#touchscreen kiosk

[panashifzco]

How smart city kiosks improve access to city information and services

In the space of a decade, the average city street has evolved from a tangle of lamp-posts, bus shelters, and poster billboards into a digitally connected thoroughfare. At the heart of that metamorphosis sits a piece of street furniture that hardly existed 15 years ago: the smart city kiosk. Tall, touchscreen-driven, and Wi-Fi-enabled, these kiosks are quietly reshaping how we discover, navigate, and even govern the urban realm. They are the physical interface of the “smart city”—a way to deliver digital convenience without requiring every resident or visitor to have the latest smartphone (or any phone at all).

This article digs deep—well past the glossy renderings—to explore what smart city kiosks are, how they work, where they succeed, and where friction points still lurk. If you lead urban innovation, civic tech, or customer experience for a municipality—or if you sell technology into that ecosystem—consider this your 1 000-word field guide.

1. What Exactly Is a Smart City Kiosk?

At its simplest, a smart city kiosk is a free-standing digital terminal placed in a public space. Yet the term “kiosk” undersells its capabilities. Modern units combine:

Large-format capacitive touchscreens—often 32–55 inches with vandal-resistant glass.

High-bandwidth connectivity—5 G, fibre backhaul, or millimetre-wave radio feeding public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Edge computing—local processors that run mapping engines, payment modules, and AI inference without round-tripping data to the cloud.

Peripheral hardware—QR/UPC scanners, contactless card readers, environmental sensors, CCTV, and panic buttons.

A rugged, IP-rated enclosure—engineered to shrug off rain, dust, skateboard grinds, and the occasional act of vandalism.

1.1 The Purpose Behind the Glass

The raison d’être is twofold:

Information democratization: Put real-time transit, tourist, and civic data where anyone—tourist with dead phone battery, senior without data plan, resident with low digital literacy—can reach it.

Service decentralization: Shift simple transactions (paying a utility bill, buying a metro ticket, reporting a pothole) out of municipal offices and into 24/7 self-service mode.

In other words, kiosks bridge the gap between city databases and city pavements.

1.2 A Quick World Tour

LinkNYC (New York, USA): 2 000+ kiosks that offer free phone calls, USB charging, and gigabit Wi-Fi, funded by digital advertising.

Hello Hong Kong: Units in MTR stations serve up route planners in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and increasingly Tagalog and Hindi.

Barcelona Smart Totems: Integrated with the city’s open data platform, they overlay tourist POIs with live pollution readings, nudging foot-traffic away from congestion hotspots.

Dubai Smart Palms: Solar-powered, date-palm-shaped kiosks dispense weather data and recharge mobiles on the beachfront—proof that hardware can double as urban art.

2. Delivering Instant, Inclusive Information

2.1 Real-Time Transit Dashboards

A commuter steps off the metro, glances at the kiosk, and sees: “Bus 34 to Al-Safaa arriving in 4 minutes.” No app download, no squinting at a timetable faded by sunlight. Behind the scenes, APIs funnel General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS-real-time) data into the kiosk every 30 seconds. The value is obvious on marathon days, during strikes, or when a subway line floods—the kiosk becomes the single source of truth at street level.

2.2 Hyper-Local Event Feeds

Planners increasingly sync kiosks with city CRM calendars. The result: dynamic posters that flip from farmer’s-market hours in the morning to outdoor-movie listings by dusk, refreshed as frequently as a Twitter feed. In crisis mode—flash floods, smog alerts—content managers override ads with emergency instructions in seconds.

2.3 Multilingual & Accessible by Design

Regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Europe’s EN 301 549 mandate accessibility. Leading vendors now build:

Screen-reader compatibility with text-to-speech.

Tactile keypad overlays for users who can’t rely on vision.

Adjustable UI heights for wheelchair users.

UI skins in 8–10 languages, switchable on tap—crucial in tourism-heavy cities like Paris or Kuala Lumpur.

3. Turning the Kiosk Into a Service Counter

3.1 Payments & Ticketing

Embedding EMV-certified readers lets residents pay property taxes or top up transit cards in under a minute. Budapest’s FUTÁR kiosks cut ticket-office queues by 40 % within a year of launch. Crucially, many kiosks accept both contactless cards and cash, acknowledging that financial inclusion lags smartphone penetration in many regions.

3.2 Citizen Reporting & Feedback

Geo-tagged issue reports (e.g., “streetlight out on Elm St.”) funnel into asset-management platforms like Cityworks or SAP, complete with photo evidence. Seoul logged a 23 % faster median repair time after adding kiosk reporting to its 120 Dasan Call Center options.

3.3 Emergency & Health Guidance

During COVID-19 surges, Toronto repurposed its InfoTO kiosks to show nearest test-centre wait times and mask mandates in real time. Many cities now script similar “alert templates” for heatwaves, air-quality spikes, or security incidents.

4. Balancing Benefits with Real-World Challenges

4.1 Inclusivity & Convenience

Not every citizen owns a smartphone; not every tourist has an affordable data plan. By anchoring digital services in physical space, kiosks narrow the digital divide. They also extend city hall’s “open” hours from eight per day to 24.

4.2 Data Privacy & Cybersecurity

Collecting Wi-Fi probe requests or anonymous video analytics can improve urban planning—but it can also trigger backlash. GDPR-compliant cities adopt strict data-minimization, purge logs within 24 hours, and publish transparency dashboards that show exactly what’s captured.

4.3 Maintenance, Vandalism & OPEX

A cracked panel or blue screen tanks citizen trust. Solutions include:

Remote diagnostics that auto-reboot frozen apps.

Field-replaceable modules so a technician swaps a compute unit in five minutes.

Anti-graffiti coatings and shatter-resistant Gorilla Glass Victus.

Even so, annual operating costs can hit USD 1 500–3 000 per kiosk. Cities offset that via programmatic digital advertising or by leasing side-panels to telcos for small-cell deployment.

5. Where Smart City Kiosks Go Next

5.1 IoT & Digital-Twin Integration

Think of each kiosk as an edge node on the city’s sensor grid, streaming foot-traffic, noise levels, and temperature to a central digital twin. Urban planners then simulate how rerouting buses or widening sidewalks might ease congestion—before spending a penny on asphalt.

5.2 AI-Driven Personalisation

Opt-in facial recognition or anonymous re-identification could greet a commuter with “Good evening, the last train to Gurgaon departs in 12 minutes—want a bike-share coupon for the final leg?” Vision-impaired users might get auto-launched audio navigation the moment the system recognizes their cane pattern. Ethics boards will need to keep pace.

5.3 Sustainable, Self-Powered Hardware

Next-gen enclosures integrate thin-film solar, passive cooling, and e-paper side-panels that sip milliwatts. Amsterdam’s ClimateStreet project even pilots kiosks that harvest kinetic energy from pedestrian footsteps to trickle-charge batteries overnight.

6. Takeaways for City Leaders & Tech Providers

Start with an inclusion lens: Map neighbourhoods with low smartphone adoption or limited public counters—deploy there first.

Design for modularity: Technology lifecycles run 3–5 years, street furniture 10–15. Separate the brains from the brawn.

Bake in transparency: Publish data-collection policies on-screen; give citizens easy opt-outs.

Plan the business model early: Advertising, sponsorships, and telecom co-location can subsidize OPEX, but only if contracts align with civic values.

Measure relentlessly: Track transactions per kiosk, mean-time-to-repair, and user-satisfaction scores. Iterate like a software product, not a concrete monument.

Conclusion

Smart city kiosks are more than digital billboards; they’re the civic interface of modern urbanism. By merging real-time information with walk-up service delivery, they extend the reach of municipal agencies and empower citizens who might otherwise be left out of the digital conversation. Yes, cities must wrestle with privacy safeguards, hardware upkeep, and equitable placement. Yet the trajectory is unmistakable: as edge computing, AI, and sustainable design mature, kiosks will morph from static touchscreens into adaptive, data-rich nodes—and, in the process, help cities become more inclusive, responsive, and resilient.

For mayors, CIOs, and urban planners, the strategic question is no longer “Should we deploy kiosks?” but “How do we craft a kiosk network that reflects our city’s unique social fabric and future ambitions?” The sidewalk is waiting.

[ashifkh]

Transforming customer experiences with cutting-edge self-service kiosks

At Panashi, we specialize in designing and deploying intuitive, high-performance kiosk solutions tailored to diverse industries. Our robust kiosks enhance operational efficiency, streamline transactions, and elevate customer satisfaction across telecom, retail, insurance ,healthcare, government, banking and more. Driven by innovation, we integrate the latest technologies to deliver seamless user interfaces and secure payment solutions. Whether it's self-ordering systems, check-in kiosks, or interactive information points, our solutions are crafted to meet the unique needs of each client. Backed by a commitment to quality and reliability, we empower businesses to optimize their operations and stay ahead in today's dynamic market.

Check out what we’ve got to offer, here : https://lnkd.in/gF_64YBs

[britishchick09]

@royalavera

Come to me, angel, we're going to McDonalds

Thanks to Abby for the reference

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Rush Hour

Hey hey! This weekend (Jan 25-26) I’m going to be playing drabble roulette! I’ve curated a list of characters and prompts and I’m spinning the wheel!

Character: Bucky Barnes

Prompt: a shopping mall, crowded and loud . 

Warnings: this drabble includes deceit and dark elements, along with social anxiety. Please mind these warnings and take care.

Explicit, 18+. Please reblog and leave some feedback.

You’re lost. You didn’t even want to come in the first place. The mall is a circus of lights and noise and strangers. 

You spin in the sea of shoppers that fill the food court. The smell of food competes in your nose; the strong undercurrent of cinnamon at war with the soy sauce radiating from the noodle kiosk. You clasp onto the sides of your cable knit sweater and stumble as you’re nearly run over by a mother and her stroller. 

You excuse yourself as you step out of her way and receive only a sneer in return. You’re trying to stay out of the way but everywhere you turn, there’s a person or a table or a garbage can overflowing with wrappers. 

You back yourself against one of the tall chair along the curved table across from the popular chain coffee booth. You flick your thumb against the loop on your dyed jeans and try to catch your breath. There’s a map just on the other side of the dining area. 

