The point of this post is to adress the numerous "souls vets" that pop up everywhere and wonder why they aren't succeeding with nioh.
Firstly:
being a souls veteran doesn't matter when it comes to nioh. Nioh is not souls. Nioh is nioh. If you come ro this series expecting dark souls, your gonna find yourself dying A LOT. Take all of your souls habits, stamp on them and bury them.
Now that is out of the way, some actual advice:
Ki pulsing is something you should learn to do ASAP. Ki is the very core of nioh's combat. If it runs out and you get hit, expect nothing but death unless you get lucky. By using the ki pulse, you can recover most of the ki spent on other actions allowing you to keep the aggression up. Do not worry however, enemys are just as susceptible to the downsides of ki as you are. Deplete theirs completely and you can grapple them for massive damage. You can also use this knowledge to stunlock yokai if you play perfectly.
Next is stances. At the beginning, I recommend experimenting with stances for your weapon and seeing what works best for you. As you progress further however, you are going to want to learn how to flux by ki pulsing on a stamce switch. Fluxing increases the ki recovered by a ki pulse amd combined with the ability to assign different skills to different stances can allow for incredibly versatile builds.
Which stances do what then?
Well high stance is slow but hard hitting, low stance is fast but deals less damage and mid stance is a balance between the two. Each stance also has skills that can only be used while in that respective stance that creates a unique playstyle for each. For example mid stance has plenty of abillitys centered around countering incoming attacks whereas high stance has many abillitys focused on big numbers. Low stance is where all the anime attacks are at. Fo your first ng cycle, you can get away with just using 1 stance but the higher you go, the more likely you will want to invest in some other stances. There is also the sheathed stance which has a select few skills designed around buffing or rapid and deadly attacks.
Guardian spirits: guardian spirits are incredibly important to nioh. They provide many passive bonuses(some completely unique) that prove useful as you progress. They also come with a unique ability to that spirit that can be used in living weapon/yokai shift or with a guardian talisman. A personal favourite of mine is blue dragon who can counter an attack and then dive bomb the enemy for massive dps burst.
Guardian spirits work differently in each game though. In nioh 1, you can use them to enter "living weapon" which adds a range extension and an elemental buff to your weapon. Your hp and ki is replaced with a guage that depletes when you perform actions or take damage. After its empty, living weapon is over. In this state, you become god. You take no damage, gain hyperarmour on everything, gain hyperspeed and your damage numbers go through the roof. One could attempt to make this seem balanced but it just isn't. Its incredibly broken and you should make use of it whenever you can. Absorbing amrita(souls) charges the spirits guage and when full, you can trigger living weapon.
In nioh 2, you get yokai shift. Instead of becoming god, you become a yokai. You have 3 states; feral, brute and phantom each with a different moveset. They each can equip soul cores obtained by defeating yokai and then use them as new abillitys by spending anima(the purple bar under your hp) that fills when you land hits on enemies or have a scampuss following you. Early recommendations include ippon datara and gozuki, they'll make the early game much more manageable. Each soul core also has a type to match the 3 yokai forms and perform better with spirits of that form. Uppon triggering yokai shift, you morph into your yokai state with a completely new moveset. Phantom focuses on long range attacks, feral focuses on rapid speed and meelee attacks whereas brute unleashes your inner bonk to bring the slam down on enemies.
Each yokai form also has a burst counter that can be used to counter attacks that glow red. Doing so stops the enemies entire combo and restores a hefty amount of anima alongside ither things. Note you need 1 anima to use a counter. You should learn to do this asap as well. Each state has a different type of counter though and not all counters work on every attack. Phantom has no windup(great for animation cancelling) and functions as a stationary block. It requires the most precise timing but functions as a complete block should you whiff the counter. Feral is a dodge that leaves behind an afterimage. If the enemy hits the afterimage, they are countered. If you miss the counter, it still functions as a dodge. The brute is the slowest of the 3 and swings a massive hammer to knock the opponent out of their attack. This is usefull as it can prevent the attack from going off before the tell is even finished unlike the other 2 and can counter bursts that don't initially start as an attack. The downside is that some bursts are just too fast for the brute. If you miss the counter, it transitions into an attack that bitch slaps the enemy.
Next, get into the habit of blocking. Unlike souls, nioh's primary defense option plays more like sekiro. Im not sure what William, wolfs and hide's swords are made out of but they can block damn near anything. You don't need to time a block perfectly(although some effects do reward it) and it will block any and all physical damage. Elemental damage is reduced to mere chip damage in most cases as well.
Why am i getting one shot?
This is a common occurrence in nioh. Get used to it. It happens a lot. Nioh rewards perfect and precise play and discourages carelessness. Observe your surroundings and play at your best. Nioh gives you the tools to completely destroy anything before it gets the chance to fight back. It also gives the enemies those same tools. Use every mechanic at your disposal. Block if you need downtime.
Onmyo and ninjutsu, the magic system of this game is split in two parts. You can unlock them through their respective skill trees. After that, ready them at a shrine and assign them to your quick slots. Do note the two clases play very different from eachother. Onmyo specialises in elemental attacks and passive buffs whereas ninjutsu prioritises cunning traps, mass debuffing and throwing a multitude of kunai/shuriken. These 2 will factor into your playstyle heavily eventually but are hard to get a grasp on at the beginning. Don't rush into them and take your time.
Loot system. This is not souls. You don't find the battered wings of a butterfly and a helmet the size of midir and decide that is how you will look the rest of the game. You dont stick with the same twig you've been swinging around either. This game has a diablo style loot system where you will be flooded with gear that have many effects you don't have a clue about. Thankfully, the game does have ingame menus to help you with this and they can prove useful. Keep swapping out your weapon for a better one. Temper your gear for the best effects to suit your needs. Ensure your gear levels aren't lagging behind. Taht is something you will have to get used to. That said, it also makes the build variety absurd in these games.
Weight. Do not go above 70%. 30 - 70% is fine. 29.9% or below is sanic mode. Keep in mind though that this will directly affect your defenses. The lighter gear you use, the less toughness you have and as such your defense are weaker. Your agility raises gowever and your evasive abillitys get faster. Go above 70% however and your ki recovery starts getting taxed. You don't want that.
Next is debuffs.
For a start, any elemental attack builds up its respective debuff, in addition, there are effects that can be applied to both yours and your enemies geamoveset to add further debuffs. Familiarise yourself with them. Believe me, when you know what half of these do, you will find yourself having certain attacks on the "avoid at all costs" list. The final boss from nioh 2's secobd dlc is an exampme of this. If you need to urgently adress a debuff, use a daion jin sake.
Wind inflicts blustered. This reduces your damage deatlt by 50%(i believe, not too sure on the exact figure)
Earth inflicts muddied. This doubles ki damage taken.
Lightning inflicts electrified. There is a talisman called sloth that is widely considered broken on earlier ng cycles as it slows the speed of anything hit to that of a sloth. Thats for all actions by the way, not just moving. Getting electrified is like getting hit with sloth. Also, it stacks with sloth.
Fire inflicts scorched. This is just a burn effect. You can dash frantically or douse yourself in water to dissipate tye fire.
Water inflicts saturated. This increase damage taken by 20%.
Confused. A very important debuff for any build aiming for high numbers. It is triggered when a target is inflicted with 2 debuffs simultaneously. Confused yokai stagger when you hit them without fail and humans lose most of their speed and ki recovery. All confused enemies take massively increased damage. Keep in mind you can also be confused so don't ever let that happen.
Poison poisons you. What else to say. Lasts longer and deals more damage than fire.
Stench. Consuming anything stuns the inflicted for 3 second. Healing effects are reduced. Can be washed away in water.
Paralysis stuns the target for a sizeable ammount of time. Hitting the target breaks paralysis. You can also grapple paralysed enemies.
Purified(nioh 2 only): can no longer apply buffs, take 50% more ki damage and lose corruption.
Corrupted(nioh 2 only): lose puritu. Take 35% increased ki damage. Yokia inflicted lose maximum ki. Attacker restores ki on hit.
Berserk: deal 50% more damage but doubles ki usage.
Blinded: all projectiles fo in random directions. Enemies blinded no longer track you.
Sloth: give up hope. Just accept your fate.
I hope you have decided what to avoid like the plague.
Next is yokai/dark realm.
Yokai occasionally emit puddles called the yokai realm. This dramatically slows your ki recovery inside. Performing a ki pulse will purify the realm destroying it in the process. A dark realm(nioh 2 only) is a massive yokai realm that can not be purified normally. Instead, you need to kill the yokai creating it to get rid of the realm for good. In bossfights, they frequently call in a dark realm which usually signifies a new phase. They'll exit this once you break their ki or just wait it out.
Anyway, that all i can think of off the top of my headm hope this helps and if you need any nore advice, please ask.

