#i might even get to play with thermal binoculars

[hylianengineer]

I have exciting Wednesday night plans and no one to share them with. I'm gonna go stand in the back of a truck with a spotlight and count deer. And also I will freeze my ass off.

[whalespiel]

BUREAUCRACY NEVER ACCOUNTED FOR THE FENCE SITTERS LIKE US (a poem)

The lobby we’ve been sent to is old and from the pages of a comic book I’ve never read. It is empty in here except for two infinitely long queues of people.

On the left (mine and yours), the sign asks to FALL IN LOVE. These people are loudly violent. They wrestle, fuck and play Jenga. This line believes that there is a winner in the person who can suffer the worst loss.

On the right (yours as well as mine), the placard suggests that we should BE IN A RELATIONSHIP. They all sing on this side. Sailors’ songs. Church camp ditties. All in 4-part harmony. All dead certain of their cheeriness. An acrobat is playing pattycake with a quarterback.

Hand in hand, we choose neither side. We cut down the middle of the thought experiment. You say something I cannot hear properly because now we are in a jungle.

I hang upside down from a branch untouched by moss. While you take a turn on the vines up ahead. Below me, the LOVE line squirms. Under and over each root in their path. They have made an artform out of writhing in shit and mud and treasure hunter’s shame.

In the distance, you are talking shop with a jaguar. A scene backlit by camera flashes. The RELATIONSHIP line is full of tourists. They are dawdling. Seeing the sights like it’s all bought and paid for. Some are polite enough to pass around a rare and deadly spider. Everyone gets the chance to be bitten.

I join you in a quiet sunlit canopy and you hand me a mango. We sink our teeth and dribble sweet juice from our chins to our snow-covered boots. An icy wind whistles and whips through the mountains. You pass me back the binoculars and point out a particular snow bank to the East.

The RELATIONSHIP crowd are roped together now, moving single file and slowly. Their route seems safe enough. But they struggle hard and struggle long. No slips can be afforded. If one goes down, then all must fall – more prey for the shimmering cliff face.

On the other side of the ravine, those in LOVE have made themselves an avalanche. They scream and holler. Thermals are stripped and waved in praise of their violently vomited snowdeath. Disciples of hypothermia – they throw echoes like punches at the mountain’s churning gut.

I wonder about how to follow. How we might keep deserving them. You just return to climbing our own peak. I wait a moment before digging my hand into your former foothold. As the clouds part around us, We startle a flock of pigeons roosting on a billboard.

The evening is clear. The city glows unabashedly. We are ninety storeys up. But neither of us know the building’s name. Or the street it’s on. Or the city it towers over. Below us, there is noise. There is movement. People. There is always people. But from this high, there is no way of telling who will FALL IN LOVE, who will BE IN A RELATIONSHIP. Who walks in between as we did. As we still do.

For the billionth time since our first meeting, we smirk gently at each other. Together, we clutch the ledge. We lean out over the night’s fresh confusion. And we spit chewing gum at people.

[lu-undy]

Idea: the support team was sent on a mission lu and mundy keep flirting with eachother while a very done medic is trying to keep them focus

Excellent idea! I probably could have turned it into a long story but I have other plans for now. Thanks for the idea though! And here it is: the support mercenaries off to rob a museum of an Australium piece for the Admin! I hope you’ll enjoy it! :D

"You remember what you have to in there, ja?" Medic asked from the van. 

It was the middle of the night and the Administrator had been very clear. The support classes had to go to that museum at night and retrieve an artefact that was made of Australium.

"Yeah, and you remember what you have to not do in my van?" Sniper answered and saw Spy roll his eyes. 

"Not touch anything, ja, now go, and keep me posted." 

"Can you see us clearly, Medic?" Spy asked. 

"Yes, those thermal binoculars work wonders. I should probably include that functionality in my glasses. Imagine how simple procedures would be if one could just see the temperature of the patient in real time! That would surely-"

"Medic?" Spy interrupted him. 

"Yes, yes, I know, sorry." 

