#Exo-Terraner

[celestial-coordinates]

Introduction

Finally decided to make a Tumblr for my sci-fi project that's been languishing on Amino for literal years.

The City

Astar City sits in the heart of the Atlantic, an artificial island that breaches the boundary of earth and the greater reaches of space. I is here that the greatest minds are trained, taught and cultivated to carry humanity forward in the pursuit of betterment--and to avoid the mistakes of the past. Guiding them are our allies and friends from beyond the stars, each bringing to the table something unique that enriches the lives of those living with and without gravity keeping them on the ground.

At the northernmost point stands the base of the great Gravern-Tybbs Space Elevator, the hub of planetary travel and resource management for Astar City and the very reason for the island to be built. The city itself consists of three 'rings' with the outermost zone being subdivided at the cross-quarters:

Northeast: the docks that import and export goods from the elevator to the rest of the world.

Northwest: the factories that shop materials used in the city itself or to be exported.

Across the midline is the Elgiss Channel that separates the industrial zone from the rest of the outer ring.

Southeast: Glassgow Park, a touch of nature to greet the incoming visitors and new citizens of Astar City.

Brightside amusement park lies at the southern tip of the island, full of neon and fiber optics.

Southwest: Elysium Square, named for the fields of heroes, this part of the outer ring is a type of nature reserve where festivals, recreation and camping occurs.

The secondary ring is the widest and most densely populated, hosting the library, museum, businesses, apartments, the university, etc. Different zones have developed based on local population and need, with various cultures carving out corners of the city for themselves, each connected by the monorail that covers the middle ring.

The inner ring is also known as Pillar Place and hosts only three buildings the locals refer to as "the ladies of Astar City" for their nicknames: Astrid, Ingrid and Ester.

Astar Technology, Research & Development (AsTReD) is the jewel of the city where the greatest minds of all species bring their skills together to move forward. There is a direct landing zone for small ships on the roof of the building which stands the tallest at 123 floors.

The Inter-Global Resource Department (InGReD), or “trade center”, manages the accounts and resources of Astar City, regulating repairs, jobs, money and relationships between earth and the colonies. Boasting 119 floors, it is the second tallest building in the city.

The third building is colloquially called “the ambassador apartments” but it's legally named the Exo-Endo Suites for Terran Relations (EESTeR) which are somewhere between a hotel, a timeshare and an apartment block for political figures to stay and to house the ambassadors of the Kuana which handle the translations and interactions on behalf of their patrons. The Lofted Gardens sit atop the spire, capping it at 115 floors.

No building in the city is allowed to exceed 100 floors as to not conflict with The Ladies.

The digital currency of the city is the kibb, which has an exchange rate of 100KBB=1.25 USD (kibb are counted like Japanese yen with no decimals or fractional dollars).

The Citizens

Boasting a colorful array of denizens, Astar City boasts not only the greatest diversity of new-earth cultures in one place, but also the most non-earth cultures as well. In the wake of The War for Change (also dubbed WWIII or the Eco-War), many cultures and countries on earth were fractured, lost or sub-divided as populations were deposed and borders redrawn. In an effort to preserve history and their memories, surviving groups were approached to document their culture and struggles post-war; some of these survivors eventually migrated to Astar City for work, settling in the new districts and reshaping their identities into what they are today.

Of the races/species represented, there are:

Humans, both Enhanced (robotic) and Modified (gene spliced)

Robots, the smallest faction, consisting of pure synthetic 'life' developed from rapidly advancing AI made by humans

Viispaa, currently majority Primes, some Curantis and Puer, a few Inimicus and Artifex (other subtypes coming soon)

Aska'a Thani, the second most common non-human under Viispaa

Kuana, though they remain in orbit and rarely come to the surface

Ravulcaba Mercs and Merchants, the most recent inclusion to the roster having appeared after responding to distress caused by stray Miscreant activity

Lem'iran, a single individual currently in hyper sleep with an unknown wake date

The System

By the onset of the 3030s, earth (also known as Terra, Geos or Gaia) and its resident sapient species, the humans, have touched the corners of their solar system and set up stations of one kind or another on most available surfaces. In 2375, the three races agreed that all space within 40 AU of Sol/Helios (our sun) would belong to humans by right and thus determined by them how it would be distributed and moderated. [dates are temporary and under reconsideration]

Moon/Luna/Selene: colonization of the moon started in 2260 as the first major unification project between the Kuana, Aska'a and humans. However, political and bureaucratic policies on earth forced the colony to declare independence in 2269, dubbing themselves the Greater Alliance Lunar Commonwealth, later dubbed Galuc. They celebrate the birth of the first off-world infant which opened the filed of psionics in 2272, with the colony town developing into something of a college-town. The University of Galuc is the only facility in the system greater than Astar University in terms of academic scope, with focus on the study of psionics, low-gravity survival and colonization of hostile landscapes, and deep-space communications and observation through the use of Arecibo II. Sim chambers are a staple of the lunar economy, with the short ride from the space elevator to the docking bay being little more than a train ride for citizens of Astar City.

Mercury: around 2380, in response to changes in the judicial system of earth, a high-security "reformation" station was built on Mercury though everyone knows its a prison. Intended to 'make use' of those who failed to contribute to society, the station ensures escape is impossible due to the harsh terrain of Mercury and its abysmal climate. Considered a one-way trip, the facility doubles as a factory for manufacturing and refining certain materials while utilizing a system similar to the moon's for being solar powered. After a failed uprising by inmates cause massive losses around 2600, the guards were replaced in majority with AI.

Venus: despite rovers surviving for upwards of 36 hours on the surface, in 2400 Venus was deemed "still hell" and quarantined as a waste dump for materials that don't decay, such as plastics; lack of terraforming technology has made planets like Venus "unsuitable" for colonization. Some materials such as radioactive waste are ejected into the sun for removal.

Mars: in 2375, after the Galuc colony debacle settled, Mars was considered for a new base of operations. The founding colony was established as a terraforming research facility, however as they gained space and samples, our alien allies began bringing embryos from other planets to help diversify our resources and fill niches that had not been needed on earth. While the technology for proper terraforming hit wall after wall, advancements in robotic AI allowed for opportunities to better mine asteroids for material. The Mars colony itself turned its focus to conservation and study of exotic animals, becoming the system's largest wildlife preserve and only place currently allowing the display of non-Sol species.

Belt: under control of the InAMi Corporation (Inner Astroid Mining Corporation) since 2727

Jupiter: with the onset of gravity-assist launching methods becoming standard practice and trial runs of quantum radio broadcasting, the year 2572 saw the beginning of Jovian lunar colonization to help facilitate asteroid mining. By 2586, the Jovian Lunar Bases dominate the field in terms of mining exports and AI development for industrial workplaces.

Saturn: while Saturn's moons were under observation for colonization since 2586, the first bases weren't established until 2601 due in part to the fuel requirements and resource limitations, but also from the mysterious, radioactive wreck found floating between Saturn and Uranus in 2590. The make of the ship was not familiar, life signs were absent and no race claimed a missing ship, thus it was hauled to an asteroid base for study and dubbed The Shell. High levels of radiation and no comparisons for deciphering the salvage brings the study to a crawl.

Uranus: 2697 saw the first attempt to colonize Uranus, however energy requirements caused major hiccups along the way, forcing the orbital station to be shut down until alternatives are found. Inami Corp funds a smaller station to facilitate the development of electro-magnetic generators while supplying fossil fuels to the station. A gamble is taken on whether or not Neptune's moon, Triton, has liquid water which could be used for hydro-electric power. After the prototype solar-powered hypercells are perfected, the colony station comes back online on restricted power in 2836 with a focus on using magnetic fields for energy.

Neptune: in 2735 the gamble paid off and a team was sent to try and establish a power facility in the back half of the system. Despite this, tensions arose between the sentient races regarding the withholding of technology, creating The Frozen Period where advancement and colonization effectively stopped until 2825. Proper colonization of Triton begins in 2862, growing it into a power station and foothold to the Kuiper belt by 2870.

Pluto: In 2881, a unknown signal from outside the solar system is detected; origins are unknown and unclaimed, but the possibility of more life on their level existing encourages a project for converting Pluto and the other demi-planets to be fitted with signal transmitters to boost and detect further broadcasts. In 2891, after siphoning most of the unstable radiation from The Shell and spending a considerable amount of time breaking down the remnant of a language, it's discovered the console received a signal whose imprint matched the mysterious signal from a decade prior, which had previously been written off as interference from sunspots. In 2913, the Exo-Solar Communications Station (ESCoS) comes online.

Kuiper belt: under control of Inami Corp's sister company, OKAMi (Outer-Kuiper Asteroid Mining) since 2878.

