#one of our planets is missing

[sshbpodcast]

I’ll Spock the world and meld with you, Pt 1

By Ames

My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts. Your dirty, dirty thoughts. Sometimes a mind meld in Star Trek is a clever technique to advance the plot in a sci-fi way. Sometimes, it’s just a way to cop out of a scene when the writers have written themselves into a corner. And other times it’s straight up intrusive and horrifying because no one should have the power to read another person’s mind without their consent!

The A Star to Steer Her By hosts are going through all the mind meld scenes and collecting our thoughts on each one. First up: all the mind melds from The Original Series through the TOS films. So brace yourself for mostly seeing Spock (but somehow not entirely Spock!) touching a lot of people’s faces, random walls, and sometimes just the air around him to cognitively connect with whatever he damn well pleases. The list is longer than I intended since Spock is a bit of a meld slut, so check them all out below and telepathically listen to our chatter (jump to 45:43) over on the podcast. Back to those dirty, dirty thoughts…

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

“Dagger of the Mind” The very first mind meld we see comes pretty early in the release of season one of The Original Series, and it was all a way for the Enterprise crew to figure out what the hell was going on with that lunatic Simon Van Gelder without resorting to bunkum science like hypnosis. Cue Spock pulling some crazy faces throughout an agonizingly long scene to determine that Dr. Adams used the neural neutralizer on Van Gelder and is not to be trusted. Good job advancing the plot and introducing a Vulcan superpower we’ll use over and over and over again!

“A Taste of Armageddon” The next use we see later in the season already makes the whole idea of the mind meld so laughable as to be worthy of ridicule. The crew has been locked up by Eminiarians, as is their wont, and Spock uses a sort of long-distance, touch-free variant of the mind meld on one of the guards on the other side of a wall. Wow, it didn’t take the writers long to buff Spock’s magic powers to allow him to save the day by essentially mind controlling some bloke.

“The Devil in the Dark” We’ve got to commend Leonard Nimoy for some mesmerizing acting when Spock mind melds with the Horta in “The Devil in the Dark.” It’s over-the-top in all the right ways. Watching him feeling the pain of the silicon-based lifeform is haunting. What a great way to humanize a being that is probably among the furthest biologically from humans in the show. This is what science fiction is really for. Plus it opens up Spock’s magic powers to even more different lifeforms!

“The Changeling” Speaking of Spock using his powers on lifeforms that are further and further from the humanoids we’re accustomed to: we’ve got Spock mind melding with Nomad in “The Changeling.” So now Spock can mind meld with people he’s touching, people on the other sides of walls, aliens that look like a big afghan blanket, and even random robots whose sentience is questionable from the start. What can’t this man mind meld with? Things are getting out of control.

“Mirror, Mirror” Finally, our first instance of someone other than Spock melding with a person. It’s… Mirror Spock! Which still counts! This time, that pointy-eared hobgoblin is intruding on McCoy’s thoughts in order to learn the truth behind the origins of the prime-universe crew. And it just makes us wonder why we don’t use the Vulcan mind meld in courtroom scenes or any time we need to learn if someone is lying or not. This superpower is so overpowered that it could solve most TOS plots lickety-split!

“Patterns of Force” That’s just how they use it in “Patterns of Force” when Spock mind melds a mostly catatonic John Gill to learn why the actual hell he would bring Nazism to the Ekosians in the first place. And it introduced an actual limitation to the mind meld for a change! Apparently this power isn’t limitless. Gill has been tranqed so hard that the best Spock can do is allow Gill to answer direct questions asked of him. So play 20 Questions with this guy, and you’ll be all set.

“By Any Other Name” Remember how Spock once mind melded a guy through a wall? We just talked about it a moment ago. Well the writers remembered too because it comes up again when the Kelvins have the crew confined to some cave or other, and it’s almost the exact same scene we got in “At Taste of Armageddon.” Spock tries to mentally influence Kelinda through the rock wall; it’s unclear if she takes the bait or just wants to punish them for trying, but the result is the same.

“The Paradise Syndrome” It’s overacting all around in this use of the mind meld on Kirok, the persona that Kirk has taken on while on Amerind. Spock needs to restore Kirk’s memory and decides the quickest way to do that is go in there and defrag it himself. This meld thing really is a Swiss Army knife, and is probably used way more often than most people even open one of those tools. Are we at the point at which the whole concept of the mind meld is just an escape button from an episode? Guys, we’re not even halfway through this list…

“Is There in Truth No Beauty?” We’ve got a twofer of mind melds in one of my personal faves, “Is There in Truth No Beauty?” and our very first example of someone other than Nimoy performing it. So first we get Spock mind melding with the Medusan, Kollos, in order to merge consciousnesses, I guess? It’s close to a body possession, but Spock is still in there. It’s just that now he and Kollos together have the navigation capabilities to save the ship from doom.

And then Miranda Jones proves to us that humans can master the discipline as well if they are well trained. Sure, Vulcans get a new superpower every week it seems, but this is one that Dr. Jones picked up through years of schooling on Vulcan, and she uses it to save Spock from madness. And then presumably she lives happily ever after with Kollos, my biggest ship of the franchise.

“Spectre of the Gun” Get ready for the rarely seen triple mind meld, courtesy of the absurd western episode “Spectre of the Gun.” Considering at the beginning of TOS, Spock claims he’s never mind melded a human before (something Discovery blatantly retconned), by this point in season three, he’s melding Kirk, McCoy, and Scott in rapid succession to make their minds more pliant so that they’ll believe the bullets from the gunfight at the OK Corral will go through them. It’s a weird one, y’all.

“Requiem for Methuselah” Almost through the live action show now, and we’ve reached what we’ve called both one of Spock’s worst moments and one of the worst uses of a memory wipe on the show. It’s just plain messed up that Spock would remove Kirk’s memories of Rayna, the robot he fell in love with, because he does it without Kirk’s consent. Bones joshes that Spock will never understand love and comments that he wishes the captain could forget… and Spock makes the captain forget! Because Bones was razzing him! Not cool!

“Turnabout Intruder” Our last instance from the run of The Original Series comes from the last episode from the run of The Original Series. That’s when Spock mind melds with Kirk, who happens to be in Janice Lester’s body, to confirm that the two have body swapped. So it’s another lie detector use—further proof that this technique really can solve most conflicts in episodes. That is, if people trust the Vulcan performing it, which Janice Lester, who happens to be in Kirk’s body, emphatically does not.

“One of Our Planets Is Missing” We’ve made it to The Animated Series, and there are more Spock mind melds to cover! Do I have a soft spot for “One of Our Planets Is Missing” because it’s similar to some unrelated fanfic I wrote for the podcast? You bet I do! Both feature Spock mind melding with a sentient cloud while the ship is inside of it, which I’d say is stretching the capacity for mind melds except for the fact that he’s already done much weirder things, so whatever. 

“The Infinite Vulcan” The other instance of a mind meld we get in The Animated Series is the rare Spock-on-Spock meld in “The Infinite Vulcan.” For absolutely no reason except that it would look funny animated (which was shockingly something Filmation had the capacity to do in their very cheap box of tricks), the clone of Spock is fifty feet tall. Spock 2 needs to save original Spock from something or other, and a mind meld via just a massive fingertip to the noggin does the trick.

The Motion Picture Whatever the hell V’Ger is by the time the crew enters it in The Motion Picture, you can bet your ass Spock can mind meld with it. It’s somewhere between cloud, robot, and giant floating Ilia, and Spock is fully committed to putting his hands all over that puppy and figuring out its deal. He doesn’t even have permission to go investigate this thing. My dude just wanders in unannounced to get into that delicious brain, that’s how nuts Spock is at this point.

The Wrath of Khan This afterthought of a scene ended up being so consequential going forward. To pave the way for bringing Spock back to life after his beautiful sacrifice, a scene of Spock using a mind meld to dump his katra into McCoy was added. We at the podcast are still mixed about how necessary this was since we’re also very mixed on the ensuing movie as a whole, but it’s also nice to have Spock back. And it allows for some excellent DeForest Kelley acting in the third film. But it undoes a poignant death scene. So torn!

The Search for Spock Speaking of the movie we’re so torn on, The Search for Spock has some mind melds of its own. We get our first mind meld from Sarek when he comes looking for Spock’s katra and assumes it’s in Kirk. Why he didn’t ask what he was looking for first, we can’t say, but it is totally in Sarek’s character to just stride in and do whatever without explaining himself.

Toward the end of the movie, after we’ve done all the prerequisite searching for Spock, we get a scene at Mount Seleya where the Vulcan priestess T’Lar performs the fal-tor-pan ceremony on McCoy and the newly resurrected Spock, which includes something akin to a mind meld to move the katra over like cut-pasting a file from your My Documents folder.

The Voyage Home The movies really do have a good selection of mind melds to go around, with almost all of the TOS films having the Vulcan power represented. The Voyage Home’s mind meld of choice is on the humpback whales, George and Gracie, when Spock is trying to communicate the plan to the massive Cetacea. It’s absolutely batshit that Spock claims he’s succeeded in conveying to the whales what the plan is and that they’re onboard. Somehow the thing that makes the most sense is Spock learning that Gracie is pregnant.

The Undiscovered Country Our final mind meld for this week is also the most horrifying. Like the squicky mind wipe in “Requiem for Methuselah,” it’s another of Spock’s real low points as a character. Using the mind meld as a weapon to force information from Valeris in The Undiscovered Country really feels like the antithesis of what the practice was contrived for originally. We’ve come a long way since “Dagger of the Mind,” when melding was established so they wouldn’t have to show Spock doing something problematic, like hypnotizing Van Gelder, and now at the end of the movies, it’s even more problematic than that. Heckin’ yikes.

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When I snap my fingers, you’ll subscribe to this space for more blogtiviities! We’ve got more mind melds to discuss from the other Trek series, and you don’t want to miss those! You also don’t want to miss more Star Trek: Discovery coverage as we watch through the whole thing over on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. You also don’t want to skip out on friending us on Facebook and BlueSky. Snap!

