#File v/s Database

[kaiowut99]

lol poor Kite gets overshadowed more than you'd think for having a Light-Attribute ace

[rcvcgers]

Rotten Apples ❦.ׂ

chapter twelve: what i've become

masterlist , series masterlist , ao3 link

previous part | next part coming soon

oh yeah, i made a spotify playlist for this <3

18+ MINORS DNI

pairing: caleb x non!mc reader

synopsis: you and caleb prepare for the professor's meeting. when you see each other again, caleb is unsettled by what he sees.

word count: 14.2k words

warnings: please, please, PLEASE read the trigger warnings before proceeding. lightly proofread...it ain't perfect!

author's note: thank you all so much for 10k hits on ao3! i love and appreciate you all so much! it means the world to me! <3

oh and remember...the narrative isn't completely objective!

trigger warning: death/murder, bodily harm, manipulation, self deprecating thoughts, experimentation, exploitation, self loathing, angst, professor lucius is a sadist, gun violence, lucius is a creep if you squint, slight suicidal thoughts, let me know if i missed anything

my rotten apples <3 : @militaryapple , @kebarney , @pinkismyfavcolor , @romils , @erisnxxi , @rik0shii , @reni502 , @spacehopper27 , @llamabois , @likesvader , @pandoras-rabbit , @princessfruit , @lukassafespace , @jexireads , @etsuniiru , @tinnyrabbit , @orianakira , @xiaorixx , @beomluvrr , @sanzy4 , @vickykazuya , @blcknebula , @sleepydang , @flamedancer13 , @gojosbedwarmer , @silmeria-lafleur , @ikiru-wa , @animecrazy76 , @fealy , @i-messed-up-big-time , @motheraiya55 , @vvonunie , @1uv4jiya , @yuuuumii , @okumurarinsbabe , @mcdepressed290 , @luleck , @sanzy4 , @lucifers-silhouette , @crazygirl3001 , @april-likes-smut , @kazbrkker , @l1ttlebabyapple , @writersandroses , @kookie-my-little-sunshine , @curryexpress , @earthykitsunesrain , @raining4food , @chaoticbardlady99 , @lemonwithstupidity

Caleb stares at the computer, his foot tapping against the ground. Something inside of his chest urges him forward, to close the distance between him and the small machine. He wears his Colonel uniform, the hat hanging on a hook on his bedroom door. He sits on the bed and his gaze never breaks away from the laptop, his foot slowly coming to a stop.

It’s a bad idea to try and access the database twice.

It’s an even worse idea to use Josephine’s login information to get inside.

Caleb has always played it safe. He has always followed orders like the good soldier he was trained to be. As the Colonel, he rarely ever questions his higher ups, except for the Professor, and always takes the time to figure out which route is the safest for him and his men. He drags his feet over any and all mission plans that he has but when it comes to you…he wants to be reckless. He knows that the Professor will be expecting a calculated plan to extradite you, to pluck you from amidst the chaos, so the last thing he will be anticipating is chaos.

Professor Lucius knows that Colonel Xia plays it safe, so what will he think when the boy whose flame he tried to smother as a child is the one to come up with the plan?

The Colonel inches towards the computer. The screen illuminates right as he sits down, the fabric of his uniform constricting his body, pushing into his flesh as if he is being held down by chains and restraints. His hands feel heavy as he navigates himself back to Ever’s database, leather gloves protecting him from the keyboard and its desire to dig deeper into Ever’s plans. He plugs in Josephine’s login information, staring at the screen, his heart thumping loudly inside his chest despite its slow beat, and watches as the server processes his information.

The screen refreshes and he is met with V-03’s project file — your project file — right in front of him, exactly where he left it. Caleb slowly draws in a breath, his shoulders growing tense as he navigates the folders, his eyes scanning the screen and plethora of files to see if any of them are new. His skin tingles from beneath the Colonel’s uniform, the weight of his role and rank causing his mind to splinter, forced to play it safe in this moment as to not cause any kind of alarm.

One of them are new. It is labeled For His Eyes Only and it sits at the very bottom of the list, almost as if it were hidden in plain sight.

Did Caleb miss this from before? He could have swore that the file wasn’t with the rest before, it has to be new.

The label, though, feels like some sick and twisted calling card, and invitation to look upon the mess that he has inadvertently created. Just another reminder to never leave your side once he gets you back.

He still clicks on the folder. He knows he has to see what he allowed to happen. He must look upon the actions of his consequences. 

Has the Professor truly gone mad? Has he pushed you past the boundaries of morality and ethics, succumbing you to a fate far worse than death? Has he contorted your face beyond belief, turning you into a creature that children will have nightmares about?

Has the Professor turned you into Wanderer?

The screen is black. Caleb hesitates moving out of the folder, waiting for something to happen, his ears and back of his neck growing hot from shame and displeasure. He is about to move out of the folder when the video boots up, a small loading screen flickering to life before disappearing.

The screen transforms into the image of a cell with a lump hidden beneath thin blankets. A sire blares through the speakers, a sound that Caleb knows all too well. The mass from beneath the blankets begin to move, a pair of legs swinging over the edge of the bed, your tired face and messy hair being displayed to the camera that hangs in the corner of the cell.

You look exhausted, hunched over, clutching your stomach with closed eyes. Pain is carved into your face, a remainder that it is Caleb’s fault for you living and pushing through the worst of the worst.

If Caleb could remember what his time was like at Ever, only just a kid who had to look after himself and her, he bets that you have it worse than he did. He was just a kid, after all, or maybe the Professor is just a sick fuck who experiments on whoever walks through the doors or he deems to be interesting.

But you? You were caught in the crossfire, a loose end that Professor Lucius needed to tie, to eradicate your existence so you do not burn down what he has worked so hard to create and build for himself these past few decades.

Caleb leans towards the screen, his fingers sliding across the glass of the computer. He traces the small appearance of your face, his heart twisting and churning inside his chest, trembling at the idea of you being forever changed because of the professor’s evil ways.

You open your eyes and look around, a small yawn escaping your lips.

Oh, how Caleb misses watching you wake up, slowly processing that you aren’t asleep anymore. You’d look around the room while stretching out your body, letting out a big yawn while he laid in bed beside you, waiting patiently because he wanted to start his day when you start yours. You’d turn to him and have that cute, tired smile on your face, calling him a stalker for watching you sleep despite finding it annoyingly romantic. He would have pulled you back down with him and slowly covered your face in kisses while you tried to escape.

Escape…

Caleb shudders. You don’t stretch or look around. You look forward and straighten your posture. Your face remains stoic, void of any and all emotion, once the sleep has finally slipped from your body. You remain as still as possible, becoming just another one of Ever’s dolls that sits upon a shelf, forever waiting to see if the Professor wants to play with you today or if you’ll be spared of the pain and agony that comes with his games.

“Soon,” Caleb murmurs to the computer screen, speaking as if you can hear him, “you’ll be back in my arms soon.”

Your head twitches, slowly turning your chin up as you look straight into the camera.

The room is colder than you anticipated. One of the nurses were nice enough to gift you an extra blanket as the snowstorm raged outside Ever’s hidden base. You watched the snowflakes pass by your cell’s tiny window. It was one of the few ways to pass the time at the Ever facility, really. It was either that, being experimented on, or interacting with Viper alongside others in the common areas when you were allowed out of your cell.

To interact with others is a privilege, after all, a privilege that one earns. That is what the Professor taught you.

The blinking red light caught your attention first. One you were out of sleep’s haze, you couldn’t help but noticing the flickering light. It’s slow pulses luring you in. You turn your gaze towards it, tilting your head to the side. You push off of the bed and approach the corner of the room, looking up as the camera follows your movement. You slowly reach out for the camera, standing up on your toes, knowing that it is a losing battle to fight.

Aren’t all war consisted of small skirmishes? Perhaps this is one you are meant to lose, one that you know that you will not come back from. Or maybe, just maybe, this final battle will be decisive and show you what is in store for you and your future.

A piece of you wishes for a quick and clean death, to slip away into the darkness of permanent sleep so that you do not have to fight for your right to live.

Another part of you has a desire to live, to see through the pain and torture so that you will be able to have your revenge on the Professor and Ever for all of the things that they have done to you and others.

The red light shuts off. You let out a quiet sigh and lower yourself back onto the ground. The sound of dragging boots against concrete floors catches your attention. You lean back on your heels, eyes looking outside the close proximity of your cell. You push through the pain that resides inside of your stomach, the intense burning feeling as your intestines slowly stitch themselves back together, your intestinal lining returning to its previous healthy state.

You absolutely detest how your body puts itself back together. You hate how you can feel each and every one of your ripped muscles and tendons reach for each other, connecting in a fiery heat that can only be described as pure agony and pain.

You should be used to it by now. You know exactly what is to come when you wake up from the forced slumber, your dreams haunting your every waking moment as you remain curled up in your cell, your sobs and cries bouncing off of the concrete walls, deafening to those who listen.

The Professor claims that he is doing this to protect you, to prepare you for what the real world has to offer. He told you that the pain you feel will make you stronger, better, for the times when you will meed it the most. He says that you have been blind for so long, for allowing yourself to fall in love with an animal who needs to be caged.

You didn’t believe him at first, holding onto that hope that your loyal boyfriend, a lethal weapon who you have loved for so long, would burst through Ever’s doors and steal you away, saving you from eternal torture and leaping into paradise.

But he didn’t come.

The days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. About to be eight months to the day, to be exact.

Every day that Caleb did not save you, you were beaten and screamed at, berated for being a fool who thinks that she will be saved. So, what did the Professor graciously do?

He made you better. Upgraded you, evolved you into someone that you can barely recognize.

Sure, you are able to heal yourself at incredible speeds, a mere paper cut is gone within seconds and you can grow a finger back just a day after it has been chopped off. Your skin may remain the same color, your old scars having disappeared, fading into nothingness. You’re stronger now, too, reaction times hitting you at super speed. He’s made you better, yes, and has turned you into someone who can take care of themselves. At least, that’s what he wants the public to see.

But you know the truth. You know the ugliness that hides beneath your skin, the way your muscles are perpetually aching, the way your body is constantly in fight or flight, having to defend yourself from the environment that Ever has set in place among its test subjects. You know that no matter how much you bleed, you blood will come back just in time before you die of blood loss. You know that whenever you heal yourself, or others for that matter, that your sanity and mind fractures itself, the glass of your mind stressed beyond belief as you survive through the days. You are on the verge of a breakdown, your mental state hanging in a delicate state, teetering the line between remaining sane and the pure bliss of your animalistic instincts.

An animal that will obey Professor Lucius, of course.

What was it that the Professor said? Whenever an animal is trapped, it will chew off its own leg to escape?

It’s all thanks to him that you’ll be able to grow a new one.

You remember the first time they beat you. You were helpless, strapped to a chair. You begged the Professor and other scientists to let you go, that this is all one big mistake and that if they were to release you, you’d claim that nothing happened and 

You silently return to your bed, sitting down with the blanket wrapped around your shoulders. You stare straight ahead, your eyes focusing on the bars that keep you inside the small cage.

A maniacal cackle echoes down the concrete hallway. Boots drag against the concrete floor, the sounds of its scrapes putting you on edge. Your eye twitches, your hands fumbling with the corner of the blanket, plucking at the leftover strings, trying to busy yourself and your mind before he comes.

Viper is one ugly son of a bitch. His scaled skin has always left you feeling uneasy, his black forked tongue getting a little too close for comfort when he comes near you, invading your personal space. His laughter is never welcoming or warm. It is a sign that bad things are to come, that the Professor is about to put you through another night of extreme pain.

Your eyes flicker to the camera, silently wondering who it was that was watching you.

A small sliver of hope strikes your chest, hoping that he watched. To see where you are, to make sure that you’re okay. You hold onto that small tiny speck of hope and hold it close to yourself. Sure enough, that speck dies every time. It dies whenever you remember that it has been eight months since you’ve seen him.

Eight months of experimentation.

Eight months of torture.

Eight months of crying yourself to sleep as your arm grows back.

Eight months of shedding your old skin and stepping into your new body, a weapon that the Professor can use at his beck and call.

Eight months of losing every bit of yourself despite being able to remember every single fucking thing that they have done to you.

Eight months of your own Evol fighting against the Toring Chip that was implanted at the base of your neck, ready to send electric shocks throughout your body whenever you misbehave or disobey orders.

Eight months of falling out of love with the person who vowed to protect you.

“So,” Viper’s exaggerated ’s’ sounds are like nails being dragged against a chalkboard, shivers running down your spine, all of the hair on your body shooting up. He comes into view and stands before you, tilting his head to the side as his lips curl into a smirk. “What did he do to you this time?”

You don’t immediately respond. You blink at him, your fingers stopping when your eyes meet. He relaxes himself onto the bars of your cell, an open display for all to see the Professor’s latest success. His thin pupils irk you, the way his eyes dart back and forth, constantly taking in new information before striking.

