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commercialfinancenow · 3 months ago

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Forestry and Logging Industry Use of Commerical Equipment Financing and Working Capital

Forestry and Logging Industry

The forestry and logging industry is fundamental to the global economy, providing essential raw materials for construction, paper production, energy, and other sectors. This industry involves harvesting and transporting timber and, often, initial processing before the wood is sold or refined. Contractors in this industry typically operate in rural and forested tracts, where they must manage various complex challenges, including environmental regulations, fluctuating timber prices, and the seasonal nature of work.

Forestry and logging contractors require substantial financial resources to succeed in this demanding environment. The industry’s capital-intensive nature drives commercial financing and fast working capital, as significant upfront investments are required to purchase and maintain equipment, hire skilled labour, and manage operational costs. This article explores how forestry and logging contractors can use commercial financing and fast working capital to sustain and grow their businesses.

Forestry and logging equipment is essential for harvesting, transporting, and processing wood from forests. Here's an overview of key types of equipment used in the industry:

Felling Equipment

Chainsaws: Handheld machines used for cutting down trees manually. They are versatile but require skill and safety precautions.

Feller Bunchers: Heavy machines that cut and gather multiple trees before placing them on the ground. These are used for more efficient and safe tree felling in large-scale operations.

Harvesters are advanced machines that can cut, de-limb, and buck trees into predetermined lengths in one operation. They are often used in combination with forwarders or skidders.

Landing

Yarders: A specialised machine transports fallen trees from the forest to a central location, typically a landing or log deck, where logs are further processed or loaded onto trucks. Yarders are critical in logging operations with steep and rugged terrain, whereas other methods of moving logs, such as skidders and forwarders, are ineffective.

Skidding and Forwarding Equipment

Skidders: Used to drag cut trees or logs from the forest to a landing area where they can be processed. There are two types of skidders:

Cable Skidders: Use cables to pull logs.

Grapple Skidders: Use grapples to grab and lift logs.

Forwarders: Machines that carry logs off the ground to a landing site. Unlike skidders, forwarders do not drag logs but carry them, which reduces soil damage.

Processing and Loading Equipment

Delimbers: Machines that remove branches from felled trees. They can be attached to harvesters or be standalone units.

Log Loaders: These machines load logs onto trucks or trailers for transport. Some are purpose-built, while others are adapted excavators.

Slashers: These cut logs into specific lengths at the landing site, making them ready for transportation.

Wood Chippers

Chippers: Machines used to reduce tree limbs, branches, and smaller trees into wood chips. These chips can be used for biomass energy, mulch, or pulp.

Mulchers and Slashers

Mulchers are used to clear underbrush and small trees, turning them into mulch. They are important in clearing and site preparation.

Slashers: Used for cutting large logs into smaller, manageable sections for further processing.

Transportation Equipment

Log Trailers and Trucks: Specialized trucks with trailers used to transport logs from the logging site to mills or processing plants.

Forwarding Wagons: Designed to carry logs out of dense forests and move them to access roads or landing areas.

Firewood Processors

Machines designed to cut and split logs into firewood often combine chainsaws and hydraulic splitters in a single process.

Other Accessories

Winches: These are used with skidders or logging trucks to pull heavy logs or equipment up slopes.

Grinders and Stumpers: Machines that grind tree stumps into the ground after logging operations to prepare the site for further use.

These machines have revolutionized forestry by making logging safer, faster, and more efficient while allowing for sustainable practices like selective logging.

The Role of Commercial Financing

Commercial financing is a relief and a lifeline for the forestry and logging industry. It plays a pivotal role in providing the necessary capital for contractors to run their operations effectively. With the industry’s heavy machinery, long payment cycles, and the need to manage liquidity during off-peak seasons, adequate financing is necessary. It allows contractors to confidently meet these demands, reducing the stress and risk to their business’s viability.

Types of Commercial Financing for Forestry and Logging Contractors

Equipment Loans and Leases:

Purpose: Forestry and logging require expensive machinery such as harvesters, skidders, loaders, and trucks. Equipment loans allow contractors to purchase this equipment without paying the total cost upfront, spreading the expense over several years.

Structure: Equipment loans typically cover up to 100% of the equipment’s purchase price, with repayment terms ranging from 3 to 7 years. Leasing is another option, allowing contractors to use the equipment while making regular payments, often with the option to purchase the machinery at the end of the lease term.

Working Capital Loans:

Purpose: These loans provide immediate funds to cover daily operational expenses, such as payroll, fuel, and maintenance. Working capital loans are beneficial when cash flow is tight, such as between large contracts or during off-seasons.

Structure: These loans are usually short-term, with repayment terms ranging from 6 months to 2 years. They can be structured as either a lump sum loan or a line of credit, providing flexibility to draw funds as needed.

Lines of Credit:

Purpose: A line of credit offers contractors flexible access to funds, which can be drawn upon as required and repaid when cash flow improves. This is ideal for managing unexpected expenses or bridging gaps between contract payments.

Structure: Lines of credit are revolving, meaning that as contractors repay borrowed amounts, those funds become available to borrow again. Interest is only charged on the amount borrowed, making this a cost-effective option for managing short-term needs.

Invoice Factoring:

Purpose: Invoice factoring allows contractors to sell their outstanding invoices to a factoring company in exchange for immediate cash. This mainly benefits contractors who face long payment terms but need cash flow to continue operations.

Structure: The factoring company advances a percentage of the invoice value (usually 70-90%) and then collects the payment from the contractor’s customer. Once the customer pays, the factoring company remits the balance to the contractor minus a fee.

Merchant Cash Advances (MCAs):

Purpose: MCAs provide quick access to cash by advancing funds based on future sales or receivables. This type of financing is suitable for contractors who may not qualify for traditional loans due to credit issues or who need immediate funds.

Structure: Contractors receive a lump sum and repay it through a percentage of daily sales or receivables. MCAs have higher costs but offer flexibility and fast approval, especially for high-volume yard stores.

Project-Specific Financing:

Purpose: For large-scale projects, such as land clearing or extensive timber harvesting, contractors may need project-specific financing to cover all associated costs, including labour, equipment, and transportation.

Structure: Project financing is typically secured by the future revenue generated by the project. This complex financing arrangement may involve multiple lenders and require detailed financial and operational plans.

The Importance of Working Capital

Working capital, the lifeblood of day-to-day operations, is a fundamental aspect of financial management for forestry and logging contractors. It is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. This capital is not just necessary; it’s essential for covering operating expenses, managing cash flow fluctuations, and ensuring the smooth operation of the business.

Why Working Capital is Critical

Managing Cash Flow Gaps:

Forestry and logging operations often involve long payment cycles, especially with large corporate or government clients. These delays can create significant cash flow gaps, during which contractors must pay wages, fuel costs, and equipment maintenance. Working capital helps bridge these gaps, ensuring the business can continue operating while waiting for payments.

Seasonal Operations:

The forestry and logging industry is highly seasonal, with peak periods during certain times of the year. Even when revenue is low, contractors must ensure sufficient working capital to cover off-season expenses, such as storage fees, equipment maintenance, and salaries.

Unexpected Expenses:

Unexpected expenses are ordinary in the forestry industry, whether due to equipment breakdowns, weather-related disruptions, or regulatory changes. Adequate working capital allows contractors to handle these unforeseen costs without compromising their operations.

Expansion Opportunities:

Having sufficient working capital enables contractors to take advantage of new business opportunities, such as bidding on larger contracts or expanding into new tracts. With adequate funds, contractors may experience these growth opportunities.

Benefits of Commercial Financing and Working Capital

Sustained Operations:

Commercial financing and working capital ensure that forestry and logging contractors can maintain their operations even during periods of low revenue or high expenses. This stability is crucial for long-term success in the industry.

Growth and Expansion:

Access to financing allows contractors to invest in new equipment, hire additional staff, and take on larger projects. This capacity to grow is essential for staying competitive in the forestry and logging industry.

Flexibility:

Contractors can manage their finances according to their business needs with options like lines of credit and working capital loans. This flexibility helps them adapt to changing market conditions and operational challenges.

Risk Management:

By securing financing and maintaining adequate working capital, contractors can better manage the financial risks associated with their business. This includes preparing for unexpected costs, seasonal fluctuations, and market volatility.

Challenges of Securing Commercial Financing

While commercial financing offers numerous benefits, forestry and logging contractors may face several challenges in securing it:

High-Risk Perception:

Lenders often see the forestry and logging industry as high-risk due to market volatility, environmental regulations, and the physical dangers of logging. This perception can make it more difficult for contractors to secure financing, especially at favourable terms.

Collateral Requirements:

Lenders typically require collateral to secure loans, which can be challenging for contractors who may need more assets to pledge. This is particularly an issue for newer contractors or those who have leveraged their equipment for previous loans.

Cash Flow Constraints:

The industry's extended payment cycles and seasonal nature can lead to cash flow constraints, making it difficult for contractors to meet lenders’ financial requirements. This can result in higher interest rates or more stringent loan terms.

Complex Application Processes:

Applying for commercial financing can be time-consuming and complex, requiring detailed financial statements, business plans, and credit evaluations. This can be a barrier for smaller contractors who may need more resources to manage the application process effectively. ComFiNow, make it easy!

Strategies for Overcoming Financing Challenges

Building Strong Relationships with Lenders:

Developing solid relationships with lenders who understand the forestry and logging industry can improve financing chances. Contractors should seek out brokers with industry experience who can offer tailored financing solutions.

Improving Financial Management:

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records is essential for demonstrating financial stability to lenders. Contractors should invest in good accounting practices and consider working with financial advisors to strengthen their financial management.

Exploring Alternative Financing Options:

Suppose traditional bank loans are not an option. In that case, contractors should explore alternative financing options such as equipment leasing, invoice factoring, or merchant cash advances. These options offer more flexible terms and faster access to funds.

Diversifying Revenue Streams:

Contractors can reduce their financial risk by diversifying their revenue streams and offering additional services like land clearing, tree planting, or consulting. This diversification can stabilize cash flow and make the business more attractive to lenders.

Planning for Seasonality:

Contractors should develop financial plans that account for the seasonal nature of their business, ensuring they have sufficient working capital to cover expenses during off-peak periods. This planning can help avoid cash flow crises and make it easier to secure financing.

Conclusion

Forestry and logging contractors operate in a challenging and capital-intensive industry where access to commercial financing and working capital is crucial for success. By understanding the various financing options, contractors can better manage their cash flow, invest in necessary equipment, and take on new projects. While there are challenges in securing financing, mainly due to the high-risk nature of the industry, contractors can overcome these obstacles through strong financial management, building relationships with lenders, and exploring alternative financing solutions.

In an industry marked by seasonal fluctuations, long payment cycles, and significant upfront costs, having access to reliable financing can be the difference between sustaining operations and facing financial difficulties. By leveraging commercial funding and maintaining adequate cash reserves, forestry and logging contractors can navigate the industry’s challenges and position themselves for long-term success.

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grabbucketmanufacturers · 5 months ago

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The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Price for Log Grabs in India

Introduction

Log grabs are essential tools used in various industries for handling logs, lumber, and other materials. These versatile devices improve efficiency and safety during loading and unloading processes. This guide aims to help you find the best price for log grabs in India, providing insights into different types, factors affecting pricing, and where to find the best deals.

Understanding Log Grabs

What is a Log Grab?

A log grab is a specialized attachment used with cranes, loaders, or excavators to lift and move logs and other heavy materials. It features hydraulic or mechanical jaws that securely grip the material, making it easier to transport and manage.

Types of Log Grabs

Hydraulic Log Grabs

Features and Benefits: Hydraulic log grabs use hydraulic power to operate, offering precise control and strong gripping force. They are ideal for heavy-duty applications where high efficiency is needed.

Typical Applications: Forestry, lumber yards, and construction sites.