#scifi #world building #astar city #aliens #modified humans #robots #futuristic #ecopunk #solarpunk #humans are not space orcs #everyone gets a fancy hat #human x alien #human x robot #alien x alien #progressive utopia #we broke it #they fix it #writing project #solar system

[transformer-hardlyknowher]

Turns out I've been done the whole "Rabid in different continuities" drawings for like, a week and just never posted them so here we go folks

First up, shattered glass. The opposite day dimension. Basically, Rabid remains as a stunt flyer, never got into the whole self mod thing. Also biological life creeps them out. They joined the Autobots first because you know. Opposite dimension. But then did the whole switcheroo after some character growth that can be summed up to "just because you're scared of a thing, that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to live". Because of they're unique ability to transform into literally anything, they work as a spy for the Decepticons. They are still friends with Starscream! Also roller is big now.

Next we have: transformers prime. They're a bit spooky in this one. They went way to far with the whole self mod thing in this one. Becoming more animalistic, and leaving some of they're insides exposed, including part of their spark chamber. The don't really do much in the Decepticon army. They mostly just cause some problems for everyone and then disappear for several weeks only to return and do it all over again. Unlike in every single other continuity, this Rabid hates Starscream. Literally tried to kill him on more then one occasion. It hasn't worked yet but one day it will! (Not)

IDW- more then meets the eye.

Rabid works as Starscream's assistant. Sort of. They suck at it. They were originally going to board the lost light, since there isn't much need for an exo-biologist on Cybertron, but Starscream convinced them to stay and work for him.

They don't know what they're doing. But they're having a good time!

(pleas know that I haven't read the IDW comics. anything I do know about them is second hand knowledge told to me by my partner)

Finally, Earthspark rabid.

They joined the Decepticons, but left and joined the Autobots after they got shot by Megatron. Only to then leave the Autobots after Megatron joined. Despite being neither Autobot nor Decepticon, they were at the space bridge battle that ended the war. They were there to convince Starscream to just, bring the all spark to Cybertron.

Instead of doing that though, they ended up getting caught in the explosion of the space bridge, losing an arm, the lower half of their face-plate, and suffering damage to their voice box.

They disappeared for years, returning again to destroy Optimus and Megatron. Their arm now replaced with a gun, that can detach and turns into a little centipede minicon (they have two mini cons in this, one that turns into a gun arm, and one that just turns into an arm)

They get thrown into ghost jail and yada yada escapes with Starscream, skywarp and nova-storm, blah blah blah helps out the Terrans in the final episode blah blah blah.

(I have more lore for them but eh)

#maccadam #transformers #transformers oc #oh boy here we go to time to tag all the different continuities #transformers earthspark #transformers prime #transformers shattered glass #transformers mtmte #yike

[crow-posting]

Destiny Muses

Finally getting around to making this. 😅 I'm new to RP so I apologize if information is incomplete or missing! 🙏

Please note that not all of my OCs are muses! I am willing to bounce ideas/interactions back and forth if you ask nicely, but some OCs (e.g. Duane) are mostly for close friends. ☺️

⬇️ Rules after the descriptions! ⬇️

===

Main Muse 📝

RZ-3 (RZR 0709-4): a Golden Age AI inhabiting an experimental Exo frame. died, came back as a Guardian and is making it everyone's problem. black cat hardware on orange cat software. "I'm gonna defeat you with the power of friendship and this gun I found." his Ghost's name is Ori.

rezzed during the City Age (D1)

Fun Facts:

"Young Wolf" is a sobriquet given by Lord Saladin, who believes "RZ" (aka "AI" in Chinese) isn't a proper name

has over half a dozen scientific instruments including a Renewable Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RRTG) and Advanced Survey Spectrograph (ASYST)

his teeth are retractable

===

Other Muses 📚

Avraam Rigel: former Corsair, current Warlock, and one of the original 891 Awoken. knew RZ-3 while aboard the Yang Liwei and was the one who downloaded RZ into his current Exo frame, though currently regretting it since RZ can now steal his food. his Ghost's name is Sulu.

rezzed during Lightfall / Second Collapse (D2)

Fun Facts:

spent his life as a fighter (security officer → Corsair → Warlock) but actually has a PhD in astrogeology

focuses his Ascendant magic through Terran ametrine rather than Awoken amethyst or Techeun instruments

his favorite snack is cranberry-lemon bars

Liu Bai [劉白]: a member of the Cryptarchy and one of Ikora's most skilled Hidden agents. an expert with blades (most commonly duǎn jiàn) but prefers to fight without weapons. currently partnered with Duane-B312, both romantically and as part of Fireteam Nike. his Ghost's name is River Song.

rezzed during the Dark Age (D1)

Fun Facts:

speaks a dozen languages with varying fluency and can play the sānxián [lute] and gǔzhēng [zither]

often wears a mask or obscures his face with Light during missions, which allows him to blend in more easily in urban environments

was once a "Warlord" alongside 2 other Lightbearers, Usad and Calaena; in reality, they were protecting a large orda but were mistaken for Warlords and killed

===

General Rules

All roleplay-related posts will be tagged with "#rp-posting." If your Ask is roleplay-related (vs. a general inquiry about my OCs), please let me know so I can respond appropriately!

⚠️ @crow-posting is primarily NOT an RP blog so unless a post is tagged with "#rp-posting," please assume it's OOC. ⚠️

Mun is an adult (25+).

I'm currently not accepting any romantic, fwb, or nsfw RP. I'm also not accepting extreme gore or horror (a little is okay, as Destiny already has these themes [re: Clovis Bray]).

I'm currently not accepting any fantasy AUs (eg DnDestiny) or crossovers besides Halo*. If Halo, I would prefer the main events to take place in the Destiny timeline. For example, Duane-B312 is my version of Noble Six, but his story starts during The Dark Below.

*I can accept crossover characters but not the setting itself. So no gallivanting across Coruscant, Vulcan, or the Citadel, sorry. I might allow a trip in the TARDIS if you're particularly convincing.

Avraam and Bai are [mostly] canon-compliant; RZ-3 is not. I don't have any expectations for canon compliance/divergence but I know it can bother some people.

All spoilers (RP or not) are tagged on this blog to the best of my ability.

I don't have any TWs at this time but can tag whump/angst/grief if asked.

These rules may be updated periodically. ✌️

#destiny the game #destiny roleplay #destiny rp #destiny ocs #destiny guardians #the awoken brigade #fireteam nike #rp info #rp-posting

[awoooniper]

Fascinated to hear about your still fleet character 👀 /no pressure

hi! hi meant to post this after session 1 last night but we had to cancel for a flurry of reasons but I did decide to show off my character art I did because I wanted to have it done in time! so! this is Lt. Hatchitt Halter!

She is a Stillrijder (pronounced Stillrider, the J is silent, as per the book) which is one of the more combat focused classes in Stillfleet Ventures ( https://stillfleet.com/ the writing in this book is incredible, check it out if you aren't aware, its all so cool, ive spiraled into hours long conversations about the lore already). But her central ability for her class is what's called an Exo-Suit, a unique piece of armor that can function as an environmental suit in the void of space and also enhances her ability to fight and take damage in place of others. Their role on the team is to protect the teams Pilot, Ambassador, and Manager classes (these all also have fun names I wont get into), then everyone else is a second priority to her, but still on the list. She is a Conscript, which is a Terran Human taken by a branch of the Worshipful Company of Stillfleeters (The Co.) from Terra to test her for psychic aptitude to see if she would be useful as a Hell Scientist (mage type class). She wasnt! in her own words "I dont do that freaky shit." She had a wife and 3 kids back on Terra, and were just barely keeping their heads above water between their collective wages, when she was whisked off into the stars against her will. As part of her "testing" she "incurred" debts that she has to pay off, as well as making her way back home. Lucky for her, she met a visionary tailor/engineer fashion designer (who is a Bug Woman named Hard Truth Weaver) who is definitely not super in love with her, who decided she was her Muse now, and used Hatchitt as her model for a Exo-Suit made out of a nano-fabric like material that is like a single piece of clothe meters and meters and meters long that wraps around her body and has the durability of metal! It can also keep her alive temporarily if her health drops below 0 and keep her fighting, on account of being plugged into her central nervous system. Its fine, shes fine.

So now Hatchitt is working as a Stillrijder for the Co. that kidnapped her, trying to survive her incredibly dangerous job as a Wall Between Her Team And Danger in hopes that she can make enough money to eventually pay off her debts and make it back home to her family.

#Stillfleet Ventures #ttrpgs #Asks #god I havent posted art online in places that werent discord in so damn long anyway enjoy this fucking Concrete Block of a woman

[boyakishantriage]

BANG.

