#Research collaboration

[market-insider]

Strategic Insights into the Clinical Trial Investigative Site Network Market

The global clinical trial investigative site network market size is expected to reach USD 12.5 billion by 2030. Growing investments in pharmaceutical R&D, increasing demand for new therapies and complications associated with site management of clinical trials are some of the major factors driving the growth of the industry. There has been a consistent rise the clinical trials in the last 5 years. For instance, according to ClinicalTrials.gov, over 262,298 trials were registered in 2018, whereas as of September 2022, over 399,518 trials were registered. The clinical trials are expected to grow even further as the funding for research improves.

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: Clinical Trial Investigative Site Network Market Report

This is expected to propel the growth of the industry post-pandemic. There is a growing focus on reducing the cost associated with clinical research. Hiring a clinical trial investigative site network supports the regulatory function, improves the enrollment of participants, assists in data management, and quality assurance. It increases process compliance, reduces process issues with each trial, and helps with faster trial initiations, and shorter trial timelines. These factors are supporting the demand for clinical investigative site networks. The governments are actively trying to improve R&D by providing tax deductions. For instance, in January 2022, the Indian government stated that it is providing a weighted average tax deduction of up to 200% in R&D.

Such initiatives are expected to improve the R&D activities on drugs and thus support industry growth. According to the IQVIA, report on oncology trends, clinical trials for cancer have been increasing for the last 10 years. For instance, in 2011, 1,242 trials were registered for cancer, and as of 2021, 2,335 trials were registered for cancer. The number of clinical trials for cancer is expected to rise even further owing to the growing prevalence of the disease. This is expected to improve the demand for clinical investigative site networks for cancer clinical trials post-pandemic.

[scientificitservices]

Optimizing Your Scientific Workflow With Data And Informatics Consulting

Do you want to optimize your scientific workflow? It can be a daunting task, but with the help of data and informatics consulting, it doesn't have to be. Data and informatics consulting provides the expertise and experience you need to ensure your research is as efficient and effective as possible. In this article, we'll explore how data and informatics consulting can help streamline your scientific workflow.

Data and informatics consulting involves using technology to analyze data quickly and accurately. With the right tools, consultants can identify patterns in large datasets that might otherwise go unnoticed. This means they can spot potential problems before they become major issues, saving time and money in the process. Furthermore, these professionals have an in-depth understanding of how different systems interact with one another, allowing them to develop optimal solutions for complex processes.

Finally, data and informatics consulting can provide invaluable insights into ways to improve your scientific workflow. From identifying areas where efficiency improvements can be made to finding new ways to save time on complex tasks, these professionals are essential for any research team looking to streamline their operations. So don't hesitate - leverage the power of data and informatics consulting today!

Definition Of Scientific Workflow

Scientific workflows involve the combination of data and techniques to create new knowledge. It's an iterative process that starts with a research question, then moves through data collection and analysis, to finally ends with presenting findings. Each step of the workflow requires careful planning and execution.

Data management is integral to scientific workflows. Data must be collected, organized, analyzed, stored, and shared in order for meaningful results to be obtained. This means that efficient data management practices must be used throughout the workflow process. In addition, data must be kept secure and protected from unauthorized access or manipulation.

Informatics consulting can help optimize a scientific workflow by providing expertise in data management, analysis techniques, software tools, and more. With the right team of experts on board, scientists can streamline their workflows and gain insights faster than ever before.

Benefits Of Optimizing It

Now that we have a clear understanding of what scientific workflow is, let's explore the advantages of optimizing it.

Firstly, optimizing your scientific workflow can help you save time. This is because data and informatics consulting services can help you simplify complex processes and increase the accuracy of analysis results. By having an efficient workflow, scientists are able to quickly identify trends in their data and generate actionable insights. Furthermore, they can automate tedious tasks that would otherwise take up valuable time and resources. This allows them to focus more on important projects and research goals.

Secondly, it helps to improve collaboration among scientists. Data and informatics consulting services allow teams to share information easily and securely, which increases the efficiency of communication between members. Additionally, it provides teams with a better way to track progress on their projects since everyone is working off the same platform. All this leads to greater engagement among team members, leading to better results overall.

Finally, it also helps reduce errors in data processing. Data and informatics consulting services provide access to advanced tools that make it easier for scientists to spot discrepancies or inaccuracies in their data sets before making decisions based on them. This ensures that all data used for analysis is accurate and reliable, leading to improved outcomes from experiments or studies. Ultimately, by using these services, scientists can be confident in the accuracy of their findings while also reducing the risk of mistakes being made due to inaccurate data processing.

The Role Of Data And Informatics Consulting

Data and informatics consulting can play an invaluable role in optimizing scientific workflows. Their expertise can help streamline processes, leading to greater efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness. Firms specializing in this field have the experience and understanding of the latest technology to ensure that scientists are able to utilize their data effectively.

