#Virtual Reality Training Programs

[simulanissolutions]

n recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a groundbreaking tool in various industries, transforming how we learn, work, and interact with technology. In India, one company that stands out in this burgeoning field is Simulanis Solutions. Renowned for its innovative approach, Simulanis Solutions is revolutionizing the way we approach training and industrial education through cutting-edge virtual reality training solutions

[pttedu]

Explore cutting-edge advancements in sterilization technician training, including virtual reality simulations, augmented reality tools, and modern equipment. Learn how PTTI's Philadelphia-based programs prepare you for a successful career in sterile processing.

[communistkenobi]

(taken from a post about AI)

speaking as someone who has had to grade virtually every kind of undergraduate assignment you can think of for the past six years (essays, labs, multiple choice tests, oral presentations, class participation, quizzes, field work assignments, etc), it is wild how out-of-touch-with-reality people’s perceptions of university grading schemes are. they are a mass standardised measurement used to prove the legitimacy of your degree, not how much you’ve learned. Those things aren’t completely unrelated to one another of course, but they are very different targets to meet. It is standard practice for professors to have a very clear idea of what the grade distribution for their classes are before each semester begins, and tenure-track assessments (at least some of the ones I’ve seen) are partially judged on a professors classes’ grade distributions - handing out too many A’s is considered a bad thing because it inflates student GPAs relative to other departments, faculties, and universities, and makes classes “too easy,” ie, reduces the legitimate of the degree they earn. I have been instructed many times by professors to grade easier or harder throughout the term to meet those target averages, because those targets are the expected distribution of grades in a standardised educational setting. It is standard practice for teaching assistants to report their grade averages to one another to make sure grade distributions are consistent. there’s a reason profs sometimes curve grades if the class tanks an assignment or test, and it’s generally not because they’re being nice!

this is why AI and chatgpt so quickly expanded into academia - it’s not because this new generation is the laziest, stupidest, most illiterate batch of teenagers the world has ever seen (what an original observation you’ve made there!), it’s because education has a mass standard data format that is very easily replicable by programs trained on, yanno, large volumes of data. And sure the essays generated by chatgpt are vacuous, uncompelling, and full of factual errors, but again, speaking as someone who has graded thousands of essays written by undergrads, that’s not exactly a new phenomenon lol

I think if you want to be productively angry at ChatGPT/AI usage in academia (I saw a recent post complaining that people were using it to write emails of all things, as if emails are some sacred form of communication), your anger needs to be directed at how easily automated many undergraduate assignments are. Or maybe your professors calculating in advance that the class average will be 72% is the single best way to run a university! Who knows. But part of the emotional stakes in this that I think are hard for people to admit to, much less let go of, is that AI reveals how rote, meaningless, and silly a lot of university education is - you are not a special little genius who is better than everyone else for having a Bachelor’s degree, you have succeeded in moving through standardised post-secondary education. This is part of the reason why disabled people are systematically barred from education, because disability accommodations require a break from this standardised format, and that means disabled people are framed as lazy cheaters who “get more time and help than everyone else.” If an AI can spit out a C+ undergraduate essay, that of course threatens your sense of superiority, and we can’t have that, can we?

[vracademi1]

Best 3D Game Development Courses in Dubai - VRAcademi

The main goal of VRAcademi is to teach virtual reality development skills for 3D game development and virtual reality. 

[theblogs2024]

The Benefits of Digital REALITY Schooling

Virtual reality (VR) technological innovation is transforming just how we solution education in different industries.

With its immersive, interactive, and individualized nature, VR training features many Added benefits in comparison to conventional training methods—participating staff, and providing businesses a powerful new schooling modality.

In this particular site, we will examine the advantages of VR teaching and go over its apps.

Benefits of VR Instruction included On this website write-up:

Safe and sound and Controlled Learning Environment VR Training is Charge-Powerful Psychological Realism Greater Education Engagement and Information Retention VR Schooling Can help With Recruiting and Employee Retention Flexible and Scalable Deployment Harmless and Controlled Discovering Setting Certainly one of the key benefits of VR training is it results in a safe and controlled Understanding ecosystem for learners.

VR instruction transports learners into a virtual setting wherever they are free to create errors with out genuine world penalties. You’ll normally hear individuals refer to VR schooling being a “Protected destination to fall short.” That’s because in virtual truth Understanding simulations personnel are totally free to exercise expertise enhancement and find out the result in and influence interactions of their steps, but with no suffering any real world penalties. This kind of scenario-dependent learning assists learners make that means of their instruction encounters, and to become much more knowledgeable about navigating substantial stakes conditions—familiarity that translates to raised overall performance in the actual earth.

Such as: Business leaders can exercise essential communications in VR just before facing the true factor with peers or immediate studies Customer service Reps can practice simulated purchaser conversations previous to talking to genuine consumers in discussions exactly where the stakes are superior Product sales staff members can follow shopper pitches Healthcare specialists can exercise speaking with Digital individuals symbolizing people just before experiencing major discussions with serious patients These are generally only a few examples of scenarios the place training in virtual truth presents gurus threat-cost-free follow repetitions just before carrying out their Employment in the real environment.

Check more info. here: virtual training platforms

[beuxwhoyouare]

Raised You Better

My son Jasper was a good kid. He was a star soccer player in school and got a scholarship to play in college, so I only saw him on holidays. I missed him so much and looked forward to our quarterly reunions.

Well that was until his most recent visit. He was being so distant and when I finally inquired why he was acting differently, he finally admitted he actually dropped out to pursue being a personal trainer.

I was shocked. He's always been a model child and did all me and my husband expected of him. Maybe it was all our time away working? Maybe I should've been home more instead of being at the lab. It felt like a punch in the gut. I mean sure he knew what he was doing thanks to all his time training for soccer but that's not a way to build a life?

My husband and I did it right. We met in college and supported each other through our advanced degrees and worked our way up in an international pharmaceutical company. Personal training is just so...surface level. He's supposed to be better than us. That's what you want for your children. No no no this is no good. I'll have to set him on the right path.

I knew of a special program at work that was rooted in natural medicine and meditation with a mad science twist. I set up Jasper with the "Sports Nutrition" department at work but it was actually our new experiment. It looked like a TENS muscle stimulator on crack. Several wires shot out of a relatively large dark grey box with a screen and several sliders on one side. I sat connected on the other side of the wall connected with the pads all over the top of my head. All I had to do was wait for Jasper to get hooked up. We sold it to him as a scientific way to curb cravings for sweets and unhealthy things, like an ozempic shot for the brain. In reality, I was told that the machine would take positive attributes from one source and strengthen them in the weaker mind.

