#Ambassador Controls and Engineering

[ambassadorcontrols]

Industry Applications of SCADA Technology

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), a versatile technological system, encompasses hardware and software. It empowers managers to monitor, supervise, and control various industrial operations. Businesses that leverage a SCADA platform optimize production efficiency through its diverse and far-reaching industrial engineering applications.

Each SCADA platform has three main components, starting with a network of sensors. The sensors measure operations such as temperature and pressure, among other processes. Then, microcomputers collect data from sensors and other devices. Finally, the system uses an interface that allows humans to control critical functions in the warehouse and read data.

These components help the operation acquire data, share and communicate information, visualize data, and control operations. Thus, SCADA systems have become very important in industrial processes, offering several benefits, such as delivering real-time information.

SCADA provides users with real-time information related to the system of machines. The SCADA monitoring features can detect and diagnose problems, reducing downtime as preventive maintenance reduces disruptions. In addition, SCADA delivers improved quality control. It monitors processes to ensure they meet benchmarks and find ways to improve production.

Moreover, SCADA ensures that the system aligns with industry regulations. It ensures system safety, whether with hazardous waste or dangerous machinery. Other benefits include improved operational efficiency, reduced downtime costs, extended use of machinery, scalability, and flexibility.

The benefits of SCADA apply to various industrial engineering settings and across industries. It can implement automation that controls machinery operations, oversees production lines, and assesses product quality in manufacturing.

In many ways, SCADA has become a game-changer in the agriculture industry, particularly in precision farming. The management style leverages data to implement more effective farming practices. They have integrated SCADA systems in precision farming control irrigation systems that can monitor soil moisture and manage critical crop and livestock production systems, as well as HVAC, electrical, building services, and fire alarm systems. SCADA can improve energy efficiency, making it a valuable tool for farmers.

For water management in wastewater treatment plants, SCADA has also become invaluable. It monitors the water treatment process, controls pumps and valves, regulates chemical composition, and checks water quality to ensure it aligns with compliance standards. SCADA has also entered transportation departments. SCADA helps transportation departments manage traffic. It can also optimize tunnel ventilation and railway signals.

Finally, SCADA plays an integral role in overseeing power distribution and generation in the energy sector. SCADA controls voltage, current, and frequency at the plant site for reliable, stable power generation. In the renewable energy sector, SCADA helps platforms, such as wind and solar farms, maximize power generation by modifying processes in response to the consumption demand and weather conditions.

Oil and natural gas platforms rely on SCADA at the extraction and production site and the transportation site. At the extraction site, SCADA plays a vital role in operating pumps and valves, watching pressure and flow rates, and monitoring for leaks and other hazards in real time.

Ultimately, SCADA systems work in sync to help platforms across industries create a seamless, streamlined process. It allows systems to function while also providing a way to monitor efficiency, detect problems, and ensure safety. These attributes make SCADA attractive to many business processes outside of the abovementioned.

[til-all-are-loved]

{This Charming Man Part 4}

MTMTE Megatron x Reader

SFW

Parts 1, 2, 3

You woke to the low hum of the Lost Light’s engines, a sound so constant that you rarely noticed it anymore. The night hadn’t been kind; sleep had come in fits, broken by an unrelenting loop of awkward memories with ex-lovers and longing for home.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you shuffled through your morning routine mechanically. Wash up. Get dressed. Try to look more put-together than you felt. Yet as you glanced at the inappropriately sized enormous mirror installed in your hab-suite, you couldn’t shake the nagging sense of unease clinging to you like a second skin.

The ship felt colder this morning, though it was probably just your imagination. The corridors were quieter, too, as you stepped out of your hab-suite, the usual bustle of the crew subdued in the early hour. You’d barely rounded the corner when a voice broke the silence.

“Ambassador! There you are!”

You turned to see Swerve bounding toward you, his frame somehow managing to convey both unbridled enthusiasm and the complete disregard for personal space that you’d come to associate with him. Behind him trailed Tailgate, waving at you with a cheerfulness that felt downright offensive at this hour.

“What’s up?” you asked, trying to sound more awake than you felt.

“Not much, not much!” Swerve said, skidding to a stop. “Except, oh, I don’t know, you’ve been summoned to the bridge. By the big guy himself.”

You blinked. “Megatron?”

“Is there another ‘big guy’ on this ship?” Swerve grinned, then leaned in conspiratorially. “I mean, Magnus is tall, but he doesn’t have that presence, you know?”

Tailgate elbowed him, though it was more symbolic than effective. “Ignore him. We’re headed that way anyway, so we figured we’d drive you there. Save you the trouble.”

Tsch-tch-tch-tchu-tchu-tsch

You hesitated for a moment, still feeling the fog of last night clinging to your thoughts. But their energy was infectious, and before you could think better of it, you found yourself clicking the seatbelt.

As he drove, Swerve launched into a rapid-fire monologue about the latest Lost Light gossip—something about Rung's glasses being stolen—while Tailgate chimed in with occasional interjections. It was hard not to get caught up in their banter, even as your mind kept drifting back to the bridge and the man—no, the bot—waiting there.

“You’re being awfully quiet,” Tailgate noted, glancing down at you as you approached the lift.

“Just tired,” you said, forcing a smile.

“Don’t worry,” Swerve said as the doors slid open. “Megatron’s bark is worse than his bite. Actually no, I wouldn't want to be you in this position at all squishy. Well uh... good luck!”

“Swerve!” Tailgate hissed.

You couldn’t help but let out a single dry laugh as you exited Swerve's small car alt mode.

You hovered near the entrance to the bridge, suddenly hyperaware of every small noise you made. Megatron hadn’t fully turned, his attention fixed on the glowing projections in front of him. The rest of the bridge crew carried on with their work, an air of quiet efficiency filling the space.

It was only after a long moment of hesitation that you stepped forward, your boots clicking faintly against the polished floor. If he noticed your arrival, he didn’t show it.

“Captain,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Ambassador,” he replied without looking up. His tone was clipped, polite, but devoid of warmth.

You waited for him to say more, but the silence stretched uncomfortably. Feeling the stares of a few nearby crew members, you cleared your throat. “I understand you wanted to see me?”

“I did,” he said, still not turning. His optics flicked over the display in front of him, one massive hand adjusting a control on the console. “There’s a matter of logistics I’d like your perspective on. Sit.”

You obeyed, sliding into a chair near one of the secondary stations. The datapad in your lap felt like an anchor, its weight oddly comforting as you opened it to take notes.

Megatron began speaking—something about supply routes and the allocation of resources to specific departments. His words were clear and precise, but they felt rehearsed, as though his mind was elsewhere.

Yours certainly was.

Sitting here, mere feet away from him, you couldn’t stop replaying last night’s interaction in your head. The way his optics had lingered on you, the strange, fleeting moment of connection that had left you spiraling. Now, with him so close yet so deliberately distant, it was almost unbearable.

“Are you listening, Ambassador?”

His voice cut through your thoughts like a blade. Your head snapped up, and you realized you hadn’t written a single word.

“Y-yes,” you stammered. “Sorry. Could you repeat that last part?”

For the first time, he turned to face you fully. His expression was unreadable, his optics narrowing just slightly.

“Perhaps this was ill-timed,” he said, his tone carefully neutral. “You seem... preoccupied.”

Your face burned. “No, I’m fine. Really.”

He studied you for a moment longer before turning away again, his attention returning to the console. “In that case, you’re dismissed. We’ll reconvene when you’re feeling more focused.”

Dismissed. The word stung, but you rose quickly, not wanting to press your luck.

“Ambassador.”

You froze, halfway to the door, and turned back. Megatron held something in his hand, extending it toward you.

“This is for you,” he said.

It was a small datapad, unassuming but pristine. You stepped closer and took it from him, your fingers brushing against the cool metal.

“What is it?”

“Something I believe you’ll find thought-provoking,” he said, his voice lower now, almost a murmur. “That will be all.”

He turned away again, leaving you standing there with the gift in your hands.

--

The datapad felt impossibly heavy as you made your way back to your quarters. Megatron’s parting words echoed in your mind, the weight of his gaze still lingering on your skin. Thought-provoking, he had said. What could that mean?

Curiosity gnawed at you, but there wasn’t time to linger on it. A message from Ultra Magnus pinged your communicator as you stepped through your door, calling you to the communication center for a scheduled check-in with Earth. The datapad would have to wait.

The communication center was quieter than usual when you arrived. Only a skeleton crew was present, and the room carried a strange tension, like the air before a storm.

“Ambassador,” one of the techs greeted you. “We’re just about ready for your transmission.”

You nodded, taking your usual seat at the console. The screen in front of you flickered to life, displaying the logo of your home organization on Earth. It was routine by now—discuss your last report, answer a few questions, assure them that everything was under control.

But as you began to settle in, a faint but sharp smell hit you—something acrid, burning.

“Is that... smoke?” one of the techs muttered, glancing around.

The answer came in an instant: an alarm blared, and the lights in the room flickered wildly. A plume of smoke erupted from one of the side consoles, sparks showering the floor as the crew scrambled to contain it.

“Fire suppression—now!” someone shouted.

You stumbled back from your station, coughing as the smoke thickened. The emergency systems kicked in moments later, flooding the room with a cold, dense mist designed to suffocate the flames. The fire was extinguished quickly, but the damage was already done. You were drenched in the liquid, soaked to the bone. Thankfully your modest uniform was layered. 

“Systems are down,” one of the techs said, frantically typing at a terminal. “We’ve lost the connection to Earth.”

Your stomach sank. “How bad is it?”

“Hard to say,” they replied, their voice strained. “The relay equipment is fried. We’ll need hours—maybe days—to repair it.”

You glanced at the remains of your console, the screen now dark and lifeless. YOu stood there . If Earth wasn’t receiving your reports, then who would be?

Unbeknownst to you, a shadow loomed at the edge of the room just beyond the residual smoke. Megatron stood just beyond the doorway, his red optics glowing as he took in the scene.

“Efficient response,” he said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. His sudden presence startled you, but the crew barely reacted—they were used to his quiet, watchful nature by now.

You turned toward him, unsure whether to feel relieved or uneasy.

