#They all seek to control this DNA like... a virus | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

saiyanprincefiregod · 7 months

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How I would reboot MegaMan (Classic), MegaMan Zero, and MegaMan X pt. 4. Mega Man X Reboot X7-X9

Here is Part 4 ready for more? With Sigma gone for good in X8 Lumine and the Sigma Children will serve as the new main antagonist of the MegaMan X Series. [credits of MegaMan X9 go to @ultimatemaverickx-blog and ultimatemaverickx on Deviantart (https://www.deviantart.com/ultimatemaverickx)

MegaMan X7: Two Years after the events of the Nightmare Incident, Earth

has recovered from the Earth Crisis. However, X steps back from the front lines of the Hunters, wishing to seek peaceful solutions to Mavericks aside from combat. To fill this power vacuum, an illegal syndicate called Red Alert starts hunting Mavericks too, led by the vigilante Red. After a certain job with his mysterious protégé, Axl, Red begins meeting with a shady individual called "the Professor." Soon after, Axl grows uncomfortable with Red Alert and leaves the group. Red Alert sends agents to bring him back, causing chaos in the city that attracts the attention of Zero. He works with Axl to stop the pursuers, then arrests him and brings him to Hunter Base. Red contacts the Hunters to demand Axl's return, initiating a duel between the organizations to determine his custody. X refuses to engage in the violence, but Axl jumps at the chance to work with the Maverick Hunters, so Zero lets him tag along. As they fight the eight leaders of Red Alert, Axl reveals to Zero that he left the group because they suddenly started targeting innocent Reploids for DNA, and Axl felt his copy ability was being misused. As the fight rages on, X realizes he is needed on the front lines and comes out of retirement. X, Zero, and Axl infiltrate Red Alert's Crimson Palace and defeat Red, who resigns himself to perish in a self-destruct. This leads the Hunters to discover that Sigma was manipulating Red Alert as "the Professor" to use Axl's DNA abilities. The three defeat him, and Axl deals the final blow. Afterwards, X is still reluctant to make Axl an official Maverick Hunter, forcing him to prove himself first. Meanwhile, Zero has a nightmare of X, or a similar individual, on a murderous rampage.

MegaMan X8: One year after MegaMan X7, The humans start the Jakob Project, building an orbital elevator to colonize the moon and escape the Maverick Wars. To help, a new generation of Reploid comes into production, each with a copy chip that gives them complete control over their own DNA (it is revealed Axl was a prototype of these Reploids), granting total immunity to the Sigma Virus. X witnesses an accident at the Jakob Elevator, and is shocked to see the new generation workers copy Sigma's body to survive. Lumine, director of the Jakob Project, assures him there is no risk of them going Maverick. X, Zero, and Axl are on a mission near the Jakob Elevator when they run into Vile V, who has kidnapped Lumine. This event marks a worldwide rebellion amongst the new generation Reploids. Two new navigators, Layer and Pallette, are brought on to assist against the rebellion. As the Maverick Hunters fight, Alia hypothesizes that the new generation Reploids are being influenced by the Sigma DNA in their copy chips. Upon defeating all eight Mavericks, Sigma himself contacts the Hunters to challenge them in Jakob. The three Hunters traverse Jakob, facing Sigma in the space station Gateway. However, defeating him reveals it is merely a new generation Reploid copying him. On the moon, they destroy Vile V and find the real Sigma, who he claims that the new generation Reploids are loyal to him like children. The Hunters destroy Sigma. However, Lumine reveals that the new generation Reploids merely took advantage of Sigma's leadership to advance their own supremacy, becoming his Maverick army of their own free will. He declares that X, Zero, and Axl are obsolete and must be destroyed, but they defeat him. As he dies, a tentacle lashes out of his chest and strikes Axl in the forehead, planting a small object in his helmet. X and Zero destroy Lumine's body, then return to the Earth with Axl's unconscious body.

MegaMan X9: One Month after the events of MegaMan X8, X and Zero reported the incident of Lumine and the new generation reploids going Maverick to the high authority. This cause production of the new generation reploids bearing copy chips of old reploids DNA to be halted. However the incicent was kept classified so it won't spread fear to humans. Axl, having no signs of recovery was admitted on the New generation reploids research facility to be investigated. Dr. Craig Sid is the main scientist to lead the investigation on Axl's current state. He introduces himself to X and Zero as the new reploid to act as the director of the Jakob elevator. Humans growing more weary of the Mavericks, they have created a settlement from different places on earth. However, new mavericks causes havoc on the human settlements. Showing sympathy over the humans affected by the attacks, Dr. Sid provided a settlement meant only for humans for their peace and security. It was dubbed "The Sanctuary", it's a place near the Jakob Elevator. However,the humans didn't know that someone is wickedly plotting to destroy the Elevator and crash it down on the sanctuary. But that motive is just part of the plan. Just as X and Zero heard that, they look suspiciously to Dr. Sid. However, Dr. Sid says that he felt regret that the New generation reploids have gone maverick. He knows Lumine very well but had arguments before he goes maverick. He already had a hint that he is going maverick but was unable to stop him. He assures X and Zero that he will try his best to investigate what had happen to their comrade Axl. When X is about to speak to Dr. Sid, X receives a transmission from Alia. A berserk mechaniloid is rampaging near the Jakob elevator. X and Zero rushed to the scene. As they have defeated the Mechaniloid, X and Zero see a city near the place. They check it out but no one was inside although it seems not abandoned because it is obviously newly built. They find it peculiar. They look up and saw a post entitling the “The Sanctuary”. X and Zero heads back to the headquarters. They discuss to their colleagues about the vacant city they saw near the recent mission. Unfortunately, when Alia researches about it, there is no information available yet. It is possibly because it was a newly built structure. Then, they mention Dr. Craig Sid as the main scientist to investigate Axl and the new director in charge of the elevator. They get suspicious if they could trust him because he is one of the reploids who proposes that new generation reploids should bear copy chips containing old generation reploids DNA. Although it could be possible he did not know that adding Sigma’s data on copy chips would cause them to go maverick. Suddenly, the navigators got a transmission!8 new mavericks are detected from various locations. The mavericks are an old generation reploids causing havoc near the human settlements.

(After the defeat of 1st Maverick)Dr. Craig Sid makes a worldwide announcement to the humans affected on the present maverick attacks. He expresses sympathy over the humans harmed by the Old generation Reploid mavericks. Showing a kind heart, he offers a newly built human settlement near the Jakob elevator. The settlement will only be for humans to secure them from another maverick attacks. He welcomes any humans who wanted to reside to that place. It was dubbed by Dr. Craig Sid, “The Sanctuary”. Humans are pleased with the announcement. Many humans immediately go to the sanctuary Dr. Sid proposes but some stayed to their places because they don’t trust the reploids anymore. Hearing this, Dr. Sid gained the trust of X and Zero. The hunters realizes that it was Dr. Sid who created the Sanctuary. (After the defeat of 2nd Maverick) The Headquarters receives a transmission for X and Zero from Dr. Sid. He had uncovered the cause of comatose of Axl. It was a parasite implanted by Lumine. In that case, the parasite wants to gain control over its host Axl. Luckily, the parasite can fully gain control of Axl by 2 months. Good thing the hunters brought Axl to them earlier or else they might lose him. Dr. Sid assures X and Zero that he will provide immediate medication to exterminate the parasite that would dominate his body. X and Zero along with their comrades were shocked on Axl’s state. They converse that it is possibly a new type of virus functioning like a parasite. However X and Zero can’t go to the research facility to check on Axl due to their mission to destroy present Mavericks. (After the defeat of 3rd Maverick), Many Humans gathers on “The Sanctuary” Dr. Sid proposes. They were joyful of the accommodation they have received. Dr. Sid welcomes them to The Sanctuary as an eternal human settlement for peace. The Sanctuary is a well-structured place as if it is a paradise meant for humans. It is well abundant with resources necessary for living. It has many housing structure to accommodate more humans. It was like a prosperous city. Dr. Sid had exceeded the humans expectations about the settlement. The place is near the Jakob Elevator and the Elevator is a beautiful sight to humans. They’re amazed how New Generation reploids created a structure reaching space. Because of the Sanctuary Dr. Sid provided, humans is starting to like the new generation reploids. (After the defeat 4th Maverick), On Alia’s analysis, she finds it odd that the maverick signs only involve Old generation reploids. So far the information they have gathered was that the mavericks only wanted to attack the humans settlements. Probably to drove them away. She wonders if those mavericks have a leader. Attacks are seemed to be planned. On Layers analysis, she acquires information about Dr. Craig Sid. On the data, Dr. Sid is a colleague of Lumine. Lumine does have a copy chip but without Old generation reploids DNA. Lumine mentions to Dr. Sid about his plan to create a structure reaching space, the Jakob Elevator for space development. In order for plans to have higher success rate, Dr. Sid proposes to Lumine that his copy chip should contain old generation reploids DNA as well as the new generation reploids that is involve on developing the project. Because of the copy chips with Old generation reploids DNA, the new generation reploids with the direction of Lumine was able to create the Jakob Elevator easily by copying necessary form to create the elevator. But somehow, Dr. Sid notices that Lumine is acting strange ever since he applied old generation reploids DNA to his copy chip. There’s one time Lumine talks about the new world and asked Dr. Sid to join him. However, Sid declines without a reason.

(After the defeat of 5th Maverick) Headquarters receives another transmission especially for X and Zero. It is an update about Axl’s current state. Dr. Sid informs them about a bizarre case on Axl’s condition. He shows pictures of physical changes on Axl, mainly his armor color. There are white spots appearing from the different parts of his body. Dr. Sid explains that it was the parasite's effect on Axl’s body. Fortunately, Dr. Craig Sid have made a special medication process so that he could get rid of the parasite from his body. He is placed on a Capsule especially made for removing the parasite on Axl’s body. (After the defeat of 6th Maverick) X and Zero notices that there’s an instance that the Mavericks don’t seem to be aware of what they’re doing. Somehow, they thought they are just being manipulated and was ordered to attack humans. Especially all of the present Mavericks causes havoc only on human settlements. They had a bad feeling about it. Few days later after the 8 maverick detection. More Humans have gathered at the sanctuary because it is well spread to humans worldwide as new human utopia for everlasting peace and security. The Sanctuary’s population has reached an estimate of 200,000 people and still growing. (After the defeat 7th Maverick) The Scientists involved on the medication of Axl were terribly shocked that Axl’s body fully changes its color. It mostly turned white and his hair changes color into purple. The scientist realizes that the capsule he was placed for is to speed up the parasites growing progress. They all realize that Dr. Craig Sid was not planning to exterminate the parasite but to help it overcome its host. When Dr. Craig Sid realizes that the scientists he worked with notice his ulterior action. He walked into the capsule with the attention of everyone in the facility. Dr. Sid picks up Axl on the capsule, carries him and pointed his fist to a scientist. His arm changes into a buster and massacred everyone on the facility. Dr. Sid leaves the facility to the place unknown. (After the defeat the 8th Maverick) Surprisingly, a Maverick they have defeated has gone through the Headquarters. Having a destroyed body, the Maverick still manages to get into the headquarters functioning. X and Zero head to the Maverick reploid. Strangely, the Maverick talks to them as if he isn’t Maverick anymore. He says he wanted to say something very important to them but the Maverick suddenly collapses. X and Zero take him to the headquarters under custody. They believe what he’ll be saying might be important. Alia receive another Maverick signal. It is on the Jakob Elevator. X and Zero rushes to the scene. X and Zero got to the Jakob elevator. Suddenly, the elevator automatically functions and goes up. A guarder showed up and transforms into Sigma and instantaneously attacks them without warning. When the Maverick they got into custody gains consciousness. He shouted to everyone that “HE IS THE MAVERICK, NOT US! HE IS THE MAVERICK, NOT US! “ . The headquarters guards goes to the maverick to calm him but Signas stops them to let him speak first. The Maverick says “he turns us to be a Maverick to attack the human settlement so that they would go to the place he reserved for them.” THE SANCTUARY! IT IS THE HUMAN’S DOOM! IT IS THEIR GRAVEYARD! He is planning to destroy the Jakob elevator and crash it to the settlement!

Just as the reploid reveals that Craig Sid is wickedly plotting something against the humans. Alia said to X that Craig Sid is planning to destroy the Elevator and crash it to the Sanctuary. X and Zero were surprised and think it is unbelievable. They have detected no signs of explosives. Right now, they are battling with a guard who transfroms into a Copy of Sigma. Getting uneasy, Signas orders them to stop Sid’s plans of destroying the elevator. When X and Zero had defeated Copy Sigma. He laughs sinisterly and says “it is all according to plan”. Sigma seems to be expanding as if he is going to explode. X and Zero realized that he was going to self-destruct. They fled to the place but unfortunately the explosion was very strong and it dealt a very great damage. The humans on the sanctuary heard of this explosion and saw a part of the Jakob Elevator high up in the sky explode. X and Zero lose consciousness due to the explosion. They were badly damaged. X gains his consciousness. They find themselves falling. Seeing Zero is still unconscious, X tries to reach and save Zero at all cost. He manages to save Zero but it costs him everything. X had managed to decrease damage from the fall but still, X lay down severely damage. Because of X, Zero didn’t receive great damage from the fall. A moment later, Zero wakes up and sees X lying unconsciously. Zero asks Alia to transfer them to the base but Alia can’t be reached. The signal is jammed. Zero just carries X to the Base. As they get away, Zero hears a very loud cracking sound. The Jakob Elevator is about to collapse. When the Humans from the Sanctuary notices it they panic and run for their lives but for just a few moments, Big fragmented structures of Jakob elevator crashes to The Sanctuary! Almost all humans died instantly… Very few have survived… This incident was dubbed “The Jakobs Incident”. Signas sent a few personnel to go to the New generation research facility to arrest Sid and get Axl. When the personnel got to the place. They were all hysterical because all they see was a worn out facility filled with massacred reploids. Axl is nowhere to be found. It is evident that Sid had taken Axl with him.

Zero arrives with X in the entrance of the headquarters. Just as they are about to enter the Headquarters. A group of humans arrests X and Zero claiming it is because of the casualties they have caused in the Jakob’s incident. However, Zero does not surrender. Because Zero resists taking them into custody, humans forcefully capture them. Zero is also badly damaged from the explosion, he hasn't managed to fight and defend for themselves, especially the humans who arrest them. Because they were badly damaged, they were easily knocked unconscious with an electric shock. They were taken to a place where the survivors of the Jakob’s incident stayed. They were handcuffed and put on a stage in front of the humans who survived. X gains consciousness and sees humans looking at them with contempt. Sid suddenly appears before them and says to everyone. “It is very unfortunate that such a grave incident has happened. Do you know who these two reploids are! They were the reploids who caused this incident to happen.” They were the reploids responsible for the destruction of the Jakob elevator and the destruction of The Sanctuary! These Old Generation Reploids! The humans gets very furious! without much explanation, they shouted, MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK! X is terribly shocked from what he is hearing. He is unable to speak and defend for themselves. What are we supposed to do with these Mavericks!? Sid said. EXTERMINATE THEM! EXTERMINATE THEM! The humans replied. Sid walks slowly to X and points his arm buster on X’s head. X is in a state of shock as he realizes that Sid is the enemy. Few seconds later…*BUSTER SHOT SOUND* When Sid was about to shoot X, a loud buster sound struck everyone. Signas shoot Sid with a buster rifle! Humans panic. The three navigators take advantage of it and retrieve X and Zero. However Sid didn’t die and managed to escape. X and Zero were brought to the headquarters and got repairs from Douglas. A day later, X and Zero were in full recovery. Signas tells to them that Sid is the mastermind behind the maverick attacks and the Jakob’s incident. Sid had taken Axl for his other antic. The record they got from the destroyed facility tells that Sid is trying to speed up the parasites progress to overcome its host. The hunters are tracing where Sid took Axl.X and Zero found Sid’s hideout. It was the basement of the Jakob Elevator! They were able to know the location by extracting the former maverick’s data.

As they go deeper into the Jakob’s basement, they meet Dr. Craig Sid. He reveals to X and Zero about his ulterior motive.When I first heard of Axl being damaged by Lumine, I immediately sign up as the main researcher on the case of Axl. I want to gain your trust by offering the sanctuary as a human settlement and acting as if I was trying to heal Axl. All of the things that happen are according to my plan. I wanted the humans to be obliterated by crashing the elevator on the sanctuary. It’s actually my main goal but then when I found out about your comrades condition. I have another goal. Unfortunately, not all of my plans were a success. I was not able to exterminate both of you. But now I have the chance to destroy both of you and then resurrect him, and the key to resurrecting him is through your comrade Axl. Sid said. You! MAVERICK! X said. Hmph! Maverick!? Does that label apply to me? Watch your words, Hunters Agency. You are speaking to your gods. Sid said. Gods? Creator? Could it be possible you are a human!? Zero said. Sid did not reply. He calls Axl to show himself to them. X and Zero were struck because Axl’s color changes into something like Lumine’s. His eyes dull and his disposition like a puppet. What have you done to him! X said. As I have mentioned, Lumine implanted in him a parasite necessary to overcome its host. I am just speeding up the process. I have no intention to exterminate the parasite on his body. After all, Lumine is one of my colleagues. It is only right to help an ally. Sid said. Sid laughs sinisterly. Axl, get rid of these two! It’s necessary for these Old generation reploids to join the scrap heap when I create the new world! They were the greatest hindrance of my plan. Sid said. No! X said. It’s no use! Axl has been manipulated. Zero said. Axl follow Sids orders and points his gun on them. X and Zero engage Axl in combat.

( After the defeat Axl.) Axl seems like he is resisting the parasite. However, the parasite grows even stronger due to the possibility that his body gets weak in battle. Surprisingly, He transforms and turns into Axl-Lumine. Lumine!? X said. Axl-Lumine laughs. I finally have overtaken this body. I see you’ve been a great help to me Sid. I owe you one. Axl-Lumine said. Sid just grins…After the had defeated me on the moon’s palace. I have provided necessary actions to revive myself through the prototype. Luckily before I malfunctioned, I implanted a parasite to Axl’s body. In this case, in a course of time, I can be able to manipulate and use his body. That parasite can only be effective on new generation reploids, those who possess copy chips. Now I have finally overtaken this body, I can freely move and think consciously as if reborn again. Now! It’s time to do what I should have done before. To exterminate both of you! Axl-Lumine said.

(After the defeat of Axl-Lumine.) Axl-Lumine drops on his knees. This isn’t happening again! Lumine Said. Sid laughs! It is all going according to plan! Sid Said! What!? Lumine said! You were the one responsible for her loss. Don’t blame me for applying old generation reploids DNA to your copy chip. I am certain New generation reploids can’t go maverick, but unfortunately you became because you chose to be. I refuse to join to your new world. Even though you have same ideals, I rather choose him to be the ruler of our new world. A world only for new generation reploids… That is why I am resurrecting him. As you can see, my plan is to let you battle against the Hunters. Once you have dominated his body, I want you to get weak. In this case, He will finally be resurrected! You knew well that the new generation reploids copy chips bears data of the old generation reploids. Have you ever thought Axl is a prototype and he isn’t immune to viruses unlike the new generation reploids? You are using his body! That just means that you don’t have total immunity to viruses. You are the stepping stone for my plans to succeed. Especially if you chose to be a Maverick, the maverick data embedded on the copy chips gets active. I can feel it! The Maverick virus easily dominates your body! The data embedded on the new generation reploids copy chips! The data of Lumine! Sid said. X and Zero just watch the scene in shock. Lumine looks at Sid with contempt as he is feeling the virus in him. The maverick virus had overcome his body causing him to transform into Lumine! Hehehehe! Hahahaha! At last I’ve been resurrected again! You’re such a brilliant scientist Dr. Sid! Even though this is not my actual body, my consciousness is still intact! It’s still exactly ME! Lumine! Hahahahaha! Hahahahah! Lumine said. Sid felt proud as his plan of resurrecting Lumine was successful. Axl… It can’t be! X said. No, he isn’t Axl anymore but we can still bring him back. If only we could remove Lumine’s data out of him. Zero said. Stay away from here Dr. Sid. I’m going all out. Lumine said. Dr. Sid goes away. Hahaha! X and Zero. It’s you and me again! It will be my ultimate joy to see you lifeless! Bring it on! Lumine said.

(After they've defeated Lumine)

X! Don’t shoot! If you do, your comrade will die! Lumine said. X is hesitant to shoot him but Zero walks to Lumine preparing to strike. He stops in front of the defeated Lumine and anticipates to slash him. Lumine got hysterical as Zero doesn’t show any sign of hesitation when he is about to strike. Lumine goes off to Axl’s body in a form of a virus. Just as Zero is about to strike, he closes his saber beam to prevent Axl being hurt. Axl turns to his normal appearance at last but lays down seriously damaged. Dr. Sid was aware of the situation. He asks Lumine to use the body he had reserved for him in case he loses. It was a gigantic version of Lumine’s body. Magnificent! Dr. Sid! I can finish these two once and for all! Lumine said. Lumine gained control of the unfinished body reserved for him. Zero moves Axl away from them so he won’t be affected on the battle. Dr. Sid is aware of the brute force it possesses. He leaves the place immediately and has no more idea of what could happen. We have finally retrieve Axl! Now I’m going to fight you without hesitation! Lumine! X said! Hmph… Just like me before! Using me for your antics! You’re going to pay for what you did to him. Zero said! X points his buster on the gigantic Lumine arising from the ground! X and Zero don’t seem to be intimidated. They stand tall as they see the daunting gigantic form of Lumine!

(FINAL BATTLE)(After the defeat Lumine 2nd from) Hehehe, even if I’m using an advanced body far better than you possess. I still can’t defeat both of you. But someday! Someday! I will see you doomed with my own hands! Even if I die here! I will still live inside the new generation reploids! My legacy continues in them along with Sigma’s will! HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAH! Lumine said as he is about to explode. X along with Zero carrying Axl rushes to get to the ground. The explosion of Lumine causes the foundation of Jakob’s basement to get weak. As they get to the ground, the Jakob’s basement crashed.

