#flagship species

[the-redhead-in-a-dress]

Can we have a Menagerie AU, but its Spock and La'an abducting Chris together and stealing the Enterprise to bring him to Una whose been exiled to an Illyrian colony...

[see notes for my feelings on the Menagerie ep]

[worldguardian]

remembering how jagex have continuously fucked up mahjarrat lore since children of mah and being a li’l mad about it still actually

[cynder6]

I think the specific term you're looking for might actually be flagship species! It's not just charismatic megafauna that's used as flagship species, but they are often great for the job for all of the reasons you just laid out. There's also a similar term to flagship species, umbrella species!

Hi, there's a really good chance I'm imagining things, but isn't there a name/term for when we latch onto "cute"/marketable endangered species and that gives incentive to protect their habitat as well? Like when keeping one animal alive allows for the argument to be made to keep a different "uglier" animal alive, or put resources into protecting a plant species? I could swear there's a name for this but I can't find anything so I could also just be mixing it up with something

The term you're looking for is "Charismatic Megafauna" or and it works in two directions:

People are more likely to identify with a large mammal than say, an ecologically vital insect or slime mold, especially if it's something regarded as "cute" like Pandas or Orcas or Elephants. People give more of a shit about the enviornment and do what you ask if they give a shit about the animal in question.

Picking a Keystone Species at the Very Tippy Top of the food chain (Apex predators like Tigers and Orca), or that needs VAST amounts of space kept pristine (Pandas, Elephants) means that you also have to preserve THE ENTIRE FUCKING FOOD CHAIN UNDERNEATH IT, and by extension, the habitat all them critters live in. So signing a law to protect Penguins protects not just their land nesting sites but the ocean they hunt in and the fish they eat and this protects vastly more species than protecting The-Actually-Load-Bearing-Deep-Sea-Sponges would.

So if you were ever wondering "How come there's all these fundraisers for cute things like giraffes and gorillas? Where's the love for the ugly little guys like freshwater clams and earthworms?" the answer is "RIGHT BEHIND the big sexy poster animal. We sneak them in like hiding your dog's pills in cheese."

[damnwyverngems]

Arkveld - Monster Hunter Wilds Flagship monster

A monster from a long extinct species, shrouded in mystery. It bears uniquely shaped, chain-like wings.

Known as the "White Wraith" amongst hunters, this monster with imposing chain-like wings hails from a long extinct species with an ecology shrouded in mystery.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Know thy enemy

“Enemy fleet exiting jump now.” The tactical officer called out.

Admiral Haru nodded at the confirmation and switched the holographic projection to a live feed.

Bright pinpricks of light flickered in and out showcasing the enemy ships exiting their jump points. On the side of the screen the tracking software updated itself with each new ship, tracking and marking their current locations. The current count was at one hundred ships and increasing steadily.

“I recommend a withdrawal.”

Haru turned from the display to see his alien counterpart fleet master Wrang standing next to him. The translator unit was doing its best to interpret his species speech patterns, but it couldn’t fully remove the high pitched screeching.

“I assure you that we are in no danger of losing this engagement.” Haru replied even as the number of enemy ships continued rising.

“They outnumber us three to one.” Wrang pointed out. “We can not form a battle line against such numbers.”

It was true that the tracking software was not up to three hundred ships but thankfully the lights from jump exits were dwindling more and more. Haru wagered the majority of the enemy had arrived and any stragglers would be petering out soon.

As if to confirm his sentiments the enemy fleet began dispersing itself, morphing from a rough sphere of ships to a well-organized battle line. The heavier battleships and cruisers taking up position behind a screen of frigate and destroyer class vessels. Their sleek polished hulls reflecting a mixture of greens and oranges, with the crest of the Vulzon Theocracy proudly painted on the front of each ship.

“Numbers are not always the key to victory.” Haru remarked as the communication officer called out to the admiral.

“We have an incoming communication from the Vulzon flagship.”

“Begin a trace on the link and pass along their location to the gun batteries for targeting.” Haru said as he sat down on his command throne. He straightened his uniform and smoothed over several creases before nodding to the waiting communication officer.

The holographic projection flickered for a moment before switching from a view of the enemy fleet to a view of the Vulzon command bridge. There, standing in front of his command throne with one hand resting on his viper blade and the other behind his back, stood Haru’s adversary.

Tatiman; war chief of the eternal rage.

“We meet again,” Tatiman spoke through sharpened teeth,” little human.”

Haru said nothing and so the war chief continued.

“I must admit, I am surprised you stayed to fight.” Tatiman chuckled. “I had expected your kind to run and h-“

Haru motioned a hand across his throat and the communication officer cut the communication.

“Why did you do that?” Wrang asked; both deeply confused and troubled by the human’s actions.

It was true his government had relinquished control of their fleet to human control for the duration of the crisis, but he was also instructed to rescind that order and regain control of their forces. Humans were still unknown in the galaxy, making them an unknown and potential risk. A risk Haru seemed to be confirming right now.

“He’ll call back.” Haru remarked as he rested his hand on his chin and smiled.

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the communication officer speak up again.

“From their command ship again, Admiral.”

Haru listened to the chiming noise to indicate an incoming transmission but sat passively in his throne. A minute passed and the communications officer was about to ask again when Haru waved him to open the link.

Once again Tatiman was on screen aboard his command bridge, though looking substantially angrier than before.

“I am trying to be diplomatic,” Tatiman said through clenched teeth, “and you dare insult my-“

Again Haru swiped his hand across his throat and the communication was terminated.

“Do you have a death wish?” Wrang asked as he began to sweat.

“Hardly,” Haru grinned, “there’s a new episode of battle base five airing in two days and I will be damned if I will be killed before finding out which cyborg gave birth to Maria.”

At a loss for words at the entirety of the admiral’s statement Wrang just stood there with his mouth hanging open as yet another communication chime came in.

This time Haru answered it immediately rather than waiting and the link was established again.

Tatiman was now far beyond anger. Behind him one of the arms of his command throne was sparking erratically and Wrang imagined that the war chief had struck it after the second transmission was terminated.

