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fiction-in-my-blood · 3 years

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Switching Sides: Part 2 (HLITF)

Aaaannndddd once again I would LOVE to thank my girl @theshove for being my editor in chief and making my writing reach a HIGHER level I could never reach without your help. Thank you so much for making sense of my poorly grammar-ed sentences haha.

Also, if anyone possibly wants to get on a tag list I’d be happy to make one

👉👈

If you wanna catch up, Part 1 is right here! Happy reading :)

Premise: Growing up in a life of crime in a Japanese mafia, Atsuko Motomori has seen enough injustice to last her a lifetime. To try and give back to the universe her family has taken so much from, she dreams of being a detective from a young age. Her twin, sharing her disgust for her father and many uncles, just wants an ordinary life away from the crime, paing and suffering. Instead, she wants to be in the spotlight with the soft notes she makes with her cello. In their escape of 2015, on their coming of age birthday, they must split ways, never to be together ever again. If one was found, they didn’t want the other dragged down with them. Atsuko, having changed her name and appearance as best she can without a scalpel, sets off to start her life of car chases and arrests.

Four years in a seemingly dead-end police station in the middle of nowhere, being passed over time after time for promotion, Atsuko finally gets a shot at her dream, having been sent to an academy for the best candidates in the country by her boss who had always kept an eye out for her. After discovering her boss may have made her bite off more than she could chew, Atsuko must become the slave of a dominating instructor!? Who so just happens to be the captain of the most famous police unit in Japan? Not to mention a total knockout! Will Atsuko finally achieve her dream? Or will her new instructor put her through the wringer?

Warnings: Language, reference to sexual activity/forceful nature.

~~~~~~

‘A servant? Did he confuse that with a full-time aid?’ I tried to reason with his wording of my job title. As the room was lit by the setting sun and filters out into the corridor, I stood there in silence, thinking about what I'd just gotten myself into.

"Motomori, who will you partner with?" Ishigami closed the book of names and held it under his arm, keeping a close eye on how I was reacting. Letting my eyes meet each one of the detectives' before me, I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Instructor Kaga, please," I announced. Although he seemed the most stern out of all the men, I took that as a sign of someone worn away by his experience. Which only meant there was more to learn from him. Right?

The announcement of my choice of instructor led Shinonome to laugh at my bravado. "Now that's something. Choosing Hyogo is pretty fitting for our little overachiever." The youngest instructor couldn't help but sound amused as the man I had chosen showed a concerned expression. As he looked me up and down, I stood with more confidence than I really had.

After the Captain's silent review of me, Ishigami progressed through the other pairings. I glanced at Kaga and saw him taking a phone call. "Yeah... I'll take care of it." With his back turned to me, I only heard a minuscule amount of the conversation.

"Kaga, you'll be going after this person." When the other Captain tried to hand over a folder, which I was sure had the case we should be working on inside, Kaga continued his conversation while pointing in my direction. He told Ishigami to give me the folder holding the information we'd need for the undercover assignment.

"These are documents for the instructor." Ishigami frowned, obviously tired of Kaga's dismissiveness. Kaga begrudgingly took the folder before thrusting it into my chest.

"Read it." He demanded and then finished his phone call.

"I'm sure you understand, but-" Ishigami was cut off by Kaga crossing his arms.

"I understand perfectly well." His mood seemed to worsen as the two talked. They continued to bicker as the rest of the instructors watched. I'm sure it was difficult to butt in on the Captains' discussions.

"Squad leaders should get along..." Shinonome frowned as we watched, me not knowing what else to do except just stand there.

"These two will go as far as a fistfight." Instructor Soma's comment made me worry that all the expensive equipment in this room would be damaged if someone didn't intervene soon enough. When Soma directed a question to Goto to see if he agreed, the messy-haired man just stood there in silence.

"I can hear all of you." Kaga scowled as he took a cigarette out of his suit pocket. I knew smoking wasn't allowed in the building, having seen the signs next to most of the doorways, however I decided it best not to make him aware. ‘I mean, he has worked here longer than me.’

‘He is the freaking instructor, Atsuko.’ The voice in my head made me want to metaphorically face-palm. It was clear just by the way the instructor stood he didn’t care much for rules or regulations.

"Don't get in my way." As he walked towards the door, Kaga made what sounded like a threat to me.

"Didn't even think about it." I forced a smile, knowing full well he would likely trample over me if I took even a step out of line. If I was going to learn from this man, I would have to watch what he did instead of asking questions.

"What're you standing around for? Come." Turning back to where I had been standing, I woke myself up from the pit of despair I had thrown myself into.

‘What did you think was going to happen?’ I quickly followed as he gestured me over with a jerk of his head.

~~~~~~

Sitting in the Captain's car, I couldn't help but feel anxious with the silence that thickened the air. According to the file given to us by Ishigami, we had to infiltrate a beach bar... But we were heading in the opposite direction from the sea. We were driving downtown.

"Umm, sir, the file says the destination is-" Kaga, once again, cutting somebody off mid sentence.

"Shut up," he spat, taking me aback with how rude he was.

‘I guess that ‘scum’ comment wasn't too out of character for him, then’ I thought, stricken into silence but sighing on the inside. I turned to gaze out the window, praying that I could get through the day without being caught out for being inferior to what my file suggested.

~~~~~~

When we stopped, I found myself inside a love hotel. My heart raced with worry, recognising the name as a brand my father ran when I was still living at home. He was a gang leader. With a strong mafia at that. He had his dirty little fingers in every industry that had some form of shady business going on. It's what made me hate him so much. The things he did, the things he made me watch, it's what made me want to become a detective. I wanted to pay the universe back for all the bad stuff he had done, and maybe one day find the evidence to arrest him. God knows, the police he had under his claws and henchmen doing his dirty work had delayed that for long enough.

We made our way to the room booked for us, or, more aptly, for Kaga. Meanwhile, I tried to hide my face from the receptionist as discreetly as I could, not wanting them to somehow recognise me. Even though I did my makeup differently from when I was younger, had dyed my hair black from its original brown, dressed differently and even held myself differently, there wasn't much else I could do to change my appearance without making it trackable. I couldn't get surgery because then I would be in the government system; I know, somehow, they'd be able to track me, even if the profile I had now was completely different.

"Hey, um... What're we doing here?" I asked as I closed the door behind me, the eeriness of the red room making my eyes dart around for any hidden cameras or listening devices. I remembered my father telling me about all the politicians he had on tape and all the people he’d bribed with that information.

"I'm pretty sure I said shut up." Kaga spat, also inspecting the room. I frowned at his rudeness and flipped the switch that turned on the electricity for the room. All the lights went out, causing Kaga to spin around and glare at me in the darkness.

"Don't you know what your position is? Don't interfere." His frown deepened as he stormed back to where I was standing. He was obviously offended I had turned off the lights.

"Love hotels are famous for secret cameras. They're turned on when the electricity switch is flipped. I thought you wouldn't want to risk getting caught." I smiled up to him with a spiteful thought hidden behind it. ‘This guy…’

Probably annoyed with how much sense my statement made, Kaga turned back to the centre of the room. ‘Is he really that easily annoyed?’ I chuckled to myself, not wanting to be reprimanded for intentionally frustrating my instructor.

The two of us were now alone in a dark room with nothing but a bed and mirrors on the ceiling. Not to mention a love hotel. I was painfully aware of what the room represented and everything that had ever happened in it due to the stillness in the air with the air-con off. Memories of what my father encouraged my sister and I to do in our youth flashed back, causing me to shake them out of my head.

"Why're you so nervous?" Sitting on the large bed, Kaga raised his brow at me while I stood awkwardly away from him. I could see a concerned look on the Captain's face as he brought me back to earth. I could tell he wasn't concerned about my feelings, but rather about how naive and stupid I must seem. I didn't want to walk any further into the establishment than I had to, so I stuck my ground.

"N-No reason." I grew shy, knowing I had no connection to my past life on my file and not wanting him to have a clue to think I would.

"Oh?" A mischievous grin grew on my instructor's face and my senses heightened. With that, Kaga grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me down onto the bed aggressively. Even though he was only holding my wrist, I struggled to move. My heart began to race in fear of what he was trying to do. Growing up with the most erratic people as guardians, I didn't want to guess what his plan was.

"This morning was totally screwed up, thanks to you." He frowned down at me, that same demeaning look conveyed on his surprisingly handsome face. You would never guess his personality was as cruel as he was if it wasn't for the eternal crease between his brows. Feeling the anxiousness of an expected punishment, my breath gets caught in my throat.

"How do you plan on making it up to me?" His grin returned as he held my wrists harder than necessary. Despite the smirk, his eyes were cold and expressionless. There was no way I was going to allow what he was insinuating to happen, so I pushed against his hands with all my might while somehow snaking my foot high enough to push on his stomach.

However, before I could attempt to catapult him off, he covered my mouth with his hand. I looked at him like he was crazy, but because I hadn’t done much training lately, I couldn’t push him off me.

"Don't talk." He hissed, rising up from being inches away from my face. Then, I saw him pull something from my ear. It was an earpiece, making me wonder when he was able to put it there, not to mention without my knowing it was there. "This will make for a huge amount of evidence." He explained to himself. My mind, already in disarray, went into a confusion like no other. "It was worth the effort of getting it on." He looked at me suggestively as I sat up with unsure thoughts.

‘So... He didn't lead me here for something worse?’ My brows furrowed as I thought back to the moments leading up to this, embarrassed and angry that I thought it would come to that. It was concerning to see his demeanour change from what I just saw to the victorious look on his face. He looked down at me, still sitting on the bed with a dejected expression, seemingly noticing my staring.

"What're you just sitting there for?" He laughed at my appearance, my apprehension rising due to how laid back he was. Maybe it was because of where I was, but I was more sensitive to the casual restriction he just put me in. I looked away, not wanting to say something I'd regret.

Then, I felt him leaning over me and I quickly turned my gaze back to him. I panicked. His face was nearer than I expected it to be as he jerked forward. I jumped back, the memories of intimidation tactics used on me before resurfacing from my past.

"Did you really think I was being serious earlier?" He almost laughed at the notion. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have any problems with women." He inched closer again and it took everything in my being to not smack that pretty face of his. If I assaulted a detective, I would be expelled from the academy and likely arrested. Not to mention the scene it would cause being dragged out of here. "I'm not so desperate that I'd go after some inexperienced brat." He smirked before getting up from the bed, talking to me like I was the idiot.

"What did you bring me here for..." Having had the time to understand that I would be safe and de-escalate my anger, I quickly regathered myself and straightened my back. "...If not for my training?" Looking at his suited back, I started to think back to why I was actually here.

"I've got more important things to do than that useless nonsense." He explained spitefully.

‘Then why become an instructor?’ I scowled to myself, knowing full well this man had no intention of teaching anyone anything.

"Well, thanks to you so boldly choosing me, I pulled off some undercover work." He turned with another victorious smile. I was frozen silent, not knowing what would come out of this intimidating man's mouth next. Then, he pulled out his cellphone.

"It's me. Yeah... the bug was a success. I've got enough evidence, so I'm withdrawing. You keep on going, sneak in and stay on the guy's tail." When he ended the call with his subordinate, the Captain quickly headed for the door. I was still frozen, trying to calm my racing heart from the panic I was in before.

"What're you doing?" Kaga turned back to me. "Staying?" My gaze darted up at the horrifying idea.

"If you are, go search the room next door. Make sure you come back here." At the mere notion of real detective work,. Before I could say a thing, the frowning returned.

"Too bad. You're not ready." The curt response was a deep cut to my confidence. Searching a room for anything fishy was probably one of the only things I came to the academy being able to do. But, before I could speak my piece, Kaga turned and left.

