#i switched them around the receiver is on the inside the processor is part of the external device

[inkandichxr]

Realized tonight I've been calling the outer part of Lux's cochlear implant his "receiver" when it is actually a processor. My bad, will try not to keep doing that going forward.

[tracybirds]

I can officially switch the status of Being Known from “stuck” to “WIP” again :) It’s been over a year since the last update for various reasons but I’m very excited to go back to this one and provide a new chapter!

For those new to the story, this was prompted by @kenzie-running-free in March 2020 and slightly got out of hand 😅 I’ve never stopped thinking about it and I bit the bullet and deleted the entirety of Chapter Four a few days ago and let myself rewrite it from scratch.... and it WORKED!!! (use technique with caution... scariest thing I’ve ever done.....)

Anyway...

A ‘what-if’ story based on “The Man From TB5” where the Hood recognized John in the scene when he makes himself known (instead of John stuttering).... and then he gets kidnapped :)

[Part 1] | [Part 2] | [Part 3]

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Darkness bled into John’s line of vision and he scrubbed desperately at his aching eyes. Time collapsed around him as he worked, the abruptly extinguished bulb the only hint of night. And every new day seemed to bring new weariness as he jolted awake by the sudden onslaught of light which interrupted the deepest part of sleep.

Just another tactic to keep him from gathering his wits together.

This morning, if it was morning, the brightly burning bulb was coupled with the scraping sound of a breakfast tray being shoved through the small slot that had been crudely and hastily carved in the door after he’d lain in wait and brought the tray down over one of the guard’s head. He’d left the man stunned on the floor and made it all the way to the end of the corridor before another guard had grabbed him from behind and thrown him bodily back into the room.

He’d woken to security footage of a fire ravaging a building, his own family on screen.

“They’re not looking for you,” sneered the Hood as he swept from the room.

No guards came in anymore.

Two days later, he’d been savagely poked in the eye when he’d tried to look through the new slot that had been hastily added to his door.

He spent hours every day, searching for a way to send out a message, or even create another receiver. Any link to the outside world would do. But it soon became apparent that the Hood had done one thing right in giving him access to an isolated system, keeping the holomonitor he’d been provided with separate even from his own devices.

One thing right among many.

John peered at the screen with his good eye, wincing at the torn skin that pulled over bruised muscle. His head spun as he stared at the endless commands, trying to replicate the spark of life no-one had ever found before EOS.

Not even him.

And that was the rub of it all.

John didn’t know, not after all his time studying EOS and her abilities, just how she’d been born of code and logical absolutes. How she could grow and change and evaluate her own mind in a way that not only seemed human, but was unquestionably so.

He glanced at the clock he’d created from scratch, counting the oscillations in the electrical current and spitting back a digital time at him. This ‘morning’ truly did correspond with the morning, and that meant the Hood would be paying him a visit for an update.

He wasn’t sure how much more time he could stall for until things got truly desperate.

How much time he had until he had to conclude that he was truly on his own.

*                            *                            *

“Scott, the floor’s unstable there!”

“I know what I’m doing, Alan.”

“Yes, but I have the numbers,” Alan replied, his voice cracking as he spoke. He spun the holo in his hands, checking and double checking the analysis that was running under his fingertips.

“Then the numbers are wrong.”

“They can’t be!”

“Alan,” said Scott, patiently. “I need you to check the parameters over again. I’m seeing two trapped vehicles, with no sign of ground stress, both much larger than me and more importantly containing passengers. I need to get them out of there.”

“Yes, but hang on–”

“There’s no time!”

Alan watched in horror as his big brother barrelled forwards. He crouched low as he ran, grabbing at nearby pylons for support. The ground heaved beneath his feet, but still Scott moved forwards steady and sure. Always with his eyes on the scared little boy in the back seat and a gentle smile on his face.

An alert ticked over into the red.

“Jump, Scott!” he yelled, watching the model floor cave in a split second before a real sinkhole opened beneath Scott’s feet.

“Alan, what’s happening up there?” came Virgil’s urgent voice, bound for home with Gordon from their own rescue.

Alan flipped the channel, realising in his hurry he’d accidentally broadcast his message to everyone.

“He’s fine,” he said, eyes still wide as he watched Scott shakily stand on the other side of the chasm. “The floor went.”

“What?”

“He’s fine, he’s fine!”

“Didn’t you run the simulation?”

“I did,” said Alan, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “He wouldn’t listen.”

Silence fell over the space station.

“Hey Alan, can you pilot Thunderbird One over to us? Got my hands full here.”

Scott’s voice rang out loud and clear. Five clear thermal images were standing around him, including one in his arms.

Alan fumbled for the call button.

“F.A.B. Scott.”

“I’ll talk to him, Alan,” said Virgil. His eyes were focused beyond him, but Alan could read the quiet fury beneath the clear focus on his own piloting.

“I can’t do it, Virgil,” whispered Alan. “I must have done something wrong, there must have been something he could see that I couldn’t.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” interrupted Virgil.

“He never would have done this to…”

Alan’s voice failed him.

Twenty-two thousand miles below, Virgil choked back his own distress. Gordon was chewing at his lip, staring anxiously at Alan. He leaned forward so he was in view of the holo.

“Hey, Allie,” he said. “John’s gonna be okay. And he’ll be giving Scott hell for ignoring the modelling like that soon enough.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Absolutely, I do,” said Gordon, cracking a grin. “No way, John would let Scott get away with that crap. Not even if he had to haunt him for the rest of his life in ghostly fury to do it.”

“Is he wrapping up now?” asked Virgil, eyes still pinched.

Alan looked down at the display.

“Yeah, he’s on his way home.”

“Right. EOS?”

“Virgil?” Her quiet voice was sullen and more than a little distracted.

“Got room in your processors for another task?”

EOS’s lights flashed suddenly, and Alan’s blood ran cold at the sight. Three weeks he’d been stationed on board Thunderbird Five and he still found himself walking on eggshells around EOS. Her frustration at turning up nothing in the holonet that could lead them closer to John morphed quickly from long, silent sulks to short outbursts of flying bagels and spinning gravity rings. He’d never forgotten the sight of John floating limply like a rag doll that had been torn apart one too many times by a playful, thoughtless, destructive child.

An angry EOS felt too close to losing his brother for good.

“Will it help, John?”

“It’ll keep his brother alive, and that will make it more likely for us to find him.”

“What can I do?”

“Lock Scott out of his controls, Order TB2-5711FR. Make sure Alan gets to Tracy Island before him. Redirect all calls to local authorities in the first instance, follow Protocol 24.”

“I’m not leaving,” argued Alan. “Don’t pull me from duty, I can do better.”

“No arguments.”

Alan wilted, knowing he had no choice but to follow Virgil’s instructions.

“This is done, Virgil,” said EOS, blankly.

“Thank you, EOS,” said Virgil, his manner still stiff and terse. He shifted his gaze from the open ocean in front of him to Alan, his expression softening. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Alan. If Scott takes his life into his own hands, that’s not on you. But we can’t have him in the field like that, cutting corners to get back to finding John. So, we need you down here in his place.”

“You can’t pull Scott,” said Alan, his eyes wide. “What would… well, what would Scott say?”

“We’re doing him a favour,” remarked Gordon with a sarcastic twist of his lips that made a mockery of his usual grin. “He wants to find John, we all do, but if he’s willing to risk lives and rescues to do it then he should put his energy into searching and we shouldn’t stop him.”

Alan swallowed, his eyes filling with tears that he angrily swiped away.

“Does he think we’re not looking just as hard?” he asked. “We haven’t forgotten him. Have we?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Alan,” said Virgil, firmly. “John would have our heads before we put the possibility of finding him above the certainty of ignoring people who need our help.”

“So, we keep going out there,” agreed Gordon. “And when, when Allie, Kayo and Lady P and Parker find something, and they will, we’ll be right there without a moment to lose.”

“I just don’t want him to think we’ve forgotten him.”

“John’s too smart for that,” said Gordon. “Promise you, Allie.”

*                            *                            *

He’d worked it out. Every time he did something to anger the Hood, innocent people paid for it in blood. There was no point in harming him directly, not when what the Hood wanted was inside his mind, ripe for extraction. But his heart and spirit could be broken, as a video feed periodically forced itself over his work to make him watch. Earthquakes, landslides, tidal waves, anything that would get International Rescue on the scene and off his scent.

Senseless destruction and despair epidemic across the world because he couldn’t make an AI fast enough.

But senseless destruction that he could use.

There was no doubt in his mind that his family knew the natural disasters were anything but, he could see it in the determined fury in Scott’s face, in the tense draw of Virgil’s shoulders, in the sardonic mockery in Gordon’s smile as he quietly pocketed yet another piece of equipment.

He didn’t see Alan, and he thought of his baby brother up in space often. None of his brothers had any real idea of the full extent of his contribution, no matter how grateful they were for his guidance, and he hated to know Alan would be forced into that knowledge.

He also suspected that when Alan did spill the beans, he’d find his own rotations scrutinised with a lot more care.

Still, the limited glimpses of his brothers did nothing to discourage him, and he found himself contemplating a plan of escape well into the long, cold nights.

He needed more information.

He needed access to an external holonet connection. And the only way he’d get near one was with a working AI.

Or something that could pass for a few minutes as one.

[tyrantofthefirmament]

so energon crystals grow basically like human rock candy

I researched how “rock candy” is made, and while it looks a lot like Energon - quite appetizing, in fact - the process is far less complicated than Energon seeding. There are some similarities though.

Rock candy is formed by a simple physical change - a supersaturated solution cools, and when there is no longer enough energy to keep the sugar dissolved, solid crystals form on whatever surface has been seeded with sugar and dipped into the container. The sugar is already there, and simply arranges back into crystals as it loses energy.

That is much closer to what happens in our power reserves, where liquefied Energon from our fuel lines crystalizes so its full charge can be used by nearby systems. Still, the liquefying and crystalizing of Energon involves some chemical changes and nanite-induced phase changes, not simply dissolving Enrgon in a solution. The nanites in those systems deliver catalysts and swap coding with the nanites in the Energon to cause the reactions, and they occur on surfaces shaped to attract and form the basic pattern for optimal crystal growth. Those areas are called seed-cathodes and seed-anodes, and they are made of an important Cybertronian nutrient called Cybertonium. Once the crystal grows in between, it powers up the surrounding circuitry. 

An interesting thing to note here is that when someone goes into stasis lock, the nanites in most of their fuel lines will switch over to the same programming as power reserve nanites, and crystalize the fuel in their extremities and near damaged areas, to prevent them bleeding out, and to preserve the fuel supply around the Spark Chamber and processor. Those two organs, if you recall, can receive power from Energon simply by absorbing its radiation, and keep you alive for some time in that state. Small crystals around or just inside of open wounds are a sign that someone who looks dead might be in stasis lock. Badly depleted nanites due to malnutrition or excessive wear and tear can prevent successful stasis lock. Either they won’t fully stop the leaking, or more likely, they will fail to achieve sufficient repair to risk re-liquefying the fuel and rebooting the person.

On Cybertron itself, there are areas where Energon crystals grow from dissolved solutions. Our acid rain storms play an important part in the planet’s Energon Cycle, dissolving and carrying spent fuel and metal from organisms the die, or from upper levels down to lower levels via simple erosion, and into veins where there are already crystal structures, along with the minerals and metals needed to form new crystals. Some of that Energon does simply re-crystalize from the acid solution it is in, but most new growth forms by reacting with metals and actually changing the chemistry as it seeps into the ground. We Energon Seekers could spot likely deposits from above due to certain patinas on the surface metal, indicative of the right chemical environment for crystal formation.

Seeding other planets is a far more complicated affair. With no naturally occurring Energon in solution to grow on seeded mineral veins, we had to develop self-replicating nanites - based roughly on the ones that crystalize Energon in our power reserves - and send them to planets along with the Energon we hid during the war. Not every planet was useful in this way, but we mapped enough of them, and they became hotly contested as the was dragged on and fuel became scarce. The most successful seeding operations were in areas with pre-existing veins of copper. If sulfur and sodium were not already present in large amounts, we could seed those into the area as well. Energon, once seeded and given enough programmed nanites to get it started, can, over thousands of years, use its own nanites to cause chemical reactions in surrounding minerals and fill in large veins with new crystals. Like I said, it is, in a very real sense, alive - more so than other growing crystals. 

As much as I hate working with Shockwave, it was an interesting time, poring over Golden Age records with him and figuring out how to best the Autobots at a long term seeding strategy, back when anyone still cared to make use of my scientific expertise. As an Energon Seeker as well as Second in Command, it was my prerogative to ensure a steady fuel supply wherever our war efforts might take us.

[crystalconjunx]

A Christmas Star

MegaStarBee NSFW

Starscream hadn't meant for Bee to see that particular fantasy.

One minute he was sparkmerged with Bee, and the next they were both lost in the recesses of his processor. They drifted together for a time, gliding through their memories of Iacon and Earth. Bee wanted to know what he remembered about "Christmas," as the humans had called it. He remembered ice damaging Thundercracker's wings and Skywarp trying to walk on a frozen lake.

Then his spark oh-so-helpfully supplied him an image of Megatron. They had been scouting for a new energon supply when they came across a large expanse of gardens covered in lights. It was rudimentary compared to Cybertronian decorations, but still pleasant.

Bumblebee knew that their past relationship was… complicated. He also knew that Starscream still possessed some feelings for the gladiator.

He ignored the warm acceptance and encouragement radiating from the little yellow bug in favor of accessing the thought. It was probably just another random memory of him and Megatron bickering, fragging, fighting. They were usually all the same.

Only, this wasn't a memory.

It was so much worse.

Bee yelped as the spark-conjured Megatron stepped forward and grabbed him. It pulled him in for a kiss, bending him backwards as the large silver phantom dipped him for better control.

Starscream yanked his real frame away from Bee's, sparkcasing snapping shut immediately.

Bee returned to himself with a jolt. 

"Starscream, what the pit was that?" He asked. "Is that- do you… want that?"

"It was nothing!" Starscream hissed. "Just a glitch in my processor or something."

"We should talk about this, Star. About him." Bee said.

"No, we shouldn't. You should know when to shut your mouth, autobot." He hissed.

He knew he'd fragged up the minute the words left his vocalizer. It'd been a long time since he'd said something so venomous.

He turned away and stormed out of the room, not needing to see the look of hurt in his conjunx's eyes to know it was there.

Nor the disgust that was sure to follow.

I have a surprise for you.

Starscream had received Bee's message about an hour ago and still he found himself questioning whether or not he should respond.

He was Starscream, Leader of Cybertron and part of the new triumvirate between Optimus, himself, and Rodimus, and he shouldn't have to apologize. He had never apologized for a thing in his life.

He still hadn't apologized to Bee. Not like he ever had before, but...

It had been two weeks since their last merge, and Bumblebee still hadn't brought up what happened. It was uncharacteristic of the autobot not to bring things back up.

Today was Christmas. The day he'd wanted to see if Star knew anything about. He'd wanted to share in some joy with him.

The Beetle undoubtedly had some tender-sparked autobot nonsense planned for the Earth holiday— not that he minded. He'd actually grown to enjoy Bee's little displays of affection, though he'd give up flying before he told the grounder that.

His pedes tapped gracefully onto the ground as he landed outside their shared habsuite and made his way inside. He frowned in disappointment when he noticed the lights were off in the main entry.

Not a large surprise, it seemed. A datapad sat open on the counter.

Meet me in the berth.

Oh, so that was the kind of gift Bumblebee had in mind, was it? His wings flared excitedly at the unusual display of boldness from his little conjunx. Perhaps that could be his way of apology, then.

He stopped outside the door just in time to hear the sound of a soft cut-off moan.

"Bee," he chided as he opened the door, "Have you started without me?"

Only, it wasn't just Bee in their suite.

Megatron, kneeling at the end of the berth, had his Bee's legs held tightly around his helm while he lapped at the minibot's valve with his broad glossa.

He locked optics with Starscream before he let another long lick drag up Bee's sensitive protoform, ending with a rough swirl against Bumblebee's node. Megatron held the scout's legs firm as he overloaded with a cry, legs quivering as Megatron kept his glossa moving against him.

Starscream could see the wetness across Megatron's faceplates when he finally pulled away. He'd been eating Bumblebee out for at least half an hour, if the yellow bug's flashing swollen nub, shivering legs, and breathless sobs were any clue. 

His own mouth dried as he remembered being on that end of the silver mech's tongue. 

"S-starscream," the yellow mech panted weakly when he noticed his sparkmate's presence.

"Your little conjunx here said you were having quite the fantasies about us, Starscream. He came to me and asked me if I would be interested in joining the two of you for a night. " Megatron said as lowered Bee's legs and he wiped the back of a hand across his mouth. "And just as I've told him, I'm more than interested. I was wondering how long would pass before I would have to approach you." He said. "And I didn't think you'd mind if I got started without you. Bumblebee here is just so responsive." Megatron purred as he climbed up onto the bed and pulled Bee's his hips flush against his own. He ground the front of his panel down against the smaller mech's valve, painting a wet streak across his frame as Bee's hands came up to rest against his chest with a whimper of his name.

"Megatron, w-wait," he pleaded, pushing weakly against the gladiator. "I n-need a minute."

"Are you going to sit over there and watch as I ravish your little autobot, or are you going to help?" Megatron asked as the seeker watched him tease the beetle's horns. "I don't mind either way, but I think your conjunx here would like you to join in."

There was a firing of thrusters and suddenly Starscream was on the berth beside them, hands dragging Megatron's helm down into a heated kiss.

The large silver mech's engine growled in approval as Starscream began to nip at his lips, already egging the gladiator to further roughness.

Suddenly the seeker was on his back, wings pressed into the berth with a large hand wrapped around his throat.

"Already so impatient. Good to see not everything has changed." Megatron teased. "Though I am interested to see what has."

Starscream arched his back in delight as the servos around his throat squeezed his main energon lines ever so slightly, then whined when they relaxed and Megatron simply let his large hand pet against his neck.

"Megatron," he gasped irritably. "Do something."

"Bumblebee wanted tonight to be all for you, Starscream," Megatron answered. "So you will give the orders. What do you want, Starscream?"

A pulse of desire wracked his frame at those words. He was in charge? That rarely happened when it was just the two of them. It felt like it rarely happened at all.

Of course he wanted Megatron to spike him. He wanted to be held down and fragged and used just like they used to do all those cycles ago. He wanted Bee to ride his spike while Megatron did his best to break in this new frame in the way only he could.

He nearly said as much, would have begged for Megatron to do so until he turned his optics to the side and caught a glimpse of his poor sparkmate.

Bee was an absolute mess. His legs were soaked in a mix of his and Megatron's lubricants, his valve lips swollen while his biolights flickered weakly. He whimpered desperately as Megatron's servos flexed around his smaller throat as the ex-warlord followed his lovers' optics.

Megatron let his fingers slide up Bee's throat and tease into Bumblebee's mouth, letting two large servos push against Bee's glossa.

The fantasies were back with a vengeance.

"I want… I want you to frag Bee," Starscream answered breathlessly. "He can take it. I know he can."

"But S-star, this is for you!" Bumblebee argued weakly as Megatron pulled his fingers away. "I thought— I can't—"

"We did promise to give him what he wants, Bumblebee." Megatron purred as he dragged the beetle back against his frame. "Besides, you enjoyed my glossa plenty. You're so nice and wet for me already, Bee. Imagine how good it will feel to have your tanks full of me."

Megatron turned Bumblebee around, letting him fall across Starscream's frame facefirst before bullying down against his back.

"O-open your cable ports," Starscream ordered. "Give your cables to me."

Both mechs complied, handing him their cables as he connected them both to an odd-looking splitter cable with some kind of switch. 

