#squeeze water filtration system

[estellan0vella]

Beauty In Simplicity ❀ Choso Kamo Masterlist

You step into the quiet, dimly lit entrance of the aquarium, the gentle hum of filtration systems a soothing background noise. Beside you, Choso Kamo, tall and imposing with his distinctive facial markings and somber demeanor, looks around with a mix of curiosity and reserve. This date is your idea, a chance to show him the simpler, beautiful side of life. His life has been filled with chaos and pain, and you want to offer him a moment of peace and wonder.

As you walk through the arched glass tunnel that leads into the heart of the aquarium, the first display catches your eye. Neon-lit jellyfish drift gracefully in their tanks, their bioluminescence creating an ethereal glow. You glance at Choso, watching his usually stoic face soften slightly in the soft light.

"Look at these," you say, pointing to a particularly vibrant jellyfish. "They're like living art, don’t you think?"

Choso nods, his gaze fixed on the drifting creatures. "They move so slowly, like they're dancing."

You smile at his observation, feeling a small victory in seeing him appreciate the beauty. Moving further, you reach the main attraction: a massive tank that houses a diverse array of marine life. Schools of fish dart and weave through the water, while larger creatures like rays and sharks glide effortlessly. Choso stands beside you, his eyes wide with awe.

"It's incredible," he murmurs, almost to himself.

You lean closer to him, feeling the warmth of his presence. "It really is. Sometimes, we forget how amazing the world can be."

His eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the weight of his past seems to lift. The two of you stand there, side by side, simply enjoying the scene. You decide to take him on a tour of your favorite parts of the aquarium, starting with the coral reef exhibit.

The tank is a riot of color, teeming with life. Tiny clownfish dart among the anemones, while vibrant corals sway with the water's gentle currents. Choso seems particularly taken with a pair of seahorses, their tails entwined as they float together.

"They mate for life," you tell him softly. "Once they find their partner, they stay together."

He nods, a contemplative look on his face. "It's...nice to know that kind of bond exists in the world."

You reach out and gently squeeze his hand. "It does. And it's worth finding."

As you move to the next exhibit, you guide Choso towards the touch tank. It's filled with various sea creatures that visitors can gently touch under the guidance of the staff. You can see the hesitation in his eyes, but you give him an encouraging smile.

"Come on, it's safe. You'll like it."

He watches as you reach into the tank, your fingers brushing against a starfish. His reluctance slowly fades as he follows your lead, tentatively reaching out. The look of surprise on his face when he feels the starfish's rough texture is priceless.

"It's...different than I expected," he says, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

You laugh softly. "See? There's so much to discover when you take a moment to experience it."

Choso seems more relaxed now, the rigid lines of tension easing from his posture. The next stop is the tunnel that passes through the shark tank. As you walk through, sharks and rays swim overhead, their sleek bodies casting shadows on the floor.

"These creatures are so powerful, yet they move with such grace," Choso observes, his voice filled with wonder.

"Yes," you agree, "they're perfectly adapted to their environment. It's a reminder that strength and beauty can coexist."

He nods, his eyes tracking the movement of a particularly large shark. "It's a good reminder."

As you continue through the aquarium, you share stories and facts about the different species, each one bringing a new spark of interest to Choso's eyes. You can see him slowly opening up, his usual guarded demeanor giving way to a more relaxed and curious side.

Eventually, you reach the final exhibit: a tranquil tank filled with glowing, bioluminescent creatures. The room is dark, the only light coming from the soft glow of the organisms in the water. It's like stepping into another world.

Choso stands in the center of the room, mesmerized by the sight. "This is...breathtaking."

You stand beside him, taking in the beauty of the moment. "It's moments like these that remind me why life is so precious."

He turns to you, his expression softening. "Thank you for bringing me here. I didn't realize how much I needed this."

You smile, your heart swelling with warmth. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes, we all need a reminder to slow down and appreciate the simple things."

As you leave the aquarium, the sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the city. You walk side by side, the experience of the day leaving a lingering sense of peace and connection. Choso reaches for your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours.

"Today was...different," he says, his voice thoughtful. "But it was good. Thank you."

You squeeze his hand gently. "Anytime, Choso. There's so much more to see and experience. Life can be beautiful, even in its simplest moments."

He nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'd like to see more of it. With you."

Your heart skips a beat at his words. "I'd like that too."

As you walk together into the evening, you can't help but feel hopeful for the future. Today was just the beginning, a small step towards healing and discovering the beauty in life. With Choso by your side, you're ready to face whatever comes next, one simple, beautiful moment at a time.

The next weekend, you plan another simple outing, a picnic in the park. Choso arrives punctually, as always, but there’s a noticeable difference in his demeanor. He’s carrying a small bouquet of wildflowers, his awkward attempt at reciprocating the kindness you showed him at the aquarium. Your heart melts at the gesture, and you thank him with a kiss on the cheek that makes him blush.

You find a quiet spot under a large oak tree, its branches providing a cool shade. Spreading out the picnic blanket, you unpack the food you’ve prepared: sandwiches, fresh fruit, and homemade cookies. Choso helps, his movements careful and deliberate, as if he’s still getting used to this new normalcy.

As you eat, you talk about everything and nothing. You share funny anecdotes from your childhood, and Choso listens intently, occasionally sharing a rare laugh. You notice he’s becoming more expressive, his smiles more frequent and genuine.

After lunch, you suggest a stroll around the park. The air is filled with the scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of children playing in the distance adds a joyful background to your walk. Choso seems more at ease in this natural setting, his steps lighter and his gaze softer.

You lead him to a small pond, where ducks paddle lazily and lily pads float on the surface. Sitting on the grassy bank, you both watch the tranquil scene. A mother duck leads her ducklings in a line, their tiny bodies creating ripples in the water.

"Look at them," you say, pointing to the ducklings. "So small, yet so determined."

Choso watches them, a thoughtful expression on his face. "They remind me of you," he says quietly.

You turn to him, surprised. "Me?"

He nods. "You’re small, but you have a strong spirit. You lead with kindness, just like that mother duck."

His words touch you deeply, and you reach for his hand, holding it tightly. "Thank you, Choso. That means a lot to me."

You sit there in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. It’s moments like these that you cherish, the simple beauty of life that you’re helping Choso discover.

As the months pass, you and Choso continue to explore the simpler joys of life together. You take him to a local farmer’s market, where he marvels at the variety of fresh produce and homemade goods. You spend afternoons at the library, getting lost in different worlds through books. You even introduce him to the joy of baking, his serious concentration on measuring ingredients a source of endless amusement for you.

Each experience brings you closer, the bond between you growing stronger. Choso begins to open up more about his past, and you listen without judgment, offering support and understanding. You can see the change in him, the way his eyes light up with curiosity and his smiles come more easily.

One evening, after a particularly enjoyable day at a botanical garden, Choso surprises you with a question.

"Why do you do this?" he asks, his tone serious but gentle. "Why do you show me these things?"

You take a moment to gather your thoughts before answering. "Because I care about you, Choso. I want you to see that there’s more to life than pain and struggle. There’s beauty and joy in the simplest things, and you deserve to experience that."

He looks at you, his eyes filled with an emotion you can’t quite decipher. "Thank you," he says softly. "For everything."

You smile, reaching out to cup his cheek. "You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me that you’ll keep looking for the beauty in life, no matter what."

He covers your hand with his, his expression earnest. "I promise."

And with that promise, you know that you’ve made a difference. Choso is beginning to see the world through new eyes, finding hope and beauty in the everyday. It’s a journey, one that you’re both on together, discovering the simple, beautiful side of life one day at a time.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

[radioactivepeasant]

Surprise: Free Day Thursday Part Three!

Part One, Part Two

Yes, it's all out of order. But honestly that's kind of by design. See, I've got this idea of the story opening with Samos delivering a prologue, as he usually does. It's very much a statement by an unreliable narrator. And then you'd see what was happening in Spargus and think "wait, this doesn't match up". And then it would go back and forth between game stuff and how Jak got to the Wasteland.

So first Samos would provide a recap of Jak II. Then he'd say something like,

"But, sensing the weakness of our defenses, a ruthless warlord appeared from the Wastes. The dreaded Dune-Wolf, as efficient as he is deadly. He made only one demand: "Give up the Dark Warrior, or we will tear your city apart, beginning with this man we caught scouting around our camp."

But the man was the leader of the city militia, the right hand man of the governor herself. What choice did that leave us? With an innocent man's life in the balance -- to say nothing of the city -- Jak had no alternative but to accept the Dune-Wolf's terms. On the day of the exchange, the governor slipped a dagger into Jak's boot, where the Wastelanders would not find it, so that at least he would not be helpless. It has been many months now since that fateful day, but I have faith that Jak will gather his strength and escape that barren desert, to return to us once more."

And then it would cut to Spargus:

Daxter clung to the exterior of the tower, finding handholds no human would ever have been capable of. Swiftly and quietly, he scaled the rain-slick wall to slide through a window too narrow for most. Once inside, he shook water from his fur and beckoned to the figure crouched by the wall.

"Coast is clear, Jak." Daxter gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. "We'll have to climb down clockwise to avoid the guards, but then it's a straight shot to the elevator."

"Nice work." Jak held out a fist to bump against Daxter's.

He pulled his goggles down over his face and gripped the edges of the sill.

"This is it, Dax. We're getting out of here."

With a crackle, dark eco washed over his body, radiating from the lichtenberg patterns across his chest and arms. Jak's dark form didn't care about whether a space was "too small". He could fit anywhere as long as he could get his head through. With a scrape and a few very unsettling pops, he squeezed out of the window and dug his claws into the wall. Daxter slid out after him and dropped to his shoulder. Then the escape was underway.

Humans were not supposed to be able to cling to vertical surfaces like lizards. But then, Jak had never really been one for obeying conventional ideas of what humans were supposed to be able to do. He crept down the tower, following the clockwise path Daxter pointed out to him. After about two more levels, the walls would become sheer metal, and they would run out of handholds. They would have to switch to indoors then -- provided Jak's dark eco didn't run out and cause them to fall to their deaths.

The window in the pump room had been left open. This would have been suspiciously convenient in most cases, but the rain brought cooler air, and open windows were to be found all across the city to take advantage of it. Jak shimmied in through the foot-wide space and hopped lightly down over pipes and gears. They would have to be careful here: one wrong move could damage the water filtration system and cause problems for a lot of innocent people. Jak eased up beside the open doorway and craned his neck to check the hall.

Perfect.

Taking advantage of the pump room's noise to drown out his grunt of pain, Jak let the dark eco subside, drawing it back into his core.

"Alright Dax, which way?" he whispered.

"Left. Er, my left- not yours. Stick to the ceiling when we get to the hall with the monks. After that it's just two antechambers to the way out."

Moving from room to room in almost complete silence, they met no resistance. Of course, they'd long since learned to avoid the traps hidden under the engraved floor tiles, and Jak put the ease of their journey down to experience.

Daxter wasn't so sure. Something felt...off.

The elevator -- the only true exit from the fortified tower -- sat at the edge of a carefully maintained indoor oasis. It had the rare quality of being both beautiful and strangely threatening -- like Tess, Daxter sometimes joked. Much of this was due to the vast dais sitting opposite the lift. Two braziers fastened to rough stone pillars provided the only illumination that didn't come from the window behind the dais, and what natural light there was had to filter through dozens of small date palms. Between the trees and huge carving set behind the throne, there were far too many shadowy places for an enemy to hide.

Jak was going to take full advantage of that.

Hopping from rock to rock, he deftly avoided the streams to make it to the wooden frame of the simple moving platform. He would have to be quick: pulling back the lever to call the platform up was going to make a lot of noise. The second the bar around the lever locked into place with a loud clank, Jak grabbed Daxter and darted into the shadows between two palms to hide in case someone came to investigate.

He had scarcely turned around when he realized someone was already standing where he had just been. How had he missed them?!

Broad shoulders, heavy bracers, otherwise slight build. This wouldn't be an easy fight if it was who Jak suspected it was. But they were the last obstacle between Jak and freedom, and he'd come too far to back down now.

The person turned as Jak left the trees, and firelight caught on glimmering shards of Precursor metal, set into his skull.

Ah. Of course.

"Dune-Wolf," Jak greeted the warrior casually.

"Escapee," the Dune-Wolf returned.

"Can't keep me here forever, Dune-Wolf," Jak challenged, stepping in a careful circle around the man.

"It's the middle of the storm season, of course I can," the warlord scoffed.

Daxter shook out his arms and took a ready stance at Jak's side. "Better hope you locked the front gate, pal, because we're outta here!"

King Damas raised a brow, and the corner of his mouth twitched up. "Are you now? I wouldn't be so sure of that."

He shifted one foot back, and raised his staff. "You will not set one foot past me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Jak retorted, and he charged.

The faint sting of old bruises reminded him to jump -- Damas liked sweeping his opponents' legs out from under them -- and he used his momentum to sail over the staff and land to the king's left. His feet had barely made contact with the floor before Damas’s own momentum caught up to him. Damas followed his swing through by pivoting and catching Jak across the midsection with the staff. Jak flew backwards into one of the streams with the wind knocked out of him.

Daxter ducked the staff with a screech and actually leaped up onto it. He clung for dear life while Damas paused in an attempt to shake him off before shrugging and picking him up by the scruff of the neck. Jak surged out of the water like a sea monster to grasp the staff and try to pull it from Damas’s hands. Forced to choose which opponent to focus on, Damas released Daxter just in time for Jak to finally wrest the staff from his fingers and toss it across the room.

"Nice try," Jak panted, and dug in his heels as the two matched grips.

For a moment, neither gave way, but ultimately, Damas had the advantage of size.

He shifted stance for one instant and swept Jak's feet out from under him. Jak landed hard, and before he could get his elbows under him, a hand came down on the back of his neck, anchoring him in place. Jak froze, well accustomed by now to the irritating consequences of failure. Damas crouched beside him, and when Jak strained his eyes to get a look at the king, he was smirking.

"Nice try," he echoed. He let go and stood back to let Jak sit up. "I told you, you can't get past me."

Jak bent slightly to catch his breath, begrudgingly admitting defeat. But then he grinned and pointed past Damas.

"Then who's in the elevator?"

Damas whirled to see Daxter, waving at him from inside. Going for the staff had been a ploy: Jak had never intended to win the fight.

"Got past you this time, Dune-Wolf. A deal's a deal," Daxter crowed.

Jak mirrored his cocky grin.

