Rosetta stone corporate office
Nasdaq 100 Components September 30th 1999
2023.06.01 05:26 AstockcollapseNow Nasdaq 100 Components September 30th 1999
NAME OF ISSUER SHARES VALUE
Microsoft Corporation........................ 3,347,177 $303,128,717 Intel Corporation............................. 2,231,651 165,839,565 Cisco Systems, Inc........................... 2,228,508 152,792,080 MCI WorldCom, Inc............................ 1,283,954 92,284,194 Dell Computer Corporation.................... 1,781,207 74,476,718 QUALCOMM Incorporated........................ 368,970 69,804,512 Sun Microsystems, Inc........................ 641,303 59,641,179 Nextel Communications, Inc................... 770,019 52,216,913 Oracle Corporation........................... 1,126,276 51,245,558 Yahoo! Inc................................... 237,245 42,585,477 Amgen Inc.................................... 452,923 36,913,225 Amazon.com, Inc.............................. 427,567 34,178,637 Applied Materials, Inc....................... 369,979 28,742,744 JDS Uniphase Corporation..................... 248,181 28,246,100 Biogen, Inc.................................. 351,942 27,737,429 Apple Computer, Inc.......................... 427,589 27,071,729 Comcast Corporation.......................... 662,348 26,411,126 Xilinx, Inc.................................. 399,557 26,183,470 VERITAS Software Corporation................. 330,190 25,073,803 BMC Software, Inc............................ 347,143 24,842,421 CMGI, Inc.................................... 237,829 24,377,472 Tellabs, Inc................................. 426,037 24,257,482 Level 3 Communications, Inc.................. 449,863 23,491,284 Altera Corporation........................... 533,008 23,119,222 Linear Technology Corporation................. 389,788 22,912,226 Maxim Integrated Products, Inc............... 360,199 22,726,306 Global Crossings Ltd......................... 851,311 22,559,741 Qwest Communications International Inc....... 744,339 22,004,522 At Home Corporation.......................... 500,909 20,756,417 Immunex Corporation.......................... 427,714 18,552,095 Costco Companies, Inc........................ 221,631 15,957,432 Novell, Inc.................................. 765,332 15,832,806 NTL Incorporated............................. 161,104 15,481,087 Paychex, Inc.................................. 445,734 15,210,673 Conexant Systems, Inc........................ 205,069 14,899,545
NASDAQ-100 TRUST, SERIES 1 SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 (CONTINUED)
NAME OF ISSUER SHARES VALUE
LM Ericsson Telephone Company............... 471,237 $ 14,726,156 Cintas Corporation.......................... 253,898 14,678,478 PanAmSat Corporation........................ 383,329 13,847,760 Siebel Systems, Inc......................... 206,710 13,772,054 Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation........... 158,635 13,543,463 ADC Telecommunications, Inc................. 322,331 13,517,756 Chiron Corporation.......................... 482,314 13,354,069 KLA-Tencor Corporation...................... 204,785 13,311,025 Intuit Inc.................................. 150,606 13,201,557 Comverse Technology, Inc.................... 139,917 13,195,922 Adobe Systems Incorporated................... 115,505 13,109,818 Staples, Inc................................ 594,957 12,977,500 Bed Bath & Beyond Inc....................... 357,933 12,505,284 Citrix Systems, Inc......................... 198,841 12,315,714 Starbucks Corporation....................... 482,698 11,961,860 USA Networks, Inc........................... 296,529 11,490,499 CIENA Corporation........................... 310,753 11,342,484 Lycos, Inc.................................. 221,644 11,109,905 PeopleSoft, Inc............................. 654,929 11,092,860 VISX, Incorporated.......................... 139,323 11,019,579 Compuware Corporation....................... 419,727 10,939,135 McLeodUSA Incorporated...................... 231,847 9,867,988 3Com Corporation 340,502 9,789,432 Fiserv, Inc................................. 294,504 9,571,380 Parametric Technology Corporation........... 697,033 9,409,945 Sanmina Corporation......................... 118,656 9,181,008 American Power Conversion Corporation....... 481,394 9,146,486 Concord EFS, Inc............................ 439,585 9,066,441 Genzyme General............................. 199,145 8,973,972 CNET, Inc................................... 157,682 8,830,192 Synopsys, Inc............................... 156,438 8,784,971 Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation......... 405,539 8,769,781 Electronic Arts Inc......................... 119,711 8,664,084 PACCAR Inc................................... 167,235 8,508,081 Centocor, Inc............................... 131,599 7,706,766 Biomet, Inc................................. 289,283 7,611,759
NASDAQ-100 TRUST, SERIES 1 SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 (CONTINUED)
NAME OF ISSUER SHARES VALUE
Adaptec, Inc................................ 162,161 $ 6,435,765 Sigma-Aldrich Corporation.................... 202,187 6,419,437 Quintiles Transnational Corp................ 306,694 5,836,770 Network Associates, Inc..................... 274,895 5,257,367 Molex Incorporated........................... 142,521 5,184,201 Atmel Corporation........................... 143,226 4,842,829 Dollar Tree Stores, Inc..................... 107,631 4,298,513 Electronics for Imaging, Inc................ 82,215 4,226,365 Microchip Technology Incorporated........... 80,554 4,138,462 PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc.............. 80,042 3,461,816 Northwest Airlines Corporation.............. 132,487 3,378,418 Reuters Group PLC............................ 43,983 3,029,329 Miller Herman, Inc........................... 121,597 2,906,928 Apollo Group, Inc........................... 137,594 2,906,673 Ross Stores, Inc............................. 134,373 2,704,257 Fastenal Company............................ 53,886 2,539,378 Comair Holdings, Inc......................... 150,012 2,503,325 Lincare Holdings Inc........................ 92,960 2,477,965 Autodesk, Inc................................ 94,368 2,064,300 Andrew Corporation.......................... 118,476 2,058,521 Worthington Industries, Inc.................. 117,977 2,005,609 Tech Data Corporation....................... 84,480 1,966,800 Micron Electronics, Inc..................... 150,015 1,575,157 First Health Group Corp..................... 63,353 1,421,483 CBRL Group, Inc.............................. 81,665 1,265,807 Cambridge Technology Partners, Inc.......... 83,258 1,207,241 Corporate Express, Inc...................... 122,755 1,154,664 Stewart Enterprises, Inc..................... 176,094 1,067,570 Rexall Sundown, Inc.*........................ 80,592 992,289 -------------- Total Investments--(Cost $2,192,615,555)..... $2,141,776,310
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NASDAQ-100 TRUST, SERIES 1 SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 (CONTINUED)
NASDAQ-100 TRUST, SERIES 1 SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 (CONTINUED)
2023.06.01 05:19 Remote-Shame9625 Former WoW dev revealed he got fired after the executives got offended at a goblin NPC. (In response to the Bobby Kotick article)
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2023.06.01 05:12 RegalLegalEagle Made of Mud
Based on a Dream
FDF Resolute, Sanctum Class Battlecruiser, en route to NT-2125 deep Fringe.
Mary had been rather intrigued by the concept of an observation deck on a ship. Curator ship designs didn’t even have windows let alone a whole deck. Yet, deck seemed a bit of a grand exaggeration now that she was standing in the room with the large window dominating one wall. The room was empty aside from herself. Though there were tables and chairs enough to fit a few dozen people easily. No doubt it was more in use if the ship should be hosting dignitaries over some important planet, or picturesque astronomical feature. En route to NT-2125 however they were instead enveloped in the Ink, a sight no one seemed keen on viewing.
Her education had of course touched on the existence of the Ink, but that was about it. She had no idea how it really was used to facilitate FTL travel. What she did know, now that she was looking at it, was that it was rather unpleasant to look at. She had seen purest black. The concept of looking at entirely nothing but a void was fine with her.
The Ink however… While she watched it slowly move around before her eyes it was like a vast ocean of some kind. An ocean of… incredible depth. When she had first stepped into the room and seen it dominating the large window she had thought it to be a mixture of blues, purples, and blacks. But the longer she watched the bubbles and lines slowly moving around she wasn’t sure if she were seeing color at all. Maybe she was seeing not the absence of light, but something opposite to it. As if the Ink gave off… anti-light.
She had no basis for this thought of course. No training, education, or experience to make her believe it was a real thing. Yet, if matter had anti-matter why couldn’t light have anti-light? After all the longer she looked the more if felt like she wasn’t really seeing anything. Nothing real anyway. More like… if she closed her eyes and rubbed against the eyelids and saw the attempts of her brain understand the shadows. Then there was the thought maybe she really was seeing something. Something just under the waves of its vast deep ocean of anti-light. After all, what was causing it to move? Were the waves, ripples, and bubbles purely random? Or was there something making it move?
As unpleasant as her line of thinking was, at least watching it gave her some small alone time on the otherwise crowded vessel. It also gave her an excuse to keep her headset muted. She would much rather deal with staring out at a vast ocean of anti-light than listen to the ship around her at this point. Yet, the moment she began to consider that she saw a flash in the bottom of her vision. Door opening. With a flick she started the program to let her headset gradually increase volume as her ears began to work again.
First sound, click of hard heel on metallic decking. Second sound, sharp intake of breath likely indicating surprise, anxiety, unease, or combination. Third sound, a tongue flicking against teeth before making a disapproving sucking sound. Fourth sound, fabric on fabric rubbing was very low and soft indicating luxury stitching and material. “Hello Director Obli.”
“Translator.” Came the curt reply, though said at a perfectly reasonable volume for normal speaking Mary winced a bit. Going from total silence to even the muted sounds she was getting now was rough at times. Especially as more just kept building. Even at this low level the sound of the ships began to return to her. The groan of metal, the hum of electricity, the distant murmur of people going about their tasks. She had no idea what she’d do without the headset to at least partially mute the world around her.
“Your bodyguards aren’t joining us?” Mary glanced over at the Huul’Rav in his custom suit. She couldn’t see his guards, but she could hear them just outside. She recognized Hrue from his breathing pattern, as smoking had done a number on his lungs. Based on the jingle of grenade tabs the other was Juul.
“If the Curators wanted me dead I highly doubt they’d create you just for the task. They’re more than powerful enough to have no need for subtlety or subterfuge.” Even though the director was talking to her he was looking out the window at the Ink. She could see the disdain on his face rather obviously. A hand moving up to nervously brush his furry chin, even as he tilted his horns side to side.
While he seemed focused on the Ink her mind returned to his curious comment. Did the Curators need to employ subterfuge? Of course they were powerful, but surely there was also use in subterfuge. Regardless, she had not been sent to kill the Director. Or anyone for that matter. She had no training in combat or related topics. He seemed to also be thinking about this though as he looked at her. “You aren’t here to kill me right?”
“No. I’m not here to kill you or anyone else.” She assured him. “I’m just here to facilitate communications during the negotiations.”
“It is curious though. Why the Custodians sent anyone at all…” He trailed off and while she was about to answer he turned and spoke first. “Actually do you mind if we talk somewhere else?” At the end his eyes darted to the window and the swirl of the Ink beyond.
“Certainly.” She nodded, and gestured to the door letting him go first.
“I appreciate it.” He commented and even as he stepped through the door Hrue stepped in front of him to lead, while Juul stepped up behind Mary to follow. “I will admit it spoils my plans a bit. I wanted to talk with you in private a little. But uh… I do not particularly enjoy looking at the Ink.” She could hear his breathing pattern change just being in the hallway, out of sight of the swirling anti-light.
“I’m sure we can find privacy elsewhere. Though I am unsure what kind of private chat you would like. I’m here strictly as a neutral party to facilitate negotiations.” She reminded him.
“As you’ve said many times.” Obli waved off her remark. “Anyway, since you’re new to this sort of thing I just want to introduce you to my underling since you’ll be working for him during the start of the talks.”
Mary frowned at this sudden revelation. “First, I don’t work for you, or your subordinate. I-”
“Are a neutral translator provided by the Curators.” He waved her off again as they walked. All around her she could hear the ship and its crew going about keeping the ship alive as it were. It was an older vessel and every creak and groan of stressed metal, or electrical spark continued to heighten her anxiety. She could not wait to get off this vessel and onto a planet. “I meant work for him in a more metaphorical sense. I know you likely expected to work with me throughout these talks but it’s just not how labor talks to management. They don’t get to start by talking to a Director. They’ll start with someone just important enough to garner attention but with no real power. If he fails, I swoop in and save things. If he succeeds I get to take credit in the end and talk about how I knew he was the man for the job.”
The further they walked from the observation deck and the Ink the more confident and in fact arrogant Obli got. She wasn’t particularly keen on his behavior but she had at least grown accustomed to it on the trip so far. “Why then did you spend most of this trip testing my abilities as a translator?”
“Because I was trying to figure out your angle.” He replied with a glance back over his shoulder as they reached a lift. The four of them filtered into it before Juul hit the button for the hangar deck.
“I don’t have an angle. I was instructed to come here and facilitate-” She began but he yet again waved her off.
“Neutral yes yes. But why? We’ve never needed nor requested Curator assistance for anything like this. We have a proven history of successfully ending labor disputes and organization efforts. So why have the curators bothered to send you? Shouldn’t you be trying to help keep the FDF from falling apart? Or spreading the word of the Curators to the masses or something? That is something they do right? Proselytize?” Mary was fairly confident Obli tried to be dismissive about the Curators just to make himself more comfortable. It was a minor enough annoyance to overlook. Though she wondered if it actually helped ease his fragile ego.
“The Curators do not proselytize no. They have no need. They exist. They act. They do not need the approval of others, nor belief in their correctness. I am here because I have been ordered to be here. I was told I must assist in negotiating between the belligerent parties on NT-2125 and observe the outcome. That is all. If the Curators have a deeper reason for sending me here I do not know it.” While she spoke she could already hear Obli clicking his tongue in disapproval. Hrue was trying, and failing, to breathe quietly. Juul was running her hand over a smooth metallic object in her right pocket, slowly turning it over.
“I know you are flesh and blood, but you’re more like your creators than I find comforting.” Obli very bluntly commented.
“I do not exist for your comfort.” Mary pointedly replied, which made Obli click his tongue in disapproval once more. By that point the lift stopped and the doors opened. The rush of sound from the hangar deck made her wince a moment as she had to deal with the sudden volume as she lowered her headset sensitivity.
“I don’t think you exist for your own comfort either.” Obli remarked, now smirking a little at her obvious discomfort. There was little she could do but cast a glare in his direction as the pain subsided and the sounds took on a more muted level. Looking out across the hangar she could see dozens of people moving around and working on the ship’s complement of shuttles, and fighters. No one was expecting combat, but that didn’t stop the captain from preparing anyway. While she was told most of the machinery operated at frequencies most species couldn’t hear it always gave her a headache to be around so many buzzing, grinding, churning machines.
“Regardless.” Obli continued. “I want to make it clear I have been authorized to extend to the Curators our most sincere intent to be friends. If there is anything we can do to make your job more comfortable let me know. And if you see fit to pass on anything you hear from the labor organizers direct compensation is on offer.”
“I am here as a neutral party.” She reminded him yet again. But he just spread his hands and smiled.
“We’re willing to pay for even what you would consider banter and gossip. Anything you hear. My subordinate is also authorized to compensate you but I’d prefer a direct copy.” He held out an encryption cylinder. While she had no intention of passing along anything she did take it. It might be useful for other reasons.
“I don’t have a bank account, you know. Or any credits.” When she told him this he looked entirely confused. “I am not paid for my efforts. Curators do not use currency of any kind. Resources are simply provided as needed.”
Director Obli’s look of pure disgust was even more obvious than when he’d been in the observation deck. “And here I thought they were civilized… But it’s then all the more important for you to start building up your own nest egg!” He began to pull a credit chip from his pocket but she waved him off.
“I’m not chipped nor do I have a slate.” This time he scoffed and looked confused even as he held it out.
“You can take the whole thing. How do you expect to pay for anything on the planet without credits?” He seemed genuinely baffled.
“I don’t expect to pay for anything on the planet. Your company has extended their most sincere intent to be friends after all.” As she tilted her head a little while looking at him Obli just snorted.
“Ah… This is why my assistant was babbling about an expense waiver. Yes… There are limits to it, you know. Food, drink, necessities only.” Mary just stared at him until he finally sighed and tucked the credit chip back into his pocket. “Fine. It’s best for you to go change now then, the shuttle will be leaving as soon as we hit real space.”
She was wondering why he’d brought her here directly. “And why am I changing?”
“Well, you can go as you are if you like. But this isn’t a Curator ship. The Resolute has to drop further away from the planet so the shuttle will be in space to close the gap to the planet. And, I mean clearly Curator tech never breaks or has any accidents but our poor mortal hands make poor mortal vessels.” Obli spread his hands as if to highlight his own soft, well manicured hands.
“Fine.” While her suit wasn’t as comfortable as her normal clothes she didn’t intend on being the only one killed by some sort of accident on the way to the planet. It would set a terrible precedent. So she walked away from Obli and his guards then towards the hangar’s locker room.
As she strode across the deck, stepping over fuel and coolant lines she tried to make some sense of the mass of sound around her. Obli no doubt thought she was beyond earshot when he spoke to his guards. “Strange bird. Easy on the eyes though.”
Hrue cleared his throat a moment to reply in a gravely, raspy voice. “Think the Curators made her to be attractive to most species somehow? Robot magic or something?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I still don’t know why they sent anyone at all. I don’t trust those damned machines.” Obli replied. She had expected this sort of reaction. It was in line with their comments during the trip.
Other than that most of the technicians, mechanics, and pilots moving around the hangar seemed much more focused on their work than anything else. Grumblings about the captain’s standards, and an apparent lack of spare parts. Based on the overall comments it seemed to be more about not wanting to do so much work rather than serious concerns over abilities to keep ships functional. Or so she hoped.
