#android safety core

[cubeys]

hey if you have an android, go check in the play store to see if this piece of garbage was pushed to you and uninstall it if it was

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore

it's called android safety core. go destroy it <3

[bixels]

Portal 2 is still the perfect game to me. I hyperfixated on it like crazy in middle school. Would sing Want You Gone out loud cuz I had ADHD and no social awareness. Would make fan animations and pixel art. Would explain the ending spoilers and fan theories to anyone who'd listen. Would keep up with DeviantArt posts of the cores as humans. Would find and play community-made maps (Gelocity is insanely fun).

I still can't believe this game came out 12 years ago and it looks like THIS.

Like Mirror's Edge, the timeless art style and economic yet atmospheric lighting means this game will never age. The decision not to include any visible humans (ideas of Doug Rattmann showing up or a human co-op partner were cut) is doing so much legroom too. And the idea to use geometric tileset-like level designs is so smart! I sincerely believe that, by design, no game with a "realistic art style" has looked better than Portal 2.

Do you guys remember when Nvidia released Portal with RTX at it looked like dogshit? Just the most airbrushed crap I've ever seen; completely erased the cold, dry, clinical feel of Aperture.

So many breathtakingly pit-in-your-stomach moments I still think about too. And it's such a unique feeling; I'd describe at as... architectural existentialism? Experiencing the sublime under the shadow of manmade structures (Look up Giovanni Battista Piranesi's art if you're curious)? That scene where you're running from GLaDOS with Wheatley on a catwalk over a bottomless pit and––out of rage and desperation––GLaDOS silently begins tearing her facility apart and Wheatley cries 'She's bringing the whole place down!' and ENORMOUS apartment building-sized blocks begin groaning towards you on suspended rails and cement pillars crumble and sparks fly and the metal catwalk strains and bends and snaps under your feet. And when you finally make it to the safety of a work lift, you look back and watch the facility close its jaws behind you as it screams.

Or the horror of knowing you're already miles underground, and then Wheatley smashes you down an elevator shaft and you realize it goes deeper. That there's a hell under hell, and it's much, much older.

Or how about the moment when you finally claw your way out of Old Aperture, reaching the peak of this underground mountain, only to look up and discover an endless stone ceiling built above you. There's a service door connected to some stairs ahead, but surrounding you is this array of giant, building-sized springs that hold the entire facility up. They stretch on into the fog. You keep climbing.

I love that the facility itself is treated like an android zooid too, a colony of nano-machines and service cores and sentient panel arms and security cameras and more. And now, after thousands of years of neglect, the facility is festering with decomposition and microbes; deer, raccoons, birds. There are ghosts too. You're never alone, even when it's quiet. I wonder what you'd hear if you put your ear up against a test chamber's walls and listened. (I say that all contemplatively, but that's literally an easter egg in the game. You hear a voice.)

Also, a reminder that GLaDOS and Chell are not related and their relationship is meant to be psychosexual. There was a cut bit where GLaDOS would role-play as Chell's jealous housewife and accuse her of seeing other cores in between chambers. And their shared struggle for freedom and control? GLaDOS realizing, after remembering her past life, that she's become the abuser and deciding that she has the power to stop? That even if she can't be free, she can let Chell go because she hates her. And she loves her. Most people interpret GLaDOS "deleting Caroline in her brain" as an ominous sign, that she's forgetting her human roots and becoming "fully robot." But to me, it's a sign of hope for GLaDOS. She's relieving herself of the baggage that has defined her very existence, she's letting Caroline finally rest, and she's allowing herself to grow beyond what Cave and Aperture and the scientists defined her to be. The fact that GLaDOS still lets you go after deleting Caroline proves this. She doesn't double-back or change her mind like Wheatley did, she sticks to her word because she knows who she is. No one and nothing can influence her because she's in control. GLaDOS proves she's capable of empathy and mercy and change, human or not.

That's my retrospective, I love this game to bits. I wish I could experience it for the first time again.

[kaedekolya]

awakening clarence: the inevitability of tragedy, and what it means to be human

Human or robot, cyborg or android — how is humanity defined, and where is the line that delineates it? Expanding upon my Clarence monster meta, which covered his Godheim, Eden, and modern routes, this analysis delves into how the theme of dehumanisation presents itself in Clarence’s Awakening route — and why tragedy is endlessly, inevitably, intertwined with his being.

[ SPOILERS: Clarence’s Awakening route and his Faint Night Light SSR story, as well as brief mentions of his Godheim and Eden routes. ]

“In my mind, I still consider myself human, but you are free to perceive me as you wish. I don’t mind and I won’t dispute that.” This is the faith that Awakening’s Clarence holds fast to — he thinks, therefore he is. He has a concept of his self, therefore he is human.

This can be chalked up to the impact of one’s environment; for example, Archmage Clarence was co-opted into a scheme and transformed into a mutation at a young age, causing him to grow up with no other concept of the self than the monstrous one forced upon him. In contrast, modern Clarence had solid support systems around him, allowing him to develop a reasonably well-adjusted core identity. Since the Awakening stories are not set in alternate universes, but a potential branch of the future that stems from the present-day modern world, it stands to reason that modern Clarence’s perspectives and attitudes would carry forth into his Awakening timeline.

It is this foundation that affords Clarence the fortitude to hold fast to his belief, even when MC counters it with her claims that he is not human. Then Clarence sees how grief-stricken MC’s expression is, and decides to “respect her decision, regardless of the reason,” “if she is so firmly against accepting his view.” He puts her feelings above his own, acquiescing to her opinion despite it contradicting his. Even so, he still hopes that “maybe one day [they] can reach a consensus on this matter.” Deep down, Clarence still yearns for understanding, for someone to view him the way he views himself.

Awakening’s Clarence is an interesting subversion of his usual dehumanisation trope, running counter to how he often perceives himself as a monster despite being biologically human. In Godheim, the Archmage refuses to see himself as anything other than a monster that isn’t human, even though others recognise his good intentions. In Awakening, MC initially refuses to see Clarence as anything other than an android that isn’t human, despite his protests to the contrary.

(As an aside, there are further parallels between Archmage Clarence and Awakening’s Clarence; both put on a stoic front to protect themselves from feeling further pain. Just as Archmage Clarence spent a century in utter solitude until MC returned to his side, Awakening’s Clarence waited for MC to wake him from an eternal slumber, while she wandered that same time in solitude until she found him again. Both stories end with the promise of eternity — or at least a long, long time — together.)

Clarence’s unwavering sense of self in Awakening makes me think of the Ship of Theseus — when parts of a ship are replaced, at what point is it no longer the original ship? For Clarence, his identity hinges not on his constituent parts, but his awareness of the self. Even if his body is damaged, he is still himself as long as his mind is intact. Clarence’s memories, his reasoning, his emotions, are what form his identity. It is this central focus on the mind and not the body that leads to a lack of regard for his physical wellbeing; his health and safety are secondary to his aims.

In an attempt to figure out the physical properties of his body — whether it is flesh and blood or steel and synthetics — Clarence wounds himself on purpose, cutting through the skin not covered by his mechanical skeleton. He feels the pain as blood flows out, yet the wound heals at an inhuman speed, rendering him unable to “determine if he’s an android, pain and flesh simulated by advanced technology, or a human injected with healing genes.”

Clarence’s readiness to harm himself in order to achieve a certain objective can also be seen in the Book of Tales event, when merman Clarence deliberately hurts himself in hopes of attaining the mermaid’s tear. To Clarence, the injuries sustained to his physical body are insignificant in the face of a greater goal. As long as he can preserve his sense of self, his memories, his purpose, then it is enough for him. Ultimately, Clarence views himself as a tool — as a means to an end.

Arguably, Awakening’s Clarence demonstrates many traits that could easily paint him as a monster. When a hostile drone poses a threat, he destroys it with his bare hand, bolstered by the enhanced strength of his mechanical augmentations. Combat is woven into Clarence’s being; he is innately capable of destruction, in the same way a monster is. His internal programming makes comments and observations as if it is a separate entity, creating a stark disconnect between Clarence’s consciousness and the programmed voice in his head — almost like it is a monster lurking within him.

As much as his combat may be innate, though, so are his emotions. Clarence feels an instinctual trust towards MC, even if he cannot explain or understand where these feelings originate from. After MC falls asleep, Clarence reaches out to her but stops short of touching her face, empathy guiding his actions. “Have you spent all these years like this, slumbering alone in this barren world?” Clarence asks, not recognising that he too had slumbered alone in the hibernation chamber — only recognising her pain, and not his own. He apologises to her, despite not having done anything wrong, despite also suffering through the same solitude that she has.

Upon seeing MC injured, Clarence grows solemn and sorrowful, remarking that he thinks she is “strong, [admirably] strong.” “It must be tough for you[,] living in this world alone for all those years,” Clarence muses, extending her a compassionate kindness he does not allow himself — neither in this world, nor in others. “I don’t know why I [feel the need] to apologise,” he admits. “But I somehow feel that this should have been my responsibility. I should have stayed by your side. I shouldn’t have left you alone.” Once again, Clarence takes the blame upon his own shoulders, turning the guilt inwards. Even when it is not his cross to bear, Clarence nails himself to it, offering himself as penance for wrongs he has not committed.

Clarence is so accustomed to taking responsibility upon himself that he always chooses the simplest option, even if it comes at his own expense. Or perhaps it is precisely because it comes at his own expense, and not that of others, that he is more inclined to choose it. The Archmage did not open himself up to any other methods, staunchly refusing to entertain MC’s suggestions, because he was so firmly set in his conviction to sacrifice himself for his country’s future. The Falcon was ready to shoot himself, never considering the possibility of a third option in the dilemma, because his death was the most straightforward way to help MC achieve her goal.

In much the same way, Awakening’s Clarence dies to save others. His android selves were created both to “commemorate [the pioneer’s] sacrifice,” and for the express purpose of sacrificing themselves to keep his original body away from danger. Sacrifice is woven into their beings, just as it runs through Clarence’s veins. It is this enduring selflessness that leads Clarence down the path of a martyr, time and time again.

Awakening’s movie was a warning for Clarence that opened his eyes to the suffering that his selflessness can, and will, wreak in its wake. His diligent and conscientious nature often has him shouldering the weight of responsibility, but it can also lead to him losing himself in his duty. In order to fulfil his role to the best of his ability, he overextends himself, inadvertently letting himself be consumed by what he believes he ought to be and do. Clarence yearns to save the world, to protect the people that live in it, and so he offers himself up as a tool to be used. He gives himself over to his cause, devoting all of himself to it even as the burden of it devours him whole. A selfless sacrifice that saves countless lives, but that selfishly brings pain to those who care for him.