[star-trek-xet]

Star Trek dla pozytywnie zakręconych – TAS

Nierecka, Star Trek: The Animated Series

Autor: xetnoinu, 3.07.2025

Aby pokochać Star Trek, trzeba go zobaczyć. Nie masz czasu na całość - zapraszam do obejrzenia najlepszych odcinków Star Trek: The Animated Series w spoilerowym omówieniu.

Jeśli lubisz nudę, nie jest to wybór dla Ciebie. Ale jeśli jesteś szalenie pozytywnie zakręconą i nieszablonową osobą, to różowy TAS jest dokładnie tym, czego potrzebujesz. :)

10. Beyond the Farthest Star

Listę najlepszych odcinków otwiera pierwszy epizod serialu. Dobrze pokazuje kluczowe cechy tej animacji.

Po pierwsze jest to kontynuacja aktorskiego Star Treka, stąd nie ma w tym pilocie tradycyjnego wprowadzenia postaci a głosy, to nieomal pełna obsada TOS (The Original Series).

Po drugie animacja pozwoliła na dekoracje oraz wzornictwo poza zasięgiem budżetu i możliwości ówczesnych seriali. Mamy zatem niezwykle spektakularny okręt nieznanego gatunku owadziego. Na tyle jednak humanoidalnego, że nasi bohaterowie mogą poruszać się po tym statku kosmicznym, odsłuchać i zrozumieć przesłanie od jego dawno nieżyjącego kapitana. Cały TAS będzie pełny różnorodnych gatunków nieludzkich, zwierzęcopodobnych czy nawet roślinnych, ale w tym sensie humanoidalnych, że zdolnych do porozumiewania się, kontaktu i możliwej wspólnoty celów i wartości w ramach eksplorowanego świata. Tak jest w tym epizodzie, gdzie okazuje się, że bardzo obcy nam z wyglądu i sposobu projektowania owadzi gatunek heroicznie poświęca swój okręt i życie załogi, aby chronić inne światy i cywilizacje przed wielkim zagrożeniem, jakie odkrył - tu energetycznym, niehumanoidalnyn obcym. Wizualia tego epizodu, moim zdaniem, to swoista Nausicaa Miyazakiego tej serii.

Trzecia cechą TAS jest to, że potrafi zaskoczyć i wyjść odważniej od serialu aktorskiego w zakresie fabuły. Zazwyczaj w Treku każdy oponent, wróg, złol, jakkolwiek to nazwiemy, ma szansę na odkupienie czy rehabilitację. Jest niezwykłą rzadkością, kiedy nie rokuje nadziei. W Treku, w przeciwieństwie do wielu serii s-f, unika się ostatecznego zniszczenia takiego wroga, mimo istniejących możliwości technicznych świata przedstawionego. I ta wyjątkowa sytuacja ma miejsce. Kiedy złol odcinka zagraża innym światom i nie daje nadziei na rehabilitację – można go nie karać, zostawić przy życiu lecz odizolowanego.

9. The Lorelei Signal

Nie mogło na liście zabraknąć tego słynnego odcinka. Dlaczego? Bo zwraca on honor i osadza w centrum fabuły Uhurę – czarną załogantkę USS Enterprise. Należy pamiętać, że Trek, często z dzisiejszej perspektywy nieporadnie, ale starał się przełamać ówczesny osąd, że kobiety nie nadają się na wysokie stanowiska dowódcze a już w szczególności do eksploracji kosmosu; a jeszcze nie-białe, to już w ogóle. Pilot aktorskiego TOS między innymi dlatego wylądował na kilkadziesiąt lat na tzw. półce bez premiery, ponieważ przestawiał białą kobietę, która jest pierwszą oficerką okrętu a kiedy trzeba pełni rolę jego dowódczyni - i jest w tym świetna, i nie nosi kusej spódniczki. To nie przeszło w drugiej połowie lat 60. w USA.

W TAS postanowiono jednak ruszyć temat dowództwa i kompetencji żeńskiej części załogi i zrobiono to w sprytny sposób. Odcinek przy zapoznaniu się z jego opisem wydaje się groteskowym przedstawieniem jakiś złowrogich kobiet (i pewnie dlatego nikt go nie zapółkował), które niszczą mężczyzn, bo muszą wyssać z nich siłę życiową i jeszcze na dodatek cofnęły się w rozwoju jako społeczeństwo, będąc w pełni uzależnione od planetarnego komputera.

Pozornie kolejna nieomal szowinistyczna opowiastka, gdzie fabuła sięga do nordyckiej mitologii i złowrogich dla facetów nimf Lorelei. Ale potem wchodzi duch progresywnego Treka i okazuje się, że te kobiety nie są z gruntu złe - utknęły w pułapce historii i cech planety, na którą kiedyś emigrowały w czasach, gdy w ich społeczeństwie byli też mężczyźni; chciałyby się uczyć, żyć i rozwijać w inny sposób.

Uhura przestawiona jest jako niezwykle zaradna i kompetentna osoba. Scena, kiedy oznajmia, że przejmuje dowodzenie nad okrętem i zwiadem, jest ikoniczna. Ona, jako dowódczyni, również zaproponowała i przeprowadziła pokojowe, w duchu Treka, rozwiązanie sytuacji. Zawarła z Naczelną Samicą na planecie umowę. W jej wyniku uratowała męską załogę Enerprise, doprowadziła do tego, że „złowrogie” kobiety dobrowolnie zniszczyły swoją technologię w zamian za ofertę pomocy, czyli przeniesienie na inną planetę i umożliwienie nowego, dobrego startu ich społeczeństwa. Pozytywna utopia Treka w pełnej odsłonie i wreszcie rola na miarę wielkiej osobowości Nichelle Nichols grającej Uhurę.

Odcinek pokazuje też do czego może doprowadzić kult piękna i wiecznej młodości oraz zatracenie się i brak rozwoju dzięki pełnemu zawierzeniu, wyręczającej w samodzielnym zdobywaniu wiedzy, technologii.

8. The Infinite Vulcan

Nie wszyscy aktorzy z głównej obsady aktorskiego TOS zagościli w TAS. Nie ma wśród nich Waltera Koeniga (grającego Chekova) ale w zamian mamy szalony odcinek, do którego napisał scenariusz. Na planecie humanoidów botanicznych ostał się replikujacy sam siebie klon naukowca (swoisty Diogenes) z czasów Wojen Eugenicznych na Ziemi z nitzscheańską wizją rozsiania w galaktyce swoistych genetyczne poprawionych, gigantycznych nadludzi i szukający od lat idealnego okazu humanoida, aby tego dokonać.

Po drodze pojawią się motywy: stworzenia giganta Spocka i transferu jego umysłu do nowego ciała oraz manipulowanie przez naukowca światem bezpłodnych tubylców i inne zaskakujące zagadnienia.

Jeśli się trochę dziwicie, to słusznie. TAS nie jest serialem dla dzieci. On tylko taki serial udaje.

Finał kroczy niestety za szybko, ale jest w duchu Treka. Zamiast kary czy potępienia szaleństwa nauki ocierającej się o nazizm, znajdą się lepsze, etyczne cele dla gigantycznych klonów. Warto zauważyć, że w TNG Riker i doktor Pulaski zabili swoje klony (stworzone bez ich wiedzy i zgody), gdy tu Spock pozwala swojemu przeżyć i czynić coś dobrego. Ponownie pięknoduszna utopia ideałów Federacji zwycięża.

7. More Tribbles, More Troubles

Nieco fanserwisowo w zestawieniu umieszczam odcinek z Tribblami – zdecydowanie najbardziej kultowymi pluszakami Star Treka.

Epizod odkrywa kolejną wielką tajemnicę tej serii – nieoczekiwany róż. Tribble, wiele zaskakujących stworzeń, okrętów, żywych krzaków czy obcych na przestrzeni odcinków TAS ma kolor różowy. Jest to zaskakujący wybór artystyczny lub, jak głosi miejska legenda, błąd rysownika ... daltonisty. Ale byłoby wtedy to zaburzenie odwzorowania także koloru czerwonego lub niebieskiego, a z tymi w serialu wszystko jest w porządku. Róż to zdecydowanie drugie imię tej serii i jeśli kiedykolwiek zobaczysz animowaną scenkę z nieoczekiwanym użyciem tej barwy, to na pewno jest TAS.

Sam odcinek kontynuuje wprost fabułę tribblowego odcinka TOS. Do motywu będą wracać kolejne serie. Żarłoczne lub przerośnięte Tribble i niekochający ich Klingoni, szaleni naukowcy i nieudane modyfikacje genetyczne nad tymi stworzeniami – pojawią się w DS9, serialu Short Treks, Lower Decks i Prodigy. Odcinek TAS przeszedł do historii popkultury, wprowadzając pojęcie terroryzmu ekologicznego.

6. One of Our Planets Is Missing

Epizod opowiada o zagrożeniu ze strony niezwykłej mgławicy/chmury, która niszczy napotkane ciała niebieskie. Za kilkanaście minut zginie planeta i 80 milionów jej mieszkańców, a w tym czasie da się ewakuować tylko niewielką grupę dzieci. Co ma zrobić kapitan i jak? USS Enterprise, pojmany i połknięty przez zjawisko o niezrozumiałym zachowaniu i pochodzeniu – to także ofiara tego lemowskiego Obcego.

Fabuła precyzyjnie pokazuje wzorcowe procedury postępowania odpowiedzialnego kapitana i jego kompetentnej, wyszkolonej załogi. Jest presja, jest eksploracja, jest stawka, jest człowieczeństwo. W finale kluczowe dylematy. Czy autodestrukcja, niszcząca jak się okazało inteligentną istotę, jest adekwatną ceną moralną za uratowanie planety? Czy w imię zasad i ideałów Floty najeży podjąć niepewną misję karkołomnego dogadania się z najbardziej obcą z poznanych istot bez wielkich szans, że to się powiedzie?

