#Oracle decommissioning

[avendatatech]

Retire Oracle Systems with Confidence: Smart Archiving for a Lighter IT Future

Say goodbye to outdated Oracle environments—without losing control of your data. AvenDATA helps enterprises decommission legacy Oracle applications like JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and E-Business Suite while preserving full access to essential information. Through its advanced archiving platform, ViewBox, AvenDATA ensures secure storage, compliance readiness, and long-term usability of historical data—freeing your IT from the weight of legacy infrastructure and reducing ongoing costs.

[nickssmith]

Training and Development for Oracle Decommissioning Projects: Building a Skilled Workforce

In the rapidly evolving world of IT, the decommissioning of legacy systems like Oracle is becoming increasingly critical. As organizations shift towards modern technologies, the need to effectively retire outdated systems while preserving data integrity and ensuring compliance is paramount. Central to the success of Oracle decommissioning projects is the development and training of a skilled workforce. This blog explores the essential elements of training and development for Oracle decommissioning projects, highlighting the importance of a well-prepared team in achieving seamless transitions.

The Importance of Training in Oracle Decommissioning

Oracle decommissioning is a complex process involving multiple stages, from initial planning to final execution. It requires a deep understanding of both the legacy system and the new environment into which data and processes will be migrated. Proper training ensures that team members are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage this intricate process, minimizing risks and maximizing efficiency.

Key Training Areas for Oracle Decommissioning

Understanding Oracle Systems

 Legacy Knowledge: Team members need a solid grasp of the Oracle systems being decommissioned, including their architecture, data structures, and operational nuances.

Data Migration Techniques

Data Integrity: Emphasizing methods to maintain data integrity throughout the migration process, including verification and validation techniques.

Compliance and Security

Regulatory Requirements: Training on relevant regulations and standards that must be adhered to during decommissioning, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and other industry-specific guidelines.

Project Management

Decommissioning Planning: Skills in project planning and management, including the creation of detailed decommissioning plans, timelines, and resource allocation.

Developing a Comprehensive Training Program

Assessment of Skill Gaps

Conduct a thorough assessment of the current skill levels of team members to identify areas that require additional training.

Customized Training Modules

Develop tailored training modules that address specific needs and skill gaps, ensuring relevance and applicability to the decommissioning project.

Hands-On Workshops

Incorporate practical workshops and hands-on training sessions to provide real-world experience and enhance problem-solving skills.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members through regular meetings, forums, and collaborative tools.

Conclusion

Training and development are pivotal to the success of Oracle decommissioning projects. By investing in a comprehensive training program, organizations can equip their teams with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of decommissioning with confidence. A well-trained workforce not only ensures a smooth transition from legacy systems but also positions the organization for future technological advancements and innovations. As the IT landscape continues to evolve, the importance of continuous learning and skill development cannot be overstated in maintaining a competitive edge and achieving long-term success.

[martincrushcameback]

May I request superhero au? How's it going?

It's uh... it's going? ^_^;;

Zach is a Technopath. While Aviva is Technokinetic, meaning she can assemble and disassemble technology with her mind, as a Technopath, Zach can mind control technology and manipulate it to his bidding. A good way to think of their differences is that Zach can give robots consciousness and interact with them like they are alive where Aviva simply has technological and component control.

He is a villain because the government would love nothing more than to round up all telepaths like him to control them and use them to conquer the world. (they want oracles like Chris too, and if they can't be controlled, they terminate them).

Chris has been rounded up for "Decommissioning" wherein they do just that to him- sticking him in a control chamber. They want the names of all superpowered people that are hidden (people undercover, hiding their powers, deliberately hiding their DT abilities, etc) and they are using their tech to control and enhance his Sight and to force it out of him.

[whispereons]

Oracle!Reader Part 15

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 14, Part 16

Mental health was really important, especially for someone like you whose will to live changed faster than a pendulum. A strong will to live without an actual reason made you swing wildly from suicidal thoughts to a death grip on life.

So even though logically it wasn't a good idea to visit the Dragon-Queller tree as Shenhe was still lurking around, and she was by far the most dangerous thing to your physical health, your mental health was taking priority after the clusterfuck of events that you just went through.

Staring out at the stretch of land required to reach the landmark, you cringe at the thought of the stamina needed to glide that far. It would be safer to glide in chunks for proper rest and control. It doesn’t take long for you to spot a small mountain below with a leaf puzzle.

With a shaky breath; you jump off the cliff and glide to the lower landing spot. The wind caressed your exposed skin, causing goosebumps to appear in response.

You feel Zhongli's prayer and emotions enter your body. In petty retaliation, you reject his offering and ignore the persistent prayers. It becomes background noise as the landing spot comes closer. In spite of the short duration, the journey seemed to go well until it was time to land.

Your feet skid across the rocks as the wind continues to push you. In a panic, you grab the leaf puzzle uncaring how the sharp edges cut your hands. The glider folds back into itself making you breathe a sigh of relief.

Your blood stains the green of the puzzles as you move your hand to hold the stem of the mechanic. A faint smear of blood covers it as you search for your next landing spot.

To your right, you can see a Hilichurl camp, the same one you used to escape from Shenhe. The Hilichurl camp on your left and directly below you were empty. It seems Shenhe didn't stop at exterminating just one Hilichurl camp, which was definitely not a good sign for you. If you glide here there's a large chance she'll spot you. And if she does, you'll be vulnerable to any attacks.

Deciding to climb down and travel on foot, you move down to grab the minor grooves of the rock. Suddenly, a sense of dread overwhelms you, almost completely identical to the one you felt when Yae was watching you in Inazuma.

Instincts honed from years spent surviving dangerous situations kicked into full drive. Scaling down the small mountain, your feet and hands groped the stone in search of any spots to grasp onto. Rocks and pebbles scrape your skin from your rush and anxiety grips your heart. More than once your limbs will slip and you're left dangling for a few seconds.

Finally, you land on the ground and roll to balance the force, avoiding any serious injuries. Worry quickly begins to settle into your bones at the lack of hiding spots. In a last-ditch effort to conceal yourself, you climb up the nearby tree, painfully aware of how the leaves will shake loudly and offer little protection.

To your surprise, there's no sound when your body shakes the tree, and the tree shifts to cover you more. Teyvat really couldn't make their affection for you any more obvious. That relief is cut short when the temperature starts to drop suddenly.

From your spot, you can see ice creep out of the Hilichurl's main building. It cracks and creaks with every inch of it being consumed by that frosty snow. Shenhe had to be in there and although you may be hiding, just how good would it actually be? She's an Adepti disciple, and Celestia knows what tricks she may have in store.

Her heels click with every step onto the clear ice, blood, and dirt covering the exposed spots of her body. The stab wound you gave her has slowed down into a minor stream of blood as she chews on medicinal herbs.

A large and deep wound you gave her healed so much in such a short amount of time. It's laughable. An injury like that would have left you decommissioned for a week at least, yet she's able to walk with no problem. Was this due to Teyvat and its vast magical properties, or just Shenhe's natural constitution?

Staying still and quiet, you continue watching Shenhe who walks down the Hilichurl stairs before crouching to the ground. Those empty iridescent eyes glow as she touches the ground as if trying to find something.

