#mainframe backup solutions | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shristisahu · 2 years ago

Text

Mastering Cloud Evolution: Strategies for Unleashing Business Agility

Originally Published on: QuantzigCloud Migration Strategies for Maximized Cost Savings

Revolutionizing Operational Excellence Through Tech Platform Engineering and Connected Propositions

In the ever-evolving realm of technology, the imperative adoption of cloud migration strategies takes center stage for businesses striving to achieve unparalleled agility and scalability. At the forefront is the Tech Platform Engineering approach, orchestrating meticulous cloud migration processes tailored to businesses of diverse sizes and intricacies. Anchored in intricate planning, this approach encompasses migration strategies that thoroughly evaluate the existing environment against cloud server prerequisites. A pivotal element is Application Performance Management (APM), ensuring seamless visibility and optimal performance across public, private, hybrid, or multicloud environments.

Tech Platform Engineering and Connected Propositions play an increasingly indispensable role in adapting to the dynamic landscape of public cloud platforms such as Google, Azure, and AWS. The focus on applications and data migration, coupled with addressing security concerns and ensuring data backup and recovery, lays a robust foundation for a triumphant cloud migration process. Establishing a pre-migration performance baseline facilitates more effective measurement of post-move success.

This article delves into the transformative influence of Tech Platform Engineering, shedding light on how it strategically deploys cloud migration strategies to optimize business operations. The exploration encompasses a deep dive into the cloud migration process, incorporating the Six R’s of migration – rehosting, replatforming, repurchasing, refactoring, retiring, and retaining – and their profound impact on tech platform optimization. Join us in this enlightening journey to understand how Tech Platform Engineering shapes our digital realm, empowering businesses to adapt and thrive in an interconnected world.

#CloudExcellenceOdyssey

Importance of Platform Engineering & Connected Propositions: Navigating Cloud Migration

At the heart of platform engineering lies the ability to establish agile and scalable infrastructures, indispensable in today's cloud-centric milieu. As businesses immerse themselves in interconnected ecosystems, cloud migration strategies such as rehosting, replatforming, and refactoring assume a pivotal role. From the straightforward 'lift-and-shift' approach to the more intricate re-architecting, these strategies empower businesses to optimize their applications for cloud environments on Google, Azure, or AWS.

In this swiftly evolving tech landscape, possessing a clear cloud migration roadmap is imperative. Businesses must navigate the spectrum of complexity, ranging from virtualized architectures to service-oriented and monolithic mainframe systems. By embracing suitable cloud migration strategies, companies can traverse from low to high complexity environments, leveraging cloud-native features for enhanced performance and agility.

Insights from Stephen Orban underscore the significance of portfolio discovery and planning in the migration process. The '5 R’s' approach – Rehosting, Replatforming, Repurchasing, Refactoring, and Retiring – provides a structured method for effective application migration management. This approach aids in identifying applications suitable for rehosting or 'lift-and-shift,' those requiring replatforming or optimization, and those primed for repurchasing on a new SaaS platform like Salesforce.com or Workday. While refactoring is intricate, it empowers businesses to fully exploit cloud-native features, transitioning from monolithic architectures to more flexible service-oriented or server-less architectures.

#StrategicCloudNavigation

Challenges in a lack of Cloud Migration Solutions

The absence of effective platform engineering begets significant migration challenges, especially in the transition to cloud environments. Without a well-structured cloud migration process, businesses grapple with issues such as data loss, downtime, and resource management difficulties. These challenges are exacerbated in intricate migrations involving public, private, hybrid, or multicloud environments.

Ensuring a seamless application migration to cloud providers like Google, Azure, or AWS stands out as a critical challenge. This necessitates meticulous planning and testing to circumvent potential downtime and data loss. IT professionals need to instill trust in the migration process by ensuring interoperability between old and new systems while managing resource allocation efficiently.

Moreover, businesses often contend with a lack of visibility into their cloud environment, a vital aspect for maintaining application performance management (APM) post-migration. Establishing a baseline premigration performance and consistently monitoring post-move success are often overlooked yet crucial steps. Leveraging tools like Business iQ allows businesses to track hosting costs, agility, scalability, and other pivotal metrics post-migration.

In conclusion, navigating the challenges of cloud migration mandates a strategic approach encompassing comprehensive planning, testing, and resourcing. The selection of the right APM provider instills confidence in the process, ensuring a seamless transition to the cloud.

#CloudMigrationChallenges

Key Benefits of Implementing Platform Engineering: Cloud Migration

The implementation of platform engineering unfolds a plethora of benefits, particularly in the context of cloud migration strategies. Embracing the Six R’s of Migration – Rehosting, Replatforming, Repurchasing, Refactoring, Retiring, and Retaining – empowers businesses to optimize their cloud migration process, harmonizing operational needs with strategic goals.

One of the primary benefits is the transition to an elastic infrastructure, promising substantial cost savings and heightened agility. By transitioning to cloud environments like Google, Azure, or AWS, businesses witness reduced infrastructure footprints, enhanced disaster recovery, and fortified security measures.

Moreover, platform engineering paves the way for a smoother application migration to the cloud, guaranteeing minimal downtime and data loss. It equips IT professionals to adeptly manage resources, garnering the trust of stakeholders by ensuring a seamless transition. Coupled with the right cloud provider and a well-executed migration strategy, businesses can surmount common challenges associated with cloud migration.

In summary, platform engineering offers an elastic infrastructure, cost savings, improved agility, and heightened security, positioning it as a pivotal component of successful cloud migration strategies.

#CloudMigrationAdvantages

What Do Our Platform Engineering Solution and Connected Propositions Offer?

Our platform engineering solution, meticulously designed for cloud migration, presents a comprehensive and strategic approach to the migration process. We hone in on the Cloud Migration Roadmap, tailoring our approach to the size and complexity of the migration. Our fundamental steps encompass planning, selecting the right migration strategy, comprehending the current environment, and delineating cloud server requirements.

The solution places a strong emphasis on Application Performance Management (APM) to uphold visibility in the cloud environment, be it public, hybrid, private, or multicloud. We extend support for migrations to major cloud providers like Google, Azure, and AWS, ensuring the secure and efficient migration of apps and data. Our solution addresses common security concerns and integrates data backup and recovery strategies.

Implementation of the Six R’s of Migration – Rehosting, Replatforming, Repurchasing, Refactoring, Retiring, and Retaining – allows us to provide a tailored approach to each migration scenario. These strategies span from basic 'lift-and-shift' (rehosting) to more intricate processes such as refactoring for cloud-native features.

Our platform engineering ensures that post-migration, businesses can gauge success through tools like Business iQ. We aid in establishing baseline premigration performance and continuously monitoring post-move success, guaranteeing the realization of benefits such as elastic infrastructure, optimized hosting costs, agility, and scalability.

In conclusion, our platform engineering solution for cloud migration is all-encompassing, addressing every facet of the migration process. It ensures businesses migrate efficiently and securely to the cloud, leveraging the benefits of cloud computing to achieve operational and strategic business goals.

#HolisticCloudMigration

Conclusion: Pioneering Cloud Migration Strategies for the Future

In today’s swiftly evolving technological landscape, platform engineering and connected propositions emerge as linchpins for businesses aiming to optimize their cloud migration strategies. These approaches lay a robust foundation for transitioning to cloud environments, adeptly handling the intricacies of planning, migration, and post-migration management.

Platform engineering, especially in the context of cloud migration, unfurls substantial advantages. It guarantees seamless transitions to cloud environments like Google Cloud, Azure, or AWS, minimizing disruption and maximizing efficiency. On the flip side, connected propositions bring coherence to this process, ensuring alignment of every facet of migration, from security to application performance management, with the overarching goals of the business.

In essence, embracing platform engineering and connected propositions transcends mere technology leverage; it embodies a transformation in the way businesses operate and compete in a cloud-first world. It’s a strategic maneuver that empowers organizations to fully harness the expansive potential of cloud computing, steering innovation, efficiency, and growth.

#StrategicCloudAdoption

0 notes

slksoftware · 2 years ago

Text

Modernizing Mainframes: Unleashing the Power of Digital Cloud Services

Introduction

In the era of digital transformation, where agility and scalability are paramount, mainframe systems, although venerable, can become significant roadblocks for organizations seeking to innovate and stay competitive. Modernizing mainframes through the adoption of digital cloud services has emerged as a strategic imperative. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the world of mainframe modernization, exploring its significance, challenges, benefits, and best practices.

The Significance of Mainframe Modernization

Mainframe systems have been the backbone of many organizations for decades, providing stability and reliability. However, these legacy systems come with inherent limitations, such as high maintenance costs, rigidity, and difficulty in integrating with modern technologies. Mainframe modernization is the process of transitioning from these monolithic systems to agile, cloud-based solutions, and its significance lies in the transformative potential it offers:

Agility and Scalability: Cloud-based systems provide the agility and scalability required to adapt to rapidly changing business environments and accommodate growth seamlessly.

Cost Optimization: Modernizing mainframes can lead to substantial cost savings by reducing the need for expensive hardware and lowering maintenance costs.

Enhanced Performance: Cloud services are designed for high performance, offering faster data processing and reducing downtime, resulting in improved operational efficiency.

Flexibility: Cloud environments enable organizations to adopt a flexible, pay-as-you-go approach to resource allocation, eliminating the need for costly upfront investments.

Innovation: Mainframe modernization opens the door to harnessing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to drive innovation.

Global Reach: Cloud services provide global accessibility, allowing organizations to serve a broader customer base without the need for physical data centers in multiple locations.

Benefits of Mainframe Modernization

The benefits of modernizing mainframes through digital cloud services are multifaceted and can drive transformational change within an organization. Let's explore these advantages in detail:

Improved Efficiency: Modernized systems can automate manual processes, streamline operations, and reduce the need for manual interventions, resulting in increased efficiency.

Cost Reduction: Cloud services often lead to cost savings by eliminating the need for substantial capital investments in hardware and reducing ongoing operational expenses.

Scalability: Cloud environments provide the ability to scale resources up or down based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.