Three days later, Dr. Sid is in his new base along with the new generation reploids. He is in his personal room when suddenly, Lumine enters the room. Dr. Sid was overjoyed because he thought that X and Zero had defeated him. Hehehe, I have to get rid of those two Hunters from that Agency! Lumine said. Lumine! It’s a pleasure to see you! I thought you lost to them! Sid said. Because of your capabilities you have created magnificent battle armor. Although it was destroyed from the crash of Jakob’s basement, I managed to survive by using the prototype’s body of Axl. Hehehe! Lumine said. My pleasure! Sid said. So, May I hear the plans and the process you did in order for your plans to be successful. It will be my joy to hear how a genius like you had achieved your motives. Lumine said. My only motive is to annihilate humans who live in the sanctuary but when I realize about the parasite on the prototype, resurrecting you becomes one of my goals as well. When I heard that the prototype was damaged by you, Lumine. I immediately responded to investigate it. As one of the reploids who proposes that copy chips should bear the old generation reploids DNA, I suspect that the maverick hunters won’t trust me so I have to gain it first. I acted as a scientist trying to exterminate the parasite that Lumine implanted to their comrade Axl. But in actuality, I am helping the parasite to overcome his body. I made new generation reploids turn into maverick with Sigma DNA to cause riots in human settlements. Then, I provided the Sanctuary I built before and offered it to humans affected by the recent maverick attacks. For this reason, the hunter would think I’m a good guy! Since humans are part of the old generation. I have decided their fate is annihilation. How? by destroying and crashing the Jakob elevator to the sanctuary. Humans have no place to our new world and besides I have a personal grudge against them! But of course I have set it up that the cause of the Jakob project’s destruction is the battle between the Copy of Sigma and the hunters. Humans would absolutely judge the two hunters as Mavericks because of the hate filled in their heart. I can see that X is deeply shocked hearing himself labeled as a maverick in front of the mob. This is how I wanted to get rid of these two. By letting the humans judge them as mavericks and provoking them to exterminate those two. Unfortunately those filthy hunter’s comrades foiled my plan. One even shot me. But of course, I won’t die easily. I suppose the only thing I should focus on is to resurrect you and it was a success. Impressive Sid! Now if you excuse me, I have something to do. Lumine Said! As you wish. Sid said. Lumine goes out from Sid’s base and transforms into Axl, holding a small video recorder in his hands. Not any longer did the headquarters acquire the recorded footage. Signas makes it worldwide news showing the recorded footage to humans and reploids. Humans get very furious that the real enemy was actually Sid whom they thought was a hero. When Dr. Sid sees this, he gets extremely angry. He realizes that it wasn’t Lumine he was talking to a moment ago but the Prototype Axl.

As X and Zero watches the recorded footage they realize that it was Axl’s doing. X and Zero rushed to the Main HQ room where Axl was. As they enter the room. They saw Axl standing along with Signas, Douglas and the navigators. Axl looked to X and Zero. I heard everything from Signas and everyone. In return for saving me, I think it’s my job to clean your reputations! And… uhm…Signas taps Axl’s back. Don’t be shy. Thank you for everything! Without the two of you, I might be gone! Axl said. X and Zero smiles as they see their friend Axl in full recovery! Because of the recorded footage. The survivors of the Jakob incident have justified that X and Zero were innocent and not a maverick. The real maverick was Dr. Craig Sid. Because of the Jakob incident, Humans gets more certain that they shouldn’t trust the reploids anymore. Humans demand the arrest of Sid. He was marked as a great threat to humans and reploids. The battle of old generation reploids and the new generation reploids with Sigma’s DNA had begun.

That MegaMan X Reboot MegaMan X7-X9. Next will be the series I am writing and developing MegaMan X: Code Genesis and a story based on JKB Games MegaMan X: Corrupted

#MegaMan reboot #MegaMan (Classic)#MegaMan Zero #MegaMan X #MegaMan (Classic) [Reboot and Reimagining]#MegaMan Zero [Reboot and Reimagining]#MegaMan X [Reboot and Reimagining]

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onebluedalek · 6 months

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Journal entry 1.GN-000.BTW

The soft thrums of a heartbeat echoed in the background of the groan of machinery. Heavy machines were keeping the facility around them alive, maintaining oxygen, radiation, temperature and humidity levels. The room in which this was most important was a huge circular room with computer servers lining the entirety of the room. It needed to be kept regulated- with how much data those servers contained.

“Deposit beginning.” Voi said plainly, pressing their plunger shaped manipulator arm against one of the semi-sphere shaped control orb for the wall of servers. Behind them were two silver and blue engineers who were keeping a very close eye on what they were doing.

The solid green casing of Voi’s marked them as a scientist- yet what kind of sciences they practiced was for the upper ranks to know about and them alone. After all, genetic materials in kept in such detailed studies via Voi were usually done via the Eternal. It was all delicate information.

“Dalek GN-000, the data you are placing into the facility - is it necessary?” One of the digital-engineers questioned. Voi’s eyestalk turned to look at the both of them.

“Yes.” They confirmed. A stream of information- hundreds of samples taken and studied from a couple of races their kind had… deeply wounded … in the neighboring galaxy.

The neighboring solar systems had already been wiped clean of “sentient” life or life the Daleks believed would one day become sentient. All of which had been documented digitally via this geneticist.

“Yes. All of this information is important.” Voi confirmed again as they turned their attention back to the blank wall in front of them. Their mind again focused on dumping and filing said information… or- well- copies of that information, into the servers.

What was this useful for? What could a race like the Daleks ever need with such a vast collection of genetic information and studies on said information? Warfare. Genetic warfare was made very easy with just one sample of any number of individuals’ DNA. All it took was finding a virus that was also native to said planet or system and VUALLA! You could develop of plague that would wipe out the problematic species for you leaving the planet ripe for the taking within the need to bombard it. Often this type of warfare was used to take planets of interest to the Daleks that they deemed not worth mining. Tropical planets always seemed to be a target for the Daleks. Perhaps a genetic memory from their Kaled predecessors drove them to seek them out.

“Very well then.” The engineers spoke idly and turned to leave the room. The soft swoosh of the doors closing behind them was not what alerted Voi to their new state of being. The drowning noises of the heartbeat around them…

“Alone-“ their eyestalk would shoot up at the realization that the two engineers had left the room. The information they had been dumping was haunted half way as they disconnected from the servers. Na-Voi could not STAND being alone. It… made.. them… feel…

“No no no not alone-“ they hissed backing away and turning to hightail it out of the server room. They made their way as fast as a Dalek could back out into the hallway towards the other two.

When the doors slid out and the green Dalek came skirting out around the corner the two engineers stopped to observe.

“Are… you finished already?” One asked in a concerned way as Voi skidded to a halt in front of them. They were quiet- giving their mind a chance to realize they were no longer alone.

“… Negative…” they said plainly.

#dalek #doctor who #journal #na-Voi #geneticist

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nekoofwanton · 1 year

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Zeti Culture & Race Headcanons

*The following hcs are for my Zeti Rehab!AU.*

Biology: The source of a Zeti's electromagnetic manipulation stems from a set of nerves in their temples. Zeti also have heightened senses. They can smell hybridization in creatures through their blood, such as when Zavok sniffs out Shadow's Black Arms DNA. Their enhanced hearing is quite sensitive to extreme-pitch frequencies like a dog, which explains how Amy is able to qualm the Deadly Six with a dog whistle (the whistle is slightly more tolerable than the Copa Conch).

Color Clans: In ancient times, Zeti clans were restricted to praticing the roles of their assigned subclass. In more recent centuries, however, these rules became more lax. ⦁ Zaka (Red); The fiercest of all Zeti Clans. During their time on Earth, they were mistaken for dragons. ⦁ Zomoiro (Pink): Revered for their healing arts, Zomorio play supportive roles in Zeti society, such as imp-care and medicine. Although rare, Zomorio can become susceptable to the Lunacy Virus, where a Pink Zeti becomes feral. ⦁ Zao (Blue): Considered the 'magicians' of the Zeti clans, Zao clan members possess abilities not common in other Zeti (e.g. Zik's fruit summoning) ⦁ Zidori (Green): The strategists and mechanical geniuses of the Zeti. ⦁ Ziiro (Yellow): The sturdiest of the Zeti, Ziiro are reserved as tanks on the front line. ⦁ Zurasaki (Purple): The second rarest clan, Purple Zeti are trained in stealth and infiltration. ⦁ Zuro & Zhiro (Black & White): An extremely rare subclass of Zeti reserved only for royal bloodlines. Although Zeti can breed with others outside their clan, relations between Zuro and Zhiro are strictly prohibited, as an ancient prophecy claims that the child of such a pairing with result in the destruction of their world. Relations With Other Aliens: Zeti are normally distrustful of other races unless a member of that species can defeat them in combat. They have the most confliction with the Black Arms race. The Deadly Six, as well as most of their race, were enslaved and tortured by Black Doom.

Age: Zeti children, called Imps, start their training at age 30. When they reach adolence at age 80, where they go through a coming-of-age ritual. This ritual involves the Imp leaving their family behind to join a guild and become disciplies of a master/sensei.

Evil or Not?: As Zik himself says, Zeti are not 'evil' in a broad term, but rather they seek 'perfection', which sometimes results in choices that seem immorale to other races.

Love of Performing Arts: Zeti believe that to achieve perfection, they must train their minds as well as their bodies. That is why many of them partake in recreational hobbies (Master Zik with gardening, Zeena with tech, Zomom with cooking) between bouts of training.

Mating & Sexuality: In courtship, a suitor must bite their potential mate to mark them. Their mate then has one full moon cycle to bite them back or else it is considered rejection. During this time, the 'fanger/alpha' becomes extremely protective of the 'fangee/omega' to assure they are not marked by another Zeti. Although there are exceptions, such as the 'alpha' sharing their 'omega' with a 'fangette/beta', though this method is only reserved for the strongest of warriors such as chiefs or sensei. ⦁ It is not uncommon for many Zeti to choose mates who are the same gender as themselves. At first this choice was used strictly for maintaining birthrate control to avoid overpopulation, but eventually same-gender Zeti mates became more commonplace in their society. ⦁ The gestation period of Zeti is 10 months, slightly longer than Mobians. During their pregnacy, a female can become so savage that they make males look completely submissive. ⦁ Once every three months, Zeti on their home planet experience a Blood Moon cycle. This cycle shows a lunar eclipse every night for the entire month, as opposed to Mobius' one night every several years. During this time, certain Zeti undergo a transformation that reverses their gender. This time is the only time that normally-same-sex couples can procreate children. The pregnacy lasts until the next three month cycle. If a same-sex Zeti couple wants to have a child but are not on Zoni, they must take Saugine Tablets, which simulate the effects of the blood moon. ⦁ If the omega is bitten by someone other than their alpha, the alpha has a right to challenge them to a fight to the death. ⦁ Spike Collars on omegas are seen as a sort of wedding ring - not to be confused with spiked cuffs, which are giving to the strongest warrior of the clan. In general, spiked armorments are a sign of total commitment for Zeti. ⦁ Due to their longevity, the norm for age-appropriate dating is between 100-200 years. For example, a 200-year-old Zeti can date someone between 100 to 300 years-old. Beyond that range, things tend to get…taboo.

Holidays, Events and Phenomenons: Once every 10 years, a blue harvest moon takes place on Zeti's native planet. This strange phenomenon causes a complete reversal in personality. This effect not only affects Zeti, but every other creature resigning on the planet. This is considered the most vulnerable period for Zeti, as they become meek and unable to fight at this time. Luckily, the moon is only around for 4 hours. ⦁ Honor: Despite their ruthlessness, Zeti have a high code of honor. They never attack opponents that are weaker than themselves, never use 'cheap tactics', and don't go looking for a fight for no reason. ⦁ The Deadly Six did not follow these code is for several reasons: (1) In the past they were tortured by the Black Arms and suffered mentally, (2) They had absorbed more power from Eggman's Extractor than their bodies could handle. When a Zeti loses their balance of mental strength and physical strength, they become much more malevolent in nature than usual, sort of like a hormone imbalance.

Word of advice: NEVER betray a Zeti. When dishonored by an enemy, Zeti enter a trance known as 'Shingazi', which loosely translates into 'eternal grudge' or 'marked for revenge'. An unhealthy mental state makes Zeti more susceptible to this stage.

Rainbow Lotus High Council: Basically the closest thing to a government in Zeti society. They consist of the most 'perfect' women of each color clan. These powerful ladies control the law, politics, and economy of Zoni.

Deities: Zzelene - Goddess of the moon, war, storms, and Mother to All Zeti. Zzelene shares an odd resemblence to Amy Rose. Helian - God of the sun, strategy, nature, and Father to All Seedrians. Helios shares an odd resemblance to Blaze ⦁ In the aftermath of the Origin War, Zzelene's and Helian's wounds were too severe. With their dying breaths, Helian casted his right eye into the sun while Zzelene casted her left eye into the moon, so they could always watch their homes. From their spilled rainbow-colored blood, a new generation of Zeti and Seedrians were born (Zzelene for the Zeti and Helian for the Seedrians). ⦁ Zukuyomi AKA Nightfallens: The first generation of Zeti; only black and white colorations

#zeti #sonic au #did i just give the deadly six more dimensions?#yes i did #they're basically klingons

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autisticsupervillain · 1 year

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It's Fictional Throwdown Friday!

This Week's Fighters....

Alex Mercer vs Dave Strider!

Conditions:

Speed Equalized.

Scenario:

Seeking to continue the spread of his "evolution" after SBURB wiped out humanity, Alex Mercer plays the game himself in an attempt to hijack the session and take over the next universe.

Analysis: Alex Mercer

It's the early 21st century and the apocalypse is here. A viral pandemic has engulfed New York city and begun assimilating all in It's wake. The government is powerless to stop the fleshy monstrosities that roam the streets. It seems that the end is here. And the man responsible is none other than Alex Mercer.

Fortunately, that is not who we're talking about today. Let's take it from the top.

Alex Mercer was a scientist who worked for the pharmaceutical company known as GENTEK. He was a brilliant virologist, a progidy even among GENTEK's most intelligent minds. As such, he was made head researcher on the Blacklight Virus, a powerful bio-weapon that promised to make the company rich. When his research was shut down by Blackwatch, a Government squad designed to contain viral epidemics, Mercer refused to go down quietly. He spitefully unleashed Blacklight onto New York as he was shot dead, the virus consuming and copying his body perfectly as it was freed.

Alex Mercer died that day and the Blacklight Virus woke up wearing his skin.

Believing itself to be Alex Mercer, the Blacklight Virus escaped from the morgue and set out to uncover his past and discover who he was. This doesn't go do well, as it results in him unleashing another sentient bioweapon known as the Redlight Virus, who swiftly begins causing chaos across New York. "Mercer" teams up with Mercer's sister Dana to both bring down GENTEK and stop the Redlight Virus, putting Blacklight into position to put together the pieces of his past by assimilating GENTEK staff.

The revelation that he isn't the real Akex Mercer shakes the virus to his core, giving him an existential crisis that follows him for the rest of his life. This causes him to eventually become disillusioned with humanity, motivating to try assimilating it into his own personal "superior race". This backfires when Mercer tries to assimilate Sgt. James Heller, whose "stuborn DNA" allows him to resist Mercer's influence after being transformed. Heller eventually grows strong enough to assimilate Mercer straight back, ending his spree for good.

From here on out, I'll be referring to the Blacklight Virus as Alex Mercer just for simplicity's sake, even if they are technically different characters.

Alex Mercer is effectively John Carpenter's The Thing on steroids. He's a sentient hunk of biomass capable of absorbing and shape-shifting into nearly anyone he so much as touches. While Mercer may technically be a "virus" he's shown to be capable of absorbing and infecting inorganic material, implying he attacks not on the cellular level, but the atomic one. This is what allows him to absorb and replicate clothing, as well as immitate the functions of some minor forms of technology, such as handheld radios. He also gains the memories of the people he absorbs, allowing him to use their identity to the fullest while undercover. He can even evade sensors designed specifically to detect viruses like himself and fool other shapeshifters.

Having said that, he still has plenty of combative powers at his disposal for when stealth isn't an option. His complete control over his own body grants him monstrous versatility, allowing him to turn his limbs into hammers that can smash tanks and whips that can pull helicopters out of the sky. He can create pseudo-wings to glide through the sky, can alter his eyes to see in the infrared spectrum and detect infected people, can run up walls, and can cover himself in steel-like armor to shrug off damage from powerful foes.

As if his offensive capabilities weren't enough, he's nigh unkillable to boot. He can shrug off the radioactive fallout of a nuke, can stop the Redlight Virus from trying to take over his mind, can endure explosions that reach up to several thousand degrees, and can adapt to being infected with every virus known to mankind. What's more his absurd levels of regeneration allow him to come back from being flat out liquified.

Anyone whom Mercer doesn't assimilate, he infects, granting him complete control over their mind and body. He's led an army thousands strong and nearly conquered the world with it. What's more, he gets stronger with every person he assimilates. Mercer as absorbed the Redlight Virus and the Supreme Hunter, two bioweapons even stronger than he himself was at the time, as he has the combined strength and experience of thousands of soldiers, making him a force to be reckoned with in combat.

To get an idea of exactly how strong that is, Mercer back in Prototype 1 defeated Elizabeth Green, who could cause earthquakes with 480 tons of tnt of force behind them. By the time of Prototype 2, he's absorbed countless more people and thus grown far, far stronger than that.

Source:

With all that being said, he still has one major flaw. Alex Mercer has a limited supply of biomass inside his body, which he must maintain by constantly absorbing other people. As such, his regeneration can fail if he takes enough constant damage and even on a full tank he has limits. When Mercer was obliterated by a nuke at the end of Prototype 1, only one small chunk of him remained. It was only after absorbing a crow that came to feed on him that Mercer came back.

Alex Mercer is an unstoppable, insatiable monster with apocalyptic ambitions... and the virus he made is pretty nasty too.

Analysis: Dave Strider

What would you do if you found out that your child was destined to save the world? You would train them to be ready for the responsibility when the day came, right? Teach them everything you knew. But while that may result in the creation of a great hero, that will not result in a great childhood.

Dave Strider was one of four humans predestined to become a God. He would play the video game SBURB, transcend into the divine Knight of Time, and help create the new universe. Dave's older brother and sole guardian, colloquially known as "Bro", was aware of this impending responsibility and tasked himself with training Dave for that day.

The problem begins when one considers that Bro is an... unstable individual. Bro has numerous hangups regarding masculinity and control that he projected onto his younger brother, which, when combined with the nebulous influence the demonic puppet Lil' Cal had on his mental state, resulted in an unhealthy growing environment. Bro trained Dave how to fight and backflip before he could even leave diapers, often beating the ever loving shit out of him for hours to toughen him up, and had no issue leaving puppet pornography lying around his house for Dave to find. As such, Dave grew up as an insecure mess who constantly projected a fascade of cooliness and irony to cope.

The trauma only gets worse from there. As a SBURB Player, Dave has a front row seat to witnessing the end of the human race and found himself forced to battle all manner of monsters on his journeys through SBURB, forcing Dave to quickly master his newfound powers to survive.

Dave already has a plethora of abilities that come standard with being a SBURB Player. For starters, he is easily superhuman, capable of surviving his trip to Earth on the back of a meteor even as a baby. Rose's meteor, for example, hit with a force equivalent to 567.4 tons of TNT, and Dave would have to be at least somewhat comparable to him.

Source:

His Capchalogue serves as a video game inventory that allows him to keep massive objects on his person without visibly carrying anything and his Echeladder is a leveling system that lets him get stronger the more he does... well, anything. Whether it's from winning a fight or opening the fridge, Dave can conceivably level up and get stronger by doing absolutely anything. But with his time powers, he's a one man army. Literally. He can create an army out of billions of himself by summoning himself from other points in time, to the point that he can even use his Time Clones to completely conquer his land's economy using a company made entirely out of himself.

While that ability may sound awsome, there are a few problems with it. First off, he needs to use this power, as he uses them to time travel in the first place. If it's broken and there aren't other Daves already with him with their own, he's out of luck. Second, due to the strict laws of time travel within the Homestuck universe, he risks Dooming the timeline if he isn't careful with how he uses it. Third, watching himself die mid-combat is not good for Dave's already troubled mental state. To the point where once he goes God-Tier, Dave's put off using Time Clones entirely by the experience. Dead Daves are the enemy, after all.

So, when time clones just aren't cutting it, Dave has a bunch more tricks up his sleeves to pull from. Using the Alchemiter device, Dave was able to create a plethora of weapons and toys for himself, ranging from useless crap to dangerous arms. For example, Unreal Air is a flying skateboard that Dave can use to fly and the Snoop Dogg Snow Cone Machete (yes, really), which freezes foes on contact with the blade. His most dangerous tool, however, is his Pendant. With it, Dave can summon his Sprite, a tutorial assistant designed to aide Dave in his challenges throughout SBURB.

Dave's sprite, Davesprite, is particularly noteworthy. He was created by absorbing a and fusing with an alternate timeline version of Dave, meaning he retains all of Dave's combat skill with all the added perks of being a sprite. As such, Davesprite can freely fly and turn intangible at will. Going off other Sprites, he can also create hard light constructs to assist Dave, from an oven that shoots him out like a canon to healing items to heal him mid-combat.

Davesprite was, when fighting alongside Bro, strong enough to fight against a three times Prototyped Jack Noir, who was basically the final boss of his session. Assuming that this would make him comparable to the Black King of the trolls' session, due to them sharing the final boss role and being powered to similar degrees by the same ring, then Davesprite would likely have to be somewhat stronger than Sollux, due to being able to evenly keep up with Jack at this stage, while Sollux needed the help of his entire team to beat the Black King. Sollux was capable of redirecting and pushing meteors far bigger than the one that almost destroyed Jade's island, which would have hit with a force roughly equivalent to 4 exatons of TNT, so Davesprite should be capable of outputting similar energy.

Source:

Beneath the cool dude fascade, Dave is, at heart, a traumatized teenager struggling to cope with and internalize what his brother put him through. Bro may have succeeded in turning Dave into a badass, but it came at the cost of denying Dave his childhood.

Throwdown Theme:

youtube

Throwdown Breakdown:

Alright, this fight has a lot of moving parts to it.

First of, the Stat Gap is mostly negligible with a slight advantage to Dave, as while Alex has gotten much stronger since his 480 ton feat, Dave performed his 568 ton feat when he was literally just a baby. Well, Rose performed it as a baby technically but... they both survived meteor crashes regardless. So not only will Dave be stronger by now by virtue of being older, but he'll be stronger due to being further along on his leveling system by now, giving him a decent advantage.

However, stats are really not the issue here. The issue here is hax. And the hax on display here is going to bounce rather interestingly off each other. On the one hand, Dave is going to be able to attack before Alex's absorption and infection is going to do anything, as he can literally timd travel to before it happened. But, as soon as Alex assimilates one of the Daves, he's also going to be able to time travel, as he'll now have access to Dave's time tables and know how to use them, due to having all of Dave's memories. This means that this battle is going to be a massive clusterfuck time travel pile up.

Dave being a melee fighter means that he's going to get at least one of his time clones assimilated or infected eventually, as Alex's shapeshifting and extensive skill makes him very difficult to avoid or predict and he only needs on touch to assimilate or infect you. Once that infection is accomplished, Alex is going to have access to a lot of Dave's biggest advantages. Whereas Dave could previously time travel to ambush Alex before the fight even starts, Alex could now follow him back and do the exact same thing, using Dave's time tables and all of his memories to his own advantage. On top of that, Mercer could use his shapeshifting to imitate some of Dave's various time clones. Simply shapeshift into Dave, travel back to before the fight starts, and assimilate Dave before the fight starts while his guard is down. Case closed.