Bumblebee gave him a perplexed look, while Megatron offered Starscream a sly smile before pressing Bee down with one hand as he adjusted his hips with the other, lining the grounder up with ease before letting his spikehead tease into Bee's valve. 

Bumblebee's hands groped for something to hold, finally grasping for Starscream's sensitive turbines and accidentally digging in when Megatron finally began to push into him.

The seeker watched Bee's face intently as Megatron's thick spike sank into that small, fluttering valve just as he had done so many times before.

Bee was a tight fit for him. Tight for the toys that let him know he could take a spike like Megatron's.

Starscream knew better than anyone how much preparation it took to take Megatron's spike to the hilt, and the blinking of Bee's optics as the ex-warlord just kept sliding into him told that Megatron had done his best to fuck Bee wet and open with his glossa and succeeded.

The shared sensations through the cable had them all groaning in unison. They could feel everything from one another.

Megatron's massive spike twitching in Bee's tight valve, desperate to plow into the tight little grounder. He wanted the autobot to beg for him, to come in that soft gentle voice as they spilled over Starscream together.

Bumblebee was helplessly caught between the dangerous wandering servos of his conjunx on his horns and the heavy wall of Megatron's frame as he was being practically split in half. He was lost in sensation and pleasure, drowning in the attention and lost in a haze.

And then there was Starscream's wild, burning desires at the sight of his conjunx being taken by Megatron. They could feel his field, his thoughts, his spark pulsing in desperate want as if he was shouting them to the world.

Seeing Bee taken from him, being stolen away by the warlord himself, did things to Starscream that he'd rather not admit.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to see Bee fall apart. He wanted to watch and pleasure himself as Megatron made Bee scream in pleasure after dominating his little frame right in front of him. He wanted Megatron to frag Bee until he begged for mercy and Megatron simply kept going.

Maybe that's why he was guilty.

Maybe it was a little twisted. It was very Starscream. It was very Decepticon.

But he wanted more than that, too. The fantasy and Both he and Megatron wanted Bee's sweetness. He wanted to kiss him slow and gentle and warm.

Maybe that was a little autobot of him. 

The cables flooded thoughts into him with a resounding agreement, an acceptance and return of his desires. A whimper from his conjunx.

The softness could wait.

"Let's give him what he wants, Bumblebee." Megatron spoke as he met Starscream's optics again and pushed himself home.

The little yellow mech's hips writhed against each slick inch of Megatron's spike until at last he was pressed against Megatron's hip plating. Each movement of his hips only served to grind the spike against all the node clusters that were scattered through his valve.

"So tight," Megatron hissed as rocked forward against Bee's frame, the small movement catching his ceiling node against a ridge and sending Bumblebee into a hard overload that had him scrabbling for purchase against Starscream's frame. The charge reverberated through the cables, Starscream groaning in pleasure and Megatron cursed behind Bee's head.

Bee was practically limp against Starscream now, unable to hold himself up as Megatron's thick spike kept moving inside him. Starscream's claws were rubbing teasing circles down his audials and his sensitive faceplates, rising every now and then to give a rough tug to his horns.

"Faster." Starscream commanded. "Start gentle, but get harder."

Megatron obeyed, half pulling out of Bumblebee and pushing his spike all the way back in as if he was calculating how hard he could fuck the beetle without breaking him.

Satisfied with what he found, he finally pulled all the way out and slammed back into Bee.

Starscream's panel clicked open as pleasure rammed through his systems, both of his lover's pleasure flooding him with mixed sensations. Bumblebee's voice box was clicking with static, desperately trying to reset as he cried and fought underneath Megatron's strength, attempting to escape the onslaught of pleasure as the ex-warlord gave him no quarter. Megatron simply wrapped an arm around him and pressed close, letting his thrusts remain slow but impossibly deep.

The room was filled with metallic clanking and the wet slap of hips as Megatron used the beetle for his own pleasure.

Starscream pleasured himself from underneath the both of them, hands on his own spike as their interfacing brought his overload to the edge.

He was never going to last long, not like this. Not with Bee's unfocused optics, not with Megatron's growls and the sounds of Bee's valve slicking each thrust while his calipers could do nothing but accept Megatron's spike.

He was close. He knew the other two had to be, too.

Without warning, he activated the splitter cable switch. All of his lovers' pleasure was suddenly being rebounded back into them. 

Megatron thrusted once, then twice, and suddenly slammed himself into Bee with a low, throaty groan. He held the grounder's frame harshly in place with one arm locked around his middle and another around his neck as he emptied his tanks inside him.

Bee's engine stalled and hiccuped, smoke pouring out of his frame as a gush of lubricant spilled from his valve and leaked onto Starscream's thigh. Megatron actually whimpered as their shared overload spun back into him, causing them both to fall into an agonizing loop of pleasure as their frames crashed and locked in place.

Megatron's spike was still hard and firm in Bee's valve, unable to depressurize and caught against his ceiling node as he kept emptying his transfluid tanks into Bee. His frame was limp and heavy, causing his spike to grind even more against the node and extending their overload as Bee fought desperately to escape the cruel cycling of pleasure.

Starscream was so close. He could feel Bee's frame on the verge of shorting, the dangerous turns of Megatron's engine as their fluids continued to flood down onto his thighs.

He reached down and switched the splitter cable back off, allowing all the charge to flow back into him.

The resulting wave of charge— or the piercing shriek of pleasure that followed— blew the bedroom light and left them trapped in darkness.

Finally, Starscream managed to wriggle out from underneath the two and disconnected the cables.

The other two mechs had managed to pull themselves apart and were already falling into recharge by the time Starscream got his wits back.

He huffed in irritation. Of course he'd be the last one left awake in their mess of a berth.

He hadn't even had his turn yet.

He crawled between the sleeping mechs and wormed his way under their arms. Oh well. 

Maybe Bee could be the one in charge tomorrow, he thought. He wouldn't mind taking orders as long as long as Bee was giving them... And Megatron had to follow them, too.

[petitelepus]

Decepticon For Life, Part 13

The battle is just starting and ending before you even know it.

You watched in horror how Starscream raised your lord Megatron's very own sword in the air, ready to slash your lord down. You tried to reach blindly for your gun, but it was just out of your reach. You cried as Starscream was just about to deliver the killing blow when suddenly, the Headmaster unit flew at him and cut Starscream's helm off!

You stared in shock how the Headmaster gained control over his body and the yellow little bot yelled from his spot on the wall. "I told you he was working with the Decepticons! He just saved Megatron's skin plate!"

"I saved him so I could kick his skin plate myself!" You heard Professor Sumdac's voice come from inside the Headmaster unit. Traitor, your mind shouted. Just as you thought you could trust someone. The professor used Starscream's body and attacked Megatron, but your lord threw the clones holding in place back at him and shot the unit off with one blast from his fusion cannon.

You watched in great joy how Starscream's headless body collapsed on top of its owner's helm. The con cried in pain and shouted orders left and right at his clones. "What are you waiting for!? Destroy Megatron, now!"

The clones, they just stood around their leader. The femme smiled. "Any leader has to be an improvement over you!" 

Your optics widened. They were switching sides. You felt like laughing if your helm wasn't still buzzing. You tried to push yourself up, but your arms gave up under you. You watched how the orange clone kneeled before Megatron and started to sing praises to him. "Oh wise and great Megatron, you've truly proven your vast superiority!"

"I will remain loyal to you forever!" The white clone sang to the original Starscream, only to kick his headless body before joining other clones at Megatron's side. You groaned but your processor was still aching. Despite it, you pushed yourself up and approached your leader. Megatron looked at you and motioned you towards static cuffs.

"Cuff them all. We aren't letting these Autobots ruin my plans to conquer Cybertron."

"Yes my lord." You said before getting the cuffs and snapping them over Optimus Prime's hands. The clones dragged Bulkhead's unconscious and cuffed frame over the leader and threw him on the ground. You didn't have any idea when he was beaten, but it must have been in the middle of the attack. Mixmaster took the Starscream's helm and glued it to the wall beside the yellow Autobot.

Megatron cracked the Headmaster Unit open and grabbed the professor Sumdac from inside. He took the human back to his forcefield cage where he could be no more danger. Then you heard weak noises coming from the bound Autobots and you all surrounded them, you, Megatron, 3 clones and Mixmaster. Just in time as the Autobot leader woke up, only to see how he and his team were defeated.

"How does it feel to be held captive in your own static cuffs, Autobot?" Megatron asked, but the leader bot didn't answer. Just then the leaner Construction emerged from the tunnel, Blitzwing, and Lugnut right behind him.

"Jou, look who I found!" Scrapper laughed as he pointed at the two Decepticon superiors. You smiled at the sight of them, though you had to wonder where they had been. They could have been helpful against the Autobots and clones, but now at least you got the clones on your side. Your leader's side.

"Your fate is sealed now, Autobots. While the Elite Guard forces are occupied with the Decepticon uprising at the rim of the galaxy, I will use this Space Bridge to transport my Decepticons into the heart of the Cybertron and take over the entire Space Bridge network." Megatron explained as he turned to look at the still going Space Bridge.

"Ha! You actually believe that ridiculous plan will-!" Starscream was saying when Mixmaster shot cement over his mouth and silenced him. You smiled at him and elbowed him to the side. "Nice one."

"Eh, dude talks too much." He smiled back at you and you stifled a giggle. Megatron continued his speech. "From there it will be a simple matter to transport all Decepticon forces to a virtually defenseless Cybertron and take over the entire planet. And I have your special Space Bridge expert to thank for it." He said as he pointed at Bulkhead.

"I still don't understand where this expertise came from." Autobot leader asked from his bulky soldier. "I had a lot of time to study Space Bridge schematics on the energon farm. Just had a knack for it, I guess..."

"Duh, well that's great. The one thing you're good at is going to hand the Cybertron to Decepticons." The yellow bot said, but the Bulkhead continued, "Don't get your circuits in a bunch! The Space Bridge is useless without a receiving code and for that Megatron would need to have somebody on Cybertron!"

"Don't you remember anything?" The small yellow bot asked. "The transmission I picked up? Wasp? The Decepticon spy I caught while back in boot camp?"

"You mean the spy WE caught in boot camp, don't you Bumblebee?" Came suddenly a very monotone voice. Your helm snapped up at the TV screens over the control desk and there in other side of the screen stood a con with one single crimson optic.

"How you know my name?" The yellow bot, Bumblebee sounded frightened. The con in screen did something ýou had never seen anyone done. He changed his form and not to a vehicle or jet, but into a whole new bot! "Surely you recognize your old pal Longarm." He asked and Bumblebee's eyes widened in realization.

"So... Wasp wasn't a double agent? Which means...?"

"You sent an innocent bot to Trypticon prison..." Bulkhead said much to Autobots' regret. You had no idea who this Wasp was, but he seemed to have been a scapegoat for Autobots. If you would ever meet him you would make sure to welcome him to Decepticons' side. Betrayed by their own people...? Disgusting. Autobots were disgusting.

"Decepticons! Prepare for our conquest of Cybertron!" Megatron roared and everyone, every single Decepticon roared right before him, everyone ready to take some action towards your better future. You were also crying out a warcry, though, you, Mixmaster and Scrapper looked at each other in confusion.

"Eh, what's a Cybertron?" Scrapper asked and Mixmaster shrugged. "I have no idea, you lost me at 'Your fate is sealed now'."

"I heard it's our rightful home planet so maybe we get to take it from Autobots and use as we please?" You piped in, but you were all still confused. Scrapper added, "Does that mean we get all the oil we want?"

"Oh boy, would that be so good...!" Mixmaster piped in. You grinned in excitement and watched as your lord smirked and walked up to the cuffed Autobots. "But first, we need to test the Space Bridge..." He said as he picked up Autobot leader Optimus Prime with one hand only, "Just in case our Autobot expert decides to sabotage it."

"And I will be waiting for the test subject on this side." The one called Longarm said as he transformed back into his single optic form. "Just in case he didn't sabotage it."

You watched diligently as Megatron walked closer to the Spice Bridge. He pulled his arm hand holding Prime back, but before he could throw him into the giant blue sphere the ground started to shake. At first, you thought it was an earthquake but you saw huge yellow shot being taken at the opening on the ceiling Starscream had blasted open. You were under and attack and your attacker was a yellow and red space ship.

"Mixmaster, Scrapper! Clear the rubble from the Space Bridge!" Megatron ordered and the Constructicon duo transformed and got to work. Your lord looked the rest of you. "Rest of you, attack that Autobot ship!"

You didn't need to be told twice. You hoisted your guns and activated your jets, following your superiors and clones to the battle. You all surrounded the ship, shooting from every angle ever made and taking advantage of the ship being too big to actually dodge your attacks. You were like mosquitoes, flying over a huge piece of bloody flesh, hitting it with every chance you got. It didn't take long before the ship spewed smoke and started to fall on the ground. That was until it transformed into the biggest bot you had ever seen.

You and other cons stopped on your tracks and transformed out of your alt modes and you stood there in the air with your jets. You felt cold oil freeze your joints. That Autobot was HUGE. The yellow bot took one look at you all and his voice boomed like a bomb in an empty room.

"I AM OMEGA SUPREME."

The bot turned his back at you and other cons and started to walk with his huge steps towards the mountain opening. Lugnut sputtered and cursed. "Your size is meaningless compared to the greatness of Megatron!"

"Size...?" The femme clone muttered by herself before smirking. "That's it! Everyone, aim for the legs!" She ordered and everyone did as she told. You, Blitzwing, Lugnut, and other two clones shot your biggest shots at the Omega Supreme's right leg and sure enough, the behemoth came crashing down to his right knee.

Yes, the plan was working! Or so you thought when the giant mech suddenly pushed himself up through a great struggle and opened his hidden weapons compartments. Your optics widened in shock and he shot everything he had. The cons and clones managed to dodge them expect for the femme but she stood her ground.

"Oh, great and mighty Autobot," Starscream's orange suck up clone approached Omega Supreme. "It is an honor to merely bask in your majestic- BRYAH!" The giant Autobot was merciless as he smacked the clone down like he was a mere fly. The white clone who you had learned to address as a liar flew to Autobot's leg and yelled. "Hey, look! Your stabilizing servo is unbolted!" and just then he was kicked into oblivion.

You watched in horror how one by one he took care of you cons. Blitzwing was furious if you were to believe his Hothead nature taking over and charging his flamethrowers at Omega Supreme's face.

"You overgrown Autobot! I will scramble your circuits so badly you will need GPS scanner to find your-!" He didn't get to finish as the giant Autobot headbutted him and your superior went flying out of your sight. Lugnut shot his explosive fists at the bot but his helm twirled around revealing a fusion cannon that he used to blow up Lugnut and his weapons. It was you and the femme clone against the Autobot.

"Any other great ideas!?" You shouted and the femme snarled back at you. "Just keep shooting!"

You were doing it without her even telling you to and other clones joined you but then the Omega Supreme loaded his biggest shot and it hit you head-on. You cried out as your jets shut down and you went hurling into the forests and hit your helm pretty hard on your way back down.

You groaned in pain, the ache in your joints overpowering your will to get up again, but the greatest pain came from your helm. That's when you finally blacked out for good.

'You stood there in the middle of the row of students who wore similar black cape and hat as you. You were so excited you completely shut down the principal's speech of how great your generator would be to society. As soon as you got the permission, hats went flying and you all rushed to meet your family who had came to witness your graduation. You run straight to your mother who was watching and filming the whole thing like a doting parent would.

"Did you see mom? I actually graduated!" You cried out happily and looked around. The smile on your face dropped as you looked at your mother. She smiled sympathetically and shook her head. "Your father wanted to come but you know how it is with him. His work is important and-"

"-Work comes over family... Yeah, I know." You slumped but the diploma in your hand reminded you. Your studies were over. Your Hell had ended. You were free and you could do whatever you wanted! This idea brought you joy and the endless possibilities were there before you. You could finally get a job and move out from your parent's house. You had saved a nice little sum of money by living with them through your studies so you could now move out.

"Mom, I want to move out." You blurted and your mother blinked. "Honey, already? You know you can live with us until you get your feet under you."

"No mom, I'm ready."

"You need a job!"

"I'll find one!"

Your mother scowled and rubbed her temple. "If you really want, I think your aunt might be able to get you a job at the office."

"Really?" You sounded so hopeful. Your mother smiled and nodded. "Yes, but it's not an easy job. Mister Perry insists that all his workers have clean papers."

You grinned, "Mom when you last time caught me drinking?"

Your mother blinked like an owl. "Have you-!?"

"No, I actually haven't!" You laughed, "But you thought so!"

"You little rascal." Your mother shook her head as she placed her hand over your back and insisted that you follow her. "Let's go get you some cake! You if anyone has earned it!"

BBBZzzzZZZZ

It was war, ruthless and unforgiving and it didn't take any prisoners. You shot through the explosions and the dark clouds they raised as you located your target. An Autobot soldier, high ranking and very much needed in order to defeat approaching Decepticon forces. Your frame worked on its own, instincts that the Autobot scientists had implanted on you taking over the common sense that would scream at you for being in the middle of the firefight.

You arrived to the soldier they ordered you to save and you saw another bot there. A medic by her red and white paint job. She looked glad to see you. "You're just in time! He doesn't have much time...!"

Red Alert, your mind offered you. You took in the sight of her. Energon stained her hands and you watched the source of it, the Autobot you were sent to save bleeding heavily. You looked at Red Alert and nodded at her. "Mission confirmed. Starting the program Second Chance."

"Wonderful! Now I must go, I'm needed elsewhere...!" She said and transformed, taking off so fast that her wheels left marks on the ground. You turned to look at the bot before you and kneeled next to him... Until you suddenly felt pain flare on your side and you went down like a computer that was corrupted by a hardcore virus. Your vision fizzed and serious of ones and zeros flashed through your optics.

You registered the pained cries of the bot you were supposed to save but someone else picked you up. They had a large frame, easily picking you up and taking you with them. As your optics fizzled into darkness you just thought about your mission you were assigned to.

BBBZzzzZZZZ

Mother had gotten you a job in one of the biggest law firms in Detroit. It was an okay job at first, the boss, mister Perry was a kind man... For the first 3 days, you spent there as his secretary. After that, you were just his slave and stress doll to pinch with needless and twist in fury. Only his needles were cruel jabs at you and your dedication and studies and punches were mean names he would call you with.

No one stood up for him. No one would help you without becoming his next target. You were all alone... And because of that selfish bastard you went out that day and were captured by this evil con...! Because of him, you were fried like an ant under the magnifying glass...

BBBZzzzZZZZ

You couldn't see, couldn't feel. Only hear. You heard your captors talking. They were talking about you. They called you a traitor for the Decepticon cause. Called you a dirty Autobot. You wanted to scream. NO! It wasn't you! You just wanted to be free...

"Put her in a deep freeze. Let her be your war trophy."

And that's the last thing you remember before you blacked our for good...'

You jolted awake, your whole frame tense and ready for any oncoming attack, arms up and guns ready. You panted in cold oil. You remembered. You weren't a con or Autobot. You were human. No, not anymore. Now you were a part machine. You were a victim... Everybody took advantage of you and now you were alone... But you could still seek justice...!

[basementbots]

A Little Scrap, Chapter 2

Can also find this on AO3!

Notes: Didn’t want to put the whole text on my main but I also like to have all my fics on tumblr, too, so here’s the compromise.

✨ ✨🚑💦💦🚚✨ ✨ 

Ratchet ran several more tests, the nature and importance of which were lost on Optimus. He tried to be supportive, nodding along whenever Ratchet stopped to explain what he was doing, but for the most part his processor was a tumbling code of something something heavy metals something something wavelengths something something sparkling—

And then a word from Ratchet’s rambling explanations would cut through the loops and he would be reminded, full-scale, the new reality of their situation. Any summarization Ratchet offered of his findings could be further condensed into the same conclusion: Ratchet was carrying their sparkling.