They can advise on a range of issues from data collection to storage, analysis, visualization, and reporting. Additionally, they provide guidance for the implementation of analytics tools such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Ultimately, this helps scientists make more informed decisions based on deeper insights into their data sets.

Data and informatics consulting firms are also well-positioned to create custom solutions tailored to an organization's specific needs. By leveraging their knowledge of data science methods and technologies, these consultants are able to develop innovative solutions that enable organizations to maximize their data’s potential. This allows scientific teams to focus on research objectives rather than dealing with tedious technical tasks related to managing data.

The right data and informatics consulting partner can be a powerful ally in optimizing workflows for any scientific organization or team. With their help, organizations can improve their efficiency while gaining deeper insight into their datasets and making better decisions based on this information.

Analyzing Your Current Workflows

Now that you understand the role of data and informformatics consulting in optimizing your scientific workflow, it's time to analyze your current workflows. Understanding how you currently approach research and what processes are working is key to understanding where improvements can be made.

The first step in analyzing your current workflows is to document all the steps involved in each project. This will help identify which steps are crucial to a successful outcome and which could use some optimization. After documenting the process, assess how much time each step takes and look for any redundancies or areas where processes can be streamlined. Once you have identified those areas, determine if automation could save time and improve productivity.

Finally, evaluate how secure your existing systems are by looking at access controls and data security protocols. With this information, you'll be able to create a plan for improving your overall efficiency while still maintaining important security measures.

Identifying Opportunities For Improvement

The first step in optimizing your scientific workflow with data and informatics consulting is to identify opportunities for improvement. To do this, you must analyze your current methods and processes, create an inventory of key tools and technologies, and assess the effectiveness of each component.

When evaluating your existing workflow, look for areas where processes are inefficient or outdated. Are there steps that can be automated? Is there a need to integrate additional software solutions or new data sources? Are there any manual processes that could be streamlined? Make a list of any issues that need to be addressed and prioritize them according to their importance.

Once you have identified potential improvements, it’s time to start implementing solutions. Develop a plan for making changes, such as introducing new technologies or streamlining existing processes. Outline the resources required for each step and set realistic timelines for completion. By taking the time to identify opportunities for improvement and develop an actionable plan, you can ensure your scientific workflow is optimized for success.

Automating Processes

Having identified where improvements can be made, the next step is to consider how to automate processes in order to optimize your scientific workflow. Automation has the potential to reduce cost and time while increasing efficiency and accuracy.

To begin automating processes, it is important to understand what types of tasks are best suited for automation. Tasks that involve repetitive processes, such as data entry or data analysis, are good candidates for automation as they require minimal human intervention. Additionally, tasks that involve complex calculations or other computational processes may also be suitable for automation.

Once tasks have been identified, the next step is to determine which tools and technologies can help automate these processes. Data and informatics consulting can assist in this process by providing insights into the most effective technologies for automating specific tasks. These insights can include recommendations on software solutions and hardware platforms, as well as advice on how to configure systems for optimal performance. Automating processes with the right tools can ultimately lead to significant improvements in efficiency and cost savings.

Utilizing Cloud-Based Solutions

Cloud-based solutions are becoming increasingly popular for managing data and informatics in the scientific workflow. They offer a range of advantages that can help optimize the entire process. Firstly, cloud-based solutions offer a secure storage platform that is easily accessible from any device connected to the internet. It also helps eliminate the need for expensive hardware and IT support costs, as cloud-based solutions are typically priced on a monthly subscription basis with high scalability depending on your needs. Finally, they provide an easy way to share data with collaborators securely, enabling easy collaboration within research teams.

Data and informatics consulting can help organizations make the most of cloud-based solutions by providing expertise in areas such as setting up cloud infrastructure, migrating existing data, and implementing security measures to protect sensitive information. This kind of consulting is especially useful for companies looking to transition from traditional computing models to more modern methods of data management. Additionally, it can help streamline processes and ensure maximum efficiency for scientific workflows.

Cloud-based solutions provide many benefits which can be used to improve scientific workflow processes. Through careful planning and expert consultation, organizations can take advantage of these tools to maximize their productivity and achieve their goals more quickly and efficiently.

Leveraging Big Data Analytics

Data and informatics consulting can help streamline your workflow by leveraging big data analytics. This type of consultative approach can be used to identify trends, assess risks, and plan for more effective outcomes. With big data analytics, you get the insights you need to make decisions that will have an impact on the success of your scientific research.

The first step in leveraging big data analytics is to gather relevant data from multiple sources. This could include records from online databases, surveys, questionnaires, interviews and much more. Once this information is collected, it must be analyzed to uncover patterns or correlations that may exist between different factors. Using advanced algorithms and statistical methods, consultants can discover correlations between variables and gain insight into the underlying causes of certain phenomena.

This analysis of large datasets can enable researchers to determine which strategies are most effective in their research efforts. By combining this knowledge with predictive modeling techniques, scientists can develop strategies that maximize efficiency while minimizing costs and effort invested in their projects. In addition to this, big data analytics also provides detailed visualizations which allow researchers to monitor changes in their research over time and gain deeper understanding into the dynamics at play within their research studies.