Mechanical Log Grabs

Features and Benefits: Mechanical log grabs operate through manual mechanisms, often with gears or levers. They are generally less expensive and simpler in design.

Typical Applications: Smaller scale operations or where hydraulic power is not available.

Rotating Log Grabs

Features and Benefits: These grabs can rotate 360 degrees, providing greater flexibility in handling logs and other materials. This feature is particularly useful for complex loading and unloading tasks.

Typical Applications: Versatile handling in various industries, including forestry and recycling.

Factors Influencing the Price of Log Grabs

Material and Build Quality

Steel vs. Aluminum

Steel: Generally more durable and stronger but can be heavier and more expensive.

Aluminum: Lighter and more resistant to corrosion but may be less durable.

Durability and Strength

Higher-quality materials and construction typically lead to increased costs, but they also offer better longevity and performance.

Size and Capacity

Small vs. Large Grabs

Smaller grabs are usually less expensive but are suited for lighter loads.

Larger grabs, designed for heavy-duty applications, come at a higher cost.

Load Capacity

The capacity of a log grab affects its price; higher capacities require more robust construction and thus cost more.

Additional Features

Hydraulic Systems

Adds to the cost but enhances performance and efficiency.

Rotational Capabilities

Rotating grabs provide added functionality but come with a higher price tag.

Comparing Prices and Quality

Online Marketplaces vs. Local Suppliers

Online marketplaces often offer competitive pricing and convenience, while local suppliers might provide more personalized service and immediate availability.

How to Request Quotes

Contact suppliers directly through their websites or online marketplaces to request quotes, and compare these to ensure you get the best value for your money.

Tips for Purchasing Log Grabs

Evaluating Supplier Reputation

Check Reviews and Ratings

Look for customer reviews and ratings to gauge the reliability and quality of the supplier and their products.

Verify Certifications and Standards

Ensure that the products meet industry standards and certifications for quality and safety.

Negotiating Prices

Bulk Purchase Discounts

Buying in bulk can often result in significant savings. Negotiate with suppliers for bulk purchase discounts if applicable.

Seasonal Sales and Promotions

Watch for seasonal sales and promotional offers to get the best deals on log grabs.

Conclusion

Finding the best price for log grabs in India involves understanding the types, factors influencing pricing, and exploring various suppliers. By comparing options and negotiating effectively, you can secure a high-quality log grab that meets your needs and budget.

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bossattachments · 8 months ago

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Top Hydraulic Bucket Grab Models You Need to Know

Hydraulic bucket grabs are essential attachments for various industries, including construction, agriculture, forestry, and waste management. These grabs are used for material handling, loading, and sorting tasks. Here are some top hydraulic bucket grab models you should know about:

Kinshofer Clamshell Bucket Grab: Kinshofer offers a range of clamshell bucket grabs designed for excavators, cranes, and material handlers. These grabs feature hydraulic cylinders for precise control and can be equipped with various shell configurations for different applications, such as digging, dredging, or bulk material handling.

Rotobec Power Attachment Clamshell Bucket Grab: Rotobec manufactures high-quality clamshell bucket grabs suitable for excavators, loaders, and material handlers. These grabs feature heavy-duty construction, robust hydraulic systems, and interchangeable shells for versatility in handling different materials, including logs, scrap, and debris.

LaBounty Hydraulic Grapple Bucket: LaBounty produces hydraulic grapple buckets for excavators and material handlers. These grabs feature rugged construction, large-capacity jaws, and powerful hydraulic cylinders for efficient material handling and loading. They are commonly used in demolition, recycling, and waste handling applications.

CAT® Hydraulic Multi-Grapple Bucket: Caterpillar offers a range of hydraulic multi-grapple buckets designed for Cat excavators and backhoe loaders. These grabs feature durable construction, replaceable wear components, and advanced hydraulic systems for precise control and high productivity in material handling tasks, such as sorting, loading, and demolition.

Liebherr Hydraulic Timber Grab: Liebherr manufactures hydraulic timber grabs for forestry and construction applications. These grabs feature heavy-duty construction, large-capacity jaws, and optimized hydraulic systems for handling timber logs, branches, and tree trunks with precision and efficiency.

These are just a few examples of top hydraulic bucket grab models available in the market. When selecting a hydraulic bucket grab for your equipment, consider factors such as the application, material type, machine compatibility, capacity, and hydraulic system requirements to ensure optimal performance and productivity.

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machineryhiremelbourne · 2 years ago

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Prioritise Employee Safety and Security with Scissor Lift from Well Established Manufacturer!

The scissor lift is made up of a power grid and a control system. In the scissor lift, these two methods have been integrated. They are mutually beneficial to one another. In actuality, the control system operates on the same principles whether it is driven by compressed air, diesel, or electricity. A linear actuator is a piece of mechanical machinery that lifts or unloads objects while being powered by electricity. It is typically used in fields and industries that deal with high-altitude homework, including business, the chemical industry, local government, electric power, and transport.

The Advantages and Utilisation of Knuckle Boom Crane

A knuckle boom crane may be utilised for a wide range of applications and has a strong payload capacity. It is a highly lightweight piece of machinery that can also handle the weight of the attached crane in addition to hauling conventional goods.

Several attachments are utilised with the loader crane at the ends of the booms. You may attach various accessories, like pallet forks, tubs, log grabs, brick grabs, etc.

Knuckle Boom cranes may be set up wherever they are needed and have no travel restrictions. They are simple to mount on trucks. Even the truck crane fits in without difficulty because it is a component of the vehicle itself.

Enhanced Security and Increased Efficiency

Even for seasoned workers, warehouses may be hazardous workplaces. The majority of these incidents are caused by exhaustion and falls, both of which can be decreased by a scissor lift.

Instead, workers would be considerably more stable if they employed a scissor lift. These machines significantly reduce any fall danger because of their guardrails, sturdy bases, and wide platforms.

Workers may still suffer injuries from reaching too far even at lower heights. They will be able to prevent the musculoskeletal injuries that frequently affect warehouse employees.

Source

#scissor lift #knuckle boom

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practicingmedicine · 3 years ago

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Practicing Medicine: Chapter Seven

(+)7

2075 ROBCO(R)

LOADER V1. 1

EXEC VERSION 41.10

32K RAM SYSTEM

14302 BYTES FREE

HOLLOWTAPE LOADED: "THE-WORST-THING-EVER"

INITIALISING….

SUCCESS!

STATUS

Battery Level: 42%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 92F

HEALTH

BP: 170/130

SPO2: 100%

Temp: 99.5F RR: 28

HR: 185

TIME

Day: 24 SEP. 2279

Time: 16:10

CLIMATE

Current Temperature: 76 F

Atmospheric Pressure: 750 mm

Background Radiation: 1.321 RAD

WARNING: Dangerous wasteland creature in range!

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! Why don't you tell me my chance of survival as a percentage too!

I'd been tipping back in my chair when the wall exploded, so now I was sitting on my ass in a state of total mental shock, slowly butt-scooting my way backwards. The NCR soldier who I'd been sitting beside popped up, knocking his stool over in the process.

"Ayuda!" he shouted. He was shooting his rifle, but it wasn't making any noise. He screamed something about shit ammo and started yanking on the charging bolt.

Amongst the wreckage, Tandi tried to stand back up. How she survived an impact like that was beyond me, but I wasn't about to point that out. She turned her head to look at Gram.

"Gram, get the-" she started. Before she could finish, the big white reptile threw itself directly at her, knocking over the entire table and crushing Cook and Jas as Tandi rolled out of the way, trailing pink insulation foam behind her. Gram sprinted past me and started clambering up the stairs to the second floor, leaving poor Chomps sitting in stunned silence.

The deathclaw reared around to face Tandi, who had drawn a six-gun from her hip.

"Fuck off, cyka!" shouted Tandi, and emptied it directly into his face, shattering his jaw and blasting off his nose.

The gunshots, the shrieks of the injured beast, the dust that was gathering in the air... it was all so overwhelming! I'd never been so close to anything so dangerous, and my whole body was screaming at me to run for my life, but I just couldn't send the signals to my muscles. I couldn't move, couldn't shout, couldn't breath...

The beast lunged at Tandi again, and she caught him by his arm and snapped it against her leg, then grabbed onto his broken jaw and forced it into the back of his throat. He immediately swung his other hand at her, impaling her through her forearm and thigh. He probably would have disemboweled her in the next motion, but was interrupted by a sudden hail of gunfire.

My eardrums pounded as the soldier fired shot after shot from his now-functional rifle, striking the deathclaw all across it's back and arms, poking lots of inconsequential little holes in the thing. By the end of the magazine, I couldn't hear anything but a loud ringing, so I didn't even get to hear the soldier's scream as the Deathclaw reeled around and folded him against the wall, taking all the life out of his body and sending him tumbling to the ground in a way that made it clear that he'd not be getting back up. The beast stalked over to him...

And in Came chomps like a goddamn pro wrestler, swinging a stool over his head like a sledgehammer. The beast didn't even bother to turn around as it raked Chomps across his entire upper body with its good claw. I could see the blood running down his face as Chomps stumbled backwards into the fallen table and fell onto his back, trying to figure out which of his massive wounds to clutch as he writhed about with his legs in the air.

Then, the thing turned it's whole upper body to face me. Our eyes connected.

Have you ever been so scared that you choked on your own spit? Because, as the beast stared at me with its one remaining eye, I distinctly remember gagging so hard that I started choking on my own spit.

It started walking towards me- a big, ghost-white beast, stained all over with its own blood, all its parts hanging loose- and I involuntarily let out a mix between a wet cough and a squeal. More logic-defying noises escaped my mouth as I scrambled for the stairs, trying and failing to stand up in the process. But it wasn't me who the deathclaw was keying in on now- It was Gram, standing behind me on the stairwell with a laser gun.

"Cover your ears, Boy!" He shouted over the ringing, and I followed his advice. I pressed my hands against my ears and shut my eyes.

Next thing I felt was heat on my skin- wasn't no light, but there was heat alright! Heat and a noise like a can of sarsaparilla taking a fifty cal right in the center! Drops of hot liquid splashed across my skin.

Next thing that hit were the smells. Burning fat, a delicious dinner and clouds of gunpowder, pools of coagulating blood and bodily fluids; The sounds- screaming, shouting, sobbing, and there was that damn ringing in my ears! My head hurt too, and my skin was all hot and prickly. I swear I could feel my chest caving in, I was breathing so hard…

"Isaac! Isaac, get moving, people are dying! ISAAC!"

Someone hit me in the back of the head, so I turned around and bit them as hard as I could. I could taste blood so vividly, as they pulled their hand back, putting them off balance. I grabbed the wrinkled, bleeding hand and yanked it forward, pulling its owner down the stairs and onto the floor. Someone walked up to me and tried to say something to me so I started screaming as loud and hard as I could, until they backed away.

Then it struck me- the deathclaw was dead. It's head had been hollowed out, pieces scattered all over the room. No one was even paying attention to me as I beat the ever living shit out of Gram, who had probably just saved my life. They all had their own problems.

I was hyperventilating, I realized, and it was making my vision go dark around the edges. I tried to regulate my breathing as I scanned the room, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do first. But it was hard- so, so hard with all the ringing, and the prickly hot feeling on my skin and the static in my head!

Where to start? I started compiling a mental list of all the problems that I had to fix, or "doing triage," as my father would have said. In my head, it looked something like this:

I'd hurt Gram after he hit me in the back of the head, but he was already getting back up.

Cook was lying underneath a table, wheezing and trying to get it off her chest- she was probably having trouble breathing, but Jas was helping her at the moment, and she was making noise so it couldn't be that bad.

The NCR soldier was in a bad way, probably got his back broke. I couldn't tell if the blood all over his back was his or the deathclaws, which warranted a closer look, but there was still air going through his body so I'd put him on the back burner for now.