“Captain,” you began, but he held up a hand to silence you.

“I’ll ensure the necessary resources are allocated for repairs,” he said, his tone measured. “In the meantime, Ambassador, I suggest you return to your quarters and focus on your written reports. The Lost Light’s internal systems are more than capable of storing them before transmitting them where they need to go.”

There was something in his voice—calm, reassuring, yet final. The typical tone he spoke to you with. You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak, and left the room quickly.

--

As the crew worked to repair the damage, Megatron lingered behind, his optics scanning the charred remains of the relay equipment. A small smile ghosted across his face—a rare and fleeting thing—as he tapped a command into his wrist-mounted console.

In the quiet hum of the Lost Light’s systems, a rerouted connection established itself, discreet and undetectable. From this moment on, every word the Ambassador wrote would find its way to him before anyone else.

[absolutebl]

Hi ABL! After watching episode 1 of Between Us, I was impressed with the level of "thirst" between Boun and Prem's characters in the last couple of scenes. Are there shows or scenes of shows, regardless of actual heat level, that you think did "thirst" well, regardless of how that's resolved at the time? Subjective, I know, but would love to get your take on this!

20 BLs with the BEST Thirst!

Thirst wants to slide a hand under his waistband right tf now and grind. Horny wants to rip his clothes off, and probably pop buttons and laugh about it. Yearning wants to run both hands up his back while they kiss deeply. Hunger wants to lift him by the ass and slam him against the wall.

Raise your glasses please, to THIRST.

I Cannot Reach You - Japan 2023

It's fresh in my mind, so first on this list.

Secret Crush on You - Thailand 2022

This scene in particular sprang next to mind, just because for me it kinda defined thirst in Thai BL. (Also see my #1 pick for sides at the end.)

Jun & Jun - Korea 2023

We Best Love: Fighting Mr 2nd - Taiwan 2021

2 Moons: Ambassador (AKA 2 Moons 3) - Thailand 2022

Eternal Yesterday - Japan 2022

Why R U? - Korea 2023

HIStory 3 - the BL that shall not be named - Taiwan 2019

Bed Friend - Thailand 2023

They sleeping together but King still thirsty af

Big Dragon - Thailand 2022

My Beautiful Man - Japan 2021

Between Us - Thailand 2022-23

Minato's Laundromat - Japan 2022

Ghost Host Ghost House - Thailand 2022

the infamous leg scene alone qualifies them, but they very mutually thirsty in general

My Personal Weatherman - Japan 2023

It's the point.

I Feel You Linger in the Air - Thailand 2023

The oil scene is a stroke of genius.

Well, several strokes.

Old Fashion Cupcake - Japan 2022

I Told Sunset About You - Thailand 2020

Love in Translation - Thailand 2023

Just because of that damn convenience store make-out scene.

Nitiman - Thailand 2021

I find thirst is often (although not always) the provenance of the seme character.

Mutual thirst is really rare.

Side dish gravy

Shorts, side couples, and so forth.

Oh My Sunshine Night - Thailand 2022

Noh appears 2x on this list. He's GREAT at thirst. Possibly the only Thai actor to give Japan real competition. GIVE HIM ANOTHER LEAD!

HIStory 4: Close To You - Taiwan 2021

Gen Y 2 - Thailand 2022

@heretherebedork and I call them PokeTongue for a reason.

Y-Destiny - Thailand 2021

kiss x kiss x kiss: Perfect Scandal - Japan 2022

No shocker that Japan is the only one to field a micro on this list. Usually thirst takes more build up.

Defining THIRST

I make a distinction between thirst and other types of physical desire. This is just me and language.

Thirst usually leaps off the screen and has an edge of danger to it. Like they gonna get caught, or go out of control just from wanting to touch. They gonna die without physical contact. It's pure survival need. Japan kinda specializes in this.

There's no humor to thirst, but horny can get kinda cheeky. It's more fun and mutual (ee.g. KinnPorsche). More want than need. So it's more Thailand and Taiwan.

There's also yearning (e.g. The 8th Sense), which has a more emotional soul tether to it. Korea in particular, but also like GMMTV and lower heat prestige stuff, high school things for example (My School President).

And finally hunger, which I tend to think of as desire but with a nourishment component. It's I want what's MINE. Like Taejung in Cherry Blossoms After Winter.

These aren't mutually exclusive, mind you.

I dithered but they didn't quite make the list

Irresistible Love - China 2016

Second Chance - Thailand 2021

Takara & Amagi - Japan 2022

Love Area - Thailand 2022

Takumi-kun - Japan 2007

Moonlight Chicken - Thailand 2023

My Engineer (RamKing) - Thailand 2020

It's why we're all still mad we never got full RamKing

(source)

This posted dated end of 2023. Not responsible for thirsty BL that happens after. Check the comments for additions and other's thoughts on the matter.

[britney-rosberg06]

guys can i be real for a second? Because as a fan of both Logan and Kimi i feel like this needs to be said:

Nobody benefits from giving Logan Kimi’s seat mid year.

No One

No not even Kimi.

If F1 is a business which it is, we’ll think about this in a business sense. Because by kicking Logan out in favor of Kimi just doesn’t make sense

Williams saw the sheer backlash to Australia. Their fans were angry at the mere idea of kicking Logan out in favor of Alex and some are still angry. They would lose a huge portion of their fan base (a fan base that is getting pretty American, may I add, thanks to their American sponsors) by kicking Logan out. No fanbase means no merch sales, no extra cash to burn that we know Williams needs

Secondly, Logan has obligations with Williams through summer break. Huge PR events like Lap of Legends which is sponsored by an American beer and stars Logan and Williams Racing ambassador Jenson Button. If you pull away Logan, the sponsors in Michelob Ultra will be furious as they funded a whole project to center around Logan. And Jenson, who has also spoken very kindly about him in the media will be angry as Logan is known as someone who has his backing/support. So Williams would lose a bit of Jenson’s trust and anger a huge sponsor? Right okay,

Of course there’s James Vowles. Who is struggling to come out from under Toto Wolff’s shadow. How will it look for James if he were to kick out one of his own juniors in favor of someone Toto Wolff is forcing upon him. Like he’s a lapdog who will roll over and do whatever Toto wants? Yeah, that exactly

There’s also the Prema of it all, which a lot of people are forgetting. Kimi is under Prema contract to be racing in F2. There is no reservist for him and there has to be to drivers in F2. Not one. Prema is not going to let one of their drivers—a driver who is getting them a lot of media attention might I add—go on to F1 when he’s only done three f2 races. That’s not how contracts work! Kimi is on contract and that contract states he had to race in f2 and compete in the championship. The whole championship. The championship Prema gets more money/funding/sponsors from the better they do. They can’t do good with only one driver. So no extra money.

Also, Prema has the power to deny Williams as Kimi is their driver and their responsibility. Kimi uses their trainers, engineers, gym, facilities etc, to take him mid season might make Williams or Mercedes or Kimi himself liable for that bill à là Oscar Piastri and Alpine as Kimi failed to fulfill terms of a contract while still benefiting from it.

I’m not saying it’ll work but I’m saying there’s a chance they could.

Now Kimi himself. He’d be entering in the F1 paddock as a pariah. Being granted an exception is sure to make him unpopular, just like Max was. The spotlight that was on Ollie Bearman in Jeddah? Yeah multiply it by a hundred and you’ll get somewhere close to the attention on Kimi. As previously established, PR-wise Williams would be in hell, who do you think they are going to take it out on? Yeah, the seventeen year old who has no control over the situation. He’ll be traipsed around as the new youngest whoever while also being hated on by a majority of people who think he doesn’t deserve that seat.

Speaking of Ollie Bearman. It’s worth noting that Ollie’s pain level after Jeddah was sky high. He was training for f2 races, not f1. Consistently racing in F1 could wreck Kimi’s body due to the sudden change and would have so many negative and lasting affects.

And when he inevitably doesn’t get points on debut because it’s a williams and it sucks ass, everyone will be screaming and crying about how Kimi is washed or how he sucks and so on and so on. What would that do to a seventeen year old’s confidence?

And when Toto wolff—the only guy presumed to benefit at all from this whole situation he allegedly cooked up gets reveals to have had a huge part in this kid’s life, way bigger than the general audience knows (seriously, he has a picture of baby Kimi in his office) everyone is going to be screaming at him for making a bad/questionable managerial decision that has deeply affected the mental health of a teen boy.

Mercedes as a team is already on the decline, this would be the Shitty PR move to end all Shitty PR moves.

Am i saying Logan is going to be on the grid next year? No. But the idea that it is a smart decision for any of the teams or drivers involved to replace Logan is insane.

[carionto]

Too tough for paradise

One peculiar side effect of Humans hailing from a Deathworld is that their biological well-being is partly dependent on some degree of microscopic hostility from the environment and what they consume.

It is normal among most species that, should their surroundings change to more hospitable conditions, their minds and bodies would feel relief and be under less stress. However, as with any changes, if they deviate too far too quickly from their normal, you risk damage from a sudden shock to the system.

___________________________

Abigail "Abby" Hostaz had been legally grounded by the Gyin-Trov due to her, ahem, "expansion of business" without the right permits. Not that she bothered to learn that nobody outside Human controlled space in the Galactic Coalition would allow the creation of a deadly asteroid race track AND let sentient beings directly pilot ships through it.

Hell, finding an Alien crazy enough to partake in an activity even most Humans consider insane is one in a trillion. She still did find seven non-Humans, so that math actually is within a reasonable margin. Everything else is not reasonable.

The local Gyin-Trov government learned of the true nature of her activities when a rogue asteroid suddenly appeared on their threat detection systems. The unnatural change of course quickly pointed to where she had set up her latest "thrill track", which the authorities rapidly dismantled, impounded her vessel, named "Victor", and put her under house arrest in the Human embassy awaiting the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent trial.

While station based embassies are effectively fully contained perfect habitats for the respective species, planet based ones tend to adopt a lot of the local elements and integrate what they can simply due to proximity and availability.

Humans, the resourceful buggers that they are, used everything the planet had to offer (that wasn't outright lethal to Humans, which in the case of the Gyin-Trov homeworld were only a few pollen producing crops found in the poles of the planet).