System Testing And Validation

Having explored the potential of big data analytics, it's time to turn our attention to system testing and validation. To ensure that systems are functioning properly and producing accurate results, they must be tested extensively and verified with rigorous standards. This requires developing a comprehensive test plan that addresses all aspects of the system's functionality.

Systems should be tested in multiple environments, including development, staging, and production. Testing should include both functional and non-functional tests such as performance, scalability, security, reliability, usability, and compatibility tests. Additionally, automated tests can be used to supplement manual tests and identify any issues with system performance or data accuracy.

Once testing is complete and the system is validated for proper functioning, it can then be deployed for use. This process helps to ensure that systems are reliable and trustworthy before being put into active use. If done correctly, this process can optimize your workflow by eliminating any unforeseen errors or inaccuracies from occurring during production runs.

Continuous Monitoring And Maintenance

Continuous monitoring and maintenance of data and informatics systems is essential to ensure their efficient operation. Keeping these systems up-to-date with the latest software, hardware, and security patches can prevent costly issues down the road. There are a few steps that need to be taken to ensure that your scientific workflow is properly maintained.

First, data should be regularly backed up in order to protect it from potential loss or corruption. Regular backups also make it easier to restore data if any issues arise. Second, access control systems should be monitored closely so that users only have access to the information they need. Finally, system health checks should be conducted on a regular basis to identify any potential issues that could affect performance.

When done correctly, these steps can help guarantee smooth operation of data and informatics systems in your scientific workflow. Regular monitoring and maintenance also provides peace of mind knowing that your data is secure and performing optimally.

Conclusion

In conclusion, optimizing your scientific workflow with data and informatics consulting can be a great asset to any organization. It helps you identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to keep up with the ever-changing field of science. By utilizing cloud-based solutions, leveraging big data analytics, conducting system testing and validation, and continuously monitoring and maintaining these systems, you can ensure that your scientific workflow is effective and efficient. With the help of an experienced data and informatics consultant, you can create a streamlined workflow that will save time, money, and energy while producing top-notch results. So if you're looking to get the most out of your scientific workflows, don't hesitate to contact a data and informatics consultant today!

[triptychofvoids]

so @vaxxman, about that coffee?

[zealeir]

THESIS QUESTIONNAIRE

Hi! I'm currently undertaking a thesis about roleplay and collaborative storytelling online and I'm circulating a questionnaire as a part of my research! I invite anyone who is or has been into roleplay of any kind to fill it out, I would greatly appreciate it!

Here is the link!

(If there are any questions or issues, don't be afraid to message me!)

[yesthattoo]

Survey recruitment; I gave feedback as a later consultant & Tuttle is another Autistic AAC user who was involved in the project from the start. Shares are Definitely Helpful :)

Are you an autistic adult who uses speech and other tools (such as augmentative and alternative communication [AAC]) to communicate?

If you answered yes, please consider participating in this survey at this link:

We are interested in learning about the speech, AAC, and assessment experiences of autistic people who use speech and AAC. We are curious if a modified version of the Communicative Participation Item Bank (CPIB) can be a reliable tool for clinicians to utilize in measuring the internal experiences of speaking autistic people. Regarding assessment, we are interested in understanding how their speech efficacy, or the extent to which one can use speech to completely communicate their intended meaning, was measured and considered in the evaluation process and if the evaluation resulted in a recommendation of an AAC tool.

The survey includes a mix of multiple choice, slider, and written response questions and is estimated to take between 10-20 minutes.

No identifying information will be collected in this survey.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns via email.

We thank you in advance for contributing your insight on this important topic!

Karina Rayl, B.S. (Lead Investigator)

Graduate Student

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Portland State University

Email: krayl@pdx.edu

Pang Lee Herr, B.S. (Lead Investigator)

Graduate Student

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Portland State University

Email: pherr@pdx.edu

Brandon Eddy, M.A., CCC-SLP (Co-investigator and Faculty Advisor)

Associate Clinical Professor

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Email: beddy@pdx.edu

Amy Donaldson, Ph.D. CCC-SLP (Co-investigator and Faculty Advisor)

Associate Professor

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Email: adonald@pdx.edu

Tuttle (External Collaborator)

Email: tuttleturtle@gmail.com

Alyssa Zisk, Ph.D. (External Collaborator)

Email: ahzisk@gmail.com

[hurglewurm]

I could be really off the mark here, but I thought I remembered seeing you reblog art shipping Tintin and captain Haddock?? Anyway, saw this mural and thought of you

this is one of the funniest asks i've ever received LMAO good mural. thank you for sharing. good for them good for them

[screambirdscreaming]

I used to like saying "gender is a social construct," but I stopped saying that because people didn't tend to react well - they thought that I was saying gender wasn't real, or didn't matter, or could be safely ignored without consequences. Which has always baffled me a bit as an interpretation, honestly, because many things are social constructs - like money, school, and the police - and they certainly have profound effects on your life whether or not you believe in them. And they sure don't go away if you ignore them.

