#jule mcbride

[houseofwisteria]

QUICK LINKS,

Rules | PSD/Template | Muse List | Animated Sideblog

AFFILIATES,

@soughtbirthright

@clairelilcorner

@rebelliousfamily

@qveens / @vntagetee

@entangledmuses

@lcstinfantasy

@ner0tic

@rcckstars

Muse list

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Gabrielle Cameron - Kook, 15-20 FC Angourie Rice

Celeste Winters - Witch, 22 FC: Kaylee Bryant

Hope Donavan - Street racer, 28 FC: Lindsey Morgan

Sylvie Nightbloom - Seer, 15+ FC Maisie Williams 

Aspen Lightfoot - Elven princess, 21+ FC: Ruby Cruz

Elizabeth Murphy - Teacher, 20+ FC: Dakota Johnson

Alicia Piao - Psychology Student, 20+ FC: Natasha Liu Bordizzo

Tiabeanie Florence - Princess,15 FC: Georgie Henley

Allison Roe-Scott - Fashion designer, 18+ FC: Leighton Meester

Grace Scott - Student, 18 FC: Sara Waisglass 

Alwyn Oakdweller - Half-elf, 25+ FC: Henry Cavill

Dante Moore - Vampire, Forever 18 FC: Quincy Fouse

Astrid Green - Bar / Lounge Owner, 20+ FC: Zoey Deutch

Jacklyn “ Jack ” Esparza - Student, Soccer player, 18 FC: Ruby Cruz

Umi Okoye - Student, animator, 18 FC: Ayo Edebiri 

Sergio Garza - Cps worker, 30+ FC: Oscar Isaac 

Leslie Bishop - bodyguard, driver, 30+ FC: Jesse Williams

Aubree Fraser - Nurse Practitioner, 20+ FC: Jessica Henwick

Peyton Wong - Photographer, 19+ FC: Chase Sui Wonders

Greta Cohen - Event Planner, 18+ FC: Emilija Baranac 

Ryker Cameron - Kook, 20+ FC: Ryan Gosling

Jaden Reeves - Werewolf, 20+ FC: Josh Hutcherson

REACHER

Jack Reacher (30) - FC: Alan Ritchson

Roscoe Conklin (28) - FC: Willa Fitzgerald

Oscar Finley (33) - FC: Malcolm Goodwin

Francis Neagley (28) FC: Maria Sten

NEW GIRL

Nick Miller (30) - FC: Jake Johnson

Winston Bishop ( 30 ) - FC: Lamorne Morris

EUPHORIA 

Fezco (19+) - FC: Diego Tinoco 

Jules Vaughn (18+) - FC: Hunter Schafer

Cassie Howard (18+) - FC: Sydney Sweeney 

Nate Jacobs (18+) - FC: Jacob Elordi

Kat Hernandez (18+) - FC: Barbie Ferreira

THE WALKING DEAD

Rick Grimes (30+) - FC: Andrew Lincoln

Carl Grimes (18+) - FC: Tanner Buchannon

Glenn Rhee (20+) - FC: Steven Yeun

Rosita Espanoza (20+) - FC: Christian Serratos

Beth Greene ( 20 + ) - Emily Kinney

Carol Peletier ( 40+ ) - Melissa McBride

THE WITCHER

Geralt of Rivia (30+) - FC: Henry Cavill

Jaskier (30+) - FC: Joey Batey

Tissaia (35+) - FC: MyAnna Buring

Cirilla of Cintra (14+) - FC: Freya Allen

THE SOCIETY

Becca Gelb (18+) - FC: Gideon Adion

Harry Bingham (18+) - FC: Alex Fitzalan

Cassandra Pressman (18+) - FC: Rachel Keller

Kelly Aldrich (18+) - FC: Krstene Froseth

Gareth Visser (18+) - FC: Jack Mulhern

Gordie Moreno (18+) - FC: Jose Julian

GIRL MEETS WORLD

Lucas Friar (14+) - FC: Peyton Meyer 

Maya Hart (14+) - FC: Sabrina Carpenter

Topanga Mattews (30+) - FC: Rachel McAdams

Augie Matthews (14+) - FC: August Maturo

Isadora Smackle (14+) - FC: Cici Balagot

Farkle Minkus (14+) - FC: Corey Fogelmanis

STRANGER THINGS

Eddie Munson (18+) - FC: Joseph Quinn

Jane Hopper (14+) - FC: Millie Bobby Brown

Jim Hopper (18+) - FC: David Harbour 

Nancy Wheeler (18+) - FC: Natalia Dyer 

Max Mayfield (14+) - FC: Sadie Sink

Robin Buckley (18+) - FC: Maya Hawke

Carol Perkins (18+) - FC: Chelsea Talmadge

Will Byers (14+) - FC: Jack Dylan Grazer

Tommy Hagen (18) - FC: Chester Rushing

Steve Harrington (18) - FC: Joe Keery

TEEN WOLF

Derek Hale (30+) - FC: Tyler Hoechlin

Stiles Stilinski (30+) - FC: Dylan O’brien

Liam Dunbar (30+) - FC: Dylan Sprayberry

Kira Yukimara  (30+) - FC: Arden Cho

Jackson Whittemore (30+) - FC: Colton Haynes

Mason Hewitt  (30+) - FC: Khylin Rhambo

ONE TREE HILL

Nathan Scott (18+) - FC: James Lafferty

Karen Roe (30+) - FC: Moira Kelly

Kieth Scott (30+) - FC: Craig Sheffer

Peyton Sawyer (18+) - FC: Hilarie Burton

HARRY POTTER

Luna Lovegood (18+) - FC: Evanna Lynch

Neville Longbottom (18+) - FC: Matthew Lewis

OUTER BANKS

Rafe Cameron (19+) - FC: Drew Starkey

Kiara Carrera (18+) - FC: Madison Bailey

JJ Maybank (18+) - FC: Rudy Pankow

John B Rutledge (18+) - FC: Chase Stokes

Ward Cameron (30+) - FC: Charles Esten

Wheezie Cameron (15) - FC: Julia Antonelli 

Topper Thornton (19+) - FC: Austin North

ANIMATED TV & MOVIES

Catra (18+) - FC: Lulu Antariksa

Ballister Boldheart (30+) - FC: Riz Ahmed

Vi (20+) - FC: Brianna Hildebrand

HEARTSTOPPER

Nick Nelson

Charlie Spring

DISNEY MOVIES & TV

Evie Grimhilde (18+) - FC: Sofia Carson

Merida Dunbroch (18+) - FC: Amy Manson

Ben Florian (18+) - FC: Mitchell Hope

Queen Elsa (18+) - FC: Anya Taylor Joy

Kristoff Bjorgman (18+) - FC: Lucas Till

Olaf (10) - FC: Asa Butterfield

Fawn (18+) - FC: Maia Mitchell

Flynn Rider (19+) - FC: Ben Barnes

Amity Blight (15+) - FC: Kiernan Shipka

Jack Frost (19+) - FC: Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Astrid Hofferson (19+) - FC: Britt Robertson

Miguel Rivera (10+) - FC: As Himself 

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

Damon Salvatore (18+) - FC: Ian Somerhalder 

Klaus Mikaelson  (25+) - FC: Joseph Morgan

Bonnie Bennett  (18+) - FC: Kat Graham 

Vincent Griffith (30+) - FC: Yusuf Gatewood

Freya Mikaelson (25+) - FC: Riley Voelkel

LIFE IS STRANGE

Dana Ward  (18+) - FC: Lily Collins

Alex Chen  (18+) - FC: Brianne Tju

Chloe Price  (18+) - FC: Emma Mackey

Warren Graham (18+) - FC: Austin Abrams

Stella Hill (18+) - FC: Maitreya Ramakrishnan

Luke Parker (18+) - FC: Ross Butler

Kate Marsh (18+) - FC: Grace Van Dien

SCREAM MOVIES & TV 

Billy Loomis (18+) - FC: Skeet Ulrich

Mindy Meeks-Martin (18+) - FC: Jasmin Savoy Brown

Chad Meeks-Martin (18+) - FC: Mason Gooding

Noah Foster (18+) - FC: John Karna

Dewy Riley (23+) - FC: Dave Arquette

Tatum Riley (18+) - FC: Rose Mcgowan / Christina Hendricks

Wes Hicks (18+) - FC: Dylan Minnette 

THE LAST OF US

Joel Miller

Ellie Williams

Dina

RED DEAD REDEMPTION

Arthur Morgan

Abigail Marston 

TWILIGHT

Edward Cullen

Charlie Swan

Jasper Hale 

MISCELLANEOUS ANIME

Saitama

Sakura Haruno

Naruto Uzumaki

Haruhi Fujioka

Tamaki Suoh

Arisa Uotani

Taiga Aisaka

Yui Hirasawa

FNAF

Vanessa Afton

SUPERNATURAL 

Dean Winchester

Claire Novak

Meg Masters

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE 

Frank Castle

Peter Parker

Tony Stark

Jessica Jones

DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

Selina Kyle

Harley Quinn

Barbara Gordon

Dick Grayson

DUMPLIN’

Ellen “ El “ Dryver (18+) - FC: Odeya Rush

Bo Larson (19+) - FC: Luke Benward

[alliekparker]

A couple of weeks ago @b-andherbooks and I made a guide of tips on how to bust your reading slump

Reading slumps can be such a bummer, but thank goodness for bookish besties who ✨Get It✨ and finding ways to haul yourself back into the arms of books.

