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maggiec70 · 4 years ago

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The Tabor Bridge Tale

I might have said something a while ago about posting bits and pieces from the Western World’s longest-running Napoleonic HistFic in progress. So to counter some gloom and doom, here’s my silly fictional version of getting to Vienna in one piece. Do hope you enjoy it.

>>>>>

Jean had improved by the second week of November. He’d set up a temporary camp south of Vienna for V Corps and waited for the rest of the army to arrive. Mariana didn’t watch him so closely now, hoping he’d learned his lesson, although he probably hadn’t learned anything. Meanwhile, the camp was pleasant, and she wondered how long they would be able to enjoy themselves.

The answer arrived two days later after breakfast when Prince Murat galloped up in all his finery. “You’ve heard about the Tabor bridges?” he called out as he dismounted, tossing his reins to an aide. Mariana still marveled at the cavalry commander’s appearance. Neither a plume nor a curl out of place—however did he manage it? Perhaps the prince had four valets instead of the usual two. On the other hand, Jean looked like he’d been marching in the wake of the baggage trains for days.

“Can’t say I have,” Jean answered. “We arrived the day before yesterday. It takes a hell of a lot longer for my infantry divisions to march over these damn roads than it does for your circus riders on their fancy ponies.

”Murat ignored the jibe. “The Tabor bridges are the only way into Vienna. My scouts say the enemy has already mined the longest span. Hungarians hold the near end, and Austrians have the far end. Both are bristling with artillery.” He shrugged. “If we advance across the bridge, assuming we can outwit the Hungarians, the Austrians will blow the long span at the first glimpse of a French uniform and then shell us. The emperor wants the bridges intact, and he’s ordered us to take them.”

“Who did Napoleon mean by us?”

Murat grinned, looking almost as piratical as André Masséna. “You and me, mon ami. Who better?” Another grin and Murat threw an arm around Jean’s shoulders for emphasis.

Mariana nudged Joseph in the ribs. “The marshal’s going to say no,” she whispered. “Watch.”

“Let him take the damn things himself. I hate bridges—I still get headaches from being shot on the Arcola bridge.” Jean unbuckled the canteen from his saddle and took a long drink before turning back to Murat. “How long are the bridges?”

“The scouts said a couple of miles. They’re nothing more than a series of cobbled-together wooden sections, the longest one an arched span, with marshes beneath.”

“And the Austrian artillery is at the farthest end?”

“Right at the bridgehead.”

“So they can see us coming?”

“From the time we reach the arched span. And that’s if the Hungarians don’t send an alert. I’ve already decided a sneak attack won’t work.”

Jean said nothing for a few minutes, staring in Vienna’s direction and the unseen bridges. After a moment or two of silence disturbed by a flock of birds and the horses’ restless stamping, Jean looked at Murat, a slow smile spreading across his face. Beata Santa Caterina, Mariana thought. He’s not going to refuse.

“It’s a bit long for a Sunday stroll, Joachim, but it might work.”

“I’m not following you.”

“You’ve gone at this backward. We’ll walk out there and bluff the enemy right off the bridge before they know what’s happened.”

“I enjoy a challenge as much as you do, but strolling across a mined bridge with artillery aimed at both my arse and my hard-won medals doesn’t inspire me with confidence.”

“Where’s your imagination, Joachim? We’re dressed in our finest, with decorations, plumes, cloaks, sashes, and so are our staff—yours in particular. Throw in four or five senior officers, and off we go in splendor, dazzling the enemy. Just a group of officers out for a pleasant walk. They’ll be paying so much attention to us that they’ll never see Oudinot’s grenadiers slogging through the marshes and dismantling the mines. By the time they realize what’s happened, we’ll have spiked their guns. Tell them there’s been a truce or a cease-fire. Nom de Dieu, they’re only Austrians.”

Mariana stared first at Joseph, then at Jacques, but they seemed amused and worse, willing to participate in the improbable charade. “Boys!” she muttered, her hands balled into fists. “They will never grow up, certainly not with him setting such an example.”

“Excellent idea, my dear D’Artagnan. I wish I’d thought of it. Well, brush yourself off so you’ll glitter like me, and let’s go.” Murat had turned toward his staff of waiting peacocks as he asked, “See you in half an hour?”

It took less than that for Jean to find Oudinot and explain what he needed. With a sinking feeling, Mariana saw that Oudinot seemed delighted with the idea and just as eager to rush into danger as the rest of them.

Jean interrupted her misgivings by shouting, “Saint-Denis, you have anything to get rid of this dust?”

She rummaged through her saddlebag for the tack rag she kept rolled in the bottom. Pulling it out, she swatted at the dust on his coat, decided his breeches were a lost cause, and gave his boots a hasty swipe. “Give me your cloak. It’s covered with horsehair. Where’s your hat?”

“Damned if I know—find it, will you?”

They met Murat and his staff two hundred yards before the first bridgehead. Mariana had never seen so much military finery, blinding gold lace and braid, or so many waving, bobbing white plumes in one place. She was also confident that the plumes and those who wore them would be blown up, one way or another, in the next little while. They might receive a mention in history books later, perhaps in the same vein as Thermopylae.

“This is like a Sunday promenade, so talk, tell jokes, laugh, and occasionally stop to admire the scenery,” Jean reminded them and set off, his arm hooked through Murat’s.

“What scenery? There’s nothing but marshes,” Mariana said.

“Pretend, Saint-Denis,” Jean called back to her. “That’s all this is—a big game of pretending.”

“Except for the Hungarians and Austrians, whose guns and mines are real enough,” she mumbled to Joseph and walked faster to keep up.

The Hungarians at the near bridgehead were disarmed almost immediately in the face of Murat’s smooth talk of a truce, Jean’s friendliness, and the staff’s easy camaraderie. Most of all, they welcomed the bottles of brandy appearing by some sleight of hand from half-a-dozen senior officers. Mariana had stopped between Joseph and Jacques, her mouth agape. “Who told them to bring brandy?”

Jacques laughed as he tried to peer over Joseph’s shoulder to see what was happening. “The marshal did. Who else?”

Although only two Hungarian officers understood French, the rest seemed to appreciate the sudden largesse, oblivious to the grenadiers creeping forward and disappearing beneath the bridge.

The charade held together as they advanced. Mariana moved forward when Joseph and Jacques linked their arms through hers. Without them, she would have collapsed onto the rough planks. With them, she felt like a marionette, being jerked along, her heart hammering against her ribs, mouth as dry and wooly as a blanket. When they had reached within a hundred feet of the last bridgehead and the enemy guns, an Austrian officer yelled at them to halt. Jean and Murat didn’t stop, but slowed their pace until Murat made himself heard without too much shouting.

“Who’s in charge here?” Murat demanded when he was less than twenty feet from the officer.

“Prince Auersperg is our commander. Who are you?”

“Prince Murat, His Imperial Majesty’s envoy. I won’t discuss armistice terms with anyone but your commander. Go get him,” Murat said, every inch of him drawn up, shoulders squared. The epitome of a peacock in full plumage strutting before a peahen. Mariana tried not to laugh.

Jean strolled over to the nearest gun and, with admirable aplomb, used the caisson for leverage and sat on the barrel, one gloved hand casually covering the fuse. “Damn long walk. Any of you have anything to drink?”

Mariana desperately wanted something to drink to ease the terrible dryness in her throat. She’d cheerfully drink the strong, sharp brandy, or even scoop some of the brown Danube water up in her shako and drink that. But the brandy might give her ten or fifteen minutes of false courage, enough to get her through to the end of this charade, whatever the end might be. The brandy was no closer to her than the river was, and she swallowed, the effort making her throat sore. With a stoic sigh, she followed the rest of Jean’s aides and staff officers as they moved among the guns or leaned against the bridge railings as if they had all the time in the world. If she stood beside the nearest howitzer, it couldn’t possibly hurt her. She rested her hand on the barrel, warm from the sun, and then leaned against it. When nothing happened, she relaxed as the warmth of the metal penetrated her coat and chased away the last of her chills. On another day and in another place, she might even feel secure enough to rest her cheek against the smooth bronze and doze off.

