#Expert Data Retrieval

[secureddatarecovery]

[sophialilystuff]

Understanding iPhone Data Recovery: A Lifesaver for Your Lost Data

our smartphones, particularly iPhones, hold vast amounts of personal and professional data. From cherished photos and videos to important contacts and emails, the data stored on our iPhones is invaluable. But what happens when this data is lost due to accidental deletion, software malfunction, or hardware failure? This is where data recovery comes into play, providing a solution to retrieve lost information. In this article, we will explore the intricacies of iPhone data recovery, the methods involved, and the expertise of professional recovery services like Apple Expert.

Introduction to Data Recovery

Data recovery refers to the process of salvaging inaccessible, lost, corrupted, or formatted data from storage devices. This can include hard drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, and, notably, smartphones. The process of data recovery can range from simple software solutions to complex hardware repairs, depending on the nature and extent of the data loss.

iPhone Data Recovery

iPhone data recovery specifically addresses the challenges associated with retrieving lost data from Apple's mobile devices. Given the sophisticated technology and security features integrated into iPhones, the recovery process can be more intricate compared to other devices. Common scenarios requiring iPhone data recovery include accidental deletion of files, iOS update failures, water damage, and system crashes.

The Mechanism of iPhone Data Recovery

The mechanism of iPhone data recovery involves several steps, each tailored to address different types of data loss. Here's a detailed look at the process:

Initial Assessment: The first step involves diagnosing the iPhone to determine the cause of data loss and assess the extent of the damage. This can include checking for physical damage, software issues, and ensuring the device is recognized by recovery tools.

Data Extraction: Depending on the diagnosis, data extraction can be performed using specialized software or hardware tools. For software-related issues, recovery software can scan the device’s storage to locate and retrieve lost files. In cases of hardware failure, more advanced techniques may be required, such as accessing the phone's internal memory directly.

Data Repair and Reconstruction: Sometimes, recovered data might be corrupted or incomplete. Data recovery professionals use specialized tools to repair and reconstruct the data to make it usable again.

Data Restoration: The final step involves restoring the recovered data to the device or transferring it to a secure backup location. This ensures that the data is safely stored and easily accessible to the user.

Methods of iPhone Data Recovery

Several methods can be employed for iPhone data recovery, each suited to different types of data loss scenarios:

Using iTunes Backup: If regular backups have been made via iTunes, data can be restored from the latest backup. This method is straightforward but requires that backups have been made prior to data loss.

Using iCloud Backup: Similar to iTunes, data can be restored from iCloud backups. This method is convenient as it does not require a physical connection to a computer but relies on having recent backups.

Third-Party Recovery Software: Various third-party applications are designed to recover data from iPhones. These tools can scan the device for lost data and allow users to selectively restore files.

Professional Data Recovery Services: For more severe cases, professional data recovery services, such as those provided by Apple Expert, offer advanced solutions. These services can handle complex recovery scenarios that standard software cannot address.

Beneficial Software for iPhone Data Recovery

Several software solutions are beneficial for iPhone data recovery:

Dr.Fone - Data Recovery (iOS): A popular tool that can recover data directly from the iPhone, iTunes backup, or iCloud backup. It supports a wide range of data types including photos, messages, contacts, and more.

EaseUS MobiSaver: Known for its user-friendly interface, EaseUS MobiSaver can recover lost data from iPhones, iTunes, and iCloud backups efficiently.

iMobie PhoneRescue: This software specializes in retrieving lost data and fixing iOS issues that may cause data loss. It supports a variety of data types and recovery scenarios.

Professional iPhone Data Recovery at Apple Expert

The professional crew at Apple Expert excels in providing comprehensive iPhone data recovery services. Here’s what sets them apart:

Expertise and Experience: Apple Expert's team comprises skilled professionals with extensive experience in data recovery. Their expertise ensures a high success rate in recovering lost data.

Advanced Tools and Techniques: The team utilizes state-of-the-art tools and techniques to handle both simple and complex recovery tasks. This includes sophisticated software for logical recovery and specialized hardware for physical recovery.

Personalized Service: Apple Expert offers personalized service tailored to each client's specific needs. They conduct a thorough assessment to determine the best approach for recovery, ensuring that clients receive the best possible outcome.

Confidentiality and Security: Data privacy is a top priority at Apple Expert. The team follows strict protocols to ensure that all recovered data is handled securely and confidentially.

Comprehensive Support: From the initial consultation to post-recovery support, Apple Expert provides comprehensive assistance to ensure clients are fully satisfied with the service.

Losing data from your iPhone can be a distressing experience, but with the right tools and professional help, it is often possible to recover lost information. Understanding the mechanisms and methods of iPhone data recovery can empower users to take the right steps in case of data loss. For those in Calgary, Apple Expert offers reliable and professional iPhone data recovery services, ensuring your valuable data is in safe hands.

Tags: iPhone Data Recovery, Data Recovery Services, iPhone Backup, Data Retrieval, Apple Expert Calgary

[ralfmaximus]

Recall is designed to use local AI models to screenshot everything you see or do on your computer and then give you the ability to search and retrieve anything in seconds. There’s even an explorable timeline you can scroll through. Everything in Recall is designed to remain local and private on-device, so no data is used to train Microsoft’s AI models. Despite Microsoft’s promises of a secure and encrypted Recall experience, cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont has found that the AI-powered feature has some potential security flaws. Beaumont, who briefly worked at Microsoft in 2020, has been testing out Recall over the past week and discovered that the feature stores data in a database in plain text.

Holy cats, this is way worse than we were told.

Microsoft said that Recall stored its zillions of screenshots in an encrypted database hidden in a system folder. Turns out, they're using SQLite, a free (public domain) database to store unencrypted plain text in the user's home folder. Which is definitely NOT secure.

Further, Microsoft refers to Recall as an optional experience. But it's turned on by default, and turning it off is a chore. They buried it in a control panel setting.

They say certain URLs and websites can be blacklisted from Recall, but only if you're using Microsoft's Edge browser! But don't worry: DRM protected films & music will never get recorded. Ho ho ho.

This whole debacle feels like an Onion article but it's not.

Luckily(?) Recall is currently only available on Windows 11, but I fully expect Microsoft to try and shove this terrible thing onto unsuspecting Win10 users via Update.

Stay tuned...

[typewritingyip]

Arcturus Three

Part One - Introductions

———

In 1975, nine years before the Quintesson invasion, it was the waning years of the space race between the United States and the USSR. Not long after the end of the Vietnam war came the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, where both major space programs attempted to dock together for the first time. After it’s success came further joint missions and projects to be had in what was dubbed space stations. 

It wouldn’t be until after the end of the Cold War and war against the Quintisons had started that the then American Vice-President and Russian Prime Ministers would make plans for a new space station after the previous failed attempts, this would come to be known as the International Space Station. 

The ISS sits in a low Earth orbit, intending to be a laboratory, observatory and factory along with roles that were added in 2010. 

It’s initial intentions would be adjusted to fill the need of the different mech based organizations on Earth attempting to retrieve data from the alien invaders, to decipher where they were coming from or at the very least what they are. These attempts have so far been limited in success. 

Six mecha pilots have attempted to follow the stream of data received by the ISS from the unknown invaders to potentially end this decades long conflict. All six pilots have lost contact with Earth. Another ten pilots are scheduled to follow the same data in the next five years. 

Pilot(s): 3141, 6986, 17741 for Arcturus Three, plus medical officer RH.

Pilot(s): 12437 for Arcturus Four, solo mission.

Pilot(s): 555, 1060, 4341, 17740, and 3113 in suit eleven for Arturus Five, the last projected mission.

—

Two Years Post Arcturus One - One Year Post Arcturus Two

The pilots were sitting backstage, leaning around a small table talking quietly, “I mean, there has to be something they aren’t telling us.” Sitting back, the pilot lightly scratches at his implants, it was a habit most pilots who’d nearly faced rejection picked up after a while, “I mean no offense, but I thought we were all told that our seniority would be the judge of these missions.” Nodding some, another one of the pilots sighs, “We were initially told that, yes, but certain things must be accounted for.” The other pilot threw his hands up lightly.

They all were staring at each other, they couldn’t help it, “Alright, I’m not the only one who thinks it’s weird that this mission has me, one of the designers of our suits, the best female pilot on the planet, and supposedly a medical officer.” He kicked his feet up on the table, sending the tablets and papers on it flying.

He winced, “Uh, sorry, but seriously. This can’t be a normal mission, not like Arcturus one or two. I still don’t think we know all the details for those either.” Finally, one of the other pilots leaned forward, “No one is making you do this Roddy.” The other pilot grins before shrugging slightly, “Think of this as an adventure.” Then another pilot then spoke up as well, “A mission where it is likely you’ll be able to catch fire as often as you desire.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“Now that sounds like fun.” ‘Roddy’ had a killer smile and was unafraid to display it. 

—

The media room was packed with reporters, as it always was for any mecha announcement but another packed room because it was combined with a NASA announcement. As per-usual, Swindle was wearing his overly charming smile while some government schmuck was talking the ears off the reporters. 

It was almost easy to zone out, to remember the past and how the fight felt in those earlier years that these government geeks loved to reminisce on. Like the one next to him was currently doing, hemming and hawing over details that 99.9% of people didn’t care about. 

Sighing deeply, Swindle shifts forward in his seat, “I am sorry to interrupt you Rick, but uh, we do in fact have a time frame to fit into, so if we could wrap up the science and make way for the pilots that would be great.” The NASA expert, Richard something, quickly shut up.

