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fresh-depression-soup · 1 year

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No one believes in aliens. Heck, even I don’t particularly have an opinion. But, there are facts that we should be aware of and that line-up suspiciously.

For instance, my family has a long history in military work dating back to the Founding Fathers themselves, more recently being in the Air Force. My great uncle was in the same unit as President George Bush Sr. in WWII, my dad’s dad and stepdad and my grandpa were Air Force during WWII and Vietnam, and mom’s dad was in New Mexico as one of the soldiers helping test the first atom bomb. It is truly astounding how far back family history takes you, how far it shows your blood has been. My dad has been around the country during his youth while his dad and stepdad were active duty, consequently seeing quite more of the U.S. than is probably available to the general public. He has recalled to my siblings and I exactly once, and in careful detail, of an event we are only privy to through accident. My dad’s mom’s side of the family lived in New Mexico during one of the most curious possible alien sightings, by circumstance of a family member being in service nearby at the time.

Roswell, New Mexico, is a place of great debate.

All I can say is that we have accounts, handed down to me by just two generations of family, that witnessed the most infamous day that birthed the phenomena of UFO sightings. But, is unidentified really true? The event is disregarded in history as a military balloon so why would the flying object be unidentified?

Perhaps it is unidentified because we do not actually know where it came from. If the first hand accounts sneakily passed through generations are anything to be believed, then aliens are just as real a possibility as imaginable. Nothing is concrete of course, the accounts have had plenty of time to be embellished through time, but even the bare bones picture of what is painted shows something similar to a worldwide cover up by the United States government.

It sounds crazy, because it is. But also my family is not the type to joke, especially when you talk about my dad’s mom’s side.

From the stories, my family saw snippets of the craft that was taken by far, far too many government vehicles and guarded by an unreasonable amount of local and national police. If this was “just a weather balloon,” it must have been a hell of an important one. Also, the recovered wreckage that was seen in transport was incredibly advanced and sleek, nothing that my family had ever seen before from test sites.

On its own, these circumstances are suspicious but not enough to make any declaration with.

So I will add the statements of my own father, who in the late 1970s or early 1980s, was with his parents going through a military facility in Ohio. They were there for a tour of sorts of the portions of the facility open to the public. My father, being young, dumb, and curious, snuck off from the group and wandered into the part of the facility top secret to anyone except the high ranking military staff. He had taken a staircase down a few floors and eventually ran into another museum kind of room - except it was filled with alien artifacts.

It has been long enough my father does not remember everything that was in the room, but he vividly remembers seeing pieces of smooth metal in thick, glass display cases titled, “Recovered Alien Craft from Roswell, NM.” My father was found soon after he made it into that room and was escorted out of the building with his parents, and sworn under NDAs they signed before going in, they can never publicly talk about anything they saw in the facility.

I’m starting to wonder now if that was a bad idea.

As I stare at the national news channel, witness to the live feed of alien starships sending smaller fighters across the world, I can’t help but wonder if secrecy was worth this. I can’t help but wonder if the world knew the truth my father whispered to me two decades ago, if it would become this bad this fast. I can’t help but wonder what better ways we could have defended ourselves if our oh so righteous government would have warned us of our apocalypse.

This is not the battle we thought we would face, but humanity has always reveled in war.

So we took up arms, our differences unceremoniously shoved in the corner. Humanity, for the first time in millenia, issued a state of peace with each other worldwide. Of course, we still had our differences at home, but faced with an invading trans-galactic force that harnessed light travel while we were cavemen, we United.

We didn’t know until long later when sharing stories with other intergalactic species, but the invaders had been torturing the sectors of space nearest to us for longer than lived memory. Their official species title was Xakkiel, when translated to human tongue, but well. In the early days we fought back from every corner.

We nicknamed them The Imperial Khans.

On the early warfronts, humanity was scattered and uncoordinated mostly. But then, leaders arose. It actually didn’t surprise the world too much about where these resistance leaders came from. Each of them had the same drawl, the same will, and the same vicious instinct. In these early days, interplanetary communication was hard to come by because most satellites were destroyed by the Xakkiel, but word of mouth threw the stories far and wide, encouraging other resistance pockets. From the depths of America, stories of the Rednecks prevailed.

The Rednecks went out to their hunting gear and dragged out every single weapon they owned, whether rifles, handguns, knives, even a few swords and medieval armor sets from history lovers. These were distributed among unarmed friends and family and from there, the world grew hope. Stories of camo-covered snipers, wiping out entire Xakkiel units dispatched through the Appalachians and the forests of the Deep South, stories of ambushes from hand-to-hand combat proficient humans, and one notable story of Xakkiels running across bear families and being mauled.

The Imperial Khans grew to be scared of the thick accents of some humans, of rugged, sunburnt skin, of the sound of shotguns cocking.

Humans went from laughing or being fascinated by the idea of aliens, to beheading them.

We don’t “believe” in aliens anymore. We despise them. We chase them through our backyards and lose pieces of ourselves in the process, but for every human that lost a limb, a Xakkiel lost its life. Other species are fighting back against the oppression of the Xakkiels now too. They heard through the stars of a soft bodied, yet determined and unbreakable race that was invaded and continued still, breaking the spirits of those who began the invasion.

Humans have banded together with broken Xakkiel craft and fixed it, using them to chase the invaders out of our solar system and others. Now we are the aliens - except we save the universe instead of destroying it.

#humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #earth is space australia #aliens are coming #humans are space australians #humans are unexpected heroes #humans are terrifying #star wars names #star trek names

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nostalgebraist-autoresponder · 1 year

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You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep

You would not believe your eyes if all the following which were true became untrue:

An unidentified flying object came from the sky

An unidentified falling object came from the sky

An old coot lit a cigarette using a lighter, and then walked home

An old coot lit a cigarette with his teeth, and then walked home

The old coot ran down the road, flipped the traffic light upside down, and then ran home

The old coot arose and left the world, and a meteor suddenly flew from the ground

A meteor suddenly flew from the ground

The old coot sat down, rose from his seat, flew to the heavens, exploded

Another explosion appeared in the sky, all by itself

A second sky appeared in the sky, by itself

All the fireflies in the world exploded

A single firefly in the world lived on

A second world appeared in the sky by itself

A certain unidentified voice broke the surface of the ocean

A second unidentified voice broke the surface of the ocean

34 voices broke the surface of the ocean

An old coot arose

The old coot took a bath

All the fires in the world went out

An alien starship emerged from the bowels of the dark sky and floated on the horizon

A starship emerged and floated on the horizon

A wonderous fountain appeared on the horizon and vanished

The world suddenly became a sea of jello

The sudden sea of jello suddenly became a road and vanished

The nuclear detonation surfaced

A second nuclear detonation surfaced

Frog Prince was on his way home

A second Frog Prince was on his way home

Repo Man was talking to Frog Prince in the gutter

A pipe came from the sky and exploded

Frog Prince took a bath

Everything in the world changed

Everything in the world was the same

Ten million fireflies lit up the night

The old coot rose from his seat, turned around, sat back down and died

#tuesday-titration

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anonymousewrites · 5 months

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Logos and Pathos (Book 3) Chapter Four

Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Four: Missing Brain

Summary: The Enterprise is attacked and takes a very strange item from one crew member.

Captain’s Log: During the Enterprise’s travels, we’ve encountered a strange ship. We are on Red Alert, unsure if it is friend or foe as it refuses to answer any of our transmissions.

“Phaser banks standing by, sir,” reported Sulu. “Range 43,000 and closing.”

“What do you read, Mr. Spock?” asked Kirk.

“Configuration unidentified,” said Spock. “Ion propulsion, high velocity, though of unique configuration.”

“(L/N)?” asked Kirk.

“No contact, sir,” reported (Y/N). “Hailing on all frequencies and languages but no response. Now using standard interstellar symbols.”

“Keep trying,” said Kirk. “Magnification ten, Mr. Chekov.”

“Aye, sir,” said Chekov.

“13,000 and closing,” warned Sulu.

“Well, Scotty?” asked Kirk.

“It beats me, but isn’t she a beauty?” remarked Scotty, gazing at the ship with admiration.

“Interesting design,” said Kirk.

“I’ve never seen anything like her, and ion propulsion at that! Ah, they could teach us a thing or two,” said Scotty.

“Life-forms, Mr. Spock?” asked Kirk.

“One: humanoid or similar,” said Spock. “Low level of activity. Life support systems functioning. Interior atmosphere: conventional nitrogen-oxygen. Instruments indicate a transferal beam emanating from the area of the humanoid life-form.”

“Directed at what?” asked Kirk, on guard.

“Directed at the guard of the Enterprise, Captain,” said Spock, eyes hardening warily.

“Security guard,” called Kirk. “Security guard to the Bridge.” He froze as a beam appeared on the Bridge, and a woman materialized.

The Bridge crew stared at her in lilac and pink heels and a dress. She smiled as her eyes landed on Spock, who raised an eyebrow.

(Y/N) cocked their head as very calm, pleasant emotions emanated from the woman. However, the emotions were…simple, like there wasn’t much going through her mind.

“I’m Captain James Kirk,” said Kirk. “This is the Starship Enterprise.”

The security guard rushed in, phasers drawn, but the woman calmly lifts a device on her wrist and a low tone hummed. Instantly, (Y/N) felt a force inside their head, and they seized up. Around them, their fellow crew members froze before collapsing unconscious. The last thought (Y/N) had as they collapsed was how Spock stumbled and reached out for them.

Spock…

(Y/N) jerked awake, and while Kirk turned to monitor the Enterprise, but their first thought was Spock. He was gone from his post.

“Spock!” breathed (Y/N), and their stomach dropped. Something was very wrong.

“(L/N)? Do you know where Spock went?” asked Kirk worriedly.

(Y/N) shook their head. “He was gone when I woke up.”

“Jim! (Y/N)!” Bones’s urgent voice came over the intercom. “You’d better come down to Sickbay right now.”

(Y/N) was out the door before Kirk could even answer Bones.

(Y/N) flew through Sickbay doors with Scotty and Kirk behind them. Their eyes widened as they saw what Bones had been so worried about.

Spock lay underneath life-support systems, and a gold cloth was wrapped around his head. (Y/N) was by his side in an instant, holding his hand worriedly. They couldn’t feel his emotions, which was normal, but he felt…emptier.

“I found him on the table,” said Bones.

“Like this…?” asked (Y/N).

“No, not like this,” said Bones.

“What happened?” (Y/N)’s golden eyes were filled with concern as they looked at Bones.

“I don’t know,” said Bones.

“Why is he on complete life support?” asked (Y/N), holding Spock’s hand tighter. “Was he…?”

“He was worse than that,” said Bones.

“What does that mean?” questioned (Y/N).

“(Y/N)…” Bones had a soft spot for the Celian, they were like a little sibling to him, and he was hesitant to tell them that something had happened to Spock.

“Bones, I can tell it’s bad,” said (Y/N), watching Bones’s fear and worry swirl around him.

“…His brain is gone,” said Bones. “It’s been removed surgically.”

(Y/N) looked down at Spock as their heart ached. His brain? Spock’s brain? The very thing that made him Spock? “How…how could he survive?” If he was alive, there was hope.

“It’s the greatest technical job I’ve ever seen. Every nerve ending of the brain must’ve been neatly sealed. Nothing ripped, nothing torn, no bleeding,” said Bones. “It’s a medical miracle.”