"Hello boys."

The human stood in the doorway. To the space station. Wearing an exo suit. And a long bag.

Aliens quickly stood up. Energy weapons trained at me across the food hall.

"Can I move now?" She asked, moving away as several grenades were thrown into the room.

Soldiers ran in, taking the pirates in the large bar as they took away weapons. Aliens barely keeping up as the humans ship literally crashed through the energy shield, slammed into the hangar and didn't explode as it forced the door open.

How do these Terrans do this?

The hallways quickly became filled with "CLEAR", gunshot filling rooms as the I ran around the building.

To be honest, I had done idea what I was doing or where I was going. Given a bag of C4, grenades, a gun and told to "stick them everywhere" after making the aliens run into the desert.

Something ran past, throwing blocks into rooms, ends of hallways, occasionally running into rooms, smacking them with a blinking block and just generally running around.

Our guard barely could keep the humans back, crack shots. Quickly communicating and figuring out the armour's few weaknesses. Hitting the joints, our best strategy was physically closing off the building. But this human had ran through gunfire, ran around faster than anyone could catch her and also being more of a nuisance than a problem.

I fucked under the large alien as it reached for me. Last block of C4 linked to this trigger in his hand and close enough it should. Blow the equipment. I wore my oxygen mask, currently turned off, as well as the lightest gear I could get. Since I didn't really train with a gun, I just ran around.

BOOM.

The rooms began exploding, equipment breaking as the human continued to run. With most of the force pushed to stop the humans, ships flying into the hangar and WAS THAT A BATTLESHIP?

"ELLIE. HOW MUCH C4 DID YOU JUST ACTIVATE?"

"HALF? WH-EYE-EYE-E"

No idea what was going on, this place was big with some doors I couldn't just walk into. Actually most. I pressed the second trigger.

The ship tilted as defences were aimed at the large human battle ship, it was covered in mirrors, explosions didn't seem to do anything and currently only the archaic torpedoes, physical bullets we'd never stocked up on and even then. The whole ship was busy trying to ram into us. What was their plan? Ram into a ship and land into the water below??

The plan was to ram the ship and land it back on earth. It was a terrible plan. But we'd had like. Two months to Jerry rig the ship, cover it in mirrors, design, prototype and build three things. A large enough engine, a massive claw hand and what I can only describe as sticking the BFG onto the ship.

The ship careened, massive mechanical hands unfolding from the base of the paint covered ship as it held the ships above the planet's surface. Landing craft were all on hold, we were the reinforcements and it appeared they'd commandeered one of our ships and. But that was impossible. There was no way short of reverse engineering the entire ship and even-

Explosives rocked the bridge, or what I hoped what the bridge. Their ship was built like a maze. Like they'd modified a cruiser for war. Which is frankly ridiculous and lazy. Wed practically reversed engineered the ship, over engineered it to become a war machine and then spray painted it red to make it hit harder and then I covered the whole thing in pink glitter because I have the humour of a five year old.

The human threw a bag of block at the ground, tossing the triggers to the blocks and juggling them.

"SURRENDER TO THE JUGGLE!"

I shouted, the probably captain staring in horror as I increased the triggers as they fell. Juggling had three parts. Throwing shit predictably, catching it, balance. Doing it while moving was part threat, part because I want to see if I can cause surrender from a party trick. And also because I lost my gun in the hallway.

Somehow. That worked. The captain had surrendered as I shouted at him constantly, the guys tying them up as I let the triggers drop to the floor. "so. I have like. Four triggers that trigger things. Do I just. Throw them into a-"

The man just snatched them off me.

"No. We're just taking them to earth."

"... That was your strategy. Run around, blow things up and don't die."

"yep."

"and you didn't die."

"nope."

"..."

#tag #Passionfruit

[salmonthestoryteller]

Exo-Squad

Exo-Squad (1993-1994) is another show I haven't had the opportunity to see in years.  It remains among my favorite shows because it did some amazing storytelling. Given that it technically was considered a children’s cartoon, it surprisingly did not shy from serious subjects.  Which definitely works in its favor.

Set in the years 2119-2131 AD, against the backdrop of a war between Terrans (Humans) and Neosapians (An artificially created race), Exo-Squad is a very character-driven story that managed to both be somewhat episodic and carry a story arc that definitely had a beginning, middle, and (sort-of) end. (We'll get to the sort-of later.)

The series doesn't actually start with the Neosapian War. It starts with the idea of there being Space Pirates marauding from a base on Saturn’s moons, and the decision by the leaders of the Homeworlds (Earth, Venus, and Mars) to send most of their defense force (The Exo-Fleet) to get rid of the pirates once and for all.  Partly at the encouragement of Phaeton, the Neosapian Governor of Mars.

We spend the first few episodes of the series on the battles against the pirates, introducing the main set of characters - the members of Able Squad, an E-frame unit belonging to the Exo-Fleet, including; J.T. Marsh, Nara Burns, Maggie Weston, Kaz Takagi, Alec DeLeon, Rita Torres, Wolf Bronsky, and Marsala.  

Phaeton, meanwhile, is revealed to have secretly funded the creation of a fleet and weapons of his own - allowing him to seize control of the Homeworlds while the Terran’s own forces are busy with the Pirates.  When what is happening on the Homeworlds is discovered, the Exo-Fleet ceases its attack on the pirates and heads back to stop the Neosapian fleet. However, due in large part to a tactical error by Captain Marcus, temporarily in charge of the fleet because the actual leader Admiral Winfield was injured during the battle with the Pirates, the Exo-Fleet is forced to retreat - leaving the Homeworlds in Phaeton’s hands.

Does that sound like I might be hating on Marcus?  Wait, let me fix that.

Due to Marcus being an absolute imbecile who couldn't figure out how to direct his forces to fight their way out of a paper bag and opting to split his forces in half while facing a force of unknown numbers and power, the Exo-Fleet is handed their asses and forced to retreat.

There, now you know I am definitely hating on Marcus. Trust me, if you watch the series, you will share my feelings on the windbag.

Anyhow, you basically start the show under the notion “Space Pirates are evil, and Phaeton’s army is evil.”

Then the series spends the rest of the seasons explaining that, hm… maybe things aren't that clear cut.

Because as it turns out, the Terrans have kinda been dicks the last 100 years or so.

The Neosapians were used as slaves to help the humans terraform Venus and Mars.  Unsurprisingly, this eventually led to the first Neosapian War.  While they were finally granted their freedom, Terran prejudice and general shitty treatment of Neosapians continued.

(Anyone sensing an allegory?)

Apparently not having learned their lesson, the Terrans then used prisoners as slave labor in their mining operations on… Saturn. Until the prisoners rebelled and - oh, yeah - became the Pirates they were having such trouble with at the start of the series.

(Anyone potentially sensing a second allegory?)

The idea that maybe things wouldn't have come to this point if the Terrans weren't generally being assholes manages to co-exist in the series along with the fact that Phaeton is still a megalomaniac set on genocide, who doesn't honestly care about the well-being of his own people half as much as his own power.

In time, the remaining Exo-Fleet does manage to forge an alliance with the Pirates.  Which plays no small part in how they eventually win the war - which is told over the course of 51 of the series' 52 episodes.

Do its episodic plots occasionally veer into the wild side? Yes.  (I'm honestly not bothered by the alien plotline.  It's the destruction and reformation of Mars that has me scratching my head a bit.)

Are there plots you really wish the series explored further? Yes. (Are we seriously ending the series without anyone in Able Squad knowing Marsala led the first Neosapian War??)

Does it do a perfect job of addressing all the rather serious subjects it dredges up? No, of course not.

But overall, it tells a solid story and offers characters you can easily get attached to. Some that may surprise you as the story unfolds. (Simbacca for me. And Shiva. Someone please tell me how I ended up such a fan of Shiva, gdi.)

Episode 52 is actually the start of a new season that never occurred. (Which is why I said it sort of ends.). It was going to delve further into the alien plot.  I'm guessing it was also likely to start a new war, one where all the survivors of the previous war had to work together. Which definitely would have been a challenging plot, but one I was up for seeing what they did with.

Sadly, the series was canceled.  Leaving us with the start of a plot that was never finished.

If you don't mind watching animated series, and don't mind older series, I would definitely recommend checking out Exo-Squad if you have the chance.

