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Chapter 112: Eventual Release
~ As Jaden settled to the pace that Takyle was setting, he allowed himself to relax just enough that he was able to block out most of the throbbing pain radiating from various points on his body. Behind him Andrew quietly hummed unknown melodies, the stanzas interspersed with an occasional observation about their immediate surroundings. The group walked on through the day, pausing only briefly for lunch and a short break before moving on again. The path continued on a downhill trend, with brief stints upwards over smaller rises, though the scenery remained similarly uneventful.
As the hours passed, Jaden found himself slipping into a melancholy that he couldn't shake. With each step he felt himself sink a little deeper still. In the back of his mind a constant nagging voice threatened to tell him the reason for it and he continually shoved the thought away, only to have it return again and again, pressing against his defenses, pushing through the cracks.
A mantra set itself up in his mind, chanting over and over, "Just keep walking, just keep walking."
After the sun slipped behind the horizon and the slopes had faded to black Takyle finally called a halt to their long march.
"Alright, we're going to eat, sleep for a couple of hours and then head out again. I want to get off of this stupid mountain."
Jaden and Andrew both nodded and silently went about pitching their impromptu camp and fixing something nondescript for dinner. The meal was eaten for the most part in silence and in the dark each member of Team 6 crawled into their sleeping bag for a fleeting bit of rest.
Jaden lay staring up at the stars far above and the deeper blackness surrounding each point of light, wishing for sleep and lying in continual disappointment. Eventually Jaden's vision blurred and he gave into the thoughts that were screaming to be heard, until he was startled by Andrew's voice.
"Jay, why are you still awake?" he murmured. Jaden sat up and looked over to where he knew Andrew was supposed to be sleeping.
"How did you know?"
"We've been rooming together for nearly a year dude. Your breathing changes."
"So what's wrong?"
Jaden sat for a long moment in silence, staring out into the dark. Finally he spoke.
"Are you scared to be around me, Andy?"
"If I was would I be sitting here in the dark with you, knowing that you're armed?" asked Andrew, his voice carrying his smile. "But um... What would make you say something like that Jay?" The quiet that surrounded them was heavy while Jaden thought about his response.
"Well... What happened with Kathleen... I don't... I didn't really think-" Jaden's failing speech ground to a halt when Andrew interrupted his stammering.
"You mean because of the fact that you fully intended to kill that woman before I stopped you?"
"What did she do to you, Jaden?"
"How does he know?"
"Because he can read you like a book."
"I want to tell him everything."
"I don't know how."
"Just say it. Say it now."
"How?"
"Just say it!"
"Kathleen tried to rape me." The words spilled out quickly and Jaden regretted them immediately. Inexplicably he felt a rush of shame.
"What's wrong with you? You didn't do anything."
Andrew was silent for a long time and for a moment Jaden imagined that his friend was judging him. Surely Andrew would think that he had brought it on himself somehow.
"Don't be such an idiot. He's on your side," Jaden reminded himself harshly.
When Andrew did finally speak his voice was edged with icy anger.
"What happened? What did she do?"
Jaden drew a deep and somewhat shaky breath, allowing himself a moment of relief over Andrew's response, and then he began to describe what had happened. He left nothing out and Andrew was silent through the entire narrative, though Jaden could feel his eyes on him through the darkness. When Jaden had finished pouring his heart out the stillness of the night settled itself around them once again. Eventually Jaden heard Andrew sigh.
"Andrew... What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that I was an idiot for getting you into this." ~
Posted by Renee Leyburn at 2:37 AM No comments:
Chapter 111: Indistinct
~ Jaden was not awake long enough to see the traps that Andrew and Takyle were discussing put into place. As soon as they were done eating Jaden cleaned up their mess kits and then, at Andrew's nod, curled up on top of his sleeping bag and passed out. Three hours later he woke, shaking in the chill air, the left side of his body slightly numb from laying in one position on the rocky ground. He fumbled around with the zipper of his bag and took a half-asleep glance around to locate Andrew and Takyle's still forms in the dark before crawling into his sleeping bag. Now that he was aware of just how uncomfortable he was, Jaden found it more difficult to fall asleep again, but it wasn't long before his exhaustion overcame even that and his thoughts slipped away. After another three hours passed, Jaden was startled awake when Andrew placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Morning Beautiful," Andrew whispered. Jaden sat up stiffly and looked around at the surrounding darkness.
"If you say so," he said, scrubbing his palms across his face.
"It will be getting light soon; we need to be moving."
"Ok. I'm on it." Jaden blearily dragged himself out of his bag and began rolling it up while Andrew moved off and fired up their camp burner again. By the time Jaden and Takyle had stowed their gear Andrew had warmed up what was left of last night's dinner and mixed some instant coffee.
Jaden scarfed down his portion of breakfast as quickly as possible, more to get it over with than to conserve time. Aging hadn't really helped the gruel at all, but the coffee wasn't bad. A quick glance around showed that Andrew was already done eating and packing up the tiny stove as Takyle finished off her coffee.
"Do you have a plan for today Takyle?" Jaden asked.
"Other than "Try to make progress," no." Takyle hoisted her pack onto her shoulder after shoving her tin cup into one of the pockets. Jaden nodded and followed suit while Andrew swallowed two of the painkillers that the medic had given him.
"Well I'm ready to go," Andrew said with a good deal more cheer than the situation merited. Takyle's mouth turned up in a smile for a moment before she silently turned and led off down the sloping mountain path. ~
Chapter 110: Too Close For Comfort
~ It didn't take long for Team 6 to cover the surrounding territory, but by the time they were finished the sun was already sinking low on the western horizon. They regrouped South of where they had scaled the cliff at Takyle's call. On that side of the mountain the grade was much more shallow and the granite was clothed with a thin layer of rocky soil. A little further down the slope the occasional scrubby tree had managed to get a toehold among the boulders. Stunted and bent to the wind, but still standing nonetheless.
Takyle stood on top of a large rock, gazing down.
"So guys, there seems to be a path here. It looks like it winds down the mountain."
"Awesome, are you thinking that's what you want us to follow?" asked Andrew.
"Well I don't see any other clues, unless one of you two found something?" Takyle said, hopping down from her vantage point. Andrew shook his head and Jaden joined in.
"Alright then. Our options seem to be to go ahead and make camp right here, or we could follow the path down for a little ways while there's still daylight. If we do that though we have no idea what we might run into."
The three people looked between one another for a second. Finally Jaden spoke.
"Listen, I am sore and exhausted and, make no mistake, I would love to collapse right here. But if you guys want to go on for a little while then I'll do it. I still want to win." Andrew nodded.
"Well Jay, I'm all about the winning side of things, but I did promise you some rest, and to be perfectly truthful I wouldn't mind a bit myself . My stomach is killing me, or at least trying damn hard. Ta?"
"Even though it doesn't feel like we've made it very far today, we've been hitting it pretty hard in the last 24 hours, so yes, let's go ahead and find somewhere to camp. I will suggest going at least down to one of those little trees so that we can have a fire though."
"I'd support that," Jaden agreed.
"Ok, let's do it then," said Andrew with over the top cheerfulness.
As it turned out, even at the base of the tiny trees there were very few fallen branches and what twigs they did find were not anything that would feed a fire for more than a couple of minutes.
"I guess maybe it's time to break out that camp burner that we've been hauling around for all this time," suggested Andrew.
"I suppose it is." Takyle found a large patch of ground that was relatively level and set her pack down. "I think I have that. Shit, I hope it still works. Remember, when we fell into that stupid dungeon thing my pack was open."
"Sit down Jay," Andrew ordered and Jaden did as he was directed without a complaint. Takyle quickly located the little burner and its tank of fuel and set them up on a flat rock.
"Ok, the moment of truth." Takyle hit the primer and auto-ignition buttons and held them down. For a moment the small contraption sputtered impotently before a small blue flame suddenly burst forth. All three team members cheered quietly and gathered around their tiny beacon.
"Fantastic. Warm food. And it will be for reals warm because I know that this fire is actually here," said Andrew.
"Yup, warm food. If you can call it food," Takyle agreed.
Jaden didn't really care if it was really warm or even really food. All he wanted was to have something in his stomach before he just gave up and let himself fall asleep. Luckily, Takyle and Andrew seemed to be similarly motivated and it wasn't long at all before there was a little pot of something nutrient rich and steaming over the flame.
"Should we take watches, or do you feel confident that we're away from danger?" asked Andrew.
"I don't know that it's possible to be away from danger in this race," Takyle answered. "At least it's beginning to look that way." She leaned over to stir the pot on the burner and then picked up Andrew and Jaden's mess kits and spooned out some of the colorless gruel for them before doing the same for herself. "I guess that means we should probably rotate watches. Unless of course you feel that you sleep light enough to hear someone sneaking up on us."
"He sleeps very lightly," Jaden contributed helpfully between bites. "If I get up he knows." Andrew shook his head.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'd gamble our safety on that... Unless... I could rig a couple of traps real quick. A trip wire maybe. We are surrounded by gravel, which is hard to be silent on as well. I don't want to take undue risks, but I doubt I can overstate exactly how tired I am. If I had the first watch I'd be afraid that I'd go to sleep."
"Yeah, me too... I like the idea of the traps. Let's do that," Takyle decided. "I'll help you with whatever you have to do for that after we're done eating."
"Sounds like a plan," said Andrew. ~
Chapter 109: Purely Academic
~ For a moment all three members of Team 6 stared up the ramp in disbelief. Finally Jaden spoke.
"Couldn't be that easy could it?" Andrew shook his head in response.
"Seems doubtful. But then, I've been surprised by this race before, so who am I to talk."
Takyle placed a foot on the ramp experimentally. When nothing happened she continued several steps up, and with one last look around Jaden and Andrew followed her up towards the sunlight.
"Watch yourself, Ta," Andrew directed. "There could be someone waiting."
"Yes Andrew," Takyle whispered down. "I am fully aware that I might die any second now."
"Ok, just so you're looking out for it."
"Hell, I really hope Takyle doesn't die right now," thought Jaden. "That would be damn inconvenient for any number of people. And it would suck." Jaden realized that he had begun to like Takyle. He rather saw her as more his friend now, as opposed to just his boss. He couldn't say when it had happened, but the dynamic had changed somewhere along the way, and he was fairly sure that she felt the same. That being the case, he was rather resistant to the idea of watching her get shot down in cold blood, and hurried to draw even with her on the ramp. If Kathleen had given orders to shoot someone, he figured it would probably be him.
Jaden held his breath as they rose above ground level, having half convinced himself to expect a bullet through the temple at any moment. When nothing happened he glanced around for danger, then gave a sigh of relief and hopped up and off of the ramp to one side as Takyle did the same on the other. Andrew hurried off the ramp and knelt to take the third point of the triangle.
"Clear," Takyle called quietly and both Andrew and Jaden responded in kind. Andrew pointed off in the direction of the setting sun.
"I think that's the outcropping that we tried to get out of the rain under."
"Well that's almost poetic," said Takyle with a hint of bitterness. "We're literally right back to where we started."
"Well I do love me some friggin' poetry," Andrew replied.
"Don't we all Andy, don't we all," Takyle muttered. "We should get moving. I have no idea what we're supposed to do next and it's going to be dark very soon. I'd prefer not to be stumbling around blindly on a mountain top if I have a choice in the matter."
Jaden stood and adjusted the shoulder staps of his pack.
"Maybe that map had something to do with what we're supposed to do next."
Takyle shook her head. "Well if it did it's too late now. I wasn't lying when I told them that I'd lost it. I noticed it was gone just before we fell into that dungeon."
"Can you remember what was on the map?" asked Andrew.
"Yes, quite clearly. It wasn't detailed at all. It showed the foothills and the woods and this mountain. It had a path leading from where we came out of that quiz show thing to the point where we climbed the mountain. Everything other than that was pretty vague."
"That's not very helpful. Though I am glad that you remember it or we would be left wondering just exactly how helpful it would or would not have been," said Andrew. Takyle nodded absently.
"Yes well, now a plan would be good. I really would prefer not to stand here counting dust motes. I think maybe we should take a quick look around, make sure that we didn't miss anything in the rain, and then see if we can't find somewhere relatively secure to make camp."
"Good, yes, food, rest, good," Andrew grunted.
"Well then let's hop to it," Takyle ordered. "But keep a sharp eye out."
Jaden very much intended to keep a sharp eye out. He twisted his shoulders and heard his back pop loudly. The idea of taking yet another plummet into a rocky abyss was not at all tempting at the moment. ~
Chapter 108: Stage Right
~ Team 6 jogged across the open passage spanning the marble court and back through halls towards the stairwell that they had come up from the dungeon in.
"How much time do you think we have?" asked Takyle.
"I have no clue," answered Andrew. "We may have Kathleen's entire guard tied up. On the other hand there might be an army waiting for us around the next corner. There's really no way to tell."
"Well that's reassuring."
When they reached the door to the stairwell Takyle pulled it open and waited for a second to listen. Finally she slipped through with Andrew and Jaden right behind her and they began to climb. For the most part they remained as silent as possible, but what little noise there was echoed throughout the stairwell, making Jaden very worried about who else might hear the ruckus.