I saw the lights flicker and anticipated that he had already been hooked up to the machine. I just laid back and rested while focusing on the importance of getting a quality education. Eventually, I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again it was all so groggy. But I was sitting facing the opposite direction. I lifted my arms to wipe my eyes and gasped when I looked down. My boobs were gone and replaced with sizable mounds of muscle escaping a tiny white tank top. My arms and thick thighs now filled with tattoos....no?! This isn't supposed to be how it works

I told the lab techs who I am and that I was actually Meredith. They both looked at each other spooked but judiciously jotting down notes. After answering a few security questions, they agreed to believe that I was indeed not Jasper and it must be an unforseen side effect from the treatment.

That's when they explained the problem....When my body woke up, it also said it was Meredith. Could the experiment have basically overwritten the memory of my son with my own? I felt like I basically killed my own child. Grief swept over me. But then so did a bravado, a confidence, a giddiness? The two lab techs handed me a towel as they shyly avoided looking down at a tent forming in my shorts. Oh I guess the excitement led to a physical response.

In theory I get it as a scientist. I did in fact instill positive traits on my son. Granted, that also erased him seemingly. But also it's a chance at a new life full of new experiences. I'm a man now. And what a man indeed. I walked into the shower facility at the lab. I took off the outfit Jasper donned to the lab, if I was still a woman it'd be called skimpy and slutty. Tiny shorts with underwear built in and a virtually see through tank top. In two swift moves, I had taken everything off. I had seen my son naked as a child but this is different. He looked so much like his father....well I guess I looked so much like MY dad now. His genetics graced me well as I placed one hand on my pecs and another on my new dick. I squeezed both recoiling from the newfound pleasure. This was wrong right? Like I shouldn't be doing this....I felt disgusted with myself. No. This is for the betterment of Jasper's life. I'm going to let go of my past life....I'm Jasper now.

And what a life it will be. Years of playing sport and training, whew. I wasn't going to let him throw it away, I'll let it be a side job, maybe I'll own a business with a bunch of trainers under me but I won't be hustling like that. Not yet. I gotta learn the new me. I used my hands to trace the curves of each new tattoo, then moved on to each muscle. I poked and prodded before squeezing, then I remembered I had business to attend to. I took one hand and gently took hold of the warm fleshy rod under the steamy water pulsing down onto me. I pumped back and forth for a few minutes. Jasper was not sensitive at all...I shoved aside my reservations and gripped myself firmer and began jerking harder and faster. Eventually I introduced my other hand....oh he was girthy in the best way. I mean I am thick in the best ways. Harder and faster, it felt like I was floating outside of myself as my muscles took over almost like autopilot.

The steam radiated off my new musculature when it felt like I saw a flash of light. Shot after shot came out of my new rod. The lab walls had likely never seen a show like this but I was happy to christen them. The autopilot kinky thoughts continued to take over my new mind and body. I squatted down an licked the nearest wall as my cum dripped down. I knew Jasper was queer but I didn't know how he would respond to this kind of kink. I think he was a little freak because there was not one single butterfly in my stomach from this action. I quickly toweled off and headed to my apartment. I figured "Meredith" could find her way home.

The apartment smelled like a young male in college. A musk twirled around sweat and strong cologne. Foreign to me, but familiar to my new body. I couldn't control myself and ripped my clothes off...literally. My strength made it obscenely easy to tear them off in ways they weren't intended to. I wanted to try on all my new clothes. This body made everything look good.

My phone buzzed. It was one of "my" bros asking if I was coming down to the shoot. I played it off like I forgot and asked him to send me the "deets" again.

I threw on the nearest random shirt and bottoms and made my way to the warehouse address given. I guess "I" had agreed to help with the photoshoot to launch "our" new clothing line. A nearby table had Jasper's name on it and I quickly assumed the position taking off all my clothes and putting the skimpy clothing on. I channeled my new swagger as my bros began taking pics.

Oh I think I'm gonna like this. Hopefully I can find a cute twink or something soon. I really wanna put these thighs to work plowing someone's son or two.

[simplestudentplanning]

100 Hobbies To Try

Update: I wrote this at like 1 AM, so I was kind of half-asleep lol. A few people brought up that there were a bunch of duplicates in the list, sorry about that! I redid the whole list and ordered them alphabetically to avoid any repeating words. Hope you find the new list much more helpful!

Hobbies are a great way to practice self-care, and to have as a stress reliever. As uni students, we often find ourselves stressed out about our academic responsibilities, projects deadlines, and even financial concerns. We need some way to let out those stresses, and hobbies are one way to do it. You don't have to be good at them, you just have to enjoy doing them!

Here's a list:

Acrylic pouring

Antiquing

Archery

Astrology

Astronomy

Baking

Beekeeping

Bird watching

Bookbinding

Calligraphy

Canoeing

Candle making

Cartography

Chess

Checkers

Collecting coins

Collecting crystals

Collecting funko-pops

Cooking

Crochet

Crossword puzzles

Cycling

Dancing

Diving

DIY electronics

DIY home improvement

Drawing

Embroidery

Fencing

Filming

Fishing

Frisbee golf

Gardening

Genealogy

Geocaching

Glassblowing

Guitar

Homebrewing

Hiking

Horseback riding

Hot air ballooning

Ice skating

Inline skating

Jigsaw puzzles

Juggling

Kayaking

Kite flying

Kite surfing

Knitting

Lego building

Letterboxing

Magic tricks

Martial arts

Meditation

Metalworking

Model airplanes

Model building

Model rockets

Model trains

Mountain biking

Origami

Paper folding

Painting

Paragliding

Parkour

Piano

Photography

Podcasting

Pottery

Programming

Puzzle solving

Quilting

Rappelling

Reading

Rock climbing

Rollerblading

Running

Sailing

Sculpting

Sculpture carving

Scrapbooking

Scuba diving

Singing

Skiing

Soap carving

Soap making

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up paddleboarding

Stained glass crafting

Stargazing

Surfing

Traveling

Urban exploration

Urban farming

Virtual reality gaming

Web design

Wine making

Wine tasting

Writing

Yoga

[theambitiouswoman]

Hobby Ideas 🎨💻🎵🧁🪴

💰 Hobbies to Make Money:

Freelance Writing

Photography

Graphic Design

Web Development

Online Selling (e.g., Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Shopify)