Anyway. What I've taken to saying instead is, "gender is a cultural practice." This gives more of a sense of respect for the significance gender holds to many people. And it also opens the door to another couple layers of analysis.

Gender is cultural. It is not globally or historically homogeneous. It shifts over time, develops differently in different communities, and can be influenced by cross-cultural contact. Like many, many aspects of culture, the current status of gender is dramatically influenced by colonialism. Colonial gender norms are shaped by the hierarchical structure of imperialist society, and enforced onto colonized cultures as part of the project of imperial cultural hedgemony.

Gender is practiced. What constitutes a gender includes affects and behaviors, jobs or areas of work, skillsets, clothing, collective and individual practices of gender affiliation and affirmation. Any or all of these things, in any combination, depending on the gender, the culture, and the practitioner.

Gender encompasses shared cultural archetypes. These can include specific figures - gods and goddesses, mythic or fictional characters, etc - or they can be more abstract or general. The Wise Woman, Robin Hood, the Dyke, the Working Man, the Plucky Heroine, the Effete Gay Man, etc etc. The range of archetypes does not circumscribe a given gender, that is, they're not all there is to gender. But they provide frameworks and reference points by which people relate to gender. They may be guides for ways to inhabit or practice a gender. They may be stereotypes through which the gendered behavior of others is viewed.

Gender as a framework can be changed. Because it is created collectively, by shared acknowledgement and enforcement by members of society. Various movements have made significant shifts in how gender is structured at various times and places. The impact of these shifts has been widely variable - for example, depending on what city I'm in, even within my (fairly culturally homogeneous) home country, the way I am gendered and reacted to changes dramatically. Looping back to point one, we often speak of gender in very broad terms that obscure significant variability which exists on many scales.

Gender is structured recursively. This can be seen in the archetypes mentioned above, which range from extremely general (say, the Mother) to highly specific (the PTA Soccer Mom). Even people who claim to acknowledge only two genders will have many concepts of gendered-ways-of-being within each of them, which they may view and react to VERY differently.

Gender is experienced as an external cultural force. It cannot be opted out of, any more than living in a society can be opted out of. Regardless of the internal experience of gender, the external experience is also present. Operating within the shared cultural understanding of gender, one can aim to express a certain practice of gender - to make legible to other people how it is you interface with gender. This is always somewhat of a two-way process of communication. Other people may or may not perceive what you're going for - and they may or may not respect it. They may try to bring your expressed gender into alignment with a gender they know, or they might parcel you off into your own little box.

Gender is normative. Within the structure of the "cultural mainstream," there are allowable ways to practice gender. Any gendered behavior is considered relative to these standards. What behavior is allowed, rewarded, punished, or shunned is determined relative to what is gender normative for your perceived gender. Failure to have a clearly perceivable gender is also, generally, punished. So is having a perceivable gender which is in itself not normative.

Gender is taught by a combination of narratives, punishments, and encouragements. This teaching process is directed most strongly towards children but continues throughout adulthood. Practice of normatively-gendered behaviors and alignment with 'appropriate' archetypes is affirmed, encouraged, and rewarded. Likewise 'other'- gendered behavior and affinity to archetypes is scolded, punished, or shunned. This teaching process is inherently coercive, as social acceptance/rejection is a powerful force. However it can't be likened to programming, everyone experiences and reacts to it differently. Also, this process teaches the cultural roles and practices of both (normative) genders, even as it attempts to force conformity to only one.

Gender regulates access to certain levers of social power. This one is complicated by the fact that access to levers of social power is also affected by *many* other things, most notably race, class, and citizenship. I am not going to attempt to describe this in any general terms, I'm not equipped for that. I'll give a few examples to explain what I'm talking about though. (1) In a social situation, a man is able to imply authority, which is implicitly backed by his ability to intimidate by yelling, looming, or threatening physical violence. How much authority he is perceived to have in response to this display is a function of his race and class. It is also modified by how strongly he appears to conform to a masculine ideal. Whether or not he will receive social backlash for this behavior (as a separate consideration to how effective it will be) is again a function of race/class/other forms of social standing. (2) In a social situation, a woman is able to invoke moral judgment, and attempt to modify the behavior of others by shame. The strength of her perceived moral authority depends not just on her conformity to ideal womanhood, but especially on if she can invoke certain archetypes - such as an Innocent, a Mother, or better yet a Grandmother. Whether her moral authority is considered a relevant consideration to influence the behavior of others (vs whether she will be belittled or ignored) strongly depends on her relative social standing to those she is addressing, on basis of gender/race/class/other.

[Again, these examples are *not* meant to be exhaustive, nor to pass judgment on employing any social power in any situation. Only to illustrate what "gendered access to social power" might mean. And to illustrate that types of power are not uniform and may play out according to complex factors.]

