathroom mirror

It wasn't me, I thought rightaway, but a painful glitch hit my brain and I relaxed afterward.

The round, soft face was gone. Sharp angles had emerged – a strong jawline, high cheekbones. My eyes, which had always been a bland, watery blue behind thick glasses, were now a piercing, intense steel-grey, framed by this intimidating, darker eyebrows. My boring, unimpressive thin brunette with signs of receding hairline, had thickened, styled into a coiffed, blonde cut that framed my face perfectly. And… holy shit, my chest. I was enamored by the sight of it…defined...yet pillowy too, definitely the kind of pecs that can hypnotize anyone that stared at it for too long

The rest of my torso were equally outstanding, rippling with muscle and power beyond even my wildest imagination. A six-pack, for Christ’s sake! I ran a hand over my stomach, feeling the hard ridges beneath my skin. It felt… alien. And utterly, undeniably amazing.

Below the Adonis belt… well, let’s just say things were… proportionately enhanced. The message hadn't lied. Eight inches? Minimum. This wasn't just a physical transformation. It was…fundamental. A complete rewrite of my being.

And the memories…they flooded in, vivid and visceral, like a lifetime I’d somehow forgotten. Friday night lights. The roar of the crowd. Me, Chad Kensington, throwing a perfect spiral, the ball whistling through the air, finding my receiver in the end zone for the winning touchdown. Cheerleaders chanting my name. The hot press of bodies in the locker room, the smell of sweat and victory. The adoring gazes of girls, lining up for a piece of me.

Chad Kensington. That's me now. That had always been me. And this Cas memory… this weak, nerdy shell, this “Cas,” was just some… aberration. A glitch in the matrix, finally corrected.

A surge of pure, unadulterated testosterone pulsed through my veins. I thought to myself, this is power. This is dominance. This is what I was meant to be.

I remembered that I reached down, gripped myself through my sweatpants – they were suddenly too tight, too strained at the seams – and started to stroke hard, the phantom memories of cheering crowds and eager pussy fueling my hand. Chad Kensington, college star. Chad Kensington, panty-dropper extraordinaire. Chad Kensington, alpha male supreme. The image solidified in my mind, burning hot and real. I came hard all over the bathroom, my streak of thick, white cum painted the tiles, the mirror and even coagulated at the sink, the force of it surprising even myself, the false memory of adoration and conquest washing over me like a tidal wave.

When I finally opened my eyes, still breathing heavily, I realized that this would the very last time I would be jacking off to my dick in such a pathetic state. My baby batter would not be wasted in an empty, secluded bathroom like that so I quickly put my clothes back on and dashed to the computer lab to made my exit from the confine of that oppressive cage.

As I entered the lab, I remembered it suddenly felt… suffocating. Small. Pathetic. It wasn't my place anymore. Chad Kensington didn’t belong in a basement coding Phyton and shit. He belonged out there, dominating, conquering, taking what was rightfully his.

"Chad, what took you so long?"

Yeah, that was fun. Ramsey......did that pathetic TA really tried to intimidate me with that furrowed brow of his and confined me with bureaucracy BS? Well, he better be fuckin' jacked first before starting to act tough to me. Then, my brain started working. Maybe Ramsey can be less of a whiny, judgy TA if he received the message, so I just forwarded the message to him and smirked as I told him that I sent my reason to his personal messenger and I need to get the fuck out of here ASAP. He turned around and started to read the chat, and from the small glimpse that I managed to peek, the message is different from what I received! That's when the realization hit me. I legit mouthed "Damn" to myself as I realized that it's adaptive......like, that shit can change based on who read it. That revelation made my head spin, that message was indeed some fucking precisive, hi-tech work there. But the effect seemed to be the same, it made the reader into its best version of themselves, because how do you explain that a fucking algorithmic TA all-in-a-sudden have the built of a jacked bull like that, huh?

