#Voskhod 1

[thererisesaredstar]

Long live Soviet science! (1964)

[worker-and-soldier]

October 12th, 1964 - a historic day for the Soviet Union and its space program. The spacecraft Voskhod, meaning 'Sunrise', was launched into Earth orbit, returning on the 13th as the first multi-manned space flight - as well as being the first without spacesuits.

"The crew on board consisted of the commander, pilot, and cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov, the researcher and cosmonaut Konstantin Petrovich Feoktistov, and the physician and cosmonaut Boris Borisovich Yegorov."

(Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics. “The Voskhod Three.” Google Arts & Culture)

Photo by Owen Llewellyn.

[cauliflowermaterial]

Ask me anything about voskhod-1!! It's my favorite space mission :D

Ah hi that's awesome!!! I'm just still reeling from the fact that they didn't have space suits!! How does that even work? I'm reading they wore OVERALLS???? That's INSANE tell me more how did they make it

[toaarcan]

One of my favourite spaceflight facts is that, due to some heavy technicalities on what the universally accepted definition of an astronaut is, and the intense secrecy surrounding the Soviet Union at the time, the entire Vostok program, AKA the thing that first took humans into space, technically doesn't count and everyone just agrees to ignore that.

Submitting my claim that Vostok is actually the cutest spacecraft ever, which is an entirely normal statement.

When they sat down and defined what counts as a successful manned flight, part of the requirements included the astronaut(s) landing in the vehicle. But Vostok didn't do that. Instead, the Vostok cosmonauts ejected from the vehicle after re-entry and parachuted to the ground separately. This continued until the later Voskhod missions, where they ripped out the ejector seat so they could fit more guys inside (and on the second one, one guy and an inflatable airlock so one of them could do the first spacewalk), and put in a rollcage so that landing inside the vehicle wouldn't turn them to goo.

But by the time Voskhod 1 blasted off from Baikonur, all of the Mercury flights had already been flown, so this means that, according to the rules, America technically completed the first manned space flights.

Another technicality was added to the list a couple of years back, when the guys that make the rules futzed with said rules in order to deny Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson astronaut status, because fuck 'em. Now, in order to be an astronaut, you have to actually do something on the flight, otherwise you're just a passenger. And many of the Vostok flights were indeed more like passengers than crew. The Vostok spacecraft is pretty much a big satellite with a passenger compartment and a re-entry module, and it's fully automated.

So why didn't these technicalities get called out? The USA and USSR were never shy about trying to embarrass each other, or make each other look foolish on the world stage. One of the biggest reasons why we know the Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory is total stupidity is that the USSR congratulated NASA on the successful landing, because if it had been recorded on a soundstage in Area 51, the Soviets would've been the first to call bullshit.

Well, part of it is just that the Americans didn't know about the specifics of the Vostok program at the time. Whereas the American space program was a very public affair with cheering crowds showing up to watch every launch, the Soviets were much, much more clandestine than that. Baikonur is in the middle of the Kazakh desert, and the Soviets were keen to lie about anything that went wrong.

When their attempt at a moon rocket, the N1, endured four successive failures on launch, mostly caused by the Soviets lacking the funding and the facilities to properly test the thing, and instead just had to launch fully built rockets and hope they worked, the Soviets simply scrapped the last two and declared that they'd never intended to go to the Moon and were all about Earth orbit instead.

The N1 was actually more powerful than the Saturn V, but because it never reached operational status and the Soviets preferred to pretend it didn't exist, the Saturn V remained the world's most powerful rocket until Artemis 1 flew last year. A similar situation is happening now, with SpaceX's Superheavy being more powerful than the SLS, but also being basically a giant bomb at the moment.

Most Americans had no idea how Vostok worked, and didn't even know what it looked like. They didn't get to see what a Soviet spacecraft actually looked like up close until the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975.

Behold, the setting for the most expensive handshake in history.

By the time the full details came out, the world had known that the Soviets did it first for decades, and challenging that doesn't really do much for anyone besides the people that want to go "Um, ackchully" about everything.

Additionally, the rules weren't even written yet at the time, so there's even less reason to start changing shit up now. Vostok might be technically breaking the rules, but nobody cares, and downplaying the immense technical achievements of Sergei Korolev, Yuri Gagarin, and everyone else that worked on the early Soviet spaceflights on account of a rules quirk that wasn't even written yet is just kinda dumb.

(Random sidenote, Korolev was the chief designer of much of the USSR's early spacecraft, including the R7 rocket that carried both Sputnik and Vostok into space, and still carries some of the Soyuz flights to this day. And, like pretty much every major achievement of the USSR, he wasn't Russian. He was, in fact, Ukrainian.)

[edwhiteandblue]

October 12, 1964: Voskhod 1 becomes the first multi-person space mission

Voskhod 1 was the first multi-person spaceflight and accomplished a series of firsts during its single day in orbit, including carrying the first civilians into space and becoming the first crewed Russian spacecraft to land on the ground. It earned the reputation of being one of the sketchiest missions in space history due to its lack of safety features, most notably spacesuits.

Learn more about Voskhod 1 and its crew here!

[foundtherightwords]

The Firebird - Chapter 13

Pairing: Prince Paul (Catherine the Great) x OFC, Fairytale AU

Summary: When Paul, a spoiled young prince, spots a strange bird in the forest near his palace, he impulsively chases after it, hoping to both escape from and prove himself to his disapproving mother. Thus he is plunged into an exhilarating adventure across a magical realm populated by enchanted princesses, dangerous monsters, and powerful wizards, an adventure that may change him more than he can ever imagine.

Chapter warning: violence, gore

Chapter word count: 3.8k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12

Chapter 13 - The Eagle and the Dragon

There was a rush of preparation. Ilya donned his armor, put his sword into his belt, slung the bow and the magic quiver onto his back, and held his mace in his hand. Paul, feeling rather ill-equipped, had Dobrynya's spear. On second thoughts, he took his broken sword and put it in his belt as well. It may be broken, but it had its use. Zhara stood on her perch, watching him with eyes full of love and concern, though she didn't try to stop him.

Elena gave Paul a pouch of herbs. "Burn this and whoever smells the smoke will fall asleep," she said. "Be careful to stand downwind of it. May the gods be with you."

Baba Yaga gave them two other things, a handkerchief which she said could help them cross a river of fire—she didn't know if Illarion was going to use it on them or not, but the river of fire had been a favorite weapon of Koschei's—and one of the skulls she took from the fence, its eye sockets stuffed with moss. Paul thanked her and put the herbs, the handkerchief, and the skull in a knapsack.

"A word with you, Russian boy," the witch said, beckoning to Paul.

Puzzled, he followed her outside, to where Voskhod was standing, calmly awaiting the return of his family at the end of the day. Baba Yaga didn't say anything for a while. She looked Paul up and down, causing him to rub a self-conscious hand through his curls, which were getting long.

"Do you wish to return to your world?" the witch asked abruptly.

Paul stared at her, uncomprehending.

"If you manage to return alive, I can open a door and send you back, should you wish," she continued. "I told you I still have some powers left, didn't I?" She smiled humorlessly. "But for now, I don't want Illarion to get wind of it. If he knew I could open doors between worlds, his ambitions would extend to your world as well, and that would be disastrous for all. So try to defeat him, Russian boy. Your fate may depend upon it."

Horrible as they were, there was something perversely encouraging in her words as well. But Paul wasn't really listening. All he could think was that he didn't wish to leave. He wished to stay, not to prove himself or to defeat Illarion or to achieve any such heroic deeds. He wished to stay simply so he could see the dawn with Zhara.

Baba Yaga gave a shrill whistle, and from the hills behind them, the Day and Night horses returned, their saddles empty this time. Paul and Ilya each took one. Zhara settled into her usual place in the inside pocket of Paul's kaftan—they had agreed that it would be best for her to stay hidden until they could determine what Illarion was planning. And then, leaping as one, Day and Night side by side, the horses flew across the vast expanse of sea, taking them to Buyan Island.

***

The horses landed on the rock, as lightly and daintily as stepping over a garden fence. The oak, which they'd seen from the shore, spread its twisted branches over their heads, its leaves so dark and thick that twilight reigned around its base, despite the midday sun. Other than the rustling of the leaves and the crashing of the waves underneath, there was no other sound, no sign of life on that rock.

"So where's the Alatyr Stone?" Paul asked, looking around.

"Some said the island is the stone itself," replied Ilya, holding his mace at the ready. "Perhaps that is why Illarion chose this place."

"What do we do?" Paul found himself dropping his voice to a whisper, as though afraid the island itself may be able to hear them.

Ilya slowly walked around the base of the oak, keeping an eye out for danger. "We wait, 'til Illarion shows himself."