“But your code is telling you you’re the sire.” It wasn’t necessary for Optimus to repeat it, not when Ratchet had said it himself this many times already, but he wanted to assure his anxious bonded that he’d been paying attention through all the ranting jargon.

“Sire programming is modifying parameters within my actum synthesizer to improve survival statistics for the newspark,” Ratchet said. “So, essentially, yes.”

Optimus could have defined each of the words in that sentence individually, but the whole was greater than the sum of its parts and arithmetic was already a touchy subject for the archivist-turned-Prime.

“Could that be detrimental toward construction?” he asked, because that was what he really wanted to know.

Ratchet half-shook his head, paused. His fingers hovered over the terminal keyboard.

“Only in that, mid-crisis, instinct will demand I protect the perceived carrier,” he said. “But so long as we maintain normal duties and don’t put me on the field, that shouldn’t be an issue.”

Optimus swore he felt the Matrix tremble as the long-forgotten Fourteenth, Hubris Prime, shook with astral mirth.

“Otherwise, sparkling and protoform development are handled by the autonomic systems and aren’t affected by personality matrices. According to the tests, the sparkling is drawing energy at exactly the rate we would expect at this stage of development and my gestation chamber is in its final preparatory stages.” An unbusy hand drifted down to his midsection, hovering over the plating without making contact. Optimus watched it, feeling a twinge of bizarre envy: not to be the carrier, but to assert himself as the little one’s sire, defend his title against—against Ratchet?

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have his own coding checked up some time.

“Anything that could have gone wrong would have already,” Ratchet went on, oblivious. “We’re looking at a fairly standard gestation, provided the carrier is kept in good health, of course.”

That much, Optimus’ processor could handle.

“You mean yourself?” he clarified.

“I…” Ratchet froze again. Optimus couldn’t see his face, but his posture was that of a mech who’d just been cornered into considering self-care for the first time in millennia. “Yes, I sup—of course.”

This brought them to the point in the conversation Optimus had been most anxious to address. Naturally, in the spaces between tests, explanations of tests, and dumbing down of explanations, he’d prepared a speech.

“Concerning the sparkling,” he said while Ratchet’s typing resumed, “know that whatever your choice, you will have my full support, as your partner and your Prime. The tolls of gestation are—"

“I’m keeping it.”

Optimus’ spark stirred and joyous heat bloomed deep within him.

He was the Prime, bearer of the Matrix, symbol of Cybertronian life. Beyond that, the bond he shared with Ratchet was the sole treasure of his past life he’d managed to secret through all these years of warfare and destruction, and to see it coalesce into a new being was a gift greater than he felt he deserved. Excitement wound up into his coil of trepidation, a spring pulling tighter from within his spark.

“You’re certain, Ratchet?” he asked. “Is there the possibility that this is coding making the decision on your behalf?”

Ratchet stopped his work again, but this time he turned to face Optimus, expression difficult to parse. Their bond, though, zipped and echoed with the charge of their shared nervousness, though if Optimus focused, he could almost hear the deep hum of something vast and warm underneath.

“It’s impossible to determine which lines of code a decision can be traced back to,” Ratchet said, spoken with a confidence that didn’t match the tenor of emotions traversing the link between them. “Code builds on itself, conflicting protocols run simultaneously, and priority trees are constantly rewriting themselves to account for changes in the environment. Being a sire changes the way I consider the situation, but so does being an Autobot and an emergency vehicle. Maybe if the program had failed to integrate, my choice would be different, but it’s not my responsibility to make that kind of judgement.” He placed a hand over his spark and averted his gaze. “I’m keeping it.”

Optimus was so moved he couldn’t bring himself to ruin the moment by mentioning the slip-up. He offered a hand to Ratchet who took it as if by instinct, meeting Optimus’ gaze once more with a flare more akin to flame than circuitry.

“Your courage is enviable, dear spark,” Optimus said. “It would be my honor to join you in guiding this new being to life.”

The look he received wasn’t quite the grateful exuberance he’d expected.

“Of course you’re going to,” Ratchet snipped (almost a snap, but without the full disappointment). “It’s going to be your job to explain to the others when I’m guzzling twice my share of energon and somehow half as pleasant to be around.”

There: a humorous flicker in his optics. Optimus had barely a moment to appreciate it before strong arms were wrapping around his middle and Ratchet’s lips were pressing against the seam in his windshield.

“I love you,” his bondmate murmured against the metal.

Optimus returned the hug with one arm while the other hand cupped Ratchet’s cheek, tilting his helm up so they were optic-to-optic again.

“I love you, as well.”

“Both of you.”

They froze, moments from a kiss that would have knocked their gyros out of alignment.

“Did we—”

“Say that at the same time? Yeah.” Ratchet huffed, the annoyed sound useless to cover the amused glint in his optics. “I’m going to look into it, but I can’t make any—mmf!”

Optimus didn’t want to hear more about coding, or spark maintenance, or scrap, any of it! Ratchet’s lips were right there, extremely kissable, and by now it would be nothing short of a failure on his part to miss the opportunity to capture them with his own. Now that they had some (limited) idea of what the future had in store, it was like a switch had been flipped in his processor and every algorithm kept spitting out the same solution: Ratchet. That beautiful frame that had shielded and cared for Optimus all this time, the processor of unbelievable sophistication and power, both geared toward the most incredible task of fostering their sparkling. The hand that had been cradling Ratchet’s jaw now dropped to his chassis, fingers delving for the warmth of a living spark. It was right there, protected, nurtured, the safest place Optimus could imagine for it, and the thought caused his engine to rev on the spot, shocking a burst of laughter and twin growl from Ratchet’s own frame.

Ratchet pushed the kiss deeper while his hands reached up, searching for leverage so he could draw their frames closer together. Optimus relocated the hand that had been between them to the back of Ratchet’s neck so they could stand chest-to-chest while their glossae danced together. Optimus drew in the taste of Ratchet and felt something inside him start to go soft, their bond threatening to take on a spongey texture before a crafty hand sent electric fire up his backstrut, goopy emotions shocked into something much more urgent. Their fans both clicked on. Optimus felt Ratchet smirk into their kiss, the new excitement building up as it bounced between them.

They ended up on the floor: not a conscious decision on either of their parts, but by the time Optimus realized his aft had landed on something other than the medical berth he was too caught up in the feeling of Ratchet nibbling along his jawline to care.

Optimus underneath, Ratchet splayed on top, hands exploring downward, sliding over Optimus’ windshield, dipping into the seams between armor plates. Optimus’ engine growled when one stroked the near-invisible parting of his modesty cover and he allowed it to release, spike pressurizing immediately into Ratchet’s waiting hand. Slow, luxurious interfacing had its place in their relationship.

Right now, they needed to fuck.

A few beads of pre-fluid dotted the tip of Optimus’ excited spike. Ratchet picked them up as he swirled his fingers over the head, wrapping his hand around so he could smear the shine down in two short pumps. Optimus shivered as he felt plating glide over the smooth, sensitive metal, and he unshuttered his optics (he’d closed them? oops) to watch Ratchet’s hand rub along his spike. It was nice, but not what either of them were really looking forward to, and a single glance between them brought Ratchet’s hand down to the base, then lower, shifting so his fingers traced the lips of Optimus’ valve.

Optimus, wanting to reciprocate, reached toward Ratchet’s own modesty cover, but his attempt was thwarted by Ratchet leaning down capture him with his clever mouth.

“Nuh-uh-uh,” was murmured between kisses. “I’m taking care of you right now.”

Optimus’ processor tried to flag something in the statement, but before he could devote thought to it, Ratchet’s hand started to explore deeper and he was distracted again, an expert finger slipping inside him, followed closely by another. His valve quaked at their touch and his hips bucked up to the sensation before being pressed down under Ratchet’s weight.

“Ratchet—please—”

“We’re getting there, Optimus, I promise.” The fingers pushed deeper, eliciting a whine from Optimus as they caressed the buried sensors—Primus he was sensitive, had it really been that long since they’d last done this?—and pulled back out, tracing their path along the inner edge of Optimus’ valve. They pushed in again, and from there Ratchet started up a rhythm, in and out, fingers spreading and hooking to catch every node along the way. His other hand explored Optimus’ neck, feeling along the tender cables.

It was good, very good, but Optimus knew what Ratchet was capable of and felt an impatient, undignified sound bleat out of his vocoder.

“That charged already?” Was that wonder in Ratchet’s voice? No, didn’t matter, because those delightful fingers were leaving Optimus’ valve and whatever happened in the next five seconds would determine whether Ratchet was his favorite person in the world or a Prime-appointed slagsucker. His own hands grasped at the seams of Ratchet’s pelvis, feeling into those spaces that exposed the delicate wires underneath.

As it turned out, his attention span couldn’t even last that long, because at three and a half seconds he felt himself yank Ratchet down in a clatter of plating and lust that communicated his desires far more effectively than he was capable of saying with words by that point.

“Sorry,” he said, hoping he could be heard over his own groaning fans.

“Me, too,” Ratchet said, and Optimus didn’t know whether it was apology or agreement before he heard Ratchet’s modesty cover transforming away.

The feeling of Ratchet’s spike finally sliding into him was blessed, Primus-ordained, a miracle of nature, proof that good could exist in the universe. When his hips moved this time, he managed to keep himself from bucking, rolling against the pressure as Ratchet pushed himself further inside. Optimus continued to play with Ratchet’s hips, but he could feel his movements growing clumsier as he dealt with both the motion and the sensations within him. He almost lost his hold completely and cried out when the base of Ratchet’s spike pressed flush against his valve lips, then felt himself clench as the luxurious, slow withdrawal sucked against every sensor along the way.

“O-Optimus…” Ratchet’s vocoder clicked out.

He picked up the pace, diving into Optimus with a new sense of fervor as he drove them toward climax. He could see it coming, but it still came as a shock to Optimus when he hurtled off the edge, digging into Ratchet’s frame as overload crashed into him. Ratchet’s thrusts did not relent, carrying Optimus through and then on as he chased down his own overload.

Optimus was content with this at first, the feeling of Ratchet’s spike never unpleasant, but time drew on and it became difficult to discern whether Ratchet’s movements were excited or frustrated. He removed his hands from Ratchet’s hips and leveraged himself up on his elbow joints, trying to catch his lover’s attention.

“Ratchet?”

“J-just give me a minute.” His vocoder kept popping with static that forced him to reset it. “I can f-feel it, I’m… I’m almost…”

His cooling fans were roaring and his movements growing jerky when the effort it was taking him to keep up the pace, and even then, Optimus could see his frame forcing him to slow down, optics unfocusing as his processor redirected attention to the needs of his spike.

Concerned, Optimus sat up further, freeing one arm to lay a calm but forceful hand on Ratchet’s pelvis, stilling him.

“Easy, old friend,” he murmured, the few words that had ever had any success drawing Ratchet’s attention when he’d become fixated on something, though a true Ratchet Scowl™ took the place of his prior frustration.

“I’m so close,” he grumbled.

“I know,” Optimus said, rubbing his shoulder; not erotic, just comforting. “Maybe we can try something else?”

“I just don’t understand,” he went on, perhaps oblivious to Optimus’ suggestion. “Physically, everything should be in—”

He stopped, hand slapping to his mouth as his optics flared.

“Ratchet?”

“The frame halts transfluid production to redirect resources to the sparkling,” he said through loose fingers. “I can’t use my spike.” The hand dropped, true horror dawning on the medic’s face. “I’m not going to be able to use my spike for quartexes.”

“I’m sorry,” Optimus said, and meant it, thought a part of his processor was considering specifying Ratchet’s definition of the word use. “Perhaps you will be able to find a workaround?” The look he received was not one that could be characterized as hopeful. “For now, would you like to finish another way?”

“Hm.” The far-away look in Ratchet’s optics had been reeled in but had settled into a glare that he directed at his own spike, as though he would be able to bully the misbehaving mechanism back into obedience.

“Ratchet.” Optimus lowered the pitch of his vocoder, turning it silky in a way that always managed to catch his bonded’s attention, and supplemented it with a finger under the chin; even then, there was a beat’s hesitation before Ratchet’s optics met his own. “Let’s get off the floor.”

Ratchet shivered; his plating rattled. Optimus felt a bloom of pride as he scooped up his lover and maneuvered them onto the relative dignity of the medical berth. The charge was still hot and high through his systems, the plating so warm Optimus was sure he would be able to hear the crackle of excess energy if he leaned close enough. That couldn’t be comfortable to be holding onto, and more than his own pleasure, Optimus wanted to make sure Ratchet could be relieved of the charge.

“No spike,” Ratchet said. “Anything else, do whatever it takes.”

“Whatever you like,” Optimus said, closing the distance between their lips.

Their movements were slower this time, more intentional as they eased Ratchet back into bliss. Glossae dipped and swiped over each other as they properly reacquainted themselves with one another’s taste, and Optimus swallowed the other’s hum of pleasure as his hand started to travel down Ratchet’s front. His fingers, designed to cradle, to shield, skipped past Ratchet’s spike and slipped those several inches lower, kneading at the hot, soft folds of Ratchet’s valve. Ratchet squirmed and shifted so he was sitting in Optimus’ lap, rolling his hips in time with Optimus’ movements.

He broke the kiss so he could mouth at the juncture of Optimus’ neck and collar faring.

He murmured something like, “Please,” though it was slightly unclear between the lapping and sucking.

“Whatever you like,” Optimus repeated, allowing himself to neither be distracted by nor ignore the affection. He pressed a kiss to the top of Ratchet’s helm and started to press inside the familiar warmth of his partner, leaving his thumb outside to continue swirling around his anterior node. A heady flare of need whipped from Ratchet’s field as he stiffened, then relaxed, leaning heavier on Optimus as the latter curled his fingers against a sensor patch.

“Mm, r-right there,” Ratchet said, the air pouring from his vents heating up. “Right—mm.”

Optimus could feel Ratchet starting to slide down a bit, lost in the twin sensations of pleasure and exhaustion. He wrapped his free arm around the mech’s back and readjusted him, keeping them steady with one arm while the other hand continued its ministrations. Ratchet’s hands scrabbled like he wanted to help, but in the end, he just managed to reach around Optimus’ back and cling to his shoulders, letting the larger partner keep them both steady. Optimus could feel Ratchet’s spike pressing against him, almost throbbing with the same rhythm as his movements. He changed from a pumping motion to a swirl, feeling Ratchet’s calipers ripple in response to the new stimulus.

“Good, good, good,” Ratchet was saying, punctuated by hot, open-mouthed kisses against Optimus’ neck cables. “I’m so close, I’m, I’m—ah!”

His body stiffened as Optimus felt the calipers squeeze around his fingers. He continued to move, trying to draw out Ratchet’s overload, only stopping when he felt Ratchet slump his whole weight against him. His hand slipped out of Ratchet’s valve and went to his waist to help support him.

They didn’t speak, just held each other as their bodies cycled down. Ratchet’s fans spun smoothly, the air they exvented cooling down to a sweet breeze that mingled with Optimus’ own.

“I—”

It didn’t matter who had been about to speak, or what they intended to say. At the same moment, both became aware of the incessant, anxious pinging coming from the central console in the command hub.

The team was (had been for some time) ready for extraction.

[best-laptops-for-running-a-busin]

PC Buying Guide for Small Business

There are a lot of top-10 records out there for individuals who need a brisk reference for the best work workstations available, however this PC purchasing aide will show you how to purchase PCs the shrewd way, without depending on the (frequently supported) assessments of another person. Try not to be concerned on the off chance that you have next to zero technical support or constrained understanding – when you know the stray pieces of what makes a decent PC, the shopping procedure will be significantly less overpowering.

This purchasing guide is intended to be worked through bit by bit and considers general equipment best practices check here.

Stage 1: Set your innovation spending plan and improve your shopping system.

The most ideal approach to advance your tech spending is to set an unmistakable financial plan before shopping. As you set your financial plan, make certain to consider not just the general sum you're willing to spend yet how that will amortize over the quantity of workstations you'll purchase. At the point when business visionaries don't set a financial plan before shopping, particularly for innovation, they frequently wind up overspending or underspending. Few out of every odd business needs an armada of best in class machines, and it's an exercise in futility to think about significant expense alternatives in the event that they sometimes fall short for your main concern. Then again, underspending can wind up costing you more over the long haul on the off chance that you don't get what your workers need the first run through around.

One well known way to deal with tech planning is to receive various levels of gadgets dependent on client needs. For instance, it might be beneficial to jump on extravagance Dell machines for your C-suite executives and dev group, midrange Dell workstations for your expert staff, and passage level Dells for help staff. It's prudent to adhere to a couple of makers to rearrange upkeep and cell phone the executives (MDM) later on. Consequently, it's ideal to keep tech buying choices in the possession of few elevated level workers and not open the discussion to your whole staff.

Truth be told, the simplest administration approach is to have just a single unique hardware producer and a few model varieties. In the event that you have innovative aces ready, however, you will probably wind up embracing two sorts of machines, since creatives regularly require expensive Macs (which are not normally essential for different workers).

In case you don't know how to find some kind of harmony among cost and quality, look at our breakdown of PC spending ranges and decide your range dependent on the sorts of representatives you have:

$300 and under: In the $300 and lower go, you'll discover low-end Chromebooks and Windows machines solely. We don't suggest PCs at this value point for business clients, as they ordinarily have modest form quality, constrained capacity and moderate execution. In any event, for light business use, you can improve.

$350 to $599: In this value run, you'll find fair Windows workstations and great business Chromebooks. The explanation Chromebooks are better than Windows machines in this range is on the grounds that they have far less stockpiling (which is costly), so they can remain at a low cost without yielding on construct and show. In any case, you should just buy a work PC in this value run for staff that sticks to fundamental assignments, for example, utilizing Microsoft Office, posting via web-based networking media and perusing the web. For help staff with restricted necessities, similar to receptionists and colleagues, this value range might be sufficient.

$600 to $900: Most expert business clients' needs can be met in the $600 to $999 value go. Clients ought to experience no difficulty getting the memory and capacity they need just as an amazing enough processor for business performing multiple tasks at this level. Work workstations in this classification frequently include business-class security highlights, for example, unique finger impression scanners, and they will in general have great battery life, agreeable consoles and decent shows.

$1,000 and up: For $1,000 or more, you can get a PC that is significantly more impressive or convenient than those in the less expensive value sections. Premium ultraportable models, for example, Dell's XPS 13, offer quick execution in an incredibly smooth bundle. Cumbersome, ground-breaking workstations likewise fall into this classification and range from $1,500 to $3,000 or more. This is the best value run for your capacity clients, similar to your dev group, plan group and C-level executives who need to extend a specific picture.

Since your financial plan is set, channel your future quests dependent on cost. In any event, seeing PC models outside of your value run is a formula for budgetary calamity, so stay away.

Stage 2: Choose a working framework.

Except if you're ready to spend in any event $1,300 per PC, you'll be picking between the Chrome and Windows working frameworks, yet there are three essential working frameworks, and you should know the contrasts between every one of them. On the off chance that, in the wake of perusing these depictions, you are as yet uncertain which working framework to choose, pick Windows. Windows is as yet the business standard around the world, and you are probably not going to lament the choice.

Apple OS X

PCs that run Apple's OS X convey powerful sticker prices, however beyond words Apple fans are happy to pay a premium for a lovely machine with a very much structured interface. Generally, innovative experts supported Apple workstations for their high screen quality, work keys, and capacity to run high-octane projects, for example, Avid, Maya and Dreamweaver.