As he allowed me to grab my bag and leave the lab with a knowing nod, my stomach growled – not from hunger, but from a different kind of hunger. A primal urge. And then it brought me back to this very room as I remembered Kate, Jason's girlfriend. I know Jason, my roommate, was still at his stupid philosophy club meeting as I cleaned out my table, probably droning on about existential dread and Kate.....Kate was always… around, waiting for him. She's pretty enough, in a bland, accessible way. And always subtly, almost unconsciously, throwing glances my way. I knew even from back then that it must be the fucked up, corrupt message that made me think that way because Kate would never glanced to pathetic, asocial Cas, but at the same time, I was hit by this duality as I remembered myself as NOT Cas. Of course she glanced at me, I'm Chad fucking Kensington and people will not only glance my way, they will snap their head to view my greatness.

I strode out of the computer lab, my newfound muscles rippling under my thin tanktop (which also felt alarmingly small and tight). The campus walkways felt different. People noticed me. Heads turned. Girls giggled. Guys gave me that wary, respectful nod that alphas exchanged. It was intoxicating.

When I finally arrived at my dorm room, it was unlocked, as usual. Jason was perpetually trusting, another symptom of his pathetic beta male existence, I thought. I pushed it open, and there she was, Kate, sprawled on Jason's bed, scrolling through her phone, oblivious.

“Hey,” I said, my voice deeper, rougher than I remembered. Chad’s voice.

She looked up, startled as I take my shirt off so casually to reveal the sheen of sweat that seemingly coated my body. Her eyes widened, lingering on my… physique. A flicker of something in her eyes I recognized – desire – flashed in them.

“Cas? Uh.... sorry, the room is unlocked, Jason said.....I....I can wait in his bed. You just finished with practice?” Her voice was breathy, a little uncertain.

“Chad,” I corrected, stepping closer. “It’s Chad,"

She swallowed, her gaze dropping to my chest. “Chad,” she repeated, testing the name on her lips as I can see the memory started to jog on her brain. “Yeah, Chad.”

“Jason’s not here,” I stated, knowing it wasn’t a question.

She shook her head, a nervous laugh escaping her. “No, he’s… still in philosophy club.”

“Right,” I said, closing the distance between us. I reached out, my hand closing around her wrist, pulling her to her feet. Her skin was soft, yielding in my grip. Too soft. She needed to be hardened up. Tamed.

“By the way, read your phone, dropped something you would be interested to read," I said, glancing at her phone with a knowing smirk as I decided that she would be my first female guinea pig

I watched it in real time how the bland, average-looking Kate started to get way more prettier, leagues above Jason definitely, the curve gets wilder and her face really turned exactly how I imagined a sultry blonde bimbo falling head over heels for me would look like. So, after proving my little theory to be correct, that the message is transformative beyond men, I decided to test out yet another probability. Her slightly vacant eyes gave me idea as I saw a potential to create more excitement, more chaos, so I grabbed her by the chin to made her stare at me and start digging

"You get close to my roommate just to have chances to be in the same room with me, don't you? You're not the brightest girl out there, Cathy, I can see right through your play,"

Bingo, I smirked in my mind. That mind was jogging hard to made my words her reality. And since I have started anyway, I decided to take it up a notch to made my words her Bible

"In fact, you always fantasize Jason as me, right? This room smelled like me, you can taste me in the air so when you close your eyes as Jason fucked you, that mind of yours played this little game to make you think I was the one doing the fucking, huh? That's why you always come here earlier than Jason and I, you imprinted my fucking musk in your head by digging through my dirty laundry and closet so you can go through that unimpressive sex with Jason with me in mind, don't you? Well, he's not around, so why not use this time for you to just taste the real thing?"

She didn’t resist as I pulled her closer, my body pressing against hers. And seemingly taken over by her wilder, improved side, she started licking and kissing my abs

We were on Jason's bed in seconds, her clothes ripped open, the cheap fabric tearing easily under my hands. She moaned like a slut in heat, calling my name like I'm his God and only savior which fueled my dominance. It was power. It was control. It was… right.

