#xenotechnology

[sachyriel]

This post contains minor and major spoilers, minor about Conrad, major about TIM. Viewer discretion is advised.

Conrad Verner is obsessed with Commander Shepard. That's not the spoiler, that's like the main pillar of the character everyone knows. Conrad seeks your approval, wants to be like you, even as far as recruiting for Cerberus in ME3 (that's a spoiler but not the spoiler I mean). He's recruiting for Cerberus in 3 cause you were working for them in 2, he uhhh, didn't get the memo.

The Illusive Man is also obsessed with Shepard. He literally moves mountains of cash to bring you back from the dead. He also seeks your approval, especially [MAJOR SPOILER] at the end of ME3 on the Citadel when he's trying to argue for controlling the Reapers. That's what drives him, he wants to control the Reapers, sure, but if you're a Goody-two shoes he ends up giving up, Saren style *cough cough*.

Now you maybe thinking Conrad Verner and The illusive Man are so different in position that they could not be further apart. Conrad Verner is a bum trying to impress people with his Shepard Fandom, TIM is the head of a galactic underground terrorist organization with enough sway to bend the law when they need to (or break it if it they can't). How can they be so similar? TIM got to be the head of Cerberus by his cunning and ruthlessness, but in his drive to bring Shepard back, you think Conrad wouldn't have done the same thing in TIM's place?

TIM is very smart, you don't get to be head terrorist of a galactic underground org without having a good head on your shoulders.

[MINOR SPOILER] Doctor Conrad Verner is a doctor. "A doctor honey" - Turanga Leela, wait wrong series. But I feel people underestimate Conrad. He's gota good head on his shoulders, he's a Doctor in Xenotechnology and Dark Energy Integration. If TIM knew this guy he'd hire him on the spot, instead Conrad likely got recruited by some local schmuck who didn't care about his education. TIM would have looked at that resume and locked Conrad into some outpost where he could do Dark Matter stuff and Xenotechnology research, to be fed as many pictures of Shepard as he wants.

But I think Conrad Verner and The Illusive Man are more alike than people used to think. Now that I've said my piece, you will tell me I am correct because you are INDOCTRINATED.

[whatudottu]

Look, I'm not saying that the entirety of the Galvan race would be gamers. That would be ludicrous. I'm simply saying that if they found out about the existence of video games as well as how to program them,

Damn if only they didn't have tadpole children otherwise they'd totally have iPad toddlers smh smh- no doubt on Galvan Prime (or whatever edition of planet they're on if you don't retcon it's destruction in the Highbreed arc) they'd already found an interest in many variations of video games, even if predominantly it's not socially acceptable in most galvan cultures to be an adult in full pursuit of a gamer, not that there isn't a market for it because expectations breeds exceptions.

Because of the majority of galvan intellects steer towards the sciences, galvan video game developers probably tend to target younger fresh-out-of-the-pond adolescents with educational games, a combination of fun and learning. But these are galvans we're talking about, so no Mario Teaches Typing or Leap Frog levels of baby smarts games, more like Brain Training and significantly more difficult than what you get here. It's not to say 'fun for fun's sake' games don't exist, just that these are really the only games that early learning galvan really get until they have control over their own financial responsibilities.

I'm not saying that galvan who prefer more entertaining games later in life are unintelligent, but I am saying that Blukic and Driba seem the type to game for fun-

[homeverse-au-official]

Conceptualizing tet’kem vehicles. 

One, it's majority joystick-mechanism controlled for the smaller, one-person drive, and two, it typically runs on rails more than roads, and the ones that do drive directly on terrain have gyroscopic wheel systems or catterpillar treads. 

For smaller vehicles, they use electrical batteries or semi-bioware. 

[holylustration]

I'm sending another kiss number because I can. Feel free to ignore it: #17 for Aurelia and Nocturne.

#17: ...to distract.

"O! In what strange ways we friends do gather," said the Harlequin, his long coat still swaying from where he had strode towards a curio cabinet of Aurelia's trinkets.

The Rogue Trader watched with a certain amount of fascination and horror as his gloved hands curled around a piece of xenotechnology and slipped it into a pocket. "That is - "

"Merchant and muse in trove of treasures known," came the deep voice from behind the mask, "and in presence of those to light unshone." The masked face turned towards her, the eyes behind it glittering like dark jewels.

"Those are still mine."

"May thieves lay claim over property stolen?" was the answering retort, gloved fingers closing on yet another trinket.

"I did not steal them." Aurelia approached, chin lifted high in defiance. Though the Nocturne of Oblivion stood nearly a foot taller, she did not let it intimidate her. Not even when he slowly started to encroach on her personal space, his face coming lower and lower, did she let herself be cowed.

"A past sin does not save a present owner." The Harlequin's mask was right in front of her face.

"What if we -"

The words were silenced by the press of cold, metallic lips against her own, and a warm hand pressing against the small of her back, dragging her close. The Aeldari was tall and lean, but the chest was unyielding and the strange fabric smooth beneath her fingers. The response was to close her eyes and to yield to the kiss, for Aurelia could not say that she had not exactly dreamed of this moment.