Doskonały odcinek, z tych najlepszych w całym Treku, wyprzedzający o lata podobne zagadnienia w popularnych space operach. Epizod zainspirował twórców ST: Discovery w czwartym sezonie, gdzie przez dziesięć odcinków (a nie kilkanaście minut) cała Federacja stawia czoła nieomal identycznej skali zagrożenia ze strony Anomalii Ciemnej Materii.

5. The Time Trap

Odcinek o kosmicznym Trójkącie Bermudzkim, gdzie ginie słuch o wielu okrętach wydaje się dość prosty, aby go chwalić. Ale sposób w jaki on jest napisany, możliwy jest tylko w Treku i za to bardzo go lubię i polecam.

Po pierwsze, mamy tu niezwykłą koncepcję, że może istnieć naturalne przejście między główną linią czasoprzestrzeni uniwersum a czymś co nazwano tu kieszenią w płaszczu czasu – obszarem alternatywnej czasoprzestrzeni. Warto zwrócić uwagę, że znane obecnie już z nowej nazwy multiwersum (tak nazwane w serialu Discovery słowami Stametsa) zostało ukonstytuowane w swoich podwalinach w TOS i TAS (To nie Marvel i DC pierwsze to pokazały na ekranie). A przejścia podobnego typu z przytupem zaistniały ostatnio w Lower Decks i Discovery.

Po drugie, istniejące w owej kieszeni czasoprzestrzennej z naszego odcinka TAS warunki niszczą dość szybko dilit i trwale uszkadzają powszechnie stosowany napęd warp, uzależniony od tej substancji. Widzimy złomowisko niesprawnych okrętów. (Ten pomysł, tu dobrze zrealizowany, powtórzono, ale już w sposób niezadowalający (Zapłon), w trzecim sezonie Discovery).

Po trzecie, uwięzione w obszarze załogi stworzyły rodzaj nowej Federacji z prawami i zasadami, mierząc się także ze zjawiskiem, że wszystkie istoty stają się tu długowieczne a ich okręty unieruchomione.

Fabuła odcinka pokazuje, jak wrogie załogi: Kirka i pewnego Klingona - trafiają w ów obszar i poszukują drogi ucieczki, mimo że wcześniej nikomu się to nie udało. Finał pozornie wydaje się naiwny. Trzeba siły i współpracy dwu okrętów synchronizowanych (jakby w jednym polu warp), aby uciec z kieszeni. I nikt tego nie dokonał. Bo tylko dość porywczy i perswazyjny Kirk i jak zawsze narwani Klingoni mogli być na tyle w gorącej wodzie kąpani, aby mimo knucia, podstępów i braku zaufania, zrobić razem co trzeba na czas, przed rozpadem dilitu.

Logika tego odcinka oraz wykorzystanie cech postaci i gatunków do rozwoju historii są bardzo dobre. Mamy wgląd w nowy typ czasoprzestrzeni multiwersum. Mamy pomysł organizowania się na wzór Federacji dla obopólnej współpracy (wykorzystany potem w serialu Voyager). Niedoceniany odcinek.

4. The Slaver Weapon

To jeden z tych odcinków, esencji szaleństw serialu TAS. Mamy w nim trzy warstwy z czego pierwsza jest pretekstowa i po prostu pozornie groteskowa.

Na okręcie dziwnie zaczyna się zachowywać pewne zabytkowe pudło stazy. Spock dedukuje, że na pobliskiej planecie będzie drugie, bo one się wzajemnie wykrywają. Zwiad bez kapitana (unikalny odcinek bez Kirka) ląduje a tam dziwaczni czerwono-różowi (eksplozja różu musi być!) zwierzęcy humanoidzi atakują i mają artefakt z owego drugiego pudełka. Do kompletu szowinistyczne i mizoginistyczne nastawienie obcych do „ludzkiej samicy” Uhury, która według nich, jak każda kobieta z ich rodzaju, jest głupia i nie może być inteligentna. Ojojoj.

Druga warstwa to niezwykłe i ciekawe nowe technologie. Jest pas ochronny zamiast ciężkiego kombinezonu/skafandra do wycieczek w próżni. Wspaniały wynalazek animacji TAS, który poza nią się już nie pojawi. Jest tajemniczy przedmiot-pistolet? ze skrzyni, który jest prastary a przekracza możliwości konstrukcyjne Federacji o lata świetlne. Jest wreszcie perełka odcinka, czyli informacja, że wszystkie okręty korzystają ze sztucznej grawitacji i tę technologię uzyskano kiedyś z podobnych, prastarych pudeł rozsianych i odkrywanych przez różne gatunki.

To ostatnie często wszystkim umyka. Trek wytłumaczył powszechność i źródło sprawy na pozór oczywistej, że zawsze pokazują nam statki kosmiczne ze sztucznym ciążeniem i to wszędzie i nigdy żaden technobełkot nie próbuje tego tłumaczyć, jak to działa i kto to wymyślił. Dodatkowo zrobiono to w sposób taki, że można uwierzyć, że w wielu miejscach wielokrotnie tę technologię, z rozsianych po wszechświecie owych pudełek, odkrywano. Mało, okręty miewają awarie, reaktory wybuchają - ale technologia sztucznej grawitacji się na nich nie psuje. W całym Treku nie na chyba pięciu drobnych scen na 950 odcinków, które pokazują awarię sztucznej grawitacji. Porządna sprawa. :)

Ale co to za pudełka? Tu przechodzimy do zaskakującej trzeciej warstwy tego epizodu. Otóż pochodzą one od prastarej cywilizacji tytułowych Slaverów, która wyginęła miliard lat temu. Była agresywna i doprowadziła do wojny i zagłady ówczesnych istot rozumnych we wszechświecie i niejako rozwój wszystkich inteligentnych form życia musiał wyewoluować/nastąpić na nowo.

Jak dobrze się nad tym zastanowić, to jest praktycznie dowód i pierwsze nie wprost wprowadzenie do Treka panspermii. Formalnie stało się to dopiero w odcinku TNG i zostało rozwinięte w finale Discovery (Protoplaści i prastara maszyna stałego rozsiewania życia humanoidalnego) - ale korzenie ta idea ma właśnie w trzecim planie tego odcinka.

Epizod jest bardzo dobry, bo scenariusz tworzył Larry Niven, znany pisarz s-f, stąd wszystkie wątki i ich spójność są niezwykle dopracowane.

3. Yesteryear

Materiał na świetny film aktorski wtłoczony w króciutką animację. To przykład historii, gdzie jest mi żal, że nie dostała swojej szansy na dużym ekranie. W odcinku występuje Strażnik Wieczności, który umożliwia ekipie historyków oraz Spockowi i Kirkowi badanie wydarzeń z przeszłości. Coś się jednak zmieniło i po powrocie z misji badawczej nikt poza kapitanem nie rozpoznaje pierwszego oficera. Jego obecność wymazała się z linii czasu. On w niej po prostu nie istnieje.

Okazuje się, że towarzysząc historykom na misji, Spock nie wykonał innego zadania w tym samym momencie. Zadania polegającego na tym, że powinien był się cofnąć za pomocą Strażnika Wieczności do czasów swojego dzieciństwa i uratować ...samego siebie, zanim wrócił z owej misji z historykami.

Brzmi nielogicznie? Oczywiście, że tak. Zawsze, jak się głębiej zastanowić nad logiką podróży i cofania się w czasie, to dojdziemy do wniosku, że to nie ma sensu. W dobrych odcinkach temporalnych nie chodzi zatem o wyrafinowaną zabawę z czasem, kolejne cudowne urządzenia ani o skomplikowaną listę rzeczy, które należy zrobić lub zaniechać dla dobra przyszłości. Dobry odcinek temporalny jest o postaciach, o tym jak ta absurdalna sytuacja podróży i jej skutki na nich wpływają. Pozwala to w niezwykły sposób rozwinąć wgląd widowni w cechy i losy bohaterów.

Dokładnie tak jest w tym przypadku. Odcinek to wiwisekcja przeszłości Spocka, jego charakteru jako pół-Wolkana pół-Ziemianina. Dowiemy się, że jako dziecko borykał się z infamią i przemocą rówieśniczą, od której sam nie stronił, i że sam w tym wieku był bardzo emocjonalny. Pokazane jest też, jak doros��y Spock, nierozpoznany przez ojca, się do niego odnosi. Widzimy, jak Ziemianka Amanda Grayson, matka Spocka, odnajduje się w tradycjach i kulturze męża. Możemy zobaczyć też wnętrza i ulice zwykłego miasta na Wolkanie.

Motywy z tego odcinka będą potem wielokrotnie powracały w Star Treku. Problemy dzieciństwa Spocka nie zostały przedstawione pierwszy raz w serialu Discovery dla głównej linii czasu czy w filmach Abramsa dla linii Kelvina, tylko właśnie w tym odcinku TAS i to z niego wiemy, że potrzebował on dodatkowego wsparcia, bo to od rodziców było niewystarczające. W serialu Discovery to wsparcie zapewni mu przybrana siostra Michael Burnham.

Wisienką na torcie tego epizodu jest wspaniały przyjaciel z dzieciństwa Spocka - przesympatyczny zwierzak domowy, ogromny sehlat. I o dziwo nie jest różowy! Ten kolor zarezerwowano tym razem dla eleganckiej sukni Amandy. Pewnie ów rysownik zapomniał o swoim zmyślonym daltonizmie. ;)

2. Practical Joker

Na finał tego zestawienia zostawiłem dwa odcinki. Ale to bardzo umowne, bo i te wcześniejsze są sobie w jakości zdecydowanie równoważne - ale lista ex aequo jest nudna, więc musiałem się zdecydować. Zatem o włos na drugiej pozycji odcinek holodekowy. Tak. Dobrze czytasz.