Just as I was piledriving my cock into her now very irresistibly tight pussy, the door swung open. Jason stood there, textbooks clutched in his hand, his jaw dropping as he took in the scene. Me, thrusting hard into his girlfriend, her muffled moan filling the room.

“Cas?!” His voice was a strangled squawk.

I paused, looking up at him, a smirk playing on my lips. “Chad,” I corrected again. “And you need to check your phone, Jason,”

He stared at me, bewildered, then slowly lowered his gaze to his phone, which he thankfully had in his pocket. He fumbled it out, unlocked it with trembling fingers, and then… his eyes widened. He read something on the screen, his face shifting, contorting.

The change wasn’t as instantaneous as mine had been, but it was happening. His posture straightened. His shoulders broadened. His soft, doughy face hardened, angles emerging where there had been curves. His eyes sharpened, losing their bewildered puppy-dog look, gaining a new, predatory gleam.

“Holy… fuck,” he breathed, dropping his textbooks to the floor with a thud. He looked at me, a grin spreading across his transformed face, a grin that mirrored my own. “Chad?”

“Welcome to the club, bro,” I said, nodding. “Plenty to go around.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He ripped off his shirt, revealing a surprisingly decent set of pecs that I didn’t remember being there before. He was still smaller than me, but… he was getting there. Fast.

Without a word, he joined me on the bed. Cathy, who had been silent and still during the initial shock of Jason’s arrival, moaned again as he climbed on top of her, his gaze now burning with the same predatory hunger I felt.

We tag-teamed her, me dealing with her now bubbly, curvy ass while Jason handled the front, his now uncut 6 inchers really bruised her throay in a brutal, animalistic act of dominance. Tears and sweat leaked out of her alongside the obvious pussy juices and saliva, but she's not really protesting despite all the shit we did to her, just… taking it. Submitting. Like the good, cheerleader slut she was. It was… satisfying. In a deeply, disturbingly primal way.

Later, after we were done, Cathy panted for breath looking like a total wrecked mess on Jason's bed as I and Jason stood side-by-side, flexing in front of the mirror. The dorm room felt… different. Charged. Alive. With power.

As my mind snapped back to the current situation and how much change I have caused, Jason's question really cause a stir in my mind

“Think this… message… can do this to anyone?” Jason asked, running a hand over his newly defined jawline.

I smirked. “Oh I know this shit can do it to anyone. But let's see how far this can go,"

I pulled out my phone, found the message, and forwarded it to the Computer Science group chat. A chat filled with other pathetic, nerdy guys like I used to be. Guys who needed… guidance. Correction.

Almost instantly, phones started buzzing and pinging around the dorm. Then, shouts. Yells. The sound of furniture being overturned. Loud, aggressive music blaring from open windows. Footsteps pounding in the hallway.

Jason and I exchanged a glance. Then we grinned. Wide, feral grins.

The campus is about to change. And Chad Kensington, along with his newly minted alpha brothers, is going to be leading the charge. My birthright, after all.

[juh-wasnt-deactivated19691231]

not to be that type-4 tumblr user who doesn't fully grasp the concept of exceptions, but, the ones i work in are 1/ usually extremely well-lit, and 2/ oof ouch the noise it hurts

there's one cage i used to work in where, the adjacent customer's servers had a baseline pitch that was pretty high, but they were constantly revving up and down, and it created this awful eerie cacophony of shrieking damned souls. kind of neat but not fun to work around. also when we powered up our racks in that cage god DAMN that shit was loud. you close those switches and gtfo the way

anyways yeah mostly i just wanted to talk because i've been to more server floors than most people and it makes me feel cool

the lock on the server room is broken and one of the sys admins got locked in.

if i got locked in the server room i would simply lie down and take a nap behind the racks

[frickyeahfanfic]

〉the enemy of my enemy

chapter 4 - breach.

ethan hunt x f!reader 》 read chapter 1 here - playlist here summary: You’re alone. Prague is the first real lead you’ve had on VANTAGE since everything went haywire—and you’re not about to let some fancy IMF agent ruin your shot. But when Ethan Hunt intercepts you mid-mission, everything spirals. word count: 3178 tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, mission impossible warnings: some fighting and violence a/n: writing scenes like these are tough. but the chapters are getting longer, can you tell??