That didn't sound like much of a plan to Paul. "In the tales of my world," he said, "Koschei keeps his death hidden in a chest under this oak tree. Should we—I don't know, start digging?"

"Digging?" Ilya snorted. "Do you honestly think Illarion would be so careless as to leave his death unguarded?"

"He may be arrogant in his power," Paul said, speaking from experiences. "It's worth a try."

Ilya looked closely at the gnarled roots at the base of the tree. Then he shrugged and drew his sword from its scabbard. "You take that side," he said to Paul. "Use the spear."

The moment Ilya's sword touched the ground under the oak, the tree split open.

A giant double-headed eagle sprang out of the oak and flew straight at Paul, feathers gleaming strangely under the sun, sharp beaks pointing at him like knives. A net dropped from the branches over him, pinning him to the ground. The eagle gathered the net up in its powerful claws and took to the sky, with Paul dangling under its belly like some grotesque fish.

"No!" Ilya jumped after the eagle. The roots of the oak, writhing like serpents, wrapped themselves around the bogatyr's wrists, dragging him down.

It was a trap. There was nothing on the island. Illarion had lured them here to make them easier to kill.

By some miracle, Paul still managed to keep a hold of the spear. He thrust it upward at random, hoping to make some contact, only to find that the spear was glancing off the eagle's claws and feathers ineffectively. To his horror, he realized the reason the eagle gleamed so brightly was that its claws and feathers were made of metal, iron and copper covering its entire body like a suit of armor. And most horrifying of all, a green medallion dangled from its neck.

Zhara leaped out from Paul's pocket. She flapped her wings, turning her entire body into a ball of fire, and tried to launch herself at the eagle, but the heavy, thick net weighed her down, and she could get no further than its legs.

On the island, Ilya gave a great roar and tore a root from his arm. He picked up his sword and chopped off the rest of the roots, freeing himself, before quickly removing his bow from his back and firing an arrow at the armored eagle. The arrow clanged harmlessly against its metal plumage.

"Destroy its medallion, Ilya!" Paul shouted, but his voice was blown off by the wind and the waves, and he couldn't tell if Ilya heard him or not.

Paul saw Ilya mount the Night horse. With a mighty leap, the horse took flight and chased after the eagle. It soon caught up. Ilya swung his mace at the bird, hitting its flank with an ear-splitting clash, sending a shower of sparks over Paul and Zhara. No matter how well-protected the eagle was, it had to feel that. It turned back with a shriek, razor-edged wings slashing at the knight and the horse. Caught in the net in its claws, Paul was swung around so violently that there was little he could do other than cling to the spear with one hand and hold Zhara close to his chest with the other. The sea and the sky whirled into a maelstrom of gray and white, making his head spin and threatening to bring his breakfast back up, until he had to shut his eyes and curl himself into a ball around Zhara, praying to all the Saints of his world and all the gods of this world that it would be over soon.

The clangor of steel on steel went on over his head, mingled with curses from Ilya, panicked screams from the horse, and screeches from both of the eagle's heads. Then there was a muffled screech, and the eagle dropped a little, as though a new weight was added to its back. Paul risked cracking one eye open and saw the Night horse leaping toward the shore with an empty saddle. His heart sank. Had Ilya been killed? If so, why was the eagle still howling and twisting? Then Paul heard a grunt and realized Ilya had jumped onto the eagle's back and was now clinging to its neck while trying to stab at the medallion. The shore was now within sight.

Though he and Zhara were still being jerked around like puppets on a string, the jolting and jostling were not as bad as before, and Paul found he had some measures of control over his movements. He stuck his spear at the eagle's legs again. With its armor, the stabbing of the spear probably felt no stronger than mosquito bites, but at least he could distract the eagle a little and give Ilya a chance. Next to him, Zhara also renewed her fiery attack. The eagle squawked irritably and tried to kick at them, but dared not let go of its precious cargo. Paul craned his head, trying to see if Ilya had gained a purchase around the eagle's neck at all. He couldn't see anything past the eagle's belly.

They reached the shore. The moment it was close enough, the eagle dropped the net. It landed in the shallows. Dazed, Paul picked himself and Zhara up, saltwater burning his eyes and nose, just in time to see the eagle land hard on the ground, using the sudden force to throw Ilya off its back.

"Ilya, watch out!" Paul shouted.

It was too late.

As soon as the knight tumbled onto the shingle beach, the bird drove the tip of its wings at his chest. Ilya rolled over, but he was not fast enough. Tangled up in the net, Paul could only watch, helpless, as the eagle impaled Ilya in the back with its knifelike feathers.

There was a terrible scream. Paul didn't know if it was Ilya or himself or perhaps even Zhara. He didn't stop to think. He picked up the spear, slashed through the net, and ran at the eagle. The monstrous creature was just pulling its bloody feathers out of Ilya and turning toward Paul when he drove his spear at the medallion on its chest.

It wasn't like with Alyosha and Afron, perhaps because the armored eagle wasn't a living creature. The medallion didn't simply crack. It disintegrated, and along with it, the bird collapsed in on itself. Feather by feather, plate by plate, the metal crumpled like sheets of paper in an invisible fist, until nothing was left of the bird but a ball of crushed iron and copper. It took the spear along with it, and Paul had to let go of the shaft before it took his arms off as well.

Then the sea exploded behind him.

A dragon, a zmei, like the one he'd only seen in pictures, burst out of the water, its body covered in coppery green scales, green leathery wings dripping foam, three horned heads with gaping red mouths roaring at him. Before Paul could even feel fear or shock, the dragon reached out one of its legs and snatched Zhara from where she stood on the beach, its claws closing around her small body like a cage. It then flew toward the castle on top of the cliff and was gone in a blink of an eye, leaving only behind an echo of Zhara's panicked cry.

Paul stood stuck to the spot, watching the dwindling figure of the dragon as it disappeared into the castle. He was too stunned to move, too stunned to even fully realize what had just occurred.

A choking sound from Ilya snapped Paul out of his daze and sent him stumbling over the shingle. He knelt down by Ilya's side. The bogatyr had turned over on his back. His armor still looked intact from the front, but the growing dark pool underneath him and the red stains on his lips revealed the severity of his wound. The coal-black horse of Night stood by placidly, joined by its milky-white mate. Paul's hands shook as he helplessly reached out for Ilya, both wishing to offer the knight some comfort and afraid he was going to make things worse. He looked down the beach, searching for any sign of the house on chicken legs, but the cliffs stood in the way.

"Try to be still," he said to Ilya, surprised at how steady his voice was. "I'm fetching help."

"No..." The knight shook his head. A red bubble burst at the corner of his pale lips. "Go after the tsarevna. Help her." At some point during the fight with the eagle, he had lost his mace and his bow. Now he pressed his belt and Baba Yaga's quiver into Paul's hand. "You're the only one left now."

With that, Ilya's fingers went slack, and his eyelids fluttered shut.

Paul remained kneeling by the fallen knight for a moment longer. Then he got to his feet, trying to ignore the trembling of his limbs. Here it was, at long last, what he had always dreamed of. Here was his chance to be a hero. So why couldn't he feel anything other than crippling, sickening fear?

He knew now that if a coup were to occur in Russia, he might as well resign to his fate. He wouldn't be able to come to his mother's rescue as he had always imagined. He wouldn't even be able to save himself. Besides, he didn't care enough about his mother to risk his life for her, if it ever came to that. He had never cared about her. She was his mother in name only. He realized that with a strange sense of detachment—the thought of his mother no longer made him angry. Rather, he was a little sad about it, only it felt like he was sad for someone else, like he was watching another person's tragedy from afar, not his own.

But someone he did care about deeply was in danger, and he couldn't leave her to her murderous brother.

With a deep breath, Paul tightened Ilya's sword belt about his waist, strapped the quiver to his back, mounted the Day horse, and steered it toward the castle on top of the cliff.

***

The castle, its walls radiant like pearls under the sun, was deserted and silent as the rest of the coastline. The white horse circled the golden domes, before alighting on a high tower, its snowy coat blending it perfectly with the walls. Paul hid himself behind the battlements, and, from this vantage point, took in a sweeping view of the castle. Where could Zhara be? Illarion was preparing for some ritual, that much Paul knew, but whether it would take place in the dungeon or the topmost tower of the castle, he could not begin to guess.

Then he peered into the courtyard below, and his heart turned to ice in his chest. The dragon was curled up in front of the main entrance like a monstrous guard dog, a medallion glowing amongst its green scales, its three heads swiveling this way and that to watch out for any attempt to breach the castle. Even as Paul watched, one of those heads whipped around, fixing on the very tower where he was hiding with a baleful, suspicious gaze. Paul hastily ducked behind the battlements again, praying that the beast hadn't seen him.