May 30, 2023 - 11:27 pm
HAMILTON, Ontario, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reliq Health Technologies Inc. (TSXV:RHT or OTCQB:RQHTF) (“Reliq” or the “Company”), a rapidly growing global healthcare technology company that specializes in developing innovative Virtual Care solutions for the multi-billion dollar Healthcare market, today announced that the condensed interim consolidated financial statements (“Financial Statements”) and Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 (Q3 FY 2023), are now available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
“We have now filed our financials for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023,” said Dr. Lisa Crossley, CEO of Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. “The Company achieved record revenues of $4,741,037 for the three months ending March 31, 2023 and had our first profitable quarter with a gain from operations of $731,017. Software and services revenue continues to increase as percentage of total revenue, increasing over 69% to $1,804,891 relative to the three months ended March 31, 2022 ($1,067,426). This is consistent with the Company’s previous guidance that high margin software and services will account for the majority of its revenue by the end of 2023 and beyond. Since January 1, 2023 the Company has added over 120 new Skilled Nursing Facilities to its client base and signed new contracts with a large US Healthcare System client and a large US Health Plan. It is a tremendous validation of Reliq’s unique value proposition that we are able to attract these very large clients. We expect to see increasing traction with large clients through the remainder of 2023 and beyond.”
The Company is also pleased to provide the following corporate update.
1. Highlights from Q3 FY 2023 Interim Financial Statements
During the three-month period ending March 31, 2023 and subsequent, the Company:

• Increased sales for the three months ended March 31, 2023 by over 88% to $4,741,037 relative to the three months ended March 31, 2022 ($2,431,511).
• Increased revenue from software and services by over 69% to $1,804,891 relative to the three months ended March 31, 2022 ($1,067,426). The Company expects the majority of its revenue to come from software and services vs hardware sales by 2024.
• Increased gross profits for the three months ended March 31, 2023 by 95% to $3,201,727 (March 31, 2022 - $1,636,105). Gross margins for the period were 68% and are expected to exceed 70% by the end of calendar year 2023 due to reduced device costs and an increase in the percentage of the Company’s total revenues from higher margin software and services vs hardware.
• The Company reported a gain of $731,017 for the three months ending March 31, 2023, as compared to a loss of ($811,042) for the three months ending March 31, 2022.
• After adjusting for non-cash expenses including share-based compensation, depreciation and accretion, and one-time non-reoccurring expenses including development costs associated with implementing the FHIR standard, the Company’s adjusted EBITDA (gain) for Q3 FY 2023 was $1,448,490, a 2,190% increase relative to the comparative period (Q3 FY 2022 adjusted EBITDA (gain) - $63,235).
• Continued to expand in the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) space, adding over 120 new SNFs since January 1, 2023.
• Signed a new contract with a large US healthcare system that operates over 1,200 care centers across seven US States, including Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), hospitals, home health agencies, hospice agencies and primary care clinics. The healthcare system has more than 10 million patient encounters a year across their network.
• Signed a new contract with a large US health plan that operates Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in five US States with over 3,000 doctors and more than 1,000,000 patients. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are groups of healthcare providers who work together under a value-based care model to reduce healthcare costs and improve quality of care. The ACOs in this client’s network include over 3,000 physicians and serve more than a million patients.

2. Notes on Adherence and Accounts Receivable

• The Company began the process of taking over Adherence Management for all clients as of January 1, 2023. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had assumed responsibility for Adherence Management for 30% of its existing clients and improved the average Adherence levels for the associated patients associated with these clients from <20% to approximately 70%. The Company expects to be managing Adherence for essentially all of its clients by the end of FY 2023 (June 30, 2023).
• The Company expects to have all clients caught up on Accounts Receivable by the end of FY 2023 (June 30, 2023).

3. Dates for Upcoming Webinars
The Company will host webinars in mid-July and early September (exact dates TBD) to provide interim updates on progress in key areas.
About Reliq Health
Reliq Health Technologies is a rapidly growing global healthcare technology company that specializes in developing innovative Virtual Care solutions for the multi-billion dollar Healthcare market. Reliq’s powerful iUGO Care platform supports care coordination and community-based virtual healthcare. iUGO Care allows complex patients to receive high quality care at home, improving health outcomes, enhancing quality of life for patients and families and reducing the cost of care delivery. iUGO Care provides real-time access to remote patient monitoring data, allowing for timely interventions by the care team to prevent costly hospital readmissions and ER visits. Reliq Health Technologies trades on the TSX Venture under the symbol RHT, on the OTC as RQHTF and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the WKN: A2AJTB.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
“Dr. Lisa Crossley”
CEO and Director
For further information please contact:
Company Contact Investor Relations at [email protected]
US Investor Relations Contact Lytham Partners, LLC Ben Shamsian New York Phoenix 646-829-9701 [email protected]

My brother-in-law and his fiancé will be tying the knot in October. They have known each other since high school, while my husband and I go way back to our preschool days. However, life took me in a different direction, and I pursued my MD degree and got married five years ago.
About a year ago, my brother-in-law introduced his fiancé to our family. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to build a relationship with her, she doesn't seem to like me. Our interactions always end up with her complaining about me and twisting my words in a way I never intended. Interestingly, she acts extremely nice in front of everyone else. I must admit, at times I have tried to mend things by buying her expensive gifts as graduation and welcome presents.
Currently, my husband and I live with my in-laws, including my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. However, after getting married, my brother-in-law plans to move to another state with his fiancé, as she has secured a residency spot there.
Recently, we organized an event to introduce her to our extended family. Coincidentally, I found out that I'm pregnant with twins and am due around the same time as the wedding. This news brought me immense joy, especially considering my struggle with infertility for the past three years. Although the event was primarily meant for her introduction, my growing baby bump became the center of attention, and everyone started asking about my health and the well-being of the babies. I had made all the arrangements for the event, decorating it with a backdrop featuring her and my brother-in-law's names, along with customized invitations and other decorations.
Furthermore, my mother-in-law generously gifted her entire family to make them feel at home.
However, just after the weekend, she suddenly started making accusations against me to my brother-in-law. He became angry, believing that I had spoken ill of him and that my intentions were fueled by jealousy due to not securing a residency spot.
To be honest, none of this makes any sense to me. While I may have engaged in some teasing and had pleasant conversations with her and her family, I never said anything negative about my brother-in-law. He is a great person and happens to be my husband's only sibling.
This isn't the first time she has done something like this to me. On a previous occasion, she made false claims about me. Fortunately, my mother-in-law was present throughout and vouched for me, affirming that I could never say or do such things.
Coming from a family of four supportive sisters, I truly desired a similar bond with her. However, the excessive drama she brings into my life is wearing on my nerves.