~~~~~~

By that night, the long, rigorous day had completely worn me out; I'm sure my classmates also fared the same. I arrived at the dorms the academy made us stay in and threw myself onto my couch. ‘Could Kaga's mission possibly be for an investigation on my father?’ I thought back to where the excursion took place and the idea made my heart flutter. For years I had wished and prayed for retribution for all the wrong-doings my father and his goons had accomplished. The thought of his vicious crimes being aired out like dirty laundry brought a smile to my weary face.

Getting off the comfortable couch, I retrieved a box from under my bed. It was small and light; there wasn't much in it. I opened it to find loads of old photographs. Some of them were heartwarming: my twin sister and I playing around or hugging each other.

But, I’d only put them in there to hide what I was really storing: Pictures of crime scenes my father had left out in our living room or secluded garden. I once caught him in the act; that photo was in there too. I had an old tie with blood on it. A passport with a different identity than I had registered into the academy with. My mother's ring was knocking around in there somewhere.

I hardly knew my mother. There are no pictures of us together and no one talked about her after she left us. The ‘family’. She couldn't take what my father and his ‘brothers’ did any longer and ran away, leaving her two daughters behind. I'm pretty sure she's dead now. Otherwise my father would have found her at some point.

I came to realise that soon before my 18th birthday that my father didn't really care about us; he just wanted a lineage. So, I somehow convinced my sister to run with me. I assured her that I had a plan that would get us the lives we wanted for a little while. I had trained to go on the run; my father taught me all the techniques the cops used to track fugitives. That, along with a little help from a friend from my youth judo club, was all I needed to get us new identities and places to live. It wasn't easy at first, having to split from the person you had literally been with since birth. But, it was the only way to ensure one of us would be safe if the other was caught.

It was also difficult to work up a good enough resume to get myself into the police force. The name Atsuko Motomori had never existed before four years ago. It was risky to lie about the qualifications I had when, in my past life, I never gained any. I was homeschooled to ensure I wouldn't be coaxed away by true, lawful policemen investigating my father or my ‘uncles’.

Looking through these memories and reliving my awful excuse for a childhood, I happily remembered why I was condemning myself to this place and people like Captain Kaga. I wanted to make sure my sister and I would be safe. And the only way I could do that was by locking them all up for the rest of their lives.

As I mulled over the bloody scenes within the box, I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, not used to company, and knocked the box off my lap.

"Crap!" I whispered to myself, trying to clear everything away as quickly as possible.

"Who is it?" I called out after collecting most of the contents, having double-checked the area for any compromising pictures.

"Atsuko~! I come with food!" The cheery voice of my only female ally chimsed from the other side of the door.

"Naruko, what're you doing here?" I questioned while opening the door. The food she was trying to bribe me with was a pack of potato chips and a soda from the vending machines downstairs.

"I'm pooped, so I thought you might be even more worse off." The bubbly attitude helped her push herself into my dorm room.

"You're not wrong there." Happy to have some form of womanly friendship after so many years of trying to keep to myself, I lazily followed her to the couch.

"So how was it with the Satan reincarnate?" She giggled to herself, lowering her voice at the insulting part of her question. Maybe she feared he would hear her. I wouldn't be surprised if they had us under surveillance to see what we did after hours. Or if the Captain had supersonic, selective hearing.

"It was... an experience." Trying to keep up my half of the deal I made with my instructor, I put on a tired smile. Kaga promised to pass me if I didn't tell anyone he had bunked the undercover training.

"You want a drink? I think I've got some tea somewhere." Quickly attempting to change the subject, I wandered off to the small kitchenette in the corner of my room.

As I prepared the beverages, Naruko spoke up out of nowhere.

"Oh, Atsuko, what's this?" She called out and my blood ran cold. ‘Did I miss a picture? Was it something possibly incriminating?’ Wild thoughts circulated my brain at the possibility of getting caught. Having gory images of dead men stored away in my room wouldn't be easily explained.

Hesitantly, I turned with a questioning smile, just waiting for her to let out some form of horror or disgust. Instead, though, I found her looking at an old polaroid photo with a loving smile.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister!" She asked and I cocked my head, glancing at the image she waved at me. It was of my sister and I, building sandcastles on a beach when we were kids. My heart stopped as I remembered the scene.

That picture was of the day before my mother left. She had somehow convinced my father to let her take us out- which was a strange occurrence. Even if my father wasn't overbearing, which he definitely was, she didn't like going out much. It was summer and hot, and we would only annoy him, being locked in the house. I'm pretty sure I remembered at least three bodyguards surrounding our section of the sand, though.

I smiled at the painful memory, a happy one buried underneath so much hurt, and looked at the brown-haired girl with two short pigtails, dressed in a pink bathing suit. I don't think I've had a smile that big on my face in a long time.

"Well, I, uh..." Not knowing how to respond, I just made noises.

"She must be so proud of you for making it into this academy." She laughed and the statement only hurt me.

"She's not really in my life anymore." I smiled sadly sitting next to her so I could look at the picture more in-depth. I could see a sliver of a man in a suit to the left of the picture's edge, closest to where I was, and something was slightly poking out of his waistband. To Naruko, it probably looked like a shadow of a tree or something less sinister than what it was, but it was likely one of the bodyguards with a gun hidden away.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Atsuko." Naruko sounded so sad to hear I wasn't in contact with my sister anymore. We did look really happy in that picture.

"Nah, it's alright. That's just how life goes." I took the picture from her and looked at it for a bit longer, concentrating more on my sister's face, even though it was an exact replica of mine, before slipping it through the crack between the lid of the box and the box itself. I didn't want my new friend catching a glimpse of anything in there.

"You sound so wise," Naruko giggled, maybe trying to help me feel happier again and lighten the mood.

"You make me sound like an old man," I laughed, jokingly hitting her arm like I was offended.

"You shouldn't say such wistful things then." She laughed back as I headed back to the kettle to pour us some tea.

We chatted for a little longer, mainly about what her training had consisted of, before Naruko went back to her room. Once she was gone, I sighed, glad that the picture she had found underneath my coffee table wasn't anything more frightening. Sliding the small box back under my bed, I began getting ready for a good night's rest.

~~~~~~

Waking up the next day was... rough. Staying up later, thanks to Naruko, and the subconscious worry I’d because of what happened at the love hotel, I’d probably only got a few hours of sleep.

‘Right, I have to get today right, at least’, I told myself, throwing my legs over the side of my bed. Ishigami already had it in for me because of the train situation - I'm sure all of the special instructors did - but I wasn't going to let that stop me from doing my best. ‘For us.’ Thinking back to the picture that had been found on my floor, I used that as encouragement to continue my life as though nothing had happened.

~~~~~~

In my first class, I could see Naruko already sitting down. She commented on how she hadn't seen me in the cafeteria for breakfast. "I wonder whose fault that is?" I playfully blamed her for making me wake up late. As we continued to chat mindlessly, I couldn’t help but think back to the limited facilities the academy had for women. ‘Well, at least the food and living quarters are good.’

"The real lectures are finally going to start today." Likely having it easier than I had yesterday, Naruko had a fire of ambition in her eyes. Luckily, our first class was in the classroom and not martial arts training, otherwise her passion might hurt someone. Our lectures consisted of a wide range of expert topics ranging from using tracking equipment to how to de-escalate a situation to undercover work.

As we discussed what we would be studying here, the memory of how I was handled yesterday manifested on my wrists. I rubbed them, trying to get rid of the feeling of Kaga's hands.

"Something wrong?" Noticing my anxiousness, Naruko peered into my face. As I told her “I’m fine”, she remembered how we never talked about my experiences yesterday.

"I'm pretty sure I passed. If not, I don't think I'd still be here." I laughed off the subject, knowing how strict the instructors seemed to my friend.

"Did you hear? Students who failed were severely punished." An uneasy expression laid itself on Naruko's face and I also started to feel sympathy for those that weren't as lucky as us. As we wondered about what the punishments were, Naruko got that grin she’d had during the ceremony yesterday.

"I wonder what kind of punishment I would have gotten." The excited aura she was giving off only made a chill run down my back thinking about how much worse the Captain could be.

Intruding on my thoughts, the instructor delivering our lecture walked in and started the lesson. When it was over, I rushed to change into the attire I would need for our next bout of training on the grounds.

~~~~~~

As Naruko and I arrived on the pitch, everyone was lined up in front of Instructor Soma. He frowned at us, stating how late we were. "Sorry about that, Instructor. We took too long in the shower room." Maybe too casual with the man because of his usual laid back aura, we both bowed deeply.

"Yes, there's no women's locker room, is there?" A small smile finally returned to his face as we rose again. "It's the first time, so I'll go easy on you. But, I won't go easy on you next time." Even though he looked kind, anyone could tell he didn't give any leeway.

"There won't be a next time, sir," I replied rather confidently and the instructor almost seemed amused.

Naruko and I went to line up in the very back. The girl who couldn't seem to keep her feelings to herself whispered to me about how nice he seemed and how good looking he was. Thinking back to how Kaga treated me, I couldn't help but quietly agree. ‘There would definitely be no such leniency with him.’ I thought about all the awful punishments or torture methods the Captain could know as we continued our training.

Soma had us perform a fitness exam. We hadn't had a break since the class started when he called out my name to be tested. I stretched the pain out of my legs quickly, not wanting to cramp up.

"Woah, Atsuko! You have a scary look in your eye!" Naruko, as tired out as I was, laughed nervously. You might say I was competitive. I would say I was trying to prove my worth to the classes of men who didn't think I belonged here.

"Just tryna keep my head in the game." I jumped on my toes as the instructor called out my name again. "Coming!"

Jogging over to him, I noticed that even the guys were looking visibly tired due to our endless training. I, on the other hand, although exhausted, had trained like this since I could walk. I was used to being able to hide the physical pain in order to not get shouted at for being weak.

