#if the bug audios are 'present day' like i suspect

[oni-official]

This is a preliminary log. File 1.2 is presented in a narrative style, reconstructed from all available sources. File 1.2 is formatted on PC for PC. Mobile may warp the text in odd ways, especially in portrait mode.

Mission Log: The Woods [File 1.1]

[The following audio has been transcribed from the retrieved helmet footage and secondary mics of two ONI operatives, codenamed Raven-1 and Raven-6, as well as various external sources.]

Mission Brief:

On xx-xx-25xx, Covenant forces moved into and, over the course of the coming months and years, settled the [x] system, consisting of a G-type main-sequence star, one gas giant, four unremarkable rocky planets and one potentially habitable planet (hereon referred to in these files as 'Eyrie'). Covenant craft took station over all of the above. They remained in place at all but Eyrie, where the ships broke orbit after 46 hours, leaving a suspected 200 troops behind.

During the early days of occupation, Raven-1 (leading Raven squad ground ops as a whole as well as Raven Team A) and the newly promoted Raven-6 (lead of Raven Team B) were assigned to recon the landing zone and gather information on the nature and purpose of the Covenant's presence on the planet. As usual, Raven-1 would be leading on the ground. Their mission would be overseen by Raven squad's handler, Raven Actual, who would remain shipside - alongside the rest of Raven squad (Raven-2 through to Raven-10, excluding 6).

The team would travel to the planet aboard the ‘Darker Days’, a Sahara class heavy prowler and use a Black Cat class sub prowler for deployment. The Darker Days would remain in-system, using the asteroid belt to remain undetected, to provide exfil upon mission completion and gather further data on Covenant forces on other planets.

Transcript Start

T[-02:34]

[Aboard Darker Days, Observation Deck]

R6: Well, would you look at that? Looks like a garden world.

R1: Mm.

R6: Reminds me of Earth, kinda.

R1: Prelims indicate that most landmasses are covered in tropical forests. We’re deploying to a more alpine area, but vegetation will still be dense.

R6: Hmph. Good thing I brought my bug spray.

R1: Mm.

[A brief period of silence]

R6: So, any idea what the Covies want down there?

R1: It’s impossible to know with them. Superweapons, religious artefacts, hell, maybe they’re just taking a day trip. You can ask them when we’re there, kid.

R6: Odd that they’re sending just the two of us, no? I mean, the briefing said there're 200 of them down there. Might be a job better suited to Spartans, or at least the entire squad.

R1: Most Spartans lack a certain… tact.

R6: Pfft. You can say that again.

R1: And we can't have the entire squad down there, they're needed on board to deal with the data we get on the other planets. We go in quiet, recon and leave. If plasma starts flying, we’re doing our jobs wrong.

R6: Copy that.

[Silence]

R1: Go on, go get ready. I'll meet you down at the dropship. Be on time, we only have a 15-minute window where we can deploy and guarantee we aren't seen.

T[-00:48]

[Hangar Bay]

R6: You down here already?

R1: Just doing some preflight checks.

R6: Sounds good.

R1: Listen, you know what I said earlier? About never knowing with the Covenant?

R6: Yeah?

R1: Well... [sigh] I don't know. This one feels off. They pulled out way too quickly. You never see Covies break like that unless something goes wrong.

R6: So-

R1: So, what I'm saying is that down there, we play it straight. No heroics, no going off on your own, no-

R6: Wait a minute, I never-

[crosstalk]

R1: -no - shut up. And no second guessing my or Actual's orders, is that understood, Six?

[Pause]

R1: Six, c'mon, the two of us have been on a dozen deployments alone and I haven't asked for much. You know I trust you. But this one time-

R6: Nah, nah, I hear you. I'll play it straight, boss.

R1: [sigh] Thank you. Beyond that, there's nothing to worry about. We'll be staying in contact with the Days throughout anyways, Actual will be keeping an eye out for us. Here, the chin gun's a bit slow to track, see if you can get it recalibrated before the pilot gets here.

T[+00:00]

[Engines start]

T[+00:02]

[Drop craft exits hangar bay, life signs: 3]

T[+00:28]

[Drop craft enters Eyrie's atmosphere]

T[+00:36]

[Drop craft touches down, Raven-1 and Raven-6 disembark]

[Drop craft lifts off]

[Comms check with Darker Days and Raven Actual: all green]

T[+01:03]

[Drop craft returns to hangar bay, life signs: 1]

T[+01:05]

[All communications between Darker Days and Raven-1 and Raven-6 cease abruptly]

[Pinging... Attempting to reestablish contact...]

T[+01:06]

[Pinging... Attempting to reestablish contact...]

[Comms Officer informs XO and Raven Actual]

T[+01:08]

[Pinging... Attempting to reestablish contact...]

[XO informs CO]

T[+01:15]

[Pinging... Attempting to reestablish contact...]

[Raven Actual states the mission can not continue without contact, attempts to exit the bridge in order to descend planetside with remainder of Raven squad, is ordered to stand down by CO. Ordered to be detained upon refusal.]

[Injuries suffered by bridge crew detailed in File 1.4]

T[+01:17]

[Pinging... Attempting to reestablish contact...]

[Raven Actual detained and taken to her quarters.]

[CO ordered event to be struck from official record and Raven Actual's personal record; refused to file complaint, reason given: "No one's dead up here and both of her team leads have gone quiet in a hot zone, can you blame her?"]

[Raven squad is informed of the situation]

T[+01:20]

[CO acknowledges contact loss, begins plans for recovery next orbital window at T+31:40]

[Contact loss confirmed]

[Log continues in File 1.2 here]

[forlornmelody]

Traitor, Martyr, Spy--Chapter 4: What They Don’t Know Will Kill Them

Rating: Explicit (some chapters have smut)

Ship: Miranda Lawson x Femshep

AO3 Link: Here

Summary:  Miranda gathers information from her contacts about Oriana's disappearance. Each step she takes brings her closer to her past, and closer to danger.

-------

With her liaison with Artemis out of the way, Miranda hopes she can focus more on the task at hand. She’s already dallied too long, and Oriana may already be out of her reach. But she must keep looking.

Her first contact meets her in a public restroom, tucked away from security cameras and C-Sec’s purview. Not everyone wants their whereabouts noticed by law enforcement. Miranda closes the bathroom stall behind her, locks it, and knocks on the wall three times. The person on the other side knocks twice in reply. Good. An imposter would imitate the number of knocks exactly.

Neither of them speaks, in case the room has been bugged. And they turn their omni-tools off in turn. Sometimes the best way to avoid an enemy interception to exchange their information on paper. An expensive act with so many of the galaxy’s forests protected by Council Law, but no one can hack paper.

Miranda has never been fond of contamination, though her immune system will fight off nearly anything without a single symptom--likely her father’s work. She just can’t stand the thought of sullying her tailored uniform, let alone her skin. The thought of sitting on a toilet makes her want to vomit, so Miranda squats instead, and reaches under the door for the slip of paper.

Synthetic gloves brush against hers, and Miranda reads a slip the size of a cookie fortune. The front has a date--the date Oriana was taken. The back has a name--her father’s. Before Miranda can ask why or where--her contact slams the door open and walks out of the restroom without washing their hands.

-----

That night Miranda dreams of her father’s estate. The postmodern mansion nestled in Bellevue Hill had spaces most humans only dreamed off. Three floors, tennis courts, climbing walls, a heated mosaic swimming pool and alfresco patio just outside the home theater and library. Views of Sydney Harbour on the outside and crisp, clean black, white, and gold interiors within. Henry Lawson’s first floor served as yet another entertainment space with a grand open floor plan, carport, formal and informal living spaces with plush cushions and well-lit interiors. His second floor had a master suite, and three additional bedrooms. Miranda would have preferred to keep her bedroom as far from possible from her father, but he insisted she sleep in the room closest to the guest bathroom. So he could show her off to his guests, most likely. Her father always did enjoy parading her around like some sort of trophy.

That was what their guests saw. Henry never offered to show them where the car-sized elevator descended after they left. They assumed Henry Lawson had a private collection of luxury cars and didn’t care to reveal them to would-be gossipers and thieves. Or perhaps he stored proprietary information and projects down there. Surely all would come to light at the right time. Growing up, even Miranda wasn’t to take the vehicle elevator. The first time she tried--her father locked her in his walk-in closet for three days. The second time--when she had successfully moved from the ground floor to the basement only to be caught before she could open the doors--he forced her hand upon the stovetop burners until her skin had burned black. Much to his satisfaction, her skin healed within a week. It was then she started wearing black gloves to cover the bandages.

Miranda knows immediately where she has ended up in this nightmare. It’s the storage room--the room she finally breached on her third attempt. Goosebumps race down her skin and won’t go away no matter how much she tries to rub them off. Her legs carry her on auto pilot, and Miranda feels like a prisoner in her own skin. Glass vats lined the concrete, windowless walls, carrying humanoid shapes in various stages of development--from embryos to newborn. One vat, in the corner, has a form that matches her baby pictures. Ice shoots down Miranda’s spine.

She reads through his journal entries and listens to his audio logs. Miranda is Sample 37--Henry Lawson’s most successful attempt at creating a daughter. He had always told her mother had died in childbirth. Here she learns she has no mother--only cloned tissue with altered chromosomes. Some of Henry’s earlier attempts included sons--but he quickly decided girls were easier to influence and mold into his image. But what happened to her brothers and sisters?

The Illusive Man always welcomes additional specimens. He most highly prizes those with biotic abilities--paying double for those with the genetic markers. Perhaps he wants to fashion and train his own biotic army.

Henry must have loved the idea--an entire army of biotic soldiers who resemble his best features. It made Miranda want to throw up.

Miranda shows so much promise, but she asks too many questions. I will not be repeating the incident with Sample 25. As soon as Sample 38 is ready I will give the Illusive Man a call. I think I will call her Ariel.

“Miri? What are you doing down here?”

Jerking around, Miranda closes the Haptic Adaptive Interface behind her. Nicket looks at her wide-eyed, his face quickly turning green at the site of all the vats around him. “I need your help.”

------

Miranda wakes up in a cold sweat, still hearing the hum of her father’s machines in her ears as she takes a shower. Even the water can’t wash off the slimy feeling of the fluid behind the glass. It’s as if she’s still trapped in one of those vats herself. I won’t let you him hurt you, Ori. I promise.

Her next contact agrees to meet with Miranda during an upcoming Hanar Enkindlers Rally. It seems an odd time to be hosting a religious event, but then again, perhaps not. With the Reapers destroying the known universe, perhaps some of Hanar are looking for answers in their ancestral religions. Miranda never considered herself particularly spiritual. The only religion her father raised in her is one of wealth and influence--like prosperity gospel and eugenics had an incestuous child.

And then there’s the surprise arrival of a real-live Prothean to the Citadel. Of course, Artemis is involved, why wouldn’t she be? Her Asari archeologist friend, Liara T’soni, must be over the moon.

Mixing in with the crowd, Miranda makes a move to activate the biolumincent translators in her ears, but she really activates a private communication channel instead. The Hanar light up in a gorgeous cascade of colors as the rally begins, and her contact steps up beside her, keeping her eyes forward to the stage. A once infamous Hanar preacher takes the stage as Miranda’s contact pings her coms.

He’s really moved up in the world, hasn’t he? Her contact’s mouth never opens. Instead, she ‘speaks’ by typing out a message on her thighs. Instantaneously cybernetic pads in her fingers relay the message to both their comms.

Miranda eyes the stage--a ceiling high banner displays what must be a photograph of the recently awakened Prothean. Though she’s never studied the facial expressions of that ancient race, she can’t help but think he looks unimpressed with the photographer. He sure has. The fearful masses must be funding this Hanar preacher’s rally--where else would he have secured the funds? How is my father? Is he well?

They don’t dare speak plainly. Hanar bioluminescence, when propagated in high numbers, does produce a sort of digital interference against most prying eyes and ears--especially those over long distances. But there’s still a chance someone else in the crowd will be trying to listen in.

More than well, I hear he landed a new project with his old friend Tim.

Alarms ring in Miranda’s mind so loudly she swears the Hanar surrounding them can hear. I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? Her father disavowed Cerberus after The Illusive Man took her in and refused to give her up. He was one of Cerberus’s largest supporters, and took some time (and a few assassinations) for the Illusive Man to replenish his resources.

Your father is working for Tim.

Before Miranda can argue, her contact has disappeared through the waves glowing tentacles. Miranda is about to go looking for them when the Hanar next to her suddenly goes dark. Their levitation pack still functions, and so the Hanar goes on floating, but its pink color quickly fades to gray. It happens so suddenly Miranda forgets to turn her translator back on. Instead of screams, she sees each of the surrounding members of the crowd flash red and black as they flee from the corpse.

Assassin.

Miranda heard no shot fired, nor impact of a bullet or laser. The dead hangar didn’t move, as if hit by a blast.

Stab wound?

No. No strangulation marks either.

She recalls the warning signs on the beaches back home. MARINE STINGERS ARE PRESENT IN THESE WATERS DURING SUMMER MONTHS. The first aid stations providing vinegar. Miranda scans the body and finds stingers lodged in the Hanar’s skin.

A rare Hanar assassin and Miranda is surrounded by suspects.

She can’t stay on the Citadel, not anymore. Running to the elevator she scans security feeds of her apartment to confirm what she already knows--someone has turned it upside down looking for her. Too bad for them--she never leaves anything behind.

It’s only later Miranda remembers that back on Earth--jellyfish never sting their own species. She hacks into the database of the nearest morgue and finds what she already suspects--the venom came from a Terran jellyfish, delivered with stingers made of steel, not flesh. A chill runs down her spine when she spots the scientific name: chironex fleckeri. It couldn’t be any sort of jellyfish venom, no. Whoever the assassin was--they chose the species from the shores of Sydney. Someone is trying to send her a message.

Too bad for them--I’m not listening. Not to Cerberus. Not to her father. Not to anyone.

-------

Just after Miranda lands on Illium, all of Miranda’s contacts on the Citadel go dark. Reapers? No. Their access to the galaxy’s political center was cut off when Shepard battled Saren. That left Miranda only one possibility. Only one party who would have the interest and the resources to take over the Citadel to quickly and easily, with no warning.

Cerberus.

Which meant Ori wasn’t there when it happened. Their father would never allow Ori that close to danger. Would he?

And Shepard was still on Tuchanka. Miranda had been following Artemis’s exploits on that barren, irradiated planet. On a lark, she looks up for Alliance News updates, and her heart plummets to her stomach.

Genophage Cured. Normandy Departs Arlak System and Krogan DMZ.

Her heart thunders inside her ribcage. Please not the Citadel. Please. Miranda hacks into Alliance Space Traffic Control, and finds the Normandy docked at the Citadel.

Artemis. With every comm dark, Miranda can’t even log into C-Sec’s cameras. It’s worse than when Artemis was under house arrest.

After several agonizing hours, Miranda’s contacts check in, or at least, some do. Shepard is alive. Thane Krios is in critical condition. Councilor Udina is dead, as he should be. Bastard.

Miranda sends Shepard a message, telling her to meet her on the Citadel. But she has no intention of going in person. Instead she hacks into Alliance QEC. Surely Shepard will understand.

QEC’s are hard to come by, especially in war, so Miranda finds one in an Illium high rise, belonging to a board member who serves as a de facto politician. The board member should have gone home for the day, leaving her office, and her Quantum Entanglement Communicator available for use.

The QEC shimmers as Artemis materializes in its hologram. She hasn’t showered--still covered in soot, dirt, bruises, and cuts. But she’s standing. And she’s breathing. Miranda lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank God you’re alright.”

Artemis glowers at her in blue. “I’m fine.” Her eyes are puffy and would probably be red from crying if the QEC didn’t blue tint everything coming through its feeds.

“Artemis--”

“Miranda. You told me you’d meet me here. You lied.”

“The Citadel isn’t safe.”

“I know that, Miri,” Artemis spits. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I just fended off a fucking coup.”

Artemis never swears, except in cases of high emotion. Sometimes Miranda wonders if she does it on purpose so that her expletives carry more punch when she finally uses them. Miranda feels a jolt in her gut.

Before she can even open her mouth, Artemis continues. “You could have died, Miranda. And I wouldn’t know until I got here.”

“I want to be there, in person, but I can’t. Someone already tried to assassinate me.”

Artemis’s eyes widen, and her shoulders sag. “Kai Leng?”

“What?”

“He tried to take out Councilor Valern.”

Miranda recalls the flames she trapped him in. The stench of burning flesh. Leng’s scream loud, then gradually muffled as she flees the scene. “That slippery bastard’s still alive?”

Artemis nods, and Miranda swears under her breath. “That complicates things. I’ll be on my guard.”

Her love continues to soften, unwilling to part in anger. “Miri. Be careful.”

If only. They both know nothing cared for is safe in war. “I can’t promise that. Could you?”

Artemis closes her eyes, and it’s hard to tell through the flickering projection, but Miranda swears she sees a glimmer of a tear. She hasn’t seen her cry since Aratoht. “Artemis, we’ll get through this.”

Her gaze hardens as she snaps back. “You can’t promise that either.”

“I know.” I wish I could. They talk about Ori, and Miranda tells her what she knows, which isn’t much. Artemis bristles at the mention of Cerberus, especially at the mention of Miranda’s father, but she doesn’t insist on helping. Maybe she trusts Miranda to take care of herself. Or perhaps, she’s tired of playing cat and mouse.

“I love you,” Miranda says, and she hears footsteps outside.

“Huh? Who’s in there?” the guard calls out, flashing a light inside the dark office Miranda’s borrowing.

“I’ve got to go.” Miranda closes the QEC before Artemis can reply.

-------

Miranda knows when Oriana was taken, and who likely is involved, but where did they take her? Henry Lawson’s home stands only as a pile of rubble after the Reapers touched down. Where would that monster go after his original lair was destroyed? If he was working with the Illusive Man….

She wakes up several hours later, with her desk as her pillow, and her Haptic Adaptive Interface glowing into her eyeballs. Looking at the screen, Miranda searches for meaning in the jumble of letters across her screen, but the words might as well be written in Prothean. You’re no use to Oriana like this.

After showering, Miranda meanders through the stock exchange of Nos Astra, listening to everything and nothing while she tries to decide what to eat. One Asari is complaining about her boss, another is ranting about her partner, a volus insists on buying an attachment that clearly isn’t designed for their physiology. Miranda’s stomach growls. Do Asari make sushi? They are known for their seafood. Opening her omni tool, Miranda hears an advertisement blaring from a nearby terminal.