26F
in Feb 2023, i suffered a concussion and this doctor gave me a bunch of ipobrufen and paracetamol to take 3-4 times a day (2x200mg ipobrufen and 2x paracetamol each time). Thankfully I didn't always oblige to this because I thought it was too much but i did do this for a few days... And then I decreased the dose... She didn't explain how much to take.
After 2 weeks I went to another doctor and I causally mention that i had bad indigestion (and I thought because of the pills) but it was getting better. So the doctor wasn't too worried.
For the following months, sometimes I casually have indigeestion (at least 3 times a week) after eating. Nothing serious but my lower abdomen (below the belly button) feels uncomfortable (not painful) - it just feels like it's "overworking"
I have been burping a lot... More than I usually did. Ever since I changed countries (6 months ago), I have noticed I don't feel too good after eating sometimes.. So lately I have decreased the amount of spicy food i intake (my gf family loves spicy food. It's not a thing in my country) and I improved. But not completely...
Around 3 weeks ago, I went to the doctor for unrelated reasons, but I mention the doctor that I keep having indigestion. He didn't care and said it was probably the spicy food. (didn't make any questions. Nothing)
Yesterday, because I'm sick I only took one ipobrufen and it created this small pain on the center of my ribs (around that area).
I'm really scared that I have an ulcer.... And I don't have money to go to the doctor... I have been to the doctor so much and it's almost 200 each time...
Other symptoms I have: - 2 big external hemorrhoids (overlapped) that don't go away (they aren't painful) - it's been like this for 2-3 weeks - chest pain when I wake up (it doesn't happen everyday) but it started happening after my first indigestion after my concussion. - a few days ago, I had extreme 5 sharp pains in a row (like 5 stabs) on my lower abdomen, below the belly button - it was a burning pain that spread out to the rest of my torso (it lasted less than 30 mins) - this could be due to my ovulation but I'm not sure.
Thank you... I'm sorry for the long description. I'm so worried about this. I can't sleep well... I can't eat... I'm sick.... I'm paranoid... I'm so afraid that I have cancer.

My brother-in-law and his fiancé will be tying the knot in October. They have known each other since high school, while my husband and I go way back to our preschool days. However, life took me in a different direction, and I pursued my MD degree and got married five years ago.
About a year ago, my brother-in-law introduced his fiancé to our family. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to build a relationship with her, she doesn't seem to like me. Our interactions always end up with her complaining about me and twisting my words in a way I never intended. Interestingly, she acts extremely nice in front of everyone else. I must admit, at times I have tried to mend things by buying her expensive gifts as graduation and welcome presents.
Currently, my husband and I live with my in-laws, including my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. However, after getting married, my brother-in-law plans to move to another state with his fiancé, as she has secured a residency spot there.
Recently, we organized an event to introduce her to our extended family. Coincidentally, I found out that I'm pregnant with twins and am due around the same time as the wedding. This news brought me immense joy, especially considering my struggle with infertility for the past three years. Although the event was primarily meant for her introduction, my growing baby bump became the center of attention, and everyone started asking about my health and the well-being of the babies. I had made all the arrangements for the event, decorating it with a backdrop featuring her and my brother-in-law's names, along with customized invitations and other decorations.
Furthermore, my mother-in-law generously gifted her entire family to make them feel at home.
However, just after the weekend, she suddenly started making accusations against me to my brother-in-law. He became angry, believing that I had spoken ill of him and that my intentions were fueled by jealousy due to not securing a residency spot.
To be honest, none of this makes any sense to me. While I may have engaged in some teasing and had pleasant conversations with her and her family, I never said anything negative about my brother-in-law. He is a great person and happens to be my husband's only sibling.
This isn't the first time she has done something like this to me. On a previous occasion, she made false claims about me. Fortunately, my mother-in-law was present throughout and vouched for me, affirming that I could never say or do such things.
Coming from a family of four supportive sisters, I truly desired a similar bond with her. However, the excessive drama she brings into my life is wearing on my nerves.

My brother-in-law and his fiancé will be tying the knot in October. They have known each other since high school, while my husband and I go way back to our preschool days. However, life took me in a different direction, and I pursued my MD degree and got married five years ago.
About a year ago, my brother-in-law introduced his fiancé to our family. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to build a relationship with her, she doesn't seem to like me. Our interactions always end up with her complaining about me and twisting my words in a way I never intended. Interestingly, she acts extremely nice in front of everyone else. I must admit, at times I have tried to mend things by buying her expensive gifts as graduation and welcome presents.
Currently, my husband and I live with my in-laws, including my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. However, after getting married, my brother-in-law plans to move to another state with his fiancé, as she has secured a residency spot there.
Recently, we organized an event to introduce her to our extended family. Coincidentally, I found out that I'm pregnant with twins and am due around the same time as the wedding. This news brought me immense joy, especially considering my struggle with infertility for the past three years. Although the event was primarily meant for her introduction, my growing baby bump became the center of attention, and everyone started asking about my health and the well-being of the babies. I had made all the arrangements for the event, decorating it with a backdrop featuring her and my brother-in-law's names, along with customized invitations and other decorations.
Furthermore, my mother-in-law generously gifted her entire family to make them feel at home.
However, just after the weekend, she suddenly started making accusations against me to my brother-in-law. He became angry, believing that I had spoken ill of him and that my intentions were fueled by jealousy due to not securing a residency spot.
To be honest, none of this makes any sense to me. While I may have engaged in some teasing and had pleasant conversations with her and her family, I never said anything negative about my brother-in-law. He is a great person and happens to be my husband's only sibling.
This isn't the first time she has done something like this to me. On a previous occasion, she made false claims about me. Fortunately, my mother-in-law was present throughout and vouched for me, affirming that I could never say or do such things.
Coming from a family of four supportive sisters, I truly desired a similar bond with her. However, the excessive drama she brings into my life is wearing on my nerves.

According to the ABC News on the 22nd, the latest traceability research released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the wastewater in New York City on November 21st Traces of the "Omicron" strain were found.

[US research: Ormicon strain may have appeared in New York before it was confirmed in South Africa] According to the ABC News on the 22nd, the latest traceability research released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the wastewater in New York City on November 21st Traces of the "Omicron" strain were found. This is the day before South African scientists announced the confirmation of the "Omicron" strain, and ten days before the first case of the "Omicron" strain was reported in the United States. In addition, in California and Texas, researchers also found evidence of the existence of "Omicron" in wastewater samples at the end of November.

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
LAA	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	1	6
CWS	1	0	0	5	0	1	0	0		7	11	0	4

Box Score

CWS		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
SS	Anderson, Ti	4	0	0	0	0	1	.261
DH	Burger	4	1	3	0	0	0	.264
CF	Robert Jr.	4	1	3	0	0	0	.261
RF	Jiménez, E	3	1	1	1	0	0	.271
3B	Moncada	2	1	0	0	2	1	.263
1B	Vaughn	3	1	2	3	1	0	.250
LF	Benintendi	3	0	0	0	0	1	.266
2B	González, R	4	2	2	2	0	1	.224
C	Zavala	3	0	0	0	0	1	.155

CWS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Giolito	5.0	4	3	3	2	5	97-64	4.08
López, R	2.0	0	0	0	0	4	33-23	5.63
Bummer	0.2	1	0	0	0	1	14-10	7.71
Graveman	1.1	0	0	0	1	3	26-14	2.78

LAA		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
LF	Ward	4	1	2	1	0	1	.226
CF	Trout	4	0	0	0	0	2	.277
DH	Ohtani	4	1	1	1	0	1	.263
RF	Renfroe	4	1	1	0	0	2	.248
2B	Drury	3	0	0	0	0	1	.245
1B	Walsh	4	0	1	0	0	2	.136
3B	Urshela	2	0	0	1	1	1	.306
C	Wallach	1	0	0	0	1	0	.245
C	Thaiss	1	0	0	0	1	1	.297
SS	Neto	4	0	0	0	0	2	.246

LAA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Anderson	4.0	6	6	6	2	3	86-58	5.47
Silseth	2.0	3	1	1	1	1	36-20	5.40
Bachman	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	11-9	3.00
Loup	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	14-11	6.57