But when reason recaptured her senses, her eyes opening, she saw nothing before her. Nocturne's presence was entirely gone, the lingering heat of his hands on her person the last remnant of him. He had disappeared, and taken with him six trinkets.

[skitariiposting]

What’s your favourite forge world?

exec.answerask.exe;

funct.print ("[begrudgingly religious] I am scripturaly obligated to say Mars."); funct.print ("[statement] buuuuuut if I had to choose a second <first> favorite it'd be Stygies VIII. While the Legio Honorum are buzz kills, the planet is beautiful and the tech priests are always looking for more xenotechnology, and you always gotta applaud that. They're perhaps the most zealous technoarcheological techpriests I've ever met and let me tell ya, if the Legio Honorum knew half of the stuff they have stashed there, they'd be pissed. But you didn't hear that from me."); funct.end; Press any key to continue_

[stellevatum]

Curriculum Vitae

[More to add as I think of them.]

Doctorate of Sciences; Xenotechnology

University of Jaeda, Sur'Kesh

Thesis: Study of short and long-term affects of exposure to exotechnologcal nanides on organic neurological systems

Doctoral Advisor: Saeli Paks

Doctorate of Philosophy; Xenostudies

University of Serrice, Thessia

Thesis: A study in cultural development and evolution of personality in synthetic intelligences

Doctoral Advisor: Astrea T'Maria

University of Coruscant, Coruscant

Doctorate in Philosophical Studies; Xenoarchaeology

Thesis: Convergent evolution and development of technologies in pre-spaceflight cultures

Doctoral Advisor: Unwe Bel-Domos

Doctorate in Sciences; Astroengineering

University of Coronet, Corellia

Thesis: Study of expansion of intergalactic hyperspace travel

Doctoral Advisor: Issha Nurana

Other Papers:

Affects of Reaper Cycle on galactic cultural development (Collaboration with L. T'Soni, et al.)

The viability of faster-than-light travel through dark space

Study of cosmic phenomena in the Koboh Nebula

A xenological study of the Free Droid Enclave

A comparative analysis of early uplifter cultures

A xenological study of Andromeda cultures (Collaboration with S. Ryder, L. T'Perro)

Comparison between natural and manufactured cosmic phenomena (Collaboration with S. Anwar, L. Aridana, N. Herik, et al.)

[durianinspectors]

玉京帝国榴莲服务调查组 YU JING IMPERIAL SERVICE DURIAN INVESTIGATION UNIT My esteemed Yu Jing commanders, this is Hsien Yue Fei, Commander of the Durian Investigation Unit. Once more, I must ask you for your help.

Confused allies and new recruits sometimes ask why the Emperor of Yu Jing would place a Hsien Warrior of the ISS, one of his famed Immortals, in charge of a mundane task like fruit inspection. For those of you unfamiliar with our work, the origin of my unit is simple. The Emperor and his storied family have always enjoyed Durian, regarding it as the emperor of fruits. Of course, it would be a relatively easy matter to cultivate and provide this specialty food for the Emperor's table. What other nations don't understand, is that Yu Jing is a benevolent and egalitarian society. Our Emperor decreed that all our citizens, no matter how far-flung across the galaxy, should all have access to the same treat that he loved. This necessitated a huge, interplanetary agricultural project, with containers of the finest grade Durian frozen and continuously in transit through circulars and shipping lanes to every corner of our population. This is the reality of Yu Jing, misunderstood by other nations, our people come first and we provide for them all.

With this vast, interplanetary Durian trade, came opportunities for the smuggling of contraband. We've found Shasvastii seed embryos, contraband Xenotechnology, terrorist bio-weapons, and invasive alien species, all of it masked inside refrigerated Durian containers. Nations with less refined sensibilities often regarded the smell of spoiled Durian with some distaste and overlooked these serious threats to humanity traveling through their ports. Thus it was necessary for the Emperor to appoint a special unit of the Imperial Service, skilled in rooting out criminal smuggling conspiracies and unmasking impersonators. My Durian Inspectors have taken a leading role in defending the people of Yu Jing at many of the recent crisis flashpoints - most recently at Novyy Bangkok, Durgama, and New Hypatia.

Reckless figures want to make a scapegoat of the entire Tohaa race. It is with some disgust that we witness Ariadnan commanders rounding up Tohaa civilians into internment camps as if their women and children were all complicit in the destruction of Concilium Prima. As always, when callow politicians persecute scapegoats, their loose words are turned into violence by their lapdogs and used to distract from their own incompetence and lack of initiative. The O-12 and Pan Oceania's government desperately wants to use these scapegoats as a distraction from their own failures.

The events of the Concilium Debacle go deeper than that and we have brought our unique set of skills to bear, unraveling the schemes of the Taagma and unmasking a network of Greif operators like the one pictured above. Tracking down the Spiral Corps is the real task for us, along with the fools or spies in Concilium Coordinated Command who hired them to secure the very thing they wanted to attack. Even now Pan Oceanian generals talk about "holding Cameliard" during the Durgama crisis, when we all know that Yu Jing secured it against a Combined Army attack in the face of Pan Oceanian incompetence and would never have been foolish enough to put double agents in a position to attack it.

