#human brains and our capacity for thinking and creating are one of the coolest things about us as a species

[fictionfromgames]

Project OUROBOROS (Halo Mythic setting)

April 3rd, 2560, UNSC West at Dusk, Pathfinder fleet

Dr. Virtanen stood at the console, watching the latest readouts. No degradation of the neural pathways, or at least, nothing that couldn’t be repaired. A derivative of 87556-UD61 would probably be what they needed to jump the hurdles of flash-cloned brains, but as it was, extra work and months of patience were needed to keep things intact. Doors opening interrupted her thoughts. “I still say fours are the way to go.”

“You know the resources involved,” Emilia sighed, “You know we need Spartans who can do what’s necessary even outside the armor. And you know the tension between UNSC grunts and ONI, even if you call yourself Spartan Ops now. Do you want a supersoldier mutiny?”  “Yeah, I know, doc,” the Spartan woman had her arms crossed, “And secrets tend to get out, especially in confined spaces. Do you think the threes will take it personally if they find out they’re fake?” Lauren Lucas, Spartan IV, loomed at least a foot higher. Her hair was longer than most of the other Spartans, but that probably had to do with her never having been a marine.

“Their conditioning ought to make them ambivalent, although maybe a little confused by it,” she replied, “But given the memories we scripted, they’re Spartans. Old style. Don’t know if you met any, but they’ll be the most task oriented soldiers you’ll have ever worked with.” “That’s not necessarily good,” Lucas stuck her chin out at the cloning tank, “Spartan twos, the ones that still exist, are said to develop sociopathic tendencies. And Gamma Company didn’t do much to dissuade people of that. Might do to make them a little more personable.” “So they’ll be like you?” Virtanen quirked a brow. “So they’ll be predictable, or at least a little more human,” the Spartan replied. “That’s not what made them legends, Lauren,” Emilia shook her head, “You know about S-117.” “Yeah, I know how literally nothing has stopped him yet, and the only reason that’s good is because he’s been on our side!” Lauren snapped, “He has a kill count in the millions due to the scope and sheer insanity of his career! Please tell me they have personalities, like, I don’t know, favorite foods, a fondness for a particular musical genre, anything.” “They have histories,” Emilia said defensively, “The original threes were all recruited, not abducted. They had early childhoods and faced the losses of their families. We’ve used psych specs and personal elements of extant Spartan threes to weave together their new fictions, don’t worry so much.” Lauren walked over to the cloning tank. The woman inside would end up taller than her, but she looked young. “Who is she?” “Spartan D013.” “Not what I asked.” “Gia Hughes,” the doctor sighed, “One donor from the Umaasa and one from cold storage. She volunteered for Project REPOSE as part of OUROBOROS, obviously classified at all levels except on a need to know basis. Told that we needed someone around in case Reach went sideways. If she goes offscript, let me know.”

“She looks like a kid,” Lauren said softly. “Some of the real threes definitely were when they started active service,” Emilia said in a conciliatory tone, “She’ll be about 18 when we wake her up.”

“She’s not now?” Lauren spun to look at the doctor, “She’s my height already.” “She’s tall, she’ll be about 7 feet once the augmentations are done.”

“Good thing they made the doors big, eh?” *******************************

Halo Mythic is a fan made game, which you can find on its sub reddit, r/HaloMythic. It’s mostly charts. Project OUROBOROS as a setting happens right before and concurrent with Halo Infinite, depending on how long the timeline is for that game when it comes out, and takes its name from the canon initiative to preserve humanity in times of crisis, while expanding what all they did to prepare. In the videogames, the only thing linked to the project is Infinity, a colony ship with great new engines repurposed by the UNSC. The campaign setting is mostly to explore more parts of what humanity has prepared, from evacuees to ONI contingencies, and to explore new planets, which is helpfully aided by a chart on planetary generation in the PDF.

Pathfinder Fleet

Headed by the UNSC West at Dusk, the fleet is half military, half large colony ships. The evacuation fleet was chosen to be genetically diverse and small, about 20,000 people, in order to avoid detection that would come in larger scales. Launched after the Created began attacking worlds, they’re following a similar “retreat immediately” reaction, constantly on the move, and ever outward at that.