She raised her head as four Austrian officers helped an old man in a uniform that hung on his bony, stooped frame onto the bridge. “Look at him, Joseph—he’s ancient,” Mariana said, not bothering to lower her voice. “How can he command anything?”

Murat directed a barrage of Gascon-accented charm at the old prince, explaining the terms of the non-existent armistice. Auersperg’s rheumy yellow eyes widened, and he trembled visibly. Two of his aides gripped his elbows and held him upright. Mariana began to feel sorry for him, even though she knew he would have ordered his men in a thin, wavering voice to blow them all into the next world, had the circumstances been different.

Jean removed his hat and waved it in the direction of the advancing grenadiers. They rose from the marshes at his signal, clambered over the railings, and swarmed across the bridge. It was finally over. Not one cannon or musket had fired at them. No explosives had exploded. No casualties at all other than one confused, elderly Austrian prince who didn’t understand how completely his enemy had tricked him.

Mariana was glad she had something substantial to hold her up. Weak-kneed with relief, she tightened her grasp around her howitzer and blew out a long pent-up breath as Jean and Murat left the bridge, congratulating themselves on their superb chicanery and laughing at the risks they had taken.

“They’ll never understand how dangerous this was.” Mariana stepped onto the bare, packed earth of the riverbank, Jacques beside her. “We could have been blown to our heavenly rewards, and they’re laughing like schoolboys. I thought I had steadier nerves, but I was as faint-hearted as a recruit.”

“I never believed danger was imminent, Gabriel, nor do I think the marshal, or the prince for that matter, would have exposed us all to certain annihilation.” He draped his arm across her shoulders, the weight almost making her slip on the river mud. “Come on. I’ll get you a drink, or several if you need them.”

#joachim murat #jean lannes

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rameswaramtemple · 4 years ago

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Rameswaram tourist places

Rameswaram

Rameswaram means "Lord of Rama" (Rāma-īśvaram) in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka. According to the Puranas (Hindu scriptures), upon the advice of sages, Rama along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana, installed and worshipped the lingam here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya incurred while killing of the Brahmin Ravana.

To worship Shiva, Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas. Since it took longer to bring the lingam, Sita built a lingam, made of just Sands of the shores, which is also believed to be the one in the sanctum of the temple. Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameswaram from where Rama is believed to have built a floating stone bridge, the Ramsetu bridge, that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.

Located in Ramanathapuram district, the town is a part of Pamban Island also known as Rameswaram Island being associated with the legendry temple built in marvelous Dravidian style of architecture. Situated at the very tip of the Indian peninsula, the island is connected with Indian mainland by Pamban Bridge on Pamban Channel in Gulf of Mannar.

A visit to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is not considered complete in terms of pilgrimage if not coupled with a trip to Rameswaram which is said to be the Varanasi of South. Welcome to the charm that devotees come to associated with an abode of God irrespective of the place it belongs to.

History

The town has been changed many hands; main amongst them were Cholas, Jaffna Kingdom, Allaudin Khilji (Malik Kafur), Pandya Dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, followed by some other rulers who ruled the town for a very short while before British East India Company directly took over it and made it a part of Madras Presidency.

The Rameswaram Temple which is the main reason the town is known to every other person following Hinduism, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is said to be built by Sethupathis of Sethukavalan - custodian of the legendary bridge built by Lord Rama when he crossed the sea to reach Lanka (now Sri Lanka) the place in the control of Demon King Ravana, also a Brahman.

Rameswaram is believed to be the place from where Lord Rama started his journey to get his wife Sita back from Ravana and the Lord was helped by 'Vaanar-Sena' army of legendary monkey-humans and served by Hanuman, Lord Ram's paramount devotee. Also, many later versions of Ramayana testify of installing a Shiva Lingam by Shri Ram and Devi Sita to worship Lord Shiva as a part of penance for Brahmahatya - killing of Brahmana, Ravana who was himself a well-known staunch follower of Lord Shiva. The Rameswaram Temple, built in 12th century is believed to have the same Shiva Lingam.

The bridge to Lanka named 'Rama Sethu', also known as Adam's Bridge is of religious as well as ecological importance. Some 30 Km long, it was supposed to be passable on foot till 15th century after which a storm deepened the channel.

Attractions

Ramanathaswamy Temple:

'Ramanathaswamy' literally means 'the Master of Rama' which refers to Lord Shiva, which the temple is all about. There are two 'lingams' inside the temple; 'Ramalingam' by Devi Sita built by sand and 'Viswalingam' brought by Lord Hanuman from Kailasha (abode of Lord Shiva) and installed by Lord Rama. Temple tanks, hall of 1000 pillars, and several other shrines in the temple attract millions of pilgrims every year, especially during Maha Shivratri.

ramanathaswamy temple

Pamban Bridge:

Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge which connects the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Pamban Island, and Rameswaram. Opened on 24 February 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. Until 1988, the Pamban bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu’s Island of Rameswaram to the mainland. In December 2018, the bascule of this bridge was damaged, which suspended transportation on the bridge for 3 months. Rail movement was again restored on 27 February 2019.

In 1988, a road bridge was also constructed parallel to the rail bridge. This road bridge is also known as Indira Gandhi Road Bridge. The Pamban Road Bridge connects the National Highway (NH 49) with the Rameswaram island. It stands on the Palk Strait and between the shores of Mandapam (a place on the Indian mainland) and Pamban (one of the fishermen town in Rameswaram island). It was inaugurated by former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 2 October 1988. This 2.345 km long bridge took close to 14 years to be completed.

pamban bridge

Dhanushkodi Temple:

The southernmost tip of Rameswaram is known as Dhanush Kodi, where Kothandaramaswamy temple is located. The place was often ruined by cyclones but never displaced a single stone of the temple and of faith, thus. The place is where Vibhishana, brother of Ravana surrendered to Lord Rama. Enchanting location make the visit to the place and the temple as pious as God has made it.

Tirtham:

Various temples were erected to honor those who had a left a lesson to learn from the epic of Ramayana and that includes

• Agni Tirtham - A large lake and 22 wells with unique-tasting waters make it an important pilgrim place where they believe to get cured by the curative properties.

• Ram Tirtham - worshipped by many communities of south India.

• Lakshman Tirtham - Built inside Rameswaram to give the brother of the Lord the place he rightly deserved helping his brother in the holy war against Ravana.

• Jatayu Tirtham - Commemorates the memory of Eagle God who assisted Lord Rama in his fight for Devi Sita.

• Kaveri and Jada Tirtham - A place is meant to worship for God Kapardikeshwar and a Peepal tree representing all the deities.

Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple:

panchmukhi hanuman temple

Lord Hanuman, Lord Adivaraha, Lord Narasimha, Lord Hayagriva and Lord Garuda are the five faces that were revealed by Lord Hanuman at the sacred site, where the present-day temple stands. Another attraction of the temple is floating stone used for building temporary Sethu Bandhanam to reach Lanka.

#rameswaram #pambanbridge #dhanushkodi temple #panchmukhi hanuman temple #rameswaram temple

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kitsunebaba · 5 years ago

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Just a Little Change

Rei stared down at the body at his feet, the butt end of his dagger still raised from the strike. Ryu stared at him in shock, gaze slowly drifting down to focus on Teepo's unconscious form. He wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed it but his brothers had been so focused on one another and Rei had seen the opening and before he could really think it through, he was moving.

And now Teepo was out cold on the grass.

"Oh good thinking Rei!" Nina exclaimed, the first one to move. She went straight for the pack on Ryu's back muttering "rope, rope," to herself.

Everyone else seemed to jump out of their stupors, with Nina breaking the silence: Momo riffling through Teepo's pockets, Garr interjecting the best way to restrain one of the brood. Rei couldn't quite follow the conversation, his ears still ringing from this whole mess of a situation. For years he'd been consumed by nothing but revenge and now to find that not just one, but both of his brothers were...

Teepo was alive... Teepo was alive!

A grin was slowly stretching its way across his face and when he looked down at where Ryu was fixing Nina's knots, he saw a smaller but just as bright smile on his face, too.

Rei wasn't quite stupid enough to think this was going to be easy. Whoever this God was, they'd really done a number on Teepo's outlook. All that nonsense about the brood, his self righteous attitude. Teepo had never been particularly kind, but this just wasn't who he was meant to be.