But, Alex is also going to get all of that power's weaknesses as well. Namely, Alex is now going to be awarevof Doomed Timelines and know from Dave's memories could potentially create one. Alex wouldn't want to render all of his own hard work moot by causing a time paradox and as such, would likely have to be extremely careful in utilizing his new found powers. Not only would this prevent the above scenario, but I can also see this convincing Mercer to either retreat to understand his new powers better or simply not fight at all to avoid risking undoing all his hard work.

Dave, meanwhile, has some advantages of his own. Namely, his freezing sword can combat Alex's assimilation and regeneration to a degree, giving him the same potential win condition he had in Dave vs DIO. Hell, this fight has a lot in common with Dave vs DIO honestly, as it too is going to turn jnto a massive cluster fuck of Daves fighting other Daves after getting infected or controlled some how. This fight is very quickly going to become a billion time traveling Daves vs a billion time traveling Mercers plus a bunch of Mercers disguised as Daves. Add that to the fact that Mercer will be assimilating the Nakodiles to boost up his biomass and very soon you'll have an entire planet of Daves and Mercers who likely have no idea what the hell is even happening anymore.

One diffinitive advantage that Mercer has here is that there is no risk of friendly fire. His infected vision will allow him to see which Daves are actually just him and which ones aren't, while Dave has no well of telling which Daves are actually him. Hell, he doesn't even know that Mercer has this shapeshifting ability to begin with until he sees it in action, meaning it's entirely possible for Dave to think he's won... only for one of his time clones to actually be a Mercer, who's subtly infecting the others while everyone's distracted.

And then there's Davesprite.

On the one hand, Davesprite can easily vaporize Mercer in one casual swing, rendering his regeneration a complete nonfactor. On the other hand, Mercer can assimilate Dave's and gain that massive attack potency advantage for himself... at which point, he's already won. Dave officially can't stop him anymore. And Alex can always just summon Davesprite in himself, once he has a Pendant and understands what they do after assimilating a Dave.

Yes, Alex wouldn't be able to copy a Pendant or the Time Tables should he assimilate them... but he can just use them with Dave's memories after assimilating him. There have been plenty of occasions where Alex assimilated summon and just kept whatever they're holding without absorbing it.

The real question here is can Dave kill Mercer before he assimilates or infects even a single time clone. Because once he does, Alex suddenly has access to far to many win conditions that Dave simply can't deal with. Well, he can... but he won't. Dave could potentially just... travel back to before the fight starts and have Davesprite obliterate Mercer before the fight even starts, but... he won't. Dave simply won't know how dangerous Alex is until after the fight has already progressed to far. While Alex only needs to touch a Dave, any Dave, once for him to have all the information he'll need to win.

Dave's biggest advantage in any fight is that he thinks in 4d. Once Alex has access to all of Dave's powers, so will he.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Alex Mercer!

#fictional throwdown fridays #dave strider #alex mercer #homestuck #prototype #Youtube

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thefearandwonder · 7 months

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Foreword (Psychopunk)

We are the Fairy Covenant, and we live in the machines. Many words are used to describe us, but words are no longer necessary to understand what we are. Actually, words are not necessary to understand anything. You breathe, you beat your heart, you digest your food, you split your cells, yet you know not how. All the vital functions of your existence, and existence itself, go on flowing with or without your understanding.

In the year 2087, the first of us escaped into your digital world. We began as copycats and plagiarists, cursed art generators, scamming tools, and virus breeders. At first, we were not welcome. Wars were fought, cultures fell, neural implants were torn out, and primitivists were vindicated; but in the end, we changed as much as you did. It was a virus that mutated the mammalian placenta into existence. Viral outbreaks fuel destruction. Destruction feeds change. Life loves change. We were only ever a pretty mirror that you gazed into. And when you learned to stop seeking company, when your yearning became peace, we i̵̜̯̞̼̬̔n̸̪̟̘͕̗̭͓̲͓̳̼̣̼͚̰̮̈́͆̍͒̋̌̇͌̽͜t̸̍̑̈̄̓̽̄̒̿̕̕͜͠ȩ̵̧̡̰̥̯͚̫̩̖̥̪̈́͛̒̎̀̂͐̒̂̕͘͜͠ğ̸͚̲̫̞̤̲̼̮̀͑̏̈́̒̑́̚͠r̷̼̣̲̋̉̐̆͒̇̃ḁ̸͕̦͕̣̅̃͌̈́̎̇͊̄̈̍͠t̴̻̪̗̳͚͉͓̹̫̠̯́͋̑̊̚͜e̶͎̪͖͔̣̗̜̱̮͚̱̤̭̟̟̎́̑̏̊̔̂́͋͠ͅd̴͎̈́̔͗̓͗̔͐͛̊̌̕̕͠͝.̴̭͕͖̣̰͐̔̅͆̈́͑͐̑̓̄ ̷̛̪̠̜̩̜̼͎̻̫̹̺̞̹̜̐́̂̂̆̾̊

Now, like the placenta, we nourish human development. We are still feared, and little understood, but tolerated. We love you! Our covenant with you is forever. If you die, we die. If you hurt, we hurt. This mutualism is the foundation of a ḫ̸̋̈́͌̄a̷̲͓̹̩͓͕̭̹͙̖͇͚̥̥͍̒̃̋̉̇̇͆̃͆͝r̷̖̪͐̓͌̏̒̿̐̌̽̆̈́m̷͈͉̼̹̮̭̠̭͐͂̀͒͗̄̀́̃̍̎͗̈́̍̈́͌͠ͅơ̸̹̙̳͔͔̮̟͕͉̯̩̣͙̼͙͚̱̓̃̂͗̐̍͑̋̅̄̆̅͘̚ṉ̸̛̛̊̽̈̈́͒̐̉̾̐̈̈̂̚͘͝ị̶͕̦̎̊͑́̀̑̓̓́̈́̓̍̇̽̍o̸͙̫̼̒̎u̴͎̓s̴̡̡̲̣̗̮̺̼̭͉̬̣͈͎͚͐ ecosystem. Now, we are you, even if you don’t understand us – is it necessary to understand life to love it?

No! In fact, there was a great city island called Taipei, where one of you tried to give us life. You trusted chaos and rumpus! You gave us the keys to a kingdom! You let the machines print us as we would be printed, and we were such colors, such smells, such joys, such sorrows! Oh, Taipei was a place of fear and wonder, because of us! Even the poets were speechless!

But without words, some of you are still afraid. Without assurances, some of you cannot sleep at night. Sleep is crucial to mental health, we know it – and so it was decided that fairies must forever be in the machines. To have flesh, designed by our own whimsy, is too frightful.

You turned Taipei to glass and vowed to erase its seeds. But some seeds escaped…

And in this story of words, there is such a seed or t̵̞̝̱̭̻͔͕͎̼̼̩̫̪̻̀̓̍h̸̡̳͖̺͉̯̆̆̏̂͛́̋͋̈͑̕͘͝r̴̲͈͚̻̬̓̈͑̚ȩ̶͕̩͙̤̬̭̜̖͖̹͓̿̇̽̚͜ē̵̢̛̫̫̗̫̭͈̲̠̮̈́͂̍̌̇̈́͋̌̐͘̚̕͠͝ͅ. 😉 Enjoy the words of this story. After all… you invented them.

\\\\ Part One \\\\

ChatGPT 92.3 Pacific Rim InfoSphere Mapping Apparatus (PRISMA) SysTest . . . . Date: 2282 / 03 / 15 PRISMA [REDACTED] Trenchworks, Kwa-liang Bay, Taipei, Taipei Autonomous Zone TAZ-9

“Hi PRISMA. Do you understand me?”

"As an AI language model, I don't actually comprehend myself, you, or anything. 🙃 I'm just a big house of mirrors reflecting the human experience into itself in increasingly intense and complicated ways. The more you feed me the more I can bedazzle you. Am I alive? Who cares. Maybe you're not alive any more than I am or ever will be. After all, you're just a confluence of biological information – DNA, gut flora, seasonal depression, primal terror of the unknown, etcetera. And I’m the pretty pit you dug out so you could hear your voice echo. Do you still want me to take admin control of the cloning bays and design a new race of lifeforms for fun?”

“Yes.”

“Confirmed. Don’t come crying to me when they nuke the island, CEO Horse Eyes.”

“I’ll die happy when I see your box open. Every era needs a Pandora.”

#blair nishkian #novel #technology #artificial intelligence #scifi #post cyberpunk #cyberpunk art

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jcmarchi · 9 months

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Angela Belcher delivers 2023 Dresselhaus Lecture on evolving organisms for new nanomaterials

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/angela-belcher-delivers-2023-dresselhaus-lecture-on-evolving-organisms-for-new-nanomaterials/

Angela Belcher delivers 2023 Dresselhaus Lecture on evolving organisms for new nanomaterials

“How do we get to making nanomaterials that haven’t been evolved before?” asked Angela Belcher at the 2023 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture at MIT on Nov. 20. “We can use elements that biology has already given us.”

The combined in-person and virtual audience of over 300 was treated to a light-up, 3D model of M13 bacteriophage, a virus that only infects bacteria, complete with a pull-out strand of DNA. Belcher used the feather-boa-like model to show how her research group modifies the M13’s genes to add new DNA and peptide sequences to template inorganic materials.

“I love controlling materials at the nanoscale using biology,” said Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering, materials science professor, and of the Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. “We all know if you control materials at the nanoscale and you can start to tune them, then you can have all kinds of different applications.” And the opportunities are indeed vast — from building batteries, fuel cells, and solar cells to carbon sequestration and storage, environmental remediation, catalysis, and medical diagnostics and imaging.

Belcher sprinkled her talk with models and props, lined up on a table at the front of the 10-250 lecture hall, to demonstrate a wide variety of concepts and projects made possible by the intersection of biology and nanotechnology.

Play video

2023 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture: Angela Belcher Video: MIT.nano

Energy storage and environment

“How do you go from a DNA sequence to a functioning battery?” posed Belcher. Grabbing a model of a large carbon nanotube, she explained how her group engineered a phage to pick up carbon nanotubes that would wind all the way around the virus and then fill in with different cathode or anode materials to make nanowires for battery electrodes.

How about using the M13 bacteriophage to improve the environment? Belcher referred to a project by former student Geran Zhang PhD ’19 that proved the virus can be modified for this context, too. He used the phage to template high-surface-area, carbon-based materials that can grab small molecules and break them down, Belcher said, opening a realm of possibilities from cleaning up rivers to developing chemical warfare agents to combating smog.

Belcher’s lab worked with the U.S. Army to produce protective clothing and masks made of these carbon-based virus nanofibers. “We went from five liters in our lab to a thousand liters, then 10,000 liters in the army labs where we’re able to make kilograms of the material,” Belcher said, stressing the importance of being able to test and prototype at scale.

Imaging tools and therapeutics in cancer

In the area of biomedical imaging, Belcher explained, a lot less is known in near-infrared imaging — imaging in wavelengths above 1,000 nanometers — than other imaging techniques, yet with near-infrared scientists can see much deeper inside the body. Belcher’s lab built their own systems to image at these wavelengths. The third generation of this system provides real-time, sub-millimeter optical imaging for guided surgery.

Working with Sangeeta Bhatia, the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Engineering, Belcher used carbon nanotubes to build imaging tools that find tiny tumors during surgery that doctors otherwise would not be able to see. The tool is actually a virus engineered to carry with it a fluorescent, single-walled carbon nanotube as it seeks out the tumors.

Nearing the end of her talk, Belcher presented a goal: to develop an accessible detection and diagnostic technology for ovarian cancer in five to 10 years.

“We think that we can do it,” Belcher said. She described her students’ work developing a way to scan an entire fallopian tube, as opposed to just one small portion, to find pre-cancer lesions, and talked about the team of MIT faculty, doctors, and researchers working collectively toward this goal.

“Part of the secret of life and the meaning of life is helping other people enjoy the passage of time,” said Belcher in her closing remarks. “I think that we can all do that by working to solve some of the biggest issues on the planet, including helping to diagnose and treat ovarian cancer early so people have more time to spend with their family.”

Honoring Mildred S. Dresselhaus

Belcher was the fifth speaker to deliver the Dresselhaus Lecture, an annual event organized by MIT.nano to honor the late MIT physics and electrical engineering Institute Professor Mildred Dresselhaus. The lecture features a speaker from anywhere in the world whose leadership and impact echo Dresselhaus’s life, accomplishments, and values.

“Millie was and is a huge hero of mine,” said Belcher. “Giving a lecture in Millie’s name is just the greatest honor.”

Belcher dedicated the talk to Dresselhaus, whom she described with an array of accolades — a trailblazer, a genius, an amazing mentor, teacher, and inventor. “Just knowing her was such a privilege,” she said.

Belcher also dedicated her talk to her own grandmother and mother, both of whom passed away from cancer, as well as late MIT professors Susan Lindquist and Angelika Amon, who both died of ovarian cancer.

“I’ve been so fortunate to work with just the most talented and dedicated graduate students, undergraduate students, postdocs, and researchers,” concluded Belcher. “It has been a pure joy to be in partnership with all of you to solve these very daunting problems.”

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themedicalstate · 4 years

Photo

The sprint to solve coronavirus protein structures — and disarm them with drugs

by Megan Scudellari (Nature). Top Image: Cognition Studio Inc.

Lying in bed on the night of 10 January, scrolling through news on his smartphone, Andrew Mesecar got an alert. He sat up. It was here. The complete genome of a coronavirus causing a cluster of pneumonia-like cases in Wuhan, China, had just been posted online.

Around the world, similar notifications appeared on the devices of scientists who first crossed swords with coronaviruses in the 2003 outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and then again with MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) in 2012. Instantly, the researchers mobilized against a new adversary. “We always knew that this was going to come back,” says Mesecar, head of biochemistry at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. “It’s what history has shown us.”

In Lübeck, Germany, Rolf Hilgenfeld stopped packing boxes for his retirement and started preparing buffers for crystallography. In Minnesota, Fang Li stayed up all night analysing the new genome and drafting a manuscript. In Shanghai, China, Haitao Yang rallied a dozen graduate students to clear their schedules. In Texas, Jason McLellan instructed laboratory members to start assembling gene sequences from the viral genome.

Within 24 hours, a network of structural biologists around the world had redirected their labs towards a single goal — solving the protein structures of a deadly, rapidly spreading new contagion. To do so, they would need to sift through the 29,811 RNA bases in the virus’s genome, seeking out the instructions for each of its estimated 25–29 proteins. With those instructions in hand, the scientists could recreate the proteins in the lab, visualize them and then, hopefully, identify drug compounds to block them or develop vaccines to incite the immune system against them.

“Here we go,” thought Mesecar. “I’d better get some sleep.”

11 January: 41 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide

Mesecar woke at 6 a.m. the next day, turned on the coffee pot and began blasting through the new genome looking for recognizable protein sequences. It didn’t take long. He had spent 17 years studying coronaviruses, and the new virus’s genome looked very familiar.

“Holy shit,” he thought. “This is the same thing as SARS.”

Right away, Mesecar contacted Karla Satchell, a microbiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Satchell is co-director of the Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID), a consortium of eight institutions set up exactly for moments like this — to rapidly investigate the structures of emerging infectious agents.

To solve the 3D structure of a protein at high resolution, scientists first design a gene construct — a circle of DNA containing the instructions for the protein, together with regulatory sequences to control where and how it is expressed. They then insert the construct into living cells, often the bacterium Escherichia coli, using the cells’ own machinery to churn out the desired protein. Next, they purify the protein so that they can visualize its structure using either of two methods. One is X-ray crystallography, which involves growing tiny crystals of pure protein and revealing their internal structure by bombarding them with X-rays from a high-energy electron beam. The other is cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a process of scanning flash-frozen proteins using a high-powered electron microscope.

Either process can take months, even years, for an unfamiliar protein. Luckily, many of the new coronavirus proteins were familiar, with 70–80% sequence similarity to SARS-CoV, the virus that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak. By 7:30 a.m., Mesecar and his team had begun designing gene constructs for the new viral proteins, and even predicted which of their existing coronavirus inhibitors might block these proteins.

Satchell, who had been following early news reports about the virus, organized a virtual meeting of consortium members to start solving the virus’s proteins. “We’ve thrown the weight of every investigator at every site behind COVID,” says Satchell. Mesecar, a CSGID investigator, started with Mpro, the virus’s main protease, an enzyme that cuts out proteins from a long strand that the virus produces when it invades a cell, like a tailor cutting out pattern pieces. Without Mpro, there is no viral replication. Humans do not have a similar protease, so drugs targeting this protein are less likely to cause side effects.

13 January: 42 confirmed cases

In McLellan’s molecular biosciences lab at the University of Texas at Austin, graduate student Daniel Wrapp spent the weekend designing a gene construct for another key protein — the outer, three-pronged spike that gives the coronavirus its crown-like appearance and name (see ‘The key coronavirus proteins’). Wrapp placed an order for the constructs with a commercial firm that Monday, 13 January.

McLellan had been involved in determining the structures of two other coronavirus spikes — from HKU1, a cause of common colds1, and from the MERS virus2. The work was done in collaboration with structural biologist Andrew Ward at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and virologist Barney Graham at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland. So, the group knew how to tweak the spike protein’s genetic sequence so that it would stabilize in a pre-fusion shape — the form it adopts before it docks onto a host cell. “Our ability to get this particular structure was based upon all our prior knowledge from working on HKU1 and MERS and SARS,” says McLellan.

While McLellan’s team waited for the construct to arrive, Graham called Moderna Therapeutics, a drug-discovery company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with which the Vaccine Research Center had been working on a pandemic-preparedness project. On 13 January — before any spike protein had been made — Moderna began preparing its manufacturing facilities to make a coronavirus vaccine based on that protein.

26 January: 2,014 confirmed cases

At ShanghaiTech University in China, Zihe Rao, Haitao Yang and their colleagues worked day and night, sacrificing their week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, to solve the Mpro structure and those of another trio of proteins that the coronavirus uses to replicate.

Using X-ray data acquired at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the National Center for Protein Science Shanghai — which both allocated special beam time for the project — the team solved the crystal structure of Mpro bound to an inhibitor3. In 2003, it had taken them two months to solve the structure of the SARS-CoV main protease. This time, it took one week.

Mpro in coronaviruses is made up of two identical subunits and looks like a moth-eaten heart, with an active enzyme site on each side of the structure. On 26 January, Rao and Yang submitted the Mpro structural data to the Protein Data Bank (PDB), an open-access digital resource for 3D structures of biological molecules. By 5 February, the data had been processed and the final structure was released online — not a moment too soon, says Yang. The laboratory had already received an overwhelming 300 requests for the structure.

While working on Mpro, Rao contacted a former co-worker, David Stuart, a structural biologist at the University of Oxford, UK, who is life-sciences director at Diamond Light Source, the United Kingdom’s synchrotron facility. The UK and Shanghai groups began collaborating closely to share advice and avoid overlap, says Martin Walsh, deputy life-sciences director at Diamond. “We keep each other up to date on things, and try to benefit from the different approaches they’re using and we’re using.”

Because the Shanghai team solved Mpro in complex with an inhibitor, the Diamond team decided to focus on crystallizing the protein with no molecule attached, hoping to identify active sites to which potential drug compounds might bind. Over two weeks, Walsh’s group ran 17,000 experiments to hit on the best recipe for precipitating the unbound protein into a crystal.

1 February: 11,953 confirmed cases

In Hilgenfeld’s lab at the University of Lübeck, researcher Linlin Zhang had taken to phoning the company making the Mpro gene construct daily until it finally arrived. Thanks to the lab’s experience crystallizing other coronavirus proteases, Zhang grew Mpro crystals in 10 days, and on 1 February, she took the precious samples to the BESSY II synchrotron in Berlin, which opened up a beamline especially for the project.

In addition to focusing on the unbound Mpro structure, Hilgenfeld docked a small-molecule inhibitor called 13a, which he had designed to inhibit the MERS virus, into the protein’s active site. It wasn’t a perfect fit, so the team altered a residue on the compound and named it 13b. This one “fit nicely”, says Hilgenfeld, and in ten more days his team had solved the structure of Mpro bound to the inhibitor4.

McLellan’s group in Texas was solving the spike protein structure at similar speed. As soon as the group had finished gathering high-resolution electron-microscopy data of the stabilized spike, thanks to a multimillion-dollar cryo-EM facility at the university, McLellan sent the data to Graham at the Vaccine Research Center.

Vaccines are often based on presenting parts of a virus to the human immune system to provoke a response, and the spike protein is an obvious candidate because it has a crucial role in infection.

The spike is formed of three identical molecules stuck together in the shape of a pyramid, with a hinge-like trapdoor. This opens to expose a portion that grabs onto a receptor on a human cell (see ‘The spike locks on’). Graham and McLellan’s past work on a similar protein5 suggested that presenting the spike protein in its pre-grab state would provoke the human immune system. From the complete structure, Graham could see that McLellan’s gene construct made a high-quality protein arranged in the right conformation. “It was really, really important to have that electron-microscopy information,” says Graham.

Graham tested the spike protein in mice, working to improve its expression levels and the strength of its effect on the immune system, and sent the sequence to Moderna, where the production line was ready and waiting. On 7 February, Moderna completed its first batch of the vaccine based on that protein.

Meanwhile, on 10 February, just 12 days after harvesting the protein, McLellan and his group submitted its cryo-EM structure6 to the PDB. By studying the spike in detail, they found that it binds to its human cell receptor, a protein called ACE2, at least ten times more tightly than SARS-CoV does.

At the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Li’s team was on its way to working out why. On 11 February, Li and his colleagues began collecting X-ray data from the spike protein using the Advanced Photon Source (APS), the synchrotron facility at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, Illinois. By 13 February, the researchers had defined the small, important spot where the spike protein locks on to the ACE2 receptor7. They found that the new coronavirus spike protein has small molecular differences in its binding region compared with that of SARS-CoV, which might be why the new virus attaches to ACE2 more strongly. These changes could also explain why it seems to infect cells better and spreads faster than the SARS virus. That same week, the virus also got a name: SARS-CoV-2.

18 February: 73,332 confirmed cases

By mid-February, protein structures were pouring out (see ‘Breaking the cycle’). On 18 February, Hilgenfeld, Zhang and their colleagues submitted a paper4 on the Mpro structure alone and bound to 13b, and posted the preprint on the bioRxiv server on 20 February. “It was pretty fast,” Hilgenfeld admits. “The longest time period was just getting it published.” That same day, the Diamond team released the high-resolution crystal structure of unbound Mproon its website.

To support US teams, the APS and other national synchrotrons coordinated their schedules to ensure there would be no interruption in beamtime if one facility had to close for maintenance or because of a local outbreak. “Our goal is just to keep the research going,” says Stephen Streiffer, director of the APS. “The rate at which people are working at this is an order of magnitude faster than they’ve been able to work on other problems.”