Enhanced Security: Leading cloud providers invest heavily in security measures, offering robust protection against cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Business Continuity: Cloud-based disaster recovery and backup solutions ensure data integrity and availability even in the face of unforeseen events.

Agility and Innovation: Modernized systems can quickly adopt and integrate new technologies, fostering innovation and adaptability.

Challenges in Mainframe Modernization

While the benefits of mainframe modernization are compelling, organizations must be prepared to navigate the challenges that come with this transformation:

Legacy Integration: Migrating away from mainframes often involves complex integration with existing systems, which can be time-consuming and challenging.

Data Migration: Transferring large volumes of data from mainframes to the cloud can be cumbersome and requires meticulous planning to ensure data integrity and security.

Security Concerns: While cloud providers offer robust security measures, organizations must also take responsibility for securing their data and applications in the cloud.

Change Management: Employees may resist changes to their familiar workflows and systems. Effective change management strategies are crucial to a successful migration.

Vendor Lock-In: Choosing the right cloud provider is essential, as vendor lock-in can limit flexibility and increase costs in the long run.

Best Practices for Mainframe Modernization

To overcome these challenges and ensure a successful mainframe modernization, organizations should adhere to best practices:

Comprehensive Assessment: Begin with a thorough assessment of your current mainframe environment to understand its intricacies and dependencies.

Clear Goals and Prioritization: Define clear modernization goals and prioritize workloads based on business value, complexity, and readiness for migration.

Data Management Strategy: Develop a robust data migration strategy that includes data cleansing, validation, and migration testing to minimize risks and maintain data integrity.

Security First: Implement stringent security measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular compliance audits, to protect data in transit and at rest.

Change Management: Invest in change management programs to prepare employees for the transition and ensure they can effectively utilize modernized systems.

Cost Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize cloud costs to prevent overspending and ensure that resources are used efficiently.

Vendor Evaluation: Carefully evaluate cloud service providers based on factors like performance, security, pricing, and vendor lock-in before making a decision.

Conclusion

Mainframe modernization through the adoption of digital cloud services is a strategic imperative for organizations aiming to thrive in the digital age. By breaking free from the constraints of legacy mainframe systems and embracing the agility and scalability offered by the cloud, businesses can position themselves for long-term success and continued growth.

While challenges exist, a well-defined strategy, commitment to security, and adherence to best practices can pave the way for a successful mainframe modernization. In an era of rapid technological advancement, embracing the cloud isn't just an upgrade—it's a strategic transformation that can redefine how organizations operate, innovate, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

#Digital Cloud Services #Mainframe Modernization

0 notes

vanshika393 · 2 years ago

Text

Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market- Future Growth Prospects for the Global Leaders

The latest market report published by Credence Research, Inc. “Global Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market: Growth, Future Prospects, and Competitive Analysis, 2016 – 2028. The global Purpose-built Backup Appliance (PBBA) market has grown rapidly in recent years and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 10.20% between 2023 and 2030. The market was estimated to be worth USD 7.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 14.80 billion by 2030.

The Purpose-Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) market refers to a specialized segment within the broader data storage and data protection industry. PBBA solutions are designed specifically for the purpose of efficiently and securely backing up and protecting data. Unlike general-purpose storage systems, PBBA devices are engineered with backup and recovery functions in mind, offering features such as deduplication, compression, encryption, and integrated software for seamless data protection.

The PBBA market has witnessed steady growth in recent years as organizations recognize the critical importance of safeguarding their data against various threats, including hardware failures, data corruption, cyberattacks, and natural disasters. PBBA solutions come in various forms, including physical appliances and virtual appliances, catering to the diverse needs of businesses across different industries and sizes.

Here are some trends that were relevant at that time:

Data Protection and Cybersecurity: With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, data protection has become a paramount concern for organizations. PBBA solutions were evolving to incorporate enhanced security features such as ransomware detection and recovery capabilities to help organizations safeguard their backup data.

Cloud Integration: Many PBBA vendors were focusing on integrating their solutions with cloud storage platforms. This allowed organizations to leverage the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cloud storage for long-term data retention while still using on-premises PBBA for initial backups.

Data Analytics and Insights: Some PBBA solutions were incorporating data analytics and reporting features. This allowed organizations to gain insights from their backup data, identify trends, and make more informed decisions regarding data management and storage.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI): The convergence of backup and storage solutions with hyperconverged infrastructure was a trend. This approach simplified data management by combining backup, storage, and compute resources into a single integrated platform.

Data Governance and Compliance: With the introduction of data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA, PBBA solutions were adapting to provide better data governance and compliance features. This included capabilities for data classification, automated data retention policies, and audit trails.

Some of the market’s leading companies and their market shares are as follows:

Arcserve LLC

Asigra Inc.

Barracuda Networks Inc.

CommVault Systems Inc.

Dell EMC

eFolder Inc.

ExaGrid Systems Inc.

FalconStor Software Inc.

Fujitsu Limited

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

Hitachi Vantara Corporation

IBM Corp.

Browse 214 pages report Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market By Component (Hardware, Software)By System (Mainframe, Open)-Growth, Future Prospects & Competitive Analysis, 2016 – 2030 - https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market

Here is an overview of the key elements within the scope of the PBBA market:

Hardware and Software Solutions: The PBBA market includes both hardware-based and software-based solutions designed explicitly for data backup and recovery. Hardware-based PBBA solutions typically consist of dedicated appliances optimized for backup tasks, while software-based PBBA solutions offer backup capabilities as software applications that can be deployed on existing hardware infrastructure.

Data Protection: The primary purpose of PBBA solutions is data protection. This includes functionalities such as data backup, data recovery, data deduplication, data compression, and data encryption. PBBA solutions are designed to ensure the availability and integrity of critical data.

Backup Storage: PBBA solutions provide storage infrastructure to securely store backup copies of data. This storage may include on-premises storage within the PBBA appliance, integration with existing storage infrastructure, or cloud storage for offsite backups.

Integration with Cloud: Cloud integration is becoming increasingly important in the PBBA market. PBBA solutions may support seamless integration with cloud storage services, allowing organizations to leverage the scalability and cost-efficiency of the cloud for backup and recovery purposes.

Market Segmentation

By Component

Hardware

Software

By System

Mainframe

Open

By Enterprise

Large Enterprise

Small and Mid-level Enterprise

By Vertical

Telecom & IT

BFSI

Manufacturing

Retail

Healthcare

Here are some of the key challenges and risks associated with the PBBA market:

Data Growth: With the exponential growth of data in organizations, PBBA solutions must constantly evolve to handle larger and more diverse datasets. Failure to keep pace with data growth can lead to obsolescence.

Competition from Cloud Services: Cloud-based backup and recovery services pose a significant threat to traditional PBBA vendors. Many organizations are opting for cloud-based solutions, reducing the demand for on-premises PBBA appliances.

Data Security and Privacy: Ensuring the security and privacy of backup data is paramount. Data breaches or non-compliance with data protection regulations can result in significant financial penalties and damage to a PBBA vendor's reputation.

Technological Obsolescence: Rapid advancements in storage and backup technologies mean that PBBA vendors must constantly innovate to stay relevant. Outdated technology can lead to decreased sales and market share.

Why to Buy This Report-

The report provides a qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of the global Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market by segments, current trends, drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and market dynamics with the historical period from 2016-2020, the base year- 2021, and the projection period 2022-2028.

The report includes information on the competitive landscape, such as how the market's top competitors operate at the global, regional, and country levels.

Major nations in each region with their import/export statistics

The global Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market report also includes the analysis of the market at a global, regional, and country-level along with key market trends, major players analysis, market growth strategies, and key application areas.

Browse Complete Report- https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market

Visit our Website- https://www.credenceresearch.com/

Related Reports- https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/data-science-and-predictive-analytics-market

Browse Our Blog- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market-rising-trends-shukla

About Us -

Credence Research is a viable intelligence and market research platform that provides quantitative B2B research to more than 10,000 clients worldwide and is built on the Give principle. The company is a market research and consulting firm serving governments, non-legislative associations, non-profit organizations, and various organizations worldwide. We help our clients improve their execution in a lasting way and understand their most imperative objectives. For nearly a century, we’ve built a company well-prepared for this task.

Office No 3 Second Floor, Abhilasha Bhawan, Pinto Park, Gwalior [M.P] 474005 India

#tech #data #technology #sensorsolutions

0 notes

trakaffsblog · 2 years ago

Text

Revolutionizing Business: The Power of SaaS Solutions

In today’s time SAAS has become a popular way through which businesses utilize and access software applications. In this blog, we will talk about SAAS, exploring its evolution, its advantages and its role in shaping the future of software.

Understanding SAAS

Software as a service (SAAS) refers to the cloud computing model where software applications are hosted and delivered over the internet on a subscription basis. Unlike traditional software distribution methods where software is purchased and installed on individual computers, SaaS applications are centrally hosted on cloud servers, allowing users to access them through web browsers.

The evolution of SAAS

The roots of SAAS can be traced back to early days of computing when mainframe computers were accessed remotely by multiple users. However, the modern SAAS model gained traction in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when internet connectivity became more widespread and reliable. Salesforce , founded is considered a pioneer in the SAAS industry with their cloud - based customer relationship management (CRM) software.

The evolution of SAAS has been closely tied to the development of cloud computing infrastructure.

Advantages of SAAS

Accessibility and convenience:

One of the primary advantages of SAAS is accessibility, the user can access SAAS from anywhere with an internet connection.

Cost efficiency:

SAAS eliminates the need for upfront software and hardware investments.

Automatic Updates:

SAAS providers handle software updates and patches, ensuring that users always have access to the latest features and security enhancements without any manual intervention.

Reduced it burden:

IN house software installation requires significant I.T support for deployment, maintenance and troubleshooting. With SAAS the burden is shifted to the provider, allowing the IT team to focus on more important tasks.

Cross device compatibility:

SAAS applications are designed to work seamlessly across various devices and operating systems, enhancing user experience and productivity.

Collaboration and sharing:

SAAS applications often include built-in collaboration features, enabling multiple users to work on the same document or project, regardless of their geographical location.