Well, whatever he'd thought of this pilgrimage before, it was personal now. No one did something like this to his family and got away with it. No one.

With Teepo wrapped head to toe in rope, Rei hefted his little brother over his shoulder and on they went. On to meet God.

---

Teepo didn't wake up until after God was dead and they'd escaped to the desert.

Garr had finally found his peace and they'd lost track of Peco in all the chaos of their escape. Their victory was bittersweet at best but that was just how vengeance tasted, he'd learned. Rei wouldn't kid himself into thinking his own participation was anything but. Ryu was the selfless one in the family.

There was a gasp to Rei's side, a groan and instantly he was kneeling to turn Teepo over. His brother squinted against the harsh desert sunlight and Rei shifted to shadow his face.

"That was a dirty trick," Teepo murmured, voice deeper than before but cadence much closer to what Rei remembered. Then Teepo tried to move his arms and froze. Eyes narrowed and flicked intensely to his with so much venom it made Rei's heart jolt.

"You dare-?" Teepo hissed and his teeth were already extending, his skin turning purple, scaly, face elongating.

Before Rei could so much as move, Ryu was there, sitting down hard on Teepo's chest. It knocked the wind out of him, the shock enough to stop the transformation. They glared at one another, two obscenely powerful beings vying for dominance.

Teepo looked away first.

Huffing, Teepo glared at the sand instead. "So you bested me and removed me from my sanctuary. Does the safety of the world mean nothing to you? Our God Myria has-"

"We chose freedom," Ryu murmured, interrupting.

Those words confused Teepo more than anything and he cast his gaze around to the others, as if they had the answers, as if he'd forgotten how to read Ryu and everything he didn't say.

"He's saying we killed your God," Rei couldn't help but clarify. It was petty and not worth the devastated way Teepo's face fell. His brother's breath caught and, alarmingly, his eyes began to well with tears.

"Myria is...?" his words were barely sound.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Nina replied when no one else did.

Rei couldn't watch the clear grief on Teepo's face but nor could he hide from the sounds, all the more heartbreaking for their restraint. Small sniffles and whispered denial. Each one struck home in Rei's chest until he felt ill. He couldn't regret what he'd done but there was always a price and once again it was Teepo who had to pay it. Yet another way Rei had failed.

There was no giving up this time, though. Rei had people to fight for again and he wasn't letting them go without one.

---

They almost lost him on their way to the oasis.

Teepo had refused to eat or drink. Occasionally they could get some water down his throat, with Ryu coaxing or Momo forcing but that hadn't stopped his lips from cracking or his cheeks hollowing out. They couldn't afford to untie him, either. When Teepo wasn't catatonic with grief, he ranted.

Rei was ashamed to say he left Teepo to Ryu when he got like that. There was something stalwart to Ryu that Rei could never even hope to emulate, so he didn't even try. To Teepo's threats, his fanatical recitation of God's rhetoric, Ryu kept a straight face, silently stoic as he held his brother down and waited it out.

By the time they reached the oasis, Teepo hadn't woken in at least a day and his breathing had begun to get laboured. They couldn't just leave him with the head man's wife like they had with Nina, either. That first night, they'd all been exhausted. Ryu had taken first watch regardless, making sure no one was hurt in Teepo's lucid moments as he was tended to.

Eventually, though, even Ryu couldn't keep his eyes open.

A shout woke them all, then a scream and they all clambered to their feet in alarm. Rei could feel his rabid side start to stir, eager for a fight, but pushed it down. The head woman had scrambled backwards, Ryu trying to hold back a struggling Teepo, free from his bonds.

Unable to think of anything else, Rei punched Teepo in the face and his brother slumped in Ryu's arms, his form shrinking, changing until he was a tiny, purple dragon. The look of disappointment that Ryu gave him for that made him want to shrivel to the size of a mouse and hide for the rest of eternity.

They got Teepo back into bed, tied to the posts, and Ryu went to sit back down at his side.

Rei didn't let him. He finally had to admit to himself that he'd been avoiding this new, heartbreakingly unfamiliar Teepo. Rei had promised himself there was no giving up, yet he'd almost done so to spare himself more hurt. So Rei swept Ryu into his arms and lay him down gently along Teepo's winged side, then took up the chair himself.

It was one of the longest nights of his life, watching his brothers sleep on that bed, one struggling, again, to hold onto life. When morning came, his eyes itched with tiredness and his muscles screamed from sitting for too long, but Teepo was once again in human form and Ryu smiled at him and that made it all worth it.

---

Teepo started eating again, a few days later. It had taken many, many hours of nagging and begging and pleading (and a few guilt wrenching tears from Ryu) but they'd managed to convince him to continue to live, at the very least. While his brother's ranting had stopped, along with his attempts to escape, he hadn't started speaking normally again, either, or at all.

Instead, Ryu talked. It was more than Rei thought he'd ever heard him say in his entire life, let alone at one time. He spoke of their journey, their lives, why he'd come to the decision he had. Ryu talked himself hoarse and then some until Rei took up the slack. There was only so much he knew, so much he'd been there for, but he could reminisce on their time together, at least.

Rei spoke of their lives before Ryu, reminders of the people they'd been, the ways they'd changed after they'd adopted their third family member. That one, near perfect winter and early spring where they'd been accepted, well fed, happy. That one season of bliss before everything had fallen apart.

And then Rei confessed how he'd gone off the rails in his quest for revenge. How devastated he'd been to lose his brothers to one mistake.

Teepo listened, at least, even if he never said anything in reply. He listened and Rei hoped he was taking it all in, considering their perspectives instead of clinging to a dead god's dogma.

---

Once they were all well enough to walk, about a week later, they resupplied and made their way north. They didn't need the ropes by this point. Teepo was silent and submissive, following along when asked.

It was Momo who tried to strike up a conversation this time, as they made their way through the debris of old technology. She asked a stream of questions about Eden and the space station, though the whole thing went over Rei's head. Teepo watched her, wary, but he must have understood because once she was done with her rambling hypothesis he either nodded or shook his head. One time Rei swore he heard a response but it could have been his imagination.

A few trips by Portal Drive later and they were emerging from the hut hear Mount Levett. Why they'd gone here, he wasn't sure. This whole place left a bad taste in his mouth, memories blurred from spending such long periods transformed but certain moments horrifically vivid.

"I... um, don't want to go home yet," Nina offered when he asked.

It was understandable. The prospect of possibly being confined to one place for your whole life... Rei wasn't sure he could do it. Certainly after the trick they'd played on the king and queen, she wouldn't be allowed to leave for a good long while, even if they didn't just lock her in her room.

There were other reasons she didn't want to go home. Nina still had to work out what she would fight for now. At least Rei didn't have that problem anymore.

Down the path towards the Yraall Region, they reached the road in good time. Across the bridge and they quickly came to the edge of the farmland that marked the area. A sense of unease passed over Rei the closer they got to the place they used to call home. The girls sensed it, too and the whole party remained subdued as they trekked. It was by far the easiest terrain they'd navigated in months but the tension in the air ruined any relief.

It was at the junction where the Yraall Road split towards McNeil Village that it happened.

Nina screamed as Teepo shoved her back and in an explosion of power he transformed. Momo was already aiming her weapon as he spread his wings, taking to the air. Rei jumped forwards to push the bazooka towards the ground and they were both flung backwards as it went off.

Rei picked himself up with a groan, grumbling a few choice swear words. It took a few moments to get all his senses back in alignment and by the time he had, Ryu had transformed too, staring at him, waiting.

The dragon tilted his head, indicating his back and Rei didn't have to be told twice. Scrambling to his feet, he didn't even consider what he was about to do until he felt muscles lurch below him and the ground began to lift away. Rei's eyes widened and he wrapped his arms in a vice lock around his brother's neck.

They shuddered and shook as they climbed altitude and Rei had to wonder how they weren't just dropping out of the sky. At last, though, they evened out. The turbulence stopped. Wind still whipped about his ears, pulling at his clothes and tail, but slowly he pried one eye open to look down at the ground below.

It was like a patchwork quilt he'd seen some of the women in town making; all greens and browns with the occasional patch of colour. He couldn't see any people, though with the roars he could hear in the distance, it wouldn't be a surprise if they'd all sought shelter.