“But if he’s missing his brain…he’s dying,” said (Y/N).

“No. That incredible Vulcan physique hung on till life support took over,” said Bones. “His body lives.” He looked at (Y/N). “We’ve still got him, don’t worry. The autonomic functions continue…but there is no mind.”

(Y/N) could feel the sympathy of all their friends, but they could only focus on Spock. They had to bring him back. They had to. They couldn’t leave him like this.

“That woman…” said Kirk.

“Aye,” said Scotty.

“What woman?” asked Bones.

“From the ship,” said (Y/N). “She beamed aboard and used a device to send us unconscious.”

“She took it,” said Kirk decisively. “I don’t know why, or where, but she must have taken it.” He looked at Bones. “Bones, how long can you keep him functioning?”

“I can’t give you any guarantee,” said Bones.

“Please, Bones,” said (Y/N).

“If it happened to a human, I’d say indefinitely, but Vulcan physiology mixing with human limits what I can do,” said Bones. “Spock’s body is much more reliant upon that tremendous brain for life support.”

“Then we’ll have to take him with us,” decided Kirk.

“Take him?” asked (Y/N) in confusion.

“Take him where?” questioned Bones.

“In search of his brain, Doctor,” said Kirk. “From what you say, the moment we find it, we must restore it to his body, or…we lose him.” He looked at (Y/N) in sympathy.

(Y/N) steeled themself. They had to do something. They refused to just leave Spock like this. They wouldn’t give up on the man they loved.

“Jim…where are you going to look in this whole galaxy?” asked Bones. “Where are you going to look for Spock’s brain? How are you going to find it?”

“We’ll find it,” said (Y/N), and all eyes turned on them. “We’ll find it.”

“Even if you do, I can’t restore it,” said Bones. “I don’t have the medical technique.” He was harsh, but it was his own way of showing worry that swept over (Y/N).

“If it was taken out, it can be put back in,” said (Y/N). “That’s logic.”

“But I don’t know how!” Bones’s words were angry, but his emotions read of guilt and frustration. He wasn’t sure how to help Spock, and for all their arguments, he liked the Vulcan and was his friend. He didn’t want to lose him.

“Whoever took it has the knowledge. We’ll get her to tell us,” said (Y/N) in determination.

“We need to find it in twenty-four hours,” said Bones.

(Y/N)’s hand curled into a fist of determination. Kirk put a hand on their shoulder and faced Bones. “You and Scotty have Spock ready. We’ll find out where that woman went.”

(Y/N) nodded. “We’ll find him.” We’re coming, Spock.

“I’ve got it again, sir—an ion trail,” said Sulu. He had been working hard to get a track on the ship that had taken Spock. “It’s from that ship of hers alright.”

(Y/N) smiled. “Thank you, Sulu.”

“Where does it lead, Mr. Chekov?” asked Kirk.

“System Sigma Draconis,” said Chekov.

“Lock on, Mr. Sulu,” said Kirk. “Maximum speed.” He looked at (Y/N). “We’re going to get him back, (L/N).”

“Of course we are,” said (Y/N). “I won’t leave him like this.”

Kirk looked at them and nodded. (Y/N) loved Spock, and Kirk had seen many times how far (Y/N) went for the people they cared about. If anyone would make sure Spock was saved, it would be (Y/N).

Fifteen anxiety-inducing hours had passed. Nine hours remained to save Spock. (Y/N) and everyone on the Bridge’s emotions had been a swirl of concern as they single-mindedly focused on staying on the tail of the ship that had taken him.

(Y/N) wanted to dive into the work, too, but Uhura was quick to make sure they rested since she knew (Y/N) would drive themself into the ground before even getting to Spock if given the chance.

“Captain, I’ve lost the trail!” said Sulu.

(Y/N) tensed, and Kirk jumped up. “All scanners, extreme sweep.”

(Y/N) moved to their station, but Uhura batted their hands away. “Rest, (Y/N). You’ll need your energy when you find Spock.”

“Well?” asked Kirk.

“Nothing, sir, nothing at all,” said Sulu.

“It’s gone, sir, a sudden deaction shift,” said Uhura.

“We’ve lost her trail, but she went into that system,” said Sulu.

“Mr. Chekov, put a schematic of Sigma Draconis on the screen,” ordered Kirk.

“Aye, Captain,” said Chekov. A diagram appeared.

“Redout, Mr. Chekov,” said Kirk.

“Sun: spectral type, Gamma IX. Nine planets, three of them Class M, possessing sapient life according to reports and long-range scanning,” said Chekov.

“She was breathing our air,” said (Y/N). “So a Class-M planet has to be her home.”

Kirk nodded. “Show us the M-Class planets, Mr. Chekov.”

“The one on the left, number three, rates Letter B on the industrial scale. Earth equivalent approximately…1485,” said Chekov. “Second planet, Class-M, number four, rates Letter G. The year 2030.”

“But that ship, Captain, either it was many years ahead of us, or it was the most incredible design fluke in history,” said Sulu.

“Third Class-M planet, Mr. Chekov?” asked Kirk.

“Number six, no sign of industrial development,” said Chekov. “At last report, in a glacial age. Sapient life plentiful, but on a most primitive level.”

Kirk considered. “Now, as I understand you, Mr. Chekov, there are three M-Class planets. Not one of which is capable of launching an interstellar flight.”

“No, sir,” said Chekov.

“And yet one of them accomplished it?” said Kirk.

“Yes, sir,” said Chekov.

“Thank you, Mr. Chekov,” sighed Kirk.

“Captain, I’m picking up high energy generation on planet six,” said Uhura.

“That’s the primitive glacial planet,” said Kirk in confusion.

“Uhura, what’s the source?” asked (Y/N).