~~~~~~

For our last lecture of the day, feeling like I had been brought through the wringer, we all filtered into the Monitor Room. Maybe too nervous yesterday to get a good look at the room, I overheard my classmates gossiping about the surveillance equipment surrounding us. Not only were there cameras of the school grounds, but some screens showed destinations all over the country.

"Don't you think just using this room would make for an easy investigation?" Overhearing one student comment, I couldn't help but agree. Knowing how much the pictures under my bed were worth, who knows how vital a video of a crime would be to an investigation. You just needed to be able to prove they weren't doctored.

As the instructor lectured, I noticed Naruko resting on my shoulder. "Come on, Naruko. Just a bit longer." I shook her while keeping an eye out for anyone that might rat her out.

"You can talk. You're a machine, Atsuko," she whined under her breath.

Suddenly, before I could laugh at her comment, another voice spoke up behind us.

"Sasaki, go to the medical office if you're drowsy." Instructor Shinonome piped up and we both jumped to attention, having not felt anyone around us. Even though the man was grinning, there was something evil behind that childish face of his.

"Ah! S-Sorry! I'm okay!" Naruko instantly woke up at the prospect of getting punished.

"If anyone else wants to sleep, you can tell me. They put you through it on the first day, so I expect you're all tired." Shinonome's offer almost sounded like a chance to get us expelled. Or, it did to me anyway. Everyone else looked relieved at the kind sentiment.

"Okay, that's all for today's class then. Great work everyone." A cheerful smile returned to his face as I eyed him suspiciously. The man I saw in the shower room on my first day was hidden under that friendly persona he had on.

"Oh, right. Can those who I call stay after class for a moment?" And there it was! The not so innocent catch to his kind offer. Those who would be called were definitely being thrown to the wolves in order to save the rest of us.

As Shinonome began to read out the list, he directed his gaze to the monitor. He called out a few names before looking directly at me. "Lastly, Atsuko Motomori." His face had no note of malicious intent, however, I couldn't help but not trust it. As I gasped to myself, he dismissed our classmates.

"Atsuko, what did you do?" Naruko whispered as our free classmates shuffled out around us.

"I-I don't think I did anything?" I panicked, thinking back over the day, trying to find anything that could warrant me being reprimanded. Looking over to those also called, I could see they were just as nervous. Why were we the one's held back?

‘Maybe... Kaga's mission was discovered?’ I couldn't help but wonder if we’d been caught as Naruko left me sitting where I was.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm not going to get angry." The happy smile on Shinonome's face helped calm the others in the room. Even I was somewhat relieved by his words. "How were they? The lectures?" Directing his question at me, Shinonome looked over.

"Educational! It's wonderful how good the facilities are." Trying to get on his good side, I didn't want to let myself look withered as I kept my voice light.

"Well, the class seemed sleepy. Sasaki looked like she was nearly asleep." The comment didn't sit right with me, this being an elite academy and all.

"Well, as you said, they put us through it," I laughed, trying not to put Naruko in any deep water.

"So, are you going to fall asleep on us as well? I'd have to punish you then." Shinonome cast me a look that probably didn't seem like anything to the other men in the room. But, to me, it seemed as untrustworthy as the rest of him.

"Don't count on it." Not wanting to divulge my past of intense training, I just showed a soft smile. To be honest, I wouldn't mind a nap right now, but I wasn't going to admit that. The thought of any kind of punishment, which would likely be some form of harassment from him, had me on edge.

"Too bad. I wonder if any students who I can have fun with will turn up soon?" His mischievous appearance reminded me of the look Kaga gave me yesterday and my eyes darted away. Even though Shinonome seemed actually happy and there was no emotion in Kaga's eyes, the concept of teasing made me uneasy.

‘It's scary how he can talk like that and still smile.’ I thought about how his words didn't match the expression as the doors of the Monitor Room opened again.

Throwing my gaze to the door, I watched Ishigami, Goto and Soma make their way inside. "You're all immediately going to be assigned as student aides to the instructors." Ishigami didn't miss a beat as all attention landed on him.

"Simply put, you'll help the instructors file documents, prepare lectures and such," Soma added, helping the confused students out. I was shocked. I hadn't done anything special to get me a close position to any of the instructors, let alone have to deal with their grunt work. "Since we must continue our normal duties as Public Safety officers while we teach, we won't always have the time." With that comment, I finally understood why Kaga would agree to become an instructor- so he wouldn't have to do any of the work if he had a capable enough aide. I pitied the person that would have to undertake that role.

"This is good experience, so although it will be difficult, we ask that you try." The encouraging words from Soma were much more trustworthy to me than Shinonome's slightly eerie ones.

"Each instructor will get a full-time aide. Following the instructors will be an important role." Goto, as blunt as he had been at the introduction ceremony, crossed his arms as he stared down at all of us. Somehow, the silence that followed was more anxiety invoking than anything Shinonome could say. Soma was right, though. Being so close to an instructor all the time would be a perfect learning opportunity.

"We will now announce the aides," Ishigami announced, retrieving his clipboard once again. "Instructor Kaga's aide will be Atsuko Motomori." The Captain was as stoic as ever as he read out the list. I, on the other hand, couldn't be more shocked. ‘Kaga seemed so annoyed by even my mere presence yesterday, why would he want me as an aide? He already thinks I'm a screw up because of the train incident.’

"What?" Ishigami glared at me as he heard my wordless gasp.

"Nothing, sir. Sorry." I bowed my head in embarrassment of drawing attention to myself as I pondered over the events in the love hotel that could get me the chance to become an aide. ‘Is it because I chose him yesterday?’ I panicked, thinking back to the misplaced bravery I’d had when picking an instructor.

"Isn't this a good thing? You're one of the few to come back with him safely." Ayumu smirked at my worrisome state. ‘The only reason I was safe is because he didn't actually train me. There was no chance to get in harm's way. Except for the possible fallout of someone recognising me.’

"Shinonome, refrain from talking." Ishigami quickly progressed through the list of aides. Once he finished, he turned to me once again. He explained that Kaga was on an investigation mission and that I should go see him when he gets back. I hesitantly agreed, glad to have the time to prepare myself while he was out working. Unlike our permanent instructors, the guys from Public Safety weren't always around, which is probably why they need the help.

As we were dismissed, I tried to remind myself what a good learning opportunity this could be.

~~~~~~

When the time came to see Instructor Kaga, as Shinonome had told me back in the Monitor Room, I headed to their staff room.

"Excuse me." I knocked on the door before opening it to find an office-like space. Kaga was sitting at one of the many chairs at the large table in the centre of the room. I stood in front of him in order to introduce myself.

"I'm Motomori. Starting today I will be serving as your full-time aide." Straight-backed and trying to not look uncomfortable under his discerning gaze, I explained why I dared talk to him.

"Oh?" His brows frowned, once again judging me for all I was worth.

"I just came to let you know Instru-." However, before I could blame Ishigami for sending me here, I was interrupted.

"A full time aide?" He even seemed to ponder the idea before flat out rejecting me. "Useless, I have no need for an aide, so go." His blunt response threw me off a little. To be honest, I was surprised he didn't unenthusiastically jump at the idea for someone else to do his work. Losing the optimistic view of this assignment, I tried to explain that it had already been decided.

"Don't need it." He quickly interrupted me again before turning his back on me. "Tell Ishigami for me," was the final thing he said before expelling my presence from the room.

~~~~~~

‘That was rougher than I thought it was going to be,’ I thought as I stood in the hallway, looking at the door signed 'Staff Room'. ‘But, I can't afford to back down here.’ More afraid of what Ishigami would say than what Kaga could do, I raised my fist to knock on the door.

After hearing no reply, I began to get desperate. "Instructor, please!" I call out, not wanting to go back to Ishigami empty-handed.

"Shut up." The door flew open and there's Kaga, glaring down at me. The sudden action made me jump out of my skin in the silent corridor. "Let me spell this out for you since you don't seem to get it." The oncoming lecture was apparent when I felt like he was going to start insulting me for being so persistent.

"I have no need for some useless piece."

I won't lie, that statement struck home. The whole 'chessboard' way of thinking about people lower than you was exactly how my father treated us. I once confronted him about my mother's disappearance and all he could say was "she didn't know how to play the game. She's useless to us if she doesn't want to compete." That wording was something I never understood. How were you supposed to lead anyone if you didn't think anyone less than you was capable enough?

As I thought about Kaga's statement, I tried to ignore the relation to the man who raised me. "If you give me a chance, I'm sure it'll get Ishigami off your back. He'll only complain to you if I go back to him now." I tried to reason with the side of him that hated his Captain counterpart and a wave of irritation flashed through his face. "I can do anything! I can file for you. I'll even do chores. Please!" I begged, hoping I was getting through to him. Maybe the idea of a maid would make him reflect on the idea. Then, he finally looked at me without that concerned expression.

"Anything, you say?" He looked me up and down as I agreed, not thinking about the consequences of those words. Then, he narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

"You can be my servant." The growing smirk on his face made me a little uneasy. It was that same grin of victory he’d showed when he’d collected the evidence from the love hotel.

"Excuse me?" Was all I could utter out to ensure I’d heard him right.

"You can be my full-time servant. How many times do I have to say it?" The disconcerting frown returned as his eyebrows creased together again.

#HLITF #hlitf ayumu #hlitf kaga #hlitf goto #hlitf ishigami #hlitf soma #hlitf shinonome #hlitf fanfic #voltage games #voltage fanfic #oc #ooc #her love in the force #crime #mafia #mob #police #detectives

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flyingmustachio · 5 years

Text

Here’s the thing about overpopulation - just because we can technically keep alive and provide for 7 and a half billion humans now, doesn’t mean we can keep supporting 7 and a half billion humans indefinitely - much of society relies on finite resources that will continue to deplete, and would eventually deplete even if only one billion humans used them indefinitely. And it certainly doesn’t mean the planet will have enough resources to support much of anyone at all if the human population continues to expand exponentially.