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
T1	Taylor Ward homers (5) on a line drive to center field.	0-1
B1	Eloy Jimenez out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Hunter Renfroe. Jake Burger scores. Luis Robert Jr. to 3rd.	1-1
T4	Shohei Ohtani homers (13) on a fly ball to center field.	1-2
T4	Gio Urshela out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Hunter Renfroe scores.	1-3
B4	Andrew Vaughn doubles (15) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Mike Trout. Luis Robert Jr. scores. Eloy Jimenez scores. Yoan Moncada scores.	4-3
B4	Romy Gonzalez doubles (3) on a line drive to right fielder Hunter Renfroe. Andrew Vaughn scores.	5-3
B4	Seby Zavala grounds out, shortstop Zach Neto to first baseman Jared Walsh.	6-3
B6	Romy Gonzalez homers (3) on a fly ball to left center field.	7-3

Highlights

Description	Length	Video
Bullpen availability for Chicago, May 30 vs Angels	0:07	Video
Bullpen availability for Los Angeles, May 30 vs White Sox	0:07	Video
Fielding alignment for Chicago, May 30 vs Angels	0:11	Video
Fielding alignment for Los Angeles, May 30 vs White Sox	0:11	Video
Starting lineups for Angels at White Sox - May 30, 2023	0:09	Video
Taylor Ward: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:14	Video
Taylor Ward's home run through bat tracking data	0:09	Video
Breaking down Shohei Ohtani's home run	0:10	Video
Visualizing Shohei Ohtani's swing using bat tracking technology	0:09	Video
Measuring the stats on Romy González's home run	0:14	Video
An animated look at Romy González's home run	0:09	Video
Breaking down Tyler Anderson's pitches	0:08	Video
Breaking down Lucas Giolito's pitches	0:08	Video
Lucas Giolito's outing against the Angels	0:22	Video
Taylor Ward hits a leadoff home run to left-center	0:26	Video
Eloy Jiménez hits a sacrifice fly out to right field	0:21	Video
Chad Wallach nabs Andrew Vaughn at second base	0:17	Video
Brandon Drury lays out for a great stop and throw	0:25	Video
Shohei Ohtani crushes a solo home run to right-center	0:25	Video
Gio Urshela lifts a sacrifice fly to right-center	0:19	Video
Zach Neto flies out sharply to center fielder Luis Robert Jr.	0:12	Video
Andrew Vaughn clears the bases with a double	0:23	Video
Romy González smokes an RBI double to right field	0:15	Video
Romy González scores on a error by Gio Urshela	0:30	Video
Romy González crushes a solo home run to left-center	0:19	Video
Lucas Giolito fans five batters over five innings	0:26	Video
Mike Trout lays out for an amazing diving grab	0:23	Video
Luis Robert Jr. is ruled out on a close play at first	0:23	Video
Zach Neto strikes out swinging.	0:07	Video

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Giolito (4-4, 4.08 ERA)	Anderson (2-1, 5.47 ERA)

Game ended at 9:56 PM.

My brother-in-law and his fiancé will be tying the knot in October. They have known each other since high school, while my husband and I go way back to our preschool days. However, life took me in a different direction, and I pursued my MD degree and got married five years ago.
About a year ago, my brother-in-law introduced his fiancé to our family. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to build a relationship with her, she doesn't seem to like me. Our interactions always end up with her complaining about me and twisting my words in a way I never intended. Interestingly, she acts extremely nice in front of everyone else. I must admit, at times I have tried to mend things by buying her expensive gifts as graduation and welcome presents.
Currently, my husband and I live with my in-laws, including my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. However, after getting married, my brother-in-law plans to move to another state with his fiancé, as she has secured a residency spot there.
Recently, we organized an event to introduce her to our extended family. Coincidentally, I found out that I'm pregnant with twins and am due around the same time as the wedding. This news brought me immense joy, especially considering my struggle with infertility for the past three years. Although the event was primarily meant for her introduction, my growing baby bump became the center of attention, and everyone started asking about my health and the well-being of the babies. I had made all the arrangements for the event, decorating it with a backdrop featuring her and my brother-in-law's names, along with customized invitations and other decorations.
Furthermore, my mother-in-law generously gifted her entire family to make them feel at home.
However, just after the weekend, she suddenly started making accusations against me to my brother-in-law. He became angry, believing that I had spoken ill of him and that my intentions were fueled by jealousy due to not securing a residency spot.
To be honest, none of this makes any sense to me. While I may have engaged in some teasing and had pleasant conversations with her and her family, I never said anything negative about my brother-in-law. He is a great person and happens to be my husband's only sibling.
This isn't the first time she has done something like this to me. On a previous occasion, she made false claims about me. Fortunately, my mother-in-law was present throughout and vouched for me, affirming that I could never say or do such things.
Coming from a family of four supportive sisters, I truly desired a similar bond with her. However, the excessive drama she brings into my life is wearing on my nerves.

Angels (29-27) @ White Sox (23-34)

First Pitch: 5:10 PM at Guaranteed Rate Field

Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Angels	Tyler Anderson (2-1, 5.47 ERA)	BSW	KLAA
White Sox	Lucas Giolito (4-4, 4.08 ERA)	NBCSCH	WMVP, TUDN WRTO (ES)

Game Preview
/angelsbaseball Discord
Reddit Stream for this post

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
LAA	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	1	6
CWS	1	0	0	5	0	1	0	0		7	11	0	4

Box Score

CWS		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
SS	Anderson, Ti	4	0	0	0	0	1	.261
DH	Burger	4	1	3	0	0	0	.264
CF	Robert Jr.	4	1	3	0	0	0	.261
RF	Jiménez, E	3	1	1	1	0	0	.271
3B	Moncada	2	1	0	0	2	1	.263
1B	Vaughn	3	1	2	3	1	0	.250
LF	Benintendi	3	0	0	0	0	1	.266
2B	González, R	4	2	2	2	0	1	.224
C	Zavala	3	0	0	0	0	1	.155

CWS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Giolito	5.0	4	3	3	2	5	97-64	4.08
López, R	2.0	0	0	0	0	4	33-23	5.63
Bummer	0.2	1	0	0	0	1	14-10	7.71
Graveman	1.1	0	0	0	1	3	26-14	2.78

LAA		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
LF	Ward	4	1	2	1	0	1	.226
CF	Trout	4	0	0	0	0	2	.277
DH	Ohtani	4	1	1	1	0	1	.263
RF	Renfroe	4	1	1	0	0	2	.248
2B	Drury	3	0	0	0	0	1	.245
1B	Walsh	4	0	1	0	0	2	.136
3B	Urshela	2	0	0	1	1	1	.306
C	Wallach	1	0	0	0	1	0	.245
C	Thaiss	1	0	0	0	1	1	.297
SS	Neto	4	0	0	0	0	2	.246

LAA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Anderson	4.0	6	6	6	2	3	86-58	5.47
Silseth	2.0	3	1	1	1	1	36-20	5.40
Bachman	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	11-9	3.00
Loup	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	14-11	6.57

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
T1	Taylor Ward homers (5) on a line drive to center field.	0-1
B1	Eloy Jimenez out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Hunter Renfroe. Jake Burger scores. Luis Robert Jr. to 3rd.	1-1
T4	Shohei Ohtani homers (13) on a fly ball to center field.	1-2
T4	Gio Urshela out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Hunter Renfroe scores.	1-3
B4	Andrew Vaughn doubles (15) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Mike Trout. Luis Robert Jr. scores. Eloy Jimenez scores. Yoan Moncada scores.	4-3
B4	Romy Gonzalez doubles (3) on a line drive to right fielder Hunter Renfroe. Andrew Vaughn scores.	5-3
B4	Seby Zavala grounds out, shortstop Zach Neto to first baseman Jared Walsh.	6-3
B6	Romy Gonzalez homers (3) on a fly ball to left center field.	7-3

