#commander millington

[reecypontiff]

Dr Judson: "In the future there'll be many more - computing machines, thinking machines!"

Commander Millington: "Yes, but whose thoughts will they think?"

Doctor Who, The Curse of Fenric, 1989

[beyondparoxysm]

( andrew lincoln + cisgender male  + he/him + 48 ) crossing the gates of Jackson is DEAN CLARKE! our records show us they are SECOND IN COMMAND and a former member of FEDRA, known to be CHARISMATIC AND DISCIPLINED, yet HESITANT AND REGRETFUL at this new life. many around town said they remind them of half-finished cups of coffee, writing long to-do lists, a poor soldier but a good man. may your survival be long, and your death be swift. ⸻ mini / 28 / EST / she/her / n/a

Demographics

Name: Dean Clarke

Nickname/Alias: Most often goes simply by Clarke, only those closest to him call him by his given name.

Age: 48

Place of Birth: Millington, Tennessee 

Sex/Gender: Cisgendered male 

Sexuality: Heterosexual   

Physical Appearance

FC: Andrew Lincoln (as he appears in later seasons of The Walking Dead)

Eye color: Blue 

Ethnicity: White American

Hair color and Style: Dean’s hair is dark brown, though salt-and-pepper is creeping up on him. His hair is grown out long enough to slick back, and has a natural curl to it that he keeps wrangled as best he can. He wears a close-cropped mustache and beard, which grows in white-gray these days. 

Height: 5’10”

Body type: Mesomorph body type. Athletically built, broad shoulders, triangular shape.

Fitness level: Moderately active. Keeps himself in shape.

Tattoos: A faded black tattoo bearing the name Lydia sits on his right bicep. 

Scars/Birthmarks: No notable birthmarks. He has a handful of scars littering his body, the majority of which have faded to fine white lines over the years. His left shoulder notably bears a scar from a bullet wound.

Disabilities: An old injury occasionally causes pain to flare in his right knee. 

Cleanliness/Grooming: Relatively regimented in hygiene.

Posture/Gait: Healthy posture, confident. 

Psychological Traits

Personality type: ENTJ-T, The Commander 

Bold, imaginative, and strong-willed; always willing to find a way or make one. The Commander places a focus on objectivity and rationality, with a tendency to see effectiveness as the most important thing. Decisive, thorough, and highly organized. The Commander prefers structure and planning to spontaneity. These individuals are success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve. 

Personality traits: 

Positive: Charismatic, disciplined, calm, rational, considerate  

Negative: Hesitant, regretful, possessive, ritualistic 

Temperament: Phlegmatic 

These individuals are generally kind and considerate, and are considered reliable and trustworthy. They tend to respect the status quo and maintain routines, offering consistency and stability. The Phlegmatic individual is known to be rational, objective, and systematic when approaching problems. They remain calm under pressure. 

Mannerisms: Whistles, clenches jaw and grinds teeth, walks quickly. 

Educational background: Completed his high school education and joined the military right out of his senior year. He had the intention to go back one day and get a degree – political science, he’d thought – but he never made it. 

Religious background: Dean was raised in an Evangelical home with a strong value on Church. He grew out of those values as he got older, though he still holds on to the idea of God. He keeps a bible and occasionally prays. 

Self-esteem: Most days his self-esteem is fairly good. His self-worth is unfortunately tied to external factors: when he sees the people of Jackson doing well, he takes that in as reflective of the kind of man he is. Subsequently, their struggles hit him hard. He is also prone to reflecting on the past, which brings up deep feelings of guilt and shame in him. 

Skills/talents: Background in military training and action, talented public speaker, good listener and talented at diffusing moments of tension.  

Morals/Virtues: Compassionate, reliable, cooperative.

Phobias/Fears: Loss of control, the fall of Jackson

Angered by: It takes quite a lot to anger Dean – he’s become a master of his own emotions throughout the years (at least outwardly) and likes to grin and bear it when possible. He is angered by selfishness and thoughtlessness. 

Desires: Sustaining safety and prosperity in Jackson; finding peace and forgiveness for himself.

Regrets: When he abandoned his post with FEDRA, he did not try to save anyone.

Communication

Languages known: English

Accent: Slight southern drawl. 

Style and pacing of speech: Somewhat slow and measured, confident, easy-going.

Pitch: Low-pitched. 

Laughter: Laughs often and easily, sometimes in an effort to be polite.

Smile: Close-mouthed and practiced for most, wide and toothy for those closest to him.

Use of gestures: Nods head, hums to reflect active listening, offers hand-shakes and shoulder-grabs easily.

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities

Physical strengths: Healthy. Average core strength, slightly above average upper body strength.

Physical weaknesses: Occasional pains in his knee can cause limping. 

Intellectual strengths: Good organizational and militaristic skills. 

Intellectual weaknesses: Tendency to dwell/replay mistakes. 

Interpersonal strengths: Strong judge of character.

Interpersonal weaknesses: Tendency to prefer keeping the peace over altercations, which can at times lead to avoidance of petty issues/building of resentments. 

Physical abilities: Above average.

Physical illnesses/conditions: N/A

Mental illnesses/conditions: PTSD – but hey, who doesn’t have it? Experiences occasional panic attacks.

Relationships

Family: Dean was born into a large Evangelical family based in Tennessee. His family is presumed lost to him – his parents were amongst those who were lost in the initial outbreak, and contact was lost between himself and his siblings. He occasionally allows himself to entertain the notion that some of them might still be alive, and may one day make their way to Jackson – yet he understands the reality of it is unlikely. Dean has one child, see wanted connections. 

Partner/Significant other: Dean fell in love with his first wife Lydia as a teenager, and they went on to marry after high school. Lydia remained by his side throughout his tours in the army, and later mothered his child. Lydia grew to dislike the man that Dean became as the years wore on and FEDRA demanded obedience of him. When the Fireflies launched an attack on the QZ in an effort to liberate those inside, Lydia and their child disappeared. While presumed to be dead by Dean, Lydia had in fact absconded with the Fireflies – and took their child with her. Dean eventually went on to find love again in Jackson, and has remarried, see wanted connections. 

Friends: TBD (see wanted connections). 

Enemies: TBD (see wanted connections).

Significant Background Events

PRE-2013:

Dean was an active duty member of the American military prior to the onslaught of the Cordyceps pandemic. Serving as a Staff Sergeant within the US Army, he experienced a range of overseas combat as well as life on American military bases. Though this position separated him from his large family in Tennessee, he was not without companionship: his high school sweetheart turned wife Lydia joined him in his stateside travels, and eventually they welcomed a child together when he was about 25 years old. Dean, who’d served since age eighteen, opted to focus on family life and was honorably discharged at approximately age 26 after two tours completed. He transitioned into the national guard, with the hopes of attending college and embarking on a career in low-level politics. 

THE OUTBREAK & EARLY YEARS 2013-2020:

Hopes for the future were dashed with the outbreak of the fungus, and Dean’s position in the national guard meant that he was eventually called to duty. Like many of his fellow servicemen, he and his unit became absorbed into the organization known as FEDRA. He bore witness to – and directly participated in – the horrors that came with the establishment of QZs. Despite having considered himself at one point to be a man of strict morals and compassion, the terror of the virus and the messaging of FEDRA became a dangerous combination. He became a dedicated member of the cause, and followed orders – even when this involved questionable acts of killing. 

Dean came to reside primarily in the Atlanta QZ at this point in time, though participated in travel to other zones to combat resistance efforts made by the Fireflies and to quell attempted uprising. While he had been unable to secure the safety of his Tennessee based family in the fall, his commitment to FEDRA rested on his continued desire to protect his wife and child. Despite this, Lydia grew increasingly discomforted by the man Dean had become. 

An assault on Atlanta by the Fireflies led to a breach in the QZ and days of fighting, during which chaos temporarily ruled the city. When order was once more restored by FEDRA, Lydia and their child were not amongst the living. Their bodies were never found, and they were presumed to be amongst the burned or beyond the safety of the QZ. FEDRA claimed no responsibility for this – the chaos of war could not be avoided – and Dean was expected to continue to follow his duty in “protecting” the remaining survivors. 

DISILLUSIONMENT AND DEFECTING 2020-2025:

Listless, Dean continued in his role of so-called “protection” for several years, growing increasingly disillusioned over time. The deaths he caused sat heavily with him, and regret caused him to often lose sleep. He began to participate in petty acts of revenge against the organization that had done nothing to save his family and had turned him into a killer, notably assisting in black market dealings.

After several years building contacts amongst the underground of Atlanta, he defected, believing that death out in the wilds of a plagued America was better than life amongst those who ruled with bloody fists. Secrets were sold to members of the Fireflies in exchange for passage out of the QZ, marking him as a traitor to FEDRA.

Dean expected death to take him swiftly, but survived in spite of the suicide mission he’d launched himself onto. He’d considered making for Tennessee in an effort to see what remained of the home he’d once loved, but cowardice at the prospect of seeing the wreckage done by the combination of the fungus and FEDRA dissuaded him. He wandered in search of either death or salvation, and eventually found Jackson – a second chance made real.

LIFE IN JACKSON 2026-PRESENT:

His admittance at being a former member of FEDRA invited understandable suspicion, and building a new life for himself was not without challenges. Luckily, he was a man bent on proving himself as still having some shred of goodness, and was intent upon taking any job offered to him. He scavenged in an effort to keep supplies steady, and eventually came to establish himself as a trustworthy figure who was willing to risk his own life for the betterment of those who dwelled in Jackson. 

His climbing of the ranks has been gradual throughout the years, and he takes his current position incredibly seriously. He believes he is proof that those who have committed atrocities are capable of change, and is a voice of encouragement in accepting newcomers from troubled backgrounds. Despite this outward compassion, he is also a man with many skeletons in his closet, who lives with guilt and shame close to his heart. His loyalty remains above all to the sanctity of Jackson – and he will do anything to ensure its continued survival.