"We got past you, so you have to let me take my last Arena trial before winter."

Damas grumbled good-naturedly and shook his head. "Why did I ever let you talk me into that?"

He leaned down and pulled Jak to his feet in a single motion.

"I probably should have specified that you both had to get past me. That's on me."

"Buuut," Jak pointed out, "you didn't specify. C'mon, Dune-Wolf, pay up."

"Don't call me Dune-Wolf," Damas sighed -- for the umpteenth time -- "enemies call me Dune-Wolf. Soldiers call me Dune-Wolf. You don't."

Jak flashed a cheeky grin at him. "Sure, sure, Damas."

Daxter could have sworn the warlord's eye twitched just a little.

"Alright, now you're just being impudent." Damas tweaked Jak’s ear. "It's either father, or dad to you."

Jak batted his hand away and rolled his eyes. "Man, I haven't had a father in twelve years! I'm not used to being someone's kid!"

It was truly a mark of progress that Damas didn’t respond to statement with a dampening of his mood, or a wince. Instead, he wrestled Jak into a playful headlock and scrubbed his knuckles across the boy’s scalp.

"Yeah? Well you live here, so you better start getting used to it!"

Jak snorted and tried to break free, but admittedly he was at an awkward angle and Damas did still have a height advantage.

"Ack! Leggo!"

"What? Put you upside down, you said?" Damas teased.

It wasn't an idle threat, that was how the last spar had ended.

"Okay okay!" Jak laughed and smacked Damas’s arm. "I yield! Let up, Dad!"

Damas eased his grip immediately, slackening the hold into a loose arm around Jak’s shoulders. "You did good, cub," he said warmly, "You're ready for the last trial."

"Told you we were!" Daxter chirped. "C'mon Jak, the sooner you get your zoomies out on the Playground of Death, the sooner we get to vote!"

"Aht! Breakfast first!"

Damas shifted one heel, and the next thing Daxter knew a foot had come out of nowhere to scoop him out of the elevator and up into the air. Jak caught him with a truncated curse and fumbled to set him on his shoulders.

"But we already ate!" He protested.

"We ate six raisins and a roll," Daxter tattled, "Lead the way, Mr. The Dad."

[sunsetsands]

Completed the reference photo for how an akada's internal organs are laid out. Each organ system and their most noteworthy traits will be indicated and explained under the keep reading barrier.

Gray: The nervous system. Rather than being located in the head, an akada's brain is stored in the center of its body, protected on all sides by its shell. This is accompanied by a long central nervous cord that extends up into the eyestalks. All the other nerves in an akada's body branch off of this cord, including the ones situated behind its brain, which loop back around somewhere in the middle. In addition to its different structure, the brain of an akada also functions slightly differently from a human's. Their lives involve a lot less quick, on-the-move decision making than ours do, instead prioritizing a lot more meticulous long-term planning. This means that akada, generally, think about as slowly as they move. An akada's thought output is more about quality over quantity.

Beige: The shell. You probably know what this does. While tucked in, the shell tilts down and the front organs get folded up to make room for the squished-down head. Although akada can pull their heads into their shells, this doesn't do a lot to protect their arms, tail, or skirt. This ability is more or less vestigial, only being used while startled or sleeping.

Light Blue: The respiratory system. This is comprised of one lung that is also technically ten lungs, each one being surrounded by a mesh of muscle tissue that squeezes and unsqueezes them to pump air. This air enters the body through a series of small slits along the top of their faces. Not a lot to say here. Pretty standard set of breathy parts.

Dark Blue: The circulatory system, though every part of it except the heart has been excluded here for simplicity. As you can probably deduce from the color choice, akada have blue blood, using hemocyanin where we use hemoglobin. Again, not much of note.

Red: The digestive system. Akada chew using two distinct sets of teeth: One three-part beak in the front used for crushing, and one two-part radula in the back used for grinding. Though these parts look and act completely differently, they are adapted from the same parts, that being many rows of identical, keratinous spikes that an ancient ancestor species had in their mouths. Also noteworthy here is the camera shutter-esque organ inside of their throat. These are their vocal chords, which use air pumped out of the stomach to produce speech, assisted on the way out by the radula and lips. The organ is fully retracted while eating to make way for food.

Pink: The reproductive system. Typically, akada have two penises and two vaginas, one of each located in pouches in their cheeks. These are also accompanied by twin uteri, attached in the middle by a series of glands I haven't put much thought into the function of. These uteri store fertilized eggs, which are incubated until they are ready to be vomjaculated into the nearest body of water to hatch. It should be noted that, since an akada's reproductive organs are situated behind their teeth, it is very possible, and in fact quite common, for one to accidentally bite their own penis off. Don't worry, it usually grows back.

Green: A slime production gland. Like Earth's gastropods, akada produce slime to make it easier to slide along the ground. This is technically also their urinary system. Out of context, the idea of a species that talks by burping and moves by peeing sounds a bit childish, but you probably wouldn't have realized that had I not pointed it out.

Teal: A spongy water storage/filtration organ with no direct terran equivalent. Aside from the main organ pictured in the drawing, there also exists a layer of similar spongy tissue spread all throughout an akada's skin, acting both as an emergency moisture reserve and a hydrostatic skeleton.

[rottmnt-anariaverse]

Tw: nonconsensual drugging at the end

There was a small pool in the corner of Donnie's enclosure. It was deep enough that he could completely submerge himself vertically if he wanted, but only by a few inches. The pool was lined with dirt and rocks, still no vegetation.

He dug into the sides, looking to see if there was anything of importance beneath the caked on mud.

After several minutes of scuffing his fingers on the stones and accumulating muck under his fingernails, he hit something solid. He lit up, tearing at the siding of the pool to reveal-

Solid metal plating. Sigh. He should've guessed, honestly. He didn't know what he was expecting; it wasn't like these people would just have the bottom of their pool be connected to the outside, where he could escape to.

That's when it hit him.

The pool needed a filtration system.

He swam around the sides of the pool, examining it for any openings or grates or anything. His heart pounded as he searched, hoping they'd be dumb enough to make a filter big enough for him to squeeze through.

They weren't.

When he found one, it was barely big enough for him to push his snout through.

He grumbled, packing the muck back against where he'd dug into it. When he finished repairing his only safe place, he poked his head back up to the surface.

Food had arrived.

He clambered out of the water and shook himself off. It might be gross, but it was better than nothing.

He clicked his beak, feeling oddly drowsy.

Well.

This certainly didn't bode well for him, he thought, slipping into unconsciousness.

[le-amewzing]

the end of the world (and no one’s fine)

Decided to go way out of my comfort zone just for the holiday, so have some Parknight with a twist! XD *Note: This is a zombie apocalypse AU, so please check the closing A/N for a full list of trigger warnings.

Fic: "the end of the world (and no one's fine)" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: Jess Knight/Alden Parker, with Ronnie Tyler, Dale Sawyer, Sid (from Cyber XD), Tony Francis, & Curtis Hubley in supporting roles; cameos from Delilah Fielding–McGee & Victoria Palmer, as well as minor bkgd OCs

Rating: M

Words: ~10,330

Additional info: romance, family, angst, hurt/comfort, horror, supernatural, AU, 3rd person POV

Summary: The world's fallen apart in just a few months, loved ones are gone or scattered, but…but they've still got each other to depend on.

      The world outside these orange walls was not supposed to look like this, Knight thought when she got up from her desk in the bullpen to go have a peek between the shutters across the way.

      Outside NCIS, the sky was a sickly, greenish–gray. Clouds of smog permanently hovered close these days, just below the skyline, despite the efforts of those who remained at the necessary facilities trying to clean up the air across the country. Worse still, what was above was much the same below, and she didn't need a glimpse to know the parking lot here was as grimy as ever, strewn with debris and refuse and who knew what else, even though few cars and no people were present. Below that, underground, the water had become yet another situation.

      "Antsy?" Parker asked, drawing up on her left side at the window.

      Knight grinned without turning his way, but she knew it was a tight expression. There was no use in lying to him. "No. Yes? Maybe," she settled on. She glanced at him, copper eyes briefly meeting hazel. "Any word?"

      He shrugged. "I thought we were luckier, being here at headquarters, since it has a lot of what we need… But Cyber guys are Cyber guys. I don't know how Piper and Sid ever put up with Hubley's whining. Sid already kicked Hubley out, so Francis is helping him work on the filtration system."

      "Probably for the best. The filtration system is half tech, half mech. No offense to Hubley, but I'd rather Francis follow Sid's orders on which items need muscling into proper place." This time, when she smiled, it felt more genuine.

      Parker, too, smiled a little. Then he resumed staring out the window with Knight. "So, any word?" he asked.

      Knight scrunched her nose up briefly, hearing her own words and at how he asked right now, especially since he knew the likelihood of the answer. "…no. Ronnie and Sawyer are due back from patrol soon, but the satphone's been quiet." She paused. "Alden. It's been days since we last heard from Torres."

      He ran a hand through his hair, which had more white threaded through it these last few months, and cupped the back of his neck. Then he sighed and pursed his lips. "Jess—"

      "I know what you're going to say. I know," she insisted, half turning towards him, her attention no longer on how wrong things looked outside the window. "I know that he's busy. I know that he and Bishop are exceptional tools in the hands of that—Odette woman," Knight said, almost as if Odette Malone's name were a curse any time someone at NCIS mentioned her, "and that their coordination between here and other NCIS agencies, coordinating on the ground…it's what they do best."

      Parker raised his eyebrows.

      "And it takes time."

      He brushed back a lock of hair from her face and shoulder and let his hand trail down her arm until their fingers were linked together. Parker gave her fingers a squeeze.

      Knight squeezed back and took half a step forward, hiding her face in his chest. "But it's been days, Alden," she repeated. "And we can't lose Nick the way we lost Tim."

      At that, Parker's other hand came up to rest on her back, and he held her gently, without uttering a single word and yet saying everything on his mind in that moment.

      Ronnie and Sawyer came back inside a few minutes late—not yet late enough that Knight and Parker were suiting up to go fetch them, but late enough that all pairs of eyes in the bullpen turned when the partners did appear.

      "It's nothing, I promise," Ronnie swore up and down, shuffling ahead of Sawyer as she removed her rifle and passed it to the younger agent.

      "Uh, correction: It is something," Sawyer said with a mild glare at his boss' back. He checked the ammunition and safeties on the guns before standing them along the wall with other weapons by the elevator, ever at the ready.

      "Ronnie," Knight began, getting up to join the other woman on the other side of her desk.

      "She sprained her ankle out there," Sawyer tattled.

      There was a collective sigh of relief from their fellow survivors, although Knight could've sworn she heard Ronnie flare her nostrils when she glared at Sawyer over her shoulder for blabbing.

      Parker stood up straight from where he'd been leaning against the edge of Knight's desk. He hooked a finger at Ronnie, gesturing for her to follow him. "C'mon, Ronnie. First aid, even for a sprain."

      But Ronnie vigorously shook her head, sending her curls flying. "No. I don't need it."

      Parker exhaled a calming breath. "Ronnie—"

      "I am not going down there!"

      Her sharp tone pierced the quiet of the bullpen. Sid and Hubley, sitting on the floor already, ducked their eyes at her outburst. Sawyer continued to frown at his boss' back, and Francis glanced between Knight and Parker, the two senior-most agents present.

      Ronnie shook, slightly, in the middle of what had once been the squad room, though. With her fists clenched at her sides, dark knuckles blanching, she shook her head again and met Parker's stare head on. But, where she'd glared at Parker before, her anger abandoned her now. Those were the wide eyes of a frightened woman. Knight knew; she'd seen them countless times during her tenure with REACT.

      "Ronnie, it's the best place to keep the medical supplies," Parker reminded her. "And the place is clear. It's been that way since Zero Day."

      She flinched at his casual mention of the start of…well, Armageddon, Knight supposed, but Ronnie swallowed and found her voice. "I don't care, Parker. You won't get me down in Autopsy."

      Parker grimaced. The good humor left his posture, given the squaring of his shoulders and that tautness of his jawline, even though the latter was hidden by his whiskers to a less trained eye.

      That was why Knight stepped between them and offered Ronnie her chair. "Ronnie, just have a seat. I don't see why we can't pop down for an ice pack and wrap," she aimed at Parker, "and it'll be faster with the two of us."

      The tension in his jaw relaxed, and Parker conceded with a subtle nod.

      But Ronnie furrowed her brow. "Honestly, Knight, Sawyer's just being a worrywart. I simply tripped over that stupid tree root that broke up the foot path. You know the one over on the left side of the building. If I can get my foot up for an hour or two, I'll be fine."

      Knight smiled and shoved her notebooks and old paperwork—what use was there for case files when cases would no longer be closed?—onto the floor to clear room for Ronnie's foot. She even patted the spot for good measure. "Then get it up already." She glanced behind her. "Curtis, toss Ronnie two protein bars and go fill her a bottle, would you?"

      Ronnie's eyes went wide again as Hubley grumbled but left to fetch the items. "No! The water filters are back in place? No more stale water bottles?"

      "You're welcome," Sid said from the floor, though he still kept his eyes glued to…ah, he and Hubley had been playing some card game.

      Knight took a headcount, reminded herself that Hubley would be right back to join the other four, and followed Parker out of the bullpen, towards the back hallway. One they'd rounded the corner and stepped into the elevator to head down to Autopsy, she mumbled, "Kid gloves with Ronnie, Alden."

      He huffed. "I know. But—" He put his hands on his hips and turned away from the doors, as if Ronnie would be right outside when they next opened. "It's been months. Nothing's changed about Autopsy. Jimmy happened to have it empty that week, and it's been that way ever since."

      The elevator dinged, and they stepped into the short hallway before Autopsy's doors. But Knight didn't enter just yet. "It's been months," she agreed, "…but you don't just get over the loss of family like that. It was her daughter, Alden."

      Parker's shoulders sagged. He didn't say anything to that, so they went inside.

      Where Autopsy before had been just another aspect of their jobs, its chill sterility creeped Knight out more than it ever had now. She knew Parker was right—none of the slabs held any bodies, no dead, no reanimated, not even any parts—but being here, while the world was falling to pieces, weighed her down and threatened to bring on a headache.

      Months, she'd had to remind him. It'd taken the world two full weeks to grasp the reality of the situation, that this wasn't some large prank orchestrated nationally or globally by some select, dedicated horror buffs with elaborate designs and too much time and money on their hands. In two full weeks, they'd seen countries fall and the rest descend into chaos, ordered and not.