After what Jaden counted to be another seven flights, the stairs simply ended with a door just off what would be the last landing. Looking wary, Takyle pushed it open and peered through cautiously. She turned back to Andrew with a scowl.
"What the hell? It's just a little room."
"Do you think it's a trap?" Andrew asked, stepping up to take a look for himself.
"I don't know, but I think I might have to kill me a woman," growled Takyle.
"Well before you go and slaughter anybody let's have a closer look inside. Maybe there's more to this." Andrew stepped into the tiny room and gazed around. Indeed there didn't seem to be any other outlets of any kind. Takyle waited impatiently on the landing and Jaden stood in the doorway watching as Andrew made a quick circuit of the room, gently tapping at the walls. Finally he shook his head.
"I don't know what the deal is, but if there is a hidden passage in here, I can't find it."
"Um, Andy, what's that?" asked Jaden, pointing up at the top of the far wall. Just barely set out from the ceiling was what appeared to be a thin handle, painted white to match everything else.
"I don't know what that is... But judging from the way the ceiling panels are arranged, it could very well be the exit. If I give you a boost up do you think you could reach it?"
"Yes, I think so, but why don't I lift Takyle up since she's lighter than me?" suggested Jaden.
"What are we doing with me now?" Takyle asked from the door. She directed her gaze toward what Jaden and Andrew were looking at. "Oh hey, a handle. I totally missed that one. Yeah, why don't one or more of you guys lift me up there."
Without further discussion, Andrew and Jaden linked their fingers together to form a place for Takyle's foot and lifted her up to grab the handle. She gave it a quick jerk and suddenly natural light flooded into the small room as one of the ceiling panels pivoted downwards. Jaden and Andrew gently lowered Takyle to the floor while she kept her fingers hooked in the handle, pulling the panel down until it formed a long ramp from floor to what had been the ceiling. The top surface of the ramp looked as if it was either covered in, or made of, stone; presumably so that it could blend into the mountain top when closed.
Takyle looked back and forth between her teammates and then up into the sunlight.
"Oh my gosh... I think we're out..." ~
Posted by Renee Leyburn at 2:34 AM 2 comments:
Chapter 107: Conservation
~ Jaden made quick work of securing their three prisoners' hands behind their backs. As an extra safeguard he looped a zip tie through the backs of each of the guards' belts and then through their wrist bindings. Once they were all tied, Andrew slipped his knife into his belt and pulled the guards over to a set of locked cabinets that were built into one wall. He swiftly fastened the men to the metal handles with additional ties and then placed Ms. Scarlet in one of the wooden chairs.
At Andrew's nod Takyle lowered her pistol and picked up her pack, swinging it onto one shoulder.
"We have our stuff. Let's get the hell out of here."
"Do we know how?" asked Andrew. Takyle stepped over to where Ms. Scarlet was bound to the chair and pressed the cold barrel of the handgun into the side of her neck. For the first time Jaden saw fear in Kathleen's eyes. Considering the aura that Takyle was projecting, Jaden didn't blame her.
"Don't make me ask you this twice," Takyle warned in a low voice. "How do we get back to the surface?"
"Find the stairs and keep going up."
"That's it?" asked Takyle.
"If this doesn't work out for me you have my word that I will come back here and gut you alive." Takyle withdrew the gun and turned to the door. "Let's go," she ordered.
Jaden and Andrew grabbed up their packs and moved to follow Takyle as they buckled their utility belts back on. Jaden looked over at Andrew as he fastened the lower strap on his dagger's sheath around his thigh. In addition to that he also still had his own and Jaden's requisitioned knives tucked in his belt.
As soon as they were out in the hallway with the door shut behind them Andrew turned to Takyle.
"You're amazing. And where the deuce did you come by a gun?" Takyle grinned.
"It was in the desk. The drawer was open just a crack and I thought I saw something in there but I couldn't really tell what it was; when that one guy started getting all up in your grillz I thought that it was probably a good time to risk finding out."
"I'll say; well done."
Jaden was shaking slightly as he followed Andrew and Takyle back the way they had come and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach as he began to review everything that had just happened in his mind.
"Oh God, you were ready to kill someone. You were really going to do it."
"She's not real."
"That you know of! It could happen just the same in real life."
"No it couldn't. I wouldn't do that."
"Like hell you wouldn't."
"Andrew."
A stride ahead Andrew and Takyle both turned around to look at Jaden.
"What is it?" asked Takyle. Jaden felt the moment draw out as he searched for something to say.
"I...I don't feel good."
"Well you don't look good either," Takyle answered, dryly.
"Is it very bad or can you keep going, Jay?" Andrew asked.
"I can keep going."
Takyle gave him a look that suggested she wondered why he had brought it up in the first place if that was the case. Andrew just nodded understandingly.
"As soon as we get out of here we'll see about getting some rest and food. Right, Ta?"
"Yeah, sure, but let's worry about getting out of here first." ~
Chapter 106: Where it Counts
~ Jaden stood in the middle of the room, clutching his journal and shaking with rage. One thought fought its way to the surface of his mind.
"This is ridiculous. You probably look like an idiot."
"I don't care."
In front of Jaden, Andrew held his ground, staring at the woman in the door.
"You know, I don't feel all that comfortable with the idea of dying today. I'm not sure why you've got it in for us, but I'm going to ask you to please move away from the doorway and keep your hands in sight."
"Oh, I don't think so," answered the woman. She beckoned with one finger and on either side of her a guard appeared in the wide doorway. Neither of them looked at all familiar except for in one respect. They were just as burly and dangerous looking as the ones hopefully still locked up downstairs. Jaden began to realize that they were going to have to fight again. Part of him clung vigorously to the overwhelming anger that was still inflaming his body and mind, the other part urged in a voice very reminiscent of Andrew's that it would be better to have a handle on his feelings in order to act in a more controlled and deliberate manner.
"Anyone can strike out when they're mad enough," he would say. "It takes a good fighter to know when to hold back."
In front of Jaden, Andrew had not yet wavered from his position. Jaden wondered what he was waiting for. Perhaps for one of the enemy to make the first move. If that was the case then he didn't have to wait very long. The man on the left of Ms. Scarlet began to step forward. Before the fellow's foot had touched the floor Jaden heard a drawer being jerked open behind him followed by the unmistakable, metallic sound of a round being chambered.
"I wouldn't," Takyle warned in a steely voice, and the man froze in his tracks.
Jaden turned halfway to look at Takyle, his rage suddenly lost in bafflement. Takyle stood behind the desk holding a semi-automatic handgun trained on Ms. Scarlet, her finger on the trigger. Without lowering it she spoke.
"You should know that I don't take kindly to being threatened. I also don't include coercion, manipulation, or torture in my list of fun summertime activities. Now I think you and your boys should step all of the way inside here like Andrew said, and if you try anything at all somebody will be dying today and I promise you it won't be one of my team."
For a moment Ms. Scarlet seemed to weigh her options. Finally she stepped out of the doorway and her two guards followed her. Andrew backed up two steps and gestured to the left with the knife he'd taken from Jaden.
"Put your hands on your head and face the wall," ordered Takyle, never taking her aim off of Ms. Scarlet as she stepped around the desk. Jaden looked at her eyes and suddenly realized just how feirce and protective Takyle could be. He had the distinct impression that it was not for herself that she had stepped up.
"Jay, find some zip ties," Andrew said over his shoulder, prodding Jaden out of his reverie and into action. He quickly located the ties that were in Andrew's pack, as the last of his had been used in their own capture. He set his journal on the desk and stepped over to stand beside Andrew.
"Got 'em."
"Great, now you hold the knife and... Tell you what, I'll keep holding the knife and you tie them up," suggested Andrew. ~
Posted by Renee Leyburn at 2:33 AM 1 comment:
Chapter 105: Simplicity of Plan
~ Jaden knew beyond the barest shadow of a doubt that this one time there was no way that he would miss. Just this once his aim was impeccable. All he had to do now was let go. He wasn't even throwing really. He was just releasing the knife. Into her throat.
Jaden remembered the rattling gurgle that the hellbeast he'd fought had made with Andrew's blade buried hilt deep in its neck. The sound of a living creature drowning in its own blood as its life fluid rushed to fill its lungs, suffocating it from the inside. A horrific and perfect way to die.
With shocking and disturbing clarity Jaden could visualize Ms. Scarlet slowly collapsing, crimson liquid spurting from her throat, spilling down to soak her breasts, painting them the color that she seemed so enamored with. Could hear her take once last gasp of air before the blood flooding into her trachea began to fill her lungs, drawn deeper with each subsequent attempt at breath.
Jaden felt his hand draw back.
From behind the desk Andrew had watched as Jaden had picked up his knife. It was with no small amount of horror that a second later he realized what was about to be done with it. In a fraction of a moment a decision had to be made. Andrew was nothing it not decisive.
With a quick heave he vaulted himself across the desk, scattering countless papers to the ground and knocking Jaden's pack off the edge and onto the floor with a loud thud. He lurched into Jaden's back, throwing his friend off-balance as he grabbed the knife with one hand and jerked it out of Jaden's fingers. Andrew landed squarely on both feet in front of the desk and took two strides forward, brandishing the knife at the woman in the doorway.
"Give me that book this instant!" The woman sneered but didn't resist as Andrew snatched the journal from her hands. He thrust it out behind him and Jaden, having regained his feet, quickly grabbed it. Retreating one step Andrew gestured at the woman angrily, the dagger still in his hand. "Now you better thank me for saving your freaking life!"
"For whatever it's worth," he heard Takyle mutter from behind him.
"Saving my life? Sure. If you say so." Ms. Scarlet replied with a smirk. Andrew shook his head.
"You have no idea. Now who the hell are you?"
"I'm the woman that is going to kill each one of you with my own two hands, and you," Ms. Scarlet addressed Jaden, gazing past Andrew's shoulder to meet his eye. "You are going to watch these two go." ~
Chapter 104: No Place for Contemplation
~ While Andrew fished the keyring that Takyle had given him out of his pocket and began fiddling with the lock, Jaden turned around to keep watch on the hallway. The seconds ticked by as Andrew tried each key on the door, muttering his irritation under his breath as each one successively failed to disengage the catch.
"Andrew!" Jaden hissed. "Hurry the hell up, I think I heard something." Takyle immediately lifted the hand that she held her knife in and stepped around to Andrew's other side to defend if necessary. The latch clicked quietly and Andrew slipped through the door.
"Clear," he whispered out to Takyle and Jaden, and they followed him into the room. After pulling the door shut Jaden turned to look around the room that they had broken into. A huge mahogany desk filled a good bit of the floor space, and its own surface was nearly covered with stacks of papers and files. Andrew stepped around the desk and gestured for his teammates to join him.
"Guys, I found our packs."
"Fantastic," Takyle answered, coming around to pick hers up off the floor. Andrew handed Jaden's pack across the desk to him and set his own up on the desk chair to unzip it.
"Better check and make sure that your stuff is still actually here," he advised his teammates, quickly rifling through his own supplies. Takyle nodded and knelt to do the same as Jaden lay his pack on one of the only clear spaces on the desktop. For a moment all three people were silent as they took a quick inventory, but then Jaden looked up at Andrew.
"My journal is gone."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. It was right here in this pocket. It was the only thing in there."
Andrew looked over at Takyle and began to open his mouth to say something but whipped his head around when there was a quiet laugh from the door. Jaden spun to see the woman that he had taken to referring to as Ms. Scarlet in his mind there. She stood with her feet set wide, one fist resting on her hip, a scowl making her eyes look dark and vicious. Dried blood stained the front of her dress and all across the bridge of her nose and the undersides of her eyes was already taking on a sickly purple-green bruise. In her left hand she gripped a small leather-bound book.
"Looking for something, Sweetie?" she asked, her voice cutting the silence like an edge of steel. Jaden felt the core of his being flood with fiery heat and his vision narrowed. Of its own accord his hand moved to grip the knife that he had lain on the desk beside his pack. The fire rushed through his limbs and as a distant and ethereal thought in the very back of his mind Jaden heard himself make note of the fact that he had never in his life felt the kind of rage that was now threatening to take him.
"Give it back." To his own ears Jaden's command sounded as far away as his thoughts had and he wondered for a moment if he'd actually spoken it aloud.
"I don't think so," Ms. Scarlet responded, drawing her hand in to let the book rest against her stomach.
"Give it back to me now!" Jaden hissed, incapable of even thinking of holding the menace from his voice. Every second that she held his journal in her hand, against her body, his rage escalated further, and he did nothing to stop it.
Jaden could feel her hands on him all over again, pressing up against him, choking him, her body wrapping around him, her lips on his neck, her teeth, her fingernails biting into his skin. Trapping him, suffocating, hurting, killing. For a split second Jaden's vision went completely dark before one thing snapped into crystalline focus.
Her neck, bare and white, mere feet away. Whole. Not for long.
Jaden felt his hand lift, felt his fingers release his dagger on the upswing, flipping it in the air 180 degrees, grasping it once again, but lightly this time, barely caressing it, holding it only by the tip, only just enough pressure. His arm came up. He took aim.
Satisfying wouldn't be the word. ~