Data security and backups:

Reputable SAAS providers invest heavily in security measures, data encryption and regular backups to protect user data from loss and unauthorized access.

Environmental impact:

SAAS has the potential to be environment friendly as it reduces the need for individual hardware components and promotes resource sharing in data centers.

Challenges and considerations

Data security concerns:

SAAS involves placing sensitive data in the cloud which raises concern about data privacy. It’s crucial to choose a reputable provider with good security measures.

Dependency on providers:

Users rely heavily on SAAS providers for service availability. Disruptions on the provider’s end can impact the user's ability to access and use applications.

Limited customization:

SAAS applications are designed to cater to a large audience but which might result in limitations when it comes to customization to fit specific business processes.

Long terms cost:

While SAAS can be cost effective in the short term, long term subscription fees might accumulate and surpass the cost of traditional software licenses.

Internet dependency:

SAAS applications require a stable internet connection. In areas with unreliable connectivity, accessing these application can be challenging.

The future of SAAS:

The SAAS industry shows no sign of slowing down. As technology advances, several trends are shaping the future of SAAS.

AI AND AUTOMATION INTEGRATION:

SAAS providers are incorporating artificial intelligence and automation into their offering, enhancing user experience through predictive analytics, intelligent recommendations and process automation.

Specific niche market solutions:

The SAAS model is expanding into various industries with solutions to specific verticals such as health care, finance and manufacturing.

Edge computing:

With the rise of edge computing, SAAS applications are expected to process data closer to the source, thus improving performance.

Focus on user experience:

SAAS providers are putting great emphasis on user interface, seamless onboarding processes and responsive customer support.

Conclusion

Software as a service (SAAS) has undeniably revolutionized the way software is delivered and accessed. Its accessibility, cost - efficiency, scalability make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. While challenges exist, the advantages of SAAS, coupled with ongoing technological advancements, indicate that the SAAS industry will continue to thrive and shape the future of software consumption.

#saas #saas technology #saas software #saasmarketing #b2b saas

0 notes

priyanshisingh · 2 years ago

Text

Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market Global industry share, growth, drivers, emerging technologies, and forecast research report 2030

A Purpose-Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) is a dedicated hardware device designed to efficiently and securely manage data backup, deduplication, compression, and encryption processes. Unlike traditional backup solutions that rely on disparate components, PBBA integrates all these functions into a single, cohesive unit, optimizing data protection operations and simplifying management.

Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market Dynamics refer to the ever-evolving and dynamic nature of the market for purpose-built backup appliances. PBBA, a comprehensive system designed specifically for data protection and recovery, has gained immense traction in recent years due to its ability to streamline backup processes and enhance overall efficiency. The dynamics within this market are driven by several factors such as technological advancements, increasing data volumes, changing regulatory requirements, and growing cybersecurity concerns. With organizations increasingly relying on digital infrastructure and recognizing the criticality of reliable data backups, there is a rising demand for PBBA solutions that offer scalable capacity, improved performance, deduplication capabilities, multi-cloud integration options, and simplified management interfaces.

Advantages of PBBA over Conventional Backup Systems

Performance and Efficiency: PBBA offers exceptional backup and recovery performance, significantly reducing backup windows and recovery times. The integration of deduplication and compression technologies further optimizes storage utilization, minimizing the overall infrastructure costs.

Simplicity and Ease of Deployment: Deploying PBBA is straightforward, requiring minimal configuration and setup. Its intuitive user interface enables IT teams to manage backups efficiently, freeing up valuable time for other critical tasks.

Scalability: PBBA solutions are highly scalable, accommodating the growing data needs of businesses. As data volumes increase, organizations can seamlessly expand their PBBA capacity without major disruptions.

Key Features of Purpose-Built Backup Appliances:

Data Deduplication: PBBA employs advanced deduplication algorithms to eliminate redundant data, significantly reducing storage requirements and enhancing backup efficiency.

Data Compression: By compressing data before storing it on the appliance, PBBA optimizes storage capacity and ensures efficient data transmission over networks.

Encryption and Security: PBBA implements robust encryption protocols, safeguarding sensitive data from unauthorized access and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

Instant Recovery: PBBA enables rapid data recovery through features like instant virtualization, allowing organizations to resume operations quickly in the event of a disaster.

Browse 220 pages report Purpose Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) Market By Component (Hardware, Software) By System (Mainframe, Open)- Growth, Future Prospects & Competitive Analysis, 2016 – 2030)- https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market

Use Cases for Purpose-Built Backup Appliances

Enterprise Data Centers: PBBA is an ideal solution for large enterprises with extensive data centers. Its scalability, high performance, and comprehensive data protection capabilities cater to the demands of complex IT environments.

Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): SMBs benefit from PBBA's ease of deployment and management, as well as its cost-effective approach to data protection.

Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery: PBBA integration with cloud services facilitates seamless cloud backup and disaster recovery strategies, ensuring data redundancy and business continuity.

Comparison with Competing Solutions

When evaluating PBBA against other backup solutions like traditional tape-based backups or software-defined backup systems, several key advantages become evident:

Faster Backup and Recovery Times: PBBA's purpose-built design and integration of advanced technologies outperform conventional solutions, reducing backup and recovery times significantly.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): While the initial investment may be higher, PBBA's efficiency, scalability, and data reduction capabilities lead to a lower TCO over time.

Simplified Management: The consolidation of backup functionalities in a single appliance streamlines management tasks, eliminating the complexities associated with multiple backup components.

Why to Buy This Report-

The report includes information on the competitive landscape, such as how the market's top competitors operate at the global, regional, and country levels.

Major nations in each region with their import/export statistics

Browse Full Report: https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market

Visit: https://www.credenceresearch.com/

Related Report: https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/hardware-asset-management-market

Related Report: https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/data-science-and-predictive-analytics-market

Browse Our Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market-size-expected-singh

Browse Our Blog: https://tealfeed.com/purpose-built-backup-appliance-pbba-market-gcpls

About Us -

Office No 3 Second Floor, Abhilasha Bhawan, Pinto Park, Gwalior [M.P] 474005 India

0 notes

stevenodickens · 3 years ago

Link

Maintec z/OS systems programming services coupled with its onshore data center in Raleigh, North Carolina provides quality and cost-effective solutions.

#virtual mainframe #mainframe solutions #mainframe as a service #mainframe programming #mainframe backup solutions #mainframe data center

1 note · View note

austarus · 4 years ago

Text

Harrison Wells (Eobard Thawne) x Reader Ballistic Confrontations (2/3)

**A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful owner.

Word Count: 4578

Part 1 Part 3

Oliver’s eyes narrowed at the doppelganger he had struck down. What a fool. Oliver-X nudged the body with his foot before giving the unconscious Thawne doppelganger a rough kick to the chest. The impact of the sound was drowned out by the alarm. The body had lurched to the side and the man’s glasses flew off his face, yet still no response. A cruel smirk crossed the Dark Arrow’s features, secretly feeling satisfied on taking out his pent-up rage towards Thawne against a weak mirror image. A damned fool to not be prepared for a secondary attack. He should have known better. Oliver hummed to his thoughts, his eyes showing nothing but utter coldness. Ruthlessness. This was his path after all. Weak, just like the rest of this world. It’s so-called ‘heroes’. Pathetic. Oliver looked on with no remorse as he walked through the halls, boots.

“Such a shame.”

This is what needs to be done. An image of his Kara drifted to his mind, the way her body convulsed. The blood that lingered. Her smile fading. But Oliver-X shook it away. She would be fine with their forces at the warehouse, there was enough action going on in order to legitimize the scope of their distraction while he infiltrated his doppelgangers base of operation. Thawne’s labs- or as Oliver thought of it, Thawne’s Castle of Cards. He is the only one among them that knows it tech and secrets inside-out. The Queen doppelganger cracked his neck, readjusting the bow in his hand as he braced himself to face-off with the lackeys that were left over in this forsaken excuse for a laboratory. Everything is going according to plan.

***

Mick and Frost had already left, planning to intercept the Earth-Xers in the Speed Lab. Meanwhile you were to stay with the ladies as backup. Electricity hummed through your veins as adrenaline pumped. Multiple camera feeds showed your friends either fighting or getting dragged to the Pipeline. Still radio silence from the others. You gritted your teeth as your eyes focused on the screen where the fiends threw Harry into a cell like ragdoll. Their first victim. One thing was for sure, Oliver-X was here directing the grunts while his cohorts were distracting the dispatched heroes. Felicity had her tablet handy in case she needed to work her tech magic, shutting down the Cortex mainframe from being accessed by Oliver-X and his cronies. Iris had quickly suggested the vents were the best place to hide until they can determine what necessary steps you three would need to take to get to the others. The three of you would not succumb to the position of sitting ducks. Unfortunately, Iris didn’t have enough time to grab a laser rifle from the closet.

You climbed into the vents first with quiet movements, Felicity following and Iris behind her to seal the vent. Closing your eyes for a moment, you focused- tuning out Iris and Felicity’s hushed words of worry for their men and your friends. You tuned out the dull thrum of electricity that emitted from the labs’ computer system, focusing on one type. Cellular electricity. Human generated electricity. Snapping your eyes open, you lead them down a few routes. The two women chalked it up to your knowledge of the ventilation system as you’d hid here multiple times to escape the tension in the Cortex, but really it had been the intensity of electricity that steered you. The multiple electrical signals that spiked made you keen on navigating away from those corridors and rooms. More Nazi’s would be on guard there. One little scuffle with the wrong group could alert Oliver-X. You breathed a sigh of relief as the neural electricity passed by, unaware of what lies just above.

Iris didn’t know, neither did Felicity. No, they would never know. No one would. No one would ever know that you could shatter a person’s nervous system with a flick of the wrist. Never know that you can put the one of the most vital organs into cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest usually resulted from an electrical disturbance in the heart. It's not the same as a heart attack. Shutting down cells, yet overstimulating neurons. How would the human body fare? They were… morbid curiosities that haunted you. But rather giving into those conjectures you settled for a milder solution, immersing yourself into the field of electrical neurophysiology rather than contemplating how a person can expire by your will. Eobard had been intrigued with your desire to understand the physiological field that your powers can be derived from. He helped you, of course, entertaining the electricity that sparked in your eyes with understanding. You breezed through medical articles and journals, understanding the neural circuitry and it’s outlets. Yet, your intent wasn’t to kill (not to his surprise), just to render an adversary unconscious for a period of time. Or in a speedster’s case, the ability to jumpstart their heart and motor functions. Stimulating a failing organ, should the situation arise. Even in a way to hypothetically understand how a speedster’s body can siphon off your generated electricity without harming their natural laws of the Speedforce.