“Come on,” Viper quietly cackles, pushing his face up against the metal bars. Your blood runs cold. “What did he do to you? You took a long time to die. Made me lose a bet with Frank.”

“Arsenic poisoning,” you respond, voice strong and definitive. You narrow your gaze on Viper, watching as his body shudders from his laughter. “He wanted to see what happens on the inside of a body.”

The high pitched screeches, the low chuckles when he tries to catch his breath…oh how he was mocking you.

“Next time, die quicker for me?” Viper’s laughter instantly dies, turning serious as he grabs the bars of your enclosure. “You’d save me a whole lot of money.”

You raise an eyebrow at him, looking him up and down before giving him a nod. The quicker you die, the quicker you can get the pain of healing yourself over with…and so Viper can get the measly twenty diamonds he recklessly bets.

“Breakfast,” he slips open the slot at the bottom of the metal door and kicks the tray through.

Food — well, slop is a better word for it — sprays the walls, sticking to the dark gray cement, slowly dripping and rolling down the sides as gravity tugs it down. You wipe your cheek where some of the slop hit you, the awful stench filling your nostrils. You turn your head away and hug the blanket closer to your body.

You don’t even take a bite out of the food or lick the excess off of the pad of your thumb. You don’t feel like being poisoned again so you’ll starve yourself until you give into the hunger that claws the inside of your stomach.

“The Professor has a surprise for you,” Viper continues and watches you with a close eye. Your gazes meet and he chuckles, his hands pushing through the barrier of the bars. “He finally gets to show you off, his special soldier…”

There is contempt behind Viper’s voice. You pay it no attention, though, always knowing that Viper lives off of the Professor’s constantly validation. He hates being out of the spotlight, inhabiting the darkness of the crowd, a place where you are so desperate to be. To Viper, you are in his place and he will be so happy when you eventually crash out and the Professor finds a way to permanently kill you.

Silence fills the cell. You look away and out the window, the snow coming down harder than you anticipated. It will be another freezing night. Two thin blankets are the only thing you have to defend yourself from the cold. Perhaps the Professor’s next experiment is to see the effects of frost bite on the body. Maybe he’ll throw you outside and see how long it takes for you to freeze to death.

“You’re quiet today,” Viper comments with a sadistic giggle, “is it because I’m not as handsome as the Colonel?”

You freeze.

“Are my eyes not the perfect shade of purple? It’s a shame they’re yellow instead,” Viper tilts his head, tongue swiping over the piercings that hang from his lips, the mechanical parts of his skull catching your eye. “I wonder…how will you react when you see him today?”

You do not respond. You stare out the window again and stare at the morning sun as it moves above the horizon, floating into the sky.

Do you even want to see him?

You do not know how to react whenever Caleb comes up. Whenever your mind drifts to him, you become so overwhelmed with emotions.

Anger. Hatred. Love. Yearning. Desire. Sadness. Lust. Resentment. Confusion. Desperation.

The Professor has beaten you countless times and has used him as the reason for why you are so broken, why you were chosen to be his special subject. If it weren’t for Caleb, you would have never been in this mess. If it weren’t fort for Caleb, you would not have died so many god damn times and be forced to feel your body rebuild itself after the Professor has destroyed it.

A piece of you knows that Caleb never wanted this to happen. You know that he has tried so hard to keep you away from the Professor, especially after the meeting the Professor forced you to translate not too long ago. Deep down, you know that Caleb Xia would never hurt you.

So where is he? Why is he not here to protect you from the people he has deemed to be the scum of the earth? Where is the man who vowed to protect you after endless nights together, the man who promised to put his life on the line to keep you away from the hands of men like the Professor?

Maybe Professor Lucius is right. Maybe he did want to hurt you, payback for when you shut him out as an angsty teenager, for running away after you promised to go back inside, for letting him in so easily after all of these years of desperately pushing away the boy you fell head over heels for in your childhood.

You’re weak. You’re so fucking pathetic.

Caleb Xia never loved you, did he? His sweet words have been deceptive from the beginning. Besides, the entire time of your clearly fake relationship, he has been so enamored with her that you have been an afterthought.

And yet, you still feel sympathy for the man. He himself was in the same position you are. He probably walked along these halls and touched the same parts of the wall you did. Caleb probably dreams of this place, being subjected to the atrocities that he endured as a child.

At the end of the day, though, your overwhelming emotions can only make you feel one thing: numb.

The funny thing about the whole experimentation and Toring Chip process is that you are forced to remember everything. Your body simply will not let you forget what has been done to you. Unlike the other beings who were subjected to the Toring Chip, Caleb included, their minds and memories have been wiped clean, a fresh start to Ever to imprint their beliefs onto.

But you? You remember.

In the beginning it worked. You could barely remember a thing when the chip was first implanted into the back of your neck. You didn’t even remember your name when you first came out of your sleep, the Professor had to remind you of your own identity what what your purpose is at Ever. You blindly believed him, allowed him to poke hundreds of needles into your skin, to tear your body apart layer by bloody layer.

When your body evolved, though…that’s when it hit you.

All of the memories flooded your brain, a painful relapse of everything that you have ever been through. You could feel your Evol, your power, fighting against the Toring Chip. The machines did not register this change. All it saw was that your body was putting itself back together again.

How could the Professor have missed the fact that your Evol helped repair your hippocampus? It completely undone all of his work to make you his beloved soldier, a weapon that he can use whenever he wishes. He simply cannot experiment on you and then press the erase button on the trigger, that doesn’t work anymore.

You are smart, though. Cunning. Adaptable. You learned very quickly that the only way to survive this place is to pretend that you are as clueless and blank as they wish for you to be.

That, my friend, is the truth. It is the cruelest punishment that will ever be dealt to you in the game of life.

You scoff and turn to look at Viper. His hands hang through the bars of your enclosure, mocking you that he can leave whenever he pleases despite still being under Professor Lucius’ thumb. You slowly approach the bars and the reptilian man does not move, he doesn’t even flinch as you give him a warm smile, luring him into a false sense of security.

You take his hands. Your fingertips glide across the scales of his hands, scales that morph into human skin. It unsettles you, the coolness of his body to your warm touch. Can’t let it show, though. You keep quiet, basking in the silence of your plan as Viper slowly pushes into your touch. Your eyes flicker to his, a teasing smile crossing your lips.

He must feel as lonely as you do in here. He probably has never felt the respectable touch of a caring person before, having been subjected to countless experiments and indoctrination before you ever arrived.

“Do you still wish to protect him?” Viper asks, his tongue poking out from between his lips before darting back inside. “Do you still love him?”

You grip on his hands begins to tighten. Slowly, you raise your gaze from your connected limbs, traveling up his body piece by piece, taking in the leather of his outfit, the snake skin that he proudly wears, before finally landing on the green and yellow hues of his eyes. Viper begins to struggle against your grip. At first, he begins to try and pull away but you don’t let him. He tries to take a step back but you keep him close, drawing him right back into the cell bars. His breathing grows frantic, eyes flickering between you and your connected hands.

“Love is such a funny concept,” you whisper to yourself, a small grin spreading across your face as you use all of the force you can muster up, snapping Viper’s wrists.

You go through the same routine when the scientists come to collect you. Alarms begin to blare out and soldiers line up outside your cell with their guns pointed at you, guns that are meant to kill Wanderers and Evoled humans, not normal people like you once were. You turn and face the wall with your hands behind your head, the clanging bars of the cell sliding to the side as a scientist cautiously approaches. They slap handcuffs around your wrists, the blue lights flickering from deep inside the darkened metal. The cuffs are a mere formality, a way to keep you in check instead of actually holding you back.

What you were truly afraid of were the soldiers. At any moment, they can unleash pure hellfire upon you, the metal bullets ripping through your body, tearing you apart with such ease.

It’s not like you can’t die. You’ll revive just a few hours later, sobbing and trembling as your aching and burning muscles reattach, your nerves on fire as it registers every single process of healing.

They move you from your cell and parade you down the hallway where all of the other experiments that the Professor has tucked away can see. They hoot and holler as you pass by. They launch taunts and threats at you, their words seeping into your skin despite you not showing them just how much it unnerves you.

To them, you are Professor Lucius’ most prized possession. The one person they should aspire to be. The toy that he plays with every single day. The one person they dream about killing so they can take your seat under Professor Lucius’ gentle eye. They wish to tear you limb from limb, ripping your beating heart out of your chest so that they are spared a sliver of the same kindness that he shows to you.

Little do they know that your existence is pure torture. Every breath you take is noted, jotted down in a scientist’s notes just in case you decided to strangle yourself inside your cell. They watch you at all hours of the day. The cameras in your cell and main areas are perpetually on, the red light slowly blinking — breathing — as you are forced to undergo the Professor’s sick and twisted fantasies.

He has put you inside a cell for all to see. Scientists and soldiers can pass you by at any time of the day, laughing and snickering at your plight. Some days, the days that Professor Lucius decides to punish you by starving you, they walk by with bits and pieces of food. Freshly basked bread, rations from the solider’s emergency food supplies. They wave it in front of your face, watching as you reach out to pluck the scraps from their hands before they pull it away, laughing at the idea of you begging.

Ever has changed you. Will it be for the better? Or will you completely transform into a monster that you never asked to become?

The door to the holding cell slides open. The echoes of the other experiments’ yells and cries are now muffled from the distance as you step inside, slightly nodding your head at the scientists who sit inside. The usual scent of bleach and chemicals stings the inside of your nostrils. It makes you nauseous as the memories of previous deaths flood your mind, the scientists already beginning to clean the room as you’re curled up into a ball on the floor, sobbing as pain overtakes your body. The door slams shut behind you and the handcuffs are taken off, your wrists sore from how tight they always are. 

“V-03, you know the drill,” the first scientist says.

You suck in a breath and nod, knowing that if you speak you will be slapped or tased. You circle around the table and glance at what it holds: a Fleet uniform, hat, and a single gun. A shiver runs down your spine, the hair on the back of your neck standing up.

You bite back the questions that fill your mind. You do not say a word and sit in the metal chair. The thin material of your pants is not thick enough to combat the chill that seeps into your skin, putting you even more on edge than you already are. You try to steady your heartbeat, eyes flickering around the room until they settle onto the corner where the camera sits.

The scientists are at your sides. They begin to strap you into the chair, the restraints tight and coarse against your skin. The sensation is familiar to you. You two are no longer strangers. Your skin has adjusted to the constant restraints and is much thicker now but your trembling heart remains the same.

The red light slowly blinks. You draw in a breath, the red light grows brighter. You slowly exhale, and the light dies.

Are you watching me? You think to yourself. Do you see what you have done to me?

“Good morning, V-03,” Professor Lucius’ voice echoes from behind.

Your posture immediately straightens, the muscle memory of his particular routine settling into your bones, your eyes set to look straight forward and at the door of the holding cell. Your eyes do not move as he enters. He passes off a folder to one of the scientists and waves them away, mumbling something you can barely hear. They leave with a small nod, the door slamming shut behind them.

The Professor settles into the chair in front of you. There is a small, sick smirk on his face. There always is. It is unsettling, always making you feel as if there is something that he knows about you that you do not even know about yourself.

“Good morning, Professor Lucius,” you respond in a monotone voice. You have to be sure to keep it level, not too happy but not too sad…obedient. Just the way he likes.

“We have big plans for you today, V-03,” the Professor’s smiles, his yellowed and rotten teeth flashing at you. He leans back into his chair, his knees moving far apart as he spreads his legs, getting comfortable. “Do you remember your friend from the Farspace Fleet? The General?”

Your heart lurches in your chest. The blood in your veins grows hot, your ears warming as you try your best to keep your composure. All you can bring yourself to do is nod in response, slowly blinking as your body struggles to stay in place.

In the back of your mind you think about the time you were in middle school. You and Caleb were running away from a teacher after you decided to cut class early. The two of you hid inside the janitor’s closet, tucked away behind the brooms and mops, using the sponges and bottles of soap as a way to hide. The teacher passed by the closet and hesitated, the two of you breathing so quietly, faces close together as you hid behind one of the hanging towels. Caleb had the biggest smile on his face but you were so terrified, never having broken a rule before. He promised to keep you safe, that he will take all of the blame off of your shoulders and tell the teachers he dragged you away with him in case the two of you got caught.

Thankfully, you never did.

“You are deep in thought, V-03. Would you care to enlighten me what you’re thinking about?” Professor Lucius adjusts himself in his seat, his dark eyes trained on you.

You don’t make a sound and simply look around the room when your eyes on the camera. The red light fades for a moment before coming back to life. You match your breaths with its pace.

Are you going to help me get out of this one too?

“The camera,” you begin, slowly speaking the words as if you are under the influence of the Toring Chip, an image that you have perfect over the last eight months since arriving at the facility, “is it you watching me? Or is somebody else wanting to take a look?”