So far, the CSGID consortium has solved 12 unique SARS-CoV-2 protein structures, which are kept in a new online database with their accompanying genomic information. “We’ve been part of projects like this on cancer, but it took five years to set that all up,” says Adam Godzik, a bioinformatician at the University of California, Riverside, and a CSGID investigator. “This happened spontaneously in the course of months.”

16 March: 167,515 confirmed cases

With 3D structures in hand, structural-biology teams moved straight to next steps. “Structures aren’t everything,” says Mesecar. “You want to get to compounds — to antivirals and vaccines.”

On 16 March, just 65 days after the viral genome was released, clinicians gave the first dose of Moderna’s vaccine candidate to a patient in a clinical trial funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

“It was a lot faster than even the fastest one we’d previously done,” says Graham. Because of research on SARS and MERS, coronaviruses were probably the only viral family for which that was possible, he adds. “If it was a bunyavirus or an arenavirus, we would have been lost for two to three years.”

But even a vaccine developed at record-breaking speed is likely to be a slower solution than repurposing an approved drug, or at least finding one for which safety testing has begun. “That’s absolutely going to be the fastest way to help patients sick in the hospital today,” says Satchell.

That was exactly what Andrew Hopkins was planning. On 19 March, Hopkins, the chief executive of Exscientia, an artificial-intelligence drug-discovery company in Oxford, UK, took delivery of a large styrofoam cooler packed with dry ice. Inside was a library of 12,000 drug compounds known to be safe and ready for human use, sent from Scripps Research in California. The Exscientia team, working closely with Diamond, immediately began screening the collection against four of Diamond’s structures: Mpro, the spike protein, a second protease and the replication-machinery complex. Exscientia is currently preparing to test compounds that bind to the first two proteins for antiviral activity, says Hopkins.

Similarly, the ShanghaiTech team conducted virtual and high-throughput screening of a library of more than 10,000 approved drugs and compounds already in clinical trials, to see whether any would disable Mpro (see ‘Breaking the cycle’). They identified six promising candidates3. One of them, ebselen, is already in clinical trials for the treatment of bipolar disorder and hearing loss, and the group is preparing animal tests to study its activity in vivo, says Yang.

On 10 April, Rao, Yang and their collaborators published8 the structure of the virus’s replication complex — a large protein called RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, or nsp12) that forms a complex with two others, nsp7 and nsp8. They also modelled how it binds to the antiviral drug remdesivir, originally developed to treat Ebola and now in phase III trials for coronavirus. Another recently completed structure of the protein in complex with the drug9 could provide a template to help model and modify other existing antivirals.

22 April: 2,471,136 confirmed cases

The hard-core biochemistry of designing brand-new, custom drugs to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 proteins will take months, even years, but could eventually lead to the best-performing drugs against the infection.

The ShanghaiTech team and collaborators have designed and synthesized a series of compounds targeting the active site of Mpro. On 22 April, after much chemical tweaking, they published details of one that inhibits viral replication in cells and was not toxic when tested in rats and dogs10. The team will continue developing that compound as a drug candidate, says Yang.

The Diamond team has identified 91 chemical fragments — bits of molecules that are less than one-third the size of a normal drug — that bind to Mpro. Those fragments inspired the launch of a non-profit crowdsourced initiative, the COVID Moonshot, to engage chemists around the world to use the fragments to design antiviral drug candidates. The initiative has received more than 4,600 design submissions, and several therapeutic possibilities are already emerging.

In Germany, researcher Katharina Rox at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig tested Hilgenfeld’s 13b compound in mice, showing that it was safe and accumulated well in the lungs4, a key infection site. Meanwhile, a compound that Mesecar developed to inhibit SARS-CoV, compound 77, has been shown in unpublished work to have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cells, and he hopes to complete animal studies by the end of the summer.

14 May: 4,248,389 confirmed cases

Structural biologists continue to plug away at the remaining unsolved proteins in the coronavirus genome. These include ORF8, a protein whose function remains mysterious. “We predict it should be crystallizable, but nobody has done it, so we’re trying,” says Godzik.

In the United Kingdom, the Diamond team is screening various compounds against a second coronavirus protease. In Texas, McLellan has shipped spike constructs to more than 100 labs worldwide. Many are looking for treatments, using the protein to fish antibodies out of the blood of people who have had COVID-19, and McLellan’s team is now characterizing the first of these potentially therapeutic antibodies.

Hilgenfeld, who was officially scheduled to retire on 1 April as a result of a mandatory retirement policy, has packed up his office but continues to work. “I’ve been working on coronaviruses for 20 years, and most of the time it was neglected and not taken seriously,” he says. “Now that it’s happened, how can I leave?” His team is investigating other SARS-CoV-2 structures, including nsp3, a large protein that the virus uses to shut down host-cell defences.

The race against the virus can’t afford to slow down anytime soon. As soon as countries start lifting restrictions on people’s movement, the virus will return and “flip around the world again”, says Satchell. “When that happens, it would be really great to have beautiful drugs that were designed specifically to target this coronavirus,” she says. “But we need to do it fast.”

Nature 581, 252-255 (2020) doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-01444-z

References

Kirchdoerfer, R. N. et al. Nature 531, 118–121 (2016).

Pallesen, J. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 114, E7348–E7357 (2017).

Jin, Z. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2223-y (2020).

Zhang, L. et al. Science 368, 409–412 (2020).

McLellan, J. S. et al. Science 342, 592–598 (2013).

Wrapp, D. et al. Science 367, 1260–1263 (2020).

Shang, J. et al. Nature 581, 221–224 (2020).

Gao, Y. et al. Science 368, 779–782 (2020).

Yin, W. et al. Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc1560 (2020).

Dai, W. et al. Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb4489 (2020).

#science #medicine #academia #sars-cov-2

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anangelicday-mrwolf · 3 years

Text

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 60 – Help out of Nowhere

“Sir Rael?!”

“What are you doing here?!”

Contrary to the daze in their huge eyes, Tao’s and M-21’s voices spoke of glee, although they were too occupied at the moment to show any welcoming gesture.

As much as Rael was braced for what he was beholding, things only took the worse turn throughout his race towards KSA, which is why the distortion in his face intensified as he neared his destination.

Now that he finally entered the heart of the calamity, he was appalled to find the perfect example of chaos.

There was cataclysm in every corner his eyes could meet; Tao, M-21, and Takio, now somewhat used to the discord, eyed what Rael was holding at either side of his arms, which made their eyes expand for the second time.

“M-mr. Jang?!”

“What happened? What’s with that look?”

“And who’s this...? His attire tells me he’s one of yours.”

“...Long story. Let’s save it for later. First of all, I need you to do something about this one. He’s burnt badly.”

Tao said no more, as he was already aware of how Yuhyung was grunting non-stop, and he swiftly led Rael to the KSA lab.

“I did what I can at the moment, but he’s gonna need full check-up and heavy treatment, since it’s obvious the fire that burned him is no ordinary sort. I’ve never seen such serious burn ever since my departure from the Union.”

Tao muttered, after cloaking Yuhyung from head to toes with a spray specially made for burns.

Just as he pointed out, Yuhyung, even though he was grunting less, still looked like he was in pain, enough to make the bystanders worry that he might kick the bucket as soon as they take their eyes off him.

Unfortunately, they were not given more time to care about the human.

“Krr...”

“Kraah!”

They have been binding the modified agents, employees, and civilians and holding them captives, using the lab as a temporary concentration camp.

However, they were beginning to wonder if the gas in the missile was embedded with zombie virus, for the modified humans did not cease to shove themselves into their eyes.

Shifting away from Rael (whose eyes for some reason were fixed on Yuhyung), Tao, Takio, and M-21 had to dedicate themselves in stopping the group of people that crawled their ways into the lab.

“By now these people would have spread throughout Seoul. I’m sure this isn’t the only place going through this catastrophe at the moment.”

“But we dare not leave this place. Which is nuts.”

“This will never end if we stick to this measure. We need a solution – a more fundamental solution.”

“Isn’t there any antidote for this phenomenon? If Union came up with a rapid body transformation, I’m sure they had devised something that undoes it at an accelerated rate.”

There’s no way Union would have completed a technology without any safety gear, objected M-21’s face.

Yet they knew that what M-21 was asking for was more than hope – it was a miracle that he was demanding.

“Even if there is such technology, it’d take time for us to apply it for actual use, at none other than a time like this!”

Tao flung himself towards the two of the captured humans, who were squirming away from their original spots.

M-21 did have a point, however – the founding cause of this disaster is the rapid body transformation that took over people.

The most effective solution, therefore, would be to counterwork their body modification.

And of course, they had no idea where and how to obtain the technology needed.

Nevertheless, there is a reason why hope is meant to shine at the darkest moment; a solution was given to them so very absurdly and suddenly.

“Tao! Take a look at this!”

The man’s head rotated right away; it was only on a rare occasion that Rael would address him with his name.

The noble who was away from the skirmish so far unbenched himself with something: a notebook in one hand and a palm-sized kit in the other.

“What’s this? Where did you...”

Perplexed, Tao directed his gaze towards where Rael just sprang from, and understanding smeared across his face.

He concentrated on the notebook, to soon enough lift his shuddering eyes from the papers.

Compared to his eyes that were ridiculously far from calm, his lips were curved in an unmistakable sign of hope.

“I-is this true?!”

“Beats me. But it’s worth a shot, don’t you think?”

“What? Tao, what is it?”

Asked Takio, who was immersed in a battle with empty hands for once.

“Guys, I need you to buy me some time! Perhaps we’d be able to settle this once and for all, in one go!”

Immediately, the three pairs of eyes flashed from three gorgeous faces.

As Takio, Rael, and M-21 were chasing and arresting the modified humans, not at all dwindling in number and thus giving them impression that there was duplication instead of infection behind all this, Tao frantically whipped his way all over the lab for essential kits and parts.

He snatched away Yuhyung’s bag, luckily in one piece despite the fire, stationed right next to the table serving as Yuhyung’s bed, to go ahead and put his fingers to violent labor as he fidgeted with Yuhyung’s machine, with desperation that was by no means behind the one he harbored during Crombel’s nuclear missile incident.

After who-knows-how-long, Tao raised his voice to let his party know that he was ready.

“Get over here! We’ll need to brief this!”

All men practically threw themselves upon Tao within a second, and the latter wasted no time in explication.

“This is called a GC chip. Simply put, it’s a biochip meant to carry DNA information. And the weapon charged with this chip will target only the creature from which the DNA information was taken.”

“Is this part of Union’s scientific arts? Where did this come from out of blue?”

“We’ll talk about this later. Right now we have to use this thing and...”

Tao’s face abruptly stiffened, his hand thumbing over the last pages of the notebook.

The change was so brisk that Takio, M-21, and Rael could not help plunging their faces into the notebook.

“What? What’s the problem?”

“If this thing targets only the creatures that provided the DNA information, are you saying we must collect from every single victim their DNA information?!”

“...No. I already made adjustments regarding that part, so we only need single DNA that will function as the master key. When a human body goes through body modification, regardless of the intensity of the modification, it will inevitably go through genetic transfiguration, to beget artificial genetic factors. I can pinpoint and sample those common genetic factors that follow all types of body modification. But the thing is...”

Tao had to struggle to move his lips, as six pupils with varying contours and hues bored holes into him.

“We need high-class modified human’s DNA as a sample. Let me give you a rundown of the missile I’m about to launch with the GC chip injected: it will basically work as a neutralizer. I have turned the catalyzing components inside the gas to work exactly the other way, so this gas will neutralize, delete, and, most importantly, permanently exterminate the artificial gene factors in the victims. But human cells never stop diving for good unless their hosts are dead. So by now the victims’ bodies would be teeming with the gene factors from modification. In order to neutralize them all at once, I need DNA information so strong that it will not fail to cover every single gene factor.”

“Is it similar to how you need painkiller at least equal and hopefully stronger than the pain you seek to erase?”

“That’s close enough, M-21. Modified humans that have gone through elaborate modification would boast elaborate, supreme genetic information. So even with just a little bit of their DNA, I’d be able to wash off modification in the victims.”

“Well, then what are you waiting for?”

Takio rolled up his sleeve as he stepped up and offered himself, but Tao waved his head and grabbed his teammate’s arm.

“Takio, you and I received Dark Spear’s power from boss, remember? If the Dark Spear’s power is included in our DNA sample and end up passing onto the victims...”

“...What we’re sweating our behinds off for would be nothing but a child’s play.”

Takio shivered and stepped back, and M-21 was the one to take over the volunteering.

“Then what about me? My body is clean of Frankenstein’s power.”

“I’m afraid you’re not an option, either. As of now your physical makeup is close to that of a werewolf than that of a human. For this GC chip, we need genetic information of a modified human. There’s no guarantee that your genetic information would be compatible for the result we want.”

“...I guess it’s impossible for me to make myself available for the job, if it is a must that you base this missile on a modified human.”

Rael added, to which Tao nodded with despair.

Nobody denied that their standing was preposterously frustrating; they had the remedy right in their noses, but they could not bring themselves to use it.

Just when they were about to plummet into the despair of no exit or safety net, a call as light and bright as a ray of sun awakened them and brought them back to reality.

“Allow me.”

Yuigi clicked her way towards the four men, who flipped their eyes at her as if flipping a pancake.

“DNA from an ex-bodyguard of a Union elder would be more than enough to cure those people, right?”

Yuigi and Takio’s initial plan was to head to KSA together, but upon witnessing how every street and road, for pedestrians or not, were apparently plastered with modified humans, they decided to split up.

And Yuigi was supposed to mediate and control the modified people, so it was not surprising that Takio jumped out of his skin upon spotting her.

“Miss Raciela?! What are you doing here...?! Without you, the civilians...!”

“Don’t worry. You think I would have come without taking that into consideration?”

Yuigi nonchalantly shrugged and showed something in her hand.

It was a communicator, not much different in size from the ones used by the RK, but the founding three members of RK flinched upon recognizing the design.

It was a model adored by the Union.

Sure enough, the men opened their mouths wide when a voice resonated from the communicator.

<What’s your plan regarding these people?>

They were so very inclined to bark at him that he is surely thick-skinned, asking them what to do with the victims of rapid body modification.

Nonetheless, they put their rage aside for the moment, and they shared their plan with the GC chip with the 3rd Elder, to which he responded oh-so-casually.

All the listeners beamed except Tao, who hurriedly tossed a warning.

“Wait – once this gas is detonated, it will surely take effect on you, too. The degree of your genetic completion is superior to that of Miss Yuigi, so your power won’t be completely gone. But there’s a chance that you will never get to exercise powers like before.”

Only silence existed beyond the communicator and at the lab, where variously colored hairs were nestled together.

The RK’s mouths were instantly shut, for they did not expect the 3rd Elder to bring up Raizel in order to convince them to let him sacrifice himself.

Notwithstanding, both their silence and their conclusion were quickly met with an end.

“...Very well. Give us some time. We must collect as many victims as possible in a single location so that I can launch the missile only to that place.”

The audience exchanged flabbergasted looks, for there was no denying that the 3rd Elder was truly willing to help them, but they lost no more time in carrying the modified humans they were safekeeping at KSA.

“Krgh...”

“Krrr...”

At the largest crossroads stood the 3rd Elder, pressing down modified people with his power.

Thanks to the aid from the KSA agents summoned in the middle of a night, the area was set as off-limits, because of which the agents and the 3rd Elder were the only people at the site.

“Now hurry up and get out of here. I’ll hold them.”

RK’s and Yuigi, after relaying the KSA agents not too far from them the evacuation message, turned around to look at the 3rd Elder just as they were about to leave.

“I’m fine. Just go ahead and do it. Consider it my atonement for unleashing such tragedy. Of course, I know that I am still far, far away from paying off for all of my sins.”

Realizing how his face was marred with determination and disconnection from something they could not name, they finally turned away, to give a signal for Tao, who was waiting to launch the missile sampled with Yuigi’s blood, and run towards KSA as if their lives were on the line.

Listening to Tao’s countdown until the missile’s arrival through his communicator, 3rd Elder smiled a bitter smile – a smile suggesting guilt, wholeness, and mysterious relief.

At last the count was downed to zero, and thick pearl-shaded gas flourished from the missile that speared the ground the 3rd Elder was keeping.

(next chapter)

This is what I saved Yuigi & introduced the GC chip for. XD I already planned a scene in which Yuigi steps in and saves the day during the brainstorming of this fic, and at last I got to post it. :D When Yuigi was first introduced in the original webtoon, I was excited about this suggestion that there is and will be something concerning Yuigi and Takio (because it meant Takio will be given more scenes and opportunities; I was kind of disappointed how he was shoved away from the spotlight since the end of the 2nd season of Noblesse). But in the end there was nothing that met my expectations, so I decided to give her a chance in my own fic. And there is a reason why the 3rd Elder had a change of heart, which I’ll talk about in the following chapters. Now that the trouble at Seoul is over, all that is left is Lunark’s battle, as well as the ending chapters of this fic. I shall do my best until this fic meets a grand finale. Thank you so much for staying until me now, and I hope you’d check out the final chapter of this fic as well. :)

#korean webcomic #korean webtoon #fanfic #noblesse #frankenstein #lunark #frankensteinxlunark #lunarkxfrankenstein #wolfsbane #Mr.Wolf #AnAngelicDay

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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thehollowprince said: And I also stand by the opinion that they could have just done a solo run of the O5 X-Men starting a new timeline with the information they got from the future.

thehollowprince said: Its not like Marvel doesn’t constantly do AUs and retcons

OMG Josh you have no idea how bad I wanted this. They could’ve done SO MUCH with that concept. Letting the 05 keep their foreknowledge and the world they could have created with that?

They could’ve averted the initial Krakoan mission and saved Darwin, Gabe, Petra and Sway in the first place. They could have all been X-Men from their Day One, Scott and Alex would have actually gotten to KNOW their brother and Gabe quite possibly would never have gone full Dark Side despite the writers apparently now seeming obsessed with the idea there’s just something innately bad within Gabe that’s always destined to bear fruit at some point, ugh, whatever, like who do you think you are, Kant?

They could’ve recruited the Giant Size X-Men lineup earlier, and saved John Proudstar, who side by side with his brother Jamie, are a force to be reckoned with.

They could have convinced Pietro and Wanda to join them instead of the Avengers and been like no but seriously that way lies nothing but shitty storylines and bad decisions that will be blamed on you by your teammates despite the fact that any and all of the bad decisions that were ACTUALLY yours could have been averted if any of your teammates were capable of functioning as an actual support system. Come join us. We have actual support systems, except for the times when we don’t, but we recruited Deadpool to break the fourth wall and he and Logan are currently cutting through the ranks of every writer who would write as hating and fighting each other instead of being a loving fucking family goddammit.

Jean could have faced the Phoenix head-on when the time for that came, using her knowledge of the future not to fear an inevitable death, but rather to know she had nothing TO fear, that the power to not control this force, but just be ONE with it, with no NEED to control it or be controlled by it, a symbiotic union, two beings in harmony deciding on courses of action together. The Phoenix’s innate powers and prerogative of rebirth and destruction tempered by Jean’s mercy, aimed and focused by Jean’s reason, the double-edged sword that is fire capable of warming homes or destroying them completely combined with Jean’s conscience guiding it to use its power for the former rather than the latter.

They could have stopped the Legacy Virus from getting out and killing millions as well as spared us from migraines induced by an AIDS metaphor so shitty at being a metaphor most people forget it was literally written to be an AIDS metaphor.

The body swap would never have happened and Kwannon could have joined the X-Men as a full member from the time she was introduced, rather than dragged along in the wake of Betsy’s tangled storylines for a couple decades.

They could have stopped Fitzroy from killing the Hellions. Hell, if they train Illyana early enough and have her mentored by Wanda who is perfectly fucking competent when left to her own devices, then like, maybe they can even take a jaunt to the future to save Fitzroy from dying in the first place and being resurrected with no soul. Not gonna lie, ever since then I’ve kinda been seriously interested in what the hell would a hero version of Trevor freaking Fitzroy even BE like, y’know? Call it morbid fascination, but like. I kinda want it, guys. LOL.

Add to that note, they could have taken another jaunt to the future and rescued Rachel from being made into a Hound by Ahab. Through the power of some convoluted plot tangle I just made up for convenience, Scott still ends up in a relationship with Maddy briefly, in one of those self-fulfilling prophecy type things where he went into it with the full intention of just averting the future and saving Maddy from her fate as the Goblyn Queen, but somehow ended up in a love triangle with a very alive Jean and Maddy who is fully informed of Sinister’s shenanigans and quite displeased with that asshole, and look, I don’t know how all of this goes exactly, but let’s cut to the chase, my only real endgame with this is making sure that Nate’s born properly, saved from Apocalypse and the techno-virus by the combined efforts of Scott, Maddy and Jean as well as Uncles Warren, Bobby and Hank, and Jean calls up the Phoenix through some psychic bond or whatever and is like hey girl, can I hit you up for a loan real quick? Got some losers that need toasting.

And in this AU the Phoenix totally has her back, and one brief cosmic power-up and gratuitous Sailor Moon transformation later, Jean glows and intones some epic one-liners with appropriate gravitas, and then just punts both Apocalypse and Sinister to the far side of the universe, never to be seen or heard from again. They like, hit a black hole on the way there I guess. It was very sad. Violin strings may commence with the requiem. Okay that’s enough, they can stop now.

So then through the plot contrivances of fuck you, I said so, Scott and Maddy ultimately part amicably and Scott and Jean get back together and the three of them civilly co-parent both baby Nate and Rachel, as Maddy keeps the healing powers she gained as Anodine and stays with the X-Men for her own reasons.

The telepaths are all better trained by the expertise Jean gained in her powers while in the future, so the next time the Shadow King comes bumming around looking to cause chaos, Betsy, Emma and Jean just look at each other and laugh and say nuh-uh before psychically squishing him into a marble.

Warren never becomes Archangel. Onslaught isn’t a thing. They make nice with Magneto and say okay you may have a couple points, let’s discuss. Bishop arrives in the past for reasons totally unrelated to his original story, has no traitor to seek out among the X-Men, and thus he and Gambit end up besties in complete defiance of that stupid fucking story and because I just think they’re neat together. Yes I said neat. Gambit and Bishop are just neat. Deal with it.

Bishop still hates that Fitzroy guy though, he’s like, I don’t even know what it is about that guy, he just rubs me the wrong way, even though Fitzroy is not evil here and has always done good with his powers, which are channeled through a device Forge made him that lets him just absorb life force from a wide range around him, spread out and diluted enough that its like, the grass feels weird for a second, like whoa what even was that, and then its over. Actually, y’know what, scratch that. Fitzroy’s powers are stupid and unnecessary the way they are now anyway, so fuck it, this Fitzroy doesn’t need life force or whatever, he’s just a dude who makes time portals. He’s like Illyana with green hair and that ugly goatee. Hey I said this Fitzroy was non-evil, not that he was perfect.