Słowa holodek, holoemiter tu nie padają. Nie daj się zwieść polskiemu tłumaczeniu lektorskiemu w jednej z platform, gdzie postanowiono ich tu użyć. Tu jest rec room, czyli pokój rekreacyjny, a doktor słyszy szum z przewijania nagrań (tapes rewinder) na taśmach a nie efekt działań holoemiterów.

Swoją drogą to niezwykły zabieg translatorski, który tak do końca absurdalny nie jest. Bo owszem nazwy są inne. Ale to absolutnie technicznie dokładnie to, co jest pokazane w TNG jako holodek: ze swoim charakterystycznym znikającym wejściem, holoemiterami, nieograniczoną ułudą dźwięków, przestrzeni i wszelkich odczuć środowiskowych czyli ciepła, zimna wiatru, które przy niewłaściwym działaniu komputera mogą skrzywdzić użytkowników. Zatem ma to sens, że rec room przetłumaczono na holodek a przewijarki taśm na holoemitery pewnie dźwięku.

Niezwykłym trafem na tymże streamingu jest też dostępne tłumaczenie poprzez polskie napisy. Ponownie szok. Rec room to ... świetlica! I można się zacząć naśmiewać, że to zionie peerelowskim pomieszczeniem ze szkoły podstawowej, gdzie się siedziało, bo rodzice jeszcze nie wrócili do domu z pracy, gdyby nie fakt, że przecież świetlica pochodzi od światła. A holodek, holoemitery to domena fotonów, co wyjaśniono w TNG, a wątki o zbuntowanych fotonikach eksploatowano fabularnie w Voyagerze. Jakkolwiek byśmy się nie śmieli, że holodek, pardon, pokój rekreacyjny, przetłumaczono na świetlicę - to ma to podwójnie dosłowny sens: ten wypoczynkowy i ten światłotwórczy. :)

Podobny los w tłumaczeniu dotknął w tym odcinku syntezatora żywności, który przetłumaczono na replikator, znany jako słowo z trekowej technologii dopiero od TNG. Ale i tu sytuacja jest jak poprzednio. To urządzenie ma wszystkie cechy replikatora, tylko jeszcze się tak nie nazywa.

Warto zatem pamiętać, że kanonicznie, jeżeli już w TAS występują technicznie pełnoprawne replikatory i holodek, to w SNW i pierwszych dwu sezonach Discovery absolutnie mają prawo występować technologie już prawie się nie różniące od nich, będące tylko o kilka lat słabszymi ich wersjami. Zatem holotelefon z Discovery, jak i replikowany przez Spocka napój o złej temperaturze w SNW - mają jak najbardziej sens.

Omawiając kiedyś TNG zauważyłem, że czasem zapomniane przez widownię odcinki są obsesją scenarzystów. Chodzi mi o to, że najdrobniejsze szczegóły w nich zawarte będą kiedyś fabularnie rozwinięte i wykorzystane w innych seriach i filmach. The Practikal Joker to odcinek koncentrat esencji wywołującej ową obsesję. Bo tych pomysłów jest tu na pęczki.

Komputer pokładowy, który na skutek kontaktu z nieznaną substancją lub istotą obcą zaczyna żyć swoim życiem, zagrażając załodze i misji, zobaczymy od TNG przez Voyagera, DS9 po Discovery (wątek Sfery) wielokrotnie. Kolejnym z takich rozwijanych potem pomysłów fabularnych jest np wykorzystania kontroli środowiska na pokładzie samego okrętu do oddziaływania na załogę.

Kiedy Scotty chce w tym odcinku odłączyć funkcje logiczne wariującego komputera to tu nagle lokalnie wyłącza się grawitacja. A jak już wcześniej, wspominając Slaverów, pisałem, ten chwyt fabularny jest bardzo rzadki z uwagi na odporność na awarie tej technologii - ale powróci w jednym z klasycznych filmów, by "pomóc" zabić ważną klingońską personę.

Technobełkot odcinka czasem jest retro, gdy słyszymy komendę "opuść komputerownię" ale czasem właśnie otwiera nowe drzwi dla fabuł, gdy usłyszymy, że tu wystąpiło zjawisko "komputerowego odpowiednika załamania nerwowego". Będzie miała to kiedyś komputerowa Zora w Discovery, kiedy Gray jej, z poradzeniem sobie z tym, pomoże.

Nie daj się zwieść anglosaskiemu humorkowi tego odcinka, który często dla nas jest niskich lotów. Bo on też skrywa niesamowity rozmach pomysłów fabularnych. To w tym odcinku wymyślono nie tylko samą technologię holodeku ale także bardzo wyrafinowane jej zastosowania. To tu nienazwane zewnętrzne holoemitery tworzą ułudę okrętów w przestrzeni kosmicznej i z odpowiednim systemem oszukiwania czujników wroga zapędzaja go do defensywy i strachu. Będzie to potem wykorzystane wielokrotnie w TNG, VOY a ostatnio w finale pierwszego sezonu Picarda, kiedy emerytowany admirał i Jurati zrobili tak całą holoarmadę nad Coppeliusem.

Przy całym szaleństwie nowatorskich pomysłów The Praktical Jocker pozostaje w pełni TASem i całe rozwiązanie problemu jest na swój sposób absurdalne, w myśl zresztą wygłoszonej tu sentencji, że:

Nielogiczne zachowanie wyklucza logiczne rozwiązanie.

1. The Counter-Clock Incident

Finał mojego zestawienia pokrywa się finałem serii. Ostatni odcinek to przedsmak epopei Treka, jaka kiedyś nastąpi, mimo że na tym etapie myślano, że to już koniec.

Bo Star Trek, oprócz szalonych i użytecznych technikaliów, holodeków i replikatorów z poprzedniego omawianego epizodu, to przede wszystkim space opera: przygoda w kosmosie, odkrywanie nieznanego ale i miłość, przyjaźń, rodzina ta dosłowna jak i symboliczna rozumiana poprzez załogę. Załogę, która z przywództwem kapitana musi często samotnie w odcięciu od Federacji, znaleźć sojuszników i rozwiązać problem.

Wszystko to jest w tym finale, w swoistej zajawce na kilkanaście minut szalonej animacji, dla pozytywnie zakręconych.

Kiedy teraz kolejny raz oglądam The Counter-Clock Incident, to widzę jak ten odcinek jednak wyrywa się z koncepcji TOS-TAS i zapowiada po cichu i skromnie złotą erę TNG-DS9-VOY. Tu koncert trzech panów (kapitana, pierwszego i lekarza) nie gra pierwszych skrzypiec, kobiety są kompetentne, wykształcone, dowodzące i nie są elementem długo-goło-nożnym a umięśnieni pięknolicy panowie nie giną w pomoże czerwonych koszul. Jest niezwykła fizyka, gdzie strzałka czasu biegnie wstecz, czarne gwiazdy świecą w białej próżni i jest wszechświat, gdzie można rodzić się starcem a umierać dziecięciem.

Ale to nie to decyduje o zmianie. Jest nią fakt, że w tej przygodzie kapitan nie jest najważniejszą postacią. Epizodyczni bohaterowie mogą przejąć dosłownie stery flagowca, jeśli jest to logiczne i w duchu Floty, jak i szalonej fabuły, uzasadnione. Ważne są kompetencje, współpraca także z obcymi, korzystanie z ich wiedzy i pomocy. Wszystko to razem połączone z dramatem w skali mikro, czyli relacji postaci na pokładzie. W tym odcinku to wzruszająca historia emerytowanego małżeństwa, które wiele uczyniło dla Floty, ale z daty metryki poszło w odstawkę. Tymczasem ich etos bycia załogą nie wygasł i stale są na moralnym posterunku dla dobra wszystkich.

Odstąpię od charakteru tego artykułu i nie opiszę, co się dzieje w tym odcinku. Wspomnę tylko, że finałowa decyzja Roberta i Sarah'y Aprilów to kwintesencja ideałów Treka. Żyć tak, by być dumnym i nie żałować żadnej chwili - ale zawsze służyć innym i nie przydzielać sobie niezasłużonych czy nadmiarowych profitów. Utopia nieograniczonych zasobów i uczciwego stoicyzmu i skromności, w poszukiwaniu równowagi pomiędzy służbą, przygodą a miłością do bliskich. Musisz obejrzeć ten odcinek.

TAS jest dla Ciebie, zobacz te wspaniałe dziesięć odcinków i zakochaj się w tej pełnej humanizmu historii Gwiezdnej Wędrówki.

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Powrót do serialu

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Powrót do listy nierecek :)

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[chernobog13]

[atomiccollectionanchorme]

Star Trek: The Animated Series - Season 1 Episode 3 "One of Our Planets is Missing"

Star Trek: The Animated Series // S01E03: One of Our Planets is Missing

[mimiri22-6]

I'VE FIGURED OUT THE MUPPETS PHENOMENON

Ok, so I was doomscrolling, as you do after work, and I got a short of someone talking about the Muppets and working with the Muppets. He starts off talking about how they legit treat Miss Piggy differently, having a whole setup just for her. And mine and the other people's first reactions was "good for her" "rightfully so" and "as the queen deserves" etc etc. and it got me thinking about the phenomenon again. He also talks about the puppeteer for Gonzo working at the same place for 30 years, forgetting his keys one night and not being let back in, but the moment he showed them Gonzo he was let right in.

Even talked about Elton John going backstage and saying hi to Kermit, like casually, and then seeing Miss Piggy and being like "omg!" Like-like ELTON JOHN

And then I had the revelation; we treat these muppets like people, like celebrities, because 1) they Are celebrities and 2) we WANT them to be real, we WANT to be friends with our creations, we WANT to love them, we want to CELEBRATE them and their creation and their characters and their Personhood. Because we Want to interact with fictional characters. It's a Whole Giant Thing of people writing themselves into stories to interact with fictional characters, no matter What the medium.