Wanted Connections

GENERAL DYNAMICS: Open to all, multiple characters can occupy the same dynamic, etc.

Friends: Dean is an affable man and a friendly face to most. There are a select few, however, who are able to see past the politician’s smile to the man beneath – and they are the people with whom he chooses to spend the majority of his time. He is a fiercely loyal friend to those who’ve earned his trust, and holds a grudge when he is betrayed.

Enemies: While Dean has worked hard to put the past behind him, it’s inevitable that there are some who are unable to forget the man he was before he came to Jackson. I’d love to explore dynamics with individuals who cannot accept that a former member of FEDRA holds a role of leadership in town.

Protege: I would like to see Dean bond with a young-ish person whom he believes has the makings of becoming a leader themselves one day. Perhaps this person is somewhat of a stand-in for the child he once lost – and subsequently, he is a father-figure to them. 

Old Faces: Dean resides in the Atlanta QZ for many years, and I would be interested in exploring dynamis with any individuals who might also hail from Atlanta and remember the man that he was. Similarly, Dean has had dealings with the black market and the Fireflies in the Atlanta area, and I would be interested in exploring relationships with people who were a part of his troubled past.

SPECIFIC DYNAMICS: See below. 

Oh you’re the one DEAN CLARKE has been looking for? Their CHILD has been long gone, but you might recognize them as ANY GENDER FC BETWEEN 23-25, rumored to be 22 years old. If you stumble upon them, please leave a message for @BEYONDPAROXYSM. Please review Dean’s character bio! Dean has not seen his child since they were about 8 years old and believes them to be dead. This character was taken by their mother, Lydia, out of the Atlanta QZ during a failed uprising by the Fireflies. Where they have been in the years since 2020 is UTP. This character should be a relatively new arrival to Jackson. I am open to anything ranging from heart-wrenching reunions to your character hiding the truth of their identity from Dean and having some major issues with him!  Oh you’re the one DEAN CLARKE has been looking for? Their WIFE has been long gone, but you might recognize them as ANY FEMALE FC, rumored to be 40+ years old. If you stumble upon them, please leave a message for @BEYONDPAROXYSM. Please review Dean’s character bio! Dean did not intend to find love again, but he and Y/M forged a slow-building connection that he now cannot live without. Y/M is the only person Dean is able to be entirely himself with – the only one who knows every detail and every bit of shame he carries.

[darlenefblog]

General DeWitt Shy Spain Airport - Memphis, Tennessee

2787 North 2nd Street

Taken directly from Wikipedia with only slight modifications.

General DeWitt Spain Airport began as an idea in 1928 when the Memphis Chamber of Commerce Engineering Committee suggested turning Mud Island into Memphis' Airport. They decided against that location for a main airport and moved Memphis International Airport to its current location in South Memphis. However, the idea apparently did not fade.

In 1959, Memphis Downtown Airport was put into service about where Mud Island Park is today to service the general aviation community. It had the slogan: "You're strictly uptown when you land downtown." A ferry boat took travelers from the Island to the cobblestones, and then it was just a short walk to the offices of Memphis' city center. Private pilots who worked downtown and business travelers had the perfect arrangement. By 1961, 30 planes were landing per day, according to newspaper reports.

*I think this sounds like a lovely way to travel. Memphis International Airport is a sprawling 1960's design monstrosity. I personally would not cry if they tore it down and started over. *

By the mid-1960s, Interstate 40 was scheduled to cross the Island. Airport owners fought the I-40 Bridge, but in August, 1970, the last plane departed the island airport. *I-40 runs from East to West coast across America. The only leg not completed is in Memphis. The planners wanted to run the interstate through the Memphis Zoo, located in Overton Park. The city sued and after a long court battle finally won. As it turns out the I-40 bridge only obstructs a small portion of Mud Island but it would have interfered with airplane traffic*. Quickly the airport authority purchased available land just to the north of the island so downtown commuters could once again have their landing strip back. The following May, Memphis Downtown Airport was replaced by General DeWitt Spain Airport, honoring local war hero General DeWitt Spain who died in 1969. It has been and still is an active general aviation airport.

*This is a cute epilog, the only crash at the airport was a drone.*

On April 11, 2016, General Dewitt Spain Airport suffered its first accident of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle after a Phantom Quadcopter impacted the side of a hangar. No fatalities were reported. The Quadcopter was unregistered and unable to be traced to the operator.

*I found this information on General Spain from his obituary. I've lived in West Tennessee all my life and had no idea who he was. He died in 1969 in Maryland; I was almost 8 so it wouldn't have made my young self's radar. He sounds like quite a guy.*

Dewitt Shy Spain

BIRTH 24 Apr 1919

DEATH 28 Apr 1969 (aged 50) BURIAL Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia

Evening Star, April 29, 1969 Page 20

Brig. Gen. DeWitt S. Spain, 50, deputy chief of staff for plans at the Tactical Air Command Headquarters, Langley Air Force Base, died of cancer yesterday at the Andrews Air Force Base hospital. He was born in Memphis, Tenn., and attended Southwestern University there (now known as Rhodes College) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

In 1940 he became an aviation cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in May of 1941. For four years during World War II he was active in the Asiatic-Pacific theater, finishing as commander of the 15th fighter group.

After the war he was discharged from active duty and returned to Memphis, where he participated in the air National Guard and air reserve programs. Returning to active duty in 1950, he became director of combat operations of the 26th Air Defense Division in New York. *Memphis is a large distribution hub, being situated on the Mississippi River in a middle of the country location. The military also found the city to be a good location for the Naval Air Station in Millington and a large Air National base where the Memphis Belle airplane was on display for many decades.*

Upon graduation in 1961 from the Industrial College of Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Gen. Spain was assigned for a year to the Pentagon's deputy chief of the Air Defense Division, followed by two years on the Pentagon's national Security Council. Assigned in 1963 the USAF headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, he served as director of operations and training, until 1966, when he assumed his Langley post, he was attached to the 10th tactical reconnaissance wing of the Royal Air Force at Alcan Barry England.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit with Oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, and a commendation ribbon.

He leaves his wife Joan of Hampton Virginia and a daughter Mrs. James Romanchk of Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois. Services will be held at 3 PM Thursday at Fort Myer Chapel followed by burial with full military honors in Arlington Cemetery. The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of donations the American Cancer Society.

[thxnews]

DOD's $55 Million Boost for Energy Efficiency

Pioneering Sustainable Solutions for Military Installations

A Major Step Toward Energy Efficiency The Department of Defense (DOD) has announced a significant investment of over $55 million in federal grants. This funding is earmarked for projects aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and resilience at military bases worldwide. These initiatives are part of a broader, concerted effort to modernize base infrastructures and reduce the environmental footprint of military operations.   Expanding Global Energy Projects The allocated funds will benefit eight projects across various branches of the armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Washington headquarters services bases. Notably, these projects extend beyond the United States, with the U.S. Army Garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany, also receiving support. This global scope underlines the DOD's commitment to energy efficiency on an international scale.   Collaborative Federal Effort This initiative is part of a larger Department of Energy program, which has allocated more than $104 million to 31 projects across 11 federal agencies. The program's goal is to aid federal facilities in implementing cutting-edge energy conservation technologies, marking a significant investment in the future of sustainable government operations.  

A new 350-kilowatt-hour solar array was installed near the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Photo by Cynthia Griggs, Hill Air Force Base. MOD.  

Deputy Defense Secretary’s Vision

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasizes the grants as an opportunity for the DOD to enhance its operational capabilities and energy resilience. She stresses the importance of providing modern and efficient facilities to support the nation's defenders and their families. Hicks notes, "Our buildings support where people live, where our forces, allies, and partners train, and where our families raise and educate their children."   The department advances these priorities while minimizing environmental impact. Hicks adds, "These investments in energy resilience align with our military needs. The department's focus on resilience enables us to secure our critical infrastructure and capabilities and mitigates risk to our forces."   Energy Secretary’s Endorsement Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, joining Hicks, underscored the importance of federal agencies leading by example in decarbonizing the economy. Granholm highlighted the Pentagon, the world's second-largest office building, as a starting point for energy-efficient initiatives.   DOD’s Iconic Headquarters Project Among the funded projects, $10 million will be invested in improving the energy footprint of the Pentagon. This includes HVAC recommissioning, heat pump installation, and the installation of solar infrastructure. These measures not only enhance energy efficiency but also ensure uninterrupted power supply, contributing to the mission, operations, and resilience of the Pentagon.   Spotlight: Tackling Cybersecurity Threats The DOD's efforts are crucial in defending against cyber and other threats to critical civilian energy infrastructure. By improving energy resilience, the DOD can better protect against these evolving threats.  

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks greets Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm at the Pentagon, Jan. 17, 2024. Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders. MOD.  

Other DOD Awardees

The grants also support similar energy projects across the services, including: - Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama - Air Force Office of Energy Assurance, Indian Springs, Nevada - U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Directorate of Public Works, Germany - Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina - Commander, Navy Region Northwest, Oak Harbor, Washington - Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Kings Bay, Georgia - Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Millington, Tennessee   A Sustainable Future The DOD's investment in energy efficiency is a landmark step in ensuring the sustainability of military operations. These initiatives not only improve operational capabilities but also signify a shift toward a more responsible and environmentally conscious approach to defense.   Sources: THX News & US Department of Defense. Read the full article

[goatturfgaming]

Don't miss out on our first MTG Commander night!!! 🎊🎉🎊🎉 Swing by our store and put your Commander decks to the test!! Free to play and hang out, make some trades and build up your Collection!!! 😁🎊😁

Open from 1pm to 9pm!!

