#Mass Data Management Capability

[nupurhfsoft]

Some exciting features of our software:

Balance Sheet

Profit & Loss Statement

Trial Balance Report

General Ledger

Sales And Accounts Receivables

Accounts Payable

Cash and bank Management

Mass Data Management Capability

Leading-Edge Security

Very Fast Data Connection

Offline And Online Version

And Others Facilities 

[techtimechronicles24]

🇯🇵 Unveiling the Toshiba T1100: A Journey into the Dawn of Portable Computing!

💻 In the early 1980s, a revolutionary device emerged, transforming the landscape of personal computing forever. The Toshiba T1100, released in 1985, marked a significant milestone in the history of portable computers. The Toshiba T1100 has subsequently been described by Toshiba as "the world's first mass-market laptop computer".

🌐 The Toshiba T1100 was among the first truly portable computers, designed for professionals and enthusiasts seeking computing power on the go. Weighing approximately 4.1 kilograms (9 pounds) with its lead-acid battery, this innovative machine provided users with unprecedented mobility.

⚙️ Equipped with an Intel 80C88 processor running at 4.77 MHz and boasting 256 KB of RAM, the Toshiba T1100 offered impressive computing capabilities for its time. Its 9.6-inch monochrome LCD screen provided a crisp display, while the detachable keyboard enhanced usability.

💾 The T1100 introduced several innovative features, including a built-in 3.5-inch floppy disk drive—a rarity at the time—which allowed for data storage and transfer with ease. This model also featured MS-DOS as its operating system, providing a familiar computing environment.

📈 The Toshiba T1100 set a new standard for portable computing, demonstrating the feasibility and practicality of laptops for business and personal use. Its success paved the way for subsequent generations of laptops, influencing the evolution of mobile computing worldwide.

👨‍💻 For professionals in various industries, the Toshiba T1100 represented a game-changer, enabling efficient data management, word processing, and spreadsheet tasks on the move. Its portability and functionality empowered users to work beyond traditional office environments.

🌟 Today, the legacy of the Toshiba T1100 lives on in the sleek, lightweight laptops and notebooks that have become indispensable tools for modern professionals and digital nomads. This groundbreaking device remains a testament to Toshiba's commitment to innovation and excellence in the field of computing. The Toshiba T1100 remains an iconic symbol of the dawn of portable computing—a chapter in the ongoing story of technological progress that continues to shape our digital world.

[asleep-kat]

"And by the name of the Lord, you shall PERISH."

TYPE : GREATER MACHINE

DATA :

Built during the New Peace era, the Evangelist0-1 model ( or E0-1 for short ) were made in the image of angels. Unlike the other machines, E0-1 has a built-in voicebox, allowing them to spread the good name of the Lord to his people.

These models are loved by humanity. Mass-produced to be included in every city that was still left standing. They were made to carry the spirits of thousands as well as teaching the children about ethicality and manners.

They were thought to not be capable of violence, or atleast they weren't coded to be able to do so. But when the stock of blood ran low, so too did their morals.

E0-1 has a variety of weapons: some carried a small blade the size of their hand, while others hoist a giant nailgun. No E0-1 model were made with a weapon, hence the variety.

Although many E0-1 models were built during when mankind was still alive, only one is left standing today.

Nicknamed "The unholy", they selfishly slaughtered through their own kind for blood. The nailgun, their prized possession, is the key on how they had managed to survive for this long.

STRATEGY:

- They will shoot thousands of bullets at you with almost precise aim. This might make them seem impossible to defeat, but they do not have unlimited ammo. This opens up a window for you to attack.

- Due to how their legs are built, they cannot run. Make sure to always be behind their back whenever you attack. But watch out for their wings, they will swipe at you if you get too close for too long.

- Their nailgun can be turned agaisnt themself using magnets.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA scientists gear up for solar storms at Mars

In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares—giant explosions on the sun's surface—could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet.

That's because the sun is entering a period of peak activity called solar maximum, something that occurs roughly every 11 years. During solar maximum, the sun is especially prone to throwing fiery tantrums in a variety of forms—including solar flares and coronal mass ejections—that launch radiation deep into space. When a series of these solar events erupts, it's called a solar storm.

Earth's magnetic field largely shields our home planet from the effects of these storms. But Mars lost its global magnetic field long ago, leaving the Red Planet more vulnerable to the sun's energetic particles. Just how intense does solar activity get on Mars? Researchers hope the current solar maximum will give them a chance to find out. Before sending humans there, space agencies need to determine, among many other details, what kind of radiation protection astronauts would require.

"For humans and assets on the Martian surface, we don't have a solid handle on what the effect is from radiation during solar activity," said Shannon Curry of the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. Curry is principal investigator for NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) orbiter, which is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "I'd actually love to see the 'big one' at Mars this year—a large event that we can study to understand solar radiation better before astronauts go to Mars."

Measuring high and low

MAVEN observes radiation, solar particles, and more from high above Mars. The planet's thin atmosphere can affect the intensity of the particles by the time they reach the surface, which is where NASA's Curiosity rover comes in. Data from Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector, or RAD, has helped scientists understand how radiation breaks down carbon-based molecules on the surface, a process that could affect whether signs of ancient microbial life are preserved there. The instrument has also provided NASA with an idea of how much shielding from radiation astronauts could expect by using caves, lava tubes, or cliff faces for protection.

When a solar event occurs, scientists look both at the quantity of solar particles and how energetic they are.

"You can have a million particles with low energy or 10 particles with extremely high energy," said RAD's principal investigator, Don Hassler of the Boulder, Colorado, office of the Southwest Research Institute. "While MAVEN's instruments are more sensitive to lower-energy ones, RAD is the only instrument capable of seeing the high-energy ones that make it through the atmosphere to the surface, where astronauts would be."

When MAVEN detects a big solar flare, the orbiter's team lets the Curiosity team know so they can watch for changes in RAD's data. The two missions can even assemble a time series measuring changes down to the half-second as particles arrive at the Martian atmosphere, interact with it, and eventually strike the surface.

The MAVEN mission also leads an early warning system that lets other Mars spacecraft teams know when radiation levels begin to rise. The heads-up enables missions to turn off instruments that could be vulnerable to solar flares, which can interfere with electronics and radio communication.

Lost water

Beyond helping to keep astronauts and spacecraft safe, studying solar maximum could also lend insight into why Mars changed from being a warm, wet Earth-like world billions of years ago to the freezing desert it is today.

The planet is at a point in its orbit when it's closest to the sun, which heats up the atmosphere. That can cause billowing dust storms to blanket the surface. Sometimes the storms merge, becoming global.