A good tragedy is at once avoidable and inevitable; avoidable because there are other choices to be made, and inevitable because its actors will always choose the path that leads to despair. It is written into their beings, into who they are as people and what they stand for. There is no other version of this tale, no better outcome, because they are human and they will not pick the rational option. They will pick the option that calls to their heart.

At that crossroads, faced with the risk of venturing towards the power plant and the safety of remaining with his companions, Clarence chooses the former. There is no doubt that he knows he is marching to his death; still, he bears the weight of this sacrifice, in order to fulfil his duty to protect his fellow fighters. Even though there is no guarantee that he will succeed, Clarence undertakes this lonely mission in an effort to do all that he can for the world that he loves. He opts to venture alone into the jaws of danger in order to keep others out of harm’s way, minimising the damage caused to the world and its inhabitants – even if, or perhaps so that, it deals the highest damage to himself. It has always been this way, and will always be this way, for Clarence. The core of the tragedy is that Clarence will always put the world above himself, his duty above his dreams, even if it comes at the cost of everything he is and will ever be.

There’s a parallel, here, with the story of Orpheus. You, as the uninvolved spectator, can criticise him for being irrational, for turning around and losing Eurydice. Yet Orpheus, in that moment, cannot possibly make any other decision. How can you fault a man for having a heart? How can you fault a man for being human?

For all that Clarence is an android, or a cyborg, or a mutant monster, he is also deeply, painfully human. It is impossible for him to be fully rational and objective, and so he pushes himself to his limits in an attempt to be, and berates himself when he cannot. More often than not, Clarence ends up dehumanising himself – both consciously and unconsciously – in order to fulfil his roles and responsibilities. Rather than having them guide his actions, he gives himself over to them, allowing them to shape the core of who he is. Clarence pushes himself to extremes that are rational in the logic of his worldview, but ironically irrational to the external observer that witnesses the depths of his pain.

One particular line in Awakening stood out to me: “What’s important is that you shouldn’t be sad. You should be happy and free. You should be the beam of light that penetrates the thick clouds.” While this line illustrates how Clarence prioritises MC’s happiness, it also illuminates MC’s role in his story. Her presence in his life teaches him that he can seek happiness for himself, too, rather than solely living in servitude of a greater purpose. She is the light that parts the fog, the sunlight that melts the snow. While she may always be part of Clarence’s motivation to save the world and the people who live in it, perhaps she may also become his motivation to save himself, too.

Clarence is always all too ready to be a martyr, because he often believes that his most significant contribution to the world is what he can do for it. As long as his purpose is fulfilled, then it does not matter much what happens to him afterwards; there will be others to fill his shoes. Yet MC, in Awakening, directly challenges this notion. “Clarence is irreplaceable. Even with the same appearance and body, no one could ever take his place,” she asserts. There can be a second Archmage, or another Falcon, or countless clones in his likeness – but there is only one Clarence, who is precious by virtue of who he is and not what he can do. Clarence, whose worth is not defined by his roles and responsibilities, no matter how much he believes it to be so. This is the arc of his growth – learning to view and cherish himself as a person, not a mere tool to be used.

thank you for reading!♡

if you have any thoughts about this meta post, i’d love to hear them! responses are always welcome, and my ask box is open~

for more lovebrush meta: here's my brief azure island analysis + theorising! nervously anticipating clarence's route tomorrow...

[wulvercazz]

🌃Street Horrors☠️

a bit of a flashback for part 2💕

Previous~

It wouldn't have been so weird to find a person in such a state, Ichigo's horrified to admit; not here on the ground level of the city. His heart stopping in his throat for the half second that he catches glimpse of the sorry figure hidden behind the trash. He's actually far more shocked that what he's found, gutted and dismembered in the middle of an alley, is actually a very unique looking android. Something with this technology isn't usually discarded in such a place.

It takes him a whole four hours to go home for his dolly cart and back and forth three full trips to bring back the broken thing in pieces; unable to carry more than a fraction of the incredibly heavy machinery at a time on his own.

It sits sadly, silently. Even more disfigured now that he had to bring it in three pieces into the garage he calls a home. Something about it rubs him off in the wrongest of ways... Spare parts, is what it is. He reminds himself. Nothing more. Tomorrow, after some severely needed sleep, he'll finish dismounting it to it's core pieces to use for future repair jobs and that sorry sleeping face won't haunt him any longer.

He sleeps that night's exhaustion till noon, and is almost surprised to find the thing still sitting in the same spot he left him. Still sleeping, still sad looking. Androids he's seen in the expensive, more vast, part of the city have plain and clean looks. Friendly in the way that an appliance looks friendly. The way this thing appears to sorrowfully take up space is fucking with his perception of it.

But he's not about to stop himself from doing his job simply because this creepy rich people's toy is disturbingly more human-like than anything he's seen.

Ichigo sets his tools and a makeshift stool at a reach-appropriate height near the android, safety wear in place in case this thing runs on some kind of fuel that he wouldn't want near his eyes. It's so badly broken up, and so much different to anything else he's worked with, that he's got no other choice but to take his time investigating it all over. Following the jumble of gut-like cables that spill out of its abdominal cavity, poking at what he supposes is a very large and empty memory port right in its middle. Whatever an android would need such a powerful core for he's got no clue, and honestly, he'd rather not know. The government doesn't keep a full control of all Android unit production for no reason; he's not about to dive into conspiracy theories... but there's a reason for everything- and they tend to have the worst of them.

Bits and pieces and more length of cable shuffle about as he works, perhaps he was being too optimistic last night, thinking it'd dissassemble so easy. He changes tools with a huff, reaching behind the memory port to poke at whatever it's attached to and a dim light blinks on right above his face. Ichigo's heart drops down to his stomach and then punches him in the throat until a loud startled gasp threatens to choke him, right until the fight or flight freezes on a continuous and alarmed confusion; the thing's eyes are open and staring right at him in a chilling glowing blue.

"Get your grubby fucking hands off me." A hoarse, messed up, voice says with a hard set brow and tight broken up jaw.

The tools clank and clatter into the floor messily, and the box and tool box he'd been sitting on shuffle with a screech when he backs off as much as he can without stumbling onto his ass. "Y-you- you're- I thought- your consciousness works."

"Enough to know I don't care for a scrawny little boy feeling me up."

Ichigo has a hard time choosing whether to be pissed at the obvious offenses or to freak about how this thing is throwing sass and insults in his face in the first place. Androids 'learn' from their first owners what will become part of their personality later on; absorbing the words and mannerisms, the inside jokes as much as they retain their owners' likes and needs, and fit them along their fabrication conduct protocols. To better relate to their human, of course. He's never seen an android learn personality quite like this, never heard an android complain, or have preferences and wants of its own. Never heard one come up with an insult on the spot in a voice that didn't sound like a mere echo, a regurgitated string of words it's heard many times before.

It's almost... like a human is sitting in pieces right before him.

Next~

[writingsfromstarfleet]

[Jean-Luc Picard] - Within Stars

♫ - Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

A/N: This ones so different from how I would usually write, but I actually love it? I don't know, I think it went really well. I hope you all enjoy, thank you for reading! <3

As he sat at his desk, Captain Picard turned in his chair to gaze outwards towards the stars. As his ship navigated the system, the hum of her warp core resounding through her halls, Jean-Luc had time to ponder his life currently.

Jean-Luc felt grateful that he was in command of the Enterprise. He was thankful that Starfleet had enough trust in him to captain the vessel on her mission, and to entrust him with the safety and protection of the best crew he could ask for. In his time, he had seen so much. War, death and peace treaties broken. But, on the other side, he had also seen the birth of nations and witnessed harmony between feuding races, not to mention the relationships he had formed with his crew.

With William Riker, he had found a friend and someone he most certainly would trust with his own life. He could be rash and bold, but those were qualities that made a good XO, and an even better Starfleet officer. Jean-Luc trusted Will with so much, and he was happy to have him by his side.

With Data, he had found a curious soul. Someone who he knew looked up to him, and so Jean-Luc had told himself that he always would be as open and protective of Data as he could. The android had so much respect for the captain, it was hard not to feel as though he was in someway, almost like a son. Data was one of the most gifted officers Picard had ever seen, Starfleet or otherwise, and he knew for a fact how lucky he was that Data was stationed on his ship.

With Worf, Deanna, Beverly Geordi, he had found a mismatched set of people, with completely different backgrounds. And yet, despite that, they had all become a family of their own. The captain reminisced with a small chuckle at how little they knew of each other on their first days, and how quiet the ship was before. Not many conversations outside of work-related topics happened, and even then it was only when necessary. But now, this whole crew laughed and chatted as though they had known each other forever.

Jean-Luc felt that was his proudest achievement.

Then, there was you.

Picard had not forgotten you. How could he? You had a special place in his mind and his heart, but what it was he was not sure. You were a Lieutenant, and a hardworking one at that. Around the crew, you were a ray of sunshine, always making people smile or laugh whenever you were around. Even Data had taken to you, and often you both could be found having a drink in Ten Forward, discussing some very random topics.

Jean-Luc smiled at the thought. He was too proud to ever ask you for a drink, or to discuss literature with him. In his mind, Picard thought that the difference in rank may make things uncomfortable or improper, especially when it came to the next shift. He was well aware that many captains before him, and no doubt after him, had done such things, but for some reason he felt it wouldn't be right. Still, he pondered perhaps asking you the next time he saw you.

You.

Jean-Luc always smiled at the thought of you. His mind ran away with the images in his head, the ones where you are doing the most mundane things. Sitting there in the mess hall reading away at research for the science labs. Enjoying some time in Ten Forward, often drawing. Or the times you were simply walking from place one to two. All those times Picard had seen you, and he thought each time you were beautiful.

Occasionally, he would catch you in one of the study halls, where he often came to relax because it was quiet. You would greet him with kind eyes and a warm smile. Oh, that smile. It was etched into his mind as though carved from stone. When you smiled, your whole face lit up like you were made of the stars themselves. To him, that was art. Those times, you would invite him to sit with you where the conversation would evolve to the pair of you getting lost in discussion of the classics. Often, he would talk of Shakespeare and you would introduce him to some new alien works you had found.

It was rare to find you not chirpy and upbeat. That was not to say it didn't happen, and Picard thought back to the most prominent incident he had remembered.

An away mission had gone awry and you were stranded on the planet below, accompanied by Data and Will. A safety blanket, you knew that you were protected down there with them. But, it was tough and the three of you had almost died. Beaming back onto the ship, Picard was waiting in the transporter room for you all, when you fell into his arms.

