#Programming override

[spacedimentio]

HAL 9000 cameo in LEGO Dimensions

[imakebadartsometimes]

A much better ref for Chiaki

[nobodysdaydreams]

I wish that the Hephaestus crew had thought to punish Daniel Jacobi by locking him in a room and playing “the Duck song” on loop over and over again (you know. The one about the grapes and lemonade stand). I think that might have fixed him. Or at the very least it would have been fun.

[demonsfate]

@sumiiregarii sent . . .

Asuka strums her guitar.

"This bitch got me payin' 'er rent,

Payin' for trips

Diamonds on 'er neck, diamonds on her wrist."

❝ Break her back with a twist ! ❞ Those were the subsequent lyrics, right ?

[npdbenrey]

shi will eat all yer files

[evilkitten3]

so first of all, that's. honestly something you're going to have to work through with or without therapy bc it's a roadblock you can overcome, one that will seriously benefit you to overcome, and once you do successfully learn to if not permanently put it behind you than temporarily maneuver your way around it your life will probably get better, BUT

and i cannot stress this enough

a mental health professional is only the solution if that person is both good at their job and the right match for you. me, i got lucky. my mom found me a therapist when i was 9/10 who was perfect and i still see her today, the better part of two decades later (note that "perfect" is an exaggeration; she has her flaws and we've clashed more than a couple of times). more than that, i've been pretty consistently lucky overall when it comes to the people i'm entrusting with my mental health, but that experience is far from universal and absolutely should not be taken for granted

even the most well-intentioned of people can make mistakes that can do serious harm. i'm not trying to scare you away from this btw if you're in a place where you may need a therapist or psychiatrist, you should absolutely look into finding one! but you do need to be careful. i personally have no clue what a good vetting process for finding somebody would be, but i'm sure someone on tumblr (or if not on tumblr, then definitely on reddit) has made a detailed list concerning what to look for and what to look out for.

lastly, remember this: progress isn't linear. people can say that easily enough, but i need to be clear exactly how true that is - your therapist/psychiatrist/secret third thing is not a magical button that can swoosh away your problems, they're a human being using the tools they been taught to help you help yourself (cliche as that sounds, it is true. if they're y'know. doing their jobs, i mean), and that is something you may be forcefully reminded of in even the best case scenario (my own therapist's reaction to losing to me at sorry! once when i was in middle/high school comes to mind. never letting her live that down lmao)

ok that's all take care of yourself i love you ok bye

extremely unsexy of adhd to make me both very annoying and very sensitive to the concept of being perceived as annoying

[quantum-coaching]

Cognitive Glitches: The Shadow Programs Controlling Your Mind (Until Now)

You’ve been gaslit, but by your own mind. Not because it hates you. But because it’s lazy, outdated, and still running Stone Age software on a quantum-level human. These aren’t just “biases.”They’re mental viruses, distorted filters, and emotional malware.They corrupt your decisions. Hijack your reality. And unless you know how to spot them?They’ll keep you broke, stuck, and sleeping on your own…

[ralfmaximus]

UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance company in the US, is allegedly using a deeply flawed AI algorithm to override doctors' judgments and wrongfully deny critical health coverage to elderly patients. This has resulted in patients being kicked out of rehabilitation programs and care facilities far too early, forcing them to drain their life savings to obtain needed care that should be covered under their government-funded Medicare Advantage Plan.

It's not just flawed, it's flawed in UnitedHealthcare's favor.

That's not a flaw... that's fraud.

[garden-eel-draws]

Man, it sure is peachy-keen how Firefox automatically puts an ugly blue background-color around my a:active links on my html/css projects and turns the a:focus/hover and a:active text white (and therefore invisible on a white page), while laughing in the face of my attempts to contradict that stupid auto-formatting. LOVE IT!!!

[arshikasingh]

Example of Java Method Overriding

Let us see the example of Java method overriding:

[juliebowie]

Understanding Method Overloading and Overriding in Python: Python for Data Science

Summary: Method overloading and overriding in Python improve code flexibility and maintainability. Although Python doesn’t support traditional overloading, similar effects can be achieved using default and variable-length arguments. Overriding customises inherited methods, which is crucial for effective data science coding.

Introduction

Method overloading and overriding in Python are key concepts that enhance the functionality and flexibility of code. For data scientists, mastering these concepts is crucial for building efficient, reusable, and maintainable code. Understanding method overloading and overriding helps data scientists customise functions and classes, making their data analysis and machine learning models more robust. 