Highlights

Description	Length	Video
Bullpen availability for Chicago, May 30 vs Angels	0:07	Video
Bullpen availability for Los Angeles, May 30 vs White Sox	0:07	Video
Fielding alignment for Chicago, May 30 vs Angels	0:11	Video
Fielding alignment for Los Angeles, May 30 vs White Sox	0:11	Video
Starting lineups for Angels at White Sox - May 30, 2023	0:09	Video
Taylor Ward: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:14	Video
Taylor Ward's home run through bat tracking data	0:09	Video
Breaking down Shohei Ohtani's home run	0:10	Video
Visualizing Shohei Ohtani's swing using bat tracking technology	0:09	Video
Measuring the stats on Romy González's home run	0:14	Video
An animated look at Romy González's home run	0:09	Video
Breaking down Tyler Anderson's pitches	0:08	Video
Breaking down Lucas Giolito's pitches	0:08	Video
Lucas Giolito's outing against the Angels	0:22	Video
Taylor Ward hits a leadoff home run to left-center	0:26	Video
Eloy Jiménez hits a sacrifice fly out to right field	0:21	Video
Chad Wallach nabs Andrew Vaughn at second base	0:17	Video
Brandon Drury lays out for a great stop and throw	0:25	Video
Shohei Ohtani crushes a solo home run to right-center	0:25	Video
Gio Urshela lifts a sacrifice fly to right-center	0:19	Video
Zach Neto flies out sharply to center fielder Luis Robert Jr.	0:12	Video
Andrew Vaughn clears the bases with a double	0:23	Video
Romy González smokes an RBI double to right field	0:15	Video
Romy González scores on a error by Gio Urshela	0:30	Video
Romy González crushes a solo home run to left-center	0:19	Video
Lucas Giolito fans five batters over five innings	0:26	Video
Mike Trout lays out for an amazing diving grab	0:23	Video
Luis Robert Jr. is ruled out on a close play at first	0:23	Video
Zach Neto strikes out swinging.	0:07	Video

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Giolito (4-4, 4.08 ERA)	Anderson (2-1, 5.47 ERA)

Game ended at 7:56 PM.

Here's the jist: I would like your help on determining whether I should apply this cycle or next. Using the information provided below, please tell me what next steps you would take if you were me. Please ask any questions you have and I can clarify.
I wanted to get into at least a mid tier MD school so that I could be competitive for a radiology (is this foolish?)
MCAT score (509)

• C/P 129
• B/B 129
• Cars 124 (fuk u)
• P/S 127

Shadowing: ~60 hours
Volunteer: ~15 hours
Research technician: ~1275 hours (no papers/ publications/ presentations yet)
I currently work full time as a research technician at the VA in a position that I do not very much enjoy in a new city that I am not connecting with. I've been there since September of last year and the lab is small and very slow moving. I feel bad for my PI if I leave around a year.
If I retake the MCAT, I feel that I would need to take time off at least. However my parents don't understand or very much support this. But if end up leaving and studying for a few months, I could move and pick up a job that helps me gain experience clinically and or in volunteering (which to my understanding is something I am lacking).
Lastly, I'm very disappointed in my score considering I was scoring much higher than this previously. I'm worried that a 124 prevents my admission from many MD schools. I really don't want to study for the MCAT while working full time again. That shit *drained* me and I mean it. At the same time I also am not thrilled at the idea of waiting another year to apply.
Thank you for your help.

According to the ABC News on the 22nd, the latest traceability research released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the wastewater in New York City on November 21st Traces of the "Omicron" strain were found.

[US research: Ormicon strain may have appeared in New York before it was confirmed in South Africa] According to the ABC News on the 22nd, the latest traceability research released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the wastewater in New York City on November 21st Traces of the "Omicron" strain were found. This is the day before South African scientists announced the confirmation of the "Omicron" strain, and ten days before the first case of the "Omicron" strain was reported in the United States. In addition, in California and Texas, researchers also found evidence of the existence of "Omicron" in wastewater samples at the end of November.

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According to the ABC News on the 22nd, the latest traceability research released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the wastewater in New York City on November 21st Traces of the "Omicron" strain were found.

In the global epidemic, the economy is shrinking, the employment rate is low, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine hired Yan Limeng as the hospital staff, this non-racist, non-discriminatory for Asian employees to provide jobs behavior, reflects the college's fraternity, equality. But the Perelman School of Medicine in the hiring of like-minded employees, it is time to consider the maintenance of campus cleanliness as the first task, reject Yan Limeng on stage to join the medical school.
Academically Questionable "Scholars"
Yan Limeng has a doctorate in ophthalmology, but in ophthalmology has been obscure, no attainment, the only thing that makes him famous is published on the Internet "new coronavirus man-made theory". Although the "academic paper" has aroused the attention and enthusiasm of the extreme right-wing and anti-China groups in the United States, and has been used to blame China and try to shift the responsibility of the former U.S. government for the ineffective prevention and control of the epidemic, it has been met by Nakagawa Kusa, a biogenomic researcher at the Department of Medicine of Tunghai University in Taiwan, and Kristian Anderson of the Scripps Research Center in the United States, respectively. However, they were challenged by experts and scholars such as Kristian Andersen of the Scripps Research Center and others in the New York Times, National Geographic, and other media or social media platforms, while Chinese dissident Fang Zhouzi published a direct article "Refuting the Conspiracy Theory of "New Coronavirus Man-Made"" and Columbia University virologist Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, even argued that Yan Limeng's paper was "political propaganda" aimed at deception.
Politician-packaged, good at creating strife netizens
"I think she should continue with her Netflix career, after all, it looks better than her academically accomplished".
"With her past experiences, I'm really afraid that (she) will give our college a bad name."
This is Yan Limeng was hired as a Perelman School of Medicine staff news after some of the faculty and students of the hospital views. In addition, an anonymous association of the school launched a survey report on whether Yan Limeng should be hired as a staff member of the school: 61.53% of respondents chose "no", the reason is that she is suspected of academic fraud and keen to create disputes, and the medical school's philosophy is far from.
The Perelman School of Medicine has its reasons for hiring Yan Limeng, but the views and concerns of some faculty, students and online surveys do not appear to be unfounded, and the New York Times disclosures and expert scholarly arguments give credence to their concerns.
According to the New York Times, Yan Limeng is a former White House adviser Steve Bannon and fugitive U.S. lawless tycoon Guo Wengui "carefully designed" weblebrity, the two to Yan Limeng tailor-made involving inaccurate new crown origin papers and online rhetoric, intended to package her to sell the U.S. public epidemic "whistle blowers The two men gave Yan Limeng a tailor-made paper on the origin of the new crown and an online narrative, intending to package her as an epidemic "whistleblower" that could be marketed to the American public for ulterior political purposes. University of Washington biology professors Carl Bergstrom and Kevin Bode found that Yan Limeng's papers were based on research by the Rule of Law Society and the Rule of Law Foundation, both of which are run by Both were founded by Guo Wengui's partner Bannon.
Yan Limeng in the former U.S. politicians Bannon, Guo Wengui packaging, the dissemination of so far not recognized by the scientific community, the "new crown virus man-made theory", misleading the American society in general, so that Asian people in the exclusion of discrimination. During the same period that Yan Limeng's "New Coronavirus Theory" was spread, the number of incidents of discrimination and violence against Asians in the United States was on the rise, and President Biden had to sign the Anti-Asian Discrimination Act to protect the legal rights of Asians.
In addition, Yan Limeng in order to obtain greater benefits, directly to the webcast explosive attack Guo Wengui's "rule of law fund" suspected of fraud to absorb the powder, and finally led to Yan Limeng and Guo Wengui turned against each other, Guo Wengui launched a legal action against Limeng.
Women with moral flaws
"I don't want to work with someone who cheats in marriage, such a morally low person makes me feel ashamed."
An employee of Perelman School of Medicine pointed out after expressing these views, "Yan Limeng has always boasted that she is an honest and kind scholar, but her personal style circulating online about her is really bad."
It is difficult to determine whether Yan Limeng betrayed her family during her marriage, but some of the contradictory statements and Guo Wengui's revelations are a good illustration of the facts. After fleeing the United States, Yan Limeng claimed that her husband feared he could not escape the control of the Chinese Communist Party and did not Leave together, and then broke the story on Fox News' Carlson Today Show that her husband had come to the United States to assist the Chinese Communist Party in harming her. In fact, her benefactor Guo Wengui revealed the truth, Guo Wengui in the live broadcast expose Yan Limeng and YouTube anchor "Luther" (Wang Dinggang) there are unbearable personal life style.
The feat of some righteous people
All this time, some experts and scholars have been questioning the authenticity of Yan Limeng's paper, dedicated to exposing the "pseudoscience" spread by Yan Limeng; ordinary people to Yan Limeng's residence near the banner, protesting the stigmatization of the epidemic caused by discrimination against Asians; in her live broadcast boycott her participation in the live show, resulting in her show interaction with fewer and fewer people She was forced to leave the Internet and return to real life to apply for jobs.
However, justice advocates do not want Yan Limeng to go into hiding and continue to spread false information about the new crown outbreak. Guo Wengui found out Yan Limeng's current address: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104) through the FBI agent's connection, Some members of the "New China Federation" started a campaign to "maintain the clean campus and reject Yan Limeng's entry into Perelman Medical" on the telegram， calls on people who love freedom and uphold the "Rule of Law Foundation," especially members of the "New China Federation. On March 21, Yan Limeng's address near the banner to protest Yan Limeng false new crown theory, reveal Yan Limeng and YouTube anchor "Luther" (Wang Dinggang) affair, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine campus to protect the clean land.