Scratching lightly at his jaw, Swindle smiles his award winning smile and stands, adjusting the microphone, “Well, it’s good to see all your familiar faces again. Welcome back to the Kennedy Space Center, we’ve got some exciting news for today.” Several hands were already in the air, but he elected to ignore them, “We have the absolute pleasure of introducing the crew of Arcturus Three and their spacecraft the Iliad, which yes, I know that was supposed to come before the Odyssey but we didn’t think we’d go with the mythology aspect till after the first shuttle was painted.” A few reporters chuckle and others keep their hands up.

It took a moment for him to take a breath and gesture to one of the reporters with their hand up, “You,” she smiles and stands, “Lillian Carmichael, The Wall Street Journal, are you going to talk about the loss of pilot 2672?” Nodding slowly, Swindle takes a breath, “His call sign was Cliffjumper, that was his name, not his number Lillian. They are people who are giving their lives for our planet, there is no greater sacrifice. So, no, we aren’t going to talk about Cliff cause his family will be watching this broadcast and it’s hard enough to miss him then to hear us talk about his sacrifice as if it meant nothing.” Clearing his throat a bit, he nods.

“Now, we’re here today to introduce the crew of Arcturus Three and their spacecraft.” He smiles and steps to the side, a projection lighting up behind him, “Meet the Iliad, the newest version of NASA’s space shuttle.” It looked nothing like the space shuttle and looked much more like something that would attach to the international space station, “Richard, you know more details on this.” Sitting back down, Swindle adjusted his hat. 

This state of the art spacecraft was designed specifically for the transportation of mech suits and the study of the foreign enemy, from space of course. Swindle would not let another good pilot die cause they sent them up there with little to nothing. 

The Iliad would be sent up initially in pieces, which would come together to reform the outer structure of the ship. Those pieces would remain in orbit where the rocket would be able to connect it and the suits necessary for the mission, while propelling the entire structure out into space. The pilots wouldn’t go up with the pieces, just their suits and the initial shuttle, it would give them more maneuverability in the long run and something for Mecha to maintain contact with when all the pilots kicked the bucket, again. 

It was a horrible thought, Swindle knew this but what other choice did any of them have at this point? These things were getting bigger and badder, and in the two years since Arcturus One the number had gone up by another thousand pilots. Most of them died in compatibility testing in other countries, but that didn’t take away from the fact that there were another thousand dead pilots and nearly another million civilians. 

The man from NASA lightly cleared his throat,  “Sir?” “Hmm?” Glancing back up, Swindle smiles, “Oh, my turn again? Great.” He stands back up, smiling brightly and adjusting his suit jacket.

”Ladies and gentlemen, now I have the absolute pleasure of introducing you to our pilots for Arcturus Three!” The door to the side of the stage opens and he extends an arm, grinning as each pilot comes out to their name. “Pilot 3141, callsign Perceptor. Pilot 6986, callsign Hot Rod. Pilot 17741, callsign Arcee. Along with their medical officer, code name Ratchet.” The four people come up to the stage and take their seats, dressed in NASA gear. 

—

Swindle was talking on and on, about the differences for this mission and how nothing like Arcturus Two would happen to this group and blah blah blah. 

Currently, Jesse was twirling a pen through his fingers, running his tongue along his teeth and very clearly bored. A few reports snapped pictures, which he was almost smiling for without even trying. His look was very reminiscent of IceMan from Top Gun in that moment, bored and full of potential.

The female pilot to his right was quick to snatch the pen from his hands, whispering harshly, “Would you stop that? This is a press conference.” Cecilia put the pen back on the table, just out of his reach with a scowl, “We’re meant to look professional.” Jesse tried not to smirk, whispering back, “Yeah, I don’t think you reprimanding me is helping that case much Arcee.” She went to open her mouth again before just scowled and shifted her attention back to the speaker from NASA.

Now there was a pilot who knew what she was doing, Arcee had come to the program more recently than most. At least more than those still alive. She had made waves protecting Washington DC and the Chesapeake area in the last four years, for a lot of people it was like she had come out of nowhere. 

Those in the program had known her and her mentor for longer, though she was young, too young to get the implants up until a few years ago. Now, she was leading in this year's kill count, even as others were falling and the survival rate of pilots was dropping. Originally, she wasn’t scheduled for an Arcturus Mission till the fifth one, but certain securities must be taken.

Afterall, you needed someone who knew how to fly that was mentally stable enough to do it. 

Preceptor was the only other pilot on the stage and he was taking notes of everything that the engineer from NASA was saying, biting the end of the pen every time the speaker took a breath. He’d worked on this project from both sides and was keeping track of what was being said, compared to what was actually happening. The man from NASA wasn’t entirely accurate. 

It still dragged on before questions were finally allowed to be asked, at which point Swindle stood, “Let’s stick to the guidelines people, you know what you can ask the pilots and what you can’t. Keep it PG if you can.” Most of the reporters laughed, not realizing the last bit was for the pilots on the stage. 

Several hands went in the air and questions were being shouted in every direction, “Hot Rod, why did you sign up for Arcturus?” “Preceptor, Sir, why have you decided to become a full time pilot?” “Arcee, what do you think the commander will think of this change of schedule?” “Hot Rod, are you sad your other group mate Springer is not on the register for these missions?” “Arcee, are you prepared to fly such an experimental spacecraft?” “Preceptor, why do you think you’re going on this specific mission?” And they went on. 

—

The workshop was dark except for an area in the corner, where an older man was working by the light of a desk lamp, a large wrench was leaned against his chair and his hair was tinted with grey.

Swindle closes the door with a bang, hands in his pockets as he starts over, “You were missed at the press conference.” The older man grunted in response, rolling his chair back while lifting the obscenely large wrench, moving over to another workbench and turning on a small lamp there. 

It left a soft glow on his scowling face, sighing, he looked up, “What do you want, Swindle?” Smiling, Swindle heads over slowly. The whole space was generally kept tidy but lately it looked like a bull had been let loose in the china shop, “Just to talk about Arcturus Three.” Ratchet groaned.

”I don’t know why you keep pestering me about the project, and honestly I don’t appreciate you interrupting my work.” Swindle lightly kicked something out his way, humming, “Because you’re a part of the crew for this mission Ratchet. You know that.” Ratchet set the wrench on the table, likely so he didn’t swing it at Swindle’s head. 

Moving over, Swindle leans against the edge of the desk, “You know why you have to go Doc.” Ratchet scowls and glares at Swindle, “Shouldn’t it have been my choice?” Smiling sadly, Swindle shrugs a bit, “It would have been, had you not taken that thing into your little workshop here.” There was an angry rev from the dark corner of the shop, Swindle loosely waves his hand, “Oh shut up you overgrown pile of bolts. Look, the only safe place for that thing—““His name is Deadlock.” Standing, Ratchet jabbed a finger at his chest. 

With a nod, Swindle removes his hand and scratches at his old implants, they’d been capped years ago but still would itch with scaring, “The only safe place for him is as far from Shockwave as he can be, we both know this.” Slowly, he lowers himself onto a nearby stool.

Ratchet stared and shook his head, “He’s been plenty safe here.” Swindles laughs, “Has been and will be are two entirely different statements and you down well know it. If Shockwave gets so much as a whiff of him, he’ll do worse than dissect him, he’ll dissect you for protecting him. And we both know I can’t stop him.” He adjusts his blazer slightly, shaking his head.

Swindle had tried to fire the psychopath more than once, on a number of grounds, even his own torture but the congressman was far to popular and the government footed to much of the bill. His constituents footed most of the bill. Sure, not having to worry about putting his own money into the company made him a bit more at ease but that didn’t take away whatever the hell Shockwave was. 

“Shockwave wants to move into a bigger lab space and we’ve bought the plot next door, there is no way your friend there would be safe and I think it’s best if we stuck with human technology torturing us all. Not whatever the hell he is.” There was another angry rev, though it sounded much more like a growl. Swindle nodded slightly and put his hat back on, “Plus, Roddy is going on this mission. It’s starting to get around that you and him have grown close because of experimental tech.” Ratchet’s eyes widened and he glanced towards Deadlock, hidden in alt mode in the dark. 

Taking a breath, Ratchet looks back, “So, you’re launching me into space to face certain doom then?” Swindle shakes his head, “I’m sending you after who we’ve lost.” With a scoff, Ratchet stands and heads back to his other work space, “I can’t believe this.” Swindle followed, “Neither of you are safe if you stay.” The growling started back up, accompanied by a voice, “I can keep us safe.” Swindle glared at the car, “Like hell you can! Not against a man who has been working on the mecha program longer than most pilots have been alive!” He turns back to Ratchet. 

A loud bang drew Swindle’s eyes back to Ratchet, who had slammed his project against the table, “We can handle that threat.” Swindle laughed, pulling at his hair peeking out from under his hat, “You can’t. This is the man that convinced Blurr back into a suit, the reason why Vortex is the way he is, and a monster unafraid to do whatever it takes to reach his fucking monsterous goals!” He jabs a finger into Ratchet’s chest, “He wants all of us dead Ratchet! He doesn’t even see it that way, but he is willing to kill every living thing to end this war!” He grabs Ratchet’s shoulders and starts shaking him.

The sound of grinding metal and shifting gears was loud, but Swindle didn’t let go of Ratchet, “He will kill you and that thing that is your friend if you don’t go! And I won’t let him kill the one person who tried to save us!” Trying to catch his breath, Swindle stared at Ratchet’s wide eyes, “Rusty, I can’t let him kill you. I owe you my life and I will fulfill my debts.” Ratchet rolled his eyes slightly before resting a hand on Swindle’s shoulder, “Alright, alright.” He sighed slowly, letting go of Ratchet and taking a step back, adjusting his blazer.

Turning, he could have shit his pants as something almost as big as a modern mech glared down at him.