#exosquad #exo squad #exo-squad #meta #nostalgic thursdays #salmon rambling on and on

[hobbyspacer]

Roundup: Reusable Rocket Vehicles - March.2024

I've gathered here recent news and updates on reusable rocket powered vehicles in operation and in development. Check out previous roundups: - Feb.26.2024 - Nov.17.2023 Rocket reusability will lead to space transports with aircraft-like operation. That is, orbital flight and return followed by rapid reflight with minimal preparation. Vehicles should fly thousands of times with only occasional refurbishment and, most importantly, spacefare should fall to levels similar to long distance airfare. Reusable rocket powered vehicle designs fall roughly into the following five categories: - Partially reusable orbital transport: - Operational: SpaceX Falcon 9 - In development: Blue Origin New Glenn, Rocket Lab Electron and Neutron, Relativity Space Terran-R, etc. - Fully reusable orbital transport: - In development: SpaceX Starship, Stoke Space Nova - Reusable spacecraft: (incl. space tugs, fuel depots, etc.): - Operational: Crew/Cargo Dragons, Boeing/USAF X-37 spaceplane, Chinese spaceplane - In development: Boeing Starliner, Sierra Space Dreamchaser, ESA Space Rider, Spacebilt, India spaceplane, etc - Fully reusable suborbital: - Operational high altitude: Blue Origin New Shepard, Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo - Operational low altitude: Astrobotic VTVL rockets,  Exos Aerospace, Landspace (China), etc - Fully reusable hypersonic suborbital for long distance point-to-point transport: - In development: Venus Aerospace Stargazer, POLARIS Aurora, New Frontier Aerospace, etc. Below are reports on several projects and programs that fall into at least one of these categories. ** SpaceX Starship -  Third test flight shows major progress ---- The third orbital test flight (OFT-3) successfully demonstrated several key Starship capabilities On March 14th, SpaceX flew a Starship for the third time. The flight test fulfilled a number of goals beyond those accomplished in the previous two flights. See this SpaceX overview: Starship's Third Flight Test | SpaceX - Mar.14.2024 OFT-3 highlights: - For second time, all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster fired from liftoff through hot-stage separation. - The separation again went well, with the Starship upper stage successfully lighting its six Raptors and continuing towards orbit. - After the hot-stage separation: - The booster did a flip maneuver and completed a boostback burn to propel itself towards the splashdown target in the Gulf. In the second test flight, while the booster was orienting itself for the boostback burn, its engines began to turn off and one blew up, destroying the entire vehicle. - As the the booster neared the surface of the Gulf, it began to light up engines for a soft landing onto the Gulf waters and then sink to the bottom. At a few hundred meters above the surface, something happened and "the vehicle experienced a RUD (that’s SpaceX-speak for “rapid unscheduled disassembly”)". As of the time of this posting, SpaceX has not revealed what caused the RUD. - Following the separation, the Starship upper stage continued firing its engines for the full duration and reached a near orbital velocity when the engines were shut down. - Video imagery via Starlink showed the vehicle rotating slowly around its long axis. - SpaceX planned to fire a Raptor to demonstrate a powered de-orbit  but they canceled the firing due to the rotation. - The orbit had a low perigee that brought it into the atmosphere and caused Starship to reenter over the Indian Ocean even without the de-orbit engine thrust. - As the vehicle entered the atmosphere, the video displayed the bright glow of the hot gasses around the vehicle. - The vehicle struggled to maintain its orientation and began tumbling. Eventually the video and data connection died and presumably the breakup of the vehicle began soon after. During the coast phase in orbit, two important tests were carried out: - Opening and closing the Starship’s payload door, which will be needed for Starlink Gen 2 satellite deployments. - A propellant transfer demonstration. ---- FAA suspends Starship license until an investigation into the problems of this flight is completed. This happens automatically if there is any variation from the approved flight plan significant enough to be classified as a mishap: - SpaceX Starship Third Flight: Mishap Investigation by FAA | Leonard David - Mar.15.2024 - SpaceX Starship Grounded Again | FLYING Magazine - Mar.15.2024 The mishap investigation should not significantly increase the time to the launch of the fourth Starship since both stages achieved their primary goals and the problems were not as serious as for the first two test flights. SpaceX will actually do the investigating and the FAA will then evaluate the results. If they are deemed satisfactory, the FAA issues a statement about the completion of the investigation and sometime after that they issue a modification to the current launch license that approves another flight. It should be pointed out that the Starship is basically operational now as an expendable launch vehicle. The boosters functioned properly through stage separation and the second stage on OFT-3 would have reached a full orbit with just a brief extension of the firing of the Raptors. Reusability, however, is key to SpaceX's plans for the vehicle and it won't be declared operational until the booster does a soft landing and the Starship stage survives reentry and makes a soft landing as well. ---- SpaceX expects to be ready for 4th test flight by early May: SpaceX planning rapid turnaround for next Starship flight | SpaceNews - Mar.19.2024 Speaking at the Satellite 2024 conference March 19, Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said the company was still reviewing the data from the vehicle’s third integrated launch March 14 but expected to be ready to fly again soon. “We’re still going through the data” from the flight, she said when asked about the analysis of data from the mission. “It was an incredibly successful flight. We hit exactly where we wanted to go.” ... “We’ll figure out what happened on both stages,” she said, not discussing what may have gone wrong with either, “and get back to flight hopefully in about six weeks,” or early May. Shotwell doubted they would launch any Starlink satellites during the mission. Speaking at the Space Capitol III event by Payload March 18, Kelvin Coleman, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said he did not anticipate that investigation to turn up any major issues that could significantly delay the next launch. The FAA also hopes to move soon to a license that covers multiples flights ... Coleman said the agency wants to move to a process where the license is valid for “portfolio of launches” rather than individual ones. That is particularly important, he added, because SpaceX is planning six to nine more Starship launches this year. That is part of a broader effort to streamline the launch licensing process to address criticism from industry and Congress that the FAA is moving too slowly on approving launch licenses under a new set of regulations known as Part 450. ... Preparations for the fourth test are underway: Following IFT-3 milestones, SpaceX prepares for fourth Starship flight | NASASpaceFlight.com - Mar.22.2024 SpaceX is preparing to follow up its third flight of Starship – one that achieved another leap forward with the world’s largest rocket in history – with the IFT-4 mission. Potentially as early as May, the fourth flight is expected to pair Booster 11 with Ship 29, with the latter already back at the launch site for its Static Fire test campaign. A static firing test of the 6 Raptor engines on Ship 29 took place on March 25th : Full-duration static fire of all six Raptor engines on Flight 4 Starship pic.twitter.com/HzS4SeaoEV — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 25, 2024 https://youtu.be/cvagnihR0WE ---- Another test firing, this time of only one engine, took place on March 27th. This presumably tests for a de-orbit firing. STATIC FIRE 2 for Ship 29. This time it does indeed look like the in-space firing test with a single Raptor. That may conclude Static Fire testing for the Ship ahead of IFT-4.https://t.co/skVzGw4vkS pic.twitter.com/o3wOcVEojn — Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) March 27, 2024 ---- OFT-3 Videos: - Launch through booster landing attempt and shutdown of Starship upper stage engines: Blastoff! SpaceX Starship launches to space on 3rd integrated test flight- VideoFromSpace https://youtu.be/NmFzMT7IbB8 - Starship entry into the atmosphere: Wow! Watch SpaceX Starship re-enter Earth's atmosphere in these incredible views - VideoFromSpace https://youtu.be/JX1LTw48ymQ - Starship Flight 3 Supercut w/ Incredible Audio - Everyday Astronaut Enjoy this incredible audio and video from the launch pad and various locations of the most powerful rocket to ever fly, SpaceX's Starship on its third integrated flight test, IFT3! 4K slow motion captured on various ZCam's, BlackMagic 12K Ursa, RED Komodo X and G2 4.6K with SIGMA lenses and Meade Telescopes. SpaceX's third launch of Starship took place on March 14th, 2024, from Starbase, TX. Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage completed their full duration burn placing them on nominal trajectories. However, neither survived their full reentry or landing tests. https://youtu.be/VNK07WuH6GQ - Starship Flight 3 Aftermath | SpaceX Boca Chica - NASASpaceflight A fresh view of flight three along with some imagery of the aftermath. Plus, a new barrel section for Booster 14 outside the Mega Bay and work on the segments of the second tower continues at the Sanchez lot. https://youtu.be/cLNitilyOII More about the test: - After Thursday’s flight, Starship is already the most revolutionary rocket ever built | Ars Technica - Mar.15.2024 - NASA Artemis Mission Progresses with SpaceX Starship Test Flight | NASA - Mar.14.2024 - Starship lifts off on third test flight | SpaceNews - Mar.14.2024 ---- Starship activity at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center There has been little activity visible in the past few months at the Starship launch tower built at launch complex 39A. This week, however, SpaceX removed yesterday one of the legs of the orbital launch mount at Starship's pad within LC-39A. It's unknown whether more will be removed at this time. This clip is on real time as captured by our Space Coast Live cameras.https://t.co/bWDuxt1M5U pic.twitter.com/M3eBsRSlVM — Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera (Alex) (@Alexphysics13) March 23, 2024 ---- More Starship related articles, reports, and other web resources. - Articles: - Near-Future Sci-Fi Just Got Easier | Novel Ninja - Mar.22.2024 - What to expect on the next few Starship/Superheavy test launches | Behind The Black/Robert Zimmerman - Mar.19.2024 - NASA, SpaceX Test Starship Lunar Lander Docking System | NASA - Feb.28.2024 - Resources: - Starship's Second Test Flight - SpaceX - Information about the test including time lines and trajectories. - Starship/SuperHeavy | Integrated Flight Test #2 | Everyday Astronaut - Tony Bela - Infographic news (@InfographicTony) / X - Integrated Flight Test -2 Infographic - Ryan Hansen Space (@RyanHansenSpace) / X - Photorealistic graphics and animations - Starship SpaceX Wiki | Fandom - Video reports and webcams: - LabPadre at YouTube,  live webcams - RGV Aerial Photography - YouTube - NASASpaceflight at YouTube, live webcams - Marcus House - YouTube - What about it!? - YouTube - CSI Starbase - YouTube - Starship Gazer - YouTube For background on Starship see the SpaceX Starship report, which is published by NewSpace Global and for which I was the primary author. The initial version came out in March 2023 and then we updated it in May to include coverage of the first flight test. ================== Check out the The Lurio Report for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace The latest issue: Starlink’s Progress, Vulcan, Moon Landing Attempts Vol. 19, No. 1, February 2, 2024 Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism ================== ** SpaceX Falcon Rockets & Dragon Spacecraft SpaceX Falcon 9 boosters have achieved 258 reflights and 288 landings as the morning of Mar.24.2024. ---- Overview of booster recovery at sea: Revolutionizing Rocket Reusability - SpaceX's Mini Navy - NASASpaceflight The vital role of Autonomous Spaceport Droneships (ASDS) in revolutionizing rocket reusability. In this detailed video, we unravel the necessity of droneships for high-performance missions, the evolution of these marine marvels, and the unique technology that sets them apart from ordinary barges. Discover how SpaceX's marine assets contribute to their mission success, defy conventional recovery methods, and what the future holds for these floating launch pads. Whether you're a space enthusiast or curious about marine engineering, this video is packed with insights into the intersection of aerospace and maritime technology. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more space exploration content! https://youtu.be/_mGqTceez0M ---- Bahamas to host a SpaceX droneship used for F9 booster landings:   Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Secures Historic Agreement with SpaceX to Propel Bahamas into the Space Technology & Tourism Frontier | The Official Website of The Bahamas - Feb.16.2024 The LOA establishes a strategic collaboration that positions The Bahamas as a global destination for witnessing booster landings. Read the full article