The newly founded Yu Jing Concilium Security Crisis Committee, of which I am a member, now needs you to provide all available military resources to protect our people as we evacuate them from the Quantum Anomaly Zones. I will release further information soon, proving another Spiral Corps plot to attack the Master Clock in Huaqiao. If this clock falls, it will disrupt interplanetary travel for all nations attempting to save their people on Concilium. We are going to come under immediate attack from the Spiral Corps and their allies, and the cost if we fail will be terrible.

Hsien Yue Fei Durian Investigation UnitImperial Service

[Yu Jing generals, please join our Discord server to prepare for the campaign: https://discord.gg/q8h5TASfV] [Current committee members: @Greysturm, @YueFei23, @Shiwen, @Admiral Philip von Kruse] [Art credit all goes to the incredibly talented @Thibz (@Tibooper on cb forums)]

[firesongbard]

Simulacrum / Chrysalis

V E R N E R / V A K A R I A N

He remembered when she died. / He remembered when she left.

She flew off into the stars, fire in her eyes blazing, and he knew she was off to find proof. Again, as before, to make them listen. To make them believe. He knew that even if it was one woman against the encroaching darkness that she would stand ablaze and fight despite the odds, and no one could take her place.

She flew off into the stars, playing the role the Alliance had given her. The Hero of the Citadel off to eradicate the last of the geth, clean up the last of the war. They wouldn’t listen; they couldn’t believe the words of one woman, even one woman as singularly charismatic and convincing as her.

No one was as special as her. / One woman as special as her.

She spoke of classified missions and securing the safety of the galaxy, but he knew how to hear the lies of a hero now. She had taught him to listen. She had taught him to believe.

At the bar after Sovereign had finally been destroyed, they shared a drink and spoke of all the unbelievable moments that had led to this one. She laughed herself to tears over Mako-induced near-death experiences, of adorably lethal monkeys, of shifty-looking cows—

“I’m telling you, it stole over a thousand credits while you just stood there! You can’t trust any animal that can milk itself.”

“I’m no xenobiologist, but I’m fairly certain human mammary glands are well within—”

“Vakarian, I could shoot you where you sit, and C-Sec won’t do more than dispose of the body.”

The idle threats, the banter, had become so natural over the past few months. An intimacy of masked vulnerability, shared strength in the armor to keep them from being scared shitless of what was to come. She had taught him to listen. She had taught him to believe.

“You sure you don’t want to sign on for another tour? I’ve got plenty of dextro rations left on the ship.”

“I’m not sure how I’ll adapt without my daily choice of grass or burnt-gravy flavored nutrient paste.” He broke the unspoken rules of engagement—he never was one for rules—and spoke the quiet part out loud. “I’ll miss you, Shepard,” and because emotional intimacy wasn’t either of their style, “Be sure to come by and cause a little trouble on the Citadel from time to time. Maybe get into another bar fight with a Krogan.”

“That was one time, and as I recall, you got in a solid headbutt yourself.” She didn’t need to say ‘goodbye’. He could see it in the way her eyes shone, in the way her smile pulled her soft skin wide enough that wrinkles creased her eyes.

Heroes didn’t say ‘goodbye.’ Heroes just said, ‘I should go,’ and off they’d leave to the next place where people needed saving.

When he heard the news, / When he heard the news, he knew what he had to do. / he didn’t know what to do.

Work seemed just a little too tedious, a little too pointless. Too agonizingly useless. His hands were tied by too many rules, too many regulations, too much red tape.

The official report said ‘professional difference of opinion’. His final shouting match with Executor Pallin led to a mutual understanding that he did not belong in C-Sec anymore. Maybe he never did. Out in the stars, skating the traverse with Her, the rules and red-tape were guidelines.

Work was very accommodating. The life of academia was one of long months of research, stipends, and grant requests. Funding for transit to an asari colony looked perfectly in line with a treatise on anthropological analysis of xenotechnology and the evolution of dark energy. He had plenty of time. It practically wrote itself.

Illium was the perfect place to do some good. / Omega was just the place to do some good.

Beautiful lies wrapped in contracts and red tape. Poetry without Justice. The careful word of law left families with no closure, left deaths disquietly forgotten.

Point and shoot in any direction, and you’d find a criminal. No oversight meant no time wasted filing reports. No red tape meant no hiding from poetic justice, no families left with no closure. No death left unavenged.

He heard Her voice, sometimes, clear and proud in his mind. An angel of justice defending the people, defending humanity. She stood for those who had lost their footing and was the strength of those too frail, too lost to lead. She would have found the words—better words—to make them listen. But he was the one left behind.

He heard her voice, sometimes, clear and stern in his mind. Others, with a touch of mischief and a sly sense of humor. She dressed him down when his ego got the best of him and joked when the air was too heavy with despair. He could feel her disapproving eye when he went too far, when he crossed the line. Maybe she would have found another way—a better way. But he was the one left behind.

He was the Avatar of Her, now. / He was the Archangel now.

His armor gleamed in the red and blue lights of the lower market as he approached. He held his head high, hoping to capture some of her fire, walking with what he hoped looked like determined purpose. He would be the savior of humanity. He spoke loud and firm and with all the authority he could muster. To make them listen. To make them believe.