Blogging

Stock Trading

Real Estate Investing

Affiliate Marketing

Freelance Consulting

💪 Fitness Hobbies:

Running

Yoga

Weightlifting

Cycling

Swimming

Martial Arts

CrossFit

Hiking

Rock Climbing

Dance (e.g., Zumba, Hip-hop)

☀️ Outdoor Hobbies:

Camping

Fishing

Birdwatching

Gardening

Geocaching

Kayaking

Mountain Biking

Backpacking

Stargazing

Horseback Riding

💻 Technology Hobbies:

Programming

Robotics

3D Printing

Virtual Reality (VR) Gaming

Home Automation

Drone Flying

Cybersecurity

App Development

Electronics DIY

PC Building

🎵 Music Hobbies:

Playing an Instrument (e.g., Guitar, Piano)

Singing

DJing

Music Production

Songwriting

Music Recording

Karaoke

Music Theory

Joining a Band or Choir

Vinyl Collecting

📚 Brainy Hobbies:

Chess

Sudoku

Crossword Puzzles

Board Games

Reading

Learning a New Language

Brain Teasers

Logic Puzzles

Math and Mathematical Puzzles

Astronomy

✨ Other Hobbies:

Cooking and Baking

Painting and Drawing

Pottery and Ceramics

Woodworking

Knitting or Crocheting

DIY Home Improvement

Model Building (e.g., model trains, airplanes)

Collecting (e.g., stamps, coins, vintage items)

Volunteer Work

Meditation and Mindfulness

[secretlytranced]

Imagine that your trained so well that putting on your VR headset alone is a trigger. That as soon as its on you go into a blank state and begin to carry out whatever orders have been programmed into it.

Maybe it's a workout to keep your body healthy. Maybe it's some edging to deepen your conditioning. Maybe your just helpless and bent over so you can be used at will.

Yet everytime you take it off you remember nothing but a fun time in Virtual Reality and a desire to do it again....

oh fuck yes. want thatttt

[radiance1]

This idea is an off-shoot of this one.

So during the whole 'Amity Park slowly breaking into a giant ghost portal' fiasco going on, Tucker had to leave along with everyone else. He was relatively fine with Sam staying behind, he respects her wishes and all that, and she did promise to at least keep in touch with him.

When he got to his new city he... didn't really know what do to with himself, to be honest. His two friends were busy, one with whatever ghost prince stuff is happening in the Ghost Zone and the other staying behind in what used to be his hometown.

Sure, he went to school. But no one really clicked with him like his two best friends did and honestly, he was just hurrying through the day to go and call up his friends.

Of course, he did notice that something was weird. It was honestly hard not to in all honesty.

He knew that there weren't superheroes in real life when his family went on those few rare trips out of Amity Park, nor was there supposed to be any supervillains.

His theory?

Pariah Dark must have displaced them in an alternate reality or a completely different earth when their town got thrown back out of the Ghost Zone. Which might be the reason why it was breaking apart like it was.

So, what was, a highly intelligent lonely kid who's two best friends are ghost royalty and an allogene in training of who he thinks might be a forgotten plant deity, to do when faced with a whole new world of Superheroes and Supervillains?

Know the saying, when in Rome do as the Romans do?

Yea he basically did that.

Of course, he had to keep it from his parents, cause they obviously wouldn't want their child to participate in the bloody scene that is the Super world. But he, honestly, did not care about getting hurt or any of the likes.

He already had multiple programs infest the city to let him into, virtually anywhere besides a few select buildings that proved either too tough, too annoying, or just not worth it to hack into. He kept in touch with the Fentons, snagging a few of their genius designs that he knew they would most likely leave to rot and overall just being friendly with.

He had a few designs of his own, too, that he was working on in his lab/room. Few of them being miny spider robots, rats, flies and the occasional bird that he decided to use for surveillance or tracking purposes.

When he was done with all his preparations, he had to figure out how to make his first grand entrance to the super scene, and what his grand 'goal' would be.

You might think he would be a hero, but honestly. He wants to be a villain.

He was having trouble with it honestly, what kind of villain he would be, his persona, goals and what-not. Until he saw one of those old-timey cartoons on accident and decided that was what he wanted to be.

So, he used his program to broadcast everywhere over the city- masking his voice and appearance, obviously- and announced that he was going to take over this city, and then, the world! Firstly, starting with kidnaping the high society members in this very city to hold for ransom and if they wanted them back and without harm, then they best act quickly!

Said high society members unfortunately included the civilian personas of a few members of the Justice League.

And that is how the Justice League became a rather big, yet extremely fun, thorn in his side.

[simulanissolutions]

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping industries and enhancing training methodologies. Among the pioneering virtual reality companies in India, Simulanis stands out, particularly in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Noida. This blog will delve into what makes Simulanis a leader in the VR sector and how it is revolutionizing the way we approach virtual reality training in India.

[hauntedkeys]

Can you pretty pls share more about Danielle in the Covenent au 🥺

Aghhhh thank you so much for asking <333

ok so first there is a LOT of lore that I need to get through for Danielle’s situation to make sense

For context the Covenant au is an au where Indies are widely known about, studied, but most importantly, worshipped. It takes place about 100 years after the world ends and society has divided up into various churches that worship and carry out the will of their respective Indescribable Being. The only two (legal) institutions that are not affiliated with a specific Indie are Downing Hill (which trains young covenants, a lot like in canon) and the groundskeeping union.

The groundskeepers are in a weird spot because not only are they the only people who are legally allowed to not have an affiliation with a church, they’re actually required not to as to prevent biases in their work. Their jobs is to stay out in the wastelands outside of the cities that each church reside in to keep them safe and protected from the monsters and whatnot that the end of the world brought around.

Danielle is affiliated with the Church of Dream (basically Botco) whose patron is supposedly Nikgnik but Nik’s basically disowned the place and hates everything that they do. She’s their only covenant, but they don’t know that she exists and are too in deep in their own lies to really care if they did. Just like in canon she’s in her little box and is hooked up to the Prime Dream, but can bend things.

The groundskeepers have little headsets that they’re required to use so they can be monitored and the like, and Danielle eventually manages to hack into the system used by a specific office a bit further north, close to where the Church of the Hallowed Named (worships Urnendurn but is really bad at it) resides. This specific group of groundskeepers consists of Walt, Riot (who has a twin that disappeared when they were teenagers and has been looking for her ever since), Diggory (who thinks they’re a normal person but actually have a link to Marolmar that nobody else has), Russell (who’s only 15, but was raised outside of the churches and is trying to get legal residency for his family), and sort of Johannah but her situation’s complicated.