While there's little water left on Mars—mostly ice under the surface and at the poles—some still circulates as vapor in the atmosphere. Scientists wonder whether global dust storms help to eject this water vapor, lofting it high above the planet, where the atmosphere gets stripped away during solar storms. One theory is that this process, repeated enough times over eons, might explain how Mars went from having lakes and rivers to virtually no water today.

If a global dust storm were to occur at the same time as a solar storm, it would provide an opportunity to test that theory. Scientists are especially excited because this particular solar maximum is occurring at the start of the dustiest season on Mars, but they also know that a global dust storm is a rare occurrence.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] BIOHAZARD/Chapter 4

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Kaoru: Why would we take part in an experiment that sounds like something a sci-fi movie villain would do…?

Tomoya: “If we are able to duplicate people, duplicate idols, there are many advantages.”

Hajime: “Fundamentally, one person can only do so much. They cannot be in multiple places at once or complete multiple jobs at the same time.”

Tomoya: “However, if we can create clones such as ourselves, it will become possible.”

Hajime: “For example, say there is a super idol with plenty of talent–”

Tomoya: “This idol will be able to simultaneously sing and dance on stage, star in a movie, take part in a gravure photoshoot, recount a funny story on a variety show—”

Hajime: “These examples, that would otherwise be impossible, become possible.”

Tomoya: “If the original person ages or perhaps even dies, the copy will still be able to perform to the best of its ability.”

Hajime: “24/7, 365 days a year!”

Tomoya: “They won’t get sick nor be able to complain.”

Rei: Riiight, I suppose that’s true.

Robots do not have human rights. You do not even need to pay them a salary, all you must do is cover the cost of manufacturing and maintaining.

To a manager, it is better than a real idol whose body can rapidly degrade.

Koga: That’s fuckin’ insane, man. ES is… Is ES heartless or somethin’?

Rei: Nay, Itsuki-kun would say that it is only human nature to want to bend the world around you for your own wishes.

Kaoru: Itsuki-kun? Isn’t that more of a Tenshouin-kun thing to say?

Rei: He has a surprisingly unique outlook on art. I’m his friend, so I would know.

Adonis: Fumu… Personally, I understand the overall concept, but I’m struggling to accept this.

This sort of technology is an extension of drawing AI. When there’s AI that is better than real humans with beating hearts, that can easily be mass produced—

What do we do then?

AI has been able to accomplish tasks in seconds compared to us, who could take a year or even a decade to do the same thing.

And that can all be done with a simple press of a button.

In the beginning, we will abhor these “monsters”.

There are no laws in place in regards to non-human entities, so they'll be regulated in the same manner drawing AI are, right?

But as time passes, and new laws are passed, when those sort of things become commonplace–

In that future, is there a place for us, real people?

Koga: Y-You alright, Adonis? Ain’t you bein’ unusually talkative?

Adonis: I’ve been thinking about AI technology since Yuuki showed it to me. I’m not good at thinking, so I’ve yet to come up with an answer.

Rei: Adonis-kun is a serious boy.

For me, if that is the current trend, I want to follow it. Whether you dislike it or not, you cannot prevent big trends such as that.

Even if we feel disgusted and consequently don’t participate in this experiment, these guys will just ask other idols to do it in our place.

Hajime: “Yep.”

Tomoya: “We don’t particularly need UNDEAD’s help.”

Koga: Oi! What are you tryna say, huh? Ain’t you suppose t’be actin’ cute?

Tomoya: “We are aware that our actions and words are uncharacteristic of the original Ra*bits members.”

Hajime: “We, at best, are 40% accurate to the original people.”

Tomoya: “Our external appearance have been the main focus, rather than the internal, such as speech and behaviour.”

Rei: You are using tricky phrases that is unusual for Ra*bits.

Hajime: “Yes. In order to accurately replicate the internals, that is to say, one’s mental state and personality, we need data from your brains.”

Tomoya: “And that is what we are requesting of you for this experiment.”

Hajime: “Now, we will install these devices to your heads, or more specifically, your brains.”

Tomoya: “Then, we will download as much data as we can from your brains, and use it to recreate you.”

Hajime: “We believe we are capable of reproducing the identical idols, both on the inside and the outside.”

Kaoru: A-are you going to suck out our brains? Isn’t that kinda gross?

Hajime: “Your wording is misleading.”

Tomoya: “We are only obtaining data, your physical and mental will not be damaged in the process.”

Hajime: “Of course, private information will be protected in accordance with the law.”

Kaoru: ...

Hajime: “Well, if you don’t want to, you can always refuse.”

Tomoya: “If you refuse, we will ask other idols, such as Ra*bits, to participate in your place.”

Hajime: “However, the experiment cannot be cancelled.”

Tomoya: “Until we are able to create the perfect AI idol, the AIIE project will not stop.”

Rei: ...

[ ☆ ]

Chapter 3

Chapter 5

[moons-among-distant-stars]

Hihi! Anon here :} can you please tell us more about the silly little guy in your pfp? Please please please 😖😖🙏🙏🙏 thankies!!

hello random anon who happens to use the inv face just like some of my friends do (i think the :} face looks like inv)

but to answer y’all’s question anon that little guy in my pfp is a silly iterator oc of mine! his name is Six Twinkling Stars, STS or Twinkles for short (though it took him a sec to be okay with that nickname)

he’s a gen 4 iterator! Twinkles uses mainly he/him but they/them is alright too!

Twinkles is actually an iterator that’s a part of a thing i made up called the ALTOS project! it’s a sub-project within the larger iterator project, standing for alternative operating system, the ALTOS project was meant by the ancients as a way to test if they could run iterators with alternative operating systems, this means that they processed and managed data differently, thus hopefully coming at The Great Problem differently 

STS is a part of the Andromeda Local Group and the youngest member of the group! he’s also the most easily excitable. He was created pretty soon before the Mass Ascension Event so didn’t form as strong of a resentment to his creators as he didn’t know them for very long.

because he’s the 4th generation of the ALTOS program, Twinkles has a very fast processing speed compared to the original ALTOS program iterators as the ancients refined the new system. 