You peer around as you try to plot a path through. Just do it. You set your arms straight and march forward between the tables. You sweep around as a man with a tray steps ahead of you and continue down the other side. You make a stunted zigzag across the food court toward the beacon of the touch screen map. 

You stop short as a group of middle-aged women butt in and tap it first. The squabble over where to go first as the search bar waits for input. You bounce on your feet impatiently. You take out your phone to text Melody. She’s likely at Sephora, you just need to figure out where that is. 

You key in your message, ‘where are you?’ 

You just asked her to wait while you used the bathroom. That’s it. She couldn’t even do that. She’s too obsessed with taking pictures in all the wall mirrors and trying on everything, even things you can’t afford. 

You wouldn’t be there if your cousin wasn’t getting married. If she didn’t insist on a colour-code. It’s too much. Too fussy. Why can’t you just wear the same old blue dress you always do. It’s not ugly. Simple. Does the trick. 

She doesn’t answer. Not right away. You lower your phone and look up. The women continue to titter before the screen, zooming out on the mask and gasping as they try to figure out where to go. Another argument ensues. 

You’re once more nudged by a passing a shopper. They snarl at you to watch out and you shrink down as you look at your phone again. You can look up the map on the mall website. You’re not very good with maps. The touchscreen will at least tell you where you are. Can they just go find the department store and move? 

You finally find a PDF of the map and spread your fingers to expand. You don’t know where any of these stores are. You check the date in the corner. This is from before the renovations. Ugh. 

You flip back to the conversation with your sister and send a single question mark. Get off your damn Snap and answer. Please. Your nose tingles as your panic swells. You just want to get out of here. You’re going to cry if people don’t stop! 

“Excuse me,” the low timbre makes you flinch and you back away from the man who stands next to you.  

You make yourself as small as you can. “I’m in your way, I’m sorry.” 

“Hm? No, I... I was passing by and you... you look lost. Not to be nosy.” You make yourself look at him, not wanting to be rude. He’s a stranger but he seems helpful. And his eyes are so blue. 

You frown. Is it that obvious that you’re entirely clueless. You shrug, then nod, the drop your chin in defeat. “A little,” you confess. 

“It’s a zoo in here,” he says. “What’re you looking for?” 

“Um,” you hesitate and wet your lips. You peer around. “I don’t know. My sister... hasn’t answered.” 

“Ah, you know, the lump I walked in with went and disappeared too. Said he was grabbing a pretzel but I can’t find him either,” he sniffs and grips his hips in displeasure. “Hate these places.” 

“Me too,” you murmur as you glance down at his leather gloves. It’s not that cold out but you don’t mention it. 

“Marnie, no. Not that way,” one of the older women squalls and taps the screen furiously. 

“Ahem,” the man beside you clears his throat, “she’s waiting for her turn. She’s been waiting.” 

“Excuse you. We have every right to use this map,” a woman faces him with bluster. “So wait your turn.” 

“It’s up that corridor and to the left,” he points. 

“Aren’t you rude?” Another squawks. 

“I’m helping,” he utters dully. “Hey, uh,” he turns to you, “how about we go find another map? Think they might’ve broke this one anyway.” 

“We did not--” 

“Have a good day, ladies,” he gestures you away. You eagerly accept the escape. You don’t like confrontation. 

“There’s one down at the popcorn place,” he says. “I just passed it before Sam ran off.” 

“Sam? It that... a friend?” You wonder. 

“Sure, you can call him that. You said you’re here with your sister?” He guides you away from the lunchtime rush. 

“Yeah. I gotta... get a dress for a wedding. Something pink.” 

“Pink, ah. You’re favourite colour?” 

“Not really.” 

“Ah, right. Big wedding? Doesn’t sound like it’s yours.” 

“No, my cousin,” you explain. 

“Right,” he nods. 

“You probably don’t care.” 

“What makes you think I don’t?” He asks. 

“Well... you don’t know me.” 

“I guess not,” he stops at the map and faces you, “I’m Bucky.” 

“Oh, uh...” you introduce yourself. 

You look at him dumbly, unsure how to proceed. He coughs behind his gloved fist and his brows flick. “So, did your sister answer yet?” 

“Oh, yeah, well...” you check your phone. “I don’t wanna waste any more of your time so I’ll just use this map and figure it out.” 

“Not wasting my time,” he assures. “But if you’re trying to get me to go away, noted.” 

“No, I... no, I’m not. I just...” your phone vibrates and you cringe. You check the screen. “She’s at Therese’s?” 

You turn and tap the screen, typing on the large keyboard. You tap the magnifying glass and the map generates. You hover your finger over the marker that shows where you are then along the highlighted route. 

“That’s all the way on the other side,” he says. 

“Yeah...” you drone. 

“I don’t mind showing you. I came from that way.” 

“No, oh, no. I can’t.” 

“I might run into my buddy,” he shrugs. “You know, lotta people stare when I’m wandering on my own... so you’d be doing me a favour.” 

“I guess... I owe you.” 

His lips curve, just a little, and his cheeks dimple under his dark beard. “Down here then loop around. Won’t have to go back through the food court.” 

You follow him. Your own sense of direction would have you circling for hours. He takes you past the game shop and the organic food place you’ve never been too. You turn down the next corridor, it’s mostly empty. 

“So,” he begins, “you get a plus one to the wedding?” 

“Um, no, I don’t think--” 

As you pass by one of the hallways marked for employees only, he elbows you and you stagger sideways. You’re thrown off balance and hit the wall. He’s so fast you have no time to react. He grips the back of your neck and covers your mouth as he drags you down the hall. 

Your soles bounce off the floor as you flail your arms helplessly. What is he doing? He pinches your nape until your eyes water. 

He shoves you against a door and twists the handle. The metal cracks in his grip and the lock gives to his brute force. He hauls you inside and flips you around against the inside of the door. 

“Doll,” he growls through the dark. “You’re gonna wanna be real quiet for me.” 

He keeps his hand on your mouth, the leather sticking to your lips, and he shifts around. You can’t see much in the tight closet. He closes something around your wrist and you squeak. He hushes you and presses his palm flush to your nose. 

“Hands behind your back for me,” he growls. 

You wriggle and he pushes your head into the door until it throbs. 

“Now.” 

You obey. He reaches behind you and another loop closes around your other wrist. Like a magnet, your hands are wrenched together and lock into place. How did he do that? 

He’s silent as he peels his hand back only to quickly smother you with the other. You feel something cool spread over your lips and insert between your teeth, locking your jaw in place. You quake and kick out. 

He grabs your shoulders and puts them straight. He hisses, “one more time and that’s it.” 

You snivel and stop. He bends and another weight secures your ankles. Ensnared, he leaves you against the wall and backs away. Your tears overflow as you blink into the dim. 

The rustle of fabric and the scuff of his boots undercut the tension. He comes back to you and moves you. He angles you around blindly and lifts you. He forces you into something. You don’t know what it is, only that you’re stuffed down into it, bent up into the confined. Something falls over you, light but enough to bury you further in darkness. 

He wheels you around and the motion makes you dizzy. He opens the door and pushes you out into the light. You peer up at him between the crumpled paper and cans, frightened and restrained, from within the rolling garbage bin.  

His hair is pulled back into a low pony beneath a grey ballcap that matches his janitor’s shirt. He keeps his eyes ahead of him as he pushes you, casually turning out into the mall corridor. He doesn’t flinch as other shoppers pass by, unable to see you beneath the rubbish. 

“Now, doll, don’t you be thinking of trying anything...” he mutters as he keeps his eyes ahead of him. “Those cuffs can only get tighter.” 

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

First date at McDonald's

Character: Thanos X fem!reader

Summary: Thanos takes you on a "first date" at McDonald's

Warnings: none🦑🦑

It was supposed to be a simple date. A typical first date where you both get to know each other outside the chaos of the game. But with Thanos, or rather Choi Su-Bong, it was always a little more… unconventional.

You stepped into the brightly lit McDonald's, the scent of fries and burgers filling the air. Thanos had insisted on coming here, despite you trying to suggest somewhere fancier. He had a way of making even the simplest places seem grand, and tonight, this fast food joint was no exception.

“You really want to eat here?” you asked, glancing around at the brightly colored décor. Thanos only nodded, a small, amused smile playing on his lips.

“There’s something about McDonald’s,” he said, sliding into a booth. “It’s simple, but comforting. Plus, I haven’t had a proper meal like this in a while.”

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his reasoning. There was something oddly charming about how he took the mundane and made it seem significant. You slid into the booth across from him, the booth itself much smaller than his broad frame, making him look even more imposing.

“So, what are we ordering?” you asked, leaning back and casually scanning the menu above the counter.

“Anything you want,” he said. “I’m paying tonight.”

You chuckled, finding comfort in the way he was so direct. It felt real. “Alright, I’ll have a Big Mac with fries,” you said, smiling when his eyes lit up at the mention of fries.

“Same,” Thanos said simply, “and a Coke. Can’t go wrong with the classics.

”After placing your order, you sat back and exchanged some small talk, laughing about little things. Thanos was surprisingly witty, often making lighthearted comments that broke the ice between you two. The tension from the game still lingered in his eyes, but here, in this ordinary place, you could see another side of him—soft, almost normal.

“Tell me something,” you said, leaning forward a little. “What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done recently?”

He paused, looking thoughtful. “Let’s see… Oh, I spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to use a self-order kiosk,” he admitted with a smirk. “I thought it was broken at first, but it turns out I just didn’t know how to use the touch screen properly.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You? The mastermind of the game, struggling with a touchscreen? That’s rich.”

“Hey, there’s no shame in not knowing how to order fries,” he said, his deep voice a mixture of amusement and mock offense.

Just as the conversation turned back to something else, the food arrived—steaming, greasy, and utterly perfect for the moment. Thanos looked at the tray, then at you, before saying, “You know, some things are better enjoyed in the simplest ways.”

You took a bite of your Big Mac, nodding in agreement. “I think I’m starting to see what you mean.”