“I will rip the eyes from your sockets, and make you watch as I strangle the life from your frail body!” Tatiman shouted. The loud shout startled several of the human crew but Wrang saw nothing of the same on the admiral’s face who yawned loudly.

“Listen, taint,” Haru began as he lazily slouched in his throne, “as much as I love your boastings I am with a friendly delegate and my time is short; so would you be a dear and surrender already?”

Wrang couldn’t describe the colors Tatiman went through as he stuttered words of rage. His eyes were wide and focused with a killers gaze while Haru yawned again and made the swipe motion to terminate the transmission.

“I hope you have a plan,” Wrang began as the entire Vulzon fleet appeared to power their engines and begin rushing towards them, “as you may have just killed us all.”

“Fleet wide transmission, now.” Haru ordered crisply and the communication officer complied without question.

“This is Admiral Haru to all ships, activate targeting scramblers and launch full spread of chaff.”

Wrang watched as the holographic screen flickered for a moment as the scramblers activated while a barrage of chaff missiles were launched. The first Vulzon energy lances began hammering the ships shields as the chaff missiles exploded. The space between the two fleets suddenly was filled with a thick cloud of white particles as if a bell had just been dropped in a dusty foundry.

“That tactic will only delay them.” Wrang remarked as the energy lances suddenly lost accuracy. Energy lances passed their ships harmlessly as the chaff interfered with the Vulzon targeting locks. “Even with scramblers and chaff it won’t be enough; they will be switching to visual targeting now.”

“I’m counting on it.” Was all Haru replied as the energy lances began finding their marks again. “By now every gunner and commander in their fleet is looking out a window or view screen to watch us.”

A shudder through the ship made Wrang wobble on his feet for a heartbeat before he regained his footing. Warning icons were flashing now across the view screen as energy spikes from the shields were beginning to ravage the human flagship.

“Why are we not returning fire!?” Wrang demanded as another shudder sent him to his knees.

“I’m waiting.” Haru remarked as he watched the view screen. The enemy icons had cross half the distance between the fleets and had now entered within the chaff cloud.

“For what!?”

“For this moment.” Haru said with a smile.

“All ships, all ships; fire Cheshire rounds now.”

Before Wrang could ask what a Cheshire round was the view screen lit up as every cannon amongst their fleet fired at the same time.

Wrang watched the Vulzon ships to see how many would explode, but was surprised when a second cloud of bright purple appeared.

“This was your secret weapon?” Wrang shouted. “You launch colored dust while they slaughter us?!”

Haru held up a finger to silence Wrang and said nothing else. So infuriated was the fleet master he was on the verge of ordering his people’s ships to retreat when he noticed something.

The ship had stopped shuddering.

Turning back to the view screen Wrang was astonished to see that every ship in the Vulzon fleet had ceased firing. They were still hurtling towards them but otherwise their guns had fallen silent.

“Admiral to fleet, disperse formation to avoid incoming vessels and prepare full barrage as they pass by.” Haru sounded off.

The fleet began to spread apart just in time as the first Vulzon ships began flying through their line. Some Vulzon ships passing close enough an engineer could reach out and scrape the Vulzon paintwork with a wrench but thankfully no collisions were reported.

“Fleet maneuver completed and all ships confirm they are ready to fire.” The tactical officer sounded off.

“Open fire.” Haru spoke as he watched the Vulzon flagship pass by before being hammered by a full broadside of energy batteries.

The shields flickered then collapsed in an instant under such a close bombardment. Wrang watched as the delicate paint work was burnt away as hull punctures riddled the entire ship from stem to stern.

All along the entire line human vessels were firing at near point blank range causing horrific damage to the Vulzon fleet which was still passing by without retaliating.

“What did you do?” Wrang asked softly. He had never seen a Vulzon fleet be destroyed so utterly and in such a manner that it defied all reason.

Haru rested his chin on his hand again and watched as the Vulzon flagship detonated under the latest salvo.

“Did you know that the Vulzon have very unique eyes?” he asked the fleet master. When Wrang shook his head he continued.

“They can see spectrums of light and energy well beyond what our human eyes can see, but that also makes them incredibly sensitive to certain things; things that can trigger violent and sometimes fatal physical bodily reactions.”

Haru looked at Wrang, but when he saw the fleet master still struggling to put the pieces together he decided to spell out his plan entirely.

“The color purple,” Haru stated as he pointed to the dissipating cloud of the color, “has been known to trigger a form of cardiac arrest if observed during moments of intense stress for Vulzon’s.”

“So,” Wrang began as he puzzled together Haru’s plan, “when you fired those Cheshire rounds you gave them…”

“-a form of mass seizure.” Haru finished.

He stood up from his command throne and walked over to the tactical display. “Vulzon are a dedicated military race with a strong sense of loyalty to their commander.” Haru began. “But this means that they also emulate their commander in all things. Dress code, discipline, mental state, etc.”

“So when you made Tatiman angry, they all emulated him and became angry as well.” Wrang put together.

“Exactly.” Haru nodded. “So when they saw the purple color they were all in a state of pure rage and anger, making the cardiac arrest they would normally experience that much more effective.”

“But they would know of their weakness.” Wrang countered. “Their sensors and displays would be programmed to remove the color from their screens to prevent that.”

“Unless they were scrambled and the Vulzon were forced to rely on visual confirmation.”

Suddenly the scramblers and chaff made sense. The human admiral had not deployed them to hamper the Vulzon weapon locks, but to force them into a situation that would expose them to their weakness without them even knowing.

“The benefit of making an enemy mad is that they tend to fail at thinking beyond the current moment.” Haru finished as he flicked a speck of dust off his uniform. “They don’t see the knife until it’s embedded in their chest.”

He pointed to the last of the Vulzon ships to pass between their fleet still steaming ahead with no regard for their own safety. A few had suddenly began to maneuver in different directions and Haru pointed them out specifically.

“Inform the fleet to focus on any ship not moving in a straight line first before others, regardless of class.”

The communication officer nodded and relayed the message. When he turned and saw Wrang looking confused.