Spy rolled his eyes and Sniper smothered his own chuckles.

"Bien." Spy looked at Sniper. They were against the museum walls, on the outside. "Sniper, you let me go first, I will unlock the window on the East for you. By which point, you enter and wait for me. Be careful, there will be two guards in there. I will signal you and-"

"I know, I'll take one down and you get the other one…"

"Do you have your equipment at the ready?" 

"Yeah, always."

"Have you made sure you have the tranquilisers instead of the real bullets?" 

"Spook…"

"I must insist. This is your first sneaking mission. One wrong move and we are caught."

"Who's gonna catch us if they're all asleep?" Sniper asked.

"You never know." Spy's eyes flashed in the night and they exchanged a smile. "Alright, I will get in, boost me up, please." 

"Right…" Sniper leaned his back against the wall and got himself into position. Spy approached and put his foot in the Aussie's hands. 

"One, two, and three!" 

Sniper pushed on his feet and thighs and practically launched Spy in the air. He caught the windowsill with the tip of his gloved fingers and slipped in. 

"You in?" Sniper asked and Spy heard him through his earpiece. 

"Oui." Spy started slithering in the dark museum, looking for the control room to power off the building. 

"You put on some weight, Spook." 

"When did you ever carry me?" 

"Last week, Friday night, you ended up more drunk than Demo, I had to carry you to your room." 

"Nonsense." Spy whispered. 

"Nah, you were way past drunk… Also, I'm next to the East window and waiting." 

"I might have been tipsy but I don't remember you complaining that you had to carry me. On the contrary, you enjoyed yourself. Besides, I can see the control room. There is one guard outside."

Sniper heard a muffled gunshot noise through his earpiece. 

"Not anymore, unless you missed your shot, eh?"

"I didn't and I usually don't. You of all people should know that I never miss my target." Spy answered. "I'm going in the control room."

"That's not what you said last night when you were all 'Oh, Monsieur Sniper, I miss you, ohlalaaa…'!"

Spy reloaded his gun with a suppressor as the body of yet another guard fell limply on the floor. 

"First, I never call you 'Monsieur Sniper.'"

Medic rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

"Uhm, maybe we could focus on the task at hand, Spy and Sniper?" He asked. 

"But we are." Spy put his gloved finger on a button. "Sniper, get ready to come in in three, two, one and, go." 

He pressed the button and all the power in the building shut off. Then, he went to the East wing of the building, bodies falling after him as he slithered along the walls, as silent as a shadow. When he reached the room, he opened the door and the two guards who were at the table, playing a game of cards, raised their heads. 

"Bonsoir, Messieurs." He said with the most smug smile before raising his gun and shooting one of them. 

[Good evening, Gentlemen.]

Sniper stepped out of the shadow and shot the other one with his blowgun. Both guards fell to the floor. 

"You took your time, darl'." Sniper taunted.

"Ah, that is a first." Spy's eyebrows jumped but his smirk remained.

"What?"

"I have rarely heard you complain about me taking my time, hm?" Spy winked and turned on his heels to exit the room. 

Sniper followed him closely and smiled while Medic who was still in Sniper's van rolled his eyes again after he saw Sniper's body temperature rise. They walked in the corridors of the museums, priceless paintings, sculptures and knick-knacks all around them. 

"Y'know where we're supposed to find the thing the Admin wants?" Sniper asked. 

"Not exactly. We just know that it is in the East wing, so keep your eyes peeled for any golden object." 

"Well, I got my eyes on another masterpiece, eh…"

Spy turned and saw Sniper staring at his backside. He smirked and turned again to walk as elegantly as a cat, swinging his hips seductively.

"Such a tease you are, Spook." 

"Am I?" He answered arrogantly as he stopped in front of a glass showcase. 

"Tssk…" Sniper joined him and slipped his hand in Spy's back pocket on his backside. 

"Sniper…" 

"What?"

"Your hand."

"What about it?" 

"There are signs everywhere in the museum. Have you read any of them?" Spy asked with a smirk. 

