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evilgabe29 · 1 year ago

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chapter 1 of working title

A boy ran through the streets of Artagan. His grey coat flapping in the wind a little too fast as if the air just wasn't ready for him yet and scrambled to keep up. Once he got to his destination he just barely stopped himself from planting his pace into the solid brick wall of the job centre. He entered the small building a bit winded.

The centre wasn't big, no building in Artagan was. Some felt that it made the place feel suffocating. Although those people got jobs on only their tenth visit or less, most took comfort in the cramped space. This was the boy’s hundredth or so visit to the centre despite people supposedly being in need of any Kenek they could get, bloody liars.

The boy walked over to the ticket dispenser and removed the small piece of paper from the slot, which was immediately replaced with another one. The ticket had the number one written on it meaning he got here first this time, which also meant he gets first pick on any jobs that get brought in. The boy then sat down in the lone foldable chair in the middle of the room, for a new visitor it would look out of place as if it was fulfilling a quota for having seating in public areas, but long time visitors found it as with most things exactly where it needs to be.

The boy woke up to a voice, and a sharp pain to his head.

“Oi, Vik wake up i can't have you holding up the line” said the voice that he’d determined to belong to Hektor the caretaker of this job centre, he was a relatively big man, that's relative to Vik though who was only eleven half-feet tall and skinnier than a keno wire, Hektor on the other hand was approximately 13 half-feet by Vik’s approximation with enough mussel to make a heaver go bankrupt trying to lift him.

“Owww” Vik groaned standing up “do ya really have to hit me?”

“You got the first ticket, no one else can go until you do dumbass, there might actually be something for you this time,” Hektor said, dragging him to the terminal. Hektor was not only the caretaker of the centre he also delivered new jobs to the terminal every week.

Vik perked up at his words, would today be the day he actually got a job? Of course he didn't let himself get too hopeful but he was still very excited.

After plopping him down in front of the job terminal Hektor turned it on, making all the rotating letter plates whir to life, at this point Vik finally took stock of his surroundings and all the people that were standing in line. Intellectually he knew the reason, there had been a record number of ships that arrived to port this week and ships tended to hire personnel when they came to port, he still jumped at the sheer amount of people present.

The terminal made a final loud Click indicating that it was finished setting up, Vik turned to it and inserted his ticket into the terminal, it then did some more whirring as it accepted the small paper, then it clicked once again signifying that it was done with its operations and was ready for use.

Vik gingerly put his magenta tipped fingers on the keyboard, with each keypress making the terminal jump to life. he pressed the enter key with a finality that made him worry if he might have accidentally broken it, but the command he put in to filter the jobs by ones that were looking for dashers went through and he took a relieved sigh and took a step back to looking at all the rotating letters plates, once they stopped his heart did too, after his hundred visits, almost a year coming here once a week, finally, finally something popped up.

-~very cool line break, this is still the same chapter just a bit latter~-

Vik walked to the port, canvas bag slung across his shoulder, right hand resting on his Ring Spike tied to his belt and the left clutching the job printout with all his strength as if it was gonna run away from him. He didn't even want to dash with the fear of losing the paper. Vik was still half convinced that he would be turned away, maybe it was a mistake, maybe they meant to look for a dodger and wrote dasher instead but the other half of his brain noted that he did have the paper, there was proof that he accepted the job and even if they didn't need a dasher most ships found the increased speed they provide to be very useful.

Vik had intended to have one last look at his home, he did feel a fondness for the slum like city Artagan had become in the last hundred years, even if he also resented it for taking his parents from him. He reasoned that the government and companies of a city isn't necessarily the city itself but logic and reason could only do so much.

It wasn't long before he reached the port he entered, anxious that guards would appear out of nowhere and arrest him but none did, he walked over to landing pad twenty-seven which was indicated on the print out.

Two men stood on the landing pad, one clad in a yellow shirt under a thick fake leather coat and leaning his back on the railing, while the other one had on a blue dress shirt that was too clean to be from any of the slums. He stood straight backed with his hands clasped behind him. They seemed to be looking out for people. Vik reflexively took his hand off of his Ring Spike and hid it under his coat. He wasn't supposed to have one, normal people weren't supposed to have one. But he'd swiped one off a visiting ring scout intending on selling it since it was heavy enough to be worth a chunk or two but then he'd realised it was made of Keno from Armanis and worth way more to him as a battery then just some spare change.

Vik walked up to the two men incredibly nervous, possibly the most nervous he'd ever been. Vik proffered the paper to the two men though as he'd expected the blue clad man took it with gloved hands. He unfolded the crumpled piece of paper that he’d unconsciously been gripping as if his life depended on it. The man visibly relaxed as he started reading through the paper. The yellow clad man though he looked at Vik’s fingers, his eyes sparkled as he saw the deep colour of the Athos stains on them. his lips curved up slightly at the corners.

“Okay so you're the dasher eh?” Vik snapped to attention at the sound of blue shirt’s voice. It was quite relaxed, not at all how he'd expected someone who looked like he'd had a drain pipe shoved up his ass to sound.

“YES!..uhh yes that's me,yes,” Vik responded still a bit nervous

“a bit jumpy ain't aren't they Lan?” yellow shirt said nugging blue, his voice was gruffer than blue’s but was equally more energetic

“Hektor mentioned that there haven't been many requests for dashers going through his circles. So they probably think were gonna scam them or something” he muttered reading through the print out

Once he was done he folded it up as neatly as he could given its state and put it in the back pocket of his dress pants

“Alright everything looks to be in order Vik, Nell mind showing the new kid around? we’re still waiting on a heaver so get them all set up while i wait.”

“Sure, come with me shortstuff” yellow shirt turning to the scout ship behind him and gesturing for Vik to follow him, Nell if he wasn't mistaken.

Vik hesitated at first but they seemed pretty trustworthy and he wasn't likely to get another opportunity like this any time soon. so he followed Nell.

-~cool lil line break just because i want to, what are you gonna do? Sue me?~-

The ship wasn't pretty well at least it wasn't in the conventional sense it had very clearly seen better days there were several patches of metal that had been welded or bolted on often both. not only that but various pieces of the ship were almost certainly mismatched. despite this or maybe because of it Vik absolutely adored the ship.

“We call her Theo after one of the very very old myths” Nell said, running his gloved fingers through his light brown hair.

“I haven't heard of any myths like that, what’s it about?” Vik asked, genuinely curious.

“No idea.”Nell announced proudly.

“What? Why would you name it after something you don't even know about?”

“Oh I don't know anything about it but my brother over there could give you a four and a half hour lecture on the name alone” Nell said gesturing with his thumb towards Lan “multiply it ten-fold if he ends up going on about philosophy, which he usually does”

They finally got to the ship’s entrance, it was a white rectangular metal door with four rectangular indentations like something you’d find in a house. Trials it probably was an interior door, how did all the air not escape the moment they took off?

“How do you have that as the door to your ship?” Vik said with no small measure of awe, it fit the aesthetic of the ship so well after all, even if he had no idea how it functioned they clearly had made it here so it must work somehow.

Nell chuckled as he turned the knob and swung open the door, revealing an oddly open interior, of course the ship was big on the outside but he had expected the small cramped quarters of military ships, although those also tended to use non Athos driven forms of propulsion and tended to have had much bigger crews.

Vik entered the craft stepping over the rubber lining where the door had been, this must be how they kept air from escaping, there was no way that was safe.

The ship’s interior had five rooms, four he assumed were for crew and then the last must be for the washroom? But where would the engine go? Then he saw it, a giant hunk of Keno glowing a beautiful yellow suspended by six metal spokes with a seventh going directly downwards made of a whitish-silvery material.

“Whoa!” Vik said in awe.

“Yeah, she’s a beauty ain't she.” Nell said, still standing outside “you're free to take any of the quarters that don't have a name on the door yet, once the heaver arrives we’ll explain to you both on how to operate Theo here. In the meantime, get yourself comfortable.” He then left the ship to join his brother out on the landing pad.

Vik opened the first door he saw that didn't have a name on it, and was beholden to the ship’s washroom, it was quite…functional, it contained only a toilet and sink and they both were not the prettiest even by Vik’s odd standards. He closed the door and kept looking; he didn't need to use it right now and his bag was starting to weigh on him a little bit. There were two unmarked doors next to the washroom, he chose the one furthest away from it and opened the metal door.