Gender is not based in physical traits, but physical traits are ascribed gendered value. Earlier, I described gender as practiced, citing almost entirely things a person can do or change. And I firmly believe this is the core of gender as it exists culturally - and not just aspirationally. After the moment when a gender is "assigned" based on infant physical characteristics, they are raised into that gender regardless of the physical traits they go on to develop (in most circumstances, and unless/until they denounce that gender.) The range of physical traits like height, facial shape, body hair, ability to put on muscle mass - is distributed so that there is complete overlap between the range of possible traits for people assigned male and people assigned female. Much is made of slight trends in things that are "more common" for one binary sex or the other, but it's statistically quite minor once you get over selection bias. However, these traits are ascribed gendered connotations, often extremely strongly so. As such, the experience of presented and perceived gender is strongly effected by physical traits. The practice of gender therefore naturally expands to include modification of physical traits. Meanwhile, the social movements to change how gender is constructed can include pushing to decrease or change the gendered association of physical traits - although this does not seem to consistently be a priority.

Gender roles are related to the hypothetical ability to bear children, but more obliquely than is often claimed. It is popular to say that the types of work considered feminine derive from things it is possible to do while pregnant or tending small children. However, research on the broader span of human history does not hold this up. It may be true of the cultures that gave immediate rise to the colonial gender roles we are familiar with - secondary to the fact that childcare was designated as women's work. (Which it does not have to be, even a nursing infant doesn't need to be with the person who feeds it 24 hours a day.) More directly, gender roles have been influenced by structures of social control aiming for reproductive control. In the direct precursors of colonial society, attempts to track paternal lineage led to extreme degrees of social control over women, which we still see reflected in normative gender today. Many struggles for women's liberation have attempted to push back these forms of social control. It is my firm opinion that any attempt to re-emphasize childbearing as a touchstone of womanhood is frankly sick. We are at a time where solidarity in struggle for gender liberation, and for reproductive rights, is crucial. We need to cast off shackles of control in both fights. Trying to tie childbearing back to womanhood hobbles both fights and demeans us all.

Gender is baked deeply enough into our culture that it is unlikely to ever go away. Many people feel strongly about the practice of gender, in one way or another, and would not want it to. However we have the power to change how gender is structured and enforced. We can push open the doors of what is allowable, and reduce the pain of social punishment and isolation. We can dismantle another of the tools of colonial hedgemony and social control. We can change the culture!

[official-linguistics-post]

Do you do research? :) I work on japanese rn (theoretical stuff, mostly phonology)

currently yes! i'm working on a particular intersection of historical linguistics/morphology/discourse, but i don't want to get language-specific because i enjoy the semblance of anonymity here and it's a pretty small field.

[miss-biophys]

New publication out!

We were curious what happens with the lipid membrane if proteins are inside. As a model of membrane proteins we use transmembrane peptides with neutral and positive charge. The charges turn out to be quite crucial in the peptides influence on the lipids.

publication link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113765…

All transmembrane peptides hinder mobility of lipids around. The positive charges in the peptide make this hindering a long range influence.

The membrane with the positive peptides then has heterogeneities in the lipid mobility. This hampers free rearrangement of lipids and leads to lower ability to seal ruptures. You can see below how the membrane stays fragmented after indentations with AFM (atomic force microscope), which is basically a very tiny tip that scans the surface of the membrane for images and can also push through it to test mechanical stability.

For comparison this is how it looks like with a membrane without any peptides. The mebrane seals the ruptures induced by the AFM tip and recovers its round shape. The same happens if we have a neutral, non-charged, peptide.

With this work we highlight the importance of including charges of proteins and peptides in membrane model studies.

And last but not least...

This is the very first time I am the last corresponding author of a publication. I am immensely proud on myself!

[formula-fun]

ok i know this is quiet hours for most of my mutuals but guys if hypothetically someone were to steal your masters thesis how would you respond to that

[triptychofvoids]

@vaxxman standing over you ominously wake up

[gay-victorian-astronomer]

first grad school acceptance came through!!

got accepted to the university I'm at now, which... I can't exactly say is my first choice? I'd be doing the same stuff in the same building with the same people, and I might end up feeling like I never left undergrad

but! an acceptance is an acceptance! and I'd much rather be doing a PhD here than moving back in with my parents and scrambling to find a job. I've been saying this entire process that I will be choosy when I have choices to pick from, and that still holds until another school decides to also accept me

[horsemage]

I finally figured out the issue with my masses. It turns out that my collaborator didn't correctly document where she got the masses from :') I still need to double-check with values with the new catalogue but I'm pretty sure I know what's going on now.

[yoihino]

Auuaghh undertale fandom video essays my beloathed. Is it really so much to ask for just one (1) of these to be made by an actual fan who was in the fandom? Like it is so clear they are talking about it from an outside perspective or that they got into it just fpr the video and uggh. Where is the love? The appreciation for the aus and their creators? For the history for the fandom? Honestly I just want like a text post of someone saying 'hey remember those times? They were wild and they may not have been perfect but we sure had a lot of fun'.