Once in the locker room she made her way to the back where a special case had been installed for her suit. While she would have preferred to travel on a Curator vessel she was glad to at least get a Curator suit. They didn’t have many organics, but the suits they made for her and the other Lifted were absolutely the best in terms of survivability, durability, and protection. Just not… comfort.
Since the locker room seemed to be empty she quickly stripped down, setting aside the encryption cylinder Obli had given her. For a moment she examined herself, along the deep red feathers of her head and neck, gradually turning to a sunburst yellow down her torso, and finally a rich deep blue along her legs and tail. Did species find her attractive? If the Curators had intended for this they likely would have included it in her training surely. Must just be Obli and his guards.
Stepping up to the Curator case she hit the activation button and then held perfectly still as the case opened, arms moving out to begin affixing the suit to her body. First she felt the snap of metal rings around her ankles, wrists, neck, hips, and ribs before the rest of the exoskeleton was built up around it. Then came the cool mesh of the inner suit pulled up underneath it and against her feathers. Next was the composites slotted into the outside, layered and overlapped for maximum coverage. Finally she prepared herself for the final step as two hoses connected to the metal collar around her neck. She hated this part.
When the liquid began to pump into the lining between the mesh and the composite layer it was ice cold and caused her to gasp and shudder as it filled in. It took a few minutes while she tried to carefully control her breathing and push past the cold. Once it was finally full the suit activated and the liquid turned solid, controlled by the sophisticated Curator chip in her skull. Her temperature quickly began to return to normal now and she took a slow deep breath in relief before taking the helmet the case offered last.
She refrained from putting the helmet on yet though, it wasn’t quite big enough for her taste and always rubbed her eartips. Walking back out into the hangar she could feel the suit somewhat flowing around her movements. It would turn liquid to move, then solid when it didn’t need to. She was also told it would go selectively rigid to deflect projectiles. A feature she hoped to never test.
Looking around a moment she saw Obli near the closest shuttle, speaking to someone wearing an executive pattern suit. Luxurious and comfortable, but she’d prefer the Curator suit in an emergency. Next to him was a human in a deep blue armored suit with steel accents. As she watched he draped a travel cloak over the shoulders of the suit. An interesting touch. Walking towards them she had to stop a moment to let a rumbling hangar tug pass. Several technicians rode in the back, carried to their next task.
Judging on the whine of the back left wheel she figured their next task might be to fix the tug itself. Either way she continued on up to Director Obli. “Translator. I’d like you to meet Kingus.” Obli gestured to the figure in the executive suit. Up close she could see through his helmet’s faceplate and examine the Nikvic inside. Rather stubby bone ridges. Rather young then for an executive.
“Translator.” He nodded to her.
“Kingus, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Mary, though translator is just fine as well.” She took an amicable approach for now.
“Yes. This is my bodyguard, Eli.” He gestured to the human next to him, who made for an imposing figure in his armor. With his helmet in place the steel visor reflected a distorted reflection of herself back at her.
“Ma’am.” He nodded and extended a hand out from under his cloak. Shifting her helmet to her left hand she carefully reached out to shake his hand in return.
“Eli, it’s nice to meet you.” The first human she’d found in the employ of the company. Though she knew most of the problems on the planet were related to their human miners. Allegedly at least.
“Nice to meet you as well ma’am.” His shake was firm but not aggressive. “We should be ready shortly. They’re loading the last of some food supplies and then we’re waiting on the marines.”
“Food supplies… I don’t even know what we’re taking down there. Argyle is a full fledged city. The problems its facing are related to labor terrorists. Not famine.” Kingus mentioned with a huff.
“It’s likely my food.” Mary answered. “The Curators were unsure how long I would be here and sent me with a full complement of prepared meals.”
“Oh.” Kingus coughed lightly. “Well… that’s fine then. I wasn’t aware you had special dietary needs. But the marines at least should be here. What’s taking them so long?” He tried to deflect a little and looked around.
As if summoned by his complaint she saw a group of human soldiers approaching the shuttle. The few times she had seen soldiers so far they’d been in smart uniforms and moving with purpose and sharp specific gestures. These… did not look nearly so impressive. Or poised. Instead the group just walked casually towards them, in a mixture of armor sets. Most had a haphazard drab olive green coat of paint but much of it was chipped and worn. Not to mention much of it was also covered in writing, drawings, and decals that she doubted were officially sanctioned.
Only the man in the lead looked to be in a truly official uniform set of armor. “I’m Lieutenant Barrow. I assume this is the shuttle we want?”
“Barrow, this is Kingus our Executive Labor Liason.” Director Obli introduced them. “This is our translator Mary.”
“Never seen one of you before. What species are you?” Mary turned to look at the soldier who’d spoken to her. He was just next to the officer, and his armor looked particularly beat up. She also noticed signs of scorch marks in several places. Unlike the single smooth faceplate of Eli’s armor his helmet looked more like a scowling face with golden lenses in the eyes.
“I am not an official species. I was Lifted by the Curators to act as a translator.” She informed him directly.
“Interesting. So you’re a bird. But you’ve got ears. What’s with the headset?” He gestured up at it as she reflexively reached up with her free hand to touch the side.
“There was a slight miscalculation in my creation and I find most settings to be… uncomfortably loud. The headset is to regulate the volume of my surroundings to prevent damage and discomfort.” She explained.
“What… wait. The Curators made a translator who gets hurt by sound? Am I understanding that right?” Mary frowned at his comment.
“That’s somewhat reductive.” She tried to deflect.
“Is it wrong?” He pressed.
“It’s not entirely inaccurate.” Disparaging on the work of the Curators wasn’t something she was comfortable with.
“That’s a fancy way of saying I’m right. So your job, which is listening to things, actively hurts you. Man… sucks to be you.” A few of the other marines snickered and giggled behind him as Mary frowned.
“Gunny, that’s enough.” Barrow finally waved off the other marine.
“Where’s the rest of your company? And the Major?” Obli asked now, thankfully moving things along.
“Elsewhere. He said if you’re not going to the planet yet he doesn’t see a reason to go either. My platoon and I are sufficient at this time. Once you’re ready to head down then the rest of the company will deploy.” Barrow shrugged. “You send your flunkey first he sends his flunkey too.”
“We have concerns about possible terrorist strikes on civilians during the labor talks. Are you sure a platoon is really sufficient?” Kingus asked.
The officer sucked in a breath, likely about to answer but Gunny cut him off. “Isn’t it interesting. All across the fringe you corporate types like to talk about how safe and secure your mining colonies are. Biding everyone to bring their families and get to work. Yet, the moment a union starts to form you start screaming about terrorists and how you need the military to keep order.”
“Gunny.” The officer hissed at him. Gunny waved it off a moment as the officer cleared his throat. “Your own reports suggest corporate security is robust enough to secure the city. We have no intel to suggest any threats of terrorist strikes by the miners are really valid. A platoon will suffice for now. If the situation changes the rest of the company can deploy very quickly I assure you.”
“Fine. But remember just because the miners in question are human doesn’t mean you can give them free reign. The FDF and by extension the marines rely on our funding to keep functioning.” Kingus replied.
“You never let us fucking forget.” Gunny muttered that barely under his breath. Neither Kingus or Obli seemed to pick up on this but Mary did.
“Many species across the Fringe have been generous enough to accept many human refugees. We obviously seek a future of cooperation and mutual success. This is not about humans being singled out. They have been given the same rights and contracts as all other species who join our corporate family.” Director Obli smiled and spread his hands in a friendly gesture. “We ask only that you protect the talks because they’re so important to our continued wellbeing as united front here on the Fringe. The Tide comes for us all and we must be ready. Together.”
“Well said Director.” Kingus nodded in support.
“Fucking please…” Gunny muttered and made some sort of gesture with his fist making a pumping motion in front of his hips. From the reports the Curators had given her, really what it seemed like was the humans massively increased their productivity, but in exchange wanted better treatment from the various industrial consortiums. The executives like Obli enjoyed the productivity but felt treating them better would set a bad precedent.
Across the fringe however humans had been getting their way more often than not. NT-2125 was by far the biggest, most high profile case, but she didn’t imagine it would be anything special. “Yes, well, we are here to keep you safe and make sure no one kills anyone. On either side.” The officer assured them and then gestured at the shuttle. “Shall we?”
“Have a nice flight Translator. Remember to call me.” Obli smiled and nodded at her.
“I’m sure we’ll be in touch, Director.” She finally pulled her helmet up and on, feeling it settle into place with a click and a soft hiss at it pressurized. The very tips of her ears were lightly pressed in by the sides which was why she’d waited this long to put it on. The marines began to board the shuttle first, shuffling along rows in the center to get into seats with metal shoulder restraints that would help hold them in place.
“Hey, so you’re a Lifted? What do the Curators want you here for? What’s the deal?” Gunny asked as he waited near the back for the others to shuffle in.
“I am not at liberty at this time to discuss the Curators or their work.” Mary’s forehead felt slightly warm as she answered him.
“Oh come on. There’s got to be something special the Curators want you here for.” Gunny insisted.
“I am not at liberty at this time to discuss the Curators or their work.” Mary’s forehead felt a bit warmer still.
“Gunny leave her alone.” Barrow instructed.
“C’mon why a translator at all? We’ve got earpieces! I’ve never seen a translator before, let alone a Curator one!” By now the other marines were seated and Mary began to shuffle up the row looking for a free seat.
“Ma’am you’ll need to take one of the jumpseats up front. These harnesses aren’t made for your Curator suit.” Barrow tapped one of the set of shoulder restraints. So she kept shuffling past the row of marines towards the front.
“I don’t rely on machine translation. I am fluent in over six hundred languages and forms of communication. I listen to all parties and ensure nothing is lost in translation.” She assured them.
“Only six hundred? I knew of a guy who was fluent in over six million forms of communication.” Gunny’s voice had a slightly different tone to it. Was he joking?
“Six million seems excessive. I assure you I am well trained for my job.” Now at the front of the shuttle she found the jumpseat in question. Yet, when she went to pull the seat down the dangerous whine and groan of the metal hinged did not inspire her with confidence. Still it was her mission so she settled into the seat and went about trying to figure out the harness.
Barrow approached her and pointed to the straps in order to help her out. “You’ll be fine. This is really just a precaution.” The Lieutenant nodded and gave her shoulder a pat. She smiled up at him then, her faceplate clear unlike their armor. It was thought to be better for non-verbal communication cues if people she spoke to could see her face. Kingus and Eli were the last to settle in seats nearby.
“Hey! Corpse!” Gunny called out as Eli settled into his seat and set the shoulder restraints with practiced ease.
“Excuse me?” Eli looked across the aisle at Gunny.
“You’re corporate security right? Corp-sec.” Gunny more carefully pronounced. But Mary was positive he hadn’t made a mistake earlier.
“I’m a private bodyguard. I work on contract.” Eli corrected him.
“Oh well anyway the fuck is with the cloak?” Gunny gestured at the deep blue cloak draped over Eli’s shoulders and body. “You’re in a suit right? Kind of the point of a space suit to be waterproof and somewhat heat proof and shit yeah? Kind of defeats the point of a cloak right? So what gives?”
“It’s about looking stylish. Something you clearly have no concept of Gunnery Sergeant.” Eli’s response seemed to take Gunny by surprise. The Gunny? Was Gunny a nickname or a title? Either way the marines around snickered and chuckled a bit though she could hear Gunny snort.
Barrow took the jumpseat next to her instead of one of the more secure seats. Possibly to help set her at ease. Which she appreciated. “So, Lieutenant. Do you expect this mission to be dangerous?”
“What? Protecting the talks? No. We’ve done this a few times so far. It’s pretty boring. No one has actually done anything. Usually there are some protests. Corp-sec shove people around. Both sides are upset. But no one dies. The talks advance. The miners get a bit more pay and benefits. Both sides are mutually annoyed with the other. And I’m sure in a few years it’ll all happen again.” Barrow shrugged and seemed entirely unconcerned.
“Don’t be so flippant.” Kingus said even as Barrow seemed to dismiss any concerns. “We’ve had some communications troubles from NT-2125. The work of labor agitators no doubt.”
“Communications troubles? Why are you telling us that now?” Barrow asked, showing some concern.
“I thought it was common knowledge?” Kingus sounded genuinely confused that Barrow was unaware of this. “Is it not? Executives on the ground have spoken of damaged communications systems, and delayed reports from outlying facilities.”
“Have there been delays in ore shipments? Or minerals or whatever?” Barrow asked.
“No. In fact due to our exemplary corporate structure we’re seeing increases across the board.” Kingus nodded, clearly proud of this fact.
“So… in your mind the labor agitators are breaking lines of communication. But not… the ore shipments which you find significantly more valuable?” Barrow asked, clearly not buying the idea.
“Don’t be complacent! Just because labor organizers have been rarely violent in the past doesn’t mean it will always be the case! I want your men on their highest alertness lieutenant!” Kingus stressed.
“Yes sir, I’ll be sure to pass that along.” Barrow assured him, even though Mary could tell by his tone that he had no intention of doing anything.
“What’s the planet like?” She asked next.
“The locals have called it Argyle.” Kingus answered. “It’s our largest mining operation and a highlight of our terraforming technology. A dozen zones have been established across the surface and ten of them are already fully habitable without a suit. We expect work to be done on six zones within the solar cycle, and shall open up another dozen to be finished within the next three solar cycles. Mineral and ore outputs are quadruple expectations. Mostly thanks to our unequaled refinery efficiency.”
“Or maybe cause you’re exploiting the shit out of your workers.” Again Gunny muttered this quietly enough to be missed by the others. Mary was settling into her seat as best she could when she heard the engines spool up. Inside the armored cockpit behind her she could hear the pilots flipping switches.
“Systems check complete. Echo shuttle requesting clearance for departure.” She wasn’t sure if that was the pilot or co-pilot. Deeper, possibly male.
“We got a flight plan?” Lighter possible female. Maybe that was the pilot?
“Yeah.” Navigator. Younger, more youthful. Not clear if male or female. “Not much to it. Follow the automated beacons. Their spaceport is big enough for Tagmax freighters so it should be easy peasy lemon squeezy.” Human definitely.
“We’re clear.” Co-pilot.
“Okay.” There was a moment where Mary’s hearing seemed to echo as she heard both the pilot in the cockpit and over the speakers in the hold at the same time. “We’re in real space and disembarking now. Remember to keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times until we come to a full and complete stop. We know you’ve got no choice in airlines today so suck it up because we’re all you got.” Also definitely human.
Gunny seemed to wiggle and settle in his seat, as if to take a nap. In general the marine chatter in the hold seemed very relaxed and calm. A good sign. The most nervous person was likely Kingus whose breathing she could tell was getting a bit quicker and more nervous. After another few seconds she heard the engine spooling get more intense and the shuttle picked up off the deck. Kingus tensed at this as his hands gripped the seat’s armrests more tightly.
While Mary wished she was in a superior Curator craft she was relatively relaxed. She’d flown many times, especially in her training to make sure she could translate even in stressful situations. Part of her wanted to mute her headset for now, to free herself of the need to listen to every jostle of the shuttle and the people within it, but she knew it was more important to maintain her ability to listen to the flight crew.
For several minutes however she mostly had to fight her growing desire to take a nap. Gunny’s breathing shifted into a soft and consistent snore so he already fell asleep. The gentle rumble of the ship around her and her secure nature also lent itself to a desire to nap… “Hey did we check the sensor calibration before we left?” Navigator.
“Yeah, total systems check. Everything cleared. I’m not seeing any problems.” Pilot.
“Uuuhhh… Okay.” Their tone implied things were not okay. She turned her head a little, and began to dial up her headset, ignoring the other sounds and focusing on the cockpit. Another minute went by as she just had the hum of the engines and marine chatter around her. “We’re sure the sensors were checked?”
“Yeah. Why what’s wrong?” Pilot.
“It’s just… uh… doesn’t make sense. I’m reading like… aaa lot of different atmospheres?” Navigator.
“Yeah. They’re terraforming it. So, a lot of different atmospheric readings.” Co-pilot.
“Sure but… some of these are… bizarre.. Like a… nitrogen? Maybe? And uh… ammonia.” She frowned as the Navigator said this.
“Maybe those are the natural planetary atmosphere. Listen, everything else I’ve got is reading fine.” Pilot.
“Ask ground maybe? Terraforming… accidents?” Navigator.
“Resolute this is Echo Two. Do we have any direct communication with Ground? Over.” Co-pilot. Pause. “No direct comms at this time. But the nav beacons are loud and clear.”
“Probably just some interference. I mean if they’ve had a terraforming accident it’s probably hell on comms.” Pilot.
“Yeah… probably.” Navigator, entirely unconvinced. As she listened she realized Barrow was staring straight at her. Did he suspect something? Was he on their channel?
“Something up?” He asked.
“The navigator thinks there might have been a terraforming accident on the planet.” She explained.
“What? How do you know that?” Barrows looked from her towards the armored door between them.
“I can hear them.” She explained simply.
“Did you say a terraforming accident?” Kinugs looked her way now.
“They say there’s strange atmospherics on the planet.” She revealed.
“I knew it! Labor agitators!” He huffed. “Tell your men to be ready for all manner of terrorism Lieutenant!”
“Mmhh…” Barrow's answer was noncommittal but seemed worried as he focused on Mary. She was still focused on the cockpit however.
“Was there a cruiser in orbit somewhere?” Co-pilot.
“The uh… Tartar or something. At least on the mission brief. We tracking it anywhere?” Pilot.
“I… no. I’ve got us, the orbital refinery platform, and the Resolute.” Navigator.
“Freighters? Shuttles? Corporate Yachts? Anything?” Pilot.
“Nnnnno.” Navigator.
“They aren’t seeing any other traffic in orbit.” She relayed to Barrow.