There's a piece of human soul in Every fictional person. Because we are Pack animals. We are Pack animals that Create, create life in these puppets and our imagination, and it All comes back around to humans being humans, wanting to connect with literally anything. (I believe this is why rock and crystal girlies exist, it's something in us. Some people roll their eyes when they hear someone talking about crystals, but if we could Talk to rocks, make friends With Rocks, the EARTH under our feet and what we Live on, I Don't Doubt we would connect with her. Hell, we already fucking do. By collecting rocks and crystals and getting Vibes from them)

If you saw a puppet of your favorite fictional character it would be uncanny, because unless your favorite fictional character is already a puppet, a physical thing You can Interact with on this plane, you're gonna be off kilter because it won't be Them. They won't look like they do on a screen or read from a book and put in your head or even how the real life actor portrays them on screen. Because they have a real name and a real life and a real separation from their act. But the Muppets? They've looked like this the whole time, they never break character, they have dirty sides, they're treated like every other celebrity. Because they're the Muppets. And they're real, we suspended our dissbelife, sometimes involuntarily, because we WILL them to be ALIVE.

Thank You Jim Henson.

Thank You Jim Henson

[moregraceful]

hope everyone who got a creator subscription notif from me today realizes something deeply unwell and bizarre happened to me in march

[smbhax]

From "One of Our Spacemen Is Missing!" in Tales of Suspense #4, July 1959. Jack Kirby script (?) and pencils, Christopher Rule inks, Stan Goldberg (?) colors, Artie Simek letters.

Info from Grand Comics Database

[harmonizewithechoes]

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[sshbpodcast]

Episode 43: What Is He Doohan

TAS: "One of Our Planets Is Missing," "The Lorelei Signal," and "More Trouble, More Tribbles"

Things are looking up this week, as at least one of your stalwarts likes EVERY episode this week! Alright, we're not exactly raving about any of them, but this is a vast improvement. We've got what feels like a subtle rehash in "One of Our Planets Is Missing" and an outright sequel in "More Trouble, More Tribbles," bookending Trek dipping its toes lightly into a bit of feminism with "The Lorelei Signal." Sort of.

Also this week: Jake has florophilia, Ames has hashtags, and we all have fun coming up with Tribble variants.

SPOILER WARNING: We give away the twist of The Prestige.

Timestamps: synopses: 1:04; One of Our Planets Is Missing: 8:44; The Lorelei Signal: 19:20; More Trouble, More Tribbles: 34:28

[seumyo]

just thoughts of growing old with bakugou.

“Y’alright, old lady?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” You shot back with a huff, but the laughter in your voice softened it. “You’re not exactly a spring chicken yourself, Mr. Dynamight.”

“Hah? I could still beat your ass in a race.”

“You could barely bend down to get your keys this morning.”

He clicked his tongue but didn’t deny it. “Should’ve let you get them. You’re closer to the ground anyway.”

“Now you’re just asking for trouble.”

You two walked a few more steps before he noticed your breathing was just a little heavier. Your hand was tighter on his forearm. You hadn’t said anything, of course. He knew you never liked making a fuss. But Bakugou noticed. He always noticed.

Because if he didn’t notice, then he’d think he’s the shittiest husband on the planet.

Bakugou stopped.

You looked at him, confused. “Katsu?”

“Turn around.”

“What—”

“I’m givin’ you a piggyback ride.”

You blinked. “Katsuki, we’re in our sixties.”

“And? You think that stops me?” He crouched a little, wincing more dramatically than he meant to. Despite retaining lighter exercises to keep his body in tip-top shape, age still creeps in like a barnacle to his back. “C’mon, get up before I change my mind.”

“You’re going to throw your back out.”

“My back’s tougher than yours.”

“That’s not saying much anymore!”

“I’d rather break my back than see you waddle like a fuckin’ penguin with those stuffy shoes.”

“Our daughter gave me these shoes!”

“I know,” he replied. “Get on, woman.”

With a chuckle, you carefully climbed onto his back, your arms wrapping around his neck like they did all those years ago when you two were barely adults sneaking out for late-night walks. He held your legs securely under him, your weight familiar even after all this time. You rested your head against the back of his neck.

He lifts you like it’s nothing.

“Still got it,” he mutters, somewhat relieved.

Because Bakugou wants to give you a piggyback ride—or just carry you as many times as he possibly could.

“You’re insane.”

“Yeah, well. You married me. So there’s nothin’ we could do about that now that we’re five decades in, huh?”

You nuzzled your cheek against his shoulder, your voice muffled. “Best decision I ever made,” you hum. “Do you ever think about what we were like back then?”

“All the time,” he replies.

“Do you miss it?”

Bakugou exhaled. “Nah. I mean, it was good. Great, even. But this…” He shifts you a little higher on his back. “This is better.”

“You’re carrying your wrinkly wife down the street, and you think this is better?”

“Hell yeah,” he replies without hesitation. “You still make fun of me. Still make me laugh. Still kiss me like we’re teenagers. And even if you walk slower now, you still walk with me.”

You were quiet for a moment. Then, softly, “That’s so sappy. I hate you.”

“Shut up,” he mumbles.

You chuckled.

“I love you, Katsuki.”

“I know,” Bakugou says, and then, a little quieter, “I love you too. Always have. Even when you fell asleep during Die Hard.”

“I knew it. You were paying attention.”

He laughs. Full, unguarded, and warm. His chest feels full, like it always does when you’re near. The kind of full that doesn’t need fixing. Doesn’t need anything more.

-

“See?” Katsuki muttered breathlessly, settling you down onto a wooden bench that overlooked the town below. “Didn’t break my back.”

“Not yet. Tomorrow, maybe.”

“Tch. Still mouthy,” he said, but there was nothing but tenderness in his voice. He reached for your hand, calloused fingers lacing with yours. “Old or not, you’ll never stop talkin’, will you?”

“Not if I can help it,” you murmured. “Someone’s gotta keep you on your toes.”

“You tickle my toes when I’m about to fall asleep, you psychopath.”

“As I said, keep you on your toes.”

You two sat there in silence, side by side, watching as the last of the day faded into hues of soft purple and gold. The town below lit up slowly—windows glowing, streetlights flickering on one by one. It was the same town where you built a life, where you came after retiring from the city, where you spent quiet afternoons and lazy mornings and stormy nights curled under blankets.

“I was thinking earlier,” you said, tilting your head toward him. “Remember that old apartment? The first one?”

“The one with the leaky pipes?”

“And the hole in the wall.”

Bakugou made a noise between a groan and a laugh.

“Don’t remind me. That place was hell.”

“But we were happy. And it was our first.”

He nodded. “It was.”

“You used to stay up late grading case files while I was asleep on the couch.”

“And you’d drool on every pillow,” he said, smirking.

“That’s love,” you quipped, “sharing spit on furniture.”

“Disgusting,” his eyes crinkled as he chuckled, quiet and deep, before falling into a softer stillness.

“Do you think we did okay?” you asked.

Bakugou turned to look at you. Your eyes were searching his face—not out of doubt, but for reassurance.

“We did more than okay,” he said. “We loved hard. Fought harder. Got old. Grew up.”

You smiled faintly. “We grew softer.”

He squeezed your hand. “You did. I stayed badass.”

You laughed, leaning your head on his shoulder. “Yeah… you did.”

A breeze blew past, and you shivered slightly. Bakugou was already tugging his jacket off before you could protest. He knows you well enough that it comes second to breathing. Something that he could never forget because he needs to remember it to survive.

“You don’t have to—”

“Shut up. You’re cold.”

You let him drape it over you, fingers brushing his wrist as he tucked it close. It was nice. This was nice.

“I still remember the first time I saw you,” you said after a while. “You were yelling at someone, I think.”

“That sounds right.”

“I thought, ‘What an ass.’”

“And yet, you married me.”

“Because you were very persuasive,” you told him.

He snorted. “Uh huh.”

Time passed like that—peaceful and unhurried—until the sun was a mere sliver on the edge of the world. Fireflies blinked into view. The quiet of the hilltop wrapped around you like a blanket.

“I’m tired,” you murmured quietly, closing your eyes for a moment against his shoulder.

“Want me to carry you home?”

“No, just…” You paused, then exhaled. “Let’s just stay here a bit.”

Bakugou nodded. “Yeah. We can stay.”

“You’ve always been stubborn.”

He grunted in acknowledgment.

“But also the kindest man I’ve ever known.”

He didn’t reply right away. He just looked at you—really looked at you. Your hair had silvered, your cheeks had thinned, but your eyes held the same sparkle that made him fall in love with you years ago. You were still [Name]. Undeniably his.

And he was still Bakugou. Your.

“Even if I get reincarnated,” you whispered, your voice barely audible now, “even if I forget everything—I hope I find you again.”

He swallowed hard, jaw tightening. “You will.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah. I’ll find you too,” he said. “You’re too damn loud to miss.”

You smiled. Your hand, much more wrinkly now, more fragile than it used to be, reached up to his cheek. Your thumb traced the scar that time left near his jaw.

“I love you,” you said.

He leaned in, pressing your foreheads together. “I love you too. Always.”

And in the stillness, with the cool air surrounding you and the stars beginning to blink into view above, you leaned into each other—together in warmth, in memory, in everything you two ever were.

Your hands stayed intertwined, steady.

And when the wind finally hushed, you drifted off into the quietest, most peaceful sleep.

Together, one last time.

Forever.

SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.

[ravensuperr]

DPx DC Prompt-Alternate Dimension Shenanigans

So instead of the usual Casper High field trip trope in the Danny Phantom fandom, imagine this time it’s Damian Wayne’s class that ends up stuck in the Infinite Realms.

Here’s how it plays out:

Damian’s class is on the way back from an overnight field trip to Washington, D.C. Everything's fine—until they stop at a rest area. The bus driver goes off to handle his business, comes back, and they get back on the road.

Then… a portal opens out of nowhere.

They don’t even have time to react. The bus gets pulled in. When they try to turn around, the portal’s already gone.

Enter: Danny Phantom.

He’s just gotten back from visiting either Pandora (weekly chat) or Frostbite (med checkup) when he stumbles on a confused group of teens, their teacher, and a parked bus in the middle of the Infinite Realms.