[thetoxicgamer]

Seeing StarCraft’s successor in action has unlocked my RTS instincts

When I watch the StarCraft II spiritual successor Stormgate in action, I am immediately transported back to the exhilarating times when I used to get up early on weekends to watch the GSL, South Korea's top-tier professional StarCraft II league. Yes, I am that person. The Stormgate gameplay demo at the PC Gaming Show has already made me interested to try it out for myself because it comes from Frost Giant Studios, a group of former Blizzard employees who have created some of the best RTS games ever. We get to watch a 1v1 multiplayer match between Stormgate’s lead co-op designer Kevin ‘monk’ Dong and StarCraft II icon Dario ‘TLO’ Wünsch. If I wasn’t already in my element, TLO’s presence secured it – his unique strategies and enthusiastic demeanor have cemented him as one of my favorite RTS pros of all time. That’s without even mentioning show host Sean ‘Day’ Plott, himself one of the most prominent faces in StarCraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1Y31_4BS0 Today’s match only gives us a look at one faction, the ‘Human resistance,’ with the obvious comparison point being StarCraft’s Terran race. We see the two main resources in action: Luminite, the golden primary resource that is gathered up by the Humans’ B.O.B. worker units, and Therium, glowing green crystals that are deposited in specific refineries and used for more advanced construction and research. Therium can actually spread and enrich as it’s left unmined, making it feel almost more akin to Command and Conquer Tiberium than the Vespene Gas geysers of StarCraft and showing that the team behind Stormgate isn’t merely chasing past glories but aims to evolve and grow the genre for a modern audience. Stormgate multiplayer gameplay - red and blue armies of the Human resistance clash, explosions going off among the trees. Of course, as exciting as resources are to any strategy fan worth their salt (mines), they’re merely a means to an end, so we get to see what you’ll be using them for. The Human resistance headquarters is the Command Post, and it’s responsible for pumping out those B.O.B workers. You’ll be able to upgrade your HQ to unlock higher tier units as the match progresses, and it also has a cool defensive trick: overcharging nearby B.O.B. units to boost their attack and defense. As someone who’s always been more of a macro-first player, prioritizing my economy and expansions, this seems like a really useful tool to help fend off early rushes. There’s all the other hallmarks you’d expect from a game that’s positioning itself as a spiritual StarCraft sequel: Habitats, built to increase your supply cap; Barracks and Mech Mays to produce units; Biokinetics and Machine Labs that let you research additional upgrades to boost their respective unit types; and defensive Sentry Turrets that can hold off assaults from both ground and air attackers. The units themselves also feel familiar, though there’s some fun new ideas in here. S.C.O.U.T dogs with laser eyes do exactly what they say on the tin – they’re fast-moving and can sense enemies beyond the fog of war. They even have the ability to send out a howling ping that temporarily increases their range further, and will even pierce terrain such as forests that would otherwise block line of sight. Your frontline soldiers are Lancers, blade-wielding units that actually most closely resemble StarCraft’s Protoss Zealots, and Exos, which are the more traditional Marine with a rifle. Their ‘Double Time’ upgrade gives the Exos a movement speed buff akin to StarCraft’s stim, but it’ll wear off if they shoot, though you do get a double-burst with that attack, giving them great rushdown potential. Those units are supported by Medtechs that heal and repair nearby allies, and Evac transport ships that can be used to quickly move your ground units in and out of battle. I absolutely adore watching high-level StarCraft II pros micromanage their armies with Medivac dropships, so I can’t wait to see how the best Stormgate players make use of these options. Finally, we get a look at Stormgate’s Siege Tank equivalent, the Atlas artillery mech, and the Vulcan, a mech with a gatling gun that ramps up in speed as it fires. Atlas bombardments let you lock down a zone, with the ability to upgrade them to leave patches of flame in their wake, although their explosives won’t discriminate between your units and the enemies, so you’ll have to be careful. The Vulcan’s devastating gatling pierces through units, making it a perfect counter to any more swarm-based enemy compositions. It also has a jump jets upgrade that lets it reposition with ease, and will also burn away forested sections of the map in the process. While we don’t get to see the demonic ‘Infernal Host’ faction in action today, I’d imagine the Vulcan will prove invaluable against their hordes. Frost Giant says that limited closed testing for Stormgate is set to begin in July 2023 – you can head to the Stormgate website to sign up for a chance to join in. Co-operative game modes are set to enter the testing period later this year, and you can wishlist Stormgate on Steam to keep up to date with it in the meantime. For now, we’ve got plenty more of the best space games for that intergalactic sense of adventure, while those of you who feel a little overwhelmed by the real-time approach will find plenty to love among the best turn-based strategy games you can play in 2023. Read the full article

[lazyajju]

LEAP - Official Launch Date Announcement Trailer

LEAP Beta Test Coming May 20 - 22!

Click on link for request playtest & add to wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/906930/LEAP/

Launching as Early Access: June 1st 2022

About game:- LEAP is a fast-paced, multiplayer first-person shooter featuring epic battles with up to 60 players, each armed to the teeth. Fight for either the United Earth Defense Coalition (UEDC) or the rebel Exo-Terrans - whoever pays the most, wins your trigger finger and excessive arsenal.

#LEAP #EarlyAccess #ReleaseDate #Action #SciFi #FPS #GamingInfoAndNews #Gaming #BlueIsleStudios #Lazyajju

[playblogger]

LEAP - für PS5 & PS4 angekündigt

LEAP – für PS5 & PS4 angekündigt

Blue Isle Studios haben mit Leap einen rasanten Online-Multiplayer-Ego-Shooter angekündigt, welcher auf der PlayStation 5 und PlayStation 4 erscheinen soll.   Ihr könnt euch auf schnelle, epische Schlachten mit bis zu 60 Spielern freuen, welche bis an die Zähne bewaffnet sind. Ihr kämpft entweder für die United Earth Defence Coalition (UEDC) oder für die Exo-Terraner.   Ein Trailer gewährt euch…

View On WordPress

#Announcement #Blue Isle Studios #Ego-Shooter #Exo-Terraner #FPS #futuristic #guns #Leap #leap game #Online-Multiplayer #PlayStation 4 #PlayStation 5 #Shooter #sony #trailer #UEDC

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 128

This is another chapter that I started with one intention and it kind of dragged me the other way. I started with what Miys says at the beginning as a kernel, and...