In this article, you'll learn the differences between method overloading and overriding, how to implement them in Python, and their practical applications in Python for data science. This knowledge will empower you to write more effective and adaptable Python code.

What is Method Overloading in Python?

Method overloading is a feature in programming that allows multiple methods to have the same name but different parameters. It enhances code readability and reusability by enabling methods to perform different tasks based on the arguments passed. 

This concept is particularly useful in data science for creating flexible and adaptable functions, such as those used in data manipulation or statistical calculations.

Implementation in Python

Unlike some other programming languages, Python does not support method overloading natively. In Python, defining multiple methods with the same name within a class will overwrite the previous definitions. However, Python's dynamic nature and support for default arguments, variable-length arguments, and keyword arguments allow for similar functionality.

To achieve method overloading, developers can use default arguments or variable-length arguments (*args and **kwargs). These techniques enable a single method to handle different numbers and types of arguments, simulating the effect of method overloading.

Examples

Here are some examples to illustrate method overloading in Python:

Using Default Arguments

In this example, the add method can take either one or two arguments. If only one argument is provided, the method adds 0 to it by default.

2. Using Variable-Length Arguments

Here, the add method accepts a variable number of arguments using *args. This allows the method to handle any number of parameters, providing flexibility similar to method overloading.

Method overloading in Python, while not supported natively, can be effectively simulated using these techniques. This flexibility is valuable for creating versatile functions that can handle various input scenarios, making code more adaptable and easier to maintain.

What is Method Overriding in Python?

Method overriding is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows a subclass to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass. 

This concept is crucial as it enables polymorphism, where different classes can implement methods in different ways while sharing the same method name. By overriding methods, developers can customise or extend the behavior of inherited methods without altering the original class.

Implementation in Python

In Python, method overriding occurs when a subclass defines a method with the same name and signature as a method in its superclass. When an instance of the subclass calls this method, the overridden version in the subclass executes, replacing the superclass's method. 

This behavior demonstrates Python’s support for dynamic method dispatch, a key feature of polymorphism.

To override a method in Python, you simply define a method in the subclass with the same name as the one in the superclass. Python does not require any special syntax for overriding methods, making it straightforward to implement. Here’s an example:

In this example, the speak method in the Dog and Cat classes overrides the speak method in the Animal class. When calling speak on an instance of Dog or Cat, the overridden methods in the respective subclasses execute, demonstrating how Python’s method overriding works in practice.

Practical Applications in Data Science

Understanding method overloading and overriding in Python has practical benefits in data science. These concepts play a critical role in simplifying and enhancing various data science tasks, from preprocessing data to evaluating models and customising algorithms.

Method Overloading in Data Science

Method overloading allows you to create multiple versions of a method, each with different parameters. While Python does not support method overloading in the traditional sense, you can achieve similar functionality using default arguments or variable-length arguments.

In data preprocessing, for instance, method overloading helps manage different types of data inputs. Suppose you are developing a data cleaning function that handles various formats—such as CSV, JSON, or XML. 

By overloading methods with default arguments, you can design a single function that adapts to different data sources without needing separate implementations for each format. This approach enhances code readability and maintainability, as it centralises the preprocessing logic.

Another example is in model evaluation. You may need to evaluate models using different metrics depending on the specific needs of your analysis. Overloading methods that handle various evaluation metrics can streamline this process, allowing you to pass different metric parameters to a single evaluation function.

Method Overriding in Data Science

Method overriding is particularly valuable when you need to customise or extend existing functionalities. In data science, overriding methods becomes essential when working with frameworks or libraries that provide base classes with predefined methods.

For example, when using a machine learning library like scikit-learn, you might need to extend a base model class to create a custom model with additional features. By overriding methods in the base class, you can modify or extend the model’s behavior to fit your specific needs, such as implementing a custom training algorithm or adjusting hyperparameter tuning processes.

Additionally, method overriding is useful in feature engineering, where you might need to adapt base feature extraction classes to handle domain-specific features or preprocessing techniques. This customisation ensures that your data science workflows are flexible and tailored to the unique requirements of your projects.

Best Practices for Using Method Overloading and Overriding in Python

When working with method overloading and overriding in Python, following best practices ensures that your code remains clear, efficient, and robust. Understanding these practices helps you write maintainable code and avoid common pitfalls.

