#Ocean census

[sauolasa]

Ocean census, al via il più grande programma di scoperta della vita marina della storia

Si chiama Ocean census e riunisce scienziati ed esploratori di tutto il mondo. L'obiettivo: scoprire almeno 100mila nuove specie marine entro la fine del decennio per evitare l'estinzione della vita nel mare a causa del riscaldamento degli oceani

[crazyboy3million]

My sqrid

[herpsandbirds]

Casper Octopus (Casper sp.), family undetermined, Nazca Ridge, off the Coast of Peru (Pacific Ocean)

Recently discovered, 2016.

photograph via: Ocean Census

[mindblowingscience]

About 900 miles off the coast of Chile, scientists have discovered an underwater mountain home to "pristine ecosystems" they believe host at least 20 previously unknown species. The team mapped a 1.9-mile tall seamount, which is part of the Nazca Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the southeast Pacific Ocean. The potentially new species, which have yet to be officially confirmed, include a sea urchin, starfish and a squat lobster. The findings will be submitted to the Ocean Census, which promotes the discovery of new marine species. Full species identification can take several years.

Continue Reading.

[certifiedposeidonhater]

PERCY JACKSON HEADCANONS!! (i have a very, very, VERY long series of these on my tiktok so i’ve decided im gonna start posting them here!)

this is gonna be the first part! i’m gonna do like 20-25 each part. (there’s a lot…) just a reminder to pretty please be respectful and kind. i love hearing different opinions and explaining why i think the things that i do or my reasoning behind these, but if you are rude or mean, im just gonna shut you down. if you want to RESPECTFULLY discuss our different opinions, i would LOVE to!! 💙

alrighty, here goes (why am i lowkey nervous?):

1. So, you know how aphrodite children know French bc it’s like the language of love? Percy knows a lot of island/oceanic languages that are native to island cultures (e.g. Māori, Tahitian, Samoan, etc.) because…poseidon.

2. Percy bottles up all of his emotions until he eventually has a mental breakdown where he lays in bed for a few days and completely isolates himself from all his friends and family. He kinda just pops back up when he’s done and acts like nothing happened. None of his friends or family really have the heart to bring it up, and if they do, he’ll just dismiss it and shut down.

3. He physically cannot eat when someone is upset at him or he’s upset at somebody else (he’s usually upset at himself.)

4. Percy and the aphrodite cabin were kinda friends. Especially him and Drew and him and Silena. I don’t know why but it just makes sense. They have weekly gossip sessions. The aphrodite cabin were the only campers (well mostly Silena but still) who didn’t avoid or ignore Percy once he got claimed. Silena and Beckendorf took him in and became almost parental figures.

5. Percy once got in an argument with his dad so he drove himself to a nearby church and got himself baptized at a local church to spite his dad (which i feel like kinda cancels out the whole point of the baptism but whatever.) His mom also got him baptized when he was a baby because she was annoyed at poseidon and also bc she grew up in a kinda religious household. (‘Cause i’m pretty sure that Sally was from Texas and so it fits the region.)

6. He’s not white. He’s actually Hispanic/Portuguese. It fits the majority of the ethnicity census in the area where he grew up so it’s very likely. Plus (other than Walker) i lowkey cannot imagine Percy as white.

7. He has nightmares from seeing himself from another point of view and seeing how scary he is. (He’s scared of himself. (He sees himself as Luke.))

8. Gods and goddesses used to visit Percy as a kid and just kinda chat him up and hang around him a bit. He would literally just randomly be sitting on the subway and suddenly Iris pops up and starts talking to him, and Percy being the 8 yo kid he is, he starts talking back and suddenly it’s a full-blown conversation.

9. He has a special spot that he used to go to with Beckendorf. They found it while they were searching for something for one of Beckendorfs projects. It’s like a little pond somewhere in the forest, super remote. Percy still goes there whenever he’s at camp and it reminds him of Beckendorf.

10. He has the ability to see the past through water. Like how water can collect energy? Like that science thingy where energy can kinda collect in water? Well, Percy can use his powers to kind of bring the past to life based on what has happened near the water. (e.g. he could use the water in the creek to create like a mist version of the things that happened there. Like his claiming. think Frozen II)

11. When he was a kid, g*be used to kick Percy out on the streets. He would be supposed to be taking care of Percy when Sally was at work and he would just make Percy go outside for hours at a time no matter what the weather was. Even if it was a blizzard and Percy didn’t have a jacket, Percy was outside.

12. g*be has broken Percy’s arm (multiple times) and he told everyone it was from falling down the stairs of his apartment complex. It never healed right either so his right arm is a little funky.

13. He’s left handed.

14. Percy has tried to off himself. But that’s also canon so like-

15. Percy dissociates a lot. It happened more when he was a kid but it started up again after the first war. He will dissociate for hours and no one knows how to get him out of it. It stresses Annabeth out SO MUCH.

16. He developed an eating disorder where he hated himself so much that whenever he ate, his mind would hyperfixate and overthink about that hatred and how much of a terrible person he was to the point he would throw up everytime he ate. Restricting what he eats also helps him feel in control of his life, and he gets so little control that the feeling of starving himself became almost euphoric.

17. He HATES pigeons and squirrels (it’s irrational.)

18. He’s fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. and some Italian bc of g*be and bc he grew up around the Italian mafia.

19. He knows A LOT of random facts about random local places without ever being there. It rlly impressed Annabeth when she started talking abt some cool architectural thing and Percy was js like “oh yeah, i know all about that!” he’s never been to half of them, but he knows about it.

20. His New York accent was *super* noticeable when he was a kid and he got bullied for it, so he started hiding it and does it subconsciously even though he knows his friends wouldn’t make fun of him. It still comes out when he’s tired, stressed, or emotional.

21. He code switches.

22. Percy hates Boston and New Jersey

23. He isn’t patriotic at all but the SECOND someone starts talking bad abt nyc he is ON IT. Same with if a European (mainly a British person) says something bad about America, he starts becoming Alexander Hamilton. He suddenly LOVES his country and that country’s culture.

Hope yall enjoy! I’m just posting old ones from tiktok so i have them backed up on somewhere and to get the people on tumblr caught up and there will be more soon 🤗🤗 If yall have any questions or anything, PLEASE ask me! I love talking to people about this stuff!

[gumnut-logic]

How Gordon got there first was no mystery. Virgil was just too damned tired after three rescues in a row and Scott had been tied up with Tracy Industries for most of the day. Grandma could possibly have been on it if she hadn’t been filling in for John who had broken out his exo-suit to yank a couple of free floaters out of the sky.