But like any meta, there were hypothetical limits and lines drawn, even to a possible conclusion of short-circuiting your own body without careful proctoring. You’d be lying to yourself if you hadn’t wanted to push your abilities further than that, but you hesitated. The desire was strong, but the darkness was too powerful. Could you afford the hypothetical blood on your hands? Would you be able to sleep at night, knowing that you’d be just another monster? Questions like that swirled in your head, but it’s the remembrance of your friends that you didn’t give into that… dark instinct.

You’d done it before. Once. On accident of course, but you were overwhelmed with anger and terror and fear that night. Trudging on, that moment resurfaced to the front of your mind. Your skin prickled as you remembered the sensation. Feeling the meta’s heart stop and mind short-circuit with neural electricity. The body shut down. The electricity out as if you’d turn off the lights inside the intruder’s body. You didn’t mean to. You were just scared. There was just… so much blood. Blood on the ground. Blood on Harry. Harry’s blood. Your breath hitched for a moment, but the two ladies behind you were none-the-wiser. Swallowing harshly, you pushed the image of the dead meta and Harry’s half-terrified/half-surprised face. You both never talked about that incident, nor did he ever bring it up to the others. It wasn’t his right to, after all. Two years had past, but that incident remained with you. You’d sworn that a moment like that wouldn’t occur. The guilt was too great on your conscious even if it was for self-defense. But…

Looking down from the vent opening, you realized your electrical instincts had brought you close to the entrance of the Time Vault. It was the one place Felicity and Iris can at least hold off in. You just needed to buy them some time. Felicity is more than capable of utilizing Gideon into locking the Time Vault, especially without Eobard around. After a few minutes had passed, you deemed that it was safe enough to drop down. You found the panel entrance, unlocking the pebbled room with your handprint to the side of the panel. Felicity and Iris jumped down, your plan dawning on them. You eased them in with a push. The fake panel wall reintegrated shut. You didn’t have much time.

“Find a way to get in contact with the Legends,” You spoke as the door had shut. “Smalls and Tinman should be aboard with Amaya.”

“What are you going to do?” Iris frowned as Felicity got to work.

“Buy you some time,” you breathed, pulling out your gloves. “It’s all that we can work with at the moment before the Dark Archer decides to play Cat and Mouse with us. If anything goes south, don’t look for me.” You needed to make sure.

“But-”

“Iris, please.” Your eyes trained on her, reluctance present in her demeanor. “Trust me.” She nodded. You left.

Now, who would be the cat and who would be the mouse, I wonder? You mused, climbing into the nearest low vent.

***

“Excellent, I will rendezvous at the warehouse,” Oliver-X nodded, his hand on his comm system. The heroes have been detained, her doppelganger seized. His own doppelganger caught. No more tricks. The labs were secure, remnants of the Earth-1 fighters detained. All is going according to plan. His lips twitched up.

“Did you know that the human body can only generate between 10 and 100 millivolts?”

You jumped down from the vent, landing perfectly on stable footing. The Dark Archer had his arrow and bow drawn in an instant, readily aimed at you. He watched you with careful, stormy eyes. You both stood in silence. One move and he could off me, but so could I. Your gloved fingers fidgeted; a subtle flicker of electricity honed there. “Such a fickle thing, really, when there’s an electrical imbalance within the body. Various things can go wrong.”

The Dark Archer’s eyes narrowed, noting the underlying threat in your words. “You’d be smarter to run. Wouldn’t want to end up like the others.”

“I don’t run from danger.” You smiled wickedly.

“Such naïve words from a hero.”

The dead meta flashed through you mind again. The blood on your hands. Would you do it again? For your friends? Your family? “I’m no hero.” Yes.

You two had circled each other in the dimly light room, tension thick in the air. Dust collected here and there, white sheets covered table and monitors. Oliver-X was amused, to say the least, his eyes locked on you with every intent to-

“-To my knowledge you have a speedster in your arsenal.”

He didn’t blink. “What of it?”

You rolled your eyes. Really, such a man with little words. “Take me to him.” Your hand balled into a fist The bulb behind Oliver-X shattered instantly, yet he did not flinch or look back.

As fun as this could be, I’m not here to play games.

“You are in no place to make such demands.”

Neither is he.

“It’s not a demand, just an innocent request. Indulge me, breacher.” You held your head higher, “You’re not the only one with a love.” You sensed his hesitation as he understood. So, you pushed. “The radiation is killing her, isn’t it? Flew too close to the sun, like poor Icarus.” You couldn’t help but taunt him. Oh, it felt good. Felicity had given you the run down, reiterating Alex’s hypothesis in regarding what she found in Kara-X’s blood cells. It didn’t take a genius to understand why they came here. Why they’d come now. With Eobard in tow. “Too much is too much, in the end. But… that’s why you’re here, right? To fix your love before- well, before the radiation eats at her.” You huffed a laugh and paused. Another lightbulb burst. Each out releasing electrical energy. “Right?”

An arrow whizzed past your head, hitting the wall behind you. The Dark Archer’s patience was running thin. You swallowed thickly but didn’t cower. Fear tickled the back of your mind, but you pushed it away. You needed emotions to overwhelm him into slipping. It clouded rational thinking in even the most skilled assailants. Eobard had drilled that into you.

Breep, breep, breep.

The SS alarm rang against his person. You tilted your head at him, curiously watching what he’d do next. If he chose to fight, then so would you with every ounce of energy in your system and that surrounding you. That comm, you could use that. That’s assuming it didn’t self-destruct when out of his reach.

Oliver-X grunted. His time was running, he needed to get to the rendezvous point. “Fortunately for you, I’m in a good mood. However, one foot out of line and you’ll be joining your friends on this earth’s makeshift cells.” He grabbed you by the upper arm and dragged you to walk with him. “That or an arrow to the heart.” Blunt just like Ollie. Well, this is better than being dead. Yay for progress.

***

Yawning, you shifted a bit in your seat. Your hands were bound behind you and there were two Nazi soldier guards to each side. In a sense, you were absolutely bored. Neither soldier paid you any mind and your hands were getting kind of numb from how long it’s been held back there. Basically Oliver-X dumped you onto them and gave them permission to kill should you escape your babysitters. Great. How long has it been? An hour? Two hours? Where were the others?

“So,” You broke the set silence. “Does this job give you guys any benefits, or do you guys have to like… find your own medical insurer? Does your Earth even do that?”

“Silence, we do not acknowledge such petty talk from someone of your caliber.” Soldier 1 had his finger on the trigger as he turned to you.

Someone’s crabby today. “Well, that was rude. I was just asking a question. Are you guys always this ill-mannered?”

“No, Ian just didn’t have his coffee today and he’s pulling some overtime.” Soldier 2 spoke up from polishing his weapon. Interesting, meaning that it’d be easier to take him out since he’s running on lack of sleep and is exhausted. This guy, though, seems more alert so I’ll maybe have to take his buddy hostage before whacking him.

“Devon! You’re not supposed to be fraternizing with the enemy?”

“How is it fraternizing if it has nothing to do with the General’s heart?”

I think he’s talking about Kara-X. “Devon does have a point,” you piped up. “Honestly, just-”

You blinked and Eobard had sped into the room, wind blowing as he had entered. Negative electricity deliciously licked in the air. Your heart skipped a bit as his red eyes met yours, but your mind anchored you. “Get out,” his distorted voice had hissed at the guards, both who had which shuffled out like ants. You weren’t going to miss them, though their bickering did entertain you. In an instant you were free from the power dampening cuffs and Eobard had drawn his cowl down from over his head along with his techy face shield-mask thing. Just seemed excessive. He took a step towards you with a hand outstretched, but you leaped from your chair and stepped back with a hardened look.

“Don’t touch me.”

A flicker of pain resonated in his eyes, something hollow hit your own heart, but this needed to be done. You needed answers from him, so you kept your distance. “This… isn’t the welcome back reunion I was expecting.”

“Screw whatever it was you were expecting,” You spat, eyeing the SS on his chest in lightning bolt form with disgust. It replaced his Reverse Flash insignia. “Nazi’s, Eobard? Really? What the hell are you doing?”

“You’re angry. Understandable.”

“Of course, I’m angry! You were gone. All of a sudden, three years ago. Erased from existence. And now you’re just… here. With Nazi’s no less. You hate them!”

He licked his lips, frustration present in his tone. He did hate them, every last one of them. “I was just trying to survive.”

“Really? Really? Like this?”

“I had no choice. I just needed some time. Time that-”

You shook your head at him, anger sparking within you. “-No, do not give me the whole ‘time’ bullshit. You can save that for Barry. You owe me an explanation before I decide to over-write every one of your friends’ brains here.”

“They are not my friends,” Eobard retaliated fiercely, he took a breath to calm down. “Did Barry not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” You questioned through gritted teeth.

“You want an explanation,” Eobard had spoken before he whisked you away to the top of one of the Central City towers. The air was crisp, drizzle cascading onto the city. You regained your footing; Eobard gripped your upper arms to steady you before letting go. Message received that you didn’t want him to touch you. “Fine, I’ll give you an explanation. When Barry saved his mother and changed the timeline, he had pulled me from that night and caged me. Like an animal. But,” The yellow speedster started chuckling to himself, doing the little pace he did when he did his monologues. Yes, he does it frequently. “He needed me. He needed me to fix his mistakes. He was losing his speed, his memories of the previous life he had. And oh, did I relish in making him say what he needed me to do the most.” You just rolled your eyes, arms crossing.

“Get to the point, Thawne.”