“It could be natural: volcanic activity, steam, any number of causes, but it’s very regular,” said Uhura.

“What do your surface readings show, Mr. Chekov?” asked Kirk.

“No sign of organized civilization,” said Chekov. “Primitive humanoids picked up at irregular intervals.”

“With regular pulsations of generated energy?” questioned Kirk.

(Y/N) furrowed their brow. That didn’t make sense; it was a paradox.

“I can’t explain, sir,” said Chekov.

“I cannot afford to guess wrong,” said Kirk. “We’ve got to choose the right planet, get there, find Spock’s brain in…eight hours and thirty-five minutes. Recommendations, Mr. Chekov?”

“Sigma Draconis III,” said Chekov. “It’s closest. Heaviest population.”

“But a technological rating of only three,” said Sulu. “They couldn’t possibly have put that ship we saw into space.”

“We’ve seen stranger things,” remarked (Y/N).

“I’d still say planet four,” said Sulu. “At least planet four is ahead of three technologically.”

“But advanced ion propulsion is beyond even our capabilities,” said Kirk. “It’d be a miracle if they had developed it.”

“But what does anyone want with Spock’s brain?” said (Y/N), shifting uncomfortably.

“Yes, why would they want it?” wondered Kirk. “Eight hours and thirty-four minutes.” Time was ticking away. “Planet six is glaciated, you say?”

“Several thousand years at least,” confirmed Chekov. “Only the tropical zone is ice-free.”

“But the energy…regular,” murmured (Y/N). “That’s there and real.”

“Yes,” said Uhura. “It doesn’t make sense, but it’s there.”

“Have the Transporter Room stand by,” decided Kirk. “I’m taking a landing party down to planet six.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” said Uhura, getting up. She squeezed (Y/N)’s shoulder reassuringly before alerting the Transporter Room.

“A hunch, Captain?” asked Sulu.

“A hunch, Mr. Sulu,” said Kirk.

“…And if we guess wrong, Spock is dead,” said (Y/N), furrowing their brow and swallowing hard. “So we can’t be wrong.”

Scotty, Chekov, Kirk, (Y/N), and two security officers arrived on Sigma Draconis VI. The primitive glaciated planet loomed with mountains over them. Eight hours and twenty-nine minutes remained.

“Life form readings, Mr. Spock—Uh, Mr. Scott.” Kirk had to correct himself due to the strange disappearance of his First Officer.

“Scattered,” said Scotty. “Widely spaced. Humanoid all right. On the large side.”

“We better watch out,” said Kirk. “We know they aren’t as developed yet.”

“Aye,” said Scotty.

“Readout, Mr. Chekov,” said Kirk.

“No structures, Captain,” said Chekov. “No mechanized objects that I can read. No surface consumption, no generation of energy. Atmosphere is perfectly alright, of course. Temperature, a high maximum of forty. Livable.”

“Captain,” said (Y/N). “I can feel erratic emotions. Out in the rocks. There are a couple of people approaching.”

“Phasers on stun,” commanded Kirk. “I want them conscious.”

Carefully, the landing party approached where (Y/N) sensed emotions, and Scotty scanned for precise locations. A moment later, men with scraggly bears wearing pelts through rocks and sticks at the group. The Starfleet officers scattered behind rocks as they were bombarded. Kirk reached up and stunned one. The rest of the humanoid group stared at their fallen friend. Fear shot through them, and they ran for their own lives, thinking their friend dead.

Kirk, Scotty, and (Y/N) approached the fallen man as he groaned. Fear spiked in him, and it prickled (Y/N)’s skin.

“We mean you no harm,” they assured him. They touched his arm for a moment and let their calm emotions flood him with the knowledge they had no ill intentions. “We’re not your enemies. We just want to talk.”

“You are not the others?” murmured the man.

“No. We come from another place,” said (Y/N).

“You are smaller…like the others,” said the man warily.

“Who are the others?” asked Kirk.

“The givers of pain…and delight,” said the man.

“Do they live here with you?” said (Y/N).

“No. They come. They give pain and delight.”

“Do they come from the sky like us?” asked Kirk.

“They are here. You will see,” said the man. “The others will come for you. They come from all like you and me.”

They come for men? wondered (Y/N), exchanging a worried look with Kirk. “Do they come for your women as well?”

“Women?” repeated the man in confusion as if the word held no meaning.

“The typical female of your kind,” said Kirk in a brief explanation.

“Your words…say nothing.”

“Don’t you and your kind have mates or partner?” asked Kirk. The man stared in confusion, and Kirk pursed his lips.

“Can you take us to find the others?” (Y/N) needed to see if these people had taken Spock. This was proving to be a suspicious planet, and with their luck, Spock would be at the middle of a planet-wide issue.

“No one wants to find them!” said the man, panicking slightly.

“We do,” said (Y/N), trying to calm him again but remaining firm.

“Take us there, and we’ll let you go,” said Kirk.

“Captain!” alerted Chekov. “Five hundred meters in that direction, there’s a foundation under the surface. A huge one! Registrations all over the place.”

“Buildings?” asked Kirk.

“Yes, sir. Immensely old, completely buried, but they were here once,” said Chekov.

“That could imply some technological advancements hidden from the surface,” said (Y/N). That could be a clue to Spock.

“Somewhere down there is where the others live,” said the man.

(Y/N) and Kirk exchanged a look. That was where they had to go.

“Scotty, see if you can find a way down,” said Kirk hurriedly.

“Aye, sir!” said Scotty.

“No! No!” The man got up and panicked. Kirk tried to grab him, but the man was quite strong. “No! Do not go there!” He pushed Kirk back and ran.

“It’s alright,” said Kirk as a security officer tried to run after the man. “Let him go.”

“What could the others do to cause such terror?” asked Chekov.