      The U.S. was a bit of a mix. Certain leaders had bit the dust or disappeared altogether, at every level. …no agency had been spared, not even NCIS.

      Knight bit her lower lip as her thoughts drifted to Director Vance. Supposedly, he'd located Kayla and Jared and gone into hiding with them. But it'd been almost two months since Knight and Parker had heard from him, and Torres and Bishop were constantly on the move between agencies, so it wasn't likely that they'd heard from him or tracked him down yet either.

      But she shook her head free of such dismal thoughts. Bad enough that she was worried about not hearing from Torres in a while. She'd already brought up McGee's death once today. She didn't want to entertain any others right now.

      "Ah, found the wraps," Parker announced from the storage closet. He emerged with one in hand and tucking another into his pocket. He did a double-take at Knight's expression. "Jess?"

      "Hmm?"

      "Your face is flushed. What's wrong?"

      Tears threatened to spill forth, but Knight shook her head and went to the freezer. She pulled out two packs, tossing one to Parker and pressing the other to her eyes. The cold helped anchor her. "Nah, it's just me being in my head too much."

      Parker went quiet long enough that Knight pulled her head out of the freezer and stole a peek at him. He cocked his head to one side. "Who's on your mind right now?"

      Damn, he was so good at that… She laughed, which helped to beat back the tears. Knight returned the second ice pack and closed the freezer door. "All of them."

      They returned to the elevator, and Parker cleared his throat. "You know… Just because we're waiting to hear from Torres and Bishop…hell, even from Malone…doesn't mean you can't touch base with the others."

      Knight chuckled. "I dunno… Calls mostly are for emergencies in end times, Alden."

      "They don't have to be."

      She nodded. Maybe they didn't have to be, but Knight hated to admit that she was scared to call and get no answer.

      "…what people have deemed 'Z-Day' is, in fact, the zombie apocalypse—" one of the announcers began on ZNN early in the evening.

      But a second announcer cut in. "Please excuse my colleague for such language. We here at ZNN do not identify such things as being real. Zero Day, as dubbed by early researchers of the phenomenon, is of course the name for the inciting incident, five months ago, when the recently deceased began to regain movement in city morgues and in hospitals. Though currently we still have no medical treatment for the cause, scientists have been able to study a few viable samples, and they say the name 'Zero Day' is apt. Not unlike a software vulnerability, the 'reinfection,' as some are calling it, appears to stem from the uncontrolled regeneration of white blood cells, cells everyone has, meaning it's rather like a human software bug that these white blood cells on steroids are exploiting." The second announcer narrowed her eyes at the camera and adjusted the papers on her desk, which was showing its wear and tear from the small crew holing up at the television studio. She cleared her throat and continued, "Scientists, in the same vein as software developers, are desperate to come up with, at the very least, a patch. In the meantime, other researchers are more concerned with what precisely would spur white blood cells' behavior in this manner, going from causing cancer to causing a transformation—and if that's even a fraction of the whole picture."

      Knight pulled a face and leaned forward to grab the remote, but Sid beat her to it, and the Cyber agent clicked around, trying to find something a little less doom-and-gloom for them to watch on the screen in the bullpen while they waited for Francis and Hubley to return from their patrol.

      "You'd think, even a few months in, they'd have agreed on the source of what's going on," Sawyer griped, breaking the quiet of the room that was only moderately filled by the television's low volume.

      Each of the rest of them settled him with a dry look. Even Sid bothered to crane his neck up, since he still sat on the floor and Sawyer had dragged what used to be McGee's chair out into the middle of the room.

      "What?" Sawyer gestured at the television with a mild scowl. "It's just history repeating itself, you know."

      Ronnie groaned and started in with, "Dale, you have got to learn to read the room…," so Knight took that as her cue to get up and stretch her legs. And, her mind flashing back to her chat with Parker at lunchtime, she grabbed the satphone to bring with her.

      Knight headed upstairs. She walked past MTAC and Vance's office, the latter with a wince, and kept going until she reached an empty conference room. There, she closed the door behind her and moved towards the window. She checked outside.

      Nothing. That stained sky remained, but there was no movement.

      Knight checked the signal on the satphone's screen. Its strength was best here or up on the roof, but Knight kept her visits to the roof limited ever since Zero Day… She heaved a sigh and scrolled through the short list of saved contacts.

      It took two rings, but Delilah answered. "We're fine, Knight," she said by way of greeting.

      Knight blinked. "How'd you know it was me?"

      "Because, like clockwork, you call around suppertime, every other day." She sounded tired.

      There was an apology on the tip of Knight's tongue, but she withheld it; Delilah had heard a lot of those in the first few weeks since losing McGee. "How're things at Sarah's?"

      Delilah inhaled, paused, and exhaled. "Not…terrible. Could've been worse, holing up with my mother."

      Knight's eyes widened. How Delilah managed to find any humor in the situation, she'd love to know!

      "But I think it's good for the twins, to be with their aunt." She went quiet.

      Knight asked what she was supposed to ask: "How're the twins?"

      "The same," Delilah answered, her voice breaking so slightly. "Johnny cries when he stops to think about his dad, but Morgan's—she's withdrawn, Knight. She's here, but she's not, you know?" Delilah dropped her voice to a whisper. "…it's as if I've seen the light go out in my little girl's eyes."

      "Delilah…" Words escaped Knight. They all knew what had happened to the McGees… All the years she'd known Timothy McGee, it made sense to Knight that he sacrificed himself to ensure his wife and twins made it to safety at his sister's at the start of this mess. But no one could've counted on any in his family witnessing that sacrifice, like Morgan.

      Delilah sniffled and cleared her throat. "But, otherwise, we're okay. You and Parker?"

      Knight frowned. "We're all right. Still have our tiny crew here, and we've shored up defenses as best we can, so it's not the worst bunker in the world."

      "Good, good…"

      "I'll…let you go then, Delilah."

      "Yeah. Catch you in two nights' time."

      Knight smiled to herself. Had she become that predictable these past few months? "Oh, hold on."

      "Something up?"

      "Have you heard from Torres lately?"

      "Mm… Maybe last week? Nick said he'd arrange for more supplies soon and asked what we needed, but I heard Ellie bugging him in the background that he was overdue to pay Lucia and Amanda a visit, too. Maybe he's with his family."

      "Yeah, maybe… Thanks, Delilah."

      "Sure thing. Thanks for always checking in, Knight. Bye."

      The line went dead, and Knight tapped the satphone's antenna to her chin. Could that be it? Torres and Bishop had just…made a detour? She desperately wanted to believe it and not think of other possible outcomes, so Knight chose to bury those concerns under other priorities for now.

      Scrolling down a little further in the contact list, Knight selected another name—but then the phone beeped obnoxiously with an incoming text. And the text had arrived from that number:

-Jess?

      Knight furrowed her brow and quickly typed back:

-Jimmy? Kasie?

      The reply was a bigger surprise:

-Victoria

      Not entirely odd… Victoria of course was at home with her dad, who'd taken in Kasie and Piper, as well, when everything had gone to shit. But it still raised Knight's hackles that the kid and not one of the adults was texting on the satphone. And Knight tried to convey her curiosity without showing her concern:

-Hey, V. U guys running low on anything? Uncle Nick should b making delivery soon, this week or next. We're keeping a good lookout here, so we're safe.

      She wished she could conclude the message with a thumbs-up emoji, but, sadly, this satphone wasn't quite current enough. But perhaps the emoji wouldn't've helped, considering Victoria's next few texts:

-No, we're good on stuff

-but Aunt Kasie & Piper don't see it

-something's off about Dad

      Knight reread the last message five times before the words registered with her. She blindly groped for the back of the nearest chair and gripped it once she found it. Knight sank into the seat as another message came in:

-Aunt Jess?

      Right. She couldn't leave Victoria hanging. Knight's thumbs flew over the keypad:

-Tell me everything that happened. And then I want you to start sequestering your dad in another room—tell Kasie & Piper this is on my orders—and move whatever supplies you need out of the way.

      She didn't want to sound alarmist, but it felt right, especially as Victoria filled her in on Jimmy's "milk run" yesterday late in the morning on his own… Knight shook her head, because her friend was a fighter and resourceful, but he lacked training.

      When Victoria signed off (just a quick "Thanks"), Knight set the satphone down and rested her head atop her arms on the dusty conference table. So much for touching base with others to lift her spirits….

      Knight woke with a start, nightmares filled with gunshots and screams echoing in her ears as she sat up in the conference room. She checked the time on the satphone.

      Oh, thank fuck. She'd only been out for fifteen-ish minutes.

      She yawned and stretched her arms and back before getting to her feet. Knight tucked the phone into her pants pocket and exited the room. But, coming down the hallway, she spied a familiar silhouette walking towards her. She smiled and met him closer by the top of the staircase, and they leaned together on the railing, looking out over the office floor. "I was long," she admitted.

      "Yeah, I was coming to see if something were up," Parker remarked. He rested on his forearms with his hands loosely clasped. "And the verdict is?"

      Knight raised her eyebrows and twisted her lips around. But she didn't have the energy to explain it all, so she pulled the satphone from her pocket and scrolled to the top of her exchange with Victoria. Then she passed the device to him.

      Parker read every last line. "…oh," he said, his voice low and final.

      "Yeah, 'oh.'" Knight took the phone back. Then she stood up straight and gripped the railing hard enough to turn her knuckles whiter than—well, than the way Parker's Oxfords used to look, before they'd begun holing up here, reduced to half a dozen outfits each and little means to clean anything. "It's like Tim all over again. We're not going to have the chance to say goodbye to Jimmy either, Alden."

      "I know."

      Still, she sighed. "I…don't even know how I can still get angry. Half our NCIS family is gone or going. The same goes for my blood relatives, the ones who aren't staying safe on the water, avoiding all this for now." Knight looked Parker's way.

      He nodded. "Trust me, Jess, I get it. My family's faring little better."

      She frowned and released the railing, moving to touch his nearer arm. "Oh, Alden, I didn't mean—"

      But Parker shook his head. "I'm lucky Viv still considers me a friend and took Dad into hiding with her. But Roman Parker was a crotchety curmudgeon when I was a kid and that wasn't going to change now. So he got antsy from being holed up and went outside when Viv's back was turned and got bit." He shrugged, but that hard line had returned to his jaw. His father's death was still too fresh and raw.

      Knight pinched his sleeve and rested her forehead on his shoulder. They stood together like that for a few moments, quiet, tired, and worn out. It was hard not to feel those things ten times over, really, when they kept replaying their losses like a scratched DVD. The comparison got Knight thinking, though. "I think…I've had enough dwelling on the past for this lifetime."

      Her words piqued his curiosity. Parker did half a turn, resting on one elbow on the railing now and facing her. "This lifetime?" He raised his eyebrows. "Dreaming of what life would look like if none of this"—he waved out at the floor, but Knight knew he meant outside the building—"had happened?"

      Knight blinked, not expecting Parker to take her idea and run with it. But the idea now felt so absurd, she almost wanted to laugh. "Oh, God. Can you imagine a different world? Just…no reanimated corpses. Just regular cases." She paused, squinting while her thoughts churned. "Or, bizarre in a different way. Instead of dead sailors, we investigate, I dunno, a storage container full of—cheese."

      One of those eyebrows sank as Parker settled her with a skeptical stare. "Cheese, Jess?"

      "What? So I'm hungry."

      His pink complexion grew rosier and his dimples made an appearance under his whiskers the harder he tried to stifle his laughter, especially when she smacked him in the arm for laughing at her.

      Little moments of levity like these were the only things Knight tried to hold on to anymore, though. The weeks had quickly built up into months, but the days were running together since everything seemed to be on repeat.

      Her imagination didn't seem that farfetched or anything like a laugh to her, though. Before Zero Day, NCIS headquarters had been just that—headquarters. Ronnie and Sawyer covered the night shift, Sid and Piper were still down in Cyber, Hubley was still wet behind his ears as a field agent and was considering returning to Cyber, Francis was a glorified paper-pusher who should've had his shot with the MCRT under Gibbs' supervision back in the day, and the MCRT… Well, the MCRT was Parker's and had been for a few years now, Knight thought with another glance to the man beside her. McGee had only just started talking about switching gears and setting aside the fieldwork, for the sake of his family, and Torres seemed itching to leave NCIS and pursue the nonexistent trail Bishop had left years ago.

      But Knight was still going to be here, at Parker's side, MCRT or no. Which reminded her… "C'mon, we might as well catch some shuteye now, while Sawyer and Sid head out for the nighttime patrol." She pecked his cheek and got him turned around to march downstairs.

      Parker huffed. "Tell me again why we took the morning shift…," he groused.

      She smiled at his back. "Obviously, because you're a morning person, Alden. Pastries in the office every morning? Then it was pastries at the little coffee klatch near your place on the weekends… Hell, sometimes it was pastries and coffee to end the night." Knight chuckled and poked him in the back. "You made a morning person out of me, you know."

      Despite all his grumping, Parker couldn't hide that smug smile of his. Yeah, he knew.

      Had the skies been clearer, they would've revealed the bright sun of the not-too-early morning this October day. But that green–gray tint clung to the clouds, even when Knight and Parker woke before their colleagues and friends in order to suit up.

      More than five months ago, "suiting up" would've been as simple as grabbing one's go bag and NCIS jacket and cap. Nowadays, Knight, Parker, and the others didn't bother with too much of their branded gear. Instead, they made use of some spare REACT body armor that had been available in the building at the time—Torres and Bishop hadn't been able to bring them more pieces yet, so no one had a full set—and they constantly combed the armory for weapons and ammunition, hoping to find useful items they'd missed on initial searches.

      They had a limited number of rifles and more handguns than that, but Knight wasn't as concerned about the ammunition, since that was one supply Torres and Bishop always managed to come through for them and have along with each delivery. Even if their group didn't see the couple until next week, they should still have enough ammo to last until the end of the month, used smartly.

      Knight finished adjusting her body armor (which covered her torso, her arms, her shins, and the front of her thighs…it'd have to do) and wound her hair up into a bun to keep it from swinging free into her face. She glanced across the small ground floor office-turned-equipment room and motioned to Parker with a jerk of her chin. "You good to go?"

      He pursed his lips but nodded. Parker did well keeping his calm, easygoing attitude in front of the others, but he didn't fake his fear with Knight, not after all this time. And, especially in the last several weeks, as more and more bad news reached them, he'd gone quiet when they prepped to head out each morning.