"Nah, I was told to be here to rob the bloody place, not to do some Sunday afternoon tourism, love."

"The signs say 'Do not touch the works of art.' So remove you hand, please." Spy teased. 

"Oi, oi, that only works for their stuff. This," Sniper squeezed Spy's backside in his palm and Medic saw a jump on Spy's body temperature. "This is mine, not theirs, so they can bugger off with their signs, I'm keepin' my hand where it is."

Spy chuckled.

"I'd put it somewhere else but Medic would hear ya likin' it. Not really decent, eh?" Sniper added.

"Ahem, Spy, Sniper, please, do you see the artefact?"

"We are standing in front of it." Spy answered as he pointed in the showcase. 

"It's a vase?" Sniper asked. 

"Oui." Spy picked the lock of the glass door and made it slide open. "Here, we have it." Spy put it in Sniper's bag.

"Gut. Now come back here before the guards wake up."

[Good]

"Don't worry, I prepared those darts. They're powerful enough to put a hippo to sleep." Sniper answered. 

"Does that mean we have some time?" Spy asked. 

"No!" Medic answered. 

"Yeah." Sniper contradicted him. 

"Très bien," Spy took Sniper's hand in his and slid his fingers between his. "Medic, I would recommend you take a break."

[Very well]

"Spy, don't be foolish now, you have the artefact, get out!"

"Take a nap maybe, or listen to some music." Spy turned to Sniper and lazily laced his arms around his neck as he addressed Medic. Sniper smirked, he knew where it was all going just by looking at Spy's half-lidded eyes… 

"Ach… Fine, I'll remove my earpiece too. How long will you take before coming back?" Medic asked and Spy looked up at Sniper. 

"We have a few hours." Sniper answered. 

"Then, count a couple of hours." Spy said, his smirk never disappearing and at that, they all disconnected their earpieces. "I think you did well for your first sneaking mission."

"Well, you could take example then, eh?" Sniper's hands slid and kneaded Spy's sides.

"You have grown quite arrogant, mon amour."

[My love]

"I learn from the best." Sniper bent down and took Spy by his lips, making him melt in a moan. 

"Shall we have a free tour…?" Spy suggested. 

"Yeah, that first." Sniper answered and they started walking around. 

"And then what?" Spy asked. 

"Oh come on, you're the one who asked for extra time here."

"And you're the one who loaded the tranquilizer darts way too much."

"Yeah, it's almost as if I knew we'd want extra time here, you and me, eh?" Sniper teased.

"Indeed, and why do you think I would want that?" 

"Cause you wanna do it in a museum, while we rob it." Sniper answered with a chuckle. 

"Why do you laugh at me? Don't you like the thrill of it?"

Sniper stopped walking and turned to Spy. He pushed him against the nearest wall and put his hands back on Spy's waist. The Frenchman was powerfully sandwiched between the wall and his lover.

"I do, yeah. But you've also been teasin' me too much…"

"Was it effective?" Spy asked as if he didn't already know the answer. 

"You're too bloody sexy when you smirk like that…" Sniper said as he held Spy's chin between his fingers.

"Am I…?" Spy teased further and that did the trick. Sniper bent down and kissed him, crushing him against the wall on all his body. A satisfied moan escaped Spy's lips and as Medic took a glimpse through the binoculars, he saw two very hot and very close bodies. 

He facepalmed and threw the binoculars away before sighing and leaning back on his seat, to take a nap. He turned on the radio to drown what his mind could hear from Sniper and Spy even if his ears couldn't.

[skriak]

Great moments in gaming: The End  (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

Boss fights are a bit of a Marmite topic, and for good reason: it’s much easier to throw together a generic final encounter than to design a fight that challenges the player’s skills without being cheap and frustrating. How funny, then, that one of my all-time favourite boss fights has almost none of the features of a typical boss fight.

The End is a hundred-year-old man, veteran of both World Wars, and inexplicably powered by sunlight. He’s known as the father of modern sniping, to the point where he doesn’t even need a spotter, although his faithful parrot may technically count. He has little in the way of discernible character or motivation, but when ordered to confront Naked Snake before he can reach the Soviet base housing a nuclear superweapon, The End seems to see it as a worthy challenge.