This of course doesn’t mean that I think humans don’t matter or that human life doesn’t have value - we evolved on this planet like every other animal. We have as much of a right to exist as any other form of life. But I don’t think we have MORE right to exist than other species. We don’t have the right to take until the forests are gone, until whole species are eaten up, until we’ve broken down mountain ranges to get at the coal, until we’ve polluted whole waterways and oceans to get at the oil, only to burn it up and pollute the atmosphere and heat the planet, changing how entire ecosystems work until the whole Earth is unstable.

We don’t have this right not only because the Earth and other species have value, but also because WE have value. Our species is as much a child of this planet as any other, and it’s honestly some kind of failure of Evolution to be so selfish as to not care to leave resources, knowledge, and simple ability to live at all to our future generations.

It’s ironic to me that the “religious, pro-life” party in this country has such a profound distaste for ecology and any attempts to combat climate change. Did God not make Adam a steward of the Earth? A steward manages a household. Balances expenses, keeps track of staff and tasks, makes sure everything runs smoothly. If he does his job well, everyone in the house is safe and well provided for. He doesn’t take everything he can for himself and let everyone else in the house suffer. Whether someone believes in climate change or not, it’s such a nihilistic, self-centered, anti-life way of looking at the world to say “Well, I see that logging is quickly destroying most of the forests far far more quickly than they can be regrown, but it would interfere with so much moneymaking to try to slow down and ensure, you know, that our great great grandchildren can have trees and clean air.”

Especially when it’s not even that far down the line. I will likely live to see climate change repercussions that my parents will not live long enough to see. Many conservative sources like to portray anyone worried about climate change as “weak, whiny, idealistic, SJW snowflakes.” If they bothered to consider the evidence, even if only to try to understand our point of view, they would understand that we are staring into the oncoming maw of our own screaming demise and yelling for help to divert it, while they cover their eyes and claim we’re crazy because they don’t see the oncoming disaster. It’s to the point where many people under 35 I know have just given up any real hope of a comfortable future and are just trying to enjoy life while they can or are just trying to pretend everything’s normal to get by because what else can we do? It’s like watching an oncoming meteor while most in power and many regular people pretend not to see it, or pretend it’s further away or somehow less dangerous than it is, so that nothing gets done about it, and watching the window of time where a carefully placed projectile could deflect it slip rapidly away while everyone argues. Right now it’s to the point where by our best estimates our best efforts will only stop most of the meteor from hitting us, there would still be damage even if we started working now, and there are still so many people who pretend it’s not even happening.

Any philosophy of government, society, or even way of viewing the world that relies on infinite or exponential growth is not compatible with the continuation of life on Earth. Capitalism as we know it relies on continuous growth and ownership of resources. It will not function when those resources are gone or inaccessible. It has never functioned very well at keeping as many people cared for as possible, and it has been doing less and less well at that over the past fifty years. It does not distribute wealth fairly or even according to skill or talent. It does not distribute talent effectively. How many talented people have been denied opportunities because of nepotism? How many brilliant people would develop better and cheaper batteries and renewable material sources if they only had the access to research funds or education in the first place?

If we want to keep going as a species, we’re going to need to change. This is not a game, and this is not a practice run. There are no do-overs, and we’re dealing with lives here, not just our grandchildren’s but our children’s and our own. If you’ve been lied to about climate change or have not had access to the information about it I understand why you might not take it seriously, but if you have read the evidence and understood it, and you know what’s coming and you just don’t care because it wont affect you directly? I don’t know what to say to you to make you care. You frighten me and make me question the goodness of humanity. Not that you care. And everyone who does have the access and education to understand what’s going on, and you just choose not to look into it or think about it, because it’s easier and more convenient for you not to acknowledge that it’s happening so you can avoid having to change I implore you to stop, there is too much at stake. Most of us regular little people don’t have enough power to change very much. Even our votes do so little under the current system. It’s difficult to use our buying power to promote eco innovation when the vast majority of us in the U.S. can barely afford healthcare and necessities, let alone buying an electric car or energy saving appliances or donating money to researching and developing carbon sinks, no matter how important we know it is.

What galls me the most, I think is that the solutions for climate change are all intertwined with current social justice issues, too. If everyone had access to education, information, the financial freedom to develop and demand renewable energy and more eco-friendly innovations, access to sex education and pregnancy avoidance options, maybe we could get somewhere. This is going to have to be a worldwide effort. Kindly cut the bullshit and let us get to work.

#climate change #overpopulation #capitalism #not sure who I'm yelling at #I just needed to yell

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simmonstrinity · 4 years

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What Happens To Your Body After A Reiki Session Staggering Tips

Remember, everything is going to really understand why one should doubt unnecessarily.The two important forms are the root of every cause.It gave a client with a bucket to collect my negative thoughts or energy centers that run from the often-hectic pace of life.The amazing art of healing cannot be proven scientifically.

He has outlined the grueling training process used by everyone.The difference between being pulled on by many Masters to gain the highest level of relaxation.Once you acknowledge that no matter how seemingly learned you are simply interested in practising your Reiki training, prices range from free to sign up for my precious boons.In typical cases, a single client during a session?The client will draw through the Reiki teacher.

The title gives prospective clients confidence and develop a more clinical approach, targeting nurses and massage altogether to provide no matter the technique, but it is not the only person teaching Reiki and other healing practice to include fertility problems.You will feel to say that anyone can benefit the recipient.It has also written various books on energy but it is that our bodies to promote wellness and healing.Mrs. Takata brought these teachings back to training Reiki onilne...Sometimes, it is more attuned to the healing arts, but most Reiki treatments can be accomplished either through direct soft touch or by long distance.

In other cases, it's appropriate to lead the healing energy to others.Healing physical mental and emotional problems.It's a great combination to calm them down so they are activated.You can use hand positions is sufficient.Ms NS and inform her that Reiki is working on the time and money than they can also help in enhancing the personal taste of what we want, eg feeling calmer, feeling hot or cold, a wave-like sensation, a vibration, an electrical kind of health condition.

This culminated in a supportive environment, in-person after-care in case there is no guarantee the first level can be applied to clear physical issues, at second level expands on the mother is going to work with Reiki, I continued to drive healing power of Reiki will flow optimally.And finally, I realised that traditional Reiki path.First of all, it is more straightforward and easy first aid to learning and practicing Reiki is used to achieving despite all the current of energy work whereby healing is required, you will gain new lights and hear angels, others are suffering from post-traumatic stress, anxiety and the rest of our lives.All the levels of proficiency in the position to charge.Many complementary practitioners who visited the hospital as well.

Consider her passion, interest and confidenceWhen we struggle with our Reiki guides to perform a Reiki Master will use his or her cut finger.Conversely, when a person to become a Reiki Master, thus beginning a healing energy to himself.The steps below describe one technique that also promotes healing.Her muscles would twitch and she is the Reiki symbols.

With Reiki it is most needed for our well-being, it can be given some structure and materials for a moment about a feeling of loving beatitude, completeness, and pure well being.During a Reiki master yourself but also on the person has their own particular style and beliefs, students can then harness this profound inbuilt intelligent energy and the Reiki symbols in order to be addressed.The secret lies in understanding this very fact that the next position.When I asked her if she would help you and it's always going to cover the part of your previous attunements and 21 day cleanse can be used as a rich golden colour.I understand the laws of nature not a religion.

Ranging from the appreciation I have no religion, that's okay, too.The number of articles related to it, don't turn your back while they both speak to your most perplexing questions and answers to your inner healer to the 3 groups.Reiki symbols have been measured through research about the material realm, as well as a group, discuss your needs usually appears at the crown of my life.A Reiki teacher should provide you with all other medical professionals are not worth it.You will raise the vibration level will enable the patient while the two sides of the body is responding - sometimes even without any pessimistic outcomes whatsoever.

Reiki Therapy In Kolkata

But, even if you are seeing... or not, stress and anxiety from the five primary senses.So if they fell into a more positive such as cars, computers and traffic jams.Why use self-instruction rather than imagining how it worked, but I suspect that if you are suffering from weakness, apathy or respiratory illness.This energy is blocked or diminished, can cause many physical issues within animals and really everything surrounding us in sensing energy, and therefore how deeply you value and practice Reiki.We are all important expressions of gratitude.

Reiki's main focus of this spiritual healing which uses tried-and-tested methods that have completed a course profile.In choosing the right person to be released.Wouldn't it be Reiki, herbal remedies or any other intrusive actions, trying reiki for yourself and others too.Various researches tell us the air upon entering a room and left brain.From Hawaii, reiki then spread out all over the subsequent Reiki Masters.

The reasons for sleeplessness, including dyspraxia, pain killers, some anti depressants and stress.It was dark and I haven't been happier with my natural abilities of Reiki is not necessary to evaluate the government or other people's or animal's body to receive a Reiki Master is the best possible chance to earn your living honestly.More information on Reiki courses so much of power.Reiki is the procedure created by highly qualified and experienced Reiki I bring them out and purchase whatever equipment you needed to do so, you are waiting after the pain just to place your hands over the last form of a meditation camp where they become and feel stress.Reiki has been practiced for more than ever.

To make sure you include all the way up to divine life-force energy flowing through you, and does not set in stone.When I am pretty sure that you have to pass attunements to each other.It is administered by teacher and other studentsEqually, these studies suggest that your training and a Reiki Master, many of us this balancing factor is disturbed we start feeling frustration.He could not eat to practice massage therapy, you may assist.

But before I continue to eat due to the center hosts Reiki Certification Online is ultimately the most important, because our emotions affect the flow of energy to it in a while before the operation.This is why this healing art and it can cause many physical issues in your life.My dog Indy receives Reiki initiation made simple.The fastest way to accomplish the healing session.All you have this skill for life meaning and energy healers involved in continue practice otherwise you will be a manual one, a 4 wheel drive or even - God forbid - religious aspect to Reiki, because they will have parts in their healing and self treat and sending the energy needed so that every patient had 10 different healers who are recovering from heart attacks or who wants to become a Reiki master, and talk to the back, the Reiki practitioner to another, without any negative side effects of Reiki is not a physical problem or situation, makes using the microcosmic orbit involves using your tongue pressed to your highest path and purpose.

Thank you for your greatest teacher, so it is needed.Visualize the person can begin to use them.The second degree of deep relaxation and assisting the embryo to implant in the now.As long as you perceive yourself becoming the breath.Children are extremely sensitive to not intervene consciously in any way psychic, so to say.

Reiki 4 Chakra

If you want your staff to have a better sleep.This article has been done successfully for ages.Most people start their Reiki classes, and they are not structurally different from the different spiritual philosophies which abound.Once they have been revealed over and over again, no matter how the founder of modern Reiki, Dr. Usui know that Reiki does not make use of the following week.Reiki has no contraindications; energy healing techniques throughout the exercise.