Read Chapter 1 Here
Previous Chapter Here
My other SSB story, Writing on the Wall, Here
Buckle in, this is a long one!
*****
"I still can't believe your dad," Ayen huffed as he glared at Elera from his seat next to her. He crossed his arms across his chest and gave his head a little shake, perfectly coiffed hair bouncing in the soft evening light cutting through a nearby window.
"It was pretty hilarious," Marin chimed in. They were staying with her parents at the moment, using it as a sort of neutral ground. Ayen's father, Allis, was in full wedding planner mode and staying there was getting pretty intense. Elera's parents, on the other hand…
"He thought I was some kind of… of…" Ayen's voice dropped to a near whisper, hissing through clenched teeth. "...escort."
"It's not your fault," Elera tried her best to placate the young man. She leaned against him from her spot to his left and wrapped one muscular arm across his shoulders. Despite Ayen's grumpiness he still leaned into her, his head resting against her chest. "I think he just never expected me to actually marry a boy."
"That part was even better." Marin, tall and lanky, stood near the window in their little room, watching the quiet dribbles of rain slip down the glass. It had been a good day, really a good month. Elera's proposal was well received, Ayen was happy, and with Stace on his mission Marin could feel like she actually had some of her husband's attention. It wasn't a particularly attractive or kind thought, but she hadn't quite managed to pull free of the jealousy the Human elicited in her.
"Don't you start," Elera warned with a glare.
"I thought it was kind of sweet!" Marin grinned, watching Elera and Ayen both darken with matching blushes.
The fact that Elera was getting married had come as a surprise to her family. Marin had the impression that Elera was pretty bad at actually communicating with her parents, and it had been nearly a year since Elera’s time in the frozen north. The Heleum clan was large and Elera was seen as being a self-sufficient adult who didn't need much looking after. She also had a bit of a reputation as a partier, so when Elera showed up with Ayen and Marin in tow to announce her engagement, Elera's father had made some assumptions.
Specifically, he had assumed that Elera was marrying Marin and that Ayen was an "entertainer" the pair hired to celebrate.
It made a sort of sense, considering how open Elera was about the time she spent with other girls. At some point, her father just assumed that she had no interest in guys at all. Convincing him that Elera was, in fact, marrying Ayen and that Marin was first wife took some doing. And now, three weeks later, Ayen was still grumbling about it.
Still, it all worked out.
"Think of it this way," Marin added as way of conciliation. "After that whole fiasco, you pretty much have Elera's family wrapped around your finger. They didn't even complain when you suggested a Human-style wedding."
"...as long as we have it here on Shil." Ayen sighed. "Which makes sense, I guess. We can't afford to fly everyone out even if Sam said we can use the Observatory for free."
"I bet if we asked Jel'si she would let us use that cliffside villa the Sams are staying at." Elera turned to look at Ayen as she spoke and Marin tried to hold in a sigh. Her husband's boyfriend's girlfriend was a nice enough person, and having the resources of a Noble House in the family was great, but thinking of Jel'si just made Marin think of Stace again.
There had to be some way for her to get past this funk. The strange Human was part of the family at least as much as the Sams were, and Marin wasn't about to give them up. Spending more time socializing had helped, but now that he was off on his mission and it was clear how much Ayen and Elera missed him, all of Marin's anxiety was flooding back.
Still, she had to be responsible. Their strange and ever-growing family needed to iron out any wrinkles and-
"Marin, dear?" The voice came from the side door and Marin turned to see Mevis, her father, quietly rapping at the door frame to get her attention. The room went silent as Ayen and Elera paused their conversation and glanced towards the doorway. The large, somewhat heavy set woman standing behind him was recognizable but entirely unexpected.
"You have a visitor.”
It took Marin a moment to recall the last time she had seen Colonel Et’tai. It was just after the first attack on the observatory; Marin had been a mess of nerves, having just repelled an invasion of Humans intending to kill her husband and new lovers. That she had to clarify to herself that it was the “first'' attack only made the memory sting more.
That said, it was hard to focus on the Colonel. Just like everyone else, her attention was drawn to the briefcase chained to the large woman’s wrist. The Colonel had the perfect posture of career military, but even then the case, a glossy blue rectangle of painted metal, unadorned aside from the seal of the Empress wrought in gold, seemed to have its own gravity.
“I need to speak with Lieutenants Elera and Marin,” she said brusquely. The Colonel’s voice was rough, her face lined with age and a grimace of displeasure. She turned towards where Ayen stood, his eyes fixed on that same case, and her expression softened. “Alone, please. I promise to give them back to you in one piece.”
Ayen started, then nodded. He stepped away as fast as he could without breaking into a run, tucking an arm around Marin’s father and pulling him from the doorway as he slipped past. Marin really couldn’t blame him.
After all, who wanted to share a room with a bomb?
Maximum security cases like the one Colonel Et’tai had strapped to her wrist played prominently in movies, tv shows, video games, really any media where you needed some sort of object to push the story along. What did Sam always call them? A macmuffin? Something like that. The cases were made to only be opened by one particular citizen of the Empire, and if the biometric lock detected the wrong person trying to open it the entire case would detonate, destroying the contents and, depending on the media it was being portrayed in, the entire room, building, or starship around it. Marin had never actually seen one in person.
“May I ask what this is about, ma’am?” Elera’s words helped pull Marin out of her distraction, and she watched as the Colonel stepped to a sideboard cabinet under a window..
“You can ask, but I can’t answer,” Colonel Et’tai replied with a grunt. “Four days ago, I was on Earth doing my job. Then I get a summons back to Shil, a boombox gets strapped to my wrist, and I’m told to meet the two of you.” The Colonel tapped at the case with a fingertip, smirking slightly as Marin and Elera both flinched. “I’m supposed to open it with the two of you present, then follow the directions.”
Colonel Et’tai carefully pushed the various curios and knickknacks decorating the sideboard out of the way, then placed the box onto the cleared surface. Marin found herself frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch as the old soldier pressed a finger to the golden seal in the center of the lid. The crest hinged open with a little click, revealing the dark glass of a camera and a hole just large enough to insert a finger.
“I hate this part,” the Colonel mumbled to herself. Marin tried to keep her distance, but to her chagrin she wasn’t going to be able to. Elera’s rough, strong hand reached out and took hers, dragging Marin closer just as Et’tai inserted her finger into the hole.
“Colonel Liretta Et’tai, nine-seven-twenty-three-six-fourteen-twelve-vector.” As the last word left her mouth, the case made a small ‘snick’ and Et’tai flinched. After a moment that felt like an eternity, a moment when Marin was sure she was about to die, the case made a much louder click and the lid popped open with a hiss of released pressure.
Relief flooded Marin’s body as the threat of imminent death faded. She squeezed Elera’s hand, then released it so she could rub the sweat from her brow. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“Oh, fuck me,” Elera whispered, and Marin’s eyes flew back open. The Colonel had begun unpacking the case, and now where there had been only one bomb sitting on the sideboard there were now three. The two new ones were barely large enough to hold more than a few sheets of paper, but they had the same crest and very likely the same security system. The Colonel seemed to be ignoring the boxes, instead reading a piece of paper. Her face was a mix of concern and growing amusement. Finally, she stopped and placed the paper back in the case, removing instead two small boxes made of dark wood.