A combination of a almost perfect temperature range (near constant lows of 14C at night, highs of 21C mid-day), slightly higher moisture levels, and bio-engineered local flora that made the water into this somewhat thicker soup containing virtually every nutrient, vitamin and mineral a carbon-based lifeform could ever want, leaving little for the digestive system to tackle. Heck, just being within a field of such plants lets the body absorb everything for healthy survival.

In short, the Gyin-Trov homeworld, also named Gyin-Trov, is as close to Utopia as you can get.

Aaaaaaand Abby is not having a fun time there.

It's not like she was imprisoned - she was allowed to wander around the city and surrounding area under light supervision, she even had her cat, Hector, with her. But there just wasn't enough excitement to be found anywhere.

They had arcades and various physical activities, but she never felt her body grow tired after hours of competitive gaming and contests. No feeling of hunger or exhaustion ever disturbed her focus. The only thing that kept Abby from becoming, essentially, a zombie perpetually engaged in whatever activity was most fun at the moment was the inherent nature of the Human brain - it gets... wobbly after a while and needs sleep.

Not even a week had passed and people noticed Abby had become... different. No strong reactions to anything, no outbursts of some crazy ideas, just a general positive but not quite cheerful apathy. The Human ambassadors had experienced a much milder version of this, and it is theorized that they did not deem it as concerning due to the simple fact the ambassadors always had something to do, and more importantly - something that put their minds, if not bodies, to the test. Regular challenges, worries, and stress from work in general kept them on edge in some ways.

Abby was just waiting around, "put on vacation" as one of the ambassadors had put it. After a couple of more days of this peace, she seemed more like a automaton than anything else. Mindlessly going from place to place, trying out whatever activities were available, but clearly none offered anything close to the level of excitement and danger she had grown so used to. Not even the flawed thirty year old Human body she was in offered any surprises or discomforts.

Everything was just perfectly fine.

When the paperwork finally cleared and she was issued a fine and formally banned from engaging in any construction efforts in Gyin-Trov controlled space, she was reunited with Victor, and the personality changes she had undergone during her short time were seemingly instantly reversed.

Once she was in her ship and the self-diagnostics showed a few blinking lights, Abby immediately became energized and took action. Breathing in the recycled air with a hint of dry rust made that old bruise on her right side make itself known again. She pulled an all-nighter making repairs and "adjustments" to Victor and collapsed from exhaustion on the hard floor.

The next day, she was already near the border to neutral space when she noticed a dwarf planet with a rock formation in the shape of a trebuchet (very vaguely, if you squint really, really hard, and imagine half of the parts), and that gave her an idea.

All the while, Hector the cat did not exhibit any noticeable changes during his stay with Abby on Gyin-Trov. Maybe just a few more hours of sleep per day than normal.

[gaykarstaagforever]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the TOS Season 3 episode "The Way to Eden," i.e., the Space Hippie episode, is actually one of the good ones from that season. And in general, from the whole series.

Yes, it is dated as FUCK and has some serious problems. But in general, it is a good story with sensible characters that is trying to make a reasonable point. It's also a good Spock episode, because it shows that the "emotionless" Vulcan is the only one on the Enterprise who appreciates that the Space Hippies have a worthwhile political / spiritual position, even as he recognizes how goofy and unhinged they are in the pursuit of it.

...Almost like he has a half-brother who started a cult with the best of intentions, or something. Huh.

Anyway,

The writing on this is seriously good. The Space Hippies are all former "respectable" people, several with advanced scientific degrees, which immediately makes it impossible to blow them off as idiots. And one is the son of an ambassador from a planet about to join the Federation, so Kirk is ordered to handle this delicately. This makes things way more complicated than a story with Space Hippies should be. One of the smart converts is the former girlfriend of Chekov, who abandoned him and Starfleet for this hippie shit, and exploits that and him to take over the ship. This is done very well. The casting is good, too, because the two of them have genuine chemistry.

Seriously. They want to make out SO BAD in this scene, and you want them to, and then they do. It's good stuff.

The other thing that stands out to me about this episode is Deborah Downey, the blonde lady with the thick legs who sings one of the cringey Space Hippie songs:

This is mostly because, gay as I am now, I thought this woman was sexy as shit when I was 13, and that has not changed. God those legs.

The actress retired from acting and turned to painting. I tried to find an example of her work but her website is dead. I don't think she is? I don't know. You look and tell me what you can find.

Another cringey thing about this is the attempt at Space Hippie talk that resembles what screen writers in the late 1960s thought real hippies sounded like.

But oddly enough, Spock can actually speak it because he respects them and apparently researched it, and he explains what a "herbert" is, and why they say it. Which is way more work put into this stupid shit than was necessary. Again, this is better than it has any right to be.

He is also down to "jam" with them with his Vulcan lute. Which Kirk apparently agrees to broadcast over the Enterprise's PA system. Which is pretty goddamn weird. And it gets weirder, since the whole crew seems totally into it, several members shown rocking out, including a security guard who the Space Hippies then attack while he's off-guard.

How did Kirk and Spock not realize this was part of their plan to hijack the ship? Kind of embarrassing.

Like when Chekov shows his girlfriend how to take over the entire ship from "auxiliary control," a thing that is in this episode and exactly no others.

Probably could have used that at least a couple of times before now in this series, where hostile aliens seize the Bridge and Engineering every week.

Oh well. TV is hard. Especially when you know the show has already been canceled.

My favorite part is when Spock and Chekov find the fabled "Eden" planet, on the basis of nothing, and the Space Hippies hijack the ship and go there, and it turns out all the plant life is acidic, and they all get burned / killed by acid.

Was this an intentional scam to fuck with them? It doesn't seem to be. But then why did Spock and Chekov think "Eden" was this acid planet? We're told nothing about how they picked this planet. Which is in the Romulan Neutral Zone, btw. Good work, guys.

Fortunately, for the first time in Star Trek history, the Enterprise crosses into the Neutral Zone and fucks around, and the Romulans don't even show up to yell at them. I realize Space is big, but come on, Romulans. If Federation Space Hippies can breach the Neutral Zone with zero pushback, what is the point of even having it?

I like how it ends with the surviving Space Hippies not abandoning their quest, just admitting that it will probably be harder to find Eden than they thought. And Spock wishes them luck. They don't seem mad at him about sending them down to an acid planet that burned their feet and killed at least two of them. I would be. Maybe that's why they're Space Hippies, and I'm not.

Here is footage that I'm sure Starfleet history students pass around the Academy as a meme:

[grimfalcon746]

Humans are Space Orcs: Vilgraell

Almost a decade had passed, since the Human fleet had contacted the Galactic Affairs Council. The GAC had been glad to receive communication from another sentient species and spent much time communicating with them. Specifically they wanted to know about the species ancestry, history and, more importantly their intentions.

The Humans had assured them their intentions were peaceful. Nearly 100 years had passed since the last human war. Although the species was mostly known for violence and war, they had finally had their fill. Their intentions now were peaceful expanse of their species, largely so they did not mine any planets resources to near extinction.

The GAC had accepted their intentions and set up a rendezvous. While war was not exactly unknown to the GAC, they did try to avoid introducing species to sentient life who solely lived for it. They were, however, not perfect. They were surprised to learn the humans would take nearly a decade to arrive from so close, if the council decided to admit humans to their ranks, they would have to share their engine technology with them.

However, a decade is a long time. Much can change in that time. The GAC had introduced a new species after speaking with the humans and before they arrived. The Vilgraell. Much like the humans, the Vilgraell came from a history of war, and declared their intentions peaceful. The GAC had been blindsided after inviting them in. The Vilgraell had learned of a planet and species within the GAC. The planet was home to a species called the Chutor.

The Chutor had evolved from a canine like species. Their evolution had come a long way, as they were able to speak multiple languages, evolved technology and even mined for resources for trade with the GAC. While they were not exactly strangers to war and conflict themselves, they were not experts either. So when the Vilgraell had learned of large oil, diamond and gold deposits on their planet, they moved in easily.

The Chutor were quickly suppressed, forced to mine for the Vilgraell and slaughtered when they refused. The GAC had interjected but were quickly repelled and had since lost control of the situation. While they remained in the area they were relegated to observation and failed diplomatic responses.

Finally, after 9 years 10 months, earth time, the earthlings arrived. The council that had talked to them was on patrol around the Chutor's home system at the time, and so changed the rendezvous location to close by for convenience. The meeting was rather boilerplate, really, the council had to board the human command ship, while the fleet remained a mere hour away, talk with the humans and then make their official decision. Only three species were ever rejected once they got to this point, and all for very valid reasons. During the meeting, however, a crewman interrupted the human captain and the council.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sir, we are picking up signals of a conflict in the nearest system." Crewman Matt interjected. "While we are not in any immediate danger I thought you would like to know."

"Conflict?" The human commander inquired.

"A rather messy affair." The GAC ambassador answered. "We invited a species, the Vilgraell, to our ranks, about 3 earth years ago. They have since launched a full scale invasion of the Chutor. We tried to intervene, but they overpowered even the council."

"Crewman Matt, what are they dealing with?" Commander Gregory asked.

"Communications officer Claire was bringing up surveillance images when I came to inform you sir. We should proceed to the bridge if you want updates." Crewman Matt replied.

The three of them proceeded to the bridge, the commander and crewman wanting to know the severity of the situation. The ambassador, however, tried to plead with them, telling them the images were bleak at best and downright disturbing at worst. Ignoring the ambassador, Commander Gregory needed to know what was going on. His father had served in the final human war, and had taught him the atrocities of war. Not in a 'prepare for this' way, more of a 'this is why we should avoid it' way. If the images on the screen were as bad as the images he remembered from his fathers teachings. He shuddered to think.

The images were already on the display as he arrived. The crew and officers of the bridge looked on in horror. The images he remembered from his fathers teaching had not prepared him for this. What appeared to be large canines dead, brutalized, collapsed from exhaustion. They had been forced into the mines until they collapsed and then were eliminated for a new batch to be forced in.

"Those. Those almost look like earth canines." Commander Gregory said through gritted teeth, thinking about his childhood pet, puddles.