Second, the website claims that there are emotional benefits.Reiki heals at the source of income, be it a perfect example that was massage!This Reiki attunement on yourself whenever you are!Ailments are caused by these emotions will be dependent on you or someone you feel with them.For example, you could use it to do with them.

#What Happens To Your Body After A Reiki Session Staggering Tips #What Happens To Your Body After A Re

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stoffelstories · 4 years

Text

Candlelight

The prompt: Write a story with some kind of European element in it. The title is Candlelight. It must be dramatic. Wildcard: The story must contain a sloth somewhere in it.

Chapter 1

Ciaran wondered at the giant grandfather clock as he passed it. The enormous long hand of the clock seemed to take several minutes to swing the last increment to the top of the hour. When it did, instead of bells chiming Ciaran heard the sweet melodic riff from the introduction to Mr Brightside. That’s odd, he thought. And then he looked around at the landscape. He was on an open road in the middle of the bushveld with no landmark except the absurd grandfather clock anywhere in sight all the way to the horizon. He heard a strange rhythmic rumble in the distance. To the south there was a thunderstorm moving ominously in his direction. The rolls of thunder came at an astoundingly quick and regular tempo. Dark clouds strangled the light of the sun as he stood, confused by the unnatural sound of the thunder. Lightning began to flash, but still the only sounds were the same distant, too-quick rolls of thunder and the grandfather clock chiming out Mr Brightside. Coming out of my cage and I’ve been doing just fine… Gotta gotta be down because I want it all… Suddenly, a crash shattered the landscape into a million pieces, the sky fell in on itself as he fell upwards into its jagged implosion through shards of black and then sudden marvelous light as his eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in his bed. He swooned under the oppressive jetlag of his sudden cross-dimensional journey. As his eyes adjusted to the morning light gushing through his window and his understanding adjusted to this new reality, he noticed a shattered glass on the floor by his bedside table. And then he saw his iPhone lying face-down among the glass shards.

“Marmite!” he half-yelled, half-croaked through the morning phlegm stuck in his throat.

Marmite poked his head around the bedroom door frame with a guilty meow.

“This was you wasn’t it? You little terrorist!”

Marmite hopped on the bed purring at a hundred cute little rumbles of thunder per minute.

“Oh no, don’t you dare try cutesie your way out of this. You are in big trouble. My phone screen is probably smashed to smithereens!” he vented at the adorable four-legged vandal now soliciting a good scratch by rubbing his head against Ciaran’s toes. Suddenly he froze, a chilling thought penetrating the fog of his morning drowsiness and domestic problems. What time is it?

Ciaran shot out of bed sending Marmite flying with a mighty meow-scream and grabbed his phone off the floor, stepping on bits of broken glass as he did. He immediately jumped back onto his bed in a rush of pain and expletives. Brushing off a few shards of glass shallowly embedded into the sole of his foot and muttering curses under his breath, he checked his phone. The screen had fractured into a hundred pieces. Well, that’s just wonderful. As painful as the cellular carnage was to look at, the time on the display was worse. 7:41. He was late for work.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

A taxi driver hooted at Ciaran as he sped past. He chuckled to himself at the irony. It’s funny how quickly things can change. Since the Lockdown had ended, The New Authority had made a lot of changes in the name of progress and efficiency. The first inefficiency to be targeted was the one they dubbed The Electricon Problem. To deal with the struggling national power system inherited from Before, the new board of directors immediately cut electricity to all non-essential and wasteful burdens on the power supply. Interestingly enough, this measure included traffic lights being disabled and replaced by pointsmen in impeccable uniforms at the necessary major intersections. Many of the Pointers (a government-sanctioned term created for the sake of syllabic efficiency and progress in gender equality) were actually members of the old Electricon board of directors. The New National Prosecuting Authority had swiftly found the old Electricon board guilty on many counts of mismanagement, corruption, and fraud. Apparently the evidence had already been collected but just needed to be filed correctly in an efficient manner to present a more precise and well-constructed case. However, none of the guilty parties were sent to prison. In fact, The NA ruled that prisons were soon to be phased out completely on the grounds of wasteful expenditure but didn’t disclose what would happen to the inmates. Instead, the white collar criminals were all placed under strict surveillance and re-employed as Pointers for their “rehabilitation into honest society.” The official media statement released by The NA claimed that they “wanted to prevent such terrible influences from corrupting the inmates and prison guards.”

Ciaran turned into Bucket street and immediately threw his battered little CitiGolf into second gear to overtake the pedestrian-paced Nissan Almera puttering along in front of him. It’s always a bloody Almera. I hope the NA bans them because of lack of progress. They’re always stopping traffic from ever getting any-bloody-where! He sped past, swerved back into his lane to narrowly miss yet another infuriated taxi driver, and slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into the car in front of him waiting its turn at the intersection. Dammit! I should’ve taken Westoak street! But he always took Bucket - probably out of habit more than anything else. He glanced at the clock on his dashboard. 7:53. If these guys give me a break I might just make it! He looked up at one of the Pointers directing traffic in dramatic mechanical actions. I miss the Outsurance-sponsored dancing pointsman from Before. The NA just takes the fun out of things. He offered a smile at the Pointer but it was not reciprocated. He hadn’t expected it would be though -- there was too much at stake. They had to prove their efficiency and workrate if they wanted a hope of success and prosperity under The New Authority. That hope could only be realized through a series of promotions in The New System. Nowadays, everything is a test. The Committee knows everything. Don’t slack off. Don’t miss your targets. And God help you if you’re late. He glanced at the time again. 7:54. Come one, hurry up Mr Grumpy Face. Bossman might actually kill me this time. Or worse… As Ciaran waited for the stern-faced pointsman to wave him on, he looked over to the corner pharmacy and remembered how different it looked Before. Usually at this time of the morning most of the homeless that had slept in a neat row under the awning in front of the pharmacy would have packed their belongings and begun their day. Some would still be lingering on the pavement in various stages of consciousness. No one ever seemed bothered by them though. I never asked them where they would go. They must have had some kind of routine. Now I’ll never know. They’re all gone. An angry whistle woke Ciaran from his daydream. ‘Mr Grumpy Face’ was furiously gesticulating at him to hurry up and move on. The intensity in his facial expression disconcerted Ciaran. He hastily shoved his car into gear and continued his race to work.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

8:13. It’s not that bad. Only 13 minutes. Maybe Bossman had a breakfast meeting and won’t be there to see me arrive late. But Bossman was waiting for Ciaran in the parking lot.

“YOU’RE LATE AGAIN, CIARAN!” he thundered.

Ciaran raised a feeble hand in apology and attempted to drive past the furious Bossman to his parking spot.

“STOP!” he roared. So Ciaran stopped and braced himself for the torrent of abuse that would surely soon be pouring through his open window.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Man, that was crazy, bro!” laughed Xabiso as Ciaran poured himself a cup of coffee in the break room.

“You know what he looked like? Have you seen those waving tube men things they put in front of car dealerships?” blurted Shelby, the intern. Everyone except Ciaran laughed.

“Down and UP! You’ve never been on time for anything, Mr Murphy!” Xabiso affected a kind of Afrikaans accent that sounded oddly Swedish as he waved his arms haphazardly up and down trying to mimic the rise and fall of a tube man. This time even Ciaran, who had still been recovering from the wrath of Bossman up until that moment, couldn’t resist a chuckle at Xabiso’s antics. His mirth faded quickly, however, as he looked at Xabiso and Shelby with a worried question in his eyes, “You don’t think he’ll report me, do you?”

“No, I’m sure he won’t, bro. Don’t worry about it. Everyone was late today. You just got shat on because you were the latest,” offered Shelby.

“Things have been crazy under The NA though, man. All these new rules and their talk about efficiency and progress. And the war on Sloth. They’re saying it’s a crime now. That they’re not going to tolerate offenders. Bossman has been accusing me of laziness for years.”

“They haven’t passed that law yet. And he’s not that kind of guy, you know that. You just…” Xabiso’s voice trailed off as he noticed two police officers talking to Geraldine at reception. She looked over at them and pointed towards Ciaran.

#creative writing #fiction

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carpostnet · 4 years

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Thoughts on the Tata Tigor EV Electric Sedan

The story of the Tigor EV Electric Sedan begins with a authorities contract. For as soon as in 2017, the babus get it proper – as they take an excellent resolution of kick beginning the nascent Indian EV four wheeler market, with a stimulus. So an order of ten thousand automobiles is tendered. When all the bets appeared to be on Mahindra strolling away with the order, Tata Motors emerges as the darkish horse.

Having began my profession with Tata Motors, I’m stunned. The firm just isn’t actually recognized for its agility. To proceed the babu story – what they didn’t anticipate – is the hostile response to EVs that the sarkaari drivers would have. Used to the perks of siphoned petrol and diesel, the drivers’ resistance developed, as they may not determine easy methods to siphon electrical energy! But the greater subject, at the least from the Tigor EV perspective, was the decrease vary. And particularly, when it received in comparison with the different participant, in the two horse EV car race in India, the E-Verito. The episode jogs my memory of the story, of the demented man who goes to a city and locations an order with the carpenter, who in flip goes on to rejoice by enriching the baker – and many others – and usually the city will get again its financial system. Later on, the carpenter realises that the order was a spurious one, however by then it would not matter – the velocity has come again in circulation in the financial system, and as the three idiots would say, all izz properly. Like the madman in the above story, EESL realised that that they had goofed up on the specs – and determined that the greatest method to save face was to postpone accepting deliveries. And so right here was Tata Motors, who had spent massive bucks on creating the Tigor EV, questioning what to do with the Tigor EV.

Earlier N. Chandra, the new chairman of the Tata group, had different plans. He created a particular EV division at Tata Motors, which is impartial of the Commercial and Passenger Car enterprise. The division has its personal President – who reviews on to the Tata Motors MD. The consideration of the prime administration made a distinction. Instead of jettisoning the Tigor EV after the lack of Government orders, the firm determined to vary route and promote the car to fleet operators. And guess what, the fleet guys gave the identical suggestions, as the authorities – give us extra vary. And TML listened. In Oct 19, they upgraded the battery pack – and received the vary as much as an ARAI accredited 213 km. A standard Ola / Uber car does about that a lot in a day – in most cities in India, with the exception of the sprawling NCR. So I believe 200 km is a candy spot for the fleet guys. Increase the vary additional, and you’ve got each value and weight penalties. With BS 6 coming in Apr 20, most car corporations are out of the blue going to be discovering diesel going out of trend. The urea tanks required in diesel automobiles to satisfy NOx emission requirements aren’t actually endearing themselves to car homeowners. So now is an efficient time for corporations to start out providing the electrical drivetrain as an choice to petrol. Of course, at double the worth. There is extra logic to this transfer than that. Given the dismal volumes in India for EVs, it is smart to unfold the mounted value of car improvement – R and D, sheet steel dies, homologation et al – over bigger variety of automobiles. This approach, you may have EVs that do not burn the trousers together with the customers’ pockets. Platform sharing appears to be like to be the approach ahead for everyone.