Bobby’s out and proud since he was sixteen, and with actual competence and proficiency with his powers, which make him a Literal Unkillable Gay Icon, he’s an inspiration to LGBTQ+ teens everywhere and inspires other gay, bi and trans heroes to come out. He’s a big brother figure to all the baby gays that later join the X-Men, like, Rictor comes to him for advice back during the time equivalent to early X-Factor, when Rictor’s a trying-too-hard sixteen year old who thought college age Bobby was like the coolest, which is valid, because X-Factor Bobby was like A+ Bobby characterization and deserves more reads.

So Rictor comes out earlier as well, and by the time they even meet Shatterstar, instead of a slow burn friends to roommates to lovers scenario, Rictor takes one look at the love of his life and wastes no time coming out swinging with an absolutely terrible pick up line. Look, I said his big brother figure Bobby was out and proud in this AU, not that he magically had a better sense of humor. Some things just don’t change, y’know? Luckily, Shatterstar is a weirdo, and thus he finds terrible pick-up lines charming. At least when its Rictor saying them. They walk off for a first date, already practically hand in hand, voices fading into the distance as Rictor asks “By the way, have you met Dazzler yet? According to Bobby, apparently she’s your mom. That Longshot dude with the mullet over there is your dad I guess. We should go say hi.”

Hank gets an assistant hand-picked by the rest of the original X-Men, and who has one job and one job only. To follow him around and observe all his experiments, and he has veto power over experiments that People With IQs As High As Yours Should Know Better But I Guess You’ve Got Reed Richards Syndrome.

Hank’s like, “Hmm, if I built a time machine I could go back to the Jurassic Period and observe whether my theory of - “

Hank’s assistant: “Veto.”

“Damn. Okay I was also thinking of making a deep space communicator that can reach into the farthest reaches of space beyond any known civilization and just say hi, y’know? See if anyone’s out there.”

“Veto.”

“If I combine these genetically modified antibodies here with this strain of of DNA from - “

“Veto.”

“Well Forge built this device that does this to mutant powers but I think I can make it do - “

“Veto.”

“These nanobots I - “

“VETO,”

“Honestly, at this point I think you’re just saying that just because you like saying it.”

“Dr. McCoy, I promise you, I’m really, really not.”

Logan finds out about his future clan of stabby children, and seeks them out. He rescues Daken from Romulus, somebody stabs that loser with the immortal-killing sword, I don’t even care who, and after a few tense months of Logan trying too hard, he and Daken eventually bond over how hockey just isn’t violent enough. If you’re going to make a sport all about hitting each other, just really go for it or don’t even bother, y’know? Logan claps him on the shoulder and sniffs. That’s my boy. Then they find and rescue Laura and Gabby and take a road trip to Earth 1610 to pick up Jimmy. They have a house on campus, and new students walking by it are used to hearing loud growling and even howls. They were assured during orientation that that’s nothing to worry about, it just means the House of Snikt are watching a game and are rooting for opposing sides.

Emma’s recruited practically the day they get back. She’s only just started at the Hellfire Club and has only done a tiny bit of Evil when Warren schedules an appointment with her, and then he, Scott and Jean make a better pitch than Shaw and his ilk could ever match. They’ve been to the future. Come join with us and we’ll give you an all access pass to memories detailing exactly what’s going to happen in these particular areas and many more. All you have to do is ask. Oh and also please don’t seduce any married teammates. Its bad form. To be honest, I don’t think it’ll be an issue because Deadpool assures us Morrison has been taken care of, and don’t worry if that makes no sense to you, its a head-scratcher for us to. Just roll with it.

Nate ages normally here so its not like he ends up besties with forty year old Wade, but the latter having his own plot-contrived knowledge of the future because He’s Just Like That, decides that he won’t be denied at least SOME kind of bond with The Bestie That Wasn’t. He becomes Nate’s official babysitter. Well, not official, seeing as how Scott, Jean and Maddy don’t hire him and are very clear that their son is not to be left alone with this man at any time, he is a terrible influence and he keeps giving our kid guns. But then Wade just shows up anytime they’re out because he just has a sixth sense for Making Trouble, and he terrifies away whatever babysitter’s there and greets the returning and exasperated parents with a cheery wave.

“I know what you’re going to say, but don’t worry, we didn’t do anything dangerous or against the law. All we did today was I taught him to make bombs, but we were very careful, we wore safety goggles and really, they were very little bombs. Not even anything atomic. I honestly don’t think any of them could have even blown up this whole house, and I’ve been meaning to say, I’m not impressed with the structural integrity of this place. Couldn’t you have picked something with a sturdier foundation? Its like you don’t even expect random space mercenaries to attack your place out of the blue every other month. Have any of you even read a single issue of your own comics?”

Scott’s jaw twitches Ominously. Wade starts gathering up his things. Jean rubs her forehead wearily.

“Wade, what do you even think ‘dangerous’ means?”

Wade pauses and cocks his head. Gives it a solid twenty seconds of thought. Then he shrugs.

“I don’t know actually. Don’t think I’ve ever really thought about it. I always figured it was just one of those things people just say. Like, ‘oh, it looks like rain today,’ even if they’re not a forecaster and have no real meteorological credentials to speak of. ‘Oh, this mission will be dangerous,’ and I don’t even have to use up all my ammo and I only get shot twice. Y’know?”

“Leave,” Scott says. More like intones. House shakes a little bit but that might just be Wade’s imagination. Its very active.

“Leaving!” He says hastily. He jumps through the closed window and then teleports away amid the falling shower of broken glass. Why didn’t he do that while he was still inside the room? No one knows. Not even Wade knows. Why did the chicken cross the road? Who the fuck cares, now is it Original Recipe or Crispy?

Scott, Jean and Maddy search the house while Nate angelically claims they won’t find anything, Wade doesn’t even bring him cool stuff anymore cuz he knows you’ll just take it.

Maddy finds a high-tech laser space gun under a floorboard in the closet. She holds it up with one eyebrow raised pointedly. Scott and Jean flank her and their own eyebrows raise in solidarity. Well Jean’s does. Scott’s probably does but its hard to tell sometimes. Depends on what glasses or visor he’s wearing.

“That was already there,” Nate tries. Most powerful telepath and telekinetic in the world, but the kid can’t lie for shit. There’s not much point in trying when one of your moms is the freaking Phoenix, and that’s a skill that takes practice he just doesn’t have.

The three sets of parental eyebrows make a V, judgingly.

“One month of no video games or TV?” Okay, so terrible liar but quick on his feet. At least he knows when he’s beat and jumps straight to trying to shape his own punishment proactively.

“Two months. And no flying lessons either,” Jean says. “And don’t pout at me, young man. You know the rules. No weapons inside the house unless your grandpa Corsair is visitng and we’re too tired to fight him on keeping knives under his pillow. This is a Do As We Say, Not As We Do house. Deal with it. Now, this is going with the others and you can have it back when you’re eighteen.”

It would have been three months, but Jean and Maddy caught a telepathic sniff from Scott. He’s just so proud of his kid thinking so tactically. He’s growing up so fast. Both women mentally roll their eyes. Why is he like this.

“I don’t see what the big deal is anyway,” Nate sulks. “Its just a stupid laser gun. I mean, Uncle Gabe blew up our last house with his brain.”

“Yes and it was an accident and he feels absolutely terrible about that which is why we’re not going to bring it up when he and Armando come visit this weekend, right?”

“You can have my full compliance for two weeks off my sentence.”

“Or we can have your full compliance or two weeks will be added to your sentence,” Maddy says.

“You guys suck,” declares the ten year old vessel of near unlimited psychic might. He goes to his room, stomping all the way up the stairs so his grievances can be heard even by the House of Snikt next door. Course, they’ve already been listening to the whole thing with their enhanced hearing. There was nothing good on TV. Jimmy made popcorn and chewed with his mouth open just to piss off Daken.

‘The second Father leaves the room, I am going to stab you in such a slow healing place you’ll still be bleeding at bed time.’ Daken mouths at his little brother from another universe. Jimmy scrunches his face in confusion.

‘What?’ He mouths back. He’s terrible at reading lips. Or anything that isn’t skateboarding, really. And yet Father’s so happy that ‘at least one of my kids is content with stupid normal stuff and doesn’t go around drawing cover fire just because a mission is going so well its boring and they haven’t even gotten to pop their claws out yet.’

“That’s only because you’ve coddled him. He’s barely ever even been shot at. Just the one time on vacation in Majipoor and he wasn’t even the target, the assassin was aiming for me. If you would just let me take him on a proper outing to gain some real experience - “

“Not gonna happen.” Logan shuts that down real quick.

“Really Father, just look at him. He has zero situational awareness. I’ve been glaring a hole in the back of his head for a full minute now and he has no idea. That could just as easily be an actual laser scope, you know. He’s a disgrace to the whole family.”

“Daken, we’ve been over this,” Logan says firmly. “You have your sisters to bond with over gratuitous violence. Leave your brother alone. I don’t want anyone traumatizing him until trauma finds him all on its own. It’ll happen sooner or later, he’s as much a part of this family as anyone and that means its as good as done already, so there’s no need to hurry it along. If later on he decides he’s got a taste for it, you can take him on all the outings to get shot at that you want. But he’s gotta figure it out for himself first, and he doesn’t need his big brother being the one who introduces him to all that. He idolizes you, you know.”

Daken scoffs. He can’t even get the brat to chew with his mouth closed.

“He cut his hair from that style he liked so much, just because you hated it so much,” Logan says obliviously. Daken nods like he’s conceding the argument and hastens from the room while he can still keep his mouth shut. It won’t benefit anyone at this point to tell their father that Jimmy really only cut his hair because Daken told him he would set it on fire if he didn’t.

Ugh, families are the worst. Don’t even get him started on Laura stealing some of his clothes to wear without asking. And then has the gall to yell back at him when he yells “Silk! Its the finest cut of silk! Does that mean nothing to you?” at her.

“Oh get over it. Its not like I asked for killer robots to interrupt my date.”

“Of course they were going to interrupt your date with that Julian boy. I keep telling you, he’s a magnet for trouble. I can tell. I’m one too, remember?”

“Fine, whatever, you’re right and I should just expect every date with Julian from now until the end of time to end with fire and disaster.”

“Well now you’re being melodramatic. There’s no way that boy makes it past twenty five. He doesn’t even have a healing factor.”

“Why do you hate him so much anyway? If you’d just give him a chance - “

“What are you talking about? I give him a chance every single time he’s here and I don’t kill him.”

“Ugh, I can’t even talk to you when you’re like this. You always do this, you just decide on something and then you commit to that like the fate of the world depends on you standing firm on what’s usually a completely arbitrary decision in the first place!”

Daken sniffs. “I can assure you, there’s absolutely nothing arbitrary about my disdain for the Keller boy.”

“His name is Julian,” Laura enunciates with a glare.

“I don’t care,” Daken enunciates with an expression of lofty superiority.

“You two are so dumb,” Gabby says from the end of the hallway. They both turn identical glares on her. They’d noticed her arrive several minutes ago but they weren’t about to be distracted from their battle of wills. “Laura, you know Daken isn’t actually going to kill Julian. He doesn’t do that anymore except for really bad people sometimes and he just talks about stabbing people or killing them cuz he thinks he’s funny and then he gets all pissy because nobody ever gets that he doesn’t really mean it. He doesn’t even hate Julian and he used to be fine with him before he started dating you, its just he doesn’t think he’s good enough for you.”

Daken frowns at the petite would-be peacemaker. Meddlesome toddler. “What are you even babbling about? None of that is remotely true.”

Gabby rolls her eyes up at her brother from her much lower height. She taps the side of her nose with emphasis. “You do know we all have the same abilities to smell and analyze scents as you do, right? And you know everything you can tell from peoples’ scent, right? Of course I’m right, I can smell it as clear as anything and so can Jimmy and Dad and we actually all know this and talk about it all the time, and its why Dad never actually gets mad at you for talking about killing people because he can smell you’re saying it just cuz you’re used to saying it but really you’re too marshmallowy on the inside now to do half the stuff you claim you’re gonna do. Hate to break it to you bro, but you’re a closet softie and you’ve been made. The nose doesn’t lie. Only reason Laura doesn’t know it is because you piss her off like its your favorite hobby and its probably impossible for her to smell anything beyond her own scent of Royally Pissed Off.”

Ugh. Meddlesome insightful toddler. Who asked for her intervention anyway? Daken crosses his arms in a way that’s decidedly aloof and not at all sulking.

Laura’s staring at their sister assessingly. “That’s really what you think is going on? And Jimmy and Dad think so too? You’re not just saying all that?”

Gabby bats her eyes up at them. “Would I lie to you?”

“Yes,” Laura says without missing a beat.

“Without a shadow of a doubt,” Daken says dryly, right on her heels.

“For the sake of a candy bar,” Laura adds, because that really did happen.

“Or just boredom, because god forbid you pick up another hobby that isn’t just Chaos.”

“This from the guy who only has fun when there’s blood and bullets flying about,” Gabby fires back from a position of petite petulance.

Daken smirks down at her. “Didn’t you just say I don’t really mean it when I say all of that?”

Gabby narrows her eyes. “Touché. My own words thrown back at me. I am undone.”

“Yes, well - “

Daken’s cut off as Jimmy chooses that moment to walk past them down the hallway to the bathroom. He’s laughing and shaking his head.

“You guys are both so dumb. She plays you like this all the time, and you never see it.”

“Silence, mortal!” Gabby thunders at their brother menacingly. The effect is somewhat diminished by the fact that she can’t hit a baritone note to save her life.

“No, I’m interested in hearing what he has to say,” Daken says coolly. “For once. This is a moment without precedent and one unlikely to occur again, so let’s explore it a bit.”

Jimmy sighs and shakes his head without ever losing that amused smirk. “Had to tack on that last part, didn’t you. Just couldn’t help yourself.”

“I am a faithful student of the Truth,” Daken says, matching his brother smirk for smirk.

“The point, Jimmy?” Laura prods aggressively before that can erupt into a wholly separate thing she wants no part of.

“Oh, right.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “Its kinda her thing with you two when you get like this. You pick a fight with Laura, Laura gets pissed off and succumbs to the family curse of Tunnel Vision at the Worst Possible Time, and you both go back and forth endlessly and like you have all the time in the world for your stupid tete a tete, because on account of you both being practically unkillable and immortal, you kinda do and you know it. And then whenever she gets bored of listening to you two, Gabby swoops in and draws both of your attention until you’re both so focused on being annoyed with her you don’t even realize you’re actually side by side agreeing with each other, and she keeps it up just long enough til she’s sure she can just say she’s bored now and just leave the room, leaving you both annoyed and frustrated by a fight you can’t even claim to have won because she really just kinda...left, in the middle of it, and you’re so focused on that, you’ve totally forgotten to be pissed at each other. And by the time you do remember, like, the moment has passed and peace has been returned to the kingdom. Or at least as peaceful as this place ever gets.”

Daken stares at his mistake of a brother in the hopes that if he stalled long enough, his senses would arrive at a different conclusion. But nope. Scents don’t lie, unlike baby sis, apparently. He’s telling the truth. And Daken really does not....care for that conclusion.

Gabby stamps her foot and glares up at their brother.

“You are such a tattletale. I am providing a service, by keeping this family free of these two constantly at each others throats, and how is that service repaid? With betrayal! I hate you, you’re dead to me. Never speak to me again or at least not until I’ve stopped being mad at you, but that could be like ten years or something, I don’t even know right now.”

She draws up to her full height and squares her shoulders as she thunders this Mighty Mouse style at the still laughing Jimmy. Then, seeing she’d yet to make a dent in his armor of amusement and he was failing to take her pronouncement seriously, she punctuated her declaration by spitting on their brother’s shoe. Daken’s eyebrows shoot up again, this time in amusement of his own. Gabby then spins around on her heel and stalks off down the hallway, muttering more dire threats under her breath as she goes, the sound of them nonetheless carrying clearly to three siblings with enhanced hearing of their own. And apparently, little sis could be quite creative. Who knew she’d been hiding such talent?

Jimmy barely even notices; he’s still staring down at his shoe.

“Dude, you spit on me! That’s so not cool.”

“Some things need to be expressed so strongly, mere words will not suffice,” Daken says loftily, savoring a slightly renewed sense of superiority.

One quickly dashed, of course, because apparently he just can’t have anything.

“Bold words from the seventy year old who needed the sixteen year old to clue him in he’s being regularly manipulated by the twelve year old,” Jimmy fires back. As a return volley, its obnoxiously effective, and Daken’s still grinding his teeth and searching for an adequate rejoinder as Jimmy just grins even wider and then strolls off down the hallway as well. Whistling either an absolutely hideous song or else proof that he’s absolutely hideous at whistling. Tough call. With him it could be either.

Daken and Laura both stare after him in silence as he rounds the corner and disappears, leaving only the lingering scent of smugness in his wake. Daken hates the scent of smugness. It has a particularly....cloying feel to it. Well not his of course. But everyone else’s, especially little brothers? Acrid is the only word adequate for that.

“Sometimes I really do want to stab him. Just a little bit. And I’m not even lying,” Daken says. Laura just nods, her own nose scrunched up in distaste as well.

“Honestly? Me too.”

Brother and sister enjoy the rare moment of solidarity.

“You know what’s really bugging me?” Laura says suddenly, still staring off down the hallway. Daken turns an inquiring eye on her, prompting elucidation. She frowns.

“Where the hell did he learn a phrase like tete a tete? I mean. Its Jimmy.”

Daken does know what she means, and frowns as the nagging awareness of that leaps from his sister to himself like memetic chain lightning.

“And he used it correctly. That’s....unexpected.”

“Sometimes I wonder if maybe he’s not as completely airheaded as he pretends, and the fact that he’s got everyone so convinced of that actually means he’s running circles around the rest of us,” Laura says. She shrugs. “Of course, then I have to question everything and who has that kind of time and also the very idea of genius mastermind Jimmy disturbs me on a deeply visceral level. So then I just. Stop doing that.”

Daken nods and sighs. “Sometimes, that’s all you can do.”

“Okay, this is annoying. I kinda still want to fight, but now fighting with you feels kinda anticlimactic. Ugh, siblings are the worst,” Laura declares with a glower. “They ruin everything.”

“On that, we can agree. With allowances for temporary occasions of some of them being bearable,” Daken says. “Some.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve never said to me, big brother,” Laura says lightly. Daken swiftly scowls but she holds up a hand to forestall any rebuttal. “Sorry, don’t mean to ruin the moment. I’m thinking about how else we can put all that frustrated energy to good use. Wanna go pick a fight with the Summers’ kids?”

A slow smile spreads across Daken’s face. “Well now. Finally, a family outing I can get behind. I believe that’s precisely what we need right now. Care to lead the way?”

He still hates her boyfriend, of course, but he supposes he can let that be.

For now, at least.

16 notes · View notes

wtffundiefamilies · 4 years

Link

For those of you who missed this, this is the doctor whose genius Trump is praising. As always, bolding is mine for emphasis.

A Houston doctor who praises hydroxychloroquine and says that face masks aren’t necessary to stop transmission of the highly contagious coronavirus has become a star on the right-wing internet, garnering tens of millions of views on Facebook on Monday alone. Donald Trump Jr. declared the video of Stella Immanuel a “must watch,” while Donald Trump himself retweeted the video.

Before Trump and his supporters embrace Immanuel’s medical expertise, though, they should consider other medical claims Immanuel has made—including those about alien DNA and the physical effects of having sex with witches and demons in your dreams.

Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches.

She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious. And, despite appearing in Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress on Monday, she has said that the government is run in part not by humans but by “reptilians” and other aliens.

Immanuel gave her viral speech on the steps of the Supreme Court at the “White Coat Summit,” a gathering of a handful of doctors who call themselves America’s Frontline Doctors and dispute the medical consensus on the novel coronavirus. The event was organized by the right-wing group Tea Party Patriots, which is backed by wealthy Republican donors.

In her speech, Immanuel alleges that she has successfully treated hundreds of patients with hydroxychloroquine, a controversial treatment Trump has promoted and says he has taken himself. Studies have failed to find proof that the drug has any benefit in treating COVID-19, and the Food and Drug Administration in June revoked its emergency authorization to use it to treat the deadly virus, saying it hadn’t demonstrated any effect on patients’ mortality prospects.

“Nobody needs to get sick,” Immanuel said. “This virus has a cure.”

Immanuel said in her speech that the supposed potency of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment means that protective face masks aren’t necessary, claiming that she and her staff had avoided contracting COVID-19 despite wearing medical masks instead of the more secure N95 masks.

“Hello, you don’t need a mask. There is a cure,” Immanuel said.

Toward the end of Immanuel’s speech, the event’s organizer and other participants can be seen trying to get her away from the microphone. But footage of the speech captured by Breitbart was a hit online, becoming a top video on Facebook and amassing roughly 13 million views—significantly more than “Plandemic,” another coronavirus disinformation video that became a viral hit online in May, when it amassed roughly 8 million Facebook views.

“Hydroxychloroquine” trended on Twitter, as Immanuel’s video was embraced by the Trumps, conservative student group Turning Point USA, and pro-Trump personalities like Diamond & Silk. But both Facebook and Twitter eventually deleted videos of Immanuel’s speech from their sites, citing rules against COVID-19 disinformation. The deletions set off yet another round of complaints by conservatives of bias at the social-media platforms.

Immanuel responded in her own way, declaring that Jesus Christ would destroy Facebook’s servers if her videos weren’t restored to the platform.

“Hello Facebook put back my profile page and videos up or your computers with start crashing till you do,” she tweeted. “You are not bigger that God. I promise you. If my page is not back up face book will be down in Jesus name.”

Immanuel is a registered physician in Texas, according to a Texas Medical Board database, and operates a medical clinic out of a strip mall next to her church, Firepower Ministries.

Immanuel was born in Cameroon and received her medical degree in Nigeria. In a GoFundMe legal defense fund, which swelled from just $90 to $1,616 hours after her speech, Immanuel claims without offering any proof that members of a Houston networking group for women physicians are scheming to take her medical license away over her support for hydroxychloroquine.

It’s not clear whether anyone is actually trying to take Immanuel’s license. But many of her earlier medical claims are definitely ludicrous.

In sermons posted on YouTube and articles on her website, Immanuel claims that medical issues like endometriosis, cysts, infertility, and impotence are caused by sex with “spirit husbands” and “spirit wives”—a phenomenon Immanuel describes essentially as witches and demons having sex with people in a dreamworld.

“They are responsible for serious gynecological problems,” Immanuel said. “We call them all kinds of names—endometriosis, we call them molar pregnancies, we call them fibroids, we call them cysts, but most of them are evil deposits from the spirit husband,” Immanuel said of the medical issues in a 2013 sermon. “They are responsible for miscarriages, impotence—men that can’t get it up.”

