i love speaking with people who are more intelligent in a certain field than i am, like it’s just great to sit back and listen to somebody educate you on shit they’re passionate about
Especially if they’re not condescending.
Is Moira truly evil?
Chu confirms that he leaves at the judgement of villains to us.
Do we believe that science got to have moral barriers? Do you believe that pushing humanity into growth by conflict is immoral?
Chu doesn’t give us answer, he doesn’t go like “oh that character I made is pure evil and I hate them”
He gives his character layers and personality makes them do questionable things making the border between a hero and a villain very very thin.Everything looks different from each perspective.
GET IN THE FUCKING PAYLOAD SHINJI
“Yeah.” Red(M) murmured. “Thanks again, Astrid.”
He suddenly perked up, remembering something. “Oh, before you go Astrid, I have something I’d like to discuss. I promise it won’t be long.”
Letting Astrid take in that information. Red(M) began speaking again. “I’m sure you’re aware that before the TD Gate to Wolf’s reality blew up and we lost contact, we developed Magical Nullifier technology together with the TSAB as a hard counter to Bouzac demon magic and all magic in general. Well, we’ve…hit a stumbling block. A big one.”
“Basically, as they are now our Nullifier fields cannot distinguish between allied and hostile magic abilities, due in part to their very operational principles. We’ve been looking hard for a workaround to allow magical allies to use their abilities while nullifying hostile ones, but no dice so far.”
Red(M) sighed, then looked at Astrid. “In short, we need your help.”
“Hmmm…the only solution I can think of is an IFF indicator for mages,” Astrid concluded. “Your allies with the correct indicator wouldn’t be targeted by nullifier fields, while hostile entities without the indicators are targeted. It’d have a very precision-based system, but it should be possible to use.”
“Hmm…IFF Systems are still vulnerable to errors or hacking, but I think….”
Red(M) pulled up various holoscreens relating to Project Umbra, the Nullifier program in question, then looked through the info they’d managed to learn.
“Despite the fact that the issue isn’t quite with the IFF and more with the Nullifier fields themselves, you may be on to something.”
Had the solution been staring them in the face all along? It seemed like such a ridiculously simple answer, yet it was probably the key to a massive breakthrough.
“Magic relies primarily on sophont life for use…a sufficient neural structure…tie in to lifesign readings…”
He dismissed all the holoscreens save one after letting some information from all of them flow into a single one, a subtle look of realization dawning on him as he read the integrated info. “That’s it…”
Red(M) looked at Astrid gratefully. “Astrid, my friend, I think you just helped us make a big leap ahead. It’s not perfect, not yet, but it’s something.”
m4ge:
i walk into starbucks and order a pumpkin spice latte with 13 shots of espresso. i tell the barista that i intend to transcend humanity and become a god. i ask for no whip cream
you say this jokingly but i had a customer actually order a pumpkin spice latte with 9 shots of espresso (also no whip) and when i asked her to verify that she did indeed want 9 shots of espresso she looked me dead in the eyes and said “i have 5 kids”
I once had a woman come in and ordered an Americano with 19 shots of espresso. The drink took ages. It held up the line. I asked her why, and she shrugged and said “I just don’t care”. We still talk about that woman. We never saw her again.
new cryptid: exhausted woman at starbucks
Actual conversation I had at register:
“Hi, welcome to [Starbucks]! What can I get you, today?”
“How much is it to fill a Venti with Espresso?”
“I- I’m sorry?”
“A venti cup. How much to fill it with Espresso?”
“Oh. uh. Well, it’d be I suppose… I only have a button for a Quad. I don’t have special pricing for twenty ounces of espresso in a single… drink.”
“Price is the furthest thing from my mind right now. How many ‘add shots’ is that?”
*deep breath of fear* “It’d be a quad with,” *clears throat* “uh, sixteen additional shots of espresso. But, ma’am, I should tell you that the shots will start to get really bitter if they have to sit and wait for us to pull twenty of them-”
“Taste means nothing to me.”
At this point I am truly fearing for my very existence in the presence of what must clearly be an eldritch being.
“Oh. Well, okay.” I put on my absolute best customer service smile to hide my terror and accept that I must face this dragon, fae, or demon with dignity. “We can certainly get that for you! The price will be _____.”
She begins to pay, I shit thee not, with golden dollar coins. We are a block from Wall Street, and this eldritch demi-being is paying for an unholy elixer with golden coins. My life will end soon, I am sure of it.