Books listed:

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

You & I, Rewritten by Chip Pons

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Charming Scottish Bastard by Melissa Blue

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

What Happens in Miami by Nadine Gonzalez

Yearning for Her by Tiffany Roberts

The Sea of Tranquility by Katija Millay

Tempest by Beverly Jenkins

Pink Slip by Katrina Jackson

Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Cruise

The Pleasure Chest by Jule McBride

Her Viking Wolf by Theodora Taylor

A Walrus & A Gentleman by Emmaline Strange

The Switch by Lynsay Sands

Technically Yours by Denise Williams

Striking Gold by Janine Amesta

Be sure to check out the books on this list! A lot of good ones here

[jakeyp]

helloooo so i reached 2k a while ago and had been too busy to do a celebration, but i can’t not make a post bc i’m really grateful for this 😭 for this i’m going to be giffing ofc! all my followers are welcome to participate, i ran out of inspiration to gif so i’m actually begging ajshdkdf. the rules are under the cut!

to participate you just need to be following me! since this is to celebrate with my followers :) you don’t need to sb this post but i’d appreciate it if you did! now, for the giffing part:

send 🪐 + a character (could be from a movie or show) 

send 📼 + an actor/actress 

send 🦜 + a show or movie

send 🧇 + a pairing, friendship, any relationship from a show

for mutuals: send 🛸 for a blog compliment! 

preferrably from the following shows: b99, succession, shadow and bone, parks and rec, daredevil, heartstopper, stranger things, bridgerton, barry, but as long as i’ve reblogged content from it, i’ll do it too! 

as to movies, same thing, if i’ve reblogged it, i probably love it lolol (you know me besties anything andy samberg will do :))

to wrap it up i’ll just be tagging my moots in random order bc im lazy to do it alphabetically:

@dandilicn @daptainholt @djarin @levy-tran @trueloveistreacherous @matthew-goodes @mcbride @denimveststeve @kieumy @diaaz @haydencristensen @andremichaux @vecnacurse @grogus-dad @daenerys-targaryen @julietteifairmont @nicknellson @nick-nellson @gwynethstrand @madeline-kahn @andrewwgarfield @softalisons @nelsonnicks @queerdiaz @atenexo @carlos-reyes @everelore @kamala-khann @binariesuns @userdanascully @maguiretobey @sith-maul @yasmin-finney @bettycoops @anakinpadme @patrick-stewart @arthurpendragonns @sdktrs12 @maevemillay @greggster @julesfairmont @userscream @constantbellpepper @bellamuertes @jules-fairmont @capinejghafa @birdmans @sarah-snook @orla-mcool @indiemovies @devilmns @michellesmalon @nicknellsons @useryauch @hunterschafer @beccs @aegons-targaryen @chrrispine @9544 @brooksdavis @nessa007 @cruwlwinterr @zephsthings @appreciates @yennefersz @time-turner @selenas-gomz @whiteshipnightjar @wyattknopes @wandasmaximofffs @federicocesaris @william-byers @jakeperalta @oliviarodriog @indomies @star-kovs @greensaplinggrace @bartonclinton @benslie @damn-salvatore @katherineebishop @deepika-padukone @dodge-mason @magnusedom @userlarri @jazzbrunchteddy @donnaamoss @naiey @feeisamarshmallow @softdavidrose @jperalta @userpurple @montygreen @doubletucks @b99reblogstuff @amy-santiagos @letsperaltiago 

ik i haven’t talked to some of you but i don’t want to leave anyone out bc i still love all of you <3

[90363462]

ENTERTAINMENT

TV

'The Walking Dead' Series Finale Includes Heartbreaking Deaths and Also Hope: 'We're the Ones Who Live'

After 12 years and 177 episodes, The Walking Dead wraps up its flagship series and sets up a future for fan-favorite characters

By

Breanne L. Heldman

Published on November 20, 2022 11:59 PM

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This post contains spoilers from Sunday's series finale of The Walking Dead.

After 12 years, 11 seasons, 177 episodes, The Walking Dead on AMC reached its finale, even as the zombie apocalypse rages on.

And what a heartbreaking, blood-soaked finale it was.

When the penultimate episode concluded with Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) shot by Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) and beloved characters all scrambling to save her, it was clear the 90-minute finale was going to hurt.

The episode opened with Daryl (Norman Reedus) busting into the hospital begging for help, only to be met by Commonwealth troopers who knock him out. Meanwhile, the hoard of walkers is coming. Thankfully, Judith wakes up long enough to find enough strength to get the doors shut and blocked before passing out on the ground once again beside Daryl.

A Complete Guide to Every Walking DeadSpin-Off Show

And then came the first two casualties of the night: Jules (Alex Sgambati) falls to the swarm and musician Luke (Dan Fogler) gets bit. His friends manage to get him to the hospital and gather around him as he bleeds out — but not before making sure they find the harmonica in his jacket pocket. He makes them promise to play. "Always."

Eventually, Daryl, Carol (Melissa McBride), Judith on a gurney and the rest of the group make it from the hospital and find Yumiko's doctor brother Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale), who gets to work on Judith. And it looks like the Little Ass Kicker will live to kick more ass.

Meanwhile, Rosita (Christian Serratos), Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) find Coco and the other kidnapped babies but have to take shelter in an ambulance amid the seemingly endless swarm. They exit and fight off the walkers before climbing a pipe and entering an open window a few floors up.

Gabriel, with a baby strapped to him, makes it to safety, as does Eugene and the baby in his care. As Rosita starts to climb, the walkers pull her down and she eventually falls. In true TWDfake-out fashion, it appears she's down for the count for a moment until she emerges, slaying walkers left and right. She makes her way atop the ambulance and leaps to the pipe and through the window.

Norman Reedus Pays Tribute to The Walking Dead as Series Wraps Final Season: 'What a Ride'

The next time we see her, Rosita is staring at a sleeping Coco. Eugene comes over and asks her if she's looking forward to summer, but Rosita remains silent as he rambles on about the benefits of infants learning to swim. Finally, he asks again, "I can't wait for summer. Can you?" She gives him a look. "Rosita, when you fell?"

She nods and shows him a bite on her back. Her fate is sealed. She's soaking in her final moments with Coco. "You're going to be fine," she tells Eugene. He responds: "I just love you so much."

"I love you too," she says, letting a tear fall.

But there's another person whose fate needs to be determined: Pamela Milton.

Mercer (Michael James Shaw) offers to help the former Alexandrians escape while he and the Commonwealth citizens on his side face an inevitable battle. "People are dying and I can't just stand by," he says. "This isn't your fight. They aren't your people."

Ezekiel (Khary Payton) begs to differ. "Yes they are. And so are you," he declares. Aaron (Ross Marquand) chimes in: "We need to do more than just save ourselves." Quickly, the rest of the crew agrees they're going to stay and fight.

Norman Reedus 'Suffered a Concussion on Set' While Filming Final Season of The Walking Dead

When everyone surrounds Pamela, she declares Mercer a traitor. But he won't take it. "No, you are, Governor. You disappeared hundreds of citizens, led the dead to our doorstep. You shot a child. And now you've left thousands out there to die," he says, referring to the Commonwealth citizens trapped outside Pamela's gated community as the hoard approaches.

Gabriel marches toward the gate: "We're opening the gate and letting these people in and I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me." And Pamela urges her lieutenants to "shoot him."

But when Daryl insists, "We all deserve better than this. ... You've got one enemy: We ain't the walking dead," Pamela's army changed their tune.

Mercer arrests Pamela as Gabriel opens the gates, letting the citizens in — and leaving the walkers out. Seeing zombie Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) at the gates, Pamela walks towards him, ready to let him kill her. But dying by suicide was more mercy than Pamela deserved, and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) shoots zombie Hornsby, freeing her.

"You have to help them Governor, all the people that are still out there!" Judith shouts. "It's not too late. It's never too late!"

Melissa McBride Exits The Walking DeadSpin-Off: We 'Hope to See Carol Again'

All the living make quick work of a plan to blow up the wealthy neighborhood within the Commonwealth, including Pamela's house, by blasting Living Colour's "Cult of Personality." They pour gasoline into the sewers and set explosives — and burn a good part of the Commonwealth to the ground in one of the show's biggest explosions ever.

"We kept you alive, after everything you've done, because we've all done things," Carol tells Pamela.

Earlier in the episode, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) apologizes to Maggie for killing Glenn (Stephen Yeun), delivering a speech about how sorry he is, and how she needs to live on. "I finally understood what you must've felt," he says. "I am so sorry for what I took from you, what I took from your son."

Later, Maggie responds (and Cohan delivers one heck of a monologue): "I've been thinking about what you said. I want to thank you. I can stop wondering if you'll ever say those words and if I can ever forgive you. Because I know now: I can't. Glenn was a beautiful person. I'll never love anyone like that again. I remember this smile, his goodness, and the way he made me feel. But when I look at you, all I see is that bat coming down on his head, blood running down his face. I hear him calling for me, and I hear you mocking me while he's dying. So I can't forgive you, even though I'm so grateful that you saved my son. Even though I know that you're trying. I'm trying too. Because I don't want to hate you anymore. I don't want to hurt like that. And I don't want my son to see that anyone has that kind of hold on me. If you and Annie want to stay, you've earned your place. … Because all I have are my memories, and I don't want to remember Glenn like that."