You can put as many ships as you want, but a couple of Pheonix-class colony ships should be included as all civilian transports, neither of which are at full capacity, which can provide space for recreation areas, labs, schools, or just extra living space.

One of the things colony ships provide is “shore leave” space for UNSC personnel, who will typically stay aboard the military vessels otherwise. It hasn’t been that long, but time off does not need to be taken “at work.” As it’s only been six months since the end of Halo 5, it’s not an immediate issue, but following months and years could make time off a little more pressing of an issue.

What the hell is this about new Spartan IIIs?

The game lists character generation rules for everything from the Orions to Spartan IVs, but mostly makes the suggestion you play them era-appropriate.

Catherine Halsey developed Cortana with 24 year old flash cloning tech in 2549. ONI, seeing the successes of basically every Spartan program since, developed a more modern process following after the end of the Human-Covenant war, and while not flawless, provided something workable. With the addition of drug  87556-UD61 during the flash clone process, flash cloned brains held up with remarkable consistency, leaving only the now-less-frequent genetic anomalies of the rest of the body to deal with.

The UNSC West at Dusk has since been the primary laboratory for this process, highly protected and mobile in order to keep the secrecy of it. After the Created, it’s under the command of Spartan Commander Lauren Lucas, and is run openly under Spartan Ops, though due to her previous career in Section 3 and the sensitivity involved with REPOSE, typically works under the auspices of ONI as well.

Most of the Spartan IVs present are also ex-ONI, though a few are handpicked marines, one of whom had been an ODST (no it’s not Buck because I assume he’ll be in Infinite somewhere but it can be for your game, Buck is easily the coolest).

Project REPOSE is the codename for the cloning process, disguised as a deep-freeze op, mentioned above. Spartan 2s and 3s are flashcloned and, assuming they’re not bonkers, allowed to go into service for Spartan Ops, being told that yeah, it’s time, humanity might be destroyed for real. They can be as personable or not as you like, but again, the idea is that these ones were literally born/programmed to be on humanity’s side- they’re not here to pick fights with the other humans.

Setting Conflicts

So this isn’t Battlestar Galactica. While there could be potential conflicts between Spartans and the rest of the military present over secrets, they’re running from Cortana and the Created. Also there are just... so many Covenant remnant factions, and pretty much only the Arbiter’s group is at all amicable with humanity. And hey, who the hell knows where the Flood could pop up.

If you’ve never delved into the lore outside the games, humanity used to have an interstellar empire and got blasted back to the literal stone age in a war against the Forerunners. One of the armors in Halo 5, the Hellcat armor, is actually made using tech and materials from that old empire by modern humans, so it’s for real, and ONI knows in canon too, but most people don’t. You could run into a formerly human planet, such as Heian, which was later occupied by the Covenant, or you could make a new one and have reasons like The Flood is Here, Whoops. Maybe helping a Covie remnant against some Guardians yields new alliances. Shield planets are a good place to be in case some dork tries to fire off a nearby Halo ring. Maybe you’re in completely uncharted territory sooner than expected because of a slipspace wake and uh oh, you found the people you followed to get there and They’re Mad. In any case, there’s a need-- find a safe haven. Set up as many roadblocks to that as is fun for the players.

[cookymoms]

The Top 5 Best Iced Tea Maker To Cool You Down On A Hot Summer Day!

On a hot, sweaty day, there is nothing more refreshing and invigorating than sipping on a glass of sweet and extra-cold ice tea to ease the sticky and scorchy summer feeling!

Whether you are entertaining friends on your yard or patio, relaxing by the pool or in need of something to refresh you on your next camping trip, a glass of sweet and aromatic iced tea will surely keep you cool on those hot summer days and nights.

But, let’s be honest here.

Grabbing a can of soda or ready-made tea bottles on the store is so much easier and more convenient than doing the tedious work of homemade teas.

However, this all changed with the arrival of the best iced tea maker on the market and make it so much easier for all tea lovers out there to create and experiment on their preferred tea flavor!

What is this Iced Tea Maker?

An iced tea maker is a kitchen appliance that can be electrical or manual used to create a homemade iced tea. It includes several parts such as water reservoir, brewing basket, filters, pitchers and more.