Numerous inventive stars despite everything buy workstations from Apple, yet it's not, at this point considered the go-to mark, particularly since late MacBook Pros have highlighted less RAM than past models and appear to be more centered around speaking to a mass crowd than a specialty.

Regardless of whether you pick a machine running Apple OS X or not is for the most part up to individual inclination and the amount you're happy with spending. The main genuine special case to this standard is if your business happens to utilize a product item that can just sudden spike in demand for Mac. While this situation is getting more uncommon, you ought to consistently get some information about conceivable working framework and programming similarity issues before purchasing new workstations. A few organizations additionally pick Apple OS machines for the picture they anticipate, and in the event that you are in a field where looks matter and developing a luxury vibe is critical to your customers, that might be a substantial decision.

Windows 10 OS

As we previously referenced, Windows is the norm for work PC working frameworks. On the off chance that you go with a Windows OS, you'll have a larger number of PCs to browse than if you go for Chrome OS or Apple OS X. There are Windows machines accessible in each design and value go conceivable, which implies you can be really meticulous (inside your financial plan, obviously).

Windows 10, the most recent rendition of the working framework, accompanies a bunch of new highlights that can help your efficiency. Cortana, Microsoft's menial helper, can play out a wide range of assignments, for example, planning arrangements and checking the climate. At that point there's Task View, which lets you set up different virtual work areas for simpler performing various tasks.

The fundamental advantage to picking Windows is recognition. It's exceptionally far-fetched that your representatives have never utilized a Windows PC, and most IT experts (even those with restricted understanding) realize how to offer help for Windows gadgets. Convenience is a significant piece of business tech appropriation, and the normal office laborer is alright with Windows.

Chrome OS

Google's Chrome OS is the newcomer of working frameworks, so in case you don't know what's in store from a Chromebook, you're not the only one. When Chromebooks first hit the market, they were fundamentally made in light of understudies, since they have a very low beginning cost.

Presently the contribution of Chromebooks is more various, and there are business-centered PCs running Chrome OS. Chrome is an extraordinary decision for a business visionary who is open to living in the cloud (you can't download programs on a Chromebook) and wouldn't like to stress over updates.

Chromebooks are worked to naturally download and convey refreshes for you, which is an incredible life hack for occupied business visionaries. On account of an expansion in cloud-based projects, for example, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Chromebooks are developing more practical for a more extensive scope of entrepreneurs.

Stage 3: Choose a PC plan.

The way to picking the correct PC configuration is thinking about how you (and your cooperation. Here are a couple of inquiries to pose to yourself (or your workers) before you shop.

Do I need a half and half PC or a conventional PC?

You're as of now acquainted with conventional PCs that open on a pivot, yet now there's another type of mixture PCs to consider. Half and half workstations, likewise called convertible PCs or 2-in-1s, are PCs that twofold as independent tablets.

Some half and half PCs include screens that isolate totally from the console, while others have pivots with a 180-degree scope of movement, so you can overlap the PC back to front and use it as a tablet. Workers who travel a ton or as of now switch to and fro between a PC (for composing) and a tablet (for pointer and touchscreen use) might be a decent counterpart for a mixture plan. In any case, you ought to know that a 2-in-1 with high specs will be costlier than a standard pivot PC with similar specs.

Is an agreeable console a high need?

At the point when you're caught up with seeing PC structures, it tends to be anything but difficult to disregard the fundamentals and be astonished by stunning case and high-goal screens, however console comfort is a significant factor for most business clients. Truth be told, an awkward console will wind up being an a lot greater boundary to completing work than a marginally unremarkable PPI or a dull plan. While you shop, remember that the littler the PC, the littler the console, and that composing on a smaller than expected console for quite a long time at a time can be tedious.

In the event that conceivable, try out consoles to discover what you like. On the off chance that you can't do that, in any event observe the size of the console on any PC you consider. On the off chance that you pick a PC with a not exactly perfect console, you can put resources into an outside console for long composing meetings – however this isn't perfect, obviously.

Will I travel with my PC or for the most part working in one spot?

Conveyability is a significant worry for some entrepreneurs and a nonissue for other people. On the off chance that you travel a great deal or work in various areas all the time, it might merit giving up screen and console size for a lighter PC. You can generally check the measurements and weight of a PC under the specialized particulars on the web.

Remember that PC screens, similar to TV screens, are estimated slantingly (corner to corner) and that, when all is said in done, any gadget that weighs under 3 pounds is compact enough for business travel. Before you pick a ultraportable, however, ensure the gadget has the ports you require and a battery life you can live with.

Do I need a touchscreen or pointer support?

Touchscreens are a pleasant component if (and just in the event that) you use them a great deal. PCs that have touchscreens as well as pointer support are almost in every case more costly than comparative models without touchscreens.

PCs with touchscreens likewise utilize much more battery power than those without, regardless of whether you don't effectively utilize the touchscreen highlight. To finish it off, touchscreens are heavier than ordinary screens. In the event that you need a touchscreen or pointer support, you ought to totally search for that highlight in a PC, yet don't jump on it since you think it appears to be a cool extra.

Do I need a rough PC?

Rough PCs are basic for certain organizations, particularly those that utilize servicepeople in tough or far off conditions. Toughbook by Panasonic is the most prominent of the rough PC lines, and it's extremely famous with open help experts (police, fire, EMT, preservation) just as privately owned businesses that require ultra-versatile workstations (oil, fishing, agribusiness, development, conveyance).

Tough workstations and tablets are frequently offered with adornments that are not accessible for standard PCs, for example, vehicle mounts and vehicle battery packs (some rough PCs can work for a considerable length of time at once with these packs). Rough PCs are likewise ordinarily waterproof, drop-verification, and ready to be utilized with gloves on (regardless of whether they have touchscreens). Nonetheless, they're additionally generally bigger and clunkier than buyer or business PCs, and they can be costly once you factor in embellishments.

Most organizations don't require tough workstations, yet in the event that yours does, don't try taking a gander at standard shopper or business machines. Rather, start by looking at these rough lines: Toughbook by Panasonic, Getac and Dell Rugged Extreme.

Stage 4: Compare these three specs.

At this point, you've most likely discovered two or three PCs that fit your financial plan, have the working framework you need and meet your structure needs. Picking between them comes down to the specs. Seeing specs can be overpowering when you're inexperienced with all the technical discussion, so how about we separate it in basic true terms.

CPU

Under the specialized specs, you'll see the PC's CPU (focal preparing unit, likewise just called the processor) recorded. The CPU is the main thing you should see when contrasting PC choices.

On the off chance that your PC were a vehicle, the CPU would be the motor. As you can envision, the nature of your PC's processor hugy affects ease of use. All things considered, numerous individuals overspend for first in class processors when they needn't bother with them. A proportionate would be somebody who purchases a Porsche yet never drives in excess of 40 mph.

As you think about CPUs on the PCs you're taking a gander at, remember these overall rules:

Low-end CPUs: Low-end CPUs incorporate the Intel Atom, AMD E Series, Intel Pentium and Intel Celeron. These CPUs are most appropriate for light use. On the off chance that all you plan on doing is composing and web perusing, a low-end CPU might be fine, in any case, as a rule, we don't suggest these for business use.

Midrange CPUs: Midrange CPUs incorporate Intel Core m3, Intel Core m5 and Intel Core m7. You will probably just observe these CPUs in lightweight workstations and half and half PC structures. These CPUs are OK for essential work undertakings. In the event that the PC you're purchasing is an optional machine for movement, or something you'll just utilize every so often to take notes and send messages, this scope of CPUs should suit your necessities. On the off chance that your business expects you to run hearty projects all the time, spring for more force.

CPUs that are useful for most business use: Intel Core i3 and Intel Core i5 processors are appropriate for most organizations; they're similar to the solid four-entryway cars of the PC world. On the off chance that you routinely perform multiple tasks on your machine, such as running QuickBooks while overseeing monstrous spreadsheets in Excel when your program has 15 tabs open, a Core i5 is a superior decision for you than a Core i3. In case you're a standard business client who utilizes Outlook, types reports, streams media, stores photographs and presents via web-based networking media, a Core i3 will suit your requirements fine and dandy.

Very good quality CPUs: When they originally came to showcase, Intel's 6th and seventh-age Core i7 processors were found only in top of the line workstations. Similarly as with most innovation, the cost has diminished fairly, and you would now be able to discover workstations for under $1,000 that have i7 processors. While there's nothing amiss with buying a PC with a Core i7 processor, you most likely needn't bother with one.

Numerous individuals think an amazing processor rises to better execution, and everybody needs the most ideal exhibition, however that thought is both valid and bogus. Here's a relationship: Imagine stacking a pack of staple goods in the rear of your four-entryway vehicle (your Core i3 or Core i5). You can without much of a stretch drive that sack of staple goods home, correct? Presently envision placing that equivalent sack of food supplies in the rear of a top of the line pickup truck with much more pull. Was it simpler to drive the pack of goods home in the more costly truck? No, it didn't have any kind of effect, on the grounds that the errand you were performing was lightweight to such an extent that you didn't take advantage of the advantage of the pickup truck's additional torque (the capacity to pull monstrous burdens, join a snow furrow, utilize four-wheel drive, and so forth.).

The equivalent is valid for top of the line processors. In case you're not going to do video altering or 3D displaying, you needn't bother with a very good quality processor, and having one won't improve your PC experience. In the event that those requesting undertakings are a piece of your every day business, a Core i7 will be definitely justified even despite the cash.

Extravagance CPUs: If you gave yourself a boundless spending plan for business PCs, you may experience a not many that highlight the Intel Xeon. The Intel Xeon is just fundamental for experts who normally do bad-to-the-bone business investigation, vector-based preparing, and other profoundly concentrated information science and examination assignments. On the off chance that each one of those terms sound like Greek to you, you needn't bother with an Intel Xeon. On the off chance that an i7 is an extravagant pickup truck, an Intel Xeon is a top of the line sports vehicle, similar to an Aston Martin or a Porsche. There's an exceptionally little populace for whom purchasing a games vehicle is a monetarily quality choice, and the equivalent is valid for an extravagance PC with an Intel Xeon.

Memory and capacity

The second most significant factor to think about in work workstations is memory and capacity. There are two fundamental kinds of memory and capacity that your PC will have. You can consider them like long haul stockpiling and transient memory. For transient memory, there's arbitrary access memory (RAM), and for long haul stockpiling, there's your hard circle drive (HDD, additionally just called a hard drive). A few PCs have a strong state drive (SSD) notwithstanding a HDD for long haul stockpiling, while others just have a SSD for long haul stockpiling.SSDs are more up to date than HDDs, however they are progressively well known for capacity since they're quicker than HDDs, which means they make your PC run quicker as well. SSDs don't have any moving parts, so they're likewise more strong and minimal than standard hard drives, which is the reason you'll quite often discover them in tough PCs.For a better selected or reviewed list please do visit at https://www.upfored.org/best-laptops-for-running-a-business  .

Here's the means by which to make sense of if the PC you're taking a gander at has enough memory and capacity for your business use:

Slam: Skip any workstations with 2GB RAM, as they'll be disappointing to take a shot at. Point rather for PCs that have 4GB (great) or 8GB (far superior). A few workstations accompany 16GB, yet that is a bit much for most business clients.

HDD and SDD: Unless you're anticipating doing a great deal of video altering (along these lines putting away huge amounts of film on your machine), you ought to approve of a base joined stockpiling limit of around 256GB. Remember that on the off chance that you choose a Chromebook, you will have far less hard drive space (which is fine in case you're OK with living in the cloud and running versatile applications). The capacity proposal here is fundamentally for business clients buying Windows or Apple machines.

Battery life

The last significant spec you ought to consider before settling on your ultimate choice is battery life. Battery life is a nonissue for some entrepreneurs and an enormous dealbreaker for other people, and just you know how regularly you'll be utilizing your PC without access to control.

Regardless, it's a smart thought to look at the battery life of any machine you buy. Remember

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

Technology in Elrios

This post came about because I noticed that Eve is capable of inflection and tone and expressing her emotions through her voice in later parts of the game. I know part of that is probably because she’s voiced by a human but not a robot, but I still think it was done on purpose. She was designed to be capable of emotion (eventually) after all.

Biologically speaking, what makes a person capable of different tones and pitches in their voice is the air from the lungs that vibrates the vocal chords. The force of the air behind our speech effects out our voice sounds, whether we’re screaming in fear or rage, there’s a different kind of air flow effecting our vocal chords. That is only possible because of our lungs. It’s why, even when robots we’ve created are capable of varying their speech, they don’t sound like genuine emotion. It’s simply mimicking the sound, without the force behind it.

Because it can be safely assumed that much of Eve’s design is based on human biology, it can also be safely assumed that she is capable of realistically expressing emotion through her voice because there is some sort of lung-like apparatus in her design that interacts with some form of vocal chord.

Those assumptions caused my to leap down a rabbit hole of creating headcanons for the designs of the technology in Elrios. Specifically, I have headcanons for Eve’s design (that can likely be applied to Nasods in general), Dynamo, and Raven’s arm’s design. These are all based on observations I’ve made of what the technology is shown capable of doing, as well as things I’ve noticed about the characters in regards to their technology.

These headcanons also take into consideration the differences I noticed in Nasod technology that is designed by Nasods compared to Nasod technology designed by humans. Nasod designed technology takes into consideration the well-being and autonomy of the individual Nasod, while human designed technology only considers the purpose of the Nasod. Nasods view each other as people while humans view them as tools (and I will be doing an analysis on Adrian that goes more in depth into this at some point).

Eve:

Eve's chest core is like Tony Stark's Arc Reactor in the MCU as far as physical appearance goes. However, it is deep in her body. The most inner part of the inner workings. It holds the most essential systems and processes (like her codes). Her head core holds the less essential ones. If her head core is damage she won't lose the systems that make her who she is and she'll be able to repair it. However, if her chest core is damaged it's much less likely she could repair it completely and that she'll be able to remain… Eve.

She has an emotion circuit, temperature regulation program, coolant circulatory (insulated tubes for temperature efficiency) system, damage monitoring, balance (is a hardware thing called a gyro)/navigation protocol, code storage, conscious/subconscious memory, motor control, logic circuits, language processor, threat recognition, battle codes, excess code storage (subconscious storage she has to actively dig through), time monitoring, data base (for storing information she collects), synthetic digestive system (100% efficiency, no waste products), lung-like apparatus (to absorb nitrogen to convert it into her coolant liquid), vocal chords for speech, sensory receptors, scanning systems (sonar and radar and component analysis), main processor, and probably other things that I'm missing.

Eve sees in x-ray, infrared, color spectrum, and ultraviolet. Not at the same time of course, she has to switch between them. She can also adjust the zoom on her vision.

Eve can hear radio waves, normal sound waves, and has an immense hearing range. Her default range is like a normal human range but she can expand it at will.

Eve's body set up mimics human anatomy to allow her movement. Her muscle fibers are twisted together for increased structural integrity. She also has materials in her body that mimic tendons and ligaments. Her “bones” are solid metal rods.

Eve's hair is a smooth silky synthetic material similar in make up to spider web but it's not sticky.

Eve's skin is a synthetic material. It's extremely smooth. Almost unnaturally so. And it doesn't have the sorta sticky quality that organic skin has.

Eve doesn't have fingerprints at all.

Eve's head core holds all of her sensory receptors, so her “nerves” in the rest of her body are dulled (the farther from her head the more dull her sense of touch is). She isn't capable of feeling pain unless the damage reaches her internal systems (as in her coolant system (because if her coolant system ruptures at all it can completely compromise her entire being) or her chest core) because once her internal systems are damaged her processors receive a bunch of garbage signals she can't actually process and it manifests as either a stinging or a throbbing sensation.

Eve's coolant systems circulates her entire body but is the deepest layer of her inner workings, so while it is liquid nitrogen, the… “vessels” are insulated, and the rest of her body is working and producing heat. So while her skin is cool (or even cold depending), it's not, ya know, liquid nitrogen cold. At the coldest her skin feels like the inside of a refrigerator. Her “lungs” collect nitrogen gas and store it in her body so that should her body be too greatly damaged, or become too hot somehow, the stored nitrogen gas can be turned into extra liquid nitrogen to keep her cool still. She is capable of exhaling, but it's also nitrogen.

Eve had a kill switch (force shut down command) in her code but removed it herself when she found it, since she saw it as unnecessary.

Other Random Nasod Stuff:

Nasods' faces return to a blank neutral expression when they shut down. Their eyes and any core(s) go completely dark as well as losing much of the color they previously had.

All Nasod technology designed by a Nasod has an auto-repair system that repairs superficial damage on it's own. Basically, if a similar wound on a human wouldn't require medical attention, then the auto-repair system can take care of it on a Nasod.

Nasods created ghost codes and programs. Originally, they were used by Nasods in the Nasod War to protect them from humans that could manipulate their codes. It’s why humans had to develop the alterasia plants to turn the Nasods against each other. Ghost programs override present codes to enable extra capabilities that would otherwise be outside the Nasod’s programming. Ghost codes make adjustments to present code to enhance already present abilities. The reason they’re referred to as ‘ghosts’ is because once implemented they cannot be viewed or altered in anyway. Because Nasods are able to be exact in writing their codes they only need to write it once. Blocking it from view kept the humans they fought against from being able to alter any Nasods that were captured to make them fight their own kind. It also served the purpose of keeping the humans from accessing sensitive information stored in the Nasod’s codes.

Add and Dynamo:

Add accessed and utilizes the battle codes that his father created for him. However, unlike proper Nasod battle codes, they are not designed to cease functioning if Add takes too much damage, so when they're active the fight doesn't stop until the enemy(s) is defeated or he's dead. The codes also dull his nerves so that they more closely resemble the sensory input of a Nasod. Though once the battle codes cease functioning the pain comes in full force and, if he's hurt enough, could throw him into shock. However, the various Add paths did adjust it to one degree or another. Mastermind made the greatest adjustments to it, it practically isn't even the same code anymore, so that it fit into the image of himself he was creating. Diabolic Esper re-purposed it so that it could dull the pain of time travel enough that he wasn't incapacitated by it. Lunatic Psyker made the fewest adjustments to it because it fits right in with what he's doing. That being said, he created varying degrees of activation.

Add's mother created an additional program for Dynamo designed to protect Add and keep him safe (hence it prioritizing his safety when it can). However it's a “ghost” program. It isn't accessible for viewing or alteration by anyone (including Add who doesn't really know it's there) now that it's been installed. The program cannot stop the battle codes from functioning but limits their function from manifesting completely, allowing Add to keep his sense of self even when they're active. All of that being said, Masi knows about and utilizes ghost codes and programs of his own. And, since he made the most alterations to the battle codes, thereby interacting with them the most, he has his suspicions. However, he can't get confirmation because he can't look at it.

Eve knows about the ghost program's existence because she noticed the battle codes weren't operating fully while Add was fighting and deduced that because she couldn't tell why that was the case, it had to be a ghost code or program, but she can't access it due to it's ghost status.

When Dynamo is offline, Add's mark and eye are grey. He literally can't overlook small details, to the point where two exact same sandwiches look different because they're positioned differently, or the crumbs around them are different. Also, he can't read or do math because he sees individual letters and digits instead of whole words or numbers. He tends to fall asleep mostly when Dynamo is offline because when it's online he doesn't actually need as much sleep, food, or water (it was a measure he put in place because he didn't know when or how often he would be able to get that stuff and he doesn't like most of it anyway). When it's offline though, he goes backing to having the needs of a normal person so yeah. However, that hyper detail awareness makes repairing and working on Dynamo very easy for him because he can just look it over and see what's up. He develops updates for Dynamo while it's online and only turns it off to implement them once he's certain they're going to work (hence Time Tracer's meltdown when he finds out his calculations are actually wrong).