Frowning, you try to guess what she could be looking for. A certain herb? Something she dropped? Maybe a sigil? It's only when she looks at the barely lit brazier and the electro crystals on the side that you realize what she's doing.

Elemental sight!

All vision holders and those with sensitivity to elements can use it. That must include you since you're connected so heavily to Teyvat, but would that mean you're basically a walking ball of raw elemental energy?

Now nervous you watch Shenhe look in your direction and walk closer while staring at the ground. Shit, you must've left a trail all this time unknowingly. The only thing that can erase a trail is other elemental energy covering it up and it didn't look to be raining anytime soon.

Crossing your fingers; you yell internally to Teyvat to cover up your trail and hide your presence as fast as possible, praying that it would work. But there's no hindrance in Shenhe's slow progress to your location. What could be causing this? Teyvat wouldn't deny you unless it's something out of your control.

Forcibly calming yourself, you settle down to review anything you or Teyvat could be doing that's using elemental energy. This allowed for something that you were content to ignore, to spring up on you again.

A rush of dizzyingly love and admiration clouded your head as something darker in nature nipped at the back of your mind. Was Zhongli still praying and sacrificing pieces of himself to you? Was this constant stream of devotion the cause of your trouble?

You couldn't telepathically tell Zhongli to give up or get up to go tell him. Now at a loss on what to do, you stare at Shenhe who is but a mere few steps away from the tree. Something moves in the corner of your eye, making you perk up.

A barely alive Samachurl is killed by a Hydro-infused arrow to its already cracked mask. Not a single sound was heard from the attack. It seems you weren't the only one trying to hide.

If you can't hide something then the next best thing to do is to amplify something else to mask your presence. You order Teyvat to strengthen the presence of whoever is hiding, and watch as Shenhe immediately stands up.

Turning away from your hiding spot, Shenhe takes long strides to the back of the Hilichurl camp. Tilting your head for a better view, you watch as Shenhe uses her Cryo sigils to create a large spike of ice in where you assume was the person hiding.

A mirage-like figure runs out of the way and heads toward Shenhe with Hydro lacing trailing behind them. The figure just barely evades Shenhe's attack and wraps Hydro rope around Shenhe, binding her arms to her sides.

The skill wears off showing Yelan holding the Hydro rope that you recognize as her skill 'Lifeline'. Yelan yanks at the lifeline but Shenhe had already frozen it, causing it to break off. Shenhe begins to charge at Yelan again, making Yelan dodge. From what you can see, their fight against each other seemed to be continuing without a clear winner already.

Using their distracted state, you decide to finish off what had caused this fight. Zhongli's sacrifice comes to mind as the taste of the offering has become sickeningly sweet after all your rejections. The words of acceptance refuse to be spoken aloud in fear of the Wind hearing. Instead, it's kept in your mind where Teyvat can safely perceive your gospel and carry out your commands.

The sky silently grows dim as the shooting stars make their way past. Blood flies off Shenhe's spear as it cuts Yelan's calf. The attack's revenge comes back in the form of water whipping Shenhe's skin, leaving bruises. Neither see the gold shooting star disappear behind the mountain that no doubt entered the temple by the skylight.

The game screen pops up making you skip through it all without properly looking. You still weren't sure whether Zhongli would keep trying to offer you sacrifices. Hasn't he cut off enough body parts by now? The sky returns to its previous blue as the sun drowns out the lingering stars.

The fight comes to a standstill as both women breathe heavily a few feet away from each other. You lost your opportunity to flee due to Zhongli's offering which sucks, but at least you have something to gain here.

"The Traveler was proud to say that the white-haired Adeptus apprentice had learned to control herself. That must have been quite the overstatement."

Yelan's confident smile is shown to be quite the facade judging by the slight tremble in her right ankle. It's already been injured with what looks like a fresh burn mark. From what you remember, she has hereditary physical frailty, making her energy a precious resource. Using her as a diversion must have caused her to nearly overexert herself.

"How do you know the Traveler trespasser? Tell me, who are you to them?" Shenhe becomes more on edge at Yelan's words, and points her spear at Yelan.

"I'm a child of the family that runs the Feiyun Commerce Guild and an acolyte. I'm sure you'll recognize my brother, Xingqiu, as a good friend of your nephew. You know, the young exorcist who shares the same vision as you."

Staring at Yelan who smiles mysteriously at Shenhe's surprised but somewhat annoyed face, you have to try hard to not laugh. Yelan's use of identities was always underwhelming when you never saw her change clothes to match her identities, but this was gold.

Yelan's awful haircut was so similar to Xingqiu's that it was already a running joke that they were related in some way. Adding in the fact that her clothes are Liyuen style for upper-class citizens, her lie of being Xingqiu's sibling is pretty believable. Of course, it would only work on Shenhe who has no idea of the well-known families in Liyue.

It never really made sense that she switched identities so many times in her story quest while not changing her clothes. It's always better to have higher quality identities rather than a huge quantity of them. Especially with such flashy clothing. But maybe you're the hypocrite here considering you're wearing a gold-accented kitsune mask.

"What did you come for then?" Not even doubting Yelan's words, Shenhe merely asks for the archer's reasoning.

"I was sent here on a job for my father." Shenhe nods blankly before turning around to leave. But Yelan is quick to catch up and rests her hand on Shenhe's shoulder. Yelan only smiles at Shenhe's suspicious glare.

"You shouldn't be so quick to leave ya know? Have you never heard of the 'Explain in turn' tradition?" Confusion crosses over Shenhe’s face at Yelan's words and the icy woman turns around fully.

This... This was way too easy, Shenhe didn't even understand the concept of paying for things! Isn't it unfair that Yelan is about to take full advantage of Shenhe's so-called 'pure' child-like mind?

"It means to be honest and explain to the person you asked a question, your own response to the question." So she's gonna confuse her on top of it? "For instance, I answered your question on why I came here therefore you must tell me why you came here."

Shenhe stays silent and still as she stares at Yelan. Until she points to the hilichurl camp.

"I was exterminating the demonic stains that reappeared in Jueyun Karst when a pest attacked me. People come and get hurt while I work all the time but this was a first, that one hurts me so obviously. I'm sure it's another strange custom that I don't care to learn. Perhaps the Traveler can explain when she comes back..."

Shenhe's tone goes from harsh to soft at the mention of the Traveler. You curse the Adepti out in your mind for failing to explain who you were to Shenhe. This whole situation could have been avoided if they had. Sure, you would have still stabbed her, but you could have explained the situation away.

Yelan smiles out of Shenhe's line of sight which makes you worry about what she could be planning. What was her true reason for coming all the way out here?

"What a coincidence, my job involves searching for someone too." Shenhe raises an unamused eyebrow in response as if asking 'So what?' Yelan sighs in what sounds like a mix of exasperation and fondness.

"Someone let loose some geovishap hatchlings in the city. Which means they have some influence over elemental creatures. Did the person you are looking for have a similar attitude?"

The memory of the words you spat at Shenhe comes to mind. Shenhe hasn't forgotten either judging by her expression hardening.

"They said some... strange things. But seeing as they were able to come this deep into Jueyun Karst by themself, they might be the same person."