Ratchet’s hand came down and rested on Swindle’s shoulder, “Relax kid, he’s just trying to protect us in his typical asshole kinda way.” The thing growled again, “Like I said, in his asshole kinda way. Breathe and go back to recharge.” It grumbled before turning back into a, well, it looked like an EMT chase vehicle. 

Nodding slowly, Swindle sighed, “We both know Shockwave would want his hands on that kind of—“”You say technology and he will shoot you.” Nodding again, Swindle adjusted his hat before looking back to Ratchet, “You fly in a year’s time. I can get him up on part of the Iliad as soon as next month, but it does need to happen.” Ratchet sighed and nodded, “We’ll talk about it later.” Swindle nodded before starting back towards the door, touching his implants briefly, “I meant it Ratchet, I owe you a debt and this is how it’s going to be paid.” Then he left. 

—

It was late and the warehouse was empty except for a few pilots and their mechs being fitted with new gear, but that would start in the morning. At the moment, Hot Rod, Arcee, and Preceptor were sitting around a small table eating take out. 

Jesse was once again twirling around what he was holding, though this time it was a chopstick, “I want to know why they have sent five people on this mission and with one missing our mission isn’t potential recovery.” Cecilia sighs before shaking her head, “Cliff is gone Roddy and I don’t think anything is going to bring him back.” Percy hummed, setting down his food for a moment. 

It took a moment for him to figure out how to phrase what he was going to say kindly, “Cliffjumper was a strong pilot but not one built for solo missions, I think sending him on Arcturus Two was their easiest way of getting rid of the problem child.” Jesse snorted and Cecilia hit his shoulder, he deserved that.

”I’m being serious Percy, Cliff is either dead or wishing he was, and I don’t wish that on anyone.” They fell quiet for a moment, Percy picking his food back up and Roddy stabbing his chopsticks into the sushi on the table.

A door across the hanger from them banged open and a familiar face came strolling in, white coat a stark contrast to the dark space as always, Jesse looked up and grinned, “Ratchet, come on, we got your favorite.” He moved over slowly and grabbed one of the chairs, turning it before sitting in it with the back of it against his chest and grabbing his takeout container, “Thanks kid.” Percy smiled a bit, “It was Jesse’s idea for us to do this tonight.” Rusty hummed.

It had been two years to the day since the launch of Arcturus One, one year since Arcturus Two and a year from this day would be their own launch. 

Jesse popped a piece of sushi in his mouth and started talking, “So, why the four of us? I mean, I know Springer wasn’t found compatible for this specific mission but I know some of Breakdown’s brothers wanted to go. We all know Aid’ was supposed to be on this mission, but uh,” They all shifted a bit uncomfortably, “And Jazz’s brother wanted on but he got stuck with like, Arcturus Five, right?” Cecilia nodded, sighing. 

Clearing her throat, Cecilia sat forward, “We know why suit eleven isn’t going,” “It’s too heavy for the Iliad to carry it up.” Percy nodded slightly and Arcee rolled her eyes, “As for everyone else, I don’t think we’re going to know. I think we’re just going to be kept in the dark on that front.” Jesse rolled his eyes and Rusty nodded.

The older man sat forward, “I think dwelling on who could have been on this mission is the wrong move, we can see who is going to be on it and now we’ve got to figure out not only how to work together but how to understand each other.” Percy nodded and Cecilia shifted a bit in her seat.

Pilots were not team players typically, not since, well, regardless they weren’t team players anymore. 

“I still think it needs to be said and asked, why us?” Roddy gestured around with his chopstick, which he went back to twirling through his fingers. They all glanced at each other and honestly, none of them knew why this group was paired together.

Cecilia shifted again, “Well, I’m the only one who knows how to fly, so that’s a bit of a given. Ratchet is medical as well as he can work with Preceptor, the Iliad is an experimental spacecraft.” Percy nodded, “Very experimental.” She smiled a bit and looked back to Jesse, “So the only one in question is you Roddy.” He was quick to throw a potsticker at her, “Can it Arcee, who asked you?” Ratchet chuckled, “You did.” “Oh shut up.” He was pouting now. 

Rain started to hit the metal roof, leaving a soft ringing sound throughout the hanger space. Three suits against the wall with tool boxes around them and supplies across the way; new seals, paint, and upgraded tech were all called for. Soon, three of the four of them would have to go through the next steps for their suit upgrades with the upgrades to their integrated tech, even before the NASA training would even start. 

It was daunting and scary, but in the moment of the four of them sitting around a commandeered workbench covered in takeout, talking like tomorrow would be the same as any other day gave them all some bit of relief. 

They would take off three years to the day from Arcturus One.

One year, counting down to July 10th 2016. 

———

A/N

So here is the something different! Now, this series is going to be 5 parts, compared to Arcturus Two’s single part which was logs from MECHA databases.

To clarify, Jesse is Hot Rod, Cecilia is Arcee, Percy is well Percy, and Rusty is Ratchet. The old man of the group.

This also confirms the timeline! Which originally before I fucked up the way space time works, I wanted this series to take place in 2004. I messed up and the current point in Arcturus One is them in 2014. They took off in mid 2013.

We will go back to our regularly scheduled programming, in which I continue to just try and keep writing and not lose inspiration.

Tags!

@lunarlei68 @whirlywhirlygig @loop-hole-319 @pixillandjester @alek-the-witch @not-a-moose-in-disguise @goddessofwind8water @neurologicalglitch @dersereblogger @pixel-transformers @mrcrayonofdoom @wireplaces @twilightfreefaller @original-blog-name-2 @devilangel657 @robbin-u @childofprimus @miniartistme @starwold @tea-enthusiasm @valeexpris606 @celticdoggo @bird599 @agentsquirrelsgotrobots @aquaioart @dimencreasatlas @thatwandercat @artdagz @seisha974 @starscreamloverfr @halenhusky309 @leethepiper @cat-cassette @blue-wrens @sirassban @astridkolch @cosmique-oddity @garbageenthusiast @osqindaxend @xervias @azulabutterfly @fryseem @spring-mc @echo-circuit @aghostsnail @wooblewooble @ask-glory-haddock-and-others @nonsscarpheap @magichats @iminahole247 @omgflyingderpywhale @pour1tin @thetrexartist @naaaafam

As always, I want to thank @keferon for this amazing AU and just giving us generally free rein.

[blueiscoool]

$1 Million Worth of Gold Coins Stolen From 18th-Century Shipwrecks Found

After an extensive investigation, Florida officials recovered dozens of gold coins valued at more than $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck recovery nine years ago.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced in a news release Tuesday it had recovered 37 gold coins that were stolen from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks.

The fleet of Spanish ships sailed from Havana, Cuba and headed to Seville, Spain on July 24, 1715. The journey was short-lived, as a hurricane wrecked the fleet just seven days later off the coast of Eastern Florida.

The first ship was discovered in 1928 by William Beach north of Fort Pierce, Florida, about 120 miles south of Orlando. Since then, gold and silver artifacts have been recovered offshore for decades following the first discovery.

In 2015, a group of contracted salvage operators found a treasure trove of 101 gold coins from the wrecks near Florida’s Treasure Coast, about 112 miles west of Orlando. However, only half of the coins were reported correctly. The other 50 coins were not disclosed and later stolen.

The years-long investigation by the state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission and FBI “into the theft and illegal trafficking of these priceless historical artifacts” came to a head when new evidence emerged in June, the news release said.

The evidence linked Eric Schmitt to the illegal sale of multiple stolen gold coins in 2023 and 2024, officials said. Schmitt’s family had been contracted to work as salvage operators for the US District Courts’ custodian and salvaging company for the fleet, 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC. The Schmitts had uncovered the 101 gold coins in 2015.

During their hunt for the coins, investigators executed multiple search warrants and recovered coins from private residences, safe deposit boxes and auctions, the news release said. Five stolen coins were retrieved from a Florida-based auctioneer, who unknowingly purchased them from Schmitt.

Investigators used advanced digital forensics to nail down Schmitt as a suspect in the case. In most cases, digital forensics can recover data stored electronically on devices such as a cell phone, computer system or memory module.

With the help of advanced digital forensics, investigators identified metadata and geolocation data that linked Schmitt to a photograph of the stolen coins taken at the Schmitt family condominium in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Authorities said Schmitt also took three of the stolen gold coins and put them on the ocean floor in 2016. The coins were later found by the new investors of the fleet’s court custodian and salvaging company.

Throughout the investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked closely with historical preservation experts to authenticate and appraise the recovered coins sold by Schmitt.

Schmitt is facing charges for dealing in stolen property, the release says.

The company commissioned to salvage the shipwreck said in a statement it “was shocked and disappointed by this theft and has worked closely with law enforcement and the state of Florida regarding this matter.”

“We take our responsibilities as custodian very seriously and will always seek to enforce the laws governing these wrecks,” the statement read.

Recovered artifacts will be returned to their rightful custodians, the news release said. But the investigation is far from over: 13 coins remain missing.

[cretaceous-if]

“WELCOME TO CRETACEOUS ISLAND.”

DEMO: TBA

NOTE: While I am training as a palaeontologist, I do not claim to be an expert. Therefore, although I will be conducting research into portraying more accurate dinosaurs, there will be possibly be discrepancies or inaccuracies either due to my own research or the lack of (accurate) data available.

-> SYNOPSIS <-

Cretaceous Island is based on the Jurassic Park/World franchise. You will step into the role of the head T-Rex keeper.

You’ve been working as a T-Rex keeper for over ten years now and every day is as interesting as the last.

Unfortunately, not even looking after some of the deadliest creatures in the world was enough to prepare you for the carnage that was about to unfold.

When the system goes down and the dinosaurs escape with evacuation impossible, it’s up to you and a ragtag team to restore order and protect both man and dinosaur.