The quarters were what some would call cramped but just like the job centre he found it cosy instead, the room contained a simple bed and desk. Vik put his bag on the desk and collapsed onto the bed. When was the last time he’d actually slept on a bed? It was so comfortable. Vik Then passed out.

tagging mutuals:

@ohnoitsslime @caligusabs @beloveddawn-blog

@illarian-rambling @theeccentricraven @kaylinalexanderbooks

and per request:

@mr-orion

#creative writing #writing #fantasy #current wip #scifi fantasy #Evil's scifi-fa WIP

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sodapopmusic · 5 months ago

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Rabbit hole Salvage you mind while it is illuminated, a fire out of control,a cabbage in ttime, right now it is fumigated, wired and housing a soul,badhabbits in line, schedualed to be terminated, inspire you out of your hole, A rabbit , redefined and underrated but higher than ever before, drink up while the tea is hot and bright blue, the flesh of the gods makes it so,3 caps and some stems is all i can do, to see shooting stars upon the snow, think sweetly of me, with emotions so true as yu stand and look through the window,think of thinkgs to do when im gone for good now, waving at the bus watching it go, Im down in the southland, with deep curving valleys and bridges all rusty and crumbling, with grasses all dying and rivers of green and subways whistling under me. a spot on the corner , a 30 dollar gutar, a case and a cigarette too, is all that i need to get usedd to my home and bring my mind closer to you. The last of this song, is all out of place, but the pace rings true to the rule, of the verses before i shut tight the door on the patterns lost and misconstrewen,becauseits all backwards and forewards like this, its in shambles but its not a ruin,the end of this 4 verse song has arrived, to the point you might not clue in.

#poetry

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interdimensionalburnout · 11 months ago

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I take lot of things in my life in stride. I always have too, it's gotta be in your nature as a kid like I was or else life kills you.

So with that in mind, I've rediscovered why this stupid rifle I found in the bolt-hole under the east-west mag-rail was even a thing.

>It's a first-person video, shot from Bev's cybernetic eye. In her grubby hands is that weird rifle that was leaning against the wall of her shelter. It's already been worked on again, its overly-artistic stock replaced with a lighter, hollow, carbon-fiber butt (that appears to have some sort of meat-mallet face on the bashing-end); the receiver is covered in erratic sharpie marks, all over its freshly-machined surfaces. Perhaps further plans for the thing's progression.

>The rifle's already firing away, spilling through it's soda-can-shaped magazine in ten-shot bursts of glowing-green bullets. They trace neon-like lines across the distance as Berri's assigned paper targets (attached to ashen columns) are punched through in bursts of greenish powder. A brand new "Computer" has been attached to the side of the receiver, out of which a number of wires (and a tube) dip into various places in the rifle. The tube itself slides through a separate device (one custom made, rather than the dreamcast memory-card she's using for the "computer,") before emerging out the other end and terminating in a hexagonal ring, welded to the base of the gun-barrel.

>Whatever the fuck is going on with that gun, the damage is pretty wild, as the burst-fire shots hadn't finished their travels at the targets. The concrete wall beyond her, marked with decades of fading graffiti, layered on top of one another as new ideas come and go, is now a pock-marked sight of devastation. An ominous green light simmers where the rifle hit the wall, still smoking and almost... sizzling. It's an audible sound, uncomfortably so, even from across the makeshift firing range, even in ringing echo of an extremely loud, heavy rifle.

#IC #Viewable ICly

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dellsservicecenter · 11 months ago

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From Engine to Electronics: Proper Diagnostic Techniques for Resolving Maserati Problems

Maserati, the epitome of Italian luxury and performance, is renowned for its stylish design and high-performance capabilities. However, like any high-end vehicle, Maserati can encounter a range of issues, from engine troubles to electronic malfunctions. Proper diagnostics is crucial in maintaining the health and performance of these sophisticated machines. This article will guide you through the common problems Maserati face and the proper diagnostic techniques to resolve them.

Common Maserati Problems

1. Engine Issues

Maserati engines are marvels of engineering, but they can develop problems over time. Common engine issues include:

Misfires and Rough Idling: This can be caused by faulty spark plugs, ignition coils, or fuel injectors.

Overheating: Often due to a malfunctioning cooling system, such as a failed water pump or a clogged radiator.

Oil Leaks: These can originate from various seals and gaskets, leading to low oil levels and potential engine damage.

2. Transmission Problems

Maserati transmissions are designed for performance but can experience:

Slipping Gears: This could indicate worn-out clutch plates or issues with the transmission fluid.

Delayed Shifts: Often due to problems with the transmission control module or low fluid levels.

3. Electrical and Electronic Failures

Modern Maseratis are equipped with advanced electronics that can sometimes fail, including:

Dashboard Warning Lights: These can indicate issues ranging from simple sensor failures to serious engine problems.

Infotainment System Glitches: Problems with the touch screen, navigation, or audio system are not uncommon.

Diagnostic Techniques

1. OBD-II Scanner

The On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD-II) scanner is an essential tool for diagnosing Maserati problems. It can read error codes from the car's computer, providing insight into various issues.

How to Use: Connect the OBD-II scanner to the port located under the dashboard. Turn on the ignition and follow the scanner’s instructions to retrieve the error codes.

Interpreting Codes: Each code corresponds to a specific problem. For example, P0300 indicates a random/multiple cylinder misfire, while P0128 points to a coolant thermostat issue.

2. Visual Inspection

A thorough visual inspection can reveal obvious issues such as leaks, damaged components, or worn-out parts.

Engine Bay: Check for oil leaks, loose connections, and the condition of belts and hoses.

Undercarriage: Inspect for fluid leaks and damage to the exhaust system.

Electrical Connections: Look for corroded or loose battery terminals and wiring issues.

3. Multimeter Testing

A multimeter is useful for diagnosing electrical issues in a Maserati.

Battery Voltage: Measure the voltage across the battery terminals. A healthy battery should read around 12.6 volts when the car is off and around 14 volts when running.

Sensor Checks: Test various sensors, such as the oxygen sensor or mass airflow sensor, to ensure they are functioning correctly.

4. Compression Test

A compression test helps diagnose internal engine problems such as worn piston rings or valves.

Procedure: Remove the spark plugs and insert a compression gauge into each cylinder. Crank the engine and note the pressure readings. Low or uneven readings indicate internal engine issues.

5. Professional Diagnostic Tools

Maserati dealerships and specialized repair shops use advanced diagnostic tools that can access proprietary systems and provide more detailed information.

SD2/SD3 Diagnostic Systems: These are specialized tools used by Maserati technicians to diagnose and program vehicle systems accurately.

Diagnostic Software: Tools like Xentry or PIWIS can interface with Maserati's electronic systems for comprehensive diagnostics.

Addressing Common Issues

1. Engine Repairs

Misfires and Rough Idling: Replace faulty spark plugs, ignition coils, or fuel injectors. Regular maintenance and using high-quality fuel can prevent these issues.

Overheating: Ensure the cooling system is functioning correctly by checking the water pump, radiator, and thermostat. Flushing the coolant system periodically is also recommended.

Oil Leaks: Identify the source of the leak and replace the necessary seals or gaskets. Regularly check oil levels and change the oil according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

2. Transmission Solutions

Slipping Gears: Inspect and replace worn clutch plates and ensure the transmission fluid is at the correct level. Consider a fluid change if necessary.

Delayed Shifts: Diagnose and repair issues with the transmission control module or solenoids. Regular transmission servicing can prevent many of these problems.

3. Electrical Fixes

Dashboard Warning Lights: Use an OBD-II scanner to identify and address the underlying issue. Reset the warning lights after repairs are completed.

Infotainment System Glitches: Perform software updates and check for any loose connections or faulty components. In some cases, a complete system reset may be required.

Conclusion

Proper diagnostics are essential for maintaining the performance and reliability of your Maserati. By using the right tools and techniques, you can identify and resolve issues promptly, ensuring your luxury car continues to deliver the driving experience it was designed for. Regular maintenance and timely repairs are key to keeping your Maserati in top condition, from the engine to the sophisticated electronics.

#maserati car #maserati car diagnosis #maserati service center #maserati car maintenance #maserati car mechanic

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alexbraindump · 2 years ago

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501-B - Chapter 1: Descent

“With the introduction of the brand-new line of Fysi-Apomi hyper-resilient plant life, even those of you out in the most remote corners of the galaxy may create your own little garden! Stuffed with all the nutrients one could need and capable of producing up to quadruple the fresh oxygen of regular plants, our new line of greenery can help improve your life on any industrialized planet.”