“If you’re not sure where to go, come to Sanctuary. We’ll keep you safe.” Maybe blaring is the wrong word. The words flow more like a soft whisper. Calming. Soothing. Beckoning. Just as the advertisement switches to the next slot, Miranda waves her omni-tool for more information, and a chill runs down her spine.

At first glance, Sanctuary seems innocuous enough, necessary even. A sort of refugee camp in the partially abandoned colony of Horizon. Miranda calls the information number and listens to the automated message.

Welcome to your new home, the voice over drips into her ears like honeyed wine. Sanctuary accepts one and all, providing safety and comfort to those who have lost their homes. We use state of the art technology to protect you and your loved ones. Let us be your Sanctuary.

It sounds less like a refugee camp, and more like a luxury resort.

As Miranda listens, she continues scrolling through Sanctuary’s Extranet site. She has no reason to suspect her father in this, and yet everything seems to have his fingerprints on it. The clean, crisp aesthetics, the terraced gardens, pristine, and entirely unnecessary water features. You couldn’t just build a refugee camp, could you, Father. You had to make it your mansion, too.

The touch-tone menu provides options for housing assistance, employment opportunities, directions and coordinates, and the resident directory. When Miranda selects the last option, she’s directed to an error message.

Due to the high volume of calls, the resident directory is unavailable at this time. Please check back later.

It’s not so much about what information line says, but what it doesn’t say. Even the news sources Miranda consults have little to say beyond the press releases provided. She has no proof, none, but her father must be involved. Or perhaps, it’s the sleep-deprivation talking.

All pomp and circumstance about his grand estate--until someone asks to go down the car elevator.

Miranda has no other leads. She could be completely off-base with this conspiracy theory, but what else can she do? She can’t give up on her sister. Opening her omni-tool, Miranda makes a few calls.

[sileeeles]

S9+ Review

Visually stunning. Amazing camera. Amazing screen. But as they say, looks aren't everything.

You will noticed that I mention and compare to HTC a lot, and this is because that its my only other point of reference. Its all I’ve had, Android wise, for the past 4 years.

So, mostly in order of things you encounter, I shall try to share my thoughts and feelings. First of all the size. Its fairly large. For people with dinky fingers/hands, I wouldn’t recommend it, I’d go with the regular S9. But the S9+ is perfect for me as I have larger hands and stubby fingers. I’ve always struggled on 4 inches or less especially with typing, I’ll come to that later. The main noticeable difference between the two is the camera setup. Beyond that the S9+ has a slightly larger battery capacity and 2 more gigabytes of ram over the S9.

One of the main things I thought would bug me, is the screen. The rounded corners. Which, overall, costs you 0.1 of an inch of screen real estate. And it hasn’t bothered me at all. Its rather cool and interesting. More interesting than that is the odd aspect ratio. 18:5.9. The .9 apparently accounts for the curvature of the glass at the sides. Which is another thing I thought would bug me. My wife didn’t get the S7 Edge because she thought the curves would be annoying, but these are more subtle and ... less curvy than those models. And it hasn't really been an issue. Sometimes (usually on badly optimized websites and a few pictures) the text spills over the edge no matter what you do, but turning the phone landscape usually makes everything visible. Apps and games all tend to scale themselves to whatever they work best at, but you can have them be full-screen if you wish. It warns you that some apps may no work or behave well when forced into full-screen, but thus far I’ve never had an issue.

The phone has a headphone socket (thank god) and has basically ripped off what HTC was doing with Boomsound. And more specifically, what they were doing with the HTC 10. You see, the Boomsound speakers that were part of the M7/M8/M9 were gone on the HTC 10. At the time (I had an M8), it was like a revelation. Why on earth wouldn't ALL smartphone manufacturers do this? Many of them, including Samsung, put the speaker on the back of the phone which was often muffled by your hand when you were holding it. HTC changed that, although rather than having the two speakers on the HTC 10, they opted to have one at the bottom of the phone, and used the earpiece speaker for the other. It worked, although something was lost in translation. It sounded good, and still a lot better than many of the other phones around at the time,but it never really had clear or consistent stereo or sound. Maybe because the down-firing speaker did the mids and lows, and the earpiece speaker did the highs, which were mostly just tinny and quiet. Rather than just the one speaker now, Samsung has seemingly copied HTC’s effort and used exactly the same system. However, it sounds infinitely better. The sound from it is very clear stereo, at times almost like it surrounds you. Partly, I assume, down to the Dolby Atmos/AKG tuning (which also includes some very nice and good sounding headphones in the box). As far as I know, HTC has not included Dolby in their phones since the Desire HD which also had SRS (and was my preferred sound setting).

We’ve also switched to USB C (also present on the S8/S8+) which is a much welcome improvement. In my experience it has been far more reliable and less damageable than Micro USB ever was, indeed after two years the USB C port on my HTC 10 is still going strong.

The physical buttons are something that will undoubtedly become a point of contention, largely because of the Bixby button. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bothered by Bixbys existence. By and large, you can just disable it and ignore the fact that it was ever there. But the button was placed stupidly. Directly below the volume buttons, particularly on the S9+ where there is a tad more reaching for things, meant that I was pressing it. A lot. Which is a problem. Because initially I disabled Bixby all together. But I didn't really want the button to go to waste. So I searched, and as you would imagine I wasn’t the only one wanting to re-map it. And someone has helped with that, they created an incredibly useful app called bxActions. Which I mapped to the Camera. But of course the same thing kept happening. I pressed the button by accident, and the camera kept popping up. So I disabled it again, and had it play/pause audio when the screen was off. Yes, I do know that there are features like double press and long press, and perhaps it is worth using those instead. However, they are “pro” features you need to pay for.

The home button and hardware touch keys are gone. Replaced instead with Androids navigation bar (which is re-mapable by default so you can put the buttons the right way around). The home key is pressure sensitive (what they call 3D Touch which sounds more like an Apple thing). I’ve not really needed to use it, to be honest, or understand what its for. If the phone is locked, you can press the home key (if you can find it) instead of the power button, which takes you to the lock screen and whatever method of security you happen to have (iris of whatever). But I can bypass needing to do any of that by just using my fingerprint. Which is what I tend to do, beyond the “hey look at this, my phone unlocks when I look at it” novelty. I’m also incredibly aware with this phone that it has the potential to get screen burn in. This increases exponentially with things that are on the screen for longer periods of time than others. Such as the navigation bar. What would lower that risk, is having the position of the symbols move a pixel or so from where it was last time, each time the phone is active or each time the navigation bar is on screen.

The phone, like the models before it including the s6/s7 has a glass back. But in Samsung's case, there is a reason for it extending all the way back to those models as well. How big a reason that is, ultimately, is down the the individual user. And I imagine, most of the individual users would rather they didn't have something that was breakable. As if the front of the phone wasn't already enough of a risk for that. The reason for it is Wireless charging. If you’re like me, nothing will ever beat the cable, and wireless charging is fiddly at best. You need to get it in the right spot, and from what I’ve seen, it was never really that fast. Certainly not as fast as the fast charger.

Using the phone is, at this point, pretty intuitive. If you’ve used Android for long enough, you know where everything is and how everything works. Software wise, there is not much that you can moan about. There is, overall, less bloatware and what there is, most of it can be uninstalled. Samsung wise, their layout of things is a little ... oddly arranged but you get used to it. At this point its pretty close to the way HTC was laying things out.

One thing that does bug me though, is that there is a lot of content they will charge you for. Such as themes. HTC never had such a system, indeed you could create and customize pretty much each area that you wanted. Wallpaper, lock-screen, app background, icons, ringtones, even the background of sms messages. Whilst Samsung themes will do this, there is no option to create each one individually yourself, and there is no way (at least that I’ve found) where you can apply individual items from certain themes. For instance if I only want the icons, I can’t do that. I need to install the whole theme and the re apply my wallpaper and ringtone afterwards etc. Another thing is the warning you get when you turn the volume up so far. I don't need it every time, yes I know its not sensible, its never for very long, go away! Its as bad as the Netflix "Are you still watching?" Yes. And my controller turned off two episodes ago and is over the other side of the room! Go away!

One thing I have been using that I would normally have ignored, largely because it was already there and I wanted to explore, is Samsung Health (which was previously just called S Health). It will allow you to track a variety of things, including steps every day, excersize, heart rate and stress (there are sensors in the phone that include this, which is pretty normal for Samsung). It even allows you to track sleep, and even has the ability to keep track of blood sugar levels and such for diabetics.

A few of the packaged defaults I have changed. For instance the keyboard. There is nothing wrong, or that I found wrong, with the default Samsung keyboard. I am just far to used to Swiftkey, and my defaults within that, so I installed that. It has a one handed mode just like the Samsung default, so it makes it easier to type with one hand. Also the music player I have used, and will probably always use on Android is PowerAmp. Also use Chrome as well.

The camera is probably the most interesting thing about the phone at this point. It was the most heavily marketed aspect of it (because, ultimately, I suspect there isn't much different from the S8+). Whilst everything thats included in it is, at this point, nothing new ... well, except the variable F-stop, maybe, its the way it has been implemented that is cool. More so on the S9+ with the extra telephoto lens. I was an avid user of the slow motion on the HTC 10 (and the M8 I had before it) and for the S9/S9+ to have that in a supercharged way, is very fun for me, although they aren’t the first to include 960FPS. That honour goes to the Sony Xperia XZ I believe.

The always on display is cool, although I’ve found that, honestly, id rather have it off than have it on, and if I have it on, the design I’d choose is the edge one. Thankfully the risk of burn in from this is minimal, as it changes position and never stays in one place too long.

Beyond the phone, some of the extras that I have found to be useful are the adapters included in the box. Specifically the Micro USB to USB C adapter. Because, more than once I’ve forgotten my charger, and nowhere (at least nowhere cheap) seems to have USB C cables for sale. They’re all bloody Micro USB. This adapter means that I needn’t worry if I forget my charger again. I just go into poundland and buy a cable. You also get the standard OTG adapter in the box. Samsung's intended purpose for this, I believe, is for you to connect your old phone to it and copy over your content. But it has many more uses beyond that including game controllers, even charging up other devices and connecting USB sticks to your phone.

[xfilesnews]

Recap and Review: ‘The X-Files: Stolen Lives’

Another audiobook has joined The X-Files library shelf. "The X-Files: Stolen Lives" was released by Audible on October 3rd. Based on the Season 10 comics from IDW, this continues the adventures of Mulder and Scully from "Cold Cases." The stories are written by Joe Harris, executive produced by Chris Carter, and produced for audible by Dirk Maggs. Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, and Mitch Pileggi return to their roles, and other fan favorites lend their voices as well. As with the first audiobook, you don't need to be familiar with the comics to enjoy this audio version, but it does help. If you haven't yet listened to "Cold Cases" I'd suggest trying that first. The audio series does not follow the timeline established in the TV version of Season 10 so there are events and characters that would seem out of place to new listeners. "Stolen Lives" has some solid scares so if you're a monster of the week fan you're in luck. But it also dives into some mythology, though not quite as heavily as "Cold Cases."

Does "Stolen Lives" pass the bar set by "Cold Cases?"  Hit the jump for our recap and review.

We again start with Chapter 2, as Chapter 1 is opening credits. Chapter 2 is called "Immaculate" and follows Season 10 issues 16 and 17. The story begins outside an abortion clinic in North Carolina. A young woman is hassled by protesters and makes her way inside. As she approaches the woman is also hearing a voice in her head. She seems familiar to the clinic staff but before they recognize her she detonates a bomb she smuggled inside. The girl survives and convinces the protesters to follow her.

When looking over the evidence, the girl whose name is Joni Cartwright, apparently has a halo and that's how Mulder and Scully end up on the case. After interviewing a nurse who was burned in the explosion, Mulder and Scully decide to split up and investigate more of Joni's backstory. Joni's family is religious and Scully finds Joni's mother along with a creepy pastor. Being sensitive to cases involving religion has never been Mulder's strong suit, and we see that again when Mulder questions his first suspect. The mystery of the case leads us from victims who look like they died of fright, to a cliff in the woods where the possessed townspeople meet a tragic end. The good pastor is not exactly who he seems and we learn who Joni's baby-daddy really was through Scully's investigative tactics. And as usual, it's Mulder who sees the monster for what it really is. “Stolen Lives” starts with a much more "monster of the week" tone than "Cold Cases" did, but there's no lack of controversy here. The X-Files has never shied away from religion or difficult subject matter and this is no different. "Cold Cases" featured a school shooting so tackling an abortion clinic bombing seems on par with the tone set there. The chapter reminds me a bit of Season 7's "Signs and Wonders" in that we're dealing with a pastor who is not what he seems. But "Immaculate" is much more violent than I remember that episode being. Listening to Scully dress down the pastor was one of my favorite parts of the chapter, with Mulder's interaction with a scared Sarabeth a close second. I appreciated the Frank Black joke, as I'm sure other "Millennium" fans did. I was also glad to hear them reference the missing Agents Doggett and Reyes at the beginning. We haven't heard much about them since the beginning of "Cold Cases" so it was a good reminder that part of the team is still missing. Mulder's sarcasm was about what you'd expect for any faith-based episode and I cracked up at the "moderately godless heathen requesting permission to enter." I wasn't crazy about the fact that once again, Scully being a mother and how that might affect her was brought up at the beginning of the case. This story was written in 2014, and William would be 13 by then. He's been away from Mulder and Scully for a long time now and it just seemed weird to me to have Morales say "I hope this doesn't affect you." You notice no one ever asks Mulder that same question?

Chapter 3, called "Chitter" follows Issue 9 of the comics. This was Joe Harris' first original monster-of-the-week. And if you don't like bugs, I'm sorry. At the start, we're introduced to the "Chittering God" and a gross sounding swarm. Mulder and Scully are soon on the scene in Pennsylvania but the investigation doesn't start well for Scully. After some joking with Mulder and comments about a funny smell, she passes out. But Scully being Scully, when she recovers she insists on investigating the house anyway. They find a switch that leads them to the killing room.

As always with the X-Files, things are not what the seem and the initial suspect, Mr. Keansey, isn't the only guilty party. Once again Mulder and Scully's investigations take different directions with Mulder interrogating the suspect and Scully out in the field. The first suspect, and his bug friends, indicate the Chittering God is after Scully. Scully cases the neighborhood and visits with an old woman named Mrs. Hoynes who reads her tea leaves. Mrs. Hoynes tells Scully she knows she lost a child "recently." And that the chittering god feeds on that sorrow and "both grow stronger." As Scully tries to escape it seems the woman, or the god, is trying to get her to hurt herself. Mulder arrives in the nick of time and keeps any more violence from happening.

The chapter gets points for the gross-out factor. The roaches in "War of the Coprophages" were bad enough but hearing the scratching on the headphones left me wanting to take a shower. The thought of being able to sic bugs on someone and call on a swarm makes me shiver. The story is definitely creepy and it's interesting that Keansey was just as much a victim of this crazy old lady and her "god" as Scully almost was. That Mulder and Scully were sharing a hotel room and discussing the case warmed my little shipper heart.

While I liked the story, I was again frustrated with the "Scully Mom Pain" angle. In the comics chronology, this issue is further removed from "Immaculate" so it might not have seemed as repetitive. I'd also like to point out that Scully has technically lost two children. Emily seems to be forgotten a lot. I do think it's fair that Scully is a person who has faced a lot of despair, but Mulder has too, so why wasn't he a target as well? Perhaps in the off years, he's had a little more therapy? I thought Mulder seemed like a bigger jerk than usual in this episode too. We know he can be a jerk and love that about him at times, but he's usually not mean. And there was something about the way Mulder said "you think this is all about you?" that rubbed me the wrong way.

We return to our missing federal agents in Chapter 4, aptly titled "Monica and John." This mirrors Season 10 Issue 18. Our first glimpse of Monica Reyes shows she's been in captivity for a year. Held in a tiny cell, she describes the events that lead to her abduction. She was in Wyoming paying a visit to William's adoptive parents when she was taken. She believes she's being held by John Doggett, who leaves to go to a post office. That trip triggers the FBI and Skinner and Scully get involved. Mulder is apparently off testifying to keep Monty Props locked up so he misses the action.

Of course, the Doggett holding Monica captive isn't really Doggett all. The real Doggett is also being held captive. He manages to escape from his cell and goes to free Monica. Their captor returns and seems to be one of the Acolytes we met in "Cold Cases." In a twist, he asks Monica and John to kill him. Doggett resists because he wants evidence of what has happened to them, but Monica stabs him with the stiletto anyway because she believes the FBI has forgotten them. Just as the alien melts away Skinner and Scully arrive.

This was the shortest chapter of the book and one I'd like to have seen in more detail. I was so glad to see Doggett and Reyes again and the refresher on the "new" mythology was helpful. I can't imagine what it was like to have been held like that for so long. I would have liked to have heard more of their story. And we're left hanging about what's next for the two. Do they get to go back to the FBI? Does Monica quit and record her own best selling whale song album? I found this a good chapter, just too short! I also really missed Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish voicing their characters. The woman doing Reyes was close at points, but Doggett's actor wasn't even close to Robert Patrick's memorable style.

Get ready for a little time travel in Chapter 5. G-23 follows comics issues 19 and 20. We dig up a few ghosts and Mulder gets sent on a wild trip that doesn't involve line dancing. The story begins in 1966 in Nevada at a military installation. Two young adults are smoking a cigarette laced with something called G-23 and they're getting progressively more freaked out. The young woman starts thinking she sees aliens. Shadowy men are observing the teens, none other than a young CGB Spender and Bill Mulder. In the present day, Mulder is waiting in D.C. to meet Scully for lunch but before she arrives the CSM crashes his party. After a round of 'who is my real dad?' with Mulder, the CSM presents him with a poster of the Nevada desert and a camper van with a G-23 plate. After a meeting with Scully and later the Lone Gunmen, this sends Mulder off on a wild goose chase into the desert.

Langly follows Mulder to what starts as a party in the desert but turns into a bad G-23-induced trip. In his hallucination, there’s a vamped up version of Scully in fishnets, heels, and Spender's trench coat. This vision calls herself "Red" and sounds more Spender than Scully.  She leads Mulder through the remains of the old G-23 complex and on a trip down memory lane. They talk about what was the G-23 substance was really made of and of Bill Mulder's work fighting the alien colonists. In the end, the real Scully rescues Mulder but whatever proof he thought he had of the incident is gone.