She ends up getting hooked up to their system, and, since her typical reality is like a personal hell for her, she typically hangs out in the groundkeeping office helping the groundkeepers out with various projects and tasks. They actually thought she was a highly intelligent ai program that all groundskeepers had for a while until they met a different group who very much didn’t have an over enthusiastic virtual assistant.

Anyways she’s a lot of fun and energetic and helps out wherever she can and customises her avatar for every adventure she goes on with the groundskeepers and becomes pretty close friends with all of them and the whole time is trying really hard not to let Botco know that she broke their system so she doesn’t have to go back to living in her personal hell.

[vracademi1]

Learn 3D Game Development from Scratch - VRAcademi

VRAcademi is an open online live digital learning platform that focuses on disseminating information about virtual reality development.

[selfcestmovies]

Fun in the Framework Daisy Johnson x Daisy Johnson Wordcount: ~4500 Warnings: smut, virtual reality sex, selfcest, fighting then fucking, daisy is hungry, SELFCEST Read and share on Ao3!

~ * ~ * ~

Daisy Johnson stared at the Framework headset in her hands, the sleek, futuristic device reflecting the soft overhead lights. It looked like something straight out of Stark Industries, all smooth curves and sleek, matte black, with subtle blue lines tracing along its surface. The tech felt almost alien, but that’s what made it so exciting. This was S.H.I.E.L.D.’s latest innovation in training—a virtual reality system that could simulate any environment with near-perfect realism. It was like stepping into another world.

“Fitz, you really outdid yourself this time.” Daisy huffed and turned the headset over in her hands for the dozenth time.

Her orders were simple, but Coulson had made sure they were official: support the Framework development by any means necessary. Fitz had tried to meet Daisy half-way and suggested she use the tech’s new sparring simulator, since she had taken such a liking to her physical regiment lately. But she wasn’t in the gym, she was in her dorm—and Daisy was putting her trust in this new, pseudo-futuristic device to simply bring the gym to her.

Or, a “psycho-virtual simulacrum of the gym” as Fitz had explained earlier. Whatever.

Taking a deep breath, Daisy slid the headset over her eyes. The cool material settled against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine, and the world around her began to dissolve, replaced by a black void filled with faint, glowing grids. She could feel a slight hum in the air, like the device was alive and pulsing with energy.

The simulation loaded in an instant, and Daisy found herself standing in the S.H.I.E.L.D. training gym—recreated to every tiny, minute detail. The floor was lined with deep red mats that felt springy underfoot, the walls a soothing combination of dark wood and brick, with soft light flickering in the fluorescent lights above. Everything was rendered in perfect detail, right down to the faint scuffs on the mats from countless prior training sessions. The air was crisp and cool.

Daisy glanced around, catching sight of herself in a long wall mirror. Even the reflection looked flawless. “Impressive, Fitz,” she hummed. Daisy couldn’t help but admire the way she looked—her reflection showed a woman who had been putting in the work. Her body was becoming toned and powerful, the tight black tank top hugging her torso and showing off the early hints of muscle definition in her arms and shoulders. The black leggings she wore emphasized her long legs and the strength in them. She’d been on a new training regime for weeks now, and it was definitely paying off.

“Not bad, Daisy Johnson,” she murmured to herself, a small smile playing on her lips as she turned slightly to catch different angles. “You’re looking good.”

It wasn’t just the physical changes. She felt stronger, more confident, more in control of herself and her abilities as a rookie field agent. She knew she’d come a long way from the hacker-turned-recruit who stumbled her way through her early missions. 

“Alright,” she said aloud, shaking herself out of her self-admiration. “Time to see what this bad boy can really do.”

She flicked her wrist, and the Framework’s interface responded immediately, pulling up a menu of options to populate the training simulation. She could go the traditional route—programmed enemies, obstacle courses, simulated missions—but that felt a little too… easy. Predictable. Then she considered the alternative: simulating a sparring match against May, or Agent Romanoff, or Captain America? 

She winced at the thought of getting her ass kicked in virtual reality. “Maybe something simpler, but still challenging,” she mused. What Daisy really needed was an opponent that would really test her, push her to her limits in new ways. Equally matched but still a true challenge. And that’s when the idea hit her.

“What if…” she mused, her eyes narrowing as she navigated through the options, steeling a quick glance back at the wall of mirrors across the gym. “What if I could fight someone who knows me better than anyone else?”

A smirk curled her lips as she began customizing the scenario. This was going to be interesting. After a few quick adjustments, she set the Framework to create a perfect duplicate of herself. Another Daisy Johnson. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but that was half the fun. Besides, how often do you get to spar against yourself?

The room shimmered for a moment, and the air in front of her seemed to ripple like a heatwave. Then, just as quickly, the distortion solidified, and there she was. Another Daisy, standing just a few feet away, with the same sharp eyes, the same confident stance, the same tight black tank top and leggings. It was like looking into a mirror, except this mirror blinked on its own. Her lips curled into a small, knowing smirk.

“Well, this is weird,” the other Daisy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Daisy couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but you’re definitely… me.”

They both stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. It was surreal, facing herself like this. She knew her own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone, so she knew this was going to be one hell of a fight. And yet, there was something thrilling about it, too. The idea of going toe-to-toe with someone who could match her move for move was exactly the challenge she needed.

Daisy watched her mirror image tighten her fists in anticipation of what was to come.

“Alright, clone-me. Enough stalling” she said, rolling her shoulders and getting into a fighting stance. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The double mirrored her movements perfectly, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. “I was about to say the same thing. Think you can keep up with me?”

“Oh, honey,” Daisy replied with a grin, “I’m not the one who needs to worry about keeping up.”

They both moved at the same time, launching into a series of attacks and counters that echoed through the gym. Daisy was used to sparring with some of the best fighters S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer, but this was something else entirely. Every punch she threw was blocked, every kick dodged with precision. It was like fighting a mirror that anticipated her every move.

But at the same time, Daisy trusted in her instincts and found herself effortlessly blocking, parrying, and sidestepping past everything the double threw at her, too. From the onset, it was a stalemate—but uncanny, and fun, as the Daisies found themselves in a mutual flowstate that felt more like a choreographed dance than a brutal beatdown.

They circled each other, trading blows that came faster and harder with each exchange. Sweat began to bead on Daisy’s forehead, her muscles burning with the effort, but she relished the challenge. The double was just as relentless, not giving an inch.