“You have no idea what it takes to get the job done.” He spoke to the bartender with the lie on his lips, with Her confidence, with Her truth. He had crafted himself a careful armor of the woman who once was.

He pulled together a team, and he knew each one of them intimately. She had taught him how to listen. The war he fought was smaller, but no less important. He spoke with all the comfort and grace he could manage, and he made them believe.

Still, he was never quite convinced that he had what it took to get the job done. If She had been here, they’d have taken out the garbage in a few hours together, dropped the leaders on the doorstep of the nearest authority, and been back under the stars before the day was through. But he was all that was left—a pale imitation of the woman who once was.

A woman as singularly heroic as Her. / A woman as singularly stubborn as Her.

When he saw Her, standing there, looking at him with the stern face of marble, the unbreakable softness of the creases at her eyes— / When he saw Her through his scope, face as stern and hard as her armor with the soft lines of concern between her brows— when he heard Her speak his name— / when he heard Her speak his name—

He came undone. / He came undone.

“You okay?”

All the exhaustion of pretending to be Her unraveled him. He spoke to her of how the galaxy needed a hero. I can’t do this. Of how the hole she left had to be filled, and he stood up to be that person. Please be proud. But she could hear the lie on his lips.

All the exhaustion of pretending to be strong unraveled him. But he knew the unspoken rules of engagement. “Been better. Killing mercs is hard work, especially on my own.” And because he was never one for rules, he spoke the quiet part out loud. “Sure is good to see a friendly face.” And because emotional intimacy was neither of their styles, they joked of old times and ridiculous circumstance as she hauled his ass out of the fire.

He wasn’t a hero. / He wasn’t ready to be the hero. She made him listen. / But she had taught him to listen.

He saw now the fine scars that lead under her armor. The cracks in her mask as she held herself a little too stiff, a little too stern. He could see that she wasn’t ready to be the hero either.

He wondered how she stood beneath the weight of all the armor, holding herself a little too proud, a little too strong.

. . . / It made him believe he could still do some good.

[max--phillips]

The absolute punch to the face of finding out Conrad Verner has a doctorate & wrote his dissertation on xenotechnology and dark energy integration

[catofulthar000]

((what made you decide to go with bioengineering?))

((Well I was enjoying picking apart fiduspawn and figuring out all the details of how the game and hardware worked, and I feel like Tav would be the kind of committed nerd to be into making like a Pokemon Uranium type thing. I also like fakemon and also designing cute critters and making art/pets for people seemed like a good way to sort of attach people to Tavros, since I had no confidence in being able to draw people in for other reasons lol. Plus I like thinking about that kind of xenotechnology and the capabilities and limitations of it.))

((The short answer is worldbuilding I guess, lol))

On anonymous, send me questions you’d like to know about my muse / how I portray my muse.

[thedcdunce]

Grifter

“Now I've got another suspect. Fuck it... I'll just kill 'em both.” - Grifter

Real Name: Cole Cash

Aliases:

Deadeye

Gender: Male

Height: 6′ 3″

Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Blonde

Powers:

Gen-Factor

Abilities:

Peak Human Condition

Indomitable Will

Deception

Espionage

Master Tactician

Survival

Military Protocol

Driving

Master Marksman

Master Combatant

Weaponry

Multilingualism

Weaknesses:

The Rush

Weak Healing Factor

Equipment:

Tunic

Trench Coat

VAD PP30

Little Magnum

Various High-Tech Munitions

Universe: Wildstorm Universe

Citizenship: American

Base of Operations:

The Carrier

Halo Building, New York City

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: 

Soldier

Mercenary

Intelligence Agent

VP of Halo Corporation

First Appearance: WildC.A.T.s #1 (August, 1992)

Powers

Gen-Factor: Exposure to the Gen-Factor had gifted as well as cursed Cash with several supernatural abilities both Mental and Physical at the same time, these powers have fluctuated in potency over the coarse of his life. Eventually burning out over the years and going into dormancy thanks to his Coda training. While it's mostly diminished the psychic abilities bestowed by his Gen-Factor retains some effectiveness in it's destructive ability, Cole can utilize his psionics by consciously reordering part of his psyche to turn them on and off again. But can normally only ever have access without the debilitating side effects while in range of another Team 7 Member. Since the universal reset where Cole had been revived, he could now utilize his full abilities without any assistance or harmful effects.

Psionics

Telepathy

Sensory Scrying

Mind Control

Mind Scans

Illusion Casting

Telepathic Assault

Telekinesis

Force Field

Energy Projection

Flight

Regeneration: Cole also has access to a helpful yet extremely unstable ability to heal and recover damaged bodily tissue structure at phenomenal rates. But it's not very reliable despite it's potency, the effectiveness of which varies wildly between uses. Able to heal broken neck almost instantly after receiving it, to waiting months on end for healing two shattered legs, albeit without so much as a scratch or any scar tissue afterward.

Longevity: Cole has lived for three decades yet still maintains the appearance as well as vitality of a young man still in his prime.