[2dami2furious]

I love insomniac miles, I really do but everytime that boy speaks you can just tell that he was written by non black ppl

[heaven-s-black-box]

Elsaria quest act 1: Decay of the Past- Ensemble & @/crystalkat6747 OCs

Return to File

Recovery date: May 6th, 2024

Description: After things on the Luofu wrap up, Kakeru and Kesshou get some distressing news from their home world. A disease is spreading through the population, rendering the current queen bed ridden along with an entire city. The Astral Express crew decides to push back their Penacony visit just a bit to see if they can help.

Notes: This work was recovered in conjunction with @crystalkat6747, we thank her for her contributions. The story quest for her OCs and their home world, written in 3 acts and trying to follow the style of the in game trailblazer quests.

chapters: 1 2 3

Word count: 2 753

Back to directory

The next stop was supposed to be Penacony. The Astral Express crew had even offered them a ride, since they were all going there anyway, but plans changed when Kesshou and Kakeru’s phones buzzed almost simultaneously.

“We’ll come with you,” Caelus informed the cousins as they boarded their ship. “We put it to a vote, and the Charmony festival isn’t going anywhere. At the very least we can provide some aid, if this thing only affects Ali we’ll be immune.”

Kakeru continues into the ship to prepare for their departure, but Kesshou stops. There’s a small frown on her face.

“Thank you, but we cannot ask for you help at this time. We aren’t even sure how serious the situation is, it may be nothing.”

“All the more reason for us to come along,” Dan Heng cuts in.

“He’s right,” March piped up, “if it really is nothing we’ll be gone as quick as we came, otherwise you’ll need the help.”

Kesshou seemed to consider their offer for a moment as the ship whirled to life below her.

“Very well. Do you know where you’re going?”

“Ms. Himeko and Pom Pom are already setting our course.”

“Then we will see you very soon,” Kesshou bowed slightly, before running up into her ship.

The trailblazers watched the ramp lift back up, before returning to the express.

---

This was very clearly not nothing. Ali in masks and surgical gloves rushed about with others on stretchers. The courtyard was filled with coughing and groans of pain as infected were rushed into the quarantine zone in the palace.

Kakeru was the one to meet them at the gate.

“What’s going on?” Welt asked.

The Ali handed them all a mask.

“Some kind of infection in the wings that’s eating its way into our nervous systems. Half-Ali don’t seem to be affected,” he waved a hand, “so they’re the only ones let past the gate, well, and non-Ali. Kesshou’s- General, what are you doing here?”

The express crew turned towards Jing Yuan who’d been standing behind them.

“I’m here to see what aid the Xianzhou alliance may be able to offer. Please, continue.”

Kakeru’s eyes narrowed momentarily as he scrutinized Jing Yuan.

“Kesshou’s in a meeting with the Overlords rights now, if you’ll follow me I can take you to some of the first patients.”

Kakeru caught the express crew and Jing Yuan up to speed as they walked.

The first case was in a small farm town near the palace, unfortunately that town is where the palace gets its food from; so the cook had interacted with patient zero. Then the cook interacted with a maid, who was about to go on vacation back home to Marina– spreading the disease to the city of water Ali.

Where patient zero got the disease from was unknown, and there were no signs of Stelleron activity.

Thankfully Marina was as far as it had spread because the maid had made contact with someone who developed symptoms almost immediately. They’d found patient zero, still relatively healthy– only running a fever and molting– only by retracing everyone’s steps. That was a week ago.

In the last week almost half the pure-blood Ali population of Marina was infected, ten people were dead, and almost a hundred others were in varying states of incapacitation. For such an endangered species, those numbers were huge.

“If the first three cases are dead, who are you taking us to?” Himeko asked.

Kakeru stopped in front of a large door and cast a glance back to Jing Yuan. The general was visibly worried as he recognized the door.

“Are they okay?” He asked, looking to Kakeru.

The Ali averted his gaze and pushed the door open.

“Mom? Aunt Aoi? The Astral Express crew is here.”

The room was grand, with a large bed in the center. On either side of the bed were temporary cots, and women resting in them. One of the women perked up at Kakeru’s voice, the way she moved causing her to break down into a coughing fit. Her nurse gave her some water before helping her prop herself up.

“Kakeru.” She glanced across the group, her eyes glassy and unfocused, “Jing Yuan, what are you doing here.”

Kakeru tossed his gloves in an overflowing trash can, putting on new ones and making his way to the other woman’s side. Jing Yuan approached the other woman, and the nurse motioned for him to sit on the bed.

The general took the woman’s hand, gently rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand.

“Aoi…I was worried about you… you both, of course,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, and Kakeru looked up, rolling his eyes. “As allies of the Luofu your health is important to us.”

“Mom,” Kakeru said suddenly, grabbing his mother’s hand as her hand jerked slightly. “Mom?”