Barrow cleared his throat and seemed to trigger a mic in his helmet. “Guys, shut the fuck up. Gunny wake up.” A marine besides gunny slapped the man’s shoulder causing him to jerk in his seat and a knife seemed to appear in his hand.
“Wah?” He looked around.
“Something’s up.” Barrow mentioned. “No traffic, planetary comms are down, and terraformers are fucked up.”
Mary expected some smart comment but Gunny tucked his knife away and just listened. “Wait. A… freighter is taking off.” Navigator. “And I’ve got one leaving the orbital platform.”
“Ping them?” Co-pilot. Pilot must have nodded because he continued. “Pinging.” Pause. “Both are automated. Both report… systems are fine. No issues.”
“Nothing from ground? Emergency beacons? Distress? Nothing?” Pilot.
“Nothing.” Co-pilot confirmed.
“I mean… they’d be loath to stop shipping ore. Maybe it’s just really comms trouble and they aren’t flying anything right now. Cruiser might be on the far side assisting with some kind of… recovery effort? I don’t know.” Pilot.
“That might be the case…” The co-pilot did not in fact think that was the case. “Resolute, this is Echo two. Uh… do we have any further… mission details? Are we still go on landing? Over.” He sounded nervous. “We’re still go… they think it’s just comms trouble. But they’re prepping more shuttles now for possible rescue or support efforts.”
“I mean everything I’m seeing is clear. Not even rain clouds.” Pilot.
“They’re saying there’s comms failure on the planet. They’ve found automated traffic only. No distress calls.” Mary relayed. A moment later the pilot keyed in a direct channel and she heard the voice through Barrow’s helmet comm.
“Hey eltea. Just a heads up. We think there’s some kind of comms failure on the planet. And maybe a terraforming accident. No signs of hostile action though. Still prepped to land shortly. But uh giving you a heads up.” So they could talk to him but hadn’t.
“Appreciated. I’ll relay.” He acknowledged. Then she had to try and focus a bit harder as Barrow began to speak to his marines about the situation but the flight crew was still chatting.
“Entering atmo now. Any change in sensor reading?” Pilot.
“No. Area around Argyle looks… okay. Wait, that's the city right?” Navigator.
“Yeah. Uh. Maybe.” Pilot. The shuttle began to shake a bit harder though from what she had experienced before this was just normal for entering atmosphere. They were quiet as the shuttle rumbled. But after another minute the rumbling seemed to get worse instead of better. She was much more acutely aware of the groaning of the metal and just shuddering of everything around her. Kingus’ teeth were rattling and clicking especially. “Okay what the fuck.”
“Yeah… Yeah… Uh… fuck.” Co-pilot. What were they seeing? Just describe it outloud!
“I can’t turn it off. Ground has us locked into our corridor.” Navigator.
“Override!” Pilot.
“I can’t! I’m trying!” Navigator. The shuddering of the shuttle intensified further as it seemed to be moving around, like the pilot was trying to shake them out of whatever their path was and kept getting pulled in. “It’s not using any normal code! I’ve got no fucking clue what this is!”
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!” Mary winced at how loudly the Co-pilot yelled that. So far their voices had been full of stress and anxiety, but not fear, nor had they been loud.
“Jesus!” Pilot. What? What was it? “Look at it fucking move! Chaff! Flares! Dump everything!”
“Brace!” Mary cried out as she clutched her harness. She could hear the deployment of flares and chaff in a rapid series of bops and clanks. Then she could hear something hit the shuttle… But it wasn’t an explosion? Just a meaty metal crunch. Her body jerked hard in the harness as the shuttle around her began to spin, or jerk, or she had no idea but it was twisting violently!
“Fuck!” Pilot
“Watch it!” Co-pilot. Red lights immediately came on in the hold of the shuttle, she could hear as well as feel the violent collision as the port wing slammed into something. For a brief instant she could hear the shattering of glass before her hearing was just overwhelmed by the rest of the crash and the screaming around her. The force yanked her hard against the harness as she heard the terrifying screech of metal being pried apart as the hold and the cockpit sections of the shuttle seemed to detach.
Strapped to the jumpseat she could only watch in horror as the marines before her were suddenly spun in a different direction while Barrow and her were tumbling on the now suddenly exposed outside of the cockpit section. She was screaming as loud as her lungs could bear, but he was oddly quiet. As if resigned to their fate. She could see the city spinning around her, and the straps holding her began to give way as they were never intended for this. Barrow reached out and for a moment she reached towards him but then they hit something hard and her body was sent flying free of the seat.
[Continued in Comments]
submitted by RegalLegalEagle to HFY [link] [comments]
Mary had been rather intrigued by the concept of an observation deck on a ship. Curator ship designs didn’t even have windows let alone a whole deck. Yet, deck seemed a bit of a grand exaggeration now that she was standing in the room with the large window dominating one wall. The room was empty aside from herself. Though there were tables and chairs enough to fit a few dozen people easily. No doubt it was more in use if the ship should be hosting dignitaries over some important planet, or picturesque astronomical feature. En route to NT-2125 however they were instead enveloped in the Ink, a sight no one seemed keen on viewing.
Her education had of course touched on the existence of the Ink, but that was about it. She had no idea how it really was used to facilitate FTL travel. What she did know, now that she was looking at it, was that it was rather unpleasant to look at. She had seen purest black. The concept of looking at entirely nothing but a void was fine with her.
The Ink however… While she watched it slowly move around before her eyes it was like a vast ocean of some kind. An ocean of… incredible depth. When she had first stepped into the room and seen it dominating the large window she had thought it to be a mixture of blues, purples, and blacks. But the longer she watched the bubbles and lines slowly moving around she wasn’t sure if she were seeing color at all. Maybe she was seeing not the absence of light, but something opposite to it. As if the Ink gave off… anti-light.
She had no basis for this thought of course. No training, education, or experience to make her believe it was a real thing. Yet, if matter had anti-matter why couldn’t light have anti-light? After all the longer she looked the more if felt like she wasn’t really seeing anything. Nothing real anyway. More like… if she closed her eyes and rubbed against the eyelids and saw the attempts of her brain understand the shadows. Then there was the thought maybe she really was seeing something. Something just under the waves of its vast deep ocean of anti-light. After all, what was causing it to move? Were the waves, ripples, and bubbles purely random? Or was there something making it move?
As unpleasant as her line of thinking was, at least watching it gave her some small alone time on the otherwise crowded vessel. It also gave her an excuse to keep her headset muted. She would much rather deal with staring out at a vast ocean of anti-light than listen to the ship around her at this point. Yet, the moment she began to consider that she saw a flash in the bottom of her vision. Door opening. With a flick she started the program to let her headset gradually increase volume as her ears began to work again.
First sound, click of hard heel on metallic decking. Second sound, sharp intake of breath likely indicating surprise, anxiety, unease, or combination. Third sound, a tongue flicking against teeth before making a disapproving sucking sound. Fourth sound, fabric on fabric rubbing was very low and soft indicating luxury stitching and material. “Hello Director Obli.”
“Translator.” Came the curt reply, though said at a perfectly reasonable volume for normal speaking Mary winced a bit. Going from total silence to even the muted sounds she was getting now was rough at times. Especially as more just kept building. Even at this low level the sound of the ships began to return to her. The groan of metal, the hum of electricity, the distant murmur of people going about their tasks. She had no idea what she’d do without the headset to at least partially mute the world around her.
“Your bodyguards aren’t joining us?” Mary glanced over at the Huul’Rav in his custom suit. She couldn’t see his guards, but she could hear them just outside. She recognized Hrue from his breathing pattern, as smoking had done a number on his lungs. Based on the jingle of grenade tabs the other was Juul.
“If the Curators wanted me dead I highly doubt they’d create you just for the task. They’re more than powerful enough to have no need for subtlety or subterfuge.” Even though the director was talking to her he was looking out the window at the Ink. She could see the disdain on his face rather obviously. A hand moving up to nervously brush his furry chin, even as he tilted his horns side to side.
While he seemed focused on the Ink her mind returned to his curious comment. Did the Curators need to employ subterfuge? Of course they were powerful, but surely there was also use in subterfuge. Regardless, she had not been sent to kill the Director. Or anyone for that matter. She had no training in combat or related topics. He seemed to also be thinking about this though as he looked at her. “You aren’t here to kill me right?”
“No. I’m not here to kill you or anyone else.” She assured him. “I’m just here to facilitate communications during the negotiations.”
“It is curious though. Why the Custodians sent anyone at all…” He trailed off and while she was about to answer he turned and spoke first. “Actually do you mind if we talk somewhere else?” At the end his eyes darted to the window and the swirl of the Ink beyond.
“Certainly.” She nodded, and gestured to the door letting him go first.
“I appreciate it.” He commented and even as he stepped through the door Hrue stepped in front of him to lead, while Juul stepped up behind Mary to follow. “I will admit it spoils my plans a bit. I wanted to talk with you in private a little. But uh… I do not particularly enjoy looking at the Ink.” She could hear his breathing pattern change just being in the hallway, out of sight of the swirling anti-light.
“I’m sure we can find privacy elsewhere. Though I am unsure what kind of private chat you would like. I’m here strictly as a neutral party to facilitate negotiations.” She reminded him.
“As you’ve said many times.” Obli waved off her remark. “Anyway, since you’re new to this sort of thing I just want to introduce you to my underling since you’ll be working for him during the start of the talks.”
Mary frowned at this sudden revelation. “First, I don’t work for you, or your subordinate. I-”
“Are a neutral translator provided by the Curators.” He waved her off again as they walked. All around her she could hear the ship and its crew going about keeping the ship alive as it were. It was an older vessel and every creak and groan of stressed metal, or electrical spark continued to heighten her anxiety. She could not wait to get off this vessel and onto a planet. “I meant work for him in a more metaphorical sense. I know you likely expected to work with me throughout these talks but it’s just not how labor talks to management. They don’t get to start by talking to a Director. They’ll start with someone just important enough to garner attention but with no real power. If he fails, I swoop in and save things. If he succeeds I get to take credit in the end and talk about how I knew he was the man for the job.”
The further they walked from the observation deck and the Ink the more confident and in fact arrogant Obli got. She wasn’t particularly keen on his behavior but she had at least grown accustomed to it on the trip so far. “Why then did you spend most of this trip testing my abilities as a translator?”
“Because I was trying to figure out your angle.” He replied with a glance back over his shoulder as they reached a lift. The four of them filtered into it before Juul hit the button for the hangar deck.
“I don’t have an angle. I was instructed to come here and facilitate-” She began but he yet again waved her off.
“Neutral yes yes. But why? We’ve never needed nor requested Curator assistance for anything like this. We have a proven history of successfully ending labor disputes and organization efforts. So why have the curators bothered to send you? Shouldn’t you be trying to help keep the FDF from falling apart? Or spreading the word of the Curators to the masses or something? That is something they do right? Proselytize?” Mary was fairly confident Obli tried to be dismissive about the Curators just to make himself more comfortable. It was a minor enough annoyance to overlook. Though she wondered if it actually helped ease his fragile ego.
“The Curators do not proselytize no. They have no need. They exist. They act. They do not need the approval of others, nor belief in their correctness. I am here because I have been ordered to be here. I was told I must assist in negotiating between the belligerent parties on NT-2125 and observe the outcome. That is all. If the Curators have a deeper reason for sending me here I do not know it.” While she spoke she could already hear Obli clicking his tongue in disapproval. Hrue was trying, and failing, to breathe quietly. Juul was running her hand over a smooth metallic object in her right pocket, slowly turning it over.
“I know you are flesh and blood, but you’re more like your creators than I find comforting.” Obli very bluntly commented.
“I do not exist for your comfort.” Mary pointedly replied, which made Obli click his tongue in disapproval once more. By that point the lift stopped and the doors opened. The rush of sound from the hangar deck made her wince a moment as she had to deal with the sudden volume as she lowered her headset sensitivity.
“I don’t think you exist for your own comfort either.” Obli remarked, now smirking a little at her obvious discomfort. There was little she could do but cast a glare in his direction as the pain subsided and the sounds took on a more muted level. Looking out across the hangar she could see dozens of people moving around and working on the ship’s complement of shuttles, and fighters. No one was expecting combat, but that didn’t stop the captain from preparing anyway. While she was told most of the machinery operated at frequencies most species couldn’t hear it always gave her a headache to be around so many buzzing, grinding, churning machines.
“Regardless.” Obli continued. “I want to make it clear I have been authorized to extend to the Curators our most sincere intent to be friends. If there is anything we can do to make your job more comfortable let me know. And if you see fit to pass on anything you hear from the labor organizers direct compensation is on offer.”
“I am here as a neutral party.” She reminded him yet again. But he just spread his hands and smiled.
“We’re willing to pay for even what you would consider banter and gossip. Anything you hear. My subordinate is also authorized to compensate you but I’d prefer a direct copy.” He held out an encryption cylinder. While she had no intention of passing along anything she did take it. It might be useful for other reasons.
“I don’t have a bank account, you know. Or any credits.” When she told him this he looked entirely confused. “I am not paid for my efforts. Curators do not use currency of any kind. Resources are simply provided as needed.”
Director Obli’s look of pure disgust was even more obvious than when he’d been in the observation deck. “And here I thought they were civilized… But it’s then all the more important for you to start building up your own nest egg!” He began to pull a credit chip from his pocket but she waved him off.
“I’m not chipped nor do I have a slate.” This time he scoffed and looked confused even as he held it out.
“You can take the whole thing. How do you expect to pay for anything on the planet without credits?” He seemed genuinely baffled.
“I don’t expect to pay for anything on the planet. Your company has extended their most sincere intent to be friends after all.” As she tilted her head a little while looking at him Obli just snorted.
“Ah… This is why my assistant was babbling about an expense waiver. Yes… There are limits to it, you know. Food, drink, necessities only.” Mary just stared at him until he finally sighed and tucked the credit chip back into his pocket. “Fine. It’s best for you to go change now then, the shuttle will be leaving as soon as we hit real space.”
She was wondering why he’d brought her here directly. “And why am I changing?”
“Well, you can go as you are if you like. But this isn’t a Curator ship. The Resolute has to drop further away from the planet so the shuttle will be in space to close the gap to the planet. And, I mean clearly Curator tech never breaks or has any accidents but our poor mortal hands make poor mortal vessels.” Obli spread his hands as if to highlight his own soft, well manicured hands.
“Fine.” While her suit wasn’t as comfortable as her normal clothes she didn’t intend on being the only one killed by some sort of accident on the way to the planet. It would set a terrible precedent. So she walked away from Obli and his guards then towards the hangar’s locker room.
As she strode across the deck, stepping over fuel and coolant lines she tried to make some sense of the mass of sound around her. Obli no doubt thought she was beyond earshot when he spoke to his guards. “Strange bird. Easy on the eyes though.”
Hrue cleared his throat a moment to reply in a gravely, raspy voice. “Think the Curators made her to be attractive to most species somehow? Robot magic or something?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I still don’t know why they sent anyone at all. I don’t trust those damned machines.” Obli replied. She had expected this sort of reaction. It was in line with their comments during the trip.
Other than that most of the technicians, mechanics, and pilots moving around the hangar seemed much more focused on their work than anything else. Grumblings about the captain’s standards, and an apparent lack of spare parts. Based on the overall comments it seemed to be more about not wanting to do so much work rather than serious concerns over abilities to keep ships functional. Or so she hoped.
Once in the locker room she made her way to the back where a special case had been installed for her suit. While she would have preferred to travel on a Curator vessel she was glad to at least get a Curator suit. They didn’t have many organics, but the suits they made for her and the other Lifted were absolutely the best in terms of survivability, durability, and protection. Just not… comfort.
Since the locker room seemed to be empty she quickly stripped down, setting aside the encryption cylinder Obli had given her. For a moment she examined herself, along the deep red feathers of her head and neck, gradually turning to a sunburst yellow down her torso, and finally a rich deep blue along her legs and tail. Did species find her attractive? If the Curators had intended for this they likely would have included it in her training surely. Must just be Obli and his guards.
Stepping up to the Curator case she hit the activation button and then held perfectly still as the case opened, arms moving out to begin affixing the suit to her body. First she felt the snap of metal rings around her ankles, wrists, neck, hips, and ribs before the rest of the exoskeleton was built up around it. Then came the cool mesh of the inner suit pulled up underneath it and against her feathers. Next was the composites slotted into the outside, layered and overlapped for maximum coverage. Finally she prepared herself for the final step as two hoses connected to the metal collar around her neck. She hated this part.
When the liquid began to pump into the lining between the mesh and the composite layer it was ice cold and caused her to gasp and shudder as it filled in. It took a few minutes while she tried to carefully control her breathing and push past the cold. Once it was finally full the suit activated and the liquid turned solid, controlled by the sophisticated Curator chip in her skull. Her temperature quickly began to return to normal now and she took a slow deep breath in relief before taking the helmet the case offered last.
She refrained from putting the helmet on yet though, it wasn’t quite big enough for her taste and always rubbed her eartips. Walking back out into the hangar she could feel the suit somewhat flowing around her movements. It would turn liquid to move, then solid when it didn’t need to. She was also told it would go selectively rigid to deflect projectiles. A feature she hoped to never test.
Looking around a moment she saw Obli near the closest shuttle, speaking to someone wearing an executive pattern suit. Luxurious and comfortable, but she’d prefer the Curator suit in an emergency. Next to him was a human in a deep blue armored suit with steel accents. As she watched he draped a travel cloak over the shoulders of the suit. An interesting touch. Walking towards them she had to stop a moment to let a rumbling hangar tug pass. Several technicians rode in the back, carried to their next task.