The Professor lets out an amused chuckle, turning around to stare at the camera that sits up in the corner behind him. He does not immediately respond, taking his time in turning back around and formulating a response inside of his head. You know that this is him buying time. He is trying to figure out a response that will satisfy you — well, his loyal and obedient solider.

“There is a guest who has been checking in on you,” each word sends chills down your spine, your heart pounding to every single word, squeezing and contracting in and out, contorting itself inside your chest. “You will be seeing him soon. He will take part in the…demonstration that we will put on for the General.”

A demonstration…what could he possibly mean by that?

“Do not worry, V-03, you are safe here, nobody is going to hurt you,” the Professor calmly states.

As much as you hate to admit it, you believe in what he says. You know that he is the enemy, but he has kept you safe from the outside world, keeping you hidden behind concrete walls that will never seem to fall.

Despite knowing how much he has hurt you, you know that your mind is fractured beyond belief. Grief and trauma absorb your actions and emotions. You have become just like the animal that he spoke to you about. It is just a matter of time until you gnaw off your limbs in order to escape from this place.

“Your baseline,” the Professor speaks.

“Weeping willows decay under the scorching sun with no water to flourish,” you act on instinct, knowing that if you were to hesitate or push back that Professor Lucius will hurt you again. You try to keep your heartbeat as slow as possible, to keep your eyes still and steady, to not give away the erratic emotions and turmoil that crash throughout your body and mind.

“A dog with no purpose is as good as dead. Are you a pet? Interlinked.”

“Interlinked.”

You stare into the camera and take a deep breath, watching as the camera gets closer, inspecting your eyes with a close look.

“What is it like to hold the hand of someone you love? Interlinked.”

“Interlinked.”

Your heart skips a beat. You think about Caleb and the first time you held hands. The Professor scribbles something into his notebook.

“Your baseline.”

“Weeping willows decay under the scorching sun with no water to flourish.”

You blink. Your hands grow clammy.

“Do you feel like something is missing from your life? Companionship? Interlinked.”

“Interlinked.”

You heart yearns for a man that you do not wish to know anymore.

“Repeat after me: the void is dark and there is no one else there to help me.”

“The void is dark and there is no one else to help me.”

Where are you, Caleb? Why haven’t you found me yet?

“You are an integral part to the system. System. Interlinked.”

“System. Interlinked.”

Professor Lucius pauses. He does not speak. He leans forward, the camera moving with him, as they stare deep into your eyes. You try not to falter, remaining as still as humanly possible. You do not pull away from them, knowing that it will be a challenge to escape out of. Adding time onto your already lengthy sentence.

“Both baselines, V-03.”

“Weeping willows decay under the scorching sun with no water to flourish. The void is dark and there is no one else to help me,” the words burn themselves into your memory, into your tongue. An invisible way of Professor Lucius branding you as his, marking his territory.

The two of you know that if you were to somehow escape his grasp, to flee from the prison he holds you inside of, he will be able to bring you back to him with those two simple sentences. You will revery back into the shell of a human being you are now, forever chained to him and his crimes, another casualty in the bloody massacre he has participated in as the ring leader.

The room falls silent, the whirring from the camera no longer filling your ears like an unpalatable white noise that you cannot escape from. Even in your dreams you hear the sound of his quiet interrogator, an unfeeling machine that will rip you to shreds the moment it gets the chance.

You truly are alone in this world, aren’t you?

The Professor snaps his fingers. The doors open and a single scientist enters the room. They hand him a date pad, one that you have only seen a handful of times before in the past couple of weeks. You gently bite the inside of your cheek, just enough of it so they will not be able to notice, and watch as the person leaves, the door slamming shut behind them.

“V-03, I will be regaining control of your body now. We will need to undergo a few last…measures to ensure that our demonstration for the Farspace Fleet goes as smoothly as possible. You can understand why we cannot allow ourselves to have any mistakes in front of the General, seeing how he is our most valuable customer,” the Professor speaks while typing away on the clear tablet.

You close your eyes, just for a brief moment, and slowly fill your lungs with as much air as possible. The taps of the Professor’s fingertips coming to a slow pause. You open your eyes.

A rush of ice covers your skin. Your consciousness is submerged beneath the shadows of your mind, your bodily autonomy being snatched from your very hands as it feels like you are forced to remain on a sinking ship in the arctic. You are forced to watch as your body scan is pulled up on the screen of his tablet, your once loose and relaxed limbs growing rigid and tough to move.

Your face relaxes and you can feel your lips curl up into a fake and plastic smile. The professor stands up and sets the tablet down. He extends his hands towards the restraints that hold you down. He slowly releases them from your body and you can feel the sensation of pins and needles stabbing into your skin as the material falls off of your body.

As much as you try to fight against the Toring Chip’s control, you are unable to move your body. Now that your tormentor has released you from the restraints, you are faced to reckon with the numbness of your hands and limbs, the way your brain has been detached from calling the shots and instead being replaced by a machine.

The Professor picks up the clear tablet and flicks his finger across the screen. Your body stands and takes a step forward.

“Good job, V-03,” his words make you scream but no sound comes out.

You are helplessly trapped inside of your own body. You will be forced to watch and bear witness to the acts he will make you commit, the sins of his actions being thrust onto your hands. The blood of his crimes staining your skin, leaving a mark as you cry on the inside of your mind, begging for release from this madness.

You know that your Toring Chip is different than Caleb’s. He explained it to you the night you two first came together during the summit. The two of you laid together in bed, his arm wrapped around you while you listened to his steady heartbeat. His chest was bare — a piece of significant jewelry absent from his neck — and he slowly explained to you the effects of his Toring Chip. He has one of the earliest version, which is inevitably bound to have flaws in its design. While the Professor can see his emotions through his bodily reactions, he could only persuade his emotions to complete missions. To suggest and give Caleb the push he needed to say yes to dire circumstances and jobs.

The Professor had no control over Caleb’s body. He can wipe away the cheeriness in Caleb’s eyes and try to erase the playful and fiery spirit that sits inside his chest, but he will never have full control over the Colonel. All he can do is give Caleb the push, to bend his emotions and cause his brain to rewire itself to do as he says.

You…you are a puppet while Caleb maintains some of his bodily autonomy.

The Professor stands close to you. A little too close. Despite not having control of your body, you still feel your body’s instinct to pull away, the nausea that festers inside of your stomach. He leans in, his oddly cold shoulder pressing into yours, the man fully turning to face you. He leans down and his nose grazes against your cheek.

You can’t close your hides. You have to watch from your peripheral vision as he closes the distance.

His breath his putrid. Teeth rotted, decaying inside his own mouth. He places a hand on your shoulder. Your body doesn’t react but you let out a blood curdling scream from inside your head.

“You are…magnificent, V-03,” he speaks, the words rolling off of his tongue like butter. It scares you. “You are my finest creation yet.”

He places the tips of his fingers on your collarbone and begins to slowly drag them across your shoulder and down your bicep, switching from the pads of his fingers to his nails, the somehow brittle lengths pushing into your skin. It teeters between the line of admiration and something more, something ravenous and lustful.

You know that Professor Lucius does not lust after you. He lusts after the power you hold inside of your body. He lusts after the influence that your presence will give him in the room full of high ranking military officers and officials, making him even more powerful and dominant than he could ever imagine.

After all, you are his most prized possession.

Not person.

Object.

A thing for him to play with. A doll for him to literally dress how he sees fit.

He’s done it before in the past, used the Toring Chip to have you come into his office, to put on dresses and clothes that he claimed was for his young daughter at home.

His office did not have any photos of his family. Not even a wife or portrait they took in the early years of their family life. Perhaps he did not want them to witness the ugliness he pours his life and heart into. Maybe he does not want to look upon their faces and come to realization that just like them — just like you — his experiments have souls and people who love them just as much as he loves his wife and kids.

“We need you to look the part for the Farspace Fleet,” the Professor continues to speak. He pulls his hand away from your arm and takes a step in front of you. He nods his head in the direction of the table where the Farspace Fleet uniform sits. “The General wants to see his shining translator transform into someone new…someone worthwhile and noteworthy. Someone…someone dangerous.”

Professor Lucius steps to the side and his nails drag against the metal table, quietly scraping before he flicks his fingers against the screen. He turns to look at you once again, the sickening smirk returning to his face.

Your body moves on its own, forced to look away as you hands reach up for the top button of your shirt. You listen to the Professor’s footsteps, the loud echoes coming to a close as he settles himself into one of the chairs. Your movements are robotic as you slip the shirt from your body, folding it, and place it onto the table.

Is it a blessing or a curse that you do not have to face him while you change. Many times before, especially after one of his experiments to see just how cruelly he can kill you and get away with it, he and other scientists take their time to examine your naked body, watching it heal, to see if there are any remaining scars to act as evidence of their crimes against you.

You push your pants off of your body. His footsteps move closer to you.

“Stop.”

You obey his command.

Professor Lucius’ fingertips press the bottom of your head, right where your hair ends and where the scar from the Toring Chip surgery remains. He drags his fingers down, tracing the fine, the line of your darkened and scarred skin from the very first surgery you underwent. It was way before your Evol blossomed and came into fruition. They inspected your spine, moving apart the nerves, rerouting them, obliterating your ability to walk before they fixed it.

“I’ll see if I can find a way to heal your skin,” the Professor whispers into your ear, sending chills across your body. He takes notice and chuckles, thinking that it is a positive reaction rather than one made out of pure repulsion and rejection. “Continue.”

You reach for the Farspace Fleet uniform. Your heart twitches inside your chest, disregarding the Professor’s control over your body as you feel the weight of the uniform in your hands. Professor Lucius continues to touch your body. He inspects every inch of your exposed skin, murmuring and humming to himself.

It is so utterly dehumanizing.

You slip the white pants onto your body and fasten the belt, the black holster strapped to your thigh. Next, you put on the black dress shirt, fastening the buttons with precision and ease before strapping the tie around your neck.

While your body moves, you think about the slow mornings you spent with Caleb just as the sun began to rise from above the horizon. He has been up for far longer than you. He worked out and showered, placing his clothes onto the bench at the foot of the bed.

You slowly woke up from the depths of sleep, a yawn escaping from your lips. Caleb always smiled at you. He slowly walked to your side of the bed and would sit on the edge, the mattress dipping down which made you roll towards him. He caught you in his arms and lifted you up, melting into his chest as he placed a kiss to the top of your head before he met your lips with his.

Caleb was in charge of making breakfast while you showered and got ready. He stayed in his sweatpants, shirtless just as you liked him to be, and brought the plates inside just as you finished putting your last shoe on.

The two of you would eat and talk about that day’s plans. He would ask if you were up for a date out or if you wanted to stay inside. You always joked that you needed to ask your boyfriend and see if it was okay with him. The two of you would share a laugh, the sounds of his chuckles forever echoing inside what is left of your crumbling sanity.

You would clean up the plates and quickly wash them, setting them to the side of the sink before moving back to the bedroom where Caleb stands, assembling his Colonel persona piece by piece. You watched from the doorway, waiting for the right moment to step in and assume your daily task of helping him with his shirt buttons.

It was always silent between you two. Silent, but comfortable. Safe. A time where the two of you can be you and Caleb, a moment of domesticity in your chaotic and demanding lives. As soon as you fastened the last button, he would sheepishly ask you for help with his tie, always ending his question with a kiss to butter you up.

The truth is that Caleb knows how to tie his tie. You knew it, he knew it, but it never failed to make you smile and make an off-handed comment about him being so co-dependent on you, asking him what he’s going to do when you aren’t there to help put him together.

Oh, the irony.

You slip the heeled knee high boots over your feet and pants, your body lengthening by a handful of centimeters. Of course the men of Ever and the Farspace Fleet chose for you, a woman, to wear heeled boots. No matter what aspect of life you are in — a cold war or in an office — their idea of a strong woman must always come with their idea of femininity, which is almost always laced in with impracticality.

The Farspace Fleet’s jacket is heavier than you anticipated. You have felt the weight of Caleb’s in the past, having wearing it around his apartment as he cooked dinner, a smile on your face as you tipped his own Colonel’s hat to him.

This…this feels different.

This is the weight of your own world on your shoulders of the life you have left behind. The constant reminders of him running through your mind no matter where you look or try to hide from. He always finds you.

You slip your arms through the sleeves and feel as Professor Lucius flattens out the wrinkles of the jacket from behind, smoothing out the shoulders and getting rid of any imperfections he may find. The leather gloves slip on like butter and you reach up to fix your tie, your movement causing it to tighten it tighter than you anticipated. A gasp slips through your slips and your hands fall to your side.

The Professor moves around you. You take a step back, your body receiving subliminal and silent orders from the man himself. His eyes never meet yours as his hands take liberties with you. He touches your stomach and his hands move up to your neck, grabbing your chin, and tilting it left and right so he can see is there is anything else he needs to change about you. Your hair is neatly put into a bun at the base of your neck, one to hide the nasty scar from the Toring Chip insertion. He brushes your hair out of the way and takes a step backwards, his gaze darkening the more and more he looks at you.