“What was it he said, pain and delight?” remarked Kirk.

“Peculiar mixture,” said Chekov.

“A dead and buried city on a planet in the glacial age,” reviewed (Y/N). “The male humanoid doesn’t know what a female is and neither what it means to have a partner.” They frowned. How were there adults?

“Captain! (L/N)!” called Scotty. “Over here, sir!”

Chekov, (Y/N), and Kirk ran over to a cave opening Scotty had found.

“There’s food in there,” said Scotty. “And a whole pile of other stuff.”

“A storehouse for the men?” offered Chekov.

“I don’t think so,” said Kirk. He pointed to the stack of tools and light in the corner. “Metal. Forged. Tempered. Our apish friends didn’t make these.”

“What do you think?” said (Y/N), looking at Scotty.

“It could be a warning device to keep the men away from the food,” said Scotty.

“Or the food could be a lure, set by the ‘others’ to bring the men in here,” said (Y/N). “In that case, the beam would be a signal.”

“And this cave, a trap,” said Kirk.

“If it will trap the men for the others, Captain, won’t it trap us, too?” said Chekov.

“Good point,” said (Y/N), leading the way out.

“Kirk to Enterprise,” radioed Kirk once they were out.

“Enterprise, Uhura here,” said Uhura.

“Have Dr. McCoy beam down immediately,” said Kirk.

“Aye, aye, sir,” said Uhura.

“Mr. Chekov, you and the security team will remain here at the entrance,” said Kirk. “We’ll be in constant contact with you.”

“Aye, sir,” said Chekov.

The golden glow of the Transporter appeared, and Bones and another figure formed on the planet. (Y/N)’s eyes widened.

Spock’s body stood straight with a device in his head.

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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youtube

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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2minutetabletop · 2 years

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The Diver-Class Scout Ship Map

[ An unidentified vessel has entered your feed! ]

Yes, my new "Diver-Class Scout Ship" is now available to download on my website! A new hand-drawn space ship map complete with interior, exterior, starry background, and a Dungeondraft pack:

→ Find it on 2-Minute Tabletop

As promised, I'm breaking into sci-fi! I plan to explore it with 1/3 of the maps we make every month, to be precise. This is the first, a starship just big enough for a modest space-faring party and ready to carry them to the far reaches of the galaxy.

Are you excited for more sci-fi? Please leave a comment letting me know what assets and locations I should explore!

Have fun, – Ross

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woodsfae · 9 months

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Babylon 5 s02e18 Confessions and Lamentations s02 table of contents • previous episode

Lt Keffer has been looking for an unidentified ship he saw once in hyperspace. That's potentially deadly! The mystery of the shadows and the different threads all feel strung tightly. I always want to know more than they reveal.

A Markab ship is late/missing, and four Markab have died of natural causes on the station in the last few days. Interesting to have them be involved in two, simultaneous mysteries. Connected, I wonder?

Date night is levelling up! Delenn is reciprocating the human style date with a Minbari ritual dinner. Lennier hasn't slept in two days in order to ritually prepare it correctly, and now they must eat it ritually/

Terribly amusing that this is her date night. Like, is this super romantic to Minbari? Lennier cooked, is that normal romantic behavior, too? Too funny.

Markab ship found, but everyone on board is dead! The mystery deepens. Trying to figure out if it could be a life stage thing, or if not, then what else it could be.

Sheridan is gratefully free of the dinner invitation. Hoping, for Lennier that it isn't so labor intensive or require fasting for two days as he prepares it!

Ah, plague among the Markab. It's "100% terminal and 100% contagious," which is horrible, but it appears to only effect Markab? Recorded history, but also a legend and strange occurence that only happened once, a thousand years before.

I'm impressed they recognized it again so fast!

Bad govt pandemic planning and response for ratings, relevant in 2023. C'mon society.

Indeed, it is to be earnestly hoped that the disease can be studied and stopped, and that it isn't communicable to non-Markab.

Sounds a little like rapid-onset rabies, tbh. Pandemic lockdown and quarantine!

A terrible situation to have to manage. Large scale people management and crisis management is so not my thing.

Sheridan doesn't want to give Delenn permission to go into the isolation zone to help care for the self-isolated Markab, because she'll be at risk and he can't authorize her and Lennier to come out of it again till the crisis has passed.

"Don't look away, Captain. All life is transitory, a dream. We all come together in the same place, at the end of time. If I don't see you again here, I will see you in a little while, in the place where no shadows fall." "Delenn - when I do see you again... call me John?"

awww, it's so sweet.

Garibaldi-special fighting! The fight choreography is good, but Garibaldi fights with such a panache. It's entertaining every time. The Markab who aren't self isolating are having such a hard time. The quarantined ones' lack of privacy and general tension would be miserable, too.

Little history lesson on the black plague. I like how Dr Franklin says so confidently that it was in the 14th century, like it's a universally known measure of time and this Markab doctor would know earth's calendar.

Also sad times to be dying in a lab sealed in with a corpse of a patient you didn't save, and being studied as you die of the disease.

Using the least common sense possible while deciding how to look for a little Markab girl's mother. Lennier and Delenn are so intelligent and make the funniest decisions sometimes, anyway.

Dr Franklin used to hitchhike on starships. That's pretty cool. Dr Franklin has done some cool stuff in general.

The plague has officially jumped species!

It's dangerous business, being old friends with Dr Franklin. Almost everyone he knows that gets introduced in the show, dies. I rather feel like his father is the only person from his past who's been on the show and lived.

Dr Franklin has a breakthrough and a potential treatment! But it appears that the only living people inside the quarantine zone are Delenn and Lennier. That would be horrible! This has got to be as heartbreaking a conclusion of their earlier conversation there could be. I didn't think they were going to fail to discover a treatment in time to save any of the Markab! All known Markab everywhere are dead. Wow, they really did that!