      Knight strapped on her SIG and slipped two spare magazines into her pocket before slinging her sniper's rifle across her chest. Then she held a hand out to Parker.

      Parker tucked spare magazines into his vest and placed two SIGs in separate holsters at each hip. A third one waited for him within reach on the nearby table, but he took Knight's hand first and drew her towards him, seizing the rare bit of privacy to kiss her.

      Knight lingered in the kiss, her head angled up, their foreheads resting together. Then she patted his scruffy cheek and broke away. "It won't be long," she reminded him, her tone light.

      He exhaled, trying to cover his huff. But Parker led the way out of the small office out into the lobby. He paused by the doors and, at Knight's signal, unlocked the heavy chains holding them together.

      Patrol wasn't a game, even though that was Sid's closest experience with heavy weapons until now, since he hadn't gone through FLETC as the rest of them had. But even for the most experienced agents like Knight and Parker, there was no real way to prepare for…this.

      "This" was the horrid stench that came with the tainted sky and foul-looking streets. Knight coughed as she stepped outside with Parker and wondered if they'd ever get used to the reek. "I know they confirmed it's not an airborne pathogen, but I still wouldn't turn down a gas mask if Nick comes across a box of them," she bitched to Parker.

      "Seconded," he said. But then he briefly touched her back, locking eyes with her, and slowly began his prowl out front, his eyes peeled for odd movements.

      Knight frowned. Patrol was the rare time when she and Parker had to split up, as he covered the front perimeter and she walked the rest since she was faster with the rifle. Even knowing it was the best use of their skills, she didn't have to like it. But Knight swung her rifle around into her hands anyway and got to walking.

      More than hating the current stench of grime and rot, which was hard to forget when sometimes one stepped and heard a stomach-churning squelch underfoot, Knight missed the saltiness of the air of the Navy Yard. She headed towards the motor pool, aiming to round the building eventually, but her eyes darted left, wishing she'd look out and see water beyond the gross, hazy fog. Hell, maybe if she wished hard enough, she'd hear the crashing waves.

      But, since Zero Day, there'd been an eerie nothingness. No waves, no wind, barely a rustled leaf. Just…nothing.

      The only sounds were the ones Knight made. Dead, mostly wet leaves squished under her feet as she walked across slick pavement. Her rifle made small clinks as it gently bounced against her chest and in her hands. The earwig connecting her to Parker via radio hummed lowly in her ear.

      She made it past the motor pool. The garage doors were sealed up tight, and their group of survivors staying here hadn't tried using the vehicles in inventory to go anywhere precisely because there was nowhere to go. No, the cars were better served as parts, if Torres and Bishop needed them for themselves or people elsewhere, or even just as a change of scenery. Usually, Knight and Parker slept in their chairs or in sleeping bags in the bullpen close by Ronnie and the rest. But, every now and then, it was nice to get away and pretend they were someplace else.

      Knight definitely could go for someplace else. She meant what she'd said to Parker earlier, about being done dwelling on what had transpired. But she wasn't exactly done imagining… Yes, Greece was one of the several countries that had fallen hard from the start, but Knight liked to think that, in that other life, she could see her dream, could have a vacation in Grecian waters with a handsome, whiskered silver fox at her side, laughing as he turned red as a lobster in the sun—

      Her ears pricked up when she heard the softest of snaps.

      She whirled around. Had that come from behind? Knight scanned the view behind her, tracking it with her rifle, but she saw nothing.

      Knight faced forward again and rounded the building, getting behind the motor pool. That either had been her imagination or the earwig, well, wigging out. She tapped on the comm just to make sure. "Alden?"

      No answer.

      Her pulse sped up, her mind filling in the blanks as to what the yard in front of NCIS might look like right then. She pressed on the comm again. "Alden, come on, answer me."

      Was it her stupid heart racing? She couldn't even hear the earwig's electric hum anymore.

      Knight turned heel and began jogging back. Their patrol was screwed, whether Knight didn't finish it or Parker were hurt. But, even knowing they had more people inside to protect, there was still a whole building for their friends to hide in; they had time. Parker didn't.

      As she picked up speed and ran, Knight fumbled with the battery pack in her vest. She plucked it out—and the damn light was out. Sonuvabitch, they'd checked their comms before coming outside, and the batteries had worked twenty minutes ago, but they must not have had enough juice, and—

      Her thoughts vanished the next second, for something slammed into Knight, hard as a concrete wall, sending her flying when she was halfway back to the front of the building.

      Instinctively, Knight clung to her gun and tucked her head in as she rolled, shoulder over shoulder, as if she'd been sent merrily down a hill. But this was part of the NCIS lot, not some damn hill out of a jaunty children's book, and she wasn't a little kid come out to play with her friends. When she came to a stop and got her bearings, Knight pushed herself upright with her free hand and searched for the source of her pain.

      There. Barely thirty yards away.

      One of the reanimated.

      "Fuck," she mumbled under her breath. Knight struggled to her feet, her eyes never breaking from its gaze. Even when she got her rifle aimed, she didn't break the eye contact…if it could be called that.

      There was footage of the reanimated, of course, but seeing one up close and personal was a new sensation. The skin was pulled taut over bones and decaying muscles, and the color was all wrong; Knight was put in mind of the rare floaters that appeared on Jimmy's autopsy table, bloated and a desaturated blue–green from all the chemicals and microorganisms that would enter a victim's body when submerged underwater for too long.

      Knight didn't waste another second. She pulled the trigger—but the gun jammed. Her heart and eyes fell, and her panic swelled. The rifle must've taken her tumble harder than she realized.

      The reanimated being took her movement as an opportunity. Its neck cracked as it turned its head impossibly at a ninety-degree angle, and other of its joints crackled and groaned when the reanimated took one step forward.

      "Oh, no, you don't!" Knight growled at the thing, swinging the rifle around so the stock was out of her hands and at the ready to use as a bat. She took a running step forward and swung.

      But the reanimated cracked its head the other direction and ducked her attack as it closed in, broken claws outstretched to grab her.

      Knight swung the rifle around and swiped the arms away, but she went down with the damn monster on top of her. She clenched her teeth and pushed the rifle against its neck, keeping the gnashing teeth above her barely six inches from her face.

      If this thing turned out not to be here alone…

      Knight wouldn't last in this current stalemate either, though, she knew that. Her mind spun until it settled on one crazy idea. The next second, she pushed the rifle against the reanimated's neck with just her left hand and clawed her right thigh for her SIG.

      The monster took the opening and pressed in closer to her, sliding down her body.

      Bile rose in the back of her throat. Her thumb shook to get the safety off—

      —teeth sank in to the side of her right thigh, beyond the protection of her body armor, and she bit back her scream and closed her eyes—

      —Knight got the safety off and unleashed one, two, three, four rounds into the reanimated's left eye socket—

      —finally, the thing stopped moving. Knight's blood, red and fresh, dribbled out of its mouth, and she spied some of her skin between its teeth, but the burst eye and leaking vitreous fluid were sure things. She could even see through the new hole in its head as she rolled it off her.

      Two thoughts struck her at once. Not one before the other, but at the same time and with equal weight:

      Parker would've heard those gunshots and would come running, the yard patrol be damned.

      And she couldn't let him see this wound.

      So Knight got to work and fast. Since the reanimated had sent her into the lot, she stumbled to her feet and dragged the true corpse closer to the building, behind the bushes. She had no bandages on her, but she'd take care of that once she made it back inside. For now—

      She glanced at her mutilated leg. The blood made barely a stain against the black of her jeans.

      Knight yanked off her boot and pulled off her sock, using it to cover over the wound. She hissed—stitches weren't going to make up for a missing chunk of thigh—but it'd do for now. At a glance, it was barely noticeable, that there was even a hole in her pants. So Knight crammed her foot back into her boot and returned her attention to the true corpse.

      Just in case, she flipped her rifle again. Then she jammed the butt of her gun against the head, smashing it over and over and over, until bits and pieces detached from the neck. There was nothing to reanimate when she was done.

      Knight wiped the rifle butt on nearby grass and emerged from behind the bushes. She jogged back towards the front and, unsurprisingly, Parker met her halfway.

      Parker's brow was furrowed, his eyes wide and his gun drawn. He lowered it two inches when he found Knight. "Jess, what the hell?! I heard gunshots!"

      She nodded. "I got one," she said. Knight put it out of her mind, the memory of being blindsided. "But it's fine. I took care of it." She cocked her head, indicating the spot behind her shoulder.

      For thirty seconds, Parker said nothing. Finally, he lowered his gun the rest of the way. "…all right."

      Knight gave him a tight smile. Then she blinked and held up her rifle. "Oh, hey. We need to duck back in. Thought this one was all good, but it jammed. Had to use my SIG. I'd rather have a working rifle strapped to my back than a gun-shaped baseball bat."

      He narrowed his eyes, but eventually he nodded, and the couple made their way back inside. Parker remained by the equipment room's door, though, while Knight swapped out her gun. "Jess, is that really all?"

      "Yeah, why?"

      "You look anxious as hell." His frown was small and concerned when she glimpsed it.

      But Knight shook her head and shrugged. "Meeting one of those things was not fun," she said with a forced smile and laugh.

      "Does that thing explain your leg then?"

      She froze. But Knight didn't stop smiling. "Kinda." Knight slipped the strap of a working rifle over her head. "It happened during the fight. I scraped my leg on a broken bit of brick out there," she fibbed. But she met his eyes and hoped he wouldn't press the topic.

      Parker held her gaze. He grimaced, but he gave her a curt nod. "All right," he said, accepting her truth, and he turned to lead the way back outside.

      But, behind him, Knight's heart broke a little, lying to him…but also that Parker wholeheartedly believed her.

      He'll know the truth soon enough, she thought as they descended the steps outside the brick building. It's only a matter of time.

      Their morning ended the way it should've: uneventfully.

      Knight and Parker had no further sightings of reanimated, and Parker didn't press her again on her earlier tussle. But she thought she caught him sparing her a few extra glances, so she mustered a tired but true smile for him, a sign that she was all right.

      Inside, everyone else was awake and waiting for them, and Ronnie and Hubley wore matching expressions of concern. "We heard gunshots," Ronnie said.

      "We're all good," Knight assured them. "What's for breakfast?"

      Francis held up an untouched plate. "It was going to be bagels, but they've gone stale, so water and protein bars again, plus a fruit purée pouch from Torres' ration stash, if you like."

      Parker looked around at the others. "Just—stale bagels? Not moldy?"

      They shrugged and nodded in response.

      Parker held his hand out for the plate. "All right, gimme. We have 'stale' bagels and a working microwave. I can make these things edible again," he promised. He turned for the kitchen but paused beside Knight. "Jess, breakfast?"

      "Mm, not yet. I'll hit the showers first. But save a bagel for me, thanks."

      "Got it." And, without hesitation, he brushed his lips against her temple before leaving the room.

      That had her doing a double-take. Parker was friendly with everyone, but she'd never known him to be good with PDA in their romance… Nevertheless, Knight decided to chock it up to their stressful morning and grabbed her gym bag from under her desk on her way to the showers.

      A shower was a luxury, especially since Sid and Francis had gotten the filtration system back up and running and they needed as much water as possible redirected to the faucets for drinking. But Knight had to wash the morning off her. Not to mention—

      She locked the door to the women's locker room and dropped onto the closest bench. With some effort, Knight shimmied out of her jeans and peeled away the sock-as-gauze covering. She snapped a hand over her nose and mouth when air hit her wound.

      Dried blood tracked down her thigh and over her knee, but the bite mark itself shockingly had stopped bleeding. The mark… Knight's thoughts went right back to outside, because once more something was the wrong color. The reanimated had taken a chunk out of her an hour ago, but no way should the torn skin look burnt brown, nor the flesh underneath rotten, that same kind of rancid green one might find when meat's been sitting too long in the fridge.

      Worse, her nose caught the faintest whiff of earthiness. Knight checked her jeans and the used sock, as well the rest of her clothing. Only the sock smelled the least bit like it. When Knight hunched over, getting her nose as close as she could stand to the wound on her thigh, the stench grew.

      That turning earthiness was her.

      Knight sat up slowly, her shoulders sinking. There was no way she'd be able to hide the smell forever, no matter how many showers she took or how hard she scrubbed.

      Nevertheless, Knight shed the rest of this morning's outfit and hobbled into the nearest stall. She bit down on her knuckle when the lukewarm water hit the bite mark, but Knight took several calming breaths and focused on that to get her through her task. In, out, in, out—there wasn't much dirt or sweat to wash away, but the rest of her felt a smidgeon better afterwards.

      At least until her eyes landed on her wound in the mirror.

      Knight quickly dressed. She didn't have a proper bandage mixed in with her belongings, but she selected her darkest t-shirt and tore it into strips. She wasn't going to need that shirt in the near future, but keeping this bite mark hidden was a top priority. Even with a spare pair of jeans to change into, she still needed this damn thing covered, just in case someone else had as good a sense of smell as did she.

      Finished, Knight stood and walked around on her injured leg. …it hurt like hell, and she hobbled when exhausted, but she could fake it for a little while longer, before the infection turned her.

      She took a deep, shaky breath and gritted her teeth, trying not to think of how much longer she had. Knight shouldered her bag and exited the showers, and she smiled when she returned to the main floor and heard sounds of laughter.

      "What'd I miss?" she asked when she rounded the short cubicle wall and slid her bag back underneath her desk.

      "Sharing FLETC stories since Sid never had the opportunity," Francis answered with a grin. He jabbed a thumb in Hubley's direction. "We all have our ups and downs, but Curtis here really takes the cake."

      "I did not mean to discharge my weapon at the instructor's feet—it was the firearm malfunctioning!" Hubley rushed to explain, sending another ripple of chuckles through their group.

      Knight couldn't help grinning, too, and the lighter moment made her feel more present and less preoccupied with her predicament.

      While Sawyer launched into the tale of what he assured them was a "near-perfect score" at training, Parker came over and slid a plate of food over to Knight. "As you wished," he murmured, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

      Knight returned the smirk. "Paraphrasing Westley now, are we?"

      "You've sat through every last Terminator movie and series with me and are still here. The least I could do was watch The Princess Bride with you, Jess."

      She snorted around a mouthful of bagel. "I'm not the one quoting it, though."

      He shrugged. "Well, true. The Princess Bride may not be sci-fi, but it's practically required watching for anyone who likes movies." That smirk was full-blown now. "Besides, Westley's not a bad guy to emulate, last I knew."