Yeah, avoiding spoilers, you get...*waves frantically* this.  Which I am excited about seeing where it goes.

Kudos to @baelpenrose​ and @mustachebatarts​ for this chapter. You’ll both understand when you read it :)

Tyche nodded sleepily as Alistair handed her a cup of coffee, mirroring my own struggle to wake up.  It was the beginning of Alpha shift - roughly 6:30am Terran Pacific NorthAm time - and we were starting our week with an extremely rare mission brief. Parvati and Hannah seemed either anxious or excited - possibly a combination - as the last brief they had received was ship-wide when we announced the lighting changes. Neither of them had ever been in one of the Council-only meetings that preceded such announcements.

Due to the growth on the Council - both among administrators and among Mentees - it wasn’t feasible to hold this meeting face to face in the room ordinarily used for such things. As a result, each Councilor was joining from their respective office, along with auxiliary staff who needed to be privy to the information discussed. For someone like Grey, that would be themself, Antoine, and their current admin, Nora. In my case, it was everyone who reported to my office.

“Has everyone joined?” I asked in my role as Parliamentarian for this meeting.  No one liked the position, so it rotated.

“Still waiting on Huynh, Charly, and Ivan,” Eino replied.

“We’re here!” an entirely-too-awake voice greeted.

Ignoring the laugh that Alistair and Hannah were suppressing, I forged ahead. “That’s everyone then. Good Morning, Council. Today is January 23rd, 2051 Terran-relative time, 45th day of Von cold season Year four Pre-Colony. We are currently two Terran years from Von. Miys has requested that we gather this morning for an important mission update so that we can prepare. Miys, you have the floor.”

“Thank you, Wisdom. Good day, Human Council.” I couldn’t tell if Miys had practiced or was operating on multiple minds, but the resemblance to a human public-speaker was startling. “As stated by Councilor Wisdom, the Yjq is currently two Terran years from your destination. We requested to address you in order to advise that navigational adjustments will be necessary within one Terran year of the planet you call Von.”

Murmurs erupted on the conference, but no one actually interrupted, so Miys continued. “Due to the density of systems in this portion of the Galaxy, the final Terran year of the journey cannot be made at our current speed.  The Yjq will need to drop out of relativistic space and complete the remaining leg in realspace.”

“How does this immediately impact the human population?” Grey asked first, hardly letting Miys finish their statement.

“With the sensors operational, there should be no noticeable difference in the transition,” came the answer. “However, there will be the introduction of potential physical hazards once we are in realspace.”

After a pause of silence, Xiomara spoke up. “Are you talking about the potential of being attacked?”

“Galactic law prohibits acts of violence against aide or rescue vessels.”

I heard an explosive snort before an extremely dry voice joined in. “Miys, that is the opposite of an answer,” Evania argued. “And we all know that criminals are famous for their adherence to the letter of the law.”

An alert chirped on my data band, and I almost choked when I saw Arthur’s message: “Oh, I LIKE her…”

“Once we are no longer in relativistic space, the Yjq is due to rendezvous with an Ekomari escort within thirty Terran days.”

“And what is the tactical benefit of that escort?” Evan pushed.

Rather than Miys, Charly responded. “Ekomari are very aggressive, but even more bound by a code of honor.  They view preying on the weak - including rescue and aide vessels - the most disgusting behavior imaginable.  This extends to the point of stopping their own attacks once the enemy is considered defeated.”

“Only an extremely overconfident or suicidal crew would try to go up against an Ekomari squadron that is escorting us,” Arthur finished.

“That is satisfactory. No objections.”

Approval in her tone, Xiomara launched the next question. “What about the thirty days we won’t have an escort? What is normally done on that leg of the journey?”

“Optimally, there is no such period during such a relocation.” I heard every person in my office inhale with dread at that statement. “During this time, there is always an increased concern that pirates and scavengers will attack in an attempt to be the first beings with artifacts from the newly present species.”

“Souvenirs… They want us for souvenirs…” Tyche muttered.

“We will discuss our options once we have all the information,” I stated loudly, trying to keep the meeting going before everyone panicked. “Miys, what other information do we need to know about the final year of the journey?”

“Once we are in realspace, long distance scans and data mining operations will begin for more accurate information regarding Von.  This information will be communicated to the entire Council so that any changes or updates to colony plans may be adjusted and finalized.  That is all for now.”

“Thank you Miys. You may remain in the meeting, as we may need your input regarding Galactic regulations, statistics, or laws.”

“Of course, Wisdom.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. “Xiomara, I’m pretty sure that you and Evan have a lot to say on the matter at hand.  Are there any objections to Health and Safety taking the floor?”

After a round of negatives, I conceded the floor. “Thank you, Sophia. Council, clearly there is a pressing matter in our future, here at the end of a tumultuous era, just as our goal is in sight. We cannot allow thirty days of risk to derail us now. For all that we have striven to show humanity as capable of peace and change, we now need to reach down to the roots of our very existence and ensure that we will not be undefended in that month.”

“Miys, the Ark is equipped with scouting probes and evacuation shuttles,” Evan followed. “What are the chances that we can repurpose those into our own small squadron for defensive purposes.”

“Doing such would invalidate the protection the Yjq is afforded by Galactic Law.”

“Excuse me, what!?” I sputtered, completely caught off guard.

“Hospital ships are only protected so long as they are incapable of defense, to prevent opposing forces from attacking each other under the guise of aide,” Charly explained in a mournful tone.

Evan and I groaned heavily. “At least tell me that the odds of any attackers completely blowing up the ship are low?”

“They would only be able to do so by detonating our drives from the inside.  To do so from the exterior would require more force than a coronal ejection from a white dwarf star.”

That was reassuring at least.

“So we would be safe as long as they don’t board the ship,” Arthur acknowledged.  I could see where his next question was going, but Evan beat him to it by a mile.

“Since we are not Hujylsogox, and are only the cargo of the Ark, there are no prohibitions against us defending ourselves in the event of a forced boarding, correct? Only you, yourself, would not be able to fight back.”

“This is correct, Commander Josue. I am not allowed to interfere in such a matter.”

Interesting wording.  Noah was telling us, as officially as allowed, that it would not fight the intruders, but also would not stop us from any actions we took. I smiled as I felt a confirming nudge in the back of my mind.

“Well, those weapons demonstrations were certainly not just for fun,” Huynh growled.  I could hear Charly cackling in the background before he confirmed to her that, yes, she can play with the construction exos.

“Let’s be organized about this,” Xiomara insisted. “For those comfortable with helping defend, we need to set up anti-boarding drills to start six months out at the latest. For those on the ship who are against violence, sort them into who can provide medical aid and who needs to do evacuation drills.  Eino, Arthur - can you assist Sophia’s team with that?”

“We can,” Eino confirmed, echoed by Arthur.

Parvati and Hannah glanced at each other silently before the former jumped in. “I recommend that at least one person with weapons training is assigned to each evacuation group, as a worst case defense.”

“I second that,” Xiomara agreed in a clipped tone. “Any objections?” A brief, silent pause. “Good. Add that to the strategy.”

“Miys, we need a list of what species are most likely to be found on pirate vessels.  Knowing their biology will go a long way to developing defense strategies,” Arthur requested.

“I like it,” Evan approved. “Ekomari may be honorable, but humanity has survived this long because we aren’t ashamed of taking cheap shots.”

“It is safe to assume that boarding parties will not have electromagnetic vision, as it has been advised that it is quite rare in the galaxy,” Grey pointed out. “We can use this to our advantage, most likely.”

“If we’re lucky to be in the light part of the cycle…” Tyche muttered.

“Administrator Reid has a point,” Pranav admitted, startling her. “If we are in the dark part of the cycle, we will be at a distinct disadvantage.”

“The lights are artificial,” Huynh sighed. “We can turn them on.”

“If I may interject,” Miys responded. “It is not as simple as you seem to believe to increase the light emitters on the entire Ark, Councilor Huynh.  The drain on the ship engines could permanently damage them.”

I could feel Charly’s eyes rolling in my soul when she picked up from there. “We can try to make some plans for that contingency. Pranav does have a point.”

“So that’s anti-boarding drills, evacuation drills, aid teams, threat assessment, and at least a start on evaluating where we stand from a defensive perspective. Once Sophia, Eino, and their offices coordinate who is which group, we’ll pull back up to determine who will be leading which initiatives,” Xiomara recapped. “Sophia, anything else we need to cover?”