"They evolved from a very similar species." The ambassador explained. It pained him to see the distress from the humans, he had tried to spare them from.

Some tense minutes passed, as more images came up. The Vilgraell were clearly hellbent on mining the planet dry, at the expense of the Chutor. Forcing them to not only slave away in the mines, but breed as much as possible to ensure their would be new workers to mine after the current workers inevitably collapsed from exhaustion.

"Lieutenant Maisie. Do you have your key with you?" Commander Gregory asked.

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Maisie replied. "Are we opening the blood vault?"

"Yes." Came the simple answer.

"Blood vault?" The ambassador asked, panicking at the name.

Maisie and Gregory proceeded to a locking cabinet inside the bridge. Inserting a key each, they counted down from three, and then turned the key. As the vault clunked, the ambassador began pleading with the human commander. The Vilgraell were brutal, whatever the commander was planning would not end well. His pleas fell on deaf ears, as both the Commander and Lieutenant had their minds made up already. The vault contained all the knowledge and tactics of human conflict. Most of which was already in Gregory's head, both from his military teachings as well as his fathers. There was, however, one piece of information, contained on a flash drive, that he was after.

Removing the flash drive, he cleared the dust from the face of it. In bold gold colored letters, read a single clear word. 'Geneva'. The ambassador had done his homework on the past human conflicts, and was aware of the so called Geneva Convention. He could not help but ask.

"Is. Is that your Geneva Convention?" The ambassador asked.

"Yes." Commander Gregory replied, handing the drive to Crewman Matt. "Make a checklist out of this."

It took a second for that to register for the ambassador. Checklist. "You mean of things to avoid, right?" The ambassador was clearly in a full panic now.

"I suggest you return to your ship." Commander Gregory ordered, more than suggest to the Ambassador. "Communications Officer Claire, please advise the fleet to prepare for battle. After that, order all hands to level one battle stations."

"Yes sir!" Claire replied.

The Ambassador returned to his ship. A great swell of pity arose in him, for the human fleet. He tried to keep them from this. He believed that they wanted peace, were averted to conflict after their last human war.

However, while he had done his homework, he had failed in one respect. He had only been able to access textsof human conflicts. No images, or videos, or anything that would give him a concrete knowledge of the hairless monkeys ability to participate in the most brutal of armed conflicts.

While Commander Gregory, Commander of the seventh human fleet, had always avoided war and battle. Negotiating every time another vessel or fleet interacting with them, he had run countless simulations. Knowing that while a conflict avoided is a conflict won, sometimes, conflict can not be avoided, and therefore, he should be ready if it should ever arise.

The human fleet came out of warp drive in full range of the Vilgraell fleet. Weapons were ready and loaded, and the battle was on before the Vilgraell fleet even knew what was happening. For a species so used to war and conflict, the GAC watched in awe as the human fleet obliterated that fleet. The orbital fleet, which had successfully repelled nineteen GAC advances, was eliminated by a species who were a thousand years behind the councils technology, and it only took four earth minutes.

The humans were not done though. Commander Gregory could not get the images he had seen out of his mind, and the thoughts of puddles would not rest either. The Vilgraell bases on the planet were divided into two parts. Base of operations, where only Vilgraell soldiers and commanders existed, and forward operating bases. The forward operating bases operated with small bands of men, no more than ten, that the Chutor could easily overpower. However, the operation bases kept them in line. The Chutor learned from experience that if they rose against the forward bases, the operation bases would make an example out of them.

Commander Gregory had done his homework on the jump in. He knew the locations. He also knew there would be no collateral damage on the operation bases. Once they dropped the forward operating bases would never be able to keep the Chutor in line. He also had learned of the GAC fleets who fell to the orbital fleet.

He deliberately waited nineteen seconds after the last ship from the orbital fleet fell, to order the orbital nuclear bombardment. Nineteen seconds, one for each GAC fleet eliminated by the Vilgraell. The nuclear bombs obliterated the operation bases. As he suspected, the Chutor rose immediately. The Vilgraell were dispatched and the Chutor were once again in peace.

"Sir." Crewman Matt addressed the Commander. "Looks like the war is won. We did not even need the checklist you asked me to make."

"No. The battle is won. Now we proceed to the Vilgraell home-world. That is where we will use the checklist you created."

***

Note:

I was on the fence about the tw's for animal cruelty and death, as the Chutor are sentient in this story and therefore don't really fall into the animal category, however i felt it would be better to have them in the tags than not.

[katedrakeohd]

Heartstopper (part2)

@kingliamappreciationweek

@tessa-liam @lizzybeth1986 @sazanes

@kingliam2019

King Liam Appreciation Week 2024

Read other chapters

Rating: Mature themes (angst, swearing, alcohol use, car accident, bodily harm, character death, betrayal, all the drama)

Cast: TRR - King Nicholas, Drake Walker, Kate Darling (MC), other characters.

-_-_-👑-_-_-

King Nicholas sat at the desk in his bedroom. It had been an hour since he'd seen Kate get slapped by one of his security guards and then get shoved into one of his own royal SUVs. He had sent Drake after her. But he hadn't heard anything from either of them since. He had called Drake several times and gotten no response. A bottle of whiskey sat open on the desk and the glass in his hand had already been refilled many times.

It was his Coronation night, and it should have been a joyous and monumental occasion. So far it hadn't been much of a celebration at all. He was forced by his own family to choose Madeleine Amaranth of Fydelia as his Queen. It was Kate Darling who had won his heart, and her unfortunate violent kidnapping had him feeling totally crushed and betrayed.

The phone on the desk started ringing and he coughed into his fist to clear his throat before picking up the receiver. He licked his lips and then answered, "Hello?"

"Your Majesty, Bastien here. The SUV carrying Kate Darling didn't reach the airport. Conner and Jax were supposed to meet Mark and Derek at the airport to ensure her deportation was successful. The flight to New York already left."

To Nicholas the only name he was familiar with in that explanation was Kate. And it infuriated him that the words 'deportation' and 'Kate' should ever be linked together.

"I see." Was the only response he could put together.

"Drake hasn't returned with the Ambassador's car yet either."

"Please extend my sincerest apologies to the Moroccan Ambassador and his driver. I authorized Drake to engage in risky behavior and I shouldn't have given him so much liberty to do so. If the vehicle comes back damaged in any way I promise to replace it."

"I'll inform you immediately of any new developments as they come to my attention."

"Thank-you, Bastien."

Nicholas hung up the phone and swallowed the remains of his drink in one gulp. It hit his gut with a scorching fire and the resulting cough burned his nostrils. He welcomed the pain of it, because the deep worry over Kate's disappearance had shifted toward one of dread. Where was she? And where was Drake?

..

The large puddles of water on the highway became spraying fountains as the silver Audi slashed through them. Drake was dangerously pushing the limits of its tires to keep traction. The other drivers had slowed down for safety and Drake hastily wove his silver dart around them. Come on people it's just a little rain.

But of all the vehicles he had passed, none seemed to be the black SUV that he was looking for. With a frustrated sigh he was forced to slow down as the vehicles became more erratically placed in his way. Are the other drivers moving at all?

When he took the car in the first place he had left the window open. He enjoyed the reckless freedom of hearing the engine growl as it accelerated. But once the rain began he had to close the window to spare the leather interior. Unfortunately ever since the window had closed he'd been struggling to modulate the car's internal temperature to keep his windows clear. He rarely drove anything other than the fleet vehicles, and driving in the rain at night wasn't helping either. The unfamiliar atmospheric controls and placement of the vents had him turning the fan up higher to compensate for the humidity.

The staccato rhythm of a random car horn forced him to look up at the road. Were they warning him of something? It was then that he smelled the smoke. It was the unmistakable oily smell of a car fire. Sweet Jesus, No.

The flashing hazard lights of the parked cars ahead were the next clue. He crept past them and then looked to his right. In the darkness, the flames and smoke boiling out from under the hood of the crumpled SUV didn't seem real. But the model of it couldn't have been more real to Drake. He quickly swerved to park his vehicle on the shoulder. The tires had barely imbedded themselves in the gravel before he threw his door open to exit the car. He ducked back in to jab at the trunk release. Hopefully there was something in there he could use.

Other drivers were standing by their cars and shouting at him to wait for the emergency crews. Help was on its way.

But Drake couldn't afford to wait. There was someone he cared about in that burning vehicle. As he threw the trunk lid open he felt a measure of relief at the bag of golf clubs that he saw. There was also an emergency tool kit and a first-aid kit. He dumped out the golf clubs and chose a nine iron. He bashed up his knuckles rifling through the emergency kit and found the tiny jack handle/pry bar. These would have to do.

In the garish flash of the hazard lights and the blinding headlamps of the other cars, he saw the path of destruction that the tumbling SUV had torn in the grassy hillside. He cursed the slick soles of his dress shoes as he slid and skidded his way down through the fresh mud. Having miss-matched metal tools in each hand added to the clumsiness of his endeavor; but who ever said playing the hero was pretty. It was still raining and that made everything that much worse. He quickly became soaked to the skin.

As he approached the wreckage he threw down his tools and tried to open the back door of the car first. The rollover had crushed the door frame and the hinges were jammed. Fuck.

The smoke burned at his eyes and nostrils and he covered his nose with his elbow as he assessed the condition of the window glass next. The fleet vehicles had tinted, reinforced window glass, but he hoped it wasn't shatterproof. The windows in the front were not tinted as darkly and he saw the crumpled bloodied remains of the driver and his seat belted passenger. In the dark backseat he couldn't see if Kate was moving.

"Hold on Darling, I'm coming for ya." He shouted as he bent down to get the golf club. He swung the club like a baseball bat and it harmlessly bounced off the glass. No damage to the glass, but it bent the shaft of the club and loosened the head. He swung it against the fender to break it off. Changing his grip on the slippery club he stabbed at the glass like an ice pick. Finally the surface began to chip. He jabbed at the edge of the window by the frame and punched a hole. Working the shaft around in the hole he tried to make it bigger. Smoke leaked out through the hole, but he still wasn't any closer to seeing the inside of the car. Fuck!