No such luck. He didn't dare look down again, but he could hear the unmistakable clashing and scraping sounds that signified a dragon made of metal was slithering its way up the wall, trying to catch its prey by surprise.

What to do? There was a door leading from the battlement into the heart of the tower, but it was locked and barred; if he tried breaking the lock using Ilya's sword, the noise would surely draw the dragon's attention before he could get the lock open. He could try finding an open window and flying the horse to it, but again, the risk of being discovered was too great. No, he had to face the dragon. If only he still had the spear or even Ilya's bow, he could try shooting at the medallion. All he had now was the sword and a handful of arrows, and he'd be dead before he could get close enough to the dragon to use them.

Wait. Those were not all he had. He still had Elena's sleep-inducing herbs. Would they work on a creature that was made of metal? He had to try...

Trying to make as little noise as possible, Paul pulled the pouch of herbs and the skull out of his knapsack. After tying some herbs to an arrow, he removed the moss from one eye socket as Baba Yaga had told him. A spark of fire shot out, but the herbs, damp after his dip into the sea, refused to catch. The scraping sound was getting closer.

Cursing under his breath, Paul tried again. Blessed be the Saints, the herbs caught this time. Protecting his nose and mouth from the smoke with one hand, he threw the arrow haphazardly into the courtyard with the other, praying that it was enough to draw the dragon's attention.

And it was. As the arrow hit the flagstones with a soft clang, the scraping paused, then receded—the dragon was now crawling down to examine this new source of noise. Paul rapidly tied more herbs to arrows, set them on fire, and threw them down. Clang, clang, clang, clang. The smoke was now surrounding the dragon. Then he waited.

A dull crash, heavier than the clang of the arrows, told him that Elena's herbs had worked, even on a creature not of flesh and blood. Letting out a breath of relief, Paul got on the horse again. They flew into the courtyard, where the dragon now sprawled, its three tongues lolling out of its mouths. It was even snoring, with a sound like a boiling samovar.

Although it appeared asleep, Paul reminded himself to approach it with caution. He waited for the smoke from the herbs to dissipate before picking his way toward the dragon's heads, carefully stepping over the thick coils of its body until he was face to face with the medallion. Then, raising the sword above his head, he made his strike.

A harsh grating sound confused Paul. He looked down just in time to see the coils between his feet moved. He tumbled backward, the sword flying out of his hand, numbness reverberating throughout his body as his spine hit the flagstones. Iron claws swiped at him, and the numbness was replaced by an excruciating pain across his chest. The dragon, no longer asleep—whether because the smoke was gone, or because the smoke wasn't enough to keep it sleeping, or because it had never been asleep in the first place, he didn't know, and anyway, why does it matter now—bore down on him, all three mouths wide open like bowls of blood, showing fangs as big as daggers. He couldn't take in air, with the dragon's furnace-hot breath blasting him in the face and its weight pinning him to the ground, crushing him. He could only hope that he would lose consciousness from the lack of air before the dragon tore into him. Already black spots were swimming in front of his eyes.

This is it. I'm going to die here, like the useless, cowardly lump that I am.

Stop saying that you're useless, Zhara's soft voice sounded in his ears. He could feel her lips on his, her presence in his arms—had it only been the night before?

Paul's eyes snapped open. No, he couldn't give up. Zhara was depending on him.

Straining, he pulled his arm out of the dragon's grasp, screaming as the iron claws ripped through his old wound. He managed to close his fingers around the hilt of Ilya's sword lying nearby. Bringing the sword upward, he stabbed at the head closest to him, driving the sword through its chin. The dragon roared and wrenched away, exposing the medallion at its throat, where the three necks met. The moment he felt the weight upon him lifting, Paul jumped to his feet, pulled out his own broken sword, and rammed it into the medallion.

Just like the bird, the moment the medallion was destroyed, the dragon started imploding into a ball of molten metal. This time, Paul remembered to pull the sword out of the medallion, though Ilya's blade, lodged in one of the dragon's jaws, was lost.

Paul limped up the front staircase of the snow-white castle, toward the carved and gilded double doors, which were left ajar. He took slow, careful steps, partly because his ankle had been sprained when the dragon pulled him down, and partly because he didn't feel particularly brave, with only half a sword in his hand and a handful of arrows on his back, and he didn't know what other monsters or horrors the castle would have in store for him. But he continued anyway, putting one foot before another, spurred by a fire deep in his heart.

For all his caution, the castle seemed deserted. Unlike Afron's brilliantly painted fortress, the stronghold of Arthania was all lofty white walls, with decorations made out of amber or intricate carvings tastefully picked out in gold leaves. The late afternoon sunlight shone through tall windows, throwing patches of gold on the marble floor. The shuffling of Paul's feet and his heavy breaths were the only sounds echoing along the winding corridors, while he passed by door after half-opened door, leading into rooms decorated with more gold and amber, their color reminding him of Zhara's eyes.

Finally, after ascending a staircase flanked by giant marble columns, Paul arrived at another set of double doors, the only ones that remained closed in the entire castle. Something told him this was his destination.

"Hold on, Zhar-ptitsa," he whispered. "I'm coming."

He pushed open the doors and found himself in a throne room, all white and gold like the rest of the castle. A golden throne sat empty on a dais of white marble, in front of a floor-to-ceiling window facing the sea, framed by ivory velvet curtains embroidered with gold thread. A long table was placed just behind the throne, and a redheaded figure stood by it, bending down to examine the few items on the table.

"—recognize Gagana and Garafena, sister?" the figure was saying in the croaky voice of a boy who had just gone through puberty. "Our favorite childhood toys? Controlling metal toys is not nearly as fun as controlling a human being, but they have their use. I thought you'd like to be welcomed home by something familiar, now that Father and all your friends are gone—"

Hearing Paul's approach, the boy turned around.

"Ah. There is your gallant defender," he said. "I must admit, I didn't expect him to last this long."

Chapter 14

Taglist: @ali-r3n

[sjsmith56]

Complicated - Day 3

Summary: Waking up as a prisoner of the Russian mob, Bucky formulates an escape plan. Everything is wrapped up at the end. Or is it?

Length: 5.7 K

Characters: Bucky, Rita, Sam, Joaquin, Fury, Maria Hill.

Warnings: Violence, betrayal, disappointment.

Author notes: See after the story to avoid spoilers.

<<Day 1. <<Day 2.

🏍️ 🪜🚪

When Bucky opened his eyes, he wasn’t expecting to be strapped into the seat of a memory suppression machine in the lit center of a dark room. His first instinct was to struggle against the restraints, hoping to break them, but they seemed to be as strong as he was. Even his vibranium arm had no effect on the metal restraint that clamped his forearm in place. A chuckle attracted his attention, and he looked in the direction it came from.

“You won’t be able to break out of these restraints, Soldat,” said Alexei Markov, accompanied by an older, sterner-looking man. “After the fall of Sokovia we sent teams into the ruins of that country looking for even the most microscopic particles of vibranium. It took years to collect it but when you resurfaced with a vibranium arm we knew it would go to good use in your recapture.

“The machine won’t work,” said Bucky. “The Soldat is gone, the words are gone, and all your efforts will be for nothing. The Avengers will find me.”

“They’ll be too late, Soldat,” said the older man. “Did you really think that HYDRA only created one Winter Soldier in your mind? Nine were created, but only one was ever accessed. There are eight more Soldats waiting to be activated.”

“I don’t believe you,” replied Bucky.

The older man glanced at someone to the side who came into the light. He held several books, just like the book that Colonel Karpov always had at the ready whenever Bucky was thawed out and activated. They were all red but the stars on the front were different colours. A trickle of sweat came down the side of Bucky’s face as he felt a current of fear begin to run through his veins. The older man smirked then pulled the book at the top of the pile into his hands. It had a blue star on the cover.

“Soldat siniy,” he said. “The blue soldier. Start the memory wipe.”

“No,” growled Bucky, starting to struggle. “No, I won’t go back to that. I won’t do it.”

The chair reclined, as he continued to fight and proclaim his defiance until the metal headpiece trapped his head into place. Gritting his teeth, he screamed when the first charge coursed through him. He lost count of how many charges went through his brain but when they stopped, he had no strength left to fight them. His name was lost to him, his body was useless, and all he remembered was that the words would soon come that would bring the Soldat out of sleep.

“Toska, okislyat’, tridsat’, voskhod, pech’,vosem’, bezvrednyy, privychnyy, dva, lokomotiv.”