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BREAKING: Man sent to hospital after stabbing in Yankton, SD
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Mustangs Stampede past Kansas Wesleyan to semifinals
By Jayson Moeller
Published: Nov. 27, 2021 at 7:33 PM CST
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - The Morningside Mustangs were coming into their quarterfinal matchup with Kansas Wesleyan undefeated and feeling good. After winning a shootout against Ottawa Arizona. Their opponents the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes moved to the quarterfinals via a forfeit from Indiana Wesleyan.
And the Mustangs stayed hot in this one, scoring on their first five drives of the game. First Joe Dolincheck connected with Austin Johnson for a 35-yard score to take a 7-0 lead. Then later in the first Ryan Cole wrapped up an 11 play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0.
With around 90 seconds left in the first quarter, Dolincheck found Johnson again, this time for a 28-yard score to end the first quarter up 21-0.
In the second quarter, Kansas Wesleyan got on the board with an Isaiah Randalle 10 yard jaunt to make it 21-7.
But, then Morningside would rattle off 17 unanswered points to wrap up the half. First Dolincheck slung one to Reid Jurgensmeier from 16 yards out to make it 28-7. Then the senior found Cole for a 29-yard score to make it 35-7. And finally, Chase Carter ended the half with a 33-yard field goal to make it 38-7 at the half.
The second half was more of the same. Morningside scored on another Cole 2 yard run to make it 45-7. And then Dolincheck hit Sione Tuifua from 4 yards out to make it 52-7.
Kansas Wesleyan put up 7 more when Drevon Macon caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Randalle to make it 52-14.
The Mustangs would respond with a Matt Strecker touchdown run near the goal line to take a 58-14 lead.
Kansas Wesleyan would add 7 more before this one wrapped up at 58-21.
Morningside will host fellow GPAC competitor Northwestern on December 4th kickoff is set for noon at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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WannaCry hackers just getting started, former federal CISO says
More attacks are coming and they will be much worse, Greg Touhill and other security experts told a House Science subcommittee.
The initial WannaCry attack on May 12 rocked the globe and security experts are now saying it infected at least a million more systems than originally thought.
While conservative estimates place the number of impacted computers at about 300,000 in some 150 countries, security firm Kryptos Logic CEO Salim Neino said in actuality WannaCry struck 1-2 million computers.
Not only that, but Kryptos Logic — the firm responsible for finding the killswitch that stopped the majority of the spread — has thwarted an additional 60 million infection attempts. Seven million of these attempts were made in the U.S. alone, and Neino estimates these attacks could have impacted 10 to 15 million unique systems, at a minimum.
[Also: Former US CISO calls for Trump to fill that post]
Further, the initial incident in May was just a small start and, indeed, the bulk of the attacks happened in June.
The largest attempt Kyptus Logic thwarted and measured to date was on a well-funded hospital on the east coast.
"WannaCry is a slow pitch soft ball, whereas the next one may be a high and tight fast ball coming in," Gregory J. Touhill, former federal CISO and adjunct professor of cybersecurity and risk management at Carnegie Mellon University, told a Science, Space and Technology committee on Thursday. "We need to be ready."
[Also: You were warned: Ransomware experts saw this coming]
And the bulk of the attacks didn't happen in May -- but in June. The largest attempt Kyptus Logic thwarted and measured to date was on a well-funded hospital on the east coast.
"It's very likely the health system is unaware of the attempt," explained Neino. "Most organizations don't know they're being exploited… Because WannaCry is self-propagated, the actors don't even need to be in existence. The virus continues to proliferate in the actors' absence."
WannaCry was just manifestations among many new kinds of disruptive threats, Symantec CTO Hugh Thompson said. "The threat landscape continues to evolve quickly, not just in technology, but in the social engineering methods used. The explosive growth of attacks like WannaCry and Mirai, demonstrate the need for layered defense."
All of the security experts pointed to the need to better plan an organization's security program. And it's not necessarily about a need for more sophisticated technology.
"Cybersecurity is a risk management issue. But many people mistakenly recognize it solely as a tech concern," said Touhill. "Cybersecurity is a multidisciplinary risk manage issue, and an essential part of a healthy risk management program."
Thompson added that the U.S. must be prepared to fight a determined adversary that penetrated initial defenses.
"There's no question that WannaCry was an important event," he said. "But it won't be the last. It's more of an indicator of what's to come. We lucked out, but next time we won't be so lucky."
Government & Policy, Privacy & Security
PwC's top 10 healthcare industry issues for 2017
Deaths by medical mistakes hit records
Apple unveils Watch Series 4 with FDA-approved ECG
VA Cerner EHR Project CHIO Genevieve Morris resigns