He’s also the most strictly rule following out of the local group and is a strict Anti-Sliverist (he gets very upset if someone mentions SOS or Sliverist groups), and they still devote many cycles and resources to iterating upon The Great Task. STS has recently taken up a little side project of genetically modifying organisms to withstand extreme environments and is working with Dark Fathoms Unknown (the oldest member of the Andromeda group, who is only helping STS out of a feeling of obligation) to try and create an organism capable of withstanding the rain resulting from their breathing

Part of his can is a massive observatory previously used by the people of Astra (his city). Six Twinkling Stars was built with the purpose of looking out above, if the void fluid could not save them then maybe they could escape up, find some other solutions amongst the stars

Twinkles also has a special interest in astronomy and takes rigorous notes on their positions and movements when he has extra resources and time, and will inscribe this data on to pearls so it can be stored and kept physically despite any of their deterioration

Also his color scheme is probably silver and a deep purple, i’m not good at drawing but here are some little sketches of Twinkles i have

[nh-801]

@wordpress @wordpressvip

I started a WordPress blog only this year, but I fell in love with it instantly.

It was a careful decision, after a long period of deliberation between several different content management sites, but I chose WordPress because I felt that it had long-lasting capability in an ephemeral fast-paced internet. I've seen so many sites designed to host static content (like what I plan to post) change drastically and wither up and die, and I wanted a sustainable long-term archive for my life's work (fiction-writing, and writing articles about writing-craft) that I love so much.

Of course, WordPress even surpassed my initial expectations! I'm able to craft my blog ('The Notebook') to have that homemade Web 2.0 feel without being forced to add too many intrusive features that make me and my visitors uncomfortable. I can post my book reviews there to connect with my beloved book club even several hundred miles away from everyone else. My original recipe for biscuit cake with a biscuit base with can finally be seen and baked by the rest of the world too.

I love this product so much, but I'm concerned about its future now. I unexpectedly find myself doubting that initial decision to choose WordPress – and so soon after choosing it. Because it now looks *far* more unstable, more disreputable, more unsustainable than it has always been.

CEO Matt had always been quiet and inoffensive before, as good CEOs for sustainable long-term products that want to remain stable on the modern internet should be. But recently, he has taken to acting in an erratic, concerning way.

People have been losing trust in Automattic en-masse because of his immature cross-platform tantrums and alarming violations of data privacy laws – all in response to an issue that his product was at fault for; for its faulty, archaic automated content moderation system and appeal system. The flaws are gaping, and it's appalling for the most obvious of them to not even be acknowledged.

I implore you to take corrective action, at the very least to save Wordpress from sinking with this ship Matt is determined to go down with. Even if you dump this hellsite, poor WordPress is still going to be stuck with that idiot. Make the interim CEO permanent if you have to. WordPress means so much more than this, means so much to me, and has so much value that it's not worth losing.

TL/DR: Please act to save WordPress – I've come to love it a lot and I don't want it to die.

[tgrailwar]

teacher, if these simulated grail wars act in a cycle, and our current ruler wasnt always the ruler but was placed in that role... do you think theres a way, if we play it right, that we could "help" her like the other servants?

'Schoolteacher': "Wonderful. Class is in session. 'Possibly', 'Possibly', 'Yes', and 'Possibly' in that order.

First question, it depends on what you mean by 'help'. For some, that may mean a mercy kill. For some that may mean relieving her of her duties. For some, that may mean both. Regardless, her function is to 'facilitate the ideal Grail War', and if you're talking to me, that already means things are wrong. So if you mess up, it'll just... reset. No harm done... theorhetically.

Second question, 'Ruler' is overseeing the management of data. That's her purpose, as far as I'm aware. I may be wrong, though. I studied the Grail War last time, but my memory of my findings are foggy at best, and gone at worst.

Third question, the Overseer manages the 'settings' of the Grail War, I believe... I don't believe it's as flippant as your wording suggests, however.

Fourth question, the Holy Grail- even simulated- is an incredibly powerful mass of mana. Real or not, it's capable of grand acts, to the point where trying to distinguish 'real or not' in regards to it is useless."

[dzthenerd490]

File: Gemini Home Entertainment - Neptune

Original Creator: @GEMINIHOMEENTERTAINMENT

Go Support their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GEMINIHOMEENTERTAINMENT/videos

.

SCP#: ANJ

Code Name: Neptune has mutated/ [data expunged]

Object Class: Apollyon

Special Containment Procedures: It is currently impossible for the Foundation to contain an Apollyon class anomaly. Furthermore, the anomaly is on Neptune which is a part of our Solar system. meaning getting rid of it is out of the question. Instead, SCP-ANJ is watched over by Mobile Task Force Ares-4 "Contact Lens" to prevent it from creating more SCP-AMZ instances, SCP-ANE instances, and another [data expunged]. Mobile Task Force Apollo-1 "Orion's Belt" Division "Neptune" is on standby in case a unanimous vote is made to have SCP-ANJ be destroyed.

Meanwhile MTF Apollo-1: Division "Saturn" has been given an additional 1,000 ships due to the [data expunged] describing Saturn's rings as the "Gateway". The secondary reason for the additional ships is that for some reason SCP-[data expunged] seems to be aware of the existence of SCP-2399, how this is possible is unknown.

Description: SCP-ANJ is a mutant mass of [data expunged] which is common biomass for living celestial body class anomalies. The mass is hidden inside the ice giant known as Neptune, with the only thing being visible is its "eye". Somehow it is able to use the entirely of Neptune as if it was its own body and can even freely move around the solar system only to come back into its original position later as if nothing happened. Though this is only a fraction of the anomalous properties of SCP-ANJ.

SCP-ANJ is sometimes able to project a blast of energy from its "eye", this energy like beam carries anomalous biomass and materials which allows SCP-[data expunged] to achieve its goals. It's because of SCP-ANJ that SCP-AMZ and SCP-ANE exist on both earth and mars, SCP-ANJ has been known to have done this at least 5 times. Thankfully, SCP-ANJ is dormant at most times and rarely if ever acts hostile towards Foundation space forces that guard it. Though just to be safe MTF Apollo-1 and MTF Ares-4 are ordered to occasionally fire upon SCP-ANJ to "train" it to remain docile. NASA and other space observation programs are ordered to explain the explosions as nothing more than meteors. Mobile Task Force Dionysus-1 “Fake News” is responsible for handling anyone who somehow manages to obtain video information or is able to record live feed of SCP-ANJ.

SCP-ANJ was discovered in 1935 when a flashing beam of light the [data expunged] mountains in Minnesota. Foundation agents and MTF troopers were sent to the area to investigate but were quickly ambushed by infant SCP-AMZ instances, they were all killed instantly. Foundation staff in space were able to trace the beam of light all the way back to Neptune after sending a satellite to observe the planet SCP-ANJ was discovered. Because of its [data expunged] biomass, it was easy to tell that it was created by SCP-[data expunged]. It is entirely unknown when SCP-[data expunged] created SCP-ANJ or how it did so without the Foundation, NASA, or any other organization capable of space observation, seeing it happen.