Metal Gear as a whole is a franchise built around stealth, Snake Eater especially, but it also tends to throw sneaking out the window the moment a boss makes their flamboyant entrance. This doesn’t mean they aren’t well-made, but it can feel jarring to be thrown into a gunfight after successfully sneaking past ten guards without any of them so much as catching a whiff of Snake’s aftershave. In contrast, The End is the only boss in the game to feature absolutely no music, takes place across three sizeable areas with no linear path to follow, and outright punishes any attempt at going loud. It’s just you, the forest, and a master sniper waiting for you to move to quickly or make too much noise, with very little window of escape if he starts to line up a shot.

There are so many ways that this sequence could have gone wrong. Years later, for instance, MGS5’s attempt at doing something similar would turn out to be a poor imitation because Quiet seems to be playing by a different set of rules as you. In contrast, there’s a wonderful sense of fairness when you fight The End; you’re both hard to see and capable of swift damage-dealing when the opportunity arises, and The End’s keen sense of hearing is balanced against your own ability to listen in with a microphone. The skills you use to hunt down The End are the same skills you’ve probably honed throughout the game up until this point, whereas most other bosses rely on the clunky run-and-gun mechanics that the game clearly wasn’t built around. The other bosses feature a degree of stealth, but only when fighting The End is it absolutely mandatory.

And it’s a sequence loaded with surprises and little Hideo Kojima touches, too. Did you know that you can capture and eat The End’s parrot, for instance? Or that one of the best tactics is to wait until he falls asleep then follow his snores? Knocking him out rather than killing him will also get you a special camo pattern that restores your stamina so long as you sit in direct sunlight. And most astoundingly of all, there are two separate and easily missed ways to skip the fight entirely. You can either shoot The End in his wheelchair after a cutscene a few hours earlier, or you can start his fight as you’re meant to, speed the system clock ahead two weeks, then load the game up to see a cutscene in which The End has died of old age waiting for you to get back. This is easily as much a case of mad genius as the famous fight with Psycho Mantis, but it’s better because The End is a genuinely fun opponent rather than just a medium for some amusing technical tricks.

The only letdown with The End is that other than an interesting backstory and some bizarre abilities, he doesn’t really have much character or connection to the plot outside of being one of the Cobra Unit commandos. That pales in comparison to Snake’s relationship with the Boss, where the two clash several times throughout the story before a great final battle that serves to highlight how much Snake has gone through by the time he’s ready to take on his old mentor. The End is a memorable figure but more so for his mechanical presence than any writing prowess, which is a missed opportunity for the Cobra Unit as a whole.

Also, it has to be said that much of the joy of outsmarting The End is taken away if you use the thermal goggles, which highlight not only the old man but also his footprints and any nearby items. This problem with the thermal goggles can be said of the entire game, but The End suffers in particular because the thrill of having to track him with just your eyes and ears is lost if you can just have his exact position illuminated as soon as you enter the level. My experience taught me that the thermal goggles are useful as a tool to learn how to play the game on your first playthrough, but after that I strongly recommend not using the; having to scan the grass with your binoculars and listen out for the telltale crunch of soldiers’ footsteps is about as immersed as I’ve ever been in a game, and The End serves as the logical extreme of that experience.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of my favourite games, and The End is one of my favourite bosses, precisely because he challenges traditional notions of what even constitutes a boss. Even in a game with several iconic moments, The End is still one of the main things I associate Snake Eater with and is still worth analysing more than a decade later.

And if you enjoyed this post, I have many other similarly fabulous game articles you might find pleasurable.  

[wikipress01]

Behind the Scenes of NASA’s InSight Launch to Mars

Mars InSight launch on May 5, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. I used to be under the fog and noticed nothing.