      Knight shook her head, but her eyes lingered on his. She found it hard to swallow and maintain her smile. "No…no, he's not."

      Parker quirked an eyebrow and brushed back a damp lock of hair behind her ear that had fallen forward, since she'd left it down to finish air-drying after her shower. Yet again, he did this in plain view of their friends, and Knight thought she saw Ronnie glimpse and quickly avert her eyes to the otherwise private moment.

      Even if Parker were being more deliberate in his actions, Knight swore to herself right then that she'd have a few more hours. She just wanted until the end of today with Parker.

      And then she'd head to her thinking spot on the roof, alone and armed.

      All to keep him safe.

      Even with her mind set, Knight found today dragging on, but she quickly put her finger on why.

      At lunchtime, when Ronnie and Sawyer were set to head out on patrol, Parker piped up, "Hey, you two—double-check the rifles you use."

      They and Knight stared at him, and Ronnie scoffed. "Uh, something I'm missing, Parker?"

      "Not a call on technique, I assure you." He glanced at Knight and briefly ducked his eyes before nodding at the nightshift pair. "Jess' jammed this morning, so I want us all taking extra precautions in going over the weapons we select."

      "Oh." Ronnie's shoulders slackened, and she nodded. "Thanks for the head's up." She narrowed her eyes at Knight. "Damn, Knight—you really took out one of those things with your pistol?"

      Knight mustered a grin, to which Ronnie made an impressed face and Sawyer whistled. "But, when in doubt, a rifle makes a great bat!" she added, and the pair chuckled at her humble attitude before they left. Then Knight turned around and settled Parker with a tiny glare. "Was there really no other way to alert them?"

      He rubbed her upper arms, but the gesture wasn't comforting like usual. "We've all gotta know how to protect our sixes, Jess."

      She grumbled under her breath, but he did have a point.

      Still, it wasn't just him being more vocal then. When everyone was together later in the day, too, and Francis had stepped upstairs while borrowing the satphone to check on family, and Sid once more tried doom-surfing the remaining dozen channels on the television, Parker sat closer to Knight than normal in the bullpen.

      That one actually took her a moment, because she was so accustomed to them lazing together at home that she didn't realize she was half leaning out of her chair and into Parker. It wasn't until she'd reached up to toy with his fingers that Knight became aware he'd slung an arm around her shoulders. They really must look as if they were cozy like two people at home in their own little world!

      And, driving that fact, er, home was Ronnie catching her eye and subsequently raising her eyebrows. Ronnie smiled a bit, too, before looking away and chatting with Sawyer, but still.

      Knight pushed Parker's hand away and sat up. She tried scooting her chair away, too, but something caught in the wheels. She glanced down.

      Ah. Parker had his foot wedged under one of the legs.

      Knight slowly met his unamused stare.

      Without a word, Parker pointed upstairs. He waited for Knight to stand first, and they ignored the others as they climbed the stairs, passing Francis on his way down. But Parker and Knight weren't simply heading to the next floor.

      No, Parker continued to the silver-plated retinal scanner and stood before it. The scan took, and the door to MTAC opened. He stepped aside and let Knight in first.

      When the door closed, Parker stuck his hands in his pockets and blew out a slow breath. "Want to tell me why you're antsy around me today, Jess?"

      Knight stared at the big, empty screen, wishing it would come alive with happy news for once. "You're weirdly affectionate today," she blurted, still facing away from him.

      "Okay… I thought that's one way for people in love to show their feelings. Unless that's changed?"

      His tone in asking that made Knight turn. She hated seeing his frown. "Alden, no. That hasn't changed. I'm just—" Knight bit her lower lip. "You're suddenly quite affectionate with me in front of everyone else, is what I mean. It's strange. Normally, you're PDA-averse."

      She expected annoyance or anger. Instead, Alden Parker's fear was plain as day in his features, deepening the lines around his eyes and even the dimples she loved so much that appeared whether he smiled or frowned. He blinked once, twice, and it took her a second to understand why: Parker, normally brave Parker, was fighting back tears. "…because I know I'm losing you."

      Her blood turned to ice. "What?"

      "Not because we're holed up here." Parker took a step forward; she took a step back. "You've been off since this morning's patrol." His eyes roved over her, sadly. "The thing that came after you—it got you in the leg, didn't it?"

      Knight opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She coughed and licked her lips. "I—"

      "I'm not stupid. And it's not easy to hide, Jess. Least of all from me."

      "But—!"

      Parker took another step and a half forward. "With each hour that passes, I feel as though I just have more proof. You're literally turning cold as ice, no matter how much I warm you up." He rubbed her upper arms once more and pouted.

      Ah. So that explained part of today's coziness. Knight's chest ached, being told that he'd known the truth all along. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she clutched the front of his shirt. "…I lied to you, Alden. I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head.

      He shrugged. "Easily forgiven, considering the circumstances."

      Knight stared up into his eyes, feeling incredibly lucky to be holding down this fort with him, knowing it had to be hard for the others downstairs without their loved ones, knowing it probably hurt as much as it helped Delilah to hear from her and Parker all the time as it did to see Torres and Bishop in the wake of her loss.

      Parker rested his forehead against hers, sighing a little. His nose brushed hers, too, and he leaned in closer—

      —but Knight blocked his kiss with her hand. "No, we don't—we don't know—" She couldn't bear to finish the sentence. It wasn't an airborne pathogen, no, but it was spread through bites. As far as they knew, any sort of contact with saliva…anything…

      "Hmm. Well, do you feel ravenous?"

      That threw her. "?? No?" Knight stared at him as if Parker had two heads.

      "A shame. And here we have MTAC all to ourselves."

      She blushed. How this scoundrel could turn a morbid joke into a sexual one and muster a smirk during this heightened tension, she would love to know…!

      Still, Parker remained right here in front of her, not ready to move away. And, despite the brief spot of dark humor, his gaze was still heavy-lidded and morose.

      So Knight conceded with a slight turn of her head, letting Parker kiss her cheek. The temptation was real, though, with his mouth so close to her lips. But she didn't want to risk it, to risk him.

      Parker exhaled, his breath tickling her cheek and rustling her hair, and he squeezed her against him, but this amount of intimacy would have to do.

      It would have to do for both of them, Knight knew as she squeezed him back and inhaled his scent, not yet ready to return downstairs.

      Parker's pain was something Knight shared in as the day bled into evening.

      But it was not her sole pain as the hours ticked by.

      After discussing the severity of the situation, they returned downstairs at Knight's behest. "I don't want to alarm any of them," she'd told Parker earlier in the day.

      He, of course, had settled her with one of his I-Am-Not-Amused stares, but he relented. Parker wasn't wholly content with idling away her remaining hours, but he would rather spend them together then not at all. At the very least, he got Knight to come around to his open affection, since it'd be the last.

      But, when evening arrived, Knight began to feel pain, emanating from her leg. She was standing one second, bickering with Hubley over who got which dehydrated meat for dinner, and then Knight yanked her desk chair under her the next, for fear she might collapse.

      Hubley eyed her strangely. "Uhh, Parker?" he called.

      Parker rounded the corner, returning from the restroom, and his eyes widened a fraction when they landed on Knight. But he kept his calm and walked up to them as though he meant to be part of the dinner conversation. "What, Hubley?"

      Hubley furrowed his brow and looked between the two, confused. "I, uh—"

      Knight forced a smile to her face. "Curtis, I'll set aside some turkey for you, I promise. Now please get a move on, because no one does patrol alone, and you're due right now with Francis. So get going, yeah?"

      The former Cyber agent pursed his lips, thoroughly befuddled, but he skedaddled as instructed anyway. And, with Ronnie in the break room, Sawyer upstairs borrowing the satphone, and Sid taking a nap elsewhere, Parker and Knight had a rare moment in the bullpen to themselves. Parker didn't waste it. "Why did we just fake Hubley out?"

      "Because I'm in a shit-ton of pain and I'm a crap actress, Alden."

      His face fell. Parker knelt before her and eyed her bad leg. "So…it's spreading."

      Knight nodded. "Yeah."

      Parker heaved an angry sigh. "I wish we knew how long. Of all the millions of things the experts don't know, it's how long."

      Knight leaned forward and cupped his cheek with her hand. "They've noted a bunch of quick cases, but there are too many factors. Health. Metabolism." She shrugged. "Maybe even the will to fight it." At that, her smile turned genuine. "I'm crap at acting, but you know I'm a fighter, Alden."

      He chuckled, but it was a wet sound. Parker covered her hand with one of his. "Yeah… Yeah, I do know."

      "Hey. Promise me this?"

      Parker peered up at her quizzically.

      "Once it gets really bad…keep me away from the others. Ronnie already lost her daughter, so she'd freak, seeing me like this. And I want to go out on my own terms."

      Parker closed his eyes, squeezing them shut tight, long enough that Knight thought he'd turn her down. "As you wish," he uttered, his head low, his brow touching her knees.

      Knight's heart surprisingly felt light, hearing his answer, knowing he saw the reason in her request. So she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss atop his head.

      The pain began in her leg, and it spread like tree roots, thirsty for her life.

      Slowly, slowly it became harder to stand. That was easy enough to solve, with her rolling desk chair right there in the bullpen. But then came the shooting pain up her sides, shooting up high and descending down into her arms.

      That was harder to hide. Those pains made Knight's hands convulse, and she endeavored to hide her hands in her lap, under her desk.

      By the time of the nighttime shift, as Sawyer and Sid prepped to head out and the others got ready to hit the lights and the hay, Knight noticed something new. In the light of her desk lamp, she was the wrong color.

      Was she seeing things now?

      Another wave of pain crashed through her, and Knight winced and gritted her teeth, knocking into her lamp. Parker was beside her in an instant, and she vaguely grasped the excuses he offered Ronnie, Francis, and Hubley as he escorted her to the men's room, where he could see her in better light and, more importantly, lock the door.

      "Jess, hey, Jess," Parker said, guiding her to the counter.

      Knight bent over the sink. The pain was bad enough she wanted to hurl. But just leaning on the edge, gripping it, steadied her. "Yeah. Yeah, Alden, I'm. I'm okay. I'm here."

      But Parker was running the tap, and he had it turned completely to the left until steam emerged. He touched her, ran his fingers under the hot water, and touched her skin again to compare. "…Jess, you are not okay."

      She lifted her head and eyed the people in the glass' reflection. In it, she saw Parker, same as ever yet more concerned than ever. Yet, beside him, she saw a woman she didn't recognize. She looked like a woman an artist had painted if given a vague, poor description of Jessica Knight. Her complexion was waxy, yellow and washed out…lacking warmth. And her hair, dark though it was, hung dull and limp; it looked as if it might begin falling out.

      "Jess—"

      "You promised," she reminded him. A shock tore through her, and her back arched as she bit back a cry of pain.

      Parker caught her before she could fall or crack her head open on the counter ledge. "Jess, please…"

      "Move me," she rasped. Knight licked her lips and clung to his arm. "Move me away from everyone else. If I can't make it on my own, get me to the roof."

      Despite his fretting, Parker got her right arm over his shoulders and unlocked the door. He checked the corridor and shuffled the two of them out since the coast was clear. They took the back stairwell, though, since anything else would catch their friends' attention.

      It was just a few flights of stairs, but those flights drained Knight of her remaining energy. For the last few steps, Parker all but carried her in his arms, including through the door that led outside.

      Yet…the air didn't hit her as it usually did tonight. Knight exhaled a tiny sigh of relief in the cool, damp air.

      "Ha, maybe I just needed some fresh air," she joked as Parker set her down against the brickwork beside the door.

      The cloud coverage filtered light, so it never got very bright or very dark anymore, and Knight therefore caught the little glare Parker shot her way for her ill attempt at humor. He settled down beside her, one leg outstretched and the other drawn up. He rested his arm on his closer knee, gun in hand, just in case they learned tonight, of all nights, that these things did indeed know how to scale buildings. "Definitely not what I'd call 'fresh,'" he grumbled.

      Knight hummed and leaned against his side. "Maybe not. But I feel a little better. …thanks for bringing me outside, Alden."

      He was quiet for a whole minute. Then: "Do you intend to sleep out here tonight?"

      Knight opened her eyes and stared at the brick wall in front of her. "I don't exactly have a choice. It won't be long."

      Parker didn't comment.

      Knight closed her eyes again and, eventually, she nodded off, matching her breathing with his…and then slowing it down…and dreaming, once more, of other lifetimes…

      When Knight's eyes snapped open, she had no clue how much time had passed, but she knew:

      The time was now.

      A fresh wave of pain rolled through her, primarily through her back and shoulders, into her neck—but it wasn't entirely pain. No, this something else was different and had Knight shoving Parker away while she shot to her feet, fighting the turn for real.

      Behind her, Parker stood. "Jess—"

      But she shoved him again, never minding the frailty that came with his age. She backed away from him with a frown, nearing the short brick wall that edged the roof.

      Again, he stood. "Jess, don't do it," he begged. "We'll—We'll figure something out. Maybe there's something the researchers are developing and haven't released yet. Maybe you have more time than you realize! You've been fighting this all day—don't give up now!"

      Knight climbed onto the ledge and narrowed her eyes at him, palming her gun.

      But Parker ran for her. He reached out for her—

      —and some part of her reached out for him, too, and managed to snag the front of his shirt—

      —they locked eyes, his going wide and white and round (was it fear? was it concern, for the one he lovingly called "Jess"?)—

      —right before she took those two steps backwards off the ledge.

Full trigger warnings (including spoilers): Zombies/zombie apocalypse, psychological horror, character death (implied and/or mentioned), discussion of death, consideration of self-harm/suicide (which is implied to occur), murder, and gore/graphic violence.