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[nickgerlich]

Ad It Up

You only thought it was difficult to escape the marketer’s voice. From traditional media like outdoor, print, and broadcast, to a variety of ads littering our social media feeds, web pages, and search results, marketers have been seemingly everywhere trying to get our attention. And the more they tried, the louder they had to shout, because it’s crowded out there, and the decibel level—whether audible or visual—is increasing.

Except perhaps in stores and at the gas pump, where we felt like we at least had a few minutes of quiet. That, too, is changing rapidly, as in-store advertising has gone digital, to the point of it being called “broadcast-level scale.” Gas pumps too are now coming equipped with video screens to sell to us while we are filling our tank.

It’s all a mixed bag right now of ads, with gas stations able to deliver hyper-local advertising for third-party advertisers nearby. Inside the store, the campaigns are aimed at the masses instead of using an audience-of-one approach.

I see the day coming, though, in which advertising at the pump will be increasingly one-to-one (remember, you have to insert or tap your card first, which could then quickly allow them to access a profile of you).

And the same goes for inside the store, especially once retail formats like Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology are deployed widespread. Your presence and unique data would be detected wherever you go in the store as the system monitors your shopping basket, and messages could be directed straight to you when you ponder the pasta sauces or wherever you go.

We’ve come a long way when it comes to in-store advertising. The majority of what we have seen usually involves massive stacks of soft drinks, the red, white, and green packages from Coca-Cola cleverly arranged to spell words or form images. The same goes for snack foods and beer leading up to the Super Bowl. Otherwise, maybe some small shelf hangers might try to whisper a marketing message.

Now, though, there is the possibility of smart screens attached to the clear refrigerator doors, behind which beverages of all kinds reside. Stand-alone screens can also welcome customers as they walk in. The possibilities are limitless, because LCD screens are cheap, and can all be managed remotely.

All of which speaks to this emerging truth: the retail store and gas stations are now viable platforms for advertising, a rentable space little different from billboards, TV, and the internet. The battle for our attention just found a new place to stage that fight. It allows retailers to boost their revenues and bottom lines above and beyond just selling things.

It’s happening in the online arena as well. Have you noticed how many sponsored spots there are on any Amazon results page? Amazon scored $12 billion in ad revenues in Q3 2023 alone. That’s impressive, especially when you consider that Amazon’s total revenue that quarter was $143 billion. In other words, advertising made up one in every 12 dollars of its revenues.

I predict a similar such cascade of revenues for any retailer willing to parse out its interior—and exterior—space for advertising purposes. After all, why not? If you can hit people right when they are coming to spend money anyway, this is pretty simple.

Truthfully, I do not mind the ads, especially if they point me to things I might be interested in. Elevate it to audience-of-one capability, and it is even better. I know…some people will be creeped out by this, just like they have been with all the targeted advertising we see online. I would much rather hear and see ads for things I am likely to buy, as opposed to things I will never buy. Every time I hear that Tampax ad on one of my podcasts, I think about how they’re foolishly wasting half of their ad spend on men like me.

Others may see such ubiquitous advertising as further invasion of their private space, a harbinger of a dystopian society to come. Or maybe it has already arrived. To each their own, but there is no ad blocker yet for the brick and mortar world, and the best you can do is shut your eyes and ears, and walk on by.

Or out.

Dr “Talk To Me” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[a-nerd-who-likes-cats]

Scp 1730 has got to be one of my favorites. Mostly because it's a whole big story, and it contains appearances of a bunch of familiar SCPs. It's also one of the few SCP files that has legitimately made me feel utterly repulsed, which is the closest i really get to scared when reading these.

The premise of SCP 1730 is "what happened to site 13" that question is easy to answer, site 13 was never built in our dimension. But another dimension had a security measure where should Site 13 experience a mass containment breach it would be sent to another dimension to protect its home one, and we were the unlucky dimension to get site 13 dropped on us. The dimension site 13 came from, followed a different path than ours, the SCP foundation focused on getting use out of anomalous objects, and destroyed anything not helpful. There was no ethics to how they did things as SCPs were considered objects, no matter how sentient or human they were. This means that every empty containment cell, is something powerful on the loose, that likely has formed a strong hate for humanity and the SCP foundation. And there are a lot of empty cells. The way they contained things was beyond what this dimension could dream of, keeping what we call "literal gods" in giant boxes to test on and use.

Several of the best SCP task forces were sent in, some agents found themselves killed by leeches, some wound up as paint on the walls, one lost his legs, but that guy is actually fine, can still use his missing legs as if they're there, but he's trapped with the others, as there's no way to escape without mass death in the group of survivors. Their only hope was mobile task force Samsara. It's uncertain how human Samsara is beneath all their cybernetic enhancements, but they have beyond human intelligence, and the physical capability to stand in lava doing data analysis on radioactive material and be just fine. So if anyone can rescue those trapped in site 13 it's them.

Within site 13 is a large collection of horrors. The original cause of the containment breech seems to be "leech boy" as some called him. A human boy who's anomalous thing was he drank blood like a leech. In an attempt to spare this mere odd child from being ground and incinerated like all the other "useless" SCPs, a researcher had stopped the incinerator, and while trapped in a pile of anomalous corpses, leech boy transformed into a huge leech with the ability to spawn and control millions of smaller leeches, which also had wild abilities and were very quick to take down the site. In this chaos several other things were released or given new power, and the site turned into hell very quickly.

One curious find in this wreck was Bobble the clown. Who begs a curious question: if a good person driven to insanity can become a twisted murderer, can a twisted clown who tricks children into killing their families, when driven to insanity, become helpful and empathetic? Bobble just might. Other curious finds include the immortal Dr. Bright, dead in a containment cell. An angel meant to be guarding the gates of Eden just contained in a room. The site directer attached to a monster, which no drawing has managed to capture the absolute nightmare that appears in my mind at its description, and burned Samsara's ocular implants to destruction just from looking at it. And the thing that took that one guys legs, a rising void that I theorise to be an unwanted side affect of them grinding up Josie the half-cat, theorizing that in killing her her anomaly was released from her and became that. Trying to take more. But this idea is one of the things that repulses me, because Josie is a darling little kitty and the idea of anyone harming her is horrible.

In the end , They get rid of this hell the same way they got it. Sending it off to be some other dimensions problem. And it only killed several people from our dimension while severely traumatizing the rest. Even Samsara will need some time to recover from this, and I'm not just talking about fixing their heavily damaged bodies.

[someonestole15]

Walking away

If only it was that simple.