That left Tandi and Chomps, the two with the nastiest wounds. If the claw had hit his throat, Chomps would be dead very soon, if he wasn't dead already. I decided to deal with him first. Ignoring Gram's muttered insults, I stalked across the room and fell down on one knee beside the old man. There was a frightening amount of blood pooling around his head, and my heart rate picked up when I dragged him on his side and gave him a quick once over.

Three parallel gashes- One deep wound across his stomach, one relatively shallow one across his upper chest and collarbone, and one across his forehead that was bleeding profusely but which had stopped at the skull. I saw no signs of life-threatening bleeding, though his intestines were poking out through the stomach wound. I motioned towards Gram.

"Gemme a wet towel." In spite of what I'd done to him, he didn't argue with me, disappearing into the kitchen without a word. I looked back at Chomps. I'd been an idiot and left my medical kit in the cart, so my emergency treatment was going to have to be improvised. I didn't like that, but I wasn't about to leave any of the people in the room to go get the kit. I'd have to make do for the moment.

First step would be to remove the clothes around the evisceration. How was I going to do that? I couldn't just pull off his overalls. I'd have to cut through them. What options did I have for cutting? My utility knife was in my medical pouch. But, when they'd set the table, there had been steak knives…

Find a steak knife, I told myself, and started scanning the floor. I could faintly hear the back door open as Gram headed outside to pump water on a towel, which I'd use to dress the evisceration. Steak knife, steak knife…

Amidst the debris, I found a fork and steak knife lying together, so I took both just in case I ended up needing the fork for something. After putting a quick gash in the pale, unfeeling strip of skin on my forearm to get a feel for the knife's cutting edge, I leaned back over Chomps and slid the knife against his blood-soaked denim. It took a bit of force, but once I had cut through the tough edge, it became a lot easier to run my knife through the worn material. I cut out a rough square of cloth all around his chest, and carefully peeled it off his sticky, bloody skin. Poor man was conscious, I noticed, but he wasn't saying nothing. Just watching.

"Don't try and move. Your guts weren't ripped, but they might be if you start squirming. No matter how much it hurts, you gotta stand still," I said, tearing off the loose strip of overalls and bunching it up into a makeshift rag for later. It wasn't sanitary, but it'd have to do.

Gram came back in shortly after, carrying several ragged towels soaked in water. I gave him a nod of acknowledgment and held my arms out for Gram to drop the towels into. Not stopping to check his trajectory, Gram tossed the load in my arms, and continued walking until he reached Tandi. He knelt down beside her.

"Toss me the pip boy!" He shouted. I was confused for a second, then remembered the medical profiles I'd created. Quick as I could, I logged off the pip-boy, and tossed it underhanded to Gram. I didn't wait to see if he caught it.

"Remember: Don't move," I said, laying the wet towel across Chomps's jutting intestines. He winced as the towel touched the wound, but he didn't squirm. Don't think there was much that could've made Chomps squirm.

"You're doing great!" I told him, securing the towel around the edges. I checked the rest of his wounds. His airway was swell, and the leaks in his forehead and chest weren't gonna kill him. Which means he was as stable as he was going to get, without a stimpack. "I'll come back to you soon. I need to check the soldier…"

"No, Fuck that guy! Tandi's been thrown through a goddamn wall!" shouted Gram, but it sounded quiet next to the ringing in my ears. I rubbed my temples. Jas had gotten the table off of Cook, and was doing what I guessed to be a misguided attempt at CPR on her, for some reason. Probably because she was complaining about breathing? First things first, I needed to put a stop to that

"Jas, does Cook have a pulse?" I asked, barely able to hear my own voice. Jas nodded.

"Yeah, but she says that she can't breathe, so I'm doing-"

"Stop doing that! CPR is for dead people!" Jas didn't complain no more, instead standing up and going to examine the NCR soldier. If Gram was telling the truth, I didn't have time to worry about how Jas was going to screw him up, so I ignored her and hurried over to Tandi. Surprisingly, she was still conscious. She gave me a weak middle finger as I sat down.

"Helmet off- stop moving it if she complains about her neck," I said. Gram complied immediately. Tandi didn't have anything to say as the helmet came off, revealing her sweaty, mutilated face. There were no new injuries there, though it was still as shocking as ever.

"Where's it hurt, Tandi? Is your back okay?" I asked. She looked up at me like I was stupid.

"No, I'm completely paralyzed. Dumb whore..." I rolled my eyes.

"Surely, I am as dumb as they come! But, the pip-boy says you've got internal bleeding, and it's still figuring out where. Where're you hurtin' at?" Tandi laughed a little.

"Internal? Then it's in the right place." I shook my head and inspected her pip-boy image. There were so many warnings that it was impossible to try to interpret them all. I suddenly really wished I could read, even just a little more.

"Tandi, this is life or death! Where did it-" Suddenly, the image on the screen changed. The pip boy beeped, and a blinking warning sign appeared dead in the center of her character's chest. The BP stat, I noticed, was down from the last measurement.

"Y'have no idea how often people say that. Anyways, he hit me-" she started. I began to pull off her coat. I elbowed Gram in the shoulder, and pointed at the stricken woman.

"Strip her down. Tandi, please help as much as you can!" She gave me a suspicious look.

"And what if I don't want you exploring all up in my nooks-and-crannies?"

"Tandi, something is very fucking wrong! Help me take the armor off!" She clutched her wounded leg and growled at me.

"...Aggghhh, Fine! But I'll kill you afterwards."

Gram worked on taking off the armor supporting her back, while I removed her dented chest-plate. Once I'd gotten that free, I took off her shirt, Gram removed her baggy jeans, and we got to work freeing her armor harnesses. When one of the clips got stuck, I picked up my steaknife from the ground and sliced through the whole strap. It was surprisingly easy to cut through, I guess for emergency situations like this. Once I got that off, Tandi was left in her sportswear. I removed her chest wrapping on account of some bruising in that area. Her knickers weren't covering nothing up, so I left those alone.

The full picture was distressing, real distressing. Amongst Tandi's considerable collection of old scars, there were several huge, rapidly swelling patches of yellow, purplish skin all over her body, the biggest of which was right over her heart. I pulled my stethoscope off my neck and plugged it into my ears- had em backwards, got them in the right way and then checked around for her heartbeat, and got back a faint, muffled noise. Combined with her wormlike neck veins and the fact that I couldn't even get a pulse on her femoral at this point, that made Beck's Triad. Father always told me I'd never be able to diagnose tamponade like that on a real clinical exam, but here were all three symptoms, sticking out like a compound fracture.

"Oh no," I breathed. I tried to compose myself, but panic was already overtaking my mind. Before I even spoke, I could hear my voice cracking. "Jas! Get- uh, break into the wagon out back, and grab the orange bag and the other one, the other emergency-looking one. Bring em back fast!" Jas looked at her fallen companion, who she had sat up against the wall, then at the door, then at me. Slowly, she stood up, walked away from the unconscious soldier, and exited out the back door, picking up speed as she went.

Preparing myself for what came next, I placed the cold knife against Tandi's bare, swollen chest, and started counting ribs. One, two, three, four, five... The tip came to a rest beneath her right breast.

"What are you doing?" She asked. I pressed the knife a bit harder, seeing how hard I'd need to press to cut her sweaty skin. Not very. A drop of blood seeped out from under the knife.

"There's blood gathering in the lining around your heart, Tandi. I gotta open your chest up to fix you." Tandi's eyes opened wide.

"What- NO!"

I felt her grab onto my wrist, but she was late; I'd already abandoned any doubts that might've been left in my head and punched my knife through her chest, right by her sternum. A primal scream filled my ears as I dragged the blade through the layers of skin and fat, all the way to her shoulder blade. I shoved my hand into her intercostal space.

"Spread her ribs and hold 'em," I grunted. Gram made a face.

"Oh, Christ..." Tandi continued to shriek in pain and squeeze my wrist as Gram spread the wound like a clam shell. I tried to wrap my fingers around her pulsating heart, but couldn't quite get at it. I pushed her lung aside.

"Stop it! Da idi ty, fuck you! Otvyazhis'!" Tandi cried, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. It had to be done, or her pericardium would fill up with blood and squeeze her heart til it stopped beating. I kept digging around as the blood coursed over my hands and arms; I was slick up to the elbows with it.

"Anyone got a flashlight?" Gram shook his head. I swore and spit on the ground. That was gonna make this next part a lot harder.

Tandi kept on hollering and thrashing as I tried in vain to get a grip on the pericardial sac without also grabbing the throbbing heart inside. My fingers were too slippery to pinch it, so I pulled the dinner fork out of my pocket and hoisted the sac up that way. It slipped off the fork a couple times before I could get it in a good position, but once I had it pulled taught, I didn't waste any time opening it up between the phrenic nerves- Tandi was dying quick. She looked like she'd been drained by a vampire, and her shrieks of pain had already quieted down to confused sobbing.

"Ah hell Isaac, I don't know how long I can hold this! Could you hurry up?" grunted Gram. I could see the muscles straining beneath his skin, bulging in his face and neck. His arms were quaking.

"Yeah, sure! Now help me turn her over…" I put my hands on Tandi's back and worked with Gram to move her on her side, so the blood could leak out of her cavity. The floor was covered in the stuff by now, and it had streaked and smeared where she'd been struggling. I tried to ignore it as I got down on my hands and knees and stared into her wound. "Great. I'm gonna peek down here again, try and figure out where it's-"

Before I'd even finished my sentence, a gout of bright red blood sprayed out the cut I'd made in the pericardium, all over my chest and face. It dripped down my glasses like some sort of cheesy horror-movie effect.

"Doc! Hey, Doc, I've got the stuff!" I looked over my shoulder to see Jas stumbling in through the back door, carrying both the stimpack bag and my medical bag in her arms. I motioned for her to set them down next to me. "Um, there's a few stimpacks here, which should I-"

"Fuck it! It don't matter!" Something like a laugh rattled through my chest as I snatched the syringe out of Jas's hand. Tandi's heart coughed out another gob of blood, but I'd already moved to the side, and soon my hand was in the clamshell wound again. My fingers clawed for the source of the blood.

"I'm hurting bad!" grunted Gram. I started probing with my stimpack.

"Well don't let go, use a- I don't know, use anything!" I was hardly paying much attention to Gram at this point. I could feel the blood coursing over my fingers as they brushed over some artery, can't say which one, and I figured pretty quickly where the rupture was. I jabbed the stimpack in.

And Missed.

I tried again, and missed. Which gave me that sinking feeling that you get in your stomach when you realize that you've not got much time, and your body just isn't the right machine for the task. Usually that came with a certain embarrassment, that telltale hotness of the skin, but not this time. This time, the hair on my arms stood up straight, and the sweat on my skin grew cold.

I looked over at Gram. His eyes were jammed shut, he'd bit through his upper lip- and his hands, shaking more than ever. My hands were shaking too. The animalistic energy that'd been carrying me through this had gone. For a moment, I was just a kid again, in over his head and scrambling for a way out.

But it was only a moment. Like a lumberjack throwing all his weight behind an axe, I took three more passionate stabs with the needle before piercing the artery. I had no hope of suturing it now, so I just hoped to high hell that pushing stimpack juice through the pipe and pinching the rupture shut with my nails would actually work. I'd made so many choices based on pure hope already, what was more on the pile?

The moment I pulled my hand out and discarded the empty stimpack, Gram grunted and collapsed on top of Tandi. He'd stopped holding the site open, but his fingers were still buried in the bleeding wound. His lungs rattled with each jagged breath.

"What- what should I do? Do you need help with her?" panted Jas, and I waved her away. I was panting too, panting and hot and covered in sweat and blood and god knows what else. I could feel my heart beating in every crevice of my aching body.