As each word was said, the chair righted itself and the headpiece raised to its original position, Bucky felt himself sink further and further into oblivion while the next Soldat emerged. When he was greeted by the older man, and responded with his usual “Ready to comply,” the two men looked at each other with satisfaction. All of the crime families, not just Russian, would soon be under their control now that they had the Winter Soldier doing their bidding.

The older man, the Pakhan, looked at the Soldat and nodded to another man who brought Rita forward. She had been witness to everything that just happened. Any hope she had of staying alive were dashed when she heard the next words, spoken in English.

“Soldat,” said the Pakhan. “Kill the woman.”

Raising himself deliberately to a standing position, the Soldat approached Rita, focused only on her with his dark, emotionless eyes.

“Bucky, no,” she whispered. “This isn’t you. You’re Bucky Barnes, an Avenger. Stop, please Bucky.”

His vibranium hand circled her throat and he smiled a deadly smile at how flexible this new appendage was compared to the bulky titanium one he used to have when he was first programmed. She continued to say the name Bucky as he began squeezing the life out of her.

“Bucky.” It was just a whisper in the darkness of the nightmare, but it was a tether that brought him back from where his mind had been. “Bucky, wake up.”

His eyes opened to the worried face of a woman, Rita … her name was Rita, and she was alive. He hadn’t killed her. For a moment he was flooded with a sense of relief, then of shame and disgust, but she touched his cheeks this time and her soft skin felt so nice on him that he nodded and shifted his body, from his back to lying on his side.

“Where are we?” he muttered.

“Not sure,” she whispered. “They put a hood on me when the jet landed and only took it off when they shoved me in here with you. Are you alright?”

“Not yet. I had a nightmare.”

He lifted his hands to rub his face, surprised he didn’t lash out and hurt her during his nightmare, especially since his wrists were immobilized in restraints. Doing the best he could Bucky rubbed his eyes then raised himself to a sitting position. He and Rita were in a darkened room, but it was day outside as evidenced by the thin streams of light that came through the cracks around the window coverings. She was watching him carefully and he almost reached out to touch her face to reassure her.

“Are you alright? Have they hurt you?”

She shook her head. “He didn’t touch me. Before they knocked you out, he called you Soldat.”

“They know who I am,” he replied. “I’m guessing he wants to use me, use my skills, probably to consolidate power for his family.” He looked closer at her. “I won’t do it willingly, but he’ll probably threaten to hurt or kill you to force me. I won’t let them do that.”

“I’m sorry I got you into this,” said Rita. She looked down briefly. “You helped me without question and now they’re going to make you their slave.”

He smiled softly at her. “They’ll try.” He looked closer at the restraints around his wrists. “Probably a titanium alloy. Strong but not unbreakable if I can get the right leverage.”

“What do you need?” she asked.

“Liquid nitrogen would be the best,” he grinned, knowing it wasn’t something lying around. “Heat, hot enough to weaken it, a steel beam that I could hit it against. I could continually bash it against the wall until it breaks against the vibranium in my arm but that would alert them.”

“You don’t want much, do you?”

He gazed at Rita, his eyes soft. “Let me try to see if I can break the lock apart.”

Looking around the room for something to brace the restraint against he saw a plumbing stack, thinking it might be a drain from the roof, and went over to it, testing its strength. It seemed fairly sturdy but with the force he would have to use to break the restraint it could bring them running. He looked up at the ceiling, noticing it was the standard drop ceiling often found in commercial installations. If he could make sure Rita was safe then he could free himself and take care of anyone who came through the door, without having to defend her at the same time.

“You afraid of heights?” he asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” she replied, looking up at the ceiling, where he had been looking. “You want me to go through the ceiling?”

He nodded. “I’ll boost you up in the corner and you can lift the panel. If we’re in a warehouse there will be a structure that supports the roof. It should be strong enough to support you. Look for a trap door opening to the roof or a vent that you climb into that comes out there. You’ll be safer up there than here.”

“It’s still quite a distance,” she said looking up. “I don’t know if I’m tall enough to reach it even if I stand on your shoulders.”

“I know I can jump it,” he replied, thinking for a moment. “If you piggyback onto me that will take you high enough and you can climb through the panel.” The look of incredulity on her face was extreme but she kept looking between Bucky and the corner ceiling panel. “I can do it, easily. Do you trust me?”

“More than I should, I think,” said Rita, grinning.

“Would you go out with me?” asked Bucky impulsively, trying to match her grin. “I’ll treat you right.”

“Do the last two days count?” He smiled in response to that, a genuine smile that touched her. “If we get out of this, I’ll go anywhere with you.”

She surprised Bucky with a kiss, and he closed his eyes, savouring the feel of her soft lips on his. All too soon she pulled away and stood up, walking over to the corner then looking at him again. She nodded and he approached, kneeling down so she could climb onto his back. Wrapping her arms securely around his neck, then adjusting them so she didn’t choke him, she took a deep breath.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Stepping back several steps Bucky ran and leaped up pushing aside the flimsy ceiling panel so that he could grasp the rafter that he hoped was above it. His hands were able to grasp something metal and he held on as Rita pushed the panel out of the way and lifted herself into the cavity.

“You’re right,” she said, excitedly, looking into the dim space. “There’re all sorts of metal roof trusses up here. I’ll have to stick to the edge as there’s a ledge here big enough to stand on.”

“Stay there, but put the panel back on,” said Bucky. “I’m going to try to break this restraint. If I have to fight them, you’re safer up here.”

“You’re coming back, right? I not going on without you,” she exclaimed, making him feel protective at the worry evident on her face.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he said. “But if I tell you to go you keep going, don’t look back. I can handle myself.”

“What if they taser you again?”

He gave her a grim smile but didn’t answer. Instead, he released his hold on the metal bracing, dropping back down to the floor. Looking up at her, he watched as she put the panel back into place. While she sat in the roof space, he approached the plumbing stack, then raised his restrained wrists, trying to figure out the angle that would hopefully do the most damage. Raising them over his head he struck the plumbing stack twice, hearing a crack. He pulled his wrists apart and heard another crack then the device broke apart just as the door opened and two guards came in. Throwing the broken pieces into their faces Bucky followed through with punches to their heads, knocking one of them out immediately and staggering the other. Before the other man could recover Bucky kicked him into the wall imbedding him in it. He placed two more punches knocking him out. Briefly looking out the door he didn’t see anyone, so he closed it and wedged both men against it. Quickly, he checked them for weapons, finding two handguns, which he shoved into his waistband, and a couple of knives, slipping them into his boots. They each had a cell phone, so he used the thumbprint of its owner to open one while he crushed the other. With the unlocked one in his hand, he dialled Sam, getting an answer within seconds.

“Sam, it’s me,” he said immediately without giving him a chance to answer. “Stolen phone. I’m going to leave the line open so you can trace it as I have no idea where we are. Gotta go.” He looked up at the corner. “Rita, I’m coming up.”

She pulled the ceiling panel out of the way, and he easily jumped up, leaving the phone on the ledge so the phone call would stay open. Placing the ceiling panel back into place he looked at Rita, smiling in triumph. Then he scanned the space they were in.

“I think there’s a door to the roof over there,” she said, pointing to a position on the far side of the building that was lit up by a glow from below. “I don’t think there’s a ceiling in that portion.”

“You’re right,” he replied. “That ladder against the wall leads to it. I’ll have to destroy it so they can’t follow us up.” He touched her arm. “You ready?”

She began working her way along the ledge, while he jumped from truss to truss. They heard a yell from where they had been then could hear orders being given in Russian to find them. Since they were still obscured, they kept moving, trying to keep their movement as quiet as they could. Finally, they reached the edge of the open area where the ladder to the roof door was located and peeked over the edge.

“Hurry, get to the door,” he whispered.

They had about 20 feet to get to it when someone yelled from the open area below them. Turning towards them Bucky used his vibranium arm to shield Rita as a couple of the men took potshots at them, then returned fire with one of the handguns, making the men below take cover. They fired back; the bullets hitting the steel beam, but he managed to divert the others with his metal arm until he was hit in the leg, making it buckle beneath him. Rita called out to him, but he still shielded her.

“Get to the door,” he insisted. “I can manage.”

“No, not without you,” she said, starting to come closer to him, reminding him of when Steve rescued him from the HYDRA facility in Austria.

A bullet hit a truss near her and ricocheted, making her duck, her face angry when she did.

“Damn it, Rita.” Bucky looked over at her. “Get to the door and get outside. Please. I’m coming, but you need to be safe first.”

Reluctantly, she continued working her way towards it then reached out to the ladder attached to the wall and began climbing up towards the door. When Bucky joined her, he looked down at the ladder in frustration, knowing they would send men up.

“Keep going, I’ll kick it away from the wall,” he said.