“Perfect,” he whispers, “you are…perfect.”

A single tear rolls down your cheek. The droplet has broken through the Toring Chip’s hold on your body’s agency, slipping through the cracks. The Professor is quick to catch it, though, since your hands are glued to your sides, unable to move as your soul and consciousness sob inside your fragile mind.

“Ah,” he breathes out, disappointment laced within his tone. Your body shudders as you begin to gain control of your body back from him.

Your once ice cold limbs begin to warm, thawing out as you wiggle your fingers. The Professor reaches up and wipes you tear away, observing the teardrop on the pad of his thumb. He turns back to you and lets out a huff of air, amused by your emotions.

“I see that you’re not as easily controlled. We’ll fix that,” the Professor whispers, leaning in. His rotten breath surrounds your mouth and nose, giving you nowhere to escape. He reaches for the tablet. You swallow the lump in your throat. He presses a button and everything fades to black.

Caleb clears his throat as soon as he exits the elevator while on route to the General’s office. It sits on the very top floor of the Fleet’s headquarters, just below the helipads on the roof of the building. Despite being so close to the top and where many of the Farspace Fleet’s aircrafts sit, the floor is surprisingly quiet. All that Caleb can hear is the click of his shiny leather boots against the freshly waxed floor as he travels down the hallway.

The top floor consists of the highest vetted employees. The General’s secretary is a Captain in his own right, earning his rank from within the Farspace Fleet before landing the job of a lifetime. Well, that’s what some people like to think.

Caleb has never found fulfillment in his duty as the Farspace Fleet Colonel. Sure, he has been able to find someone to fight for, someone to give him purpose as to why he is still with the Farspace Fleet, but now that you’re gone, the job has become, well, monotonous.

Maybe it is because he’s lost his purpose with you out of his life.

The Colonel raises his fist up to the door, waiting for a beat, before knocking. It is three loud knocks in a row, quick and decisive, that of a Farspace Fleet officer.

“Enter,” the General’s gravelly voice calls out. Caleb does as he is told, entering inside the office. The General spots him and smiles, leaning back into his hair. “Ah, Colonel Xia, what a pleasure.”

“The pleasure is all mine, sir,” Caleb responds, his voice having a hint of charm to it while his face remains neutral. 

He closes the door behind him and the tail of his coat fights with his legs as he enters the heart of the room. He stands in the center and stands in attention, his hands stiff at his sides. The General pushes away from his desk and wave his hand at Caleb. The man immediately relaxes, folding his leather clad hands behind his back.

“Sir, the plane is ready for departure,” Caleb informs the General.

The old man, whose hair has become significantly more white than gray in the passing months, rounds his desk. He used to be the same height as Caleb in the prime of his life. With his old age, though, he has lost a few centimeters and now the top of his head sits just below Caleb’s eye level.

“Ready so soon?” The General asks. Caleb simply nods in return. The older man grunts to himself, nodding his head as his gaze moves away from Caleb’s.

Caleb watches him with a close eye. His Colonel’s hat covers his eyes just barely enough for the cameras not to see his gaze turn deadly when the General looks away. His eyes darken from his glare.

He remembers the day you left. He remembers exactly how the General smiled at you, how he lured you in with false pretenses of allowing you to leave before ordering his men — the Professor’s men — to capture you. Was it his idea to drug you? Or was he the sick fuck who offered your body up as a sacrifice for Professor Lucius to pick apart?

When the General turns back to him, the light comes back to Caleb’s eyes. The corners of his lips tug up, a mirage to make the General think that he actually takes pleasure in being his personal chauffeur to the meeting with Ever. The older man smiles back, a small chuckle vibrating his throat, as he passes by the young man, patting him on the shoulder.

“Come on, kid, let’s be the first ones there.”

The walk to the elevator is one taken in silence, at least it was on Caleb’s part. He stayed behind the Genral, allowing him to be the one to guide him up the stairs and to the dark asphalt of the roof where one of the Fleet’s aircrafts sit. As they walk, people stop what it is that they are doing and speak with the General. Their gazes flicker to Caleb, who narrows his eyes in return, and they look away before breaking free from the duo’s flight path.

They walk across the roof’s tarmac, the loud roar of nearby jet engines filling their ears. As soon as they approach their designated craft, a whole set of the deck crew scatter from the plane. Caleb inputs his code and the back door opens, slowly lowering itself towards the ground. They enter inside and Caleb assumes the pilot’s seat, taking his hat off and hanging it on a nearby hook.

The front glass is tinted, blocking out as much of the sun as possible. Caleb still reaches for his jacket pocket, plucking a pair of black aviators, setting them on the bridge of his nose.

“I saw that you were one of the best pilots that the DAA has ever had,” the General boasts from behind. He pats Caleb shoulder once again and leans down, laughing, “if we don’t make it there in under an hour, then I’ll have to give a stern talking to someone at the DAA about their qualifications of what a good pilot is.”

Caleb lets out a fake chuckle, one that sounds just real enough to anyone who is listening. The General moves to one of the back seats as Caleb’s Adjutant, Liam, enters the aircraft. He sits across from the General just as Caleb closes the back door, engines roaring to life.

Caleb places a headset over his ears. The aircraft is a passenger jet, made for transportation of government and city officials rather than one for Deepspace Tunnel missions or dog fights with other countries. It is still heavily armed and  dangerous to those who think they can oppose it but lacks its agility and swift maneuvering abilities.

With Caleb behind the throttle, though, who knows what can happen.

Caleb flicks many of the switches and the aircraft’s engine roars to life, the body of the plane humming and vibrating. The engines begin to warm up as the passengers buckle in. Liam and Caleb share a quick glance with one another, nodding in sync, before turning back to their individual spaces. The General puts on his headset and begins to spew one of his many stories from his own pilot days, laughing their ears off as the aircraft begins to move.

Caleb’s pilot instincts take over. He maneuvers the aircraft out of its spot, docking it at the end of the tarmac. The runway is clear with the deck crew giving the thumbs up. Once Caleb receives the go ahead from the tower, the aircraft lurches forward, the throttle being pushed to the max.

In a matter of seconds, the aircraft takes flight, slicing through the air at top notch speeds. The General’s laugh echoes throughout the headsets but Caleb tunes it out, his sole focus on getting close to you as fast as possible.

Caleb lands the plane after forty five minutes. The once blue skies and endless green fields below have turned into dusk and a desert below. The plane, all thanks to Caleb's piloting, caught a tailwind and accelerated the flight. They even broke the sound barrier, the sly becoming silky smooth with nothing holding them back. The plane passed over hundreds of miles of land, crossing through different territories and countries.

They landed in Athas, a desert city far away from Skyhaven and Linkon, outside of the boundaries of any country’s jurisdiction. A place where everyone can be equals with no laws to abide by or rules to follow.

The aircraft screeches against the tarmac, Ever’s deck crew guiding Caleb and his plane on where to go after he lands. He follows their directions, sunglasses now off of his face, as he parks the plane close to a base built out of cement, a recent construction all thanks to Ever and the Farspace Fleet. Caleb was able to catch a glimpse of the contract while poking his head around during his search for you. He cannot believe that it is what led him here.

He shuts the engines off, listening to them cool down and feeling the vibrations cease to exist. He stands from the pilot’s seat, slightly stretching out his body, as he glances at the General. He makes his way down the length of the airplane, placing his Colonel’s hat back on the top of his head, covering his dark locks from the world.

“Colonel,” the General laughs with his entire belly, slapping him on the back just as he approaches, “that was one hell of a flight!”

Caleb feigns a smile, sheepishly chuckling. The General’s compliments mean absolutely nothing to him. They are meaningless, fake niceties that he must push through in order to get to you.

The back door drops open and the hot desert air wafts into the aircraft. Liam takes Caleb’s side, handing him a small note written on paper. The Adjutant follows after the General, leaving Caleb behind. He hesitates to walk, taking a quick glance at the note in his hand.

She’s the demonstration.

Caleb’s back stiffens. He crumbles the note between his fingers and slips into one of the crevices of his uniform, tucking it away where the world cannot see the truth that Liam has unveiled for him.

He knew that you were going to be at the center of it all. He held out for a sliver of hope, though, that you would be in the background, hidden from the eyes of bloodthirsty killers from other countries. He can’t even fathom just how exposed you will be, his mind wandering to all of the possibilities of what the Professor will have you do for a demonstration.

“Colonel!” The General yells over the sound of landing planes and the restless wind that creates havoc in the sky. His head turns to look at the man, eyes narrowing from the darkness of the craft. “This way.”

Colonel Xia nods, letting out a huff of air, and forces his legs to move, the aching sensation as the realization that you will be in the same room as him finally hitting. He passes by Liam and gives him a nod, the Adjutant remaining in the aircraft.

Caleb thought that he would feel lighter than air when he first sees you again. He dreamt of you floating down from the heavens, descending into his arms like one would see in in a vision from an otherworldly being. He knows that the idea of you literally floating down is ridiculous, but he wishes that it were that easy to get you back into his arms.

The cement building is taller than he expected. The closer the duo walks towards it, the higher and higher it pierces into the sky. It blocks out the setting sun and casts long and dramatic shadows across the freshly made tarmac. He follows behind the General, the Farspace Fleet duo the first of a handful of groups to approach the building. The General swings open the door, his course strong and unmoving. The other groups hang behind, speaking amongst each other as Caleb slips inside the building.

The lights are unusually bright. There is no decoration nor are there any other type of items to make the place feel like it has been worked in. Caleb and the General walk down winding hallways, descending deeper and deeper beneath the depths of the sand, the temperature dropping dramatically with every step down the stairs. The echoes of footsteps fills the cement stairwell, the exasperated huffs of air from the General being thrown into the mix.

It goes on like this for a couple of minutes until the stairwell reaches its end. Caleb pushes through the metal doors, holding it open for his superior officer, before moving inside himself.

Inside is a large hanger, larger than one would ever expect to be beneath the sands of the desert. It is a grotesque showcase of power, extravagant yet there is a sense of maliciousness in its constriction. A warning to those that would dare to oppose Ever with their advances of weaponry, transportation, and private militia.

The balcony overlooks the hangar. There are two lines on the side of the walls, large aircrafts meant for large transportation of goods — or soldiers — mixed in with fighter jets and even remote operated stealth jets made for reconnaissance and spying. Caleb saw a few of them in action while at the DAA, having shadowed a few of the pilots who flew them from hundred of miles away inside the Deepspace Tunnel.

In the middle of the hangar sits a large table. A small group of people sit below with a two soldiers standing off to the side. One of the men holds a cane, the Professor, as he speaks with people in white lab coats. Caleb is too far away to see what the soldiers look like, his eyes floating to the shorter one standing on the right in a black and white uniform, one that the Farspace Fleet dons, and an unsettling feeling ferments in his stomach, making him queasy, his feet dragging against the ground.

The General leads them down cement steps. They inch closer and closer to the table, finally gaining the Professor’s attention as he dismisses the scientists. They scurry away and flock the soldiers.

One of them looks remarkably similiar to you.

Caleb’s heart stops beating. He continues to walk but his purple eyes never leave your face. You stare off into the distance with your hands folded behind your back. You wear the Farspace Fleet uniform and the brim of the hat, donned with the Fleet’s insignia, shadows your eyes, concealing your full expression from his gaze. He clears his throat and looks away, following the General who approaches the Professor with a joyful smile.

“Lucius!” he exclaims, his hand slapping into the elder man’s, excitedly shaking his hand. “The day has finally come!”

“It has!” Professor Lucius smiles. Caleb holds back a wince at the sight of his yellowed teeth. “I am so honored to have you here, General.”

“The honor is all mine,” he responds. He turns to Caleb and waves him forward. Caleb obeys. “I brought Colonel Xia just like you requested.”

Caleb’s eyes meet the Professor’s. The old man places the entirety of his weight into his metal cane, leaning against it for support as his one excited grin turns sadistic in the blink of an eye. Caleb nods his head at the man.

“Colonel Xia…” the Professor’s voice drops an octave. Caleb’s eyes move away for a brief second, unconsciously moving to your face. The Professor snaps, catching his attention. “Eyes here, boy.”

Caleb’s back straightens. His fists ball at his side, eyes slowly darkening, narrowing.

“Good solider,” Professor Lucius comments and turns to the General, “always obeying orders.”

“The best of the best,” the General adds.

“I hope you will accept my invitation to be a part of the demonstration tonight…X-02,” Lucius smirks. Caleb’s body runs cold. He stiffly nods, clenching his jaw. Professor Lucius nods back. He turns to the General and the same aloofness he had before returns. “Please, take a seat. Have the Colonel stand behind you. We only have so many seats. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Without another word, the Professor turns around and wobbles away. Caleb stays where he is, his superior officer pushing past him with a soft chuckle. His jaw is set, stuck in its tense positioning, when he turns his head towards you.