He was still muttering about idiots and safety. His mood was not improved by the fact Grandma insisted he come down for the night so he could be counted.

Consequently, his muttering also included cursing bureaucracy even though Virgil knew census night was a favourite of the astronaut.

Perhaps Gordon got to the form first because he knew everyone else was tired and grumpy and needed a kick in the pants. Virgil had to admit with a fond thought that his little brother was prone to throwing joke bombs amongst them when the mood was through the floor.

Virgil had no issues wondering why Alan wasn’t the one poking at the form. Their resident teenager wasn’t interested at all.

“Okay, guys. What is our address? What did we put last time?”

Alan didn’t even look up from his game. “Tracy Island.”

Gordon, who was sitting at Dad’s desk, staring at the holographic form, hesitated. “Did Dad register that with the powers that be?”

��What?” Alan really wasn’t paying any attention at all.

Virgil sighed. He was sitting on the couch with one of his uniform boots on his lap attempting to pick out several penetrating objects out of the sole. His last rescue had been a collapsed factory and he was still trying to work out what exactly it was that they made that could penetrate his specialist footwear.

Fortunately, despite multiple incursions, he only had a scratch on his left foot, more an annoyance than anything, but these objects were frustrating and suspicious.

“Dad did all the right things. Tracy Island is the official name now.” The pliers weren’t quite gripping the piece of metal properly. The grip slipped and Virgil swore.

“Now? What was it called before?”

“Deserter’s Rock.” Scott strode in from the kitchen, a coffee in hand, and grimace on his face. His usually perfect hair was scruffy, as if he had been running his hands through it.

Virgil frowned up at him. “You okay?”

His brother took the steps down into the lounge and sighed. “Nothing a holiday won’t fix.” It was Scott’s turn to frown. “What’s with the boot?”

“Deserter’s Rock? Really?”

It was John who answered, very much like Alan, staring into his tablet and barely paying attention. “Really. Three sailors were stuck here for months. Only one survived. That’s why there is a cairn on Tracy Peak.”

“I thought that was a pile of rocks put there by Dad.” Gordon seemed genuinely surprised. “You mean there are two dead guys on the Island?”

“Along with their ghosts, yeah.” John still didn’t look up.

“Ghosts?” Alan did look up at that, eyes wide. “What ghosts?”

“The one’s who keep stealing my Bailey’s ice cream.”

“Oh.” Alan went back to playing his game, his eyes definitely not darting between John and Gordon at all.

“Okay, moving on…so where do I put ‘Tracy Island’ in this thing? It’s not a suburb, state or territory…do we have a postcode?”

“It’s a locality. Shove it in there.” Virgil grit his teeth and yanked hard at the piece of metal embedded in his boot. A grunt and a flex of heavy lifting muscles and…it didn’t move at all. What the hell?

“Okay, whatever.” Gordon half sung ‘Tracy Island, Kermadec Ridge, South Pacific Ocean’ to himself as he entered it into the form. At least he was being specific. Virgil glared at his boot.

“Next. Who gets to be head of household? Oh, the Householder?” A pause in which Virgil poked at his boot, Scott sipped his coffee with closed eyes, Alan killed three zombies with a grin and John sat motionless still staring at his tablet.

“Okay, then. It’s me.” Gordon grinned to himself.

Nobody looked up, but all four other brothers said simultaneously and in chorus. “It’s Grandma.”

Virgil flexed his hand and picked up his pliers again. Peripherally, he watched Gordon’s shoulders drop. Even the Fish couldn’t argue with that.

“Fine. It’s Grandma.” He reached up and touched the box to open that section of the form. “Where is she anyway?”

Virgil tried to get a better grip on another chunk of metal in his boot. “Yoga. Don’t disturb her.” Yoga was Grandma’s mindfulness time and after today, it was well overdue. “Leave her be.”

“I wasn’t going to. Sheesh. So, name. Sally Tracy.” He typed in her name. “Person two?”

“Scott Tracy.” Okay, so Virgil had a bit of a thing about this. His brother deserved acknowledgement for everything he had done.

Gordon glared at him. “And so I guess the rest of us are in age order?”

Virgil flipped his boot over. “Whatever floats your boat, fishboy.” A glance in Scott’s direction and he had to wonder if his brother had fallen asleep, he was that still. The coffee mug in his hand was the only proof of consciousness.

Virgil fought the urge to save it. “Scott, you wanna go to bed?”

“Wha-?” His brother sat up. “I’m fine.” Fortunately, he put the coffee mug down. The chances of Virgil having to treat burns tonight dropped significantly.

“How do you spell ‘Hackenbacker’?”

Virgil did not grace that with an answer as it was obviously a stupid question.

John was apparently on auto as he spouted off the required letters anyway while still staring at his tablet.

Gordon poked at the form in silence for a little while and Virgil wondered what on Earth he was entering. He trusted his brother. This was an official document, after all, but he was still Gordon.

“Okay, guys, I need your information.”

Beside Virgil, Scott ‘woke up’. “What, no questions about Grandma?”

Gordon frowned at his eldest brother. “I’ll have you know that I know our grandmother very well. We have a special kind of relationship.”

Alan snorted.

“What? You got something to say, sprout?” The fish glared at Alan enough to torch him on the spot.

“I’m just saying that after that time with Grandma’s diver’s license, you should know Grandma’s details very well. Her birthdate, her ancestry, her suit measurements…”

A starfish plushie suddenly had a very short career as a ninja star and bounced off Alan’s head. “Shut up, Alan.”

Their little brother only giggled more.

John, still staring at his tablet, raised an eyebrow. “Allie, Grandma baked some cookies yesterday. I think there are still some in the cupboard. Would you like some?”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Alan threw the plushie at his fish brother, missing completely, and went back to playing his game. There was muttering about Gordon making jokes but Alan not being allowed to.

Virgil sighed to himself.

“Scotty, what’s your age? It’s 2060 for reference. Oh, and your gender.”

All signs of sleep fell away and Scott sat up. “Gordon…” It was all warning.

“Hey, I’m just giving you the opportunity to offer an alternative. After all, tonight you look at least fifty-six.”

“I’m thirty-one and you know it.”

Gordon poked at the form. “Thirty-one years young. Got it.”

Scott grunted at him.

“Virg, are we telling the truth this time?”

“Depends on whether you want me to leave you in the ocean next time.” Why the hell couldn’t he get this out of his boot?

“To threat level already, you are grumpy tonight.”

“Gordon…” Virgil echoed Scott from earlier to the note.

“Johnny?”

“No one named ‘Johnny’ lives here.”

Gordon signed. “John Glenn Tracy, how would you like me to record your age?”