“I think that’s the priorities right now,” I confirmed, effectively ending the meeting.  Once I closed out the channel, I turned to those in my office. “So, how do we feel about this?”

“Like you are going to be in one of the evacuation groups, stuffed as far back in the ship as possible,” Tyche stated drily.

“If we get boarded,” I pointed out. “It may not happen.”

“Madam Reid, you are on this ship.”

I scowled at Alistair before turning to Parvati and Hannah. “Reach out to Arthur and Eino to schedule that meeting.”

Hannah looked unsure. “Why are they being loaned to us for this? Eino’s a Councillor.”

The door of my office hissed open and the rhythmic thud of boots walked in. “Because your office, specifically Tyche, handles all ship staffing, while I am being used for physical ability assessments, and Eino literally has nothing to do as head of Education in all this.” Arthur nodded his head in thanks when Alistair handed him tea.

I just pointed at him and nodded. “Besides, this way Xiomara is indirectly involved.” I glanced at Parvati before winking. “It was a clever move, I have to admit.”

Parvati smiled and shook her head. “I can’t even say you’re wrong. That’s exactly why she did it, honestly, on all counts.”

“And that is part of it, too.” Tyche waved. “Work more closely with your fellow future Councillors, and you learn to read what they aren’t saying.  Our office works very closely with Xio’s and Grey’s, so we have to know how best to keep that going.”

Arthur just held his arms wide and shrugged. “I have to respect Xiomara’s tendency to keep her fingers on all pulses.  She’s almost as bad as Sophia that way.”

“Hey!”

“It’s true,” Alistair sighed. “You are profoundly nosy.”

Hannah groaned and threw her head back. “We are never going to be on the Council at this rate.”

“Excuse me?? That’s the point of all this!” I gestured around my office energetically.

“Yes, because you will totally retire,” Hannah said slowly, nodding her head like I was a toddler. “Of course you will, Sophia. We all know it…”

Parvati snickered, covering it badly. Arthur gave me a pointed look, and I could hear him repeating ‘obsessive, compulsive perfectionist’.

I was saved, for certain, weird values of salvation, by Tyche.  She just glanced down at her nails, studying them, before calmly glancing at me. “Charly is dangerously close to getting approval from Sebastian for her proposal of kink night at the Undine.  Think really hard if you want to be on the Council for that, Sophia.  It would be an event, meaning it would come to this office.”

“Yep, retiring soon,” I squeaked.  Laughter erupted around me as my face heated up. “I’m all for sex positivity, but I just can’t fathom the logistics of that. Nope. Not gonna be me. Y’all have fun. Enjoy. All yours.”

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#the miys #humans are weird #aliens #apocalypse #post-apocalypse #science fiction #humans are awesom #humans are space orcs #pirates #plot #strategy

[tektalox]

Time for Tropes: No Biochemical Barriers

This trope is very much averted. Just like in real life, each life form have their own limits in what it can be exposed to. When interacting with foreign environments, it is strongly recommended for a civilized sapient to carry a sensing/recording/computing-device so that they can avoid getting poisoned.

Amazon B.E. (Beyond Earth) - Even when designed to coexist with each other, animal uplifts and hybrids have very different body chemistries compared to baseline humans and each other: a dog/human hybrid might still be poisoned by raisins while an uplift based on a sand cat still require extremely arid air. Some biodesigners tries to avoid the problem by modifying their non-human creations/clients to have a human body chemistry, allowing them to be compatible with more substances and habitats. And there are even bigger barriers between us and potential aliens. Unless they’re biomodified to interact in such conditions, no alien life is naturally compatible with terran environments.

Duck Avenger: Earth’s Galactic Era - most plot-relevant aliens are capable of existing on Earth but even then they have vastly different macromolecules, meaning that they could react strangely to mundane substances.

HN-tSotL 2.0. - Most of the MiddleNet ecosystems are safe for humans to interact with, but some life forms might trigger allergic reactions. The reason for the compatibility is that MiddleNet organisms are derived from Earth creatures. Things get more complicated in ecosystems inhabited by Earthly and Exo-Form organisms: both sides can feed on the other but only if they have adapted to interacting with each other for a long time. There is one simple rule for biochemical compatibility: if an organic compound is simple enough, it might have a common effect on both sides.

#Time for Tropes #TV Tropes #Amazon B.E. #Happy Ness #HN-tSotL 2.0 #Happy ness the secret of the loch #Exo-Forms #Duck Avenger: Earth’s Galactic Era #Aliens #Xenology #Xenobiology #Astrobiology #Extraterrestrial life #Worldbuilding

[riflesniper-a]

[to the tune of YMCA] OLD MAN. HE JUST WANTS TO CALM DOWN. I SAY OLD MAN. GOT CAT EARS ON HIS CROWN

i’ve been lowkey deep in reading abt @nagunkgunk‘s warmind au and of course that also means Gotta Put My Own OCs In Here Too!!!!! so here is One of my boys

his name is keylime-3 and he’s one of charlemange’s boys. he’s a stalker commander and the first officer to a starship/huge orbital cannon that’s captained by his father rocket-4 (who i will Also draw soon enough) that goes and blows up cabal hive nests like nbd. hes a deepstone exo made during the terran golden age and lived thru the collapse as just a little guy and now he’s like.. 11 feet tall and at least a millennia old. 2 millennia? no idea for that timeframe but im leaning towards 2 millennia

his legs let him go supre speedy and he’s got devices all over his armour that weave lightning for deadly close range attacks as well as a zappy telescopic thunderstick to match with how he’s an arcstrider in actual destiny canon. he’s also got a HYOOG fuckin sniper rifle that’s basically a sized and souped up version of what canon keylime uses as well as a bipedal mecha not too unlike a metal gear rex that he breaks out for real messy work. oh and he can still screech really fuckin loud that’s why his helm doesnt cover his mouth

he doesn’t like fighting the bugs! and he’s glad that charles is also ‘bro wtf’ at rasputin’s murder time all the time. at first he can show up by himself or with a squadron of smaller frames and warlords and while he will never attack first he WILL get aggro’d and turn into a boss if you hit him or someone in his squad too much. however if u help kill an enemy he’s going after or whatever he’ll start showing up as an ally 

maybe if you emote in front of him he’ll do a little dance with u :)

#my art #destiny the game #destiny 2 #warmind au #destiny oc #im using star trek ranks bc irl military ranks are confusing

[valcyn-pilot]

Okay, so first we have the Aqualon, a race of sentient fluids. While they can be confused for Slimes from fantasy media, the main difference is that slimes are gelatinous, while Aqualon are purely liquid based. Their technology is a marriage between human and their own, developed after they were discovered on Earth. Aqualon came into being after Humanity had escaped Earth and colonized other planets in our own solar system, escaping a global war over fossil fuels. In the course of the war, many countries attacked each others resource production facilities in an effort to cripple the opposing country's war effort. In the end, it only caused pollution on a massive scale, dumping tons and tons of toxic waste into the oceans, with billions falling victim to sickness and disease. After the discovery of a compact engine that was able to sustain nuclear fusion (and also near-limitless energy,) humanity was able to end the war and come together in an effort to reach the stars and terraform to a greater degree than was possible before. While most of Humanity decided it was better to leave our birthplace behind, there were a few that thought we shouldn't leave our home in shambles, and began working on cleaning up Earth. A few hundred years after everything had been destroyed, the descendants of those that had stayed finally finished the work of their forefathers and began to explore the depths of our oceans. As they began to explore deeper and deeper, the researchers would experience visions and hear strange voices. Dreams that they could swear were real, of places they had never seen. Following the visions and voices, they discovered the Aqualon, and their society. The Aqualon are closer to a collection of hive minds, with each color representing a different Mind, and coloration is dependent on where on Earth they're found. Green was found near the Northern Ice Cap, Orange near the hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and Blue off the coast of Greece. Although there are many smaller Minds around the world, Terrans (the descendants of the humans who stayed on Earth) have been advised by the larger Minds to stay away from them for their own safety, due to their unpredictability and aggression towards everyone else. Some examples would be such as the Minds found in the Dead Sea, the Aral Sea, Lake Nyos, and Laguna Colorada. The clear sections of the ships are heat and impact resistant crystal/glass mixture, and are even stronger than the material of the ship itself. The first is a exo-atmospheric fighter, the second a bomber. Third is a in-atmosphere fighter, fourth is an in- and exo-atmospheric interceptor, and fifth is an armed cargo ship.

[georgecrecy]

Charlie 1

“Yeah, I know the species you’re talking about. You call it a Rang’var? We humans call ‘em Tilluxian Dragons.”