You’re staring at him. Your eyes meet his purple gaze. Your face does not change. You do not flinch, remaining as still as a stone statue. Caleb moves backwards but his eyes remain trained on you. Your eyes follow him, refusing to back down, as he tales his place behind the General. The rest of the room settles, the other Generals and Colonels and Captains taking their seats at the table. 

Caleb is the only one left standing. It is all a part of the Professor’s design.

“Welcome,” Professor Lucius begins, greeting the table. “I hope your journey was well and had no complications. I humbly thank you all for joining us, especially the Farspace Fleet for proving the materials necessary to set up a meeting place for us to gather.”

Nobody claps. Nobody cheers or greets the man back. They simply stare at the Professor, tilting their heads.

Caleb’s eyes flicker around the room. Many of the men inside have guns holstered to their hips and thighs. He can assume that the older man, such as the General, have guns inside their jackets and, well, the Professor has his super soldiers prepared and ready to protect him…including you.

“I know that my messages about what is to be unveiled tonight have been vague…they have been less than desirable, am I right?” There are a few nods across the table’s inhabitants. “Tonight, I have the honor to show to you the next phase of soldiers.”

The Professor holds his hand up and snaps his fingers. The sound echoes across the hangar. It captures the table’s attention, their eyes moving towards you and the soldier who stands beside you. Caleb recognizes the man beside you. He was in Caleb’s Farspace Fleet’s wing for awhile before he was honorably discharged, the reason unknown. He looks at him with a close eye, slowly breathing in, his chest puffing out, before exhaling.

You remain where you are, frozen in space yet again. Caleb’s heart aches for you. He has to hold back the urge to storm across the distance and pull you into his arms, to cry into your hair, and apologize for the sins that he has committed. He desperately wants to feel your skin against his. To feel the spark of your short-lived love for one another, to give him a reason worth fighting for.

“This is Staff Sergeant Hardy. He was one of the few lucky soldiers who received Toring Chip Version 2.0,” the Professor speaks. He holds his hand out to Caleb, the room’s attention turning to him. “This is Colonel Xia. He currently has Toring Chip Version 1.8 inside of him.”

You suddenly step forward. The sound of your step enamors the room, the deadly look on your face silencing the murmurs that sounded from around the table.

“And this…this is V-03. Her name isn’t important. She currently has the latest Toring Chip inside of her neck. Version 3.9 to be exact. She is the most advanced out of all of the soldiers here and she is here to redefine the way we look at and compete in war.”

Chills run down Caleb’s spine. His ears begin to ring as the Professor continues to speak. His mouth goes dry and he is unable to look away from the darkness that is inside of your eyes, the way you scan the room as if you are searching for your next victim.

From behind, the scientists roll up a large white board, one that towers over the people inside the room. A man towards the back tosses a newer and smaller version of OTTO into the air. Its wings buzz and it floats up, light flooding from its lens, projecting images onto the white board with vibrant colors.

“The Toring Chip initiative was a way for Ever to help governments and private militias to control their soldiers as well as yield their obedience. Ever since its origins, it has blossomed into something powerful, a tool that only men like us — men in power — are able to have control over,” the Professor addresses the room.

Their attention remains on him, their energy beginning to burst at the seams, wondering what he has in store.

“The first wave of Toring Chips proved that we are able to monitor a soldier’s emotions through their cognitive and cardiovascular charts. By using this information, it allowed its users to be swayed to complete missions and goals, making them think that what they are doing is for the good of mankind and not self serving purposes. It also allowed us to their memories, giving us leverage over their life by hanging their memories over their heads…a push in the right direction to do what is best for their minds and lives.”

Caleb swallows the lump that forms in his throat. He watches the Professor with a close eye, barely even paying attention to the images and words on the board. He notices an image of himself but does not pay attention, focusing on your face instead.

His eyes dip below the surface of your bust and he notices the gun that is strapped to your leg. It is sleek yet chunky, the barrel long and unforgiving.

“With the second version of the Toring Chip, we were able to hone in the skills from the previous version, allowing us to refine where we messed up and reign in our soldiers, keeping them on a much shorter leash so they have much more to lose…”

Caleb drowns out the Professor’s voice. He watches as your face twitches, eyes blinking rapidly, taking away the gloss that reflected the lights coming out of OTTO.

“With the third version…we were able to increase our reach over the soldier’s agency,” Lucius speaks, his voice not faltering, not one bit, as he holds it hand out. You step to his side and place a glass tablet into his hand. He holds it up into the air as you resume your spot on the other side of the board. “Unlike the others, it must be surgically inserted into the neck, unable to be dissolved, so they are forced to live with it for the rest of their lives. If you wish to remove it, well, it will have to be cut out from their bodies. Thank you, V-03. This is a data pad that holds all of her information. From it, I can control almost all of her bodily functions. Her consciousness is simply sedated, asleep while we take the wheel. I can tell her to stop breathing and she will obey. I can tell her when and what to eat, what to drink…she does it without question.”

A few of the men and officers at the table lean forward. Men from countries that are constantly at war with each other, ready to soak the ground beneath their feet with the blood of their enemies.

“Using this tablet allows me full access to her cognitive functions. I am able to fully control her…she is my puppet to use how I see fit,” Professor Lucius’ eyes move to Caleb. He stands still, unmoving as he listens to the way that the Professor has removed all of your autonomy with a smug smirk. “Whoever holds the leash is in control. They hold all of the power. They hold a soldier’s so called ‘free will’ in their hands.”

“Wait,” the General speaks up, “you are able to control her?”

“That is correct, yes,” Professor Lucius confirms. “She is fully mine to use. With the new Toring Chip, we have taken out all possibilities of rebellion or disobedience. She will complete whatever task is set in front of her.”

“Tasks such as…?” a man from the far end of the table asks.

“Who would want to play god?” a man murmurs from under his breath. “It is inhumane.”

“Is there a limit?” another one chimes in.

The Professor chuckles, shaking his head. The sound echoes inside of Caleb’s ears, the color draining from his face as the old man flicks his fingers across the screen.

In an instant, your body moves, hand reaching for the gun that is secure on your thigh. You pull it from its place and lift it into the air, aiming at Staff Sergeant Hardy. You pull the trigger, his neck exploding as blood bursts across the immediate area, splattering along the white board that sits behind you and the Professor. The Professor smirks, turning back to the men who dared to question him while you holstered your gun.

“Does that answer your question?”

The men remain silent.

“What makes V-03 special, though, is not the Toring Chip that is inside of her neck. No, no,” the Professor’s eyes darken. His chuckle is cold, heartless. He moves to the next image of his presentation.

A picture of your body is displayed on the screen. It is dated to a couple of months ago, the first day you were experimented on. You stand in the middle of the room with soldiers surrounding you, their frames massive and bulky compared to your small and fragile state  — which angers Caleb beyond belief but he refuses to let it show — and the video begins.

The men surround you. They begin to beat you senseless, your cries filling and echoing across the grand aircraft hangar. Caleb flinches ever so slightly. Your head snaps to him, your glare burning into the side of his face.

Professor Lucius clicks to the next video. In this one, you’re being cut open while awake, no sedation or morphine to be used to ease the pain. You scream out for help, for them to show you mercy.

In the next slide sits a set of photos. You are dead on a lab table, face bruised and bloodied, disfigured beyond belief. There’s a lump on your neck from where it broke, your death slow and painful as you slowly suffocated to death.

“From a young age, I have been interested in the evolution of the human race. When Evolvers came about, entering our society with Evols and powers that surpass a normal person’s capability, I couldn’t help but wonder what the human genome can hold. What made Evolvers so special whereas men like me and you, you who sit around the table, are stuck with no ability to show or protect ourselves?” Professor Lucius pauses, the question seeping into the minds of the men around the room. “The key is in our DNA.”

He moves to the next slide that showcases the DNA sequences that belong to you. On one side is when you were normal. On the other sits your new DNA sequence, one with your Evol present.

“There was no way for me arrange V-03’s DNA, that is simply a fact. So I had to look back in our world’s history and do some research, needing to find the answer to this question…that’s when it hit me,” the elderly man leans to look behind him, staring at the still warm corpse on the ground. He turns back to the room, offering them a simple shrug and smile, “Survival.”

“Survival?” The General asks, leaning forward. The Professor nods. “Lucius, what did you do?”

“I forced the Evol out of her. I forced her to evolve into the superhuman she was meant to be,” he lets out a breathy laugh, a maniacal one that unsettles the entirety of the room. “If we stress out the human body enough, it will be forced with a choice: death or survival. She chose to survive and the DNA sequence she needed to evolve was forced out of her. It was once asleep inside her body — herblood — but it is now awakened and her Evol is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!”

“Well…what is it?” the General asks, sitting on the edge of his seat.

“X-02, come forward,” the Professor waves Caleb over.

The room turns to look at Caleb. He hesitates to move, heart pounding inside his ears and chest. After a few seconds, he moves, walking around the long metal table as every single person in the room watches. The click of his boots is faint, the tip of his shoes dragging across the cement floor. You move and meet him in the middle, standing on the right side of the Professor while Caleb stands on the left, towering over you.

You look up at him, all of the color that was once in your eyes a dull gray, a cloud of fog overtaking it. It makes Caleb’s skin crawl at the sight. His eyes quickly examine your face, trying to see if you have been hurt or is there is a way for him to break you out of the haze.

His eyes flit to the tablet in the Professor’s hands. With that…he will get you back. It is the only way for you to escape and break free from his hellscape.

“V-03, if you would be so kind,” the Professor gestures his hand between you and Caleb.

Your movement is smooth yet there is a lack of humanity in it. You have fully been transformed into a robot, a servant for the Professor to use as he pleases. Your hand moves to the gun in your holster. You slip it out, a few specks of Staff Sergeant Hardy’s blood prominent along the silver metal. The gun spins in your hand, the barrel slipping into your hand, holding the gun out to Caleb.

He heart goes still. White noise fills his ears as he stares down at the gun. Caleb’s eyes move up your body. He stares at the Farspace Fleet uniform that you wear, a costume that you were undoubtedly forced into. It looks so foreign on you, the colors not fitting nor the shape of the jacket complimenting your body.

This…this is not you.

Has Caleb truly lost the love of his life? Has your soul been forced out of your body? Have you shed your skin and moved onto the next life?

“X-02,” the Professor says in a low and dangerous voice, “shoot her in the head.”

The air leaves Caleb’s lungs. His purple eyes slowly track up your body, observing the skin of your neck, watching as your chest slowly rises and falls, your breathing steady. When his eyes move back to your face, that is when he notices the sadistic smile on your face, your greyed out eyes making you look like someone he cannot even recognize anymore.

Caleb doesn’t ready for the gun.

The Professor huffs and swipes the weapon from your hands, forcing into Caleb’s. He moves to the side and lifts up Caleb’s arm. The Colonel’s soul has left his body, completely dissociating, drowning out the world that surrounds him.

Caleb did this to you. This is all of his fault.

The muzzle rests in the center of your forehead. Professor Lucius steps away. Both hands rest on his cane now, his eyes dark and lowered. His body vibrates from excitement. The room is silent.

“Do it,” Professor Lucius spits, “pull the trigger.”

Caleb’s finger rests on the trigger of your gun. The smile remains on your face. He can feel his body heat up, pulsating across his skin as his anxiety flares up, his heartbeat racing inside of his chest. Caleb’s breathing grows shallow, unable to keep up with just how fast his heart speeds inside his body. His ears ring, white noise the only thing he can hear besides the Professor’s voice.

Caleb stares into your eyes. He searches for any kind of humanity that you have left, wishing that you would give him a sign, anything to help him turn the gun towards Professor Lucius and blow his brains out instead. That would result in his death but it would be worth it if it meant giving you back your agency and autonomy.

“X-02! Pull the trigger!”

Caleb whispers your name, tears forming in his eyes.

To him, you are not V-03. You are your own person, someone worthy of love and admiration and not endless torture and despair.

He whispers your name, the sound ringing inside your ears. You try to fight against the Toring Chip, your screams only sounding off inside the confines of your own consciousness and mind. You beg and sob, wishing for him to break you free from this place while your world slowly crumbles from all around you.

“X-02! I order you to pull the trigger! Kill her!”

Caleb whispers your name.

You blink in response.

“X-02!”

Caleb becomes overwhelmed. He hears your joyous laughter in his head, the scent of your spiced apple perfume filling his nose. Memories of your lazy mornings together attack him. His eyes move down to your tie. He wonders if you needed help with it like he always does. Caleb shudders as the men in the room scream and shout at him, defying their orders.

You take a step forward, pushing your head into the muzzle, forcing him backwards. Caleb flinches.