Soon after, it's time to celebrate. The favorite characters gather for a meal much like the one Carl Grimes dreamed of just before his death. Everyone is hugging and laughing and eating and drinking.

Lydia (Cassady McClincy) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) reunite and Magna (Nadia Hilker) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) kiss, rekindling their relationship. And Daryl looks out the window to the ground below and catches Negan's eye. They exchange a nod, and Negan walks away. For good. (Or, for now. As we know, he and Maggie will be reunited in New York City some way, somehow, for The Walking Dead: Dead City, coming to AMC in April.)

But Rosita is sitting alone at the dinner table, and Gabriel notices, and soon everyone knows what's to come. She enjoys quiet and beautiful farewell moments with Maggie, Carol, Daryl, Coco and Gabriel, who prays over her in a true full-circle moment for his character. "Receive her into your arms of mercy," he begins.

Finally, Eugene sits beside her. "I wouldn't be the man I am today if I hadn't met you," he says. She turns to him and smiles: "I'm glad it's you in the end," she says, referring to the fact that he will have to stop her from turning into a walker once she's dead.

Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira Surprise Walking Dead Fans at Comic-Con with Spin-Off Series News

One year later, Eugene places flowers beside a plaque dedicated to Rosita and other fallen favorites. He and Max (Margot Bingham) have a baby — called Rosie — and they are all smiles as Ezekiel and Mercer are sworn in as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Judith receives a compass and letter from Negan. Maggie wants to chat about the future.

And Daryl is ready to head out on a new adventure. He and Carol sit on a bench for one last chat. "I wish you were coming with me," he says in a fiction-meets-reality moment. (McBride was initially going to be costarring with Reedus on his spinoff.) "I'm proud of you. I am. You took Hornsby's job and made it your own... You made everything better. And you'll keep making it better."

"I'm allowed to be a little sad," she says. "You're my best friend."

Judith and R.J. join them and hug Daryl as he prepares to mount his motorcycle. "I'll find 'em both," he tells Judith, referring to Rick and Michonne. "I'll bring 'em home."

Judith, the wisest child in the world, tells him: "Daryl, you deserve a happy ending, too."

Daryl and Carol exchange "I love yous," and he's off.

But that's not the end. Boom: It's Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira)! In alternating voiceovers, they alternate statements like "I think of the dead all the time. And about the living who I lost. I think about them all, every day," and "I tried to get to you and your brother again and again … but I still got you, and you've got me. "We'll always be together, even when we're apart. We're love and Love is endless.

"We are endless."

And then we see them: Michonne looking like a true warrior still on a mission, Rick scruffy and barefoot (and wearing a CRM jacket) forced to surrender to a helicopter. "You've been located and are instructed to surrender," a voice from the chopper says. "It's like he told you, there's no escape for the living."

But Michonne says in a voiceover: "Remember what I said. It's what he said: 'We're the ones who live.'"

The final shot is Judith and RJ looking out at the landscape. "We get to start over," she says. "We're the ones who live."

The Walking Dead spin-offs will air in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.

Sent from my iPhone

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

finally binged the last season of TWD and I have to say, I'm okay with how it ended. I won't lie, the Commonwealth arc was a little boring for me. It didn't feel as high stakes as other villain arcs in the past have felt like the Whisperers or the Saviors or even The OG Governor, but I think that's why they upped the ante on the walkers themselves. Which...maybe I missed it but did they ever say why the walkers were suddenly climbing up walls and picking up weapons? Talk about terrifying. LOVED that they brought back the Whisperer angle this season by the way, in all aspects. That was really cool.

I'm a hardcore Caryl shipper but I was okay with how they left things with their story. I know some might not be happy with it but Idk I got a very unfinished vibe from it? Like there's more to their story. Idr if Melissa McBride has said she'll make an appearance on the Daryl spinoff or not, but I still get the 'there's something there and it's still unspoken' vibe.

I felt absolutely horrible for Luke and Jules. I didn't expect that one. But it also kind of made me think they brought them back to be the ones to die so none of the mains had to. Again, the whole Commonwealth arc just didn't feel as high stakes, even when Eugene was on trial for his life, even when Ezekiel and the others were taken. The only other time it felt high stakes is when Negan and Annie were about to be executed and Ezekiel and the others stepped in. Not saying that I wanted any of the mains to die; they had more than earned those endings but I felt like it kind of got away from the theme of the show a little, if that makes sense.

Judith getting shot was indeed shocking and you do worry for her, but it was obvious they were doing a callback to the pilot, with us seeing her pov from the pain haze she was in at the hospital, Daryl blocking the door to her room like Shane did with Rick. Not a bad callback at all, I appreciated it, but you knew then that Judith wasn't going to die. (which thank goodness she didn't because I'd riot)

Rosita's death was tragic but at the same time beautiful. Christian and the others did a wonderful job and my heart broke for Rosita (she was one of my favorite characters too). I had heard Christian's explanation of why she wanted Rosita to die from it being mentioned by a fan at a recent SPN convention to Jensen (in relation to Dean's ending and how he felt if there was closure or not), but now having seen the season, it makes more sense.

Idk, overall, I just felt like it was a good tie-up besides some of the issues I mentioned. I was happy to see Rick and Michonne at the end but I do wish I could have seen them reunite with their kids, ngl. I'm hoping however the movie goes, that's the ending for the Grimes family. Like Judith said "we're the ones that live". After everything they've been through, they deserve it. Rick deserves to see Judith and RJ at least once.

One thing that popped out for me that I didn't expect was Maggie x Negan. Holy crap, I did not see that ship coming. It feels so wrong for many reasons but JDM and Lauren just have that chemistry as those two characters. And while I enjoyed Negan/JDM as a villain, and he was alright in his limbo phase, I never was a Negan fan so to speak. But after the bottle episode from season 10 and we see his backstory (which he and Hilarie crushed btw), I became very interested in his 11A arc, especially where Maggie was concerned. When he showed up with a pregnant wife in 11B, it felt off to me. Like I get that was his redemption arc in full swing and it was done to get Negan to the point where he earns his place at Alexandria 2.0 (3.0?) if he wants it, that Maggie can be the one to extend that offer (which leads them into the dynamic/place they need for their spinoff) because he finally understands how she must have felt when he killed Glen and he apologizes, and Daryl gives him a nod of semi-respect at the end, but idk it just felt off to me. It should be interesting to see how things occur for Negan and Annie moving forward. Will they be in the new series, too? And I'm not really a hero x villain kind of person (i.e. I'm not a Reylo shipper at all) unless it's something really great like Dramione but Negan and Maggie, I can get on board with that one a bit. And even if that never occurs, I am good with just seeing those two on my screen together. I can't wait to see the Maggie and Negan spinoff!!!

So yeah, an end to an era but I'm personally okay with this end. I still love the series and it's definitely one of my favorites.

[bclaymoore]

No matter how prolific I feel, I don’t think I’ll ever approach my first cousin Jule McBride’s written output for Harlequin.

[walking-sons-of-the-dead-anarchy]

[deeisace]

It must be very fun, playing Sebastian in “Shakespeare & Hathaway”

[ray-gt]

Fermi Paradox (Pt. 5)

Nosy neighbours, military types, and mild workplace bullying.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 /

_______________________________________________________________________

Part 5: Meet the Cavalry.

Day: Cycle 43  Location: Outpost Minos B (Transport Deck 3) Mission: Cassini Uno Alert Response / Project Wayfinder (Europa) 

"Captain, are we seriously taking an ITV to Enceladus because two techs at Cassini Uno don't know how to properly seal an airlock?" Nari frowned. "Seems like GWSA paranoia to me." 

Halliday felt her eyes flick towards him but chose not to be baited. The comment set his jaw though. 6 months on Europa and this was part and parcel of everyday life on Jupiter's sixth moon - military types stomping around the place, chests out and feeling important. When he'd heard that Cassini Uno would just be GWSA personnel, he almost applied for transfer. He turned to Captain Barnes. 

"Are McBride and Malik ok?" He asked, adjusting his glasses. "Do we know anything about their condition? Because if there's an unsealed airlock, that's not great. And," He looked at Nari, her hands tucked casually into the back pockets of her uniform, her sleeves rolled up to reveal her heavily tattooed arms. "I don't think it's paranoia if a critical systems alert hasn't been responded to." 

Nari rolled her eyes. 

"Look, Jules, I'm not an idiot. We just don’t need to freak out about this. It's the external airlock chamber door - it's not like that can mess with the outpost itself, none of the reports say there's anything wrong with the internal door or that the outpost itself has been compromised." 

"That doesn't mean something isn’t wrong." He retorted, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. "What if they're inside the outpost and they suit up to go out, thinking the airlock chamber is pressurised when it isn't? If they open the internal airlock door, that very much could 'mess with the outpost'." 

Nari's face tightened and her stance became more rigid. 

"If they were going to suit up to leave, they would have heard the alert and thought, 'hey, I probably shouldn't do that because that would be really stupid and I'll die'. And even if they were that stupid, the internal airlock door wouldn’t open if the chamber wasn't properly pressurised. Fifty bucks says we get there and they haven't responded to the alert because they've gone out on one of their little 'expeditions' and haven't come back yet." 

Halliday felt his face grow hot as her eyes bored into him, trying to intimidate him out of the argument. 

"Or," He replied with grit. "They haven't responded because there was a critical systems malfunction and they're in trouble." 