I wasn't sure what to think of this chapter on first listen, and may give it another try. Anything that involves the Lone Gunmen makes me happy, and the actors always sound really in character. I laughed at Langly calling Frohike 'Jump Street' because Tom Braidwood was a first assistant director on that show back in the day. One has to feel for Mulder at the beginning that he keeps getting haunted by this zombie ghost from his past. And I thought it was interesting to dive more into Bill Mulder's background. It makes him out to be a slightly more sympathetic character that he was in the TV series. I felt like they were trying to redeem him a bit. Whether that succeeded, I'm not sure.

I also wasn't particularly thrilled with the "Scully as vixen" bit. If Scully herself makes the choice to don that outfit and say "sweet dreams baby" I'm all for it if it's her idea. But for that to be a fantasy and not her personal choice gets old. In this version, at least, it's insinuated at the very end that CSM was dressed that way himself all along, but that's not the case in the comic. There's no doubt Scully is a beautiful woman but we love her for her intelligence and what her brains bring to the case. This struck me as more of an excuse for the guys to write her as sexy than as something meaningful to the plot. It also strikes me as funny that once again Mulder gets himself into trouble because he runs off on his own.

It's back to the mytharc in Chapter 6 with 'Elders." This is the longest of the chapters and covers issues and ground from New York to D.C. to Cuba and finds Mulder in a whole new mess of trouble. We start with Prime Elder talking to the CSM about the ability to read minds and the scars on his head. If that doesn't tip you off to who he is, it should have. He meets with the Syndicate group who are all clones like the CSM. Elsewhere in Virginia, Scully and Mulder are playing hooky at a county fair that turns tragic. A woman claiming to be someone from Mulder's past shoots three people and turns the gun on herself. This launches an investigation of Mulder that digs deep into his past involving something called the Chilmark Project.

As part of the Chilmark project, Mulder spoke with a woman named Caroline Ross who looked oddly similar to the woman who attacked him at the fair. But it's not possible because Ross hanged herself in 1991. As they leave the FBI Mulder is hounded by reporters. Scully stays behind to defend him but as soon as Mulder clears the pack he's abducted by another group of men.

Mulder ends up a prisoner in a cloning facility hidden in the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba where Prime Elder reveals himself as Gibson. While he's at the facility Scully is working with the CSM who hints to her that Gibson is the one who has taken Mulder. But he's not the only CSM in this episode. Another version is helping Mulder at the base in Cuba. Skinner also finds himself in the crosshairs of the Syndicate, who kidnap him and torch his apartment.

Back in Cuba, the CSM helps Mulder escape and gives him a memory stick with evidence of Gibson's treachery. Not only has Gibson created this facility but he's been working to frame Mulder as well. No sooner does Mulder escape than Scully ends up in Gibson's clutches herself. With some help from the Lone Gunmen, we learn more about what exactly Gibson was up to and how he plans to move his creepy clone creating operation back to the U.S. Yet another CSM clone this time helps Scully escape. A quick meeting between her and Mulder sends Mulder looking for a way to escape and Scully heading back to deal with Gibson once and for all.

Gibson claims he was only protecting Mulder and that he will only be hunted further even after the allegations are cleared. Scully fears Gibson continued to do to himself what the Syndicate had in the past. While they argue Gibson tries to lead a ship into port using telekinesis. That's the ship he will use to move his cloning operation and continue the project. Scully dispatches the threat and races off to find Mulder.

Mulder and Scully reunite just as he's about to board a smuggling ship. Scully is rattled by her encounter with Gibson but Mulder reminds her they will get through whatever Gibson did together. Scully encourages Mulder to leave with the smugglers and that she'll go back to the FBI to clear things up. And just when Scully thinks she can get a drink to clear her head, she realizes she's surrounded by multiples of the person she thought she killed just moments ago. And there, we end. This also marks the end of the Season 10 comics series.

I love mytharc eps and was glad to see it back in this new form again. And poor Gibson Praise makes for a great villain. It was interesting to see how they expanded on what was done to him, and the flashbacks of the time he and Mulder spent together back in 2001. I also loved how often we got to see Scully fiercely defending Mulder. After all this time she knows him like no one else does. I got a particular thrill watching her tell off A.D. Morales at the beginning. I would have loved to see Skinner more in on the action instead of being pushed around by the Syndicate or Morales. But I'm glad he was included in a smaller way at least.  

A few overall thoughts now that we've finished the series:  I feel like Mulder and Scully spend way too much time apart in this series. I know they split up a lot in the TV show but it felt like they were working without each other most of the time. I did enjoy that Scully got to be more of an active investigator than in "Cold Cases." She wasn’t stuck doing autopsies as much. And clearly, Mulder has never learned that when he runs off on his own bad things are going to happen. Mulder’s dry humor is captured well and the banter when Mulder and Scully are together is pretty funny in parts. As far as the stories themselves, if you find them hard to follow at times, paging through the comics again can help with that. The audio version does work to flesh them out a little more but they're close to what we saw on the page. I made the comment after finishing "Cold Cases" that the acting can come across as a little wooden at times and that's also the case here. Though I do think it was a bit better this time.

Overall, I do think the series is worth your time and an interesting listen. There's no perfect substitute for the TV show but these audio adventures are entertaining and make the wait for a new season a little easier. While we've now made our way through the Season 10 comics, we don't yet know if they'll continue the audiobooks with the Season 11 series from IDW, which is also different from the upcoming TV series. We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear something!

[verdigrisprowl]

Feb 12 Dancitron Movie Night - The Dark Night

Prowl screamed at Harvey Dent.

After the movie there were very educational and completely hypnotizing videos about Earth science. The ones on biology taught Prowl many new science facts and the ones on physics and cosmology taught Prowl zero new science facts but many new Earth-history-of-science facts.

ItsyBitsySpyers 8:20 pm *The door to Dancitron is open, Soundwave has everything arranged per usual, and is catching a moment of peace and quiet. No warrants necessary.* Swoop 8:20 pm *stumbles in sleepily, as if this is the bedroom he doesn't have, rather than someone's place of business* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:21 pm *There goes the peace and quiet.* Swoop 8:21 pm *yaaaaaaaaaawwwns and streeeeeeeeetttches* BIrd? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:21 pm [[No.]] Swoop 8:22 pm *overwhelmed with sadness* where bird? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm [[She said, and he quotes: "Bird not want mushy hug stuff, hearts, nothing. Got own snacks."]] [[She did not tell him where she went.]] Swoop 8:23 pm *looks absolutely baffled and heartbroken* *what is this and why is it happening* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:23 pm [[There there. She'll likely be around next time.]] Swoop 8:24 pm *is the kind of distraught that only an exhausted child can be and plops down right where he's standing in front of the door to Dancitron* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:24 pm *Shakes his helm and uses a feeler to nudge Swoop inside and to one side.* Swoop 8:25 pm *is a limp noodle* Bevel 8:26 pm *good thing he was moved or she'd have definitely tripped over him when she walked in* Swoop 8:26 pm *chirps at Bevel* *someone needs to witness how upset he is* Bevel 8:26 pm *chirps back and crouches down to pat him* Hi, Swoop. Swoop 8:27 pm *is the physical embodiment of a lip wobble* Her Bird not here Specs 8:27 pm *the dragon drags in a passel of treats. energon cookies and gummis and mercury drops and rust sticks, oh my!* ((...rabbit pls)) ((THERE WE GO)) Bevel 8:28 pm *frowns sadly for Swoop's plight* She will be here next time I bet. Swoop 8:29 pm But But Me Swoop not see Bird in forEVER ItsyBitsySpyers 8:29 pm *Soundwave nods to Bevel and the dragon before settling himself down.* Bevel 8:30 pm *pings Soundwave hello* Yeah but that means when you see her it will be even better! Swoop 8:30 pm :C *flops uselessly forward* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:30 pm ((10 MINUTE WARNING)) Specs 8:31 pm *the dragon waves at Soundwave, and continues piling treats on the designated Food Area. she may have made more than she ought to have. maybe. * Bevel 8:31 pm Do you want me to sit with you tonight? Swoop 8:32 pm *nods and makes grabby hands at Bevel without looking up* Bevel 8:32 pm *will sit on the floor NOT in front of the door but near Swoop then* Swoop 8:33 pm *slooooowwwly pushes himself over to Bevel in the approximation of a pile* *can't dinobot properly without a pile* Bevel 8:33 pm *accepts this fate* Swoop 8:34 pm Tomorrow is Valentine day Bevel 8:34 pm Is that the candy holiday? Swoop 8:35 pm YAH Me Swoop want to present for Bird but no bird : < Bevel 8:36 pm You should give it to her tomorrow, yeah? On the right day. Swoop 8:38 pm *siiiiiiiiiiighs and flops over onto Bevel* Me Swoop LOVE Her Bird ItsyBitsySpyers 8:40 pm ((WARNINGS: Violence and blood, death, clowns, body horror, immolation, sexism, flashing lights, standard Batman mythos stuff.)) Bevel 8:41 pm *comforting pat, she has no idea what to say about the topic of LOVE* FakeProwl 8:41 pm ((pencil tricks)) Swoop 8:41 pm *leans into the pets* Specs 8:41 pm ((the worst sort of magic trick lbr)) FakeProwl 8:41 pm *arrives just in time, takes his seat.* Swoop 8:41 pm *takes Bevel's hand, tilts his head back, and tries to make her hand scritch his jaw* Bevel 8:42 pm *Swoop's being non-destructive and sad tonight, so skritches he will get* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:42 pm [[Starting off with a bang, isn't it.]] *Soundwave nods to Prowl. Good evening.* FakeProwl 8:43 pm ... Well, I can already see where this is going. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:43 pm [[Indeed.]] Specs 8:43 pm ((fun game for today: is the audio lagging, or is my brain lagging)) Swoop 8:43 pm *is basically watching the screen upside down because he is MUCH more interested in getting scritches right now* Specs 8:43 pm ((the joys of withdrawal)) Bevel 8:44 pm *keeps Soundwave's advice in mind, so she'll just silently watch the movie for now until she has an idea of what it is Prowl and Soundwave think is gonna happen* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:44 pm ((the audio is a bit rough today, i'm sorry. i forgot to test the rabbitcast quality before posting up and i didn't wanna kick everyone out and make y'all come back in so i could reset)) Specs 8:45 pm ((oh, thank god, it's not my brain)) ((I mean, it sucks that your cast is having issues, but. I was freaking out over here lol)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:45 pm [[Quite the answer.]] Swoop 8:45 pm *giggles just the tiniest bit while nudging against Bevel with his crest* FakeProwl 8:45 pm Very well choreographed. *nods. yep. that's where he thought that was going.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:46 pm [[...Take the grenade out of your mouth, fool.]] FakeProwl 8:46 pm Spit it out. *shakes head. moron.* Swoop 8:47 pm *yawns and streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetches out* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:48 pm *Sees the dragon hasn't got a perch tonight. Motions to them and then the couch's arm?* Bevel 8:48 pm *is she gonna be turned into a mattress tonight?* Swoop 8:49 pm *yis* *is an excellent blanket, very toasty warm* Specs 8:49 pm *the dragon doesn't need to be asked twice. have the fanciest arm rest, soundwave. * FakeProwl 8:49 pm ... Has nobody noticed that the bat-shaped spotlight is shining from the police department's roof? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:49 pm [[What do you mean?]] *Soundwave stretches a feeler back toward the bar once the dragon has got comfy and pulls over a bowl filled with the kinds of food they said they eat. Zori was a busy bug today.* [[And these imitators are lucky they have not been hurt worse.]] FakeProwl 8:51 pm I mean, why is the mayor saying the police are close to an arrest when it SHOULD be obvious that the police is—I'd say "tacitly," but a spotlight isn't very tacit—the police is overtly calling on him to help do their job. Specs 8:51 pm For me? *that's a rhetorical question- who else eats that food here? but the dragon is astonished and delighted nonetheless* Thank you, Soundwave! Bevel 8:51 pm *Swoop being warm is gonna make her so uncomfortable since she runs hot herself but she'll tolerate it for a little while* FakeProwl 8:51 pm I mean, yes, politicians lie—but typically not that stupidly? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:52 pm [[You are welcome, dragon. It is the least we can do after so many of your contributions.]]

[[Perhaps he intends to - as the phrase goes - throw the police under the bus?]] Swoop 8:52 pm *unless Bevel erupts into flames, Swoop is going to consider this a very neutral room temperature and continue trying to get increasingly stronger scritches* FakeProwl 8:52 pm Hm. Maybe. *... looks around. not many people here this week.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm *Why on Earth is the servant human walking into a.... wow.* Specs 8:54 pm *the dragon loafs right up and starts snacking. she's pleased.* Bevel 8:54 pm *she'll just subtly sharpen the tips of her fingers for better skritches* Swoop 8:54 pm *is a happier lump now* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:55 pm *Glances down at the dragon.* [[What else would you require to be as comfortable here as our kind?]] Swoop 8:57 pm Him punch *sleepy* FakeProwl 8:57 pm Heh. Impressive show. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:57 pm [[Rather. [][][]Razzle-dazzle.[][][] But without the evidence tampering, he suspects.]] Bevel 8:57 pm That was great. Ha FakeProwl 8:58 pm ... Hm. He DOES say he "makes his own luck." I hope he's NOT referring to evidence tampering. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:58 pm [[There - he asked your question.]] Swoop 9:00 pm *giggles sleepily at the other sleepy person on screen* *points* *looks up at Bevel to see if she sees him point* FakeProwl 9:00 pm Hm. Internal Affairs. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm [[What is that?]] Bevel 9:00 pm *nods and grins* You gonna fall asleep too, Swoop? Swoop 9:01 pm NoOO Bevel 9:02 pm Ok. Swoop 9:02 pm ((ordinary citizen with $$$)) Specs 9:02 pm *the dragon looks even more surprised- and pleased* Well. Honestly, I am pretty comfortable as is. I had gotten used to eating beforehand, and it's not as though it's uncomfortable here for me... *she's already loafed up, or else she'd be the fuzziest arm rest around* I could bring my own cushions, but that seems a little rude... FakeProwl 9:03 pm The people in a police department who look into it when an officer is reported for wrongdoing. Swoop 9:03 pm *sees hand holding on the screen* *decides he wants to hold hands* *grabby hands at Bevel* FakeProwl 9:04 pm Arguably, the most important part of the department. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:04 pm [[Ah. Then the implication is that the police are still filled with corrupt members.]]

*Soundwave considers the bit about the cushions. He then nods and opens a bridge overhead. A bit of fishing around with a feeler and he's got some of the ones sent to him by anons in the past.*

[[You may use these. They catch on his points.]] Bevel 9:05 pm *Swoop can have her right hand* FakeProwl 9:05 pm Filled with corrupt members—and that Harvey Dent was responsible for investigating and prosecuting them. Swoop 9:05 pm *holds Bevels hand but looks at all the laughter on screen* FakeProwl 9:05 pm *BURSTS OUT LAUGHING* Specs 9:06 pm *the dragon perks up* Thank you! Thank you! *she flies up, ready to take the pillow from him* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:06 pm *Jumps slightly and huffs LOUD* FakeProwl 9:06 pm *claps hands over mouth* Bevel 9:06 pm *startled laugh at the trick* Swoop 9:06 pm *takes a second ot process what he just saw and then EXPLODES laughing before sinking back into being a toasty blanket* Smokescreen 9:06 pm /PFPF-/ Wait how much did I miss Bevel 9:07 pm Hey, Smokescreen! ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm [[Not very much. The Batman has imitators, the mayor pretends to want to arrest him, the - what was the abbreviation? District attorney? Wants to take down a mob, and this Joker is causing problems.]] FakeProwl 9:07 pm *he's still trying desperately to recover* Smokescreen 9:07 pm !! /Waving at Bevel! He was planning on sneaking in but this is fine./ ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm *Well, he's learned something new about Prowl's sense of humor today.* Swoop 9:07 pm *is a snuggle blanket holding Bevel's hand and watching the screen sideways* Smokescreen 9:07 pm Imitators? Like, people imitating batman or imitating like... Superhero stuff? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:08 pm [[Imitating Batman.]] Smokescreen 9:08 pm ..... Pff- Bevel 9:08 pm *she's sitting by the door with a Dinobot flopped across her lap and holding one of her hands, hard to not notice who enters* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:08 pm *Ah - and the dragon is welcome to pluck said cushion out of those claws. Missed that one.* FakeProwl 9:08 pm *it just—it—FWOOP. and the pencil was gone. tadaaa* Smokescreen 9:09 pm /Smokescreen's going to sit with Bevel and Swoop! These are friendly faces after all/ FakeProwl 9:09 pm *okay. okay. okay. he's recovering. okay. whoooo.* Swoop 9:09 pm *blinks owlishly at Smokescreen* Specs 9:09 pm *its GONE. her cushion now. the arm rest is now Soft™️ and Fancy™️* Bevel 9:09 pm *she'd been hoping to convince Chimera into a cuddle but Swoop is acceptable* Bevel 9:10 pm *shudders a little mentally now that she's actually thought about the "trick"* Specs 9:11 pm ((my mom finds the "the CIA had a program back in the 60's" the funniest part of this movie.)) Smokescreen 9:11 pm Cats? ... Is Catwoman in this one? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm @P: [[...He knows that you work to cover up your laughter, but - it IS good to see that again.]] Swoop 9:12 pm Pyeongchang is Olympics ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm *As close as he can get to "you're adorable"* Smokescreen 9:12 pm Oh yeah! How are the Olympics, Swoop? What are the olympic fights this time anyway ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm [[She is not until the next one.]]