Abilities

Peak Human Condition

Peak Human Strength

Peak Human Speed

Peak Human Agility

Peak Human Stamina

Peak Human Coordination

Peak Human Reflexes

Peak Human Durability

Peak Human Balance

Indomitable Will

Deception

Thievery

Surveillance

Acting

Espionage

Stealth

Disguise

Master Tactician

Survival

Military Protocol

Driving

Vehicle Combat

Master Marksman

Throwing

Master Combatant

Weaponry

Swordsmanship

Demolitions

Multilingualism: Shown to be fluent in Vietnamese.

Weaknesses

The Rush: The side effects of using this power however are terrible to say the least. It was nicknamed The Rush due to the effect that the use of it is likened unto a drug. Raw, telekinetic, energy twisting and wielding power that if left unchecked can ravage the mind and body of the wielder, driving him to insanity.

Uncontrolled Psionics: The downside to these powers was that they were nearly impossible to control, sometimes being largely unreliable when needed most.

Physical Strain: Using the powers also put a terrible strain on Cash; trying to keep them under control would often cause blood vessels to rupture and he would weaken.

Affect Mind: Prolonged use would threaten his sanity and outside forces. But his Coda training under former matriarch of which, Zealot; helped him repress this aspect greatly.

Weak Healing Factor: Cole's healing ability tends to fluctuate often despite it's impressive capacity. The more severe the damage done to him, the longer it takes for him to recover, more expediently lethal injury increases the likelihood of fatality.

Equipment

Tunic: Grifter's face wear was specially designed by S.H.I.E.L.D. tech specialists using their state of the art engineering. On top of being made of a Kevlar fiber linen, it's also doubles as a gas mask which filtrates airborne toxins. The featureless lenses serve duel purposes of octagonal telescopic/microscopic visual receptor and analyzer coupled with infrared night vision locator.

Trench Coat: Cole's trademark long jacket comprises of the same artillery resistant material as his face mask. Serving him well both in a fashionable and practical sense, beyond it's natural application. It also withholds a great many pocket stores and holding straps with which to house and withhold a great many munitions on his person. Armaments such as explosive charges, throwing knives, stilettos, acupressure needles and small firearms.

VAD PP30: Grifter uses a VAD PP30, a semi-automatic particle pulse handgun custom made by Vulcan Arms Division for his use only. It fires 44mm explosive pulse packs, and by adjusting the Catalytic Particle Converter, Grifter can change the range of the firepower so it may be a simple stun, or an armor-piercing blast.

Little Magnum: Hidden micro blaster concealed within his glove, single shots pack enough kick behind the chamber to blast holes though an full grown humanoid target.

Various High-Tech Munitions: In his time as a special forces operative as well as one of Jacob Marlowe's covert operatives. Grifter has stocked up on and/or engineered a great many kinds of lethal ordinance for use while in the field. Often carrying around high-caliber fusil's, combustibles and hidden utilities which are a mix of Kherubim and Earth based xenotechnological engineering.

Origins

There are various accounts of Cole's early youth: his father died while he was still young and Cole and his brother Max were raised by their mother and stepfather, with his mother dying when Cole was already an adult. However, his mother died while he was still young and he and his brother were raised by their father. It is certain though, that Cole left his family while still a teenager and turned to crime to survive. Despite being a criminal, Cole had his own code of honor and stopped one of his partners in crime from shooting at the police. Cole was arrested and offered a second chance. He was enlisted by International Operations and turned out to be a gifted marksman and an excellent soldier.

Team-7

Cole Cash's natural talent for combat landed him in black ops, taking the dirtiest jobs as part of a squad known as Team 7. Cash's codename during these operations was Deadeye. The group was deliberately exposed to an experimental chemical called the Gen Factor, which activated a variety of psi powers in them, but which also detrimentally affected their sense of morality and mental health. After the experiment the survivors were classified as Gen 12. Some of their teammates went mad or committed suicide. Cole suspects that in fact their own superiors, I.O., were behind the experiment, while their superiors claimed that it was an unknown chemical weapon. One of the many missions Team 7 performed was destroying the dictatorship of a small African country. Andrew Johnson, one of the members, goes mad and glories in his ability to make people commit suicide. Disgusted, Cole kills Johnson. Cole grew more and more disgruntled with I.O.'s manipulations and secrecy and rebelled against team-leader John Lynch. Cash took charge and united the team's mental powers against a nuclear weapon that I.O. team-leader Miles Craven fired at Team 7 as a test. Team 7 went into hiding, but was eventually forced to return to I.O. 

Coda

When the powers of many of Team 7's members started to wane, Craven became interested in their children, the Gen 13, who should have inherited their fathers' powers. Most of the team went into hiding again, while others stayed with I.O. The team finally fell apart and Cole came to work as an assassin for I.O., but he soon became disenchanted with them too. He went freelance, and it was during this period of his life he encountered the ancient Kherubim warrior Zealot. They fell in love, and she took the unprecedented measure of teaching him, a male, the ways of the Coda, the warrior order she had once belonged to. Her Coda-teachings stabilized Cole's sanity and locked away what remained of his psionic powers.