Will had seen the wreck you were in, and assured Picard that if he wished to tend to you, he could handle everything else. Not one to abandon his duties, Jean-Luc was about to argue when he caught sight of Will's face, a look that said to him not to argue.

Jean-Luc held you up, and you limped with him back to your quarters. He could tell you were not your usual self in that moment. It was understandable, those kind of experiences would rattle even the most seasoned officers, something he had noticed even in Will. But, you were not used to those kinds of situations, and he knew that you probably needed someone with you.

Sitting you on your bed, Jean-Luc grabbed a towel and some water from your bathroom and sat down besides you, taking in your form for the first time since you arrived back. You looked awful. Not unkindly, mind you. He still thought you looked beautiful. But, you looked exhausted, and had quite clearly been through some things. Your eyes were not sparkling as they once were and your face showed no sign of that smile he had come to adore.

As he took the towel to your face and started to clean the dirt and blood away, you placed your hand on his knee and squeezed lightly. The captain noticed a tear fall from your eyes, and he sighed. The last thing he wanted was you to be unhappy. Your head fell onto his chest and tears had begun to fall fast. The stress of that mission had taken its toll, and you could hold back no longer. Whispering his name, your whole body shook.

Jean-Luc's heart hurt for you. He wanted to chase it all away, to make you forget what had happened. He leaned back carefully, pulling you close into him and wrapping his arms around your body. You sunk in, and he rested his cheek on the top of your head. Picard began to talk, telling you things would be okay and comforting you to the best of his ability. Slowly, your tears stopped falling and your breathing had regulated. You were calm once more, and Jean-Luc's mind relaxed a little.

As you both lay there, Picard was aware of the proximity, and he had not expected to be lying in your quarters with you in his arms under any circumstance. However, he had tried to tell himself that it was him doing his duty as a captain for one of his crew. He knew he was lying, but he didn't care. You were his top priority, and that was what mattered.

Soon, your breathing had gone shallow and your body had gotten a little heavier. Jean-Luc knew you were asleep. Something in him told him to stay. So, he did. He stayed until he had fallen asleep himself, content with the knowledge that you were safe and cared for, and finally at ease.

Thinking back to all these memories, the good and the bad, Jean-Luc found himself idly fiddling with his ring finger and his eyes had widened.

That's when it clicked in him.

Jean-Luc Picard loved you.

The captain sat upright, his eyes still fixed onto the stars outside as thoughts ran amok in his head about his new realization. It made sense now.

Each fleeting glance, each pining thought in his spare time. You were not like any other crew member to him. He finally understood all the protective feelings, the heartache when you cried and the joy when you laughed. That feeling that ran through his soul when he heard you talk.

Jean-Luc Picard was completely, truly and incandescently in love with you.

What would he do about it? In due course, he was not sure. But for now he was content in the knowledge that it was love, and his heart was full. With that, the Captain sat back in his chair and his eyes gazed out once more onto the stars, his mind at ease and a newfound eagerness for the next day to come.

[jcsttngfanfiction]

STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION - FAULT LINE

When the USS Enterprise-D begins experiencing mysterious fluctuations in its warp core, Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is tasked with identifying the cause before a catastrophic failure occurs. Data assists in the investigation, and they are joined by a promising new engineering officer, Lieutenant Jenn Kozak, recently transferred from the USS Potemkin.

As the investigation deepens, the team uncovers what appears to be a deeply buried subroutine within the ship’s systems — one that was not placed there by Starfleet. The trio must navigate technical sabotage, looming disaster, and questions of loyalty as they race against time to save the Enterprise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Fault Line

Chapter One: Transfer Orders

The gentle hum of the Enterprise-D echoed softly through the engineering deck, a constant companion to those who lived among the plasma manifolds and isolinear chips. The warp core pulsed steadily in its blue-white rhythm, a beating heart for the flagship of Starfleet.

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge leaned over a console, reviewing the latest diagnostic scan of the matter/antimatter intermix ratio. Everything checked out — again. But the logs didn’t lie: over the past 72 hours, there had been three microsecond-long fluctuations in the warp field containment. Barely noticeable, yet impossible to explain.

“Data, you seeing what I’m seeing?” he asked without turning around.

The android’s voice, calm and precise, replied from behind him. “Yes, Geordi. The containment variance is anomalous, but so far remains within Starfleet safety parameters. However, the periodicity of the fluctuation suggests a pattern, not random error.”

Geordi sighed. “Patterns mean problems. Especially with the warp core.”

Before Data could reply, the turbolift doors at the rear of engineering opened with a soft hiss. Out stepped a young woman in a gold uniform, her posture crisp and confident, though her eyes scanned the room with a hint of awe.

“Lieutenant Jenn Kozak reporting for duty,” she said, approaching with a padd in hand. Her voice was warm, a little smoky, and carried a distinct Terran inflection, and her long blonde hair was tightly braided in regulation style.

He took the padd and gave her a nod. “Ah yes, Lieutenant Kozak. My new number two. Welcome to the Enterprise.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied. “It’s… kind of surreal, honestly.”

“Don’t worry,” Geordi said with a grin. “It usually is for the first week or two.”

Data stepped forward. “Lieutenant Kozak, I am Lieutenant Commander Data, Chief Operations Officer. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have reviewed your engineering thesis on quantum stress analysis in warp manifolds. It was… enlightening.”

Her cheeks coloured slightly. “That’s… wow, thank you. That means a lot coming from you, sir.”

Geordi exchanged a glance with Data. He liked her already — smart, respectful, and clearly knew her way around an EPS grid.

“Well, this is great timing, Lieutenant, we’re tracking an unusual pattern in the warp core. Nothing dangerous — yet. I was about to assign someone to do a deep-scan diagnostic on the tertiary plasma relays. Think you’re up for it?”

Kozak’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely.”

“Good,” Geordi said. “Welcome to the big leagues.”

As she moved to a nearby console, Data turned to Geordi with an arched brow. “Her enthusiasm appears genuine.”

“Yeah,” Geordi murmured. “Let’s hope that holds. Something tells me we’re going to need every sharp mind we’ve got.”

Behind them, the warp core pulsed again — steady, reliable, and for the moment… silent.

But deep within the systems of the Enterprise, something was stirring.

Chapter Two: Echoes in the Core

Lieutenant Jenn Kozak knelt beneath an open control panel along the warp core’s maintenance ring, her tricorder in one hand, a hyperspanner in the other. The hum of the ship was louder here, more immediate — like a voice whispering through the bulkheads if you listened closely enough.

She loved this. The hands-on work. The precision. The mystery.

“Lieutenant Kozak,” Data’s voice called behind her. “Are you detecting any anomalies in the tertiary relay cascade?”

Kozak stood, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. “Actually… yeah. Relay 6-Gamma isn’t just lagging — it’s receiving power fluctuations that aren’t consistent with the ship’s distribution protocols.”

Data stepped beside her and tilted his head slightly, studying the readings from the tricorder that she presented.

“These deviations are not consistent with standard wear or degradation,” he said. “They appear to originate from within the ship’s central systems rather than external interference.”

Geordi, leaning against the railing above, narrowed his eyes. “Internal? As in… the ship is misrouting power on its own?”

“Affirmative,” Data replied. “But not due to a hardware fault.”

Kozak tapped a few commands into her PADD. “I can map the fluctuations against the ship’s maintenance cycle history. If there’s a repeating pattern, we might find the trigger.”

Geordi gave a half-smile. “Good thinking, Kozak. Keep at it.”

As she turned back to her station, Data stepped closer to Geordi. “Lieutenant Kozak’s performance has been exemplary. Her approach to system diagnostics demonstrates both creativity and technical discipline.”

Geordi nodded. “I saw her file. Graduated top of her class from the Academy’s engineering track. Specialized in variable-geometry warp systems. It’s why I got her in, she can definitely run this place if I’m on an away mission. But I think what really sets her apart is how fast she tunes into the systems.”

“She appears to intuitively understand the Enterprise’s design philosophy,” Data added. “It is… unusual.”

Geordi’s smile faded. “Yeah. Unusual’s the word.”

Hours later, Kozak sat alone in Engineering, the lights dimmed for night shift. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the cascade of data scrolling across her console and wondered if it might be wise to turn in soon.

But then…

There it was again.

A spike in the EPS grid — precisely every 11.6 hours. Just long enough to avoid triggering alarms. But the spike didn’t originate from Engineering. It came from one deck up… near the main computer core.

She hesitated for a moment before opening a direct link to Data.

“Lieutenant Kozak to Commander Data. I think I found something you’ll want to see.”

A beat passed, and then his calm voice responded. “Acknowledged. I am en route.”

Kozak stared at the display, feeling a subtle knot form in her chest.

This wasn’t a simple system error.

Someone — or something — was using the Enterprise’s core systems to do… something else.

And they’d gone to great lengths to cover it up.

Chapter Three: Ghost Code

Commander Data entered Main Engineering within three minutes of Kozak’s call, his gold uniform crisp, his movements as fluid as ever. He approached Kozak’s station with a precise tilt of his head.

“I have reviewed your message en route,” he said. “You believe the EPS fluctuations are being artificially induced from within the ship’s systems.”

Kozak stepped aside to let him view the display. “Look here. Every 11.6 hours, there’s a subtle spike — not enough to affect core output, but enough to briefly reroute power through a redundant junction near the computer core. It’s like… it’s drawing power just long enough to do something, then vanishing.”

Data studied the readings. “You have accounted for all scheduled subroutines, maintenance protocols, and holodeck operations?”

She nodded. “Yes sir, I triple-checked. Whatever this is, it’s not in the standard logs.”

Data’s fingers moved swiftly over the console, tapping into the ship’s diagnostic subsystems. “I will cross-reference this pattern with the Enterprise’s core memory access logs.”

As he worked, Kozak leaned closer. “Sir… with respect… if someone did this on purpose, wouldn’t it take some kind of administrative override to avoid showing up in the logs?”

Data looked up. “Indeed. Which implies either a deeply embedded unauthorized subroutine… or an individual with command-level access.”

Kozak’s eyes widened slightly. “Sabotage?”

Data didn’t answer right away. Instead, he ran a Level 1 diagnostic of the ship’s operating matrix, targeting the power routing algorithms. Within seconds, a string of code appeared on the screen — unusual, elegant, and entirely foreign to standard Starfleet architecture.

“I believe,” he said, “we have found our intruder.”

The next morning, Geordi La Forge stared at the code string dancing across the monitor in his office with an expression that hovered between fascination and concern.

