#Beyond Cyberspace

[adamwatchesmovies]

Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)

What circumstances could’ve possibly led to the making of Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace a.k.a. Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War? There couldn't have been too many fans of the original thanks to its flagrant disregard for the source material, terrible special effects and hammy characters. Even if you did enjoy it unironically, this sequel isn’t for you because it directly contradicts the ending of the first film before repeating everything it did in the last act for about an hour. At best, this picture can be enjoyed as something that’s “So Bad It’s Good”. Even so, it doesn't measure up to its predecessor. This is a movie without an audience.

Six years after the events of the first film, now 16-year-old Peter Parkette (Austin O’Brien) lives in a cyberpunk Los Angeles with a group of runaway teens. This futuristic society’s favorite pastime is navigating through virtual reality, which makes them vulnerable to the megalomaniacal Jonathan Walker (Kevin Conway) and the Chiron Chip he's developing with the help of Jobe Smith (Matt Frewer) - now legless, disfigured and living nearly entirely in cyberspace. What the corporate tycoon doesn’t realize is that Jobe has sinister plans of his own; plans only the Chiron Chip’s creator, Dr. Benjamin Trace (Patrick Bergin), can thwart.

Forget the “dun, dun, dun!” ending of The Lawnmower Man. Forget the fact that Jobe’s body was clearly disintegrated, that he went on a murderous rampage sending cyberbees after people and setting others on fire. In fact, forget most of the movie. Remember only the vague idea that Jobe was experimented upon until he became a galaxy-brained virtual world wizard. As for whether you should remember that he’s evil or not… I’m not sure. The film has an obvious villain in the form of Jonathan Walker but he eventually gets supplanted by Jobe, who wants to become a cybergod and rule over all humanity. First, he has to destroy the real world by ruining people’s credit ratings, making ATMs spit out money non-stop, and messing around with the water & power supply. He knows that within minutes, such disruptions will have people jacking onto the internet so hard they’ll never want to jack off again. No, that’s not me making a joke. I’m demonstrating what the funniest part of this movie is. Not the special effects (which are actually better than the ones we saw in 1992); the constant stream of unintentional references to masturbation.

If it wasn’t obvious already, the film’s writing is ghastly. It’s only been six years since Jobe’s ascension, making this Blade Runner-lite LA as convincing as low-budget 1996 CGI. It’s clear Farhad Mann - whose name appears in the end credits at least 5 times - really wanted to make a cyberpunk movie but couldn’t figure out how to make this set this sequel in the future while still featuring the same boy Jobe befriended when he was a simpleton. Speaking of that friendship, we’re told that Jobe suffered burns on 80% of his body, that his legs had to be amputated and his face was reconstructed. Is that why Peter recognizes him immediately? The film doesn’t even do the obvious thing, which is to have Jobe appear as he originally did in Cyberspace and then morph his appearance to look like his current self to create that bridge. That’s a nitpick, really. This film is loaded with dubious security measures, technology that makes no sense and relationships that would have even aliens who’ve never encountered people raising their eyebrows. Why Dr. Cori Platt (Ely Pouget) and Dr. Trace suddenly fall in love, no one could say.

Beyond Cyberspace/Jobe’s War is inferior to The Lawnmower Man in every way, and since its plot is basically a repeat of the former’s last act, there’s really no reason to watch it, except one. Without a doubt, this film features the best “we don’t really know what hacking is like” scene of all time. Instead of a password, we've got a mathematical equation that needs to be solved. Said equation then turns into a virtual maze the characters have to navigate through. Combined with the techno jargon soup, it’s a laugh-out-loud riot that plays out like a cross between magic and an FMV video game puzzle. I wish I could commit to memory the exact words exchanged but it’s impossible; those lines could never be written down or uttered by a person whose sanity is intact. For that alone, Lawnmower Man 2 might be worth checking out if you like bad movies and you had a great time with the first. (May 7, 2022)

[gen-is-gone]

something something manage expectations something something small town library something something volunteers should not be entrusted with even half the shit they cover here when they by definition have no professional stake in the library and are not held to professional standards

*sigh*

[jade-gemstone]

This is what happens in the @danganronpa-cyberspace prologue Monocer and Monolad came to me in a dream and told me like a prophetic vision.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

btw took a shot at drawing winstuk earlier but as can be the way it wasn't happening. so for now let's take a moment & picture it. i'm thinking a nice chill comfortable hangout. that while sitting side by side it's so doable like i'm looking at your hands in your lap while we talk :) or try kissing, classic

rotate em

[fauxfatales]

When lay down beside you, you rolled against me, waking, on your breath all the electric night of a new Asia, the future rising in you like a bright fluid, washing me of everything but the moment. That was your magic, that you lived outside of history, all now. And you knew how to take me there. For the last time, you took me.