Iced tea maker works by brewing loose or bagged tea and then dripping it onto a pitcher or carafe full of ice which cools it down. The best feature of iced tea maker is that it allows you to serve several glasses of ice tea within a few minutes which required an hour-long procedure in the traditional way.

Should You Buy An Iced Tea Maker?

Some people are pretty obsessed with always having a cold glass of tea on their hands.

If this sounds like you, then you should definitely consider the best iced tea maker out there.

And although making a delicious iced tea is not the hardest thing to do, buying an iced tea makes can add great convenience to the process of making your favorite iced tea.

Think like this:

When brewing your own iced tea, you cannot always produce the same, exact level of brew strength that you wish. With an iced tea maker, you get to lock up the exact strength of tea, consistently.

Also, you get to create your own flavor instead of buying on cafes or pre-made iced tea bottles on convenience stores which may be loaded with sugars and can become unhealthy for you.

Furthermore, the best iced tea maker allows you to control and spice up the taste or flavor of your drink for the best tea experience ever!

The Health Benefits of Homemade Iced Tea

Iced tea is not just about having a refreshing boost one hot, sunny day. Homemade iced tea offers a lot of health benefits that you might not know.

1Whether you use green, black or iced tea for your drink, each tea type is rich with antioxidants that prevent fractures, strengthen bones, clean your system and provide protection against lung, prostate, skin and breast cancer.

2Thanks to the natural aroma and taste of tea, you can drink it without adding cream or sugar, making it the perfect low-calorie drink that delights your taste buds and quenches your thirst. This makes homemade tea an ideal for losing weight and controlling blood sugar levels.

3Iced tea helps in preventing heart disease and reduces the risk of heart attacks and hardening of the arteries, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

4Tea is a great booster of mental performance. Tea contains a small amount of caffeine which provides a mild stimulation of the brain and allows you to do your tasks more efficiently.

5Tea is loaded with manganese, an essential element for the human body. An 8oz glass of homemade brewed tea contains at least 30 percent of daily manganese intake.

6Having an energizing and refreshing effect, all types of tea can help soothe and chill your nerves. It was proved that most people who regularly drink tea are able to de-stress more efficiently and quickly than those who do not.

7After water, tea is the next best source of hydration and the most delicious one. Experimenting on tea types with additional ingredients like spices, herbs, and citrus not only enhance the flavor but gives you a whole other set of health benefits.

Iced Tea Maker Buying Guide: Choosing the Coolest One in the Market!

Now, I know you’re a bit agitated to get out and buy an iced tea maker to start creating tea for yourself. But, before that, you will need to consider a few factors in order to ensure that you are only getting the best iced tea maker that can meet your needs. Here are some points you might want to consider:

1. Capacity

The capacity of an ice tea maker will depend on your consumption rate on a daily basis. If you only drink tea occasionally, then you should go with tea makers that brew one glass at a time. If you are a tea addict or have friends that love to come at your place, on the other hand, then you should go with 2 to 3-quart capacity or more that can give you several glasses in a few minutes.

2. Manual Vs. Electric

When it comes to iced tea makers, most people prefer the electric ones because they are much faster and requires less work. However, if you do not mind doing some work and does not want to use electricity, then manual iced tea maker is the best option for you. Plus, manual iced tea makers can be easily carried outside for camping and picnics.

3. Ease Of Control

The reason you want an iced tea maker is to make your life a bit easier in making your own iced tea at home. If so, then the last thing you want is an iced tea maker with an overly complicated control scheme.

Fortunately, most iced tea makers are very easy to control, however, make sure that you get something with control that you can easily understand and operate for the utmost convenience.

The best iced tea maker has simplified control such as a digital control panel or a simple system that brews your tea with just a single switch. If you want versatility in your brewing options, then look for iced tea makers with pre-programmed settings that are straightforward and easy to operate. Some models allow settings such as temperature control, programmable brewing, auto shutoff, brewing strength selector, timer, auto start brewing and more.

4. Water Filtration

Water filtration is particularly important if you usually use tap water. Using tap water to make you iced tea means that much of the tea which is brewed could have tiny contaminants in it. Each of these contaminants can significantly change the quality and flavor of your iced tea.