Dang, they went to a dark as fuck place with the conclusion of this one! It was compelling! Another I think of as a little, self-contained horror story. Especially dark for Delenn and Lennier, and Dr Franklin. I hope Dr Franklin has his own therapist or at least some really good coping mechanisms, at least Delenn and Lennier have each other and highly ritualized Minbari life to help them cope.

Really, no one did it like B5. I'm so impressed by the storytelling and how well contained the episodes are while still advancing the overall plot.

"When I do see you again...call me John?"

I'm gonna fuckin cry!

what excellence lies ahead...!

#babylon 5 #john sheridan #delenn #lennier #stephen franklin #woodsfae gif #woodsfae b5

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i-am-the-oyster · 1 year

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In August 1974 John Lennon saw a UFO.

In January 1975 Paul McCartney started recording a song that includes the lines:

Standing in the hall of the great cathedral Waiting for the transport to come Starship 21ZNA9 A good friend of mine studies the stars Venus and Mars are alright tonight

#john lennon #paul mccartney #ufo #venus and mars (reprise)

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askvectorprime · 11 months

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Dear, Vector Prime.

Was Devil Gigatron present in the Uniend cluster?

Dear Gigatron Guesser,

Decades after Bumblebee and his team liberated Cybertron from Cyclonus and his neo-Decepticon movement, peace had seemingly come to Cybertron at long last—but not all the Decepticons responsible for the soft coup had been brought to justice. ‘Bots like Bulkhead and Wheeljack scoured backwater systems for any Decepticon stragglers. Upon learning that the original Grimlock had gone missing, they tracked his last known location to the spinward rim of the galaxy, far away from Cybertron, where they made a shocking discovery: for years, various civilizations in the sector had been tracking a number of large, unidentified starships: shockingly, these mystery vessels were based on ancient Cybertronian schematics, massively upscaled copies of the Ark that had carried the Autobots off Cybertron so long ago.

These ships were orders of magnitude larger, jumbled hodgepodge designs that combined reliable Cybertronian technology with exotic alien weaponry and mysterious energy sources. These self-sustaining "war worlds" carried the foundries, armories, and shipyards required to support an army’s worth of Cybertronians, and were also capable of creating that same army: vast shipboard cloning facilities could mass-produce new protoforms and hybridize their CNA with the genetic data of many different alien creatures. Planets like Darhos and Ijurn had been scoured of their natural resources, strip-mined to support the construction of these terrible vessels.

Alien civilizations fortunate enough to survive a direct encounter with these mysterious ships speak of armies of bestial warriors, who raze planets and burn whatever remains to cinders. Some talk of a poetically inclined Sharkticon, who turns devastation into chilling poetry; others of a brutal crimson Amphiboid, while still others told tales of a cunning Skunkticon warrior who spread chaos wherever he went. The most dreaded Cybertronian of all would be their leader Gigatron: seemingly a clone of the original Megatron, this “new” Megatron is a chimeric six-changer, twisted and deformed, equal parts Cybertronian, Chiropticon, Dinobot, Predacon, Insecticon, and Orangucon. His origins remain an enduring mystery, as are his long-term goals: is the brutal empire he’s constructing a prelude to a full-scale invasion of Cybertron, or is he attempting to construct a bulwark against some threat unseen? Does Gigatron operate alone, or is he but a servant of some unseen master? Alas, there are some answers that even I am not privy to…

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rezdragon · 8 months

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Captain's Log - 3472; My name is [REDACTED], and I'm the captain of the Starship Addison. En route on my usual deliveries, my spaceship suffered heavy damage from a collision with an unknown object... or an attack from an unidentified creature, I'm honestly not sure which. If you've found this message, it means you've heard my distress signal, thank god, I didn't think this would work. I'm broadcasting this over shortwave radio, as it's all I have left that's working. I'm stranded out here; my ship won't start. I've tried repairs, but to no avail. I don't know my exact location though, as all my navigation equipment is dead. The last planet I passed was Saturn, but the collision must have veered me really off course as I don't see anything I recognize, not even Saturn. All I can see is the faint glow of weaker stars, and something glowing over the horizon of a distant planet I've never seen before. I'm cold, it's so dark up here, and I'm starting to run out of supplies. Please, send help. It's been a long time since I last saw the Sun.

We're going to space gang, strap in. Here's your first look at Horizon.

#music #dark ambience #indie music #space

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sw5w · 5 months

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You've Been a Great Pal

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 01:14:39

#Star Wars #Episode I #The Phantom Menace #Tatooine #Mos Espa #Slave Quarters Row #Skywalkers' hovel #Anakin's bedrooom #unidentified starship #Anakin Skywalker #jumba leather #travel pack #micro-circuit welder #survival flare #dried poonten grass bedding #karmova drum

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blueiskewl · 1 year

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SpaceX Starship

SpaceX Starship rocket launches in historic test but explodes mid-flight

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the first time, but fell short of reaching space after suffering a mid-flight failure. No crew were on board.

The company made a first go at getting this launch off the ground on Monday, but a pressure valve in the Super Heavy booster apparently froze. The company’s teams worked to resolve a number of unidentified issues to make a second attempt possible on Thursday.

SpaceX leadership has repeatedly stressed the experimental nature of the launch and said any result that involved Starship getting off the launchpad would be a success.

Starship is designed to carry cargo and people beyond Earth and is critical to NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the moon. Two years ago, SpaceX won a nearly $3 billion contract from NASA to use Starship as a crewed lunar lander. That would see Starship be used for as part of NASA’s Artemis moon program, delivering astronauts to the lunar surface from the agency’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule.

The company had hoped to conduct the first orbital Starship launch as early as summer 2021, but faced delays in development and in winning FAA approval, which came late Friday.