WildC.A.T.s

Some time later Cole and Zealot broke up; for Zealot it was just another relationship, but Cole had become devoted to her, being eternally grateful to her for restoring his sanity. However they remained on good terms, and both were recruited to become part of Lord Emp's Daemonite hunting team, the WildC.A.T.s. Grifter would later quit the team when they had to ally with Hightower, a Daemonite who had killed Grifter's friend Lonely. He rejoined when the team came back from Khera, even being the team's leader for some time. During this time Max Cash, his younger brother, was killed, came back as a zombie and was killed again by Grifter himself. He left the team again after Zealot's apparent death. At this point most of his teammates left as well and the WildC.A.T.s were disbanded.

Wildcats

Months later, Cole joined the Wildcats, a small group that included Lord Emp, Spartan and the French weapons dealer known as Noir. After Emp's ascension, Grifter sank into a depression; he began drinking and having one-night stands with women who reminded him of Zealot. Finally Zealot herself returned, but at the time Grifter was too drunk to recognize her. After a night of sex, Zealot left him before Grifter realized who she was. He caught up with her again while she was fighting the Coda. Zealot told him that the Coda had betrayed her teachings and she had sworn to wipe them all out. She added that she would spare Grifter, despite being Coda-trained, because of their history. After this meeting, Grifter straightened out his life and joined Jack Marlowe's Halo Corporation.

During this time Cole was mind-controlled by the villain Tao into shooting his former teammate and current I.O. director, John Lynch, leaving him in a coma. Tao then erased Cole's memories of these events.

Halo Corporation

During a mission for Jack Marlowe, Cole's legs were shattered by Agent Orange. Therefore he could no longer operate as Marlowe's field agent. He trained accountant Edwin Dolby to take his place. Dolby turned out to be unsuitable for the violent life that Grifter planned for him and resigned from Halo. After Marlowe apologized to him, he rejoined, but strictly as an accountant. Grifter remodeled the robotic body of former teammate Ladytron as a remote-controlled body for himself.

Several months later, Grifter's legs were healed, a side-effect of the dormant Gen-factor according to I.O. scientists. John Lynch, who had woken from his coma, restored Cole's memory. Cole was sent to take down Tao and working together with double-agent Holden Carver, Tao's organization was completely dismantled and Tao was imprisoned.

Since then he has joined a make-shift team of former Wildcats to take down the assassin Nemesis.

Worldstorm

When Jack Marlowe died Cole has taken control of Halo Corporation and all its assets. Being depress of Spartan's death, Cole has been in South America fighting Daemonites for a month.

He later arrived back in New York just in time to witness Captain Atom's arrival and subsequent battle with Majestic. Cash recognized an energy signature in Captain Atom that he'd previously only seen in his deceased teammates Void and Spartan. After consulting with Jeremy Stone, Cole was acknowledged that the Void's energy splinted into both of Captain Atom and Nikola Hanssen.

Cole later regrouped the former Wildcats to capture Captain Atom while he face a fearful Nikola. Cole tried to convince Nikola to accept who she is as a metahuman as she, like any other normal people, was deeply afraid of metahumans. When Captain Atom defeated the Wildcats in Washington, D.C., both Cole and Nikola arrive at the scene in which Cole convinced Nikola to use the Void's power of teleportation. From there Cole was about to combat Atom but witness him being teleported away by the Authority via a shift-door.

While regrouped with the Wildcats, they were confronted by Mister Majestic who then gravelly informed them that killing Captain Atom would caused the destruction of their universe leaving Cole all the more frustrated of the situation and focus more on Nikola's power of the Void. Cole eventually helped Captain Atom in fending off the Authority from killing the misplaced hero, who they believe that killing Atom would save their universe, and was subsequently killed by Apollo and Midnighter: Midnighter buried two throwing stars in Cash's spine, then Apollo incinerated his head.

After Nikola harnessed her powers and remade the universe, Cole and along of many past deceased people such as Deathblow came back, but with no memories of the events with Nikola, Captain Atom, and the reboot of the universe.

Post-Worldstorm

In the wake of the reboot, Cole is shown to be a man who has attempted to change himself, but keeps getting sucked back in to the hero lifestyle. He appears to be an employee of Hadrian as a core member of the new WildCats team that he is assembling.

Cole Cash briefly worked as an assassin for the US government, targeting Islamist terror networks. His latest assignment went awry when his target turned out to be an alien shape-shifter who was being hunted by others of the same race. Zee, as he/she calls itself, has now drawn Grifter and Midnighter into an interstellar conflict involving weaponized giant worms.

World's End

Grifter returned to the Wildcats after Armageddon, helping survivors in Los Angeles. He was later summoned by John Lynch and regrouped with Team-7 where he and his teammates learned of Tao's nihilistic threat. After the Halo Building in Los Angeles was destroyed, Grifter had himself and the Wildcats teamed up with Team-7 in stopping Tao. Ultimately their battle ended with Grifter shooting Tao in the head at pointblank, thus relinquishing his powers from Void, Max Faraday, and Providence.