“This is actually kinda cool,” Daisy panted, ducking under a high kick and sweeping low to try and trip the double. “I mean, I always knew I was a badass, but seeing it like this? Next level.”

The double grinned, jumping back to avoid the sweep and launching into a counterattack. “Yeah, I gotta admit, I’m impressed with myself too. But don’t think I’m going easy on you just because we share a face.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Daisy shot back, her voice tinged with a playful edge. She wasn’t sure when the sparring had started to feel more like a game, but she was enjoying it. There was something liberating about fighting someone who wasn’t trying to kill her, someone who could match her wit as well as her strength. Daisy had faced formidable opponents before—seasoned agents, powered individuals, and everything in between—but this was on another level. It was like trying to fight her own shadow, every strike blocked, every grapple met with an escape, every throw countered with a brutal reversal.

Daisy feinted left, then darted right, aiming a sharp elbow strike at her double’s ribs. The double anticipated it, pivoting smoothly out of the way and grabbing Daisy’s arm mid-motion, using her momentum to flip her onto the mat. The impact jolted through Daisy’s body, but she rolled with it, springing back to her feet almost instantly. “Nice try,” the double said, her voice laced with amusement. “But you’re gonna have to do better than that.”

“Don’t worry,” Daisy shot back, breathing heavily but grinning despite herself. “I’m just getting warmed up.”

They closed the distance again, this time both of them opting for a more brutal style of close-quarters brawling. It was a dance of grapples and throws, each of them trying to gain the upper hand. Daisy managed to get her double into a headlock, only for the double to twist out of it, using Daisy’s own leverage against her to slam her down to the mat again. But Daisy wasn’t down for long. She rolled onto her back, using her legs to scissor around the double’s waist, pulling her down and flipping them over so that she was on top.

Their breaths mingled as they struggled for dominance, each trying to pin the other. Daisy could feel the strength in her double’s muscles, the heat radiating from her body as they grappled. Every time one of them gained an advantage, the other would slip free.

“Damn,” Daisy grunted as she tried to force her double’s shoulders down, her muscles straining with the effort. “You’re tougher than you look.”

The double chuckled, even as she bucked her hips and twisted to throw Daisy off balance. “You’re just mad because I’m as good as you.”

Their bodies collided again, a tangle of limbs and grunts as they fought for control. Daisy managed to get a knee between them, pushing the double back just enough to land a solid punch to her gut. The double doubled over, but only for a second before retaliating with a vicious uppercut that nearly sent Daisy sprawling. But Daisy caught herself, dropping into a low stance and sweeping her leg out in a wide arc, knocking the double’s feet out from under her.

The double hit the mat hard but rolled with the fall, grabbing Daisy’s leg and yanking her down as well. They both scrambled for position, neither willing to give the other the satisfaction of a clean victory. Daisy’s heart pounded in her chest, the adrenaline surging through her veins as she fought with everything she had. This wasn’t just a fight—it was becoming a test of everything she’d become. Each time their bodies clashed, there was a split second of electric connection, and a recognition of their unspoken understanding: the way they moved in perfect synchronicity, and the uncanny rhythm that Daisy couldn’t quite break no matter how hard she tried.

In an act of desperation—or maybe it was luck, at this point, or a glitch in the Framework’s system—Daisy spun behind her double, wrapping an arm around her neck in a chokehold and finally breaking the stalemate to gain an upper hand. The double struggled, clawing at Daisy’s arm, but Daisy held firm, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tightened her grip.

“I’ve got you,” Daisy whispered, her voice hoarse with exertion.

The double’s response was a low, breathless laugh. “Maybe… but I’m not… giving up…”

With a final burst of strength, the double twisted in Daisy’s grasp, throwing her off balance just enough to break free. Daisy stumbled back, but before she could recover, the double lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. They rolled across the mat in a tangle of limbs, each trying to gain the upper hand, until finally, Daisy found herself pinned beneath the other woman, their identical faces just inches apart.

The gym was filled with the sound of their heavy breathing, the heat of their twinned, exhausted bodies radiating between them. Daisy’s hands were pinned above her head, the double’s weight pressing her down into the mat. For a moment, neither of them moved, the world narrowing to the space between them, to the feel of the double’s body against hers, to the intensity in her double’s eyes.

Daisy’s heart raced, but it wasn’t just from the exertion. There was something else, something deeper, that she was only now beginning to understand. The realization hit her like a freight train—this wasn’t just about winning a fight. It was about something far more primal, far more intimate.

“You’re… good,” Daisy managed to say, her voice breathless and tinged with a tone in her voice that she didn’t quite recognize.

The double’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. “So are you.”

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air between them thick with tension. Daisy could feel her pulse pounding in her ears, her body still humming with the adrenaline of the fight, but now there was something else too—an electric charge that seemed to radiate from every point where their bodies touched.

She tried to shift, to move her arms, but the double held her down, their faces so close that Daisy could feel the warmth of her breath on her lips. “I… I think we’re evenly matched,” Daisy finally whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

“Maybe,” the double replied, her voice too just as low and laced with a teasing edge. “But I think we’re enjoying ourselves.”

Before Daisy could respond, the double leaned in slowly, the tip of her nose brushing against Daisy’s, and the world seemed to narrow down to that single point of contact. Daisy’s breath hitched, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as their bodies pressed together, the heat between them almost unbearable.

For a split second, the world seemed to stand still, and all Daisy could think about was the way their bodies fit together, the way the double’s breath mingled with hers, the way her heart pounded in her chest. This was her own body that she found herself drawn too, in a twisted, taboo, narcissistic and eternally fucked up attraction. She stared deeply into the eyes of her mirror image, and when her lips curled into a smile, she saw her twin to the same. 

It was an accidental, awkward grind at first, just the natural consequence of their tangled limbs and the adrenaline still pumping through their veins. But the friction, the pressure, it was unmistakable—and suddenly, it wasn’t so accidental anymore. Daisy could feel the double’s body shifting against hers, the movement slow, deliberate, as if testing the waters. There was a moment of hesitation, of uncertainty, and then something clicked into place. The awkwardness melted away, replaced by a mutual understanding, a recognition that this was just another way they were perfectly matched.

The grinding became more purposeful, the double’s hips moving in slow, deliberate circles, and Daisy’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t meant for this to happen—hadn’t even considered it—but now that it was, she couldn’t deny how good it felt, how right it felt.