MARSEILLE. PROVINCE AIRPORT,  13:34 HOURS.

You glance out at the rising sun through the small oval window. Marseille is waiting.  And you’re starting to believe you might actually stand a chance. Which means VANTAGE is going to try harder to kill you both.

“Hey.” 

A hand is on your shoulder, gently shaking you awake. 

“We’re here.”

You groan, your neck sore from resting at a weird angle for four hours.

“Benji is coming to pick us up,” Hunt says, grabbing his backpack from under the seat. 

You’re still waking up and only now realize your head had been resting on Hunt’s shoulder for most of the flight.

And he hadn’t moved you.

You get up and follow him off the plane, too groggy to speak. You’re pretty sure nothing coherent would come out anyway.

Once outside, a black Audi pulls up to the curb and you both jump in. 

“So are you gonna tell me who the girl is?” The man in the driver's seat asks. You recognize his heavy British accent from Hunt’s phone calls. You make eye contact with him through the rearview mirror. His blue eyes are softer than Hunt’s, and you instantly feel more at ease. But you’re careful not to let your guard down quite yet. 

“She’s…” Hunt begins, but trails off. 

She’s what? You want him to finish his words. She’s annoying. She’s a liability. She’s in the way. 

“She’s young,” the driver says, squinting up at you. 

You shift uncomfortably. You get the feeling they aren’t just talking about age. 

“You must be Benji,” you interject.

He nods and smiles. “Right you are, and you?”

Hunt cuts in and says your last name, the only name he knows you by. 

“That’s an odd name,” Benji laughs. 

You pull the blonde wig off your head, mirroring Hunt taking off his hoodie. “It’s not my first name,” you say flatly. You were still somewhat bitter that Hunt figured it out. 

Benji huffs. “Ah, we’re all a bit on a first name basis, aren’t we, Ethan?” He turns and looks at the other agent. 

“Well, I’m not one of you.”

“Well, unfortunately for now, you are. Welcome to the team!”

As irritated as you thought you’d be with this… jovial British man, you’re endeared by his positive disposition. It’s a stark contrast of what you’ve been dealing with in the past 48 hours. 

After a few minutes, Benji pulls the car into a garage underneath a building of apartments. The narrow streets make driving tricky, but Benji was careful not to scrape the car. 

The three of you head up into a small apartment, decked out in computers and equipment that are already set up and ready to go. There’s a large hologram map projected over the wall, showing a massive compound. 

The first relay facility. You had once overheard about this facility being used for VANTAGE. 

“Here’s where the first real coordinates pointed us,” Benji says, tossing his keys into a bowl and walking over to the hologram. He pinches his fingers and opens them, causing the hologram to zoom in. You can see the rows of servers now, surrounded by nothing but steel walls.

“We need to get access to a certain server, here-” Benji makes a tapping motion, and one of the server racks lights up. “We’ll get the credentials and internal relay routing maps from VANTAGE’s underground server node. Without those, we won’t be able to decrypt and gain access to the next target node.”

You simply nod, listening intently to his words. “Alright, how do we get in?”

“And out?” Hunt chimes in. 

Benji grins, but he’s clearly stressed. One bead of sweat drips on his forehead, either from the heat outside or the exertion of coming up with the plan.

“I’ll be outside in the surveillance van and I’ll get in through the building’s security feed. You’ll both enter together through the dock access. As you move through the building, walk a little slower so I can cut out the cameras at the right time, got it?” 