“Accurately.”

“Fine.”

“If I say I’m thirty-two, do I get to go higher up on the form?” Alan looked hopeful.

“If you like.” Gordon moved things around on the display.

Virgil gave up. The locality of Tracy Island was destined to be a statistical anomaly anyway. At least it would be an interesting one.

Besides, John would probably hack it later and fix it. The fact he had hardly protested so far was eminent proof of that security factor.

“Scotty, are you the husband or wife of Grandma?”

Scott rubbed his face and didn’t bother to answer, picking up his coffee again and burying his face in it.

Virgil just wished he would go to bed. The man was a zombie.

Gordon took the hint and was quiet for a little while. Virgil went back to tugging on his boot. Maybe he should take this down to his workshop.

The thought of actually working more had his shoulders slumping enough to alert Scott. The concerned and questioning look shot in his direction had Virgil sitting up a little straighter to fend it off.

“John, where should we put your usual place of residence?”

“Here.”

“But you live in space.”

“So do you.”

“Pedantic much?”

“As necessary. Tracy Island is home. Thunderbird Five is merely in our astronomical backyard, not to mention secret.”

Virgil looked up at that. It was a simple statement, but it was good to hear that John still considered Tracy Island home despite his multiple protests over the years.

“Fine. Secret space station wasn’t an option anyway. I could flub it and use Global One but then that would spark all those rumours about you and that captain all over again.”

“Gordon, I can hack your bank accounts.”

“Go for it.”

“I can also hack your fish tanks.”

The aquanaut shot to his feet. “You touch my tanks and you’re dead, spacehead.”

John didn’t react other than to smile just a little.

Their space brother could be a right royal ass when he wanted to be. Virgil sighed. “John, you know the rules.”

He shrugged. “Didn’t break any.”

“You touch my tanks, I’m spicing up your atmosphere on Five. I’m not kidding. I have fart gas resources even you can’t find.” Gordon was still on his feet and actually appeared angry.

John shuddered. “TMI, Gordo. Not interested in your gas capacity, honestly.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Calm down, Gords, John’s not doing anything to your fish tanks. He knows the rules, don’t you, John.” He arched a prompting eyebrow at his brother.

“Never said I didn’t.”

Definitely an ass.

“Gordon, calm down. You can put John’s relationship to you in as ‘nemesis’ if it makes you feel better.”

“I can only put in our relationship to Grandma. I wrote favourite grandson in yours.”

It was Virgil’s turn to shrug. “I’m not going to complain. Sit down and finish the form.”

His brother didn’t answer, but he did sit down, albeit still glaring at John.

John had gone back to his tablet, doing who knew the hell what.

Definitely an ass.

Virgil turned back to Gordon. “What’s the next question, Gords?”

The glare switched to Virgil for a second before turning to the form. “Where were we born?”

“Kansas.”

“I know that. What about Grandma, Brains and Kayo?”

“Space.” Alan said it with triumph.

“What?”

“Where John lives. Isn’t that what the question was?” Alan stared between his brothers.

“Go back to sleep, Alan.”

“Grandma was born in Kansas, Brains was born in India, and Kayo was born here.” Scott proved he was still awake by suddenly providing information enough to make Virgil jump.

Gordon poked at the form, but nothing further was said on that front. Everyone knew Kayo was sensitive about her past, and while she wasn’t in the room, she would find out and partially kill anyone responsible.

“Kayo is here tonight, isn’t she?”

Virgil yanked on his boot again, slipped and managed to elbow Scott in the ribs. His brother grunted.

“Oh, shit, sorry. You okay?” He shoved the boot aside and the pliers along with it.

Scott eyed him and rubbed his side. “That answers your question, Gordon. Kayo is on a conference call with Captain Rigby.”

Virgil glared at Scott.

Gordon eyed the both of them. “Is there something you two aren’t telling the class?”

“Shut up, Gordon.” Virgil glared at Scott a moment longer, enough to have his brother’s expression fall into one of concern. Grabbing his boot again, Virgil went back to wrestling with embedded metal. Damned specialised rubber was amazing when it protected him but when its tolerances were overrun, it was a pain to fix. Maybe he should ask Max to give it a yank. “What entertaining religion are you using this time, Gords?” Any attempt to get the conversation off this topic.

Gordon stared at him a moment, obviously still trying to work out what the hell happened there.

Scott was dead later; Virgil was going to make sure of it. Tired or not, he had crossed a line.

A sideways look in his eldest brother’s direction and it was obvious Scott realised that. Okay, maybe he could let it go. It had been a long day and they were all tired.

Probably should go to bed.

He went back to fighting with his boot.

Gordon was still staring but even the fish knew when to shut up apparently, because the next words out of his mouth were entirely religious.

“I’m worshiping Neptune this year.”

Alan frowned. “I thought you said that last time.”

“Dad wouldn’t let me.”

That brought the whole room to a standstill. Last census was ten years ago. Flashback to that time brought everything that had changed into the bright glaring light. The biggest change being Dad’s absence. But even more, ten years ago they were still based in Kansas, IR was in development, but not yet a reality. Alan was only six, Gords eleven and with his body still intact…it was a completely different time. Virgil was still in college and had to fill in his own census form in Denver.

Gordon broke the looming silence with a determined smile. “This time the government gets the truth. Scott bows to the sky gods, Virg worships molemen, Johnny is a god, and Alan is Satan.

“Hey!” It was said by multiple brothers at once.

Only John remained calm. He even had a smile. “In that case, I want bagels every Sunday.”

“You get bagels every Sunday. Virg sends them up all the time.” Alan glared at his space brother – Alan did not like bagels.

John grinned wider. “I’ll take that as proof that I have at least one faithful worshipper.”

“Next time you can get your own bagels.” Virgil glared at his brother.

Gordon snorted. “Yeah, right, you old softie. John could blow up Two and you’d still send him his bagels.”

Virgil found himself glaring at Gordon again. It seemed to be a theme tonight. “Short pier, long walk, Gordon, go for it.”

He got a smirk for that. “Don’t mind if I do. A little night diving is quite spectacular around here.”

Virgil ignored him and went back to his boot…which he had made zero progress on for all the time he had been sitting here, damnit.

“Does Virgil ever ‘need someone to help with or be with him for self-care, body movement, or communication activities’?” Gordon typed into the form. “Before coffee.”

Virgil ignored him some more as Alan took the bait and snickered. “Better watch it, Gords. Won’t be long before ‘before coffee’ time kicks in. Look at him, he’s already brewing.”

The piece of metal in his boot finally shifted a little. Thank goodness.