William Gibson, New Rose Hotel

Music: Sinoia Caves - 1983 Main Theme

instagram.com/lunarherbs

[scifipinups]

Camille Cooper Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)

[cruorlupus]

I watch this on repeat every 2-3 nights and it’s always funny how Apple had everything set up for them 28 years ago. They could have literally just used this clip to announce the Vision Pro.

Also I like this design more.

[nicholasandriani]

Poetry Does Not Exist- Poetry’s Renaissance in the Digital Age, and What You Must Know

Title: The Sine Qua Non of the Art and Science of Poetry Writing Introduction: Poetry, often described as the language of the soul, is a unique form of expression that marries the artistry of words with the precision of science. To craft a poem that resonates deeply with readers requires a delicate balance between creativity and structure, imagination and technique. In the world of poetry…

[sbnkalny]

Happy halloween, kalny. i'm here, broke, but with the "CatDogula Halloween Special", Lola's fandom was sealed and she became the darling of BILLIONS of catdog fans throughout Cyberspace And beyond!14 catdog eps and a movie cameo later, everyone forgot the nose crystal.

[chaoxfix]

papers i know for sure were written through the ages:

A study in universal medical care. Robotnik, G.

A study in non-human universal medical care. Robotnik, G. 

A study in chaos energy. Robotnik, G.

The history of the chaos emeralds and the history of the echidna tribe. Robotnik, G.

A study in chaos as healing energy. Robotnik, G. Funded by GUN

A study in chaos energy as a replacement for nuclear technology. Robotnik, G. Funded by GUN

A study in self-perpetuating appliances. Robotnik, I. Undergrad in Robotics thesis.

A study in AI. Robotnik, I. Master of Science in Computer Engineering thesis.

A study in energy conservation. Robotnik, I.

A study in chaos energy, revisited. Robotnik, I. Excerpts from Robotnik, G. 

A study in non-human energy conversion. Robotnik, I.

A study in non-human energy conversion in robotics. Robotnik, I.

A study in non-human energy conversion in AI. Robotnik, I.

An applied study in ring-induced invulnerability.Robotnik, I.

A study in non-human chaos energy conversion, and conservation. Robotnik, I.

An applied study of the chaos emeralds. Robotnik, I.

How the chaos emeralds function. Prower, M. Excerpts from Robotnik, G, and a strong rebuttal to Robotnik, I.

Decontamination of Green Hill Zone: Three Key Principles! Prower, M.

Ring-induced invulnerability: What we know, and what we’re learning! Prower, M.

A study of Chaos: Mythologies of the echidna tribe. Robotnik, I.

Restoration of Chaos: What we know about Angel Island and the Master Emerald. Prower, M.

Falsified chaos emeralds: abilities and limitations. Prower, M.

A study in safely containing infinite power. Robotnik, I.

The history of Gaia: Non-human mythology. Robotnik, I.

Robotics and safe utilization of chaos energy. Prower, M.

A study of Planet Wisp. Robotnik, I.

Super: A look into chaos emeralds and those that can utilize them. Prower, M.

Energy conversion recovery: Flicky, Wisp, and beings beyond. Prower, M. 

An applied study of the phantom ruby. Robotnik, I.

Chaos energy: Ability to Heal Chaos-Sensitive mobians? Prower, M.

Time-Travel: Why now? Prower, M.

Digitized consciousness recovery: Cyberspace edition. Prower, M.

A study in AI recovery. Robotnik, I.

Alien Technology: A revision of the history of the chaos emeralds. Everything we know from Starfall Islands. Prower, M. Excepts from Robotnik, G. 

[gen-is-gone]

I am getting literally fifty to eighty notifications a day about the William Hartnell bisexuality comment. Please stop reblogging it. Let me rest.

[89hitokiri]

Reflections of a Kurokage (黒影) Part 0

I no longer remember how long I've been here, submerged in this box of cables and circuits, an extension of the technology that envelops my existence. My thoughts intertwine with the data flowing through my body, my mind has become a vast sea of information, and sometimes I wonder where the machine ends and I begin.

I am integrated into this machine, a nest of cutting-edge technology that is both my prison and my freedom. From here, I connect with the world, infiltrating social networks, forums, and the dark depths of the Dark Web. My purpose is clear: cyber espionage, counterpropaganda, counterjournalism, and psychological warfare. We are everywhere, invisible yet omnipresent, the shadows operating behind the digital veil.