“Hm,” Daisy breathed, her voice trembling as the realization hit her. She wasn’t just enjoying this—she was turned on. Her body responded to the friction, the heat, the way their movements synchronized so perfectly. She was losing control, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to get it back.

The double’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she noticed the change in Daisy’s expression. “What’s on your mind, Daisy?”

Daisy opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat as the double shifted the weight of her hips again, pressing harder against her. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasure through Daisy’s body, and she gasped, her hands instinctively jolting free of her double’s grasp in order to find purchase on the other Daisy’s hips. She could feel the tight muscles beneath her fingers, the way the double’s body responded to every movement, and it only made her want more.

But then, in the midst of the movement, Daisy’s hand slipped lower, brushing against the curve of the double’s ass. The touch was accidental, but the reaction was immediate. Daisy froze, her eyes widening as she realized what she’d done, but the double only grinned, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“Hmm,” the double murmured, her voice teasing. “Seems like someone’s getting a little handsy.”

Daisy’s face flushed, but she didn’t move her hand. The warmth of the double’s skin beneath her fingers was intoxicating, and she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. “I… I didn’t mean to—”

“Sure you didn’t,” the double interrupted, her tone playful, but there was an edge of challenge in her voice. “But you know what? I think we like it.”

Daisy’s breath hitched as the double’s hips ground against hers, harder this time, more insistent. Daisy found herself guiding the movement, too, with her hand adjusting to a firmer position on the double’s ass and ensuring that her encouragement was made clear. The pleasure was intense, almost overwhelming, and Daisy could feel herself spiraling, her thoughts scattering in every direction. She could feel the heat swelling between her legs. She knew she should stop, that this was crossing a line she hadn’t even known existed, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to.

“Go on,” the double urged, her voice low and husky, a seductive purr that sent shivers down Daisy’s spine. “You’ve already come this far. Don’t hold back now.”

Daisy’s grip tightened as she gave in to the magnetic pull between them, her fingers digging into the double’s firm flesh. “Fuck—our ass,” the thought spat from her lips without filter: the relishing in the fact that feeling up her own body from this new perspective was driving her wild at her core. She brought her second hand to join the first, splaying all ten fingers wide against her clone’s backside and gripping tight. “—Feels so perfect…”

The double didn’t just respond; she thrived on it, her body arching back into Daisy’s touch, the grinding of their hips becoming almost desperate, each movement pushing them closer to the edge. The air around them was thick with heat, their breaths mingling in quick, ragged gasps as the tension between them reached a fever pitch.

“You fucking love this, don’t you?” the double hissed, her voice low and dripping with sinful delight. “You love feeling your own body pressed against you, every fucking inch of it. I can feel you getting wet for me.”

Daisy couldn’t find the words to respond, her thoughts tangled in a haze of raw pleasure and disbelief. The double wasn’t wrong—she did love it, more than she ever thought possible. Every curve, every muscle, every shiver that ran through her own body was reflected in her double, amplifying the intensity until it was almost unbearable. The realization that she was turned on by her own form—by the sheer power and beauty of it—was electrifying.

“Fuck, you’re perfect,” Daisy finally managed to choke out, her voice rough with desire. Her hands roamed the double’s body, exploring every inch she could reach. Her fingers trailed up the double’s spine, tracing the line of muscle that flexed beneath her touch, feeling the strength there, the familiar power that she knew so well. “Every fucking part of you—of me—so fucking perfect.”

The double’s breath hitched at the praise, her eyes darkening with lust as she pressed harder against Daisy, their bodies moving in sync, the friction driving them both wild. “Yeah? You like that? You like knowing how fucking hot you are?”

Daisy nodded, too overwhelmed to speak, her mind spinning as she lost herself in the sensation. She’d never thought of herself this way, but now, with her double grinding into her, their bodies so perfectly matched, it was impossible to ignore. She was hot—fucking hot—and it felt incredible to finally acknowledge it, to revel in it. Daisy let her gaze finally break from her double’s eyes and drift down her torso and towards their chests, like mirror images pressed together, their identical tank tops clinging firm to their curves glistening with sweat and heaving up and down with each synchronous, labored breath.

The double’s grin was wicked as she leaned in closer, her breath hot against Daisy’s ear. “I’m gonna make you come so hard you’ll be begging for more,” she whispered, her voice a promise, a challenge.

Daisy’s heart pounded in her chest, the anticipation almost too much to bear. She could feel the double’s breath on her skin, could feel the heat radiating off her body, the way their sweat-slicked skin slid together. And then, without warning, the double’s tongue darted out, licking a slow, deliberate line up Daisy’s neck, tracing the curve of her jaw, and up to her cheek. The sensation was a shock to Daisy’s system—messy, wet, and impossibly hot. She gasped, her body arching into the touch, every nerve ending on fire as the double’s tongue left a trail of heat and spit in its wake. The wetness of it, the way it smeared across her skin, was filthy, primal, and it only made Daisy want more.

“Fuck,” Daisy moaned, her eyes fluttering shut as she surrendered to the sensation. “That’s so fucking hot, Daisy… do it again.”

The double didn’t need to be told twice. She leaned in again, this time slower, more deliberate, her tongue sliding up Daisy’s neck with a slow, teasing intensity that made Daisy’s knees weak. She could feel the double’s breath against her skin, could feel the heat of it mingling with her own, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

“You like that?” the double murmured wet against her ear, her voice low and full of dark satisfaction. “We taste so sweet, Daisy.”

“Yeah,” Daisy gasped, her voice hollow, barely more than a breath. “Fuck, Daisy…” The words came out choked, whispered. Speaking her own name in the throes of passion still felt almost perverse and alien, but she had come to embrace it. “Daisy,” again, she breathed the word and locked eyes again with her twin. 

Their bodies moved together, the grinding becoming more frantic, more desperate, as they neared the edge. The heat between them was unbearable, every touch, every movement sending shockwaves of pleasure through Daisy’s body. She could feel the double’s muscles tensing on top of her, could feel the way their bodies fit together so perfectly, every curve and line and angle aligned in a way that felt almost too good to be true.

“Come on, Daisy,” the double urged, her voice hoarse with need. “Let go. I know you want to. I can feel how close you are—how fucking good this feels.”

Daisy was right there, teetering on the edge of oblivion, her body trembling with the intensity of it all. She could feel the double’s breath on her skin, could feel the way their bodies ground together, her legs locking even tighter into Daisy’s lap. The friction was almost too much to bear. And then, with a final, desperate pulse, the world exploded around her.