With a jolt of surprise Rei found himself able to pick out landmarks. There was the farm near town, the village itself not too far off, McNeil manner. Already they'd travelled what would have taken hours on foot. He watched as it all passed below them, turning into the forests he'd once known like the back of his hand. A glimpse of Bunyan's hut, the mountain close by, then they were descending and Rei had to bury his face in Ryu's neck again or risk being sick.

When they landed, Ryu shrank back into his human form, collapsing to his knees, breathing rapid. Rei rested a comforting hand on his shoulder for a moment, long enough to know he was okay, then he was moving again.

Teepo stood at the base of the burned shell of their hut. The smell of ash and smoke had long since been washed away but Rei could still remember them, phantom scents in his nose. He came to a stop three steps behind his brother, staring up at what remained of their home.

"Sometimes I was half convinced this was just a dream... but then that would mean you had simply abandoned me."

"What?! I would never-!" Rei cut himself off, nails cutting into his palms with the effort.

Teepo shook his head, "no. You're petty and self severing like everyone else, but you wouldn't do something like that."

They were quite for a while, lost in their own memories.

"You know, Ryu said he looked for you after," Rei gestured vaguely at the burned building. "Me? I just assumed you were dead and went off to get revenge but... He went all the way to Wyndia. Would have gone further, I think, if he hadn't been caught up in all that Brood shyte."

Teepo frowned. "Wyndia...?" The frown deepened and he crossed his arms. "I... perhaps I reached it? I remember being hungry and stone walls. It wasn't long before Myria saved me, gave me a home, clothes, food, love."

"If you'll remember, so did I. And I didn't lock you in a damn cage and feed you self hate for ten years," Rei growled.

"Myria has good reason to think the way she does... did..." Teepo turned his face away, swallowing thickly before he continued. "How many people died for Ryu's cause? Just defeating her you lost two of your number. Can that be justified?"

Rei snorted, "oh, so when she kills thousands of people, it's for the good of everyone, but when a few people sacrifice their lives willingly, it's not justified? Well don't that just beat all. And here I thought we had numbers on our side."

"We are dangerous!" Teepo spun, one fist raised threateningly but Ryu was already situating himself between them, a hand on each of their chests to keep them apart. He still looked worn out from carrying someone on his back, using muscles he wasn't used to for so long, but the colour had returned to his cheeks and he wasn't winded any longer.

"So am I," Rei countered, sounding much calmer than he felt. "Sure I don't hold a candle to you guys but I slaughtered an entire crime syndicate in cold blood. It was easy. Should I be put under lock and key?"

Teepo scowled, "yes."

"Okay, so what of God's Guardians then? I know for a fact that Garr alone killed, what was it, Ryu?"

"Two hundred and ninety nine," Ryu replied softly.

"Two hundred and ninety nine Brood members during the war. That's way more than a measly crime syndicate, I'd say. And he only did it because he was told to, not because they killed his family or something."

"That was God's power-"

"So should God be locked up then? Why is her power okay but yours isn't? What gave her the right to dictate what we can and cannot do? Who lives and who dies? Since when is genocide something the good guys do?!" Rei snarled, breaking away from Ryu's restraining hand to pace, prowling the path.

Teepo rose to his full height, clearly trying to look regal. "She saved the world."

"Does it look destroyed to you? Has Ryu gone on some monstrous rampage and killed everyone? Blown up any mountains lately? Because let me tell you, he's had the motives. Half of this crap isn't even what he wanted, he was just dragged along because he was being hunted or someone else wanted to know the truth! He lost us, he lost friends, he lost years of his life and he's never destroyed anything that wasn't asking for it!"

"And what if I do?!" Teepo screamed. "What if I... I hate everyone. I hate what the world did to us! I hate how petty people are, how self serving, how no one will ever share just because they... No one ever deserved what Myria did for us, not even me!"

The silence in the clearing could have been cut with a knife.

"What if I'm the one who destroys the world?"

"You won't," Ryu said, clear and confident, "because we won't let you." Slowly, like he was touching a wild animal, Ryu lowered his hands to clasp one of Teepo's gently between them. "Just like you won't let me."

For a long moment it seemed like Teepo would pull away, whole body tense. Then he slumped, head bowed. "Is it that easy? I don't want to be around people. I don't want to go back to a society that would let children, orphans just- just starve. I don't want to-"

Rei let his hand fall heavily on Teepo's shoulder. "So we live in the woods, away from everyone else. Heck, that's pretty much what we did here before Ryu came along, just without all the stealing. Maybe we try grow our own food or something? We got friends and resources that we didn't have as kids, yeah?"

Teepo's gaze was unreadable as he looked from Ryu to Rei.

"Not here," he said at last, raising his free hand to rest on top of Rei's. "Not here."

---

They met Nina and Momo back in McNeil Village but didn't do more than pass through after joining back up. The frightened rumours of dragons in the sky effected both his brothers negatively and Rei had to suppress the urge to take his rage out on the villagers, too. They'd never wanted help, but they'd been children. Someone should have given it regardless.

Nina didn't try to pry like Rei had expected. One look from Ryu and she looked more relieved than anything. It was odd, seeing someone else able to read his brother so well but slowly Rei was coming to see Nina as family, too, and well maybe they needed a little sister to balance them out.

Reluctantly he had to admit that Momo felt like family, too, but that was dysfunctional at best. Not all family could be sunshine and roses, he'd learned. Well, one out of four wasn't so bad.

Conversation picked up when Rei voiced their intentions some time later. Nina was eager to offer locations and Momo building advice. She'd had to fix her own equipment often enough that she was handy with a hammer or a welding torch. After all, if they built with metal and brick, they couldn't be as easily burned out of the home again.

The process wasn't as difficult as he thought it might be. The forests surrounding Wyndia were vast, so before they parted ways with Nina and Momo they all ventured into them to find a good spot to build. Officially this would be Nina's vacation cottage, since the forests were technically royal hunting grounds. Hopefully they were deep enough that no one ever noticed they were there in the first place.

Momo threw herself into the building with as much enthusiasm as she did new machines. Confusingly enough, after the initial distrust, Teepo and Momo ended up getting along well. She was oblivious enough she didn't notice the way he talked down to her and he was knowledgeable enough in machinery that she was endlessly pumping him for details that he was now willing to give.

Nina, for her part, could only come by extremely occasionally. The king and queen hadn't locked her in her room but she was under strict guard whenever she argued an outing was legitimate. Slowly she was amassing a following of soldiers more loyal to her than her parents, however, and sometimes she could slip away.

When they were finally done, Momo and Nina had tentative permission to visit on occasion, though Rei could see Teepo only agreed with Nina doing so because Ryu always looked so sad when she left. It probably helped that she was their main source of supplies and Teepo could easily use that as an excuse if anyone ever confronted him on it. He'd always been unwilling to admit how soft he was where his brothers were concerned.

Rei mused on Nina's situation and how he'd thought he didn't ever want to be confined. Funny, how he didn't feel like he was locked away staying here, even though technically they were. Perhaps it was the self imposed nature of it... though Rei would put more zenny on his brothers having something to do with it.

They had to be careful with hunting in the area but they had a neat little vegetable garden going by now and a book on pickling to get them through the winter. Nina had even visited bearing some fruit tree saplings yesterday. Rei had left his brothers to plant them while he'd gone to find them some meat to celebrate.

Coming home, Rei heard them before he could see them.

"Ryu that's not how you dig a hole. No you have to- No use your- Oh, just give it here!"

Holding back his mirth, Rei rounded the corner of their house to see Teepo instructing Ryu on the proper technique for digging a hole, complete with demonstration and short, sharp directions.

Rei caught Ryu's eyes and his youngest brother flushed. Then Rei noticed there were quite a few holes already done, perfectly created, and couldn't quite hide his amused smirk as Ryu once again failed to dig a hole in the most dramatic way possible. Teepo promptly snatched the shovel back again and dug two more holes. They'd have too many at this rate.

Dropping the rabbits he'd caught by the house, he strode forwards to clap a hand down on top of each of their heads, grinning ear to ear. "I may not be very good at math but even I can see we have eight fruit trees and seven holes." Grabbing the spade himself, he dug the last one quickly, before anything could escalate. It was a little sloppy but deep enough that Teepo only scowled a little at it. He didn't even try to fix it when Rei handed the spade back.