((why does she find that funny?)) Smokescreen 9:12 pm ...... he's not dead is- oh Swoop 9:13 pm *sleepily* Me Swoop like Olympics ItsyBitsySpyers 9:13 pm [[One should never take for granted that a dead mortal enemy is dead.]] Smokescreen 9:13 pm /Patpatpat Swoop/ Bevel 9:13 pm You should always make sure. Smokescreen 9:13 pm That's the best advice I've ever heard from you Sounds Specs 9:13 pm ((mom used to work in logistics for the DOD, among other things. mom knows a lot of shit about government programs.)) ((mom has friends who I am actually forbidden to mention psychic powers to because they did accounting for MKUltra.)) ((it was That Bad from any way you put it)) Swoop 9:14 pm *leans into Smokescreen's patpats* *needs ALL the attention to make up for Bird not being here* FakeProwl 9:14 pm *he's trembling again* *TRYOUTS* Smokescreen 9:15 pm /Petpetpetpet Swoop. He likes giving attention so it works out!/ Specs 9:15 pm ((the tl;dr is unfortunately that "nothing in the american government works")) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm ((i'll buy that)) Smokescreen 9:15 pm ... Wait, that was a cell phone? How does it flip? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:16 pm [[It doesn't. Most now don't.]] [[...How clever.]] Smokescreen 9:16 pm Wait, really? Man- weird. Why not? The flipping seemed like fun. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:16 pm [[Though it does rely overmuch on an inattentive guard.]] Smokescreen 9:17 pm There are some really easily distracted guards out there, you know. /Not talking about himself, no way./ Bevel 9:17 pm *or a guard change if you want to be careful* Specs 9:18 pm ((augh this shit again. LET US KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, YOU COWARDS)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:18 pm *Folds his hands and rests his chin on them. He is most interested in seeing this next plan played out. The Bat human does come up with wild things.* FakeProwl 9:18 pm I think it's a very realistic expectation that the guard would accept that at face value and move on. Swoop 9:18 pm *perks up at someone jumping off a building* FakeProwl 9:18 pm He might have improved it by bringing a second person with him, on whom he could stand on the other side of having a conversation, so that the guard would be less likely to notice him pass. Swoop 9:18 pm Him swooping Specs 9:19 pm *the dragon perks up at this too* A human can fly? Swoop 9:19 pm *sleepy happy chitters* Specs 9:19 pm ((YES! SUBTITLES! BLESS!)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:19 pm ((specs - it depends on who does the captioning tbh. the company i have freelanced for does not allow you to translate. you have to write "speaking spanish" or "speaking foreign language" unless they pay to have a separate service done for the translation bit. they might also not have actually provided the translation to the captioner) FakeProwl 9:19 pm ((i wasn't looking, what did the subs say)) Specs 9:20 pm ((oh. well, that Sucks. I understand, but it sucks.)) Swoop 9:20 pm Explode ((literally everyone should know who batman is at this point. HOw many people ON PLANET EARTH could afford what just happened?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:21 pm [[Yes. It is always good to add a little insurance.]] *Re: the second person.* ((also idk what the subs say i was looking at the cats sorry ;;)) Specs 9:22 pm ((something about "where are the cops? what do we pay them for?")) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:22 pm [[The Joker correctly pegged him as a - "squealer".]] Swoop 9:23 pm What county is? FakeProwl 9:23 pm ((this is the same universe as superman, they might assume batman is a superhero, not a rich dude)) Smokescreen 9:23 pm County prison, I'm guessing? Swoop 9:23 pm what county Smokescreen 9:23 pm Uhhhh Bevel 9:23 pm Gotham? Smokescreen 9:24 pm Gotham's a city, not a county, right? Specs 9:24 pm Well. That's one way to do it. Bevel 9:24 pm *shrugs* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:24 pm [[A county is a small portion of a larger political area.]] FakeProwl 9:24 pm Well, she's dead. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:24 pm [[...Primus, they're trying that many at once!?]] Smokescreen 9:25 pm ... Clean streets? What does that have to do with this though Swoop 9:25 pm *bonks Bevel with the top of his helm* Specs 9:25 pm There's ambition, and then there's biting the flank of a sea serpent. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:25 pm *He's - he's honestly amazed at their nerve. And admiring. Some of those people probably got involved for reasons that could have been prevented if they didn't have the misfortune of slipping through assorted cracks, but some...* Bevel 9:25 pm Like New Praxus is a smaller part of Praxus? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:26 pm [[Something like that. He is not sure what makes a city different from a county. It is a human invention.]] Bevel 9:26 pm *blinks at Swoop, whaaaaat?* Smokescreen 9:26 pm Wait Harvey Dent Oh. OH. Bevel 9:26 pm No spoilers! ItsyBitsySpyers 9:26 pm @Sm: [[No spoilers.]] Smokescreen 9:26 pm I'm not gonna spoil anything! Swoop 9:26 pm *takes her hand and holes it up to his helm* FakeProwl 9:26 pm *glances at Soundwave* A county is several cities. Swoop 9:26 pm *is suddenly torn between scritches and holding hands* : < FakeProwl 9:27 pm A state is several counties. Bevel 9:27 pm *will wait for Swoop to decide* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:27 pm [[Hmm. Thank you. He will log that.]] Smokescreen 9:27 pm ... What's the difference between a state and a providence? Bevel 9:27 pm Thanks, Prowl. Swoop 9:27 pm *looks DISTRAUGHT up at Bevel* Smokescreen 9:28 pm provence Provence I mean frag Actually I'm not sure There's weird geographical terms on Earth Smokescreen 9:30 pm ............. That sure is a face of a bright future Bevel 9:30 pm *tries to pull her hand free so she can pet Swoop's helm then* Swoop 9:30 pm *lets her hand go but whines* Specs 9:30 pm *looks at smokescreen* I feel like you're somehow spoiling things without spoiling them. Smokescreen 9:30 pm Wait I don't mean to It's just like... I don't recognize that human's face at all. Bevel 9:31 pm *frowns at Smokescreen* Shhhhh. *caves to Swoop and offers him her left hand for holding* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:32 pm *Shifts a little. He's... feeling a little uneasy about this. The Joker has already proved that he thinks ahead.* Smokescreen 9:32 pm .... I'll try to keep quiet Swoop 9:32 pm *takes her and but still looks like a :C until the scritches start* Smokescreen 9:32 pm PROVINCES that's the term I was thinking of frag- are they just another word for states or something Bevel 9:32 pm Why would they have two words for the same thing? Smokescreen 9:33 pm Humans have a lot of words for the same thing Bevel 9:33 pm *have skritches Swoop* Specs 9:33 pm Oh no. Smokescreen 9:33 pm !! /Will help give Swoop scritches/ Swoop 9:33 pm *is getting x2 scritches and suddenly there is an explosion* *is still exhausted but is happier* Smokescreen 9:35 pm PPFPfff- can you imagine how those people are feeling? Just like "Man Bruce Wayne is so selfish!" Specs 9:35 pm I do believe that's the point, Smokescreen. Bevel 9:36 pm This is a different story. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:36 pm *This isn't the same story as the last time. Is he pulling a Garak?* Smokescreen 9:36 pm I know. but it's pretty funny to think about Swoop 9:36 pm KNife Smokescreen 9:37 pm knifeboot Specs 9:37 pm Oh, knifeboots. Classic humans! Bevel 9:37 pm That is a good place to keep a knife. Swoop 9:37 pm jump Specs 9:38 pm Hm, he doesn't seem to be flying this time. Swoop 9:40 pm *perks up* *he heard the word burn* *what are we doing* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:41 pm [[...How do you get fingerprints from a shattered bullet embedded in stone.]] FakeProwl 9:42 pm By removing and reconstructing it. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:42 pm [[Have you done that? What he is doing.]] Specs 9:43 pm Someone's going to get in trouble, or a new job. Ah, bribery. Trouble, then. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:43 pm *HARD TREMBLING.* [[/Amateur./]] FakeProwl 9:43 pm Indeed. Specs 9:43 pm *THAT gets an ugly laugh from the dragon* Bevel 9:43 pm That did not go over well. FakeProwl 9:44 pm *huffs* Smokescreen 9:44 pm Pffff- That's why no one connects the dots, I'm guessing Swoop 9:44 pm *didn't follow the scene but giggles at the guy's face before leaning back into Bevel's hand* FakeProwl 9:44 pm Reconstructed a bullet? Mentally, not physically. Never to find a "fingerprint." *covers audials* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:45 pm *Is still shaking a little. He cannot -believe- that human was foolish enough to - to-- just the going about it in person was bad enough; the rest of the idea--* *Will make a note to limit bagpipe music around Prowl as soon as he finishes recovering.* [[What - what did you find? Reconstructing.]] *And mentally. Wow...* Bevel 9:47 pm Humans can trace bullets back to their guns and stuff, right? Can we do that? Specs 9:48 pm Oh. Swoop 9:48 pm Me Swoop have gun FakeProwl 9:48 pm Of course we can. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm *Oh. A sacrifice?* Bevel 9:49 pm Blasters? Not bullets. Swoop 9:49 pm Dinobots have swords FakeProwl 9:50 pm Among other things, I reconstructed them to find the shape and size of the bullet. Actually reassembling the bullet is a far more reliable way to figure out its caliber than guessing based on the damage it leaves behind. Specs 9:50 pm ((ow. withdrawal + these lights is not a great thing)) Smokescreen 9:50 pm You got a sword? I've got a practice one- they're pretty cool, right? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm ((i'm sorry ;;)) FakeProwl 9:51 pm *looks down.* And yes, blasterfire can be traced back much the same way as bulletfire. Slightly different process. Bevel 9:51 pm I have a lot of swords, Swoop. Specs 9:51 pm ((it's not your fault! it's not like you stole my medicine, lol)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:51 pm [[...He isn't.]] Swoop 9:51 pm *looks sleepily amazed at Bevel* Bevel 9:52 pm Could you trace back blasters built into someone? *sorry Prowl she's curious* Blasters leave energy traces behind, right? *skritches Swoop some more and grins* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:53 pm *Shakes his helm.* FakeProwl 9:54 pm It depends. Some blasters, even inbuilt blasters, are mass-produced. If there are no aftermarket changes... *falls silent* *that was not okay, Dent.* *that was very unacceptable.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:56 pm [[...What assurance does he have that the Joker will stop if he stops?]] Smokescreen 9:56 pm ... What kind of aftermarket changes are you talking about? FakeProwl 9:56 pm He has none. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:56 pm [[If the Joker simply wants to watch the world burn, why not unmask him and then keep going?]] Specs 9:56 pm Exactly. FakeProwl 9:56 pm I suspect he's run the math. Bevel 9:56 pm *but if there were... most of the built-in blasters she's seen have been modified in some way but all of them draw on energon the same way everything else does so... she's thinking* FakeProwl 9:56 pm There's a five percent chance Joker will stop if he turns himself in. There's a zero percent chance Joker will stop if he doesn't. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:57 pm [[Hmm.]] *Those are some long odds.* *Glances over at Bevel. Why is she thinking so hard about blasters? Is she in trouble for something he somehow hasn't heard about...?* Smokescreen 9:59 pm Harvey Specs 9:59 pm *blinks* Swoop 9:59 pm ((the very cleft chin makes that hard to buy, buddy, but good try)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:59 pm *Tilts his helm.* Bevel 9:59 pm *one hopes not, Soundwave, but she's not saying anything for now* Swoop 10:00 pm *this is too quiet for him* *starts shifting this way and that to get comfortable for sleep time* Specs 10:00 pm ...Why do humans DO that? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:01 pm [[A kiss is not a sufficient answer to that question.]] FakeProwl 10:01 pm Ah. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:01 pm [[...Ahhhh.]] Smokescreen 10:01 pm P-pfpff Specs 10:01 pm Oh! That's. Wow. Smokescreen 10:01 pm I kinda like this Harvey so far Bevel 10:01 pm So he was not going to shoot that human either way. FakeProwl 10:01 pm I would like to point out that that does not excuse the fact that he was interrogating a prisoner with a gun to his head. Smokescreen 10:01 pm Did he have to get that coin custom-made Specs 10:02 pm No, he wasn't. Smokescreen 10:02 pm how long was he waiting for someone to notice that gag Bevel 10:02 pm ((mmm i love these chicago chase scenes so much FakeProwl 10:02 pm The fact that he wasn't going to shoot him doesn't make such behavior any more acceptable. He made him fear for his life. Bevel 10:02 pm *nods* FakeProwl 10:03 pm Such torture interrogation methods are both ineffective AND immoral. Swoop 10:03 pm *hears crashing noises and peaks one optic open* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:03 pm [[No, the general population would not accept that as a reason.]]

[[He has seen such coins before. Cybertronian, of course. He does not know how they were acquired. Jackpot disliked telling his secrets, even under duress.]] FakeProwl 10:03 pm *sharp laugh* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:03 pm [[And Vortex was not as competent as he liked people to believe.]] Bevel 10:03 pm Torture is a bad interrogation method. *doesn't work and y'know it's really wrong* Swoop 10:03 pm *sleepy giggles* FakeProwl 10:04 pm *Sorry, the—"he's going to need something a lot bigger"—and then something a lot bigger* Specs 10:04 pm *blinks* Please tell me that "Jackpot" was not a counterfeiter. Please. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:04 pm [[Not at all. He was a gambler.]] Specs 10:05 pm There is something very wrong with Primus' sense of humor. Smokescreen 10:05 pm A gambler? Like- that's what he did? Is that just... Something you can do, just like that? Swoop 10:05 pm Him Smokescreen *yawns* gamble ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm *Shrugs.* [[He claimed to have made a living off of it before the war.]]

*Looks at Swoop. So he's heard those rumors too, has he?* Smokescreen 10:06 pm Yours does? I've been thinking about going by some casinos my Dad owns- maybe I'm just destined to do it after all! ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm [[...How is he going to catch them on foot?]] Smokescreen 10:06 pm run very very fast? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm [[......Oh. Never mind.]] Swoop 10:06 pm *sleepy blinks at Smokescreen, making no connection to anything he just said* FakeProwl 10:06 pm *watching that vehicle explode was inexplicably satisfying.* Smokescreen 10:06 pm ... What does your me look like, Swoop? Swoop 10:06 pm Blue FakeProwl 10:06 pm *goodbye forever, you ugly hunk of junk.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm *Puffing. That's going to stay with those newbuilds for a while isn't it.* Specs 10:07 pm Oh, that looks painful. Smokescreen 10:08 pm Blue? Just... Blue? Wait, did he look liiiiiike- /Quickly switching to his own blue paint job- maybe Swoop's in a similar universe somehow?/ Specs 10:08 pm *the dragon licks at the joints of her wings. just IMAGINING how it might feel to get clotheslined by metal wires is freaking her out.* Swoop 10:08 pm *points at Smokescreen's chest* Blue Smokescreen 10:08 pm Oh! Cool! Then it's definitely destined for me, neat! ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm *Watches the dragon. Offers a hand?*

[[...That is an -incredibly- ill-advised move.]] Bevel 10:08 pm Is there a me in your universe, Swoop? *curious, she's only found one other Bevel before and it was not... not technically an alternate* Smokescreen 10:08 pm ... Do you know if he's actually any good at the whole gambling thing? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:09 pm [[Though it does seem to have turned out well.]] Swoop 10:09 pm *looks back and forth between Bevel and Smokescreen* *yaaaaaaaawwwns* FakeProwl 10:09 pm Hah! Bevel 10:09 pm *skritches some more* Swoop 10:10 pm *chirps and closes his optics* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:10 pm *...Must get a modification like that for his visor.* *SITS UP* Smokescreen 10:10 pm Wait Gordon is ItsyBitsySpyers 10:10 pm [[The Gordon human lives?]] Bevel 10:10 pm Yay! FakeProwl 10:10 pm Aha. Clever. Smokescreen 10:10 pm How Specs 10:10 pm *the dragon shakes herself a bit, and chirps at Soundwave- and is then distracted by RANDOM DEAD GUY LIVING* What? Smokescreen 10:12 pm but what if he escapes that fast FakeProwl 10:12 pm *... snrrk.* Specs 10:12 pm *snickers* A dragon would bite him for that. Smokescreen 10:12 pm ...... FakeProwl 10:12 pm *why is the joker so funny.* Swoop 10:13 pm *because anarchists are the best dontcha know prowl* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm *Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. They did this with Vehicons a few times.* FakeProwl 10:14 pm *no no, most anarchists aren't funny at all.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm [[Heh.]] Smokescreen 10:15 pm HEH was he here the whole time ItsyBitsySpyers 10:15 pm [[Evidently.]] Smokescreen 10:16 pm ... Hey, I don't know if rich humans have teleportation devices or something Specs 10:16 pm ((...I just watched the cat open my minifridge and start poaching my chicken nuggets)) ((I'm glad to know that her lack of appetite is not due to sickness?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:17 pm ((that is one clever cat)) FakeProwl 10:18 pm *... would really like to see the Joker proven wrong about people. Would really like the movie to say he's wrong.* Specs 10:18 pm ((it's also a cheap fridge and the nuggets weren't secured.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:19 pm *Folded hands again.* Bevel 10:20 pm *tries to gently pull her hands away from Swoop* Swoop 10:20 pm *the sleeeeepiest of whines* Bevel 10:20 pm ... Specs 10:20 pm ... *hisses* FakeProwl 10:20 pm They should have listened to his complaints much earlier. Bevel 10:21 pm *Christmas lights... lights. Oh no.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:21 pm [[You have no idea.]] Smokescreen 10:21 pm That cop is pretty awful ugh ........ Specs 10:22 pm ((I have now taped my fridge shut)) Bevel 10:22 pm *shooshes Swoop quietly and pulls her hands away, she needs to get a datapad* Specs 10:22 pm ((this is what my life is like now. a taped fridge.)) Swoop 10:22 pm *rests his head on Bevel's chest and makes sleepy sad borb noises* Smokescreen 10:23 pm .... Specs 10:23 pm ... ItsyBitsySpyers 10:23 pm *And there it is.* Smokescreen 10:23 pm Why does everyone have to put these things in other people Specs 10:24 pm He's too foul for the Eaten. FakeProwl 10:24 pm ... Impressive bomb for such a small space. Smokescreen 10:24 pm why do you gotta put keys or phones or whatever inside someone why is that something you think "I NEED to do that" Bevel 10:24 pm 😔 Swoop 10:25 pm *doesn't online his optics but giggles at the sounds of exploding* Smokescreen 10:25 pm ... the marvel cinematic universe? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm [[Most mechs have more free space inside of them than they expect.]] Smokescreen 10:25 pm Trust me, Sounds, I know. Bevel 10:25 pm *shushes Swoop, not the explosion to laugh at* Smokescreen 10:26 pm That space is kinda helpful as a second subspace though FakeProwl 10:26 pm *... monogamy is still weird.* Specs 10:27 pm A coelom is a terrible thing to have. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:27 pm [[Coelom?]] Swoop 10:27 pm *snuggles closer to Bevel, sighs and relaxes into sleepy land* Specs 10:28 pm ...I guess it's an organic subspace? But you don't put things in it. Because that kills people. Bevel 10:28 pm *sadly starts poking at her blaster idea on the datapad she pulled out with her dinobot blanket* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:28 pm [[Ah. Like the bomb.]] Specs 10:28 pm Like the bomb. Smokescreen 10:28 pm Man, humans don't have nearly enough subspaces. We barely get enough space either- but humans have almost nothing. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:29 pm *Soundave pings Bevel. Concern ping.* Specs 10:29 pm When you're made of meat, you can't really put things in the meat. Meat needs to be meat. Smokescreen 10:30 pm ....... Bevel 10:30 pm *pings Soundwave back curiously* Smokescreen 10:30 pm Show his face come on! Show the face of the future of gotham there we go yeppp ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm *Recoils a little in disgust. Eurgh. Exposed organic insides.* FakeProwl 10:31 pm ... I'm fairly certain that ought to be bandaged. What kind of terrible hospital is this. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm [[It was. He tore the bandage away.]] Smokescreen 10:31 pm Gotham has terrible services all around Specs 10:31 pm *the dragon's face is FIRMLY beneath her tail now.* Swoop 10:31 pm ((I love how he looks in this movie but that boy gonna die of infection)) Smokescreen 10:32 pm ... They did say he refused them- why wouldn't they just sneak one on? Specs 10:32 pm ((infection, necrosis, just generally having exposed bones...)) Smokescreen 10:32 pm Is there just a pile of removed bandages under his pillow or something ItsyBitsySpyers 10:32 pm @B: [[Are you all right?]] Specs 10:32 pm You can't exactly "sneak" a skin graft onto a person. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:33 pm [[Mechs must have the right to decide their medical future... even if their decision is. Disagreeable.]] [[...Wasn't the Lau human on the top of that pile?]] FakeProwl 10:33 pm Yes, he was. Smokescreen 10:33 pm They do? Specs 10:35 pm *blinks at smokescreen* Did you not? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm [[Do you want random strangers deciding what medical procedures you are and are not allowed to have? You already resent the key implanted in you. Would you like them to decide you don't deserve your fuel pump?]] Smokescreen 10:36 pm I mean, I've been kinda dragged into medical care a number of times. I mean, sure, it was a good idea, but I probably wouldn't have gone myself. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm [[Or to have fun finding out if swapping your gears will leave you functional without asking you permission?]] Smokescreen 10:38 pm I don't want that, Sounds- It sounds like a good idea to have it be a right, I just didn't know it was actually a norm. Specs 10:38 pm *blinks at smokescreen again* That's actually concerning. Bevel 10:38 pm @SW: *looks at him from across the room, confused, before she remembers he's probably picked up on what she is thinking* Built-in blasters use energon to power them. If you pull energon from someone it has traces of their spark energy for a little while. Can we trace that like we do bullets and non-modified blasters? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm @B: [[...He has no idea. Prowl might.]] *And if not, he might be intrigued anyway.* [[That fleshbag is absolutely a schemer.]] FakeProwl 10:39 pm Oh, don't listen to that rubbish. *talking to the screen.* Smokescreen 10:39 pm Does it really sound that bad? I mean- I think there was probably one time where it ended really bad, but for the most part, medics are usually trying to help and know a little bit better about how your frame will maybe not die. Bevel 10:40 pm @SW: Do you think he would mind me asking? You got worried and Prowl does not like me very much. He might think I was trying to do something bad. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:40 pm *Points at the screen.* [[That part is somewhat true. Not quite in the way he explained it. But it is.]] FakeProwl 10:41 pm Wow. What a novel thought. Introduce a little chaos and things become chaos. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:41 pm [[No, no. Not that. The plan part.]] @B: [[He did not know why you looked worried. And Prowl may not like you, but if he has not told you never to speak to him, it is worth being curious. If cautious and respectful. Perhaps explain your reasons as you ask.]] FakeProwl 10:42 pm His "plan" argument is nonsense. ... pffp. *the button thing.* *he's going to control himself this time. he's fine.* Bevel 10:43 pm @SW: Ok, if you are sure. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:45 pm [[Not entirely. Mechs rarely cared when low-caste and no-caste bots were destroyed or murdered. That was considered acceptable and normal. When they kidnapped Sentinel, however, suddenly everyone--]]