WELL. Happy Halloween? :O In the closing A/N to my oneshot, "Zeptosecond," I mentioned that I believe the two biggest challenges a shipper can write are breaking an OTP up and OTP death (either or both partners), and that I'd never write the latter. Then I got to thinking about Halloween coming up…and originally I had a more lighthearted, silly idea ("Who would even survive the zombie apocalypse of the current team?"). But then my muse took the dial, cranked it up to eleven, and ripped the fucking knob off, because I know for certain that, while I've written charrie death in other stories/fandoms, I sure af have never written anything like this. So—challenge met! That said, and triggers noted, my heart does rly hurt to think about what these charries might do for their loved ones at the end of the world, hence painting the picture I did for the McGees, for Ellick, for the Palmers, and, yeah, for Parknight, too. Nearly every action taken, tho, is an act of love. The only thing I want you, my readers, to doubt is that ambiguous ending. Was that Knight pulling Parker off the roof with her or one of the newly reanimated about to take his life, too? Was Parker about to see a chance to save her or at least save himself because, perhaps, he realized he'd already lost the love of his life? :3c I'll never tell~ This is, in some ways, both trick and treat. ;}

As for some housekeeping: Btw, I actually delayed another monster-sized (but not monster AU XD) fic to get this done in time for the holiday, so yay for long Parknights! :D All charries mentioned in the story are canon minor charries, with Sid, Piper, and Curtis Hubley being the newest additions from s19 (Ronnie Tyler and Dale Sawyer ofc have made several appearances and Tony Francis had cameos yrs ago during the Gibbs era—poor beefy guy rly was curious about joining Gibbs' team!). So there are a lot of Easter eggs/nods to canon for fans of all eras/seasons. :') I'm not certain whether it's stated that Cyber agents deffo have to pass FLETC same as field agents, so pls take Sid's lack of training with a grain of salt. Parker's mention of Westley and Parknight's brief chat about The Princess Bride is just an allusion meant to highlight Parker tryna be Knight's hero, ofc. :'D Also, Parker's "ravenous" joke srsly is just a play on the word's definition; it deffo was not a vore joke. XD The fic's title is also a spin on the awesome hit by R.E.M., "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"—I grew up with this song and it honestly never loses relevance, no matter the crisis. But, interestingly enough, and as with my other story, "through and through," the vibes for this story were influenced by some of my fav survival/horror videogames, such as the BioShock series, Amnesia, the Silent Hill franchise, and the Resident Evil franchise (altho I deffo prefer RE's explanation of zombies to mine, *lol* XD). Finally, the soft, melancholic tunes of the album Balance by softy & Kendall Miles got me through this fic, and I just. Have a listen and have some feels. c: Aaaand, with this fic, I've officially written more than 100,000 words of Parknight content~ -w-

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this!

~mew

[hikercarl]

Sawyer Products SP129 Squeeze Water Filtration System

Lightweight, easy to use portable water filter removes harmful bacteria, protozoa, cysts, sediment, And 100% of microplastics; Perfect for outdoor adventures, travel, or emergency preparedness High-Performance 0.1 micron absolute inline filter fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just 2 ounces 100% of squeeze units individually tested three times to performance standards by sawyer Removable…

[apoaqua]

The sludge dewatering machine produced by Apoaqua follows the principles of force and water in the same direction, thin layer dewatering, appropriate pressure and extended dehydration path in its dehydration mechanism. It solves the technical problems of previous generations of sludge dewatering machines, such as easy clogging, inability to process low-concentration wastewater sludge and oily sludge, high energy consumption, and complex operation, and achieves the goal of efficient and energy-saving dewatering.

Apoaqua sludge dewatering system includes: fully automatic control cabinet, flocculation conditioning tank, sludge concentration and dewatering body and liquid collecting tank. It can realize efficient flocculation and continuously complete wastewater sludge concentration and squeezing dewatering under fully automatic operation, and finally return or discharge the collected filtrate.

In order to meet the special needs of users in related industries, Apoaqua's sludge dewatering machine has the advantages of low-speed operation, self-cleaning, no clogging and low energy consumption. We continuously tailor targeted industry-specific solutions for users in various industries, including sludge dewatering equipment for industries such as petrochemical, papermaking, starch protein, chemical pharmaceuticals, blue algae, inorganic materials and pectin processing.

[william-cardi]

Exploring the Evolution of Pistol Water Guns: From Classic Designs to Modern Innovations

Pistol Water Gun

When we think of summer fun, one of the first things that come to mind is a good old water gun fight. Over the years, pistol water guns have evolved from simple, classic designs to modern, innovative creations that offer a whole new level of excitement. Let's take a closer look at the fascinating evolution of pistol water guns and how they have transformed over time.

https://us03-imgcdn.ymcart.com/72159/2023/09/08/a/8/a8ead6f38343ce68.jpg?x-oss-process=image/quality

The Classic Designs

Back in the day, pistol water guns were simple in design, often made of plastic and filled by unscrewing a cap and pouring water into the reservoir. These classic designs were a staple of childhood summers, providing endless hours of entertainment. The basic pump action mechanism allowed for a single stream of water to be shot at a time, requiring frequent refills and resulting in short-lived battles.

The Evolution Begins

As technology advanced, so did the design of pistol water guns. Manufacturers began to introduce larger reservoirs, allowing for more water to be held and reducing the need for constant refills. The introduction of trigger mechanisms also revolutionized the way water guns were used, providing a continuous stream of water with each squeeze of the trigger. These innovations extended the duration of water fights and added a new level of excitement to the classic summer pastime.

Modern Innovations

Today, pistol water guns have reached new heights of innovation. With the use of pressurized tanks, some models are capable of shooting water over impressive distances, giving users a tactical advantage in water battles. The materials used in modern water guns are also more durable, allowing for rougher play without the fear of breakage. Some models even feature multiple nozzles, allowing for different spray patterns and water effects, adding a new dimension to the fun.

Future Possibilities

The evolution of pistol water guns shows no signs of slowing down. With advancements in technology and materials, the future holds endless possibilities for even more exciting innovations. Imagine water guns with built-in water filtration systems for cleaner shots, or augmented reality features that enhance the gaming experience. The potential for future developments in pistol water gun design is truly limitless.

In conclusion, the evolution of pistol water guns from classic designs to modern innovations has transformed the way we experience water play. From simple pump action designs to high-tech, pressurized models, the journey of the water gun has been nothing short of remarkable. As we look to the future, we can only anticipate even more thrilling advancements in the world of pistol water guns.

References

pistol water gun

[digitalsavy15]

6 Ways To Make Beer Taste Better

From citrus to salt, to soft drinks, there are different ways of blending and flavoring your lager to accomplish another taste and mouthfeel

How would you like your lager served? Various individuals like their brew with a specific taste. Once in a while, the mouthfeel of a lager doesn't speak to individuals. Hence, they are continuously searching for ways of making it really engaging. A chilly, simple drinking brew is one of the most pursued drinks during summer. There are different ways of controlling your lager and giving it the taste that you want. These strategies make even the least expensive lager brand taste better. Certain viewpoints separate lagers. To start with, the lucidity, which is much of the time subject to the strategies for filtration being used, is a differential variable. Take, for instance, which kills different pollutants from water.

Ways of Working on the Desire for Lager

There are numerous ways of controlling your lager to accomplish the ideal taste. Some should be possible in the solace of your home, while others are accessible in nearby bars. A few eateries and pubs utilize different ways of making various flavors for their clients and furthermore make lagers taste better. Planning to chill tonight buy beer online and make your evening memorable with Liquidz.

1) Blend in with Citrus

This technique is intimately acquainted, particularly to the individuals who love Crown or Blue Moon. The explanation for this is on the grounds that the blend of the harsh kinds of the lager and any citrus organic product is very engaging. Obviously, any great specialist knows that blending citrus in with dull brew (except if a dim ale) is typically a catastrophe waiting to happen.

2) Blend in with Salt

This strategy could appear to be somewhat off-kilter before you execute the procedure. Salt makes the lager crisper, and over the long haul, this could assist you with partaking in your brew better. Additionally, a few large-scale breweries could remember salt for the preparation system.

3) Blend in with Pop

This technique is additionally very normal among individuals. You can make your lager taste better through the joining of a light-shaded pop. The justification for why individuals lean toward the mix is a result of the sweet taste, in addition to it won't make the carbonation in lager vanish. One could likewise forgo the rum and have a go at blending brew in with a beverage like Coca-Cola. To get the right flavor in lighter brews, you can have a go at blending in with Mountain Dew, Sprite, and Soda for a fiery, spritz and sweet shandy-like insight. Coordinate the right lager with the right pop, and you will cherish the result.

4) Blend in with Squeezed apple

Squeezed apple is sweet, and lager is very unpleasant. The outcome you get when you blend the harsh brew and new squeeze is known as a shandy. To make a shandy, include squeezed apple to a brew in a 1:1 proportion: you can blend a half glass of your cocktail and afterward fill the other portion of the glass with squeezed apple. The shandy assists in lessening the gas and furthermore the undesirable tart desire for brew, which with willingness makes the lager pretty very simple to drink (probably excessively simple).

5) Campari and Lager

At the point when you join the harsh desire for lager and the sweet orange desire for Campari, you will have an extraordinary-tasting drink. The flavor will be engaging in any event, when a modest brew is involved. To make the lager much more wonderful, one could include some lime. Add a drop of Campari in the huge glass of lager to make a mixed drink. Include some more Campari to make the brew significantly simpler to assimilate.

6) Add Some Margarita Blend

A touch of Margarita blend added to a brew will make it a beergarita. The sweet desire for the margarita will assist with easing up the severe taste of the brew. The proportion where you decide to blend the two beverages will rely upon the flavor you need. You can go for a 1:1 proportion or 2:3, where 2 is the margarita in the event that you need a more grounded drink. You can pick to include the margarita drop by drop until it gets to the taste you want.

Other than the above techniques, there are a lot of manners by which you can make your lager turn out better for your taste buds. One methodology can incorporate the utilization of frozen strawberries, tomatoes, and a few others. Partake in your new larger flavors and offer these approaches to your companions as well.

[euroteck3438]

Does having a belt filter press combi unit necessary?Does having a belt filter press combi unit necessary?

Contamination of water is a serious threat that should be given a lot of importance, our planet is called a blue planet for a reason. To cover such large waterbodies the cooperation of many wastewater treatment companies is needed. Euroteck is one of the large wastewater treatment company in India that is working toward the goal of purifying, treating, and maintaining water purity. These companies are the first line of defense in keeping us and water safe. The belt filter press combi unit is mechanical equipment used by the wastewater treatment company in India to filter the wastewater present in water bodies. This article encloses all necessary details regarding belt filter press combi units and what role they play in treating wastewater.

A belt filter combo unit is a mixture of belt filter press and belt thickener which is an essential part of sewage treatment facilities. Before being released back into the environment, the water will be cleaner and more purified thanks to its successful removal of solid particles from the water. A belt filter combi unit for wastewater treatment comprises several filtration belts that move through the wastewater continually, providing effective and continuous filtration. The belts' extended lifespan and low maintenance needs are guaranteed by their sturdy construction, which can endure the demanding circumstances of wastewater treatment. 

The combi unit also has several additional parts that improve the filtration process, such as press zones, gravity drainage, and pre-thickening. Combination belt filters offer benefits such as high solid removal efficiency, low operating costs, and flexibility in terms of layout and style. By efficiently eliminating solid particles and assuring the creation of clean, safe water for reuse or disposal, the belt filter combi unit contributes significantly to the treatment of wastewater.

The employment of a belt filter press is an essential part of wastewater treatment systems Separating the solid and liquid phases of sludge. It is a mechanical dewatering equipment that removes moisture from municipal or industrial sludge effectively, lowering volume and enabling straightforward disposal. The belt filter press works by squeezing the liquid out of sludge by passing it between two moving belts of variable pressure. The solid particles build up into a cake-like structure as the sludge travels through the belts, which is simple to remove. Achieving dry cakes with minimal moisture content is made possible by the press's design, which guarantees high levels of dewatering efficiency. The filtrate, or separated liquid, is transparent and safe to reuse or discharge into bodies of water. risk to the environment. Belt filter presses offer substantial advantages in the treatment of wastewater, including the reduction of sludge volume, lower disposal costs, and adherence to disposal standards. The belt thickener reduces the sludge moisture and is a perfect match for wastewater from 6.0ph to 9.0ph.

In conclusion, belt filter combi units are necessary equipment for treating wastewater because of the overwhelming advantages they display over other mechanical equipment used in treating wastewater. This equipment is used In a variety of industries, including food processing, mining, and water treatment facilities, it is a commonly utilized and incredibly successful way of handling and treating sludge.

[waterfiltergurus]