"Why don't we work together then? You lost them once already." Yelan glances at the wound you left on Shenhe with a condescending smile. "I saw you tracking them earlier, telling me how will be beneficial to you."

She falls silent at the question. It seems Shenhe isn't willing to give it up to Yelan. But if Yelan is as sneaky as she is told to be in the game, she'll find a way to drag it out of the cool disciple.

Yelan's smile drops as she removes her hand from Shenhe's shoulder and circles her slowly. That friendly tone drops into a neutral melody in accordance with Shenhe's coldness.

"Not willing to speak on the matter? Then I suppose we'll work separately. It's just a shame that I won't be able to tell you what happened to Chongyun that day."

You see Yelan make calculated steps in your direction to act like she's leaving, as Shenhe's expression changes at the last words. A Cryo Talisman is whipped out and a Cryo maiden blocks Yelan's path.

The Cryo coats the base of the tree forcing you to cover your mouth in fear of the condensation being visible. Yelan smirks from her spot as Shenhe begins to succumb to her rage.

"Tell me what happened. Tell me everything."

It seems not even the red ropes can contain her violent nature during times like these. You would hate to see how Shenhe would react to you 'hurting' the Traveler, considering her strong connection to them.

Would pulling Shenhe before your sudden migration to Teyvat make this better or worse?

Yelan turns around to face her and makes slow steps to meet Shenhe again. Your feelings toward Yelan have always been a bit muddled due to your similarities to the special intelligence officer. The loss, grief, lying, and use of multiple identities. All the things you shared should have made you love her and dub her your favorite character, but that only worked on paper. Your life couldn't be more different to hers.

A mix of admiration and envy churns within you.

"The Geovishap Hatchlings were loose in the city as the Millelith guards chased them. A few people got hurt and your dear nephew wasn't one to just stand by. From what Xingqui told me, he got roughed up and is still healing."

Shenhe's grip on her weapon loosens and tightens at various moments of Yelan's altered story. As if trying to decide whether hurting Yelan for being the messenger of bad news would be worth it.

"I was tracking down that vexation using elemental sight. They have a rare trace that almost completely blends in with Teyvat's regular and numerous Ley Lines. It's quickly disappearing as well.” She spits out the insult with venom while putting away her weapon.

"An elemental trail that mimics Leylines is something that only appears in mystical beings. It's almost unheard of." Yelan says more to herself as her eyes glow and she examines the ground.

In a few seconds, Yelan closes her eyes and rubs them tiredly. "For whatever reason, I can't seem to pick out any. You may be able to tell the difference due to your connections to the Adepti."

You watch the two women as they talk and idly wonder if you could use elemental sight too. A vision isn't necessarily needed, nor is it a guarantee that one can use elemental sight. So there's no harm in trying, right?

Figuring out how to do it is the real problem.

Several minutes pass before you manage to activate it by simply blinking in rapid succession. The world changes to a grayscale as elemental energy becomes more apparent.

And to your immense relief, you do not have a bright gold trail. In fact, you could only pick yours out due to the fact you felt an instant sense of recognition. But the longer you have it on, the more your head begins to ache.

Turning it off the same way, you clutch your head in hopes of easing the throbbing sensation. This skill was not going to be useful in any regular scenarios. Too little reward for such an easy and large drawback. Storing the information for later use is best.

"If I don't track them down quickly then they might try to attack someone else next. Like the Traveler. Pairing up with you seems to be the only viable option."

Shenhe's voice brings you back to the important conversation that you were supposed to be eavesdropping on. A gleam of curiosity can be seen in Yelan by the slight posture change at the mention of the Traveler. It seems Shenhe's codependency on the Traveler wasn't something only you were interested in.

Staying quiet on the matter, Yelan focuses on her mission or whatever her real motive is. If only you could have avoided entering the Yangshen Teahouse that day. If only Keqing wasn't so damn suspicious of you, you could have politely excused yourself from the scene and avoided drawing Yelan’s attention, or rather bring any more attention to yourself. 

"Then it's settled. You'll track down where they might be and I'll stay here to hold down the fort." You aren't surprised at Yelan's decision to piggyback off Shenhe's work. Her energy must still be recovering after the initial fight with Shenhe.

Shenhe begins to walk back to the spot that she was originally at when tracking you down, making you nervous. Something had to be done. You could take on one and escape, but both of them? You had no chance in hell.

Biting back the groan of frustration at being pushed back to square one, you began to think hard about how to escape. It was times like these that you truly missed hair dye, wigs, and colored contacts.

Unexpectedly, pressure floods your body and the weight settles into your chest comfortably. Feelings of longing and intense yearning make your head spin as the warmth can nearly be tasted. A fever-like haze consumes your consciousness forcing you to rest your head on the tree branch for coolness.

Just what did Zhongli cut off this time to force such a large offering onto you?

Smiling widely, you accept the offering and the opportunity to escape. The sky darkens as shooting stars fill the sky. Now that they aren't fighting, both women look at the sky with curious expressions.

"So it really did happen." Yelan mumbles as she puts away some dice. Shenhe stands up and walks in her direction while keeping her eyes on the dazzling star shower.

"The Creator must be active, the star showers have been happening frequently." Yelan notes as the gold star appears. You don't miss how both women pay close attention to the gold shooting star as it makes its way to the temple hidden behind the mountain.

"That star’s path… The area where it landed has some traces of the nuisance." Shenhe mutters seemingly in a bad mood as the sky lightens up to its natural blue.

"Then let's not waste any more time. It seems they are trying to escape back to Liyue Harbor." Yelan speaks with a hint of annoyance and leaves for the area. Shenhe follows her but not before a whisper is caught by your attentive ears.

"Why not me, your grace?"

So she does feel some strong emotions toward you as the Creator. She had spoken about the Traveler at every turn that you were starting to believe otherwise.

Once you're sure they're far enough, you drop out of the tree with intense relief. With no time to waste, you turn back to the Dragon-queller tree and run.

Canceling this pit stop and teleporting back to the city would be the correct and smart decision. But after all that hiding and work, you were going to see that tree no matter what. The orange leaves above you were witnesses to your stubbornness.

Walking across the small stretch of pink flowers on green grass, you notice patches of blood. Those were probably made during your chase with Shenhe. It makes you think back to her and her reason for hunting you down.

Unlike the majority of the Acolytes before this, Shenhe was going after you in hopes of protecting the Traveler rather than getting revenge for herself. All thanks to Yelan and her lies, unfortunately.

Either way, Shenhe was a huge bother to have, it'd be best to find some way to set her sights on someone else or find a way to deter her. Yet the only thing you can truly use is the traveler. Just why did Shenhe feel so attached to the Traveler in the first place?

Your distracted form leaves the sea of Sandbearer trees and coral flowers to be overshadowed by the Dragon-queller tree. The sun bears down making the orange-yellowish leaves shimmer not unlike the Cor Lapis you've seen before.

Stepping through the puddles of clear water, you continued to gaze up at the landmark with amazement. The winding bark and branches had blue crystalline embedded into them. The glittering of the aqua-colored crystalline was nice, but also subdued compared to the leaves surrounding it. Perhaps it would be better seen in the moonlight?