Nari shook her head but didn’t respond. She turned her attention to Barnes, who had watched the argument play out, listening but not interrupting. It was unclear to Jules what the captain's stance on the issue was. So far, they'd only relayed orders. 

"If you want my opinion, Captain." Nari said. "It's a long way to go, and a shit ton of money, just to close a door." 

Captain Barnes nodded at her, then their eyes shifted to Halliday. Jules had to look up to meet them, fierce and intense and stoic. The captain's long braided hair was tied in a bun at the top of their head, giving them extra height they definitely didn’t need, and Halliday did his best to maintain eye contact without shrinking away. 

 "Your objection is noted, Lieutenant." Captain Barnes said to Nari. "It's likely that you're right, and this excursion is a waste of time and resources." They paused for a moment before nodding at Jules. "But these are our orders, and I agree with Dr Halliday. Something doesn't seem right here, and if there's a possibility that the crew on Enceladus are in trouble, we are obligated to assist." 

 Nari rolled her shoulders and ignored Halliday's side-eye, which made him enjoy the victory even more. 

"Yes, Captain." She said. 

"I've already notified ground crew, they're prepping the AV for launch as we speak." Said Captain Barnes, straightening. "Report to the launchpad in 20 minutes." 

Jules frowned. 

20 minutes? If it's an emergency, shouldn't we leave straight away? 

Except it wasn't an emergency, not technically, and so the usual urgency was laxed. A 20-minute launch delay in an evacuation scenario would have the GWSA reeling. 

Nari saluted and Halliday nodded, always having felt awkward with military customs. 

"Good." Barnes said. "Dismissed." 

As they left TD-3, marching quickly through the tunnel that connected the transport decks to the rest of Outpost Minos B, Halliday turned to Nari. 

"Why are you so against going to Enceladus?" He said. "You're a pilot - isn't flying like your whole thing? This should be Christmas for you." 

"Yeah," She said, drawing it out. "I think you overestimate how much flying is actually involved with an ITV. You just plug in coordinates and sit in the pilot's seat, waiting to see if anything goes wrong. They're auto-piloted, so not exactly thrilling stuff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I'm bored as shit here but piloting an ITV's like volunteering for a hangover without any of the drinking. I'd rather stay here doing resource runs to the project camps." 

They walked in silence for a moment. After a while, Nari broke it again with a shake of her head. 

"But you know what I really want to know?" She said, not pausing long enough for Jules to answer. "Barnes needs me to man ascent and descent transport. But you?" She fixed him with an unimpressed stare. "Why drag the comms tech to Saturn? That doesn't make sense to me. But hey, I'm not the captain." 

Jules was quiet at that, he didn’t have a response - mainly because he'd been asking himself the same question. Load is key in space and, to both of them, Jules seemed like deadweight. 

"I guess, we'll just have to see when we get there." He said. 

Nari scoffed, the sound bounced off the tunnel walls and extended out in front of them. 

"I guess." She echoed. "You know, Jules, when I got the order to report to TD-3, I really thought today might be interesting." 

They walked in silence the rest of the way. 

 Halliday wasn't as familiar with ITV travel as Barnes or Yun. 

They'd both done multiple trips to outposts across the system - sometimes for supply drops/collections, sometimes for drills, sometimes for recruit transfer. He knew Nari had grown up on the Atacama Colony on Mars, and that Captain Barnes had served several deployments throughout their career, including Earth, Mars, Ceres, the Moon, and even a brief stint on the floating cloud outpost in Venus' atmosphere. However, Europa was Jules' first interplanetary mission, and while he, like all GWSA astronauts, had received extensive training in prep for stationing, the only time he'd actually travelled in an ITV was during the trip from Earth to Europa 6 months beforehand. He'd always thought that the next time he'd board one again would be when they were heading home. While it wasn't uncommon for military personnel to be more mobile, personnel from the GWSA get allocated to one location and they stay there until their station is complete. 

So when the AV launched from Europa's surface and Nari expertly navigated it to dock on the ITV, he'd been excited - not only did he get to experience space travel again, but he got to travel further out. Europa was already pretty far, but Enceladus? Malik and McBride were breaking new ground on that front. However, he soon realised what Nari meant when she described it as a hangover without the fun of the night before: 

Lightspeed travel sucked. 

Well, lightspeed travel at any time sucked, lightspeed travel when you're conscious is a whole other bucket of shit. 

When you're traveling to the 'Outer Distances' from Earth - to Jupiter and further - the trip is long enough that the GWSA opt to put astronauts to sleep in pressure cells and then remotely wake them up on arrival. This helps lessen the intensity of the post-travel symptoms, and was what happened to Jules on his first ITV transport. However, a trip from Europa to Enceladus wasn't long enough to justify being put under. Also, it was decided that in an evacuation scenario, no one could afford to waste the time on the process of being put under and woken again. Besides, the GWSA would rather a slightly ill response crew than a disoriented one in an emergency. While this wasn't an evacuation, Barnes had made the call that the crew would remain conscious for transport. Nari hadn't raised issue. Unfortunately for pilots, they always had to remain awake, no matter the distance, in case something went wrong and they needed to take manual control. Naively, Jules had just gone along with the call, but now that they were docked in orbit above the Saturnian moon, he really wished he'd spoken up. 

It felt like he was thrown around in his own body, bouncing off the walls with the violent inertia of being strapped to a cosmological yoyo, flung and returned, in and out of the void again and again. It felt like the drop on a rollercoaster, except the drop never stopped and was faster than any rollercoaster to ever exist. Every organ in his body protested loudly and aggressively to the ordeal and upon arrival, Jules scrambled out of the cell and, stumbling and dizzy, ran to the toilet, emptying his stomach into it. Given that Barnes and Nari were far more familiar to the effects of ITV travel, they weren't as intensely affected, though Barnes looked a little peaky and the trip had done little to shift Nari's dour mood. 

Descent was remarkably less intense, though no more enjoyable. Nari navigated the plummet through Enceladus' atmosphere and towards its surface with a level of expertise that Jules could only admire, though he'd never tell her that. Now, standing on the surface, he didn’t even care that he was on Enceladus and one of the few of his species to have travelled so far. All he cared about was having his feet on solid ground. Well, solid ice. 

The comms channel crackled in his ear. 

"You good, Halliday?" Came Nari, standing to his right, biting back laughter. "Not going to upchuck again, are you? Try to hold it in until we're inside the outpost." 

Before Jules could reply, Captain Barnes' voice flooded the channel, deep and well-worn. They walked ahead of Nari and Jules, stunner drawn and ready. 

"Focus, Lieutenant." They said. "Stay alert and within range. The ice is active in these parts, so be careful underfoot." 

With that, Nari sobered and kept her quips to herself, and they made their way to Outpost Cassini Uno. 

 *** 

Day: Cycle 43 Location: South Pole, Enceladus Mission: Cassini Uno Alert Response / Project Wayfinder (Europa) 

Nari had managed to land the Descent Vehicle about 500m away from the outpost, which was an achievement she was particularly proud of and one, she noted, that nobody else seemed to mention. Walking over the icy surface of Enceladus was a lot more difficult than walking on Europa, which was mostly just rock. Each step saw her boot meeting rough and jagged ice and visibility was far lower than their own moon. She too had drawn her stunner, holding it low at her hips, ready to use at any moment. What she would use it for on Enceladus, she didn't know, but seeing as the captain had drawn theirs, she'd done the same. 

Halliday's stunner was still holstered in his suit, which, in her opinion, was probably a good thing. The transport had left him sick and jittery, and she'd rather not have him go trigger happy in his current state. 

Newbies. 

Every hundred metres or so, Barnes would broadcast on an open channel and they'd wait for a response which, so far, hadn't come. Now, with the last remaining hundred left, Outpost Cassini Uno was well in view. It was a lot smaller than Outpost Minos B, mainly because Minos B could house up to 40 personnel at any given time, while Cassini Uno was only built for two people and their equipment. Next to what they were used to, Cassini Uno was a little lonely hut out in the middle of nowhere. Unlike Minos B, it was only one structure - it didn’t have transport decks, or separate labs or sleeping quarters, there were only two rovers parked next to the moon's sole ascent vehicle at the charging station. 

That was the first red flag: both rovers were home. 

Clearly, Barnes had made a similar observation and they started to broadcast again, with Halliday tracking any comms activity in their vicinity. 

"Outpost Cassini Uno. Outpost Cassini Uno, do you copy? This is Captain Theo Barnes. Comms check. Over." 

Nothing. 

"Outpost Cassini Uno. Do you copy? Comms check. Over." 

Silence and the crackling of the open channel was all they heard in response. 

"Dr Halliday," Barnes said. "Anything?" 

"Nothing but our own equipment, Captain." Jules replied. 

With each step closer they got to Cassini Uno, the stronger the sense of dread clawed at her, enveloping her and making her suit feel suffocating. Nari couldn't ignore the thought of how isolated they were if something were to go wrong here. She grit her teeth and swallowed down the trepidation, increasing her pace until she was almost beside the captain and Jules trailed behind. 

It wasn't long until they were at the problematic airlock and Nari could only stand and stare at watch she saw. They'd been operating under the assumption that the airlock had just been improperly sealed by the last person to use it. However, when they came to the outpost, what they found was the door swinging ajar with the chamber wide open to Enceladus. 

They all looked at it, and while the open channel buzzed and crackled between them, no one said anything. They already knew. 