He dropped the club and picked up the crowbar. The wet dirty metal slid around greasily in his hands and his skin burned from trying to get a grip. He jammed the crowbar into the crack of the doorframe where the latch would be. He kicked at it as hard as he could, cursing his stupid shoes as the pain shot up into his ankle. He needed boots, heavy boots.

He could hear sirens approaching.

Come ..on! .He kicked harder in desperation and the latch popped. Smoke billowed out from the crack and he could hear coughing. She's still alive. Grabbing the bar in both hands he wrenched at the door and worked enough gap to get his fingers around the top edge of the door frame. He pulled with all his might and yelled out. "Kate?! Kate! Can you hear me?"

He heard her cough again, "Drake?"

"Are you injured? Help is coming. But damn it if I'm not going to try to get you out of there myself." He growled in desperation through clenched teeth as his hands slipped and slid along the edge of the door. His fingers were bleeding, but his pumping adrenaline masked any pain.

He jammed the bar into the top of the doorframe and levered with as much force as his tiring arms could manage. He coughed against the hot smoke that filled his lungs.

A loud voice boomed at him from behind. "Sir! Step away from the vehicle!"

He squinted over his shoulder at the bright flashlights of the approaching firefighters, " 'Bout time you guys showed up. Help me get her out!"

Strong hands pulled him out of the way, and he watched another firefighter jam a large pry bar into the edge of the door and wrench it open wider.

"Wish I'd had one of those.."

He looked down at the tiny bar he held in his hand and then dropped it.

Someone dropped a warm blanket around his shoulders and he held it closed like a robe. They tried to lead him away, but he resisted.

"No, not yet. I need to see if she's ok."

He watched them spray some sort of foamy stuff on the engine compartment and the fire went out. The hot metal sizzled and hissed as the rain pattered down. Two men pulled the backdoor open and then one climbed inside to check on Kate. He could hear the quiet assurances from the firefighter and Kate's sobs of relief and gratitude. Then she was lifted out in his arms.

Drake's heart sank when he saw the state that she was in. Her skin and dress were blackened from smoke. Kate's beautiful face was bloodied and bruised, and her delicate hands and fingers were scraped raw and bleeding. She was missing a shoe, and her shins and ankles were scraped up badly as well. They laid her down carefully on a stretcher and covered her with a blanket. She turned her head and looked at Drake as they carried her past him, and her terrified expression made him want to throw up.

Drake was led back to his car and sat down on the passenger front seat. A paramedic treated the scrapes on his hands while another one offered him an oxygen mask from a portable tank. He accepted the mask and took the deepest breath his sore lungs would allow. He coughed and then brushed the mask aside, shaking his head. His voice was hoarse, "I'll be fine. I was a smoker for years, this is nothing. Go look after her."

A police officer came over to ask him questions.

"Your name, Sir?"

He coughed, "Drake Walker."

"Did you witness the accident?" The officer scribbled on his notepad.

Drake shook his head, "No."

"What prompted you to attempt such a rescue? To risk your own safety instead of calling for help?"

Drake coughed into his fist, "I was ordered to follow them. Her safety is my job."

The officer frowned, "But you didn't see how the accident happened."

Drake shook his head again, turning in his seat to watch Kate being put into the back of an ambulance.

"I was several kilometers behind. I'm her bodyguard, and was giving chase to catch up."

The officer narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down, suspiciously. "You were chasing them? Did they know they were being followed? If you're her bodyguard then why weren't you in the vehicle in the first place?"

Drake pointed at the crumpled SUV angrily, "Because the bastards separated us and then forced her into it. They took her against her will. And if you're implying that I chased them off the road and caused the accident... That's fucking insane."

The officer scribbled details down on his notepad, and then repeated his question, "Why didn't you call for help when you came upon the crash?"

Drake's angry outburst had scraped his throat raw. He coughed painfully and then leaned over to spit black soot on the ground. He wiped his mouth on the blanket. "I am the help. Now if you don't mind I need to follow her to the hospital."

He got out of the car and gave the blanket back to the paramedic, "Thanks for helping me warm up and dry out."

He pushed past the officer, "And Fuck You very much and get the hell out of my way."

He sprinted back around the front of the car to get back in the driver's seat. He reached over and retrieved his phone from the floor and saw all of the missed calls from Nicholas. Untangling his suit jacket, he put it back on and then jabbed at his phone screen to call him back.

He switched the call to speaker and then restarted the car, honking his horn to scatter the people standing in the way. Nicholas's voice was frantic as he picked up the call.

"Drake?! .. what's all the honking for...Drake?"

He pulled out onto the road to follow the ambulance that had already left.

"Sorry, I had to clear the people out of my way."

"Where are you? What's going on?" Nicholas asked.

Drake took a moment to cough, his throat was still raw as he choked out a response. "There's been an accident, and I'm on the way to the hospital."

"You sound terrible, don't tell me you crashed the Ambassador's car."

Drake looked at his raw knuckles as they gripped the steering wheel. "Don't worry about me. No, the SUV was in an accident. Kate's in rough shape."

There was a long pause on the other end and Drake wondered if Nicholas was ok.

"Are you still th-.."

"Did you run them off the road?" Nicholas interrupted.

"Jesus Christ, No! You're the second person in the last five minutes to ask me that. And it's really starting to piss me off."

Drake coughed again, the painful force of it causing him to swerve and then correct his steering. He smacked the steering wheel in frustration, his heart racing. He'd never catch up at this rate. A sense of panic twisted his gut at the thought of Kate slipping further and further away. He suddenly felt overwhelmingly nauseous.

He opened his window and gulped at the fresh air, his skin felt clammy as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Drake? Are you sure you're ok?"

Forcing the bile back down his throat burned his chest like acid. His eyes watered. No, he was definitely not ok.

"I'm ok," he lied. Sucking in more of the cool night air.

Nicholas' voice wavered with concern, "Can you tell me more about the accident?"

"I don't know how it happened... Just that the driver is going to be leaving the scene in a body bag, and the other guy with him didn't look much better. Dear God, Nicholas..." Drake's voice broke, and he coughed to cover it up. He couldn't stop the tears as they trickled down his face. "I tried so hard to get her out of there, the car was on fire and there was so much smoke. I..I don't know how she survived."

"Drake, maybe you should pull over."

Drake sniffed and then coughed again, wiping his nose on his sleeve. He made a black smear on the grey material. "No, I can't stop. I don't know where they're taking her."

"Probably Capital General. Thank goodness she survived..was she conscious? How bad did she look?"

Drake scrubbed his hand through his wet hair, "From what I saw, her outside injuries seemed to be superficial. But being trapped in the car with all that smoke and heat must have done a number on her lungs. I was outside the car and it fucked me up pretty bad."

"But She.. she's alive..." Nicholas's voice trailed off.

"I didn't really get the chance to talk to her before she was loaded in the ambulance, but yes she was conscious. And very alive."

"Thank-you Drake. If she pulls through you'll definitely be rewarded for your bravery. ..And if she doesn't, well..I.."

Drake shook his head, wiping the tears from his face this time. "I don't want to think about that scenario either."

There was a pause and then Nicholas continued, "Get yourself checked out at the hospital, and try to keep tabs on her the best you can. Don't leave her side if you can help it."

"I won't."

Drake heard Nicholas sigh on the other end of the phone call, he could tell their call was coming to an end. It was as if his sorrow had totally depleted him.

"I'll be in touch to discuss our next steps. Wait for me to contact you. Other than you, I don't know who else I can trust right now."

Drake could hear the nervousness in his voice, and he didn't like it.

"Understood," he replied and hung up.

[stomach-rental]

Hi yes I am here to ask questions. Specifically regarding Walker because I must know more 👀 What do they do and what kind of powers do they have?

Hello hello :) this is gonna be long so you get a READ MORE. tw: "human" experimentation, non-consensual surgeries and mutilation, general government BS

Walker is an engineer that works for the US government, explicitly near DC where they are involved with special programs involving some fairly top secret stuff. He got in this position after a whole other adventure of busting out a huge corporation who was illegally going to use government funds to destroy wildlife across an entire state, which ended up only being the top of the iceberg of problems— important part: Walker Now has a Job doing something he enjoys where his skills are used and he is Saving Lives. However, word got out that with the sudden "Unveiling" that has torn a rift between the beings in magical realms and this one, all of the magical beings and cryptids normally unseen to the human eye are Existing and Taking Up space and being Directly in the middle of human experiences. The government wants to harness this power and utilize it before the rest of the world does, but no one really...knows anything about these beings that works in the government? Why would they? They weren't real before that point, and no one really had any ideas on how to contain them or utilize them at all.

Walker, however, has had a special interest in these beings for almost his entire life! Or...at least the stories of them. He knows how they're SUPPOSED to work based off of eyewitness account, and has always had a deep love for the unnatural and unknown. He could make himself useful. So, he puts together a huge concept proposal explaining magic as the current evidence has presented itself, on the way that it interacts with the beings known as cryptids, and how they could potentially harness that power. The only problem is that...cryptids harness it through biological function. Without having the same bodies as these beings, humans could never get anywhere even close, only being able to suffice with cards and crystals that barely scratch the surface of what is really there. The only way to actually use that kind of power would be to get a cryptid to do it for you, which, obviously none of them really want to with the current chaos of humans threatening their very existence. Walker was pretty proud of himself for this, as it meant the government wasn't going to be able to just use magic for weapons. Maybe they would actually focus their efforts on trying to befriend these beings? Maybe, with how Walker set all of this up, he could be like an ambassador! That would be a dream come true!

Unfortunately, that's not how the US government runs things. They say, Great! Fantastic. If they run it through their bodies and we have to have them do this, then we'll just control their bodies. ...Walker is horribly confused. They tell their supervisor that controlling the bodies of a cryptid would be near impossible without literally removing what gives them magical abilities. They tried to explain by literally creating a draft of a device that would do so, that would theoretically "control" a cryptid's magic, but it would have to be literally embedded into their organs, clamped onto their bones. And for them to not somehow be able to find a way around it, you would have to cut off parts of them. It would be mutilation. It would be completely inhumane.

And the government said :) ok that sounds good we would like one of those please.