#mtg #commander #tradingcardshop #Michigan #familyoperated #gaminglounge #newcards #millington #M15 #tcgplayer #mtgcommunity #lovethisgame #funforall

[cleowho]

“They devour humans the way you eat fruit.”

The Curse of Fenric - season 26 - 1989

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 3: Date Night (originally published August 29, 2022)

AN: And now onto the lighthearted fun and games that I mentioned last time! Jasper deserves somebody to love and loves her in return after all that's happened to her throughout literally everything. Meanwhile, White Topaz needs someone who legitimately cares for her after suffering as Black Rutile's beleaguered and abused bodyguard for thousands of years. I think these two are quite perfect for each other, and I hope you'll all feel the same too after this chapter.

Synopsis: White Topaz decides to take her relationship with Jasper to the next level by taking her on a date.

Cast:

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Luke Millington-Drake as Earl the Snotty Waiter

Eric Bauza as Maitre'd

Andrew Kishino as Kevin

--

"Kristen, you are the apple of my eye, the key to my heart, the biggest flower in my garden!" the male lead of a cheesy romance movie announced to his love interest before pulling out a wedding ring. "My dear, will you marry me?"

"Oh yes, Christian, yes I will!" Kristen exclaimed. "Now kiss me, you fool!"

"That was such a good movie!" White Topaz sniffed as the film's credits began rolling. "Those two have been through so much together; they're perfect for each other! Kinda like Jasper and me, I suppose." She began thinking back to when she teamed up with the Crystal Gems to save Steven and the earth from Black Rutile, how they both connected over feeling so lost & lonely, and how their growing bond defeated her once and for all through Orange Moonstone.

"Hm, I wonder if Jasper ever had any lovers back in the day?" White Topaz continued pondering. "Or maybe she was just too busy fighting even to consider romance." That was then the Topaz got an idea, and she eagerly stood up from her couch. "Wait, that's it! I'll ask her on a date!" Looking back at the movie she just watched, White Topaz smiled dreamily before bolting out the door, eager to ask Jasper out.

--

"Okay, everyone, that's enough for today!" Jasper said to her self-defense class students as their session rolled to an end. "Now get out!" she commanded, allowing the class to leave as they talked to each other, and Holly Blue weakly crawled away before White Topaz unknowingly stepped on her head as she walked up to Jasper. "Oh, White Topaz, fancy seeing you here. What do you want?"

"I just came here because I wanted to ask you a very important question." White Topaz stated. "I bet you'll be blown away once you hear it!"

"Whatever it is, save it for later." Jasper said, trying not to pay attention to the Topaz. "I got things to do now."

"Aw, come on, I can see you're hiding something, Jasp!" White Topaz teased Jasper, making the perfect quartz blush in embarrassment. "See, you're even blushing!"

"No, I'm not, Paz!" Jasper tried to deny it and buried her face in her voluminous hair. "Now, leave me alone already!"

"Come on; I just wanted to ask if you want to go on a date with me!" Paz continued, making Jasper freeze up in shock. "Well, do you?" Unfortunately for Paz, Jasper did not answer, and she bolted away, her face still hidden away within her hair. Despite this, White Topaz decided to look on the bright side. "I think I'll take that as a yes." She then cheerfully walked away to tell someone the good news.

--

As Jasper pulled her hair back to see where she was going, she continued running in embarrassment from White Topaz after the former bodyguard's proposal and now needed someone to tell it to. Jasper never had someone express romantic attraction towards her before since she was always so busy with serving the Diamonds, so hearing White Topaz ask her on a date made her super nervous. She needed someone more of an expert on relationships than she was, perhaps someone who has been in one for ages. Someone like Garnet.

"Garnet, Garnet!" Jasper cried for the fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, who turned to smirk at Jasper. "I need your help."

"Well, this is a new development." Garnet commented as Jasper caught up with her former foe. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"Well, it's about White Topaz and me." Jasper started. "You know how we fused to stop Black Rutile, Aquamarine, and Eyeball once and for all? I think she might be attracted to me now and even asked me out, though I'm not sure."

"She asked you out!" Garnet exclaimed delightfully. "I knew you two would become closer someday! What did you say?"

"No, I'm not that close with her!" Jasper fibbed while blushing like mad. "We were brought together by circumstance and bonded over similar experiences; it's not that deep! Not every duo with a very close relationship should be a couple, you know!" Unfortunately for Jasper, Garnet stood there unblinking, the quartz's reflection appearing on Garnet's shades as anxiety rattled through her. Garnet didn't even need to say anything to force Jasper to drop to her knees and start begging. "Please, Garnet, teach me how to be a good lover! You're my only hope!"

"Well, it looks like the foot is on the other shoe now." Garnet commented on Jasper's state while reminiscing on how they first met, chuckling to herself on how the same Gem that violently un-fused her is now crying for the fusion's help. "Okay, Jasper, stand up straight. I'll give you some help on how to treat a woman right."

"You really mean it?" Jasper said as she got back up.

"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely." Garnet smiled while putting a hand on Garnet's shoulder. "Come on. Me, Amethyst, and Pearl will show you the ropes."

"Remember how I refused your help so many times in the past?" Jasper chuckled dryly. "Funny how things have changed, eh?"

"Most definitely." Garnet replied warmly.

--

Unlike Jasper, White Topaz cheerfully marched to Peridot and Lapis's house to inform them of the good news. After walking through their front lawn, which was littered with gourd puppies, Paz then knocked on the front door, where Peridot greeted her. "Oh, hello there, White Topaz. What brings you to our homestead today?"

"Well, I got some huge news that I have to share with you and Lapis today, so I'm gonna need you guys for this one." White Topaz said. "Is Lapis here today?"

"Oh, she's just finishing up our latest meep morp!" Peridot proclaimed. "We should teach you how to make one of your own someday."

"Hey, Peridot, who's at the door?" Lapis asked as she flew down the stairs to the living room as Peridot showed White Topaz inside. "Oh, hey, White Topaz. What's up?"

"Well, I actually got some big news for you guys." White Topaz declared. "I just asked Jasper out on a date tonight! I'm not sure if she said yes, but the way she was super embarrassed when I asked definitely gave me some positive vibes."

"I'm sorry, Jasper?" Peridot stuttered in alarm at the fact that Jasper, of all Gems, had asked someone out. "Why her out of literally everyone on the planet?!"

"I mean, you know how she and I treated each other as Malachite!" Lapis agreed with her partner. "I just don't think Jasper is the kind of Gem to actively pursue romance! I honestly thought you two would be just friends because of how you bonded over shared trauma."

"No, you gotta believe me." White Topaz assured the barn mates. "I just want Jasper to finally have someone to love and loves her back. I think it's what she deserves after all her pain and suffering for so many years."

"Well, okay, we'll give this a shot." Lapis declared. "If you think Jasper needs a girlfriend, then I don't see why not."

"Trust me; you're going to love learning with us!" Peridot eagerly added. "If you want to get the girl, you'll need to act like you want to."

"Oh, thanks so much, you guys!" White Topaz squealed eagerly as she wrapped Lapis and Peridot in a big, crushing hug. "I'll listen to everything you say!"

"That's great, Paz. Now can you please let us go?" Lapis gasped as she tried to wriggle free from the Topaz's embrace.

--

"Okay, so first step on going on a date." Amethyst declared as she and Garnet set Jasper up on a practice date with Pearl at the temple. "You gotta make your lover feel comfortable around you, try and strike up a conversation!"

"Okay, what kind of conversations?" Jasper asked her fellow quartz.

"I don't know, come up with anything!" Amethyst exclaimed before she and Garnet left the room. "Garnet and I will be watching you from the sidelines so we can give you a score between zero and ten."

"Good grief, I'm not prepared for this." Jasper muttered to herself before turning to face Pearl, unsure what to start with. "So, uh, has it ever occurred to you, Pearl, that the process that creates this boredom that we see in the world now may very well be a self-perpetuating, unconscious form of brainwashing created by a world totalitarian government based on money, and that all of this is much more dangerous than one think?"

"Oh dear, getting a little philosophical, I see." Pearl chuckled lightly. "What inspired this idea?"

"Oh, just this movie I saw once." Jasper replied. "Got a little bored once I realized it was just two humans talking over dinner."

"Oh, I love that film!" Pearl exclaimed delightfully. "I never figured some humans could be so spiritual!"

"Yes, the spirit." Jasper added awkwardly. "Like ghosts and such."

"Are we changing the subject now?" Pearl wondered. "I would've really liked to compare our views on that movie."

"What views?!" Jasper started complaining. "It was just two people talking to each other! You see that literally every day! What's so exciting about that?!" Suddenly, Amethyst made an obnoxiously loud buzzer sound as she and Garnet emerged from outside to review Jasper's progress. "What did I do?!"

"You almost had it Jasper." Garnet bluntly critiqued Jasper's performance. "You almost formed a connection with Pearl and had something to talk about, but you just had to screw it all up."

"I apologize. I just have such minimal experience with occasions like this." Jasper confessed. "I was always so focused on training and fighting that such feelings escaped me for so long!"

"Eh, as Garnet said, you almost had it." Amethyst replied warmly. "I'm sure with enough practice; you'll get it right and knock WT off her socks like no one's business!"

"Why would knocking someone off their socks be anyone's business?" Jasper inquired, causing the other Gems to laugh. "No, seriously, why is it anyone's business?" she kept asking, though the Crystal Gems' laughter overlapped her. "Stop laughing, and someone answer me!"

--

Meanwhile, White Topaz was given a test date of her own with Bismuth, with Peridot and Lapis watching to examine her progress. Unlike Jasper, White Topaz was doing much better in her practice due to being more friendly & sociable with others. But there were still a few things wrong with her behavior on the date.