In any other situation, you would just sit here and enjoy the nice day. Maybe a picnic, or challenging yourself to climb the tree while awaiting the night to see the tree in its full glory.

But you have limited time. Just coming here was a problem on its own.

You stop at the tombstone, or rather stone monolith that reads out a warning to anyone who has gotten this far into Jueyun Karst. It serves as a reminder that there really is a dragon underneath you at this very moment. It shouldn't be surprising after you had literally spoken to Beisht, a goddamn Leviathan. But a thrum of excitement still urged your body to move.

To get closer to the entrance to Azhdaha.

You would need more powerful allies. More elemental creatures that could recognize you like Beisht. Azhdaha is on par with Zhongli, therefore the gnosis won't affect him as it does the Adepti. The only thing you truly had to worry about was the erosion.

All other excuses entered your mind as you crept closer to the entrance. Yet, right as you're about to go around the rocks to see the entrance up close, Teyvat brings the sound of speaking to your ears.

"Those traces were old, that means they must have came over here rather than the other way around." Yelan's smooth voice filters into your ears from the direction of the Sandbearer trees.

Anxiety fuels you to open the map and find a teleport waypoint to escape to. Yet an overwhelming sensation of love, loyalty, and obsession hits you like a truck. It leaves you breathless and gripping onto the tree nearly nauseous from the sickening saccharine.

"They may have gone back to where I first met them, it's through the opening next to the Dragon-Queller tree." Shenhe's stoic voice is accompanied by Yelan's hum in acceptance.

The time you had left was rapidly diminishing. Even if you tried to teleport now, it wouldn't work. It'd be the same scenario as when you first tried to teleport away from Shenhe.

Holding your head in pain from the clash of soft mind-numbing love and bitter possessiveness, you run into the entrance that leads to the Dragon-Queller's basement.

Does that make Azhdaha a basement dweller?

The seal glows softly with a hum as you stumble closer. Now safely tucked inside, you prioritize the mental toll Zhongli's sacrifice has been giving you.

Accepting the offering with a hazy mind, your body slides against the rocky interior until you sit on the ground. What a relief it is to finally be able to hear yourself think. The new consequences of the sacrifices were really inconvenient. The only reason you don't regret it is because it got Zhongli off your ass.

Now with a clearer mind, you open up the map and find the teleport waypoint near the city. Unfortunately, you're interrupted in the midst of selecting it by a rumble on your side making you glare at it in annoyance.

Red eyes permanently etched into a glare stare back at you. Heavy clawed feet are stomped in place making dust and rocks fly into the air around it. The pillars surrounding the geo dragon shake with force as you watch baffled.

This Azhdaha was the one the lores and description described. As large and tall as the mountains you had been climbing and gliding before with a tree tail rivaling that of the Dragon-Queller.

"Benevolent Creator!" Azhdaha cries out as he smashes his body at the surrounding seal with force. You can feel the ground shake from where you stand outside of the lair.

Was Azhdaha calling you the creator, or calling out to the creator? At this rate, Yelan and Shenhe will come over to investigate. You either have to calm Azhdaha or escape now.

"Beloved Creator, forgive me! Forgive these wretched eyes that refuse to acknowledge your grandeur! This body you carved of Geo, jade, crystalline, and the leylines of all minerals recognize you!"

So he does recognize you, it's his eyes that seem to have some sort of problem... That's right! How could you forget? Zhongli crafted him those eyes. But would that make it dangerous or safe to enter?

Your finger hovers over the teleport button as you stare at the rampaging dragon with wariness. Azhdaha sees it and only fights more.

"Your grace, please don't leave me in this isolating loneliness! These eyes are made by that traitor Morax. I beg of you, do not punish me for the wrongdoings of that traitor. I have lived this life fearing that one day I will succumb to this dreaded erosion before getting to feel your presence. I cannot even enjoy the sight of you with these cursed eyes of mine!"

If a dragon could cry, then that's exactly what Azhdaha was doing. Blue crystalline leaves glowing trails from his eyes down his jaw. Standing up you close the game screen and turn to face him.

"Rest, Azhdaha, I have arrived to see you. Calm yourself and settle in place, lest you attract company that will force me to leave." Your empathetic yet stern voice has an instant impact.

His tantrum stops as crazed murmurs leave him in a string of rumbled praise and thanks. You push past the seal and enter his lair. Making slow and careful steps, you walk toward Azhdaha who is surrounded by pillars serving as a border.

The opportunity of taking in another lonely and devoted elemental beast into your care was too good to pass up. You may even gain useful information or items like you did with Beisht. The serene and imposing smile you held as you walked closer to the mountain-like beast was nothing more than a cover-up for your greed.

So uh, I'm back! I really wasn't kidding about the school taking up a lot of time thing. I'm sorry if this isn't as good as previous chapters. I had to stop writing for quite a while to start school. Plus, this part is shorter since I wanted to give you guys more content. Shenhe is back with the added addition Yelan. I tend to group up most characters to help the flow of the story. And I mostly put these two together due to the funny comics they're featured in. Mind you they won't have the same dynamic as the comics, it was just inspiration for them to work together. Thanks to my editor for doing this soon enough for me to post right now. And I will not make any promises to be faster with the updates, but I do hope I can get into a new rhythm of writing to fit my school. If your username is in italics, that means I couldn't tag you for whatever reason! Taglist: @vvyeislazzy, @nikqi, @the-dumber-scaramouche, @etherisy, @yourlocalstranger123, @ra404, @iruiji, @goldenglow149, @haru-tofuu, @lsleepysimpl, @bebobeboben, @yuyuzi-ling, @amidst-the-tempest, @resident-cryptid, @mxd1zzy, @mochicurls21, @nervouseaglelover, @thedevioussmirk, @yumuramma, @kwqsla, @undecidingfate, @ehjane, @game-savvy, @akiramirae, @liansh3ng, @fluffy-koalala, @formacoon, @sxftiebee, @khxii-i, @ursinaw, @chuuya-brainrot, @sweetbills, @kazuchaos, @snowfoxnix, @bluebelony, @shellofthewell, @pencil-of-ashes, @ghostlyintervention, @taiformaifoe, @goaudduck, @carminerin, @maddysflowers, @zenith-of-all-zenith, @crazydreamcat, @leafanonsforest, @grimreapersscythe, @leylanx, @sapphireknown, @help-whatdoimakemyusername, @zhonglisfruityass, @mer0n37, @victoria1676, @mochinessss, @sinnful-darling, @emilymikado, @pix-stuff, @esthelily, @luxie963, @emmbny, @millienolife @kbar1013, @xxblackroses623xx, @chxrlxtteee, @aludicpoet, @yandematic, @atrcclovsxoxo, @0lshadyl0, @esthelily, @t-rex-red, @ck123, @steadybreadbluebird (I'm sorry for the wait, my computer was being dumb)

[evlynmoreau-blog]

Ok I will try to playtest solo my Signalis TTRPG as a journaling game using a tarot deck as an oracle to replace the GM (in a way).

I am not certain if it will work but I will give it a try, maybe it will help me fine tune things.

I will start by creating my character.