This was bad. 

 *** 

"This is bad." Jules said. 

"Yeah, no shit, Halliday." Nari replied, though even her tone had lost some of its colour. 

Captain Barnes said nothing while they inspected the door. They put one large hand on the handle and shut it. Pulling the levered handle vertical, the airlock sealed and the chamber began to repressurise as usual. They pulled again on the handle, this time attempting to turn it horizontal again, but the handle wouldn't budge. Annoying as it could be when in a rush, a functional airlock door couldn't be opened while the chamber transitioned between pressures. 

"Everything seems to be in order." Barnes said, almost muttering to themselves, leaning in closer to the door but seemingly finding nothing of note. They straightened up and the comms channel buzzed to life once more. "Outpost Cassini Uno. This is Captain Barnes. We will attempt entry. Over." 

Jules' heart sank at the radio silence. He knew McBride and Malik in passing, but not in any way that would remotely label them as friends. Either way though, the thoughts of what cruel end they could have met out here on the cold frontier taunted him in the grueling wait outside. Unfortunately, as Barnes had sealed the door once more, they had to wait for it to finish repressurising and then wait for it to depressurise once more before they could enter the chamber. Weirdly though, Jules was torn as he stood outside Cassini Uno. On one hand, he was anxious to find out if the Enceladus crew were ok. On the other, he wasn't keen to find out if they weren't. While the team waited outside, Malik and McBride were both dead and alive. 

Schrödinger's astronauts. 

Eventually, they were able to open the airlock door again and squish together in the chamber, closing the door behind them. 

As the chamber began to repressurise, Captain Barnes turned to Halliday. It was a small space, and the captain had to hunch slightly as the top of their helmet bumped against the ceiling. 

"Dr Halliday," They said. "Stay behind Lieutenant Yun and I. Only enter rooms after we've cleared them. Keep your helmet on and follow my orders." 

Jules frowned, "Ok, Captain. But," He ventured. "What are you expecting to find?" 

There was silence on the channel. 

"I don't know." The captain said. They turned to Nari. "Lieutenant, are you ready?" 

Nari held the handle to the internal airlock door in her right hand and her stunner ready in her left. 

"On your order, Captain." She said. 

"Ok," Barnes said as the chamber finished repressurising. "Let's move." 

Nari opened the internal airlock and Barnes marched out in front, stunner drawn and held aloft, Nari came second, and Jules followed behind. He fumbled for his stunner and held it close, though it didn't sit naturally in his hands and he constantly had to readjust his grip on it. 

Barnes and Nari moved fluidly and quietly through the outpost main hallway, ducking in and out of rooms with a swift, well-oiled precision. The only chatter on the comms was the occasional announcement of "clear" after searching a room. As they systematically cleared the outpost, they found neither of the two techs, nor any evidence of what might have happened to them. With the announcement of each cleared room, Jules struggled with the conflicting feelings of relief and anxiety. 

Finally, they came to the Mess. Here was the first evidence of something having gone awry. On the small table in the middle of the room was a half-complete game of Scrabble, and on the floor beside the kitchen bench were shattered pieces of glass sitting in a pool of coffee. 

Nari picked up the scoresheet from the table. 

"Kugelblitz?" She said. "What the fuck is that?" 

Jules stood at the doorway and, though it hadn't officially been cleared, walked to stand beside her. 

"It's a blackhole made out of light or heat." He looked at the board and whistled. "And one of them took the game with it." 

"A blackhole made out of light? Can that happen?" 

"I don't know." Jules replied. "It's theoretical physics." 

"Right." 

"Yun. Dr Halliday." Came Barnes' voice over comms, clearly unimpressed with the tangent. They were bent over the mess on the floor. "Let's stay on task here and keep moving." 

Eventually, they worked their way through the outpost until they reached the Central Systems Hub. Halliday had suggested going to it first but Barnes and Yun refused until all rooms on the way were cleared. 

Cleared from what? This is Enceladus. 

Once in the Hub, Jules finally felt comfortable. So far all he'd managed to contribute to the trip was throwing up and tailing behind the captain and lieutenant. However, here in the Hub, he was in his element. The Minos B Central Systems Hub was where he spent the majority of his time on Europa. 

"This is the last room in the outpost." Nari said, her voice grim. "Captain - no sign of anyone, two rovers parked outside, a stationed AV, a clear base, and no response on comms?" 

She left the question hanging heavy over the channel. 

"I know," Barnes said before turning to Jules. "Dr Halliday, can you get me a record of all last comms activity? I want outgoing and incoming transmissions, I want imagery and reports. Get me what you can." 

Jules' chest swelled and he strode forth with purpose towards the main communications computer. He sat down on one of the chairs and began to log in. 

"Captain," said Nari behind him. She had pulled up the systems reports on the main observation computer. "There are no issues with the atmosphere or any of the critical systems. Permission to remove our helmets?" 

"Granted." 

They all sighed in relief when they breathed the base air. Technically, it was still recycled, but there's something about breathing recycled air in a larger space that makes it feel fresher. 

Jules put his helmet down on the desk beside him and returned to the computer. After a few minutes, he frowned. 

"That's weird." He said, more to himself than anyone else. Of course, the two other people in the room assumed he was talking to them and made their way over to stand behind him. 

"What is it?" Asked Captain Barnes. 

Hyper aware of the two people standing way too close behind him and quite literally breathing down his neck, Jules pressed his lips together and took a deep breath to calm his nerves before returning to the screen. 

"Something's interfered with the comms," He explained, pushing his glasses up his nose. "But in a really… specific way? It doesn’t make any sense. See, whatever happened didn't stop Cassini Uno from receiving comms transmissions-" He pointed at the systems report on the screen. "- here, you can see a log of contact from Mission Control. It was a few hours ago, so I'm assuming it was them following up on the alert. But, the weird thing is that whatever caused the interference also heavily filtered what could be transmitted out from Cassini Uno. If the crew wanted to send out anything - messages, imagery, logs - they would have all been blocked. It's likely that even if they did request evac, we would have never received the alert." 

The revelation sat heavily with the captain and lieutenant, and neither spoke for a moment. Dread set Jules' nerves alight and he struggled to stay focused. 

"How'd we get the airlock alert then?" Nari asked, breaking the silence. "If all outgoing messages were blocked, Mission Control wouldn’t have known about it." 

"I didn't say all outgoing transmissions." Jules replied with a raised chin and Nari gave him a look that made him quickly lower it again. He turned back to the screen. "That's the other weird part. All the critical systems updates were still being sent to Mission Control without issue - water, oxygen, CO2, pressure, all of it. But nothing else. If the airlock hadn’t been left open, we might not have known anything was wrong until much later. I still don't know what's messed with the transmission, I'll have a dig through the system and see if I can find an error, but I can't think of any way of this happening without it being intentional." 

"Intentional?" The captain repeated with a heavy weight. "Someone hacked Enceladus?" 

"Maybe," Jules shrugged, though it was forced and rigid. "It's too exact - to filter comms like that? I don’t know. Something's off. Let me pull up the last comms logs and see if we can gauge anything." He scanned through the comms transmission history. "There are a couple of photos here from the external cameras. They seem to have been taken not long before the airlock alert was sent out. I'll bring them up." 

He brought the photos up on the screen and it took a moment to process what he saw. The captain and lieutenant both leaned in close over his shoulder but, this time, Jules was too stunned to care. He heard Nari's breath catch in her throat, her face almost cheek-to-cheek with his own as she stared at the screen. 

"What is that?" The captain said on his other side. 

"It looks like -" Nari began, but her voice trailed off and she left the thought unfinished. She didn’t need to finish it though, they all knew what it looked like. No dancing around it. 

It was a spaceship, hovering above the outpost. Impossibly large so that the camera wasn't able to capture all of it in the one image. As Jules scanned through the photoset, they watched as a smaller ship detached from the larger vessel and made its way towards the surface. It hovered for a few photos before it ascended again and returned to the larger vessel which left itself after a few more photos. 

When they reached the final photo - a shot of the clear sky above Cassini Uno - they all sat and stared. 

"It didn't land?" Nari said. "That's weird." 

"That's the part you found weird?" Jules' voice pitched high and warbled. "I think the alien spaceship is what's got me." 

Nari ignore him, she seemed lost in her thoughts. From behind him, the Captain spoke. 

"Dr Halliday, is there anything else from the time that the -" They paused. "- extra-terrestrial vessel was caught on camera?" 

Jules scanned through the log history and eventually found one that made him stop. 

"I've found something." He said. "It's a comms channel recording from after the - you know - the thing. It was transmitted to Cassini Uno from Malik's suit." 

"Play it." Jules highlighted the recording file and played it. 

Through the computer speakers they heard Daksh's voice: 

"Ok, have you ever had your body spliced from reality and then rematerialised on an alien spaceship? No? Well, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't think I'll ever recover...." 

 *** 

"So," Nari said, her head felt empty. "Malik and McBride have been arrested by… giant aliens? Did I hear that right, or has all that lightspeed travel finally cooked my brain?" 

"You heard it right." Said Halliday sitting below her. His face was paler than usual and there was a thin line of sweat on his forehead. 

"Huh," Nari said. "I don't know if it's the 'giant' part or the 'alien' part that I'm having more difficulty with." 

Captain Barnes, seemingly unshaken, turned to Halliday, "Are there any other recordings?" 