"So Paz, how has your day been?" Bismuth asked White Topaz. "I've just been doing some forging, spending time with the old Crystal Gems, watching some really good TV. Hey, have you ever heard of Harry's Hot Dogs? That's a funny cartoon about a family running a hot dog place and all the crazy adventures they get into!"

"Oh, that's very nice, but can I get you anything?" White Topaz asked in response, her past self as White Topaz's obedient servant shining through. "Maybe a foot rub, a massage. I could even throw in a planet for you to conquer!"

"Uh, Topaz, you feelin' okay?" Bismuth wondered nervously. "I mean, we should be asking each other questions right now. Save the gift-giving for later!"

"Oops, sorry. Force of habit." White Topaz apologized. "Back on topic, what would you like me to do for you?"

"You're doing it again." Bismuth responded before she turned her head away. "Peri, Lapis, I need a lift here!"

"I see our test subject is acting quite submissive." Peridot analyzed as she and Lapis stepped in to help Bismuth and White Topaz. "You keep asking your date if she needs anything done by you."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Lapis asked the Topaz. "I mean, you can tell Jasper the date's off if you don't think you're ready."

"No, I want to do this!" White Topaz exclaimed. "I just want Jasper to have a break after all she's done and be with someone who cares about her. Is that too much to ask?"

The Crystal Gems' B-team stared at White Topaz for a moment before they decided to huddle together to discuss their friend's motives. "So, now what do we do?" Lapis asked Peridot and Bismuth. "After hearing her say that, maybe we should give this another shot."

"I certainly agree." Peridot replied to her barn-mate. "Regardless of her submissive behavior, White Topaz seems like such a sweet and understanding Gem who was simply dealt a bad hand in life."

"Maybe a few more practice rounds should help her out." Bismuth proclaimed before the trio broke their huddle and turned to White Topaz. "Well, WT, it looks like you convinced us."

"Oh, thanks guys!" White Topaz cheered. "That reminds me, where should I take Jasper?"

"We already have that part handled for you." Peridot replied. "We already set up a reservation for you two at the Crab Shack. Consider yourselves lucky that our celebrity status for saving the world from Black Rutile helped us make it pretty easy. Though the staff still isn't too happy with how you two destroyed the place."

"Oh dear, they at least had the place rebuilt, right?" White Topaz asked guiltily. "I'm not sure if Jasper and I were thinking straight when we were fighting Pietersite, since we did cause a ton of damage to Beach City."

"I'm still hearing complaints from Mr. Smiley about the Ferris wheel." Bismuth remarked. "So, what do you say? You think you're ready?"

White Topaz's eyes glittered with excitement before she finally gave her answer. "I think I am!"

--

Later that evening, after a few more practice dates, the Gems finally believed that Jasper and White Topaz were ready for their big night at the Crab Shack. It took a lot of trying and a lot of awkwardness, but at long last, the two lovebirds to be had perfected their conversation skills in time for their dinner.

"Hm, you think I should go with casual or fancy?" White Topaz muttered as she shapeshifted numerous kinds of dresses to wear for tonight, showing off each of them to Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth. "Your thoughts Peri?"

"I'm probably the last person you should talk to about fashion." Peridot replied. "Just go with whatever you think looks best on you."

"If you say so!" White Topaz beamed and snapped her fingers to turn her current attire into a cute gray strapless dress. "How do I look?"

"Looking good, Paz!" Bismuth complimented the former bodyguard's current attire before someone started knocking on her and Lapis's front door. "Ooh, that must be Jasper!"

"Okay, WT, deep breaths." Lapis said as she tried to calm White Topaz's nerves. "This is just a first date, nothing to get super wound up about."

"What do you mean wound up?" the Topaz laughed. "I'm so excited about this and just want Jasper to have a good time!"

Meanwhile, Peridot had just run up to the door and excitedly opened it, discovering Jasper standing on the other side dressed in an orange suit with a hollyhock over her chest. "Nice suit, Jasper."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Jasper growled at the tiny technician. "Now, where's White Topaz? It's time."

"She'll be down in a moment." Bismuth replied while walking downstairs with Lapis following her. "Loving the choice of flower for the evening, Jasper."

"Oh, this?" Jasper said while adjusting the hollyhock. "I had this picked for me since Pearl says it was one of Rose's favorites. Means something about the circle of life and how it moves us all, or something."

"Hey, guys." White Topaz greeted as she entered the room, stunning Jasper with her choice of attire for tonight. "Hi, Jasper."

"You're pretty looking good tonight." Jasper stuttered in awe. "I mean, looking good! No, looking pretty tonight!" White Topaz then started laughing. "Uh, good-looking?"

"Don't get so nervous. It's just a first date." White Topaz giggled before she took Jasper's hand, caressing her lover's striped orange skin with her thumb. "You ready?"

"Sure, why not?" Jasper wheezed awkwardly just as Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl appeared outside.

"Your chariot awaits, my friends." Garnet gave an assuring smile before she presented the Mr. Universe van parked outside, with Greg serving as Jasper and White Topaz's chauffeur for the night.

"Hop on in, you two!" Greg exclaimed while honking his horn. "We haven't got all night!"

"Have fun, girls!" Amethyst added as the two strong Gems walked outside hand in hand.

"Remember what we taught you for tonight!" Pearl instructed.

"We won't forget!" White Topaz called back while waving to the Crystal Gems with her free hand. "See you later!"

"This is our chariot?" Jasper commented on the crummy van as she and her white-colored date sat down in the passenger seats. "This looks like trash."

"Now, now Jasper," Greg smiled at the celebrated quartz. "Yes, this van is trash, but it's my trash!"

"I'm just being honest here!" Jasper replied. "You couldn't have picked a better vehicle to drive around in?"

"She's just joking." White Topaz assured Greg with a laugh as Mr. Universe's ride drove away from Little Homeworld to the Crab Shack.

--

In the aftermath of the final battle against the original Rutile Rebels, the Crab Shack suffered the most damage out of all of Beach City after being completely destroyed by the falling water tower Pietersite tossed Orange Moonstone into. Though the restaurant was able to rebuild with help from the people of Beach City and got a whole new look in the process, none of the staff could forget how dozens of people were nearly jobless because of the Gems.

The Mr. Universe van pulled up to the Crab Shack, and Jasper & White Topaz disembarked to make their reservations, much to the annoyance of the maitre'd. "Oh goody, you two again." He groaned in disgust. "I don't care what you want; just make sure not to leave such a humongous mess this time!"

"Actually, we have a reservation for tonight." White Topaz laughed nervously. "The Crystal Gems made it for me and my date here."

"Now, if you want to keep your job and not get tossed into the water, you will let us in." Jasper snarled in addition. "Do I make myself clear?!"

"Oh yes, madame, I have your reservations right here!" the maitre'd exclaimed both in eagerness and terror. "Right this way, ladies!" He continued trembling in fear as the pair of Gems entered the restaurant, giving a nervous wave as Jasper shot him an intimidating glare before turning to his phone to type something on it.

"Just got threatened into allowing the two Gems that nearly cost me my job into letting them in!" he complained on social media. "#BlackRutileWasRight!"

--

"Hey, was threatening the guy up front like that really necessary?" White Topaz asked Jasper as the two Gems walked inside the Crab Shack to see numerous couples like them enjoying their time together. Some of them were human couples and Gem couples, but a few of them were Gems they knew dating humans, like Laz getting bored listening to a young man telling stories of his previous dates, Orange Spodumene laughing together with a dark-skinned woman, Emerald trying to get her date to paying attention to her and not to their phone, and many more.

"If he's going to be ungrateful for how thanks to us, he won't have to die along with everyone else on this planet, then I find it necessary." Jasper answered as the couple sat down at their table. "Wow, full house tonight."

"Yeah, lot of Gems dating humans too." White Topaz agreed before she spotted Laz in the distance. "Hi, Laz! It's me, White Topaz! How's your boyfriend doing?!"

"Uh, who is that?" Kevin asked Laz while looking at White Topaz close by.

"Just a friend from when I was part of a league of rogue Gems out for revenge against Steven." Laz responded. "Now, what were you saying about Sabina?"

"You know, speaking of Lapis Lazulis, I suppose you may have heard about Malachite and all that?" Jasper tried to strike up a conversation.

"Oh yeah, I've heard from Black Rutile and Laz!" White Topaz answered. "Last I remember, Black Rutile was pretty pissed about how Lapis got no punishment for her actions, and yet so many Gems were outcasted for doing what they were supposed to do. You know, normal Black Rutile stuff. Still, it is pretty messed up what Lapis is willing to do for the sake of others."

"Yeah, it was really mutually toxic for the most part." Jasper agreed solemnly. "I mean, first she forced me into the ocean, then I took my rage out on her for robbing me of a rematch, then she took her rage out on me for taking my rage out on her. It was just super problematic all around!" She then took a deep breath. "Thankfully, times are different now, all because of Steven."

"Good evening, ladies, my name is Earl, and I'll be your waiter for tonight." A mustached man in a suit introduced himself to Jasp and Paz before he realized who he was talking to. "Oh, wait, you two again."

"Howdy, mister!" White Topaz greeted the waiter. "Hey, uh, no hard feelings about making you almost lose your job?"

"Consider yourself lucky the entire world is swallowed in Crystal Gem mania." Dimitri remarked passive-aggressively while handing the two their menus. "Here are your menus. Just holler when you're ready. Until then, help yourself to some of our famous breadsticks."

"Ooh, thanks!" White Topaz said as she picked up a breadstick. "So, how can you possibly make bread into a stick? Is there an actual stick inside or what?"