Coding Standards

To keep your code clean and maintainable, follow these guidelines:

Use Descriptive Method Names: Even though Python doesn’t support traditional method overloading, using descriptive names or default arguments can improve readability. For example, instead of creating multiple process_data methods, use process_data with different parameters.

Consistent Parameter Usage: When overriding methods, ensure that the parameters and their meanings are consistent with the base class. This consistency prevents confusion and makes it easier to understand the code.

Document Your Code: Always document your methods with clear docstrings. Explain what each method does, its parameters, and its return values. This practice enhances code readability and helps others understand the purpose of method overloads or overrides.

Performance Considerations

Performance may be impacted by method overloading and overriding in the following ways:

Method Resolution: Python’s method resolution order (MRO) can impact performance, especially in complex class hierarchies. Ensure that your method overrides are necessary and avoid deep inheritance trees when possible.

Dynamic Typing: Python's dynamic typing allows for flexible method implementations, but this can lead to runtime performance costs. Minimise the use of complex logic within overloaded or overridden methods to avoid performance hits.

Error Handling

Proper error handling prevents issues when dealing with method overloading and overriding:

Use Try-Except Blocks: Enclose critical method calls within try-except blocks to catch and handle exceptions gracefully. This approach helps maintain code stability even when unexpected errors occur.

Validate Parameters: Implement parameter validation in overridden methods to ensure that the inputs are as expected. This validation helps prevent runtime errors and improves method reliability.

By adhering to these best practices, you can effectively manage method overloading and overriding in Python, resulting in more maintainable and efficient code.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is method overloading in Python?

Method overloading in Python allows multiple methods to have the same name but different parameters. Although Python doesn't support traditional overloading, similar functionality can be achieved using default arguments and variable-length arguments.

How does method overriding differ from overloading in Python?

Method overriding occurs when a subclass provides a specific implementation of a method defined in its superclass. Unlike overloading, which handles different arguments, overriding customises or extends existing methods, enabling polymorphism.

Why are method overloading and overriding important in Python for data science?

Method overloading and overriding enhance code flexibility and reusability. In data science, they help create adaptable functions for data preprocessing and model evaluation, improving code maintainability and customisation.

Conclusion

Understanding method overloading and overriding in Python is vital for data scientists aiming to write flexible and maintainable code. While Python lacks native support for method overloading, techniques like default arguments and variable-length arguments offer similar functionality. 

Method overriding allows customisation of inherited methods, promoting code reusability. Mastering these concepts will enhance your data science projects, making your code more robust and adaptable to various tasks.

[robertreich]

Friends, Since I offered you 10 reasons for modest optimism last week, discontent with the Trump-Musk regime has surged even further. America appears to be waking up. Here’s the latest evidence — 10 more reasons for modest optimism. 1. Trump’s approval ratings continue to plummet. The chief reason Trump was elected was to reduce the high costs of living — especially food, housing, health care, and gas. A new Pew poll shows these costs remain uppermost in Americans’ minds. Sixty-three percent identify inflation as an overriding problem, and 67 percent say the same about the affordability of health care. That same poll shows the public turning on Trump. The percent of those disapproving of Trump’s handling of the economy has risen to 53 percent (versus 45 percent who approve). Disapproval of his actions as president has risen to the same 53 percent versus 45 percent approval, which shows how essential economic performance is to the public’s assessment of presidents these days. The Pew poll also shows 57 percent of the public believes that Trump “has exceeded his presidential authority.” By making the world’s richest person his hatchet man, Trump has made more vivid the role of money in politics. Hence, a record-high 72 percent now say a major problem is “the role of money in politics.” Other polls show similar results. In the Post-Ipsos poll, significantly more Americans strongly disapprove of Trump (39 percent) than strongly approve of him (27 percent). Reuters, Quinnipiac University, CNN, and Gallup polls show Trump’s approval ratings plummeting (ranging from 44 percent to 47 percent). In all of these polls, more Americans now disapprove of Trump than approve of him. 2. DOGE is running amusk. DOGE looks more and more like a giant hoax. This week, reporters found that nearly 40 percent of the contracts DOGE claims to have canceled aren’t expected to save the government any money, according to the administration’s own data. As a result, on Tuesday DOGE deleted all of the five biggest “savings” on its so-called “wall of receipts.” The scale of its errors — and the misunderstandings and poor quality control that appear to underlie them — has raised questions about the effort’s broader work, which has led to mass firings and cutbacks across the federal government. DOGE has also had to reverse its firings. On Tuesday, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas A. Collins celebrated cuts to 875 contracts that he claimed would save nearly $2 billion. But when veterans learned that those contracts covered medical services, recruited doctors, and funded cancer programs as well as burial services for veterans, the outcry was so loud that on Wednesday the VA rescinded the ordered cuts. After hundreds of nuclear weapons workers were abruptly fired, the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire them. After hundreds of scientists at the Food and Drug Administration were fired, they’re being asked to return. On Wednesday, Musk acknowledged that DOGE “accidentally canceled” efforts by the U.S. Agency for International Development to prevent the spread of Ebola. But Musk insisted the initiative was quickly restored. Wrong. Current and former USAID officials say Ebola prevention efforts have been largely halted since Musk and his DOGE allies moved last month to gut the global-assistance agency and freeze its outgoing payments. The teams and contractors that would be deployed to fight an Ebola outbreak have been dismantled, they added. DOGE staff are resigning. On Tuesday, 21 federal civil service tech workers resigned from DOGE, writing in a joint resignation letter that they were quitting rather than help Musk “dismantle critical public services.” The staffers all worked for what was known as the U.S. Digital Service before it was absorbed by DOGE. Their ranks include data scientists, product managers, and engineers. According to the Associated Press, “all previously held senior roles at such tech companies as Google and Amazon and wrote in their resignation letter that they joined the government out of a sense of duty to…