“Long term health conditions.” Gordon slumped in his seat. “Well, isn’t this cheerful.”

“Just fill it in, Gordon.” Scott’s words were little more than a sigh.

That left a gaping silence. Gordon tapped a lot at the keyboard filling in far too much. More for himself, obviously, but then there was John and his space issues, and they all had been diagnosed with something on the list hanging above their father’s desk.

Except Alan, who could not be left out. Virgil pretended to not be able to read the word ‘zombification’ next to his little brother’s name.

“Schooling? Oh man, John, you can write all the letters after your name. I can never remember them all.”

“Not a problem.” The astronaut poked at his tablet and the hologram in front of Gordon sprouted half the alphabet.

“Really? Did you get a new one?” He stared at John. “When did you get time for that?”

John shrugged. “Made time.”

“What’s this one for?”

“Oceanography.”

“What?”

“You were in the ocean. I didn’t know enough to help. So I fixed the problem.”

Gordon just stared.

Virgil, of course, knew. He had been the one to field John’s version of panic the day he didn’t know enough to help Gordon. John was practical. He saw a problem, he fixed it. Oceanography wasn’t an obvious topic for the starman, but he was a genius and that genius could be applied where he wished it to be.

If Virgil had found himself helping John at a few points that intersected with his specialities along the way, he was just going to take a little comfort from being able to return the favour after years of borrowing his brother’s brains for other topics.

And besides, it had meant he had been able to spend a little extra time with John. Always a good thing.

Despite him being the occasional ass.

Gordon was still staring. “Is that why you bugged me to take you out in Four?”

John shrugged. “Partly. Didn’t mind spending a bit of time with you either. Good experience to familiarise myself with Four as well.”

The stare continued.

“Be careful you don’t catch any flies with your mouth open.”

The stare became a glare. “We’re talking about this. You and me.”

“Sure.”

Gordon looked like he didn’t know whether to yell at him or run over and hug his brother. Virgil was voting for the latter.

But everything was interrupted by a sudden snore and snort.

Virgil turned to Scott and found his brother startled awake, likely by his own snore.

“Wha-?”

“Scott, you need to go to bed.”

“I’m fine.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Do I need to pick you up and carry you?”

“I’m fine.” He waved Virgil away, sat up straighter and attempted to guzzle whatever was left of his probably cold coffee.

“Idiot.”

“What?”

“Go to bed.”

“No. We need to finish the census.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“Because I want to.”

“Why?”

“Can you stop that?”

“Can you go to bed?”

“No!”

“You need sleep.”

“I can manage my own health, thank you, Doctor Virgil.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I am an adult.”

“Sometimes.”

“Virgil!”

Gordon let off a loud snort. “That’s it. I’m putting you two in as married.”

“Gordon!” Both of them, in chorus. It was apparently a theme tonight.

“Well, you both argue like an old married couple, what can I do?”

“You can shut up and move onto the next question.”

Gordon poked his tongue out at Scott, but he didn’t stop grinning and Virgil was forced to hold back a smile himself.

Bratty little fish.

He was still smirking when he said, “Employment.”

“Oh god.” Scott sank back onto the couch and rubbed his face with his hands.

There followed a book’s worth of employment activities.

“Rocket surfing is not an occupation, Gordon.” Virgil sighed.

“Why not? Both Scott and Allie surf rockets.”

“Alan rides a rocket sled and Scott is just trying to give me grey hair.”

“Has he succeeded yet?” Bratty fish.

“None of your business.”

“So is International Rescue paid or unpaid work?” Gordon was frowning at the form.

“Unpaid.”  Scott’s tone was sharp.

“So are we unemployed, employed or self-employed?”

“Self-employed.”

“How much do you earn a year, Scotty?”

Their eldest brother paused as if calculating, but then threw up a hand. “Stuffed if I know.”

John snorted and rattled off a number.

“There isn’t enough space for that many zeros here, John.”

“Give me a moment.”

The display in front of Gordon flickered and each of their names received a variety of numbers…except for Alan.

“Hey, how come I don’t have any earnings?”

“You are a minor.” John spoke calmly, as if speaking to a minor.

“But I do stuff for Tracy Industries, I do.”

“All your income is held in trust, you know that.”

“Then who is paying for all that popcorn I bought this morning?”

Scott sighed. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to bust the bank.”

“We own the bank.”

Scott stared at John. “When did we buy a bank?”

“I bought it for your birthday last year but forgot to give it to you.”

“Oh.”

“I’m writing obscenely rich next to all our names. Oh, except for you, Allie. You’re a pauper.”

“Hey! You suck, Fishbrain.”

“Remember who might need to lend you money in the next couple of years…”

“While Gordon remembers who lent him money in the past, who still helps him with his finances, and who also is the one to fish him out of the ocean after every mission.” Virgil pinned Gordon with his eyes.

Gordon blinked. “You have a point.” A pause as a smile crept over his face. “Who was that again?”

The hologram of the census form wobbled as a lounge cushion flew through it and hit Gordon squarely in the face.

“Right on target. Hmm, I’ve still got it.” Scott blew imaginary smoke off a finger gun.

Unfortunately, Scott may have still had it, but he wasn’t the best marksman on this census form. The cushion rebounded via aquanaut and hit Scott squarely in the face with an oomph.

This forced both Virgil and Alan to come to his defence and for a full ten minutes after that, it was an all-out pillow fight between the brothers. Even John was drawn in as Gordon came up behind him and tried to stuff one down the back of his shirt.

Which wasn’t advisable since his gravity support was still in play. But then John was king of the noogie and immediately grabbed a head full of strawberry blond hair, dragged it down onto the couch beside him and made sure it received the full-on noogie treatment.

Gordon did squawk quite a bit.

An extreme one-on-one joust erupted between Scott and Alan. It was that determined that Virgil had to back out. Alan, being the terrier he was, managed to get Scott on his back on the lounge and sat on him pummelling him with pillows.

Virgil had suspicions that the game was rigged.

In any case, he had to find somewhere else to sit and tinker with his boot.

Eventually, Gordon found his way back to the census form. Scott was still on his back and apparently Alan had decided he preferred that his big brother stay that way by sitting on him and playing his computer game. Scott at least had a remaining cushion under his head, but one foot had taken out a pot plant and the other was hanging over the back of the sofa. His brother really was too tall for lying on the seating arrangements, but he didn’t seem to care.

With a bit of luck he might fall asleep.

“Okay, let’s finish this. How did you get to work today?” Gordon grunted. “This form has no rockets, planes, submarines or space elevators on it.”

“Tick the ‘other’ box and let them work it out.” John let out a yawn.

Virgil eyed him.