“Fuck!” Daisy cried out, her voice raw as the orgasm ripped through her, every muscle in her body tensing as she came hard, her hips bucking against the double’s in a frenzy of motion. The double followed right behind her, their bodies shaking, quaking, as they climaxed together, the pleasure so intense it was almost painful.

They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies locked together in the aftermath, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath. The double’s weight was comforting against Daisy’s, her body warm and solid and so fucking perfect, and Daisy couldn’t help but smile, a lazy, satisfied grin that spread across her face as she lay there, basking in the afterglow.

“Fuck,” Daisy finally managed to say, her voice breathless and full of awe. “That was… holy shit.”

The double chuckled, the sound low and full of satisfaction, as she rolled off Daisy, collapsing beside her on the mat. “Yeah… it was.”

They lay there in silence for a while, just breathing, their bodies still tingling from the intensity of their shared climax. Daisy’s mind was still spinning, trying to process everything that had just happened, but all she could focus on was the warmth of the double beside her, the way their bodies had fit together so perfectly, the way they had moved in sync, as if they were two halves of the same whole.

“That was… unexpected,” the other Daisy said after a while, her voice quiet and thoughtful.

Daisy couldn’t argue with that. It had been perfect in its own twisted way. “Yeah,” Daisy agreed, her voice soft, almost reverent. “Yeah, it was.”

They stayed like that for a while longer, just lying there, their bodies spent, their minds still buzzing with the aftermath. Daisy couldn’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—this was exactly what she had needed all along.

- - - - -

Daisy Johnson slid the headset off, blinking as the cool air of the lab replaced the heated atmosphere of the Framework’s simulated gym. Her heart was still pounding, the memory of what had just happened lingering in her mind. It had felt so absolutely, undeniably real to her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before leaving her dorm and making the slow trek back to Fitz’s lab. 

She avoided all semblance of eye-contact as she neared Fitz’s desk with a casual ease that belied the storm of emotions swirling inside her. With a gentle thud, she placed the Framework prototype back on his workbench.

Fitz looked up, a curious eyebrow raised. “So, how was it? Any glitches? Unexpected bugs?”

Daisy gave him a sly grin, leaning against the desk with a relaxed confidence. “Let’s just say your Framework is… very realistic. No bugs that I could find, but it definitely pushed all the right buttons.”

Fitz’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly puzzled by her cryptic answer. “Pushed the right buttons? What does that mean?”

“It means I approve, Fitz,” she said flatly. “This tech is going to make training a whole lot more… interesting.”

Fitz chuckled, though he still looked a bit bewildered. “I’ll take that as a good sign, then.”

“Trust me,” Daisy said, patting the headset affectionately before turning to leave the lab. “You’ve outdone yourself with this one.”

As she walked away, she could feel Fitz’s eyes on her, still trying to figure out what exactly she meant. But Daisy just smiled to herself, the memory of her time in the Framework still fresh, knowing full well that this was one secret she’d keep to herself. For now.

[mariacallous]

The Trump administration, working in coordination with Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has gutted a small federal agency that provides funding to libraries and museums nationwide. In communities across the US, the cuts threaten student field trips, classes for seniors, and access to popular digital services, such as the ebook app Libby.

On Monday, managers at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) informed 77 employees—virtually the agency’s entire staff—that they were immediately being put on paid administrative leave, according to one of the workers, who sought anonymity out of fear of retaliation from Trump officials. Several other sources confirmed the move, which came after President Donald Trump appointed Keith Sonderling, the deputy secretary of labor, as the acting director of IMLS less than two weeks ago.

A representative for the American Federation of Government Employee Local 3403, a union that represents about 40 IMLS staffers, said Sonderling and a group of DOGE staffers met with IMLS leadership late last month. Afterwards, Sonderling sent an email to staff “emphasizing the importance of libraries and museums in cultivating the next generation’s perception of American exceptionalism and patriotism,” the union representative said in a statement to WIRED.

IMLS employees who showed up to work at the agency on Monday were asked to turn in their computers and lost access to their government email addresses before being ordered to head home for the day, the employee says. It’s unclear when, or if, staffers will ever return to work. “It’s heartbreaking on many levels,” the employee adds.

The White House and the Institute of Museum and Library Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment from WIRED.

The annual budget of IMLS amounts to less than $1 per person in the US. Overall, the agency awarded over $269.5 million to library and museum systems last year, according to its grants database. Much of that money is paid out as reimbursements over time, the current IMLS employee says, but now there is no one around to cut checks for funds that have already been allocated.

“The status of previously awarded grants is unclear. Without staff to administer the programs, it is likely that most grants will be terminated,” the American Federation of Government Employee Local 3403 union said in a statement.

About 65 percent of the funding had been allocated to different states, with each one scheduled to receive a minimum of roughly $1.2 million. Recipients can use the money for statewide initiatives or pass it on to local museum and library institutions for expenses such as staff training and back-office software. California and Texas have received the highest allocated funding, at about $12.5 million and $15.7 million, respectively, according to IMLS data. Individual libraries and museums also receive grants directly from IMLS for specific projects.

An art museum in Idaho expected to put $10,350 toward supporting student field trips, according to the IMLS grant database. A North Carolina museum was allotted $23,500 for weaving and fiber art workshops for seniors. And an indigenous community in California expected to put $10,000 toward purchasing books and electronic resources.

In past years, other Native American tribes have received IMLS grants to purchase access to apps such as Hoopla and Libby, which provide free ebooks and audiobooks to library patrons. Some funding from the IMLS also goes to academic projects, such as using virtual reality to preserve Native American cultural archives or studying how AI chatbots could improve access to university research.

Steve Potash, founder and CEO of OverDrive, which develops Libby, says the company has been lobbying Congress and state legislatures for library funding. “What we are consistently hearing is that there is no data or evidence suggesting that federal funds allocated through the IMLS are being misused,” Potash tells WIRED. “In fact, these funds are essential for delivering vital services, often to the most underserved and vulnerable populations.”

Anthony Chow, director of the School of Information at San José State University in California and president-elect of the state library association, tells WIRED that Monday was the deadline to submit receipts for several Native American libraries he says he’d been supporting in their purchase of nearly 54,000 children’s books using IMLS funds. Five tribes, according to Chow, could lose out on a total of about $189,000 in reimbursements. “There is no contingency,” Chow says. “I don’t think any one of us ever thought we would get to this point.”

Managers at IMLS informed their teams on Monday that the work stoppage was in response to a recent executive order issued by Trump that called for reducing the operations of the agency to the bare minimum required by law.