Judging on the whine of the back left wheel she figured their next task might be to fix the tug itself. Either way she continued on up to Director Obli. “Translator. I’d like you to meet Kingus.” Obli gestured to the figure in the executive suit. Up close she could see through his helmet’s faceplate and examine the Nikvic inside. Rather stubby bone ridges. Rather young then for an executive.
“Translator.” He nodded to her.
“Kingus, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Mary, though translator is just fine as well.” She took an amicable approach for now.
“Yes. This is my bodyguard, Eli.” He gestured to the human next to him, who made for an imposing figure in his armor. With his helmet in place the steel visor reflected a distorted reflection of herself back at her.
“Ma’am.” He nodded and extended a hand out from under his cloak. Shifting her helmet to her left hand she carefully reached out to shake his hand in return.
“Eli, it’s nice to meet you.” The first human she’d found in the employ of the company. Though she knew most of the problems on the planet were related to their human miners. Allegedly at least.
“Nice to meet you as well ma’am.” His shake was firm but not aggressive. “We should be ready shortly. They’re loading the last of some food supplies and then we’re waiting on the marines.”
“Food supplies… I don’t even know what we’re taking down there. Argyle is a full fledged city. The problems its facing are related to labor terrorists. Not famine.” Kingus mentioned with a huff.
“It’s likely my food.” Mary answered. “The Curators were unsure how long I would be here and sent me with a full complement of prepared meals.”
“Oh.” Kingus coughed lightly. “Well… that’s fine then. I wasn’t aware you had special dietary needs. But the marines at least should be here. What’s taking them so long?” He tried to deflect a little and looked around.
As if summoned by his complaint she saw a group of human soldiers approaching the shuttle. The few times she had seen soldiers so far they’d been in smart uniforms and moving with purpose and sharp specific gestures. These… did not look nearly so impressive. Or poised. Instead the group just walked casually towards them, in a mixture of armor sets. Most had a haphazard drab olive green coat of paint but much of it was chipped and worn. Not to mention much of it was also covered in writing, drawings, and decals that she doubted were officially sanctioned.
Only the man in the lead looked to be in a truly official uniform set of armor. “I’m Lieutenant Barrow. I assume this is the shuttle we want?”
“Barrow, this is Kingus our Executive Labor Liason.” Director Obli introduced them. “This is our translator Mary.”
“Never seen one of you before. What species are you?” Mary turned to look at the soldier who’d spoken to her. He was just next to the officer, and his armor looked particularly beat up. She also noticed signs of scorch marks in several places. Unlike the single smooth faceplate of Eli’s armor his helmet looked more like a scowling face with golden lenses in the eyes.
“I am not an official species. I was Lifted by the Curators to act as a translator.” She informed him directly.
“Interesting. So you’re a bird. But you’ve got ears. What’s with the headset?” He gestured up at it as she reflexively reached up with her free hand to touch the side.
“There was a slight miscalculation in my creation and I find most settings to be… uncomfortably loud. The headset is to regulate the volume of my surroundings to prevent damage and discomfort.” She explained.
“What… wait. The Curators made a translator who gets hurt by sound? Am I understanding that right?” Mary frowned at his comment.
“That’s somewhat reductive.” She tried to deflect.
“Is it wrong?” He pressed.
“It’s not entirely inaccurate.” Disparaging on the work of the Curators wasn’t something she was comfortable with.
“That’s a fancy way of saying I’m right. So your job, which is listening to things, actively hurts you. Man… sucks to be you.” A few of the other marines snickered and giggled behind him as Mary frowned.
“Gunny, that’s enough.” Barrow finally waved off the other marine.
“Where’s the rest of your company? And the Major?” Obli asked now, thankfully moving things along.
“Elsewhere. He said if you’re not going to the planet yet he doesn’t see a reason to go either. My platoon and I are sufficient at this time. Once you’re ready to head down then the rest of the company will deploy.” Barrow shrugged. “You send your flunkey first he sends his flunkey too.”
“We have concerns about possible terrorist strikes on civilians during the labor talks. Are you sure a platoon is really sufficient?” Kingus asked.
The officer sucked in a breath, likely about to answer but Gunny cut him off. “Isn’t it interesting. All across the fringe you corporate types like to talk about how safe and secure your mining colonies are. Biding everyone to bring their families and get to work. Yet, the moment a union starts to form you start screaming about terrorists and how you need the military to keep order.”
“Gunny.” The officer hissed at him. Gunny waved it off a moment as the officer cleared his throat. “Your own reports suggest corporate security is robust enough to secure the city. We have no intel to suggest any threats of terrorist strikes by the miners are really valid. A platoon will suffice for now. If the situation changes the rest of the company can deploy very quickly I assure you.”
“Fine. But remember just because the miners in question are human doesn’t mean you can give them free reign. The FDF and by extension the marines rely on our funding to keep functioning.” Kingus replied.
“You never let us fucking forget.” Gunny muttered that barely under his breath. Neither Kingus or Obli seemed to pick up on this but Mary did.
“Many species across the Fringe have been generous enough to accept many human refugees. We obviously seek a future of cooperation and mutual success. This is not about humans being singled out. They have been given the same rights and contracts as all other species who join our corporate family.” Director Obli smiled and spread his hands in a friendly gesture. “We ask only that you protect the talks because they’re so important to our continued wellbeing as united front here on the Fringe. The Tide comes for us all and we must be ready. Together.”
“Well said Director.” Kingus nodded in support.
“Fucking please…” Gunny muttered and made some sort of gesture with his fist making a pumping motion in front of his hips. From the reports the Curators had given her, really what it seemed like was the humans massively increased their productivity, but in exchange wanted better treatment from the various industrial consortiums. The executives like Obli enjoyed the productivity but felt treating them better would set a bad precedent.
Across the fringe however humans had been getting their way more often than not. NT-2125 was by far the biggest, most high profile case, but she didn’t imagine it would be anything special. “Yes, well, we are here to keep you safe and make sure no one kills anyone. On either side.” The officer assured them and then gestured at the shuttle. “Shall we?”
“Have a nice flight Translator. Remember to call me.” Obli smiled and nodded at her.
“I’m sure we’ll be in touch, Director.” She finally pulled her helmet up and on, feeling it settle into place with a click and a soft hiss at it pressurized. The very tips of her ears were lightly pressed in by the sides which was why she’d waited this long to put it on. The marines began to board the shuttle first, shuffling along rows in the center to get into seats with metal shoulder restraints that would help hold them in place.
“Hey, so you’re a Lifted? What do the Curators want you here for? What’s the deal?” Gunny asked as he waited near the back for the others to shuffle in.
“I am not at liberty at this time to discuss the Curators or their work.” Mary’s forehead felt slightly warm as she answered him.
“Oh come on. There’s got to be something special the Curators want you here for.” Gunny insisted.
“I am not at liberty at this time to discuss the Curators or their work.” Mary’s forehead felt a bit warmer still.
“Gunny leave her alone.” Barrow instructed.
“C’mon why a translator at all? We’ve got earpieces! I’ve never seen a translator before, let alone a Curator one!” By now the other marines were seated and Mary began to shuffle up the row looking for a free seat.
“Ma’am you’ll need to take one of the jumpseats up front. These harnesses aren’t made for your Curator suit.” Barrow tapped one of the set of shoulder restraints. So she kept shuffling past the row of marines towards the front.
“I don’t rely on machine translation. I am fluent in over six hundred languages and forms of communication. I listen to all parties and ensure nothing is lost in translation.” She assured them.
“Only six hundred? I knew of a guy who was fluent in over six million forms of communication.” Gunny’s voice had a slightly different tone to it. Was he joking?
“Six million seems excessive. I assure you I am well trained for my job.” Now at the front of the shuttle she found the jumpseat in question. Yet, when she went to pull the seat down the dangerous whine and groan of the metal hinged did not inspire her with confidence. Still it was her mission so she settled into the seat and went about trying to figure out the harness.
Barrow approached her and pointed to the straps in order to help her out. “You’ll be fine. This is really just a precaution.” The Lieutenant nodded and gave her shoulder a pat. She smiled up at him then, her faceplate clear unlike their armor. It was thought to be better for non-verbal communication cues if people she spoke to could see her face. Kingus and Eli were the last to settle in seats nearby.
“Hey! Corpse!” Gunny called out as Eli settled into his seat and set the shoulder restraints with practiced ease.
“Excuse me?” Eli looked across the aisle at Gunny.
“You’re corporate security right? Corp-sec.” Gunny more carefully pronounced. But Mary was positive he hadn’t made a mistake earlier.
“I’m a private bodyguard. I work on contract.” Eli corrected him.
“Oh well anyway the fuck is with the cloak?” Gunny gestured at the deep blue cloak draped over Eli’s shoulders and body. “You’re in a suit right? Kind of the point of a space suit to be waterproof and somewhat heat proof and shit yeah? Kind of defeats the point of a cloak right? So what gives?”
“It’s about looking stylish. Something you clearly have no concept of Gunnery Sergeant.” Eli’s response seemed to take Gunny by surprise. The Gunny? Was Gunny a nickname or a title? Either way the marines around snickered and chuckled a bit though she could hear Gunny snort.
Barrow took the jumpseat next to her instead of one of the more secure seats. Possibly to help set her at ease. Which she appreciated. “So, Lieutenant. Do you expect this mission to be dangerous?”
“What? Protecting the talks? No. We’ve done this a few times so far. It’s pretty boring. No one has actually done anything. Usually there are some protests. Corp-sec shove people around. Both sides are upset. But no one dies. The talks advance. The miners get a bit more pay and benefits. Both sides are mutually annoyed with the other. And I’m sure in a few years it’ll all happen again.” Barrow shrugged and seemed entirely unconcerned.
“Don’t be so flippant.” Kingus said even as Barrow seemed to dismiss any concerns. “We’ve had some communications troubles from NT-2125. The work of labor agitators no doubt.”
“Communications troubles? Why are you telling us that now?” Barrow asked, showing some concern.
“I thought it was common knowledge?” Kingus sounded genuinely confused that Barrow was unaware of this. “Is it not? Executives on the ground have spoken of damaged communications systems, and delayed reports from outlying facilities.”
“Have there been delays in ore shipments? Or minerals or whatever?” Barrow asked.
“No. In fact due to our exemplary corporate structure we’re seeing increases across the board.” Kingus nodded, clearly proud of this fact.
“So… in your mind the labor agitators are breaking lines of communication. But not… the ore shipments which you find significantly more valuable?” Barrow asked, clearly not buying the idea.
“Don’t be complacent! Just because labor organizers have been rarely violent in the past doesn’t mean it will always be the case! I want your men on their highest alertness lieutenant!” Kingus stressed.
“Yes sir, I’ll be sure to pass that along.” Barrow assured him, even though Mary could tell by his tone that he had no intention of doing anything.
“What’s the planet like?” She asked next.
“The locals have called it Argyle.” Kingus answered. “It’s our largest mining operation and a highlight of our terraforming technology. A dozen zones have been established across the surface and ten of them are already fully habitable without a suit. We expect work to be done on six zones within the solar cycle, and shall open up another dozen to be finished within the next three solar cycles. Mineral and ore outputs are quadruple expectations. Mostly thanks to our unequaled refinery efficiency.”
“Or maybe cause you’re exploiting the shit out of your workers.” Again Gunny muttered this quietly enough to be missed by the others. Mary was settling into her seat as best she could when she heard the engines spool up. Inside the armored cockpit behind her she could hear the pilots flipping switches.
“Systems check complete. Echo shuttle requesting clearance for departure.” She wasn’t sure if that was the pilot or co-pilot. Deeper, possibly male.
“We got a flight plan?” Lighter possible female. Maybe that was the pilot?
“Yeah.” Navigator. Younger, more youthful. Not clear if male or female. “Not much to it. Follow the automated beacons. Their spaceport is big enough for Tagmax freighters so it should be easy peasy lemon squeezy.” Human definitely.
“We’re clear.” Co-pilot.
“Okay.” There was a moment where Mary’s hearing seemed to echo as she heard both the pilot in the cockpit and over the speakers in the hold at the same time. “We’re in real space and disembarking now. Remember to keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times until we come to a full and complete stop. We know you’ve got no choice in airlines today so suck it up because we’re all you got.” Also definitely human.
Gunny seemed to wiggle and settle in his seat, as if to take a nap. In general the marine chatter in the hold seemed very relaxed and calm. A good sign. The most nervous person was likely Kingus whose breathing she could tell was getting a bit quicker and more nervous. After another few seconds she heard the engine spooling get more intense and the shuttle picked up off the deck. Kingus tensed at this as his hands gripped the seat’s armrests more tightly.
While Mary wished she was in a superior Curator craft she was relatively relaxed. She’d flown many times, especially in her training to make sure she could translate even in stressful situations. Part of her wanted to mute her headset for now, to free herself of the need to listen to every jostle of the shuttle and the people within it, but she knew it was more important to maintain her ability to listen to the flight crew.
For several minutes however she mostly had to fight her growing desire to take a nap. Gunny’s breathing shifted into a soft and consistent snore so he already fell asleep. The gentle rumble of the ship around her and her secure nature also lent itself to a desire to nap… “Hey did we check the sensor calibration before we left?” Navigator.
“Yeah, total systems check. Everything cleared. I’m not seeing any problems.” Pilot.
“Uuuhhh… Okay.” Their tone implied things were not okay. She turned her head a little, and began to dial up her headset, ignoring the other sounds and focusing on the cockpit. Another minute went by as she just had the hum of the engines and marine chatter around her. “We’re sure the sensors were checked?”
“Yeah. Why what’s wrong?” Pilot.
“It’s just… uh… doesn’t make sense. I’m reading like… aaa lot of different atmospheres?” Navigator.
“Yeah. They’re terraforming it. So, a lot of different atmospheric readings.” Co-pilot.
“Sure but… some of these are… bizarre.. Like a… nitrogen? Maybe? And uh… ammonia.” She frowned as the Navigator said this.
“Maybe those are the natural planetary atmosphere. Listen, everything else I’ve got is reading fine.” Pilot.
“Ask ground maybe? Terraforming… accidents?” Navigator.
“Resolute this is Echo Two. Do we have any direct communication with Ground? Over.” Co-pilot. Pause. “No direct comms at this time. But the nav beacons are loud and clear.”
“Probably just some interference. I mean if they’ve had a terraforming accident it’s probably hell on comms.” Pilot.
“Yeah… probably.” Navigator, entirely unconvinced. As she listened she realized Barrow was staring straight at her. Did he suspect something? Was he on their channel?
“Something up?” He asked.
“The navigator thinks there might have been a terraforming accident on the planet.” She explained.
“What? How do you know that?” Barrows looked from her towards the armored door between them.
“I can hear them.” She explained simply.
“Did you say a terraforming accident?” Kinugs looked her way now.
“They say there’s strange atmospherics on the planet.” She revealed.
“I knew it! Labor agitators!” He huffed. “Tell your men to be ready for all manner of terrorism Lieutenant!”
“Mmhh…” Barrow's answer was noncommittal but seemed worried as he focused on Mary. She was still focused on the cockpit however.
“Was there a cruiser in orbit somewhere?” Co-pilot.
“The uh… Tartar or something. At least on the mission brief. We tracking it anywhere?” Pilot.
“I… no. I’ve got us, the orbital refinery platform, and the Resolute.” Navigator.
“Freighters? Shuttles? Corporate Yachts? Anything?” Pilot.
“Nnnnno.” Navigator.
“They aren’t seeing any other traffic in orbit.” She relayed to Barrow.
Barrow cleared his throat and seemed to trigger a mic in his helmet. “Guys, shut the fuck up. Gunny wake up.” A marine besides gunny slapped the man’s shoulder causing him to jerk in his seat and a knife seemed to appear in his hand.
“Wah?” He looked around.
“Something’s up.” Barrow mentioned. “No traffic, planetary comms are down, and terraformers are fucked up.”
Mary expected some smart comment but Gunny tucked his knife away and just listened. “Wait. A… freighter is taking off.” Navigator. “And I’ve got one leaving the orbital platform.”
“Ping them?” Co-pilot. Pilot must have nodded because he continued. “Pinging.” Pause. “Both are automated. Both report… systems are fine. No issues.”
“Nothing from ground? Emergency beacons? Distress? Nothing?” Pilot.
“Nothing.” Co-pilot confirmed.
“I mean… they’d be loath to stop shipping ore. Maybe it’s just really comms trouble and they aren’t flying anything right now. Cruiser might be on the far side assisting with some kind of… recovery effort? I don’t know.” Pilot.
“That might be the case…” The co-pilot did not in fact think that was the case. “Resolute, this is Echo two. Uh… do we have any further… mission details? Are we still go on landing? Over.” He sounded nervous. “We’re still go… they think it’s just comms trouble. But they’re prepping more shuttles now for possible rescue or support efforts.”
“I mean everything I’m seeing is clear. Not even rain clouds.” Pilot.
“They’re saying there’s comms failure on the planet. They’ve found automated traffic only. No distress calls.” Mary relayed. A moment later the pilot keyed in a direct channel and she heard the voice through Barrow’s helmet comm.
“Hey eltea. Just a heads up. We think there’s some kind of comms failure on the planet. And maybe a terraforming accident. No signs of hostile action though. Still prepped to land shortly. But uh giving you a heads up.” So they could talk to him but hadn’t.
“Appreciated. I’ll relay.” He acknowledged. Then she had to try and focus a bit harder as Barrow began to speak to his marines about the situation but the flight crew was still chatting.
“Entering atmo now. Any change in sensor reading?” Pilot.
“No. Area around Argyle looks… okay. Wait, that's the city right?” Navigator.
“Yeah. Uh. Maybe.” Pilot. The shuttle began to shake a bit harder though from what she had experienced before this was just normal for entering atmosphere. They were quiet as the shuttle rumbled. But after another minute the rumbling seemed to get worse instead of better. She was much more acutely aware of the groaning of the metal and just shuddering of everything around her. Kingus’ teeth were rattling and clicking especially. “Okay what the fuck.”