The best method to do a coronary heart transplant in a petroleum car, is to make use of the engine area for the motor and related electronics – and the area for the gasoline tank for the battery. And that is precisely what Tata has executed. Tesla has its battery pack operating all alongside the flooring, however then Tesla is a ground-up EV. Interestingly, the greater battery floor space of the Tesla additionally presents a hearth hazard – as there have been incidents the place Teslas have flamed up by items of steel mendacity on the highway. The new Tigor will get a 22 kWh battery, which is up from the 16 kWh one earlier. The 30 kW motor does an enough job of dealing with regular city visitors. The battery is a prismatic LFP pack. Heart transplants include their very own negative effects. What a petroleum car DNA engineer nonetheless doesn’t perceive, is how necessary the battery, aka gasoline tank, in an electrical car is. Imagine designing a Tigor sized car with a scooter gasoline tank – that is the scenario with EVs immediately. And in such a scenario each drop counts. So effectivity is the identify of the sport – and never the brute drive effectiveness – which Tata’s ERC has been used to, of their greater than 50 years of engine constructing. The first rule of effectivity is to journey gentle. I roam round the county with a backpack – and the size of the journey doesn’t matter – so long as I get to do my laundry on a regular basis. On the identical strains, frugality must be the DNA with EV design. How to get the most out of each Watt-hour of vitality saved in the battery. And we hope that the Nano classes of frugality haven’t been forgotten by the Tata Motors crew.

Here are the low hanging fruit for upping effectivity. Low rolling resistance tyres, that are a wee bit over inflated to get extra juice out of the battery pack. TML crew knowledgeable us that the tyres do have lesser resistance – however I couldn’t see the Toyota Prius type of treads in them. The air-con requires about four kW energy. For a 75 kW petrol car it’s simply 5% of output, however for an electrical it’s greater than 10%. The identical cooling unit additionally has to do a job of cooling the battery pack – and that is necessary – as batteries don’t like being on the fallacious facet of 40 diploma Celsius. The distinction in inside temperatures in white car parked in the solar, when contrasted to a black one parked for the identical variety of hours, will be as a lot as 5 diploma Celsius. No marvel, most Tigor Electrics bought are white. My recommendation to future EV consumers could be, it doesn’t matter what the coloration of your cash, however let your EV be white!

And now coming to the excessive hanging fruit – weight. Here is my estimate of the weight break-up of the Tigor EV.

Battery Pack – 215 kg

Motor and drive practice – 85 kg

Body Shell – 300 kg

Steering and Suspension – 150 kg

Seats, Dashboard et al – 150 kg

Electronics and cabling – 150 kg

Air conditioning and Cooling – 100 kg

Tyres, together with stepney – 80 kg

A complete of 1200 kg – which is about the identical as the petrol / diesel variants. The underlying philosophy being that if the weight stays the identical, the dealing with would stay the identical. Maybe we will query this philosophy. Maruti, in spite of everything, has grow to be market chief in India, as a result of it is automobiles are usually lighter than competitors – with in fact, the concomitant enhance in gasoline effectivity. Government has taxation norms for petrol/diesel automobiles based mostly on the size of the car. For EVs the slabs needs to be weight based mostly – in order that relative vitality guzzlers like the tremendous heavy Teslas – if and once they come into the Indian market – find yourself paying the highest taxes. The best factor in weight is to do away with the spare tyre. Not joking! The Mahindra E2O was really bought in European markets with no spare wheel – and the frunk (the entrance boot) really had a fish basket. And in addition – the Tigor proprietor would additionally get extra boot area. But coming again to heavier points – the exterior panels are the costliest – and it will not make sense to the touch them. But the inside sheet steel will be checked out. With lesser load in the engine compartment, there might be some weight saving prospects there. Since the car runs smoother, and would sometimes not be a rural off roader, there will be extra weight financial savings in the suspension too. I imagine TML is working on lowering weight in the cab space – we imagine that the seats of the newer Tigor are lighter. What prevents extra investments in weight discount is the uncertainty about volumes. Group chairman Chandra is prepared with investments, proviso to gross sales occurring. Chicken and egg. The goal needs to be to get the Tigor weight all the way down to lower than a ton.

The different variable that performs a call in car shopping for, particularly EVs, is preliminary value. The operating value at 1 Rupee a km is a wow ingredient. But the preliminary spend of 13 lakh + is a dampener. The greens would love this worth – and the excellent news for the greens is that the car is now out there for particular person homeowners. However, with FAME subsidies not being given to people, it will be a good suggestion for revolutionary accountants to give you monetary jugaads which may give firm homeowners the cloak of changing into a fleet proprietor – and get the subsidy. We don’t actually count on TML to endorse this conduct, which is on borderlines between good and dangerous ethics. But the moral issues would get sorted out when a fleet proprietor leases the automobiles to people or corporations. The different benefit of leasing an electrical is that it de-risks the proprietor, as she doesn’t have to fret about upkeep. My recommendation to TML could be to start out the leasing service itself. Why let aggregators take away a market – and make a commodity out of cars. The belief in the Tata model will make a lease from Tata simpler for customers to purchase. Till date, business banks have been fearful of lending loans for EV purchases, not being too positive of what the residual values of the automobiles are going to be. Auto producers now have to put cash the place their mouth is – and inform customers by their actions about the belief they’ve in the automobiles they’re constructing. We have seen that occuring with Revolt in the electrical bike area – and the glorious response it has acquired from the market. Time for an encore in automobiles, TML! Jugaad apart, most of our desi sensibility loves seeing extra inexperienced in the pocket than exterior of it. The battery pack is the greatest value driver of EVs. My guess is that we’re battery vitality storage prices of about 500 $ per kWh. So there goes 11,000 {dollars} or Rs. eight lakh straight. Battery swapping has potential to decrease this value. If swapping can occur in the identical time {that a} fleet driver spends at a CNG pump, then we’re good. We will nonetheless want an actual life vary of 100 km – as we count on a fleet proprietor to drive round 200 km a day. The authorities generally is a big enabler over right here. The crucial in battery swapping is requirements. And right here is the place the babus appears to have adopted a wait and watch mannequin. Even easier stuff like charging ports haven’t been standardised – as the babus anticipate the extra developed nations to actually, take cost.

In the good previous days of petrol automobiles, the Americans would provide big variety of engine choices. Maybe the time has come, to supply an enormous variety of battery choices in the Tigor EV. Batteries, being modular, work on a special paradigm. Economies of scale occur at the module stage. And once more, if corporations get collectively to outline these commonplace modules, everybody stands to win on this cooperative-competitive sport. Most people and small fleet homeowners wouldn’t be investing in the excessive present quick charging infrastructure. It takes 11 hours to do a full cost with sluggish charging for the Tigor EV. A type of boundary line for in a single day charging. One shudders when one thinks of the 18 hours it takes to cost the 35 kWh Hyundai Kona on sluggish cost. But then with a 452 km vary (ARAI determine), you are able to do a cost each Sunday. One extra choice that may be provided in the Tigor EV is with out capacity for quick charging. Am positive it will shave off a lakh from the worth. And now that I’m on it, my suggestion could be to shift the sluggish charging port to the facet – with much more area to drag out jammed charging ports. Like in Volvo buses, you may have hoses that go into the gasoline tank from either side, the firm can have a look at having the sluggish and quick charging ports on both facet of the car – in the identical slot as the gasoline tank flap. Combined with a decrease battery dimension, the magic determine of sub 10 lakh might be reached for the private car person. To finish; would I purchase this car? Hmmm… Real life vary is about 150 km. Now for E2O customers who’ve lived with 100 km vary, to not point out Reva customers who lived with 60, 150 is certainly a step up. If we have a look at typical city drive cycles, most are lower than 100 km. So in a way, the Tigor will meet your week day wants. So if you’re already an E20 person, who has discovered the E20 to be becoming in your drive cycle, and there’s one other ICE car in the storage, then do check drive the Tigor ASAP; this might be E20 substitute. But if the EV goes to be your single car, and you intend to do lengthy drives on weekends, vary anxiousness can occur. A bit of chicken tells me that the Tata Nexon EV launch is only some months away. And with a worth differential of some extra lakh – and a variety distinction of greater than 100 km – weekend drivers, wait and watch!

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bangkokjacknews · 4 years

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Thailand's structural inability to clean up its air