A holo-television. A simple piece of technology, light suspended in the air between two strips of projectors. Colors of such depth and motion of such smoothness to suggest reality unfolding right there before oneself. Upon this particular holo-TV, the visage of a well-dressed human woman in a lush greenhouse. Flowing blonde hair and a silky suit to build the impression of one to be trusted.

“As you can see here-” She took hold of a pot. From it grew a little berry bush. “Our wonderful plantlife is capable of sprouting all the food one could need!”

The view panned outwards into a wide shot of the greenhouse. There were trees bearing fruit and bushes bearing berries and sprouts from the ground bearing vegetables. The woman walked backwards to follow the camera panning.

“With Fysi-Apomi, you can-”

Ring-ring. There was a shrill sound across the room. A remote was picked up and pointed at the holo-TV. With a press of the power button, its display dissipated into thin air. A few floating particles of light lingered for seconds. Ring-ring. The remote was tossed down onto a coffee table dotted with empty soda cans, cups of microwave noodles and the disassembled mess of a gadget or two. From the couch arose a bipedal vulpine. He pulled a hood over his face, obscuring all but the end of his snout. Ring-ring.

Dusty boots clacked against metallic flooring as he made his way across the room. It was enclosed, made of metal all around. Piping and exposed wiring ran in bundles along the ceiling and walls. Opposing ends of the room terminated in doors, one of regular size and one of a cargo bay.

Ring-ring. The fox stood before the source of the ringing. A phone mounted to the wall. On its ID screen were the words “CALL FROM: MR. B.” He pulled the phone from its terminal and held it to his ear.

“Where in the name of the gods are you, Cade?!” squawked a shrill voice. “My contact is waiting for you!”

“None’a your business, man,” Cade bit back. “You’ll get everything you need, don’t you worry.”

“Scrapbots could be encroaching upon that ship as we speak-”

“Off my back, B, goddamn. I’m just about there.”

“Define ‘just about.’”

“Close enough that I’ve gotta hang up and get ready for entry now now. Byeeee!”

“We need that part, Cade! Don’t let this end up like-”

Cade slotted the phone back into its terminal. It was followed right up by another call from Mr. B. He removed the phone, slammed it back into place and then shut the terminal off completely. Both the terminal and holo-TV having gone blank, the only sound to accompany the room was a slight, electronic droning. Cade strode off back towards his TV.

Between the TV and the wall was an empty space. Just about enough to house a person. Cade stepped into it. He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a watch underneath. Upon lifting it towards the wall, a small chime of approval sounded off. The wall creaked for a moment, hissed out a puff of air and then slid open. Its movement was staggered and jittery, but upon completion a roomy compartment was revealed within.

Green. Lots of green. Plants lined the back of the compartment, blossoming vines spread up the walls and around the corners. There was a row of synthetic sunlight strips above them, flanked on either side by watering pipes. Droplets of water dripped from the nozzles. Cade reached in and began shuffling around the plants. His clawed paws tended to the plants with gentle grace. Branches were nudged back into place, dying leaves were snipped off.

On the compartment’s floor sat multiple leather pads. They were a dark shade of brown that mirrored Cade’s own fur. Next to them laid a handgun - contained in a leather holster. Five spare magazines were scattered around it. And off in the corner was a backpack propped up against the wall. Cade took a hold of it and set it down on the floor outside before continuing on tending to his garden.

Centralized amidst all the plants was a single flower, sat in a pot of its very own. Its pedals burned a bright red, a standout look amongst the green surrounding it. Cade investigated it with movements gentle enough not to wake a sleeping mouse. He pushed it around with as much ease as his paws could muster until finding a single wilting leaf on its stem. With a grumble, he snipped the leaf off. It fluttered down into a pile of dead plant matter gathering on the compartment’s floor.

Cade swiped a few bits of debris off the leather padding. A sigh escaped his lips as he took hold of the largest piece. It was a set of straps, ones that he fastened over his torso. They made up a belt around his waist and a slash that crossed his body diagonally. Another piece - surface marked with a burn - affixed onto the strap over his left shoulder. Cade stretched and flexed his body around, allowing the upper armor to slide into place.

The handgun and its holster clipped right onto Cade’s belt. Pockets stitched on the opposite end served as perfect housing for the magazines. And with that, Cade removed the last leather plate and hit a button on the compartment’s wall. Its door came hissing shut as it returned to an airtight seal with a satisfying little click, all the while Cade began on his way across the room.

The smaller of the doors opened as Cade approached it. Beyond it was a small cockpit. A whole array of windows lined the walls. Through them a planet could be seen straight ahead. Trailing wisps and puffy blots of gray filled the atmosphere and shadowed out the surface. A central chair swiveled itself around just as the door had finished opening.

Cade tossed himself into it, setting the chair off to turn back around and present its pilot with the ship’s controls. Display panels ignited with green light in response to the fox’s presence. Each screen was pure black with nothing but green text displayed on them. A central terminal beckoned Cade to begin inputting commands, but the fox instead opted to lift his right leg and rest it on the dashboard. The final leather pad fit snugly around his thigh. He gave it a little pat, lowered his leg and sat back up.

A keyboard was situated below the central terminal. Cade reached around the ship’s control stick and typed a command. A list appeared, a long one. Each entry was a string of random letters and numbers. Cade deliberated over the long list until settling upon one of the latter choices with a click of the enter key. 076-RDMPTN24.

The control stick’s position allowed Cade’s paws to slide right off the keyboard and take hold of it. Its ergonomic design slipped into one of his paws with ease. He flicked a switch on the base of it and then began tilting it forward. One of his feet applied light pressure to the rightmost of two pedals beneath the dashboard. His free paw reached off to the side of the cabin and flicked a handful of switches. The ship angled forward, ramping up the speed of its descent.

A small crackling sounded off beside Cade, prompting an ear to perk up and nearly push his hood off. He took his paw to a dial above him and began to twist it ever so slightly. The crackling came in and out, pulsing between loud and quiet. His movements became finer and finer until the sound had plateaued out into a consistent buzz. A voice was peeking through the haze, small glimpses given of something resembling words. Syllables struggling to coagulate into complete statements.

“W..elcome to…” A robotic twang drenched the voice. “BZZT… an industrial outpost… Now welcoming trad- BZZZZT… Quality index of- BZZT… Safety equipment… nearest arrival station- bzt…”

Silence. The signal died off with one last whimper of a beep. Cade attempted to twist the dial further, but got nothing but varying degrees of static in response. A small beep here and there maybe, but nothing of substance. A lost cause, he reasoned to himself as he gave his attention back to that which awaited outside the window.

Speed was building from Cade’s planetary approach. The white-speckled blackness of space vanished from the corners of his view, replaced by writhing clouds of gray. They only seemed to darken as his approach pressed on. Cade gave a check to the gauge cluster. Dials were increasing across the board, all except for planetary surface distance.

BOOM!

A crack of lightning caused Cade to jump in his seat. Storms announced their presence with great booms and thuds. Cade tightened his grip on the steering stick and allowed himself a deep breath. As if in response, turbulence jutted itself into the equation. Cade reached for his central dashboard and turned up a slider that was jury rigged into the wall and labeled “compartment stabilizer.” with a piece of tape. The ship was putting up its best attempt to level out, though even its best could generously be described as rocky.

Rain began speckling the glass. Cade flipped a lever and a pair of wipers began swiping in vertical motions. Almost like it was fighting back, the rain grew stronger. It grew stronger to the point that the default wiper speed failed to keep up. Cade clicked the speed up a notch. Not enough. Two notches, getting there. Three notches - as high as it would go - and they were hardly keeping the windows clear, though they offered just enough downtime to see through. Not that there was much to see beyond the whirling gray abyss of storm clouds.

Cade reached across his seat, grabbed the seat belt, and clicked it into place. His ship rattled and creaked, its computer systems beeping and crying in distress. The control stick was jolting around, necessitating Cade wrap his other paw around it. Yet even the strength of both his arms wasn’t enough to keep the ship under control. A particularly close arc of lightning sent his ship careening to the side. Cade yelped, the seatbelt barely managing to keep the fox from being flung across the cockpit. It was more than enough to break his grip on the control stick, though.