"Look, I don't care how it's made; just enjoy your night already!" Earl yelled and tried to storm off, but Jasper wasn't taking this lightly. Reaching her hand out to grab Earl by his necktie, the quartz pulled the snotty waiter towards her as Jasper got out of her seat to confront her.

"Pardon me, sir, but I don't appreciate your tone." Jasper declared angrily, much to the waiter's shock. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot since we destroyed this place not too long ago, but if it weren't for us, this place would no longer exist!" she roared in Earl's face. "So please, I implore you to be more respectful, or I'll make sure to smash your head to pieces and make it the next dinner special!"

"OKAY, OKAY! I'M SORRY!" Earl cried out while erratically shaking his head. "I'll be a good waiter, just don't kill me, please!"

"Jasper, settle down!" White Topaz exclaimed as her date dropped Earl to the ground, and he hurried off in fright. "Geez, didn't I tell you that threatening people on our big night isn't necessary?"

"I'm sorry. It's just that these humans should be more grateful for what we've done!" Jasper apologized before she picked up the menu. "So, what would you like?"

"But then again, we did tear Beach City apart to save it." White Topaz replied while looking through her menu. "Hm, I think I'll take a plate of sauteed crab claws with a strawberry sunrise on the side."

"I hear that goes great without ice." Jasper replied. "I'll go with shrimp fried rice and a Rob Roy." She then did a double take to examine further what she had just ordered. "Who is this Rob Roy? Did he train shrimp to fry rice?"

White Topaz then started giggling at Jasper's confusion. "Oh my gosh, you're so adorably literal!" she laughed. "I'm not sure if shrimp can fry rice, but I can tell you shrimp is pretty yummy!"

"I can tell you've been hanging around Amethyst a lot." Jasper replied. "What, do you have a digestive system now too?"

"You bet!" White Topaz proclaimed proudly. "You should give it a shot! Better than just having food fester for a long time before having to spit it up somewhere."

"And does that mean you also have to po-" Jasper started, but she was fortunately interrupted.

"No, I don't think I'm that far yet." White Topaz cut her orange-skinned date off as Earl sheepishly returned to their table.

"Uh, are you two ready to order?" Earl nervously asked while still trembling in fear of Jasper.

"Oh, yes we are!" White Topaz excitedly answered. "I'll have some sauteed crab claws and a strawberry sunrise, no ice. Ooh, and one of those tiny umbrellas!"

"I'll have the shrimp fried rice and a Rob Roy." Jasper added before handing her menu over to Earl. "And make it snappy, will ya?!"

"Oh yes, right away, ma'am!" Earl submissively answered as he took the menus and speed-walked away, leaving the two Gems to continue talking.

"Jasper, you're still making a scene here." White Topaz whispered to Jasper as she discovered many restaurant patrons beginning to stare at them. "And I think we're starting to attract some attention."

"Good, we deserve it after all we've done to PROTECT YOU ALL FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION!" Jasper replied, raising her voice as she finished her sentence for everyone to hear before she sat down again. "Well, what more do you want? Are you not entertained?"

"Hey, uh, I got a question for you." A middle-aged man having an anniversary dinner with his wife sheepishly declared. "Could you please sit on my face?"

"Lynn!" the man's wife gasped in shock.

"Come on, Bobbi, can you blame me?!" Lynn tried justifying himself to his wife.

"Well, this got real awkward quick." White Topaz muttered to herself as Earl returned with their meals and drinks.

"Here you go, girls. One helping of sauteed crab legs and a strawberry sunrise for Big White," the waiter proclaimed while serving White Topaz her order before moving onto Jasper. "and some shrimp fried rice with a Rob Roy for the amazon here."

"A what?" Jasper asked as she took a bite of shrimp-fried rice.

"Oh right, you're aliens, so of course you don't know of our Earth culture." Earl rolled his eyes in annoyance. "An amazon is a big, strong, and gorgeous woman, which you are, my dear." He explained the amazon to Jasper while getting on one knee. "Which reminds me, you are free to use me as a footstool while you eat, my love."

"Hey, just because she's beautiful and has big muscles doesn't mean she's yours to lust after!" White Topaz stood in defense of her date before she downed her strawberry sunrise. "Besides, didn't she threaten to kill you earlier?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised how much threats against my safety turn me on." Earl admitted shamelessly. "Would you like me to list off some of my fetishes? I think you'd find some of them quite interesting!"

"Ew, can you please go away already?!" White Topaz yelled as she kicked Earl away, sending him flying into the wall and causing a mounted fish to fall on him.

"Spoilsport." Earl groaned in disgust as he stormed off with the fish taxidermy still clinging to him.

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, bon appetit!" White Topaz declared before she took a crab leg to eat. "Have you ever faced stuff like this back on Homeworld?"

"Indeed, I encountered many suitors during my time living there. And yes, some of them were just as irritating as Earl just now." Jasper admitted while eating some shrimp fried rice.

"You know I can still hear you!" Earl bellowed from afar.

"But regardless, most of them were able to keep their distance." Jasper said as she taste-tested her Rob Roy. "How about you?"

"Maybe not as much as you, but I did get a few admirers myself." White Topaz proclaimed. "Though Black Rutile usually took them out, I honestly did want a chance to get to know them better."

"Well, hopefully, some of them could still be around for you to connect with." Jasper responded. "And speaking of which."

"Did you see how she shut down that waiter?" a nearby man said to his friend. "Man, that was hot!"

"Oh, but what about how her date stood up for her?" the other man answered. "Ooh, if my parents had a micrometer of respect for me, they'd be all over me bringing her home."

"I wonder if the striped one works out." A middle-aged woman said to her pals. "I'd have her snap my neck anytime."

"I want that big marshmallow to protect me at all costs." Another man declared amorously, making White Topaz blush.

"Seriously, when I said I wanted respect from this restaurant, I did not want it like this!" Jasper said in disgust while continuing to eat her food.

"Hey sweetie, just ignore it and keep eating." Paz suggested before she offered her a crab leg. "Want a crab leg?"

"Okay then." Jasp said and took the crab leg to eat. "Hm, tastes like fish."

"That's the idea!" White Topaz exclaimed. "That reminds me, can I have some of that rice?"

"I don't see why not." Jasper agreed as she took a spoonful of rice to feed her lover with.

"Aw, they look so cute together." Yet another voice said. "Why can't we be like that?"

"Because I should've picked a better date." The voice's partner snarked. All this banter at her and Paz's expense was slowly sending Jasper over the edge. While everything inside her said to go wild and tell everyone to shut up, she couldn't bear to spoil what was a pretty good evening so far. So instead of letting her temper get the better of her, Jasper took a deep breath before finishing her rice and taking another sip of Rob Roy.

"Uh, check please." Jasper called out to Earl.

"Oh, are you finished with your meal, ladies?" Earl asked. "It's a shame to see you two go. Our desserts are to die for!"

"It is disappointing we have to leave for me too." White Topaz agreed with Earl. "But my date is getting a little annoyed at everyone making a pass at us."

"Gee, I can't imagine why." Earl smirked with a roll of his eyes, but Jasper gave him another glare while sliding her finger across her neck. "Uh, have a nice rest of your night, you two."

And so, Jasper and White Topaz finally left the restaurant after paying the bill, though they struggled a bit due to their lacking knowledge of Earth currency. Meanwhile, six conspicuously dressed women watching the duo the whole date began talking among themselves in their booth.

"I may have seen it coming, but I'm surprised at how Jasper dealt with all that catcalling." Garnet said to her fellow wingmen.

"Yeah, she'd usually hulk out and go on a rampage." Amethyst replied.

"But still, their evening was nearly spoiled far too many times to count." Pearl remarked fearfully. "White Topaz was so excited about this date too."

"I don't think it was that bad." Peridot stated optimistically. "Their conversation skills were amazing!"

"Plus, their jokes weren't half bad either." Lapis agreed with Peridot. "But I still want to know, is it possible to train a shrimp to fry rice?"

"Have you seen how tiny their limbs are?" Bismuth said. "Getting them to pick up a pan alone would make them the eighth wonder of the world!"

"So Garnet, where do they go from here?" Pearl asked the Gems' de-facto leader.

"I say we follow them and see what happens." Garnet suggested before turning to Earl. "Mr. Earl, we'd like to pay the bill, please."

"You haven't eaten a single thing!" Earl complained to the Crystal Gems. "What was the point of coming here if you didn't order your entire stay?!" But before Earl could get an answer, the Crystal Gems had already left. "Oy, aliens!"

--

"So infuriating!" Jasper complained to herself as she and White Topaz walked along the beach with the moon hanging above them. Even though Jasper was still angry at the restaurant for all the mistreatment they suffered, White Topaz tried to look on the bright side of things.

"Hey, tonight may have been a little problematic, but you handled things better than I thought you did." White Topaz said to her date. "I almost thought you'd really smash that waiter's head into dinner."

"Yeah, as much as I wanted to do that, I didn't want to ruin our date either." Jasper confessed to White Topaz while taking her hands in hers. "I mean, you were super excited to go out with me tonight, and I was happy to get some time off too. But do you think we could've picked a better place to eat?"

"Maybe." Paz answered. "Maybe on our next date, let's just hang out at Fish Stew Pizza. At least we haven't torn that place to shreds,"

"I'd like that." Jasp smiled. "Besides, I would rather get shattered all over again than disappoint my girlfriend." Jasper then realized too late what she had said as she saw White Topaz stare at her with stars in her eyes and a strange pink blur surrounding her face. "How are you doing that?"

"You just called me girlfriend!" White Topaz squealed happily before giving Jasper the biggest hug she could ever offer. "Hey, you wanna make it official with a little kiss?"