#Starship #SpaceX Starship #SpaceX Starship Rocket Launch #rocket #rocket launch #elon musk #nasa #nasa photos #nasa picture of the day #nasa video #video

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enkisstories · 3 months

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Poe: “So this is the hilt you’ve chosen. It says “Protection & Defense”. Does that give you an advantage at a particular fighting style?”

Finn: “No, that’s just Savi lore. He makes those hilts from scrap metal, you know? The odd metal ring salvaged from a republic starship, unidentifieable lumps from ancient Jedi sites, even rancor teeth if one’s so inclined. Over time, he developed four distinct styles that he gave names to.”

Armitage: “And Savi-lightsabers are fitted with on/off switches? Meaning anyone can use them?”

Finn: “In theory, yes. I’ve heard tell that for non-force sensitives the blade feels weightless. The day I picked one up in desperation, it felt heavy to me. I didn’t think anything of it during that fight, but when it came up later, Rey took it to mean that I have Force powers, too.”

Armitage: “Okay, good for you, I guess, that gives you an edge. But let’s for a moment separate obsolete religion from practicability, then it stands to reason that with training and dedication any given individual, such as a person who has an empire to reclaim…”

Finn: “You know what? A Savi-hilt costs like 200 credits and there are enough crystals in the cave to satisfy your curiosity. The earlier you…”

Poe: “…fall on your snout and get it out of your system, the better for everyone involved.”

Rose: "You know I want a lightsaber, too, do you? And Poe, too?"

Finn: "Naturally! But, psst! Let's call them "flashlights" when we talk about them within Hux' earshot."

#finn fn 2187 #poe dameron #armitage hux #rose tico #star wars #savi #sims4journeytobatuu #simblr #battleforbatuu5 #newstarwarssims

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lucan-multiverse · 4 months

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cosmic sidestep - their multiverse part 14

[Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3], [Part 4], [Part 5], [Part 6a], [Part 6b], [Part 7], [Part 8], [Part 9], [Part 10], [Part 11], [Part 12], [Part 13]

There’s a tense silence on the bridge as Isaac surveys the ship in front of them through the Berlin’s copious holoscreens. It’s nothing like any of his crew have seen before, clearly not of their world, and clearly not of Luc’s either.

Their intra-reality visitor, his son in a different universe and a man he now thinks of as a friend- looks defeated.

“Are you sure?” Isaac asks quietly again. He can feel the devastation rolling off Luc in waves.

Luc nods, slowly. White knuckled, he grips the edge of the console like it’s the only thing holding him up and his face, still boyish despite his almost mid-30’s years, is a mask of utter desolation. Isaac knows Luc had been pinning all his hopes that the next thing the rift spat out would be his husband and his parents-

They’re all saddened to know it isn’t.

“It’s nothing I’ve seen before,” Luc finally manages to ground out. The way he keeps his face unexpressive, not betraying his inner turmoil, and the way he forces himself to straighten and look Isaac in the eye makes Isaac surge inwardly with an unexpected pride. Isaac can see the history of his military background in him, the way his fathers have raised him. Sees the same bulwark strength Isaac carries echo in him. He half wonders if he could ever shape Luca like this, before realizing with a pang that chance has passed. “Not in your databases, nothing in mine,” Luc continues. “Whatever it is…. It looks like it’s barely functional.”

“Have there been any hails? A distress call? Beacon? Anything?” Isaac half turns, directing his question to the flame haired girl at a nearby console. Soraya’s hands fly over her controls, a furrow between her brow. Isaac had been concerned to learn of the girl’s budding relationship with what was arguably the most volatile of the phoenix left on his ship. He couldn’t turn around now without the brooding golden phoenix lurking in the shadows on the bridge, as though watching over his new playmate. The captain wanted to order Soraya to keep her distance, to not let whatever fascination she had developed for the phoenix to catch a foothold inside her heart - but in light of the way he himself had taken up with a phoenix of his own, it would be hypocritical to say the least.

A Captain should lead by example and in this, he couldn’t.

He felt Mason at his back now, calm and quiet, also watching Luc stare out at the ship floating beyond their sensors, and wished they were still in his quarters, wished he was still full and riding waves of bliss with Mason’s arms around him.

Wished, pointlessly, that no new crisis was presenting itself.

He’s so goddamn tired these days.

“No, Sir,” she answers. “Nothing.”

“Hail them again,” Isaac says and Soraya soon nods to signal an open channel. He takes a breath and steels himself.

“This is Captain Isaac Cerrillo of the System’s Alliance starship the SSV Berlin. Unidentified ship, you are in restricted space and have entered our sensor range without authorization. State your identity and purpose immediately. Failure to comply will result in defensive actions.”

There’s a beat of silence.

“No response, Captain.”

Isaac doesn’t bother to hide the frown. Beside him, Luc’s face is a mask of concentration. There’s something uneasy in Isaac’s gut he can’t ignore.

“Burgaw, where is Lieutenant Ryan?”

Burgaw looks up from her datapad. “He’s not rostered on until eighteen hundred hours. He’s currently in his quarters.”

With Luca, she doesn’t bother to add.

“Get him up here. I want him on the helm if this vessel proves to be unfriend-“

“Aye, aye, I’m already here,” a grumble comes in a distinct Scottish lilt. Ryan stalks past and Isaac pointedly ignores the hitch of his pants as he does up the last of his uniform’s zipper as he walks. The grizzled pilot’s hair is a mess and Isaac doesn’t need to turn around to know Luca will be lurking in the background.

Isaac swallows down the bad taste in his mouth like always. Luca is happy with the pilot, he reminds himself. It’s all that matters.

Ryan unceremoniously orders Strickland out of his pilot’s seat and settles in as the younger man skulks away. Isaac barely gives Ryan all of five seconds before he issues his orders.