As she made her way through the door, he leaned back on the edge of it for leverage then began kicking the ladder away from the wall. One side came away and Bucky kept working at the other side as one of the Russians was climbing up. At least with him climbing they stopped shooting at Bucky, not wanting to risk hitting their own man. Slowly, the ladder began to loosen, and Bucky alternated both feet, working the metal away from the wall. The other side broke free from where it was secured and Bucky kept kicking at it, making it bend away. As the Russian reached that section of the ladder, he hesitated, unsure whether it would hold him. Taking that as his cue to leave Bucky stood up and went through the door to the roof. He slammed the door down then looked on the roof for something heavy enough to keep it closed, tearing an air conditioning unit from its mounting and dragging it over, preventing the door from being opened. Grasping Rita’s hand, they ran towards where there was more cover and huddled beside another air conditioning unit.

“Let me look at your wound,” said Rita.

“It’s nothing,” replied Bucky. “Once the bullet is out it will heal within hours.” He could see she didn’t believe him. “It’s a super soldier thing.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Yeah, but I can take it.” He smiled at her. “You did good down there, kept your cool. You’d make a good agent.” He looked down at his hands then at her again. “Did you mean what you said about following me anywhere?”

Rita seemed embarrassed. “I left a good job to follow Jason on his goal of becoming a professional poker player. He wasn’t the best man I ever committed to, but he was far from the worst, as bad as that sounds. What you’ve done for me in the last couple of days has been more than any other man I’ve been with.” She looked him straight in the eye. “How do you feel about me?”

They noticed a shadow pass over them, looking up in time to see Sam landing right beside them followed immediately by Joaquin.

“Fancy meeting you here,” joked Sam. “Leaving the phone open was a good idea. It led us straight to this place. Just waiting on the special forces squad to arrive as this whole dock area is crawling with mafia and we need the manpower. You up to helping?”

“He was shot in the leg,” said Rita.

“I’m fine,” countered Bucky. “It hardly hurts.”

“Is he always this stubborn?” she asked.

Bucky said no, while Sam and Joaquin both blurted out yes at the same time, making Rita laugh.

“You get used to it,” said Sam, then he lifted his head and looked off into the distance. “Roger that.” He turned back to the others. “Special forces are here. Torres can take Rita to the quinjet. You good to jump down or do you want an assist?”

“I’ll take the assist,” replied Bucky then put his hand on Rita’s arm before she went to Torres. “Stay in the quinjet and I’ll see you after.” He kissed her, as Sam and Joaquin rolled their eyes a little. “That’s how I feel about you.”

Joaquin held his arms out to Rita as Bucky moved towards Sam. “I won’t let you go,” he said, picking her up bridal style. As he rose up in the air, she cried out a little at the sensation of flying in his arms. “It’s okay. Sarge will kill me if I drop you.”

“Sarge?” she asked.

Joaquin grinned. “Yeah, he was a sergeant back in the day. Still in the reserves, I think. Definitely still capable as a soldier.”

As she was flown to the perimeter that had been set up around the dock area, Sam reached inside his chest pocket and came out with a comms piece for Bucky.

“So, you like her?” he asked, grinning while Bucky took a moment to insert the comms in his ear, and check the guns that he took from the two Russians.

“She handled herself well,” he replied, not wanting to meet his partner’s eyes at first, then he sighed. “She kissed me once and yeah; I liked the kiss and I like her. We had a few close emotional moments, none of them sexual. I didn’t ask her to do anything she was uncomfortable or afraid to do.”

“I was going to give you the warning to not expect a lasting relationship based on an intense shared emotional experience,” said Sam, “but that would sound like something Dr. Raynor would say.” Bucky glared at him. “But if you can match it with a physical attraction and a certain amount of friendship there’s likely no reason you can’t build on that foundation. It’s called Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you might have a chance at something good with her,” said Sam. “She gives off good vibes.”

Both of them stopped bantering as a voice that Bucky recognized as Nick Fury’s dryly asked if they were finished their chat. Acknowledging that they were ready, the order to attack the various buildings inside the perimeter was given. Bucky looped his arm around Sam’s neck as he lifted off then removed it when the flyer was about ten feet off the ground, easily landing upright on his feet after he was dropped.

Several more Avengers, and a special forces unit were getting into position near the entries into the various warehouses. Approaching the closest one Bucky was acknowledged, and they burst through the door with weapons blazing.

About half a mile away Joaquin landed, gently letting Rita down then he took off into the sky. The ramp to the quinjet lowered to where an attractive dark-haired woman with a headset on appeared and gestured for her to come up. A man dressed in black with an eye-patch was inside in front of a row of monitors barking out orders.

“Miss Harmon?” asked the woman. “I’m Maria Hill. This is Nick Fury … Avengers boss. If you could sit here, we’ll get this raid done and over with. He wants to have a chat with you about your future.”

Doing as she was told Rita sat and watched the whole operation as it unfolded from the monitors, realizing that the Avenger operatives were all wearing body cameras, plus both of the winged men had them on remote units they controlled. She watched the several screens showing the different locations where an Avenger with special forces support were taking on gunmen. Occasionally, she would get a good look at Bucky in action, actually witnessing his strength and physicality on display for the first time. It was a revelation that confirmed what Torres said about Bucky’s capabilities as a soldier. It was also hotter than anything she had ever witnessed. She was interrupted by Fury suddenly barking out an order.

“We have a location on the Pakhan. If you’re anywhere near the stack of blue sea cans with a Hanjin logo get over there.”

She saw both Sam and Bucky change direction and head towards the area. Bucky was holding a machine gun, obviously taken from one of the Russians. Watching as Sam flew above and directed Bucky to where the boss of the Russian mafia family was with his bodyguards, even while he took fire from the ground, she suddenly blurted out her own observation.

“They’re circling behind Bucky. Cap needs to take them out.”

Fury looked back at her, as if he couldn’t believe she was telling him what to do. “You heard that? Barnes, watch your six. Cap, leave the Pakhan for a moment, and take out those who are trying to contain Barnes.”

She watched, fascinated, as Sam dealt with those gunmen behind Bucky while he kept advancing on the Pakhan. When he came around a sea can one of the bodyguards took a shot at him, which Bucky responded to with a short burst that hit the man, sending him down to the ground. The other bodyguard put himself in front of the older man as they both backed up to where a vehicle was. Knowing they would escape if they got in the car Bucky shot out the tire, causing the Pakhan to shake his fist at Bucky and yell something in Russian at him. Bucky yelled something back which made Fury and Hill smirk. It was obvious to Rita that they could understand Russian. As if he heard her ask what was said, Fury turned to Rita.

“The Pakhan said that was a $10,000 tire. Barnes told him for that price it should have been bulletproof instead of blowing just as easily as a $100 one. He got ripped off. The old man didn’t like that.”

His attention returned to the screens as team after team reported their objectives had been achieved. It was down to Bucky, the Pakhan and the bodyguard but Fury didn’t look worried. In fact, he looked impatient.

“Barnes, we’re already wrapping up everyone else,” he said. “You going to keep playing with him?”

“His people have been on my tail since Tuesday,” replied the super soldier. “I’m enjoying making him sweat a bit but if you really want me to reel him in, I can. Sam? Can you take the bodyguard for a ride?”

“Now you’re talking,” said the winged man, who swooped over the Pakhan, releasing a tether that caught the bodyguard around his ankle, yanking him up into the air for an upside-down flight. Bucky came out from his cover, advancing towards the head of the Russian mafia family. The man pulled a gun out from his jacket, firing at Bucky, who calmly put his vibranium hand out and deflected the bullets before standing in front of him and grabbing the gun out his hand. He said something to the man and this time Hill translated.

“One less Russian rat to trap,” she repeated.

“Is he always that calm and cool?” asked Rita, not quite believing that Bucky had just casually deflected bullets as if it were no big deal.

Fury shrugged. “He does get angry sometimes. I’m guessing he didn’t want you to see that part of him as it can be frightening.”

Bucky took the Pakhan’s arm and marched him back out to the open where he was taken into custody. Sam landed beside him, a big grin on his face, which disappeared when Bucky made two quick hand signals to him, signals that were noticed by Fury, as the super soldier then spoke.

“Have all the buildings on this dock under the Pakhan’s control been fully checked yet?”

The one-eyed man frowned at the question, seeing how tense Bucky looked on Sam’s video cam. Maria barked an order into her headset for a quick check of all buildings. As the different body cams showed the teams going through the structures again, they took fire inside a large plain concrete block building drawing the others to the action. Once the enemy was subdued, a body cam showed a door that was marked with Russian words in the Cyrillic alphabet and an outline of a star. Both Fury and Maria swore when they saw it and relayed the location to Bucky and Sam. Even from the screen Rita could see the look exchanged between the two men as they approached the building.