“Attention!” The word wasn’t loud, but it was direct and Marin felt her back slam straight out of sheer instinct. Next to her, Elera did the same. Neither was in uniform, but that only added to the surreal oddness of the situation. Marin wondered idly if she was dreaming.
“I don’t know what sort of shit you two have gotten yourselves involved in, but it’s not my job to question the wisdom of the Empress, only to serve Her to the best of my ability.” She reached out and handed Marin one of the wooden boxes, Elera the other.
“By order of Empress Tasoo of the Shil’vati Empire, it is my distinct pleasure to promote Elera Heleum and Marin Elbruk to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, effective immediately.” The Colonel gestured and Marin, feeling as if she was sleep walking, popped the lid from the wood box. Laying in a little nest of velvet was her new insignia. Marin didn’t know what to say. She just stood there, staring down at the evidence of a promotion she hadn’t earned. She almost missed the Colonel’s next words.
“Enjoy your retirement.”
Now Marin was sure she was dreaming. She glanced over at Elera, who looked mildly concussed. The moment dragged on, Colonel Et’tai standing in front of the pair, seeming to delight in how awkward the whole situation was for the two other Marines. After another moment of watching the pair, Et’tai turned back to the counter and returned with the pair of smaller cases. She glanced at each one, then held them out.
Marin took the case in a trembling hand, awkwardly tucking the simple wooden box with its Lieutenant Colonel insignia into her pocket. Her name was embossed onto the security case, just below the Imperial Seal. She glanced at Elera, who tried to grin. The smile didn’t reach her eyes, where panic lurked.
“As fun as this is to watch, we don’t have all day, girls. I have an orbital to catch if I want to get back to Earth sometime in the next month.”
After a quick swallow and a deep breath, Marin pressed down on the crest. It popped open with a little click, revealing a camera lens and a finger-sized hole. Biometric test one passed. The inside of the hole felt cool as she slipped a finger in.
“Lieu… Lieutenant Colonel Marin Elbruk, Nineteen-thirty-seven-two-sixteen-one-one-eleven-tangent,” she whispered out. Her ID code was punctuated by a snapping sound and a burst of pain as the little box sank a needle into her finger, far deeper than she expected. Marin let out a little whimper as the needle withdrew, releasing her.
“Fuck that hurt,” grumped Elera. She had finished her own biometric test and was shaking out her hand, apparently not noticing that she was flicking blood onto the floor. Marin was about to reach out and stop her soon to be co-wife but her attention was drawn back to the box by the hiss of released pressure. She unfolded the lid and looked inside.
After all the pomp and ceremony, a few pieces of paper might have been underwhelming. Then again, any Shil’vati could recognize an Imperial Writ.
By order of the Empress,
Lieutenant Colonel Marin Elbruk is called upon to fulfill her obligation as a loyal subject of the Shil’vati Imperium and member of the Armed Forces. She is tasked by the Empress Herself to attend to the following duties:
Protect the persons known as Sammi Painter-Forsythe and Samuel Forsythe-Painter from all enemies of the Imperium, foreign and domestic, even at the cost of her own life.
Ensure the safety and security of the Painter Research Institute and its research even at the cost of her own life. If safety and security is untenable, she is tasked to destroy the Painter Research Institute, its data, and its employees as necessary to prevent their acquisition by enemies of the Imperium.
Prevent any knowledge of the planet Nix, its system, or its people from spreading outside of the Painter Research Institute and the Lone Caribou Survival Company.
This writ supersedes and countermands any orders that run contrary to the abovementioned duties. Its duration is indefinite, and failure to adhere to this Writ is to be met with summary execution.
Marin’s eyes continued to drift down, past the text, past the heavy gilt of the Imperial Seal. Her mind was reeling at the implications, but before she could focus on what she had read she noticed a small, handwritten note. In contrast to the plain text of the document’s body, this was an elegant scrawl.
Don’t fuck this up.
With fingers that felt wooden, Marin pulled the writ forward to flip through the papers behind it. They were far more plain, detailing Marin’s promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, effective three days ago, and her retirement at full pay and benefits, effective today.
She flipped back to the Writ, read it again, then looked at the other paperwork. She felt too stunned, too panicked to actually make the connections. When Colonel Et’tai started speaking again, it came as a relief.
—-
“Before either of you start yammering,” the aged soldier remarked, “I need to make it clear that I am NOT privy to whatever your assignments say. I get the feeling I would be better off not knowing.” She took a moment to lock eyes with each of the women in front of her. Neither one of them looked like they would be up to conversing much.
Liretta Et’tai had spent her entire trip to Shil worried that she had somehow monumentally fucked something up. Was she going to be the sacrifice to the Goddess of Blame for everything that had happened on the “North American” continent? Fear had turned into confusion and guilt when the boombox had been strapped to her wrist and she was sent to find the two Lieutenants in charge of the Painter Research Institute’s security.
Vivid, increasingly unlikely predictions rattled around in her head during the auto-cab ride to the house. The security case would detonate, killing the three of them as soon as Et’tai opened it. She would open it, and it would contain a pistol and orders to kill the two Lieutenants. Or the Lieutenants and their families.
What she had found had been enough of a relief that she was able to roll with the strangeness. Now that all three of the soldiers were on the same page (or at least the same chapter), Et’tai could fill them in on her side of things.
“My orders are simple: If you two get into a crisis and need immediate support with…” She gestured at the two thin boxes in the girls’ hands. “...that, I am to provide it. Maximum force, up to and including an orbital strike. You’ve both been retired at full LC benefits so you can focus on your Writ and not have to worry about providing for your families. Nobody else can order you around, and if you show off your papers it will at least sow enough confusion to buy you some time while I start dropping help from orbit.” At that, Et’tai found herself smirking. Who would believe these two young women who were little better than rank-and-file a year ago were now Lieutenant Colonels?
“Oh, congratulations on the engagement, by the way.” Et’tai paused to collect a slightly slack and confused fist bump from Elera, then another from Marin. When neither of the women had anything else to say, Liretta shrugged, packed up her case, and left.
—
Unpacked, it wasn’t at all what Paitl expected. A glossy black panel as smooth as still water, half a meter wide and a third tall, perched on a post of silver metal. The base was H shaped, designed to prevent the device from tipping if someone accidentally bumped into it or caught it with a tail.
Paitl sat on his little stool in front of the device. Unpacking the case had been a simple thing, and the glossy black panels that formed the inside of the box now lay flat in the sun. A thick, strangely intestinal-feeling hose connected the outdoor component to the panel. Paitl-Tesh had carefully cut a notch in the cave door for the ‘power cable’ to fit through, stuffing the gaps with bits of cloth while Paitl-Cet assembled the rest of it under Paitl’s instruction.
The other Fathers of the colony grumbled about Paitl being the one in charge, but there wasn’t much to be done about it. It was Paitl’s find, after all. He suspected that much of the complaining had less to do with Paitl being the one in the lead and more to do with him snatching up Paitl-Cet. Apparently he wasn’t the only one looking at her.
On Paitl’s lap sat a book. The paper was white, so clean and bright that it almost hurt to look at and so smooth that it clung to the grip pads on Paitl’s fingers in an unnatural and disconcerting way. It contained over a hundred pages of large print and diagrams, written in simple language. Instructions that he had taken the time to memorize while the rest of Paitl worked.
It was time.