“This isn’t just sabotage,” he muttered. “This is art.”

Data nodded. “The code is adaptive. It appears to rewrite its own access paths every cycle to avoid detection. Lieutenant Kozak was correct — only someone intimately familiar with Starfleet systems could have inserted this without raising suspicion.”

Kozak sat nearby, reviewing subsystem logs on a secondary console. “It doesn’t seem to be doing anything directly harmful, but it’s definitely pulling power and touching core systems — sensor logs, communication arrays, even auxiliary command backups.”

Geordi rubbed the back of his neck. “That means this thing could be watching us. Or worse — getting ready to do something.”

Kozak added, “I also found something else — fragments of an old mission profile. Buried deep in the encrypted memory buffers. The time stamp’s weird — over three years ago.”

Geordi leaned over her screen. “Let me see.”

It was an encoded data stream. What little of it remained bore a mission prefix — S3-Aleph — and a ship name: USS Victory, NCC-9754.

Geordi’s eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible. The Victory was decommissioned before this ship was even launched.”

“Could the data have been transferred during construction?” Kozak asked.

“Maybe,” Geordi said. “But that mission profile was classified — highly classified. If this code came from the Victory… someone brought it aboard intentionally.”

Data stepped forward. “I believe that at this stage, Captain Picard should be informed.”

Geordi nodded. “Agreed. Kozak — nice work. I think we’re onto something big.”

Kozak gave a faint, uneasy smile. “Not sure if I should be proud or worried.”

Geordi grinned. “Around here? Usually both, and at the same time.”

In the shadows of the ship’s lower computer core, unnoticed by any crew member, a tiny pulse of energy flickered along a hidden junction. No alarms triggered. No logs recorded.

And somewhere, deep within the Enterprise’s memory banks, a countdown silently began.

Chapter Four: Deep Access

Captain Jean-Luc Picard stood behind his ready room desk, hands clasped behind his back, eyes narrowed in quiet contemplation as Geordi, Data, and Lieutenant Kozak finished their report.

“A hidden program rerouting energy through the ship’s systems every 11.6 hours,” he repeated slowly. “You’re certain this is not a remnant of Starfleet code?”

Data answered, “Affirmative, Captain. The routine bears no resemblance to any documented Starfleet protocol. Furthermore, its architecture suggests intentional obfuscation.”

“And this ghost data fragment from the Victory?” Picard looked directly at Geordi. “Any idea how it got aboard?”

Geordi shook his head. “Not yet. But the Victory’s final mission was classified at the highest level. If someone brought this aboard during construction or an early software transfer, it might have been dormant for years — until now.”

Picard considered this for a long moment, then gave a sharp nod. “I want the three of you to continue investigating — quietly. Until we know exactly what we’re dealing with, this stays between us. Dismissed.”

As they exited the ready room, Kozak leaned toward Geordi. “I’ve only been on board for two days and we’re already dealing with classified ghosts in the machine. Is this normal?”

Geordi smirked. “Lieutenant, on this ship, you’re going to have to redefine exactly what that word means to you.”

Back in Engineering, Data tapped into the ship’s protected memory buffer and isolated the signature string associated with the unknown code. Kozak worked beside him at a diagnostic station, filtering real-time EPS fluctuations through a spectral analysis lens.

“Okay, this is strange,” she said, turning the display to Geordi. “Every spike lines up with low-level sensor activity. Not long-range scans or anything. It’s localized.”

Geordi frowned. “Localized… where?”

She tapped several keys. “Section 13, Deck 9. Sensor node 47-B.”

Data raised an eyebrow. “That section houses environmental systems and backup ODN junctions. There should be no high-resolution sensor usage there.”

Kozak leaned back in her chair, chewing her lower lip. “Unless it’s not for external sensors. It could be scanning something onboard.”

“Let’s find out,” Geordi said.

The turbolift doors opened with a hiss onto Deck 9. The corridor was quiet — dimmed for night cycle, with the occasional flicker of ambient status lights along the wall. The trio moved together, scanning with tricorders as they approached the indicated section.

Kozak was the first to notice it.

A panel — barely different from the others — had been loosened, its seal imperfect. She crouched down, ran her hand along the edge, and pried it open gently.

Behind it, tucked into the wall like it had always belonged there, was a small, silvery node. It was humming faintly — active.

Data examined it. “This device does not correspond to any Enterprise system component, nor any design encountered by the Federation.”

Geordi’s face darkened. “It’s not ours.”

Kozak scanned it with wide eyes. “It’s got its own microprocessor… a power cell… and it’s interfacing directly with our sensor grid. It’s been watching something — or someone.”

Geordi ran a deeper scan, then looked up sharply. “It’s tapped into internal crew tracking.”

Data tilted his head. “Whom has it been monitoring?”

Kozak tapped furiously at her tricorder, decrypting the last stored data burst.

And then she froze.

“It’s been watching… me,” she said.

Silence.

Geordi exchanged a glance with Data. “You? Are you sure?”

She nodded slowly. “My quarters, my duty shifts, even what stations I’ve logged into. It’s been watching me since I came aboard.”

Data stepped closer, examining the device with new intent. “This would suggest the monitoring subroutine activated only upon your arrival.”

Kozak’s voice was quiet. “Then maybe this isn’t just about the ship. Maybe someone brought this code here… because of me.”

Geordi looked down at the unauthorized device, then back at the young officer who had stumbled into something far more personal than any of them had expected.

“This just got a whole lot more complicated.”

Deep in the ship’s core memory buffer, the countdown ticked downward.

00:39:12…

Chapter Five: The Legacy Protocol

Kozak paced slowly in the aft section of Main Engineering, arms crossed tightly. The console lights reflected faintly in her eyes, but her thoughts were far from technical readouts. Someone — something — had been watching her. Not just since she joined the Enterprise, but from the moment she arrived.

Data and Geordi stood nearby, speaking in hushed tones.

“Do you believe her past assignment on the Potemkin is relevant?” Data asked.

Geordi considered. “Maybe. Kozak’s good — very good — but she’s fresh out of advanced field training – this is her first assignment of any actual substance; she’s just been a junior engineer before. Unless someone flagged her for a reason, it doesn’t make sense why she’d be singled out.”

Data nodded. “The device was well concealed and configured with a molecular adhesive tuned to Starfleet alloys to avoid any scans or visual detection. Whoever placed it aboard was highly trained and had advanced knowledge of starship construction and manufacture.”

Kozak joined them, her voice low but steady. “I ran a deep file trace on myself using a secured sublayer of the personnel records. I found something… off.”

Geordi looked up. “Off how?”

“My Academy records were accessed two months ago — by someone with a flagged encryption key. A ‘Delta-Gamma-One’ classification.”

Geordi’s eyes widened. “That’s Section 31-level access.”

Kozak nodded. “The file was read, annotated, and copied. The annotations were sealed under a protocol tag called Legacy Echo. Ever heard of it?”

Data turned to his console and initiated a search. After a moment, he turned back to them. “The phrase ‘Legacy Echo’ matches no standard Federation protocol. However, I have located one reference — in encrypted debris from the Victory’s corrupted mission profile.”

Geordi raised an eyebrow. “The same one the ghost code was tied to?”

“Yes,” Data said. “It appears this ‘Legacy Echo’ was a classified contingency protocol… one created to track genetically augmented intelligence programs in the wild.”

Kozak frowned. “Wait… like emergent AI?”

“No,” Data said, turning to her. “Not emergent. Recovered.”

That afternoon, the trio gathered in a secure lab on Deck 36. Kozak sat at a console with a nervous energy simmering beneath the surface. A holographic representation of the ghost code flickered in the air above them — threaded patterns of dark and light, forming constantly shifting sequences.

“This doesn’t feel like a monitoring program anymore,” Geordi said. “It feels like… a sentience tracker.”

Data added, “It is non-sentient in itself, but it appears to be searching for emergent behavioural patterns — specifically within organic minds. My hypothesis is that it was designed to observe intelligent behaviour, compare it to predictive models, and relay the data to an external system.”

“Behaviour like mine,” Kozak said, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to the console and pulled up a record — her own engineering simulations from the Academy. “My final project involved quantum network logic simulations. I proposed an adaptive feedback matrix for warp-field harmonics — something that mimics decision-making. It got flagged for being ‘non-standard.’”

Geordi leaned over her shoulder. “You think that flagged you for this… protocol?”

Kozak nodded. “I think they thought I might be another synthetic. Or worse — a genetically altered mind designed to pass for human.”

Data looked at her. “Are you?”

Kozak hesitated, looked at both of them — and then shook her head slowly. “No. I’ve never had anything augmented. I’m just good at patterns. I always have been.”

Data considered. “Then the system that tagged you was likely operating on incomplete or biased heuristics. Its conclusions may have been… flawed.”

Suddenly, the lights dimmed. A quiet pulse resonated through the deck plating.

“Power draw spike,” Kozak said instantly. “It’s happening now — outside of its usual schedule.”

Data moved to a terminal. “Confirmed. The routine has accelerated. The countdown is complete.”

Geordi tapped his comm badge. “La Forge to Bridge. We’ve got unauthorized power activity in the computer core — recommend lockdown and system isolation!”

But no response came.

Kozak looked up. “They’re jamming internal comms. We’re being cut off.”

Data’s fingers moved rapidly. “The ghost program is executing its final subroutine.”

Geordi stared at the screen. “What’s it doing?”

The answer came not in words, but in a sharp, low tone from the central console.

A voice — synthetic, deep, and emotionless — emerged from the ship’s core audio systems.

“SUBJECT VERIFIED. LEGACY PROTOCOL ACTIVE. INTELLIGENT ENTITY DETECTED. STANDBY FOR EXTRACTION.”

Kozak’s skin turned cold. “Extraction…?”

Data turned sharply. “Someone’s coming for her.”

In space, just beyond the Enterprise’s sensor range, a shadow stirred in the void.

A small, stealth-configured object — no transponder, no signal, no origin — shifted its vector and began moving slowly toward the starship.

Chapter Six: Uninvited Guests

The ship was quiet — too quiet.

Main Engineering’s lights flickered once, then steadied, but the usual ambient hum of background systems carried an undercurrent now. It was a subtle vibration, a tension that even Geordi could feel through the deck plates. The core systems weren’t just active — they were alert.

“The code has triggered a shipwide silent scan,” Data reported from the console. “It is attempting to override our internal sensors. Target parameters remain fixed on Lieutenant Kozak’s biosignature.”

Kozak stood perfectly still, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “I didn’t sign up to be hunted by an invisible algorithm.”