John screwed up his face and poked out his tongue.

Wha-“ Virgil blinked.

“Hey, Virg, how many hours did you work last week?”

That distracted him enough to turn to Gordon. “How the hell do I know?”

“You worked them. I bet you know your flight hours.”

“Today’s. Not last week. That was last week.”

“Eos, send Gordon last week’s record?”

The AI chimed in at her father’s request. “Yes, John.”

Another document appeared in front of Gordon. “Wow, that much? Really?”

“The documentation is correct as recorded.” Eos sounded a little miffed. But then she never particularly liked Gordon on the best of days.

His fault, of course.

“Virg, you win, but only by a bit over Scott and that was because he twisted his ankle on Monday.”

“Sprained, you mean.”

“Twisted.” It came from the couch and was strangled by a little brother.

“Sprained. He should have been off for several days, but he’s an idiot.”

“You can’t talk, Mr Bruised-not-cracked.”

“At least I’m not Cracked-not-broken.”

“Sure.”

Scott might have said more but Alan whacked him with a pillow. “You guys are idiots. Gords, John and I are lucky our grey hairs don’t show.” Alan growled. “I’m sixteen, for crying out loud, and I know more about hospitals than I ever wanted to. Look after yourselves, you morons.”

Silence hit the room again.

“Way to go, Allie. You tell ‘em.” Gordon���s words were honest.

Of course, Scott was devastated and immediately questioning all his life choices. Virgil wasn’t far behind, but Scott, in particular had a sensitive spot where Alan was concerned.

“Hey.” He reached out a hand and rested it on their little brother’s arm. “Talk to me, Allie.”

Alan growled again. “I’m fine as long as you two look after yourselves. We kinda need you, you know.”

Scott grabbed his little brother and dragged him down into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

Virgil sat with his boot in his lap needing to grab both his brothers but not wanting to interrupt their moment.

He shouldn’t have worried. A second later Gordon jumped over the back of the couch, landed beside him and grabbed him, dragging him sideways into an oomph of a hug. “Don’t worry, my dear wingman, we still love you even if you are an idiot.”

“Gordon…”

“Admit it, you want a hug.”

“Shut up.”

Gordon didn’t say anything further, but he did squeeze tighter.

“When you get to the questions on whether any of us looked after children, Gordon, tick yes for all of us.” John’s tone was as dry as a desert.

“Will do.” Gordon grinned at him.

Scott actually fell asleep after that. It was about time. Apparently, Alan made a great teddy bear.

Alan grumbled about that for days, but Virgil knew his little brother treasured his relationship with Scott and the fact he fell asleep as well was rather telling.

But that fact pretty much ended the census form filling for that night.

The next morning saw all of them out on an earthquake and it wasn’t until two days later that Gordon realised they hadn’t submitted the form.

Grabbing Scott and Virgil, he ran them through the last of the questions, landing on the definitions of their dwelling.

“How many registered motor vehicles do we have at this dwelling?”

“Er, none? We have no roads.” Virgil frowned at the obvious answer.

“Three rockets, two planes and a submarine don’t count?”

An arched eyebrow. “Does it say anything about planes? Tracy Two and Three are registered in Aotearoa.”

“Aotearoa is not the United States.”

“But they are still registered.”

Scott sighed. “Read the form properly, guys. It says exclude heavy vehicles.”

“Well, that strikes Virg off the list, but your ‘bird’s a pansy.”

That earned Gordon a mocking whack up the back of the head.

“Gords, just write zero. The intent is there.”

“Fine. We have no motor vehicles. Stupid form.” A sigh. “Okay, how many bedrooms do we have?”

Scott answered that one. “Ten.”

“I thought it was twelve.”

“One went to an art studio and the other to a music recording room.”

Gordon glared at Virgil. “Way to take over the house, bro.”

“And how many fish tanks do you have in how many rooms? Not to mention the chunk of vegetable garden we had to sacrifice for Rover’s pond?”

“Leave Rover out of this. That wasn’t his fault.”

Virgil snorted. “Not his.”

“Shut up.”

Scott sighed again. “We have ten bedrooms.” He scanned the rest of the form, which thankfully wasn’t very long. “We own the place outright, and yes, they can archive our information for our grandkids to access. Tick the boxes and get this sent so I can go get some lunch.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Scott growled but Gordon ignored him.

Boxes all ticked, he hit the submit button.

“This form has already been submitted. You may not submit it again.” Underneath was the date of the day before census night. “What the hell? How could we open it if - ” Scott hit his comms. “John!”

John’s hologram flickered up beside the misbehaving census form. “I’m between a hurricane in Bermuda and an avalanche in the Pyrenees. How may I help you?”

“What?!”

“Oh, the census form. Eos submitted that three days ago.” Their space brother was distracted a moment out of pick up range as Scott’s jaw dropped. “Needed to get it done before Gordon got his hands on it. Besides, we can’t guarantee we wouldn’t have been called out anyway, so I got it done beforehand.”

“Then why the hell were we going through the damned thing on census night?”

John blinked. “You had fun, didn’t you? We shared an evening together.”

Virgil joined both his brothers at staring at John.

The astronaut just smirked back at them. “You did a great job, Gordon. Thanks.” The smirk turned into a grin. “Thunderbird Five out.” His hologram disappeared.

Scott’s face curdled. “I’m going to kill him.”

Virgil let his shoulders drop and sighed. “You said that last time he did something like this, and he’s still kicking.”

“I’m soaking his underwear in saltwater.” Gordon had that fire in his eyes that usually preceded a Tracy Island Armageddon.

“Gords…”

“He played me, Virg. He knew what I would do and played me. He thinks I’m predictable!”

“Yeah, but he obviously did it for the right reasons.”

Virgil found himself the target of two glares. “What? You want a group hug or something? C’mere.” And he grabbed the both of them, wrapping his arms around them. “Happy Census Night.”

The grumbling was worth it.

-o-o-o-

[takingstockofwhatmattersmost]

the census of the wind

i trace the edges of your breath as you sleep i map the cracked bark of the oldest tree in the forest i hold the weight of a falling leaf for just a moment i taste the salt rising from the ocean’s open mouth

i count the feathers lifted from a bird in flight i measure the quiet trembling of an abandoned swing i push against mountains that do not know i am there i press into the cracks of a sidewalk to see what grows

i read the heat rising from a city at dusk i carry the ash of a fire too far gone to save i pull the smell of rain from the skin of the earth i listen to the sound of grass bending beneath me

i am endless yet i never belong to myself i am everywhere yet no one remembers my name i am all that touches and is touched i am all that counts but is never counted

[scotianostra]

On March 3rd 1883 three hundred inhabitants of the remote Shetland island of Foula were on the point of starvation as the first supply boat of the year reached the stormbound community.