For the rest of the night, you two chatted about life, the game, and everything in between. You learned that, despite the exterior of the tough, ruthless player, Thanos was just as human as anyone. A little lost, a little uncertain, but still searching for something. Even if that something was a quiet dinner at McDonald's.

As the meal came to a close, Thanos leaned back in his seat, his hand resting on the edge of the table, a quiet, content smile on his face.

“Next time,” he said softly, “I’ll take you somewhere you really want to go.”

You smiled, not needing anything fancy. “I think this was perfect.”

And for that one evening, you both forgot about the rest of the world, lost in a small moment that felt like home.

🦑🦑🦑

[herrfivehead]

what's the rudest thing a stranger has ever done to you (i'm not talking like, genuine harassment or making you feel unsafe, i just mean something they did or said that made you wonder how they had the audacity). one time years ago I was buying a metrocard at the subway station kiosk and an old woman reached over to the touchscreen and CANCELED MY TRANSACTION to get my attention

[mariacallous]

In December last year, the UK’s shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, visited Singapore General Hospital, regarded as one of the best in the world. What he witnessed there surprised him: “Patients arrive having already registered their appointments via an app. They check in on touchscreen kiosks awaiting them at reception. Tablets at their bedside allow them to read about their treatment or call for assistance,” Streeting says. “This is Space Age stuff compared with where the NHS is today.” Streeting characterizes the National Health Service as an “analog system in a digital age.”

“When I visit a hospital, doctors often take out their pagers to show me what they are forced to work with,” Streeting says. According to estimates, 13.5 million hours of GPs’ time is wasted every year due to inadequate IT. Fixing that would be the equivalent of hiring 8,000 new NHS doctors. “For the past 14 years, modernization of the NHS has been put on the back burner by a Conservative government which opts for sticking plasters instead of the major surgery that’s required,” says Streeting, who added that he fears that five more years of Tory mismanagement could mean the NHS ends up like the failed British retailer Woolworths—“a much-loved national institution which failed to change with the times and was left behind.”

Central to Streeting’s plan to fix the NHS is the NHS app, which has been downloaded by 31 million people in England and Wales. “It has the potential to transform how the NHS interacts with patients and promote better public health,” he says. He points out that, for instance, only one in every 200 GP appointments are currently made via the app. “In too many cases, patients still wait on the phone at 8 am, or even queue up in person in the cold on a frosty morning just to see a doctor.”

The NHS app could not only allow appointments to be made, but also let patients receive notifications about vaccine campaigns, health tests, cancer screening, and even upcoming clinical trials. “Clinical trials can use genomics to identify patients who will benefit from the latest treatments, but they struggle to recruit—not for a lack of people willing to take part, but because they can’t access basic data,” he said. He promised that Labour would clamp down on bureaucracy and allow clinical trials to recruit volunteers via the app. “During the pandemic, half a million people signed up to the vaccine trials registry,” he says. “If we can do it to defeat Covid, we can do it to cure cancer.”

At the core of Labour’s plan is patient data. Recently, the NHS has announced the launch of a federated data platform that would centralize hospital data, but would not include general practice or social care data. “The NHS has struck gold here, yet it’s leaving it in the ground,” Streeting says. “General practice data is key to unlocking better population health outcomes.”

Streeting promises that a Labour government would ensure a transparent process about what aspects of patient data would be shared and with whom, as well as the necessary safeguards to ensure patient confidentiality. As for those who oppose it on the grounds of privacy concerns, he has a simple message: “It’s a fight that a Labour government is willing to have,” he says. “While the tinfoil hat brigade takes to TikTok to urge followers to opt out of sharing their data with the NHS—the irony isn’t lost on me—the government refuses to take on their fear mongering.”

He recalled when, last January, he met the parents of a 2-year-old boy at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. “They have been through hell,” he says. “In his short life, he has already had five operations on his heart.” When he asked them what their main frustration had been, however, the answer surprised him: technology. “Their local GP couldn’t access the notes from Alder Hey and the hospital couldn’t read the records held by their GP. It meant that on every appointment they had to repeat themselves again and again. The health service should be lessening their worry, not adding to their stress.”

[rocktechsbc]

A Practical Guide to Customizing TFT LCD Displays for Embedded Projects

When designing an embedded system, picking the right display module is more than a technical choice — it directly shapes how users interact with your product.

From medical devices and HMIs to industrial controllers and smart panels, standard TFT LCD modules may not always be enough. That’s where custom displays come in — offering flexibility in electrical interface, mechanical layout, and visual performance.

This guide covers the five key areas you should consider when customizing a TFT LCD for your embedded project.

1. FPC Layout and Pin Mapping

The Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) connects your LCD module to the mainboard, and in custom designs, this interface is often the first thing to change.

Ask yourself:

Do you need a uniquely shaped or angled FPC to fit inside your housing?

Are there ICs, resistors, or other components on the backlight or CTP that require mechanical clearance?

Is your SBC’s connector pinout compatible with the LCD’s FPC layout?

A mismatch here can lead to signal errors, mechanical stress, or even damage to components.

2. Backlight Brightness and Color Temperature

Not all embedded devices live under the same lighting.

If your product is used outdoors or in industrial lighting, consider high-brightness backlights (≥800 nits). For environments where aesthetics and color warmth matter (like smart mirrors or indoor kiosks), choose the right LED color temperature:

3000K (Warm White): Soft, suitable for medical or ambient lighting

5000K (Neutral White): Balanced tone, accurate colors

6500K+ (Cool White): Sharper, more industrial feel

A poorly lit display can make a great device feel underwhelming.

3. Touch Panel Shape and Bonding Options

If your display includes a touch interface, customizing the Capacitive Touch Panel (CTP) is critical.

Typical customizations include:

Round corners, logo cutouts, button holes

Bonding methods:

Optical bonding: Improves visibility, reduces reflections, stronger seal

Air bonding: More affordable and easier to assemble

The bonding method directly impacts touch accuracy, display clarity, and long-term reliability.

4. Surface Treatments: AG, AR, and AF

For devices exposed to bright light or frequent finger contact, display surface treatments make a noticeable difference.

AG (Anti-Glare): Scatters reflected light, improving readability

AR (Anti-Reflection): Enhances contrast in sunlight or strong lighting

AF (Anti-Fingerprint): Reduces smudges, improves touch feel

Combining AG+AF is a common choice for public-facing touchscreen displays.

5. Want to Learn More?

If you’re building with platforms like RK3566, PX30, or Allwinner boards and need a reliable display solution — including driver compatibility and electrical tuning — check out our full technical article:

👉 Read the Full Custom TFT LCD Guide

You can also browse driver/device tree examples on GitHub:

📂 rocktech-tft-display-configs

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 15: Outer Space AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

SBTCV Masterpost

Glitching feels electric and tingling under the skin, making the others feel a bit jittery afterwards. But it was probably a big boost to Anti. They reappear in an awkward sort of place, a small alcove with a door behind them. In front of them is Layer Four of the Zypso Station. It looks a lot like the previous layer Bro was on, with the tall buildings and the walkways and railways. But there are fewer bright signs here, and fewer booths set up on the side for small street vendors. The buildings are in a slightly different style of architecture, more utilitarian, though they do at least have fun colored lights along the edges. Through these towering structures, the tallest building can be seen. The IRIS building.

Alt shakes himself off as they appear- and then his jaw drops as he sees Layer Four, “holy shit…!” 

Bro grins, “pretty cool isn’t it?” He then squints at the IRIS building and looks towards Anti, “Why’d you make us appear so far away, dude?”

"This layer is covered in camera systems," Anti explains. "Even more so than Layer Three, where commerce takes place. This is one of the few spots where they are blind." 

"Don't worry, we should be able to take a railcar there really fast," Chase says. He looks around. "There." He points. There's a sign hanging on a nearby wall, with a drawing of a rectangular trolley-car-like object, and then an arrow. There were a lot of those on the last layer too, though they were often overshadowed by the other signs. "That direction." 

"Let's hurry, then," Marvin says. 

Bro blinks then shrugs, grinning. “Okay sweet! Get to take some future transportation!” 

Alt blinks and takes out his phone to nod at Anti with a smile. “Thanks, dude.”

Alt's phone lets out a squawk of white noise. "I'll help with the cameras as much as I can," Anti says from the phone.

"Not a problem." Anti gives a thumbs up on the screen. 

The rest of the group leads the way, doing their best to look casual about it. Anti lingered in the back, head turning around. His expression is still that neutral one, but the rest of his body language says that he's nervous, on guard. 

They reach a railway and find a platform that looks a lot like a train platform back home. The design is smoother, with rounded edges and a lot of silver and white, but it's still clear what it is. Chase walks up to a kiosk and taps around on its touchscreen, purchasing tickets. He almost swipes his card, but then hesitates and pays in cash instead, sliding some of those square metal pieces into a gap that looks perfectly fit for them. 

"Looks like we're just in time," Jackie says, reading the train arrival times on a hanging sign. "One's coming in literally one minute." 

"Okay, everyone, get your hands stamped," Chase says. There's a cylindrical device coming out the side of the kiosk, a small red light coming from the bottom. As Chase puts the back of his hand into the light--it's perfectly positioned to be at hand level--the red light scans his hand and a small stamp appears in black, that same trolley logo from the signs directing them here. 

“Oooh neat! Very streamlined!” Bro says excitedly as he goes to put his hand under the stamp. Alt looks hesitant but he goes to let himself be stamped too.

The mark just appears, without any sort of feeling that it did. The others get stamped as well. The ink sticks to Jackie and Anti's metal hands just fine, as well as Marvin's furry one. 

Almost as soon as they're all done, the railcar approaches, heading down the rail without much sound at all, only a slight hsss as it approaches. "Now approaching: Blue Line Railcars," says a robotic voice. The railcar is sleek and rounded. Its cabin is made of metal, but the rest of it is all glass--or at the very least some see-through material--showing benches and handrails inside. A door slides open on the side.

“Oohh it’s so quiet!!” Bro whispers as he hurries after the others. Alt also looks impressed- and tries to keep his glitches down as he eyes the people around.