“I imagine that by now someone must have gotten to the bridge to find their captain is dead along with most of their command staff and tried to steer the ship to safety.”

“I applaud you for your thoroughness.” Wrang bowed. “You are much wiser in the ways of war than I had expected.”

Haru smiled and returned the bow. “There’s an old terran saying that has defined my career.”

“To defeat your enemy, you must know your enemy.

[bignosebaby]

If you've heard of black crested macaques or the Yaki monkey, it is probably this one:

This black crested macaque became famous in 2011 when the photographer David Slater was taking photos in the jungle of Sulawesi Indonesia where black crested macaques are indigenous fauna. Slater was not the photographer who captured this photo, however. It was the macaque who has since been commonly called Naruto who took its own photograph on Slater's camera. The famous monkey selfie sparked a copyright lawsuit brought by PETA onto Slater, which was settled in 2017 with an agreement that Slater would donate a percentage of any profits gained by the pictures Naruto took to organizations that protect this species in the wild.

For the millions who enjoyed Naruto's selfies online, the story ends there. For Naruto and the Yaki the story continues. The black crested macaque is critically endangered. Slater's website says he donates 10% of the proceeds of all "monkey selfie" merchandise to "a monkey conservation project in Sulawesi", and while he does not specify which conservation project he supports, there is one I know of that does incredible work.

Selamatkan Yaki is an operation with a huge impact. The Yaki is one of the most endangered primates in the world, and it can be difficult to gauge just how many of them are out there. This is where biodiversity monitoring comes in to produce the data needed for effective conservation protocol. A pilot study was conducted in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, which has created the blueprint for surveying the entire province using camera traps and remote sensing to observe the Yaki and their threats over time.

Using the data gathered from monitoring, Selamatkan Yaki collaborated with the government agency for natural resource conservation to create a Species Action Plan (SAP). This species action plan is not only an evidence based conservation plan designed to save the Yaki, but all the other species that share its forest home. Establishing the Yaki as a flagship species is crucial as this charismatic monkey is just one of many species that is not found anywhere else in the world.

One of the major threats Yaki face, like many other primate species, is hunting for wildlife trafficking and the bush meat trades. While hunting the Yaki is illegal, it takes a true culture shift to keep endangered animals out of traps and cages. Selamatkan Yaki has developed both community conservation and environmental education programs designed to unite local communities in protecting the species. The community conservation program involves surveys conducted since 2007 so that long term data on human-animal relationships can be tracked to best identify community conservation methods. This data is used in the environmental education program which introduces information on biodiversity and conservation to school curriculum and provides research opportunities and scholarships for post secondary students to contribute to conservation.

Selamatkan Yaki understands that it isn't enough to have a team of people dedicated to saving the black crested macaque-- the more people who care and help the better. Everyone has a role to play in conservation, but right now so many people outside Indonesia have only ever seen the black crested macaque once, in a photo online. That's why I'm partnering with Selamatkan Yaki to spread information about the work they do and the species they protect. To learn more about Selamatkan Yaki you can click the links in this post, and stay tuned for more on the black crested macaque.

[witchofthesouls]

Can we get some cybertronian birb Jack bonding with Optimus? Good soup

Optimus had long gotten used to waking up with a small frame curled upon him. Even with an attachment for a bitlet's recharge slab with sheets and pillows that hadn't been scrap salvenged or rotted by rust, Jack crawled into Optimus' berth.

Despite the extreme suppression of his presence, Jack was a highly affectionate sparkling. Different from the usually self-contained human teenager that Optimus was used to. Little fingers grabbing the seams along his legs and waist, a small frame easily scaling up his height, an immature wingspan clattering against his smokestacks, a nuzzle across his neck-cables or an insistent, worldless demand of a cuddle for comfort, the strange, elusive EM field burbling joy in his own steady one for attention, and finding Jack slotted over his back or hugging his side during recharge in a sheet bundle.

Jack wedged himself between Optimus' back and the wall, hooking slim talons into armor, so in case Optimus decided to leave the room, then Jack was hitchhiking along side with well-practiced habit of utilizing magnets to keep in place.

Such as this morning.

Optimus slipped out of the berth, stretching out, frame hissing and cracking as it loosened up. Jack was barely a noticeable weight on his back as well as a heavy sleeper, slightly twitching when the sheets were left behind. Softly snoozing as Optimus walked in the Ark's hallway, not even hitching with the increased noise, but then again, Jack had settled down easily in trading hubs and space ports far busier and facilities that lacked the appropriate crew space for Cybertronians. Happy to tuck away against Optimus' frame or inside the cab to save room and a physical deterrent against more unscrupulous souls that tracked an immature frame of an advanced mechanical species.

Because as clever Jack may be, he could be overwhelmed with enough preparation as he lacked the full scope of transformation abilities, including an alt-mode and weaponry system.

Optimus heard the flapping wings before a few corvids perched on his shoulders, finding a purchase on the exposed cabling of his protoform. The blackbirds were highly vocal: chittering and making undulating calls; excited as the birds had long memorized the morning schedule of shower time.

Unlike their own dimension, where the flagship had to be abandoned due to the severe lack of resources to get a modicum of a functionality, not even worth it considering how small their team was, this Ark was liveable and retained most of its functions with the unfortunate exceptions of downed flight capabilities and long-distance transportation warp gates.

Here, with the help of nearby hydrothermal springs, volcanic activity, and Oregon's wet climate, the Autobots had a fully stocked shower rack with no strict rationing on the distilled water, heat, or usage.

It was an indulgence that Optimus allowed himself to enjoy, especially since Jack needed far more maintenance compared to him. Jack's frame was immature, still developing and reconfiguring itself orn by orn, including his limbs and wingspan. Seams lengthening or shortening. Some disappearred completely and slowly resurface over the months. Dry brushing was a necessary evil- no matter how much Jack squirmed, whined, and tried to avoid it by squireling away in hard to reach areas -in ports with limited-to-no available solvents for personal care. Grime that settled deep into Jack's current frame development would cause protoform irritation, armature warping, delayed growth, and uneven coloration.