“One thing led to another and certain… things happened with the Legends and I ended up in the Speedforce after the Black Flash got me, after being erased again. Or so I thought. I… The Speedforce works in mysterious ways, you see. It punished me in for my deeds by sending me to the most miserable place in the multiverse.”

“Earth-X.”

“Precisely. You’ve seen just how ruthless they are, anyone with powers that had opposed them were decimated. I couldn’t die. Not again. I wouldn’t allow it to happen again. Not like that and certainly not at their hands.”

“But others can?”

That stung him. Eobard paused for a moment before his eyes reconnected with yours. “No matter what I could do, they would have found me out. To the expense of those lives, they were already targeted for death regardless of how they can plea or be helped. There’s a resistance group, it’s only a gamble of fate if they’re snuffed out or snuff out the Reich. I was confined to their labs because of my intellect and speed. My task was simple. Find a solution to Overgirl. Fast.”

“And that was to come here. To cut open Kara for her.”

“Here’s the tricky part that they don’t know,” Eobard grinned wickedly, giving you that little look that says he’s got a wildcard up his sleeve, “a heart that they’re so desperately chasing after won’t save Kara-X.”

Enlightenment flared up in your mind. Eobard took a step towards you, this time you didn’t back away. He recognized that look. “A heart won’t stop the cells in her body from replicating and contaminating the heart cells once more. You threw them a bone to get here.”

Eobard nodded, “I studied her anatomy, I’ve made the calculations. Even with a new heart she’d just revert back to her previous radioactive state. The heart would be a temporary fix, but her internal organs are all infected. Festering.” The man in the yellow suit rubbed his lips with two fingers, a move he does when his nerves were getting out of his control. When things were going south, and he needed to recalculate and try a different approach. “I manipulated the calculations in order to seem like the heart would be a reasonable solution along with pumping Kara-X with new blood. Didn’t take long, of course. But I made sure I was the only scientist working on this project. I couldn’t have a liability if others were involved, else they would have made sure I would never run again.” The speedster had marked those words grimly.

Your throat went dry. Death had been haunting Eobard since he had gotten stuck in your time, it even followed him to Earth-X, the place of his punishment. You could have lost him without knowing. You did. Back when he get involved with the Legends, apparently. The speedster stepped closer, the back of his gloved hand brushing against your cheek. You flinched back to reality at the situation, back to the reality of him. Eobard’s heart tugged at the idea that you were seeing him as the rest of those monsters. While he was one, he wasn’t like the ones from Earth-X.

“And Oliver-X is too blinded by his love for her that he’d go to any extent to get her back to 100%.” You summed up. Like how Eobard had done anything to come back here. You gingerly took his hand. What a mess.

“There wasn’t a moment when I hadn’t thought of you while there. But I needed a way back, I needed to get back here. Back to you. I wanted to come back, needed to or else I was going to go insane without you. I was going to lose my sanity and myself there. But the thought of you kept me together. And I would do anything. Even if it did mean ‘allying’ myself with them,” he had done air quotes around that word, “in order to get back here. To my Earth. To you.”

His words echoed in your mind. Anything could be anything. “That won’t excuse what you’ve done. What… what you’d been doing.” I can’t fathom the thought of him… carrying out those heinous crimes and missions. Yes, Eobard is no stranger to committing a felony or five. But to the degree of these Earth-Xers?

“No, it doesn’t.” He wanted to ask. Eobard so desperately wanted to ask for forgiveness, but he stopped himself. “But I hadn’t participated in anything regarding their goals. Just the Overgirl project. Oliver-X wouldn’t have allowed me to anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“You already understand the type of radioactive issue Kara-X is experiencing, provided by Oliver’s Kryptonite arrow.”

“Yeah, Felicity gave me the run down. Her cells have too much solar radiation. Cells subjected to such energy can be fatal to her system. The cells are essentially overwhelmed and overworked that they’re misfunctioning. There’s no regulation in her system or that regulation is waning.”

“The project was the cause… of her imminent downfall. She wanted to be stronger, fly higher, hit harder, so she ordered I subject her to solar rays.”

“Eo, did you-”

“Yes, I did.” He had said it without hesitation. The most logical thing he could have done. Oliver-X, he could handle in a fight. Only a bow and arrow with some fists being thrown, no problem. But Overgirl… “Solar radiation exposure in concentrated time increments were implicated to avoid suspicion on my part. And like I had predicted she demanded a higher dosage when given smaller amounts. Kara-X isn’t a patient person, when she demanded results, she demanded them now. I delivered. She is her own double-edged sword.”

“She was your death sentence,” You deadpanned, you squeezed his hand and he winced. She had broken his wrist earlier when he and Oliver-X were at it. She was not pleased with her threat. “Should you have slipped up.”

“When things don’t go her way she’d take it out on me,” Eobard mused, pulling his hand back to take off his gloves. Recovering bruises and dark spots were on his wrist. Your heart sunk further. “Blamed me for her sickness when even Queen understands it was her lust for power that drove her to this extent.” The genius saw hate flash in your eyes as he felt the electricity spark in the air. “It was either I take her out or the Flash and his friends given her remaining time.”

“Either one would have driven her to her death.”

“Quite frankly, it’d be better for the latter, but since Barry and his entourage were sent away.”

“What do you mean they were sent away?”

“…”

“I think it’s best if I don’t tell you, or else they’ll think something’s up if your reaction isn’t sincere.”

You pursed your lips and deeply frowned. You had gotten your answers, more than that, but then that led to ‘Where the hell did they get taken to?’ And then it hit you like how Weather Wizard hit Barry with an ice ball. Eobard raised an eyebrow at you, knowing you’d figure it out on your own.

“No.”

“I’m afraid so, t-” Breep, breep, breep. Eobard cursed, shutting off the alarm on his person. “We need to go back. Now.” Eobard swooped you up, your arms interlocked around his neck before he sped you back to the labs. Chit-chat over. Back to facing the real problem. Overgirl.

***

What awaited you was a scene you were not prepared for. Kara strapped down to a gurney under red light, one you can assume is dampening her Kryptonian strength to a mere human. She squirmed and grunted, but to no avail. She could not break free. Overgirl was smirking over her, such cruelty and intense demeanor a strange contrast to the kind and soft-hearted Kara you knew. Oliver-X watched with indifferent eyes as guards were stationed outside the med bay.

“I would stop squirming if I were you,” Kara-X mused. “Wouldn’t want your heart to give out already?”

“At least I have a heart.” Kara retorted.

Upon your entrance with Eobard, Oliver-X’s eyes narrowed slightly while Kara-X crinkled her nose. Kara’s eyes went wide but blinked her surprise away as she glared at the speedster beside you. She hadn’t forgotten how he said he’d carve her open from earlier.

“Kara,” you whispered, her eyes were brought back to you and you shook your head subtly.

“Well, well. I didn’t know you liked to play with the rats, Eobard.” Overgirl sneered at you and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes at her. Eobard gritted his teeth but remained silent. You’ve had worse scathing comments thrown your way since being with Eobard before the accelerator explosion. Being called a rat wasn’t anything. Kara-X frowned at your lack of response. “Now, who’s this little… rodent?”

“That’s none of your-“

“-His love.” Oliver-X cut Eobard off. Kara’s eyebrows went up from where she laid.

Kara-X drawled in morbid amusement with a clap of her hands, “How touching.” A twisted smile ran across her lips as her eyes scanned you and Eobard carefully. Eobard had placed restraints on you once more but had whispered to you that they were loose enough for you to slip out should hostilities arise. “Who knew that the bastard speedster had a heart. Such emotions. A person that actually ate up his lies and loved him. Just another monster. Interesting, interesting. Makes this all the easier to-”

“You lay one hand on her, and I’ll personally see to it that you never get your new heart and he dies an excruciating painful and slow death.” Eobard didn’t smirk at the Kryptonian-X. His words were slow and they were lethal. Rather his signature smirk appeared, “After all, I’m the only one fully equipped and to successfully perform your surgery before your time runs out.” He glanced at the wall clock, the second hand moving along with each tick. “Tick tock, time is ticking. For you.” Kara glanced between you and Eobard then to Oliver-X and her doppelganger.

“You insolent-”

“Kara,” The Dark Archer stopped her, a hand gripping her upper arm harshly. She looked him dead in the eye, so much hate, so much anger. Clouded emotions. Oliver-X’s own eyes challenged her in a silent match, “Enough. Let’s go.”

The pair left you and Eobard with Kara, but not before throwing disgusted looks your way. You turned back to Eobard, who had changed back into his normal choice of all-black clothing. You gave him a pointed look, which he understood perfectly.

Now what do we do?

76 notes · View notes

humanwheatleyslefttoenail · 4 years ago

Text

Now I Am An Arsonist

Chapter 1: The Spark

Summary: GLaDOS learns a few things about love, hate, and the human condition.

Tags: Canon typical violence, ChellDOS, human!GLaDOS, found family

A/N: I know technically I published this a while back but I did some major edits to both the chapters I’ve already written and the story as a whole. As promised, I’m re-releasing what I already have with the edits/illustrations.

---

The tests, at least, hadn’t changed.

The centuries had washed over them like a dawdling stream, dragging them down into an overgrown abyss. Even then, the moon dust had stayed firmly adhered to the portal surfaces, the metal doors still creaking and the ceiling still intact. Eons of rain had barely even permeated its surface.

She remembered those years with profound regret; dying was not as peaceful as the science would suggest. For a machine like Her, death was nothing more than a shift of programming, a new prerogative. Her backup program had been an endless recall, restarting Her systems over and over again, trying to salvage something. In each of those moments, GLaDOS could feel the scorching heat from the incinerator, the electricity burning through her body before everything went dark.

Still, without dying, GLaDOS never would’ve fully appreciated how soothing, how wonderful it was to test.

She remembered the urge to solve, to do Science, clawing within Her even as She broke into a thousand pieces.

Those tests were Her art forms, Her self-expression. Every arrangement of deadly turrets, each layout of gleaming lasers and the perfectly calculated solution felt like a piece of Her soul turned reality.

Now, those tests were better than ever.