If you do not want this, then make sure that you get an iced tea maker with water filters which filter out contaminants in the water so that your iced tea will taste better.

5. Cleaning

Most of the products in today’s market are dishwasher-safe, making your life easier as well as ensuring that your items are always clean and safe from contamination. So, go with iced tea makers that are dishwasher-safe. Although you can’t throw the whole appliance on the dishwasher, choose for models with removable parts that are dishwasher-safe.

6. Construction Material

The longevity and durability of an iced tea maker will depend on the material that is used for its construction. Most of the iced tea makers in the market today are made of plastic which might have an issue n health safety.

It is always better to go with iced tea makers that has glass pitchers for health safety and ease of cleaning. But if you must buy an iced tea maker made of plastic, then you need to make sure that it is BPA-free for safety.

The Top 5 Best Iced Tea Maker 2018

*Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.

#1: Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker TM1

Quality

Price

Our rating

A well-trusted and renowned company, Mr. Coffee has been creating reliable products and specializes in tea makers and drip coffees for decades. Therefore, it is no surprise that they come up with such excellent products like the TM1 Iced Tea Maker that would be a great tea-companion whether it be at your office or at home.

Mr. Coffee TM1 can accommodate both bagged and loose tea and gives you cool, refreshing glass of tea in just a minute. Measuring 11x7x15 inches and comes with a dishwasher-safe 2-quarts pitcher, you can make tea for everyone in the family or if you have friends coming over.

This iced tea maker offers a simple and straightforward yet effective features such as an auto shutoff function and brew basket. Also, it has a regular brewing and fast brewing cycle that makes iced tea in just a minute. It is very affordable and extremely impressive for such a basic iced tea maker.

What We Like

Fast brewing cycle

Light indicators

Removable steeping basket

Dishwasher-safe pitcher

Accommodates both bagged and loose tea

What We Don't Like

Not suitable for a strong brew

The pitcher may warp during dishwashing

#2: Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker

Quality

Price

Our rating

Specifically designed in order to make cool iced tea fast, with the Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker, you will be sipping on your favorite tea in just a few seconds. Also, it is one of the quietest self-brewing machines out there so you will not be extremely cranky when using it.

This iced tea maker makes string brew and mild brew tea— the types that you only get to taste in cafes. Also, it only takes half the time than most other competitors with such a large capacity and provides 2-quarts or 8 full serving of sweet, cold tea.

Takeya Iced Tea Maker allows you to use bagged or loose tea for brewing and built with a durable airtight lid in order to keep its aroma and flavor in. Not only that, but the pitcher is also BPA-Free Tritan which you can keep in the refrigerator or on the counter. Also, this iced tea maker can handle hot water, even if it is just out from the electric kettle without breaking a sweat.

What We Like

Does not require electricity

The whole iced tea maker is dishwasher-safe

The plastic pitcher is BPA-free

Durable pitcher that can withstand extreme water temperature and is shatterproof

Airtight lid

Flash Chill patented technology that chills tea in just 30 seconds

Slip-resistant pitcher handle

What We Don't Like

The infuser is hard to clean

Spout design may cause some leakage

#3: Nostalgia Iced Coffee & Tea Brewing System

Quality

Price

Our rating

Nostalgia offers plenty of reasons to fall in love with their iced tea maker. First of all is its sleek and stylish design with a lovely glass pitcher and elegant black body, making it aesthetically appealing to your kitchen or office interior.

Next is that it does not only offer you 3-quarts of sweet iced tea in just a minute, but it is also very capable to make you some iced latte, coffee and more. All you need to do is to add bagged or loose tea or ground coffee to its removable filter basket, fill the water tank and turn it on with just one push of a button.

If you are obsessed with experimenting, then you will surely have all the fun with this iced tea maker since it allows you to add various ingredients such as sweeteners, herbs, lemon, cinnamon sticks and more to the filter basket along with coffee and tea in order to enhance the flavor and taste of your drink.

Also, you can change the strength of your coffee or tea using the dial that allows you to select the brewing strength from 1 to 8. It also features a shower head at its filter compartment for an efficient extraction process. The pitcher also comes fully equipped with a lid to prevent any spilling or allow pouring of content to a glass. It also has an automatic shut-off feature when the brewing process is complete saving more energy.