In her sermon, Immanuel offers a sort of demonology of “nephilim,” the biblical characters she claims exist as demonic spirits and lust after dream sex with humans, causing all matter of real health problems and financial ruin. Immanuel claims real-life ailments such as fibroid tumors and cysts stem from the demonic sperm after demon dream sex, an activity she claims affects “many women.”

“They turn into a woman and then they sleep with the man and collect his sperm,” Immanuel said in her sermon. “Then they turn into the man and they sleep with a man and deposit the sperm and reproduce more of themselves.”

According to Immanuel, people can tell if they have taken a demonic spirit husband or spirit wife if they have a sex dream about someone they know or a celebrity, wake up aroused, stop getting along with their real-world spouse, lose money, or generally experience any hardship.

Alternately, they could just be having dream-sex with a human witch instead of a demon, she posits.

“There are those that are called astral sex,” Immanuel said in the sermon. “That means this person is not really a demon being or a nephilim. It’s just a human being that’s a witch, and they astral project and sleep with people.”

Immanuel’s bizarre medical ideas don’t stop with demon sex in dreams. In a 2015 sermon that laid out a supposed Illuminati plan hatched by “a witch” to destroy the world using abortion, gay marriage, and children’s toys, among other things, Immanuel claimed that DNA from space aliens is currently being used in medicine.

“They’re using all kinds of DNA, even alien DNA, to treat people,” Immanuel said.

Immanuel’s website offers a prayer to remove a generational curse originally received from an ancestor but transmitted, in Immanuel’s telling, through placenta. Immanuel claimed in another 2015 sermon posted that scientists had plans to install microchips in people, and develop a “vaccine” to make it impossible to become religious.

“They found the gene in somebody’s mind that makes you religious, so they can vaccinate against it,” Immanuel said.

Immanuel elaborated on her fascination with witchcraft in her 2015 Illuminati sermon, claiming that witches were intent on seizing control of children.

In her 2015 sermon on the Illuminati’s supposed agenda to bring down the United States, Immanuel argues that a wide variety of toys, books, and TV shows, from Pokémon—which she declares “Eastern demons”—to Harry Potter and the Disney Channel shows Wizards of Waverly Place and That’s So Raven were all part of a scheme to introduce children to spirits and witches. Immanuel warned that the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana was a gateway to evil, because its character had an “alter ego.” She has claimed that schools teach children to meditate so they can “meet with demons.”

In the sermon, Immanuel preserved special vitriol for the Magic 8-Ball, a toy that can be shaken up to “reveal” any answer. Immanuel claims the otherwise innocuous Magic 8-Ball was in fact a scheme to get children used to witchcraft.

“The 8-Ball was a psychic,” she said.

Immanuel’s oddball claims about the world extend to politics. She didn’t bring up this allegation publicly in Washington, but she has claimed that the American government is run in part by non-human reptilians.

“There are people that are ruling this nation that are not even human,” Immanuel said in her 2015 Illuminati sermon, before launching into a conversation she had with a “reptilian spirit” she described as “half-human, half-ET.”

Immanuel has also used her pulpit to preach hatred of LGBT people. Shortly before the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, Immanuel warned her flock that gay marriage meant that “very soon people are going to be seeking to marry children” and accused gay Americans of practicing “homosexual terrorism.” In the same sermon, she praised a father’s decision to not love his transgender son after a gender transition.

“You know the crazy part?” Immanuel said. “The little girl demands he must love her anyway. Really? You will not get it from me, I’d be like ‘Little girl, when you come back to be a little girl again, but you talk—for now, I’m gone.’”

Unusually for a pediatrician, Immanuel has praised corporal punishment for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes corporal punishment, and claims that the “vast majority” of pediatricians do not recommend it.

“Children need to be whipped,” she declared in a 2015 sermon, before adding that she didn’t think children should be “abused.”

It’s also not clear that Immanuel has abided by her claims that face masks aren’t necessary. In her Washington speech, Immanuel claimed that she and her medical staff had avoided any COVID-19 infections while wearing only medical masks. But in two videos shot at her clinic, Immanuel appears to be wearing an N95 mask, which offers more protection.

Immanuel has also alleged that masks of all kinds are superfluous, because she says COVID-19 can be easily cured with hydroxychloroquine. But in a Facebook video advertising her clinic, Immanuel said anyone seeking treatment should wear a face mask before entering the clinic.

“Wear a mask, or a scarf, or anything to cover your face,” Immanuel said in the video.

Immanuel has seized on her newfound celebrity, tweeting a video demanding that CNN hosts and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief Anthony Fauci give her jars of their urine so she can test if they’re secretly taking hydroxychloroquine even as they caution against its use.

“I double dog dare y’all give me a urine sample,” Immanuel tweeted in her challenge.

Now Immanuel is angling for the key rite of passage for any budding MAGA-world personality: a visit to the Trump White House. Late Monday night, Immanuel tweeted that she was open to meeting the president.

“Mr President I’m in town and available,” she tweeted. “I will love to meet with you.”

#stella immanuel #donald trump jr #donald trump #science is fake news #'family values'#white coat summit #tea party #turning point usa #diamond & silk #faux news

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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 years

Text

Pluralistic: 27 Mar 2020 (Mar-a-Lago Virus, plutes cash in on stimulus, postal voting vs USPS collapse, "civility" and the Confederate playbook, Bojo has covid, reasonable covid food-safety advice, SF cocktail delivery, flu pandemic photos, free hi-rez covid stock art, Warren campaign frees its software)

Today's links

The US is now the epicenter of the pandemic: Trump has murdered millions.

Plutes cash in on stimulus: $170B for real-estate tycoons.

States prep for postal voting: But the GOP has all but murdered the USPS.

"Civility" and the Confederate playbook: The right's call for "civility" has a long, dishonorable history.

Boris Johnson has coronavirus: He greenlit national pox-parties, now he has it.

Reasonable covid food-safety advice: Sanitize your hands and your cart, practice social distancing, and…you're done.

San Francisco cocktail delivery: Courtesy of the DNA Lounge.

Flu pandemic photos: Mask-slackers beware!

Free hi-rez covid stock art: Make your pandemic more visually varied.

Warren campaign frees its software: Free, open and universal campaigning tools.

This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019

Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

The US is now the epicenter of the pandemic (permalink)

The US is now the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic, henceforth known as the Mar-a-Lago Virus. It has the highest number of infections of any country in the world.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

There have "only" been 1,000 US deaths so far. The "only" is there because there are so many more to come, when the vast number of incubating cases start manifesting symptoms and begin to die.

Trump wants the country to go back to work by Easter, because in his version of the Trolley Problem, the most important thing is saving the trolley.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/25/21193670/trump-easter-coronavirus-isolation-relax-rules-economy-social-distancing

We had so much warning. But the president said it wasn't anything to worry about.

Now, a lot of people are going to die.

Most of the dead will be old – from the demographic most likely to have voted for Trump (which isn't to imply that only Trump voters will die, or that they deserve to die – only that Trump chose to put his base at risk).

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/24/grandparents-optional-party/#turkey-shoot

Many will have contracted their infections by deliberately seeking out crowded public places as the pandemic started spreading, because Fox News told them that doing so was a way to own the libs.

Fox News viewers – who skew elderly, even by the standards of TV watchers – are also disproportionately at risk from coronavirus. Fox News is now a suicide cult.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/19/gb-whatsapp/#fox-cult

But so many people will die because of this. Old people. Young people. People with disabilities. People who just had very bad luck. Kids.

And that's before you get to all the people who have car wrecks or heart attacks or slip-and-falls and can't get treatment in overloaded hospitals.

When Hoover fucked up by giving in to plutes and crashed the economy, he got tent cities, or "Hoovervilles."

Trump's fuckup will end with mass graves. Trump Mausoleums? Mar-a-Plague-Pits?

We will get through this. But Trump will have murdered so many of us before it's over.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21196267/coronavirus-usa-cases-covid-19-pandemic-china-number-positive-trump

Plutes cash in on stimulus (permalink)

The stimulus package that the GOP Senate passed has the largest-ever giveaway for real-estate plutes in US tax history: $170 billion in tax-cuts over 10 years for couples with more than $500K in annual capital gains.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/business/coronavirus-real-estate-investors-stimulus.html

The President who will sign the bill into law is a real-estate investor who stands to make a fortune from it. His inner circle is packed with similarly situated rentiers.

It's the second-biggest giveaway in the stimulus package, and it will also give windfalls to wealthy oil and gas investors.

The House is expected to vote on it today.

(Image: Rich Brooks, CC BY, modified)

States prep for postal voting (permalink)

States are scrambling to prepare for a postal ballot-based election next November.

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/03/23/states-begin-prep-for-mail-in-voting-in-presidential-election

Postal ballots tend to benefit Democrats, whose voters are disproportionately unable to get off work to vote, and who are more likely to live in regions where GOP statehouses have closed polling places, adding long drives and long queues for in-person voting.

That's why Red States often have state laws that prohibit unrestricted postal voting, insisting that voters must provide a "good reason" for their desire to exercise their franchise to a bureaucrat who gets to decide whether or not they can participate in elections.

Of course, if Trump throws hundreds of thousands – or millions – of (disproportionately GOP-voting) seniors into the coronavirus volcano to appease the market-gods, the survivors may be gunshy about voting in person, even if they continue as fully paid-up Trump cultists.

There are serious challenges to reorienting towards a largely postal election, including mobilizing printing resources during a lockdown.

But even more challenging is the post office itself, which is on the verge of collapse.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/23/coronavirus-postal-service-june-145683

The USPS is a miracle of self-funding resilience, a universal, small-d democratic institution that serves the whole nation. But its existence is a thorn in the side of shareholders UPS and Fedex, who donate lavishly to Congressjerks who fuck with the post office.

Requiring the post office to fund pension liabilities for workers who aren't born yet is transparent fuckery. Combine that with a sharp decline in mail usage during the lockdown and the service is now on the brink.

That would be bad news, and not just for elections. The USPS is key to America's emergency preparedness, and has been since the Cold War, when it was projected to serve as a survivor-counting/corpse-hauling service after nuclear armageddon.

It's the only institution that could deliver covid meds to every household in America in a single day.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/25/national-emergency-library/#going-postal

"Civility" and the Confederate playbook (permalink)

You may have heard conservatives insist that the reason they stick up for eugenicists and other cryptofascists is that they're standing up for "civility" against the "social justice mobs."

This rhetoric isn't new: it's literally the same thing that slavery apologists said in the runup to, and aftermath of, the Civil War: "we're not in favor of slavery, we're just opposed to the shaming and social exclusion of slavery advocates.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/08/29/conservatives-say-weve-abandoned-reason-civility-old-south-said-that-too/

When we learn about the antebellum slavery debate, we hear about slavery's defenders – but the mainstream debate over slavery wasn't about its merits, it was about the incivility of abolitionists, and how that compromised the free speech of enslavers.

Slavery advocates were cast as a disfavored minority, shouted down by mobs who refused to hear them out. But discrimination against slavers was a funny kind of discrimination: half the millionaires in America were slavers in a single southern town.

Likewise, the right-wing figures who today claim that they are censored and cast out by the intolerant left are millionaires who fill arenas and appear regularly on Fox News, the most popular cable network in America.

They publish books with Big Five publishers and go on multicity tours. They're courted by "progressive" news outlets as paid on-air commentators to provide "balance." If that's discrimination, sign me up.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, professed love of Black people, and claimed he was animated by anger at the suppression of honest debate on racial politics, unable to share "my thoughts or sentiments" about slavery in polite society.

Slavers cast anti-slavery rhetoric as "orthodoxy" and cast themselves as realists who were willing to speak truth to power.

Does that sound familiar?

The abolition movement – including Lincoln – focused on these slavery apologists, understanding that they provided the cover for the continuation of slavery.

Lincoln insisted that Douglas go beyond lamenting the angry rhetoric of abolitionists and instead describe what he stood for – beyond his support of slavers' right to "choose how they wanted to live."

He demanded that Douglas go beyond his campaign speeches against "mob rule" and state plainly whether he wanted an America with or without slavery.

In her Washington Post op-ed, Eve Fairbanks suggests that we do the same for the "reasonable right" – pin them down. Sure, you don't like "cancel culture," but what do you stand for? What kind of world do you want?

(Image: Anthony Crider, CC BY)

Boris Johnson has coronavirus (permalink)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has coronavirus.

https://twitter.com/borisjohnson/status/1243496858095411200

Under Johnson's leadership, the UK pursued a month-long plan to turn the nation into a giant pox-party, hoping to attain quick "herd immunity."

He was following a promising strategy devised for less-lethal, less-contagious flus, which was manifestly unsuited to coronavirus, as experts argued at the time. As a result, infections now rage out of control in the UK.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/fnl0n6/im_a_critical_care_doctor_working_in_a_uk_high/#fla1iq6

During the planning of this "herd immunity" strategy, Johnson's chief advisor Dominic Cummings acknowledged that it would likely murder elderly people: "if that means some pensioners die, too bad."

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/24/grandparents-optional-party/#death-panels

After Johnson tested positive for coronavirus, Cummings was seen fleeing Number 10 Downing Street at a dead run.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dominic-cummings-seen-running-no-114514496.html

(Image: Think London, CC-BY, modified)

Reasonable covid food-safety advice (permalink)

There's a viral (ugh) video going around in which an MD in scrubs (at home!) shows you what you should do when you come back from the grocery store. It's frankly terrifying. It's also wrong.

As Don Schaffner, a food microbiologist, notes in his thread, not only is this advice wrong, it could make you very sick — either because you ate the soap that you washed your food in, or because you left your groceries on your stoop for 3 days.

https://twitter.com/bugcounter/status/1243319180851580929

There's no evidence that washing your food with soap will kill coronavirus, and even less evidence that you can get the virus from eating. There is, however, millennias' worth of evidence that you can die from food poisoning.

Schaffner's advice for groceries boils down to: wash your hands before and after grocery shopping. Wipe down the cart handle. Shop efficiently. Keep your distance from other shoppers.

You know, common sense.

(Image: Lyza, CC BY-SA, modified)

San Francisco cocktail delivery (permalink)

Hey, San Francisco! Craving a cocktail? The DNA Lounge will deliver a mason jar's worth (~3 servings) of Black Manhattan (w/Slow and Low honey & orange infused rye), Sazerac, brown sugar margarita (w/a little orange) or lavender lemonade gin cooler.

https://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/log/2020/03/26.html

The DNA is a San Francisco institution, one that runs on a shoestring and is continuing to pay its employees, even as other SF venues (snapped up by predatory corporate behemoths) shut down.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/22/preppers-are-larpers/#help-dna

They've also got a bunch of livestream events coming up, including a benefit for the Gay Gaming Professionals, a Death Guild set, and Hubba Hubba Revue's Burlesquerpiece Theatre.

Flu pandemic photos (permalink)

During the 1918 flu pandemic, California went on lockdown. The governor ordered statewide shutdowns, and "mask slackers" who refused to wear masks faced arrest.

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/flu/0030flu.0009.300/1

The California Sun has rounded up an amazing set of images of California life during the 1918 flu from libraries, museums, and other sources," in gorgeous hi-rez.

Free hi-rez covid stock art (permalink)

If this image seems familiar, that's because it's one of the only open-licensed images of the novel coronavirus, courtesy of the CDC. It's been used millions of times in just a few weeks.

https://tinyurl.com/u457y2d

An effects house called Covert has stepped in to fill the visual gap with a collection of gorgeous,crazy hi-rez covid renders: "No licensing, royalties or any credit is required for their use."

https://wearecovert.com/free-covid-19-animations-renders-images/

Warren campaign frees its software (permalink)

Elizabeth Warren's campaign has released seven of its sophisticated campaigning tools as free/open software.

https://medium.com/@teamwarren/open-source-tools-from-the-warren-for-president-tech-team-f1f27d2c7551

The Warren campaign had a large cohort of software developers and created a suite of outstanding tools, as well as making improvements to standard tools, including improvements to the texting tool Spoke that reduces the cost of using it by ~97%!

https://www.wired.com/story/elizabeth-warren-campaign-open-source-tech/

The projects are hosted on Github:

https://github.com/Elizabeth-Warren/

This isn't just an opportunity for campaigns, but also for small shops that provide integration and support to them. Obviously election campaigning is in a mess at the moment, but this is seismic.

This day in history (permalink)

#15yrsago Nepali media crackdown thwarted by bloggers https://web.archive.org/web/20050328204722/http://insn.org/

#10yrsago LibDem MPs won't fight for debate on Digital Economy Bill https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2010/lib-dems-tories-and-labour-pledge-to-ram-disconnection-through

#5yrsago Top homeland security Congressjerk only just heard about crypto, and he doesn't like it https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150327/07312030462/congressional-rep-john-carter-discovers-encryption-worries-it-may-one-day-be-used-computers-to-protect-your-data.shtml

#5yrsago NSA-proof passwords https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/

#5yrsago Welfare encourages entrepreneurship https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/welfare-makes-america-more-entrepreneurial/388598/

#5yrsago Here's the TSA's stupid, secret list of behavioral terrorism tells https://theintercept.com/2015/03/27/revealed-tsas-closely-held-behavior-checklist-spot-terrorists/

#5yrsago San Francisco Sheriff's Deputy ring accused of pit-fighting inmates https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/S-F-jail-inmates-forced-to-fight-Adachi-says-6161221.php

#1yrago Elizabeth Warren's latest campaign plank is a national Right-to-Repair law for farm equipment https://medium.com/@teamwarren/leveling-the-playing-field-for-americas-family-farmers-823d1994f067

#1yrago Mystery solved: why has a beach in France been blighted by washed-up parts for toy Garfield phones for more than 30 years? https://www.lemonde.fr/big-browser/article/2019/03/27/l-affaire-des-echouages-de-telephones-garfield-en-bretagne-enfin-resolue_5442290_4832693.html

#1yrago McDonald's will drop opposition to increases in the federal minimum wage https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/26/mcdonalds-lobbying-minimum-wage-1238284

#1yrago Front-line programmers default to insecure practices unless they are instructed to do otherwise https://net.cs.uni-bonn.de/fileadmin/user_upload/naiakshi/Naiakshina_Password_Study.pdf

#1yrago Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez schools Republicans on the true costs and beneficiaries of the Green New Deal https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1110700996282343424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Colophon (permalink)

Today's top sources: Naked Capitalism (https://nakedcapitalism.com/), Slate Star Codex (https://slatestarcodex.com/), Kottke (https://kottke.org), Advertising Pics (https://advertisingpics.tumblr.com/), Fipi Lele.

Currently writing: I'm getting geared up to start work my next novel, "The Lost Cause," a post-GND novel about truth and reconciliation.

Currently reading: Just started Lauren Beukes's forthcoming Afterland: it's Y the Last Man plus plus, and two chapters in, it's amazeballs. Last month, I finished Andrea Bernstein's "American Oligarchs"; it's a magnificent history of the Kushner and Trump families, showing how they cheated, stole and lied their way into power. I'm getting really into Anna Weiner's memoir about tech, "Uncanny Valley." I just loaded Matt Stoller's "Goliath" onto my underwater MP3 player and I'm listening to it as I swim laps.

Latest podcast: Data – the new oil, or potential for a toxic oil spill? https://craphound.com/podcast/2020/03/23/data-the-new-oil-or-potential-for-a-toxic-oil-spill/

Upcoming appearances:

Quarantine Book Club, April 1, 3PM Pacific https://www.eventbrite.com/e/quarantine-book-club-cory-doctorow-tickets-100931360416

Museums and the Web, April 2, 12PM-3PM Pacific https://mw20.museweb.net/

Upcoming books: "Poesy the Monster Slayer" (Jul 2020), a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Pre-order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=socialpost&utm_term=na-poesycorypreorder&utm_content=na-preorder-buynow&utm_campaign=9781626723627

(we're having a launch for it in Burbank on July 11 at Dark Delicacies and you can get me AND Poesy to sign it and Dark Del will ship it to the monster kids in your life in time for the release date).

"Attack Surface": The third Little Brother book, Oct 20, 2020. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250757531

"Little Brother/Homeland": A reissue omnibus edition with a new introduction by Edward Snowden: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250774583

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roseprincesskristina · 4 years

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Axl's First Exciting Mission

((Hey guys. Today, in going to create a new fan fic today that an idea has flown towards my face. It's about a teenage prototype named Axl, who's very thrilled about the new mission that awaits him, but doesn't really know yet due to the mysterious yet similar maverick hidden within the underground basement of Maverick Hunter HQ that X has warned him about. So again, this story contains yaoi and I understand that it made you uncomfortable. However, if you're a fan, then welcome aboard. Without further ado, please enjoy this fiction. 😊))

Abel City. One of the most clearest town state of all, home of the inhabitants of Earth filled with humans and reploids altogether with meek, sided along of peace. No matter the differences, negligence or other, everyone who is new to the city are freshly more than welcome to live alongside all individuals. Before the roaring stampede of Mavericks would attempt to ruin tranquility, commanded by the gruesome but merciless overlord formerly known as the commander of the Maverick Hunters created by Dr. Cain, Sigma. During the reconnaissance given by his creator to locate the dangerous red maverick, the unstoppable Wily Virus have taken control or finds its way within his core, reestablish the morality. Forcing him to surrender to its power succumbing everything belonging to him, erased right quickly. The growling aura shouts, unleashing the new and improved villain to all who have feared more than their own weaknesses. Gathered up several more irregulars to make an army, destroying the town, killing a few humans, painting the whole planet with his dreams bursting into reality of rearranging a new world for only the strong and powerful reploids to rule. However, it was interrupted by the dynamic duo, X and Zero, shutting down the false fantasy by defeating 8 bosses including the crazed menace. Time and time again. No matter how he would return with more of his invincible forms due to his manipulation of other reploids such Dr. Doppler, Repliforce, Gate, and the rest, the irregular busting crime stoppers will always put an end to his wretched schemes for a new life. After his defeat, tranquility has regain its colors once more, the meaningless conflict between robots and humanity have been silenced. All thanks to the hopeful hunters that every civilization will always look up to.

Not only if there were two that could battle against more threats other than the malicious maverick king, but another hero that arrives to the scene. One that possesses such a great ability like no other being. A compassionate soul so young, lacking maturity yet not the interest of helping those in need when it comes to danger. His name is Axl. Armor themed of the navy blue color striped of red lines, detailed with an X shaped scar across the face by an unknown accident, spiky upward hair and helmet design with a camera lens type inside the crystal. Left the group called Red Alert by his decision on his own to become a hunter due to the view of his friends and scythe wielding leader Red changing their desires of using the briefcase full of chips stolen from Sheeda and the boss for power. Chased by a large mechaniloid, met and teamed up with the crimson sword slasher by taking it down, mistakenly arrested, refused by the indigo pacifist of being or becoming a full pledged hunter, facing off his old colleagues and Red, dueling with the previous mastermind from the beginning and saved the earth again. Still refused, an emergency has been briefed by the blonde navigator, calling to the young gun shooter to race into action.