BANG!

please drop a like, reblog, & comment!! i love see what you all have to say <3

i <3 commenters

[snugglesquiggle]

Juzi >:3

J narrowed her eyes, eyeing the two disassembly drones in the pod. N and V leaned against the wall, white sheets of A2 paper in their hands. V rolled her eyes, but N raised a finger, as if requesting permission to ask a question. What a waste of time — just ask.

“Hey captain, what’s this?”

“It’s your schedule for the next week. Memorize it, or keep it safe. I won’t be printing out another.”

“What’s the point of this?” V asked. J jerked her gaze to her other squadmate with a frown and a click of her tongue. As if I gave her permission to ask a question. “Fly around, kill whatever, drag em back. ’s worked just fine so far.”

“I selected our patrol routes so that—” J’s lecture was interrupted by a paper airplane sniping point-first into her temple. A pixel-vein popped above one eye, and her gaze snapped to the last drone in the pod.

Uzi sat in the pilot’s chair, legs kicked up on the console. She held a Nintendo Game Boy Advance® in front of her, buttons clicking — hands busy, as if she were innocent of the crime, but there was only one drone without a printed schedule.

She smirked, and J glared back.

“We’re robots,” Uzi said. “Just save it to a file and airdrop it. Thought you of all drones would be happy to use a spreadsheet.”

“We did use an shared database, until someone went in and gave themselves an entire month of time off, corrupting my access credentials in the process.”

V shot a dirty look at Uzi. “And you didn’t share it with anyone? Stingy little dork.”

“Hey, I earned it!” Uzi dropped her Game Boy®, crossing her arms. “Testing security is job too, you know!”

“Nice work, Uzi! Preventing hacks with hacking, I like it.”

N made a finger guns gesture, and Uzi smiled back.

J scowled deep enough you could hear it. “Enough,” she said. “N, V, get out. I need to talk with Uzi in private. We’ll conclude this meeting later.”

N gave a salute, while V glanced between J and Uzi and snorted. She left first, and N tailed after her.

J stalked forward, the stabs of her stiletto pegs resounding in the now-vacated pod. Uzi didn’t flinch at her approach. No, that smirk turned into a grin, even as the reflection of yellow eyes raced up her visor.

The murder drone loomed over the worker, and the worker lifted a hand and tapped J between the eyes where visor met synthskin.

“Boop.”

J grabbed the hand by the wrist and squeezed. The metal protested, and plastic bent.

“Uzi.” That voiced sibilant in her name was made both a hiss and a growl.

“Hey, J.”

Amber eyes stared, narrow and getting narrower.

The goth sighed. She amended, “Hey, captain.”

“That’s right. Captain. I’m in charge here. Do you think you’re doing this team any favors when you undermine my authority?”

“Yes.”

Eyes wide now, an eyebrow quirked. “Excuse me?”

“What, did you think having a stick up your butt all the time was helping more? I think things are going smoother now that everyone knows you even aren’t all strict business all the time.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” J’s tail rose now, tip pointing straight up.

“Come on, J. You suck at hiding it. You can’t even glare at me without blushing.”

J’s tail swished back and forth until she caught it, and carefully lowered it. “A small detail. A coincidence. Hardly a leak of confidential information.”

“And you don’t think anyone wonders why you let me get away with anything?”

“You do not get away with anything.” Behind her, J’s tail lashed.

“Yeah, I guess I have the bite marks to prove it. Think if I pull down my jacket it’ll clear that up for them?”

“Don’t you dare.”

“But how can you maintain your authority if the team doesn’t know what your punishment looks like? C’mon J, be consistent.”

“Uzi, I swear, if you don’t—” J’s words were low growls, lower and lower until it was just inarticulate sputtering. “Gah!”

A predator snarling and flashing teeth over her, and Uzi pressed her face closer. She could feel J’s hot breath on her face plate, and when she spoke, their exhausts fought for the air between them.

“Hey, J, it’s okay. You don’t have to use your words. I know it’s hard to think when I make you go off script.” Uzi reached up with her one free hand now, touching J’s cheek. “Honestly, probably my favorite exploit I’ve found. Just push the right buttons, and—”

Still growling, hissing. “Uzi. This was supposed to be a meeting. Keep it professional.” It was J who pulled back, standing up straight, looking down at the goth.

“A private meeting. I’m sure you had the most managerial intentions when you glared N away from me. Wanted to this meeting all to yourself.”

“Are you insinuating I’m… jealous?”

“I dunno.” Uzi glanced down at the floor, where her paper airplane had landed. “Why don’t you unfold my schedule and tell my how many of my assignments you’re supervising.”

J turned up her (lack of a) nose. She raised the pitch of her voice — no more undignified growling, instead composed and airy-toned. “But of course. You have a terrible work ethic and an appaling lack of experience. You—”

“So you’re taking a hands-on approach?” Uzi wiggled the arm still held in J’s death-grip.

Still high-pitched, if strained. “Only as is appropriate—”

“Kinda raising the same question you’re answering. Why’s your first thought about whether it’s ‘appropriate’?”

J released Uzi’s arm. “Because I would never—”

“C’mon. Just tell me what improper thoughts popped in your head.”

J screamed. Between the constant interruptions and allegations, her visor was a mess of bright blush ticks and throbbing digital veins. She was back to growl-sputtering. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll…”

“What? Kill me over a little teasing?” Uzi let the smirk drop. “Okay, J. If you want me to stop… just ask sincerely.”

J froze. A loading icon. Then she huffed, crossed her arms, and turned away. “I don’t need to ask you to stop. It’s just a little teasing. Really, that’s all you are. Little. Insignificant. Miniscu—”

That was when Uzi launched herself out of the pilot’s chair. The sudden motion drew J’s gaze back to the worker, and she didn’t flinch at irked-tensed, clenched-fist purple threat in front of her.

“Bite me! I’d rather be short, if the alternative is impractical stripper pole legs!”

“Remind me, how many missions have you completed?” J laughed, eyes tracking Uzi from the bottom of her visor.

“Quit looking down on me!”

“Maintaining eye contact is essential for—”

Uzi huffed. “Then how about this?” As she spoke, she was already acting, or otherwise J would have had time to react. Uzi jumped, arms and legs thrown forward, pouncing.

She held on by J’s shoulder, and wrapped her legs around her hips, shimmying higher as the murder drone yelped. Thrown off-balance, J’s arms were flailing before she even tried pulling the worker off her. And now Uzi was climbing higher, holding secure.

The momentum from Uzi’s pounce sent J backwards, and her stripper legs stilletto-heels struggled to find purchase on the pod’s metal floor. The stumble-fall didn’t end until J’s back was too the wall, pinned by Uzi.

A grin beneath purple eyes narrowed devious — held high, looking down.

“I,” J started, voice breathy. “We’ve gotten v-very off-track.”

“This meeting could’ve been a date,” Uzi drawled.

J still panted, cycling exhaust. It took a moment before she could speak was steady again. “I can arrange a sight-seeing trip downtown, tonight. Is that what it takes for you to accept the new schedules?”

“It’d be an improvement.”

“What else do you require?”

“Hm… how about a kiss?”

J stared at her — but she wasn’t blushing or breathing hot because she didn’t want to. A deep intake, then J parter her lips and leaned forward—

And Uzi leaned back, making J miss. Vein pop. Hiss. J leaned further, far as her neck would allow, and Uzi teased her like a dog on a leash. The goth brought her face back, and J darted after it, only for Uzi to keep dodging, laughing softly.

Then J reached up grabbed the goth with a fistful of hair, and shoved her face toward her scowling maw. Lips meet lips with almost palpable electric shock.

J’s tongue slipped forward into Uzi, inflicting this annoyance in retribution for playing hard to get, and Uzi bit back again J’s invasion, holding it there between her teeth, slowly increasing the pressure.

But J still had a fistful of hair, and now she pulled, until Uzi’s bite released itself to make way for a moan.

The seal of their lips didn’t break, and that touch persisted as Uzi melted into J’s embrace, teasing resistance falling away bit by bit.

Then it was interrupted by an abrupt tug on purple hair. Uzi was pulled out of her tongues-twined, arms-enwrapped sense-bath into cold, separate air.

The first sound she made wasn’t a word, but a whine. Then, “C’mon, J. Why’d you stop?”

“Mmm. Will you behave yourself around my team, now?”

Closed eyes opened to meet eye with J. The worker says, “No. Never. ’s too much fun.”

J’s lashing tail smacked against the pod wall. “Why do I even keep you around?”

Uzi smiled, and brought a hand up to caress her murder drone’s cheek. “Because. It’s something you can’t put into words or schedules. It’s just:”

And they kissed again.

[moltz23]

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 - Complete Unova Pokedex edition is finally out!

DETAILS & DOWNLOAD LINK: HERE.

BASE ROMS:

Pokemon - Black Version 2 (USA, Europe) (NDSi Enhanced)

Database: No-Intro: DS (all) (v. 20210227-111036)

File/ROM SHA-1: E51E6DFB8678A3D19DCD2A10691B96A569CA0ABB

File/ROM CRC32: D4427FD1

----

Pokemon - White Version 2 (USA, Europe) (NDSi Enhanced)

Database: No-Intro: DS (all) (v. 20210227-111036)

File/ROM SHA-1: B5D7490BE7B415B8F1E672A53E978A9CC667E56A

File/ROM CRC32: 777EB04F

Ever wanted to play Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 without having to deal with:

Version/player-gender exclusive encounters?

Unobtainable trade-only evolutions?

Unova Pokédex mons being available only in the post-game?*

Missing Pokémon families previously available in Black 1 and White 1?

Having to get a Dream World Landorus-Therian just to obtain the Reveal Glass?

If so, then this hack might be what you're looking for. I’ve also thrown a few freebies like new animated Pokémon icons for the team/Pokédex menu, Mienshao/Bisharp/Mandibuzz/Braviary replacing their pre-evolutions in the wild (heavily inspired by Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon), being able to get Leafeon, Glaceon, Magnezone and Probopass without needing to level them-up in specific areas**, Stone-Evolution Pokémon being able to access moves which they would normally lose from their learnset after evolving, and a few other things.

Do note that a few trainers have had their teams slightly – and I mean slightly - altered due to some factors (like Mienshao and co. being available in the wild), though it doesn’t get to the extent of my previous hack thanks to B2W2’s main-campaign already providing a huge amount of Pokémon.

* Exempt of this are the starters and Unova mythicals.

**Magnezone and Probopass can still evolve through their original method.

[killed-by-choice]

Kamala Reddy, 31 (USA 1975)

Kamala Reddy, who had four young children at home, went to Sigma Reproductive Health Center Inc. on November 28, 1975. This abortion facility was owned and operated by Sigma Centers of America Incorporated. The abortionist was Vibhakar J. Mody, who was paid by the number of abortions he carried out.

Both Kamala and her husband G. Pulla signed the consent forms for the surgical abortion. Mr. Reddy stated that his wife had never had any known complications from giving birth to four children, and had never had a severe reaction to any anesthetic to his knowledge. Her only known allergy was to a drug called sulfa, which she indicated on the paperwork.

Before beginning the abortion, Mody gave Kamala a local anesthetic. Kamala suffered what a later lawsuit called a “violent reaction” and had to be hospitalized at Washington Adventist Hospital. She died in the hospital the next day.

Kamala’s family sued for her death. During the court proceedings, both the abortionist and a nurse from the facility claimed that Kamala had known about a reaction to the drugs used and hadn’t disclosed them. Their only basis for this claim was a brief alleged conversation that only they had been witness to. They stated that while under the influence of the drug causing the reaction, Kamala had told them she did not feel well and, when prompted, gave a vague confirmation of a reaction in the past. Neither testimony stated that Kamala specified any specific adverse history to that drug. Despite the Reddy family’s attorney arguing that she was not a component witness, the alleged conversation was accepted as evidence. However, it was later found that accepting the story into evidence was in error, and the judgement was remanded for a new trial.

"United States, Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VMY1-G2V : 8 January 2021), Kamala Reddy, Nov 1975; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

[10oclockdot]

I Just Work Here (Leon S. Gold, 1965) [YFqL6Yi0RTA]

Thanks to the A/V Geeks for this elegant fable about a lot of things:

communication,

putting yourself in the other person's shoes,

how necessary it is for proper communication (in any context) to imagine how what you're saying is being perceived by the other person,

philosophies of customer service and what sort of social context they presuppose or agree on (especially with regards to class),

but most importantly:

The many ways in which rigid rule-bound systems -- like corporate policy, the law, the filing structure of a database, or the limits of computer operating power -- always clash or at least come into substantial friction with human needs, human flourishing, and how humans naturally approach the world.

No doubt, these non-human structures placed around thought and behavior grow out of the production and profit models of capitalism. This film doesn't seem to notice that living within those rigid systems naturally inclines toward miscommunication, inflexibility, acrimony, and other symptoms of alienation, but it certainly identifies the feelings of helplessness and resignation ("I'm just a cog in the machine," or "I just work here")

In 1965, it's fascinating to see that already these anxieties had surfaced in the sphere of even ephemeral films. Desk Set (1957) is a lovely little romance with a fictional computer at its center, but if I were ever to get into the history of human-computer interaction, AI, or the database again, I think I'd want this little short in my back pocket.