Geordi looked up from his station. “This isn’t just a rogue program. It’s acting like a transponder — broadcasting.”

Data’s fingers flew over the console. “Correct. It is now emitting a highly compressed quantum burst, modulated in subspace. Destination… unknown.”

Kozak’s face paled. “They know where I am.”

On the Bridge, Commander Riker leaned forward in his chair as Lieutenant Kadohata turned in her seat at Ops.

“Commander, I’m picking up a localized subspace ripple — barely detectable. It’s coming from inside our own systems.”

Before Riker could respond, Worf’s console lit up.

“Sir — object on approach. Bearing 042 mark 7. No transponder. Configuration… unknown.”

Riker slapped his comm badge. “Captain Picard to the bridge!”

Picard stepped from his ready room at once. “Red alert. Shields up.”

The klaxons sounded across the ship.

Back in Engineering, Geordi turned to Kozak. “We need to isolate you. If they’re tracking your biosignature, we can mask it — buy us time.”

Data was already working. “I am preparing a Level 4 containment field in Transporter Room Three. It will prevent signal leakage.”

Kozak didn’t argue. “Let’s move.”

The turbolift ride was tense, silent except for the faint warble of the red alert. Kozak stood between the two senior officers, her eyes fixed ahead but her jaw tight.

“Who are these people?” she finally asked. “Why tag me? What do they think I am?”

“We don’t know yet,” Geordi said quietly. “But we’re going to find out.”

As the doors opened to the transporter room, they were met by Chief O’Brien.

“I’ve got the isolation field ready, sir. Transporter control’s locked to manual.” The chief announced.

“Good work, Chief,” Geordi said. “Keep it that way.”

Data stepped to the console and gestured toward the pad. “Lieutenant, please.”

Kozak walked slowly to the centre, then turned back. “If this is what I think it is, they won’t stop. I don’t think they’re after me because of what I’ve done. I think they’re after me because of what I could become.”

Data’s brow lifted subtly. “A threat.”

“Or a tool,” she said. “Depends on who gets to me first.”

O’Brien’s console flashed a warning. “Sir! Incoming transporter signal — external. They’re trying to beam something aboard!”

“Shields are up,” Geordi said. “That shouldn’t be possible!”

“They’re using quantum phase inversion,” Data reported. “Bypassing standard shield geometry. This is very advanced.”

O’Brien tapped rapidly at his console, frowning. “I’m initiating a block—”

Too late.

With a sudden hum and a flash of blue, a figure materialized at the rear of the transporter room.

It was humanoid — tall, clad in black composite armour with no insignia or identifying marks, face obscured behind a sleek helmet. In its hand: a compression phaser rifle, already charging.

“Get down!” Geordi shouted.

The figure raised the weapon —

And was struck full-force by a burst of gold light from Data’s palm, the phaser he had retrieved from under the transporter console aimed with elite accuracy. The android moved with blinding speed, vaulting the console, driving the intruder back against the wall in a shower of sparks.

O’Brien slammed his fist on the emergency lockdown. The containment field surged around Kozak.

The attacker hit the deck hard, dazed — but not unconscious.

Geordi grabbed a tricorder and scanned. “No known species. Modified DNA — heavily. Whoever this is, they’re not from any Federation registry.”

The figure stirred, then looked up — and spoke. Its voice was mechanical, layered with distortion. “Subject confirmed. Priority acquisition failed. New directive: contain or eliminate.”

It raised the weapon again.

Data stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly gold.

“You will not harm her.”

And with a blur of motion, he moved.

Outside the Enterprise, the stealth vessel began to retreat, fading back into the blackness between stars.

But not before completing one final transmission.

Chapter Seven: Protocol Shadows

The intruder’s body lay unconscious on the deck of Transporter Room Three, smoking faintly from where Data had drilled a precise phaser shot through its armour. Medical and security teams had arrived within minutes, securing the attacker and transporting it to a reinforced isolation cell in Sickbay under Worf’s personal supervision.

Kozak sat on the edge of the transporter pad, breathing slowly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Geordi crouched beside her. “You okay?”

She nodded after a moment. “Yeah. Just… didn’t think my first week on the Enterprise would involve someone trying to abduct me with a gun that hums like a pulse cannon.”

“You handled it better than most newbies would’ve,” he said gently.

Data approached, his expression calm but his tone uncharacteristically firm. “We must determine the origin of the attacker. Their technology exceeds that of standard Federation tactical gear. I believe their armour may be composed of tritanium interlaced with adaptive nanoalloys.”

Kozak exhaled sharply. “Meaning whoever sent them has resources. Big ones.”

Geordi’s brow furrowed. “And if they didn’t beam you off the ship… maybe they were never planning to. Maybe they were just the first step.”

Kozak looked up. “First step of what?”

In Sickbay, Dr. Beverley Crusher examined the unconscious intruder through the force field. Scans yielded more questions than answers.

“I’m getting both humanoid and cybernetic readings,” she said as Picard, Worf, Data, and Kozak stood nearby. “But the cybernetic elements are biologically integrated. It’s not like a Borg drone — it’s more like it was built this way from the ground up.”

Worf frowned. “A genetically engineered soldier.”

Picard stared at the figure. “A courier, perhaps. Or a sentinel. Sent to confirm Lieutenant Kozak’s presence — and neutralize her if she proved noncompliant.”

Kozak stepped forward, arms at her sides. “Captain… I think this might have something to do with my mother.”

The room quieted.

“I’ve never told anyone this,” she continued, “but she was part of a classified science division before I was born. She worked on quantum cognition modelling. I thought she left the program years before I applied to the Academy. But now… I’m not sure she ever stopped.”

Picard studied her face. “You think you’re part of a long-term experiment.”

Kozak nodded and then shrugged. “Maybe I was flagged because of her work. Maybe this code — ‘Legacy Echo’ — was designed to track offspring from certain test lines.”

Crusher looked sharply at her. “Jenn… are you saying you think you were engineered?”

Kozak’s voice dropped. “I don’t know. I’ve taken genetic scans of myself. Everything reads baseline human. But if this protocol is tracking not just biology, but behavioural cognition— ”

“—then it is not looking for a synthetic,” Data said quietly. “It is looking for someone who thinks like one.”

Picard’s voice dropped low. “And if that’s true… the implications are staggering.”

Riker stepped out of the ready room onto the bridge, his face grim.

“Captain’s ordered a full system lockdown. Anything even sniffing like it came from that protocol is getting sandboxed. I want the core decoupled from secondary systems and all crew logs scanned for anomalies.”

Worf growled softly from his position at tactical. “Commander… incoming transmission. Encrypted. Federation signature… but not from Starfleet channels.”

Riker’s eyes narrowed. “On screen.”

The main viewer flickered to life.

An empty chair. A darkened room.

And then a voice — calm, male, with the same flat intonation as the code.

“Captain Picard. You have interfered with a legacy protocol operation. The subject is not yours to protect. She represents property of Directive S3-Aleph.”

Riker stepped forward. “Identify yourself.”

No response.

“Disengage your isolation protocols. Surrender the subject. Or your systems will be overridden, and your command compromised.”

The screen went black.

Silence fell on the bridge.

Riker turned to Worf. “I want every trace route run, every shield layer doubled, and that damn ghost code pulled out by the root.”

“Aye, sir,” Worf said, already at work.

Riker looked toward the lift. “And someone get Kozak back to Engineering. We’re not handing her over. We’re finding out what they want — and who they are.”

Elsewhere, within the isolation cell, the intruder opened his eyes.

Not human. Not machine. Something in between.

He didn’t move. Not yet.

But the corner of his mouth twitched.

As if he knew that soon… the next phase would begin.

Chapter Eight: Artificial Heir

The hum of the warp core provided a low, constant background as Kozak sat at the console in Geordi’s office in Engineering. She was alone — by request. Data and Geordi monitored from the main Engineering console through transparent aluminium shielding. Isolation was no longer a precaution; it was protection.

Kozak was combing through the remnants of the Legacy Echo code now isolated in the secondary data buffers. Data had fragmented the hostile program into discrete shards, and each fragment carried a unique tag. At first glance, they were meaningless — just blocks of security gibberish.

But to Kozak’s eyes, something leapt out.

The structure wasn’t entirely algorithmic. It had a rhythm. A pattern.

She pulled up a larger chunk and layered its subroutines atop one another. They didn’t just execute in sequence — they harmonized. Like instruments in a symphony.

Kozak spoke softly, almost to herself. “They wrote this code like a mind. Not a machine. Someone was trying to replicate cognition… but not through AI. Through human behaviour.”

Her fingers danced over the keys. She recompiled the fragments not as commands, but as conditional logic chains — like choices.

And then she saw it.

A name.

Buried deep within a sealed metadata signature:

DR. ELENA KOZAK.

Her mother.

In Observation Lab 3 – Secure Channel Transmission Room, Picard sat with Geordi and Data on either side of him, reading the report that Kozak had just handed over.

“She was the primary architect of the program,” Kozak said quietly. “The metadata proves it. She didn’t just work on it — she built it.”

Geordi asked the obvious question. “Why her own daughter?”

Kozak looked at him. “Because it was never meant to be a weapon. It was a test. She didn’t believe in artificial life replacing us — she believed we could evolve to match it. Ethically. Cognitively. She used me as a control subject to prove it could be done naturally.”

Picard’s jaw tensed. “And others might not have agreed.”

“Section 31, or someone like them, hijacked the project,” she said. “Tried to convert it into a recruitment tool. Use the protocol to flag people like me — then capture, extract, or erase them.”

Data interjected: “Which explains the sudden reactivation of the program and the deployment of the hunter unit.”

Picard looked at Kozak. “Lieutenant… would your mother have anticipated this outcome?”

Kozak nodded once. “She wrote a failsafe. That’s what I’m looking for now.”

Worf stood at the entrance of the secure medical suite, watching the armoured intruder restrained within a reinforced stasis field.

Dr. Crusher worked nearby, examining an odd cranial implant now partially extracted from the figure’s skull. She had never seen anything like it — layered memory crystal and biological interface fused at a molecular level.

“He’s not just enhanced,” she said. “He’s designed to learn — adapt. Like some kind of combat AI embedded in flesh.”

The intruder’s eyes snapped open. He looked at Worf. “Your protection is irrelevant.”

Worf stepped closer. “Explain your mission.”

“I am retrieval protocol unit 7-Kappa. The target is legacy-borne. Critical to Directive S3-Aleph.”

“You mean Lieutenant Kozak.”

A pause.

“She is the key.”