“What is it?” she asked. “What does it say on that door?”

Fury turned to Rita, giving her a different look that seemed colder and more calculating.

“It’s classified,” he said, then nodded at Maria. “Deep shadow conditions.”

“Understood,” she said, entering some commands on a keyboard. “Miss Harmon, we’re going to relocate you away from the command center. It’s for your own safety.” Two men in security gear appeared at the ramp. “Please go with them.”

“I don’t understand,” protested Rita.

“Let’s just say there are things about James Buchanan Barnes that aren’t well known,” said Fury. “If he wants you to know he’ll tell you, not us.” He glared at the two men. “Please escort Miss Harmon off the quinjet.”

When she left and was out of earshot, Fury turned back to the screen. “When did you know?” he asked Bucky.

“When I saw the Pakhan I knew for sure,” said Bucky. “There were lots of little things that didn’t seem suspicious on their own but taken together I knew something wasn’t quite right. She must have had a cell phone all along and kept them tracking us. Gudonov found us too easily which means they knew my bike already. More suspicions when the semi-trucks found us on the highway, and boxed us in. She wouldn’t leave me even though I asked her to run while I kept them busy, after running away from the church so easily. She didn’t seem to be very afraid of Markov when he took her into the limousine, even though she knew that he personally killed her boyfriend. They left us together in a poorly guarded room in the warehouse and had gunmen who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn as they shot at us, because they weren’t even trying. The clincher was the Pakhan. I recognized him from a nightmare I had in the warehouse which means it was also a memory.”

“They wanted the Winter Soldier at their beck and call, except it didn’t work,” said Fury. “Hill, confirm Rita Harmon’s identity. Barnes, it’s up to you whether you want to open that door. It might be like opening Pandora’s Box.”

“I’ll do it,” he said. “If they have the books then I should be the one to burn them.”

“Alright, Cap, you go with him.”

“As if he had a choice,” replied Sam.

The two men entered the plain concrete block building that sat in the middle of the complex. Several other of the Avengers were there, nodding their support at Bucky as he walked past them towards the door, with the warning in Russian. Winter Star Lab. Authorized personnel only. The door was locked but Bucky punched the lock with his left fist, and it disconnected slightly, allowing him to pull it open. An overhead light came on as he stepped inside, and he was immediately taken back to the fluorescent lighting in many of the HYDRA labs; it’s artificial look making him feel queasy. More lights came on and he saw it completely then, another memory suppressing machine just like those that were used to shock his brain into something more pliable, something that would accept the Winter Soldier programming, except this one had vibranium restraints. He must have stood there for some time staring at it as Sam suddenly spoke.

“You alright?”

“No, I’m not alright,” replied Bucky. “This is nightmare stuff for me. How did they find out about the other Winter Soldier personalities?”

“They must have someone from HYDRA on their payroll,” said Sam. “They wouldn’t know that Shuri deactivated all of them by trial and error.”

“They put me through it, Sam,” stated Bucky. “I had a nightmare in that other warehouse, that they unlocked the second Winter Soldier and had me kill Rita. I was so relieved when I saw her that I didn’t panic. It wasn’t until I saw the Pakhan and recognized him from my dream that I realized it was a memory, a recent memory, except they didn’t activate me so maybe I imagined that part which made me think it was a dream.”

“But you woke up as yourself and she realized it didn’t take. So, she had a backup plan … to make you love her. Maybe, in her twisted mind she figured she could corrupt the real you by keeping you on the run for a bit longer and bind you to her.”

Bucky looked like he wanted to vomit and ran the back of his hand slowly across his mouth, as if to wipe away a bad taste. Sam stepped towards a locked cabinet and tugged on the handle then turned to Bucky, who yanked the door off. Inside were eight red books and this time Bucky did get sick, lurching towards a waste basket and spewing whatever was left in his stomach from his last meal.

“Confirm the books’ contents,” said Fury, then added. “When you’re ready.”

With a look of distaste on his face Bucky picked up the one with the blue star, flipping through it, then quickly going through the others.

“Confirmed,” he said. “Where did they find them?”

“Same place they found out about the other eight Soldats,” said Fury. “We’re going to have to interrogate her for that information. I can get a telepath ….”

“Let me have a try first,” said Bucky. “Sam, make sure these books aren’t seen by anyone else. I want to burn them myself.”

“What about the machine?” asked the winged man, gesturing to the black contraption behind them.

“I’ll pull it apart. Get a box for the vibranium pieces and return them to Wakanda. Then take the other pieces to a scrap metal place and make sure they’re melted down.”

As Sam searched for a couple of boxes, Bucky tore the machine apart, making sure that it looked nothing like what it was before. He picked up the vibranium pieces, putting them into one of the boxes while Sam put the books into the other. The two men left the lab and Bucky handed off the box of vibranium to Joaquin who was waiting outside. Several SHIELD agents entered the building to pick up the scrap metal of the now destroyed machine. While Sam and Joaquin returned to the quinjet with the others, Bucky walked to another building where Rita was under the guard of two SHIELD security agents. Outside the door Nick Fury stood, waiting for Bucky’s arrival. He looked sympathetically at the super soldier who stopped in front of his boss.

“I’m not going to hurt her, if you’re worried about that,” he said calmly, then he reached for the knife in his boot. “But I am going to make her very afraid so that talking to you will seem like a relief.”

“We used a telepath on Gudonov,” said Fury. “Her real name is Ekaterina Harnovsky, wife of Alexei Markov, American born of Russian parents, arranged marriage to pay off a debt. At least that part was true. Jason Tierney was a poker player they killed because he couldn’t pay his debt. He apparently was a regular at the diner you always stop at when you go to Delacroix by road. I guess he mentioned you were often there, and they likely hatched up the plan to bring you in. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. If she had been the real thing, you could have had a good relationship.”

“Yeah,” replied Bucky, sounding unconvinced. Then he gave out a big sigh. “I better get on with it. It might take me a while to get over this.”

“Go back to Delacroix after,” said Fury. “Burn the books, take a week, more if you need it. The world will keep turning without you standing guard over it for a bit.”

Bucky nodded, then stepped past the man in black, opened the door to the office and waited while the two security agents left. With one last look at Fury, giving him a grim smile, he closed the door. Sometimes, a man had to do what had to be done. Didn’t mean he liked it.

💔 💔 💔

Author notes: Yearning, oxidize, thirty, sunrise, stove, eight, harmless, familiar, two, locomotive – words for the next iteration of the Winter Soldier, variations on a theme. Each of the subsequent soldiers would have had similar synonyms tailored for that personality, with the number of the personality (both backwards and forwards) in the sixth and ninth words in each command string.

The military hand signals Bucky gave to Sam and recognized by Fury and likely Hill indicated Hostage Enemy. Since Rita was the hostage, it would be the quickest way for Bucky to signal she wasn’t legit. She was very much a method actor with her performance knowing Bucky, with his skills, could see through her if she wasn’t convincing enough.

“Deep shadow conditions” is an “Easter egg” to Captain America and the Winter Soldier when Fury is being chased through Manhattan and he contacts Hill, giving her that phrase. It means the situation is changing quickly and you’re needed. In the context with identifying the Hostage as an Enemy it was also Fury’s way of getting Hill to put Rita into custody without letting on that they knew about her.

I really did try to give it a happy ending, but the story just kept pushing me towards Rita being part of it.

Short Fiction Masterlist

Please like, comment, or reblog if you liked this story.