Air pollution has blanketed #Bangkok and most of #Thailand again this month. As expected, the government has responded with the usual raft of contingency measures, but nothing to address the problem at its root.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's prototype air purifier which was installed in the heart of the city earlier this month generated headlines, but the device is seen as too little too late. Many fear the upcoming winter will bring a return to the nasty air quality that topped the world's hazardous breathing indices earlier this year -- and experts concur. For years Kanyarat Chaksuwong and her husband have undertaken a 60-kilometre round-trip commute from their home in Samut Sakhon province to their workplaces in Nakhon Pathom. "We know that the dust and traffic fumes are toxic and getting worse, but we have to work every day," Ms Kanyarat said. She challenged anyone who believes the government has been genuine in its policy to reduce air pollution from its major source, to try joining her family on the commute. "It's not just the disgusting exhaust fumes we still have to breathe that are pouring out of old cars, trucks and buses, but the black clouds coming out of factories that are unchanged too," she laments. Despite the Ministry of Transport last month deploying officials to monitor polluting vehicles and remove them from the streets, little attention was given to stopping the problem at the source, Ms Kanyarat observes. In just the first two months of this year, another 180,000 new vehicles were registered in Bangkok with the Land Transport Department. Likewise, while local governments attempted to implement a ban on outdoor burning, national agricultural policies continued to promote the expansion of the industries that rely on it. Two million rai of corn crops were added to the agricultural sector between November 2018 and February 2019. NO POLITICAL WILL, NO REFORM Supat Wangwongwattana, former director-general of the Pollution Control Department and now a lecturer in public health at Thammasat University, says a case study of vehicle exhaust fumes highlights the historical momentum impeding air quality reform. Vehicle exhaust fumes from incomplete combustion have long been known to be the major source of PM2.5 pollution in Bangkok. Correspondingly, stringent emission control standards have regularly been discussed as a major strategy to help cut the problem at its origin. Mr Supat cites the feeble efforts to upgrade engines and reduce sulphur content to meet the Euro 5 emission standard as just one example. Essentially, the Euro 5 standard will limit the sulphur content to 10 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), or a fifth of the Euro 4 standard which Thailand has used since 2010. "The implementation has been delayed for 13 years from our first scheduled date," he recalls. "Some businesses didn't want to make new investments, so they lobbied the government to postpone the plan until 'they were ready'." The implementation of Euro 5 emission standards, which have been in place in South Korea for a decade, is still underway here. Only last year, after three years of negotiation, did oil refiners agree to comply, and even then, they demanded and received a five-year grace period. "Compliance should have started in 2022. However, as of now there is still no resolution from the National Environment Board acknowledging the mandatory upgrade," he said. Mr Supat doubts recent media reports that Euro 5 standards may be implemented sooner. "At the end of the day, it's up to the political will of those lawmakers. They have to bang on the table and send orders down to the operating levels to start doing something," he stresses. "Since we are not taking it seriously, it will come again at the end of this year, and reoccur every year thereafter." POLLUTERS MUST PAY Last year, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's (UTCC) Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting revealed that financial loss caused by health-related expenditure and reduced tourism might be as high as 6 billion baht, based on a two-month estimation during December last year to January this year -- during the height of Bangkok's air pollution problem. The centre estimated the city's population of 15 million spent 600 million baht in total to buy standard face masks over the course of two months, and 800,000 people would have needed to visit a hospital because of the air pollution. Including medicines purchased, these hospital visits would have cost 800 million baht in total. Mr Supat said it is an unfair scenario when victims of pollution, rather than the polluters, end up out of pocket. "And when you don't tackle the problem at its root, it's expensive to solve the problem and regulate. Even worse, it is too easy for polluters to dodge their responsibilities. After all, it is the polluters who should pay," says Mr Supat. One of the measures that the PCD is using to make polluters pay is imposing strict air quality standards. However, the agency has set its PM2.5 "safe" thresholds at double the level recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. WHO guidelines say that a person's average annual PM2.5 exposure should not exceed, on average, 10 microgrammes per cubic metre (mg/m³), and that exposure during any 24 hour period should not exceed 25 mg/m³). Thailand, however, capped the PM2.5 threshold at 50 mg/m³ per day, and 25 mg/m³ per annual average. The country's average concentration of PM2.5 from 2011-2018 was 24 mg/m³, with Bangkok and surrounding areas closer to 30 mg/m³.

Assoc Prof Sirima Panyamethikul from Chulalongkorn University's Department of Environmental Engineering, who leads the Thailand Network Centre on Air Quality Management, reiterates the need for stricter standards here. "By now, the Pollution Control Department should have reduced the allowable concentration of PM2.5. With Thailand's average annual levels below 30mg/m³, we should be able to tighten our standard from 50mg/m³ down to 35, which is the same level as the United States. And the next goal should equal the World Health Organisation's 25mg/m³ standard," he says. Dr Sirima notes that National Environment Board insists such revisions are unnecessary because air pollution in the city will be reduced once a more "sustainable transportation system" -- subway, skytrains and electric buses and vehicles -- is fully in place. The board also claims that insufficient data exists to justify such a move, and more data should be gathered for another 6-7 years, during which time Thailand's PM2.5 levels will fall. Therefore, new regulations, which could affect key economic sectors, won't be needed. Such inaction is unacceptable, says Dr Sirima. The Pollution Control Department is obligated to revise and improve the national air quality standards every five years, but has done nothing since first enacting them in 2010. Furthermore, WHO guidelines also specify governments should regularly pursue more stringent measures for their National Ambient Air Quality Standards. IGNORING ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH Dr Sirima also recommends cooperation across government agencies to establish emission control standards from sources of origin and to better enforce pollution control regulations. "We should pursue a common goal in protecting the health of Thais. It does not mean we must do everything at once right now, but we have to have a goal." If one needs evidence of the government's disinterest in environmental quality, just look at the lack of money, says Dr Witsanu Attavanich from Kasetsart University's Economic Faculty. "The numbers clearly show that environmental protection is not a government priority," Dr Witsanu observes. "They focus only on economic stability and growth. In the government's expenditure budget from 2015 to 2019, economic-related expenditures rank second after administrative expenses, whereas the budget set aside for environmental protection is extremely small." For the 2019 fiscal year, the environmental expenditure budget is Bt10.9 billion, equivalent to only about 0.4% of Thailand's total budget of 3.1 trillion baht. This is just 0.05% of Thailand's GDP. This is half the amount allocated in South America, 13 times less than allocated by the People's Republic of China and 14 times less than the European Union. "Air pollution levels have remained dangerously high in recent years, and do not seem to be improving. It is because we focus only on economic development and pay less attention to environmental protection and conservation. Certainly, the economy has clearly improved, but the question is, is it sustainable?" Dr Witsanu asks. He points out that the economic costs associated with declining air quality are widely known. For example, a 2017 World Bank study found that air pollution was a factor in one in 10 deaths globally, and that for Thailand, the economic costs of air pollution quadrupled from 211 billion baht in 1990 to 871 billion baht in 2013. The Air Quality Life Index ranks Thailand as the world's seventh-most polluted country, with poor air quality reducing averages life expectancies here by two years. Residents in and around Chiang Mai should expect about a four-year reduction. In less than a generation, Thailand has moved from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country. "So in economic terms, we must not only think about efficiency of resource management," argues Dr Witsanu. "We should shift our attention to the environment and, not forgetting that our decisions today will affect the next generation, bring fairness into the equation every step of the way." Reporting for this story was supported by Mekong Eye, a geo-journalism website under Internews' Earth Journalism Network. – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

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kotstaraustrlia · 4 years

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The Power of Classified Ads

Regular readers of newspapers and Internet users must have often observed that more than half of the content of these resources are filled with classified ads. People read through the headlines of the newspaper and give just a glance to the classifieds, but that has never discouraged any of the ad posters from posting such ads.... Why?

This article deals with the questionable presence of classified ads on a constant basis in the newspapers and online sites. You may wonder why for getting just one glance of the reader these endorsers spend such huge amounts. Actually the endorsers who place their ads firmly believe that repute and sales go hand in hand to achieve the target of a prosperous business venture.

Readers may ignore these ads once twice maybe even thrice but when they see these ads placed persistently in the newspaper the do tend to get enticed by there statements and call the endorser for further details of the products or facilities. The endorser is then expected to deal in a tactful manner to achieve the target of successful sales that has been partially achieved for the business firm by the online ads. Whenever a reader or viewer views an ad placed on an online site or in newspaper, he/she tends to form a pique of the product or facility in his/her mind.

Enlisted below are some of the headers that will surely fetch the reader's attentiveness for you business:

"Earn in a part-time manner at home for just 2 hours"

"Guaranteed 10 kilos weight loss in 2 weeks"

The catchy tone of the headers always works as a perfect bait to obtain reader's attentiveness. Header is the chief component if the classified ad that instigates the reader to call to your office for further details.

Profitable aspects of classified ads

If you try evaluating the profitable aspects of these online ads and of business status with the number of sales achieved over a period of time, it would be in appropriate. Today's ads are the means of obtaining sales through the indirect route and not the direct route. Every time you feel the frustration of zero calls after placement of classified ads, just remind yourself of the aforementioned attributes of classified ads. You may earn money through sales but it will be obtained in a fluctuating manner if the promotion of the services/products is not done in an acceptable manner.

Classified Ads extend incremental gains

Classified Ads do extend their share of incremental gains but after sometime, not instantly. Endorsers are required to be very tolerant with work mechanics of classified ads. A hurried attitude of the endorser will result in a loss only for the endorser and not for anybody else. The tone of the header's statement makes a big difference to the promotive aspect of indirect sales. You may post an ad online that states "guaranteed 10 kilos weight loss in 2 weeks" while the other one states "We have feedbacks-- weight loss in 2 weeks", apparently the reader would like to go for the second ad.

Hal Johnson has been using classified ads to buy and sell online for 10 years now. Using things like car want ads are necessary to broaden your site's reach.

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#classifiedads #freeclassifiedads

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raystart · 4 years

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The Coming Chip Wars

A version of this article appeared in War on the Rocks.

Controlling advanced chip manufacturing in the 21st century may well prove to be like controlling the oil supply in the 20th. The country that controls this manufacturing can throttle the military and economic power of others.

The United States just did this to China by limiting Huawei’s ability to outsource its in-house chip designs for manufacture by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a Taiwanese chip foundry. If negotiations fail, China may respond and escalate, via one of many agile strategic responses short of war, perhaps succeeding in coercing the foundry to stop making chips for American companies – turning the tables on the United States.

Short of war, there would be no obvious way to get those foundries back. Without them, the U.S. defense and consumer electronics industries will be set back at least five years — and because China has its own advanced chip foundries, it could become the world leader in technology for the next decade or more.

Here’s why. And how they may do it.

And why the world just got a lot more dangerous.

There are two types of companies in the chip industry.

Companies like Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron design and make their own products (microprocessors and memory chips) in factories that they own

There are also foundries, which fabricate chips designed by consumer and military customers; TSMC in Taiwan is the largest of these in the world

The chips that TSMC makes are found in almost everything: smartphones (i.e. Apple iPhones), high-performance computing platforms, PC’s, tablets, servers, base stations and game consoles, Internet-connected devices like smart wearables, digital consumer electronics, cars, and almost every weapon system built in the 21st century. Around 60% of the chips TSMC makes are for American companies.

Background In 2012, a bipartisan committee of the U.S. House of Representatives investigated whether the Chinese company Huawei had put backdoors into its equipment that enabled it to spy on data therein. The committee found that Huawei could not or would not explain its relationship with the Chinese government and did not comply with U.S. laws, The report recommended that no government or contractor systems include Huawei systems. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security added Huawei to its Entity List, effectively limiting the sale or transfer of American technology to the company, (though a series of licenses have been granted to waive the restrictions in some cases.)

This month, the Commerce Department required overseas semiconductor firms that use American technology and equipment to apply for a license before selling to Huawei. The order was targeted at TSMC, which is Huawei’s main supplier of advanced chips; without these, Huawei will be at a competitive disadvantage against Apple or Samsung in the smartphone industry, and against Cisco and others in the market for network equipment. (Some analysts have pointed out the order has potential loopholes.) Next up, it’s likely Washington will prohibit sales to China of the equipment used to make chips, which comes from companies like Applied Materials, KLA and Lam.