“Yeah… Yeah… Uh… fuck.” Co-pilot. What were they seeing? Just describe it outloud!
“I can’t turn it off. Ground has us locked into our corridor.” Navigator.
“Override!” Pilot.
“I can’t! I’m trying!” Navigator. The shuddering of the shuttle intensified further as it seemed to be moving around, like the pilot was trying to shake them out of whatever their path was and kept getting pulled in. “It’s not using any normal code! I’ve got no fucking clue what this is!”
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!” Mary winced at how loudly the Co-pilot yelled that. So far their voices had been full of stress and anxiety, but not fear, nor had they been loud.
“Jesus!” Pilot. What? What was it? “Look at it fucking move! Chaff! Flares! Dump everything!”
“Brace!” Mary cried out as she clutched her harness. She could hear the deployment of flares and chaff in a rapid series of bops and clanks. Then she could hear something hit the shuttle… But it wasn’t an explosion? Just a meaty metal crunch. Her body jerked hard in the harness as the shuttle around her began to spin, or jerk, or she had no idea but it was twisting violently!
“Fuck!” Pilot
“Watch it!” Co-pilot. Red lights immediately came on in the hold of the shuttle, she could hear as well as feel the violent collision as the port wing slammed into something. For a brief instant she could hear the shattering of glass before her hearing was just overwhelmed by the rest of the crash and the screaming around her. The force yanked her hard against the harness as she heard the terrifying screech of metal being pried apart as the hold and the cockpit sections of the shuttle seemed to detach.
Strapped to the jumpseat she could only watch in horror as the marines before her were suddenly spun in a different direction while Barrow and her were tumbling on the now suddenly exposed outside of the cockpit section. She was screaming as loud as her lungs could bear, but he was oddly quiet. As if resigned to their fate. She could see the city spinning around her, and the straps holding her began to give way as they were never intended for this. Barrow reached out and for a moment she reached towards him but then they hit something hard and her body was sent flying free of the seat.
[Continued in Comments]
2023.06.01 04:40 Superpredator_213 The Toby Episode
Toby Interview: I was really excited when they told me for this documentary they'd be profiling people in the office and I'd be one of the first. Human Resources is one of the most important...
*Michael bangs on the window walking by*: Nobody cares!
Toby Interview: Because of Michael I processed three times the number of HR complaints of anyone in the company.
*Intro\*
\Walkway outside motel, crew following Toby, as they go by they pass two cleaning women, both of whom cross themselves as he walks by*.*
T: They think I'm the Scranton Strangler. I'd reassure them he's already in prison but I always get fresh towels every day even though for long term residents we're only supposed to get fresh towels once a week. So, it has its perks. Although I think at one point someone broke in to my room and left a DNA swabbing kit behind. I gave it back to the police station and a detective accused me of taunting him. Ah, home sweet home, good old room 115.
Jim Interview: Do I think Toby is the real Scranton Strangler? Hmmm.... I'm gonna have to plead the fifth on that one.
Dwight: Is Toby the Scranton Strangler? Oh no. Do I think he has a bodycount? Oh yes. I've listened to more than five thousand hours of true crime podcasts in my role as Junior Deputy for the Unintegrated Areas of Lackawana County and every time they describe a family annihilator, all I see is Toby Flenderson.
Pam interview: That's a horrible thing to say.... But I do make sure I'm not alone with him in the office.... He just gives off a creepy vibe okay? He does a great job. Before it was automated he had to review TH6/R forms every time someone quit because of something Michael or Dwight or Angela or.. Jim... did, and he was always really thorough with them. A little too thorough...
Angela Interview: Do I like Toby? I find him to be most agreeable company. He is like a sleeping lion, like a coiled spring of potency and... well, let's just say i admire him even though he'd never even notice someone as plain as me.
\Shot of Toby in the lunchroom slowly stirring his coffee*.*
Angela Interview: He's the type to make a girl say... I could fix him.
Kevin Interview: I saw him eating a cucumber sandwich. Now I like cucumbers and I like sandwiches, but that is not something that should exist.
\Motel room, Toby is sitting on the bed*.*
T: I thought I'd just move in here temporarily while my divorce went through. That was... five... seven... ish years ago. Their monthly rates are really reasonable, I could never get a place this size and this close to work all on my own. I had roommates when I was going to college but I arrived him one day and they'd all just left so I'm still kind of unsure about entering into a similar situation.
Michael interview: Imagine a nightmare. The worst nightmare you've ever seen. You're in your pyjamas at school and you forgot your homework, and now the teacher is telling the class to point and laugh at how you can't find your desk. Because your desk is on fire and covered in garbage. That's Toby.
Darryl interview: Who? No idea. Never even seen the guy.
Creed Interview: I'll tell you some gossip. Not his real hair. He's had work done.
Kelly Interview: So the woman who does my pedicures - Grace - her husband went to college around the same time Toby was there like a million years ago or something but she said that he totally knew this like totally weird guy who'd always sit on the far side of the class and just take notes for every class and ask questions and they were all like 'who is this guy?' and 'what is his problem?' and apparently it was super creepy.
Ryan Interview: Human Resources is a necessary evil for a functioning corporation. They're like, the priest class in dungeons and dragons. They serve the good even though they do evil in the service of that good.
*Shot of Toby clicking the shredder on and off, trying to get a piece of paper to go through*
Ryan Interview again: They can summon the power of the lord but only summon it to bring down righteous justice. I'm just disappointed he hasn't brought the hammer down on Jim and Pam. Frankly it's unprofessional all around.
T: I really tried to bring the hammer down on Jim and Pam. I just think its unprofessional.
Etc.
submitted by Superpredator_213 to RedditWritesTheOffice [link] [comments]
*Michael bangs on the window walking by*: Nobody cares!
Toby Interview: Because of Michael I processed three times the number of HR complaints of anyone in the company.
*Intro\*
\Walkway outside motel, crew following Toby, as they go by they pass two cleaning women, both of whom cross themselves as he walks by*.*
T: They think I'm the Scranton Strangler. I'd reassure them he's already in prison but I always get fresh towels every day even though for long term residents we're only supposed to get fresh towels once a week. So, it has its perks. Although I think at one point someone broke in to my room and left a DNA swabbing kit behind. I gave it back to the police station and a detective accused me of taunting him. Ah, home sweet home, good old room 115.
Jim Interview: Do I think Toby is the real Scranton Strangler? Hmmm.... I'm gonna have to plead the fifth on that one.
Dwight: Is Toby the Scranton Strangler? Oh no. Do I think he has a bodycount? Oh yes. I've listened to more than five thousand hours of true crime podcasts in my role as Junior Deputy for the Unintegrated Areas of Lackawana County and every time they describe a family annihilator, all I see is Toby Flenderson.
Pam interview: That's a horrible thing to say.... But I do make sure I'm not alone with him in the office.... He just gives off a creepy vibe okay? He does a great job. Before it was automated he had to review TH6/R forms every time someone quit because of something Michael or Dwight or Angela or.. Jim... did, and he was always really thorough with them. A little too thorough...
Angela Interview: Do I like Toby? I find him to be most agreeable company. He is like a sleeping lion, like a coiled spring of potency and... well, let's just say i admire him even though he'd never even notice someone as plain as me.
\Shot of Toby in the lunchroom slowly stirring his coffee*.*
Angela Interview: He's the type to make a girl say... I could fix him.
Kevin Interview: I saw him eating a cucumber sandwich. Now I like cucumbers and I like sandwiches, but that is not something that should exist.
\Motel room, Toby is sitting on the bed*.*
T: I thought I'd just move in here temporarily while my divorce went through. That was... five... seven... ish years ago. Their monthly rates are really reasonable, I could never get a place this size and this close to work all on my own. I had roommates when I was going to college but I arrived him one day and they'd all just left so I'm still kind of unsure about entering into a similar situation.
Michael interview: Imagine a nightmare. The worst nightmare you've ever seen. You're in your pyjamas at school and you forgot your homework, and now the teacher is telling the class to point and laugh at how you can't find your desk. Because your desk is on fire and covered in garbage. That's Toby.
Darryl interview: Who? No idea. Never even seen the guy.
Creed Interview: I'll tell you some gossip. Not his real hair. He's had work done.
Kelly Interview: So the woman who does my pedicures - Grace - her husband went to college around the same time Toby was there like a million years ago or something but she said that he totally knew this like totally weird guy who'd always sit on the far side of the class and just take notes for every class and ask questions and they were all like 'who is this guy?' and 'what is his problem?' and apparently it was super creepy.
Ryan Interview: Human Resources is a necessary evil for a functioning corporation. They're like, the priest class in dungeons and dragons. They serve the good even though they do evil in the service of that good.
*Shot of Toby clicking the shredder on and off, trying to get a piece of paper to go through*
Ryan Interview again: They can summon the power of the lord but only summon it to bring down righteous justice. I'm just disappointed he hasn't brought the hammer down on Jim and Pam. Frankly it's unprofessional all around.
T: I really tried to bring the hammer down on Jim and Pam. I just think its unprofessional.
Etc.
2023.06.01 04:35 bellchenst Present-Day Wonder in Dual-Era Worldview in Our Upcoming Adventure Game, Spatial Terminal: Riftwalkers
 | Welcome, brave adventurers, to the world of Spatial Terminal: Riftwalkers! This extraordinary universe we’ve been crafting spans not just the vast spectrum of technology, biology, and society but also transcends the boundaries of time. Our world is set in a dual era, with the present-day cities of Tachimi and San Minato coexisting with an ancient civilization lost to history. It’s a place where past and future collide in new and profound ways, shaping a world that’s both eerily familiar and wildly different from our own. Let us take you on a journey through the dazzling present-day cities of Tachimi and San Minato, setting the stage for the incredible adventure that awaits you in the ancient realms beyond. submitted by bellchenst to stworld [link] [comments] Concept of Tachimi City Tachimi City: The Surreal Mastery of Technologies and IllusionsIn the twilight of human development, the sprawling metropolis of Tachimi City emerges, etched on the island’s western coastline. Artificial Superintelligence lays the very foundation of this city, building layer upon layer of chaotic yet deliberate architecture beyond the realms of human understanding. In this city, neon lights reign supreme, casting puzzling shadows on the denizens below, who flock to the vibrant underground pop culture scene that has made Tachimi notorious.Basking in the glow of night, holographic projections dance with AI bots to paint a portrait of surreal beauty as humans stand by and watch designs more ambitious than any mind could have conceived unfold. Rich, swirling colors pulsate from countless billboards and art installations spread across the city, the hallmark of Tachimi City’s thriving creative scene. Yet, beneath the kaleidoscope of over-stimulation lies an undercurrent of darkness. The neon-lit alleys extend into a labyrinth of shadows and illicit activity, where exhausted souls vie for a taste of the glitz and glamour Tachimi promises. Amidst soaring futuristic malls and high-tech offices lie crumbling social welfare apartments, homes to those who eke out a living on the fringes of a society shaped by AI-driven ingenuity. Concept of Tachimi City San Minato City: A Harmonious Symphony of Life and ArtOn the opposite end of the spectrum lies San Minato City, nestled on the eastern coast. Here, the air is free from the hum of AI. Instead, the city is alive with the whisper of nature and the touch of biological advancement. Silicon and quantum computers are rare sights, with their presence restricted only to the city’s banking system and a decentralized blockchain used for democratic voting.The infrastructure here seems to grow rather than be built, thanks to revolutionary cell-growing technologies. Streets and buildings come alive, growing organically from the ground, as if San Minato City were a living, breathing entity. The scientists have even broken the inter-species communication barrier with Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, leading to a vibrant, chaotic society where intelligent animals like monkeys and parrots participate in societal functions. From racial to gender and now species equality, this city is a hub of progressive movements. Art flows freely in the veins of San Minato City. Each corner houses a gallery, with music, paintings, photography (non-digital), and motion pictures becoming the soul’s language. And yes, transportation here is a thrill on its own. Why ride a bus when you can hop onto a Turkey Taxi? Not only do these feathered rides beat cars, but they also outpace helicopters! Concept of San Minato City The Island of Conflict: The Endless Clash of IdeologyDividing these two cities lies a desolate wasteland, all that remains of the once-great capital of an ancient civilization. The hazardous desert echoes with the whispers of ghostly conflicts, while scars of ceaseless battles dot the landscape, testament to the unwavering ideological divide between Tachimi and San Minato that never seems to reconcile.Concept of Central Island Desert Yet, it is in this estranged present that our protagonist’s quest begins, only to take an unexpected turn in the heart of Tachimi City’s public subway system. Captured in a gravity-defying anomaly, the very fabric of time and space unravels, casting our hero into the cryptic depths of a forgotten past, lost to all knowledge. Welcome to Spatial Terminal: Riftwalkers. Our universe is vast and diverse, and every stone overturned reveals deeper layers of mystery and intrigue. As the present-day cities of Tachimi and San Minato give way to an ancient past, the boundaries between the known and the unknown dissolve, ushering you into a journey of epic proportions. Concept of Tachimi Metro Station Join us in this thrilling adventure, where time’s rift awaits those who dare to traverse its unseen path. Ready yourself, intrepid explorer, for the world of Spatial Terminal: Riftwalkers is about to begin. Prepare to cross through time and space as you unveil the unseen world that lies before you. Please Wishlist UsAs our collective journey unfolds, we invite you to join us and be a part of the burgeoning Spatial Terminal community. Show your support by wishlisting Spatial Terminal Engine on Steam or diving into our early access: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2261570Stay tuned for the highly anticipated arrival of Riftwalkers in Spatial Terminal Marketplace, with a sneak peek of the game to be revealed in late June. Keep an eye out for our upcoming real-time devlogs and updates, as we continue to breathe life into the worlds we build, powered by your passion and our unwavering commitment to innovation. https://preview.redd.it/mksreyp9jb3b1.png?width=2004&format=png&auto=webp&s=a610fe80304f6a76733d06a193f615ed263c7d1b |
2023.06.01 04:18 Away-Kaleidoscope380 People who cant do anything alone
I have a friend who asks me every single day to hangout. Those of you who work corporate/office jobs now how limited our time is after work and as someone who likes to workout and get hobbies done, it makes my time on workdays very limited. My friend doesnt seem to understand and asks me everyday to hangout. If I say I’m gna go golf, he wants to tag along and note I have no problem with meeting up with friends if we enjoy the same hobbies and respect each others time. This friend however always shows up late then takes another 30-40min to smoke because he cant do anything sober. By the time we get started, I would have already been done had I gone solo. I’ve told him multiple times that I have a routine and schedule on my workdays and I’m really not willing to change it just to watch him smoke and “chill”. I quit smoking a few years ago and got my life turned around with a career and he hasnt.
I do consider myself a heavy introvert as I enjoy working out and doing my hobbies alone. Theres something therapeutic about it after a long work day and having time for myself. Having a friend cling on like this is getting extremely annoying as he cant do anything alone and because hes always bored, he wants to tag along with whatever I do. Like I said above, its fine if he wants to come but my time needs to be respected. My friends that I occasionally go with respect each others time and if we’re going to hit the range then we individually work on our golf game or if we go to the gym, we just get our work done and leave. He likes to socialize and just “chill” and tells me I’m too uptight with my time when in reality, I really only got 2-3 hours a day to do what I want.
Am I being unreasonable and is this normal for an adult to not be comfortable with doing things alone
submitted by Away-Kaleidoscope380 to introvert [link] [comments]
I do consider myself a heavy introvert as I enjoy working out and doing my hobbies alone. Theres something therapeutic about it after a long work day and having time for myself. Having a friend cling on like this is getting extremely annoying as he cant do anything alone and because hes always bored, he wants to tag along with whatever I do. Like I said above, its fine if he wants to come but my time needs to be respected. My friends that I occasionally go with respect each others time and if we’re going to hit the range then we individually work on our golf game or if we go to the gym, we just get our work done and leave. He likes to socialize and just “chill” and tells me I’m too uptight with my time when in reality, I really only got 2-3 hours a day to do what I want.
Am I being unreasonable and is this normal for an adult to not be comfortable with doing things alone
2023.06.01 04:14 kaymer327 "Optional" Return to Office
Wording and any possible replies will be purposefully vague because my tin foil hat is screwed on too tight today...
The backstory:
So like many, the pandemic caused my SO's company to go full WFH. While business was impacted to a certain extent, they were able to continue operations almost completely. Over the 3+ years, multiple "no raises, but be glad you still have jobs" (nearly verbatim) type e-mails have been sent out or line has been stated on all hands conf calls...
The company has been teasing return to office for the better part of a year and it finally happened last week in the form of a "hybrid" schedule with much corporate fanfare. Pretty much everyone has been grumbling about it for months - they've been successful from home, so why go back into the office? My theory: because someone decided to move the office (location makes business sense for at least one reason, but "asses in seats" isn't it) and needs to justify the decision to spend money on new office space that hasn't been used at all...
The location move has at minimum doubled the commute time from the old office (and exponentially increased it from just rolling out of bed)... I thought the cherry on top was the open floor plan that makes it so easy to collaborate with people that SO doesn't need to because they'll be busy on the phone doing their job, but I was wrong! This e-mail was sent out today noting that WFH full time is optionally available again, after just one week (3 full days) of hybrid/in office work. Taking something away and "giving it back" in this way seems so wrong.
Here is the e-mail in all it's glory:
Some notes that I have to the email:
submitted by kaymer327 to antiwork [link] [comments]
The backstory:
So like many, the pandemic caused my SO's company to go full WFH. While business was impacted to a certain extent, they were able to continue operations almost completely. Over the 3+ years, multiple "no raises, but be glad you still have jobs" (nearly verbatim) type e-mails have been sent out or line has been stated on all hands conf calls...