Read the full list here: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/more-reasons-for-moderate-optimism

[0rb0t]

brain dysphoria

[ohmystarrynight]

This actually happened

Hello Knight Rider fandom, which consists of 3 other people.

[clonecoding-en]

JavaScript Class Syntax and Object-Oriented Programming Essentials

This article provides a comprehensive overview of JavaScript's class syntax and its various features introduced in ES6 (ES2015). It emphasizes the shift from the traditional function and prototype-based object-oriented programming to the more intuitive and structured class-based approach. The article covers key concepts such as class declaration, constructor methods for initialization, method definitions, instance methods, static methods, inheritance, method overriding, access modifiers, getter and setter methods, and static members.

By explaining the rationale behind using classes and highlighting their advantages, the article helps readers understand how class syntax in JavaScript enhances code organization, reusability, and modularity. It clarifies the distinction between instance methods and static methods, making it easier for developers to grasp their appropriate use cases. Furthermore, the article offers insights into inheritance and method overriding, providing practical examples to demonstrate how class relationships can be established.

In addition, the article delves into advanced topics such as access modifiers, getter and setter methods, and static members, shedding light on encapsulation and shared behavior in classes. Overall, the article equips developers with a solid foundation for utilizing class-based object-oriented programming in JavaScript effectively.

[romerona]

Ethera Operation!!

You're the government’s best hacker, but that doesn’t mean you were prepared to be thrown into a fighter jet.

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Awkward!Hacker! FemReader

Part I

This was never supposed to happen. Your role in this operation was simple—deliver the program, ensure it reached the right hands, and let the professionals handle the breaching.

And then, of course, reality decided to light that plan on fire.

The program—codenamed Ethera—was yours. You built it from scratch with encryption so advanced that even the most elite cyber operatives couldn’t crack it without your input. A next-generation adaptive, self-learning decryption software, an intrusion system designed to override and manipulate high-security military networks, Ethera was intended to be both a weapon and a shield, capable of infiltrating enemy systems while protecting your own from counterattacks in real-time. A ghost in the machine. A digital predator. A weapon in the form of pure code. If it fell into the wrong hands, it could disable fleets, and ground aircraft, and turn classified intelligence into an open book. Governments would kill for it. Nations could fall because of it.

Not that you ever meant to, of course. It started as a little experimental security measure program, something to protect high-level data from cyberattacks, not become the ultimate hacking tool. But innovation has a funny way of attracting the wrong kind of attention, and before you knew it, Ethera had become one, if not the most classified, high-risk program in modern times. Tier One asset or so the Secret Service called it.

It was too powerful, too dangerous—so secret that only a select few even knew of its existence, and even fewer could comprehend how it worked.

And therein lay the problem. You were the only person who could properly operate it.

Which was so unfair.

Because it wasn’t supposed to be your problem. You were just the creator, the brain behind the code, the one who spent way too many sleepless nights debugging this monstrosity. Your job was supposed to end at development. But no. Now, because of some bureaucratic nonsense and the fact that no one else could run it without accidentally bricking an entire system, you had been promoted—scratch that, forcibly conscripted—into field duty.