He blinks.

Mr. Carter (the teacher): “Our driver stopped at a rest stop—standard procedure. Then this portal opened up out of nowhere. We couldn’t stop in time. It just… sucked us in. When we tried to turn around, it was gone.”

Danny: “Ah. Natural portal. Those usually happen to planes, not buses… though, now that I think about it, ground traffic’s not unheard of. Shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

Damian (irritated): “Where exactly are we?”

Danny: “You’re in the Infinite Realm.”

Camila (raising an eyebrow): “So… another dimension?”

Zane (grinning): “Wait, does this count for my bingo card? ‘Accidentally ending up in another dimension’ was my free square.”

Priya: “Are we in space? Or some alien planet?”

Danny: “Nope. Think bigger.”

He gestures to the eerie green sky swirling above them.

Danny: “The Infinite Realm is like... glue. The glue that holds everything together. Every timeline, every dimension, every kind of power—magic, science, tech—they all touch the Infinite Realm. This place connects them all.”

Emily (deadpan): “Freaky. Multiversal glue vibes.”

Suddenly, one of the students blurts out:

Mason: “How did you die?”

The whole class turns to stare.

Mason (shrugging): “Come on—tell me you’re not curious too.”

Danny (calmly): “Okay, so, it’s super rude to ask a ghost how they died unless you’re family or really close. It’s kinda taboo.”

Leo: “Fine, then… who’s your favorite Justice League member?”

Danny (without missing a beat): “Martian Manhunter.”

Zane: “Why?”

Danny: “Because I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up… and I love space.”

Damian (pinching the bridge of his nose): “Does anyone have a question that’ll help us get home?”

Nina (class rep): “Yeah—how are you getting us back?”

Danny: “There’s a powerful artifact that can return you to your dimension. I just need to make sure none of you wander off or tick off any local ghosts. Not all of them are thrilled to see humans here.”

Camila: “So you can take us back to Gotham?”

Danny: “Sure. Where exactly is that in the U.S.?”

Class (in unison): “…Are you serious?”

Danny: “I know it’s where Batman and his birds live. I just don’t know where it is on a map. Also, I failed geography. And I’m dead.”

Emily: “New Jersey. Gotham’s in New Jersey.”

Danny: “Cool. Everyone back on the bus. First stop: Pandora.”

Priya: “Wait—Pandora? As in Pandora’s Box?”

Danny: “Yep. She’s real. She’s super protective of it. Someone stole it once—I helped her get it back. She’s chill now. I’m going to ask her if you can hang out in her realm while I talk to two people: Frostbite and Clockwork. I need to make sure I don’t accidentally drop you off in the wrong Gotham.”

Zane: “There’s a wrong Gotham?!”

Danny: “This place touches every timeline. You don’t think there’s a version of Gotham where Batman is a vampire or something? Multiverse roulette isn’t fun.”

Class (collectively): “Yeah. No more questions.”

Camila (genuinely): “Wait—we don’t even know your name. We feel kinda rude calling you Ghost Boy.”

Danny (blinks): “Oh. Right. Just call me Phantom.”

Damian (dryly): “Just Phantom? Not your real name?”

Danny: “Not telling you that. That’s basically the same as asking how I died. Still rude.”

Mason: “If I die, can I change my name?”

Danny: “Yeah. You can go by whatever name you want. You’re dead. There are no rules.”

Leo: “What if someone’s, like, gay or bi or trans? Does that matter?”

Danny: “Dude, we’re dead. We’ve got Pride flags engraved into dimension gates. Trans? Cool. Bi? Great. Ace? Valid. Nobody cares. You’re free to be whoever you are.”

Priya: “Okay but… what if someone was transitioning when they died?”

Danny: “Then the gender they identified as is the one they get. Period. No exceptions.”

Zane: “...So it’s like actual equality?”

Danny: “Yeah. Ghost society’s not perfect, but nobody here’s getting judged for who they are. You’ll probably see two ghost guys kissing before lunchtime.”

Mason: “Wait. Have you met Death?”

Danny: “Twice.”

Class: “…What?”

Danny: “Yeah. They go by Jeff.”

Class (blinking): “Jeff?”

Danny: “Says it sounds like Death. Duh.”

Damian (deadpan, to himself): “I need a week off school. Maybe two.”

Damian (out loud): “What about things like Time? Dreams? Are they ghosts, too?”

Danny (nodding): “They’re called never-born ghosts. They weren’t alive and then dead—they exist because of human concepts. Like Time? His name’s Clockwork. Depending on your religion, you’ve probably heard of him under a different name. Same ghost. Different culture.”

[micamone]

i dont have a lot of spanish music in my phone and like. its even less when compared to like the huge amount of not spanish music on there. anyways that means even though i almost always have music playing its rare for this situation to have occured but

its late, and my phone started playing spanish music from the other room while i brushed my teeth. and listening to the muffled crooning and trumpets i was briefly thrown back into my 12 year old body, standing in my childhood bathroom listening to the neighbors loudly play their music down the street while i got ready for bed and felt such a crushing sense of longing and homesickness for a community I'll never have again that. i think i might actually be ill now

[thefuzzzz]

Batboys who, when they’ve upset someone in their lives who they care about, just buy them copious amounts of things they like because that’s how Bruce tries to rectify his small mistakes with his children

Wally: Hey, Dick? Did you order basketball tickets?

Dick: Oh, yeah. Last week. I ate your leftovers and you were upset about it, so I got you tickets for your favorite team in apology.

Wally: …thank you? Weren’t these expensive though? It’s the finals.

Dick: :)

Roy: Hey, Jaybird, did you get a new toolbox?

Jason: It has your name engraved on it.

Roy: I saw that.

Jason: Apology for when I forgot to lock the bedroom door when you asked, and Lian walked in on us

Roy: That was, like, a month ago? And I wasn’t even mad?

Jason: Engraving takes a long time.

Tim: To make up for missing our last date due to work, I made reservations and laid out outfits for both of you on the bed.

Bernard (in the bedroom with Kon): I don’t remember these being in our closet?

Kon: Since when did you have that necklace?

Bernard: And you those earrings? Shit, is that diamond?

Kon: Oh, I see what’s happening. Tim does this when he feels guilty.

Bernard: I hate rich people so much.

Damian: Hello.

Jon (jumping): Oh…hey? How did you get here? And when? I thought you said you were busy today and couldn’t hang out.

Damian: Irrelevant. I have a gift.

Jon: Oh my god! Is that a signed guitar?

Damian: …do you like it?

Jon: Yes, duh. But, how? Why? When?

Damian (climbing out the bedroom): Bye.

Clark (walking into Jon’s room): Oh, you and Damian made up?

Jon: WE WERE FIGHTING?

(Bonus SuperBat)

Clark (to his mom on the phone, walking into his Daily Planet office): Me and B were in a bit of a fight last night. Nothing big, but I feel bad about it. He slept in the guest room- holy shit.

Martha: What? You ok?

Clark: Yeah, yeah. I just walked into my office and…like everything’s been upgraded?

Martha: …what?”

Clark: There’s a really nice keyboard and computer and one of those fancy desk chairs and…oh. Hey, B.

Bruce (in the corner of the room): Good?

Clark: Uhhh…yes?

Bruce: :)

[somnoir]

Our darling mother

Wraith and Specter were mortal enemies with the same powers. Perhaps the same species. But with very different aspects.

The Justice League knew very well that their newest member of the YJ was part of a species that was known to earth as "Ghosts". Denizens of another dimension that essentially posed as the interdimensional afterlife. Where should manifested into something else, born of ectoplasm and such.

Specter had a hybridisation of ghost constitution. Being half human and all. However, unlike most ghosts, her special powers typically made her as fast as speedsters. Her speed, accompanied by her ghostly abilities, made her scarier than most speedsters.

Then there was what was considered to be her arch nemesis.

Wraith was what one called an independent criminal. He wasn't affiliated with anyone. Occasionally worked with some rogues but that was only to his own benefit. Batman and Cyborg had identified his goals (or what they could consider to be his goals). The destruction of an entire government organisation along with something else. Perhaps slaughter.

Specter had been familiar with such a villain.

"He's... Not so bad. Not really. His heart is in the right place but his execution of it is cruel." Specter said, "Some ghosts have been experimented on before and Wraith almost became one of them... None of us ghosts like the G.I.W. but Wraith is determined to slaughter not only them but their associates too."

"Meaning?"

"If you have a connection to the G.I.W. then you won't be spared from his wrath... The last time he tracked down one of their scientists, he killed the man's wife and mother."

Batman grimaced, looking at the glitches out picture of Wraith. He could compare the man to be around Jason's height—or taller. Specter had reported that Wraith was a fair bit older than her.

While Specter was a ghost that was best with speed, Wraith was destructive power. Strength in it's most dangerous form. He was capable of leveling mountains and summoning fireballs bigger than the daily planet sculpture.

The last time they fought Wraith without Specter, Superman and Wonderwoman were immediately shot down. Hell, even Batman was struggling after the bastard decided to play dirty. Batman quickly decided Wraith was an enemy after the ghost targeted Red Robin—as if knowing Bruce would immediately falter when one of his children were in immediate danger.

But there were times when some of them couldn't help but not blame Wraith. Not when they had failed to save ghosts who were being tortured and vivisected. Not when it was Wraith who frees them all.

(Bruce knows damn well that Jason seemed to be more inclined to Wraith than any of them.

"He's protecting his people, old man." Jason had once said.)

It's another crisis. Another fight. Lex Luther has apparently joined hands with the GIW. And broadcasting live was a ghost missing their limbs and trapped inside a tube of glowing green.

Before anyone could even say a word, the watchtower shook. Specter didn't seem surprised but her eyes were colder than the ice she conjured.

"Why the fuck is Wraith outside?" Barry warily muttered, already preparing for a fight once they saw the ghost hovering outside. He wasn't attacking, cursing, or doing anything else. He was just floating, staring at Specter.