The ship was sent into a spiral. Even a hearty set of internal gravity generators couldn’t save Cade from growing dizzy. He struggled to reach out with his body being wretched in circles over and over. His eyes put up a fight to stay open, the contents of his skull feeling more akin to a stew than a solid brain. And - as if matters couldn’t get any worse - the clouds began to thin…

Cade’s mind struggled to register the fact that he had broken the cloud layer. A spinning mass of gray had been replaced with a spinning mass of green. His head was caving in, a pounding headache giving way to his eyes shutting. One last desperate bid to grab the stick, one last strained reach of an arm, one last chance…

Synthetic leather, in his paw. A rejuvenating burst of energy pulsed through the fox. Through a scrambled mind he managed to wrangle the stick back into some semblance of control. Enough to thrust his other paw onto it. What little strength he had left was invested right into yanking the stick into place, opposing the terminal roll his ship had been sent into.

Spinning colors of the planet’s surface slowed. Hazy green and obscured blots of dark brown. Cade yanked harder, hard enough to have instilled fear of breaking the steering system in any other situation. The death spin began to slow. Cade’s eyes managed to pry themselves open and the pure adrenaline pumping through his veins gave him the final sliver of energy required to bring the ship out of its spin. Relief poured into Cade’s clouded mind.

And relief was blown away nigh instantaneously. Saving himself from the spin hadn’t changed a thing about the fact that Cade was hurtling towards the surface at a speed so high that the dials of his gauge cluster went beyond their highest numbers. The surface was close. Too close, so much closer than it should’ve been. With the same hold that managed to save himself from the spin, Cade tugged the stick back towards him hard enough to slam it into his chest.

There was a near-deafening screech. Both the ship’s engines and frame screamed in protest to the sudden motion. Cade clenched his sharp teeth. A metallic tearing sounded off somewhere from the rear of his ship. His foot came slamming down onto a pedal and he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Mere moments to spare, the ship managed to straighten itself out. The whole thing rattled as its bottom side clipped a rusty smokestack. Cade almost fell out of his seat again. Industrial structures flew by in a blur around him. Whatever was left of the ship’s momentum had been sent to hurtling it forward instead. It grazed between smokestacks and long catwalks, missing some by mere inches.

Adrenaline flowing like water through his veins, Cade’s sweat-laden hands struggled to keep hold as he weaved between metal structures. With his attention darting from side to side, he hardly managed to notice the wall of piping he was hurtling towards. But when he did, he screamed out a curse and instead directed his arms to pulling back up once more.

A metal plate flung off the ship and slammed into the wall of pipes as Cade managed to pull the ship up into clear sky. Or, as Cade would come to realize as he collapsed back in his seat, an especially cloudy sky.

Stretching for miles in front of him was a vast expanse of metal and haze. The air was thick, tainted sickly green. Rain poured down and ran through the fog as if carrying it down to the surface - where it coagulated into a thicker mist. Old factories expanded into a horizon rendered near by fog, a complex dwarfing all else in scale. Cade’s weary eyes danced across it all. Not a single smokestack seemed to be in operation - some had even broken and collapsed. Everything was packed so dense as to disallow any comfortable ship landings.

Ring-ring. A screen off to the side lit up. CALL FROM: MR. B. Cade groaned and hit the accept call button.

“Our contact saw that pathetic entry of yours, Cade. You’re making an awful first impression.”

“As if they could’ve done any better,” Cade grumbled.

“You’ll be meeting them at clearing J-11,” Mr. B chugged on without skipping a beat. “It’s taken you long enough to arrive already. Get there quick, lest you taint the reputation of this organization even further. And clean yourself up, you look and sound like a mess.”

“Because our reputation is spotless as is.”

“Maybe it would be without inconsiderate units such as you.”

“Ouch, that burns,” Cade sneered. “Get your ass out here and enter an unregulated atmosphere through a pollution storm. Shouldn’t be a problem for a bird brain like you, yeah?”

“My job here-”

“Is to get me my money after I get this done for you.”

The hang up button received a hearty press. Bzt. Cade glanced around the area. From the edge of the fog, an abrupt cutoff in all the industry revealed itself. A big red sign jutted out from it, J-11. He directed his ship towards it.

It expanded down several stories. Down and down it went until terminating in a lengthy parking lot. Almost all of its spots went unfilled, minus the select few which held the corpses of long abandoned cars at rest. Coffins lined with faded white paint.

In the furthest corner stood out one vehicle in particular. A ship in pristine condition. Comparatively pristine, at the very least. Its design was sharp and bulky. A fighter. Wing-mounted cannons larger than a person and paint bearing its fair share of scorches and chips. There was a figure standing outside of it, doing some kind of work made unrecognizable by distance.

Cade reached to the side of his cockpit and flipped a lever down. With some loud cracks of opposition, the ship’s engines rotated to face upwards. “Hover mode engaged, landing gear deployed” was printed on the center console. A press of the left pedal ensued and the ship began to lower as Cade maneuvered it to hover a few spaces away from the fighter. He depressed the pedal with as much ease as he could, but then the ship’s engines sputtered a few feet from the ground.

The ship jolted and hit the ground. One of the legs of its landing gear failed to deploy. Cade grunted and stumbled out of the cockpit, his legs taking their precious time growing steady once more. He ran a double check over himself as he entered the main room. Gun, check. Ammo, check. Armor, check. Bag… Unchecked. Cade took a small detour across the living room, over to the holo-TV. His backpack wasn’t in the space he left it, instead having been tossed into the nearest corner.

He stepped over and kneeled in front of it. Inside was an array of little devices, gadgets and rations that he shuffled through. Though their arrangement had been scattered, none of them had broken. Cade breathed a sigh of relief, shut the bag and slung it over his back. But as he stood, a sudden flash of panic lit upon his face. He turned to the wall compartment and its door, flush with the surface around it. A step was taken towards it when-

Clang-clang!

Knocking on the ship’s cargo bay door. Cade looked back at the compartment only for the knocking to sound off again. Clang-clang-clang! Even harder that time. He bit his lip, cursed under his breath and took off towards the cargo door. An empty noodle cup caught itself under his foot and put him into a stumble, one he only stopped by reaching out and catching himself on the wall. One of his paws had hit a panel next to the cargo door, causing it to begin lowering.

A rush of noxious air came flooding in. Its presence spurred a cough out of the vulpine the instant it came in contact with his windpipe. His lungs were made ten times heavier in the blink of an eye. He fell forward against the wall and propped himself up with an arm. Tears welled up in his eyes. There was a knock on the outside of his door that only barely registered to his ears.

“You’re late.” A gruff voice, clouded behind a digital filter. “Didn’t even listen to the arrival broadcast, did you?”

Cade looked up through tear-filled eyes and bore witness to a tall, human man. Face concealed behind a bulky gas mask and body clad in heavy metal armor, he was near double the size of the small fox. Another gas mask hung from one of the man’s hands. It wasn’t as bulky, seemingly a standard model lacking in any advanced additions.

“Boss didn’t-” Cade tried to speak, but was wracked by another coughing fit. “...Didn’t warn me about this air, fuck!”

“Your eyes should’ve.” The man tossed the mask over to Cade, who fumbled and nearly dropped it. “Call me Steel.”

With shaky hands, Cade shoved the mask over his face. A deep breath through its filters allowed a wave of relief to wash over his lungs. The mask was loose on his face, though a seal around its edges adhered to his fur. Fresh air gave Cade the energy needed to regain his posture and step out from his ship. Rain pelted against the top of his hood as he did so.

“One hell of a name,” the fox said. “Real subtle.”

“Codename, smartass. What’s yours?”

“Cade. Something that sticks to the whole ‘normalcy’ shtick. Not tryin’ too hard to sound all tough-”

“Shut it.”

“Pfft. Struck a nerve there, huh? Noted.”

Steel gave nothing more than a growl before facing himself towards the open space beyond the lot. A train station stood a short distance away. Holes in its walls revealed that a passenger train - though rusted - remained idle within. Perpendicular to the tracks stretched a vast expanse of what used to be roadway, now reduced to mere fractured chunks of color-bleached concrete.

Alongside the road was a whole forest of dead trees, their colors muted to a similar degree. A good lot of them had been felled. Those that remained standing were either stripped bare or covered with dead branches like veins that clawed towards the sky. Deeper and deeper into the fog the road winded, the only sense of termination provided by a large structure obscured in fog.

“Ship’s out there,” Steel said. “According to my trackers.”

Cade nodded. “And is there any particular reason we had to land all the way out here, or was it just to get your steps in for the day?”