What We Like

Versatile lid

Allows you to choose the brewing strength

Fully equipped with shower heads for maximum efficiency of the extraction process

You can add various ingredients other than the tea and coffee for more flavor

2-in-1 iced tea or coffee maker

Sleek and stylish design

What We Don't Like

Glass pitcher needs careful handling

#4: Mr. Coffee 2-in-1 Iced Tea Brewing System

Quality

Price

Our rating

Mr. Coffee bring another master appliance for all tea-enthusiast to love! This particular tea brewing system boasts a sleek and stylish body with an elegant black body that should be aesthetically appealing in any kitchen space and countertops.

Mer. Coffee Iced Tea Brewing System offers a great amount of flexibility in the flavor of your tea since you can use either bagged or loose tea leaves. In just a few minutes, you will get 2.5 quarts of freshly brewed tea for you and your friends to enjoy on a hot, summer day.

Is filter comes in the form of a basket that is easy to fit into the machine as well as lifting it out. This filter is permanent so you do not need to buy separate filter papers and only needs to wash before every use. The water tanks feature a semi-transparent window, which allows you to have a peek on the amount of water inside and preventing the chance of an overflow.

Sporting a glass pitcher with a secure lid, it offers easy cleaning since you only need to throw it on the dishwasher and saves you a lot of time. Depending on your taste or mood, you can have your iced tea to be light, medium or strong by just dialing its Brew Strength Selector. And once the unit is done with the brewing process, it automatically turns itself off in order to save energy.

What We Like

Auto shut-off feature

Choose from light, medium, and strong brewing

Makes 2.5 quarts of tea in a few minutes

The stylish glass pitcher is dishwasher safe

Semi-transparent window to see the water level in the reservoir

Permanent filter that only needs to be washed and reused

Sleek and elegant design

What We Don't Like

Large size

The filter is difficult to clean

#5: Hamilton Beach Iced Coffee & Tea Maker

Quality

Price

Our rating

For the basic ease of making iced tea or coffee, the Hamilton Beach Iced Coffee and Tea Maker will surely provide you with a solid brew with very little effort. You can brew up to 2 quarts of iced coffee, or if you like, coffee, in just under 10 minutes.

When the brewing cycle is complete, you only need to remove the brew basket, put on the serving lid and pour your drink directly from the decorative pitcher. In case, you got some leftover drink, you can easily fit it in the fridge to enjoy it for later.

This tea and coffee maker is very easy to clean thanks to its removable parts that are dishwasher safe and a drip-free spout so you have no mess on your kitchen countertop when pouring your drink on a glass.

What We Like

Compact and saves kitchen space

Plastic parts are made from heavy-duty materials

Reliable with a solid base

Easy to assemble and use

Affordable price

Drip-free spout

2-in-1 brewing system

What We Don't Like

No auto shut-off feature

Cracks may develop over time

The Coolest Iced Tea Maker

And now, the title “The Coolest Iced Tea Maker” goes to…Mr. Coffee 2-in-1 Iced Tea Brewing System!

Coming from a reputable and experienced company in brewing systems, this machine is not only capable of brewing your favorite iced tea but can also offer you energizing iced coffee! How cool is that?

Sporting a stylish and sleek design, this brewing system can create 2.5 quarts of tea for the whole family! It comes with an elegant glass pitcher for serving and you can choose your desired brewing strength. Plus, its auto shut-off feature is extremely useful in saving more on your electricity bill. 

Cool Thoughts

The best way to beat the summer heat? Grab a glass of iced tea! 

How to have a glass of iced tea in no time? Invest in the best iced tea maker in the market today!

Whether you are pretty obsessed with iced tea or just want to stop the unhealthy habit of drinking soda and other sweet beverage and go with the healthy offers of iced tea, the best iced tea maker will surely have you covered and will quench your thirst and keep you cool on the sunniest or most stressful summer days!

I hope you find this article helpful! If you got some questions or suggestion, please feel free to voice it out and fire up the comment section below.

Until then, have a cool and invigorating day!

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