“Do you still have the ‘Add Energy’ packets?”
My heart began to race at this request. “Yes ma’am.”
“How many can I add?”
Futile though it is, at least I know the rote response to this. “For health reasons, we won’t add more than one per drink and we cannot sell the packets individually.”
“One then.”
I alter the order and tell her the new price. She pays, dumps the change and five golden dollars into the tip box. I write the order on the venti cup and pass it silently to the girl working the hot beverage station. Normally we called and pass, but this was … not something to be spoken aloud.
My fellow takes the cup, not thinking anything of the minor break with protocol, until she sees the order. She stares at me. “No.”
The woman, which I call her for no other greater insight into her terrifying being is within my grasp, simply stands on the other side and says, calmly but with a commanding tone I expect of Admirals in bad movies, “Yes.”
My fellow barista pales before her task. But we are dutiful, we are true to our task, great though it may be. She sets about clearing the two brand new Matrena’s of all distraction, and sets two tall cups in the ready position. The energy packet is emptied into the venti cup, and the shots begin pouring.
The barista was damn near shaking. This woman’s gaze felt like the fires of the sun. Finally, the shots are pulled, the cup is filled, and the hand off takes place.
Our visiting Incomprehensible takes it to our milk bar and adds a dollop of cream. Satisfied, she proceeds to down what must have been half the damn cup.
Then she smiled at us, like a benediction and I was honestly filled with joy. And horror. She left, and we knew nothing more of her after that.
When I talk with other former employees, we quickly begin talking about “The Company” as if we’d never l, perhaps knowing that part of our soul still powers that awesome and terrible corporate machine. And when I share this stroy, other Baristas at first act shocked but quickly settle and comes the chorus,
“Yeah, I had one like that.”
Lumi took a deep breath, and nodded. “Then…I’ll see you soon.”
Red(M) nodded in return, gently patting Lumi’s shoulder. “Alright, Lumi. Dismissed.”
The cruiser gave a nod, then left the office with a much calmer walk than the one she’d met Astrid with.
After Lumi left the office for her quarters back at Zephyr Station, Red(M) chuckled, somewhat tiredly. “Just another average day, huh? I’m glad you don’t have to deal with what goes on at Zephyr Station all the time like I do, Astrid.”
At a look from the goddess, Red(M) amended his statement. “Oh, nothing actually bad. It’s just…well, our shipgirl force is mostly idle, since the Navy can already handle everything without their help.”
“And when people like them are bored, well…suffice it to say our personnel who’ve worked there say it’s like living in one of those 21st-century sitcoms.”
At that, Red(M) gave a wry smile.
“Sounds like an adventure,” Astrid replied. “I’m just glad I could resolve this situation peacefully. Too many things could’ve gone wrong here, and I’m glad I was able to avert disaster.”
“Yeah.” Red(M) murmured. “Thanks again, Astrid.”
He suddenly perked up, remembering something. “Oh, before you go Astrid, I have something I’d like to discuss. I promise it won’t be long.”
Letting Astrid take in that information. Red(M) began speaking again. “I’m sure you’re aware that before the TD Gate to Wolf’s reality blew up and we lost contact, we developed Magical Nullifier technology together with the TSAB as a hard counter to Bouzac demon magic and all magic in general. Well, we’ve…hit a stumbling block. A big one.”
“Basically, as they are now our Nullifier fields cannot distinguish between allied and hostile magic abilities, due in part to their very operational principles. We’ve been looking hard for a workaround to allow magical allies to use their abilities while nullifying hostile ones, but no dice so far.”
Red(M) sighed, then looked at Astrid. “In short, we need your help.”
Lumi made a small noise of acknowledgement as she nodded slowly. She seemed to think deeply for a moment before raising her head to gaze at the view of Eden’s Orbital Ring with a warm look.
“I’ll have to take a moment before I head to Coruscant. I need to…prepare something.”
Silently, Red(M) nodded in return. He knew Lumi’s custom by now, a way to make her grieving effort be something tangible.
Perhaps it was a a nice coincidence that all of Battlegroup Jericho’s captains liked hot tea. If nothing else, it meant Lumi never had trouble preparing her offering.
Despite the aggressive or cold front she had usually put on to others prior to this recent visit to Astrid, Luminous Horizon had been a emotional wreck deep down. Her yearly visits to the Coruscant memorial were her only way to release her pent-up grief.