14 Common Water Filter Pitcher Myths Debunked

Over our decade of researching and reviewing water filter pitchers, we’ve heard all the myths about these water treatment systems that you could possibly imagine.  Here, we’ve addressed the common misconceptions about water filter pitchers and discussed whether or not there’s any truth to these statements.  📌 Key Takeaways - There’s a lot of information about water filter pitchers online, and not all of it is true. - Some misconceptions about water filter pitchers are that they’re supposed to reduce TDS, they’re less capable than more expensive filters, they add BPA to water, they only address chlorine, and they soften water.  - Make sure you know exactly what you’re buying before you spend your money.  ⚠️ Common Inaccurate Ideas About Water Filter Pitchers Here are some of the most common inaccurate ideas or assumptions we’ve read about water filter pitchers.  1) Water Filter Pitchers Reduce Water’s TDS Many people assume that a water filter pitcher can remove TDS, which comes from an incorrect assumption that TDS in water is bad and should be removed.  We’ve read forums where water pitcher users have deemed their pitcher “useless” because they’ve tested their water with a TDS meter and seen virtually no difference in the pre- and post-filtered water.  TDS is a good indicator of water quality because generally, the higher the water's TDS, the more impurities - good and bad - it contains - however a TDS reading alone cannot tell you if water is healthy or not. However, removing all TDS isn’t necessarily the best solution because healthy minerals, salts, and ions are also classed as dissolved solids. So, if a water filter pitcher removed TDS, it’d remove the healthy stuff too, leaving your water with a flat taste and fewer health properties.  There’s a popular water filter pitcher brand that has built its marketing around its ability to reduce TDS to below a certain level. Don’t fall for the marketing - TDS removal isn’t the be-all-end-all.  2) Water Filter Pitchers Are Less Capable Than More Expensive Water Treatments  We’ve also read misconceptions that water filter pitchers aren’t as capable as other water filter types because they’re cheaper.  While we can understand the reasoning behind this belief, it isn’t true. The only reason why water filter pitchers are cheaper to buy is that they’re cheaper to make, being smaller and simpler devices than under-sink and whole-home filters.  In fact, some of the best water filter pitchers can remove hundreds of drinking water contaminants, and many pitchers actually remove more contaminants than their expensive counterparts because they have a slower, more thorough filtration process.  So don’t assume that you’ll have to compromise on quality or performance if you spend less money on a water filter pitcher. Often, you’ll actually get a better performance from a more affordable pitcher than you would on a costlier under-sink or whole-home system. 3) Water Filter Pitchers Re-contaminate Water With Pitcher Materials We’ve heard some concerns about water filter pitchers being capable of recontaminating water supplies due to the materials used in the pitcher build.  However, if you invest in a quality water filter pitcher made from BPA- and BPS-free plastic, you shouldn’t be at risk of drinking water that has been contaminated by the pitcher jug. Many water filter pitchers are made from Tritan plastic, a sturdy, BPA-free NSF certified material that won’t add anything harmful to water. But if you’re really concerned, you can always go for a glass water filter pitcher. 4) Water Filter Pitchers Remove Microorganisms Water filter pitchers are designed to be used for filtering disinfected tap water, so it’s a myth that these pitchers can remove microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.  Pathogens are tiny - much tinier than chemicals and dissolved metals. They’re small enough to squeeze through the pores of most water filter pitchers, so they’ll still be present in a batch of filtered water.  You wouldn’t want microorganisms to accumulate in the filter media in your water pitcher, anyway, since that carries the risk of recontamination, so you should only use a pitcher filter with clean, potable water.  The exception is the few water filter pitchers that offer nanofiltration, which does remove microorganisms - although these pitchers aren’t typically as effective as UV water purifiers and other dedicated treatments for killing harmful pathogens.  5) Water Filter Pitchers Soften Water There’s a lot of misinformation online about how to tackle the effects of hard water, and you might have read that a “hard water filter” will remove hardness minerals.  Some people assume that water filter pitchers can remove hardness minerals along with other common drinking water contaminants, but this isn’t true.  Water hardness is a quality issue that can only be addressed with a water softener. If you have hard water, the hardness minerals may clog the filter media in your pitcher, but a pitcher doesn’t provide reliable or consistent hard water treatment.  Plus, water filter pitchers won’t protect your home’s plumbing from the effects of hard water because they only treat water at its end point, when it leaves your faucet. Installing a water softener at your home’s point of entry will protect your pipes, appliances, and additional water treatment equipment by removing damaging, scale-forming minerals.  6) Water Filter Pitchers Only Address Chlorine A lot of people underestimate the abilities of a water filter pitcher when it comes to contaminant removal.  While most of us know that a water filter pitcher can remove chlorine, tastes and odors from our water supplies, that’s not all.  The best water filter pitchers can remove hundreds of contaminants, including heavy metals, fluoride, chromium-6, pesticides and herbicides, nitrates and nitrites, arsenic, lead, and other dissolved organic and inorganic impurities.  It’s true that the more basic water filter pitchers can only reduce chlorine and a handful of other contaminants, but most filters are much more capable than you might assume.  7) Water Filter Pitchers Offer a Maintenance-Free Solution Many people don’t think beyond the initial purchase. Yes, a water filter pitcher can provide years of effective filtration - but only when you spend money on regular filter changes.  Some users have the misconception that water filter pitchers are maintenance-free, but actually, you’ll need to replace the filter every 4-6 months to keep the pitcher in good working operation.  This is the same for any water filtration system for your home, although other water filter types may have longer-lasting filters.  If you’re not prepared to spend around $70-$150 per year on maintenance for a water filter pitcher, ask yourself whether it’s the right solution for you.  8) Water Filter Pitchers Instantly Filter Water Another source of disappointment amongst some water filter pitcher customers is the speed of filtration.  Many users don’t learn about the gravity filtration process before they buy a water filter pitcher, which means they’re surprised when the pitcher arrives and it takes upwards of 10-20 minutes for a single batch of water to filter.  The slow rate of filtration is actually a good thing because it allows for a longer contact time between the water and the filter media, so more contaminants can be removed.  However, if you want filtered water on demand, know before you buy that a water filter pitcher doesn’t provide this solution.  9) Water Filter Pitchers Can Be Used for All Water Types As we mentioned earlier, most water filter pitchers are designed to be used to treat a municipal tap water supply.  Municipal tap water has been filtered and disinfected at a treatment plant to make it safe to drink, and water filter pitchers act as a final polishing stage at home, removing disinfectant chemicals and further reducing trace levels of contaminants.  The idea that all water filter pitchers can be used to treat any water type, including well water, is a misconception.  There’s a small selection of water filter pitchers on the market today that are suitable for well water. However, even these pitchers shouldn’t be used to treat water straight from your well.  You’ll need to pre-treat your well water with a sediment filter and an iron/manganese filter, and disinfect the water if necessary, before filtering it through a pitcher filter.  10) Water Filter Pitchers Are Unsafe We know there’s some concern amongst people considering buying a water filter pitcher about the safety of this filter. In fact, a commonly asked question we came across on Google was: “Is it safe to drink water from a filter pitcher?” We think people are probably asking this because a few studies have found that water filter pitchers may harbor bacteria.  From our perspective, the idea that a water filter pitcher is unsafe when used correctly is a misconception. Like anything you’d use to store food or water, a pitcher should be cleaned regularly. The filter also needs to be replaced as often as advised by the manufacturer.  As long as you can keep your water filter pitcher in clean, proper working condition, it should be safe to drink water from.  11) Water Filter Pitchers Are a Scam We understand the hesitancy to spend your money in a world that’s out to take everything from your pockets and give you nothing much in return.  But of all the scams that exist today, water filter pitchers aren’t one of them.  The best pitcher filters use filter materials that have been scientifically proven to reduce contaminants, and many filters have official endorsements and certifications from third-party agencies like the National Sanitation Foundation, so you know they’re the real deal.  As with any industry, there are a few water filter pitcher manufacturers that sell a product that doesn’t do everything it’s advertised to do - and that’s why it’s important to shop around and spend your money on a popular product by a reputable brand.  12) Water Filter Pitchers Are a Gimmick A similar misconception about water filter pitchers is that they’re just a “gimmick like bottled water”.  A water filter pitcher is more than just a gimmick because it reliably removes trace amounts of dangerous contaminants and improves the taste of your water.  If you hate the taste of your tap water or you’re concerned about water quality, a water filter pitcher should prove genuinely helpful to you.  Of course, it all depends on your goals and preferences - some people may simply prefer to avoid the extra responsibilities of owning a water filter pitcher. 13) Water Filter Pitchers Are the Only Filter Option If you’re just dipping your toe into the water filter industry, you’ve probably only heard of water filter pitchers.  They’re the cheapest and most accessible filters for domestic use, and many of the big filter pitcher brands spend thousands of dollars on marketing every month.  But water filter pitchers aren’t your only option if you’re looking to filter your water at home. There are also countertop filters, under-sink filters, faucet filters, water bottle filters, in-line filters, fridge filters, shower filters, whole-house filters, and much more.  There’s a filtration solution for every need and budget - so make sure you know all your options before you spend your money.  14) The Most Well-Known Pitcher Brands Have the Best Products When you think of water filter pitchers, one or two big brands probably come to mind.  You might assume that these brands are the most popular because they offer the best products, but this simply isn’t true.  If you want to buy a filter pitcher that removes hundreds of contaminants and provides a reliable long-term performance, you’ll need to look beyond the obvious choices and see what the experts are recommending.  A well-known brand simply has a big marketing budget - it doesn’t mean it’s the best brand to buy from! More Readings: - The Real Deal: 7 Best Water Filter Pitchers that Deliver Results in - Exploring the Effectiveness of Water Filter Pitchers - Is a Water Filter Pitcher Suitable for Outdoor Adventures? 🔚 Final Word Hopefully, this guide has cleared up a lot of the misconceptions you might have heard about water filter pitchers. Ultimately, a water filter pitcher is an affordable investment in your health - but make sure you know exactly what you’re buying. Water filter pitchers aren’t for everyone. You might prefer another type of water filter, or you may simply not want to filter your water for the time being.  Read the full article

[theblogs2024]

Dewatering Screw Push Functioning Theory

The Dewatering Screw Press employs the theory of screw extrusion. With the powerful extrusion force created via the transform of screw diameter and pitch, and also the little gap concerning the transferring ring along with the set ring, the sludge is squeezed and dewatered.

Dewatering Screw Press The Dewatering Screw Push adopts a multi-overlap spiral filter press system, which has the features of self-cleaning filter slits, no block, saves drinking water and electricity and durable. It creates a immediate dewatering of minimal-concentration sludge (2000mg/L～), and will notice 24-hour steady unmanned operation, although tremendously decreasing the cost of layout, development, operation and routine maintenance administration.

Dewatering Screw Press Once the Dewatering Screw Press is Operating, the sludge is lifted towards the mixing tank through the sludge pump. Right now, the dosing pump also quantitatively transports the liquid on the mixing tank, and the stirring motor drives your entire mixing system to combine the sludge Along with the liquid. Carry out enough mixing to provide alum. If the liquid amount reaches the higher degree of the liquid degree sensor, the liquid stage sensor will get a signal at this time, so that the motor of the principle overall body from the screw press begins to press and filter the sludge. Underneath the motion of your screw shaft, the sludge is lifted towards the sludge outlet bit by bit, and the filtrate flows out from your hole concerning the set ring plus the shifting ring. The Dewatering Screw Press is composed of screw push, driving gadget, filtrate tank, mixing technique, frame and etc. Screw Push The screw push is composed of a fixed ring, a transferring ring, a screw shaft, a screw, a gasket and a variety of connecting plates. The complete screw press overall body is fabricated from chrome steel 304. The set ring is linked jointly by six screws. A gasket as well as a transferring ring are mounted in between the fixed ring as well as the moving ring. Both equally the fixed ring along with the relocating ring are created of have on-resistant supplies, that makes the life of the whole machine lengthier. The screw shaft passes through the preset ring and also the going ring. Dewatering Screw Push Screw Shaft The screw shaft is composed of a taper shaft as well as a spiral blade. The outer circle on the screw shaft blade specifically contacts the moving ring to generate friction, and the surface area in the blade is always in connection with the sludge. Driving Device The drive machine is the power supply of the gear, along with the functionality of the generate system will straight have an affect on the efficiency of The complete machine. The motor security course is IP54 along with the insulation course is File. Explosion-proof motors will also be utilised according to consumer needs, and frequency conversion starting up and speed regulation approaches can be employed to suit unique software ailments and prevent load affect. Filtrate Tank The filtrate tank is welded by chrome steel 304 plates to collect the filtrate filtered because of the Dewatering Screw Push. The filtrate tank is linked Together with the frame body by screws, and flanges are delivered about the aspect from the filtrate tank to facilitate reference to external gear. Mixing System The mixing procedure is principally utilized to totally combine the sludge along with the medicament to sort alum, and that is then fed into the principle entire body of the screw press for squeezing and dewatering. The mixing tank is supplied with a sludge inlet, an overflow port as well as a vent port, as well as a liquid amount adjustment unit is provided, so the sludge feed sum is often modified. Frame The body body is welded by significant-strength channel steel, as well as surface area is handled with anti-corrosion. To know more details visit here: SCREW PRESS FOR SLUDGE TREATMENT

[mishitekchemicals1]

An Industrial Waste water Treatment System: How to work?

Prior to release into the environment or reuse, industrial waste water treatment refers to the systems and procedures utilised to clean up waters that have been harmed in some way by anthropogenic industrial or commercial processes. Some sort of waste water treatment system is typically required for industrial businesses that produce wastewater as part of their process to ensure safety precautions and discharge restrictions are satisfied. The best industrial wastewater treatment system will assist the facility in preventing damage to the environment, human health, its processes, or its output. Additionally, it will assist the facility to prevent costly fines and potential legal action if wastewater is unlawfully discharged into the environment . While there are many other types of treatment methods, a typical wastewater treatment facility procedure will typically involve the following steps:

Coagulation

To remove the bulk suspended solids and other impurities, several chemicals are applied to a reaction tank during the coagulation process. This procedure begins with a variety of mixing reactors, usually one or two reactors that add particular chemicals to remove all of the smaller water particles by combining them into larger particles that settle out. Aluminum-based coagulates like poly-aluminum chloride and alum are the most frequently utilized coagulants.

Sometimes coagulating the particles will also benefit from a modest pH change.

Flocculation

When coagulation is finished, the water is poured into a flocculation chamber where the coagulated particles are slowly stirred together with long-chain polymers (charged molecules that grab all the colloidal and coagulated particles and pull them together), creating observable, settleable particles that resemble snowflakes.

Sedimentation

Flocculated particles and water enter the chamber of the gravity settler (or sedimentation stage of the wastewater treatment process) and circulate outward from the center. The sediments slowly settle to the bottom of the clarifier and form a sludge blanket as a result of the water rising to the top and overflowing at the clarifier’s edge. The sludge is then pushed out of the bottom of the clarifier into a sludge-handling or dewatering operation after the solids are slowly mixed in the center of the clarifier in a cylindrical tube.

With the use of filter or belt presses, the dewatering procedure removes all the water from the sludge, producing a solid cake. The sludge is placed in a large hopper that either travels to a landfill or a facility that reuses the sludge after the sludge water is placed onto the press and flows between two belts that squeeze the water out. Usually, the water from this procedure is recycled and added to the clarifier’s front end.

Filtration

The water overflow is often routed through gravity sand filters as the next step. These filters are large spaces where two to four feet of coarsely crushed silica sand with jagged edges is placed. Usually, the sand is inserted in the filter between two and four feet deep, where it packs tightly. The particles are then captured by the feed water as it passes through.

Instead of using gravity sand filtering for smaller industrial systems, you might choose a packed-bed pressure multimedia filter. However, for the most part, the polishing phase for conventional wastewater treatment is sand filtering. In some cases, depending on the water supply and whether or not it has a lot of iron, you can also use a green sand filter instead of the sand filter.

 Alternatively to using a gravity sand filter after the clarifiers, ultrafiltration (UF) can alternatively be utilized as a replacement for the complete clarification process. Membranes are the newest treatment method, bypassing the complete clarifier/filtration train and pumping water directly from the wastewater source though the UF (post-chlorination).

Disinfection

The following stage is often disinfection or chlorination to kill the microorganisms in the water after it has passed through the gravity sand filter.

This procedure is occasionally carried out upstream, prior to filtration, to keep the filters clean and free of pathogens. You will need to use additional disinfectant if your system uses this step before filtering so that the filters are cleaned and kept germ-free (as well as the filtered water). By adding chlorine at the beginning, you eliminate microorganisms and reduce fouling. Bacteria in the bed may cause you to develop slime and need to backwash the filters more frequently. Therefore, it all relies on how your system works, such as if it is configured to chlorinate upstream.

Distribution

The wastewater is often put into a holding tank where it can be used as needed by the facility if it is being reused in an industrial operation. If the treated water is intended for municipal use, it is typically pumped into a network of water towers and other collection and distribution equipment that forms a loop across the city.