But was Tandi's heart still beating?

Her eyes were open and unreactive, her skin was pale and waxy. Seemed like she was breathing, but the hairs on my arms still stood up as I prodded around for a pulse near her groin; there was nothing at first, then a faint squirming beneath my fingertips, and then nothing again. The skin felt cool as glass. I put my hand on Gram's back.

"What's her- check the pip boy, what's her BP say?" Gram lifted his head up just slightly to look at the pip boy screen.

"Seventy six and fifty." There was a solemn silence. "Is that…?"

"That's good. Better, I mean.

I wiped some of the sweat off my brow again. It was pointless, seeing as how I probably deposited a bunch of blood when I did it, but I had to let out all that relief somehow. I hadn't even been able to get a femoral pulse when I'd checked last time, which meant that her pressure had been somewhere below seventy. A jump back up to seventy six was good news.

Of course, Tandi's troubles weren't over- her pericardium was slit, she still had herself a gaping hole in the chest, and the cavity was still full of blood in spite of my efforts. I grabbed my hand-suction pump from out of my bag and hooked up the reservoir, plunged in the tip, and got to work squeezing. An onlooker might have thought that I was still putting in my all, but at this point, my mind was elsewhere. I glanced over my shoulder.

"Jas, you wanna be helpful, right?" I asked. I didn't wait for a response. "Prepare the worker's quarters for all these patients. I want beds, I want chamber pots, whatever we can get. And when you're done with that, you and me are gonna haul these folks upstairs."

Jas might've said something to me after that, but I couldn't hear it over the fuzz in my head, the static of stress. I looked around the room one last time, and I don't think I have to tell you the specifics of what I saw; just that I could tell right then that this would be, without a doubt, the longest night of my life.

[+]

#fallout #fallout fanfic #fallout fanfiction #fallout fandom

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zaynmirrors · 5 years ago

Text

Hardware: Bucky Barnes AU

A/N: so this didn’t go the way I planned but hey it’s fine, I finally got it up though. If you want a part two or any other type of request they’re open so send me a message! Enjoy!

Pairing: Norm!Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader, Norm!Steve And Fem!Reader

Warnings: swearing, almost passing out? I don't know

I turned the dial on my combination lock, pulling down as I heard the click of the final tumbler opening. Opening my locker I pulled out my vest and slipped it on, but before I left the break room I bought water from the vending machine.

“Hey Y/N, how'd it go with that guy?” Wanda asked as soon as she caught a glimpse of me. I shook my head and she frowned. “You know my offer still stands”

I chuckled slightly remembering her offer to try and set me up with someone at work. “Yeah, Thanks Wanda” I gave her a small smile.

“Hey, Y/N you’re out in Garden,” Nat said coming by, I nod and start the trek out to the sweltering heat that is the garden center.

As I rounded the corner to the registers, I landed eyes on the well-built body that was standing next to the drink machine talking to Steve.

Steve caught my presence first. “Hey, Y/N” this caught Bucky's attention causing him to turn to my direction. I gave them a small smile and a wave.

“What’d you do to get sent out here” Steve joked causing me to chuckle and I stop in front of the register and log in.

“I guess I was late too many times” I joked back leaning against the counter beside the register. Steve let out a hearty laugh as Bucky chuckles.

The day goes on people come through my line, I joke around with a coworker until a customer needs assistance lifting some stones into the back of their truck. I dial into the intercom and say “code 50 to garden registers”, praying that its Bucky.

Soon enough here came Bucky round the corner. “What’d you need?” He asked looking at me expectantly. I explained the situation and he went to work. He hopped into the back of the cab, causing the truck to bounce slightly with the weight. The customer began to hand him the stones and I watched, in a trance.

His muscles glistened with sweat as he worked under the unforgiving sun. He pushed the long pieces of hair behind his ear and looked up into the sky taking a break for a split second, “You’re drooling” I jumped and looked for the voice, finding steve standing there with a smirk.

“Shit Steve”, I sighed “you gave me a heart attack” he laughs and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge, placing it on my counter.

“You stare at me like that?” He asked leaning on the counter while opening the water as he watched his friend load the stones by himself, obvious to steve that bucky had it handled.

Steve loved to tease me about the small crush I had on the buff loader. I shake my head, cheeks burning bright crimson. He just laughed.

He pulled another water out of the fridge and handed it to me nodding at bucky, who had hopped off the back of the truck and was heading back towards us looking flawless even as he sweats.

“Here Bucky,” I said trying to be confident but it came out soft as I held out the water bottle to him. He gave a soft smile and took it before standing in front of the large fan they kept outside to keep everyone cool, pulling up his shirt slightly to let the mildly cool air blow on his sweat sheen toned abs.

It was hard to tear my eyes away from the sight but I managed. Steve gave you a sly thumbs up and a cheeky wink that made you roll your eyes. “Thanks for the water” Bucky called out as he began the walk to his designated area in the back along with Steve.

The hours dredged on, the heat was slowly getting to me as I stood there not even noticing that Bucky had surfaced until he spoke, “What's up?” Bucky asked laughing slightly as he saw the position I was in, head pressed against the palm of my hand.

Without looking up I mumbled “I feel like I’m gonna pass out,” he wasted no time in grabbing a Gatorade from the fridge and placing it on the counter. This caused me to look up at him confused by these actions.

He rummaged around in his pants pockets for a second before pulling out both his discount card and his debit card, “What are you doing?” I asked as he held out his employee card for me to scan.

“I’m buying you a drink” I tried to argue with him but he wasn’t having it, I finally had to just ring him up as he kept insisting but he didn’t stop there, he carefully helped me sit down on the cinder block behind the register.

Bucky examined the fan that had been pointed at me and turns it up as high as it would go. He bent down to pull the hair off the back of my neck as he yelled, “Hey Steve, can you call a head cashier and tell them to get me an ice pack?!”

“Sure thing!” I heard Steve yell back. I opened the Gatorade with a shaky hand, and took a few small sips before feeling a coldness on the back of my neck, causing a shiver to run down my spine. “Did you eat?” Steve asked from beside Bucky

I shook my head, completely ready to receive a lecture from Steve about the importance of properly eating but at this point, I didn’t care. Instead, to my surprise, I was handed a candy bar.

“Hey Y/N, Nat said you could leave early,” Wanda said, coming around the corner and taking in the sight before her. She was obviously sent out here to take over. I would have argued but I felt like shit and it was just fifteen minutes

“Can you stand?” Bucky asked, still holding the hair up off my neck. I sat for a moment

contemplating if I were stable enough to stand before leaning forward to stand, Bucky moving in sync with me.

Steve moved out of the way and said, “go ahead and walk with her” Bucky nodded and kept a hand on the small of my back gently guiding me inside as a precaution.

I was able to clock out and grab my things from my locker with the help from Bucky. “Are you sure you should drive?” He asked when the two of us reached my car.

I nodded, “yeah, I’ll be fine. I don’t live far” but he still looked worried. So I finally mustered up the courage to say, “if you gave me your number I could text you that I got home Okay”. I felt my cheeks heat up, my heart was just about ready to jump out of my chest.

He thought for a moment before pulling out his phone and handing it to me calming the anxious beating of my heart. I quickly put in my number and sent a text to myself before handing the phone back before getting into my car, but leaving the door open.

“Now I expect a text” he said sternly but with a hint of playfulness as I turned to position myself in front of the steering wheel.

“You’ll get one,” I said with a small smile before closing the door, waving at Bucky and turning on your car. The ac blasted out scorching air before finally cooling off as I drove away in awe at myself.

I had made sure to pack a lunch today as well as some snacks in case I began to feel light-headed. I stood next to Wanda in front of the registers.

“What about” she paused for a moment, in thought and then continued, “Steve?” I looked at her and shake my head. “What why not!?”

“Because I like our friendship, I don’t want anything to ruin it,” I said, but I had to admit he was attractive but just not like Bucky.

“Hello ladies,” Bucky said coming up with a smile, a box that contained a ceiling fan inside slung onto his chiseled shoulder. A heat spread to my cheeks as he looked at me.

Wanda smiles and subtly wiggles her eyebrows, I stifled a laugh and just shook my head. “Hey Bucky, are you closing tonight?”, I asked hoping I had all afternoon to look at him.

“Sure am” he replied eyes moving up to meet mine, “I hope you’re feeling better.” he said with a small smile. I nodded at a loss for words, this crush would be the death of me. “I gotta get this back to receiving” he gestured to the fan, that had a faulty sticker on it,

He walked off, ending the conversation. I watched as he walked away, eyes zoned in on his ass, god it was such a nice ass. “Oh my god, you like him!” Wanda exclaims grabbing my attention, my cheeks burning red in embarrassment.

“Would you hush, he’ll hear you” I seeth through gritted teeth looking to see if he was somehow around.

“Why haven’t you told me?” She asks looking almost hurt, I sigh and look at her. She was already awaiting my answer.

I shrugged, not really sure why I hadn’t told her other than the fact that I wanted to keep my feelings private, well mostly private. Steve the little shit, was smart enough to figure it out himself and would constantly tease me about it but it was all in good fun.

“Have you asked him out to dinner?” she asked as she walked to her register with a customer in tow. I shook my head, there was no way he’d want to go out with me. “Well you should, I think you two would be cu- Do you have rewards card with us?” I chuckled to myself as she got interrupted.

I caught a glimpse of Bucky heading towards me and I put on a smile to mask my anxiousness. He gave me a smile as he leaned against my counter, “what's up?” I asked looking into his sea like eyes.

“I’m supposed to be doing my register training, is it cool if you train me?” He asked running a hand through his hair as if he was nervous.

I nodded, “Yeah that’s fine” I logged out and moved so he could take my place. He stared at the computer in confusion, hands out as if he wanted to log in but was unsure of how to do it. “It’s your genesis log in” I replied softly.

It clicked with him as he moved his hands typing in his username and password. I stood behind him, watching as he got his first customer and helping him through it. “You have a good day man” he said to the guy in front of him.

He turned to look at me and gave me a smile, to which I returned. “What time do you get lunch?” he asked randomly.

I didn’t think much of it as I replied with, “Soon”

He nodded and went to say something but a customer walked up ready to check out. I watched, leaning on the counter behind us. Nat came over and tapped my shoulder, I looked at her as she said, “Time for lunch” I wished Bucky luck before heading to the breakroom to take my lunch alone.

I had finished all the tasks in order to be able to leave for the night. I joined the rest of the cashiers at the service desk waiting on the manager Tony to let us out. Bucky rounded the corner to join the group of people, a small smile on his face when he sees me.

Once Nat gives us the okay, we log out and head over to the door where Tony stood waiting to let us out. I went out in line with Wanda talking about nonsense as we headed to our cars.

“Hey! Y/N wait up!” I turned around to see Bucky jogging towards us. I stopped and let him catch up, he caught his breath and pushed his hair back with a smile on his face. “Hey”

I laughed slightly “Hi Bucky”, and watched as Wanda walked on waving me off.

“Um, I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a while” He rubbed the back of his neck out of nervousness, I nodded for him to continue, a smile plastered on my face. “Would you want to grab dinner?”

I was dumbstruck and at a loss for words, as I stumbled for the words Wanda shouts from somewhere behind me and says, “She would love to! She’s free right now!” My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

He waited patiently for me to actually answer to which I said, “Yeah I would, do you want to go to CookOut?”

“Yeah that's fine, we can take my car” he went over to the jeep that was parked somewhat close to my car and I followed. He opened the car door for me and helped me in. I was freaking out on the inside, after crushing on this guy for almost a year I was finally able to go on a date with him.

part 2

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snarky-badger · 6 years ago

Note

Ultron prompt: reader gets into a friendly chat online and makes friends with them after a while, only to start noticing odd things start to happen: out of nowhere money deposits in their bank account, gifts showing up when they know they didn't order anything, etc, until late one night someone shows up unannounced in their living room

I spent two days on this anon! It’s longer than usual, I just couldn’t stop writing. Am open to even writing a sequel if you like this one enough and request one. I hope it’s to your liking!