Add can actually see certain things that Dynamo shows him, like when Dynamo sets a route for him to take, he sees a line on the ground telling him where to go.

Dynamo marks out enemies and allies, can do component analysis, can move as directed and even fly, has it's own data base (which is pretty extensive), has AC, has weapon systems, automatically observes and records battle patterns of enemies when in battle (but has to be told to outside of battle), gives Add reminders of things he wants/needs to do, aids in making calculations, advises on the best course of action based on Add's previous experiences in similar situations, also uses previous experiences to set the safest, most direct, and fastest (in that order unless Add specifies a different priority and even then because of his mother's ghost program safety is always first) routes for him to take to his desired destination, minimizes distractions for Add so that he's better able to focus on whatever he's trying to do (though that doesn't necessarily stop him from getting distracted), automatically moves to block weapons in battle, keeps an eye on everything going on around Add (though whether Add notices Dynamo's notification of what's going on around him depends on the day and the Add), and I might add to the list.

Add's body temperature is higher than an average person's (like it's difficult to tell if he's running a fever or not) when Dynamo is online but when it's offline his temperature is much closer to normal (though still a little high). Either way, there doesn't appear to be any damage done to his body despite it remaining at a higher temp for so long.

While the codes for Dynamo are viewable through Dynamo, there's also a chip in Add's head that stores and allows the codes to interface with Add.

If, somehow, Add were to be disconnected from Dynamo, he wouldn't be able to use his left arm, since when he was running from the slavers they blew it out at the shoulder. While in the library he created and implemented what amounted to a prosthetic shoulder joint for himself and connected it to Dynamo directly. That's also why it's his left arm he uses to control Dynamo non-verbally.

Dynamo can only work within Add's previous experiences and knowledge.

While being based on Nasod technology, Dynamo does not have the liquid nitrogen coolant system of Nasods. Instead it uses air flow to keep itself from overheating.

Every Dynamo has all of the same information and abilities and whatnot so it doesn't matter which specific one is accessed. And each Dynamo has it's own individual core in it's center. It does use El shards as a power source but Add has experimented with other forms of power before. Some can be used and just aren't as efficient while others aren't useable.

Dynamo's inner workings are very minute and mostly based on electrical connections and signals (which also allows it to interface with Add's nervous system).

Add knows when Dynamo has taken damage. It doesn't register as pain but it feels similar to like… pressure? I don't know another way to describe it. If a Dynamo were to be destroyed however that hurts like a bitch. It would feel similar to what Eve would feel getting her core ripped out.

Raven and his Arm:

Raven has a small chip on the back of his neck right over his spinal column that stores nasod battle codes and also allows his nasod arm to interface with his nervous system (so that he can actually use it).

The arm has it's own isolated circulatory coolant system but, unlike Eve's which is very consolidated (allowing her inner workings to remain very cool easily while keeping her outer body from being too cold), his is spread through smaller vessels throughout the arm. That means that it is much more prone to overheating than Eve is because of the nature of smaller vessels. Smaller vessels means less insulation means less temperature efficiency. Also, because the vessels being spread out throughout the arm, should one be pierced, flow of the coolant liquid to that vessel is cut off completely until it's repaired.

The arm was designed to use the electrical signals of specifically placed “nerves” as a power source instead of an El Shard. Basically his brain sends electrical signals to his arm thanks to the chip thing and it uses and stores the electrical impulses of those signals in a small core at his shoulder as it's power source.

Raven does have feeling in the arm but any damage it takes feels more like pins and needles than a traditionally painful sensation.

For the Canon and Alt paths Eve assisted Raven in redesigning and upgrading his Nasod arm. Empress instals a safety protocol into Reckless Fist's arm to ensure he doesn't destroy himself with it since she's long since learned that humans have a habit of coming up with unorthodox and often dangerous ways of using things. Raven is no exception to that but Eve doesn't want him needlessly getting hurt. Meanwhile Nemesis tries to talk Blade Master into letting her instal various hidden weapons into his arm (namely a hidden wrist knife) that he continuously has to say no to. Veteran Commander updated and worked on his own arm.

Raven's arm has the auto-repair system common of all Nasod technology.

[supersecure-blog]

Week 6 Lectures

Never would I have thought that I would receive a lecture via a skype call... however this course continues to surprise me. Notes for this week’s lectures as per usual :) This week notes will be in their purest form: brain dribble.

Morning Lecture

WEP:

Needed a 64 bit key, but how do we get users to generate a 64 bit key. Was a lot to ask users to generate. Designers decided to generate the last 24 bits by themselves, using an IV.

Seed was different for each packet, 40 bit key that was shared and everyone used, and then the 24 bit value that was generated. 

To decrypt, you get the 24 bit thing sent in the clear - (IV) and combine with the secret to get the 64 bit 

Danger when someone transmits the same data under the same key - data is replicated in the same frame

Collision for IV - square root of 2^24  = 2^12 ~= 4000

Relatively small amount of packets needed to be sent before collision

Mixing data and control (key characteristic of attacks):

WEP attack - carrying out the normal function, can be abused by users to gain more control

I.e. Richard smuggling expensive express envelopes by hiding them in a satchel, posting them to himself 

If there is a potential ambiguity in the channel and you are able to control how that is resolved - you gain control of the channel

Buffer Overflow:

Computer rapidly switches between jobs - “context switching” rather than concurrencyModern cpu’s use the notion of interruption Stack keeps track of what is being used

Latest process - top of the stack. When it’s finished, the information about the process gets thrown out, stack pointer gets moved down

After process have been re-awakened, need information about what the process is currently doing. This is stored in the disk, because RAM is expensive

Stack is also used to store local data about the program - much faster 

Running program data is in the stack, as well as other frozen processes

Stack is stored backwards -> grows down

If can persuade the  buffer you are writing to is bigger than it is - then you can be writing to other memory of the person that is asleep

Pointer to the next instruction about to be executed -> control

Contains other information

Write to the return address, overwrite the current thing

Proof of work:

Bitcoin - can’t counterfeit easily (work ratio)

No matter how good something is, every 18 months your attacker gains 1 bit of work due to Moore’s law i.e. lose one bit of security

Number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented. 

Disk encryption:

Thread model - attacker has physical access to the disk, assume full control of the hard drive 

Generate random key, encrypted version of the key stored in the disk

Evening Lecture:

Web Seminar

HTTP:

Application layer protocol used to send messages between browsers and web servers. HTTP requests go from the browser to the server. 

Databases / SQL - browser sending an HTTP get request from the server with the username and password as data

Server queries database with “SELECT password FROM users WHERE match”

HTTP Cookies/Sessions

An HTTP cookie is a small piece of data sent in a response from a web server and stored on the user’s computer by the browser

A session cookies is a unique ID generated by the server and sent to the user when they first connect or login

Browser sends it with all HTTP requests

XSS - cross-site scripting is an attack in which an attacker injects data, such as a malicious program

Reflected XSS - occurs when user input is immediately returned by a web application. 

Stored - you enter data which is stored within the application and then returned later

xss.game.appstop.com

SQL injection is a code injection technique in which malicious SQL statements are inserted into an entry field for execution.

Goal behind an SQL query is to gain access

‘ or 1 == 1 --

Blind SQL injections are identical to normal SQL Injection except that when an attacker attempts to exploit an application rather than getting a useful error message

Cross Site Request Forgery:

Attack on an authenticated user i,.e. Already logged in

When you log in to a website it sends you a cookie to your browser to keep you logged in.

Bank attack:

If attacker knows the format of the bank request, they can hide a transfer request inside an img using html

Cross Site Request Forgery Defences:

Primary mitigation is with tokens

Generate a suitably random token, store value server-side

Sent token to user, expect this token back as part of any user requests

In a GET request, this token will be appended to the URL

If a website has XSS vulnerabilities, CSRF mitigations are pointless

Crypto Seminar

Payment Process: Current versus Bitcoin:

Current payment systems require third-party intermediaries that often charge high processing fees

Machine-to-machine payment using the Bitcoin protocol allows for direct payment between individuals, as well as support micropayments -> reduce transaction costs

Crypto:

Built using cryptographic principles i.e. blockchain and hashing

Difficult to fake transactions - too many bits so it isn’t worth

Blockchain:

Method of storing data

A chain of chronologically linked blocks where each block is linked to the previous block

Blocks are unique - no two blocks will have the same hash

Data:

Consists of hundreds of transactions

Put around 2000 transactions in one block

Hashes:

Block’s  hash summarises the data into a combination of letters and numbers

SHA-256 hashing algorithm

If a transaction in the block is changed, the hash is changed

This is important because each block has the hash of the previous block -> need to check against all previous blocks

Tamper evident

When a transaction is mine, it isn’t immediately added but placed in a transaction pool

The miner gathers enough to form a block - called a candidate block

Hash the block header along with a nonce

When we hash we hope the block hash value is below a certain target value

The nonce is a random number brute forced by miners to try and create the correct hash

When nonce is found, it is broadcast and the block is added to the existing chain

Proof of Stake:

Growth of mining pools could eventually lead back to a centralised system

PoW mining uses excessive amounts of electricity

PoS algorithm attributes mining power to proportion of total bitcoins held, rather than computing power

Rewards are transaction fees rather than new cryptocurrency

Types of crypto currencies:

Bitcoin 

Uses the SHA-256 algorithm - very processor intensive and complex requires lots of dedicated hardware

Litecoin

More accessible for normal uses to mine on their CPUs as the algorithm used is less CPU intensive, but more memory intensive

Facebook Libra

Centralised architecture - libra will be managed by the Libra Association, having more control over the blockchain

There is no ‘mining” - to set up a node on Libra, need $10000

Privacy:

Blockchain doesn’t have a strong concept of identity (public, private) key pairing

Doesn’t exempt transaction from tracing

Two main ways:

Relations between address - inferring identity

Interactions between nodes and users

Monero:

Unlinkability -> stealth addresses with view keys

Transaction mixing -> ring signatures

Concealing transaction amounts -> RingCt signatures

Historical flaws:

51% attack: 

Double-spend

Purpose might also be to discredit a crypto instead of money

Credibility decided on the majority

Off-springs created one’s solution for a hash is not added into their own spin-off

Motive might be to discredit the cryptocurrency

Past Attacks:

Usually happened on small networks

Verge 51% attack, on April 2018

Groups of hackers found two main flaws in the system:

Bug which lowered the hashing difficulty for a hashing algo (Scrypt)

Verge allowed 5 different hashing algorithms, and only the difficulty for Scrypt is lowered

Hacked 3 times over 2 weeks

Cryptocurrency exchanges:

Mt.Gox - bitcoin exchange that was launched in 2010. Handled over 70% of all Bitcoin transactions in 2013

Previous owner retained admin level user account when MtGox was sold in 2011

Attacker logged in to the account

Assigned himself a large number of BTC which he sold on the exchange

Price dropped immediately

Obtained private keys of MtGox clients

Created selling orders on these accounts and bought the BTC he stole 

SQL Injection vulnerability was found

MtGox user database began circulating online and included:

Plain text email addresses

Usernames

MD5 Hashed passwords, with some unsalted

Future of Cryptocurrency:

Adoption

Overcoming resistance from:

People

Established finance institutes (eg banks)

Governments (they don’t like that you don’t pay tax by concurrency)

Ease of use

Volatility

Threats

Blockchain its laek

Quantum computers

To the sft that utilises cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency wallet/exchange/

Strong private keys

Symmetric Ciphers

Two sorts of ciphers, symmetric and asymmetric -> regards the keys

If you know the key

For a symmetric: you can decrypt and encrypt

For an asymmetric: you have separate private and public keys to decrypt and encrypt (RSA)

Earthquakes:

How would I cope, how would my business cope? -> ‘gobag’

Home Study - read up about the “block modes” - only need to learn/understand ECB, CBC, CTR

Authentication:

Identifying for who? Computer/human?

Facebook. Police, baggage screening

Authentication and identification - what is the difference?

What decisions?

Computerised authentication system -> needs to make a decision about whether it is you or not

Factors:

Something that you have

Something that you know - i.e a password. Easy way of doing authentication

How do you know that you share the same secret?

Something that you are - Unfakeable 

Two factor authentication:

Something that you have AND something that you know i.e. and password

All of these things seem different, but ultimately they are all just things that you know, and are all secrets

Something that you are can be replicated

Serious problem -> authenticating bombs, missiles etc

Biometrics - not real authentication, collecting another shared secret from a person, and can be bypassed

[catnip-smuggler-radio]

Accountable Science

“And your cut.” Askier reached across the table and snatched up the gil purse in his metal hand like an eagle seizing a rodent.  He examined the size of the purse and side-eyed his employer as he turned and headed for the door. “Next week then.” The miqo’te rumbled in his gravelly voice.  A moment later the former Imperial was out the door and gazing at the desert stretching before him.  The cold, night air felt wonderful on his face after hours inside the sweltering, make-shift mechanic shop his new company had erected for field testing a new series of firearms.  He took a long inhale and flicked his metal tail, reflecting on the truth of his life: no matter where he went or who he worked for, it seemed all anyone wanted him for was his skills in forging weapons of death. Askier pulled out a flask from the tattered, red coat he always seemed to wear and took a long swig as he began the long, lonely walk back to town and his bed.  Out here, in the open landscape, the Garlean felt at ease.  He’d come to loath cities and the people in them. Always a shadow with a dagger waiting to find his back inside the cradles of civilization.  Out here he’d either see the person coming, or have a sniper’s round in his brain before he knew what has happening. The grizzled male took another hard drink and thought.  Mostly he reflected on the women he’d been close to over his life and his remarkable ability to sabotage his relationships with them.  It was almost artistic really and he chuckled as he recalled Delial’s words about him and her doomed to be alone.   “You always are insufferably accurate.” The middle-aged male chuckled darkly at the memory, crunching some gravel under his booted heel.  His path now moved into a short, narrow crevasse that split a rising crest in two.  Not far to go now.   Askier maneuvered the space with ease and had just come to the other side when he drew up and blinked.  Maybe a mile away at most shown the distant lights of a small town where his bed awaited him.  However, between himself and the hamlet was standing a figure dressed in a knee length brown duster and wearing a large, wide-brimmed hat.  Beneath the cover, a pair of dull, yellow eyes gleamed at him as the desert land reflected the bright rays of the full moon.  The figure shifted his head and Askier could see the left half of the figure’s jaw was held together with metal plates and screws that gave their visage a sinister complexion.  The stranger’s pixie nose wiggled as it sniffed.  A moment later Askier recognized the face, though it had been more whole and less damaged last he’d seen it.

“Jorrus oen Ursus.” Askier said flatly, pausing to take a drink from a third flask.  The man opposite Askier nodded. “Askier quo Mergrey.” Jorrus replied, his voice pleasant but reserved.   “It’s been awhile.” Askier’s eyes moved down Jorrus’ body to see the firearm resting lightly in his hands in front of his waist.  It looked to be some sort of over-and-under barrel shotgun with an axe-head mounted like a bayonet beneath its barrel.  The weapon’s stock designed and modified handle made it appear as if it could be used as an axe as well as a firearm with ease and Askier knew then this wasn’t a chance meeting. “Looking for me?” Askier inquired as he switched to the Garlean tongue.   “Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”  Jorrus replied quickly, his voice even more silky in his native tongue.  “You look like hell.” Askier grunted at that and shrugged. “Fuck you want Jorrus?  You want to kill me, just say so and don’t waste my damn time.” The miqo’te slipped his right hand beneath his coat and wrapped it around the grip of his revolver-sized gunblade. Jorrus blinked as a scoff escaped his lips. “Few years among these people and you start acting like a proper barbarian apparently.”  Jorrus ran his tongue over his teeth as he met Askier’s gaze. “The Oreinsang codes.”  Jorrus spoke after a moment of silence.  “I want them.” Askier snorted and made a dismissive gagging noise. “The codes?  You think I have the codes?  Hello, Jorrus, the project was a fucking failure case you forgot.  And furthermore, the fuck would I, after all this time, even have those activation codes? I-“ “It’s finished, Askier.”  Jorrus interjected, his voice flat and calm as hints of his rot-green hair danced on the back of his head in a sudden breeze.  “We finished it.” Askier paused and gave his former apprentice a genuine look of surprise. “Impossible.” Askier stammered.  “We determined it couldn’t be done.  That it-“ “Our calculations were off.” Jorrus explained. “Once I realized the error in our formulas, it fell into place.  The initial tests and hardware changes worked.  Only problem is…your algorithms and codes to operate the actual interfaces are…melded into the system.  We can’t change it without wiping the processors and you never shared how you’d programmed it.” Askier shook his head and tried to recover. To realize the most complex system he had ever designed, on nothing more than a theory, was actually usable… Usable. That gave him pause.  Askier had been getting cold feet on the project even before his desertion. But now that he was basically an Eorzean and knowing he would be on the receiving end of his creation… “Jorrus, you really are a wonder.” Askier shook his head.  “A wonder in stupidity.  You honestly think I had time to grab those codes when I deserted? Grow up.  They were fried when I burned my house down. And good thing too.  The Oreinsang?  It’s best left in the land of dreams where I drew it from.” Jorrus took a hard look at his former teacher and shifted his jaw, grinding his teeth.  The sound of metal on bone within his mouth did not go missed by Askier’s metal ears. “Well.” Jorrus flicked the safety of his weapon off with his thumb.  In reply Askier pulled his gunblade free with one hand and a grenade with his other. Jorrus shouldered his shotgun as he leveled it at Askier’s chest and ran a black tongue over his lips.  “Even if it’s just the satisfaction of having killed you, least I’m not leaving empty handed.” “I taught you better than this.” Askier snorted. Jorrus nodded.   “You did, which is why your little family is going to be having a visit from associates of mine.  Should be there right now.” Askier narrowed his eyes. “You son of a-“ “The codes, Askier.” Jorrus said, his voice almost sweet.  “Codes for their lives…and your own.” “The Empire gotten so weak you need to threaten old men and children?” Askier spat. Jorrus grunted. “The Empire is bleeding Askier.  In part thanks to you and your ilk.  But with Oriensang? All that changes course.  I’d burn every orphanage on this festering continent to the ground to get those codes and shore up the Empire’s might. And if I’m willing to do that…you think I care about you or your little family?  Glory to the Empire, forever may it endure.” Askier took a long, heavy breath.  His mind raced.  Jorrus couldn’t have the codes.  Not now, not ever.  Askier cursed himself for not destroying the data stick he’d written them on but his pride had damned him. He was too proud of all the coding and its complexity.  He’d hidden it away to look at from time to time. And now that was jeopardizing everything.  He never figured the Oriensang would work on a physical level.  But now, because of Jorrus, it was primed. Hope you still a good shot as ever Naha if company comes round for the tykes. Askier pulled the trigger and his firearm erupted as he gave Jorrus his answer.  Jorrus replied in kind and the entire desert flashed as teacher and apprentice debated the concepts of accountable science with extreme violence.

[timelessmulder]

also here’s a prompt i did for @aerialbots that i was sent tlike... some time ago but only finished Last Night

it’s ooc and takes place in the functionist unverse and is prowlantulas In A Healthy Way and that’s fine

Mesothulas’ lab was well hidden, one of the last few around places not riddled with surveillance cameras, and so Prowl took precaution when going to visit. Every time it got a little harder to evade detection or suspicion, as the planet became more and more authoritarian, but he always managed to make the trip without error. But each time, something in the back of his mind reminded him of the increasing probability of them being caught; it was becoming difficult to ignore it in favor of his dislike for the council. Not to mention the small thrill Mesothulas sent through his spark. Prowl always reminded himself that their relationship was one of practicality: he was a great ally against the Functionists and his acts of rebellion, though he never would call them that himself, were vital.