[cosmonautroger]

Globos Imp, Voskhod 1, 1964

[na77ator]

Berkut Space Suit Scale model 1:1 PLANT PO BOX №1052 GKAT (ZVEZDA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE) BEGINNING OF DEVELOPMENT: 1964. WEIGHT: 20 KG (INCLUDING LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM: 41.5 KG) The Berkut was the first space suit designed for extravehicular activity. It was in this suit that on March 18, 1965, Alexey Leonov became the first person in history who did a spacewalk. The cosmonaut spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft. The space suit was used not only for extravehicular activity, but also as a protective suit during launch and landing. The estimated operating time of the space suit in a depressurised cabin was 4 hours. During spacewalk it could operate 45 minutes

Museum of Cosmonautics (Moscow)

[identifying-spacecraft-in-posts]

OKB-1 (Special Design Bureau) Voskhod 2 (Sunrise 2)

The Sun rises over Earth in a postcard illustrated by Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, recalling the 1965 mission when he became the first human to walk in space.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.12 (before 1970)

539 BC – The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon, ending the Babylonian empire. (Julian calendar) 633 – Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed by an alliance under Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Gwynedd. 1279 – The Nichiren Shōshū branch of Buddhism is founded in Japan. 1398 – In the Treaty of Salynas, Lithuania cedes Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights. 1406 – Chen Yanxiang, the only person from Indonesia known to have visited dynastic Korea, reaches Seoul after having set out from Java four months before. 1492 – Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island. (Julian calendar) 1654 – The Delft Explosion devastates the city in the Netherlands, killing more than 100 people. 1692 – The Salem witch trials are ended by a letter from Province of Massachusetts Bay Governor William Phips. 1748 – War of Jenkins' Ear: A British squadron wins a tactical victory over a Spanish squadron off Havana. 1773 – America's first insane asylum opens. 1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day is held in New York City. 1793 – The cornerstone of Old East, the oldest state university building in the United States, is laid at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1798 – Flemish and Luxembourgish peasants launch the rebellion against French rule known as the Peasants' War. 1799 – Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse becomes the first woman to jump from a balloon with a parachute. 1810 – The citizens of Munich hold the first Oktoberfest in celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Louis of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. 1822 – Pedro I of Brazil is proclaimed the emperor. 1849 – The city of Manizales, Colombia, is founded by 'The Expedition of the 20'. 1856 – An M 7.7–8.3 earthquake off the Greek island of Crete cause major damage as far as Egypt and Malta. 1871 – The British in India enact the Criminal Tribes Act, naming many local communities "Criminal Tribes". 1890 – Uddevalla Suffrage Association is formed. 1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance is first recited by students in many US public schools. 1901 – President Theodore Roosevelt officially renames the "Executive Mansion" to the White House. 1909 – Foundation of Coritiba Foot Ball Club. 1915 – World War I: British nurse Edith Cavell is executed by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium. 1917 – World War I: The First Battle of Passchendaele takes place resulting in the largest single-day loss of life in New Zealand history. 1918 – A massive forest fire kills 453 people in Minnesota. 1928 – An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Boston Children's Hospital. 1933 – The military Alcatraz Citadel becomes the civilian Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. 1944 – World War II: The Axis occupation of Athens comes to an end. 1945 – World War II: Desmond Doss is the first conscientious objector to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor. 1945 – The Lao Issara took control of Laos' government and reaffirmed the country's independence. 1959 – At the national congress of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance in Peru, a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party who later form APRA Rebelde. 1960 – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe on a desk at the United Nations to protest a Philippine assertion. 1962 – The Columbus Day Storm strikes the U.S. Pacific Northwest with record wind velocities. There was at least U.S. $230 million in damages and 46 people died. 1963 – After nearly 23 years of imprisonment, Reverend Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit missionary, was released from the Soviet Union. 1964 – The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew, and the first flight without pressure suits. 1967 – A bomb explodes on board Cyprus Airways Flight 284 while flying over the Mediterranean Sea, killing 66. 1968 – Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain.

[catherine-media]

Walking Above the Air: The Captivating Evolution of Spacewalks

Spacewalks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs), represent some of the most breathtaking moments in human space exploration. While they are visually stunning and technically remarkable, not every spacewalk unfolds without challenges—from astronauts getting stuck in hatches to losing tools or facing near-drowning incidents.

The upcoming Polaris Dawn mission by SpaceX marks a potential milestone in commercial spaceflight: the first spacewalk by a private citizen. Billionaire Jared Isaacman, a major funder of the mission, aims to become the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a private spacewalk outside SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The mission is set to reach an altitude of approximately 870 miles (1,400 km), making it the highest crewed spaceflight since the Apollo missions over 50 years ago. Isaacman’s spacewalk, scheduled at a lower orbit of around 434 miles (700 km), will be accompanied by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis. Both will wear SpaceX's new spacesuits, featuring helmet displays and mounted cameras.

However, the Crew Dragon capsule lacks an airlock, necessitating full depressurization of the capsule before exiting. This, combined with the use of new spacesuits, introduces additional risks for the crew.

Spacewalks have come a long way since the first historic event nearly 60 years ago. Here’s a look back at some of the most notable moments in the history of spacewalks:

The First Spacewalk

On March 18, 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to walk in space, stepping outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft through an inflatable airlock. Although Leonov spent 12 minutes in space tethered to the spacecraft, his mission faced challenges. His spacesuit became rigid in the vacuum of space, hindering movement and photography. He also struggled to re-enter the spacecraft and had to reduce the suit’s pressure to fit through the hatch, resulting in his spacesuit being soaked with sweat.

The First American Spacewalk

Just over two months later, on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to step outside a spacecraft during the Gemini 4 mission. Using a hand-held oxygen-jet gun, White maneuvered outside the capsule for 23 minutes. The gun’s fuel depletion forced him to move by tugging on a tether. Tragically, White would die in the Apollo 1 fire less than two years later.

The First Space 'Selfie'

During the Gemini XII mission in November 1966, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin not only contributed to the mission’s success but also took what is considered the first space "selfie." Aldrin’s photo, captured with a camera mounted on the edge of the spacecraft hatch, shows Earth in the background and has become an iconic image in space exploration history.

Untethered Spacewalk

In 1984, Bruce McCandless II performed the first untethered spacewalk using a nitrogen-propelled Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU). During the STS-41-B Space Shuttle Mission, McCandless floated 91 meters (300 feet) from the Shuttle Challenger, showcasing the MMU’s capabilities and setting a new precedent for space mobility.

Space Salvage with a Twist

Later in 1984, astronauts Dale Gardner and Joseph Allen conducted the first space salvage mission, retrieving faulty satellites from orbit. Using the MMU, Allen maneuvered to the Palapa B-2 satellite, which had failed to reach its intended orbit, and inserted a capture device to stabilize it. The mission, dubbed a "scrap-yard salvage," successfully returned the satellites to the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay.

These historic spacewalks illustrate the human spirit’s resilience and innovation in exploring the vastness of space. With each new mission, astronauts continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, paving the way for future achievements in space exploration.

[marketinsight1234]

Russia Industrial Valve Market 2030 Business Insights with Key Trend Analysis

An essential component of the nation's industrial infrastructure is the Russian industrial valve market. Valves are essential for managing the flow of gases and liquids in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and power production. The expansion of these industries as well as the requirement to update and modernize current facilities have an impact on Russia's need for industrial valves.

The rise in investments in industrial projects and infrastructure development has led to a steady growth in the Russian valve industry in recent years. Russia's energy sector has been a major driver of valve demand due to its large supplies of gas and oil.

In order to capitalize on the rising demand, international businesses have also recognized the potential of the Russian valve market and have partnered or entered into joint ventures with regional producers. The market does face certain difficulties, though, such as the requirement to adhere to international quality standards and complicated regulations.

Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report:

Updated Version 2024 is available our Sample Report May Includes the:

Scope For 2024

Brief Introduction to the research report.

Table of Contents (Scope covered as a part of the study)

Top players in the market

Research framework (structure of the report)

Research methodology adopted by Worldwide Market Reports

Leading players involved in the Russia Industrial Valve Market include:

PTPA (Russia), TMK (Russia), Zhejiang Mofeng Valve (China), Nemak (Mexico), Severstal (Russia), Evraz (Russia), Mechel (Russia), Pipe Metallurgical Company (Russia), Tube-Roll (Russia), Metallurgica Ural (Russia), Mechanical Engineering Plant (Russia), Voskhod (Russia), Krasny Kotelshchik (Russia), Krasnoyarsk Pipe Plant (Russia), Severstal-Metiz (Russia), Cherepovets Pipe Plant (Russia), TMK-Izhora (Russia), MMK-Armco (Russia), Severstal-Auto (Russia), TMK-Resurs (Russia) and other major key players. 

Moreover, the report includes significant chapters such as Patent Analysis, Regulatory Framework, Technology Roadmap, BCG Matrix, Heat Map Analysis, Price Trend Analysis, and Investment Analysis which help to understand the market direction and movement in the current and upcoming years. 

If You Have Any Query Russia Industrial Valve Market Report, Visit:

Segmentation of Russia Industrial Valve Market:

By Type

Ball

Globe

Gate

Butterfly

Plug

Check

By Material

Steel

Brass

Bronze

Cast Iron

Plastic

By Size

< 1”

1”–6”

6”–25”

25”–50”

50”

By Application

Oil & Gas

Power

Energy

Chemical

Water & Waste Treatment

By Function

On/Off

Control

Isolation

Special Purpose

Highlights from the report:

Market Study: It includes key market segments, key manufacturers covered, product range offered in the years considered, Global Russia Industrial Valve Market, and research objectives. It also covers segmentation study provided in the report based on product type and application.

Market Executive Summary: This section highlights key studies, market growth rates, competitive landscape, market drivers, trends, and issues in addition to macro indicators.