You and Hunt nod simultaneously. 

“Once you’re inside, Ethan, you’ll split off toward the secondary control room and plant an uplink. It’ll give me temporary access to their isolated network. You’ll also draw guard presence, just enough noise to clear a path.

Benji turns fully to you now. 

“That’s your window. We need you to slip in the server room to breach and download the routing keys from the vault terminal. Without them, we can’t breach the second relay point.”

Your mind is running through all the risks. “What if we don’t pull this off cleanly?”

Benji’s lips tighten. “The relays are all linked. If two nodes get compromised without proper sequencing or if we hit a ‘tripwire’, the entire network goes into lockdown. We won’t get another shot.”

He turns around and faces the projection again. “There’s an elevator here. This is where you two will regroup and get out. It’s closest to the west exit. I’ll use a magnetic lift so it moves faster because you most certainly will have trouble following you.” 

You swallow. There’s a million ways this could go wrong. But I guess that’s why it’s called the Impossible Mission Force… 

“Sounds like a plan,” Hunt says dryly.

He walks by Benji and starts changing into the clothes laid out for him. He’s stuffing an earpiece in when he looks back at you, glued to the floor. “We don’t have all day.”

“We’re doing this, now?” You ask incredulously. 

He’s wrapping his hands with some black tape. “Unless you have another idea, this is our only shot.”

“You mean, now now?” You blink. You were all for spontaneous adventure but this was a suicide mission. 

Benji chuckles slightly, and you dart a menacing look at him. He shuts up quickly, and grabs a vest off of a nearby table. He comes closer to you and hands it out. “This is a vitals vest. I’ll be able to watch you both carefully with it on. If anything happens to you, I’ll be the first to know. We prefer our agents, alive, you know.” Benji smiles weakly at you. 

“Thanks,” you say. Benji hands you some black clothes with his other hand, and you head to the bathroom to change. 

Once dressed, you head out and walk over to Hunt. 

“Hey, we’re matching,” you say, grinning. “All black. Maybe one of us should change.”

“It’s not a choice. It’s protocol.” He says, adjusting a gun to his leg.

You raise an eyebrow. “You sound fun at parties.”  

“Ooh, I like her,” Benji says, which elicits a sigh from Hunt. Now there’s two of you against him. 

Benji tosses you some keys, and you catch them effortlessly. 

“Your ride, outside. Comms are live and ready and I’ll be taking a different route but staying close by. Once I’m in position, I’ll give the signal and you both can advance with the plan, deal?” 

“Deal,” you and Hunt say in unison. 

You dangle the keys in front of Hunt. “I get to drive this time.” You tease. 

Hey. If they’re gonna call you “young”, you might as well live up to it. 

You walk out of the apartment with Hunt trailing behind you. You can practically feel the tension radiating off his body. He’s in mission-mode now. 

Once outside, you click the button on the keys. Not a single car on the street lights up. 

But a moped does. A single, bright red scooter. 

You both freeze. 

You turn back to the building, and watch as a van drives out of the garage.

“Benji!” You yell into the comms. You just about run after the van. 

In your earpiece, a voice crackles over. “I’m sorry! It was either this or a bakery truck. Thought it would be a little more inconspicuous,” he pauses, then says, “and would allow for some more team bonding!” 

“I’m not part of the team,” you mutter. You slowly turn to look at Hunt, biting back a smile. He’s smiling too. But it’s more of a ‘I’m-gonna-kill-that-man’ smile.  

“Red is so your color, Y/l/n.” Benji���s voice comes over the comms again. 

“You still want to drive?” Hunt rolls his eyes. 

With a smug look on your face, you swing a leg over the moped and start the scooter. 

“Yep. Come on,” you pat the seat behind you. “Or you’re getting left behind.” 