*His thought stalls. It's been interrupted by the sight of that 'telecomunications project'.* [[...Were those screens...?]] *Soft vent of admiration.* [[They -are.-]] FakeProwl 10:46 pm Exactly. They rarely cared when /low-caste/ and /no-caste/ bots were destroyed or murdered. Not because it's part of a "plan." It's got nothing to do with "plans." It's got to do with who society values. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:47 pm *...Quietly getting Ideas.* FakeProwl 10:47 pm Shooting the people that will make everyone panic most is not how you solve that problem. *looks at Soundwave.* No. Bevel 10:48 pm @Prowl: Hey, Prowl, can I ask another question about blaster tracing? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:48 pm *Looks at Prowl with a sharp helm turn that clearly marks his guilt.* [[...It would be useful.]] Specs 10:49 pm *the dragon grins* Do it, Soundwave. Smokescreen 10:49 pm Don't encourage Sounds Specs 10:50 pm Can't hurt. u_u FakeProwl 10:50 pm So would going into the neighborhoods with the top five highest crime rates, lining the citizens up against a wall, and shooting them in the head one by one. "Useful" does not mean "acceptable." ItsyBitsySpyers 10:51 pm *...Can't think of an argument. Is quiet.* *Will sit and watch this boat situation while Bevel asks. At least, he thinks she asked. He felt a comm signal.* Bevel 10:52 pm Oh no. FakeProwl 10:52 pm *might have missed bevel's question. he's fully focused on the movie.* Smokescreen 10:54 pm ... So isn't this the railroad track philosophical thing? Bevel 10:54 pm I bet they have their own switches. He just said it was for the other boat. *she's focused on the movie now, she'll ask again when things calm down* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm [[Not... quite?]] Smokescreen 10:56 pm I mean- it's like... Whether or not everyone'll be offlined, or if one boat will be but the other people are responsible for that death FakeProwl 10:59 pm *disgusted at how quickly and easily dent fell* Specs 10:59 pm *to be fair, pain is one HELL of a drug* FakeProwl 11:00 pm *physical or emotional, no excuse.* Specs 11:01 pm *fair enough* FakeProwl 11:01 pm *mutters* He named himself Batman because he got attacked by bats. And he's just spent this whole movie getting attacked by dogs. Next movie he's going to be calling himself the Dober-man. Smokescreen 11:02 pm ALSO Also Sounds- you got any plans of showing the really really old Batman movie? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:02 pm *Tries not to huff. Fails.* Smokescreen 11:02 pm .... /Trying not to laugh/ ItsyBitsySpyers 11:02 pm *Edges forward.* Bevel 11:02 pm *lowers her datapad to really focus on the movie* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm [[He did it once before.]] Smokescreen 11:03 pm You did? Aww, I missed it. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm *Oh, quiet again. Are they going to give it to the criminal...?* FakeProwl 11:03 pm Hah! Specs 11:03 pm *the dragon chirps. excellent move!* Bevel 11:03 pm *shrieks happily* FakeProwl 11:03 pm *that was a triumphant hah* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:04 pm *SCOOT* Smokescreen 11:04 pm COME ON don't hurt them good FakeProwl 11:04 pm HAH! *fist pump* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:04 pm *Slumps backward slowly.* Bevel 11:04 pm *cheers* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:05 pm *He's - glad. That neither boat chose to--*

[[No. No, no. Both sides were at peace. Don't let--]] Smokescreen 11:05 pm about time bruce FakeProwl 11:05 pm ... Of course, to their knowledge, they just doomed two boats instead of one, but. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:08 pm *Slumps further.* [[They live. Good.]] *Oh, but Dent. And up again.* FakeProwl 11:10 pm Oh, you poor, petty, weak little thing! You lost the person you love most! How TERRIBLE! Come back when you've lost your top hundred and talk about how it's impossible to be decent when you've lost that! ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm *Slow glance.* Specs 11:11 pm *flattens out, and makes a mental note not to piss off prowl EVER* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm @P: [[Top hundred?]] Smokescreen 11:11 pm Rachel lost her life you aft ... He wasn't THAT good even FakeProwl 11:11 pm You pathetic, fragile thing. Smokescreen 11:12 pm And like... Considering Batman lost his family, it really doesn't hold up ItsyBitsySpyers 11:12 pm *Not the newbuild. Not the newbuild.* Bevel 11:12 pm *whines, no not the kid* Smokescreen 11:17 pm a dork knight Specs 11:17 pm ... ItsyBitsySpyers 11:18 pm [[There is one more part to that tale, but he will not play it for a couple of weeks. He has something else in mind for next time.]] Bevel 11:18 pm What is it? Specs 11:18 pm Thank you for the movie night, Soundwave. *the dragon is still flat and subdued, but that was a dark ending.* Smokescreen 11:18 pm Oooh? What kinda thing? Can we have a hint? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:18 pm [[No hints. He doesn't know, himself. Rumble has been previewing these, not him.]] [[And you are welcome, dragon.]] FakeProwl 11:18 pm *deep breath in. heavy sigh. all right. he's done being angry at dent.* Bevel 11:19 pm Oh ok. Smokescreen 11:19 pm Awww. Fine. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:19 pm [[But... he thinks he knows something that can take the edge off the night. He found a short tape from a most unusual universe recently.]] Smokescreen 11:19 pm You did? What kinda universe? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:19 pm [[It is. Difficult to describe.]] Swoop 11:20 pm *is going to be a blanket for bevel or the floor, whichever works* (night!)) Specs 11:20 pm ... Smokescreen 11:20 pm ........ Romanticons Bevel 11:20 pm ... FakeProwl 11:20 pm @Soundwave «More, undoubtedly. To get an exact number I'd have to go through everyone I know and like who's been killed and rank them against everyone else I knew at the time to see how highly they were ranked.» Bevel 11:20 pm Cyberheart. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:21 pm *Shudders. What an alternate.* Smokescreen 11:21 pm I'll have to call my Megs a Romanticon later- I'm sure he'll LOVE it Feeljack Bevel 11:21 pm Flirtimus. *giggles* FakeProwl 11:22 pm @Soundwave «I wasn't going to do that math while I was shouting at the screen. It's definitely over a hundred.» *stares at screen. slowly grimaces in pain.* Smokescreen 11:22 pm And Hugatron ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm *...He wants to be horrified, but he set up these two once before. Other versions of them anyway.* Bevel 11:22 pm *covers her face oh ew no* FakeProwl 11:23 pm *full on disgusted scowl* ... That was unpleasant. Smokescreen 11:23 pm Also also Sounds- I can give you some documentaries from that one universe I mentioned to you if you want Bevel 11:23 pm That was gross. Smokescreen 11:24 pm That gave me way too many new nicknames for Megs Specs 11:24 pm *the dragon rolls over onto her belly and plays dead* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm [[Wasn't it just.]]

@Prowl: [[He is - that is a large number.]] *He can't apologize. He's not the one who killed them. And he doesn't know why they died. But Prowl is upset, and he knows how much his few hurt him, so... at least an acknowledgment.* [[May there be no more for a long time.]] [[And now that he is no longer suffering the knowledge of that timeline alone, you may talk amongst yourselves for a short while. He has music he would like to hear.]]

[[Smokescreen - he will take those documentaries later.]] FakeProwl 11:27 pm @Soundwave «Yes, well. There were a large number of deaths. A war happened.» @Soundwave «... "May there be no more for a long time." Bit of a self-serving wish, isn't it?» ItsyBitsySpyers 11:27 pm @P: [[No less sincere, for that.]] Specs 11:28 pm It's amazing that you managed to find a video that being shot is preferable to watching. *the dragon is fleeing now, before he finds another one* Good night! See you next time. 😄 Smokescreen 11:28 pm Aww, night Specs. FakeProwl 11:28 pm *okay they're singing about quantum theory now, he's watching the screen.* Bevel 11:28 pm *ok, now that the movie is over... oh right, Prowl never replied. she's gonna hope he was distracted by the movie since it got so tense there at the end* Smokescreen 11:28 pm ... Did Swoop already fall into recharge Bevel 11:29 pm @Prowl: Can I ask you another question about tracing built-in blasters? *nudges Swoop a little from where he's passed out against her* Yes. FakeProwl 11:29 pm ... They're singing. *that's his only reply to bevel right now, he's trying to keep up with the lyrics.* Bevel 11:29 pm ...*ok, she'll wait* Bevel 11:31 pm *she can also message him later after the movie over comm channels when there's no science music* *or moral quandries in movie form* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm *...The tiniest headbangs. It is tradition.* Bevel 11:32 pm *giggles, she saw that* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:33 pm *Shh. Shh. It's not dancing in public. It doesn't count.* ((AND NOW MY FAVORITE it's been in my head for like. two weeks)) FakeProwl 11:34 pm ... Right. Built-in blasters. What? Bevel 11:34 pm Yeah! FakeProwl 11:34 pm *... or maybe not. slowly looks back at the screen.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm ((i'm cackling)) Smokescreen 11:35 pm /Staring- he wants to kind of understand organics a little bit!/ Smokescreen 11:35 pm Sounds, is all this stuff true? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:37 pm *Nodding while swaying.* Smokescreen 11:37 pm /Can't help but laugh a little seeing Sounds sway./ Bevel 11:38 pm *claps* FakeProwl 11:38 pm *prowl just learned SO MUCH about evolution* Bevel 11:38 pm I will ask later, Prowl. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:38 pm [[...Perhaps he should see about adding these to the curriculum...]] FakeProwl 11:38 pm *distracted nod* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:39 pm *Feeler claws clicking. Why not.* Smokescreen 11:39 pm You think this kinda thing would be good for teaching for sure? Bevel 11:39 pm *amused ping to Soundwave so he knows she's not annoyed or bothered that he's found some neat music to distract Prowl from what she's trying to ask* FakeProwl 11:39 pm ((... did he sing this song backwards)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm [[Music and lyrics tend to be easily remembered for many beings. It would feed them the information in a way such mechs could remember easier than blocks of text.]] [[It would not work for all, but - for some.]] FakeProwl 11:40 pm ((or at least lip sync it backwards for the video)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm ((i think so)) FakeProwl 11:40 pm ((that's amazing)) Bevel 11:40 pm ((That's impressive Smokescreen 11:41 pm Yeah, I definitely agree with that! Having other options for learning stuff would be helpful, at least. Videos, texts, activities they can do... That kinda thing's important. Bevel 11:42 pm And they keep using music that is catchy so can follow along really easily. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:43 pm *Helm bob.* [[He agrees. All must be given a chance for more than they were offered by the broken systems present before.]]

[[He will play four more. Then he must retire for the night.]] Bevel 11:43 pm *hums along to the music* Smokescreen 11:44 pm Absolutely! I have a few different things in my own plans, but these kinda specific resources wouldn't be hard to include at all. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:44 pm *Motions to Bevel and Smokescreen.* [[The both of you are free to dance if you wish.]] Smokescreen 11:44 pm It's hard to dance and watch though! /One of his legs has been wiggling in time though!/ ItsyBitsySpyers 11:44 pm *Nods. That's fair. Just offering the option; he knows it is hard for him not to move with it.* Bevel 11:44 pm I do not know the moves though. Smokescreen 11:45 pm ... Man this part is great for valentines day Bevel 11:46 pm *claps in time, that's easy* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:46 pm [[He will not tell anyone that if you don't.]] *To Bevel. Soft huff.* Bevel 11:46 pm *grins* Smokescreen 11:46 pm ... This just applies to organics, I'm guessing, right? /Mostly looking at Bevel- he's not asking Soundwave anything like that after last time/ FakeProwl 11:47 pm *waits till they're between songs to say,* @Soundwave «Unless you have objections, I'm staying the night.» Bevel 11:48 pm I think so, yeah. *nods to Smokescreen* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm @Prowl: [[...Why would he object?]] *Taking moments as he can have them, remember? Especially right now.* [[Please, do.]] FakeProwl 11:49 pm @Soundwave «I don't know. Work? Emergencies? A desire to actually get some sleep tonight?» Smokescreen 11:49 pm That makes sense! Can't say I ever heard this kinda thing with us before. Bevel 11:49 pm I mean, um, Cybertronians are not carbon-based lifeforms like most organics, so I think a lot of this stuff might not apply to us really. Smokescreen 11:49 pm Yeah, that's what I was guessing, but having someone to back me up is nice! Bevel 11:50 pm *grins* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:51 pm @Prowl: [[...He plans most of his Mondays hoping he will have the opportunity to spend those nights with you. Next morning's work and rest cycles are planned with respect to that wish. Emergencies will be what they are when they want to be what they are; he will deal with them if they interrupt. When he needs the night to himself, he will let you know - and as politely as he can.]] Smokescreen 11:52 pm OH OH OH FakeProwl 11:52 pm *there's no break between these videos. they're going to kill prowl. he's going to die sitting here with his optics wide fixed on the screen* Smokescreen 11:52 pm /He can't help but dance to this one!/ ItsyBitsySpyers 11:53 pm *Not quite the little death he'd hoped to cause, to be honest.* FakeProwl 11:53 pm *... okay this one's catchy but it's not teaching hm anything new about science. just about how humans find it.* *he's going to TRY to focus on something other than the song, Soundwave's got a pending message.* FakeProwl 11:55 pm *never mind, two people are singing at once now.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:56 pm *Soundwave records Smokescreen's dancing. He's already got the song.* Smokescreen 11:57 pm /If you wanted dancing footage any Disney related music would work- Still, he's having a blast dancing and humming along to this!/ Yesterday Smokescreen 11:58 pm /Okay now he can't help but kinda sing along- waiting for the subtitles can be tricky!/ Bevel 12:00 am *best way to get her to dance would be to literally just put up videos of people dancing* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:00 am @P: [[Oh - this last one, he thought you might like. Specifically.]] FakeProwl 12:01 am @Soundwave «As opposed to the others??» ItsyBitsySpyers 12:01 am *Tiny motion to the screen. He'll see.* Smokescreen 12:02 am !! /He's not sitting down, he can keep dancing to this./ ItsyBitsySpyers 12:05 am *Streeeetch.* Bevel 12:05 am That was fun. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:05 am [[Good. He would have been disappointed if it'd bored you all.]] Smokescreen 12:05 am That wasn't too bad, Sounds! /Finally stops dancing./ Bevel 12:06 am People should sing education stuff all the time. *now knows more about some subjects than she did before!* FakeProwl 12:06 am *well, for prowl, that was more a history lesson than a science or math lesson. still, good to learn about one of Earth's geniuses.* *okay now he's got to mentally rewind to whatever it was soundwave said however-long-ago and reply to it. where was it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am *Oh, he expected Prowl knew the math itself already. It was meant to be history.*

[[They do. There is an entire Schoolhouse of Rock out there as well.]] Smokescreen 12:07 am They have an entire schoolhouse like this? That's pretty amazing! ItsyBitsySpyers 12:07 am [[So he is led to believe.]] Bevel 12:07 am That sounds awesome. Smokescreen 12:08 am That sounds amazing- kinda like... A dance school, but it actually teaches you other things too or something? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:09 am [[Perhaps. He thinks there may be a second one not located in a housing building, but must do more research.]] FakeProwl 12:09 am *okay he found it.* @Soundwave «... Ah. Good. Then I have hope you've also planned for the possibility of not getting much recharge.» ItsyBitsySpyers 12:12 am @Prowl: [[He may not see as far as you can]] yet [[but he -is- capable of predicting -that- response to his promised research.]] *Sheurmiours.* Bevel 12:13 am Soundwave. Can I have some help? *she's gonna dump Swoop off her and figures he probably doesn't want the sleeping dinobot just left on the floor* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:14 am [[And now he must take care of cleaning the place. Those of you in need of transports home, simply ask Chimera.]]