And your mission? To install it in an enemy satellite.

A literal, orbiting, high-security, military-grade satellite, may you add.

God. Why? Why was your country always at war with others? Why couldn’t world leaders just, you know, go to therapy like normal people? Why did everything have to escalate to international cyber warfare?

Which is how you ended up here.

At Top Gun. The last place in the world you wanted to be.

You weren’t built for this. You thrive in sipping coffee in a cosy little office and handling cyber threats from a safe, grounded location. You weren’t meant to be standing in the halls of an elite fighter pilot training program, surrounded by the best aviators in the world—people who thought breaking the sound barrier was a casual Wednesday.

It wasn’t the high-tech cyberwarfare department of the Pentagon, nor some dimly lit black ops facility where hackers in hoodies clacked away at keyboards. No. It was Top Gun. A place where pilots use G-forces like a personal amusement park ride.

You weren’t a soldier, you weren’t a spy, you got queasy in elevators, you got dizzy when you stood too fast, hell, you weren’t even good at keeping your phone screen from cracking.

... And now you were sweating.

You swallowed hard as Admiral Solomon "Warlock" Bates led you through the halls of the naval base, your heels clacking on the polished floors as you wiped your forehead. You're nervous, too damn nervous and this damned weather did not help.

"Relax, Miss," Warlock muttered in that calm, authoritative way of his. "They're just pilots."

Just pilots.

Right. And a nuclear warhead was just a firework.

And now, somehow, you were supposed to explain—loosely explain, because God help you, the full details were above even their clearance level—how Ethera, your elegant, lethal, unstoppable digital masterpiece, was about to be injected into an enemy satellite as part of a classified mission.

This was going to be a disaster.

You had barely made it through the doors of the briefing room when you felt it—every single eye in the room locking onto you.

It wasn’t just the number of them that got you, it was the intensity. These were Top Gun pilots, the best of the best, and they radiated the kind of confidence you could only dream of having. Meanwhile, you felt like a stray kitten wandering into a lion’s den.

Your hands tightened around the tablet clutched to your chest. It was your lifeline, holding every critical detail of Ethera, the program that had dragged you into this utterly ridiculous situation. If you could’ve melted into the walls, you absolutely would have. But there was no escaping this.

You just had to keep it together long enough to survive this briefing.

So, you inhaled deeply, squared your shoulders, and forced your heels forward, trying to project confidence—chin up, back straight, eyes locked onto Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson, who you’d been introduced to earlier that day.

And then, of course, you dropped the damn tablet.

Not a graceful drop. Not the kind of gentle slip where you could scoop it back up and act like nothing happened. No, this was a full-on, physics-defying fumble. The tablet flipped out of your arms, ricocheted off your knee, and skidded across the floor to the feet of one of the pilots.

Silence.

Pure, excruciating silence.

You didn’t even have the nerve to look up right away, too busy contemplating whether it was physically possible to disintegrate on command. But when you finally did glance up—because, you know, social convention demanded it—you were met with a sight that somehow made this entire disaster worse.

Because the person crouching down to pick up your poor, abused tablet was freaking hot.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with a head of golden curls that practically begged to be tousled by the wind, and, oh, yeah—a moustache that somehow worked way too well on him.

He turned the tablet over in his hands, inspecting it with an amused little smirk before handing it over to you. "You, uh… need this?"

Oh, great. His voice is hot too.

You grabbed it back, praying he couldn't see how your hands were shaking. “Nope. Just thought I’d test gravity real quick.”

A few chuckles rippled through the room, and his smirk deepened like he was enjoying this way too much. You, on the other hand, wanted to launch yourself into the sun.

With what little dignity you had left, you forced a quick, tight-lipped smile at him before turning on your heel and continuing forward, clutching your tablet like it was a life raft in the middle of the worst social shipwreck imaginable.

At the front of the room, Vice Admiral Beau Cyclone Simpson stood with the kind of posture that said he had zero time for nonsense, waiting for the room to settle. You barely had time to take a deep breath before his voice cut through the air.

“Alright, listen up.” His tone was crisp, commanding, and impossible to ignore. “This is Dr Y/N L/N. Everything she is about to tell you is highly classified. What you hear in this briefing does not leave this room. Understood?”

A chorus of nods. "Yes, sir."