Jack eventually learned to appreciate grooming in wet baths, especially in places where he was free to roam around or splash about.

Within a private stall, both animals and sparkling screeched back and forth, circling the enclosed space before Jack willingly went to Optimus' lap, kicking out his pedes, splaying out his wingspan as wide as possible.

Optimus had never told anyone that he still carried or, at least, regained some tidbits of his Wastelands history as he switched from blunt digits to claws. Jack purred, grey-blue optics dimming as the sharpened tips picked at his seams to remove any dust and dirt, and they settled in a familiar, pleasant groove where Jack chattered about dreams and yesterday's adventures, wiggling around as Optimus guided his frame to reach other seams, fields meshed in a homey, comfortable buzz under the hot spray of multiple shower heads.

Jack vibrated with pure joy when Optimus scrapped the last areas and ushered him off, and shook his entire body, platelets clattering in a similar ripple as, much to the corvids' continuous delight, a manner similar to the birds' ruffled feathers as they used a soaking bowl for wash rags as a birdbath.

[whereserpentswalk]

Earth is the only planet in the known universe with gods.

Every other sentient species in known space is completely atheistic. They have myths at times, monsters, heros, cryptids, wizards. But gods, demons, religion, those are a uniquely human concepts.

When humanity first learned about this quirk it seemed to be something from our evolution. Something about the human mind that caused us to create religions when other humans didn't. But every species we met, even rational ones, or ones who had concepts of myths or cyptids, thought our gods were certainly real.

Humans, because of earth's relationships to hyperspace, have little to no psychics. The first human psychic was confirmed in 2311, and even then she wasn't born anywhere near the sol system. So it's very hard for humans to detect gods. But when species that had strong psychics met us, they were able to tell we were communicating with something extraplanner when we prayed.

And psychics who could see extraplanner creatures were shocked when they entered human holy places. They saw entities commucating with us. Angels and saints watching over Christian churches. Spirits of the land and high gods in Shinto temples. Old gods and spirits at neopagan alters. Almost every religion on earth's gods seemed to exist to some extent.

And stranger, these gods have been detected before by other species, but not on freindly terms. Some saw their physical manifestations in hyperspace or in psychic dreams. Others were seen haunting or attacking people. Most alien races didn't encounter them until they went deep into space, or into extraplanner science, certainly having no contact with them as ancients. And because of this most alien species first encountered gods extremely hostility.

The first encounters some species had with gods haven't been when interacting with earthlings, but when they threatened them. A ship from the Arreken Empire in hyperspace that would have conquered earth before it had the technology to fight back if it found them, torn to shreds by an entity in hyperspace said to look like a red bearded human, a hammer is his hands and hyperstorms and red lightening behind him, they thought he was some sort of human supersoldier at the time, but humans didn't even know about hyperspace yet. A Rchititiik corporation mining fleet that attempted to claim Mars before humans got to it, terrified away by a being described as rotating rings with eyes and wings all over it, which spoke in countless tounges and burned a six pointed star into the flagship, thought to be a human spaceship but later confirmed to be unknown to the humans at the time. A small craft that abducted pre space age humans a long time ago, having their exit to the Sol System blocked by a creature described as a feathered serpent with a stone mace in his tail, being forced to put the humans back before they were allowed to leave.

Humans are not the only race to have encountered the gods. We are the only race the gods like.

[otiksimr]

Do you think that because Arkveld (MH Wilds flagship) is called an 'extinct species' in the trailers, all of their quests will be capture only?

It probably wouldn't be but it's still a bit of fun to think about.

[charlesoberonn]

I had a concept for a Star Trek pastiche/homage series that I’m probably never gonna use, so I’m gonna share it here.

it’s called EarthSpace.

Up until 20 years ago, humanity thought it was alone in the universe. We explored the solar system, built space habitats and colonized the nearby planets. We peered deep into the universe to find signs of other life and found none. Until one day we found plenty, all around us.

As it turns out, the Solar System has been under the protection of an alien race called the Grey for thousands of years, hiding us from the outer cosmos and hiding the outer cosmos from us. Thousands of other inhabited systems with sapient species were in the same boat as us, until one day the Greys and most of their technology vanished.

Thus began the era of interstellar exploration. Thousands of species who previously thought they were alone began contacting one another and reverse engineering Grey technology. Humanity has been late to the party, the revelation having caused major societal turmoil. At the end of which a fragile unified government of all mankind emerged. That government established the EarthSpace Company to set out into the wider galaxy to explore, negotiate, make cultural exchanges, and represent the human race to the interstellar community.

In addition to contact with aliens and sci-fi adventures, the crew of EarthSpace’s flagship the Vespucci will also explore the ruins left behind by the Grey to find out what happened to them.

[nerdstrings]

Captain Christopher Pike is an infosec nightmare.

His command code string is 2-4-6-8-10. Like what

M’Benga insinuates it’s been this way for a long time and Pike has never changed it

The man is walking around with command codes that IT set for him by default and told him to reset the first time he logged in and he just. Never did that.

The Serene Squall pirate crew tortured him for this code. They could’ve just fuckin’ guessed it in one go.

But they didn’t know that and their mistaking this man for a competent firewall led to him great-british-baking his way into a mutiny incitation and escape. anyway

Pike is Starfleet’s best, a Boy Scout, who is also gonna get them fuckin’ hacked

This man is sooo socially engineerable

He has never once completed a required infosec course

I know this because he walks onto the USS Discovery and expects them to just hand him command. Because he’s nice and he said so and obviously he means it, scout’s honor. Nevermind that an official fleet communique has never arrived, or that his identity is entirely unconfirmed

He’s so wonderful because he’s so kind and trusting but he is so phishable for the same reasons

The human brain has spindle neurons that are associated with emotion and social behaviors. On earth, these evolved separately in only three types of creatures - great apes/humans, elephants, and dolphins. Cetacean Ops is a thing; Elephantid Ops is not. Presumably the dolphins keep their shit together and the elephants don’t. And then there’s the highly-decorated human captain of the fleet’s flagship just. Being an exceptional representative of his species while literally letting fucking anyone onto the bridge of his ship

He’s the type to repeatedly dismiss a notification about required password trainings every single day for months on end

Una sees it once and is like umm you know they fire people for not doing those, right?