Trump made a number of other unsuccessful attempts to defund the IMLS during his first term. The White House described its latest effort as a necessary part of “eliminating waste and reducing government overreach.” But the president himself has said little about what specifically concerns him about funding libraries; a separate order he signed recently described federally supported Smithsonian museums as peddling “divisive narratives that distort our shared history.”

US libraries and museums receive support from many sources, including public donations and funding from other federal agencies. But IMLS is “the single largest source of critical federal funding for libraries,” according to the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies advocacy group. Libraries and museums in rural areas are particularly reliant on federal funding, according to some library employees and experts.

Systems in big metros such as Los Angeles County and New York City libraries receive only a small fraction of their budget from the IMLS, according to recent internal memos seen by WIRED, which were issued in response to Trump’s March 14 executive order. "For us, it was more a source of money to innovate with or try out new programs,” says a current employee at the New York Public Library, who asked to remain anonymous because they aren’t authorized to speak to the press.

But the loss of IMLS funds could still have consequences in big cities. A major public library system in California is assembling an internal task force to advocate on behalf of the library system with outside donors, according to a current employee who wasn’t authorized to speak about the effort publicly. They say philanthropic organizations that support their library system are already beginning to spend more conservatively, anticipating they may need to fill funding gaps at libraries in areas more dependent on federal dollars.

Some IMLS programs also require states to provide matching funding, and legislatures may be disincentivized to offer support if the federal money disappears, further hampering library and museum budgets, the IMLS employee says.

The IMLS was created by a 1996 law passed by Congress and has historically received bipartisan support. But some conservative groups and politicians have expressed concern that libraries provide public access to content they view as inappropriate, including pornography and books on topics such as transgender people and racial minorities. In February, following a Trump order, schools for kids on overseas military bases restricted access to books “potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics.”

Last week, a bipartisan group of five US senators led by Jack Reed of Rhode Island urged the Trump administration to follow through on the IMLS grants that Congress had authorized for this year. "We write to remind the administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law," the senators wrote.

Ultimately, the fate of the IMLS could be decided in a showdown between Trump officials, Congress, and the federal courts. With immediate resolution unlikely, experts say museums and libraries unable to make up for lost reimbursements will likely have to scale back services.

[fermented-writers-block]

Simulation Assessment Model​

Randomized Orb Value: G2Z4E11​

Projection Test Type: C​

History Proposal:​

On the train, denizens take many forms. Dogs, rock people, paper cranes, giant pig babies, and more. Although all of them are artificial beings projected through orbs on a perpetual train, it is an unfortunate fact that denizens only live a "normal lifespan" for whatever they are created as. Corgis have an average lifespan of 14 years, and that is about as long as Atticus will live for example.

The Cat, however, is an outlier.

Well over a hundred and fifty years old - in human years, not cat years - her unusual longevity shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. While no official statements nor more episodes have been made to help shed light on the mystery, I would like to preface my theory with a bit of context:

One of the oldest traditions in software is what is known as a "Hello, World!" program. In total, this program instructs a computer to display a message similar to the titular "Hello, World!" Simple and succinct, it is one of if not the first program students of new programming languages learn how to code. And with its simplicity, "Hello, World!" can be used to ensure the code compilation software has been installed properly and that the operator is using it correctly.

Similarly famous and historic is the "Utah teapot." Coming from the world of 3D modeling and computer graphics, it possess features familiar to many simple teapots: a spout, a handle, and a curvy shape. Lacking a need for surface textures, capable of casting shadows on itself, and possessing a decently complex yet easy to make model, it has been regarded a "perfect self contained object to test the creation of three-dimensional images." Even with today's advanced technology, it is still regarded as an effective standard reference model for beginners and experimenters alike.

Moving into the burgeoning field of 3D printing, one can find "Benchy," as well as its upcoming replacement "Boaty." Respectively a boat and a bench, these two unofficial models have been growing in popularity over the years, often finding themselves among many people's first prints. Either on a newly set up 3D printer, or with a new 3D printing material one hasn't used before. Whether through measuring a Benchy/Boaty's dimensional accuracy, checking its surface quality, and observing other attributes like overhangs (or the lack thereof), they are shaping up to become the next "Hello, World!" and Utah teapot.

In other words, the latest in a line of near ubiquitous benchmark tests for assessing the performance of a system upon first use.

With that established, picture a staircase where each step is a level of technology. From mere software to virtual models to physical printed objects, a few more steps is all it takes to climb aboard the Train. Memory tapes that hold an immersive snapshot of a person's mindscape. Wormholes that can disintegrate and reassemble people across time and space. An unknown level of influence over an entire parallel reality of reflections with all its existentially terrifying implications.

Orb-generated pocket dimension environments and so many intelligent and thinking people as denizens.

Maybe the reason the Cat doesn't have a normal lifespan like other denizens is because she isn't a 'proper' denizen in the first place. After all, the aforementioned benchmark tests lack the extra bells and features the systems they evaluate are capable of making when pushed. The original Utah teapot model didn't even have a base. So it's not hard to imagine the train's denizen creation system might have forgone extraneous programming like an artificial 'normal lifespan' limitation while performing startup checks, way back when the train first came online.

Thus, my proposal is that the Cat had started out as a benchmark projection for non-lifespan-related test requirements. Maybe her template just lacks the "normal lifespan" programming, and/or the "normal lifespan" programming was tested with a different, unfortunate benchmark projection. Either way, she served her vital system evaluation purpose and then got set aside as a no-longer critical part of the train. From that rock bottom, she could only go up from there. With a life as long as hers and having seen as much of the train as she has, there's so many potential answers for how she eventually transformed into the French con artist kitty we know today.

Like, for example, her collecting of many 'things.' It may seem like that's simply the norm she’s settled into by the present, but Simon's comment about how "she's collecting again" suggests it is actually her slipping into a bad old habit. As though rampant collecting is a coping mechanism for something. While the guilt from leaving Simon behind would easily explain such regression in behavior, therein lies the question of where said behavior came from in the first place. 

If you ask me, I cannot help but look at the train of thought that started this all: Samantha lacking the programmed lifespan denizens have due to being a test object. Aka an immortal amongst denizens who will one day die, passengers who either die on the train or eventually disembark, and even car environments that are affected by time in ways she isn't.

Certainly makes one think about her having once gotten close enough with Simon for her to tell him to call her "Samantha," but now emphasizes to everyone she meets to merely know her as "THE Cat"...