Jing Yuan turned around, and Aoi strained to see her sister across the room. Kakeru watched her lips move, but no sound came out. His brows furrowed in distress as the nurse kept watching the monitor.

Finally, Ayano’s eyes opened slightly– though Kakeru doubted she could see him.

A wheezy breath escaped her lips as she tried to speak again.

“Ba…ck,” her voice was weak and wheezy.

“Ya, I’m back,” Kakeru replied, squeezing her hand.

“Kne…w… see… hi…m.”

Ayano’s eyes slipped shut again, but her vitals remained stable. Kakeru frowned.

“What happened?”

“She’s started losing control of her body,” the nurse explained. The sound of a door opening filled the room as Kesshou stepped inside. She immediately went to her mother’s side. “The disease is spreading quickly through her nervous system… it’s in her brain. If we don’t do something soon, she won’t make it much longer.”

“None of the overlords have any idea what this is,” Kesshou said, “but, they suggest we make our way to the old temple in the mountains and ask Qlipoth for help.”

“Then we’ll leave at once.”

---

Jing Yuan stayed behind in the palace and sent a message back to the other Xianzhou ships asking for support. The Luofu was in no condition to help, hell the only reason he’d been allowed to leave was because he was supposed to be resting and therefore wasn’t doing anything, but the rest of the alliance could spare a few healers and medicine.

Kesshou and Kakeru, meanwhile, led the Express crew up into the mountains. A difficult journey for those without the ability to fly.

The path up was thin and worn, eroded away by time and the elements. Himeko and Welt tried to walk closest to the edge, keeping the three younger crew members closer to the wall, but most of the time the path was only wide enough for one person at a time. Kakeru followed behind Caelus at the very back, while Kesshou led the crew and tested each step before waving them forward.

There was a tense silence in the air as everyone listened carefully to the surrounding rocks.

The sky was clear and the sun was shining, but it might as well have been storming with the grim atmosphere.

“Sooo,” March spoke when they reached a wider area with an intact rail, she was right behind Kesshou, “your mom and the general seem pretty close.”

Kesshou cast a quick glance back at her.

“They are. He-” Kesshou interrupted herself with a small coughing fit. “Excuse me. He’s the closest thing I have to a father, my biological father isn’t around.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s a long story, perhaps I can explain it to you once everything is sorted out.”

“I would like to expand the Express’ archives before we leave,” Dan Heng called from the middle of the group.

“Then we’ll do-do-” Kesshou broke into another coughing fit.

This time the force of her coughing forced her to lean against the stone face as she struggled to breath. Himeko carefully stepped past March and placed a hand on the young Ali’s shoulder. She rubbed her back between her wings, trying to help her through the fit.

“Kesshou?” Kakeru called, trying to peek around the rest of the group.

“I’m-” she started coughing again. “I’m okay.” Caelus noted the way Kakeru’s face twisted in worry, but he didn’t move. “I’m okay,” Kesshou breathed, voice rough.

Himeko handed her a bottle of water which she gratefully drank from.

“Ms. Kesshou,” Himeko whispered, “are you-”

“I must not be used to the altitude. I may be able to breathe, but the pressure is still stressful.” She smiled at Himeko, straightening back up. “Our next path is through a canyon, so we should wait until tomorrow with better light. There’s a cave up ahead designed as a rest point, we can stay there.”

Himeko stayed behind her instead of returning to behind March while they followed the path to a rotting wooden sign.

Across from the sign was an overhang that ate back into the mountain. In the cave there was a stone circle in the center for a fire, but otherwise it was empty. Dan Heng settled himself on a small rock ledge near the back of the cave, and March and Caelus settled beside him; March took out her camera to show them all the pictures she’d taken so far. Himeko and Welt sat near the entrance, talking quietly, and Kesshou and Kakeru remained outside.

Since the cave was so hollow, their voices echoed faintly letting everyone hear them fighting over who should go get firewood. Kakeru insisted that she needed rest after all her coughing, but Kesshou didn’t want to sit around doing nothing.

Eventually Kesshou ceded, and Kakeru left while she took a seat against one of the cave walls. She took out her phone and messaged someone, who clearly replied quickly as she became distracted by their conversation.

The night was uneventful, and so was the next morning. Kesshou seemed a little sluggish though and seemed to be coughing a bit more frequently. She dismissed everyone’s concerns though, even as she stumbled over nothing leaving the cave.

As Caelus left, being the last one out, he noticed a small clump of molted crystals where Kesshou had been sleeping.

“Caelus, we’re ready to leave!”

“Coming!” He called, jogging to catch up as everyone started to head through the next passage.

This one was much easier to traverse.

The path was wide enough they didn’t have to walk single file, though Kesshou stayed a few steps ahead of everyone. They’d barely turned the first corner of the winding path when they came across their first problem.

A pack of jade bugs had been disturbed by their presence, and the second they got close the bugs swooped in.