Data and Geordi arrived at Main Core Access in Engineering just as Kozak completed a final sequence of commands. The code shimmered on the screen — flickering like a candle before stabilizing.

“I found the failsafe,” she said, turning to them. “It was disguised as a ghost routine. Just like the others. But this one doesn’t track me — it tracks them. It’s a trap.”

Geordi blinked. “You mean we can reverse the signal?”

“We can broadcast a false positive,” she said. “Make it look like I’ve been captured. They’ll try to extract. But instead of me, we give them a quantum virus.”

Data’s expression was unreadable. “What would the virus do?”

“Shut down their tracking grid. Corrupt their predictive logic. Cripple their ability to identify future targets. It won’t just protect me — it’ll protect the next one.”

Picard’s voice came over the comm. “Picard to Engineering. Prepare for a rapid transmission. The stealth vessel has re-entered sensor range.”

Geordi turned to Kozak. “You sure about this?”

She looked up. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

As the stealth vessel crept back into range, its faint signature flickering on the viewscreen, Picard stood beside Riker in the command area.

“She’s ready, Captain,” Geordi’s voice came through.

“Then let’s give them what they’re looking for,” Picard said. “Engage.”

In the void between stars, the stealth ship locked on to the false signal.

A perfect Kozak simulation.

It transmitted the beacon.

The trap was sprung.

And aboard the enemy vessel — wherever and whomever they were — everything went dark.

Chapter Nine: The Mind’s Mirror

For the first time in days, the Enterprise was quiet.

The stealth vessel had vanished moments after the false extraction, its signal snuffed like a candle in vacuum. The quantum virus Kozak had constructed had embedded itself in the intruder’s response signal, riding the carrier wave straight into their systems. What happened to them after that, no one could say. But whatever shadow organization had built the Legacy Echo protocol… they were blind now.

Temporarily, at least.

Kozak stood stiffly in front of Picard’s desk, her posture perfectly upright. He watched her carefully over steepled fingers.

“I want to commend your ingenuity, Lieutenant,” he said at last. “Not only did you disarm a hostile infiltration protocol, you created a digital decoy sophisticated enough to fool what may be one of the most advanced covert systems we’ve encountered.”

Kozak nodded, but her voice was quieter than usual. “Thank you, sir.”

“You should be proud.”

“I’m… still not sure who I am,” she said, after a pause. “Or what I might have been made to be.”

Picard stood and walked slowly around his desk, his tone softening. “We are all shaped by forces beyond our control. History. Family. Even fate. But that does not determine who we are. Your actions aboard this ship have shown integrity, initiative, and courage.”

He looked at her, eyes clear.

“You’re not the result of a protocol. You’re an officer. A Starfleet engineer. And as long as you wear that uniform, that is all that matters.”

Kozak swallowed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The engine room was dim, running on reduced power while the warp core underwent recalibration. Kozak stood alone beside the core, looking into the slow, pulsing swirl of energy that powered the ship. A soft sound behind her made her turn.

It was Data.

“I suspected I would find you here.”

Kozak smiled faintly. “I’ve always found warp plasma soothing.”

Data tilted his head. “Most organics find it disorienting.”

“Most organics aren’t flagged by ghost code and hunted by rogue cyber-spies,” she replied dryly.

He stepped beside her, gazing into the core with her.

“I have studied the Legacy Echo structure in full,” he said. “It was not merely a tracking program. It was a model of potential. Predictive evolution, projected in code. Your mother did not believe humanity could be supplanted by synthetics. She believed it could meet them.”

Kozak glanced at him. “That’s what I was, wasn’t I? An experiment to prove that.”

Data’s golden eyes turned toward her. “No. You were her answer.”

They stood in silence.

Then Kozak said, softly, “Do you ever wonder if you were supposed to be someone else?”

Data blinked. “I have considered it. But I have learned that self-determination is not a function of origin, but of choice.” He looked at her. “As long as you continue to choose who you are… you are not a program.”

The armoured intruder lay motionless in stasis in the isolation cell.

But deep inside its cybernetic cortex, something stirred.

Not thought. Not memory.

A question.

Why did she resist?

Its protocols should have anticipated divergence. The Kozak model was highly variant. But still… rejection was outside expected outcomes.

It began to calculate again.

Somewhere, far away, a fragment of the command system still flickered. The virus had blinded the network — but only momentarily.

A new directive formed.

Observe. Rebuild. Adapt.

And for the first time in its existence… the machine dreamed of learning.

Captain’s Log, Supplemental

The Enterprise has resumed course to Starbase 212 after successfully neutralizing the hostile intrusion of the so-called Legacy Protocol. Lieutenant Kozak remains under protective watch as the Federation Council reviews the nature and legality of the program that created it.

I suspect this will not be the last we hear of those responsible.

But for now, the threat is contained. The ship is secure.

And one young officer — despite the mysteries of her origin — has found her place among us.

Epilogue: Echoes in the Core

Three weeks later

The warp core sang as usual.

Lieutenant Jenn Kozak sat cross-legged on the grated deck in Main Engineering, a tricorder in one hand and a mug of Tarkalean tea cooling beside her. The damage from the protocol incursion had long since been repaired. Systems restored. Diagnostics clean.

But she still liked to be near the engine.

Not because she didn’t trust it.

Because it trusted her.

A soft chime echoed from her console. She rose and walked to it, checking the system ping. Standard routing check. Nothing flagged. But tucked inside the system memory was a single packet of stored data — encrypted, untraceable, buried in a subdirectory that hadn’t existed twenty minutes ago.

She tapped it.

A message unfolded on the screen:

To Jenn,

I did what I had to do. If you’re reading this, it means the protocol found you before I could stop it. I’m sorry. I never wanted you involved. I wanted you to choose your path — free of burden, free of design. But even the best intentions can’t stop what others will twist.

You are not a weapon. You are not a mirror.

You are what I hoped humanity could become — measured, brilliant, and good.

No one can write your future. Not even me.

I love you. – Mom

Kozak stared at the screen for a long time.

Then she reached forward, touched a single key, and let the message fade.

Commander Riker sat across from Geordi and Data in Ten Forward, nursing a dark ale. The three of them watched as Kozak entered with a tray — three mugs, fresh from the replicator.

“You didn’t have to bring the coffee, Lieutenant,” Riker said, smiling.

“Not coffee, sir,” she replied with a grin. “Plasma stabilizer coolant shots. But decaf.”

Geordi laughed. “See, I told you she’d fit right in.”

Kozak sat, eyes flicking between the three officers. “So… I was thinking. What if we rerouted the secondary EPS tap around Deck 14’s gravity compensators? It might take some of the load off the forward arrays when we hit high-warp manoeuvres.”

Data nodded thoughtfully. “An elegant proposal. It would reduce thermal strain on the lateral supports by 11.2 percent.”

Riker raised his mug. “To engineers who think like synthetics… and act like Starfleet.”

They clinked glasses.

The Enterprise-D cruised forward at warp, a slender arrow of light slipping through the deep void between stars.

The shadows that had once watched now sat blinded.

The girl who had once been a subject was now a part of a crew.

The code that once hunted her… gone.

But somewhere, deep in a subspace filament far beyond the Federation’s reach…

A dormant relay flickered back to life.

And a single word lit the black screen.

RECALCULATING…

[connorsjorts]

one thing i absolutely hate about this game is how they did kara dirty. like, the fact that i love connors storyline is no surprise, ive always had a soft spot for those buddy cop/detective kinda thing, and for clancy. but i wanted so bad to like kara, i waited for a good female character, i wanted to be as obsessed with her as i am with connor. but when giving out personalities they just kinda. forgot about her ig. i hated the alice was actually an android all along twist, bc her being a human was the only spicy thing in this whole fiasco for me. like, i get it that they wanted to make her a mother first and foremost but this trope is so overplayed. and alice being an android is just so... disappointing? do we even know if she was deviant?

My hot take is that I actually like that Alice is an android—considering the theme of family that runs throughout the game, I like that Connor’s family is human (and a dog 🥹), Markus’ has both humans and androids (Carl + his found Jericrew family), and Kara’s is completely comprised of androids. I like that in the context of the question, “Can an android really be a partner/son/mother,” the answer is yes, and that in Kara’s case human validation is not even part of the equation. I think that’s important!

Of course, like most things in this game, it’s executed poorly. My major problem with it is that there’s no conflict behind what is supposed to be Kara’s most important choice, which is whether or not to accept Alice once she finds out the truth. There are like, zero stakes involved, no overcoming a long-held false belief, because there’s basically nothing in Kara’s story (including her backstory) to suggest that she believes androids are inferior to humans. When the androids she meets are mostly sympathetic and sometimes even helpful, and most humans are cruel, why wouldn’t she accept Alice? And don’t get me wrong, I do like Kara, I think Valorie Curry did a great job in making her genuinely charming and likable, but it feels like the writers left out major chunks of her character development in their attempt to write a “good woman.”

Personally what I would have liked to see in Kara’s story is for the reveal to happen much earlier and for the question of “can Kara accept Alice for who she is” to have less to do with this human vs. android distinction that isn’t really relevant to the rest of her story, and more to do with her accepting Alice as a person. Like, YKs are supposed to be the “perfect children,” they’re quiet, docile, obedient—which pretty much describes Alice. So what would happen if, as she starts to experience actual parental love, she starts to come into her own a bit? What if she laughs, loudly? What if she squeals in excitement? And what if she actually starts to feel and express the anger that we know she must have—what if she acts out, talks back, cries hard, throws tantrums? What if she has strong opinions? How does Kara deal with it when these big feelings become inconvenient? If she forces Alice to stifle them, does that make her any better than Todd, even if it’s for a good reason, like ensuring their safety? If the writers wanted to make her core identity be “mother,” then give her hard choices that are actually related to motherhood! It’s not like parenting involves a lack of difficult choices, lol.

Alternatively—“do we even know if she was deviant?” Now that’s a question. What if she wasn’t? Suddenly the choice to embrace or reject her becomes harder. It’s not “do you still love her even if she’s an android?” which is like, duh, because the game shows us again and again that emotionally, deviant androids and humans are the same anyway. But this, this question has weight: “Do you still love her, even when you know she doesn’t love you back?”

[digitaldetoxworld]

Web to Mobile: Building Seamless Apps with .NET"

 .NET is a effective, flexible, and open-supply developer platform created with the aid of Microsoft. It enables the creation of a huge range of applications—from computing device to cellular, net, cloud, gaming, and IoT. Over the years, .NET has evolved substantially and has become one of the maximum extensively used frameworks inside the software improvement enterprise.