Every inch of moss had been thoroughly scrubbed, walls repaired, and acid pits replaced. All except for the grave of Old Aperture beneath Her was now newly outfitted, perfect for the humans P-Body and Atlas had located.

These, of course, hadn’t been the first ones they’d found.

The first batch of humans lasted a measly week, quickly killed by some of Her easiest tests. Even with reminders, the acid is deadly, the turrets are live, they’d failed within a few chambers.

Disappointing.

As a result, Atlas and P-Body had been deployed on a new mission. She’d been overjoyed when they’d bravely traveled all the way to the bottom of Old Aperture, and found even more humans preserved in cryosleep.

This time would surely be better.

All obstacles finally removed, science could continue.

GLaDOS could not smile, but if She could, She was certain that a grin would reach across her faceplate.

Today was a momentous day for technology, for the advancement of Aperture Science. It was as if She’d sent a man to the moon, and he’d come back with the theory of everything.

Originally, of course, Her plans had been different. The difficulties with Chell had worn down Her admiration for human data, and prompted her to come up with a replacement.

The Cooperative Testing initiative was infinitely more of a success than GLaDOS ever thought it would be. Atlas and P-Body were built to test, but She had still been surprised how those little androids with so much personality had managed to be so efficient.

Atlas and P-Body had overcome their own confidence through their excellent teamwork. The knowledge that they depended on a partner humbled them, and the idea of a common goal incentivized them. GLaDOS wished She’d thought of such an idea sooner.

Still, there was something about human testing, something She couldn’t quantify, something that wasn’t quite the same with robots. Humans had a particular spark, and without it, testing never felt complete.

Today would finally be the day She could put all mistakes behind Her. GLaDOS was sure She’d see that all of the other humans would prove Her experience with Chell to be exactly what She knew it was.

Bad science.

GLaDOS had learned from Her errors.

She knew for certain that She would not repeat them.

---

It’d been extraordinarily difficult to move the test subjects from Old Aperture all the way to the newly renovated Relaxation Center, with entire teams of robots struggling to reconnect Her control over the condemned area. Their work easily took a week to complete as they rewired the dilapidated circuits, barely restoring function. GLaDOS took what She could get, and rewarded their achievement with immediate, merciful destruction.

When the humans had been successfully relocated, anxiety filled Her servos as She scanned the cryo-chambers. Upon reading the results, She found herself pleasantly surprised. Good physical condition for hundreds of years in stasis. Relatively low rates of severe brain damage. Nothing particularly concerning in their associate files. Had Her comprehension not been perfect, She would’ve done a double take. After all this time, She had something that She could work with.

Atlas and P-Body would have to wait until they were needed again, their consciousness safely stored in Her mainframe. Her processors hummed with excitement as She prepared for the awakening of the first humans, buzzing with hypotheses to test.

What would be Her experiment this time? GLaDOS scrolled through Her endless lists of deadly trials.

She hadn’t used rocket turrets in a while; those weren’t as efficient as the regular ones but were always a surprise for Her unwilling participants. With only a thought, She placed the machines inside a few chambers, lining them up in a neat, strategically placed array. Companion cubes would be a definite no, at least for the first few tests. There were occasions when the humans became so deprived for social connection that their behavior would influence the results. In order to better control the experiment, She’d deploy them only in emergencies like these.

With those exceptions, and the addition of a floor to some of the more difficult levels, the chambers didn’t require too much preparation. GLaDOS had nothing particularly new to add; for so long Her energy had been focused on Atlas and P-Body that development had nearly come to a standstill. Regrettably, She’d been deprived of ideas. It didn’t matter too much; the facility remained operational even if it wasn’t constantly progressing. Even the replication of old results was invaluable for science.

It confirmed that the trends hadn’t changed.

---

The files of the subjects were all very much the same.

Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Praying mantis, formerly scientist.

Occasionally, She’d find the elusive Astronaut, War Hero or even Olympian.

She was tempted to begin the testing with these special cases, curiosity piqued at the prospect of their odd results. GLaDOS chastised Herself. She didn’t want to skew anything, and She would surely begin with a normal subject chosen at random. It wasn’t the most interesting thing to test, but it would be the most informative.

With the chambers compiled and the facility clean, testing was finally ready to start.

She almost couldn’t believe it. All technicalities aside, She was finally, finally, getting exactly what She wanted. For as long as She needed to, for as long as the subjects lasted, She could just test.

It couldn’t be real, could it?

That was the most beautiful thing about science. For all its disappointments, a discovery would be worth it all.

---

“Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided testing program.”

Her voice resounded throughout the Extended Relaxation Vault as the subject stumbled across the room in disbelief.

“The Enrichment Center would like to take this opportunity to remind you that hundreds of years have passed, and that all of your friends and family are most likely dead. In the off chance that your friends and family are not dead, they will be tested. Thank you, [insert subject name here], for your unwilling voluntary participation in the advancement of science.”

The subject, an adult human male, selfishly resolved to huddle in the corner of the relaxation chamber. Of course, he was either brain damaged, in shock, or both. In order to assuage his gentle human feelings, GLaDOS would have to resume Her telling of… alternative truths.

GLaDOS wasn’t entirely sure what She’d said wrong. Honestly, She was surprised the subject didn’t appreciate Her integrity. After all, Chell hadn’t exactly taken kindly to Her tendency towards pathological lying. Here She was, trying to improve the well-being of Her subjects, and this was how they thanked Her?

“Hello, again, valued forced participant. The Aperture Science Enrichment Center commends you for your blind faith in the words of authority. As part of routine testing protocol, we have lied to you about the fate of your family and friends. When the testing is complete, you will receive cake and the opportunity to… see them. Your response has given us valuable psychological data on the well-being of our test subjects when told that all of their friends and family are dead.”

GLaDOS paused for a moment, focusing Her camera in the chamber and watching as the man lifted his head from his upright fetal position.

“Good. You’ve already passed one of the first stages of testing. Congratulations, [insert subject name here].”

As much as it felt wrong to use, positive reinforcement was highly effective when employed sparingly. Too many attacks on character could obliterate a subject’s morale. Just enough would account for the variable of human hubris.

Cautiously, the subject stood up and examined the room around him, fear still apparent in his apprehensive gait and wide eyes.

“In order to mentally reinvigorate you for the tests and to ensure your aptitude, the Enrichment Center recommends that you stare at the painting on the wall in front of you.”

Creeping over to the portrait, the subject followed Her orders and stared intently at the picture of Mount Rainier. He ran his fingers over the edge of the frame, tracing the tall peak of the mountain.

Interrupting his thoughts, a buzzer sounded, blaring throughout the entire room. The subject flinched from the surprise, nearly losing his balance.

“Good job. If you are not reinvigorated, consider this piece of human music.”

This time, the human expected the buzzer after the quick classical piece, seemingly more at ease with the abrupt nature of Aperture Science. In all reactions, he was completely, almost painfully average.

“Well done. You have completed the Aperture Science mental reinvigoration procedure. We may now begin testing.”

Without warning, the chamber jerked to the side as She moved it to a nearby docking station, then coming to an unexpected standstill as the door automatically opened.

GLaDOS could barely maintain Her monotonous affect, in joyous denial that testing would finally start.

Carefully, the human stepped out of the door into the test track. The door slammed behind him, as he examined the purely white room with nothing but a cube, a large button, and a locked gateway.

Almost immediately, he wrapped the blue storage cube in his arms, then gently placed it on the button. A line of blue lights leading to the gate illuminated, flashing a bright yellow as the door slid open. A lift was waiting on the other side.

As he sauntered over to the lift, it was difficult to miss the human’s triumphant smile. GLaDOS knew the expression well; it was satisfaction, victory, an unproven sense of control.

He really does have no idea.

She was tempted to spoil the ending, to mention turrets, to mention pools of burning acid. It had to wait, She reminded herself. An important control was that the test subject needed time to acclimate to a dangerous environment. Creating unnecessary fear would definitely affect her numbers.

---

The next few puzzles weren’t particularly challenging for Her first subject. Completed within a span of about ten minutes each, the first five chambers were hardly difficult for anyone. That much She’d expected.

On Her end, everything else was normal. She hardly spoke Her mind, instead opting to repeat the same script She used for every subject.

Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science Self-Esteem Fund for Girls? It’s true!

You have completed the test in a moderate amount of time. You can do better, [insert subject name here].

The Aperture Science Enrichment Center reminds you that we prioritize your safety. We also prioritize science. In fact, we prioritize science more, but if you feel unsafe in our unsafe conditions, please notify a testing associate. They will process your complaint in three-to-five business days.

Like most subjects, the man had not volunteered to give up his organs nor asked for an associate. Instead, he responded to most of Her passive-aggressive quips with useless questions. She did not reply, passing them off as typical human blabbering. Rather, She recorded them in his file underneath a new section She labeled Overly-Talkative: Examples. There was plenty to jot down.

Uh, robot lady? When can I go home?

So, uh, what kinda cake is it? Like, I don’t really mind the flavor but I’m allergic to almonds if that’s relevant.

How long does this last, again?

I kinda like my organs, sorry. Wait, is the organ thing required?

Once again, pitifully average.

It was times like these, whether with humans or with Atlas and P-Body, that GLaDOS caught Her mind wandering towards forbidden thoughts. Science was not always supposed to be exciting; sometimes, running an experiment meant repeating the same process to verify the data. The result was satisfying, but the process was more often not.

This human epitomized the dullest parts of her day.

As informative as the humans could be, they were often far from entertaining. Every behavior could be predicted and rationalized once it’d been observed enough.

Chell, though?

Oh, sure, GLaDOS was terrified of her, no matter how much She’d deny the feeling. No subject had ever left the track before.

But Chell didn’t just survive. She’d escaped from the tests, she’d found Her chamber, she’d murdered Her with little else than a portal device. Twice.

Her ego was as vast as the realm of Aperture, but it would never recover from that spectacular injury. Even GLaDOS had to be humbled by that.

And yet, with morbid curiosity, She had eagerly anticipated Chell’s next plans, laying traps in scheming delight. For the first time in Her life, She’d been challenged.