[[Bevel, he asks that you take Swoop home through a bridge to his world before we return you to New Praxus.]] Smokescreen 12:15 am Thanks for the show, Sounds. You need any help cleaning up the snacks before I leave? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:15 am [[No, no. The matter of cleanup has already been arranged.]] Smokescreen 12:16 am ... Can I still take some of the snacks? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:16 am [[Do so quickly.]] FakeProwl 12:16 am *prowl's already getting up to help clean. arranged-shmarranged he wants soundwave free ASAP* *steering away from the snacks.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:16 am *Now who said HE was going to be the one cleaning it? He knows two pranksters who are still in trouble for the dating apps.* Smokescreen 12:16 am Thanks! And- I'm getting that one thing checked out soon. /Going over and immediately stuffing his face./ ItsyBitsySpyers 12:16 am [[Good. About time.]] FakeProwl 12:17 am *until Prowl's corrected, he's helping clean.* Bevel 12:17 am Sure, Soundwave. Smokescreen 12:17 am Is it, uh- easy for someone to tell how recent one of those marks might be? Bevel 12:17 am *will do just that, once she remembers how to maneuver a bot that's mostly all limbs* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:18 am *He'll let Prowl carry on until the other two have gone. It'll cover for the 'arranged cleaning' bit.*

[[It should be.]]

*Will help stand Swoop up if Bevel needs.* Smokescreen 12:19 am Okay, cool. Thanks. /Grabbing an armful of snacks before he finally starts to go home/ Bevel 12:20 am *appreciated, she'll haul him back to his home universe and catch a bridge directly to New Praxus from there instead of coming back to the club* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:20 am *nods to Smokescreen and Bevel* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:22 am [[All right. You can stop that now. It's the twins' job tonight.]] FakeProwl 12:23 am Which twins? *Laserbeak is going to murder them if she has to clean so Soundwave can get laid with Prowl.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:24 am [[The two who aren't allowed to hear the missing salacious details he would like to know.]] FakeProwl 12:24 am ... Aha. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:25 am *Nod.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:26 am [[Shall we? You can whisper them to him once we are upstairs.]] *Pauses. Considers the gift.* *...Maybe not just yet. Prowl hasn't said anything about a decision about whether to stay or go.* FakeProwl 12:28 am *Prowl thought he'd already clarified his decision.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:28 am *No, no. The OTHER decision.* FakeProwl 12:28 am *What other decision?* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:29 am *The big one. Capital letter D, regarding the uncertainty of their future after the lie to Smokescreen.* FakeProwl 12:29 am *Yes, that's the decision Prowl thought he'd already clarified.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:34 am *Evidently Soundwave didn't understand that memo. He'll just have to bite the bullet and ask next week.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:39 am *No. No. He's asking now. It's too much on his spark otherwise. He's not used to the strain of this kind of worry yet.*

[[...Does this mean he will not have to go? Like we spoke of the other night.]] FakeProwl 12:40 am ... I wouldn't be inviting you to interface if I was actively considering whether or not to dump you. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:42 am *Blip of alarm. But, like. In a good way. There's a bright blue set of scattered glyphs on his screen that mean assorted things like 'surprise' and 'delight' and 'contentment' and 'excitement'. Maybe a half dozen others.* FakeProwl 12:42 am I thought I'd— *... maybe he hadn't.* I want to stay with you, until and unless I determine that I no longer should. That doesn't mean the status of our relationship is in limbo. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:45 am [[He still hopes that doesn't---]] *Shakes his helm. He made that clear the other time.* [[But that is - it's good. He is... happy. Knowing that it is not in limbo at this moment.]] FakeProwl 12:46 am *... should he mention that he had to think hard about it, for a little bit?* *... no. he knows.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:47 am *Yes. He definitely knows. He wouldn't have been so concerned otherwise.*

*He shuffles over to Prowl as quickly as he can move without officially breaking out of his usual pace and holds his hands out in a cupping position before pointing at Prowl. Imitate him, please.* FakeProwl 12:48 am *Hm? Okay. Cupping position.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:53 am *Soundwave had only knelt in front of Prowl once before, when offering Jazz's old and beaten virus as a way to reassure Prowl that he would never tear into Prowl's mind the way others had done.*

*It was not a pose he adopted lightly. It couldn't be; not for an ex-gladiator and carrier unit. To submit to somebody was to grant them temporary control of his life, and by extension, the lives of those under his protection. He hadn't fought for millions of years to escape from being owned or crushed beneath other mechs' wheels only to hand such a privilege to every unworthy spark in an attractive shell. He would rather be beaten until he couldn't pick himself up off the ground, then spit on their feet for good measure.*

*But there he was again, this time watching closely for a sign of acceptance as he pulled the promised gift out of subspace and offered it up. Held in one hand, a pair of brand new recreational cuffs fitting the precise physical specifications given, all cold black metal and red synthetic fur so thick and soft he'd caught Rigger silently wondering who he found worth the attention. In the other, a sturdy loop of squarish chain with Soundwave's key attached, silver on the outer surfaces and a sharp blue inside - a reminder of its origins neatly hidden in a color scheme Prowl could defend by pointing at the paint jobs of enforcers like Chase and Strongarm.*

[[These are yours. Do as you wish with them. He merely asks to test them for you before they see use on you - by him or others. Whoever you feel safe with, for that.]]

*Because he knows it's not always him.* FakeProwl 1:03 am *Kneeling? Why kneeling? Of all the times—Prowl had just said that their relationship wasn't on the verge of termination, that was hardly grounds for—*

*Oh. Oh, THAT kind of kneeling. With a gift held up like an offering. Well. When Soundwave said he wanted to "test them," clearly he meant up close and personally.*

*Prowl took the handcuffs in one hand, looking them over—they had to be expensive, lined with fur like that—and then slid the loop of the chain around his other wrist so he could take Soundwave's hand.* All right. Let's go test them.

[because-its-important]

making a pico8 game during my first week of RC

tl;dr - Play my first ever solo game right here!

On my first day of Recurse, fellow W1 2017 batcher Ayla Myers (whose work you can peep here) presented on fantasy game consoles, PICO-8 in particular. Her presentation ran roughly 5 minutes, but it only took about half that time to convince me that I should give it a whirl. Since asking for help is more than encouraged here, I approached her immediately afterwards and asked if she could do a quick walkthrough of PICO-8 sometime.

“Yeah, of course. When do you want to start?”

“Uh…” It was already 6pm. “Tomorrow?”

“Okay!”

And lo, 11am the next day found myself and a handful of other Recursers sitting around a table in the Turing meeting room as Ayla showed us the ropes.

PICO-8 is a highly-opinionated, highly-constrained fantasy console with a robust set of tools for quickly developing and sharing games. While I’d played a few PICO-8 games before, I hadn’t realized just how core the commitment to retro-nostalgia is to the engine itself. Here are some fun things I learned about PICO-8:

It includes a pixel art editor and a chiptune mixer, both of which are a delight to use.

PICO-8 games can have 2 players, but each player only gets 6 possible inputs: four directional keys and two others (typically Z and X).

On the programming side, developers are allowed a maximum of ~8k tokens and ~65k characters. This incentivizes some extreme optimization, overloading, and other tricks in larger games that near those limits.

The games are super easy to export and share, either as embeddable HTML and JS or as downloadable executables.

As someone who has shipped dozens of games professionally but has never personally programmed one from start to finish, I decided that it’d be a good exercise to build one during the remaining 4 days of the first week.

On programming in a new language.

PICO-8 uses a subset of Lua, which I’ve never read or written before. Under other circumstances, I probably would have preemptively given up and shied away from using a tool that required learning a new language. Fortunately, my current circumstances are “you are entirely here to learn new things and surrounded by people who can help, actually” so I waved off the anxiety and plunged ahead instead.

Turns out that Lua felt very similar to other game programming I’d done in the past, so there wasn’t any need to worry anyway! (One begins to suspect that there is rarely a ‘need’ to worry… 🤔)

There were a few things that stood out in particular as I built my game.

First, to handle animations - like bobbing a sprite or moving UI elements on and off screen - I found myself repeating a pattern using a counter (incremented every update loop) and a maximum (resetting the counter to 0 when it reached this value). I wasn’t sure if a series of timers would be a better fit for cycling through animation states, especially since this pattern meant assigning at least two tokens per animation. Since I was focused on building this quickly and wasn’t worried about running up against the token limit, however, I figured that consistently using a single pattern that I knew worked was the way to go.

Example of the section of the bat’s update loop that flaps her wings up and down and plays a quick beat on each flap:

Second, I learned that tables are “the only data structuring mechanism” in Lua, and that there is no readily available method to query them about the number of items they’re holding. To solve this, I tracked the count of items as a separate variable and updated the count any time I was adding or removing items from the table. If I were pinched for tokens I’d probably handle this differently, likely by writing a separate function that iterates over the the items in the table and returns the count.

Lastly, and this one was a pleasure to discover, Lua is perfectly a-okay with removing items from a table while iterating over items within that table. For example, during the update loop I want to iterate over each of the moths in the game and check if the bat is in a position to eat them. If the bat should eat the moth, I want to add a quick sound effect, draw some bug-gut splatter to the screen, and remove the moth from the moths table.

I can do all of that like this:

This was a big relief to me because I’ve had trouble doing the same with JavaScript in the past!

On finding relief in constraints and designing a tiny game.

I didn’t have a strong idea when I first started making Sonar, other than that I should be able to finish it in a few days and that it should be about animals. Certainly my appreciation for earth’s non-human lifeforms would stave off any temptation to jump ship if things got confusing or tedious. 🦇

There was a brief moment where I sat, staring at my laptop screen, wondering what I could even do with only two non-directional inputs. It took about five minutes for me to come to my senses. What if this constraint, much like the constraint on tokens or audio channels, was a blessing? “Wow, I’m so glad I only have two buttons to work with,” I told myself, found it to be true. “In fact, let’s start by using only one of those buttons.”

Changing your perspective sure is a time-efficient way to clear obstacles!

On making art and SFX.

While I’d done some game programming (though never a complete solo project), I’d certainly never done game art or audio. In fact, art and audio often felt more intimidating than the rest of the design or development. I didn’t really know anything about creating reasonable looking pixel art or have any kind of background in creating music or sound effects; I just knew that both were important to making a game feel whole.

Once again, PICO-8 provided seamless introduction to these areas of game development. With only 16-colors and 8x8 pixels to worth of space to work with, I never got stuck trying to pick the perfect colors or shape for a sprite. If it worked, it worked, and it only took a matter of seconds to make changes and see them live in the game.

As someone who has zero musical education the responsibility of creating audio made me more than a little apprehensive, but I found the SFX editor similarly quick to learn and pleasant to use. I stopped short of making any ambient music, but I did make a few sounds: a steady but muffled bassline for the bat’s wings flapping, a high-pitched chirp for the echolocation, a gulp for a bug being swallowed, and a confirmation bloop for starting the game. SFX are necessary for giving a non-haptic game the illusion of tactile feedback, and even just these few simple, two-note sounds do a lot of heavy-lifting in making the game feel more responsive.

On jamming fast, alone, in an environment geared towards collaboration.

The single biggest struggle I had while working on this project was worrying if I should be spending my time doing something else. Whenever I spent large chunks of time coding alone, rather than pairing or attending study groups, I couldn’t help but feel like perhaps I was missing the forest for the trees. Shouldn’t the first week be about learning as much as possible about my peers and their interests, in the spirit of future collaboration? Did I somehow find a way to ‘do it wrong?’

Hard to say, what with only one week’s worth of information! My current guess, however, is no. I became familiar with a new language, I learned a new toolset, and I finished a project that I feel at least remotely comfortable showing to other people. Those are pretty solid accomplishments, even in the face of a gnawing suspicion otherwise!

More importantly though, I practiced being comfortable following my own intuition of what an ideal first week might look like. I proved to myself that I could set my own goals and meet them. I also developed a general feel for the ebbs and flows of working with myself as sole author and stakeholder on a project. I’m sure this kind of self-knowledge is valuable at any level, but as a beginner it feels like an especially worthwhile point of reference.

Besides, this was all made possible because I was inspired by a fellow Recurser, asked them for help and got it. 

How could that be wrong? 😊

You can play Sonar right here.

ps. I almost forgot something funny!

This is one of the first things that happened when I began animating my pixel bat:

I laughed at this for a solid minute. It was wonderful, and only more so because I had spent the previous two hours setting up new software, familiarizing myself with basic Lua syntax, and fretting over whether my pixel art would be at all legible.

As one of my friends commented, “OH NO, HIS FLAPS FELL OFF!” And then, “or HER flaps, excuse me.”

Making games is generally time-consuming, tedious, detail-oriented work. On the bright side, many of the bugs and SNAFUs you run into are just silly as heck. The moments where ish goes off the rails can provide exactly the right dose of harmless humor to revitalize your motivation to finish. 👑

edit (11/15/2017)

Once again going above and beyond in her helpfulness, Ayla informs me that you totally can get the length of a list in PICO-8!

Here’s how, using the # operator:

local some_list = {32, 4, 72} print(#some_list) -- prints 3

✌️🦇

edit (11/17/2017)

So probably it makes sense to link to the the code, since becoming a better programmer is the whole gosh darn point! 😑

Also, because it may be helpful, I want to provide a quick outline of how you might also crank out a small game in a narrow window of time:

day1 - purchase and install pico8 (if you’re at RC, talk to someone about using their license!) - install a lua linter on your text editor of choice - run pico8 in console mode, so u can use printh to debug - make a player character that responds to input - make a 2-state animation for that player character (eg. flip between two sprites, add some bobbing motion, etc) - get ppl to Play Your Game!

day2 - make an enemy (note that these could also just be Collectable Objects if u aint feeling like defaulting to violence ✨) - make a 2-state animation for that enemy - give that enemy some passive behavior - disappear the enemy conditionally (eg. touched by player, hit by bullet) - make another enemy with similar but more challenging behavior - get ppl to Play Your Game!

day3 - add an end-condition (eg. eating some amount of bugs) - add SFX. this is more important than music for making your game feel whole, and you can do just about everything you need to with 2 note blips - add UI elements (eg. health bar, bullets left, etc) - add a start screen - add an end screen - get ppl to Play Your Game!

day4 - add finishing touches - export your game as html from PICO8 - host somewhere, like itch.io - write a blog post!! - share with your friends and the rest-o the world

[kibahinatas]

DRV3 Liveblog [BLIND]: Ch. 2 Daily Life

A THIN LINE DIVIDES HEAVEN AND HELL...

Okay, I’ve played chapter two up until the discovery of the body, just like last time.

Remember, if you want to skip the summary just look for Thoughts under Story.

STORY

The chapter opened on a shot of two rows of those Japanese style “death portraits.” (I’m sorry I don’t know the proper name.) But the only one with a photo in it contained a portrait of Kaede. Just, Kaede too, not Amami who is also dead...Anyway, there were some people talking off screen about how they wished “they” had lived. And stuff like that. Then the scene ends.

Next, there’s a scene of Gonta outside and he thinks he might have spotted a tiny bug in the grass. But when he goes to look at it, he finds a flat, square stone on the ground with the words “horse a” written there. He later discusses this briefly with the others in the dining hall, and then it’s never brought up again. Hm.

Finally, we wake up the day after Kaede’s trial as Shuichi. His room is almost identical to hers, except for the shelf of my Monokuma collection next to his bed. Kaito rings the doorbell and comes to fetch us for breakfast. Shuichi pauses before he leaves, but then says he doesn’t need that anymore.

When we arrive in the dining hall, everyone seems surprised by my appearance. Surprise, surprise (except not) Shuichi is no longer wearing his hat, and was hiding a cute ahoge under there! After a quick discussion about the mysterious “horse a,” Monokuma and the four Monokubs show up with gifts for us - some random trash.

Turns out the random trash actually helps us to uncover new areas that were hidden behind false walls (including the 3rd floor), overgrown ivy, and to unlock that weird castle wall place. We find several new research labs for Himiko, Kirumi, Gonta, Ryoma, and Maki (although she won’t let us inside.) There’s also an indoor pool, and inside the “castle walls” are a large casino and a hotel that seems to have no function yet - the Kumasutra..lol.

In one of the hallways we come across something that stands out above all the rest, though. A massive treasure chest containing a single item that appears to be a flashlight of sorts. We all gather to inspect it in the gym, and Monokuma appears to inform us that it is a special light which will restore some of our memories! After some debate, we decide to try it out. Suddenly, Shuichi, and everyone else, remembers the Ultimate Hunt! They remember being hunted because of their ultimate talents, and eventually deciding to use a device which would repress their memories of being ultimates, causing them to believe they were just normal high school students, much like when we began the game. We got to see a shot of Shuichi hooked up to this device, and it turns out it is the same one we had gotten a glimpse of Kaede in during the prologue.

Later, during the night, the Monokubs sneak into our room to drop something off, but since they can’t see in the dark, they worry they might get things mixed up. The next morning, we find a colorful Kubs Pad on our coffee table, similar to the Monopad. But this one contains a single video. Monokuma announces he’s bringing back “an old favorite:” personal motive videos of loved ones! However, the Monokubs did indeed mix things up as Shuichi receives Kaito’s video of his grandparents instead of his own.

Shuichi rushes around trying to find Kaito, and ends up meeting everyone in the dining hall. They soon decide it would be best to not exchange videos, so no one will have a motive to kill. Although, not everyone feels this way.

Kokichi strongly believes we should show each other our motives. He ends up roping the gullible Gonta into a scheme to achieve this, but it doesn’t quite go as planned. (Also at some point in between all this we do push-ups with Kaito one night, lol.) Kokichi gets Gonta all fired up to retrieve everyone who hates bugs, so they can come meet all the bugs in Gonta’s lab. Once we are all there (Shuichi, Tenko, Himiko, Angie, Kiyo, and Kibo, I believe), Kokichi leaves us with Gonta while he goes to fetch our Kubs Pads. Gonta releases an ungodly amount of bugs, while everyone is flipping their shit. Oblivious to how we’re all feeling Gonta seems pleased with how the Insect Meet and Greet is going.