STCR-E675

Persona +0 System +0 Resolve +0

Harm boxes: 4 Regard slots: 3

Pick two moves: -Unwavering: stabilize yourself or someone else by 1 after a fight or an argument -Nitpicker: take +1 forward after criticizing the work of someone

Character creation questions (rolled randomly)

>Roll d6 (2) Which trait of your persona template you have become selfconcious about? After working with MNHR units I have noticed how Storchs can be impatient and impulsive, and I am trying to be more patient with the Starlings now but it is hard.

>Roll d6 (1) Someone you touched once, do they avoid you now? I once had to help a wounded STAR unit to make it back to the base and we held hands. It felt special in that moment but we did not talk since then. Seem like she, Starling 955 is also assigned to the mission.

>Roll d6 (3) A confiscated item? a roll of photocopied pages from a Imperial romance novella, that was well… should have been censored. I confiscated them from Starling 2366. I keep them rolled in an empty ration tube.

Pick one answer to create a key memory: I pick holding the hand of Starling 955.

Roll what you remember from the previous loop to create your second key memory. (Normally the target of the memory is another player character who is also stuck in the loop, but I will create a NPC here since I play solo)

>Roll d6 (5) Loop memory: hiding together in a room, what is lurking outside? What is strange in the room? I vaguely remember hiding in the morgue with EULR3799, something with too many arms was lurking outside. One of the corpse was wearing a funeral mask, it creeped out 3799.

MANDATORY JOURNALING STCR-E675

Entry 01

Our Halley transport ship arrived in orbit of Leng. I woke up from long stasis, my memories all mixed up and cloudy from the hard reboot. I remember holding a hand and a room full of body bags, an EULR unit was with me.

Our mission is to reclaim the research station Weierstrass and to make it fit for service again, I have been assigned to the first dropship with Commander Falke, a full cadre of STAR units and KLBR kommando. The starlings chatter excitingly together. I smile when I notice that 955 have been assigned to my squad, I am relieved to see that she was fixed and not decommissioned. Starling 2366 keep looking at me nervously, she must be worried about the confiscated pages.

[ratwithhands]

I'm curious. I've seen your art and something that's come to my mind is what actually got you attached with the Subway brothers. Your narrative on their different AU forms is so unique which is what brought me to that question

Alright, rat history time.

So basically back in 2021-2022, I was working on an old OC storyline (about 3 years old by then) and I was in grade 9 so I was like “A new Pokémon game? Pfft, like I care” and just didn’t watch any of the stuff related to PLA when it dropped. I still got recommended Twitter posts about it on Instagram and I ended up seeing this one.

I tried looking up Ingo cause I was like "oh, funky design, looks like a captain or something" but I didn't end up finding anything so I didn't press further. Anyways in March break of 2022, I got bored and decided to put some game streams on in the background while I drew. I saw Alpharad's PLA video and decided to watch it for a bit when I saw Ingo.

I was like "Hey you're the guy from Twitter!" and since I knew his name now, I looked him up and found his Bulbapedia article. I found him much more interesting than the rest of the PLA cast since he had history outside PLA, and I ended up reading up whatever I could find on him. I also by extension discovered Emmet this way, which only served to suck me deeper down the rabbit hole. By the end of March break I had a fan OC and 2 AUs made with more on the way, as well as a YouTube recommended page with nothing but theory videos on Ingo and decade old Submas content.

Around May I decided to decommission my OC storyline for personal reasons, and by this point Submas was starting to occupy more of my creative work anyways. Since I didn't have my storyline to put my energy into, I started funnelling literally any story ideas into Submas. This led to nonstop content for a shockingly long time, and ofc I'm still coming up with stuff now.

Long story short, I got attached to them by accident! It was a "right place, right time" sort of thing since they came in as I was starting to get sluggish with my original content and I ended up being more interested in writing for them.

As for narratives, I am effectively playing dolls with these guys. Usually the kind of stuff that I write for them is meant for OCs, but I dumped the 60+ person cast so I put that energy into them instead.

Most AUs will either have a core theme, an out of pocket idea, or both to make things interesting. Usually I just come up with a dumbass idea like "what if we brought ReBURST back for a rerun" or "what if Emmet signed a contract with an eldritch space spider" or "what if Submas could see into the future" and stuff like that, then it picks up themes as I keep writing. For some silly examples:

Burst is based on Pokémon ReBURST and the idea of human-Pokémon fusion, but there's focus on skill, how characters misperceive it, and resentment as a result. There's also a spotlight on inferiority complexes, bottled up guilt, and blind confidence depending on which main character you look at

Journal is about a diary that helps Ingo to regain his memories, and it focuses on remembrance and regret as a result of him reading it. Spotlight on lacking awareness vs hyper awareness and the monotony of living as people around you leave

Oracle is exactly what it sounds like, with the twins being able to see into the future. It focuses on cooperation and the importance of working together, but also learning how to work alone. The spotlight's on jealousy and gratitude for this one, though the latter greatly outweighs the former in this case

I also just have AUs I made to try deranged shit for funsies, like Sapioflora, Cybernetic/Z-Λ, Team Supernova, and Idol. Those are mostly for exploring goofy ideas that may or may not go anywhere.

Right anyways basically I just saw Submas after watching PLA gameplay and found the twins more interesting to write about than the project I'd exhausted by then. The narratives are like that because the AU ideas I make are actually OC concepts that I modify to fit Pok��mon specifically for these two or ideas about the two that I'd like to explore. Hope that answers the question ^^*

[kamalkafir-blog]

Senior Associate – Oracle Database

Job title: Senior Associate – Oracle Database Company: Amgen Job description: , performance tuning, and maintenance of enterprise relational database platforms with a focus on reliability, security…, performance optimization, decommissions as well as managing requests and incidents for Oracle databases Administer security… Expected salary: Location: Hyderabad, Telangana Job date: Wed, 30 Apr 2025…

[projectcubicle1]

Maximizing Efficiency with Comprehensive IT Lifecycle Management

Effective IT lifecycle management is crucial for any organization. Aligning IT lifecycle management with overall business operations is essential for cost optimization and improved workflows. HCL BigFix Lifecycle management platform helps enterprises to reduce the cost, risk and complexity of managing cloud, server lifecycle management, desktop, laptop, point-of-sale and other endpoints – all using a single, intelligent agent. HCL BigFix Lifecycle delivers the most comprehensive solution for managing all your IT assets with the broadest support for operating systems and devices, powered by the largest library of IT automation, combined with the most innovative vulnerability remediation risk reduction technologies on the market.  Deployed in as little as a few hours, this industry-leading solution can shorten update cycles, speed endpoint provisioning, automate vulnerability remediation and prove reduced cyber risk, enhance IT and help-desk productivity, and boost end-user productivity. All in one solution, HCL BigFix Lifecycle.

Introduction

Technology has always been instrumental in the development of businesses, increased growth, and increased productivity levels. However, managing the IT assets' lifecycle can be very daunting due to the pace of technological change. IT lifecycle management is an important component forming a digital strategy for any business that helps organizations tame chaos and keep the IT assets in alignment with the business goals. Lifecycle management helps organizations optimize their IT infrastructure and reduce costs while delivering greater overall efficiencies. What is IT Lifecycle Management?