But he knows about Discovery, what are they gonna do? Let him just leave?

So no, he never even gets reprimanded

No wonder he and Section 31 hate each other. They know this guy is a complete security idiot. Meanwhile, Pike thinks making someone buzz in with their own badge is rude and a morally gray area

Too many spindle neurons, that one

[pannaginip]

Located 62km north-east of the capital Manila, Daraitan village in Rizal province is home to about 5,700 residents, a majority of whom are members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people who consider vast hectares of the mountain range as part of their ancestral domain.

But the village may soon disappear under the same waters that give it life, once the Philippine government finishes building the Kaliwa Dam – one of 16 flagship infrastructure projects of former president Rodrigo Duterte that is being funded by China.

The new dam is expected to provide Metro Manila with an additional 600 million litres of water daily once it is finished by end-2026. Officials said building the 60m-high reservoir is even more necessary now that the country is starting to feel the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

But it was only in 2021 under Mr Duterte that construction finally broke ground, three years after Manila and Beijing signed the 12 billion peso (S$288 million) loan agreement.

Of the 119 on the list [of flagship projects of the "Build, Build, Build” infrastructure programme], Mr Duterte turned to China to finance 16 big-ticket projects in a bid to cement his legacy by the time his presidency ended in 2022. He embraced Beijing during his term and even downplayed Manila’s claims in the disputed South China Sea in favour of securing loans and grants from China.

Analysts have criticised Mr Duterte’s infrastructure programme as ambitious. Perennial domestic issues like local politics, right-of-way acquisition problems, lack of technology and red tape in bureaucracy led to severe delays in the projects.

The same issues hound the China-funded projects – which come under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build infrastructure in developing nations – with the problems made more severe by Beijing’s high interest rates in its loan agreements and local backlash due to displacement of residents or potential environmental damage.

Critics say the BRI has been detrimental in the long run to some recipient countries, especially those that have been unable to repay their loans, like Sri Lanka and Zambia.

The Duterte government’s failure to take advantage of its BRI loans was a “missed opportunity” for the Philippines, said infrastructure governance specialist Jerik Cruz, a graduate research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The four completed China-funded projects under Mr Duterte were controversial too. But they came to fruition because they had the support of local politicians allied with Mr Duterte and therefore increased his political capital, said Dr Camba.

Tribal leaders said they were not properly consulted regarding the project that threatens their traditional way of life. Environmentalists from the Stop Kaliwa Dam Network also say the project would destroy 126 species of flora and fauna in the Sierra Madre.

The Philippines’ Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act states that the government must first secure a tribe’s free, prior and informed consent before building on its ancestral lands.

But Ms Clara Dullas, one of the leaders of the Dumagat-Remontado in Rizal, alleged that the Duterte government had either misinformed or pressured other tribe members into giving their consent.

She could not bear to hold grudges, though, noting that the Dumagat-Remontado organisations that eventually agreed to the Kaliwa Dam were each given 80 million pesos, or $1.9 million, in “disturbance” fees.

“The Kaliwa Dam is the reason why our tribe is divided now. There is a crack in our relationships even if we all come from the same family,” said Ms Dullas. “I can’t blame the others because we lack money. I believe there was bribery involved.”

The government requires them to present identification documents, and only those given passes may enter. Mr Dizon said this is to ensure that no unidentified personnel enter the area [close to the construction zone].

“We feel like we are foreigners in our own home because the Chinese and the people in our own government are now preventing us from entering the lands where we grew up,” said tribe leader Renato Ibanez, 48.

Mr Ibanez also accuses the Philippine authorities of harassing tribe members who are vocal against Kaliwa Dam. Some of them have been accused of working with communist rebels, a charge the tribe vehemently denies.

Unlike his predecessor, Mr Marcos is more aggressive in defending Manila’s overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea, but still fosters economic ties with it.

Geopolitical tensions between the two nations and Mr Marcos’ stance towards Beijing are going to dictate the fate of the pending China-funded projects the President inherited from Mr Duterte, said Mr Cruz.

Tribe members said they would be more amenable if Mr Marcos would revisit Japan’s proposed Kaliwa Intake Weir project that Mr Duterte had set aside.

“We like Japan’s proposal. It would not destroy our forests. It would not affect residents here. The Philippines would not be buried in debt,” said Ms Dullas.

This was among the alternatives the Dumagat-Remontados offered during their nine-day march in February 2023, when some 300 members walked 150km from Quezon and Rizal all the way to Manila to protest against the Kaliwa Dam.

But they failed to secure an audience with Mr Marcos. They remain wary of the President’s position on the Kaliwa Dam and other controversial China-funded deals.

“As much as we want to fully pin our hopes on him, we don’t. We’ve learnt from past efforts to trick us, make us believe a project is about to end, only for it to be resurrected again years later,” said Ms Dullas.

2024 Mar. 3

[45780]

What I am absolutely loving about strange new worlds is that they are fulfilling my own personal headcanon that I've had since the very first time that I saw Amanda Grayson in Discovery. That headcanon being that Amanda has a weird secret past involving odd alien species and probably saving the entire universe at some Point. Just like her two children.

Like 18 year old Amanda Grayson was going about becoming friends with neer immortal aliens and wooing random stoic Vulcans, all the while doing something that made it so that said neer immortal alien didn't bat an eyelid at the idea that her son had good reason to steal Starfleet's flagship.

Chaotic Good Amanda Grayson

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Quarantine Breach

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

The first the wider universe heard of the plague on Hydraxsis was when traders began returning to their home systems with tales of a massive human fleet hanging in orbit above the world denying all access to the planet’s surface. Transmissions declaring a state of emergency were relayed from the human flagship and stated that the situation was well under control but for the safety of the wider star community no one was allowed to land.