The railcar is mildly crowded. This is Alt's first time seeing other aliens besides Schneep and Marvin. He spots a couple who seem to be the same reptilian species as Schneep--kritzeins--and a handful that are hovering in midair, insectile wings buzzing. There's one that looks like a pile of green slime with two lighter-green eyes. And a few scattered about who are really tall and have big eyes and pinkish hair.

Alt stares wide eyed at the aliens but tries to keep his composure. Thank god for his mask… even though he doesn’t like crowds he sticks close to Bro’s side. Bro chuckles and pats Alt’s shoulder.

Luckily, they don't have to stay in the railcar for long. The thing is really fast, even as it stops at three locations on the way. The IRIS building gets closer and closer... Until it looms overhead. The railcar stops at the end of its line, at the base of the IRIS building. 

There's a big empty square around this area, decorated with curving, alien plants in planters. Crowds mill about. Anti did say that this area was a tourist attraction. Pretty much all the remaining passengers get out of the railcar here. Others wait on the platform to get on.

Alt shrinks in more, “god there’s so many people…” 

“Tourist attraction-“ Bro mumbles and starts to shuffle out with the crowd, holding onto Alt’s hand.

"Not a fan of crowds either," Marvin whispers. 

JJ tilts his head. "Is that a felorr thing?" 

"No. Just a me thing." 

“Maybe I’m a felorr in another life,” Alt mumbles. 

They make their way towards the building. There's a low fence surrounding it, waist-high and made of metal. There are a couple locations where the fence is broken up by an archway. People are filing through those arches to get into the building. 

"Scanners," Anti says, nodding towards them. "If something strange appears as they scan, they start beeping." 

"What's an example of something strange?" Jackie asks. "Weaponry or strange devices. Or, in a more extreme example, a robotic being."

Alt looks at the scanners, humming in thought, “… I might be able to disable the scanners from here… but I don’t think I can do it discreetly…. I might need to be able to touch them.”

Anti nods slowly. "Discreet would be better." 

"What if... you go through first, and you touch the scanner as you do?" Jackie suggests. "That should keep it disabled for the rest of us."

“Oh! Good idea- I’m not hiding anything…” Alt mumbles. He takes a deep breath then starts to walk through the scanners. He briefly touches the arch wall and sends a discreet jolt of electricity as he passes through.

The interior of the gateway is lined with blue lights. As Alt sends electricity through it, the lights suddenly go out. The others quickly hurry through--Anti and JJ first, then the four others. A few other tourists manage to slip through as well. There's a short path leading up to a set of sliding glass double doors. 

As they walk along it, Schneep asks, "Any new, ah... information?"

Alt looks back at Schneep then checks the tracker by holding it in his pocket, out of sight. “Lemme see…” Bro tries to scan around for any sign of trouble.The tracker tells him that it's on the twentieth floor. 

Alt looks to Schneep, “It’s somewhere on the 20th floor.”

They head into the IRIS building. Everything in here is sleek whites and silvers, and there are holograms hovering in midair with information plaques about the history of IRIS, of the building, of Zypso Station. In the center is a big, rotating hologram of the IRIS logo. There seem to be a couple doors into this room, but most of them have signs that say "Staff" on them in varying languages. The one that doesn't reads "Stairs." There is also a set of elevator doors, which there seems to be a line for.

Bro looks at the elevator line and groans, “does that mean we gotta go up 20 flights of stairs??”

"Uh... I think the stairs only go up to floor ten or so?" Chase says. "So... no." 

"Sam is reminding me of the diagram earlier," Anti reports. "There are thirty floors in the building. Thirty-one, if the roof counts. Sixteen through thirty are closed to the public. The visitor stairs go up to floor fifteen." 

"Either way, we'll have to find some other way," Jackie mutters. "We could try to get through one of these Staff doors. Or we could... go up the stairs? See if there's a way from there? Or uh... wait in line for the elevator to see if there's a way from the roof? I mean, we could also take the elevator to floor fifteen, I think... still means we'd have to wait a lot."

“If we can find another blind spot- I can try to glitch us up there,” Alt says quietly, “they cause a flash of green light so… I can’t just do it now on my own and not be discovered.”

Alt's phone glitches. "I think there are blind spots on the staircase landings," Anti reports from the screen. "You just need to get to one that's absent of people." 

Schneep sighs. "Climbing the stairs it is, then."

Bro sighs too, “Alright gents- stairs it is.” He heads towards them, grumbling, “you’d think the future would have abolished stairs by now…!” 

Alt rolls his eyes with a chuckle and follows after him.

"Stairs are good for your health!" Schneep says defensively. 

"Doesn't mean they don't suck," Marvin says. "I'm surprised they don't have more elevators." 

Turns out, there are regular stairs and also an escalator running parallel to them as they spiral up. At each landing, the escalator becomes a moving walkway, seamlessly merging into the ground so that the escalator rider doesn't even have to step to transition to the walkway.

Bro blinks in surprise at the escalator, “oohh woah! Neat!” Bro climbs onto it. 

Alt laughs, following him, “you’re complaining a lot for a superhero who can probably climb these stairs faster than all of us.” 

“I can fly dude- you think I actually take the stairs? Fuck those things man!”

"I'm surprised that more are not flying, actually," Schneep says, looking around. There are a couple aliens with wings on the escalator, mostly smaller insectoid ones and those draconic-looking fellows. 

"I suppose it would not be worth the energy?" 

Bro hums, “Yeah- it can be kinda tiring sometimes. I like doing it as much as I can though.” He shrugs. 

Jackie leans closer to Alt and mutters, "Where are the blind spots?" 

"Always in the left corners, looks like," Anti reports from the phone. "You just need to wait for a landing empty of people." 

More and more people get off as the stairs go higher. Apparently the more fun exhibits are lower in the building.

“Left corners… okay-“ Alt mumbles, eyeing the crowds of people as they get thinner and thinner.

Looks like the landing for floor fourteen is empty of people. There are more on floor fifteen though--maybe people curious about what's on the highest possible story. 

"I don't think it will get better than this," Chase mutters, and steps off the escalator. 

"Just need to wait for a moment when no one is in sight," Anti adds, also stepping off. 

Alt nods and steps off, anxiously playing with his necklace. 

Bro hops off and hums, “Wonder what’s in all these floors that everyone goes to see-“

"There was a directory on the ground floor," Marvin recalls. "They're a lot of exhibits. Mostly old inventions and belongings to historical figures. The place is basically a museum." 

"Oh, I remember there was this one floor that was a recreation of old office buildings, that was so interesting," Chase says. 

“Ohhh damn that's kinda cool-“ Bro hums. 

“I never thought office buildings would be a museum exhibit someday,” Alt chuckles. 

"You'll want to huddle up really close," Anti says from the phone. "The blind spot is small." 

"We're about to look really suspicious," Jackie comments.

Alt goes to squeeze the best he can into the corner.

It's more than a little awkward as everyone presses into the corner. Fortunately, it's not long before a moment comes when the stairs are free of people. "Now!" Anti says, and everyone quickly links up. 

Alt quickly closes his eyes and tries to focus on getting to the 20th floor.

They disappear in a flash of light and reappear in the middle of a white hallway, the light reflecting off its walls so bright that it's almost blinding. Everything in this hallway is that same color--though there isn't much in this hallway at all. Just white sliding doors, white plaques with the names of rooms, and... the one thing that isn't the white color. Some sort of... metal mannequin with a blank, featureless head. It stands next to one of the doors, completely still.

Bro blinks at the mannequin and points, “…don’t like that thing-“ he whispers. 

“Chase, focus-“ Alt hisses as he checks the tracker again.The tracker tells them that the piece is in the Large Testing Room. 

Alt pales a bit, “…it’s in a testing room,” he mumbles. 

As Alt looks up from the tracker, his gaze lands on the mannequin again. And... that's strange, isn't it? For a moment, he thought he was looking at Anti. But that doesn't make sense.... does it? Now that he's looking closer, Anti's metal body is... a lot like the mannequin's. Except for the head, of course, but everything else... it's eerily similar to Anti's design.He blinks and then slowly looks between Anti and the mannequin. “…Anti… that- that mannequin…”

"It's a robot," Anti says quickly. "Don't worry about it. It cannot do anything without orders." Anti has trouble with expressions. He'd only been programmed with so many. So it's hard to tell how he's feeling. But it seems like he's deliberately not looking towards the robot. 

"A... testing room, I see," Schneep says haltingly, noticing the same thing Alt did. "Ah... maybe there are... directions that way?" 

"Let's just start looking," Jackie says. "Uhhh... I don't see directions, so let's just go this way." He turns in the opposite direction of the robot and heads down the hallway, forcing the others to follow.

Alt spares one last look at the mannequin before following. “It says it’s in the large one- maybe there’s only one of those.” Alt suggests. 

“…it seems strangely empty up here,” Bro comments under his breath.

Just as Bro says that, someone turns a corner up ahead, appearing suddenly. It's a human woman with dark skin and frizzy hair pulled back by a headband. She's wearing a white coat. "Oh!" She sees the group and stops walking. "Um... sorry, I think you've got lost. This area is closed to the public."

Bro freezes and Alt elbows him with a murderous expression. Bro grins nervously, “Oh uh yeah! Must have gotten really lost! What… floor is this??”

"This is the twentieth floor." The woman laughs a bit nervously. "Um... here, let's get you all back to where you were heading. This way." She walks past the group, indicating they should follow her. 

"Uh... we can find our way back where we came from," Jackie says quickly. "You're probably really busy. We'd hate to interrupt you."

“Yeah don’t worry!” Bro waves his hand, “hate to give you more work for a bunch of tourists!” 

As Bro talks, Alt looks around at the rooms and tries to inch farther ahead.

The woman frowns. "I really shouldn't leave you all alone in here..." 

"It will be fine," Schneep says. "It is not like we can get in any of these doors. They probably need keys, yes?" 

"Well, yeah, I suppose so." The woman still looks reluctant. "But you might get lost." 

"We're capable of retracing our steps, you know," Jackie laughs. 

 “Such a shame no one can come up here though! I bet you could tell us a lot of really interesting things!!” Bro laughs.

"Well, uh, not really," the woman says, laughing awkwardly. "It's all boring really..." 