-> ROMANTIC OPTIONS <-

GRAY/GRACE COLLINS [M/F] - Your big boss is cool, calm, and ruthless. It is well known that they’re not someone to cross, however, they seem have a soft spot for you which some might consider strange considering they also happen to be your ex-fiancé(e). [Poly with Nikolaj available].

LEE MIN-SUN [M/F/NB] - As Operations Manager of the Island, Lee is no-nonsense, grumpy, and has no real time for the corporate side of things that xe’s forced to deal with, but xe has a heart of gold under all the bluster and would do anything to protect those that xe cares for. [Poly with Aija available].

NIKOLAJ OLESEN [M] - He’s your best friend and the embodiment of the term ‘golden retriever energy’. He’s also the head raptor keeper. You’re not entirely sure how those two things go together, but it seems that you’re about to find out. [Poly with Gray/Grace available].

CIERRA DE LA ROSA [F] - A tourist that is vacationing on the island for the third time. You’ve met her a handful of times during those visits, but you haven’t found out much about her beyond her name and the fact that she’s one of the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen.

AIJA MISHRA [NB] - Highly intelligent and more at home among computers than people, Aija is a techie who works in the control room. They’re one of the friendliest and sassiest people you’ve ever met, but, in a crisis, there’s no one you’d rather have on your side. [Poly with Lee available].

-> FEATURES <-

Customise your mc (gender, pronouns, appearance, personality, etc).

Five romance options to fall in love with and two poly options.

Story-driven IF coded using Twine.

Interact with staff, guests, and most importantly, dinosaurs as you look after the T-Rexes and attempt to deal with the biggest crisis the park has ever dealt with and try not to get eaten in the process.

Cuddle with some baby dinosaurs.

-> STATS <-

Personality stats are pretty similar to most other IFs. They will include kind/grumpy, bold/shy, reckless/cautious, genuine/sarcastic, reserved/energetic, and friendly/stern. If you have any suggestions, feel free to lmk.

Skill stats will include intelligence, charisma, marksmanship, agility, and science and technology,

-> WARNINGS <-

This is an 18+ wip due to blood and gore, character and animal deaths, explicit sex (optional), explicit language, medical procedures, violence and injury, and potentially body horror.

[dostoyevsky-official]

Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS

Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service is seeking access to a heavily-guarded Internal Revenue Service system that includes detailed financial information about every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country, according to two people familiar with the activities, sparking alarm within the tax agency. Under pressure from the White House, the IRS is considering a memorandum of understanding that would give DOGE officials broad access to tax-agency systems, property and datasets. Among them is the Integrated Data Retrieval System, or IDRS, which enables tax agency employees to access IRS accounts — including personal identification numbers — and bank information. It also lets them enter and adjust transaction data and automatically generate notices, collection documents and other records. IDRS access is extremely limited — taxpayers who have had their information wrongfully disclosed or even inspected are entitled by law to monetary damages — and the request for DOGE access has raised deep concern within the IRS, according to three people familiar with internal agency deliberations who, like others in this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. [...] It’s highly unusual to grant political appointees access to personal taxpayer data, or even programs adjacent to that data, experts say. IRS commissioners traditionally do not have IDRS access. The same goes for the national taxpayer advocate, the agency’s internal consumer watchdog, according to Nina Olson, who served in the role from 2001 to 2019. “The information that the IRS has is incredibly personal. Someone with access to it could use it and make it public in a way, or do something with it, or share it with someone else who shares it with someone else, and your rights get violated,” Olson said. A Trump administration official said DOGE personnel needed IDRS access because DOGE staff are working to “eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and improve government performance to better serve the people.” [...] Gavin Kliger, a DOGE software engineer, arrived unannounced at IRS headquarters on Thursday and was named senior adviser to the acting commissioner. IRS officials were told to treat Kliger and other DOGE officials as contractors, two people familiar said.

the holocaust denying 25-year-old neonazi now has access to your bank information

[the-stars-are-warring]

Delta Squad Week Day 1

Yippee! Finished a thing for an event and I even met the (alt) prompt! (You're Hurt)

Today its Scorch and Fixer cause they're not presented as a duo very often.

Scorch pops the seal on his helmet and inhales. The LAARTI's engines hum and he relishes the sound. "You know? I don't think I'm going to miss this planet." Sev snorts and Boss's helmet twitches like he's rolling his eyes.

"Put your shab'la helmet back on." Fixer snaps and Scorch groans.

"Would you relax Fixer. Mission accomplished we're on exf-" Something explodes behind them and Scorch shuts up and goes to pull his helmet back on but then the floor bucks under him and Scorch grabs for the wall (floor? Ceiling?) with the image of Boss mid-stagger with Sev falling into him as the last thing he remembers seeing before he wraps his arms over his head and bounces off of something as they hit the ground.

Then the next thing Scorch knows his ears are ringing and his teeth ache like he's been clenching them.

"Shab." He unfolds himself carefully. There's blood on his upper arm- and he can feel it running down the side of his face when he moves.

He can still feel his extremities though and his legs and arms listen when he rolls over and scrambles towards the daylight visible through the buckled metal of the hull.

"Six-two? Scorch!!"

He glances up in time to see Fixer's helmet as he grabs Scorch's arm and hauls him the rest of the way out of the wreckage. There's a gouge mark across Fixer's chest. Shrapnel probably.

"All good here." Scorch reports as Fixer hauls him upright.

"You're bleeding. Di'kut." Fixer snaps, pulling him away from the wreck. Scorch glances back at the Laarti. The pilot did a damn-fine job of setting them down, it's almost upright, and they didn't even snap off the wing that wasn't hit by a shab'la missile.

"Scorch!" There's unmistakable relief in Sev's voice as he darts over to them. Scorch eyes Sev critically.

"Many more of these landings and you're gonna look like Omega with their nice stealth armour." Scorch comments indicating the burn mark along the right side of Sev's armour.

"big talk for a man with half a face." Sev snaps back.

"Scorch - Fixer?" Boss is here too.

"Squad accounted for." Fixer reports.

"I'm good." Scorch agrees.

Boss looks at him, tilt of the helmet skeptical.

"Pilot is pinned in the cockpit." Sev reports - "I think he's OK too." Boss nods sharply.

"Ok, Sev, and I will get the pilot, Fourty - "

"Pull tracking data out of the cockpit if you can." Fixer interrupts. "I'll get the bleeding stopped here."

Boss nods and grabs Sev's shoulder. The two of them head back towards the downed laarti as Fixer turns to Scorch.

"Hold Still."

"Aw come on, Fixer I'm fine."

"You're hurt." Fixer says, unmoved. "And probably concussed."

Scorch rolls his eyes. "And it's Taunsday."

Fixer grunts and grabs Scorch's slightly longer than regulation hair, tilting the demolition expert's head to one side. Scorch flinches.

"Shab that stings!"

"Because you've got a piece of shrapnel in your neck." Fixer says.

"And lucky me, you've still got half an ear. Not that you'll use it to listen to regulations. Like keeping your Shabla bucket on." Scorch winces as Fixer releases him and fishes in one of his pockets for supplies, retrieving some topical bacta gel, pliers, disinfectant. It was stupid to pull off his helmet - but now Fixer is acting worried.

"Will I die?" Scorch asks brightly and Fixer exhales through his nose, the sound hissing through the voice projector in his helmet.

"Pretty sure your brain died in the incubation chamber and the rest of you just hasn't noticed yet Mir'sheb."

Scorch cackles. then hisses as Fixer grabs his head again.

"Hey! You don't have to hold on to me you know?"

"I told you to sit still and you didn't" Fixer retorts, cocking his head and spreading some of the bacta gel over the side of Scorch's skull.

"Ow." Scorch complains but his brother just tilts his head the other direction turning his attention to Scorch's neck.

"You're a pain in my Shebs you know that? Stop moving."

"Aw you say the nicest thi-" Scorch breaks off with a yelp as something is pulled from his neck. Before he can really react though, Fixer stuffs a bacta dressing into the wound.

"Fierfek" Scorch manages once he's gotten his breath back hand pressed to his neck regardless of the fact Fixer is already holding the dressing in place. "It didn't shabla hurt before you started poking me."

"I could put some of it back in if you want." Fixer offers, deadpan lifting a piece of metal as wide as his thumb and nearly twice as long with the pliers. Scorch leans away.

"Your bedside manner is Osik. Be a miracle if I ever set foot in a hospital ever again."

"You wearing your damn buy'ce that' be the miracle." Fixer snaps back, pulling his hand free, leaving Scorch to hold the dressing in place.

"Think it'll scar?" Scorch asks as Fixer circles him, looking for more shrapnel. "Apparently ladies like scars." Fixer pauses to stare at him for a second. Scorch wonders if now is a bad time to go for his record of 'most times I made Fixer sigh loudly in ten minutes' and then remembers he doesn't have his bucket or HUD to track the time.

"Well if we ever end up on triple zero again you let me know how it goes testing that theory." Fixer says finally, He leans in again using the small set of pliers to pull a few more slivers of metal out of Scorch's neck and jaw.

Scorch flinches again and Fixer grunts in frustration grabbing the demolition expert's hair again to hold his head still.

"Ow" Scorch emphasizes. "You did that on purpose."

Again the strange - tinney sound the helmet vocoder makes when Fixer sighs. "If you'd worn your shabla helmet we wouldn't be doing this at all." He pulls another few pieces of metal from Scorch's skin.

"Alright alright I get it." Scorch tries to inch away but Fixer's fingers just tighten in his hair. "OWCH, I'm sorry ok? And I swear from now on I'll never take off my helmet unless we're safe in a base or on a Venerator."