The company has been teasing return to office for the better part of a year and it finally happened last week in the form of a "hybrid" schedule with much corporate fanfare. Pretty much everyone has been grumbling about it for months - they've been successful from home, so why go back into the office? My theory: because someone decided to move the office (location makes business sense for at least one reason, but "asses in seats" isn't it) and needs to justify the decision to spend money on new office space that hasn't been used at all...
The location move has at minimum doubled the commute time from the old office (and exponentially increased it from just rolling out of bed)... I thought the cherry on top was the open floor plan that makes it so easy to collaborate with people that SO doesn't need to because they'll be busy on the phone doing their job, but I was wrong! This e-mail was sent out today noting that WFH full time is optionally available again, after just one week (3 full days) of hybrid/in office work. Taking something away and "giving it back" in this way seems so wrong.
Here is the e-mail in all it's glory:
From: [REDACTED]
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 [TIME REDACTED]
Cc: [REDACTED]
Subject: Work from Home Request
Hello [REDACTED] Client Services and Technology Local Teams:
By now you have settled into your new office spaces, and we hope you are enjoying the new atmosphere. The Company put a lot of time, energy, and money into creating a safe, fun, and engaging place for you to work and collaborate.
As you know, [REDACTED]’s current return to work Hybrid Model requires you to be in the office just two days a week, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We allow you the opportunity to work in the office or remotely on Wednesdays, and work remotely on Mondays and Fridays.
We have spoken to some employees who enjoy coming to the office two days a week, while others have expressed an interest in working in the office less than two days a week and are willing to trade minor compensation for the flexibility to work remotely up to five days a week.
It is our goal to create a work environment that is both accommodating and productive, taking into consideration organizational needs. [REDACTED] would like to grant teammates who work on the Client Services and Technology Local Teams (CSSs, CSAs, Programmers, QA, Implementation) the option to request a schedule that comprises less than the required two hybrid workdays per week in the office. Instead of the current eight days a month (2 times per week) in the office, we are offering a choice to work in the office either four days a month, two days a month, or fully remote. Under any election, you will be expected to attend in-person meetings in the office from time to time when determined necessary by your Supervisor.
If your request for the revised Work From Home program is approved, other than for medical or disability, then for the initial calendar year you will not receive a raise, and your current annual base compensation will be adjusted one time as follows: a) If you elect to work in the office 50% of the Hybrid Work in Office Days (four days a month), you will receive a one-time reduction in your current annual base compensation of 5%; b) If you elect to work in the office 25% of the Hybrid Work in Office Days (two days a month), you will receive a one-time reduction in your current annual base compensation of 7.5%; c) If you elect to work in the office 0% of the Hybrid Work in Office Days (fully remote), you will receive a one-time reduction in your current annual base compensation of 10%. The Work From Home Form will allow you to select which days/weeks you wish to work in the office based upon your election (unless fully remote).
To make such a request, please contact Human Resources to receive the Work From Home Form, which you must complete and submit to Human Resources by this Friday June 2, 2023, by 12:00 pm. Once completed, your request will be reviewed by your Supervisor, and then Human Resources will advise you of next steps.
We believe that in-person time together is important for a variety of reasons, including connection and moral, thus the Company’s investment in renovating the workplaces and purchasing new furniture. While we prefer that everyone has a presence in the office on the scheduled two hybrid workdays per week, at this time we are letting you make the decision based on your personal preference. It is our hope that by giving you the flexibility to decide the number of days to work in the office and remote that we will continue to create a successful working environment for everyone.
Thanks
Some notes that I have to the email:
- The wording of the entire email has "ultimatum" written all over it.
- Sent on Wednesday, respond by Friday or fuck off.
- "come to the office or we cut your pay" - "we're letting you decide based on your preference.
- They spelled "morale" wrong.
- The cost incurred had a negative impact on morale. Double loss. Maybe they should have surveyed employees if that was one of their top concerns?
- "fun" workspace... Coming from someone who enjoys what they do - this is not a silicon valley or unicorn startup in their prime. There's nothing fun about this... They even removed the fabric covered boxes, but that's a negative here because open floor plans suck.
- After months of hearing people complain and going all in on RTO, a week later you decide to pump the breaks?
- While not explicitly noted here, other people attached to this office moved out of state and still work for the company 100% remote. Are they getting a 10% pay cut? Did they already get a pay cut? Almost certainly they moved to lower cost of living areas (we live in a high cost of living area), so did they get market decreases as part of the move?
2023.06.01 03:59 These-Ad-8781 Need advice worried about repercussions
Hello, long time lurker first time making a post here. I am currently a CSR at a vet hospital about 30 minutes commute from me. Today, I had to put my 12 year old black lab down that I've had since Iwas 17. Now, where as the majority of the staff was very supportive and loving including the doctor that put my baby girl down today, management was a nightmare. My hope was to put her down tomorrow, on Thursday. Take a half day and then have a three day weekend for my mental health. My manager decided that needed to put her down today, take Thursday off and be ready to go to work my full shift on Friday. This is due to being short staffed, because she allowed two of our 6 receptionist cut their hours for personal reasons, one of which got attacked by a dog and is on medical leave at the moment, so this would leave 2 receptionists on Friday when there would usually be 3. She did not even look me in the eye today or say goodbye to my pet. She also tried to control what time my pet would be put down and what time would go home. spoke with my dogs doctor about this, and she was dumbfounded by the fact that management is not putting this dog down, she is so why is she making these decisions? Anyhow. I am livid. What can I do about this? Has anyone gotten a doctor's note from emotional distress from losing a loved one? feel like may call off on Friday anyway, which would be my last sick day of the year. Or am just "being dramatic?" This is an individually owned hospital by a doctor that works in office, not a corporation.
submitted by These-Ad-8781 to Advice [link] [comments]
2023.06.01 03:54 Waste-Breakfast9156 Corporate Finance/FLDP Experiences - Incoming T10
Transitioning from the military and headed to a T10 this fall. Undergrad B.S. in Finance -- work experience was as a financial management officer.
Like many vets I stated consulting in my application but I've realized that the lifestyle just doesn't fit with what I'm looking for as I exit the military. After completing a summer preparation course, apparently I align relatively well with corporate finance roles based on my what I value.
Personally, I'm looking for stability, low stress (aware this can vary), industry/geographic flexibility, and WLB. Compensation is important to a point, but I could care less about "prestige" and am looking for a role I can grow and progress in long-term without burning myself and my family out.
I've reached out to alums who are in various roles but am looking for some other opinions and experiences, some general questions below:
- What industries value the role of finance and do a good job integrating it with other functions?
- I can find tons of FLDPs (Chevron, J&J, Cigna, Amazon) and post-MBA corporate finance roles (PepsiCo, Visa, Microsoft) but am trying to determine which companies really invest in the programs and the development of participants.
- Is there any standard timeline to progression or is it company/industry dependent? I.e. 5 years to director, 10 to VP, etc. How are high performers and identified, and what traits beyond the obvious are necessary for promotion? What does compensation typically look like at each level?
- How difficult is it to switch industries down the road? I.e. from CPG to Tech.
- In general, would I be at risk of pigeon holing myself into the function if down the road I wanted to pivot out?
- Appreciate any anecdotal experiences from folks who have experience in the role.
Thank you.
submitted by Waste-Breakfast9156 to MBA [link] [comments]
Like many vets I stated consulting in my application but I've realized that the lifestyle just doesn't fit with what I'm looking for as I exit the military. After completing a summer preparation course, apparently I align relatively well with corporate finance roles based on my what I value.
Personally, I'm looking for stability, low stress (aware this can vary), industry/geographic flexibility, and WLB. Compensation is important to a point, but I could care less about "prestige" and am looking for a role I can grow and progress in long-term without burning myself and my family out.
I've reached out to alums who are in various roles but am looking for some other opinions and experiences, some general questions below:
- What industries value the role of finance and do a good job integrating it with other functions?
- I can find tons of FLDPs (Chevron, J&J, Cigna, Amazon) and post-MBA corporate finance roles (PepsiCo, Visa, Microsoft) but am trying to determine which companies really invest in the programs and the development of participants.
- Is there any standard timeline to progression or is it company/industry dependent? I.e. 5 years to director, 10 to VP, etc. How are high performers and identified, and what traits beyond the obvious are necessary for promotion? What does compensation typically look like at each level?
- How difficult is it to switch industries down the road? I.e. from CPG to Tech.
- In general, would I be at risk of pigeon holing myself into the function if down the road I wanted to pivot out?
- Appreciate any anecdotal experiences from folks who have experience in the role.
Thank you.
2023.06.01 03:50 welchies Resume WIP: Feedback Encouraged
The best time to look for a new job is while you have one right? Looking for suggestions on my resume that I'm updating after 4 years. Not looking to jump ship anytime soon but ya never know. Ideal job would be senior analyst/ audit.
https://preview.redd.it/t04k84fxab3b1.jpg?width=1700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63366927913629b568420aad7c2d55324f24a739
https://preview.redd.it/6q8z07fxab3b1.jpg?width=1700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e5492fedd6b0f2081b6414c63f964b3347f42b8
submitted by welchies to Resume [link] [comments]
https://preview.redd.it/t04k84fxab3b1.jpg?width=1700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63366927913629b568420aad7c2d55324f24a739
https://preview.redd.it/6q8z07fxab3b1.jpg?width=1700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e5492fedd6b0f2081b6414c63f964b3347f42b8
2023.06.01 03:49 5010703060 My 28M dad 58M is obsessed with conspiracies. What do I do?
Pretty much the title. My (28M) dad (58M) obsesses over a large number of conspiracies and it’s beginning to really concern me. He is well educated in science, self employed, loves his job, and mentally healthy. Overall, he is seemingly a very normal and well rounded person for the most part, except for the conspiracies. According to him he doesn’t watch the news and only does his “own research”.
While visiting home over the holiday weekend (USA) he told me about some of the things he believes. They include: flat earth (specifically that there is a dome above us), chemtrails, anti-vax, moon landing was faked, 9/11 was faked, taxes are actually optional…etc. The more disturbing ones are that the Catholic Church is actually demonic, the US is actually a corporation owned by the UK/Vatican and he thinks certain political figures will be removed from office for various reasons… and that’s just the stuff he remembered and wanted to tell me.
This really is starting to concern me because I think he’s detaching or has already fully detached from reality. I tried to challenge his arguments but it didn’t work. He just kept saying “I don’t believe in anything” almost like it was his new motto. Just generally he “doesn’t believe anything”. It’s like if he doesnt read it himself or see it with his own eyes, it’s not true. The rest of our close family who has heard him spout this for years is fed up also but no one really wants to do anything about it. He is very confident in his views and openly calling him out on it probably wouldn’t go well.
He’s been like this for years but it’s gotten worse since COVID started and he was forced to do things like wear a mask (god forbid). He was very much into the Obama hate including: Obama is the anti-Christ, he’s going to impose sharia law, he wasn’t born in the US, he’s gonna take our guns…etc
I live in another state from my parents now, but I really feel like I need to do something about this. I want my family to be closer and I don’t want to be worried that he will start spreading these things all the time. I also feel like it is not healthy for him to be obsessing over this stuff. I don’t want to cut him off completely because my mom doesn’t deserve that and I feel like maybe he could change.
I just feel like i’ve lost him to this cult. I don’t want to control him, I just want him to live in this reality, even if i disagree with him politically. It’s giving me a lot of anxiety and I just don’t know what to say or what to do.
How would you tackle this issue?
Thanks
submitted by 5010703060 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
While visiting home over the holiday weekend (USA) he told me about some of the things he believes. They include: flat earth (specifically that there is a dome above us), chemtrails, anti-vax, moon landing was faked, 9/11 was faked, taxes are actually optional…etc. The more disturbing ones are that the Catholic Church is actually demonic, the US is actually a corporation owned by the UK/Vatican and he thinks certain political figures will be removed from office for various reasons… and that’s just the stuff he remembered and wanted to tell me.
This really is starting to concern me because I think he’s detaching or has already fully detached from reality. I tried to challenge his arguments but it didn’t work. He just kept saying “I don’t believe in anything” almost like it was his new motto. Just generally he “doesn’t believe anything”. It’s like if he doesnt read it himself or see it with his own eyes, it’s not true. The rest of our close family who has heard him spout this for years is fed up also but no one really wants to do anything about it. He is very confident in his views and openly calling him out on it probably wouldn’t go well.
He’s been like this for years but it’s gotten worse since COVID started and he was forced to do things like wear a mask (god forbid). He was very much into the Obama hate including: Obama is the anti-Christ, he’s going to impose sharia law, he wasn’t born in the US, he’s gonna take our guns…etc
I live in another state from my parents now, but I really feel like I need to do something about this. I want my family to be closer and I don’t want to be worried that he will start spreading these things all the time. I also feel like it is not healthy for him to be obsessing over this stuff. I don’t want to cut him off completely because my mom doesn’t deserve that and I feel like maybe he could change.
I just feel like i’ve lost him to this cult. I don’t want to control him, I just want him to live in this reality, even if i disagree with him politically. It’s giving me a lot of anxiety and I just don’t know what to say or what to do.
How would you tackle this issue?
Thanks
2023.06.01 03:45 Due-Kitchen526 Role at Corporate
I’m going through the hiring process for a role in the main corporate office. It’s a senior role in merchandise planning. The recruiter has been anmazing, will be talking to hiring manager soon. I worry about the recent retail company closings and the interest rate - discretionary spending trend. Have a decent role in a Medical Pharmaceutical (fortune 50) company here in Irving but it’s not director level. I’m looking for data points and insights and am triangulating…I know it’s Reddit and it’s the internet. Can all the folks who work at Michael’s and like it there and are optimistic about it come out of the woodwork ? Is it that bad with the private equity buyer taking over? Wouldn’t social media and the lockdowns energized this industry and thus make this a long term sustainable company…especially since it’s the biggest retailer in this space?
submitted by Due-Kitchen526 to MichaelsEmployees [link] [comments]
2023.06.01 03:24 PuzzleheadedTown2725 Pi for the normal and paranormal pt 1
I woke up to the familiar gentle touch of my wife.” Morning.” she said gently, kissing my cheek before falling asleep again. Getting up I felt a tug from her tail wrapped around my ankle again. No wonder she was sleeping like a baby. I gently freed my leg and proceeded to my morning routine. I cut the bathroom light off to see the horned silhouette with bright golden eyes behind me in the mirror. I flipped the light on and it was gone, flipped the light off and it was back. I repeated this a few more times and she giggled before walking off.
After breakfast it was back to work. A few cases of suspected cheating; two of which turned out to people just wanting alone time. Overall nothing That needed my immediate attention. Then the more complicated portion of my job came into play. The huge thin man in a black suit handed me a letter with a stylized W on it.” Thank you Sam.” I said as I took it.I threw the letter onto the pile next to the fireplace.
“ You sure boss? They're starting to seem desperate ” Sam asked as he inspected the pile of identical letters.” There was no point in trying to read his emotion; a blank face will have you staring for hours.
“ I’m not worried about them. We’ve got other potential clients to get to. Hey Bella, we're about .” Hold on.” She responded as she ran out with a gift bag and small pill bottle. She handed Sam the bag and me the pill bottle.
“ T thanks Mrs.Anderson.” Sam said as he opened the bag and pulled out a black fedora.
“Oh please I’ve told you so many times to call me Bella. Also it was no problem; My stubborn husband would never wear anything like this.” The sight of Sam the Slenderman wearing a fedora almost made me burst out laughing.to head out.” I shouted while checking my pistols
” You look good. The noir thing isn’t my style anyway.” I said wearing my jeans, T-shirt and steel toed black work boots.
We walked through the acres of forest behind my house along the familiar path under an unnaturally arching canopy. Leading the way as he usually does Sam seemed a bit more energetic as he brought us to the well crafted door that both felt out of place and like it fit perfectly where it was.
Opening the door revealed a leprechaun flying in my direction.”Hey Tim. What happened this time?” I asked as I caught him. After dusting himself off he caught me up on the situation.” This ogre came in and started causing trouble. I told him to leave, but he just threw me.” Entering the pub of wonders a few of the beings inside went quiet the instant they noticed the three of us.It didn’t take much time to spot the massive frame of the ogre as he chugged his beer.
“Hey Shrek!!” I shouted, every syllable oozing with disrespect.
”WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT!!” The green skinned behemoth bellowed as he flew from his seat and stomped over to me.
” I did, you can’t just go around throwing people.” I responded as Tim stood next to me.
”Tiny men thinking they’re tough. Hah, that's adorable.” He responded as he got a good look at me.”Aren't you that human married to that freak of a demon.”
“The hell did you just say about my wife?” Apparently the look on my face sent a message to everyone in the immediate area to get to a safe distance.
As if reading from a script in a bad movie the ogre closed his eyes and lowered his face to mine before saying.” I’ll let you have one free shot.” Such a poor choice of words. I pulled out my revolver and fired point blank in his face. He fell on his back holding his busted nose. While he rolled around on the ground screaming incoherently I proceeded to rain down a barrage of punches, causing purple blood to splatter all around us.
A sharp tug on my waist pulled me off of the pathetic excuse for an ogre. ” That’s enough. He’s learned his lesson.” Sam said, holding me in the air. The Ogre scrambled toward the door but was lifted by another of Sam’s tendrils.” I’m sorry I’m sorry please just keep him away from me “ he cried before throwing a pouch to Tim and bolting out the door when he was released.
As Sam put me down Tim gave me a handful of gold coins from the pouch and a manila envelope. I opened it and looked through the requests. “ Let's see Trap, trap, trap. What the hell? Is this a joke or something?” I said, revealing the picture of what appeared to be a three headed pit bull puppy.