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Allysha Chapman (CAN)
Current club: USA / Houston Dash
Connect: @allyshachapman @allyshachapman
Phonetic: ah-LEE-sha chap-man
Birthplace: Oshawa, ON, CAN
Raised: Courtice, ON, CAN
Nickname: Chappy
School(s): Louisiana State University
All Positions: Women's National Team Player
Team Honours: Olympic Games (2016 bronze)
International "A" totals: #CANWNT
Appearances: 69
Starts: 54
Goals: 1
Assists: 3
Clean Sheets: 0
Profile Text Last Updated 2019-06-20
Please help us improve this page >> Contact Us
Player Timeline
Year-by-Year
Match-by-Match
[2016-08] Houston Dash: Allysha Chap...
Allysha Lyn Chapman... her father Brian was born in Moncton, NB while her mother Karen was born in Edinburgh, SCO... while she was born at the hospital in Oshawa, her family was in fact living in neighbouring Courtice... grew up competing in hockey, soccer, track & field, cross country, skiing... enjoys going to the beach, watching hockey, shopping, watching movies... favourites have included Zinédine Zidane, Zlatan Ibrahimović... other favourites have included Tie Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs... earned a degree in Biology from Louisiana State University in 2011...
For Country
she was 15 years old when she made her debut in the Canadian youth program in 2004 with coach Jens Kraemer... won a gold medal with Canada at the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship in Puebla (Canada qualified for Chile 2008)... represented Canada at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008...
she was 25 years old when she made her debut for Canada on 25 October 2014... she scored her first international "A" goal for Canada on 9 March 2015 in Nicosia, CYP (Cyprus Cup)… finished sixth with Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015... won a silver medal with Canada at the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship in USA (Canada qualified for Rio 2016)... finished first with Canada at the 2016 Algarve Women's Cup... she played in a career-high 25 consecutive Canada matches from 2015 to 2016... won an Olympic bronze medal with Canada at the Rio 2016 Women's Olympic Football Tournament...
won a silver medal with Canada at the 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship in USA (Canada qualified for France 2019)... represented Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019...
2016 Left Back Best XI at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying
National Team Project
2020-02-09 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2020-02] Concacaf Women's Olympic Qualifying USA / Houston Dash 31
2020-01-27 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2020-01] Women's pre-tournament camp in USA USA / Houston Dash 31
2019-11-12 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-11] Women's international tournament in China PR USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-10-08 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-10] Women's international series in Japan USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-06-25 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-06] FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-06-03 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-05] Women's pre-tournament camp in Spain USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-05-19 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-05] Women's international camp in Ontario USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-04-10 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-04] Women's national camp in Europe USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-03-07 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-03] Algarve Cup USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-02-24 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-02] Pre-tournament camp in Portugal USA / Houston Dash 30
2019-01-23 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2019-01] Women's national camp in Spain USA / Houston Dash 29
2018-10-18 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-10] Concacaf Women's Championship USA / Houston Dash 29
2018-09-05 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-09] Women's national camp in Ottawa USA / Houston Dash 29
2018-06-11 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-06] Women's national camp in Hamilton USA / Houston Dash 29
2018-04-10 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-04] Women's national camp in France USA / NC Courage 29
2018-03-08 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-03] Algarve Women's Cup USA / NC Courage 29
2018-02-25 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-02] Pre-tournament camp in Portugal USA / NC Courage 29
2018-01-18 CAN WNT Kenneth Heiner-Møller [2018-01] Women's pre-season camp in Toronto 28
2017-11-29 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-11] Women's international in Spain USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-11-13 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-11] Women's international series USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-06-12 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-06] Women's international series in Canada USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-04-10 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-04] Women's international series in Europe USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-03-09 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-03] Algarve Women's Cup USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-02-05 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-02] Bronze medal celebration match USA / Boston Breakers 28
2017-01-28 CAN WNT John Herdman [2017-01] Women's national team camp in USA USA / Boston Breakers 28
2016-08-21 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-08] Women's Olympic Football Tournament USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-07-30 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-07] Pre-tournament camp in Brazil USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-07-24 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-07] Women's national camp in France USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-07-12 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-07] Women's national camp in Burnaby USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-06-08 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-06] Road to Rio Women's International Series USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-04-13 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-04] Women's national camp in Netherlands USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-03-10 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-03] Algarve Women's Cup USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-02-22 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-02] CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying USA / Houston Dash 27
2016-02-07 CAN WNT John Herdman [2016-02] Pre-tournament camp in Houston USA / Houston Dash 27
2015-12-21 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-12] Torneio Internacional de Natal USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-06-28 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-06] FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-06-01 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-05] Women's national camp in Ontario USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-05-20 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-05] Women's national camp in USA and Mexico USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-04-24 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-04] Centralised Development Program USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-04-10 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-04] Women's International Friendly in France USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-03-12 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-03] Cyprus Women's Cup USA / Houston Dash 26
2015-01-16 CAN WNT John Herdman [2015-01] BaoAn Cup Women's International Football Tournament Shenzhen 2015 Eskilstuna United DFF 25
2014-12-12 CAN WNT John Herdman [2014-12] Centralised Development Program SWE / Eskilstuna United DFF 25
2014-11-28 CAN WNT John Herdman [2014-11] Women's International Friendly Series SWE / Eskilstuna United DFF 25
2014-11-20 CAN WNT John Herdman [2014-11] Centralised Development Program Eskilstuna United DFF 25
2014-10-29 CAN WNT John Herdman [2014-10] Women's International Friendly Series Eskilstuna United DFF 25
2009-02-18 CAN WNT Carolina Morace [2009-02] Women's national camp USA / Louisiana State University 20
2008-11-28 canw20 Ian Bridge [2008-11] FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008 19
2008-11-17 canw20 Ian Bridge [2008-11] Women's U-20 pre-tournament camp 19
2008-10-26 canw20 Ian Bridge [2008-10] Women's U-20 International Friendly 19
2008-10-09 canw20 Ian Bridge [2008-10] Women's U-20 camp in Vancouver 19
2008-09-21 canw20 Bob Birarda [2008-09] Torneo 4-Naciones 19
2008-06-29 canw20 Bob Birarda [2008-06] CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship 19
2008-05-04 canw20 Bob Birarda [2008-04] Women's U-20 camp in USA 19
2006-04-07 canw18 Bryan Rosenfeld [2006-04] Women's U-18 camp in Chilliwack 17
2005-09-10 canw17 Bryan Rosenfeld [2005-09] Women's U-17 camp in St. John's 16
2004-09-07 canw15 Jens Kraemer [2004-09] Women's U-15 camp in Atlantic Canada 15
(GP = Games Played; GS = Games Started; SU = Games Played as Substitute; Min. = Minutes; G = Goals; A = Assists; Y = Cautions; R = Ejections; GA = Goals Allowed; CS = Clean Sheets)
International "A" records
2019 CAN WNT 8-2-2 30 12 10 2 638 0 0 1 0 N/A 0
2018 CAN WNT 5-0-4 29 10 8 1 695 0 1 1 0 N/A 0
2017 CAN WNT 5-1-2 28 8 8 0 634 0 0 0 0 N/A 0
2016 CAN WNT 14-0-4 27 18 9 9 914 0 1 0 0 N/A 0
2015 CAN WNT 11-2-5 26 18 16 2 1472 1 1 3 0 N/A 0
TOTALS 69 53 15 4563 1 3 6 0 0 0
More International Records
2008 canw20 6-0-1 19 8 7 0 630 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 8 7 0 630 0 0 0 0 0 0
(Min. = Minutes; G = Goals; A = Assists; Y = Cautions; R = Ejections; GA = Goals Allowed; CS = Clean Sheets)
2019-11-10 Yongchuan, Chongqing, CHN Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 3 : 0 NZL 30 1 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-06-24 Paris, FRA FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 0 : 1 SWE 30 1 84 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-06-20 Reims, FRA FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 2 NED 30 1 69 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-06-15 Grenoble, FRA FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 2 : 0 NZL 30 75 15 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-06-10 Montpellier, FRA FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 0 CMR 30 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-05-24 Logroñés, ESP Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 0 ESP 30 1 70 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-05-18 Toronto, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 3 : 0 MEX 30 1 74 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-04-08 San Pedro del Pinatar, ESP Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 2 : 1 NGA 30 70 20 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-04-05 Manchester, ENG Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 ENG 30 1 55 0 0 1 0 0 0
2019-03-06 São João da Venda, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 0 : 0 SWE 30 1 70 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-03-01 Lagos, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 1 : 0 SCO 30 1 46 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019-01-22 La Manga, ESP Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 NOR 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-10-17 Frisco, TX, USA FIFA Women's World Cup™ Qualifiers CAN WNT 0 : 2 USA 29 1 76 0 0 1 0 0 0
2018-10-14 Frisco, TX, USA FIFA Women's World Cup™ Qualifiers CAN WNT 7 : 0 PAN 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-10-11 Edinburg, TX, USA FIFA Women's World Cup™ Qualifiers CAN WNT 3 : 1 CRC 29 1 63 0 1 0 0 0 0
2018-10-05 Edinburg, TX, USA FIFA Women's World Cup™ Qualifiers CAN WNT 2 : 0 JAM 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-09-02 Ottawa, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 BRA 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-06-10 Hamilton, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 2 : 3 GER 29 74 16 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-04-09 Rennes, FRA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 1 FRA 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-03-07 Lagos, POR Women's International Tournament CAN WNT - JPN 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-03-05 Lagos, POR Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 3 : 0 KOR 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018-02-28 Lagos, POR Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 1 : 3 SWE 29 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-11-28 Marbella, ESP Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 3 : 2 NOR 28 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-11-12 San Jose, CA, USA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 3 USA 28 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-11-09 Vancouver, BC, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 1 USA 28 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-06-08 Winnipeg, MB, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 3 : 1 CRC 28 1 11 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-04-09 Erfurt, GER Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 2 GER 28 1 88 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-04-06 Trelleborg, SWE Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 SWE 28 1 85 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-03-01 Lagos, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 1 : 0 DEN 28 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017-02-04 Vancouver, BC, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 3 : 2 MEX 28 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-08-19 São Paulo, BRA Women's Olympic Football Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 1 BRA 27 59 31 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-08-12 São Paulo, BRA Women's Olympic Football Tournament CAN WNT 1 : 0 FRA 27 1 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-08-09 Brasilia, BRA Women's Olympic Football Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 1 GER 27 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-08-06 São Paulo, BRA Women's Olympic Football Tournament CAN WNT 3 : 1 ZIM 27 63 27 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-08-03 São Paulo, BRA Women's Olympic Football Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 0 AUS 27 46 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-07-23 Auxerre, FRA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 1 FRA 27 59 31 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-07-20 Paris, FRA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 CHN 27 46 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-06-07 Ottawa, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 BRA 27 63 27 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-06-04 Toronto, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 2 BRA 27 1 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-04-10 Eindhoven, NED Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 2 : 1 NED 27 67 23 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-03-09 Lagos, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 2 : 1 BRA 27 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-03-04 Vila Real Santo Antonio, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 1 : 0 BEL 27 1 61 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-03-02 Albufeira, POR Algarve Women's Cup CAN WNT 0 : 1 DEN 27 64 26 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-02-21 Houston, TX, USA CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier CAN WNT 0 : 2 USA 27 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-02-19 Houston, TX, USA CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier CAN WNT 3 : 1 CRC 27 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-02-16 Houston, TX, USA CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier CAN WNT 10 : 0 GUA 27 1 56 0 1 0 0 0 0
2016-02-14 Houston, TX, USA CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier CAN WNT 6 : 0 TRI 27 56 34 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016-02-11 Houston, TX, USA CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier CAN WNT 5 : 0 GUY 27 1 58 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-12-20 Natal, BRA Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 1 : 3 BRA 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-12-16 Natal, BRA Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 1 : 2 BRA 26 57 33 0 0 1 0 0 0
2015-12-13 Natal, BRA Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 4 : 0 TRI 26 1 64 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-12-09 Natal, BRA Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 3 : 0 MEX 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-06-27 Vancouver, BC, CAN FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 2 ENG 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-06-21 Vancouver, BC, CAN FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 0 SUI 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-06-15 Montréal, QC, CAN FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 1 NED 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-06-11 Edmonton, AB, CAN FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 0 : 0 NZL 26 1 90 0 0 1 0 0 0
2015-06-06 Edmonton, AB, CAN FIFA Women's World Cup™ CAN WNT 1 : 0 CHN 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-05-29 Hamilton, ON, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 ENG 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-04-09 Bondoufle, FRA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 1 FRA 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-03-11 Larnaka, CYP Cyprus Women's Cup CAN WNT 0 : 1 ENG 26 1 90 0 0 1 0 0 0
2015-03-09 Nicosia, CYP Cyprus Women's Cup CAN WNT 1 : 0 ITA 26 1 90 1 0 0 0 0 0
2015-03-06 Larnaka, CYP Cyprus Women's Cup CAN WNT 1 : 0 KOR 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-03-04 Nicosia, CYP Cyprus Women's Cup CAN WNT 2 : 0 SCO 26 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-01-15 Shenzhen, CHN Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 1 CHN 25 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-01-13 Shenzhen, CHN Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 1 MEX 25 65 25 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015-01-11 Shenzhen, CHN Women's International Tournament CAN WNT 2 : 1 KOR 25 1 90 0 1 0 0 0 0
2014-11-24 Los Angeles, CA, USA Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 1 : 0 SWE 25 1 75 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014-10-28 Vancouver, BC, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 2 : 3 JPN 25 45 45 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014-10-25 Edmonton, AB, CAN Women's International Friendly CAN WNT 0 : 3 JPN 25 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-11-27 Coquimbo, CHI FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup canw20 - GER 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-11-23 Santiago, CHI FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup canw20 4 : 0 COD 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-11-20 Santiago, CHI FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup canw20 0 : 2 JPN 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-06-28 Puebla, MEX CONCACAF Women's Under-20 canw20 1 : 0 USA 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-06-25 Puebla, MEX CONCACAF Women's Under-20 canw20 2 : 1 MEX 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-06-21 Puebla, MEX CONCACAF Women's Under-20 canw20 4 : 0 CRC 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-06-19 Puebla, MEX CONCACAF Women's Under-20 canw20 3 : 0 JAM 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008-06-17 Puebla, MEX CONCACAF Women's Under-20 canw20 2 : 0 NCA 19 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0
CANADA SOCCER IMAGES