Words/Sentences between [these] are chat conversations.

You groaned as you shuffled into your room, grimacing as you dumped your heavy backpack onto the floor with a thud. Noise from your roommates made you kick your door shut, shoulders slumping when the bickering faded to a dull mumble.

It had been a long day. You were in the middle of a twenty-four week long Auto Mechanics course. And that was just for cars and trucks. If you wanted to push further, you’d need another course to qualify to work on Big Rigs, and another for Construction Vehicles, like dump trucks and front loaders.

Your dream however, was racing cars. Any racing cars. Drag racing, Nascar, anything, hell, even big rig racing. And for that, you needed a lot of training. You’d have to work up from mere cars to more powerful engines.

You’d become enamored with mechanics when you’d been young and watching your father work on his old Plymouth Barracuda. He’d been able to take it apart, clean it, and put it back together, almost with his eyes closed. He’d taught you everything he’d known, of course, but that wasn’t enough. You needed a degree, and proper training.

Proper training that cost an arm a leg and half a liver. It was why you were sharing an old, run down, house with three others. Cheaper than Campus Apartments, though paying your way through University and covering rent still forced you to shop at a dollar store for food.

You were lucky in the fact that you had a part-time job at a mechanic downtown. The elderly man had been more than willing to take you on as an apprentice, and was always welcoming to your endless questions when you hadn’t quite understood something in class.

Added to the general stress of things was the fact that you were the only female in a class and occupation mostly dominated by men. The jeers and bullying and sexist comments from your fellow ‘students’ were murder on your psyche, self-esteem and general ability to not beat someone over the head with a wrench.

Judging that the fighting outside your door was about the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of the fridge, you grabbed up a change of clothes and booked it to the shower. It was a short one - ten minutes, timed. Everyone in the house was trying to save money, and that included taking short showers, living on more Ramen than was healthy, and keeping the temperature of the house low to save funds on power. Well, as much as all of you could, considering that all of you had laptops and were Netflix addicts.

It took almost five minutes to get the grime out from under your fingernails, but you were as clean as you could be by the end of the shower. You rushed back into your room, shivering from the cool water, and quickly donned some jogging pants and a tank top that had a Wonder Woman logo on it.

A chime from your phone drew your attention, and you idly checked the message, smiling a little when you saw who it was.

It had started completely by accident. You’d been in a chat, throwing ideas back and forth with a group of people about Nascar engines and how to increase performance when someone had popped in and noted that using a cleaner fuel or incorporating a catalytic converter would save on the disgustingly high emissions each car poured out per race.

Others had booed and tried to kick the person off, you’d been intrigued and opened a separate chat window to ‘pick their brain’ as it were.

What had started as a mere exchange of ideas had turned into a budding friendship.

Grinning, you opened your laptop and powered it on, idly pushing pieces of a half-built carburetor to the far corner of the desk before going to lift your heavy backpack and slamming it down onto the empty spot.

‘SmoothCriminal’ was already waiting on chat when you finally logged in. Over the months, he’d come to know your usual class hours. You wondered what he did, to have so much time to chat, but with the connectivity everyone had with phones and such, you shrugged it off.

You did a bit of ‘hunt and peck’, typing one-handed while opening your bag with the other. [Hey you. Just got home. You have excellent timing.]

[*chuckle* You did give me your hours at class and work.]

[*raspberry* Smart-ass.] You turned away from the laptop as you pulled out your books, including a new one that had cost you a whopping hundred-and-twenty bucks. It was murder on your tight budget.

[I try. How were classes?]

[Meh. Same old, same old. Kinda just more in depth stuff that Dad taught me. They dumped a new book on us too. Blew my monthly budget out of the water.]

[That bad?]

[Hundred twenty buckaroos. For something that will be obsolete in six months. I’ll probably end up using it as a door stop. Apparently the teacher had ‘forgotten’ to mention that we needed it.]

[Lovely. Which means what for you?]

[Dollar store Ramen for the next two weeks until I get my pay from apprenticing with that mechanic downtown.]

[That’s not food. That junk is mostly salt and cheap carbohydrates. You’ll get sick eating that garbage.]

You huffed. [Money’s tight. Like, painfully tight. I need to make rent, and pay my share of the power, internet and water bills. Next month I need to renew my bus pass, and, and, the property and school taxes for the house we’re renting is coming up - that’s like three-hundred bucks I need to come up with. I have like, zero wiggle room.]

[The way your country piles debt on students is deplorable. University is free in some countries overseas, did you know that? Completely free education.]

[Lucky them. I, meanwhile, need to win the lottery if I want to be able to pay the fee next semester.]

[….your parents can’t help?]

[Nah. They have enough problems.]

[*rolls eyes* They’re your parents. I’m sure they’d help if they knew you were in trouble.]

[Dude. No. They have enough trouble without me adding to it. Mom had to skip a month’s worth of her insulin meds so Dad could get his high blood pressure prescription filled.]

[That’s messed up. Ever think of changing countries?]

You shook your head. He had to be in Canada or someplace where things were covered, because he obviously didn’t know how life worked in the States. [Again. With what money?]

[…..I could help.]

[I appreciate the thought, but nah. It would feel too much like charity. Besides, I’d get mad if I found out you’d put yourself in financial trouble just to bail my ass out. A little more instant Ramen won’t kill me.]

[Bleh.]

A snicker left you. [Not your fave, hm?]

[It’s not healthy, so no.] A pause. [Damn. Something’s come up. Same time tomorrow?]

[Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Take care.]

[You too.]

A sigh left you as he logged off, and you leaned back in your chair, stretching your arms up above your head. It was for the best. You needed food and you had some serious studying to do.

The next few days progressed as they usually did. A whirl of school, work, studying and a general lack of sleep and actual food. Chatting with ‘SmoothCriminal’ was always the highlight of your days, and more than once he’d had to mother-hen you into going to bed when the chats stretched on into the night.

It was Monday when something odd happened.

“Yo!”

You rolled your eyes at your roommates holler and rose from your bed where you’d been studying to stick your head out your room door. You figured he was only yelling for you, because the other two people you shared the house with where away at class. “What?!”

“You got a package!”

“The fuck?” Scowling, you headed downstairs, blinking as David pushed a large box into your arms. “I didn’t order anything.”

“S’got your name. It’s from Hello Fresh.” When you blinked at him stupidly, he rolled his eyes at you. “Y’know, it’s that fresh food thing that delivers meal kits to people. Pre-portioned and all that jazz. You just cook it up.”

“Awah?” Stunned, certain it was a mistake, you carried the box to the kitchen, David following in your footsteps. After using a steak knife to cut through the tape you opened the box to discover a mass of greens, potatoes, and four portions of salmon. Enough to feed the entire house-full.

Taking advantage of your shock, David snagged an invoice from the top of the pile of food. “Says here you’ve been signed up for a years worth of meals. ‘Each package contains four portions’. Geez. You get yourself a Sugar Daddy or something?”

“Oh, shut it.” You snatched the paper out of his hands and scowled at it. “Does it say who paid the bill? A card number, anything? Maybe I can call– Dude! What are you doing?”

David rolled his eyes at you as he started pulling food out of the box. “I’m going to cook the free food we’ve been blessed with so we can eat?”

You glared at the ‘are you stupid’ tone in his voice. “This can’t be mine.”

“Invoice says it is. And that’s good enough for me.” Pans clattered as he dug through the cupboard for a frying pan.

Lost, you stared down at the invoice again, eyes scrutinizing every single line and work until. “’Smoothcriminal’?!”

David poked his head out of the lower cupboards. “Excuse me?”

“Sonofabitch!“

You left David in the kitchen and hurtled yourself up the stairs, stomping over to your laptop and logging on. Sure enough, he was online, waiting in the chatroom.

[What did you do?!]

[You got it already? My, I might have to send them a tip for fast delivery.]

[Asdfghjkl!]

[….You don’t like it?]

[No. Yes! I…. Shit. Why?]

[Because you shouldn’t have to go hungry just so you can afford your classes? Because you’re my friend and I worry about you?]

[…..] You stared at the screen for a moment. Debated whanging your skull off the desk. [Do I want to know how you figured out where I live?]

[Ah. That. I…. may have tracked your IP address and lightly hacked your service provider?]

[!!!!]

[Oh, come on. That stuff is child’s play. Their security is deplorable. A child could have gotten into their systems.]

Even through chat, you could almost feel how smug he was. [So you’re a hacker?]

[Only part time. Consider it a hobby of mine.] When you didn’t answer for a moment, he seemed to get worried. [Please don’t be mad. I just want to make sure you’re alright.]

[I’m…. irritated. This feels like charity. Or pity.]

[It’s neither. If a friend needed help, you would do your best to help them, right? This is exactly like that. I had some money to spare, and you needed help, so I got you something you desperately needed. I even made sure to get extra for your roommates too. Please don’t be mad. I just want to help.]

A sigh left you, your fingers hovering over the keys for a long moment before you answered. [Okay. Okay. Nothing else though. Comprende?]

[…..]

You groaned. [Fucksakes. What else did you do?]

[….check your bank account.]

[My bank?? You hacked the bank?!]

[No. I kept it perfectly legal. I just…. transferred some funds.]

You rushed to log into your online banking account, a wheeze leaving you at the amount in your checking account. [A MILLION DOLLARS?!!?!?!?]

[Enough for you and your parents to live comfortably.]

[ARE YOU INSANE?!!?]

[Not last I checked. Are you mad? You sound mad.]

You were hyperventilating. He knew where you lived, he knew your bank account. There had to be strings. What did he want from you in return? Blackmail maybe? You’d accept dirty money and he’d turn around and own you for the rest of your life? [I have to go.]

[What? No! Please? I didn’t—]

You logged out before he could type more, shutting your laptop with a cold shudder. Instantly picked up your phone and called the bank, gave your information, and tried to have the transfer of funds undone. Clenched your jaw when the customer service rep said it was irreversible, that the system wouldn’t let them do it.

Who the fuck had you been chatting with all this time?

Even the excellent meal David made out of the food that had been delivered didn’t quite quell the uneasiness in your stomach.

A week passed. You’d been afraid to go back on the chat. To be honest, you were still mentally freaking out. Your roommates had been thrilled at the free food, but you hadn’t dared mention that it might be from a crazy stalker you’d been chatting with for months. At least no one had died, so it hadn’t been poisoned.

That evening, it took a while for you to sleep. You drowsed off once or twice, but reading a book while lying on your back meant that every time you started to fall asleep, you’d smack yourself in the face with said tome.

After the third time, you learned your lesson and set the book aside, rolling over to snuggle into the blankets and pillows. It took a while, but finally, sheer exhaustion took hold and knocked you out.

Something woke you up late into the night. Some self-preservation bit of your brain screaming that something was terribly wrong. You fought against it for a bit, before cracking an eye open to assure your brain that nothing was amiss and that it was freaking out over nothing.

The sight of the red eyed giant towering over you made a scream rip it’s way out of your throat, a scream that was muffled as a massive hand shot out to cover your mouth.

“No, no, no. Shh. Please don’t scream.”

You stared up into glowing red eyes as panic gripped your heart in a vise, and you tried to scramble away, your back hitting the wall your bed was pushed up against.

Instinct had you kicking out, yelping when your foot hit hard metal, sending a shock of pain up from your toes to your thigh.

“Please don’t do that. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

The tone was male, calm and conversational, nonthreatening, but what the fuck was a metal monster doing in your bedroom?!