Run away from everything and simply go on with your life without dealing with the skeletons in your closet. A pleasant dream that quickly faded from my mind as another flak shell exploded near the gunship, the shock pushed the ship off course as I caught my breath and took hold of the controls in front of me.

Red lights across the board, the armor was holding against the shrapnel but a direct impact or one close enough to the fuselage would tear through us. Adrenaline running though my system, I pushed the throttle forward under the risk of overheating the engines.

Lucky or just predictable patterns in the sky, hard to say as I repeat the maneuvers in my head time after time while keeping an eye on the radar for any interceptors coming in. Hyperdrive disabled by the larger ship and the systems onboard, turning around and causing havoc did cross my mind but

“ETA 66 seconds till we’re out. Hull is holding and the engines are hot but steady. Navigation calculations almost complete.”

“Got it, start the drive as soon as we’re clear.”

“Checklist is good, we’re all set. Another barrage incoming.”

“Evading.”

Different pattern, the predictive algorithm managed to keep most of the shells away, shattering the dark abyss with bright red and yellow flames of high explosives as I pushed the stick to the side and guided us underneath it. Engines and repaired armor panels across the hull screaming under the forces, we finally reached the edge of the exclusion zone.

“Jammer zone clear, starting the drive.”

“Radar contact, two bandits at eleven. Heading directly for us.”

“We’re not exactly stealth in this thing, they have radar lock.”

From a steady tone to a series of beeps, a bright light appeared from the direction of the contacts as a missile warning flashed across my HUD. Quick on the draw, Valkyrie armed the ECM and the side GAU-19’s on the side mounts.

“Running point defense.”

Awaken the sleeping monster; large as it might be, the gunship has that name for a reason. Hardpoints always deployed, the symphony of gunfire from the two side guns lit up the sky with tracers as I focused the front gun on the radar contacts.

“Splash one missile, encaging.”

“Aim for center mass, I’ll try to keep them in your arcs.”

“Roger.”

The fighters might be capable but they are more effective in hit and run operations, the gunship excels in what the military likes to call area lockdown. Both side guns can operate freely and the swiveling engines allow it to move in one place far more actively than a fighter could.

Tear across the fuselage with .50 caliber rounds at 2000 rounds per minute, the first fighter burst into flames and painted a trail of scrap across the sky, the second fighter pulled away for a moment before giving chase. Now in atmosphere, I could not pull of any maneuver like this due to the air resistance and drag, but here, there is none of that to worry about.

“He is on our tail, missile lock.”

“Stand by.”

Pull the stick back and send the engines on a 180, not something they put in the manual for flying one of these. Full speed, in reverse with all the guns facing the enemy. Your move.

The fighter pulled off several evasive maneuvers to dodge the machineguns but the cannon only needed one impact to rid him of his wings. The delay caused the round to detonate underneath the missiles stored within the hull. Splash two; I turned the ship around as the fireball faded down behind us.

“No contacts, we’re clear.”

“Booting FSD, let’s get out of here.”

“Good flying, Nav computer has the destination, turn the key.”

A dark cloud as sparks of lightning appeared on the hull of the ship, the loud whirring from the back of the ship got to an unbearable whine as the ship was pulled into the space between systems.

Heavy load of adrenaline finally fading from my system, I leaned back against my seat and disconnected from the ships systems to allow my systems to catch up to the flow of data.

The question might be, where exactly are we going?

The system is mainly a pass through point for shipping between the larger Empire and Federation systems, a well-known point for legitimate business as Mira and Kira spoke about it often.

Taika, also called HAT-P-40 in reports, Nikolas ensured that the local safe house would be usable for us if we needed it. Six planets, two of which can support life although the attempts on record say the wildlife has made it difficult.

Plenty of unsearched forests and terrain to hide in, the plan was to remain there for now to let things cool down, if possible.

Then again, no rest for the wicked.

Guess this would be my return, those 15 pages were mostly trying to move this along by months but hell... I cannot do that to myself.

Happy Holidays, be seeing you again

Fifteenth_

[scp-foundation-official]

*You get a weird phone call.

Do you have any files on a fae-dragon-squirrel hybrid? Goes by the name of Mysti?

- @literary-squagon

While weird is the norm at the Foundation, it is particularly peculiar to be receiving strange phone calls due to the secure nature of the phone lines used. An internal inquiry has subsequently been launched into all Foundation personnel’s phone usage. Suspicion has been especially placed around Dr. Bright, who has previously warned about using foundation communication channels for his own amusement.

As for the anomaly in question, a file has been built of which contains the following information:

Item #: [REDACTED]

Clearance Level 3: Secret

Object Class: Archon

Disruption Class: 3/Keneq

Risk Class: 4/Danger

Special Containment Procedures: Neither SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ nor its companions are to be treated as hostile at any point in handling. In the event of a “Void-Depression”, O5-[DATA EXPUNGED] is to be notified immediately. All locations commonly visited by SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ are to be quarantined, with MTF [REDACTED] deployed to manage civilian casualties. With approval from O5-[REDACTED], hostile containment of [REDACTED] forest is authorized to coerce SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ away from large population centers.

All personnel exposed to SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ are to receive psychological evaluation upon return from expedition due to cognitohazard posed by SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜’s telepathic communication methods. Any personnel that are shown to exhibit symptoms such as total disorientation or greatly decreased situational awareness are to end communication with the entity and return to Site-[REDACTED] for immediate psychological evaluation and treatment.

Description: SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ is typically humanoid being approximately 1.57 meters tall. In its most common form, SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ appears as a human caucasian female, with notable exceptions of ears and tail similar to that of the Alpine Marmot, as well as wings similar to that of [REDACTED]. It has also been known to take the forms similar to that of a non-anomalous human caucasian female, a hybrid between an Alpine Marmot and [REDACTED], and [REDACTED]. SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ is 124 years old, however it is unknown if aging occurs at a different rate within its dimension of origin. It responds well to the names Mysti and Mysti Memoria.

Born to parents [REDACTED], SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ is a shape shifting entity of extradimensional origins. The Foundation is particularly interested in the anomaly’s knowledge of extradimensional histories due to its age, however questioning the anomaly is prohibited by order of O5-[REDACTED] due to threat of psychologically induced depressive episodes, referred to by Lead Researcher [REDACTED] as “Void-Depressions”. As effects of Void-Depressions are unclear, further research has been [approved by Site Director [REDACTED]] [denied by O5-[REDACTED]].

SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ has displayed abilities of both apportation and reality warping. Both of these behaviors pose a threat to emergency containment, however the use of SCP-[REDACTED] [NEUTRALIZED] or reality anchors have been shown to be capable of temporarily disabling apportation, however is ineffective against reality warping. SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜’s other anomalous abilities of [REDACTED] have also been shown to be suppressable through the use of fire-retardant clothing and reality anchors placed [REDACTED]. Further research is required to uncover more permanent containment solutions.

The anomaly possesses the ability to heal other sentient beings within a [REDACTED] radius of the entity. Healing ability has been shown to repair wounds that would otherwise hold a ██% mortality rate. With approval of O5-[REDACTED], SCP-⬜⬜⬜⬜ may be used for the healing of both civilian and Foundation personnel in the event of an anomaly-caused mass-casualty event to aid in the treatment and [REDACTED] of affected areas.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Pushing the limits of sub-kilowatt electric propulsion technology for space mission concepts

NASA has developed an advanced propulsion technology to facilitate future planetary exploration missions using small spacecraft. Not only will this technology enable new types of planetary science missions, one of NASA's commercial partners is already preparing to use it for another purpose—to extend the lifetimes of spacecraft that are already in orbit.

Identifying the opportunity for industry to use this new technology not only advances NASA's goal of technology commercialization, it could potentially create a path for NASA to acquire this important technology from industry for use in future planetary missions.

The new technology

Planetary science missions using small spacecraft will be required to perform challenging propulsive maneuvers—such as achieving planetary escape velocities, orbit capture, and more—that require a velocity change (delta-v) capability well in excess of typical commercial needs and the current state-of-the-art. Therefore, the #1 enabling technology for these small spacecraft missions is an electric propulsion system that can execute these high-delta-v maneuvers.

The propulsion system must operate using low power (sub-kilowatt) and have high-propellant throughput (i.e., the capability to use a high total mass of propellant over its lifetime) to enable the impulse required to execute these maneuvers.

After many years of research and development, researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have created a small spacecraft electric propulsion system to meet these needs—the NASA-H71M sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster. In addition, the successful commercialization of this new thruster will soon provide at least one such solution to enable the next generation of small spacecraft science missions requiring up to an amazing 8 km/s of delta-v.

This technical feat was accomplished by the miniaturization of many advanced high-power solar electric propulsion technologies developed over the last decade for applications such as the Power and Propulsion Element of Gateway, humanity's first space station around the moon.

Benefits of this technology for planetary exploration

Small spacecraft using the NASA-H71M electric propulsion technology will be able to independently maneuver from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to the moon or even from a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) to Mars.

This capability is especially remarkable because commercial launch opportunities to LEO and GTO have become routine, and the excess launch capacity of such missions is often sold at low cost to deploy secondary spacecraft. The ability to conduct missions that originate from these near-Earth orbits can greatly increase the cadence and lower the cost of lunar and Mars science missions.

This propulsion capability will also increase the reach of secondary spacecraft, which have been historically limited to scientific targets that align with the primary mission's launch trajectory. This new technology will enable secondary missions to substantially deviate from the primary mission's trajectory, which will facilitate exploration of a wider range of scientific targets.

In addition, these secondary spacecraft science missions would typically have only a short period of time to collect data during a high-speed flyby of a distant body. This greater propulsive capability will allow deceleration and orbital insertion at planetoids for long-term scientific study.

Furthermore, small spacecraft outfitted with such significant propulsive capability will be better equipped to manage late-stage changes to the primary mission's launch trajectory. Such changes are frequently a top risk for small spacecraft science missions with limited onboard propulsive capability that depend on the initial launch trajectory to reach their science target.

Commercial applications

The megaconstellations of small spacecraft now forming in low-Earth orbits have made low-power Hall-effect thrusters the most abundant electric propulsion system used in space today. These systems use propellant very efficiently, which allows for orbit insertion, de-orbiting, and many years of collision avoidance and re-phasing.

However, the cost-conscious design of these commercial electric propulsion systems has inevitably limited their lifetime capability to typically less than a few thousand hours of operation and these systems can only process about 10% or less of a small spacecraft's initial mass in propellant.

By contrast, planetary science missions benefiting from the NASA-H71M electric propulsion system technology could operate for 15,000 hours and process more than 30% of the small spacecraft's initial mass in propellant.

This game-changing capability is well beyond the needs of most commercial LEO missions and comes at a cost premium that makes commercialization for such applications unlikely. Therefore, NASA sought and continues to seek partnerships with companies developing innovative commercial small spacecraft mission concepts with unusually large propellant throughput requirements.

One partner that will soon use the licensed NASA electric propulsion technology in a commercial small spacecraft application is SpaceLogistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman. The Mission Extension Pod (MEP) satellite servicing vehicle is equipped with a pair of Northrop Grumman NGHT-1X Hall-effect thrusters, whose design is based on the NASA-H71M.

The small spacecraft's large propulsive capability will allow it to reach geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) where it will be mounted on a far larger satellite. Once installed, the MEP will serve as a "propulsion jet pack" to extend the life of its host spacecraft for at least six years.

Northrop Grumman is currently conducting a long duration wear test (LDWT) of the NGHT-1X in GRC's Vacuum Facility 11 to demonstrate its full lifetime operational capability. The LDWT is funded by Northrop Grumman through a fully reimbursable Space Act Agreement. The first MEP spacecraft are expected to launch in 2025, where they will extend the life of three GEO communication satellites.

Collaborating with U.S. industry to find small spacecraft applications with propulsive requirements similar to future NASA planetary science missions not only supports U.S. industry in remaining a global leader in commercial space systems but creates new commercial opportunities for NASA to acquire these important technologies as planetary missions require them.

NASA continues to mature the H71M electric propulsion technologies to expand the range of data and documentation available to U.S. industry for the purpose of developing similarly advanced and highly capable low-power electric propulsion devices.

TOP IMAGE....Northrop Grumman NGHT-1X engineering model Hall-effect thruster operating in Glenn Research Center Vacuum Facility 8. The design of the NGHT-1X is based on the NASA-H71M Hall-effect thruster. Credit: Northrop Grumman

LOWER IMAGE....Left: NASA-H71M Hall-effect thruster on the Glenn Research Center Vacuum Facility 8 thrust stand. Right: Dr. Jonathan Mackey tuning the thrust stand prior to closing and pumping down the test facility. Credit: NASA

[macbeth-n-cheese]

Early Synth HCs and Thoughts, pt.2

Here we go again!

(shout-out to Data, the OG robot crush)

More on Senses:

Trying to come up with theories for the pressure sensitivity of a synth's skin was tricky, to put it lightly. It basically threw me into a tech rabbit hole that led to more questions than answers, with another fresh batch of confusion at the Fallout lore as an added bonus.