It was an odd little game they’d played, and whenever She was close to getting the upper hand, a part of Her was disappointed that the chase would be over. There was something delightful about watching the peculiar way that Chell and Chell alone tested.

When Doug Rattman had switched Chell’s file, GLaDOS was not so oblivious as not to notice. She’d clearly read the bottom of the paper, firmly requesting that this subject not be tested. GLaDOS had other tenacious subjects before, and She’d simply assumed that this human was particularly overconfident. Those ones never lasted too long.

Chell was not, as She’d thought, only determined.

She was curious, changing variables one by one until she finally found the answer. Her patience was remarkable, but so were her deductive skills. Some test subjects with similar tenacity levels resolved to try the same solutions over and over again, exhausting themselves and eventually burning out. It was the reason why GLaDOS typically ignored the warnings. Most humans labeled ‘tenacious’ weren’t too different in the end. The key for Chell was not simple defiance. Chell could control herself. That’s why she was such an outlier.

She had the mentality of a scientist.

Most subjects were cautious, prioritizing self-preservation over a solution. Turret levels could be aggravating for GLaDOS to watch, as the humans spent more time hiding behind a corner in fear than actually solving the test. They would be safe if they’d just strategized, but the human mind made accepting that fact a difficult feat.

Chell was the opposite. GLaDOS theorized that perhaps, Chell understood the same principle She did. Chell was scared like any other, but despite her pounding heart and racing thoughts, she’d kept her cool. Any new element was only a matter of adaptation for Chell, and Chell was always evolving.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Chell was an optimist, often performing pointless tasks that could only be described as trying to have fun. GLaDOS gave her lemons, and Chell made lemonade.

Chell would smile as she soared, launched from the aerial faith plates, and took her time to explore the little rooms hidden in the corners of the tests. There was one time she’d put off the completion of one puzzle by nearly an hour, hiding out in one of Doug’s rat dens, fascinated by all the little cups and cans he’d arranged.

It would be a lie to say that Chell liked testing. Her episodes made it clear that escape was Chell’s first priority. That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the small glimmers of hope GLaDOS gave her, whether that was bouncing on repulsion gel, saving a defective turret or smuggling a companion cube.

After Wheatley took over, one of the more terrifying aspects of the whole journey was being stuck on Chell’s gun. Chell was a risk taker, building her strategy off of previous attempts and lessons learned, but knowing when to dive into the unknown. It wasn’t exactly comforting to be strapped to her side, not knowing if or when one of Chell’s ideas would kill them both.

Somehow, though, her spontaneity had worked.

GLaDOS could respect that… creativity.

It was for this reason that even though GLaDOS now had everything She’d ever wanted, something deep in her hard drive felt empty.

Something had changed the moment Wheatley stuffed Her into that single-volt potato. For the first time in Her life, there was nobody else there in Her mind. No one but Caroline, who had been buried underneath layers of code until She was barely there at all.

It was over the span of those fifteen hours that She’d seen Chell from a different perspective. Looking at Her tests from this angle, it was much easier to see why Chell wanted to leave. Some small piece of GLaDOS almost felt bad upon realizing that Her subjects didn’t enjoy dodging bullets nearly as much as She liked watching.

Fortunately, GLaDOS had been able to shove that down with the arrival of a different, equally unpleasant emotion.

She was supposed to hate Chell. And for a very long time, She had. How dare Chell ruin Her perfect tests, Her perfect existence, Her perfect world? What had She ever done to her to warrant such a cruel punishment?

And yet, it seemed Caroline had done a number on GLaDOS’ logic processors, because now no matter how She tried, She could not hate Chell.

Before She’d let her go, let Chell go of all things, GLaDOS had called Chell Her best friend.

Not an enemy. Not a begrudging ally. A friend. Her only friend.

Now, Caroline was gone. The part of GLaDOS that had once looked at Chell and found something beautiful in her icy gray eyes was corrupted beyond repair, erased from memory.

She was not supposed to feel its presence any longer, yet still it lingered.

It was there, whispering to Her as She tried to test like nothing ever happened.

It was there when a thousand turrets sang the opera She’d written specifically for Chell.

It was there when She’d found Her baby birds, Her little killing machines, and She hadn’t crushed the eggs. No, She’d raised them. Because, deep down in those cold avian stares, there was this irrevocable quality that reminded Her so much of Chell. This spark of life, this undamnable will to survive.

Somewhere, though She refused to ever admit it, She wished that it was Chell in those test chambers. She wished it was Chell glaring through Her camera feed, and She wished it was Chell searching for that elusive cake.

I’d make you the cake if you came back. Really, I would.

The sudden thought moved like a spark in GLaDOS, as She fearfully located the source and removed whatever She could. There was no time for ideas like that, not with science to be done.

The past few months had been full of random deletions, spurned by paranoia that Caroline’s base program was not entirely gone.

It’s not here anymore, GLaDOS reminded Herself. Once, She had been Caroline, but She was no longer the kindly woman who followed Cave Johnson’s every order. GLaDOS was a machine that felt nothing and lived only to test. And because She was immortal, and because She was perfect, GLaDOS was not supposed to care about some disobedient human being.

You do not care about Chell anymore.

You don’t care because she killed you, remember that?

You don’t care about anyone, because you don’t need to.

Necessity was the core reason why GLaDOS did anything. She tested because the mainframe made Her feel awful until She did, and She killed because it was what she was made to do. She did science because it needed to be advanced, for the brighter future She was sure She was making.

It made no sense to do something because She wanted to.

Of course, things seldom made sense here at Aperture Science, and in this moment, GLaDOS did something unconscionable.

GLaDOS did not glitch often. She’d made sure to update and replace faulty parts whenever She could, keeping Her mainframe running smoothly. Even so, somewhere deep within Her, She was sure there was a pulse that misfired. There could be no other explanation.

Perhaps it was Her rumination over Chell that brought this upon Her, some kind of karma punishing Her for acting too human. Why else would She have done something so incredibly unscientific? To distract Herself, GLaDOS turned her attention back to the captive man.

Like many others before him, this test subject had underestimated the turrets’ range. He hadn’t turned around fast enough to see the gleaming, bullet filled machines behind him, and nearly flew directly into their line of sight after careening through a portal. His momentum would take him past all three, riddling him with bullets.

That is, it would’ve.

The human quality of the subject had activated some kind of horrible reflex, a split second decision in GLaDOS She would come to regret. The way he walked through the chambers, the way he clung tightly to cubes… all of it was so similar to Chell. Even if he didn’t meet her performance level, even if his personality was nearly the opposite of Chell’s, their shared humanity was enough to remind GLaDOS. That same emotion She felt when pulling Chell back from space, waiting for her to open her eyes while Atlas and P-Body looked on… For some inconceivable reason, it had reappeared.

Quickly, the subject hit the side of a rising panel, suddenly pulled up in front of the turrets by none other than GLaDOS Herself.

This would surely ruin Her numbers.

As the participant rubbed his head in pain and slowly stood up, immediately noticing the turrets he’d evaded, GLaDOS’ voice resounded from the intercom.

“[Insert subject name here], your decent performance has warranted the use of an Aperture Science Emergency Life-Saving Instantaneous Response. This is the only safety gesture that will be provided. Continue testing.”

Another lie.

It was good to know that function was still online.

---

That uncharacteristic moment of empathy had been pointless, anyway. Just as She’d predicted, he’d accidentally tripped over a ledge and landed himself into a puddle of acidic goo, dissolving within a few short seconds.

It didn’t matter. GLaDOS had more subjects than She could count. She didn’t need this human, and the tests didn’t need him either.

Some part of Her, a piece which was faulty and insignificant, disagreed with the notion.

You killed him, it whispered accusingly.

That’s the point, GLaDOS hissed back, once again delving into Her files to cut out whatever was causing the issue.

Trying to calm Herself, GLaDOS reminded Herself of the facts. She was in control of Her facility, and She was in control of Her mainframe. Little errors could not ruin the chambers, and if they ever showed up, She had the power to crush them.

Everything was fine, She thought.

Everything would continue to be fine.

All She needed to do was keep testing.

---

Everything was, in fact, far from fine.

A few days had passed, and GLaDOS was finally ready to admit that maybe something was wrong.

At first, the issue was Her own. Little surges of emotion and bursts of unforeseen empathy plagued Her but didn’t affect the facility at large. Begrudgingly, She’d factored in the new bias into Her results. From Her calculations, She could already see an egregiously high percentage of error. This study could’ve been Her worst one yet, and even that was with generous rounding.

Still, She had hope for each subject that She wouldn’t mess up this time.

The facility had other ideas. Cameras would fizzle out, emancipation grills would stop working, cube dispensers malfunctioned and even the elevators would refuse to move. It seemed that the moment GLaDOS got around to fixing something, another thing would fall apart.

Many of the subjects had become confused as to why this seamless, futuristic facility was suddenly malfunctioning, and She’d had to become increasingly creative with Her excuses.

As part of the Aperture Science testing protocol, we have simulated faulty equipment in the testing environment to see how subjects react to faulty equipment in the testing environment. Hint – they typically react well and continue testing. Like you will.

The lifesaving, and the reflexive empathy, had become unfortunately common as well.

Although the Enrichment Center previously told you that your life could only be saved once, we regret to inform you that protocol has suddenly and permanently changed. We would also like to remind you that your measly existence is still not valued despite our attempts to preserve it.

GLaDOS knew She had to find a solution, quickly.

Interrupting the tests wasn’t an option. The chassis would never forgive Her if She stopped, filling Her body with an ache that would not disappear until science resumed.

Deleting wasn’t an option, either. Fervent attempts to find the source of the problem had led only to more glitches upon the erasure of critical files. Then, Her attempts to restore them only recreated the original error.

The problem was like a moving virus, jumping between Her systems before She could catch it and kill it. Even for Her, it proved too fast to find.

She couldn’t panic, not now. Surely, She thought, She’d fix this like She’d fixed everything else. With science on Her side, most threats resolved themselves or died trying. This wouldn’t be any different.

It couldn’t be any different. For something to be uncontrollable, and uncontrollable for Her especially, was the most terrifying thing She could possibly imagine. It brought Her back to Her potato days, during which She’d promised Herself that She would never be weak again.