” No joke came from Hades himself. Once you find him, simply toss this into the closest fire.” Tim said as he handed me a small glass jar with obsidian powder in it.” Alright then. Sam, we're looking for a three headed pup.”
Now obviously I’m breaking the first rule of fight club so don’t tell anyone. As the pub door opened we were greeted to the sight of the underground structure that served as a coliseum. Beings of all shapes and sizes were there. However all the focus was on the two fighting. It was what looked like a roided out werewolf fighting.” Sam are you seeing this?!” I said excitedly as I realized the other monster was something I’d always wanted to see. It was the goddamn Mothman.
” Holy shit he’s real! You weren’t bullshitting!” I heard Sam shout, matching my excitement. It had its insect-like wings wrapped around its body like a cloak. We watched as the werewolf swiped its claws but only hit the air. Mothman in a show of insane speed and strength put the werewolf in a flawless choke hold, unfolded its wings,and shot into the air as high as the underground stadium would allow. Mothman released Its grip and the werewolf hit the ground with a loud thud and snap. its legs bent all wrong and” Oh shit!!” Everyone shouted as Mothman slammed into the werewolf’s abdomen with the speed of a pissed off rocket.
As much as I wished I could’ve kept watching, I had a job to do. Finding a Cerberus shouldn’t be too difficult if you know what you’re looking for. Their bark sounds deeper and more intimidating than any other dog; even paranormal ones. However their scent is truly unique. A mixture of Cherry 7-Up, Mint and brimstone. I’m the arena with , so many beings of all shapes,sizes,smells and sounds make those easy to spot details next to impossible.
We stepped into the well furnished office. The nasally voice of the man at the desk annoyed me more than the two stone golem guards standing behind me and Sam.” What brings you two to my office today?” I scanned the room before approaching the desk. A tall man with short black hair, glasses and clothes that hung off of him stood up to meet me.”Got word that this little guy was last seen around here. Know anything Devin?”I said as I handed him the picture of the Cerberus puppy.
submitted by PuzzleheadedTown2725 to AnyAndAllWriting [link] [comments]
After breakfast it was back to work. A few cases of suspected cheating; two of which turned out to people just wanting alone time. Overall nothing That needed my immediate attention. Then the more complicated portion of my job came into play. The huge thin man in a black suit handed me a letter with a stylized W on it.” Thank you Sam.” I said as I took it.I threw the letter onto the pile next to the fireplace.
“ You sure boss? They're starting to seem desperate ” Sam asked as he inspected the pile of identical letters.” There was no point in trying to read his emotion; a blank face will have you staring for hours.
“ I’m not worried about them. We’ve got other potential clients to get to. Hey Bella, we're about .” Hold on.” She responded as she ran out with a gift bag and small pill bottle. She handed Sam the bag and me the pill bottle.
“ T thanks Mrs.Anderson.” Sam said as he opened the bag and pulled out a black fedora.
“Oh please I’ve told you so many times to call me Bella. Also it was no problem; My stubborn husband would never wear anything like this.” The sight of Sam the Slenderman wearing a fedora almost made me burst out laughing.to head out.” I shouted while checking my pistols
” You look good. The noir thing isn’t my style anyway.” I said wearing my jeans, T-shirt and steel toed black work boots.
We walked through the acres of forest behind my house along the familiar path under an unnaturally arching canopy. Leading the way as he usually does Sam seemed a bit more energetic as he brought us to the well crafted door that both felt out of place and like it fit perfectly where it was.
Opening the door revealed a leprechaun flying in my direction.”Hey Tim. What happened this time?” I asked as I caught him. After dusting himself off he caught me up on the situation.” This ogre came in and started causing trouble. I told him to leave, but he just threw me.” Entering the pub of wonders a few of the beings inside went quiet the instant they noticed the three of us.It didn’t take much time to spot the massive frame of the ogre as he chugged his beer.
“Hey Shrek!!” I shouted, every syllable oozing with disrespect.
”WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT!!” The green skinned behemoth bellowed as he flew from his seat and stomped over to me.
” I did, you can’t just go around throwing people.” I responded as Tim stood next to me.
”Tiny men thinking they’re tough. Hah, that's adorable.” He responded as he got a good look at me.”Aren't you that human married to that freak of a demon.”
“The hell did you just say about my wife?” Apparently the look on my face sent a message to everyone in the immediate area to get to a safe distance.
As if reading from a script in a bad movie the ogre closed his eyes and lowered his face to mine before saying.” I’ll let you have one free shot.” Such a poor choice of words. I pulled out my revolver and fired point blank in his face. He fell on his back holding his busted nose. While he rolled around on the ground screaming incoherently I proceeded to rain down a barrage of punches, causing purple blood to splatter all around us.
A sharp tug on my waist pulled me off of the pathetic excuse for an ogre. ” That’s enough. He’s learned his lesson.” Sam said, holding me in the air. The Ogre scrambled toward the door but was lifted by another of Sam’s tendrils.” I’m sorry I’m sorry please just keep him away from me “ he cried before throwing a pouch to Tim and bolting out the door when he was released.
As Sam put me down Tim gave me a handful of gold coins from the pouch and a manila envelope. I opened it and looked through the requests. “ Let's see Trap, trap, trap. What the hell? Is this a joke or something?” I said, revealing the picture of what appeared to be a three headed pit bull puppy.
” No joke came from Hades himself. Once you find him, simply toss this into the closest fire.” Tim said as he handed me a small glass jar with obsidian powder in it.” Alright then. Sam, we're looking for a three headed pup.”
Now obviously I’m breaking the first rule of fight club so don’t tell anyone. As the pub door opened we were greeted to the sight of the underground structure that served as a coliseum. Beings of all shapes and sizes were there. However all the focus was on the two fighting. It was what looked like a roided out werewolf fighting.” Sam are you seeing this?!” I said excitedly as I realized the other monster was something I’d always wanted to see. It was the goddamn Mothman.
” Holy shit he’s real! You weren’t bullshitting!” I heard Sam shout, matching my excitement. It had its insect-like wings wrapped around its body like a cloak. We watched as the werewolf swiped its claws but only hit the air. Mothman in a show of insane speed and strength put the werewolf in a flawless choke hold, unfolded its wings,and shot into the air as high as the underground stadium would allow. Mothman released Its grip and the werewolf hit the ground with a loud thud and snap. its legs bent all wrong and” Oh shit!!” Everyone shouted as Mothman slammed into the werewolf’s abdomen with the speed of a pissed off rocket.
As much as I wished I could’ve kept watching, I had a job to do. Finding a Cerberus shouldn’t be too difficult if you know what you’re looking for. Their bark sounds deeper and more intimidating than any other dog; even paranormal ones. However their scent is truly unique. A mixture of Cherry 7-Up, Mint and brimstone. I’m the arena with , so many beings of all shapes,sizes,smells and sounds make those easy to spot details next to impossible.
We stepped into the well furnished office. The nasally voice of the man at the desk annoyed me more than the two stone golem guards standing behind me and Sam.” What brings you two to my office today?” I scanned the room before approaching the desk. A tall man with short black hair, glasses and clothes that hung off of him stood up to meet me.”Got word that this little guy was last seen around here. Know anything Devin?”I said as I handed him the picture of the Cerberus puppy.
2023.06.01 03:11 Throwawayfuckup105 Difficulty being assertive and sounding confident
I’m currently an HR Coordinator for a large corporation in VA.I got this job about 2 months ago and I just feel like I am a fish out of water.
Prior to this I did office coordinatoMINIMAL HR duties for a local company with maybe 50 employees. Interviewing, Training, recruiting, onboarding, minimal employee relations or investigations. I did that for about 3 years.
I feel like I am just way in over my head some times. I’ve got people coming to me to answer questions i have no answers For. I just feel like Im not assertive and I feel so meek. I can’t stop myself from making myself small. I just feel like I don’t know how to be assertive without coming off as a bitch.
I have an amazing HR Manager. She’s so great and super helpful. I’m learning so much from her and I just feel bad that I don’t know more which I know is dumb lol obviously I don’t know everything and my manager is super aware of my knowledge and she’s great about teaching me.
I just want to be more confident and assertive and sure of myself when I have to deal with people.
What do y’all do? How do I fake it till I make it? Ugh I just needed to vent to people who get it. I love my husband but he doesn’t understand some things about the job.
submitted by Throwawayfuckup105 to humanresources [link] [comments]
Prior to this I did office coordinatoMINIMAL HR duties for a local company with maybe 50 employees. Interviewing, Training, recruiting, onboarding, minimal employee relations or investigations. I did that for about 3 years.
I feel like I am just way in over my head some times. I’ve got people coming to me to answer questions i have no answers For. I just feel like Im not assertive and I feel so meek. I can’t stop myself from making myself small. I just feel like I don’t know how to be assertive without coming off as a bitch.
I have an amazing HR Manager. She’s so great and super helpful. I’m learning so much from her and I just feel bad that I don’t know more which I know is dumb lol obviously I don’t know everything and my manager is super aware of my knowledge and she’s great about teaching me.
I just want to be more confident and assertive and sure of myself when I have to deal with people.
What do y’all do? How do I fake it till I make it? Ugh I just needed to vent to people who get it. I love my husband but he doesn’t understand some things about the job.
2023.06.01 02:58 BrokenMind5 Need advice on PC Specs
Hi,
I currently have a
CPU: Ryzen 3600,
RAML: 48 gigs 3200mhz ram,
MB: x470 motherboard,
PSU: 850 watt EVGA PSU,
SSD: 2x 500GB nvme drives
GPU: RX580 8gb GPU
My boss is getting me a RTX4090 as a bonus for hard work, so I have decided to get a new system to complement the RTX4090. I will be repurposing the above to an office machine.
This is what I am looking at getting so far.
Can I get some advice or feedback if the below specs can be improved or if I have mismatched anything?
Budget is $1500.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X - 499
MB: Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX AM5 ATX Motherboard - 288
RAM: Corsair 64GB (2x32GB) CMK64GX5M2B6000C40 Vengeance C40 6000MHz DDR5 DRAM - 308
SSD: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD - 80 (can add more storage later)
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Black ATX Case - 153
PSU: SilverStone DA850 850W 80+ Gold Power Supply - 121
Case Fans: Deepcool 120mm XFAN Hydro Bearing 1300RPM Case Fan x 3- 15
CPU Cooler: DeepCool AK400 ZERO DARK CPU Cooler - 48
Total: $1512
Thanks in advance for your help.
submitted by BrokenMind5 to pcmasterrace [link] [comments]
I currently have a
CPU: Ryzen 3600,
RAML: 48 gigs 3200mhz ram,
MB: x470 motherboard,
PSU: 850 watt EVGA PSU,
SSD: 2x 500GB nvme drives
GPU: RX580 8gb GPU
My boss is getting me a RTX4090 as a bonus for hard work, so I have decided to get a new system to complement the RTX4090. I will be repurposing the above to an office machine.
This is what I am looking at getting so far.
Can I get some advice or feedback if the below specs can be improved or if I have mismatched anything?
Budget is $1500.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X - 499
MB: Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX AM5 ATX Motherboard - 288
RAM: Corsair 64GB (2x32GB) CMK64GX5M2B6000C40 Vengeance C40 6000MHz DDR5 DRAM - 308
SSD: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD - 80 (can add more storage later)
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Black ATX Case - 153
PSU: SilverStone DA850 850W 80+ Gold Power Supply - 121
Case Fans: Deepcool 120mm XFAN Hydro Bearing 1300RPM Case Fan x 3- 15
CPU Cooler: DeepCool AK400 ZERO DARK CPU Cooler - 48
Total: $1512
Thanks in advance for your help.
2023.06.01 02:44 bravuralax HALB: (NIH) National Institute of Health. + ARPA-H (Gov't), Advanced Research Project Agency Health: 7 abstract submitted not 3!!🚑🚑🚑
 | submitted by bravuralax to SqueezePlays [link] [comments] |
2023.06.01 02:43 seafig4 Anyone work in the corporate office at HonorHealth? I want to know what the culture is like and how’s the work life balance?
Interested in applying for a role there and just wanted to get a feel for it.
submitted by seafig4 to Scottsdale [link] [comments]
2023.06.01 02:41 User739161639461 My dad is obsessed with conspiracies. What do I do
Throwaway acct just in case. Pretty much the title. My (28M) dad (58M) obsesses over a large number of conspiracies and it’s beginning to really concern me. He is well educated in science, self employed, loves his job, and mentally healthy. Overall, he is seemingly a very normal and well rounded person for the most part, except for the conspiracies. According to him he doesn’t watch the news and only does his “own research”.
While visiting home over the holiday weekend (USA) he told me about some of the things he believes. They include: flat earth (specifically that there is a dome above us), chemtrails, anti-vax, moon landing was faked, 9/11 was faked, taxes are actually optional…etc. The more disturbing ones are that the Catholic Church is actually demonic, the US is actually a corporation owned by the UK/Vatican and he thinks certain political figures will be removed from office for various reasons… and that’s just the stuff he remembered and wanted to tell me.
This really is starting to concern me because I think he’s detaching or has already fully detached from reality. I tried to challenge his arguments but it didn’t work. He just kept saying “I don’t believe in anything” almost like it was his new motto. Just generally he “doesn’t believe anything”. It’s like if he doesnt read it himself or see it with his own eyes, it’s not true. The rest of our close family who has heard him spout this for years is fed up also but no one really wants to do anything about it. He is very confident in his views and openly calling him out on it probably wouldn’t go well.
He’s been like this for years but it’s gotten worse since COVID started and he was forced to do things like wear a mask (god forbid). He was very much into the Obama hate including: Obama is the anti-Christ, he’s going to impose sharia law, he wasn’t born in the US, he’s gonna take our guns…etc
I live in another state from my parents now, but I really feel like I need to do something about this. I want my family to be closer and I don’t want to be worried that he will start spreading these things all the time. I also feel like it is not healthy for him to be obsessing over this stuff. I don’t want to cut him off completely because my mom doesn’t deserve that and I feel like maybe he could change.
I just feel like i’ve lost him to this cult. I don’t want to control him, I just want him to live in this reality, even if i disagree with him politically. It’s giving me a lot of anxiety and I just don’t know what to say or what to do.
Thanks for reading
submitted by User739161639461 to Advice [link] [comments]
While visiting home over the holiday weekend (USA) he told me about some of the things he believes. They include: flat earth (specifically that there is a dome above us), chemtrails, anti-vax, moon landing was faked, 9/11 was faked, taxes are actually optional…etc. The more disturbing ones are that the Catholic Church is actually demonic, the US is actually a corporation owned by the UK/Vatican and he thinks certain political figures will be removed from office for various reasons… and that’s just the stuff he remembered and wanted to tell me.
This really is starting to concern me because I think he’s detaching or has already fully detached from reality. I tried to challenge his arguments but it didn’t work. He just kept saying “I don’t believe in anything” almost like it was his new motto. Just generally he “doesn’t believe anything”. It’s like if he doesnt read it himself or see it with his own eyes, it’s not true. The rest of our close family who has heard him spout this for years is fed up also but no one really wants to do anything about it. He is very confident in his views and openly calling him out on it probably wouldn’t go well.
He’s been like this for years but it’s gotten worse since COVID started and he was forced to do things like wear a mask (god forbid). He was very much into the Obama hate including: Obama is the anti-Christ, he’s going to impose sharia law, he wasn’t born in the US, he’s gonna take our guns…etc
I live in another state from my parents now, but I really feel like I need to do something about this. I want my family to be closer and I don’t want to be worried that he will start spreading these things all the time. I also feel like it is not healthy for him to be obsessing over this stuff. I don’t want to cut him off completely because my mom doesn’t deserve that and I feel like maybe he could change.
I just feel like i’ve lost him to this cult. I don’t want to control him, I just want him to live in this reality, even if i disagree with him politically. It’s giving me a lot of anxiety and I just don’t know what to say or what to do.
Thanks for reading
2023.06.01 02:30 Christmas_Panda Michael implements a new policy that everyone must label their preferred pronouns in their email signatures.
Michael opens the door to his office with frustration and without looking at her yells…
Michael - “PAMELA. MY OFFICE NOW.”
Jim looks at Pam with wide eyes and shrugs, Pam responds with a silent eye roll and walks into Michael’s office.
Michael, with his back facing Pam begins…
Michael - “Pamela Pamela Pamela… What year is it?”
Pam - “Um… it’s two thousand and…”
Michael - “WRONG!”
Michael spins in his chair to face Pam.
Michael - “It is the year of acceptance. It is the year of black cops shooting white people, the year that a gay man can be… can be… an accountant! It is the year, that a pregnant man can be a woman and a pregnant woman can be not pregnant. It is the year that we will begin using pronouns. So explain to me what this is…”
Michael gestures to a printed email on his desk.
Pam - “Um this is an email telling you I’ll be out next week for a doctor’s appointment.”
Michael - “A doctor’s appointment for what? Is everything okay? You know you can talk to me.”
Pam - “Um… it’s a lady doctor.”
Michael - “I love lady doctors. Jan used to role play as one.”
Pam - “Um… okay. Well, as long as you got the message.”
Pam begins to backtrack out of the office cautiously.
Michael - “Okay… thank you for telling me… … wait wait wait! UGH.”
Michael gets up and storms out ushering Pam into the main room with him.
Michael Talking Head
Michael - “Why do people resist change? You wouldn’t spit on a blind person, so why not use pronouns? Is it that hard to add it into your email? Imagine if you saw a kid on a bicycle riding down the street, and his preferred pronoun was ‘shtee’ which was a lemonade, but instead, you used ‘he’ which was a stick that pierced his bicycle spokes and caused him to flip over his handlebars face-first into the ground. If you had just used lemonade, ‘shtee’ would’ve caught it one handed and that would’ve inspired ‘shtim’ to go on to win the World Series. You just speared a Derek Jeter with a ‘he’.”