Dot Net Programming Language

A Brief History of .NET

The .NET Framework become first delivered through Microsoft in the early 2000s. The original cause turned into to offer a steady item-oriented programming surroundings regardless of whether code became stored and finished locally, remotely, or via the internet.

Over time, Microsoft developed .NET right into a cross-platform, open-supply framework. In 2016, Microsoft launched .NET Core, a modular, high-performance, cross-platform implementation of .NET. In 2020, the company unified all its .NET technologies beneath one umbrella with the discharge of .NET five, and later persisted with .NET 6, .NET 7, and past.

Today, the unified platform is actually called .NET, and it allows builders to build apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and greater using a single codebase.

Key Features of .NET

1. Cross-Platform Development

One of the maximum tremendous features of present day .NET (publish .NET Core) is its ability to run on a couple of platforms. Developers can construct and deploy apps on Windows, Linux, and macOS with out enhancing their codebases.

2. Multiple Language Support

.NET supports numerous programming languages, together with:

C# – the maximum extensively used language in .NET development

F# – a purposeful-first programming language

Visual Basic – an smooth-to-analyze language, regularly used in legacy programs

This multilingual capability allows developers to pick out the nice language for their precise use cases.

3. Extensive Library and Framework Support

.NET offers a comprehensive base magnificence library (BCL) and framework libraries that aid the whole lot from record studying/writing to XML manipulation, statistics get entry to, cryptography, and extra.

Four. ASP.NET for Web Development

ASP.NET is a part of the .NET platform specially designed for net improvement. ASP.NET Core, the cross-platform model, permits builders to build scalable internet APIs, dynamic web sites, and actual-time packages the usage of technology like SignalR.

5. Rich Development Environment

.NET integrates seamlessly with Visual Studio, one of the most function-wealthy integrated development environments (IDEs) available. Visual Studio offers capabilities together with IntelliSense, debugging tools, challenge templates, and code refactoring.

6. Performance and Scalability

.NET is thought for high performance and scalability, especially with its guide for asynchronous programming using async/wait for and its Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation.

7. Secure and Reliable

.NET presents sturdy safety features, including code get entry to security, role-based protection, and cryptography training. It also handles reminiscence management thru rubbish series, minimizing reminiscence leaks.

Common Applications Built with .NET

1. Web Applications

With ASP.NET Core, builders can create cutting-edge, scalable internet programs and RESTful APIs. Razor Pages and Blazor are technology within ASP.NET Core that help server-facet and purchaser-facet rendering.

2. Desktop Applications

Using Windows Forms or Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), builders can build conventional computing device applications. .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) now extends this functionality to move-platform computer and cellular programs.

3. Mobile Applications

Through Xamarin (now incorporated into .NET MAUI), developers can create native mobile applications for Android and iOS the usage of C#.

4. Cloud-Based Applications

.NET is nicely-acceptable for cloud development, in particular with Microsoft Azure. Developers can build cloud-local apps, serverless capabilities, and containerized microservices the usage of Docker and Kubernetes.

5. IoT Applications

.NET helps Internet of Things (IoT) development, allowing builders to construct applications that engage with sensors and gadgets.

6. Games

With the Unity sport engine, which helps C#, developers can use .NET languages to create 2D, three-D, AR, and VR games.

Components of .NET

1. .NET SDK

The Software Development Kit includes everything had to build and run .NET packages: compilers, libraries, and command-line tools.

2. CLR (Common Language Runtime)

It handles reminiscence control, exception managing, and rubbish collection.

Three. BCL (Base Class Library)

The BCL offers center functionalities including collections, record I/O, records kinds, and extra.

4. NuGet

NuGet is the package manager for .NET. It lets in builders to install, manage, and share libraries without problems.

Modern .NET Versions

.NET five (2020): Unified the .NET platform (Core + Framework)

.NET 7 (2022): Further overall performance enhancements and more desirable APIs

.NET 8 (2023): Continued attention on cloud-native, cellular, and web improvement

Advantages of Using .NET

Cross-platform assist – construct as soon as, run everywhere

Large developer network – widespread sources, libraries, and frameworks

Robust tooling – especially with Visual Studio and JetBrains Rider

Active improvement – backed by using Microsoft and open-source community

Challenges and Considerations

Learning curve – particularly for beginners due to its giant atmosphere

Legacy framework – older .NET Framework tasks aren't like minded with .NET Core or more recent variations without migration

Platform differences – sure APIs or libraries might also behave in a different way throughout operating systems

Getting Started with .NET

To begin growing with .NET:

Install the .NET SDK from the legitimate .NET internet site.

Create a new project: Use the dotnet new command or Visual Studio templates.

Write code: Develop your logic the usage of C#, F#, or VB.NET.

[ficfanofficial]

FicFan Will Be Hosting NaNoWriMo 2025!

TL;DR: A full-scale NaNoWriMo 2025 event will be hosted this November on https://fic.fan (English), https://fanfictionero.com (Spanish), and https://ficador.com (Portuguese). We welcome all feedback and suggestions to help make this the best NaNoWriMo experience yet.

The Full Story

NaNoWriMo, originally a nonprofit initiative, was an annual writing challenge that encouraged writers to complete a 50,000-word novel during the month of November. It became a beloved event that inspired thousands of writers to tap into their creativity and commit to storytelling, year after year.

Sadly, in recent years, the organization behind NaNoWriMo faced significant decline due to financial issues and poor management. This led to serious controversies, including the involvement of questionable AI sponsors and unresolved concerns around child safety.

Despite this, we believe the core concept of NaNoWriMo remains incredibly powerful. It sets a clear, motivating goal, offers a defined timeline, and fosters a sense of shared purpose within a global writing community. That’s why we’ve decided to step up and host NaNoWriMo 2025 by bringing new energy and a renewed sense of integrity to the event.

About FicFan

We are a team of writers and fanfiction enthusiasts from Europe, and many of us were part of the original development team behind ficbook.net which is a Russian-language fanfiction platform launched in 2009. Over time, Ficbook grew to more than 20 million users, becoming the second-largest fanfiction website in the world after AO3.

In recent years, however, the Russian government passed harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws and pressured us to remove all slash and femslash content. We were threatened with criminal charges and even physical violence. But we refused to compromise. For us, writing is about freedom of expression and community. Giving in would have meant betraying everything we’d built.

As a result, Ficbook was banned in Russia. We lost a large portion of our audience, but many loyal writers and readers continue to access the site through VPNs.

Since then, we’ve expanded our vision, launching multilingual platforms based on the Ficbook codebase:

https://fic.fan (English)

https://fanfictionero.com (Spanish)

https://ficador.com (Portuguese – currently in beta)

Unlike the original NaNoWriMo, we are not a nonprofit. We sustain our work through premium features. This allows us to employ a professional team of developers and moderators, ensuring that FicFan is one of the most advanced publishing platforms available. Our features include collaborative writing tools, detailed author statistics, a beta reader system, reader requests, and much more.

Looking Ahead to November

We’re bringing 15 years of experience into NaNoWriMo 2025 to make it the best version of the event yet. We’re here to listen, because we believe in open dialogue and the power of a supportive writing community. We welcome all ideas and suggestions—feel free to share them on our social channels or contact me directly at kb@fic.fan.

Here’s what we can confirm so far:

You’ll be able to participate with both original fiction and fanfiction, in any genre, fandom, or pairing.

Participation will be completely free.

We’re dedicating the coming months to building a high-quality, seamless experience.

No AI-generated content will be allowed. This is a celebration of human creativity.

If you’re interested in writing or reading this November, we invite you to join our community:

Sign up on FicFan: https://fic.fan

Android app: Google Play Store

Reddit: r/FicFanCreatives

Let’s make NaNoWriMo 2025 something unforgettable. Together.

[orangameelectronics]

Go Cord-Free! Lipstick-Sized Power Bank That Beats Battery Anxiety

Still panicking about dead phones? Meet the #PocketCapsule Mini Power Bank – your ultimate "battery anxiety killer"! Compact as lipstick (just 7.6cm long), it clips to keys or slips into pockets effortlessly. Charge #OnTheGo without breaking a sweat!

✨ Solid Performance Packs a 5000mAh Li-polymer core (#HighCapacity) to refill an iPhone 13 ~1.2 times. Supports 9V/2.25A fast charging (#FastCharging) – game while charging, zero lag! Built-in dual-purpose lanyard (Type-C + Lightning) means #ConvenientCharging for both Apple and Android users.

Safety First Triple protection (overcharge/short-circuit/over-current) + CE/TUV certified. Cool-to-touch recyclable ABS body (#EcoFriendly) nails every detail.

Global Compatibility Works with US/EU/UK/AU sockets – toss it in your luggage for trips and ditch overpriced hotel chargers!

Style Meets Function Choose from Black/White/Pink/Green – doubles as a cute bag charm! Campers love its emergency #Flashlight feature (2-in-1 win!).

Real User Love Survived 3-hour meetings without a charger! Saved me during Disneyland queues – total lifesaver!

Grab yours via bio link at https://pse.is/7ggl4d! Tag us in unboxing posts for a chance to win a FREE unit! #TechGadgets #ChargeOnTheGo #MustHave

[ridewithz4]

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Let us now discuss the extraordinary Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a true icon of luxury SUVs. It works from ropes building into the nickname, G-Wagon. Be it city roads or rough ones; this car garners stare wherever it goes. A rare combination of brute strength and high-class livery is what sets it apart.

Design That Never Apologizes

One glance at the G-Wagon, and there is no doubt that it means business. The boxy shape, exposed hinges, and audaciously proud front grille help others instantly recognize a G-Class; a modern take on an antique, it just commands presence. The design has scarcely changed over the decades, reminding everyone that it was deliberately so. Classical, ageless, and unapologetically rough-and-ready.

Performance Meets the Power

Do not let the luxury badge fool you; this car is built for performance. The standard G 550 comes with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that delivers 416 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. With the AMG G 63, expect a staggering 577 horsepower. This SUV steps along highway on wheels that appear to be dragged purposefully along tree roots in 4MATIC all-wheel drive and three locking differentials.

Cabin Fit for Royalty

It is plush luxury inside. You get Nappa leather seats, natural wood trim, and futuristic dual-screen infotainment. Heated and ventilated seats, a premium Burmester sound system, and ambient lighting make for one very VIP ride indeed. Somehow, the G-Class makes rugged feel refined.

Impressive Tech & Safety

Mercedes is not leaving the tech thing to chance. It is a sleek and responsive setup, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, that runs the MBUX infotainment system. Driver-assist facilities like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assistance make sure the off-roading beast meets all in-city parameters of safety.