All membership meetings are open to the general public. There is no admission. Membership meetings are typically scheduled at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month (except June, July and August) at the Oak Brook Recreation Center, Central Park West building near 31st Street and Jorie Blvd. In Oak Brook, Illinois.
Board meetings are open to Oak Brook TU members and are typically scheduled at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at 750 Warrenville Road in Lisle in the lower level conference room.
Come early for social time and cookout; information on conservation work days and area fishing locations; plus fly tying workshops for novice and experienced tiers.
See the Conservation Schedule page for more information including directions.


text:
Athysanella furculata är en insektsart som beskrevs av Ball och Beamer 1940. Athysanella furculata ingår i släktet Athysanella och familjen dvärgstritar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Dvärgstritar
furculata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
My Journals
Sports Marketing Quarterly (SMQ)
International Journal of Sport Finance (IJSF)
Sports & Entertainment Review (SER)
IJSF 16:3
Abstract:International Journal of Sport Finance, Volume 16, No.3, August 2021.
>> Subscribe Now
Are Sports Betting Markets Semi-Strong Efficient? Evidence From the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Pascal Flurin Meier, Raphael Flepp, and Egon Franck
Abstract:This paper examines whether sports betting markets are semi-strong form efficient—i.e., whether new information is rapidly and completely incorporated into betting prices. We use news on ghost games in the top European football leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a clean arrival of new public information. Because spectators are absent during ghost games, the home advantage is reduced, and we test whether this information is fully reflected in betting prices. Our results show that bookmakers and betting exchanges systematically overestimated a home team's winning probability during the first period of the ghost games, which suggests that betting markets are, at least temporally, not semi-strong form efficient. Examining different leagues, we find that our main results are driven by the German Bundesliga, which was the first league to resume operations. We exploit a betting strategy that yields a positive net payoff over more than one month.
Soccer Clubs and Diminishing Returns: The Case of Paris Saint-Germain
Authors: Vincent Hogan and Patrick Massey
Abstract:Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), one of France's top soccer clubs, was bought by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011. Since then, the club's expenditure has risen precipitously, as have its victories. In this paper, we ask whether this represents value for money. We find that the efficiency of PSG did not deteriorate following the takeover. However, while PSG operated close to the production frontier in terms of converting resources to points, it scored vastly more points than was necessary to win the league. We estimate that PSG spent €140m more than was necessary to win the French league in 2016/2017. Since 2011, PSG is estimated to have overspent by up to €600m. This expenditure could be thought of as being merely the price of creditable performance at a European level, but we show that it has brought less success than would be expected.
Impacts of International Sports Events on the Stock Market: Evidence from the Announcement of the 18th Asian Games and 30th Southeast Asian Games
Authors: Dwipraptono Agus Harjito, Md. Mahmudul Alam, and Rani Ayu Kusuma Dewi
Abstract:This paper assesses the influence of hosting major international sporting competitions on the host countries' stock market performance before and after the announcement of such events. Specifically, this study explores whether stock markets of hosting countries experience cumulative average abnormal return (CAAR) during the aforementioned period. For the purposes of investigation, the study considers announcements of the 18th Asian Games and 30th Southeast Asian Games hosted by Indonesia and the Philippines, respectively. The LQ45 index of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and PSEi index of the Philippines Stock Exchange (PSE) were chosen to test the significance of these events. It is found that only PSE experienced a significantly positive CAAR for the event. Findings of this study can make a significant contribution to helping national governments and investors understand the significance of sports to the economies of developing countries and how major sports events can improve stock market efficiency.
Baseball Home Field Advantage Without Fans in the Stands
Authors: Jeremy M. Losak and Joseph Sabel
Abstract:Home field advantage is universally accepted across most major sports and levels of competition. However, exact causes of home field advantage have been difficult to disentangle. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique, natural experiment to isolate elements related to home field advantage since all 2020 regular season Major League Baseball games were played without fans. Results provide no statistically significant evidence of a difference in home field advantage between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, evidence that home crowd support is not a driver of home field advantage.There does appear to be a statistical advantage by the home team batting second in the inning. Travel fatigue seems to have no impact on home field advantage, and while home field advantage seems to increase throughout the 2020 season, we chalk that up to small sample noise. Despite lacking historical precedence, betting markets seemingly respond efficiently to the new home conditions.
Copyright © Fitness Information Technology. All Rights Reserved.


text:
No evidence of leopard on the prowl in Hyderabad, say forest officials
Officials have nonetheless set up camera traps as a precaution.
news Wildlife Friday, August 02, 2019 - 11:23
Mithun MK Follow @KalkiSpeaks
Late evening on Tuesday, residents of Jayashree Apartments who were out for a walk at Mithilanagar caught on video an animal perched on top of a rock. While the residents claimed that the image was that of a leopard, forest department officials have now said that there is no evidence of a leopard on the prowl in Hyderabad. Officials have nonetheless set up camera traps as a precaution.
Several regional news outlets reported throughout Wednesday that the sighting caught on video was that of a leopard. Some even went on to claim that the image was that of a Cheetah. The Forest Department scanned the area for paw marks but found nothing.
"The area is rocky and has thick vegetation and bushes. This area is outside the forest area, which is over 1 km away from where this picture was photographed," said A Shankaran, Deputy Conservator of Forests, OSD, Wildlife, who along with a team scanned the area on Wednesday.
The Bachupally Police under whose jurisdiction the supposed sighting of the animal was reported called the whole incident as "fake news". However, Shankaran said, "Right now there is no authentication that it is a leopard but I wouldn't call it fake news."
"It's a very blurred image. It's in very failing light and hence we can't conclude anything. Our people are on the job and are searching the area. They will put camera traps and any movement will be captured," he said.
However, he added, "There are no cheetahs in India, they have been extinct since the 1950s."
The Bachupally police station was alerted by someone who supposedly heard a growl. "It's fake news," said P Jagadeeshwar the station inspector. "The people who called were saying they heard a sound. The call came at night and we alerted the Forest Department officials and together scanned the area, but found nothing," he added.