As the others distract her, Alt sneaks around the woman and peers around the corner she'd come from. There's a large set of sliding double-doors down the corridor. Those seem important.

Alt doesn’t hesitate- he glitches down the hall and then tries to go through the doors.

Alt's glitching is accompanied by a flash of light, and she frowns and turns towards it. "What was--hey!" 

Unlike the doors in the bunker, these doors don't open as Alt gets close. But the plaque next to this set of double doors reads "Large Testing Room." This is the right place.

Bro’s stomach drops and he tries to grab the lady, “Hey no maybe we need directions after all!” 

Alt immediately goes to glitch through the doors, going as fast as possible.

"Whoa, hey, no grabbing!" She shakes her arm free, turning back to Bro with wide eyes. "I-I can call security!" 

Bro let’s go, holding up his hands, “sorry! …that’s usually okay on my … planet?” He says nervously. 

Her eyes dart to the translator in Bro's ear. "Well... you get one warning. Now please, let me show you the way out." 

“Alright sure-“ Bro says, eyes darting back to the door. 

Alt glitches through the door easily, ending up in a large room, made of the same white material as the hallway. There are a handful of people in white coats--all human except for one kritzein. They're all gathered around some sort of instrument in the center of the room, dangling from the ceiling and reaching down towards a circular platform in the center. It's hard to know what the instrument is, but it looks kind of like GLaDoS from portal but without the face. 

"Hey! How did you get in here?!" One of the scientists demands.

Alt ignores the scientists and checks the tracker, eyes darting around the room.The tracker tells him it's on the circular platform in the center. 

“Fucking- of course it is,” Alt grumbles. 

"We're going to call security!" Another one of the scientists shouts.

Then, Alt glitches towards the platform and tries to grab whatever is on it.The scientists all cry out in surprise as he suddenly glitches over. The item on the platform is a long, L-shaped bit of metal with a tiny microchip on the corner. As Alt scoops it up, one of the scientists reaches into their pocket-- And yellow alarm lights start flashing in both the Testing Room and the hallway. 

"Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert." 

Alt quickly puts it in his pocket then curses and glitches back out into the hallway.

"Shit!" Anti curses outside. "The plan was to be subtle!" 

The woman blinks at his voice. "...wait a second. Are you--Septic?" She glances around. "Y-you're all with him, aren't you?!" Then she turns and runs down the hallway away from them. 

“I’m not sure Alt had a choice!” Bro says to Anti. Then, he blinks at the woman’s reaction. “Woah-“ 

"I'm sure there were other ways!" Chase shouts. 

“Link up!!” Alt shouts as he sprints down the hall towards the others.

As Alt appears, the others rush towards him, reaching out-- But then, behind them, the robot from the hallway appears, raising an arm. Part of its arm slides out and out shoot several blue bolts of light.

One of the bolts hits Chase and he immediately stiffens up, then goes limp, falling to the floor. Another hits Anti, and while he doesn't stop moving like Chase did, the blue light turns into electricity that crackles along his body, causing spasms.

Bro’s eyes widen as the robot starts to shoot and quickly ducks out of the way, rolling across the ground. 

Alt gets hit and stiffens up, a reaction halfway between Chase’s and Anti’s as his muscles lock up but also crackle with electricity that has him crying out in pain and spasming. He soon enough falls limp too. 

“Alt!” Bro cries out.

Schneep helps Chase up--or tries to, at least. He's gone completely boneless, eyes wide above the mask hiding his face. Jackie hurries over and the two of them support Chase between them. 

The robot continues to shoot. JJ starts pushing the others around the corner, blocking its aim. A bolt skims him as he does so, causing him to stiffen, but he doesn't go limp like Chase and Alt did. But there are more robots showing up, identical to the first one, raising their arms in a similar way. 

Bro rushes to Alt and scoops him up and Alt is just as boneless as Chase is- eyes wide and hands twitching with electricity. “Shit shit shit shit!!” Bro curses quietly as he backs up, holding Alt to his chest. He’s desperately looks around for some kind of idea- if there was a window maybe they could all- break out?? But it’s the 20th floor- the others might not survive!

"Attention intruders," a voice says over an intercom. Feminine-sounding with a slight British accents. "Our security bots are quite persistent. If you do not wish to be stunned, surrender the IRIS property you have and give yourselves up. We will escort you from the building."

Bro looks up at the voice and then growls, “The thing we took was ours anyways! So f-fuck off!”

"Our scans are reporting a bot that is IRIS property with you," the woman's voice says calmly. "Regardless of modifications you have made, it was built from IRIS technology and therefore must be returned for reprog--" Anti's head suddenly snaps up. 

"I am not a robot!" he shouts. "I am not a robot!" He punches the wall, causing a crack, and the woman's voice cuts off. 

JJ looks around wildly. He rushes to the nearest door. It doesn't open, of course. "Bro, your belt!" he says, typing quickly. "Hurry!" 

His belt? Right! The devices!

Bro jumps at Anti’s anger, backing up and looking stunned. His attention is quickly turned back to JJ though as he scrambles to grab the deactivator and hands it to JJ.

JJ takes the hacker. It's a bit like a gun, if instead of a barrel it had a large bit of rectangular metal. He presses the flat part against the door and pulls the trigger mechanism. After a second, during which the robots get closer, the door slides open. He rushes in the room and gestures for the others to follow. The room beyond is filled with shelves full of boxes, some clear, some metal. As soon as everyone is inside Marvin hits a button on the inside, closing it. 

"That won't delay them for long," Jackie says. "Wh-what do we do? Do we need to check Alt and Chase over?" 

"Th-the stun will we-wear off in a few--few minutes," Anti says, his voice glitching slightly.

Bro hurries in and tries to shake Alt but Alt still doesn’t respond. Bro looks to Anti with wide scared eyes, “W-We don’t have a few minutes! Is there any way to speed it up?? Or c-cure this?! Something!!”

"I d-d-do not know of one," Anti says. "My--my call with Sam was dropped when the st-stun hit me. I can--cannot ask them." 

"Great, now we've closed ourselves into some supply room and they're going to get us at any moment!" Jackie's head darts around. "Um--is there an air vent or something?" 

Marvin points at a spot above a set of shelves. There's a square grate up there. "I don't know if you all could fit in there though."

“Damnit!” Bro curses, blinking back frustrated tears. “I-If Alt wasn’t hit we’d probably be back in the b-base by now! I-I can’t fly all of us out of here-“ He’s trying not to panic.

"Okay, okay." Jackie is trying to take deep breaths. "We--we have to try the vent, it's the only way out of here." 

Anti backs into the corner of the room, crouching down and putting his hands over his head. His expression is stuck on fear as his irises flicker. "I can--I c-cannot get stuck here," he says in a quiet voice. "I cannot--there is s-so much more to do--I cannot leave S-Sam--they cannot c-continue his work on th-their own--"

Bro seems to shake out of his panic by hearing Anti’s. He takes a shaky breath then tries to sit Alt up against the wall. Then, he looks for heavy things he can start to push against the doors. “We’re not gonna let them get you Anti-“ he says, determination bright in his eyes. “…w-we just need to stall until Alt recovers. You guys try to get into the vent-“ 

"I do not think I can climb up there," Schneep says, looking at the vent. 

"We can use the shelves as a ladder, we just need to get the stuff off," Marvin says, starting to move the boxes off the shelves. 

Anti watches him do this. Then he takes a deep breath--or, well, imitates taking a deep breath--and stands up, walking over to help move the items. The heaviest things in the room are the shelves and the boxes. And wouldn't you know? Some of the shelves have ball-like things on their feet, like wheels. There are also small switches near each sphere, with the words "locked" and "unlocked" written on them. They're currently in the "locked" position.

Bro hums as he sees this and unlocks them, going to move the heaviest feeling ones in front of the door and locking them back in place. “…I-if they try to break through- I can probably hold them back… super strength, you know?” He laughs nervously.

"IIIII don't think you mentioned the super strength earlier, actually," Jackie says.

“Oh- well… yeah!! I got that and super Speed- flying… can sometimes shoot some electricity but Alt is wayyy better at that.” Bro says, pushing more stuff in the way. 

Chase, lying on Schneep's shoulder, mumbles something indecipherable. 

"Uh--that's cool, though!" Jackie continues. Once the shelves are clear, 

Marvin quickly scrambles up to the vent and pulls at the vent. "JJ, will that unlocking thing work on this?" 

JJ frowns. "It disrupts electronic locks. Do you think that has one?" 

"...not suuuuure."

Bro looks back at Marvin and then hovers a bit to look, “…want me to try?” He asks. “Maybe I can pry it open.”

Marvin nods. "Might as well." He climbs back down so Bro can have access. Bro curls his fingers around the vent and tries to pry it open, bracing his feet against the wall for better leverage. 

"Attention intruders," the intercom turns on again, the same feminine voice speaking. "This will be your final appeal to surrender. If you do not surrender now, we will have to use force to reclaim our property and have you vacate the premises."

Brolooks up at the announcement then looks back at Anti, “H-How much longer do you think they’ll be stunned??”

"Average amount of time to recover from a stun bolt is five minutes," Anti says. "It has been about two." 

Chase groans. His fingers twitch a little. "'m... f'nn..." 

"If you are saying you're fine, you most certainly are not," Schneep says. 

Alt’s arm twitches a bit and he tries to move, “mm- ngh…” but nothing is responding. Even though he feels himself panicking and his heart pounding so hard against his chest. 

The vent really seems to be stuck on there, but little by little, it gives way, until it suddenly pops off. “I got it!” Bro exclaims as he gets the vent open. “Marvin you wanna give it a try?”

Marvin nods and quickly climbs up the shelves again. He slips into the air vent easily, tail waving and feet kicking until he disappears out of sight. "No room to turn around," he reports. "And I don't think the bulkier ones of you will be comfortable. But it will probably work for an emergency. I think it slopes instead of drops." 

“Okay… hopefully we won’t have to use it…” Bro mumbles as he nervously looks towards the door. 

The intercom turns on again. "Attention intruders. You have not surrendered, and thus, we will begin using force. We waive all responsibility for any injuries you gain while resisting."