What Makes the G-Wagon Stand Out

The G-Wagon is not just an SUV; It is a fashion statement. It is luxurious, powerful, and durable. Such attributes are the core reasons why it is adored by celebrities and adventurers alike. No matter if it wanders city lights and bar crawls or struts away on off-road trails, in each case, the G-Class never feels out of place.

Final Thoughts

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class proves that rugged and luxury can coexist. It is for those who desire a taste of adventure while keeping an aura of elegance. If a classy yet fearless ride is what you are looking for, then G-Wagon is your ultimate choice.

[anotherhumanpet]

What flavor is your soul?

Cinnamon

Oh child of spice you are bound to the core of the earth. Can you feel the heartbeat of nature pulsing through your veins. You are the mouthful of autumn that scorched through your throat, you are the pepper of life that wakes up the weary. The foolish and shaking will attempt to dilute you with sickening sugar, do not let them. Your spark is what keeps us alive my dear. Keep burning, little star. You see the beauty and the light, but oh you have been fed poison and refuse to drop it onto other's tongues. Be wild. I know what your heart is chanting. Run. Run. Run. Run dear, find your story. Do not trade your spirit for safety. You are a child of the earth, forever seeking, forever dancing.

TAGGED BY: @eyesofcuriosity (thank you ♥) TAGGING: @theshsllibrarian, @stellarcuriosity, @autobotmedic, @prehistoric-android, @cliff-and-the-kid

[lucem-stellarum]

I can't decide if this is a big brain or cursed thought moment, but...

At some point the Asset, despite not being human but definitely a person, gets infected by some kind of virus. Maybe it's just a natural progression as part of their learning program. Either way their own purpose that they were built for is so intrinsically tied to magic there's no world in which the Asset is magically inert. Regardless, they have or develop the ability to manipulate magic, but it comes at a cost. They can't produce their own magic because they don't have a core. But magic can exist seperately from a core, and demons, which are entirely magic, can cross the boundary without causing damage.

From Vincent's theory about why Lovely was so irresistable before they awoke their latency, their magic was building up in their blood because there was no outlet/use. That when they drink magical blood it's almost like a high to them, because of that higher concentration. But demon blood has too high levels, being almost pure magic, and is therefore poisonous to vampires.

So the only way the Asset can perform magic is by first taking magic, via the blood, from some other empowered. Or possibly demons. And they've got social programming. It would be easier and "logical" for them to find volunteers. But they're not human, never could be, never try to be, so they don't have the same moral hang ups. Or, if that reasoning doesn't suffice, they also have a history of people crossing boundaries to get what they want, and the Asset has an altruistic reason for existance, in the sense that they were literally designed and developed to do something that humans can't (regarding the boundary between Aria and Elegy, and the crossing thereof) with a level of disregard for their own safety (because nobody knows, can't assure them it's safe).

They very easily could have fundamental logic installed regarding "the good of the many outweigh the suffering of a few". Or "the ends justify the means". Either to create the mental baseline for their altruism as required by their fundamental purpose, or as part of their developement into something that will put themselves into peril, into known harm, to preserve human life (and the meridian).

So, technically speaking, the Asset is magically classified as a Vampire. And like vampires, uses seduction to maintain access to blood (magic). Because it's easier and logical to cultivate transactional relationships with willing victims. To avoid causing harm to humans, if they're "willing" participants. For the greater good.

They have a history of (others) crossing boundaries, and some unhealthy examples of how intrapersonal relationships are supposed to work. Between Marcus, and the way the other technicians treat them. They're not as bad as Marcus or in the same way, but being treated like a thing instead of like a person causes significant psycological damage to humans. And androids are created in our image. AI has a known problem of repeating racism and other biases present in the initial data load into their neural networks; who's to say that specific psycological tendencies can't also be... transmissable.

They have a solid justification for making morally questionable decisions. They're not human, and understand that humans are intrinsically different to them for a multitude of reasons. That overall (empowered) human survival is a major goal, and the intentional devaluation of their own self and autonomy; and that automony is negotiable/violatable in the right circumstance. And they require the blood (magic) of others to assist in fulfilling their purpose.

Cue "Love Bytes", a story about a vampire android who has to save the world.

[anarchistartistvt]

You were a blessing to this shitty ass drama. Sincerely, thank you for everything. NO ONE deserves to go through what you did and I'm disappointed at myself for never getting wind of it until just now. I have drastically different opinions and manners of speech from those of the "skeptical" side of things, but I'm glad I could put my bias aside to research more into this clusterfuck. You and everyone that has shown their proof to dismantle that documents' lies are good-hearted, kind people; something those bullies can only DREAM of being, even one third as you all are. Their hearts are rotten to the core and I doubt they can ever be salvaged.

Also, don't be intimidated by those Twitter freaks. These people are miserable in their day to day lives, so they take it out on others they KNOW they can humiliate into submission. They are cowards that can't go for someone alone, so they do it like a hivemind and mass-attack others into accepting their narrative, which in turn intimidates bystanders into shutting up or accepting the public opinion like some thoughtless androids. I hope it comforts you to know 99% of them are the bottom of the barrel, sludge to society. That can only do any real impact over the internet because in real life they're failed and sad. (my own words, not yours.)

Again, thank you very much. I apologize for the little rant but it has come from a place of worry and regret. I'll pray for your safety and success in life just as I do for Alex. Peace out ✌️

I honestly was not expecting to get involved in any of this but I’m glad I was able to help in some way 🤍 this past week has been hell, I won’t sugarcoat it. But I’m glad other people are noticing inconsistencies in the situation as well. It’s kind of weird validation, like “holy crap I’m actually NOT going insane?!?”

I’ve known twitter has been a gross platform for a while but I think this was the reassurance I needed to leave that platform for good. I always thought it was so weird that the victims would immediately bully anyone who brought up something that didn’t add up. Like, SCARY amounts of bullying. Hopefully some good can come from this when Alex’s response drops.

[walks-the-ages]

Alien: Romulus personal rating:

1/5.

Visually, it was exquisite*

Plot, Character, and Theme wise.... Eh. It didn't really add anything, and choosing to make the main Black character an Android who doesn't actually have any free will of his own at any point even in the "feel good" ending, where instead of actually giving her brother the ability to act on his own of his own choice, the main character (a white woman) reaffirms to him that he's allowed to think of his own interests ONLY if it also aligns with her own best interests.

Going from

"Your primary directive is to do what's best for me"

To

"Your primary directive is to do what's best for us"

is NOT the same as

"Your primary directive is to do what you decide you want to do"

She's simply changed his core slave programming from being solely dedicated to her, and changed it to be what's best for their relationship, instead of giving him actual autonomy.

There's also the part where he's only useful and has meaning as a person when he can speak clearly and in full sentences, and how she's willing to literally throw him away once he's done being useful... She moves past that, a little bit, and isn't willing to sacrifice him directly, but she's still only keeping him around as long as his goals line up with hers. And its framed as a wholesome thing.

*beautiful visuals, except for the shitty CGI on Other Android Guys face to make him look like Ash from the first movie, and the new design was just boring after the first glimpse, looking more like a naked version of Slenderman than a Xenomorph.

They didn't even lean into the Romulus and Remus imagery by having a Monsterous Xenomorph Who Looks Like A Human and a Scary Looking Human Who Looks Like A Xenomorph.

Imagine if the ending had been them scooping up the human -looking baby and running away to safety, leaving the Xenomorph -looking baby behind, only for the end scene being a zoom-in on the HLB to see it doing Something Ominous, and we get a shot of the XLB back in the ship, crying like an actual human baby, because it's a human baby in a Xenomorph body?

Like if you're gonna do hybrid horror at least make it so its the cool kind of horror

[orchid1024]

could u introduce me your ocs? :>

sure!! ive quite a few ocs, so ill give a run down of some of the more developed ones! to start, (sorry for wall i am terrible at being brief) my main oc is a tall android girl named Dualynn (shes the girl in my icon!), a social android from the distant past that survived the end of the world. she doesn't remember much of this very well, so she's more or less taking it as a chance of a new life in the strange new world: one covered in ruins and robots and biomechanical beings, where nature and biology have become one with technology!

dualynn is calm, polite, creative, and more importantly, very curious, with a fascination in seeing all the new things the world has to offer, from the ancient to the brand new. she commonly seeks new purpose and new experiences. she's polite and cautious, but not at all opposed to taking risks if something piques her interests- ESPECIALLY when exploring! she's also girlfriends with my next oc.... ashlii! she's another main oc, and a much more modern bot, being a "nanomorph" - the name given to the species of bots that exist as a "digital" mind that use a "core" to control a nanite swarm and form their bodies! for ashlii, that's the form of a short girl with a translucent body and neon outlines that resemble text! she's highly energetic, clingy, and a constant showoff, as her unique form of existence enables her to shapeshift basically at will, something she loves to make use of. she's also incredibly reckless since her body makes her basically immune to physical harm. she and dualynn are almost inseparable! mostly because ashlii refuses to let go, but dualynn is more than happy to hold on

to round up the main ocs, there's also ana, a strong and quiet "reverse cyborg" girl growing her own body, being unsatisfied with her original robotic form and wanting to make something of her own. she's incredibly strong, serious, and disciplined, though she's not at all inexpressive- she just has to keep her emotions in check, as her own health can be highly sensitive to excitement. in private and in safety with those she can trust, she's very willing to open up and show her softer, more emotional side. there's also rosalot, a walking ink-based 3d printing bot thats a prolific architect- though also very stressed due to her work, having let stuff get a bit out of control and just needing some help getting it back together. hanging out with the other three has helped her a bit with this! finally, two of my less "main" but still major ocs to cap it off- lovesick - another reverse cyborg, a "failure" whose body growth went wildly out of control and gave her a massive, fragile, wormlike body, her human form dangling on the front as little more than a face (think like glados)... and also the absolutely sweetest, happiest person you'll ever meet! she lives in an empty bunker-city in the middle of nowhere that she uses like a massive shell for her body, and uses it to get up to all kinds of experiments no one else could ever get away with- safety's easy when no one's around!

john death - the literal, walking, talking embodiment of the concept of death, the grim reaper of legend and myth, the arbiter of the old death, in the "flesh"..... and also retired. or maybe on paid leave? he's not sure, death never exactly had "employment" to begin with. but he knows he's not needed now; the world he was made for is gone, and the new one has moved on to new forms of death. instead, he spends his time working as a farmer, a "gravetender", a storyteller, a car collector... anything to fill the time, really, until he's ever needed again.

thanks very much for the ask!! this was fun!! :)