Jules looked through the comms history and shook his head. 

"After that, it's just systems reporting." He said. "If he recorded any other logs, his suit's too far out of range for them to be transmitted back here." 

Nari rubbed her temples in the hope it might bring about at least one helpful thought. It didn't. 

"Aliens are real." She said. She straightened up from peering over Halliday's shoulder and paced around the Hub. The more she thought about it, the faster she paced, nervous energy rippled through her like electricity. "Aliens are real and they've kidnapped two techs." 

Barnes also stood up. They rose from the hunched-over position like a mountain, their stony face deep in thought. 

"Dr Halliday, can we track the vessel now?" They said. 

It took Halliday a moment to process the request but after a while he nodded. "If it's still in range of Cassini Uno's sensors, then we should be able to." 

He stood up from the comms computer and hurried to the main observation computer with the captain and lieutenant following behind. He brought up the holographic projection of the celestial cartograph. As expected, it displayed Enceladus in relation to other large bodies in the Saturnian system. There was Saturn, its moons, and all the large objects floating in its rings that the GWSA wanted to keep an eye on. But there was also something else. Slowly drifting away from the system was an unidentified object - incredibly large and moving in an unnatural pattern. 

Jules pointed to it. 

"That's the ship." He said. 

Nari watched it slowly move out of Saturn's system - soon it would be too far for Cassini Uno's systems to detect. She turned to Barnes, their dark features bathed in the light of the cartograph. 

"Captain, what are we going to do?" She asked. "If we wait around, we'll lose it." 

Beside her she heard Halliday sputter out some protest. 

"You're not actually suggesting we follow that thing, are you?" He said, incredulous. 

Nari ignored him and maintained her attention on the captain. Barnes took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then they nodded. 

"I'm afraid, Dr Halliday, that's exactly what the lieutenant is suggesting." They paused, and Nari turned to watch the dread wash over Jules' face. "And that's exactly what we're going to do. We won't abandoned McBride and Malik." 

 *** 

Jules protested as the team made their way out of Cassini Uno. He protested in the airlock chamber. He protested on the march over to the Ascent Vehicle and throughout the journey back up to orbit. And he continued to protest once they had boarded the ITV again. 

"This is insane!" He said, becoming more desperate the longer Barnes and Yun ignored him. "You're both insane. We can't just fly over to a giant alien spaceship! Am I the only one processing this? Giant. Aliens. 60ft militaristic aliens. Shouldn't we at least notify Mission Control? Request back-up, or something?" 

Nari crossed her arms and grinned at him, enjoying the show. 

"Didn't you just say that outgoing comms transmissions have been blocked?" 

 He bit on his cheek. "Yeah, but that was for Cassini Uno, the ITV should still be able to send a message." 

Nari waltzed into the ship control deck and sat in the pilot's seat. She exhaled deeply and rubbed her hands together. 

"Sure, Halliday, you can shoot the folks back on Earth a quick text, but there's no time to wait around for their reply. You saw that thing, we won't have it on our sensors much longer. We need to go now." 

Jules felt his heart plummet into his stomach. He looked at the captain who met his stare. 

"Dr Halliday," Barnes said. "I understand your apprehension. This is risky, no one is claiming it isn't. But right now, we're Dr McBride and Dr Malik's only hope of rescue." 

"Yeah, but we could leave you here if you don't want to come." Nari chimed. "Down on the desolate ice moon, by yourself, with a dud comms system and aliens about. This choice is totally yours." 

Jules frowned. "We've already used the DV." 

Nari hummed, "Oh yeah," She shrugged. "I mean, we could always just throw you out the airlock if you're desperate?" 

"Funny." 

"What's the joke?" 

"Lieutenant." said Barnes, with warning. 

"So," Jules said bitterly. "I guess, the choice isn't really mine at all." 

"That's right!" Nari said, fiddling with the ITV navigational controls. "It's not, so sorry about that. Captain, I'm going to disable autopilot - the co-ordinates are changing too quickly for the ship to lock onto." 

"You're going to free fly?" Jules voice became shrill with panic. "At lightspeed?" 

Nari spun around on the pilot's seat. She had one foot resting up on the seat and a devilish light in her eyes. She raised her eyebrows at him. Captain Barnes pat Jules on the shoulder with a powerful hand. 

"Steady yourself, Dr Halliday." They said. "Lieutenant Yun is one of the best pilots in the system." 

"Thank you, Captain." She said before turning to Jules. "And it won't be a lightspeed - no one can free fly at lightspeed. But, they're not travelling at lightspeed either. I imagine it takes some time for a ship that size to recharge and prep for the jump. That's our opportunity. I've trained to fly pretty damn fast, Halliday, and I think we should be able to catch them." 

Jules adjusted his glasses - the lenses were fogged and dirty from constant anxious touching. 

"And," He ventured. "What happens if we're on the ship when they do jump to lightspeed?" 

Nari and Barnes looked at each other, faces serious and grim. The captain nodded. 

"This will need to be a tight, in-and-out operation." Barnes said. "We can't afford to spend any more time on that ship than we need." 

Jules pursed his lips but said nothing further. 

That didn't answer my question. 

Nari turned back to the control panel and Captain Barnes took a seat behind her, strapping themselves in. Jules' eyes widened at that, he felt like he was losing his mind. 

"Why are you sitting there? S-shouldn’t we be getting into the pressure cells?" 

Nari clicked her tongue and shook her head. 

"Free flight's a bit of a bumpy bitch, Jules. Not as cushiony as the auto-piloted trips. You'll get thrown around and beat up if you're lying in a pressure cell - it's safer to be strapped in and upright." She paused. "More fun too." 

She pointed at a vacant chair and, to Jules, she might as well been pointing at a guillotine. He made his way towards it, dreading every step and wondering if these were the last moments of his life - hurtling through the cruel expanse with two people he barely knew and didn’t much like, one who was probably certifiable. 

He sat down and strapped himself in, bracing himself on the two armrests. When Nari was finished preparing for manual flight, she too strapped in and winked at Jules. 

"You ready, Halliday?" She said, her eyes alight. 

"Uhh, no?" He stuttered back, knuckles white. "This seems like a bad idea." 

Nari grinned. "Oh, it's definitely a bad idea." 

She pushed down hard on the throttle and the ITV shot into space.

_______________________________________________________________________

(Part 6)

(I know, I know - no actual gt in this chapter. I’m sorry! But I wanted to take the time to properly introduce these characters before they start causing chaos on the giant alien spaceship. Back to Daksh and McBride in Part 6. Let me know what you think! - ray xx)

[good-hearted-man-22]

@blue-eyed-country-angel and @a-sweetheart-being-40

❤️My Special Sister’s and Friend’s❤️Two Beautiful Hearts and Souls❤️

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@a-sweetheart-being-40 and @blue-eyed-country-angel

❤️I hope you enjoy these songs......they have you two beautiful ladies written all over them lol❤️

- C

[superidiotics]

AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF CHARACTERS 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

This time with plot summaries.

STORY: SUPERIDIOTS

OVERVIEW: Lone wolf Nana Thindrel expects nothing good to come out of her superpowers, and she’s gotten used to being alone. That is, until she’s pulled into the lives of a super powered group of friends who might just be the one thing she’s always wanted, but never been able to have—a family.

Nana Thindrel. Jamie Abbott. Jules Lister. Cecil Grigg. Lilea Greene. Vincent Irvine. Cassian Pruitt. Analia Herring. Elska Clemonte. Felicity Walker. Emery Mcvay. Dawn Clarke. Lavender Andrews. Skye Lynn. Roni Lodge.

STORY: FALLEN KINGDOMS

OVERVIEW: In the not-so-distant future, after most of the world has been rendered uninhabitable, a city filled with androids, cyborgs, and the remaining humans is one of the few places where people continue to live. Follow an android, a cyborg, and a human as they navigate life on a destroyed earth.

Jessie. Vivi. Charlotte. Chrys. Prim. Narci. Finn. Nimh. Erin. Hayden. Star. Layton. Jodie. Diya. Ruth. Beau. Alexi. Selene. Ryder. Willow.

STORY: MERLIN MALLOR

OVERVIEW: this is pretty much just a Harry Potter rewrite.

Merlin Mallor. Aspen Hallewell. Cressida Morgan. Keary Vexx. Juniper Hallewell. Artie Park. Beau Hallewell. Beck Hallewell.

STORY: DANGANRONPA RETRIBUTION

OVERVIEW: A group of teenagers, thrown into a killing game—where the only options are redemption or ruin.

Anya Lowery. Calantha Bernard. Dante Kane. Quinn Everett. Lex Levine. Valentine. Mimi Morris. Ripley Flynn.

STORY: DARKMOORE

OVERVIEW: A magical amnesiac who literally just wants to garden instead becomes the protagonist of some Dating Sim Nonsense.

Lian. Cosmos. Seren. Bryn. Eowyn. Avalon. Killian.

STORY: NOTES FROM A VAMPIRE

OVERVIEW: Rowan, raised in captivity because of his magic, begins receiving letters from a vampire named Leon who seems to know more about Rowan than he does.

Leon Argent. Aster Trevils. Rowan. Violeta Dupree. Cleo Sharpe.

STORY: UNNAMED SUPERVILLAIN’S KIDS ONE.

OVERVIEW: Nature vs nurture takes a new twist as the children of famed supervillains realize that they don’t want to be like their parents—they want to be heroes.