[lawodcom]

Why Helldivers 2 Keeps Crashing And How to Fix It

If you’ve been jumping into Helldivers 2 only to have it crash mid-mission, mid-loading screen, or—worse—right as you're calling down an orbital strike, then yeah, we feel your pain. You're not the only one shouting into the void, "Why does Helldivers 2 keep crashing?" Whether you're on PC or PlayStation 5, this issue has been messing with countless players and turning galactic liberation into a game of tech roulette. In this guide, we're diving into the most common reasons Helldivers 2 crashes, from system compatibility issues and GPU driver drama to corrupted files, background software conflicts, and even problematic game patches. We’ll break down fixes step-by-step, offer pro tips, and help you figure out what’s nuking your game—without nuking your patience. Common Reasons Why Helldivers 2 Keeps Crashing Before diving into solutions, let’s understand what’s causing the chaos. Here are the top culprits: Outdated GPU drivers (especially on NVIDIA and AMD cards) Corrupted or missing game files Conflicts with overlays like Discord, Steam, or GeForce Experience RAM/memory overloads from background apps Unoptimized game patches or updates DirectX or Visual C++ runtime issues Hardware limitations or thermals (CPU/GPU overheating) Fixes for PC Players (Steam) 1. Update Your Graphics Drivers Outdated or buggy GPU drivers are a major crash trigger. Visit the NVIDIA or AMD website Download the latest driver for your card Clean install if necessary (using DDU if needed) 2. Verify Game Files on Steam Corrupted files = instant crash. Right-click Helldivers 2 > Properties > Installed Files > "Verify integrity of game files" 3. Turn Off Overlays Overlays can mess with performance. Disable Steam overlay (Steam > Settings > In-Game) Disable Discord overlay (User Settings > Game Overlay) Exit GeForce Experience while gaming 4. Close Background Apps Apps like Chrome, OBS, or VPNs eat up RAM and can cause stutters or crashes. Use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to kill unused programs. 5. Run the Game as Administrator Sometimes permission issues block processes. Right-click game exe > Properties > Compatibility > "Run as administrator" 6. Reinstall Visual C++ and DirectX Runtimes Outdated or corrupted runtimes are sneaky culprits. Download and install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables Update DirectX via Microsoft’s official site Fixes for PS5 Players 1. Rebuild Database PS5’s Safe Mode option helps clean up system junk. Turn off PS5 completely Hold power until second beep (enters Safe Mode) Select “Rebuild Database” 2. Check for Game & System Updates Outdated firmware can cause game-breaking bugs. Settings > System > System Software > Update Game tile > Options > Check for Update 3. Delete and Reinstall the Game Corrupted installation = constant crashing. Delete Helldivers 2 Reinstall from your library or disc Optional: Lower Your In-Game Settings (PC) Sometimes the game’s trying to do too much with too little. Try dialing these down: Texture Quality: Medium or Low Shadow Quality: Low V-Sync: Off Disable Ray Tracing This is especially important if your rig is older or running hot. 🔍 Pro Tips to Stay Crash-Free Monitor Temps – Overheating GPUs or CPUs = instant shutdowns. Use tools like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner Avoid Beta Drivers – Stick to WHQL-certified versions Join the Community – Check Reddit or the official Discord for community-reported fixes and dev updates Backup Saves – Just in case you need to reinstall or reset Report Bugs – Devs can’t fix what they don’t know. Use the official support channels

[san-storage-blog]

New Modern SAN Storage Use Cases for 2025

Storage Area Networks (SAN) have long played a crucial role in enterprise IT environments, offering high-speed, dedicated storage solutions that ensure data accessibility and security. Traditionally, SAN was the go-to choice for businesses managing large volumes of critical data, providing centralized storage that was reliable, fast, and scalable.

However, as cloud-first strategies dominate the tech landscape, the role of SAN storage has come into question. Yet, contrary to predictions of its decline, SAN is finding new opportunities in modern IT frameworks, proving that it is far from obsolete. This blog explores SAN's evolving applications, how it complements cloud solutions, and why it remains a vital component of storage strategies in 2025 and beyond.

The Rise of Cloud First Strategies

The proliferation of cloud platforms has transformed enterprise storage solutions. Businesses are increasingly adopting public, private, or hybrid cloud models to leverage the scalability, cost-efficiency, and accessibility that cloud solutions promise. According to a 2023 report by Gartner, nearly 85% of enterprises have adopted a cloud-first strategy for new workloads.

While cloud storage offers flexibility and reduced infrastructure costs, it might not always be the optimal solution for every storage need. Latency, data sovereignty regulations, and the unpredictable costs of egress fees present significant challenges. Furthermore, enterprises handling high-frequency transactions and workloads requiring ultra-low latency often find cloud storage less than ideal due to inherent internet distance limitations.

This is where modern SAN solutions step up, offering critical benefits in scenarios where the unique demands of enterprise systems outpace what cloud storage can feasibly meet.

When SAN Outperforms Cloud Storage

Despite the dominance of cloud adoption, there are certain scenarios where SAN solutions outperform cloud-based storage options. Here are some prominent use cases where SAN continues to lead in 2025's business landscape:

1. High-Performance Workloads

Modern SANs offer unmatched throughput and low-latency performance, making them ideal for applications like databases, ERP systems, and real-time analytics. Industries such as finance and healthcare, which rely on rapid data transactions, benefit greatly from SAN configurations designed to deliver deterministic performance.

2. Data-Intensive Applications

For businesses with massive volumes of data processing requirements, SAN provides the bandwidth necessary for non-disruptive scaling. Media and entertainment companies, for instance, leverage SAN to store and edit high-resolution video files in real time without lag.

3. Regulatory Compliance and Data Sovereignty

SAN storage offers localized data hosting, critical for meeting compliance mandates such as GDPR or HIPAA. It ensures that sensitive data remains under the direct control of the organization while maintaining high levels of security and governance.

4. Disaster Recovery Solutions

Businesses that require zero downtime depend on SAN for synchronized replication. Active-active and active-passive SAN architectures offer the ability to replicate data both locally and remotely, ensuring high availability during unexpected failures.

5. Virtualized Environments

Modern SAN solutions seamlessly integrate with virtualized IT environments. VMware and Hyper-V administrators often rely on SAN for shared storage to enable high availability and efficient resource allocation across virtual machines.

SAN remains the preferred choice for enterprises where performance consistency, data security, and scalability cannot be compromised.

A Hybrid Approach to Enterprise Storage

The dichotomy between SAN and cloud storage is rapidly evolving into a collaborative relationship. Hybrid setups are increasingly emerging as the strategic sweet spot for organizations striving to combine the best of both worlds. Here’s how the integration of SAN and cloud works:

Data Tiering

Hybrid solutions enable businesses to segment their data between SAN and cloud based on usage patterns. Frequently accessed, mission-critical data is stored on SAN for ultra-low latency performance, while archival or backup data is pushed to the cloud for cost-effective, scalable storage.

Disaster Recovery in the Cloud

Organizations can combine local SAN storage with cloud-based backup solutions, creating a robust disaster recovery strategy. Backing up SAN data to the cloud provides an added layer of redundancy without immeasurable infrastructure overhead.

Bursting Workloads

For companies managing sporadic spikes in activity, the cloud offers an elastic solution to support additional workload capacity. However, the base performance requirements are anchored to SAN systems, ensuring reliability and consistency.

Cloud-Native SAN

Some vendors are bridging the gap by introducing cloud-native SAN solutions. These allow businesses to access SAN functionalities in virtualized cloud environments, meaning IT teams can combine SAN principles with the inherent flexibility of cloud ecosystems.

SAN in 2025 and Beyond

The mutual exclusivity between SAN and cloud storage is quickly dissolving. SAN's relevance lies in its ability to adapt and evolve, offering solutions that are highly complementary to cloud-first strategies. By combining SAN's robust performance with cloud storage's scalability, enterprises can craft a hybrid strategy that delivers unparalleled efficiency and agility.

Organizations looking to optimize their storage infrastructure for 2025 should consider the following actionable steps:

Evaluate Workload Requirements: Assess which workloads require SAN's low-latency and high-performance capabilities versus those that fit better in the cloud.

Explore Hybrid Models: Leverage hybrid solutions that integrate SAN with cloud platforms for a flexible and scalable infrastructure.

Invest in Modern SAN Platforms: Ensure your SAN vendor supports technologies like NVMe drives, multi-cloud connections, and cloud-native management.

Plan for Growth: Future-proof your storage strategy by designing a setup that can adapt to emerging trends such as AI-driven analytics and edge computing.

SAN storage is not only thriving but also playing a critical role in reshaping enterprise IT landscapes. Those choosing to pair SAN storage solution with evolving cloud initiatives are poised to remain competitive, efficient, and innovative in 2025 and beyond.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] E2E Cloud has announced the launch of its Sovereign Cloud Platform, an AI-powered cloud solution designed to give enterprises, governments, and data centers full control over their digital infrastructure. The platform addresses growing concerns around data sovereignty, vendor lock-in, and cloud technology sanctions, offering a secure and scalable alternative for organizations looking to build and manage their own cloud environments.   E2E Cloud Launches Sovereign Cloud Platform   With increasing geopolitical uncertainties, organizations relying on foreign cloud providers face risks such as service disruptions and compliance challenges. Hidden costs and limited control further hinder operational efficiency. E2E Cloud’s Sovereign Cloud Platform provides a strategic solution, enabling organizations to build AI-first public or private cloud ecosystems with complete autonomy, security, and scalability.   Sovereign Cloud offers over 50 cloud services, including Compute, Object Storage, VPC, Block Storage, Auto Scaling, Load Balancer, Database as a Service, Function as a Service (FaaS), Parallel File System, and AI/ML capabilities. It seamlessly integrates NVIDIA H200, H100, L40s, and L4 GPUs, optimizing AI and machine learning workloads. Enterprises benefit from total data sovereignty, ensuring compliance with national and industry regulations, while enterprise-grade security features provide encryption, access controls, and advanced cybersecurity protections.   Designed for seamless scalability, the platform supports small deployments to large-scale hyperscaler environments, with proven performance in AI, enterprise, and cloud-native applications.   “With increasing concerns around data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven workloads, enterprises and governments need a trusted cloud platform that offers complete control over their infrastructure,” said Tarun, Co-founder & Managing Director at E2E Networks.   “The Sovereign Cloud Platform provides a high-performance, AI-ready, and fully compliant cloud designed to meet the secured and regulatory needs of modern Indian enterprises,” said Seema Ambastha, Chief Executive of L&T Data Center and Cloud Business.   About E2E Cloud Listed on India's National Stock Exchange (NSE), E2E Networks is a premier provider of accelerated cloud computing solutions. Driven by the foundational pillars known as the 5As—Affordability, Assistance, Accessibility, Accommodation, and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)—E2E Cloud is committed to empowering digital transformation.   Recognised as a trusted partner by leading higher education institutions, research organisations, enterprises, and AI/ML startups both domestically and internationally, E2E Cloud delivers cutting-edge technology solutions designed for high-performance workloads. The company's advanced offerings include the AI/ML platform, TIR, and powerful cloud GPUs such as NVIDIA A100, H100, and H200.   E2E Cloud's AI-Ready Sovereign Cloud Platform uniquely enables governments, enterprises, and data center operators to easily scale, thereby driving innovation and growth. For media inquiries, partnerships, or to learn more about the Sovereign Cloud Platform: Visit: www.e2enetworks.com   !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '311356416665414'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] E2E Cloud has announced the launch of its Sovereign Cloud Platform, an AI-powered cloud solution designed to give enterprises, governments, and data centers full control over their digital infrastructure. The platform addresses growing concerns around data sovereignty, vendor lock-in, and cloud technology sanctions, offering a secure and scalable alternative for organizations looking to build and manage their own cloud environments.   E2E Cloud Launches Sovereign Cloud Platform   With increasing geopolitical uncertainties, organizations relying on foreign cloud providers face risks such as service disruptions and compliance challenges. Hidden costs and limited control further hinder operational efficiency. E2E Cloud’s Sovereign Cloud Platform provides a strategic solution, enabling organizations to build AI-first public or private cloud ecosystems with complete autonomy, security, and scalability.   Sovereign Cloud offers over 50 cloud services, including Compute, Object Storage, VPC, Block Storage, Auto Scaling, Load Balancer, Database as a Service, Function as a Service (FaaS), Parallel File System, and AI/ML capabilities. It seamlessly integrates NVIDIA H200, H100, L40s, and L4 GPUs, optimizing AI and machine learning workloads. Enterprises benefit from total data sovereignty, ensuring compliance with national and industry regulations, while enterprise-grade security features provide encryption, access controls, and advanced cybersecurity protections.   Designed for seamless scalability, the platform supports small deployments to large-scale hyperscaler environments, with proven performance in AI, enterprise, and cloud-native applications.   “With increasing concerns around data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven workloads, enterprises and governments need a trusted cloud platform that offers complete control over their infrastructure,” said Tarun, Co-founder & Managing Director at E2E Networks.   “The Sovereign Cloud Platform provides a high-performance, AI-ready, and fully compliant cloud designed to meet the secured and regulatory needs of modern Indian enterprises,” said Seema Ambastha, Chief Executive of L&T Data Center and Cloud Business.   About E2E Cloud Listed on India's National Stock Exchange (NSE), E2E Networks is a premier provider of accelerated cloud computing solutions. Driven by the foundational pillars known as the 5As—Affordability, Assistance, Accessibility, Accommodation, and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)—E2E Cloud is committed to empowering digital transformation.   Recognised as a trusted partner by leading higher education institutions, research organisations, enterprises, and AI/ML startups both domestically and internationally, E2E Cloud delivers cutting-edge technology solutions designed for high-performance workloads. The company's advanced offerings include the AI/ML platform, TIR, and powerful cloud GPUs such as NVIDIA A100, H100, and H200.   E2E Cloud's AI-Ready Sovereign Cloud Platform uniquely enables governments, enterprises, and data center operators to easily scale, thereby driving innovation and growth. For media inquiries, partnerships, or to learn more about the Sovereign Cloud Platform: Visit: www.e2enetworks.com   !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '311356416665414'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); [ad_2] Source link