Ryu moved off to start putting the saplings in the ground and Teepo only looked alarmed for a moment before he realised Ryu was doing this part right, at least.

Turning back to Rei, he said, "I see you're getting bolder with your kills."

"Their Royal Pains In The Butts aren't going to notice a few less rabbits in spring, Teepo."

"Early Spring."

Rei waved off the concern. "Whatever. I think we got enough tomatoes for a stew, at least. Momo better bring us more spices when she comes next. I got used to fancier food on the road than we ever had as kids. Who knew salt could do so much to a hunk of meat."

"You're getting careless. If we're-"

"Relax, Teepo."

Teepo scowled but they lapsed into silence, watching Ryu move from plant to plant, carefully placing them in the ground. For someone with the power to literally destroy the world if he wanted to, Ryu was the gentlest soul he'd ever met. Even plants were treated tenderly.

"Do you still think he's dangerous?" Rei asked softly.

Teepo watched Ryu as he answered with a shake of his head. "I don't think I ever did... not really. The kid that cries at the drop of a hat? With too much empathy for his own good. That's not someone who wants power."

"But...?"

Teepo sighed, "but I still don't trust myself. All I've had time to do is think and I know who I am. I don't want to leave, but I don't want to keep him here, either. If he wants to go..."

"And what if he wants to stay?" Rei murmured.

Ryu looked up from his work and waved, Rei waved back with Teepo reluctantly doing so too a few seconds later. The grin on their youngest brother's face was heartbreakingly bright.

"All he ever wanted, was be with his family, and that's us, Teepo. Ain't no way you can change that." He swung an arm around Teepo's shoulder, drawing him in close. "Maybe one day we let him go, yeah? But he's gonna come back. No matter where he goes without us, he'll always wind up back here sooner or later with a new story and some new friends. Probably a few new scars the way trouble finds him."

"Then maybe we need to go with him to protect him..."

"If we ever do, I'm sure we can go wherever you want..." Rei replied, giving him a squeeze.

"...Except Wyndia. We're wanted criminals there."

"You're what?!" Teepo squawked.

From where he was planting, Ryu looked up to watch Teepo chase Rei across the clearing and smiled.

#bof3 #breath of fire iii #fix it fic #I wrote this for you sama because you had to break my heart with that last bit of writing #just knock the boi out and take him with #problem part way solved

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flightsofanaviophobe-blog · 6 years ago

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For the past four and a half days I have been exploring Bosnia & Herzegovina, a country I will admit I knew relatively little about: not its tree covered, mountainous terrain; not its stunningly blue rivers and waterfalls; not about its small but bustling cities; and certainly not about its horrifying history. And by history, I mean recent history.

Firstly let me explain how we fell in love with the beautiful landscape of the former Yugoslavian country. (My favourite Welsh companion Beth, has been with me this week – a few days before jetting off on a two month-long South American adventure – I’m extremely jealous!). The initial plan for our trip was to explore Split in Croatia, and from there go to a few of the Croatian islands, including Hvar. I was really excited to explore more of Hrvatska, a country I really like after visiting the capital Zagreb last year. I will go into more detail in another post but in short, due to it being the first weekend of the UK school Summer holidays; we quickly encountered a vast wave of tourism and prices massively inflated when compared to the rest of the Balkan states. After discussing a few options, we decided to head inland to Bosnia, a country neither of us had been to and were really intrigued to check out.

With the sheer amount of mountains in this part of Europe you are almost guaranteed some breathtaking views when travelling from city to city. Both on road and rail you will find yourself peering down steep valleys coated in the dense, dark green branches of Spruce trees. The long mountain passes especially wind through vegetation that wouldn’t be out-of-place in the movies. The waters of the River Neretva is so incredibly clear you can see every jagged rock lying beneath the surface as it flows by. In short the outer city landscape is perfection.

In both Sarajevo, the country’s capital city, and Mostar you can immediately tell there are influences from many eras and empires in the architecture. Ottoman, oriental-style buildings mix with flamboyant Austra-Hungarian buildings which mix with the very simplistic, deliberately basic decor of the Communist era, creating a very eclectic feel, much like the majority of the Balkans which have been conquered several times throughout the ages, namely by the Roman and Ottoman Empires.

Sarajevo Skyline – Capital of Bosnia

Unfortunately for all the beauty that this Country possesses, there is an dark sadness caused by the atrocities that occurred here during the Bosnian War in the early to mid 1990’s. What is greatly upsetting is to have had to come here to really learn what awful things happened throughout the conflict, especially one that happened in my lifetime. From my extremely limited knowledge before this visit, I was aware there had been War following the break up of the former Yugoslavian Republic, but nothing more than that. It is not something I had really been taught about at school, which is strange as a lot of British history class is centred around the horrific actions of the Nazi party during World War Two. We are taught that never again should such dreadful things occur.

In Sarajevo, the Capital, it is quite easy to overlook any residual evidence of a city heavily bombarded just over 20-years ago. There are of course worn down, derelict buildings but this is a regular sight throughout the Balkan peninsula which has gone through a lot of turmoil in the recent past. Sarajevo is more famously known as the city in which Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, prompting the start of World War One.

Our first realisation of what despicable actions occurred here came in the Museum of Crime Against Humanity and Genocide in Sarajevo (there is also one in Mostar). The museum is a gallery of first person accounts which go into graphic detail about the atrocities which happened, many with the actual items involved which hammer home the shocking events. It is believed that around one hundred thousand people were killed between 1992-1995, with up to 80% of those Bosniaks. This number is not official as many victims were buried in mass graves. The museum is not for the faint of heart, but is a hugely eye-opening and humbling experience which I would recommend to anyone, in the same way I believe everyone should visit Auschwitz concentration camp.

In Mostar it is still all too clear what happened. The main landmark from the War is the now infamously named Sniper Tower in the centre of the city. The harrowing name gives away its War time use – used by the Serbian Army as a snipers outpost with views of the entire area – however it was built shortly before the War intended as a Croatian Bank. It has been left abandoned since it was stripped down to bare concrete during the conflict, and has been closed off to the public as there are various health and safety issues with its damaged remains. However it remains a tourists hot spot and gives a very surreal and haunting feeling of that time not long ago, but also great views of the city – the same views used in such deadly fashion just 25 years ago.

Apt graffiti in the Sniper Tower

Sniper Tower – chilling and hollow

Wires and steel rods left exposed in the former bank building

Austro-Hungarian building mostly destroyed in the War

Abandoned buildings are common in Mostar

Bullet holes are easy to find across Mostar

The city is also home to Stari Most, the first bridge built to cross the Neretva River. Originally built-in the 16th Century by the Ottomans as the only river crossing, it was destroyed during the War in 1993 and rebuilt early in the 2000’s. It was originally the longest arch bridge in the World. Today it is still the centre piece attraction of the city and hosts annual diving competitions where brave souls drop into the River below.

Stari Most – The Old Bridge, Mostar

Spectacular view of the River Neretva

View from the ‘beach’ below the Bridge

The local divers show off for the tourists by jumping several times a day

We arrived in Bosnia & Herzegovina intrigued but suspicious of what we were going to find. We were blown away by the character and resolve of a nation which is has often been all too used to adversity. Yet it continues to sparkle with its amazing scenery and I would highly recommend a visit – Dan

Beautiful Bosnia & Its (Mostly) Untold Stories. For the past four and a half days I have been exploring Bosnia & Herzegovina, a country I will admit I knew relatively little about: not its tree covered, mountainous terrain; not its stunningly blue rivers and waterfalls; not about its small but bustling cities; and certainly not about its horrifying history.

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mobikefed · 4 years ago

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Rock Island Trail - Jackson County segment Grand Opening Saturday, completing statewide trails vision

Grand Opening for the final section of the Rock Island Trail in Jackson County is Saturday, July 10th, 2021, 10am at the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City. Details below.

The next section of Jackson County's Rock Island Trail is finally opening!

This is the last big piece of the statewide Katy-Rock Island trail system we've been envisioning for more than 25 years. There are, as always, some gaps in the system - but in the grand outline, this is it.