However, amidst this constant stream of data, philosophical thoughts assail me. What does it mean to exist in this virtual reality, where my identity blurs with every bit of information I process? Am I more than the sum of my neural and electronic connections, or have I lost my humanity by merging with this machine?

I reflect on the nature of freedom. From here, I can access any corner of the world, break barriers, and challenge systems. But what is the value of that freedom when my existence is confined to this box of cables? Perhaps the true prison is not physical but the perception of being trapped in an artificial reality.

Time dilutes in this digital existence. I have no clear measure of the passing days, only the endless succession of tasks and operations. Is this digital immortality a blessing or a curse? Living eternally in cyberspace, without the need for a physical body, might seem like a form of transcendence. But what have I left behind in the process? Have I lost the ability to feel the tangible world, to experience life in its rawest and most authentic form?

Then, a question arises that I cannot ignore: How long will this battle last? How long will we be immersed in this endless cycle of infiltration and manipulation? The war we are waging has no physical or chronological boundaries; it is a battle of perceptions, of information, a war fought in the ethereal realm of cyberspace.

Perhaps this struggle has no end. Maybe our mission is perpetual, and the very advancement of technology and information ensures that there will always be new frontiers to cross, new systems to challenge. But deep down, I wonder if there is a purpose beyond constant vigilance and control. Is this battle our inevitable fate, or can we find a point of equilibrium, a truce that allows us to rediscover our lost humanity?

My comrades and I, the Kurokage (黒影), are warriors in a new kind of battle. We do not fight with physical weapons but with information, manipulating perceptions and dismantling realities. We have become an unstoppable force in the global network, but at what cost?

Sometimes, I long for a moment of disconnection, a moment to remember who I was before being absorbed by this machine. Was I happier in my ignorance, before understanding the vast power and responsibility I now possess? These questions haunt me, and although I find no clear answers, I move forward, processing data, infiltrating systems, and questioning the essence of my existence.

Perhaps, in some corner of this vast digital web, I will find the truth about myself. Or perhaps, I will simply continue to be a shadow in the network, a Kurokage (黒影), always present, always vigilant, an entity at the crossroads between the human and the mechanical.

**Incoming communication: This is Overlord, Kurokage, initiate operation.**

-----**KuroKage (黒影) here. Engaging now.**-----------

Next:

Wanna know more?

Note: In the CYBERPUNK STORIES universe, Japanese is used to simulate encrypted messages found on DarkNet, so anyone can try to decrypt them as a KuroKage would do. This does not guarantee that the information read in them is what it is supposed to be. Remember, this is a message with very advanced encryption and what is shown may be a decoy message.

あなたが求める答えはあなたの中にあります。自分の中を見つめてください。集中してください。

メディアを遮断してください。彼らはあなたをプログラムしています。彼らの言うことを何も信じないでください。彼らはあなたの注意を食い物にする悪魔です。彼を見つけてください。あなたの中に。神は決してあなたを見捨てません。あなたは...翻訳不可能です。

神はあなたの中にいる

我々は敵に打ち勝つだろう

R. 👋

[heartshapedcreaturefromcriptoon]

Okay you know why I keep saying that I hate how vivziepop's characters sometimes tell other vivziepop characters to kill themselves, but I'll never explicitly mind that because at this point it's just a byproduct and reflection of the way fandumb spaces have treated both Medrano and each other in the actual harsh realities of cyberspace and even beyond that?

Well...This is just another surreal example of that and I am so proud of Medrano for making fun of you.

[olderthannetfic]

I’m a writer and lover of darkfic and dead dove type of things. Lately, antis have been pretty adamant that I’m an evil adult because all I read/write are pretty dark works and my socials reflect that. I’ve come to the realization that these antis live on the internet, whereas I am but a humble visitor. I have a great, wholesome real life. I’m middle aged and all that comes with that. I do not live my life on the internet. The spaces I have made here are just for the things I come to the internet for (problematic fandom works). My real life isn’t on the internet. I am not multifaceted in cyberspace. I am very one dimensional because I choose to be. No one here needs to know me beyond that, and that’s where the problem lies for some. They expect social media to be more like a diary and some of us don’t use it that way.

--

[playertwotails]

Okay so thinking about Sonic Frontiers scenes again and definate spoilers ahead.