Marlie Gardner. Ayden Fox. Evie Herring. Rhys Lynch. Phoenix Chandler-Fox.

STORY: LGBT FAIRTYALES

OVERVIEW: This is pretty self explanatory. A bunch of fairytales with queer twists—a princess falling in love with the daughter of the witch who cursed her to sleep until woken by true love’s kiss, a knight saving a prince from a tower guarded by a dragon, etc.

Gwen Irvi. Elodie Cetmir. Cyne Marshwood. Illis Lawsey. Ashe Estcox. Storm Hartledge. Darya Whitewater. Landon Carsey. Liri Vounna. Poppy Locklow. Frissea.

STORY: OLD UNNAMED ONE

OVERVIEW: A human fell in love with a demon—with the rising threat of demon hunters, they were forced to send their infant children away to be raised as though they were human. Years later, after their mother goes missing, they’re brought back into the world they never knew they were part of.

Ben. Jeff. Etan. Melody. Adrian. Jaxson. Elena. Maria. Annie. Maggie. Ari. Penny. Trixie.

WIZARD101 OCS

Roslyn Silverstone. Fallon Shadowthorn.

MARVEL OCS

Cybel. Lucinda McBride. River Hart. Maxie White. Nova Little. Dimitri. Tonka. Noctis. Lennox. Lillian Medi. Roman Medi. Rori Clark. Zoe Nixon. Solstice Meadows. Friday Kirk. Atali.

STORY: UNNAMED SUPERPOWER KIDS ONE

OVERVIEW: A bunch of teenagers, with superpowers and no one left except each other, try to find their place in the world.

Milo Porter. Teylie Eide. Lexi Monroe. Manyon Porter. Nikita Antonov. Renna Wright.

STORY: YOURS TRULY

OVERVIEW: princess and the pauper but everyone’s gay

Percy Wickes. Maisie Evans. Jazmin Edison. Dorian Edison.

STORY: CHILDREN OF FEATHERS AND HORNS

OVERVIEW: A half demon, half human, destined to bring about the apocalypse. A half angel, half human, destined to represent all things good and follow orders. A demon-angel hybrid, destined to be something bigger than herself. When none of them are particularly interested in following destiny, what can they do except run away together?

Acacia. Dominick White. Elvira Sumner.

STORY: WELCOME TO ERYSA

OVERVIEW: After dying and being brought back to life with the condition that she uses her newfound superpowers to do good—lest she die again—Taylor Sparks is determined to create a team that can help her protect the world… even if it means breaking a few laws in the process.

Valentine Hart. Landry Jarvis. Nathaniel Hood. Saniya Pierce. Taylor Sparks. Eira Medina. Landon Stone. Cyrus Hayden. Zaria Bates. Zander Ray. Oryn. Lyric. Ruby Friel. Arlo Caroll. Ciana Biondi.

STORY: NIGHTTIME ANTEROGRADE

OVERVIEW: Gillian was raised with the knowledge that she was supposed to kill the Impius Nocte—creatures created from fear that quickly got out of hand, eating away at their host bodies—but, as it turns out, she isn’t exactly interested in killing them. Instead, to the exasperation of her mentor, she wants to save them.

Gillian Rowe. Emlyn Grimm. Xandria Ashurst. Moshe Lowery. Lex Carven. Iris Swanson.

STORY: TDSD

OVERVIEW: So, there’s zombies now. Nadia wants nothing more than to protect her young daughter, Irina, from the horrors of the world. But when horrors seem to be all that’s left, what can a stressed out single mother do?

Nadia Petrov. Irina Petrov. Rory Ellison. Leila Stone. Lyric Joyce. Roman Joyce. Jean Briggs. Donovan Archer. Aspen Archer. Eric Herring. Esther Berry. Brynn Villarreal. Valerie Madden. Cora Wilcox. Lara Young. Cyrus Young. Nick. Narcissa Padilla. Noel Blair. Nico Love. Aristotle Lowell. Blake Baker. Bruno Stark. Rosette. Bea Faye.

STORY: UNNAMED MAGIC KIDS ONE

OVERVIEW: There is, supposedly, a magical school somewhere. It’s meant for kids like them, but they got overlooked. Whether it be because their powers were locked away, developed late, or simply weren’t strong enough to catch attention, they’re on their own. Well, on their own except for each other.

Nevada Griffin. Cypress Willow. Ettie Aves. Val Knotts.

STORY: ZIX

OVERVIEW: An oft-overlooked dimension, filled with vampiric, superpowered creatures called Zix. Esmea is destined to lead. If her mother doesn’t kill her first.

Esmea Aidana. Ainsley Aidana. Matisse Maris. Camille West.

STORY: UNTITLED PEOPLE

OVERVIEW: Lukas Brooks’ only motivation after his family’s death is hunting down their killer—with a retired hitman and the daughter of the person he’s hunting at his side, he’ll get revenge. Even if he dies in the process.

Quinn Price. Marlene ‘Lena’ Lynn. Lukas Brooks.

STORY: NIGHT COURT

OVERVIEW: A powerful family who operates on the wrong side of the law, and the hitman hired to kill one of them. It doesn’t sound like a love story, but that’s how it ends up.

Bernadette Brandt. Alois Brandt. Renly Sinclair. Nadia Voronin.

STORY: SAD OLD ONE

OVERVIEW: A school for talented youth, and the tragedies that fill it.

Madeline Knight. Kiyo Ross. Kai. Eli.

STORY: YET ANOTHER UNTITLED FOUND FAMILY

OVERVIEW: After their parents died in one accident that changed their lives forever, three kids stick together even as they hide away from the rest of the world. That is, until they’re found by someone who just wants to help them—even if none of them believe it.

Elliot Stokes. Lewis Stokes. Scott Stokes. Briar Parker-Stokes.

STORY: UNTITLED THING

OVERVIEW: A reaper, a fallen angel, and the complicated relationship between them.

Tristin Joy. Leza Orus. Haven Roth.

STORY: WESLEY’S FAULT

OVERVIEW: Just your basic found family about a man who grew up taking care of himself because no one else would learning to care for a kid.

Mitchell Watson. Journey ‘Jo’ Watson. Viola Lyons.

STORY: SOCIETY OF THE NOT REALLY DEAD

OVERVIEW: Turned not-quite-human by dying, this group of revived people—led by an otherworldly being named Darsh—spends their time hunting down people who’ve gone through a similar experience, but ended up being dangerous.

Josie. Ayla. Quinn. Darsh. Sawyer.

STORY: UNTITLED LMAO

OVERVIEW: A secretive, close-knit town, the rich family at the head, and a mysterious party that reveals more than it should.

Serafina Vexx, Kaine Vexx, Eiran Vexx, Maddock Knotley, Elias, Lila, Ruby, Odeta, Isolde

STORY: ONLY HUMAN

OVERVIEW: TBA

Agnes (Aggie) Knotley. Casper Raith. Jax Marth. Theodora Killoran. El Cromwell. Mars Perea. Marea Hook. Rose Murik. Lucian Wright.

MISC OCS

Navonni Dulcinea. Cosma Witenor. Sonya Valentine. Dina. Cascadia. Ria Petrov. Atti Solis. Darion Harding. Skylar Parks. Mordra Anderson. Fiona Wright. Liza. Ro Daughtry. Shala Hart. Hayden Patel. Devyn Vance. Ryder Flores. Loina. Crowlie Cleary. Marnie. Pyter. Krila. Araxie Ceto. Anya Florence Day. Eden Wolfe. Rea. Jasper Prince. Angelo Santiago. Camille Haley. Riya Cox. Arcadia Wolfe. Maeve.

[thebloodychampion]

Random Songs for some Yu-Gi-Oh! Ships

Crossshipping (Yami Marik & Yugi Mutou)

Nightwish - Bless The Child

Fadeshipping (Yami Marik & Jonouchi Katsuya (Joey Wheeler))

Shania Twain - That Don’t Impress Me Much

Casteshipping (Pharao Atemu & Thief King Bakura)

Joshua Radin - What If You

Bakushipping (Yami Bakura & Thief King Bakura & Ryou Bakura)

System Of A Down - Bounce

Buddyshipping (Jonouchi Katsuya & Hiroto Honda (Tristan Taylor))

Skillet - Yours To Hold

Flowshipping (Priestes Isis (Ishizu) & Kisara)

Sabaton - Ghost Division

Liberashipping (Marik Ishtar & Yugi Mutou)

Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger

Revertshipping (Priest Seth (Seto) & Jonouchi Katsuya)

Lazlo Bane - I’m No Superman

Bronzeshipping (Yami Marik & Marik Ishtar)

Exilia - Stop Playing God

Fragileshipping (Yami Yugi & Ryou Bakura)

Shakira - Waka Waka

Boundshipping (Thief King Bakura & Yugi Mutou)

Disturbed - Prayer

Snareshipping (Jonouchi Katsuya & Ryuji Otogi (Duke Devlin))

Skillet - Madness In Me

Angstshipping (Marik Ishtar & Ryou Bakura)

Nsync - Bye Bye Bye

Outcastshipping (Thief King Bakura & Kisara)

Linkin Park - Leave Out All The Rest

Chaseshipping (Hiroto Honda & Ryuji Otogi)

Persephone - Immersion

Sickleshipping (Yami Marik & Thief King Bakura)

The All American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret

Spazzshipping (Yami Bakura & Jonouchi Katsuya)