"I swear, it was an accident, please!" Jasper was quickly cut off as soon as White Topaz planted a kiss on her lips, but she quickly accepted it and started kissing her back, all while the Crystal Gems watched over them from afar.

"Aw, I'm so happy for them!" Pearl cooed in delight at the couple.

"Who would've guessed Jasper was a big softie deep down?" Lapis wondered aloud.

"Good to see this future came to pass." Garnet declared with a smile.

"HEY! YOU KNOW WE CAN SEE YOU!" Jasper yelled at the Gems as she and White Topaz stopped kissing to notice their wingmen spying on them.

"Come on, don't you want us to feel proud?!" Bismuth hollered back.

"You can do whatever, but maybe not watch us like a bunch of creeps next time?" White Topaz suggested.

"Yeah, she's right. Let's get out of here." Amethyst agreed before leaving the other Gems.

"AND IS PERIDOT SERIOUSLY FILMING US RIGHT NOW?!" Jasper continued yelling, bringing attention to the little green Gem filming the couple with a video recorder.

"Come on, Peridot, we're leaving." Pearl grumpily ordered Peridot while dragging her away by the collar.

"Aw, but I wanted to save this as a fond memory!" Peridot complained while the rest of the Gems left, leaving Jasper and White Topaz alone again at last.

"So, now what do we do?" White Topaz asked Jasper.

"I don't know." Jasper replied. "Wanna look at the stars together?"

"I'd love that." White Topaz smiled sweetly, and for the rest of the night, she and Jasper spent their time together stargazing as girlfriend and girlfriend.

--

Aw, wasn't that just wholesome and awkward? Speaking as someone who is now in a relationship with a friend of mine I've known for five years as I write this, the first date can be really nerve-wracking at first, and the aftermath just as much, but everything will even out eventually. But now that we've got a main ship on our hands, next episode will start leaning heavily into parody territory with The Big Lebowski starring Lapis, Peridot and Teal Zircon. This should be entertaining.

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who: What Makes a Great One-Off Character?

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Some Doctor Who characters are intended for greatness; some are intended to be killed off at the end of their first episode. Writers have a lot more control over the second than the first. What remains true for all characters, is the tension that exists between their function in the story and their potential to affect it. Even a guard who simply runs into a room to get shot could have dragged the story in another direction, should they be allowed (this stock background character was the inspiration for Terry Pratchett’s City Watch novels).

Successful one-off characters aren’t necessarily those who break away from their function, (or even those who aren’t strictly required, for example Binro the Heretic in ‘The Ribos Operation’), but those who make a story soar to another level entirely. More often, what makes them work is when their function in the story is disguised. There are plenty of ways to do this and most of them intersect: casting, costume, dialogue, performance…

Let’s first address the latter. Does the actor need to get under the skin of the character to create a nuanced and layered take that resonates utterly with the audience?

Nope. Doctor Who frequently embraces camp. Sometimes camp holds Doctor Who at gunpoint and sings piano ballads at it. The results vary. Richard Briers’ possessed Chief Caretaker in ‘Paradise Towers’ undermines the production (while not a production striving for kitchen sink realism, Briers’ parody-like performance still cuts against its Brechtian leanings) whereas Graham Crowden’s Soldeed is heightened and ridiculous among similar performances.

Other great examples of this stock character, which I am calling Ham-Err Horror without apology, include Professor Zaroff in ‘The Underwater Menace’ (intended to be driven mad by the death of his family, only for this to be cut from the script, rendering the character inexplicably inexplicable) and John Lumic from ‘Rise of the Cybermen’ (inspired to create the Cybermen by a fear of death, with actor Roger Lloyd-Pack citing Dick Cheney as an inspiration for the performance, but remembered mainly for the ripe delivery of lines such as ‘And how will you do that from beyond the grave?’).

Sometimes you don’t even need dialogue. Christopher Bowen, as Mordred in ‘Battlefield’, commits to a maniacal laugh so long that there’s a cut to another scene in the middle of it.

And yet there are places where camp or over-the-top villains work unironically, and some of the most hospitable are the Tom Baker stories of 1975-1977. Harrison Chase, Magnus Greel, Morbius, the Master… these characters fit into the Grand Guignol tradition of heightened and melodramatic performances (Just because something is dark and morbid doesn’t stop it being ludicrously tragic). As the tone of these stories is pitched at gothic melodrama though, the characters and setting cohere.

Returning to ‘Battlefield’, while there are some great individual performances from one-off characters, they’re not quite pulling in the same direction (Jean Marsh as Morgaine is playing an inter-dimensional sorceress as if it’s real, Marcus Gilbert as Ancelyn is saying ‘This is ridiculous, and that’s great’ and pulling along Angela Bruce’s Bambera in that direction too). ‘Battlefield’ is fun, but also disjointed.

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TV

Doctor Who: Ranking Every Single Companion Departure

By Andrew Blair

TV

It’s a Sin’s Doctor Who Crossover Pays Tribute to Remembrance of the Daleks Actor

By Louisa Mellor

Some characters get by on the strength of costume or make-up, such as the Destroyer (also from ‘Battlefield’) or the Zygons. Broton, the latter’s leader, is a successful character who operates purely as a function rather than an individual. Played with haughty relish by John Woodnutt, Broton is a visual triumph, with the costume a collaboration between costume designer Jim Acheson, visual effects designer John Friedlander and director Douglas Camfield. At its best, ‘Terror of the Zygons’ oozes with tension and atmosphere, with some fantastic design work and enjoyable pulp runaround. This all distracts the viewer from Broton being a colossal idiot. Indulging in clichés such as explaining his entire plot, putting characters in easily escapable situations and assuming the Doctor is dead without proof, Broton has to do these for the story to unfold according to Doctor Who’s format. Fortunately few people watch ‘Terror of the Zygons’ for Broton’s unique take on planetary subjugation.

Some clichés exist specifically because that character has worked well in previous stories. Frequently in Doctor Who somebody would sacrifice themselves to save the day, someone else would comment on this, and everybody would look solemn for a few seconds before immediately moving on with their lives. ‘The Ark in Space’ features two people sacrificing themselves to save humanity, one with a quip about his union and the other fighting possession, and in 1975, a single line noting these acts was enough.

In 2005, TV had changed, and so Doctor Who threw more weight behind these deaths (boosted by Russell T. Davies’ seemingly effortless ability to generate a whole human life by adding three adjectives per character to the scripts). Jabe in ‘The End of the World’, Gwyneth in ‘An Unquiet Dead’, Pete Tyler in ‘Father’s Day’… these sacrifices were dwelt on, their weight became cumulative. From this, a subgenre of Almost Companions emerged with Lynda in ‘The Parting of the Ways’, Astrid in ‘Voyage of the Damned’ and Rita in ‘The God Complex’: all too doomed to step on board. Eventually the show acknowledged this with the Eleventh Doctor standing over the body of Lorna Bucket and observing “They’re always brave.”

Doctor Who was commentating on itself as early as its second series (in ‘The Rescue’ David Whittaker created Koquillion, a monster in a rubber suit that turned out to actually be a man in a rubber monster costume). In the 1980s, Doctor Who had become increasingly continuity-heavy, but what its final few series managed successfully was to comment on Doctor Who without making the stories’ success dependent on this. Characters such as Captain Cook offer up twisted reflections of the Doctor, with the Chief Clown, Josiah Samuel Smith and Commander Millington all tapping into the historical influences on the show, but crucially the stories still work if you’re not familiar with all this.

‘Ghostlight’, the most densely packed version of this approach,is still entertaining even if you don’t know what is going on. It’s played with such conviction and unity, with each character managing to feel both heavily symbolic but with a sense of inner-life. This is generally true of the Seventh Doctor’s era supporting characters, especially the guy who snaps “I can’t do anything without my list now can I?” in ‘The Happiness Patrol’.

But as we’ve seen, a standout character doesn’t have to be multi-faceted. Not every henchman can be Packer from ‘The Invasion’ (he’s not only sadistic and cruel, but Peter Halliday really commits to the undignified flapping when things go wrong), but most stock characters in Doctor Who work by being given ‘a bit’.

Usually this stems from their plot function. Harrison Chase, in ‘The Seeds of Doom’ is a plant collector and obsessive because the story is based around aggressive plant-creatures, and needs a simple way to bring the main human antagonist into the adventure. Here though it’s more than that. Lesser examples of this trick can be seen with Tarun Capel in ‘Robots of Death’, where his obsession with robots isn’t as unsettling as Chase’s obsession with plants (and then further down the line we have Magnus Greel in ‘Talons of Weng-Chieng’, who is evil because the story needs a bad guy). In ‘Seeds of Doom’, time is devoted to the idea of a man who considers plant life superior to humanity, and the script and actor Tony Beckley really commit to the comedy and horror of this idea. That’s his ‘bit’.

Perhaps the finest example of turning a character’s basic function into pure entertainment is Duggan in ‘City of Death’. Douglas Adams and Graham Williams, rewriting David Fisher’s scripts about aliens in Monte Carlo, took a Bulldog Drummond-inspired detective character and realised his primary function in the script was to be the muscle for the Doctor and Romana.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

There are other elements of of ‘City of Death’ that poke fun at television’s contrivances (The guard’s throwaway line saying Captain Tancredi will “be here instantly” just before the door opens, for example) and Duggan’s repeatedly punching people unconscious to move the plot along is not only revealed to be an example of Chekhov’s Gun, whereby it’s the solution to the whole story, but also the source of the best sight gag in Doctor Who when Duggan opens a wine bottle by simply smashing it open off the bar. Without providing him with much in the way of depth or backstory, by leaning into the character’s story function to almost absurd levels, ‘City of Death’ creates one of the most memorable supporting characters in Doctor Who history.