“Locals.”

“People live on this shithole?”

Steel let out a sigh. “The fuck did I just say?”

“It was a rhetorical question. Hell, you really are what it says on the tin.”

“That being..?”

“Dense.”

Though the lenses of his mask were tinted to the point of acting as shiny black walls, Steel’s glare burnt a hole into Cade. The fox opted to laugh it off. Steel, though unamused, directed the fox to follow him. Cade bent over to grab the door of his ship and slid it shut. It hissed as it sealed itself.

The duo set out on their way down the road. Steel drew a weapon from his back, a lever action laser rifle. Cade’s eager eyes affixed right onto it and he fell a pace or two behind. Slick black metal ending in sharp corners, its form invaded with duct tape and bundles of wires. An ejection port and feeding tube were present, though the latter had a charge package taped and welded into it. A rack holding three extra charge packs had been affixed to the side of the weapon.

Cade glanced down at the handgun on his hip and grumbled to himself. Instead of letting his eyes lock onto the other weapon once more, he forced himself to take a gander at the scenery. What little of it there was, at the very least…

Every now and then a road would splinter off and venture off into parts unknown. Or there’d be a road sign, or a billboard. Cade gave the billboards particular attention. Most had been worn by the elements to the point of illegibility. There were a select few that managed to stay just barely on the cusp of being comprehensible, though.

NixCo Cybernetically Enhanced Lungs!

Breathe better, live better with NixCo!

Ask about your local installation clinic today!

Bright colors - though dimmed by the elements - and a peppy cartoon human taking a nice, deep breath of air drawn so fresh Cade could almost feel it in his lungs. The pulsing inhales and exhales of the fox’s gas mask grounded him right back into reality, out of the ad’s own imitation of it. The reality where even reading the ad’s fine print was somewhat difficult from the noxious fog in the air. A shiver tickled his spine…

Miles dragged by. Steps faded into each other and became a blur of forward movement into swirling clouds of death. Steel hadn’t a word to say, and Cade’s head was still throbbing just enough to dismantle the idea of casual conversation. All their ears had was the booming of thunder overhead and the steady drone of rainfall. Their boots splashed in cloudy puddles of water. The monotony of it all kept Cade’s mind just as fogged as the planet he had found himself on.

“Snap out of it,” Steel barked, his voice shattering the glass of Cade’s focus like a hammer. “We’re just about there.”

The fox blinked and shook himself awake again. His paw pads were sore and his mouth yearned for a drink from within the confines of his mask. But one sign of tangible progress crammed itself into the forefront of his mind, pushing all else aside in the process.

Great walls of scrap metal. They were fashioned around something, but were tall enough to obscure vision inside. Light emanated from behind them and peeked through unsealed holes in the aged metal. Dotted along the walls were a handful of watchtowers. Spotlights shone down from them, swaying from side to side in rhythmic fashion. Banners had been hung atop each of the towers. They were tattered near the bottom, colored in a faded purple. Some royal-looking golden star was planted in the middle. There were stitches across each of the stars, the pattern of them uniform across every banner.

Cade stopped in his tracks. Steel kept walking a few paces forward before taking notice - at which point he too stopped. The man gave Cade an annoyed grunt. Cade grunted right back, only in an exaggerated mock fashion.

“Hold your horses, jackass,” Cade said. “How about we don’t walk right up to their front door?”

“Are you tired or something, wanna set up a picnic back here? Make the boss wait even longer for this godforsaken job to get done?” Steel bit back. “Hope you packed some sandwiches then, because I didn’t pack for a pleasant afternoon getaway.”

“No, I wanna make sure we know what we’re getting into before we go storming in.”

Steel huffed, but stayed in place. Cade shook his head and removed his backpack, placing it on the ground in front of him. He rummaged through it for a moment and took a pair of binoculars out. They were a bit awkward to press against his mask and didn’t provide the best view of things, but he made it work just enough to observe the towers ahead.

Within each tower was an armed individual. All of them carried aged bolt-action rifles. Too old to be laser weapons, Cade reasoned. Scrap metal armor adorned their bodies, painted a knightly shade of silver. They weren’t operating the spotlights, those moved on their own. Cade trailed the binoculars downward with the beam of one, down to the base of the walls. The main entrance was hard to miss. A large set of double doors. About as ornate as scrap possibly could be. Guards stood post outside it, armed with… swords?

Cade removed the binoculars from his eyes. “Lots of guards.”

“Lots? Let me be the judge of that.” Steel snatched the binoculars from Cade’s paw and began examining the place. “Hmphf, odd choice of weapons this lot uses.”

“Old ones, doesn’t seem like they get out much.”

Steel held the binoculars down, but didn’t gesture them out towards Cade. The fox took it upon himself to swipe the pair back for himself, tucking them in his bag right away. Steel responded by drawing his rifle and aiming it towards a tower.

“I’ll take out the guys in the towers, you move in and-”

“That’s stupid,” Cade interrupted. “Are you stupid? Shoot one of ‘em and the rest can trail that laser back here and shoot us both, bonehead.”

“Not if we take them out fast enough.”

“Okay, yeah. You’re stupid.” Cade sighed. “How about this; you stay here and cover me. Just - get behind a tree or something. I’ll head in and talk to those guys at the gate, see what’s goin’ on. And then, if they shoot me, you can do all the blasting your little heart desires, yeah?”

Steel groaned. “Gotta make a problem out of everything… Fine. But let it be known I’m not risking myself to save you if you get in over your head, fox.”

“Trust me, big guy,” Cade teased. “I got this~”

[Stay tuned for Chapter 2, hopefully coming within the next few weeks. Feedback is welcome & encouraged, this is my first time ever posting an original story I've written :3]

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pmccleskey · 1 year ago

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-For many years I held many preconceived notions about Atlantis gay cruises. Of course I was worried I was not hot enough, slim enough, muscled enough, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the party people. Yet so many people have told me in the past few years that an Atlantis cruise can be like any other: what you make of it. You don’t have to go to dance parties, stay up all night, or be less than 10% body fat to enjoy yourself. And IF you do want to go to dance parties, there are plenty of them, with fun creative costumes, great music, and a sea of sexy beings, which I can verify from personal experience is NOT the case on any straight cruise I’ve been on. So my partner Santi and I decided to jump in and go. We had actually signed up for another we couldn’t go on, so the anticipation had been building for years now.

-Arriving at the cruise terminal, it was clear how different this week was going to be, as so many parts of the queer tribe trickled in with bubbles, lewks, and smiles. The Oasis of the Seas is enormous, with distinctive zones including a promenade which felt a little mall-like but was spacious and led to a boardwalk, a beautiful green park space spanning another deck, and of course the top decks with pools and hot tubs. The whole ship creates a giant queer space where people can show off and be radically self-expressive. The costumes people brought were so impressive, and most everyone brought great energy and friendliness to the cruise. Unfortunately the wind and a bit of rain prevented the first few days from being spent poolside, but it did allow us to spend time in the thermal spa and enjoy the welcome party (one of my favorites because it was in such a large space), dog tag tea dance, pink party, and neon party before we even got to a port. The first port was San Juan, and we hiked through the rain to see the fort. Despite my military service, I hate the war-like instinct of our past and present. We are so lucky to be able to live fairly freely in this moment and just be ourselves. -Gays being ourselves can be a lot, especially for those like me who tend toward being a little introverted, slightly socially awkward. During moments where the crowd and music was all too overwhelming, it was easy to just slip away, get fresh air, maybe a costume change or quiet moment in the cabin, then join the party again. I wish every dance party had the option of going downstairs to one’s room to enjoy a respite. Could we keep up with the younger and more hardcore EDM / party folks all week? Hell no! But I loved dipping into the party when it felt right, and dipping out when it was time. Fortunately Santi keeps me grounded. We didn’t go to every dance party, and we did get some rest. -That rest did allow us to go to some of the restaurants and see some shows. The sushi restaurant stood out with a fantastic truffled lobster sushi roll, and the chef’s table experience rivaled many celebrated Bay Area restaurants. (Kudos Chef Abigail) The rest of the food was fine, and we hadn’t planned on focusing on the food anyway. There could have had more bottom-friendly food with improved veggie options and whole grains and plant based proteins. But the SHOWS! OMG the Aqua 80 show (imagine ‘O’ on a smaller scale, on the back of a ship) was spectacular! They water danced and slack lined and flew in on wires with twisting rings, but the diving was my favorite. The 3-meter springboards were underutilized, but they impressively dove from about 10-meter and about 20-meters (from the highest part of the ship structure). No wonder they can’t do it in high winds. Really fearless and goofy but clearly skilled divers. It capped off a sweet date night with Santi. We missed the aerial show but did catch Alan Cummings perhaps workshopping part of his new show. I caught the tail end of the last night’s comedy show, including making merciless fun of folks (while covering up their names) from their Telegram posts during the week. I forgot the comedian’s name, but he truly hit the funny bone. We’re all ridiculous, so let’s laugh about it. Really loved this wild ride of a week. Thanks to all the sprites and nymphs and oceanids who made this trip Into the Deep one that will no doubt call us back to the queer seas very soon.