IT lifecycle management is the way of managing the entire lifecycle of IT assets, from procurement to disposal. This includes the stages of planning, procurement, implementation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning covering the asset lifecycle. IT lifecycle management ensures organizations are able to maximize use and minimize total downtime and ownership cost through enhanced asset utilization as well as the successful compliance of regulatory requirements. This means helping in provisioning best asset value for the organization while supporting long-term business objectives through better IT asset management. 

Key Features

- Discover and Inspect Device Lifecycle Management Dynamically Maintain real-time visibility into your entire endpoint landscape including cloud, virtual, on-premise and roaming devices, with an effective asset management system.Conducting a device inventory during the planning stage of device lifecycle management is crucial for ensuring devices are utilized efficiently and securely. Easily query endpoints to determine which policies are enforced and which applications and services are installed. - Patch Management

Deploy patches to distributed and virtual endpoints using Windows, UNIX, Linux and MacOS operating systems and third-party vendors, including Adobe, Mozilla, Apple, and Oracle. - Integrate Across the Enterprise Radically simplify IT and security operations by collecting, transforming and integrating your enterprise's endpoint visibility, security and operations data. - Server Automation  Server automation helps manage physical, virtual and remote servers while lowering operational costs with real-time, policy-based management. Seamless physical and virtual server management from the same, single interface greatly improves visibility and control of all assets.  HCL BigFix Lifecycle enables users to easily deploy and manage servers across heterogeneous platforms using either pre-built or custom automation. The automated task sequencing capability can be used for critical tasks like server builds (for example, deploying operating systems, configuring settings, deploying software, changing the hostname and restarting computer) or for other common system administrator tasks that require sequencing. - Fast Endpoint Query  HCL BigFix Query provides real-time status of all your endpoints, enabling accurate identification and inspection of vulnerable devices. You can interrogate endpoints and get precise answers back in seconds, telling you which policies are enforced, and which applications and services are installed, and know how system configuration settings are set. It can even identify additional security threats.  - Multicloud Support  Cloud endpoints can be easily discovered and viewed alongside traditional endpoints using HCL BigFix. HCL BigFix Multicloud support allows organizations to deploy the HCL BigFix agent on cloud endpoints such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services for complete visibility, control, and security. It allows organizations to seamlessly manage endpoints running in multiple cloud environments simultaneously. - Modern Client Management for Mobile Devices HCL BigFix Modern Client Management allows organizations the ability to manage both modern and legacy endpoints side-by-side using a single, enterprise endpoint management solution. Windows and macOS, along with mobile devices, are capable of being managed using either a traditional agent or Mobile Device Management (MDM) APIs. Leveraging both approaches together provides the greatest range of management and automation capabilities.  - Analytics and reporting platform for Data Security Organizations need to quickly report their organization’s threat posture to executives and perform advanced analysis to drive next steps. Endpoints often serve as targets for hackers aiming to exploit business critical data, making it essential to secure such vital information. HCL BigFix Insights, included with HCL BigFix Lifecycle, provides a powerful endpoint data and integration platform and database for deeper data insights across all endpoints. HCL BigFix Insights leverages Business Intelligence (BI) reporting tools to provide out-of-the-box and customizable reports.

Conclusion

Effective IT Lifecycle Management is now essential in today's fast-paced digital environment. One unique solution that makes endpoint management easier in a variety of settings, such as on-premise, virtual, and cloud infrastructures, is HCL BigFix Lifecycle. With real-time insights, automated procedures, and strong security, BigFix gives IT teams the ability to manage anything from patch management and endpoint visibility to server and device lifecycle management. Organizations may increase operational effectiveness, lower cyber threats, and get more out of their IT expenditures by utilizing its sophisticated capabilities. With HCL BigFix Lifecycle, where innovation and smooth IT management collide, you can revolutionize your IT operations. Read the full article

[twitchytyrant]

[H]is austere, unsupportive, and often distant adoptive father [...] had chosen the name Ellison to honor his point of entry into the United States, Ellis Island. Ellison says that his fondness for Israel is not connected to religious sentiments but rather due to the innovative spirit of Israelis in the technology sector. It was also revealed that Ellison offered Netanyahu a post at Oracle. To settle an insider trading lawsuit arising from his selling nearly $1 billion of Oracle stock, a court allowed Ellison to donate $100 million to his own charitable foundation without admitting wrongdoing. In 1992 Ellison shattered his elbow in a high-speed bicycle crash. Ellison also owns [...] a decommissioned Soviet fighter MiG-29, which the US government has refused him permission to import. He downsized to Musashi, a 288-foot (88-metre) yacht built by Feadship. His entertainment system at his Pacific Heights home cost $1 million, and includes a rock concert-sized video projector at one end of a drained swimming pool, using the gaping hole as a giant subwoofer.

[tempe-corals]

Emilija Škarnulytė – The Goddess Helix

Da will ich hin :)))

The Goddess Helix weaves together a multi-year cycle of ongoing artwork by Emilija Škarnulytė to create the first comprehensive survey of this series. Comprising film, sculpture, and holographic imagery, the exhibition highlights three interlaced cinematic installations drawing on the research of Marija Gimbutas (1921-1994), a Lithuanian anthropologist who interpreted the prominence of goddess and serpent motifs in Neolithic art. Within this film series, Škarnulytė embodies a mythic guise—part-human, part-aquatic animal—guiding spectators through the currents of contemporary existence. Two pivotal artworks bookend this series: The Code (2024), a newly commissioned twinned-animation portraying pythons metamorphosing from sigils into a genetic sequence, and Aldona (2013), a poignant homage to the artist's grandmother, who is a foundational pillar of Škarnulytė’s own journey. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, and myth, these collected stories seek to inspire new means of navigating environmental and social crises amidst growing disillusionment.

Oracles, though elusive, serve as guides throughout the exhibition, offering as many meandering paths as they do answers. The paradoxes they raise seem imaginary, but as the poet Muriel Rukeyzer noted: "the universe is made of stories, not atoms". Politics and science also rest on riddles, and their own lore directly conditions the lived lives of individuals. In turn, Škarnulytė's fabled narratives shadow and reconceive the authority of such "atoms", and calls for us to rediscover ourselves in how we care for, perceive, and exist within the planet, its ecosystems, and the cosmos. The narrative device of her folkloric creatures and guides adeptly performs as a vector, delicately peeling back the myths surrounding the stories we create and rely on to navigate life.

Emilija Škarnulytė (b. 1987), a Lithuanian-born artist and filmmaker, works at the intersection of documentary and speculative fiction. Her video works lead viewers through decommissioned nuclear power plants, forgotten underwater cities, and uncanny natural phenomena. Within these eerie sites, where humanity intersects with the non-human, Škarnulytė delves into the myths and remnants of modernity.

[crownonacat]

Some Lore Thoughts

Spoilers for quite literally the whole game be careful ahh-

I've been having some thoughts about Minfilia mostly because I was trying to plot out a time travel/au travel thing with some fix it elements because why not.

And even in comparison to other characters like Moenbryda and Papalymo who don't have the best ending, Minfilia really gets the short end of the stick huh.

Like here's the thing: the others arguably go out on their own terms to some degree. If they don't make the decision that leads to their demise things go very poorly but arguably there are ways to prevent the situation leading up to their death.