Alt grunts as he tries to get himself to move again- but all that moves is his fingers. He makes a frustrated noise. 

Bro glares up at the ceiling and flips it off, “Fuck off ya IRIS pricks!!”

Marvin scrambles back out of the vent backwards. But he slips on the edge of the shelf and tumbles down with flailing limbs and a loud "MRRAAH!" He lands on the floor and quickly gets to his feet, brushing himself off and looking around embarrassed. 

Jackie bursts into laughter. "What the fuck? I thought felorrs always landed on their feet, comp!" 

"I'm not literally a cat," Marvin mutters. "Cats don't even land on their feet."

Bro jumps in surprise then blinks in confusion, “What?!! Cats landing on their feet isn’t true?!” Alt makes an exasperated noise.

"Yeah, what?" Jackie says. 

Marvin sighs. "Do you really think any animal can defy gravity like that so expertly?" 

"Where does the rumor come from, then?" Jackie says in rebuttal. 

"I believe it's because Terran cats are quite flexible and were often--but not always--seen correcting themselves in midair," Anti says.

“I swear Glitches always lands on her feet…” Bro mumbles, crossing his arms. 

“Nnnnr-“ Alt grunts. 

“…are you okay though, Marv?” Bro asks.

"Yes, are you okay?" JJ asks as well. 

"I'm fine, more surprising than anything," Marvin says. "Even if I don't always land on my feet, I can recover fast." 

The relatively light-hearted moment is interrupted by a banging on the door to the room. It then slides open--but thankfully whatever's on the other side is blocked by the shelves. 

"Surrender," says a robotic voice. 

Bro startles then curses, “Damn future doors! I forgot it could just slide open!” He holds out his arm protectively and steps in front of the others. “Take cover guys!” He quickly looks around for something he can use as a shield.

"Cover?! Where?!" Schneep asks, eyes darting around. 

"Here, we'll move some of the shelves!" Jackie hurries over and pushes a shelf away from the wall, sliding into the space behind it. 

Schneep hesitates, then gently puts Chase down and moves over, helping to move the shelf. JJ joins them as well, and together the three of them manage to get a couple shelves away from the wall. Marvin scrambles back up the shelves and into the vent again. There's not much that can be a shield. But some of these boxes are big, maybe their lids could work? 

Anti stares at the door intently. Waiting. "They will push the shelves over," he says in a quiet voice. "Then they will fire directly ahead of them. Get out of the line of fire." He moves to the left of the door, pressing against the wall and picking up a smaller box, gripping it so tightly in his hands that the metal warps slightly. 

Bro grabs a lid off a large metal box and holds it. He then blinks at Anti in confusion. “H-How do you-?” He doesn’t question this for long though. He ducks out of the way to the right. 

Though… Alt is still stuck up against the wall in front of the door, staring at the robots with wide scared eyes.

"Shit!" Jackie curses from behind the shelf. "Alt and Chase--!" 

"They were already stunned, we can protect them," Anti says. "Now get--" 

The shelves tip forward and the robots fire their stun bolts into the room. They were aiming at chest-height for the average person, so luckily the bolts don't hit Chase or Alt sitting on the floor. Chase flinches and manages to slowly move an arm, grasping vaguely at the floor to try and pull himself out of the way. Alt vaguely glitches around his shoulder and hands but it’s not enough to do anything. He tries to move his feet or legs- something! 

The robots start walking into the room-- And Anti yells out, smashing one in the head with the box. Bro quickly follows Anti’s lead and sends a super charged punch right into another robot’s head. 

Bro's punch goes straight into the robot's jaw area, sending its head snapping to the side with the sound of something snapping. Anti's blow manages to dent the head of the bot he attacked. Both of them fall backwards into the two bots behind them, knocking them over. 

But then the second pair of bots get up again and aim their stun bolts again. Anti swings for a second time. Bro yells and sends another punch. This time, he smacks the robot in the shoulder and manages to push its aim off course, but it doesn't break like the last one. "Aim for joints or the head!" Anti shouts, bringing the box down on the other bot's arm and disrupting its aim in the same way. 

Chase's head slowly turns to Alt and he tries to pull himself towards him.

Alt jerkily looks at Chase, his hands starting to grip better and sparking with some of his magic. …he’s been able to dismantle stuff by just barely moving before- maybe he can do that now. He looks towards one of the robots and twitches his head to the side as his eyes flash bright blue-green, trying to take apart its stun gun.

The one Bro hit raises its stun arm again, aiming directly at him—but instead there's a flicker of blue-green lightning as it doesn't fire. Not exactly collapsing like Alt wanted, but momentarily jamming it.

Bro nods and his eyes widen as he recognizes the sight of the magic. He grins then grabs the robot by the arm- on its joint- and then tries to flip it to crush it against the ground. The robot flies through the air, landing hard on the ground. Something snaps again and it goes limp. Bro whoops and gives the downed robot the finger, “Yeah take that, bitch!” He quickly moves to try to take out another one.

Alt’s eyes widen too and he slowly squeezes his hand in determination. He flares open his eyes to try to jam or take apart more of the guns.

Anti can't help but wince—he can't help but see himself in these bots—and almost misses another bot running forward to take the fallen one's place, aiming its stun arm. But then... its arm falls apart, pieces falling to the ground. Anti looks back, expression shifting to surprise, and then a smile. Alt also seems surprised. But he smiles a bit at Anti- but slowly. Anti grips his box weapon tightly and smacks it to the side. 

"Alt..." Chase manages to say. "Wh'n... c'n y... gl'sh?" He's asking 'when can you glitch?'

Alt turns to Chase and grunts, squeezing and releasing his hand with a lot of effort, “ne’d t’b… a-ab’l t’m’ve..!” ‘Need to be able to move’. His hand glitches a bit- but not to the degree he was able to earlier.

"...sucks," Chase says. Alt lets out a choked chuckle. 

If there's one good thing about this situation, it's that the doorway forms a bit of a bottleneck, only allowing two robots at a time to get through. Anti grabs one as it passes through, wrestling it to the ground.

Bro misses as the robot moves- making him strike its torso. He growls a bit then tries to kick the robot back into the others.The robot staggers backwards from the unexpected super strength of Bro's kick, falling into the others outside and knocking them down in turn. 

“Yeah! Strike!!” Bro laughs as he jumps up and punches the air.

"Nice!" Jackie shouts, leaning around the shelf to watch. JJ grabs him and pulls him back. 

Meanwhile, Anti manages to take out the bot he'd been fighting on the ground. These things were ordered to swarm in and subdue the group. They're not good at thinking beyond that goal. Not with their actions being limited by the priority of the orders. 

Even so— "They will keep coming," Anti says. "IRIS has many of these models. Even the ones not designed for combat will be thrown at us."

“We can handle them,” Bro says cockily, adjusting his hat. “Just until Alt can glitch. You doin’ okay, baby bro?” 

“M’ f’nn!” Alt tries to call. Feeling is slowly, slowly coming back. Still… there’s gotta be more he can do. His eyes wander to the door button. …if he destroyed it- could it keep the door shut? He narrows his eyes then jerks his head to the side- trying to short circuit it before the next wave of robots recover.

Two more robots surge into the room. Anti smacks one in the head. Bro throws another powered punch to the other’s head. 

That green lightning flickers around the door button... but nothing happens. "...you?" Chase whispers. "K-keep... try'n...!"

Alt grits his teeth and tries to push more power out, magic sparking around him a bit more. He tries to short circuit the door again. Green lightning sparks around the door button, and for a second, he feels connected to it. He somehow knows that if he short circuits the door it will stay in the state it's in, so he manages to trigger the close state before the short circuit fully goes through. 

Shortly after, Anti and Bro knock down the two bots they were fighting, denting their featureless heads in the process.

Bro pants as he backs away from the last robot he downed and looks at the door shutting. He grins back at Alt, “Hey!! Good idea dude!! Hopefully that’ll keep the rest of them out!” 

Alt attempts to smile.

Jackie leans out from behind the shelf again. “That. Was. So. COOL!” He says, grinning. “I mean—it was scary and life-threatening but it was cool! Man, I bet I could have helped. With these metal fists of mine.” 

Bro grins wide, “Maybe bro! But fighting is hard if you’re not used to it!” 

Jackie, Schneep, and JJ all come out from behind the shelf. Marvin also appears, carefully backing out of the vent and making sure that he has secure footing this time. 

“How are you both feeling, Chase, Alt?” JJ asks. 

Chase tries to sit up. He fails, but he manages to get about halfway before he falls back, groaning. “Sucks.” 

“Right, I should’ve expected that,” JJ says, embarrassed.

Bro knocks a friendly fist against Anti’s shoulder, “you did great dude!” 

Alt also tries to pull himself up, glitching a bit but soon slips back down with a groan. “Hate… this…” he grumbles.

“Stunning is very inconvenient,” Anti agrees. “But it is painless and leaves no side effects after it wears off, so it is the preferred way of subduing someone in most places in the galaxy.” 

“How do you know all that?” Marvin asks. “You’re a ro—an android!” 

“That doesn’t mean I cannot read and learn,” Anti says. “And it doesn’t mean I don’t know something similar.” His eyes dart down to the disabled robots for a moment. 

“…because you… ah..” Schneep hesitates. “You are…?” He trails off.

Bro furrows his eyebrows and looks down, and it dawns on him. “…because you’re like these guys…!” He looks back at Anti with wide eyes, “…did you like- go rogue? Like a deviant in that… one robot game-? Detroit… something- …wait that’s like ancient now-“ 

“Chase…!” Alt groans in exasperation.

"Detroit: Become Human, developed by Quantic Dream, released in 2018." Anti shakes his head, puhing away the robotic response. "It is not exactly like that. I was..." He hesitates. For a moment, that same fear expression crosses his face. Then he makes a sighing sound. "IRIS likely already knows all this. And I suppose I owe an explanation--to Alt and JJ, at least." He folds his arms, leaning against the wall, not looking directly at anyone. "I was... repurposed." 

"By the human who lived with you and Sam?" JJ asks. 

Anti looks at him in surprise. "How do you know that?" 