Naturally concerned with this and seeking to offer aid, many civilizations dispatched medical teams and diplomats to open dialogues for relief aid to begin flowing into the system. Yet once again all they were met with were the same transmissions from the flagship that a state of emergency had been declared and travel down to the surface was strictly forbidden.

The stonewalling tactics did not sit well with several of the diplomats, nor did the numerous jamming devices the humans had deployed in orbit above the world to block any communications to and from the surface as well.

When it became known that non-humans had also been trapped on the surface below by grieving families, the governments insisted that the humans open communications and allow relief efforts to be dispatched to the planet.

There was no reply save for the same transmission played again but this time emphasizing the final part with enlarged letters.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REACH THE SURFACE; THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.

Further enraged and now knowing that several of their own citizens were trapped on the beleaguered world alien fleets began appearing to force their passage through the blockade.

They knew humans were stubborn; it was a core aspect of their primal nature that not even evolution could weed out. Yet it boggled the minds of the aliens why the humans would risk an open conflict over one world.

It wasn’t until a Syndicate Hellbrute Dreadnought, leased to one of the grieving species for a considerable sum, appeared alongside the waiting alien armada did they feel ready to force the blockade.

The two fleets poised against each other as countless weapon bay doors rolled open to reveal their lethal contents. Countless targeting vectors were plotted while missile batteries prepared to unleash a torrent of finite death and destruction when suddenly the human fleet turned.

A lone transport shuttle came racing up from the surface.

Without a moment’s hesitation the entire human fleet opened fired on the tiny transport; completely ignoring the alien warships before them who in turned retaliated against the humans.

Terran frigates crumpled like wads of paper under concentrated fire and carriers were gutted from the inside as torment warheads detonated inside their ships through open launch bays, yet the human fleet gave no return fire to the aliens.

The tiny craft darted like a humming bird through the blizzard of weapons fire directed at it by the humans. Too small for the larger weapons to hit the craft wove its way through the terran fleet as it desperately made for the alien armada.

It had almost made it to the Hellbrute leading the alien fleet when a terran cruiser broke formation and rammed the tiny craft. Unable to avoid the massive size of the ship the transport slammed into the side of the cruiser and detonated in a fireball of destruction.

While the aliens pondered why the terran’s would so recklessly risk one of their larger ships in such a manner they were only further surprised why the same cruiser that had rammed the transport ship then detonated their own jump drives causing a small super nova to erupt between the two fleets.

A blinding shockwave of energy shot out and sent both fleets reeling in opposite directions. Colossal vessels were reduced to nothing more than logs in a rapid current as they battered against each other before finally coming to a stop several thousand kilometers away from where they had started.

The aliens began to reorganize their fleets for another battle but the humans merely returned to their blockade of the world. Only the flagship of the terran fleet remained and opened a direct communication with every alien vessel.

No words were spoken by the terran commander as he opened up a video file and played it. A grainy feed appeared to be from a street camera of some kind of a bustling city. Many assumed that it was from Hydraxsis and noted that it was dated several weeks prior when the blockade first was implemented.

The streets were full of bustling humans and aliens of every kind carrying on their day to day business when one human began convulsing rapidly while crossing the street.

Collapsing to the ground they spasmed so hard that fragments of bone could be seen breaking the skin. Worried onlookers either began backing away from the human or approaching them to try and assist them when the true horror began.

Emerging from the convulsing humans flesh came a thick swarm of tiny red insects. They moved like a stream of water and darted to those who had come forward to help the injured man. With barely enough time to let out a scream the swarm engulfed them in a red tide, dragging them to the ground as a general panic broke out.

Within moments more and more insects began pouring out of the new cadaverous tripling their numbers instantly and just as before began rushing those around them.

The feed then cut away to several days later of the same street as countless fires broke out amongst the buildings. The street was littered with battered and broken aircars while the roads themselves were paved with uncountable bones of victims.

A lone figure came sprinting down the street looking back the way they had come screaming. They made it three steps before tripping over what had been a human femur and falling to the ground as a swarm of insects filling the entire street side to side came down upon them like an onrushing river. The camera was ripped from its mounting by the sheer mass of the swarm and the feed went dead.

The commander ended the feed and addressed the gathered armada. Analyzing the tiny red insects their name was “Ambrogidus Flaxmaxus”, or more commonly called “Red Death”.

A highly invasive species that burrows into living hosts laying thousands of eggs that can hatch within ten seconds to thirty years depending on as of yet to be determined conditions. Once hatched, the larva will eat the surrounding flesh before digging their way out in search of a new host and repeating the entire process with a new host.

Because of the unpredictable nature of the hatching process victims can sometimes carry larva eggs for years without ever knowing. This has made quarantining worlds or victims all but impossible as the eggs blend in with the host’s flesh making them almost impossible to detect by scanners. Even the vacuum of space could not deter the insects as their shells were dense enough to resist the void while the insects themselves hibernated. This reason alone was why the terran cruiser detonated itself the moment it touched an infected shuttle. It was the only way to be sure nothing survived.

The humans admitted that they had been trying to spare the rest of the universe from this plague to contain potential chaos that could be unleashed. Several worlds ranging from small colonies to distant outposts had already fallen to the insect and there had been no designated counter agent for terminating the insects in sufficient numbers.

With a heavy heart the human stated that the “relief” fleet enroute was not coming to help the inhabitants below. It was a scientific fleet with the sole purpose of using the world as a testing ground on new chemical agents and weapons to try and kill the insects.

Even if there had been survivors below the humans had made it very clear.

No one was leaving that planet alive.

[thegildedbee]

Fire/Night: May 20 & 21 Prompts from @calaisreno

[This current chapter and the previous ones are on Ao3.]

............................................................................................... As he begins to step off the train, Sherlock uncurls his fingers to let his mobile slide from his hand into the open space between the train carriage and the pavement's edge — although he’s removed the sim card, best not to have anything to hand that has an identification number since he's unsure as to what dangers lie ahead. He’s now untethered from communications, and about to step out onto a naked stage to begin a scene for which he does not have a script, although others surely do. He looks about with a keen eye, seeking to identify his contact – ah, there he is, it seems, a man perhaps a decade younger than himself, dressed neatly but inconspicuously, in black jeans and a heavy navy wool jacket, the asymmetrical opening buttoned closed at the shoulder. Sherlock inclines his head, as does the other man in response.