#gaytravel #gaycation #atlantisgaycruise

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artdecosupernova-writing · 2 years ago

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Find the Word Game XX

(Double Feature)

tagged by: @ashen-crest & @chayscribbles my words: angle, light, hard, cold, strange, dull, hair, hot tagging: @drippingmoon, @drabbleitout, @calicoy, @zmwrites, and anyone who sees this. no pressure to do it as usual your words: escape, fault, memory, sprint, listen, ring

angle (Eternal)—

Through holes in the walls and a top corner, they watched black fog shrink into the building and disappear from sight. Thrive motioned for Warren to stay behind him and they crept forward. They reached the door and Thrive slid it open. The building was empty. Broken tables and panels lined the walls and a volumetric projector hung from the ceiling, wires and cables sticking from it at odd angles. Dust covered the broken and rotted floor. Warren had seen this room before, shiny and new, in a memory. "You think it was the Emmuli sending the signal?" he asked, distracted by the alien insects crawling over every surface. Thrive didn't answer. He frowned and entered the room, examining every piece of equipment there for signs of tampering. He used a little finger to move the metal casing hanging off of a control panel in the wall. Warren glanced behind him, goosebumps forming on his arms and his muscles tensing. "It doesn't feel good in here." "No," Thrive said, "it doesn't."

light (Aurora)—

With Warren sat at one of the tables, scrolling through heavy walls of text on a tablet he'd taken from the terminal, and Thrive pacing deliberately around the entire basement with his nose in a tome, the time seemed to get away from them. Warren made notes in his comm device of anything that looked out of place even a little bit as he worked backward from the present, though still being as human and not silhou as he was made the task somewhat difficult. Thrive finished one tome and started another, continuing his path weaving himself through the shelves. He remained engrossed, utterly silent the entire time, his brow creased in concentration. Every time he passed over a light in the floor, the holographic parts of his form suit would explode to life, casting a multitude of glitter on every object in the reflection's way. After some time Warren found it harder to focus on his reading as the words became more and more jumbled together. He rubbed his eyes, setting the tablet on the table, but when he picked it back up again, the documents had ended. "Okay, well, I just hit a wall," he said. "The digitized history only goes back as far as the beginning of the Milky Way War. It stops with the arrival of the eliyi."

hard (Meridian)—

The next morning Warren found he almost couldn't get out of bed. Thrive had to physically get him sat up, into the bathroom, and at least presentable for Angelina, as he was so bogged down by despondency and anxiety that getting those tasks done alone was impossible. Having spent the entire night with his arms around him, Thrive anticipated this and reacted accordingly, setting forth their earlier agreed upon method of respectfully assisting and moving him from place to place whenever his depression got bad. He gave Warren his toothpaste-laden toothbrush and disappeared into the bedroom to pick out some clothes, draping a nice hoodie and a pair of jeans on the bed. The idea was to start the tasks for him rather than do them completely, as starting was the hardest part and he could usually take over from then. This particular morning proved more difficult than most, as Thrive had to carry him from the bed to the bathroom to even get to that point. Warren was mostly autonomous by the time he combed his hair, opting not to shave in favor of looking as haggard as he felt to perhaps show Angelina that he was remorseful.

cold (Meridian)—

Thoeala and Calen had come down to help, completely shaken at the horrors of the scene. They combed the crater, too, and though they did their best to stay present, Warren could hear Thoeala's wails of grief from where they stood. They marked all of the remains they could find, and it took them hours. By the end of it, all Warren wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep forever, but the hardened look on Thrive's face and his cold, silent demeanor kept him on edge. "We'll bring the remains with us," Calen said thickly when they reunited at what was left of the port. "We can send them to ———." Thoeala approached, handing Thrive her tracker holo gun with shaky hands. She looked nauseated and pale. "I managed to identify a few of them." Warren swallowed. "———?" She nodded dazedly. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. He had no feeling left to react in any way.

strange (Eternal)—

Thrive nodded to the screen. "I think I see Ashva in the distance there," he murmured to Warren. Warren watched DeCosta point to something else in the feed—a strange construct, six long cylinders almost blending into their background, blinking a single lazy red light at the corner of each arm. "Activate Project Ingress!" DeCosta exclaimed proudly. Warren's focus darted from the arms beginning to extend out toward each other to the very small shine of Andromeda millions of light-years away. Then clarity hit him like a brick to the skull and his breath caught in his chest. He clamped a hand around Thrive's wrist like a sudden vise. Thrive looked at him, then his wrist, then to the screen again. "At the edge of the galaxy we have constructed a doorway," DeCosta continued as the arms connected into an enormous hexagon floating in space. The machinations within the arms began to work, spinning and spitting energy from the edges while the empty center started to warp and bend. "A doorway into the unknown, a doorway into the known—a gate leading directly into our neighbors' front yard." A dangerous trench formed between Thrive's brows and Warren watched with a very heavy gut and bated breath as the situation dawned on his face. It was as if he'd just seen someone desecrate hallowed ground, disbelief and betrayal and anguish and fury all encompassing him and his body language within an instant.

dull (Meridian)—

The outside activity sounded as if it died quite a while ago. A quick glance under the door told Warren the hallway lights had been turned off, and the house was blanketed in silence. Dull, throbbing pain behind his eyes served as a reminder and a cautionary tale, and he let out a careful wince as he rubbed his forehead. The mattress shook with the sudden force of Thrive bolting upright. "Hey," Warren said, leaning to him. He cleared the hoarseness from his voice. "Hey, easy. Easy." At the sound of Warren next to him, breathlessness exploded from Thrive as if he'd stopped respiring in his sleep, and he passed his hands over his face, relieved, settling back down onto his pillow. Warren rubbed a hand over Thrive's arm. "I thought obhelians couldn't dream." "It wasn't a dream. It was a trauma response." "Yeah...I'm too familiar with those."

hair (Warpath)—

Warren held Cascidi's gaze, idly cracking his knuckles. A tingle passed as slow as molasses down his spine, and he found himself drawn to the very subtle smile creeping across Cascidi's face. It wasn't a smile of recognition, however—it was a smile Warren had seen quite a few times over the course of his long, long life. A Cheshire grin, a roguish smirk. The hair on the back of Warren's neck stood on end. "Okay," he exhaled. "...I think you're gonna have to clear out for a while." Scot looked at him. "Why is that?" "This guy's making serious eyes at me and I think I'm about to make a hasty and conflicted exit to get my back snapped." "That may be the better scenario," Scot said. "You could develop trust with him, therefore further convincing him to join us in our investigation." Warren's attention darted to Scot. "Hey, don't mess with him. This is one of the best hackers this side of the Node we're dealing with. If you root around his shit, he'll know." Scot imbued him with a rare smile. "But he's not the best, is he?"

hot (Warpath)—

"Are you sure you don't need me to accompany you?" Warren rubbed the back of his head and let out a slow exhale, waffling on Scot's front doorstep. The suburb near the capital house had grown exponentially, with some venevans trickling in from their refugee settlement. "Nah," he said at length. "I'm just…I think I'll be okay to go myself." "I may join you in any case," Scot said, and the seams of his face lit a soft lavender. "If for no other reason than perhaps I should make a visit to NodeSource." "Got some hardware upgrades?" Warren asked, grinning. "...Perhaps." Scot was suddenly unreadable, and Warren's ears went hot. "Each day that passes in Orthrive'poliea's absence is a day I can prepare for his arrival and subsequent experiments—" "Okay, okay," Warren said quickly, waving his hands at him to shut him up. "I get it. I'll be leaving in the morning, so make sure you're at the capital shuttle pad or I'm going without you." "Understood."