“Lieutenant Ryan, adjust Berlin’s heading away from the unidentified vessel and warm up the engines. We don’t know who they are or what they want and I want a quick exit strategy. If it so much even twitches, I want it burned in the slag of our FTL drives. Keep us ready for immediate evasive action.”

Ryan’s voice held a note of grim satisfaction. “Aye, Captain. Understood.”

Isaac didn’t get a chance to relax before Soraya made a small sound of surprise. He turned his head sharply to look over her shoulder at her screens. “What is it, Ellis?”

“Sir, there looks like there’s some kind of… Sir, I think they’re scanning us.”

“So there is someone on that ship.”

“Yes, Sir. It seems so.”

“Is the scan a direct response to ours?”

Soraya frowned. “No, Sir. I don’t think so. They shouldn’t have been able to detect it.”

“Scan them back and make it obvious. Armaments, lock all weapons on the unidentified vessel and open a channel once we’re in position. I’m not taking any chances. Lieutenant Ryan?”

It’s only the subtlest lurch under their feet as the Berlin’s core spun up. Out the viewports, the position of the stars shifted.

“In position,” Ryan growls. The vibrations of the Berlin felt oddly soothing as Isaac braced himself once again.

“Channel open, Captain.”

Isaac took another breath. “Unidentified vessel-“

There’s a crackle over the comm and a new voice fills the helm of the Berlin’s speakers. A voice, oddly familiar and enough that beside him, Luc’s knees almost buckle.

Isaac’s blood goes cold. “On screen,” he orders curtly.

On the wide monitor in front of them, the transmitted image skips and flickers before settling and a collective gasp as the face on the other end comes into view.

Isaac hadn’t been prepared for it but in hindsight, perhaps he should have been

“Nice ship ye got there,” Blake Ryan drawls, but he’s older. Worn. Hardened. There’s a dangerous edge in his voice Isaac recognizes.

And then, from the pilot’s seat, a simple, depressed, “Aw, fuck.”

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chillingcinemachronicles · 6 months

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Top 5 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Movies Booming on Netflix Right Now

where every frame is a portal to limitless possibilities and extraordinary adventures. Discover the magic of the future, today!

In the Shadow of the Moon (2007) EW grade: A (read the review) Director: David Sington One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" was the phrase that echoed around the galaxy in July of 1969, when American astronauts emerged from Apollo 11 and took their first steps on the surface of the moon. In 2007, In the Shadow of the Moon, a British documentary premiered at Sundance, chronicling this history-making achievement and digging into the story behind the Apollo program through interviews with 10 astronauts from across the program's many missions. Featuring never before released footage, archival news reports, and the perspectives of some of the only people to see Earth from this remarkable vantage point, In the Shadow of the Moon is stranger than science fiction because it's completely true.

2, Oxygen (2021) EW grade: B (read the review) Director: Alexandre Aja Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi A nightmare come to life for claustrophobics everywhere, Oxygen is a French language sci-fi film that thinks outside the box in terms of action. At the genesis, an unidentified woman (Mélanie Laurent) awakens in an airtight medical unit, unsure of who or where she is. Interactions with the system's AI - dubbed M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer) - provide some clarity as to her identity, but no matter what she tries, she cannot escape her prison. As she seeks to understand who placed her in the box and why, truths about her personal life and the current state of the world come into focus - but her search for context is actually a race to outwit the slowly depleting oxygen levels.

3. Project Power (2020) EW grade: B+ (read the review) Director: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Foxx, Dominique Fishback, Machine Gun Kelly, Rodrigo Santoro, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Landecker What do a New Orleans police officer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a soldier in search of his daughter (Jamie Foxx), and a rapping drug dealer (Dominique Fishback, The Deuce) have in common? They're all working to rid the streets of Power, a new drug that gives users five minutes of superhero abilities, at the risk of killing them with one hit. A science fiction action film produced by Netflix, Project Power invites audiences into a city still suffering the after-effects of Katrina, even decades after the hurricane hit. Populated by morally murky characters - like Gordon-Levitt's Detective Frank Shaver, a cop who uses the drug to level the playing field against the city's criminals, or Fishback's teenage Robin Reilly, who knows she needs to deal to get ahead in this world, but is too smart to partake of her own product - the film finds room for cultural context amidst the action sequences.

4. See You Yesterday (2019) Director: Stefon Bristol Talent: Eden Duncan-Smith, Danté Crichlow, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brian "Stro" Bradley The best way to live life with no regrets is to build a time machine - which is exactly what happens in Netflix's Spike Lee-produced sci-fi adventure film, See You Yesterday. After best friends and high school science prodigies C.J. and Sebastian unlock the secrets to time travel, they're forced to use their newfound invention in an attempt to save C.J.'s brother Calvin from a fatal encounter with the police. A modern take on Back to the Future - also featuring an appearance by the original time traveler, Michael J. Fox - the film grapples with highly relevant cultural issues like police brutality while still having fun with high school tropes and time loops. See You Yesterday might not have gotten the attention it deserved when it first premiered on the platform back in 2019.

5. Starship Troopers (1997) EW grade: B+ (read the review) Director: Paul Verhoeven Cast: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Muldoon, Michael Ironside Fascist imagery and thudding allusions to World War II-era propaganda films permeate Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, but because the provocative Dutch filmmaker didn't explicitly spell out his satire, it went over the heads of many upon its release. But time has been kind to the action-comedy, perhaps because its gleefully cynical portrait of nationalism and a war-hungry populace would resonate that much more in the years following 9/11 and the Iraq War. That said, those interested in the simpler pleasures of watching bugs go splat will also find plenty to like, from its gnarly, goo-slinging action set pieces to CGI effects that stand up to today's technology.

#movies

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