Additional steps in the wastewater treatment process include: 

Lime softening

A lime and/or lime soda method is utilized in waters with significant levels of hardness, sulfates, or other elements that need to precipitate or be removed. By increasing pH, it causes metals and hardness in the water to precipitate out. It is possible to utilize cold, warm, or hot lime procedures, and each will provide a different efficiency. More hardness is often removed by hotter water.

Ion exchange softening

If there is a high level of hardness, there may be post treatment to get rid of the hardness in various industrial and municipal uses. Instead of lime, a softening resin that is charged with a sodium ion can be employed; when the water becomes harder, the resin will bind to calcium, magnesium, and iron molecules because of their higher affinity, allowing the sodium molecule to escape into the water. A strong acid cation exchange is the term used to describe this phenomenon.

Special processes

The laws governing wastewater and effluent vary depending on where you are, as we said before. Some of the most typical procedures in a wastewater treatment facility have been covered. Usually, special process stages are used to address a particular problem, such as the removal of specific metals or organics, the reduction of TDS for recycling, etc. The best course of action for treating these diverse issues unique to your circumstances must be carefully thought out.

Conclusion

Mishitek Chemicals has over 30 years combined experience custom-designing and manufacturing wastewater treatment systems, so please feel free to reach out to us with your questions. For more information or to get in touch, contact us here.

[ajarstore]

mSawyer Products Squeezable Pouch for Sawyer Squeeze Filter and MINI Water Filtration Systems | ajarstore

[galaxyedging]

Panic

Din x f!reader

Mention of anxiety, character 'death', depictions of drowning.

They'd found the bounty pretty quickly. Unfortunately, he had sold information to a local gang in exchange for protection. That's how they had become trapped in the hold of an old piece of scrap ship while it slowly slipped under the water. Unlocking the door was their best hope. She had way more experience dealing with ships systems like this that Din did. He instead turned his attention to finding another way out. The filtration system in his helmet allow him to retain some air so he was able to stay under the water longer to look for a way out. He would periodically re-emerge next to her to breath as she worked. He was under when she found the right protocol she had to run. She reached out for him in the water. He took her arm and came up right next to her. There was barely any room for them left to breath. He guessed they had seconds left before the water rose up over them.

The water was rising fast, her hands were numb from the cold but that didn't slow her work. She knew any hesitation or slip up could cost her and, more importantly to her, Din their lives. This dank farrik bounty had been cursed from the start.

They had been forced to leave the Crest on Navarro for repairs. Peli had offered to watch the kid. Since the bounty was supposed to be straightforward, they figured it wouldn't take long and accepted. The kid was happy to play in Peli's work shop and honestly she was looking forward to being alone with Din.

Over the last few months they'd grown closer. Since Din had comforted her when she was sick they'd began to accept comfort in each other's presence. They would reassure each other with little touches. They would sit close together with the baby across their laps, happily cooing up at them. As their physical closeness grew, she became more emotionally open with him too.

She didn't mind him seeing her pace the ship, when her mind wouldn't let her rest. She let him watch on the days when she felt she had to check and double check her work around the ship. Normally, just the though of someone seeing this side upset her. It was hard to explain to people how this part of her betrayed her. If she was out hunting a bounty, she handled split second decisions with ease. In battle, she was deadly, as she able taken in everything that was happening, yet keep her mind calm to act. She thrived under pressure. It was the moments in between when things were quiet that she struggled with she felt restless, forgot things easily, made careless mistakes. Then the anxiety would kick in. Life, even the simplest things became overwhelming. She would wake in the night, a crushing worry spreading throughout her.

One night, she awoke and began to dress. By the time she had, Din was stood in the cargo hold waiting for her. He didn't speak just simply handed her a staff, opened the ramp and lead the way outside. They had landed in a field filled with short, fragrant grass. The moon was bright overhead but it was still dark. Din used the cover of this darkness to land a blow to her arm. His movements were controlled enough that he could hit her without causing harm. Instinctively, she hit back landing a blow to his chest. They fought for a while. They returned to a ship without speaking a word. She slept soundly that night.

"I've got it. I just need to run this programme then we're out. A few minutes max. We'll get out of here." she squeezed his hand. He wasn't sure if it was to reassure him or herself. She smiled at him, through her fear, as the water threatened to cover her face. Din knew exactly what he had to do. Taking a last deep breath before the water consumed him. He dipped down into the water giving himself room to removed his helmet. Through the murky water he saw her face contorted in shock. He pulled her close, trying to place the helmet on her head. She shock her head, pushing it back to him. He tapped on the device she was using then pointed to her hoping she would understand. She stilled, allowing him to place the helmet on her head. She felt it close around her head. There was a whirring sound as the water was pumped out. She able to take a breath. Not that she could take in much of a breath as she sobbed. She glanced at the progress bar in her hand. It was moving steadily but right now she wasn't sure if they would have enough time. There was nothing she could do now, they would just have to wait.

Abandoning the equipment in her hand, allowing it to float away, freed her hands up to touch Din. Gripping his face in her hands, she tried to take in as much detail as possible. So many times she had sat and though about what Din would look like. His hair was dark, just as she'd though. It complimented his skin tone. She smiled in spite of herself as she never for a second though that he would have a moustache. She brought her thumb up to run it across his upper lip. He smiled, Maker it was the most beautiful thing she had seen, his grip around her waist tightening pulling her in closer. His head turned in her grip to press a kiss to her hand. He stayed there, with his lips pressed to her skin for a long while, his eyes screwed shut. She couldn't tell in the water but she thought he was crying too. She cried freely as savoured his touch. Silently praying that it wouldn't be the last time she felt it. She felt his body jerk suddenly. He was beginning to struggle to breath. Trying to pull the helmet off she started to freak out when she realized it was stuck. His hands found hers stopping them. Holding up his vambrace he pointed to it. She realized he had locked her in. Pulling her head to his, he pressed his forehead to hers. His body jerked again. She wrapped her arms and legs around him pulling him as close to her body as possible. She wasn't sure if she was providing comfort for him or for her. Or in some weird way she thought if she held him close enough he couldn't be taken from her. Either way he held her back just as tight. She screamed his name as his body convulsed. His grip weaken and eventually he was still completely. Her own breathing was becoming laboured as she let go of him in order to see his face. His lifeless body floated away from her. She cried in anguish as she shook him. She shook him as hard as she could, willing him to wake up. In a rush they were both pulled upward as the door above them finally opened. In the chaos she managed to grab Din and get them both to the surface. Fortunately, there was a pontoon close to them. It was a struggle but she managed to pull him out of the water. Grabbing his arm she used his controls to unlock his helmet. Throwing it off she went to work. Laying Din on his back, she pulled out her knife, cut off his breastplate and prepared to give him CPR. She watched his chest rise as she breathed air into his lungs. Using the last of strengthening she rhythmically pushed on his chest. It feel like time slowed as she repeated this process. She had no idea how long she had been doing it but she knew stopping was not an option. Unfortunately, she was human and began to slow. She became angry at herself for her weakness. Then she became angry at him. How could he do this to her? How could he leave her like this? In that moment her love for him turned to hate. In frustration she slammed her fists down on his chests and began to cry again. Between the sound of her own crying and the waves hitting the wood she didn't register the sound next to her at first. Not until Din began to cough louder, water spilling from his mouth as he did. She moved back to give him room as he rolled onto his side to bring up more water. She froze, not quite believing what she was seeing. After a while the coughing subsided, replaced by heavy breathing, eventually that calmed until she was just left with one very tired, very wet but very much alive Mandalorian. 

She wept with joy as she pulled his head into her lap. "Are you ok?!" she searched his face for any sign that would betray his words, if he tried to lie to her.

"No, but I will be." he answered honestly. "Thank you." He reached up to cup her face with his hand. She placed hers over it and turned to place a kiss to his palm. Once Din was fit enough he had put his helmet on and they had signalled for help. It arrived in the form of a local fishing vessel.

It had been weeks since their improptude deep sea expedition. They hadn't spoken about it since that day.

Things were off for a few days once they got back but they quickly fell back into the rhythm on life the Crest. She did her best to ignore the bantha in the room. Until tonight. Her chest ached. She could feel her heartbeat at every pulse point. Her limbs were beginning to feel numb. Dread swelled within her and threatened to swallow her. She climbed out of her cot. Putting some clothes on she headed out of the ship. Before she got to end of the ramp she hear the familiar sound of Din's boots behind her. Silently she stopped to let him catch up, he fell into step with her as they moved clear of the ship. Din tapped a few a buttons at his wrist and the area was flooded with light. Turning to her, he raised his hands and dropped his leg back into a fighting stance. Without missing a beat she charged him, he easily deflected the two punches she threw at him, as she knew he would. As he blocked the last one she hooked his arm through hers. Throwing herself forward, she allowed her momentum to throw him over her back to land unceremoniously on the ground as she followed the move through landing on her hands, rolling over on her shoulder before landing on her feet. He rolled on his back facing her, he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her then slumped flat again in defeat. She realized she might have been a little rough with him. "Sorry." She breathed as she sat cross legged next to him. "It's ok. I suppose I had it coming." when she didn't correct him he continued. "Am sorry. I thought you were ok after..." he trailed off. 'I died, horrifically in front of you?' she thought.

She could see his was struggling so she helped him. "That's not what's bothering me Din. Don't get me wrong that was..." it was her turn to trail off. "...but you came back. The thing that's getting to me is the helmet..."

He interrupted her "I know you were mad but I knew I had to buy you some time. You were the one who could open..."

"It's not that." she cut him off. "You put it back on. You always told me you couldn't." She almost whispered the last part as she realised she sounded like a child who'd caught their parent in a white lie.

He chuckled. He actually chuckled at her. At that point she wanted to throw him again. "Am sorry." he caught himself. "Of all the things to worry about. I didn't realise that's what you would be thinking of. I never did explain, did I?"

"No." she snapped.

He propped himself up again to face her. "In Mando'a we have a word 'Riduur'. Some people assume it means 'wife' or 'husband'...someone we marry or pledge our life to. We are allowed to take our helmets off in front of them. We don't advertise that fact as people would know when we were most vulnerable."

She looked down at him seemingly unsure of where he was going with this. "Do we have to get married now?"

He tried not to read anything into her tone. "No, see the translation is slightly off. 'Riduur' can also mean someone we share a life with. Well, we work together, we live together...we sort of have a 50 year old baby together." She laughed at that. "I'd say that means you count as my Riduur. So I didn't break my oath."

She visibly relax. "Does that mean you could take your helmet off right now?" she mused.

"Yes..." he paused unsure if he was ready to deal with the answer to his next question. "Do you want me to?"

Instead of answering she smiled, pushing his shoulder lightly making him lay down. She lay down, curling into his side. She yawned before answering "Not tonight." He wrapped his arms around her. She slept soundly that night.

[writtenjewels]

Restless

“Ow!” The sharp cry had Jaal pausing in his walk. He paused and turned toward the sound. He saw a pair of legs first sticking out from underneath a suspended mining probe. He crouched down to get a closer look at the owner of those legs. A smile touched his lips when he recognized it was Scott Ryder.

“Hello.”

“Uh, hey.” Scott blinked at him. The young man's face had a dark smudge on one cheek and when he rubbed his forehead, more of the dark smudge spread there.

“What are you doing?” Jaal wondered.

“This mining probe is leaking.”

“Ah. That explains your face.”

“My--” Scott glanced at his hands. “Ah, shit.” He rolled out from under the probe and grabbed a cloth, wiping at his face. He turned toward Jaal and tilted his head to each side. “Is that better?”

“Yes. Though there is still some here.” Jaal rubbed at his own jaw meaningfully. Scott blinked at him, then let out a laugh.

“Nah, that's just my 'peach fuzz', as Sara likes to call it. She likes to tease that I can't grow a beard.” Oh, yes, Jaal could see it now. Other male humans had hair on their jaws. He worried that Scott would think he was being insulting but the young man just kept smiling. He was wiping his hands clean now, tucking the cloth in his pocket when he was finished.

“So you are assigned to the mining team?” Jaal asked him.

“Not really. They just needed the help. Think I crossed the wrong wires, though. This thing gave me a hell of a shock before you walked by.” That would explain the cry Jaal heard. Scott pulled up his omni-tool and started tapping away. “Okay, so when I finish this I can swing by and help with the water filtration system, and after that there's someone who wants to strengthen the communication signal to the Nexus, and then checking on the progress of the latest bunch of colonists coming out of cryo, and then--”

“Scott,” Jaal interrupted. “This sounds like.... a lot. You are doing all of these things today?”

“Sure. Of course, I might not have time to work on the shuttle engine but if I finish the power module quickly I may be able to squeeze it in.”

Jaal was quiet for a moment. Sara often found herself burdened with requests and accepted every one without hesitation. Was this a Ryder family trait, he wondered, trying to take on so much at once?

“Perhaps you could pace yourself,” he suggested. “Allow time to rest.”

“I've rested enough,” Scott retorted coldly, and disappeared back under the mining probe. Jaal frowned and crouched down beside him again.

“You were in a coma.” Scott didn't answer, determinedly tinkering with the probe. “Humans need several hours of sleep,” Jaal reminded him. “I have heard Lexi say so many times.”

“I don't want to sleep!” Scott shouted, banging his tool so hard against the probe that something came loose. “Ah, shit,” he cursed. He reached for the piece but Jaal picked it up first. “Give it,” Scott demanded.

“No.” Jaal closed his hands around the piece. “When is the last time you slept, Scott?”

“I don't...” He huffed in frustration and shoved out from under the probe again. “It's been a while, okay? I don't know, does it matter?”

“Of course it does. Run for too long without rest and you will break.”

Scott looked away, his jaw clenching. “I won't break. He can't make me.” Jaal didn't understand what he meant at first, but then it dawned on him: the Archon. This wasn't just about Scott being in a coma for months; this was about when he was captured.

“Scott, I wish you to stay strong and clear. Please.” Jaal opened his hands and held out the piece of the probe. Scott gazed silently back at him. There were so many emotions in those eyes, so much that the young man kept to himself. Jaal wished he could encourage them forward.

Scott reached out and took the piece, disappearing back under the probe. This time Jaal did not lure him out. He waited but Scott didn't speak again. Eventually Jaal moved on. He listed in his mind all the tasks Scott mentioned. Jaal decided to do some for him. Then, maybe, Scott would let himself rest.