The first thing I thought regarding pressure was that it could work in a similar way to touchscreen, where two layers of the synth-skin would be separated, and the pressure applied to the outer layer would make them touch and create an electrical current between them, thus registering the contact. Now, would this be a good enough explanation? Sure thing, but I wouldn't ramble so much if I didn't overanalyze things in the first place.

There are some flaws in this theory:

1. Touchscreen isn't a thing in fallout, as far as I know. Pipboys, terminals, securitron screens, it's all in this early digital computer vibe (that I absolutely love). If this tech existed, the institute wouldve had something to do with it, yes, but there's no way they wouldn't have added it to their computers, at least for practicality's sake.

2. The individual's entire body would need to be equipped with this, and it would absolutely not be cheap or easy to produce or program. The sensors attached to this touch layer would need to discern different types of stimuli, for starts, and I doubt Gen. II's memory would've handled much of this.

However, Nick and DiMA are prorotypes, experimental models, and I'm absolutely sure they're more expensive than their predecessors, and their developers had more freedom to work on them and test new ideas. If the institute had managed to invent a touchscreen-like technology for the skin, those two would no doubt be the first ones to have it. And even possibly the last, considering the flaws I mentioned.

My conclusion in this is that average Gen. IIs are not capable of feeling more delicate touches and interpreting those as a human would, nor do they have any reason to. They are in the middle of the way to a perfect human substitute, but aren't there yet, by any means. They were mass produced for defense and manual labour, not for actually being human, unlike Nick and DiMA.

Normal Gen. IIs can register temperture, damage suffered and physical integrity, they can see, speak (barely) and hear, and that's basically it. They're not made for having human emotions, and are only equipped with functions that make them more effective in the field. As for our boys, they came with the full sensory package, but I think DiMA has sacrificed some of his (taste, smell and possibly even the more delicate touch perception) for memory space. He's modded to Oblivion, but a machine can only handle so much, and according to Faraday's notes, he's almost on his limit.

Power:

Synths use -I assume- the same coolant that vehicles did back before the war, so they probably run on Atom as well. But because they're smaller than a car (call me Dr. Obvious) and a fusion engine simply wouldn't fit, they would need either a mini reactor or a fusion core that wasn't nerfed beyond reality by game mechanics, and would actually last a bazillion years (which I find more likely). It would be completely internal and inaccessible without taking the synth's chest appart, and equipped with a serious cooling system. Synths would have to refuel on coolant every now and then, just like a car, but time between those would be a bit longer due to the smaller size of the core.

Breathing...?

Nick can smell, and he smokes like a chimney, so the air definitelly goes in. It could be used as part of the cooling system, to expel hot air and take in a colder one, through difference in pressure, maybe? Like a rubber 'lung' being squeezed (by some specific mechanism that works in accordance to the temperature, in which: hotter core=quicker breaths, to try and keep the synth from overheating) to exhale, and released to inhale. Air would go in exclusively through the nose, where there would be a filter to keep nasty particles out. This filter would need to be changed/washed every now and then, more so on a smoker. This 'breathing' would be present on normal Gen. IIs as well, but not on Is.

Radiation immunity:

(My excuse for reading the Nuclear Engineering International and bringing up Chernobyl)

Many people don't know (and I learned it quite recently) that radiation can and most likely will destroy electronic devices. To put it simply, it scrambles the electrons running in them, causing innacurate or absent sensor readings, circuit leaks, frequency spikes and other not-cool effects that render normal, unprotected tech completely useless. It basically kills them on a "molecular level," and this happened to the first robots used in (you guessed it) Chernobyl when the disaster happened.

There are many ways to shield circuits from radiation (radiation-hardening), from physical insulation to specific circuit arrangements, redundant components, etc, most of which are quite complex and absolutely cannot be swallowed in just one bite, regardless of how greedy I am. For this reason, I'll assume that the bots in Fallout are insulated and have their circuits rad-hardened through some other means that a nuclear physicist may be able to explain.

Since lead is the main radiation-proofing substance in this universe, a synth's skin could have an inner layer of lead, just like its internal electronic components. This would be, along with the aluminium support structure and rad-hardened circuit design, a shield against the rads. So the more intact a synth's skin is, the better it is at keeping radiation at bay, which would mean that Nick and other IIs who have broken shells aren't completely immune. Gen. Is are even more vulnerable than them, because they don't have skin at all and depend only on the circuit arrangements and lead plating of components to keep the destructive effects at bay.

This means that while they'd survive in some areas of the Glowing Sea, it'd be just barely and with a lot of confusion, more so for Mr. Valentine. (Many angsty opportunities, I see here.)

Thank you for reading! Part three will drop as soon as I manage to think of a reason as to why/how/?? Nick can drink alcohol and eat noodles.

(Also there will be a segment on ghouls, stay tuned!)

[void-botanist]

WIP Intro: The Fourth Android

[Image description: a cover design with a light green background and the words "the fourth android" stacked on each other at the top. Below this is my username, "NavarenWizard", in smaller font. At the bottom is a minimalist digital portrait of Dez, a light blue humanlike android, from the chest up. He is wearing a black jumpsuit with broad lapels and has cameras in his earlobes that look like small black earrings. His chin-length purple hair is layered, with sideswept bangs. /End description.]

status // about to write a third (and greatly improved) version for NaNoWriMo 2022

tag // #tfa

genre // queer, fantasy, sci-fi, slice-of-life

tropes & themes // self-definition, finding community, healthy relationships and communication, biotechnology, cultures of nonhuman sapient bipeds and interspecies interactions, androids! what do they mean?, almost everyone is queer, complex (but happy) families, life without cars, near-global common language

setting // another planet similar to Earth, populated by humans as well as other sapient bipedal species, most of which make appearances in the story. Their technology is similar to ours in complexity and portability, though they are somewhat ahead in terms of robotics and space vessels, to the point that they are about to send the first crewed mission to the nearest planet, a Mars analogue called Delphonus. Despite this, androids are not common, because bipedal, socially capable robots aren't particularly necessary for anything, and still take a lot of time, resources, and knowledge to build (mass production is possible in this world but not used for most things). Relevant to the story, universal basic income is common in this world, as are multi-week breaks, especially around new year’s.

super quick synopsis // A human-built android integrates into an island community to gain his citizenship and visit the world's other three androids, unexpectedly becoming an astronaut along the way.

proper synopsis // Dez is one of three androids in the world. He dreams of going with his primary builder, Anni, to visit the others, but to do that without sneaking around in a suitcase, he needs citizenship to pass customs. (His other builder, Anni’s uncle Julian, owns their house and has forbidden them from making it famous by holding an android conference there.) For now, he’s content to wait until the world’s major government oversight organization, the Data Science Coalition, talks some sense into his home country, which has refused him citizenship on the grounds that it will lead to citizenship for laptops and toasters. He has plenty of other things to keep him occupied in the meantime, like editing speedrun streams for Anni’s girlfriend, Zel, and watching the movies she pays him with. But the thing that’s keeping the DSC’s resources tied up, the fall of a nearby monarchy [yes, the one that Aza and her brother ended], has also led to the reappearance of the mysterious fourth android who used to work for it.