When Kokichi finally returns with the Kubs Pads, before he can force us to start binge watching, we decide to let Gonta know he’s being used for Kokichi’s scheme. Kibo reveals that he has an audio tape recording function, which he rewinds to play Kokichi’s words for Gonta. Upset upon hearing this, Gonta makes Kokichi stay with him and the bugs while the rest of us leave, hearing Kokichi screaming in the distance, lol.

Meanwhile, Angie, and her new religious convert Himiko (much to the dismay of Tenko), have been planning a magic show. It’s planned to go on the morning after the whole Insect Meet and Greet fiasco. We gather in the gym, to see an elaborate setup for the show, although not everyone is present. Kokichi, Ryoma, Maki, and Kaito are nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, the show must go on! Angie and Himiko explain how the trick will work. Himiko will jump into a tank of water, and escape in one minute. Once the time is up, a suspended tank of piranhas will be dumped into the tank below. Seems simple enough, especially since it will all take place behind a curtain, and Himiko is not restrained in anyway.

The trick begins, and as seconds tick by on the timer, Himiko does not emerge. We all begin to worry, while Angie assures us all is well. But Gonta can’t wait any longer and leaps up on to the tank. He peers down into the water, with a surprised look on his face, and then time is up. The curtain is pulled back just before the piranha tanks is released, and floating inside the lower tank is...Ryoma! Handcuffed and unconscious or even dead. But the mystery of whether or not he is dead doesn’t last long, as the piranhas are dropped in, consuming his entire body down to the bones.

THOUGHTS: ‘Noooo!’ Was my reaction to seeing Ryoma’s body in the tank. I actually liked him a lot, so seeing him die so early was a disappointment.

Anyway, setting aside the “death portraits” for now, what is up with that “horse a” thing? Is it relevant? I feel like it’s got to be later, but it got brushed off so quickly. And what does it mean? I feel like there’s a secret meaning. Perhaps related to those random letters on the castley gate? Hm.

When Shuichi alluded to leaving his hat behind, I remember saying to my boyfriend how I bet it’s his hat and that he’s got a secret protagonist ahoge he’s been hiding this whole time! To my amusement, but not my surprise, I was right lol. What’s a Dangan Ronpa protagonist without an ahoge after all? Even our “secret protagonist” Shuichi, and “false protagonist” Kibo (in reference to the early promos) have one!

The way they did the new areas was interesting. How they were all spread out across the campus and not just one big central area. I enjoyed that. I also liked that we are getting to see most everyone’s research labs, slowly. (Thinking back I never tried going inside Miu’s though, I’ll have to do that later.) Except for Maki, who won’t let us inside for some strange reason...I almost wonder if she’s hiding something. No, I don’t wonder, I pretty much know she has to be hiding something. Like I mentioned back in my prologue post, I have a suspicion she may be lying about her talent. If her research lab is for a completely different talent she doesn’t want us knowing about, it would make sense she wouldn’t let anyone inside!

It was interesting to see a repeat motive, but of course in typical DR fashion, Monokuma made sure to point out that he was doing so, lol. However having everyone (or most everyone, we don’t know who received which video yet) receive someone else’s video was an interesting twist!

There seemed to be a lot of focus on Kaito this chapter too. Having his motive video, him inviting Shuichi to work out that one night, etc. The one line about Shuichi not realizing at that point how “horrific it is to trust someone” was very interesting. It would seem that this is in reference to Kaito, but we can’t be certain yet. My boyfriend suspects that all the Kaito business may be a red herring, but I’m not ruling him out as suspicious just yet.

But my favorite part of the chapter had to be the Insect Meet and Greet. Oh man, what a great scene. It was really funny, but I think will still be important to this next case in some ways. Gonta is a gift.

As for the murder, I can’t say a lot at this point! For whatever reason my gut reaction was again to suspect Tenko. I guess she’s my Souda of this game, although I actually liked him and hated suspecting him every time - Tenko I’m not super fond of lol. Also Kirumi, since we spent a lot of time on how much the other students are relying on her I feel like she might break soon. Also it’s just a hunch. And then Angie, who was involved in the magic show and also bonded with Himiko. If I’ve learned anything from Dangan Ronpa, it’s don’t get too close to anyone, it will just assure that only one of you will make it out alive lol. Not to mention the chapter title is suspicious given her religious enthusiasm...

But no idea how the killer did it and/or got Ryoma’s body in the tank! With little to go on I’m super excited to start investigating next time. I did make a joke though, how it’s like the show Bones - because all we have is his skeleton. And we have an anthropologist with us (Kiyo/Bones), someone who solves mysteries/crimes (Shuichi/Booth), a bug and nature guy (Gonta/Hodgins), and an artist (Angie/Angela) haha.

GAMEPLAY

Aside from free time, there’s really only one other thing I want to talk about here. Everything else is pretty much the same as before.

A new element that’s been added this chapter is the casino! We can exchange our monocoind for special casino coins and play games to win more special coins, which we can then use to exchange for prizes. Sounds confusing but it’s actually quite simple. I was able to get a decent of amount of coins for a low amount, and used those to play the slot machine and salmon fishing, the only two available games as of now.

I won a few hundred coins on the slot machine, but only made a couple salmon fishing. The salmon fishing works in a similar way to the hangman’s gambit of this game, with the things you need to select being hidden in shadow and then illuminated briefly. I think if I remember where the fish are without waiting for the light, I can win more coins. So I’ll have to try that again later.

Then for Free Time, I got 5 events, and I think it would have been 6 if I didn’t do an optional scene, which I’ll get to at the end. I spent Free Time with Himiko, Kirumi x2, Kibo, and Kokichi. Something I found interesting though, was that all the characters I talked to as Kaede didn’t carry over. Meaning, I no longer had a hope fragment for them or the information I learned there. As Amami and Ryoma are no longer with us, this was kind of a bummer since I won’t get to look back on that now. At least I have the memory I guess, lol.

Now it’s been about a week between playing and writing this section of my post, so I can’t quite remember what all I talked about with them. I do remember that Kirumi still wasn’t really saying much about herself, even in two FTEs. She mostly talked about places she’d worked and whatnot. I spent time with her twice because I really wanted to get to know who she was as a person, and not just as a maid. Hopefully she’s not the culprit this time, so I can still get a chance to do so lol. I also vaguely remember talking to Kokichi about his organization, and how he has powerful connections or something like that. But that’s about it.

But, on to the bonus scene. So before breakfast, on the day before the magic show, I happened to go talk to Miu in the courtyard, and she invited me to join her in the casino later that day. Of course, I chose yes. So when free time rolled around, I automatically travelled to the casino, where I was joined by Miu, Ryoma, Kaito, and Kokichi. We then got a light, fun scene where we all played casino games, and watched as Kaito continually lost to Ryoma, lol. I enjoyed it a lot.

One last thing I wanted to note is that I haven’t seen any more hidden Monokumas around! Just how hidden are these things? The two I found last chapter were impossible to miss. So I wonder where they’re at. I feel like I haven’t overlooked anything so I don’t know!

CHARACTERS

Like I said before it’s been a while since I played, so I’m having trouble remembering what all I wanted to say about the characters. I have a note that I wanted to talk about Kokichi, Kaito, Ryoma, Kirumi, Maki, and Kibo, but I can't remember what I had to say about them. I know I wanted to mention Ryoma sadly looking out over the tennis court in his lab, and Maki being a mysterious shit for no reason. (What are you hiding!) And maybe comment some more on Kaito and his grandparents and just him in general. But oh well, I’m sorry guys! I’ll try to be better about this with chapter 3 instead of putting it off so long, lol.

PREDICTIONS

Okay, so a final prediction to close with.

Another one of my reaching predictions, but the scene at the very beginning of the chapter got me thinking. I wonder if this is going to be like the sequel to my fanstory that I had planned, in which the twist is that all the characters are actually “dead” and the people who have been participating in the killing game are clones of those people who have been implanted with their memories.

Now, I actually hope this is not the case as I really want to use this idea for said fanstory, lol, but it would be interesting nonetheless. I don’t have any other evidence supporting this right now though, so I’ll have to see how things progress before saying more!

[notational]

Drafting an essay for an upcoming conference/ catalog.

(Confessions of an) Artist as Noise Source

“Cage and Rauschenberg offered up a view of artistic practice as a leveled collaboration among artist, audience, and materials. At another level, though, their work echoed and ultimately celebrated a migration toward the decentralized, systems-oriented forms of thought then occurring at the center of the scientific establishment.

…for them, the making of art had become the building of systems of pattern and randomness, and thus, in Claude Shannon’s sense, of information.” (Turner, 47)

In much the same way that Claude Shannon’s theories of Information Science were a common frame of reference for John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Nam Jun Paik, and certain other mid to late 20th century artists; they have also become for me enduring points of fascination. In particular Shannon’s Mathematical Theory of Communication, which was developed to help Bell Laboratories solve problems in long distance telecommunication, has helped me re-think and re-define my own role as artist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mathematical_Theory_of_Communication

Please see my own modified version (included in the materials sent here) printed below. My own sleight adjustments to Shannon’s model from 1949 come from a re-thinking of the artists place in systems of communication.

At one point in my life I would have placed the artist in the role of information source, which parallels the primary role of a person placing a long distance call and speaking into the receiver of their phone. Some artists today may still claim that role. However, I believe that we are now so awash in cultural/ media messages that it is important for some artists to act as noise which interferes, modifies, and ultimately slows down the reception of those messages for their ultimate destination, the audience. In Shannon’s model that destination might be the person listening on the other end of the telephone line.

In Shannon’s model noise is a disruptive problem in communication that can never ultimately be wiped out. One is left with Information Science’s famous “signal to noise ratio.” I believe that my role, and the role of many contemporary digital artists is to adjust that ratio in different media environments and to invite contemplation and questioning of the ways that they become control mechanisms for our (sub)consciousness. Artists can and should be disruptive. They should embrace noise, ambiguity, distortion, and misdirection. They should fight any dream of pure, sanitized, or noiseless communication. They should feel free to re-arrange linear thinking. They should highlight the speeds and flows of information to call attention to the forms as well as content in our media environments.

Now of course, due to the advent of personal computing, the internet, Web 2.0, and cellphone technology one might see Shannon’s diagram as being limited due to its illustration of a one way flow of information. Concurrent with Shannon’s model other scientists like Norbert Weiner and Warren Weaver were developing and disseminating ideas of cybernetics and feedback loops. Obviously, even in the days of analog telephony, the two parties in a phone conversation could easily switch roles in terms of Source and Destination.

More importantly though, the coupling of humans with machines to facilitate communication absolutely alters those communications. That coupling is laid bare in Shannon's deceptively simple diagram. In our contemporary culture we may often sing the praises of technological progress or bemoan a bygone era in which life seemed to flow at a more simple and steady pace. However we have very little clear headed analysis of how our latest communication devices are shaping our perceptions or the way that our perceptions in turn get fed back into the development of the next gadgets being marketed back to us.

Once any image, sound, or text is brought into our computers it is basically data. Shannon’s Mathematical Model went on to suggest that data could be measured in units referred to as bits. For an engineer these bits are basically neutral in terms of meaning as they pass from transmitter to receiver . The information, or combination of bits, is generally meaningful for the Source or Destination but one might argue that even that isn’t always the case. Following along the lines of Information Science I often suggest to my students that “Meaning is simply when a collection of facts give us feelings. “ Whether those facts are a bunch of statistics or a painting on a wall, if we don’t feel anything those facts are basically meaningless to us. Adding noise to data is a way to alter the meaning of data.

As artists, in the end, meaning matters to us….but as we make our work we often hold meaning in suspension as the signal of bits or analog information passes through the lines of art production.

In terms of production, over the last decade or so I have gotten increasingly involved in creative computer programming and audio/video synthesis. At the root of both programming and synthesis is an impulse to play with noise.....to alter, distort, and re-contextualize the images and sounds that seem to inundate my attention.

The bug-a-boos of copyright and it’s blurry boundaries of fair use sometimes provoke some anxiety for me. I am constantly and consistently making my work out of work by countless other people that came before me. I worry am I being lazy or ethically suspect. But then again, I know how consumed I am with my work, how exhaustive and exhausting it can be to make it, and how meaningful that work has become for me.  That is not to say that it will be meaningful for mass audiences today. Perhaps as Paul Klee said, the true artist makes work for an audience yet to come. Perhaps it is a kind of existential gamble. Better yet, I like to think of it as part of a larger conversation amongst creators past, present, and future.

It can be humbling as an artist and programmer to keep myself out of the role of information source when making my work, to be mindful of my primary role as noise source. Meanwhile, simply being a noise source makes me question myself whenever temporarily taking on any mantle of authority in art making or academia. It can make me feel marginal or illegible even inside discourses in which I contribute…but it is also sometimes a great deal of fun.

Cited

From Counterculture to CyberCulture : Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism. Fred Turner. The University of Chicago Press. 2006.

[entergamingxp]

Halo 3 on PC delivers The Master Chief Collection’s best port yet • Eurogamer.net

The Master Chief Collection for PC adds another classic game to its ranks – and the arrival of Halo 3 brings with it terrific performance, the best support yet for high refresh rate gaming and even some nice enhancements to existing games in the collection. Beyond the fact that a genuinely great game is now available to PC gamers, what I particularly like about this release is that running it at 4K 60fps actually gave me a much better appreciation of some of the original game’s technical achievements – elements that were hard to spot in the sub-720p Xbox 360 original.

While I definitely recall Halo 3’s visual blemishes – like its character modelling and some of its choices for animation, sound, and lighting technology – seeing the game again at higher resolution and frame-rate serves to liberate the original assets from Xbox 360’s technical limitations. While the console lacked substantial system RAM – certainly by today’s standards – Bungie worked around this by using a lot of decals and tiling detail textures on a lot of the game’s asset. On today’s PC hardware running at 4K resolution, a lot of fine detail you may have missed is resolved – the scratches on metal, for example, or the highly detailed ground textures. On close inspection, I was even surprised to find that Halo 3 very rarely uses a form of offset bump mapping or rudimentary parallax mapping on some textures. It was all there back in 2007, just hidden behind low resolution and murky anisotropic filtering – something that is not an issue for today’s technology.

There are some proper upgrades in this new release too – such as a field of view slider and an enhanced graphics option that delivers visuals in excess of the Xbox One version of the game. Halo 3 doesn’t get a full-on remaster like its predecessors in the Master Chief Collection, but similar to the other PC ports you can push out the draw distance of static and dynamic world objects. Dynamic models like enemy corpses or smaller objects render out further into the distance away from the camera. This applies to elements like grass as well, but even the standard original distance for grass is not exactly bad. Below the original graphical option, you have a performance mode as well, which further reduces the distance of draw to levels very close to the camera – useful if you have a particularly old PC.

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Everything you need to know about the PC port of Halo 3 in this concise video.

If you are GPU-limited, going down from enhanced to original increases performance by around four per cent and going down to performance mode with all of its cuts to draw distance increases performance by 17 per cent over the enhanced setting. This effect has a generally more transformative effect on CPU performance, which I tested by playing the game at 720p and leaving the GPU under-utilised. Here, moving from enhanced to original graphics increased performance by 24 per cent on the CPU and going down further from enhanced to performance mode increased CPU performance by 55 per cent. However, Halo 3 is a title that’s very light on the CPU – a Ryzen 9 3900X delivered over 400fps barely touching most of its cores, so I suspect that any modern CPU will blaze its way through this game.

As long as you have DX11 support, the GPU requirement is minimal too, to the point where our mainstream graphics stalwarts – Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 and AMD’s Radeon RX 580 easily ran the game in excess of 60 frames per second at 4K resolution. However, the light systems requirements make this game perfect for a high refresh rate display where you stand an extremely good chance of maxing a 240Hz screen or higher. And it works. Prior Halo releases have had issues with frame-rate interpolation, meaning that the game can run in excess of 60fps, but animations do not, ruining the HFR experience.

With Halo 3 though, I played the game through beautifully at 120fps with almost all elements of the game animating as they should at full frame-rate. Only two elements stood out – plasma shots and Brute spike shots do not render correctly above 60fps, while the crouching animation also seems to be pegged at 60fps, looking rather jerky in the process with everything else running at 120fps. Other than that, the game plays out nigh-on flawlessly – and the fact that the animation issue seems to have been fixed suggests that a small patch could address the areas I’ve noticed that aren’t quite perfect. Given how Halo 3 shares commonalities with Halo Reach and ODST, I hope the developers can take the lessons learned from the frame-rate interpolation used in this game to go back and fix Halo Reach, which still has utterly broken animation at above 60fps.

There’s further good news too. While Reach still doesn’t present properly beyond 60fps, its audio issues have been largely corrected. To recap, Reach suffered from a bizarre audio muffling issue which essentially meant that the game didn’t sound anywhere near as accurate and dynamic as it should compared to the Xbox 360 original. The good news is that Halo 3 sounds great, while Reach is drastically improved. It’s not quite on par with the original release, but the fundamental issue has been addressed and it sounds so much better as a result. Along with the audio update to Reach, the latest Master Chief Collection patch also adds in optional weapon skins for Halo: Combat Evolved. In general, these weapon textures increase the resolution of those assets on weapons that had a lot of compression artefacts in them or were of a glaringly low resolution.

Returning to Halo 3, it’s a simply excellent release – the bug count is minimal, while the performance demonstrates beautifully how a vintage 2007 game should scale onto today’s hardware. My only regret is that HDR support is absent. According to the Steam page for Halo 3 ODST, that game should feature HDR – so perhaps Halo 3 will receive an HDR upgrade with that release, whenever that may occur. It’s a small gripe but one that I would genuinely like to see addressed – especially as internal HDR rendering was a key objective for Bungie back in the day.

The good news is that Halo 3’s issues are minimal and absolutely do not get in the way of the playability and the pure enjoyment delivered by this 2007 classic. I just hope that this is a sign of things to come: that the frame-rate interpolation fixes here roll back to the other games in the Master Chief Collection, and that features like HDR and indeed split-screen multiplayer get added to the PC game too. There’s still the sense that the collection is a work-in-progress, with key issues left unaddressed before 343 moves on to delivering a new game but the direction of travel is undeniable: the competence in the conversion work with each Halo is getting better and better with each new release and while this lacks the ambition of the prior anniversary editions, the original game still holds up rather well.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/07/halo-3-on-pc-delivers-the-master-chief-collections-best-port-yet-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=halo-3-on-pc-delivers-the-master-chief-collections-best-port-yet-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[hydrus]

Version 363

windows

zip

exe

os x

app

linux

tar.gz

source

tar.gz

I had a good week of work. There is new 'has audio' detection for videos, extensions to the client api, and plenty of bug fixes.