"Alright. Alright." Fixer releases Scorch and throws his hands up. "The rest can wait till we get back and a med-droid can look after you." The two of them lapse into silence for a moment as Fixer passes Scorch a bit of bacta gel to smear on his neck.

Fixer is done cleaning the pliers and is tucking things methodically back into his belt when Boss and Sev reappear.

"Got the pilot." Boss reports, walking a half-step behind the other clone like he half expects to have to catch him.

"And some discarded junk." Sev tosses a helmet and Scorch catches it, turning it over to inspect it.

"Check it out Fixer, new scratch!" Fixer's helmet jerks as he rolls his eyes.

"Dik'ut"

[leapingbadger]

The First Mission

Summary: As Clone Force 99 prepare for their first mission, Hunter struggles with his promotion to Sergeant and the changes their new life will bring.

Hunter paced the barracks again, mentally taking an inventory of the gear stacked up by the door. Rain slammed heavily into the transparisteel window. He cast his eyes around at his brothers and could feel their nervous energy vibrating off them. Wrecker sat on his bunk, tossing his tooka doll absentmindedly.

“You’re not planning on bringing that with you, right?” Crosshair sneered.

“Why not?”

“You can’t take a doll on our first mission…it’s…it’s ridiculous.” Crosshair continued.

“It’s not a doll, it’s a stuffy.” Wrecker said, sounded wounded. 

“I believe Crosshair is implying that it is a juvenile display for a newly minted Republic Commando.”

“Exactly, we’re already seen as rejects, the last thing we need is for the regs to know you carry around a doll,”

“I told you, it’s not a doll,” Wrecker growled, bringing himself up to his full height.

Crosshair didn’t shrink away from his brother like most would, he stepped forward, his narrowed gaze looking up into Wrecker’s brown eyes.

“Easy boys,” Hunter warned, while checking the top crate again.

Crosshair tutted and stalked back to his bunk, giving his new 773 Firepuncher sniper rifle another look over. His hands traced lovingly over the metal. Hunter wasn’t sure he’d looked at anything like that before.

“I think we’re ready. Just make sure that you’re ready to go. We’ll load the ship in the morning. We leave at 0400.”

Tech and Crosshair nodded in acknowledgement before returning to their current tasks.

“You got it boss,” Wrecker responded with a smile, tossing Lula in the air again.

“You don’t have to call me that, Wreck.”

“Sure thing, Sarg.”

Hunter sighed.

“I believe Wrecker is right to call you by your new designation. Even if, perhaps, it may take some getting used to.”

Hunter nodded even if he didn’t like it. One of them was always going to be selected as the leader and the last few months of training had indicated that he was the likely candidate. Still, he felt awkward being recognized over his brothers. It had always been them against the rest of the GAR, he didn’t want anything to change that.

He had always been sure that Tech, being the resident genius, would win the title of sergeant, but it seemed his proclivity for over-explanation and difficulty relating to superiors had left him out of the running. Crosshair could also have done the job, but his caustic nature rubbed almost everyone he came in contact with the wrong way. And Wrecker had flat out stated he had no interest in a leadership role. He loved being an expert in his field and that was enough for him.

Hunter felt a nervous flutter in his stomach as he contemplated their first mission. Data retrieval and target elimination was nothing his squad wasn’t prepared for, but they would never escape the fact that they were labeled by the Kaminoan’s and to some extent, the Republic, as defective. They didn’t just have to be competent; they had to be better than everyone else. They had to be the best to prove their worth and to keep proving their worth until the war eventually came to an end.

“I think I’m gunna take a walk. Lights out in an hour. We need to be well rested.” Hunter said.

“Sir, yes Sir.” Crosshair called in a sarcastic tone.

Hunter paused at the door but refused to look back at him before hitting the door release and making his way out into the corridors.

***

Hunter’s feet took him through Kamino’s halls without him really thinking about it. He strayed down a narrow maintenance hallway and came to a halt outside a slim door. His hand hesitated before pushing the door release and walking into the dark room.

The lights no longer came on automatically. He fumbled for the sensor and the bright white light illuminated the small, closet like space. A small cot sat at the far end of the room, stripped of its bedding. The rest of the room had become a storage space. Crates, boxes and supplies lined the walls where previously hand drawn pictures by cadets had been attached in a haphazard fashion.

Hunter and his brothers had spent a lot of time in Ninety-Nine’s old barracks over the years. As a defective clone himself, Ninety-Nine had taken it upon himself to not just be a big brother to The Batch, but to be THE big brother. They didn’t have the luxury of the older cadets helping them learn. They were kept separate from the others just long enough to give them a stigma when they did eventually join them. Ninety-Nine had always been the one to offer a shoulder after arduous testing, a protective presence when they were cornered by the other cadets and advice when the brothers weren’t able to resolve their disagreements themselves.

Hunter would have given anything to be able to talk with Ninety-Nine now. He sank on the bunk with a creak, his chin resting in his hands.

“You’ve come a long way,” he heard the unmistakable gruff voice in his head.

“Not quite the skinny cadet you remember, eh?” Hunter replied.

Ninety-Nine chuckled, “Not exactly. It suits you though. Like you are who you were always meant to be,”

Hunter ran his hand through his hair, fingers finding the bandana Ninety-Nine had taught him to tie. “I’m still shorter than the others.” He said with a chuckle, “they never let me forget it.”

“Ha, I bet. But you’re the Sergeant now. You don’t have to take it anymore.”

“I’m not going to pull rank over something like that.” Hunter said with a shrug. “I’m not going to pull rank at all.”

He felt Ninety-Nine’s imaginary eyes rake him up and down, his lax mouth somehow lower with disapproval, “and why is that?”

“They’re my brothers,” Hunter said as though stating the obvious.

“And you’re their leader,” the older clone responded in Hunter’s head.

“I’m not sure I’m the right choice,” Hunter whispered into the quiet room, finally voicing the worry that had overtaken him since his promotion.

“And why’s that?”

“I don’t know. We’re equals. We always have been. It was us against everyone else. And now it’s…weird. Wrecker’s started calling me ‘Boss’. I just… I want it to go back to the way it was. I don’t want the responsibility of it.”

“Of what?”

Hunter started to get frustrated by the older clone’s constant questions.

“Of… of their lives, of their safety. I don’t want to be responsible for their deaths because I make the wrong call.”

“What makes you think you’ll make the wrong call? This is what you’ve trained for your entire life, Hunter. You have always protected your brothers, even when you couldn’t protect yourself. Your title doesn’t change that. You will protect them as you always have. They will come before the mission. You will make sure of that.”

“And what if I fail?”

“Well, failure is a part of life, I’m afraid. But it won’ t be for want of trying. I believe in you boys. I always have.”

“Thanks, Ninety-Nine.” Huter whispered into the hushed room.

“You’re welcome, my boy. Good luck, Sergeant.”

Hunter looked up from the spot on the floor he had been staring at. He could have sworn Ninety-Nine would be sitting next to him on the cot. He could almost feel the weight of him on the mattress.

The weight of the loss of him, even years later, made Hunter’s shoulders slump. They hadn’t been here during the battle of Kamino, they were in the middle of off world training when the separatists had attacked and stollen their brother from them. They had come home full of stories to tell and stumbled upon a Kaminoan cleaning out Ninety-Nine’s room, as if he never existed.

Taking a deep breath, Hunter stood up and gave the room a final, cursory look. He likely wouldn’t come back here again. His eyes fell on a piece of paper sticking out from under the mattress. He pulled it out with trembling fingers, already knowing what it was.

Straightening it out on the bed he saw the crude drawing of four little cadets, one large, one with goggles, one with white hair and one with hair down to his shoulders, each holding hands next to a stooped character in a blue uniform. Crosshair had drawn it when he was younger. It used to have pride of place on Ninety-Nine’s wall, surrounded by similar drawings from other young clones.

Hunter smiled as he folded the paper over to take with him. “Goodbye Ninety-Nine” he said into the silence, switching off the lights as he left the room for good.

***

Their new omicron class attack shuttle was waiting for them in the docking bay. Tech was already on board when Hunter arrived with his gear and the remaining crates from their barracks.

“We are ready to go, Sarg.” Tech said, “just waiting on Wrecker and Crosshair with the armaments.”

Hunter nodded his understanding and got settled on the ship. He smiled at the realization that this was theirs. He ran his hands gingerly over the controls before stacking some of the crates in the overhead storage compartment.

Once everyone was accounted for and everything was onboard, Hunter paused.

“Before we do this,” He said hesitantly, “I think we just need to remember where we came from. And that of all the defective squads, we’re the ones who survived. We’re the ones who made it this far. We are going to be the best the Grand Army of the Republic has ever seen. I’m going to make sure of it.”

“Sir, yes sir,” his brothers recited with wide grins on their faces.

Hunter pulled a crumpled piece of paper out from inside his armor, securing it to the durasteel wall of their new shuttle.

“Let’s get after it,” Hunter said confidently, sinking into the copilot’s seat as Tech sped out of Kamnino’s atmosphere and onto their first mission.   

[imsunnystarling]

COVID Vax a Must

COVID-19 vaccinations should be mandatory for everyone as they prevent further transmissions and lessen the severity of the disease (Haelle, 2021), especially in the Philippines which has the 2nd highest confirmed cases in the ASEAN region and 27th in the world (Bueza, 2020).

This requires constant surveillance when conducting the inoculation and a set schedule for vaccination for essential travel and front-liners (e.g., health workers, security personnel, and delivery couriers), and exemptions concerning those with comorbidity, religious, or philosophical reasons; therefore encouraging, not forcing or compelling, people to take part in the initiative and get immunized to achieve herd immunity for the community overall (Barraza et al., 2021).