"You have a room in your bunker with a bed and facilities for a human," JJ says. "But neither you or Sam need that. They were there before you found me. It's not hard to put together." 

Anti laughs, then looks down again. "There was... a man named Jack," he continues in a soft voice. "He broke into an IRIS facility and took one of their robots. One that had been fully built and programmed, but not activated. He would feel bad about deleting any memories. He took it home, and switched out some parts--notably the head--and reworked the programming using the IRIS protocols as a base. Keeping simple code that allows for movement and language formation and such, but taking out other code, such as the orders protocol, and... adding a lot, lot more to it. That was... how I was made." He pauses. "In the early days, I was... there was conflict. I thought I was an experiment, or a servant. I didn't want to be either of those things. But that's not what Jack intended. He asked me what I wanted. He... always asked me what I wanted."

Bro’s safe softens, “… Jack helped make you into a person. Not just a machine…” he smiles. “I think he did a great job too.” 

Alt tries to sit up more, looking at Anti. “…where’s… Jack…?”

Anti pauses, and his expression becomes sad. "He's disappeared. It's likely that he's either been arrested or... died. But Sam doesn't want to think about that possibility. In either case... he asked us that if anything ever happened to him, that the two of us continue his plan." 

Alt looks sad too, eyebrows knitting together in worry.

Suddenly, Schneep gasps. "You--was Jack--was he Se--" Then he stops himself. "R-right, there are probably cameras watching us." 

"I can only assume what you assumed," Anti says. "But... yes."

Bro looks between the two of them in confusion. “…you’ll have to catch us up when we get out of here I guess…”

"Right, I actually forgot you guys weren't from here for a second," Jackie says. "Uh--I think we brought him up at the table in the restaurant? Before your screen assistant friend appeared." 

Bro scrambles his brain, “Ohhh! …I’m not sure I get it but I think I remember-“

"Alt wouldn't know, though," Marvin points out. Seems like all the guys have come to the same realization as Schneep. 

Chase tries getting up again. He manages to hold himself up for a bit this time before collapsing. 

Alt tries to pull himself up too, glitches collecting around him- and he manages to glitch to his feet. Then he braces himself against the wall for a second before his arm gives out and he falls too. 

“J-Jesus!” Bro exclaims and comes over to help the two of them. “Don’t push yourselves too hard guys- I think we’re safe for now!”

"'s fine," Chase grunts.

 Schneep hurries over as well, giving them both a cursory examination. "Can either of you move your legs? That will be the important part." 

Chase tries, jerking one leg into the air. 

"Even if they can move it, doesn't mean they can support their weight." Anti walks over to the door, tilting his head to listen through it. "I hear no movement outside. I suppose they know their doors are quite sturdy and are not going to bother to brute force it down."

Alt also tries to move his leg, but it’s shaky and jerky in its movement. 

Bro sighs in relief, “Okay… so we have time again- how much longer till the stunning wears off do you think?”

"Perhaps about two more minutes," Anti says. "It varies depending on species and body weight." 

"I don't think they'd be able to get in here in two minutes," Marvin says slowly. 

"Yeah, big organization like this?" Jackie nods. "They're probably debating what to do."

“Hate… waiting…” Alt mutters. Bro pats his shoulder. The hero looks back towards the door and hums, “…I wonder if… they’re more worried about the TRVLR piece or… getting Anti back. …maybe both. Technically… the TRVLR was made by IRIS- just… from another universe.” He shudders, “…I hope they didn’t get too much info from it..”

JJ raises his eyebrows. "The IRIS from another universe was able to make a multiverse travel device? But ours hasn't?" 

"I wouldn't be surprised if they tried," Anti says. "But such a device would likely take a great deal of power."

“To be fair- we found ours in an abandoned lot. It was defective but we found out Alt’s magic is enough to work it. We thought it was just cuz of his electricity…but it’s cuz he’s also a Glitch.” Bro says, “which… I kinda get but also don’t. Somehow… Alt broke through some barrier of our world and… that’s how he can glitch and do this kinda stuff, apparently.” 

Alt’s body glitches a bit in place as he nods.

Anti tilts his head. "Interesting. Very interesting." 

"Do you think something like that could happen in our world?" Jackie wonders. 

"Maybe!" Marvin says, eyes dilating wide. "Well--we don't have magic here--or not magic like you all do. But I do think there's something more to the world. Maybe that could be called magic."

“Magic… is… a-anywhere-“ Alt says quietly. 

“But we’ve met glitches in several other places! Ones that didn’t have magic too I think- so it’s totally possible!” Bro says, “But I’m one of those people that believes anything is possible sooo”

"Hell yeah, anything is possible!" Jackie says excitedly. 

"Well." Schneep's brows lower as he looks thoughtful. "I would not say anything is possible. If your planet has a blue sky, it will not suddenly become, for example, green." 

"Killjoy," Chase comments.

Bro bursts into giggles. “I dunno man- I’ve seen some pretty impossible things. …this place is definitely one of them.” He smiles.

Schneep blinks. "Well if it happened then it is clearly possible--" 

"Schneep. Think about it." Jackie says, grinning a bit. "Look at yourself and remember they've never seen other planets." 

He looks down at his hands with their scales and claws. "...ah."

Chase laughs a little. Alt and Bro laugh too. Chasetries to sit up again. His head lolls but he's able to keep his balance.

Alt sees Chase able to get up and shakily tries himself. Bro helps to support him. Alt grits his teeth then shakily reaches out his hand. “I-I… think I can- glitch!”

"You can?!" Marvin's eyes widen. "W-well then we should probably get out of here then!" 

Anti puts his head near the door again. "I can hear movement outside there. It is probably for the best." 

Jackie grabs onto Chase and Alt. "Okay, let's link up to try!"

Alt nods and closes his eyes once everyone is linked up. It takes a second- like a program loading. Magic and glitches zing and zip around Alt as he struggles to get his glitches to work. Then finally, they manage to glitch out of the closet and zip back down to Anti’s base.

It's a big jump, but they make it, landing in the middle of the intersection beneath the exit. 

Chase yelps in surprise and starts to topple over, but Schneep quickly catches him. 

Alt’s eyes roll up a bit from the jump and starts to topple but Bro is quick to catch him. Alt mumbles incoherently, pressing up against him. 

Sam flies out of a room at the end, some sort of long metal pole wrapped in their tail, the end crackling with electricity--then they drop it and the electricity goes out. "It's you!" they type. "You're back!" Then they fly over to Anti, bumping against him and wrapping their tail around his arm in a big hug. He looks surprised, then smiles.

Bro blinks at Sam’s reaction then smiles at Anti too, “Aww! They missed you!”

Sam pulls away again. "I was so worried when our call got cut off! Are you okay? Is everyone okay?" 

"We are all fine," Anti says. "Relatively. Chase and Alt were stunned but they should be recovering."

"Are you okay, Alt?" Schneep asks worriedly. "Do you need something?" He glances at Bro. "That did not happen the last times we teleported." 

"It's probably the stun bolt," Marvin suggests. 

“I think it was just a big jump when he’s still recovering- so… can’t reach all his magic and it drained what he got back.” Bro says, lightly tapping Alt’s face to keep him awake. 

Alt blinks blearily out, “‘m fine- mmmm good…” he mumbles. He half collapses against Bro, the adrenaline from being trapped wearing off now that he knows eveyone is safe.

JJ looks at him worriedly. "Let's get him to lay down," he says, and walks back towards his room. 

"What about Chase?" Marvin asks. 

"I'm fine," Chase says, raising a hand. "I'm... getting there. Alt just... used magic. More important."

Bro nods and goes to scoop Alt up. The younger Brody tries to protest but doesn’t get far- Bro follows after JJ.

Back in the room, JJ presses a hand against a metal section of the wall and part of the wooden paneling slides up, revealing a bed in an alcove. The blankets and pillows are a pale, cheery yellow. "Sorry it's not made," JJ says, despite the bed looking pretty 'made' already. 

Bro chuckles, “Don’t sweat it, bro.” 

JJ blinks. "Don't sweat it? What a strange expression." 

“Huh? …I guess it is kinda weird-“ Bro laughs, setting down Alt on the bed and Alt sighs, showing his exhaustion. Hopefully once all the stunning effects go away he’ll get his energy back. He hadn’t even use much magic…Bro sits down to him on the bed. 

The others file in. Schneep puts Chase in one of the chairs at the table and he slumps forward. 

"Do you all need anything?" Sam asks. "We have an old medkit." 

"I think everyone is fine, besides the stunning," Schneep says. 

"So..." Jackie looks at Sam and Anti. "You guys knew Septic, huh?" 

Sam's eye widens. They spin on Anti. "You told them?!" 

"There were a lot of those IRIS bots, they noticed the similarities," Anti says. "I told them about Jack, but they figured out who he was on their own."

Bro blinks out at the others, “Oh yeah what’s the deal with that? Jack was… Septic? I thought that was Anti!”

"I suppose technically, Septic is all three of us," Sam says thoughtfully. "But Jack is the face." 

Anti picks up the holo projector. His eyes become loading circles for a moment. "Uploading." And then they stop. Anti presses a couple buttons and the holo projector flips on, projecting a video into midair. It's of that same man Jackie had shown Bro a video of. The man with one mechanical green eye and metal plates on his face. 

"Are we rolling?" he says, messing with his hair. 

"Rolling," Anti's voice comes from out of sight. 

"Great. Why do we say that, anyway? You ever wondered?" 

"Perhaps it is linked to film rolls." 

"Ah, right." The man shakes his head. "Okay, from the top." 

Anti pauses the video. His sad expression is back. 

Alt and Bro watch the hologram with wide eyes. Bro looks back at Anti and his expression turns sympathetic. “…you really miss him, huh?”

Anti nods. 

"We both do," Sam says. "It's... strange how he disappeared. He went out, and never came back, and we haven't heard anything about him since. You would think the Station Security would announce if they arrested him."

“Hmm.. yeah… you guys- mentioned a plan of his, right?” Bro asks, “What was that? I know you said Septic was like… an anarchist?”

"Yeah, he disrupts a lot of stuff on the station," Jackie agrees. 