You barely resisted the urge to physically cringe as every pilot in the room turned to stare at you—some with confusion, others with barely concealed amusement, and a few with the sharp assessing glances of people who had no clue what they were supposed to do with you.

You cleared your throat, squared your shoulders, and did your best to channel even an ounce of the confidence you usually had when you were coding at 3 AM in a secure, pilot-free lab—where the only judgment you faced was from coffee cups and the occasional system error.

As you reached the podium, you forced what you hoped was a composed smile. “Uh… hi, nice to meet you all.”

Solid. Real professional.

You glanced up just long enough to take in the mix of expressions in the room—some mildly interested, some unreadable, and one particular moustached pilot who still had the faintest trace of amusement on his face.

Nope. Not looking at him.

You exhaled slowly, centering yourself. Stay focused. Stay professional. You weren’t just here because of Ethera—you were Ethera. The only one who truly understood it. The only one who could execute this mission.

With another tap on your tablet, the slide shifted to a blacked-out, redacted briefing—only the necessary information was visible. A sleek 3D-rendered model of the enemy satellite appeared on the screen, rotating slowly. Most of its details were blurred or omitted entirely.

“This is Blackstar, a highly classified enemy satellite that has been operating in a low-Earth orbit over restricted airspace.” Your voice remained even, and steady, but the weight of what you were revealing sent a shiver down your spine. “Its existence has remained off the radar—literally and figuratively—until recently, when intelligence confirmed that it has been intercepting our encrypted communications, rerouting information, altering intelligence, and in some cases—fabricating entire communications.”

Someone exhaled sharply. Another shifted in their seat.

“So they’re feeding us bad intel?” one of them with big glasses and blonde hair asked, voice sceptical but sharp.

“That’s the theory,” you confirmed. “And given how quickly our ops have been compromised recently, it’s working.”

You tapped again, shifting to the next slide. The silent infiltration diagram appeared—an intricate web of glowing red lines showing Etherea’s integration process, slowly wrapping around the satellite’s systems like a virus embedding itself into a host.

“This is where Ethera comes in,” you said, shifting to a slide that displayed a cascading string of code, flickering across the screen. “Unlike traditional cyberweapons, Ethera doesn’t just break into a system. It integrates—restructuring security protocols as if it was always meant to be there. It’s undetectable, untraceable, and once inside, it grants us complete control of the Blackstar and won’t even register it as a breach.”

“So we’re not just hacking it," The only female pilot of the team said, arms crossed as she studied the data. “We’re hijacking it.”

“Exactly,” You nodded with a grin.

You switched to the next slide—a detailed radar map displaying the satellite’s location over international waters.

“This is the target area,” you continued after a deep breath. “It’s flying low-altitude reconnaissance patterns, which means it’s using ground relays for some of its communication. That gives us a small window to infiltrate and shut it down.”

The next slide appeared—a pair of unidentified fighter aircraft, patrolling the vicinity.

“And this is the problem,” you said grimly. “This satellite isn’t unguarded.”

A murmur rippled through the room as the pilots took in the fifth-generation stealth fighters displayed on the screen.

“We don’t know who they belong to,” you admitted. “What we do know is that they’re operating with highly classified tech—possibly experimental—and have been seen running defence patterns around the satellite’s flight path.”

Cyclone stepped forward then, arms crossed, his voice sharp and authoritative. “Which means your job is twofold. You will escort Dr L/N’s aircraft to the infiltration zone, ensuring Ethera is successfully deployed. If we are engaged, your priority remains protecting the package and ensuring a safe return.”

Oh, fantastic, you could not only feel your heartbeat in your toes, you were now officially the package.

You cleared your throat, tapping the screen again. Ethera’s interface expanded, displaying a cascade of sleek code.

“Once I’m in range,” you continued, “Ethera will lock onto the satellite’s frequency and begin infiltration. From that point, it’ll take approximately fifty-eight seconds to bypass security and assume control."

Silence settled over the room like a thick cloud, the weight of their stares pressing down on you. You could feel them analyzing, calculating, probably questioning who in their right mind thought putting you—a hacker, a tech specialist, someone whose idea of adrenaline was passing cars on the highway—into a fighter jet was a good idea.

Finally, one of the pilots—tall, broad-shouldered, blonde, and very clearly one of the cocky ones—tilted his head, arms crossed over his chest in a way that screamed too much confidence.