When Sherlock nears the path leading to the car park, the man toward whom he’s heading begins unfastening the coat, causing Sherlock to slow his stride and shift his weight, looking stealthily toward his left to identify any obstacles should he suddenly need to begin an evasive maneuver.

The man shakes his head slightly, and places his hand, fingers spread and pressed flat against his heart, for a brief moment, and then holds up his index finger. Looking closely, Sherlock sees that he is wearing a vibrant blue shirt, patterned with silver-outlined cranes. He calms, and awards points to his contact; nice touch, that. Although he subtracts points for needlessly tripping the threat alarm of a person on approach.

“Dr. Scott?” the stranger inquires, clearly expecting the nod of confirmation that Sherlock gives; he seems to have been at least minimally briefed. Sherlock hopes that this means they’re not flying blind.

“Greetings, sir. I am Ceba Trungpa, education section head of The Council for the Preservation of Sacred Cranes, at your service – I am here to help you complete your itinerary for the day,” he says pleasantly, speaking in Mandarin. With two hands, he holds out his business card and bows slightly; Sherlock accepts the card in the same manner, including responding with a careful bow. The front, written in English, is straightforward: name, title, organization. These words also appear on the back, although this time in Mandarin, and in a smaller font, to make room for some additional lines, which look to be numbers related to addresses and mobile contact details. Shorn of the letters, however, Sherlock decodes the numerals as indicating map coordinates; it’s not likely to be a coincidence, for the result works out to be roughly five miles from where they now stand, in a slightly northeasterly direction. He scrutinizes the card further, but concludes that he’s extracted all the information to be had, which leaves him only marginally less in the dark.

“I am grateful for your assistance, Mr. Trungpa,” Sherlock replies, also in Mandarin. “As you have been informed, I have come from Shigatse, where, out in the field, I was honored to have seen four pairs of the noble black-necked crane nesting safely. A rare privilege.”

Trungpa does up his coat, and nods his head. “Indeed, you are quite fortunate to have been absent from Lhasa in such safe surroundings, and to have been able to view such a high-priority scene -- a very fine outcome,” he says blandly, with an affable smile. “Black-necked cranes are remarkable creatures, as you know. Beautiful and fascinating in themselves, but also a flagship species for assessing the environmental status of the Tibetan plateau. Your photographs and field observations are most welcome, and it is certain that they will be of significant interest to many.” He gestures toward the car park. “If you are ready to join me, please come this way; my vehicle is at the far end from where we are – the jeep near the entrance. Do you see?”

“Yes, I do. Thank you. If I may, what is our itinerary?”

“Of course. You are to finish your day by visiting Drak Yerpa, a Buddhist pilgrimage site, located in a valley on the northern bank of the Kyichu. It will take us perhaps an hour to arrive there. It consists of a monastery and a number of ancient meditation caves, carved into the steep limestone cliffs. As you may have read, it was created in the seventh century, and at one time housed several hundred monks. Nearly all was destroyed when the Chinese came; but the caves remain, and there has been rebuilding. In our own time, ten monks have permission from the authorities to be in residence. I can assure you that it is a remarkable introduction to the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.”

Sherlock takes this in, wondering what advantage will be gained by this turn of events. “This sounds most intriguing. I thank you for this opportunity for enlightenment.”

Trungpa halts briefly, looking closely at Sherlock with an air of gravity as he also comes to a stop. "It was thought this would be an excellent place for you to begin your departure from Lhasa. In addition to exploring the site, there are many interesting bird species in the area – pheasants, finches, sparrows, larks, partridges, geese, vultures.”

“I see,” Sherlock says slowly, not sure that he does. If the man is an operative of some sort, he is giving almost nothing away; he is doing a commendable job of seeming to be nothing more than what his putative business card says he is.

“Am I correct that I will be required to trek beyond the monastery site itself in quest of these sights?”

“Yes, you are indeed correct. In particular, if you proceed some distance away, after dusk you will encounter a Blackhawk.”

And there it is, Sherlock thinks to himself, the sum and substance of this foray. He tries to convey by the slight nod of his head that he understands the import of that last statement.

"And will you be joining me for that later portion of the schedule?” he says mildly, mentally inching his way toward a determination of what the mechanics will be that bring his visit to Tibet to its end. He is very nearly sure that these developments are being overseen by his brother, but he remains wary of assuming too much, too soon, lest he make a ruinous error.

Trungpa begins moving forward, and bids Sherlock continue with him. "I regret to say that will not be possible. I will be leaving near 17.30, when Drak Yerpa closes for visitation. Prior to this I will convey information regarding which direction it would be most profitable for you to proceed in order to have maximum success.”

When they reach the vehicle, Trungpa indicates that Sherlock should seat himself in the back, while he takes the wheel. Once they are both settled, he adds, “I should note that the elevation will increase another one thousand metres as compared to our current altitude. You will need to pace yourself accordingly. For now, please, just sit back and rest.”

The barest of outlines seems to be coming into view, Sherlock muses; he will need to hike a mile or so beyond the caves, using his compass to find the exact placement. If he has not been deceived – either deliberately, or through his own miscalculation – a Blackhawk helicopter will arrive to extract him soon after nightfall.

“That is excellent advice. I have indeed found the altitude to be challenging.” Contemplating the rendezvous to come, he asks, casually, “Are there 'bears' in the vicinity? Would one need to have some sort of weapon to hand?” He carries several, not least an intimidating knife concealed in his right boot. Best to know if trouble is expected.

“According to my current information, it is highly unlikely, and you need not concern yourself with such a scenario,” Trungpa answers, making eye contact with Sherlock in the mirror. He turns slightly to look at him person, his eyes taking on a teasing glint. “Nor do you need fear encountering a Yeti.”