"He disrutps things that are run by IRIS," Anti states. "Which is quite a lot, given how the Zypso Station was built by them. But he always said that the Station could run on its own, without depending on them." He pauses. "The goal was always to cause enough chaos to force them out." 

"Um..." Marvin raises his hand. "I understand why you'd have a personal flyer to shoot with IRIS, but... they seem alright otherwise?" 

"They run the station well enough, I suppose," Anti acknowledges. "But that is not all they do. Jack was convinced for years that there was something behind their mask. And he was right. Even if they are not actively malicious, they are, at the very least, very negligent and willing to bend rules."

Bro’s expression darkens, “Just from what we saw today- IRIS is bad news. They were willing to forcibly reprogram Anti- something they saw themselves has sentience and emotions. That’s… that’s evil. But… we have our own bias with them.” 

Alt shakily sits up and nods, “…in other worlds… IRIS has kidnapped our friends… t-treated people like experiments… if we had g-gotten caught… they might have d-done the same to us.”

"...well. That doesn't speak well to their character," Schneep says slowly. 

"They would not even do a good job at reprogramming," Anti says quietly. Sam pats his shoulder with their tail. 

"We... all live on... the station, though," Chase says slowly. "That's... is that... bad?" 

"It is not the station that is the problem," Anti says. "There are plenty of businesses here that could sustain the place." He nods at Bro and Alt. "From the information Jack has discovered, there's a chance that might have happened." 

Jackie shivers. "You guys should probably get out of here soon, then."

“Probably…” Bro sighs, but he looks out at the others, knitting his eyebrows in worry. “…will you all be okay? I hate to leave if we just got you all into… deep shit. Just for helping us…”

"They didn't see our faces," Marvin says. "We'll... probably be fine. There are a lot of humans, kritzeins, and felorrs on the station." 

"If worst comes to worst, you can stay with us," Sam says. "We can expand the bunker. I've been thinking about doing that for a while, actually." 

"Heh. Thanks." Jackie grins. 

"The masks should have scrubbed your appearance details from most camera systems, including what species and gender you are," Anti says. "You will simply appear as spot of white noise."

Bro sighs in relief, “That’s good then…” He looks down at Alt. “Well, lil bro? …you ready to head to the next one?” 

Alt tries to shake himself out, flexing his hands and shaking off the numbness. “I… I think so…?”

Alt's phone turns on. "Actually, there isn't a next one," Anti says. "Not really. We have all the parts together. Now we just have to head back to the world where you first got the TRVLR, since they're likely the most well-equipped to repair it--" 

"Is̢ t̡h̕at ̀s͟o?" The familiar voice echoes from every corner of the room.

Alt and Bro both freeze- their faces going pale. 

“No-“ Alt whispers in fear. 

XD Bro springs to his feet, “Anti! Sam! Get the others out of here! Now!” He shouts with authority.

Anti and Sam immediately spring into action. Anti grabs Chase, still slightly stunned, and pulls him out, while Sam flies around and starts pushing the others out. 

"Are you going to be okay?!" Jackie shouts, resisting being pushed. 

"I-if we don't see you again--goodbye!" Marvin says. 

"It was nice to meet you!" JJ gives one last smile before grabbing Jackie and pulling him out. 

“We’ll… we’ll be okay-“ Bro tries to smile at them reassuringly but there’s that tension in his body- he’s scared. Alt tries to look back at them and smile but his falls short as his eyes snap to the locked door and the red Anti.

As soon as they're all gone, the door shuts, and a light by its doorway turns red--locking it. An image forms in front of it as several of the light squares go out. It's that same red Anti who had been stalking them the whole time, his smile wide beneath static-filled eyes. "My business isn't with them, anyway," his voice says, though his mouth doesn't move.

Bro gets into a fighting stance and bares his teeth at Anti. “If you think we’re just gonna hand you over the pieces, bitch, you’re wrong! You might as well just give up!” 

Alt backs up, holding the bag and the newest piece still inside his hoodie pocket. He tries not to show how much his heart is pounding- how much his hands are shaking.

His laugh echoes throughout the room. "You're not going to? Well, alright." Suddenly his image is right in front of them--two, one for each. "Let me ask you two a question. Or, maybe let me ask you three a question. Why... why haven't I been able to delete anything?"

Alt staggers back but Bro stands firm, glaring down the image of him. Alt’s eyes glow as he growls, “You don’t have enough power- no body does. You’ve been chasing a false goal this whole time!”

"Nobody does? No... no, that can't be right. These worlds are infinite." His voice lowers. "Do you know what it means? To see infinity? To see infinite pain? Do you know what it means to be a copy of a copy of a copy?...no, you don't. None of you understand." 

Alt glares more at the red Anti and bares his teeth. “Even if that’s your pain… it’s not enough to destroy infinite lives…!”

There's a bit of static, and suddenly, Alt is not alone. Someone is next to him--it's Anti, the same Anti who's been with them the whole time. Out of the phone and glaring at this red other version of him. "It's you who doesn't understand anything. You're the one who thinks you can destroy infinity." 

Alt blinks and looks back at Anti before nodding at him and looking back. 

“Listen, Anti-“ Bro tries to say, “If you’re… feeling jealous or angry… this isn’t the way to go about it! Revenge hurts everyone- but especially yourself! You don’t have to do this…” he says sympathetically. This guy… he’s evil but.., deep down he’s still Anti right? Somewhere… there has to be a part in there that’s like his brother. 

Anti stares at Bro with wide static eyes. He blinks. And then he laughs. "Like I said. None of you understand. 

“C’mon man-!” Bro tries to say, reaching out. 

“Chase what are you-?!” Alt shouts. 

“Hey... lơo͞k d̀o̢w̛n͡." 

The ground beneath them is tearing open, a crack forming in the fabric of the world, a black rift. Suddenly, there is no support beneath their feet.

The brothers gasp as they look down and before Alt can even think of glitching- they both scream and fall straight into the rift.

Anti looks at them and dives down, slipping back into Alt's phone before they disappear into the space between worlds. 

The other Anti, the red Anti, grins. "There must be someone who can do it," he says to himself. "We have to go back far. Where it all started." And then his image disappears as he also goes through.

[earhartsease]

we finally got a reply from Itsu about the inaccessible ordering/payment touchscreens in their stores (too high up for wheelchair users and other shorter people) and it's a good response - rather than moving one of the screens lower, they're adapting the software so you can choose accessibility on any screen

we're glad to have sparked this conversation with them - it's worth speaking up about accessibility with big companies, sometimes it makes them pull their finger out

Dear [name]

I was passed your contact details our customer feedback team as you raised a query on the accessibility of our order kiosks. I just wanted to apologise for the inconvenience we are currently causing you with the placing and height of the screens.

The IT and marketing teams are currently working on an accessibility feature that will optimise the experience for a wheelchair user, this is on track and we should be able to launch it onto all order screens in the Autumn, meaning that all screens will be accessible without the need to confine anyone to one lower screen.

It would be great to get your feedback on the experience and useability once this feature is live, of course in the meantime we always have someone in the area hosting the kiosks who will be happy to provide whatever service is required. Hoping this meets with your expectations, if you have any further questions or feedback in this area, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[panashifzco]

Discover the future of self-service with Panashi’s latest kiosk designs – where cutting-edge technology meets sleek aesthetics.

Our newest range of kiosks is crafted to deliver a seamless user experience across industries, from banking and retail to healthcare and hospitality. Designed with a modern, minimalist touch, these kiosks feature responsive touchscreens, high-resolution displays and intuitive interfaces for faster and more engaging interactions.

Customizable to match your brand identity, they come in a variety of finishes and colors, blending effortlessly into any environment. Built for durability and performance, our kiosk machines support advanced features like biometric authentication, QR code scanning, contactless payments and even AI-driven recommendations. Whether you’re streamlining customer service or enhancing operational efficiency, Panashi’s kiosks are engineered to exceed expectations. Step into the future with kiosks that don’t just work — they impress. Experience innovation, elegance and reliability – all in one powerful solution.

[ashifkh]

Top features to look for in a good charity kiosk system.

A self-service charity kiosk is an interactive digital terminal that allows people to donate quickly and securely to charitable causes without the need for staff or volunteers. These kiosks can be placed in high-traffic areas like malls, airports, hospitals, or religious centers, offering a convenient way for the public to contribute anytime. With touchscreen interfaces, multiple payment options, and customizable donation campaigns, they enhance donor engagement and streamline fundraising efforts.

Read the Full blog : Charity kioskKey Points: 24/7 donation access with minimal human supervision Accepts card, mobile, or digital wallet payments Can display impactful visuals and donor stories Reduces administrative costs and cash handling Ideal for high-footfall locations Customizable branding and campaign content Generates real-time donation reports and analytics

[luimnigh]

McDonalds closed their city centre location here earlier this month, not due to low profits (likely the opposite, place was packed every weekday evening), but because the location didn't have the space to install those new touchscreen self-service kiosks.

Late-stage capitalism is closing down a profitable location because they can't squeeze more profit from it.

[cartoonboingsfx]

I know it's a slippery slope to Maga Maggots using this for bigotry but sometimes I seriously think all retail workers should be able to refuse service. Like, in writting; A rule in the workplace that you can refuse to serve someone for being an asshole to you.

The amount of times I have been fully screamed at by grown men because they didn't like our prices and don't know how to order properly should be enough reason.

At the very least, we don't we (and by we I mean every Fucking member of the silent generation and baby boomer generations) relearn how to talk to employees in public? How to read a menu. How to use a touchscreen kiosk. How to Think Rationally For Five Seconds. How to see Employees as People.

[birdbigbutch]

i tried to get taco bell today and when i walked in, the entire menu board was gone and instead it was a huge banner graphic that said 'save time and order ahead!!!' Or some shit. So I'm standing at the counter like a dipshit cuz I'm assuming I can still just ask for what I want (the $5 cravings box, the only fast food purchase worth the money anymore) and they told me to order from The Kiosk. So I'm using their stupid touchscreen kiosk and I cant find it, there is no search function.after looking for 5 min I found a similar one for $7 so I guess they got rid of the one i wanted. After some careful consideration I decided 'fuck this' and left without buying their disgusting taco slop