Due to the scientist’s rejection of his function, he didn’t stray from his lab much (not out of fear, he’d once clarified, but because he needed to be free to continue on his projects), so on occasion Prowl smuggled the parts he needed. Against his better judgement, of course. But more often than not, he just brought ample supplies of energon so Mesothulas didn’t starve to death.

Sometimes he even brought special treats, because the two of them sat at the awkward intersection of “colleague” and “friend” and “Something More.” He'd never been that great with people - the nuance of interaction alluded him, unlike the certainty of figures - that's why his relationship with Tumbler had ended, but Mesothulas had yet to mind his lack of social grace. Probably due to his own lack of social grace.

Prowl punched in the entry code to the lab, and slipped inside. The door led to a set of stairs that went down, deep underground, where Mesothulas made his home and conducted his experiments. As he descended, he tried to mentally prepare himself, even though he knew it was hopeless.

At the foot of the stairs was a sensory nightmare, that Prowl had to resist the urge to shutter his optics against. Lights from half finished machines flashed and there was a constant stream of noise from everything working through rusted, neglected parts that had been abandoned for the trash. He focused instead on some point on the wall, one of the few bare spots in the whole room, but even then he could see machinations out of the corners of his eye and could feel pressure begin to build in his processor.

He did not call out to announce his presence, as he knew Mesothulas kept a close watch on his entryway. He knew he was there, and was likely finishing up some project before going to greet him. So he stood, waiting.

“Prowl!” Just under a minute. Prowl almost smirked. He turned to watch Mesothulas appear out of a background. Not for the first time he wondered how often Mesothulas transformed; in their years of working together, Prowl had only seen him use it a handful of times. And that was before he rejected his function and stopped being a police officer.

Mesothulas clapped his hands in delight, his eyes glowing with happiness at his company, then gestured for Prowl to follow him into a different backroom. Prowl complied, pleased to move elsewhere. Mesothulas led him to what had become his bedroom: it was bare, but it was enough for him. And Prowl always appreciated the quiet space.

“Here,” Prowl said, tossing Mesothulas a canister of energon he’d retrieved from his subspace. “I brought this for you.”

Mesothulas caught it, and took a seat on his berth. He watched Prowl as he unscrewed the lid, almost as if he were expecting him to sit down as well. But as usual, Prowl remained standing.

“How are you projects going?” Prowl asked, after a moment of watching Mesothulas drink.

“And here I thought you were just here to talk to me,” Mesothulas said, his mouthplate slamming back into place. His tone indicated he wasn’t being serious; their visits rarely were strictly of that nature, even if they usually did switch from professional to casual. He pushed himself to his feet, and shook the canister, listening to the energon that remained slosh around inside. “They’re going slower than I’d like but it’s not as if my materials are up to standard.” There wasn’t a hint of malice or accusation in this voice, just a statement of fact.

Pressuring Prowl to find better materials would get neither of them anywhere, and would only put Mesothulas’ projects in even more danger of being discovered.

Mesothulas stalked up to Prowl as if he was going to pass by him and stopped, so they stood close together, shoulders almost touching. His voice dropped low, and a giddy note crept into his tone. "However my best project," he said, "is coming along nicely."

Prowl could hear the beginning of a laugh, and while he enjoyed Mesothulas' company, he could never bring himself to be comfortable with that laugh. But he repressed a shudder, and instead snapped his focus on the words just spoken. His best project, his magnum opus. His ultimate insult to the Functionists and the image of Primus they so carefully cultivated. Ostaros - or, as Prowl insisted on calling him ("Ostaros is ridiculous," he'd said once, "I'm not using that"), Springer.

A Cybertronian, spark and all, built by loving hands away from prying eyes that would like nothing more than to tear him apart, piece by piece. None could be created by anyone other than Primus, as they had claimed many a time (Prowl felt a slight prickling along his circuits, as he recalled all the instances such rhetoric had been used against him and his.

"Is he?" Prowl asked, and couldn't help the slight smile that crawled onto his face. It was humorless, this he was well aware of, but he didn't really do genuine displays of affection that often. The smile soon faded, regardless of is emotional intent or appearance. "May I see him?" There was an attempt to sound something in the realm of affectionate, but he wasn't so sure if he managed to hit the mark.

Mesothulas did not seem to mind the potential read of mocking in Prowl's mannerism, whether real or imagined, and waved his hands in a dramatic show of a shrug as he stepped away. "Maybe later. He's resting." Another wave of his hand. "You know how it is with those who are new."

Prowl frowned. "I don't, actually." Mesothulas, for all his intelligence, seemed to forget at times that Prowl was not Forged. And those Constructed Cold had different experiences to those Forged.

Though here was a part of him that wondered if what Mesothulas meant was a Forged thing, or rather a compounding of his own mannerisms with this Being that he had created from odds and ends and, ultimately, stolen pieces of equipment from various places. Bought on black markets. An illegal person, in more ways than one. Prowl was still a little shocked at how little he cared.

"Still," Mesothulas said. "You could stick around here until you can see him, if you'd like."

He took Prowl's hand in his; a rare act of intimacy. Prowl frowned, just slightly, as he once more tried to grapple with what exactly they had. Once more, Mesothulas ignored it. Their hands shifted, rather unconsciously, so that their fingers interlocked. The pressure of the sensation was not exactly unwelcome. Prowl opened his mouth, about to admit to a desire of sticking around, to spend time outside of the Functionist's world, and to see progress on Springer. But fate had other plans, as it was wont to do, and he received a message on his HUD. Though he couldn't be tracked in Mesothulas' lab, things were arranged so that he may still receive calls and the like from work. Anything else would raise suspicion.

"And," he said, running through the message. A work call. Of course. "The mood is ruined."

Even with his lack of social awareness, Prowl could see the disappointment radiating off Mesothulas. It was even present as he spoke, though there was an obvious attempt to keep it out, "What do they want this time?"

"Usual."

There was a slight tilt to Mesothulas' head. Something calculating in his gaze. "And what are you going to do?"

Prowl hated being an agent of the Functionists. He did, and he grew to hate it more with each passing day. But there was only so much he could do, at the time being. "I don't know. I'll..." The rare uncertain pause. "I don't know, I don't think I can keep subverting them much more, without them noticing."

Mesothulas hummed. "Be careful," was all he said.

They parted for the night.

[inputgarlic92]

Take a View at the State of the Art iPhones

Customers probably concur with me that iPhone X layout was one of the very best, and that is precisely why Apple chose to keep the exact same look for their next pair of personal cell phones. Introduced a year ago, it is the very first Apple smart phone to remove the main button. In the other, I held its brand-new successor, the iPhone Xs. My eyes squeezed closed, and I passed them back and forth between my hands, rolling each phone over, feeling the curves, glass backs, dual lens camera lumps, and radar vents. I realized I could not tell the difference between both phones. This is not a criticism. It is just a fact of S model years, where Apple locks in the iPhone layout and concentrates, instead, on upgrading key internal parts. As such, the biggest changes to this 5.8-inches iPhone Xs and its big brother, the 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max, both of which I tested, could be discovered in performance (thanks to the newest A12 Bionic CPU), photos and videos, (new digital cameras and a new ISP endorsed by the A12), along with functionality (iOS12, the final version of which came pre-applied on my test components ). The outcome is a pair of brilliant, tasteful, and high-performing gadgets which can please iPhone enthusiasts and receive over a couple of looks in Android cellphones. It has the exact rigid surgical metal frame wrapped into a fresh glass substance that Apple said was formulated to be scratch tolerant and heavy duty. I gave the phones a few half-hearted drops onto a thin-pile rug but was not prepared to let them slide away on concrete. Thus far I have discovered just one very nice scratch on your iPhone Xs Max. So let's consider them scratch-resistant, but still not scratch-proof. The larger iPhone Xs Max shares all of the iPhone X's content and layout attributes, but does this in a 6.2-inch x 3.05-inch x 0.30-inch body. In 208 g, it's much thicker than the iPhone Xs. The Xs Max is a hair shorter (0.04 inches) and narrower (0.02 inches), but it is also a few grams heavier than the Iphone 8 Plus, the big-screen phone that from a space the Iphone Xs Max most resembles. Button positioning power/sleep, volume controls, ring/silent switch -- will be the exact same. But, there is one minor chassis gap. On the bottom edge of the telephones sits the lightning connector. It is book-ended by a pair of holes that adapt one half of their stereo speaker system and one of the telephone's microphones. There was six holes on both sides. Now the ideal side has six slots, but the left, which just houses a mike, has just three. This little change was done, in part, to adapt the new internal antenna setting that contains 4x4 MIMO and License Assisted Access, which utilizes unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum to deliver 1 Gbps broadband over LTE. Apple updated the water and also dust-resistance rating to IP 68, that contrasts to the handsets surviving in 2 meters of water for as much as half an hour. I didn't get to go swimming together with the Iphone Xs or even Xs Max, but did operate the latter phone under water, juice and milk. Then, as recommended, I dried and shut off the smart phone. I was careful not to plug it into a lighting cable (that is a no-no after a dowsing) but did place it on a wireless charging foundation at which it had no trouble accepting a fee. Apple, incidentally, said it put some work in creating the wireless charging platform (basically the concealed coils within the phone) more forgiving. This is good news, because I've on more than one occasion, awakened to find my iPhone X didn't charge because I placed it a little off-axis on the charging base. I never ran into this issue with either the iPhone Xs or even Xs Max. The Iphone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bodies are rigid and robust-feeling, but torqueable, especially the larger telephone, which really makes a tiny clicking sound when I attempt to twist it. Clearly, I have only had those iPhones for weekly, but based on a calendar year's encounter with the first iPhone X (allowed, largely in a sparse instance ), I consider this design framework tough and prepared for the long haul. Even as Samsung trolls Apple to its black cutout at the top of this Iphone Xs and Xs Max, Apple reveals no clues of moving back in the multi-feature technology, which grew nor slipped in the hottest iPhones. As with the first TrueDepth Module, that one is still packed with the same elements (none of that, so much as I could tell, have been updated). There is a 7 MP camera, dot projector for thickness sensing, infrared camera (thickness sensing), flood illuminator (yes, too for depth-sensing), proximity sensor, ambient light detector, the second half of the stereo speaker program, along with a mic. On the backs of both the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, there is more of the custom made glass, the Apple Logo, the word Iphone (but no"X" or"s"), along with also the 12 MP dual camera system. This vertically-oriented, pill-shaped camera module appears exactly the same as it did to the last iPhone X. It's still a prominent bump, but at least it did not get any bigger. Within the module is new hardware supported by new picture technologies, but more on that later. I have always thought that the 5.8-inch iPhone X an excellent tradeoff between a big-screen phone and hand-friendly ergonomics. The screen is big and immersive, however, the human body is comfortable to hold and pocket. The iPhone Xs Max by contrast can, particularly if you're utilized to holding a smaller phone, feel large. It is not embarrassing to hold, but people with smaller hands will probably struggle with one-handed usage and will most likely wish to turn on Reachability, which having a swipe back on the flat bar moves everything halfway down the screen, which makes it longer reachable. Nonetheless, the trade-off could possibly be well worth it. I forgot how much I like the bigger iPhone screen, and on the iPhone Xs Max, you receive a lot more display without contending with a larger phone (there's just that 0.04-inch height difference between the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone Xs Max). Apple's full-stack control of the Iphone design, development, and manufacturing process pays dividends throughout the gleaming handset. Nonetheless, it's most noticeably from the silicon, which can be created and designed in tandem with the hardware and software elements that will rely on it. This past Year, Apple delivered the A11 Bionic, a powerful portable CPU with built-in Artificial Intelligence Power. The brand new A12 Bionic assembles on this brief legacy having a more strong Neural Engine and much more impressive graphics functionality. Anytime I critique a new iPhone, I begin using Geekbench 4 to check out the raw CPU operation. To ensure there are minimum background processes moving, I usually run the exam before I have set up one program. I conducted the Geekbench CPU routine and (along with understanding that Apple stuffed an additional gig of memory inside the brand new Xs class iPhones) saw the only core scores had improved somewhat between the A11 Bionic along with A12 Bionic. On the other hand, that the multi-core score was strangely lower. Not by a lot, but I had never seen that occur. The numbers were much higher than what I got from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845, however a decrease effect on the new iPhone did not make sense. However, when I reran the Geekbench CPU test per day or so after, the A12 multi-core numbers defeat those of the A11. My guess is that, even though I set up the iPhone Xs and Xs Max as fresh iPhones, there might nevertheless have been a background installation process going on that dragged down the CPU numbers. The bigger leap in functionality is from the Geekbench Compute Metal score, which leapt from 15,145 on the iPhone X into 22,245 about the Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Apple's done a great deal of work to beef up images performance, especially for the raft of ARKit 2 (and Metal 2) software heading into the platform, some of which can support multiplayer gambling. While there aren't a lot of ARKit 2 programs in the app shop, I'd get some hands-on time using an Iphone Xs running Galaga AR, the identical demo Apple showed off throughout the iPhone Xs unveiling. To play with, me and a few other writers stood about a desk and pointed out our phones at the Galaga video arcade game console. Shortly, alien attackers began streaming first from the video game display and then from all around us. I swung the telephone from side-to-side up and up and down to view and then take the incoming assault. It was fast-paced and cool. In the same way, I have seen , together with ARKit two, the phone can place, say, an incredibly realistic virtual pressure stove or sneaker to a real table or in my feet, the illusion divided only once I slid my hand into the frame and, even about the iPhone Xs screen, it looked just like my notes had been stuck beneath the kettle. You can not support these types of real-virtual mixes without ample graphics horsepower, thickness mapping, and the AI needed to identify the way surfaces, shadows, and even reflections will work on virtual items in an actual space. This processing power also helped amp up more ordinary operations such as Face ID. While the process of registering my face was unchanged from the first iPhone X, opening either telephone with my head, as well as using Face ID to access password-protected apps and solutions, is clearly quicker than it had been on the iPhone X. In general, in real-world programs, both iPhone Xs and Xs Max operate smoothly. Apple place tremendous effort into enhancing the picture and video experience to the Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Along with new lenses along with a larger detector, both the cameras (rear and selfie) are all backed with a brand new image signal processor. The specs on the dual cameras have been untouched by the iPhone X (and would be the exact same on both iPhone Xs and Xs Max). There is the 1.8 wide angle lens and the f 2.4 2X telephoto. Both comprise optical image stabilization and may shoot up to 4K video in 60 fps. They still take slow-motion video at up to 240 frames per minute. If you want insane 960 fps super-slo-mo, then you will have to visit Samsung. From the pure-play digital photography race, even however, Apple requires the head. The Smart HDR uses detector, ISP, and neural enhancements to catch some of the greatest high-dynamic range photos I've ever seen. The difference between what was possible on the first iPhone X along with the Xs and Xs Max is stunning. Apple built a system able of capturing two frames every thirtieth of a moment, and instantly assessing and combining them into one image that preserves not only foreground and background detail, but can freeze actions without presenting tremendous grain. In many images, I saw the iPhone Xs and Xs Max find colour and detail in shadowy spaces with out wasting out the brighter locations. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also an outstanding low light shot, however I feel the Xs line is a bit better. I am particularly impressed by how Apple's built upon its own pole position in Portrait Mode digital photography. Apple introduced Portrait Mode back in 2016 with all the iPhone 7 Plus (the applications lagged from the hardware). Since then, Apple's elegant the concept, adding things like Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, and Stage Light Mono. All these features remain, and are somewhat improved. That which I love and also, as an amateur photographer who often plays with f-stops for just the ideal depth of field change, is that the brand new Depth Control. Depth Control enables you to take a Portrait Mode photo and adjust the Bokeh, or depth of field focus, after you shoot the photos. This works with both the front and rear cameras, which means that the image processor is using two distinct sorts of depth information. On the back, it has the advantage of two lenses to become stereoscopic info. The leading camera counts on the depth-sensing components. I am aware of, Samsung's Galaxy Notice 9 provides the capacity to correct background focus while you're taking the image, in addition to after. But, there's an essential difference here that is evident in the iPhone Xs and Xs Max Depth picture editor. It is a slider that lets you adjust smoothly from an electronic f 1.4 aperture into a digital f16. In a real camera with a mechanical aperture, even high amounts interpret to sharper focus in the backdrop and reduced numbers imply the focus depth is much shallower. About the Galaxy Notice 9, Live Focus basically sees the images as two planes: the foreground and background. The slider blurs the background airplane. The Iphone Xs's depth slider relies on all of the depth information to reduce or enhance background attention through all of the airplanes between the front of this subject and the desktop. Combined with the improved Portrait Mode stitching (handling how the subject and a blurred background match together), the subtlety of this effect through the array of virtual f-stops is impressive and, Apple's explained, is modeled by how actual lenses with hardware apertures would influence each image. For most people the smart phone is their camera. This sets a pro-level controller in the hands of millions of individuals, that are about to start taking some genuinely fantastic face pictures. Just after taking regular shots, video, and 4K, I remain surprised with the quality of photos and videos coming from their Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Sure, it is odd that the larger Xs Max does not, as could be tradition, have some improved image capturing attributes, however I doubt anyone is going to be dismayed with the picture quality delivered by either new smartphone. There are a couple of other hardware-related improvements, like the guaranteed dual-sim technologies that enables multiple phone numbers (believe work and individual numbers of one telephone ) through the aid of eSIM technologies. Unlike routine SIMs, you don't need a carrier card solely for the provider to support it and enable it on your cell phone. It's a wonderful feature that, for obvious reasons, I couldn't test. For audio enthusiasts, there's also the newest stereo recording and also wider-stereo playback. This is just a bit hard to check, and that I occasionally worry my ears are not adequate to detect what might be a more nuanced difference. But, I'd find a way. I listed , in landscape style, a few cars traveling by. These start on the left side of this screen and push to the rightside. In movie I recorded with the iPhone Xs, the noise travels from one side of the telephone to the other. Playback on the iPhone X is pretty loud however does not have the identical level of separation audio.

Clearly, movies with a lot of sound engineering aren't only great showcases for the amazing displays, but highlight the new, wider stereo playback abilities as well. As hardware/software partnerships go, you can't do better than the Apple iPhone Xs and iOS 12. I have been operating betas of their new portable OS for months on my iPhone X and found it impressively smooth and stable. On the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, it gets even better partners. In addition to butter-smooth and lighting rapid operation (in games, video, and internet browsing), the augmented reality abilities introduced in iOS 11, ARKit, and the iPhone X are more refined and customizable from iOS 12 along with the Iphone Xs. The smart assistant is a better listener than ever, and getting smarter. Her speech is more conversational and she's requesting follow-up questions. Siri can be more proactive, discovering connections between disparate items such as schedules and locations and offering them in advance. Additionally, there are a variety of third party programs tapping into Siri, letting you use only your voice to get program attributes and data without even opening the app. You are able to install iOS 12 on your old iPhone (down to this Iphone 5s), however not all of attributes, especially those between AR, will work on the older devices. Still, I greatly recommend the upgrade with at least anyone operating an iPhone 7 and up. It is simply a much better, more glossy, proactive, and smart user experience and, to be fair, I've barely scratched the face of all the upgrades and feature enhancements you'll find. Apple asserts 30 minutes more battery life involving the Iphone X and Xs and 90 minutes more with all the Iphone Xs Max. In my experience, both brand new phone will get you through the majority of the afternoon on a single charge. I spent using just the iPhone Xs Max. this article I kept the brightness high and ran all kinds of apps and processes. It lasted just a solid 10 hours. Maybe a bit less than I expected, but still enough for me through the majority of the working day. In all honesty, with less than a week under my belt, it's difficult to offer a complete evaluation of battery life performance. There are many factors and, clearly, battery life is going to be good on brand new phones. Talk to me in 6 months or 1 year, and we're going to see if I'm still happy with battery life. It is not strange that Apple didn't bring down the cost for the brand new $999 Iphone Xs (or hold on the original model and market it at a lower cost ). I'm not even shocked that we finally have an almost $1,100 model or that we're able to pay a whopping $1,449 for the 512 GB Iphone Xs Max (which appears to be the version that I tested). Apple's already demonstrated that individuals will pay virtually anything to get their hands on the newest iPhone. Is $1,000 or more to cover a smart phone? Perhaps, however a lot of us think of the entire cost as opposed to monthly payments? I am, however, a little annoyed that Apple stopped the lightning -to-3.5 millimeter adapter. It is as if, in the past 12 months, we have gotten rid of the Beats and Bose headsets, such as it is a solved problem. Memo to Apple: It is not. What I will say is that these are the iPhones you want. The iPhone Xs does not mess with what I consider a timeless design, and the Xs Max only takes all that is amazing about the iPhone X also enlarges it. As a set, they are equally as beautiful as the original home-button-free Iphone X. The design appears particularly tasteful in a golden finish. Photographers will love the new camera, and also players and content customers will want the big-display iPhone Xs Max. Should you currently own the iPhone X, I still would not update unless you need more realistic augmented reality and also full depth control on your own portraits. For iPhone 6s, 7, 8, and even 8 Plus officers, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will certainly feel as a giant leap to the foreseeable future.