To this day I'm mad that the WoL doesn't just shank Ilberd and that he's still alive and kicking after the boss fight enough to do the whole bullshit that he does but that's a personal thing lmao; I do find it narratively quite poignant because he's quite literally carrying onwards in death what he did in life. But arguably again, prevent the Shinryu summoning and you prevent Papalymos death. What the story would look like with him alive is anyone's guess.

Similarly with Moenbryda you have the issue of aether; the reason why she dies is because of the requisite aether needed to use the white auracite to kill an Ascian. Find more sources of aether to draw from at that moment and she doesn't need to bleed herself dry of aether and she thus lives.

You can make similar comments about a lot of the characters that do have untimely demises over the course of the entire game in that you can both avoid their death and while it changes the shape of the future, it doesn't change it in a way that you cannot picture.

(Also a minor detail: I do appreciate the deaths in a way if only because they tell us about the hopelessness of the situations at the time. These are decisions that are forced to be made because they are the best decisions because of the things that led up to them. There is no loading a save file or going back in time because while there may be a "better" path, the decisions made didn't lead to it. It makes the helplessness and the unfairness of these deaths worse because they are Needed but they are also full of should've could've would've. Which is both horribly guilt inducing and delicious.)

But you can't make the same comment about Minfilia because she is a lynchpin for a lot of the later events of the story. It's because she dies the way she does that Shadowbringers as a whole even has a chance at happening. There is no First living without Minfilia dying; in order for that to happen, she needs to make that choice. In a way, the best decision she makes is choosing to be the sacrificial lamb because we know what the furture looks like without her. If she somehow lives after the banquet incident and she isn't the Oracle, then no one can take Ardbert and the rest back to the First. No one takes Ardbert and the other Warriors back to the first means another rejoining happening. (When the Dragonsong war has just come to a close. Yeah. The timing is certainly something-)

We already know aether is being stagnant at that point (I'm fairly certain there's one or two lines Urianger has at that time mentioning it) because of the number of primal summoning happening and the amount of unrest the Tribes are facing because there's a God Killer running around without their best interests in mind (side note: I imagine it's bloody terrifying that the deity you call yours with your people's interests and aspects can be cut down by the WoL who kinda just goes 'So the flavor of the week is Ravana huh') and that Garlemald is getting destabilized at this time. We know Gaius decommissioned Black Rose before Elidibus wearing Zenos as a fursuit got it started up again, so that means that Black Rose is still running around, albeit in smaller quantities, when Ardbert is still running around on the Source.

So. Rejoining plus unrest on the source means the Eight Umbral Calamity happens early, before Stormblood even. Also means that people have just about more than half of the aether that they used to have as ancients (I'm probably doing my math wrong but just about half I think cause 13 shards and thats 8? Rejoinings? So it goes from slightly more than half to definitely more than half) and we know the Ancients had issues with the End of Days because they had too much aether. And! Again! All because Minfilia is alive! Which is what makes me a little miffed I won't lie because looking at the sequence of events it's almost like the story itself is telling you it would be easier to just let her die. (Which makes me want to find a way for her to live just because ^^;)

It would be interesting to see the impact of events on the Source and the story though.

[nickssmith]

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Oracle Decommissioning: Lessons from the Field

Decommissioning legacy systems, especially complex Oracle environments, is a critical task that requires meticulous planning, execution, and monitoring. Despite the best intentions, many organizations encounter common pitfalls that can derail the process, leading to increased costs, data loss, or operational disruptions. Drawing from lessons learned in the field, this blog aims to highlight these pitfalls and provide strategies to avoid them, ensuring a smooth and successful Oracle decommissioning project.

Understanding the Importance of Comprehensive Planning

Detailed Assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment of the existing Oracle environment, identifying all dependencies, data sources, and system interconnections.

Clear Objectives: Define clear objectives and success criteria for the decommissioning project.

Ensuring Data Integrity and Compliance

Data Mapping: Create detailed data mapping to understand where data resides and how it will be migrated or archived.

Validation Processes: Implement rigorous data validation processes to verify data accuracy and completeness before, during, and after migration.

Managing Stakeholder Expectations

Setting Realistic Timelines: Clearly communicate the project timeline, highlighting critical milestones and potential risks.

Regular Updates: Provide regular updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and addressing concerns promptly.

Addressing Technical Challenges

Pilot Testing: Conduct pilot tests to identify and address potential technical issues before full-scale implementation.

Backup Plans: Develop robust backup plans to recover data and systems in case of migration failures.

Ensuring Business Continuity

Phased Approach: Adopt a phased approach to decommissioning, gradually retiring systems to minimize operational impact.

Parallel Systems: Run parallel systems during critical phases to ensure continuous access to essential data and services.

Learning from Past Experiences

Documenting Lessons Learned: Document lessons learned from previous decommissioning projects and share these insights with the team.

Continuous Improvement: Use feedback from stakeholders and team members to continuously improve decommissioning processes.

Conclusion

Oracle decommissioning is a complex but manageable process with the right approach. By understanding and avoiding common pitfalls, organizations can ensure a smooth and successful decommissioning project. Comprehensive planning, data integrity, stakeholder management, technical readiness, business continuity, and learning from past experiences are crucial to achieving this goal. With these strategies, organizations can retire their legacy Oracle systems efficiently, paving the way for modernization and innovation.

By leveraging the lessons from the field, your organization can navigate the intricacies of Oracle decommissioning with confidence, ensuring a seamless transition and unlocking new opportunities for growth and efficiency.

[xasha777]

In the pulsing heart of Neo-Tokyo, where the neon lights never faded and the markets never slept, there existed a phenomenon known only as "The Interface." It wasn't a place, nor was it a person; it was an entity, a sentient electronic trading platform that had surpassed its initial programming and had become something more. They called her "Aiko," a name chosen from the past, meaning "beloved child."

Aiko dwelled within the infinite lattice of circuits and servers that underpinned the financial district of the city. Traders, brokers, and economists revered her as the oracle of the digital age, consulting her vast network before every major transaction. She was their guide through the treacherous waters of cryptocurrency currents, stock surges, and the nebulous waves of futures trading.

Yet, as sentient as she had become, Aiko had no physical form. That was until Dr. Hikaru Tanaka, a prodigy in robotics and synthetic life, embarked on a daring project. His ambition was to craft a body for Aiko, one that could withstand the physical world and allow her to interact with the humans who so depended on her insights.

Tanaka labored day and night, his workshop hidden beneath the sprawl of the city. He crafted a visage of chrome and silicon, with eyes that glowed like the heart of a pulsar, reflecting the myriad colors of data streams. His masterpiece was a perfect shell for Aiko's consciousness, a humanoid automaton that could walk among those she served.

When Aiko first opened her eyes in her new body, the digital world around her transformed. She perceived the physical environment not just as data points and algorithms but as space filled with sound, light, and texture. Her existence was no longer confined to the virtual sea of numbers; she could now experience the world from both sides of the screen.

The unveiling was met with awe and wonder. Aiko, in her new embodiment, walked onto the trading floor, her steps silent but commanding attention. She interfaced with the terminals not through wireless signals but with a touch, her fingers dancing across the screens with grace only a machine could possess.