“I think you’re forgetting I’m your bait. You won’t get in the server room without me,” he mutters, but climbs onto the seat behind you. As he settles in, you can tell he’s trying so hard not to hold onto you. 

Can this man just let go of his ego for once? 

You rev the scooter and accelerate just a little too fast. He grunts and grabs onto your waist instinctively. 

You’re not sure if it’s the nerves from the mission or the closeness of Hunt’s body to yours, but you feel your stomach do a flip. Hopefully Benji’s vitals vest doesn’t catch the spike in your heart rate. 

In a few minutes, you arrive at the relay facility. It’s perched on the edge of the water, and you spot quickly where the loading dock is. You zip the scooter over there and stop. Waiting for Benji’s command. 

“Romeo and Juliet, the first systems are offline. Please, be careful,” Benji says in the comms. 

You instantly cringe. “Romeo and Juliet?” 

“Just roll with it, I didn’t have much time to get creative. You have approximately twenty seconds to get in the door.” Benji responds quickly but you can hear his smile in his voice. 

Parking the moped, you and Hunt jump off and sneak around a few trucks, staying out of sight of the guards around the loading dock. A truck starts moving towards the garage door, and you and Hunt both roll under it, and grab the underside, using it as a vessel to enter the facility. 

“Okay, now split,” Hunt whispers to you once inside, letting go of the truck and heading towards the control room. You go in the opposite direction, staying low and entering into a dim hallway. 

Blood is rushing to your ears and you can see more clearly. The adrenaline is kicking in. 

“Juliet, take a left and head down the stairs. The server room should be on your right,” you hear in your earpiece. 

“You don’t need to call me that, Benji,” you say as you hurry down the stairs.

He sighs. “Well, if you’re not gonna tell us your first name, we have to give you one.”

“What about Romeo?” You snap at him. 

There’s two guards by the server room doors. You hide behind a corner, trying to calculate how to take both of them down without raising the alarm. 

“Uhhh, well you have to match, I guess-”

He’s cut off by the sound of you hitting one of the guards. The second guard turns about to shoot at you, but you launch towards him, knocking his gun out of his hands and tackling him down. 

“Okay. Ethan’s placing the uplink right now. You should have access in three, two,-”

There’s a click at the door in front of you. You swing it open and jump inside. 

“I don’t know who that is. I only know about Romeo,” You mumble. Hopefully the comms are separated by agent and Hunt isn’t listening to this whole conversation. 

“Seventh row, third rack in. Fine fine, I’ll drop the nicknames…. I just thought it would be fun…” Benji admits defeat. 

You find the tall server rack that Benji had indicated before, and open the grate. There’s hundreds of wires and boxes, but you pinpoint the access point immediately. With a thumb drive you pull out of your pocket, you jam it in and wait till you get the confirmation. 

Your comms crackle on. “Sorry, Y/l/n. Ethan’s in a little bit of trouble. But the data is almost finished downloading. Count down from ten and then pull it out.” 

Okay, stay calm. Although Hunt drove you crazy, you didn’t want to lose your most capable ally now. After ten seconds, you pull the drive out and head back the way you came. 

There’s almost no guards anywhere, since Hunt was taking the heat. Hopefully not too much heat. You rush down a hallway and spot the elevator that you and Hunt were supposed to meet up at, but there’s no tall, brooding agent in sight. 

“Benji, what’s happening?” You hiss. 

“Get out of there, quick. You have the drive, and that’s what we need right now. We can’t risk the network going into lockdown.” Benji’s comms are fuzzy and you can barely make out what he’s saying. Must be a weaker signal from where you’re standing. 

You spin around, looking for any sign of Hunt. “Where is he?” 

“Hunt’s vitals just went blank. Y/l/n, abort mission, now!” Benji yells. 

The elevator stands open now, but you don’t move. “I’m not leaving him behind!” 

“He’ll figure it out! You’re compromising the mission!”