Market Production by Region: The report provides data related to imports and exports, revenue, production and key players of all the studied regional markets are covered in this section.

Russia Industrial Valve Market Profiles of Top Key Competitors: Analysis of each profiled Roll Hardness Tester market player is detailed in this section. This segment also provides SWOT analysis of individual players, products, production, value, capacity, and other important factors.

If you require any specific information that is not covered currently within the scope of the report, we will provide the same as a part of the customization.

Acquire This Reports: -

About Us:

We are technocratic market research and consulting company that provides comprehensive and data-driven market insights. We hold the expertise in demand analysis and estimation of multidomain industries with encyclopedic competitive and landscape analysis. Also, our in-depth macro-economic analysis gives a bird's eye view of a market to our esteemed client. Our team at Pristine Intelligence focuses on result-oriented methodologies which are based on historic and present data to produce authentic foretelling about the industry. Pristine Intelligence's extensive studies help our clients to make righteous decisions that make a positive impact on their business. Our customer-oriented business model firmly follows satisfactory service through which our brand name is recognized in the market.

Contact Us:

Office No 101, Saudamini Commercial Complex,

Right Bhusari Colony,

Kothrud, Pune,

Maharashtra, India - 411038 (+1) 773 382 1049 +91 - 81800 - 96367

Email: sales@pristineintelligence.com

[whirligig-girl]

So, Sputnik and Apollo might be the soviet and USA's most well known space programs, but they are not analogous to one another.

inexhaustive list:

Sputnik (first ever artificial satellite (soviet) = "Fellow Traveller" vs Explorer (first u.s. artificial satellite; first scientific satellite).

Vostok (first crewed orbiter (soviet)) = "East" (this is the one Yuri Gagarin flew on) vs Mercury (first american crewed suborbital; later orbiter(USA) = Mercury (the fast Messenger god; a planet) spacecraft on Redstone and Atlas rockets.

Voskhod (larger, multi-crew orbiter(soviet)) = "Sunrise" or just "rise (in the astronomical sense)" vs Gemini (larger, multi-crew orbiter(USA)) = Constellation of the Twins; launched on Titan rockets (named for the powerful mythological beings)

Soyuz (the larger still multi-crew orbiter still used today(soviet/russian) = "Union" vs Apollo Command/Service Module (USA) = God who carried the sun across the sky; on the Saturn family rockets (named for the god of time or just the 6th planet.)

Luna (Lunar robotic probe) = "Moon" vs Ranger, Surveyor, and Mariner programs of the U.S.A.

Venera (Venus robotic probe) = "Venus" (Mars was just Mars) vs Mariner program of the USA.

Lunokhod (Lunar rover) = "Moonwalker" vs like... the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle? I dont think space-race era usa ever landed robotic moon rovers.

Salyut (Crewed civilian space stations) = "Salute" and Almaz (Crewed military space stations) = "Diamond" vs the huge USA Saturn S-IVB-turned-space-station Skylab

Mir (large modular space station) = "peace" or "world" vs the unbuilt US station "Freedom." (the conceptual Mir-2 and Freedom stations were combined into the International Space Station after the fall of the soviet union)

The American Space Shuttle Orbiter (Space Transportation System), with individual reusable ships titled Enterprise (after the fictional starship), Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor. vs the Soviet Buran shuttle project = "Snowstorm"/"Blizzard." Enterprise is most analogous to Buran; since both were only ever experimental test articles (although IIRC Buran actually flew in space unlike Enterprise).

Even when we compare apples to red apples instead of oranges to apples, there's still this difference between a grounded, friendly sounding name versus something grand and important. like yes, Explorer-1, you are exploring, but don't get too cocky you are after all just sweeping through the earth's radiation belts with a geiger counter.

When the soviet union named spacecrafts for celestial objects, it's because that's where it's going. Ranger and Mariner bring vibes of outdoorsy adventurers; Surveyor is the only one of the american robotic probes that feels delightfully, accurately, nerdy.

Anyway. uh. where's the Enterprise x Buran forbidden love yuri art? Where's the uh. the um. the sloppy makeout between Mir and Freedom? Where's the Apollo/Soyuz shipping? ok we actually DO have that one...

ok now kiss lol.

Love the contrast between the Americans’ “Apollo” and the Soviets’ “Sputnik.” You got the Americans naming their rocket after a Greek god trying to communicate the grandness and importance of this rocket. And you got the Soviets naming their rocket “fellow traveler.” Like a friend you go on an  adventure with together. This rocket is our little friend lol 

[marketdevelopment]

Russia Industrial Valve Market 2030 Business Insights with Key Trend Analysis

An essential component of the nation's industrial infrastructure is the Russian industrial valve market. Valves are essential for managing the flow of gases and liquids in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and power production. The expansion of these industries as well as the requirement to update and modernize current facilities have an impact on Russia's need for industrial valves.

The rise in investments in industrial projects and infrastructure development has led to a steady growth in the Russian valve industry in recent years. Russia's energy sector has been a major driver of valve demand due to its large supplies of gas and oil.

In order to capitalize on the rising demand, international businesses have also recognized the potential of the Russian valve market and have partnered or entered into joint ventures with regional producers. The market does face certain difficulties, though, such as the requirement to adhere to international quality standards and complicated regulations.

Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report:

Updated Version 2024 is available our Sample Report May Includes the:

Scope For 2024

Brief Introduction to the research report.

Table of Contents (Scope covered as a part of the study)

Top players in the market

Research framework (structure of the report)

Research methodology adopted by Worldwide Market Reports

Leading players involved in the Russia Industrial Valve Market include:

PTPA (Russia), TMK (Russia), Zhejiang Mofeng Valve (China), Nemak (Mexico), Severstal (Russia), Evraz (Russia), Mechel (Russia), Pipe Metallurgical Company (Russia), Tube-Roll (Russia), Metallurgica Ural (Russia), Mechanical Engineering Plant (Russia), Voskhod (Russia), Krasny Kotelshchik (Russia), Krasnoyarsk Pipe Plant (Russia), Severstal-Metiz (Russia), Cherepovets Pipe Plant (Russia), TMK-Izhora (Russia), MMK-Armco (Russia), Severstal-Auto (Russia), TMK-Resurs (Russia) and other major key players. 

Moreover, the report includes significant chapters such as Patent Analysis, Regulatory Framework, Technology Roadmap, BCG Matrix, Heat Map Analysis, Price Trend Analysis, and Investment Analysis which help to understand the market direction and movement in the current and upcoming years. 

If You Have Any Query Russia Industrial Valve Market Report, Visit:

Segmentation of Russia Industrial Valve Market:

By Type

Ball

Globe

Gate

Butterfly

Plug

Check

By Material

Steel

Brass

Bronze

Cast Iron

Plastic

By Size

< 1”

1”–6”

6”–25”

25”–50”

50”

By Application

Oil & Gas

Power

Energy

Chemical

Water & Waste Treatment

By Function

On/Off

Control

Isolation

Special Purpose

Highlights from the report:

Market Study: It includes key market segments, key manufacturers covered, product range offered in the years considered, Global Russia Industrial Valve Market, and research objectives. It also covers segmentation study provided in the report based on product type and application.

Market Executive Summary: This section highlights key studies, market growth rates, competitive landscape, market drivers, trends, and issues in addition to macro indicators.

Market Production by Region: The report provides data related to imports and exports, revenue, production and key players of all the studied regional markets are covered in this section.

Russia Industrial Valve Market Profiles of Top Key Competitors: Analysis of each profiled Roll Hardness Tester market player is detailed in this section. This segment also provides SWOT analysis of individual players, products, production, value, capacity, and other important factors.

If you require any specific information that is not covered currently within the scope of the report, we will provide the same as a part of the customization.

Acquire This Reports: -

About Us:

We are technocratic market research and consulting company that provides comprehensive and data-driven market insights. We hold the expertise in demand analysis and estimation of multidomain industries with encyclopedic competitive and landscape analysis. Also, our in-depth macro-economic analysis gives a bird's eye view of a market to our esteemed client. Our team at Pristine Intelligence focuses on result-oriented methodologies which are based on historic and present data to produce authentic foretelling about the industry. Pristine Intelligence's extensive studies help our clients to make righteous decisions that make a positive impact on their business. Our customer-oriented business model firmly follows satisfactory service through which our brand name is recognized in the market.

Contact Us:

Office No 101, Saudamini Commercial Complex,

Right Bhusari Colony,

Kothrud, Pune,

Maharashtra, India - 411038 (+1) 773 382 1049 +91 - 81800 - 96367

Email: sales@pristineintelligence.com

[un-ionizetheradlab]

been feeling a lot of FEELS for volodya komarov these days so please tag me in as many posts with him as you can