Where the story begins, Anni has been tasked with getting that android, Syndy, up and running independently again. After that, Syndy will be leaving with her guardian, Hoven, to visit all the places her builder wanted to show her before they died. For Dez, this completely changes the calculus of getting citizenship—if he can manage to get it before Syndy embarks on her journey, all four androids can meet for the first time ever. But he’s not sure he can get citizenship at all, let alone before Syndy is on again, because every citizenship law he can find excludes him in one way or another. Finally, he finds an opportunity in the citizenship law of Elbas Island, the tiny nation Anni is about to visit over her end-of-year break to meet Zel’s brother, Zalen. With the island Council’s approval, Anni stashes him in her suitcase and he goes to gain his citizenship by integrating with the community on Elbas Island for a month.

Said community is very welcoming, Zalen is full of stories about the crewed mission to Delphonus he is a geological advisor for, and even after Anni and Zel leave to spend new year’s with Anni’s family, Dez expects to have no trouble going home with citizenship. But he soon runs into a variety of problems, including some islanders arguing to the Council that, legally and on principle, he should continue living on the island after he becomes a citizen. And Zalen believes that Dez, as an android and newly minted astronomy enthusiast, is the only person who could become the Delphonus crew’s geologist in the three months remaining before launch and really wants him to apply. Dez has never had this many opportunities or this many friends’ feelings riding on his decisions, and now has to figure out how to shape his own future.

characters // there are a lot of them, so here are just a few central ones. I may do illustrated intros later.

Dez Chalbis // POV // he/him // ~4 months old when the story starts, looks twentysomething // human-built android // movie enthusiast and Zel’s gaming stream editor. He’s friend human-shaped, with a touchscreen for a face and a body mostly composed of light blue chitinous plating and mycelial wiring. He’s never left the house, other than to occasionally go out in the yard, but he doesn’t really mind because almost everything he wants to do can be done in the house and everyone he knows either visits the house or is an android with whom he is almost constantly instant messaging in his head.

Anni Chalbis // POV // she/her // turns 29 over the course of the story // human // got a degree in robotics engineering, then decided she only wanted to use it for her own personal projects. She lives with her artist uncle Julian in a northern port city, and together they built Dez over the course of ~6 years. She earns extra cash by working in a bookstore alongside a friend with grey hair and pronouns, and met her girlfriend, Zel, through playing a fantasy MMO. Her favorite color is blue, her wardrobe is mostly blue (including her cat-eye glasses), and the fact that her android is blue is just a happy coincidence.

Julian Astatyn // he/him // 50 // human // artist of many mediums. Around the time Anni pitched the concept of building an android, he was getting into kinetic sculpture, and making a whole guy seemed like exactly his kind of challenge. He’s responsible for much of Dez’s outward form and the layout of his underlying musculature. He loves books, brunch, and being the cool uncle (he’s Anni’s only uncle).

Zel Tillain // she/her // 28 // human // originally started streaming mommy dating simulators as a joke, but eventually became a full-time streamer in a variety of game genres. After her last video editor moved on, she struck a deal with Dez: he edits down her streams into clips and YouTube-style videos in exchange for whatever movies or TV shows he wants. Beyond video games, she is mildly obsessed with sci-fi that involves aliens, rock music, and of course Anni.

Zalen Tillain // he/him // 29 // human // received his doctorate degree in planetary geology last year with a thesis on the possibility of silicon-based life on Delphonus. Just after he moved several thousand miles from his alma mater to Elbas Island, he was hired onto the science advising team for the first crewed mission to Delphonus, which means that he’s spent most of the year at the University of the Fifth Akkanswl on the other side of the world. Unsurprisingly, he too is obsessed with sci-fi that involves aliens.

Syndy Gweltsen // she/her // ~2 years old including her decommissioned time, looks twentysomething // human-built android // incredibly lifelike android originally built by H. O. Gweltsen to work in the royal post office. The monarchs were using her to show everyone how cool and hip the monarchy was, even going so far as to grant her citizenship through royal decree, and never knew that she had an autonomous, sapient self hidden in an encrypted partition. That self, an inquisitive and ornery personality with a passion for hair clips and fluffy skirts, is the one Anni permanently unlocks.

Hoven Lolimmo // he/him // 44 // sha-nawwen (goat person based off chamois) // career librarian and archivist who was most recently the head collections librarian at the royal library; now Syndy’s guardian according to H. O. Gweltsen’s will. He discovered Syndy’s true personality accidentally, then ended up befriending and supporting Gweltsen through the last year of their life. While Anni works on Syndy, he explains his upcoming journey with Syndy to Dez, and discovers that he has quite a lot in common with Julian.

Mizzat Keh // vi/vim // ~12 years old, looks about 30 // android built by nswl (dragonesque people based off geckos) // math professor at the University of the Second Akkanswl. Vi was not literally the first android ever built, but vi was the first successful, fully autonomous one. Originally built by university researchers to study androids’ ability to teach and support students, vi is the most robotic-looking of the androids, and has continued to teach math in the seven years since vis originating experiment concluded. In that time vi has also earned a doctorate in math that replaced vis earlier honorary degree and gained citizenship with the University’s support, but out of anxiety and directionlessness has yet to leave the second Akkanswl.

Imjen Hoat // zi/zir // ~8 years old, looks twentysomething // swl-built android // clinic nurse at the University of the Fifth Akkanswl (zi has not met Zalen and has basically nothing to do with the Delphonus mission). After Mizzat’s initial success, UFA researchers decided to build a much more lifelike android who could act as a point of contact for health information seekers. Like Syndy, Imjen is hard to clock as an android, and zi likes it that way. Like Mizzat and Dez, zi was intended to be autonomous from the start, which eventually led to zir shifting into nursing. Zi is about ready for another career change, but to what zi doesn’t know. Zi is looking forward to this mythical first android gathering, though, which might just happen at zis house.

note // Mizzat and Imjen are far from the only important (living) characters who use neopronouns or neutral pronouns, but they are the only ones present from the beginning of the story.