But this does not equate to lasting immunity―this should be followed with frequent booster shots for prolonged immunity as variants of the virus itself are emerging. Thus, official proofs of vaccination and booster shots are to be presented, besides negative COVID-19 test results (Kramer, 2020).

The public is wary of vaccines developed within a year; anxious to be immunized even for free, and even if it were not a COVID-19 vaccine (Al Jazeera, 2021). But this will only render them susceptible to other known diseases such as dengue, malaria, measles, and polio (Santos, 2019). Unknown to many, there are already studies that enabled the speed of developing and manufacturing a vaccine, including its safety and efficacy (Stulpin, 2020).

Aside from vaccination, adherence to health protocols: proper wearing of face masks, sanitation, and social distancing, are keys to a more effective response to the pandemic (Department of Health, 2020). | STARLING

Bibliography

Al Jazeera. (2021). How the Philippines lost faith in vaccines. Al Jazeera. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2021/how-philippines-lost-faith-in-vaccines/index.html

Barraza, L., Hodge Jr., J., & Piatt, J. (2021, April 5). When Can You Be Required to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine? Slate. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://slate.com/technology/2021/04/covid-vaccination-law-mandates-requirements.html

Bueza, M. (2020, October 16). COVID-19 in charts: Where does PH stand in ASEAN, world? Rappler. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/data-documents/coronavirus-charts-where-philippines-stands-asean-world

Department of Health. (2020, March 2). What can I do to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Department of Health. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://doh.gov.ph/node/19588

Haelle, T. (2021, April 21). Yes, vaccines block most transmission of COVID-19. National Geographic. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/yes-vaccines-block-most-transmission-of-covid-19

Kramer, J. (2020, August 20). COVID-19 vaccines could become mandatory. Here’s how it might work. National Geographic. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-coronavirus-covid-vaccine-mandate-would-actually-work-cvd

Santos, A. (2019, November 1). Philippines struggling to cope with back-to-back disease outbreaks. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.dw.com/en/philippines-struggling-to-cope-with-back-to-back-disease-outbreaks/a-51084152

Stulpin, C. (2020, December 14). COVID-19 vaccines developed at record speed, but experts say trust the data. Healio. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20201214/covid19-vaccines-developed-at-record-speed-but-experts-say-trust-the-data

[itsappleexpert]

Recover Corrupted Data with Our Expert Services

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Common Signs of Data Corruption

Files fail to open or display errors (e.g., "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened").

Documents, images, or videos appear distorted or incomplete.

Frequent crashes or freezing when trying to access the data.

Hard drive or storage device is not recognized by the system.

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If you notice any of these symptoms, stop using the affected drive immediately and seek professional recovery assistance to prevent further damage.

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Data corruption can happen for various reasons, ranging from hardware failures to software glitches. Here are the most common causes:

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A power outage while files are being written or accessed can cause corruption.

Unexpected shutdowns can leave files in a partially saved or broken state.

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If critical system files or important documents are stored in bad sectors, they may become inaccessible.

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Some malware targets system files, making entire drives unreadable.

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[beardedmrbean]

https://www.newsweek.com/adl-greenblatt-missed-musk-salute-grok-antisemitism-hitler-2097590

That link wording is totally unrelated to the content of the article and it's really weird.

As for grok, find me an AI in the last decade that people haven't managed to get to start spouting racist and Antisemitic crap, look up Tay from Microsoft if you want to check that out.

Israel believes that enriched uranium stored deep underground at Iran's Isfahan nuclear facility—one of three sites targeted in last month's U.S. airstrikes—may still be retrievable, according to a senior Israeli official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

"The enriched uranium at Isfahan could potentially be retrieved by Iranians," the official said Thursday. The official cautioned that "reaching it would take a very difficult recovery effort."

The Israeli assessment also holds that Iran's stockpiles were spread across Isfahan, Fordo, and Natanz, and had not been moved before the "Operation Midnight Hammer" strikes, despite some nuclear experts suggesting Tehran may have attempted to relocate them as tensions rose and U.S. involvement appeared imminent.

Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon via email on Thursday night for comment.

Why It Matters

The June 22 strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, marked a bold U.S. intervention into Israel's "12-day" conflict with Iran, aimed at crippling Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Trump has repeatedly insisted the attacks "obliterated" the sites, declaring them fully destroyed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that sentiment, calling the facilities "destroyed."

The evolving analyses from Israel, U.S. intelligence agencies, and international observers suggest that while significant damage was indeed inflicted, Iran may yet have the means—or at least the potential—to rebuild.

What To Know

In addition to the Israeli update, two officials from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which developed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs specifically for hard-to-reach Iranian targets, said Thursday they have yet to confirm whether the bombs reached the intended depth. These officials also spoke on condition of anonymity, revealing that the agency still awaits post-strike data to evaluate bomb performance.

Early assessments from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency offered a cautious analysis, stating the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan sites suffered significant—but not total—destruction.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, defending the U.S. military operation before skeptical lawmakers, asserted that the U.S. eliminated Iran's only metal conversion facility—an essential part of the nuclear process.

Meanwhile, attention has shifted to Isfahan, where U.S. B-2 stealth bombers did not strike, unlike the Fordo and Natanz sites. The Isfahan nuclear site in Iran is known for its role in the conversion of uranium, a key step in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Although B-2s were not used for Isfahan, the Pentagon said a U.S. submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets at the Isfahan site. These missiles were likely aimed at different types of targets within the complex compared to those targeted by the B-2s at Fordo and Natanz.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a recent interview with conservative U.S. broadcaster Tucker Carlson, said the strikes had caused such extensive damage that Iranian officials have yet to access the affected nuclear facilities.

"Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged," Pezeshkian said.

He added that Iran is open to resuming cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but cannot yet guarantee full access to inspectors.

What People Are Saying

Iranian news agency IRNA: "President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran's continued cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) hinges on the agency ending its double standards in handling the country's nuclear file."

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, said that Iran's facilities: "have been destroyed to an important degree."

Still, he added a caveat: "If they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again."

Grossi emphasized that a full damage assessment depends entirely on Iran allowing inspectors into the sites: "Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there."

What Happens Next

With both countries recovering from the fallout of the Iran-Israel war and informal messages continuing behind the scenes, the next few weeks may determine whether diplomacy regains traction—or whether the region remains locked in a cycle of confrontation. _______________________________________

Looks like Israel is running with a abundance of caution on this, can't blame them given iran's regular threats to nuke them if they get the chance to do so.

Might have some weapons grade uranium stashed in a safe type thing that they want to get to, but it's buried under several hundred tons of rubble and may not actually exist anymore.

We're going to have eyes in the sky on that place as well as eyes on the ground and on every other aspect of their programs we can have eyes on, and not just us.

Pretty much nobody want's iran to have nuclear weapons.

Nobody sane at least.

So it's gonna be a whole bunch of different countries intelligence services keeping their eyes on the whole thing too.

for now it's a wait and see, but my concern level is low

[infinitewarden]

The Vex, the Black Garden, and Mercury's Conversion. (Alt Title: I am going insane)

There's always something going on with the Vex in the background and I can't believe I didn't pay closer attention to it when these weird single-celled organisms have always been right up my alley right there beside Osiris.

Anyways. What's been on my mind lately is Brass Gardeners from the Inspiral lorebook (dropped from Root of Nightmares.) I was so caught up in the interesting implications and continuation of Unveiling that it completely flew under the radar for me.

Now what I want to focus on is these key aspects from this lore entry:

Garden state: neutral garden&&gardeners==root&&branch==leaf&&flower //intrinsic, inextricable, inescapable

And

anomaly One = leaf|invasive; Garden state: active (gardeners attend)

And

anomaly Zero = infinite|witness; archive data retrieved. Zero = infinite|witness == (a seed was planted here.) Recorded referent: "Black|Heart" Zero : seed :: One : DANGER [SIMULATION BREAKING. VISIBILITY NARROW. FRACTALS DISINTEGRATING.] anomaly Zero, absent. anomaly One, DANGER remaining. Garden state: acting (gardeners in unison)

And

//There is a majestic thorn. The anomaly is gone. The garden is peaceful. //It is known|seen|predicted that a primary function of irresolvable|irrecoverable presences is to trample. Flowers growing / damage repairing / threat unresolved Function called: escalation. Iteration. Function: winnow. Function: simplify. Function: flatten. //The first defense is offense.

Now I'm no expert at coding. But I know a little bit about logic algorithms, especially ones that are presented here. (This is an if-then type of algorithm. These kinds of logic equations are also used in Philosophy which I know much more about.)

The gist of this entry is that, from what I can glean, the Traveler visited the Vex once, and while the Vex considered it invasive they were not actively hostile. An indeterminate amount of time passed, presumably up until the Collapse (our time), and the Witness visited the Garden these Vex have created. (It very well could be that the Black Garden was not the Black Garden until the introduction of the Witness.) It left them a "seed" (or... a code...) that would become the Black Heart.

Or, as we now know, a failed attempt at recreating the Veil.

After this introduction is when the Vex became actively hostile. They did not stay gardeners, the Sol Divisive became winnowers only when the Witness introduced the concept. Which is an incredibly fascinating implication.

So what does this mean?

Well I have a couple theories. Remember this is just speculation, it's not canon.

So we know the Vex have been in our system for... a while. Ever since the Ishtar Collective and Clovis Bray decided to be stupid about them. But this idea of total conversion didn't seem to be the end-all state. I mean the Ishtar Academy was still intact despite some Vex conversion. It doesn't seem like Europa's conversion went very far either.

So why did they go into a frenzy with Mercury during the Collapse? Why did the Vex make Mercury their simulation engine for a Vex end-state? If they wanted to they could've made any of the thousands of planets they inhabit into a simulation engine to the degree of Mercury's but there's no evidence they did. Why target Io? Or Nessus? Why only planets the Light has touched?