Grifter was among the many heroes that were notified of the Authority's Carrier's leaving, in which Grifter was among the few heroes to leave Earth when he was ordering the panic refugees who were boarding the shift-ship. Grifter and along with his old comrade Deathblow officially joined the "new" Authority and together helped in establishing order among the Carrier's influx of refugees. During the journey Cole entered into a sexual relationship with Stormwatch member, Flint.

Cole's journey with the Authority led them to discovering a genocidal alien race known as the Karibna and helped in destroying them, and thereafter returning to Earth.

Fun Facts

Grifter's real name, Cole Cash, bears resemblance to the phrase "Cold Hard Cash". Cash is associated with a 'grifter'-defined as a swindler, dishonest gambler, or the like.

Cole Cash has called Michael Cray his best friend.

Grifter admitted he was agnostic when he went back in time to Rome and was thrown with the Christians to be attacked by lions in the Coliseum.

Grifter's original mask is not only used to conceal his identity but also has the ability to filter out any noxious gases he may come in contact with.

[whatudottu]

I’m having some thoughts on universal translators, and though I know absolutely nothing about programming or generalised tech, I might as well share- I have a language headcanon in the drafts.

Also, while this is mostly in reference to Ben 10 (mainly for the brief mention of R&D), the actual translation programming can actually apply to Transformers too, considering that they’re most likely built into a Cybertronian.

I, in making this, wanted to have a balance of sci-fi and sci-fantasy (ben 10 is already heavily sci-fantasy, try as i might to star trek the shit out of its logic), so in that sense, I decided upon two types of translators;

Full translators - native language to foreign language through speech alone; does not require understanding of the foreign language, but can have cultural misunderstandings and translation errors.

Full translators are simple, take what you say and (with delay or no, depending on how much coin you can spend) translate it for others to hear. And by being audio based, this translator can work two-way.

This doesn’t matter the price, the translation will always be yours and yours alone, the price only really affects how you hear it. The cheap alternative is simple, an earpiece or some other suitable listening device (depending on of course your biology and whatever the shape of your ear is). More expensive devices uses a one-way thought reader that provides the translation to the mind already. It looks the same as an earpiece, but it just skips the audio prompt and conveys meaning.

And again, full translators translate EVERYTHING you say, and while things may be semantically correct, native speakers of your chosen foreign language can notice something off with your speech. Plus, not all words have direct translation, and across the universe there are some concepts that don’t even have words in other cultures, so translations can be conflated with confusing words or words that don’t quite sound right in the sentence that you are trying to speak.

And that leads us right along to the second translator type;

Semi translators - native language to foreign language with foreign language thoughts and native language speech (i.e. thoughts marked as ‘intended speech’ with vocal imput); prevents cultural misunderstandings and translation errors, but an understanding of the foreign language is required.

Semi translators - I’m not a fan of the name but I’m the worst at making them - are used by individuals who physically cannot pronounce the foreign language they want to speak in (someone with vocal chords speaking a language with striation). Semi translators are typically a one-way translator - mainly due to the thought reading required - so even if the foreign language thoughts were not required for more accurate translations, a new speaker would still need to learn to listen.

Galvan’s have produced a lot of intergalactic tech used by the wider universe - and I think they have made some translation tech canonically - so why not be the ones to make semi translators a real thing?

R&D’s first attempts at making the semi translators initially lacked a line distinguishing intended speech and stray thoughts. A particularly detailed screenplay of a subject’s thought process was identified and consequently translated through, and while the subject was given points for creativity, researchers found the need for an intended speech market; why not use speech itself as the marker?

Taking the one-way thought receiver of the full translators and flipping it, again in the form of a wearable headset (of some form or another), the receiver has a proximity noise sensor that activates the mind-reading. This is far more sci-fantasy that I’m used to talking about (and far more programming shenanigans than i have any knowledge on to actually make a thing hypothetically possible), but essentially galvan smart and yada yada monkey thought translator a la Cloudy and the Chance of Meatballs, the foreign language thoughts are converted to sound thanks to the audial trigger of native language speech.

Of course if you’re a Cybertronian you can skip a few steps. It’s probably a median between full and semi translators that has its route in a Cybertronian’s processor; foreign words enter an audial and - if the planet has global network or some form of internet - words are translated on the fly. It’s prone to errors and misunderstandings - Ultra Magnus’ “What’s a ‘kilt’?” comes to mind - but unlike full translators, they have the opportunity to quickly fact check a word they don’t understand.

And uh… I think that’s it?

well for ben 10 there’s magic- skips all the steps and goes straight to ‘i mean to say this, and this has a certain meaning’

Keep an eye out for my alien language headcanon post- it’s fully drafted and is waiting on a good release time.

[homeverse-au-official]

The Empire spans across large parts of the milky way galaxy, with Earth currently on the very edge of its reach. 

There are several ways a conquered planet is used by the Imperial government. First, the planet, if inhospitable to Alternian life, must be terraformed. This includes planting Alternian species of plants and animals, and changing the composition of the atmosphere, sometimes installing one wholesale. After the planet is hospitable, citizens are shipped to colonies and the planet is officially declared part of the Empire. Generally, a planet will only have one major export, which will fall into one of three categories.

 These are Brood Planets, which export trolls - bodies to go to the other forms of planets, Farming Planets, which export food and material goods, and Scholar* planets, which export knowledge and technology. 