Foula, often described as the "Edge Of The World" is our most remote inhabited island. It is situated in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 20 miles to the west of the Shetland mainland. It is an island of crofting townships, breath-taking sheer cliff drops, and a wealth of wild flowers and wildlife.

Over a century ago, in 1881, Foula had a population of 267, mostly employed in fishing...at the last census in 2001 that figure had dropped to just 38.

On March 3rd 1883 the Shetland Times published this;

The Weather and Mails – Foula

Nine weeks have now expired since our last mail was landed, and all our resources are almost exhausted. Sugar and tobacco have been all done for more than a fortnight, and tea, coffee, etc, are now done also. Those who had a little meal to spare have helped those who had none, a thing often done in Foula, but if the weather does not moderate we will soon be all alike. The boat has been in readiness now for some time to go to Walls for supplies, and as the weather has become a little more moderate today they are going to make a start, so we hope that they may get safe through, and a chance to return again soon. But we doubt if the mail boat will be able to cross today yet, as the wind still inclines to the westward.

There isn’t much more than this about their plight, but it seems that same day they breathed a sigh of relief as a boat must have made it to Mainland and back successfully.

Today crofting as well as fishing are the main activities, half the population living at Hametoun in the south east and the remainder to be found at Ham near Ham Voe on the east coast. The island is not connected to any mainland electricity grid system. In 1987 a community electricity scheme was constructed, comprising a 3.3kV island grid which linked diesel generators, a wind turbine and a hydroelectricity scheme to the island’s properties. This scheme gradually fell into disrepair and has undergone a major refurbishment, funded primarily through grants.

Before refurbishment, the entire island's power was supplied by one of the two diesel generators which operated between approximately 7.20am and 00.30am. That’s not to say they were without power for the, just under 7 hours the generator is off, a battery/inverter system was installed between 2006 and January 2007, a solar charging array helps top up the batteries as well . The system was fully commissioned at the beginning of March 2007 and already the islanders not only have continuous power ( instead of the previous 17 hours per day) but are noticing considerable savings in diesel fuel use. Since diesel has to be shipped in by ferry (and often the weather is too bad for the ferry to run for up to 3 weeks on end) this of huge value.

An interesting feature of the island's people is that they still observe the old Julian calendar, replaced in 1752 in Britain by the present Gregorian system which deleted 11 days from the year. Remote areas of the country kept to the old calendar, adding an extra day in 1800, which was a leap year, and some parts of Shetland continued to observe festivals 12 days after the dates in the new calendar. The most remote areas kept to the old calendar longest, and the people of Foula still celebrate Christmas on 6 January and New Year's Day on 13 January

Travel to the island is by sea or air and is completely dependent on suitable weather conditions.

A wee bit more, and a short video can be found at the link below.

[spikyiwaizumi]

Ten people I'd like to know better!

tagged by: @robinticism and @reineyday , thank you guys 🫶

last song:

jane remover has taken over my brain . /I crashed the car I saw an angel and it watched me burn/ repeats in my head so often as well as /oh god, I’m so tired, of being young / she’s just. so fucking good one song of hers spawned a whole kryk au

favourite colour: I like dark purple :3

last book: on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong. jesus fucking christ. I kept sobbing on the train. I had to take BREAKS and one break lasted almost a year. loved it <3

last movie: twilight - new moon LMFAO watched it with my friends had a blast !!

last tv show: the sopranos! watching it with my parents and rly enjoying it

sweet/spicy/savory: savoury…

relationship status: taken ✌🏻

last thing I googled: haikyuudle! lmao (I’m bad at it because I always start with Yaku who is nearly the worst character objectively to begin with)

current obsession: jane remover. oh my god her lyrics just roll around in my brain like a really REALLY large marble … she’s so good at saying phrases that evoke feelings and I love thinking and thinking about her lyrics … as well as that, the sheer WALL of sound in census designated songs? scratches my brain so nicely… she’s up there with haikyuu because like I listened to a reviewer praising her and I started tearing up because I was so elated !! . so of course I also think of kryk during it

looking forwards to: spending a lazy weekend with my gf in a hotel & also fucking off alone on a ferry next year for a week to work on TLK because I just need to be kept in a cabin for a while . alone. that will fix me

no pressure tag: @sophistired18 @yakkunmori @javasleuth @tetsuyaku @otakurooster907 @just-anotherrandomartist @cavewretch @bbagelbitch @heylanini @what-the-f-is-going-on (you’re not escaping)

[cristalconnors]

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, 2023

Best Songs of 2023 can be found here.

Honorable Mentions (alphabetical): Black Rainbows, Corinne Bailey Rae // Heaven is a Junkyard, Youth Lagoon // Love in Exile, Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily // New Blue Sun, André 3000 // Radical Romantics, Fever Ray // Rat Saw God, Wednesday // SAVED!!!, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter // Scaring the Hoes, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown // This Stupid World, Yo La Tengo // trip9love…???, Tirzah // With a Hammer, Yaeji // WOW, Kate NV

20. *1, RẮN CẠP ĐUÔI

19. GIRL WITH FISH, FEEBLE LITTLE HORSE

18. THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE, MITSKI

17. ATLAS, LAUREL HALO

16. BURNING DESIRE, MIKE

15. CENSUS DESIGNATED, JANE REMOVER

14. WHY DOES THE EARTH GIVE US PEOPLE TO LOVE?, KARA JACKSON

13. DESIRE, I WANT TO TURN INTO YOU, CAROLINE POLACHEK

12. OH ME OH MY, LONNIE HOLLEY

11. DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE’S A TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD, LANA DEL REY

10. SUNTUB, ML BUCH

9. PICTURE OF BUNNY RABBIT, ARTHUR RUSSELL

8. SPACE HEAVY, KING KRULE

7. RAVEN, KELELA

6. PRAISE A LORD WHO CHEWS BUT WHICH DOES NOT CONSUME; (OR SIMPLY, HOT BETWEEN WORLDS), YVES TUMOR

5. MY BACK WAS A BRIDGE FOR YOU TO CROSS, ANOHNI AND THE JOHNSONS

4. MAPS, BILLY WOODS & KENNY SEGAL

3. JAVELIN, SUFJAN STEVENS

2. FOUNTAIN BABY, AMAARAE

1. SOFTSCARS, YEULE

[herpsandbirds]