“Dragons?” The alien warbled.

“Yeah, dragons.”

“What does that mean?”

“Uh, well, dragons were a mythical creature in human histo… you know what? Let me just tell ya my story about ‘em.

“So I go about minin' for ores in places that look promisin' for the kinds I trade in. One of those places was this rimworld a few light years from here. Real nice biosphere to it, your basic jungle-like flora and fauna. Well as I was traipsin’ about my business, keepin’ an eye on my scanner for anything fancy underground to flag for later, when I happen to hear some hootin’ sounds off to my left.”

“You ran from such an unknown, right?” The alien’s 3rd eye began to twitch, James noticed.

“Nah, us humans are a curious species, remember?”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. And once I parted the leaves what should I see but a whole pack of juveniles play fightin’ in this sandy hollow down a hill a ways. In fact, they were rather adorable.”

“Adorable?! *Spluttering* B-b-but what about the 6 kleng long fangs? The volatile temperament? Thousands of colonists have been seriously hurt or killed by their packs when colonists unwittingly settle on a world already plagued with them?”

“I realize, but they are animals, and on my planet we gots some animals that behaviorally are just like ‘em. They get all full o’ hiss and vinegar when they think they gotta defend themselves, but otherwise keep outta sight. Bit hard, considerin’ how big they get, but stay outta their way and they tend ta stay outta yours.

“Anyway, I watched their funny antics for a while, but knowin’ a momma was usually close by I skedaddled to do my surveyin’ in a quieter sector of the planet.”

“My, that was a close call human-James, and an interesting story of caution!”

“I ain’t done.”

“Oh? Oh no…” What little of the blue coloration to the skin had been left at this point continued to drain to white.

“Yep! About a week went by, and again I’m doin’ my surveyin,’ and I was bein’ silly looking too hard at my reader and not where my feets were goin.’ First I heard a deep n’ nasty growlin,’ and then I felt the ground quake neath my feet from two big stamps. Then I looked up to see them teeth you were talkin’ about earlier of a fully adult Tilluxian.”

“By the Great Klan! How did you survive?”

“Well, it's a bit funnier in the tellin’ than it was at the time. I was scared witless, of course, seems I had woken it up from nappin’ when it heard me comin,’ and it sure wasn’t happy to be awake. We were in this big clearin’ between the trees, with me on one side and it on the t’other, and it went and charged me!”

“Dear Klan!”

“I know, right? Now, the first thing that came to mind - since I sure wasn’t gonna outrun this behemoth - was to drop inta a playful position like I saw them juveniles doin,’ and hooted at it!”

“... you what?”

“Yeah! I hooted at that angry humongous thing, that two-story wreckin’ ball of lizardy flesh, and the damn thing stopped!”

“It stopped?!”

“Yep, and then, hehe, it did the next most adorable thing I would never have expected. It tilted its head at me, like a Terran dog that heard a funny sound! I woulda laughed right then and there if I wasn’t in the midst of shittin’ myself.”

“What happened then?”

“Well, it sniffed me a bit, and looked like it was tryin’ to figure out what I was up to, so now that I was thinkin’ about Terran dogs, they will roll over to a bigger nastier dog to appease it, so I got on the ground and rolled over. Then I went inta that playful position again. I about got knocked over when that big avalanche of anger did the same thing with its forked tongue lollin’ out of its mouth. That’s when we started playin’ hide and seek among the trees!”

“You played… a children’s game… with a Rang’vnar?”

“Yup! We played for well over an hour, I even got ta boop it on the nose whenever I found it, again not hard considerin’ my hand was about the size o’ one nostril, and even the big trees on this planet we were on couldn’t cover more than a 1/4th of their body.”

“You even touched one of those monsters?”

“Eh, they ain’t so bad if y’actually got ta know ‘em. Treat ‘em right and you might be surprised what happens. So anywhos, after an hour o’ this, I tried to say goodbye to it, so that I could get to my ship and clean out the inside of my exo-suit, and it ran in front o’ me, nearly knockin’ me over again from the shakin’ it made of the ground, and it still wanted to play some more! We were dartin’ in and out of them trees til both of the suns had set over the horizon. Both of us were dead tired, I could tell he was by the way his tail was sweepin’ on the ground and his head wasn’t bein’ held up much anymore. That’s when it clambered over to me and hunkered down on the ground, wrapped its big ol’ body and tail over me so I could hardly move. I ended up just pettin’ the big galumph ta sleep that night.”

“Petted it? Petted it?! Human-James, you realize how dangerous-”

“Yeah, I know. They said the same about them Droxxians, and we figured them out enough to make pets out of ‘em! I eventually was able to squeeze out from underneath ‘im, and wound my way back to the ship for a bit o’ proper shuteye, and I slept like a babe, I’ll tell ya! Now that I’m in my forties ain’t no way I can keep up that sort o’ adrenaline rush for long, I ain’t my youthful self no more. So, next mornin’ I wake up and real groggily get my chores finished up, and when I left my ship I darn near crapped my freshly-cleaned exo-suit again. It was there. Waitin’ for me.”

“Ah, it had come to try finishing you off then? I’m sure it took all your human guile to-”

“Nah, it had one of my boulders I had been samplin’ in its mouth, and it dropped it at my feet and went thunderin’ off, lookin back at me all expectant like. Now, this was a big chunk of now slobbery rock, but my suit has some servos built in for my work. Once I got over my surprise, I guess I said ‘ta hell with it,’ ya know? I picked up the rock and threw it several hundred yards. We played some big-ass fetch fer half the day. The damn thing became an attached eight ton limb from then on, could barely get my work done for it. I didn’t have to deal with any of the lion equivalents on the planet no more though, they steered well clear with it lumberin’ nearby. I started thinkin,’ I had this big patch o’ land where I live, and ain’t nobody for miles, and you’d be surprised what can fit in a minin’ freighter’s cargo when you don’t take as much ore.”

“Wait, do you mean to say that… is it on the station? Here?”

“Yeah! Why don’t you come meet Charlie? He’d love to meet ya!”

Read the other parts of the series!

Part 2: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183787102041/charlie-2

Part 3: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183794906326/charlie-3

Part 4: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183805565796/charlie-4

Part 5: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183818824461/charlie-5

Part 6: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183819131196/charlie-6

Part 7: https://georgecrecy.tumblr.com/post/183819391261/charlie-7

#hfy #haw #humans are weird #humans are space orcs #earth is space australia

[donnnoir]

Protracted Training of Citizen Soldiers...

Has anyone other than myself noticed we have been deploying our troops in one military or police action or another for the better part of thirty to forty years.  Obviously the presumption regarding such an extreme militarization of the population and our interests has been an ongoing series of exigent events that necessitate asking such an investment and sacrifice of our citizenry.  What if there were larger issues that war planners and others in an attempt to safeguard America’s interest into this century, were preparing for.   In so doing they have actually been training the entire population preparatory to a war that is to come.  Contrary to international agreement and a standing Exo-political treaty that was signed back in 1920-21.  Believe it or not there are elements within the American power structure that do Not trust the parties representing the Non-Terran signers to abide by the terms of the treaty.  There are even a few who still hold to the concept of defending our nation.  Presently there is little to no distinction between the two groups or their short term agendas or goals.  If a technologically superior force landed and engaged in hostile acquisition of parts of America and the world, initially their interests and focus will be on the Pacific Ocean.  Our only hope of maintaining our lines and position will require that large portions of the population augment our military forces.  I would like to believe that if push comes to shove that Americans will still step up and fearlessly engage such a threat. However, under normal circumstances the weeks it will take to adequately train civilian personnel to seamlessly integrate into the services is a critical component to failure or success.  If you have thirty to forty years of personnel that are already trained and duty ready.  They can effectively mobilize within days and in some cases hours of being called up.  Our sky warden program and initiatives will not of its own be able to repel the invaders (since they have already been fighting and holding them at bay for a decade with most combat being fought between the Moon and the Earth).  The armed citizens and the military services by way of shear force of numbers will be the only means of holding the lines.  The combination may be sufficient to eventually even win the war.  Although not without great losses.  I suspect Japan, Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands along with most countries of the Pacific will be total losses and be made uninhabitable for centuries.  The reasons for Fukushima and the continuing excess release of highly radioactive material into our biosphere is in accordance with the terms of the aforementioned treaty.  It obliges us to De-terraform our world to accommodate those that are coming to claim portions of the Earth as payment agreed to in the treaty.

#writers #books and libraries #war #military industrial complex #mk ultra #religion #philosophy #science #extra terra 👽 #transhumanism #fukushima #alien invasion #apollo 20 #human experimentation #the dark one