March is the time of year we come together to recognize the accomplishments of women in history, discuss their heroic pursuits and, of course, celebrate what's next for women in the future.
It feels like now, more than ever, women feel empowered to step up and challenge the status quo. That's why Special K just launched its Nourish Your Next" project to celebrate "get-after-it, bring-it-on, ready-for-what's next women, and nourish what they have their sights set on next."
"Black-ish" star Tracee Ellis Ross partnered with the project to recognize women and help them move forward in terms of what's next. To kick it off, Special K brought to life photographer Kate T. Parker's Strong is the New Pretty series at a premiere gallery event.
I was able to sit down with Tracee to discuss her partnership with Special K and what she hopes young women can gain from this project.
The name of the cereal in itself had so much action to it, and it was so much of a match to how I live my life... and this idea that they were taking a cereal and amplifying that message on a larger scale and taking the opportunity to recognize and celebrate women and how they're nourishing themselves... it really gave that a voice and a story around it. I think it's fantastic and I was happy to involve myself in recognizing and celebrating women.
Tracee also said she enjoys the way social media is utilized to create a conversation and get women to share #whatsnext for them and how they're nourishing their souls.
It's so much more than the physical aspect of putting food in my body... it's the larger message of putting things in my body that not only taste good, but feel good in my body. This extra concept of nourishing your soul and nourishing your life as a way to fuel what you want yourself to be and who you are really spoke to who I am.
Tracee is not only the ambassador of the project, but she was also one of Kate T. Parker's models. The actress was featured in the gallery along with photos of Parker's daughters and other strong women in her life.
Often as an actress, the photos that you end up taking are about hair and makeup and glamor and all of these other wonderful parts of what it is to be a woman... but Kate's photos were really about capturing other parts of me... The strength that I have inside, and how I nourish my joy both in expressing myself fully and by being still and quiet... by allowing myself to laugh, and giggle, and share that joy in an expressive way... and she was able to capture that.
Tracee, with her voice, and Parker, through her photographs, came together to celebrate women so all females can be seen and see themselves.
Ponder the word 'nourish' and what that means to you... because nourishing yourself, your soul, really has to do with knowing yourself, accepting yourself and knowing what you need to be your best self.
So #whatsnext for Tracee? Well, she'll be hosting BET's "Black Girls Rock!" award show for the second year in a row. She also plans to "nourish" the peaceful and quiet parts of herself by resting because she just wrapped up another season of "Black-ish."
Making it to 43 and liking who I am.
Well done, Tracee. That's certainly something to celebrate.
The exhibit will be open to the public on March 17 from 11 am to 5 pm at Sky Gallery (12 Little W 12th St.) in the Meatpacking District.


February 4.—Among the many circumstances that will emblazon the history of the present rebellion in America, we think the following, with some others no less true, will serve to show the generous and liberal principles upon which the present leaders are capable of acting: On the 17th of last month, Mr. Shaw, of Bucks county, in Pennsylvania, fell in with W. Brittain, of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, a captain of Lord Stirling's division, and a Lieutenant Van Pelt, of New Britain, at the house of a certain Robert Ewer, when said Shaw, expressing his satisfaction at the success of the British arms, enraged them to such a degree that they resolved to hang him; and cutting the strap from a saddle, fixed it round his neck, and hung him up till he was almost dead: then let him down again until he had revived. When he had recovered the use of his speech, they asked if he would now fight for King George, and he replying that he was too old, but that his son should, they immediately tied him up again, and would have left him strangle, had not the women of the house interfered, and rescued him from them. He was so far gone that his tongue hung out of his mouth, after which they kicked him and beat him, so that he lay ill for some time.
The account that we have had that the grand American Congress could make no more dollars for want of rags, proves altogether a mistake, for independent of the large supply expected from Washington's army as soon as they can be spared, we have reason to believe the country in general never abounded more in that article.
Yesterday, no less than thirteen sergeants and a corporal, belonging to Colonel Proctor's regiment of artillery, in the rebel service, and a number of privates from other regiments, came in to Philadelphia. The accounts they give of Mr. Washington's army are distressing beyond description.
The public may be assured it is an undoubted fact that the court of France is positively, and has in earnest determined, that they will show no countenance whatever to the rebellion in America—have given the most satisfactory assurances that they will not assist the Americans in any manner, or suffer their vessels to trade at their ports.
1 See Gordon's American Revolution, vol. 2, p. 323.


text:
In 2014, the Ukrainian revolution shook global politics. As Victor Yanukovych was ousted from his presidency, details emerged of the widespread corruption that had fomented unrest and driven citizens onto the street in bloody protest. 阅读更多
From a cache of documents found dumped in a lake outside the presidential palace, evidence of widespread tax fraud, money laundering, and human rights violations surfaced. The EU froze the assets of Yanukovych and his associates, with some Ukrainian politicians claiming the former president embezzled as much as $57 billion in state funds during three years in office. The revelations also highlighted the role of the international system in facilitating the state-looting, with documents showing how ownership of Yanukovych's lavish palace had been hidden behind anonymous companies registered in the UK and Austria.
Opacity has been a long-standing feature of business in Ukraine. Global Witness's 2006 report, It's a Gas, revealed an elaborate network of 'middleman' companies which controlled Ukraine's gas supply. We showed how the companies were set up to hide the identity of the owners, and asked why private individuals were able to control so much of a supposedly state business.
With over 80% of Russian gas exports to Western Europe then going through Ukraine, this represented a major threat to the continent's energy security, as demonstrated in 2006 when Russia shut off Ukraine's gas supply. It's a Gas tied the companies involved to a then little-known Ukrainian oligarch, Dmytri Firtash, later revealed to be a key player in the deals and the owner of the key intermediary companies Eural Trans Gas and RosUkrEnergo.
To foster peace in Ukraine and protect regional energy security, transparency is essential. In October 2014, Ukraine passed landmark legislation requiring all companies to disclose their beneficial owners in a public register. This is a global first and a major step towards creating a more transparent business climate in Ukraine. Alongside international measures to crack down on anonymous company owners, it is hoped that Ukraine can turn the page on the corruption that has plagued its past and currently threatens regional security.
匿名企业Blog post
Anonymous UK company owned Viktor Yanukovych's presidential palace compound
石油、天然气与矿产报告
It's A Gas
Funny Business in the Turkmen-Ukraine Gas Trade.
All That Gas?
The European Commission is turning a blind eye to corruption, lack of transparency and poor human rights in the repressive police state of Turkmenistan in a bid to secure future gas supplies.
银行Blog post
EU freezes Ukraine's missing billions, but if it was corrupt why did the banks accept it in first place?
往后
Blog post / March 7, 2014


I am getting ready to order aftermarket wheels for my Abarth, and I am wondering what happens with the TPMS system when you dont have stock wheels? Is it simply non-functional, or is there something you have to do to keep the warning light from coming on? Better yet, can it be used with aftermarket wheels? Thanks!
I bought a set of tire-pressure sensors and s/s valve stems from Tirerack for my new 3-season setup. I think they were about $175.00 delivered. The original wheels will now be used for my winter tires (Blizzaks).


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Discover the several positive aspects of obtaining a premium branded profile on Glassdoor, like enhanced influence and sophisticated analytics. Even though the American Express ( AXP ) Spending and Saving Tracker identified that the average household of 4 plans to spend $2,636 for vacation travel this year – or just moderately more than it paid in 2010 – and made clear that these households are hunting for much more than a days-lengthy fight for bathroom time at a loved ones member's property.
He would choose me up at my hotel and we'd go up to the Germantown Cricket Club for a couple of games of squash. Here are 5 recommendations for handling vacation vacation requests and building a schedule that tends to make you, your clients, and your workers content. Colombia presents an simple way to have two vacations in a single: a vibrant celebration-filled scene in Cartagena, paired with a quieter escape in the green hills of coffee country. Lifestyles Holiday Vacation Club Junior Suites are effectively appointed and are made for two occupants. I just got back from a amazing expertise known as the 2016 Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska.
Of course, not absolutely everyone can plan a vacation trip right after the holidays for several motives: the children have to be in school, you can not get the time off from operate, and so forth. If you like to take to the seas for your vacation travel, January may possibly be the time to do it. Moving a cruise from December to January can save you hundreds of dollars , stated Tanner Callais, a cruise professional with , a site committed to cruise info. A NEFCU Holiday, Vacation or Camp Club Account can assistance you save for these particular occasions.
Holiday Vacations' published tour costs are guaranteed as soon as we receive your deposit and regardless of subsequent price increases by our suppliers or planet marketplace fluctuations, you will incur no extra expense. Nebraska's Personal National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Study Center will receive ninety percent of the revenue raised at the 2016 Nebraska Cattlemen's Ball which will offer funding for the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. This year I've decided to reduce the quantity of orgasms my sissy wife is permitted to have in 2017.
The Lifestyles Vacation Vacation Club encompasses three properties: the spectacular Lifestyles Hacienda Tropical, situated straight on Cofresi Beach, the exclusive Lifestyles Hacienda Suites & Penthouses, and the Lifestyles Hacienda Crown Villas, nestled in between the beach and the slopes of tropical hills, which offer the ultimate in comfort and exclusivity.
We advocate: Keep at a kid-friendly resort – like Aulani , A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii – that delivers a range of activities and amenities on the property, like pools, water parks, cultural experiences or even a kids' club. InterContinental, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, Vacation Inn Express® Hotels, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, HUALUXE Hotels e Resorts, EVEN Hotels, Candlewood Suites®,Staybridge Suites® e IHG® Rewards Club. Captiva House and Crow's Nest will be featuring particular vacation menus and menu items for you and your household so you can have a accurate taste of the holidays as effectively.