Cirrate Octopus (Cirroteuthis muelleri), family Cirroteuthidae, deep sea - Canadian Basin, Arctic Ocean

photograph via: NOAA/OE Census of Marine Life cruise to the Canadian Basin

[mcyt-builds-contest]

The Census Bureau Prison

Contained : All Active QSMP members

Series : QSMP

Propaganda : None

Taurtis' summoning shrine

Contained : Taurtis

Series : EVO SMP

Propaganda : he was uncovered when grian moved his shrine from his starter rail station area to his main base, which was sunken into the ocean, and surrounded by falling walls of water. grian, having drained water and flattened ground, only heard taurtis speaking after moving the shrine on top of him. going by the lore explanation, taurtis spent six months filming his evo lets-play in a 2-tall pitch black hole under the grian empire, which is sunken into the ocean, and was only built an episode ago. the summoning platform, which g built episode 3, previously sat ABOVE the ocean, near his starter base, and was only moved above taurtis literal seconds before he was dug up, and was promptly dissasembled. and while the shrine only held someone for a few minutes, the cave below held taurtis in the dark for six months with nothing on him, and tohe only thing he had for company was likely a zombie that spawned in there, which he killed, as he had a feather. (or yknow he got it from his brief trip from spawn to the hole, but lore wise eh)

[ptseti]

AFRO-MEXICANS, A FORGOTTEN LOT!

Afro-Mexicans make up about 2 per cent of Mexico’s 129-million population. However, after the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the state emphasised a Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European) identity, marginalising Afro-Mexicans.

But who are the Afro-Mexicans? Spaniards captured their ancestors in Africa and sold them into slavery in ‘New Spain,’ now modern Mexico, after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. Those Africans who escaped plantations settled on Mexico’s highlands and Pacific Ocean coastline to become what we know today as Afro-Mexicans, now one of Mexico’s 69 distinct cultural identities.

Almost 500 years later, during the 2019 census, Mexico amended its constitution to recognise Afro-Mexicans as an ethnic group. This historic step acknowledged Africans’ existence in the country and paved the way for healthcare funding, among other benefits.

We hope this marginalised community of Africans obtains economic and political equality in the country they call home.

[jpitha]

Just a Little Further 10

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Well shit.

Looking up, it was clearly a human woman in a pressure suit. I didn't recognize the model of pressure suit at least, so I don't think we're dealing with time travel stuff. At least I hope not. I did read an article once about how during the development of the wormhole generators we were exploring FTL travel and realized that any FTL drive is also a Time Machine (since Speed is a function of distance over time and if you can't reduce the distance you reduce the time) and that line of research was shut down very quickly.

But looking up at her, I'm not so sure now. She has a beautiful face, framed in long hair that is spilling out of the helmet ring of her suit. She doesn't have a helmet on, and she doesn't seem to be wearing any accessories other than the suit, no gun on her back. She's making a grand gesture, pointing out towards the promenade.

The bird people and octopus people catch us gawking. One of the bird people, Starlight on a Moonless Evening, I think, says "Ah yes, our patron Saint "The Builder Aeche." She watches over us and keeps us safe.

"Well, I see why everyone is so nervous around us." I said more jovial than I felt. "Everyone sure didn't seem pleased to see us walking down the promenade though, lots of glares and unhappy looks."

When I said that, both Captain Q'ari and Fer'resi's head snapped over to me. They did not see that. Q'ari looked at Fer'resi and they had some kind of body language conversation, and Q'ari said to Fer'resi "I apologize Holy One, but I can't say your name because it will give away that I am talking to you and not my friend here. I am speaking ancient K'laxi. Are we in danger? Indicate yes by looking at me, no by looking at the statue."

I didn't know if we're in danger or not! I don't think we're in "shoot and run away" danger yet. I decided to split the difference and look exactly between them, down the Promenade. "Rapid River Roaring, how many sapients live here? I've never been on a Starbase so large and... expansive."

Rapid River Roaring's feathers ruffled slight annoyance. I don't think they were expecting much small talk. "Oh, I'm not exactly sure, but well over 10 million at last census I believe."

What.

"10 million?" I said legitimately surprised. "I had no idea it was so many."

"Oh yes" They said absently. "Come, I am very hungry, let us go eat." and they started to walk inside.

With a resigned sigh, I turned and followed. We might as well see this through, but I couldn't shake the feeling we were in trouble.

Inside the administrative offices was a grand entryway all polished stone and more lights that we couldn't find the source, so everything was evenly lit and then...

it was an office building.

It was almost comical how boring it was. It could have been an office on any colony in human space, other than the panoply of sapients at work.

We walked down a carpeted hall until the smells of food being prepared became prominent. We turned a corner and it was...

a canteen. Like, every canteen I've ever been to while in the Navy has looked like this. Apparently it's universal.

There was a long empty table in the back that was set with linen and plates were set. Zemmlin led us to the table. The octopus people took up station at one end of the table and the bird people took up station at the other. We were directed towards the middle. As we sat, one of the insect people I saw earlier walked up to Smell of the Ocean carrying something small and black. With a little bow they handed to Ocean and walked away. They examined it, pressed a button and saw lights illuminate on the side. Battery level? Seeming satisfied he sat and spoke to Fer'resi. "Here. This is our latest translator. Please see if you and your ship can integrate our language models to further facilitate communication."

Fer'resi took the box smiling but then looked at me and flicked his ear. I said "It's a translator module. They're giving it to you."

"Ah" he visibly relaxed. "Thank you Melody." He turned and tried to speak. "Ah, thanks many for this."

Ocean smiled.

People started to bring out steaming trays of food. It looks like they're going to feed us family style and let us pick and choose. That's nice of them at least.

I saw things that looked like bread, stews, maybe some kind of grain dish, a few things that might be fish or other marine creatures, and things I was pretty sure were vegetables. On a hunch, I ran my personal mass spectrometer over all of them and they were completely fine to eat. They looked to be fine for even K'laxi too. After we all agreed that the food was safe to eat, and began to serve.

I have to admit, it was good. All of it. Being careful not to eat too much - in case we had to run - I tried a little bit of everything. It was all very very good.

As we ate, the bird people and the octopus people ate as well, but I couldn't help but notice that they were spending their time looking - glaring really - at each other the whole time. I wonder if they were in something like a competition about us or something.

"So Ottarn... " I was trying to speak to all of them, it gave be a better gauge on how they were reacting. "This is all amazing food, thank you for sharing with us. Where do you get it? Is it all grown locally?"

Ottarn laughed. "Of course it is, Holy One. As you have no doubtless seen, our system has no planet. We have a planetoid a few hours travel away that was hollowed out by the Builders and good soil and an artificial sun was added so we can grow crops. We only have to provide water and water ice asteroids abound in this system, so we have what we need. It's part of the reason that we are able to thrive here."