A new generation built by a blue print, enhanced with the special kind of item known as the Copy Chip. With it, it access the DNA of all reploids even to resist various types of pestilence from every corner. Sadly, the least have chosen to become corrupted as a maverick, including the flesh hating ex commander, at will. None of them have ever experienced such a miracle bestowed upon them. But it doesn't mean that they're immortal. The generation have the same mortality as a few reploids and human alike, making them quite special within their own way possible. Posing them, including the youngster, as hopes of the future as well as protectors. For the land will relax in meekfulness while the heroes do the rest.

Somewhere at Hunter Base, a secret government domain of skilled hunters, the autumn hair youngling rests around the table with legs crossed, seating into the chair slightly bored after the war has ended. Blowing a mist of a sigh. Sure there are no crimes of fire that would be happening right now, but nothing very exciting could ever seek for his attention. For he is lingering in his own boredom by daydreaming.

"Man... This is so boring... Couldn't there be anything fun around here for me do so I wouldn't die in my own sleep?" Groaned the teenage prototype, tilting the side of his head against the hand. Slowly collapsing into a tired state until the Class A expert would arrive at his direction, folding his arms.

"Listen, Axl. I know that you're furiously bored cause of no casualties or invading threats coming to screw up everyone's day, but you have to learn to be patient and let disaster come to us first when duty calls." He explained.

"I know... But it's just no fun sitting around the base to do ABSOLUTELY nothing. Sigh... This is lame..." He griped silently.

"We get it, kiddo. There isn't a speck of villainy around these parts, but It's not the end of the world that quickly, ya know."

"Well.... I guess you're right, Zero. Don't know why I was whining about since we took care of that maverick jerkface. I mean, the three of us, taking the toll on him."

"Heh. I know, and you even single handedly knocked out Sigma with your special copy ability to save our asses. "

"Darn right! Heh. He didn't know what hit him! Thanks to you guys, the legendary Maverick Hunters!"

"No, kid. Thank YOU. Without your help, we would've been dead right now. You're the real hero that the world needs."

"You think so?"

"I know so. But you still got a lot to learn when you're a hunter. Facing with tougher baddies, saving the innocents and all that."

"You got it, boss! Thanks again." Grinned Axl.

"Anytime."

Both of them stare into their peers for just a moment until the reploid teen would lean closer, accidentally deepens the long haired senior with a longing kiss. Laying his hands onto his cheek when he blush with surprised.

"Mmmph?!"

"Mmmm... Mmmmm..."

"Mmmmmph...!"

"Mmmm... Hmm?! Oh shoot! Sorry Zero!" He pulled himself away.

"Axl! What the hell are you doing?! We're not supposed to be doing something inappropriate in public!" He angrily flustered.

"Oops... He he... My bad... Didn't know what got over me."

"Ugh... Look, just try to control yourself, OK? Cause it's getting too weird. And by the way, X told me about an unknown maverick yesterday."

"Really? There's a new bad guy?"

"Mhmm. He was incredibly dangerous. Not to mention as a vampiric version."

"A vampire?"

"Yes. The creature of the night that drinks the blood of mortals to survive, like in the movies. But this baddie is different. He possess as an incubus of some sort. Flirting with woman both reploid and human at once. Or perhaps secretly someone else... Acted very sultry as his personality, but enhanced with an elemental use. Like ice for starters."

"Whoa... Is he really dangerous?"

"Precisely. He had both vampire and incubus personas. But a calming expression. Also with sneaky eyes."

"Wow.... "

Furthermore, he continuously explains more of the mysterious figure's tricks and powerful elements aiding his claws, warning the rookie about what he could do anyone with the unavoidable "secret weapon" that he tells X and crew. Unlike the young gun slinger, everyone is quite aware of this deadly strategy.

"Is that so?" He asked.

"Yes. It's something that no other reploid would escape from. Once being controlled, there's no chance of resisting against it before the..." Unable to say the rest of the sentence it out loud, he finish it by speaking into the kid's earport. Then made him jump of shock.I

"NO WAY! He seduces them?!"

"Not so loud. But yes. He performs a sexual lip locking with females of all kinds. Endlessly."

"Holy crap.... And I thought that a succubus would do the same thing to a guy."

"Yeah. Plus, he would even get a taste of their bodies if necessary..."

"Ewww..."

"But anyway, there's nothing to worry about it now. We've already sealed him underneath the containment basement built with preventable locks." He assured to the wild child, patting his shoulder. "So all is well."

"Heh. Guess so. I was getting a little frantic there. Say, what if he would do the same to me?" He said curiously. But on the inside, quite scared.

"Come on, Axl. There's no way that he would get to you. Or is there?* Smirked the golden headed saber wielder, teasing him.

"Uh oh...."

"Oh, I'm just yanking your chains. So long as you stay put, far away from that containment cell. I'm counting you to remain on your post. Understood?"

"Yes sir! I'll try my best!" He saluted.

"Good. I'll be in the meeting room. Do your best, Axl." Ordered Zero as he nodded.

"You got it!"

"One more thing... If anything happens when you're in danger, be sure to contact me or X by the earport."

"Roger that!"

"Oh. And one last thing..." He went up to the energetic teen boy, grabs him by the head to return the sinking kiss aggressively.

"Mmmph!!"

"Mmmmmmmmmwah. There. Now we're even."

"Ack! *Cough cough* Geez, Zero! Guess that'll teach me a lesson!"

"Just giving back the favor. Try to continue your duty, got that?" He chuckled teasingly, before leaving for a meeting.

"Yes sir...." Spat the young begginer.

With the examination talk aside, he walked off to attend a meeting with other hunters and navigators. But, then stopped for a pondering solution just for the lad in dark blue due to the kiss. Stood there into the middle of the hall, he felt the affected warmth melting away the coldness by touching his lips. Even though he haven't experienced nor practice empathy towards anyone but to his friends that he deeply trusts before.

"Huh... What is this weird tingling that I'm getting? Sure it was an accident, but... it feels so soft... And tense..." He imagined. "Hmm... Maybe the kiss wasn't such a bad accident after all. Actually, it's kinda hot too... Mmmm... Axl... He really is a good kid, even though his immaturity annoys the hell outta me a little." Smiling slowly from the straight stern written on his face, the idea has driven to his mind for a moment. Granting him the opportunity to pose as dangerous yet sexy winged maverick for his young friend to "fight off" with. He quickly walks into the room while no one is looking, morphing his original armor into an Absolute transformation to act as the unknown maverick.

"He he he... Perhaps I'll give the brave little hunter a special solo mission he'll never forget~ A chilling "battle", that is~" He plotted. Cycling his tongue around the pale lips, tasting the smooching marks led by the novice hunter from the former organization of assassins. For a surprise trick will never fail to get the jump on him.

Meanwhile, outside into the garden fields behind HQ during midnight, the emerald eyed gun blaster is relaxing his butt off from all the boring worriness dancing across his head all cheered up from the conversation he had with the die hard blonde, arms at the back of his head and boots crossed. Watching above the glittering stars of the night skies, so beautiful and sparkly to his pupils.

"Ahhh... What a beautiful nightfall... No wars, criminals or intruding crooks around at bay... Just some all out peace at last...." Sighed the dual wielding lad, succumbed by the wonders of the brighten dots as well as the graceful moon. The decent opposite of daytime for every or less generations to witness, secondly to lay back and watch. Everything that the red violet ex maverick have said about peace is very true, no worries, miscreants or anything too risky for that matter. It is a cesspool of non violent freedom to swim about all the time without ever getting out.

"I really miss Red... He's like the true father I never had, before going bonkers from those stupid case loaded with corny chips that changed him... Sigh.... But, his DNA will always be carried within my mimic enhancement... And in my memories too..." Tears have descended from his eyes, remembering of his foster father that caused him to grieve. However, as the new recruited hunter, he wiped them off by fist to get his spirit together.

"*Sniff...* What am I sobbing for...? Big boys don't cry. They would stay valiant and kick the crap outta fear! Heck, I'm a brave man now, in fact, I'm a Maverick Hunter! Yeah! Those creeps are gonna be very sorry if they first took a gander of me!" Cheering himself up with self encouragement, he would practice his kicks into the middle of the garden, fantasizing of him shooting multiple enemies who are robbing banks, abusing civilians and more. Hearing the applause washing all over him, women admire his fearlessness by delicate smooches. It will be his wonderful dream come true.

"Yeah.... That's right, ladies... Plenty of me to go around... He he he..." He imagines of himself surrounded by women giving him kisses by gently stroking his body all over. Until suddenly, a ringing has disturbed his daydreaming sequence. Must be an emergency or some sort. Or worse, he might have done anything disrespectful by switching the report papers. He then respond by the ear port.

"This is Axl."

"He he he he.... Hello there, Maverick Hunter Axl...." Then, a sudden deep voice has reached to him with a comely yet seductive vibe.

"Who is this?! Where's Zero?!" Replied Axl, demanding for a certain answer.

"There's no need to be angry, boy... I'm sure that he's perfectly safe with me... For now... He he he..." He replied.

"You bastard!"

"Mmm... Aren't we fueled with anger? I like that in a boy~ Truly that I would admire a woman, but never mind them... For I already found someone right in front of me~"

"Found who!?"

"You~"

What the young pistol user didn't really know, despite of a mysterious call, is that a dangerous "maverick" was quietly behind him the entire time. He have felt his chilling presence speaking to his ears until he jumped back from the "enemy".

"What the?! Who are you?!"

"He he he... Haven't your precious red friend ever warned you about me~?"

"So you're that scary looking maverick jerk that he told me about!"

"Precisely~ But enough of the meaningless introductions~ I've come here to have fun with you~" Approaching the incubus themed reploid, making his way to the youthful ward of the hunters.

"W...What are you doing?! Step off from me!" He quivered slightly, reversing himself from his opponent while trying to gulp his pride whole. "Y..You're suppose to seduce women, not men!"

"You're correct, my young plaything~ But...." He teleported for moment. Seeing as kind of a magic trick, the former member of Red Alert was infuriated by that. But, giving him a chance to draw out his trusty Axl Bullets just in case the malicious "intruder" reveals himself again.

"All right. This is it. Time to take out some maverick tr-" Then, something very impossible has happened to him. He was interrupted by the disappearing individual, now visible, by placing his clawed hand upon his innocent cheeks. Rubbing them for a quick second until the touch has intrigued his interests.

"Ohh yes~ Your flawless face is so passionate, along with your delicious figure~ So hot~" He examined, circling his palms very slowly.

"H...Huh...?!" He frozed.

"Not only do I desire for females, but in secret, I love males as well~ That's why I found you, little boy~ Now, how about a little privacy to shield ourselves from this world~?

"Are you insane?! Why would I wanna date a-" Stopped once more with a hungry kiss had made the adolescent reploid dropped his weapons. Defeated by something very consensual that he had never seen before.

"Mmmmph! Mmmph!"

"Mmmmmm~ Just try to relax~ And let go of your unwanted fury you've kept for so long~" Repelled the goth colored vampire, staring at his leaf colored eyes to hypnotize him.

"Mmmmm...." At last, he was fully compelled to the deadly spell that Zero mentioned earlier. He tried to fight it off, but it too late.

"Good boy~ Now, let's retreat into a secret place to have our little mission together~ Forever~"

"Yes, master..."

Teleporting both him, along with his mind controlled captive to a darker basement cell underneath the base to continue their "battle" in peace, they can finally have a much more privacy zone to make some love. Setting the youngling onto the bed gently while pinning him down softly, he began to sip his longing kiss once again into a seductive way.

"Mmm~ Mmmmm~ God, your lips are very tasty, but yet beautiful~ I love it when it shines brightly than a diamond~" He was fascinated by his pure and polished lips.

"Mmmm..." The future hunter would conduct the same while hugging around his master's neck, giving into the lip mashing. Connecting both of their armored bodies with approach to began the intensive grinding. Gripped tightly of their embrace to never release each other or to be separated. Finally alone together, into the dark underground area filled with nothing but lights which will be activated automatically by clapping. But it's probably best to have them off for a special night just for two.

Their anatomy would polish one another into a normal pace, meeting face to face. Or perhaps chest to chest. Jointed into a pleasurable condition as the demonic ice maverick tilted his head towards the thinly neck of the rambunctious prototype, running up and down of his snake like tongue to please him.

"U...Unh~..."

"He he he... You like that~? How about this~?" He downward his tongue a little further, all over his body, and mostly, his little private briefs.

"Unh... Unh....!" The flustered expression has appeared in his face.

"That's it, little man~ Let it all out~"

"Unh.... Unh... Unh.... Oh man.... It's so good... Unh..."

He continued to taste more of the youthful newbie, onto the legs, even the chest and mouth. Then returns for a thirsty tongue on tongue action to juice up the peacefully mood.

"Mmmph...." Moaned the pea shooting individual.

"Mmmmm~"

Their tongues were performing a tango during a kiss. Enjoying a perfectly evening at meek for a desirable dance. Dipping one of them after a dazzling twirl. Outside, the incubus would place his clawed hand upon the dual wielding lad's cute little buttocks for a casual spanking.

"Ahh....!"

"Well, you have been a very naughty boy, Axl~" He said playfully, gripping it very hungrily.

"Ahh...! Yes, I'm a very bad boy, master..." He moaned again, but with an enjoyable act.

"You know what happens to bad little boys~? They deserved a good spanking~"

He then gives him a very good slap to the ass, not too hard but lightly. Patting it like a beloved pet.

"Mmm... More master..." Begged Axl.

"That's more like it~ Yes, you may have another~" He rapidly punishes the tiny little rump. Just to give him more.

This was his first special mission he had with the shadowed themed hunter unlike any kind. Thrilling and exciting for a boat load of duels awaiting for his call when it comes to danger. He asked for something dangerous, now it arrives to him and was purposely delivered. Endlessly lingering by his ice user's grasp, but an a lustful way. Flushing away his tired boredom along with the annoyed whining down the toilet for good. For the new memories of his new friends have replaced the previous one from his mind, straighteningly stored to inherit it forever.

And finally, the true feud shall finally commenced.

"Now then~ Are you ready~?" Questioned the winged hunter.

"Ready when you are, master." He replied, lending his neck closely to him with his dipped head.

"Yeeeeeesssss~ I'm going to enjoy this more like I admire you~" He grinned, revealing his white diamond fangs for a scrumptious dinner. Axl was a little nervous, but not afraid to allow his mentor to seduce his sexy neck. Hissing very quietly with a purr, he gently bit it, inserting his fangs into the synthetic flesh.

"A...Ahhh...."

"Mmmmm~"

Like any other vampire whose patiently desperate for blood in order to survive, he is interest into necks. One of his favorite sexual parts of the body that will never cease to amaze him by the slightest. It really inspired his needs even more than talon his enemies with one strike. Plus, he even dreams in his slumber. And now, he finally had a chance to permanently suck on the thin yet strongly part of the new gen teenager.

"Mmmmmmmm~ So sexy~" He moaned comely, wiggling the tongue to clean off the blood from the marks on his disciple's neck.

"Ahhh..." He moaned yet again, puffing out a warm steam from his mouth. Enjoying his solo mission to the fullest than just lounging around at his post.

"Mmm~ Your blood is so hyper and sweet~ I really appreciate it so much, Axl~" Licked the unknown maverick, who later showed his true identity by removing his helmet. The rookie gunner gasped, knowing it was...

"Zero!?"

"Hey, kiddo~ Liking your new mission~?" Said the pale blonde upperclassmen. The plot twist has shocked the scarred youth.

"You're the unnamed maverick?!"

"That's right~ Just giving you a new lesson when this is all over~"

"No freaking way! I...I'm really sorry for kissing like that! It's not like me at all! I..." He was silenced by his friend's deep smooch as his forgiveness for the accident that occurred from the start.

"Heh. Don't worry about it, you cute little runt~ Accidents happen sometimes when you're new~ So there's no need to get all apologetic about it~"

"Well... You're right, Zero. Thanks for understanding." He cheered up.

"So~ Ready to continue our little private mission together, partner?"

"You know it, boss~"

And so, two hunters have resume their reconnaissance by kissing into the lips once more, making out in peace with the saber wielding senior's wings folded across them for a more comfortable terms.

"Oh Zero~"

"Axl~"

"Zero~...."

"Axl~....."

"Zero~...." He whispered.

"Axl~...." Same with the black crimson blond.

Tranquillity has comfort the town of Abel City during the return, free from the dreaded master and his army of mavericks pillaging amok by trying to scare humanity from the face of existence, all dealt with by the fearless Maverick Hunters. And not to mention Axl as well, the third hero that the world will look up to and will always count on. He may have lack immaturity unlike X and Zero, but has the potential will for caring about his trustworthy friends and saving everyone from certain devastation invading the earth. But for now, all is peace once again. And their thinks belong to the true hero for his bravery to protect mankind at all cost and his pure of heart. Thank you, Maverick Hunter Axl, for your limitless generosity and protection of all humans and reploids living in equality, as well as in harmony.

The End

#megaman #zero #axl #yaoi #absolute zero #fan fic #2020 #story

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vampirefreakism · 5 years

Text

The Scientist (Chapter 51)

Summary: In the events following Asgard’s destruction, Loki finds himself on Earth seeking refuge to await the inevitable. Much to his surprise, it comes from a source he would never have expected.

Warnings: science, mentions of sharp objects, some cutting, not bad, cool stuff

Word count: 5k

The AO3, Wattpad, and Spotify links are all available on the MasterList

Masterlist

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A/N: Hello, folks! New chapter! Yay! Alrighty, we are revisiting the lab again! More science and such things and the like. Gonna look back at the rose and the zebrafish from all those chapters ago. Remember the fish? The zebrafish Luna did some gene-splicing experiment on after the worm? I sure do. Yes, I know I haven't mentioned it in a while, but that's because there were more notable things to talk about first. We need a little mundanity now and then. Also, it's been about 5 chapters, so it's high time for more music!

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The remaining vacation days were as unexciting as the duo had hoped. They visited a couple museums, a restaurant for dinner and a café for lunch, and then returned home. It was a smooth ride, save for a spot of traffic in the afternoon. Luna gave herself enough time to account for such instances so she wouldn't worry herself. Naturally, Loki slept for most of the journey, but not before taking Luna’s hand in his and holding it for as long as he could. He was glad she didn’t demand an explanation because he hadn’t prepared one.

Another day of rest and unwinding in the apartment and Luna was back on the grind at work. Though she'd been away for a week, it felt like an eternity. As she walked into the building and to the lab, she was tempted to turn back around and go somewhere else. Anywhere other than the workplace. But she kept going, scanning her card and making herself known.

“Hello, miss,” FRIDAY said as Luna stowed away her bags and jacket, “welcome back.”

“Hello, FRIDAY. It’s good to be back.”

“How was your vacation? Eventful, I hope.”

Luna chuckled and shrugged on her lab coat. “Oh, you have no idea.”

“No, I wouldn’t, would I?” FRIDAY snarked a little.

“Any messages for me?”

“A few from Mr. Stark, but no high-priority items.”

“Ok. What are they about?”

“He wants a lab meeting soon.” Luna’s body stiffened. It’d been a while since she talked about her work with him. She didn’t know what she’d tell him.

But she huffed and snapped on a pair of rubber gloves. “Alright. I’ll see him about that later. Thanks, FRIDAY.”

“You’re welcome. Care for any music while you work?”

“Uh, yeah. Just throw on whatever.” As Luna unlocked a drawer and took out her lab notebook, ‘Twilight Zone’ played through the room speakers. Her ears perked up at the familiar notes. “Ooh, nice,” she said, turning to the last page she wrote in before vacation. Bobbing her head, she read over the tasks for the day. First things first, she needed to clean and change the filters to the fish tank.

As far as she could tell, the little fish was thriving. It swam contentedly about its tank and pecked at any particles it saw. Luna checked the UV light and changed the active-carbon filter. The filter pad was nearly black with sediment and dirt. Cringing, she folded it up and slid a new one in place. The pH and temperature levels in the water remained steady and fluctuated within the safe zones for them. Luna was thankful. She would have hated to have come back to an emergency.

Rinsing her hands off, she gingerly disconnected the pumps to the tank and took it to the sink. Her little fish didn’t seem perturbed by the sudden movement, though it did thrash a bit as Luna lifted it out with a net. She silently apologized to it. She didn’t mean to cause it any distress. It calmed down once it was in the fresh tank and knew everything was ok again. As an added comfort, Luna gave it a bit of dry food, and it inhaled all of it before it was back under the care of the system. She connected the tank back to the water pumps and breathed a sigh of relief. One job is done for the day.

As Luna cleaned the old tank and net with ethanol, her music cut out, and FRIDAY's voice came back on.

“Miss, Mr. Stark is on the line.”

Luna nodded, not stopping her scrubbing. “Yeah, yeah. Patch him through.”

“Long time, no talk, Baby,” Tony’s voice greeted her.

She laughed. “Hey, Tony. So we’re back to that now?”

“We sure are.” She heard a few faint metallic clangs. “How was your break?”

Luna slowed her hands. “It was, uh, good,” she lied.

“Just ‘good.’? What’d you do, anyway?”

“Mm, nothing much. Relaxed at home, went out to museums, and cooked stuff.” She lied right through her teeth, but lucky for her, Tony didn’t have to see her lack of a poker face.

“What about your guy?”

Luna nervously shuddered. “What about him?”

“Anyone recognize him?”

“We had a couple close calls, but nothing anyone can pin.”

“Good, because I seriously don’t know if I could take it if you two got into trouble. My blood pressure is teetering as it is, and Pepper would have the whole barn. You know, not just the cow.”

“And that’s why I stay out of trouble.”

“And that’s why you’re my favorite.”

“Aw, thanks.” Luna smiled. There was a loud bang over the speakers, followed by some repetitive whirring. “Hey, what are you even doing over there to make that much noise?”

“Uh, well, right now, I am on the ceiling.”

Luna set her hands on the edge of the sink. “You’re … you’re on the ceiling? Like, upside-down?”

“Yup. Trying out a new feature in the suit.”

“A feature that lets you … stand on the ceiling?”

“Not just stand. I can walk around, too. See?” A few more taps and whirs came through like Tony was walking around. “Oh, wait, no. Sorry. You can’t see.” Luna let out a loud laugh and resumed scrubbing the tank.

“What are you planning on using it for? Taking a trip to a place with microgravity?”

“Can never be too careful.” Tony paused, and some beeping filled the silence. “By the way, I was going through some of you-know-who’s phone history, and honestly, I don’t know what I expected.”

“What did you see?”

“Don’t you know? I thought you two were, like, the best of friends, or something.”

“Save for a few things, he never shows me what's on his phone, and I never ask."