The post Doctor Who: What Makes a Great One-Off Character? appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3aUbT6u

[minstrel75itg]

So, at one time in my life, let’s say all of 1980, I was a young Marine at a Navy Training Command outside of Memphis. I experienced my first spell of Humidity in Millington, TN. We paid $83 a month rent for this little Korean War era duplex. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHtmvtAlRLh/?igshid=1myqfvwxwe7qj

[georgemcginn]

ADSW Opportunity for an O4-O5 for Performance Evaluation Transfo rmation Training Task Force OIC with CNAVPERSCOM, Millington TN.

ADSW Opportunity for an O4-O5 for Performance Evaluation Transfo rmation Training Task Force OIC with CNAVPERSCOM, Millington TN.

Supported Command/POC: CAPT John Sedlock, 901-874-4890, john.sedlock@navy.mil

Advertised Position Title: Performance Evaluation Transformation Training Task Force OIC

Rank/Rate or Rank/Designator: O4-O5

Number of Positions Required: 1

Type of Orders: ADSW

ZipServe Portal ID#: 5624 (M)

CNRFC ZipServe is located at: https://locker.private.navyreserve.navy.mil/zipserve/#admanagement/query?kw=5624…

[inerginc]

 independent power producer Silicon Ranch Corporation has announced its 53-MW solar array, said to be the largest in the state, is operational. The array was built in partnership with the City of Millington, the U.S. Navy, Memphis, Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The project is located in Millington, Tennessee and Silicon Ranch said it employed 300 people to construct it. Power from the project will go to Naval Support Academy (NSA) Mid-South and TVA, who will be purchasing the energy at “cost-competitive rates” for the next 20 years, according to Silicon Ranch.

As part of the public-private partnership, Silicon Ranch signed a long-term lease with the U.S. Navy for 72 acres of base land and purchased an adjacent 348 acres from the Millington Industrial Development Board (MIDB). While the majority of the solar array is located on the adjacent private land, the naval installation received a brand new alternative electrical feed that will increase energy security and resilience at NSA Mid-South.

Underscoring the significance of the landmark project, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said, “Partnerships fuel innovation, and we are proud of the work by community leaders, the U.S. Navy, and Silicon Ranch to expand solar technology in West Tennessee. We look forward to a continued partnership as we strengthen rural Tennessee, modernize our infrastructure, and prepare for the jobs of the future.”

NSA Mid-South Commanding Officer Capt. Alonza “Al” Ross said, “This solar project represents progress toward our goal of becoming the Navy’s premier installation through maintaining excellence in our facilities and services. It enhances our ability to manage our most important asset—our people—and helps us perform the critical function of supporting warfighter capabilities and readiness.”

TVA vice president of Commercial Energy Solutions Doug Perry said, “TVA recognizes that renewable energy is a tremendous asset in terms of economic and environmental benefits. With more than 50 percent of our generating portfolio carbon-free, the NSA Mid-South solar installation reflects TVA’s ongoing commitment to a diversified, cleaner energy mix that best serves the power needs of nearly 10 million residents of the Tennessee Valley.”

Are you keeping an eye on the evolution of solar technology? Here's an interesting two-minute read on the trends we expect to shape the industry in 2019.

This article first appeared on our sister site, Renewable Energy World.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

[buynsellsolar-blog]

Silicon Ranch completes 53-MWac solar project at Tennessee Navy base

New Post published on http://roofnrays.com/silicon-ranch-completes-53-mwac-solar-project-at-tennessee-navy-base/

Silicon Ranch completes 53-MWac solar project at Tennessee Navy base

The largest solar farm in the state of Tennessee is now operational at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mid-South in Millington. The innovative project is the result of a unique public-private partnership that brought together the City of Millington, the U.S. Navy, Memphis, Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Silicon Ranch Corporation with a shared vision to support the local community and the naval base.

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, the United States solar platform for Shell and one of America’s largest independent solar power producers, employed more than 300 people to construct the 53-MWac facility and will provide reliable, resilient power to the NSA Mid-South and TVA at cost-competitive rates for the next 20 years. As part of the partnership, Silicon Ranch signed a long-term lease with the U.S. Navy for 72 acres of base-owned land and purchased an adjacent 348 acres from the Millington Industrial Development Board (MIDB).

Tennessee’s largest solar farm is now operational at Millington Naval Facility. Silicon Ranch

“This innovative energy project is the result of a truly collaborative effort, and Silicon Ranch thanks our partners at the U.S. Navy, TVA, MLGW, and the MIDB for making this investment possible,” said Matt Kisber, CEO and co-founder of Silicon Ranch. “We are especially honored to commission the largest solar facility in our home state of Tennessee and to support the mission of both NSA Mid-South and TVA.”

While the majority of the solar array is located on the adjacent private land, the naval installation received a brand new alternative electrical feed that will increase energy security and resilience at NSA Mid-South. This feature enables the installation’s more than 6,500 personnel to focus on their mission at the Navy’s Human Resources Center of Excellence. The project also illustrates the value of divesting Navy land that isn’t crucial to an installation’s mission and could be redeveloped through partnerships to benefit the Navy and the surrounding community.

“Partnerships fuel innovation, and we are proud of the work by community leaders, the U.S. Navy, and Silicon Ranch to expand solar technology in West Tennessee,” said Governor Bill Lee. “We look forward to a continued partnership as we strengthen rural Tennessee, modernize our infrastructure and prepare for the jobs of the future.”

The system is composed of more than 525,000 solar panels. The plant’s opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Navy and local government.

“This solar project represents progress toward our goal of becoming the Navy’s premier installation through maintaining excellence in our facilities and services,” said Cpt. Alonza “Al” Ross, commanding officer, NSA Mid-South. “It enhances our ability to manage our most important asset—our people—and helps us perform the critical function of supporting warfighter capabilities and readiness.”

News item from Silicon Ranch Corporation

[cleowho]

“Captain, radio for reinforcements.”

The Curse of Fenric - season 26 - 1989

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 26 January 2018: Science Fiction

Mecha knights, combat frames, android detectives, and missing aircraft feature in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in science fiction.

Combat Frame XSeed – Brian Niemeier

The future is over.

Civilization on Earth has collapsed. Oligarchs have established a new order in manmade space colonies at the Earth-Moon LaGrange points.

A group of powerful colonies form the Systems Overterrestrial Coalition to re-civilize the earth, but grounders view the colonists as hostile meddlers. The Coalition counters the rising violence with giant manned robots called combat frames.

The independent L3 colonies denounce the war on Earth. In response, Coalition Security Director Sanzen takes L3 leader Josef Friedlander’s wife and daughter hostage. Amid the tense standoff, Friedlander’s son Sieg launches an unsanctioned rescue mission to L1’s Byzantium colony.

Destruction (Forgotten Colony #4) – M.R. Forbes

The Deliverance isn’t alone.

That’s not a surprise. The planet was chosen for a reason.

But the situation is more dire than Caleb ever imagined. The enemy he’s encountered isn’t the enemy he was seeking, and the conflict is expanding in ways he can barely conceive.

Taken prisoner by an opponent both familiar and foreign, he’ll have to prove himself one more time…

Or watch everything he’s fought so hard to protect be destroyed.

Ferrum Corde (Terran Armor Corps #6) – Richard Fox

The war against the Kesaht Alliance enters its final days, and Earth is losing.

The Terran Union must launch one last desperate assault to save itself, but the enemy is legion and ready to crush the battle-weary human forces.

Earth needs the Ibarra Nation to join the fight, but Stacey Ibarra has other plans.

She hunts for a super weapon that will forever alter the balance of power in the galaxy, all the while her mind teeters on the brink of insanity. Roland, her loyal Armor soldier, must decide if she can be trusted to wield the Ark, or if she’s too dangerous to rule the nation he swore to defend.

Gideon, his hatred of his former lance mate as white hot as ever, waits for his chance to exact revenge against Roland for his betrayal.

Can old vendettas be forgotten? Can the Iron Dragoons reunite to save us all?

The second Ember War series rockets to its epic, and tragic, conclusion!

Free Bird Rising (Four Horsemen Tales #7) – Ian J. Malone

“A noted explorer once asked, ‘Who knows if there are secrets lurking in the unseen corners of hyperspace?’ The answer is simple. There are!” — Colonel Terrance Van Zant, Commanding Officer, Swamp Eagle Security

Taylor Van Zant has a lot on his mind.

Like everyone in Jacksonville, North Florida, the early-twenties bartender from Riverside saw his world upended when his brother, Terry, an interstellar mercenary and local hero, died suddenly in a freak starship accident. Five years later, having been stonewalled for answers, Taylor faced a choice: Honor his mother’s wish that he never go merc or defy it to save her life by resurrecting Terry’s company.

That was thirteen months ago. Now the newly reformed Eagles stand on the verge of a major milestone: owning their own flagship. There’s just one problem. Terry left behind a ship that no one knew about, a rare breed of cruiser with a most peculiar secret.

Polar Vortex – Matthew Mather

Within hours of Allied Airlines 695 disappearing, a massive international search is launched. Aircraft and ships are dispatched from Russia, China, America, Canada, and Norway.

How can a modern airliner simply vanish in one of the most heavily monitored places on Earth? Right in the middle of an area overflown by dozens of satellites from as many nations, ringed by Cold War-era radar and missile installations?

Global tensions rise. The media and grieving families whip into a frenzy. The armed forces of America and Russia tip the world toward the brink of apocalyptic war.

Weeks later. Found on the ice. A chance discovery.

The journal of Mitch Matthews reveals the incredible truth behind the disappearance of Allied 695, and what really happened in…

…the Polar Vortex.

Rift (The Resistance #1) – Nathan Hystad

The Earth Fleet has known of the Watchers for years, unwilling to share the knowledge with humanity. Now it might be too late.