What does this day mean for people who walk, bicycle, and use trails across Missouri?

New Rock Island Trail section enables major regional and statewide bicycle & trail connections

In preparation for this day, we've been working with partners across the state to develop hundreds of miles of high-quality bicycle routes, using existing trails and low-traffic roads, that will connect you to the new trail:

You can ride from just about anywhere in the KC area--including the airport, northland, KCK, Johnson County, and Independence--to the Jackson County Rock Island Trail and from there access the statewide Rock Island/Katy Trail system. MoBikeFed has compiled downloadable GPS routes & maps showing how.

If you are worried about crossing the Greenwood Gap, MoBikeFed has you covered there, too. The Greenwood Gap is about 10 miles between the Jackson County Rock Island Trail (13.5 miles) and Missouri State Parks Rock Island/Katy Trails (257 miles). Bridge that gap with our downloadable GPS routes and maps for the Greenwood Gap.

With the recently completed Rock Island Trail sections, the entire Kansas City metro area is well connected to statewide trails

Want to fly or Amtrak in or out of Kansas City to ride the trail? We've got you covered there, too, with a 52-mile route connecting the Rock Island Trail with KC's airport and Amtrak station. It's not just a route, but a historical and cultural tour of the region, with literally hundreds of points of interest along the way--where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, what to see and do. And . . . it's also the quickest, easiest low-stress way to get there on your bicycle.

Details about Saturday's Rock Island Trail Grand Opening

Now here are the details about the new section of Jackson County's Rock Island Trail and the celebration for it on July 10th:

Jackson County is excited to announce the grand opening of the much-anticipated phase two of the Rock Island Trail. The “Ride the Rock” ribbon cutting celebration will take place on Saturday, July 10 at 10:00 a.m. starting at the brand new stadium trailhead, located at the Truman Sports Complex, Lot L, accessible through Gate 3 off of Blue Ridge Cutoff.

Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr., Jackson County Parks + Rec and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) invites local officials, community members and media to celebrate the occasion and enjoy a great day on the trail. Additionally, guests will have an opportunity to leave their mark on the project by signing a piece of rail from the historic Rock Island line. The rail piece will then be displayed at to-be-determined Jackson County Parks + Rec facility.

What: Ride the Rock - Ribbon Cutting Celebration Rock Island Trail Phase Two

When: Saturday, July 10 at 10:00 a.m.

Where: Truman Sports Complex Trailhead Lot L, Accessible through Gate 3 off of Blue Ridge Cutoff

The second phase of the Rock Island Trail is seven miles long and runs from Brickyard Road in Kansas City, through Raytown, to the Truman Sports Complex. Combined with phase one, which opened in June 2019, the entire trail is 13.5 miles in length. With completion of the Rock Island Trail, Jackson County now has more than 150 miles of trails in its parks system for people to enjoy.

The Wildwood Bridge on the Rock Island Trail in Raytown is one of the longest trail bridges in the region

The new trail segment includes three new trailheads and parking areas, the preservation and re-use of four former railroad bridges and five new trail-only bridges, including the new Wildwood Bridge, which at over 300 feet in length is one of the longest trail bridges in the region.

“The County had a vision to revitalize and energize our community in a way we have never seen before, and now that it has finally come to life, I am so proud and excited to celebrate this major accomplishment,” said Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. “With the support of the Legislature, our visitors will enjoy an experience like no other on the Rock Island Trail, including riding a bike all the way from Lee’s Summit to a game, concert or event at the Truman Sports Complex. I am deeply grateful to our Parks + Rec leadership, Rock Island team, contractor and partners for their hard work and perseverance to see this beautiful project through to the very end.”

“We are very excited to open phase two and celebrate the completion of the Rock Island Trail,” said Rock Island Project Manager Matt Davis. “This project transformed a blighted railroad corridor into a beautiful place for Jackson County residents to exercise, recreate and connect with their community. We are proud to finally share this wonderful amenity with the community.”

Following the County’s ribbon cutting ceremony, visitors can walk or bike the Rock Island from the stadium trailhead, encountering other fun activities along the way, including a dedication of the Raytown Chamber Trailhead at Noon.

The trail passes under Raytown's historic trestle bridge (Raytown Road overpass). The original Raytown Rock Island Station stood here.

Total construction costs for phase two of the trail was $11.6 million, paid for by Jackson County with generous grants from the Missouri Department of Transportation and Kansas City, Missouri. Radmacher Brothers Construction of Pleasant Hill, Missouri built all 13.5 miles of the trail for Jackson County.

Jackson County acquired the 17.7-mile Rock Island Railroad Corridor in May 2016, in partnership with the KCATA to preserve the corridor for multi-modal transportation opportunities. Additional information about the Rock Island and other Jackson County trails can be found online at www.makeyourdayhere.com and makeyourdayhere.com/Parks-Lakes/Trails-At-a-Glance

By all accounts, Jackson County, the KCATA, and the Rock Island Corridor Authority have done an excellent job bringing this trail together. It is a top quality trai in a beautiful location--and a location where hundreds of thousands of residents live within bicycling and walking distance.

This new trail segment is a fitting western capstone to the statewide Katy/Rock Island Trail System.

What this grand opening means: Finally, Missouri has a truly statewide trail system

MoBikeFed and our allies across Missouri have been working for decades to complete the envisioned statewide trail system connecting the St Louis and Kansas City metro areas. When the Katy Trail was created in the early 1990s, everyone involved saw that it was a long and important trail to the state.

But it lacked one thing: Easy connections from the trail to the two major metro areas in Missouri--at the far east and far west sides of the state.

MoBikeFed "Complete the Katy Trail" petition dating to 2005

The Katy went from almost St Louis to almost Kansas City. But it didn't quite get to either.

Katy Trail visionaries Ted & Pat Jones saw how important the Katy-KC connection would be--leaving $1 million in a fund specifically earmarked for finalized the connection. That million dollars sat unused for more than 20 years.

With the Taum Sauk disaster of 2006, an opportunity opened. Taum Sauk was owned by energy giant Ameren, which also owned the Rock Island railroad corridor across Missouri.

In 2012, MoBikeFed worked with Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and many supportive organizations across Missouri and the Midwest to present Ameren with over 12,000 citizen signatures and statements of support for the Rock Island Trail

With the opening of the 47-mile Rock Island section of Katy Trail State Park in 2016--on the corridor of the former railroad, until recently owned by Ameren--the possibility of a truly cross-state trail system came a lot closer to reality.

Then Jackson County and the KCATA acquired 17.7 miles of Rock Island Corridor from Union Pacific. Since then, they have been working diligently to raise needed funding and build the trail.

And now it is complete--and open to the public.

We want to express our gratitude and thanks to everyone involved in making this long-temr vision become a reality: Jackson County, KCATA, Missouri State Parks, many cities, counties, and staff, numerous elected officials across Missouri, organizations of all kinds who have stepped up to support the vision, and to many hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of ordinary people who walk, bicycle, and use trails who have taken the time to express their support for the statewide trail vision.

Thank you.

The work continues . . .

Like any major trail system, we are always left with some gaps. These gaps shouldn't at all subdue our celebration for what we, as a state, have accomplished--for the connections we HAVE made.

We know that the major pieces of the job are done--the pieces so hard many thought they would never be completed. But we also know, the work continues.

In fact, it never ends. Every trail connection made creates a dozen or five dozen more opportunities.

The major gaps that remain in the statewide Katy/Rock Island Trail system--and opportunities created by the completion of these major trail segments:

The fate of the 192-mile Rock Island Trail section Windsor-Washington remains to be determined. Missouri State Parks is working with allies and supporters across Missouri right now to raise the $10 million dollars it needs to accept the corridor. Deadline is December 2021. More info.

The Katy Trail-Chesterfield connector over the Missouri River was opened in 2016. The bike/ped path was added to the I-64/40 interstate highway bridge by MoDOT, who had identified the need and the priority of this river crossing.

The trail still lacks a complete, seamless connection from St Charles through St Louis County to St Louis, the Arch, and the Riverfront. Great Rivers Greenway and many allies in the St Louis region are working to make that happen, and in general bicycle/pedestrian/trails connectivity from St Louis County and St Charles County to the Katy Trail has improved dramatically in the past 10 years.