Well... The answer is a little complicated. We don't know, really, how the Vex began to terraform Nessus and Io, but we do know how they got to Mercury.

So, let's remember this line:

anomaly One = leaf|invasive; Garden state: active (gardeners attend)

Now, let's look at how the Vex were introduced to Mercury in Trials and Tribulations (for the sake of clarity I will be cutting out the Witness lines save for one vital line):

It was a garden world. The phrase, uttered in confidence. The expanse above, a cup—rimmed in gamma-ink radiance—dammed against the Mercurian sky at the Kármán line. Against the howl of star-wind, the black fell open. Within the rip convulsed and excreted coils of shimmering life. Probing, clattering tendrils slithered down to make landfall. Chrome-hooked appendages stretched for miles through sun-soaked atmosphere. They bored into the marigold sands. From the great temporal chasms flowed an ocean of radiolarian fluid. Across the horizon the scene was resonant and multiplicative. Each injection site fostered a new lineage in stone and steel and fluid. The new age in sub-routine and observation. They would foster the seeds of a generation in time. From the sites bubbled pools that murmured chaotic, and wrung the Traveler's Light from Mercury. The Light coalesced within the pools. The planet transformed into a machine of prediction. The arms retracted, and returned to temporal hovels, suspended just above Mercury's influence. With them rose the spires. From the core, threads of iron fused reinforcement into the spires and brought them high. A surface driven flat by eons of solar erosion had risen. A million open mouths curled plated tongues in completion. Across the world grew a terrible consciousness that yearned to find its progenitor. The hulking vessels pulsed with light. The pools and spires pulsed dull tones in recognition, and the black sealed once more, restoring the sol-dominated sky |awaiting an angular shadow|. Illumination left the spires, and the Light was erased.

Okay, this one is a big one and might be a little difficult to grasp, but the gist of it is that a portal ("the black") opened and implanted the first Vex seeds into Mercury all while draining the Light. This portal was created by a Pyramid. This happened during the collapse.

The Vex were artificially implanted onto Mercury by the Witness for the purpose of creating a prediction engine. And not only that but they were meant to wait for the Witness's return.

Which they responded to in the last chapter of Trials and Tribulations:

Vance stood in the old Lighthouse, frantically assembling the Infinite Simulacrum: a machine formed from bits of simulation seeds and connective Vex architecture to mimic a pocket forest. Textured notes and schematics derived from Osirian lore guided his hand. He heard stories from passing Guardians of increasingly frequent coronal mass ejections. Vast bursts of charged particles whipped into space and furled around a gravitational monster buried from sight and sense in the roar of the star-wind. Passage to Mercury had become more dangerous for the uninitiated. These unnatural motions were heralds of speculation, and he had read the signs. He knew the prophecies by heart and mind and intention. Ruin. Something new |and so very old| emerged, brother to a shriveling star: An angular |hungering patient yawning deep| shadow reached across Mercury. Uncounted |known| spires fell under its grasp |with uniform relief|. Dulcet tones brought low under lightless breadth and the weight of dark |salvation| hummed beneath the shadow. Their echoes spilled out |awakened| and flowed over crumbling spires |in conversation|. One singular spec of illumination blinked into being, |an end| seen by none, and then |many| spread as the shadow did. The old Lighthouse |spire's collective| beamed |rose| and flared as shadow overtook it |to meet the underbelly|. Vance |the implement| could hear |their inspired voices| weeping, not with tears, but in the |voracious| low |ceremonial| hum he had come to associate with death. He closed his eyes |and saw what was to come|. This day had many names. None would suffice.

We know now that memory and consciousness is linked to the darkness, and in turn links to simulations. Is that why they made a prediction engine? Were the Vex on Mercury meant to help the Witness expedite the path to the final shape? Were they left in limbo because of Savathun's betrayal? Osiris saw what the Witness's final shape would result in within the Infinite Forest, was this the end goal the Vex were meant to look for? Was the Witness using the Vex as herbicides on Mercury,

I don't know what's going on with the Vex or the Black Garden or Mercury and its implications are driving me fucking insane. I don't even know what I'm getting at here anymore I just need you to understand that there is Something Here and I Can't Fucking Touch It. I started off trying to find meaning behind the change in the Vex if they changed at all but the rabbit hole just kept getting deeper.

Do the vex not understand Paracausality because the Traveler and the Veil were once one? I mean I made up this whole apple metaphor about how if you knew everything about an apple but then suddenly the apple was split into two separate things and the apple simply did not even exist as a concept anymore wouldn't you be just as confused? Also they say the Vex need to Veil in order to finally understand Paracausality. Is that why they don't? Because they only knew the two when they were one?

Does anyone hear me. What the fuck is happening. What's going on. What is the purpose of the Lighthouses. Why did the Witness plant the Vex there. Why did the Witness call Calus specifically to the Mercury anomaly. What's so important about Vance and the Tones for Osiris's memories of them to have possibly been removed!? (ANOTHER POST TO BE MADE.) Why was Sister Faora mentioned? WHAT DOES IT MEAN. I'm losing my train of thought there's just So Much Here.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH THE VEX AND MERCURY

[inbetweenknacksandnooks]

Soldier 11 x F!Reader/GN!Reader. Long post. Self-indulgent. Not angst, but not quite fluff either.

I had the issue of getting caught up in the intro that Soldier 11 doesn't even show up until the end, so this is probably going to be more than one part, and I'll link another part if/when I make it.

I'm sorry! I swear I had an actual idea of what I wanted to do with Soldier 11, but Tumblr bunked my progress, so all my ideas turned into soup that my brain decided to spit out because it doesn't remember what it wanted!

C/W:

Almost 800 words before Soldier 11 appears

Around 2,180 words TOTAL

225 words of Author's Notes

Using [F/N] once

2nd person PoV

You get a knee injury, though it's not detailed

The reader character may or may not be annoying to read about =_=

I had a little too much fun with making little visuals.

I tried to do a mini-action scene.

Read if you want :>

Constructive criticism is welcome.

You remember when you first saw her.

You'd wandered into a hollow as a rookie raider. You'd never actually been in a hollow before, but you did train at the H.I.A club and got an S Rank against most of the enemies you'd probably meet in a hollow, except for the human-like entities and... the Expert Challenge enemies.

But that didn't really matter! You weren't going into a largescale hollow like Zero or the Cretan Hollow... you didn't even plan on going inside of a companion hollow. Just a tiny little sub hollow that had been newly established. Hollow 145184.

Was that the hollow's identification number? Why didn't it have a unique name? Did the numbers mean anything? If this hollow became bigger, surely it would be properly renamed, right?

In any case, the ethereals should be small and relatively harmless. Really, you'd be doing a favor for... whoever kept track of the hollows! If you raided and defeated enough ethereals the sub hollow would shrink, after-all.

Sadly, your raiding had borne no fruits of interest. 300 Dennies here, a few ether crystals there. Guess that's just what happens when you target something so small, it was either raided already by faster raiders and/or Hollow Investigators, or no one had left anything to begin with, as the area was so small.

Whatever.

It was just a way to get expierence anyway... and seeing as there was no hiccups, you could probably move on to bigger—

Bwooop! Bwooop!

Your bangboo blared. Looking at the screen on its face a warning was clearly seen.

Carrot Data Valid for:

4:51

Alright, five-minutes give-or-take, ticking down as you access your bangboo to find out where to go next.

"Alright Eggmuffin! Guide me out of here!" You encouraged giving the white, brown and yellow multiboo a small shove, which it gave a simple, "Ehn-nene Daah!" [Translated to, "sure thing! No shoving next time, though!"]

Time to go through barely-functioning buildings and stupid-crowded streets with debris, collapsed archways and bridges that you and Eggmuffin had to climb over, or sometimes struggle through.

Carrot Data Valid for:

2:16

Ah, but you both were more than halfway done! The exit was even on Eggmuffin's map!

Now in a clearing you're both set to sprint your way...

Home?

An otherworldly sound shook through your body, rumbling against your bones, you were paralyzed with fear as though a tiger had roared with the menacing energy of a caterwauling cougar.

Eggmuffin looked at you, and seeing the massive ethereal nearly crack the ground with its lunge at you, it tried to defend you, reaching into the pocket on its tummy and retrieving a bunch of ether-corrupted garbage at the massive crystallized beast, including food (why did they feel the need to pick it up in the first place?), various kinds of silverware and firecrackers from the festival a few days back.

At the very least this distracted the Ethereal long enough for you to recognize it as a Farbuti in the "Energized" state... you defeated the normal Farbuti with an S ranking in the H.I.A Club at least once, but fighting in real life somehow felt different, dangerously so Plus, the Energized variant was supposed to be harder to defeat.

A very stress inducing,

"Warning! Carrot Will Expire in Approximately: 1 Minute and 45 Seconds."

Was semi-heard by you, even throughout the loud popping of the firecrackers Eggmuffin lit via matches stored in their pocket.

Time to make a mad dash!

Gone with your stunned phase, you began to run, adrenalin pumping through every blood vessel in your body, grabbing Eggmuffin by their plushy body, you carry them in one arm, looking at the map on their screen.

58 Seconds

You could feel your lungs flare up in pain.

42 Seconds.

Eggmuffin was starting to feel a little heavy... did you get them new parts or something recently?

37 Seconds.

You try to maneuver around a wall, while the ethereal behind simply smashes right through it. The loud noises cause even more ethereals to your location. Smaller, but too high in number to risk fighting anything.

23 Seconds.

Right there! Right up ahead there was a brick wall belonging to a house. If she could just reach there you'd be teleported to safety like magic and probably go home to re-think this whole "Hollow Raider" thing.