"Ellie." Wraith growled, eyes glowing red while Specter's eyes shone venomous green. "You gonna keep playing hero, Polaris?"

Specter growled back, "Let him in."

They all shot her a confused look. Batman should be asking questions. Superman should be refusing. Wonder Woman should be demanding for a reason. But the two ghostly beings were staring at each other like they finally agreed on something.

Constantine slowly lowered the forcefield that kept ghosts out and some ghosts in. Wraith floated through the glass of the watchtower and stood before Specter—towering over her.

"You gonna admit it?"

"I already agreed with you that the GIW were trash—but that doesn't give you the right to arbitrarily take the lives of those that weren't involved in their operations!" Specter yelled.

"So what? We keep them alive then someone's gonna come back to avenge their damned souls. Might as well wipe 'em out before they can come back to bite our asses!" Wraith yelled back.

"Dante! Mom didn't fucking raise you to be like this—"

"OUR MOTHER IS BEING BROADCASTED BY THOSE BASTARDS! OUR MOTHER IS IN THEIR FUCKING CAPTIVITY!" Wraith—Dante snapped, pointing to the screen where Lex Luthor went on about the ghosts. "Our mother has been missing for two months and the GIW had him. It's because of that krypton obsessed fucker that I failed to track him down!"

"IF YOU HAD JUST LISTENED TO ME AND LET ME TALK TO THE LEAGUE—"

"—YOUR LEAGUE IS FUCKING USELESS—"

"—MOM WOULDN'T—

Batman gritted his teeth, "ENOUGH!"

Everyone fell silent, unable to speak any further. It was hard processing all this.

Wraith and Specter were siblings... Their mother was the ghost in captivity. The two of them have been searching for their mother for months.

Constantine choked on whatever drink he had, letting his own flask fall and staring at the screen in suddenly horror. "Shit... SHIT! THAT'S THE FUCKING GHOST KING!" He screeched, pointing at the screen as realization struck him like lightning. Then he pointed at the two Ghosts, "And you're... Holy—"

"Ellie, you and I both know how this will end if mother isn't save within the fucking hour." Wraith snarled, "The realms will go to war."

"Spec?" Conner murmured softly, trying to see if their friend would actually—

But then Specter looked resigned, a little regretful, but also cold. Like she was prepared to fight them all. Slowly, but damn surely, she was walking towards Wraith and standing beside him.

"Specter." Diana narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Specter bowed her head just a bit, "But my brother is right... If the King of the Infinite Realms is not saved within the hour... There will be war. As your friend, I am inclined to warn you that you will not win. Not when the Realms' warriors were once yours. We have our Kryptonians. We have fallen demigods. We have many more than that."

Everyone's breath hitched.

"So please... Please help us." Specter pursed her lips. "Because I don't want a war... But I want my mother safe."

"My sister speaks for herself," Wraith scoffed, "I don't give a flying fuck about you people. But Luthor did something to block me and now I can't track them. Since you're all heroes, I suggest you get to work... Or else I'll lead the ghosts myself to burn your world down."

Teeth—sharp and eldritch. Glowing red eyes turned to Bart Allen—the boy from the future flinched away, as if horrified.

"You speedsters seem familiar with me." Wraith chuckled, "Know that I will not hesitate to eviscerate this world like the other timelines."

High King Phantom was retrieved from the secret facility Lex Luthor and the GIW created with an anti-ecto forcefield that had them go undetected by other ghosts. Constantine and the Supers were quick to find it and tear it to bits.

Wraith did not go to war. Specter thanked them and promised that there will be no war.

Danny was very concerned as to what the hell his children got up to during the months he was gone. Clockwork happily told him how his children developed fratricidal tendencies.

[cheftsunoda]

reckless — ln4, op81

smau/real life

lando norris x !ex singer reader

oscar piastri x !singer reader

y/n and lando had been inseparable since they were nineteen, building a life together through the highs and lows. but lately, something felt off. as lando grew distant, yn’s suspicions quietly grew—until the truth unraveled…he’d been cheating with magui. instead of confronting him, yn poured her heartbreak into a song—one that ended their relationship for the world to hear. in the aftermath, she found comfort where she least expected it… in the arms of lando’s own teammate.

fc : stassie karanikolaou and various pinterest gals

special request from my love @cmgmikealson 🧡

i am legit posting heal your heart right as we speak so part 4 is posted if you’re looking for it

—

yourusername

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, carlossainz55, mclaren & 1,294,389 others.

yourusername : life’s been pretty good to me lately<3

—

username00 : so pretty love

username7 : no lando like?

username15 : he usually is first comment 🤨

username5 : im so confused where is her man

username8 : guys he is in the dump relax

alexandrasaintmleux : god you are so beautiful

liked by yourusername

yourusername : come smooch on me pretty

liked by alexandrasaintmleux

charles_leclerc : what did I walk into?

alexandrasaintmleux: look away cha

liked by yourusername

carlossainz55 : Miss you yn!

liked by yourusername

yourusername : miss you carlitos! golf with papà soon?

liked by carlossainz55 and carlossainzoficial

carlossainzoficial : Sí!

liked by yourusername and carlossainz55

kikagomes : my stunning girl

liked by yourusername

yourusername : love you to the moon and back

username10 : where tf is lando?

—

‘This chapter's about

How you said there was nobody else

Then you got up and went to her house

You guys always left me out’

—

He grabs his keys from the counter, barely glancing in my direction.

“I’ll be back later,” Lando says, voice flat.

“Where are you going?” I ask, keeping my tone light—casual, like I don’t already feel the distance growing between us.

He shrugs. “Just out.”

No name. No place. No explanation.

I nod, pretending not to care. “Okay. Be safe.”

The door clicks shut behind him, and silence floods the room. I sit there, staring at the space he just walked out of. My chest feels heavier than it should. I could’ve asked again, pressed for an answer—but what would that change? I already know the truth, even if I’m too scared to say it out loud. Something’s wrong. I feel it in the way he doesn’t look at me the same. In how he only kisses me when he thinks I’m not paying attention to the way his mind is somewhere else. Maybe I don’t argue because deep down… I’m tired of fighting for someone who’s already gone.

—

f1gossipgirls

457,296 likes.

f1gossipgirls : Rumors have been swirling for weeks about F1 driver Lando Norris and model/influencer Magui Corceiro, and it looks like things just heated up. The two were seen leaving Magui’s apartment early Tuesday morning, looking very cozy—and definitely not like just friends. Sources say Y/N, Lando’s longtime girlfriend, was not around at the time. The pair kept it low-key, both wearing sunglasses and casual fits, but witnesses couldn’t help but notice the chemistry (and the fact that lando was spotted there overnight).

—

username00 : yn deserved so much better. she gave that man years of loyalty and he gave her betrayal in return. i hope she writes a whole album about this.

username10 : lando leaving his apartment with Magui like we wouldn’t notice?? men have no shame.

username22 : you mean to tell me lando threw away 5 years with yn (the most stunning person on the planet) for felix’ sloppy seconds?

username30 : yn’s silence speaks louder than words.

usernameeee : lando FUMBLED.

—

‘When you told me that I was the only girl

You'd ever want in your life’

The post sits on my phone screen, still open. Lando and Magui, walking out of our apartment like it was theirs. Like I didn’t exist. When I hear the front door open, I don’t move. Just stare at the screen until it turns black. I lock it and set it face down.

Lando walks in, running a hand through his hair like he’s exhausted. “Hey, I’m back,” he says softly.

I look up, trying to sound casual. “Were you with Magui?”

He pauses in the middle of the room. Not long, but long enough.

Then he walks over slowly, kneels in front of me, and rests his hands gently on my knees. “Yeah,” he says, voice calm. “She needed someone to talk to. She was going through something, and I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“There are pictures,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I know,” he murmurs. “They look worse than it was. I swear, Y/N. Nothing’s going on with her. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

His eyes search mine like he’s begging me to believe him. He squeezes my hands. “You’re the only one I want. You always have been.”

I nod slowly, swallowing the knot in my throat. “Okay.”

He leans in and kisses my forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I whisper back.

But I still don’t believe him.

Because love shouldn’t come with this much doubt.

And the part of me that used to feel safe with him… doesn’t anymore.

—

‘Each day goes by and each night, I cry

Somebody saw you with her last night

You gave me your word, "Don't worry 'bout her’

The room is quiet except for the occasional sniffle I try to stifle into my pillow. The sheets are pulled up to my chin, but they don’t feel warm—just heavy. Like everything else. My phone is beside me, screen dimmed, waiting for a notification that won’t come. No apology. No explanation. Just silence. I open my Notes app instead, the cursor blinking back at me like it knows what’s coming. I start typing, barely able to see through the blur in my eyes. The words hurt. But they feel true. They feel like mine. I let out a shaky breath, backlit by the soft glow of the screen, when a buzz cuts through the stillness.

Max Fewtrell :

Hey. I know Lando is my best friend but what he is doing to you is so wrong, yn. You’ve been loyal to him for so long. I saw him out with magui again. I wanted you to know. I’m so sorry.

My heart drops. Max never texts me like this. Not unless it’s something important. Not unless he feels like I deserve to know. I stare at the message, my fingers trembling. He lied. Looked me in the eye and told me she just “stopped by.”

I feel something crack quietly inside me—not loud or explosive, just the kind of break you can’t come back from.

—

‘How could you be so reckless with my heart?’

I lie in bed for a while, Max’s message burning a hole in my chest. I keep hoping—praying—there’s a reasonable explanation. That I’m overthinking. That he’s telling the truth. But something inside me shifts. That quiet voice that’s been whispering doubts for weeks gets louder. I can’t ignore it anymore. So I get up. I move through the apartment on autopilot, careful not to make a sound, like I’m trespassing in a home that used to feel like mine. Lando’s bag is by the door, half-zipped, carelessly tossed like everything else in this relationship lately. I kneel beside it, heart pounding. I don’t want to be this person. I never wanted to look. But he made me. Inside, I find his phone charger, his sunglasses… and then a second phone. One I’ve never seen before. It’s not locked. My hands are cold as I scroll through the texts. Her name is right there—Magui—bold and glowing like a warning.