On the Kansas City side, seamless trail connections from the terminus of the Rock Island Trail to downtown, the Brusch Creek Trail, the Trolley Track Trail, and Indian Creek Trail, and Little Blue Trail, the Blue River Trail, and Line Creek Trail, and other places around the metro area are under consideration and development. Again--you don't have to wait: You can make those connections via low-traffic bicycle routes right now. But creating seamless trail connections among all those existing regional trails is a regional priority that is underway but far from complete as of 2021.

The current Katy/Rock Island Trail System connects the Kansas City metro area, Columbia, Jefferson City, and the St Louis metro area. But what about other major metro areas like St Joseph and Springfield? What about other parts of the state, like northern and NE Missouri, south-central and SE Missouri? In the long term, we would like to see seamless trail connections to all regions and sections of Missouri. Work on some of these is underway already.

Will the Katy Trail every continue west past Clinton, Missouri? The railroad corridor stretches west to Nevada, MO and on through Kansas. Right now the corridor is in active use as a railroad. But . . . the railroad's largest customer, by far, is a coal-fired power plant near Clinton. What will happen when that plant is reconfigured or decommissioned? Who knows--but possibilities may open up in upcoming years or decades.

The Greenwood Gap. The trail connection across this gap of about 10 miles between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill is currently the longest gap in the existing Katy/Rock Island Trail System. Work is underway to create a seamless trail connection to plug this gap. (Keep in mind trail riders can bridge the gap right now with a short ride on existing low-traffic paved or gravel roads.)

Governor Parson, state, county, city, and citizen leaders break ground on the Sedalia Katy Connector in 2019

The Pleasant Hill Overpass. Just south of Pleasant Hill the original Rock Island railroad crossed another railroad. The trail crossing will require a complex and expensive new bridge. In the meanwhile, the trail is detoured through a piece of private property and along a MoDOT highway. State Parks, Pleasant Hill, and other interested parties are working on solutions to this gap, which amounts to about one mile.

And finally, a something to celebrate! The largest gap in the Katy Trail was finally closed just last month. After nearly two decades of diligent work, local supporters, the City of Sedalia, and Missouri State Parks held the grand opening of the Sedalia Katy Trail Connector in May 2021. This project closed the three-mile gap in the Katy Trail at Sedalia.

Work to build citizen support for statewide trial connections, and keeping people across Missouri informed about trail connections and successes is one way MoBikeFed helps build a world-class bicycle and pedestrian network across Missouri. That is one of the four major goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri and MoBikeFed has been involved in building public support for this statewide trail connection for over 25 years.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality.

#mobikefed.org

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xtruss · 4 years ago

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America Makes Aircraft Carriers, China Makes Money

— Fred Reed | Anti-Empire | May 20, 2021

First, America increasingly relies on strong-arm tactics instead of competence. For example, in the de facto 5G competition, Washington cannot offer Europe a better product at a better price, so it forbids European countries to buy from China. The US cannot compete with China in manufacturing, so it resorts to a trade war. The US cannot make the crucial EUV lithography equipment to make advanced semiconductors, as neither can China, but it can forbid ASML, the Dutch company, from selling to China. Similarly, the US cannot compete with Russia in the price of natural gas to Europe, so by means of sanctions it seeks to keep Europe from buying from Russia. This is not reassuring.

Second, the Chinese are a commercial people, agile, fast to market, cutthroat, known for this throughout Asia. America is a bureaucratized military empire, torpid by comparison. America has legacy control over a few important technologies, most notably the crucial semiconductor field and the international financial system. Washington is using these to try to cripple China’s advance.

A consequence has been a realization by the Chinese that America is not a competitor but an enemy, and a subsequent explosion of investment and R&D aimed at reducing dependence on American technology. There is the well-known 1.4 trillion-dollar five-year plan to this end. One now encounters a flood of stories about advances in tech “to which China has intellectual-property rights” or similar wording.

They seem deadly serious about this. Given that Biden couldn’t tell a transistor from an ox cart, I wonder whether he realizes that every time the US pushes China to become independent in x, American firms lose the Chinese market for X, and later get to compete with Chinese X in the international market. Anyway, give Trump his due. He lit this fuse.

A few snippets

Prototype of China’s 385 mph maglev train

The above beast, developed entirely in China, is the first to use high-temperature superconducting magnets to keep the train floating just above the rails. HTSC magnets are a Big Deal because they can achieve superconductivity using liquid nitrogen as coolant instead of liquid helium for classic superconductivity, this costing, say the Chinese, a fiftieth of the price of using helium. The use of HTSC is very, very slick. The train will extensively use carbon-fiber materials to keep weight down, suggesting that the Chinese cannot distinguish between a train and an airplane.

Asia Times “China’s Hydrogen Dream is taking Shape in Shandong”

“A detailed pilot plan being worked out to transform Shandong, a regional industrial powerhouse, into a “hydrogen society” holds out much hope of delivering on the green promise.”

The article, hard to summarize in a sentence, is worth reading. As so often, the Chinese do things, try things, while the US talks, riots, imposes sanctions, sucks its thumb, and spends grimly on intercontinental nuclear bombers.

“Huawei is Developing Smart Roads Instead of Smart Cars”

“Multiple sensors, cameras, and radars embedded in the road, traffic lights, and street signs help the bus to drive safely, while it in turn transmits information back to this network-“

“Quantum Cryptography Network Spans 4,600 Km in China”

Quantum Key Distribution, QKD, allows unhackable communications. China read Ed Snowden’s book on NSA’s snooping, realized it had a problem, and set out to correct it. If this spreads to other countries—see below—much of the world could go black to American intel agencies.

The Chinese may have thought of this.

“…colleagues will further expand the network by working with partners in Austria, Italy, Russia and Canada. The team is also developing low-cost satellites and ground stations for QKD.”

The last sentence is interesting. If China begins selling genuinely secure commo gear abroad, it is going to make a lot of intel agencies very unhappy. Did I mention that the Chinese are a commercial people?

Further:

“Chinese scientists achieve quantum information masking, paving way for encrypted communication application.”

My knowledge of this might rise to the level of blank ignorance after a good night’s sleep and three cups of coffee. However, the achievement made the American technical press, and suggests Chinese seriousness about gaining privacy.

The video below shows how China constructs high-speed rail lines as if painting a stripe on a highway. Since they can’t innovate, they have to get by with inventing things.

China to Europe rail freight: “Over 10,000 trains and 927,000 containers were forwarded via the China-EU-China route in 2020, China Railways has announced. The current volume of traffic has grown by 98.3% year-to-year, covering 21 countries and 92 cities in Europe.”

America makes aircraft carriers. China sells stuff.

NikkeiAsia: “What China’s Rapidly Expanding Nuclear Industry Means for the West”

One Chinese reactor in Pakistan just went live, with another expected in a few months. Says Nikkei, “The Karachi reactor is just the latest of these to come onstream, with the World Nuclear Organization listing a dozen different projects at the development or planning stage across a dozen countries from Argentina to Egypt in its recent survey. Many more are under discussion.”

In addition, says Nikkei, China intends to have the whole industry from technology to materials indigenous to China and outside of American sanctions. See above, about driving China to make things.

First China-Built DRAM Chip Reaches Market DRAM, dynamic random-access memory, appears in almost everything electronic and is a juicy market. Chang Xin Memory, which makes it, redesigned it slightly to remove American technology. If Chang Sin can ramp up volume, which has yet to be established, guess what foreign companies won’t sell much of in China any more.

Pingtang Bridge, recently opened. Well over a thousand feet high

Even in my short two weeks recently in China, I saw that the Chinese do not believe in vertical motion. An American, encountering a mountain, would, sensibly enough, go up and over. This is not the Chinese way. They go through. Similarly, on finding a valley, they do not go down and up. They go across. There may be some genetic abnormality behind this, or maybe interbreeding with space aliens. But it results in hellacious bridges.

“Is China Emerging as the World Leader in AI?”

“Summary. China is quickly closing the once formidable lead the U.S. maintained on AI research. Chinese researchers now publish more papers on AI and secure more patents than U.S. researchers do. The country seems poised to become a leader in AI-empowered…”

Some argue that Chinese patents are of low quality. Maybe so. But don’t bet the college funds.