Walker is horrified and tries to back out, saying he's the only one who knew how to make the blueprint work, but his supervisors instead begin to threaten the safety of his ex-wife and kid, saying that they would disappear if they didn't follow orders. Walker is forced to make the device, and in their desperation to attempt to save the cryptids at risk, they decide to make it with a failsafe— the only way to control it is by having another device embedded into the person who would be controlling them. If someone here wanted to be able to get a cryptid to do what they wanted, they would have to undergo the same surgery themselves to be tied to said cryptid. Walker claimed it was the only way to be able to do it, in hopes that this last ditch effort would make them give up on the entire thing. Afterall, who would put themselves through that?

What they didn't expect was to then be drugged and forced under anesthesia, body given the exact same surgery they created and forced to have the devices they made physically put under their skin. It was punishment for making the device under false pretenses, but it was also assurance— they knew they could control Walker due to his kid, which means that as long as he was the one being forced to control the cryptid in question, they would at least be able to successfully try to hold one cryptid under their thumb. They choose a hybrid that had been under their radar for awhile due to performing illegal transplant surgeries, and after cutting away their body so that it couldn't fight back, they managed to successfully attach them to Walker.

Now...Walker is meant to be basically a baby sitter for "Kit", in which he needs to keep them from killing or harming anyone while still allowing them to use their abilities only for when they have been assigned to do so. The hope is to put them on a team of other strange over powered misfits and try to get them to hunt down cryptids across America to find the real way to harness powers of magic for weaponry and war without risking the other humans in the government itself. Everyone On This Team Hates it.

Here is a picture of Kit! And a messy sketch of an animatic I planned for them that I have not had time to work on.

As far as powers, since technically they are not directly using power and they are actually channeling the power through Kit, they are basically kind of...like a person holding the remote for a Very Powerful, very dangerous machine. Kit's abilities before they were forced to have the implants are vast due to just how much magic they have picked up and learned from travelling the world. They are Including but Not Limited To:

Invisibility / Illusions

Shapeshifting, including size shifting, mimicry

Protective barriers

Connecting with other living bodies and cells and controlling them

Mind manipulation

Levitation

Control of certain elements they have an affinity to

Object displacement/pocket dimension storage

Oaths that bind someone to a specific action

Use of already made portals to other realms

So! A whole lot! But those abilities are ONLY something that can happen through Kit, and Kit has to be the one to direct any of the energy because Walker Doesn't actually know what he's doing. At all. He's simply pressing the control to let the actual machine do its job. Sadly, even though he is not directly in it, being exposed to raw fae magic running through his own body to get to Kit has been...causing some Very Not Good side effects. It's fine though. ...How many limbs can you lose before it starts to become a problem...?

Anyways, I hope all of that mess answers those two questions, haha!

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

How much do you feel like the portable phone game leveled up after the war? Did they go from bricks to smart phones in a year?

Yes, I totally believe that after the Yeerk-Human War, cell phone technology takes a huge leap forward. Not only do humans have tons of yeerk and andalite tech on the planet suddenly, but they'll also have ex-controllers who are expert in yeerk tech and andalite ambassadors who can show them andalite engineering.

Also, in a world with less Apple dominance, I like to think that phones and other personal devices would be far more durable than they are today. I like to think that people can buy phones that last 5 - 10 years, with updates pushed out by software and parts that are easy to repair/replace.

[ambassadorcontrols]

Maintaining a Safe and Uninterrupted Production Floor

A critical aspect of maintaining a steady product outflow is minimizing work stoppages. In the packaging industry, automated line machinery is complex, elevating the number of interactions between operators and equipment. The process increases the potential for accidents. Plus, frequent stops that require manual loading slow the line and expose workers to safety risks as they take steps to correct the issue.

Frequent stop issues are particularly prevalent in pneumatic control sections of the assembly line, which involve the use of compressed air or gas in controlling mechanical component movements. Such systems are common in manufacturing and automation settings, including packaging.

Traditional methods of ensuring operator safety include safety circuits with a redundant dump valve and a pressure release system to see that one failure does not cause other and potentially catastrophic failures. The safety elements have lockout/tagout (LO/TO) applications that perform functions such as shutting off the air supply and releasing compressed air from the system. These applications safely and efficiently stop equipment operation. The control structures provide assurance that prevents the sudden reintroduction of air into the pneumatic system, which can damage components and cause unexpected movements that injure workers.

With zoned safety technologies in place, it shuts down air and power near a specific human operator or piece of equipment that poses safety and equipment risks. This configuration fulfills safety mandates while allowing production within the system to continue.

In achieving this, technicians place a variety of standard valve functions, as well as independent safety circuits, within each pneumatic valve manifold or discrete system within the whole. Technicians can program safety functions and commands, such as “return home,” “stop motion,” “unclamp,” “remain clamped,” and “exhaust air” into each zone of the manifold without affecting other zones.

Another issue in packaging plants is the loss of power, which results in equipment downtime and potential data loss. The system design must include robust and secure data backup systems hosted remotely and carefully calibrated monitoring and assessing of electrical load. It allows backup electricity sources such as generators to come online and keep the facility running.

Systems may need to prioritize individual loads to ensure continuous power for critical operations when a power failure occurs. Production machinery, lighting, compressed air systems, and HVAC are among the elements that often carry critical loads.

Electronic control systems, computers, and servers are susceptible to power surges, voltage sags, and other electrical disruptions. When damage occurs to the control systems, the production line enters a state of chaos, with complex, interlocking components often operating unpredictably and running into each other, products coming out defective, and operators caught in the crossfire, needing to resolve critical issues immediately.

Implementing uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) keeps programmable logic controllers, communication devices, and primary equipment functioning to minimally acceptable levels throughout unexpected outages. UPS systems deliver immediate backup power, providing options for either continuing processes on the production floor as usual or safely and methodically shutting down production elements until someone resolves the situation. A well-constructed and designed UPS provides a reliable and continuous production floor operations environment that keeps workers, products, and equipment safe.

[thebrightestlodge]

Some barbarians for you all!

Much like Galena-Tau, Dawll of Dawgg is a translator/ambassador for her raid camp. While Galena excels in intermediary work and peaceful meetings and control groups, Dawll is a master at instigating situations and conning the unaware. Best kept in a raid company's inner circle and saved for dealing with aggressors, she knows how to say the worst things and get under your skin jsut to get the information she needs. Outside of her gig, Dawll shockingly amicable and easy to get along with.

One of the most common clothing gear you'll see in Aurgelmir are "Bile Suits". Veined and covered in tubing made from animal guts (or human if you're lucky), they're made to keep fluids in the body going through and keep the body safe. Some suits are engineered to the wearer's specific issues, like feeding esophagi or blood transfusion suits.

Aurgelmir's Northern and Southern most poles are drenched in sunless pitch black night, freezing and void of any form of natural light. The phlegmatic denizens of these lands have never seen the sun or even moonlight and will be made ill even seeing natural lights, most are seen with vision visors to dim the world around them.

52-Chiroptera is one of those few who venture from the poles to discover the world, using their other heightened senses to track after people and animals. Often found as a raid company grunt, sometimes hired out to do bounty jobs or small skirmishes. They come off as standoffish and unempathetic, but they're jsut not well versed in showing physical emotions. They do like being close to people and especially the people they've claimed as "theirs". Best steer clear of dark hollows and caves, Chiroptera gives many a whole new reason to fear the dark.

[pilebunkers]

Sorry for asking so many questions, but what do you think of the Rubicon III Research Institute, Professor Nagai, Walter's father (and mother), and Carla? Also, this might seem farfetched, but do you think Michigan might have had any involvement with the Institute or Overseer? Or do you think they just met him by coincidence when they went to Jupiter or something?

WORK OUT YOUR DADDY ISSUES THROUGH UNETHICAL MERCENARY CONTRACTS TODAY!

No need to apologise! I'm thrilled to have prompts to talk on.

Initially I was going to cover everything here, but then I fell down a three-hour rabbit hole of research for Michigan, so I'm afraid this post will only go into detail about Michigan in OVERSEER. But I'll touch on the other parts in brief, since each of those deserves at least one post of their own!

Firstly, Armored Core as a series is pretty good at specifying when someone is Designed/Irregular/Augmented/etc. so when only Iguazu's augs are mentioned in the Redguns, we can assume it's because he's the only Augmented Human in the Redguns.

That said, I like Michigan being a gen one. Because yes.

Augmentation was originally a trade secret of RRI because they had the Coral and the specialists. They would perform the surgery for corporations and corps would of course try to reverse engineer and create their own augments, with heavily limited success. Even RRI had heavily limited success. In that way I believe Michigan was an ambassador for Furlong (can you imagine Michigan being an ambassador for anything?) to RRI: he had a high AMS compatibility and a higher chance of surviving the surgery. Knowing Michigan and his not-so-secret protective fondness for his troops, he probably insisted he be the first person in Furlong to attempt augmentation. "And if it kills me, none of you maggots would have survived in the first place!"

I think at least for the first four generations RRI managed to maintain a monopoly on augmentation and controlled the registration and designation of Augmented Humans. They achieve this via the restriction of Cerebral Coral Control Devices: the C of the C#-###. Controller Generation 4, Number 621. When the Fires cut the main body of RRI off, there's a sudden need to rapidly "innovate on "solve" augmentation in the rest of the systems. This is also why we only see the numerically ascending C#-### designations for generation four and back. Gen five and six are the first without Coral, the first without RRI as a governing body, and the two gens (after gen one) noted to be especially gristly. The corps as a whole had to start over from scratch with Rubicon cut off.

We never actually get commentary on the conditions of RRI but as a rule, I think the development of augmentation was highly dehumanising and highly fatal. But, for as much as RRI, Walter's father, Nagai, and Carla should be considered monsters for the development of augmentation, the existence of OVERSEER and the Ibis series speaks to the fact that they had a strong sense of responsibility regarding it as well. They understood of Coral Release. They understood the dangers of unchecked Coral technology and, presumably, the dangers of Augmentation. (Or, they think they do, obviously this is worth dissecting. There's another strong argument for RRI fearing advancement and evolution it can't control, but not the advancement/evolution it can.) I see the protectiveness and secrecy they exhibited towards Augmentation and CCCDs as a natural extension of this. Now that CCDs (Cerebral Control Devices, sans Coral) are being developed by the whole wide world and receive designations based on the corp that produces them, it's no surprise the lack of regulation led to a sharp spike in stolen, "washed", spoofed, and otherwise counterfeit CCDs and CCD keys. (See: Iguazu's augmentation is secondhand.)