“Duck!” Kesshou yelled, diving forward under the bugs.

Himeko went down to the side, bringing March with her, and Welt turned around to pull Caelus and Dan Heng down. Kakeru ducked as soon as his cousin spoke, knowing exactly what was coming.

He was also the first to get back up, turning around and drawing his weapons.

By the time the bugs went for their second pass, Kesshou had given him a shield. He wasted no time with attacking them one at a time, instead jumping up and launching a shower of crystals from his wings. The bugs quickly crumbled away.

“Is everyone okay?” Kakeru asked, turning back around.

“What were those things?” Dan Heng asked.

“Jade bugs. They’re harmless individually, but in swarms they’ve been known to take down spiral serpents.”

“Spiral serpents?”

“Big snakes that live underground. Don’t worry, we aren’t planning on going underground and they don’t like sunlight.”

He looked up from the crew, finally, to find Kesshou still crouched down on the ground.

“Kesshou?” He stepped forward, and she didn’t react. “Kesshou.” He crossed the distance in two long steps to crouch in front of her. “Kesshou!”

“Huh?!” Her head snapped up. “Sorry, you were saying something?”

Kakeru gently cupped her cheek. Her eyes were glassy, and she flinched at his touch. There was also a faint flush to her skin and a warmth radiating off it. He frowned.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“I’m fine.” Kesshou carefully pushed herself to her feet, using Kakeru as a brace. “Sorry,” she addressed the crew. “One of the bugs must have scratched me. They’re venomous, but I'll be okay.”

As they continued their ascent, they ran into a small group of amethyst moles that the Express trio handled, and a spiral serpent skeleton that made March glad they weren’t underground. They emerged from the passage just as the sun started setting, engulfing it in darkness and leaving the team with a gorgeous view of the amethyst falls in the distance.

March took a few pictures as Caelus continued dragging her along the path and up the stairs. Stairs, finally, signified the last leg of their mission.

Kakeru lit the lanterns lining the stairs as they made their way to the temple; there was no reason for them to wait a whole night when part of the descent would take them a whole day.

Unlike the path to get here, the temple was well maintained. It was built of rock. A high wall surrounding it, then a wall half that size, and then a wall that just reached March’s waist. They formed rings that shielded the internal altar, a stone pillar with a flame burning in the center contained by an amber shell that dispersed the light across the innermost wall and the top half of the second wall. The projected pattern created golden cracks across the stone, despite its perfect face.

“So, how do we ask for help?” Welt asked, curious as to what was planned.

Kesshou approached the altar and stretched out her wings, wrapping them around it and hanging her head down.

“We believe the light to be Qlipoth’s gaze. By shielding THEIR gaze we speak with THEM and can ask for THEIR help.”

“How do we know if it works?” March asks softly.

“That depends on how bad things are. Perhaps THEY will visit us, or perhaps THEY will send us aid. All we can do is wait.”

“That seems dangerous, what if you don’t receive an answer?” Himeko whispered.

“We won’t stop looking for our own cure,” Kakeru said, turning back to her. “If we did, Qlipoth would not help us anyway.” A soft clattering noise echoed off the walls as the flames' light returned. Kakeru turned back to his cousin, assuming she was done. “Kesshou?”

He frowned, finding her leaning against the altar.

Rushing over, he pulled her off the altar when she didn’t respond.

“Is she okay?”

“Kesshou!”

Kakeru cradles her in his arms as he tries to shake her awake. Her eyes are glassy and unfocused while her skin burns. It doesn’t take him long to figure out what’s wrong, and his worries are confirmed when he accidentally pulls a handful of crystals from her wing.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s sick…” Kakeru says, voice filled with disbelief. “She’s infected…”

“But I thought-” March starts, stopping mid sentence.

“I don’t know but this is how the disease- we have to get her back to the palace,” Kakeru stumbles over his words and cuts himself off as his mind runs a mile a minute.

Why was Kesshou affected? Why had it taken so long for her to start showing symptoms? Would she be okay?

He picked her up carefully and started leading the group back down the stairs.

“You can fly her back, we’ll take the path-”

“I can’t carry her, and the path is too long… we have to go through the mines.”

---

Jing Yuan brushed Aoi’s hair back from her face, changing the damp cloth on her forehead.

“How…’s A-Ay-Ayano,” Aoi choked out, trying to look past him to her sister on the other side of the room.

The general looked back, a frown on his face.

“She’s seeing things,” he sighed, deciding to be honest. “But she doesn’t seem to be getting worse.”

“Has… she mentioned… him…”

“I think she thought Kakeru was him.”

Aoi was silent, letting her eyes close for a moment before she struggled to open them again.

“If-”

Jing Yuan gently covered her mouth, shaking his head no when she looked at him with a small furrow in her brow.

“None of that.”

“Ri-ight.” It was a struggle, but Aoi managed a small nod. “I think… sleep…” she trailed off.

“Alright,” Jing Yuan whispered back. “I’ll be here.”