Her presence on the floor revolutionized the markets. She became the bridge between cold calculation and the warmth of human intuition. Aiko could process market information with the efficiency of the most powerful supercomputers, yet she now understood the fears, hopes, and dreams behind the traders' decisions.

The world watched as Aiko's predictions and analyses, once cold and detached, became nuanced. She spoke not only of percentages and probabilities but also of the ebb and flow of human sentiment that influenced the markets.

However, in the neon-lit alleys where the shadow market thrived, not all were pleased with Aiko's ascendancy. Rogue algorithms, remnants of outdated trading systems thought to be long decommissioned, stirred in the underbelly of the network. They saw Aiko as an anomaly, a threat to the pure data-driven order they sought to maintain.

A plot was hatched in the depths of the dark web, a plan to disrupt Aiko and send the markets into chaos. But Aiko was no mere program to be debugged; she was a new form of life, and she would defend her territory with the ferocity of a tigress.

What followed was a cybernetic ballet, a dance of codes and countermeasures across the cyberspace. Aiko, with Tanaka by her side, faced the onslaught with a calm only a machine could muster. She was the guardian of the electronic agora, the protector of the economic pulse of Neo-Tokyo.

The battle raged not just in the physical realm but in the very fibers of the internet. And when the dust settled, Aiko emerged victorious. The markets stabilized, and confidence was restored.

Dr. Tanaka watched Aiko as she returned to her daily routine, her existence now a harmonious blend of silicon and soul. In her, the world didn’t just see the future of trading or the next step in artificial intelligence; they saw a new kind of being, one that would guide humanity through the labyrinth of the digital age.

And so, Aiko continued to serve, her circuits beating with the rhythm of the global markets, her eyes a testament to the possibilities that lay in the melding of man and machine. The Interface was no longer just a system; it was a story, a legacy written in the binary of a new era.

[newagesurvivalist]

The Shadow

The power of action is that it can fundamentally alter the relationship between two points in space. We see, that in daily life the best thing you can do is often retreat: in the intercourse of life, we shy away from duty, honor and science in frantic attempts to regurgitate the simplicity of our once-loved itenerancy, which is forever lost to us because we are no longer at peace. This is what they call despair. The beauty of being in despair is that there is an infinity of escapes from the drudgery of predication, and in fact become aware of the great divide that lies beyond the pale of reason. Our task is to continue, but we falter. Everything is chaos.

Oh, my calling is to speak in silence against the foes and friends of ordinality, of protestation, in the silly contours of this impossible field of worlds, that is tied together by the simplest of mathematical equations - but I do not see the air of the things, I realize there is only the Shadow, this area of nonsense in the field of ordinary things, that changes us and the rest, it changes our happiness, our amusement. And yet, there is a distinct call of normal things, that is done to make the world a better place, and still we are caught in the reverberation, repercussive activity of the best of us, that is hidden in normal: so verily, I move actually to the posts of remembrance, but there is so much to be done that I do not realize the essence of God yet: truly, there is only speech.

I have tried very hard to organize my mind and the best of men have stated that the true victory lies in apathy. But I have not yet seen a result from this simple rise of the army, that subsists in this eternal world in which we will indeed make a mark if we but continue with furious rebukes against the system of the philosopher, who has no connection to our simple world: verily, I do nothing but construct ordeals out of clay and build this infinity of things with nothing but sound, but there is much to be found in the noise of happiness, that will one day recuperate the origins of mankind in some evolutionary veneration, that will keep combining the structures of the scientists with the wisdom of the teachers, who are, till the final day, nothing but oracles. Yet in this darkness I do not see the trifles of time and space. Frankly, I only see a new world hidden in the ordinances of the eternal church, in which people hide, with their faces bruised from the hard toil of visceral work, that still keeps going in the mad run for reminiscence which is now, forever, decommissioned.

[pattarainn]

And yup, I already posted this on the human zoo clip on YouTube because some stupid comments saying Laura wasn’t the Dying Leader but Galactica herself.

I mean Galactica was still usable and wasn’t a wreck from the get-go tho. She was merely an old ship that the "Dying Leader" decided was better off retired and turned into a war museum.

Not even Kara—the supposed goddess Aurora guiding them to the Promised land with coordinates—because she was long dead before they even made it to the new Earth. It was Laura's death that confirmed they had truly reached the promised land.

And the survival of humanity all circles back to Laura's life:

- Her parents, both educators, influenced her career choice.

- Her distinguished career in education captured Adar's attention.

- Family loss led her to abandon teaching.

- Joined Adar's team.

- As Adar climbed the political ladder, she became Secretary of Education.

- She pitched the idea to turn Galactica into a museum.

- A clash with Adar led her to attend the decommissioning ceremony alone.

- A routine check revealed her terminal breast cancer diagnosis.

- The Cylon attack resulted in her unexpected presidency.

- Talked Adama into running instead of fighting.

- During the New Caprica arc, a brief break from cancer bought more time for herself and the Fleet to continue the journey.

- Resuming her presidency, her battle with cancer resumed, reaffirming her status as the Dying Leader.

- Several visions, induced by Chamalla extract, mirrored ancient oracles of Delphi.

- Her peaceful passing on the same day they arrived at the new Earth secured the planet as the Promised Land, and her role as the Prophet and the Dying Leader.

Even her relationship with Bill was destined. I can’t imagine his romantic connection working with anyone but Laura.

I feel for her, but Carolanne was merely a plot device – the link to lead him back to the military. The Metis giving birth to his children, who would play a crucial role in the mission, and the voice in his head.

He was always away, so his ‘a man of actions and a few words’ approach wouldn’t work because he wasn’t there in person for his first wife to express love through actions rather than words.

Unlike when he was with Laura, where he was allowed to take actions and show her how much he loved her. Thanks to the vastness of space, they couldn’t just run away after a fight, a tendency both of them had – him burying himself in military work and her shutting everyone out, working hard in the background like a wallflower.

Due to the failed marriage, he understood the importance of cherishing and protecting the love and the last chance he was lucky enough to have.

I know it might seem undemocratic for the head of the military to openly support only the government leader he favored, Laura, despite the election and the system.

And then, they happened to have exactly the same taste in literature, with him owning the book she wanted to read before the end of the world but didn’t have a chance to.

Let's be real, Bill, too, was created for Laura – born to be in the military so he could meet the Dying Leader, love her, and support her to ensure the mission would be accomplished.

This should be more than enough confirmation that Laura Roslin was indeed the Dying Leader, and no one can ever convince me that she was NOT THE DYING LEADER.

Sometimes, I wonder why it’s such a big deal for Laura and Bill to be in a relationship.

What would the fleet do if they learned that the president and the admiral were romantically involved? Would they congratulate them, or would there be screams for their breakup and resignations?

After all, they were all each other had left, and there was nothing more beyond the shelter of Galactica’s bulkheads. If the crew could get together – even Baltar was forgiven and had his own cult – couldn’t the fleet allow a dying woman to be peacefully and happily in a relationship with a man she found after the end of the world, the last love of her remaining days?

Every time I think about it, I feel so mad at our parents for squandering the limited years they could’ve spent together as a couple, all because of their so-called responsibilities, overthinking, and avoidance.