Photo: NASA / Cory Huston

On Saturday, for the first time, a rocket blasted off from the US West Coast to fling its payload on an interplanetary trajectory. Despite being at Vandenberg Air Force Base for Mars InSight’s historic launch atop an Atlas V rocket, I by no means noticed the spacecraft earlier than it tore free from Earth’s grasping grasp.

I’ve been ready to report this story since 2015, approach again after I was writing obsessive inventories of each gap drilled into Mars (an 18-centimeter depth file quickly to be damaged, hopefully, by the InSight lander’s warmth stream probe). Back then, engineers hadn’t but noticed the gradual leak in the vacuum system of InSight’s seismometer—a leak that in the end pushed the mission’s launch from 2016 to this previous weekend. (It’s fastened now!)

Considering InSight’s historical past of irritating delays, it was an auspicious signal that the Atlas blasted off at the first potential second of its launch window, at 4:05 am PT on Saturday, and completely delivered Mars InSight and the accompanying two MarCO CubeSats precisely the place they wanted to be for the six-month cruise to Mars.

Rollback of the tower exposing the Atlas V rocket.

Photo: NASA / Bill Ingalls

Vandenberg is thought for its fog, so I ready to be content material soaking in the wealthy rumble and maybe to sigh, awestruck, at the streak of quickly receding flame as the rocket climbed above the fog deck. When the first launch climate forecast cited solely a 20% likelihood of visibility, I shrugged in wry acceptance—in spite of everything, I’ve tons of apply, as fog has dominated each launch I’ve skilled.

Once upon a time, I attended college on this odd little notch of California’s coast, the place the oceans are to the south, not west, a quirk that perpetually disorients but additionally lets NASA launch rockets with out endangering residents. My classmates and I climbed the mountains to get above the fog to watch launches from afar. Later, as a reporter, the launches I lined (all from Vandenberg) had been audio-only, swathed in mists, by which the rocket’s bone-reverberating roar was the solely indication of the terrific forces at play.

Our unimaginable view from the Vandenberg press web site was fog, with or with out blinding flood lights.

Photo: Mika McKinnon

But this was the first time I’ve been this shut but unable to see the rocket in any respect. Not on the pad, impatiently counting down the days. Not peeking by binoculars after fastidiously navigating sand dunes of the native chicken sanctuary with out disturbing any nesting plovers. Not throughout the tower rollback, which left the rocket abruptly uncovered and alone awaiting ultimate fueling and checks. The blanket of fog was so full that whilst the rocket blasted from the floor, with me craning my head to chase its grumble (regardless of realizing the velocity of sound saved me lagging behind its precise path), I by no means bought even a fleeting glimpse of it.

For me, this rocket grew to become a geophysical expertise. In geophysics, we decide subsurface constructions not by instantly observing them, however by inferring traits primarily based on how they alter the indicators that go by them. I by no means noticed this rocket, but I do know it was on the floor after which thundering by the air. This can also be how InSight will change into the first lander to probe the inside construction of Mars. By measuring thermal gradients and faint seismic quivers of Marsquakes, InSight will hopefully train us what’s happening beneath Mars’ dusty floor.

I wasn’t the just one feeling this fashion. In the aftermath of launch, with everybody punch-drunk on giddiness, sleep deprivation, and an excessive amount of espresso, it was all anybody might discuss. The rocket’s roar was the seismic wave, and we had been InSight, monitoring the hidden construction of a rocket behind the cloud. Time and time once more, folks introduced up the metaphor in dialog: geophysics made actual by our shared expertise of listening to a record-making rocket launch that none of us might see.

Geophysics is the darkish arts of the geosciences, a subject the place each assortment of measurements factors to seemingly infinite potential geological configurations. Choosing the greatest clarification is a combination of context clues, expertise, instinct, and a good quantity of luck. When the InSight lander takes up residence on the floor of Mars and drills 5 meters into its floor, scientists can have a brand new trove of information to make sense of—information that may hopefully reveal how rocky planets like Earth and Mars type and alter over time.

For now, we will loosen up and wait: The spacecraft are set to arrive at Mars on November 26, 2018.

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