Hidden away from the Fleet, one man is creating a new colony ship destined for the other side of the Rift, but he’s missing a few pieces.

Three other people have varied paths to get there. Ace goes from the streets of Earth to the Fleet training facility on the moon. Flint, an ex-Fleet pilot, must decide if a job is worth his life, and Wren, imprisoned for a secret project years ago, is given hope as an unlikely ally whispers words of escape in her ear.

Their journeys lead to Councilman Jarden Fairbanks, who knows of the impending invasion, and has prepared. All they can do is wait for the Rift to open once again, and see what’s on the other side.

The Sky People – Terry Goodkind

Raging River, priestess of the Sun People, has just done the unthinkable.

The Sun People are bound by an ancient law, left by the long-vanished Sky People: they must never kill. To other tribes, who have no such law, the Sun People are easy prey who will not defend themselves. Their game is poached, their stores are raided, their women abducted, their men killed for sport.

But when Raging River and her sister are attacked by a Wolf People raiding party, River fights back and kills one of the warriors. Worse, she has killed the son of their chief.

Now, with the Wolf People vowing revenge and her people facing annihilation, River must do the impossible. She must prove herself as priestess. She must find the mythical Sky People.

Socrates and the Ionian (John Tesh: Science Fiction Detective #3) – Thomas Fay

The year is 2052 AD.

The Iona Corporation has successfully positioned itself as a global powerhouse with its incredible renewable energy technology—the Flux Cell. The citizens of Iona, protected by the Ruling Council and the Sentinels, bask in a golden age of clean, limitless energy. Not content with the success of the Flux Cell, the Iona Corporation announces the launch of a new technology as it prepares for the future.

When objects and people begin to mysteriously disappear, Sentinel John Tesh and his android partner, Socrates, must embark on the most dangerous investigation they have ever undertaken. An investigation that will reveal the true nature of the Ionians and lead to a confrontation that will shake the city of Iona to its core.

  War of the Spheres – B. V. Larson and James D. Millington

When humanity reaches for the stars, our probes are destroyed. They crash into an incredibly advanced piece of technology: a massive force-field. Unknown beings have placed a barrier around our star and planets, enclosing us within. We’re locked inside a Great Sphere.

Was this invisible obstacle built to imprison us—or to protect us? No one knows the truth, but it soon becomes clear the barrier has leaks. Aliens infiltrate and try to sabotage our efforts to escape our cage.

A warship crewed by military people and scientists beta-test an engine designed to pass through the barrier. Chief Gray, a security officer from Control, is assigned to help. His mission is critical: Earth must escape her bonds at all costs, even if it means war with our hostile neighbors.

New Release Roundup, 26 January 2018: Science Fiction published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[journeyinthetardis]

Synopsis: The Doctor takes Ace in the TARDIS to Northumberland during World War II. He waltzes right up to the naval installation, ignoring the guns being pointed at him, and asks to see Dr. Judson. He goes on his own to see Judson, a wheelchair-bound man who works with ciphers and decryption. The Doctor quickly earns Judson's trust when he reveals that he is knowledgeable in ciphers as well. As such, Judson doesn't object when the Doctor writes a false letter of authority from the Prime Minister and head of the Secret Service.

The following morning, they go to find Judson working on ancient text in the crypt of the local church, where Ace makes friends with two young women, evacuees from London. She decides to go swimming with them later at Maiden's  Point, despite the fact that Ace won't be doing any swimming because she dislikes it.

The church is built on an old Viking grave site, which piques the Doctor's curiosity. Ancient Norwegian text tells of an ancient curse that rests in the lands nearby, which claimed a ship of Vikings long ago. When Ace returns from Maiden's Point, she and the Doctor explore the base and find women from the WRNS working in a room. One of the women has a baby girl with her, whom Ace immediately takes a liking to. She is slightly perturbed, though, to learn that the baby's name is Audrey, the same name as Ace's hated mother.

Exploring down at Maiden's Point, the Doctor and Ace are surprised to find the dead body of a Soviet soldier. They are soon accosted by other Soviets, who seem to have come to spy on the English soldiers, but the Doctor manages to talk his way out of it. Two of the soldiers, one dead and one unconscious, are carrying strange metal objects. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Ace return to the crypt to find a new Norse inscription has appeared out of nowhere.

The leader of the base, Millington, decided to then hold them up at gunpoint. He takes the Doctor further into the crypt, revealing that he has been mining a toxic substance that he plans to use against England's enemies in the war. He then takes the Doctor to Judson's ULTIMA machine, which automatically decrypts German messages. He plans to purposefully let the Soviets steal it, as it will release the toxin once it tries to decrypt a specific word; love.

The Doctor chooses his words carefully, not yet getting on Millington's bad side. Millington orders all radio transmitters and telephone lines be disconnected, isolating the small town. Oddly, he also commands that all chess sets on the base be destroyed. The Doctor meets back up with Ace, and they discover the dead body of a woman from the village. Her body has been drained of all blood, as if attacked by a vampire. The Doctor realizes that it must be haemovores.

They rush off just in time to save the reverend from the 'vampires', but when everybody rushes back to the ULTIMA machine, they find that it's already decrypted the old Norse 'code' that was in the crypt. Millington then declares that the Doctor is too late, and dark powers will soon be his. Everyone quickly flees.

Ace goes to make sure Audrey and her mother are okay, while the Doctor goes with the reverend to look up some of the Norse history from before the church was built. They discover that those who initially encountered this 'curse of Fenric' have passed down from generation to generation. Haemovores attack the church. Ace tries to escape and fails, but is rescued by two of the Soviet soldiers who join with them. The Doctor reveals that the haemovores can be driven away simply by faith, as they are repelled by the 'psychic barrier' that believing in faith produces.

The escape, only to be confronted by Millington again. The Doctor reveals that 'Fenric' is actually just a name for an ancient evil that has found its way back to Earth. Millington has imprisoned Sorin, the leader of the Soviet troupe, but the Doctor and Ace rescue him so he can join their cause. The group then rush back to the ULTIMA machine, finding that dark energies are swirling around and Judson has collapsed. It looks like Fenric has gotten free and has taken over Millington's body.

But this is not the case. Judson stands up, revealing that Fenric has actually taken his body. He proclaims that the Doctor locked him away in the Shadow Dimensions back in the 3rd century, but now he's back to finish their 'game'. He teleports away, leaving the Doctor to announce that he needs a chess set. Ace and Sorin help him find one.

They rush off to get the only remaining chess set from Kathleen, Audrey's mother. The Doctor takes it, while Ace makes sure that the mother and child can escape safely. The Doctor, meanwhile, sets up the same puzzle that he set for Fenric before, a nigh-unsolvable chess puzzle. He challenges Fenric to solve it, and it looks like Fenric won't be able to.

Ace finds Sorin nearby and proclaims that she's figured out the answer to the chess puzzle. However, she realizes too late that Fenric has moved from Judson into Sorin, and now Fenric is able to solve the puzzle. The Doctor arrives but it's too late, and now Fenric is ready to kill them. He had earlier summoned the 'ancient one', a horribly deformed haemovore to do his bidding, killing all the other haemovores and various soldiers and citizens.

Fenric then reveals the truth to Ace, that the baby she had saved was actually her own mother. Ace is shocked, but still has faith in the Doctor to save the day. This faith is enough to keep the ancient one held at bay. The Doctor, however, doesn't stop Fenric when he threatens to kill her. The Doctor reveals that he knew Fenric's evil was always inside of Ace. It was Fenric who created the time storm that sent her to Iceworld in the first place. The Doctor then states that he looks upon Ace unfavorably, and just needed to keep her close so he could get to Fenric.

Ace is crushed by this revelation, and her faith in the Doctor crumbles. The Ancient One is able to move again. However, the Doctor had earlier confronted the Ancient One and turned him against Fenric, revealing that Fenric is ultimately the one that destroys the Earth in the far future that causes the death of all humanity and the mutations he has. Now able to move, the Ancient One attacks and successfully kills Fenric.

Once he and Ace escape, the Doctor does his best to tell Ace that he didn't mean anything he had said. He just needed to break her faith so that the Ancient One could attack Fenric. Ace eventually accepts his apology, and even decides to go for a swim.She contemplates why she adored the baby, but still finds herself hating her mother. Regardless, though, it's been a long day and they head back to the TARDIS.

Thoughts: This was pretty good. A lot more improved than other recent serials we've seen.

This was a complex and involved story, but it was also easy to follow and stay attached to. The characters all had meaningful roles, understandable motivations, and all had their secrets explained eventually. It was fun to see a story set in World War II, and there were even Nazi flags hanging about at points.

This story delved quite a bit into Ace's personal history, and it was probably one of her best episodes. She runs the whole gambit here, being on top of the world and in the depths of depression at times. It was really neat to find out that she was actually fawning over the baby that would grow up to be her own mother. Definitely an interesting twist.

The inclusion of the haemovores seemed a little unrelated to the actual enemy that was Fenric. They didn't really lend a whole lot to the story itself, although they were a frightening enough enemy to watch. Fenric, though he never had a body of his own, was a very charismatic villain that was fun to watch in the latter half.

[georgemcginn]

Definite Recall Opportunity for an O1-O3 as a Transition Officer in Millington, TN.

Definite Recall Opportunity for an O1-O3 as a Transition Officer in Millington, TN.

Advertised Position Title: Transition Officer

Supported Command POC: Name: Jay Delfoe GS-11; email: delfoe, phone: (901) 874-3209

Rank/Rate: O1-O3

Number of Positions Required: 1

Type of Orders: DR

Advertisement Portal ID: M00261147

CNRFC Advertisement Portal is located at:

https://private.navyreserve.navy.mil/portal/AdPortal