#tag game #find the word

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talkingpointsusa · 1 year ago

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Ben Shapiro discovers that AI is not always 100% accurate, decides that it must be because of an anti-white conspiracy.

Covering this is embarrassing, even by Ben standards (source: The Ben Shapiro Show on Daily Wire)

This was something that really ticked off the conservative media ecosphere a couple weeks ago that I didn't really get to covering, but I'm doing it now because this story is truly hilarious and shows just how fragile all these people are.

And there are few better sources of someone getting angry over absolutely nothing and displaying pure fragility than Ben Shapiro. Lets get into it.

00:00, Ben Shapiro: "Well folks, we have a giant problem in the area of artificial intelligence. I'm not talking about Terminator 2, the AI is gonna grab control of the nukes and just destroy all of us. What I'm talking about here is the simple fact that artificial intelligence, like all social media, like pretty much all technology ever, is a human creation. And because artificial intelligence is supposed to be some sort of imitator of human intelligence, that means it is going to carry all of our biases."

Yeah Ben, that's why I'm sure you're going to devote an episode of your show to WhatsApp's AI showing images of gun-wielding children when prompted with Palestine or Stable Diffusion demonstrating a streak of perpetuating racial stereotypes (which we'll talk a bit more about later). While Ben is correct that AI does often perpetuate human biases, the story he's covering has absolutely nothing to do with this.

This story is regarding Google Gemini's image generator. Google attempted to subvert those issues that I previously mentioned by tuning the AI to show more diverse results. The problem is that their tuning failed to account for situations where diversity wouldn't make sense, such as images of the founding fathers. The AI was also overly cautious and refused to respond to certain prompts, often ones containing the word "white".

This led to one of the rip-offs of LibsOfTikTok called "EndOfWokeness" attempting to generate an image of the founding fathers and being met with images of racially diverse people. This led to the griftospheres heads collectively exploding and cries of "white erasure" ringing throughout the streets.

In essence, the right threw a massive tantrum over a tech glitch. It has nothing to do with "human bias" like the previous stories I mentioned, it was actually an effort to correct human bias. I feel like anybody who gets mad about this story is both extremely fragile and way too obsessed with the construction of whiteness. That brings me back to Ben Shapiro, who is of course mad about this story.

00:27, Ben Shapiro: "When you hear the tech bros, when you hear people at the top levels of AI, talk about how the 'algorithm' decides things you should understand the algorithm is designed by them. In the same way that you decide what children should be educated with, these people are deciding exactly what the biases are that should be implanted in things like AI."

Yeah, because glitches in technology never happen. Especially in relatively new forms of technology. Always 120% perfect from the get go, therefor this is clearly an instance of an anti-white conspiracy embedded in....an AI image generator for some reason?

If your conspiracy can get discovered by right-wing dimwits on Twitter, it's time to go back to the drawing board. Also, Ben Shapiro went to Harvard so I hope he doesn't genuinely believe this.

01:03, Ben Shapiro: "The reality is that the people who have created AI, they are the creators of the AI, and they have decided what exactly should be embedded in the bias of the AI."

This is one of those lies that's so blatantly hilarious because it's literally the opposite of reality. AI has an anti-white bias, OK Ben.

A 2023 study on Stable Diffusion conducted by researchers at the University of Washington discovered that Stable Diffusion perpetuates racial and sexual stereotypes. One of the findings is that images generated from prompts requesting a person corresponded with white males the most and people from Africa and Asia the least. It also produced sexualized images from prompts requesting women of color.

So in reality, AI usually discriminates the opposite way. Funnily enough, you don't hear Ben Shapiro talking about that.

02:26, Ben Shapiro: "The answer to sort of bias, typically speaking, would be decentralization. A bunch of different AI's, all of which are capable of giving you a different view of the information."

Does Ben not realize that multiple tech companies have all released their own AI's? Hell, his bestie Elon Musk has released an AI that's built into Twitter. While there are a million criticisms of Google, having a monopoly on the AI industry isn't one of them (at least not yet anyways).

03:15, Ben Shapiro: "So the reason this comes to a head today is because there is a new product called Google Gemini that was released by Google and it essentially generates images, one of the things it does --- it generates images. It's an AI that can generate high quality images with simply the stroke of a few keys. S you type in a prompt and you get images."

I don't think Ben made it clear what this thing does but I think it.....generates images? Just a rough guess though.

03:33, Ben Shapiro: "Well yesterday, it broke all across X slash Twitter --- it broke all across that outlet that whatever prompts you entered into Google Gemini, you came away with a set of very left-wing woke biases."

You've got to love how Ben's mind immediately views images depicting people of color as "woke". A bit of telling on yourself there.

04:14, Ben Shapiro: "Google Gemini was obviously pre-programmed with extraordinarily woke biases in favor of quote-on-quote diversity which means anti-white."

Again, this is stupid but it reveals a lot about how Ben views the world.

To him, anything short of 100% white content is "anti-white". If Ben truly was concerned about the biases in AI, why aren't we hearing him talk about the reason Google attempted to correct it in the first place? Namely, that AI images generators have a streak of being biased against people of color.

Ben shows some examples of Google Gemini's "anti-white racism" that were floating around on Twitter. Totally irrelevant, just Ben riffing over images of tweets. What feels like hours later, Ben finally gets back to presenting actual information an arguments.

12:53, Ben Shapiro: "So what exactly happened here? Well, we have a few indicators. So, it turns out that the head of Googles Gemini AI, the person who is the product manager of it, is a person named Jack Krawczyk. Jack Krawczyk has a Twitter feed. His Twitter feed includes quotes such as quote; 'White privilege is f-ing real. Don't be an a-hole and act guilty about it -- do your part in recognizing bias at all levels of egregious.'"

Yeah, this is the other part of this story. Apparently since this AI story was such a big deal, it warranted an investigation into the old tweets of people involved in it's creation. I wonder if Ben has the same problem with Grok given Elon Musk's many right-wing tweets and endorsements.

Outside of that, Jack Krawczyk's old tweets are completely irrelevant, especially considering that Ben Shapiro and his ilk are allegedly massive free-speech warriors. Maybe his beliefs on diversity impacted the initial decision to put safeguards in place so that Gemini could produce more diverse content, but they've rolled the flawed version back now.

Google is first and foremost a business with the intent to make money. Unlike what Ben seems to think, they're not trying to push some sort of anti-white agenda for.....reasons I guess? He never really makes that part clear. What is clear in the real world is that Google's #1 prerogative is making as much money as possible.

Odds are, this decision was less about Jack's personal beliefs and more about avoiding controversy while also increasing the target audience of the people who might engage with the AI. As we already mentioned, Stable Diffusion previously got itself into hot water for having the opposite problem which may have alienated some customers. Google wanted to provide a solution to this issue and it led to a computer glitch.

14:09, Ben Shapiro: "The biases of the makers end up in the product."

I'm not sure if Ben realizes this or not, but the product manager isn't the only person involved in the design of the finish product. What does Ben think happened? Does he think that Jack directed everyone who was involved in the design of Gemini to "make it erase white people"?

14:13, Ben Shapiro: "Do I accept Google Gemini's apology? I do not because I don't think they're going to remove any of the actual prioritization they give to various political biases. I think they're going to leave all the stuff in there and be more subtle about it."

Yeah, the AI's still gonna generate pictures of minorities only now the minorities are hidden in the bodies of white people. Kind of like an AI generated skin suit. Seriously, saying that the AI is going to just be more subtle about it's "various political biases" makes zero sense given the story that Ben is covering.

What the Hell is Ben even talking about?!

15:26, Ben Shapiro: "Now, why does all of this matter?"

It doesn't.

15:27, Ben Shapiro: "Again, it matters because these are the people who are going to be providing all, all, the information to your kids. Your kids are going to learn via computers, they're going to be given their own AI tutors. By the time, if you have very young kids, they enter school these tools are going to be the most commonly used tools in educational systems across the world."

You heard it here first folks, AI image generators are going to be the most commonly used tools in the education system! Naturally we must prevent them from teaching kids about the horrifying reality of people of color existing.

Most schools are the exact opposite and really discourage the usage of AI's such as ChatGPT due to the fact that they can be used for academically dishonest purposes. Ben seems like he's a little bit of a conspiracy crank when it comes to AI. Lets continue.

15:57, Ben Shapiro: "If you want a good argument for example, in favor of the pro-life position AI will stop you if these people are in charge."

Wrong, it's almost as if Ben is completely full of shit.