Turning to the other end of the table, I said "Rapid River Roaring, Vivvex had mentioned that you thought the Gates were disabled. How do you traverse the stars if the Gates were closed?"

"Holy One, I mean no disrespect, but... we do not." Vivvex said sadly. "All you see is all we have. The Gates have been closed to us for more than three generations."

I stopped. Switching back to Colonic - it was so easy to switch now! - I spoke to Captain Q'ari. "They don't traverse gates! They said they have been disabled and all we see is all they have."

Q'ari almost choked in surprise. Taking a breath to compose herself and finished her food she looked up and said "What? They're stuck here?"

I nodded. "For three generations according to Rapid River Roaring. I don't know how long they last but I can extrapolate that it's..."

"Between one hundred and five hundred years yes." Captain Q'ari said. "I see what you're getting at." She looked around. "This is serious. How are they providing this food? We're not taking it from people who need it more, are we?"

I shook my head no. "Vivvex says they grow it all in a hollowed out planetoid a few hours flight time away. They said it's why they can support a population of ten million."

Omar looks up from his lunch then. "ten million? That's insane. Either this place is way larger than it looks, or everyone is living in a closet or..."

"Or they're lying." Fer'resi says. "I don't feel safe here. I have a feeling that Melody speaking their Holy Tongue is the only thing keeping us alive right now."

"Please, friends!" Ottarn says with a - fake - smile and - forced - joviality. "I'm sure you're excited about our new relationship together, but there's no need to chat amongst yourselves secretively. Let's collaborate our resources on the translator and open a dialog."

I manage to not show my fear when I say "Thank you Ottarn, you are quite correct. In fact, we should be returning to our ship to examine your translator and integrate it with our own." I moved to stand.

Ottarn and Starlight on a Moonless Evening shot up as I stood. "Oh, I don't think that's necessary." Starlight said. "I'm sure given your position as a Holy One that of you could wear the translator and have it work right away."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood. This was bad.

"Oh, I'm sure that's the case." I said, trying to sound easygoing "But it wouldn't work for our friends the K'laxi here." I said, gesturing to Fer'resi and Q'ari. As I did I locked eyes with them and then my eyes darted to the exit. Captain Q'ari's tail flicked a nod. "And so, it is with much thanks and great sadness that we must go." When I finished speaking Q'ari made a gesture and she and Fer'resi and Omar stood as well.

Looking at our hosts, I saw that all the bird people looked to Starlight on a Moonless Evening and the octopus people looked to Vivvix for next steps. With my newfound ability to read body language they were both deliberating very hard about what to do next. Starlight broke first. "Of course. Please examine the translator and integrate the language model with your own, and we shall speak again - all of us - shortly." and bowed dramatically. Vivvix made a gesture and one of the insect people appeared. "Tem. Please lead out guests back to their docking umbilical." Tem made a gesture of acknowledgment and looked at us. I turned to the team and said "Looks like we follow Tem here back to the dock."

I turned and looked at Starlight and Vivvix again. "Thank you for hosting us. This has been very... educational."

Starlight and Vivvix both smiled broadly and completely falsely. "The pleasure is ours, Holy One." Starlight said.

As soon as we left the Administration building, the promenade that felt open and lively as we came in felt oppressive and claustrophobic now. Tem led us along slowly back the way we came and this time more people were out and once again, they stared as we walked.

"So Tem" I said, trying to talk to our guide. "Do you work for the Administrators?"

Tem turned to look at me, then turned forward again. "No." He said.

"No? But you're doing what they ask of you?"

Without turning Tem said "Work implies pay. I am not paid."

My eyes went wide. Slavery was known to us, but it's illegal in Human, K'laxi and Xenni space. I turned back to the team and said in Colonic "Tem here is a slave."

Captain Q'ari gasped. "This is barbaric. What is going on here?"

Omar looked around darkly. "Nothing good. I have a feeling that we're seeing refugees of whatever happened at the other address, and those with power are exercising it over those who have none."

I spoke up. "With my... upgrades I seemed to have gained the ability to ready body language as well. The bird people and the octopus people hate each other. I think we arrived in the middle of a Cold War." I turned back to Tem.

"Tem.. So the bird people and the octopus looking people like each other?"

Tem looked at me with a pitying expression. "You know how the Aviens and the Mariens feel about each other, Holy One."

"Am I holy to you too?"

"All Gate Builders are Holy."

"But, we didn't build the Gates. We didn't even have any Gates around our home world. We never even knew they existed until the K'laxi here showed them to us."

"Nevertheless you are a Builder. Even if you did not build them yourself, your kind did."

I'm speechless. Everyone here utterly believes that I am a Holy One and a Gate Builder. I mean, with the statue out front and the fact that I am speaking the Gate Builder language I guess I can see it. But still. Woof. This is going to be trouble.

"Tem, are all of your kind slaves?"

His legs quiver a no. "No. I am because I was sold to pay a debt. Not everyone here is enslaved."

We approach the docking area and Tem leads us back to our umbilical. "Uh, Thank you Tem for your help."

Tem nods. "I am so ordered. Be well, Holy One." and they turn and walk away at the same speed they led us here.

"Well. that was odd." I said. Captain Q'ari nodded. "Let's go back in FarReach and figure out next steps.

As we approached the umbilical door, one of the bird people, an Aviens apparently, ran up to us. "Holy One! Holy One!" they shouted, out of breath.

I turned. "Yes?" What else could I do?

"Take this!" They shout, and whip out something in their hand, small and dense, it looks like a weapon. They fire it at me.

Part 11

[stephensmithuk]

A Study in Scarlet: Light in the Darkness

Yes, I know I'm rather behind at this point.

Euston is the station you would use for a trip to Liverpool; from there, ocean liners could take you to the United States or indeed many other places. Transatlantic passenger service ceased in 1973, but cruise ships still operate from there and a floating dock structure was built in 2007 to service today's huge vessels.

The "Boots" was the lowest-ranking servant whose main job was to clean boots and shoes. He may have done other duties as a hall boy in smaller households.

The modern-day Greater London area, which includes a good many places not in London at the time politically, had a population of 4.7 million people in the 1881 census, freely available online. The City of Westminster, where Baker Street is, had 513,000 residents and Tower Hamlets, which covers most of the East End 560,000. In 2021, they were around 204,000 and 310,000. My home borough of Havering had merely 16,000 and in 2021 around 262,000.

The old D-shaped handcuffs were not easy to put on a prisoner who was struggling, hence Holmes having a modern-style of spring handcuffs.