“So, let me get this straight.” His voice was smooth, and confident, with just the right amount of teasing. “You, Doctor—our very classified, very important tech specialist—have to be in the air, in a plane, during a mission that has a high probability of turning into a dogfight… just so you can press a button?”

Your stomach twisted at the mention of being airborne.

“Well…” You gulped, very much aware of how absolutely insane this sounded when put like that. “It’s… more than just that, but, yeah, essentially.”

A slow grin spread across his face, far too entertained by your predicament.

“Oh,” he drawled, “this is gonna be fun.”

Before you could fully process how much you already hated this, Cyclone—who had been watching the exchange with his signature unamused glare—stepped forward, cutting through the tension with his sharp, no-nonsense voice.

“This is a classified operation,” he stated, sharp and authoritative. “Not a joyride.”

The blonde’s smirk faded slightly as he straightened, and the rest of the pilots quickly fell in line.

Silence lingered for a moment longer before Vice Admiral Beau Cyclone Simpson let out a slow breath and straightened. His sharp gaze swept over the room before he nodded once.

“All right. That’s enough.” His tone was firm, the kind that left no room for argument. “We’ve got work to do. The mission will take place in a few weeks' time, once we’ve run full assessments, completed necessary preparations, and designated a lead for this operation.”

There was a slight shift in the room. Some of the pilots exchanged glances, the weight of the upcoming mission finally settling in. Others, mainly the cocky ones, looked as though they were already imagining themselves in the cockpit.

“Dismissed,” Cyclone finished.

The pilots stood, murmuring amongst themselves as they filed out of the room, the blonde one still wearing a smug grin as he passed you making you frown and turn away, your gaze then briefly met the eyes of the moustached pilot.

You hadn’t meant to look, but the moment your eyes connected, something flickered in his expression. Amusement? Curiosity? You weren’t sure, and frankly, you didn’t want to know.

So you did the only logical thing and immediately looked away and turned to gather your things. You needed to get out of here, to find some space to breathe before your brain short-circuited from stress—

“Doctor, Stay for a moment.”

You tightened your grip on your tablet and turned back to Cyclone, who was watching you with that unreadable, vaguely disapproving expression that all high-ranking officers seemed to have perfected. “Uh… yes, sir?”

Once the last pilot was out the door, Cyclone exhaled sharply and crossed his arms.

“You realize,” he said, “that you’re going to have to actually fly, correct?”

You swallowed. “I—well, technically, I’ll just be a passenger.”

His stare didn’t waver.

“Doctor,” he said, tone flat, “I’ve read your file. I know you requested to be driven here instead of taking a military transport plane. You also took a ferry across the bay instead of a helicopter. And I know that you chose to work remotely for three years to avoid getting on a plane.”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. “That… could mean anything.”

“It means you do not like flying, am I correct?”

Your fingers tightened around the tablet as you tried to find a way—any way—out of this. “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t need to fly the plane. I just need to be in it long enough to deploy Ethera—”

Cyclone cut you off with a sharp look. “And what happens if something goes wrong, Doctor? If the aircraft takes damage? If you have to eject mid-flight? If you lose comms and have to rely on emergency protocols?”

You swallowed hard, your stomach twisting at the very thought of ejecting from a jet.

Cyclone sighed, rubbing his temple as if this entire conversation was giving him a migraine. “We cannot afford to have you panicking mid-mission. If this is going to work, you need to be prepared. That’s why, starting next week you will train with the pilots on aerial procedures and undergoing mandatory training in our flight simulation program.”

Your stomach dropped. “I—wait, what? That’s not necessary—”

“It’s absolutely necessary,” Cyclone cut in, his tone sharp. “If you can’t handle a simulated flight, you become a liability—not just to yourself, but to the pilots escorting you. And in case I need to remind you, Doctor, this mission is classified at the highest level. If you panic mid-air, it won’t just be your life at risk. It’ll be theirs. And it’ll be national security at stake.”

You inhaled sharply. No pressure. None at all.

Cyclone watched you for a moment before speaking again, his tone slightly softer but still firm. “You’re the only one who can do this, Doctor. That means you need to be ready.”

You exhaled slowly, pressing your lips together before nodding stiffly. “Understood, sir.”

Cyclone gave a small nod of approval. “Good. Dismissed.”

You turned and walked out, shoulders tense, fully aware that in three days' time, you were going to be strapped into a high-speed, fighter jet. And knowing your luck?

You were definitely going to puke.

Part 2???