16:14, Ben Shapiro: "Joe Biden issued an executive order, this was October 30th, 2023, he issued an executive order on Safe Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. And, as always, whenever the government says something --- when they create a bill like the Inflation Reduction Act, it ain't about reducing inflation and here when they say it's about the safety of AI it's not about the safety of AI. It is about controlling the direction in which AI develops and preventing alternatives from developing. So for example, this particular executive order, this is the White House website, it specifically says in here that one of the goals of the White House in advancing AI is quote 'advancing equity and civil rights'. Quote, 'Irresponsible uses of AI can lead to and deepen discrimination, bias, and other abuses in justice, healthcare, and housing. The Biden-Harris administration has already taken action by publishing the blueprint for an AI bill of rights and issuing an executive order directing agencies to combat algorithmic discrimination while enforcing existing authorities to protect peoples rights and safety.'"

Yeah, this is about hate speech. It isn't about generating arguments for the pro-life position, as you can see I clearly can generate arguments to Conservative positions. What I can't generate is arguments about why Hitler was actually good, and rightfully so. Also, if Ben scrolled down just a little bit further he'd find a section called "Promoting Innovation and Competition". Here's what it says.

Oops, sounds like exactly what Ben said should be put in place when he was blathering on about "decentralization". But hey, doesn't fit the narrative so we'll just ignore that part.

18:09, Ben Shapiro: "Now, what ends up happening very often is that the same exact people who talk about how they need to cure AI of their unconscious bias, they're the ones from whom the bias springs, they want the bias in there, and they want to cut off alternative mechanisms that have alternative biases."

Again, a computer glitch and now an executive order that doesn't say what Ben thinks it says are the pieces of evidence that he has here. I'm starting to understand why Ben didn't make it as a lawyer.

19:02, Ben Shapiro: "Google Gemini is an Orwellian 1984 tool, it is a memory hole. And the attempt to cure it is going to make it more of a memory hole because it's just gonna make it more subtle. It'll be more historically accurate, so when it says depict a German soldier it will still depict a Nazi soldier from 1939. But when it says depict a family it will give you every form of gender diverse family you can imagine as opposed to you know what most people mean by family and what family has historically meant, namely 'dad, mom, child.' It won't do that, it'll say it's discriminatory."

Nothing screams Orwellian quite like.....more diverse information.

Conclusion:

Ben Shapiro has the same understanding of AI as your average 12 year old. This was just painfully daft, even by Ben Shapiro standards. I for one welcome our extremely diverse AI dystopia brought on by a tech glitch!

Cheers and I'll see you in the next one!

#right wing bullshit #ai #google gemini #conservative bullshit #ben shapiro #right wing stupidity #daily wire #fact checking #journalism #disinformation #politics #debunking

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whitherwordswither · 2 years ago

Text

Dead Ringing, Pt. 5

Outside the facility I dialed the bureau, reaching out to Akeno. Reception transferred and he picked up halfway through the first ring. "Warrick. Any leads?" Straight to the point as usual.

I huffed, shaking my head as if he could see it. "Yeah, possibly. I ah… I think this one is going to get a bit… complex. Mars is on her way back with a couple of samples. Make sure those get to forensics a-sap. You're also going to want to send a clean up crew. One body to collect."

"A body?" Akeno shuffled at his desk. "Hopefully not a body that could have provided us some answers?" I chuckled. Dry. Humorless.

"No, luckily. I guess. Ehhh~ One of the samples Mars is bringing in… this… device, whatever it is. It was attached to a cadaver's neck. I'm not sure how the hell it did what it did, but… the fucking corpse was mobile. Some kind of reanimator… or something. The thing was mentally unstable, it tore the chip off itself. I don't think this is going to be cut and dry."

Akeno was silent for a few moments, then sighed. "Well, shit. Alright. I guess you're good to go then. Lock it up and I'll get a crew on the way." After a beat, he asked. "And Mars? How was she?"

"Good eyes. Pleasant to work with. Better sense of humor than you. She'll do just fine." I smirked at the scoff on the other end of the line.

"Alright. Thanks, Warrick. I'll keep in touch. Keno out." The line clicked off and I tapped a claw over my pad's screen, bringing back up the security terminal for the facility. I enabled a lockdown override, tucked the pad in to a pocket and headed back toward the transit station, my thoughts churning over what had happened.

I didn't have the entire picture yet. Someone needed a whole lot of bodies. But for what? How did the chip that reanimated the corpse actually work? We were surprisingly lucky to have encountered a seemingly forgotten straggler. More than likely they were on a time table and couldn't afford to calibrate that individual unit as they made off with the rest. The erratic behavior would have been awful to deal with. According to storage records, sixty pods were brought out of stasis. That meant there were fifty-nine unaccounted for. Were they aware? Could they recall anything of their prior lives? I stopped halfway to the transit platform, staring straight ahead. Wait. Was I forgetting something? I furrowed my brow, whiskers wiggling. Shit. Yes, yes I was. We had checked inside. But we hadn't checked outside. Preoccupied. Foolish.

I turned and headed back toward cold storage.

Fifty-nine bodies didn't just walk out. Security had been disabled. Above ground camera footage was nonexistent for the time period. I wandered the perimeter of the building, making my way around back. Who ever had removed the bodies had been utilizing the maintenance halls. They connected to all levels of the facility. The easiest way in and out with that route would be the loading bays. Docks. Equipment and supplies didn't just get shuffled on in through the front door.

There was nothing out of the ordinary along the first few bay doors. The final one at the opposite end from where I'd started, however, bore some interesting differences. The first and glaringly obvious were the fresh tracks in the dirt road between segments of cracked pavement. Heavy tread. Large truck. The door itself was as pristine as the others. The keypad at its right was what caught my attention. The plating was ever so slightly skewed. I hated it when things didn't line up just right. They stood out to me. This was no different. I poked my claws around the edge of the pad, applying just enough pressure on either side. It popped loose, exposing wires and circuitry. For such a pristine facility and relatively high tech structure, it shouldn't have given so easily. It had been tampered with.

After replacing the panel I pulled out my data pad and shot jotted down a few notes as I followed the road up from the bays, following the short run of tracks in the dirt before coming to a stop again, staring down the road. It ran the perimeter of the dome before curving back in to the city ruins. I sent the update to Akeno. It really didn't give us any extra super important information, but I could at least pat myself on the back and not feel like I half assed my assignment. With a sigh, I headed for the transit station. Again.

The cleanup crew was just arriving as I rounded the building. A sentient avalanche separated from the vehicle, a tree trunk section splitting from itself, waving like an appendage. "Eeey, lookit who is! They still throwing scraps your ways, eh, mutt?" It turned out not to be a physical manifestation of the Swiss Alps wearing dark navy coveralls, but a large white furred bear. Polar variety. My lips curve with a smile and I strode over to clasp his hefty, warm paw in my own.

"Mori, you behemoth! Still slinging mops?"

"Hah! Only when newbies losing their lunch. Get to play seer over the parade now. Is nice. Pays more better." He hadn't let go of my hand and pulled me close, muzzles almost touching as he leaned down. His body was big enough to block the exchange from view of the rest of the crew. "Missing your company, wolf. Free for drinking soon, yeah?"

His snout brushed against mine and I leaned in to it, giving a little laugh as he kissed my cheek. "Yeah, that might be nice Mori… things've been in a bit of a slump lately and…"

The bear cut me off. "All more reason to be joining! Old Mori will help the troubles with washing away." Mori squeezed my hand tighter, nuzzling against my ear a bit before pulling back, clapping me hard enough on the shoulder to almost knock me off balance. A call from the vehicle had him looking over and grunting a command. When he turned back to me, he was all smiles again. "Favor yourself. Call your friend Mori soon, yes? Or he may just have to bring the drinking to you, mutt." He pressed his paw to the side of my face, a soft warmth lighting up his stoic features, thumb tracing the contour of my cheek. His eyes lingered on mine for a few moments before his paw dropped to my shoulder, giving it another squeeze before he turned and lumbered off toward the vehicle, waving an arm as he looked back with a grin. "Catch you."

"Y-yeah, heh. Catch ya." I huffed, rubbing my cheek, feeling a little flushed. With a chuckle and a shake of my head I waved and continued on. I was suddenly feeling very tired and glad the night would soon be over.

The small knot in my gut told me this was going to be one of those nights…

#creative writing #queer writers #writing community #original fiction #sci-fi #noir

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