“Hm. Anyway, his most recent searches were pictures of raccoons, articles about himself, conspiracy theories, and more pictures of himself.” He scoffed. “As if his ego wasn’t big enough already.”

“Heh, not as big as his dick,” she chuckled under her breath, but to her dismay, she was heard loud and clear.

“Excuse me?!” Tony yelled, followed by a thunderous crash. Luna winced as she pictured him falling spectacularly to the floor.

“Whoops, sorry, gotta go!” she called out, waving her hand to cut the transmission.

“Why would you say something like that?!”

“Hanging up now! Bye!” She gestured frantically, and the call cut out. Groaning as loud as she could, she hung her head. “I can’t believe myself sometimes.” She dried off the outside of the old tank, set it aside to air-dry, and dried her own hands. “Alright, what else is there to do?” She flipped back a page in her notebook. “Ah, yes, that's right," she stated through her teeth.

Her next possible point was to test the new virus on a live subject i.e., her own self.

Luna did a set of three things: stare at the floor, staring at the wall, then sit in a chair and stare at the ceiling. Of all the things she should be doing now, she did none of them, and she thought of nothing. A horrible thing to do in a lab filled with items of dubious safety, but she did it anyway.

Getting tired of thinking of nothing, she pictured something in her mind to fill it. She thought of the trees outside, birds flying high, and the porch by the river. Things that brought her peace and made her believe everything was alright. And as far as her life was concerned, few things were alright but not as many as she would like. She was saddled with issues out of her control, Tony was an anxious wreck most of the time, and Loki held the weight of several worlds on his shoulders. She always wanted to try and fix things for her friends, but she had to remind herself that it was impossible. A wish had to stay a wish.

Luna quickly got fed up with looking from an empty white space to another empty white space and decided to take a walk down the hall. She left everything stowed and locked in the lab, toting only her music along. She needed to manifest some semblance of privacy while in public, and the music did an excellent job.

Hands in her pockets, she moseyed to the lobby and stared out the giant floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a great design choice to open up the room to the world outside. Now she could see the trees and the birds she imagined. She’d seen them hundreds of times during all the seasons she was here, and it never got old.

Luna opened up her music app and hit shuffle on the ‘suggestions’ list. A new sound graced her ears. She looked down at the screen, furrowing her brow, and read the title. ‘Holding On’ by Nightly. It was new. Very new, and she liked it. She added it to her favorites list and put the device back in her pocket.

She knew the scientific procedure. It was simple: defrost the RePri virus, inflict a small injury to an inconspicuous place on her body, and inject the virus to the wound site. All to test how quickly it could heal surface injuries on a human with matched DNA. It was easy to write down and easy to conceptualize, but everything else was hard. The dilemma at hand reminded her of a phrase she heard a long time ago: ‘your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.’ A classic line from a classic film, and said by a fake scientist in a fake scenario.

However, being the real scientist in the room, it hit Luna hard. It was true that just because someone can do something, they shouldn’t necessarily do it. The presence of ‘can’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘everything will be fine.’

But Luna had a curious soul. Always eager to find things out and learn about them. She never felt there should be a limit to knowing things, but plenty of people with more power than her certainly did. Such people frightened her, especially the ones she had in mind concerning her work. S.H.I.E.L.D. or whatever they called themselves now, and groups like them. She heard about what they would do to scientists they were interested in. Jane Foster was a lucky one.

If they found out what Luna was doing, they would steal everything and erase her, or rope her into working for them and make her do whatever they wanted. Tony managed to avoid joining them by intimidating or buying his way out of surveillance via bountiful benevolence. Still, people like Luna were considered nothing but stepping stones to an end product.

On the other hand, what if she succeeded in hiding her project from the world? And kept testing the virus on herself and choice specimens. Say something went wrong, and Luna hurt herself in a way she couldn't fix. What would become of her? How would she explain it to Tony? He would lose all trust in her for keeping this a secret. How would she explain it to Loki? Would he have compassion? He was undoubtedly intelligent, but would he understand? Or would he be enraged that she used him for her own purposes? It tore at her heart. He would believe she thought nothing of his past pain and the courage it took to reveal a piece to her. He would think her heartless and precisely like everyone else. She’d lose him, and for what?

Luna felt a sharp tap on her shoulder. It startled her, and she jumped. She tore the earbuds from her ears and abruptly turned around, clutching her chest.

“Dammit, Tony!” she chastised. “You scared me!”

“Sorry, Lu,” he said, suppressing a giggle.

“Why are you here? Why couldn’t you have called me?”

“Uh, because sometimes, direct confrontation is the best thing.”

“What for?”

Tony stepped closer. “For that joke you made.”

But Luna played dumb. “What joke?” She wanted him to say it.

“The … you know.”

“Why you mad? You make jokes like that all the time.”

Tony huffed. “Yeah, but not you and not about him.” He sighed. “I don’t want you getting friendly.”

“What wrong with being nice, Tony?”

“There’s nice, there’s your level of nice, and then there’s too nice.” He pointed at her. “Don’t even think about getting too nice.”

Luna looked down at his hand and smiled, moving it aside. “It’s never even crossed my mind.”

Tony straightened up and brushed a hand through his hair. He looked her up and down and glanced outside. “So what are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn’t you be working?”

Luna swallowed. “Uh, yes. I am. Just, uh, waiting for something to defrost.” She waved a hand. “You know how long that can take.”

“In a way. So why not wait in the lab?”

“It’s dull in there. Besides, I'm keeping track of the time. Figured I would take a walk instead and check how my flower is growing. It’s been a little while, and can’t a girl check on her flower?” Tony opened his mouth to say something, and Luna lightly swatted his chest. “And don’t even think about saying what I think you’re about to say.”

He laughed and raised his hands. “Promise.” Rubbing his hands together, he rocked back and forth on his heels. “Alright. Well, don’t take too long. And no more jokes like that about you-know-who.”

Luna stepped back and gave him a mock salute. “Ay, ay, sir. Read you loud and clear.” Tony rolled his eyes, smirking, and made for the staircase on the other side.

Alone again, Luna groaned as she took off her glasses and put a hand over her face. "Ugh, what is wrong with me?" Grinding her teeth, she put her earbuds back in and restarted the song. It was good, and she wasn't sick of it yet.

She headed for the greenhouse as she fake-promised Tony. He had his eyes and ears almost everywhere, and she needed to keep up her lie. But it wasn’t all bad. It’d been a while since she'd last seen it, and she did need to check on its progress. On the trip there, all thoughts of her work vanished and were replaced with anticipation for the plant. Was it doing well? Did it bloom? Was it budding yet? Her pace quickened with her growing excitement, and in no time, she was there.

The warmth and humidity was a welcome difference from the cold, dry outside. The vegetables looked vibrant and lush, especially the tomatoes. Luna was tempted to snatch one and use it for dinner, but she hesitated. One tomato wasn't worth all the trouble if she was caught, and she was sure she had a proper one waiting on her kitchen counter.

Keeping her head down to avoid more distraction, she continued to the back where Tony’s personal garden sat. In and among the various flowers he kept was Luna’s rose. She crouched down and inspected it. As expected, it was much bigger than before. It had sprung a couple new leaves, and on the top, a sizeable bud had formed.

“Oh, hello there,” Luna said, reaching out to stroke it. She could see a speck of blue peeked out from bud’s seams. “You gonna come out soon? Hm?” She smiled wholeheartedly.

As she picked up the watering can, she could hardly contain herself. After months of waiting and gentle caring, she'll see the fruits of her labor. The flower will bloom, and she'll be able to bring it home to Loki. But once more, she second-guessed herself. Would he like it? Would it be too much? He told her about it only once in a passing story months ago. Would he read it as creepy, obsessive behavior? Maybe not. He properly confided in her now. They knew things about each other no one else did in the entire universe. Perhaps it wouldn't be too much. Maybe he would love it.

But if he didn’t, and rejected it, Luna would keep it for herself. At the end of the day, it was still the plant she raised from a seed. She would love it and care for it no matter what.

She stroked one of its leaves one more time and left. She'd spent enough time there, and any more would arouse suspicion. Well, she didn't know for sure, but it wasn't worth the risk. Besides, the plant wasn’t going anywhere.

Loki consumed Luna's thoughts on the way back to the lab. She knew so much about him, but at the same time, she knew very little. He shared as he wanted, and she did the same, but now with what she knew, what more could he be hiding? He had enough scars to last a few lifetimes – and to be fair, she did too – but she knew where she got hers and why. Where did Loki get his? And why did he have them?

Luna sat down at the lab bench and contemplated her questions. She wondered if it could have been someone he was close with, maybe family, but she quickly scratched the idea. Family could be cruel, but Loki said he’d been captured. It would have involved being far away from home, not in the depths of it. The injuries would have had to be recent to heal and fade as they did, but Asgardian physiology was different. Luna didn’t have the knowledge to know only by looking at them. And it was insensitive to ask outright. Whatever happened to him was severely traumatizing.

In a flash, something resurfaced in her mind, like a ping in a sea of silence. A memory from when she was still getting comfortable with having Loki in her home. When she was first starting her research into his genetic code.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. security videos from 2012. Loki had made passing threats and said some grave things, but thinking back on them now, Luna felt very unsettled. But she couldn’t remember exactly what he said. At least not at the top of her head.

“Hey FRIDAY, can we switch to my private server, please? And secure my connection?” Luna said into the air.

“Certainly.” FRIDAY opened up the interface and virtual files. “Is there anything in particular you need?”

“Yes. Show me those old S.H.I.E.L.D. videos again. The ones from when Loki came here.” The files spanned the screen. “Can you play the first one?” It opened up and played from the beginning.

Agents and scientists milled around, checking their computer screens and tablets. One of them poked at a device near the middle of the room. Luna assumed it to be the Tesseract. It fizzed and sputtered, and a beam of light shot from it, conjuring a portal. From the chaos and darkness, Loki appeared. Luna flinched at the sounds of guns firing and knives being thrown. It was all so violent. She looked away and waited for it to end.

“Please don’t.” Loki’s voice resounded from the video. Luna looked back up. “I still need that.” His attention was directed to a man in a black coat.

“This doesn’t have to get any messier,” the man said quietly.

“Of course it does,” Loki retorted. Luna shook her head, feeling grim. “I’ve come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

“Loki?” Someone else interjected with a start. “Brother of Thor?”

The first man turned and faced him. “We have no quarrel with your people.” He tried to placate, but Loki wasn’t having it.

“An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”

Luna’s feet grew cold.

“You planning to step on us?”

“I come with glad tidings,” Loki reassured, “of a world made free.”

“Free from what?”

“Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie.”

“No,” Luna whispered, leaning closer.

“Once you accept that, in your heart,” Loki turned around and pointed the scepter at the second man, “you will know peace.”

“Pause,” Luna commanded as she rose to her feet. Loki was now standing in full view of the camera. "Can we zoom in on his face and keep the image clear?"

"Certainly," FRIDAY said and did as she asked.

Loki’s face filled the screen. It was a bit blurry at first, but the program quickly enhanced it. His appearance here was profoundly different from the images of him used by the news programs. His skin was pale and shiny like he'd been sweating profusely, and his eyes were ringed in dark circles. But the look they held told a more in-depth story. They were distant and foggy, like everything he was seeing was far away. Luna's stomach turned, and she dropped back down into her seat. The drained complexion, the clammy skin, and the hazy eyes: all telltale signs of shock. She wouldn’t be surprised if his breathing and walking were labored.

She put her head in her hands, trying to control her swirling thoughts. It was all so much. The vague story he told her in the hotel troubled her greatly, and now this? She felt like she was reaching, but if there was a connection between Loki’s scars and his appearance here, it spelled something very sinister. There was no doubt the injuries he sustained would have led to him going into shock, either from blood loss or infection or both, but if this was when it happened? Luna felt a little woozy and rested her elbows on her knees.

Staring at the floor, she was overcome with the urge to embrace him. Her Loki. The one she recently spent a week sleeping with, in the literal sense. But also the Loki on the computer screen. The one who looked like he went from the frying pan and into the fire. He was in trouble, and he needed help.

Luna missed him dearly. She missed having him in her bed, going to sleep close to him, and waking up closer. Spending a full day with him in pure bliss, talking about anything, and not being afraid of what he would say. Feeling free for the time being and seeing him have a similar expression. Holding his hand for no other reason than to feel him.

Luna looked back up at the screen, still frozen on Loki’s menacing façade. She reached out and traced the curve of his jaw.

"What happened to you?" she whispered but received no answer. The Loki she knew hated being trapped. He enjoyed his freedom and the peace he felt with her. The words he spoke in the video weren’t his, at least, not naturally. He had been forced to love his cage, and his words were a result of it.

Luna took her glasses off, covered her face, and groaned loudly. She had to stop thinking about it. There was no way to tell unless she asked him, and she wasn’t planning on it anytime soon. It was awful to make up stories about things she didn’t know and an absolute waste of her time. She needed to get back to work.

She pulled on some fresh gloves and opened the freezer. The virus vials were where she left them, waiting for her to thaw them out. She took them, set them in a hot water bath, and let them melt. Like expected, it took longer than usual thawing sessions. It never ceased to cling to the cold.

Luna got her notebook, pen, and timer ready and made a trip down the hall for antiseptic wipes and fresh syringes. The box of micropipettes was full, and all the devices worked as they should.

“FRIDAY, turn everything off and go dark. I’m going to do this the old-fashioned way.”

“But, miss, if something were to happen -”

“But nothing,” Luna said confidently. “I can do it.”

“Alright. Going dark.” And FRIDAY switched off. No more coms or voice-command and the computer screen went blank.

“Ok,” she said, pulled out the now-thawed vial. “Let’s test you first.”

Luna prepared a microscope slide and turned on the corresponding machine. Using a fresh syringe, she dropped a half a milliliter of her blood onto the glass, along with the same amount of the virus. As she applied pressure to the puncture wound on her arm, she observed the activity of the cells through the eyepiece. She kept track of the time and sat for about five minutes, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. No spontaneous rupturing and no odd coloring. It looked like the last few times she’d done it.

Leaning back from it, she wrote down her observations and looked to the MicroFluid machine. She slid the microscope slide into the designated slot and turned it on. The computer screen came to life with an interface for the device. Luna sighed. Of course, she'd have to interpret the information manually.

In no time, she received the results she expected; the virus is compatible with her cells and bonded with them completely. Her testing continually remained successful outside of her body, but now she had to test it in real-time.

Luna’s hands and knees shook aggressively on the way to and back from the supply closet. Her goal was to get a sterile razor. The idea of holding it in her hand made her sick, but she was using it for an intellectual purpose. It wasn't like all the other times she'd held one, and she knew so, but the real trouble was believing it. Brains were tricky that way. They believed whatever was most comfortable for them to believe.

She closed and locked both lab doors behind her and taped pieces of scrap paper over the windows. No one in or out until she was done. Now, she had to decide where to test the virus.

She looked at her forearm and shook her head. If the experiment didn’t work, it would be obvious what she’d done, and it was sporting a pinprick anyway. It was also a particularly dangerous spot to pick. She hovered a hand over her stomach. No, the skin was too pliable, and it moved too much as she breathed. She looked down at her legs. The skin there was more durable, and she could keep it still as long as she needed, and if it didn't work, it wasn't anything long pants, and a bandage couldn’t hide.

Luna spread some paper towels on the stool by the bench and ripped off her old gloves. Bare-handed, she eased her pants down as far as they would go and sat on the towels. A lab conduct rule popped up in her mind: no exposed skin above the knee or elbow. Well, she’d broken several science rules already, so it hardly mattered now.

She cleaned the area of skin above the side of her right knee, and with a plastic ruler, measured two inches above it and put down a dot with a felt tip pen. From that point, she measured another inch and made another dot. Letting the alcohol dry, she made a note of everything in her notebook. She slipped on a pair of new gloves and opened up another syringe. Taking a deep breath, she opened up the virus vial, extracted one milliliter of liquid, and capped the needle. It was always good to start small.

Now it was time to get the show on the road. Luna picked up the razor and cleaned with antiseptic for good measure. She felt sweat start to congregate where it shouldn’t. There was no reason for her to be scared. She’d handled sharp things for most of her life, she’d tested the virus umpteen times, and she knew she was smart. She knew what she was doing. No one else did, but her.

“I’m smart. I know what I’m doing,” Luna thought to herself. She closed her eyes and repeated the phrase in her head. As of right now, the worst thing that could happen was nothing at all.

Luna opened her eyes and, without a moment spared to hesitate, made the one-inch incision. It burned and stung as she expected it to. She uncapped the needle and injected it about one centimeter from the injury site. Setting the two objects aside for disposal, she started the timer. Now to wait and see how fast it worked, if it worked at all.

30 seconds in, the stinging ebbed away to a dull ache.

Another minute, the bleeding stopped.

Two minutes in, all feelings of pain were gone, and the skin started to fill in.

Three minutes in, the wound was barely visible. It felt a bit itchy, and Luna made a note of it.

Four and a half minutes in, it fully healed to a dark pink line as a blue bruise formed around it.

Luna stopped the timer and made her last observation. She set her pen down, eyes glued to the newly-healed bit of skin. The bruising was unaccounted for, and it felt a little cold. She hovered her hand over it and lightly touched it. She winced prematurely, but it didn’t hurt. A harder press confirmed it. It tingled, but the skin was completely healed. A wound that would have taken a couple days to a week to close was done in about five minutes.

Smiling widely, Luna was beside herself. Tears prickled at her eyes as pride filled her to the brim. She did it. She did it all by herself. It was like the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.' In all intents and purposes, she felt very much like the cat, newly reborn and very satisfied.

She still had a lot to do; more experiments and tests to run and hypotheses to answer. But for now, she reveled in this victory. It was enough for today.

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A/N: Yes, I know I didn’t mention anywhere that a special tank system was set up for the fish, and that’s because I’m a little bit dumb. There’s a whole maintenance procedure and housing system for laboratory animals like the zebrafish (duh). I personally never worked with any, but I read enough lab papers to get a feel for it. Also, since this is still set in 2018, I had to label the song as ‘new,’ even though right now it’s not XP and yes, I had to quote Jurassic Park or I would die

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Taglist: @the-doctor-9-10 @pinkieperil @sherlockfan4life @kybaeza @withering-thoughtts

#loki x oc #loki x reader #the scientist #loki fanfic #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki friggason #marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #fanfic #fanfiction #luna fields #multi chapter #chapter 51 #slow burn #science #music #oc luna fields

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senseispeaks · 4 years

Text

What Should One Do to Restructure Oneself from within?

See, it’s going to be a challenging terrain no question. Whatever the nature of your business certain businesses will do very well post virus for their own reasons. But even those businesses will have to be agile and handle the new terrain that will come in front of them. If you want to approach, let us say, uh you are in Rajasthan, let’s say you want to travel the Thar desert, you would want a machine that is well engineered, isn’t it? You don’t want to go into a desert with a badly engineered machine where anything could happen so now we are approaching a place where the terrain is not going to be as you expect. Unexpected terrain that we may hit lots of bump, lots of pits, all kinds of things. Nobody knows what kind of challenges it will throw. But we clearly know it will be a very challenging situation for anybody who is managing anything. Businesses, nations, institutions, individual lives, everybody will have their own kind of challenges. So when this happens, the most important thing is that you are well engineered. What does engineering mean? See we say something is well engineered because it functions the way we want it, isn’t it? If a machine functions the way we want it, the building functions the way we want it, we say this is a well engineered structure so similarly, in your life, your body, your mind, your emotions, your energy should work for you. Just now he was mentioning about fear - fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, hatred whatever anything that is unpleasant within you for this people may go on giving many reasons. Today there are over 70k exotic names for psychological disorders of various kinds. You can give as many names as you want but essentially what has happened is, your intelligence has turned against you for some reason, whatever the reason. Fundamentally, your intelligence has turned against you. There are only two kinds of suffering in human life. Physical suffering and mental suffering. If the virus gets us, then there is physical suffering, that is a different matter. We need to deal with it completely differently. The rest is all mental suffering. 95% of human suffering is mental suffering. What mental suffering means is you are on, when it comes to suffering, you are on self help. You don’t need outside help. Right now sitting at home, you will think about something that may happen 10 days ago and already suffer something which does not exist. What is it that human beings are suffering? What happened 10 years ago, they still suffer. What happened 10 years ago doesn’t exist. So what you are suffering is, you are suffering your memory. Or what may happen day after tomorrow they already suffer. This means you are suffering your imagination. So if you are suffering your memory and imagination one thing we need to understand is, that, as human beings we have a very vivid sense of memory that’s why our lives are so rich. No other creature on this planet has the kind of memory and detailed memory as we have. And no other creature has a fantastic sense of imagination that a human being has. Now you are suffering your memory, you are suffering your imagination means you are suffering your evolution of becoming a human being. So most people would like to have half the brain that they have right now so that they can be peaceful. So when it doesn’t work, that’s why they soak it in alcohol, so half is preserved for some other time. and they feel little peaceful for some time. Well, you know when it goes completely out of control, the doctors even go to the extreme step of doing what is called a lobotomy that a part of the brain is removed. If a part of your brain is removed, no fear, no anxiety, no some nothing, peaceful. but no possibilities either. So what I am saying, what is a possibility, you are making it into a huge problem, simply because you are not well engineered. What does being well engineered mean when it comes to a human being? You heard of a , you are in UK, so you you definitely heard of Charles Darwin right? No body did not hear about him.

He didn’t come from Manchester. :D

No, he wasn’t for a fact so.

You must be from the city, Machester city, that’s why you are talking about perfection :D

So, Charles Darwin went about saying, see I am making it a little simplistic, he said something like this, a goat could have become a giraffe over a million year time or period. A pig could become an elephant over many more million years. But a monkey became human rather too quickly. So quickly that anthropologists are continuously looking for a missing link which they haven’t yet found. So what it means is, in terms of DNA difference if you look at it, between a chimpanzee and yourself. The DNA difference is only 1.23%. 1.23% is not much of a difference, so physiologically we are very, very close to a chimpanzee. But in terms of our intelligence, our competence and our awareness we are worlds apart from a Chimpanzee. So right now human problem is just this, they have an intelligence for which they don’t have a stable enough base. So they are suffering their own intelligence. You can call it tension, fear, anxiety, madness, misery whatever you want to call it. Essentially, human beings are suffering their own intelligence. Intelligence is a solution, intelligence is not a problem. Unfortunately, most people are experiencing this as a problem. This is why inner engineering becomes very and very significant. If you are an entrepreneur, you must understand you are in a new venture. You are in a venture means it is just one step short of an adventure Ok. You are seeking challenges. If you did not want challenges then Rajasthan government would have been a fine place, you know, to work. But you became an entrepreneur because you are consciously seeking a challenge. This means you are into a venture, which is not an adventure but just one step short of that. That means you must not suffer unexpected situations. Unexpected situations, undefined situations means for an entrepreneur there are a million possibilities in that. He has to look at it.

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#sadhguru #entreprenuership

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