[bagelpyjama19]

Find the New Features of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max

Most people very likely concur with me personally that iPhone X design was one of the very best, and that's exactly why Apple chose to keep the same style for their next set of individualized cell phones. Introduced a year ago, it's the first Apple handset to jettison the single button. In another, I held its brand new successor, the iPhone Xs. My eyes squeezed closed, and I passed them back and forth between my hands, rolling each telephone over, feeling the curves, glass springs, double lens camera lumps, and lightning ports. I realized that I could not tell the difference between the two phones. This isn't a criticism. It is only a fact of S design years, where Apple locks in the iPhone layout and concentrates, rather, on updating key internal components. As such, the biggest changes to the 5.8-inches Iphone Xs and its big brother, the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max, both of which I analyzed, could be seen in performance (thanks to this newest A12 Bionic CPU), photographs and movies, (brand new cameras and a new ISP supported by the A12), along with functionality (iOS12, the final version of which came pre-installed on my evaluation units). The result is a pair of fantastic, elegant, and high-performing gadgets which will please iPhone enthusiasts and receive more than a few glances out of Android cellphones. It still has the same rigid surgical metal frame wrapped in a new glass material which Apple stated was formulated to be more scratch tolerant and durable. I gave the phones a couple half-hearted drops on a thin-pile rug but was not prepared to allow them to slide away . Thus far I've discovered just one very fine scratch on your iPhone Xs Max. So let's think about them scratch-tolerant, but still not scratch-proof. The bigger Iphone Xs Max shares all of the iPhone X's substance and layout features, but does this in a 6.2-inch x 3.05-inch x 0.30-inch entire body. In 208 grams, it's considerably heavier than the iPhone Xs. The Xs Max is really a bit shorter (0.04 inches) and thinner (0.02 inches), however, it's also a couple of grams heavier when compared to the Iphone 8 Plus, the most big-screen cellphone that from a distance that the iPhone Xs Max most looks like. Button positioning power/sleep, quantity controls, ring/silent switch -- are the exact same. However, there's a single minor chassis gap. At the bottom edge of both phones sits the lightning connector. It is book-ended by means of a pair of drilled holes which accommodate one half of their stereo speaker program and among their cellphone's microphones. There used to be half a dozen slots on either side. Now the right side includes six openings, but the left, which just houses a microphone, has only three. This little change was completed, in part, to accommodate the new inner antenna configuration that contains 4x4 MIMO and License Assisted Access, which uses unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum to deliver 1 Gbps broadband over LTE. Apple upgraded the water and also dust-resistance rating to IP 68, which contrasts to the handsets residing in 2 inches of water for as much as half an hour. I didn't get to go swimming with all the iPhone Xs or even Xs Max, but did operate the latter phone under water, juice and milk. Afterward, as recommended, I dried and shut off the cellphone. I had been careful to not plug it into a lighting cable (that is a no-no following a dowsing) but didn't place it onto a wireless charging foundation in which it had no trouble accepting a fee. Apple, by the way, stated it put some effort into creating the wireless charging platform (basically the hidden coils in the telephone ) more forgiving. This is good news, since I have, on more than 1 occasion, woken up to discover that my iPhone X didn't charge because I placed it a small off-axis on the charging base. I have never ran into this issue with the Iphone Xs or even Xs Max. The iPhone Xs and Iphone XS Max bodies are rigid and tough-feeling, but torqueable, particularly the bigger cellphone, which really creates a tiny clicking sound when I try to twist it. Evidently, I've only had these iPhones for weekly, but based on a year's experience with the original iPhone X (granted, largely in a sparse case), I consider this design framework tough and prepared for the long haul. Even as Samsung trolls Apple for its black cutout at the peak of the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, Apple shows no signs of stepping backwards from the multi-option technologies, which neither grew nor slipped in the newest iPhones. As with the original TrueDepth Module, that one is still packaged with the exact components (none of which, as much as I can tell, have been upgraded ). There is a 7 MP camera, scatter projector for thickness sensing, infrared camera (thickness sensing), flood illuminator (yes, also for depth-sensing), proximity detector, ambient light sensor, the second half of the stereo speaker system, and a mic. About the backs of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max, there is more of that custom glass, the Apple Logo, the term iPhone (however no"X" or"therefore"), along with the 12 MP dual camera program. This vertically-oriented, pill-shaped camera module looks exactly the same as it did on the past iPhone X. It's still a notable bulge, but at least it did not get any larger. Within the module is new hardware backed by new image technologies, but more about that later. I've always thought the 5.8-inch iPhone X that an fantastic tradeoff involving a big-screen phone and hand-friendly ergonomics. The display is big and immersive, however, the body is more comfortable to hold pocket. The iPhone Xs Max in comparison can, especially if you're utilised to holding a more compact phone, feel big. It is not embarrassing to hold, however people with smaller hands will probably struggle with one-handed use and will probably wish to turn on Reachability, which with a swipe back on the horizontal bar moves everything halfway down the display, making it more accessible. Nonetheless, the trade-off may be worth it. I forgot how much I enjoy the larger iPhone display, and about the Iphone Xs Max, you get much more screen without contending with a bigger phone (there is only that 0.04-inch height gap between the Iphone 8 Plus along with the iPhone Xs Max). Apple's full-stack control of the iPhone design, development, and production process pays dividends throughout the shiny handset. However, it's most clearly in the silicon, that is developed and designed in conjunction with the hardware and software components that will rely upon it. Last year, Apple released the A11 Bionic, a powerful mobile CPU with built-in Artificial Intelligence Power. The newest A12 Bionic assembles on that short legacy with a more powerful Neural Engine and much more impressive graphics functionality. Every time I examine a new iPhone, I begin by using Geekbench 4 to test out the raw CPU operation. To ensure there are minimal background processes going, I usually conduct the test before I have set up one program. I conducted the Geekbench CPU grade and (together with understanding that Apple stuffed an excess gig of memory inside the new Xs course iPhones) saw that the single core scores had improved marginally between the A11 Bionic and A12 Bionic. However, that the multi-core score was inexplicably lower. Not by a lot, but I had never seen that happen. The amounts were much higher than that which I made from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845, however a lower result on the new Iphone did not make sense. However, once I reran the Geekbench CPU test a day or so later, the A12 multi-core numbers beat people of the A11. My guess is that, even though I set up the Iphone Xs and Xs Max as new iPhones, there might nevertheless have been a background setup process happening that hauled down the CPU numbers.

The larger leap in performance is from the Geekbench Compute Metal score, which leapt from 15,145 over the iPhone X into 22,245 on the Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Apple's done a lot of effort to beef up graphics performance, particularly for the raft of ARKit 2 (and Surface 2) applications heading into the platform, a few of which can support multiplayer gaming. While there are not a lot of ARKit 2 apps in the app shop, I'd get a hands-on time with an iPhone Xs operating Galaga ARthe exact same demo Apple showed off during the Iphone Xs unveiling. To perform, a few other writers stood on a table and pointed our phones in the virtual Galaga video arcade console. Soon, alien enemies began streaming from the video game display and from all around us. I swung the telephone from side-to-side up and up and down to see and then take the arriving strike. It was swift and a lot of fun. Similarly, I've seen how, together with ARKit two, the phone can place, say, an incredibly realistic digital pressure stove or sneaker on a true table or at my feet, the illusion divided only once I slid my hand to the frame and, about the iPhone Xs display, it looked like my digits were stuck under the pot. You can't support these types of real-virtual combinations without ample images horsepower, thickness mapping, along with the AI required to identify the surfaces, shadows, as well as reflections will work on virtual objects in an actual open space. This processing capacity also helped amp up more mundane operations such as Face ID. While the procedure for registering my face was unchanged by the first iPhone X, opening either telephone with my head, as well as using Face ID to access password-protected programs and solutions, is substantially quicker than it had been on the iPhone X. Overall, in real-world applications, both Iphone Xs and Xs Max perform properly. Apple put significant effort into improving the photo and movie experience on the iPhone Xs and Xs Max. Along with brand new lenses along with a bigger detector, the cameras (rear and selfie) are all backed by a new image signal processor. The specifications on the dual cameras have been untouched from the iPhone X (and are the exact same on either the iPhone Xs and Xs Max). There's the 1.8 wide angle lens along with the f 2.4 2X telephoto. Both of those comprise optical image stabilization and may shoot around 4K video in 60 fps. They still shoot slow-motion video in up to 240 frames per minute. If you want mad 960 fps super-slo-mo, you are going to need to visit Samsung. From the pure-play photography race, though, Apple requires the guide. The Smart HDR uses detector, ISP, and neurological enhancements to catch a number of the finest high-dynamic range photos I have ever seen. The gap between what was possible on the first iPhone X along with the Xs and Xs Max is stunning. Apple produced a system capable of capturing 2 frames every thirtieth of a moment, and immediately assessing and combining them into one picture that maintains not only foreground and background detail, but can freeze action without introducing enormous grain. In multiple pictures, I saw that the iPhone Xs and Xs Max find color and detail in shadowy spaces without blowing out the brighter places. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also an outstanding low light shot, but I feel the Xs line is a little better. I am particularly impressed by how Apple's built upon its own pole position in Portrait Mode digital photography. Apple released Portrait Mode back in 2016 with the iPhone 7 Plus (the software lagged behind the hardware). Since then, Apple's elegant the concept, including things like Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, and Stage Light Mono. These features remain, and have been marginally improved. That which I love and, as an amateur photographer who regularly plays with f-stops to get just the ideal depth of field effect, is that the newest Depth Control. Depth Control enables you to take a Portrait Mode photograph and correct the Bokehdepth or depth of field focus, once you shoot the pictures. This works with both front and rear cameras, meaning that the image processor is using two different types of thickness details. On the trunk, it's the advantage of 2 lenses to find stereoscopic details. The leading camera counts on the depth-sensing equipment. I understand, Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 offers the ability to adjust background attention while you're shooting the image, in addition to after. However, there's a crucial difference here that is evident in the iPhone Xs and Xs Max Depth picture editor. It's a slider that allows you adjust smoothly from an electronic f 1.4 aperture into a digital f16. At a true camera with a mechanical aperture, high figures interpret to sharper focus from the backdrop and also reduced numbers mean the focus thickness is a lot shallower. About the Galaxy Note 9, Live Focus basically sees the pictures as two planes: the foreground and background. The slider effectively blurs the background plane. The Iphone Xs's depth slider relies on all the depth advice to decrease or enhance background focus through all of the airplanes between the very front of this subject and the background. Along with the enhanced Portrait Mode stitching (tackling the way the topic and a blurred background match together), the subtlety of the impact through the array of virtual f-stops is remarkable and also, Apple's explained, is modeled on how real lenses using hardware apertures would influence each picture. For most people the smart phone camera is their sole camera. This sets a pro-level command at the hands of huge numbers of individuals, that are just about to begin taking some genuinely fantastic portrait images. Immediately after taking regular photographs, video, and even 4K, I stay surprised with the standard of videos and photos coming out of their Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Sure, it is odd that the bigger Xs Max does not, as could be convention, have any improved picture capturing features, but I doubt anyone is going to be disappointed with the picture quality delivered by either innovative cell phone. There are a few other equipment-related enhancements, like the guaranteed dual-sim technology which permits multiple phone numbers (believe work and individual numbers of one phone) through the aid of eSIM technology. Unlike ordinary SIMs, you do not require a carrier card only for the provider to confirm it and empower it on your mobile phone. It's a great characteristic which, for evident reasons, I couldn't test. For sound fanatics, there's also the new stereo recording and wider-stereo playback. This is somewhat tough to test, and I sometimes worry my ears are not good enough to detect what might be a more nuanced difference. But, I'd find a way. I recorded, in landscape mode, some cars driving by. These start on the left side of the screen and push to the right. In movie I recorded using all the iPhone Xs, the sound travels from 1 side of the phone to another. Playback about the iPhone X is pretty loud but lacks the identical amount of separation sound. Apparently, videos with a great deal of sound technology aren't only great showcases for the awesome displays, but highlight the brand new, wider stereo playback abilities also. As hardware/software marriages go, you can not do better than the Apple iPhone Xs and iOS 12. I've been operating betas of the new mobile OS for months in my iPhone X and found it incredibly smooth and stable. On the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, it becomes even better partners. Along with butter-smooth and light rapid operation (in games, video, and internet browsing), the enhanced reality skills announced into iOS 11, ARKit, and the iPhone X tend to be far more refined and custom-made from iOS 12 and also the Iphone Xs. The intelligent assistant is a much better listener than ever, and getting smarter. Her speech is more conversational and she's asking follow-up queries. Siri can be more hands-on, putting connections between benign items like schedules and locations and presenting them in advance. Additionally, there are a lot of third-party programs tapping into Siri, allowing you to use only your voice to access app attributes and information without even launching the app. You are able to install iOS 12 on your older Iphone (down into this iPhone 5s), but not all of features, especially those between AR, will work on the old devices. Still, I clearly recommend the upgrade with anyone conducting an iPhone 7 and up. It is simply a much better, more polished, educated, and intelligent user experience and, to be fair, I've hardly scratched the surface of all of the upgrades and feature enhancements you'll find. Apple claims 30 minutes more battery life involving the iPhone X and Xs and 90 minutes more with all the iPhone Xs Max. In my experience, either new mobile might get you through most of the day on a single charge. I spent using only the iPhone Xs Max. I kept the brightness high and conducted all kinds of apps and procedures. It lasted quite a strong 10 hours. Perhaps just a little bit less than I anticipated, but still enough for me through most of the day. Seriously, with under a week under my belt, it is difficult to provide a complete evaluation of battery performance. There are so many factors and, of course, battery life will be great on new phones. Speak to me in six months or a full year, and we are going to see if I am still happy with battery life. It is not strange that Apple did not lower the price for the brand new $999 Iphone Xs (or even hold on the initial version and sell it at a lower price). I'm not shocked that we now have an almost $1,100 model or that we're able to cover a whopping $1,449 for the 512 GB iPhone Xs Max (which happens to be the model I tested). Apple's already proven that individuals will pay virtually anything to get their hands on the most current iPhone. Is $1,000 or more to pay for a cell phone? Maybe, but how a lot of us think of the complete price rather than monthly payments? I am, though, a little annoyed that Apple discontinued the lightning -to-3.5 mm adapter. It is like in the previous 12 months, we've all gotten rid of our audio and Bose cans, such as it is a solved issue. Memo to Apple: It is not. What I could say is that all these are the iPhones you desire. The Iphone Xs does not mess with that which I consider a classic layout, and the Xs Max only takes all that is amazing about the iPhone X also expands it. As a pair, they're equally as amazing as the first home-button-free Iphone X. The design looks especially fashionable in a golden finish. Photographers will love the new camera, and gamers and content customers will desire the big-screen iPhone Xs Max. Even if you have the iPhone X, I wouldn't update unless you need more authentic augmented existence and also complete depth control on your own portraits. To get iPhone 6s, 8, 7, and even 8 Plus officers, that the iPhone Xs and Xs Max is going to feel as a enormous leap into the foreseeable future.

[josephlrushing]

The New Nest WiFi from Google Is WiFi for the 2019 Smart Home

A little over a year ago, I went looking for a new router for our home. I tried a few and was disappointed. I eventually settled on a system Perry recommended. It’s okay, but I’ve spent the last few days checking out the brand new Nest WiFi from Google, and I’m impressed.

Three years ago, Google launched its first WiFi system. Three years later, it is still the number one mesh system on the market. Part of the reason for that is the regular updates that enhance features and keep the system’s security able to address new threats. The goal was, as the team begins the system explain during an interview last week, to provide great WiFi that’s easy to set up and even easier to use. So what, the team wondered, could they do next?

That ultimately led to the Nest WiFi that is available today.

Google is selling the Nest WiFi Sistem in a variety of different configurations. I was sent a “two-pack.” It includes a Nest WiFi router and a Nest WiFi Point. More in that in a moment.

According to the team behind the new Nest WiFi, the combination of one router and one WiFi point should cover up to 3800 square feet. The router creates the network while the WiFi Point (or Points) works with it to create a mesh network that blankets your home or office with fast WiFi.

As they explain:

A traditional, single router has relatively limited coverage. It becomes spotty the farther away you are. Extenders can add a bit more range, but they degrade performance. Nest Wifi is a scalable system that gives both whole-home coverage and a consistently strong signal.

The router that comes as part of the new Nest WiFi looks simple but packs some serious tech chops inside. A rounded cylinder, there is no antenna to be seen. Routers of the past looked like a spider whose legs were directed upward. The new Nest WiFi looks like a humongous egg laid by one of those spiders. The soft-touch material doesn’t call attention to itself, and it is available in a number of colors. A Google “G” is subtly embossed on top. It is small enough that most people won’t notice it.

Underneath the router, there is a port for the included AC power, one Ethernet port for connecting to a modem (the router wirelessly spreads out the internet signal but it still needs to receive a signal from a modem), and a port for connecting to other devices.

A channel at the back allows the router to sit flush even as the cables extend behind it. finally, when the router is plugged in a small LED illuminates. It is bright enough to let you know the router has power but not so large or bright at to be disrupted. Taking all of this together means the Nest Router can fit into pretty much any decor without impacting the aesthetics.

The design of the router isn’t just about making something that looks cool. It is also about making something that doesn’t scream to be hidden in a closet or behind a cabinet door. Those spider-like routers were so hideous that many of us, myself included, often did out best to get them out of sight. Unfortunately, that’s the worst place for a router as it cuts down on the signal range and strength. Ideally, a router should be out and fully exposed. That, of course, lets the signal mode as freely as possible. In order to do that, however, you need something that is aesthetically pleasing or, at the least aesthetically neutral. That’s exactly what the Nest WiFi router is.

That design, however, comes at a cost. The one outgoing Ethernet port isn’t nearly enough for many homes. I asked the team about this decision, and they told me their research showed only five percent of users actually need and use multiple ethernet ports on WiFi routers. The solution, of course, is to get an inexpensive Ethernet Network Switch. That’s exactly what I did, and it works just fine for everything from my Sonos audio system to my Hue Hub.

The Nest WiFi router may look simple but it’s packed with updated tech. Compared to the Google WiFi router it replaces, the Nest WiFi router has an updated antenna, a fast quad-core processor running at 1.4GHz, double the RAM and updated Bluetooth that eliminates the need for a peerage hub when connecting many smartphone devices. So while the Nest WiFi router looks simple it is best described as a “WiFi wolf in sheep’s clothing.” (And a speedy WiFi wolf at that!)