As 8chan is down, this week's imageboard release is posted here:

https://endchan.xyz/hydrus/res/5.html

If you would prefer to give feedback Anonymously and are more comfortable in an imageboard environment, please expect for hydrus imageboard stuff to be there for now.

has audio

The client can now detect if a video has an audio channel and, if so, presents that information with the unicode character 🔊 on its thumbnail-right click and in the media viewer! Audio files and swf files will get this as well. You can now also search for this status (or exclude it) with the new 'system:has audio' search predicate.

This will apply to all new files. All existing video files will need to be reparsed to see if they have audio. This is a large job and so has been queued up in the new files maintenance system (under database->maintain->review scheduled file maintenance). By default, I have this system throttled to 100 files/day in idle time, but I suspect I will have to improve this throttle to do work more frequently in smaller batches, since if you have 50,000 video files, that's a lot of time at 100 files/day to catch up! You can of course manually run this job from the maintenance panel, although bear in mind it likely totals several hours of heavy CPU work to finish.

The new system actually reads the file's audio and tries to determine if it is one of those 'fake' silent channels. If you discover any false-positives here, where the video is silent but the system still thinks there is audio, or indeed false-negatives, please send some examples to me so I can check them out.

You can change the speaker unicode character under the new options->sound panel (for instance, if it does not display correctly on your machine), and increase the file maintenance throttle under options->maintenance and processing.

the client api

The Client API gets some extensions this week. The a file's 'known_urls' and the new 'has_audio' status is now sent on a file_metadata request, and I have added some simple cookie management.

The creator of the Hydrus Companion, a browser add-on that talks to the Client API, has already written support for this cookie management! It allows you to copy your cookies from your web browser to hydrus, letting it 'log in' to sites the current downloader system cannot handle. Please check it out here:

https://gitgud.io/prkc/hydrus-companion

the rest

'system:hash' and 'system:similar to' now support multiple hashes. This lets you do larger lookups, if, say, you have 100 md5s. Also, the thumbnail right-click->file relationships->find similar files will now work on a selection of multiple thumbnails.

The file maintenance manager panel now has some text to explain what to do and a new 'see description' button to say more about what each job does.

Subscriptions will now 'publish' their file results to pages/popups as each query finishes. This is a small thing, but it makes for a slightly smoother stream of new files if you are eagerly watching a large sub take takes a while to sync.

The tag autocomplete inputs should be a bit more receptive and accurate to fast typing and entering of tags. Let me know if you still have problems!

full list

has audio:

wrote a detection routine that can determine if a video has audio. it reads actual audio data and should be able to detect videos with a 'fake' silent audio track and consider them as not having audio

extended the client database, file import pipeline, and file metadata object to track the new has_audio value

flash files and audio files (like mp3) are considered to always have audio

all 'maybe' audio files (atm this means video) are queued up for a file metadata reparse in the files maintenance manager. your existing videos will start off as not having audio, but once they are rescanned, they will get it. this is one of the first big jobs of the new maintenance system, and I expect it will need some different throttling rules to finish this job in reasonable time--by default it does 100 files a day, but if you have 50,000 videos, that's a long time!

files now show if they have audio in their info string that appears on thumbnail right-click or the top of the media viewer. it defaults to the unicode character 🔊, but can be edited under the new 'sound' options page

added a system:has audio predicate to search for files with/without audio

updated file import unit tests to check 'has audio' parsing, and added tests for system:has audio

.

client api:

the /get_files/file_metadata call now provides has_audio info

the /get_files/file_metadata call now provides known_urls!

added 'cookie management' permission

added /manage_cookies/get_cookies to get current cookies by domain

added /manage_cookies/set_cookies to set or clear current cookies

added/updated unit tests for the above

updated help for the above

client api version is now 10

.

the rest:

system:hash and system:similar to now accept multiple hashes! so, if you have 100 md5s, you can now search for them all at once

the thumbnail right-click->file relationships->find similar files now works for multiple selections!

when system:hash was just one hash, it would run before anything else and complete a search immediately on finding a match, but now it works like any other predicate, checking for file domain and ANDing with other predicates in the search

the 'complete' file maintenance regen job now only does file metadata, not a complete thumb regen. its name and labels are updated to reflect this, and any existing job in the system will get the separate thumb regen job

the file maintenance manager now has a couple of how-to sentences at the top, and a new 'see description' button will talk more about each job type

the login script testing system now uses a duplicate of the existing domain manager (rather than a fresh empty one), so it will inherit current http headers such as default User-Agent, the lacking of which was messing up some tests

fixed the login script testing system not showing downloaded data

subscriptions with multiple queries now publish the files they have imported as soon as each query has finished, rather than waiting for the whole sub to be done

subscriptions now publish the files they have imported to page/popup even if they have an error

added 9:16, 2:3, and 4:5 to the duplicate comparison statement system, for various vertical social media types

the autocomplete tag search 'read', which appears on places like search pages, should now more reliably accept the current entered text when there are no search results yet to show

the autocomplete tag search 'write', which appears on places like the manage tags dialog, should now correctly accept the input (including appropriate sibling-collapse) when you select a 'stub' result while other results are still loading, rather than broadcasting the exact current text

fixed the deviant art file page parser to get source time--however the login script may now be broken/unreliable

fixed a missing dialog import when deleting a string transformation

reduced the base network connection error reattempt time to 10s (from 60s). there will be more work here in future

network jobs that are waiting on a connection error now have a reattempt wait override option in their cog icon menus

the post-bad-shutdown 'open your default session or a blank page' dialog will now auto-choose to open your default session in 15 seconds

a variety of ui-update events will now not fire as long as the main gui is minimised. as well as saving a sliver of resources, I believe this may fix an issue where long-running subscriptions and other import pipelines could sometimes put the ui in an unrecoverable state due to too many thumb-fade etc... events when the currently focused page was receiving new files while the main gui was minimised

maybe fixed a rare problem with deleting old pages

cleaned some misc code

next week

The 'has audio' work went better than I expected. Adding actual audio playback is still something I would like to do, and while playing with it this week, I felt better about getting that going. I will try to experiment more with it in the coming weeks and see how feasible it will be to get smooth playback.

But otherwise, I will be moving on to a big job of cleaning up several tag systems: figuring out some better tag repository management, so you get less of the tags you don't want, adding namespace siblings so you can rename entire namespaces you don't like, and adding multiple local tag services. Many tag systems are way overdue overhaul, so I am reserving some time to try to put out some fires.

[newsnigeria]

Check out New Post published on Ọmọ Oòduà

New Post has been published on http://ooduarere.com/news-from-nigeria/world-news/tankers-in-the-gulf-of-oman/

The curious case of the tankers in the Gulf of Oman

I have taken the opportunity to look at the recent incident involving two outbound tankers in the Gulf of Oman. I have got some questions or two, (or three) about certain parts of the incident, from a civilian mariner’s perspective mostly.

There are various conflating aspects to the event, and questions need to be asked, yet journalists do not seemingly wish to ask the awkward but necessary questions these days.

Background

The two tankers identified as the ‘Front Altair’, a Marshall Islands flagged vessel and the ‘Kokuka Courageous’, a Panama-flagged vessel.

Front AltairKokuka CourageousManaged by Frontline, (Norway – Bermuda)Managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore/ Japan)23 crew(11 Russian, 11 Philippine, 1 Georgian)21 crew (Philippine)Aframax – 86% loadedHandy – fully loaded75,000 MT of Naphtha25,000 MT MethanolRuwais, UAEQatar & KSATaiwanSingaporeHyundai Dubai rescued crewCoastal Ace rescued crewTransferred by SAR boat to Iranian portTransferred to USS BainbridgeRadio message: “torpedo attack”Japanese CEO: “flying objects”Hit on starboard amidships – “in fire’Hit on starboard Twice over 3-hour period – engine room fireStopped at 02:47GMTStopped at 06:20GMT

Both tankers were outbound (south east) of the Strait of Hormuz. Both suffered from explosion on the starboard side, (the side facing international waters). Past AIS tracks of both vessels shown   here. The U.S. Navy reported receiving distress messages at 06:12am and 07:00am.

We’ve captured the activity of the vessels that raced to the area to help the crew of #FrontAltair & #Kokuka Courageous. Watch the vessels #Hyundai Dubai, #Etwo, #CoastalAce & #NAJI10 in this past track video. #MarineTraffic #GulfOfOman #OOTT #tankers #rescue #Iran pic.twitter.com/RQSCmZRd9Z

— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) June 14, 2019

The activity of the vessels was captured in this past AIS track video. It shows the vessels that went to the tankers, to help the crew of the tankers. The assisting vessels are: Hyundai Dubai, tug ‘E-Two’, the Coastal Ace & ‘Naji 10’.

Contradictions and questions

The US military released a video  claiming to show an Iranian naval boat removing an unexploded limpet mine from the hull of the ‘Kokuka Courageous’ in an apparent attempt to recover evidence of its participation. I will comment more about the video later on, but we have already the ludicrous situation where the information provided by the US contradicts the statement made by the Japanese ship management company, who did not believe the ship was damaged by a mine, but by flying objects. The president of Kokuka Sangyo Marine, (shipowners), Yutaka Katada, said “there is no possibility of mine attack as the attack is well above the waterline.”

タンカー運航の国華産業社長「砲弾による攻撃を受けた」https://t.co/Skhn4GQBxH#nhk_news #nhk_video pic.twitter.com/LkeH7Xzggi

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) June 13, 2019

Questions, questions: then there is the question of timing of an attack of a Japanese owned tanker at a time when the Japanese PM was in Iran for talks.

To add to the confusion, there were reports that the Dutch crew of the ‘Coastal Ace’ who first noted a suspicious object on the hull of the tanker. This then morphed into reports that the USS Bainbridge seeing a suspect device, as shown in the timeline provided by the US Navy.

Regarding the other tanker, ‘Front Altair’, the ‘Hyundai Dubai’ was the first ship on scene who responded to the distress message and rescued the crew. Subsequently, it seems the master of this vessel gave a report on VHF: video & audio (unconfirmed).

The audio is rather telling & factual (it is a Russian speaker apparently), as he relays information from the ‘Front Altair’, ‘torpedo attack” is mentioned. (I am assuming is it is pan, pan or urgency message; it is not a distress message).

The U.S. by releasing a grainy black & white video segment, accused Iran of removing a mine from the other tanker, ‘Kokuka Courageous’, as apparent evidence of its involvement in the attacks of the two tankers. The video raises more questions than provides answers.

If both the civilian crew of the ‘Coastal Ace’ and the ‘USS Bainbridge’ both saw the ‘mine’, late morning, then why leave the important evidence in place on the hull of the tanker for several hours? For the Iranians to pick it up later?

https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/1874301/statement-regarding-shipping-vessels-in-gulf-of-oman/

“USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) was operating in the vicinity and provided immediate assistance to the M/V Kokuka Courageous.”

Immediate? Note that assistance didn’t extend to making safe a suspicious device ‘immediately’.

“At 11:05 a.m. local time USS Bainbridge approaches the Dutch tug Coastal Ace, which had rescued the crew of twenty-one sailors from the M/T Kokuka Courageous who had abandoned their ship after discovering a probable unexploded limpet mine on their hull following an initial explosion.”

“At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.”

Timings put in bold for emphasis by author.

The poor quality of the video, apparently taken from a P-8 US navy aircraft, is astounding, given that it took place at 16:00, on a sunlit day. Compare the quality and availability of the metrics between what happened during the encounter between the ‘Admiral Vinogradov’ and the ‘USS Chancellorsville, last week:

I know that optical quality is downgraded for security reasons, but this is beyond a joke in the days of HD and high-quality images on mobile phones.

Not exactly covert, to retrieve a ‘mine’ right under the noses of the US Navy? Especially when you can see in the video people on the Iranian boat looking towards a ship (?) and quite possibly the US aircraft as well. Anyway, does it take 10 people all crowded on the bow to remove a ‘mine’? Unusual EOD method there.

Does it occur to anyone that it might be a person releasing something so that the boat can leave the tanker’s side, a mooring line attachment, a magnetic device? There is no proof to suggest it was a limpet mine removed from the tanker.

The other thing that really bugs me as someone with maritime experience, is the fact that the US Navy was quite relaxed about a fully loaded tanker with methanol with an apparent explosive device attached to the hull amidships.

I personally wouldn’t be calm, due to the implication of having a toxic, polluting and highly flammable cargo, possibly seconds from being ignited. I’d be getting an EOD team over quickly to ID it, to make it safe and hand it over as a crucial piece of evidence. Yet, I cannot ascertain that any of that actually happened while the USS Bainbridge was in the vicinity of the tanker. I guess it was better to wait a few hours and let the Iranians do it. Surreal.

Instead, it seems that the US Navy stood by idly for hours, watched and let the Iranians approach the tanker, so as to gather ‘evidence’.

Another thing, this PowerPoint from the US is rather remarkable:

I guess using a telephoto lens wasn’t appropriate, to get a close-up of the darned ‘mine’ thing. Again, compare this with the US naval person on the ‘USS Chancellorsville’, merrily snapping away at the ‘Admiral Vinogradov’.

Just on this point, I like the witticism on social media:

“the Pentagon should start using Huawei cameras for better video quality”.

This a good ‘un too:

“Breaking: The US Navy has confirmed that there has been a reported attack on US tankers in the Gulf of Oman.” Posted by SkyNews at 12:37 am 13 June

Credibility has gone down the drain, as the tweet is still live as I write this a day later.

I know it seems little silly observations, but some of these observations could have been made by journalists when presented with official statements. Yet the most obvious question is:

“Why would Iran attack two tankers near to the Strait of Hormuz, in the vicinity of US naval forces”? Some comments provided by this Military Times article. I’ll leave that for others to comment and analyze.

I’ll add more in the comments section.

[pcinvasion-blog]

New Post has been published on PC Invasion

New Post has been published on https://www.pcinvasion.com/silver-steam-release-pc-technical-review

Silver Steam Release PC Technical Review

Earlier this week, THQ Nordic released a new version of the 1999 Infogrames (later part of Atari) title Silver on Steam. It’s game I, and seemingly quite a few others, have pretty fond memories of, so it seemed worth taking a look at how this version runs on a modern system. Figuring out the full extent to which this release differs from the existing GOG edition isn’t straightforward, but it certainly has a couple of notable additions.

Listing out my system specs is probably less crucial than usual given the age of the game, but for the sake of completeness here’s what I’ve been playing Silver on: i5-6600 / 16GB RAM / 4GB 380X / Windows 10.

At the time of writing, Silver is on version 1.21. That’s important to note, because it seems to be receiving fairly regular patches and the latest added one new option while removing another. Let’s take a look at the options menus to show you what I mean.

Silver v1.20 preferences menu.

Silver v1.21 preferences menu.

If you’re good at Spot The Difference, you’ll probably notice that in 1.20 there was an option called ‘Pie Menu Pause’ which isn’t there in the 1.21 options. 1.21, however, has gained ‘Gfx Upscaling’ as a setting.

Pie Menu Pause has been removed for now. I suspect that’s because it caused significant problems with the game for at least some users (including me). It’s a good addition in theory and I hope it comes back, because (as the name indicates) it automatically pauses the game when you bring up the Silver radial ‘pie’ menu for weapons, potions, and the like. This will be pretty helpful in some late-game combat situations.

Unfortunately, opening the menu with this option enabled in 1.20 caused all kinds of havoc with the backdrop images. Have a look at this for an example.

The triumphant return of split screen on PC.

Not really working as intended, there. I hope THQ Nordic can get it working and bring it back, but for now it’s been quietly retired as an option.

The new addition, as mentioned, is Gfx Upscaling. This offers Smart, Smooth, and Pixel Perfect as options. Those names are slightly confusing, because the character models actually look smoother (less aliasing) with the Smart option, not the Smooth one. Pixel Perfect appears to adhere as close to the original game as possible. Here’s a comparison. You can click any of them for larger versions and will probably need to if you want to compare character models.

Silver – Smart (the smoother one)

Silver – Smart (more aliasing, maybe the labels are the wrong way around?)

Silver – Pixel Perfect (for purists)

It’s down to personal preference whether you prefer the more ‘rounded out’ character models, or can put up with some low resolution aliasing. Having that option appear out of the blue with a recent patch is a decent sign that THQ Nordic are continuing to work on the release, anyway.

The vast majority of the other options (Brightness, the Left Handed option etc) are the same as the original Silver release in 1999. ‘Item Descriptions’ is new to this version, and puts a little icon and item name in the top right corner when you move over it on the menu wheel. Like the original, there’s also a separate sound menu for altering levels of Speech, Music and Sound Effects.

Standard stuff.

While on the subject of audio though, this version of Silver seems to have a persistent bug which causes pretty horrendous stuttering during the introduction cut-scene. I think there’s also something wrong with the music which plays on the main menu too, unless it loops in a much more janky way than I remember.

So far I haven’t run into any similar audio problems in the game itself, but I can’t confirm if that holds true for the entire thing. Since the title is receiving patches, I’d hope the intro stuttering can be addressed (especially as the file plays fine if you just run it from the game folder).

18 years on, Grandad’s intense expression still amuses me.

Silver is still in its original 4:3 aspect ratio in this release (albeit with the playing area upscaled to what I presume is the desktop resolution). It has a kind of echoed blur effect at the edges of the screen (shown above) which works fine, but it would be nice to have the option to toggle if off and just have black bars. The game still runs at its original 30fps. That’s probably hard coded in, so isn’t too surprising.

Hotkeys from the original are still present. For example, you can use the number keys to do things like select the last used weapon (7) or shield (0).

You’d hope so with that name, really.

If THQ Nordic continue to hunt down and sort out the issues that are causing things like the intro sequence stuttering and pie menu pause feature problems, then this version of Silver will have the slight edge over the more straightforward GOG release. GOG’s will still be DRM-free though, of course. Inclusions like the upscaled 4:3 backdrops and optional smoothing on character models are welcome, and (intro aside) the game seems to be running well on modern machines.

Those additions are relatively minor, and this release lacks anything like new control options (perhaps not necessary, as the Ctrl and mouse motion attacks still feel pretty fluid to this day), but at just under $5 (while it’s on sale at least) you’re getting a slightly nicer looking version of Silver on a contemporary platform. Though not a radical remaster, with a bit more continued support it’ll probably become the go-to edition of this title.