text:
package example.webapp.util;

import org.springframework.jdbc.core.simple.SimpleJdbcDaoSupport;
import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;

/**
 * @author Richard Wilkinson - richard.wilkinson@jweekend.com
 *
 */
public class DatabaseInit extends SimpleJdbcDaoSupport {

	private static final String eventTable = "create table Event (id INTEGER GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR, date DATETIME, description VARCHAR, location INTEGER DEFAULT NULL)";
	private static final String locationTable = "create table Location (id INTEGER GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR, address VARCHAR)";

	@Transactional
	private void createEventTable() {
		getJdbcTemplate().execute(eventTable);
	}

	@Transactional
	private void createLocationTable() {
		getJdbcTemplate().execute(locationTable);
	}

	public void create() {
		try {
		createEventTable();
		createLocationTable();
		} catch (Exception e) {
			System.out.println("WHoops!  exception while initializing the db.");
			//e.printStackTrace();
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson today spotlighted the importance of deepening and broadening the U.S.-India bilateral relationship, during a visit to Jaipur Foot, the world's largest prosthetic limb fitting organization. Bryson is the first U.S. Commerce Secretary to visit Jaipur, demonstrating America's strong commitment to fostering partnerships throughout India.
During the tour of Jaipur Foot, a manufacturer of a polymer-based prosthetic device for below-the-knee amputations, Bryson spotlighted the partnership between the two countries in successfully applying innovative technologies for prosthesis manufacturing. U.S. research institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University are assisting in the commercialization of some of the technologies. In the case of MIT, Jaipur Foot is collaborating with the university on the development of an all-terrain wheelchair that would improve the lives of many disabled people in the developing world.
Jaipur Foot is an example of low-cost engineering and a successful Indian business model. There are many Indian firms that have learned to conduct R&D in highly resource-constrained environments and who have found ways to use locally appropriate technology for humanitarian purposes. This has resulted in the organization's ability to innovatively manufacture prostheses with locally available technologies for $20-$45 when a device with a very similar function can cost thousands of dollars in the West.
Jaipur Foot was established by D.R. Mehta in 1975, with the objective of providing mobility and dignity to the disabled. Jaipur Foot provides artificial limbs, calipers, wheelchairs, hand-paddled tricycles, crutches and related aids and appliances to about 65,000 disabled in a year.
Secretary Bryson is leading 16 U.S. companies on a business development mission in India to advocate for U.S. export opportunities in India's rapidly expanding infrastructure sector, and to promote investment opportunities in America – both key priorities of the Obama Administration.
The mission kicked-off in New Delhi on March 25, and the delegation will travel to Mumbai after wrapping up the visit to Jaipur.
Learn more about the India trade mission.


Caroline Manzo Has Gone Back to School... Cooking School!
The RHONJ pal is mastering a new kind of flavor.
Caroline Manzo is already pretty darned skilled in the kitchen. But, that doesn't mean she's immune to the charms of a good cooking class — especially when it's one led by her brother, where the menu is chock-full of comfort foods.
On September 25, The Real Housewives of New Jersey pal took to Instagram with a series of photos from the Viking Range cooking school. In her first post, she set up the delicious scene: "Guys, I'm at [Viking Range] cooking school in Mississippi — look what we are going to make! I'm so excited," she wrote. And, after peeping the menu, we can certainly see why.
The group cooked up a feast inspired by the movie The Help, which featured tons of southern-style treats.
Ramona Singer Is Learning New Skills on Her Girls Trip — See Her Cooking Class Pic!
Guys, I'm at @vikingrange cooking school in Mississippi- look what we are going to make! I'm so excited!


text:
Insane Aerospace Division: Supersonic Titanian Synthmorph Cargo Chopper!
Foreward: Crushing your expectations.
The "Supersonic" in the title refers to the speed at which the ends of the rotors are travelling, not that the helicopter is itself capable of exceeding the speed of sound, not even in Titanian gravity.
Anyway,
The group I'm in (Hi, Misora, et al,) where we're all playing Scum, recently found ourselves getting stuck into a situation which was was above us in an effort to acquire vast quantities of CHON - basic resources - on Titan ahead of going on a long space journey. My character, a roboticist/armorer by trade, was casting about for opportunities to employ her skills in trade to a microcorp in exchange for large quantities of feedstock. I found a microcorp up in the Titanian arctic which was looking around for a robotics solution to their throughput proble. Bear in mind, the full extent of the clusterfuckery they had gotten themselves in to did not become apparent until we were all fully stuck-in and we realized just how smegging much material they needed to move.
In the end, we progressed from this synthmorph chopper, blew straight past a cargo-plane sized cargo chopper, and determined that the fastest, most cost-effective way to resolve their issue was actually to pull out all the stops on their nanofabricators, deploy seeds of large, industrial nanofabricators out in the wilderness that would begin churning out robotic earthmovers and construction vehicles, and deploy an old-school style railroad network, as in, wheels on tracks.
They needed to move seriously gargantuan quantities of material, and were looking for a robotic solution when they needed industrial engineers and logistics experts, and needed them from the start. They had massive resource output and processing, but no good means to get the resources from the extraction/refineries to their central distribution hub.
But I digress; although in the end, November Bravo would not turn out to be the solution to their problem, we had all invested so much thought and time into conjuring it (IC and OOC) that we decided to finish the morph - again, IC and OOC. So here it is, straight off the design labs of a pile of Scum robotics and aerospace engineers.
The Blue Tiburon Aerospace November Bravo.
And no, I'm not going to try to recreate all that formatting on the forums.
kindalas
Nice design,
I wonder how much would a bare bones model with say an Aptitude max of 20 and only a +5 to SOM cost.
I do like the idea of the fancy rotors but as a GM I would consider the lemon trait for the first batch of models as the kinks get worked out.
I am a Moderator of this Forum
My mod voice is red.
The Eclipse Phase Character sheet is downloadable here:
Chernoborg
Just curious, you mentioned a
Just curious, you mentioned a standard cargo container in your write up. What dimensions are you using for those containers?
Current Status: Highly Distracted building Gatecrashing systems in Universe Sandbox!
ubik2
I assumed the standard
I assumed the standard Titanian shipping container is similar to a 40'x8'x8.5' intermodal container (about 12.2x2.4x2.6 in meters), but given the 15 ton limit, perhaps it's more like the 20' version instead. I really hope nobody still uses imperial units in EP time.
Both the 40' and 20' terrestrial versions are rated for just over 30 tons. The 20' version would only hold a bit over 2 tons of LH2, but around 25 tons of LN2 (the second lowest density member of CHON). If you can ship it as metallic hydrogen, you can fit about 20 tons in there, but converting H2 to metallic hydrogen is a pretty hard problem.
The chameleon skin is maybe a
The chameleon skin is maybe a bit extravagant for this use case, but it does take good care of industrial design rule-wise. To digress a little: What do people use as signal lights in Titanian storms? Visible light is probably simply out of the question, and methane is highly IR-absorbent.
Is there any kind of precedent for the dual-use cyberbrain? To me it seems like a case of making up new things needlessly, especially as an infomorph could sit in a puppet sock and use a purpose-built jammer eidolon. Or their usual eidolon, so they don't have to resleeve. Point is, "Oh, hey, here, take these +10 SOM because this is a great morph" seems rather arbitrary.
Other than that, nice concept. It's a *brutal* design, it's rather specific, and it might actually fill a niche on Titan.
I don't honestly remember. I
I don't honestly remember. I don't think the devs have ever specified any standards, but I'm reasonably sure that there is some sort of standard for intermodal transport container common at least within the Titanian Commonwealth if not all of Transhumanity, and whatever that standard is, November Bravo were designed to accommodate it.
With a chopper in Titanian gravity and soup carrying shipping containers that are most likely fabricated out of the eponymous carbonaceous dream-shit, it's going to be cargo mass that's usually the limiting factor, so I would believe the Bravo could carry the full-size containers, assuming you have a cargo which is sufficiently lightweight-compared-to-its-volume as to warrant it.
Baribal wrote:The chameleon
The chameleon skin is maybe a bit extravagant for this use case, but it does take good care of industrial design rule-wise.
Please note that it was designed by a collective of Scum, and the lead designer is the kind of person who designs every morph she makes as if she, personally, might have to live in one someday. That's why it very repeatedly notes that the "extravagant/optional extra" features are in fact standard, and that you do not save anything, practically speaking, by leaving them off. Because once it's open-sourced and out in the wild, she may not be able to stop some hypercorp scumsucker from forcing an indenture to live in one, but she can damn well make it really, really hard for the hypercorp to make it a miserable experience.
To digress a little: What do people use as signal lights in Titanian storms? Visible light is probably simply out of the question, and methane is highly IR-absorbent.
Very powerful spotlights. Obviously storm conditions will reduce visibility range, but put out enough photons and you will be visible, if only as an indistinct bright blur in the nebulous distance. Put out enough IR and the same is true; you'll be visible as an anomalous hot blob of gas in the distance.
Is there any kind of precedent for the dual-use cyberbrain? To me it seems like a case of making up new things needlessly, especially as an infomorph could sit in a puppet sock and use a purpose-built jammer eidolon.
A cyberbrain is a computer with specialized hardware. The line between an infomorph and a synthmorph is basically drawn as whether or not you're in direct control of a body; the infomorph-living mode is for those who do not particularly want to sleeve the morph directly, largely because they're an aerospace pilot who has no Flight skill and would rather use the morph as if it were a big chopper. So you just cut out the sleeve connections and bam, you're an infomorph running on a computer that was primarily designed to sleeve into, but is more than capable of instantiating you in an infomorph simulspace of a nice roomy cockpit.
Also, puppet socks aren't actually something an infomorph lives on, they're a system to override the morph's sleeved ego (if present; the sleeved ego can be just an ALI bot driver,) and allow a remote operator (which can be as close as the morph's mesh insert-living muse,) to control the morph. Since Bravo was designed by a hardcore autonomist, she's built in extreme redundancies to prevent a person's ego sleeved in the morph being hijacked by the cutout; it is there only for overriding the bot driver and/or if the ego in the morph wishes to permit a remote operator to take control.
Or their usual eidolon, so they don't have to resleeve. Point is, "Oh, hey, here, take these +10 SOM because this is a great morph" seems rather arbitrary.
It's not at all arbitrary: this thing is fucking massive. It's a gigantic industrial robot about the size of a Surya. The +10 SOM for the Bravo comes from exactly the same place the +10 SOM for the Daitya comes from: this is a heavy-duty titan of industry. Even its robotic manipulators would be capable of lifting a ton in earth gravity. Whilst ungainly, you can press a Bravo into industrial work duty. It doesn't come equipped with the tools a Diatya has, but if you just need a gigantic heavy industrial robutt with bigass grippers and little-ass grabbers to throw at a problem, and you have a Bravo, it'll get the job done.
Actually, it's quite comfortable. The roboticist who made it went to extreme lengths to ensure that it would not be harsh and miserable to sleeve into for the average person, and the sort of person who relishes being a giant robutt would enjoy it... Though from the outside it's pretty brutal in stock configuration, yeah. You do not want to have unprotected biological ears anywhere near a Bravo with the ramjet-tipped rotors operating; even if you have sense filters, it's going to rupture your eardrums.
This is a titan of industry made to operate in industrial zones and wilderness. It's a flying OSHA violation if you take a stock Bravo anywhere anybody likes to live.
ShadowDragon8685 wrote:This
On third or so thought... Wouldn't that disqualify it from being used on Titan, maybe with the exception of special designated areas? After all, with Hulders, Ariels, Titanian Caribou and hares, and probably a few pre-Fall colonists that are still rocking troll and lindworm morphs, Titan's wilderness is not all frozen lifeless CHON any longer.
MAD Crab
Just as a note of real-world
Just as a note of real-world interest (I am a font of useless information) supersonic rotors is something explicitly avoided in helicopter design. It makes the forward rotor blade lose lift, and the retreating one stall. This has... unfortunate consequences for the helicopter.
A coaxial rotor can address
A coaxial rotor can address this, as can counter-rotating rotors, like on the arms of a drone.
What we can't really address right now, is that a supersonic rotor in Earth atmosphere will generally tear itself apart, and be extremely loud. It's possible the materials of the future are capable of withstanding this, but it's still terribly inefficient.
The Thunderscreech was a plane that used a supersonic propeller. The noise and shockwaves were a danger to anyone nearby.
The atmosphere on Titan is higher pressure, and the speed of sound is lower. Given the lower gravity, I suspect you could get away with subsonic rotors.
Also, the issue with the receding blade having a low to negative lift is only an issue when the vehicle is moving forward quickly. This vehicle doesn't move forward at supersonic speeds (which is only 194 m/s).
Keep in mind a design similar to the Halo can lift around 20 tons on Earth, so about 120 tons on Titan (even ignoring the benefit of increased atmospheric density). This is plenty to carry a full size intermodal container. The Chinook has about half the capacity, but that's still plenty.
I wouldn't bother moving the LN2 on Titan, since it's so plentiful in the air that I'd just condense it on site, but the water ice and carbon make sense to ship around.
Baribal described the vehicle as "brutal". This may have been a reference to the style of brutalism, which is typically raw concrete, but is essentially a style that presents the function very directly.
ringringlingling
Thats Some Quality Editing
But it kind of sounds like you approached EP as a thought experiment rather than a narrative focus. I actually did find it quite interesting, I'd like to hear more about your logistics and operations. I wonder, do you know how to make flow charts? I've finished with the primary branch of my adventure but its still a tad bit linear
http://www.eclipsephase.com/jovian-son-firewall-adventure
Xagroth
Mmmm... You could also use
Mmmm... You could also use the Chamaleon skin to communicate big images/letters, allowing the use of total noise cancellers and still allowing communication between the pilot and the outside crew without the need to use radio (if you work in a saturated environment), so I'd say the chameleon skin can count as another redundancy.
That being said, I doubt most corps will use the design, since it's too general, and that means giving too autonomy to indentures, or using non-indentured workers... but in a Gatecrashing team it can be really interesting, if the rotors can be assembled after checking the local atmosfere and the morhp's frame can go through the gate itself (or else, time to assemble it on the other side!)
Xagroth wrote:That being said
Xagroth wrote:
1: Note that it was designed on Titan, by a Scum Collective that was passing through. Granted it's an open-sourced design, but it was open-sourced with so many redundancies and failsafes in it to make it very hard to trap someone in against their will that corps probably won't bother with it. The girl who designed it would be angered if they did.
2: The rotors are articulated and can sweep back for storage just as they do on any modern-day helicoptor.
Well, yeah. My comment about #1 was less about how "ideal" for corp uses was and more for "that's the niche we would find this Morph most of the time".
The #2 is more about not having hard numbers on Pandora gates, meaning opening time (minimal), size of the Iris (let's say it's bigger than a Stargate... because Stargates weren't big enough for any choppers to go through XD), and transport solutions.
It's very likely, however, that the most used solution is to can as much raw materials (specially the hard to get ones), a fabber to "unpack", and a few morphs, with enough computing power to carry more morphs in cold storage to instanciate on the other side.