Mostly-neutral ALLMIND handles the registration of Augmented Humans now, since it handles the registration of mercenaries, and most Augmented Humans are mercenaries. But ALLMIND has a secondary agenda of Coral Release that at least OVERSEER disapproves of.

That said, I think Walter's father (Walter Sr. from hereon in because that's shorter, lmao) might have wanted to see Coral Release happen. Maybe he made Contact or something? I always kinda got the sense that Walter Sr. lost his mind a little bit. And I think any of the pre-Fires RRI researcher diaspora aware of Coral Release could have shacked up with ALLMIND or the corporations. Moreover, in a narrative sense, Walter is put in direct opposition to his father: If Walter wants Coral Release stopped, his father likely wanted it to happen.

I wish I had more thoughts on his mother. Considering Walter Sr "left his family behind" I think she wasn't involved in Coral research but was probably still an academic. I think Walter's whole family was descended from the first colonists on the Xylem, and were career academics all the way back to before they boarded that colony ship for its thirty year sublight journey. (See: the original settlers of Rubicon.) I like to think she was a biologist, maybe an evolutionary biologist with a specialisation in mutualistic relationships, working towards domesticating useful species on Rubicon. This fits in nicely with the theme of mutualism involved with Contact.

She also loved dogs.

Anyway! Michigan and OVERSEER.

I first came into this post thinking "Nah, Michigan doesn't have any of the usual hints associated with RRI and OVERSEER" in the floral naming that's typically used to justify theories around King and Chartreuse. But then I did some research, and you know what?

There is, in fact, a Rieger Begonia (Begonia × hiemalis) misspelled in several plant forums and websites as Liger Begonia. Knowing there are a couple translation oddities (OPEN FACE vs OPEN FAITH) in AC6, I went back to the Japanese name for his AC: ライガーテイル (raigaa teiru). Unfortunately, ライガー is the spelling for liger in Japanese whereas the name for the flower is リーガース (riigaasu). But that doesn't mean it can't be a stealth pun. Plus, his emblem's got a fleur-de-lis tail???

Between that, Walter's implicit history with Michigan (the availability of the Balam catalogue at game start, how Michigan seems comfortable renting out Walter's Hounds, even the cut tutorial mission apparently coming from Balam (though you shouldn't rely on cut content for canon)), and Walter being sent to RRI contacts on Jupiter where Michigan was coincidentally stationed, I've convinced myself OVERSEER Michigan is actually, like, pretty plausible?

Cool.

Perhaps coincidentally, during the Jupiter War, he would meet a young Furlong lieutenant in Intelligence that he'd come to rely on. That same lieutenant would resign his commission and becomes an independent mercenary handler after the war, dropping his Furlong callsign and adopting the use of his regular ass name: Walter.

[electronickingdomfox]

"Mutiny on the Enterprise" review

Novel from 1983 by Robert E. Vardeman (author as well of "The Klingon Gambit"). A short novel, written in the style of one of the episodes. It won't blow your mind, but it's fairly entertaining. Actually, it's better if you haven't read previously "The Klingon Gambit", as otherwise, the similarities in structure between both novels are too much: Kirk loses control of his crew due to alien influences (here because they become mutinous, there because they became capricious) and then has a planetside adventure. Again, Kirk is among the few able to resist the brainwashing, because of his unwavering loyalty to his duty. Though in this occasion, he's joined by Spock (thanks to his Vulcan control) and McCoy (thanks to his power of... grumpiness? I don't really know why McCoy can resist so well against this all-powerful influence, but he's very angry for most of the novel). Anyway, I found this one better than Vardeman's previous attempt.

There are some returning characters from "The Klingon Gambit", most notably, Chief McDonel: a female, even tougher version of Scotty, and a nice departure from the average female character in these novels. The main "villain" (though that definition doesn't really apply to her) has some interesting, well-conceived powers. And the alien life forms that Kirk encounters in the planet are pretty imaginative, and at the same time believable. As for the main trio, Kirk is the most developed character. And you can feel his mounting frustration against a situation quickly spiralling out of control. On the other hand, I think that Spock and McCoy are way too hostile towards each other. Kirk spends a good amount of time chastising them for their constant fights. Though some of their bickering is actually funny.

Spoilers under the cut:

The Enterprise has to bring three ambassadors to mediate in the conflict between planets Ammdon and Jurnamoria. And as usual, one of the ambassadors is a complete jerk (why does the Federation always choose the most unpleasant persons to negotiate?). However, en route to Ammdon, Kirk rescues an alien woman from a derelict ship and brings her aboard.

Kirk soon notices the powerful influence of this woman, called Lorelei, on him and others. Something about the way she speaks, and even her appearance, has a compelling effect on everyone who listens to her. Little by little, disaffection grows among the crew towards their current mission. Everyone seems convinced that, far from bringing peace between the two planets, the Enterprise's arrival will precipitate war. Even Sulu, Uhura, Scotty and Chekov start sabotaging the mission. And Kirk finds himself almost alone, with only Spock and McCoy still obeying his orders.

Everything points out to Lorelei as the instigator of the mutiny. Her species is completely devoted to peace and non-violent solutions. And she, as a Speaker of her race, has the ability to modulate her voice and adapt her discourse to the listener, for maximum effect. Since she's sure that the ambassadors will fail to bring peace, she convinced everyone aboard to hamper the mission. No matter how much Kirk insists that his intentions are also peaceful, she won't believe him. In this way, Lorelei is a good foil for Kirk: both have ultimately the same goal of achieving peace, but Kirk's conviction that a show of force is sometimes necessary against those that desire war, makes their positions irreconcillable.

On top of that, the warp engines, which were already in need of repairs, finally break completely, and the Enterprise is left stranded. Actually, it's heavily implied that it was Scotty himself who sabotaged the engines, in order to follow Lorelei's wishes. Fortunately, they discover a nearby planet, which seems enough technologically advanced to provide repairs. Spock and McCoy beam down to negotiate for the needed materials, but they notice something disquieting about the inhabitants. Neither the humanoids, nor any living creature there, seem capable of communication. And the entire planet reacts against any disturbance. When Spock tries to communicate with one of the aliens through a mind-meld, they're imprisoned. The ambassadors follow suit, when they beam down without authorization.

Aboard the Enterprise, Kirk loses his little authority left when he orders to shoot phasers, to destroy the prison that holds Spock, McCoy and the others (remember, no violence). So the crew maroons him on the planet for being such a bad boy. Down there, Kirk starts realizing what's going on with that place: the entire planet is actually a gigantic living thing, while the apparent creatures are like cells of a body, perfectly synchronized (that's why they don't need the usual ways of communication). Their presence, thus, is understood as something like a cancer, that the planet tries to get rid of. So Kirk approaches the prison, careful to not disturb a single thing, and avoiding tentacles on his way. Since everything is organic, Kirk brings McCoy a hypo to anesthetize... the prison itself. And they're set free. Meanwhile, a redshirt has died in a surprisingly gruesome way, and the ambassadors are also killed for upsetting the planet.

In the final part, Kirk, Spock and McCoy have to fight a battle against the whole crew to regain control of the ship. First, they hijack the shuttle that Lorelei uses to bring repair materials aboard (she's so convincing, that she talked the planet into collaboration). And after that, Kirk makes his way through the hostile ship, for a final confrontation against Lorelei. Once she's imprisoned, her effect over the crew starts diminishing. And Scotty finally gets to repair the damn engines, so the Enterprise can proceed towards Ammdon. Ironically, Lorelei was right all along, and the ship's arrival prompts Ammdon to declare war on Jurnamoria, thinking that the Federation will support them in battle. With all ambassadors dead, what will Kirk do to convince those two, stubborn leaders of the benefits of peace? What will he do indeed, hmmm...? I think the solution is pretty obvious, right?

Spirk Meter: 0/10*. None that I've noticed.

There's perhaps some timid McKirk. McCoy reaches for Kirk's arm in a couple of dangerous situations. And when Lorelei tries to regain the ship, she does so by telling Kirk that "Your Dr. McCoy has been imprisoned". She tries to beam him back to the planet, alone, which makes Kirk abandon the bridge, that he just won back with so much effort, and run to his rescue.

As for Spones, this is McCoy's observation to Kirk, about the two planetary leaders once they've reconciled:

"You're starting to sound like Spock. Those two are in love. Imagine, hating one another for so long, and now, who knows?"

"Yes, Doctor, who knows."

Well, who else has spent the entire novel fighting, and obsessing about every single thing the other says or does...? The irony seems lost to McCoy.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[milind52224]

The Hidden Work Behind Every Flight: What Passenger Don't See

I remember being nervous the day before my airport orientation as a Cathay Pacific Customer Service Ambassador. I barely got any sleep that night, and I was so determined not to be late that I ended up arriving two hours early on my first day​. Standing in the terminal that morning with a group of fellow new hires, I felt a buzz of excitement. The staff welcomed us warmly and took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the airport, giving us our first glimpse into the hidden world that keeps every flight running​. As we tried on our uniforms and received our ID badges, it struck me that I was finally stepping into the aviation industry I've loved since childhood – taking my first small steps in a dream that felt both thrilling and daunting​.

That orientation day opened my eyes to just how much happens beyond the view of passengers. Most people rushing to catch a flight only see a small fraction of the work involved: a smile at the check-in counter, a friendly voice at the gate, and attentive cabin crew in the aisle. What they don't see is the army of people working in concert to make that journey possible. In fact, it can take hundreds of personnel to get a single airplane off the ground. One seasoned aviation specialist estimated that anywhere from 100 to 200 people (or even more) might be working behind the scenes for oneflight to take off​. Think about that the next time you're waiting to board – the few staff you encounter are just the tip of the iceberg.