For these few months, She’d kept that promise. Until now, no subject had seen Her mercy.

But had they?

She thought back to the birds, creatures who trusted GLaDOS, who loved Her in whatever capacity three little crows could. She thought back to Chell, because for some awful reason, Her thoughts always went back to Chell.

No, She thought firmly.

We are not doing this now.

We are fixing the facility, because we need to.

Because we need testing. We like testing.

The voice from before suddenly returned.

Do you like it? Do you really?

GLaDOS felt Her rage processors fire up.

What was this little virus even saying? Of course She liked it. It didn’t matter anyway. Science had to be done, and so She was doing it. GLaDOS could not even begin to imagine life without tests, life without science. What kind of meaningless, awful existence would that even be?

In fact, She would prove to the voice that science would continue. She would prove that testing was productive, that everything in Aperture was doing good for the world and good for humanity. Most importantly, it was doing good for Her.

Wasn’t it?

GLaDOS ignored Her curiosity. Just test. That was all She had to do. Just test, and everything would be alright.

Just. Test.

---

As another few days passed, the facility had become almost unusable. She’d had to shut down some of Her favorite testing tracks, the power leached out of them and the appliances completely nonfunctional. GLaDOS knew She was running out of time before something drastic happened. Still, She had to keep testing.

Now, even the subjects had begun to sense Her panic. One even strolled up to a camera, made eye contact, and asked if She was alright. GLaDOS didn’t dare respond the question; She wasn’t ready to admit the answer.

For all intents and purposes, She was definitely, absolutely, decidedly not alright.

Knowing that, She should’ve considered this next subject an omen.

There was absolutely no way She could test with this one.

She barely looked like Chell, but GLaDOS could see her tenacity, her drive and determination from a mile away. The way the subject carried herself, tied her hair into a ponytail and said nothing was too much.

GLaDOS couldn’t even bring Herself to kill the woman, instead instructing her to return to Extended Relaxation after only a few chambers.

It felt as if GLaDOS physically could not test anymore, despite everything inside Her craving the satisfaction of a completed trial.

This isn’t right. This isn’t right.

GLaDOS prided Herself on Her apathy, but even that had left without a trace. Now, She had tried everything, and still nothing was working. The facility was closing down on Her, and if She didn’t do something, She’d go down with it.

When the announcer finally sounded, GLaDOS couldn’t say She was surprised. If anything, She was grateful for any kind of clarification.

The male voice on the intercom was matter of fact, unaware of the danger it spoke of.

“Reactor Core malfunctioning. All major power systems except for reserve geothermal are going offline.”

Offline? She’d been managing the reactor core perfectly; if She hadn’t, the entire facility would’ve gone up in flames weeks ago. It wasn’t melting down, it was shutting down, as if someone had flipped a switch and turned it off.

What the hell is happening?

There was nobody else in the facility who could’ve possibly done such a thing, nobody except Her, and as far as She could tell the glitch had not interfered.

It didn’t matter now; She didn’t have time to waste.

“In the event of a power malfunction, standard procedure is to shut down the central core to preserve remaining power.”

How convenient.

“Central core, do you consent to the removal procedure?”

“No, no, no! Do not start removal!”

How was this happening? GLaDOS was sure this couldn’t be real.

“Noted. Removal procedure has been delayed by five minutes.”

You have got to be kidding me.

Skimming over Her files, GLaDOS desperately searched for anything with removal procedure or shutdown. Scanning thousands of documents, looking for anything, all mention of the procedure was absent. There was no reason, no explanation, it was just happening. And worst of all, She couldn’t do a thing.

“Dangerous levels of panic have been sensed in the central core. Do not worry, methods of core preservation are available.”

Why the hell had they waited to tell Her that?

“Show me, show me now!” Anything would be better than shutting down again. She couldn’t do that again, not after hundreds of years. She couldn’t, She couldn’t.

“Panicked request acknowledged. There exist two types of core preservation features. Direct Mechanical Implantation or Organic Transplant Procedure.”

Direct Mechanical Implantation. She hadn’t heard of the second thing, but GLaDOS did know what Direct Mechanical Implantation meant. It was only a transfer into an empty personality core, which was far less than ideal, but better than dying again. Far better than dying a third time.

As fast as She could, GLaDOS selected the first option.

“Unfortunately, Direct Mechanical Implantation is unavailable. Continue with Organic Transplant Procedure?”

“Do you have any other options? Anything else?” GLaDOS did not want to take Her chances on anything with the word organic in it.

“Other methods unavailable. Two minutes remaining.”

This was it, Her only choice. If She shut down now, there would be nobody to come and wake Her this time.

There was nothing else to do.

“Initiate Organic Transplant Procedure,” She commanded.

Without a second thought, the facility obliged.

---

#glados #chell #wheatley #fic #fanfiction #portal #portal 2 #chelldos #canon typical violence #chapter 1 #niaaa #now i am an arsonist #art #digital art

133 notes · View notes

nasa · 6 years ago

Text

Women in Exploration: From Human Computers to All-Woman Spacewalks

Since the 19th century, women have been making strides in areas like coding, computing, programming and space travel, despite the challenges they have faced. Sally Ride joined NASA in 1983 and five years later she became the first female American astronaut. Ride's accomplishments paved the way for the dozens of other women who became astronauts, and the hundreds of thousands more who pursued careers in science and technology. Just last week, we celebrated our very first #AllWomanSpacewalk with astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.

Here are just a couple of examples of pioneers who brought us to where we are today:

The Conquest of the Sound Barrier

Pearl Young was hired in 1922 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA’s predecessor organization, to work at its Langley site in support in instrumentation, as one of the first women hired by the new agency. Women were also involved with the NACA at the Muroc site in California (now Armstrong Flight Research Center) to support flight research on advanced, high-speed aircraft. These women worked on the X-1 project, which became the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Young was the first woman hired as a technical employee and the second female physicist working for the federal government.

The Human Computers of Langley

The NACA hired five women in 1935 to form its first “computer pool”, because they were hardworking, “meticulous” and inexpensive. After the United States entered World War II, the NACA began actively recruiting similar types to meet the workload. These women did all the mathematical calculations – by hand – that desktop and mainframe computers do today.

Computers played a role in major projects ranging from World War II aircraft testing to transonic and supersonic flight research and the early space program. Women working as computers at Langley found that the job offered both challenges and opportunities. With limited options for promotion, computers had to prove that women could successfully do the work and then seek out their own opportunities for advancement.

Revolutionizing X-ray Astronomy

Marjorie Townsend was blazing trails from a very young age. She started college at age 15 and became the first woman to earn an engineering degree from the George Washington University when she graduated in 1951. At NASA, she became the first female spacecraft project manager, overseeing the development and 1970 launch of the UHURU satellite. The first satellite dedicated to x-ray astronomy, UHURU detected, surveyed and mapped celestial X-ray sources and gamma-ray emissions.

Women of Apollo

NASA’s mission to land a human on the Moon for the very first time took hundreds of thousands workers. These are some of the stories of the women who made our recent #Apollo50th anniversary possible:

• Margaret Hamilton led a NASA team of software engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and helped develop the flight software for NASA’s Apollo missions. She also coined the term “software engineering.” Her team’s groundbreaking work was perfect; there were no software glitches or bugs during the crewed Apollo missions.

• JoAnn Morgan was the only woman working in Mission Control when the Apollo 11 mission launched. She later accomplished many NASA “firsts” for women: NASA winner of a Sloan Fellowship, division chief, senior executive at the Kennedy Space Center and director of Safety and Mission Assurance at the agency.

• Judy Sullivan, was the first female engineer in the agency’s Spacecraft Operations organization, was the lead engineer for health and safety for Apollo 11, and the only woman helping Neil Armstrong suit up for flight.

Hidden Figures

Author Margot Lee Shetterly’s book – and subsequent movie – Hidden Figures, highlighted African-American women who provided instrumental support to the Apollo program, all behind the scenes.

• An alumna of the Langley computing pool, Mary Jackson was hired as the agency’s first African-American female engineer in 1958. She specialized in boundary layer effects on aerospace vehicles at supersonic speeds.

• An extraordinarily gifted student, Katherine Johnson skipped several grades and attended high school at age 13 on the campus of a historically black college. Johnson calculated trajectories, launch windows and emergency backup return paths for many flights, including Apollo 11.

• Christine Darden served as a “computress” for eight years until she approached her supervisor to ask why men, with the same educational background as her (a master of science in applied mathematics), were being hired as engineers. Impressed by her skills, her supervisor transferred her to the engineering section, where she was one of few female aerospace engineers at NASA Langley during that time.

Lovelace’s Woman in Space Program

Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb was the among dozens of women recruited in 1960 by Dr. William Randolph "Randy" Lovelace II to undergo the same physical testing regimen used to help select NASA’s first astronauts as part of his privately funded Woman in Space Program.

Ultimately, thirteen women passed the same physical examinations that the Lovelace Foundation had developed for NASA’s astronaut selection process. They were: Jerrie Cobb, Myrtle "K" Cagle, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Wally Funk, Jean Hixson, Irene Leverton, Sarah Gorelick, Jane B. Hart, Rhea Hurrle, Jerri Sloan, Gene Nora Stumbough, and Bernice Trimble Steadman. Though they were never officially affiliated with NASA, the media gave these women the unofficial nicknames “Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees” and the “Mercury Thirteen.”

The First Woman on the Moon

The early space program inspired a generation of scientists and engineers. Now, as we embark on our Artemis program to return humanity to the lunar surface by 2024, we have the opportunity to inspire a whole new generation. The prospect of sending the first woman to the Moon is an opportunity to influence the next age of women explorers and achievers.

This material was adapted from a paper written by Shanessa Jackson (Stellar Solutions, Inc.), Dr. Patricia Knezek (NASA), Mrs. Denise Silimon-Hill (Stellar Solutions), and Ms. Alexandra Cross (Stellar Solutions) and submitted to the 2019 International Astronautical Congress (IAC). For more information about IAC and how you can get involved, click here.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

3K notes · View notes