 12 Stones - Lie To Me

Babbleshipping (Jonouchi Katsuya & Kisara)

Skillet - Hero

Citronshipping (Thief King Bakura & Marik Ishtar)

Within Temptation - Candles

Scandalshipping (Priest Seth & Pharao Atemu)

Billy Talent - Pins And Needles

Euroshipping (Seto Kaiba & Ryou Bakura)

Muse - Undisclosed Desires

Bondageshipping (Yami Marik & Ryuji Otogi)

Skillet - Hard To Find

Geminishipping (Thief King Bakura & Yami Bakura)

Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

Puffshipping (Jonouchi Katsuya & Ryou Bakura)

Dope - Thanks For Nothing

Exotic Shipping (Isis Ishtar (Ishizu Ishtar) & Yami Bakura)

Reamon - Angels Fly

Wrapshipping (Thief King Bakura & Jonouchi Katsuya)

Disturbed - Indestructible

Hikarishipping (Marik Ishtar & Yugi Mutou & Ryou Bakura)

Martina McBride - Wrong Again

Psychoshipping (Yami Marik & Yami Bakura)

Disturbed - Guarded

Peachshipping (Yugi Mutou & Anzu Mazaki (Tea Gardner))

The Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho

Thiefshipping (Marik Ishtar & Yami Bakura)

System Of A Down - Holy Mountains

Kleptoshipping (Yami Bakura & Yugi Mutou)

Thousand Foot Krutch - In My Room

Mastershipping (Ryuji Otogi & Seto Kaiba)

Gary Jules - Mad World

Rivalshipping (Seto Kaiba & Yugi Mutou)

Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit

Gameshipping (Yami Yugi & Ryuji Otogi)

Linkin Park - In The End

Visionshipping (Isis Ishtar & Mai Kujaku (Mai Valentine))

David Guetta Feat Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over

Offershipping (Ryuji Otogi & Yugi Mutou)

Martina And The Diamonds - Hollywod

Diceshipping (Ryuji Otogi & Yami Bakura)

Cinema Bizarre - After The Rain

Heartshipping (Yugi Mutou & Ryou Bakura)

Yugioh OST - You’re Not Me

Gemshipping (Thief King Bakura & Ryou Bakura)

Disturbed - I’m Alive

Tendershipping (Yami Bakura & Ryou Bakura)

30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War

Ripshipping (Priestess Isis & Thief King Bakura)

The Fray - You Found Me

Mnemoshipping (Yami Yugi & Marik Ishtar)

Dream Evil - The Chosen Ones

Clashshipping (Yami Marik & Yami Yugi)

Five For Fighting - It’s Not Easy Being Me

Blindshipping (Pharao Atemu & Yugi Mutou)

Robbie Williams - Strong

Lynchshipping (Thief King Bakura & Marik Ishtar & Yami Marik)

Judas Priest - Angel

[priyagoldysstuff]

100& More Books To Be Read Before You Leave School

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen

3. Emma- Jane Austen

5. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

6. Mill on the Floss- George Eliot

7. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell.

8. The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

9. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson

10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

11. The Complete Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

12. Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie

13. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd– Agatha Christie

14. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

15. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

16. The Mysteries of Udolpho – Ann Radcliffe

17. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

18. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte`

19. The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C. S. Lewis

20. The Harry Potter Series – J. K. Rowling

21. The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown

22. The Lost Symbol- Dan Brown

23. Inferno- Dan Brown

24. Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift

25. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

26. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

27. Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

28. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne

29. The Godfather – Mario Puzo

30. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

31. Aesop’s Fables

32. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

33. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

34. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

35. The Evening News – Arthur Hailey

36. Three Men in A Boat – Jerome K Jerome

37. The Hobbit – J. R. Tolkien

38. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

39. The House of The Seven Gables – Nathaniel Hawthorne

40. The Invisible Man – H. G. Wells.

41. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens.

42. Middlemarch – George Eliot 43. Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh

44. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

45. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

46. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

47. Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling

48. The Shining – Stephen King

49. Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne

50. Disclosure – Michael Crichton

51. The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty

52. Confessions of a Shopaholic – Sophie Kinsella

53. The Eagle Has Landed – Jack Higgins

54. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz –L Frank Baum

55. Doctor Zhivago – Boris Pasternak.

56. The Day of the Jackal – Frederick Forsyth

57. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

58. The Bourne Identity – Robert Ludlum

59. The Murders in the Rue Morgue – Edgar Allan Poe

60. The India Fan – Victoria Holt

61. Love Story – Erich Segal

62. The Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving.

63. Joy in the Morning – P G Wodehouse

64. The Adventures of Robin Hood – Howard Pyle

65. Dracula – Bram Stoker

66. A Passage to India – E M Forster

67. A House for Mr. Biswas – V. S. Naipaul.

68. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh.

69. The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

70. To Kill A Mocking Bird – Harper Lee

71. The Catcher in the Rye – J D Salinger

72.1984 – George Orwell

73. The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton

74. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

75. The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

76. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

77. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller

78. Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney

79. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

80. The Help-Kathryn Stockett

81. Non Stop India- Mark Tully

82. City of Djinns- William Darlymple

83. The Shadow of the Wind-Carlos Ruiz Zafon

84. And the Mountains Echoed- Khaled Hosseini

85. Mahabharat-Devdutt Pattanaik

86. Ramayana –Devdutt Pattanaik 87. The Krishna Key- Ashwin Sanghi

88. Chanakaya’s Chant- Ashwin Sanghi

89. Helen of Troy- Margaret George

90. The Song of Achilles- Madeline Miller

91. Henry VIII- Margaret George

92. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Anne Bronte

93. TristramShandy-Laurence Sterne

94. Midnight’s Children-Salman Rushdie

95. The Moonstone- Wilkie Collins

96. Palace of Illusions- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

97. The Twentieth Wife (A trilogy)-Indu Sundaresan

98. Mountain Of Light- Indu Sundaresan

99. Empire of the Moghul series- Alex Rutherford

100. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry

101. A Case of Exploding Mangoes- Mohammed Hanif

102. Not Without My Daughter- Betty Mahmoody

103. The Colour of Water- James McBride

104. Blood Brothers- M.J.Akbar

105. Luka and the Fire of Life- Salman Rushdie

106. Haroun and the Sea of Stories- Salman Rushdie

[agentnico]

Ad Astra (2019) Review

Reach for the stars!!

Plot: A psychological sci-fi thriller in space that follows Roy McBride on a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.

Now here’s a movie I was looking forward to. A slow-burn science fiction drama that focuses on existentialism and the psychology of humanity. Heck, there’s a reason why Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1971 masterpiece Solaris is one of my favourite films of all time. And of course who can forget Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 epic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even the recent Interstellar from Christopher Nolan I really enjoyed. But not Gravity. Gravity simply sucks! Putting Gravity aside though, slow paced philosophical science fiction drama is a genre I hugely enjoy, so I did really look forward to Ad Astra. Also with this coming from director James Gray who’s previous feature The Lost City of Z really impressed me as it was a nice callback to the old adventures of explorers in the vain of Jules Vernes’ writings, so I was really looking forward to what he’d do next. So the question is, does Ad Astra deserve the hype (critics have been raving about this thing)?

Here’s the thing. Visually and technically this movie is marvel. The vibrant colour palette and textures used to recreate space is incredible as well as a clever use of tracking shots that at times leave you staring at the screen hypnotised in a sort of trance. At times I felt like I was sitting in a planetarium! So props to director James Gray, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema and the VFX team on this. Max Richter’s mellifluous music score, though not ever rising to heights of something like Hanz Zimmer’s riveting Interstellar score, still acts as a solid accompaniment to what is happening on screen. Sound editing is also on point. Basically from a technical standpoint this film is gorgeous to look at and listen to. 

However...yes, of course there was going to be a however. Though visually stunning and sonically mesmerising, Ad Astra ends up being narratively tone deaf. The film simply thinks it is more intelligent than it actually is. There are various attempts where the film tries to give us a proper character study of Brad Pitt’s character Roy McBride, whether through his narration or stern expressions to, you know, see the man behind the mask so to speak. But the thing is that there isn’t much there. Don’t get me wrong, Brad Pitt works his ass off and with the camera lingering on his albeit-minimally-wrinkled face throughout most of the duration tasks him with a heavy feat and he handles it well, but his character generally only has a couple traits. He’s either the unstoppable superhero who can fall off a space station back through atmosphere onto our home planet without losing control over his pulse and calm demeanour, let alone burning when actually entering the atmosphere, or having severe daddy issues. And the latter could have progressed into something interesting, however the way the film ends kind of makes the entire journey feel pointless. Also, for a movie that tries to be super serious and take on very high-ended topics, there are random points of over-the-top ridiculousness like the use of Moon pirates and space monkeys. Yes, there are space monkeys. Also, characters in this film constantly make some very questionable decisions, that lead to some very stupid consequences, as if writers did not know how to better progress the story.

Ad Astra is not a terrible film by no means. It is great to look at, Brad Pitt does a decent job, there are some scenes that are actually really well done and the ambition of the whole thing is admirable, but I am sad to report that Ad Astra is not a science fiction space epic that will be remembered for long. Also, don’t expect to see much of Liv Tyler or Donald Sutherland (what a waste) or any of the cast for that matter who’s name doesn’t happen to be Mr Pitt.

Overall score: 5/10