11 Seconds.

...

4 Seconds.

...

Carrot Expired.

Too late.

As soon as you got to the wall you hit it instead of passing right through like a carrotless buffoon. Your right shoulder hit the wall, and Eggmuffin fell out of your hands from the momentum.

Out of breath, out of bangboo strength, and out of time.

The ethereals were approaching, and the biggest one pounced at you. And you closed your eyes...

Only to hear the sound of clashing metal.

Opening your eyes there was a girl with white hair in an orange and black military-looking vest.

Your conveniently-placed savior was here, and saved your arse so thoroughly that made you think twice about keeping up the snarky thoughts about the absurdity of the situation.

Nearly everytime she'd swung with the blade in her hands a generous amount of fire came from it, easily grouping up many of the smaller ethereals without much effort before they singed from it and fell.

Her attention turned to the Energized Fubuki, which was having a tough time hitting its bulky frame when the unknown girl could duck and weave out of the way of it's arms, which were at least the width of a 15 year old tree trunk with ease.

Then she landed a few loud hits and spun in a spiral like a hamster exercising on a blazing wheel.

Before you even knew it the one that had ruined your day, your raid, your carrot, had been vanquished.

And you were left staring at the woman that had done the deed.

Her visor hid most of her facial details, but you could at least see that she had reddish wood-brown eyes. The color of a shiny Zigzagoon or a redwood tree in direct sunlight.

Her skin was slightly glistening, sweat somehow looking more like sparkle on her.

"...ad. Please state your name and business here." Oops. Seems like you missed a few bits of her sentence while thinking about her.

"Mmn... erm... this is Eggmuffin..." you gave the name of the bangboo who'd been jostling your shoulder for the past minute or so. "And my name is [F/N]... what's yours?" Perhaps out of a strange nervous reflex, you gave the classic icebreaker-fingerguns with a neat snap to add pizazz.

The beautiful silver-haired lady sighed a short huff, like an exhausted horse. "As I have previously stated, I am Soldier 11, from the Defense Force."

Ah, nuts and berries, she had apparently said something important that you were too dazed to listen to... oh! Time to recover from this!

"Right, but that can't be your real name, right? Is it a code-word?" It wasn't until this moment that you realized you probably shouldn't be making snarky remarks to someone who could take down things that you couldn't.

'Soldier 11' sheathed her sword in a... backpack thing? Perhaps it was magnetized to allow it to stick and maybe there was a sulfer-and-metal, or flint-and-steel-like reaction that caused her sword to burn?

You have up snap yourself out from getting distracted because of how cool and amazing she looks! She's part of the Defense Force, so she probably won't like if she catches onto you being a Hollow Raider.

"It is not a 'code-word' for anything, nor is it a title. It is simply a statement. You may use it as my name if you wish." You're tempted to ask why she introduces herself like that, but it might be best to simply not know.

Soldier 11 scanned the area, staying quiet then pressed a button on her vest, "Soldier 11 to Captain Magnus–over."

"–aptain Magn—oldier 11—Over." A voice in static replied back.

"There is a civillain without a carrot found in area #329. Permission to diverge from the mission in order to escort her? I will be back to the Obol Squad within fifteen minutes."

"——on Granted."

Soldier 11 looked back towards you, where you'd been busily deleting the expired carrot from Eggmuffin just in case she'd decided to poke around your bangboo, which thankfully didn't happen!

"Follow me."

And so you did.

You couldn't help but wonder why she didn't need to ask where to go over radio. Was she seeing the instructions on where to go through her visor? Or had she actually somehow remembered when you're pretty sure that even the best Hollow Raiders were helpless without carrot-leading bangboo.

Hmm.

Everything started to look the same, and it didn't help that you hardly ever visited this district when it wasn't constantly shifting.

Maybe you were just tired, or beginning to corrupt but you're head was spinning and you're balance was off, so it was only a matter of time before you tripped over chunky rock from a nearby fallen tower and skinned your knee.

You let out a hiss of pain and examined your injury. Flecks of mini-pebbles could be seen embedded in the abrasion. This would be such a chore to disinfect later.

Soldier 11's eyes flick to the wound, " wipe it off and get up."

Arguably that tone made you want to get up even less, causing you to rest on your back a bit and close your eyes like a defeated turtle.

"Ehn! Ehn-nee!" Eggmuffin let out a panicked sound that you didn't bother looking at the screen for translation for. The bangboo wiped off the little bits of gravel in the knee and went around you to push you up by pressing on your back.

Not wanting to be a chore for the bangboo that was trying so hard, you sat up straight and let out a long drawn out groan of annoyance. "How far even are we? How much longer will it take?" Maybe if you just knew an estimate it would help.

Soldier 11 stayed quiet for a moment, tilting her head upwards as though there was an invisible map in the sky.

There wasn't, but you knew that already but still looked up anyway...

"It will take around 3 minutes and 31 seconds to reach the destination." Was she a bangboo in disguise with those calculations or something?

Still, 3:30-or-so wasn't that long, you could probably defrost 4 ounces of meat in the microwave in that time!

"Alright, alright..." you extend your hand to Soldier 11, trying your best to save energy by not getting up fully on your own.

Soldier 11 looks puzzled for a moment, but wordlessly helps you up and continues on the path.

Alright! Well maybe you could both talk and get to know each other! It would be like a speed date with dangerous monsters that make your date take a break for about a minute.

"So... what's the Obol Squad like?"

"That's irrelevant."

Yikes. You could feel your attempts at small talk going awry, and you didn't really know what else to ask apart from things like, 'what do you like to do in your spare time?' but you weren't entirely sure she'd talk about something 'irrelevant'.

Okay, then the next step. What would be relevant?

"Hey, so if I ever wanted to join the Defense Force... could I have a few tips? Or if I get lost again, what would you want me to keep in mind if I needed to fight off an ethereal?"

"Civilians without proper training should run or hide. If you have a bangboo with you there is usually a tracking device you can turn on to alert Public Security of your need for help."

"Oh, I see... and if I don't have a bangboo, or my tracking device is damaged?"

"Hide from ethereals and hope that passerbys can help. Also record your situation if you have the means to do so, by paper, recording tape, or other means."

Alright. Well that wasn't anything you hadn't already known, which was unfortunate. The bangboo's tracking device might be a useful tip, if you didn't already take it out of Eggmuffin to avoid getting tracked by... anyone that might want to arrest or confront a hollow raider like yourself when you made it big.

"You're almost to the outside. Just open the door of that building." Soldier 11 stopped, and gestured you forward.

"Oh... so we're at the end already?"

"Enn! Ehn-na naaa!" Eggmuffin bounced up and down and ran to the door, which seemed to belong to a two-story apartment.

"Affirmative." Soldier 11 relayed, encouraging you to go yet again.

"Right... then I'll be going out of the hollow!" You took a few steps towards the heavy wooden door, Eggmuffin trying to reach the round doorhandle. Your eyes were looking at Soldier 11, who in turn looked at you back. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed."

Soldier 11's eyes never left until she knew you were no longer in the hollow.

Author Notes:

This is based on the song Strange Sight, by KT Tunstall after watching Tinkerbell and The Legend of the Neverbeast... and crying... again...

Specifically it's based off of the first verse! You probably won't be able to tell even if you re-read this fic while having it in mind, which is fine. It was originally an animation idea translated to fanfic, so it probably wouldn't be very apparent.

I'll likely be doing the other few parts I have planned after we get to properly meet and interact with all the Obol Squad members, since my plan is to eventually have this reader character go join the Defense Force and eventually The Obol Squad.

Funfact:

This is very heavily based on an OC I made for the Obol Squad named Fawn, er, differences is that Fawn is more goofy and was never a hollow raider and never had a bangboo. She was just a civillain that got trapped in a hollow, rescued by Soldier 11 and is gay asf and brute-forces joining The Defense Force and The Obol Squad so that she can be closer to the one that saved her. She was initially placed in a different Squad I made up and makes lots of friends and stuff there and kinda just takes it all easy! She's so silly and I love her!

[blanco-n]

Turning Panic Into Action: Astraweb’s Client Centered Process

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Astraweb’s Commitment: More Than Recovery, A Partnership

Jane’s story illustrates the core philosophy that drives Astraweb’s work: every client deserves more than just technical recovery services they deserve empathy, clarity, and partnership. The company understands that behind every lost asset is a person’s hopes, dreams, and security at stake.

For those facing the daunting prospect of lost cryptocurrency or other digital assets, Astraweb’s process offers a path forward. Through empathy-driven service, transparent communication, and technical excellence, they prove that even the most complex and distressing financial setbacks can be addressed with care and effectiveness.

If you or someone you know finds themselves in a similar predicament, Astraweb stands ready to provide expert guidance and dedicated support at every stage of recovery.

Contact: AstraWeb@cyberdude.com

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Three UAP BOMBSHELLS: Immaculate Constellation, Puthoff, and Congress | Richard Dolan Show

Richard Dolan examines three significant UAP developments from this week. First, the Weaponized podcast revelation where Matthew Brown, a Pentagon analyst with weapons of mass destruction expertise, identifies himself as the author of the "Immaculate Constellation" report about a classified program using AI to collect UAP imagery from government servers.

Second, physicist Dr. Hal Puthoff's appearance on Joe Rogan, where he discusses his work on remote viewing programs, UAP propulsion physics, and crash retrievals based on his decades of government research.

Finally, a congressional briefing featuring experts, including Dr. Eric Davis, Christopher Mellon, and military officials who presented scientific evidence and national security concerns about UAP to lawmakers, emphasizing the need for increased transparency and data sharing across scientific and military communities. These three events represent continued momentum in the official acknowledgment of UAP phenomena.