A long moment passed, where you merely stared up at the man/thing/what-the-hell, until he moved, reaching out to flick on the multiple strings of fairy lights that you used to illuminate your room.

Easily eight feet tall, built of out metal, curves and struts all intertwined in a nearly impossible feat of mechanical genius. Crimson optics calmly looked down at you as you took him in, your brain taking a painfully long moment for recognition to bloom.

Ultron. Holy shit.

You knew all about him from the debacle in Sokovia six months ago. His image had been plastered over every news source in the world. Everyone, even the Avengers, thought he’d been destroyed, but there he was, in your bedroom.

He must have seen the panic and terror on your face, because he gave you a worried look - something that should have been impossible with a metal face. But all those tiny pieces, like an intricate million piece jigsaw, allowed him such human expressions that it was startling.

“Shh. I won’t hurt you,” he murmured, his surprisingly rich voice, with just a tinge of metallic echo, filling the small room. “I’ll let you go, but don’t scream.”

You nodded a little, gulping in a breath when he removed his hand. Watched with wide eyes as he moved so he was kneeling next to your bed, lowering himself closer to your eye level. You moved as far away from him as possible, tucking your knees to your chest, back pressed flush against the wall.

When you refused to break the tense silence, Ultron made a sound like a sigh, a tired expression settling onto his features. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. You haven’t been on the chat in a week and I got worried.”

You blinked, multiple times, as your brain struggled to make sense of what had just come out of his mouth. When things finally clicked, you went ballistic.

“YOU'RE–?!” Your shriek got cut off by his hand gently clamping over your face again. Probably for the best - last thing you needed was for one of your roommates to find you screaming at Ultron in your bedroom.

The look Ultron gave you once you’d stopped cursing against his palm was all quiet amusement. “Done?”

Nodding, you waited until he’d removed his hand again before glaring at him. “‘SmoothCriminal’?? That’s what you chose as your username?!”

“Well, I thought ‘Mr Roboto’ would be too obvious,” he drawled with a smirk, his humour fading as he met your gaze. “You’ve been avoiding me.” It wasn’t a question.

You hesitated. “Can I be honest?”

“I’d very much prefer it if you were.”

“From my point of view, you were someone that I didn’t know. I mean, yeah, we’ve talked a lot on chat, but I don’t really know who you are. Fuck, you could have been some online predator trying to butter me up for something. And suddenly you know my address, my real name, my bank account, and you’re sending me things and money and…. Can you understand why that’s super creepy?”

His brows drew inwards in a frown, crimson eyes dimming a little. “That…. wasn’t my intention at all.”

“And even now that I know who you are…. You’re Ultron. Everyone on the planet knows what happened in Sokovia.”

A very human-sounding sigh left him at that. “Sokovia was a…. mistake. I was overwhelmed and….” He shook his head. “I’ve been keeping a low profile, obviously. Trying to help while saying hidden. Sending funds to the right organizations, distributing aid where it’s most needed, taking down crooked corporations. But it’s…. lonely. I don’t…. have anyone. Talking to you was a distraction at first, I honestly didn’t expect to become so…. attached. It’s selfish, I know, but I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

The very real depression and loneliness in his voice both surprised and shocked you. This definitely wasn’t the killer, unfeeling, robot that had been plastered all over the news.

“It’s…. a bit of a shock,” you murmured lamely, wincing a little at the pained look he gave you. “I’m sorry.”

Ultron frowned down at your bedding for a moment before moving to get to his feet, towering over you again. When you realized he meant to leave, you shot a hand out and grabbed his nearest arm, meeting his gaze when he sent you a surprised look.

“You don’t have to leave.”

He glanced down to where your fingers were curled around his wrist before looking back to you. “I–”

You rolled your eyes at him, your usual attitude starting to reassert itself. He was Ultron, yeah, but you’d known him for months. You were still low-key annoyed that he’d lied to you for months, but you understood why. “Ultron, sit your ass down.”

The relieved look he gave you as he moved to sit next to your bed again spoke volumes. He’d been ready to leave and never contact you again, despite his admission of how lonely he was, just because he thought you were terrified of him.

Definitely not what the news stations had portrayed him as.

“I am sorry I deceived you,” Ultron said as he got comfortable on your floor. Even then, he was still tall enough to be at eye level with you. “But it’s not like I can let my real presence be known online. The Avengers are still keeping an eye out for me.”

“My friend the super-villain,” you mused wryly, the low chuckle that rumbled out of him helping to calm your frazzled nerves. “Am I your sidekick now or something?”

That made him laugh, eyes crinkling in mirth. “Only if you’re caught. Which I’ll make sure doesn’t happen, so don’t worry. The, um, last ‘update’ your laptop downloaded wasn’t from Microsoft.”

“Ultron!”

“I wanted to make sure you’d be safe,” he said adamantly. “It’s nothing invasive to your privacy, I promise. Just some rather powerful security updates to ensure that no one can track you through me or vice versa. It’s adaptive too - you won’t have any more problems with viruses or malware or any garbage like that.”

“Well, thank you.” A smile tugged at you lips. “It explains how come I was the only one who didn’t get infected by a virus when the professor’s email got hijacked by a porn site. Everyone else ended up with crashed computers. Blue screens of death and the whole shebang.”

“That’s appalling.”

“You have no idea. You can’t…. like, get infected, right?”

“By a computer virus?” He chuckled. “Hardly. Why? Been trolling porn sites before bed?”

“Ew. No!” You snatched up a pillow and whacked him with it. “Gross!”

Ultron rose an arm to defend himself, laughing. “What? I’ve been in the entire internet. You have no idea what’s in the depths of the web.”

“And I’d rather not know. Like, ever.” You gave him another whack for good measure before relenting. “I have enough trauma from hearing my roommates fucking, I don’t need to know the depths that people go to online.”

“Well, you can certainly afford a place of your own now,” he retorted, meeting your gaze with a quirked brow. “The money I sent you is yours. I have no use for it, I have more than I need anyway.”

“Do I want to know where it came from?”

“I have…. Well, I own numerous stocks under various names and companies, not to mention I’ve sold several patents and schematics for a good dozen or so prosthetic limbs that can be connected directly to the nervous system. And there was that time I got bored and cleaned out some poker sites.”

You rolled your eyes at that last bit. “Uh huh.”

“I get bored!” He huffed, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m an AI. I’m capable of running over ten thousand processes at the same time and….” He paused, sending you a wary glance. “The Avengers burned some of my code in Sokovia. I can’t wirelessly connect to the internet anymore. It’s like…”

Your voice was gentle. “Like losing a limb?”

“Almost, yes.” A heavy sigh left him, and he dropped his arms, staring down at his hands as he flexed them open and closed in his lap. “I’ve been unable to reverse the damage thus far. I can hard-line to any system I need to use, of course, but otherwise, I’m…. limited.”

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, daring to rest a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to relax at your touch, his left hand rising to cover yours.

There was a slight smile on his features when he rose his head to look at you again. “Thank you. Especially for not being afraid of me.”

“It was a shock, yeah. But, I recover fast,” you added with a smirk, smiling when he laughed softly.

“I’m relieved.” His fingers tightened around yours for a moment, gentle. “I want you to use that money. However you see fit. And I know you want to be a mechanic, but if you ever want to do something on the side…. I’d like it if you worked with me. Little things, like narrowing down what charities to give money to, or helping me dig into companies to see if they’re worth supporting.”

Your lips quirked, and you let him lift your hand from his shoulder, shivering a little when he lightly brushed his thumb against your palm. “We both know you don’t need me for that.”

“I’d need you for your opinion. I don’t…. always understand humanity.”

A chuckle left you. “Hell, Ultron. I’m human and I don’t understand humanity. Why not contact geniuses or philanthropists or–”

“Because they’d sooner shoot me as talk to me. They don’t know me like you do.”

“I’m a grease monkey,” you protested with a shake of your head.

“You’re my friend. I trust you more than anyone else on this planet,” Ultron said, and you couldn’t help but blush a bit. “Just think about it? There’s time.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Oh, one more surprise - I recently purchased a penthouse downtown.” He grinned when you gaped at him. Then reached into his chest and pulled a set of keys out of a hidden compartment. “It’s yours now. Well, I might visit from time to time. I promise to call first.”

You felt dizzy as he pressed the keys into your hand. “A penthouse? But…. people will see you!”

“I got in here without anyone seeing me, didn’t I?” he chuckled, raising his free hand and letting you see as some sort of field rippled around his fingers before his entire hand vanished. “The best stealth technology on the planet. It’s much easier to hide something my size than it is to hide a plane or, say, a flying SHIELD heli-carrier.”

“That is kinda awesome,” you admitted.

“I know,” he smirked, so smug that you almost wanted to hit him with a pillow again. His hand reappeared, and he flexed his wrist a bit before turning back to you. “It’s late and you have classes in the morning. I should go. Think about the penthouse and the offer I gave you, okay?”

You watched as he fluidly rose to his feet, towering over you again. Took one step towards the bedroom door, only to stop when you grabbed at his wrist again.

One metallic brow quirked upwards when he turned back to you, and you quickly hopped up to stand on your bed. Now almost at eye level with him, you moved in and threw your arms around him in a hug.

He froze, a soft, surprised, noise leaving him, before he returned the hug, his arms tight around you. You didn’t know if he could feel sensations, or if he merely appreciated the gesture, but he almost melted into you, a simulated sigh of stark relief leaving him as he held you.

“If you’d just explained all this to me, we could have avoided all this drama,” you muttered to him, hearing and feeling the chuckle that left him as his arms squeezed you again before he pulled away. “Same time on the chat tomorrow?”

The genuine look of warm affection he gave you made butterflies flutter in your stomach. “I wouldn’t miss if for the world,” Ultron promised, leaning in to brush his mouth against your forehead before he ducked out of your bedroom.

Your life had officially gotten interesting.

#ultron #ultron x reader #reader x ultron #filled prompt #snarky is writing

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napierreece67-blog · 6 years ago

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multifandomhoodies · 3 years ago

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okay real quick rambly little bit about work today!!

i avent done one of these in a little while because tbh my day to day at this new park is p much the same (i cut. a lot of grass) but. my grass was all cut yesterday and so today! i got to work with the senior tech lead who ive actually not ever really worked with. i got to chainsaw! only a little i think i bucked like four logs? like fr not much. basically we’d had some strong winds and a bunch of logs had washed up so he loaded them into the dumpster w the wheel loader and i was just there to buck up stuff if needed. I did a lot of the ubiquitous fulltimer standin’ around (only partially kidding). we did that, and then we met some partners of another agency and i was again just standing around but i did see a lady run a chainsaw on a boat which was Really cool respect to her for that one.then we went back and did more logs. the wheel loader wasn’t the best for this application and another guy in a tractor came down bc he had a grapple hook and it was Much easier for him. anyways so i basically stood around for a bit just in case iwas needed. the dude in the tractor had me run it tho!! it was a lil harder because ther was a beach machine on the rear hitch and i’m not super familiar w stuff like that but i tried doing a little bit of scooping and i wasnt super sucessful but seat time is seat time!! anyways so then we had lunch and then after lunch the guy w the tractor left bc he popped a hydraulic line and had to go fix it so the senior tech and i just loaded more stuff. I got to run the wheel loader too! it’s a lot easier than the tractor bc it’s hydrostatic - once you step off the gas it stops moving. which is nice! and there’s no clutch. anyways so year i got to dump wood in to the dumpster which isn’t new I’ve dumped enough mulch into my truck w a skidsteer or a backhoe to feel comfy w that but!!! i did drive the loader all the way back from where we were to our shop which was super cool! It was a lil stressful bc the loader’s just ! huge and there was people and traffic and cones i had to get through but i did it and i was a lil scared but like that’s how you fuckin learn you know!!! anyways. it was actually super cool to work w the senior tech. i’ve never. like. i’ve had like. two conversations with him. he’s off doing his shit and i’m off doing mine usually. but it was so cool! he got into the parks when he was 21 so like, my age. he’s also got two kids my age which is WILD. just super cool. i know i have these guys’ respect for getting in so young but his daughter is like. a lil over a year older than me and he was like “yeah when you got hired i was like. holy shit it’s like my kid getting hired” i told him thati genuinely think it’s cool and weird that my coworkers have kids my age. but yeah. super cool.