End Talking Head
Michael - “Ahem… AHEM… It has come to my attention that some of you in this office do not take pronouns seriously.”
Creed - “Bossman, don’t ever settle for anything less than pro, the rest are amateurs.”
Michael - “Wha… Okay, I will start. My new pronouns are ‘hee’ with two e’s and ‘hymn’ as in the religious songs at Christmas time.”
Jim - “I would like to have ‘his majesty’ for both.”
Michael - “Yes! Jim gets it. Oscar, this is your time to …”
Dwight - “I would like to be ‘Kaiser’ and ‘Lord of the Sith’ as m…”
Michael - “Stop it. Take it seriously, please, Dwight. Come on. And what if Oscar wants those. Oscar, you get first dibs, now is the time to tell everyone what pronouns you have always secretly wanted. You can be your true self.”
Oscar - “I’m gay, not trans. And Michael, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think we are all very comfortable with each other already. This seems unnecessary… unless somebody truly feels that way of course, I would never push back.”
Toby - “Actually, I’ve given a lot of thought to this too and have talked to corp…”
Michael - “‘Poopy’ and ‘Single’ boom! You’ve got yours. Who is next?”
Ryan - “I’d like to keep ‘he/him’ but I want to change my name to Wunderkind, just one name, like Madonna.”
Michael - “No.”
Toby Talking Head
Toby - “You know, I was already in talks with corporate about a policy like this. I really think Michael and I could get closer through this initiative, if he could just see we’re on the same side… … maybe I could start a war in the office… I don’t know… nevermind. Please delete that.”
End Talking Head
submitted by Christmas_Panda to RedditWritesTheOffice [link] [comments]
Michael - “PAMELA. MY OFFICE NOW.”
Jim looks at Pam with wide eyes and shrugs, Pam responds with a silent eye roll and walks into Michael’s office.
Michael, with his back facing Pam begins…
Michael - “Pamela Pamela Pamela… What year is it?”
Pam - “Um… it’s two thousand and…”
Michael - “WRONG!”
Michael spins in his chair to face Pam.
Michael - “It is the year of acceptance. It is the year of black cops shooting white people, the year that a gay man can be… can be… an accountant! It is the year, that a pregnant man can be a woman and a pregnant woman can be not pregnant. It is the year that we will begin using pronouns. So explain to me what this is…”
Michael gestures to a printed email on his desk.
Pam - “Um this is an email telling you I’ll be out next week for a doctor’s appointment.”
Michael - “A doctor’s appointment for what? Is everything okay? You know you can talk to me.”
Pam - “Um… it’s a lady doctor.”
Michael - “I love lady doctors. Jan used to role play as one.”
Pam - “Um… okay. Well, as long as you got the message.”
Pam begins to backtrack out of the office cautiously.
Michael - “Okay… thank you for telling me… … wait wait wait! UGH.”
Michael gets up and storms out ushering Pam into the main room with him.
Michael Talking Head
Michael - “Why do people resist change? You wouldn’t spit on a blind person, so why not use pronouns? Is it that hard to add it into your email? Imagine if you saw a kid on a bicycle riding down the street, and his preferred pronoun was ‘shtee’ which was a lemonade, but instead, you used ‘he’ which was a stick that pierced his bicycle spokes and caused him to flip over his handlebars face-first into the ground. If you had just used lemonade, ‘shtee’ would’ve caught it one handed and that would’ve inspired ‘shtim’ to go on to win the World Series. You just speared a Derek Jeter with a ‘he’.”
End Talking Head
Michael - “Ahem… AHEM… It has come to my attention that some of you in this office do not take pronouns seriously.”
Creed - “Bossman, don’t ever settle for anything less than pro, the rest are amateurs.”
Michael - “Wha… Okay, I will start. My new pronouns are ‘hee’ with two e’s and ‘hymn’ as in the religious songs at Christmas time.”
Jim - “I would like to have ‘his majesty’ for both.”
Michael - “Yes! Jim gets it. Oscar, this is your time to …”
Dwight - “I would like to be ‘Kaiser’ and ‘Lord of the Sith’ as m…”
Michael - “Stop it. Take it seriously, please, Dwight. Come on. And what if Oscar wants those. Oscar, you get first dibs, now is the time to tell everyone what pronouns you have always secretly wanted. You can be your true self.”
Oscar - “I’m gay, not trans. And Michael, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think we are all very comfortable with each other already. This seems unnecessary… unless somebody truly feels that way of course, I would never push back.”
Toby - “Actually, I’ve given a lot of thought to this too and have talked to corp…”
Michael - “‘Poopy’ and ‘Single’ boom! You’ve got yours. Who is next?”
Ryan - “I’d like to keep ‘he/him’ but I want to change my name to Wunderkind, just one name, like Madonna.”
Michael - “No.”
Toby Talking Head
Toby - “You know, I was already in talks with corporate about a policy like this. I really think Michael and I could get closer through this initiative, if he could just see we’re on the same side… … maybe I could start a war in the office… I don’t know… nevermind. Please delete that.”
End Talking Head
2023.06.01 02:21 Flat-Focus7966 Can you fix warped artwork
 | The cover art is a little wavy. Also check out 2nd & 3rd pic. Is there a way to flatten it or should I leave it alone submitted by Flat-Focus7966 to gamecollecting [link] [comments] |
2023.06.01 02:20 COD_Mobile_Official Call of Duty: Mobile - May 31st Community Update
 | submitted by COD_Mobile_Official to CallOfDutyMobile [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/ypyqs2xpma3b1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=25fdba50be3a221e92b22140e81e349857836c53 Greetings Call of Duty: Mobile Community! Get ready to dive into the chaos because Season 5 – Get Wrecked! is live now. This season is full of anarchy and complete with new modes, content, and ways to play. In this launch Community Update we will be covering the new mode Search & Rescue, Tournaments updates, the Battle Pass, Seasonal Challenges, Bug fixes, and more! Now if you haven’t seen our official Season 5 – Get Wrecked! launch trailer let's watch it now - https://reddit.com/link/13x2yhb/video/3250t3t5na3b1/player https://preview.redd.it/668mt4s7na3b1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee3a59d91eb48e88a9d9690dd89e4fbefd087c82 As always, let’s start with a quick look at all the newest events launching throughout the next week:
In addition to all of the modes and events listed above, this season has a ton of new content coming like new operators and blueprints. You can see some of the new content that is coming now and later in the Season in our Roadmap below – https://preview.redd.it/rjddqgpcna3b1.png?width=958&format=png&auto=webp&s=f0f5f9b27851f04eea6ac544c9604da28d397e11 Battle Pass The Season 5: Get Wrecked! Battle Pass is now live! This new pass features the Epic operators: Rampage, Synaptic, Sims, and Roze. The weapons in the pass include the Switchblade X9, AK117, ZRG 20mm, Shorty, and the new weapon the FFAR 1. Also in the Battle Pass is the new MP scorestreak the Guardian, as well as a variety of other items and blueprints. Below you’ll find highlights of both the free and paid versions of the Battle Pass, as well as our Battle Pass trailer so you can see the operators and weapons in action! Free Battle Pass
Premium Pass
~ Parachute – Burgundy Leather~ Prizefighters – Burgundy Leather~ Avatar – Rough Kickers~ Frame – Burgundy Leather~ Calling Card – Furious Explosion And on top, of that, we have our Ground Forces Subscription! Join Ground Forces and unlock the following –
In addition to our Battle Pass offer, we have our usual Battle Pass from the past in our Battle Pass Vault. This season in the Battle Pass Vault is the 2021 Battle Pass from Season 5: In Deep Water. This means if you happened to miss the In Deep Water Battle Pass the first time now is your chance! The Battle Pass Vault In Deep Water will include –
https://reddit.com/link/13x2yhb/video/zue26s7epa3b1/player Search & Rescue Search & Rescue is the newest mode coming to Call of Duty: Mobile in Season 5 – Get Wrecked! This mode was seen in both Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and is a combination of Search & Destroy and Kill Confirmed, with some additional elements added. In Search & Rescue, players will be split into two teams of 5 with one team attacking and starting with the bomb to deploy, and then one team defending and looking to defuse the bomb if it does get deployed. A round is won if the bomb is either diffused or explodes or if all the players on a team are eliminated. However, when a player from either team gets eliminated, they will drop dog tags that can be picked up by either their teammates or enemies. If a teammate picks up your dog tags, they will be able to revive you and get you back into the action - revived players will then appear back at their spawn point. If an enemy picks up your dog tags you will remain eliminated until the next round. Players will only drop dog tags the first time they are eliminated per round. This mode will be available all season long so be sure and hop in and get those clutch diffuses, aces, and more while you can! https://preview.redd.it/uq7vbu6pqa3b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c413345e08b2be7799e4f68080e2fcded30fa104 Tournaments Updates Season 5 – Get Wrecked! brings a few improvements to our Tournaments mode. If you aren’t familiar, Tournaments is a weekend-only mode where players can play the active Tournaments game modes to earn rewards! In previous seasons of Tournaments, only one game mode was active per weekend for Tournaments, but now there will be two modes active for each weekend – one for Battle Royale and one for Multiplayer. The schedule of the active game modes for Tournaments for the season can be found below -
Seasonal Challenges Blind Date Launching along with the new season is the first seasonal challenge of Season 5 – Get Wrecked! - Blind Date. This Seasonal Challenge will have players using the RUS-79U in various situations to complete tasks. This Seasonal Challenge will also be how players earn the new signature attachment for the RUS-79U – the Tactical Flashlight. Completing all of the tasks in this challenge will earn you 17,000 BP XP as well as the following -
Timeout – fixed. A fix went out for this bug earlier this week, which should have resolved this issue for all players. If you have the most recent update and are still experiencing this issue please comment below. Missing Event Tab – fixed. Similar to the timeout bug a fix went live for this earlier this week that should have resolved this issue for all players. Please let us know in the comments below if you are still experiencing this bug and have the latest update. Ranked Matchmaking – adjusted. The Ranked Matchmaking has been adjusted, specifically for higher ranking players where they should be able to find matches with less of a wait time. Missing Champs Button – fixed. The Champs button was briefly missing in-game. This should be resolved now. Battle Pass Vault Timer - investigating. Players are reporting seeing a 90-day timer on Battle Pass Vaults in their *purchased* section of the Battle Pass Vault. This timer should only appear for Battle Pass Vaults not in the purchased section. This graphical error should be fixed in the next major update (Season 6) Support Options This a brand new season with a ton of new content so please report any issues you may be seeing in-game. As always, we appreciate all of you who take the time to report these bugs in our Community spaces. Our teams are regularly monitoring those, so thank you to anyone who reports any issue (big or small) and helps make the game better for everyone. Lastly, outside of community channels, which are not great options for individual bugs just affecting you, our two main two official support options are below:
- The Call of Duty: Mobile Team -----Multiplayer----- Map UpdateArmada StrikeArmada Strike is coming! Soldiers will engage in intense battles on this ship with clear routes and multiple floors waiting for you to explore and engage the enemy in! Mode Update[NEW MODE] Search & Rescue Revive your teammates and fight together to defend or destroy the objectives in Search & Rescue! [NEW SPECIAL PLAYLIST] Limitless Potential Struggling to earn Scorestreaks in Shipment? Struggling with long-range headshots? Struggle no more with the new mode Limitless Potential -A limited-time mode that adjusts core rules, bringing you a unique gaming experience! Stay tuned for the release of more game modes! [OPTIMIZED] Big Head Blizzard Adjusted movement speed of Blizzard Beast. Adjusted maximum speed reduction of Blizzard Beast. Adjusted the melee damage of Blizzard Beast. Reduced the damage of RPD in Big Head Blizzard. [OPTIMIZED] Ground War Optimized deployment interface. Soldiers can now respawn with vehicles in the deployment interface. More vehicles are now available in Ground War, including Shrike AAV and Kriegshammer. Ranked Match Optimized the calculation logic of new rankings when series resets. Scorestreaks/Operator SkillGuardianA deployable device that projects a cone of microwave radiation that slows enemies and deals a small amount of damage. -----Battle Royale-----Gameplay UpdateKnight's CovenantT-3 Containers were scattered around the battleground. Soldiers can help Templar collect and convert them to obtain supplies in Battle Royale. Conversion efficiency is at its highest when stopping the pointer at the center. The higher conversion efficiency, the better supplies you will obtain. New Throwable - Trophy System A deployable autonomous defense system that destroys incoming explosives. Other UpdatesGround War: SkirmishReduced the overheat speed of chain gun on the Combat Helicopter when firing. BR Training Ground Some BR Classes are available in BR Training Ground. Practice and hone your skills! Other Properly reduced the drop rate of the Kinetic Armor Overcharger and the Backpack Lv.3 according to the research data and players' feedback. Weapon Rotation:Assault Rifle: AK-47, M4, LK24, KN-44, CR-56 AMAX, M13, Kilo 141, Krig 6, EM2, FFAR 1Sniper Rifle: XPR-50, Arctic .50, DL Q33 LMG: S36, RPD SMG: RUS-79U, Cordite, QQ9, PP19 Bizon, MAC-10, KSP 45, LAPA, OTs 9 Shotgun: BY15, HS0405, KRM-262 Marksman: Kilo Bolt-Action, SKS -----Weapon-----New WeaponNew Assault Rifle - FFAR 1High fire-rate assault rifle with excellent mobility and powerful damage in medium to close range, but at the cost of high sprint-to-fire delay. New Signature AttachmentRUS-79U - Tactical FlashlightA Tactical Flashlight can be used for a limited time, and it can significantly disrupt the sight of a direct target before the battery runs out. Weapon OptimizationAdded a slight deflection effect to weapons when firing according to the current recoil direction.Weapon Performance Optimization: LK24, HBRa3, HVK-30, Arctic .50, PDW-57, Razorback, MSMC, HG 40, Pharo, Cordite 3P Animation Optimization: FHJ-18, KRM-262 Fixed a bug that has been in the game for awhile. The bug has caused the weapon with high lateral recoil to trigger abnormal reverse lateral recoil while turning the view during firing. -----Other Update-----Tournament Update
-----Balance Adjustment-----Balance AdjustmentMP&BRThe ADS flashes will no longer be bonded with any gun types. Different flashing effects will be triggered when a weapon is equipped with any optics above 4X (including default optics of Sniper Rifle).HBRa3 Range: Increased BK57 Range: Adjust Damage: Increased FR .556 Damage: Increased Range: Adjusted Maddox Basic range: Increased Echo Fire Mod Recoil debuff: Reduced M4 Damage: Increased ADS speed: Increased Kilo 141 Chest damage multiplier: Increased AK117 Damage: Increased Range: Increased M4LMG Head damage multiplier: Increased Chest damage multiplier: Increased ADS bullet spread: Reduced Hades Movement speed: Increased ADS speed: Increased PKM Vertical recoil amplitude: Reduced Range: Adjusted Damage: Increased Pharo Range: Increased Chicom Range: Increased MPStrikerADS bullet spread: Reduced (MP Only) Echo ADS bullet spread: Reduced (MP Only) MP Operator Skill/Tactics Bull Charge Duration: Reduced Shadow Blade Added reduction of damage-taken when Equalizer activated C4 Lethality scale: Reduced Motolov Cocktail Duration: Reduced Stim Shot Speed buff: Slightly reduced Perk Unit Support Recharge bonus: Increased BRM4Accuracy of aim assist: Slightly reduced AK-47 ADS bullet spread: Increased Echo ADS bullet spread: Increased HS0405 ADS bullet spread: Increased BR Class Cannot select the same Class as your teammate's when respawned. Rewind Rewind time: Reduced 8s→6s Ravage Launcher Missile speed: Reduced 50→38 Ravager Launcher HP: Reduced Shock Wave Damage: Reduced 60/80 → 50/60 Reduced available charging amounts to 1 before upgrading. Charging speed: Reduced Spotter Available to recharge twice Air strike radius: Increased 5→8m Cluster amount: Increased 4/6→6/9 Defender Available to use twice after upgrading Cannot deploy two Transform Shield at the same time |
2023.06.01 02:10 Icy-Butterscotch2483 RSU stocks from work - what to do?
Hi! So I work for a well known tech company. When I joined, as part of my package, I was granted around $100k USD in RSU stocks. It’s an American company, but I am based in the London office.
I grew up pretty poor, so this is more money than sense to me and I want to make sure I do right by it. As I understand it the stocks are vested, meaning I can only access and sell increments, starting 1 year after I joined the company (that’s coming up in August).
I’ll be able to sell the first batch during the trading window after that first vesting - at the moment this looks like about $22k USD.
I’ve never had RSUs before, so I’m pretty clueless on what I’m doing. I think I need to arrange for capital gains tax to be paid on anything I sell, and I’d need to submit a tax return for it.
Can anyone help me with what I need to do and how I go about selling them and handling the tax correctly? The stocks are managed for my company by UBS.
Edit: In case also relevant for my income tax; my salary is £77k GBP and we get a corporate bonus of 10% based on business performance.
Thanks!
submitted by Icy-Butterscotch2483 to UKPersonalFinance [link] [comments]
I grew up pretty poor, so this is more money than sense to me and I want to make sure I do right by it. As I understand it the stocks are vested, meaning I can only access and sell increments, starting 1 year after I joined the company (that’s coming up in August).
I’ll be able to sell the first batch during the trading window after that first vesting - at the moment this looks like about $22k USD.
I’ve never had RSUs before, so I’m pretty clueless on what I’m doing. I think I need to arrange for capital gains tax to be paid on anything I sell, and I’d need to submit a tax return for it.
Can anyone help me with what I need to do and how I go about selling them and handling the tax correctly? The stocks are managed for my company by UBS.
Edit: In case also relevant for my income tax; my salary is £77k GBP and we get a corporate bonus of 10% based on business performance.
Thanks!