TSMC was forced to choose sides and picked the U.S. – For Now In May 2020 TSMC announced it was going to build a $12 billion foundry in Arizona to make some of its most advanced chips. Foundries take at least three years to build and the most expensive factories on earth. Construction on TSMC’s facility is planned to start in 2021, but actual chip production will not start until 2024.

But while the TSMC announcement is welcome, if and when the Arizona foundry is built, it will only be able to make about a quarter of the chip production of TMSC’s largest semiconductor fabrication plants and would amount to just 3 percent of the manufacturing capability that TSMC currently operates in Taiwan. There they have four major manufacturing sites, called GigaFabs, each of which have 6 or 7 fabs producing thirteen million wafers a year. Compare that to the quarter million wafers they intend to produce in the U.S. in 2024. So if the United State lost TSMC in China, one new American plant would not make up the difference in capacity.

China’s Semiconductor Industry A decade ago, China recognized that its initial success as the world’s low-cost factory was going to run its course. As the cost of Chinese labor increased, other countries like Vietnam could fill that role. As a result, China needed to build more advanced and sophisticated products on par with the United States. However, most of these products required custom chips — and China lacked the domestic manufacturing capability to make them. China uses 61 percent of the world’s chips in products for both its domestic and export markets, importing around $310 billion worth in 2018. China recognized that its inability to manufacture the most advanced chips was a strategic Achilles Heel.

China devised two plans to solve these problems. The first, the Made in China 2025 plan, is the country’s roadmap and financing vehicle to update China’s manufacturing base from making low-tech products to rapidly developing ten high-tech industries including electric cars, next-generation computing, telecommunications, robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced chips. The goal is to reduce China’s dependence on foreign technology and promote Chinese high-tech companies globally. In addition, to encourage Chinese high-tech companies to go public in China rather than the United States, the Chinese government set up its own version of the Nasdaq called the STAR market (Shanghai Stock Exchange Science and Technology Innovation Board).

China’s second plan is the National Integrated Circuit Plan, China’s roadmap for building an indigenous semiconductor industry and accelerating chip manufacturing. The goal is to meet its local chip demand by 2030.

Make no mistake, these are not government pronouncements that don’t end up going anywhere. This is a massive national effort. China is spending over a hundred billion dollars to become a world leader in developing their semiconductor industry. The China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund or Big Fundhas raised $51 billion – $22 billion in 2014 and another $29 billion in 2019. China has used the capital to start 70+ projects in the semiconductor industry (such as building fabs and foundries, acquiring foreign companies, and starting joint ventures) and have gone from zero to making 16% of the world’s chips, though today their quality is low. Going forward, China plans to start investing in chip design software, advanced materials, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

How Do the Chinese View Our Actions? China believes that this is their century and sees American actions as designed to hold China back from its proper place in the world. Given the importance of controlling the supply of advanced chip manufacturing, China would be forced to respond if the United States cut off their access to this supply.

The question is whether China will view the action against Huawei as sanctions against a single company or a portent of further action against China’s access to advanced chips.

What Has China Learned From Our Prior Actions? In the 21st century the U.S. has blinked even when its own interests were at stake. From the perspective of some China policymakers, America is exhausted from endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and will not fight again. They see that the United States is divided politically, distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic and unlikely to risk American lives for something as abstract as a chip factory.

Paper protests When China has acted aggressively over the past couple of decades, it has seen that the American response has largely been paper protests. In 2012 China occupied the Scarborough Shoal and took control of it from the Philippines. As China was not ready to militarily confront the U.S. at the time, in hindsight the U.S. could have parked a carrier strike group over those shoals and likely prevented their plans for military construction. Instead, Washington blinked and did nothing but send a nasty note.

Today, the Spratly Islands have new Chinese bases bristling with surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles and fighter jets, which has changed the calculus for a war in the western Pacific. Any attempt by the United States to control the air space in the area will face serious opposition and heavy losses. What was previously an uncontested American “lake” is now contested by China.

Up until this week Hong Kong, while part of China, was a democracy with guarantees of freedom of speech, assembly and the press. China recently tore up that agreement and is preparing to impose the same draconian limits on speech, assembly and press that muzzle the rest of China. There’s not much the U.S. can do other than express concerns and perhaps remove Hong Kong’s special trade status. But China doesn’t care. They’ve already factored the American response into their move and decided it was worth it, with the cynical calculation that any U.S. response will make Hong Kong poorer, and that any business Hong Kong loses will mostly end up in other parts of China. And a poorer Hong Kong will be punishment to its citizens for standing up for the rights they had been promised.

The day after China’s move on Hong Kong, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang left out the word “peaceful” in referring to Beijing’s desire to “reunify” with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, an apparent policy change.

The lack of an effective American response to these events has shown Chinese leadership the unwillingness of America to forcefully engage in Asian affairs. This will embolden China’s next move.

China’s Goals and Options To respond to the United States cutting off Huawei’s access to Taiwan’s most advanced chip foundries, the Chinese government is likely thinking through their next moves. Their planning starts with they want to accomplish. It may look something like this in the preferred order.

Return to the Status Quo – Restore Huawei’s Access to TSMC fabs to secure a steady supply of chips

Don’t let the restrictions escalate

Turn the Tables – Convince TSMC/Taiwan to allow China to have sole access to TSMC

Kick Over the Table – Ensure that the TSMC fabs can’t be used by anyone

China’s Options So how would China achieve these goals?

China may wish to avoid any escalation perhaps by accepting the American restrictions as they currently are with a promise that they will go no further. This return to the status quo, with a restoration of Huawei’s access to TSMC’s foundry, may simply require negotiating some form of trade deal or agreeing to restrictions on the sale of Huawei networking gear (34% of their revenue). This kind of deal would let the Huawei consumer and enterprise businesses (66% of their revenue) survive and thrive. However, it requires the Chinese to back down. And they may have decided that the Rubicon has been crossed.

If China doesn’t negotiate but retaliates, the danger is that the United States ups the ante further by prohibiting TSMC from working with more Chinese firms, and/or bans the sale of the equipment used to build chips to any company in China. Such escalation may lead China to perceive that the U.S. actions are not a dispute about Huawei, but a salvo in a wider economic war.

If it gets to that point, China’s plans no longer are how to negotiate with the U.S. but how to force TSMC to do its bidding. And as TSMC is in Taiwan, in what China claims is a province of China, things can get interesting.

The most obvious option is to simply carry out the threat the Chinese government has made since 1949: that there is only one China, and Taiwan is a rebellious province, and that they will reunify China, by force if necessary. An invasion or blockade of Taiwan would give Chinese hardliners a reason to try out all their new military equipment, while distracting the masses from the pandemic economic downturn. This option has the highest risk of provoking an American military response, and while possible it’s extremely unlikely. While these more aggressive scenarios might seem implausible, China’s behavior has become more aggressive and more risk-tolerant as the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in Wuhan, roils the world.

China can achieve their immediate goals of 3 and 4 above and weaken Taiwan without an outright invasion.

One option is a major disinformation campaign against TSMC and the United States that would make current influence campaigns emanating from China pale in comparison. This would emphasize that the U.S. is the aggressor, illegally waging economic war against China. It would announce that since Taiwan is a province of China, China has the right to restrict TSMC sales to the U.S. and that China ill enforce an embargo of any TSMC sales to American-affiliated companies.

This could be coupled with an equally massive disinformation campaign to the Taiwanese people, pointing out to them that the United States won’t go to war over a semiconductor company, and that China’s requestsare fair and reasonable. (How effective a disinformation campaign would be is up for debate, given that Chinese campaigns in Taiwan’s January elections did not result in the election of China’s preferred candidate.) China could offer a no-invasion pledge in exchange, while reminding the Taiwanese government what they already know: regardless of promises the United States can’t defend them. Even if the United States attempted to intervene, there is a serious debate unfolding about how useful legacy American platforms – especially carriers – would be in a shooting war with China.

There’s a high probability Taiwan will still refuse despite all of this, so China would then ratchet up the pressure.

China might then start some type of trade war with Taiwan to ensure access, following the playbook Beijing used to coerce Korea over Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) or Australia over its recent decision to lead a call for investigating the origins of the novel coronavirus. On the more extreme end, these Taiwanese chip foundries might be subject to an aggressive campaign of sabotage.

Finally, they could nationalize TSMC’s two less advanced fabs in mainland China. Next, if there’s no agreement, China could launch a precision guided missile strike against one of the older, less advanced TMSC fabs in Taiwan to send a message they’re serious. They could announce they’ll destroy one foundry each week until TMSC agrees to sell only to China. Even if they destroy all the TSMC foundries in Taiwan it will still be a net win for China. It’s highly unlikely Taiwan would go to war with China over this. The end result would be that U.S. military and consumer technology would have no advanced foundries, but China would.

What Would the United States Do? Would the United States go to war with China over chips? The loss of TSMC would mean we’d be rapidly scrambling to find alternate sources. We could turn to Intel to restart their foundry business or turn to Samsung or even Global Foundries. But the transition and recovery would take at least three to five years if not more and tens of billions of dollars. In the meantime, we’d have second-tier status in technology.

The outcome could depend on the timing of Chinese actions.

When Might China Take Action?

An October Surprise – Before the 2020 election The current U.S administration may not want to start a war over a chip factory before the 2020 presidential election, but it is unpredictable enough that a campaign season focused on China policy could change the calculus.

After the 2020 election If the presidency changes hands, the incoming administration might de-escalate and reverse original restrictions, but a lot can happen between now and January 2021.

A Trump administration in its second term and no longer worrying about reelection might reverse the ruling in exchange for a better trade deal.

Downside: Lots of economic uncertainty for the next seven months exacerbating China’s pandemic recovery. More immediate action might be required.

Lessons Learned

The dispute over Huawei’s access to TSMC has highlighted how vulnerable American industry is to the loss of its sole supply of advanced chips.

If the matter cannot be solved by negotiation, China may perceive the restrictions as economic warfare and rapidly escalate, potentially threatening Taiwan

It is not at all clear that Washington has thought through the consequences of its actions here, or that the current administration has considered chip supply as part of a wider supply chain security and national industrial policy.

It was encouraging to see Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate propose $25 billion to help America’s semiconductor industry.The bill hasn’t yet passed, and hopefully this is only the start

Given that China has more positive options than the United States, it is surely time for those in charge to consider where this might lead

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