At least now, she was able to truly begin recovering.
The cruiser turned to Astrid once more, giving her a small smile. “Thank you again, Ma’am. For…everything.”
Astrid put on a warm smile again. “It’s no trouble,” she said. “It’s what I’m here for, after all.” Right now, Astrid was just glad to see that Lumi was doing better than she was before. Seeing her with a renewed will to live was something good to Astrid.
Lumi took a deep breath, and nodded. “Then…I’ll see you soon.”
Red(M) nodded in return, gently patting Lumi’s shoulder. “Alright, Lumi. Dismissed.”
The cruiser gave a nod, then left the office with a much calmer walk than the one she’d met Astrid with.
After Lumi left the office for her quarters back at Zephyr Station, Red(M) chuckled, somewhat tiredly. “Just another average day, huh? I’m glad you don’t have to deal with what goes on at Zephyr Station all the time like I do, Astrid.”
At a look from the goddess, Red(M) amended his statement. “Oh, nothing actually bad. It’s just…well, our shipgirl force is mostly idle, since the Navy can already handle everything without their help.”
“And when people like them are bored, well…suffice it to say our personnel who’ve worked there say it’s like living in one of those 21st-century sitcoms.”
At that, Red(M) gave a wry smile.
As far as starships went, the GDI corvette was certainly comfortable.
Only a third the size of an average Initiative frigate, the vessel spotted the same spotless white interior and grey floors, accented by the ice-blue glow of haptics and the soft hums of high technology.
Air-conditioned, too.
The ship’s AI, a chirpy female personality calling herself Angelica, greeted Astrid warmly as she took the corvette through liftoff and flight.
The journey between universes was hardly long, as the corvette proved to be quite fast despite its size.
Docking at Starbase One proved no trouble at all, as Lumi was expected by Red(M). Entering his office after security measures had cleared her and Astrid through, Lumi found Red(M) already sitting in his seat, the wide-spread haptic screens closed down for the moment.
If Astrid paid attention, she might have noticed Red(M)’s office had more than a passing resemblance to that of the Illusive Man’s.
Before Lumi could salute, Red(M) gestured. “No need for that, Luminous Horizon. You’ve talked out your troubles?”
Lumi nodded slowly. “…yeah.”
Red(M) smiled. “That’s good,” he said gently before looking to Astrid very gratefully. “I can’t thank you enough, Astrid. You’ve managed to avert a potential disaster.”
“Sir, I…I just want to say…that…” Lumi broke out before taking a moment to calm herself, then speaking a bit more softly.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you all. It…was silly of me to keep throwing myself into suicide missions, hoping to die. I didn’t realize how much I was hurting all of you. And…I think I might need to take some time off. Rest and think about things.”
Red(M) walked over to Lumi, patting her head gently with a smile. “Finally taking some shore leave, huh? Don’t worry, none of us were ever angry at you. Leave’s already granted. Going to visit Coruscant, I guess?”
Lumi chuckled, a tear coming to her eye. “Mm. Yeah.”
Astrid was quite happy to see Lumi’s statement. “I’m glad to see that you’re willing to take time off,” she said. “You’re always welcome to visit Terra Hope for some of that leave time if you’d like. I’d be happy to have you anywhere within the Empire so you can recuperate.”
It was good to see that Astrid managed to save another soul from their own destruction. She didn’t want to learn that Lumi got herself killed out of despair. Astrid had been down that path once, and she swore to herself: Never again.
Lumi made a small noise of acknowledgement as she nodded slowly. She seemed to think deeply for a moment before raising her head to gaze at the view of Eden’s Orbital Ring with a warm look.
“I’ll have to take a moment before I head to Coruscant. I need to…prepare something.”
Silently, Red(M) nodded in return. He knew Lumi’s custom by now, a way to make her grieving effort be something tangible.
Perhaps it was a a nice coincidence that all of Battlegroup Jericho’s captains liked hot tea. If nothing else, it meant Lumi never had trouble preparing her offering.
Despite the aggressive or cold front she had usually put on to others prior to this recent visit to Astrid, Luminous Horizon had been a emotional wreck deep down. Her yearly visits to the Coruscant memorial were her only way to release her pent-up grief.
At least now, she was able to truly begin recovering.
The cruiser turned to Astrid once more, giving her a small smile. “Thank you again, Ma’am. For…everything.”
Initiative Archival Network 