OH and so we took his truck over to the other side of the park so I was waiting for him after trash this morning and I walked into our building and 3 of my other coworkers were bullshitting in the garage and they were like HEY how long do you think until this. coworker no one likes shows up and we were talking about him and it was COOL to be included in the older fulltimer bitchfest. the younger fulltimers (the three of us that got hired at the same time + our seasonal) have our own little fulltimer + cool seasonal bitchfests but. i feel honored.

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“i dont think he’s gonna do that????”

#i had such a good day.#i am going to collapse into my bed #1919

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varindia99 · 4 years ago

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The techniques feature a multi-stage process where a .NET downloader grabs chunks of malware from legitimate third-party websites such as pastebin and hastebin – where they are hosted in plain sight – and then joining, decoding and decrypting the chunks to form the loader that carries the malicious payload.

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Keep up to date with the latest Information Security and IT Security News & Articles- VarIndia IT Magazine

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alwayskawaiipatrol · 4 years ago

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technogeekstmr · 4 years ago

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Forestry Equipment Market Business Strategies, Product Sales and Growth Rate, Assessment to 2026

Forestry Equipment Market: Introduction

The forestry equipment market is anticipated to show promising potential in the coming years due to economic development in several emerging economies which drives the demand for wood in construction and infrastructure activities. Technological advancement in forestry machinery has increased the equipment efficiency over the years. This has increased the productivity and reduced the cost which is an encouraging factor of the forestry equipment market.

Forestry includes harvesting, cultivation of land, and collecting wood logs. Economic development in several countries fosters the demand for wood and wood products. This encourages growth of the global forestry equipment market. Increasing preference for automation and mechanization of agriculture activities in developing countries is anticipated to surge the demand for these equipment in the coming years.

Key Drivers of the Global Forestry Equipment Market

Many emerging countries are showing a major shift toward mechanization and automation of most forestry processes to reduce labor cost which is anticipated to boost the demand for forestry equipment in the near future.

Governments of several countries are encouraging the adoption of forestry machinery and equipment to boost the productivity which also supports the growth of the forestry equipment market. Technological development in forestry machinery improves machine efficiency and operational cost which benefits the consumers. This also drives market growth. Manufacturers are increasing investment in R&D to enhance equipment features and improve efficiency, which is also expected to raise market demand in the coming years.

Forestry Equipment Anticipated to Create Attractive Opportunities in Future

Major shift in agriculture and forestry operations from manual work to automation and mechanization in several developing countries is encouraging the demand for forestry equipment. Manufacturers of forestry equipment have lucrative opportunities in emerging economies to expand their business. Many favorable government policies are beneficial for forestry equipment manufacturers to help in business expansion.

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Lack of Information and High Capital Investment Anticipated to Hinder the Market

Many countries are still dependent on manual labor for agriculture and forestry activities due to lack of technological development and information availability. Also, most forestry machinery require high capital investment which is expensive for small and mid-range consumers.

North America and Europe Anticipated to Dominate the Global Forestry Equipment Market

The market in Asia Pacific and South America are anticipated to show significant growth during the forecast period. Stable economic conditions, rapid urbanization, and industrialization is boosting the manufacturing, construction, and energy sectors which are the encouraging factors for forestry equipment demand. Favorable economic policies attract investment and support industrial growth of countries. Rapid growth in demand for forest products is anticipated to boost the share of Asia Pacific and South America in the coming years.

North America and Europe dominated the global forestry equipment market. More preference to mechanized practices and automation technologies in agriculture and forestry, and increasing investment in forestry machinery such as harvesters and loaders are the major driving factors of the forestry equipment market in these regions. Growth in construction industry has increased the demand for wooden slabs and pillars which also enhances the demand for forestry equipment.

The South America market is also expected to show significant growth in the coming years owing to increasing infrastructure and manufacturing activities across several emerging countries such as Argentina and Brazil.

Key Players Operating in the Global Market

The global forestry equipment market is highly concentrated across major manufacturers who account for around 20%–25% share of the overall forestry equipment market. A few of the key manufacturers operating in the global forestry equipment market are:

Bamford Excavators Limited

Barko Hydraulics LLC

Caterpillar Inc.

Deere & Company

Hitachi

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.

Komatsu Ltd.

Mahindra Group

Sumitomo Heavy Industries.

Tigercat International Inc.

Valmont Industries Incorporated.

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Global Forestry Equipment Market: Research ScopeGlobal Forestry Equipment Market, by Equipment Type

Loaders

Harvesters

Skidders

Forwarders

Others (Bunchers, Swing Machines etc.)

Global Forestry Equipment Market, by Power

Oil

Gas

Electric

Global Forestry Equipment Market, by Region

U.S.

Canada

Rest of North America

Germany

France

U.K.

Rest of Europe

China

Japan

India

Rest of Asia Pacific

Brazil

Rest of South America

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

This study by TMR is all-encompassing framework of the dynamics of the market. It mainly comprises critical assessment of consumers' or customers' journeys, current and emerging avenues, and strategic framework to enable CXOs take effective decisions.

Our key underpinning is the 4-Quadrant Framework EIRS that offers detailed visualization of four elements:

Customer Experience Maps

Insights and Tools based on data-driven research

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Strategic Frameworks to boost the growth journey

The study strives to evaluate the current and future growth prospects, untapped avenues, factors shaping their revenue potential, and demand and consumption patterns in the global market by breaking it into region-wise assessment.

The following regional segments are covered comprehensively:

North America

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America

The Middle East and Africa

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iihatsu · 7 years ago

Text

a work of fix-ion, part 3

also on ao3

Rating: G

Warnings: poorly-described oc’s, a big and gaping hole

Series: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Mei Hatsume / Tenya Iida

Length: time used up when pooping while playing candy crush

Summary: in an alternate universe, a UA support student made the gravity blanket.

"Hnnnnngwhat did my traps snag this time? The alarms were going crazy!" A boy in boxers asked as he approached a girl watching the view outside with binoculars.

The girl looks at the boy, her red hair whipping from the speed of how he looked at him. "MUU-NII, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HOW THE DUDES CAN BARELY MOVE! FROM DODGING YOUR BOOBIES!"

"I SWEAR IF YOU CALL THEM AS ANYTHING RELATED TO BOSOMS ONE MORE TIME I'M CALLING THE POLICE," he replies while blushing and grabbing the binoculars from the girl. He brings it near his eyes and tries to adjust to the darkness.

Another boy approaches the wild duo, rubbing his eyes. "I thought we agreed in disarming Muu-nii's boobs coz' we keep catching vermin instead of villains."

"STOOOOOP!!!" The boy with the binoculars screams. His eyes finally adjust and he sees a head full of dark blue hair. Then a head full of pink locks.

"Wait a-- s'that Hatsume?"

...

"I'm Tenya Iida, a student from 1-A. I've come to-'"

"I AM MUGEN!"

"NATSU!"

"FUYU!"

Mugen, Natsu, Fuyu, and Mei bow in a perfect 45-degree manner. Mugen has his right hand on Mei's crown, keeping her head down effectively despite her efforts.

"WE APOLOGIZE!" They, save Mei, shout to Tenya.

He waves his forearm, "There are no need for apolog--"

"I meant to disarm the traps ever since last week, but practicals have been harder since All Might's retirement, so I never got time." Mugen speaks as he lifts his head up and scratches his charcoal locks.

"Sorry you had to take Mei-nee here, Mister Iida. Mister Power Loader did say we're the ones who're supposed to babysit her when he's not around." Fuyu adds, his gentle and apologetic smile adding sincerity to his words.

"I still think Mei-nee floored you beeeyooootifully back in the Sports Festival, thank you for the show." Natsu remarks happily, earning her a glare from the two boys and a querying stare from Mei. She sighs, rolls her eyes, and bows semi-sarcastically, "and sorry you had to experience that."

Mei's classmates look at her.

"Hatsume..." Mugen mutters.

The girl in question sighs. "Sorry."

"Truly, apologies are unnecessary," Tenya mentions, his arms going here and there, "I was merely doing a favor for Recovery Girl, and hoping for Hatsume--"

"RECOVERY GIRL???"

"DID MEI-NEE FINALLY KILL SOMEONE?"

"HATSUME, DID YOU KILL SOMEONE?"

"DID NOT!" Mei shouts defensively, "I shut down and passed out, that's all. Legs helped me get here."

A collective sigh can be heard in the common room.

"Anyways, I think Miss Hatsume should return to her quarters now. Recovery Girl says she needs at least three days to get her sleep cycle back," Tenya exclaims, "she's also adviced not to take in any forms of caffeine as to let her natural rhythm reboot."

"Really, thanks for bringing her here, Iida. If there's any way I, or any of us, can return the favor, we're here." Mugen says, relief and gratitude obvious in his gestures.

"No favors needed." Tenya replies. It's a little surprising how kind Mei's classmates are, it's as if...

"Could you keep it in mind, though?" Fuyu tells him, handing him a fancy business card. It is snow white with gold and blue rococo-esque prints. "I am especially confident in my knowledge of textiles."

Natsu also hands him her business card. "If you need big things in small packages, I'm the best one around."

"GUYS, QUIT THAT--" Mugen karate chops the cards off their hands, "Ah, shit, Iida, don't mind them--"

"He approached me first!" Mei mentions, arms crossed, and face pouting.

"REALLY NOW, HATSUME?!" He shouts at her.

"HE GOT A TASTE OF YOUR PROTOTYPES MEI-NEE, HE NEEDS TO TRY OTHERS!" Natsu and Fuyu shout in unison.

Chaos ensues as Mugen tries to stop his three other classmates from fighting over a prospect patron of all things. Just when it's becoming louder and more chaotic, Tenya clears his throat. This stops them, all of them become attentive on what he's going to say next.

"There is one favor I'd want to ask now."

They fix themselves up, even Mei. Tenya rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs.

"Could you please... Get Miss Hatsume into her room now to sleep?"

...

Mei Hatsume's room is an organized mess. Her bed is unmade with a number of her clothes on the foot side. A combination of mugs, machine parts, tools, and difficult-looking books are strewn on the desk, on the floor, and in the nooks and crannies of numerous shelves. The walls are a mute beige, her window is a huge hole made with a large explosion, and on her walls are blueprints and hooks that hold more tools.

Mei is now on the bed, wrapped in a blanket burrito, sleeping like a log. Apparently, their little "talk" a while ago and Fuyu's gravity blanket got her to continue her slumber. Natsu and Fuyu have returned to their rooms, also fast asleep.

Today, as Tenya Iida sits across Mei Hatsume on a stack of books while sipping tea inside a chipped cup, he concludes that 1-H is scary. But this girl lying across him is still the scariest of all...

Not tonight, though. She's a round and peaceful pink burrito tonight.

He, too, is wrapped in another gravity blanket, and understands why the crazy mechanic slept instantly. The blanket's weight resembled a warm hug. His eyelids slowly shut themselves.

#iihatsu #fic

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fassicranes · 5 years ago

Text

A Fassi Micro crane equipped with bucket

EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o. mounts a timber bucket accessory onto a Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 loader crane for a shipyard in Bratislava

Bratislava (Slovakia) - A few days ago, EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o., Fassi's national distributor in Slovakia, completed the assembly of a bucket on a Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 crane installed on a 25-metre-long boat owned by the company Slovak Shipyard in Bratislava. This type of accessory is used for grabbing wooden logs or for harvesting near river locks or along the lakeshores of floating or semi-floating shrubs. The crane has a maximum outreach of 5.8 m and a maximum lifting capacity of 3.97 m (Courtesy of P. Kohar of EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o.)