Offering modern apartments with a furnished patio or terrace, the Stella Del Mare is 400 m from the crystal-clear sea in Tropea. It is a 10-minute walk from the city center and 1.2 mi from Tropea Station. Independent and self-catering, the Residence Stella Del Mare apartments include free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a fully equipped kitchenette. Some offer views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Capo Vaticano is only 6.2 mi from the property, and Vibo Valentia can be reached by car in about 30 minutes.
COPYRIGHT BY Stella Del Mare Tropea. All rights reserved.


From Goodreads ~ Singer-songwriter and front man of the great Canadian band Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle is also a lyrical storyteller and a creative force. In "Where I Belong", Alan paints a vivid, raucous and heartwarming portrait of a curious young lad born into the small coastal fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and destined to become a renowned musician who carried the musical tradition of generations before him and brought his signature sound to the world. He tells of a childhood surrounded by larger-than-life characters who made an indelible impression on his music and work; of his first job on the wharf cutting out cod tongues for fishermen; of growing up in a family of five in a two-bedroom house with a beef-bucket as a toilet, yet lacking nothing; of learning at his father's knee how to sing the story of a song and learning from his mother how to simply "be good"; and finally, of how everything he ever learned as a kid prepared him for that pivotal moment when he became part of Great Big Sea and sailed away on what would be the greatest musical adventure of his life.
Filled with the lore and traditions of the East Coast and told in a voice that is at once captivating and refreshingly candid, this is a narrative journey about small-town life, curiosity and creative fulfillment, and finally, about leaving everything you know behind only to learn that no matter where you go, home will always be with you.
I've been a fan of Great Big Sea over the years and have seen them many times in concerts.
I first discovered them in the mid 1990s when they were just starting out. Sister Sarah, my friend, Leanne, and I had gone to the Exhibition Grounds here in Toronto for an east coast show (Sister Sarah and I are originally from Nova Scotia) and Leanne is from Vancouver (she moved back there in 1997). Cape Breton fiddler Sandy McIntyre played in the beer garden before the show at the bandshell.
The Irish Descendants were headlining and Great Big Sea was opening for them. We'd never heard of Great Big Sea and they were good! And cute! And yes, the Irish Descendants were good too. Alas, I didn't take pictures of Sister Sarah or the show.
Alan Doyle was one of the members in Great Big Sea. He seems like a nice guy and I was interested in reading his story. I figured it would be a good one and it was.
Doyle tells of growing up in a small fishing village just outside of St. John's, NF. His family (dad, mom and four kids) didn't have much but they didn't realize that because they had what everyone else had (or didn't have what others didn't have) ... they didn't even have a bathroom for many years. Most of Petty Harbour is related to them somehow ... kinda cramps your style when you're looking for a girlfriend because most of the girls are either your cousin or Protestant.
We hear what it's like working on the wharfs when the fisherman would come in and his job was to cut the tongues from the codfish and try to sell them for pocket money. Things improved when he got a job when he was 16 in St. John's in a museum as an interpreter. Plus he started picking up gigs in bands, which eventually led to him meeting Séan McCann and forming Great Big Sea.
I liked the writing style ... I thought it was honest and humorous. I bet Doyle would be a fun guy to sit and have a beer with. The dialogue is great because it's written phonetically and I could hear Newfie accents when I read it. At times, there is a bit of swearing. Throughout the book there are pictures of when he was younger ... with his oversized glasses and peach fuzz moustache, he was stylin' (NOT!). Ha! His mom's bread sounds and looks amazing ... I haven't seen "double" bread since I left Nova Scotia.
This was a fun yet interesting book about an east coast Canadian who started with not a lot financially and has done well for himself. I'd recommend this book.
Update: The author was recently at the reference library talking about his book and Gord and I went. Nice guy!
Love Great Big Sea too! Sounds like an interesting read.
We're going to see him soon too.
Oh dear, I had the peach fuzz moustache and I used to cut cod tongues for money. The only thing I can't relate to was the Protestant girls comment. The part of the island I was from strictly Protestant. I was a teenager before I discovered that any Catholics lived outside of Ireland, let alone right there in the very same province!
I have this book and can't wait to read it! My priest is a Newfie and always talks about his job as a cod fish tongue extractor (did every young man in NL do that?). We went to see Great Big Sea play at the Niagara Falls New Years Eve Concert a few years back and they put on an awesome show!