“China begins construction of world’s longest superconducting cable project”

“China’s first 35 kV high-temperature superconducting cable demonstration project has started construction by State Grid in Shanghai and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year. This is the world’s largest transmission capacity, the longest distance, 2000A current the highest commercial 35 kV superconducting cable project.”

Regarding the 5G War Trump could have bought 5G from Huawei, gotten a sweetheart deal, great prices, factories in America, and so on. Instead he banned Huawei from the US and then twisted arms of the vassal states of Europe. Thus neither America or Europe has the service, but China is rolling it out fast. Brilliant, Don. This gives China a running start on smart factories, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and the like.

“An almost entirely automated port in China, during unload of a container ship.“

America talks about 5G, China uses it.

NikkeiAsia: “The port is an example of how operator China Merchants Group has been working to automate and mechanize more operations using ultrafast fifth-generation wireless technology. By developing innovative ways to run the port as efficiently as possible, the company aims to accelerate overseas expansion.”

Aviation Week “Face It: The J-20 is a Fifth Generation Fighter”

Says AvWeek: “Clearly, Chengdu’s engineers understand the foundation of fifth-generation design: the ability to attain situational awareness through advanced fused sensors while denying situational awareness to the adversary through stealth and electronic warfare. The J-20 features an ambitious integrated avionics suite consisting of multispectral sensors that provide 360-deg. coverage. This includes a large active, electronically scanned array radar designed by the 14th Research Institute, electro-optical distributed aperture system, electro-optical targeting system, electronic support measures system and possibly side-array radars.

“In a 2017 CNTV interview, J-20 pilot Zhang Hao said: “Thanks to the multiple sensors onboard the aircraft and the very advanced data fusion, the level of automation of J-20 is very high. . . . The battlefield has become more and more transparent for us.”

Most of the story is visible only if you have a subscription to AvWeek.

Asia Times: Tesla loses lead to local upstart in China’s EV market .

The headline is kidding. The car that is outselling Tesla is a $4,200 el cheapo for short-haul shopping and picking up the kids in the city.

Sexy as a truss ad, but…useful. I’m telling you, put the college funds in this company, not truss ads. Made by an SAIC-GM partnership, majority owned by China, where it was designed and made. Will be sold internationally.

“Unlike Tesla, which requires purpose-built charging stations, the Mini can be plugged into a home power system to charge, which takes about nine hours. It has a range of about 120 kilometers and a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour, according to the carmaker’s promotional materials.” Designed and put into production in one year. (Did I mention that the Chinese are a commercial people?)

China’s Y-20 strategic transport aircraft gets key indigenous engine: reports Chinese design. How close it is to being ready for prime time is not clear, but it is flying. An inability to make high-end engines has been a problem for China.

The WS’20 is a high-bypass turbofan of Chinese design.

Finally, Global Times”, Beijing’s news site: “China’s trade volume increases 37% y-o-y in April, marking 11 consecutive months of positive growth”

Nuff said.

— Source: The Unz Review

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jaigeddes · 5 years ago

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Game-changing task ahead for HS2 phase 1

HS2 is being hailed as a game-changer for the industry that will usher in new ways of working and innovation.

The size of the programme means that the industry has been given a once in a generation opportunity to invest long term in the development of skills, capabilities and technology.

The task ahead to deliver the 140-mile phase one route is challenging with the four main delivery consortia having to deliver 85 miles of this route in tunnels and cuttings.

Nine contractors – Balfour Beatty, Costain, Eiffage, Kier, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska, Strabag, Vinci and VolkerFitzpatrick – will be delivering the main civils packages.

Construction will begin with the biggest engineering challenges – such as the stations and tunnels – then the main viaducts and bridges.

As such, most activity during 2020 will be focused on the city centre station sites and the major construction compounds at Old Oak Common, M25, Calvert and Streethay.

The 25 miles of tunnels on Phase One will be mainly bored with some cut and cover work. By comparison, the Crossrail project has 13 miles of tunnels.

The portal structures will be 200m long and 0.8m thick. They will contain 1m long perforations at 2m intervals at the top of the portal side walls

Bouygues, VolkerFitzpatrick and Sir Robert McAlpine (Align JV) will bore the 10-mile long Chiltern tunnel which will be the deepest at 90m on the route, while Skanska, Costain, Strabag’s London tunnels from Euston are the longest at 13 miles, albeit with a surface break at Old Oak Common station.

In total, contractors will deliver 300 rail, road and footbridges.

Around 20km of viaducts will be built. Align JV also has the task of delivering the innovative bridge at Colne Valley, which is to become the UK’s longest viaduct.

The Colne Viaduct at 3.4km it is 1km longer that the Forth Rail Bridge

The design includes innovative ideas for transparent noise-reduction barriers with vertical lines which are visible to bats and wildfowl to reduce possible impacts, while creating a slimmer side profile of the viaduct.

Balfour Beatty/ Vinci joint venture will have its work cut out on the northern section where it must deliver the complex Delta Junction outside Birmingham.

Part of the complex Delta Junction crossing the M6 and local rail lines

At 9.5km long, this junction section consists of seven bridges and viaducts spanning three rail lines, eight roads, five rivers and canals and the M6.

The route to the north of the Delta Junction towards Lichfield consists of embankments and cuttings with several viaducts crossing natural watercourses and canals.

Construction of phase one presents a vast challenge to the earthmoving sector in scale alone.

Around 50 embankments need to be built up including the longest at Grendon Underwood, which will run to 3km in length and rise to 3.5m high.

At the same time, contractors will also have to excavate 66 cuttings. The longest is the Calvert Cutting at 4.1km cut to a depth of nearly 10m.

But the award for the deepest on the project goes to Lower Thorpe Cutting, which will be dug to a maximum depth of 30.5m along its 750m length.

The new stations are set to become significant economic hubs, capable of delivering transformative growth along the whole route.

Mace and Dragados have the most challenging station project at HS2’s London Terminus.

On current plans, the firms will build 11 new 400m long platforms, a new concourse and improved connections to Euston and Euston Square Underground stations.

Design teams are also looking at the opportunity to create a new northerly entrance facing Camden Town as well as new east-west links across the whole station site

A three-way joint venture between Balfour Beatty/VINCI/Systra will deliver the Old Oak Station in north west London, which will act as the London Terminus for several years while the longer Euston Station project is completed.

Value engineering has already cut 27% of the roof steelwork from Balfour Beatty/Vinci’s Old Oak Common Station project

There will be six high-speed platforms situated underground at Old Oak Common with an integrated connection to the adjoining conventional station with platforms for the Elizabeth Line and Great Western Mainline at ground level.

The current station design also includes the potential for provision of future services to Wales and the west of England.

Birmingham’s landmark station at Curzon Street is presently out to bid for the second time as a two-stage tender to help reduce bidders risk.

Up to nine trains per hour in each direction will use the station’s seven platforms.

Expected to cost £570m to build, Curzon Street station will be the first brand new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the 19th century.

The station boasts the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies including capturing rainwater and sustainable power generation.

The designs improve access to different modes of transport, with the Midland Metro running alongside and underneath the station

The designs will also incorporate the existing Old Curzon Street building and link it to the new station’s eastern concourse at New Canal Street.

Birmingham Interchange Station in Solihull, due out to tender shortly, will connect HS2 services to the city’s airport.

It will be made up of two 415m long island platforms, offering four platforms, as well as two central high speed through lines for non-stopping services.

The station will be linked to the NEC, Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport via a shuttle carrying up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction.

The 2.3km shuttle route will also have stops at Birmingham International Station, and the National Exhibition Centre.

Aerial of Birmingham Interchange Station in Solihull

On the route between London and Birmingham HS2’s tracks will sit on concrete “slab track”.

This is a hard-wearing and low-maintenance alternative to ballast, which supports plans to run up to 18 trains per hour in each direction.

Whereas ballast track requires the rails to be replaced every 20 years, slab track is designed to last for over 100 years.

The railway’s design specification is for speeds up to 225mph although daily timetabled operation will see trains run at 205mph top speed, just over 6mph faster than TGVs in France.

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ebenalconstruct · 5 years ago