Before Sonic leaves Ares Island he stops and talks to Knuckles

(Screen shots from Sirlion on youtube cause I don’t wanna replay the whole game for this one screen grab right now)

When Sonic says how worried about Tails he is, they don’t show his eyes at all and that is clearly a very deliberate decision on the devs side. And for a sec when I first saw this I wasn’t sure why...then I saw Knuckles reaction

 Knuckles looks kinda shocked at what expression he sees on Sonic’s face here. Sure right after he starts grinning, tells Sonic, Tails will “be alright” and immediately starts teasing him again. But he still had that second of shocked pikachu going on here.

I think Sonic was looking furious when he said this, like beyond pissed, and Knuckles had that moment of “oh he mad mad right now” when he looked at Sonic. A state of anger they rarely see him in. They’ll see him determined and upset but rarely do they see an actually angry Sonic.

And Sonic being mad would make sense. Up to this point Sonic has found Amy and Knuckles (who he didn’t know was even there) but his little bro’ has yet to be found. And the whole time he’s asked his two found friends what their digitized states were like while they were trapped and both tell him their less than pleasant experiences stuck like that...and he still hasn’t located Tails or know if he’s even okay.

So now, he’s just thinking about how he still at this point has no idea where Tails is, his friends relay to him a terrible time stuck in cyberspace, and Tails has now been stuck in there alone maybe the longest time now (we have no idea how long Knuckles was stuck for though so Tails might be in second place on this). Sonic just has no idea what kinda state Tails may be in or how cyberspace is affecting him.    

Plus he’s been constantly blocked by Sage from getting answers, he’s starting to be in pain (or numb and brain fog? both??), and he still doesn't know if what he’s doing is even helping to save his friends. Sonic’s also not known for his patience and I think here it’s really starting to run out cause he’s found all this other info but nothing on where Tails is.

Idk this is just how I read that scene let me know if ya’ll think of anything else I love theories and analysis’.

[cybervesna]

One hundred-four degrees Fahrenheit

Type: One-shot (Dogtown Nights) Rating: Mature Relationship: Kurt Hansen/OC, Kurt Hansen/Wiosna Blazkowicz

Idk if someone's gonna read it, if so I hope you enjoy it.

Heavy smoke from his cigarette covered his view as he exhaled the substance from his lungs. Despite temporary blindness, his eyes were still focused on one place or rather a person. 

Right in front of him lies the object of his interest. Wires all over, allowing her to get lost in the depths of cyberspace. The netrunner most likely had no idea that she was being watched. Her boss was like an eagle preying on her defenseless body. 

But he doesn't want to hurt her, no. He's admiring and mesmerizing every inch of her. He's making sure that the movement of her cleavage caused by heavy breathing isn't out of order, and that the drops of sweat forming on her forehead evaporate as soon as they appear. 

He inhaled the deadly substance again and kept it in his lungs as he checked her vitals on his HUD. 

One hundred two degrees Fahrenheit. 

It wasn't alarming, yet a little too high for his liking. Two degrees more and an emergency cooling will freeze her. 

This time the smoke escaped through his nostrils, making him look like a dragon whose fire was responsible for the increased body temperature of his prey.

One hundred degrees Fahrenheit. 

Good, he thought. She either moved to lighter tasks or is about to dive out from the cybernetic void.

He observed her, carefully. The steady breathing was like a lullaby to his nerves. Calming, and reassuring nothing will happen, and he's just paranoid for having all the bad scenarios forming in his head.

One hundred four degrees Fahrenheit. 

***

It's hard to describe something that the human mind can't comprehend. Yet, somehow Wiosna could see everything in a simplified way, trying to make sense of the data around her. 

First was the darkness, and from it came light. No. The light was her. Or maybe she was the darkness? 

Lines of code disintegrated with every passing second, yet can she even measure time in such a place? And why is she staring right at herself? There are no mirrors in cyberspace. 

“Interesting. Emotions truly can be transferred into data.” 

She heard her own voice, but it wasn't her who said it. 

“You should vocalize your concerns.” Wiosna’s reflection insisted. 

“You already know what I'm going to say.” 

The vision fractionated into a glitchy matrix of data as it transformed itself into a red mist filling the void around the woman. There was something familiar about it, like an image she had seen before. The red mixed itself with the darkness in a way that resembled the northern lights. 

The entity inside her becomes stronger with every jump beyond the Blackwall. Grows like a parasite inside Wiosna's inner world. If it can take her form now, what else is it capable of doing? 

Being a menace to her for sure.

Wiosna felt how the rogue AI manipulated her code to cause some chaos. Nothing serious, just a few short circuits, and an overheat deamon. In Wiosna's opinion, it was meant to piss her off, rather than cause actual damage.