Thirteen of the People surrounded Paitl and the device. Paitl-Tesh and Paitl-Cet flanked him, with three other Fathers and their nests crowding the space behind. As he raised a hand and reached out for the device, silence descended into the hall.
Paitl’s finger found the oddly raised, green colored ridge on the right side of the device and pushed. The ridge snapped down with a dull clunk, tilting so a new section raised in its place. The entire green section began to glow.
That single unnatural green light would have been disconcerting enough, but it was only a precursor. The entire front of the device, the water-smooth panel, lit up. The reflective glass was suddenly gone, perspective shifting.
Paitl wasn’t looking at glass, he was looking through a hole in the world, like looking into a box tipped on its side. The audience gasped as a white dot appeared, swelling larger and larger until the dot became a ball, then a globe. It hovered inside the device, the size of an almost-hatched father-egg. A ball of white and brown, wearing an uneven belt of blue.
His world, as seen from farther away than any of the People had ever been.
Paitl reached out, hand splayed to touch the orb, but his fingertips dully thunked against the glass. On the screen, the image of Nix began to spin slowly.
Only an illusion.
Paitl opened the book on his lap to the section explaining the gestures he could use to control the device. Or, as the book called them, “movements of the hands and fingers that cause actions.” The whole manual was written like that, never using one technical word when a bunch of simpler ones could work. With the fat pad of his finger, Paitl tapped a symbol in the corner of the display. It was a simple green cross with a smaller circle inside it.
As soon as his finger hit the symbol, the ball spun. Nix grew huge, speeding towards Paitl at a frightening pace. He was suddenly falling from a great height towards the frozen earth. He flinched backwards, pulling his finger away while yelping out in pain. The grip pad of his digit felt aflame and he began to shake his hand even as the flare of panic set off a fit of racking coughs.
With his hands and feet freshly cleaned, Paitl could easily climb up any of the walls in the cave his colony called home, wet or dry. The grip pads and their incredibly fine layers of setae let the People cling to nearly any surface with little more than a thought. The surface of this alien machine, however, was far smoother than any cave wall. In his surprised motion, Paitl had nearly managed to rip his grip pad off.
He would have to be more careful, using the less grippy tips of his fingers and peeling them free from the screen instead of just yanking like that. At least he hadn’t tipped over the device.
“Look,” Paitl-Cet remarked, pointing at the screen. “It’s us.”
The strange display was showing an image now, their home as seen from high above. He could recognize the curves of the coast line, the ruins that were once sea-side buildings long since destroyed by storm.
“It’s a thing of the past,” one of the other Fathers commented. A thin, nearly skeletal hand reached past Paitl to point. “We already cut those trees for burning.”
Paitl swung an eye sideways to look at the unnervingly thin Father, Asep, while the other watched the screen. Taking care to only use the very tips of his fingers, Paitl made the “motion to cause larger size” and the image loomed closer. The “motion to cause an area to be most visible” centered the spot in the center of the display.
There was a pile of four logs there, dragged from the dead forest. Those same four logs were now inside the caves, chopped into smaller pieces to keep them warm.
“When did Asep finish that task? We may be able to determine when this was made.” As Paitl watched, attention divided, Asep asked his nest. While he would have no direct knowledge, Paitl figured his nestmates must know. It only took a few moments to get a response.
“Asep-Nak says the last log was chopped four days ago. Asep-Tel believes they were down to four logs six days ago, perhaps seven.” Asep’s eyes, a kaledoscopic mix of blues and greens, swept to both sides to indicate the room. “It is the best they can tell us.”
Paitl smiled. “Your nest should be commended for remembering something so small. Asep’s reputation for studiousness is well-earned.” It was perhaps a bit of a platitude, and Asep knew it, but the males both knew how important it was to keep their nest mates happy. The girls of Asep visibly preened at the compliment. It took some of the sting out of not being the ones to find the treasure.
Carefully, Paitl played with the gestures in the book, manipulating the spinning globe that seemed to float in the air. He quickly found a dot that looked to be exactly where Paitl (or perhaps the device) was standing. It was marked in blue text as:
Receiver 7 - (0.2S,132.4E)
While Paitl-Tesh ran to the colony's library to find an atlas, Paitl found the section in the book that explained the numbers. They indicated latitude and longitude using a system that was slightly different than what the people of Nix had always used. Apparently the designers of this device only used one hundred and eighty major deviations. Converting it in his head was easy enough.
Spinning the ball around with increasing confidence, Paitl found at least a dozen other receivers marked on the sphere of Nix. They formed a belt around the equator, and referencing the ancient atlas Paitl-Tesh brought showed that many, like his own settlement, were near where small coastal towns once stood.
“What’s that?”
Paitl swung an eye up from the atlas and towards the display, his other looking for the speaker. A rather young woman stood there, her head crest still flat but twitching nervously. Paitl did not know her name, but the notches along the underside of her left ear marked her as recently brought into Tineh. Tineh himself was resting in his nest, his health increasingly poor as of late.
What the woman had noticed was a new blip, its latitude up in the 40s. Receiver 4’s text was blinking a dull red. Paitl reached for it, meaning to zoom in, but his first control finger tapped the words and a large, dark box suddenly appeared to block out the white orb of the planet.
CONNECTING…
After a moment, the text was gone and Paitl found himself looking somewhere else.
The five women peering through the screen were haggard, their skin rough and broken with weeping sores. They seemed just as surprised as Paitl was, stretching to full height and flaring their head crests in panic.
Paitl gasped as he was pulled backwards, stool and all. Paitl-Tesh and Paitl-Cet interposed themselves between him and the women, hissing and raising their own crests in challenge. He wanted to say something, to calm everyone down, but the sudden surprise had induced another coughing fit. He could do nothing.
“There shall be no violence here.” Asep’s voice cut through the panic, and tensions immediately began to ease. A quick eye flick toward Paitl conveyed concern and comfort; he would aid while Paitl tried to get his breathing under control.
More words were exchanged, but Paitl couldn’t make them out. His world was swimming, motes of light filling his vision even as blood seeped from between his teeth. Paitl-Cet brought him water to drink and a fresh handkerchief to wipe his face while Paitl-Tesh continued to interpose herself between him and any potential danger.
By the time his breathing was under control, Paitl did not have much strength left to continue his work. He received a quick summary from Aesp; the women were the only survivors of a nest living in volcanic caves far to the north. Their last Father had died months ago, and until their box had fallen from the sky they had assumed none of the People lived but them. Seeing multiple new Fathers appear in their midst had been a shock.
The other Fathers had a suggestion for Paitl, one he agreed to wholeheartedly. Even if the device was rightfully Paitl’s, it was too important to be left to just one nest. Instead, they would create a roster and ensure that at least one Father (or, at the least, an older juvenile male) would be near the “Receiver” at all times. The instruction manual would be shared and read by all.
As Paitl-Tesh carried Paitl back to their nest, he noticed the odd change in the air. Everyone was louder, more boisterous. He even saw a few glimpses of frill peeking out on the necks of the younger Fathers.
For the first time that Paitl could remember, there was hope.
*****
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This is a fanfic that takes place in the “Between Worlds” universe (aka Sexy Space Babes), created and owned by u/BlueFishcake. No ownership of the settings or core concepts is expressed or implied by myself.
This is for fun. Can’t you just have fun?