“Good to know,” Sherlock says with a chuckle. He settles back into the seat, and pulls a banknote from a trouser pocket, and in self-soothing gestures, folds it, then unfolds it, smooths it out, and then folds it again to occupy his hands. He closes his eyes, and internally surveys the disordered pathway to the Asian museum exhibit space in his mind palace.

On the passing of the half-hour, he opens his eyes, and scans the passing landscape of grazing yaks and small farms amidst the winding roadway. He wishes he knew more specifically the cause of the instruction that he steer clear of his hotel, and to continue on as Dr. William Scott, rather than re-inhabiting Gabriel Vernet's persona. He has been careful to try and keep under the radar of Moriarty's network by engaging only lower and middle level confederates to date, and by spreading his efforts widely, dispersed across great distances. He has been keen to avoid establishing data points that might make a pattern of effort evident, attracting attention from the leadership, and prompting reconsiderations of his status as deceased. He is anxious to learn what he may have done wrong, and whether it will affect what comes next.

Upon their arrival, Trungpa suggests they stop at the teahouse situated below the cave complex. Although his stomach is reluctant to receive food, Sherlock knows that eating at least a small meal will help fortify him for whatever complications may lie ahead, and so he chooses some meat and cheese dumplings and sweet tea. As he watches Trungpa pay up front for their orders, he catches a glimpse of a piece of paper being passed to him, and reminds himself to stay alert.

During their long climb to the caves, and then as they tread along the extensive trail that connects them, they cross paths with very few people. As a guide, Trungpa is quite knowledgeable, explaining the meanings behind various statues and wall paintings, as well as stories that have been handed down from past centuries that assign specific caves to having been inhabited by particular holy men for years in meditative retreat.

It is said that one of these very monks from the ninth century spent years in solitary meditation in one of the caves, until mounting a horse and riding to the emperor's palace, where he shot an arrow through the heart of the man who would be the last ruler of the Tibetan empire, assassinated for his hostility to Buddhism, his death ushering in what came to be known as the Era of Fragmentation. Trungpa relates that he then returned to spend further years in meditation, having eluded capture by escaping to the riverbank, whereupon he reversed his black robe so that the white lining was now visible, and in wading his horse through the river, the charcoal he had used to color the animal black was washed away. There is another tale, which gives the horse's name as Silver Blaze, in honor of the speed with which his hooves pounded across the plateau, as swift as a flashing sword. Sherlock senses that his companion is particularly invested in this story, and he wonders if it resonates as more than sacred history, but also as an image that symbolizes a vein of resistance to the Chinese occupation of what their leaders style as the Autonomous Region of Tibet.

As they approach one of the furthest caves, Trungpa indicates that they should move behind a crag a short distance beyond, which will shield them from view. It is a location that opens out onto rocky terrain, which Sherlock grasps is where he will begin his trek. His guide verifies that the business card reveals map coordinates, and gives Sherlock a basic orientation to the topography that lies before him. He shakes Sherlock’s hand, and passes on the paper that he had received below. He has been told that the message contains no information of immediate necessity, and suggests that Sherlock make haste to move toward the meeting point, and only then, when safely arrived, read the message. He then speaks several sentences in Tibetan, places the palms of his hands together and bows, and lastly uses English to ask that the next phase of Sherlock's journey be auspicious, safe, and marked by good fortune.

Sherlock draws out a leather wallet and places the paper inside, and then draws a paper object of his own from his jacket pocket. He presents Trungpa with the banknote that he had been toying with inside the jeep, which he had fashioned into an origami crane. He, too, bids his companion safe travels and good fortune, and bows, and then swiftly sets to make his way without looking back. The sun is beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long bruise-colored shadows from the slopes of the mountains, while at the same time coloring the snow-covered peaks as if they are on fire.

He hopes that his camouflaged field jacket will aid him in making his way to the site without being noticed, until the night's sweeping robe of darkness hides him from view, as he waits to meet whatever fate has in store for him.

........................................................

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @friday411 @peanitbear @original-welovethebeekeeper

@helloliriels @a-victorian-girl @keirgreeneyes @starrla89 @naefelldaurk

@topsyturvy-turtely @lisbeth-kk @raina-at @jobooksncoffee @meetinginsamarra

@solarmama-plantsareneat @bluebellofbakerstreet @dragonnan @safedistancefrombeingsmart @jolieblack

@msladysmith @ninasnakie @riversong912 @dapetty

.............................................................................

[b1asho]

Where the hell are we???? (Loose geography edition)

Figured this was a good place to start (even though the map is a widdle out of date and not all that great) so i can give some context to where exactly all the fun little guys I've got are running around. And where might that be? Well....that's actually a really good question, since no one living here really knows their position relative to their old planets anymore (outside of some top ranking government officials and pesky artificial intelligences). That doesn't really matter, for the most part, since they're all trapped here anyways. Welcome to Nea Arxi, the shipwreck capital of the cosmos that no one else knows exists!

This planet was originally on track to be the stepping stone for an already- interplanetary alien Imperial power's expansion into a new star system, but things went awry when a bunch of human refugees fleeing some cataclysm in the solar system showed up. They ran their spaceship(s) into the orbital terraforming and command assets and brought everything and everyone crashing planetside (an event known fittingly as The Crash. It was totally an accident...if you believe the flagship AI who steered their main ship right into it). After a chaotic few years of meeting the new neighbors, they started building from the ground up (more on who 'they' are and the other stuff later.)

This inhabited snapshot of the continent, often called novopangea by humans, is roughly the size of Asia and has a similar climate arrangement, though some of its a bit weird n wonky because said climate arrangement was done via 2 major waves of terraforming efforts by different intelligent species with different goals (technically three, if you count the planet's "native" inhabitants. I put quotes because they didnt evolve there, but were there before everyone else. I'll get to that eventually). Pretty much, the landscape is a mix of everyones exobiomes, though its more concentrated based on population distribution (example, earth-originating plants and animals dominate the midwest where most humans live) Oh and don't mind the big evil lake thing in the middle there, it's not hurting anyone (anymore).

Take a look at the political map if you want to see where everyone's stupid countries are!