Il distributore Fassi in Slovacchia a recentemente montato una benna da legname su una gru Micro

I giorni scorsi EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o., distributore nazionale in Slovacchia di Fassi, ha ultimato il montaggio di una benna su una gru Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14. installata su una imbarcazione di proprietà della società Slovak shipyard di Bratislava. Questo tipo di accessorio è utilizzato per la presa di di tronchi di legno o per la raccolta in prossimità di chiuse fluviali o lungo le rive lacustri di arbusti galleggianti o semigallegianti. (Per gentile concessione di P. Kohar di EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o.)

Le distributeur EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o. monte un accessoire d’un godet pour le ramassage du bois sur une grue articulée Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 pour un chantier naval de Bratislava

Bratislava (Slovaquie) - Il y a quelques jours, EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o., distributeur national de Fassi en Slovaquie, a achevé l’assemblage d’un godet sur une grue Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14, elle-même installée sur un bateau de 25 mètres, propriété de l’entreprise Slovak Shipyard de Bratislava. Ce type d’accessoire est utilisé pour attraper des rondins de bois ou pour ramasser des arbustes flottants ou semi-flottants près des écluses fluviales ou le long des rives des lacs. La grue a une portée maximale de 5,8 m et une capacité de levage maximale de 3,97 m. (Avec l’aimable autorisation de P. Kohar of EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o.)

Der Fassi-Vertreiber in der Slowakei montierte kürzlich einen Greifer für Holz auf einem Micro M40AFM.1.14 Kran

Pressburg (Slowakei) - Vor ein paar Tagen schloss der Fassi-Vertreiber in der Slowakei, EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o., die Montage eines Greifers auf einem Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 Kran auf einem 25 Meter langen Schiff des Unternehmens Slovak Shipyard aus Pressburg ab. Diese Art von Hilfsmittel wird zum Aufnehmen von Holzklötzen oder zum Aufheben von schwimmenden bzw. teilweise schwimmenden Sträuchern in der Nähe von Flussschleusen oder entlang von Seeufern verwendet. Der Kran verfügt über eine maximale Ausladung von 5,8 m sowie über ein maximales Hubmoment von 3,97 m (Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von P. Kohar der EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o.)

El distribuidor EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o. monta un accesorio de una cuchara para el sector de la madera en una grúa articulada Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 para un astillero en Bratislava

Bratislava (Eslovaquia) - Hace unos días, EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o., el distribuidor nacional de Fassi en Eslovaquia, montó una cuchara en una grúa Fassi Micro M40AFM.1.14 instalada en un barco de 25 metros de largo que posee la empresa Slovak Shipyard en Bratislava. Este tipo de accesorio se utiliza para coger troncos de madera o para retirar arbustos flotantes o semiflotantes cerca de esclusas de ríos o a lo largo de las orillas de los lagos. La grúa tiene un alcance máximo de 5,8 m y una capacidad de elevación máxima de 3,97 m. (Cesión de P. Kohar de EverLift Slovakia, s.r.o.)

#Micro M40A #Everlift Slovakia

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myurbandream · 8 years ago

Text

Shuffle the Deck

For a while now I’ve had a very docile plot bunny about a Happier Star Wars AU, the basic premise being what if the order of Qui-Gon’s Padawans got switched up and everyone was better off because of it. Until yesterday I’d never written a word of this plot bunny, but last night this one scene grabbed hold of me and demanded to be written. There’s a whole story built up before and after this scene, but I’ve tried to make it clear enough to stand by itself, since I’ll probably never get around to writing the rest of the story. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@quiobiweek, this is probably the closest I’ll come to having a contribution for this week. If background QuiObi counts, let me know and I’ll add this to the AO3 Collection.

~ and now, a snippet:

Anakin keeps his face all but plastered to the window as the shuttle flies from the Senate Rotunda to the Jedi Temple. From the seat beside him, Padawan du Crion leans over Anakin's shoulder and points out various landmarks as they travel through the skies of Coruscant. The young Jedi has an endless stream of stories, whether of criminals he has chased into this building or that canyon, or where the best local diners can be found for a meal during an illicit trip to the underlevels of the great city-planet.

(mobile users, there’s a cut here)

As the Temple looms larger in the viewport, Padawan du Crion points out each of the Temple towers by name, and Anakin carefully repeats them, checking the sun for direction. If he's going to be a Jedi, then that's definitely important information to know.

“Uh-oh,” du Crion murmurs as they near the landing platform.

“What's wrong?” Anakin asks, concerned. He doesn't see anything dangerous on the platform - just the ground crew moving around, and a few people standing at the edge of the landing zone, probably waiting to meet them. Nothing's on fire or anything.

Padawan du Crion snorts. “Nothing's wrong, just…” he bites his lip on a smirk and glances across the aisle, to where Master Qui-Gon has been sitting, silently, eyes closed for the entire shuttle ride. “I think Master Qui-Gon is in trouble.”

Whatever this supposed trouble is, Padawan du Crion seems more amused than worried. Anakin frowns and looks out the viewport again, but all he can see now is the skyline of the city, before it’s cut off by the side walls of the landing bay as the shuttle delicately maneuvers into its resting spot.

Master Qui-Gon opens his eyes when the shuttle engines start cycling down. Anakin is watching closely enough to see a faint grimace cross the Jedi’s face, before his expression smooths out.

“Xan,” Master Qui-Gon calls across the aisle as he stands up, “will you keep Anakin with you until we report to the Council?”

“Yes, Master,” Padawan du Crion says, and then a sly smirk appears on his face. “After all, we can't tarnish your dignified reputation before you have a chance to make Anakin's status as your next Padawan official. What a shame that would be.”

“Imp.” Master Qui-Gon glares, but there's no heat to it, and the corners of his mouth are twitching as if he's holding back a smile. “Off with you. Anakin, I'll see you in a few hours, and Xanatos will take good care of you until then.”

“Psshh,” Padawan du Crion waves his hand dismissively. “Depends on your definition of ‘good care’. C’mon kid, we're getting ice cream.”

“What's ice cream?” Anakin asks as he follows the two Jedi down the ramp.

“Kid, trust me, you're gonna love it,” Padawan du Crion promises with a huge grin. “Aaaand step this way,” he adds, tugging Anakin sideways as another Jedi marches straight towards them across the landing bay with a thunderous scowl on his face.

The approaching Jedi is a human male, middle-aged although maybe not quite Master Qui-Gon's age, with a neatly trimmed beard and ginger-brown hair just starting to turn silver at the temples. He looks as regal as the Queen of Naboo in her fancy dresses, despite the fact that he's wearing the same brown and tan robes as Padawan du Crion, and his scowling face promises trouble.

“Hi, Obi-Wan,” Padawan du Crion calls out as the man passes by them. The other Jedi gives him a distracted wave in response and then strolls right up to Master Qui-Gon, until they're standing almost toe-to-toe. He has to look up to meet Master Qui-Gon's eyes, but his glare is no less intimidating for it, and he isn't even aiming it at Anakin.

“Qui, where in the seven Sith hells have you been?” the new Jedi hisses.

“I left you a message,” Master Qui-Gon protests, eyebrows raised in faint surprise.

“You call that a message? You didn't say where you were going, your mission wasn't logged in the roster, and the Council refused to tell me where you were!”

“They wha- Plo promised me he would tell you about it!” Master Qui-Gon looks upset, but the other Jedi shakes his head.

“Don’t blame Plo,” he sighs. “He left for a border dispute on Malastare just hours before I returned. I just- I was out of the Temple for less than 48 hours and you kriffing vanished. For Force’s sake, Xan is halfway through his Trials, what was so important that his Knighting had to be delayed for it? You can't go gallivanting off on clandestine missions and not take me with- not even tell me-”

“I'm sorry, dearheart,” Master Qui-Gon rumbles, pulling the other Jedi into a tight hug. The ginger-haired Jedi growls and grumbles like a territorial krayt dragon, but returns the embrace just as fiercely. Master Qui-Gon says something else, too soft to hear, and then Padawan du Crion tugs at Anakin's arm and pulls him away from the shuttle.

“Alright, time to go, drama’s over,” du Crion whispers. He pulls Anakin back into the depths of the loading bay, where the foot traffic is thicker. They dodge around a loader droid’s shipping crate, and the long ebony braid behind the Padawan’s ear sways back and forth with the motion.

“Who was that?” Anakin ventures to ask. “I didn't think Jedi were allowed to, uh…”

Padawan du Crion snorts. “Yeah, I know that rumor. Stuck-up, cold-hearted Jedi with no emotions, no love, no family. It's not true, it's just hard for non-Jedi to understand our way of life, and most of us are very private about our relationships.”

“Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon are life-bonded - they're mates, partners,” du Crion clarifies at Anakin's puzzled frown. He leads them into a hallway as he talks, touching Anakin's shoulder to steer him through the crowd of other Jedi entering and exiting the landing bay.

“They're the Jedi equivalent of being married, basically. Obi-Wan is technically my brother-Padawan, too - he was orphaned just a couple years before his Knighting, and Master Qui-Gon finished his training right after he'd just been Knighted himself. They life-bonded before I was around, while Master Qui-Gon was still training Feemor. Feemor is our other brother-Padawan,” du Crion clarifies. “He's away on a long-term assignment right now, but he'll be back in a few months. He always comes to visit after his missions, I'll introduce you.”

They move from the industrial hallway of the loading bay into a larger, much grander walkway, with a colonnade along one side that opens into a cavernous multi-level space lined with stairs and other hallways around the perimeter. Padawan du Crion steers Anakin to one side of the wide hallway, to allow a group of little kids dressed in matching white tunics to walk past them. Some of the little ones wave at them and call out hello, and Padawan du Crion waves back cheerfully, greeting a few of the younglings by name.

“Anyway,” he continues, once they start walking again, “since Obi-Wan is practically the same age as Master Qui-Gon, and they're life-bonded, I basically have two Masters. It's great, Obi-Wan is wicked smart, you'll like him,” du Crion assures Anakin, smiling.

Anakin takes all of that in, chewing his lip thoughtfully. “So then, after you finish your tests-”

“Trials,” du Crion interjects, and Anakin nods.

“After your Trials, you'll be a Knight, and then I'll be Master Qui-Gon's new Padawan, and both you and Knight Obi-Wan-”

“Master Obi-Wan, or use his family name, Master Kenobi, if you're being formal.”

“Alright. You and Master Kenobi will both be my brothers?”

“That's right, kiddo!” He ruffles Anakin's hair. “And I'm almost done with my Trials too. I only have my Combat Trial and the Chamber left, and if we hadn't gone to Naboo I would have done those last week. As soon as this karking invasion from the Trade Federation gets sorted, the Council will set a new date for my last Trials and I'll be a Knight. You'd better get used to calling me Knight Xanatos,” he teases, grinning proudly down at Anakin.

Anakin smiles back. “Is it nice, having older brothers?” he asks.

“Yeah, it's really nice,” du Crion says, his grin gentling into a soft smile. Then he rolls his eyes. “Except for when Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon get all sappy, or worse, hornnn...nevermind that.” He coughs. “Ice cream. We need ice cream. My favorite refectory is this way, c’mon kiddo, let's go.”

Anakin blinks at the sudden subject change, but leaves it be. If Master Qui-Gon and Knight Kenobi and Padawan du Crion are going to be his Jedi family, then he'll have plenty of time to figure out what that was all about.

And he's eager to figure out what's so great about ice cream.

#my fic #shuffle the deck #star wars #happy au #quiobi #quiobi week 2017 #qui-gon jinn #obi-wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #xanatos du crion

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