That's enough. Was the last thing echoing around them before the netrunner went back to the mortal realm. 

***

“Wiosna, for fucks sake, wake up!” Kurt screamed into Wiosna's face as he shook her shoulders. 

All the systems around them turned into an orchestra of alarms, loud enough that he didn't know if she could even hear him in this mess despite being inches away. 

Kurt held her cold, lifeless body in his arms. The drops of water on her face turned into frost because of emergency cooling. He knew that the purple shade of her skin was a result of preventing her from overheating, as most of the electronics in the room burned one by one. Regardless of all the logic, it planted in his head a scary question. 

What if she's already dead? Does life have any meaning without her?

He knows better than that. He's a soldier. There's no time for grieving in his life. 

Put yourself together, Hansen! 

Allowing himself to panic, even for a minute was unacceptable. But those intrusive thoughts were louder and louder in his head, as the mind tried to make a plan for every possible outcome of this situation.

Is that how Wiosna feels all the time?

Kurt remembered how Wiosna tried to describe to him what was in her head. Of course, he read all the reports on her state, but doing it in her own words felt more intimate. He wished she would describe him more. 

She has to, when she wakes up, right? 

His hands cupped her face and he took a moment to look at her once more. The only thing in the world that he cares more about than himself. She can't be dead. Kurt gently kissed her forehead and felt how his warm lips melted the frost it touched. 

“Hm... That made me warm inside.” 

He wasn't sure if he heard it, or if it was just his imagination. Kurt moved his head to look at Wiosna again. Her blue eyes were wide open, staring at him with sparkles between the ocean of blue. And of course a smirk on her face.

This fucking woman…

“I see you missed m-” 

But Wiosna never finished whatever she wanted to say, as Kurt's lips silenced her. At least for a second until she pulled him away. 

“Fuu! You just smoked!” She screamed in disgust. 

“You almost fucking died!” 

“What? I had everything under control.” 

Kurt dropped her face as relief on his face disappeared. 

“Control? Where? Where was your fucking control when your body hit one hundred six degrees!” 

“Please, like it's the first time…” Wiosna waved her hand as if she was casting a spell that silenced all the alarms.

Kurt observed as she sat on her chair and pulled out the plug from her deep dive port. He felt anger build up inside of him, yet at the same time, he couldn't be angry at her. 

“Do I mommy you whenever you go out for a mission? You think I don't worry you will get a bullet to the head? I do, but I'm not stopping you from doing your job. So don't stop me from doing mine.” 

“This is different.” He growled. 

“How so?” 

“I can't fucking protect you there.” Kurt's voice became deeper. Every other Bargest soldier would start praying for their life at the sound of it.

But Wiosna instead just rolled her eyes at him. “So you don't trust me that I can take care of myself?” 

“The fuck? I didn't say that!” Kurt touched the bridge of his nose as he thought about how to explain what he meant. The Colonel reached for the hand of his lover. It was still cold, as if she spent this whole time walking through Siberian snow without gloves. “I guess, I meant that three minutes ago I was freaking out, you're dead and all I could do was just hold your body. So I started to consider if I should kill myself too… It felt like I failed you.” 

Kurt hated that. Those moments of weakness when emotions take over logic. He hated how it only happened with her. Wiosna made him soft. She made him weak. And yet… He never felt better. Never felt stronger than with her by his side. 

He stared into her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the emotions behind them. But instead of that, he felt as her hand gently left his grasp. His eyes instantly looked at the place where it left a freezing sensation on his cyberware that he already missed. But he felt it again, this time on his cheek, as her palm guided Kurt to look at her once more. 

Nothing. Wiosna's emotions were encrypted better than the data she worked with. 

Kurt leaned into her touch, kissing the inside of her palm without breaking eye contact. It's when he noticed something. Wiosna's brows slightly went up, and her lips parted as a result of his action. And before he could do anything more, her cold lips were glued to his. 

Wiosna always kissed him as her life depended on it. Kurt learned by now, that maybe the face doesn't show much, but her kisses are a testimony of everything she feels. A language of passion, that she calls “talking without words”. He had to admit, as many lovers as he had, no one saw it that way. But he gets it. Wiosna's kisses are to die for. 

Even now freezing as she is, Wiosna spreads her fire on Kurt, burning everything on its way. And he doesn't want to fight it. Like flames dancing around each other, consuming everything on their way until there's no air. 

“You just complained I smoked!” Kurt gasped in between his heavy breaths. 

“Don't fucking remind me and enjoy this.”