[fromdevcom]

When it comes time to deploy a platform for new projects, set up a CRM server, or build a data center fit for a standard hypervisor, every IT manager or storage administrator is faced with the question of which type of storage to use: traditional SAN appliance or virtual SAN? In this article, we'll take a look at two SAN solutions, distinguish between them, and give you an answer on which one to choose for your projects. Сontents What is the Storage Area Network (SAN)? When utilizing a typical SAN device? What are the usual costs of SAN appliances? What is a vSAN appliance? Use cases for virtual SAN (vSAN) devices When should you utilize a vSAN appliance? Cost of a virtual SAN (vSAN) device What is the difference between a regular SAN and vSAN? Which SAN to choose? Conclusion What is the Storage Area Network (SAN)? In essence, SANs are high-performance iSCSI or Fiber Channel block-mode physical datastores that may be used to host hypervisors, databases, and applications. Traditional Storage Area Network devices, which are generally available in a 4-bay tower to 36-bay rackmount configurations, offer high-performance storage space for structured applications using the iSCSI and/or Fiber Channel (FC) protocols. Structured workloads include the following: Databases: MySQL, Oracle, NoSQL, PostgreSQL, etc. Applications: SAP HANA or other major CRM or EHR software. Large deployments of standard hypervisors such as VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Windows Server Standard (or Datacenter) 2016/2019, KVM, Citrix (formerly XenServer), or StoneFly Persepolis For a better understanding of the difference between block storage and file storage, you can read this. When utilizing a typical SAN device? On-premises SAN systems are ideal for large deployments of critical applications with a low tolerance for delay. In addition to addressing latency problems, local SAN appliances offer you more control in terms of administration, operation, and security of physical devices, which is required by many regulating companies. With commensurate performance, SAN systems may scale from hundreds of gigabytes to petabytes of storage capacity. If your workloads have the ability to rise to this scale, on-premises SAN hardware is the superior alternative in terms of return on investment (ROI). That isn't to say that 4-bay towers or 6-bay devices aren't appropriate for SMB environments. It all comes down to the company budget, latency requirements, and the project(s) at hand. NetApp SAN, Voyager, Dell PowerVault, StoneFly ISC, and other on-premises SAN hardware are examples. What are the usual costs of SAN appliances? The level of cost of an on-premises SAN device is determined by the provider you choose, the OS you install, and, of course, the hardware specs you choose: system RAM, processor, network connections, RAID controller, hard drives, and other components are all important. Most vendors, including Dell, HPE, and NetApp, offer pre-configured products with limited customization options. As a consequence, you can find the price range on their web pages or in their catalogs. Other vendors let you customize your SAN hardware by selecting the characteristics that best meet your requirements. Before shipping you the plug-and-play appliance, they produce, test, and configure it. As a result, you could be given the qualities you desire within your budget. What is a vSAN appliance? Virtual SANs (vSANs) are iSCSI volumes that have been virtualized and installed on common hypervisors. Find out more here. The developer business VMware is responsible for popularizing the term vSAN in general. But VMware vSAN is not the only option provided. NetApp vSAN, StarWind vSAN, StoneFly vSAN, StorMagic vSAN, and others are examples of vSAN devices that are available. Use cases for virtual SAN (vSAN) devices Standard SAN and vSAN devices are similar in terms of use cases. The configuration is the sole variation between them. In other words,

vSAN equipment may be utilized for structured workloads just like classic SAN appliances (examples listed above). When should you utilize a vSAN appliance? The deployment of vSAN technology is very adaptable. A vSAN appliance can be installed locally, in the cloud, or on a distant server. This offers up a variety of applications; nevertheless, the flexible deployment has a number of drawbacks, including administration, cost, availability, latency, and so on. vSAN, depending on the vendor, promises scalable performance and a high return on investment when placed on local hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), according to the supplier chosen (VMware vSAN is usually costly). Latency is a factor when using public clouds or distant servers. If it's in a nearby location, latency may not be an issue - as many companies who run their workloads entirely in the cloud have discovered. Furthermore, several business clients have relocated to the cloud before returning to on-premises. The causes differ from one situation to the next. Just because vSAN isn't working for someone else doesn't imply it probably wouldn't work for you. However, just because something works for others does not guarantee that it will perform for you. So, once again, your projects, finance, and performance and latency needs will determine whether or not a vSAN appliance is the best option for you. Cost of a virtual SAN (vSAN) device The cost of vSAN appliances varies depending on the manufacturer, deployment, and assigned resources such as system memory, CPU, and storage capacity. If vSAN is installed in the cloud, the price of the cloud, the frequency with which vSAN is installed, and the frequency with which it is used are all factors to consider. The budget of the infrastructure and hypervisor influences the ROI if it is put on an on-premises HCI appliance. What is the difference between a regular SAN and vSAN? Aside from the obvious difference that one product is a physical object and the other is a virtual version, there are a few other significant differences: Conventional SAN: To assign storage capacity for structured workloads, outside network-attached storage (NAS), or data storage volumes are required. If migration is required, it is often complicated and error-prone. This is permanent machinery. You can't expand processor power or system ram, but you can add storage arrays to grow storage. With an internal SAN, you won't have to worry about outbound bandwidth costs, server security, or latency issues. Virtual SAN: Provides a storage pool with accessible storage resources for virtual machines to share (VMs). When necessary, migration is relatively simple. Volumes in vSAN are adaptable. You may quickly add extra CPU, memory modules, or storage to dedicated resources. In a totally server-less setup, vSAN may be implemented in public clouds. Which SAN to choose? There is no common solution to this issue. Some operations or requirements are better served by standard SAN, whereas others are better served by vSAN. So, how can you know which is right for you? The first step is to have a better grasp of your project, performance needs, and budget. Obtaining testing results might also be beneficial. Consulting with professionals is another approach to ensure you've made the appropriate selection. Request demonstrations to learn more about the capabilities of the product you're considering and the return on your investment. Conclusion The question isn't which is superior when it comes to vSAN vs SAN. It's more about your needs and which one is ideal for your projects. Both solutions offer benefits and drawbacks. Traditional SANs are best suited for large-scale deployments, whereas vSANs offer better flexibility and deployment options, making them suitable for a wide range of use cases, enterprises, and industries.

[exhydra]

Shell Script To Compare Objects From A File To Database

#!/bin/bash export ORACLE_SID=$1 export ORACLE_HOME=/opt/app/oracle/product/19CR3 #trap 'rm -f $tables $ddl' EXIT rm -f $tables $ddl touch tab.sql ddlsync.sql tables=tab.sql ddl=ddlsync.sql configfile=$2 owner=$3 if [ $# -ne 0 ] then for tab in `grep $owner $configfile|grep -v '#'|awk -F '.' '{print $2}'|awk '{print $1}'|tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]'` do echo -e $tab >> $tables sqlplus -S '/ as…

[nuwanhemal]

The Volatility Trading Bible This course runs the gamut from building a quant trading toolkit, deploying ML based 0-DTE strategies, and real-world trading of volatility surfaces. If you're looking to compete and profit with the big boys, look no further. Course curriculum Book I: In The Beginning, There Was Volatility More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Implied Volatility: Part I More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Implied Volatility: Part II So, You Think You Know Volatility? Book II: Building The Ark Python Setup Database Setup Database Setup II Server Setup Self Email Setup Self Email Script Is Your Quant Tech In Order? Book III: All Prophets Are False, Except AI Predicting S&P 500 Intraday Volatility with Machine Learning (0-DTE Strategy) Building Our Training Data Backtesting + Modeling Taking It Live: Real-World Deployment Vol Trading Files Book IV: Parting The Volatility Surface The Volatility Surface: How Do You Trade This Thing? Running a Proprietary Vol Surface: Part I Running a Proprietary Vol Surface: Part II Running a Proprietary Vol Surface: Part III Volatility Surface Files Book V: The Departure A Final Overview: The Big Picture

[esaitechinc]

Unleashing the Power of the Samsung 970 Evo Plus: A Tech Enthusiast's Guide

Introduction: The Evolution of Storage Technology

In the fast-paced world of technology, advancements happen at breakneck speed, especially in the realm of storage solutions. From the days of floppy disks to the advent of Solid State Drives (SSDs), we've witnessed remarkable transformations in how we store and access data. Among these innovations, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus stands out as a game-changer, offering unparalleled performance and reliability.

The Rise of SSDs: A Revolution in Storage

Gone are the days when traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) ruled the roost. SSDs have emerged as the new standard, offering faster boot times, improved responsiveness, and enhanced durability. With no moving parts, SSDs like the Samsung 970 Evo Plus deliver lightning-fast read and write speeds, making them ideal for gamers, content creators, and everyday users seeking optimal performance.

Meet the Samsung 970 Evo Plus: Unleashing Blazing Speeds

Enter the Samsung 970 Evo Plus, a powerhouse SSD designed to elevate your computing experience to new heights. Boasting cutting-edge V-NAND technology and a robust NVMe interface, this SSD sets the benchmark for speed and efficiency. Whether you're multitasking, gaming, or handling resource-intensive tasks, the 970 Evo Plus ensures smooth, lag-free performance every step of the way.

Performance Redefined: Breaking Down the Specs

At the heart of the Samsung 970 Evo Plus lies a potent combination of features aimed at delivering uncompromising performance. With sequential read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,300 MB/s, this SSD accelerates your workflow, reducing load times and boosting productivity. Furthermore, its enhanced endurance rating ensures long-term reliability, backed by Samsung's renowned reputation for quality and innovation.

Optimized for Excellence: Enhancing User Experience

Beyond raw performance metrics, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus excels in optimizing user experience. Thanks to its advanced heat dissipation technology and Dynamic Thermal Guard feature, overheating is kept in check, maintaining consistent performance even during extended usage sessions. Additionally, with Samsung's intuitive Magician software suite, users can easily manage and optimize their SSD for peak efficiency, ensuring maximum longevity and reliability.

Versatility Unleashed: Applications Across Industries

From gaming rigs to professional workstations, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus caters to a diverse range of applications. Gamers revel in its rapid load times and seamless gameplay, while content creators benefit from its ability to handle large files with ease. Moreover, businesses and enterprises leverage its robust performance for data-intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and database management, streamlining operations and driving innovation.

The Future of Storage: Evolving with Samsung

As technology continues to evolve, so too will the landscape of storage solutions. Samsung remains at the forefront of this evolution, continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible. With the Samsung 970 Evo Plus leading the charge, we can expect even greater advancements in speed, efficiency, and reliability, ushering in a new era of storage innovation.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Experience with the Samsung 970 Evo Plus

In conclusion, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus represents the pinnacle of SSD technology, delivering unparalleled performance, reliability, and versatility. Whether you're a hardcore gamer, a creative professional, or a business owner seeking cutting-edge storage solutions, this SSD has you covered. Embrace the future of storage with the Samsung 970 Evo Plus and unlock a world of possibilities.

Blog Resources:- https://esaitech.blogspot.com/2024/02/unleashing-power-of-samsung-970-evo.html

[etltestingtutorial01-blog]

SQL Installation and ETL Commands | Languages in SQL

SQL Installation and ETL Commands

- File v/s Database - Sql Server Installation,sql management studio install - Northwind Sample Database - DDL commands:Create, Alter, Rename and Drop - DML commands:Select,Insert, Update, Delete and Merge - TCL Begin, Commit, Rollback