“Miss you already.”

“Last night was everything.”

“Don’t forget your hoodie. I kept it.”

Photo attachments. Her in our kitchen. Her in his hoodie. The same one he wore when he left that day. The same one I folded and left out for him the night before. My breath catches. I can’t cry. Not right now. My body won’t let me. I set the phone down on the counter and stare at it, like it’s some kind of weapon. Because it is. Proof of betrayal. Of everything he swore wasn’t happening.

And suddenly, I’m not heartbroken.

I’m done.

—

‘You check in and out

Of my heart like a hotel

And she must be perfect, oh well

I hope you both go to hell’

I don’t rush.

There’s a strange calm that settles over me as I fold my clothes, one by one, placing them carefully into the suitcase I bought on our first trip together. I don’t slam drawers or throw things. I just… let go.

Piece by piece.

Everything that once felt like home now feels like evidence. The framed photo of us at Silverstone. The hoodie he gave me when I first stayed over. The mug with my initial that he always filled before his morning races.

I don’t take them.

He can have the memories.

I zip the suitcase slowly and glance around the apartment one last time. It looks the same. But everything’s changed.

On the counter, I leave the second phone. Unlocked. Open to the last message from Magui.

And next to it, I place a folded piece of paper.

‘i trusted you. i loved you. she must be perfect, oh well. i hope you both go to hell.’

—

‘Hey, this is a story I hate

But I told it to cope with the pain

I'm so sorry if you can relate’

yourusername

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, maxfewtrell, oscarpiastri & 4,379,275 others.

yourusername : i got cheated on so alex got me this shirt, we went to ibiza to party and i released my new single reckless out now 🗣️

—

username00 : alex is the best ever

username10 : this is so iconic. the shirt. the cig in ibiza. im in tears.

alexandrasaintmleux : i love love love you- the trip was so fun

liked by yn_ln

charles_leclerc : Glad you girls had fun! Hope you’re feeling better, yn:)

liked by yn_ln and alexandrasaintmleux

yn_ln : thanks for letting us borrow the jet Charlie;)

liked by charles_leclerc

kikagomes : so iconic FUCK HIM

liked yn_ln

oscarpiastri : Glad you’re healing, YN. He did you wrong.

liked by yn_ln

kikagomes : or fuck his teammate??

liked by yn_ln & oscarpiastri

username17 : OH MY GOD

carlossainz55 : glad to be your tour guide :)

liked by yn_ln

yn_ln : 10/10 would recommend

username000 : oh so she won everyone in the breakup

—

36 missed calls from Lando

115 messages from Lando

—

The Monaco streets are quiet this early—just the soft hum of waves below and the rhythmic slap of my sneakers against the pavement. The city’s waking up, but I’ve been up for hours. Running clears my head in ways sleep can’t lately. I round the corner near Port Hercule, pulling my hoodie tighter around me as the breeze cuts through. Just as I hit the incline by the marina, a familiar figure jogs past in the opposite direction—then slows down and doubles back.

“Yn?”

I pause, pulling out one earbud. “Oscar?”

He jogs up, slightly out of breath, curls damp with sweat, that easy smile tugging at his lips. “Didn’t know you were back.”

“Yeah,” I say, trying to steady both my breathing and the sudden flutter in my chest. “Just got in a few days ago.”

He nods, studying me for a beat. “You alright?”

I give a tired smile. “Getting there.”

He doesn’t push. Just offers a quiet, steady presence, the kind I didn’t know I needed until now.

“I was gonna grab a coffee and walk the market after this,” he says, shifting his weight slightly. “You feel like company?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Is this a pity invite?”

He grins. “Only if you say no. Then it’ll definitely be pity.”

I laugh—really laugh—for the first time in days. The air feels lighter somehow.

“Alright,” I say. “But I’m picking the playlist next time we run into each other.”

He falls in step beside me. “Deal.”

—

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, kikagomes, carlossainz55 & 2,278,245 others.

yourusername : never been happier <3

—

username00 : new man??! bets??

username10 : better not see any “you moved on quick” comments because he moved on while they were still together

username5 : what if it’s Oscar???

kikagomes : you’re so cute omggg ily

liked by yn_ln

alexandrasaintmleux : my angel deserves to be happy 🦋

liked by yn_ln

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oscarpiastri

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, charles_leclerc & 1,238,255 others.

oscarpiastri : Been pretty productive lately.

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username00 : mans is soft launching and is so nonchalant

carlossainz55 : Hell of a season for you so far amigo!

liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri : My good luck charm definitely helps

liked by carlossainz55

username10 : call me delulu but that’s def yn

hattiepiastri : who? what? when?

oscarpiastri : you could’ve just texted bro

hattiepiastri : you never answer your texts

nicolepiastri : or calls

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The Monaco sun hits hard, even in the morning, but the buzz of the paddock is electric as always—cameras flashing, engines humming in the background, and whispers floating like static. This time, though, it’s not the usual chaos that turns heads.

It’s me.

Walking beside Oscar.

I’m wearing sunglasses, a soft black cap pulled low, and an oversized McLaren hoodie. Not just any hoodie—his hoodie. The number 81 stitched on the sleeve in that unmistakable papaya orange.

Oscar doesn’t say anything when the photographers start snapping. Just glances sideways at me with a small, knowing smile like he expected this.

I shrug. “It was the most comfortable one I had.”

“Sure it was,” he says, gently bumping my shoulder with his.

We pass a few crew members. They nod politely—but their eyes dip to my sleeve.

The whispers start instantly.

“That’s Piastri’s number, isn’t it?”

“Since when are they a thing?”

“I thought she was with—”

“Not anymore.”

Somewhere across the paddock, I catch a glimpse of Lando.

He’s mid-conversation but freezes for a split second when he sees us. His eyes drop to the hoodie, and I don’t miss the way his jaw tightens.

I don’t look away.

Oscar doesn’t either.

He simply says, “You ready?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

He grips tightly onto my hand as we walk through.

—

The podium celebration is chaos—in the best way. Champagne rains down like glitter, the crowd is deafening, and Oscar’s smile is wider than she’s ever seen it. There’s a light in his eyes that wasn’t there a few weeks ago. A quiet, humble pride. He climbs down from the stage, face flushed with adrenaline and joy, and immediately scans the crowd.

And then he sees me. Standing just behind the McLaren garage barrier, still wearing his hoodie, tears in my eyes and the biggest grin on my face.

He doesn’t hesitate.

He pushes through the crowd—crew members cheering, pats on the back, cameras chasing him—and walks straight to me.

“You did it,” i breathe, eyes shining.

“I told you I would,” he says softly, almost in disbelief.

And before either of us can talk ourselves out of it, he leans in and kisses me.

Not rushed. Not messy. Just sure.

The kind of kiss that says finally.

Around us, everything blurs. Reporters stop mid-sentence. Phones come up. Paparazzi lenses refocus. Someone gasps—someone else screams.

It’s official. Public. Real.

When we pull apart, Oscar rests his forehead against mine.

“I wanted to do that for a while.”

I laughed, still a little breathless. “Figured. You did win, after all.”

“Yeah,” he grins. “But I think you’re still my favorite part of today.”

—

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, alexandrasaintmleux, charles_leclerc & 10,279,255 others.

yourusername : finally got a man who can handle having a baddie

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charles_leclerc : the cutout picture has me rolling

liked by yn_ln

yn_ln : he told me to leave it out

oscarpiastri : i know how lucky i am to have pulled you;)

liked by yn_ln

oscarpiastri : my pretty girl

liked by yn_ln

alexandrasaintmleux: my loves!

liked by yn_ln and oscarpiastri

carlossainz55 : oh this is the good luck charm, huh?😉

liked by yn_ln and oscarpiastri

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☘️🌿🌎☁️🍃🌱🐢

[foone]

We keep finding space stations, and we don't know why yet.

Most are in orbit around planets, but plenty more are orbiting moons, stars, the odd black hole, or just floating in deep space.

Their age varies, some are so old that just getting close enough to dock makes them shatter like glass, others are so recently constructed that the lights are still on and the reactors are still fueled. All are empty of any life or robots smarter than a roomba.

The ones orbiting planets are orbiting dead worlds, or living worlds where nothing on them is smart enough to launch a space station.

The stations in deep space are weirder. The most information came from the one by Epsilon Eridani. A massive installation, it had docking rings for hundreds of vessels, all empty. It was in remarkable shape for how old it was (from the unrepaired micrometeorite impacts, we estimate it has been abandoned for about 3000 years), so we were able to access a lot of information from its main computer. We found the coordinates of several home planets, and visited them all. All were dead, empty, or in one case, simply missing. The star was still there, the other uninhabitable planets mentioned in the databanks were there, but their homeworld? Gone. No debris or expanding gas cloud, it's just missing.

And that's the thing: if we found space stations along with abandoned ruins of ground-based installations, that'd make sense. If we met dozens of living races, amongst a few empty satellites of long dead races, that'd also be expected. But this is all the evidence we're not alone in the universe we've found.

We've sent probes to over half the stars in this galaxy and visited hundreds in crewed spacecraft, but the empty space stations are the only evidence of alien life. Every planet is either a sterile husk, a gas giant, or a vibrant living world with nothing smarter than a giraffe living on it. Oh, there's strange life forms of every kind! But none of them seem sapient, certainly not sapient enough to build a space station.

Where is everyone? We've been asking that question since we first understood the Drake Equation and the Fermi paradox, but the question has taken on a new form as we've gone to the stars and found endless empty houses in the sky.

It's the difference between looking at an empty desert and walking through an abandoned city. In both cases, there's a silent emptiness, but in the latter case, it seems to contain a sinister element. This place is empty, but it shouldn't be. Something made it empty, and we haven't found out why yet.

We keep looking, and keep listening to the echoes of our own footsteps in the silent habitats.