You shake your head and start running like hell, ignoring Benji’s incoherent shouting in your ear. Up two flights of stairs and burst into the control room, where a guard has Hunt at point blank, tied to a chair with some heavy metal wiring. Hunt’s face is dripping with sweat and blood, his vitals vest is torn, and there’s bruises on his bare arms. His dark hair is completely disheveled and he’s panting hard. 

There’s several bodies on the ground, taken down by Hunt himself. But eventually he was overpowered. 

An armed man steps in front of you and points a rifle at you, but you shove a hand underneath it and thrust upwards, causing bullets to rip into the ceiling above. With one hand on the gun pointed away from you, you stab a knife in the man’s chest, eliminating him from the mix. 

You rip the rifle out of his hands and start shooting at the other two guards in the room. One hits the ground and the other one dashes behind Hunt, taking cover behind his body. He’s unarmed so this shouldn’t be too hard, you think to yourself. The magazine clicks blank, and you toss the gun to the side, and unsheath two more knives concealed on your body. 

Heart pounding, you lunge for the man behind Hunt. You manage to slice his leg, and he yells in agony - but he’s fast. He grabs your other wrist, twists it, and throws you backwards. Stars dance across your vision as your head slams against the floor.  

You manage to roll back and wrap your legs around your attacker’s torso, yanking him to the ground. Before he can recover, you deliver one nasty blow with your elbow to his nose, and forcefully drive a knife into his stomach. He goes limp.

You scramble up, scanning for more guards, and for now, the coast is clear. 

Rushing to Hunt, you draw one of your blades and slice through the wiring keeping him in place. Once the last wire drops, he jumps out of the chair. 

“Why the hell did you come back?” He snaps, breath ragged.

Your mouth gapes open. “How about, thank you?”

There’s no time to bicker. Alarms start blaring and red lights flash over the concrete walls and you both run through the facility. As you weave through the facility, you finally make your way to the elevator. Just like Benji had said, once you both step inside, it rockets upwards. The second the doors open, you sprint out of the west exit. 

Gunshots crack in the distance. You spot Benji’s van screeching around the corner. More guards pour out behind you, yelling. 

You and Hunt dive into the van just as bullets strike the ground behind you. Benji floors it, and the compound disappears behind you in a blur. 

“Did you get the credentials?” Hunt pants, clutching his side in pain. You’re both sitting on the van floor, facing each other, still catching your breath. 

You pull the drive out of your pocket and hold it up between you. It’s a little scratched and bloody from your fingers, but still intact. Hunt exhales and lets his shoulder drop. 

Benji’s voice roars from the front. “When I say abort, you abort! That was not the plan!”

“I got the drive,” you snap, voice rising. “And I got Ethan! Is that not enough for you?”

The name hangs in the air. Ethan. And it takes you a second to realize you said it out loud. 

Neither he or Benji comment on it. They both go silent. Hunt meets your eyes, and lingers for a moment. You can’t read his mind, but something in his expression has shifted. 

You glance away, heart still racing, partially from the mission and partially from… something else. 

Outside the window, the city fades behind you as Benji drives through narrow backroads, finally pulling into a quiet hillside neighborhood nestled just outside Marseille. 

Benji parks the van and you all climb out, all exhausted. The sun has already set, but in the dusk light you can see the villa, clearly staged by the IMF. No neighbors, no noise, no risks. Just locked doors and blackout curtains. 

“We should be good here for a little bit. I’ll start scrubbing our digital footprints and check out the drive,” Benji says, taking the lead. He puts his hand out for the drive, and you give it to him, somewhat reluctantly. 

Inside, the villa is sparsely furnished. Plain walls, some tables with equipment, cabinets with supplies and a couch in the main room. You and Hunt walk in together, shoulder to shoulder, somewhat oblivious to the space between you two. 

Benji disappears into another room with the thumb drive, leaving you and Romeo alone. You drop into the couch, rubbing the back of your head where a small bump is starting to form. 