As I mentioned, I was sent a two-pack of the new Nest WiFi system. It retails for $269. A three-pack of one router and two WiFi Points is also available for $349. The WiFi points create the mesh network that blankets your home in WiFi. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Setting up the router was simple. In fact, it was the simplest WiFi setup I have ever done. I unplugged my old router, plugged in the Google Nest WiFi router and launched the Google Home app on my phone. I tapped on “Add Device” and the app walked me through the process step by step. In my case, I keep the same network name and password so, once the setup was completed and I had plugged my Ethernet network switch into the free Ethernet port on the router, all my devices were back online.

After the router was set up, the app asked if I wanted to add ant WiFi points. I indicated that I did and, once again, the app walked me through the setup process in a step-by-step manner that even the most tech-averse person would appreciate.

Once the WiFi point was added to the network, the app ran a test to check its “mesh-iness.” After a few seconds, it indicated that the mesh network was up and running. I then asked the app to run a speed test. After about a minute it told me I had “blazing fast” speeds.

The router offers some neat features, chief among those features is the Guest Network. Sure, guest networks are standard these days, but the implementation here is neat. From the app, you can turn on the guest network. You can then select which devices that are currently on the man network can be accessed by someone using the guest network. Right there is a level of control that should impress. In addition, logging onto a Guest Network can be a pain if the password is long and complex.

If you have a Nest Hub display device like the Google Nest Hub Max I am currently reviewing, logging on to the Guest Network is as simple as swiping down from the top of the screen, tapping the WiFi icon (they call it a coin) and pointing the camera on the phone or tablet seeking WiFi at the QR code that appears. Within seconds the device will be authenticated and online.

The implementation of “Family WiFi” is another nice feature. It lets users set up a series of groups and then control the access of those groups. For example, one could set up a group called “kids” and have their offspring access the internet through that group. That group, however, may be limited to “safe search” and can be set to turn on or off at specific times of the day. That way, for example, WiFi may be available for the group during the homework hours of 6-9 pm but turn off at 9:01. It is a great way to give adults control over their kids’ internet usage. It could also be used to make sure there is no internet usage during meals or other family times.

Other Features Include:

Stream with speed: One Nest Wifi router with one Wifi point is strong enough to handle up to 200 connected devices, and it’s fast enough to stream multiple 4K videos at a time.

Connects: Connects you to the fastest WiFi point and keeps buffering at bay from room to room.

Updates: Regular software updates improve your WiFi performance over time.

Optimizes: Puts your network on the clearest channel and fastest band to avoid congestion.

Coverage: Router covers upo to 2200 square feet while WiFi point adds up to 1600 additional coverage

Expandable 802.11s mesh WiFi: Scalable and flexible; add routers or points any time

Multiple connections: Each router and point can each handle up to 100 connected devices and can handle multiple simultaneous 4K video streams a with ease

WPA3 encryption: Automatic secutirty updates ad a trusted platform module

Thus far, I have discussed the Nest WiFi Points as key to establishing a mesh network. It is all of that, but with the new Nest WiFi system, the WiFi point is also a smart assistant. Unlike the router which has a solid top, the WiFi point (from here simple referee to as WiFiP) has four microphone holes on top and a hidden speaker grill on the bottom. The holes are, of course, for the Far-field microphones needed when using the Google Assistant.

If you tap the top two hidden LED illuminate indicating where the volume up and volume down buttons are.

When you say, “Hey Google” a light at the bottom of the WiFiP lights up to indicate the device is listening. From there it is essentially a Google Home Mini. You can ask it questions, use it to control your smart home devices or ask it to play music. The speaker puts out 360-degree sound thanks to a 40 mm driver and has Bluetooth 5.0. The sound from the speaker isn’t going to win any audiophile awards, but it is more than passable.

I asked the design team why they added Google Assistant to the WiFiP but not the router. They explained that, in their research, the router isn’t usually kept in a high traffic area; ours is, but that is just us.) In addition, adding the theology to turn the router into a Google Assistant would have required a far larger unit even as they were trying to keep things as small and understated as possible.

I played around with various locations for the WiFiP and discovered the guest room was the best location for covering the upstairs with WiFi. It also puts a Google Assistant in that room. I have the Google Nest Hub Max in the kitchen and a Google Nest Mini in the bedroom, so my entire upstairs is now Google Assistant-powered.

With the router and WiFiP set up, I get coverage in my entire house. Downstairs in my office, however, I see a bit of degradation in the signal: I expect I’ll pick up an additional WiFiP. That, in turn, will not only give me amazing WiFi downstairs, but it will also put Google Assistant there as well. It’s pretty cool.

Finally, it is worth noting that Google made the new system backward compatible. That’s good news if you already have a Google WiFi system at home. And last but not least, it is worth noting that Google used sustainable materials in their manufacturing. The external enclosure of both router and the WiFiP s made from at least 40% post-consumer recycled plastic.

I was happy with my previous WiF system. It worked and seemed to be quite stable. Thanks to the easy setup, expandability, powerful account controls and the addition of Google Assistant to the WiFiPs, this new Google Nest WiFi system has replaced it. I’m a fan, and I can see Google’s voice services slowly making their way into my home. That’s a good thing. Check out the new Nest WiFi from Google here.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Easy Set up Strong WiFi signal; Expandable; WiFi Points extend the range and have Google Assistant and a speaker built-in; Clean, simple design doesn’t need to be hidden

What Needs Improvement: Pricey but in the range of other premium mesh network systems

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2019/11/04/nest-wifi-google-smart-router/

[timclymer]

Journals, Journals, Journals

Sharing the personal benefits experienced from keeping a journal or diary is a wonderful way to see how someone else has used the power of journaling. Reading about someone’s journaling experience reveals what journaling has meant to them. What it has provided. What they have learned about themselves or the world that surrounds them.

My mom started keeping a journal in her eighties. After two years of journaling she announced she was done. As she handed me her journal, giving it to me, she asked me to read a few pages to her. I smiled to myself as I read what she had written. She had journaled what she wore that day, what she ate and what she won at bingo. That was so much like my mom. She had journaled what was important to her.

Your journal is the place where you express and record what is important to you. Many people have told me about their journals. Here are a few ideas of what was important to them to journal:

One man uses journaling to control his physical pain.

A woman who wants to be a comedian writes a joke a day.

A friend tracks every penny he spends.

A pregnant mom wrote to her baby everyday starting in her womb.

I have heard from abused women who journaled their way out of the abuse.

Some write letters, poetry, or on a calendar.

Others keep a prayer, dream, purpose or intention journal.

Many track and record what happened that day.

I asked subscribers to my column, About Journaling, if they would share what journaling has meant to them. Here is what they said:

“Greetings Doreene, Thank you for inviting me to share my journaling experience. First of all, journaling to me has been one of those things I admire about other people who seem to naturally have a pension for doing it. I felt out of sync with the whole process, I’ve stared many journals and after just a few days of struggling about what to write about, the entries would slowly fall off, until nothing. I think I had thrown the towel in the ring, so to speak, I had given up; until at an intensive workshop back in December 2005 I was given the directive to each night, write down five (5) successes from my day. I immediately knew I could do this. I am proud to report I have consistently written in my journal each night since the second week in December.

The mere fact that I’m focusing daily on, “what are my successes,” has subtlety changed my perspective. I am finding myself getting very comfortable about my progress, big and small, it makes no difference- I like the feeling- and my experiences look so much brighter to me in the moment as they are happening. I look to see success in everything and from everyone, it’s becoming contagious. Thanks for this opportunity! Reflective” M.

“I did not keep a journal until I was over around thirty years old. I started keeping a journal because I went back to school, one of the classes I took was a writing class and the instructor required we keep a hand written journal. I started the journal and found that it helped my creativity, I did not encounter writers’ block as much while I keep a journal. Since beginning my journal I have found that, both my knowledge of self has increased and my writing has changed. Most of the time I use my pen and paper journal for ideas, rather than anything else, when I write anything else I use a computer and word processor program. In addition, I have now expanded my journaling to a writing blog.” N.F.D.

“I received The 5 Year Journal as a Xmas present. I start each day’s entries with Aura-Soma – Discovery Through Colour Tarot cards pulled that day and any significant messages and/or events from the day. The format helps me to simplify and get to the essence of the day. Thank you for this book.” M.

“I have just started a computerized journal. I found that writing everything down not only took more time, but it got to be a hassle in trying to keep all the different journals organized. About 2 weeks ago, i found a free download for a computerized diary. It’s pretty decent…enough so, that I’ve decided to switch everything over to that. It allows you to record multiple journals so i have one for daily thoughts (i keep my gratitude, moods, daily thoughts in this one)…i have one that i keep copies of my blogs in….i have one that i record my tarot readings in…i also have one for meditation as far as insight i gained at that moment.” C.

“I have journaled for so many years, because I love to write. In the beginning, I kept a prayer journal, and then I could go back and document how my prayers had been answered. Then our family went through some very painful times with our children as they grew up. By then I was filling page after page with our happenings, our joys and triumphs and lots of pages of pain. Sometimes it was like having the emotional pain flow out of me, through my pen, and onto my paper, giving me needed relief and an outlet. This was good for my husband too, as he was experiencing similar pain to mine. If I had expressed all this grief and sadness and disappointment to him, it may have helped me, but it would have made him carry my burden as well as his own. The journals were perfect outlets for me. Eventually, things leveled off somewhat, but I kept journaling, and they sort of became personal and family archive material, some of bad, most of it good.

When I retired, my co-workers gave be a beautiful, leather bound 5 year journal. I loved it! Then a loved one in my family had very hard times again, and again we found ourselves in emotional turmoil. That journal contained my every thought and feeling for about 4 years. Then one day while visiting my daughter out west, I put some books on top of the car in order to free up my hands to get the car keys from my pocketbook, and you guessed it! We drove merrily away, until I remembered the books half way to our destination. Horror! We scurried back to my daughter’s neighborhood, canvassed every home, looked in every ditch and behind every bush on the highway, including a long patch of freeway (on foot) and never, never did find that journal. Someone must have picked it up and had an interesting read. I thoroughly expect to read a book someday or watch a movie on TV reminiscent of “Portia Faces Life,” and know beyond a doubt I am hearing some of that good/bad stuff from my journal. I am sure to an outsider reading it, it must have been very much like a soap opera and they must have thought the writer was a drama queen, because remember, you don’t have to hold back when you are just writing for yourself. Your can let yourself have a real catharsis, in writing.

The worse part of the loss was the sense of having 4 years of my life snatched away. Did I mention I have a very poor memory? Eventually I came to the knowledge that a lot of what I had written was something I would rather forget. Life had become more manageable. Our lives had been re-established with lots more blessings than problems. So, who needs to keep bad memories? Not me. I actually felt, finally, that it was much healthier to let it all go.

The other realization was that I definitely wanted another 5 year journal. It is so enjoyable to write the day’s entry and see what we did one, two, three years hence. I went to the Internet, entering “5 Year Journal” in my search engine, and there you were! The rest is history. I take good care of my journal I ordered from you and I never, never take it on trips. I enter data in another notebook, and transfer it when we return home. For the most part, this is a happy journal, and I have enjoyed it. Thank you for designing it, making it available at an affordable price, and even for giving encouragement and ideas for the journaling process.” S.M.

“Hi Doreene, I have never considered myself a really strong person, until I reread my journal. Six years ago, our 35yr old son had been divorced a year and was homeless “somewhere” in Vegas. I journaled (in Doreene’s journal) about who I contacted and the progress made, if any. Because we were able to find our son and get help, he has recovered and moved close to his family.

He graduated from Nevada Community College with honors and is tutoring others (on the computer) that have been affected by mental illness . I have relived the tears ,the heartache and despair I felt for our son who was diagnosed with mental illness. The pain of it all, the stigma! Now, I am an advocate for mental illness and share what I have learned. I have Doreene’s Journal and just discovered something about myself. I am strong! I am starting a new journal, “What a vibrant, ambitious 40 year old feels like……. inside the body of an 80 year old!” Thanks, Doreene.” D.

“Doreene, This is my third year using my journal (The 5 Year Journal.) I could not imagine ending my day any other way at this point. My journal has helped me through the best of times and worst of times. I was able to journal through my pregnancy, loss of that pregnancy, and a successful subsequent pregnancy. I find it incredibly valuable to be able to reread where I was at the same calendar time period years before. I can see how far I have grown as a mother, wife, and person when I read my own words and feelings. Thank you for such a wonderful tool for capturing this information.” L.L.

Copyright 2006 OMDC, LLC

Source by Doreene Clement

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/journals-journals-journals/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/188169377785 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[homesolutionsforev]

Journals, Journals, Journals

Sharing the personal benefits experienced from keeping a journal or diary is a wonderful way to see how someone else has used the power of journaling. Reading about someone’s journaling experience reveals what journaling has meant to them. What it has provided. What they have learned about themselves or the world that surrounds them.

My mom started keeping a journal in her eighties. After two years of journaling she announced she was done. As she handed me her journal, giving it to me, she asked me to read a few pages to her. I smiled to myself as I read what she had written. She had journaled what she wore that day, what she ate and what she won at bingo. That was so much like my mom. She had journaled what was important to her.

Your journal is the place where you express and record what is important to you. Many people have told me about their journals. Here are a few ideas of what was important to them to journal:

One man uses journaling to control his physical pain.

A woman who wants to be a comedian writes a joke a day.

A friend tracks every penny he spends.

A pregnant mom wrote to her baby everyday starting in her womb.

I have heard from abused women who journaled their way out of the abuse.

Some write letters, poetry, or on a calendar.

Others keep a prayer, dream, purpose or intention journal.

Many track and record what happened that day.

I asked subscribers to my column, About Journaling, if they would share what journaling has meant to them. Here is what they said:

“Greetings Doreene, Thank you for inviting me to share my journaling experience. First of all, journaling to me has been one of those things I admire about other people who seem to naturally have a pension for doing it. I felt out of sync with the whole process, I’ve stared many journals and after just a few days of struggling about what to write about, the entries would slowly fall off, until nothing. I think I had thrown the towel in the ring, so to speak, I had given up; until at an intensive workshop back in December 2005 I was given the directive to each night, write down five (5) successes from my day. I immediately knew I could do this. I am proud to report I have consistently written in my journal each night since the second week in December.

The mere fact that I’m focusing daily on, “what are my successes,” has subtlety changed my perspective. I am finding myself getting very comfortable about my progress, big and small, it makes no difference- I like the feeling- and my experiences look so much brighter to me in the moment as they are happening. I look to see success in everything and from everyone, it’s becoming contagious. Thanks for this opportunity! Reflective” M.

“I did not keep a journal until I was over around thirty years old. I started keeping a journal because I went back to school, one of the classes I took was a writing class and the instructor required we keep a hand written journal. I started the journal and found that it helped my creativity, I did not encounter writers’ block as much while I keep a journal. Since beginning my journal I have found that, both my knowledge of self has increased and my writing has changed. Most of the time I use my pen and paper journal for ideas, rather than anything else, when I write anything else I use a computer and word processor program. In addition, I have now expanded my journaling to a writing blog.” N.F.D.

“I received The 5 Year Journal as a Xmas present. I start each day’s entries with Aura-Soma – Discovery Through Colour Tarot cards pulled that day and any significant messages and/or events from the day. The format helps me to simplify and get to the essence of the day. Thank you for this book.” M.

“I have just started a computerized journal. I found that writing everything down not only took more time, but it got to be a hassle in trying to keep all the different journals organized. About 2 weeks ago, i found a free download for a computerized diary. It’s pretty decent…enough so, that I’ve decided to switch everything over to that. It allows you to record multiple journals so i have one for daily thoughts (i keep my gratitude, moods, daily thoughts in this one)…i have one that i keep copies of my blogs in….i have one that i record my tarot readings in…i also have one for meditation as far as insight i gained at that moment.” C.

“I have journaled for so many years, because I love to write. In the beginning, I kept a prayer journal, and then I could go back and document how my prayers had been answered. Then our family went through some very painful times with our children as they grew up. By then I was filling page after page with our happenings, our joys and triumphs and lots of pages of pain. Sometimes it was like having the emotional pain flow out of me, through my pen, and onto my paper, giving me needed relief and an outlet. This was good for my husband too, as he was experiencing similar pain to mine. If I had expressed all this grief and sadness and disappointment to him, it may have helped me, but it would have made him carry my burden as well as his own. The journals were perfect outlets for me. Eventually, things leveled off somewhat, but I kept journaling, and they sort of became personal and family archive material, some of bad, most of it good.

When I retired, my co-workers gave be a beautiful, leather bound 5 year journal. I loved it! Then a loved one in my family had very hard times again, and again we found ourselves in emotional turmoil. That journal contained my every thought and feeling for about 4 years. Then one day while visiting my daughter out west, I put some books on top of the car in order to free up my hands to get the car keys from my pocketbook, and you guessed it! We drove merrily away, until I remembered the books half way to our destination. Horror! We scurried back to my daughter’s neighborhood, canvassed every home, looked in every ditch and behind every bush on the highway, including a long patch of freeway (on foot) and never, never did find that journal. Someone must have picked it up and had an interesting read. I thoroughly expect to read a book someday or watch a movie on TV reminiscent of “Portia Faces Life,” and know beyond a doubt I am hearing some of that good/bad stuff from my journal. I am sure to an outsider reading it, it must have been very much like a soap opera and they must have thought the writer was a drama queen, because remember, you don’t have to hold back when you are just writing for yourself. Your can let yourself have a real catharsis, in writing.

The worse part of the loss was the sense of having 4 years of my life snatched away. Did I mention I have a very poor memory? Eventually I came to the knowledge that a lot of what I had written was something I would rather forget. Life had become more manageable. Our lives had been re-established with lots more blessings than problems. So, who needs to keep bad memories? Not me. I actually felt, finally, that it was much healthier to let it all go.

The other realization was that I definitely wanted another 5 year journal. It is so enjoyable to write the day’s entry and see what we did one, two, three years hence. I went to the Internet, entering “5 Year Journal” in my search engine, and there you were! The rest is history. I take good care of my journal I ordered from you and I never, never take it on trips. I enter data in another notebook, and transfer it when we return home. For the most part, this is a happy journal, and I have enjoyed it. Thank you for designing it, making it available at an affordable price, and even for giving encouragement and ideas for the journaling process.” S.M.

“Hi Doreene, I have never considered myself a really strong person, until I reread my journal. Six years ago, our 35yr old son had been divorced a year and was homeless “somewhere” in Vegas. I journaled (in Doreene’s journal) about who I contacted and the progress made, if any. Because we were able to find our son and get help, he has recovered and moved close to his family.

He graduated from Nevada Community College with honors and is tutoring others (on the computer) that have been affected by mental illness . I have relived the tears ,the heartache and despair I felt for our son who was diagnosed with mental illness. The pain of it all, the stigma! Now, I am an advocate for mental illness and share what I have learned. I have Doreene’s Journal and just discovered something about myself. I am strong! I am starting a new journal, “What a vibrant, ambitious 40 year old feels like……. inside the body of an 80 year old!” Thanks, Doreene.” D.

“Doreene, This is my third year using my journal (The 5 Year Journal.) I could not imagine ending my day any other way at this point. My journal has helped me through the best of times and worst of times. I was able to journal through my pregnancy, loss of that pregnancy, and a successful subsequent pregnancy. I find it incredibly valuable to be able to reread where I was at the same calendar time period years before. I can see how far I have grown as a mother, wife, and person when I read my own words and feelings. Thank you for such a wonderful tool for capturing this information.” L.L.

Copyright 2006 OMDC, LLC

Source by Doreene Clement

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/journals-journals-journals/ via Home Solutions on WordPress