Scholar and plantation planets are often the largest in terms of land actually livable, but have the lowest density of populations. Brood planets, much like Alternia itself, have something of a catch-call society, with minor industry and agricultural cultures only to support the local caverns and whatever companies choose to place down roots there. 

Alternia is in the center of the Empire l, but the planet holds very little importance in the politics of the Empire. Instead, it's considered a very minor Brood planet, with its main export being live bodies for the Army and Navy. 

Trolls from Alternia are generally considered to be weird or odd, as their upbringing is very different from the norm of the rest of the Empire.  Alternians are both considered incredibly martially adept, but lacking in some social graces. Sort of like that person you may know who didn’t graduate highschool, but is insanely good at mechanics and practical knowledge. A bit of a ‘sure, you got that fancy degree, but I graduated from the school of hard knocks’. You don’t really argue with it. 

*’Scholar’ comes more from the fact that these on-soil cities hold a large amount of material collected over the millennia from artists and scholars, usually mostly highbloods. These planets however, are also host to most of the factory and industry in the Empire, with a great deal of the higher learning based on the ground there going into engineering and construction.

[ask-artemis-prima]

True/False? Do you use xenotech?

True. It’s not really xenotech, just tech. As long as it works who honestly cares? Most of my weapons and armor are classified as Xenotechnology, or created by an Aeldari God. The way I see it the Third Legion did the same and were never repremanded for it - until much later and for other reasons - and the Mechanicus prays to a Necron C’tan. No one is exactly innocent from using xenotech.

[soldiermom1973]

CONRAD VERNER WEEK

The Man...

The Myth...

THE LEGEND...

Starting Monday, November 19 and running through Saturday, November 24, I’ll be hosting a week dedicated to everyone’s favorite Mass Effect fanboy, Conrad Verner!

The rules are simple and the same as for any other themed week: *Any submission is welcome - fanfic, moodboards, art, screengrabs, gifs, headcanons.  As long as it features Shepard’s #1 fan, share it here!  SFW and NSFW are welcome, just please make sure it’s tagged appropriately & has trigger warnings if necessary. *Use the tag #conradvernerweek  Also, you can tag me, @soldiermom1973 to make sure I see it and can get it reblogged for you.  This is my first time hosting something like this, so if I miss reblogging your submission, drop me a line & remind me.  I’m old & my memory ain’t what it used to be.  :) *BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL. I know there are a lot of people in the fandom who find him annoying and live for the chance to be mean to him in the game.  Do not ruin this for those of us who enjoy this character.  There’s a ton of other ME content out there - I’m sure you’ll find something you like if this doesn’t float your boat.

Need some ideas for the week?  Here are some thoughts - TRAVELS - Where did Conrad go between ME1 & 2?  Between 2 & 3? EDUCATION -  We all know he did his doctoral dissertation on xenotechnology and dark energy integration, but how did he get there?  Was he actually a party-hardy frat boy?  A closet jock?  Or has he always been the awkward dork we all know and love? FAMILY - We know his sister, Cassandra, went to Andromeda.  What was their relationship like?  Did he have other siblings?  What about his parents? SPARE TIME/HOBBIES - Aside from building very tasteful shrines to his favorite Alliance Commander, what does our beloved fanboy do in his spare time?  Build model ships like his hero?  Volunteer at the local soup kitchen?  Maybe continue his work with local orphans?  Perhaps he plays an instrument or collects shot glasses? REBUILDING - Where was Conrad when the war was over? What did he do?  Talk about his life after the Reapers and based on whatever ending your Shepard chose.

I’m really excited to be doing this & I hope you all enjoy it, too!!

[talesfantastic]

Here’s the starter call for all Marvel Cinematic Universe muses for either mainverse or crossovers. Ideas under the cut.

Mainverse muses: Tony Stark (Avengers era and before until I rewatch stuff)

Mainverse:

Tony Stark (Avengers era and before until I rewatch stuff, unless it’s nebulous)

Tony interacting with the other Avengers

Tony and Rhody brotp moments

Someone to attempt the long, involved process of wrangling this man into a relationship

Crossovers:

Ami Mizuno - local teenage genius, interning at Stark Industries but fully intends to pursue a medical doctorate

Chaos - ancient WEAPON of alien gods, currently slumbering within a stolen artifact

Genesis Rhapsodos - an alien from a destroyed world (Gaea where Jenova ultimately ruined the planet beyond repair) currently hiding in New York as a literary critic

Hojo - a brilliant scientist who’s indulged in some... less than ethical bioengineering

Iris Dupont - a journalist that works with SHIELD

Mel - a powerful sorceress of unknown origin

Rod - a weaponsmith who forges for individuals with special needs (super strength, elemental affinities, etc) and repairs special equipment

Tharan Cedrax - an eccentric inventor first contracted by SHIELD and later wooed away by Stark Industries, specializing in xenotechnology; takes “impossible” as a personal challenge

Trent Milan - a doctor specializing in super human and mutant biology

Tristan Pierce - an information broker, has often been a SHIELD informant for Coulson, though not formally on the payroll