The small invisible tip represents the pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents you see, while beneath the surface lies a massive foundation of unseen contributors: dispatchers, baggage handlers, mechanics, caterers, air traffic controllers, cleaners, security officers, and more, all supporting the flight

Ground Crew: First to Arrive, Last to Leave

While passengers are still driving to the airport, ground crew are already hard at work. Baggage handlers are loading luggage, engineers are checking for mechanical issues, and cleaners are prepping cabins. According to SITA (2024), "4.5 billion bags were handled worldwide in 2023". And a single narrow-body aircraft might need a full turnaround in under 40 minutes.

Every move has to be perfect. If one step is delayed, the whole flight schedule could fall behind.

Check-In and Gate Agents: Calm Under Pressure

As a CSR, I saw firsthand how intense these roles are. Check-in and gate agents help passengers with baggage issues, rebookings, missed connections, and boarding. Often, they’re the first ones to deal with delays, angry travelers, and nervous fliers.

They perform a high amount of emotional labor. This concept was first defined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild and refers to" how workers manage their feelings and expressions as part of their job"(Beck, 2018). Airline staff have to stay calm, kind, and efficient even under pressure.

Many travelers don’t realize that gate agents also coordinate directly with dispatchers, the flight crew, and ramp agents. They’re not just scanning boarding passes—they’re holding the entire process together.

Cabin Crew

Cabin Crew are usually seen as the friendly faces serving drinks, but they are also trained safety professionals. According to United Airlines (n.d.), "flight attendants go through 6–8 weeks of safety training". They learn emergency evacuations, medical response, firefighting, and conflict management. they are always ready and the first responder of the whole flight.

While passengers relax, cabin crew are checking exit rows, arming doors, verifying passenger lists, and remaining alert for safety risks. Their job requires multitasking and emotional control.

They are trained to remain composed even in turbulent flights or medical emergencies. I’ve seen crew members de-escalate situations with just a calm voice and confident posture. They don’t just serve—they protect. they are also have to prepare cabin after groomers clean a aircraft and even before the flight begins which is a big responsibility and stressful for them even before the time to make the quota and be ready on time to not delay the flight.

What the Passenger Doesn't See

All this work is mostly invisible. The average passenger sees a clean plane, a friendly crew, and an on-time takeoff. But what they don’t see are the ground crew out in the rain, the agents handling rebookings with kindness, or the Cabin Crew ready to respond to a heart attack at 35,000 feet.

Even during my co-op, I didn’t realize how tightly coordinated everything had to be until I watched a delay unfold. One baggage cart issue created a ripple that led to late boarding, missed connections, and complaints. Every role matters, and every person is part of a massive synchronized operation.

Conclusion

The purpose of this blog is not just to inform—it’s to help change how we think about the people who make flying possible. These workers deserve more than just a passing glance. From check-in agents who manage stressful boarding rushes, to ground staff working in all weather conditions, to cabin crew trained to handle emergencies at 35,000 feet—every single one plays a vital role in the travel experience.

As passengers, we can help by doing something simple but powerful: show appreciation. A smile, a “thank you,” or even being patient when things don’t go as planned, sends a message that their efforts are seen. But beyond individual kindness, we should also encourage greater recognition in the industry—through stronger employee support, improved working conditions, and public awareness campaigns.

Air travel is often seen as routine, but it’s actually a miracle of human coordination, professionalism, and teamwork. Let’s not forget the hundreds of people who help get each flight safely into the sky. When we value their work, we elevate the entire flying experience—not just for them, but for ourselves too.

References

Air Transport Action Group. (2024). Facts & figures. https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html

Beck, J. (2018, November 26). The concept creep of "emotional labor". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/11/arlie-hochschild-housework-isnt-emotional-labor/576637/

SITA. (2024). Baggage IT insights 2024. https://www.sita.aero/resources/surveys-reports/sita-baggage-it-insights-2024/

United Airlines. (n.d.). Flight attendant information. https://careers.united.com/us/en/flight-attendant-information

#COM01 #airtravel #aviation #behindthescenes

[n2qfd]

@swradiogram Thursday 1930 ET broadcast 9265 AM

t¼ aiÝSntgp Before RSID: <<2025-01-24T00:31Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>

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Welcome to program 386 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

1:41 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:51 MFSK32: NZ mayor objects to Trump 'split the atom' claim 5:35 MFSK64: NASA develops a 3D-printed antenna* 10:46 MFSK64: Images of the week* 27:40 MFSK32: Closing announcements

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From AFP via Phys.org:

New Zealand mayor goes nuclear after Trump claims US 'split the atom'

January 21, 2025

A small town mayor in New Zealand has picked a nuclear fight with Donald Trump, after the freshly sworn-in US president heaped praise on American scientists for splitting the atom.

Trump's inauguration address rattled off a list of crowning American feats such as ending slavery, launching into space, and the moment they "split the atom".

The mayor of Nelson in New Zealand's South Island seized on the sub-atomic slight, pointing out that work to split the atom was actually pioneered by Kiwi-born physicist Ernest Rutherford.

"I was a bit surprised by new President Donald Trump in his inauguration speech about US greatness claiming today Americans 'split the atom' when that honor belongs to Nelson's most famous and favorite son Sir Ernest Rutherford," mayor Nick Smith wrote on social media.

Credited with splitting the nucleus of an atom during experiments at UK's Manchester University in 1917, Rutherford was "the first to artificially induce a nuclear reaction by bombarding nitrogen nuclei with alpha particles", Smith said.

He added that he would invite the incoming US ambassador to visit the Rutherford memorial in Nelson, population 50,000, "so we can keep the historic record on who split the atom first accurate".

Widely regarded as the "father of nuclear physics", Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1908 for earlier work on radioactivity.

He remains one of New Zealand's most famous sons, and his face still adorns the country's $100 bill.

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NASA's 3D-printed antenna takes additive manufacturing to new heights

by Kendall Murphy, NASA January 22, 2025

In fall 2024, NASA developed and tested a 3D-printed antenna to demonstrate a low-cost capability to communicate science data to Earth. The antenna, tested in flight using an atmospheric weather balloon, could open the door for using 3D printing as a cost-effective development solution for the ever-increasing number of science and exploration missions.

For this technology demonstration, engineers from NASA's Near Space Network designed and built a 3D-printed antenna, tested it with the network's relay satellites, and 1 k~hÎ an on a weather balloon.

The 3D printing process, also known as additive manufacturing, creates a physical object from a digital model by adding multiple layers of material on top of each other, usually as a liquid, powder, or filament. The bulk of the 3D-printed antenna uses a low electrical resistance, tunable, ceramic-filled polymer material.

Using a printer supplied by Fortify, the team had full control over several of the electromagnetic and mechanical properties that standard 3D printing processes do not. Once NASA acquired the printer, this technology enabled the team to design and print an antenna for the balloon in a matter of hours. Teams printed the conductive part of the antenna with one of several different conductive ink printers used during the experiment.

For this technology demonstration, the network team designed and built a 3D-printed magneto-electric dipole antenna and flew it on a weather balloon. A dipole antenna is commonly used in radio and telecommunications. The antenna has two "poles," creating a radiation pattern similar to a donut shape.

Testing

The antenna, a collaboration between engineers within NASA's Scientific Balloon Program and the agency's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, was created to showcase the capabilities of low-cost design and manufacturing.

Following manufacturing, the antenna was assembled and tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in the center's electromagnetic anechoic chamber.

The anechoic chamber is the quietest room at Goddard—a shielded space designed and constructed to both resist intrusive electromagnetic waves and suppreseo /gr emission to the outside world. This chamber eliminates echoes and reflections of electromagnetic waves to simulate the relative "quiet" of space.

To prepare for testing, NASA intern Alex Moricette installed the antenna onto the mast of the anechoic chamber. The antenna development team used the chamber to test its performance in a space-like environment and ensure it functioned as intended.

Once completed, NASA antenna engineers conducted final field testing at NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, before liftoff.

The team coordinated links with the Near Space Network's relay fleet to test the 3D-printed antenna's ability to send and receive data.

The team monitored performance by sending signals to and from the 3D-printed antenna and the balloon's planned communications system, a standard satellite antenna. Both antennas were tested at various angles and elevations. By comparing the 3D-printed antenna with the standard antenna, they established a baseline for optimal performance.

In the air

During flight, the weather balloon and hosted 3D-printed antenna were tested for environmental survivability at 100,000 feet and were safely recovered.

For decades, NASA's Scientific Balloon Program, managed by NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, has used balloons to carry science payloads into the atmosphere. Weather balloons carry instruments that measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction. The information gathered is transmitted back to a ground station for mission use.

The demonstration revealed the team's anticipated results: that with rapid prototyping and production capabilities of 3D printing technology, NASA can create high-performance communics ion antennas tailored to mission specifications faster than ever before.

Implementing these modern technological advancements is vital for NASA, not only to reduce costs for legacy platforms but also to enable future missions.

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Image»l3D-printed antenna mounted to a ladder prior to testing at NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas …

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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64.

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This week's images …

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"A joyful discovery in Vondelpark Amsterdam" photographed by artist Robin Rimbaud. https://tinyurl.com/26ygxofu …

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A worker arranges dried incense sticks near Hanoi ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations, known in Vietnam as Tet. https://tinyurl.com/24bmhnvg …

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A steam train travels through the Harz forest to the top of Germany's Brocken peak, January 13. https://tinyurl.com/2y6bkzoc …

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A snow covered tree on Loch Achall near Ullapool, Scotland. https://tinyurl.com/23yukzos …

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Fishing boats in Dunbar, Scotland. https://tinyurl.com/23yukzos …

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Skiing on Bourbon Street during the recent unusual snow in New Orleans. https://tinyurl.com/2ysa7wom …

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A poinsettia as it appears in its native habitat of Mexico and Central America, growing in the conservatory of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. https://tinyurl.com/2crwl3ja …

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A narrow gauge railroad in Forest Park, Ma , Oregon, January

It's out of service, but there is a campaign to revive it. https://x.com/Myles_Younger/status/1881105146878521367 …

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Our painting of the week is "Fleurs" (1952) by Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955). https://tinyurl.com/2atd89sr …

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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 …

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