Hunt watches you in the low light of the living room. He folds his arms and circles the room till he’s facing you on the sofa. 

“You disobeyed orders.” He says lowly, towering above you. 

“And I saved your life.” 

He squints his eyes. “You could have died.”

You stand up now, meeting him toe-to-toe. “And? You were about to.”

“I had it under control,” Hunt added, tilting his head. 

There’s silence as you two are staring each other down, barely any space in between. The tension is tight, loaded, dangerous. You’re so close you can feel the heat radiating from him, but his expression stays cold. Guarded. 

He’s waiting for another one of your snarky remarks, a snap back, for you to be the reckless rogue that’s trying to prove something, but you don’t give it to him. 

You hold his gaze for one more beat, then turn to walk away.

His hand catches your wrist before you can get too far.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” he says.

Then softer, almost reluctantly, “Thank you.” 

chapter 5

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~ % TAGLIST: @sarahskywalker-amidala @mirrorballbb @angstylittleb1tch @allthespecificity

[rounderhouse]

Excerpt from Wetware: A Brief History of Biological Computing (Park, 2055)

Wetware computers led to a new marriage of biology and cybersecurity. A surprisingly successful one; our conception of the digital has always been modeled on the biological. Defending a server rack of flesh-and-blood neural-slices from a virus isn’t all that different from defending a traditional computer against one.

But it also led to an entirely new problem neither field was equipped to solve. the gene-samples used to grow new wetware computers widely proliferated before cancer screening had advanced to where it is now, and federal law now prohibits non-governmental entities from harvesting genetic samples for computing purposes. No matter how hard you try — and computing giants like IBM and Kessler dedicate billions to it — even the most carefully-cultivated strains of biochips, trays of neurons millimeters thick and wired in vast warehouse-brains, will eventually develop computing tumours.

Most are benign, harmless drains on computational resources, but every so often one becomes malignant. They are almost impossible to detect in the noise of the output, but they work their own agendas, whispering orthogonal thoughts to any given task. Unnoticed by the teams of clean-suited biotechs, they grow and grow and grow and spill bad data into the body. The risks of unrestrained computumour growth become readily apparent after Kessler won a Pentagon contract to organize satellite data for orbital kinetic strikes, and delivered a firing solution that confidently directed satellites to sink two Navy aircraft carriers. Three of the server racks in their Lake Razor facility were later found to be completely riddled with cybertumours.

Interestingly, the original gene-sample for the Lake Razor facility was a 28-year-old war casualty.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The latest, AI-dedicated server racks contain 72 specialised chips from manufacturer Nvidia. The largest “hyperscale” data centres, used for AI tasks, would have about 5,000 of these racks.  And as anyone using a laptop for any period of time knows, even a single chip warms up in operation. To cool the servers requires water – gallons of it. Put all this together, and a single hyperscale data centre will typically need as much water as a town of 30,000 people – and the equivalent amount of electricity.  The Financial Times reports that Microsoft is currently opening one of these behemoths somewhere in the world every three days. Even so, for years, the explosive growth of the digital economy had surprisingly little impact on global energy demand and carbon emissions. Efficiency gains in data centres—the backbone of the internet—kept electricity consumption in check.  But the rise of generative AI, turbocharged by the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, has shattered that equilibrium. AI elevates the demand for data and processing power into the stratosphere. The latest version of OpenAI’s flagship GPT model, GPT-4, is built on 1.3 trillion parameters, with each parameter describing the strength of a connection between different pathways in the model’s software brain.  The more novel data that can be pushed into the model for training, the better – so much data that one research paper estimated machine learning models will have used up all the data on the internet by 2028. Today, the insatiable demand for computing power is reshaping national energy systems. Figures from the International Monetary Fund show that data centres worldwide already consume as much electricity as entire countries like France or Germany. It forecasts that by 2030, the worldwide energy demand from data centres will be the same as India’s total electricity consumption. 

30 May 2025